472 



JOURNAL OP HOETICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Jtme 30, 1870. 



only put in on the 2nd of Jane. Do you think I may put on a 

 super this season ? There is a hill with a great deal of heather 

 on it rising about 4 feet close to the house, do you think that 

 bees will find tbeir way there in the autumn ? In suoh a case, 

 what would be the latest time for putting on a super? 



Do you think I might drive a stock out of an old hive now 

 into a new empty one, adding a condemned stock in the autumn ? 

 The stock I wish to drive has been hanging out since May, but 

 has not swarmed.— R. L. S. 



[You can only judge of the state of the straw super by what 

 you can see of itB interior through the piece of glass let in on 

 one side. If it was worker brood which you found in the 

 octagonal glass Buper it would have been better to have returned 

 it and to have let it remain until hatched out : if, on the other 

 hand, it was only drone brood, no harm will have been done 

 by its destruction. Supers with side communication through 

 long half-inch slits are not so likely to be bred in as those 

 which are placed over a central aperture. You may try a super 

 on the Woodbury hive, and it had better be put on at once. 



If the bees be driven out of an old stock three weeks after 

 the issue of the first swarm, little or no brood will be sacrificed : 

 at any other time we should advise combs and all being trans- 

 ferred to a frame hive in the manner described in our number 

 published on the 22nd of July last.] 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Poultry Food [Berkhampatead). — We only know of it through the 

 advertisements, and do Dot know where it can be obtained locally. 



Fence against Poultry (3f.).— Galvanised iron wire netting is the 

 neatest, and as the meshes may be very large, it is cheap. Have no bar 

 on the top, or the fowls will fly on to it. The netting should be 5 oi 6 feet 

 high. 



Food for Chickens it. 8. J.) —It is not essential that chickens should 

 have meat at all, bat it is good if it can be conveniently given. Few 

 persons can at all times command everything* we name; our object in 

 naming so many is to give choice, that "they may have some of them at 

 hand. Groats are better than bruiBed oats. Fowls like oats only when 

 they are ground. Bullock's liver will do, but it is not necessary ; there 

 are few houses where there are not scraps of meat sometimes, and when 

 such is the case, it makes good food. It is seldom necessary to buy meat 

 for chickens. 



East Indian Ducks (IT. Ii. P.).— You cannot breed them too small. 

 The colour should be pure black, covered with bright green metallic 

 lustre. The bill of the Duck should be dead black, of the drake as nearly 

 so as possible, but it has always a greenish tinge. We cannot tell you the 

 weight, but if no larger than Widgeon, so much the better. The legs 

 should be black, but they have a yellowish tinge, seen as it were through 

 the black. To remove the first joint would neither disqualify the bird, 

 nor prevent it from flying. We have never found it necessary to prevent 

 their having their full liberty, as they show no disposition to go away. 



GoLDEN-rENCiLLED Hamburghs [Forest Hill).— Pencilled Hambnrghs 

 nre good fowls, but not those we ehould choose to keep in confinement. 

 They do better where there is a run. Brahtnas, Cochins, Spanish, or La 

 FK-che, will suit you better. It is full late for setting eggs ; if, therefore, 

 you do bo, do so at once. We kuow no one in your neighbourhood to 

 whom we can recommend you. 



Lick on Fowls (Yorkshire).— Idee on fowls produce all sorts of ano- 

 malous disorders, but the case is sometimes reversed, and the lice are 

 the consequence instead of the cause. A bird in bad condition is prone 

 to breed all sorts of parasites. Rice feeding will induce lice, and per- 

 severed in will cause death. Those on the head of your fowls may be 

 killed by dropping some powdered camphor on them, or by the appli- 

 cation of oil. Put some oil thickly round the lice with a camel-hair 

 brush, and then anoint the inhabited spot with strong camphor ointment. 

 That will dispose of the lice, then feed well on ground oats slaked with 

 milk, cooked meat chopped fine, bread and beer, and give them some 

 beer to drink. 



Eggs not Hatching (Sir-years Subscriber).— Either the eggs wore 

 not sufficiently wetted, or at Borne time the hen was off her nest for 

 hours. We should attribute the failure to the latter cause. It is at the 

 same time well to bear in mind we have had an unusually dry time, 

 which is always trying to hatching. 



Time for Sitting Turkeys and Geese (E. K. P.).— The earlier the 

 better. If possible to bring out all the birds you name in May, is to save 

 trouble and expense. It is also to insure success. Many Geese are hatched 

 in April. Both Geese and Turkeys often have second hatches, which 

 make good table birds, but they are not good for breeders. It may be 

 laid down as a rule, table birds may be hatched at any time, but breeders 

 should be those that have had everything in their favour. 



Spangled Hamburgh Ciiickens (Perplexity). — Tour chickens are 

 dying of weakness. As you say the hen has left them, it is fair to sup- 

 pose she was at liberty, yet the chickens are now but six weeks old. No 

 hen should be at liberty till the chickens can shift for themselves, and 

 Hamburghs cannot do that at six weeks. They have lost the brooding of 

 the hen, and consequent warmth at night, and the food vou give is not 

 good enough to compensate for it. We are tired of telling people that 

 bad food is the dearest ; sharps, rice, and potatoes, nothing can be worse. 

 We do not wonder the chickens died. We wonder any lived. Give the 

 chickens meal mixed with milk, if possible— if not, with water; a little 

 chopped egg, bread and milk, chopped meit scraps, groats, and when 

 the mother has left them, a little bread and ale. Give your old birds 

 meal in the morning, Indian corn midday, and meal in the evening. 



