136 



JOURNAL OF HORTICDLTDRE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August C, 1871. 



a mistake. If that colour be not encouraged it will die out. All 

 dogs of protection ought, I think, to be allowed to be prize doga, 

 and brindle be rather considered a qualification by a judge than 

 otherwise. Further, all large and tierce dogs, and all, in fact, 

 able to attack a thief or a poacher, ought to be thoroughly obe- 

 dient : lacking that, they lack a controlling power in their 

 master, without which their courage may become mere blind 

 fury. This obedience may not of necessity be brought about by 

 cruelty or even severity, for the dog regards his master as a 

 kind of Homeric god : he is cured by him, he reverences him, 

 he is flattered by his praise, and miserable by his frown. Let 

 the master only use discreetly his power over his dog, and he 

 need not be cruel in order to be obeyed. 



The dog in office — good useful brute— serving his master for 

 a bone, aud, for what he cares more, an approving pat; yet, 

 though he holds office aud fulfils its duties ably, I had almost 

 written conscientiously, yet how pleased he is to be freed from 

 office at times ! Look at my vulgar-looking useful friend, the 

 carrier's dog. His master comes to his inn at length — (who does 

 not remember the carrier in " David Copperfield," that laconic 

 lover with his "Barkis is willing?") — the horse, that old bony 

 animal, with a bit of blood in him nevertheless, is put in with 

 a jf rk and general rattle of all the contents of the cart. They 

 begin to move : the curate's books tilt the slender side of the 

 maid-36rvaut's bandbox, making the flowers ou the bonnet shake 

 like a peal of bells, and the village grocer's hamper settles itself 

 after many a creak. Then by a sign from his master old Pincher 

 is allowed to be off duty, and he readily jumps off the cart. At 

 once he is all life and good nature, scampering, jumping up at 

 the horse's nose ; now looking up at his master, now dashing 

 rapidly on the road home, then returning, then saying a sweet 

 word to a lady friend, and apparently assuring her she will see 

 him again nest market day. Why, the dog's quite changed 

 because he is off duty. He resembles the soldier — a grim silent 

 man when posted as sentinel; but see him walking in the park, 

 he is another man quite. 



Well, we all need to lay by office and its duties sometimes, 

 dogs and men — men as well as dogs. The two points are to 

 work well and then to rest well — work with a will, and recreate 

 mind and body sensibly. Alas ! that so many of my poorer 

 friends, who work so hard and so well, yet take their recreation 

 BO foolishly, so degradingly ! Ah ! well, poor fellows ! They 

 are better than they used to be, that is one comfort. They do 

 drink too much, but they are less cruel ; they do not bull-bait, 

 and badger-bait, and cock-fight, and dog.fight as they did so 

 generally " when George the 'Third was king."^Wii.TSHiBS 

 Eectob. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Age of Brahmas Laying (P. P.).— We have had both Bmhmas and 

 Cochiiis laying at seventeen weeks old, but they are the exceptions. It ha3 

 been a common thing at twenty weeks. These two breeds are the earliest we 

 know. From maay pulleta of both breeds now more than twenty weeks old 

 TS'e have not yet au etsg. We believe the drought, in makint; the surfa'^e of 

 the earth sterile in the way of animal food, lias a great influence in these 

 things. Taking the average of maay years, we should not luok for eggs till 

 they are twenty weeks old. 



Brahuas' Feateters (F. L.).— The feather yen have enclosed is that which 

 would the least enable ua to form an opini-m as to the merit of your birds. 

 We cannot imagine that the colour of a Wood Pigeon should have anything 

 to do with that of a Dark Brahma. Beiig pencilled to the throat is a great, 

 virtue in plumage, but if the ground colmur is bad it would not avail in com- 

 petition. If they are Dark Brahmas they should be shown in the Dark 

 Brahma class. If the colour is so exceptional that they are not like other birds 

 of that breed, show them among the varieties. We cannot think the feather 

 you send came from a pure Brahma. 



