266 



JOURNAL OF HORTIOTJLTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 17, 187^. 



them. (We think, however, the title might be simplified to 

 " Any other Pouter," as we do not see how mismarked birds 

 can be consistently exclufled from it, a White splashed with blue, 

 aud a Blue splashed with white being but Tom and Tbomas). 

 In pleading his case he makes a statement of facts based on his 

 own experience, clearly proving the breeding utility of the class 

 in question. These facts have not been denied or disproved, 

 and we are bound to accept them as being correct. If Mr. 

 Stuart had proceeded in the same way — first defined and then 

 given us his experience in breeding the bird so defined, we could 

 the more easily have understood him. 



The position taken up by Messrs. Huie and Ure commends 

 itself to us. We fancy how the makers of this variety set about 

 their work. First the peculiarity of the breed — the globe, 

 attracted attention ; that was attained. Then the fine taper 

 body and Belgian shoulder were found to suit it best, and the 

 work was completed when set on the fine pedestal of the limbs. 

 The indescribable grace known as " style," inherent in the most 

 common Pigeon, became intensified in the transition as the 

 bird acquired the perfect use of his more fully-developed organs. 

 Bat our artists must needs go further, and following the instinct 

 of all true art, they next proceeded to embellish their work. 

 Then we got the uniform colour, with the moon to give decided- 

 ness to the globe, and the rose-wing to illumine the shoulder. 

 This done, the Pouter was perfect, precluding farther improve- 

 ment or embellishment. The breeder was then left to use 

 intelligently the law of selection for the preservation of all 

 characteristics. It cannot be denied that in the long-continued 

 application of this law something has been attempted in the way 

 of improvement, and that every such attempt means the intro- 

 duction of a foreign element. But unless the proper propoition 

 of parts — in other words, the definition given, be kept in view 

 the result is deterioration. Had limb only keptpace with recent 

 elongation of feather, present breeders would have good cause 

 to congratulate themselves. As it is, we are inclined to accept 

 Mr. Ure's statement that the birds of the old school were 

 more perfect Pouters. It can be no intelligent use of the fore- 

 mentioned law to sink all qualities for the conservation of one, 

 be it colour or anything else. Nay ; the intelligence displayed 

 will just be in proportion to tho number and importance of the 

 characteristics preserved. Their relative importance we have 

 indicated, and can only add, as the result of our experience, that 

 we would rather discard a badly-shaped Pouter than a badly- 

 marked or off-coloured one otherwise possessed of the funda- 

 mental excellencies of his breed. The carvings of antiquity, 

 though beautiful in themselves, can give us no idea of the noble 

 buildings they adorned, and be it remembered that no amount 

 of sandpaper and varnish can ever conceal bad construction. 



Blood, by which we mean the tendency to revert to ancestors, 

 is of course a great thing, and some otherwise weedy birds 

 possess the faculty in a marked degree. But it is not every- 

 thing, and pushed to extreme is an absurdity, as will be seen on 

 a moment's reflection. Fighting one's way into a strain, it is 

 undoubtedly the shortest aud surest course to let only the fittest 

 survive — fittest, be it remembered, in terms of the definition. 

 Guided by any single idea, there is a limit to the experiments, 

 and a time certainly arrives when it is absolutely necessary to 

 re-make the type or call in the aid of the much-condemned 

 birds if we wish to preserve the taper body aod high shoulder 

 of this most kingly bird. Which is easier ? Woful,then, is the 

 plight of the fancier whose appetite for " Pied Pigeon " or single 

 ideas has overcome his discretion. Were the straightforward 

 policy of Mr. Stuart correct we would all be breeders alike, and 

 standard birds plenty as pebbles. He speaks hastily, and, as it 

 appears, against part of his experience, when he says we can do 

 without them. To sum up : If we must deteriorate, by all means 

 let colour and marking go first. Chacun (i son gont. 



The exposition of these breeding opinions {lofty ideas we may 

 call them) on paper or the show-table, aiming as it does at the 

 preservation of perfection, can surely never be charged with 

 being antagonistic to that aim. We allow that a blue chequer 

 is not a pretty colour, a black chequer only passable, a sandy 

 and most splashes simply ugly, while their introduction into a 

 loft where colour and marking is the ne yhis ultra will assuredly 

 create a difficulty. Their supporters do not breed for them, but 

 through them, and in the overcoming of the difliculty is their 

 keenest pleasure. From this off-coloured denunciation we ex- 

 cept the Mealy. We know something of him, and would not be 

 in the least mealy-mouthed to sound his praises did space permit. 

 We simply add our concurrence in the regret of anything that 

 tends to the discouragement or stamping-out of this unique 

 combination of beauty and usefulness. To conclude, when we 

 are all agreed on the end to be attained, why quarrel about the 

 process ?— D. McNaught, K'dmaurSy Ayrshire. 



appliances (Ligurian queens and stocks), are to be obtained. 

