VOli.  XXXIV.  No.  6. 
WliOl.E  No.  1»84. 
NEW  YORK  CITY,  AlKi.  5,  1876. 
M’KH'E  six.  centm. 
I  I'Elt  YEAR. 
[Entered  accordlnR  to  Act  of  CoiiKreaa,  In  the  year  1878,  by  the  Ilural  Publtshlnif  Company,  in  the  offloo  of  the  I.lbnirian  of  Conftreas  at  WaBhlnuton.] 
THE  DOEKINa  FOWL. 
The  Uorkiiig  fowl  is  one  of  those  breeds  which 
do  not  well  bear  close  coulinement,  but  delight 
in  rambling  over  a  largo  yard  or  farm.  Hence 
it  is  not  so  generally  a  favorite  with  tho.se  who 
have  limited  grounds  as  the  hoavier  Asiatic.^. 
'I'his  breed,  it  is  claimed,  is  descended  from 
fowls  brought  to  Groat  Jtritain  by  the  Itoman.s  in 
the  time  of  C.esau  ;  but  of  Uie  ti'utli  of  thi.s 
there  is  certainly  room  for  doubt,  and  the  same 
may  be  said  of  the  reputed  urigiii  of  some  of  the 
different  Htraiaa  or  vaiieties  of  tho  Dorking 
which  of  late  have  become  so  popular  both  in 
Europe  and  America.  One  of  the  handsomest 
and  best  of  those  is 
what  is  called  the  Silver 
Gray  Dorking,  a  trio  of 
which  are  shown  in  the 
accompanying  spirited 
illustration.  Some  of 
our  American  poultry 
breeitcrs  claim  that  this 
fowl  is  a  composite  of 
the  old  White  Dorking 
and  the  Light  Dralima, 
or  other  closely-related 
Asiatic  breed ;  but  what¬ 
ever  its  origin,  it  is  cer¬ 
tainly  a  handsomo  and 
valuable  fowl,  lanking 
high  among  the  best  for 
both  flesh  and  eggs. 
Teoetmeieu,  tlie  well- 
known  EngllHh  autlior- 
ity  on  jioultry  matters, 
says  of  the  Silver  Grays  : 
Tho  dihtingiii.«liJng  col- 
ora  of  tho  cock  are  a 
perfectly  black  breast,  - 
tail  and  larger  tail  cov- 
erts;  the  head,  neck,  \ 
hackle, back,  saddle, and  V  ' 
wing  bow,  a  clear,  sib  >  > 
wings  uit re  should  be  a 
well-mraked  black  bai’, 
manner  with  the  white 
outer  web  ol  the  quill 
feathers  and  tbesilvmy- 
white  hacltlo  and  saddle. 
In  the  hens  of  this 
beautiful  variety  tho 
breast  is  salmon  -  red. 
passing  into  gray  toward 
the  thighs.  The  neck  is 
Hilvei7  -  gray,  w  ith  tho 
white  of  the  shafts  of 
the  feathers  distinctly 
marked,  i  he  wings 
should  also  be  of  u  sil-  ^ 
as  free  as  ixissible  from 
llie  tail  should  bo  dark- 
gi'ay,  tho  inside  being 
one  of  the  most  useful 
of  all  for  table  pimiioscs,  '  " 
as  not  only  is  its  llesb  ,  ’  ! - 
extremely  delicate,  but  /  I  " 
it  is  producwl  early  and 
in  great  abundance.  Tlio  ■* 
proportion  of  meat  to  ^  ^  .7^ 
Ixme  is  probably  greater  - — 1— 
than  in  any  other  breed. 
As  layers  the  Dorkings  do  uot  excel,  and  a  wide 
range,  as  we  have  already  said,  is  necessary  to 
keep  them  in  good  health  ;  but  when  furnished 
all  the  requisites,  there  are  probably  few  breeds 
which  arc  more  valuable. 
- - 
SOMETHING  ABOUT  FOWLS. 
I  PROPOSE  to  write  a  few  articles  in  regard  to 
keeping  fowls  for  the  benefit  of  those  of  your 
readers  who  have  not  been  through  a  regular 
course  of  exjierience  and  to  help  those  wiio  are 
not  “  fanciers,"  but  wlio  may,  under  various 
conddions,  wish  to  keep  fowls  and  are  not  ac- 
([iiainled  with  the  merits  of  dlllVrout  breeds  to 
meet  their  individual  circumstances. 
