268 



JOUBNAIi OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ April 2, 1868. 



blish them in a new hive ? Do you not think the latter plan 

 will come rather expensive with the feeding they will require ? 

 or will it be possible to drive them in August without destroy- 

 ing much brood? — Carolus. 



[Your object of shifting the bees into a new hive without 

 permitting them to swarm will be most completely attained by 

 transferring the stock to a Woodbury frame hive in the manner 

 described by us in No. 318 iu reply to " Squib." Or you may 

 permit the hive to swarm naturally, and on the twenty-first 

 day after the issue of the first expel the remaining bees by 

 driving, and add them to the last swarm, appropriating the 

 combs, which will then be free from brood, to such purpose as 

 you may see fit. If you drive the bees in autumn as you pro- 

 pose, it will be better to unite them to another stock rather 

 than incur the expense of supplying them with sufficient food 

 to enable them to build and store combs for the winter. This 

 expense may, however, be very materially diminished if you 

 are able to induct them into a hive already furnished with 

 combs.] 



COIVIB-CONSTRUCTION IN WOODBURY HI\'ES. 



I HAVE a Woodbury frame hive in use, and like it much, but 

 find that the bees do not fix the combs regularly on the line of 

 the bars. How can this be obviated ? — C. B. 



[We always superintend the construction of combs in a 

 frame hive ourpelves, inspecting them from time to time, and 

 promptly correcting any incipient deviation from the straight 

 line. If yours are vei-y irregularly made, the best plan will be 

 to wait until the hive becomes. well filled with bees {say towards 

 the end of April or early in May), and then during the middle 

 of a fine day drive all the bees into an empty hive, which 

 place on the old stance, and then convey their original habi- 

 tation in-doors, where such of the combs as require it may be 

 either wholly or partially detached from their frames, and tem- 

 porarily secured in the correct position by means of zinc clips 

 and thin strips of wood tacked on in the manner delineated 

 in page 84 of " The Gardener's Almanack." Bent combs must 

 be set straight ; and if not sufficiently pliable may be slightly' 

 warmed by the fire. Thickened parts should be pared down, 

 but take care that the cells on each side are left of equal 

 length, and that the "partition wall " of every comb is in the 

 centre of each bar. It is better to remove the projecting Wood- 

 bury rib from the bars, and the bees will attach their combs 

 to them with greater facility if their under surface be coated 

 with melted wax. When the job is completed, and the combs 

 arranged in their new apartment in the same order as that 

 which they occupied in their old one, temporarily deepen the 

 hive by putting an empty one of the same size, from which the 

 frames, and crown and floor boards have been removed, on ihe 

 top, and then place the whole on the old stance, knocking the 

 cluster of bees out of their temporary place of refuge into the 

 empty, hive, and on to the top of the exposed frames, instantly 

 pulling on the crown board. The inverted hive may be re- 

 moved the next morning, and all, or nearlylall, the artificial 

 supports from the combs the day after.] 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Characteeistics op Houdans (Lincolnshire Subscriber).— It is -with 

 Houdans as with all other birds ns soon as there is a demand for them. 

 Fowls with some only of the characteristics of the breed are sold as 

 ptire specimens. Wefear it has been the case with yours. Pare birds 

 must have top-knots, beards, and five claws. The nearer the plumage 

 approaches to unmixed black the better the birds; old hens will, however, 

 have their top-knots tipped with white, and it is diflRcult to obtain the 

 cocks without some mixture of white or yellow plumage after the first 

 moulting, but red feathers are a serious fault. You would be disqualified 

 if you showed unbearded birds. Alter your feeding by substituting once 

 every day meal for whole com, and consider your potatoes rather as 

 playthings than as sustenance. Discontinue the eggshells. They make 

 lowls egg-eaters. We keep large numbers, we never knew one broody. 



Ducklings Dying {Old DhcA-).— Oatmeal is the best Duck's food. Mix 

 ■with their meal fine gravel, and put a sod of earth covered with grass in 

 the vessel that holds their food. 



Golden-spangled Hamburghs' Eggs Unfertile {A Constant Sub- 

 scriber), — We cannot guess the cause of the failure. We know to what 

 most people would point, but we do not believe in such causes. It is a 

 common complaint early iu the season, hut after-results prove it a false 

 one. There can, however, be no hai'm in ti'ying another cock. It is often 

 the result of bad sitting on the part of the hens, when, as in this season, 

 broody ones have been scarce enough to make breeders anxious and less 

 carefiil than they should be in assuring themselves of hens which are 

 really staunch sitters. Such will sit partially just long enough to spoil the 

 eggs, and then be as steady as possible. The morning frosts have been 

 quite hard enough to spoil eggs. Have these been clear or rotten '/ 



Brahma Pootras Web-footed (H. P. L.). — We should care little for 

 the web between the toes. The outside toe is always short. When the 

 toe is nnder the other, we should release it by cutting the leaders at the 

 end. 



Spanish Cock with Enlarged Eyelids {An ^mo^rur).— We snppo!^ 

 by the eyelid you mean the white face, the point of beauty. Benefit- 

 sometimes arises from frequent washing with strong alum, or vinegar and 

 water applied cold and very strong. Vou must not cut it. If the eye is 

 quite closed you must open it, and fasten it optn with narrow strips of 

 some adhesive plaister. They must remain on till the skin becomes coa- 

 trncted, and the bird can see again. 



Colour of Cociiin-China Egos (ilTona).— Why the eggshells sometimes 

 are white can never bo settled. We have often noticed the same in all 

 breeds of Cochins and Brahmas. Game fowls and White Dorkings will 

 often lay bro^\-n eggs. Among our Cochins and Brahmas wo have some- 

 times eggs ahnost as dark as chocolate "an lait," and others nearly 

 white. We have often made it the cause of inquiry among our people. 

