232 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE SARDENER. 



( Hueh 10, ISM. 



a pleasant senee of humour, and writes like a gentleman. In 

 all controversies it would \>e well for nil to remember, as appa- 

 rently lio docs, George Herbert's words — 



•' Fii'JcencsK makes ' 

 Error a fiiult, and Truth discourtesy." 



In passing, I must assure " Eoomet " my not continuing my 

 " Notes on Pigeons " has not willingly been delayed by mc. 

 Aly good friends at 171, Fleet Street, wished me to go to Bir- 

 mingbani, and writing my " First Impressions of Bingley Hall " 

 took up my time. Then they wishe<l me to write for tlie 

 Christmas Number, and writing three )iapers for it took up 

 my time. Then came " GAr.ns '' and " P.," with their hackles 

 up and spurs on, and disputching them took up a Utile of my 

 time. Then came my visit to Linton Park, and describing it 

 took up my time. However, I hojje to continue the Pigeon 

 subject shortly, and have been smfUing the old books with gusto 

 this verj' day. Mine is, from many causes, no life of leisure, 

 80 let " Egumet " rest assured I have been a " Rambler " only 

 per force, and am never an " Idler." — Wii.TsninE Rector. 



P.S. — A letter of inquiry about fowls has just come to hand 

 from a fair ladj', and another from " An Amateur." Like 

 Banquo's ghosts they multiply, I think I must send some on to 

 " EaoMET," to take a gentle revenge. — W. K. 



YULTUllE HOCKS, &c. 



I HAVE been waiting, " like Patience on a monument," for an 

 answer from the " able judge" who considers vulture hocks a 

 recent introduction — waiting, in fact, for a painting in words 

 of what a Cochin or Brahma leg (for in this they are identical), 

 ought to be. I asked for it, and after so sweeping a denuncia- 

 tion of the vultm-e hock and all approach to it, I feel that we 

 breeders, who are not converts to the " recent " idea, have some 

 right to an answer to my query. 



I bcUeve I am the oldest exhibitor of Brahmas, I will not be 

 certain on this point, but I believe I am correct, the first prize 

 I ever gained for the first pen I ever exhibited having been taken 

 at the old Gloucester Agricultural Society — the poultiy portion, 

 alas ! now defunct — in November, 18.54, nearly twelve years ago ; 

 and as I look up the date in the old " Poultry Chronicle," I am 

 filled with regret ; for the same Niunber of that periodical con- 

 tained notices of Brighton, Taunton, Salisbury, and Gloucester. 

 Of these four southern shows, Brighton only remains to ns ! 

 Well may " Wiltshire Rectok " have a grievance ; but what 

 of us exhibitors who have to send so much fai-ther in these 

 days of light (?) expenses for railway carriage ! 



My pen is on the wing, whereas I was intending to speak of 

 the leg ; so let me return to it. In all seriousness I again ask for 

 the " able judge's " definition of a Brahma leg. Before he give 

 it, let me refer him to No. 3 of the new edition of the " Poultry 

 Book." There he will see drawings of Light and Dark Brahmas 

 of 1852 and 18.53, copies from the Illuatrated London Keu-a of 

 that time. The hock feathers project quite the sixteenth of an 

 inch, equivalent to an inch in the actual bird, but in the Dark 

 hirds it is considerably more. Can he tlien say that the pro- 

 jecting hock is a recent introduction ? I hazard the opinion 

 that the feathering down the outer part of the middle toe is 

 more recent, and that this feathering, which is a great im- 

 provement, and, I believe, is now sought after, has come from 

 the stiff-feathered-hocked birds ; if I am correct, we owe this 

 improvement to the vulture hock. I fear we shall lose that 

 and the projecting feathering below the hock if we are forced 

 to breed naked-hocked birds to suit the fancies of judges. I 

 believe this outcry against a moderate amount of hock-feathers 

 in the Cochin and Brahma is certain to injure the breeds. I 

 have too sincere an admiration for my favourite breed to 

 see them docked of any beauties and remain silent. For 

 myself, whether successful or not, I shall endeavour to retain 

 a moderate amount of hock-feathers, beUeving that this is the 

 natm'ol condition of the breed, and convinced that in any case 

 it is a very great addition to their beauty.— Y. B. A. Z. 



JONGLING OF STRAINS— DRAGON PIGEONS. 

 The " 'Wiltshire Eectob," in the last Number of " our 

 Journal," says, "As to crossing strains, I know three of the 

 first breeders, if not the three very first breeders, respectively 

 of Spanish, Dorkings, and Light Brahmas. I put this question 

 to each of them, ' How often do you cross your strains ?' The 

 same answer came from each — ' I dare not do it ; when I have 



done so 1 have obtained worse birds, or only my own back 

 again.'" \Vill "'WiLTsniitE Recior" kindly explain this? 

