..SPECKLED DORKINGS. 19 



ed blood, and purchasers should be very careful, and select 

 fowls from breeders of well known reputation. Purchasers 

 will often procure half breeds, or other crosses, at a low price, 

 and when they get them home, pronounce them the real " Si- 

 mon pures," and thus the character of the really pure and good 

 fowl is made to suffer. 



The weight of speckled Dorkings is somewhat heavier than 

 that of the white breed ; that is, the best specimens ; say about 

 eight pounds for a cock, and five to six for a pullet, still there 

 are some that exceed this weight. 



They are also tender, but not so delicate as a large portion 

 of the white Dorkings among us. Their flesh is excellent, and 

 their shape nearly, if not quite up to the model "white Dork- 

 ings. 



The combs of both breeds are sometimes single, and some- 

 times double, the double comb being the result of too long 

 in-and-in breeding, as is asserted ; but I am not prepared to 

 fully endorse this allegation. 



The following article is from Francis Piotch, Esq., the well 

 known importer and breeder of this kind of fowls. It was 

 furnished for this work, and the Northern Farmer. Mr. Rotch 

 states in a private note that " he has no desire to make sales." 

 I allude to this fact to show, that what he asserts is not stated 

 from interested motives : 



MORRIS, Otsego Co., K Y., Sept. 4, 1852 



Dear Sir, I infer from the frequent statements and remarks upon 

 poultry, published in the agricultural journals, that much interest 

 continues to be felt on the subject ; and any information I may offer 

 in reply to your inquiries, though late, may not be out of time. Not 

 that I have much to say beyond a remark or two which may correct 

 the attempt lately made by the Boston fanciers, to rest the purity of 

 the Dorking fowl on color, or rather on no color, and to rule out as 

 mongrels all birds that do not happen to be white ! 



I may, perhaps, claim to be some authority in the case, inasmuch 

 as my school days were passed in the County of Surrey ; and my play- 

 ground, when visiting at Bury-Hill, (the then residence of Robert 

 Barclay, Esq.,) extended to the very outskirts of Dorking itself. 

 From that early period to the present time, covering an interval of 

 nearly .fifty years, my experience has but confirmed my early prefer- 

 ence in favor of the Dorking as a fowl of general usefulness and beau- 

 ty not so handsome, I must allow, as that ready swordsman, the 

 swaggering, stylish game-cock, nor as those little, coquettish brunettes 

 that are mated with him ; still the Dorking is a quite stately, substan- 

 tial fellow, and' though his companions may not have the same pert, 



