March 25, 1S75. 1 



JOUENAL OF HOBTICULTOBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



24 C 



appearance. Tlie back, shouUlers, saddle, and saddle backlea 

 should also be of a pure white, while the breast, toil, and thighs 

 should be black, any white in these parts being a disqualifica- 

 ti m, except ou the tliishg, where a little grizzliuf; in au old bud 

 will pass. The black wingbow should be cleanly cut, and this 

 makes a pleasing contrast to the white of the remainder of the 

 wing. 



The plumage of the Si!i'cj--Gi-ci/ lien is exceedingly pretty, 

 the whole of the body feather and wings being of a clear silver- 

 grey colour, while the breast is a rich robin red. As in the 

 Dark Dorking, the shaft of each feather should be distinctly 

 white, only in the Silver-Grey variety this should not extend to 

 the wings and shoulders, or it rather spoils the general appear- 

 ance. The neck hackle should be white, with a narrow and dis- 

 tinct black stripe dosn each feather. 



Fig. 53. — Silver-Grey Dorking Cock. 



Although good Silver-Grey hens are by no means easy to 

 breed, the cocks are far more difficult to obtain perfect; and I 

 often think when I see judges withholding prizes in the Silver- 

 Grey classes while they give prizes to Mealy Cochins and \yhite- 

 throated Brahmas, that they do not make due allowance for the 

 very great difficulties which Silver-Grey Dorking breeders have 

 to contend against. 



By far the worst point in a Silver-Grey cock is a yellow hackle 

 or saddle ; it spoils the whole beauty of the breed. The smallest 

 speck of white in the breast of the cock or in the tail is con- 

 sidered a disqualification, though I would far rather see this 

 than a yellow hackle. The back and shoulders must be free 

 from red or chestnut feathers ; this is positive. The earlobes 

 should be red. 



The defect most difficult to avoid in breeding the Silver-Grey 

 hens is a ruatinesa or dullness of the plumage, especially on the 

 wings. Birds showing this dtfect should be avoided either for 

 breeding or the show pen, as cocks bred from them would be 

 sure to breed rusty-winged pullets. I should not discard a bird 

 altogether if large and only slightly ruddy on the wing, as this 

 will wear away a little with age, but a white breast or tail in a 

 cock will infallibly become worse with the moult. 



The Silver-Grey Dorking seldom or never attains the size of 

 its darker brother; but cocks of 10 lbs. in any breed are quite 

 large enough for all useful purposes, and I should be glad to see 

 the judges look more to feather, shape, comb, and feet than to 

 mere size. " Sooty feet " are not uncommon, and they must be 

 carefully avoided. I have seen it remarked that the "sooty" 

 feet now so common in Dark Dorkings have been caused by the 

 overbreediug for dark feather; but if so, how is it that dark 

 feet are quite as common with the Silver-Greys ? 



To breed Silver Greys perfect birds must be obtained, though 

 they be small, and the importance of obtaining cocks of a good 

 strain cannot be over-rated. Birds of different strains some- 

 times produce very badly-coloured chickens if the two strains 



do not amalgamate or "nick," as it is called; and in com- 

 mencing a strain it will be far better to procure the cockerels 

 and pullets from the same yard, and afterwards to buy hens 

 of the correct colour to cross with, as by this means size may 

 be kept up with less danger of the whole yard being spoilt. 



To obtain early chickens it will be necessary to breed from 

 cockerels, as I have found from painful experience that two-year- 

 old cocks are not to be trusted till the warm weather appears. 



The Eeh SPECKLED DoKKiNG is now almost obsolete, having 

 given way to the more fashionable Dark and Silver-Grey 

 varieties. Specimens may still be seen in the farmyards of 

 Surrey and Sussex, but of no great excellence. 



The principal peculiarity is found in the hens, which are of a 

 brown or chocolate colour, spangled all over with distinct white 

 spots as large as a large pea, giving them the appearance of 

 having been out in a fall of snow. This colour is I think more 

 curious than attractive. Cocks to match such hens should 

 have a good deal of red and chestnut on the back and shoulders, 

 their breasts should be spotted with white or red, and white in 

 the tail is not objectionable. I believe they are a hardy breed 

 and very readily fatten. 



