330 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ May 5, 1870 



Of course it would be out of place here to give a list of the 

 dealers of whom good birds are to be had. they can be easily 

 ascertained ; bnt as " Reader " recommends Mr. H. Yardley, 

 of the Market Hall, who, it seems, has given him satisfaction,*! 

 may, perhaps, endorse his recommendation, the more so as I 

 believe he either has or is about buyiug several good flights of 

 these birds. Dealers will always guarantee the birds they send 

 out, as it is an invariable rule with them to see the birds flown 

 before they purchase them. Tho prices, as I stated in my first 

 communication, vary according to quality. 



I am afraid I have dwelt too long on this subject, so will at 

 once get to the practical details as to breeding, &c. 



As regards matching thing Tumblers, no general rule can be 

 laid down. I wonld only caution against pairiDg birds too 

 closely related, or extra good in rolling, or the chances are that 

 some time or ether the progeny '1 roll down. A long Roller 

 and a good mad Tumbler are a go , ... match, or two mad Tumblers 

 and short Rollers. Two very long Rollers onglt not to be 

 paired together. If the fancier is particular about colour, 

 flights, muff legs, foe., these matters must be taken into con- 

 sideration together with the above. It needs no words of mine 

 to show the advantage of always letting the birds sit in nest- 

 pans. The ordinary earthenware ones, sold by any dealer, are 

 the best ; but where these are not to be had, a common good- 

 sized tree saucer may be used. Every care should be taken to 

 give the birds a comfortable nest, any little extia trouble in 

 this respect will be amply repaid. The plan I adopt is to put 

 a handful or so of deal sawdust at the bottom of the pan. I 

 then get the straw (oat or barley is the best), and rub it well to 

 make it soft, and pad it well into the nest-pan to make the nest 

 as firm and solid as possible. The sawdust keeps the straw 

 firm in its place, half the usual amount of straw suffices, and a 

 solid bottom is formed, the eggs are kept warmer than if tbey 

 were in a loose nest, and the natural consequence is greater 

 success in hatching. I would also recommend a diary being 

 kept of the dates when the birds should hatch, as by that 

 means the fancier is enabled to save many a young bird, which 

 he would otherwise lose, by helping it in hatching, should it bo 



As soon as the old birds leave off sitting on the young ones, 

 another nest should be placed at the opposite end of the breed- 

 ing place to be ready for the hen when she lays again. The 

 cleaner the young birds are kept the better they will thrive. 

 Above all, keep them free from vermin, and do not let the dung 

 accumulate round the nest-pan. If once the vermin get ahead 

 no end of trouble and loss will be the result. As soon as any are 

 seen give the young birds a clean nest-pan and nest at once, 

 and thoroughly cleanse them from the insects by turning up the 

 feathers and blowing them out. They will be found mostly 

 Tinder the wing?, round the neck, and about the head. Follow out 

 the above plan thoroughly without fear of any of the tales about 

 scouring, &c. In the course of a very long and successful 

 experience in Pigeon-breeding I have served hundreds of young 

 birds in this way, and never had a single bird scoured through 

 it. Do not let it be supposed, however, that I advocate un- 

 necessary handling. I consider it a good plan to put a good 

 sprinkling of slacked lime under and around the nest-pan. 

 Let the nest-pans be well scalded, cleaDsed, and dried every time 

 they are used, dissolving plenty of soda in the water. These 

 suggestions are, of course, applicable not merely to flying Tum- 

 blers, but to Pigeon-breeding in general. 



Before leaving the question of breeding, I must refer to a 

 very important point which I have been specially requested to 

 mention. The subject in question is the recommendation 

 made by "Reader," in the Journal of March 10th, to rob 

 alternate nests, to prevent sterility and weakness. I wish dis- 

 tinctly to caution any young fancier against putting this sug- 

 gestion in practice. In the case of experienced fanciers my 

 caution, I know, is needless, as there is no fear of any one of 

 them being induced to adopt it. Such a practice would, before 

 any other caute, produce just the very thing it is intended to 

 obviate. If the eggs of the second nest were taken away the 

 hen would only lay again in seven or eight days at most, and 

 very likely thin-shelled eggs, which would be broken in sitting. 

