326 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTDEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 2S, 1873. 



hanging over the fireplace — ""Well, it is not so bad, is it ? " and 

 he looked again and again at it during luncheon. It was a stalled 

 horse turning his head to welcome the groom coming with a 

 sieve of oats, and was a ijicture painted in Sir Edwin's boyhood. 

 Temper-trying was he to his sporting companion, for when 

 that companion's pointers stood and backed staunchly — " Stop ! 

 stop ! " was Laudaeer's invariable very audible whisper, while 

 he laid down his gun, took his sketch-book from his pocket, and 

 outlined the dogs. The delay was forgiven so soon as sitting 

 down in the shade for a bite and sup, he showed his masterly 

 sketch. Daring these intervals of rest his pencil was rarely 

 idle, and there was one group of Dock leaves that was often 

 pourtrayed in his sketch-book, as the wind and rain had Viiried 

 it — " Capital for a foreground" was his comment. — Eds.] 



OsTEND EiBBiTS. — The declared value of foreign poultry and 

 game imported in the last nine months was £135,211, which was 

 a large increase on the previous year. Ostend Rabbits are in- 

 cluded, and the importation is considerable. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Address (Turkey Quill).— yir. WoUtenholme, 3, Elizabeth, Cottages, Arch- 

 way Road, Higbgate. 



Brahma Poultry Club (J. D.). — We never heard of tlie club before. The 

 rule is very objectionable, but we presume it is a private association, with 

 which we have no right to interfeie. 



Showing other Persons' Birds (Cra?*?).— Merely buying tlie eggs for 

 other persons to batch and to rear the chickens at their own expense would 

 not entitle you to show the birds as your own. 



Diseased Potatoes for Fowls (E. A. B.). — If boiled they would not 

 injure the fowls. One feed daily in addition to other more nutritious food. 



Duck as an Eoo-rRODUCER (I. IV.). — The number of oggs laid by a Duck 

 depends vei-y much on the breed to which she belongs. In all poultry the 

 non-sitters lay more than those that are concerned in the rising generation. 

 Thus the Aylesbury will lay a gi'eater number of e^jgs than any other Duck. 

 The Black Duck, called the Labrador, or the East Indian, or Buenos Ayrean, 

 is a good layer. The liouen is au average layer, and the Wild Duck lays few 

 compared to these. An old Duck is, as a rule, a better layer than a young 

 one, but it is impossible to give the average of any of them. Aylesbury Ducks 

 begin to lay in November and December; Rouens three months later. Both 

 the time when they begin laying, and the number of eggs they lay, are in- 

 fluenced by their keep and by judicious management. 



Cockerel Severely Purged {Cheshire Sttbscriber). — We are sorry to say 

 yours is not an uncommon case. Birds frequently suffer on their return 

 from shows, either from the mistaken kindness of visitors who give them all 

 sorts of out-of-the-way food, and from the rubbish that is put at the bottoms 

 of the pens, instead of earth or gravel. Whatever it may be, the bird must 

 pick-up some of it with liis food, and if it be of au indigestible character he 

 must suffer from it. If your bird is suffering from any such cause, there will 

 be no relief till it is removed. We advise, then, a table-spoonful of castor oil 

 to be followed by Baily's pills, varied with an occasional pill of camphor, and 

 by stimulants such as bread and ale. 



Spanish Fowls Catarrhed (Black Spanish Fancier]. — Your fowls are 

 suffering from the alternations of weather, and the rapid changes from warm 

 to cold, and wet to dry. In fact, they have a little cold. Birds that are com- 

 pelled to live in paved yards are always subject to this disorder, and it some- 

 times takes a worse form. Give them some bread and ale. Spread gravel a 

 couple of inches thick over the yard. Let them have some camphor always 

 in the water, enough to make it taste. Give them some lettuces to eat, and 

 see they do not roost in a draught. Spanish fowls are not subject to roup. 



Silver-laced Bantams' Plumage {B. T. C). — None of the so-called 

 Silver Sobrights of th3 present day would have been admitted years ago as 

 belonging to the breed, their colour would have been declared ■wrong. When 

 the Silver Sebright left the bands of its maker. Sir John '' of that ilk," the 

 foundation colour of the plumage was that of frosted silver — a dead white. 

