,26 The Illustrated Book op Poultry. 



while the Coloured one took second prize. The White bird, thus overlooked because he was white, 

 took first prizes that same year at Birmingham, Bristol, Bath and West of England, and Manchester 

 shows ; he went also to the Crystal Palace, but there — I presume before the judges saw him— had 

 his tail so broken and his whole plumage spoiled that he only took third prize, and returned home 

 to die in a short time. I mention these things only to show that it could not have been for want of 

 either size or quality that he was beaten by the really inferior bird at Kendal, as White birds 

 almost invariably are when brought into open competition with the Coloured. 



" I find White Dorking chickens no more delicate to rear than others. They must be dryly 

 and warmly housed at night, have plenty of clean water to drink, with bread-crumbs and ground 

 oats as general food. Small broken wheat from a thrashing-machine I also find they like and 

 thrive well upon. For a change I take a teacupful of rice, and putting it into a saucepan of boiling 

 water, let it boil very fast for twenty minutes, till the water is absorbed and the rice loose as for 

 curry. Then in a large bowl I have kitchen scraps of meat, &c., with dry bread, all cut in small 

 pieces not much larger than rice, add a little spice and sometimes herbs, and a little either egg or 

 oyster-shell pounded. When this is all mi.xed together dry, put the hot rice over the whole, with 

 a little dry oatmeal, if required, to keep it crumbly ; mix with a fork, and there is a bowl full of 

 nice loose food. Sufficient of this to feed a large number for two days can be made at once 

 without fear of becoming sour. If every lady would insist that her cook should collect the frag- 

 •ments, so that nothing should be lost, how many chickens could be fed on what is now thrown 

 away! — and even how many poor children might have a good dinner if such a course were more 

 generally adopted. Let the scraps from the dishes, with the left potatoes, be made into a tasty 

 " hot-pot" for the children, and the bits from the plates go to the chickens ; the hearts of both 

 would rejoice, and the careful housekeeper would be no poorer — indeed, expense would often be 

 saved, as sinks and drains would not be nearly so often stopped up if fat and other scraps were 

 strictly kept out of them. 



" The points in perfect White Dorkings are in a great degree the same as for Coloured ones, 

 viz., deep square bodies, with the tail inclining backwards, thus showing greater length of back 

 than those breeds in which head and tail approach each other. The rose comb should not hang 

 over the eyes, but stand firmly up like rock coral, with the spike at the back long and straight. 

 The legs should be quite white, and the extra toe well defined, springing clearly from the leg 

 and turning up. Tlie weights I have obtained as yet have been, in cocks from eight to ten 

 pounds, and in hens from six and a half to eight pounds — what other ornamental poultry can 

 . equal that .' — and I hope yet to see the day when my favourites shall increase to the size the 

 Coloured have become." 



In reference to the case at Kendal mentioned by Miss Fairhurst, we may remark that we have 

 frequently noticed at shows the curious fact, that if two fowls are really of equal weight and size, 

 and one be white while the other is dark-coloured, the white bird invariably looks the smallest. 

 By the courtesy of various show officials, we have been enabled to test this fact by direct 

 experiment on several occasions, and it should be carefully remembered by judges or other parties, 

 when comparing white and dark birds of this or any other breed. 



There is no doubt whatever, as Miss Fairhurst remarks, that the size of White Dorkings 

 might and probably would be increased by careful breeding alone, were breeders more numerous 

 and emulation more general ; but much help might be obtained by means of a cross with the more 

 massive Coloured variety. The advisability of such a proceeding struck us years ago ; and, as we 

 then mentioned,* on a visit to Linton Park we saw the process commenced with every apparent 



* " Practical Poultry Keeper," p. uS. 



