JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND C0TTAG:E GARDENER. 



Hen Twisting her Neck (H. White).— An she does this from side to side 

 after feeding, it inilicates a pressure ou thehrain. Give her a dessert- spoonful 

 of castor oil, and never let her eat much at one time. Ivy is not injurious to 

 fowls. 



Feeding Poitltry (F. A. M.).—It is with fowls as with human beings, 

 they require more food, and of a different nature, at some times than at 

 others. In the winter, and in cold, cheerless weather they want more stimu- 

 lants, having the unkind atmosphere to contend with. We take it for granted 

 that your fowls have a grass run. In such case they find much food, and of 

 the best character; that may be profitably deducted from that given by hand. 

 We must tell you that your question is a most difficult one to answer in a 

 direct manner; we therefore tell you what jou should do, and the result will 

 be easily a'scertained. If your fowls are unable to get out tiJl they are 

 released in the morning, they must then have a good meal provided for them, 

 because they have been fasting from daybreak. If they can go out when they 

 please, a much less one will satisfy them. Morning and evening are the 

 times when there is most food in the shape of animal life among the gi'ass. 

 In the heat of the day, when the sun is up, there is very little. You may feed 

 with whole maize if it be the most convenient food. At midday give barley- 

 meal or ground oats, and in the evening give whole maize or barley. The 

 former is the most profitable, because the small birds do not take it. We are 

 not friendly to Indian meal, as we fancy our birds do not lite it, and therefore 

 waste it. The difficulty comes as to quantity, and here you must form your 

 own conclusions. No mistake is so great, no conclusion so erroneous, as that 

 which gives a certain quantity every day. You will do aright if you feed onlv 

 80 long as the birds run after their food. Wben they begin to leave it, and to 

 wander from it one by one, give no more. Start with a certain quantity of 

 food, note how long it lasts, and you will easily come at the cost. Fowls are 

 overfed whenever they have food always by them, and wherever it is still 

 thrown down though they appear careless about it. 



Preserving Eggs (A. B.).— Fill a vessel with smooth lime slaked with 

 water till it is deep enough to cover an egg placed therein, the small end 

 downwards. When the layer is complete smooth the surface, and begin 

 again when you have enough for another layer. Continue till the vessel is 

 full. They should be put in very fresh. 



Light Brahji as— Marking Fowls {St. -Effmunrf*).— Baily's book on fowls 

 treats of exhibition birds. We believe most others do the same. The hen 

 should have the hackle daiker than the rest of the body. It is not essential, 

 but it is preferred. You can mark your chickens easily by making a large 

 needle red hot, and perforating the web of the wing. You can mark many 

 different broods thus — . , . . , . • . , : : , . . . , and so on. The marks are never 

 obliterated. This method is desirable, because the marks are invisible. We 

 need hardly tell you a visible mark is a disqualification at an exhibition. 



Curing Gapes (H. B. Z-.).— The disease has nothing to do with your clay 

 soil. The celebrated poultry of the London market is nearly all reared on the 

 Susses clays. The origin of the worms is a disputed point. They cause the 

 gapes, and many (ourselves among the number), believe they come from 

 stagnant and impure water. No medicine is of any avail, because the worms 

 exist only in the trachea, and the medicine does not touch it. They are never- 

 theless easily curable. When the cliickens are old enough give a pill of cam- 

 phor the size of a garden pea. Camphor is the strongest vermifuge, and its 

 odour pervades the windpipe while it lies in the crop. Give the chickens only 

 water strongly impregnated with camphor to drink ; this is a certain cure, 

 and we have never known it fail. You are in error about the feather being 

 dangerous to life. Carefully used, it hardly causes inconvenience to the patient. 



Fowl's Claw Crooked (IT. R., Siirrey).~Th&t which is plainly an acci- 

 dent is never a disqualification ; but it is a disadvantage, because where com- 

 petition is very close, and it often is so, the faulty toe will turn the scale. It 

 would not hinder us from exhibiting such a bird. 



Keeping Mandarin and Carolina Ducks {Idem).~-Yo\me Mandarin 

 Ducks may be fed on oatmeal put in a low shallow vessel, also with very small 

 shreds of meat smaller than worms. Feed the Duck well, and she w'ill find 

 food for her young with these helps. They should not be pinioned till the 

 wing is formed and the flight feathers begin to show, but long before there is 

 any sign of quiU. Take a sharp knife, put it under the spur of the wing, and 

 cut straight through it. Put the bird in the water; this stops the bleedic, 

 and they suffer little from it. It heals rapidly. You must be careful to cut 

 off enough, othei-wlse they will fly sufficiently to get away. The spur comes 

 at the second joint from the body, and the wing should be removed close to 

 the joint, but this last should be uninjured. 



Mandarin Ducks (A Soldier).—!! you have a pair of each they will require 

 two hutches. We have no doubt they will breed, but it is possible that if put 

 on the water late in the season you will have to wait, as they had to become 

 reconciled to their new quarters. There is, however, no doubt of their breed- 

 ing sooner or later. 



Ducklings for Market {Cowbo!/).—The ducklings vary very much in 

 weight, but some a little older than six or seven weeks old weigh from 3 to 

 4 lbs. They are not full-feathered; the heads show the remains of the down, 

 and the wing feathers are merely soft stubs. We cannot tell the malady of 

 your chickens. You should teU us on what you feed them, also their age. 

