70 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AXD COTTAGE GARDENER. [ January 18. 1872. 



1S61. Only one of my fifteen stocks is ivealthy enough to 

 Bun-ive the wmter and spring -n-ithout feeding. Of the rest I 

 feax half will die, not from want of attention, but from the 

 seventy of the weather, which has made mo cease feeding al- 

 together earher than I should have done.— B. & W. 



OUE LETTEE BOX. 



Bristol Show.— Mrs. F. S. Alkwright, Sutton ScarscJale, Chesterfield, 

 Tmtes to U6 that our reporter was quite wrong in stating that her first-prize 

 Dorking cocicrel was an old bird. .She states, and we ai-e sure truly, that it 

 was hatched in March hist. It was claimed at Bristol at the catalogue price, 



St-NDERLiND PocxTBT Show (C.).— Xot being advertised we oondudo it 

 was a small local show. 



PI.YMOCTH Show (J. iOTiy).— We made no inferences, nor can any be drawn 

 farriy from what we said. We do not know anything about tout connection 

 Tfltn a contemporary. 



PiiSLEV Ormthologic-u, ASSOCIATION'S SHOW.-Tho reporter has Omitted 

 to state, that fcr the best Gold-pencilled Hamburgh cock, the special prize 

 was awarded to Eobcrt Macnab, Cardonald by Govan. 

 PorLTRT (O. Bi,so/.).-No such periodical. "The Poultry Book " is pub- 

 lished at our othce, and can be had free by post for ejd. postage stamps. 



EGG-EAirNo Hexs (A Suhscriberl-lhcm are only two modes of preren- 

 gg, or haying the trap nest 



EicHANGEs (H. W(Wi}.—Tf{e msert brief notices of exchanges desired for 

 one shilling each. ^ 



Brahma Puleet Dead (_B. )— There was a stoppage. You did right in 

 administermg the castor-oU, but in our opinion the gin was injurious Ton 

 may accept it as an axiom that wine or gin should only be administered in 

 extreme cases, when nothing can increase the danger, and then they should 

 be giyen by means of bread soaked in them. Our impression is that on 

 careful eiamination yon will find an egg in the passage so fixed that it 

 impeded the exercise of aU natural functions. Had that been assisted by 

 means of a feather dipped in oU, the bird would probably have been aUve 

 and usefully employed in increasing the food of man in the shape of e-gs 

 _ Cochin Chinas not Laving (£, C. P.— It may be you have been deceiyed 

 ■" the age of your fowls without its haying been done wilfully. Wo do not 

 ' go to ten months without laying, and it is only the eicep- 

 ' «"" T : :^ jjjg winter is a question of age. not of 



believe a Cochin 



tion when they lay at five. Laying 



breed. There is no breed whose province it is to lay out of season" Laying 

 m the winter m these latitudes (and in others that are called more favoured) 

 is^ entirely a question of months and not race— and only pullets lay in the 

 winter. You are to have a httle patience, breed some chickens tliis year, and 

 yon will see you will have eggs from pullets before they are ten months old. 

 Vie have no fault to find with your feeding, except that we would abjure the 

 cat B meat. Instead of a pole lor going in and out o( the house, give them a 

 hole in the door, supply them two or three times per week with heavy sods of 

 growing grass. Let them have road grit to bask and dust lu; and if they 

 'pgs. they will soon do away with your grievance. "SYhat is 



do not eat th. ,_ _ _ 



the floor of their roosting house ? — 



Black Bantam Points {Inquirer).— Yon a 

 only Bantam that must have the drooping wing 



3 altogether wrong. The 

 i the Sebright. It is part 

 other bird is it required. 

