JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



[ Febiiiory 8, 1872. 



lattice-work also Kolid, save two small glazed windows in the npper part. 

 The remainder of the front may then he lattice- work, with the exception of 

 the end, which would form the door. We return the sketch that you may see 

 our meaning. Your perches would then run from the marks o, o, o, inside the 

 building, and would rest on a ledge opposite to them, fastened to the " side of 

 outhouse." This would afford proteetiou sufficient for any weather, because there 

 would be no draught. The accommodation of numbers of poultry is of little 

 importance as regards roosting, the run during the day is the most important 

 point in that particular. You seem well off for space, and food to be had for 

 foraging, the best food there is for poultry, but they must not quite depend 

 upon it, and they should always have as much food as they will run after 

 given to them early in the morning. You do not mention gi'een food, whether 

 they have access to grass; if not, they must be provided with something of 

 the sort. Refuse vegetables will do. They will also want grit or gravel, and 

 some bricklayer's rubbish thrown down. They should always have the option 

 of going out. Premising the run is a large one, you may safely keep twenty- 

 four Brahmas and a dozen Bantams. If you wish it we believe you may keep 



PoLANDs Feather-eating {J. J. C).— It is a very rare thing to find fowls 

 eating feathers at this time of year. It is by no means uncommon late i^ 

 the season when the plumage is old, and the birds ore sickly pre\ious to 

 moulting. Your hj-pothesis is not a correct one. It is supposed to arise from 

 a disorded state of body. Of course they are confined, or they would not do it. 

 Remove the cock and supply the hens with green food, especially with sods of 

 growing grass cat with plenty of mould. It is more than possible they may 

 find in that the change they want, and for which they substitute feathers. 

 Avoid all stimulating food. 



Floob of Potjltrt-yard {Geva).—k concrete floor or run for poultry is a 

 very bad one. It affords no scratch for the fowls, it is unyielding to the feet, 

 and consequently keeps them always on the stretch. This is uncomfortable 

 for the fowls, and that which is so is detrimental to their condition. We 

 should infinitely prefer the sharp gravel. We are afraid we have more rats 

 than you have, but they do not kill our chickens. They eat their food. 



Birmingham Crp Dorking Cockerel. — " I find that the year in which I 

 purchased the bird was 1869, inadvertently stated as 1870. Unfortunately my 

 Dorkings are unable to speak for themselves, otherwise they would, doubtless, 

 ask Mr. Waller to state in what respect they ' oi-e incorrect,' and further to 

 point out that their birthplace is ' The Laurels, Taunton,' not ' Birmingham.' 

 —J. B. Saundkrs."' 



Poisoned Fowls {Birmingham). — Your hypothesis of the labels containing 

 arsenic is not admissible. We have no doubt Mr. Harley's fowls were pur- 

 posely poisoned. The analysis shows there was arsenic "in considerable 

 quantity." There are too many cases of maiming and disfiguring exhibited 

 fowls for us to doubt that some exhibitors are malicious and revengefully 

 jealous. 



Chinese Fowls.—" On reading the answer to ' G. C. A. ' (page 9.S), about 

 Chinese fowls, and the letter headed ' Black Cocliin-Chinas ' (page 90), I was 

 reminded of some fowls which I saw last summer recently imported from 

 Hong Kong, and which were said to be of a valuable breed. These were 

 Black, mostly with larkrcrests and beards, some with the peculiar double 

 comb of half-bred Creve-Cceurs ; indeed, anyone might have fancied they 

 were Cochins crossed with Creve-Cceurs. — Letitia Ward, Th.c Close, Salts- 

 bury." 



Inducing a Hen to Sit. — " A hen may be persuaded to sit at ony time of 

 the year.— Vincent Fraser." See page 110. *' A Subscriber" will be 

 greatly obliged by information how this is done. Perhaps "Vincent Fraser' 

 will reply to this. , 



Beak of Magpie Pigeon (A Reader). — Magpies certainly should have 

 dark beaks ; birds of this variety ore not perfect it the colour of beak is other- 

 wise. Many specimens are too often seen with the upper mandible of the 

 beak dark, and the lower one light, which is a decided blemish. The beak 

 should be nearly black, corresponding with the intense black head of the bird. 



Pigeons Going Light.—" If Mr. H. AUsop will give his Pigeons castor- 

 oil pills instead of castor oil he will not soil the plumage of his birds. A 

 friend of mine has tried them with success. — S. H." 



Pigeons and Canaries (J. W.). — White Jacobins, although they had bull 

 eyes, yet being, as you say, very good in other points, might win. Match 

 your Evenly-marked Buff cock Canary with a rich Jonque hen, either clear in 

 colour, but having Evenly-marked blood in her, or Evenly-marked if having 

 Crested blood ; or being Crested, you would get Evenly-marked and Crested 

 birds as well. Mind the markings are not too heavy. We think that this 

 class of Canary is a good one for amateurs to breed for exhibition, especially 

 to begin with. 



Swan-necked Egyptian Pigeons (Pharamond). — We know nothing of this 

 large variety of Scandaroon. Certainly those exhibited recently were by no 

 means large. Mr. Baily, of Mount Street, imports a great number of birds 

 from the Continent, and most likely could procure them for you. 



