201 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ March 14, 1887. 



on by the careless managers, who ought to see that all the 

 stocks are brought up to the mark in September ; and if feed- 

 ing be_ required it should be done copiously at night, whilst 

 in spring bees ought to be fed very sparingly. I may state 

 from experience that feeding copiously in spring often causes 

 the ruin of many good stocks, as it creates great excitement 

 and confusion both inside and outside the hives, and, by deve- 

 loping so much more heat, induces the queen to fill the combs 

 with brood, which, owing to sudden changes of weather, is 

 often left uncovered, when vast numbers perish in the combs. 

 I am convinced that dead brood will become noxious, and 

 infectious too, if not removed in due time ; and again, by 

 feeding freely in the spring excitement and robbery often take 

 place. — Thos. Acdev, sen. 



[The disease yon describe is certainly not foul brood, which, 

 as Dzierzou says, " does not affect adult bee?, but only the 

 brood ;" but it appears to bo nearly identical with what Mr. 

 Woodbury has hypothetically denominated " dropsy." Its 

 symptoms and the mode in which he succsssfully treated it 

 were fully described in an article from his pen which appeared 

 in page 531 of our nmth volume.] 



DESERTION OF HIVES DURING SUMMER. 



AFTEn considering the circumstances related by your corre- 

 spondent "Nil Desperandum," No. 307. page 1.39, I am 

 strongly of opinion that the desertion of bis hives arose from 

 their occupants being queenless. He probably subdivided 

 them too much, and too often, which is never wise ; but last 

 season was particularly unpropitious for doing so. The con- 

 tinued wet weather caused many young queens to be lost 

 during their flights, besides making bees generally very prone 

 to rob each other's hives ; and queenless lots do not, as a rule, 

 defend their stores veiy long, but generally end by deserting to 

 the enemy. — J. P. E. 



laroRT.iTioN OF Eggs. — The importation of eggs continues 

 to increase annually. In 1864 they arrived to the number of 

 33.5,298,210; in 1805 to 364,013,040; and in 1866 to 4.38,878,880, 

 which is approaching to one million and a quarter daily. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Fowls with Dischargf, from Nostrils and Eyes (Lex' . — Your fowls 

 are probably suffering from cold. If snoh b^ the case, stimulating food 

 such as stale bread soaked in strong ale, is the best remedy. As they do 

 not Ket worse, they are snre to Ret better, but will not entirely recover 

 while we have the present cold wind-j. TIic ale you have given has 

 probably kept them from becoming worse. If you have not used tliem, 

 try Baily's pills for the roup. Calomel, soap, and pepper, and the feather, 

 are all useless in this case. The last remedy is used only for ^apes. The 

 only external treatment for the fowls tliat weep from the eyes and 

 nostrils is to wash the faces with cold water and vinegar. 



Food for Ttrkeys (Con<itanf Subscriber). — Your Turkeys, like many 

 human beings, are suffering from damp weather an-1 cold winds. Give 

 them some bread and ale twice every day. The bread should be stale, 

 and the ale strong. Your food should bo barley, sometimes a few oats, 

 and if it be varied by giving soft food every other day, the birds will do 

 all the better. A cajiital meal for Turkeys is made of equil parts of oats 

 and barley with a few beans, all ground and mixed together. This 

 may be slaked with water or milk, and when suffering as your birds 

 are, the addition of some onious chopped fine and mixed with it is often 

 beneficial. 



HoPDANS (F. A. M.). — In some of our hack Numbers you will find pages 

 devoted to the Houdaus. The combs of the cock and hen are in front of 

 the top-kuot, rising in points at each end, with smaller points in the cock 

 coming do^ii to the nostrils. They nre across the skull and not along it, 

 as ill many other breeds. The comb of the hen is much smaller than 

 that of the cocU, and the smaller points do not come down in front. They 

 should all have five claws. They are heavier than they appear to be. 

 The cock should, if a fine specimen, weigh between 7 lbs. and 8 lbs., and 

 the hen 6 lbs. 



Cochin-China Hen Stagi^ering— Food for Poultry (iJw^).— Are 

 you sure your hen does not suffer from being egg-bound, or, at least, from 

 laying her eggs with great difficulty ? We ask the question because walk- 

 ing with her tail down is a great symptom of it. If that is the cause, the 

 introduction of a wing-feather steeped in oil into the egg-passage will 

 relieve her. We consider the ground oats we mentioned last week as the 

 very best poultry' food. A change is. however, sometimes necessary, and 

 then whole barley is good feeding. We are not friendly to Indian corn as 

 constant food, on account of its fattening properties, but once a-week it 

 makes a good variety in the bill of fare. Continue the castor oil with 

 the sick bird, and feed on bread, instead of meal, steeped in strong ale. 

 Give a pill of camphor every evening. It should be the size of a pea. 

 We are unable to state how much your birds should eat, as we do not 

 know whether they can obtain anything beyond that which is given by 

 baud. 



Yard-floor for White Cochin-Chinas {Wihni'low).—Vic keep ours 

 in a pen of about the same size as yours. The bottom of it is of gravel, 

 covered some inches thick with road grit. This latter keeps dry, and 

 aoun dries up after rain ; but wo have given a fall to the pen which 

 prevents any settlement of water on the surface. We find it helps to keep 

 the plumage bright to turn them out on the grass at times, but wh&ther 

 we do or not their feathers are always bright. 



