February 1, 1872. ] 



JOUENAL OF HOKTICULTURK AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



115 



Graham, the opposite error of the " spindle " beak he con- 

 demns ? Does not a medium add gracefulness to the bu-ds ? 

 Is not the "heavily-wattled," so often used in connection with 

 them, out of character ? Do they not look more graceful with- 

 out it — more like a distinct breed, which I think is what we 

 ought to aim at ? 



With respect to Antwerps — a class that should afford con- 

 siderably more amusement to society than they do, by exer- 

 cising their special powers of flight — they, too, seem to hare 

 di'ifted from their old moorings, and, as too often seen at our 

 shows, uncertainty prevails. It appears to me that the most 

 simple way to form a standard would be for the Committees of 

 our two largest shows — namely, those at the Crystal Palace 

 and Birmingham — to exchange opinions, and publish their 

 decisions in this Joui'nal. Other committees would be certain 

 to follow in the wake. — William Mixson, St. Ives. 



PIGEONS GOING LIGHT. 

 I HAVE had several of my Pigeons in this condition, and I 

 have effectually cured them by feeding them on toasted bread 

 and ale, keeping them warm, and giving them a httle canary 

 seed to peck at. A friend of mine has also had several cases 

 amongst his Antwerjis ; he has fed the birds on bread crumbs, 

 and given them milk to drink. I know of another case of 

 a Carrier fancier who had his bmls light all the summer, and 

 was unable to breed from them. He was admiuisteriug cod 

 Uver oil to them night and morning, and hoped in a short time 

 to have his birds all right again. A friend at once tried the 

 oil. He says it is the finest thing he ever tried ; the worst 

 result is that the oil greases the birds so that they are not fit 

 to go into a show pen until they have moulted. — H. Allsop. 



QUEENS LEAVING THEIR HIVES. 



Had the question been asked me before last spring. Do adult 

 queens leave their hives except with swarms ? I should have 

 readily answered. Decidedly not. Such a proceeding is quite 

 contrary to their instincts. I will, however, narrate the only 

 exception to the rule I have yet met with during the course 

 of my experience. 



Very early in the past year a friend at a distance for- 

 warded me his strongest black colony, which I had promised 

 to ItaUanise. On ai-rival it proved to be both populous and 

 well stored. To accompUsh the object in view I took advantage 

 of the first mild day to drive the black stock and dethi'oue its 

 queen. I then made an examination of my weakest hive, 

 which towards the close of the season had been but a queen- 

 less nucleus, to which I had safely introduced an imported 

 queen, unexpectedly received at the end of October from the 

 late Mr. Woodbury, to whom I cannot allude mthout joining 

 in the generiil expression of sorrow at the great blank which 

 has been caused by his removal. 1 had never the good fortune 

 to meet Mr. Woodbury, but fi'om a constant correspondence 

 carried on for some eleven years, and intensified from the cn- 

 •cumstance of our apiaries having been simultaneously swept 

 with foul brood, I cannot look back on the kind sj-mpathy, 

 liappy suggestions, and sound advice his read}' pen at all times 

 so fi-aterually afforded, without expressing my great regard for 

 his memory. 



The four frames of the nucleus were transferred to a Stew- 

 arton breeding-box, and the readiest mode of feeding was 

 setting upon it a good super honeycomb, and on now making 

 an examination I found the bees had vacated entirely the 

 lower box, had thinned-down the central combs, and that 

 teautifully-banded young bees and brood in all stages abounded 

 in the octagon super. The queen herself had attained most 

 matronly proportions since the preceding fall, and was markedly 

 the highest-coloured and most beautiful I ever beheld. At 

 dusk the same evening I transferred this super to the black 

 colony, and on drawing the intervening sUdes had the satis- 

 faction to hear a pleasant hum set up, and the queen, missing, 

 commotion subside in the black colony. On the following 

 morning I foiuid the yellow- jackets freely fraternising with the 

 blacks, and as the weather was too cold to re-drive the stock 

 to satisfy myself as to the safety of the queen, I had the 

 further satisfaction, two or three days afterwai'ds, of seeing 

 her majesty freely perambulating the combs in front of one of 

 the windows. 



A good many weeks passed over ; on genial days fine flights 

 of nicely-banded ItaUans emerged, till late on a very sultry 



afternoon towards the end of April, when visiting the aijiary, 

 ray attention was attracted to this particular colony by a most 

 unwonted sound. Could it be po*ible ? — di'ones in April ! 

 when with us they rai'ely appear before the first days of June, 

 and in full hives too ! but sm'e enough there they were in 

 abundance, the air reverberating with then- pleasant hum, 

 among quite a Uttle cloud of gay youngsters of the other sex. 

