496 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. l December 18. 19M. 



The foregoing 6gnre8 2, 3, 4. and 5, show the development 



of the common brneh-mildew, renicillium crnetacenm ; and we 



shall again return to the dislinctive character and appearance cf 



the simpler forms of this mildew.— Da. Peedsb, Hanitiitsratli. 



(To be coniinned.) 



BEE-HUNTING. 



The cnstom cf bee-hnnting nsed to be, and is yet to some 

 extent, a favourite pastime among the inhabitants of the Green 

 Monntains. To hunt enccessfnlly requires a thorough know- 

 ledge of the bee and all its habits ; and, therefore, like any 

 other game, those who love the sport pride themselves upon 

 their proficiency. The hunter starts out armed with a small bo'^ 

 with a sliding cover, a card of honeycomb, and a smill bottle 

 of honey, molasses, or something suited to the taste of the bee. 

 When near the locality of wild bees, he fills the comb with the 

 honey from the bottle, places it in the bottom of the box, and 

 hunts for a bee upon a llower, which, when found, he brushes 

 into the box, et the same time closing the lid. The prisoner 

 will buzz for a while, and then goes to filling his sack from 

 the honey in the bottom of the box. The hunter then places 

 the box in a favourable position for seeing it, and slides back 

 the cover. Having "filled," as the hunter says, the bee fiiee 

 straight to bis tree, and returns to fill again, bringing others 

 with him. Oftentimes these;workers increase so rapidly that a 

 steady stream will be seen going to and from the box, which 

 can easily be followed to the tree at once. Frequently large 

 deposits of honey are found in this way, which the little 

 workers show as much bravery in defending as industry in 

 gathering. 



There lived in the town of E an eccentric character, 



" Uncle Joe," whose particular pride was in being thought a 

 master of this sport. Once, on the approach of the hunting 

 season, he went out, as usual, armed with bee-box and honey- 

 bottle, and soon had a worker caught, but somehow he 

 showed an utter indifference to Joe's honey. He let him go 

 and caught another, who behaved in like manner; and so 

 he spent the day, every bee refusing his free lunch, until Joe 

 really thought the bees all crazy or himself dreaming, for 

 surely he never knew the like before. In utter amazement he 

 gave up the job, and went home. Meeting his '■ better half " 

 at the door he gave her his traps to put away, told her his luck, 

 which he was disposed to consider an ill omen, and waited for 

 her to speak, which she soon did. Holding the bottle up before 

 her, she exclaimed, with a twinkle in both eyes, '■ Well, well, 

 Joe, if you havn't gone and taken my castor-oil to line bees with !" 

 Joe looked, and seeing his honey-bottle untouched, saw the joke 

 and wilted, for he knew that he would never hear the last cf it, 

 as one of his neighbours' boys happened to be present. 



That evening as Joe, rather happy from the effects of some- 

 thing taken to relieve his chagrin, strolled into the village 

 hotel, where a few of his neighbours were congregated, one who 

 never let a chance slip to give Joe a hit, and who rarely got 

 the better of him, related Joe's experiment, and turning to 

 him with an air of having at last got his enemy in a tight place, 

 asked Joe if he hadn't better treat on that ? Joe steadied him- 

 self by a chair, and when the laugh had subsided so as to be 

 heard, said with a very knowing look, " Gentlemen, there is no 

 mistake about that. I wasn't trying to hunt those bees ; I was 

 only doctoring them. Bees always have to be physicked before 

 they will work well ! " This brought the house down, and 

 although Joe did not stand the treat, some one did. and he 

 had to be helped home.— (//(iiycr's (Ammcan) Mcsazine.) 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Hameuboh ro;\xp. CoMPAEATn-E HAKcniEss or'(J.V— Most people 

 consider there is no difference bat coloor between the Golden and Silver- 

 pencilled. We, however, iilwavs tancv the former are the Btrongor. We 

 are snre they do better with ua. We ooiiEider Pnttridge Cochins mnch 

 more fitted lor confinement than cither of them. Barley meal orcronnd 

 oats malic an cscellent change with barley, and it may be proStably 

 varied by sobstituting two or three times per Iweck a meal oJ Indian 

 com. 



