282 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, August 9, 1859. 
legs most probably (if in the interior of the country), have run 
two days a-week in the hunting season after fox or hare, and 
generally in at the death,—these little considerations will induce 
you to credit me, when I assure you that three years since I was 
able to put my hand on Brahmas, Andalusians, Black Hamburglis, 
&c., when such birds were difficult to obtain, and all were veri¬ 
table crosses. Thus much for a very enclosed county. 
The worst of palming off purely bred fowls as unmanufactured 
ones is the depriving the purchaser of eggs of every chance of 
the object sought after, and, indeed, building a gain on his loss. 
Buy the veritable animals, but not before you have satisfied your¬ 
self as to their breed ; and do not be fretting and impairing your 
digestion by watching a hen sitting on bought eggs, witli the 
certainty of wringing their necks at a month old; and take my 
word for it when you have had the experience of crosses that your 
humblo servant has, you will say, that, with the exception of a 
very few classes of fowls, all the rest are “leather and prunella.” 
—W. H., Exeter. 
PONTEFRACT AND WEST RIDING POULTRY 
SHOW. 
This, the second annual Exhibition, was held in a field near 
the race ground on the 28th ult. The following were the 
awards :— 
Cochin-China. —First and Second, W. Dawson, Mirfield. Chickens .— 
First, W. Dawson. 
Spanish. —Withheld. 
Dorking.— First, S. Pickard, Wakefield. Second, T. Hudson, Wake¬ 
field. Chickens. —First, H. Heimsworth, Wakefield. Second, Mrs. Robin¬ 
son. 
Hamburghs (Golden-spangled).—First, S. Pickard. Second, J. Cros- 
land, jun, Chickens. —Prize, J. Crosland, jun. 
Hamburghs (Silver-spangled). — First. J. Crosland, jun. Second, 
J. Berton. Chickens. —First, J. Crosland, jun. Second, S. Townend. 
Hamburghs (Pencilled).—Withheld. 
Polands (Golden-spangled).—Prize, F. Hardy, Bradford. Chickens .— 
Prize, F. Hardy. 
Polands (Silver-spangled).—First, W. Dawson, Second, withheld. 
Chickens. —First, W. Dawson. Second, withheld. 
Game (Black-breasted and other Reds).—Prize, F. Hardy. Chickens. — 
Prize, F. Hardy. 
Games (Whites and Piles).—Prize, J. Crosland, jun. Chickens. —First, 
J. Crosland, jun. Second, F. Hardy. 
Game (Black and Brassy-winged, except Greys).—Prize, J. Crosland, 
jun. Chickens.—Ho competition. 
Game (Duckwing and other Greys and Blues).—Prize, J. Crosland, jun. 
Chickens. —First and Second, F. Hardy. 
Bantams (White).— First, J. Crosland, jun. Secbnd, F. Hardy. Third, 
S. Pickard. 
Bantams (Gold and Silver-laced).—No competition. 
Bantams (Black).—First, F. Hardy. Second, C. WhittoD. 
Bantams (Game).—First and Second, J. Crosland, jun. Commended, 
F. Hardy. 
Bantams (any other breed).— First, W. Dawson (Sultans). Second, 
J. Crosland, jun. (Malays). 
Sweepstake (for the best cock of any breed).—Prize, J. Crosland, jun. 
(Game Duckwing). 
Ducks (Aylesbury).—Prize, J. Maynard. 
Ducks (Rouen).—First, S. Pickard. Second, W. Pell. 
Judges —Messrs. Naylor and Pearson. 
COLOUR OF GREY DORKINGS. 
“ I am much puzzled in choosing my Grey Dorking pullets to 
send to a Poultry Show. The offspring of the same liens divide 
into two general hues. One I may call ‘ Iron-grey,’ and the 
other ‘ Cinnamon-grey.’ Which hue would be most likely to 
obtain a prize for ‘ Grey,’ or Silver-grey,’ Dorkings ? I forward 
a sketch of each.”—E. A. S. 
[These queries will be best answered by our stating what the 
points of Silver-grey Dorkings should be. The cock should have 
a perfectly black breast and tail, white hackle and saddle. The 
pullets should have distinctly-marked black and white striped 
hackles. Salmon or ruddy breasts, light grey feathers, with white 
shafts. No speckle on the feathers, no mixture of darker ones. 
The ruddy tint should be confined to the breast, and should not, 
as it sometimes does, spread over the wings and even part of the 
back. At the same time it is fair to say, that birds without any 
such tint on the wings arc very rare. 
Either of the colours you mention will do for Grey Dorkings. 
