90 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



[ January 28, 1875. 



recipe for methegliu if you think it worth the space in the 

 Journal. Perhaps some of your numerous correspondents will 

 be able to give recipes for a few if not all the other good things 

 in Mr. Hunter's catalogue. And here I may state that the 

 metheglin which fell to that gentleman's share at the Crystal 

 Palace Show was prepared from the same recipe. 



When the comb has been drained of its honey, put it in a 

 large vessel, then pour in sufficient lukewarm water to swim it 

 nicely. Let it stand two days, stir it occasionally, then strain it. 

 Skim the scam from the liquor carefully, filter the sediment 

 through a flannel bag, then boil one hour. To 3 gallons : — 2 lbs. 

 raisins, 1 oz. of ground ginger, and seven or eight laurel leaves, 

 then cool. Add a little of brewer's barm, let it stand part of a day, 

 then barrel it, leaving the barrel open for two or three days, 

 then bung it up, and let it remain untouched for six months, 

 then bottle it. I daresay some who try their hands at making 

 this honey-drink will be anxious to taste before the expiration 

 of the six months, but the longer it is kept the better it will be. 

 If an egg will float on the liquor it will be about the right strength. 



Metheglin may of course be made from run honey, but by 

 soaking the combs in water we utilise the honey which would 

 otherwise be lost. A little lamp sugar pat in each bottle will 

 make it as line as brandy. 



The above recipe was given me by Mr. J. Green, an old bee- 

 keeper, whose aunt has been famous for honey-drinks for many 

 years. — J. Oliver, Hartington, Derbyshire. 



SALE OP HONEY. 



It has been suggested that a sale of honey should take place 

 on the next occasion of the Crystal Palace Bee and Honey Show 

 in a more systematic manner than was the case last autumn. 

 This is a matter which is of great interest to all bee-keepers, as 

 we know by long experience how diflicult it is to find a good 

 market for our surplus honey, whereas if such market were 

 found there would, we feel sure, be no lack of buyers at very 

 remunerative prices. Good honey cannot be bought in London 

 for less than 2s. or 2s. 6<Z. per pound. It is rare in the country 

 to find purchasers at Is. ; add Gd. per lb. to this, and buyers 

 would largely increase to the great advantage of the whole com- 

 munity, to none more than to the rustic bee-keeper. 



There are difficulties in the way of connecting such sale of 

 honey with the Show, especially in the case of competing supers. 

 To break up these for sale, except at the close of the Exhibition, 

 would be to spoil the Show for every day but the first. We fear 

 this cannot be thought of, and exhibitors who compete for prizes 

 must be content to price their supers for sale en hloc, to be 

 carried off or sent off afterwards ; of course at the close of the 

 Show there might be opened a retail market for their contents, 

 of which due notice would be given. 



But there might be a continuous sale all through the Exhibi- 

 tion of small boxes of tin or earthenware, containing from five to 

 ton or more pounds, equally pure and excellent, from the stores 

 of the bee-master at home, prepared beforehand in convenient 

 baskets ready to carry away. Very cheap baskets could be 

 made expressly for the purpose, with tins exactly fitting. In 

 this way almost any quantity of honey could be sold, also of run 

 honey in jars. I do hope something of the sort maybe tried. 

 Any bee-master with a large and productive apiary would 

 surely find it to his interest to prepare his honey for sale in some 

 Euch way. Let only one enterprising person pioneer the way, 

 and he would in time have a large following, but at first all to 

 himself, a heavy purse. I throw this out for the consideration 

 of Mr. Hunteraud the Committee of the Bee-keeper's Association. 

 As it is now, honey is often a great nuisance, and, beyond the 

 quantity required for home coKsumption, quite too much of a 

 good thing. A neighbour of mine makes his friends welcome to 

 his surplus hives after he has taken what he wants for his own 

 needs and for medicinal purposes among the poor. I have pre- 

 ferred to increase my stock by swarming of late years, and to 

 sell the surplus of my hives in the spring, when the demand 

 begins to develope itself after the losses of winter. In this way I 

 have sometimes made more money than by keeping the bees for 

 honey, and have been spared a great deal of trouble. — B. & W. 



Cktstai. Palace Exhibition of Can.uiies and British and 

 Foreign Cage Birds. — The entries close on February 3rd, after 

 which date all post entries will be charged 25 per cent, in addi- 

 tion to the fixed entry. Post entries will close on February 6th. 

 Besides the classes of former exhibitions are the following: — 

 An extra Ml for the winner of most points in certain Norwich 

 birds not of high colour; classes for Evenly-marked Crested 

 Yellow and Buff Norwich, Silver-spangled Lizards with broken 

 caps; silver cup for greatest winner ia Goldfinch Mules; and 

 prizes for ChaSiaches, and the cage best combining cheapness 

 with excellence. 



the same to two fanciers, one poBSesBinfr a run 20 feet by 9, and the other 

 (happy manit unlimited acres. AN'e still like Brahmas, and do not find them 

 either large eaters or tiresome sitters. "W'e have been tormented by want of 

 sitters for the last month, and yet we have four hundred Brahmas of all ages. 

 Hamburt,'hs lay many e^cs, but small. Spanish lay large eggs ; they are tire- 

 some moulteis. Cr^-ve-Cours lay large eggs, and a great many. Eondans 

 lay well, and are very hardy; their eggs are not as large as the Creve-Ccenrs'. 

