AprU 8, 1875. ] 



JOCENAL OP HOBTIOULTURB AND COTTAQK GABDENEB. 



285 



white and clean enough for the show pen. As soon as tlie sun 

 attains any power the cocks to be shown are better kept out of 

 the sun, or their plumage will soon become tanned, but with 

 every care white birds occasionally req^uire washing before 

 exhibition. 



The simplest plan for washing fowls is to fill a large crockery- 

 pan or tin vessel with about 8 inches depth of warm soft water, 

 BOUse the bird well in it, and wash thoroughly with a soft 

 sponge and white curd soap till the dirt is all out, then pour in 

 fresh water and wash-out the soap, and remember that as long 

 as any soap remains the feathers will never web properly. 

 After rinsing thoroughly squeeze-out as much water as possible. 

 The bird should be lightly and quickly dried with a soft Turkish 

 towel, and then be placed on some clean straw to dry. Each 

 bird should be placed in a separate basket before a bright fire 

 or in the sun, and in about twelve hours they should be quite 

 dry and beautifully white. Sour milk is a capital thing to 

 remove sunburn— that is, if the yellow tinge is caused by the 

 sun and is not natural to the feathers. 



White fowls should not be allowed to eat maize, or, aa I have 

 before stated, it will be very difficult to keep the plumage 

 white. The best dust-bath for them is a heap of white drift 

 sand or road grit. 



The eggs are generally white in colour, but Mr. Cresswell 

 informs me that some birds of his well-known strain lay pink 

 eggs, and these must certainly look very pretty on the breakfast- 

 table. The chicks when hatched-out should be of a yellowish- 

 white colour. 



CUCKOO DOEKINGS. 



During the last two or three years these have advanced much 

 in public favour. They have now a class allotted them at the 

 Crystal Palace and at two or three of the other principal shows, 

 and as several fanciers are taking them up we shall probably 

 see more of them in future. 



They are ciUed Cuckoo Dorkings on account of their feathers 

 being somewhat similar to those found on the breast of our 

 summer visitor the Cuckoo ; but they are also called Blue Dork- 

 ings. The term " speckled Dorking " is sometimes applied to 

 them erroneously. They appear of a blue or dark blue colour, 

 but on examination it will be found that every feather is evenly 

 marked with broad bars of dark blue or dark grey, on a whitish- 

 grey or light blue ground. 



In breeding these birds many chickens will come ao darkly 

 marked as to be almost black ; these must be discarded, as we 

 must not forget the original blue-mottled breast of the Cuckoo, 

 to which we have to breed. The chief point to look to in ex- 

 hibiting them is, that the cock and hen are of the same shade 

 of colour, and that both are evenly marked all over. Bose 

 combs are correct in this variety. The principal faults in the 

 cocks are yellow hackles and saddles. They are too commonly 

 found with white in the sickle feathers. A perfect cock with a 

 Cuckoo tail is a rarity, but as size is one of the principal points 

 in a Dorking it will not do to sacrifice an otherwise good bird 

 for this slight blemish. 



The hens are really wonderful layers, in fact quite equal to 

 Hamburghs ; while, though for the table they do not reach the 

 size of the Dark Dorking, their full breasts and juicy flesh, com- 

 bined with very early maturity, render them most acceptable in 

 the larder. They are decidedly a hardy breed. 



In conclusion, I will mention what I consider are the proper 

 classes to be given to Dorkings in a poultry.show schedule. If 

 only two classes are given they should be for Dark Dorkings 

 and for " Any other variety." If three classes are given they 

 should be for Darks, Silver-Greys, and for Whites or Cuckoos. 

 Many committees do not receive as many entries as they 

 should do by classing the Silver-Greys with the Dark birds, 

 the result being that the Silver-Grey birds are never entered in 

 the class, for their defeat is certain. If there is only one class 

 for Dorkings it is very rare to see anything but Darks, the result 

 being that the Committee lose the Silver-Grey, White, and 

 Cuckoo entries, which if three prizes were given would be 

 sure to make good classes. 



COMING POULTRY SHOWS. 



Epwokth (Lincolnshire). — This Society holds its Show on 

 May 7tb. The Committee will send the birds on to Otley for 

 that Show, which is to be held on the 8th. The prizes are 

 £1 and lOa., and the classes are only few, neither Cochins, 

 Brahmas, or Dorkings being sub-divided. Polands have a class, 

 and Game Bantams are well looked after. Entries close on 

 April 24th. The fee is 3s. Gd. per pen. 



SoNDERLAND holds its first Exhibition on May 17th and 18th. 