 While stooping over the landing-board to admire the very dis- 

 tinct and bright banding of the males, quite in keeping with 

 the unusual fineness of the high-coloui-ed workers, to complete 

 the family group, to my utter amaze, who should appear at 

 the entrance but the royal mother herself, no shy slim princess 

 on matrimonial tour intent, but my beautiful and matronly 

 queen. She evaded my grasp on my endeavom'iug to clutch 

 her, as I hastily supposed, in her mad career to abandon her 

 hive, and majestically soared away. Transfixed, I pulled out 

 my watch ; ten seconds did not elapse till she alighted on the 

 board and re-entered the hive as composedly as if an after- 

 noon's aning with royalty might be an everyday matter. 



I cannot account for the phenomenon on any other ground 

 than that possibly the queen may have for the first time 

 descended from the upper to the lower breeding-box, and when 

 there was impelled in the crowd still onwards to the entrance, 

 by the hubbub and excitement of the moment, mist.iking the 

 exodus of young bees and drones for a swarm, and, not dis- 

 covering her mistake till fairly on the wing, she then quietly 

 returned. — A Renfp.ewshiee Bee-keepeb. 



The Northampiox Societt's Poultry Show. — The thnd 

 annual Show is to be held on the 6th and 7th of March. The 

 schedule indicates a progressive spirit, the chief featme being 

 to give all sorts of breeders a chance. The prizes are liberal 

 considering the number of classes in the schedule, and for a 

 young society ; but it is started on a good basis, and managed 

 by men who evidently understand what they are about. Seven 

 pieces of plate and £100 for prizes are not bad for a third show, 

 when it is known that the whole, with the exception of one 

 piece of plate, is offered by the Committee themselves. Placed 

 in the centre of England, with good railway accommodation, 

 Northampton .should be well patronised by aU breeders. — H. 

 Thoksyckoft. 



To Make a Vaesish that well Imitate Gbotjnd Glass. — 

 Mr. J. Garratti has favoured us with the following : — To make 

 a vai'nish to imitate gi-ound glass dissolve 90 grains of san- 

 darac and 20 grains of mastic in 2 ozs. of washed methy- 

 lated ether, and add, in small quantities, a sufficiency of ben- 

 zine to make it dry, with a suitable grain — too Uttle making 

 the varnish too transparent, and excess making it erapey. The 

 quantity of benzine required depends upon its quality — from 

 half an ounce to IJ oz. or even more ; but the best results 

 are got with a medium quaUty. It is important to use washed 

 ether, fi-ee from spuit. — {British Journal of Plwtography.) 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Birmingham Ccp Dokking Cockebel. — I thi nk it right to state tliat the 

 Dorkings Mr. J. B. Saunders advertised in your Journal as being bred from 

 Arkwl-ight's cup cockerel of 1870, at Birmingham, are incoiTect ; the cup cockerel 

 o£ that year -was bred by me, and was sold there at the show for £9 9s. to a 

 gentleman who still has him. — J. J. Waller, Mint House, Kendal. 



Sdbscribers to the Wolterh-oipton Light Brahma Cvps. — The 

 following ladies and gentlemen have subscribed to the Wolverhampton Light 

 Brakma cups :— Mrs. A. WUliamson, 10s. 6d. ; Miss Hales, 10s. 6ii. ; Mrs. Turner 

 Turner, lOs. 6d. ; Messrs. Pares, lOs. M. ; T. Crook, lOs. 6d. ; A. 0. Worthington, 

 10s. 6d. ; J. Bloodworth, 10s. M. ; H. M. Maynard, fl Is. ; J. K. Rodbard, i'l Is. ; 

 J. Beach, £1: Capt. Downman, £1 Is.; W. T. .Storer the remainder, unless 

 some other lady or gentleman will kindly assist.— W. T. Storeb, Skott Green, 

 Brewood, Stafford. 



Mrs. Clarke (TT. Coi-ief.).— Proceed against her husband in the County 

 Court. 



Dublin Show.— Col. Hassai-d, R.E. took the Periater-onic Society's cup, as 

 well as the first prize, for the best pail- of Can-iers of " Any other Colour. For 

 single cocks of La Fleche Mr. J. C. Cooper was 1st, Mr. G. A. Stephens 2nd. 



Plymouth Poultry Show (Jui'oia!).— We decline inserting any more 

 letters on this Eihibition, hoping that this year there may be fewer causes 

 of complaint. 



MrNORCis IB. IT.).— The original Minorcas were black, and almost all the 

 birds shown as birds of this breed of late years have been only degenerate 

 Spanish. Their- home was Devonshii-e, and many years ago when we tried that 

 county to get some, we had answers that everywhere the breed was lost. Ihe 

 last person who had them was a clerg>-man, and he had to cross with Spanish 

 in order to keep a semblance of the bi-eed. We have not seen a Mmorca fur 

 thirty years. We are, however, gUid to hear it has been only a misfortune 

 and that they still exist. 