Dorking Hens Pecking off the Cock's Feathers (J. C. P.).— As a 

 rule, when fowls eat each other's feathers it is from a morbid appetite 

 arising from a disordered state of body, or from the lack of something 

 necessary to their health. It is strange that the victim of tliese attentions 

 seems to like them, and will stand still not only while other birds eat his 

 feathers but his flesh. Green food is generally a cure, and the beat is to 

 cut large heavy sods of growing grass with plenty of earth to them, and 

 throw them into the pens. The bare spots should be freely rubbed with 

 compound sulphur ointment ; and it will be well to remove the cock for 

 two or three days. This can be done even for a longer period without 

 loss or detriment of any kind. We presume your birds are in confine- 

 ment, as it is a habit seldom acquired when fowls are at liberty. They 

 will eat the whole of the turf, grass and earth. 



Aylesbury Drake {J Consta7it lipatlcr).—'We know of none to be sold 

 near the Isle of Wight. Mrs. Seamons's direction is Hartwell, Aylesbury. 



Exchanging Fowls (T. il/.).— We do not know of any one requiring 

 Such an exchange, and the only mode of ascertaining is to advertise. 



Fleas in Poultry-hous?;. — The Feverfews, especially Pyrethrum 

 roseum and carneum, produce flowers which dried, reduced to powder, 

 and sprinkled almut a place infested by fleas, nre said to drive them away. 

 There is no "Poultry Diary" now published. One was published at 

 Colchester, but his long since been abaudoned. An interleaved almanac 

 is quite sufficient for the purpose. 



Eggs (T. JIJ.).— Tha eggs wre excellent and undistiugiiishahle from 

 others laid only a few days. If, therefore, they had been laid long since, 

 as you intimate, we shallbe much obliged by your stating the plan 

 adopted fur preserving them. 



Game Fowls' Eggs iA Cotta-jc Qanlenn- Readirr'. — The hen hatching 

 the eggs will not have the remotest influence over the courage of the 

 chickens. 



Sebright Bantams— Fowls for Egg-laying [T. S.). — Thonjh the 

 hens are darker golden than the cocks, you will breed g md Bantams if 

 the colours are clear and the lacing quite distinct. They must have 

 double combs, and the tails should be clear, tipped at the end with black. 

 The cock should have neither hackle, saddle, nor sickle feathers. The 

 difference in colour between the cock and pullets is probably caused by 

 the former having some Silver blood in him. This is immaterial, as 

 many breeders run the two colours together We think the Houdans will 

 be the fowls to suit best, as healing confinement perfectly, being good 

 layers and non-sitters. 



Pigeon with Diseased Wing (G. R.).— It is not at all likely that the 

 disease is infectious, nor is it likely that it will interfere with the bird's 

 breeding. Tu merely say a wing is *' diseased " is very indefinite. 



TuRBiT Pigeons— Shell-crowned and Shields, &c. (A L. B.).— Some 

 Tarbits arc sheJI-crowned, but usually the head is smooth-crowned It 

 is generally believed that the smooth-crowned is the original variety, and 

 is therefore to bo preferred. Shell-crowns usually are from Germany. 

 By Shield Turbits you doubtless mean the Shield Pigeon, a German Toy 

 thought to be produced from a Turbit and some other Pigeon. The 

 "Pigeon-Book," to be had at our office post free for twenty stamps, will 

 give you full information concerning this Pigeon. The head of a Torbit 

 should be very broad, the beak the shorter the better, and the eyes large 

 and of a black or dark hazel colour. 



Pigeons (A Youttfj B'-fjinner].—^^ The Pigeon Book," by Mr. Brent. You 

 can have it free by post from our offii^e if you enclose twenty postage 

 stamps with your address. 



Peerage (H. M. .■?.).— As you require a Baronetage, Knightage, and 

 Parliamentary Guide as well, at a moderate jirice, you caimot do better 

 than purchase Debrett's. It is in two portable volumes, and well illus- 

 trated. 



Sprouted Wheat {J. II.). — It is perfectly good for fowls, either chickenB 

 or adults. 



AiLANTHUS Silkworm Eggs fH". J. 0.). — Write to Lady Dorothy 

 Nevill, Dangstein, Petersfield, or to Mr. W. B. Jefferies, Ipswich. 



Bees Condemned and Saved— Hives (W. H. Sffi^r).- We are glnd to 

 learn that you have succeeded so well in saving condemned bees. They 

 need not be fed so long as thev possess a tolerable store of sealed food. 

 If you mean to go in for scientific bee-keeping, you cannot do better than 

 adopt the Woodbury frame hive. Your measurements are correct, but 

 the frames should not fit tightly, and in practice we do not make the 

 notches in which they rest quite three-eighths of an inch deep, whUst 

 they slope a little, so that being shallower at bottom than at top the 

 frames lift out more easily. 



Artificial Swarms (Idcvt). — In making artificial swarms from com- 

 mon hives, we prefer using two stocks. No transfer into frame hives 

 should take place until the stocks to be operated on become well popu- 

 lated. We should s^y towards the end of April or in the month of May, 

 according to the strength of the colony. 



POULTRY MARKET.—March 13th. 



We have little change to note, 

 but middling. 



Our supply is still small, and the trade 



Larpe Fowls 



fc'nrflj'er do 



Chickens 



Goslings 6 



Ducklings 3 



Pigeons 10 



d. B. 



to 4 



S 



2 



() 7 



fi 4 



Pheasants 



Partridges 



Grouse 



Guinea Fowls 2 



Rabbits 1 



WUddo 



d B. 



too 











6 3 



4 1 



8 



