268 



JOUENAL OF HORTIOULTDBB AND COTTAGE GABDKNBB. 



[ AprU 1, 1875. 



extorting high prices for fancy stocks. It might be retorted 

 that other dealers decry Ligarians as they have only black bees 

 for sale. It is not forgotten that the very old apiarian and poet 

 Virgil says— 



"The better brood, unlike the bastard crew, 

 Are marked x\-ith royal streaks of shining hue." 



— John Huntee, Eaton Rise, Ealing. 



THE CANDYING OP HONEY. 



The results of experiments made in America on this question 

 which are quoted ia the Journal are very interesting. In writ- 

 ing on crude honey some time ago it was said that it never 

 candied. This statement is not absolutely correct, for the crude 

 honey obtained last year in .Tune or July candied this year in 

 February. It was an exceedingly tine sample of pure nectar or 

 crude honey which had been subjected to a long process of 

 evaporation. Almost all our apiarian visitors last autnmn tasted 

 it, and said it was quite diSerent from real honey. When it was 

 found crystallised it was tasted, and then melted into its former 

 liquid state. After all it was nothing but crude honey, smeUiug 

 and tasting more like the nectar of flowers than real honey. 



Hitherto we have not met an instance of crude honey crystal- 

 lising. Now that we have seen one it is bat right to withdraw 

 the statement that it never candies. While we withdraw the 

 statement alluded to, our views and opinions on the question of 

 crude honey are strengthened and confirmed by the very experi- 

 ment which has enabled us to see that it is possible to solidify 

 or candy crude honey. 



Everyone should know that candied honey is easily melted 

 or liquified by heat, and is quite as good afterwards as before. 

 The honey from some kinds of plants candies much sooner than 

 the honey from other kinds, and the crystals of some kinds are 

 much larger than the crystals of other kinds. — A. Pettigkew. 



ITALIAN BEES. 



I EXTRACT the following from the American "Bee-keepers' 

 Magazine" for January last. The writer says : — "I have been 

 breeding three-fourths Italian blood — viz., hybrid queen mated 

 with Italian drones, and am much pleased with them. They 

 are docile, industrious, and finely coloured. ... I am not only 

 convinced that Italians are worth more than their cost, but my 

 old fogey neighbours are also, as all unite in ascribing my 

 wonderful success to the breed of bees I keep." His report for 

 the year 1874 is as follows ; — " I took seventeen swarms from the 

 pit March 17th in good order. I increased during the season to 

 twenty-five stocks. I took 200 lbs. of fruit-bloasom honey, 

 1500 lbs. clover, and 450 lbs. golden- rod honey, all with the ex- 

 tractor, and all excellent honey, except the first 50 lbs., which 

 was thin and strong." Here is 2150 lbs. of honey from twenty- 

 five stocks— that is, on an average, 86 lbs. per hive. — B. & W. 



when we examine either eggs or birds to leave a fiprig of fresh green food€Q- 

 twined in the wires at the end of the perch. This at once takes the birds* 

 attention, and leaves the impression that your interference was for the 

 purpose of supplying them with f jod. We could enlarge upon our own ideas 

 of treatment to " Blue Bell," who stated she is a beginner, but space will 

 not now permit, therefore we should advise her to purchase a treatise upon 

 Canai7-breeding for f,'eneral plan of operations, which with her own know- 

 ledge will guide and fortify her with many of the ins and outs appertaining 

 to Canary-breeding and keeping. We can reply to other questions in future 

 issues. 



Honey Cakes (C. J. H.). — Mix a quart of strained honey with ^ lb. of 

 powdered white sugar, i lb. of fresh butter, and the juice of two oranges or 

 lemons. Warm these ingredients slightly, just enough to soften the butter, 

 and then stir the mixture very hard, adding a grated nutmeg. Mix in 

 gradually 2 lbs. or less of sifted flour, make it into a dough just stiff enough 

 to roll out easily, and beat it well all over with a rolling pin ; then roll it out 

 into a large sheet half an inch thick, cut it into round cakes with the top of 

 a tumbler dipped frequently in Hour, lay them in shallow tin pans slightly 

 buttered, and bake them. 



Parrot Self-plucking (F. M,). — It is supposed to be to allay an itching 

 of the skin, caused by the bird having bones and other unnatural food given to 

 it, and to the want of exercise. Fruit and other vegetable food only, no 

 hempseed, and a shower bath of tepid water daily, are the best remedies. 

 The water may be applied through the rose of a wateiing-pot. If this does 

 not put an end to the aelf-plucking, have a cradle made as shown by a wood- 

 cut in otu* twenty-fifth volume. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



FBoNE DuBT FOR CHICKENS (^. fl. 3/.).— The bone dust used for manuring 

 JH quite as good as any other. 



Books [!>. M. S.),~-The price of the book you mention ia 3«. 6(i.,and is pub- 

 lished by Blackwood & Sous. 



DiEECTiON (D. H. W, f.).— Mrs. Cheshii-e, Avenue House, Avenue, Acton, 

 Iffiddleees. 



Guinea Pigs (A Venj Little Boy). — They will eat all the fresh vegetables 

 that Ivabbitu eat ; lettuce and cabbage leaves, and slices of carrot. They are 

 especially fuud of parsley and apples. 



Canary Bpeeding (Blue Bell). — We imag:ine you have selected a pair of 

 Canaries to breed from, and that by this time they are paired or are pairing. 

