238 



JOUKNAIi OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEK. [ SepUmbcr 16. 1869. 



Icdian officer, at present repiding in my neighbourhood: — 

 •' In my last letter from India I hear that an officer of my 

 regiment has just arrived in Cashmere after a fearful march 

 through Chumba, where he was attacked by a ewarm of beee. 

 He took off his coat, and tried to defend himself with it as 

 long aa he could, but the venomous brutes got round him, and 

 be had to execute * a retrograde strategic movement,' followed 

 by the infuriated insects for four miles and a half, when his 

 powers of 'running drill* being exhausted, ho had to give in 

 and let them have their wicked will of him, the natural con- 

 sequence of which was, that he got fever very badly, and had to 

 be carried into Islamabad in a jampan, constructed of branches 

 of trees and grass rope. Not a bad story of real life in the gorge- 

 ous Himalayas! Sweet things, our Indian bees, are they not ?" 



Another Indian letter says :— '* The wild bees of India are 

 very dangerous customers, as they attack any animal that 

 happens to disturb them, and it is even said elephants have 

 died from the inflammation caused by their stings. Two years 



ago, in Agra, the K *8 lost both their carriage horses at the 



church door on Sunday morning, and the coachman was very 

 nearly killed too. Furiunately the other people had all left, or 

 it would have been much more serious. Something disturbed 

 one of the nests in the church steeple, and the bees all settled 

 on horees and carriage." 



General Sir Andrew S. Wdugh, late Surveyor-General of 

 India, who was on the Cnmmitlte of the Geographical Section 

 of the Britit-h Association during its recent visit to our ancient 

 and loyal city, also informed me that these bees were the great 

 enemies of tiger-shooters, for if by any chance, daring their 

 progress through the forest, the elephaut liappened to shake a 

 tree in wliich was one of their nests, down would come the 

 beep, and off would go the elephant crashing through the 

 jungle in uncontrollable terror, whilst the overhanging branches 

 swept everything and everybody from his back. On mention- 

 ing this to the writer of the note first quoted, he fully confirmed 

 it, and described how on one occasion a gentleman, weighing 

 at least 14 stone, and therefore as remarkable for his bulk as 

 his bravery, was discovered in a most unenviable predicament, 

 clinging for dear life, with the wind knocked out of him, to a 

 branch of a tree, some dozen feet from the ground, and from 

 which he was afraid to drop, as much out of regard for his 

 limbs as from the dread of certain imaginary tigers which he 

 fancied were prowling around him in all directions. After 

 assisting him to descend from his uncomfortable perch, it was 

 found that he had been incontinently deposited thereon in the 

 course of an elephantine stampede, produced by bees. — A 

 DsTONSHinz Bes-keeper. 



TOMATO SALAD. 



As there is every probability of a good crop of tomatoes 

 again, 1 thought perhaps that some of your readers may be 

 glad to know that, independently of making an excellent sauce 

 and a splendid jam, they also make a most delicious salad, the 

 recipe for which is as follows:— Slice ripe tomatoes very thin 

 into a soup-plate ; take a little salad oil, vinegar, ground ginger, 

 pepper, salt, and a little sugar; mix aU_ together, and pour on 

 to the sliced tomatoes. 



It may be eaten with fish, hot or cold meat, or cheese. 

 Those who are fond of the taste and perfume of onions may 

 take a very small piece, cut very tine, and add to the above, 

 which is decidedly an improvement if not overdone.— John 

 Pebkiks, Thomham. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Catarrh, or Coi.d. in Chickens [J. yj._We believe vnnr chickens 

 are siiffermjf from 8c<.rchiiiK days iind fro^-ty nit'bU. This' occasions ti;e 

 cnUrrh and couch. A eli^bt htiuiulatit will relievo it. Mrong beer (ii.d 

 CMUpbor are both guod. Uouses Ui:.t were only partly ventilated when 

 theKlasswiiF at7u\ lue more than unfficientlv ho when it (iilld. ns it has 

 doDe withm the last fortniRht. to JU". Tre»l your chickens h8 vou wooM 

 your*tlf, avoid flndden clMoctea of temperature, and do not neglect Ibe 

 premonitory ttckliuj- in the tliront. 



