82 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Jaaoar/ 27, 1876. 



at once before the bees have time to ascerid, and at the end of 

 the season, or earlier if the bees have not a sufficient store of 

 honey, they could be *' fed up to it." This is no doubt a very 

 tscellent plan, nor can we see why it should fail in its object, 

 that object being a large quantity of honey. Some of ic no 

 doubt would be of first-rate quality, because it would be stored 

 in a new hive by a swarm of the current year. 



I would meraly supgest that guide combs should be affixed to 

 the upper part of the boxes in each case, so as to induce the 

 bees to work their combs throughout from top to bottom in the 

 same direction; also narrow apertures Cor more inches long 

 and half an inch wide should be made to run between the combs 

 at the sides (uot in the centre, however) to render as easy as 

 possible the access of the bees to every part of the hive. If your 

 correspondent carries out his plan of management as detailed 

 here in the coming summer, we shall all be very glad to hear of 

 the result. He may find some detail capable of improvement 

 in the course of hia practical experience. 'We should expect a 

 large harvest of honey of various quality, but we think that the 

 following year it would be better to vary his management by 

 the use of supers over the surviving stock hive, as it would no 

 longer be what it was the first year — namely, a swarm in a new 

 box with perfectly fresh honeycomb. The plan seems eminently 

 enited to swarms of the first year. 



It will have been observed that I suggest the narrow passage 

 communicating from box to box to be at the sides and not at 

 the centre of each ; this is with a view to economise and con- 

 centrate the heat necessary for the brood at the centre of each 

 box, and to check as much as possible the ascent of the queen 

 to the upper boxes after she has once descended to a lower 

 region. This will tend to the greater nse of the upper boxes for 

 honey, and to its greater purity.— B. & W. 



they can. They are completely mastered and cowed; and in a panic-stricken 

 condition they abandon their brood and everything cared for before, and 

 seek Bftfety in flight. About fifteen or twcaty minutes of drummiog drives 

 all aloft. There is no time allowed for rest tr play after the beating begins. 

 Fitm beginning to end the drumming hhould be continued, not givioR the 

 bees time to think or turn round. And when the btes are up they ehoald be 

 lifted off the old hive aid placed on its board. All this may be done in a 

 hive of any size or Ftrength in lees than twenty minutes. If a few etrajjglera 

 arc left in the bottom hive they may be driven out with a feather. Ab it is 

 veiy important to run the bouey before the combs cool we generally dettroy 

 the fctragglers ppeedily with a puff of powder or a small biE of brimstoned- 

 rag. We like to have all the honey run from (he cornb^ by the end of an 

 hour from the time we commence to drive. As "object U B=onB"more speedily 

 convey information and impress the mind than the A B C of teaching, I often 

 with that the bee-keepers of England were by my side for a week to witneea 

 how easily and epeedily everything in done. If "J. B." and others will only 

 take the above ABC lesson and make it into on object lesson in their own 

 garden or apinry they v>iil require no more ttaching on this subject. In cold 

 weather bees do not run eo leadily an in warm vcatber. When bees have to 

 be drivtn in cold weather we find that by fprinkling them with Bjrup fifteen 

 minutes before the driving begins they lun very well. — A. Pettiobew. 



Pigs {H. C. J5.).— The most useful book is " Uomestic Pigs," by H. D. 

 Bichardson. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Black Hamburghs (Bosco).— The Black Hamburghs are as good layers as 

 the others. We caanot tell you who is the best person to apply to. We 

 advise you to look in our advertising columns. You will find all the best 

 yards represented there. 



Hens Dnsa (Ror.-K)-— Your feeding is at fault. You must dipcontinue 

 potatoes and Indian meal. Th e former alway.i^ cause diseased liver, and the 

 latter makc-i fat only. Procure some ground oats or barleymeal, slake them 

 with water, or milk if you have it, and feed with it morning and evening. 

 The mid-day meal may be whole barley, and after the fowls are re&tored to 

 health you may give Indian coro whole three dayi per week. We have never 

 been able to make our fowls eat Indian meal. 



Pollet's Legs Useless (A Subscriber). — We are disposed to think your 

 puUet is egg-bound. That has the effect of causing apparent paralysis. The 

 cure is to enable her to lay the egg. Pallets only are subject to this malady, 

 and only with the first two or three eggs. The cure is to pull out a soft wing 

 or a tail feather, to dip it in oil, and to pass it down the egg passage till it 

 meets the egg. It will be laid immediately. You must not attempt to help 

 its passage with the fiugers, lest you break it in the pullet. That is a very 

 serious case. 



Artificial Mother (W. Tr.).— The Americana use a piece of sheep-skin 

 nailed on a board woolly side outwards, and the board supported so far from 

 the floor that the chickens can creep under and have their backs among the 

 wool. 



Paisley Poultry Snow. — Mr. Semple of East Kilbride informs ns he 

 obtained the special prize in the Brahma class. 



Ages of Eggs for Sitting {Agnes). — We prefer eggs not older than a 

 fortnight. Eggs much older have produced thrifty chickens, but it is certain 

 as a general rule that the older the egg the weaker its progeny. To keep the 

 eggs until jou are ready for them put a box in a dry place in your kitchen, 

 not too near the fire ; partition the bos, so as to hold separately the different 

 eggs of the various sorts; let bran be well dried in the oven and put into 

 the partitions, and cover the eggs with the bran as they are placed in ; and 

 this should be done soon after they are laid. 



