314 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
August 19. 
author, who resides at Healey Mill, near Hexham, 
carried off some half-a-score prizes at the Northumber¬ 
land and Durham Society’s Show, last April—prizes 
for Cochins, Spanish, Dorking, Pencilled Hamburghs, 
Geese, and Turkies! So the author has a tolerably 
practical knowledge of what he writes about, which 
entitles him to the motto on his work—“ While I live 
I’ll crow.” As a specimen, we extract what Mr. Trotter 
, states relative to the Cochin-China variety, not only j 
because this variety is now attracting most attention, 
but because it enables us to add a few facts within our 
own knowledge. 
“ Beneath the vent there is a much greater abundance of 
‘fluffy’ feathers than in other varieties of fowls. The 
feathers on the thighs also partake greatly of this ‘ fluffy ’ 
nature. The outside of the legs, and the outside toe, 
1 ought to be profusely covered with feathers. The -wings 
j are so short as almost to deprive the birds of flight; in fact, 
! it is with difficulty they can mount a balk two feet high : it 
is therefore necessary to have the balks where these fowls 
are kept, even lower than I have already recommended. 
These fowls having great length, breadth, and depth, attain 
to almost incredible weights : sometimes a full-grown cock 
weighing fourteen pounds; averaging about eleven, if good 
specimens. The hen weighs seven, eight, nine, or even 
[ sometimes as high as ten pounds each; but, as some of 
i them commence to lay much earlier than others, a greater 
! difference prevails in their weights than in the weights of 
the cocks. 
“ The most esteemed colour of these fowls is ginger; but 
J as there are pure bred birds of almost all colours, including 
black and white, I am in favour of selecting them as much 
| by their shapes as by their colour. No judge of ‘ short- 
I horns ’ would, when acting in that capacity, give preference 
to an animal of ‘ fine roan,’ the shape of which was less 
perfect than one of a less admired colour, such as red or 
white; providing the character of purity was evident. 
Neither do 1 think any judge of fowls ought to give ad¬ 
vantage to any Cochins, on account of colour, if their shapes 
are less perfect than others of less admired colours. The 
colour of the legs varies in different specimens, but a 
‘ pinky ’ is most admired. Their eggs mostly partake of a 
chocolate colour, but differ very much in deepness of hue ; 
some approaching to almost pink, while others are only a 
few shades removed from white. 
“ This breed is generally cultivated as a fancy variety; 
but, in a work of this sort, it is necessary to take into con- 
j sideradon their qualities as adapted to domestic purposes, 
as producers of eggs, and as table birds. I am disposed to 
class them as layers next to the Dutch varieties. Some of 
i the hens are extraordinary producers of eggs; frequently 
! commencing to lay when five or six month’s old. Since the 
first print of this essay was written, I have been devoting 
more than ordinary attention to discover the correctness of 
the following statement, made by Mr. Richardson; viz., that 
the ‘ hens frequently lay two, and occasionally three eggs 
on the same day, and within a few moments of each other.’ 
I have done all that feeding might be expected to do, but I 
have not succeeded in procuring more than one egg in a day: 
I therefore unhesitatingly repeat what I then stated, that 
I I know of no instance of a hen having produced more than 
one perfect egg in one day.’ I certainly have had two eggs 
within twenty-four hours; but the last laid was always im¬ 
perfectly shelled; which fact bears out the declaration of 
Dr. Gilbert, ‘ that it is against all laws of anatomy and 
physiology for a hen to lay more than one egg in a day, 
unless aborted ; ’ which declaration is supported by Henry 
Gilbert, Esq., a gentleman eminent for his researches and 
discoveries in surgery, as well as a zealous cultivator of 
Cochins. I am in correspondence with the most successful 
poultry fanciers of the day ; amongst whom is Mr. Sturgeon, 
| who states that he knows of no instance of fowls in his 
j possession laying more than one egg in a day. Mr. Pun- 
i chard states the same; as does also Mr. Simpson, a fancier 
j of acknowledged superiority; fowls of his breeding having 
recently bad seven prizes awarded to them, and one of his 
hens having received the head prize at Halifax, as the best 
hen in the yard, weighing upwards of nine pounds. (Mr. 
Simpson has been kind enough to let me have some of his 
produce.) Mr. Bailey informs me that he has known a hen 
lay early in the morning, and again late in the evening. 
And Mr. Andrews bids me say that his fowls do not fre¬ 
quently, but occasional!tj , lay two eggs in a day, but he 
attributes it to high feeding. 
“Whether these latter instances may be taken as attri¬ 
butes of this particular breed is more than questionable, 
knowing as we all do ‘ that there are exceptions to all rules. 
As an instance, I might mention a fact which came under 
my own observation of one egg being enclosed within 
another. 
“ The hens rival the Dorkings as sitters and nurses ; and 
the young are hardy, and therefore easy to rear. The high 
prices procurable for these fowls is my excuse tor not being 
able to give an opinion on tbe quality of their flesh; but an 
extensive breeder of these fowls informed me that lie was 
induced to have one sent to his table, the flavour ol which 
pleased him so much that he is in the regular habit of 
having them as an indulgence.” 
We can add our testimony as to the excellency of the 
Cochin-China chickens as table fowls, for as a test of 
the conflicting opinions upon the point, Mr. Higgs, 
whose Cochins gained the first and second prizes at 
Lewes, had a cockerel three months old killed, of which 
bird, at the tabic of a friend, the writer of this partook, 
two old housekeepers were also present, and the opinion 
was unanimous, that no fowl could possibly be superior, 
either in flavour or in appearance. The bird had been 
caught uufatted in the yard the previous day, stunned 
by a blow at the back of the head, and then the blood 
taken from it, by wounding it deeply in the roof ol the 
mouth with a penknife. The bird, though only three 
months old, weighed, after being killed and picked, 
four pounds- It is this good size at so young an age 
that renders them so desirable for table. They cost but 
little for food in that short space of time, and their 
tenderness is unsurpassable. They are then also of a 
form that no cook can deprecate. In flavour we also 
ttiink them most excellent. Another valuable produce 
of the Cochin-China fowl are its feathers; these are so 
fluffy as to be nearly equal to goose down. 
Wc have heard from an extensive breeder of Cochins, 
that hens of this variety have laid two eggs within twelve 
hours, but then they did not lay the day following. 
FORSYTH MSS. 
No record is more worthless than a highly laudatory 
! epitaph of the celebrated—it is so usually false as to be 
always read mistrustingly, and if true, its superlative 
j praise is unrequired. “ O rare Ben Jonson is a model 
that might be closely imitated, with much improve- , 
j ment to our sepulchral literature. So also thought Dr. 
Richard Pulteney, and his was not vanity aping 
humility, for his modest temperament prevented him 
! practising in London, and induced him to pursue the 
distinguished and useful tenour of his way in the less 
contentious locality of Blandford, in Dorsetshire. He 
expressly forbade any eulogy to be inscribed upon bis 
monument; it therefore only records, in unlaboured 
language, his widow's affection, and by the simple, but 
very appropriate, ornament of a sprig of Pultencea, 
