286 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ April 14, 1870. 



This was not a " swarm " at all in the true sense of the word, 

 but a general exodus which sometimes takes place in the view 

 of impending famine, and is hence called by the Germans a 

 "hunger swarm." 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Weight of Game Bantams (IF. B. P.).— Tho smaller Bantams of all 

 kinds are, the better they arc considered ; for Game wo should try for a 

 cock about 16 ozs., a hen 14 ozs. 



Mandamn Dccks (Idem).— Mandarin Dnclis should be kept in confine- 

 ment. They are too valuable to be turned on large or open pieces of 

 water. If, however, you do not mind tho risk of their straying, or being 

 injured or stolen, youneel have no fear of their being delicate. They 

 are as hardy as common wild Duels. The fittest place for them or Caro- 

 linas is on a small pond in a garden. 



Spanish Fowl's Face Diseased (W. 2?.}.— Spanish fowls are subject 

 to several disorders of tho face. One springs from the eye, that is incur* 

 able ; another consists of a hard malignant swelling under the white face, 

 this after a time becomes cancerous, and is incurable. The third is -vhere 

 the face grows in rolls or ridges, and tho inner part, where the skin is 

 always in contact, becomes sore and weeps. AVherevcrthe discbarge runs. 

 itturns the white face brown. This is curable. The face should be dried 

 with linen, and the cracks treated with powdered alum. 



Shortening Cock's Spurs (Poplar).— There is little danger in its 

 bleeding, and caustic will stop it. As a rule in these long spurs, two- 

 thirds of the length are merely horn or dry bone, and hear cutting as 

 easily as finger nails. We believe you can cut low enough to remove all 

 that is necessary without causing it to bleed. You try to cut too much. 



Hen Laying while Sitting — Killing Hens for Table (J. <?.).— 

 The hen is not really broody. A hen is not so when she is laying. You 

 must not cntru-t her with eggs, especially in her present humour. 

 Dorkings are excellent sitters, quite as good as Cochins. We do not 

 believe she will hatch any, if they arc her own eggs that appear in tbe 

 nest; but it will be well, unless Bhe is shut up, to watch her, as hens are 

 very prone to lay in a sitting hen's nest. Buokwheat is largely used in 

 France to feed poultry; we have tried it, and did not succeed in obtain- 

 ing any good result. It is fattening and oily food, but birds do not 

 make size on it. Hens are only good eating under certain conditions. If 

 these are not complied with thev eat badly. The most favourable time 

 to kill a hen is when she is naturally full of flesh nnd fat, just before sho 

 lays; she should then be killed empty of food, that she may keep long 

 enough to become tender. In winter, and in cold weather, such a bird 

 will keep a fortnight. In warm weather she will keep onlv a few days. 

 As a rule, a hen is not a fowl fit for the table. Her place is 'in the stock- 

 pot, or in a pie snch as wo have often described. 



Breeding Dockwing Game Fowls (An Amateur).— Assuming your 

 birds to be good and not related, we advise von to breed from Duckwings 

 on both sides. The Black Red is used when colours are failing, to 

 restore the black breast and chestnut patch, hut it brings other colours 

 that have to be bred out. In the same way, when hieing f,\ils in Sebright s, 

 it is necessary to breed from a Black hen, and then to breed-out ti'l only 

 so mnch of the new colour is left as is required. If yon are breeding to 

 win and can follow our plan, wo advise yon to make'two walks, as it is 

 almost impossible to breed winning cocks and hons from the same 

 parents. One bird of fresh blood will he a great help in one walk. 



Brahma Pootra Voltcre-hocked [White).— If it is only the appear- 

 ance you object to. cut the cockerel's feathers off close to the skin ; they 

 will not reappear till the moulting season. His produce will not the less 

 inherit the defect. If you pull the feathers out thev soon reappear, acd 

 it is putting useless labour on the bird to produce them. 



Silver-spangled Hamburghs (T. 0. J.).— -Wo have known instances 

 of both Spangled and Pencilled Hamburghs sitting ; but we do not advise 

 yon to trust to either, they are not to be depended upon. 



Feather-eating (P. P.).— The cock's neck is picked bare by the hens. 

 Remove him from them for a short time, and let his neck be rubbed daily 

 with compound sulphur ointment. It cannot be explained, hut cocks 

 Seem to like the treatment, and will stand still while the hens pick tbe 

 feathers. (E. J.).— Your fowls have begun feather-eating. It arises, we 

 believe, from a heated system, and that is caused by over-feeding. We 

 give too much corn food, and must fall back on the vegetable diet of the 

 Continent. Give less corn, and substitute refuse vegetables. Where 

 eggs only are wanted, a cock is unnecessary. 



Brahma Cockerel for Breeding (T. S. J.).— He is neither suitable 

 nor faultless. We would not accept him at a gift aB a breeding bird. A 

 falling comb and vulture hocks are among the worst faults a stock bird 

 can have. Either would quite disqualify him in our opinion. 



Brahmas (T. Carver).— About Light ask Mr. Pares; about Dark, Mr- 

 L.Wright. 



Bone Dust [Brahma).— -All dealers in artificial manures sell it. The 

 bones from your own table crushed very small would be equally useful to 

 mis with poultry food. 



Eggs for Sitting (Constant Eeadcr).— -Eggs a fortnight old are quite 

 available for hatching. If the hens are not broody, place the eggs in dry 

 bran, their small ends downwards, and they will be hatchable for a week 

 or ten days longer. The older the egg usually the weaker the chicken it 

 produces. 



Gapes (M. T. .4.).— -Give the chickens every morning a pill of camphor 

 the size of a small pea. 



