90 
THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. 
November 4. 
COCHINS, DORKINGS, AND SPANISH. 
I HAVE read tlie correspondence wliioli lias appeared in 
your paper, on the relative merits of the Cochin-China, 
Dorking, and Spanish fowls, with interest and amusement, 
not unmingled with instruction. "While this discussion 
show's, beyond doubt, how' much the interest felt upon this 
subject is increasing, its appeai’ance in the columns of 
your little publication equally proves that we are to look, 
for the fntm'e, upon The Cottage Gardener as the 
medium of inter-communication between poultiy-fanciers. 
Tlie important question is, as it seems to me, which of 
the varieties named is the most useful and the most profit¬ 
able—audits solution depends upon several considerations. 
The man, for instance, who should declare, ex calhedra, that 
the race-horse is superior to the cart-horse, merely because 
he can gallop round him; and he who, on the other hand, 
should decide that the cart-horse is more useful than the 
racer, merely because he can draw a greater weight, are 
equally wrong in their judgment, or equally unfit to form an 
opinion. They are of difterent varieties, and the questioir 
being, which is the best, its true answer is, that which com¬ 
bines in itself the greatest number of good points with the 
fewest bad ones. 
Taking this to be the real question in controversy among 
your correspondents, I request permission to state the result 
of my experience; for it is only by such friendly discussions 
as these that facts are elicited, opinions compared, and 
moot points satisfactorily cleared up. And, first, it is right 
that I should state that I am an old fancier, and have acted 
ns judge at different Exhibitions ; that I have kept Spanish 
fowds for many years; that an intimate friend of mine keeps 
nothing but Dorkings, and I have access to his poultry- 
yard as freely as to my own ; and that I have kept Cochins, 
besides my Spanish, for about four years. These, and what 
I have had the opportunity of ohseiwing of all the breeds 
in the yards of many fanciers of my acquaintance, are my 
means of forming a judgment of the relative merits of the 
varieties in question. 
In the next place, I apprehend that the useful and the 
profitable are made up of the following points :—Which 
are the most prolific ; which the best mothers and nurses ; 
which are the most easily reared, and attain maturity the 
earliest; and which are the most valuable when that ma¬ 
turity is reached. I propose to touch, shortly, upon each of 
these points seriatim. First, then, which of the three 
varieties is the most prolific ? This question divides itself 
into two. If we look at eggs alone, the Spanish, though 
the smallest hen of the three, lays, undoubtedly, the largest 
egg. In my opinion, she laj's as many of them as the 
Cochin, and consequently a greater weight in the whole, but 
she never sits. The Cochin is, undoubtedly, as “ Gallus ” 
candidly admits, far superior to the Dorking as a layer, 
and lays during a much longer period of the year, and she 
has this superiority over even the Spanish, that she lays 
better dming the winter months, when fresh eggs are most 
valuable. 
As regards the hatching of the eggs, the Cochins, in my 
opinion, heat both their competitors hollow. There are 
fewer bad eggs in proportion to the number sat, and the 
chickens come out stronger than those of either of the 
other varieties. As mothers and nurses, the Spanish, as I 
have said, do not enter into the competition. The Dorkings 
are good in both respects; hut I am inclined to award the 
palm to the Cochins, on account of their soft and fluffy 
down, and the extreme quietness and gentleness of their 
disposition; and they begin to lay again sooner than any 
other fowl. I am also most decidedly of opinion, that of all 
the chickens I know, none are so easily reared as the 
Cochins. The qualities of the mother, to which I have just 
alluded, contribute, no doubt, to this result; but even under 
mothers of other breeds (of which, however, 1 by no means 
recommend the use, where Cochin mothers are to be had) 
I have found them easier to rear than either Spanish or 
Dorkings. Between the two last-mentioned varieties, I am 
somewhat at a loss to decide this point, but on the whole, I 
think the Spanish perhaps less delicate in constitution than 
the Dorkings. Out of 120 Cochin chickens hatched this 
year, by Cochin mothers (of which I kept some inferior 
ones for the purpose), I did not lose more than half-a-dozem 
I have never been anything like so fortunate with my 
Spanish, nor has my neighbour with his Dorkings. 
