Decombor 12, 1867. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



453 



bolioTo thoro i* fjrcnt difllicnlty in obtiiinin;^ frosli blootl for the Intler, 

 and henco tUoir decadon**' from the liird-* hUowu youra a^o by Mrs. 

 Pettat, Miissrs. Coleridj^e, Bush, and Cireouall. 



The Gftiuf' linutnmH would seoin to increase at tho oxp^-use of the 

 Sebrights iind ^Vhit^^rf. lioih these latter decrea;io. Thu BUcks hold 

 their ovn, mid ^how not only iu mimbors bnt exhibit tho points that 

 wore insisted npou mauv years siuco. They uru uttraotivo birds, with 

 their red combH, white tifuf-enrH, aud black plunrn'^e. 



Rouen Ihirk^ overJ^The^e are takin;^ procodonco of tho AyloRbnry. 

 They bi^pan by bfiinj^ more uumerouH, and now they am heavifr. They 

 teach a preat lesson to breeder:; and exhibitors. There are now no 

 fanlty billB nor dt'foetive plnm.iiro. Tlin Buenos Ayroan, again, are now 

 small as when tir^t imported, and bouutifnl in tho raetallii" lustre of 

 thoir plumft;;o. Carolina and Mandarin Ducks, the marvels of beauty 

 and raritv a few years since, now make a namerou^ and Attractive 

 riass, au<l are shown with no moru precaution than the commonest 



To the old frequenters of the ^^c^i annual poultry gatheriuf*, it is 

 gratifying to sec the orij^notors of it still at thoir posts, roapiuff their 

 well-earned reward in its continued suivcss and popularity. We have 

 aftaio to congratulate thfui, and to thank Messrs. Shackel, Lur-kcock. 

 Matthews, AVright, Xjowe. Mapplebt-i-k, Adkins, Wii^gins, Sabin, and 

 many othors for the nnseltish exertions that insure ao mnuh pleasure 

 to tlicir nsitor^, and so much good to tho town. 



GUILDFORD POULTRY SHOW. 



Tnis wn« held on the KHh instant. Kxhibitors must bo resident in 

 Surrey. \Ve will give a report next week. 



DoRKiNiiH (Any variety).— First and Second, J. Clift. Third, Mrs. Norris. 

 iiif^lUy Commondfil, J. C. Uamsden : K. T. Bennett ; J. Ivory ; R. Poplo. 



Spanish.— First and Socoutl, — Jamen, Peckhnm Kyo, 



Coc-iiTN-l'mNA.— First. \V. Weston. Second, Mi^s Cox. 



Brahma Pootha. — Fir^t and Second, .1. Pares UiK'hly Commended, J. 

 Paro3 ; — Jauics. Commend'ul, Mrs. Nnrris, Cobhani. 



Oaue.— First and Second. J. Pares. Highly Coniraouded, E. Burpe. 



Habiburou.— First and Second, H, Cox. Highly Commended, R. 

 Mangles. 



Bantams.- First, — James. Second, Mis.'; Scott, Sendhurst Grange. 

 Hir;hly Commended, J. Pares. Cominondcd, T. Lee. 



Any oTiitit VAUiF.Tv SOT MENTIONED.— First, Miss Scott. Second, J. 

 Pares. Commended, M. Kin^* 



Ducks (Aylesbury). —First, Kov. Dr. MeiTiman. Second, E. T. Bennett. 

 Highly Commended, E. Ililder. Couiinended. Ror. Dr. Merriman. 



l!)ncKS (Any other Variety).— First and Second, E.Bu'ge. Highly Com- 

 mended, E. liiirKe. Commended, Mrs. Norria; H. Cix. 



Geesk —First, Lady M. 3Ic Donald. Second, W. Slessenper, Wonersh. 

 Highly Commonded.Mrs. Norris; H. Cox; Lady M. McDonald. Com- 

 mended, T. P. Copemau. 



Turkeys.— First, Earl Lovelace. Sucond, Lady M. McDonald. Highly 

 Commended, W. Mi'ssengor; J. C. lUmsdon ; T. P. Copoman ; Rev. Dr. 

 Morriman ; Lady, M. Mc Donald. 



Extra Prizbs for tlio best Pi'O of Fowls inany of tho Clashes wore given 

 by J. Pares. Esq.. and Mrs. Ramsden; hut we are not informed to whom 

 thoy were awarded. 



PRKSERVING EGGS. 



Ik a wooden box or tin of the si/.e required {a flower-pot will 

 answer the purpose very well, having stopped the hole in tbo 

 bottom), put a layer of bran, locally known us toppins or sharps. 

 When made level, it is ready for tho eggs, which are treated in 

 the following manner : — Havinp 'Mllocted the ecgs as soon after 

 they are laid as possible, get a ■'mall lump of butter — a bit 

 the size of a pea is suflicieut .uul rub in tho palms of tho 

 hands till melted. Now take un ejij^ and rub it over with this 

 butter varnish till every part is just covered ; then place it on 

 the small end in tho prepared v^snol, and, when tho lirst layer 

 is completed, fill up the spaces between, and an inch thick on 

 tho top, with the toppins. Then proceed with the next layer, 

 and so on till the vessel is nearly full. Lastly, cover all over 

 with about two inches of toppins, tie down with paper, and 

 keep iu a cool dry place. Treated thus, the eggs will keep 

 good for a year and a half. 



If tho egi^s can be bad warm from the nest they can be 

 *' varnished " much (luicker and better. — T. Martyx. 



[With this we received six eg^s, which Mr. Maityu informed 

 ns were laid iu Juue and July, 1800, and, consequently, were 

 more than eighteen months old. They were useable for 

 kitchen purposes, but rather strongly flavoured.] 



