522 



JOURNAL OP HOKTICDLTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



[ December 25, 1873. 



were the satisfactory result of our endeavours to keep the Show 

 honest. 



As Mr. Blakstou has brought into question the now famous 

 coloured birds, of which several were exhibited at Darlington, 

 can Mr. B. assert that any exhibitor of Norwich birds violated 

 the programme issued, either by exhibiting birds not their 

 bo7id fide property, or of unnatural colour ? As to us (the 

 Darlingtou Committee) listening to bad counsel, or that an 

 "organised attempt was made," we look upon these as unwarrant- 

 able assertions. We consider ourselves quite equal to the import- 

 ance of the duties of a bird show, and notwithstanding the re- 

 proaches of Mr. Blakston, we are happy to say our late Show 

 was conducted alike satisfactorily to ourselves and exhibitors 

 generally, and in a manner to encourage us to further exertions. 



Before leaving the subject we must assert that the programme 

 giving " a clear stage and no favour " was strictly maintained, 

 and that the Judges (of whom Mr. Baraesby has been alluded 

 to by Mr. Blakston) received the thanks of the Committee. 



Messrs. Bemrose & Orme's assertion that " those narrow and 

 exclusive committees (naming the Darlington as one) who have 

 endeavoured to burke our endeavours, who have been a stum- 

 bling-block in the way of advancement, and who have shielded 

 themselves behind a restriction they cannot define," we (the 

 Committee) look upon as an untruthful and flimsy vituperation. 

 Of course, we answer for ourselves, and no doubt other com- 

 mittees can equally meet the censure so unjustly cast upon 

 them. 



As to a "stumbling-block in the way of advancement," we 

 .have only to compare the 532 birds entered for Darlington 

 Show against the number entered for Derby, which amounted 

 to 109, and of this number Messrs. Bemrose & Orme entered 

 forty-one. In the first eight classes, Norwich birds, there were 

 only forty-five entered at Derby, and out of that number Messrs. 

 Bemrose & Orme exhibited thirty-six ! So much for the asser- 

 tion of a " stumbling-block in the way of advancement." 



Our aim and endeavours on behalf of our recent Show were 

 to make it worthy of the town of Darlington, not studying the 

 interests of any individual fancier, but the interests of all who 

 might patronise us. The issue was left in the hands of the 

 Judges — men of long practical experience, and who performed 

 their duties satisfactorily. — W. Watson, jun., W. J. Stew.ibt, 

 Son. Secretaries. 



BEE FOOD. 



Feeding bees with weU-sweeteued milk porridge, as recom- 

 mended by your correspondent "A. T. W.," is something new 

 even in the north. The most appropriate food for bees, next to 

 honey, is the best " crush " or loaf sugar, in the proportion of one 

 breakfast-cupful of pure water to every pound of sugar, boiled 

 between two and three minutes. Beer, ale, or any farinaceous 

 additions I have always looked upon as the remains of a former 

 barbarism, causing the bees extra labour in getting rid of them. 



A EENFKEWSHrRE BeE-KEEPEK. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



BuRSLEM Show.— The first prize in the Any other variety class waB awarded 

 to the Rev. A. Brooke, Shrawardine, for Malays. 



Feedikg Young Chickens (Don Qit(j-o^-).— The "small boy" is not ab- 

 solutely necessary. You can feed twice before eight o'clock in the morning. 

 You can then put before the chickens bread crumbs, bruised wheat on the 

 frround, some bread and milk in a saucer. Between twelve and one the juve- 

 nile cau give a little chopped egg and some of the scraps from the luncheon 

 table chopped fine. They might have some dry food before them as before, 

 and you could feed on your return at five. This constant care is necessary 

 only during the first six weeks. 



Silver- SPANGLED Hauburghs {H. F. C.).— Hen tails have been out of 

 date fur years. We would not breed from any bird likely to produce them 

 The progeny of the cock with the deformed comb would surely take after him. 

 White legs would disriualify any Hambm-gh fowl, and from your description 

 we should hardly consider your birds as Spangled Hamburghs. 



Fowls' Combs (Coiistant Reader).— The Bingle comb in a Hamburgh is a 

 fatal defect in exbibition, and, like most other defects, more likely to be 

 transmitted than any good point. In our experience of breeding we have 

 hardly ever bred a single comb from double-combed parents. This rule holds 

 good as to Haraburghs. In Sebright Bantams it is not unusual to have one 

 or two single-combed chickens. They are generally very well marked, and 

 for that reason we have sometimes bred from them ; but we always repented, 

 for the single comb is always reproduced. Dorkings stand alone; they may 

 have double, single, or cup combs, without even the suspicion of any but the 

 purest parentage. In Spanish none but a single comb is adiuissible, and a 

 double one is never seen. The cock's comb must be upright, and the hen'a 

 drooping. These requirements are easily met by all good breeders. Game 

 again must have single combs ; they are never seen with double, namburghs* 

 must be double, and we should not care to breed from any such as you describe. 

 We should not beUeve they were from good, much more first-rate birds. 



