280 



JOUBNAIi OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



[ April 6, 1875. 



his belief in its hyper-exoellence as a honey- producer ; — Vide- 

 licet, " hinc cccU tempore certo dulcia niclla pretties ;" "hence 

 you will obtain in good seasons delicious honey " from those as 

 from no other bees. 



Now, Virgil writes about bees as a man who thoroughly knew 

 his subject, as far as any man knew about bees in his day. He 

 kept them as a bee-master. Ho knew *' what was what;" and 

 therefore I have no doubt that in the plains around Mantua, 

 and far beyond, the Italian bee was the acknowledged breed 

 of superior excellence for appearance, for breeding power, for 

 honey. 



Turn we to modem times. As for Italy, although they have 

 apicultural societies there, we are not so well able to say what 

 the folks about Mantua think about Virgil and his experience, 

 or what their own experience is. In Germany we have had the 

 testimony of all the greater bee-masters, as Von Berlepsoh, 

 Dzierzon, &o., in favour of this bee. They tell us the same tale 

 — all approve of it, all give it the palm of superiority. If any 

 change of opinion has come over them we have yet to hear of it. 

 Of French bee-keepers I know nothing, nor of those in Switzer- 

 land, although the latter are certainly great bee-keepers in a 

 primitive way. Perhaps some of your travelled readers can 

 give UB some information here. We shall be very thankful to 

 them for it. 



I now turn to America. I have before me the twenty-second 

 edition of King's " Bee-keepers' Text Book," which, as I learn 

 from the title page, has "run through eight editions of nineteen 

 thousand copies in less than three years." If multiplied editions 

 of a book and an enormous sale are to be taken as any test of 

 its value this book must be an authority ; and it must tell the 

 truth, or it would not flourish, least of all in such a country as 

 America. Moreover, it gives its authorities by name, and these 

 authorities are well known as the most eminent bee-keepers and 

 highly respectable persons, who cannot be credited with having 

 fabricated wilful untruths. They all speak in favour of the 

 Italian bee ; it is a chorus of approbation from all parts of the 

 Union that reaches our ears. But more of this in another paper. 

 — B. & "W. 



TWO QUEENS IN ONE HIVE. 

 On the 7th of July, 1874, I put two swarms from difierent 

 places into the same hive. The next morning I observed that 

 one-half of the united family were hybrid Ligurians, with the 

 yellow band as clearly marked as possible. It is now more than 

 a year and a half since the two swarms were united ; bui there 

 are still the two sorts of bees in the hive, and as far as I can 

 judge the numbers are in very much the same proportion as at 

 first. The only conclusion at which I can arrive is, that during 

 the whole time the two queens have lived peacefully together in 

 the same home. — H., Tunbridgc Wells. 



without either opening the beak wide enough to hurt the bird or soiling the 

 feathers with the oil. The best plan is to let someone else open the bird's 

 beak with a bodkin or stockiuK-needle, and then you will be able the more 

 effectually to depuait with a quill or fine stick sufficient oil on the back part 

 of the bird's tongue or in the throat. Keep away sweet cake or sugar, and in 

 place of the latter give a small piece of salt. 



Canary with a "Cough and Croaking" (P. E. T., Jsfon). — Treat 

 your Canary the same as recommended above. Let the bird be disturbed as 

 Little as possible, for any excitement increases the difficulty of breathing, 

 which in many instances of anthma is most distressing. Recovery is almost 

 hopeless when birds are so afflicted. There is poor chance of a Canary doing 

 any good when once attacked. Our most effectual cure is sharp and Btire,and 

 replacing with a young healthy bird. Still it may be hard to part with a 

 pet. It is anything but agreeable to witness the lingering torture day after 

 day or week after week of a bird wheezing and panting and " croaking"' for 

 an existence. Just now dandelion may be given with beneficial effect to 

 Canaries either ailing or well, and as soon in the summer as you can obtain 

 the spikes of ripe seed of the plantain root give them to your bird. 



Rabbit Wabren (D. C. P. fl.).— Have the space enclosed, and a bank of 

 sandy soil on two or more of its sides, the bank to be a yard high and 2 yards 

 wide. The open space is better torfed. The stock should be the common 

 grey variety. 



Apiaries (S. H.).— We do not at this moment recollect any English works 

 on bees which treat of the structure of apiaries, except " Bevan," who devotes 

 a chapter to the subject, and gives a frontispiece view of his own. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Hameurghs Trespassing {W. IT.).— Hardly any fence will confine Ham- 

 borghs. They fly like Pheasants, and delij^ht in the exercise. No amoant of 

 food will keep them at home, and there is in cjnseqnence a considerable loss 

 of eggs that are laid out of bonnds. The cutting of one wing will be found 

 effectual in keeping them at home, and as it is only necessary to cut the nine 

 longest feathers of the wing the bird is but little diefigured- These need 

 only be cat to within half an inch of the beginning of t he quill, and the opera- 

 tion entails no more suffering on the bird than we incur in cutting our own 

 nails. 



