140 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ February 17, 1870. 



the time were great weights. I had also two casts of fair size, 

 and bought a swarm (7 lbs.) from a cottager, each of which was 

 respectively inducted into, and soon filled the ten frames of a 

 Woodbury hive, and at the end of the honey harvest averaged 

 35 lbs. nett each. I left them the whole of their stores (as 

 directed) for the first year, hoping my patience would be re- 

 warded next season. In July I had the bees of a hive which I 

 drove for a friend, given me, and soon had fed them up to 

 3l)lbs., giving them a lot of clean empty comb to start with. 

 On the 14th of July, I received two fine Lignrian queens from 

 Mr. Woodbury, which, after a fortnight's anxiety and frequent 

 trials (for my bees were most vicious, and would not receive 

 them Booner) I succeeded in joining to two black hives which 

 are now with a very few exceptions all Italians. 



In the latter part of October, I received a letter from my kind 

 friend, " J. E. B.,'' saying he could spare me some queens. I 

 went to him, was most hospitably received, and to my great 

 joy found myself next day returning home with fourLigurians, 

 which in three days, and without any difficulty, were each pre- 

 siding over a new kingdom. These have also bred a few 

 Italian bees. 



The result of my first year's bee-keeping is : that I find 

 myBelf the master of two Ligurian stocks, four, which in sum- 

 mer will be Ligurians, and one black stock — all in frame hives — 

 my three old Btraw stocks, and one I have bought since, which 

 I intend next spring to transfer to by driving, and fitting their 

 combs into the frames of Woodbury hives, in order to enable 

 me to Ligurianise them. Everything has gone well, and I 

 think I may fairly claim to have been successful in my first 

 attempt. 



If any of your readers have tried cedar for bee-hives, would 

 they kindly tell me with what result ? I have just had a hive 

 made of it, but the smell of the wood ia so strong that I am 

 almost afraid to use it. I should also like to know if any one 

 has this season had erected a "propolis fortification," as de- 

 scribed by Huber and Bevan '? I have in one of my Ligurian 

 hives, with an entrance 4 inches long, and g inch high, and 

 which was nearly closed up by the bees. I cut it away, and 

 have preserved it. — The Bee-hive. 



ARTIFICIAL SWARMS. 



I am very anxious to have the experience of some of your 

 correspondents who, like myself, are bee-keepers, as to artificial 

 swarming, its success, or otherwise, and the best mode of 

 effecting it. By opening your columns for this inquiry you 

 will much oblige. — E. Walpole, jtjn. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Books (Wm. B. G.). — "The Poultry-keepers' Manual," price 7s. 6<i. 

 Yon can have it post free from our office if you enclose that sum in 

 staropB, and fourpence additional for postage. 



Profitable Poultrt-keepikg (G. C).— Your fowls have done well, 

 and much of that is no doubt due to good management. The superiority 

 of the Hamburghs' laying may in some measure be attributed to the age 

 of the birds. They will always lay more than other birds ; the drawback 

 is that the eggs are small. Your present success should teach you wis- 

 dom. If, as we affirm, the Ham burghs have been so successful because 

 they were of the age for laying, then set as many eggs as you require 

 fowls at the proper time that they may attain the age of your preBent 

 birds abont Christmas, and you will have the same result. Your Brahmas 

 and old henBwilldo to sit upon the Hamburgh eggs ; and to ensure profit, 

 you will do well to sell all surplus birds as soon as they have done laying. 

 If all would make their fowls as productive as yours, the number of eggs 

 available for food would be doubled, but it can be done only by having a 

 yearly succession of pullets. 



Vcxtuee Hock {Con- 

 stant Reader).— The vnl- 

 ture hock is theprojection 

 ©f feathers behind the 

 knee, and inclining to- 

 wards the ground, as in 

 the annexed sketch. The 

 feathers of a fowl's leg 

 usually should be close 

 round the knee, and the 

 leg clean below it, like 

 that of a man or boy wear- 

 ing knickerbockers. The 

 breeds in which the vul- 

 ture hock is necessary 

 are Serai-ta-u'oke, Booted 

 Bantams, and Ptarmigan 

 fowls. Where the vulture 

 hock comes unwished for, and where its presence, we are sorry to 

 say, is considered a grave fault, are Cochins and Brahmas. 



Hamburg n and Spanish Cocks' Eat lobes Blistered (T. L. B.).— 

 Wipe the damaged skin perfectly dry from the discoloured water, and 

 then drees it with citrine ointment. 





Hardy Bantams [E. L. J.).— We think the Game Bantams will answer 

 your purpose beat, and if there is any difference, the Black Reds are the 

 hardiest. 



Egg-eating Hems tS.A. ELL— There is no effectual mode of prevent- 

 ing this cannibalism, except having the floor of the nest made as shown 

 in page 427 of our No. 452. 



Turkey M an ag e:\xent {Arthenice).— Turkeys require to have their 

 liberty, and do better on a light soil than a heavy one. They feed well 

 on meal, barley, and sometimes a little maize, or a few oats fur a change. 

