OCR Text |
Show Dorkings. H TMs English bird Is one which may H be considered an Ideal bird for gen- H eral purposes, says a bulletin of the H Dep'srtswt of Agriculture. It is a H hardy fowl fi.1 'an stand almost any B amount of cold wcher, providing the H ground Is not damp. This Is proved B by ths fact that they do well In tb northern part of Scotland and In the extreme north of Ireland, among the Cumberland Hilts, and In other places H equally as cold and exposed. This H should be remembered by those who H contemplate raising them, that the soil H must not be damp If success Is ex- H pectcd with them. The Dorking Is H one of the oldest of domestic H fowls, If not tho oldest. There are no H definite recotds to show when It first H lived In England, or whence It came, H but tho supposition Is that It was car- H rled to England by tho Romans, who tm evidently possessed fowls of similar M characteristics. M The chief distinctive mark ot the H breed Is the presence ot a fifth or su- H pernumerary toe, springing behind, a H little above tho foot and below the H spur. It has been sought by various i H writers to deprive Dorking of the honor ot being the original and prln- H clpal rearing placo of this Justly cele- H brated variety, and It Is asserted that V j H the true Dorking fowls aro raised at Urr (irvDurMPrcoclc. B Horsham, Cuckflcld, and other places H In the Weald of Surrey, and that the ancient and superior white fowls from JH Dorking are a degenerated race com- ! pared with the Improved Sussex breed. IH The feature In which this bird is most H popular Is Its tablo qualities. The H flesh Is white and very dedicate In tex- H ture. It Is claimed by many to equal H If not excel the French varieties. The H broad, deep, and projecting breast ot H the Dorking admirably fits It for tablo IB purposes, and In this respect It Is con- JH ceded by some tho rival of the Indian JH Games. As layers tho Dorkings are 9J good, and aro careful sitters and at- X BJ tentlve mothers. They are splendid v HJ fowls for the fatm and are profitable M for practical purposes. 9 There aro three varieties of Dork- 9 lngs tho White, Silver Gray, and Col- H ored. The White Dorking Is really tM the purest bloodod ot tho three, as H for years this was the only variety EH which produced Invariably the fifth jfl toe. H The Dorking breed Is one of the H oldest known nnd dctcs back to the H Roman Empire. It was popular In B England for centuries beforo the "hen H fever" broke out in the United States. H As a breed It Is still prominent. M Meat Meal and Ground Bone. iff At the West Virginia Experiment iff Station 34 hens and two cocks were iff divided Into two similar lots for ths iff purpose of testing the relative feed- 'M ing value of meat meal and ground iff fresh meat and bone for egg produc- Iff tlon. The experiment began October (ff 25 and continued for four periods of Eff 30 days each. The fowls fed ground U bone gained more lnwelght than tho lot receiving meat meal. Each lot weighed nt tho beginning of the experiment ex-periment 472 pounds. Tho gains were as iollows: Weight at end of first period. Meat meal 655 Fresh bono ..G94 Weight at end of second period. Meat meal 572 Fresh bone 616 Weight nt end of third period. ' N, Meat meal 533 Fresh bono coo Weight at end of fourth period. Meat meal 575 Fresh bono 591 Tho eggs laid during the four po-rlods po-rlods wcro as follows: First period. Meat meal 500 Fresh bono 3CG Second period. Meat meal oa4 Fresh bone i((m Third period. Meat meal 853 Fresh bone li20 Fourth period. Meat meal .,., 943 Fresh bono ! ', '. 1 1G 1 During tho experiment the fowls receiving tho fresh bono laid 3,824 ecsf, whllo the meat mcnl lot laid only 3,200 eggs. During tho oxjierl. went four of tho hens receiving meat aieal died and wcro replaced by others. oth-ers. At tho timo it was thought they woro killed by somo poison present In ff tho meat meal. Tho fowls recolvlng 1 ground fresh meat nnd bone romnlned heeltby di-rlng the cntlro test. In this lest the fowls fed. ground I fresh mort and bono laid moro nnd I larger eggi. Increased moro In weight S and were healthier during tho oxperl- !fi ment than the fowls receiving meat B meal. M |