400 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 23. 
is better then to sift it, returning only the coarse portion 
to the pit to mix with the fresh. In choosing tan, 
refuse that which has lain and got what is called 
scalded, that is, become white by over-heating; when, 
however, you have no old to mix with an entirely new 
bed, a part of this is serviceable. If, by any means, the 
tan-bed should get, or become likely to get too hot (as 
every evil of this kind ought to be forestalled), holes made 
in it with a stake, and cold water poured in, will be of 
service; great care and close attention will be requisite 
here, as any heat above 90° will be fatal to plants grow¬ 
ing. Pots plunged had better, therefore, be taken to 
the surface, and if the amateur has trusted a hill of 
cucumbers too hastily on his newly-made-up bed, let holes 
be made all around it, and cold water poured in, and 
the vacant places being somewhat stirred, will allow a 
portion of heat to escape, which, however, it is needless 
to say, must be chargod with vapours anything but 
agreeable to the tender plants cultivated there. The 
prevention of this can only bo effected by a more careful 
preparation of the tan, which is not half so troublesome 
or lingering a job as may at first be imagined. 
J. Robson. 
COCHIN-CHINAS VERSUS SPANISH AND 
DORKINGS. 
“ Yes ! Sturgeon’s breed may be forgot, 
And Punchard’s called a worthless lot, 
And Andrew’s fame be less ; 
But still, in poulterer’s shops so neat 
In Leadcnhall Market, or Mount-street, 
The Dorking breed shall long compete, 
With triumph and success.” Anon. 
I trust to your kindness to insert one more “ crow ” 
from “ Gallus,” not that I think that the controversy 
between myself and Mr. Wingfield (whose courtesy I gladly 
acknowledge) can he decided by any thing hut a further ex¬ 
perience of the merits of the different breeds of poultry, 
and the really fair trial, which you suggest in your answer 
to a “Novice,” in The Cottage Gardener of August 10th. 
I wish I could flatter myself that I deserve the compliment 
Mr. Wingfield is good enough to pay me; but I wiite, not 
from vanity, but for information, which I believe is to he 
gained by discussions of this sort. 
To answer Mr. Wingfield’s question. My best Spanish 
hens came (I believe) from Holland. I imported some 
birds from Spain, but they were failures, not worth their 
carriage. 
I thank Mr. AVingfield for pointing out an error I made, 
in saying “ Spanish and Dorkings,” instead of “ Spanish or 
Dorkings.” Where, as in my case, two breeds can he kept 
separate, I believe the “and" may with advantage be used; 
but in the case of a cottager, or farmer, where no such 
facility exists, the “ or” is the proper thing. If the demand 
(as in this part of the world) is for eggs, then “ Spanisli for 
ever.” If it is for chickens, then “ Dorkings,” I say. 
With regard to the comparative merits of Cochin-Chinas 
and Spanish, as layers, 1 still own that I think “ that the 
former laid even more eggs than the latter ” (“ in the year,” 
though , I added); hut I believe this superiority was caused 
by the Spanish having begun to moiflt earlier than the 
Cochins. 1 do not think the Cochins have now “ averaged 
more than six eggs a-week.” They have now ceased to lay, 
while my Spanish, who moulted unusually early, are almost 
ready to begin again. On the other hand, I weighed to-day 
many Spanish and Cochin-China eggs separately. The 
former, on an average, exceeded the latter in weight, one 
ounce each egg. Now, considering, that besides what I have 
used, given away, hatched, ami sold at fancy prices, 1 have, 
up to the end of July, sent to the market 2502 eggs, which, 
supposing them to have been all Spanish, would, at the rate 
I name, outweigh a similar number of Cochin-China eggs 
by 162 lbs. I think that had I gone into Penzance market 
to buy eggs, and had at two stalls seen the two sorts, equally 
fresh, and equally priced, I should have bought the larger 
and heavier eggs, in spite of “ the rich brown tint ” Mr. 
AVingfield so much admires. 
I may add that I did not allow Cochin-China hens to 
sit at all. 