 If thorooghly paired place them in a roomy clean catje furnished with food, 

 materials for building with, a ne^t box or batket, and all will go on well no 

 doubt; at least we hope so. Some breeders scarce ever prepare their birds by 

 pairing them before placing them in the breeding cage or compartments ; 

 then much squabbling and turbulence ensues until one or the other becomes 

 subdued. Inmost instances, however, the temporary fits of fretfulness ter- 

 minate in harmony aad love. When *' Greek meets Greek " and the " tug of 

 war" appears endless, the pair must be separated. Keep your birds well at 

 iiU times, but more particularly before they begin to breed, letting the pair 

 have chopped egg, and bun or bread crumbs, and green food, which will much 

 encourage the male bird to feed the hen. The same kind of food may be con- 

 tinued during breeding time, care being taken that a supply be in readiness 

 to feed the young with when cliipped. Examine carefully tbe eggs in the 

 nest, when they have been eat upon for six or seven days, to see if they appear 

 dull or of a leaden hue. Always lay hold of an egg lengthways ; if the eugs 

 appear transparent against a strong light they will be useless, and with the 

 nest must bo removed. Time will thus bo gained in recruiting the hen for 

 again going to nest. Hens vary in temperament. Some are as easy as an 

 old shoe, and will allow you to pry about their nesting operations, and ex- 

 amine their eggs and young without btcoming discomtitoil thereby; others 

 will forsake either eggs or young if meddled with. After a hen ha« completed 

 her nest and commenced to deposit therein her oggs, remove all superfluous 

 building materials, clean and scrape the cage bnttom, and after supplying it 

 with grit Baud, let the cage so remain during the sitting and chipping of the 

 eggs, which latter will take place on the thirteenth day from the commence- 

 ment of sitting. Clean the cages well out when the young are about ten 

 days old, and again before the hen begins to sit her nest lot of eggs. During 

 building the hen would be much benelitod with an occasional bath, a supply 

 of green food, and some old crushed mortar or chalk. It is a good plan to 

 make your birds familiar with you before breeding time, and then any little 

 piying curiosi on ;our part will not bo much disconcert them. Our plan is 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONSi 



CAMnsN Sqoare, LoNnoN. 



Lat. 51° 82' 40" N. ; Long. 0^ 8' 0" W. ; Altitude, 111 feet. 



BEMABES. 



24th.— A rather dull day, but warmer and more pleasant than the preceding 



one. 

 25th. — A fine day throughout, and much wai-mer, especially towards night. 

 26th. — A very beautiful morning, the after part fair and warm but dull. 

 27th. — Very tine morning ; cloudy at noon ; fine afternoon, but a slight shower 



between 5 and 6 pm. 

 28th. — Squall very early; fine morning; dull noon; then bright for two or 



three hours ; but dull after 4 p.m. 

 ogtii. — Fine till noon, then becoming rather dull, occasional sim, but a rather 



dull though fair day. 

 30th. — Fine morning, very bright at times, and pleasant all day. 



Though the wind has changed to the west, and the temperature has risen 

 about 5° this week, its general character has been very similar to its predecessor, 

 being dry and fair, but with only short bursts of sunshine. — G. J. Svmons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— March 31. 

 The influence of the holidays has had itd effect here, the markets not 

 being so well supplied this week, or yet so good an attendance of buyers; the 

 trade liaving bought pretty freely on Saturday is no doubt the cause of their 

 absence. Importations have also been Hght, and, with the exception of con- 

 signments from Paris of salading and Asparagus, offers no cause for remark. 



FRUIT. 



a. d. s. d. 

 Mulberries lb. OtoO 



B. d. 8. d. 



Apples i sieve 2 6toS 6 



Apricots dozen 



Cherries lb. no 



Cbestnuta bushel 10 20 



Currants i sieve 



Black do. 



Figs dozen 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 1 6 2 



Gooseberries quart 



tirapeshothouse.... lb. 12 20 



Lemons ^100 8 12 



Melons each 



Nec'ariues dozen 



Oranges ]:* 100 8 12 



Peaches dozen 



Pears, kitchen.... dozen 2 3 



dessert dozen 8 18 



PineApples lb. 2 6 



Plums i sieve 



Qiunce'i dozen 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries ^t*' oz. 2 8 



Walnuts bushel 8 12 



ditto 1*100 10 16 



Artichokes dozen B 



Awparfigus 'U*" 100 8 



Kreniih bundle 15 



Beanrt. Kidney.... T 100 2 



Broad bushel 



Beet, Red dozen 1 



BroccLiU bundle 



Brussels Sprouts i sieve 3 



Cabbase dozen 2 



Carrots bunch 



Capsicums ^100 



Cauliflower dozen 4 



Celery bundle 1 6 



Culeworts.. duz. bunches G 



Cucumbers each 1 



pickling dozen 



F-ndive dozen 2 



Fennel bunch 3 



Garlic IK G 



Herbs bunch 3 



Horseradish bundle 



VEGETABLES. 



s.d. 



d. 



0to6 

 12 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce dozen 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress. .punnet 

 Onions bushel 



pickling (luart 6 



Parsley.... doz. bunolius 6 



Parsnips dozen 9 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 2 6 



Kidney do. 



d. s. d. 



4 too 



1 

 9 

 2 







Radishes., doz. bunches 1 



Rhubarb bundle 9 



Salsafy bundle 1 6 



Scorzonera bundle 1 



Seakale basket 2 



Shallots lb. 8 



Spinach bushel 



Tomaioes dozen 



Turnips bunch 6 



Vegetable Marrows. .doz. 



