158 THE AMERICAN BREEDS OF POULTRY 



excessive feathering for the appearance of size than upon bone and 

 substance of body. The knell for the Cochin was rung. 



Noftzger now went back to the old American Partridge Cochin 

 and in 1898 began to work in the opposite direction. Instead of 

 employing English blood to produce more feathering, he crossed an 

 American Partridge Cochin hen that had been hatched April 1, 1895, 

 and which had laid twenty-seven eggs in twenty-seven consecutive 

 days, to a Cornish Indian Game cockerel. He also selected a full 

 sister and two half sisters of the above hen "Georgine," and made pair 

 matings of each of the four females with four Cornish cockerels. 



The Cornish has a yellow shank free from feathers, pea comb and 

 light colored eyes. The Cochin has a single comb and a bay eye. 

 This experienced breeder selected Cornish cockerels with as much 

 bay in the iris of their eyes as possible and also picked those that 

 had rather high combs. The progeny of the cross were not altogether 

 satisfactory, the pullets carrying the douljle penciling of the Cornish 

 instead of the triple penciling of a Partridge and the cockerels were 

 almost solid black in hackle and saddle instead of black edged with 

 red as in an ideal Partridge. 



Noftzger as a student and experimenter. The next season's mat- 

 ing was a problem. Partridge Wyandotte males were heavily striped 

 in hackle and delicient in bright red color, so after considerable 

 thought, Noftzger decided to use Golden Wyandotte males, the Golden 

 Wyandotte having more or less golden bay color throughout its 

 entire breast as well as being open-striped on back. In order not to 

 complicate the comb section, Golden Wyandotte cockerels that were 

 single comb sports were largely used. 



It was difficult, however, to select birds with good combs from the 

 third mating, the influence of the pea comb of the Cornish and the 

 rose comb of the Wyandotte showing in side sprigs in the flock that 

 Noftzger was building. At last nine matings were made for the third 

 year, six of which were reasonably successful but the progeny of the 

 other three matings were consigned as market poultry. 



Being a farmer with plenty of grain and enjoying the low prices 

 of the time, Noftzger was able to make a number of matings and 

 carry on his experimental operations in an extensive way. In 1901, 

 he made ten matings. He was now able to use cocks and hens for the 

 first time, instead of cockerels and pullets; and having color and mark- 

 ings fairly well obtained, he paid more attention to selecting his 

 breeders for Plymouth Rock shape. 



Noftzger's second start. At this point discouragement overcame 

 the breeder, and having had some correspondence with a breeder in 

 Wisconsin relative to the stock, Noftzger sold his entire flock, but 

 re-entered into the breeding of the variety with new enthusiasm three 

 years later. He secured several birds from old customers in 1904, 

 and made six matings in 1905. The following year found him able to 

 select typical specimens both in respect to Plymouth Rock type and 



