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JOURNAL OF HOKTIOULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ March 8, 1877. 



merely brown, of a more or less greyish shade. The Patagonian 

 is much darker than the wild warren Rabbit. If a pencil be 

 drawn up its back it will be seen that there are a large number 

 of black hairs predominant, and these give a dark shade to the 

 far. The colour, then, of the breed under notice is dark grey, 

 as it is orthodoxly called. The head in generally inclined tj 

 be a little darker than the body, and this is no detriment. The 

 under parts are lighter, sometimes almost white, and although 

 there should not be too much of it, a specimen will rarely be 

 seen without it. There should not be any signs of sandiness 

 either above or beneath, but the j auction of the two colonrs 

 should be light grey. 



_ The points, then, are these : — Massive frame, with rump con- 

 siderably larger than fore quarters ; large head ; large and semi- 

 pendant ears; dark grey body and head, and light underparts. 

 The light colour should not be discoverable, except upon exami- 

 nation. When in a reclining position the animal's sides gradu- 

 ally extend outwards, presenting from the front a form of a 

 capital V. 



The Patagonian is not very docile, but is not by any means 

 aggressive. While not fond of caressing, it may yet be taught to 

 know and recognise its feeder, and is moderately sociable. The 

 doe is fairly prolific, though not so good in this respect as the 

 smaller varieties. About three litters a- year, and from three to 

 five in each litter, m.ay be confidently looked for.— Geta. 



HEDGEHOGS. 



Though fully agreeing with " Wlltshike Rectob " in his re- 

 marks respecting the preservation of and kiudness to all dumb 

 animals, I cannot quite endorse bis statements, quoted from a 

 French paper, as to the harmlessness of hedgehogs. I can bear 

 witness to the fact that they are sad thieves of eggs, even climb- 

 ing low shrubs to obt jin the eggs of small birds, and also robbing 

 partridge neets. Some years since our meu were removing some 

 timber; underneath the logs was a hedgehog's nest with several 

 dozen eggshells in it of all kinds, and a litter of young hedge- 

 hogs about a month old. I have also had these animals so tame 

 in the house that they came when whistled for, and the greatest 

 treat they could have was a fresh-laid bantam egg. I have no 

 doubt they, like all other animals, are most useful in their way, 

 but, like the graceful squirrel, require keeping within bounds. — 

 An Old Scescbieer. 



THE CET8TAL PALACE BIKD SHOW. 



(Contimied ) 



Canasies and Mules numbered considerably more than one- 

 haU of the entire Show, most of the principal breeders and 

 exhibitors being represented with their best peppered and non- 

 peppered birds. There was an immense competition in the first 

 half-dozen classes (especially the ■' Clears ") for the honours and 

 extra £\ given to the highest winner in the Norwich peppered 

 classes. Messrs. Mackley Bros, of Norwich were the victors. 

 In the half-dozen classes there were 291 exhibits, averaging 

 nearly fifty in each class. The other classes throughout the 

 exhibition were well represented. 



The principal prizetakers in Class 1 were Mr. John Adams ot 

 Coventry, whose famous champion Yellow (a bird full in size, 

 and possessing colour, condition, and all essential qualifications 

 for an Al show bird) succeeded in winning first honours in its 

 class at the best show ever held at the Palace. We assert this 

 without the slightest reservation. This may be considered as one 

 of the greatest victories in the Show, Mr. Adams's bird having 

 to compete in its class with seventy-seven others, most of them 

 really fine birds, and to the numerous observers as much like 

 the others as the others were like them. Other noted exhibitors 

 brought forward their high-coloured beauties, notably a couple 

 belonging to Mr. E. J. Pope of Brighton, the lesser-priced 

 bird of the two running Mr. Adams's top-sawyer a closer race 

 than we have known any other Yellow bird to do during the 

 past season, although Mr. Adams has had his bird placed 

 second on more than one occasion. Mr. Pope, however, took a 

 second and a third; Messrs. Cox A- Griflin of the Northampton 

 school splitting the pair for an extra second place, and keeping 

 up the lasting reputation of the town noted for its high-heeled 

 steppers. Mr. J. C. Salt of Burton with his very hot eight 

 obtained an extra third poeition with No. 12, not his highest 

 priced bird, which lacked thoroagh condition compared to 

 numerous others in the class. Whether Mr. Salt's No. 10 (very 

 highly commended) be the identical bird or not which gained 

 for him a first and extra prize at Reading Show a week or more 

 previous, we are nnable to say. Mr. G. E. Kussell of Brierley 

 Hill, Staffordshire, scored a clever fourth; Mr. Athersnch of 

 Coventry fifth ; and Mackley Bros, of Norwich an extra fifth. 

 With so fine a lot of birds in the above class to dispose of for 

 prizes, the task of awarding them must have brought into re- 

 quisition much close aitention, from the fact of au hour and a 

 half fully being devoted to judging the Yellow. 



