92 



JOURNAL OF HOBTIOULTURB AND COTTAGE QABDENER. 



( Febraary 1, 1877. 



I deny. And then follows, If "A Renfkewshibe Bee-keepek" 

 thinks the reveree he will kindly stute how the results are to be 

 otherwise accounted for. Is it by reason of the form, material, 

 or cnniitrnction of the Stewarton hive which enabled it to eclipse 

 BO greatly the straw ekep in amasBing stores ? " And I answer 

 in the affirmative, and hint that if both your correspondents 

 were mora practical apiarians they might have seen it for them- 

 selves. First, " form," the straw hive being the usual dome 

 shape, prevented any super sitting conveniently on it, saving 

 the Abingdon glass, and even to get it placed I had to cut out a 

 portion of the apex with my penknife, and lashed the glass with 

 cord to the protruding cross sticks. Then the material of the 

 super portion of that hive being glass told much against the 

 retnrn, the additional labour to get the combs built and attached 

 with extra expenditure of honey to keep up the temperature 

 continnonsly therein while storing and sealing went on. I have 

 heard it estimated by experienced bee-keepers in glass-filling 

 that their bees would readily store from a (o -1 lbs. honey in 

 wood for every one in glass, and to crown all, the extra breed- 

 ing and supering area in the Stewarton over the straw must 

 alike have stiniul.ited the fertility of the queen and the acquiei- 

 tivo principle, io the ever-increasing band of her more numeroas 

 staff of honey-gatherers. 



In opposition to your correspondent, Mr. Lowe's theory, 

 " That no such adventitious circumstances as the kiad of hive can 

 have much or any influence on the amount of stores collected 

 by the bees," I can give a striking and conclusive illustration. 

 There stands in my apiary for the last ten or twelve years, in- 

 cluding the magnificent seasons of 1868 and 187(5, a by no 

 means small hive, with usually one of my most prolific queens 

 at its head, a non-swarmer in perfect health, a foul cell never 

 having been seen within it; and yet, while those " best hives," 

 my marvellous Stewarton reapers, were throwiug off in those 

 good years their nine and ten supers a piece, it siuce its esta- 

 blishment has not yielded up one ounce of honey ; on the con- 

 trary, each antumn has to be liberally fed. And how can you 

 account for the astonishing difference ? asks the perplexed 

 reader. We will allow Mr. Lowe to do so. By reason of the 

 form, material, and construction, the defaulter being the obser- 

 vatory stock of— .\ Renfrewshire Bee-keeper. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Eoa Within an Ego (J. O. S.).-We have seen a perfect egg within 

 ftnotber perfect epg, bnt it is very unneaal. 



LEonoBNs AND DoMiMQOEs (A. H.).— They have been advertised. You 

 mnst refer to the advertisements in our colnmnj. 



NriiBEE OF Hens (C. S.).— Twelve hens are ton many for one cock it the 

 egRE are to bn net at once. Six woold be enonfih, but you may try eight. 

 The number of hens that may run with a cock is a question of temperature. 

 We know from eipenence that in December you cannot depend on the eggs 

 of four hens running with a cock, however young and healthy. At the end of 

 January jou may put six bens safely, at the end of February eight, at the 

 end o( March ten; after that you may, if necessary, put twelve, or even 



GBEENBorsE Floor for Ciuckens (Mm).— The floor of a groenhoueo is 

 always suggestive to us o( damp bricks. Nothing can be worse for chickens. 

 It you mean to keep them there, cover the floor with very dry road grit. We 

 do not like the atmosphere of a greenhouse. We have now strong-growing 

 chicktDB. We keep them in an old disused barn with the old earthen floor. 

 They are eupphed with dry grit and with growing grass. They have no 

 artifacal heat, and have only beer to drink. We always find Jannarv chickens 

 the easiest to rear. 



BncEN Ducks iF. O. S. B.).— There is nothing to be said about Ronen 

 l)uck8 beyond that which wns known many years before the present breeders 

 kept one or were known. It was known that they should be counterparts of 

 Mallard and Wild Back. The diCBcnlties of judging in those days were the 

 bills of the Ducks and the ring of the drake. Then there came the white 

 flight. This gave trouble (or a time, but it wai disposed of. It is useless to 

 disi.nte the fact— the wild birds are the models on which to judge the Rnuf 

 Twentt years ago there were people who insisted for leaden-coloured bills 

 you do for ''dark sterns." The opinion now quoted 



engage the attention of the birds' beaks, and in a great measure keep down 

 the homy growth of the beaks. Cuttle-fish may be obtained from the London 

 or other bird dealers. The most effectual remedy it to pare the beak with a 

 sharp pen-knife, or the claws with either a knife or pair of scissors, bnt not 

 too close, cr the bird will lose blood. The end of the red ray or vein in both 

 beaks and claws, when held against a strong light, will show exactly how far 

 the operations may be performed. Aged birds are more liable to an over- 

 growth of the beaks and claws than young birds, bnt even two-year-old birds 

 require their claws trimming, which enables tbem to obtain a better grasp of 

 the perches. Many valuable cage songsters have been lost through being 

 found head downwards, trapped in either the wires or perches with their 

 Blckle-shaped claws. 



'^^'■^l;" CoNsEHViToET (F. i>.).— You may with a fair amount of suc- 

 cess be able to keep about fifteen or, at the most, a score of small birds, in 

 the aviary which you give us the dimensions of. Canaries will live in har- 

 mony with such birds as Goldfinches, Brown Linnets, Siskins, and Eedpoles, 

 lor each being granivorons in their habits will fare well with the same diet. 

 A miiture of hemp, millet, canary, rape, and fiai will suffice for their rations. 

