Popularity of Orpingtons as an Exhibition Fowl 



Tables Showing the Number of Each Variety Exhibited at Madison Square— Boston and Chicago from 1901 

 up to 1910— Tables Unobtainable Elsewhere and of Historic Interest to Orpington Breeders y^ 



D. E. Hale 



MANY of the readers of these lines will remember 

 the introduction of the Orpingtons into the 

 United States. It was quite generally remarked 

 at the time that the Black Orpingtons might compete on 

 favorable terms with our other black breeds, but it was 

 claimed that the white skin and white or pink legs would 

 make it impossible for them to become popular as a table 

 fowl in this country. Consequently it was predicted that 

 their boom would be short lived. 



The many prophets who made such assertions now 

 acknowledge they were wrong and that there is something 

 about the Orpingtons which has enabled them to steadily 

 win their way well along toward the head of the list of 

 breeds that bear the stamp of approval among real fan- 

 ciers. 



Even the old school market men are beginning to tell 

 us that "'one of the prettiest carcasses that goes on the 

 table is that of this new English breed, the Orpington." 

 The American public is coming to realize that a white skin 

 ■may cover meat that is just as tender, just as juicy and 

 just as fine in flavor as that covered by a yellow skin. 



Probably the reader will ask: What has all this to do 

 ■with the popularity of the Orpingtons as exhibition fowl? 

 •Only this: When we come to the real test of general popu- 

 larity, every breed or variety must stand or fall upon its 

 valuation as a market or table fowl. Once a breed or va- 

 riety wins public favor as a commercial fowl, it will soon 

 •come to the front as an exhibition fowl. Its popularity will 

 •cause more breeders to take it up and then competition 

 ■will become stronger, which leads to the show room and 

 results in larger and still larger exhibitions. 



Following is a tabulated report, showing the number 

 •of Orpingtons that have been exhibited in recent years at 

 the Crystal Palace Show, London, at Madison Square 

 ■Garden, New York, and at Boston, and Chicago. Note the 

 growth each year in the number exhibited at these great 

 shows. 



Crystal Palace Show 



1906 1907 1908 

 Number shown 580 697 782 



We are sorry we cannot give the number of each va- 

 riety at the above show. The numbers given represent to- 

 tals of all Orpingtons shown each year for the period 

 covered. 



Madison Square Garden 



Year 



1901 , 



1902 , 



1903 , 



s. c. 



Bu« 



27 

 43 

 64 



K. C. S. C. R. C. S. C. R. C. Any other 

 Buff Black Black White White variety Total 



4 31 



63 

 27 21 10 .. 17 143 



1904 Unable to get report. 



1905 173 



1906 192 



1907 (Jan.) 161 

 1907 (Dec.) 107 



1909 223 



1910 175 



1165 



16 

 25 

 18 

 10 

 14 

 12 



100 

 105 

 133 

 160 

 144 

 134 



11 

 11 

 10 

 11 

 IS 



10 



57 

 73 

 81 

 83 



70 

 155 



S 



10 



5 



5 



5 



20 



20 

 17 



30 

 30 

 26 

 26 

 25 

 22 



392 

 446 

 434 

 402 

 496 

 526 



1902 17 



1903 32 



1904 No show held. 



1905 

 1906 

 1907 

 1908 

 1909 

 1911 



1901 

 1902 

 1903 

 1904 

 1905 

 1906 

 1907 

 1910 



31 

 46 

 67 

 69 

 65 

 75 



At Boston 



11 



36 

 IS 

 47 

 31 

 38 



10 

 26 

 21 

 21 

 28 

 78 



4 

 11 



6 

 16 

 10 



6 

 14 

 17 



21 

 62 



47 

 124 

 121 

 144 

 138 

 218 



99 807 87 529 SO 196 2933 



598 143 159 6 254 50 42 1252 



Any other variety, as mentioned above, includes the 

 Diamond Jubilee and the Spangled varieties, as well as 

 those that were in an introductory state and therefore had 

 to be exhibited under the class known as "Any other Va- 

 riety." 



It will be noted that the Buffs have been by far the 

 largest class shown at Madison Square, though the Blacks 

 have been a strong class during the last five years. With 

 Rose and Single Comb classes combined there has been 

 1,077 Buffs, 752 Blacks, 404 Whites and 174 A. O. V. The 

 Buffs have not only led each year, but the exhibit of 1909 

 was extra large, showing a satisfactory increase in the 

 number of exhibits. 



It will be observed that the Orpingtons are' not as 

 popular as an exhibition fowl at Boston as they are at 

 New York. The latter place has had on exhibition more 

 than three and one-half times as many Orpingtons since 

 1901 as has the metropolis of New England. Perhaps one 

 reason for this is: Boston is known as a critical market 

 place for table poultry and eggs. The famous South- 

 Shore products find a ready market in Boston. New 

 Englanders are much in favor of yellow skin and legs 

 and also prefer dark-shelled or brown eggs. The New 

 YorK market prefers a white-shelled egg and the pre- 

 sumption is that the New York public takes more kindly 

 to white skinned poultry. Furthermore, we may continue 

 to look for larger classes at Madison Square, as this great 

 show is conceded by exhibitors to be the battle-ground 

 which decides the real championships. This fact alone will 

 continue to attract the larger exhibits to Madison Square 

 Garden. Despite this we believe that market require- 

 ments in many sections either add or detract from the 

 number and importance of exhibits. 



Although we have not at hand the figures for the 1908 

 and 1909 Chicago shows, in it will be noted that the total 

 for the seven years is larger than the number of Orping- 



