146 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



[ February 13, 18C»> 



the hive wonld weigh 75 lbs., which, added to the surplus above, 

 made 201 lbs., and three good swarms for wintering. We had 

 other Italian swarms that did equally well ; one cast a swarm 

 and made fourteen boxes, and the new swarm made five boxes, 

 besides some parts of boxes, and cast a swarm ; another came 

 off July 2nd, and filled twelve boxes. Our honey was mostly 

 from white clover, and sold for 30 cents a-pound. — Doty 

 Brimmee, Iloosick, N. i'., December, I'ilh, 1867 {Boston Culti- 

 vator). 



A BEE FLOWER. 



As excellent bee plant is the Phaoelia tanacetifolia, or Tansy- 

 leaved Phacelia. It is a tolerably hardy annual, some seeds of 

 which were brought into this country from California in the 

 year 1832. Although but little cultivated, it is remarkable for 

 its elegant foliage and fascicled spikes of violet flowers, which 

 continue to blow during the greater part of the summer and 

 autumn months, but chiefly in June, July, and August. 



This plant is easily raised from seed, which should be sown 

 in the spring in ordinary garden ground, and it requires no pro- 

 tection after the severe frosts are over. Besides being a great 

 acquisition to apiarians and to amateur bee-keepers on account 

 of the special attraction of its numerous flowers for bees, it is 

 highly ornamental, and deserves to be generally grown in flower 

 gardens, and in the neighbourhood of apiaries. — W. T. C. 



ECONOMY IN COAL. 



Last spring {vide No. 318, vol. xii.i I brought before th® 

 readers of '• our .Journal," the plan of flooring grates with sheet 

 iron, which I had then, on good authority, recently adopted. 

 My notice was supplemented by a few approving words from 

 the Editors, and some lines which conveyed in rhyme a speech 

 of Serjeant Warren, who was the originator of this plan for 

 economising coal. I am now, having practised the plan one 

 full year, able to speak of results. 



In the years 1866 and 1867, I have had the same number in 

 family, and the same fires in the house, and when examining 

 the two coal bills, I find that for 1867 just one-quarter less 

 than that for the former year, and the coals have been the 

 same price per ton each year. Thus a decided advantage is 

 gained, the expense of fuel being reduced one-fourth, con- 

 sequently a coal bill of £12 would be reduced to £9 ; one of £8 

 to £6 ; one of £4 to £3. I have been particularly careful in 

 my calculation, in order that there should be no possible ex- 

 aggeration. Newspapers and common report stated that the 

 cost of coal would be reduced one half ; but this is not the case, 

 but a reduction of one-fourth is certainly worth obtaining by so 

 small an outlay as 2s. for a piece of iron wherewith to floor 

 each grate. I press this plan, therefore, upon our readers, 

 whether wealthy or poor ; the former to adopt it in order to in- 

 crease their charity purses, the latter foi- the sake of economy. 

 I have found during the last year that we have had as much or 

 even more warmth, and that the fires do not go out for hours. 

 Even occasionally a fire lighted at noon one day, has without 

 any intention been found still burning the next morning. In 

 this case, most probably, it was packed together, and added to 

 late in the evening. 



Now I am speaking of economy, let me add, as an old house- 

 keeper, I have found that the pig tub and the cinder pit are 

 the two receptacles for the extravagances of the cook and the 

 housemaid. If the master is known to have an eye over both 

 these (the pig tub and cinder pit), he will prevent a great many 

 things being made away with, which ought to be eaten or used 

 in the kitchen, which said things too often are put in a pig tub. 

 And, oh ! the large cinders that are thrown into the cinder pit. 

 In this new plan of flooring grates with sheet iron, not a single 

 cinder ought to remain, except those taken off before going to 

 bed, and which serve to make a fire with in the morning, and 

 light more readily than coals. Except these lumps there ought 

 to be only ashes. — Wiltshire Hector. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



PnEVENTTNO Hamburghs Flying ( T, II. N.). — It is One of the amuse* 

 ments of Hamburghs to fly over any wall. .Vnythinp is preferable to cut- 

 ting their wings, as that not only disqualifiep, but it spoils their appear- 

 ance. You must either put an upright netting on the top of your 8-feet 

 wall after the manner of a tennis ground, or you may, and we think it a 

 more effectual remedy, put up the netting leaning OTer towards the inside. 

 We have known birds confined by this that would have flown over any 

 upright fence. 



Fowls Dying of 1kfi.au:matiok (Sur6)7on).— We think boiled liver 

 chopped-up with pepper is enough to account for any inflammation. We 

 can give no better advice to any poultry-keeper than to follow nature. 

 Where would a fowl tiad boiled liver dressed with pepper? and what 

 state of body would require it ? All such feeding is bad, and will cause 

 only sickness and disappointment in your yard. Feed on meal, slaked 

 with milk or water; vary it with barley, Indian meal (rarely), kitchen 

 scraps, table sweepings of crumbs. Supply garden refuse, especially 

 lettuces, freely ; if the fowls' run does not afford it, let them have some 

 heavy sods of growing gra?s, cut with plenty of fresh earth hanging to 

 them. Kschew stimulating and unnatural food. , 



Points of Hocdans {Lrit'cstrr], — We give you the points of Houdans 

 t.aken from the best French authorities and endorsed by our best judges. 

