56 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ January 20, 1870. 



to conclude onr present article, leist onr Pouter friends may imagine 

 we are only fanciers of colour and markings ; leaving the irregular 

 classes for fitter discussion under the head of " Pouter Classification," 

 on which we shall in our next offer a few observations. Meantime, 

 it will only be just to record that in addition to the gentlemen already 

 named by ns. Messrs. Grant, A. Frame, Arbuckle, Meff, and Wad- 

 dell, appeared as prizetakers. 



(To be continued. ) 



the superiority that is claimed for them over the native bees, 

 but my experience has been that when compared with the 

 hybrids as honey-gatherers they are hardly equal. I find my 

 hybrid colonies are generally better supplied with winter stores 

 than either the Italian or black bees, while they give me more 

 surplus honey. — J. H. Thomas (in Toronto Globe.) 



SKY TUMBLERS. 



Permit me to say a few words in answer to some remarks 

 respecting my having the old and original Sky Tumbler. What 

 is stated by " Eve Wi ra ebb," whoever he may be, is quite true. 

 I have been a fancier of these Pigeons ever .-incemy childhood, 

 and have kept them for upwards of twenty years, and I have 

 sent young ones to all parts of the world. Our exhibitors 

 appear to have lost eight of this breed. There are all colours, 

 feather-legged and clear, aud they are a very peculiarly-built 

 bird, resembling the Swallow very much— rivet-faced, broad- 

 chested, small and compact little creatures, with very strong 

 nights, shooting back when drawn out as if I y a spring. They 

 ought to be fed upon nothing but small Iadiari corn, and occa- 

 sionally a little hemp ?eed, a piece of rock salt always kept for 

 them to peck at, and small gravel mixed with a little old lime. 

 I am willing at any time to give information respecting how to 

 breed them, and how they ought to be trained for flying. Do 

 not buy a bird from anyone unless you see it fly, and then 

 judge for yourself. 



I only hope to see more fanciers of thi3 variety than there 

 have been of late years. The breed is scarce, having fallen into 

 neglect for the short-faced, short birds, almost exclusively. 



I have frequently let my birds fly for time — say not under 

 five hours, to alight upon any place, and very nearly always in 

 sight, excepting when dark clouds pass, as these birds fly 

 beyond them, and are lost for a few minutes. I am open to 

 fly " Old Bob Ridley's" Pigeons merely for pleasure. I shall 

 only fly thirteen youDg ones, twelve weeks old, and if they do 

 not "beat his hollow " I will forfeit them. I am willing to let 

 any gentleman see them do their work, but only for pleasure, 

 and will fly my flook against any flock, providing they have not 

 been bred from mine. 



These birds ought never be allowed to go to nest from the 

 30th of September till the 20th of February, as the breed will 

 become quite weak in consequence of over-breeding. Many 

 years ago, when first commencing with these birds, I was often 

 taken in, and never could get the proper breed. My present 

 breed was brought from America by myself, and they were 

 taken over there by one of the oldest Pigeon-fanciers who be- 

 longed to Liverpool. — W. Crook, Stcansea, S. Wales. 



PRIZE CUPS FOR CANARIES. 

 Allot? me to inform intending subscribers to the cup fund 

 at the Crystal Palace Bird Show, that I have received sufficient 

 for a cup for London fancies, thanks to the manner in which 

 the breeders of that variety have subscribed ; but Norwich, 

 Lizard, and Cinnamon classes are still not half filled. I would 

 urge the admirers of these classes most strongly not to hesitate, 

 but to come forward like men, and not let it be said that & few 

 gentlemen, like the exhibitors of London fancies, can subscribe 

 sufficient for a cup, when the exhibitors of Norwich birds, 

 whose names are legion, stand aloof. — Howahth Ashton, Pole- 

 'hli! Hall, Prestwick. 



HALF-BRED ITALIAN versus NATIVE BEES. 

 The question, whether half-bred Italian bees are preferable 

 to our native bees, is often asked me. My answer is, Yes. I 

 consider them even better than the pure Italians. Every bee- 

 keeper will find it to his advantage to purchase a stock of pure 

 Italians, or introduce into his apiary an Italian queen or two. 

