514 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



r Decombcr 23, 186S. 



thinking they woald make a fair svarm, and tbat the; n'oald 

 prosper with the store of linney Blill left in the hi^o. How- 

 ever, they were afterwards attacked by robbers, and all cleaned 

 ont. All my nrtilicial swarms came to grief, and on the 'J4th 

 of October 1 found my beautiful Italian queen and nearly all 

 the bees dead; only a few hundreds in the hive altogether, 

 and not more than thirty or forty alive. Since then my 

 " doubtful " stock has become emptied in some singular manner 

 — I fancy they must hive fnund a better home — and thus ends 

 my attempts, extending over three seasons, at Lignrianising an 

 apiary. 



Cork Hives. — I have made one of these by way of experi- 

 ment, and I find that last winter the bees were kept free from 

 damp and disease, and were verj' strong, in fact it was my best 

 hive. Such liives are very easy to make. Let a wooden frame 

 be made just the same as for a straw Woodbury hive, and then 

 have pieces of common cork cut the fizeof the openings (where 

 the straw ia placed in the others), and lit them in ; then drive 

 one or two wooden pegs in on each side to keep the cork in 

 its place. For the top it ia better to drive two pieces of 

 strong wire edgewise through the frame and the cork to pre- 

 vent it sinking in the middle with the weight of the feeding 

 bottle, then cut a 2-inch hole through the centre, and the 

 hive is complete. Tlie pieces of cork for the sides cost Gd. 

 each, and for the tops Is. Gel. ; bo the whole hive can be made 

 for a few shillings. 



Eemf.dy fob xnE Sting of a Bee. — With all deference to 

 Mr. Woodbury, I say, Use vinegar. Perhaps Lis cuticle is not 

 Bo sensitive aa mine and many other people's. Our milkman, 

 for instance, was stung on his nasal organ, and for two or three 

 days he could not see anything straight before him. Vinegar 

 is handy, easily applied, alleviates the pain, and prevents 

 swelling if applied immediately ; it is really a comfort to have 

 it ready in case your children get stung, as the sting being ex- 

 tracted and the vinegar applied to the wound, their tears are 

 dried up, and your feelings are at rest at once. " What- 

 ever's that ? " exclaimed one of them one day as we were 

 quizzing a large ichneumon fly through a magnifier. " His 

 antenna; to be sure." "His antenna^ ! why, they are as big 

 as mine." " Why," rejoined another young hopeful, " he 

 means his Aunt Hannah 1 " — J. R. J. 



ORIGIN Oi THE HIMALAYAN R.VBBIT. 

 Its true origin (and curious enough it is) may be found in 

 Parwin's " Animals and Plants Under D.imestication." The 

 account there is taken principally from your Journal for 18o7, 

 and differs entirely from Mr. Xlayson's. It is, in brief, a cross 

 between Silver-Greys and Chinchillas ; and its name may be 

 classed with such as " Archangel " Pigeons, '• Brahma Pootra " 

 fowls, "Labrador" Ducks, Arc — names well-sounding enough, 

 but only given in order to sell the animals. — Dockwing. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



6ooK<i (J. S. IT.).—" The Ponltry-Keepers' Mnnnal " contains whnt yon 

 need. You can have it free by post from our otfice if you encluao 7s. lOd. 

 in postage stamps with your address. 



Game Bantams' Eggs (G. II*. ir.).— They are quite as sooil ns any 

 other fowl's epRS for tablo use. You must not expect "the cheapest ' 

 book to te *' the hoBt." You can have post free from onr office "The 

 Poultry Book for tlie Many," if you enclose seven poptBRo Rtampti with 

 your address. " The Poult ly-keepers* Manual " you can similarly have if 

 you enclose Is. lod. 



SwELLKD Crops (Gwi'M/on/).— Give each bird a depsert-spoonfnl ol 

 pin daily until the crop becomes natural. We applied in vain for a prize 

 list. 



HAMBunon Cockerel's Eye (HanU HcniciYc).— We should attribute 

 the loss oI the eye to disease of some sort. It wouJd not be roup, as in 

 that case, though the face and lid are swollen, the eye remains perfect. 

 There is a disease to which Spanish are subject which dcstroTS the eye; 

 that ia incurable. We believe that ia always the case where the eve — 

 that is, the eyeball, is attacked. It is always advisable where an eyelid 

 is swollen to treat it with cold water and vinegar. 



Brahma Cock's Leg Inflamed (7(^-;ii)-— No doubt he picks his legs 

 because there is fever and they itch. Keep them well and constantly 

 moistened with sulphur ointment till the feathtrs are grown and 

 formed. 



Ducks for One Drake (B.).— Six Ducks are too many for this seaeoQ 

 of the year. Three are enough. In three months" time he may have six. 

 If your Ducks are old have a young drake ; if they are young, have a two- 

 year-old drake. 



YiARDS OF Dorkinos (Tflrm).— "Breed from your cnp cock and the four 

 heaviest and best-shaped bena yoa have. Divide the other hens and 

 poUeis between the two young cocks. It is, however, ueelcee at tbi8 time 



of yoar to gtva tbcm more than four or six each. There ia no objeetion 

 to their ruoniofr together : but if yon iotcnd to hatch the egga yon mast 

 ouly use the eggs of certain hens and pullets. 



Drinking Foi'Stain— Cock's Spine Ikjchkd {ChrmJeua). — D»o Baily'fi 

 registered fountain. Wo should not brood from an injured cock. 



BocKWHKAT— CooKrnSlEAT ' Frur.ris).—'Yo\i can buy buckwheat of any 

 seed and curu denier. If you wish Ihcm to lay early' yon will find raw 

 meat a greater stimolant than cooked. The use of it' is injurious to tbo 

 birds. 



