192 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 4, 1666. 



Second, E. H. Woodcock, Thornhill, Wigan. Highly Commended, H. 

 Beldon, Goitstock, Bingley. Commended, Sir St. G. Gore, Bart. 



Dorking. — First, H. Beldon. Second, J. T. Beamont, Greenhead 

 House, Huddersfield. 



Spanish.— First, H. Beldon. Second, J. Thresh, Manchester Road, 

 Bradford. 



Cochin-China (Any colourJ.-First and Second, C. W. Brierlcy (Par- 

 tridge and Buff). Highly Commended, H. A. Child, Wakefield. 



Brahma Pootra (Any colour).— First and Second, J. Pickles, Bridge- 

 royd, Todmorden. 



Pounds (Any colour). — First and Second, H. Beldon (Golden and 

 Silver). 



Hamburgh (Golden-pencilled).— First, Sir St. G. Gore, Bart. Second, 

 S. Smith, Northowram, Halifax. Commended, H. Beldon. 



Hambcroh (Silver-pencilled).— First, H. Beldon. Second, A. K. Wood, 

 Bnmside, Kendal. 



Hamburgh (Golden-spangled).— First, H. Beldon. Second, Sir St. G. 

 Gore, Bart. 



Hamburgh (Silver-spangled).— First, H. Beldon. Second, Sir St. G. 

 Gore, Bart. 



Any other Distinct Breed.— First and Second, National Poultry Co., 

 Bromley, Kent (La Fleche and Hondan). Highly Commended, H. 

 Beldon (Black Hamburghs). 



Bantams (Game).— First, J. D. Newsome. Second, Master 1. Cros- 

 land, Wakefield. Highly Commended, H. A. Child, Wakefield. 



Bantams (Any other variety).— First, F. L. Roy, jun., Nenthorn, Kelso, 

 N.B. (Silver-laced Sebrights). Second, E. Hutton, Pudscy, Leeds 

 (Black). 



Docks (Aylesbury).— First, E. Leech, Graves House, Rochdale. Second, 

 O. A. Young, Driffield. 



Docks (Ronenl.— First, J.White, Whitley, Netherton. Second, J. and J. 

 Charlesworth, Dirtcar, Wakefield. Highly Commended, Sir St. G. 

 Gore, Bart. 



Docks (Any other variety).— First, Sir St. G. Gore, Bart. Second, J. R. 

 Jessop, Beverley Road, Hull. 



Extra Stock.— First, Mrs. Burrill, Sharlestone (Duck with three legs). 

 Second, S. Burton, Dirtcar (Bantams). 



The Judges were Mr. Richard Woods, Osbcrton, Worksop, and Mr. 

 Wm. Caiman, Bradford. 



GAME BANTAMS: 



POSTANS S AND RAYNOR'S STRAINS. 



Mil. Postans in his advertisement, contained in your paper 

 of last week, quotes Mr. Crosland's opinion of the cockerels 

 bred by him last year, and states that " all the Black Red 

 Bantams shown with such eminent success last year by the 

 Rev. George Raynor, were bred from birds had direct from Mr. 

 Postans or were their descendants of the previous year." As 

 the purchaser of this celebrated strain of Mr. Raynor's, I beg 

 to state that Mr. Crosland lias within the last fortnight seen my 

 stock, and remarked that Mr. Raynor's birds were superior to 

 what he produced last year. With the same amount of pride 

 which naturally moves Mr. Postans, I must say that Mr. Raynor 

 in a great measure attributes his success this year to two hens 

 of my strain, with which he took the cup at the last Manches- 

 ter show, as well as to eggs of my strain which he had from a 

 friend of mine, a clergyman in Hertfordshire ; and I am bound 

 to say that my strain was from the original and pure blood of 

 Mr. Crosland's stock. I am sorry to see that Mr. Postans is 

 giving up a class of birds which have been of such credit to 

 the county of Essex, but I hope with Mr. Raynor's stock and 

 my own to maintain at the next Birmingham show the place 

 occupied last year by Mr. Raynor, and to keep in the county 

 one at least of two very celebrated strains. — George Mannino, 

 Springfield, Essex. 



PIGEONS' SELLING CLASS AT HALIFAX. 



At Halifax an exhibitor entered two pens of valuable Pigeons 

 in the selling class, which required that the price should not 

 exceed £1 Is. Now, that exhibitor would not take five times 

 that amount for the birds he showed ; but they wereiclaimed 

 through himself previously to the Exhibition, and by this dis- 

 honest procedure he took first and second prizes. 



Unless the secretaries of shows decline allowing the exhibitor 

 or any one else to claim the birds previous to the judge con- 

 cluding his awards, whereby the public, one and all, would have 

 a fair chance of claiming anything, or unless something be 

 done to put a stop to this disgraceful proceeding, the selling 

 class will soon dwindle out of sight. — An Exhibitor. 



BEE-WRITING EXTRAORDINARY. 



