July 9, 1868. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTURB AND COTTAGE GARDBNEB, 



35 



BBAHMA3.— First, MiBflC.Boylo, Barnstaple. Second, G. Pugsloy, Barn- ^ 

 staplo. 



DottKiNos.— First and Second, L. Patton. 



FttKNCH (Any viirioty).— First, Col. Htuurt Wortloy {Crevo-Ccour). Se- 

 cond, E. Leworthy, Newport, Buruataplo. 



Spanish.— First, J. Juce. Second, II. Bright. Commended, W. Boyle, 

 Barnstaple. 



MiNoitcAa.— First, H. L. Trowin, Kolkliampton. Second, 11. Lowortny, 

 Newport, Barnstublo. Commended. 8. Northcote, Upton Pino. 



Amconas —First and Second, H. Lowortliy (Black-tipptd White). 



Amdalubian (Blue). — First, U. Stone, Newport, iiarnstuplo. Second, 

 B. H. NichoUs, Newport, Mon. 



Game.— First and Socoud, Rev. O. S. Cruwys, Cruwy^ Morchard, 

 Tiverton. Commended. E. Maunder, Northraolton iBlack-breasted). 



PoLANDS.— Urst, J. lliuton, Uinton, near Bath. Second, K, Andrews, 

 Baroataple. 



Hambdrohs (Gold or Silver-pencilled).- Firat, W, Clement, Barnstable 

 (Gold). Second, R H. NichoUs (Gold). 



HAMB0BaHS(Goldor Silver-spanKlod).- First.A. Snell, Bishop's Tawton 

 (Silver). Second, J. Delroar, Pouffhill (Gold). 



Any Breed not Previously Mentioned. — First, R. Newcombe, Hean- 

 ton, Punchajdon dudiau). Second, E. Maunder, jun,, (&lalay). 



Bantams (Any varit-ty). — First, G. F. Hodson, North Pethorton. Se- 

 cond, H. R. HiRham (Gold-Ianed). Commended, J. It. Bigham (Black- 

 broaated) ; W. Dale, Weston-super-Mare. 



ToRKEYS.— First, L. Patton. Second and Third, J. Real, Ilfracomb. 



Geese.- First, L. Patton. Second aud Third, J. Real. Commended, 

 F. Brayley, Irish Borongh. 



D»OKs.— First and Third, L. Patton (Rouen). Second, A. W. Jones 

 (White). Commended, K. Pethebridge (American). 

 PIGEONS. 



CARBrERS.- First, C. Bulpin, Bridgewater. Second, E. S. Eeall. 



Footers. — First uLd Secuud, C. Bulpin. 



Jacobins.— First, W. Westucott, Barnstaple, Second, C. Bulpin. 



Tumblers — First, W. Westacott. Second, C. Bulpin. 



Fantails. — First and Second, C. Bulpin. 



Barbs.— First, T. C. Smith. Second, A. D. Smith. 



Tbdmpetees.— First, J. G. Gilbert. Second, C. Bulpin. 



Any other Vakiety.— First, C. Bulpia. Second, W. Cooke, Barnstaple. 

 (Bunts). 



BRITISH AND FOREIGN CAGE AND OTHER BIRDS. 



Canaries. — First, Mrs. Boyle. Second, Mrs. E. Palmer. 



Goldfinches.— Prize, J. Sellick, Barnstaple. 



Parrots.- First, G. T. Gaydon (African). Second, J. Clement (Airican 

 Orey). 



Dotes. — Prize, G. Dowdle (Ring). 



Dr. Scott, and the Kev. J. P. Sydenham, officiated as Jadgeg. 



PROGRESS OF GROWTH. 

 I SEND yon an account of the increase in weight of a grey 

 Dorking cockerel hatched on the 18th of February. 



NoBTH British Coldmbakian Society. — The prize list has 

 just been isBUed, aud is very rich. There are three prizes — 

 •20s., 10s., and 5s. in each class, besides twenty-three silver 

 medals valued at two guineas each. There must be a large 

 Exhibition, and a prize gained there ought to be considered a 

 oolambarian blue ribbon. 



WINTERING AND BREEDING CANj\JIIES. 



I SHALi, feel obliged if yon can inform me whether Canaries 

 will live through the winter in cages in a room without fire, 

 and whether they are better in a large flight cage against the 

 wall, or in a large, open, wire aviary cage in the window during 

 OUT northern winter weather ? 



I should also like to know if a patent gas stove with a pipe up 

 the chimney would sufficiently warm a room 14 feet by 12 feet, 

 and whether so burning the gas would injure Canaries and 

 other email foreign birds ? 



I also need directions as to the safest and best method of 

 wintering Canaries, aud the dimensions and particulars of the 

 best stylo of cnge for breeding purposes. — W. D. Skeltos, jd.n. 



