April 13, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



297 



Our flowers, can we say nothing for them ? When coming 

 home from church on one of those glorious sunshining sabbatha 

 we have eometimes about Christmas, how sweet, on opening the 

 garden gate, to be met by a wall of perfume ! How sweet to 

 watch one by one for the opening flowers ! How grateful do we 

 feel to the first, that by their appearance toll us the ice-bound 

 winter is passing away, and spring is preparing her many- 

 coloured garment — no laboured product, but growing in every 

 hedge, in every field— the daffodil, the cowslip, the primrose, 

 the violet. A little later the hedge roses with their self formed 

 wreaths, the earth carpeted with bluebells, and later on flowers 

 too numerous to mention. The lovely fruit blossom — the vari- 

 ously tinted pink wall fruit, the snowy white pear, and the 

 more than lovely apple blossom. Our poultry — the earliest eggs 

 and the earliest chickens ; our capital arrangements to make the 

 chickens time with asparagus, and our Ducks with peas ; our 

 varied experience, which applied to other things when we re- 

 collected how discouraged we were at our first failure, and how 

 easily we afterwards overcame it ; the luxury of being our own 

 providers ; the relish of our new-laid eggs in the morning ; 

 the joy of eating our poultry without buying it; the humanis- 

 ing nature of the pursuits to our children, and the happiness of 

 having an employment they can share ; and then, for we must 

 come to an end, the diary of all these things, the comparison of 

 cue year with another, and above all the constant recurrence of 

 that which we have noted before. The careful consideration of 

 these things leads to more than an amusement. It is replete with 

 serious lessons. It elevates the mind, and strikes us with grati- 

 tude when we find so many things, apparently insignificant in 

 themselves, all capable of adding to our enjoyment and becom- 

 ing the vehicles of pure and health-giving pleasures.— Ddn. 



FEEDING HENS FOR EGGS. 



A HEN may be regarded as a machine for the production of 

 eggs. If only enough food is given to just keep her alive — to 

 just run the machine — no eggs, of course, can be expected, but 

 usually there is no trouble in this direction. People do not 

 often err in not giving their hens enough; it is more frequently 

 the case that they give them too much, and of the wrong kind 

 of food. If a machine is fed with too much raw material, more 

 than it has capacity to utilise, it becomes clogged in its action 

 and fails in its work; or if the wrong kind of material be 

 supplied, the desired product will not be turned out. For a 

 hen to produce an egg daily she must be well supplied with 

 raw material out of which to make it. There must be albu- 

 minous substances, such as are found in meat and grain, out of 

 which to form the white and yolk, and lime to produce the 

 shell. Various kinds of grain contain these substances in dif- 

 ferent proportions, and this fact renders some kinds better 

 adapted for the food of fowls than others. Wheat, wheat mid- 

 dlings, oats, barley, Indian corn, and buckwheat are good articles 

 of food for hens if they are used alternately. If Indian corn 

 were to compose the whole diet of hens they would be rendered 

 too fat for laying purposes, but as a regular diet it is very 

 valuable. About three times per week the hens will need some 

 bits of meat to furnish more abundantly the albuminous ele- 

 ment of the egg. Burned oyster shells pounded, old mortar, 

 bone meal, or something similar should be kept by them at all 

 times as material for shells. There should also be a constant 

 supply of fresh clean water. Hens should never be permitted 

 to eat snow. Snow water is highly injurious to them. Many 

 persons give their hens all they will eat, and keep grain by 

 them all the time. This is a bad practice. More hens are 

 injured by overfeeding than in any other way. If a man eats 

 all that he can he becomes to some extent incapacitated for 

 exertion, and it he continues the practice his system will be- 

 come deranged. So the hen, when overfed, becomes too fat 

 and is good for nothing but to be marketed. 



A simple rule in feeding hens is to give them as much as they 

 will eat eagerly, but no more. As soon as they cease to eat 

 with avidity, and will not run for the food, it should be re- 

 moved. Fowls should be fed in this way three times a-day — 

 viz., morning, noon, and night. The morning's meal should 

 consist of soft food of some kind, for during the night the crop 

 and stomach should become empty. If whole grain is given, the 

 fowl is obliged to grind it before she has any nourishment, and 

 delay in the morning is injurious ; therefore, it is best to have 

 scalded meal and bran with mashed potatoes prepared. At 

 noon a dinner of meal or graiu may be given. At night, grain 

 should be fed, so that the hens will have something substantial 

 in their crops to last them through the night. In winter Indian 

 corn is good to feed at night ; in summer oats, wheat, or barley 

 may be used. Wheat middlings are an excellent summer food, 

 because of the flesh-forming elements contained in them — the 

 requisites for producing eggs. Soft food should be mixed rather 

 dry, so that when thrown upon the ground it will fall in pieces. 

 When soft it sticks to the beaks to the annoyance of the fowls, 

 and it is also liable to derange their digestion. Fowls require 

 also a daily supply of green or fresh vegetables both summer 



and winter. Chopped turnips, cabbages, or apples are suitable 

 for winter. In summer, access to green grass is the best means 

 of gratifying their wants. In order to be successful in keeping 

 fowls their wants should be attended to with the same care and 

 regularity that is bestowed upoM other animals ; the increase in 

 the number of eggs will then be perceptible. — {Kcntuchj Live 

 Stock Record.) 



LEEDS PIGEON SHOW. 



