194 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER, 
December 12. 
i through the Society’s own records; but we must notice, 
I that one of the Apples from Herefordshire, the Flanders 
Pippin, was decidedly the best dessert Apple exhibited. 
We may go further ; for we think it among the very best 
dessert fruits now in season. We more especially notice 
it, because in Hogg’s “ British Pomology,” the only 
work in which it is described, the author mentions it as 
“ a culinary Apple of second-rate quality.” In Here¬ 
fordshire, the climate, or the soil, or both, had given to 
it the improvement we notice. 
The following is the description given in the “ British 
Pomology: ”— 
“ Fruit, medium sized, three inches wide, and two- 
and-a-quarter high; oblate, and marked on the sides 
with ten distinct angles, five of which are more pro¬ 
minent than the others, Skin, pale green, changing to 
pale greenish-yellow as it ripens, and occasionally tinged 
with a cloud of thin dull red on the side exposed to the 
sun, and thinly strewed with a few dots. Eye, closed, 
with long and downy segments, set in a narrow and 
ribbed basin. Stalk, from half-an-inch to an inch in 
length, slender, and inserted in a deep funnel-shaped 
cavity, which is lined with russet. Flesh, white, tender, 
and marrowy, juicy, and briskly flavoured. 
“ A culinary apple of second rate quality ; in use dur¬ 
ing October and November. 
“ It is much grown in the Berkshire orchards.” 
Among other communications elicited by the publication 
of “ Poultry Characteristics,” we have received the 
following from a friend, experienced both as a breeder 
and a judge:—“ I agree with you that there must be an 
uniform standard of properties. In framing such a I 
standard, however, we should do well to follow the 
example of the florists, who point out what flowers 
ought to he, to be perfect; not what had hitherto heen 
obtained. In very many instances they have succeeded, 
and worked up to this standard; but the poultry-breeder 
is without any such guide; and not only that, but there 
even exists an actual difference of opinion as to what 
should be called perfection.” Although the cases here 
quoted may not be exactly parallel, since a wider 
deviation, in the case of cultivating flowers from the 
natural wild type might be desirable than would be 
permitted with fowls—the observation contains much 
that may profitably be remembered by the poultry- 
breeder, and that would enter into the compilation of a 
general standard of excellence. 
We now resume our subject with the points of 
Game Fowls. 
Black-breasted. — Plumage .— Code: hackle and 
saddle from light chesnut to orange-red; back deeper 
shades of the same; breast, tail (which is ample), and 
under part of the body, black ; greater wing-coverts 
steel-blue; primaries bay. The presence of white in 
the tail-feathers objectionable, though not held as an 
absolute disqualification. Men: Very light-brown, with 
a rosy tint on the breast; tail black. Feathers, in both 
sexes, very hard and firm. 
Form. — Code: head long, but fine; bill ourved and 
strong; comb single, and with face and wattles bright 
red; eye large and brilliant; breast well-developed; 
back short, and broad between the shoulders, but 
tapering to the tail; thigh muscular, but short in com¬ 
parison with the shank; spur low; foot flat, with 
powerful claws; carriage erect, denoting extreme con¬ 
fidence. 
We are aware of pure-bred Game Fowls with rose- 
combs ; but, since, whether clubbed or not, such a 
formation of that feature is evidently objectionable, on 
account of the injuries likely to be thus received, we j 
would always require these birds to have the single 
comb; though we cannot see why its presence in its 
natural form should disqualify — although it would, 
doubtless, be wiser policy to club. 
The figure of the Hen should exhibit the general 
features described above, on a reduced scale; the comb 
being small and fine, and with the face and wattles of 
a somewhat less intense colour. Colour of the leg, in 
both sexes, white, yellow, olive, or bluo; but always 
uniform in the pen. The “ Derby” red to be white¬ 
legged. Figure, in both sexes, to combine symmetry, 
power, and activity. 
Weight. — Code not to be under 1-1 lbs., nor the Hen 
less than :34fbs. 
Other “Reds.”— Male birds with streaked or 
mottled breasts; with Hens of a dusky hue ; marked 
with more or less of dull yellow on the hackle and wing. 
Colour, in both sexes, of less brilliancy than with the 
Black-breasted birds. Comb of the Hen dark. 
Figure and size in these, and those following, to be 
as in the Black-breasted. 
Duck-wings. — Code: black, or mottle-breasted ; the 
former being preferable; hackle and saddle from white 
to straw-colour; back and shoulders a light but rich 
brown, or maroon; tail black; greater wing-coverts 
steel-blue, forming a wide bar. Hen. silver-grey, light 
in hackle, with a reddish tinge on the breast. 
Piles. —Markings irregular; the ground-colour being 
always white, splashed with chesnut and red of various 
shades. These colours are usually much fainter in the 
Hens. 
Blacks. —Uniform in colour. 
Brassy-winged. —Black, with yellow on the lesser 
wing-coverts. The Furness breed, black, with rich 
golden saddle-feathers; these last now very uncommon. 
The Blues and Duns, of various shades of these 
colours, often with orange or yellow markings on the 
hackle, saddle, and wing. 
White. —Uniform colour, and to have white legs. 
Birchen-yellow. — Code, hackle, back, and saddle, 
dark straw, lightly marked with black : full black tail ; 
breast cream-coloured, lightly mottled with reddish- 
brown : wing-coverts and primaries the same, but tipped 
with chocolate. IJen: greyish brown, with irregular 
dark markings of a deeper tone of the same colour; 
hackle and breast, with the shaft and margin of the 
feathers of a dull white. 
Besides those already enumerated, there are, doubtless, 
