88 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ .\ugu6t 1, 1867. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the Week ending July .30th. 



POULTRY, BEE, and HOITSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



GAME FOWL BREEDING THIS SEASON. 



I WENT to see a friend tbe other day who breeds a consider- 

 able number of Game fowls every season, and his treatment 

 is EC different from that adopted by the generality of breeder.', 

 that I think it necessary to give the readers of "our Jour- 

 nal" a few particulars as to his method of rearing the young 

 broods. ; 



When the chickens are from three to four days old, they are 

 placed with the hen under a stationary coop 3 feet square, with- 

 out a bottom, closed on three sides, having a sloping roof, and 

 latticed in front, with 3 inches intervals. 



Coops of this description are ranged along the edge of a 

 small stream of water, on a large grass run, and instead of 

 being placed in the highest and driest position, are set at the 

 base of an incline, and where the ground is most liable to be- 

 come saturated with moisture. The land being naturally damp, 

 I noticed thai the soil inside tbe coops was trodden until it was 

 a complete puddle, from their being kept stationary. I was 

 informed that the hens and chickens remained in the coops 

 night and day without any other protection, until the chickens 

 were large enough to leave the old birds, and that they then 

 fly to the trees which surround the ground, and continue 

 there until colder weather approaches. 



During some of the heavy rains which we have had, the 

 coops were completely flooded, several of the chickens being 

 carried away by the current, but these were afterwards re- 

 covered. Notwithstanding this, all the broods appeared both 

 lively and healthy; indeed, I did not observe a diseased bird. 

 The fowls are fed upon meal, dough, and corn, and although 

 well and carefully bred have no extraordinary care bestowed 

 npon them. My friend tried a few in the kitchen garden, as 

 recommended by "NoTTiN'GH.iMsnir,E," but they did not 

 answer. 



Another friend of mine informs me that last season he suf- 

 fered very seriously from the same compliiint as that which I 

 recently described, and although he has this season used the 

 same ground for breeding purposes, he has not had a single 

 case. 



The following particulars I have copied from the MeJbournc 

 Age: — " A sort of epidemic has been very prevalent among 

 fowls up the country (Australia), which is vei-y sudden in its 

 effects, several cases of sudden seizure and death being re- 

 ported from Sandhurst, Majorca, &c. A gentleman, who had 

 five of the tinest and fattest of his lot dead within as many 

 days, says that he attributes their death to being choked with 

 the wind from flying ants, which since the late rains have been 

 swarming in myriads over all the ground, and are eaten greedily 

 by the fowls. On opening the gizzard of one of them, it was 

 found to be quite filled with the ants, the wings of which were 

 sticking in the gullet in great quantity. An old cocker also 

 informs me that numbers of adult birds are dying without ap- 

 parent cause in different parts of Yorkshire." 



I thank " Nottinghamshire " for his kind remarks, and, as 

 he justly observes, I sincerely wish other breeders, both for- 

 tunate and unfortunate, would give us the result of their ex- 

 perience this season. The pages of this Journal are at all times 

 open to receive communications, and we ought not to be back- 

 ward in advancing the interests of our hobbies. 



Could any of the numerous readers of the Journal inform me 

 whether there is any ppecifio for roup in fowls ? A friend of 

 mine has tried many medicines for this purpose, but without 



any happy result. A gentleman informed me the other day 

 that a small piece of blue vitriol rolled in brown soap is a sure 



cure. • — YORKSHIKE . 



NOTES ON FANCY PIGEONS.— No. 8. 



MY OWN CONNECTION AND EXPEKIENCE VnrU FANCY PIGEONS. 



Having now reviewed all the English writers on fancy 

 Pigeons — re-wrifers I need not notice — I will venture on a 

 chapter of autobiography, a style of writing now somewhat in 

 fashion, so I hope the reader will pardon my for once adopt- 

 ing it. 



I was a very little boy, when, having in my possession a much- 

 studied juvenile volume containing a history of fancy Pigeons, 

 a digest of old Girton's work, but with illustrations far superior, 

 my imagination was often taxed as to what the real birds could 

 be like — for in the pictures some seemed to have hoods, others 

 very long beaks, others, again, very short ones ; some had blown- 

 out breasts, and others very extensive tails. Well, I wondered 

 and wondered how the living birds looked, when to my surprise 

 and delight my wonder was fully satisfied. It happened thus : I 

 was born in a country town ; therefore, living in a street, neigh- 

 bours' gardens were only separated by walls, and the roofs of 

 buildings in one garden were visible from another. One morning 

 my eye was attracted to an out-building of our next neighbour, 

 for its roof was covered with Pigeons resembling the pictures 

 in my book. Our neighbour was a tradesman in a large way 

 of business, and made periodical visits to London by coach- 

 He was a well-to-do man, and indulged his tastes as they rose 

 — now growing wondrous Cucumbers, then E.^nunculuse3 (how 

 well I remember his long bed with an awning, under which 

 were the eye-dazzling and lovely flowers !) While in London 

 he had been smitten withPigeon-fancying ; he was also a great 

 poultry m.an, specially attached to Black Polish. Thus smitten, 

 he had brought back several hampers full of good Pigeons, for 

 he was regardless of expense when his fancy was concerned, 

 and as a stay-at-home man he delighted in pets. Here, then, 

 were almost all the then-known varieties of fancy Pigeons. 

 As yet Germany had not sent us her " Toys." On this morn- 

 ing our neighbour had let his birds out for the first time, and 

 there they were bowing, cooing, strutting, pouting, or simply 

 preening and sunning themselves on the long thatched roof of 

 his stables, the south side of which he had covered for the 

 birds' convenience with hurdles, whose broad and wide-apart 

 bars made them good perches. What a sight this was to a 

 bird-loving boy ! Here were, feathered and alive, true fancy 

 Pigeons. Soon I learned the names of each variety by com- 

 paring them with my book. Many visitors came to our neigh- 

 bour to see his wonderful Pigeons, for such had hitherto been 

 unknown in that far-away fen town. The result was, his ex- 

 ample was speedily followed, and a perfect Pigeon fnror set in. 

 Coachloads of birds were brought from London by other trades- 

 men, or the young ones were bought as soon as ready, and in 

 different parts of the town were fitted up many Pigeon-lofts. 

 Old Girton was bought and studied, and several persons became 

 adepts in the fancy ; pairing, exchanging, selling their birds, 

 not satisfied until they obtained still better stock. 



This was in the year 1837, and during that and the five 

 following years, while the furor generally lasted, I never knew 

 so many valuable birds kept in one small town. That sight 

 on that morning made me in heart a Pigeon fancier. How I 

 longed to possess some, but how was it to be managed ? To 



^Blue vitriol is sulphate of capper. It should be piven in powder in 

 one-prain doses, ns recommended in our " Poultry Book." It is a poison, 

 and if given in a lump is apt to be injurioas, il not fatal. — Eos. 



