36 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ July 10, 1886. 



the loss of feathers, and thus hastens the very trouble which owners are 

 bo scrupulous to avoid. In Grey Dorkings, Mr. Henry Lingwood's 

 birds showed to great advantage, being large boney specimens, the 

 chickens showing well, and promising to be a pen of which we shall 

 doubtless hear more on future occasions. This gentleman took two 

 silver five-guinea cups (one for the best general collection restricted 

 to the county alone), chiefly by the excellence of his Dorkings, both 

 Grey and White. Perhaps want of condition was more apparent in 

 the Cochin classes and the Bruhmas than in any others, many of the 

 best birds just now being ragged as colts after a winter in a strawyard. 

 The Hamhitrghs did not show to the advantage which they will when 

 they have assumed their new feathers. Of Polish fowls only one pen 

 was shown. The " Selling Class " was not well filled, nor could this 

 well be otherwise, when the entry was 6s. a-pen, and the sale price re- 

 stricted to 30s. So great an outlay, when the carriage is also deducted 

 from the receipts, will always prevent a full competition. Our ex- 

 periemce proves, that with a 3s. entry no class ever pays a Society 

 better than a " Selling Class," though dealers in poultry repudiate its 

 adoption as a spoil-trade. In the class for any variety of Bantams, 

 a pen of '* Rurnpless Bantams " were exhibited, one of the hens being 

 so very cleverly dubbed as to make what had been a flat comb assimi- 

 late pretty closely to its fellows, which were rosy-combed. The 

 artifice was at once detected, and disqualification ensued. 



We never saw a better display of Aylesbury Ducklings, but the 

 Rouens were so thoroughly intolerable, that the prizes in the latter 

 class were withheld in tuto. The Turkey class was especially creditable 

 throughout, not a single specimen being other than excellent. 



The Pigeon classes are, perhaps, most justly treated by saying as 

 little as possibly can be said against them. Blues and Blacks, Reds 

 and Blacks exhibited in pairs, was a general fault, no attention 

 being evidently given to matching them ; nevertheless here and there 

 was to be seen an excellent pen, but the Bury St. Edmunds Pigeon- 

 fanciers have evidently as yet not passed their novitiate. Altogether, 

 however, the Show was a capital one ; it was very well attended, and 

 the weather was favourable. 



Game (Black-breasted and other Reds).— First, S. Matthew, Stow- 

 market. Second and Third, J. Fletcher, Stoneclough, near Manchester. 

 Highly Commended, S. Matthew. 



Game (Duckwing and other Greys).— First and Silver Cup, J. Fletcher. 

 Second and Third, S. Matthew. Commended. S. Matthew. 

 Game i White and Piles).— First and Second, S. Matthew. 

 Dorkings (Coloured I.— Silver Cup, First, and Second. H. Lingwood, 

 Needknin Market. Third, T. Tathaui. Commended, J. Frost, Wickham 

 Market. 

 DoRKrNGS (White).— First, Second, and Commended, H. Lingwood. 

 Dorkings (Any colour).— Chickens.— First, H. Lingwood. Second, II. 

 Lingwood. Highly Commended, J. Frost; H. Lintrwood; F. Parlett, 

 Chelmsford; E. Leech. Commended, Dr. Campbell, Brentwood. 



Cochin-China (Buff).— Silver Cup, First, and Second, H. Lingwood. 

 Third, Rev. C. Spencer, Attleborough. Highly Commended, Mrs. Burrell, 

 Ipswich. Commended, H. Payne. 



Cochin-China (Any other colour).— First, Rev. C. H. Lucas fWhite). 

 Second, Mrs. Seamons, Hartwell, Aylesbury. Chickens.— First, H. Ling- 

 wood. Second, Rev. C. Spencer. Highly Commended, Rev. C. H. Lucas 

 (White); Mrs. Burrell Buff); Rev. M. R. Barnard (White); H. Lingwood. 

 Brahma Pootra.— First, J. Pickles, Bridge Royd (Dark Pencilled). 

 Second, J. Wright (Dark). Third, Mrs. Seamons. Commended, G. H. 

 Roberts (Dark). 



Spanish. -First, R. Wright. Second, withheld. Third, R. B. Postans, 

 Brentwood, Essex. 



Hamburgh (Golden-pencilled).— First, A. K. Wood, Eurnside, Kendal. 

 Second, C. Havers. Third, Mrs. Burrell. 



Hamburgh (Silver-pencilled).— First, A. K. Wood. Second, withheld. 

 Third, T. J. Saltmarsh, Chelmsford. 



Hamburgh (Golden-spangled).— First, A. K. Wood. Second, J. Wright, 

 Woodbridge. 



HamburVhi (Silver-spaDpled).— First, A. K. Wood. Second, Rev. F. 

 Tearle. Third, Mrs. Bun-ell. 



Polish (Any variety).— Second, Mrs. Burrell (Silver-spangled). First, 

 withheld. 



Bantams (Game).— First, R.B. Postans. Second and Third, G.Manning, 

 Springfield. 



Bantams fAnv other variety).— First and Second, Rev. F. Tearle (White, 

 clean-legged). Third, withheld. 



Any other distinct Variety not Named.— First and Second, National 

 Poultry Company (Limited) (La Fleche, Houdan). Hiffb.lv Commended, 

 Mrs. Burrell (Silkies). Commended, Mrs. Burrell (Black Haniburghs). 



