162 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ February 20, 18C8. 



From the produce of these two pairs of birds, pick out for 

 stock next year some of the best young birds of the rich blood- 

 red colour. 



Now, to the practical part of obtaining that orange colour. 

 Pick out a cock and hen both of the rich Ked and mate them, 

 of course taking care that they are not brother and sister, but 

 from the different pairs of birds. This will insure your obtain- 

 ing Yellows of the desired orange hue, and not only so, but 

 nearly all the young birds will be Yellow. 



Never put two Yellows together, for if you do you will lose 

 the desired colour. 



I will on another occasion treat upon matching the other 

 colours of Pouters, also upon style and leg. — H. SiJiPSON, 

 Heekingham, Ncwarh, Notts. 



ROUP AND CANKER IN PIGEONS. 



PiGEON-FANCiEns Will, no doubt, feel grateful to you for the 

 lind facilities you offer to them in the last number but one of 

 your valuable Journal. 



I have read Mr. Huie's review of Mr. Tegetmeier's work on 

 Pigeons with much satisfaction. I trust the book before us 

 does not presume to be offered as an authority on the rearing, 

 &o., of these beautiful birds. A work entitled on its own merits 

 to rank as a standard work upon Pigeons is much wanted, and 

 would be hailed with delight by the fancy ; but something 

 other than a compilation of extracts and quotations from 

 former authors is wanted. 



I am a little surprised that none of the great Scotch or Irish 

 Pouter-fanciers has come forward in support of Mr. Huie in 

 this controversy, " Matching for Colour, &c." Mr. Yolckman 

 has in your number of the 6th inst., given to the fancy a valu- 

 able article in favour of Mr. Huie ; the suggestions therein con- 

 tained fully meet the case, and if fanciers would only endeavour 

 to follow out his ideas, we should, ere long, see a marked im- 

 provement in Pouters of all colours. 



I am of Mr. Huie's opinion, that canker and roup are not 

 infectious. I speak from an experience of four years, during 

 which time I have had only one case of the former disease 

 which proved fatal to a young bird. Of the latter disease I 

 have had many cases, more especially among young birds, and 

 the majority of the attacks proved fatal. Last week I de- 

 stroyed a cock Stomacher on account of his having become 

 very much reduced from the effects of this disease. His hen is 

 in perfect health, and so are their offspring, now one month old. 



Two years ago roup proved most disastrous to my young birds, 

 and after careful observation I came to the conclusion that 

 the state of the weather, which was very damp, and a want 

 of proper attention in feeding, accounted in a great measure 

 for the spread of the disease. Last season I lost very few birds 

 from roup, and none from ' canker,' and I feel convinced it 

 birds are kept free from damp, and are otherwise properly 

 cared for, that fanciers would have less frequently to lament 

 the loss of promising birds. Perhaps Mr. Eose will kindly 

 communicate to the fancy his recipe for the cure of roup. — 

 — A. B. Bo^D, Eichinond Lodge, Trinity, Edinhurgh. 



UNITING CONDEMNED BEES. 



1860 was the worst honey year in my recollection. After 

 bringing my bees from the moors, my study was not how to 

 obtain honey from my hives, but bow to put honey into them, 

 and how to carry the greatest number of stocks through the 

 winter at the least cost. 



Having twelve hives in all, I selected six, which I considered 

 would make the best keepers, then took the bees out of the 

 six weaker hives, and put them into four of the keepers, leav- 

 ing two undisturbed. I then gave all the honey taken from 

 the condemned colonies to the keepers, with the view of 

 securing more stocks in the following spring and at much less 

 cost than by feeding them all separately. I was rewarded in 

 spring by possessing three excellent stocks, which survived, 

 although three died, whilst my neighbours for miles round lost 

 nearly all. I have followed the same system ever since — that 

 is, I take the bees out of my condemned hives and strengthen 

 my weakest keepers with them. I do not think it any ad- 

 vantage to add bees to a strong hive. 



I consider it unpractical to drive bees into an empty skep 

 after the honey season is over in this district, the chance of 

 their surviving the winter being too small to counterbalance 

 the certain heavy cost of feeding. Having, therefore, in 1860, 

 resolved to transfer all the bees I could from six hives to other 



four hives, I thought it necessary to devise some plan a little 

 quicker than the old-fashioned system of tying two hives to- 

 gether and tapping at them until the bees ascend into the top 

 hive. My hives being l(i inches square outside, I made an 

 apparatus of the same diameter, standing 3 feet 4 inches 

 high, with an inclined plane of perforated zinc fixed in it half- 

 way from the bottom. Standing the hive on the top I fold a 

 sheet round the whole to confine the smoke, and rap the hive 

 in order to disturb the bees. I then drawjup a slide at the back 

 of the apparatus and set fire to a quantity of paper prepared 

 with a solution of saltpetre, previously put in the bottom of the' 

 apparatus, and shut down the slide. The smoke ascending 

 through the zinc into the hive, the bees become powerless, fall 

 on the zinc, and roll out through an aperture cut across the 

 apparatus into a box placed against it, and made to fit close to, 

 and above the apparatus, so as to keep the bees from ascending. 



