4(6 



JOBBNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAKBENEB. 



[ Jone a, 18S8. 



the cell covers have been previously sliced off, inside the 

 gratings formed by the strained lishing-line ; and then hitching 

 the spliced eye of a stout cord on an iron pin near the top of 

 the spindle, the latter is slowly turned round so as to wind the 

 cord upon it. A fnlornm being then obtained by placing the 

 left hand on the machine, the cross-handle attached to the 

 other end of the cord is grasped in the right, and a vigorous 

 pull sets the four combs spinning at such a rate that they are 

 speedily half emptied of their liquid contents. When this is 

 effected the combs are turned round, and another spin com- 

 pletes the job by emptying the cells on the other side. — A 

 Devonshire Bee-keepek. 



IMPROVED WAX-MELTING APPARATUS. 



Wiij- you or any of your numerous subscribers kindly in- 

 form me the best way of making beeswax? — Ignoramus. 



[I have recently had a wax-filtering pot made in tin, which 

 has a moveable strainer somewhat more than half way up from 

 the bottom. It is used by filling the lower part with combs, 

 which are kept down by the strainer. Water being then poured 

 in until the strainer is submerged an inch or two, the pot is 

 placed on the fire and boiled for some time, when the wax 

 rising to the top may be poured off in a tolerably pure state. I 

 poor all the liquid contents of the pot into a large pan three 

 parts full of cold water, in which the wax solidifies. All the 

 refuse having been thrown away the wax is then collected, tied 

 np in a bit of muslin, and placed on the top of the strainer. A 

 small quantity only of water being put in the pot, the whole is 

 again placed on the fire and boiled until the wax has melted 

 through the muslin, when it may be poured into a mould, and 

 the process is complete. I derived the idea of this apparatus 

 from the description which Dr. Bevan gives of the one used 

 by him, aided also by the inspection of one shown in the 

 Gierman department of the International Exhibition of 1862. 

 I have, however, contrived some essential improvements, espe- 

 cially as regards the prevention of the combs burning and ad- 

 hering to the bottom. This pot can be readily made by any 

 ordinary workman ; but as it is diflScult to give precise directions 

 for manufacturing it, I think of having a few made by my own 

 tinman, and will forward one to any address on receipt of post- 

 office order or stamps for 5s. — T. W. Woodbury, Hlount Bad- 

 ford, Exeter.l 



RHUBARB WINE. 



CooLD you favour me with a receipt for rhubarb wine ? Which 

 is the better plan— to boil the rhubarb in the water, or to steep 

 the cut rhubarb in the water for a certain time, and not boil ? 

 1 have met with a failure in both ways. — Ecosomist. 



[The following produces the best wine, is the most successful 

 receipt we know, and is an answer to your query. 



Take of rhubarb stalks (unpeeled) 60 pound?. 

 ,, loaf-sugar . . 30 pounds. 



„ red argol (powdered) . . 4 ounces. 

 ,, water, a suflScient quantity. 