Spanish Fowxs ( W. P. B.).— We know few fowls more attractive in appear- 

 ance than good Spanish, but the? will not stay at home unless they are in 

 confinement. They are the Englishmen of the poultry yard ; they are never 

 at home but when they are abroad. We keep them, but they leave yard, 

 orchard, stable manure, good grass run, and all that should make a place at- 

 tractive, to damage the garden. We should in your place keep Brahmaa, or 

 if yon object to them, we would keep Creve-Cceurs. The latter are not alwavs 

 at home, but with ten acres of grass we think they would be content We, 

 however, pin our faith to Brahmas. A little attention to common rules will 

 make them answer every useful purpose, aud do all that can reasonably be 

 expected. The soft eu'gs show want of health and condition. The mortality 

 is beyond all idea. If the hens died in laying, the food mnst have been of a 

 most stimulating character. Such produces internal lever, and makes laying 

 a dangerous operation. 



Various {F. iJ.).— We cannot publish your letters. 



Pigeons at Blackburs Poultry Show.— Mr. Fulton writes correcting 

 the mistake of our reporter in ascribing the first prize (or Carrier hens to Mr. 

 Stretch and not to hitn--eif. The awards, however, were correctly given in 

 the accompanying prize list. 



Hnv TO Obtain High-coloured CAN\RrES (T. L. S.).— The method to 

 whiuh you refer is that given by Messrs. Bemrose &, Orme in our number for 

 Djcember 11th, 1873, and which wassas follows: — " Bi^g, bUeait, and cayenne 

 pepper. These are the whole of tho ingredients used by ns, which have 

 proved 80 successlul in producing the high colour so much admired."' 



Driving Bees {George Abberley). — Driving bees is done by taming their 

 hive npside down, and placing au empty hive of the same size over the other, 

 rolling a tablecloth or calico sheet round the junction of the two hives to 

 keep the bees in ; then drum on the bottom hive with open hands for about 

 fifteen or twenty minutes. The bees are thus driven from the bottom hive 



into the top one. You should take the straw hive off the box and drive its 

 bees into another hive, place them where they were before — on the top of the 

 box, aud take the honey from the straw one. Your other box hive could be 

 enlarged to admit the bees now hanging out, or you could drive them all into 

 an empty hive, and then feed them vii^orously with a view to cause them to 

 fill their hive with combs and brood before the season ends. Late turnouts 

 should be well fed while they have a disposition to build combs and hatch 

 brood. 



Bees Turning out Grubs (E. Emlyn TFftif^l.— No doubt the gmbs are 

 those of drones, and it is no uncommon thing for bees so to treat their male 

 progeny. We do not think the " draught " had anything to do with it, al- 

 though it is not considered good management to give bees more than one 

 entrance. Either, as you surmise, the bees wanted storing room, or else they 

 foresaw the end of the season and the further uselessness of drones. 



Large Late Swarm (J. W. P.). — Your swarm 6 lbs. in weight, of Satur- 

 day, July 25th, is much too late for all ordinary seasons and localities. But 

 this is not an ordinary sea'^on, and you have heath near you, so you may find 

 them thrive well. We shall be glad to hear again as to their weight in three 

 weeks' time. You cannot now prttveut the other hive from swarming it so 

 determined. Should they swarm, we advise you to return them, after cutting- 

 out all royal cells visible in the old hive. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



Lat. 51" 32' 40" N. ; Long. 0" 8' 0" W. ; Altitude 111 feet. 



REMARKS." 



29th. — Frequent, and in some cases, rather heavy showers, but on the whole 



a pleasant day ; bnt rather stormlike evening. 

 30th. — Fine day. rather cluudy about 5 p.m. ; but fine evening and night. 

 Slst. — A very fine day, wind rathtr high; stormlike at night. 

 August 1st. — Rain in early morning, but soon clearing off; fine day, though 



somewhat cloudy ; very close and damp evening. 

 2nd — Rather dull mornmg ; a very oppressive day, with sudden pofEs of wind, 



and at times a few large drops of rain. 

 3rd. — A most delightful day, bright, dry, and cool. 

 4th. — Dull morning ; frequent showers, one very heavy for a very short time 



between 4 and 5 p.m. ; fair evening. 



The mean temperature nearly identical with that of last week, but some of 



the days being damp and stormlike were very oppressive, and made it seem 



warmer than it really was. Some of the recent storms have been felt here; 



the rain that has fallen has lowered the undergrotmd temperature about '6^. — 



G. J. SVMONS. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— August 5. 

 Supply moderate this week, and prices remain much the same as last. 

 Importations are large, comprising Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, Green Gage 

 Plums, and several varieties of common Plums. 



FRUIT. 



