MO 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



t February 14, 1887. 



THE FOOD OF QUEENS. 



I AM not aware that the food of the queen in her larva state 

 has received any more definite description than that it is " a 

 peculiar substance." It being absolutely necessary that all 

 experimentalists should understand as far as possible all 

 matters with which they have to deal, I have been induced 

 carefully to examine the food in all the royal cells at my dis- 

 posal. These examinations proved to me that this white sub- 

 stance was prepared within the hive, and that it consisted of 

 larvre torn to pieces, and intermixed with honey. Its being an 

 animal substance accounts for the queen arriving at maturity 

 sooner than the workers. 



To prove the above I have had some beat-outs rearing 

 queens whilst confined in a dark room from the time the egg 

 was deposited until the queen was hatched. — North. 



IMPORTANCE OF THE BEE IN THE 

 ECONOMY OF NATURE. 

 A FEW years ago a tropical papilionaceous plant was im- 

 ported to the Jardin des Plantes, Paris, for the purpose of accli- 

 matisation. (The clover, the pea, the bean and the locust tree 

 all belong to the same natural order.) To the great delight 

 of the gardeners the tree grew and blossomed ; but as it belonged 

 to a species of which each plant produces only either male or 

 female blossoms, and this one bore only female blossoms, there 

 was nothing to be admired on this tree besides the blossoms. 

 Thus a few years passed away, when the tree, to the great as- 

 tonishment of its admirers, bore fruit also. This would have 

 been a miracle, were the opinion correct that bees are not in- 

 strumental in the fertilisation of plants. Bat the savam of 

 the Jardin des Plantes were not inclined to believe in such 

 miracles. They had come to the incontrovertible conclusion 

 that there must be growing in Paris a male specimen of this 

 plant ; but they could not see clearly how the pollen had 

 reached the female blossoms of the tree in the .Jardin des 

 Plantes. They made every possible effort to discover at least 

 the location of the male specimen. Every garden of the 

 neighbourhood was searched, inquiries set on foot in the 

 papers, but nothing could be discovered. At last the director 

 of the Jardin des Plantes had a lucky idea. He asked the 

 police to assist him in finding this hidden son of the vegetable 

 kingdom. Every policeman was provided with a description of 

 the plant, and now commenced the most harmless search 

 which probably ever took place in Paris. The police proved 

 themselves worthy of their reputation. At the distance of 

 about half an hour's walk the only male specimen of this plant 

 in Paris was found in the garden of a rich gentleman. That 

 the tree in the Jardin des Plants had in all probability been 

 fertilised from this one was made plain by the statement of 

 the proprietor that his plant had blossomed this year for 

 the first time. In order to ascertain how impregnation had 

 taken place, the tree was watched closely next spring in 

 blossoming time, and nothing was seen but bees flying to and 

 fro among the blossoms. They had here covered themselves 

 with the pollen, had flown thence to the Jardin des Plantes, 

 and thus effected fertilisation. Some might be inclined to 

 say that " perhaps the wind did it." The wind certainly does 

 its part towards the fertilisation of plants, especially if they 

 stand in close masses like rye, wheat, corn, etc., but in this 

 instance it would have been impossible for the wind to carry 

 the small amount of pollen over intervening gardens and 

 bouses, and to communicate it to the female blossoms of the 

 tree in the Jardin des Plantes. — (American Bee Gazette.) 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Grev Dorkings and Brah?ia Pootras {Comtaiif Jl/'otlrrof Our Journal). 

 — We do not advise yon to mis your birds, nor do wo thinly it should be 

 troublepome to keep them separate. As the Dorkings mnst have n run, 

 and as the Brahmas can dispense with it. we advise you to let the Dork- 

 ings ont almost always and the BrahmnB now and then. Let the Dorkintis 

 go out every day, and the Brahmas every other day, from daybreak to 

 mid-daj'. \Vc do so ourselves, and the birds become so need to it that 

 there is not the least trouble in the process. Yon do not want the Dork- 

 ing cocks for change of blood, but you want them because twenty pullets 

 are too many to run with one cock. You have had neighbour's fare as 

 regards eggs. No one has had any, but your pullets ought to lay now. 



