June, 25th 1995

Dear Mr Plant,

First of all I have to tell you many, many thanks for the most kind offering of several books I just received by my friend Dr Corti Elio from Italy! At the moment I’m only able to reciprocate with some more or less actual copies of German fancier journals to give you a little impression about German  poultry keeping. But I promise, to send you as soon as possible a special book about the German breed of Pekin Bantams which we call Zwerg- Cochin (Zwerg means Bantams) although everybody knows that Pekin Bantam isn’t the miniature version of the Cochin.

This book made in co-operation with the German Club will surely give you an excellent survey of the state of German breed. I have to subscribe it to the publishing house which will need perhaps two or three weeks.

Today and in my knowledge about that breed I can tell you, that the “Zwerg-Cochin” in Germany is standardized in the following twenty colours at the moment: Buff, White, Black, Mottled, Blue (without lacing), Lavender, Red, Cuckooed (but near to your Barred!), Buff White Cuckooed, Brown (may be you call it Black Red),  Braungebändert (the hen is like your partridge one, but lighter in ground colour, the cock is more or less red with a black tail!) Silver Duckwing, Silver Pencilled (like Wyandottes or Plymouth Rocks!), Birchen, White Columbian, Blue White Columbian (the black marking of the White Columbian is blue!), Buff Columbian, Golden Wheaten (may be you call it Wheaten Black Tail), Silver Wheaten and Blue Buff Columbian (the blue version of Buff Columbian like White Columbian - Blue White Columbian): Other colours are just in standardising procedure (like Porcelain) or still in development (like for example Blue Mottled).

Pekin Bantams in Germany are rather popular and, of course, have similar long tradition to the English one: 300 or more birds at the Clubs show are no exception. If you are interested in getting in touch with the German Club please notice the following address of its president: Dietrich Aschenbach Triststrasse, 20 13437 Berlin. Knowing him in person I’m quite sure he’s able to speak the English at least a little bit or has some one to translate.

I think that Dr Corti has told you about my biggest problem at the moment: Just preparing a handbook of all the large breeds around the world the manuscript has to be finished on July 31^st. At the time Elio told me he would go to Australia I really haven’t know anything about three other special Australian breeds beside the famous Australorp which has made a world wide “career” and is one of the most popular large fowl’s breeds also in Germany today. if I would have known about the existence of Australian Pit Game, Australian Game and Chinese (Australian ) Langshan before: I would have told Elio to ask you for more detailed information about their history, their standards, their popularity and so on, of course.

Because the type writer seems to be near to his death please excuse me going on by hand. You must know that the large majority of German breeders knows nearly nothing about the state of poultry keeping in England and USA like the English and Americans know nearly nothing about our general situation normally: one reason may be the language barrier. The other one, of course, the concealed suspicion between elder people like me who haven’t gone through the war and learned English at school, of course, or still much more by English speaking pop music don’t possess that kind of contact fears. So let’s hope for a better future in this circumstance!

But at the moment for example only a few people in Germany possess the British, French or American poultry standard like I do; But even people like me haven’t heard more about the Australian breed than perhaps some short indications in the Australorp  history - please excuse us! But my book will have the pretension to mention poultry breeds from all parts of the world. So I was glad to know about Dr Corti’s contacts to you when I found some short notices about the Australian breed and your three special breeds beside the Australorp in an English fancier journal (“Fancy Fowls”) two weeks ago and the first time at all.

Again I thank you very much, indeed, for the very well made and interesting three books respectively booklets you’re sent me and which I will enjoy as soon as having time enough to read them very calmly:

But unfortunately no one delivers me the information about Australian Game, Pit Game and Chinese Langshan I would need for my book so urgently! These are the actual standard words, some important facts or dates about history, popularity, number and terms or colours, body 2 weights, number  of eggs a per year, colour of the shells or some other interesting things around those breeds.

You must know that I won’t have more place than round about one page for every breed in the book because it should include more than 250 breeds. So it’s impossible to write about every bread because nobody would buy a book of 600 and more pages especially since we will try to show most of the breeds in pictures! But those may be 10 or 15 sentences about every breed should express all the important things.

So my very important question to you is: Would you be so kind or would you be able to explore those facts about the three breed’s actual situation and send it to me - can be written by hand in catch words, of course ! - as soon as possible (because of the “deadline” at July 31st)? If you can’t, please will you send me the booklets about those three breeds (Nr. 4, 6 and 10) which you’re offering on the back page of your Australorp booklets is prevailing for historical nature. So my be those booklets wouldn’t be correctly that what I need ?

But if we should go this way, please would you let me know how to pay the money for them to you  (by letter by bank and so on)? And one last very important thing: Because those breeds never appeared at Europe, me and my friend Josef Wotters who is publisher of the book and one of our best German photographers had never any chance to catch them in Celluloid any where: So we would need some pictures from Australia urgently! These absolutely mustn’t be professional ones but as better as dearer, of course! If there should be any copyright by the photographer, please let us know - of course we will pay for it!

I hope I won’t waste your time unduly by all those questions and entreaties to you: But I think this will be the last chance to introduce the Australian breeds too, in becoming way in that first more or less complete survey of breeds world wide! So please help me to find the suitable place for your native breeds in that book!

I hope that time won’t run out before you could be able to help me I look forward to hear from you again.

Yours sincerely,