Plymouth Rocks. 
197 
or be of an excitable, nervous, fretful temperament, and consequently, a day or two after, be very much ' oft 
colour.' On the other hand, many young birds are pen-shy, and suffer from Show-fright on Judging day, but 
often before the close of the Show become as tractable as old stagers. For these reasons I would ask all 
Critics to make it a rule to make their reports, if at all possible, on Judging day. If they find this impossible, 
in fairness to the Judge, their readers, and themselves, they should openly state the interval of time that has 
elapsed between the Judging, and the taking of their notes. If this is neglected, their criticisms must, of 
necessity, be in many instances heavily handicapped and almost valueless. Critics should also bear in mind 
the fact that the Judge, in handling birds, may find many faults, and also some few perfections, which to the 
eye alone are impossible of detection, and this applies especially to all Table breeds, and to Rocks in 
particular. Here Judges have a great advantage over Critics, and which some of the latter do not give 
enough weight to. If a Judge's reasons for his decisions were set down on a card attached to each pen, and 
this practice became general, it would be of great assistance to all critics, and make their work considerably 
lighter and more agreeable, as no man likes to pick holes in another man's work, especially when he finds 
himself working to a certain e.xtent in the dark. 
" Before finishing this contribution, I would like to chronicle within its pages a recognition of the 
services rendered to the breed by those Fanciers who have, within my own knowledge, worked hardest (some 
by a liberal expenditure of hard cash, others by years of patient study), to establish and improve the 
Plymouth Rock in Australia, and also a few notes on the best birds with which they have won distinction. 
That genial son of France, the late Mr. De Moor, in 1886 brought the first consignment of Rocks to this 
Colony (Vic), but as they were described by Mr. A. H. Hopton, in the Leader of 14th August of that year, 
as ' somewhat resembling Malays in shape,' they were evidently far from being true Rocks in type ; and 
though Mr. De Moor imported at the same time some very high-class birds of other breeds, which he had 
previous experience of, and which have left a distinct influence for good on our pure-bred Poultry since, it is 
quite clear that, through that gentleman's inexperience of the new breed, our first introduction to the 
Plymouth Rock was not exactly what it should have been. 
" To the late Mr. E. Poore we owe the first introduction of American blood. Mr. Poore was a quiet, 
unassuming gentleman, saying little and thinking much, and a close student of Nature, consequently his 
opinions carried great weight, and were invariably respected. This gentleman had resided for many years 
in the United States, and in selecting the Plymouth Rock as an ideal Utility Fowl suitable to Australia he 
did the farmers of the Colonies an incalculable benefit. His mature judgment guided him aright in 
foreseeing. that this great big, grand General Utility Fowl must catch on here, if introduced in right kind, 
and I well remember the sensation caused when he first exhibited his enormous birds at the Melbourne 
Show. Word got round Town of the new American Fowls as big as the Turkeys of those days, and his pens 
were besieged by a gaping crowd during the remainder of the time the Show was open. That Mr. Poore did 
introduce the ' Simon Pures,' and that those same birds, taken as a whole, were second to no later 
importation of Rocks ever brought to Australia, results have abundantly proved since. Only in odd 
specimens have we seen anything to equal them in size and type ; and, though the cocks were a trifle light in 
colour, the hens were well-nigh perfect. Pretty well every Champion hen or pullet bred in this Colony 
(Vic), may be traced back to the Poore strain, and from its top crossing of 'Czar' blood we owe the best 
cocks and cockerels yet seen in Australia. Mr. Poore was undoubtedly the pioneer of the breed in Victoria. 
" Mr. John D. Goodwin, Mr. E. L. Samuel, Mr. Walter Hope, and Mr. James E. Pemell were among 
the earliest to bring Rocks prominently under public notice in N. S. W. Mr. Goodwin's birds met with 
great success in the early years, winning three out of the four first prizes at Sydney Show in 1889, Mr. 
Samuel taking the other. Mr. Goodwin's Champion cock 'Surrey' was a bird of great type, and this 
bird swept the board for several seasons in N.S.W., and he then passed into Mr. Pemell's hands, from 
whom I bought him in 1892. This bird had an extraordinary constitution, and was hearty and vigorous 
right into extreme old age. Mr. Samuel made Plymouth Rocks a specialty, and imported very largely, 
having brought out nine or ten different strains at various times. He seemed to set great value on the 
