358 



JOOBNAL OF HORTIOULTOBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



I April SO, 1874. 



former years. Therefore, let none despiBe their weaker stocks, 

 hot follow the good example of generoas treatment which I have 

 set in my own case. — B. & W. 



Early Swarm. — April 23rd, hived a very fine swarm from a 

 common straw hive. The swarm weighed between G and 7 lbs. 

 The stock is a swarm of the 3rd of June, 1873, and during the 

 winter was covered with a pan only. The bees received about 

 G lbs. of food during February. No drones were seen until the 

 morning of the 23rd, when they made their appearance in large 

 quantities. — W. M. B., Kiyigston-on-Thames, 



OUK LETTER BOX. 



Hens' Eogs Hott (Hollo). — The aee of the potato in feading poultry is a 

 failare, inaHmucb as it makes only fat and causes liver disease. For laying 

 birds it makes the operation difficult and dangerous, choking the organs with 

 fat. It destroys quality to such an extent, that we believe if the Irish would 

 give it up as an article of poultry food it would make a difference of many 

 thousands of pounds in their favour. Calcined oyster shells amount to 

 nothing; and to care hens of eating eggs by giving them egg-shells, is like 

 curing a lad of smoking by giving him pipes and cigars. Your fowls cannot 

 find that which is necessary to make shell, and your feeding does not afford 

 it. Are they aro at liberty, and have they a grass run ? If you oan get them, 

 give some ground oats ; the hull of the oat contains much chalk. Eschew 

 the potato peelings, give some whole barley for a mid-day meal, and ground 

 oats again in the evening. If they have no grass ran, let them have daily 

 some large sods of growing grass, cut with plenty of earth, given to them, 

 and put down a good basketful of bricklayer's rubbiah. The fact of the eggs 

 being shell-lese proves the birds are not in good condition, and the craving 

 for the egg shows a morbid state of the secretions, inducing nnnatural 

 appetite. Try to keep your fowls in a state of nature. Pheasants, Partridges, 

 Grouse, Rooks, Plover, the thousand-andone small birds, lay perfect eggs, 

 and leave every shell in the neat. Take Nature for your poultry book and 

 feeder. 



Boosting Place for a Hdndred Hens (5. A. C.).— It would occupy so 

 much space to give you all the information you ask, that we must refer 

 you to some or to one of the many poultry books published, and advertised in 

 our columns. With regard to the roosting-place for a hundred hens, we 

 always prefer, when it can be done, to make two houses, each for fifty. Say 

 two houses 18 feet long by 15 wide, as lofty as you can make them — if 20 feec 

 high BO much the better— ventilated at each side close under the taves of the 

 roof, and well li;;hted by means of windows that may be open in the summer. 

 One door, in a corner, not in the middle. Perches away from the door, and 

 within 2 feet of the ground. Floor of chalk or earth. Earth, chalk, and 

 clay, well rammed down form a capital floor, especially if covered with some 

 gravel. Boards will make all the upper part, but you may have 2 feet of brick- 

 work on which to rest your timber. 



Ground OATS(Tr. H.). — We are now using ground oats for cor chickene, 

 and for ourselves we have compared the sample sent with that we are using ; 

 we find them eiactly similar. We have no reason to doubt its purity, and 

 have used it many years. We first knew it in Sassei. Few millers can pro- 

 duce it; it requires particular stones, and they want peculiar dressing. ' 

 Ground oats, as most millers make them, have the a^^earance, when slaked, of 

 barleymeal mixed with hulls or with chaff. \ ahow no food on which 

 chickens do and grow so well. Were it not so expensive we would feed dogs 

 and cows on it. It may, perhaps, be well to say we do not know the Messrs. 

 Marsh; we never saw them, and they never saw us, nor do they know us by 

 name. 



Goose's Vent Protruding {F. C/i.).— Shut-up the gander for a time. 

 Hang the Goobq up by the legs and make a thorough examination of the 

 unhealthy part. Replace anything that protrudes with a wax candle. If 

 there be difficulty, lubricate all the parts with oil ; castor oil is best. If there 

 is rupture, causing eulargemeut of the opening, ascertain whether it is on 

 one or on both sides; wherever it may be, put in a stitch to reduce it to its 

 natural state. After it seems to be cured you may use a solution of alum and 

 water internally with a syringe. Shut-up the bird by herself, and feed on 

 soft food. 



Food for Young Goslings {E. C).— Nothing is so good for goslings as 

 grass ; that is probably why so many are kept where there are commons. 

 Oatmeal put in a pan of water is excellent food for them, and it is often wise 

 to add some bran to it. Chickens should have bread and milk, chopped egg, 

 cooked meat cut up fijie, crumbs, sods of growing grass, fresh earth, and in 

 bad weather beer. 



Demerits op Hoddans {J. JT.).— Where only one breed is kept, the objeo- 

 tion to Houdans is they do not sit. They will not be kept in by any ordinary 

 fence, and if they are kept in confinement they devour each other's plumage, 

 leaving only wing and tail feathers. We know no other drawbacks. They 

 are hardy, good layers, and good-looking. If you can give them a run they 

 will not pick each uther. It is an abominable practice, and at present is con- 

 fined to Houdana and Spanish. We hare known Creve-Cteurs do it, but only 

 two. We saw a Cochin pullet in a pen indulging in the luxury, and we con- 

 demned her to pie-crust. 



Toy Pigeons (J. .ST.).— Few birds are better breeders than the Toys. They 

 arealso very pretty. Any of the large importers mi foreign Pigeons can sell 

 some pairs at low prices on account of faults that are almost imaginary. 

