58 



JOOKNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ January 21, 18f9. 



white throat entirely separatinR the red round the head of the 

 bird. There is no proof that a cheverel finch will breed good 

 pied Mules rather than other finches. This I have proved. I 

 have bred pied Mules from both kinds — viz. , cheverels and those 

 perfectly marked. I mean by birds perfectly marked, those 

 without the white speck or throat mark. In judging Goldfinches 

 I would give the preference to a perfect bird, one not marked 

 on the throat. And again, in choosing a Goldfinch for breed- 

 ing purposes, it matters not whether the bird be a large speci- 

 men or one of a moderate size. One of the best Mules I ever 

 bred was from a small finch. I have had varied success from 

 either. — G. J. Barnesey, Derhy. 



(To be continued.) 



CROSS-BREEDING BEES. 



I FOLLOWED the directions given by Mr. Woodbury in unitiDg 

 the Ligurian queen to my stock of black bees on the 3rd of 

 last November. I confess that I had some fears as regards her 

 safe arrival, for it was then becoming very cold, as well as with 

 regard to the operation of changing the queens at such a late 

 period, but when I opened the box I was delighted to find her 

 in fine condition. I put her on her new throne about ten 

 o'clock next morning, and about four in the afternoon the bees 

 were all settled, so that I was able to place the hive in its house 

 again all safe and sound. On New Year's-day I was looking at 

 them, and to my agreeable surprise saw two or three beautiful 

 little yellow-jackets marching about the combs. Looking again 

 on the fith of January I found their numbers increased ; there 

 were then several of them to be seen moving about the hive 

 with the other bees. My stock was very strong and heavy. 



I have two other black stocks standing near that above re- 

 ferred to, and I purpose immediately after the Ligurians have 

 swarmed to place the old Ligurian stock in the place of one of 

 the black stocks, again after the second swarm to remove it to 

 the site of the other black stock, to take the surplus bees from 

 each of them, and then to remove the two black stocks to 

 another garden; but I should bejthankful for some advice, as 

 I should like to keep the Ligurians pure. 



I read in the Journal a few weeks since of a correspondent 

 coming to the conclusion, through his experience with Ligu- 

 rians, that hybrids are by far the most profitable as regards 

 honey, quite as prolific as the Ligurians, and much hardier. 

 If such is the case it would not be worth keeping them pure. 

 I should be glad of your opinion on this matter also. — H. E. 



[We have never found that the hybrid, or rather mongrel, 

 race, produced by the interbreeding of the black and Ligurian 

 varieties of the honey bee, possesses any advantage over the 

 pure Italian, and therefore much prefer the latter. We are 

 glad to find that you purpose adopting Mr. Kohler's mode of 

 propagating Ligurians, described in page 141 of our last 

 volume. We should advise you to follow his instructions im- 

 plicitly, and hope that you will communicate the result.] 



BEES IN SOUTH LANCASHIRE. 



The season of 18G8 has been one of the most extraordinary 

 for bees. It commenced with very early pollen-gathering, and 

 the bees made headway in breeding very fast. In May I do 

 not think any season ever surpassed it for the quantity of 

 honey that was gathered ; but, alas ! June and July came with 

 their scorching hot days, no dew at night, and no swarms. I 

 bagan the year with fourteen stocks, all well and strong, and 

 I had only two swarms — one the last day of May, and the 

 other on the 14th of June. I took thirteen of my stocks to 

 the moors, where they did well. They came home full of 

 honey, and filled several bell-glasses, as well as bringing their 

 hives up to great weights ; but had it not been for the rains 

 we had about the middle of August, we should have had but a 

 poor stock of honey to adorn the sideboard. 



I have often expressed a wish in " our Journal" that bee- 

 keepers generally would give descriptions of their year's expe- 

 rience, as it would be read with pleasure by others. I should 

 like to hear opinions respecting the non-swarming this season. 

 It is said that a dry season is best for honey, and a damp one 

 for swarms. The latter may be true, but the dry season of this 

 year is an exception as far as honey-gathering is concerned, 

 except in damp localities. I know that not far from here 

 (Denton), some of my friends' bees have done well, being in 

 damp localities near the river Mersey. 



I read with pleasure the account of the meeting of German 

 bee-masters held at Darmstadt in September last, and should 



be glad to see the same kind of meeting carried out in England ; 

 it would be the means of doing much good, and of encouraging 

 bee-keeping. 



What a benefit it would be to the working classes if they 

 could have their half a dozen hives of bees, and after taking 

 their honey in July convey them to the heather ! I have often 

 robbed two or three hives in July, taking '20 lbs. of honey from 

 each, and then carried them to the moors, getting them back 

 from the 15th to the 20th of October. Hundreds at the pre- 

 sent day destroy their bees for the honey, knowing no better 

 plan. I kept bees two or three years previous to seeing " our 

 Journal," in 18G0. When I did see it I perceived at once that 

 I could make myself more at home with my little pets. If at 

 our poultry shows, &c., there could be a prize for bee hives, 

 the working classes would then be able to see the different 

 kinds of hives in use, and so do away with the brimstone pit, 

 which must be repugnant to the feelings of any bee-keeper. 

