440 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



[ Jane 1, 1876. 



to modify and improve the bar-frame hive. We all sympathise 

 with the Scotch woman who said, " I ken other bairns are 

 bonnier than mine, bnt still I like my aia the beat." It is well 

 when intelligent and enlightened bee-keepers like their own the 

 best. — A. Peiiigbew. 



DISCOVERT OF THE HOKEY EXTRACTOR. 



This valoable machine had its origin wholly in an accident, 

 like many another valaable invention. The honey pomp was 

 discovered in thia wise. It ia a pretty story. 



In Italy there chanced to dwell one Major Von Hraschka, 

 a German, and one of Nature's bee-keepers. One day Major 

 Von Hraschka was in his apiary, and his son chanced to be 

 there too. The boy carried a tin pail, which had a string tied 

 to it. The major gave the boy a piece of honey, patting it into 

 the tin pail. Then the yonth, boy like, began to swing the 

 pail with the honey in it around and around in a circle, holding 

 it by the string. A moment after he had ceased this amuae- 

 ment, the major happened to look again at the piece of honey ; 

 what was his surprise to find that the honey was all drained 

 out neatly and perfectly from that side of the comb which had 

 been on the outside of the circle as the boy swung the pail 

 around by the string! The major thoughtfully turned the comb 

 over and bade the boy awing again. Thia time the other aide 

 of the comb was all drained out, and that night Major Von 

 Hruschka went to bed thicking. He thought and thought and 

 experimented till he gave bee-keepera the honey extractor, 

 which whirla the honey out of the comb by centrifugal force, 

 leaving the comb to be filled again by the bees, and the liquid 

 honey, clean, pure, and beautiful, to be eaten by people. — 

 ICincinnad Commercial.) 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



ExTESsnx PouLiErKEEpiso (C. B.).— One hundred head per acre are 

 too many. Forty are quite enough, and they should be thinned when 

 chickens are growing-np and hens are ceasing to lay. Ton cannot keen a 

 hundred fowls for £15 per year ; they wiU cost above £30 under favourable 

 ciicnmstances, £40 unless things are favourably bought. The breed will 

 depend much on the soil and climate. Dorkings on a light soiL If, however 

 you are looking to eggs only. Hoodans, Creve-Cosurs, or Spanish, as they do 

 not sit. If hardy fowls that will do "all work," Brahmas or Cochins. If 

 they are to be kept in perfect health, sii hundred fowls should have twelve 

 roostmg houses, or four long sheds, lofty, and tiled or slated, with cross- 

 beams, mangers, and racks. Fowls do well in these places. They choose 

 their own roosts, and the sheds are reftiges in wet and bad weather. Cheap land 

 will answer best for poultry. A light dry soil, such in the heath districts 

 may generally b< had within forty miles of London at about 15«. per acre, or 

 at most £1. You must not look for an average of more than 120 eg^s from 

 each hen where you propose to keep hundreds. ^ 



Eesdeetxo Eggs Cnfeetile {Pea Cc>mb).—V!e are not able to give yon 

 the information jou ask. Many expedients have been tried. Some pass a 

 fine silTcr wire from one point to the other and draw it through, others give 

 a thoroughly good shaking. The last is very effectual. We believe your 

 remedy cannot be eflectually applied without injury to the article in a com- 

 mercial point of view. 



Fowls Dviso (£. Z>.).— It is difficult to guess at the cau'e of death unless 

 it be from fat and rupture caused by strain to lay an eg£?. This wonld seem 

 the solution of the mystery, as they always die on the nest. An overfat fowl 

 cannot lay without great effort and pain, and this sometimes causes death. 

 We believe it does in your case. The cure will be to feed less, and as the fowls 

 have a good grass run they will be all the better for it. Give them ground 

 oats morning and evening, and let them dine with *' Duke Humphrey." It is 

 the first time we have heard of peritonitis. When a hen is suffering from 

 inability to lay, a feather dipped in oil and passed up the egg-passage will 

 often give instantaneous relief. 



Lump rs Basijm (E. H. P.).— It ia not an unusual case. If it can be felt 

 easily, yon may get rid of it by turning the tail and rump upwards, passing a 

 finger in the passage tUl it is behind the tumour. Pressure then between the 

 finger inside and the thumb outside will often cause it to burst the skin. 

 Where this is not the case it may be opened with a penknife ; it will be found 

 to comeont easily, and to be a ball of firm cheesy substance. If the fowl is of 

 little value it is hardly worth the trouble, as the disease is not a sign of health. 

 ClHiai BRBEDntO, ASD YocraO LiS.VEIS I.") A CiSAEY'S NEar (H. B.). 

 — It is not an uncommon occarrence to match two bens to one cock bird! 

 When thia is done the hens should have been kept together some time 

 previous to make them familiar with each other, and the cage in which they 

 are placed should be spacious. As it appears you have not had much ex- 

 perience in bird-breedint.', try first bymatctiing only one of the henswith the 

 cock. Yon did wrong by placing some young Linnets in the nest at the par- 

 ticular period you name, for the Canary's eggs ha^in::; only been sat upon the 

 requisite time there might possibly have been birds in them. If you wish for 

 success with your Canaries you must net waste time by giving the hen other 

 birds to rear. A little practice will enable you to tell at the end of six or 

 seven days alter the eggs have been sat upon whether they will be fertile. 

