340 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ AprU IS, 1872. 



for although the latter are simple enough to effect, I do not find 

 the i-esult in all oases the same, aud as in most cases where 

 Nature is forced, there is a rebellion and consequent loss of 

 energy. — Monkstown. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Hens Disoiidered (M. Henderson).— The sudden stupor and otter symp- 

 toms you name show that your fowls are too fat, and are overfed. Give them 

 less nourishing food, and plenty of gi-ass and lettuce leaves, and the symptoms 

 will pass away. Give the hen with a stiff neck a dessei-t-spoonful of castor 

 oil, and put aU upon lower diet. 



Eggs Moved from Nest to Nest (Ten Years Old).— Fowls -will have no 

 (UfBculty In removing an egg anywhere, if it can be done by rolling. We 

 believe they will easily help one over a low partition, but we do not believe it 

 in their power to lift or carry an egg anywhere. 



Preventing Eggs Hatching {Moij). — A good shaking will often spoil an 

 egg for sitting. It is very seldom eggs are put under hens that are bought in 

 markets. We believe the shaking will answer yoiu: pm-pose. We have not 

 Mr. Atlee's address at hand. You will find it in some of oui- back numbers. 

 The whole of the husk is gi*ouiid into flour, and it is this that is the fomid- 

 ation of many of its valuable properties. The operation is so thoroughly per- 

 formed that when mixed there is no coarseness, not even so much as in oat- 

 meal. It can be made into a smooth paste. 



Fowls for Confined Space {Puzzled). — Bralimas and Houdans would be 

 recommended by your fi-iends because they bear confinement well. The latter 

 do not sit, and as a rule such produce more eggs than others that feom time 

 to time have the cares of a family. The laying in winter is a question of age, 

 there is no breed whose property it is to lay in winter, and an adult fowl 

 never does — only a pullet can be depended upon for winter eggs. There would 

 be no reason why you should not keep some of each breed, Brahmas and 

 Houdans. They ai-e equally hardy. As non-sitters, wo would say keep 

 Houdans, were it not that in a confined space they sometimes take to eating 

 each other's feathers. Where the space is a confined one, we know no fowl 

 that gives us as much satisfaction as the Brahma; he has most of the vii'tues, 

 and few of the vices of fowls in general. 



Uniting Broods (Novice).— As the chicks will be so very nearly of an age, 

 if you put the three at night under the other hen when her hatching is 

 finished, we think she will accept them. 



Bradford Columuarian SocrETY (H. ^.).— We conclude that it was a 

 mere local show, as it was not advertised. 



Book on Carrier Pigeons— Wing Bars (F. Towrisend]. — No separate 

 work has ever, as far as we know, been published on English Can-ier Pigeons, 

 although there is a Belgian one on homing bii-ds. No English fancy Pigeon 

 has had the honour of a distinct book except the Almond Tumbler, upon 

 which a work was published in 1302 and 1804. A Dun bird has no wing-bars, 

 beinga whole colour; a Silver should have brown bars; a Blue, black bars. 

 The coIom-8 differ, so in our belief should the wing-bars. Silvers with black 

 bars are a kind of washed-out Blues. Silver Duns, bars red. The colour of 

 the bars should vary with the colour of the body of the Pigeon. To look for 

 black bai's on a Silver is as wrong as to look for black bars on a Mealy Pouter. 

 In all common sense the bars should vai-y with the colour of the Pigeon ; if 

 they do not, the distinctness of a colour is lost. 



Pigeon (G. F. TF.).— The case does not possess the features which justify 

 oui- publishing names. The vendor's chai-acteri sties of a Red-mottled bii-d 

 may differ from the true, and yet you could not compel birn to take back that 

 you have paid for. 



Raven's Wing Feathers (Colin).— The Raven has not moulted recently, 

 and you need not care for the stumps. They will come out in due time. The 

 bird will moult next autumn, and you will find, if you do not cut its wings at 

 that time, it will fly away. New" long feathers will then take the place of 

 stumps. 



Parrot Feather-eating (J. T.).— Cease giving hempseed. white bird- 

 seed and peas. Such a diet may well make the bird's skin in-itated. Bread 

 soaked in watei-, nuts, and any fruit it will eat, and stalks of lettuce will 

 probably reduce the irritation which makes the bird bite its feathers. 



Judging Rabbits (S. G. H.).— No judge that we ever knew has given 

 judgments that were never impugned; but because a Rabbit wins at one 

 Show and is miuoticed at another, it docs not follow that the second decision 

 was wrong. We cannot insert more about the Northampton Show. 



Bees (P. T. B.).— We do not know the book you refer to. 