Black-lecoed Bantam fPop/nr).— Tonr description ol the Bantam 

 hen is not that ot a Brown Ked Game. H, r black plumaRe ■should bo 

 striped with yellow on the hackle. Yon mast put herto a Brown Red cock 

 and thongh she lacks part of the plumage, she will throw some good 

 chickens. Breeding from a BUick hen, you shonld choose a cock with 

 plenty of colour. 



Lice on A Dock's Head (fiKiiiirdr).— Wo do not know Ibe properties 

 of Heating's insect-destroying powder. We know that tlowers of sulphur 

 will kill lice. Still more elScient in camphor. We cannot say whether 

 the coloured application will sflin the leathers. If you are aura the 



parasites are confiucd to the Duck's head, thev can be it."1i dcstrfved 



Havinc ascertained tboir locality exactly, form a ring ja«t below it with 

 oil, laid on thickly down to the skin, and then powder the head with 

 powdered camphor. 



CoKB OP SPAinsB Cockerel Loppixo tj. T. T. and T. .«(<iii1.— Spanlah 

 cocks' combi lop over from two causes ; one, OTer-fecflinp on sttmulntiog 

 food, the other from lack of condition. It is a rare occurrence for a 

 comb that has once fallen over to refrain ilfl f.-ipnal position. Good 

 barley is good food ; Indian com is pood for a change ; we are not friendly 

 to pototoefl, and when we have seen them mixed wiih meal, the moo] 

 was almost imperceptible. A few peas do good to r^panieh at times. No 

 grass will grow well in a yard wb< re the eon nerf r penetratcf, but the 

 sweet-scented vcraal gro."?, Anthoxanthom odoratnm might. We have 

 tried to prow grass In London, bat it always degenerated into moss and 

 spongy ftingna, that seemed to have no property bst that ol holding 

 water. Yoor best plan would be to cover your yard with road grit or 

 other loose, dry stuff, and then to contract with some man in tlio connlrr 

 to bring you good qnautitie^ of growing grass, dag up with plenty of soil. 



PoniTS or Dark Brahuas (7rfi--i).— It is not so mnch the lieavy 

 weight as the bright condition of the birds, that is necessary for snccMS 

 at a fibow. Although scales arc sometimes used, yet, as a rule, compet«nt 

 judges eschew them. Feed on ground oats, good'barley, and barley moot, 

 and in very wet cold weather give them some bread and ale. 



Fo'AXs FOR Ego-peodccino (riro-y^ar-oW SuiKTihtr). — We have 

 always considered the Spanf led stronger birds than the Pencilled. There 

 is no difference but colour between UoldcD oi-d Silver. 



.*0E OP ElM>3 AT THE BlKKINGaAM SHOW (Si.-ru;<l!cr).— YoU OrO io 



error ; the birds were aged, as printed at the lime of entry some months 

 since. If you had ever acted as judge at a large show, vou would know 

 too much on the subject to allow yoa to think as you do. So far from 

 overlooking defects, the judges are too happy to discover them to enable 

 them to lessen the number of the competitors. The awards are given in 

 by one judge, who is checked by the other two. They are copied into 

 properly-ruled books by four secretaries. II any mistake occur, it is In 

 spite of seven persons whose interest it is to prevent it. 



I.vccBATOR (.4 Btttdtr of the P. O.— Do not empliy it. Keep a few 

 Cochin-china bens. Thev are often broody, and are good mothers. 

 They may be with your Creve-Ccears. 



HouDAS Cock at Eismitjoham.— The third-prize Hondan cock was 

 priced in the catalogue £i 10«., consequently could not have been sold for 

 a less sum at auction, and we are informed that the actual price he was 

 sold at was £4 I0«., ttang £2 more than the price put upon him. 



