November 9, 1882. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 439 
for all that I do not see any reason why I should not finish my 
Dorking notes, as I am totally ignorant of any decision they may 
have arrived at with regard to this ancient breed, and therefore 
what I say cannot in any way be considered as written with any 
antagonistic feeling as regards the Poultry Club. Nor do I mean 
to be personal to anyone, and therefore I refrain from mentioning 
any names. I wish it clearly to be understood that I write only 
in the interest of the Dorking fowl. 
In my last I confined my remarks to the Dark Dorking ; but 
now I wish to point out that the White Dorking has been tampered 
with almost, if not quite, to the same extent as the old coloured 
variety. It is quite apparent, and has been for some time, that 
the White Cochin has been used to get size, as may be observed 
to the most uninitiated eye ; the looseness of feathering, the 
cushion on the back and general carriage, also the red earlobe, 
has appeared, whereas there never was such a thing in true White 
Dorkings; also I have seen slightly tinted legs, and at the last 
Tonbridge Wells Show one hen was shown with a decidedly blue 
tendency on the shank bones. As an excellent Dorking fancier 
remarked to me, looking at the bird, “ Where will it all end ? Is 
the prize for a Dorking or a crossbred ? ” I could but refer him 
to the schedule. The prize was for a “ White Dorking.” Was the 
bird before us one ? Certainly it was not like the White Dorking 
I and many others kept years ago, neither in compactness, small¬ 
ness of bone, colour of earlobe, colour of legs, nor carriage. 
To me it seems a little odd that the Dorking should be so 
entirely altered, and to my mind for the worse; and yet those 
who have helped to spoil it have maintained all through the fifth 
toe, which so many writers have stated was so difficult to keep 
true, though I never had any difficulty, the true breed never 
throwing four-toed birds. I say it does seem a little odd that 
the fifth toe has been kept, as it has been so much abused also, 
even to the nonsensical statement that it was the cause of the 
bumble foot. For my part I have always found the fifth toe 
one of the least difficult points to maintain, and it is entirely 
owing to the aptitude to breed a fifth toe that the various crosses 
have been made, and a mongrel fostered on the fancier of to-day, 
many of whom cannot remember the fair-fleshed small-boned 
fowl of forty years ago, but take for granted the coarse flesh and 
large bones of the now show Dorking as being the genuine. 
Broadly it may be stated that all the European varieties of 
fowl have white earlobes, and all the Asiatic red earlobes, and if 
the former have red earlobes it is conclusive to my mind that 
there is a cross. 
Now take the Black Hamburgh with its white earlobes, cross 
it with an Asiatic, and so breed back to get size. I wonder whether 
the judges would alter tbe standard to suit the cross, and say 
henceforth the Black Hamburgh shall have a red earlobe. I feel 
sure they would not, and yet that is what they want to do with 
the truly unfortunate Dorking. Poultry show’s must be very 
useful institutions, and the judges wise when they unite for the 
purpose of laying down a fresh standard of excellence, because 
the original breed has become so muddled by crossing and cross¬ 
ing that many if not nearly all the original is lost, and this by 
their either want of capacity to distinguish the true, or an utter 
indifference to the real merits of the breed. The classes at the 
shows were formerly for Coloured Dorkings ; then any colour 
could compete, and the fowls were judged by their table qualities, 
smallness of bone, white and fine texture of flesh, and general 
plumpness of form, and the old breed being tight and close in 
feather, and having such well-rounded breasts, never looked the 
birds they were. Their excellence was to be felt as much as, or 
even more than, seen. 
In the schedule of a poultry show issued more than forty 
years ago occurs the following :—“ The fowls should be plump, 
deep, long, and capacious in body, with short white legs, of 
small-sized bones, of very white, juicy, fine-grained flesh, the fat 
and skin equally white, and of delicate flavour.” 
Now, I put it to any Dorking fancier of the present day, Is 
the foregoing a description of the now so-called Dorking ? I 
say most emphatically, It is not; but it is that of the true old 
English Dorking of the past, and everyone who knew and kept 
the true old sort will say it is right word for word. Truly our 
poultry judges and poultry shows have done us good service in 
this case.— Harrison Weir. 
THE NEW STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE. 
In accordance with my promise I enclose herewith draft Stan¬ 
dards of Dorkings, Game, and the French breeds. 
