492 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ June 13, 1873. 



cept where the term " Variegated " occurs in the same schedule, 

 in which case tlie distinctiou should be clearly poiuted out. 



While speaking of the amount of marking, t will just say that 

 I consider haU the wing dark to be too much. I take it to be only 

 a matter of opinion, and do not wish to be understood to speak 

 authoritatively. I consider seven dark feathers in either wing 

 ample. I prefer less. As few as four make a perfect V, and 

 with such a -wiug there is probability of a bird blowing so 

 black as to hold out little prospect of throwing lightly-marked 

 stock. A heavy wing is not my idea of a well-marked wing. 

 Fancy " Edward I." or those two wonderful Jonque Mules Mr. 

 Doel exhibited at the Palace in 1R70, with their delicately mai-ked 

 wings half black ! To have half a wing dark almost invariably 

 involves more than meets the eye, certainly more than the words 

 themselves, taken in their integrity, mean. With so much of 

 the wing dark, how often it happens that many of the smaller 

 feathers are dark also — indeed, with half the pens dark, irregulari- 

 ties may be expected, and if such seeming evenly-marked wings 

 be extended a wide difference will be found to exist between 

 their apparent and their real value. These are not the -^ings a 

 breeder would select as the foundation of future wings. All 

 marking having any pretension to regularity is pretty generally 

 the result of chance. Its extreme rarity demonstrates this, but 

 heavy marking has a tendency to produce heavily-variegated 

 and in-egularly-mai-ked, rather than exactly marked specimens ; 

 and a bird with half its ^^*ing dark is not far enough up the ladder, 

 either as a show bird,- or as one whose offspring is likely to be 

 as good or better than himself.— W. A. Blakston. 



OUR LETTER BOX, 



Ii-LrsTEATED POULTRY BooK (A. B., Sit&scn&t'c).— That by ilr. Wriglit- 

 It is published by Messrs. Cassell, Fetter, & Galpin. 



Andalusians (St. Edmund). — Ask any questions you please, we will answer 

 to the best of our ability. We cannot account for the eccentricities of the 

 estrs. Lite should produce like, and we do not au{,Tir well from the ai.parently 

 white chickens ; we must say as much for the black ones. Spanish have many 

 white feathers when batchel, and your account would lead us to believe soms 

 have thrown hack. We would not advise you to give up hope, or to destroy 

 the chickens, but we should have more hope of excellence were they all of a 

 dingy colour. It is fair to tell you, we have never bred Andalusians. 



WASmxG Light Brahmas for Exhibition (D. S. G. H.). — You may 

 . sponge wetted with warm water, and you may use a little soap. Wipe 





the feathers gently downward ; the outsides only are dirty. \Mien"they 

 clean wash the sponge thoroughly, and wipe the feathers with it, wetted 

 slightly with clean cold water. If there be any sun expose them to it in a 

 basket filled with soft straw. If, as is most likely, there be no sun, put them 

 before a fire, not close to it, and let them stay till they are dry. If you wash 

 youi- fowls with a view of sending them to a show, you should not do so till a 

 day or two before it, as the feathers become dirty more easily after they have 

 been washed. 

 Hex-Cock (J. iJ.).— you ai-e the possessor of a hen-cock. 

 " A whistling girl and crowing hen 

 Are neither lit for yards nor men." 

 It will make good soup, and is fit for nothing else. Themetamoi-phosis is the 

 result of an injury to the laying organs, and there is no remedy. 



Weight of Light Brahmas (F. L).— Light Brahmas ore to a certain ex- 

 tent hh-ds of colour, and if you choose them perfect in their markings, weight 

 is not of the first importance. At tlie same time we must tell you 7 lbs. form 

 a guod weight for laying pullets. The very heavy birds we meet with at shows 

 are often very old, and if you have capital layers weighing 7 lbs. you may be 

 satisfied, and show with a good hope of success. Choose your exhibition birds 

 with a well-striped hackle, the black streaks being accurately defined, a black 

 tail, and black flights. There must be no markings on the back or saddle. 



Choss-bred Dorkings and Brahmas (IF. F.).~We ai-e not friendly to 

 crosses, except when the introduction of a new breed may supply a quality in 

 which another is deficient. Thus, we believe, in any country where Dorkings 

 fail, or are found delicate, the introduction of Brahma blood may be foimd 

 beneficial, but we do not beheve the nimiber of eggs is increased. ^Vhere 

 fowls are wanted for the table, and where there is a market for them, no fowl 

 will beat the Dorking, and none of the sittting breeds will lay better. ^Tien 

 a good hardy fowl is required that asks for no other caie than being provided 

 with food, we are in favour of a cross between the Brahma and Dorking. The 

 real system of providing eggs profitably is to have a sufficiency of pullets 

 aiiiT.-ing at the laying age in regular succession. You will then have eggs in 

 the scarce season when they are very valuable, and a very little arrangement 

 will secure this. _ You are, we believe, quite right in saying that from very 

 eojclj eggs there is always a majority of cocks, but you are wrong in saying 

 they would not he so suitable for market. They would be fit early in the 

 season : poultry is then scarce, and size is a desideratum. Cockerels are much 

 larger than nullets. 



Egg-preserting (L. J/.). — We know of no better mode than that we 

 detailed on page 472 last week. The composition you mention we do not know. 

 The Custolet Pigeon (31. B.).— The authority on Cumulet Pigeons states 

 not only that " they are most estraordinarv birds to fly high," hut that " two 

 bu-ds will fly together as well as a flock." "This we doubt, as even Tumblers 

 do not pack well unless there ai-e a good many together. The more you get 

 the closer they will probably keep together. Put them on the wing on a fine 

 day, and in the morning. As you continue to watch their habits, we should 

 be obliged by a few notes from you when you have a flock, as they are not 

 much known in England. 



