192 



JOUKNAL OP HORTIOULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ March 4, 1875. 



1^ inch frcm the side and bottom, and into the centre of this 

 screw a five-eighth-of-an-iuch common wood screw, so that one- 

 qnarter of an inch projects beyond the square of wood. Next 

 get for each nail upon wbich the cage has to be hung another 

 piece of wood of tbe same size and kind as the before-deBcribed, 

 Paint both the back of cage and nail pieces with two or three 

 coats of best white oil paint until the face of it has a fine gloes. 

 There must be no dry or sucking places left, more especially 

 upon the pieces of wood. If there should be auy space or cracks 

 left between the wood and cage, fill them carefully with putty 

 previous to the last coating of paint being laid on. 



All the paint being dry and sound, hang the cage by driving 

 a nail through the centre" of the separate piece of wood into the 

 wall. It is advisable that this nail have a good full head, so 

 that there may be no danger of the cage falling. The piece of 

 wood will form a shield against the wall, with the nail to carry 

 the cage projecting from its centre. If there should be any 

 danger of mites finding their way from the wall through the 

 wood by the side of the nail, fill-up any vacancy that may exist 

 with putty, and then drive in a three- quarter-of-au-inch clout 

 nail, so that it projects about one-quarter of an inch just below 

 the carrying nail, and thus preventing the cage from touching 

 the shield. Hang tbe cage in its position, and you will see that 

 no part of the body of the cage touches the wall. 



Purchase two-pennyworth of crystal paper varnish, and mix 

 it with an equal proportion of sweet, or, what is better, lard oil, 

 and coat the two pieces of wood at tbe bottom corners of the 

 cage and the nail shield liberally with this mixture, and you at 

 once construct a bridge over which no mite can pass without 

 paying tlie toll of deatb. This " catch-'em-alive-oh " mixture 

 will retain its virtues for some six or eight weeks, after which 

 time it will be necessary to remove it with a small quantity of 

 turpentine, and replace it with a fresh supply of the mixture. 



The advantages of this method of hanging breeding cages are, 

 that in the event of any single cage becoming infested the mites 

 are confined to tbat cage, unless it hangs directly over another, 

 in which case it is more than probable that the latter also will 

 be equally infested. The only attention requisite is to look 

 occasionajly to the insulating parts and see tbat they are not 

 bridged over by a feather or panicle of nestio,^ material. Keep 

 this free from dust and dirt, aud you can periodically clean any 

 cage and rehang it without the fear of its becoming contaminated 

 by the migration of insects from neighbouring cages. — J. 

 Packham, 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Mandarin and CAROLiNi Ducks (Maude). —They are easily reared, and 

 comiuonly reared in Enfjland. They differ from most other Ducks ia one 

 particular; they perch— that is, if they are to do well they should have an 

 old pollard or other stem in the water, which they can use 'or that purpose. 

 They will not make a ne&t and lay their eggs in it, but they mast have a but 

 or hutsh of some kind in which they can make their neat and lay. The 

 accepted form 1b that of a very small dof< kennel securely fastened to a pile 

 driven into water, and standing fully G inches above the surface. To enable 

 the birds to go in and out cabily there should be a ladder composed of a 

 narrow plank with cross pieces nailed on it, and forming an easy incline to 

 the water. In this as in other casea it is well not to put all your eggs in one 

 basket, half or more of the nest should always be put under a hen, and the 

 rest left to the Duck. 



Shell-less Eggs {L. W. Jt.).— Seeing the fowls at liberty are doing well 

 in every particular, while those in conlinement are not, we have to seek 

 whether there be anythiog these latter lack besides their liberty. Their feed- 

 ing is good. The Bhell-lebs eggs prove some of the functions of the body are 

 not properly performed. We advise you to discontiune peppercorns, aud to 

 give them largo sods .-f growing graes cut with plenty of earth. Give them 

 whole barley or oats, the latter if they will eat them for their mid-day meal. 

 We believe the grass and earth persevered in will prove a cure. 



Fowls* Bowels Disordered (Cjryc-(7f£urf.— To prevent diarrhoea super" 

 vening give them in the morning a feed of bread soaked in ale, and do not; let 

 them out very early until milder weather arrives. The cold is the probable 

 cause. 



Poultry Trespassing (TT. I,. P.).— Give youmeighbour notice in writing 

 that unless he keeps his poultry at homo you will sue him for the damage 

 they do. If he afterwards does not keep them from tre=passing sue him in the 

 County Court. 



Salted Corn (A. B.).— Com soaked in salt water ia not injurious either 

 to pigs or poultry. 



Chicken's Beak Diseased (A. P.).— The formation on tho bsak of the 

 chicken you sent had tbe appearance of being caused by an accident. We 

 cannot attribute it to anything else. We have bred mauy thoueauds of 

 Brahmas, and have n^^ver met with any disease similar to that yon describe. 

 We believe if you will make strict examination you will discover the cause. 

 We repeat we believe it to be accidental. The clean-legged chickens would 

 Bcem to point at a faulty pedigree in the parents. It never happens to us. 



Dorking Cockerels Voracious (Farmer Gt/^s).— Give both the birds a 

 large table-spoonful of castor oil, conline them for a day or two, and see that 

 it operates effectually. Then feed them on poft food, ground oats or barley- 

 meal, frequently, and very little at a time. No hard food. We believe this 

 will bring them round. 



Soft Eggs (J. F. S.).— Remove from your fourteen hens one of the three 

 cocks. Supply your fowls with bricklayers' rubbish aud a little chalk or 

 lime. If jou are fraeding on meat, hemp, buckwheat, or canary, discontinue it 

 for a time. To relieve an egg-bound hen take awing feather and dip it in 

 oil till it is saturated, then pass it down the egg passage till it meets tho egg; 

 move the feather about, and then oil it again. The hen wiil soon be relieved. 



