March 17,1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
223 
ness at the end. Of his New Yictoria variety Mr. G-ordon had forty 
acres, which yielded an average of over ten tons per acre .—(Irish 
Farmers' Gazette.) 
THE COURTE PATTE. 
It would be difficult to find a better illustration of the little 
regard which is paid in France to what we call “ fancy points ” 
than the fact that the two leading French poultry books give 
entirely different descriptions of the Courte Patte. 
In Le Poulailler M. Jacque classes the Courtes Pattes with the 
Bantams. He says that in many localities in Brittany, Sarthe, 
and Orne there are Courtes Pattes, but that the true breed, which 
was formerly common in Orne, and from which was derived the 
delicious and precocious fowls called Poulets a la Peine is almost 
lost. He claims, however, to have recovered it, and describes it 
as follows :—“ The cock weighs about 3 lbs. 3 ozs., the hen about 
2 lbs. 2 ozs. ; both are so short in leg and low in carriage that 
they waddle like Ducks, and that their fluff lies on and trains 
along the ground in spite of all their efforts to raise themselves 
on their legs. The comb of the cock is double, and has a small 
crest behind it. The plumage is throughout a mixture of white 
and dense black, with the exception of the tail, which is bronze 
black ; the sickles are long and ample, the feet are black. 
“ The hen is extremely like the cock, and her very long tail 
forms a strange contrast with her legs, which are so short as to 
be almost invisible. 
“ This species lays very well and sits admirably. It furnishes 
us with excellent little birds which come early to maturity, and 
which were in former times much esteemed, and destined for the 
tables of the rich in the spring season when most fowls are not 
very tender.” 
The above account differs very materially from that given by 
M. Lemoine in his poultry book. He says, “ This bird is of 
medium size and of a very rustic type ; its flesh is of good 
quality ; it is a very good layer, and a good but not an early 
sitter ; its plumage is uniformly black ; it has white earlobes 
and long wattles ; it stands very low on its feet, which are large 
and black. The cock has a large single comb, which is upright 
and serrated.” 
Here, then, we have the two leading French authorities upon 
poultry matters giving us widely divergent accounts of what each 
calls the Courte Patte breed. We presume that M. Jacque had 
seen birds of the colour he describes with double combs and small 
crests, but there is no doubt as to these points the description 
given by M. Lemoine is that accepted both in France and in this 
country. At the recent Paris Exhibition the breed was nume¬ 
rously represented, and it has of late been shown pretty frequently 
in the Variety classes at English shows. We have in our own 
yards bad some little experience in the breed with birds which we 
imported a year ago and a few chickens bred from them. 
One of the descriptions above given is inaccurate, and the other 
is very meagre, while the account given of the economic qualities 
hardly corresponds with our experience ; we therefore propose to 
shortly describe the breed as we have seen it and found it. We 
took some pains at the Crystal Palace Show to ascertain more 
fully the views of M. Lemoine, whom we had the pleasure of 
meeting there, and we also especially noted and inquired into the 
points of the breed at the Paris Show. 
First, then, as to size. Our birds weigh from lbs. to 3 lbs., 
and are by no means as large as the winning cock at Paris, which 
we should think would easily have scaled G lbs. This bird was, 
however, considerably larger than any other at the Show, so that 
we may fairly, we think, place the weights at about 5 lbs. for 
cocks and 3^ lbs. for hens. The shape and carriage are unique, 
and are, of course, materially affected by the short legs, from 
which the name is derived. In a good specimen one is struck 
equally with the extreme shortness of the legs and the great 
length of the body. In no'other breed that we are acquainted 
with is the length of the body so great as compared with its 
depth, while the carriage is more like that of a Duck than a hen. 
The legs are so short that the ample plumage almost touches the 
ground, and the body is carried so horizontally that the breast is 
nearly as close to the ground as the fluff is. The breast is full 
and the back almost level, so that the bird has the appearance of 
being very solid. An upright carriage or any shortness of body is 
a great defect. The plumage is very ample and fairly close, and 
is black with brilliant green and purple metallic reflections. The 
tail is large, and should be carried perpendicularly. The comb of 
the cock is single, of moderate size, evenly serrated, and erect ; 
that of the hen droops to one side. The face and wattles are red. 
