Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-11
THE BREEDS

Dy crossing TWO OF more OF Ine Oluef
ones, and when something near the
desired type was obtained, by in breed
ing till a fair degree of uniformity has
been obtained. All the Americans are
called General Purpose Fowls, and are
inten.ed to combine excellence in both
egg production and meat. The prac-
tice in some quarters to breed both
Plymouth Rocks and Wyandottes un-
naturally large must certainly initiate
Feoinst prolificness, but still most ex-
ent egg production is claimed for
American breeds by their many
mpions. Notwithstanding a feEy
u reports have been sent out con-
cerning White Wyandottes and mottled
Javas, we believe that any claim that
one American breed or one color of any
lays very much better than some other
is merely an idle boast. However,
there is wide difference in practical
value between different strains (or
families) of any variety. This leads a
person breeding, for example, both
white and barred Plymouth Rocks to
find one variety immensely better than
the other and his neighbor to find the
exact reverse.
The parents of the Plymouth Rock
are the American Dominique and the
Black Java-both American breeds.
There is also a trace of game blood
in some of the strains and of Light
Brahma in probably all. The Bra
hmas have increased the size of the
rocks and given them a tendency to
throw feathers on the legs, even
among the finest stock. An American
breed of American ancestors may we'll
appeal to American patriotism. The
original variety was, of course the
Barred-the only Plymouth Rock for
many years. Then came the White,
a sport from pure barred parents,
hA D,,ff III -
with the Buff Cochin, and finally sew
eral others, of which only the Penciled
has yet been recognized by the Stan
dard. The Barred is exceedingly fasci-
mating to fanciers because of the de-
tailed experience and skill required
to produce show birds. Nature has
made the males a decidedly lighter
color than the females and for sixty
years has been producing them so.
Man decreed that they shall be the
same shade; and has spent this term
of years butting against natures
wall. His only outlet has been the
double mating" That is. one breed
ing pen consisting of Standard colored
females and very light colored male
bird (even in some instances a pure
Whit Rock). This pen to produce
pullets; the rockerels from this mat
ing are to be killed and eaten, except
one or two for future use in the same
kind of mating. Then another breed
ing pen with Standard colored male
bird mated to such very dark fe-
males that the cockerels thus pro-
duced will not be any lighter than
their sire. The first season it is en-
tirely impossible to predict what will
be the result of given mating; but
after the stock has been inbred in
the hands of a given breeder for a
year or two. he knows what to expect
and then, and then only, can plan
to produce good birds. Hence the
Barred Plymouth Rocks generally re-
garded as the best stock have been
inbred, or rather line-bred. most of
the sixty years or more since the ORR
gin of the breed.
Barred Plymouth Rocks are the most
inbred breed on the list and neverthe-
less one of the most vigorous. They
also vary considerably in strain char
acteristics, including prolificness.
These characteristics being fixed by
close breeding, it is quite possible
that some strains exceed in egg pro-
duction any other fowl. This claim
has been put forth though tests and
evidence are not such as to justify
its general exceptance.
The Standard weights and shape are
the same for all Plymouth Rocks, and
no variation other than color is recog-
nized in the several varieties of the
breed. The general habit of saying,
Rocks when meaning Plymouth
Rocks should not confuse anyone.