JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
106 
[ February 1, 1883. 
there are no Dorkings left such as there were forty or fifty years 
ago, it seems to us a strange conclusion to come to that fauciers 
are therefore to throw up their hands and give up Dorking-breed- 
ing in despair. If there are no Dorkings to judge and no one who 
could judge them if there were, the argument would prove more 
than the present case requires. The Dorking classes should be 
cut out of the schedules of exhibitions. To us the point for a 
Dorking fancier now to aim at seems to be to get back any 
excellence and beauty of the old breed that has been lost, and to 
combine it with the hardihood of the modern breed. There are 
surely some birds to be found with purely white legs, and some 
with the correct round meaty breasts, and some devoid of the 
Asiatic cushion—a sure sign of impurity. From these an intelligent 
breeder ought to regain the correct type of Dorking by degrees, 
even if he cannot obtain birds of the old strain. We are not, 
however, by any means so certain that he cannot do so, but have 
a great idea that here and there in neighbourhoods where fanciers 
of bygone days dispersed them, they are still to be found at farms 
and gamekeepers’ cottages. 
About six or seveD years ago a lady sent birds to Birmingham 
peculiarly good in all the points which Mr. Weir considers dis¬ 
tinctive ; they stood high in the prize list, and we were ourselves 
glad to purchase some of them. On making inquiry we found 
that they were from birds picked up here and there in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of Inchmarline, the remnants of the stock which Mrs. 
Arbuthnott once made so famous. Our contention, then, is that 
probably the old strains are not entirely lost, but that even if they 
are, by careful selection of the best birds of the modern race we 
ought to breed back to the old form, retaining the stronger con¬ 
stitution of the modern bird. 
2, As to judges. “Who,” says Mr. Weir, “should act as 
judges 1 ” This is, of course, a ‘highly important point, but 
rather to be settled by the committee of the show where a challenge 
cup should be awarded than by us. We will not here give names, 
but we cannot but think that there are several judges in whom 
fanciers have sufficient confidence to entrust the task to them. 
As a rule, we are strongly in favour of individual responsibility 
and single judging ; but in such a case as this we should be much 
inclined to suggest the employment of three judges, and we 
believe that three might well be chosen who would be “ strong 
enough to act up to the proper standard and insist upon what is 
right.” Into further detail it would be absurd to go, when the 
idea is ours and has not yet been ventilated.—C. 
POULTRY NOTES. 
Shortly after the Crystal Palace Show a weekly illustrated 
contemporary published a page of what purported to be illustra¬ 
tions of cup-winners at the show. Fanciers generally were 
amused, and the owners of the birds somewhat annoyed that such 
caricatures should go forth as representations of prize birds in 
these modern times. They recalled the poultry illustrations of 
forty years ago, when there were no artists capable of adequately 
treating such subjects as prize poultry. We felt inclined to pro¬ 
test at the time, but came to the conclusion that all those really 
interested in the subject here would take the illustrations for 
what they were worth. Now, however, we find in an American 
journal (the Prairie Farmer ) a reproduction of these so-called 
portraits, and we think it only right to assure our American 
friends that they no more resemble the birds they pretend to 
pourtray than the earliest imported Cochins or Brahmas resemble 
the birds of these breeds now shown. 
It is wonderful what a number of keen fanciers there are in 
the north of Scotland. The show at Aberdeen a week or two 
back was a remarkably fine one, which, with such a Secretary as 
Mr. Cowe and such a really hardworking Committee, is not to be 
wondered at. Many of the breeds were quite as good as are to be 
seen in the south. The Langshan particularly seems to have 
established itself firmly in the northern climes. It has a Club 
with a standard of excellence of its own, it is numerously 
exhibited, and the average of the specimens is far superior to that 
seen in the south. The winning birds were grand specimens of 
poultry, whether regarded from a mere artistic or from a fancier’s 
point of view. If our southern friends could succeed in establish¬ 
ing a type of Langshans as well here as the northern type appears 
to be established, we should hear less of hostile criticism as to the 
antecedents of these birds. Dark Brahma hens, again, have not 
been injuriously affected as to size by judging for pencilling only 
to anything like the same extent in the north that they have here. 
The winning Dark Brahma hen was a truly grand specimen of 
the breed ; large, shapely, well feathered, and well marked with 
that sort of marking which can be had without loss of size. 
D ukings again, especially Silver-Greys, are well grown and well 
shown in the north, but we see there the effect of too great laxity 
on the part of the judges as to dark feet. These are far too 
prevalent, and should be stamped out. Several prizes were with¬ 
held on this ground. White-crested Polish are generally deemed 
a somewhat delicate breed. At least one exhibitor in Aberdeen 
does not apparently find them hard to get on with there. The 
hens especially were a splendid collection to come from one yard. 
