288 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE A^D COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 10, 1867. 



pens were very f;;ood. Cochins were excellent, also the Brahnuis. The 

 Jlamhurghs were first-rate, both Gold and Silver competed together 

 In Spangled, Golden-spanj;led were first, bnt in the Pencilled class the 

 Silver- pencilled were decidedly the best. Several pens of these were 

 aa good as can be found at any show. Bantams were numerous but 

 not good in quality ; a nice pair of willow-legged hens was shown with 

 a white-legged oocJi. and the owner declared that it was the first time 

 that they had been beaten— pray who had been the judges ? 



Ducl-a were cxclleut, particularly the Rouen, and Aylesbm^. The 

 Turlceys were uumorous and very tine. 



Mr. Horseman and Messrs. Hattersley & Wilson showed some good 

 Piyeons. For Jtohh/fs ouly one prize was offered, and an excellent 

 pair of Black and White Lops secured it. 



Dorkings.— First, Second, and Highly Commended, J.White, Warlaby, 



Gaute.— i-irst and Second, W. Bearpark, Ainderby Steeple. Highly 

 Commended, J. B. Uootb, ICillerby Hall. 



Spanish. — First, W.Horner, Thirsk. Second. W, Shaw, Boroughbridge. 



Cochin-china.— First and Second, R. E. Brown, Wass, Oswaldkirk. 



Brahma Pootra.— First, Lady Gallwey, Tliirsk. Second, W. Shaw. 



Hamburghs (Gold or Silver-spangled). — First, J. Johnson, Ainderby 

 (Golden). Second, W. Severs, Kirby Fleethani (Silver). Highly Com- 

 mended, — Brown. Bedale (Silver). 



HAiTBURGHS {Gold or Silver-pencilled). — First, W. Bearpark (Silver). 

 Second, W. Smith, Aiudorby Steeple. 



Bantams (Any variety).— First, — Jobling, Swainby (GameJ. Second, 

 Mrs. Bar wick, S'outhOtterington (White). 



Ducks (Rouen). — First, W. Lawrenson, Eaglescliffe, Yarm. Second, 

 Miss Morton, Leak. Highly Commended, J. B. Bonth. 



DtJciis (Any other distinct variety).— First, J. Stury, Pocklington (Ayles- 

 bury). Second, W. La^vrenson (Aylesbm'y). Highly Commended, Miss 

 B. Peirse. Bedahj (Black). 



Turkeys. — First, T. C. Booth. Second, — Johnson, Northallerton. 



Geese.— First, R. Garnett, Welbm^. Second, Mrs. G. Oliver, North- 

 allerton. Highly Commended, T. C. Booth. 



Pigeons. — CtirnVr.*. — Prize, Messrs. Hattersley & Wilson, Thirsk. 

 Potiters.— Prize, F. Horseman, Boroughbridpe. Jacobins.-'Fnze, Messrs. 

 Hattersley & Wilson. Tumblers.— Vrize, F. Horseman. 



Rabbits. — Prize, W. LawTenson. Highly Commended, W. Gunny. 



The Judges were Mr. S. Bum, Whitby, and Mr. Barker, Hoving- 

 ham, Malton. 



DRONE-BKEEDING QUEEN— EXCLUMNG 

 FROM SUPERS. 



The following notes concerning a drone-breeding queen will 

 probably interest your apiarian readers: — 



On the 20th of June a Ligurian queen was hatched in a 

 populous hive that had lost its queen some time previously. 

 On the twenty-first day of her life, she being still a virgin, I 

 found her partially encased, and released her. Next day she was 

 severely encased, tvhen I caged her for twenty-four hours, but 

 on being released she was encased a third time ; releasing her 

 from a fourth imprisonment on her twenty-sixth day, I re- 

 moved her for live hours, and next day found her free for the 

 first time, but had to remove her again next day, and after a 

 few hours put her on the landing-board, where she was imme- 

 diately rolled up into a ball as big as an apple. On the thirtieth 

 day of her life finding her again imprisoned, with her wings 

 torn to rags, and one of her hind legs disabled, and finding also 

 she had destroyed a sealed royal cell which the bees had formed 

 on a comb introduced five days before, I let her fly, thinking 

 to see no more of her, and next day gave them a fresh brood- 

 comb. Examining the hive on the thirty-fourth day after her 

 hatching, I found her back, and at full liberty, saving that she 

 was restrained from meddling with two sealed queen cells which 

 the hive contained, and, moreover, she had now the mark of 

 impregnation upon her. 



From this moment she was never molested. On the thirty- 

 seventh day I found drone eggs, and on the fortieth she began 

 to lay in worker cells, placing her eggs irregularly, and often 

 two in a cell, on account of her disabled hind leg. I now re- 

 moved the remaining royal cell, the first having been previously 

 removed. Examining on the fifty-second day I found three 

 combs full of drone brood sealed in both worker and drone cells, 

 and next day removed her. She survived for some days, when, 

 finding her dead, I deUvered her to a ekiiled apiarian for ex- 

 amination. 



Have any of your readers practised the separation of the 

 super from the stock hive by a grating impervious to queen or 

 drone ? Are three-sixteenths of an inch not rather wide for such 

 a grating? And do the bees pass and work as freely as in the 

 ordinary way? Some such arrangement is to me a deside- 

 ratum, as I have had two supers, forty-pounders, completely 

 ruined this seatiion by the queen's getting into them. — Apicola. 



On dissecting the above-mentioned queen in the presence of 

 "Apicola," we found what may be called an imperfect im- 

 pregnation. — Fi. S. 



