October 30, 1983

Dear Mr Plant,

Both Mr Jeffrey had been wondering what, if anything, had happened to you; I am very pleased to have heard from you. (Rec’d 10/25/83).

Mrs Gary passed away on June 4, 1983 as a result of a massive stroke which she suffered about three weeks earlier. I’m left alone in a very large house, a housekeeper who comes five days each week, and my daughter and his husband who come over the weekend, I miss my wife very much for we had been married just over sixty-three years. I try to remain active through maintaining my interest in chickens. I am handicapped greatly since I can read only the large headlines in the newspapers. I have sold over one-half of my library and several painting and pictures, the receipts of which are being placed in a memorial fund for the future payment of premiums to the exhibitors of the rarer breeds of bantams on an annual basis, to members of the American Bantam Association. I have designated the American Game Bantam and the Ameraucana for the start and will add other breeds as the revenues from this fund increase.

The color patterns for the Pekin (Cochin) Bantam that you mention you are going to prepare for the breeders in New South Wales have been noted. Two of them appear In the ABA Standard under the variety descriptions (following the Shape descriptions) where 9 the plumage color for Shanks and Toes feathering is noted with the remainder of the plumage covered in the Plumage section of the standard. I noted that we do not have the Black-red, Blue-red or Pyle, but do list the Birchen and Brown-red as varieties in feather legged breeds.

I would presume at the Shank and Toe feathering would be black for the male and deep reddish bay, pencilled with dull black for the black red variety and that the Pyle would be white feathering in both sexes. In the case of the blue-red, I would presume that the male leg feathering would be slaty blue, laced with darker blue, and the female is questioned, (I can not advise you on this female feathering. I, also, may be in error on the female leg feathering for the black-red variety). With exception of the leg feathering, the plumage section of the ABA Standard contains a description of all parts of the body, male and female for the varieties you have mentioned. Since the ABA does not copyright the standard, we would certainly not object to your using the descriptions thereby saving a lot of research on your part.

I can appreciate the work that will be involved in preparing a history of the various breeds you mentioned and would be more interested in reading your ambitious volume on the fowl history because I know of none who has done such a treatise. It would certainly be more saleable than the other items you mentioned.

Best Wishes!
Write soon.