Pdllet Waleing with Difftcdltt f3f. fT.).— The bird ia probably 

 iDJurcd in the spine; if it it not. it is sufluring fr^m atrophy, and will 

 surely die. We do not think it is worth doctoring. 



GoLnEN-pBNciLLr.DHAMnnnr.n" (Subfcrib^-.B. S.I.— The nnfavonrablc 

 state of the weather may well explain why jo"' fowN are not in flrsl-rate 

 condition. They sutler from the constant rain and damp, and from boia- 

 terouH and cold winds. If you look at your birds you will see tbem 

 crouched nnder the shelter of a wall Instead of running about in search 

 of food. We do not much admire your feeding. We have never found 

 fowls do well on Indian meal ; they do not like it with u^. A bettor feed- 

 ing w ill bo bcrloymcftl or ground outs in the morning, some Indian com 

 at midday, and moal again in the evening. You need not breed from two 

 or three sorts, but to breed prizetaker^ you mu-^t breed from two atmlns. 

 It is almost impossible to breed first-prize cocks and pallets from the 

 jfame birds- 



SPANrsH Fowxa (H. Jones).— They require feeding like any other fowls 

 Good barley is good food. A little Indian com is a good change : hut the 

 best and principal food shonld bo barlcymcal or ground oats. When pre- 

 paring for exhibition many amateurs give a few white peas two or three 

 times per week. 



Feathers <E. Jo/ws).— The feathers yon send only tell ufl thn colour of 

 your birds. They are Cliokoos. There are Dorkings, and Malays, and 

 Cochins of the colour. We fancy very likely tbeso are foartoed Cuckoo 

 Dorkings. 



Preserving Eggs jn Lnfs (HarrifiM.— We have proservrd eggs for 

 many years in the way we recommended to you. The lime in always 

 kept mixed in readiness, but not with the idea any i^ood would resolt 

 from it. We do not find the shells crack, nordocs tlie in-iide mii]g!o. We 

 eat them constantly for breakfast. The most important point in pre- 

 serving them in this way is to put them in when they i\re very fresh. 



Carriep. Pigeon's Eyes Diseased (R^de IFr^/or).— In the earliest stage 

 we would .tdvise a lotion of ahim and water. A lotion of lunar canstlc 

 (a skilful chemist would know the strength}, ha? alpo been recommended. 

 The disease is supposed to arise from the great development of wattle, 

 and the tendoney in old birds to the formation of spouts by the turning 

 ont of the lower lid. These spouts may be removed by being cat from 

 below upwards with a pair of very sharp scissord. 



Rocp IN Pigeons (John Roh^n^on). — You say yon have tried everything 

 you have been told or read about with little success. A shrewd writer 

 observed, "If I were a physician I should look not so much at symptoms 

 as causes." So in Pigeon diseases. How about the loft — is it cold ? is it 

 draughty? is there any damp ? does the mi u drive in? do trees over- 

 siiadow it ? is the manure left on the floor ? and is that floor of brick or 

 wood ? Pigeons will bcir almost any amount of heat. Wo have bad no 

 DIness in a ceilod loft which in summer is intensely hot, but cold or wet 

 fancy Pigeons cannot bear. As you have tried the received remedies It 

 is of no use detailing them. Again we say, Look to the cause, for cause 

 there must be. 



Fertilising Turkeys' Eggs (A Siz-yefirn f}uhtcrib^).—Yen, the whole 

 of the eggs Will be fertile without the hen being with the male bird again. 



AsHFORO PoDLTRY SHOW-.— Mr. H. Dowsott writes to say. that it was 

 he, and not Mr. Herbert, who gained the cup, first, and commended for 

 Dark Brahmas. 



Tredegar Pocltry Show.— In the class of Dark Brahma PootraSiMr. 

 W. Sims, Stroud, had a pen '• very highly commended.'* 



Menhe -•iot Pocltry Show. — The first prize for Brown Red cocks, wc 

 are infer '-■!. was awarded to Mr. John Davies, of Moorswatcr Lodge, 

 and not to IVIr. S. R. Harris as stated in the prize list pablished page 467. 



Pigeon Lice (.4. L.). — The sheep ointment and blTre unction nre the 

 same as the mercurial ointment sold by cheiuists. We should think 

 Eutphur ointment would be as eSTectuai. 



Hen Canary Sinoing (A Six-i/enra Subscriber).— There is no reason 

 why it should interfere with her breeding. 



Waxbills (L. li.),— -There are about six varieties of Wnxbills. They 

 are nftti\e3 of Africa, Australia, and the ialiind of St. Heleni. The 

 smallest variety is the Zebra, bnt which is the handsomest depends on 

 fancy. The Zebra is handsomely marked, and that and the Orange- 

 cheeked are the most rare. The food shou d b^ Krench and India millet 

 and Canary seed. We are not aware of any foreign cage bird being 

 smaller than the Waxbills. 



ArfTRiAN Loam, &c. (/n7;i.V'-rl.— We know nothing about it. The best 

 food for dogs is barley meal made into a piste with pot liquor or milk. 

 Give a dessert-spoonful of flowers of sulphur daily until the eruption 

 parses awn^ . It will go more quickly if mUd snlphnr ointment bo rubbed 

 into the eruptions. 



poultry market.— Dkcbmdrr 22. 

 We are sorry we cannot report that tho approach of Christmas has 

 done anything towards inlawing life into oar mai'kct on trade. We cut 

 only chronicle a gi-eat stagnation at the time we go to pres^ W«are 

 nnable to report on Tnrkeya. 



s. d. B, d. 



Partridges 1 9 to 2 



Pheasants 2 6 .10 



Pigeons 7 P 



HarcR 2 6 3 



Bahhils 14 15 



Wild ditto 9 10 