Brahma Hen Unable to Stand (£.).— Such appearances sometimes 

 result from a hen being egg-bound and eometimos from an injury to the back, 

 causing to the bird some such pain as the human subject feels from a sharp 

 attack of lumbago. She should at once bo treated with a table- spoonful of 

 castor oil, and put in a small place on the floor filled with hay or very soft 

 Btraw. You may repeat the oil every alternate day till there is relief, and give 

 wormwood water to drink on the intcn-ening days. The latter may be made 



by pouring boiling water over the wormwood. Camomile flowers may bo 

 advoutageously used for the same purpose. 



Pullets not Laying — Securing a Constant Egg-scpply [GaJlm).— 

 Your fowls have been laying badly, but they have, we think, laid more eggs 

 than you mention. At this time of year you cannot expect continuous laying^ 

 such as you have a right to look for in the spring and summer. We do not 

 much approve your feeding. The early morning meal should be of ground 

 oats or barley meal mixed with water, milk, or pot liijuor, the evening meal 

 should be the same ; at midday you may give some whole corn, or you may 

 substitute any scraps you have. Eaw potatoes are worthless as food, and 

 three meals are absolutely necessary at this time of year. Maizo is not food 

 fur laying fowls, its tendency to fatten is too great. To get eggs from June 

 to January you must depend on your hens in June, July, and August. After 

 that you must have pullets arriving at puberty month after month. You will 

 have to allow a month for weather. Thus, if you expect a piUlet to lay in 

 November you will do well to choose one that should lay in October, and 

 so on. Your Ducks will do better on oats than on maize. You should have 

 named the breed. They will in all probability lay in February. 



Poultry Keeping with "Prqtit {A Female Reader}. — You may keep poultry 

 profitably on the conditions given at length by us a short time since. You 

 must not spend much on yom* houses, you must not give too much for your 

 stock, and you must give some personal superintendence not only to the 

 feeding, but to every matter of outlay. (R. A. S.). — In ail pursuits where it 

 is sought to make money by the production of food of any kind, it is essen- 

 tial to produce it at the most remunerative time. For instance, eggs in the 

 winter, chickens in the spring. From November to the middle of January eggs 

 should make at least 2d. each. Chickens in May should make 3.s. each. These 

 would alter your account. All allowancing in food ends in disappointment. 

 Those who feed should be able to apportion the food, aud it was published, 

 many years ago, by one of our oldest authorities, that fowls should have food 

 thrown to them only as long as they run after it. If you have few soft eggs 

 you do not want the bricklayers' rubbish. If they are kept in first-rate con- 

 dition on l^d. per week, you have nothing to learn in the way of keeping 

 poultry. They caunot be kept for less, unless they have faciUties for finding 

 food. You will see that three eggs per week if they made 6rf., and they might 

 often make more, would soon pay the cost of keeping for a long time. The 

 rest might be paid at any time by the same pullet rearing a brood of chickens. 

 Those who breed fur super-excelleuce in chickens breed from hens with a 

 young cock, but those who wish to pay their expenses, and realise their profit 

 as they go on, should keep almost all pullets. They lay earlier than hens but 

 they are affected by weather, not necessarily frost, but continued damp, east 

 winds, and absence of sun. They should have three meals per day, ground 

 food, oats or barley slaked with water or milk, morning and evening, whole 

 com or kitchen scraps at midday. 



The Bird Cause {G. J. S.).— You must write to Mr. Blakston if you need 

 an explanation. We cannot insert mere personal recriminations and abuse. 



High-coloured Canaries ( W. E. ). — There is no need to occupy more space 

 on the subject. The cause of high colour is now published, and, if it was knowu 

 before, it seems surprising that no one employed the feeding except Messrs. 

 Bemrose & Orme. 



Embossed-was-sheet Machine [Novice). — I am not aware that plates for 

 casting embossed was sheets are procurable out of Germany. Those of my 

 machine were manufactured specially for me by an ingenious private friend 

 in Scotland, from one of the earliest sheets of embossed wax which found ita 

 way to this country. — A Renfrewshire Bee-keeper. 



METEOROLOaiCAIi OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



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



REMARKS. 

 17th. — Fair morning, and moderately fine all day ; ver>' bright sun at timea._ 

 18th. — The morning quite spring-like, lasting" till about 1 p.m., wbeu it 



clouded over for the remainder of the day. 

 19tb. — Fine forenoon ; but rather dull aftei-noon aud evening. 

 20th. — Dull early ; very fine about noon ; rather leas bright afterwa rds. 

 2l8t. — Fine forenoon, very bright iu the early pai't, but clouding over soon 



after 1 p.m. 

 2aud.— Beautifully bright till 11 a.m., then dark and a littlo rain, but fair, 



though not bright, after. 

 A week with fine mornings and cloudy afternoonn. Tempei-atm-e much 

 above last week— about 10-. The rainfall continues remarkably small.— 

 G. J. Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— December 24. 

 Prices rule the same as last week, with an upward tendency, and business 

 is brisk. 



FRUIT, 



Apples h Bieve 1 



Chestnuts bushel 10 



Grapes. hothouse lb. 2 



Filberts lb. 1 



Cobs lb. 1 



Lemons :^ 100 8 



Melons each 1 



Oranges "^ 100 6 



Quinces doz. 



Pears, kitchen doz. 1 



dessert doz. 3 



PineApples lb. 8 



Walnuts bnehel 10 



ditto If*- 100 2 



d. B. d. 



otoia 6 







2 



8 



6 



16 



2 