[This is a very remarkable and exceptional case, sine© every 



drone-breeding queen which we have had the opportunity of 

 examining, has turned out an unquestionable virgin. It may, 

 moreover, tend to explain what has always appeared to us to be 

 a mistake of the illustrious Huber, who records that in at any 

 rate one instance he witnessed the return of a queen with the 

 usual sign of fecundation, and that she eventually turned out a 

 drone-breeder. 



We have never tried to exclude the queen and drones from 

 supers in the manner above referred to, and shall be obliged 

 to any of our correspondents who may be able to give the re- 

 quired information.] 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Vermin on Fowls.— "I would recommend ' A. K. C to use flowers of 

 sulphur freely in the hen-house. When the nesting-places are cleaned 

 out sprinkle a little sulphur on the floor, and also on the top of the nests. 

 Many hens, I believe, sit iudiflFerently from being worried by these para- 

 sites. I use wood aslies for the floor of the hen-house, and when a fresh 

 supply is added the fowls and Turkeys very much enjoy a dust bath. I 

 do not like any grease, it soils the plumage of white poultry. — L. B., 

 Sussex." 



Gabie Hen Disordered (An Old Subscriber^ — You do not state whether 

 the hon has lost flesh, or whether she has become very thin. If she has 

 passed into the thin stage, and has become very dry-faced and wizened, 

 looking as though she had a dirty green powder on her face, we advise 

 you to kill her — we know no cure for it. If shfi has kept flesh you mu8t 

 purge her till the evacuations are brown and white. So long as she 

 passes green slime she will not improve in condition. Castor oil is the 

 best purgative. Try Baily's pills. 



SiL^tR Sebright Bantams (JV. B.). — They ought not to have fea- 

 thers on the legs. The cockerel you name has a stain of the '' booted " 

 Bantam. 



Spanish Chicexns Dying (Tr€ntside).~Snch complaints as you make 

 will be common now that changeable weather has come. Within these 

 ten minutes wo have seen a lot of Spanish chickens squatting under a 

 wall, and ono of them with its head on its back and sunk between its 

 shoulders. We can see nothing that a little extra feeding with stimulating 

 food will not cure. The sudden death of your birds indicates something 

 more than this. The most virulent case of roup is only fatal after many 

 days, if at all ; but the duration of life after the attack with you seems 

 to be about ten hours. We think your feeding must be at fault, and that 

 your birds are too low in condition to bear up against even a trifling 

 attack. Feed well and often, but little at a time, on good meal. While 

 cases of sickness occur do not spare the ale. Take away any sickly birds, 

 place them by themselves, so that they may have extra attention. Watch 

 them closely, that you miiy be able not only to learn how to treat the 

 malady, but also to anticipate and prevent. 



White-crested Black Polands (.4 Regular Subscriber). — Honesty is 

 the best policy. Black Polands witli white tops should be shown with- 

 out trimmingof any kind. When such is the case the}' cannot be 

 shown without some black feathers in front. These are natural to them, 

 and no iiird of the breed was ever bred without them. The top-knots of 

 the hens should be as largo as possible, close in feather, and shaped like 

 cauliflowers. That of the cock should be composed of long feathers, 

 like those of the hackle or saddle, all incHning outwards from the centre. 

 It should ho large and full of feathers. In both, the black patch in front 

 is perfectly correct ; but mixture of black in the other parts of the top- 

 knot would be a disqualification. 



Exhibition Pens {B. H.).— Wo approve of the Birmingham pens. We 

 know no belter where space is limited. We cannot say the cost of them. 

 Mr. Lythall, the Secretary of the Birmingham Show, will, we are sure, 

 give you any information you may require. If you are about to make 

 jiens, do not let those for small birds, as Bantams, be as deep as those for 

 Dorkings and Cochins. The small birds get to the back and cannot be 

 seen. 



Turkeys as Fostkr Mothers (W. £.).— We have never used Turkeys 

 for hatching chickens, nor do we know any one who has. We, neverthe- 

 less, know they have been so employed, but not to any extent. You seem 

 to imagine that by putting eggs under a Turkey she immediately becomes 

 broody ; such is not our experience. Broodiness follows on the exhaus- 

 tion of the system from laying. If you hatch under a Turkey she will 

 require to be in confinement at least ten weeks — indeed, she should be 

 so until the chickens can care for themselves. A Turkey is a stupid 

 mother. If she start with thirty chickens she will di-ag them vvith her 

 through dew, and frost, and wet, leaving one or two behind every five 

 minutes, and being perfectly satisfied so long as she is followed by the 

 two or thi-ee that are strong enough to live notwithstanding her neglect. 

 In Italy thousands of chickens are reared under Capons. They will 

 always sit. It is their hobby, and they are excellent mothers (?). You 

 may arrange for sitting hens' at certain periods almost with certainty. 

 It is only necessary to keep pullets of the proper age. They should be 

 Brahmas or Cochins. For instance, birds that are hatched in April, 

 186t!. will be broody in January, ly(57, and so on. It is neither inconve- 

 nient nor expensive to do this, as large numbers of chickens are not 

 wanted in January and February. We believe the want of broody hens 

 will be felt more every year, as, "for the sake of egg-producing, so many 

 keep the non-sitting breeds. 



Prizes at Beverley Poultry Show.— We are informed that these 

 have not been paid, and that no notice is taken of letters applying for 

 their payment. This ought not to be. 



BiRiiiNOHAJM Schedule of Prizes (J. FrUh,jun.).—Ii is published. 

 We have one. 



Starling's Beak (C. A. J.).— File off the projecting upper part of the 

 beak. What can have caixsed it no one can tell. 



Scour in Pigeons [Inquirer). — Feed yom- birds on old beans; cram 

 them with pills of old mortar, three each day. Broken mortar is good 

 on the floor, bat sand and gravel give a neater appearance. 



