Pea-Comb Barred Plymouth Rocks. 41 



and inventive mind in creating new breeds and varieties, more beau- 

 tiful, more attractive and more useful in one way or another than 

 those of earlier times, and much better adapted to our variable and 

 frigid climate. 



The Pea-Comb Barred Plymouth Rock is a recent acquisition 

 to our American varieties, and a worthy relative of the Single Comb 

 Barred, and White Rocks. It was favorably known for some years 

 back, and bred in a quiet way until the pea-comb was well established 

 and in comformity with other standard points. The question of 

 utility has engrossed the attention of many of our breeders of a 

 practical turn of mind, and though the Standard Plymouth Rock was 

 always considered an ideal breed for practical purposes in point of 

 facial appendages, the comb being medium in size with a tendency 

 to breed and keep it within the limits of moderation, and sufficiently 

 small to resist the pinching frosts of winter, if exposed, but the 

 severity of some of our past winters, and the general distribution of 

 the breed throughout Uncle Sam's broad domain, buffeting the cold 

 winds of the eastern seaboards and bearing the vigors of nothern 

 " blizzards " about squatters' homesteads, showed that the single 

 comb was not proof against severe frost. In this point alone, the 

 pea-comb is an improvement, no other merit is claimed for this new 

 variety, over the single comb breed, no other would receive consid- 

 eration, recognition or approval. 



Breeders of Pea-Comb Plymouth Rocks claim the pea-comb a 

 " sport " from the single comb breed. This is within the scope of 

 the possibilities, and might honestly be expected from a fowl having 

 such composite characteristics, but as the crop of " sports " in the 

 pEist decade has been so remarkably abundant, and as the Yankee 

 fancier is distinguished for the manipulation of new breeds, varieties 

 and unique features, some may question the possibility of the allega- 

 tion, as they have done on other occasions. However, the Pea- 

 Comb PlymoiJth Rock has come to stay, honored and attended with 

 the commendations of a galaxy of well known breeders, and honestly 

 and fairly admitted to the Standard of Perfection with the White 

 Plymouth Rocks, at the convention of the American Poultry Associa- 

 tion, held at Indianapolis, Ind., January 25, 1888. 



Judging by the tone of remarks expressed on the motions of 

 admitting the Pea-Comb Barred Plymouth Rocks and White Ply- 

 mouth Rocks to the Standard, it reflects much credit on the mem- 

 bers, for the liberal spirit, entirely free from envious opposition as 

 manifested throughout in their deliberations on accepting these new 