 Will you kindly announce that our Committee are anxious to 

 disseminate all information that will tend to advance bee-keep- 

 ing? and I shall be happy to put intending purchasers in com- 

 munication with the vendors, or, if preferred, procure and forward 

 any article desired, as well as give any information in ray power, 

 either through your columns or privately. I should also feel 

 obliged by your noting the following addenda et corrigenda to 

 the prize list — viz : 



Class 22.-2, J. Armstrong. 



Cla^s '^4 —3. A. Fertriiaon. 4. W. Martin. 5, L. Reed. 6, T. Aaatin. 



Class 23.-3, S. J. Baldwin. 4, W. Martin. 



Class vlj.— 4, J. Walton. 



Class 27.— Eqial merit, C. N. Abbott and J. Lee, in lien of first and second. 



— John Hunter, Eaton Bisej Ealing, 



BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. 



First Great Exhibition. 

 I FIND many bee-keepers who were not able to be present at 

 this Show are desiroas of learning where the various hives and 



" You know you are a sort of cross-breed, 'D,' so you can do 

 that," was " our doctor's " address to me the other day. I need 

 not say what that was, but I at first thought the "cross-breed" 

 had some reference to my Huguenot descent; but found that it 

 was not so, but that my interest in things connected with this 

 Journal was not confined to flon'ers, as I went in for fowls and 

 bees. Well, I didn't do that ; but the same reason holds good, 

 I suppose, for my being aBked to say something on the wonder- 

 ful exhibition which was held last week at the Crystal Palace, 

 on all things anent the little busy wee things whose ways and 

 means have pointed many a moral along the ages, but who 

 never, perhaps, received the attention they do now. 



The first thing that struck me on going into the Exhibition 

 was, What a strange world is this we live in! Here was an 

 enthusiastic crowd of men iu all stations of life, whom one had 

 never seen before, to whom all that belonged to these little busy 

 insects was as much a matter of interest as were the flowers 

 and fruits which filled the other part of the transept ; who have 

 their own journal, from which, surely, nothing but honied words 

 ought to distil; whose talk was of supers, bars, Woodborys, 

 German fungus, and other matters which were High Dutch to 

 all but the initiated. Eat it was extraordinary how large a 

 number of persons seemed practically to be acquainted with, 

 and in some measure to understand, the difficult operations 

 connected with bee-keeping. 



And now first as to hives. A large number of these of straw, 

 wood, or both combined, was exhibited, and of various degrees 

 of excellence, the point most regarded being the facility of ope- 

 ration and cheapness of construction. Of course the bar hive 

 stands out as the only one really deserving of recognition now- 

 a-days; and Mr. Abbott of Hanwell, a most thoroughly prac- 

 tical bee-keeper, deservedly stood first for having introduced a 

 bar hive which can be made for cottagers at 3s., placing thus 

 the best-constructed hive within the reach of all. It is aston- 

 ishing how the cottager still clings to his straw skep and to the 

 practice of smothering his bees, and how every failure (and 

 failures there are ever likely to be) of those who keep bees on 

 more humane principles is blazoned forth as a proof that these 

 new-fangled notions will not do, while they also cling to the 

 notion in many parts of the world that the hives ought not to 

 be taken until hopping time ; and as they have few flowers here 

 after the limes are over, it is clear that for a month they are 

 consuming the honey they had stored up. One exhibitor showed 

 a marvellous structure which would have delighted a cockney 

 gardener — a house in which several hives were stored. I have 

 myself had sad experience of houses of a more humble structure 

 — the wax moth got into them. Last year I lost one hive by it, 

 but thought it was all gone. To my surprise and horror I find 

 that it has this year destroyed entirely a fine Woodbury hive, 

 so that my stock is now greatly reduced ; and I believe the 

 advice of all experienced bee-masters now is, Let each hive be 

 protected, bat let it stand by itself. The modifications of the 

 Woodbury hive were numerous, but that something has yet to 

 be done may be gathered from the fact that the prizes for the 

 best hive for observation purposes and also that for the best 

 hive on the collateral principle were withheld. A very beau- 

 tiful breed of Ligurians was exhibited by Mr. W. C. Smith, 

 and deservedly obtained a prize; while some grand boxes and 

 supers of various kinds were exhibited. One exhibited by Mr. 

 Garr was declared by him to be above 100 lbs., a marvellous 

 result from one hive, although this did not obtain the prize, and 

 we may therefore conclude that that which did so was heavier still. 

 It was a bold idea to attempt to show in such a place as tho 

 Crystal Palace some of the more delicate manipulations by 

 which the bee-master gets the greatest benefit from his interest- 

 ing stock ; but the driving of bees was most successfully shown 

 by Mr. Abbott, assisted by Mr. Cheshire and others of the Com- 

 mittee. Those of the readers of the Journal who keep bees 

 know what driving is, but many even of those who keep bees 

 would have been glad to have had the opportunity, as they had, 

 of seeiug the operation performed. Tbe Bee-Keepers' Association 

 deserves great praise for the manner in which they have carried 

 out the details of the Exhibifinu ; and knowing as I do the 

 stimulus that horticultural exhibitions are to the growth of 

 flowers, I have not the slightest doubt that the Exhibition of 