As regards early maturity, the Cochins and Dorkings are 
both superior to the Spanish, and I believe the Cochins beat 
the Dorkings too. On the 8rd of June, some chickens, 
weighing above five pounds each, were shown at Cheltenham, 
if I recollect right, by Mr. Lawton, of York; and I myself 
killed, in July, a cockerel hatched in March, w’hich weighed 
(dead) nearly six pounds. I have never seen or heard of 
any Dorkings which attained those weights in the same 
length of time, and certainly Spanish will not do so. As 
table fowl, for roasting, I think there is very little difference 
between the three varieties, in point of quality. Fed alike, 
their flesh is equally good in flavour, and, no doubt, equally 
nutritious. But for boiling, I agi’ee with the poulterers, 
that the Dorkings are the best, because they are the whitest 
in the skin, and in the leg ; and this delicate white appear¬ 
ance is, no doubt, one reason for their selling best in the 
market, as Mr. Bailey says they do. 
On the whole, my deliberate conviction is, that the Cochins 
will be found tlie most useful, and (for all purposes) the 
most profitable of any variety of domestic poultry yet known 
in this country. I have no prejudice in this matter, having 
good Spanish, as well as good Cochins, of my own, and the 
means of obtaining good Dorkings by the asldng for ; and, 
indeed, I was so far prepossessed in favour of the Spaniards, 
from having keiit them so long, and taken so much pains to 
procure the best of them, that I have not yet given them 
up, nor do I intend doing so; and 1 have only given my 
verdict in favoim of their rivals because my judgment com- 
pells me to do so. I must, however, he understood to refer 
to the short-legged, compact breeds of Cochins, and not to 
the coarser varieties; in fact, to compare the best of the 
one with the best of the other breeds. 
There are some minor points which it may be well to 
notice, lest I should he thought to have overlooked them. 
The Cochins are, of all fowls, the most “domestic,” and 
the easiest to keep at home. A fence of the height of three 
feet will confine them; they are tractable and quiet to a 
degree, and are neat and pretty in their appearance. I Jo not 
at all agree with some of your correspondents, that they are 
greater eaters than other fowls in proportion to their weight. 
The farmer does not expect to feed a large Short-horn with 
the same quantity of provender that will suffice for a little 
Scot. And I am of opinion, after repeated trials, near 
enough to convince both my servant and myself, although 
not so nicely made as to justify me in giving exact weights, 
that, allo'iving for the extra size, neither old nor young 
Cochins consume more food than Spanish (and ducks, by 
the way, beat both hollow). 
With regard to present estimation and value, there cannot 
be two opinions. To say nothing of some few extra speci¬ 
mens, scores of Cochins were sold this year, to my know¬ 
ledge, at £!i each, and hundreds at i£2 and .£3 ; and I shall 
not be simprised if some of Mr. Sturgeon’s birds bring, at 
his sale next week, greater prices than these. There were, 
undoubtedly, poultry shows, and good ones, before Cochins 
were introduced into this country ; but what would our 
shows now be without them ? Eveiy one, I think, will 
admit that, in these days, the principal classes—those which 
attract most attention, and excite the keenest competition 
amongst amateurs—are the Cochins. This may, to some 
extent, wear off, as they get more common (although I 
cannot say I expect it); but, depend upon it, good birds 
will always command remunerative ludces, and greatei' ones 
than either Spanish or Dorkings ever fetched, although a 
first rate Spanish or Dorking fowl will still bring a good 
price ; and I repeat that I by no means wish to he under¬ 
stood as intending to depreciate them when I say I prefer 
the Cochins. The latter have, undoubtedly, taken a position 
which, in my humble opinion, their merits will sustain for 
them; and this is the test of tlieir value. 
That I am not singular in the estimate I have formed, 
the correspondence already published by you sufficiently 
shows. In further coiToboration of it, I refer yorr to the 
following extract from a Cairadian paper (published at 
Toronto) :— 
“ On looking over the list of premiums offered by the 
‘ Agricultural Society ’ for the next month, I was much sur¬ 
prised by finding so little attention paid to a ‘ class ’ which 
