80 



JOUIINAL OF HOKTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEK. 



r January 27, lb7J. 



and a cast from it both doing well ; parent Live now defnnot. 

 Both are doing well, and up :o the 20th of November took in 

 pollen freely, the cast largely, in quantities as if it were May, 

 and on most days the bees come out in great numbers from boLh 

 hives, and when sunny one might suppose they were about to 

 swarm, they are so active within and without, and within make 

 a loud piping. Neither have the bees been robbed of an ounce 

 of honey; indeed, all the time I have had bees I have not 

 taken 2 lbs., nor had 5 lbs. ; while each season one hive at 

 least has been so heavy in early summer that it waB with 

 difficulty I could lift it. The swfirm at present is heavy, the 

 cast light and not about half- filled with comb. I feed both 

 liberally, anxious to save them, trusting that having gained 

 experience I might yet own a flourishing apiary. Driving 

 ruined several hives, and making a hole in the top of some 

 to place supers, and birds this winter I charge with causing the 

 destruction of the bees. 



January 17th. — Bees over-active and viciou?, stinging with- 

 out any provocation, and buzzing and pipiog in chorus louder 

 than is their wont in summer. Day very mild but damp. — 

 E. M., WooUton, Hants. 



[Bees are so far from being blind that they have five distinct 

 organs of vision — viz., two large compound nyes consisting of 

 several thousand (about 3500 according to Samuelson), hexa- 

 gonal lenses, and three simple eyes called either stemmata or 

 ocelli. 



Your bees have evidently not prospered so well as they 

 might have done, and as they probably will do as you gain 

 more experience in their management. Feeding in winter is 

 very injurious, and fully accounts for their being " over-active 

 and vicious." Get "The Gardeners' Almanack" for 18C9, 

 published at this office, price Is., and amend your future pro- 

 ceedings in accordance with the calendar of operations therein 

 contained.] 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Many answers, report 6 

 until 



■fcc, are unavoidably postponed 

 ■ est week. 



Address (Subscriber, Sunderlan J).— Mrs. Hurt, Alderwasley, Derby. 

 Dohking Cock's Comb— Crkye-Cceurs {Ii.).— The doable comb of n 

 Dorking cock Fbould be perfectly Btraight ; a crooked one is a grave f. in It 

 Our own experience of tbe Creve-Cceurfl is in their favour; we neverthe- 

 less believe the Houdan to be a hardier bird. 



Stumps of Cdt Wing Feathfrs {Black Rid).— If you wibli to keep the 

 Bantams at home you must prevent their flying, anil that can only be 

 done by cutting, pulling, or tying their wines. As it is always an effort 

 to produce principal leathers, we do not advise pulliag out tbe quills. 

 Leave them till the moulting season, when they will be replaced naturally 

 It is sometimes better to tie tbe feathers thin to cut them off. If the full 

 flight of one wing be tied the bird cannot fly over a fence ; without that 

 Game Bantams fly as well aB Partridges. 



Crop Opened to Extract a Bone (H. IT.).— We do not see why open- 

 ing the crop of a fuwl should interfere with its health, nor can we imagine 

 any other than gastronomic motives for preferring Indian corn to barley. 

 A grain of barley is easier to swallow than one of Indian corn. We 

 believe the preference is in the imagination of his keepers rather than 

 with the bird. If be mopes, and takes no notice of his hens, we should 

 bid him make room for a better man N.B.— Sometimes, when tbe crop 

 is opened and sewn np, by a trifling error the body skin and the crop itself 

 are sewn np together; that is not favourable to health and speedy 

 healing. 



Crammer (S.W. S. S.\— There is no snch fowl. There is an instrument 

 called the crammer that is used for feeding fowls. 



Arrangement of Poultry Houses {H. D }. — Why do yon want to keep 

 so many birds, without having the requisite space? Yon can keep one 

 breed in luxury, two in comfort, and sis with much inconvenience to 

 yourself, and little satisfaction to them. We do nut think so much of 

 aspect as some people do. Some of our own most successful pens are N.E. 

 We would not prefer E., but we would not put ourselves to great incon- 

 venience or expense to avoid it. Warmth can always be given by food, 

 shelter by the proper placing of perches, and arrangement of doors and 

 ventilators. If you keep many breeds, each confined spico must have 

 bricklayers' rubbish, road grit, grass, and fresh earth, the latter daily. 

 Give the penned birds a run ever j alternate day, and do not pen your 

 chickens ; they must have liberty. 



Marked Antwerp's Flight Feathers {A Subscriber). — The words we 

 believe to be German, but the letters English ; it is not unusual to write 

 German in tbe English characters. Doubtless they denote the name of 

 a society belonging to some place, but the place is marked on no map that 

 we possess. We Buppose the figures denote the number of the Pigeon 

 according to tbe owners stud book, so that, a bird not returning, it would 

 be known which was missing. The letters and figures were for identifi- 

 cation. 



Hen without a Beak {R. C). — The trader should not have attempted 

 to deceive you. There is no such breed, and he knows there is not. 



