200 
The Australasian Book of Poultry. 
following month Mr. S. P. England gave 17 guineas for him, and at Essendon in 1892, in a class of 32 cocks 
and cockerels, won third with a cockerel by him, ' The Dude ' himself being again fifth. ' The Larrikin ' 
was commended or sixth, still another of Poore blood on the dam side, a nearly perfect bird, both in shape 
and colour, but for the fact of being handicapped by a slight brassy patch at the point of each shoulder. 
Mr. Joseph Lodge, of Bacchus Marsh, purchased him at this Show, and won first with him at Ballarat, 
beating ' Bolivar.' Mr. Lodge had a very fine cockerel from him in 'The Nugget,' which he sold to Mr. 
Maxfield, and from the latter Mr. Maxfield bred the sensational cockerel of '95, ' Champion Sensation,' 
which Messrs. Franklin Bros, claimed at Essendon, his first Show, at ten guineas, and re-sold back to Mr. 
Maxfield, two days afterwards, for 25 guineas. The biggest youngster of the lot. Champion ' Skipper Hall,' 
did not get a card, but he was, I believe, the reserve number or seventh on the list. At the time he was 
overgrown, and undeveloped ; but Mr. Huggins's reason for placing him so far back was that his comb was 
altogether too big, and that gentleman was always consistently severe on big combs. He was of magnificent 
colour and markings, however, and developed to an enormous size, and proved to be the champion of 1892. 
I sold him during the Show to Mr. W. T. Wright, and a week or two afterwards Messrs. Franklin Bros, 
bought him from that gentleman, along with those two great hens, ' Champion Tremlett ' and ' The Hope 
Hen.' The price of that deal has never transpired ; but if it was anything under 50 guineas the Messrs. 
Franklin must have secured a great bargain, and I have often thought, that in parting with these three birds, 
Mr. Wright missed the opportunity of becoming one of our foremost Rock breeders, for with them Messrs. 
Franklin Bros, commenced winning their long string of Championships, in which they monopolised the years 
'92, '93, and '94, and also secured a share of those in '95 and '96. The first five of my birds enume- 
rated above were all by ' Champion Toff,' the unbeaten Champion of 1893, a magnificently marked bird, and 
a grandson of old ' Champion Czar.' ' The Toff' had only one season at the stud when I lost him through 
an accident ; but in that season he proved himself a highly successful sire, as, with the exception of ' Skipper 
Hall ' (who was American blood on both sides), every Champion cockerel since is descended from him, 
these results strongly emphasising the successful nick of mating ' Czar ' blood males, with females of the 
Poore strain. At that same Show (Essendon, '91), in a class of 21, I won first, Champion, and five guineas 
in trophies riglit out with old ' Champion Pet' Mr. Maxfield was second with ' 1 he Hope Hen ' (sold 
during the Show to Mr. Wright), and with ' Cuckoo ' and ' Champion Empress ' I secured the third and 
fourth cards. These two hens Mr. Chas. Lynott purchased at my sale the following month, on behalf of Mr. 
Harold Cadell, N.S.W., and with both that gentleman scored several good wins in N.S.AV. ' Empress ' is 
illustrated in this work. ' Cuckoo ' was of the same beautiful blue colour, but hardly so massive in size and 
bone. Both were bred from Mr. Poore's American importations. 
" Noting that White Rocks were palpably open to improvement, the month following the above 
Show I sold off my Show birds by auction, and settled down to manufacturing an original strain of 
Whites. At that sale Mr. Whicker secured the Champions ' Bolivar ' and 'Pet,' and scored many wins 
with both, winning with 'Bolivar,' first, cockerel class (26 entries). Exhibition Show, '91 ; first Royal, 
'91; second to 'Skipper Hall,' Geelong, '91; and second to 'Larrikin,' Ballarat, '91; second, 
Essendon (32 entries), '92. After this he went light in tail, and was beaten several times by ' Skipper 
Hall,' the Champion of that year. With ' Pet ' Mr. Whicker won first, hen class. Exhibition Show, 
1891, and Champion for best Rock in the Show (75 competing) : first. Royal, '91 ; first, Ballarat, '91 ; 
second to ' Champion Tremlett,' Geelong, '91; and second to Mr. Lodge's big hen, Essendon, '92 (20 
entries). Mr. Whicker has kept a few Rocks ever since, but after winning the lo-guinea trophy for highest 
number of points scored in Rocks in '91, he has rested on his laurels, giving other breeds more attention. 
However, he now and again comes out with a good one, and this year ('97), at the Royal, won in the pullet 
class with a very young one, a real Poore in colour and type, and certainly the best pullet of the year. Mr. 
H. W. Huggins, of Perth, W.A., was a breeder of Rocks in their early years in Victoria. His birds 
were mostly of American blood, and were noted for their size and type. He is one of the best judges of a 
Rock in Australia, a keen student of the breed, and always very careful and correct in his decisions. 