 Sir John kept the two colours. Golden and Silver, carefully separate, but since 

 then they have been allowed to run together, and it is from that fact the 

 Silvers have the yellow or creamy tinge of which you complain. You now 

 propoi^e to do that which Sir John Sebright and his son Sir Thomas always 

 did, to repair colour and to alter lacing. You must be careful to choose the 

 AVhite Bantam cock with drooping wings and without sickle feathers. It will 

 make one season difference. The effect of the Black hen will be to make the 

 lacing heavier. Bo careful to select a cock to put with these hens that can be 

 depended upon as a breeder; you probably know all cannot. You cannot do 

 better than you propose, if you wish to make the Silvers more silver, and the 

 Golden better laced. 



Roup in Pigeons (Y. A.). — Give a few peppercorns daily, and keep the 

 bird warm if the case is only a slight one. Move him into a stable where a 

 horse is kept if it happen to bo convenient, as there the atmosphere is suit- 

 able, and yet no fiie heat. If the case is bad make small pills of an equal 

 quantity of jalap and cayenne mixed up with butter, and givo a pill oveiy 

 other day. Feed well. As to infection, fanciers differ, but by keeping the 

 bird apart from the others you act prudently. 



Empty Trap Hives inGarden (Mrs. H.). — There is no law against "people 

 keeping empty hives standing ready to catch swarming bees not always the 

 people's own," but the dishonesty of the intention ought to prevent it. The 

 owner of a swarm so trapped Las a right to recover it. 



Present Weight of a Stock {E. S. H.).— The weight of bees at this 

 time of year is gi-eatly reduced, and is reducing fast, but they will now begin 

 again to breed, and will, of course, increase in weight. We cannot do more 

 than guess the weight of your bees, so much depends upon their numbers. 

 If fairly strong they might weigh from 2 to 8 lbs. Ten pounds of actual 

 honey ■will carry most stocks well through the winter. Probably 8 lbs. would 

 suffice. 



Straw Sicep on a Sherrington Bar-frame {B. J. H. T/iomoi).— We think 

 your better way will be to separate the two at onoe, and preserve the Sherring- 

 ton and the few combs iu it for the flrst swarm next year. The separation 



is easily effected. AU the bees, and the honey too, are now in the skep, so 

 that you have only to apply a little pressure to lift the skep from the Sherring- 

 ton, and then place it on the board. If the two remain together, the beaa 

 would doubtless fill the Sherrington with combs nest year, but probably the 

 half of them would be drone combs. 



Transferring Bees (A. T. FV(>b).— Unquestionably it is much too late 

 to transfer beea. You must wait till May. 



Prize Hites at Manchester (C. H. E.).— The hive, if it might be called 

 a hive, which took the first prize in the ornamental class, was made wholly of 

 glass of three thicknesses, globular, with a centre hole for supering. The 

 board on which it stood was covered with crimson velvet outside the circum- 

 ference of the hive. It was made for the occasion, and is worthless for any- 

 thing but exhibition. The secoud-prize hive in this class was made of ma- 

 hogany, square, with four sides of glass. 



Crystal Palace Hives [Idsm).—Thi& "Crystal Palaces" were very large 

 supers, with lids at their tops like the bottles seen iu confectioners' shops. 

 Mr. Breeu's prize " Palace "' stood 22 inches high, 10 inches wide at the bottom, 

 15 inches at the widest part, and abi^ut 7 or 8 inches wide at the lid. Mr. 

 Pettigrew's was nearly as high, Ij inches wide, and narrowed to only 5 inches 

 at the bottom. We are unable to say that a good coat of paint will preserve 

 straw hives, for we have not tested it; but find that hives well and neatly 

 sewn with canes will stand the wear and tear of ten years without paint, and 

 look well to the last. We agree with you that a milk-pancheon is a very un- 

 sightly cover for a bee hive. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



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



REM AUKS. 

 15th.— Foggy till about half-past ten, then fine till half-past three, when it 



began to rain, and rained at intervals dui'ing the rest of the day. 

 IGth. — A fine day ; foggy in the morning. 

 I7th.— Slightly foggy; bright during the day, but rather cloudy in the 



evening. 

 18th.— Bather cloudy, sun shinmg at intervals ; a few drops of rain in the 



evening. 

 19th. — Light rain nearly all day. 



20th. — Drizzling in the morning, but a fine day, although rather cloudy. 

 21st. — Cloudy in the morning; began to rain at half-past eleven and rained 



without intermission till half-past four, and at intervals during the 



evening. 

 A moderately fine week. Average temperature about 3- lower than last 

 week. — G. J. Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— October 22. 

 We have nothing fresh to report, having good supplies both of English and 

 foreign fruit. Vegetables abundant. 