Infectious Canary Disease (C. ilf.).— We know of no infectious disease 

 among Canaries. 



CAN.4RY CoNTiNOALLY MouLTiKG (C. A. J.).— Great heat wiU sometimes 

 unseasonable moult. Try by keeping him in a very warm place to 

 conip^ete moult. A PaiVs life pill and a Mrs. Allen's' bottle are much 

 Canaries. Yoa may read any quantity of rubbish in books, 

 as fact if you listen to all the 



stuff which people who never dare to think for themselves relate as tnrtb. 

 It is not usual to pair two Crests, but it is one of the steps in breeding, fo? 

 which there is a proper time, the same as forpaii'ingtwo Yellows or two ^ifEs- 

 — W. A. Blakston. 



Hive Threatenixg to Swarm (J. C.).— Before this reply to your qnerj- 

 reaches you, the bee?) of your employer's hive will have most probably swai-meJ 

 for good, or will have become quietly disposed to remain in then* old home; 

 The cause of then- lea^•ing their hive and returning thereto on three several 

 occasions, may have arisen from theu- old queen being unable or unwilling to 

 accompany the swarms. Sometimes, from incapacity to fly, she becomes losfc 

 on one of the occasions of the bees leaving. In that case the swarm does not 

 properly come off until the inmates of the royal cells arrive at maturity, but 

 the bees often manifest eonsiderable restlessness. We do not think there is 

 anything to be done to prevent their wasting so much valuable time. 



Ants Hive-robbers— Adding Supers (A Young Apiarian).— Ants are un- 

 doubtedly injurious to bees as pilferers if they find their way into the hive'?, 

 as they will by minute crannies ; but you con easily get rid of them by fresh 

 tan-ing your posts every now and then, or spi-inkling petroline oil about them 

 from time to time. Now is the time (when you read this) to put a super on 

 your swai-m — that is, if the weather continues favourable and the liive filled 

 with comb. Open the communication at the same time you give the super, 

 and if there is a bit of fresh comb in it so much the better. 



GciNEA Pigs v. Rats (F. F.). — We never heard before of anyone believing 

 that the presence of guinea pigs banished rats, and your experience shows it is 

 a delusion. 



induce i 



wanted ^^ ^_ 



and you may accept any amount of 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



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



REMARKS. 

 5th.— A beautiful day ; hut rather cloudy in the evening. 

 6th. — Cloudy morning ; occasional sprinkling showers about 3 p.m., andheavy- 



rain between 5 and 6 p.m. ; rain in the evening ; but fine night. 

 7th. — Splendid in very early morning, gradually clouding over till 10 a.m., 

 when there was a sharp shower, hail at 11.15 a.m ; and several short, 

 though heavy showers in the afternoon and evening. 

 8th. — Very clear and bright in early morning, but getting gradually more- 



aud more cloudy, rain about 11 a.m., and showery all day. 

 gth. — Rain in morning ; showerj- at noon ; fine in the afternoon, frequent 

 showers, but only slight. 

 10th. — Showery morning, thunder at 11.15 A.M.; fine afternoon and evening. 

 11th. — Showery all day, very dark between 1 and 2 p.m., a veiy disagreeable 

 day throughout ; hut fair at night. 

 A cloudy, damp, showery, and unpleasant week, very little sun, and frequently 

 strong Ts-inds. — G. J. S\"aioNS. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— June 12. 



Owing to the unseasonable weather business transactions are much more 



limited, and the supply very irregular. The Continental goods are, however, 



arriving in very fair order, but not in large quantities. Out-door Strawberries 



just making their appearance from various locaUtiea, and those from 



imder glass are nearly c 



Apples i sieve 



Anncots doz. 



Cherries per box 



) that we have not much alteration to report. 



FRUIT. 



bnehel 10 20 



Chestnu 

 Corrants.. 



Black do. 



Figa doz. 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, hothouse.... lb. 



Mulberries i;*lb. OtoO 



Nectarines doz. 10 20 



Oranges ^100 



7 



dessert doz. 



.... lb. 6 & 10 



. j sieve 



....doz. 



■ lb. 



Strawberries ^Ib. 6 12 



Walnuts bushel 10 25 



ditto moo 10 2 



Artichokes doz. 



Asparagus ^100. 



Beans, Kidney.... per 100 



Broad bushel 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Cabbage doz. 



10 

 VEGETABLES, 

 . d. 8. d < s. d. s. d. 



to 6 Mushrooms pottle 2 0to3 



8 Mustard & Cress.. punnet 2 



■"0409 



6 6 



.^100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 3 



Celery bundle I 6 



Coleworts.. doz. bunches 2 



Cucnmbers each 6 



pickling doz. 



2 S 



Garlic lb. 8 



Herbs bunch 3 



Horseradish bundle 5 



Leeli s bunch 



Letfuce doz. 9 



Parsley per doz. bunche. _ . 



Parsnips doz. 9 



Peas quart 1 



Potatoes bushel 4 



Kidney do. S 



New ¥^Jb. 3 



Radishes., doz. bunches 6 



Rhubarb bjndle 3 



Salsafy vbundle 9 



Savoys dos. 



Scorzonera .... ^bundle 9 



Sea-Kale basket 



Shallots lb. 4 



Spinach bnshel 3 



Tomatoes doz. 3 



Turnips bunch 3 



Vegetable Marrows.. doz. 



