JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Jaunaiy 28, 1875. 



Double GEKvmusis Leggy, &c. (J. W. Z,.l.— The boat and only plan to . 

 have them d.varf and compact wilt bs to cut them down, makinc; cuttings of 

 the tops, and in future keep them dwarf by stopping and growing near the 

 glass. Some kinds are of strong erect habit, but are not more inclined to 

 grow up tali than the Zonal and Nosegay kinds usually are. Tomtits are, we 

 presume, the blue titmouse, which is very troublesome very often in Pea- 

 growing, which we know of no way to hinder only by a close-meshed net. We 

 have th»m by the score, and they do not interfere with the Pea crups. In 

 one instance only were we obliged to destroy the birds, and thia proved to be 

 an old one taking the green peas to its young. The Celery is probably rotted 

 at the heart by uet, the stalk not being close together, or it may have been 

 occasioned by the aluga eating the stalks and causing decay. 



MasHttOOJi-QROwcNO Successfully (A. J. D.). — After the Mushrooms 

 appear it is not good policy to cover the bed with hay or any kind ot covering. 

 Yours probably die or damp-off from being too heavily waterdd and overhead, 

 also with warmer water than that of the house, which is a proUhc source of 

 dying. Blushroums require an equable temperature and regularly moist at- 

 mosphere, as also regular moisture of the beds. With two bods only we com- 

 mand a supply of Mushrooms from October to July, and every day after 

 Christmas, about which time the second bed comes in. Sometimes the beds 

 requu'e to be renewed. You will had an escellont article on Mushroom culture 

 in vol. xxvi., page 288. 



Names of Plants (J. E. S.). — The specimens were dried up and smashed. 

 (P. W.). — Pothossp.; perhaps a var. of P. scaudens. {W., Langport). — The 

 creeper is Boussingaultia basilloides ; the fruit that of the Black Hickory, 

 Juglaus nigra. (T. S.). — Eupatorium Weiumannianum, Rcgtl; E. populi- 

 foliura, D.C. {W. C). — land2,Davallift canariensis; a, D. tenuifolia ; 4, Adi- 

 antumsp.; 5, Asplenium bulbiferum ; 6, Phlebodium aureum. We do not 

 name more than sis specimens at once. (T. W.). — 1, Pteris longifolia; 2, 

 Blechnura occidentale; 3, Polystiwhum aculeatum ; 4, Adiantum hispidulum. 



Najies of Fruits (An Old Subscriber, Framfield). — The small Pear is 

 Broompark. and the larger one Prince Albert. (Junior Carlton). — No. 1, 

 Cobham or Pope's Apple; 2, Keinette Verte. 



POULTilY, BEE, AND PIGEON OHRONIOLE, 



THE EXHIBITION DORKING.— No. 6. 



BY T. C. BURNELL. 



Dorking chickens grow aad mature faster than any other 

 known variety, and it is for this reason that they are always 

 kept where there is a regular large demand for early chickens of 

 the finest quality. Hamburghs will excel them as layers, but it 

 is very doubtful whether the large size of the Dorking egg does 

 not more than compensate for any deficiency in numbers ; and in 

 this as in all other breeds hens vary as layers, but average Dork- 

 ing hens lay eighty or ninety eggs in the year, besides hatching 

 and rearing a couple of broods of chickens in the most exemplary 

 manner, and notwithstanding all the tall talk to the contrary, I 

 very much doubt if any other breed will do any better. I have 

 heard several complaints this unusually severe winter of people 

 being without eggs ; but although I only keep a small number 

 of hens, I have not known what it is to be without them. How- 

 ever, it is on their merits as chickens for the table that Dorkings 

 must rise or fall, and to this I will now confine my remarks. 



With prize stock, as with poultry, the desideratum is to pro- 

 duce as large as possible a quantity of the best meat in the 

 shortest possible time — that is, to combine excellence of flesh 

 with early maturity. 



What the Shorthorn is to cattle the Dorking is to poultry — 

 that is, not only will this fowl come to maturity sooner than any 

 other, but when matured the principal portion of the meat will be 

 found in the most desirable places — viz., on the breast, wings, 

 and merrythought, instead of on the legs, as is generally the 

 case with Cochins and Brahmas. The advantage this peculiarity 

 gives to the Dorking is very great, and it is for this reason, in- 

 dependently of their white flesh, that they are so much sought 

 after by higglers and dealers ; the only fowl which can compete 

 with them in this respect being the French Dorking, the 

 Houdan, but as this variety is a non-sitter it is not generally 

 suited for domestic purposes. 



If it is only desired to rear chickens for the table we cannot 

 well hatch them too early in the year, provided they can be kept 

 out of the wet and damp, as the earlier they are the more valu- 

 able they will be. But if we hatch out a brood of Dorkings with 

 the hope of finding some prize birds among them, it is very 

 doubtful if anything is gained by beginning too soon. 



I never hatch any chickens till February, and often not then. 

 The early birds if not stunted by the cold will doubtless win at 

 the summer shows, and it is for this reason people are so anxious 

 to get them out ; but the March and April birds, which have the 

 whole summer to grow in without a check, always make the finest 

 in the end, and it is a common thing to see an April-hatched Dork- 

 ing winning in November against January and February birds. 