I shall have much pleasure in submitting any comments which 
reach me on or before Monday next to the meeting of fanciers to 
be held on Tuesday at the Crystal Palace. 
The particular places of meeting I shall endeavour to have 
clearly indicated by a notice on the first pen of each breed. The 
hours will be as follows :—Brahmas, 12 noon ; Game, 12.30 P.M. ; 
Dorkings, 1 P.M. ; Cochins, 1.30 P.M. ; French, 2 P.M. 
The General Annual Meeting of the Club will as usual be held 
at 3.30 P.M. on the same day (Tuesday). 
All interested are invited to attend the meetings.— Alexander 
Comyns, Hon. See., 47, Chancery Lane, London, W.C. 
DORKINGS. 
General Characteristics.—Cock. 
Beal :.—Stout. 
Comb. —Either single or rose in Coloured, single in Silver-Greys, 
rose in White or Cuckoo Dorkings. (If single) Upright, thick, well 
and firmly set on the head, evenly serrated and free from sprigs at 
the side ; outline semicircular from beak to back of the head ; texture 
fine. (If rose) Moderate in size, firmly set on head, evenly spiked, 
square in front with no hollow in centre, and a good spike at back. 
Head. —Large. 
Eye. —Full and bright. 
Wattles. —Long and pendulous. 
Neck. —Thick, rather short, with full hackle. 
Breast. —Full and prominent, with long breast bone. 
Body. —Large, deep, and square. 
Back. —Broad, rather long, flat at shoulders, rounding slightly 
towards the tail. 
Wings .—Large and carried well up. 
Tail. — Large and flowing, carried moderately high, but not in 
squirrel fashion. 
Sickle Feathers. —Long, broad, and well arched. 
Tail Coverts. —Large and full. 
Thighs .—Thick and stout, well hidden by feathers. 
Legs. —Short and strong with the spurs set inside. 
Feet. —Large and broad with five toes, the fifth turning upwards, 
the rest straight. 
General Shape and Carriage .—Massive and square shape, with 
proud and bold carriage. 
General Characteristics.—Hen. 
Beak. —Stout. 
Comb. —Either single or rose in Coloured, single in Silver-Grey, 
rose in White or Cuckoo Dorkings. (If single) Large, falling on one 
side of head. (If rose) Neat, firmly set on the head, evenly spiked, 
with no hollow in centre, and a straight .spike at the back. 
Wattles. —Moderate in size and neatly rounded. 
Head. —Large, but not coarse. 
Eye. —Full and of soft expression. 
Neck. —Thick and of moderate length. 
Breast. —Full and round with long breast bone. 
Body. —Large, deep, and square. 
Back .—Broad and flat. 
Wings. —Large and carried well up. 
Tail .—Broad and full, carried neither too upright nor straight. 
Thighs. —Thick and stout, well hidden by feathers. 
Legs. —Short and stout; [spurs, if any, inside]. 
Beet. —Large and broad with five toes, the fifth turning upwards, 
the rest straight. 
General Shape and Carriage. —Massive and square. 
Points of Colour in Coloured Dorkings.—Cock. 
Head .—White or white striped with black. 
Neck Hackle. —White striped with black or steel grey to match 
saddle (?). 
Comb and Face. —Bed. 
Earlobes .—Bed preferred, white admissible. 
Beak. —Horn colour. 
Eye. —Orange. 
Wattles. —Bed. 
Breast. —Black, or black slightly ticked with white. 
Underpart of Body and Thighs. —Black. 
Back and Shoidder Coverts and Saddle. —White, with black mark¬ 
ings or steel grey. 
Wing Bow. —Black and white mixed. Coverts. —Metallic black. 
Primaries. —Black. Secondaries. —White, or nearly so. 
Tail and Sickle Feathers. —Black, or black with a little white, the 
former preferred. 
Tail Coverts. —Black or grey. 
Legs. —White. 
Points of Colour in Coloured Dorkings.—Hen. 
Head. —Dark on top, lighter round base of bill. 
Comb. —Bright red. 
Face. —Bed. 
Earlobe. —Bed preferred, white admissible. 
Wattles. —Bed. 
Beak. —Horn colour. 
Eye. —Orange. 
Neck. —Black, dark, or with dark stripes on lighter ground. 
Breast. —Moderately light to dark brown, in some cases salmon 
colour, deeper under throat; in others, neatly spangled with black. 
