192 
THE COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 
December 9. 
had a full rose comb, short neck, wide shoulders, full chest, 
were wide across the hips, had short white logs, five toes, a 
broad tail, and though not remarkable for laying, were fre- 
(luent and steady sitters; the chicken came early to maturity, 
and fattened easily; and w'ere considered the best of ah 
fowls for eating. In some few the hind toes were even 
triple. 
Larger fowls being required for the markets, they were 
crossed with large sorts, and consequently lost many of their 
jiroperties; suoli are the Sm'rey and Sussex fowls of the 
present day: of which a great assortment is to be found. 
These are known by various names, but are generally called 
1 )orkings; of wdiich lireed some have one ])ropierty, some 
anotlier; some of them are double combed, and others 
single; short or long legged, four or live toed, being of no 
particular stamp or breed, and little hotter than a set of 
mongrels: their only recommendation is, that they ai'e 
easily obtained, and, being good eating, are readily disposed 
of (at a price). Fowls of tliis nondescript variety of Dork¬ 
ings are very plentiful in Kent, Surrey, and Sussex, and are 
considered good by some. 
'To these some persons are adihng a dash of China 
blood; but they will still bear the name of Dorking fowls. 
The improved Dorking should possess all the points of 
the old bird, with increased weight. SuclTfowls are very 
scarce: they ajjpear very square-made birds, and in looking 
down on them seem almost as broad as long. 'They' should 
have a large rose comb, short thick neck, short white legs, 
with five toes ; altogether a rather lumpish-looking fowl. 
In colour, the cocks ai’e generally of a whitisli-brown 
above, with a black or mottled breast, and black tail; some¬ 
what approaching to tlie colour of a game cock called a 
1 hickwing. 'The hens are gi’oy, with light hackle, and some¬ 
times slightly spccliled with white. I do not, however, con¬ 
sider the colour of the feathers of much importance if tlie 
other Jiroperties are strictly adhered to; in whicli case, I 
thinlc a good Dorking fowl will be found to have less oifal 
than any other in proportion to its weight. 'Tlie cocks often 
weigh 71bs., andthe hens from bibs, to 0 lbs., and some even 
more. 
I fancy tbe Dorkings are more subject to Roup than are 
other varieties; as also to diseases of the feet; and that 
tliey lose their productiveness eaiiier than many varieties. 
Rut 1 am of the ojiinion, that if breeders would jiay more 
attention to the jirojierties of those birds they koeji for 
stock, always selecting the best shaped and healthiest fowls, 
and never allowing them to breed in-and-in (that is, not to 
let too near relations brood together), but continually intro¬ 
duce fresh blood, being careful to select line birds of the 
same ^'ariety for that juirpose, they will soon find theh stock 
imjirove, as well in health and beauty as in jirofitableuess. 
Bessel’s Green, near Sevenoaks. R. 1>. Rrent. 
I THE MUSK DUCK. 
I At a time when we meet with so many well-written articles 
in your cohnuns upon the relative qualities of the ditl'erent 
breeds of fowls, it may not be out of jilace to notice those of 
any other species of poultry'. It is the Musk Duck that I 
would draw attention to. I have kept them four years, 
having purchased a fresh-imported jrair direct from South 
Amei-ica. I find them great layers, good breeders, pro¬ 
ducing two, and often three broods hi the season. 'The 
■ eggs are mild and well-llavoured; the flesh delicious. 'The 
■ drakes will, if well fed, obtain the weight of seven pounds 
and upwards at three months old. As a proof how prolific 
they .are, I have had, the last two seasons, broods from ducks 
hatched early in the spring. I have now a brood of six, 
five weeks old, by a duck hatched in February last, doing 
well. Due most desirable projierty is (like the Cochin- 
Uhina fowls), nothing seems to hurt or jiut them out of the 
\ way, they .are so very docile. A Constant SuuscrviBER. 
IMEEITS OF DIFFERENT VARIETIES 
: OF FOWLS. 
] We have received so many letters upon this subject, that 
j we can do no more than select from the facts they contain, re¬ 
jecting, without any favour, the mere exjiressions of ojunion ; 
for these coming from anonymous con’esjiondents are not 
weighty authorities. 
