lOG 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ February 27, 1873. 



published in this country. Perhaps he ■was asleep when he 

 read the boob ; if not, methinks he would do well to cultivate 

 and develope the nobility, the generosity, and the manliuess of 

 his own nature, and for his own good acknowledge that he forgot 

 himself in publishing these misrepresentations. Such misrepre- 

 sentations never annoy me ; indeed I should not have noticed 

 them now, but for the hope that the readers of the Journal will 

 heartily excuse me if I decline to notice in future anything that 

 Mr. Abbot may say. — A. Pettigeew, Sale, Manchester. 



OUB LETTER BOX. 



St. Austell Pottltry Show [Three Correspondents). — We are indebted 

 to you all for in-ize-lists, but as it was not advertised we conclude that it was 

 merely a local show. 



Hanley Show. — The second prize in the selling class was awarded to 

 " T. Sismey," not " T. Gismey," as stated. 



Golden-pencilled Hameurghs (rortjMYjT/). — It is not always found that 

 tlie veiy high bred birds are the most prolific, but you should have eggs now. 

 Hamburgbs do not lay at five mouths old. It is rare for even the most pre- 

 cocious birds of breeds more celebrated lor early laying to do so. Cuchins and 

 Brahmas lay earlier than Hamburghs, and are both hartUer. They are far 

 more useful fowls than the others, ^^llere only one breed is kept we advise 

 Brahmas ; they are hardy, good layers, and good mothers. Cochins will do as 

 well, but they caimot be bred so exactly alike as the Brahmas. Birds at 

 liberty do not want chopped meat, scalded barley, or chopped mangold and 

 cabbage. You have taken unusual and unnecessary trouble and may well be 

 eick of them. Wbure fowls are kept entirely in an artificial state, lacking 

 many things that they find in a state of nature, pains must be taken to supply 

 that which they lack, but where they have a run on gi'ass, among trees, and in 

 a stable yard, all they requite is to be fed on meal morning and evening, with 

 a little whole com at mid-day. Do this, substitute Brahmas for Hamburghs, 

 and we will promise you plenty of eggs, and you shall not he sick of your 

 fowls. * • 



Dubbing Game Cocks {N. B. T.).— The comb, gills, and deaf ears should 

 be removed in dubbing, and they cannot be cut too closely, but that causes no 

 dis-sight, and cannot by any lueans he called a multilation. There is one 

 accepted dubbing, it includes all that is necessary, taking away all spare skin 

 and flesh. It was originally done to give no hold for an adversary in the pit. 

 More than this is unnecessary, and would disfigmre the bird, nor can we uudei- 

 stand why more should be done. 



VARiors (G. S2)ciicer].-~lt is too early in the year to complain that a hen 

 does not lay ; the weather has also been unfavourable for it. The non-pitting 

 breeds are all subject to disease of the egg organs, and do not last so long as 

 those that rest while they aie hatching and rearing a family. Spanish ai-e 

 especially subject to a disease which fills up and hardens the abdomen. In- 

 convenienced by this, they constantly run to the nest in hope of getting rid of 

 the load, but in vain. The disease is hopelessly incurable, and evei-y gi-ain such a 

 bird eats is wasted. Examine her carefully, there may be distention, but if it 

 yield to the pressure of a finger it i« not chronic disease, but may be a mere 

 patising indii-position ; if, however, it is filled m so hard as to resist close 

 pressure, there is no hope. You were too venturesome with your chickens. 

 They require shelter in such weather as we have had for a month. The 

 chicken died of chill and cramp, brought on by exposure. Keep them in-doors, 

 in some outhouse, and feed them we!l. Give them plenty of bread and ale, it 

 will stimulate them, and you will perhaps save the rest. It is a gieat con- 

 venience to have a bam or outhouse where you can put the hen under hei;rip, 

 and allow the chickens to run in and out through the bars. Supplied with 

 grit, fresh sods of glass, and well fed, she will rear all her chickens till the 

 weather permits of their being put out without injury. No one can be re- 

 plied to fully when they mix questions of various departments. 



Aylesbury Drake (H. G. M.).— We fear your case is a bad one, a Duck has 

 no crop. It has a gullet that conveys food to the gizzard, and from your de- 

 scription we fear there is either inflammation or ulceration. Either will end 

 fatally. There is no method of physicking Ducks, nor are there known 

 remedies for then- disorders. 



Soft Egg ij. Phillips). — Let the hen have a heap of dust, a mixture of brick- 

 layers' rubbish and coal ashes. Feed her on baileymeal instead of whole corn, 

 and give her grass and lettuce leaves. 



Birdlihie (Jrfc7rt).— To make it from holly bark is tedious. Indiannibber 

 or giitta percha dissolved in naptha makes it speedily, and the German 

 method of preparing birdlime is by putting about 2 lbs. of linseed oil into a 

 pot, to simmer upon the fire for some time, after which it is taken off. and 

 lighted with a match. In this state of inflammation it continues about two 

 hours, when half the quantity will be consumed. By dipping, from time to 

 time, a stick into the oil, and trying the matter between the fingers, its proper 

 glutinous consistence may easily be ascertained ; on which the pot is covered, 

 and the flame extinguished. 



DL'^ruTE ( G. if J. D. V. F. P.).— A County Com-t Judge would at once decide 

 that the full amount claimed by *' G. & J. D." should be paid to them by 

 **F.P." If "G.&J.D."' think the birds died without any neglect of "F.P.," 

 or others in whose charge he left the Hambm-ghs, then *' G. & J. D." might 

 graciously allow a small deduction from the amount claimed. 