When I have smoked all the bees I can out of the hive, I 

 detach the bos containing the bees, carry them to the stock to 

 which I intend to unite them, open the top, and take an empty 

 hive with the top also open, turn it upside down on the crown of 

 the fixed hive, turn the bees into it, cover them with a board, 

 and then give the fixed hive a few puffs of smoke to stop fight- 

 ing. When the stupified bees have recovered and mixed with 

 the others, I remove the empty box, and close the top of the hive. 



I have constantly used this apparatus ever since 1800, and 

 now my neighbours borrow it, and use it both for destroying 

 bees, and preserving them. When sulphur is used to kill the 

 bees the apparatus is much cleaner than a hole in the ground, 

 and when it is used to preserve them the process is simple 

 and quick, and few bees are destroyed, although a number 

 always cling to the combs, to which I administer a dose of sul- 

 phur to put them out of pain. — Geo. Wilson, Wlmlton. 



[No one who has once mastered the art of driving is likely 

 ever to have recourse to fumigation. The difference, if there 

 be a difference, in point of time, is very trifling, whilst we have 

 proved by actual experiment that the vitality of bees is de- 

 cidedly lowered by fumigation.] 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Polish Foavi.s {St. EdmunrU). — We do not consider that Polandg arc 

 among the birds which best endure L-onfinement. We believe much more 

 is known now about poultry than there was fifteen years ago. This arises 

 from the fact that there are ten times as many poultry-keepers as there 

 Nvere; and the necessity for having birds that vill thrive under unfavour- 

 able circumstances has caused their habits and merits to be inquired 

 into. The history of cnntinement is not a history of actual space, but of 

 provision and management. It iLS possible by good catering to give in 

 15 feet square almost all that can be found in fifteen acres. Growing 

 grass, fresh mould, animal life, light sand, lime qrit— all these remedy and£ 

 counteract the confinement, and almost aay fowls will do well; but 

 Spanish, Cochins, Brahmas, will do well without them. Hence the dif- 

 ference. To these last Houdans may be added ; they will thrive where 

 their companions, Creve-Coeurs, will pine. 



Cause and Cure of Crooked Cohibs \Lemon Bitff"). — We have always 

 hope of a comb gettinj^ up if it has not fallen over from being too large 

 and too weighty. A meat diet stimulates growth in the comb, and if 

 withheld the effect is often visible in the gradual diminution and rising 

 of the comb. (Some use a strong solution of alum in water, with which 

 they bathe the comb. Another plan i^ to take some silver wire, to tie the 

 comb in the desired position, and to fasten through the thick fleshy base 

 of it. The last is generally effectual. A less expensive plan is to cut 

 narrow strips of diachylon plaister, and to strap it according to desire; 

 It is desirable thnt Buff Cochins should be entirely buff all over. There 

 are few without some mixture of mealy or white feathers. Both are less 

 objectionable than black, but a little black in the tail or on the flights 

 does not amount to a disqualification. 



Package for Eggs [U. C.).— Eggs pack in a basket as well as in a 

 bos. If you prefer the latter, you must be guided by the size of the eggs ; 

 for instance, eight Spanish will take more room than twelve Hamburghs.. 

 The best material ia which to pack them is dry moss. It keeps them in 

 position, and does not move from joltiag. In the grouml oats, nothing 

 must be taken away; that is the advantage, the whole mast be ground 

 sufficiently fine to mix readily in water. 



Fattening Chickens (B. B.).— October chickens should be fit to put 

 up now to fatten, if they are for market. If for home consumption, they 

 should be f;it enough running about. Houdans bear contiuemeutiperfectly. 



Linnet's Beak (G.Jlf.D ).— File away the excessive length of the upper 

 mnudible. 



Lime for Fowls [E. A. S.).— As you cannot obtain bricklayers' rubbish, 

 you may calcine oyster and other shells, or even bones, and scatter the 

 white powder remaining after the bm-ning about the poultry run. 

 Powdered chalk, or powdered whitening would do even better, but not 

 quicklime. 



Dormice {C. A. J ).— Nuts and acorns are the best food for them. The 

 book you mention has not been published. 



Poultry bv Rail (fioHt. 4.^).— Under the circumstances, we considep 

 that you have no legal remedy. 



Bee-food— Directions for Management (L. il.).— We always use 

 burnt sugar and water in the proportion of three parts by weight of the 

 former to two of the latter, and boiled a minute or two. You will find' 

 the best and simplest directions for management in the bee-keeper'3 

 calendar of "The Gardeners' Almanack," published at this otliee, price 

 Is., or free by post for fonrteen stampp. 



Error.— On page 143, hue twenty-eight, for "may,"' read " many." 