Canary's Head Unfeathered {Edith). — If by any accident a Canary 

 should get the top of its head thoroughly plucked, it will most frequently 

 remain bare until the next moult. Such may be the case with the wild 

 Canaries from Madeira, to which you refer. If the baldness arise from what 

 is known as scurf — and the description given seems to indicate it — anoint the 

 part with fresh butter as free from salt as it can be made by washing, and 

 give plenty of green food — watercress, lettuce, a slice of apple, the inner leaf 

 of the heart of a cabbage, duckweed, groundsel — such as can be obtained. — 

 W. A. Blakston. 



Dead Canary (/. S. IF.).— The defunct suhjert is a Buff bird with a cross 

 of Norwich in it. The colour indicates that it might pass for a Norwich bird, 

 but a very poor specimen. You describe bim as a " fine straight bird," which 

 " stood up well on his legs." That indicates a strain of what is known as 

 Yorkshire. But judging from his appearance in his cofhn, I should say there 

 was as much Norwich as anything in the departed. — W. A. Blajkston. 



Bees at Casiberwell {Constant Subscriber). — We have no doubt they 

 will thrive if well managed. They were kept by Wildman in Holbom. 



Bees Dying {W. J. H.).—lt is probable that your bees have died of dysen- 

 tery. The extremely damp and mild weather which has prevailed this 

 winter is the cause of great mortality. As you say that you have fed liber- 

 ally, it is not likely that your bees have perished of stonation. You cannot 

 do better, if the mortality still continues, than to frequently change the 

 floorboard. Spring feeding usually commences in March; but if you have any 

 doubt as to your hive having a sufficient supply of food stored up, you had 



better give your bees the benefit of the doubt, and let them have a few ouncea 

 of food twice o^week on any mild day. We do not reply by post to queries. 



Removing a Htve {T. H.). — A hive of bees may safely be moved 4 feet 

 from its present position with perfect safety, provided it be done in mild still 

 weather when the sini is shining. Choose the first wanu, unclouded day 

 when the bees come out in force. The later you- con put off the operation 

 the better, of course, as the sun's rays are acquiring heat every day. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



Lat. Sr 32' 40" N. ; Lonfj. 0^ 8' 0" W. ; Altitude 111 feef . 



REMARKS. 

 Jan. Slst. — Fine in morning and throughout the day. 

 Feb. 1st. — Windy in the night, white frost in the morning, fine sunrise, bright 



till about 3 p.m., then dull, rain between 4 and 5 p.m., and in the 



evening with wind at night. 

 2nd. — Rain in the night, fair but overcast in the morning, then showery with 



bright sun between, sharp shower with hail at 0.:^ p.m. 

 Srd. — ^Very dark early in morning, but brighter about 2 p.m., dull afternoon, 



fine evening. 

 4th. — Dull and showery all day. Red Aiirora spreading nearly all over the 



sky from 6.15 to 6.29 P.M., and again from 8.10 to 8.45. Very bright 



in S.E. in the early part of the evening. 

 5th. — Showery, damp, and dull all day. 

 6th. — Overcast in morning, a little rain about noon, and occasionally through 



the day, but not enough to measure. Fine night. 

 A very similar week to its many precursors, southerly winds, high tem- 

 perature, great moisture, and a generally cloudy sky. — G. J. SvmoN3. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— February 7. 

 A steady regular business is being done without any marked improvement 

 in the general tone. Supplies of home-grown produce are well kept up, and 

 from the Continent and Channel Islands we have rather more than usual at 

 this season. Broccolis both from Jersey and Cornwall are excellent. Good 

 sound Potatoes of the different varieties command a fair sale. Inferior de- 

 scriptions are very heavy. 



FRUIT. 



s. d. 



Melons each to 



Mulberries lb. 



Nectarines doz. COCO 



Oranges ^100 4 10 



Black do 



Figs doz. 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Grapes, Hothouse.... lb. 



6 1 Qq 

 6 10 Raspb 



Pears, kitchen doz. 



dessert doz. 



; Apples lb. 



doz. 

 ,.lb. 



[iwberries lb. 



Artichokes doz. 



Asparagu s f'-lOO. 



Beans, Kidney per 100 



Broad bushel 



Beet,Red doz. 10 3 



Broccoli bundle 9 16 



Brussels Sprouts. .i sieve 1 6 S 



Cabbage doz. 10 16 



Capeicuma ^100 



Carrots bnnch 6 



Cauliflower doz. 2 5 



Celery bundle 16 2 



Coleworts.. doz. bunches 2 4 



Cucumbers each 10 3 



pickling - doz. 



Endive doz, 2 



Fennel bnnch 3 



Garlic lb. 8 



Herbs bunch 3 



Horseradish bundle 3 4 



VEGETABLES. 



. d. 8. d I S. d. 



to G Leeks bnnch St 



8 ! Lettuce doz. 1 



4 Mushrooms pottle 1 



" " Mustard & Cress, .punnet 2 



Onions bushel 2 



pickling quart 6 



Parsley per doz. bunches 3 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 2 3 ft 



Radishes., doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bjndle 



Savoys doz. 



Sea-Kale basket 1 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 3 



Tomatoes doz. 



Tarn ips bunch 



Vegetable Marrows. .doz. 



.do. 3 & G 



POULTRY MARKET.— Febrcaky 7. 

 We have but a moderate supply, but it is sufficient for the trade. 

 Te good for the time of year, and there is no prospect of any 



Large Fowls 3 6 to 4 



Smaller ditto 

 Chickens . 



Ducks .. . 

 Pheasants . 