HULL SHOW OP PIGEONS, &c. 



The first Show, which is proposed to be annual, was held in 

 the Albert Hall in Hull on the 11th and 12th inst. Financially 

 it was a rare success, and the visitors were very numerous. The 

 room was small, but the most was made of it; yet there was not 

 much space for visitors. The animals were well attended to, and 

 fed with correct food except the cats, which had each a portion 

 of raw bullock's lights, to which we would draw the attention of 

 committees, this being the most indigestible of food, and smells 

 disgustingly, and is generally voided ; while if well boiled it is 

 an excellent diet for Ihcm while in confinement. This can be 

 easily excused, as the management of the cat in the show pen is 

 scarcely understood as yet. 



Pigeons were first on the list, Pouters taking the lead. These 

 classes, though containing some good birds, were not good as 

 classes. lu Blue or Black, Mr. Nottage won first with his grand 

 Blue cock ; the second, a Blue hen, being also very good in style 

 and limb; third a large Blue cock. In any other colour the 

 first was a large bird, capital in style and shape, but very bad in 

 colour (Red); second was a stylish White cock of last year; but 

 we thought that gentleman ought to have taken third with his 

 White hen in place of the Red cock to which the award was 

 made, the latter bird being very shaggy in appearance, and 

 altogether out of condition, although said to show well in a 

 large pen. In Carrier cocks the first was a Black, good in style 

 and beak wattle, but bad in eye wattle; second a good all-round 

 bird, but not so heavy; third Dun, but rather broad-skulled; 

 aud extra third Black. In hens Mr. Tardley won with a grand 

 Black; the second going to a Black almost devoid of beak 

 wattle, but good in eye ; the third much better, but rather 

 spouty. In Barhs (Black) we did not agree with the awards, the 

 winners being very spouty in eye aud in bad order, except the 

 second-prize bird, which we should have placed first. In the 

 next class equal firsts were awarded, but we had no hesitation 

 in marking the best of the two (Baker) Yellow; second should 

 have been Mr. Spencer's Dun. Mr. Yardley won third with a 

 capital Yellow hen. In Owls the English were passed entirely 

 unnoticed, the preference being given to the foreign variety. 

 First was a very small White ; second a large Blue, with a 

 perfect head; third White, and good extra white as well; but 

 one of the best, a neat Black, shown by Mr. Shillitoe, was passed 

 unnoticed. This bird would not have been wrongly placed if 

 the first award had been made to it. Turhits were a fair class, 

 the first going to an excellent Silver; second to a White one, 

 superb in all Turbit properties except colour, and we must 

 confess we never saw a White one admitted in good competition 

 before as the leading property seems to be altogether lost. 

 Third was a Silver, but not as good as some others in the class, 

 particularly a Red shown by Mr. G. S. Stephenson. Jacolins 

 not a good class, first a capital Red ; second White, but coarse; 

 third Red, and good all round. In Tumhlers all were noticed, 

 and were a capital class, first was a Kite, perhaps the best 

 in existence; second Mr. Yardley's Almond cock; and third a 

 good Agate, all well placed. Fantaih were good, the first about 

 perfection ; second a fair bird ; third Blue, good in carriage, but 

 tail too narrow at bottom. The awards in Antici rps-viere not 

 in accordance'with our experience, the first was a Blue medium- 

 faced cock, with a sandy eye, a bad fault; second a good Short- 

 face, except that his colour was two mealy and bars bad ; the 

 third, a Blue cock, had a small frill. In our opinion the first 

 ought to have gone to Mr. White's Silver Dun Short-faced ; 

 second to Mr. Stanley's Red Chequer ditto; and third to Mr. 

 Yardley's Silver Dun. Dragoons were almost all of the London 

 Fancy, three of the four awards going to Yellows, and one to a 

 Blue, all well placed from the London stand-point. This was a 

 large class. In the Variety class the first was a perfect Arch- 

 angel; second au almost equally good Grey Frillback; extra 



