43G 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



meuced eiiteriug the drone cells, and in a sliort time every cell 

 had a bee in it. They remained in the cells aboiit half an hour, 

 and when they emerged the eggs were gone. Hence I came to 

 the conclusion that, as drones were not needed, the bees eat up 

 the eggs. I also observed a similar circumstance early last 

 spring when opening a hive with glass on the sides. This hive 

 also had worker cells and di-one cells on the outside comb next 

 to the glass. I saw the queen, but when the light shone in the 

 hive she crept behind the comb, and I lost sight of her, but I 

 observed a few eggs in the worker cells which appeared to be 

 just deposited. I shut up the hive, and in about one hour opened 

 it again. Nearly every empty cell, drone and worker, had an 

 egg in it, and as it was rather early in the season for drones to 

 be reared, I wondered if the worker bees would enter the drone 

 cells and eat up the eggs as I had observed before. I watched 

 again. In about one hour the bees commenced entering the 

 drone cells. Some of them remained in nearly au hour, when 

 they withdrew, and the eggs were gone. 



By these observations I am convinced that the queen will 

 deposit eggs in drone cells when they are not needed, but the 

 worker bees enter the cells and eatup the eggs. — G. Ott, Ontario , 

 Canada. — [American National Agricidtarisi.) 



The Forthcoming Poultry Show at Aston. — This Exhibition 

 is not connected with the show annually held at Bingley Hall. 

 The Birmingham and Midland Counties Poultry Show Society 

 (of which Mr. Lythall is the Secretary) have nothing to do with 

 the management of the summer show. 



bills in ooi- possession, that tlie goods then charged for were much dearer 

 than they are at present, and vastly so if we take into account the i,Teater 

 value of money at that distance of time. We will quote a few items: — 

 Fcby. 22, 1734. Eaqr. Farefas Bought of Lanct. Bland 30 itouihIr of Cho- 



colate at 58 6d. a-pound — ^8 5s. Orf." It i 

 Mr. Fail-fax Bought of Collet Mawhood. r 

 against the New Exchange in the Strnul, 

 Tea, 20s.— £3; 6 lbs. fine Green Tea, H'.- 

 The present prices for these being res|>. 

 For medicines in 1734, Mr. Fail-fax jiuii 

 " nine ounces of the finest Penivian Bnrli 

 Rhubarb in root, 6«." The present prices e 

 the finest Tui'key Rhubarb, 30s. per lb. 



i-pni:nd. "Tln.^ Honble. 



i. --, , i,,..h:UM, 111. .,1, .r.i' -., for 

 tl 7,s.; Oue omue and half best 

 i for Bark, is. 6d. per lb., and for 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



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



OUK LETTER BOX. 



Cross-hred Pheasants (E. R.).— We have never heard of a cross between 

 the Golden and Silver Pheasants having been accomplished, although it has 

 been tried. We believe it would be sterile. We know that the hybrid be- 

 tween a Pheasant and a barndoor fowl is so. 



Cochin Cockerel's Legs Swollen (B. P.). — There is a time when a largo 

 Cochin cockerel has outgi-own his strength, and when the long legs cannot 

 support the hea\'y body ; at that period the bird walks with difficulty, and 

 spends most of his time squatting on his knees. He is upright as you de- 

 scribe only for a minute at a time, and then seems to smk do^vu from sheer 

 inability to stand upright. But his legs do not swell, uur is there any inflam- 

 mation. In this case it is overgrowth. Increased at,'e, a generous diet, and 

 ceasing to grow are a perfect cure ; but a? we do not supimsc you would buv a 

 veiy young bml in the month of Maich, wo can hardly think undue gi-owth has 

 anything to do with the complaint. Is he shut up at night in any place with 

 wood, stone, or brick floor ? Either induces disease of the foot and knee joint. 

 If the bh-d is worth the trouble, give him ground oats slaked with milk in- 

 stead of the barley and maize, and feed him on boiled egg and meat both 

 cooked and raw chopped up. A cock, however, that is useless at the end of 

 May should be veiy good to be worth all this trouble and expense. If he were 

 om-3 we should consign him to to the stockpot, and say, "Better luck next 

 time." 



Parrot Feeding (Idem). — You may feed your PaiTot on bread and water' 

 bread and milk, hempseed, eanaiy, at times a grain or two of Indian coni' 

 green food and ripe fruit. Be very sparing with the hemp about moulting 

 time. We give water t J everything, even to Rabbits, and let them drinker 

 not as they think fit. 