 On the bottom of the aviary let there be strev ed a bountiful supply of rough 

 eand, and if the birds have access to a bath tley will keep their feathers in 

 close order. Two or thiee Mule birds would add to the variety in the above- 

 named lot, and variety is worth a consideration. It you can avoid it, do not 

 let the perches directly cross over each other, or those beofath will become 

 soiled. For an atiary. we think if the perches be fined in a BeOii-transverse 

 direction a more showy effect is given for the birds to be viewed. 



Hives of Bees by Railway (J. H. Hoieariil.- The loss by breaking down 

 of the combs must be borne by you. You directed how the hives were to ba 

 sent, and refused to let the vendor pack them as he wished. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



Camden Square, London. 



Lat. 51° 32- 40" N. ; Long. 0' S' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 



REMABKa. 



24th.— Rain in the night and early moruinp, but fine by 8 A.M. ; the day 



throughout bright aud pleasant. Lunar halo. 

 25th.— Rain more or leas all day, bat ("mc at nit^ht. 



26th.— White frost in morning; very fine all day aad night. Lnnar halo. 

 '27th. — Rainy day and night. 

 28th.— Damp, hut not rainy mormog, rain in middle of the day; bnt fine 



afternoon and 

 29th.— Fair, but very cold, bright at noon ; rain 



wind in the night. 

 30th.— Wind very high, with sndden heavy showt 



val3 all the day ; heavy hail shower at 10 



Range of temperature greater thaa last week, and weather variable, 

 sun on 24th and SOth.— G. J. Syuons. 



afternoon, and very high 



with bright Bun at inter* 



Hot 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— January 31. 

 Good eamples of late Grapes are now becoming scarce, and conseqnently^ 

 realising good prices. The Apple market remains the same, with business 

 very quiet. 



FRUIT. 



admishible, jusi 



not good lor mi __. 



The " curtain " feathers have j 



is principally a bird of size and weicht- 



was Slbrf. below the Avlehbury, now it is 



beloDgs tofheGadwell, not to the R< 



thing to do with the question. The Rouen 



it is a bird of food. Fonncrly it 



-. .. above it in weight. It may suit 



»u^^^- wuu iiivt- ^mall birdB to save thpruaelvea btjhind feather, and those who 

 have large birds to depend on size. We blame neither, we have no right to 

 f .^Tii.'^'xf^^'''^''^^^ Nature, and we should be cnriouB to know who ^et 

 foHh that Rnuen Ducks or drakes should have dark leathers. Lor.king at the 

 two we have no hesitation m preferrio-: the light feathers. Wo cannot agree 

 with those who would make food birds birds of plumage; and we can only 

 adi the birds for eihibition, aa belon^^ing to the food of a country, are to be 

 apprenatfd if they have no glaring defect according to the weight they bring 

 ro rue contm.m utocU.and not to theparticular shade of three or four feathers, 

 jnis was and should be the aim of poultry shows. 



Belgian Hare Rabbits.- *'I wish 'Geta' (p. 731 would give ns the 

 grouud on which he cntradicts the assertion which is now generally accented 

 —namely, that the Belgian Hare Rabbit is a cross. That cross-breeds are 

 not fertile is a general fact, but the ca«o of these Hare Rabbits has fouud its 

 way into scientmc books as a remarkable exception. I was, therefore, sur- 

 prised to see It so flatly contra3icted.-G. 8." ' 



The Growth of Can,*ry'8 Bill f^^mfr*.— All birds in confinement arc 

 TObject to an overgrowth of the beaks and claws. ,;nd it is necessary that 

 Canaries and other small cage birdn in particular be provided with grit sand 



thJZ'T tk"""' r^ "•'""^^^ " P'"" '^f "^'^"^" '^^"'^ **' V^^cei betwixt 

 the wires. The mortar or a piece of cuttle-fish hang inside the cage will 



Apples is 



Apricots d< 



Cneatnuta bushel 



Currants j sieve 



Black i do. 



Fik'S dozen 



Filberts lb. 



Coba lb. I 



Gooseberries 



Grapes, hothouse. 



Melons 



6 to 7 



Pears. kitchen.... dozen 1 



dessert dozen 3 



Pine Apples lb. 1 6 



qaat^ 

 .. lb. 3 

 ¥^100 6 lu 



1 6 , Qiiincet 

 j Raspbe 



trawberries... lb. 



bushel 



French bu 



Beans, Kidney vlOJ 1 



Beet. Red , dozen 1 6 



Broccoli bundle 9 



Brussels Sprouts.. } sieve S 



Cabbage doten 1 



Carroia bunch 4 



Capsicums t* 1 1 6 



Cauliflower d<'2en 8 



Celery buodle 1 6 



Coleworts.. doz. bunches 2 



Cucumbers each 1 6 



Endive dozen 1 u 



Fennel bunch 3 



Garlic lb. 6 



Herbs buncti S 



Horseradish bundle 



Lettuce dozen 



Leeka bunch i 



Walnutd bushel 



2 I ditto ^ 100 



TEOETABLES. 



Mushrooms pottle 1 



Mustard tS Cress punnet 



Onions bushel 



pickling quart 



Parsley.... doz. bunches 2 



lips.. 



Han 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 2 6 4 6 



Kidney do. 8 6 



New lb. 1 2 



Radishes., doz. bunches 1 1 & 



Rhubarb bundle 9 16 



Salaafy buDdle 9 10 



Scorzonera bundle 10 



Seakale basket 16 2 6- 



Shallots lb. S 6 



Spinach bushel 2 6 4 



Tomatoes | sieve 



Turnips bunch 4 6 



Vegetable Marrows o 0- 



