Mr Frank Gary
Crosswicks - N.J. - USA

5-8-1984

Dear Mr Gary,

Hope you are keeping well after the bad winter. We had one bad spell during the winter, but feel we might have an early spring. I have sent you via Surface Mail a copy of my latest contribution to the literary world, the first book in the series on the Origin, Evolution, History and Distribution of the Domestic Fowl. It is book 2 on Chicken Bone Recoveries. I also included a copy of the Standards we put out on the Colors -Birchen, Black Red etc. We first published it in the Pekin Bantam Club of NSW Newsletter and the feedback so far approves of our efforts.

We are going through all the colors as applicable in Australia, and I think will then straighten out the Pekin Standard overall. It will finish up very close I think to the one we worked on a few years back when I discussed it with you. There may be a few minor changes, but our committee is sold on your America format, describing the male and female separately. We are then going to publish a Manual on the Pekin Bantam as applicable to Australia.

We had our Annual Show last Sunday with an entry of 310 Pekins, quite successful we thought. The Leghorn and Ancona Clubs show in conjunction with us. There were 201 Leghorns and over 150 Anconas, making a total of over 660 birds in 3 breeds.

I am making an application to our State Government for a financial grant to carry on with my research and publications. I would like to get the Histories of our breeds developed in Australia in print. However unless I can get some sort of support, for financially I can’t  afford it. I need to have the typing and printing done so that I can get on with the job of putting all the material together.

Had a letter from Fred Jeffrey the other day. Have a bit of information for him which he is interested in on RIR x Black Pekin.

The doctor told me last time I saw him that it could be 12 months before I have to have the cataract removed. There does not seem to be much change over the last 12 months. I am still using the drops.

The next color in the Pekins we are going to tackle is Blue. We don’t have self blues in Australia. Our Blue Pekins breed the same as the Andalusians. I will let you know what we get up to about it. All for now.

Sincerely yours,