The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 
330 
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 mixed 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. The 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 tke 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 
mio-ht 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. 128. 
