146 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



I August il, 1873. 



operated at all against tbe secretion of honey, for whenever 

 a fine day occurred it was found in abundance. 



The season opened with the fairest prospects. On the 20th 

 of May the best stocks were at the verge of starvation, but by 

 the 8th of June they were filled to overflowing. Not one empty 

 cell was to be seen. After that date, however, no addition 

 could be made to their stores. Damp showery weather set in, 

 and has continued up to the date at which I write (August 11th). 

 This alone ma-y explain our disappointment, for if the products 

 in the nectaries of flowers are washed-out by heavy rains, or 

 much diluted with water, the labours of the bees will be vain. 

 To have honey of good quality, and to permit of its being suc- 

 cessfully gathered, the atmosphere must be so dry as to cause 

 evaporation. So long as the flowers are wet with dew or atmo- 

 spheric moisture pollen may be collected, but comparatively 

 little honey will be carried into the hives. With the exception 

 of some five or six days which occurred at intervals, the last 

 nine weeks have been damp throughout. Breeding stocks have, 

 in consequence, been obliged to draw largely upon their stores, 

 but those from which fertile queens were from time to time re- 

 moved are in very good condition. These latter, having little 

 brood to maintain, were just able to earn a subsistence and con- 

 tinue their statut quo. — R. S. 



Horseradish. — Very few people know that pieces of horse- 

 radish added to the vine gar in pickles improves their flavour 

 and prevents moold. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Blackpool PonLTRY Show {R. B. Smith and Others). — You are quite 

 justified in complainiDg that there were no pens, and the hirde had to be 

 fihown in the baskets they travelled in. It was probably intended to be a 

 makeshift affair, as itwae not advertised. 



Poultry-keeping {L.M. N. P.).— We did not Bee the pamphlet you refer 

 to. We believe that we made oar extracts from the pr3\incial paper of the 

 county where the speech was deUvertd. 



Fowls Injured before Reaching the Show {H. Moore). — We would 

 publish full particulars if they would prevent similar malpractices. As your 

 birds were highly commended, notwi th standi u^; their feathers had been 

 clipped off, it is doubly annoying. It is an additional evidence that the 

 travelling bankets should be locked, the key being sent to the secretary by 

 post. 



Feeding Poultry and other Birds [B. S.).— All live food has a tendency 

 to make birds thin, and to render them diseatiefled with other food. We 

 advise you to discontinue the beetles, except now and then a few thrown 

 down. Wherever they constitute the daily food we should look for a great 

 mortality, and we do not in auy case recummend them. The real use of live 

 food is in rearing or "meating-off" certain birds. There is Fometimes a critical 

 period in the life of a young Pheasant when it will eat nothing in the way of 

 ordinary food. It has become disfiatisfled and wanders about hungry in the 

 midst of plenty, crying, Peep, peep, peep. At these times only anfs eggs, or 

 live food in the shape of maggots will save them. Another case where live 

 food is required, is when it is necessary to get a recently caught Nightingale 

 to feed. The food is scraped beef mixod with yolk of egg. The trough inside 

 the cage is filled with tliic, and a meal-worm is half buried in it. The upper 

 half writhing and twisting about attracts the bird. It pulls out the worm, 

 and in eatiug it it eats some of the food adhering to it. The worm is buried 

 deeper every day, thus giviug mure of the food, and at last it is discontinued. 

 Those, however, who keep Nightingales in cages, know that at certain times 

 appetite has to be renewed by the gift of a few meal-worms. It is not so with 

 fowls, but with many birds the live food is always hold as a valuable last 

 resource, and is used for that only. 



Poultry in New Zealand (D. Z.).— There are plenty of pure fowls in 

 New Zealand, and more are being sent out. We cannot help thinking eggs 

 may reach as for in condition for sitting, but our experience is unfavourable 

 to the belief. The best means of conveyance is a steamer. We cannot at 

 present quote the exact cost of transit, but it is not much. The tank should 

 be tin or z'uxc. 



Prolific Turkey (TK. B.).~Tour hen Turkey, which has produced eighty 

 eggs, has laid far more than the usual number. Has she never been 

 broody V 



Aylesbury Ducks' Plumage Yellow (I<7?iflrami(s).— We have no doubt 

 the plumage of the Ducks is affected by the dirty water of the pond, espe- 

 cially if yard and stable drainaga runs into it. Keep them from it. and let 

 them run in the highest grass you have while the dew is upon it early in the 

 morning. 



Brahmas Broody (Constant Reader).— We have kept Brahmaa ever since 

 they were first known. We do not find they are more prone to be broody 

 than other breeds. We should be very sorry to cure them of it. If you want 

 fowls that do rot sit you have plenty to choose from— Spauish, Hamburghs, 

 Crrve-Cuiure, Houdans. and La FlL-che. No fowl desires to sit till it has laid 

 its eggs. "We have hundreds of Brahmas, and go for weeks (to our cost) in 

 the early spring without a broody hen. 



