4 
PLYMOUTH ROCKS. 
The Plymouth Rock is the most popular of all varieties of poultry as 
a general-purpose fowl. Its medium size, hardy grow th, and good lay¬ 
ing qualities make it a practical fowl for the farm. The Barred variety 
is the most generally known of the Plymouth Rocks, and its history 
dates back a little over a quarter of a century. Various bloods were 
used in its making, the belief beiug general that it originally came 
from a cross between the American Dominique and the Black Java. 
It has also been shown that the Light Brahma, Dark Brahma, and Pit 
Game have been used in its making. 
The Barred Plymouth Rock (fig. 1) is of a grayisli-white color, regu¬ 
larly crossed with parallel bars of blue-black running in straight dis- 
Fig. 1.—Pair of Barred Plymouth Rocks. 
tinct lines throughout the entire length of the feather, and showing on 
the down or undercolor of the feathers. The barring is somewhat 
smaller on the hackle and saddle feathers than on .other portions of 
the body. The bird is of medium size, with broad neck, fiat at the 
shoulders, the breast is full, and the body broad and compact, medium- 
sized wings that fold gracefully, the points being well covered with 
breast and saddle feathers; a medium-sized head, ornamented with 
upright, bright red comb and wattles; a large, bright eye; and yellow 
beak, legs, and toes, places the picture before us in its entirety. The 
difference between the Barred and the Pea-comb Barred is that the 
latter has a small, firm, and even pea-comb, instead of single comb. 