 These are the best layers. We advise either Creve-Cujurs or Hondans. Our 

 advertising columns will show where they can be had. 



Poultry Food (J. E. M.). — We do not consider locust meal good poultry 

 food. Few people have had as much experience as we have in poultry-feeding, 

 and few have kept or do keep larger stocks. We have long ceased to believe 

 that you can buy three-shillings' worth of food forl«. Gd., and we have proved 

 most things, only to confLnu us in onr experience — the best food is the 

 cheapest, and the plainest is the best. We pin our faith to three meals per 

 day ; morning and evening barleymeal or ground oats slaked, some whole 

 com, maize, or barley at midday, and occasionally some table or housebold 

 scraps. 



Manchester and Bristol Poultbt Shotvs. — The first prizes for Rose- 

 combed White Dorkings at both Shows were won by J. Robinson, Vale Honse, 

 GarHtang. 



Crushino Mill {C. T. S.). — Write for information to some of the iron 

 manufactarera who advertise in our columns. There ia no doubt that 

 crushed grain is more easily digested than whole grain. We never nsed dare. 

 Mealy Pouters iJ, E. S.). — It is quite certain that Messrs. Haie and Ure 

 advocated the class at the North British Columbarian Society years before 

 our contemporary was thought of, and they may continue their advocacy long 

 after our contemporary is forgotten. 



Crystal Palace Canary Show (Sf. Q.), — It is fixed for February 13th, 

 and from I5th to 18th. 



Combs Black IJane). — The black combs in your hives have been too long 

 in use, and have become black from age. You ask how they can be cut out 

 without destroying the bees. To cut them out now would put the bees to a 

 great disadvantage, and probably destroy them, for the blackest of the combs 

 are in the centres of the hives, where the bees are sitting and where eggs 

 will soon be set. It would be bad policy to cut out the combs just now. If 

 there are parts of them rotten, cut them ofi with a table knife, but let all 

 the rest, however black, remain till about three weeks after you obtain first 

 swarms from them; then drive all the bees from your old hives into empty 

 ones, and take their honey. In this way you will renew your stock and in- 

 crease it without sacrifice ; and seldom let your stocks be older than two 

 years, and never more than three. 



F^RE Extinguishing {J. L. T.). — Not having any experience we oannot 

 advise. Write to all the advertisers of extincteors, &e. They will send you 

 testimonials, &c, 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 

 Camden Squabe, London. 

 Lat. BV 32- 40" N. ; Long. 0= 8' 0' W. ; Altitude, 111 teat. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



1875. 

 Jan. 





We. 21 

 Th. 21 

 Fri. 22 

 Sat. 2S 

 Sun. 24 

 Mo. 25 

 Tu. 25 



I Hygrome- 



Dry. 



deg. 

 45.2 

 S9.9 

 31.7 

 41.1 

 43 8 

 40.9 

 S7.7 



Means 29.609 I 41.2 40.2 



Inches, deg. 



29721 I 48.7 



29.469 40.7 



29 877 32.5 



29.6i9 1 41.2 



29.171 , 455 



29.249 41.6 



30.149 I 8S 3 



Wet. 



5 = 



w. 

 w. 



N.W. 

 S.W. 



W. 



W. 

 N.E. 



deg. 

 417 

 43.9 

 42.0 

 39.6 

 41.7 

 42.0 

 41.0 



42.1 



In the Day. 



In. 



0.081 

 0.401 

 0.161 

 0.133 

 0.220 

 0.178 



REMAEKS. 



20tli. — Windy all the past ni^ht, rather lesa so after 3 a.m. ; fine day, but rain 



in the eveniny- A. elight anrora. 

 21at.— Fine morning, and till noon, then dull; wet evening and fine night. 

 22nd.— Britjht frosty morning, rather less bright in the after part of the day. 

 23rd. — Wet from 4 a.m.; fine for a short time about noon, dull afterwards. 

 2ith. — Wind very high all night, bat going down about 9 a.m., though 



slightly windy all day ; occasionally very bright, bat a sharp shower 



about 4 P.M.; fine evening. [at times. 



25th.— Stormy night and morning; brightbnt windy forenoon; heavy showers 

 26th.— DuU early, but soon cleared off, and was very fine in the middle of the 



day ; but rather dull afternoon and evening. 

 Mean temperature in shade about 7^ below last week. Occasional hot sun, 

 frequent rain, and heavy gales. — G. J. SraoNs. 



CO^'ENT GAEDEN MARKET.— J anuabt 27. 

 We have experienced rather more demand with the improvement in the 

 weather; but the supply has kept pace with it, so that little orno change 

 has taken place in prices. Heavy arrivals of St. Michael Pines are in the 

 river, reported in fine condition. The Oranges also are better. Among 

 rough produce we notice very large arrivals of Broccoli from Penzance. Some 

 good early frame Potatoes are also to hand from Jersey, making Is. to 2«. per 

 pound. 



FRUIT. 



Eoo-LATERs (Quizzical). — Our answers to corregpondenta depend much 

 oa the circumstances under which the queries are made. We cannot advise 



Molberries ^Ib. 



Nectarines dos. 



Oraaifes %»■ 100 



Pe aches doz. 



Fears, kitchen doz. 



dessert doz. 



I Pine Apples lb. 



Plums 4 sieve 



Quinces doz. 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries ^Ib. 



Walnata bashel 



ditto V-IOO 



