Jane 7, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



433 



Sales, Crowle. Cage iJiV*.- Mr. E. Barber, Grimsby. Babbits 

 and Cats : Mr. J. Allisou, Sheffield. 



MANAGEMENT OF A SITTING HEN. 



BcRS out every nest-box, new or olil, before and after using. 

 The charred surface will not favour the Icrtgment of vermin. Fill 

 each nest-bottom with a freshly-cut sod slightly hollowed towards 

 the centre, covering with tine straw. Sprinkle nest and hen with 

 carbolic powder. Do not use too much sulphur ; in fact if car- 

 bolic powder is obtainable do not use it at all. Let your hen get 

 accustomed to the nest before trusting her with the eggs ; then 

 give the egga to her, quietly inserting them under her rather 

 than giving her to the eggs. " Make haste slowly." Do not 

 give her more than she can cover and care for well. Mark the 

 egga with ink, giving kind, if necessary, and date of sitting, 

 preserving a duplicate record in a book kept for the purpose. 

 Examine the nest daily. If an egg is broken, or even cracked, 

 remove it. If the remaining eggs have any trace of the disaster, 

 clean them from it by washing them carefully in tepid water. 

 The contents of an egg are alive or dead. If alive they must 

 have air. If the pores or air-ducts of the shell are closed the 

 contents die of suffocation. The grave is made and hermetically 

 sealed. It is onr plan to moisten the eggs and nests three times 

 during the last ten days of incubation when the nest is in a dry 

 warm situation, and the hen not permitted the freedom of out 

 of doors. We have found it done most easily and effectually by 

 a fine rose sprinkler, using tepid water. If a chick must be 

 helped from the shell give it aid in the form of warmth, and 

 warmth only. Insert the pipped or uupipped egg, if yon are 

 assured that it contains life, in warm water, being careful to 

 keep the opening of the pipped shell above the surface. It is 

 wonderful how quickly new life will be infused, and the little 

 bird gain strength to help itself. If in the course of hatching it 

 is necessary to examine the nest and its contents, remove the 

 hen, then the contents. Allow the hen to return to the nest, 

 then give chicks and eggs to her : she will carefully tuck them 

 away where they shall not be injured. Mark the chicks when 

 taken from the nest in a web of the foot either with one of 

 Scribner's st<jel punches, or with a darning needle filled with 

 course twisted silk, leavini^ the silk in the hole until it has 

 healed. Make record of the mark and its purpose. Do not feed 

 the chicks for the first twenty-four hours after hatching, then 

 give hard-boiled egg or bread and milk. The best brood of chicks 

 we ever saw were never fed with mixed or " artificial" feed of 

 any kind, but simply broken grains, coarse corn-meal, oat-meal, 

 and bird seeds were given. It was an experiment and a success. 

 Examine each chick's head for the long lice that are so often found 

 there. Kerosene oil is an excellent remedy, simply applying it 

 with the finger; the lice are exposed to view, and they generally 

 yield to the first application. Give 3'oung chicks every care and 

 attention. Do not let them be stunted by exposure to cold, damp- 

 ness, or by lack 01 food. Feed often, but not more at a time 

 than will be eaten up clean. Remember that chickens are early 

 asleep and early awake, and prepare food for them to find as 

 soon as they are out in the morning, at daylight, instead of 

 allowing then to chirp aronnd half starved for two or three 

 hours. If you can manage to give th^m a late evening feed they 

 will thrive under it. Anyone caring to make the experiment 

 will be astonished at the difference in the growth of chicks fed 

 early, often, and late, and that regularly, and those fed, as they 

 too frequently are, without any system — " when I happen to 

 think of it." 



If the hens troable you with egg-eating file off the end of the 

 bill. An eighth of an inch will make it too tender to permit the 

 breaking of an egg-shell, and still not interfere with the daily 

 feeding. — (American Fanciers' Journal.) 



THE HIMALAYAN RABBIT. 



The Himalayan Rabbit is a native of China, and was at one 

 time known as the Chinese Rabbit. Gradually, however (it is 

 difficult to say why, unless it is due to the Chinese wars), the 

 name has died out, and it is now but rarely met with. In some 

 parts of the country the breed boasts of many names, but gene- 

 rally speaking Himalayan is the accepted one, notwithstanding 

 a wilful attempt ut such misnomers as Russian, Polish, and 

 even Patagonian. 



