76 POULTRY PRODUCTION 



The Whites were admitted to the Standard in 1888 and the 

 Buffs and Partridge varieties in 1894."i The Silver Pencilled, 

 Black, and Columbian varieties are later additions. 



The Rhode Island Reds came nearer to being originated 

 as a farmer's breed than perhaps any other. According to 

 Brown/ "This breed was the result of crossing by farmers 

 Hving on the shores of Narragansett Bay in New England, 

 who had no idea of producing a new breed, but of securing 

 strong, vigorous, and profitable fowls." The foundation of 

 this breed was laid sixty years ago, when some Red Cochins 

 and Malays were brought to Westport, Mass., and Little 

 Compton, R. I., by sailors. These were crossed with the 

 native stock, and the resulting offspring seemed particularly 

 suited to the prevailing conditions. 



Later other crosses were made, which probably included the 

 Rose Comb Brown Leghorn and the Wyandotte. 



While fowls were exhibited under the name of Rhode 

 Island Reds as early as 1879 or 1880, a standard was not 

 adopted for them until 1901. There are but two varieties, 

 the Single Comb and the Rose Comb. 



All American breeds lay a brown egg that 'is neither so 

 dark nor so uniform in color as the egg of the Asiatics. 



These breeds have for the most part been singularly free 

 from injurious fads, though the present breed standards 

 are laying too much stress on non-economic points. The 

 Plymouth Rock and Rhode Island Red bid fair to be victims 

 of too much emphasis on absolute color requirements; while 

 the Wyandottes, as a breed, have probably already suffered 

 from the extreme short body and that roundness that calls 

 rather loose and heavy feathering to its aid. 



Mairs^ found, in slaughter tests, that birds of the American 

 class gave a better dressing percentage than either the Asiatic 

 or Mediterranean. 



The English Class. — ^The English class consists of five 

 breeds, Dorking, Red Cap, Orpington, Cornish, and Sussex. 

 Of these, the Orpingtons alone have obtained a position of 



' Brown, Races of Domestic Poultry. 

 ' Pennsylvania Bulletin No. 87. 