Claiming Exhibited Fowls (C. J. M. 3/.).— As the rule of the Society 

 stipulates that no person be allowed to claim until four o'clock, we consider 

 that the Steward and Secretary were wrong in allowing letters claiming to 

 have precedence either before that hour, or before persons personally present. 



Photoghai'Hino Pigeons (Y. S.).— Apply to a photogiapher. 



Pigeons {J. H. B.). — There is no objection to letting-out the Tumblers. 

 As to other queries you must consult our "Pigeon Book." You can have it 

 free by post from our office if you enclose Is. Id. in postage stamps with your 

 address. 



Ring Doves (A. F. J/.).— They are quite hai-dy enough to live in your dove- 

 cote. The same food as for the Pigeon is suf&cicnt, but unless brought up in 

 confinement we fear they will fail. 



Hives (C. T. P.).— Write to Mr. Pettitt or Messrs. Neighbour for inform- 

 ation about Payne's hive. It is impossible to say which hive is " best,'' tastes 

 and needs ditTer. 



Stewarton Hives.—" A Subscrihcr " will feel greatly obliged by a " Ren- 

 frewshirr Bee-keeper" describing in detail his mode of management of 

 the Stewarton hives. 



Bottling Mead (Amateur).~It may be bottled at the end of six montlis 

 Irom the time of making. If drawn off carefully it ^vill not need lining. 



Various (A New Subscriber). — You had better allow your stocks in the 

 common hives to swarm naturally, and hive the swarms in your boxes. Unless 

 you like to adopt the frame hive, we do not know that you can do better than 

 with the bar hiveti you have made, provided that you have adopted the proper 

 distance between the centre of each bar. The size of the boxes will do very 

 well. It will be of no use your attempting anything with nucleus boxes unless 

 you follow the system of frame hives in its entirety. Perhaps our little 

 manual, " Bee-keeping for the Many " (which may be obtained at our office for 

 five stamps) will supply you with much of the information you desii'e. How 

 long a queen bee will breed during the season depends on too many con- 

 tingencies to answer decidedly. Breeding sometimes commences in .Tanuary, 

 and may last till the end of September, but it is rare that a queen will breed 

 during the whole of this time. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



Lat. 51° 32' 40" N. ; Long. 0° 8' 0" W. ; Altitude 111 feet. 



REMARKS. 

 19th. — Dark and dull all day, and cold but not frosty. 

 20th. — A dull cold day, fair, but neither sun nor wind ; cold, but not a brist 



frost. 

 2lEt. — Very dark in the moraing. and till near noon gas required ; the after 



part better, but dull and dark. 

 22nd. — Still dull, but not dark ; fine in the fore paj-t of the day, getting gradu- 

 ally dull. Bain between 4 and 5 p.m. ; damp evening. 

 23rd. — Fine frosty morning; sUght snow shower at 1 p.m., then fine; heavy 



rain for a short time at 4 p.m., dull and damp after. 

 24th. — Snow during the night 3 inches deep at 9 a.ji. Snow fell more or less 



nearly all day, and another 3 inches was measured at 9 p.m. 

 25th. — Snow fell again during the night, but not nearly so deep as on tho 



preceding one ; and by 9 a.m. a rapid thaw had commenced, which. 



continued all day, though there was no sun — merely a change of wind 



from N.E. to S.W. 

 With the exception of noon on Satm-day and tho morning of Sunday tho 

 week has been dull throughout. The fall of snow on the 24th remai-kably 

 heavy for London, and the thaw unusually rapid. Temperature lower in tho 

 air, though on the gi'ound and under the ground, owing to tho snow, the tem- 

 perature is much the same as last week. — G. <T. Symons. 



P.S. — Wednesday morning. — The barometer fell rapidly during the thaw on 

 Tuesday, and throughout Tuesday night, when there was heavy rain and 

 some wind. This morning tho pressure is only 2S.93I inches, or nearly 

 2 inches less than this time last week. — G. J. S. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET. -Februaby 26. 



Apples J sieve 3 



Apricota doz. 



Cherries perlb. 



Chestnuts bushel 12 



Currants j sieve 



Black do . 



Fics doz. 



Filberts lb. 1 



Cobs lb. 1 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, hothouse lb. 4 



Lemons :i:> 100 6 



Melons each 1 



1. 8. d. I 



Oto.5 j Mulberries Tj^ib. 



01 Nectarines doz. 



Ol Oranges ^-^100 



20 I Peaches doz. 



0' Pears, kitchen doz. 



detjaert doz. 



PineApplra lb. 



16' Plums i sieve 



6 2 Quinces doz. 



0, Kaspberriea lb. 



10 I Strawberries ^Ib. 



10 I Walnuts bushel 15 



« 3 ol ditto %»'100 3 



1. B. d 



OtoO 



u 



10 



u 



8 



12 u 



8 U 







U 







u 



80 U 



3 £ 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes doz. 



Asparagus ^\(I0 



Beans. Kidney ^ 100 



Broad bushel 



Beet, Red doz. 



BroccoU bundle 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums Tt*' 100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Coleworta.. doz. bunches 

 Cucumbers each 



pickling doz. 



EnrUve doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish bundle 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce doz 



0to6 

 10 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress. .punnet 

 Onions ^bushel 



pickling quart 



Parsley per doz.bnncheB 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Round do. 



Radishes., doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Salsafy %*■ bundle 



Savoys doz. 



Scorzonera.... q,*>^ bundle 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes doz. 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Marrows. .doz. 



B. d. 8. d 



1 0to2 

 



POULTRY MARKET.— February 26. 

 The weather is not without its effect on the poultry, and our supply is small* 

 while tho demand is somewhat increased by the cessation of the Game supply 

 The consequence is an' inclination to stand out for higher prices. 