The rhubarb stalks should be bruised one by one with the 

 mallet against the side or bottom of the tub. Four or five 

 gallons of cold water should then be poured upon them, in 

 which they should be allowed to macerate for twelve or sixteen 

 hours. The stalks should now be put into the press, and all 

 their juice pressed out. This, with the liquor in which they 

 were macerated, together with the sugar and the argol, should 

 be mixed in the tub, and the quantity made np to ten and a 

 half gallons by the addition of cold water. (It would save 

 trouble in measuring, if a mark were previously placed in the 

 tub to indicate when this quantity was contained in it.) This 

 mixture is the artificial " must." The tub should now be 

 covered with a blanket, and placed in a temperature of from 

 55° to 60'. Here it may remain, being occasionally stirred, 

 for two or three days, according to the symptoms of fermenta- 

 tion it may show ; it should then be poured off, straining 

 it through flannel into the cask, which should be filled to 

 the bung-hole, and placed across the tub, in order that the 

 scum and yeast which will be thrown oft' may be caught and 

 removed. Tha superabundant must, which will be one and a 

 half gallons, must be poured into the jar, in order that as the 

 fermentation in the cask proceeds, and the liquor diminishes, 

 there may be a supply in readiness to fill up the cask, which 

 most always be kept full or nearly so. In about a fortnight 



the bung may, most probably, be put loosely in, and in another 

 week firmly fixed, and the cask placed in the cellar ; but this 

 of course depends upon the state of the wine. If the sweetness 

 has disappeared, or nearly so, — or if, on the sacoharometer 

 being placed in it, the index marks a specific gravity of about 

 40, — the wine has fermented far enough for cellaring ; if it has 

 not reached this point, the wine should be well stirred, and the 

 temperature kept up to promote further fermentation. In a 

 month or six weeks after cellaring it may be fined and drawn 

 off into a clean cask, or the same properly cleaned and, if 

 necessary, sulphured to stop further fermentation, before the 

 wine is returned. The cask may now be finally stopped 

 close, and if an effervescent wine be desired, allowed to re- 

 main until March, when it should be bottled, the corks wired, 

 and the bottles laid down. But if a still wine, like hock, 

 be desired, nother year in the wood, or even more, will he 

 advantageous. 



The only difficulty about this process is to find out the pre- 

 cise period at which the fermentation has reached the desired 

 point. The saccharometer will show this correctly. About 

 35, as marked on the scale of Thompson's saccharometer, would 

 indicate proper attenuation for wine intended to be effervescent ; 

 if it is to be still and dry it may be lower— 25 to 30. But the 

 taste may be educated so as to form an approximation to truth. 

 As long as sweetness exists to any extent the fermentation is 

 incomplete, and after eating a small piece of crust most persons 

 may readily detect the presence of too much sugar in the wine. 

 In this case the wine should be shaken or stirred, that the wine 

 may " feed," as it is termed, on the lees ; fining, on the con- 

 trary, will check fermentation ; end when it has gone far 

 enough, sulphurous acid gas stops it, as in the process of " sul- 

 phuring," which may be readily done by burning a few sulphur 

 matches within the bung-hole, the cask being inverted. 



Fining is generally performed by means of isinglass pre- 

 viously dissolved, or partly so, in a little of the wine. About 

 a drachm of isinglass so dissolved and poured into the bung- 

 hole, the upper part of the wine being stirred at the same 

 time, will probaby be found sufficient. 



Thompson's saccharometer is costly ; but a simple glass one, 

 quite sufficient for our purpose, may be procured for a few 

 shillings. It is called Roberts' Saccharometer. 



In using this saccharometer, two things are necessary to be 

 observed : — 1st. The temperature of the liquor to bo examined 

 must be 60° ; and 2nd, the division on the scale must be 

 multiplied by 5 to obtain the correct specific gravity. For 

 instance, should the must raise the instrument to 24°, as marked 

 on the scale, multiply 24 by 5, and yon will prove the gravity 

 to be 120 ; about the proper gravity of the must, before fer- 

 mentation begins. 



As a rule it mav be observed, that the finer the sugar, the 

 more alcohol is produced from it. It may be noted, that as 

 the rhubarb juice will iron mould linen, care should be taken 

 when the stalks are bruised.] 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Black Red Game Bantasis' Earlobeb (7*. B.).— The colour of the 

 earlobes of Black Red Game Bantama i3 not essential, bat we shonld 

 prefer them red. 



SrLVKR Hambdrghs {J. W.). — The accidental loss of an eye is a mere 

 diBadvantage in competition ; it is never a dieqnalificatioD. We do not 

 believe it ia possible to tell the sex of the chicken from the shape of the 

 egg. We do believe the earlier eg3s produce more cocks than later ones. 

 We shoald prefer the April to the July chickens. 



Bees not Swaeming <A Bt-ginnfr).— Swarming appears to be very 

 capricious this season. Many issued early in our own neighbourhood, 

 hot we have ourselves ordered swarms from four different bee-keepers, 

 and up to the present time have received but two from one of them. 

 You may possibly by the time this appears have had a swarm ; if not, if 

 might, perhaps, be well to buy a stock or a swarm that has aiready been 

 hived In the latter case it will be better to wait until the weather 

 become cooler before removing it. Yon will see that a rorrespondent 

 states that he has had but four swarms from sixty stocke- 



s d. 



POULTRY MARKET.— June 24. 



The supply is better, and the traie improves. Hot weather always 

 increases the demand for poultry'. As it also spoils a large quantity, it 

 tends to keep up the price. 



n. d 8. d 



Pheasants to 



Partridges 



GuinoiFowls 2 



Hares 



Babbits 14 15 



Wilddo 8 9 



Lar^e Fowls 4 6 to 5 



Smaller do 3 C 4 



Chickens 2 2 6 



Goslings 6 6 C 



Ducklings 2 6 SO 



Pigeons Ob 9 