 But not so with Asiatics : it is well known they take nine or ten 

 months to mature, while a Dorking, if pure bred, will be as far 

 advanced at six or seven. 



The careful breeder will always like to be certain of having 

 his chickens bred from certain cocks and certain hens, in order 

 to supply on the one side what is wanting on the other, for per- 

 fect birds are hardly ever seen except in poultry books. To 

 make sure of this the sexes must be separated in the winter, 

 and the desired birds mated-up again at least a month before we 

 think of setting their eggs. 



It is commonly supposed that the strongest chickens are 

 obtained from a cockerel mated with hens, or an old cook mated 

 with pullets. But owing to Dorkings maturing so much earlier 

 than any other breed, this rule I think hardly applies to them. 

 I have certainly bred some of my finest chickens from cockerels 

 and pullets running together, and if the latter are early-hatched 

 birds of the previous year they will be at least ten mouths old 

 and fully matured, and I cannot see that any harm will ensue. 

 It is not advisable to sit the first few eggs of a pullet, as such, 

 besides being small, seldom hatch ; but a March or April pullet 

 will, if well fed, be nearly sure to lay in the autumn, and will 

 thus be to all intents and purposes a hen in February or March, 

 and her eggs may be safely trusted. 



I hare laid great stress on the Dorking maturing so early, but 

 we must also bear in mind that early maturity means early 

 decay. Dorkings are not long-lived birds, the large show cooks 

 seldom get over their fourth winter. I know several birds in a 

 neighbouring farmyard which are for certain twice that age. 

 However, I am not now speaking about the common barndoor 

 Dorking but the larger bird of the show pen, and I am justified 

 in saying they are short-lived compared with some breeds, as I 

 can hear of no instance of a well-known show cock lasting more 

 than three seasons, while Cochins and Brahmas frequently hold 

 out to five and six. The hens do better, though, and I now know 

 a Dark Dorking hen which has twice won the cup at the Crystal 

 Palace Show, and which is still flourishing and winning, though 

 certainly over eight years old. 



It is for this reason— their comparatively short life, that 

 fanciers will not be justified in giving the extraordinarily high 

 prices for Dorkings which Cochins and Brahmas sometimes 

 fetch. We may reasonably expect to have several years' service 

 and many shows out of these latter ; but anyone who gives a high 

 price for a Dorking cook, thinking to exhibit and win with him 

 through the season, as is often done in some breeds, will find he 

 is reckoning erroneously, as no Dorking, however carefully at- 

 tended to, can stand knocking about from show to show, and 

 certainly not for two or three seasons running. 



To return to the mating of our birds. If we have an old cock 

 which has not been overshown, and which we desire to use for 

 stock purposes, put him with three or four pullets ; but if we 

 have only a nine-months cockerel there will not be the least 

 reason to doubt the probable excellence of his chickens, even 

 though mated wit.h pullets. Besides, we are often compelled to 

 breed from the latter, as it is seldom we can get the old hens to 

 lay soon enough for their eggs to be sat for early chickens. In 

 April and May seven or eight hens may be allowed to one cock, 

 but in the early months it will be better not to allow more than 

 four. When the birds have once been mated-up they should not 

 be separated, as it is hopeless to expect to rear prize chickens if 

 we keep on knocking the parents about from show to show. I 

 should like to see the great winter shows end with December, 

 when we could exhibit our best birds two or three times and 

 afterwards breed from them, but I am afraid there is but very 

 little chance of this coming to pass. 



The eggs for sitting should be collected every afternoon, and 

 if they have to be kept should be stored in chafiE or bran, and 

 turned every day. I do not believe there is any advantage to be 

 derived from storing the eggs large or small end up, and most 

 certainly a hen if she steals her nest does not do so, but eggs 

 cannot be left for three or four days in one position with im- 

 punity. I should not care to sit eggs more than ten days old, 

 and if they have to go a journey they should certainly not be 

 more than two or three. If we wish the chickens to hatch out 

 together the eggs should be as nearly as possible of the same 

 ao-e, as the staler the eggs are the longer will the chickens be in 

 coming out. Dorking eggs are generally very large, and ten or 

 eleven are quite enough for any hen to cover ; in fact, nine will 

 be better in the winter months. 



The nests may be made either on the ground, in a manger, or 

 in any other convenient place which the hen may select. But if 

 we desire to rear a large number of chickens it will be found 

 more convenient to set the hens in boxes or hampers with lids 

 to each, and to take the hens off, and to put them on again every 

 day after feeding— the plan which is generaUy adopted by 

 keepers, as by this means we shall avoid disapointment caused 

 by the stupidity of the hens in getting on the wrong nests. 



CANTERBURY POULTRY EXHIBITION. 



As a visitor and exhibitor at the late Show, I can fully corro- 

 borate the evidence of your reporter respecting the delay of 

 auction, and the late hour of affixing many of the prize cards. 

 When the hour of sale is distinctly stated in the schedules, one 

 reasonably expects such to take place at the stated hour ; and 

 as many of us are, from distance and want of time, unable to be 

 present the second day, it is certainly a disappointment. How- 

 ever, I feel certain the Committee and Secretary will take the 

 hint in a friendly spirit, and endeavour in future to avoid 

 delays, unpleasant to all parties. , ,, . « .1 n _ 



But while commenting upon the failings of this Society, aUow 



