264 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 2, 1873. 



that bad been filled, it was put into a bos having twenty-three 

 bars. The queen kept on filling all these bars with brood, and 

 the hive never swarmed. It weighed 91 lbs. when it was sent 

 to the heather, and 116 lbs. when it returned, having gained 

 22 lbs., but all was put into the bars and none into the supers. 

 Had it been a favourable season it should have given me 30 to 

 40 lbs. of super honey. Another has gained 28 lbs. 



Some of my neighbours whose stocks did not swarm have 

 a few supers, but none well finished so far as I can learn. A 

 ten-bar Woodbury we find large enough in most seasons for 

 this locality, unless uniting, which is extensively practised here 

 and with uniform success at all seasons of the year, except the 

 ■winter. 



Honey is now eagerly inquired after, and a higher price than 

 last year is already offered for it.— Alex. Shearek, Yestcr 

 Garden, Haddington. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Northern Coldmbarian Societv {J. Q. D.).— We cannot comply with 

 your request. 



Spanish Cock's Face Yellowish (C. T.).— Discoloration of a Spanish 

 cock's face may arise from many causes; among them are picking by the 

 pullets, and discharge from the white face immediately round the eye. The 

 only treatment for the first is to separate the bird from the pullets and to 

 dress the spots with citron ointmeut. For the second you must carefully 

 sponge and wipe out the discoloured spots, especially if there be any creases 

 in it, and then dress it with powdered alum. Bathing with cold water is also 

 a very good thing for it. 



Stones for Grinding Oats {L. J. S.).— We believe the stones are from 

 Brittany. The first quality of stoue is required, but the dressing is the more 

 important part. However good the stone may be, if it be dressed in the ordi- 

 nary way nothing is accomplished. We have no doubt you can get every 

 information from Mr. Corcoran, sen., Mark Lane. It is his business, and he 

 thoroughly understands it. 



Dorkings' Feet Corned (H. F. JT.).— When the wound or excrescence is 

 round, the skin being destroyed in the middle of the circle, we have no hope 

 of recovery. It is a rare thing to happen to a cockerel, but is not uncommun 

 in an adult or old bird. It is ";:;eueraUy caused by tho great weight of the body. 

 As a rule, it is vei-y rare where fowls are kept on grass ; it is very common 

 where they have only gravel iu their runs. As he is young we should turn 

 him into food; he will never be a satisfactory stock bird. If you are deter- 

 mined to treat him, moisten tho callosities with oil or warm water ; remove 

 as much of them as you can without causing bleeding ; apply citron ointment, 

 or, if more convenient, plain spermaceti to each foot ; bind it in a rag so that 

 no dirt shall come in contact with it, and allow the bhd to run only on grass 

 or on something equally soft and yielding. We do not promise a cure, but we 

 know this will relieve it. We, howevei", repeat we should eat him. 



Ground Oats (A. A. V. ff.).— They seem good, bat we cauuot bear testi- 

 mony to them untried. 



Indian Corn— Feeding Spanish Chickens (Rossini). — It is impossible 

 to say how much corn seven young chickens should eat. If it is the only food 

 they have they will soon begin to fall off. It is deficient in all the elements 

 necessai-y for the gi-owth of chickens. If it is not the only food, you should 

 tell us what else they have. As a rule, Spanish chickens are hard to rear, and 

 require not uuly constant feeding but great variety of food. They seldom lay 

 till they are eight weeks old. Give them ground oats, dough, chopped egg, 

 bread and cheese, and chopped table scraps. Above all, feed them the last 

 thing at night and first iu the morning. No fowl makes a better retui'n for 

 care and painstaking than a Spanish chicken. 



Spanish Fowls (.4. T. ir.).— The legs of Spanish should be blue, not black. 

 It is very beneficial to shut-up these fowls in a darkened room for ten days 

 before exhibition. 



Mrs. Arkwright's Dorkings.— Mrs. Arkwright informs us that the cock- 

 erel and pullet which won the first prize at Middleton, and which our report 

 says were moderate and deficient, obtained three days afterwards the first 

 prize at Crewe, and our report says the class was as good as any of this season. 

 We do not see that the reports are contradictory ; but if they were it would 

 only be evidence that different reporters differ in judgment. We add for 

 om-selves that Mrs. Ai-kwright's birds would need no defence, even if they are 

 not always equally good. 



Aylesbury Poultry Show. — The highly commended birds in the Variety 

 class of Bantams were Capt. F. G. Coleridge's Japanese and Mr. Wilkinson's 

 Gold-laced Sebrights. Those exhibited by Mr. Vigera were not noticed. 



Poultry and Pigeon House. — Mr. Gamett says, "I have a poultry and 

 Pigeon house pretty nearly of the same pattern you recommeud in your 

 Journal of the iHth ult., except that the nests themselves form the partition 

 between the roosting and sitting houses. Each nest is 16 iuches wide by 

 14 inches deep, and 14 inches high, and tho back of the nest is formed of a 

 loose board, which will slide. When a hen wants to sit the slide is taken 

 from the back and put in the front of the nest, thereby removing the hen 

 into the sitting house without touching her, which is a great advantage, as a 

 hen always prefers to sit where she has been accustomed to lay." 



Wood Pigeons (W. M. O.). — You can get them at Baily'a, 113, Mount 

 Street. They will do very well in such a space as you describe. 



Stock Weighing Fourteen Pounds (Pumeroy, Co. Tyrone). — Feed-up 

 at once to the full weight of t^O or 25 lbs. Finish before November, and, if 

 necessary, feed again in March or April. 



