Febrnery IS, 1968. J JOURNAL OP HOBTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



145 



many sterling exhibitors who would scorn to tamper with a bird. 

 Well, I apologise, as a friend of mine always says after uttering 

 a disagreeable truth. " But until managing committoos and 

 hon. secretaries act resolutely," writes a gentleman to mo who 

 was victimised at the Crystal Palace last February, " do not 

 look for support from those who would esteem it a privilege to 

 help you. "^William Axthony Blakstox, Secretary, North of 

 England Ornilliologicul Axfocialion. 



CLASSES FOIl DUCKS— RETURN CHARGES. 



Is it right that Mandarins, Carolinas, Shell Ducks, Wild 

 Ducks, &c., should bo exhibited at shows which are only for 

 domestic poultry, and are in most schedules so entitled ? 



We find that the prizes are mostly given to these varieties, 

 and that tame domestic varieties, such as Black East Indians, 

 which breed well, and are such splendid birds not only on the 

 pond but on the table, where it is said nothing can equal them, 

 are now never looked at. I think it is time some attention 

 should be devoted to this matter. 



Again, is it right that in the Any other variety class judges 

 fihould give the prizes all to one variety, ignoring the presence 

 of first-class specimens of another variety '.' I find much written 

 now in "our Journal" with respect to separate classes for 

 Brahmas, but in my opinion the time has now come when a 

 separate class should be given to the Black East Indian Ducks. 

 At only two of our best Shows is this done — Birmingham and 

 Manchester. At the former I have noticed that the amount of 

 the entry fees exceeds the prizes offered by pounds, thus proving 

 that a separate class would pay committees of shows ; and such 

 is, I think, the due of the large numbers who now keep this 

 variety. Much more to the purpose it must be to give more 

 varieties in a schedule than to subdivide the varieties already 

 named in schedules. 



I quite agree with the letter signed " Pahteidge Cochin." 

 I sent two pens to Oldham Show ; they cost going. Is. and 

 i<. lid. ; coming back. Is. t'id. and 2s. (W., and in every instance 

 of lixte have found the same thing. Surely something ought to 

 be done to remedv it. — S. B. 



CANKER AND ROUP IN PIGEONS. 

 _H.iViSG read the inquiries made whether the diseases of 

 Pigeons are infectious, I may mention that I have been a 

 Pigeon-fancier for the last thirty years, although I think that 

 this will be the first time my attention has been so attracted 

 as to cause my name to figure in print, and I do so now merely 

 to state my experience. 



Some time ago I purchased a lot of twenty birds from a 

 gentleman who advertised in your Journal. I had ten the 

 first time all right. I afterwards sent for five other pairs, 

 which were duly delivered in three days, they having to travel 

 150 miles. When I received the last lot they were, as you may 

 imagine, more dead than alive. I had them all cleaned, and 

 put them by themselves until they recovered from their late 

 travelling. After they had been some time mixed with my 

 stock, which consists of high-flying Tumblers, several pairs of 

 Carriers, and Antwerps, I found one or two moping about. I 

 immediately examined them, when I found to my sorrow that 

 they had the canker. I took them away from the stock, and 

 endeavoured to cure them, which I did by using the only way 

 that I think they are to be cured. I had a stick furred out at 

 the end, and I removed all the yellow matter which collects 

 where canker is, and which would, if not stopped, spread, and 

 in a very short time suii'ocate the bird, such being the termi- 

 nation of the disease. I then procured Johnson ifc Son's 

 improved mounted caustic No. 8, in wood ; with plug or screw 

 tops, they are to be obtained at any chemist's, and excellent 

 they are ; no fancier should be without one, which he can 

 carry in his waistcoat pocket without annoyance. With the 

 ■caustic I touched the parts affected, taking care to cleanse the 

 mouth with a soft cloth. 



_ I was very unfortunate, for out of the ten birds I destroyed 

 six, the others I made a.cure of ; but, worst of all, many others 

 o£ my stock caught the canker, which I attribute to their drinking 

 out of the same fountain, and they were all very healthy birds 

 and in fine feather, and that denotes a Pigeon's being in good 

 health. X have lost ten or twelve birds since, and I have taken 

 every care ot them, but the canker has spread among them : 

 therefore I \\rm\y believe that it is infectious. If time would 

 permit I could relate many such cases. 



