FANCIERS’ 
JOURNAL 
AND 
POULTRY HXCHANGE. 

Wren, 1) 
PHILADELPHIA, APRIL 30, 1874. 
No. 18. 



(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
THE AMERICAN POULTRY ASSOCIATION, 
AND THEIR (NEW) ‘'STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE.”’ 
To THE READERS OF THE POULTRY JOURNALS: 
Noticing two or three articles lately appearing in the dif- 
erent poultry periodicals which appear to call for a reply 
from the Executive Committee of the Association, and, 
after consulting what few of the members I could readily 
reach, I would say that the Association deem it for their best 
interest that a free and full discussion should be had of their 
doings; therefore, the Association does hereby request that at 
an early date, any fancier, breeder, or other person, make 
known to us any and all omissions or errors that may have 
been made in this our first edition, to the end that such 
omissions or errors be corrected before printing the second 
edition. By so doing, they will confer a favor on the Asso- 
ciation. Address all communications to 
Epmunp S. Ratpu, 
Sec’y American Poultry Association. 
BUFFALO, N. Y., April, 1874. 
(Poultry papers please copy.) 

(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
THE STANDARD OF THE “AMERICAN 
POULTRY SOCIETY.” 
Frienp WADE: Since I forwarded to the Fanciers’ Journal 
my first suggestions upon the subject of the doings of the 
late Buffalo convention; and the issuing of the new Ameri- 
can’ (so-called) Standard of Excellence, I have met with 
- numerous articles of sharp criticism, from all quarters, in 
the poultry journals, and am in receipt of sundry letters 
from breeders and fanciers in a dozen different states, all 
pointing in the same adverse direction, as to the merits, the 
propriety, the accuracy, the justice, or the usefulness of the 
pamphlet put forth by this ‘‘ National”’ Association. 
As one of the oldest breeders and importers of poultry in 
America, and one who has felt a deep interest in the welfare 
and improvement of poultry in this country so many years, 
I claim the right to present my opinion on this subject, with 
the rest of American fanciers; and as I have no ‘axe to 
grind ”—having long ago ceased to be a competitor at fowl 
exhibitions, with my stock—I think my views will, at this 
time, be readily accepted ; at least as being devoid of personal 
interestedness in this controversy. 
That this proposed new standard is very defective, erro- 
neous in principle, lamentably incomplete, and absolutely 
useless to the general interests of our fraternity, as well as 
offensive in its presumptuous authority and dictum, every 
one, who has examined it fairly, agrees. I therefore ask 
space in your columns for the following suggestions, in be- 
half of the many breeders who are sorely disappointed with 
the results of the doings of the late National Association ; 
and especially having reference to their proposal of this new 


‘“‘standard”’ for adoption by the State and County Poultry 
Societies of America, at large. 
This nominal ‘‘Standard of the American Poultry Asso- 
ciation,’’ in the first place, has been hurried out without due 
consideration and consultation; and the committee upon 
points of quality were not given due time to properly ex- 
amine into the details of the important duty assigned them, 
before they were required to submit their several reports. 
Three or four days’ stay at Buffalo was entirely insuffi- 
cient for the proper accomplishment of this task, inasmuch 
as there were thousands of American fanciers directly in- 
terested in this matter who were not there; of which num- 
ber there were hundreds of prominent breeders who might 
and ought to have been communicated with, for advice and 
counsel in the premises, prior to final decision. 
The convention itself was not a ‘‘ meeting of the poultry 
men of America,”’ as it seemed to have beenintended. The 
gentlemen who got up this standard did not fully represent 
even the poultry societies of the country. And, though so 
far as they went, in numbers, they were a respectable body, 
and did what they deemed to be about right, no doubt; yet 
there was not afforded opportunity for that full, fair, open 
expression of opinion on this important subject, by the mass 
of our fraternity, or their immediate representatives, that 
alone can give permanent value to desired conclusions. And 
the proof of this assertion is found in this last precious, poor 
formula for an ‘‘American Standard.” 
The consequence of this lack of foresight, remissness, poor 
judgment, indecent haste—or whatever it may be—is, that 
an imperfect, ridiculously faulty, incomplete, and useless 
pamphlet (at an unreasonable cost) is promulgated, by as- 
sumed authority, based upon the false principle of controlling 
the judgment of our exhibition arbiters; which disgusts 
many, and disappoints everybody who is interested in the 
future real weal of both societies and individual competitive 
breeders. 
That there are a few men among the thousands of fanciers 
in this country who are content with this work, of course, 
is evident. But that this new ‘‘standard”’ is any improve- 
ment upon former discarded ones, that the large majority of 
poultry men are not satisfied with it, and that minor societies, 
generally, in the United States will neither accept it as law, 
or adopt it as a rule to govern them, in the future, is as clear 
to my vision as is the fact, that all prior ‘‘standards ”’ simi- 
larly got up and inalike manner foisted upon us, have been 
ignored and thrown overboard, in the past. 
I tell you, Mr. Editor, that in this free country it is too 
late in the day to make such a thing, as this nominal Stand- 
ard of Excellence is, go down with American fanciers. 
There are too many of us, outside of all cliques or coteries, 
‘who have studied and experimented; who have written and 
read ; who have become experienced in this calling, and have 
spent, time, money, and brains in helping the cause thus far 
along towards perfection in breeding poultry, to acquiesce 
