116 



JOURNAL OP HOKTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Febniaiy 1, 1872. 



HouDASS Feather-eating (ffoudan). — We have never met with a case of 

 feather-eating in Houdans exi'ii'pt nt tlie end of the summer, and when they 

 have been kept in coutin^ im at. \\ - nmot account for it in this case; but 

 as you say one hen is -]■ ; ilk of fowls, you should immediately 



remove her before the ^ i!. • li;ibit. You should have done so at 



once. Fowls are like thilh, ■: r -■ :, there is nothinj? one will not do that 

 others will not copy. Fet-iin^' Im^ ^*.jiKthing to do with it, and we do not ap- 

 prove of your diet ary . Potatoes and Indian meal are bad feeding, oats are bad. 

 Chanf^e it. Let the birds have morning and night some ground oats slaked 

 with water, and barley for a mid-day meal. Give them all the table scraps 

 you have, but if they have a good grass run they can do without cabbage 

 leaves. They d • not need the bullock's liver. It is sometimes given to birds 

 in confinement, but it is hardly necessary, 

 bricklayers' rubbish. We do not think you 

 factorily in the way you propose. 



Shell-less Eggs (G. P. C.) — Your fowls 

 ground oats. If they are not to be had gi 

 bricklayers' rubbish made up of old mortar, ceilings, &c. ; they will pick 

 among it and find material for the shell. They will benefit greatly by having 

 thrown to them every day some large sods of growing grass cut with plenty 

 of fresh earth. 



Fattening Ducks (J, C. L. R.). — You cannot do better than continue feed- 

 ing with barleymeal, putting it in water. We gather from your letter they 

 are at Uberty; they will not, when ducklings, fatten unless they are confined. 

 All you give goes to growth, as it would do in a healthy boy. The Ducks that 

 are fattened in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire are kept np, and besides 

 oatmeal and bran have meat given to them. As soon as they are old enough, 

 when about half grown, they are very fond of oats put in a shallow vessel, the 

 bottom of which is covered with a sod of grass, and then filled with water to 

 the brim. They 'A'ill eat this when they refuse other food. It is unusually 

 early for a Game Bantam to lay at five months. 



Cochin-Chtna Hen-s Laving in Winter {J.S.). — Yours is a very pleasin^? 

 exception, and we congratulate you on it. We have ourselves some hundred^ 

 of hens and pullets. We have as yet only eggs from the latter. They are a^ 

 well cared for and as well fed as any birds in the world, but they have no 

 stimulating food, and no meat. Will you kindly inform us how yours are fed ? 

 Although we have half a century of experience, we are more than ready and 

 happy to learn. 



Malt Dcst as PonLXRV Food (W. L.). — The eggs will be fertile within a 

 week, if not earlier. Fowls are very fond of malt dust, and given moderately it 

 is good food, but it communicates its flavour to the eggs. 



Blace Spanish with Red Feathers [Red Feather). — It is no proof of 

 imparity or inferiority of breed if a Spanish cock shows a red feather. Such 

 come mostly in the hackle or saddle. All black-feathered cocks ai-e prone to 

 the same fault, and it often increases as they get older. Some throw red, 

 some white feathers. We should not breed from such a one. 



Breeding Fowls Pure from a Mixed Bun (R. H. F.). — Separate your 

 fowls, and as the majority are probably not yet layin::^, you will lose little time. 

 The Cochins and Brahmas will both do well in confinement ; let the Dorkings 

 have the run. At the end of three weeks or a month of separation you may 

 safely set the eggs. 



Signs of Poisoning in Fowls (if. T. R. L.). — The liver will be very 

 much inflamed, the blood-vessels of the brain and intestines full of blood, while 

 the inner coatings of the bowels will show red patches, and be honeycombed 

 in places, unless some subtle poison with which we are unacquainted should 

 he used. We are led to this last remark because youi- fowls seem to be killed 

 instantaneously. 



Caponising {Bcshorotifih). — The art ot making capons is but very little 

 practised in England. It is cruel, because it entails much suffering; it is 

 expensive, because nearly half of the fowls operated on die ; it has been given 

 up, because the art of feeding poultry in England is now so well understood, 

 that when a fowl has attained the age at which the operation can be performed 

 it is as large as it would be some months afterwards. The thigh of such a 

 fowl is as tender as that of a chicken, while the leg of a real capon is tough 

 ) doubt, be performed on Ducks and Geese, 



year round, provided it be roofed-in and they have a chance of finding shelter 

 behind snug comers of the rafters, like sparrows in an outho use. — W. A- 

 Blakston. 



METEOROLOGICAIj OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Sqcare, Loia>ON. 



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



24th.— Dreadful wind in the past night, and the barometer fell to 28..332 at 



4.47 A.M. on this day, being the lowest since 1813. A fine morning, 



showery after 1 p.m., fine night. 

 25th. — Wet and stormy morning, showery all day, but fine about 10 P.M., 



rain in the night. 

 26th. — Fair but dark and damp, showery and often dark during the day, fine 



at niHht. 



iproved, was fair all day, and 



g, but Boon i 



, intense darkness from 



27th.— Fair though dark in mc 



at times very bright. 

 28th. — Still fair but misty and close in early i 



11.55 A.M. to 0.10 P.M. finer in the afternoon. 

 29th.— Fair but dull, a Uttle sunshine about 2 p.m., then dull and showery the 



remainder of the day. 