Do not attempt to assist the egg ;Tyou may. break it, and that wUI'be fatal in 



its effects. .s::^ :rr^-^ SKv^J -.^-'.^ ' ■UhU'^^r^.i-.i^ CM; '' .,- -■- 



Fowls out of Condition (I. 0. TV.).— We should imagine they are very 

 fat. The first thing you have to do is to discontinue the potatoes. They 

 make fat and diseased livers. In thin weather you must feed three times per 

 day. Let it be done in this manner: Give at daybreak a meal of ground.oats 

 or barleymeal, mid-day some whole corn, and at evening feed as in the 

 morning. Snow often throws fowls out of condition. What is the tlooring of 

 their roosting house ? Give them enough to eat, but do not let any food lie 

 about. 



Fowls not Laying 'lJa7ic). — Your fowls are not well enough fed to lay 

 Discontinue the potatoes and bran. Give them slaked barley or oatmeaj 

 morning and evening, and a feed of Indian or other wholo corn at mid-day 

 Feed moderately in quantity, and you will soon have no cause for complaint." 



Eedlock Seed (C. B.).— We believe it is true and good. 



Goldfinch and Canary (D. D. B., Redruth).— Do not all at once discon- 

 tinue the use of hempseed to your Goldfinch, or the bird might sulk and die. 

 Goldfiuches confined are curious birds to deal with; they can accommodate 

 themselves to death very quickly, and it might so happen with your Finch, 

 You may increase the proportion of canary seed to the Goldfinch, and likewise 

 supply rape and linseed. Hempseed mixed with the other kinds will not 

 harm your Canary hen, particularly now and during breeding time. The same 

 food will suffice for both birds when together. You may also supply them 

 with egg and biscait mixed, and mawseed aud young dandelion roots, which 

 will forward them for pairing when tho time comes. 



Books (A Straw Rive}.~Thc second edition of Mr. Pettigrew'e book on 

 bees ia rapidly passing through the press, aud will be published in a few days. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Sqoare, London. 



Lat. 5P 32' 40" N. ; Long. 0^ 8' 0" W. ; Altitude, 111 feet. 



REMARKS. 

 24th. — Snowing heavily from 10 a.m. till noon, then fair, and thawing soon 



after 6 p.m. 

 25th.— Fair in the night, but snow at 7 a.m., occasional gleams of son, but on 



the whole a very wintry day, thawing in the evening. 

 2Gth. — Dull morning, snow still on the grouud, very bright for an hour or two 



about noon, but dull after 3pm.; fair evening. 

 27th. — Fair, but rather dull all day, and very cold. 

 28th. — Dull though fair ; a few flakes of snow about 1 p.m. The day might bo 



said to be sunless, the difference between the temperature in shade 



and that in the air in vacuo being only J5.G— i.^., o3.2 aud 36.H. 

 March lat. — Very dark morning, sleet and fine snow falling from 9 to 11 a.m., 



and at intervals all day. 

 Sod. — Snow in the night and early morning. Dull, cold, wintry day. 

 Cold uncomfortable week, temperature never very low, but on the other 

 hand only twice rising to 40". — G. J. Simons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— March 3. 

 This wintry weather of the past week has been felling upon us by keeping 

 the growers away from market, and some of tho rough goods have advanced 

 in consequence, but not to a great extent. Hothouse Grapes are now limited 

 to few consignments, and are chiefly Lady Downe's. Potatoes are freely 

 supplied, but very few samples are free from blight. Prices remain stationary. 



FROIT, 



Apples jsle'^e 1 



CbustnatB bushel 10 



Filberts lb. 1 



Cobs lb. 1 



Grapes, hothouse lb. 8 



Lemons ^100 8 



Melons each 



Oranges ^ 100 



Pears, kitchen rtoa. 



dessert doz. 



Pine Apples lb. 



Plums j sieve 



Waluuta i* 100 



ditto bnshol 



B. d. 8. d. 



Otol2 

 

 

 



Artichokes doz. & 0to6 



Asparagus ^(^ lUG tJ 10 



French.,..per bundle 20 aO 



Beans, Kidney. ...per iOJ 2 if 



Broad bushel 



Beet, Ued doz 10 8 



Broccoli bundle 9 1 



BrusaeJa Sprouts i sieve B 4 



Cabbage doz. 2 0" 



Carrots bunch u 6 



Capsicums qj*- 100 u 



Cauliflower doz. 4 



Celery bundle 1 t) 



Coleworts.. doz. bunches li 



Cucumbera each a 



pickling doc. (j 



Endive doz. 2 



Fennel bunch 8 



Garlic lb. 6 



Herbs bunch B 



Horseradish bundle 4 



VEGETABLES. 



d. B.d. 



8 

 U U 





 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Leeks 



liottitoe doB. 



MuBUrooma pottle 



Mustard & Creas.. punnet 

 Onions bushel 



pioUling quart 



Parsley perdoz. bunohea 



Parsnips doz. 



Peaa quart 



Potatoes buahel 



Kidney do. 



Radishes., doz. bunohea 



Rhubarb bundle 



Salsafy bundle 



Scorzuuera bundle 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach buahel 



Tomatoes doz. 



Turnips bunch 



Veiietuble Marrows., dos. 



B. d. s. 



4toO 



1 u a 





 







6 







8 U 



1 





 5 

 6 

 I 

 1 

 

 



G 

 4 u 