As regards the cause of the disease, I think the birds being 

 penned up so closely, and being short of food, they naturally eat 

 thair own droppings ; and probably there may have been food 

 put in the hamper in the first place, which had become mixed 

 with the droppings. 



Of roup I have not the same dread as I have of canker, for I 

 believe it is not infectious. I have seen dozens of cases similar 

 to that which Mr. Huie has pointed out, in which one bird haB 

 had it, the other not, and all the billing they did. did not affect 

 the healthy bird. I am trying the recipe Mr. Utath recom- 

 mended for it, hoping it may be the means of curing many of 

 my birds at present suffering from it — a circumstance I attri- 

 bute to the very damp season and to my Pigeon house having 

 a stone floor, instead of a boarded one, which is very much 

 better. 



I think there is another cause of birds having the canker, 

 and that is drinking from out of leaden spouts on the roofs, 

 where the water lodges. 



About five years ago I had a stock of 1'20 birds, consisting 

 of Tumblers, Carriers, and several pairs of first-rate Antwerps, 

 which were imported to me direct from Antwerp. Jly fountain 

 is a self-feeding one, holding about three gallons of water. I 

 took upon myself to clean it one day. My shot-pouch being 

 at hand, and thinking that would just do, I emptied it into the 

 fountain, and after giving it a good shaking, took out all the 

 shot, as I then imagined. After some time my birds began to 

 shnw signs of sickness — no apparent disease, but a gradual 

 falling away, and many of them fell dead when in the act of 

 thing. I am sorry to say I lost upwards of thirty birds before 

 I found the secret out, which was I had left some of the shot 

 in the fountain, and if I had not found it out in time I believe 

 that I should not have had one bird left. 



I have always through the moulting season, and, in fact, all 

 through the winter, used the herb rue ; taking a handful, and 

 letting it remain covered with water in an earthen vessel by 

 the fire, afterwards pouring it into the fountain, and it assists 

 the birds to moult freely, and keeps them warm in winter. 



Weak birds when moulting I always assist by pulling feathers 

 from both their wings and tails, and always with success. I feed 

 my birds on broken Indian corn mixed with barley, and I have 

 them always in good feather.— B. Pkitchaed, Ludlow, Salop. 



AN AMERICAN APIARY. 

 I HEREBY make. a statement of the proceeds of an apiary- 

 owned by myself and son. We had at the time the honey 

 harvest began about 115 swarms, very lightly stored with 

 honey ; in fact, three-quarters of them had none, for we fed 

 them daily on cheap sugar to keep them from starving through 

 the spring. They began swarming June 14th, and ended 

 August 1 1th, the Italians taking the lead by at least two weeks, 

 and swarmed later by three weeks ; the last one that came out 

 was from a young Italian swarm, and gathered honey enough to 

 winter. We now have 204 swarms, and sold one, making ninety 

 young stocks, worth 10 dols. each, and 7225 lbs. of surplus 

 honey. 



The account stands thus : — 



Honey sold in glass cap', to date 6155 lbs. 



Honey Rtr.iincii and sold, to date 350 „ 



Honey strained, and on hand, to date 240 „ 



Honey in boxes and on hand, to date 380 „ 



Honey used in the family, and given away 100 „ 



Makinginall ''225 „ 



I think the above statement is not far from correct, as_ we 

 kept the account. Our bees are mostly Italian, and I believe 

 are as pure as can be found anywhere, bred by Wm. W. Carey, of 

 Coleraine, Massachusetts who possesses superior advantages for 

 keeping the Italian bees pure, and is a man perfectly trust- 

 worthy in all respects. 



I think we have greatly increased the value of our bees by the 

 introduction of the Italians; it seems to give new life and 

 energy to all their movements, however slight the mixture. I 

 have given the amount of honey our bees have collected ; and 

 now I will give the product of a'single swarm of hybrids I have 

 in a large box hive, which cast a swarm June 20ih, that I put 

 in a hive in which I use four glass boxes, and from which we 

 took fourteen full boxes, of 7 lbs. each. The mother stock cast 

 a second swarm, from which we took four boxes, making 

 eighteen boxes, or 126 lbs. from the two. I then transferred 

 the old stock, and should think it would weigh 100 lbs., there 

 being no young to hatch. I think the contents separate from 



