304 



JOURNAL OF HOETICTJLTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



[ April 4, 1872. 



realise anything of the kind. Mr. Pagden may fancy that bees 

 take longer flights in search of honey than is generally supposed ; 

 but let him "imagine that they go only the ascertained (?) dis- 

 tance of four miles fi-om the apiary." We can only say that we 

 have never .seen our Italians more than a mile from home. 

 Still, allowing a radius of "four miles" from their home, the 

 villages which he peoples must be at least eight miles asunder 

 to supply the pastm-age required for the thr-ee hundred hives 

 located in each village ; so that the cottagers will be few indeed 

 ■who can have a chance of " doing the same " as the favoured 

 Mr. Pagden. 



Barring, however, the manifest Alnaschar-like conjurings of 

 day-dreams Uke these, there is a great deal of sound, useful, 

 practical advice in the Uttle sixpenny book which bears the 

 above fanciful title, showing that the writer is no novice in the 

 management of bees. An appendix on a fly leaf gives a veiy 

 good account of his method of swanuing by artificial means. 

 We should think a shilling weU spent in the purchase of this 

 littie book for other reasons besides the amusement it will afford 

 the reader. 



OUB LETTER BOX. 



Mrs. J. B. Adderley.— Yon advertised in our last issue. Please to send 

 US your lull and true address ; we have a returned letter. 



Lncubator (Crux).— Write to Mr-. J. EaUton, 17, East Street, Maneliester. 



Light Braitsias (E. fr.).— Light Brahmas are not more mclined to be 

 tooody than any others. All sitters take to their nests as soon as they have 

 done laying. It is their natural and their resting time. II you ohject to a 

 broody hen you must keep some of the non-sitters. Ton hare choice— Spanish, 

 Hamhurghs, Creve-Cceurs, and Houdans. We advise, as one, to keep La 

 V- c"' ^''°''' i^ese you can expect only eggs ; from the others yon will have 

 chickens. If you keep only layers you will have to buy your broody hens. It 

 IS only a figure of speech to talk of those that are always wanting to sit ; no 

 hen does so until she has laid her eggs. We still hold to our opinion, there 

 13 no more useful fowl for general purposes thanjhe Brahma Pootra. 

 1-.!^°^™^ ''' ^ LrarrED Space (New-lnid E^»).—We can give you very 

 Lttle hope of doing any good in such a smaU space ; 15 by 4 feet is very small' 

 You may attempt it with a cock and three hens— Cochins or Brahmas. They 

 wiU bear confinement. Buy them young and they will lay. You must provide 

 them with grass if they have it not, and with road grit to bask and dust in. 

 II you have scraps from the house to help in feeding, you should keep them 

 for a trifle over 2d. per week. If you have not, and you buy eveiything, each 

 bird will cost you Sd. per week. 



Ddoks' Eggs kot Hatching (A. M. i.).— We presume yon set the eggs 

 under hens, and we expect the germ was developed, and that 'afterwards, from 

 cold, or neglect of the hens, the ducklings died, and caused the rottenness of 

 w/f?^' ■^T.'iv^ ''^™ I^f ^"^^ '"^ ''"^ *° happen in the severe weather we 

 OTTO a * ti L.^ , 10 life there would have been no decay. Try 



you moisten the eggs every day. 

 . — You will be able to say whether the cock 

 n so, from your saying the food was a solid 



on dies, as ail the functions of the body cease. 



Bnt when the bird has cnly proper food and access to gravel, whence it selects 

 small stones, which are the millstones, as the gizzard is the mill, to grind 

 com and fit it for digestion, the gizzard is seldom found full of a mass of food. 

 We have no doubt the bird died from eating improper food, that crop and 

 gizzard were alike distended with some close doughy substance that could 

 not be got rid of, and caused stoppage, ultimately death. Should a similar 

 case occur, administer very warm water fr-equently, and manipulate the crop 

 most gently till it is softened. As soon as it seems to be liquified, you may 

 hold the bird up by his heels, and let the food run out of his mouth. Then 

 repeat the water, and co nfin e him where he can get nothing to eat. You must 

 continue the process till he is lively and empty. After the crop is emptied, 

 you may give a tablespoonlul of castor oil. 



Bantam Pcilets HonpY(TF'. H.).— Yon must continue your treatment; 

 give castor oil every night. Contmne Baily's pills, and pills of camphor alter- 

 nately. Both should be the same size. Feed on bread and ale, and she wiU 

 recover. 



Linnets Casting their Feathers (IT. W. Fisher).— 1 should recommend 

 that, instead of trying to prevent the feathers falling off, you endeavour to 

 force the birds to moult, by covering them up closely and confming them in 

 a very warm place.— W. A. B. 