[Canaries in health will withstand almost any amount of 

 cold, and it is nothing unusual in a severe winter to have to 

 break the ice in their drinking-vessels twice or thrice a-day. I 

 'know several irstances in which they are kept in conservatories 

 with no protection and no artificial heat all through the winter. 

 It is quite immateriul whether they are kept in a large aviarj 

 cage in a wiudow, or in a flight cage against the wall — that is, 

 as far as regards health ; but birds kept in an open aviary case 



will be much more likely to become dirty. They require no 

 special treatment which might be classed under the head of 

 wintering them. In any ordinary winter they will suffer no 

 inconvenience from the low temperature. 



I have in my bird-room a small gas stove which I used with 

 great success in the early part of this breeding season. Owing 

 to the unusually fine weather we experienced, I was induced to 

 begin much earlier than usual, and I made a practice of light- 

 ing-up my stove in the evening to keep up the temperature 

 during the night. My stove is of the simplest construotion 

 and cost only a few shilhngs including the man's time in 

 fixing, and would do well for " W. D. S.'s " room. It is simply 

 an upright cylinder of common thin sheet iron, about or 

 7 inches in diameter, and about 2 feet high, covered at the top, 

 and having a pipe to convey away the hot vitiated air. 1 use 

 simply an ordinary bat's-wing burner, and when the gas is 

 turned full on it will generate sufficient heat in two or three 

 minutes to render the room nncomfortably hot. A very small 

 flame is sufficient to keep up a comfortable temperature. The 

 main point to be observed in its use is the finding a suitable 

 place for the outlet of the pipe. This should be in a place 

 entirely free from draught8,*'or the down draught will ex- 

 tinguish the light, besides returning to the room the noxious 

 vapour which it is the object of the pipe to convey away. My 

 pipe finds its outlet immediately under the roof of my house, 

 not through it. I question whether communication with a 

 chimney would do. I have known it faU. 



There is an apparatus for heating small rooms which I have 

 seen in an office in this town (Sunderland), which is simpler 

 than my own. In it a single jet of gas is mtroduced into the 

 mouth of an iron pipe (an ordinary rain-water pipe being 

 used), which traverses the side of the office under the desks 

 against the wall, rising from a few inches above the floor at 

 one end, to about 3 feet at the other, where a small escape- 

 pipe up the corner of the room conveys the hot air to a vacant 

 space above the ceiling. The principle is the same in both 

 cases, the iron pipe in the one serving as the sheet-iron cylin- 

 der in the other. The cost of the gas is next to nothing, and 

 not the slightest injury to the birds results from its combustion. 



" W. D. S." will see my remarks on breeding cages in 

 No. 304 of the Journal. I shall be most happy to answer any 

 queries from the uninitiated, and shall at all times esteem it 

 a pleasure to do so. — W. A. Blakston.J 



FOUL BROOD. 



Ddbino the spring of the present year I paid a visit to a 

 brother bee-keeper who resides within a few miles of London. 

 His apiary was apparently a flourishing one, consisting of about 

 a dozen stocks in various kinds of hives all well stored with 

 honey, and for the most part working vigorously. There was, 

 however, one weak colony, which happening to be domiciled in 

 a Woodbury frame hive, I lost no time in examining. Much 

 to my own astonishment, aud to the discomfiture of its owner, 

 1 found it far gone in foul brood. This discovery prompted an 

 examination of two other colonies in moveable-comb hives, 

 and both proved to be infected with the same terrible disease. 

 One was of moderate strength, and in this foul brood was de- 

 cidedly manifested, although not nearly to so great an extent 

 as the one first examined ; whilst in the third, which was a 

 wonderfully strong aud apparently prosperous stock, only a few 

 tainted cells could be discovered, Fcattered here and there 

 amongst immense masses of healthy brood. My hospitable 

 entertainer seemed scarcely able to realise the fact that his 

 seemingly flourishing apiary could in reality be smitten by so 

 fearful a malady, aud declared that if this were foul brood he had 

 been fumiliar with it for the last eighteen years. His experience 

 was that he considered the natural life of a stock of bees was 

 limited to five or six years, at the end of which period it was 

 liound to die out, leaving the combs filled niih what he had 

 always called "abortive brood," but which was in point of fact 

 identical with that for which I had testified so much abhor- 

 rence, and which I had stigmatised as " foul brood." 



Tbis state of things opens up the question whether there 

 may not be what may be termed a chronic form or phase of 

 foul brood, which, although ultimately fatal in its results, is 

 yet of su' h comparatively slow growth as to admit of a certain 

 degree of prosperity in the infected apiary ; the stocks of which 

 tliMirieh, and throw off swarms in the usual way for two or 

 three jears, only succumbing when the disease has run its 

 course in five or six years. 



