394 



JJUKNAL OF HOKTICULTDKE AJND COTTAGE GAxtrENEK 



[ November 19, 1868. 



ing on such when qiieenlese, a somewhat similar result ensued. 

 On the 5th of July this year a stock of pure Ligurians having 

 refused to swarm or work in supers, I divided the hive (a 

 frame bos of 20A inches pquare) by a partition in the middle, 

 and gave to the queenless half an outside frame with a plain 

 sheet ; the queen was hatched on the 20th, by which time the 

 sheet was fully worked up, the greater part of it with worker 

 cells, but a little drone comb round the edges ; this comb, 

 mostly sealed honey, was removed before the queen began to 

 lay. With regard to the use of plain sheets in supers I can say 

 nothing, not having yet tried them, but purpose doing so next 

 year. 



I may further inform your correspondent that I have never 

 purchased was sheets either in London or Ayrshire in smaller 

 quantities than three dozen, and that I have paid in London 

 6s., and in Ayrshire 5s. a-dozen, besides packing-case, &c. I 

 cannot undertake to make sheets for your correspondent, but 

 as to their price it may suffice to say, that plain sheets some- 

 what thicker than the impressed ones weigh thirty to the pound, 

 when trimmed for Woodbury frames, and the price of wax being 

 2s. per lb., makes the price of a sheet somewhat less than Id. As 

 to the labour of their construction, I can easily, by the method 

 described in my former letter, turn out ten dozen in an hour, 

 and have little doubt that with the aid of another pair of hands 

 they could be impressed in two hours. The profit which the 

 makers realise upon their sale at Gs. a-dozeu may easily be 

 reckoned. — Apicola. 



HOW TO SWEEP THE FLOOR. 



In the days of our Puritan grandmothers, no girl was con- 

 sidered fit to receive proposals of marriage till she could make 

 a good hemlock broom ; to know how to make a broom in those 

 old days, we presume, was always preceded by the knowledge 

 of its use. But in these later times, many a young lady not 

 only offers herself in the matrimonial market, but absolutely 

 gets married and undertakes to manage her house without 

 knowing how to use a broom that some one else has made. We 

 have seen a broom used so unskilfully, that one would almost 

 think the person engaged in using it was endeavouring to 

 change the place of the dust from the floor to the furniture. It 

 requires some science, or at least some skill, to use a broom 

 well, as it does to do anything else. 



To use a broom skilfully, the handle should incliuo forward 

 and not backward, as is often the case. If the top of the broom 

 inclines forward beyond the part next the floor, it will prevent 

 much of the dust from rising into the air, and will carry it 

 along by a gently sliding motion towards the place where it is 

 to be disposed of. 



If, on the other hand, the handle of the broom inclines back- 

 wards, the dust is sent into the air by a kind of a jerk, to the 

 great annoyance of those who occupy the room, and to the 

 great detriment of everything the apartment contains. More 

 than this, it wears off the threads of the carpet quicker, in- 

 jures the paint more, if the room is uncarpeted, and destroys 

 the broom sooner, than if the sweeping was done in a more 

 rational way. 



A brush of bristles is always better to sweep a carpet, as it is 

 less liable " to kick up a dust," or to injure the texture of the 

 carpet. Moistened tea leaves thrown over a carpet before 

 sweeping, will help to prevent the dust from rising, and on 

 account of the peculiar properly of the tea infusion, they will 

 not injure the colour of the cloth. After the first snowfall, 

 carpets may be cleaned of dust by throwing a little hard snow 

 on them when the room is cold, and quickly sweeping it off. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Chinese Geese — Characteristics of Dorkings and Erabmas 

 {Novice). — We know notbins of Messrs. Lucas' sale. Chinese Geese lay 

 at all times. We Lave known them lay, sit, and rear their young in mid- 

 winter. The principal characteristics uf Dorking and Brahma cockerels 

 are size and weight, but of course the latter is not accompanied by sym- 

 metry. They are lanky and narrow. Golden-pencilled Hamburghs lay 

 more eggs than either Brahmas or French fowls, but their eggs are 

 smaller. The French lay the largest eggs. They, like the Hamburghs, 

 are non-sittors. 



Quantity of Food for Fowls (An Amateur).~lt is quite impossible 

 to give any quantity as the average consumption of food by a given 

 number of fowls, unless we know every particular -whether confined or 

 at liberty, and the nature of their run. We do not like your feeding. 

 The morning feed of corn is a good one ; barley is better than wheat. 

 The midday and evening feeds are bad. Boiled Potatoes are bad feeding. 

 They make bad flesh and flat, and they do not promote laying. Pollard 

 is bad. Kitchen scraps are good. You wiU do better if you iviU adopt 



the following dietary : — In th^morning, at daybreak, barley ; midday, 

 ground oats slacked with water or milk, and in tlie evening whole com, 

 either barley or Indian com ; the former preferable, the latter us'^ful for a 

 change. The old moulting hens will not lay in the winter. The puUets 

 of last spring should do so, and will as soon as yon alter your stylo of 

 food. No hens, however well fed, will lay in the winter. You must form 

 your own idea of the necessary quantity of fond from observation. The 

 better their condition the less they will eat. Rice is utterly worthless. 



Cochin-china Hen not Laying (S. B.)-— Either your Cochin hen was 

 too fat to lay, or she ate her eggs, or they were taken by some one or 

 something. It is against nature that a hen should lay one egg and then 

 leave ofi". Judging from her weight we should say she was very fat. At 

 her age she will not lay at this time of year ; but when Christmas is 

 turned bring her down in condition till she is comparatively thin, and we 

 believe you will find her a layer. 



