33« 



JOtJBNAL OP HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



t lCi7 1. 1M8. 



These particulars may intorcfit eomc, Ibcrefore I give them ; 

 for I do not imapino that tlic tenants of many hives in bee- 

 history have escaped with their hves when they have had the 

 misfortune to meet with such an accident aa that which I 

 relate. 



As I am writing on bees, I will just mention my last year's 

 finccess. I commenced the year with four stocks, and from 

 these I had seven swarms, and took in snpers, and from the 

 hive that was blown down, 1*28 lbs, of virgin honey. — A Glou- 



CBETEK6HIBE BeE-EEEPER. 



IS THE TOMTIT AN ENEMY OF BEES:" 

 Noticing the reply to '* A SuBScuntKn " in page 282, I wish 

 to raise the question whether the tomtit, alias the "Hampshire 

 bee-biter," is the friend of the apiary or its foe. I am inclined 

 to believe he is only a scavenger, never having seen him seize 

 & bee in an active state. When benximbed by cold, or paralysed 

 upon the snow, the unfortunate bees in such circumstances 

 afford him a lich repast ; but then this is just as it should be. 

 In any case the bees would be lost if the bee-master failed to 

 collect and cherish them. — li. S. 



IMPROVED FRAME-HIVE. 



In reference to the remarks under the above heading, in 

 page 300, allow me to state that the alteration there referred to 

 will not be found the least troublesome, even by those who 

 have adopted "another pnttem." It never ought to be neces- 

 Bary for the front of any kind of hive to fit closely to the front 

 of any bee-house. I invariably allow certainly not less than 

 2 or 3 inches space, which allows a free current of air to pass 

 all round the hives, materially assisting the ventilation, and 

 preventing the bees feeling the etTects of a hot summer's sun 

 playing upon the front of the bee-house. 



Many bee-keepers have experienced the difficulty of loosen- 

 ing and lifting out the frames with the finger and thumb, which 

 is obviated by the bars projecting through the back and front 

 of the hive. The ends of the projecting bars can be held by 

 both hands, and if the bar is placed at the proper distance from 

 the front of the bee-house, there can be no difficulty whatever 

 in manipulating. 



It is true that when the top bar was cut through the solid 

 wood, the divisions sometimes broke quite away, thereby caus- 

 ing great inconvenience and trouble; but ths is entirely ob- 

 viated by the use of Pettitt's patent metallic bar rest, as men- 

 tioned at page 266. These rests are made on the eeven-eighths 

 or Woodbury scale, the one-inch scale, and the 1 J -inch, or 

 Langstroth scale, and can be adapted to any frame {a Wood- 

 bury frame for instance), by the addition of a top bar of the 

 required length, which can be attached to a Woodbury frame 

 with a couple of screws, without in the least interfering witli its 

 present construction. — Wyait J. Pettiit, Tltc J}-iary,I)oicr. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



DOKKiKO CocKEHEi, WITH DISEASED IIead {F. JJ.).— BlccdinR in the 

 foot wns a mistake, nnd v.e imflpine wnw rnrried to excrpg from the look 

 of the comb, which wns blmiched rs mu<;h nB if the bird had had its 

 throat cut. Bleedint.' should only be resorted to where there is piddiness 

 and sta^grring, and then it Bliouldbe from the comb, which in those cases 

 is dark and lead-coloured. An ejrj^-spoonful is enough tn tike. Tho eyes 

 were gone, in n manner we have never before peon in a Dorking. It is a 

 disease almost peculiar to Spitniyh, and incurable. We do not know the 

 origin ol it, and there is no treatm<'nt for it. It is not, however, likely to 

 occbr again. The brain w-ib quite healthy. 



ARTmciAL iNcrBATiGN FAiLiNr, (G. M. F.).— Tliere is little doubt but 

 that tlip temperatnre of your incubator fell too low, and the chit-kenH 

 died. The water in which you trj- your eggs need not be at 10S^ all that 

 is necessary is that it should be warm. 



DoBKiKG Chickens' Feet Diseased (A. L. ^.).— Snch a complaint 

 as you describe will ^risc from bad flooring, such as stone, brick, or wood. 

 This induces paralyt-is, and cau<ies death. We always look with suspicion 

 when we find onr correspondents talk of keeping the " chickens warm." 

 AH the wiirmth thev reiinire Ihev should get from food, and if they are 

 free from draughts.' that is almost all the shelter necepsary. Put the hen 

 ont of doors under her rip with theebiekeus, and feed them frell. Tboy 

 will then recover from all their ailments. 



NoN-siTTiNO Fowls for a Clav Soil {J. T. F. B.) —If yea pin your 

 faith to non-sitters, you must have Spanieh ; but we think you might 

 keep Brahmas more advantageously. We do not think your croes would 

 be a good one. You fear roup, and Hamburgbs are subject to it. We 

 have kept Brahmas twelve years and never had a case of roup. 



Di'CKLnfos I^VK {J. II. n.).— Your DarklinKS are perinhiDg from b«lag 

 nncared for whHe ton youn({ to shift for themnelvefi. You should hare 

 confined the hco where she could not have roosted. We foar aU tb« 

 brood will die. 



FowLfi Fon A CoyFTHED Space (A. J.).— Spanish, Brahmat, and Cochins 

 will all do in such a space as yoa describe. A cock in not ncccuary tur 

 the production of eggs. 



BfFF Cochins (^.).— We hardly know what yon mean by fine cgg«; hot 

 Cochins never lay hirgc ones. It is certain that May pullets ought to 

 have reared chickens and laid again before now. We Iwlieve yoa will 

 make a very good hardy fowl by the cross you mention. Choose your 

 pullets with white, clean legs. 