An Afflicted Parrot (J. T., Isle nf Wight).^The Bymptoms so fully 

 described in ycur le'ttr are sufficiently conclusive as to the state of your Grey 

 Parrot. The' peculiar twibting cf its head and neck, the film over the eyes, 

 and the plucking of the feathers, will most likely be followed by occasional 

 falls from the perch and violent fits. When the latter occurs supply it with 

 a few drops of weak brandy and water. The Parrot is suffering from vertigo 

 (an affection of the brain), which is so connected with the vertebra of the 

 neck as to bring about the painfuMooking contortions of the neck in par- 

 ticular. We have ourselves lost Parrots in this way, and likewise know of 

 nuraeroQB other instances of deaths occurring. The complaint is attended 

 with ditViculty of swallowing and occasional vomiting. Your general treat- 

 ment of the bird we cannot complain of, excepting that Parrots should be 

 sparingly supplied with flesh meat, especially when m a raw state. All that 

 you can now do is to give the bird a tepid shower bath every other day, after 

 which dry the bird's feathers gradually before a fire. Administer three or 

 four drops of castor oil twice a-week, which will tend to check the olTensive 

 smell you complain of. Keep the bird upon a soft diet {which will hi? easier 

 for its throafi, such as hreadand-milk aud Indian corn well scalded and 

 soaked in milk. Discontinue flesh meat and hemp^eed. This treatment 

 will only tend to proIoDg its tufforiog life. With such a faint hope of 

 recovery it would be humane to terminate its misery. 



Driving Bees {J. B.).— To drive bees from common hives when they are 

 to be preserved and the honey and combs taken. Early in autumn, or say in 

 the month of Aagust, blow eome smoke from old cjrduroyor cotton rags 

 amongst them, turning the hive upside down or flat on its crown, placing an 

 empty hive about tho same tize on and over it mouth to mouth, and rolling 

 a cloth of any kind round the junction to ke«p the bees from escaping or 

 coming out. The drummiog or driviog now begms by beatiug the sides of the 

 hive with both hands. This beating on their hivo while they are conlmed 

 confounds them and causes them to run from tlio bottom hive as fast as 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSEBVATI0N8. 



Camden Sqoare. London. 

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



BEMABKS. 

 19th.— Dull morning ; fine two or three hours in the middle of the day ; bu 



rain before 5 p.m.. and cold at night. 

 20th.— Grey and rather windy in morning ; fair but not bright in the middle 



of the day ; no sun, but the pavement drying-up towards night. 

 21st.— I>ull, tlight rain at 9 a.m., and more or less all day ; heavily at nJgb'^, 



with high wind and hail. 

 22nd.— Wind went down about 3 A.si. ; very fine at nine, cloudy for a short 



time about 1 r.M. ; but on the whole a fine bright day. 

 2.3rd. — Very fine all day, and a starlit night. 

 24ih.— Fine morning, rather lees so about 1 p.m., but a fine afternoon and 



evening. 

 25th.— Vei7 dense fog in the morning, continuing all day ; the sun endeavoured 



to ehine through it in tho middle of the day fur a bhort time, but it 



came mq again very soon. 

 No CE-pecial feature duriug the week. The heavy snowstorm which occurred 

 in the midland counties beicg merely repreeented here by a sharp hailfetorm 

 about 11 p.ai. on Friday.— G. J. Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.- January 26. 

 A better tone has pervaded the market the last few days, and best goods 

 are readily cleared at last week's prices. Large quantities of St. Michatl 

 Pines are still arriving in good condition, as many ad seven hundred having 

 been Bold last Friday alone. 



FRUIT. 



Apples i sieve 



Apricots dozen 



Unerries lb. 



s. d. e. d. 

 1 0to2 



ChestDuta bUBhel 12 



Citrrants j sieve 



black do. 



Figs dozen 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooaeberriea quart 



Grapes, huthonse.... lb. 2 



Lemons ^100 6 



Melons each I 



Artichokes dozen 



Asparagus %*- 100 10 



French bundle 18 



Beans, Kidney.... 4 sieve 



Beet, Red dozen 1 



Broccoli bundle 



Brussels Sprouts i sieve '2 



Cabbage dozen 1 



Carrots bunch 



Capbicuma ^100 1 



Cauliflower dozen i 



UifJery bundle 1 



Ciileworts.. doz. bunches 2 

 Cucumbera each 1 



pickling dozen 1 



Endive dozen I 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic-. lb. 



Herba bunch 



noTBeradish bundle 4 



Leeka bunch 



U U 

 



Mulberries lb. 



Nectarines dozen 



Oranges %^ 100 



Peaches dozen 



Pears, kitchen.,., dozen 



deaeort dozen 



Pine Apples lb. 



Pluma.. i sieve 



Quinces bushel 



Kaspberiies lb. 



Strawbeniea lb. 



Walnuts. bnahel 



ditto ^100 



d. a. 



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VEGETABLES. 



d. S. d. 

 OtOO 



vi 



. d. 8, 



6tol 



1 



2 



Lettuce dozen 



P'rench Cabbage .... 1 



Mnshrooms pottle 1 



Mastaid & Creaa punnet '.i 



Onions bushel 2 



pickling quart 6 



Paraley.... doz. bunches 2 



Parauipa dozen 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 3 6 



lOdney do... 3 



Radishea.. doz. bunches 1 



Rhubarb bundle 



Salsaly bundle y 



Scorzonera bundle 1 



Seakale basket 1 G 



Shallots lb. 3 



Spinach bushel i 6 



Tomatoes dozen 2 



Turnips bunch 4 



Vegetable Marrows 



6 

 

 

 

 

 

 







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