Breeding Buff Cochin-Chinas (Lemon Bu/f)-— What colour do yon 

 want to breed ? We should prefer the dark cockerel with the light hens. 

 Promoting Size in Fowls {G. iv.).— Nothing can be more fallacious 

 than your friend's advice, to feed less nourishingly. You want size, and 

 that can only be produced by good feeding when the birds are growing. 

 If you feed on bran you will have a lanky, narrow, knock-koeed bird, 

 that will pass all his time sitting on his hocks. A growing bird will not 

 fatten, all the support goes to make scaffolding, and to supply thew and 

 sinew. Your 8-lb. bird had done gi-owing at eight months old. Barley- 

 meal and ground oats are good, so is a little whole barley. We do not 

 approve of wheat, bran, Indianmeal, or peameal. A little Indian corn 

 may be given at times. The secret of making large fowls is to feed 

 judiciously from the first. Growth cannot be made afterwards. Weight 

 may be added, but it is such as you saw in the fowl you mention, and 

 such as you would obtain in a Capon. Hatch early, feed often on chopped 

 egg and cooked meat, Ijread and milk, ground oats slaked with milk, 

 bread crumbs, tailing wheat, &c. When growth has ceased, feed them as 

 adults ; meal night and morning, whole corn in the day. Judges are not 

 infallible, and if the cock has done as much as you say, continue to show 

 him. 



Hen-Cock {Mr. A. P.}.— Your Black Spanish hen, which has been lay- 

 ing for the last two years, and this year after the raonlt has feathers like 

 those of a cock, tail and hackle, and in colour rich glossy black, having 

 a metallic green lustre, is not a phenomenon. It is a change which often 

 occurs, and though the sex ijs changed only in appearance, yet Bhe will 

 lay no more eggs. 



Roup Pills {M. Moxccroft).—Mesara. Baily, 113, Mount Street, Groves- 

 nor Square, London, W. 



Hanley Poultry Show (T. Dean).— Oar note about Keighley Poultry 

 Show, at page 852, should have been headed "Hanley Poultry Show," and 

 our observation apphes to this. We see no reason to pursue the subject; 

 if you can show any unfair proceedings we will aid iu exposing them. 



Crossing Toulouse and Norfolk Geese— Eggs unfertile (A. B.), 

 — You may safely allow the Toulouse Gander to ran with the Norfolk 

 Geese. You are altogether mistaken about the eggs; those that remain 

 perfectly clear have never been impregnated— they would have remained 

 clear for six mouths. There has never been the germ of life in such an 

 egg, and there can consequently be neither development, death, nor decay. 

 Baldhead and Beard Pigeons. — A correspondent says that these are 

 very difficult varieties to breed, and that he, " A Board," would readily 

 subficrilie, as would many others, for prizes to be awarded to them in 

 separate classes. 



Large Hives {Inquirer) — If, as we suppose, you intend to deepen 

 your hives permanently by means of ekes, it had better be done in the 

 spring as soon as they become tolerably populous. It may bo as well to 

 change their floor boards, but we do not deem it very essential. Waxen 

 sheets should first be slightly warmed, so as not to chip before the knife 

 or scissors, then make incisions from a q'larter to three-eighths of an 

 inch deep, and about an inch apart along the upper edge. Next warm 

 the wax a little more, and bend over each portion so divided alternately 

 from right o left until they stand at right angles with the sheet itself, 

 when, if our description has been sufficiently clear to be intelligible, it 

 will be found easy to cement the foundation thus formed to a comb bar, 

 by means of melted wax. We see no reason why vour hives should not 

 travel safely if you can get the crate carefully handled and kept in its 

 proper position. Tie the hives up in cloth of oijcn texUire (cheese cloth), 

 invert them, and pack them firmly with fitra^v, takiu.; care that ventila- 

 tion is perfectly unimpeded in every case. 



Food for Bees {E. Hoare). — We always use simple syrup made of 

 lump sugar in the proportion of three parts of sugar to two of water (by 

 weight), and boiled a minute or two. When administered by means of 

 an inverted bottle this really leaves nothing to be desired. Treacle 

 should never be used for feeding bees. 



Feeding Bees in Winter. — " G. S. T." asks for the best method of 

 feeding bees in winter, and as we never attempt doing so, we shall be 

 obliged by a reply from any one who has Buccessfully fed beea at that 

 season. 



Butterflies and Moths {A Younff Entomoloqist^. — We cannot recom- 

 mend dea ere. There is no serial relative to Lepidoptera publishing in 

 parts. If you need a cheap illustrated book on the British Lepidoptera, 

 purchase Stainton's " Manual of Butterfles .ind Moths," 



Greek Wines {Rev. W. It. P.). — We have already stated thnt Kephisia 

 and St. Elie are two of the most refreshing wines that we know. All the 

 Greek wines are pure and unbrandied. Why not call at Mr. Denman*S, 

 in Piccadilly, and taste the wines? You will find all the information yon 

 ask for in a small volume he has pubUshed. It is well written, and tells 

 much that you will like to know. 



POULTRY MARKET.— NovEUBEB 18. 



s. d 

 c 



Large Fowls 3 to 3 



Smaller do 2 2 b 



ChickeuB 16 19 



Geese 5 6 7 



Ducks 2 2 6 



Pigeons 8 9 



Pheasants 



Partridges 1 



Hares 2 



Rabbits 1 



WiMdo 



Groiue 3 



8. d B. 



2 6 toS 

 6 1 

 6 3 