The Iron-grey would come nearest to the Silver-grey. Prizes are 
most difficult to obtain in the Grey classes on account of the 
numbers and competition. In the Silver-grey, the only difficulty 
is to get birds of the exact colour. Succeeding in that, you may 
look for distinction. 
No. 1, in the capital sketch you have forwarded to us, is the 
best colour for Grey Dorkings. It leaves nothing to desire or to 
find fault with. No. 2 is a true Silver-grey, if some of the ruddy 
tint on the plumage be got rid of. The breast and hackle are 
perfect, but the hackle must he light-grey with white shafts.] 
CLASSIFICATION OF FOWLS. 
(Concluded from page 266.) 
The third division of our domestic fowls, according to the 
arrangement previously given, comprises the Bantams and other 
dwarf or small kinds. I class them in three family groups :— 
First, the Japanese silk fowls ; second, the feather-footed or true 
Bantams ; and third, clean-legged dwarfs. 
first family group (2 Classes); 
First, White Silky fowls. Second, any other variety of Silky 
fowl. 
second family GROUP (3 Classes). 
First, Single-combed, feather-footed White, as being the original 
variety from which the name of Bantam is derived. Second, the 
Black, Buff, or Spotted Bantams, with single combs and feathered 
feet. Third, the Old-spangled Bantams, or any other variety 
having rose combs and feathered legs. 
The third family group includes all the clean-legged dwarfs, 
commonly called Bantams, though I believe the fowl originally 
brought from Bantam, the Dutch settlement in Java, to have 
been the feathered-legged White, heading the second group in this 
division; and, consequently, these clean-legged birds in this 
group are more dwarfs than Bantams, still the word Bantam 
seems from its common use almost to signify a dwarf or some¬ 
thing small. These clean-legged dwarfs, or Bantams, are very 
numerous and especial favourites with many amateurs, though, I 
believe, they are mostly of mixed origin, and even of comparative 
modern manufacture, and they cannot be well accommodated 
with less than six classe.s. 
First, Golden-laced Sebrights, dwarfs or Bantams. Second, 
Silver-laced Sebright, dwarfs or Bantams. Third, Game dwarfs 
or Bantams : these are, just now, such popular favourites, that 
they bid fair soon to demand as many classes for their exclusive 
use as the Game fowls do. Fourth, Rose-combed White dwarfs 
or Bantams. Fifth, Rose-combed Black dwarfs or Bantams 
Sixth, any other variety of clean-legged dwarfs or Bantams.— 
B. P. Brent. 
DIMINISHING THE LABOUR OF BEES. 
“ I am managing on a modification of the depriving system, 
and have several sorts of hives. I have several very strong 
stocks, one of which is in a square wood hive. On the 21st of 
June, finding the bees very strong, I placed on the top a square 
straw hive full of empty comb, weighing 11 lbs. altogether. I 
took it off on the 25th of July, when it weighed 49 lbs., and had 
thus produced me, in thirty-four days, 38 lbs. of beautiful honey. 
There is now in the stock-hive not less than from 20 lbs. to 30 tbs. 
of honey ; this I shall not touch. I shall send to-morrow a glass 
of virgin honey to the Sudbury Show, weighing about 17 lbs.”— 
T. Norris. 
[We have always seen a marked economy of time and material 
in supplying bees with supers in which the combs have been pre¬ 
served, and advise bee-keepers to pay more attention than is 
usually observable to the advantage of this practice. Every 
partially-filled hive or super of any kind ought to be reserved, 
clean, and dry, for future use.] 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Sixth Claw and Sprigs on Single-combed Dorkings. —“ A Dorking 
cockerel on one foot liqs the fifth claw shorter than the other one, and 
there is a small claw growing out of it. Would this disqualify him as a 
show bird? My Dorkings are single-combed, but some of them have on 
each side at the back of it a small protuberance. Is this a fault, and if so, 
is it fair to cut it off for exhibition purposes ? ”—G. C. 
[The sixth claw is not a disqualification; but it is not an advantage. If 
two birds were equal in every other particular, the sixth claw would give 
it against the owner of that appendage. This is, however, a rar e case. 
The little side points at the hack of the comb are of no importance in 
Dorkings. They are common in other breeds, and are generally cut off when 
young. We do not advise you do so in this instance. In “ Out-Door 
Gardening for the Many,” published at our Office, you will find answers 
to any doubts you have as to time fov kitchen garden operations.] 
Exotic Bees (A Devonsh ire Bee-Keeper ).—VVe have sent your specimens 
to a first authority for identification. 
