28G 



JOURNAL OF HORTICOLTDRE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ April 2, 1874. 



worJing of the schedule) of foul brood, will honestly deserve the 

 X'5. — J. Oliver, Hartington^ Derhyshire. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Cock Inattentive to Hens (Q. r.).— The complaint you mate is a com- 

 mon one at this time of year. We can only prescribe patience, as we always 

 find doubts disappear aa the season (^oes on. Early eggs do not hatch so 

 ■well as later ones, and weather sometimes spoils the early eggs. 



Hens' Eyes Closed {BUndnian).~k^^\y some golden ointment to the 

 acres with a camel-hair brush, and when they are healed use a strong 

 solution of alum and water, with whicli yon muBt bathe the lids till the eyes 

 are open again. 



Pdllets Egg-dodnd (Jbcr/c/'/y).— We have no doubt both birds were 

 egg-bound. If they were not, they have sustained some injury in the back. 

 The absence cf the cock has nothing to do with it. The formula of the food 

 in question is given by Mr. Wright. We do not know how it can be procored 

 unless specially prepared. 



Chickens Suffering from Scour (H. E. T.).— We do not see why yonr 

 chickeDs die. The food is good, bat too stimulating for chickens. Give 

 boiled eg;/, no rice, no toppings. If your ground oats are so well ground that 

 they furm a smooth paste when slaked, continue them; if they mis-up rough 

 as though fine chaff were mixed with them, give them up. You may give 

 some cooked meat chopped tine morning and evening, and a little midday — no 

 raw meat, no pepper. Give them some beer to drink. You speak of ekredded 

 grass. That would imply they are not whore they can get grass. If it be so. 

 let them have daily some large sods cut with plenty of earth, and thev will 

 tear them to pieces and find many helps in it. We believe lots of chickens 

 are being killed by overfeeding and ioiproper food. 



Heating a Poultry House (K I. L. K.).—\t anyone would heat all the 

 fowl houses we have for nothing we would not accept the offer. We do 

 not, therefore, advise you to do anything of the sort. If artificial heat is to 

 be at all employed beneficially, cither the fowls must be kept within the 

 house or the whole atmosphere of their runs must be warmed. There is 

 always illness among poultry when they are kept in a heated place. They 

 suffer from the change when they leave it. If yon determine to adopt it, the 

 flue cai-ried round the house would easily give you a temperature of 5CP or 

 60°, which is all you require. 



Commencing Brahma- keeping (J. J.).— In the space you mention 

 (15 yards by 9), and undertakiug that the birds shall have the additional run 

 you speak of, you may keep twenty birds easily. The difference between the 

 Brabmas is only one of colour. Nothing is so valueless as a dark Light 

 Brahma. You do not say what your object in keepiog poultry is, whether for 

 profit or fancy, and whether or not you look for a return from market, or from 

 the sale of stock birds. We cannot see profit in keeping half-breeds, and 

 ad^e you to begin by buying some good eggs and rearing your future stock. 

 We cannot recommeod anyone for the pale of such things, but advise you to 

 look down oiu: advertising columns. You will have a choice of respectable 

 names. 



White Leghohns (ff. H. H.).— We have had the White Leghorns, and 

 did not find them remarkable for any particular property. We liked them 

 bo Uttle we did not attempt to breed them. 



Mabking Ducks (J, J>/.),— It is very common where many Ducks run 

 together to maik them with a piece of wire round the leg ; it forms a ring, 

 and is wcrn without pain or inconvenience to the wearer. One marks on the 

 right leg, another on the left; if a third, he marks with two rings. It is, 

 however, easy to mark in the web of the feet by punching holes. The two 

 large webs supply room for marking in many ways, and the two feet making 

 four webs offer a considerable surface. 



Beahmas not Laying {A. J5.).— It is very possible yonr bens have laid 

 their first epKs, and are about to sit. They will not at their age lay so many 

 as pullets. It is hard to allowance laying hens; they eat more at one time 

 than another, and as a rule they should be fed as long as they will run after 

 food. Give them slaked meal or ground oats morning and evening, and some 

 Tfhole com at midday. Discontinue potatoes. 



VuLTUitE- HOCKED Chick {J. S. JT.).— There is no cure, and toeradicate the 

 feathers would be unfair. The only grain for chickens should be bruised 

 wheat ; bread crumbs, egg boiled hard and chopped fine, and scraps of meat 

 are best for their chief sustenance. There is no book on Bantams only. 



Hatching Ahtificiallt {J. C.).— You will see our reply to another corre- 

 spondent. It never has been practised successfully. Employ hens both to 

 hatch and to rear. The example of the Sussex cottagers, which is profitable, 

 should be followed. 



Food for Young Paktridges (Eversjield P?acc).— Young Partridges should 

 be fed on chopped egg, bruised wheat, bread-crumbs, and curd. They must 

 always have water. If the hen with the young is put near a grass or clover 

 field, they will run therein, and find mueh of their food; but this is only a 

 help. The hen should not be allowed to leave the rip, and it should be secured 

 from vermin at night. Cats are great destroyers of young Partridges. Maggots 

 of any kind are vei-y servicable to young Partridges, but especially the larvie, 

 or "eggs,'' as thty are usually called, of the ant. In June and July they 

 prefer these to any other food. 