 A SoUTH-L.lNCASniRE Bee-keepek. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Hens not Laying [H. N.). — Change of place will often check a hen's 

 laying. You had better write to any one who sells on " the usual terms," 

 and ask what is meant. 



Bantams. — Messrs. S. & "R. Ashton inform'usthat they won the cup with 

 their Black Bantams at Bristol, for Bautams, any variety except Game. 



Keepino Eggs for Hatching {Leinon liu^},—lt the eggs afe to be put 

 under hens shortly, it is imimportant how they are kept, or in what 

 position. If it is desired to keep them for some time, they should be 

 kept on their sides and turned every dny. 



White Dorking Characteristics iE. H. P.). — White Dorking fowls 

 must have five toes. They are not Dorkini^s without them. The combs 

 and wattles should be red. Brahmas must be feather-legged down to the 

 toes, but anything like a cre^t or top-knot, or tuft on the head, would 

 at once prove the possessors impure. 



PoOLTRY Rewarded for Weight iT. H.V — It is generally pretty well 

 known that certain classes are principalh' iudged by weight, because it 

 is the chief point in the breeds that compose the classes. It is more im- 

 portant than any other in Ducks and Geese. Admitting there is no 

 defect of plumage in any competitors, then weight must decide among 

 them. The beautiful Black Duck is, on the other hand, appreciated in 

 proportion to its diminutive size ; colour being equal in all competitors, 

 the smallest are successful. 



Cochin-Chinas in Conitned Space {Little Cock Wat.). — 'In such a 

 run, 'Zl feet by 9 feet, and a roost 8 by 10, you may keep a cock and five 

 hens very well. They will do everything well, but it is too small to rear 

 chickens. You must feed on barleyraeal, ground oats, whole barley, 

 Indian corn, all for a change, one only at a time. The help in the way of 

 food will be kitchen and table scraps, in lieu of, not in addition to, the 

 above. The necessai-ies for health wiU be road grit, fresh mould, a little 

 bricklayers' rubbish, all put in heaps : sods of growing grass, and green 

 food, especially lettuce. The cost of keeping fowls in this state should 

 not exceed 3f/. per head, but with good management they will cost some- 

 what less. 



Roughness on Cochin- Chinas' Legs (F. D. 1.). — Your fowls are suffer- 

 ing from a disease of comparatively recent appearance. It is only within 

 the last two years it has been much known ; it was attributed to the 

 action of snow at that time, but il cannot be the case now. We have 

 not heard of a case before. Last year and the year before we had it both 

 in young and old. It was communicated from one to the other, but did 

 not become general. In many cases it induced paralysis and ended in 

 death. It was dithcnlt to treat, and the only success we had was achieved 

 by freiiueut dressings with salad oil. 



Sunderland Sho'.v {R, Hairmau), — There is only one sentence in your 

 letter that we can insert. "I have yet to learn that a Lizard Canary with 

 a green shade on its plumage is better than one with an orange shade 

 (for as far as I know the higher the colour, the deeper is the black), sup- 

 posing them to be equal in other respects." Complaints about erroneous 

 j udgments should be sent to committees ; if published they cause needless 

 dissatisfaction to winners and losers. 



Detecting Sex of Fantails {Spottal Boh),— The. hen is known by 

 her thinner neck, finer head, and general delicacv of appearance. The 

 Fantail Pigeon is one of the very few in which the hens are prettier than 

 the cocks. 



Pigeons Diseased (Fido). — Tell us more explicitly" the disease of your 

 young Pigeons. Is the lump hai'd ? Is the smell offensive ? and is it in 

 the mouth or throat, &c. ? 



Wing-disease in Pigeons ( ). — We advise yon to apply a weak 



solution of tincture of iodine, " iodine paint.'' The chemist you pur- 

 chase it of will tell you how frequently to us;e it, as that depends upon 

 its strength. In very bad cases there is no cure. 



Canary Losing its Voice {T. S.). — We know of no cure. 



Food for a Mix,ch Cow in Winter [Inquirer]. — Your case of a cow 

 not giving much milk at this season is not an unusual one, and we 

 hardly know what food to advise being given her to increase the quantity 

 without in some degree deteriorating the quality. Brewers' grains, and 

 bran and other mashes increase the quantity, but the quality is ooor. 

 Oil cake, however, enriches it, and we have the present winter been giving 

 both to our herd of about a dozen. Mangold and swedes are often found 

 fault with by those who are particular about the quality of their milk and 

 butter, and we think ought never to be given to milch cows till the begin- 

 ning of March, when much of the rankness is gone. We have, however, 

 for many years had complaints of milk being rank-tasted early in the 

 autumn, from the cows eating the new-fallen leaves of forest trees, which 

 we cannot keep them from. Some pastures also produce a sort of wild 

 onion (Ramsons), which, if paitnken of by the cows, gives a peculiar bad 

 flavour to the milk, and we need hardly say the Cibbage tribe is bad ; 

 Where the cows had a good pasture to roam in, and plenty of good 

 bay, we have often found the richest milk produced in winter by that 

 alone. We do not think, however, that a moderate quantity of grain — 

 hay once a-day, and oil cake once, can impart any improper flavour. 