Will Leticces Kill Pioeoss? (J r.< ct'r cj ihr Journa.').— Lettuces 

 are slightly narcotic, but we fboald not thick '.'aa: any Pigeon would eat 

 a sulficient quantity of them to cause death. If Pigeons were absolutely 

 kept from all olhec food such a result might possibly happen, bat as they 

 are_ by nature granivurouK birds, they would only "take a litl 



little lettuce. 



granivu ._ , .. 



and turn again to the seed-hopper. 



Addkess.— " C. i?." would be obliged by the tdOress of ilr. F. Schr.ider, 

 formerly of Rickmansworth. 



Tortoise in Wixtee (L. B.).— It hybemales— that is, remains torpid 

 during the winter, and requires no feeding. 



Associating Hens op DtrPESEXT Varieties IH. y. .■<.).— We have no 

 further information than that contained in the communications we have 

 published. Whether such a^isnciation causes a hen of one variety to pro- 

 duce chickens partaking ot the i haraclcrislics cJ (.'.her hens associated, 

 must be determined by more facts and more certwn experiments than 

 are yet recorded. Y'ou ask our opinion, and our opiBion is that such 

 association has no influence over the form or plumage of the chickens. 

 You will much oblige us by informing us if the chickens hereafter pro* 

 duced from your Cochin-Chlna hens at all partake, or do not partake, ol 

 the plumage of the Grey Dorking hens with which those Cochin-China 

 hens are associated. We do not think that they will. 



CLEANiNa AND FcEDiKo Canaeies (C. G. S.).— " Have Tesdy a good flTc 

 (and keep the kettle boiling), two basins, some very soft cloths— old 'flnfiy' 

 half-worn-out soft towels are best — a piece of common soap, and a jug of 

 cold water. Hold the bird in the palm of the left band, either by passing 

 the legs betw'-'eri the second and third fingers, or by placing the thumb 

 lightly across the back of the neck ; partly fill one ba»in with warm 

 water, and holding the bird in a favourable position begin with the tail, 

 and with a soft rag and plenty of soap, thcrolgbly cleanBe it : then evtend 

 the wings, and do the same to them ; neit the bac'ii and neck, taking core 

 to use abundance of soap, not too much scrubbing, i-ut a moderate pressure, 

 always rubbing in a direction from the bead :o the l.iil. 'Iben turn the 

 subject on his back, and wash the breast, and finally the bead and the 

 remaining portion of the neck. Have the second basin filled with loke- 

 wami water, and rinse the bird tliorougbly. Be sure not to leave the 

 least trace of soap, rather use two waters than rinse with that which is 

 not quite clean. Br this time the bird will be quite eihausted. There 

 will be no fear of his attempting to fly : in fact, your chief anxiety will ^e 

 whether he will ever fly again : Quickly place him in one of the soft 

 cloths, which must previously be hung close to the fire to heat them, and 

 as soon as possible remove all superfluous moisture by gently patting the 

 bird, and moving it from any damp place in the towel to a drier and 

 warmer spot, all the while sitting before the fire and holding the bird 

 to it as near as tumed-up shirt-sleevts will admit of with comfort. 

 Dry the tail and wings as much as possible, passii-i; every feather singly 

 through the towel very carefully, and then. Irpquently changing the 

 cloth, with a view to keeping it as warm and dry ae possible, gently mb 

 the plumage till dr>-. If the washing and handling teem to exhaust the 

 bird too much.give him a rest by wrapping him up in a warm towel and 

 placing him in the fender while you operate on a second. It is easy to 

 have two or three in hand at the same time. I would odvise yon to experi- 

 ment on a bird yoa do not value mnch. lest it should die under thecpeia- 

 tion. A written description is very well in its way, bat you will learn 

 more from seeing the operation performed once by on experienced hand 

 than by any written instructions. I should fcave said that, when dry, put 

 the bird in his cage, and set it in a worm spot near the fire away from 

 draughts, and when be has plumed himself, if liis appee ranee satisfy yoo, 

 have a washing day and go through the stock. If he should die in your 

 hands, do not waah any more, unless yoa have some rubbish you do not 

 value, in which case it might be well to oCer up a few on the altar ot 

 practice. Feed on the usual diet, with now and then a little baid-boilod 

 egg.— W. A. Elak.«ton. • 