Pigeons (Fn?!}.— The varieties you name are alike in hardiness. If you 

 refer to our present number you will see an advertisement from Mr. Fultan, 

 Union Terrace, Brockley Boad, Upper New Cross, London ; or you may apply 

 to Mr. Yardlcy, Market Hall, Birmingham. 



Dividing Stock Bees— Driying IH. Ahap).—We do not think you can 

 safely make two hives out of No. 1 this autumn by dividing it as you pro- 

 pose. The super is too shallow to make a hive of, and tlie wood rim which 

 you put to the lower part of the main hive could not be taken away without 

 rendering the comb in it useless, as ic would have to be cut away, and would 

 lall m. Much better remove the super and keep it for another year, if there 

 IB too httle honey in it to tempt you to plunder it. So also let the hive 

 remain with the rim on ; it will make a splendid stock for another year. Do 

 not plunder No. 2, you will gam but little from it ; keep it for another year. 



As to No. 3, why not drive the bees into an empty hire, then catch their 

 queen, and add them to one of the swarms ? Do it towards sunset, when 

 the bees are mostly at home, and let them march straight up into the swarm's 

 hive, first dashing them out of the empty hive on the ground. You must 

 put the swarm near it. 



Covering roR A Hn^E {L. M. S.).— Cover your hive with a large Duchess 

 slate, puttiug a couple of bricks at toy. You can make it incline forwards or 

 backwards to carry off drip, by restiug one end of it on a bit of Wdod. We 

 feai- your bees are in a bad way if you can see no honey at the window.s. If 

 this continues you must feed them without loss of time. We fear the honej 

 season has been bad with you as with others. 



Yellow-h.^nded Bees— Drones (W. G.).— No. 1 of the specimens sent is 

 undoubtedly a hybrid, the offspring of a black queen and a Ligurian drone. 

 Your young ijueen must have met with a drone of the latter variety, although 

 you say that no Ligurians are kept in your vicinity. The other bees sent are 

 rather doubtful, the colour of the rings having probably become less distinctly 

 marked since death. We must compliment you on the admirable method 

 adopted by you in mounting and packing the specimens, which arrived in a 

 condition very different from the smashed meeses we are often asked to give 

 our opinion upon. We do not think there is much advantage in the cross 

 with a black queen and Ligurian drone, though there undoubtedly is with 

 respect to the opposite cross. Drones are often bred in a swarm of the current 

 year. Drone egg-laying is usually, in such circumstances, a percursor of a 

 maiden swarm being thrown off. It is not usual for drones to make their first 

 appearance so late in the season. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



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



REMARKS. 

 13th.— Rain early, fine by 8 a.m., and beautifully so the remainder of the day 



and the night. 

 14th. — Very fine day throughout. 

 I5th. — Wet early, but fine before noon, continuing so with a starlight 



night. 

 IGth.— Dull early, fine forenoon, and till 6 p.m., then very dark and stormUk.:, 



with a few large drops of rain, but fine afterwards. 

 I7th. — Fine, dry, bright, cool day. 

 18th. — Rather dull morning, a little sun before noon, rain soon after, and 



continuing more or less all day and night. 

 lOth. — Slight rain early, and again at 1 p.m., rest of the day fine. 



Temperature very similar to previous weeks, but slightly declining. Rapi-i 

 fall of barometer between 17th and lt)th.— G. J. Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— August 20. 

 Retail trade falling off. Supplies well kept up, both homegrown and 

 continent a1. 



FRUIT. 



Apples i sieve 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries ^ lb. 



ObestDuta bushel 



Currants 4 sieve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 



Filberts lb. 



Coba lb. 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, hothouse lb. 



Lemons !?*■ 100 



Melons each 



Artichokes doz. 



Asparaaus ^.100 



French 



Beans, Kidney. . . . j sieve 



Beet, Red doz 



Broccoli bundle 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums T* 100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Coleworts. . doz. bunches 

 Cucumbers each 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish bundle 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce doz. 



B. d. s. d. I 

 1 6 too 



Mulberries ^ lb. 



Nectarines doz. 6 



Oranges ^ 100 6 



Peaches doz. 12 



Pears, kitchen doz. 



dessert doz. 2 



Pine Apples lb. 3 



Plums 4 sieve 4 



Quinces doz. 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries %*■ lb. 



Walnuts bushel 8 



ditto ^100 2 



B. d. B. d. 



6 too 9 



19 



16 



20 







S 







6 







1 6 

 



12 



2 G 



VEGETABLES. 



B. d. B. d. 



3 0to6 



6 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress.. punnet 

 Onions bushel 



pickling quart 



Parsley per doz. bunches 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Round . do. 



Radishes., doz. bunches 



Rhubarb Jmnille 



Salsaf y bundle 



Savoys doz. 



Scorzonera bundle 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach busliel 



Tomatoes doz. 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Harrows 



s. d. s. d. 

 2 0to4 

 2 



