While we undoubtedly owe the White Hamburg to skillful English breeding,
it is a variety bred much more generally in America than it is across
the water, where it is regarded as a mere sub-variety of Hamburgs. The
variety was originally bred in England as an experiment, and was
obtained by selecting the lightest Silver-Spangled Hamburgs, both male
and female, and mating them together, each year selecting the lightest
progeny, until the pure white bird was procured. Thus it will be seen
that in spite of all arguments to the contrary, the White Hamburg is
really a _pure Hamburg_ in every particular. While they were a very
pretty variety, they were looked upon with considerable disfavor by the
English, who discouraged their breeding, and regarded them as an
innovation in the Hamburg family.
It is many years now since they began to be bred in America, and they
are much thought of for their many good characteristics, while they
figure quite prominently at our principal exhibitions. What has served
principally to discourage White Hamburg breeders, is the fact that so
many imitations have been made and thrust upon the public under that
name, that were really mere mongrels. The _only_ true White Hamburgs are
those which come from Silver-Spangled or Silver-Penciled Hamburgs, in
the manner we have described. Those with White Leghorn or White Dorking
crosses are _impositions_, and should be avoided by the fancier, who
will readily know them by their clumsy symmetry, large size and coarse
combs.
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[Illustration: WHITE HAMBURGS.]
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_Characteristics of the Variety._—The White Hamburgs should be pure
white in plumage throughout, with no signs of that undesirable yellowish
tinge so often seen on otherwise good birds. They should be _true
Hamburg_ in symmetry, avoiding the Leghorn or Dorking build, and they
should be (and are) no larger than the other varieties. Size is not a
point to be regarded in Hamburgs; it is their laying qualities we look
to, and this variety, while not quite up to the others in this respect,
is very productive. The comb in White Hamburgs should resemble that
described under the heading of Black Hamburgs. They should have a small,
round, white ear-lobe, by no means pendent, and bright red face;
carriage upright, sprightly and graceful.
_The Leg Controversy._—We have so far said nothing concerning the color
of legs in White Hamburgs, for the reason that there has been a spirited
controversy for many years among breeders as to whether they should be
_blue_ or _white_. It has been a great nuisance to the American Poultry
Association, who have found themselves persuaded, because of specious
arguments on both sides, to change their _Standard_ at least four times
on legs of White Hamburgs. It was originally decided by the _Standard_
committee that a white leg was proper. It was afterward changed from
white to blue, from blue back to white, then again to blue, and in 1879
to white.
Hon. Lewis F. Allen, who is perhaps our largest and most prominent
breeder of the White Hamburg, and who has done as much as any other man
to push the breed, says in a clever letter, which, however, betrays his
chagrin at the vacillating decrees of the _Standard_ committee:
“I have been so disgusted with the doings of the _Standard_ committee on
the points of fowls that I have determined never again to take any part
in its discussions, or show a bird in its exhibitions, although I still
keep and breed the White Hamburg with _white legs and beak_, which marks
truly belong to them, as they did when I first knew them, in 1870.
“I obtained my original birds from a gentleman who bought them in New
York—descendants from imported stock, I was informed. They were then,
and still are, _true_ Hamburgs in style and form, non-sitters, and
nearly constant layers; hardy in temperament, and, in short, very
satisfactory birds. They were successfully shown in several of our
poultry shows in Buffalo, and won prizes, the white legs and beaks being
entirely satisfactory to judges and the society.
“But when the American Poultry Association undertook to make a
_Standard_ of points for the various varieties of fowls, some of the
pretended ‘professionals’ introduced various innovations, and among them
accorded the _blue_ leg and beak to the White Hamburg, which was
adopted. Consequently, at the next show at Buffalo, my birds were ruled
out under the new _blue-leg_ regulation. The _Standard_ committee had a
full meeting during the show, and I went before them and showed the
absurdity of the new rule, and the committee decided to reverse the late
action and return the points of _white_ legs to the White Hamburgs. It
has since, however, been changed several times.”
Mr. Allen seems to have no doubt but that the _white_ leg is entirely
proper, and he shows himself to feel injured by the constant changes
made in the _Standard_; and indeed it has greatly injured the variety,
simply because breeders never could tell how to breed their birds so
that they would not be disqualified at the next season’s shows. That the
point between the two colors is a fine one is proved by the indecision
of the _Standard_ committee.
Through all the changes the Rev. C. W. Bolton has stood as firmly by the
blue legs as Mr. Allen has by the white ones, and his faith in their
propriety has never wavered. Mr. Bolton is one of our most prominent
Hamburg men, and has proved his skill as a breeder in showing some
excellent stock of the several varieties. He writes us:
“I know perfectly well that my White Hamburgs are _pure_ Hamburgs in
every respect. I have bred them myself from the Silver-Penciled
Hamburgs, with _blue_ legs, and all the characteristics of their
predecessors. For ten years I have never had a chick with legs of any
other color than blue, which shows that the _blue_ leg is a firmly fixed
characteristic, and properly belongs there.”
Why should other varieties of Hamburgs have a blue leg and the White
Hamburg a white leg? The blue leg is a distinct Hamburg characteristic.
We believe that when our final and unalterable _Standard_ is made, the
White Hamburgs will be credited with _blue_ legs.
_Points in Breeding._—The rule in mating White Hamburgs should be simply
to procure the birds which possess the finest combs, ear-lobes and face,
pure white plumage and blue legs. Guard against heavy, blocky forms and
coarse combs, and pay less attention to size than to proper symmetry.