May 1, 1873. 1 



JOUENAL OP HOSTICULTUBB AND COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



365 



by weight. It is fixed that a dozen eggs shall weigh 1 lb. 8 ozg. 

 — (New York Tribune.) 



LIMITING THE PEICE OF PIGEONS AT THE 



DUBLIN SHOW. 



YoiTB correspondents on this subject should bear in mind that 

 this is strictly speaking an agricultural Show, and it is ouly 

 through pressure being brought to bear on the Committee that 

 they have permitted Pigeons to be included in the schedule. 

 Not knowing anything about the birds, they permitted three 

 exhibitors, resident in Dublin, to draw up the schedule. The 

 classes were arranged fairly enough, except that (as neither of the 

 three exhibitors keep them) they struck out Magpies, and put in a 

 class for Jacobins to suit Mr. Seale's birds (this is the only class 

 in the schedule in which colour is mentioned). They then made 

 np the price rule, which has been so much discussed. When I 

 got the schedule I at once wrote to the Committee and pointed 

 out to them, that whoever made the list of prices must have in- 

 tended the classes for himself or his friends, as the prices were 

 fixed without any reference to the recognised value of the birds, 

 and would exclude most of the leading exhibitors. I had a reply 

 that my letter was too late for this Show, but would be con- 

 sidered next time. Mr. Seale, who is responsible for the rule 

 about price, wrote through your columns, not avowing his posi- 

 tion, but defending the rule, and saying there was a large entry. 

 He was right as far as number is concerned, but of the 132 lots 

 shown, forty-four, or one-third of the entire number, were the 

 property of Mr. Seale ; the two other advisers had respectively 

 twenty-seven aud eleven, a total of eighty-two between the 

 three of them, leaving fifty lots to be divided between seventeen 

 exhibitors. One of your correspondents said the framers of the 

 rules had limited the price with one hand and given special 

 prizes with the other. We now see the result in Mr. Seale win- 

 ning the cup for Pouters, given by himself. I have authority 

 for saying the Society will have no such rule again, so I wiU let 

 the matter rest. — John Dowling, Blackrock, Cork. 



GUINEA PIGS AS MEAT PRODUCEBS. 



The Guinea Pig is extensively used in Peru as an article of 

 food, not merely by the higher classes as a deUcacy, but mainly 

 by the poor from its cheapness and abundance. It is an entirely 

 herbivorous animal, and a clean feeder, being there chiefly main- 

 tained on green lucerne or trefoil; but it would, doubtless, 

 thrive equally well on cabbage or lettuce leaves, and most sorts 

 of green garden stuff — in short, on the same food as the Rabbit, 

 to which it has many points of similarity. Its only similitude 

 to the rat is, that after the hair has been scalded off, it presents 

 an appearance not unlike what a large rat might do if similarly 

 treated — minus the tail. 



For cooking it is not skinned, but the hair being scalded off, it 

 is split open and cleaned, and is generally fried entire in a 

 fryingpan, or sometimes grilled over the coals. Thus prepared 

 it is savoury and delicate, the flesh being white, succulent, and 

 nutritious, very superior to the Babbit, and it makes a most ex- 

 cellent dish. The cost of rearing and keeping them is next to 

 nothing, and their introduction into this country as an article 

 of food would prove an excellent and inexpensive addition to our 

 materials for the breakfast or dinner-table. — W. Mac.^sdbew, 

 Wcstivood, near Colchester. 



Neglected Breeds. — I will join "Black Jacobin," in sub- 

 scribing towards a class for fowls for table pui-poses ; all birds 

 to be hatched in 1873, and either pure bred or the result of a 

 first cross. I am quite of opinion that the single-bird system is 

 preferable to that of showing pairs, especially for the Iftrge breeds. 

 — C. L. Sh-ibman, Church jind, North Finchley. 



PouLTBY and Ostend E.iBBiTs. — An immense annual trade is 

 carried on in the importation of foreign poultry and Ostend 

 Eabbits. This year ah-eady the value amounts to i7V,679, being 

 a grejat increase on the preceding year. 



NADIEING. 



Pbactic-illy, I think, your correspondent " A Eenfrewshire 

 Bee-keepek " and I are agreed ; and yet, it seems to me, he 

 misapplies the term " nadir " in his remarks on this subject at 

 page 273. Surely he is speaking of an eke, for that, and not a 

 nadir, is ** merely an extension of breeding space." The nadir 

 is something different ; at least I have always understood it to 

 mean a distinct box placed under a stock, not for breeding pur- 

 poses, but with a Wew to obtaining honey. Therefore it is obvious 

 I am speaking of something quite different from your corre- 

 spondent ; and so I hold to the advice I gave in your Journal of 

 Mai-ch 2<Jth as both sound and iuteUigible. 



