14 
has been perpetuated, since the cattle 
were domeaticated by some kind of selec- 
tion in remote ages, sufficient to stamp 
with permanency the exceptional charac- 
teristic of being dolled or dodded. 
There can be little doubt that the breed 
is indigenous to the very districts which 
still form its headquarters, viz,, Aberdeen- 
shire and Forfarshire, although it is not 
now generally disputed that the latter 
tribe was but a branch of the former, 
altered to a considerable extent by dif- 
ferent surroundings. But from earliest 
history, the cattle of Buchan, in Aber- 
deenshire, are referred to as a distinct 
breed, and this is what removes the 
question of date of origin furthest from 
mere assumption. The lower part of 
Aberdeenshire was known by the name 
of Buchan, at least two centuries before 
the days of Wallace and of Bruce. The 
derivation of the word is the Gaelic 
‘Bo, meaning an ox, and ‘caen,’ the 
head ; so that in the eleventh century, if. 
not much earlier, there was something 
about the heads of the cattle of this part 
of the country distinctly different from 
those of other localities. Their history 
beyond this is lost in the mist of antiquity, 
and the nearest that mortal man can 
approach to accuracy is that the breed 
has existed in Aberdeenshire from time 
immemorial. 
The earliest records of their utility are 
furnished by the Williamsons of St. 
John’s Wells, Fyvie, who, about the year 
1770, were the principal cattle dealers in 
Scotland. They stated that they pre- 
ferred them to others, ‘as they were most 
easily maintained, more hardy in work, 
have flesh of the finest grain, and pay 
better in proportion to the goodness of 
their keep.’ So even at this date the 
breed had such well defined features as 
to mark it out for such excellent pro 
perties that the most extensive cattle 
dealer in Scotland regarded them as 
superior to all other varieties. 
The breed first came into prominence 
in British history at the Highland and 
Agricultural Society’s Show, in 1829, 
when Mr. Hugh Watson triumphed for 
tho best fat stock of any hreed. One ol 
his exhibits was afterwards shown at 
Smithfield, where she won the medal in 
the class for extra stock. Her breast was 
not quite 8 inches from the ground. Mr. 
McCombie, of Tillyfour, was the next to 
enter the field with them, and in 1847 he 
gained the championship at the National 
Show. From that date until his death 
he maintained a foremost place. At the 
Paris Exhibition of 1856 he was awarded 
the gold medal for Charlotte, the dam of 
Pride of Aberdeen. In 1862 at Paris he 
secured similar honors for the best ox. 
- But the’ greatest triumph of the breed 
was at the International Competition at 
Paris in 1878, where the Tillyfour group, 
by twenty-four votes out of thirty-one, 
won the grand championship of the show. 
—John Moir, in Agricultural Gazette of 
New South Wales, 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
December 1, 1907 
The Poultry Yard. 
For explanation of points see previous issues. 
a 
The Silver Dorking. 
[By H. V. Hawxins.] 
Silver Dorkings are pre-eminently Eng- 
lish fowls, and take their name from the 
old-fashioned town of Dorking, in Surrey, 
which is the great centre of their produc- 
tion. Dorkings are fine, handsome birds 
of much ayoirdupois, some of the male 
birds weighing 14 lbs. each, and in ten- 
derness and succulence there is no fowl 
to equal them. In color thoy vary from 
white to silver-grey and dark, but in all 
cases the skin and legs are white, two 
very necessary points for the table. A 
peculiarity of the Dorkings is that they 
have five toes on each foot. It is a breed 
of which England is rightly proud, and it 
is held in high esteem as the farmers’ 
all-round utility fowl. It is also recog- 
nised as the breed par excellence for cross- 
ing purposes, and in addition it is a 
splendid layer, very many reaching 175 
eggs per annum. 
Although not as popular as many other 
varieties in the Commonwealth, its useful- 
ness may be seen by the many excellent 
new breeds which have been built up by the 
introduction of the Dorking. One of the 
principles to be observed is to hatch the 
young in July, August, and September, 
and not later. Five second season hens 
are suflicient for one mule bird. and he. 
should be a vigorous cockerel about ten 
months old and unrelated. Dorkings will 
not stand close breeding, and it is as well 
they do not, otherwise they would soon 
lose their size like the Silver Wyandottes 
recently exhibited, many of which were 
bred for feather only—even type appears 
to have been disregarded. Farmers have 
by far the largest specimens in many 
breeds, for the good reason that they do 
not usually exhibit, their one object being 
to obtain eggs or flesh. 
The Silver Grey Dorking hen is a per- 
feet model inform. She walks and stands 
erect, her head well up, and has a fine 
tapering neck from the full flowing cape 
over the shoulders, The comb is single 
and of fair size, evenly serrated and fall- 
ing over on one side in front part for 
about half the length, whilst the back 
half is straight up withont twists or side 
springs Although few hens have as 
perfect a comb as the one described it is 
the ideal bird, not only for appearance, 
but to breed from. It is important to 
have a good comb on the female for the 
sake of its influence in breeding for males, 
as well as females. Many a breeder has 
been disappointed in the combs of his. 
male birds. when the fault has been due 
to the combs of the hens—weak combs, 
falling over the entire length, twisted, or 