The points of the Himalayan are exceedingly peculiar and 

 simple, and there is no variety that breeds so true to colour. The 

 body is of a snow-white tint, the fur being very short. It is 

 undoubtedly the shortest of any varitty, and it iii by no means 

 a bad imitation of ermine. The eye is bold and fall, and of a 

 light pink colour. The nose, ears, tai), and tips of the feet are of 

 a dark colour. We say "dark," because it is diflioult to name 

 anyone colour in particular. Were we to say that they are 

 black we should most certainly be presuming that exceptions 

 proved the rule, for but few specimens are to be met with of a 

 pure jet black. Of coarse, scarcity always enhances value, so 

 that a really good black specimen is good indeed. Dark brown 



is generally considered good, the darker the better, and the 

 lighter the worse. The reason for thia is not only that it is a 

 law and settled among the fancy, but also because the contrast 

 between the light and dark is so much more striking. The 

 junction should be sudden without a separating line of light 

 brown. The extremities should be all of one shade, and not 

 some cf them black and others drab. Often are appearances 

 deceitful in this variety. Thus, when an animal is seen in a 

 reclining posture the richness of the colour of the points and 

 the purity of the white are commented on, and the animal 

 thought Al. But rouse the rester, and how bitter is the dis- 

 appointment. How often do light brown or drab feet meet the 

 eye, making the animal fit only for transportation to a butcher 

 or breeder ? It is important that all the points should be of one 

 colour, and all the feet should be shaded alike, not the two fore- 

 most dark and the two hindermoat light. It is not often that 

 the feet alongside vary much, although sometimes an animal 

 may be rendered almost worthless by one pale foot. The head 

 markinga will generally come right if the strain is good, but 

 it is not so with the feet. These ofttimes give much trouble 

 and even annoyance, as with the utmost care and attention 

 they will often persist in keeping a light grey colour, while 

 the other points are of the rich brown so much coveted and so 

 hardly obtained. The nose-marking should be regular and not 

 streaky, the colour meeting as suddenly as possible. The ears 

 are short and erect, sometimes standing rather more forward 

 than is the case with the common hutch Rabbit. This, far from 

 being a deformity, increases somewhat the beauty of the ap- 

 pearance. The ears must never approach to lop. In purchasing 

 a specimen of this breed never be persuaded that a drooping 

 ear is the result cf an accident, or overheat, or something of 

 that sort. Rather depend upon it that it is the eft'ect of a 

 cross, which, however dormant it may now appear, will un- 

 doubtedly re-appear in future generations. The legs should 

 be long and strong. These organs are not generally capable 

 of carrying much flesh, although the Himalayan generally is 

 a flesh-producing breed. The tail looks much prettier when 

 very dark. Altogether it will be seen that the snow-white body, 

 the pink eyes, and the black points combined, produce an 

 animal which is second to none for beauty in the numerous 

 category of Rabbit breeds and crosses. The general tendency 

 of the body is stumpy and very compact. They will put on 

 flesh with amazing rapidity, and will kee'p in condition with as 

 little, if not less, trouble and expense as any breed of Rabbit 

 extant. 



The Himalayan is very prolific. About six will be average 

 number in each litter, and the doe is very quick in coming into 

 season again, so that the number of young depends almost 

 entirely upon the discretion of the breeder. Every doe will 

 rear as many as twenty healthy young ones every year, and 

 anyone who is not satisfied with such a number must be ex- 

 travagant in his expectations. The young are strong and hardy. 

 When born they are white, and remain that colour till two or 

 three months old, from which time to about eight months the 

 points gradually darken. They are usually perfect at about eight 

 or nine months, after which time it is by no means unusual for 

 them to fade a little. 



In disposition the doe Himalayan is docile and gentle, and 

 easily taught to recognise its keeper. The buck, too, ia gene- 

 rally pretty quiet, although a rough customer is sometimes met 

 with. With care and discretion, and an .avoidance of teasing, 

 there will, however, be seldom any cause for complaint in this 

 direction. 



Altogether the Himalayan ia a cleanly, handaome, and docile 

 Rabbit, and one that can easily be made to pay its way. Its 

 flesh, although it seems almost a libel to say anything about the 

 food properties of so pretty an animal, is very white and tender, 

 and competent judges assert it has the nicest flavour of any breed 

 extant. — Geta. 



TEANSFEEBINQ BEES TO BAR-FEAMED HIVES. 



A CORRESPONDENT writos as follows, and we give prominence 

 to his inquiry, as well as to the advice given, because doubtless 

 some others of our apiarian friends are desirous like himself of 

 transferring their bees to bar-framed hives. He says, "I have 

 three or four stocki in plain boxes without frames, and I wish 

 to transfsr them this season into ten frame hives, Abbott'a 

 standard. I have taken first swarms from some, and hope to 

 have one from each before I have yonr reply. I want to get a3 

 much value from the bees as I can this season, and what I wish 

 to know is whether it would be better for me to drive thern into 

 the new frame hives twenty-one days after the first swarm in 

 each case, or leave them in the boxes until tho season is over, 

 and give them supers to fill now." 



The above letter having been forwarded to me, I reply that if 

 I were in our friend's circumstances I would ruake the transfer 

 at once — that is, at the end of three weeks from the issue of the 

 first .swarm; but I would drive first into an empty hive and see 

 whether I could not utilise the combs of the old hive, such of 

 them as were straight and in good condition. A little ingenuity 



