TO HIS GARDENER 85 



pure white legs, so if mixed with our own they **! spoil or ^ Breed 

 as to size and whiteness of Legs and Bills. 



How many fine topM hens have we of our own kind ? Has 

 the young Cock that my Wife ordered to be kept a very large 

 top ? Robertson and you may Stock yourselves with Chickens 

 of the very best kind this year and keep none but with large 

 tops and pure white legs. If you do so this year, by next my 

 Wife's and your's will be equally good and no fear of mixture. 

 Whoever inclines to have a really good Breed should keep 

 none but the finest Cocks, for one little Cock will spoil a whole 

 Breed tho' they have the best Hens. So recommend to all the 

 keeping of the finest Cock Chickens. Let me know from time 

 to time to whom you give Eggs. Won't the . . . Cokburnes 

 take Eggs and agree to keep the Chickens, and dispose of all 

 their ugly Cocks by next Xmas ? Whoever are wise enough 

 to get entirely into the right kind will find their Eggs and 

 Chickens sell better than if even mixed with the small 

 Black or Spotted kinds. One Ugly Cock among them at Alex"^ 

 Cokburne's will spoil the Breed of all that live there. If each 

 of them will keep this year a fine large top'd and white leg'd 

 Cock Chicken and 2 or 3 of the finest hen Chickens ; the Eggs 

 from them will stock them entirely next year. Give each of 

 them there 6 Eggs of the right kind if they 1 all agree to keep 

 the White Chickens. As I said above one bad Cock will spoil 

 the whole Breed in such a place. In the Mainses,^ such as Rob* 

 and David Wights, they had better give each of their Cottars 

 a good Cock Chicken than let them keep ugly little spotted or 

 black Cocks which will spoil the Masters own Breed. J. Mackie 

 and Cotterwell may Improve their Breed by getting a Setting 

 each of this year's Eggs, and keeping the Chickens and by 

 degrees put of ^ all the old Cocks and Hens that are not pure 

 white and top'd and keeping no Chickens but white and topd 

 ones afterwards. Advise all to the above purpose and assist 

 any that are inclined to do right. 



1 A slip for 'our.' 



2 Mains is the general name for the home farm on a manor— same as manse 

 (Lat. mansio). 



^ Cockburn would pronounce this as *ofF,' i.e. away. 



1 