 We are glad to see the name of the Judge is announced — viz., 

 Mr. Dixon of Bradford. The prizes are 30s. and Ijs. Most of 

 the breeds have classes. There are five £2 2s. cups. Surely it 

 would be best to give the money in cash instead of plate, for a 

 £2 2s. article can only be a poor one. They are given in ad- 

 dition to the prize money. We are delighted to see Malays have 



a class. Bantams must be favourites in Sunderland, they have 

 six classes and two of the five cups. Entries close May 3rd, the 

 fee being -is. per pen. 



Crowle holds its Show on June 1st. The schedule is in 

 many ways good, but the classes want more breakiug-up. 

 Cochins of all colours have to compete together, which is 

 absurd. Black Hamburghs have no class. We wonder at this, 

 for they seem to fill the best of the Hamburgh classes very 

 often. Muscovy Ducks have a class, which is a novelty. There 

 are twenty-two Pigeon classes for single birds, and most breeds 

 are provided for. Magpies, Swallows, and Archangels having 

 classes. Poultry and i?igeons have twelve pieces of plate be- 

 tween them, in the shape of cups, tea-services, &c. Both 

 poultry and Pigeons have a point cup. The entries close May 

 i7th. The Judges are announced. 



PoRTSHouTH. — The Royal Counties meets at Portsmouth ou 

 June 15th to the 18th. This town truly is rich in poultry shows. 

 This will make the third show within six months. The prizes 

 are 30s., 20s., and 10s. in Dorkings, Brahmas, Cochins, and the 

 Variety class. The other classes have 20s. and 10s. Cochins 

 are again lumped together, and as this class was one of the best 

 filled at Reading last season they most certainly should have 

 been divided this year. Polands have two classes. We hope 

 we shall find them better filled than last time. The Pigeons 

 have seven classes, whioh are very badly allotted, Magpies 

 having a class, and Trumpeters, while Jacobins, Pouters, Turbits, 

 and Dragoons go without. The Judge is not announced, but we 

 may generally rely on meeting our friend Mr. Baily ofiiciating 

 as Judge at this Society's meeting. The entry fee is 3s. Gd., and 

 entries close on May 15th. — W. 



ScABciTY OF Chickens this Tear. — In my poultry book I find 

 noted that last year at this time (March 30th) I had 130 chickens 

 and this year only fifty-two, but I hope to have sixty more in a 

 few days. I lost but one chicken last year, which the hen trod 

 on, out of 176. This year I have lost two. I have good neigh- 

 bours that supply me with broody hens. The difficulty has been 

 with the eggs, which have hatched out badly in consequence of 

 the cold weather. — P. Harris, Diss. 



RUSSIAN TRUMPETERS. 



I MUST take up my pen in defence of my especial favourite the 

 Russian Trumpeter. Your able correspondent " Wiltshire 

 Rector," whose opinions on the Dragoon controversy, by the 

 way, are entirely in accordance with my own, says in his letter 

 oi April 1st, " Unfortunately the Foreign Trumpeters will not 

 breed in England." Now I bought two pairs of imported 

 Russian Trumpeters from a well-known dealer two years ago, 

 and bred from them nine young birds that season, five of which 

 are now alive, and hatched-out as many more, but having un- 

 fortunately no feeders the earlier nests died of cold. Far from 

 what he states being the case, I find that when they do breed 

 they do so freely ; but the young birds are delicate and hard to 

 survive the first moult ; that over, they are in my experience 

 as hardy as any other high fancy breed. 



I am anxious not to leave your correspondent's remark un- 

 noticed, as I look upon them as quite aa well worth cultivation 

 as any fancy Pigeon we have, not excepting the Pouter and 

 Carrier, and fear that such an assertion if passed over might 

 deter others from attempting to breed them. 



I should be very glad if anyone would tell us where they really 

 come from, and how they are fed and treated in their own 

 country. Northern Russia is a large place, but that is all the 

 information I have been able to obtain as to where they are 

 bred. — John H. Hutchinson. 



RUFFED GROUSE. 



In your Journal of March Ith, 1875, 1 see the question of im- 

 porting Ruffed Grouse has been raised. Perhaps as I reside in a 

 country where they abound, a few remarks may not be thought 

 out of place. 



The woods and barrens of Nova Scotia are covered with 

 berries of various kinds growing on plants and shrubs, and in 

 the former, abundance of cones of the several' species of fir : all 

 these are food for the Grouse. The question of introducing them 

 into Scotland would not be one of climate, strictly speaking, but 

 of food suitable to their wants. 



After the first fall of snow the greater number of these berries 

 are covered, then the grouse becomes poisonous, being obliged 

 to eat berries at other times avoided. Several cases of severe 

 collapse with fainting fits have occurred, to my knowledge, 

 to people who had eaten Grouse, particularly the back and 

 legs, after midwinter. But I have never heard of a fatal case 

 when a mustard emetic, followed by stimulants, was given in 

 time. 