The first annual Show, under the auspices of the Leeds Colum- 

 barian Society, was held in the Corn Exchange on the 5th and 

 Gth inst. Considering the time when all or nearly all the best 

 birds are engaged in breeding-lofts the entries were good, 

 although in October or November we have no doubt but that 

 the numbers would be quite double. This is one of the best 

 halls in the kingdom for such a purpose, and would hold two 

 thousand pens with ease ; it is roomy, lofty, and light. It is 

 seldom a show is seen with so few empty pens, half a dozen bting 

 about the number. The quality was good, and with a few ex- 

 ceptions the awards were well made, and these exceptions we 

 will refer to hereafter. 



Carrier cocks were first on the list, a grand Dun in fine order 

 winning, as also the extra for the section. The second and 

 third were Blacks, younger, but very promising. In hens a 

 well-known hen, which was not in the best condition, was first, 

 and as a Carrier she is all that can be desired ; second a fair 

 Black, and third a very poor Dun. Pen 16 (Beckwith) being in 

 our opinion one of the best, and at least should have been se- 

 cond; the quality of head, style, and colour was grand (Black). 

 Pouter cocks a fair lot, and hens better, but we did not like the 

 first award, this being a Blue, thick in girth, with wings down 

 and tail up. The second a Yellow, being in our opinion by far 

 the best. Almond Tumblers were a good class. By far the best 

 bird was lame, otherwise the awards would have been different. 

 Other Tumblers were very good, in head properties especially. 

 First an Agate, winning by that point alone. Second a Red 

 Wholefeather, was our choice. Third also a grand Bed. Barbs 

 a nice lot, but the first a little watery in eye ; second good, 

 third very young, but a nice bird. Pen 87 (Mawson) might have 

 been in the list with advantage. Foreign Owls were mostly 

 Whites, and Trumjieters all of the foreign varieties. InDragoonSy 

 Blue or Silver, the first and second should have changed places, 

 the second most perfect in head and colour, with bars like straw. 

 Any other colour, first Yellow, a grand bird ; second Red, too 

 flat- skulled for our fancy. Fantails were nearly all noticed. 

 English Owls a large class; first Silvers, second and third 

 Blues. In Nuns the winners were all Black and honestly 

 shown. In Su'allows, the flrst and second Blacks, most perfect 

 in colour, and third Red. In Turbiis the extra for section was 

 given, but we did not like the awards, the first, a Red, being too 

 long and thin in head, although we do not care for those of the 

 Owl-headed type. Second and third, Y'ellows, were much better. 

 In Magpies first was a Yellow, but the next bird, 244, was a 

 much sounder colour. Second a Red, and third Black. Pen 250, 

 a Red, was our choice. Anttvcrps mustered well. In Short- 

 faced cocks every conceivable style of head and length was 

 shown, and though all were good as Antwerps, few were true 

 Shortfaces, the second, a Blue, in our opinion being most perfect 

 in head. Long-faced cocks were very good in head, but mostly 

 wanting in style and colour, but the best birds won. Medium- 

 faced cocks were full better in style. In hens there were dupli- 

 cate prizes, an afterthought, carried out in satisfaction of the 

 wishes of the Short-faced breeders. Mr. Copeman's well-known 

 Short-face was first for that variety, and first and extra for all 

 Antwerps went to a Long-faced hen, a Red-chequer; but this 

 was a mistake, the bird being too spindly and slovenly in car- 

 riage, while pen 311, the same owner, might well have been 

 placed in that position. Three grand Duns were shown by Mr. 

 Hopwood. Long-faced Tumblers were both good classes. In 

 Balds and Beards first was a Blue Bald, and second a Red 

 Beard. Mottles predominated in the next class. The first was 

 a nice Yellow Mottle; second Red, but the nest bird (Sylvester) 

 was much better in colour. Most of the birds were noticed in 

 the Variety class, and these were of the fancy varieties, the 

 standard varieties being well provided with classes. The £10 

 points prize was won by Mr. Horner, as also one of the £5 

 points prizes, the latter being absorbed in the above, Misa 

 Seanor securing the other points prizes. Turner's pens were 

 used. The attendance was very bad. 



Cabeiers.—Coc/.-.— Extra and 1. E. Horner. S, E. Mawaon. vhe, E. Beckwith. 

 Hen.— I and 2, H. Yardlev. ^, E. Horner. vhc.'E. Beckwith. Poutebb.— Coc/c,— 

 1 and vhc, E. Horner. 2. MisB F. Seanor. 8. W. Harvey. Hen. -2, E. Beckwith. 

 8. W. Harvev. vhc, W. Notlase. E. Horner. Tumblers.— J/monrf.— I, R. 0. 

 Fielding. 2,'H. Yardlep. 3, W. & H. Adama vhc, E. Beckwitb. E. Homer. 

 .'iliort-faced.—Any otiier varietn.—],R O.Fielding. 2, W. & H. Adams. S, B. 

 Beckwitli vhc, E. Beckwith, A. M. H. bilveater. BaRBS.— Extra 1 and 2, H, 

 Yardlev. S, E. Mawaon. Forkign Owna.— 1, A. Simpson. 2, E. Beckwith. 3, 

 Mies F. Seanor. Trumpeters.— Extra 1 avd 2, W. Harvey. 3, .1. E Spence. 

 vhc. E. Beckwith. Dragoons.— Blue or Silver.— \, 2, and vhc, R. Wooila. 8, 

 F.Eastwood. Any other colojtr.—l and 'i. R. Woods. 8, H. Yardley. vhc,E, 

 Mawson. Jacobins.— I, J. Thompson. 2 and 3. E. Horner, vhc, Fi. Homer, 

 Miss F. Seanor, E. Beckwith. J, Gardner, J. Thompgon. Fantails —1, E. 

 Horner. 2, E. Beckwith. 8, H. Yardley. vhc, J. 'Walker, J. LoTereidge, £!. 