Dl.umH<EA A Bullfdjch (E. F. i.).— One would think that what will 

 benefit a Canary ought to benefit a Bullfinch. While I am writing this I have 

 one eye en the paper and the other on a crested hen, one of my best, in an 

 invalid-cage in the fender at the side of the fire. I believe in heat. The bird 

 has been suffering from an attack of diarrhcea. Yesterday I gave her bread 

 and milk only— condensed milk, by the way. I think she improved a little on 

 that diet. In the evening I returned her to her cage in my bird-room, and I 

 think a severe night with a heavy fall of snow proved almost too much for her 

 in her rather debilitated state of health ; for this morning I recognised the old 

 symptoms— crouching in the comer at the bottom of the cage, and the dis- 

 charge which accompanies the disease. To-day I have dosed her with chloro- 

 dyne, three measnred drops to about a dessert-spoonful of water. When she 

 took the first drink she nhook her head in evident dislike of the mLvture, 

 which I afterwards administered freely with a quill. In a clean tin I have 

 also a mixture of prepared chalk, as it is called by chemists, and water, which 

 I stir np at intervals ; of this she drinks freely, and I am glad to report very 

 favourably of the improved symptoms. The discharge is less copious, and the 

 fffices are assuming a healthier shape. On the whole I may say she is very 

 comfortable, and is going on as well as can be expected.— W. A. Blakston. 



Silver Dragoons' B.ars (B. Ansop).—We know "CARRrER's" address, 

 bnt he prefers writing anonymously. He has a right to do so if he pleases 

 Do not reply. 



CavsTAi, Palace Pottltry Show IR. J.).— The time is not yet fixed. 

 Golden Pheasant's Eggs (A. G.).—U properly packed they wiU travel as 

 well as the eggs of poultry. 

 FEAoaENTs Ejected fbom Hjve (H S.).— The fragments cast out of 



have had. If there had been 

 fl^ain, and if under hens be sur 

 Brahma Crop-bound (Irlen, 

 was crop-bound. It would set 

 mass. In such a state a bird s 



your hive are immature larvfe and bee-nymphs, which have probably perished 

 from cold or starvation. It is of very common occurrence after severe changes 

 of weather. Unless it should prevail to a great extent it is not usually of 

 much detriment to the future well-being of the colony. 



Parrot {E. H.). — Give it a tea-spoonful of castor oil, and no coffee; the 

 sponge biscuit and fruits ai'e unobjectionable. Unless there is internal in- 

 flammation, abstinence will restore the bird. We fear it has been too liberally 

 and temptingly fed. 



Fireside Periodicals {Ellen G.). — We recommend without any exception 

 for yourself the " The Family Fi-iend," and for your two eldest children " The 

 Children's Friend." Although only a penny each they are full of attractive, 

 well illustrated, instructive, and wholesome communications. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSEEVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



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



REMABKS. 



26tli. — Fine all day witii bright sim but cold wind. 



27th. — Much warmer, fine morning, slight shower soon after 1 p.ai., again at 



7, and heavy rain after 8 p.m., wind high. 

 28th. — A complete wet day, fair after 9 p.m. 

 29th.— Fair at 9 a.m., raining at 11, and pouring between 12 and 1 p.m., wefc 



afternoon, very bright for a few minutes between 5 and half-past, and 



fine night. ] wind. 



30th.— "Wet morning, fine middle of day, rain at night, warm and very little 

 31st. — Fair morning, showery at noon, fine afternoon. 

 April 1st.— Rain in early morning, fine from 11 A.M. till 4 P.M., then showery, 



very dark, and a very heavy shower at 5.20 p.m., fail" at 9 p.m. 

 2nd.— Showery morning, fair though cloudy in afternoon, and very dark 



between 5 and 6 p.m. 

 The low temperature of the first two days has been quite counterpoised by 

 the warmth since. The means, though wonderfully m excess of the last week, 

 are only about 1° higher than those of the preceding week. — G. J. SiTHONS. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Apbil 3. 

 A FAIR amount of business is done, but not to the usual extent at this tima 

 of the year. First-class articles are not in very great request just now. Straw- 

 berries and Cucumbers are still a heavy trade; the weather at present being 

 much against the sale of the latter. 



FRUIT, 

 a. d. s. d B. d. s. d 



Melons each OtoO 



Mulberries lb. 



Nectarines doz. C 



Oranges ^100 4 10 



Pears, kitohea doz. 4 6 



dessert doz. 4 12 



Pine Apples, 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts bushel 10 



Currants, i sieve 



Black do. 



Figs., 



FUberIa lb. 



Cuba lb. 



Grapes, Hothouse.... lb. 15 

 Gooseberries quart 



6 10 Raspbi 



...doz. 

 .....lb. 



Strawberries ^oz. i 



Walnuts bushel 10 



ditto ^100 1 



VEGETABLES. 



Beans, Kidney.... per 103 16 2 6 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Coleworts.. doz. bunches 



Cucumbers each 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horaeradieh bundle 



doz, 10 16 

 .^100 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce doz. 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress, .pnunet 



Onions bushel 



pickling quart 



Parsley per doz. bunches 



Radishes., doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Savoys doz. 



Sea-uale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes doz. 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Marrows.. doz. 



POULTRY MARKET.— April 3. 



The supply is generally short about Easter, both from the season and from 



the fact that holiday-keeping is the order of the day. The trade falls off 



somewhat, but there is Uttle chance of any decline in prices for the nest six 



weeks. 



s. d. s. d. I B. d. B. d. 



Large Fowls 4 6 to 5 



SmaUerditto 4 4 6 



Chickens S3 3 6 



Goslngs 8 9 



Ducklings 6 6 6 



Guinea Fowl6 3 3 6 