Points in Turbits (K. S. M.).— 1, Frill, large ; 2, Beak, the shorter the 

 better ; 8, Eyes, large, of a black or hazel colour; 4, Head, broad ; 5, Size 

 of the bird, the smaller and more compact the better. The leathers at 

 the back of the head should go np to a point. The Silvers rank about 

 equal with Blues. Ii the Blues have Silver blood in them they may throw 

 SilverB, but not otherwise. Both have bars on the wings. 



Points in Aylesbury Dusks (Hem).— -Bill of a delicate pale flesh 



Fantails Dying (Clarence Sedije ley).— Try a thorough change of diet, 

 -'l show poverty of blood and poor constitution, as they usually 



attack sick or delicate birds. A little hempseed would not be amiss for a 

 short time, as it would, if anything can, tempt a Pigeon to eat. The 

 insects may be destroyed by dusting a little powdered sulphur among the 

 feathers. A little paraffin oil poured where the Pigeons sit is said to 

 destroy the insects in the floor. The bird did not want lowering by 

 cador oil, but strengthening by more nourishing food, such as Lndian- 



Points in Beard Tumblers (Idem).— The board is the point. It 

 should not be a mere patch of white of any shape, or broken at the edge, 

 and mixed with the body colour, bub clearly defined from tho lower 

 mandible, and ending in a point. Tho flight feathers should also be 

 white, as well as tho whole tail, and tho feathers of the rump, vent, and 

 thighs, tho rest of tho bodyb-jing of the other colour— yellow, blue, black, 

 &c , as it may be. 



Wing disease in Pigeons (J. Ber(oi«1.— Dress the place every other 

 day with tincture of iodine, using a camel-hair brush. 



Parrot Self-plucked (Trotters).— It is supposed to be to allay an 

 itching of the skin, caused by the bird's having bones and other un- 

 natural food given to it, and to the want of exercise. Fruit and other 

 vegetable food ouly, and a shower bath of tepid water dailv, are the best 

 remedies. The water may be applied through the rose of a' watering-pot. 



Canary Mute Since Moulting (J. J.). — The Goldfinch hen has 

 nothing to do with tho bird's silence. Give him a little hard-boiled egg 

 chopped fine. 



CANARY'BREATnrNG Noisily (Constant Reader). — Keep from draughts 

 and give a little bread and milk in addition to the other food. Discontinue 

 the hemp, and add linseed. 



Chloroforming Ef.es (A Beainv.er).— -Chloroform, so far a3 we have 

 seen, is always more or less fatal to bees ; we are, therefore, unable to 

 state what quantity will suffice to stupefy a Btock without cither nearly 

 or entirely destroying it. 



AnTiFiciAL Swarm (T. II. N ). — - Tho attempt to form an artificial 

 swarm can, under the circumstances, scarcely end in anything but 

 disappointment. The best mode of transferring a stock from a common 

 to a frame hive was fully described in our nnmber of the '22nd July last. 



Bee Flowers (Amateur).— -Borage, mignonette, and Hepeta Mussinii. 

 But fields of clover, and furze, heath, lime trees, &c, are the most efficient 

 honoy-yielders. 



Grits or Groats (Inquirer). — These are oats with the outer skins 

 taken off. The words are in all our dictionaries. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— April 18. 



Scabcely so good a demand has been experienced the last few days, 

 and consequently some reduction has bad to be submitted to in articles 

 requiring a quick sale, such as those which are raised under glass, and 

 at this particular season we cannot expect any great demand. Trade, 

 however, there is little doubt, will revive after the holidays. Foreign 

 imports are again heavy. None but choice samples of old Potatoes suit 

 tlir trade now. 



FRUIT. 



Chestnuts bushel 10 



Currants J sieve 



Black do. 



Figs 



. lb. 



Mulberries quart 



Nectarines doz. 



Oranges v loo 



Peaches doz. 



j Pears, kitchen doz. 4 6 



Filberts lb. 



Coba lb. 9 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, Hothouse.... lb. 8 



Lemons ^100 G 



Melons each 



1 Raspbe 



Strawberries oz. 9 



I Walnuts bushel 10 



1 do 1*100 1 



Beans, Kidney do. 2 



Broad bushel 



Beet, Red doz. 2 



Bmceuli bundle 1 



BniH.Bels Sprouts., t sieve 



Cabbage doz. 1 



Capsicums 1*100 



Carrots. bench 



t'liulitlMwei' doz. 3 



Celery bundle 1 



Coleworts..doz. bunches 3 



Cucumbers each 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 2 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish .... bundle 



VEGETABLES. 



d. B. d I b. d. s. 



OtoS I Leeks bunch 4 to 



Lettuce doz. 10 1 



Mushrooms pottle 2 



Mustard A Cress.. punnet 2 



Onions bushel 3 6 5 



pickling quart 4 



Parsley sieve 3 6 5 



Parsnips doz. 9 1 



Pea3 quart 



Radishes .. doz. bunch e 



Rhubarb bundle 



i Savoys. doz. 1 



j Sea-kale basket 2 



' Shallots lb. 



| Spinach bushel 3 



B0 5 I Vegetable Marrows.. doz. 



POULTRY MARKET.-App.il 13. 



We have had ri6ing prices during the week, and we have little reason 

 to think there will be much change till the birds of this year come 

 regularly. The weather has been so unpropitious, we look for scarcity 

 for some time. 



s. d. s. d. 

 LargeFowIs 4 6 to 5 



Smaller ditto . 



Chickens 2 6 



GoBllngs 7 



Turkeys 



Ducklings - G 



4 

 8 8 



s. a. e. a. 



Partridges to 



GuineaFowls S 6 4 



Pigeons 9 10 



