February G, 1888.' ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICDLTURB AND OOTTAOR GARDENER. 



121 



The growing popularity of the Light birds, and the increas- 

 ing numbers exhibited at all shows where there is a separate 

 class for thera, would, I feel sure, malio it highly renuinerative 

 to secretaries of shows to insist upon that equality whenever 

 the two classes are competing for the samo cup. They would 

 immediately gain a great increase of entries, as Light Brahma 

 breeders will not exhibit their birds in a mixed class as long 

 as it is a notorious fact that these cacnot be first, however ex- 

 cellent they may be. 



" At tlio great majority of shows Brahmashave been divided 

 into Light and Park," as " Y. B. A. Z." WTites in your Journal 

 this week. Such, uo doubt, is the case ; and encouraged by 

 the concessions already made. Light Brahma breeders wi.sh 

 still further to establish the claims of their birds. Dark 

 Brahma breeders are not likely to be dissatisfied when they are 

 always at the top of the tree. Light Brahma breeders will not 

 be dissatisfied when the just merits of their birds are allowed. 



" Y. B. A. Z." writes, " Wherever he goes he is struck with 

 the degeneration of the Light birds." Can he have been at 

 the late Birmingham Show? and can he make this assertion 

 after having inspected the fifty-eight pens of Light Brahmas 

 there exhibited ? 



I trust that there are palmier days in store for the Light 

 birds than any that have gone before, and I do not see why the 

 death of one " old cock," however beautiful he may have been, 

 should daunt the efforts of the Light Brahma breeders. — 

 Bengal. 



[We have several other communications on the same sub- 

 ect, but we can only insert them by degrees. — Eds.] 



MEALY POUTERS— MATCHING FOR COLOUR, &c. 



The correspondence in your columns respecting Mealy 

 Pouters and their use as crosses appears to be proceeding on 

 a wrong basis to some extent. The question for the breeders 

 of to-day is not so much what may be done in crossing, but 

 what really should be done under the present aspect and con- 

 dition of Pouters as a class. 



I have not had the pleasure of reading Mr. Tegetmeier's 

 work on Pigeons, and therefore approach this subject wholly 

 irrespective of his book or its reviews ; but I have had the 

 great advantage of a long practical experience with this class 

 of birds, and for the last two seasons have very carefully studied 

 the great annual Show at Glasgow, the stronghold of the Pouter 

 fancy. On each of these occasions upwards of three hundred 

 Pouters, contributed by the most experienced breeders, were 

 exhibited, and my observation of these birds has led me irre- 

 sistibly to the conclusion that, in order to obtain great size, 

 vigour, style, and length of feather, a most deplorable deterio- 

 ration of colour and marking has been permitted; and that, if 

 a radical change in the system of matching be not shortly ac- 

 complished, the English Pouter will soon be the worst-plumaged 

 bird of all the Pigeon varieties. Almost any kind of matching 

 promising good results on the side of size, vigour, &c., has 

 been the fashion : hence a very free, not to say reckless, use 

 has been made of Mealies, Chequers, Splashes, and pale birds, 

 for these are commonly to be found of great size and handsome 

 proportions ; while colour has become impoverished, the mark- 

 ing more and more wildly inaccurate, and the limb in many 

 instances far too short for the increased length of feather. 



Now, what is the remedy for this state of things ? and as 

 "colour" is the main feature of this useful discussion, how 

 are we to obtain Blacks of raven brilliancy, Beds rich and 

 lustrous. Blues pure and untainted with chequer, and with 

 bars free from kite marking ? Surely by importing into the de- 

 partment of colour those processes of " selection " and mating 

 which have proved so effectual in the domains of size, contour, 

 and vigour; and just as birds have been selected and mated 

 for the production of the one set ol properties, must they now 

 be selected and mated for the other, and indeed for any pro- 

 perty that may require attention. 



While fully valuing advantages already gained, future pro- 

 gress demands that birds of defective plumage should be for a 

 time rigorously discarded ; that the soundest colour obtainable 

 should be exclusively used for breeding and crossing ; and that 

 the utmost circumspection must be exercised to avoid dilution, 

 or any confusion calculated to impair the coloirr in richness, 

 smootlmess, or lustre. 



