451 



JOUBNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



( Jane 14, 1877. 



stock after another became sick, and I determined after excising 

 the diseased combs to try the new German remedy, salicylic 

 acid, which Hilbert and other coutiaental apiarians say is a 

 specific. Their instructions are that a solation »t the acid 

 should be made and the combs and bees sprayed or sprinkled 

 with it. This I did with a negative result. Again, I cut out 

 the bad combs, and having made a pailful of the solution 

 steeped the remainder in it and washed the inside of all the 

 hives. This was apparently saccesuful, and by stimulative feed- 

 ing breeding was actively set up and a good many young bees 

 hatched before winter. Two hives of bees I bought at the bee 

 sbovat the Alexandra Palace were also slightly affected with 

 foul brood, and they having undergone the same process became 

 immensely strong both in bees and brood. In January I ex- 

 amined the whole of the stocks, and although some were weak 

 I saw nothing more of the disease then; but within another 

 month it mads its re-appearance. The knife and the salicylic 

 acid were again brought into use, but they were useless. Al- 

 though the disease might be stayed, the germs were left only to 

 germinate on the first favourable opportunity. The whole of 

 my fifteen stocks became affected, and the matter became 

 serious. Few larvns ever arrived at maturity, and as the spring 

 advanced the bees died naturally of old age, until I found my- 

 self in the middle of May left with four Ligurian queens and 

 about half a pint of bees between them! 



Thus I have learnt that there is foul brood and foul brood, 

 the one may be comparatively harmless, the other most virulent. 

 I have also learnt that salicylic acid is not the specific it is 

 vaunted. I spared no trouble or expense in my effort to effect 

 a cure ; few bee-keepers could have given more attention than I 

 did, and it was useless. All my beautiful straight worker combs, 

 nearly two hundred, have been consigned to the melting-pot, 

 the frames destroyed as well as bee litter about the place, the 

 hives scalded, washed twice with carbolic acid, once with sali- 

 cylic acid, and painted three times, and now June 1st, I have 

 made a fresh start with two purchased swarms. For the last 

 month I have felt like a fish out of water, and as if a good sting- 

 ing would do me good. 



I am strongly inclined to think that the virulent disease came 

 to me from Italy with some of the Ligurian queens I have been 

 in the habit of importing, and was not my old acquaintance which 

 I have of late years always felt myself able to combat. I am 

 convinced that much of the ill-success in bee-keeping is caused 

 by the imknown presence of foul brood in the hives, and the 

 same hives being used again and again the disease is propagated 

 both at home and abroad, and I believe that as yet the only 

 remedy is to stamp it out like we do the cattle plague. Had 

 my hives been of an inexpensive character I would have burnt 

 the lot, and although I have taken every precaution to dis- 

 infect, I am not sure that I am acting wisely in not making 

 my loss a total one. Time will show. — John Hontek, Eaton 

 Bise, Ealing. 



OUR LETTEE BOX. 



Selling PouLTaY {Jane). — We aro unable to answer your question. 



Eggs Unfertile (Comiant Subscriber).— The reason that has been 

 asBiRned as the cause of many of your eggs failing is not a saiticient one. If 

 it had any foundation its effects would have been aa perceptible in the early 

 part of the season as now. EgRS are never aa fertile at the end of the eeason 

 as at the beginning ; this is, we expect, the true cause of the falling-off. The 

 size of the cocks has nothing to do with it. The Bantam cock can do no 

 harm. 



Gapes in Fov.xs (Smallwood). — The gapes are always caused by the 

 presence of red worms at the root of the windpipe. When they first come 

 they are very small {not larger than a thread) and have a very bright, almost 

 a vermilion colour. We have, however, taken them out of a half-grown 

 chicken so large as almost to fill the windpipe half of its leagth. They are 

 very active, and it is the tickling caused by their constant motion that causes 

 the ehort di-y cough and the gaping in the futile endeavour to get rid of the 

 peetfl. It is a disease cf youth, and attacks adults as seldom as the whouping 

 oougli does old people. The original treatment was to introduce a feather 

 into the windpipe, to turn it round very fast, and to withdraw it suddenly. 

 Worms, but not all of them, were found entangled in the feather. Another 

 method was to dip a feather in turpentine and pass it down. Another to 

 pass down horse-hair loops, twist them, and withclraw them. None of these 

 were effectual, because they always left some worms behind, and they increase 

 and multiply. A cure was required that could be used without interfering 

 •with the windpipe. It could only be done by using something sufficiently 

 powerful to pervade the system, and to reach by its odour both the seat 

 ' ' ' " '■ Nothing was found to do it so effectually 



3n to a fowl or a Pheasant must of uecesaity 

 in close neighbourhood to the windpipe. As 

 worms they die, and the disease ceases with 

 their death. Wherever premonitory symptoms are observed immediate action 

 should be taken. They may often be arrested by giving the birds no other 

 water to drink than that which is strongly impregnated with camphor, known 

 to our grandmothers as *' camphor julep," and believed to be a panacea for 

 most disorders, aud, more than that, a preventive. We speak from experience. 