A  groat  many  persons,  not  being  well  informed, 
make  mistakes  which  bring  them  troubles  they 
Uttlo  dreamed  of  at  tho  time,  but  which  leave  a 
lasting  iraproBsiou  on  thom  inomorios,  and  pta-- 
haps  bring  some  of  their  old  neighbors’  failures 
into  bold  reUef  before  them.  This  subject  bus 
been  thorougbly  investigated  during  tbe  lust 
few  yours,  and  it  is  now  well  known  tbut  fowls 
have  not  only  different  habits  of  laying  and  sot¬ 
ting,  but  of  disposition  and  liealth.  Homo  are 
impatient  of  cotiilnemont  and  will  not  tbrivo  If 
reslrioted  in  their  habits,  except  by  great  euro  of 
feeiUijg.  Homo  are  subject  Ui  diseases  of  one 
kind  and  otbnrs  of  another ;  therefore,  u,fb-r  a 
man  has  dciiided  wliat  breed  of  fowls  is  tho  best 
for  him  to  kooii,  he  can  make  himself  acquainted 
with  Gioir  different  charactori.stics,  and  as  all 
Isirfcctions  cannot  bo  found  combined  in  one 
lireod,  let  him  be  content  to  kneji  such  fowls  as 
are  host  adapted  to  his  circiimstancea.  For  in¬ 
stance,  a  person  having  a  small  garden  sur¬ 
rounded  by  those  of  neighbors  would  commit  a 
.A.  TRIO  OF  SILVER  ORiAY  OORKIISTGr  FOWLS. 
great  folly  were  lie  to  [uocuro  Game  fowls 
Dorkings  or  Ilamhiirgs,  to  raid  all  over 
hi.s  neighbors’  grounds,  nut  but  wliat  they  cun 
bo  kept,  and  in  health,  in  proiiorly-constnieted 
quarters,  by  good  earn  and  feeding  ;  but  as  tlioy 
are  restless  and  lively,  requiring  so  innehextia 
care,  it  is  best  to  dlsoard  them  and  keep  such 
fowls  as  Drubmas,  Cochins,  or  Plymontli  Rocks 
'riiOMO  can  bo  kept  in  a  small  place,  not  requiring 
a  high  port'll  or  roost.  A  feiico  two  to  three  feet 
bigli  will  keeji  them  in.  Thoy  do  not  seem  to 
require  that  cliango  of  fond  that  fowlttof  greater 
vivacity  do.  'I'boy  exert  thenisolvos  but  littlo  lo 
catch  insects  in  sutiRnor,  and  in  feeding  on  meat 
in  winter  tJioy  do  do  not  iiossess  a  craving  for  it 
and  will  leave  it  sooner  than  other  hreods ;  but 
still,  if  confined,  they  must  havo  all  the  varieties 
of  food  to  keep  them  in  health.  They  will  thrive 
upon  it,  commence  laying  in  January  and  coii- 
_  _  _  tinuo  tlirougb  the  win¬ 
ter.  They  will  also  sit 
and  liatcdi  their  o\mi 
young,  and  arc  quilo 
careful  mothers,  but, 
from  their  great  weight, 
often  kill  a  chick  |jy 
stepping  on  it.  nuy 
8'ivo  many  cliicks,  henv- 
!  ever,  tliroiigh  their  very 
ilispohilioii,  that 
'to  other  fowls  would  lono 
™  i'ti- 
V  In  I’"*'**'’*'  reHllessness. 
bly  duo  to  a  cross  that 
'Mr  ^  originally  brought  the 
-  <■  *'l‘mk  color  and  also  im- 
m  I<roved  their  laying 
W  -  r  <liialitio.s.  Tho  bight 
-  Rralmia  is  also  consid- 
''Y  "'““t  breeders 
^  better  layer  than  tlio 
;  but  as  the  differ- 
may  pleaso  ^bis  own 
"ill  leave  that  for  future 
'4^^^  papers.  1  shall  merely 
say  of  featberlt.g,  that 
Black  Goehin  it  Is 
harden- to  maiolain  that 
^  ami  llnff  foatliering  tliat 
other  Goohiiis  possess, 
thoy  not  generally  featii- 
oring  as  wellon  tho  legs. 
All  of  the  above  fowls 
**’’^*’  ^  beautiful  class, 
^  ^  and,  being  soverygen- 
tie  ami  docile,  thoy  ab- 
sorb  one’s  interest  in 
^  PljTnoutb  Rocks  are  a 
comiiaratlvely  new 
-  -  .  breed,  combining  the 
'  hardiness  of  tlie  Asiatics 
(which  are  the  hardiest 
of  all  fowls)  with  tho 
i  ~  better  laying  qiuilitics  of 
^  —  Dominiques. 
II.  IlAM«. 
-  A  DUTIFUL  SON. 
_ _ _  We  are  all  familiar 
with  the  old  joke  of  a 
e _ 