 These birds are kept in confinement, and may be depended upon to remain 

 after being shut-in for a day or two. Try Baily & Son, Mount Street. They 

 are the largest importers. 



Belgian Hare Rabbits (Amateur). — Your back is a Belgian Hare, but 

 rather small. The doe must be a Patagonian, from your description. The 

 Belgian Hare will be treated on in these columns, when the chief points will 

 be described. 



Canary Moulting (M. W.). — It is not usual, but sometimes happens in 

 the spring. Most likely the bird will cast only the body feathers, and possibly 

 only those on the breast. Give it its usual diet, but discontinne such a mix- 

 ture as honey in its water. A bath every day will do good. — W. A. B. 



Query Unanswered (E. J, Poct). — We have no unanswered question. 

 Please to Kond it again. 



8 UP E ring— Weight of Stock {P. fiain/onZ).— An early good swarm from 



your IS-inch hive wiU 611 both a hive and a super in a favourable season for 

 honey. As soon as the hive is filled with combs put on a super. If no second 

 swarm be taken, a super may be put on the old one about three weeks after 

 swarming. In a honey season an 18-inch hive will weigh about 50 lbs. at 

 swarming time, but much depends on a few fine da;s at that time. 



Superb do not Prevent Swarming (James Bailey).— A. super put on a 

 hive does not always prevent swarming. Sometimes bees do not enter a 

 super, and sometimes they will swarm when it is half filled. A swarm will 

 readily take to the hive full of combs in which the bees have died out, if the 

 combs are sweet and clean. 



Swarming Bees (T. G.).— It is an excellent plan to put the swarm in the 

 old stock's place. By this means generally alt other swarming is stopped, 

 and so the old hive does not become excessively weakened. This is all the 

 more to be recommended in your case, as you do not wish to increase your 

 stock much. Put the glasses or supers on before they swarm ; you may do it 

 now if your hives are strong. You can put them on the swarms about three 

 weeks after hiving. Unless theee are of considerable size the bees will swarm, 

 only somewhat later. As to size of hives, boxes, or otherwise, we advise 

 large hives for large swarms, bmall hives for small swarms; but a good 

 average size is 15 inches square inside measure, and 10 inches high. 



METEOROLOGICAIi OBSERVATIONS, 



CAMoerf SQUA.RE, London. 



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



REMARKS. 



22nd. — A splendid day, and very fine night. 



23rd. — Very fine day throughout ; bright, warm, and beautiful both day and 



night. 

 24th. — Rather dull morning; much finer in the afternoon; altogether t^ 



pleasant day, though colder than the previous ones. 

 25th. — Fair all day, bnt dull, and at times dark and stormlike. 

 26th.— A most enjoyable day. bright, and clear, but at times rather too warm. 

 27th.~Remarkably fine, bright, and warm for the season, being more like a 



day in July than in April. 

 28th. — Another similarly fine day, but much cooler out of the sun; in the 



evening it was decidedly cool. 

 A week of remarkably warm weather. No rain ; sun as bright and sky as 

 clear as in the height of summer. A further increase of 6** in the mean 

 temperature, or 12 ' in a fortnight ; but for northerly and easterly winds pre- 

 vailing it would doubtless have been still more. — G. J. Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Apan. 29. 

 Business slightly improved. The demand for best goods is more general, 

 and the supply has much increased during the past week. Strawberries and 

 Grapes are quite sufficient for the trade. Retarded Grapes are now off the 

 market, and very few Pears to be had. New Potatoes are coming from the 

 West of England, France, the Channel Islands, Malta, and Lisbon: price 

 ranges from Ad. to l5. per lb. 



FRUIT. 



B. d. S. d. 



Apples Jsieve 2 Oto8 



Apricots do». 



Cherries "Tib. 



Cheatnnts bushel 10 20 



Currants j bieve 0"" 



Black do. 



Figs dor. 



Filbert! lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries quart 















1 6 

 1 6 



a 



Grapes, hothouse. . . . lb. 4 H 



Lemons *^ 100 4 12 



Melons each 



a. d. 8. d. 



Mulberries V lb. OtoO 



Nectarines doz. 



OraDges V 100 4 16 



Peaches doz. 15 45 



Pears, kitchen doz. 3 6 



dessert doz. 8 10 



PineApples lb. 6 10 



Plums J sieve 0"** 



Quinces doz. 





 

 



Strawberries V oz. 6 10 



Walnuts bushel 10 16 



ditto VIOO a 8 



Raspberries lb. 



- ^ - ■ - 6 



VEOETABLES. 



d. 



0to6 

 5 



ArtiobokeB doz. 8 



Asparagus ^^^-lOO 2 



French 3 



Beans, Kidney.... *»• 100 2 



Beet. Red doz 1 



Broccoli bundle 9 



Cabbage doz. 1 



Capsicums ^100 



Carrots bunch 6 



Cantiflower doz. 3 



Celery bundle 1 6 



Coleworta. . doz. bunches 3 6 



Cucumbers each 1 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 2 



Fennel bunch S 



Garlio lb. 6 



Herbs bunch 8 



Horseradish bundle 8 



Leeks bunch 3 



Lettuce doz. 1 



Mushrooms pottlo 



Mustard & Cress. .punnet 

 Onions bushel 



pickling quart 



Parsley per doz. bunches 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Round . do. 



Radishes., d^z. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Salsafy bundle 



Savuys doz. 



Scorzonera bundle 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes doz. 



Turnips bonoh 



Vegetable Marrows 



B. d. I ^* 



