LEADING STANDARD VARIETIES 



LINE FOR MALE BREEDING 



"To produce fine males select the very best exhibition male 

 to head the pen. He must be a bird of standard weight, or a 

 little over, with broad, full breast; low, evenly serrated comb; 

 solid red lobes, bay eyes; broad, well curved back; nicely curved 

 tail, carried rather low; and strong, rich yellow legs, set well 

 apart. In color he should be a rich, dark blue, even all over, 

 and as closely barred as possible to retain distinctness, with 

 wings and tail distinctly barred throughout. Get all the under- 

 color possible with such a surface, but do not let the surfao^e 

 su£fer for the sake of heavy under-color. 



"Mate with this male eight or ten females of the same line 

 of blood, or, in other words, females whose sire and grand-sire 

 were high scoring exhibition males of the type and color I have 

 described. Select females of standard size, with small, evenly 

 serrated combs, bay eyes, blocky shape, broad backs, low, well- 

 barred tails, and strong, yellow legs. In color these females 

 should be several shades darker than exhibition color, the bars 

 to be narrow, distinct and close together in all sections, with the 

 under-color strong and distinct to the skin. With these strong 

 colored females you can get all the under-color in the male pro- 

 duct that it is possible to have with a brilliant, high colored 

 surface. 



"From such a mating as I have described, if bred in line, 

 I can produce 95 per cent, first-class breeding males with 25 per 

 cent, of sufficient merit for exhibition at the best shows. 



LINE FOR FEMALE BREEDING 



"In mating to produce high-class exhibition pullets select 

 females of the best exhibition color, evenly and distinctly 

 bajred down to the skin. Be particular that the neck is evenly 

 and closely barred and not lighter in color than the back and 

 body. Have the main tail feathers and tail coverts well barred 

 across the feather. Females are liable to fail in these sections 

 unless care is exercised in the selection of the breeders. Have 

 them standard weight or a little over, with broad, full breasts, 

 broad backs, gently inclining to the tail, which should not be 

 carried too high. I prefer a slight cushion, which gives the 

 female a round, blocky appearance. The comb should be small 

 and evenly serrated, eyes bay, and legs a rich yellow. Such a 

 bird should be fit to show in any company. If these females 

 have been bred in line for several generations the offspring will 

 be more even in form and color. 



"With these females place a male of medium light color 

 and of even shade from head to tail. He should be of standard 

 weight, have broad, deep, full breast; body not too short; back 

 well curved to tail, which should be carried rather low. This 

 male should have been bred in line from high-class exhibition 

 females for several generations, so that his blood may have the 

 same character as that of the females with which he is mated. 



"From such a mating can be produced 95 per cent of first- 

 class breeding females and 20 to 30 per cent of high scoring 

 show specimens. The males from this mating will be very nearly 

 the color of the sire, and are useful as breeding birds in mating 

 for exhibition females. Save only those that are even in color 

 for breeding purposes." 



Barred Rock pullets reach laying maturity at the age of 

 six and oiie-half to seven months and prove grand fall, winter 

 and spring layers. The hens are exceptional mothers. Cockerels 

 mature at from nine to ten months old: All Plymouth Rocks 

 fatten easily and exhibit a tendency to take on fat internally 

 after maturity. Adult males will tip the scales at 9i pounds and 

 hens range about two pounds lighter in weight. They are fine 

 meated but rather coarser boned than other American varieties. 

 Young stock is hardy and easily reared and adults are not liable 

 to disease. Good foragers but are easily kept in confinement. 



Brown eggs, yellow skin and legs. This variety is one of the 

 favorites at the Maine Experiment Station where they are 

 developing a wonderful capacity for egg production. 



WHITE PLYMOUTH ROCKS 



U. R. FISHEL, Hope, Indiana 



Pardon me for stating my honest belief that the White 

 Plymouth Rooks, as bred today, are the most beautiful and 

 profitable of all domestic fowl. This is a rather broad assertion, 

 it is true, but nevertheless I believe it is based on facts. 



Whence came the White Plymouth Rocks? Their origin 

 is not surrounded by mystery, nor are they a made-up, happy- 

 go-lucky variety. They originated in the year 1874, the first 

 birds shown being a pair of chicks exhibited in the fall of that 

 year by Wm. P. Woodworth, at the Eastern Maine fair held at 

 Bangor. Mr. Woodworth wrote me under date of October 13, 

 1904; "I was the first one to raise and exhibit the White Ply- 

 mouth Rocks. I had a pair on exhibition at the Eastern Maine 

 Fair, held at Bangor, this state, the year before Mr. Frost got 

 his chicks. Mine were raised from eggs of Barred Rocks of the 

 Essex strain. Unfortunately my birds were both cockerels but 

 Dr. G. W. Twitchell and myself thought they were a pair at the 

 fair. Mr. Frost had a few pullets the next year, and the White 

 Plymouth Rocks were bred from them." 



We may reasonably conclude, therefore, that the origin of 

 the White Plymouth Rocks is quite definitely fitxed; they are 

 "sports" from Barred Plymouth Rocks, pure and simple. By 

 careful culling and breeding, Mr. Frost soon established a new 

 and valuable variety, bearing the name White Plymouth Rocks, 

 which were duplicates of the, at that time, standard Barred 

 Rocks in all respects except color. 



In one of the leading poultry publications way back in 

 1886, a breeder of White Plymouth Rocks said, "They are true 

 to color, size, shape, etc., and in an experience of over one 

 hundred chicks reared this season there is not a colored feather 

 to be found." Certainly it took careful breeding to get these 

 results twenty years ago, and yet some people wonder at the 

 marvelous growth in the demand for White Plymouth Rocks. 



Mr. Frost, above referred to as one of the originators of 

 this variety, said in an article, also published back in the 80's: 

 "They are superior to any other breed as layers." If twenty 

 years ago the White Plymouth Rooks were considered the best 

 egg producers, it is not surprising that they have more than 

 held their own. Plenty of evidence is at hand to prove that the 

 remarkable egg yield of the White Plymouth Rocks has been 

 conserved and increased by White Rock specialists until today 

 no other fowl equals the White Plymouth Rocks as egg producers. 

 No matter in what climate they are bred, whether in the cold 

 regions of Alaska and Nova Scotia, or in the hot climate of 

 South Africa and Southern Australia, or on the Islands of Java, 

 New Zealand and Tasmania, they give perfect satisfaction, both 

 as egg producers and as table fowl. 



Is there any other variety for which equal or greater claims 

 can truthfully be made, as regards utiUty value? With full 

 respect to all other breeds and varieties. White Plymouth Rock 

 breeders can safely challenge comparison. 



The improvements made in the standard quaUties and 

 general make-up of the White Plymouth Rocks of today, as 

 compared with the best specimens of ten years ago, is marvelous 

 The White Rocks of today are bred larger in size, have better 

 shaped bodies, the bodies being rather long and deep, with 

 broad fuU breast, thus producing a far more powerful looking 

 and stately fowl, as well as a better carcass for the table. 



As a fancy fowl the White Plymouth Rocks now command 

 the highest prices paid for any standard variety, single specimens 



73 