 It will cure the gapes in fowls and Pheasants. 



Feeding Chickens (M\ H. W.).—Aa they are sis weeks old you may give 

 them bailey meal mashed, aud oat grits. 



Black Polands {Idem). — Black with white topknots. — Plumage, in both 

 sexes, uniform glossy black, with the topknot white, the feathers at the base of 

 the tuft iii front alone excepted, which are black ; the less of these the better; 



and the cause of the diseas< 

 nphur. That which is giv( 

 some time in the crop j 

 } the odour reaches the 



bat we have never seen a bird of this variety honestly possessed of a wholly 

 white topknot. The topknot of the cock to face regularly backwards, and 

 partially on the side, but not so much as to intercept the sight; that of the 

 hen to be firm, globular, and even. Form : comb of the cock minute, coa- 

 fiisting of two horns or spikes, which are still smaller in the hen; wattles 

 large, and brilliant in colour. Head concealed in a great measure by the crest, 

 bat rounded on the skull; eye prominent; body deep and fall, the breast being 

 very protuberant ; carriage erect and active. These last points refer to both 

 sexes. Legs short, clean, and of a dark slate colour. Weight of the adult 

 cock not less than 5 lbs., nor of the hen than 4 lbs. 



Feeding Rabbits {Small Boy).— If your does were careful and thrifty we 

 should say a quarter of a pint of oats would do for each, with bran and green 

 food. Dandelion is good food, so are carrot tops and grass. In spite of every 

 contrivance Rabbits waste half their dry food. Wa always give ours oate 

 mixed with clover chaff. We also give them water twice per day. Owing to 

 the waste, large breeding does require half a pint per day. 



Swarm Straying {A Part Sit&5cri6cr).— Your question is a difticult one to 

 answer, but wo fear you can have no claim to your bees that have " gone into 

 a neighbour's hive previously occupied by bees," even though " followed and 

 seen" to join them. If your neighbour is a man open to a fair representa- 

 tion, and there is no question on either side as to the alleged fact, he ought 

 we think to make you some compensation, varying from lOs. to 15s., accord- 

 ing to the size of the swarm. More you cannot expect. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



Cauden Square, London. 



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



REMARKS. 

 6th. — Rather dull morning, and generally overcast throughout the day; 

 rain began about 5.80 p.m., and lasted until 9 p.m., when the sky 

 cleared. 

 7th.— Fine throughout ; the range of temperature rather greater than yester- 

 day. 

 8th.— Slight haze in morning, but on the whole a fine warm day, but with a 



good deal of clou<l. 

 9th. — Very fine warm sunny day. 

 10th. — .Another very warm and fine summer day. 

 lltb.— Hot and sultry, no wind; thunderstorm In S.E. and S S.W. 9 p.m. to 



midnight; slight rain from 10 p.m., and heavy after 11 p.m. 

 12th.— Very wann in the eaily morning, but the rest of the day cloudy and 



A week of wa 

 risen more than S'' bet 

 May 2yth it was 54-, June 5th 59.1-, and June 12th 64.8-.— G. J. Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— June 13. 



A FAIR amount of business doing, with a better supply of hothouse fruits. 



English Pines in demand. The first home-grown Peas have arrived dm-ing 



s. a. 



Apples i sieve utc 



Ai>rieots dozen 1 6 



cWriea lb. 1 



Chestnuts bushel 



Currants J tieve 



Black i sieve 



Figs dozen 6 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 1 



Gooseberries .. quart 4 



Grapes.hotb.mie lb. 2 



Lemons ^ lOi) 6 



s. d. 



Ai-tichokes dozen S ut 



Asparagus ^ lOJ S 9 



Beans. Jvidney.. 1*100 1 



Boft. Ked dozen 1 6 



Br..LO.U bundle 9 



Cnl.h;i!;i- dozen 1 



Ciirn .t s bunch 6 



II, \v bmich 1 



Capsieums .... *»■ iOO 1 6 



CaiililluwerB.... dozen 2 



11, w dozen 6 



C.kry bundle 1 6 



Cni.wiii-ts doz. bunches 2 



Cut ambers .... each 6 



Fii.hve dozen 1 



Kiiiiicl bunch S 



Garlic lb. 6 



Hc-rbs bunch 2 



Lettuce dozen 1 



I Lccka bunch 1 



Melons each 3 



Nectarines .... dozen 12 



Oranges »- 100 10 



Peaches dozen 8 



Pears, kitchen., dozen 



dessert dozen 



Pine Apples .... lb. 2 



Plmna J sieve 



Baapberriea .... lb. 



StrawbciTies .. lb. 3 



Walnuts bushel 6 



(htto ^100 



VEGETABLES. 



Mushrooms .... pottle 



Mustard & Cress punnet 



Onions bushel 



pickling quart 



Parsley.... doz. bunches 



Parsnfps dozen 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bu'hel 



Kidney bushel 



New lb. 



RadJBbcs., doz. bunches 



Khubarb bundle 



Salsafv bundle 



Seorzouera . . . . bundle 



Seakale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bURbel 



Turnips bunch 



new bunch 



Veg. Marrows »■ each 