MoRTALlTT AMONG Fowts (J. P.). — We have heard of no such disease 

 fls yon mention. There will always ho mortality during very hard frost, 

 and still more when the earth is for a long time covered with snow. We 

 believe the birds which died in numbers must have eaten some violent 

 poxBon, or Ducks, Geese, and fowls would not have shared the same fate. 



Golden-pencilled Hambdrgh Cock's Tail 'JTorfcp).— The tail of a 

 Golden-pencilled Hamburgh cock is an important part of his plumage, 

 and it is therefore necessary it should bo entire. The most important 

 feathers are the sickles, because they require to be accurately bronzed 

 on their whole length. If, then, one is missing, it always gives the idea 

 that it hns been removed for some fault or shortcoming. They shotUd 

 he above the other feathers, and, describing a graceful curve, they shoold 

 hang below them. ,. ,, .,. 



Newtort Poultry Show • Hamhurgh).— It is not a subject forpnbUca- 

 tion. Write to the Traffic Manager of the railway for information. 



Proportion of Cocks to Hens (Firrrt;/).— One cock is not sufBcient for 

 twenty hens. If yon have two they will fluht, hut when it is known which 

 is the master the beaten bird will take some hens and go off with them. 

 If however yon object to this, we advise vou to let one run with tho hens 

 in' the morning, the other in the afternoon. This may and will answer, 

 but not so effcctuallv as if both were with the hens. It is very important 

 Imth should be with them when they leave the house in the morning. 



Ears of Lop-eared Rabbits (.4 r.ahhU Fanchr}.— They are often exhi- 

 bited with ears 23 inches long from tip to tip. If you send seven postage 

 stamps with your direction you can have "The Kabbit Book tree by 

 post. It contains much that you ought to kndw. 



Ar.ED ElEns-CROss-BRF.EDlNG (C. Ellis).—V/ c do not perceive thatyoOT 

 statement alters what we stated. It is certain that after throe years old 

 hens become more and more defective as layers. As for fowls cross-bred 

 between Houdans and Spanish being good sitters, your experience is an 

 exception to the rule. .,..,.,... « „;i 



Confined Space I.L II. Bniton).—X space CO feet by 25 is a confinea 

 space for poultry. Br.ihma Pootras or Dark Cochin-Chinas would be the 

 preferable kind to keep in it. „ „ , j .>,„„ 



Profitable PouLTEV-KEEPraG (Mrs. ff. .— If properly managed they 

 c.in be kept profitaV.ly. * , ^ .^ .,. „ • „ a 



Pont try Food (D. J.).— Give the bruised oats, but omit the mnize and 

 buckwheat, and instead of barley give a little harleymeal once daily. Tha 

 scraps, c4o., are quite admissible. In your coniined space the great danger 

 to fowls is over-fatness. j„,.;_„ 



Cochin-Chiva Cock Paralysed (£. B.l— The giddiness, " flounderag 

 about," and loss of the use of one leg. indicate that a blood-vessel has 

 ruptured on the brain. Tho bird probably is over-fat. Perfect qmetnde 

 and nourishing diet given sparingly, and a Uttlo at a time, wiU give him 

 the best chance of recovery. . 



Book ab^ut GAjre Cocks (C. Francis).— Cooper's volume on this sub- 

 ject has long been out of print, and can only be met with at second-hand 



"coBK Poultry Show.— We nrc informed that Mr. Cooper took first 

 prize in White-crested Polands, not Jlr. Williams. 



Rabbit-tudcing at Halifai {J. Ta,ilor}.-An that you say may he 

 true, and vet the Judge might be justified in disqualifying your Itabmt 

 on account of its defective eye. We cannot publish vague suspicions. 



