Oetobor 2:!, 1800. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



321 



and that Miry fire the worst layers of nil. Tlmt they are heavy, 

 or ought to be, I gladly admit ; it is ono of their glories ; hut 

 to call Dorkings ugly is simply nhsurd. I do not say they 

 are pretty; but i know nothing handsomer than a wi 11 matched 

 pen of fine Dorkings. Even those who are not poultry fanciers 

 at all admire them extremely. If they are so ugly and clumsy, 

 how is it that we have so many lady Dorking fanciers '.' I 

 give the fair sex credit for moro taste and judgment than 

 " Ni :u has displayed in his attack on some of our 



most useful varieties. 



To prove that the Hesh of Dorkings is not insipid, I quote 

 Mr. Hewitt's remarks in " The Poultry Book." He says, 

 "There is not a doubt that coloured Dorkings aro decidedly 

 the most useful of all fowls for general table purposes, i 

 only it the Jlesh of extremely good quality (the italics are my 

 own), but it is produced in far greater abundanoe than in most 

 varieties. Another very important point in the consideration of 

 Grey Dorkings is, that the greater proportion of the flesh will 

 be found on those particular parts most generally esteemed — 

 viz., the breast, wings, and merrythoughts ; hence they carve 

 to especial advant 



I acknowledge that Dorkings are not the very best of layers ; 

 bnt from an experience of some years, I mnst say I have not 

 found them such very bad layers as "Newmarket" endeavours 

 to make out. Early-hatched Dorking pullets lay very fairly 

 in the winter, and, moreover. I generally have two or three 

 Dorking hens laying at Christmas. I have three Dorking hens, 

 three years old, which have moulted, now laying, one of which 

 commenced to lay before her tail feathers had grown again. 

 My Dorkings are the dark variety. 



I have kept several different breeds of fowls, but have found 

 none equal to Dorkings on the whole. I have not kept Brahnias 

 very long ; but the little experience I have had of them has 

 placed them high in my estimation. 



It is utterly absurd to class Hamburghs amongst non- 

 ornamental varieties. I cannot conceive a prettier and more 

 beautiful sight than really good Hamburghs present — i.e., as 

 far as the Spangled and Pencilled birds aro concerned. I do 

 not keep Hamburghs, though I admire them greatly, and I 

 know that they are great pets with the ladies. 



I have not one word to say against Game fowls ; on the con- 

 trary, they aro great favourites with me ; but I do enter my 

 protest against a Game-breeder " running down " almost every 

 variety except Game. — G. R. B. 



GAME FOWLS CLASSIFIED. 



Game fowls are the highest in blood, the noblest, the most 

 beautiful, the most prolific, the hardiest, healthiest, and best 

 table fowls of all poultry. 



Number of sorts classed by the colours of the young chickens : 



Jjighi Chicken*. Striped Chickens. Dark CJiickens. 



1. Whites. 5. Elack-breasted Kci-. 10. Brown Reds, 



l'. Piles. 6. Red-breasted Ginger Reds. 11. Dark Greys. 



3. Blue Duns. 7. Dnckwings 12. I);irk Birchens. 



4. Red Duns. 8. Yellow Birchens. 13. Blacks. 



9. Mealy Grays. 



Uncommon-coloured sorts not much known — 1, Red Fur- 

 naces ; 2, Cuckoos; 3, Spangles; 4, Polecats. 



The original wild coloured sorts are these threo — 1, Black- 

 breasted Reds, Partridge hens, fawn breasts ; 2, Brown-breasted 

 Reds, dark-brown (not black) hens ; 3, Red-breasted Ginger 

 Reds, yellow legs, light Partridge hens. 



All the other sorts and colours were originally bred from 

 theee three colours, those hatching the dark chickens from the 

 Brown Reds or Dark Reds, and all the others from the Black- 

 breasted Reds and the Ginger Reds. 



White legs are probably the result of long domestication ; 

 all other colours of legs are found wild. 



The most common and popular sorts at exhibitions — 1, Black- 

 breasted Reds, dark red eyes, willow legs, Partridge hens ; 

 '2, Brown Reds, dark eyes, dark legs, dark brown hens ; 3, Duck- 

 wings, dark red eyes, willow legs, silver-grey hens ; 4, Piles, 

 bright red eyes, white legs, nails, and beaks ; 5, Blacks, black 

 eyes, black legs, entire black colour. 



The Brown Reds (1), and Black-breasted Reds (2), are the 

 cup birds, and the other three sorts have taken a few cups, 

 and no other colours any cups at all. There are seventeen 

 distinct varieties of Game fowls, and twenty-seven sub-va- 

 rieties, or forty-four in all, out of which fourteen are of the 

 Black-breasted Red colour alone, sorts with hen-tailed cocks 

 included. 