CRivE-CLEORs' Legs Downy (F. I. J.).— It is by no means usual for Cievo- 

 Cceur fowls to have down on then- legs and feet, yet you will sometimes find 

 stubs on the outside of the legs of fowls of unquestionable merit and purity. 

 We must not be misunderstood. It is not only nut desirable, but it would in 

 close competition tui-n the scale against the bird that had them. 



Hen's Influence ON Her Eggs {W. O.). — The breed, shape, or colom- of 

 the hen sitting on eggs have no influence whatever on the produce of them. 

 There wa-^ a difficult question of nationality dming tlie war at the beginning 

 of tlii-^ century. The man was the sou of aFrenchman by an English mother. 

 He was bam at sea within Dutch jmisdiction, but on board a German vessel, 

 canning the Danish flag. Your chickens are compounded of Brahma, Dorking, 

 and Buff Cochin, The appearances you describe have nothing to do with the 

 sitting hen. Some of the chickens may appear pm-e, hut they will certainly 

 throw back, and youi* apparently pure Dorkings will give you Brtihma and 

 Cochins, and vice versd. We are not friendly to crosses ; those who are 

 should, we think, be content with the mixture of two breeds. The hen sat on 

 some of her own eggs, and she was half Dorking. No marvel that one of the 

 chickens has five toes. 



Cat Eating Chickens ( ). — If you know the owner of the cat, give 



him notice to keep it from trespassing, and if the cat again eats your chickens 

 sue the owner in the Coxmty Court for the value of them. 



Pigeon Race (H. P. P. p.)._We are veiy much obliged by your note, hut 

 as we announced in om- last number, we have received a supply of the cata- 

 logues. 



Second Scottish Metropolitan Dog Show.— " Faieplay" wishes to 

 know why the Judges, whilst awarding, had catalogues ? 



Challenge (J. G. Dunn). — We cannot insert your challenge except as au 

 advertisement. 



Bees not Workixg (.-f/Jiarmn).— Your hive of bees in a common cottage 

 straw hivf. thr, - Tru^ ,,ld with plenty of honey in it, but the bees not 

 working. }i:i |i ' i: tlier lost their queen, or else she is in an enfeebled 

 condition ;i I M :,. , , I. of death. In either case you bad better follow the 

 advicewL ;,( . ,, ,,.,,, ,,, i^o back in " Our Letter Box," to oue whose bees 

 were ma ^i^uiuu lutdiciunynt. Either destroy the bees with sulphm-, if few 

 in number, aud put a fresh swann into the hive ; or else substitute in place of 

 it an old liive which has just swarmed, allowing the bees to help the young 

 brood. You may thus get a good second swarm. 



Prices a Centcry since {Householder).— V^'e think you are entu-ely mis- 

 r opinion that articles for domestic consumption were cheaper a 



REMARKS, 

 in at 12.15 for about half 



hour, 



ishiuy 



15th.— Rather dull : 



and fine aftens-ards. 

 16tb. — Cloudy and close in mor 

 17th. — A wet day thi-oughout, 



the twenty-four houi-s. 

 18th. — Another rainy day and very cold, the gi-eatest heat in the day being: 



only 48.2% and the thermometer in the iiight going down to 31.9'' on the 



gi'ass. 

 19th. — Fair all day, but cloudy and cold. 

 20th. — Cold, but fair all day except a very slight shower till the evening, when 



there was a little more rain. 

 21st. — ^\^ery fine morning, and the whole day bright and pleasant with a few 



passing clouds, and a sprmkle of rain about 6 p.m. 

 Temperature generally low and similai- to last week ; the rainfall is also 

 similar, being over an inch, and therefore largely above the average. — Gt. 3, 



SVMONS. 



,ved from Portugal. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.- 

 ' alteratit 



Potatoes have- 



taken i ^ ^ _^ 



hundred jearr' ago than they are i 



It is quite certain, from trades] 



POULTRY MARKET.— May 22. 

 The supply of poultry at mai-ket increases, and in some articles prices have- 

 , downwoi'd tendency. The time is come when there should be a larger* 

 j.Tival, and sufficient trade to cai-iy it all off at a fair price. 



Large Fowls 5 



Smaller ditto R (J 



Chickens 2 6 



Gojlings C 



Duckhntrs 3 



1 Guinea Fowls U 



Partridges too 



Hares ()• 



Babbits 15 1 f> 



Wild ditto 9 10 



, Pigeons 9 H» 



1 Pheasants 