Mouldy Comhs in a Hive {A. M. C).— We should advise you to cut away 

 any mouldy comb which may be found in your hive. It can only be produc- 

 tive of mischief. The vacancy caused by its removal will improve the venti- 

 lation of the hive in the winter, but we would cover it up with something 

 warm, as we ourselves do in severe weather. You can easily remove the comb 

 after a slight fumigation with rags or brown paper. Do it at once. 



Hives to Prevent Swarming {F. E. Stacker). — There are many hives 

 made which profess to prevent swarming, but none of them can be said abs^i- 

 lutely to prevent it in any and every case. Bees will sometimes be iien'f rse 

 and have their own way. We have known them swarm out of a fair-sized hive, 

 before it was filled with comb, without any assignable reason. In general, 



however, bees will not swarm in seasons that are fairly rich in honey if you 

 give them freo access at the proper time to fair-sized supers. 



Obtaining Honey for Sale (F. E. Mailer). — With your present intention 

 to increase your stock of bees and sell honey next year, we think you would 

 do well to buy two or thi-ee more stocks at once. The present time is favour- 

 able for making purchases, and is also the time to give weak stocks all the 

 food they may require for the winter. Water and sugiir boiled are preferable 

 to beer and sugar. 



Wintering Bees (A Ladrj Bee-keeper, MomnouthshiTe). — Your outer case 

 being rather larger than the Woodbury hive is not objectionable. In the 

 event of a very severe frost, the cavity between the hive and case could be 

 filled with rags or other warm materials ; or as soon as feeding is completed 

 a piece of old carpet or sacking might be flung around the hive, and over all 

 the case. The lid may remain unscrewed down till spring. Contract the 

 doors of hives to prevent mice going in during the winter. 



Salvia nemoralis {M. C). — We believe the plant mentioned is better 

 known as Salvia eyivestris. We cannot say where you can obtain seeds of it. 

 All the common Salvias and Nepetas afford favourite pasturage for bees. The 

 journal is not published in England; it is an American publication. 



Pumpkins (T. M.).— Whether large or small, their flesh may ho mixed with 

 apples for pies or puddings, or boiled and mashed aa turnips. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



Lat. 5V 32' 40" N. ; Long. 0° 8' 0" W. ; Altitude 111 feet. 



REMARKS, 



24th. — A veiy fine day ; rather less so in the evenmg. 



25th. — Rather hazy, but fine afterwards;, and splendid sunset. 



26th. — Again hazy in the morniog; rather better towards noon, the sun striv- 

 ing to get tlu-ough the haze, bub unable to do so ; thicker again in the 

 evening. 



27th. — A most enjoyable day throughout, with bright sun and a pleasant tem- 

 perature. 



28th. — Fine, but rather hazy all day ; cloudy about 4 p.m., and again at night. 



29th. — Morning rather dull, hut soon cleared oS, and we had another lovely 

 day. 



30th.— Dull and hazy in the morning; finer about noon, hut soon again dull ; 

 very dark about 4 p.m., looking vei-y likely for rain, but not any fell. 

 A still higher barometer than last week {but it is now falling); the tempe- 

 rature about 3^ lower, though there has not been any raiu. As a whole tho 



week has been most enjoyable. — G. J. Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— October 1. 

 We have experienced a somewhat slow trade during the week, and prices 

 ai*e receding, good first-quality articles behig the only ones that maintain 

 former rates. A large quantity of Grapes of ordinary quality are now coming 

 from the Continent and Channel Islands, at prices ranging from 6d. to Is. 

 per lb. 



FRUIT, 



s. d. 



Apples i sieve 1 Otol 



Apricots doz. 0" 



Onernes l:*\b. 



Chestnuts bushel 



Currants i sieve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 6 



Filberts lb. 1 



Cobs lb. 1 6 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, hothouse lb. 1 



Lemons :|tvl00 10 



Melons each 2 



8. d. B. 



Mulberries l^-lb. OtoO 



Nectarines doz. 



Oranges f^ 100 10 20 



Peaches doz. 4 8 



Pears, kitchen doz. 10 2 



dessert doz, 3 8 



PineApples lb. 3 6 



Plums J sieve 2 4 



Quinces doz. 10 8 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries ^.* lb. 



Walnuts buBhel 10 16 



ditto %H00 2 2 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes doz. 8 0to6 



Aspara-us 't" 100 



French « 



Beans, Kidney.... \ sieve 2 



Beet, Red doz 10 3 



Broccoh bundle 9 1 



Cabbage doz. 10 1 



Capsicums ^ lUO 16 



Carrots bunch 6 



Cauliflower dnz. 3 6 



Celery bundle 16 2 



Coleworts. . doz. bunches 2 6 



Cucumbers each 3 



picttling doz. 



Rndive doz. "i 



Fennel bunch 3 



(larlio lb. G 



Herbs buDch 3 



Horseradish handle 3 



Leeks bunch 3 



Lettuce doz. 1 





 

 

 

 n 



Mushrooms polMe 



Mustard (i Cress. .punnet 2 



Onions bushel 3 



pickling quart 6 



Parsley ptr doz. bunches 



Parsnips doz. 9 



Peas quart 8 



Potatoes bushel 3 



Kidney do. 



Round - .do. 



Radishes., doz. bunches 1 



Rhubarb buntile 



Salsafy bundle 1 



Savoys doz. 



Scorzonera bundle 1 



Sea-kale basket i) 



Shallots lb. 3 



Spinach bushel 2 



Tomatoes doz. 1 



Turnips bunch 1 



Vegetable Harrows 3 



d. s.d. 



otoa 



2 

 6 

 6 

 4 

 9 1 



1 



4 











1 

 



1 



I) 















S 



2 



S 







