204 
The Australasian Book of Poultry. 
not likely to see his equal again, and I must heartily congratulate the artist on the marvellous fidelity to life 
exhibited in his delineation of this truly wonderful bird. Though naturally proud of ' Wonder ' and his 
winnings, I think the feat of winning the Breeds Champion Cup with two birds of his own breeding gave 
the most satisfaction to Mr. Maxfield, as being some recognition of the position he had so long been striving 
for. This Cup was offered by the Plymouth Rock, Langshan, Wyandotte, and Orpington Club for the best 
birds in the Club breeds, to be won once at Sydney and once at Melbourne Shows, by the same exhibitor. 
Mr. R. Coleman won the first competition at Sydney with a Wyandotte cock, and Mr L. L. Ramsay the next 
at Melbourne with an Orpington pullet ; but in '96 Mr. Maxfield got his first leg-in with ' Champion 
Perfection' as a pullet at 'Sydney, and the following Melbourne Show won it right out with the cockerel 
'Champion Sensation,' some 1,000 birds in all having competed for the Cup. This was a great triumph 
for the breed, as well as for Mr. Maxfield's yards. 
" Mr. Alex. Anderson, of Lara (Vic), has nearly always had a few good Rocks during the last ten years, and 
has had great success at provincial Shows, but very seldom exhibits in the Metropolis. He is one of our best 
Judges of the breed. Mr. J. B. Crawford, of Alphington (Vic), has bred some very well-marked Barred 
birds the last two or three years, and has scored well where the Judges have considered markings of first 
importance. 
" About the most enthusiastic Fancier of the breed in Victoria is Mr. J. W. Goy, of Hawthorn, and, though 
considerably handicapped by limited accommodation, he has now and again taken the very best down with 
birds of his own breeding. In '95 he had the best coloured cock of the year, beating both Messrs. Maxfield 
and Franklin Bros, with this bird, bred by himself. He has gone one better than those Fanciers in one way, 
in making several importations ; and one of his imported hens is a real gem as regards colour and type, and, 
though rather deficient in size, has on several occasions got into the money at our leading Shows. Mr. Goy 
bred the Champion Rock of South Australia of the years '95 and '96, having sent him as a cockerel to Mr. 
S. Cope, of Mt. Barker, in that Colony. The latter breeder has. been very strong in hens and pullets for 
some years, and Mr. Goy has now one or two really good hens of Mr. Cope's breeding. As Mr. Goy has 
been promised by a friend in the Old Country, the best cockerel and pullet, of the coming Show season 
at Home, that money can buy, we should thus soon have an excellent opportunity of comparing the best 
British Barred birds of the present day, with our own. 
" In the White variety Mrs. Orames, of Kyneton (^"ic.), always had to be reckoned with in the years when 
I was exhibiting the variety, and on two occasions birds bred by her beat cockerels of my own 
breeding. Mr. T. W. Tyzack has owned and bred some splendid Whites, and has scored two or 
three times in the Champion list. Both the above breeders were somewhat at a disadvantage in their earlier 
efforts from want of size and type, but quickly worked an improvement by crossing with blood of the 
'Freddy Ball ' strain. Mr. Geo*. E. Brunning was the original importer of White Rocks to Australia, showing 
his American importations at the Exhibition Show of 1889. Mr. Brunning did not persevere with the breed, 
and the next to take up this variety was Mr. J. D. Robinson, of Pakenham, who imported several 
specimens from England. From his well-arranged farm, Minne-Ha-Ha, situated in a cool district, exactly 
suited to White Fowls, he exhibited birds in the very pink of condition, and it was their beautiful appearance 
that induced me to try and originate a new and distinct strain of Whites, which should possess frue Rock 
type, and in which property Mr. Robinson's birds were deficient. I spent several years in experimenting, and 
commenced exhibiting the results in "93. The following year (1894") birds of my breeding won every first 
prize in the White Rock classes at Essendon, Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide Shows, and from the time I 
started to exhibit them till I sold off won every Championship offered. Having accomplished my mission of 
establishing a typical White strain, I sold the lot out by auction, some 60 birds, in June, 1896. The bulk of 
the good birds went to N.S.W., Mr. Ambrose Hallen, of the first National Prize Poultry Farm, Parramatta, 
Mr. J. H. Stephenson, . of Carlingford, and Mr. Harold Cadell being the principal buyers. Messrs. 
Tyzack and Bradshaw, buying together, secured some of the plums for this side, Mr. Tyzack 
retaining ' Champion Alick Dick ' for himself, and the hens of this purchase going eventually to 