London Poultry Show.— " It is stated in reference to the competition 

 in the Brown Ked Game class that ' tbe competition in Brown Iled3 was 

 close, reversing the Birmingham winners.' Such was not the case. The 

 birds which were placed first and second at tbe Crystal Palace never met 

 before in the same ciuss. At Birmingham the bird which stood first at 



the Crystal Palice was third at that Show in the old class, and tbe bird 

 second at the Crystal Palace was first in the chicken class at Birming- 

 ham. They are own brothers, and bred by myself. The first Crystal 

 Palace bird was first last year 1 1868 j at Birmingham. — James Wood." — 

 Mrs. Pattison, of Wrackb-furd House, took tbe first prize for a Silver- 

 spangled Hamburgh cock, and was highly commended for hens and for 

 Houdans, not Mrs. Pattison of Maldon.— We are sorry to hear that some 

 exhibitors were disappointed at not receiviug their birds home earlier ; 

 but we are able to siate that it is not attributable to the Committee, as 

 every bird, except three pens claimed but not paid for, waa out of their 

 bands by 5.30 p.m. on the 19th, the day after the Show bad closed. We 

 suppose the railway companies must have caused the delay. — Mr. G. K. 

 Smith, Scarborough, writes that the first prizes for a Brown Red Game 

 cock and for Brown Red Game hens were given to him, and not to J. R. 

 Smith. 



Lord Tredegar's Show.— We are informed tnii the Light Brahmas 

 advertised for sale on December 'Jdrd, took the first prize in the selling 

 class. 



ORNAiiENTAL Water Fowls ( T. H. T.).— Mandarins and Carolinas will 

 remain, also tame-bred Sheldrakes. The first two will only lay in small 

 boxes like dog-kennels ; the last lay only in holes, hence they are called 

 in some places the Burrow Duck, from their making use of Rabbits' 

 burrows. Dun birds and Tufted Ducks would also remain, and any of 

 the many sorts of wild Geese, provided there is an island, but no other 

 sorts. Moor hens will on'y remain where there is plenty of covei for 

 them. All birds that have ever been wild wis.h at times to enjoy privacy. 

 Nothing makes birds bo tame as gx>d feeding, and there is nothing wild 

 fowl like so much as bread. If they are fed regularly on bread they learn 

 to look for it, aud it makes them tame. All wild fowl should be pinioned, 

 they are then unable to fly away ; but it is also a great security to ran a 

 wire fence across the stream if it is small ; and a.wattled fence for a few 

 yards on each side of the water, is only a wise precaution. We should 

 have no doubt, by a little painstaking, of being able to keep wild fowl. 

 Their food should be barley, but they should Lave bread at times. You 

 will find some plain and practical instructions in Eaily's work on poultry. 



Colour of Dragoon Pigeons— Points of Erahmas (0. B. M.).~ Black 

 i? a good colour for Dragoons, blue is better. Their points are in dispute, 

 and we dare not put in our opinion where doctor- dili.-r. Brahmas should 

 be large and heavy, have yellow and heavily feathered legs, and pea 

 combs. Correct plumage, pencilled plumage for the hen, with striped 

 hackle; for the cock, light hackle and saddle, black and white spotted 

 breast, black thighs, and black tail. 



Canary Gasping (S. R).— It probably has the husk, a slight afiectiou 

 of the lungs, caased by hanging in a draugbi, or exposure to some sud- 

 den change of temperature. Mr. Brent found great advantige in putting 

 some tar in the water from which they drink, which has quite cured 

 some cases if taken early, and before tbe lungs became seriously affected. 

 Bread and milk, and plenty of duckweed and groundsel, are also 

 beneficial. 



Bee Plants (Irish Subscribe r).~ You would hardly go to the extcDt of 

 sowing in fields plants ca'culated to supply pollen for bees; but we may 

 say that clover is excellent, and so is mustard, turnip allowed to run to 

 seed, and borage. Of tbe latter, a good breadth should be in every gar- 

 den. Of no plant are bees so fond as Salvia nemorosa ; it will* grow 

 almost anywhere, and should be extensively planted on waste lands. Tbe 

 borage seed may be sown in March, but is best «own in August, and after 

 once sowing plants spring up from sell-sown seeds. The Salvia is raised 

 fr,om seed sown in spring, and division of tun plants in spring. We can- 

 no' recommend nurserymen. Any advertising in our columns would, 

 lo doubt, serve you well. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET —January 20. 



"here is a blight improvement in business, and good articles are in 

 ter request. Pines and Grapes have each made some advance in 

 ce. Potatoes are heavily supplied both by coast and rail ; tbe beet 

 spies, however, maintain former prices. 



FRDIT. 



Apples . ; sieve 3 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts bushel R 



Currants... J sieve 



Black do. 



Firb doz. 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, Hothouse lb. 4 



Lemons |- 10 i l". 



Melons each 3 



Artichokes doz. 8 



Asparagus '(» 100 10 



Beans , Kidney do. 3 



Broad bushtl 



Beet, Ked doz. 2 



Broccoli bund le 1 



Brussels Sprouts.. | sieve 3 



Caiibuse doz. 1 



Capsicums v* loo o 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 3 



Celery.. bundle l 



Coleworts..doz. bunches 1 



Cucumbers each l 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 2 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish ....bundle 3 



to 5 Mulberries quart to 



I Oranges %- 100 (i 



14 Peaches . ..doz. 



I Pears, kitchen doz. S 



i' dessert doz. 3 



u Pine Apples lb. 6 



KasDberri^s lb. 



| Strawberries.. ... lb. 



Walnuts . bushel 10 



do > L *10G 1 



VEGETABLES. 



Leeks bunch 



Miirilmn '■!- . . pof.le 



Mustards Cre; «.. punnet 



Parsley. 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidni v do. 



■ bnncbes 

 i Kbubarb bundle 



Tomatoes doz. 



' Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Narrows.. doz. 



. doz. 16 2 6 



basket 2 n 3 6 



lb. fl 



. bushel 2 3 G 



