384 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



was, that no adnlt bee should be permitted to enter the new 

 hive that waa unable to rise from the ground and gain the 

 entranoe bv means of its wings. A number of infant bees, as 

 jet unable to fly, were unquestionably lost ; but I spared no 

 pains in rescuing as many of these as possible, and had tbe 

 satisfaction of finding that I had at length effected a radical 

 cure."] 



Home-made Suoar.— According to Nature, Belgium sent tis 

 during the year 1869, 30(K) tons of meat, poultry, and rabbits j 

 and the birds, at any rate, we might as well have fed and 

 hatched at home, Belgium exported in the same year 

 34,375 tons of raw beet sugar. What prevents us making 

 sugar for ourselves in tbe United Kingdom? Certainly not 

 climate, for the Hon. Agar Ellis, M.P., has grown Eugar-beets 

 this year in several parts of Kilkenny oounty ; and Dr. 

 Voelcker's analysis of the roots finds a proportion of 8.94 to 

 10.91 per cent, of crystallisable sugar, while a proportion of 

 only 8 5 per cent, is said to be sufficient to remunerate the 

 sugar manufacturer. The sugar-beets grown near Lavenham, 

 Suffolk, in 1868 contained, according to the same analyst, from 

 0.62 to 12.84 per cent, of crystallisable sugar. 



Whitworth and Rochdale Snow fob Poultry, &c, &c— 

 Weputthe et-ceteras because there are prizes offered for Pigeons, 

 Rabbits, and many other things, of which we can only say- 

 See catalogue. The exhibition is to be in the grounds of W. E. 

 Royde, Esq., for whose exertions the Society are under no small 

 obligations. We need do no more than refer exhibitors to the 

 following tempting list :— Forty-one silver oops, valued at from 

 £10 to three guineas, and twenty-eight classes for Pigeons, in 

 which £57 7s. will be given ; fivejor Rabbits, £3 15s. ; and 

 100 for joultry, £257 7*. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Wheezing m Fov/i.g (A. Ball).— It is probably the result of the cold 

 variable weather which occurred at the commencement of the month. 

 Aa your bird has no grass ran give him lettuce leaves fresh twice daily. 



Feeding Poultry— Houpans' Comes and Feathees {Disconsolate 

 Poultry-keeper}.— An amateur who loses nothing bv his hobby has no 

 ground for coinplaint, but it is probahly because of your high feediug 

 there was no profit. Over-feeding cuts both wavs ; it not only costs a 

 great deal, but it prevents lajing. It increases the cost and lessens the 

 produce. In Houdans, as in other hens, the comb is more developed at 

 the laying season than at any other. A well-developed comb should not 

 bo a disqualification, but if, as is sometimes the case, it amounts to 

 deformity, it would be. In looking for perfection a rudimentary comb 

 must be insisted on. Yellow feathers are a disadvantage, but they are 

 bearable; red ones disqualify. Yon cannot profitably judge your chickens 

 till they are from twelve to sixteen weeks old. Uniformity of marking 

 is not essential. 



Bones for Fowxs— Curing Face-tumours [W. ^.).-We have never 

 nsed bones, and do not find them necessary. They could be bruised 

 very small in a common mortar with a heavy peetle. If covered with a 

 cloth while being used the splinters will not fly about. Such tumours as 

 you mention are often cured by frequent applications of cold water and 

 vinegar. If they will not yield to that, and if there is no discharge when 

 they are opened, use Eome iodine ointment. 



Keeping Ducks (Ceraitiwi to mtntcsnm). —It would be better if the 

 Ducks were hatched in April instead of June. Of what breed are they ? 

 We would rather have a two-year-old drake with young Ducke. It is 

 established that water is positively necessary for success. The latter 

 quality is impossible where there is ro water. Aylesbury is not f*r frjia 

 you ; take a trip there, yon will find it the head quarters of Duck lore. 

 Before we can advise you, we must know the extent of your land and 

 water with all its conveniences. 



Hens Moping and Dying (O. I. N.).— We do not understand tho disease. 

 Tf it be caused by any piece of skin, the removal of it would be the cure. 

 Examine them closely and niter your feeding. Give barleymeal and 

 ground oats, mixed with water. Discontinue the oats, wheat, and Indian- 

 corn. Supply them liberally with road grit. 



Feeding Game Chickens {C. D.).— Bread and milk, chopped egg 

 braised wheat, and curd. 



Hamburgh Cock's Tail-feathers Falling (P. A.).— Are you sure 

 the feathers fell out ? Did not the bens eat them, or, at least, pick them 

 out ? Ascertain that the opening of the oil glands is open. If it iB not, 

 you must open it, which can be dene by pressure on the glands. It must 

 be gentle. Rub the tail thoroughly with sulphur ointment. The feathers 

 will grow again, and there is no fear of hereditary nakedness. It will be 

 advisable to remove tbe cock from the hens while the young feathers are 

 forming. If they have not already picked, they are sometimes tempted 

 to do so by the Bight of the naked and red skin. 



Time of Roosting (5. A. £.).— As a rule fowls are the best judges of 

 the proper time to roost, hut there are appiricg souls, especially among 

 tho young cocks, that look above the level, nnd muBt perch. As they often 

 lack judgment in chooBing their resting place, tbe safe6tplan is to give 

 them no means of doing wrong. Let the perches be low and broad. You 

 may take a pole — tir-pole or otherwise— 16 or 18 inches in circumference, 

 raw it in half, and fix it within 2 feet of the ground— round Bide upper- 

 most. Ours do not perch till they are at least six months old. 