In Class 2 an almost equally difficult task had to be encountered 



over the sixty-six Bufla. The first prize was awarded to a most 

 magnificent type of a Buff, full of bloom, quality, and in the 

 very pink of condition ; in fact a great bird of its variety, and 

 one doing credit to Mr. Athersuch, who likewise gained an 

 extra third and au extra fifth with other meritorious speci- 

 mens. Mr. Galey of Clapham took a clever second and equal 

 fourth ; Mr. Eussell an equal second ; Mr. .1. Caplin of Canter- 

 bury third ; Mr. Yallop, Cossey. near Norwich, fourth; Mr. W, 

 Havers, Norwich, fifth ; and a similar degree of merit to Mackley 

 Bros., which completed the list of prizewinners in the class. 

 The competition in many instances was close, and the awards 

 were doubled compared to the schedale. 



The two "Clear" classes being disposed of. judging travelling 

 became somewhat lighter as the classes were patiently gone 

 through one by one. The "Even" and "Unevenly-marked" 

 Yellows and Buffs were very showy ; Mr. D. Audley of Leicester 

 carrying off three firsts out of four classes, Messrs. Mackley and 

 Athersuch being the nest best winners. 



The noupepperfed birds muttered well, and in most instances 

 true in colour to the call of the classes. Mr. R. J. Troake'a first 

 Clear Yellow was very fine, and was well backed-up with Mr- 

 Pope's third, and Mackley Bros.' second and fourth, which latter 

 exhibitors won first, second, and third in Class 8, Mr. Salt gain- 

 ing Mr. Wallace's bird book for fourth honours. The first-prize 

 bird in Class 9 certainly must have been a mistake, owing to 

 the high pepper colour it presented. The Crested birds bore 

 the usual, and we may say unusual, attractive markings and 

 abundant crests, the chief winners being Mr. W. J. Hampton of 

 Darlington, Mackley Bros., and Mr. G. E. Russell. 



As to the Belgians, they were not only high in their shoulders 

 but high in their numbers, the chief winners being Mr. J. Doel 

 of Plymouth, who scored a first (with immense shoulders) and 

 equal third in Yellows and a second and extra third in Buffs. 

 Mr. Rutter of Sunderland took no less than eight prizes in three 

 classes — sufficient for any ordinary exhibitor, but insufficient for 

 one of such extraordinary Belgian proolivitieB he possesses. 

 Were Mr. Rutter permitted to get-up his own birds " against a 

 wall," and not beneath the canvas teat provided, then perchance 

 they would show to better advantage true Belgian form, which 

 they failed doing owing to the queer ways they had (in several 

 instances) of shooting out their tails and balancing their bodies 

 upon their legs. We like to see a bird with good stand, small 

 head, and sweeping neck, with close tail down to the perch, 

 and hoisting-up a well-filled pair of shoulders as high as it can 

 get them. We much admired the general style of Messrs. 

 Wright >1- Smethurst's second Yellow and first Bnff. 



Although there were twenty-eight entries in the two London 

 Fancy classes, Messrs. J. i' W. Waller of Finsbury, London, 

 took the entire sis prizes — not at all to be wondered at consider- 

 ing the style in which the birds were moulted and brought 

 for exhibition. We know from experience that nothing is more 

 difficult to achieve in Canary fiucying than bringing out 

 " London Fancy " birds in proper show trim. 



We will continue our remarks next week. 



AMEEICAN APIARIES. 



LrcE most things in America, bee keeping is there commonly 

 carried-ou on a much larger scale than in England, and from 

 the leviathan honey-raiser, Mr. Harbison of California, with bis 

 three thousand hives, to the small bee-farmer owning but fifty 

 or one hundred stocks, all use the frame hive, and more or less 

 the extractor. The variety of patterns and dimensions of frame 

 hives are endless ; but the principle of all combs being moveable 

 and frames interchangeable is fully recognised. I have before 

 me a photograph, lithograph, and two woodcuts of different 

 bee gardens, and I choose the first, where no exaggeration can 

 be charged, to illustrate my present article. The apiary is that 

 of Mr. A. I. Root of Medina, Ohio, well known as a bee- writer 

 under the non df'. phnne of " Novice," and editor of " Gleanings 

 in Bee-culture," a monthly magazine wholly devoted to our 

 hobby. Mr. Root is eminently an experimentalist— has tried 

 all schemes of bee-keepiug, most hives, supers, and feeding 

 dodges ; his manifold failure.'; and successes all being duly 

 chronicled in his .Tournal. It will be perceived that the hives 

 all stand on the ground or nearly so, and this is the case in th© 

 other apiaries as shown on the pictures I have. I should prefer 

 some elevation both for comfort in working and for fear of 

 damp ; but perhaps their climate is drier than ours. Behind 

 each row of hives is seen a trellis on which is trained grape 

 vines, affording grateful shade to the be.;3 and profit to the bee- 

 master, as the Grapes in Ohio ripen readily thus cultivated. 



The building in the centre of the picture is the bee-house, used 

 both as a workshop and store. On the right of the house is S 

 colony suspended by a spring balance, of which the daily loss or 

 gain is noted, and which gives timely warning of a glut of honey 

 when it occurs. In front to the left is seen the extractor, a 

 busy machine here, for Mr. Root is one of its strongest advo- 

 cates, although he has followed the times and lately gone in 

 for sectional supers, of which he has kindly forwarded me some 