Houdan Points (W. W.).~ Houdans should be square-built, short- 

 legged fowls. Their legs should be black or very dark blue and white 

 ByaDgled; they Bhould be five-clawed. The plumage should be black and 



white, the more regular the spangling the better. No other colour is 

 admissible in the hen, but in the cock a few 6traw- coloured feathers will 

 show at times. They are overlooked, bat red ones are disqualifications. 



Hens Laving Soft Eggs (Berkhampstrad).— Your case is not an un- 

 common one at the end of the season ; only soft eggs are dropped in that 

 way. If your hens have no access to lime, or if they have no run, give 

 them some bricklayer's rubbish, old mortar ceilings, &c. If you are 

 feeding on soft food, feed for a day or two on whole barley. 



Silver Pheasant Lame (C. E, IT.).— We fear your friend's case is a 

 bad one, and incurable. It is a case of contraction, and probably arises 

 from some injury in the thigh. It sometimes comes naturallv, but we 

 known it cared after the toes were drawn up and the leg 



itln- 



Brahma Pootra's Head Bent Back {Nox).— A small blood-vessel has 

 burst on the brain. Keep him quiet and separated from the other fowls. 

 Feed him on soft food, such as mashed potatoes and a little barleymeal ; 

 give him plenty of lettuce leaves also. The blood may be absorbed. If 

 the hcemorrhage increases it will kill him. 



Water in Pigeon's Crop (H. Le S.).-We do not see that you can do 

 better than repeat the plan you have adopted, as you see necessary. A 

 grain of calomel in a bread pill might do good. 



Food for a Bullfinch (M. ii.).— Food for a Bullfinch— rape and 

 canary seed, about two-thirds of rape and one of canary, and a small 

 quantity of hempseed mixed, occasionally a little fruit, such as a cherry, 

 piece of apple, &c, and groundsel. Too much hempseed will cause the 

 feathers to fall off, or if the bird catch cold that will likewise have the 

 same effect. 



Bees not Thriving (Scotty).— We doubt not that your hypothesis is 

 correct, and that your bees have swarmed without being perceived. 



Driving Bees (J. H. T.).— The process has been repeatedly described 

 in our columns. The required information may also be found in page 

 60 of the last edition of "Bee-keeping for the Many," which may be had 

 post free direct from this office for five stamps. 



Bees in Alton Hive.— "E. G. J, M." seems to have a difficulty in 

 making the bees in the Alton hive take to the drawers. I have found that 

 if a small piece of guide comb be fastened at the top of each drawer, the 

 bees will readily take to it ; or, if the bees take to the bottom drawers and 

 not to the top ones, put in the slides, and with a zinc plate shift a fall 

 drawer to the top and an empty one to where the fall one or partially fall 

 one has been moved from. The bees will take to the empty drawer at 

 the bottom, and not leave that at the top. Both stocks of bees doing well 

 is a proof they are not infested by the wax moth. I have some honey- 

 comb that is in use, though twenty years old. — J. Gale, Alton. 



Bees Swarming (A Sussex Apiarian). — There is nothing very remark- 

 able in bees preferring to swarm instead of working in supers, although 

 they are doubtless somewhat capricious, varying their proceedings in this 

 as well as in many other respects at different times without apparent 



main- 

 whole- 



nd the 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— June 20. 



TnF. improvement of last week in our general market has bee: 

 taiued, and a large amount of goods has exchanged hands in the 

 sale trade, consignments being heavy from the South of Europe 

 Channel Islands. The sixth cargo of West Indian Pines has arrived in 

 good condition and is now at auction. Strawberries are abundant, and 

 hothouse produce sufficient for the trade. Good round Potatoes are in 

 much request. 



FRUIT. 



Apples J sieve 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts bushel 



Currants £i 



s. d. e. d 



OtoO 







Black do. 



Fhri 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, Hothouse.. .. lb. 



Lemons V100 



Melons each 



s. d. s. <t 

 Mulberries quart to 



Peaches doz. 10 



Pears, kitchen doz. 



dessert doz. 



Pine Apples lb. 4 



. doz. 



Plu 



Quinces 



Raspberries .. 



Strawberries lb. 1 



Walnuts ..bushel 10 



do ylOO 1 



VEGETABLES. 



ana, Sidney 



Broad bushel 



et. Red dos. 



occoli bundle 



ussels Sprouts . . { sieve 



i Leeks bunch 4 to I 



I Lettuce doz. 6 



Mushrooms pottle 4 



| Mustard ACresa.. punnet 2 I 



bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Coleworts..doz. bunches 



Cucumbers each 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 



Kennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish .... bundle 



.yioo 



Parsley., 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 1 



4 OB 



3 6 

 6 16 



Radishes .. doz. bunche 



! Rhubarb bundle 



: Savoys doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 8 



4 7 



6 8 



Tomatoes doi 



1 Turnips bunoh 



. Vegetable Marrows.. doz. 



8 



OR 10 



POULTRY MARKET.— June 29. 



We are still in the same state at market. Trade has been better, and 

 prices are maintained higher than usual. There was much poultry 

 spoiled during the extreme heat. 



Large Fowls 4 



Smaller ditto 4 



Chickens 2 



Ducklings 8 



Goslings 5 



Turkeys 



Guinea Fowls to 



Pigeons 8 



Rabbits 18 1 



Wild ditto 9 0: 



Hares 



Partridges 





