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Show , PLYMOUTH ROCK IS MOST POPULAR BREED i K . ' 1 - FLOCK OF PUREBRED PLYMOUTH ROCKS. t nn undercolor of buff as it is possible to obtain is desirable. There is a great difference of opinion as to what constitutes con-stitutes desirable buff color, some favoring fa-voring the lighter color, approaching lemon, while others favor a much darker dark-er buff, approaching red. The important impor-tant point is to have the shade as even as possible over the entire surface. sur-face. New Varieties. The Silver Penciled Plymouth Rock is one of the new varieties. Its plumage plum-age is distinctive and very beautiful. Iu general, the plumage of the male consists of a silver white top .color, extending over the shoulders and back, the hackle and saddle striped with black. The rest of the body plumage, including the main tail feathers and sickles, is black. The wings when folded fold-ed show a bar of black extending across below the shoulder. Below this the wing shows white, due to the white on the outside of the secondaries. In the female the general trend of color . is gray, with delicate, distinct, concentric concen-tric penciling of dark on each feather except the hackle, each feather of which Is silvery white with a black center, showing a slight gray penciling, and the main tail feathers, wThich are black, with the two top feathers showing show-ing some penciling. The color of the plumage is practically the same as that of the Dark Brahma. The Partridge Plymouth Rock is also al-so one of the newer varieties of this breed. The coloring of this variety is very attractive and is practically the same as that of the Partridge Cochin and also of the Silver Penciled Plymouth Ply-mouth Rock, except that the white of the Silver Penciled is replaced by red or reddish brown. The Columbian Plymouth Rock, a variety of comparatively recent origin, is very attractive in coloring and has proved quite popular. In general the color is white, the hackle feathers being, be-ing, black with a narrow edging of white, and the main tail feathers black, the tail coverts being black with a distinct dis-tinct white lacing. The wings also carry some black on the primary and secondary feathers, which is almost hidden when the wings are folded. The color of this variety is practically the same as that of the Light Brahma. (Prepared by the United States Depart- mont of Agriculture.) The 'Plymouth Rock chicken has been for years the most popular breed In the United States. The Barred Plymouth Ply-mouth Rock was the original variety and was ' developed in the United States, various lines of blood being used in the making. It is prpbable that the Dominique, the Black Cochin, the Black Java, the Brahma, and the Pit Game were used for this purpose. The size and type or shape of all the varieties of Plymouth Rocks are supposed sup-posed to be identical. In general the breed may be described as a good-sized, good-sized, rather long-bodied chicken, with fairly prominent breast and good Jepth of body, showing when dressed a well-rounded, compact carcass. This breed has a single comb and yellow legs, bill, and skin. The standard weight of cocks is nine and a half pounds ; of hens, seven and a half pounds ; cockerels, eight pounds ; pullets, pul-lets, six pounds. They are layers of good-sized, brown-shelled eggs, and are reputed especially as winter layers. Popular Farm Fowl. The Barred Plymouth Rock is by far the most popular general-purpose or farm fowl. This variety has so long been a favorite with the general public that the barred color is generally gen-erally associated with quality in table fowls. The Barred Plymouth Rock plumage is a grayish white, each feather feath-er of which is crossed by dark bars which are almost black. It is desired that these bars should be as even in width, as parallel, as straight, and as well carried down to the skin as possible. pos-sible. Each feather should end with a narrow, dark tip. The barring In the hackle and saddle is narrower than in other sections. The alternating dark and light bars give a bluish cast or shade to the general color, which should be even throughout the surface. It is common for solid black feathers fcr feathers which are partly black to occur In practically all strains in this variety, but this should not be taken as a sign of impure breeding. Black spots are also common occurrences on the shanks, particularly In females, but this does not indicate impurity. There is a decided tendency for the males of this variety to come lighter In color than the females, and for this reason breeders are usually obliged to resort to two separate matings, one for the production of males of standard stand-ard or exhibition color and the other for the production of females of standard stand-ard or exhibition color. This system of breeding is known as double mating. mat-ing. In mating for males of exhibition exhibi-tion color a male of about standard color is used with medium dark females, fe-males, or those two or three shades darker than females of exhibition color, col-or, in which the barring is as distinct and as narrow as possible, showing a clear-cut line between the black and white bars. This mating is known as the cockerel mating, because it produces pro-duces a greater percentage of exhibition exhibi-tion or standard-color males, while the females produced are too dark in color for exhibition, but are suitable for continuing this line of breeding. In mating for females of exhibition color, females of about standard color are used with a medium light male or one that is two or three shades lighter than males of exhibition color, but which shows distinct barring and as strong barring in the undercolor as can be obtained. ob-tained. This mating is known as the pullet mating, because it produces a greater percentage of females of exhibition ex-hibition color, while the males produced pro-duced are too light for exhibition, but may be used to continue this line of breeding. White Plymouth Rock. The White Plymouth Rock is the second most popular variety of this breed. All the characteristics of the White Plymouth Rock are supposed to be identical with those of the Barred Plymouth Rock except color. As a matter of fact the White T vinouth Rock tends to run somewhat larger in size, and the type is a little more uniform uni-form and a little better than that of the Burred Plymouth Rock. In color the White Plymouth Rock should be a pure white throughout, free from black ticking and from any brassiuess or creaminess. The Buff Plymouth Rock is distinguished distin-guished from the other Rocks by the color alone, which should be an even shade of golden buff throughout. Shafting, or the presence of feathers having a shaft of different color from the r-st sf the feather, and mealiness, i r the presence of feathers sprinkled with lighter color as though powdered with meal, are undesirable. As deep |