Ducks Hatched cndeb a Hin ili. K, H.).— Yes, beyond a doaht 

 they are good for stock. Amicrtions to the contrary are nonsenae. 



Hens Eating Egos (E. ff.K— There ia no doubt it arises from a dis- 

 ordered state of body. It is fortimately an micommon occurrence, but 

 we fear those that begin seldom leave it off. In all cases of egg-eating 

 we adviKo placing hard composition eggs under the cnlpriU*, they pock at 

 them till their beaks arc sure, and they are tired. They then give up the 

 job in despair. 



Geesk Eatino TUEin Ea«a — HAWBrncns Losing Tail FEATirenfl 

 {F. /?.).— Oeesc, like other poultry, eat their eggs eometimes. All poultry 

 iiIho addle tlieir eggs. We alwuys feel disposed to laugh or quenlion whea 

 pfujilc (h'cluro so freely that "no hen could sit belter or closer." It is 

 very ofiin tlit; ca.te that she sits well for forty-eight hnars, till a gorm is 

 devrli)i>cd. then she leaves till the eggs are cold, and then really does sit 

 closely. These eggs are spoiled. She is eating the Duck's eggs. If the 

 hens lose their tail feathers it in probable that the places in which thoj lay 

 are too small for them, and the feathers get broken. It is a serious dis- 

 advantage in some breeds for a cock to lose his sickle feathers, especially 

 In Game and Cochins. If the slumps be pulled out, tho feather will grow 

 again in about ten weeks ; if there is not time for them to grow again, it 

 is better to leave the stumps in than to pull them out. The growth of 

 the tail is considered to bo a greater effort than miLking any other part of 

 the plumage, but it is not injnrioas. 



Cayuga Ducks f/f. C. P.).— The account of these Docks we cxtract«d 

 from one of the American journals. They could be obtained, we have 

 no doubt, by application to a friend at Boston, or Chicago. We shall be 

 obliged by being informed where they can be obtained. 



Bees Ceased from Working (A Lady Bee-keeper). — The qaeen boo 

 which accompanied your note wae alive when bhe reached us. We 

 warmed and fed her, and, when somewhat revived, introduced her to a 

 queenless colony where she seemed well received, but was too far gone to 

 recover, being cast out dead in about an hour. We then dissected her, 

 and found her perfectly fertile. She was, in fact, a very fine queen, and 

 we doubt nut quite capable of keeping up the pt)pnlalion of a strong 

 colony. The nymphs contained in the five cells which were sent with 

 the queen were those of workers. 



Cleaning Floor-board of Hive (G.W.).~lt your bees are healthy and 

 strong they have probably eleart-d out their hives ere thin, and it would, 

 therefore, now be useless to meddle with them. The floor-boards of 

 weak stocks may, however, still be cleaned with advantage. Tho white 

 specks on tho floor near the hive's entrance you mention are probably 

 the waxen covers of the honey cells which, during winter, have been 

 gnawed off by the bees ; or, if comb-building is going on, they may be 

 newly secreted scales of wax, many of which are at such times droppod 

 by the little artificers. 



Creak Cheese {A'aff.— Hang the quantity of cream to be mads in a 

 wet cloth in a cool place for bix or t^even days, which will depend upon 

 the weather and the state of the cream. Put it into a mould hned with a 

 cloth ; put on the press with a light weight; turn it twice a-day, and it 

 will be fit for use in a short time. Roberts on " Wine Making " will suit 

 you, and bo will Ward's " World in its Workshops."' 



Aquarium Requisites (Julia J/.).— Apply to Mr. King, Naturalist, 

 Great Portland Mrcct, London. 



Breeding Pied Goldfinch Mules (A A'ori«).— Pied Goldfinch Mulofl 

 are bred from hen Canaries reared on purpose. They arc bred from Pied 

 birds, and in-and-in bred to make them break in colour. Instances arc 

 on record of Goldfinch Mules breeding, but they are so rare that they 

 can only be regarded as the exception to the rule that Mules do not breed. 

 Your food for young Bullfinches is good if you do not use much hcmp- 

 eeed ; rape would be better if well scalded, and washed to remove its 

 pungency. I think the reason of their dymg is apoplexy, they being 

 too fat, owing to the egg and hompseed being too stimulating a diel 

 Death huems to occur after they have complettd their plumii(,'f, when the 

 drain on the system owing to growth and plumage-making is at an end. 

 Bird organs may be purchased uf most London dealers. — B. P. Bbbkt. 



Hand-rearing Young Blackbirds and Thrushes i C. iVd^/ryi.— Feed 

 tho nestlings on ground outs and sharps mixed with milk, and with a 

 flalteued stick feed them ever>- two hours as long aa they will open their 

 nioutbs. Keep them very clean, and you will be rcw.irded by fine, large, 

 healthy birds. Sharps, I think, is sold in London under the name of 

 toppings or tigdust.— B. P. B. 



Books to Ameiuca (J. P. CMrfc).— Tho bill of exchange was duly 

 received, and the books sent as you desired to the Liverpool firm, on the 

 ISth of February. There is no safer way of sending money than a« 

 you did. 



POULTRY MARKET— April 30. 



The supply is moderate, but the trade is unusually dull, and there Is 



little demand. , _ . 



B. d. fl. d 8. d. B. d 



Large Fowls 4 to 4 6 Guinea Fowla 2 6lo 3 



Smaller do 8 6„ 4 Partridges „ 



Fowls 8 6„0 Hares ,. 



Chickens 2 6„S RabbiU 1 ^ •■ * ^ 



Goslings 7 0„7 6 Wild do 2"? a 



Ducklings S 6„4 , Pigeona 8„« * 



