236 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ ilarcli 13. 1873. 



doing well, as on fine days they are very busy carrying in 

 pollen. 



Do you think it possible to drive the bees into a "WoodbuTy 

 hive, as I do not like the appearance of the one they are in ? 

 Or -would it be better to -wait and see if they should throw off an 

 early swarm? I suppose they may be saved now if I continue 

 feeding, as I should much like to do so after taking so much 

 trouble. The bees had not an ounce of honey in the autumn, so 

 have survived the winter on dry sugar, with a little syrup occa- 

 sionally. — John G. Webber. 



[We are glad that you have succeeded in saving your bees, as 

 you deserve success after taking so much care and trouble. You 

 had better continue your assistance for the present, as a few 

 weeks of ungenial weather might now prove fatal to the bees. 

 We have always condemned the use of dry sugar, as much of it 

 is necessarily wasted. Tou had better not attempt transferring 

 the bees and combs into a box, but wait for a swarm. Mo doubt 

 your constant feeding has promoted early and rather extensive 

 breeding, so that the bees will require a rather more liberal 

 supply of food than you have hitherto given if the spring be wet 

 and cold. We should recommend your now again trying the 

 bottle, being sure that your syrup is of the right quality, giving 

 a few ounces two or three times a- week. — Eds.] 



black, or -with dan, -which prodnces the best blnck. Give any good old beans 

 not too large. Peas all Pigeons like, but they aie not so good for high-class 

 birds as old tares and beans, or even as Indian com. 



GriNEA Pigs {A Subscriber). — Any dealer in birds, tS:c., in St. Martin's 

 Lane, London, W. 



BucK-^vHEAT {X. X.).— It may he obtained from any comdealer, especially 

 in Siiflulk, where it is cultivated and known locally as " Brank." 



METEOKOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



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



OUR LETTER BOX. 



TtTMouHS IN Hens (J. Cur/is).— The disease you mention is by no means 

 nncommon with hens. We never saw it in pullets, but after they have passed 

 into hens and have done laying their first efigs, small spots of yellow cheesy 

 matter may be found between the skin and the flesh. These frequently 

 increase in bulk and become hard. The older fowls are. the more liable they 

 are to this disease. The only cure is to remove the tmnouis when they liist 

 begin to incroise in size. We take them to be indications of age, like certain 

 appearances in some human subjects known to, but not admitted, by peyple 

 between sixty and seventy years old. 



Hen with Ducklings (Novice).— The best place in which to put a hen 

 with ducklings is an old pigstye, it generally affords space, and slush between 

 the stones of the flooring. It prevents the ducklings from being draggled to 

 death, and saves the ben the misery of seeing her brood in dan^'cr (as she 

 thinks), of a watery grave. They should not be taken from the hen till they 

 are seven or eight weeks old. Oatmeal put in a shallow vessel of water with a 

 little grass, and sometimes a few long small strips of horse flesh, are very 

 good food at fii&t. They may afterwards have whole com. It is too eaiiy to 

 condemn for colour of bills or feet. 



Cock Hen-pecked (L. C.).— Birds like to be pecked, and will stand for hours 

 not only while feathers are pulled out, but while their flesh is eaten. It is a 

 levered, dissatisfied, and diseased state of body that causes the picking in the 

 first instance. It is a craving for some food or medicine to which the feather 

 bears resemblance. Discontinue the potatoes, they induce excessive internal 

 fat, but they give neithsir bone nor sinew. They do not, as a rule, require 

 beer at this season of the year. Feed on slaked bai-leymeal or gi-ound oats 

 morning and evening. Give Indian corn or scraps at mid-day. Tou must re- 

 move the cock from the hen during the day. Let him run for an hour daily 

 with the hens, and then take him away. Bub the bai-e pai-t with compound 

 snlphur ointment. 



Old Hens and Young Ones (A Constant Subscriber). — Both can be 

 marked by wire put round the leg on pieces of list fastened on with needle and 

 thread. Holes may be made in the web of the wing with a red-hot iron, marks 

 or notches on the beak ; with many others. By youi- poulterer, do you mean a 

 man who sells poulti^, or one who looks after yours ? In either case you have 

 not fallen on a cordon bleu. We advise you to ti-y again. "Better luck nest 

 time." Nothing is easier than to tell a pullet from a hen; hut nothing is 

 more difficnlt than to class correctly a forward pullet, a young hen, or a 

 fattened old one. Could they be asked, the last two would admit they were 

 of a " certain age; " but they might defy any one to say what it was. 



BANTA3I Cock Crooked-breasted (Amateur). —Such a cock as you de- 

 scribe would have no chance if properly judged. We prefer the httle that is 

 left of the deaf ear to be red. The wheaten hen is much lighter-breasted 

 than the others, and is generally used when the birds are getting daik and 

 cloudy. 



Sea-sand for Fowls fPoa;).— The saud from the sea-shore will not hurt 

 your poultry. Salt is good for thorn. Aylesbury Ducks will lose the delicacy 

 of their bills if they have access to sea water. We have heai-d of people who 

 hired cocks for a run, but we know no one who lets them. 