 We will answer your questions as they occiu-. They must have five toes, 

 and beards, and small top-knot or lark crest. Yellow feathers are a dis- 

 advantage, but red ones are a disqualification. Amateurs should insist 

 on all these points. To ignore or overlook the lack of them, is to open 

 the door for the introduction of crosses and nondescripts, the drafts and 

 refuse of yards, that cause disappointment to amateurs, and bring an 

 otherwise good breed into disrepute. 



Prize Poultut (A'., Hull). — It is quite possible to rear prize-taking 

 Brabmas or Cochin-Chinas in a space 8G feet by 40 feet, with the run ol a 

 quarter of an acre for si:; months annually. The earlierthcy are hatched 

 the better. 



Temperature of IxctiBATOR (i?. B.). — The temperature needfnl for 

 hatching eggs is 105". 



Poultry Farm Company (J. Wn(iht). — If such a company exists it is a 

 simple contract debt, and you must sue them in the County Court. If 

 the company does not exist, then goods have been obtained under false 

 pretences, and you ought to employ the police. 



Selling Eggs tHemnft). — The price you speak of is a retail famine 

 price. Few can aflbrd Zd. for an egg, and there is only sale for a limited 

 number at such a sum. In addition to this, the scai'cest time is past. 

 Y'ou could have sold for a fortnight before Christmas, and for a fortnight 

 after, at high prices, but the supply now increases daily. If none of your 

 friends can buy a fresh egg for less than 3rf., it will pay for three or four 

 to club together and have them from you. A basket of eggs will come 

 from a long distance for less than a shilling. 



Sending Butter and Eggs by Rail (i>. B,), — Put the butter in an 

 earthenware i.or, and the eggs in bran. 



Fallen Comes {A Xoiiliampton Bcc-kecper), — Slightly raise one side of 

 the crown board and blow under it a few wbifls of smoke from a cigar- 

 charged fumigating tube, or a smouldering roll of linen rags. Then in 

 about a minute boldly lift off the crown board and take out all but one or 

 two of the frames and detached combs, brushing the bees ofl" them and 

 back into the hive with a stout feather. Having replaced the crown 

 board the abstracted combs should bo conveyed in-doors, and thpro 

 secured in their frames in the manner described in page bt of the 

 " Gardener's Almanack." When all are fixed they may be r«J<iced in 

 tho hive, and the operation repeated on a smaller scale with the one or 

 two remaining combs. Keep a sharp look-out for the queen, and care- 

 fully protect her from injury during your manipulatious. Select a fine 

 mild day for the operation, and do not on any account resort to fumi- 

 gation, 



SAvncG AND I'TlLisiNG CONDEMNED BEES {E. H.).— No honey runs 

 out of the cells, and, consequently, none is lost by inverting a hive for 

 the purpose of driving. 



Feeding Bees (QumM).— There was an error in the reply to " G. J.," 

 in our last number. The latter end of this month (February), should 

 have been the time named for the commencement of spring feeding, in- 

 stead of " next month," as therein stated. 



LoNG-EARED Eabeits (T. IT.).— If you refer to our No. 337, published 

 on the 12th of last September, vou will find stated the essentials f05 

 breeding them. You know that "warmth is essential, yet you " expose 

 them to all kinds of weather ! " Their hutches should be kept in a warm 

 outhouse ; and if it be kept artificially warm— about 60'. all the better. 



Asthmatic and B.u.d Canary (M. C. Dixon).~Tbe asthma and bald- 

 ness from which the Canary is suflering is the cause of cold, or most 

 likely it has been kept in too warm a place, and not had suflicient water. 

 If it has been hanging too near the ceiling, and gas or coke has been 

 burned in the room, the .'^ ame efl'ect would be produced. Change its situ- 

 ation, and gi%-e some egg boiled hard, chopped fine, and mixed with a 

 little mawseed; also give a little green food, such as water cress, and 

 plenty of fresh water, in which put a little saffron, and the feathers will 

 most probablv appear when the moultingseason comes round. The finest 

 singing birds" for the cage are the German, but they generally do not con- 

 tinue in song so long as a good Norwich bird. If you refer to other cogo 

 biids it remains entirely a matter of fancy, they are so numerous. 



Love Birds (.4 Constant Subscriber).— l,oyc birds are to be purchased 

 at Mr. Hawkins's, Bear Street, Leicester Square, or of Mr. Judd, Newing- 

 ton Butts, and most of the respectable bird dealers in London. The 

 price is from 2os. to 30*. a-pair. 



Squirrels.—" L. R." wishes to know if Sqninels eat the grub con- 

 tained in the oak-gall. His gardener assures him he often sees them 

 doing so, and the ground under the oak trees is covered with the remaiBS 

 of the oak-galls. 



POULTRY MARKET.— February 12. 

 We have still a very short supply. The conclusion of the Game season 

 and the near approach of the Porliamcntary season, make us hopeful 

 that our long period of depression will lighten, if it do not disappear. 



Large Fowls 3 



Smaller do 2 



Chickens '-^ 



Goslings tJ 



Ducklings 3 



Pigeons ^ 



B. d B. d 



Pheasants S a to S 6 



Pai-tridges 2 6 J 9 



Guinea Fowls 2 6 3 



Hares 2 2 6 



„ Rabbits ••. 1 * 1 5 



8 WUddo 9 "lO 