The earlobe should be white and smooth, but this point appears 
to be very difficult to attain, especially with the cocks. We have 
only seen one cock with an earlobe which could be called white, 
and we fear this will prove a great stumblingblock in the way of 
the breed here. At the Paris Show the one bird above referred 
to was first in the French Any other variety class ; while second 
went to a bird good in other respects, but with very red earlobes. 
We trust the Judges here will show a similarly indulgent spirit in 
this respect, at least for a time. The feet, as also the legs, are 
black, and should be free from feathers. The feet look large in 
consequence of the legs being so short, but they are really rather 
small than otherwise. We regard feathers on the legs as a great 
defect. They indicate a cross with some feather-legged variety, 
and should be mercilessly repressed. 
So much for appearances, now as to the qualities and habits of 
the breed. We find them moderately good layers of eggs, which 
are very large for the size of the birds, and are much like those of 
a Spanish hen. They are good sitters, and the shortness of their 
legs adapts them especially for rearing chickens of the more deli¬ 
cate varieties. The old birds seem hardy, but we have found the 
chickens difficult to rear, especially early in the season. We have 
not been able to spare any for the table, but from the peculiar 
conformation of their breasts, which are much flatter than those of 
any other variety, we consider them specially suitable for the 
table wjiere great size is not desired. They develope with fair 
rapidity. When they have become acclimatised we expect better 
results from them both in regard to laying and rearing the chicks 
than we have yet attained. 
We have seen it stated that they are non-flyers, and as easily 
kept in as Asiatics, but this is quite a mistake. Even the old birds 
will cross a 6-foot fence, while the youngsters are quite as light on 
the wing as any breed we are acquainted with. The cocks are 
very lively and have a jaunty air about them which is very attrac¬ 
tive—they seem to be brimming over with conceit. We have not 
much tested their powers of bearing confinement, but think they 
will stand it fairly well. 
We have no doubt that the breed is, as stated by M. Jacque, of 
very ancient origin. It has the merit of having very distinct 
characteristics which are well established, and there is a certain 
amount of quaint beauty in it which with its useful qualities 
should recommend it to English fanciers. 
THE MODERN DORIvINO. 
There is a controversy which from time to time is waged 
among poultry fanciers. For some weeks it is briskly carried on 
in print, then it slumbers and dies a natural death ; after a time 
it is revived and carried on with all its own animation, sometimes 
one might almost say acrimony. The great question is whether 
the modern Dorking is superior or inferior to the Dorking of thirty 
or forty years ago. I do not say “ great question ” ironically, for as 
the Dorking is par excellence the table fowl of England it is a 
question of some importance whether a bird which should grace 
every banquet is not kept up to a due standard of excellence. 
Though this breed has long been my speciality in poultry I have 
never taken much part in these controversies, and so venture now 
to collect my ideas upon the subject, in the hope that, if not 
instructive to any fancier, they may at least be impartial. I am 
the more inclined to hope that they may so be from the fact that 
I do not find myself entirely in agreement with either the one or 
the other side. The exception to my silence has been when some 
three years ago I craved space in your columns, as well as in 
those of one of your contemporaries, for a few lines on the 
“ modern Dorking.” Unfortunately there are, or have been, now 
and then changes of fashion as to the desired characteristics of 
poultry. Just then at the Crystal Palace and other great shows 
nearly all the prizes had been given, and that by some of our best 
all-round judges, to Dorking cocks with immoderately long legs, 
presumably because they were heavy in hand. There was then a 
general outcry, in which I joined, from all the principal Dorking 
breeders against these awards. This expression of opinion had 
its desired effect, and since then there has been, as far as I have 
seen, a general return of favour to the older and more approved 
Dorking type. 
The controversy at present seems rather to be, not over this or 
that type of Dorking as now generally exhibited, but between on 
the one side the really old fanciers who hardly exhibit at all now, 
and who maintain that they formerly possessed a race of Dork¬ 
ings, now nearly extinct, but in all useful qualities superior to the 
present Dorking ; and on the other side the admirers of the 