The two questions, still in discussion between Mr. AVing¬ 
field and myself, are— 
1st. The excellence of a Cochin-China as a table fowl. 
2nd. Whether their consumption of food is greater than 
that of other fowls. 
Determined to give the contest a fair trial, I have, within 
the last week, made an inspection of the stock of several 
Cochin-China amateurs, from whom I not only received j 
much kindness, hut great hospitality, and at their tables | 
have partaken of 
“ Cochins young, and Cochins old, 
Cochins hot, and Cochins cold.” 
And though it does not seem well to eat a man’s dinner, 
and then abuse it (which I hope is not quite my case), I 
must still proclaim my conviction, that a Cochin is no more 
to be compared to a Dorking, than is a red-legged partridge 
to a grey partridge ( not a grey parrot, as Thomas still 
thinks). 
A Dorking (it seems to me) puts on fat on the “ white 
meat,” that is, the wings and breast, where you “can cut 
and come again.” The Cochin, if he puts on fat at alt, 
collects it all about his legs.<~ Of this fact, if Mr. AVingfield 
ever comes in our neighbourhood, and would afford me an 
opportunity, I would, with much pleasure, try to convince 
him. 
With regard to Cochin-Chinas being great consumers of 
food, thougli I find “ Doctors do differ about it,” my i 
enquiries rather tend to confirm me in my opinion, that a 
Cochin-China eats nearly twice as much as a common fowl; 
and I find that Anster Bonn once thought so, for at page 
340, vol. 0, of The Cottage Gardener, I find—“ AVhere 
common poultry are fed twice a-day, it is desirable to feed a 
Cochin-China three or four times, and to give the food so 
abundantly, that some may be left after the fowls have 
satisfied themselves ! ” “ Satisfied themselves,” indeed! I 
have often looked on, with wonder, to see when that would 
be, ready to exclaim with Thomas, “ What chaps them he 
to eat.” A man in this neighbourhood, who possesses a very 
good Cochin-China cock, on which lie sets a great value, 
told me, that “ he reckoned he ate as much as any three 
hens.” 
Now, if this is so, they may well put on great size, but 
whether profitably to their owners, is still the question. 
There can be none, I fancy, as to the size of their eggs, as 
compared with Spanish. 
I hope some day to have the pleasure of making Mr. 
AVingfiekl’s acquaintance, and discussing this and many 
other questions with him. 
Since writing this, I determined to ascertain the opinion 
of a practical poulterer as to the value of a Cochin China 
chicken as a table fowl, and believing Mr. Baily, of Mount- 
street, Grosvenor Square, to stand about the head of his 
business, I wrote to him, to ask whether he would buy of 
me, to kill, twelve Cochin-China Cockerells, which I was 
fattening, from not liking their colour. As I knew he also 
kept fowls in the country, I asked whether he had kept any 
account of what his fowls ate, and if he thought Cochin- 
Chinas large consumers of food or not. 
I put the question to him in the fairest possible way, and 
his answer received this morning I now enclose you. It is 
the opinion of a poulterer (who knows his customers tastes), 
not an amateur. Your readers must judge the question 
themselves. 
“ Mount-street., Grosvenor Square. 
“ Sir,—In answer to the favour of your’s, asking whether I 
can take some Dorkings and Cochin-China chickens, fatted 
for the table, I should advise you by all means to sell the ! 
latter alive, as they will make but little dead. The ' 
Dorkings, if well fed, will always find a market, and they I 
“ pay for feeding.” They fat and make good birds, but all I | 
could ever do, would not fat a Cochin-China. To fatten—a 
fowl should fill its belly, feel satisfied and happy, sit down 
and thrive, hut a Cochin-China fowl never is satisfied. Mine 
eat all day, and are always ready for more. 1 believe they 
eat twice as much as any other. 
“ I have a shrewd old woman who walks fowls for me, and 
bred some of the first Cochin-China fowls I ever had. 
She had kept them for me ever since, until a short time ago, | 