Bees Fighting {R. F.).— We think there must be sometliing wrong within 

 that hive outside which the greatest amount of commotion prevails, and that 

 the bees of your other stocks, or perhaps those of your neighbours, are 

 endeavom-ing to take possession of what treasm-e it may contain. Perhaps 

 the queen may have died, or have become superannuated, in which case a 

 stock is particularly liable to attempted invasion. Or it may be that, owing 

 to the very ungenial weather which prevailed imtil lately, your neighbours' 

 bees may have suffered from scarcity of provisions, and may be endeavouring 

 to appropriate what belongs to youi- own stocks. We can account for the cii-- 

 curastajice in no other than one of these ways, as we do not believe there is 

 much likcUhood of the bees of one family fighting among themselves. 



CoaiMENCiNG Bee-keeping (fl".D.).— We adviseyouto begm wlthcommou 

 EngUsh bees. Buy a hive now if you can procm-e one ; if not, buy a swarm 

 in May. Neighboui-'s improved cottage hive is sold by the Messrs. Neighbour 

 and Sons (see then- advertisement in these columns) ; but you might pick up 

 some second-hand hives cheaper by advertising. 



Bees in Qtieenless Hive (-4 Sit&scrf^^L-rj.-We would advise you to fumi- 

 gate with sulphiu: the bees in your queenless hive if only a few remain when 

 your swarm is ready ; but if there are many of them, you can utilise them in 

 the following way — When youi- bees swarm put the swarm at once in the 

 parent stocks place, then shift away this pai-ent stock for a few hours till the 

 bees have pretty well deserted it ; next put it in place of youi- queenless hive, 

 which you can set at some distance off iu yom* ganieu. bottom upwards, in 

 the full sun. Let the bees fly away and help to batch out the yoimg bees. 

 Ton can then hive another swarm into the queenless hivo when empty. The 

 frames should not extend quite to the bottom, but to within a quarter of 

 an inch of it. 



Deserted Hive (Bt/r^on Joi/c?1.— Your deserted hive will do very well to 

 put yom- bees in, only see that all decayed and mildewed combs are cut out of 



Trout Spawn, &c. (F. Graver Browne).— "Write about the spawn to Mi*. 

 Grove, Fislimonger, 33, Charing Cross, London, S.W. The price paid for 

 Brahma and Dorking eggs varies according to the estimation m which the 

 parent birds are held. Look at the advertisements in our Juiimal, and select 

 those you prefer. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 

 Camden Square, London. 

 Lat. 51° 32^ 40^^ N. ; L on g. 0' 8' 0'^ W. ; Altitude 111 feet. 

 In the Da7. 



1872. 

 April. 



We. 10 

 Th. 11 

 Fri. 12 

 Sat. 13 

 Sun.14 

 Mo. 15 

 Tu. 16 



Means S0.U2 51.1 4S.7 



Direo- 



Wind. 



Temp. 

 of Soi: 

 at 1 ft. 



Qx.^A^'P^^ 1 Kauiation 

 Shade rem- xempera- 

 peratare, | ^^^^^ 



REMARKS. 

 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th.— Most beautifully fine, a In-ight warm sun, and 



scarce a cloud to be seen. 

 14th. — Rather dull and rain-Hke between 10 and 11 A.M., but no rain fell, and 



it was fine all the rest of the day. 

 15th. — Rather dull in the morning, but soon cleared off, and was a splendid 



day, though perhaps rather too worm for exercise in the middle of the 



day ; rather cloudy at night. 

 16th. — Rather dull in morning, though fine after, and the wind having become 



north it was colder, especially at night. 

 The entire absence of rain during the week has forced up the temperature of 

 the groimd, the mean being very nearly 5" above that of last week ; the tem- 

 perature above ground has risen nearly 10^ ; but the nights have been rather 

 cold, though not quite so cold as last week. — G. J. Symons. 



Erratum.- On April 5th, Bar. should have been 30.298, not 29.298, which 

 makes the weekly mean 30.157, instead of 30.014. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— April 17. 

 A week's fine weather has caused a marked improvement in the geneiu'' 

 trade, and a better attendance. Large consignments from the Continent come 

 to hand nearly every day, as many as a thousand bundles of Asparagus pass- 

 ing under the hammer on the bye days, and the Lettuces are unusually good. 

 Good samples of frame Potatoes of different varieties fi"om the Channel 

 Islands are now offered at prices ranging from 9d. to Is. Gd. per lb. In old 

 Potatoes none bnt first-class Regents have advanced. 



FKTJIT, 



POULTRY MARKET.— April 17. 



The supply is somewhat i 

 maintained. We shall look i 

 aud retail branches. 



Partridges 