The revival, purification, and establishment of the standard 

 colours will be a prelude to many interesting experiments and 

 crosses at present wholly impracticable in the very impuie 



state of the useful strains ; and in this revival the Mealy is 

 destined to play but a very subordinate part. His work has 

 been done, and for a while he must be mainly conspicuous by 

 absence. Nevertheless, the cliject proposed can be accom- 

 plished without impairing the Pouter in constitution, size, or 

 symmetry ; for in every colour there are many families of grand 

 birds sufficiently unrelated to supply crosses for some time to 

 come, so that little or no plea remains for the continued and 

 direct infusion of doubtful elements, especially as every strain 

 is completely saturated already with Mealy and Chequer blood. 

 Size and strength exist in profusion, our lofts teem with 

 birds of unsurpassable vigour ; it only remains now for the 

 sound fancier to maintain advantages already acquired, and to 

 superadd those properties hitherto neglected and deficient, 

 bearing in mind that bis real triumph can never be in one- 

 sided excellence, but in accumulating in one specimen as many 

 or all of those properties which give charm and character to 

 the Eughsh Pouter. — W. A'olckman, London. 



riGEONS, THEIR COLOURS AND DISEASES. 



I CANNOT refrain from adding my meed of praise to Mr. Huie 

 for his able article on Mr. W. B. Tegetmeier's work on the 

 domestic Pigeon. 



I think it would add considerably to the benefits conferred by 

 your Journal, if some of our most experienced fanciers would 

 insert an article occasionally on matching, breeding, and rear- 

 ing the high class fancy Pigeons, their diseases, cures, &c. 

 This would be a great boon to amateurs, and fill a want that 

 has been long felt by young fanciers, seeing we cannot supply 

 it by any of the latest productions published. 



I quite coincide with the remarks Mr. Huie made in your 

 Journal of the Kith ult. I purchased a bird on the Continent 

 in August last. On its arrival here I found it suffering from 

 roup ; 1 kept it confined in a cage for six weeks, giving it roup 

 pills, and washing its mouth and nostrils with alum water. I 

 found it made little progress. I caught hold of it and threw it 

 into the loft where upwards of fifty more birds were. It has re- 

 mained with them up to the present time, taking its food from 

 the same hopper, and drinking from the same fountain as the 

 others, and am glad to say not one bird has caught the disease. 



With regard to matching for colour, it is certain, and must 

 be patent to the most obtuse observer, that on matching Yellow 

 or Red, and Mealy together, it is a thousand to one but the 

 produce will be worthless mongrels as far as colour is concerned, 

 while by proper selection of colours you can in every instance 

 depend on obtaining good colour, whatever the colour of the 

 progeny may be. I have seen, I may say, all the best birds 

 in Great Britain, and venture to say I never saw twenty good- 

 coloiu-ed Beds and Yellows in the whole collection, which must 

 account for so many bad-coloured birds, if the system in ques- 

 tion bo persevered in by some of our largest breeders. — A. H. 

 Stewaut, 4, Andcrton Street, Birmlmjliam. 



[Our columns are open to Pigeon fanciers, and we will 

 readily insert their communications, for we wish to make this 

 Journal their organ for obtaining and imparting information. 

 —Eds.] 



UTILISING AND UNITING CONDEMNED BEES. 



{Continncd from jm./jc 106.) 

 Open driving is somewhat slower in its operation, as the 

 bees can ascend only from one side of the hive ; but it is by 

 far the most convenient when it is deemed either advisable or 

 essential to secure the queen. In this case it will be well for 

 the beginner, before commencing operations, to pass the 

 threaded packing-needle just through the crown of the empty 

 hive from the inside, leaving the string hanging. Then com- 

 mence as before by blowing a few whiffs of smoke into the in- 

 habited hive, invert it on the bucket, put the bee-cloth and 

 decoy hive in their place on the floor-board, cover the inverted 

 hive with the one in which the packing-needle has been in- 

 serted, and stand the whole on one of the chairs in some shady 

 spot. Having ascertained in which direction the combs run, 

 stick the skewer into the edge of the lower hive opposite that 

 end of the centre comb towards which the bees appear most to 

 congregate, and turn this part away from the operator, who, 

 with the left hand supporting one side of the empty hive, 

 keeps it upraised in such a manner as to afford a clear view of 

 the interior, and raps away with his right, whilst his gaze is 

 intently fixed on the point of junction between the two hives, 



