186 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



this breed should have white, with a tendency to pink legs, the 

 slightest tinge of yellow denoting impurity. They should have 

 five toes, the fifth pointing upwards like a spur. The cocks 

 should have silver-gray liackles and saddles, and dark breasts 

 and tails, though these are not indispensable, some being 

 splashed with white ; the hens, more or less gray on the back. 

 The color of the breast varies indefinitely, though in many of 

 the most admired there is a tendency to a warm bufif color. 

 The white Dorking must be perfectly white. It is important, in 

 this breed particularly, to avoid breeding in and in. A fresh 

 cock, of another strain or locality, should be introduced every 

 second year. The Dorking is a remarkably plump, well-made 

 fowl, and has more white meat on the breast than any other 

 variety, commanding, on this account, the highest price in the 

 London market. Its flesh is of superior delicacy, retaining a 

 remarkable tenderness and juiciness even when five or six years 

 old. These hens are excellent layers and mothers. "We hope 

 to see the evidence of a large increase of this valuable breed at 

 our next exhibition. 



The Hamburg, which embraces among its varieties the Bolton 

 Gray, or Creoles, is a valuable breed. They are excellent 

 layers. Of these, the Golden Hamburgs are perhaps the most 

 desirable for the farmer, being larger and more hardy. Some 

 of the pencilled varieties are of great beauty. It is essential 

 that all fowls of this breed should have blue legs. 



The Game breed is a valuable one, being conspicuous for 

 its beauty of plumage. It is remarkably hardy, and there are 

 no better layers and mothers than may be found among this 

 race. We have found that quite an erroneous opinion prevails 

 in regard to their fighting propensities, many farmers objecting 

 to keep them on this account. The thoroughbred Game, though 

 a courageous bird, is usually not a quarrelsome one. Towards 

 the young cocks that grow up under him, he is not more 

 despotic than the average of breeds. It is true, that if a 

 stranger dares to dispute his supremacy, he will fight to the 

 death ; but he is not more pugnacious till his blood is aroused 

 than many other races. The little Bantam is far more quarrel- 

 some. He is particularly gallant towards his flock. It is 

 exceedingly rare that he takes a prejudice against a particular 

 hen, as is quite often the case with other breeds. The flesh of the 