Colour of Houdan's Eggs (O. B.).— The Houdan's eggs should be quite 

 white. We should not expect to hatch pure Houdans from eggs coloured like 

 Guinea Fowls. 



Cock's Costb Slightly Injured (T. S.).—The accident to the comb of 

 your Partridge cock would not disqualify him ; but if shown against a perfect 

 bird he would lose the prize. A crooked-combed Cochin hen has no right to 

 take a prize ; but the defect is not of necessity hereditary. 



Brahjia Cocivs Spurs too Long (J.).— You run no risk in cutting the 

 spurs of the cock, provided you do not reach the quick, which is only at the 

 base of the spin-. The best thing to cut them with is a saw made from the 

 main spring of a watch. As it causes no pain, you can cut piece by piece in 

 perfect safety, as long as you find you have only bone to encounter. 



Pigeons Diseased {Alpha and H. C.).— Both yoor Pigeons are suffering 

 from the effects of damp and cold, neither can it be wondered at considering 

 the variableness of the weather. It should be borne in mind that Pigeons 

 can beai- any amount of heat. In ceiled warm houses, giving tUem at the 

 Bame time plenty of room, th?y are sure to prosper. In damp or draughty 

 places they never do well. Give hempseed with their food for a time, and 

 good old beans. 



Points in Loxo-faced Antwerps {H. C). — Ist, Beak like a Dove's; 2nd, 

 eye bolting ; 3rd, forehead raised ; 4th, shape compact. Colour not a par- 

 ticular point. 



Carrier Pigeons (T. A. W.).— Wattle, &c., not fully developed until four 

 years old. Flights and tail as good a black as you can get. Mate black with 



REMAKK3. 

 5th. — Dull morning, fine at noon, occasional rain after; hut a beautiful 



moonht night. 

 6th. — Bather duU in the morning, very dark between 10.30 and 11 a.m., but 



fine and quite bright soon after, and so continued all day. 

 7th. — Kainy morning, fair fi'om noon, and a beautiful night. 

 8th. — Fair in the morning, with white frost; tine all the forenoon, soft hail 

 balls at 1.30 p.m., lasting (as usual] only a few minutes ; the re- 

 mainder of the day fine. 

 9th. — Bain in the morning, fine in the middle of the day ; rain about 4 and 



again at 8.30, and hail, with heavy rain for a short time about 11 p.m. 

 10th. — Kain in the morning, cold and dull all the day, except a few gleams of 



sunshine. 

 11th. — Showery and windy, but at times very bright sunshine ; the coldest 

 day this week. 

 A vei-y seasonable week. Probably the most noticeable feature is the re- 

 correuce of a fall of soft hail balls on March 8th. I have noticed a similar 

 fall on that or the next day almost every year for ten or fifteen years past. — 

 G. J. Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET. -Mauch 12. 

 No new features in the market to report upon. A slight advance has taken 

 place in first-class produce from the open ground, but no general improve- 

 ment in prices. Hardy produce is, however, in general request, and the 

 stands emi)tied on the market days. Large consignments of new Potatoes are 

 offered fiom Malta and the West Indies. Hothouse Grapes and Sirawbeniea 

 are good, and sufficient for the trade. 



Apples J oieve 3 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries perlb. 



Chestnuts bushel 12 



Currants j sieve 



Black do. 



d. B. d. 



0to5 



U 







20 







Figs doz. 



Fiioerts lb. 



Cubs lb. 2 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, hothouse lb. G 



Lemons ^100 6 



Melons each 



B. d. s. d 



Mulberries ^Ib. OtoO 



Nectarmt-s doz. 



Oranges ^ iOO 4 10 



Peaches doz. 



Pears, kitchen doz. 10 8 



Ueasert, doz, 8 12 



PineApples lb. 6 10 



Plums j sieve 



Quinces doz. 



Kaspberries lb. 



Strawberries %^oz. 10 2 



Walnuts bushel 15 BO 



ditto ^100 2 2 6 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes doz. 



Asparagus ^ LOO 



French 



Beans. Kidney ^100 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums ^ 100 



CaiTuts bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Coieworts.. doz. buu(.hea 

 Cucumb era each 



pickimg doz . 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish bundle 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce doz 



e. d. 8. d. 



8 0to6 

 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard &. Cress.. punnet 



Onions ^ buahel 



pickling quart 



Parsley per doz. bunches 



Pursmpa doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Hound do. 



Radishes., doz. bunches 



Rbubarb bundle 



Salaafy V' bundle 



Savuya doz. 



Scorzonera.... ^bundle 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes doz. 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable MarrowB 



s. d. t 



Oto 

 



1 



8 



1 

 



POULTRY MARKET.— March 12. 

 Our supply is still very small, and the tendency of prices is upwards. 

 8. d. s. d. 



Largo Fowls 4 G to 5 



Sniallerditto 3 6 4 



Chickens 3 8 



Guslinga 7 8 



Guinea Fowls 3 8 fi 



i Luckliugs 8 6 4 



B. d. s. d. 



Pheasants OtoO 



Partridges 



Hares 



Rabbits 1 5 1 6 



Wild ditto 9 10 



Pigeons 10 10 