Spice Bird, Wea\-er Bird, Wax-bills {St. Edmund).— There are so 

 many kinds of Wax-bills, and the plumage varies so much, that it would 

 not he easy to describe them, but they are all generally considered pretty 

 birds, are very small, and, as their name implies, look as if their beaks 

 were made of red sealing-wax. They cost about Vis. 6d. per pair. Spice 

 Birds are a little larger than Wax-bills, and although not gay in colonr, are 

 pretty. They, like Wax-bills, require care and warmth to keep them in 

 health ; they cost about 15s. per pair. Of Weaver Birds there are many 

 , varieties, and they are larger and stronger than either Spice Birds or Wax- 

 bills. Some are exceedingly pretty in colour, and the price varies from 20s. to 

 509. per pair. All these birds belong to the class of Finches, and eat millet 

 and canary seed. 



Crystal Palace Bee and Honey Show (R. S.).— We cannot insert the 

 letter unless all the inuendos and motives attributed to others are omitted. 

 Surely an opinion may be maintained without trying to sting an opponent. 



Incdbators (B. C.).— Not one has succeeded. We have known many tried 

 aod in every instance discarded. 



Wheat Sajuoxd bt Fiaa (fl, C.).— Ifc will not injure either young or old 

 fowls. 



Rabbit with Abscess (W. P. H.).— Your Rabbit has an abscess behind its 

 ear. This should be lanced, and the pus squeezed out ; leave the wound to 

 heal of itself. Do not alter the feeding, but give a few oats in addition 

 daily. 



Drones in March {A. H. M.).— There was no drone in your letter when it 

 came. The envelope was opened. We beUeve that sometimes in strong 

 hives a few drones are to be found as early as March. It may be an instinctive 

 arrangement, as where the queen is getting old; possibly also it indicates a 

 failure of her breeding powers, and a return to the normal condition of her 

 birth before she had found her mate. 



Bees Refusing Food (Dover).— The syrup which your bees will not take 

 is either too thm and watery, or it is made of bad sugar. If the sugar is 

 good, bees will take it if mixed at the rate of weight for weight, or 1 lb. of 

 sugar to one pint of water. Better have less water than too much. Some 

 few years ago we bought 34 lbs. of sugar of a beautiiol grey-sandy colonr for 

 our bees. It was offered to them in saucers, but they would not touch it. It 

 was boiled afresh in more sugar, still they would not take it. It was poured 

 over the combs, and even there it was allowed to remain. We cut all the wet 

 combs out at last, for there was some poisonous matter in the sugar. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



Lat. 51" 32' 40" N. ; Long. 0° 8' 0" W. ; Altitude 111 feet. 



REMARKS. 

 25th. — Bright, clear, and fine all day, but rather cold. 

 26th. — Fine momingthough rather cloudy ; very tine dniingthe remainder of 



the day. 

 27th.— Very fine day ; a white butterfly seen. Rain in the evening with high 



wind. 

 28tb. — Fine but windy, fair till the evening, then rain and high wind. 

 29th. — Stormy night and morning; rain in the evening, and another stormy 



night. 

 30th. — Fair all day, except a slight shower about 3 P.M. 

 31st. — Wet and stormy early ; sunshine and showers in the middle of the day ; 



rather brighter towards evening, and a splendid night. 

 Temperature nearly the same as that of the preceding week. Frequent 

 showers and high wind during the last four or five oays, but the quantity ol 

 rain that has fallen has only been small. — G. J. Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Apkel 1. 

 The markets generally are very quiet, this being a broken week on acootmt 

 of the approaching holidays. The supply is ample, especially of Grapes and 

 Strawberries ; among the former we notice some good Lisbon Black, better 

 than we have seen for some years, selling at 3s. to is. per pound. An excel- 

 lent parcel of St. Michael's Pines is also on the market at reasonable rates. 



B. d. 



Apples i sieve 2 0to3 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries II* lb. 



Chestnuts bushel 10 



Currants 1 sieve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 



FUberts lb. I 



Cobs lb. 1 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, hothouse.... lb. 2 



Lemons *> 100 4 



Melons each 



d. 

 

 





 

 

 

 

 6 

 6 

 

 

 

 



Mulberries ¥* lb. 



Nectarines doz. 



Oranges ^100 4 



Peaches doz. 



Pears, kitchen doz. 2 



dessert doz. S 



Pine Apples lb. 6 



Plums 4 sieve 



Quiuces doz. 



Kaspberries lb. 



Strawberries ^ oz. 1 



Walnuts bnshel 10 



ditto S'lOO 9 



6. d. B. d. 



otoo 







16 

 

 

 

 

 

 



a 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes doz. 8 



Asraraeas 1^100 4 



French 12 



Beans, Kidney.. 



►101 2 



Oto6 

 10 

 iO 



Beet. Red doz 1 



Mushrooms pottio 1 



Mustard lii^Oresa.. punnet 

 UnioDs bushel 4 



pickling quart 



Parsley per doz, bunches 4 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart lU 



Potatoes bushel S 



Kidney do. 



Round . do. 



Radishes., doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



SaUafy bundle 



Savoys doz, 



Scorzonera bundle 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bnshel 



Tuinatoes doz. 



Turnips bunch 



d. B.d. 



otoa 

 a 6 



7 





 6 



Vetietabie Marrows. ..*.• 