 B know in the present day, 

 xplicable awards, but we 

 the ftiimitted 



0( the breed that they should have it, but 



We have not to take up cudgels for judges, and 



when their name is legion, there are curious and , 



are not aware there has been any change of opinion ^^,j^ 

 judges. Black and White Bantams were shown before the G 

 lactnred. It was always a positive point that in both breeds the birds should 

 be smart, clean, earlobe small, and that the cocks should have very long sickles 

 These do not match with drooping wings. The carriage of a Sebright, with 

 the tail of a Black or WMte-, would cause the latter to be thrown over his 

 ? ',?^ "^ '"°°'* ** disquahfied as squirrel-taUed. Black Bantams 



should be smaU ; they should be neat and close in leather; quite black, save 

 that they may have gloss on their feathers ; taper legs not too stout, fault- 

 less small white deaf ears, smart carriage, and the cock should have long 

 streaming feathers, carrying his tail rather low. 



_ TYReey Eoi;pY {A 5 ounj) Beginner).— Qh-e yonr Tiu-key some bread soaked 

 in strong beer. Give her onion tops in her food, and administer every nigh. 

 tUl she begms to mend two pUls of camphor, each the size of a garden plal 

 Tour Brahmas cannot take the roup from her. They are not subject to it. 

 Iheu- compkmt is, " wasting." They rarely have it, and it is not infectious. 

 11 they are faihng, give them bread steeped in strong beer. Meat and other 

 atunulatmg food yrill make birds lay; but it is a lamentable process, the 

 number of eggs is lessened rather than increased, and the bird is often 

 ncnrably injured. 



•j*^t^, ^■^•F'^ Points (S;im).— The points of a Game Bantam should be 

 Identical with those of a Game cock. The only difference between the two 

 that IS permitted is that of size. Sharp, clear, snake-like head, scanty hackle 

 and saddle, droopmg tail rather than carried upright, hard plumage, wmg 

 chpped up to the body, weU placed spur, absence of duck foot, moderate 

 tliigh. All these pomts are required m a Game Bantam. A Game fowl 

 with a double comb should be as rare as a man with two heads 



Black Polanbs' Crests— Minorcas (H. Boofr).— The only way m which 

 yon can keep the top-knots of your Polands clean, is to fasten them no with 

 an elastic band. They not only get wet when they are unconfined, but they 

 Become heavy and f aU around their eyes whenever the fowls eat or drink The 

 confinement you speak of will do very weU for a temporary residence, for 

 instance durmg bad weather, but not for a continuance. What is the 

 flooring of It ? The Mmorcas are extinct ; they were supposed to be red-faced 

 Spanish, and were common in Devonshire. A White Dorking cock and hen 

 weighmg lb lbs. would be large bu-ds of the breed. 



Pigeons' Kest Pans fNew Suijcriber). — We do not know where the 

 ewthenware pans you mention are to be had. We do not think they are 



JThroat Rattle (Light Brahma).— A table-spoonful of castor-oil given to 

 the hen two nights in succession, followed by feeding for a day or two on 

 bread and ale, with a pill of camphor night and morning. 



AVLABY FOR PiGEONS (rorfcsMrc).— There would seem to be no reason why 

 yoti should not make the roof of glass, as we presume your birds are oidy to 

 be in the place by day, and not to breed in it. If the latter it woiUd be too 

 Hot m summer. You will, of course, have open wirework at the side, for they 



want air as well as light and sunshine. The usual plan is to have the roof of 

 corrugated iron, with a window in it, and the side wire, either end being close, 

 b^' mich depends on the position of yours, and the use you put it to. A very 

 shallow vase in the centre, or one nearly filled with gravel, and then water on 

 the top would be nice as a bath, and ornamental likewise. 