Tho best sorts to keep are these, on the whole : — 



For high courage and spirit in fighting: — 1, Dark Greys, 

 black eyes and legs lhardrst surt nf all) ; '_', Brown Reds (cocks 

 red, brown-breasted onlyi; 3, Red Cheshire Piles (bright red 

 eyes, white lei 



For beauty of colour and markings :— 1 , Black breasted Reds, 

 willow legs, Partridge hens ; 2, Silver Duckwing Greys, willow 

 legs, silver-grey hen . 

 ' For good laying qualities (white legs best for table) : — 1, Black- 

 breasted Beds, willow legs, Partridge hens; 2, Red Cheshire 

 Piles, bright red eyes, white legs. 



Yellow and bine-legged hens lay the best as a rule ; Brown 

 Reds are first for shape and carriage ; Black-breasted Reds for 

 superiority of colour. 



The "colour of the eyes" is the best criterion of the dif- 

 ference in the blood in all Game fowls, as " black eyes " show 

 the dark blood (white eggs) ; " red eyes," the red blood (reddest 

 birds), pinkish eggs; " yellow or da v. eyes,' I he yellow strains 

 (yellowish eggs), these being in general inferior bird3 to tho 

 others. " Bay eyes " and " light brown eyes " result from 

 crossing. 



Game fowls are the best layers of all poultry with these few 

 exceptions, which do not lay quite so well : — 1, Dark Greys 

 and Dark Birchens, worst layers ; 2, Brown Reds, next worst 

 layers in general ; 3, Duckwings, when with willow or white 

 legs ; 4, Mealy Greys, not a common colour at all. Dark Greys 

 are, however, the only really bad layers of them. Grey-colonred, 

 and dark-combed, and dark-faced hens are the worst layers in 

 all poultry. 



In the Black-breasted Reds the clear-hackled cocks breed the 

 wheaten-coloured or cinnamon hens, and the striped-hackled 

 cocks breed the striped-hackled hens. The true Ginger hens 

 (not Cinnamons), breed the Red-breasted Ginger cocks. The 

 strains with red eyes and black eyes are the best birds. 



The only sorts now much used for cock-fighting are : — 



1, Brown-breasted Reds (most common with cock-fighters) ; 



2, Grey-breasted Dark Greys (hardest and strongest of all) ; 



3, Black-breasted Reds, white legs, dark red eyes, with the 

 light wheaten-coloured or Cinnamon Buff hens. These are 

 the three hardest and strongest sorts of all. 



The three quickest-fighting sorts are : — 1, Red Cheshire 

 Piles, bright red eyes, white legs ; 2, Red-breasted Ginger 

 Reds, bright red eyes, yellow legs ; 3, Whites, bright red eyes, 

 white legs (like the Piles). 



Other favourite sorts of the older cock-fighters are : — 1, Red- 

 breasted Ginger Reds, dark red eyes, white legs ; 2, Black- 

 breasted Reds (dark), carp-brown legs, and dark red eyes, 

 fawn-breasted dark brown hens ; 3, Red Duns, dark red eyes, 

 white legs (north country). 



Willow-legged Duckwings stand the next in courage. Willow- 

 legged Black-breasted Reds are too soft a bird; and Blacks 

 both too slow and too soft to be good. Blue Duns fight worst 

 of all, being soft and weak ; all yellow or daw-eyed birds are, 

 with a few exceptions, wanting in spirit and courage. Dark 

 Greys and Brown Reds are the best birds of all. — Newmarket. 



SILVER CUPS AT THE HASTINGS POULTRY 

 SHOW. 



I sf.xt a pen of Partridge Cochins to the Hastings and St. 

 Leonards Poultry Show last August, and obtained the cup for 

 the best pen of Cochins exhibited there. The cup, as stated 

 in the prize list which I enclose, was to be valued at £5 ; and 

 Mr. Savery, the Secretary, has sent me a cup worth not much 

 over £3. Can anything be done about it ? for when a cup is 

 promised it ought to be of the value stated in the prize list. 

 I wrote to Mr. Savery about it, and enclose the answer I 

 received from him. I think the public ought to know about it. 

 I paid the carriage of my birds as far as Reading, and could 

 not pay further, and the Secretary charged me 6s. for the 

 carriage of one pen of birds from Reading to Hastings. Mr. 

 Rowe, of Bristol, obtained the silver cup for Spanish chickens, 

 valued at £5, and his cup was not worth more than £3. — Johs 

 Rodsaed Rodbard, Aldu-ick Court, Wrington, n ar i 



WOODBRIDGE POULTRY SHOW. 

 Will any or all of the numerous victims kindly furnish me 

 with their names, stating whether they have received a printed 

 circular hearing the name of Jeremiah Wright, which circular 