Selling Class (Any variety).— First, Dr. Campbell. Second, National 

 Poultry Company (Limitedj (Creve Cceur). 



SINGLE COCKS. 



Game.— First and Second, S. Matthew. 



Dorkings. — Second, H. Lingwood. Commended, Dr. Campbell ; F. 

 Parlett. 

 Cochin. — First, G. Manning. Second and Commended, H. Lingwood. 

 Spanish.— Prize, F. Crook. 



Ducks (Aylesbury).— First and Second, Mrs. M. Seamons. Highly Com- 

 mended, Mrs. Burrell ; E. Leech. Commended, Miss Shaw. 



Turkeys (Any colour) — First, W. Wright. Second, E. Leech. Highly 

 Commended, Miss Shaw. 



Pigeons.— Carriers (Any colour).— Prize, H. A. Oakes. Highlv Com- 

 mended, R. Futter ; H. A. Oakes. Tumblers (Any colour).— Prize. R.Futter. 

 Any other Variety. — Prize, National Poultry Company (Limited) (Runts). 



The Silver Cup value £5 for the best collection of Poultry, exhibited by 

 a resident of the county, was awarded to Mr. H. Lingwood, of Need ham 

 Market. 



Edward Hewitt, Esq., of Eden Cottage, Sparkbrook, officiated as 

 Judge. 



lost swarm recovered next day. 



Is there any account on record of a swarm remaining sus- 

 pended in the open air during a night ? On the 21st of June 

 I missed a swarm from one of my hives, and did not discover 

 its whereabouts until 7.30 a.m. next day. I found it suspended 

 from the branch of an apple tree in my neighbour's garden in 

 a perfectly quiescent state. A considerable amount of rain 

 had fallen during the night, which may account for the very 

 torpid state the bees assumed. They were soon hived, and 

 are now working well. — C. F. W., Forest Hill, Oxon. 



[Bees have not only remained suspended from a branch 

 during the night, but have even been known to build comb in 

 such a position.] 



BEES SWARMTNG IN A CHIMNEY. 



A few days ago I had a very fine first swarm from one of 

 my hives. The bees settled upon a bush near the hive, where 

 several previous swarms had located themselves. Some delay 

 occurred in hiving the swarm, owing to a difficulty in procuring 

 a hive, and in the meantime the precaution of covering the 

 bush with a white cloth was, unfortunately, neglected. Before 

 the swarm could be secured, the scorching rays of the sun drove 

 the bees from the bush, and they took refuge in a lofty chimnsy 

 at some considerable distance from my house. Ladders were 

 procured, and the bees were found clustered under a narrow ledge 

 in a corner of the chimney-pot. A hive, duly sweetened inside 

 with honey, was placed on the top of the pot, and covered with 

 a cloth tied round the pot, so that no bees could escape. In 

 the morning we found that not a bee had ascended into the 

 hive, and the swarm remained fixed in its former situation. 

 Hoping that it might go up during the day we left the hive on 

 the top of the chimney, opening the mouth, and placing a nar- 

 row board for the bees to enter and go out from the hive. At 

 night, however, matters remained in statu quo, and we resolved 

 to try to force the bees out of the chimney. We accordingly 

 fired pistols, burned brown paper, and adopted other expe- 

 dients of the same nature, but with no other result than to 

 bring down a few stragglers on to the hearth. At last we 

 lowered a square tin from the top of the chimney-pot, and 

 gently brushed the bees into it, then drew it up, and emptied 

 the bees into the hive. Having cleared all the bees out of the 

 chimney, and put a bunch of nettles in the place occupied by 

 them, we left the hive on the roof near the chimney to collect 

 the stragglers, intending to remove it on the following day. Next 

 morning there were a good many bees in the hive, but when we 

 came to remove it at night not one was to be found either in 

 the hive or in the chimney. Digusted with the treatment they 

 had received they had migrated, and nothing has been heard 

 of them since. Will you kindly tell me whether you can sug- 

 gest any other means than those which were adopted to remove 

 the swarm from the chimney ? I should mention that a 

 piece of comb, more than 6 inches square, was made by 

 the bees during the day they inhabited the chimney. — F., 

 Westmoreland. 



[Active measure should have been resorted to at once in- 

 stead of being deferred until the next day, and we know of 

 none that promise better results than those successfully re- 

 sorted to by " Squib " in a similar emergency, and which were 

 thus described by him in page 82 of our ninth volume : — " A 

 rope with a light weight attached was let down very gently 

 from the top of the flue in which the bees had settled, and 

 when this made its appearance at the bottom of the chimney, 

 a bundle of fresh grass, well damped and as nearly as possible 

 the size of the flue, was attached to it, and the whole was then 

 drawn gently to the top of the chimney, upon which an empty 

 hive had been already properly placed ; into this the bees at 

 once ascended, and were removed to their destination without 

 further difficulty."] 



SPARROWS EATING BEES— DRIVING- 

 SWARMS RETURNING. 

 Yocr correspondent " A Blackheath'ax," writes, June 26th, 

 that he has been troubled this year with sparrows feeding their 

 young with the bees. The same proceeding has come under 

 my notice this year, having observed it upwards of six week& 

 at my own hives. The sparrows having their nest in the roof 

 of the house, I have no chance of destroying their nests. 



