July 3, 1873. ) 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



point of view. Mr. J. G. Dann, 2, Gloucester Terrace, New- 

 castle-upon-Tyne, is the Secretary. 



DUCKS WITHOUT WATER. 



A CORRE3POXDEXT of the American '* Country Gentleman " 

 say3 — The question is often asked, Can Ducks be reared with 

 profit without the accommodation of a pond ? I answer. They 

 can. I have raised the Rouens two years without any water 

 except what was given to them. When young I used a common 

 pie-tin, and as they grew a milk-pan was placed in its stead, 

 thus saving any from being drowned. I have had good success, 

 seldom losing one. 



Rouens, under ordinary circumstances, will be found as profit- 

 able as any variety, for the following reasons : First, the rapidity 

 with which the young Ducks grow. It is not uncommon to see 

 them in full feather and weighing 4 lbs. when eight or ten 

 weeks old, yielding very fine flesh for the table, which makes 

 them valuable for early market. Second, when full grown they 

 often weigh 9 to 10 lbs. each. Third, as egg-producers they rank 

 the best, laying in the fall a good number ot eggs. Then, with 

 a little cessation in midwinter, they recommence in spring, 

 when other varieties have only just begun. They make a nest 

 and are zealous of keeping it, avoiding the trouble of shutting 

 them up at night. I'ourth, the eggs are large and rich, making 

 them valuable for culinary purposes. Fifth, they are the most 

 determined stay-at-home birds imaginable, seldom if ever ram- 

 bling beyond sight of home, never troubling the neighbour's crops, 

 or keeping you travelling nights to bring them home. This 

 breed is highly esteemed by breeders for their size and delicions- 

 ness of flesh. It may be imagined from their large size, that 

 they must consume more food than our smaller varieties. On 

 the contrary, they are remarkable easy keepers, and require less 

 food than the common Duck. 



[The above is perfecily correct as regards ducklings, but old 

 birds must have a swim and a depth of 18 inches at least in the 

 breeding season. It is because they are better without water 

 that we always advise rearing ducklings in a pigstye. "We have 

 never found Rouens very early layers, and 9 to 10 lbs. are the top 

 and an exceptional weight. — Ens.] 



A HORNED CANARY. 



At No. 30, Mill Street, Ludlow, Salop, a Canary may be seen 

 with horns. It is ten years old, yellow, a hen bird, fairly pro- 

 portioned. Sis months since, the owner noticed an excrescence 

 on the bUl, which gradually became a horn, and has attained the 

 length of five-sixteenths of an inch, inclines backward and a 

 little outward ; appears to be of the same material as the beak, 

 but is somewhat transparent and rather flat than round. Three 

 to four months since, the second horn began to appear, and is 

 now three-sixteenths of an inch in length. The first one appears 

 to have attained maturity, the second to be in progress. The 

 position of the horns is between the breathing orifices and 

 feather-growth, in a line with the eyes and the point of the biU. 

 The bird was, some time back, in bad health, as a child when 

 cutting teeth, but is now quite well and tunes better than in 

 any previous year. It is of average note-power. — S. R. J. — 

 (English Mechanic.) 



BEE SUPERSTITIONS. 



Last August I purchased a swarm, for which I paid lOs. So 

 far as I could judge from my limited experience with bees, for 

 the first fortnight they appeared to be doing well, but one night, 

 about eight o'clock, I found they had deserted the hive, and 

 were on the ground in a cluster the size of a large plate. I 

 gently lifted the hive and placed it over the cluster. About ten 

 o'clock I found most of tbe bees had gone up into the hive, 

 which I then returned to its stand. For a short time the bees 

 appeared to work, but one day, thinking they appeared very 

 quiet, I lifted the hive, and discovered that it was quite empty 

 of bees. There were three nice pieces of empty comb. I think 

 the bees were teased by wasps. Our parishioners tell me that I 

 did two things wrong, and that in consequence my bees could 

 not thrive. One was to give money for them, which is always 

 unlucky ; the other was that I did not have them at the right 

 time of the year. I ought to have had them on old Christmas- 

 day. Is there anything in these ideas ? How had I better make 

 a fresh start, and what little handy-book would you recommend ? 

 What do you think of llr. Edwards's pamphlet, and the hive he 

 recommends? — A Clerovvan's Wire. 



[The truth is that you were taken in ; we hope not, however, 

 by any one of your own parishioners, who might chuckle over 

 having " done the parson's wife." A swarm bought in August, 

 that had only three small pieces of comb built when it died, was 

 not worth halfa-crown. The bees could not get enough to live 

 on, and deserted their hive in the forlorn hope of falling into 

 better quarters. We can hardly suppose that you can give any 

 credence to the absurd superstitions of villagers respecting the 



purchase of bees, or the time at which they ought to be procured. 