 But one ever attempted an answer, and she (an old woman), said she ha& 

 noticed that the eggs were dark, just in proportion to the heat of the 

 weather ; cold weather invariably made them pale. We have often 

 noticed the eggs of White Cochins covered with white, apparently chalk 

 spots. Although a perfectly white egg in a Cochin house, where that 

 breed only was kept, would give us doubts, yet variety of colour or shade, 

 however great, is not, in our opinion, inconsistent with absolute purity af 

 breed in Cochins. 



Weak-legged Bantams (<?. D.).— We cannot advise yon to breed from 

 the Game Bantams again. We should avoid the strain, but if some «f 

 the pullets were pood enough in points to make it desirable, we should 

 put them to a cock that could not be akin to them. If the chickens were 

 hatched under favourable circumstances, and provided with all that is 

 necessary for successful rearing, they must be altogether wanting in con- 

 stitution. Many birds will have white flights in their chicken wings, but 

 moult them out the first time. If, however, you have any intention to 

 show, you must not breed from the cock you mention. It is probably the 

 result of a cross that was made many years ago, and still throws back a 

 little to Duckwing orPile. Breeding-in, or between brother and sister— 

 indeed, anj'thing that weakens constitution, has a tendency to produce 

 white feathers. 



Hens Ceasing to Lay {An -4ma(^ur).— Sharp frosts and cold winds arc 

 not helps to laying, neither will fowls lay every week alike. Your feeding 

 is not good. It by meat you mean raw meat, they have far too much. 

 They do not want it more than three times per week, and can do without 

 it altogether. Potatoes are poor food, and rice is worthless. We prefer 

 Indian com whole to ground. Give this once every day, except when 

 meat is given. The other two meals should be of whcde barley once, and 

 barley or oatmeal once, slaked with water. Cooked food, such as scraps 

 of dried outside or knuckle of leg or shoulder of mutton chopped fine, is 

 better than any raw meat. With the latter twice per day, the fowls 

 become too fat, and not only lay less, but frequently die from the ob- 

 struction caused by internal fat. 



Breeding Poultry Profitably (L. B.).— We will endeavour to give 

 you some details next week. In the meantime we can tell you that all 

 Irish chickens at the present time are making 6k. per couple in London. 

 Messrs. Howard & Fricker, of .Leadenhall Market, are most respectable 

 and trustworthy men, and would make quick and conscientious returns. 

 Now, however, is the time to sell " profitable poultry." It is and will 

 be very dear for the next seven or eight weeks, after tliat it will be cheaper. 



Hives {W.Earley). — We consider any form of hive which will admit of 

 supering to be superior to the collateral system, upon which Nutt's hives 

 are made. 



Aspect for Bee House (J. ^.).— We do not esteem aspect to be of 

 primary importance, but prefer to place our hives facing towards the 

 south. Any point between south-east and sonth-west will do. 



Ligurianising {Q. J.).— As you do not describe the hives in which your 

 bees are domiciled, we are unable to advise you. Read Mr. Woodbury's 

 article on "Propagating Ligurians," which appeared in No. 315, and if 

 you want further information write to us again, stating where you are at 

 a loss and what kind of hives you use. Assiduity in pollen-gathering is 

 a tolerably sm"e sign of the presence of brood in a hive. The propagation 

 of Liguriaus may commence as soon as drone brood is pretty well ad- 

 vanced. 



Hives Cont.uning Empty Co^res fH. U. K,).—li is scnrcely possible 

 to overrate the advantage of hiving bees in hives already furnished with 

 combs. If, therefore, the last year's swarms really died from starvation 

 and not from disease, by all means induct fresh swarms into their old 

 combs. You will find no difficulty in so doing, and it will be benefit 

 rather than otherwise if it compels you to forego the now-exploded pro- 

 cess of preparing the hives with balm. &c. 



Fleas {J. Z.). — The following is all the information we can give yoa_: — 

 " Cleanliness and frequent sprinkliug of the room with a simple decoction 

 of wormwood will soon exterminate the whole breed of these trouble- 

 some vermin, and the bept remedy to expel them from bedclothes is a 

 bag filled with dry moss, the odour of which is to them extremely ofl'en- 

 sive. Others cover the floors of the rooms where fleas abonnd with leaves 

 of the alder tree while the dew is on the foliage, to which these insects 

 fondly adhere, and thus may be easily destroyed. Fumigation with the 

 leaves of pennyroyal, or the fresh-gathered foliage of that plant sewn up 

 in a bag, and laid in the bed, are also remedies pointed out for the ex- 

 pulsion o£ fleas. The most efi'ectuftl and speedy way to get rid of fleas on 

 dogs is to pour sweet or train oil along the hack, from the top of the 

 rump to the back of the head, rubbing the sides, haunches, and flanks 

 well with the hand until the oil be well incorporated with the hair. If this 

 be done properly it is said that there will not remain a living flea on thB 

 animal in ten minutes alter the application. They will throw themselves 

 ort upon the surface of the hair, of a yellow colour, with legs, &c., ex- 

 tended, and die almost instantaneously." 



POULTRY MARIvET.— Apkil 1. 



Famine supply and famine prices. Some are gone, others are not 



come, and, therefore, salesmen's stalls are a " beggarly accoimt of empty 



benches." The past week saw the arrival of the first Plover's eggs of 



the season. Many were sold at 5». each. 



B d. B. d 



to 6 



Large Fowls 5 



Smaller do 4 



Chickens 3 



Goslings 8 



Dnckhngs 6 



Pigeons 



d s. a 

 too 







Pheasants 



Partridges 



Guinea Fowls 3 6 4 



Hares 



Rabbits 14 1 



Wild do 8 