 30th.— Dull though dry, gleams of sunshine between 1 and 2 p.m., and fair 



after, fine at night. 

 The unusual depression of the barometer has brought no material change 

 in the weather, which continues unusually warm, damp, and dull. — G. J. 

 Symons. 



. Poultry Food {R. E. HX — The Swede greens 

 ive suppose Mangolds would be the same. We 

 We grow late turnips on purpose to give the 



and stringy. The operatic 

 but we have never seen it. 



Swedes and Mangold a 

 are very good for fowls, and 

 have never tried the latter, 

 greens to poultry. They always leave the root, 

 give them raw, and chopped fine. We tried stei 

 a failure. They seemed to run to water. 



Breeding Wheates Bantams {Bantam Breeder). — Ton must breed 

 from two sets of birds to get cocks and pullets, the chief point you have to 

 hear in mind being to cross judiciously. If you, at an exhibition, are beaten 

 by a pen which by the great merits of the cock, coupled with good hens, 

 proves too much for your better hens that are weighed down by the inferiority 

 of the cock, you may safely infer you have the hens, but you have not the cock. 

 You must get a good cock (»f the successful breed, and put him to some of yom: 

 best hens ; from these you wUl breed cocks, while you already possess the hens. 

 If you have runs enough, get two hens of the successful strains, and put to 

 one of your cocks. You will then probably succeed in all. It is almost an 

 impossibihty to breed winning cocks and hens from the same parents. The 

 breast and hackle of a wheaten hen should be of the colour of a grain of red 

 wheat. 



Points in Nuns. — " In reply to ' Jack,' five, six, or seven black feathers in 

 each flight would equally apply. Birds having more on one wing than on 

 the other would not be e3:cluded from winning a prize, if they were not over- 

 shot. The white feathers must form a perfect saddle. Jacobins must not 

 have white thighs, but be black, red, or yellow from the under mandible down 

 to the vent, according to their colour. — F. W., Birmingham Columbarian 

 Society" 



Stamping Pigeons (A. H. W.). — It is usual to stamp the wing. Yon must 

 not put any stamp on birds which you exhibit, as you would lose a prize. 



Flight Feathers in Nuns [W. E. E.). — We gave the number of six in 

 each wing on old and high authority, but certainly though the number of six 

 dark feathers is a good medium to hit upon, yet more would be better, taking 

 in, in fact, all the larger flight feathers. Under six would be too few, but the 

 great thing is to have an equal number on each side. 



Temperature of Aviary {D. K.), — If for Canaries only it is immaterial. 

 They will stand the frosts and snows of winter if kept in an open aviary all the 



COYENT GARDEN MARKET.— January 31. 



The abundant supply of out-door produce of home growth, and the additions 

 made to it from the Channel Islands, have a marked influence on our markets, 

 and although the attendance is good in general, no advance can be obtained. 

 Enghsh Apples of first quality are scarce and deai-; American Newtown 

 Pippins good, but not plentiful this season. Pears comprise Ne Plus Meoris, 

 Beurre de Eance, Jost-phine do Malines, and Knight's Monarch. A fair 

 amount of business is done in the Potato trade, though stocks are heavy. 



FRUIT. 



ve 2 Oto4 Melons each 2 OtoS 



oz. Mulberries lb. 



lb. Nectarines doz. 



Oranges ¥-100 4 10 



Pears, kitchen doz. 2 4 



ots., 



Apri 

 Che: 



Chestnuts bushel 10 



Corrants ^ sieve 



Black do. 



Figs dc.z. 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Grapes, Hothouse.... lb. 4 



Gooseberries quart 



Lemons T>100 7 



.doz. 



Raspberries . 



Strawberries lb. 



Walnuts bushel 10 



ditto ^''lOO 1 



VEGETABLES. 



Beans. Kidney. ...per lOT 3 4 



Broad bushel 



Bcet,Red doz. 10 3 



Broccoli bundle 9 16 



lis Sprouts. .J a' 



Carrots bimch 



Cauliflower doz. 2 



Celery bundle 1 



Coleworts.. doz. bunches 2 



Cucumbera each 1 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz, 2 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradieh handle 3 



Leeks bunch StoO 



Lettuce doz. 10 2 



Mushrooms pottle 10 2 



Mustard & Cresa. .punnet 2 



Onions bushel 2 4 



pickling quart 6 0- 



Parslev per doz. bunches 8 4 



Parsnips doz. 9 1 



Peas quart O 



Potatoes bushel 2 8 



Kidney do. 3 5 



Radishes., doz. bunches 6 1 



Rhubarb bundle 10 1 



Savoys doz. 9 1 



Sea-Rale basket 10 2 



Shallota lb. 4 



Spinach bushel 3 ii 4 



Tom atoes doz. 



Turnips bimch 3 



Vegetable Marrows. .doz. fr 



POULTRY MAltKET.— Januaey ! 



Our supply is becoming very Umited, but there is little 



look for a steady 



Large Fowls ... 

 Smaller ditto .. 



Chickens '^ 



Geese 7 



DucklinKS 3 



Pheasants 3 



3 6 to 4 Partridgei 



Rabbits 1 4 



Wildditto 10 



Pigeons 1 2 