 The idea as to giving money being unlucky is not at all un- 

 common, though, perhaps, not so prevalent as it used to be ; 

 but the second idea advanced by your parishioners we have 

 never heard before. 



Tour proper method of pi-ocedure is to pui'chase a swarm at 

 the end of May or very early in June, m.akiug an imperative 

 stipulation to have it brought to your garden on the day of 

 its swarmiug ; or to purchase a good strong established stock in 

 the autumn or early spring. If you wish to stock any of the im- 

 proved hives, you had better wait until next year, and on having 

 a swarm brought to you, knock out the bees the same evening, 

 and place your hive over them, lifting it up onto its stand as soon 

 as the bees seem to have gone up, either that night or very early 

 the next morning. 



Probably our little publication, " Bee-keeping for the Many," 

 which can be had at our office by sending five stamps, would 

 suit your purpose. We have but little acquaintance with the 

 pamphlet published by Mr. Edwards, and none whatever with 

 the hives he advocates.] 



DEATH OF THE TRICK TERRIER BILL 

 JOHNSON— HIS FEATS. 



There are no doubt hundreds of our readers who have seen 

 or heard of the famous trick terrier Bill, owned by Captain H. 

 W. Johnson, of this city. Bill was a great favourite wherever 

 he was known, on account of the remarkable feats which he 

 could jierform, and the wonderful intelligence he possessed. It 

 seemed at times that he had the reasoning faculties of a human 

 being instead of the brute instinct generally attributed to 

 canines. The animal died yesterday at Captain Johnson's 

 country residence, Yang-tse Villa, Stamford, Connecticut. 



There are comparatively few men who are so well known in 

 New York as was this dog, and his death will be regretted by 

 all who have witnessed his performances. Only a few days ago 

 James Gordon Bennett, jun., of the Herald, offered a fabulous 

 sum for Bill, but Captain Johnson would not sell him at any 

 price, although he valued him at $10,000. He was almost as 

 great a traveller as his master, and had visited nearly every 

 quarter of the civilised, and some parts of the half-civilised 

 globe. In fact, Bill had a world-wide reputation. 



While in China he delighted the "pig-tails," who regarded 

 his performances with wonder akin to awe. In Paris he attracted 

 universal attention wherever he went. Although his master 

 might have sold him to Barnum or other curiosity-hunters for 

 a fabulous sum, the animal was not to be disposed of for money. 

 Among the feats performed by this dog, was one never attempted 

 by any canine quadruped. He would stand upon one foot, and 

 balance himself on the nozzle of a champagne bottle. 



Whenever his master entertained friends at dinner Bill was 

 always present. The dog would occupy a seat beside his master, 

 and when the wine had been passed round would place his fore 

 paw upon the cork, and hold it there, as much as to say, " Gentle- 

 men, you have had enough." While at sea, and when the vessel 

 was pitching about at a violent rate, Bill would balance himself 

 upon four champagne bottles, standing with a foot on the nozzle 

 of each. He could stand upon his fore or hind legs, and main- 

 tain his position steadily enough to have his photograph taken. 

 The feats of bringing articles for which he was sent, watching 

 his master's property, &c., were very common-place matters for 

 BiU. 



Bill was ten years old, weighed 12 lbs, and was a full-blooded 

 black-and-tan. Captain Johnson purchased him when six 

 months old of Mr. Charles Kimball, now agent of Colonel 

 James Flak's line of steamers. Bill's cold corpse is now in the 

 hands of a skilful taxidermist. — (Poultry Bulletin.) 



The HoinNG Pigeons at Southampton Show. — In your re- 

 port of the Hants and Berks Agricultural Society's poultry Show 

 at Southampton, you refer to the Homing Pigeons as a new and 

 interesting class, and state you will be curious to know the re- 

 sult of their flight. The birds from Reading all returned, and 

 flew a sweemtake race home from the showyard ; the conditions 

 of the race Pein ,', the birds to be caught and conveyed to the 

 club house for ilcntification. The result was as follows; — Mr. 

 C. H. Buckland's bird first; Mr. J. W. Barker's second; Mr. 

 J. Albury's jun., third ; my five birds taking two hours three 

 minutes to complete the journey, althougli they had flown 

 from Soutliampton railway station on tlio previous Friday in 

 one hour forty-two minutes.— J. W. Baiiker, Hon. Sec, Beading 

 Pigeon Society. ^__^ 



Fecundity' op the Tame Rabbit. — The Aigle ilu Midi states : 

 •' A farmer named Pinel, of Revel, in the department of the 

 Haute-Garonne, Franco, has lately commenced breeding Rabbits 

 on an extensive scale for consumption, and that he expects the 

 operation to be successful in a commercial point of view. In 

 the space of five months, from May last, ho, with fifty female 



