July 11, 1979

Dear Mr Plant,

Thank you for your prompt reply in which I inquired about breeds of fowl in Australia. Your letter was received by me on the sixth day after I mailed the letter to you. The other material arrived two days later.

I have always had a problem with the British Standard, and this also applies to the German Dutch Standards, with their descriptions. They are far from complete when compared with the APA and the ABA descriptions. We describe each breed and variety from comb to toes, both in shape and color pattern of both male and female.

A common phrase in the British Standard when they refer to the description to of the female, various breeds is the general characteristics are similar to those of the male, allowing for the natural sexual differences. This is very vague, particularly to a novice and leaves open for argument, a host of things to interpret by experienced breeders and judges.

There are many instances in the British Standard where an either, or phrase is indicated. For instance, five or six points in a single comb as well as similar descriptions in color patterns bay or chestnut, glossy black or beetle green. In the case of Jubilee Cornish, they require the ground color to be chestnut brown, nut brown, or mahogany brown, how in the world, everything else being equal, can two cantankerous judges be brought into agreement in which specimen is the best at a showing.

In connection with your discussion regarding the problems you are having with the organization of a national Australian Association, I suggest that you ask Mr Jeffrey for the very latest revision of the ABA constitution and By-Laws as soon as it is available. I was one, of a committee of three, who recently revised it. It has been modified a number of times over the years to meet the demands of changing conditions.

The ABA was organized in 1914. George Fitterer was its secretary/treasurer for years, with the exception of 1919 when he served in World War I. I have been a member since the late twenties and have only missed three meetings since becoming active. The first miss was my fiftieth wedding anniversary which conflicted with the meeting date. movement of the annual and semi-annual meetings around to different sections of the USA and Canada has been one of the primary features in making our Association such a success Bantams shown outnumber large fowl four and five times to one. Back in the teens and twenties and thirties the number of specimens were reversed.

Now that Fitterer has passed away, I am one of the oldest members. I have served state representative, director, vice-president, and five terms as president. In my last term as president, I proposed that we develop our own standard, due to the many problems of trying to get various breeds and varieties recognized by the APA, and was promptly given the job as Chairman of the Standard Committee as well as the task of giving all of the written examination for Bantam judges. Lynn G.Brenneman relieved me of this latter job about three years ago, thank goodness.

I will keep in mind that you are missing the first edition of the ABA Standard, and try to pick one up for your collection. The fourth edition is now on the press. It is not too much different than the third, except that some errors of omission and corrections have been made. Mr Jeffrey changed the format by including all of the variety descriptions many of which are repetitive in so many breeds, in a separate section. Some mistakes were made and corrected also.

I have a collection of just about all the APA Standards including a reprint by the reliable Poultry Journal for the year 1874. I also have all of the Yearbooks of the ABA, beginning with the year 1917. None were issued in 1918 and 1919.

I thoroughly enjoyed your history on the Pekin Bantam and noticed a few items that I had never encountered before. The item on the birds shipped to England after the invasion which I had never heard of before was particularly interesting, It makes a strong point for the fact that the Pekin Bantam really is a distinct breed and not a miniature Cochin.

The Langshan material you sent me depicts an entirely different type of bird than our American Langshans. I will attempt to write a standard description this fall to be called the Australian Langshan Bantam and send to you for approval. I will have to study more before making a comment on them. With respect to the games, I will have to study them more. I am eighty-two and my eyesight is failing somewhat. I will discuss this with our Standard Committee at our next meeting.

Many, many thanks for your prompt reply and all of the information that you forward me.

Sincerely,