408 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
which lacks the same advantage of good looks. Not merely, 
indeed, have the colours of the Dorking improved, hut the 
plumage now frequently attains a degree of firmness and 
condition in strong contrast to the loose-feathered specimens 
that breeders were formerly content with. Dorkings, it 
must he admitted, cannot be bred true to colour, as that 
phrase is understood with many other families of fowls, but 
this great point of “ condition of feather,’’ indicative of 
health and vigour, and so agreeable to the eye, may now bo 
easily attained throughout the various shades and dis¬ 
tinctions of thoir colour. And here the great point of ex¬ 
cellence, combined with figure, in which the Dorking pens 
of 1853 have stood pre-eminent. 
That these two essential qualities have been gained, to 
an extent not previously witnessed, will hardly be contested ; 
nor, as has been already intimated, need a comparison 
of present with past weights, taken as an average of good 
birds, be apprehended as tending to show that the improved 
form and feather has been gained at any sacrifice of weight, 
so material a consideration with the poulterer and his cus¬ 
tomers. Cockerels exceeding ten pounds, and pullets 
weighing down the scale at eight pounds, having been no 
very uncommon productions. 
The black and mottled-breasted Grey Dorkings, in their 
various shades, have generally headed the list of awards, 
and the Pencilled, Spangled, Golden, Red-Speckled, and 
Cuckoo sub varieties have been by no means dangerous 
competitors to the former. It might, indeed, have been 
wished that the red birds in particular, of which there is 
more than one good strain, had been more encouraged, for 
they are remarkably handsome-feathered birds, and they are, 
moreover, well spoken of in respect of vigour of consti¬ 
tution. The Cuckoos, also, are often extremely compact, 
though, perhaps, somewhat deficient in size. Several of 
these latter have appeared at exhibitions, in the class for 
“ any other distinct breed,” while every evidence of real 
Dorking blood was present. The “ Cuckoo fowl," indeed, 
is an erroneous designation when applied in this manner, 
being simply the distinction of colour, which is often 
assumed by fowls of various separate families; thus we 
have Cuckoo Dorkings, Cuckoo Polands, Cuckoo Game- 
fowls, and, a little-to-be-desired sport, Cuckoo Shangliaes, 
all of which should, of course, appear with their respective 
families. 
As in Dorkings, almost every colour (black and white 
alone excepted) may be produced from the same parents, 
so, also, in respect of comb, which may appear in its double 
or single formation in chickens from the same birds. The 
same laxity, therefore, should he observed on this point as 
with plumage, more especially in a case like the present, 
where the supply of the table is the main object to be kept 
in view; for to judge these birds by the same arbitrary 
standard applied to the fowls bred with especial reference 
to feather, such as Bantams, Polish, and the Hamburghs, 
would be most unwise. The comb, whether single or 
double, if good of its kind, will make no difference in the 
award; individual opinion or fancy, may, indeed, give a pre¬ 
ference, but no judge should lay greater stress on one than 
the other. It has been sometimes said, that the double- 
combed are, on an average, the heaviest birds, but it is hut 
fair to add, that authorities of equal experience are found 
to hold to the contrary opinion. The “ old original ” 
Dorking seems to have been a single-combed bird, and the 
double-comb, with the uncertainty of colour, as, also, in 
many cases of the fifth toe, may cast suspicions on the 
primitive ancestral position of the coloured Dorking of the 
present day, to which its delicate constitution, and the con¬ 
stant necessity for the introduction of fresh blood, may be 
regarded as adding weight; but this is not the fit place for 
the discussion of that knotty point. The coloured Dorking 
pens, we should notice, are constantly ill-matched in respect 
of colour, even to an extent beyond what the natural diffi¬ 
culty already mentioned is sufficient to justify, and many a 
prize has,tdoubtless, been thus lost. 
