46 POULTRY BREEDING AND MANAGEMENT 



as pure in blood apparently as though the Cochin had never 

 been known. As evidence that it does not owe its size to the 

 influence of Asiatic blood it is pointed out that there are 

 records which show that the Dorking attained a weight of 14 

 pounds more than a hundred years ago, or fifty years before 

 the introduction of the Cochin. Brown says that the Dork- 

 ing ' ' by its fineness of flesh and delicacy of skin, the white- 

 ness of the flesh and legs and the abundance of meat carried 

 upon the body, must be regarded as one of the best table 

 fowls that it is possible to obtain." In spite of the fact 

 that it lays a white egg it maintains much popularity in 

 Britain. It cannot be said to be a heavy layer, though we 

 are inclined to place it among the general-purpose breeds. 



The Orpington. The modern Orpington is now dividing 

 honors in England with the Dorking as a general utility 

 breed. From the English standpoint;, in one respect at 

 least, the Orpington has an advantage over the Dorking; 

 that is color of egg. The combination of white legs and 

 skin with tinted or brown eggs is the peculiar achievement 

 of the Orpington makers, just as the Plymouth Rock lay- 

 ing a white egg would be an achievement for American 

 breeders in meeting the market demands. This new com- 

 bination is no doubt largely responsible for the popularity 

 of the Orpington in Great Britain. The combination of 

 white skin and brown egg, however, though commending 

 it to the buying public of Great Britain, handicaps it as 

 a competitor in America with general-purpose breeds. 

 Brown places it among the general-purpose breeds, but 

 from its weight and meat qualities it might well be placed 

 among the meat breeds of this country. If our market 

 preference for yellow legs and skin and white egg is to be 

 maintained, it is difficult to see why our American general- 

 purpose breeds should be replaced by the Orpington. If 

 we wish to discard our American breeds it would be more 