A CLERICAL BEE-KEErERS SUNDAY 



ADVENTURE. 



A coriKKSPOXDENT of Thr Fiff'f relatci tho folLnvijij; anooJofe of a 

 west country clergyman : — It happened one Sunday afternoon in the 

 month of May, abont ten nlinntes b^'foro divine acrvire, that our friend 

 was walking from Ibo school to tho church — like Sidnoy Smith's mis- 

 flionarr, " gown, and bands, and hymn-hook too" — with slow and 

 sedate atcp, as betitted tho occasion, when his oar was assailed by 



sundry cries of "There they be! thoro tbuy be! keep your eye on 

 'em." Jjooking sternly ronnd to ascertain tho eau.^o of this unseemly 

 clamoar, be saw his oyvu man, accompanied by two or three others, 

 riiunin^; frantically along with their IieadA in tho air. Preaently he 

 fonnd binisflf appealed to : " Doec run. zor, do'co run, or we Hhall 

 lose 'em." Ho looked np, and immediately eaw the canso of snch 

 unwonted excitement : a swarm of bees — hi.t bce.s — fast disappearing 

 in the clear tether. To hesitate was to bo lost, or rather to lose the 

 bees. He waK over the wall in a moment. A few minntea more eaw 

 him acros.<i the corner of the grass field, over another wall, and panting 

 down the village Htrcet, with hU head in the air like his more unmble 

 followers. Sympathisiii'^ neip^hbours soon swelled tho train, with tho 

 musical accoinpimimeuts, usual on snch occasions, of tongs and frying- 

 pans. A friendly hand placed something iu his grasp ; a friendly 

 voice in the shrillest tones of feminine excitement shrieked in his ear 

 '' Do'ee take this, zur, and do'oo rottlo nn." Mechanically he took the 

 gift, and " rottlud ' it with tho energy" of despair. \ moment more, 

 and he was conscious of his position. It wanted but live minutes to 

 tbo hour of servi'-e, and there ho was, a quarter of a mile from church, 

 surrouudi-'d by his faithful parishioners, and tirmly grasping with both 

 hands a tin slop-pail with a stone iu it ! The congregation on that 

 Sunday afternoon, I re^^rct to say, was scanty; bnt, still faithful to 

 thoir pastor, the truants were found by that worthy divine, on his 

 return from church, congregated in the stable yard. They did not say 

 much — it is not Ilieir way; but a grin of consciona merit pervaded the 

 whole assembly. I-'.very countenance bore the expropsion of one who 

 has not only trit^d hard to do a good aotion, but has done it ; there was 

 no doubt about it. Virtue had been crowned with success, and the 

 beos had been hived ! 



THE HONEY HARVEST IN THE MIDLAND 



COUNTIES. 



I THINK it is pretty well known that 18G7 has been the worst 

 that has been known for many years, at least as far as my ex- 

 perience Roes. I bepin the season with ten stocks as good as 

 any one could wish for, five in collateral boxes, three in the 

 eld straw hives, and two in square wood boxes. Believing these 

 to be tho best both in bies and store, and thinking it might be 

 a favourable season, I pl.^eed a large bell-glass, 12 inches by 

 1(5, which I had by me on one of them, and it so happened that 

 I placed it on the riglit one ; for on the 11th of May, abont six 

 o'clock in the mominc;, observing an unusual quantity of bees 

 on the footboard of the other one, I gently removed them with 

 my hand, when to my astonishment I found a dead queen, 

 and from that time tiiey began to show symptoms of 8luf;gi8h- 

 ness. Finding they grew worse, at the end of three weeks I 

 took them up and was surprised to discover that in so short a 

 time the bees had dwindled down to about a breakfast-cup full, 

 although I took from them 24.\ lbs. of honey, I also put two 

 table glasses on two collateral boxes, and shut them off from the 

 side boxes, leaving the others to work in the side boxes, but I 

 found that neither of them required additional room, for they 

 did not fill up their rid cells, but I believe all the old stocks 

 have plenty of food to stand the winter. 



I had two swarms, but not until the 19th and 21st of June ; 

 these were very strong in bees, but they obtained scarcely any- 

 thing, one weighing but 12 J lbs., and the other 13 lbs. including 

 tho hives. I weighed them in the first week iu September, and 

 then I commenced feeding them and shall continue to do pf> 

 while tho weather remains mild, ulthongh, I think by lifting 

 them they have enough stored to stand the winter. They 

 consume G lbs. of sugar and 2 lbs. of honey simmered with one 

 quart of water weekly. 



The two nev.- stocks commenced a fresh harvest in October, 

 on tho 7th, Huh, and loth I noticed them heavily laden with 

 pollen of a bright yellow; they commenced abont 8 a.m., but 

 from 11 A.M. to 1 P.M. I never saw bees work more vigoronsly 

 even in May or .June. What surprised me was that neither of 

 the old stocks brought home the least sign of pollen. I watched 

 them closely and think they obtained a large proportion ofit 

 from the Michaelmas daisies, for they were the only flowers out 

 anywhere near. 



i have taken this year three glasses, one table-glaf s weighing 

 lUJ lbs., one ditto 15 lbs. 1 oz., and the large bell-glass before 

 mentioned weighing 41 lbs. 2 ozs. I cannot account for this 

 stock collecting so much more honey than any of tho rest, ub- 

 less the bees had a larger store left from the winter. Had they 

 finished the glass I have no doubt it would have weighed 

 (JO lbs., many of the cells being unsealed, and some few in the 

 other two were unsealed, the honey being of a very dark colour. 

 I exhibited the three glasses, and also a set of collateral bee 

 boxes in )iolished mahogany, and they were allowed by several 

 largo bec-keepcra to be the best ever brought, I Lave not 