 It is not to be expected that every bee-keeper will take interest 

 enough in bee-keeping to Italianise all his stocks, and keep 

 only pure Italians. Neither is it necessary that he should do 

 so. The object of introducing Italian bees is to improve the 

 stock, and as hybrids are really more profitable than pure 

 bees, it is only necessary to introduce Italians until the stock 

 is thoroughly hybridised throughout the country. It may 

 appear strange, after all that has been said in favour of pure 

 Italians, to say that hybrids are really more profitable, yet 

 such is my opinion. Not that Italians are not deserving of all 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



*,' Many answers, reports, &c, are unavoidably postponed 



until next week. 



Books {S. Butterworih). — No such books as you mention exist. Tbo 

 names on the title refer to the departments of our Journal. 



Dropsy in Hens (H. B.). — There is something wrong in your feeding. 

 Dropsy in fowls is the result of old age, or of forced laying caused by 

 unnatural and stimulating food, or of disease of the laying organs. 

 There can be no natural cause for the prevalence of dropsy in a yard. 

 Confine your food to barley and barleymeal. 



Houdan Pullets Laving Intermittingly {Black Bantam).— Your 

 caso is not a common one ; either the fowls lay and you do not find the 

 eggs, or your feeding is not good enough. Barleymeal in the morning 

 and whole corn in the evening is not fund enough to keep fowls in laying 

 condition in such weather as we have had lately. They must have three 

 meals eTery day, and if you want regular laying an occasional " bonne 

 bouche " will be useful. 



Mating Golden-pencilled Hamrurghs (A 8ub*eriber t II. S.). — Yon 

 must breed according to your requirements. If deficient in markings 

 choose dark birds ; if overdone and mossy, choose light ones. In either 

 and every case you must so form the new alliance as to introduce the 

 quality in which the produce of the old are deficient. Put the light cocks 

 to dark pullets, and vice vend. 



Hatching Spanish Early IE. O. if.).— We do not set our own Spanish 

 eggs as early as this, but we see no objection to it. Our difficulty at this 

 time is to get sittiDg hens. It has always been a tradition that Spanish 

 should be hatched in April or May : but if it suited our purpose we 

 should have no misgivings in setting them now. Our notion of warmth 

 is that it should be supplied by food ; the colder the weather the better 

 the food, and the more frequent the feeding. 



Tail of Silver-spangled Hamburgh Cock ( W. if. B.) —The tail- 

 that is, all the sickle and principal feathers of a Silver-spangled Ham- 

 burgh cock's tail, should be white with a black spot at the end of each. 



Poultry Staggering and Dying (Clodhopper). — Apoplexy killed them, 

 caused by their being overfed. txive ground oats or barleymeil as their 

 evening food, and whole barley in the morning. Feed only twice daily, 

 and give them no Indian corn. 



Sky Tumblers (St. Edmunds). — See what Mr. Crook says in onr 

 Journal to-day. 



Rock Doves.—" Eingoff" wishes to be informed where he can obtain 

 these. 



Nutt's Hive (Amateur). — Write to Messrs. Neighbour or Mr. Pettit, 

 who advertise in our Journal. They will send you lists of prices. The 

 Almanack will not be repntliBhed. 



Painting Hives (L. H).— No actual injury will ensue to the bees from 

 painting the hive whilst it is inhabited, although the advisability of doing 

 it at all may, perhaps, be questioned. Double sides to a hive are doubt- 

 less advantageous; but would not the same end be more conveniently 

 attained by the adoption of a separate outer covering either of wood or 

 straw ? 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— January 19. 



Business 'has rather improved, and a more steady character is im- 

 parted to the transactions with the provincial markets. Prices, however, 

 have bnt slightly advanced, there being large stocks in hand, and im- 

 portations are heavy. Potato trade dull, great complaint of blight in 



Apples i sieve 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts bushel 



Currants J sieve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, Hothouse.... lb. 



Lemons %HO0 



Melons each 







Mulberries quart 



Nectarines doe. 



Oranffcs $M00 6 



Peaches doz. 



Pears, kitchen doz. 3 



dessert doz. 3 



Pine Apples lb. 5 



Raspberries lb. 



strawberries lb. 



Walnuts bushel 10 



do $H00 1 







"VEGETABLES. 



, Kidney do. 



Broad bushel 



Beet, Bed doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Brussels Sprouts. .$ sieve 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums ^-100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



ColewortB..doz. bunches 

 Cucumbers each 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish .... handle 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce score 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress, .punnet 



2 

 SO 4 



Parsle . 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



9 10 



Radishes ..doz.bnnche 



Rhubarb bundle 



Savoys. doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Vegetable Marrows. .doz. 6 