 When you examine the eggs lift them with yooi thumb and finger length- 

 ways, and if they appear .lull against a strong light yon may consider them 

 good. You may remove the Canary cook to the other hen, and leave the one 

 with the Linnets to brin^' tlem up, as vou say she is so "fusty with them " 

 The usual food— egg, bread, and green food, will suffice for the hen to rear 

 them. For knowledge of general management pnrchase a treatise upon 

 Canaries, which will guide yon, and if after that you are in further ■' trouble," 

 we shall be happy to extricate you. Devote your attention to Canary breed- 

 ing, and let the wild birds bring-up their own young. Did it occur to you as 

 to the distress you must have caused when taking awav the young Linnets 

 from their parents ? and we may further ask, Have you studied the Wild 

 Bttds Preeerration Act? German paste is good for Larks and other birds, 

 whether they be of the gianivorous species or whether they feed upon seeds' 

 insects, or hemes. We give our Canaries, Goldfinches, and Lioneta an oc- 



casional treat of a little when mixed with chopped egg, which is a good 

 occasional diet to encourage a cock bird in his vocal powers. 



Finches is as Atlaey {ifrj. £.).— All the birds named being seed-eaters 

 there will be no necessity to provide caterpillars or grubs. Let the birds have 

 a plentiful supply of building materials, such as delicate twigs and fibrous 

 roots, besides moss and hair. The fittings you have mentioned will sufBco, 

 bnt no doubt you will have less success with the Bullfinches than the other 

 birds. The Greenfinches will do very well if supplied with hemp, linseed, 

 the kernels of junipers, unripe barley, turnip seeds, thistles, and salad. Let 

 them also have access to the egg and bread you may provide for the Canaries ; 

 and to keep Greenfinches tranqoilised they should not be kept short of food. 

 If so when at the feeding-trough they will snap and peck somewhat severely 

 at other smaller Finches, which become quickly overpowered by the strength 

 and power of their adversaries' beaks. Generally Greenfinches hatch their 

 young weU. The Siskins will not fare amiss for food out of the variety pro- 

 vided for the other birds, still in summer they are fond of the seeds of pines 

 and fira. Considering they are such small birds, they, too, are very pug- 

 nacious and voracious over their meals, but they breed readily. One of their 

 malidies is epilepsy, of which they are somewhat subject. Let a bath be 

 given daily, not that the Siskin scarcely ever immerses itself like other birds, 

 still it loves a sprinkle or slight splash, and is proud when preening itself 

 and keeping its feathers in trim. For the Bulianches such food as steeped 

 rape seed, grits soaked in milk, berries of the service tree, bnds of the red 

 beech, maple, oak, and pear trees, grass seeds, hemp (sparingly), and crushed 

 biscuits and salad may ba supplied. Amongst your collection you may 

 possibly have something worth looking at when the breeding season has 

 terminated. If so, and there be any difl&culty in deciding as to the true breed 

 of any of the young stock, wo shall be glad to assist you. It is just possible 

 that some specimen may be worthy of winning for you high honours, if your 

 ambition or inclination induces you to exhibit. 



MEIEOEOLOGICAIi OBSERVATIONS. 



Camdes Sqitare, LoKnoM. 



Lat. 51= 32- 40" N. ; Long. 0" S' 0' W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 



REMABK3. 



21th. — Morning doll bat f&ir; rala conuneaced at 9.45 a.m., and continoed 



neorlj all day, 

 2oth. — Wet morning; fine afterwards, bat with occasional sbowera. 

 26th. — Wet morning; after part of day fine; evening close. 

 27th. — Dall damp day, warmer, oc:a3ioaal sUght sprlnklea of rain. 

 28th. — Fine and pleasant spring day, bat rather close. 

 29th. — Fine throaghoat, saa at times very hot. 

 39th. — Rather hazy, bat otherwise fine. 



The temperature haa been rather higher than that of the previoaa week, 

 bnt the increase ia solely dne to the overcast nights, which have checked 

 radiation, and thereby kept ap th« night temperatoies. The air has beea 

 very calm throughout. — G. J. Sriioss. 



COVEN'T GARDEN MARKET.— May 31. 

 Business has been brisk since oar last report with no alteration in prices, 

 the market being well supplied with forced fruits and vegetables. 



Apples i Bieve 1 



Apricota. box 1 



Cherries box 1 o 



Cheatnata bnahel 



Currants i sieve 



Black do. 



Figa dozen 9 



FUberta lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries qaart S 



Grapes, hothouse. ... lb. 3 



Lemons ^100 6 



Melons each 6 



d. a. d. 



6 to 5 

 6 4 

 

 

 

 















15 

 

 







1 





 10 



Molbenles lb. 



Nectarines dozen 



Oranges ^ 100 



Peaches dozen 



Pears, kitchen. . . . dozen 



dessert dozen 



Pine Apples lb. 



Plnms iBieve 



Quinces bushel 



Raspberries lb. 



3trawbeiiiea.... oz. 



Walnuts bushel 



ditto V-lOO 



s. d. a. 

 OtoO 







12 



S) 







12 



4 















3 1 



10 



Artichokes dozen 4 



Asparagus %^ 100 1 



French bundle 1 



Beana, Kidney.... ^100 1 



Beet, Red dozen 1 



Broccoli bundle 



Brussels Sprcnts i sieve 



Cabbage dozen 1 



Carrots bunch 



Capsicums ^ iOO 1 



Caulidower dozen 1 



Celery bundle 1 



Coleworta.. doz. bunches 2 



Cucumbers each 



Endive dozen I 



Fennel bunch 



GarUc lb. 



Herba banch 



Horseradish bundle 4 



Lettuce dozen 



French Cabbage .... 1 



VEGETABLES. 

 B. d. 8. d. I 



Leeks bnnch 



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 



Salsaly bundle 



Scorzonera bundle 



Seakale basket 



ShaUots lb. 



Spinacb bushel 



"tomatoes dozen 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Marrows 



s. d. s. d. 



4 to u 



1 