GoLDEN-si'ANrtLKi) PoLAHDs— Veutigo {Coitcufe Oarrffrtirr).— YoD will 

 find entries of Guldpn-spangled Polands onlv at the lariio fihows. Thev 

 are not remuuerftlive cl;ii-ses, aud sm.ill shows cannot nlTurd thera. Any 

 of tb*- principal dealers will sup^ily them. Fowls 8uflur from vertipo from 

 derantrod insidt^s. In extreme cases, hlced at the root of the comb, vou 

 will find the blood black, let it hle«'d till it becomes flnrid. When 'the 

 case pcrtnitK, it is better to proceed by nir-ftns of purgatives, none is more 

 effectunl Ibnn castor oil. Dose, a lables^poouful, to be continued daily till 

 a core is eflucted. 



CocaiN-CHiKA Fowls (8. J. 7? 1.— Your Cochins, aceoroinff to?jonr 

 nhowii r, nre doing yon ^okI service, ihev lav for three months at the 

 time wb'n ejrRfi ar e scare* st. noH then with onlv % short intervnl commence 

 aea:c. You mast not expect th.m, n*r aayloiv^, to do mor.^j botytu 



may improve tbcir diet by ffivinff tbem meal instead of whole com. Give 

 them meal compo*<cd of two-thirdRground oats, and the remainder ffround 

 maise. and the p<*aa and barley alone in small quftntitii^ f^r a clanpe. 

 Lettuce, watercre--!, k mrf of fresh graaa, all or any of tbem, woald be 

 better tliau the CAt>bsi{e leavea. 



Crassi.-co Dobkinos {A'. H. B.).— Yon can have chlckon^ from your 

 Dorking much hardier by crosKin^ them with Urahoias. Hondans are 

 not a k'ood crobx. because they are non-sUtem. and are, therefore, an- 

 do'iral'Io where tible fowls are wanted. Your Brabmaa want none of 

 the appliances you montioii. If you place perches across your moTeable 

 liouBts they will r'^ost on tbem. No floorinft is so good as hard earth lor 

 a jxioltry house. The straw is dirty and injurious. 



Fowls von Confined Space {I'wun^ ifc-jinn^r*.— Keep Hondans and 

 Er.ihmas. TLo former are good winter layers, the litter are g')od litters 

 and mothers. Juno chickens ara too late fur winter Uyers. It is more 

 than pr-.b-iblo they will not lay till February. You should have chickens 

 hatched in April and May, and to insure a succession of onus you mitfit 

 huvo a Kuccciision of pnllois arriving at their Isyint; a^jes in due order. 

 You must feed well, but do not give too stimulating di-t. Their honse 

 should ho drj- and warm, because secured from draughts, hut giv© no 

 srtificial heat. I^)Oollect nothing will make a hen lay in the wiuleir; 

 that is the province of a pullet. 



Keei>ing Poultbt ExTessiVKLV {Bolton\an).~k thousand fowls will 

 want forty acres— >.«., they want the run of them. Those which have 

 acted as luvers tUr lugh the spring will be t<>o old for table poultry in tlie 

 autumn. To acov^mplish what you propose you mn<it never keep a ben 

 more than two soasoos. We advise you to try first with a hundred hens. 

 U'e con give no decided opinion, because we know neither the locoHty 

 nor the market ; but. na a rule, if the land must he rented, and all neowe- 

 saries bought, wc do not think you will lind it proQtible. We eh ail be 

 h.ippy t > answer any plain questions you may put to as. 



KxaiiiiTiNG iSrAMsu Fowls (Spaniarrfj.— our experience doct not 

 trilly with yocrs Wo have Spanish hens thnt are now ;i.'etting well 

 thruUKh their moult, their combs becominic redder every d-y. We have 

 about a score of them, and shall be disAppoint<*d if they are not all In 

 tine conditii<n in November. The only treatment we know of, is to con- 

 fine them in a turee-parta darkened place for a we<.-k bi-fore tbt-y are 

 exhibited. This touds very much to develope the comb, and to harry on 

 condition. Feed on soft food, varied with a few white peas. 



DI4RRHCEA IN FowLS {Buhrt).~ln reply to yourquerv wc should advise 

 yon to do that about which you hesitate— namely, to pivc a copious dose 

 uf castor oil on the tirst symptom of diarrba-i, f .llow it with broad and 

 mitV, or broad and ale, and avoid any description of bard fi>:>'t. 



Wakefield Poultry Snow.— We arc infurmfd thnt in the *' Selling 

 class" for Pigeons, the second prize was not awarded to Hudson & Bomip, 

 but to Mr. E. Wnll:er, Leicester 



MiDDLESBROUOEi PooLTRV Show.— We are iofonued Ihut Mr. Calvert 

 '^btaiut'd first and second prizes for White Cochins, and Mr, G. H. Procter 

 lirst and second for BnlT Cochins: also that Mr. C Layland, of MorriB 

 Brook. Warrington, took the first prize for Brnhma Po::tra chickens, and 

 not Mr. Dawes. 