Rabbits (Himalaurm).-I{ no age is specified in the schedule, we see 

 no reason why young and old may not be exhibited in the same c.ass. In 

 fact, specifying ages induces deception. .„_,.* *„ 



FoulBrood IN a Purch.sed Stock (J.i3.,Bra,-Ir«ini!0.--\^ eregretto 

 say that the bit of comb which accompanied your letter contained mms- 

 takeable foul brood. It is very unfortunate that you should bavo ti-ans- 

 ferred any of the combs to other stocks, since it is more tl^^n I>robable 

 that they' also will become diseased. As a considerable time may elapse 

 before this point can bo determined with certainty, we ^^^Id »«vi8e 

 their being isolated from all others as far as possible, and on no aooount 

 shoiUd any of their combs be interchanged with f ;"'™\'\'>:?' ^'jK?'^' 

 hives. It^vill, we think, be better to return the defunct In^^jdh ts re 

 maiuing contents to the respectable firm from whom you obtainea it, and 

 nsk them to refund the money, in preterence to """yg'^^fYhege so- 

 ceiving another colony from an infected ap.ary. The '""'°' *°"« !" 

 called Ligurian liees turning out to be hybrids sufficiently accounts foi 



*''EoxEf FOR Hn-ES (B.).-Yom- boxes. If. inches in "i"™-'" '^f ,'^'^tf 

 deep, are not too large for stock hives, but a hard wood like ash bemg a 

 good conductor of heat, will require extra proteotiou f ""''^J- „^' J?| 

 hives are likely to be sent to the moors, we should put Met.s =i"°33 the 

 interior in order to support the combs. We prefer side slits to a central 



%''oSde1°top?ed"^raw hives U.K.H.WeMor,:c),~fohnnoo^^ 

 Esq., of Bathampton, Bath, would be glad to communicate with you on 



'■"irRD.rFOR'iN AVIARY (H. G.).-AI,out twenty-six birds mif' b« ^™- 

 venientlv kept in an aviary 12 feet long, 9 feet wide '■''^] .'^'■J'e^ 

 Those rcnuirin- the same mixture of food are the following:— One pair 

 of UndZtedParaquets, one pair of Red-faeed Love Birds one pair^of 

 Whvdah Birds, two pairs of Grenadier Buntings, two pairs of Waxbills, 

 one' pair of Cardinals, one pair of Bed-headed Cardinals, one pair of 

 v"rgin1nu NrghYngales, one pair of Glossy Thrnshes and two pairs of 

 Weaver Birds. This time of the year is best to purchase them, as they 

 win be in good eindition by the' summer. For food give canary seed, 

 mVllet. hemp, a few crumbs of bread, a little chopped meat, me«i worms, 

 and other insects, green food, such as chickweed, watercress, and lettuce , 



"orLrFifii-P.URirCANARlES ,TK. H. H.,.-The,white fungus On gold 

 fish is a parasitic disease to which they are subject when confined m 

 fmall rcmd^?and which is difficult to cure Wash them over with a weak 

 mixture of common salt and water 1 4 ozs. to a gallon of watei ). V,o have 

 known several instances where that has jiroved successfu . The best 

 ttae for pai^ring Canaries for breeding is about the middle or end «f 

 March according to the mildness of the season. Separate breeding 

 cages .are far preferable to a room ; the young birds become much stronger 

 and more healthy. 



POULTRY MARKET.— February 13. 



OuK Game season is over, and we mav now soon look for a larger con- 

 sumption of poultry. Judging from our own experience, we expect a poor 

 supply of young poultiT for a time, and consequent high pnces. we 

 believe the stock of voung chickens to bo unusually small. The Game 

 season has been an average one as regards Pheasants. Partridges were 

 very scarce till the snow came ; that is their time «f danger, and thou- 

 sands were killed. Hares have been scarce throughout. Grouse ana 

 Woodcocks have been sent up in nnmbers far exceeding any other year. 