Eggs not Hatching (Unfortunate).— There is no natural solution for 

 such a case as yours. By fault, or vice, or mismanagement, the eggs are 

 spoiled. The "degrees of affinity" have nothing to do with it. Hard 

 frosts may have something to do with the failure. Have you examined 

 the eggs ? If, after sitting, there is no change in the state of the eggr, 

 they are c!ear ; they are not impregnated. If there is a dead chicken, the 

 probability is that from the eggs being left too dry, the chickens have 

 died in the shell. They cannot be all bad. 



Points of Pile Game Bantams (J. L.).— There is no positive rule for 

 Pile Game. The generality have body ground colour, whit* : hackle, red 

 or nearly so; saddle, the same; sickle feathers made up of the same 

 colours ; and the body stained in places of a buff or nankin colour. Fggs 

 will bear muoh longer travelling without injury. We believe the 

 " monster " was the produce of a double-yolked egg. We differ from yon. 

 We believe it was a good fortune, not a misfortune, that it was killed 

 during or soon after hatching. 



Keeping Dorking and Game Fowls Together (N. R ).— Yon take 

 up a large position when you say autumn or spring. It extends from tbe 

 middle of August till the 1st of May. You may safely run all your fowls 

 together from this time till November, provided you do not set any eggs 

 till February. If you mean to set in Jannary, you should peparate the 

 fowls in October. If you are not particular, run the risk. No bird will 

 do your Dorkings so little injury as a Game cock. 



Laburnum Poisonous (Fancy).— We know that both the seeds and flowers 

 of the Laburnum are poisonous, and several cases are recorded in our 

 medical books. The active principle is called cytisine, and small doses 

 of it cause in animals vomiting, convulsions, and death. Yet we should 

 not keep chickens from frequenting plantations where Laburnums are 

 growing, for we do not think that they would eat the fallen flowers, and 

 if they did the small decimal of a grain of cytisine in them would not be 

 injurious. 



Transferring Beeb (J. W. W.).— Your best plan will be to permit tho 

 stock to swarm naturally in the usual way, then three weeks after the 

 issue of the first swarm expel the remaining bees by driving, and add 

 them to the second swarm. If managed in thiB way no brood will be 

 sacrificed. Examine the half-filled Neighbour's hive, and before putting 

 bees into it remove any drone combs that may have been built therein. 

 Glasses should be put on when a hive first becomes crowded with bees, 

 either in April or May, or even later, according to the season and the 

 condition of the stock. 



Bees Dwindling (Ben).— The hive being a moveable-comb one, should 

 be examined in order that the cause of the mischief may be ascertained 

 and the proper remedy applied. If the transverse notched-bar remains at 

 the bottom, first turn the hive up and remove it, and then take out the 

 combs from the top in the usual way. The bees cannot posBibly have 

 fixed the frames so tightly as to cause more than a slight difficulty in 

 doing this. If the stock should have dwindled away eimply from the 

 loss of its queen, and is in all other respects healthy, it may be restored 

 by the addition of a swarm as you propose ; if, on tho other hand, it is 

 infected by foul trood, the remaining bees should be at once destroyed, 

 the combe drained and melted down, keeping the whole out of the reach 

 of other bees, and the hive itself, after having been scraped out, should be 

 well washed in a saturated solution of chloride of lime and laid by for a 

 couple of seasons. Alighting- boards are best left unpainted. 



Herb Pudding {3. Q.) WaBb, scald, and shred small spinach, beet, 

 parsley, and leeks, of each a handful ; have ready a quirt of groats previ- 

 ously soaked in warm water for half an hour; cut 1 lb of hog's lard and 

 three onionB into dice, and mince three sage leaves ; mix all these ingre- 

 dients, add a little salt, and tie them up closely in a cloth. Whilst boiling, 

 the string must be loosened to allow the pudding to swell. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— May -io. 



Business is somewhat better and prices maiutp-ined, although our 

 supplies have largely increased during the week, hothouse produce be- 

 coming very plentiful, comprising Grapes, Pines, Peaches and Nectarines, 

 Cherries, Figs, and Melons. Large arrivals of new Potatoes from Lisbon, 

 12s, to 16s. per cwt. 



FRUIT. 



P. d. 



d I 8. d. B. * 



Mulberries quart to 



Chestnuts bushel 14 



CurrantB J sieve 



Black do. 



Figs doa. 8 



Filberts lb. 



CobB lb. 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, Hcthcrase.. .. lb. 8 



Lemons ^100 6 



Melone each i 



, lb. 1 8 



Poach 

 Pears, kitoh' 



dessert doz. 



Pine Apples lb. 7 



doz. 21 36 



. doz. 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries lb. 6 



Walnuts lu=hel 10 



do r>100 1 



VEGETABLES. 



Beans, Kidney do. 10 2 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums & 100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Co]ewort9..doz. bunches 



Cucumbers each 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuee doz. 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress, .punnet 



Parsley sieve 



ParsnipB doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes lushel 



Kidney do. 



, RadiehuB . . doz. bunches 

 Rhubarb bundle 



I Savoys doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



1 Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



TomatoeB doz. 



'Turnips bunch 



VegetabluUarrow9..doz, 



8 b 



6 



8 