 If the eggs were sound a week would merely be gained, and the 

 hen greatly weakened by laying again so soon ; in fact, during 

 the season she would lay just a third more eggs than she would 

 have done if left to follow the course of nature, and the fancier 

 would lose one or two pairs of young ones. It is a well-known 

 fact to all experienced breeders, that if there is any time when 

 the old birds neglect the young ones more than another, it is 

 while the cock is driving his hen to nest, so that in addition to 



the young ones being neglected three or four days before the 

 eggs that would be taken away are laid, they would be again 

 subjected to like treatment during the following week. I do- 

 not think this would tend to rear strong young ones. I always 

 find the young birds fed better when the old birds have laid 

 again. As to robbing the nests persistently through the winter 

 there is not the slightest necessity for it. When it is time to 

 stop breeding the nests should all be taken away, as well as 

 any materials wherewith the birds could make one, and the 

 fronts of the breeding places taken down. The birds will then 

 Btop lading without any further trouble, and will not commence 

 again till the nests are put in at the beginning of March. I 

 think I stated in my firBt communication that the end of July 

 or beginning of August was the time to leave off breeding, as 

 the young ones after that time are very little use as flyers. 

 (To be continued.) 



Since forwarding the above remarks I have been desired to 

 send out a few pairs of young birds from first-class stock, as 

 a means of rendering an additional assistance to persons de- 

 sirous of entering into the flying fancy. I shall be happy to 

 comply with the request, as by so doing I shall bring my 

 remarks to a practical conclusion, and I do so the more readily 

 because the proprietors of one or two of the first flights in 

 Birmingham have placed their young birds at my disposal 

 should anyone require them. I will, however, advertise par- 

 ticulars in the Journal. — T. Hallam, Burbury Street, llirininn- 

 ham. 



GREAT MEETING OF GERMAN BEE-KEEPERS, 

 Held at Nuremberg, Sept. 14th, 15th, and 16th, 1869. 

 Ok the 11th of September, 1869, the assembled company was greeted 

 and welcomed in the usual manner by representatives of the Govern- 

 ment of Bavaria, the Burgomaster of Nureuberg, and other nota- 

 bilities ; and Mr. Schmid* was decorated, in the name of the King of 

 Bavaria, with the cross of a Knight of the First Class of the Order of 

 St. Michael, and received besides the gold medal of the Agricultural 

 Society of Bavaria. No less than twenty other offerings, from a purse 

 of nearly £100, a valuable microscope and apistic preparations, down 

 to poems and photographic albums, were tben presented to Mr. Schmid 

 on the part of smaller societies, or individuals. The meeting also 

 resolved to address the King of Bavaria to remove Mr. Schmid from 

 his present laborious post to one where he might devote his time more 

 fully to apiarian matters, and pay more attention to his somewhat im- 

 paired health. 



These proceedings were followed by a historical sketch of bee-keep- 

 ing in and about Nurenherg. formerly the bee-garden of the German 

 Empire. Some interesting documents were referred to, showing the 

 privileges accorded to bee-keeping by the Emperors in the middle 

 ages, and showing, too, how suddenly in the middle of the sixteenth 

 century bee-keeping collapsed until it was, in point of fact, revived by 

 Dzierzon. 



After this tho real business Of the meeting began, the first question 

 being — 



Ia. What Advantages are Gained by Crossing the Black 

 Bee with the Italian, Egyptun, Carniolan,+ and Heather 

 Bee ? — Mr. Vogel, of Lehmannshdfel, near Zechin, commenced the 

 discussion. The question really is, whether it be possible to form a 

 superior breed of bees, and if so, what principles must be followed ? 

 Distinguishing between "variety" and "breed," he remarked that 

 " variety " would comprise many natural qualities, such, as good or 

 bad temper, disposition to swarm freely, to breed drones, &e. — in fact, 

 such qualities as might, perhaps, be expressed by the word character, 

 and what, the speaker meant by " variety " was founded upon this 

 only, and not on any external markings, or the like ; so that if the 

 bees of any district were distinguished for special tendency to swarm- 

 ing, he wonld call them a variety. And the heather bee, the Austrian 

 bee, &c, are simply so many varieties of the common black bee. The 

 various characters depend mostly upon such conditions as locality, 

 pasture, or climate, in each district, and are, therefore, likely to dis- 

 appear in time if the bees be removed and exposed to other influences. 

 Consequently, Mr. Vogel thinks that the question of "variety " is of 

 very inferior importance in seeking to establish a superior " breed " of 

 beeB ; and further, that it would be simply impossible to secure one 

 breed which should be equally suitable for all tho various climates 

 and districts of a country bo large as Germany ; hence, that each 

 special division of Germany would require a race of bee suitable for 

 itself, and in consequence of this, the varieties of the honey bee become 

 of considerable importance. 



Some people imagine that time and trouble have been thrown away 

 in the attempt to preserve foreign varieties of bees perfectly pare ; but 

 this is a mistake, for, first of all, it was necessary to have l consider- 

 able quantity of purely-bred bees from foreign varieties ; and, secondly, 



