124: 



THE AMERICAN POULTERER'S COMPANION. 



THE POKKING FOWL. 



alent breed, the Dorking, share the five-toed ex- 

 cellence that characterized the most esteemed 

 fowls of Rome." 



Both the Dorking and Game are ancient 

 breeds. Columella, who lived in the middle of 

 the first century, accurately describes the Dork- 

 ing, as we have it, as being the best fowl of his 

 time ; speckled in color, of great beauty of plu- 

 mage, and possessing the fifth toe. 



"We have sought for information as to the 

 time when Dorking and its fowls first became 

 noted," says a writer in the Gentlemarfs Maga- 

 zine, " but our inquiry has been fruitless. When 

 Camden wrote his 'Britannia' in 1610, Dorking 

 was so inconsiderable as not even to be men- 

 tioned by him, and in his map of Surrey it is 

 marked a mere village. It is probable that the 

 soils in that neighborhood, sand and chalk, which 

 are particularly favorable to the rearing of chick- 

 ens (and also the demand for such delicacies oc- 

 casioned by the resort thither of visitors in the 

 summer season to eat 'water- souchet,' made 

 from the perch for which its waters are cele- 

 brated), may have led to particular attention to 



poultry culture. At all events, a century ago 

 the fame of Dorking poultry was established; 

 for a writer in 1763, who evidently knew the 

 neighborhood well, says, 'An incredible quan- 

 tity of poultry is sold in Dorking, and they are 

 all well known to the lovers of good eating for 

 being remarkably large and fine. I have seen 

 capons about Christmas which weighed between 

 seven and eight pounds each, out of their feath- 

 ers, and were sold at five shillings apiece.' " 



A writer who resides in the vicinity of Dork- 

 ing, and an extensive breeder, says, "I am in- 

 clined to the opinion that the old white Dork- 

 ing fowl has been continually crossed with fowls 

 of a larger breed, which from time immemorial 

 have been known to prevail in Sussex ; and this 

 more particularly in the district around Cuck- 

 field and Horsham, where great attention has 

 been paid to the selection of breeding stock, and 

 a much better fowl has been produced. 



"Now we are altogether without evidence, 

 at least for the last eighty years, that would war- 

 rant our assigning the fowls, now called colored 

 Dorkings, to the old Dorking stock before al- 