 Young and old do marvellously well on a meal made of oats, wheat, and 

 a few peas and beans, all ground up together. This is only necessary 

 when it is desired to keep them in very high condition. Turkeys' eggs 

 are good for every purpose. Brahmas and Bantams do not cross. We do 

 not mean to say such a thing has never happened, but it is the exception. 



Pigeon Rotten-feathered {Adonis).— We fear little can be done for 

 your bird. Let him bathe on mild days, rub the bare places with sulphur 

 ointment, and give him pills of one grain of calomel occasionally ; but if 

 the complaint is constitutional we fear it will break out again, and go on 

 until he die. Do not let him have a bath while under calomel. 



Pairing Canaries (Subscriber).— "Under cerain conditions of heat, 

 &c, Canaries will pair almost at any time of the year, but it is not desir- 

 able that they should. Some breeders put them up earlier, and others 

 later in the season, and some attach peculiar importance to a particular 

 day, like a friend of mine who contended that Good Friday was the day 

 to commence operations for the spring in his garden ; but Easter falling 

 late, my early peas were showing bloom as his were coming through the 

 ground. It is best to be guided by circumstances, state of the weather, 

 and so on ; but it may be accepted as a rule, that early in March is the 

 earliest time that they should be put together. Assuming that the birds 

 are in condition, allow from ten days to a fortnight for the quarrels of 

 courtship and the delights of the honeymoon, four or five days more for 

 laying, and another fortnight for sitting, and put them up so that with 

 these allowances the young will be hatched at a time when the old ones 

 can see to feed at sis o'clock in the morning. It is a long time for such 

 little delicate things to go from dusk on a dull spring evening till day- 

 light on a dull spring morning without a bit, which they must do, as no 

 self-acting feeding-bottle like Mather's can be brought into requisition, 

 nor can anything be done ' in a temporary way with a tea-pot,' as was 

 advised for little Paul Dombey. Separate the birds at once if they have 

 begun to feed one another. There is no knowing where such familiarities 

 may end, and Canaries, like young ladies, are apt to place their affec- 

 tions upon au unworthy object, certainly uot on the one selected for 

 them by materfamilias. You are feeding very well, but I should discon- 

 tinue bread and milk. Pair the Jonque Cinnamon with a Buff Cinna- 

 mon hen, either a Clear Buff or a Variegated bird, in which case you will 

 get both Clear Cinnamons and prettily-marked ones also. You might 

 even get a Crested Cinnamon hen. They are pretty birds. If you are a 

 Mormonite, and have other wives in store, remove the cock. Let him reign 

 in a harem by ail means, otherwise let him remain. — W. A. Blakston.'' 



Parrot Self-plucked {Idem).— Let bim have a tepid bath daily 

 pouring the water through the rose of a watering-pot over the bird is a 

 good mode. Give it no animal food, no hemp seed. 



Wine Ropy {Jmicm).— Pat a piece of coarse linen cloth on the end of 

 the tap which goes into the cask, and then rack the wine into a dry one, 

 putting 5 ozs. of powdered alum to thirty gallons. Roil and shake the 

 whole well, and it will soon become fine. 



Puppy with Weak Legs iTrotti-r). — Sew a piece of stiff leather round 

 the knee joint of the fore legs, and feed nourishingly. Oatmeal and 

 milk is good. Time will bring strength. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Febkcary 16. 



A very light supply and thin attendance in consequence of the vege - 

 tables being much injured by the cutt ; ng wind and frost. Continental 

 supplies are, however, well kept up, and prove their usefulness, we having 

 had some excellent consignments from the extreme west of France. 

 Potato trade cult a very heavy, although there has been a great falling oft 

 in the quan i ffered of first-rate samples. 

 FRUIT. 



Cherries., 



Chestnuts bushel 



Currants ,,i sieve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, Hothouse.... lb. 



Lemons ^100 



Melons each 



Beans, Kidney do. 



Broad bushel 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Brussels Sprouts.. J sieve 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums f»- 100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Coleworts . . doz . bunches 

 Cucumbers each 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish .... bundle 



I Mulberries quirt 



o w I Nectarines doz. 



i I Oranges p 100 6 



i 14 Peaches doz. 



i Pears, kitchen doz. 8 



I 01 dessert doz. 4 



I PineApples lb. 6 



I Plums isieve 



i 9 Quinces doz. 



I ' Raspberries lb. 



I 10 | Strawberries lb. 



i 10 Walnuts bushel 10 



I 3 ! do ^100 1 



VEGETABLES. 



0to6 j Leeks bunch 



14 | Lettuce score 



' Mushrooms pottle 



0' Mustard & Cress, .punnet 



8 l Onions bushel 



pickling quart 



Parsley. 



2 Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



8 Potatoes bushel 



G Kidney do. 



2 Radishes .. doz. bunches 



6 , Rhubarb bundle 



4 Savoys doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



Of Shallots lb, 



Spinach bushel 



. Tomatoes doz. 



; Turnips bunch 



5 I VegetableMarrows..doz. 



4 8 