We were somewhat surprised to find that Scotch Greys were not 
more numerously represented. Their home seems to be rather in 
the lowlands of Scotland. Mr. Comyns, who acted as Judge, 
had a somewhat severe task, as the poultry numbered nearly 
six hundred. 
The leading distinction between Aberdeen Show and Belfast 
Show, upon which we have now to say a word or two, is, that 
whereas at Aberdeen nearly all the prizewinners are of home 
growth, at Belfast, which is by far the best managed show in 
Ireland, many of the exhibitors, and amongst them rather too 
many winners, come from England. The Irish northerners do 
not seem inclined to exclude foreign manufactures, in the poultry 
line at all events. They are perhaps wise, as at a really leading 
show like Belfast it is desirable that exhibits of the very best 
quality should be seen by Irish fanciers who may not have an 
opportunity of visiting leading English shows. This season the 
Irish exhibitors made a better stand than they sometimes do. In 
Dorkings Messrs. Smyth are of course hard to beat anywhere, and 
they were here once more successful. Mr. Comyns’s Dark 
Brahmas also gained a fair share of prizes, and the same may be 
said of Mr. Robertson’s Cochins. All these names, however, are 
known at English shows. Game Bantams seem to be making 
considerable progress in Ireland. They were numerous and good, 
as were also the variety. Bantam classes, the Judge. Mr. Leno, 
declaring that the winners (Sdver Sebrights) were about as good 
specimens of the breed as he had seen for some time. In Turkeys, 
Geese, and Ducks Messrs. Birch as usual showed the Irish exhibitors 
how much can be done by careful breeding and feeding. Poultry 
Club rules were observed, and Mr. Waters (the Secretary) deserves 
a special word of recognition for his energy and uniform courtesy. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Malt and Rye Flour (t V. H .).—We have made inquiries on the subject, 
and regret we are unable to inform you whence you can obtain the above, and 
the only thing we can suggest is that you purchase malt and rye and have it 
ground and dressed by a miller. If any of our readers can name any vendor of 
malt and rye flour we will supply you with the information. 
Scaly Legs (A. S .).—The disease is caused by a parasite, and is easily 
curable if it have not gone too far. Mix flowers of sulphur and lard, using as 
much of the sulphur as the lard will take up. Anoint the legs plentifully with 
this ointment. After the lapse of twenty-four hours or so wash well with warm 
water and a hard brush. Repeat treatment until the scales disappear; you may 
also give some cooling medicine. The disease is contagious. If you prefer it 
try the effect of vaseline used as above, and kindly let us know result. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32' 40'' N.; Long. 0° 8 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
HATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
O cJ 
Hygrome- 
a . 
5 3 ^ 
Shade Tern- 
Radiation 
l8fc‘o 
gw 72 > 
ier. 
perature. 
Temperature. 
C5 
s’S.O 
January. 
5 'z a " 5 
t- <-*• 
£ pH 
In 
On 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Qo 
Max. 
Min. 
sun. 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
dea. 
deg 
deg. 
deg 
deg. 
In. 
Sun. 21 
30.394 
45.2 
44.6 
S.E. 
43.7 
40.4 
43 8 
49.3 
36.6 
0.014 
Mon. 2 2 
30.540 
41.0 
40.2 
E. 
43.8 
46.4 
40 3 
51.4 
35.7 
_ 
Tues. 23 
30.671 
33.7 
32.7 
s. 
42 6 
39.2 
32.4 
55.1 
28.3 
— 
Wed. 24 
30.314 
33.9 
32.3 
s.w. 
40.3 
37.4 
28 8 
40 8 
24.5 
0.2 IS 
Thurs. 25 
29.855 
36.3 
34.5 
W.N.W 
30.3 
43.3 
33.3 
73.9 
30.4 
0.007 
Friday 28 
29.214 
38.4 
34.1 
N.W. 
89.5 
46 0 
34.6 
73.4 
27.4 
_ 
Satnr. 27 
29.716 
38.2 
35.8 
N.W. 
38.8 
50.2 
33.1 
61.2 
29.0 
0.278 
30.072 
382 
36.3 
41.1 
44 0 
85.2 
57.9 
30.3 
0.607, 
REMARKS. 
21st.—Misty and dull; fine moonlight evening. 
22nd.—Fine and dry ; sunshine in forenoon. 
23rd.—Bright, calm, and cold. 
24th.—Fair; very cold wind ; slight sun in evening. 
25th.—Fine and bright; gale at night. 
26th.—Violent gale in early morning ; bright clear day. 
27th.—Fine at first; afterwards rain and very squally, especially at 3.44 p.M. 
Temperature near the average, air drier, and much wind, especially on the 
26th and 27th.—G. J. SYMONS. 