Gold Fish in an AQnARicM (Heie).- Whether in an aquarium or in a 

 glass globe they require feeding; the following, published in an American 

 paper, coincides with our own experience. "I have kept gold fish for two 

 years or more. The first six months, or thereabouts, I lost eight fish by 

 foUowing the instructions of parties from whom I purchased. I then thought 

 I would use my own judgment in the matter and see if feeding would kill 

 them, as I had been informed by the aforesaid dealer. I now have five gold 

 oni' ''^^^ minnows, one crawfish or crab, and four turtles in an aquarium 

 30 by 16 inches and 12 inches deep. I have on the bottom about 2 inches of 

 fine lake sand, and scattered here and there stones built up or piled so as to 

 form run-ways. I feed them about twice a-week with fresh beef, cut into small 

 pieces and dropped on the water, when, quick as a trout after a fly, they will 

 seize the pieces until satisfied. I have often seen them jump 3 inches above 

 the water trying to catch a fly on the side of the glass. I keep a small plant 

 of Calla in a pot standing in the water all the time ; some say it helps to keep 

 the water pure. I change and renew the water twice a-week durg thein 

 winter and three times during the summer." 



Dying Grasses (.fl. .S.).— We cannot give details of the processes lor 

 various colours. The readiest way would be to use the dying fluids advertised. 

 We forget the proprietor's name, but any chemist could tell you. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, Lokdon. 



Lat. 51° 32' 40" N. ; Long. 8' 0" W. ; Altitude 111 feet. 



KEMARKS. 

 10th. — Very dense tog all day. 

 lltli. — Very Tcet in the morning, rather better in the afternoon, and clear ia 



the evening. 

 12fh. — Flue morning and early afternoon, dnll later, and rain at 10.30 p.m. 

 13tb. — Dark and rainy in the morning, and partially so all day. 

 14th. — Particularly bright in the morning, slight shower about noon, fine in 



the afternoon and evening. 

 15th.— Fine with white frost till 8.30 a.m., then foggy till 10.30 a.m., when the 



.o,:i.: sun got through the fog for a short time, but thick again in the even- 

 • "" -'- ^' ing, and the same at Eennington, though bright in some parts of 

 ''^^^"^ ' London, and at Chelsea and Pimlico. 

 16th. — Dull morning, occasionally bright during the day, but cold throughout. 



Another damp, thick, muggy week; dense fogs on 10th and 15th; sharp 

 frost on 15th.— G. J. Symons. 



■^7^ T'^^ CO"\'ENT IGARDEN MARKET.— Jakcaut 17. 



SrPEnroB quahties of goods are now in better inquiry; Aspai-agns, Sea 

 kale, Dwarf Kidney Beans, and Cucumbers taking the lead in the demand. 

 Rough produce is heavily supplied, and large quantities are disposed of at 

 very low rates. Cornish Broccoli is coming-in good, selling at from 23. to 4s, 

 per doz. by the crate. Imports of foreign produce are mndi lighter. 

 FBUIT. 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts bushel 10 20 



Currants i e 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Grapes, Hothonse .... lb. 

 Gooseberries quart 



Mulberries lb. 



Nectarines doz. 



Oranges ^100 



Peaches doz. 



Pears, kitchen doz. 



dessert doz. 



PineApplea lb. 



o' Otoe- ^ 



.doz. 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes dos. to o 



Asparagns ^100. 5 8 



Kidney.... per 100 3 4 



doz. 10 16 



Cap.icums ^100 



Carrots bunch 



Caubflower doz. 5 



Celery bundle 1 6 



Coleworts.. doz. bunches 2 



CnciimbefB each 1 



pjckhng doz, 



Bndive doz. 2 



Fennel buncb 8 



Garlic lb. 8 



Herbs bunch S 



Horseradish bundle S 



Leeka bunch 8 too & 



Lettuce doz. 10 2 



Mushrooms pottle 10 2 



Mustard & Cress. -punnet 2 9 



Onions bushel 2 4 



pickling quart 6 8 



Parsley per doz. bunches 3 4 



Parsnips doz. 9 10 



Peas quart 



Pctatoes bushel 2 S & 



Kidaey do. SO 5 



Radishes., doz. bunches 6 10- 



Rhubarb handle 10 16 



Savoys doz. 10 16 



Sea-Kale basket 10 2 



ShaJIuts lb. 4 6 



Spmach bushel 3 4 



Vegetable Marrows. .doz. 