Feeding Young Guinea Fowls and Bantaus '^^.B.).— We cannot see 

 that your Guinea fowls lack anything nfcessary for healtli. Give them 

 si>nie oatmeal mixed with WArm milk, and .-v>'me onion tons or ii>ome gar- 

 lick chopped up and mixed with it in go -d qnantJties. Younc Bantams 

 reiiu're chopped eg/, groats, brend and milk, curd, and waste meat cooked 

 au'i chopped fine. All chickens want gr iss, nnd must have dust. 



Oldfowt, Pie \Old Cock). — Cut the old cock in pieces in proper joints, 

 collect all the odd scraps of meat yon have; 8n>tting is ^ood enoagb 

 that is sweet and clean — remuanta of letfs or shoulders of mutton, pieces 

 of knuckle, shreds uf bacon, lean of ham. f tt of neck or loin of mutton, 

 all cut in pieces. Take an oval or a roun-l dish of earthenware with a lid, 

 and a hole tbrougli tbe handle to allow the t-team to escape. Old crusts 

 are acceptable. If you can, prepare tbe dish by lining it with thin slices^ 

 of bacon all round and at bottom ; it is an imnrovKment. Then beuin to 

 lay in the meat, piece by piece, till the dish is full ; place some slices of 

 bacon on tbe top, pour in water till the vessel is full, put on the lid, tie it 

 down, and leave the dish in a Black ovrn all ni^bt. T<ikc it out in th«i 

 morning, and put it in a cold place that it may set ttiorongbiy. Wh*:u cold 

 you will find alt the water has become t'rivy, and the odds r.nd ends are 

 "et in jelly. It en be more expensiv.Iy mide. W« shall treat of that 

 herotfter. {K. It P.), — See the precedin*/ answer. You may keep hens 

 till they are three years old. Cocks the same. You may keep hen 

 Turkeys longer. Ducks should not be kept after two years, and in all 

 breeds it is profitable and advisable to chnnee the mcle frctinenlly. 



Various Diskases in a PioEt)S Loft i.V. Y. Z.). — Wo are parzlod to 

 understand the cause of such a vaiied and general state of disease 

 among your Pigeons. WiUi htrict c]cati1jiu--s, gtMxi food, pnro water in 

 clean vessels, no crowding, and cx*-rc;se. Pigeons have rarely any diseases. 

 Open the hoils nnd dress with weak alum and water. Perhaj's the Indian 

 c{irfi being moni<ly and molhy may be part of the cause; but we sboald 

 incline to think t'.iat your loft has become |Hli^onMd hy loui: use, and that 

 roiiioval of all ilio birds for ntime, and a ihuroii-^h limeAHbliir.g, would bn 

 best. Mix fresh loam and salt, aud ht ini' birds p< c^ at it Wing disease 

 is sometimes cured in ite earlitrr htaees by applying iodine paint, to be 

 had of any chemist. Are the wnt<-r-vt:SHels verfvct y clean and in good 

 order? There is no known cnru i'»r " going li«ht." 



Piokon Latinij Four Egos {J. Scoff ;.— We believe it is rare for a 

 Pigeon to Ity four egcr^. and still more rJire that she should hatch three 

 young imcs. Some years eince wc bad n bird that luid three but batch* d 

 oiiiy two. Webnvenow a Fanti'l cock wbich ht\x two wives ; he x»*i'^'' 

 with each hen f>i]d they sit in ndjoiuin;: nests, but only one manages to 

 hatch younc, Ttio finttwife was for a time truly jealous and beat tbe 

 second, but now the two matrons arc gooii frit-U''.s. hml earn I'^oks on nn- 

 coocerncd at th< endearments of the other with her lord. We may add 

 thnt these 5Iori-:onite birds did not come from tne Salt Lake City ! 



iioNRY iM. S.).— Mcs«r*. Neighbonr* bons, and Mesiirs. Fortuuu and 

 Ua^n, are extensive dealers in honey. 



POULTRY MARKET.— SEiTESiDKr. 15. 



Thf prevalence of hot veather makts any quotnlion of prices a tbirg 

 nK^re likely to uiislend thnn to help. At sucli times much is sold at A 

 heavv sarriflce. wliiJe a few rhidre iirticlus m^kit g"M>d prices. I'^e pri>- 

 P jrtioa of old Partrirlges in still very large, and the >uang UakU ore siuali. 

 Groase arc rather more pleutUal. 



