514 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



production, though with good care, suitable food, plenty of pure water, and sufficient warmth, 

 they improve greatly in this respect. The eggs are large and round, and nearly equal in size 

 at both ends. They will also improve in general hardiness, by long continued and judicious 

 training for this purpose. Much can be accomplished in this respect, by not hatching the 

 chicks too early, as they are peculiarly sensitive to the wet and cold. For our changeable 

 climate, the middle of April or first of May is sufficiently early, and we have always noticed 

 that the late chicks of this breed with this arrangement and favorable temperature, fully 

 equal in size, at the age of three or four months, those earlier hatched. 



The Dorking breed, of whatever variety, should always have a dry soil, otherwise they 

 will not thrive well. Many breeders put iron or other simple tonic in the water to ward off 

 the gapes and roup, as in this case, as all others, the old adage proves true that &quot; an ounce of 

 of prevention is worth a pound of cure,&quot; for when these diseases once make their appearance 

 among a Dorking flock they are very difficult to turn out again. All fowls in the least 

 affected by either should be at once separated from the others until entirely cured. This breed is 

 also subject to a disease called the &quot;bumble foot,&quot; in fact, more liable to it than any other 

 breed of which we are familiar. It does not bear confinement well, and when chickens are 

 thus hatched, they are very apt to be delicate for the first two or three weeks, though fairly 

 hardy afterwards. Confinement and wet soil are their bane, and the only successful means of 

 keeping them under such circumstances, is to pay strict attention to cleanliness and drainage, 

 and to give them fresh turf every day with vegetable food. Prize Dorkings have thus often 

 been reared in graveled yards not exceeding three hundred square feet. 



We would not, however, recommend it as a profitable fowl to keep, except with an 

 extensive range. This breed, as we have previously stated, is very valuable to cross with 

 others, the most successful and common being a cross with the Brahmas and Cochins; the 

 Game is also used for this purpose, but not, however, with very great advantage, since it 

 diminishes both the size and squareness of form without gaining very perceptibly in hardiness. 

 A cross is sometimes made with the Houdan cock, but the plumage varies greatly, though 

 the chickens are very hardy, and when matured lay very well, and the flesh is excellent. In 

 laying qualities, the cross thus produced excel the Dorkings. 



DOMINIQUES. 



THE Dominique is one of the oldest of the American breeds, and resembles much the 

 Cuckoo Dorking, also the Scotch Grays, previously described. In form, it re 

 sembles the Dorking; is of medium size, cocks averaging between seven and eight 

 pounds, and hens six pounds. The plumage of the body, and even the feathers of the 

 tail are a light slaty -blue penciled across with bars of a darker blue; the shading, however, 

 varies, the penciling in some cases being very dark, or nearly black; the medium color is 

 preferred. Whether the color be light or dark, the hackle and saddle feathers of the 

 cock should be of a&quot; corresponding shade, any white, reddish, or golden feathers being 

 considered a great defect; this objection can be avoided by careful breeding, choosing only the 

 most perfect specimens for this purpose. 



This description of plumage, which resembles the breast of the Cuckoo, will apply to a 

 large class of poultry, many of which have been previously described. The Cuckoo Dorkings, 

 Cuckoo Cochins, Anconas or Cuckoo Spanish, Cuckoo Polish, Guelders or Cuckoo Bredas, 

 and Scotch Grays, all have this peculiar plumage, which is distinguished from the Penciled 

 Hamburgs, which it closely resembles in marking, in the fact of the bars or penciling being 