 Confine the food to ground oats slaked with milk, curd, and bread and milk 

 till the giddiness ceases. We take it for gi-anted they have a gi-ass run. 



Turkeys' Eggs Shell-less {E. C, jun.).~V^e are very happv to answer 

 your questions. The secretions of your Turkeys are at fault. Of "course thev 

 have then: liberty and a grass run. Feed for a time on oat, and pea, or bean- 

 meal mixed. Give them some lettuces, the older and more seeded the better. 

 Pnt down m their haimts a bushel of bricklayers' rubbish, old mortar, 

 ceilings, &c. ' 



Silver Dragoons' Bars.— Mr. J. Bromley su-gests that the Birmingham 

 Columbarian Society should decide as to the colour of the bars. 



Canker in Pigeons.-" In answer to «A Subscriber,' I wish he would 

 try armenian bole and goose oil, dressing the mouth a few times with the mix- 

 ture, and report effect in the Journal.— A Wellwisher." 



Three-box Collateral Hives (Inijuircr).—Oniy 



apartment, is to be kept open when the bees 



that in the central c 



entrance — namely, 

 occupy- 



irTr, tv. ZvT """"*" .^.ut,^tujciiL, IS Lu UK itpt (jpeu wjieu the bees ai-e oc 

 mg the three boxes of the coUateral system. We do not know the average 

 of wax and honey m London during the season. Messrs. Neighbour, of Ke^ent 

 Street, would probably be able to inform you. b^i^our, ui x^e^ent 



rr.n^^''^^''^ Drones (Jrf€m).-The drone of the Ligurian variety is a very 

 much handsomer mdmdual than his brown brother, being, when pure of a 

 rich golden colour. The difference is very perceptible. ^ ' 



Third Swarms {Idem).— The third swarm, if it comes off at aU, usually 



ithin three days of the issue of the second swarm ; so that, if it did 

 off within the time mentioned, there is no probability of the hive 

 me forth. Thii-d swarms are by no means to be desired, and should 

 always be returned. 



Food for a Thrush (C).— Give it German paste, lean meat cut small- 

 mealwoi-ms, and now and then a snail, having first broken the shell. 



Bats ( T. G.).~^Vhy do you wish to destroy them ? They hve upon insects. 

 If there are "two thousand," they are evidence that insects are in millions 

 round about. 



Fodder for Milch Cows {J. Tl'. ff.).— Clover bay is good fodder for them 

 if used with carrots and mangold wurtzel. By itself clover hay is too dry ; 

 and turnips, kohl rabi, &c., give an unpleasant flavour to the milk and butter- 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



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



BEMARKS. 



29th. — ^Fttir but cloudy morning; fine afternoon; shower about 5 P.ii., and a 

 heavy one at 9 p.m. 



30th.— Fine day, hot sun soon after noon. 



3lBt. — Fine day with occasional showers. 



June 1st. — Very fine day, though still cold. 



2nd, — Wet morning ; fiiie in early afternoon ; heavy min with thunder soon 

 after 6 p.m. 



3rd. — Fine morning, heavy hail shower at 0.20 p.m. ; fair, but rather dull after- 

 noon and evening. 



4th. — Very fine day, but still cold for the season. 



A very seasonable week, the temperature of the air almost exactly the average. 



The hot sun has partially warmed the earth, and its temperature has risen con- 

 siderably. — G. J. Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— June 5. 



Supplies keep moderate, and prices remain without much alteration. French 



goods arrive in good order, and are quite a staple article just now, comprising 



Cherries, Strawberaes, Apricots, Plums, and the usual vai-ieties of vegetablea 



FEUIT. 



VEGETABLES. 



Apples isieve 3 0to6 



Apricots doz. 2 3 



Cherries per box 2 4 



Chestnuts bushel 10 20 



Currants J sieve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 8 12 



Filberts lb. 6 10 



Cobs lb. 6 10 



Grapes, hothouse lb. 4 10 



Gooseberries quart 9 10 



Lemons ^100 7 10 



ArtiehoteB doz. 



Asparagus 1*100. 



Beans, Kidney.. ..per 100 



Broad bushel 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Brussels Sprouts. .i sieve 

 Cabbage 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Coleworts.. doz-banches 



Cucumbers each 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish bundle 



Melons each 5 



Nectarines doz. 10 



Oranges ^100 4 



Peaches doz. 15 



Pears, kitchen doz. 



dessert doz. 



Pine Apples lb. 6 



Quinces doz. 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries ^Ib. 



. ^100 



Leeks bunch 



l^ettuce doz. 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress. .punnet 



Onions buoch 



pickling quart 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidaey do. 



Radishes., doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Savoys doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes doz. 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Marrows, .doz. 



POULTRY MARKET.— June 5. 



. improving trade, 



s. d. 8. 



Large Fowls 4 to 4 



Smallerditto 8 6 4 



Chickens 2 6 3 



Goslings 6 6 7 



Ducklinffs 3 4 



Guinea Fowls 



) that prices 



„ s. d. B. d 



Hares to 



Rabbits 15 1 g 



Wild ditto ,. 9 010 



Pigeons 10 1 



Pheasants n 



Partridges 