Endubing quality op Sn.VNUuAES.—GaWiaa says, “I can 
find a hen, imjiorted some six or seven years ago, and not 
very young then apparently, that has produced this season 
chicks from her own eggs. As for food, good barley being 
at 3s. (id. per bushel, it costs me far less than 3d. per week- 
each, and they eat until satisfied.” 
Expense op Siianghaes, Vc.— GaUiis seciindti.s, M. D., 
declares, “ So chiarly have I been convinced of the positive 
exlravnijance of these birds, that I have been reduced to the 
miserable expedient of a pun, by asserting it to be as ex- 
jiensive to keeji a Cochin-China as to keej) a coach in China ! 
'They are, indeed, veritable cormorants, and 1 may exclaim, 
with the judicious “ Thomas,” that two will eat as much as a 
pig. My experience is most unquestionably to the effect, that 
the Spanish are the best layers. 'They lay more frequently, 
and their eggs are larger, but they are not so good for the 
table as the Dorkings. The Cochin-Chinas are decidedly 
good layers, and their eggs are vtu’y rich, though small in 
comparison with the Spanish.” 
Management op Shanghae Fowls.— “ It may be inter¬ 
esting to you to know that, with the exception of a few 
ducks, my stock consists entirely of Cochin-Chinas. I keep 
five hens and a cock, as breeding stock, having had them 
ju’esented to me by a friend, who imjiorted them last spring. 
I have bred several pullets this year, wliich promise to be 
better than the old birds; and my idea is, to keej) them as 
stock for next year, and to jirocure a very good cock. I hojie 
by doing so, to improve my brood; and, by selecting my 
best pullets annually, and changing my cock, to bring 
my stock, in the course of time, to something like jierfec- 
tion. Is this the course adojited by successful breeders ? 
[Certaiidy.] In feethug my poultry, I adopt the jdan of 
always having food in the troughs, which sometimes con¬ 
sists of brewer’s grains mixed with meal, and sometimes of 
boiled potatoes and meal. In addition to this they are fed 
(by hand) three times a day, with as much wheat or oats as 
will satisfy them ; and, since last spring, I have ascertained 
that the cost of keeping old and young has not averaged Id. 
per week each : in fact, up to the 1st of September, the cost 
was only about Jd- fler week each. This, of course, is ex¬ 
clusive of scraps from the kitchen ; and I may add, that 
they have the run of half-an-acre of grass land. In select¬ 
ing pullets as stoclv birds for next year, I have chosen all of 
a light bulf colour, being convinced that they are not only 
the most handsome, but quite as hardy as the dai'k variety.” 
—T. ,1. 0. 
Cost of Keeping Fowls. —S. states, “ For the last fort¬ 
night my stock has consisted of fifteen Spanish Fowls, viz., 
a cock aud two cockerels, three hens and nine pullets, the. 
youngest hatched in the beginning of last April, and 
although they have had free access to bailey at all tunes 
durmg the fortnight, they have not quite consumed two-and- 
three-quarter pecks, which, at present prices, cost in this 
part of the counti'y about tis. 3d. My fowls have the run of 
about twenty perches of land, part grass and the remainder 
gravel, and in addition to the barley there has been given 
them daily, pai't (another yard of fowls takhig then shai-e) 
of the refuse of the kitchen, which I should thhik was over¬ 
valued at one penny a day, but say 2s. lOd. for the cost of 
the food of fifteen fowls for two weeks, or a trifle over Id. a 
week jier heail. I have kept jioultry for some years, and 
have found, after repeated trials, that a quarter-of-a-pint of 
barley per day, for every full grown fowl, with a grass walk 
not exceeding a quarter-of-an-acre, is rather more than will 
be consumed.” 
NOTES ON BEES. 
I HAD contemplated that the subject of my next offering 
of Notes on Rees to the jiages of The Cottage Gabdener 
should have been entitled “ Sprhig management on the 
moors,” as a sequel to my last. Rut the year is ghding on 
so rapidly, that perhaps a review of the last season, in 
reference especially to the bees themselves, is more in place 
at present, and soon we shall look jierspectively to the work 
of the coming sjiring. From the accounts received from all 
jiarts of the kingdom, it is evident that the apiaries in the 