 Do these eminent treedcrs breed in and in ? or do they keep a 

 number of yards and cross one with the other? or how do they 

 prevent their breeds from deteriorating ? As a Dorking and 

 Brahma fancier I shall be very glad to have " WiLisniBE 

 Rector's " advice as to crossing. 



As a Pigeon fancier I wish to say a few words on the Dragon 

 controversy. I have lately purchased a splendid pair of Dragons 

 iL'.luej, but they have white rumps. So had the first-prize 

 Birmingham birds. Now, are white rumps really a defect or 

 arc they not ? Mr. Percivall says they are, and ought to dis- 

 quahfv for prize-taking. On the other hand, " .\ Diugoos 

 Bhelder" says the best birds as a rule have white rumps. 

 Must we take Mr. Percivall's word for law ? If Mr. Hewitt or 

 Mr. Esqnilant would give their opinion on the subject in your 

 columns 1 think they would confer a great benefit on all Dragon 

 fanciers, as their opiuiou would carry great weight. Mr. Brent 

 ignores Dragons in his " Pigeon Book." 



May I suggest that the Poultry Club would be doing good 

 service to Pigeon fanciers by issuing a " Standard of Excellence 

 in Pigeons" on the same plan as their valuable " Standard" 

 in poultry ?— An Asiatecr. 



["An Amateur" is quite correct in his surmise that the 

 three yards I alluded to are very extensive, and their owners, 

 I believe, avoid as much as possible breeding from very near 

 relations. When a fancier has arrived at the top of the tree 

 it is manifestly impossible to get higher, and hard work to 

 maintain his pre-eminence ; but when one is on a lower branch 

 it should be his object to rise each year higher and higher ; 

 and it is encouraging to beginners to know, as I know, that 

 some of our very first fanciers exhibited for a long time without 

 getting a single prize. More, I would say the gradual rising 

 in prize-taking is owing partly, in breeds dcpend.int upon 

 weight for success, to the crossing a strain with a better — ;. c, 

 larger breed. So doing with judgment, putting few hens to a 

 walk, hatching early, and feeding vei-j- liberally, will enable 

 " An Amateur " to improve his Dorkings and Brahmas. This 

 gradual advance forms one cf the excitements and chief plea- 

 sures of poultiy-keeping. By the way, let " An Ajiateur " be 

 careful and choose his best birds each year for stock. 



In regard to the Dragon controversy my view is this. As 

 white-rumpcd birds have recently taken first prize at Binning- 

 ham, that kind of feathering cannot amount to a disqualifi- 

 cation. But supposing there were two pens of equal beauty in 

 all points, but one pen white-rumped and the other not, I own 

 I should incline to the opinion that the latter, as being the 

 rarer, should have the prize. I have seen Mr. Percivall's birds, 

 and think them extremely beautiful in colour. — Wiltshire 

 Rector. ] 



DRAGON PIGEONS. 



In the Number for the 27th ult. I find an an.'wer to my 

 letter of the Cth of that month from Mr. Jones Percivall, of 

 Peckham Eye, in which that gentleman says he is at a loss to 

 understand how I .should come to the conclusion that his first 

 correspondence upon the subject came from Birmingham. I 

 need only say, I found no difficulty in ascertaining the address 

 of the supposed writer, when the foot of the letter furnished 

 me with his name. Like their birds, the names of these gentle- 

 men resemble each other so closely, that, to the fancy, I be- 

 lieve they are looked upon as sj-nonymous. 



Mr. Percivall next presumes that I thanked him for telling 

 us what a good Dragon should be. If he refers to my letter 

 again, ho will find I gave him credit for trying to teach us what 

 tlaey should tint be. I was in hopes, when he came calmly to 

 reflect upon the mistake he had made, and the mischief ho 

 might do, he would have seen the folly of pronouncing, upon 

 his own authority, white-rumpcd Dragons as wortliless ; as also 

 those of other varieties, whrch would necessarily follow the 

 same fate, and which I calculate would nimiber about three- 

 fourths of the Blue Pigeons in existence ; and yet Mr. Percivall 

 flatters himself he is thanked by me for committing such an 

 error ! He has made himself notorious amongst the fanciers 

 of the midland coimties for the peculiar opinions he entertains 

 of Dragons — opinions at variance with the ideas of competent 

 judges whose decisions I have sought and obtained. 



Of the numbers of white-rnniped Pigeons, which Mr. Perci- 

 vall says may be bought for l-<. C((. or 2.<. each, I have no doubt, 

 but not Dragons. If he had merely pronounced the blne- 

 rumped birds as in Ms opinion better tiian the others, giving at 