In White Dorkings, the past year has seen little, if any, 
improvement; their smaller size, their alleged greater de¬ 
licacy in rearing (in which, however, the writer of these 
notes does not concur), are points which induce a pre¬ 
ference to their coloured relations. Good specimens, 
however, have been shown on various occasions, hut even 
February 23. 
these have not been such as to justify a belief that they 
have shown an improvement on former years. Many of i 
their pens have been disqualified by blue, or otherwise dis- i 
coloured legs, and the single-combed specimens, to some of 
which prizes have been awarded, had, in many eyes, no 
title to that distinction, the double comb appearing in every 
way to become the White Dorking. 
It is singular that 1853 should have witnessed this great 
change for the better in the Dorking fowl; since, for very 
many seasons, no more fatal period has been known to their 
breeders. Young and old, but the former more especially, 1 
have died under every possible condition of climate and | 
management. That under circumstances so unfavourable, I 
Dorkings should have been able to emerge from the ruck, 
and secure a good place among the first ranks of their most 
favoured competitors, argues great intrinsic merit on their 
part, and warrants the expectation that even more may be 
anticipated. Fifty guineas have lately been paid for a single 
pen of Coloured Dorkings, and the same sum refused on 
more than one occasion; and Captain Hornby finds no 
difficulty in parting with his surplus stock, even at as high a 
rate as five guineas per bird. So remarkable an increase in 
value becomes still more striking when it is remembered, 
that although Shanghaes have frequently gone beyond 
these sums, they were recent introductions, carrying with 
them the charm of novelty and fashion, in addition to their 
own real good qualities; but with Dorkings the case was 
different; both the name, and the bird itself, in many degrees 
of merit, were familiar to us, and highly commended as it was 
for the table, any such commanding position in the annals 
of the poultry world was never thought of; and had the 
probability of their attaining their present value ever 
been alluded to, a mania, even more absurd than that of the 
Shanghaes, would have been assigned as the motive of so 
absurd a conjecture. 
The south-western counties of England are generally de¬ 
ficient in the coloured Dorkings; and when really good 
birds are there shown they are generally but visitors from 
other districts. The Eeigate Exhibition would have reason¬ 
ably been regarded with great interest by the Dorking 
breeder, as likely to produce the best specimens from the 
very head-quarters of the family; but, if we remember 
rightly, the limitation of the exhibitors to those resident 
within a given distance of that town tarnished the laurels 
that were there won. Gloucester and Birmingham, indeed, 
have proved that the Sussex ah is not essential to the Dork¬ 
ing’s well-doing; and another season, if this county and 
Surrey desire to retain the celebrity in this class of fowls, 
gained in former times, and so long creditably sustained, the 
lists must ho thrown open, and the competition of England 
invited. 
HARDY BORDER PLANTS. 
ACONITUM OGHROLEUCUM. 
THE GREAT PALE YELLOW WOLFSBANE. 
This is one of the largest of the hardy border plants we 
have, and a noble plant it is when in bloom, and so very 
suitable for plantations where a few or many kinds of 
hardy herbaceous plants are planted by those who are 
anxious to have as great variety as possible in a limited 
space. As I have said before, this is a grand plant for 
such places, or for a centre or back-row plant to margi¬ 
nal borders to flower gardens, such as Mr. Beaton so fre¬ 
quently speaks of, recommending the marginal borders to 
be filled with hardy herbaceous plants, and the centre beds 1 
with bedding plants; and such borders can be filled with a 
choice selection of these beauties, to be quite as interesting, 
if not more so, as the centre beds are which are each filled 
with one kind and colour. Whatever kinds of hardy plants 
were used to fill one of such beds, the same might be used 
to fill the corresponding bed on the opposite side ; or if not 
precisely the same kinds, such plants should be used that 
would flower at the same season, and be of the same colour 
and height; but the best effect will be produced by 
using the same kinds of plants. 
A. ochroleucum is a very strong grower, but not a rapid 
spreader, its crown being very compact, and its roots all 