Fattening Guinea Fowls {Sussex). — Ton can fatten them by shutting 

 them up in coops and feeding on oatmeal or barleymeal mixed with milk. 

 They may be kept in good, almost fat, condition if they are fed regularly when 

 at liberty with the same food. 



Scotch Obeys ok Dumpies (C/i/rf?s(^f(i?e).— They should have very sqnare 

 bodies, ample tails, and single combs. In perfect specimens the legs should 

 be BO short, and the wings should be carried eo drooping that the former 

 Bhonld not be seen. 



Young Pigeons Dying (E. B. T.). — We are not snrprised at all your yoang 

 Pigeons hatched in February dying, and if all have died in March we should 

 not either be astonished, such weather as we have had. Indeed no fancy 

 Pigeons should be allowed to breed at all in February; they should either be 

 separated or all nests and pans removed from them. The birds, if good fancy 

 birds, are sure to die, and the parents be weakened. March is quite soon 

 enough, and the later the better. Last year we did not raise any until late 

 in April, neither shall we have any this year, and our best birds were raised, 

 as almost always they are, late in the season. Fancy birds are delicate: the 

 parents leave their young for a short time as is natural, and cold seizes them, 

 and thay die early or grudually. There is no greater mistake than to breed 

 early; the birds \1 they live are coarse, which In most varieties of fancy 

 Pigeons is a fault. 



Canary Panting and Breathing with Difficulty (Franr(V).~From 

 the description given in your letter the Canary evidently is suffering from 

 asthma. The difficulty of breathing is the cause of the bird failing to ting — 

 a natural consequence not only with birds but with human beings, who can- 

 not feel in tune when suffering from throat or lung diseases. The weather 

 we have of late experienced may in all probability have encouraged or brought 

 about the bird's illness. Yours is not the only instance. Keep the sufferer 

 free from draughty air, and cover up the cage when the bird roosts. Scald 

 the rape seed before giving it. Some plain biscuit soaked in sherry wine, with 

 the bread-and-milk diet occasionally. A little scraped liquorice in the water 

 fonntain will do good. During the spring season administer one or two drops 

 of cod-liver oil twice a-weeb, but let it be done tenderly and cleverly— that is, 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



Gauden Squasb. London. 



Lat. 51° 33' 40" N.; Long. 0= 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 



REMARKS. 

 29th.— Rather dull morning, but soon cleared off; fine afternoon and 



evening. 

 80th.— Beautiful day and night ; the snn bright and warm. 

 Slst. — Another bright spring day. 



April let.— A line morning and early part of the day, hut rather misty, and 

 early dark in the evening. 

 2nd. — A very fine day throughout; rather lees bright about 4 p.m. 

 3rd. — Hazy and dark ifor the time of year) between eight and nine; bat 

 except being slightly hazy and rather colder from the wind being in 

 the east, it was a fine spriug day. 

 4th.— A most delightful day and starlit night ; rather hazy after 10 p.m. 

 Temperature generally from 7^ to 10° above that of the preceding week. 

 The soil temperature at 1 foot, which on the 22nd was 36.4°, rose to 44.4'^ by 

 April 1st.— G. J. Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— April 5. 

 The last few fine days have made the market more active, and goods have 

 sold more freely. Strawberries are in excess of the demand, and will be till 

 after Easter. Prices remain the same. 



fruit. 



Apples i sieve 1 



Apricots dozen 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts bushel 12 



Currants i sievi 



Black do. 











Figs dozen 



•" 





 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, hothouse.... lb. 10 



Lemons ^ 1*10 6 



Melons each 



Mulberries lb. 



Nectarines dozen 



Oranges ¥"100 



Peaches dozen 



Pears, kitchen.. .. dozen 



deseort dozen 



Pine Apples lb. 



Plums 4 sieve 



Quinces bushel 



Raapbenies lb. 



Strawbenies oz. 



Walnuts.; bushel 



ditto ^100 



B. d. 8. d. 

 OtoO 

 " 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes dozen 4 



Asparagus %»- 100 6 



French bundle 20 u 



Beans. Kidney.... V-lOO 1 3 



Beet, Red dozen 1 6 



Broccoli bundle 9 



Brussels Sprouts t sieve 2 6 



Cabbage dozen 1 



Carrots bunch 4 



Capeicums %*■ lOi) 1 6 



Cauliflower dozen 1 D 



Celery bundle 1 6 



Coleworts.. doz. bunches 2 



Cucumbers each 4 



Enthve dozen 1 



Fennel bunch S 



Garlic lb. 6 



Herbs bunch 3 



Horseradish bundle 4 



Lettuce dozen 6 



French Cabbage .... 1 6 



OtoC 

 10 



Leeks bunch 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress punnet 

 Onions bushel 



pickling quart 



Parsley..,, doz. bunches 



Parsnips dozen 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



New lb. 



Radishes., doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Salsafy bundle 



Scorzonera bundle 



Seakale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes dozen 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Marrows 



e. d. e. d. 



4 too 



10 