I object to the use of nadirs altogether. The only occasion on 

 which I would make use of a box as a nadir is with a view to 

 tempt when we often cannot " compel " bees to "press up into 

 a super." My so-called nadir, therefore, is nothing more than 

 a super placed temporarily under a stock-box in order to induce 

 the bees to work comb in it, to which they may adhere after its 

 removal to its proper place over the hive. If your correspondent 

 had not confused the terms I should have agreed with all he 

 has said. Nothing can be more excellent than his advice, when 

 once bees have faii-ly taken to a super to eke (not nadir) the 

 stock, both to prevent swarming aud to augment the population, 

 so as to complete that and succeeding supers. Shallow supers, 

 too, should always be used. — B. & W. 



BURGLAE AND FELON BEES. 



You may remember last year you kindly telegraphed me in 

 the autumn, in reply to a telegram of mine stating that civil war 

 had broken out in my bee-house of ten stocks. I then asked for 

 advice as to how I could stay it, and you recommended moving 

 the skeps to different parts of the garden, which I accordingly 

 did with those that were fighting, and think it was the means 

 of saving some bees, though I lost four strong stocks by it. I 

 never saw bees fight so desperately. In a very short time they 

 had killed all the bees and taken all the honey out of a very large 

 and strong stock. I tried all sorts of means to stay them, and 

 was constantly driven back by their fury, though carefully 

 guarded by dress and gloves. A friend of mine had his bees 

 similarly disaffected, and he resorted to the brimstone pit with 

 most of those that were being attacked, and saved an immense 

 quantity of honey. I wish I had done the same. 



But my object in writing you now is to tell you of a curious 

 circumstance which happened to a large strong stock in my 

 apiary this day. It was a thick straw skep with a flat top, 16 by 

 10 inside measure ; and when weighing my skeps this spring 

 I found it 60 heavy that I did not think it worth whUe to give it 

 any syrup, as I did to all the others, though some were nearly 

 as heavy. At noon to-day I found the skep was being attacked. 

 I had noticed the previous day or two that the bees seemed 

 rather sluggish, though previously they had looked well. I im- 

 mediately narrowed the entrance, but, finding it of no use, I 

 determined to drive the bees out without further delay. After 

 driving for about ten minutes I looked to see the result ; but no 

 bees having gone up I examined the combs, but could see only 

 a dozen or two of robber bees in the hive. Upon this I imme- 

 diately cut the combs out, thinking I should find them partly full 

 of brood, which would not keep till I could get a swarm ; but I 

 found not a single piece of brood comb, but lots of capital honey 

 — I should think at least 30 lbs., and plenty of bee bread. On 

 looking over the combs I found the queen alive, but she seemed 

 injured. I killed her with chloroform, and send her for your 

 inspection, as it seems a curious occurrence and one which I 

 cannot account for, unless the queen was old and unprolific and 

 the bees would not put up with her any longer, but left for better 

 quarters, though where they went I am not able to ascertain. 

 If you feel inclined to insert this and reply in your Journal I 

 should feel obliged. — B. B. Alexandek. 



[Tour queen did not reach us. No doubt, as you suppose, 

 she was in a feeble condition and the bees deserted her. But 

 this is not the most usual course. Ordinarily they remain and 

 fight off all intruders so long as their life or their honey store 

 lasts.] 



SPRING FEEDING IN COLD "WEATHER. 



Let me give a word of warning to all bee-keepers to see that 

 their bees do not starve during these inclement east winds, 

 when honey is nowhere in the flowers. It would be a great pity 

 to lose valuable hives that have survived the winter, for want of 

 a pound or two of sugar syrup at this season. — B. A: W. 



Peeventing Hens Eating theib Eggs. — If hens are put in 

 a dark jflace to lay, where they cannot see their eggs, they 

 cease from egg-eating. — Expeeience. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Books ( W. Hay.). — Our " Poultry Book for the Many," price Gd., vre think 

 would quite suffice fervour poult ryman. The best when completed will be Mr. 

 Wright's "Dlustrated Book of Poultry." Fourteen shilling nnmbers have 

 been published, and eleven more are to follow. [Ramalho). — The "Poultiy 

 Book." You can have it free by post if you enclose seven postage stamps 

 with your address, 



CiuLDERDiTCH. — We ttre much obliged by your letter and enclosure. We 

 will answer it in full in a later number. 



Dublin Poultry and Pigeon Show (0. P. S. T., and others). — Besides 

 the letter we publish to-day we do not think more need be stated. 



Bantams at Dipton Show. — In the prize li^t Riven at page 847, the 

 names of Messrs T. & J. Rohaon, of Bishop Auckland, were accidentally 

 omitted as taking the first prize for "Bantams, any other colour." 