TriE- example of Dr. Cumming, who, with a mere smattering 

 of apiarian knowledge, first aspired to instruct the world in 

 bee-culture through the columns of the Times, and then ran a 

 muck against every one who ventured to point out and correct 

 any of his very numerous mistakes, seems to have encouraged 



magazine writers generally to take up the snbject ; and we find 

 accordingly that nearly every periodical has recently had one 

 or more articles, in which the changes are rung on bees, bee- 

 hives, and bee-keeping, with greater or less success, according 

 to the assiduity with which the compiler has " read up " his 

 subject, and the amount of information which he has been able 

 to glean in other ways. Of course, under these circumstances 

 we must expect to find most of the old facts and fallacies fur- 

 bished up, and presenting themselves in their new guise with 

 as much complacency as if they now for the first time saw the 

 light. Accordingly the traditional snail is again discovered, 

 glued either to the window or to one of the sides of the hive ; 

 once more is slain that celebrated mouse or huge slug (which- 

 ever you please, my little dears!), and again with infinite 

 labour and sagacity do the industrious little insects render its 

 putrescent carcase inoffensive by enshrouding it in a thick 

 covering of propolis ; whilst once more, alarmed and terror- 

 stricken, yet standing erect and motionless, Thorley's im- 

 mortal maid-servant is presented to our view in the unenviable 

 predicament of being made use of as a resting-place by an 

 eccentric swarm of bees. To all these, and such as these, do 

 I bow, smile, and pass on ; but when, as in a recent Number 

 of " Chambers's Journal," I meet with an article written by 

 a gentleman so ardent in the pursuit of apiarian knowledge, 

 that, as he informs us, he has "often sat up all night" 

 to watch the bees' manoeuvres by lamp-light, I make a far 

 lower obeisance than usual, and peruse his lucubrations with 

 the most wrapt attention, in the hope of benefiting at second- 

 hand from the reflected light produced by such an expenditure 

 of the midnight oil. Nor are my expectations disappointed. 

 Here are new facts and discoveries sufficient to set us all think- 

 ing, and as I have no wish to be selfish, I invite all the readers 

 of the bee department of " our Journal," to share with me 

 this intellectual banquet. 



First, then, I observe, that this illustrious contributor, whom, 

 as he maintains a strict incognito, we may, for convenience, 

 venture to denominate " The Chamber Bee-master," almost in- 

 variably speaks of the bee in the masculine gender. It is true 

 he gives us no reason for this ; but shall we presume to ask for 

 chapter and verse from such a Gamaliel ? No, rather let us sit 

 humbly at his feet and drink in unqucstioningly the words of 

 wisdom that flow from his pen. Away, then, with all unworthy 

 doubts ; tell me not of the investigations and discoveries of more 

 bee-keepers and naturalists, from Huber and Mademoiselle 

 Jurine downwards ; is not the masculine very ungallantly as- 

 sumed to be the most worthy gender? and shall I on such 

 slender authority venture to doubt the infallibility of my new- 

 found guide ? 



Commencing, then, with Samson's swarm, " The Chamber 

 Bee-master " cites divers unsavoury receptacles as having been 

 at different times selected as a habitation by " Master Bee." 

 Among these are a baby's coffin deposited in a vault, a horse's 

 head, the belly of a dead ass, and the vault of a common sewer ! 

 But, we are told, that "in spite of" these facts "the bee 

 delights in all kinds of perfumes ; and one of the means of 

 coaxing a stray swarm into a hive is to rub the inside of it 

 with balm, and suspend it within reach of their olfactory 

 nerves." But here let me pause to make candid confession of 

 my ignorance, smite my breast, and cry " ilea culpa!" Sinner 

 that I am, I never knew until now that bees affected " all kinds 

 of perfumes." Heretic that I was, I never believed that they 

 could be attraoted to a hive by the smell of balm ! Nay, worse 

 than this, so little do I know of the herb that I am deeply grate- 

 ful to Webster's dictionary for informing me that it is " an 

 aromatic plant of the genus Melissa." It is true that during 

 more than a quarter of a century I have never lost a swarm, 

 yet what risks may I not have unconsciously run through my 

 want of faith ! But is there not balm in Pedlington ? Yea, let 

 us hope so, and trust that Mr. Roots will be able to supply 

 such a bundle of plants, or such a packet of seeds, as may 

 absolve me from encountering such desperate hazards for the 

 future. 



" Among the rustics of France and England bees are ac- 

 commodated with very poor habitations furnished 



with only one entrance." Can I then venture to whisper the 

 humiliating confession that my hives also have " only one 

 entrance," and that here my Mentor leaves me in most dis- 

 tressing doubt ? A single entrance is evidently condemned, 

 but the right number is not stated. It may be two only, or 

 one may possibly be required for the separate use of every 

 inhabitant of the hive, those for the queen and droits being, 

 of course, of extra size, or it may be any interrogate number 



