458 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Jane 4, 1874, 



In a few days the paper was covered with eggs, and in about 

 a week after the brief existence of the Cynthia butterflies ter- 

 minated we put the eggs in a saucer to hatch out. One sunny 

 morning we found B. Mori and B. Yama-Mai hatched out ; the 

 former looked like fine black thread cut into lengths of an eighth 

 of an inch; there were myriads of them. B. Yama-Mai were 

 yellow, and covered with black hairs, and half an inch long. 



In another week we had a fine brood of E. Cynthia worms. 

 They were a pretty yellow colour, slightly spotted with black. 



Some of the Bombyx Mori were fed on mulberry leaves, the \ 

 rest on lettuce, to prevent a famine of mulberry leaves; for we 

 had only six young trees, one of which died that season from 

 having too much leaves taken off it. 



B. Cynthia and B. Tama-Mai will not eat picked leaves, but 

 must have a branch, off which they nibble the leaves, which are 

 kept fresh by plunging the stem in water or damp sand. Cynthia 

 feeds on the Ailantus, and Y'ama-Mai on the apple tree. 



Oar silkworms grew apace, ate, slept, aud changed their colours 

 at intervals, and when near spinning time B. Mori was 4 inches 

 long, a beautiful pearl colour; B. Cynthia 4* inches long, and 

 pale green; and B, Yama-Mai gorgeous, being of a beautiful 

 transparent green spotted with silver. 



Having devoured an incredible quantity of leaves during the 

 six weeks of their existence, the valuable little creatures com- 

 menced their appointed work, the end and aim of their short 

 existence. It was curious to see how they gradually became 

 invisible through the network of silk they so deftly covered 

 themselves with, and which, from being as transparent as the 

 finest tulle, soon grew quite opaque. 



I gathered a fine crop of silk. The cocoons spun by the mul- 

 berry worm were very fine, and bright gold colour; the silk of 

 the same species of silkworm fed on lettuce was a pale green 

 colour. I have already described the cocoons of B. Cynthia ; 

 those of Yama-Mai are the size of a pigeon's egg, and green. 



We now hung up the Cynthia cocoons in a cool dark place, as 

 the butterflies of that species pass the winter and spring in their 

 chrysalids. Quantities of tiny yellow moths emerged from the 

 cocoons of B. Mori, whilst out of those spun by Yama-Mai came 

 magnificent butterflies, their colouring being a superb arrange- 

 ment of scarlet, yellow, and black. — Abachne, Eathfamhamj 

 Co. Dublin, — [Irish Farmer's Gazette.) 



latter. They must be allowed only a fenced run on grass the first four or five 

 days, and when they are at liberty the hen must be under her rip for eight 

 weeks, and when freed from it should be tethered. Their food, when young, 

 should be curd made of milk and alum, strained quite dry in a cloth ; barley- 

 meal or ground oats mixed with milk ; chopped egg, bread and milk ; a little 

 cooked meat chopped fine. They must be on grape. They always, when 

 grown, live oat of doors; they will not use shelter if it is provided. They 

 mast be kept dry, and should be shut in the rip with the hen as soon as it is 

 dai'k. They shouJd be fed at daylight. 



Ground Oats (W. HartUy).— The sample sent is good for poultry-feeding. 

 The outer husk should not be removed. 



Pigeons Dying YorNO (5»s.icr). — Your young Pigeons died of cold with 

 their crops full because their parents left off sitting upon them too early. 

 This a great many high-class Pigeons will do, hence they require other Pigeons 

 as nurses to bring them up. Hardly any Pouters or Short-faced Tumblers^ 

 or other superior varieties, will rear their own young, which have to be 

 shifted under other birds when they are a week or ten days, or a fortnight 

 old. Do not allow the Starling to build in the loft. 



Honey Bee {Dublin, E. Walpole.Juji.).— The dark-coloured bees which 

 have attacked a straw hive in numbers at Dublin are evidently specimens of 

 the common hive bee, small in size and darker in colour than usual. Such 

 specimens were described long ago by Ruber ; and Kirby andSpence consider 

 the dark colour owing to the individuals being old and with their pubescence- 

 rubbed off. Those sent from Dublin are described as wild bees, which may 

 possibly mean that they have come from a colony of their own strayed away, 

 and which have, perhaps, taken refuge in a hollow tree or under the roof of a 

 house. Is such the case, or is it merely conjectured that they are wild bees ? 

 —I. O. W. 



Continuing Feeding Bees (TT. E. 3f.). — If bees in your neighbourhood 

 are gathering much honey your swarm will do well without feeding. If the 

 weather is unfavourable another pound or two of sjrup will help it much to- 

 build combs, and thus give more scope for setting eggs eo abundantly pro- 

 duced at this season. You may easily ascertain whether the bees are gather- 

 ing honey or not by weighing the hives in your hands. Be careful how hives 

 recently tenanted are handled, as young combs before they are attached to- 

 the cross sticks are easily shaken down. 



Drones with Swarm (Idem).^!! all the drones went with the swarm let 

 them remain. Your young queens will be matured by-and-by, when they wilJ 

 come forth to meet the drones of any hive. So far, therefore, as the queens 

 are considered, it does not matter which hive contains drones. The probability 

 is great that in the old hive more drones will be hatched in a few days and 

 continnoasly till the twenty-fourth day after the swarming took place. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Spanish Hens Dying (TI'. P. B.}.— We should attribute the death of the 

 hens to overfeeding and consequent heat and internal fever. A hen of any 

 breed cannot, in such a state of body, lay an egg, and any rupture in the egg- 

 organs is fatal if there be an egg in them at the time. We should discontinue 

 the wheat and the table scraps. Feed only on barleymeah Feed them night 

 and morning. We are not sure we would not fast them entirely for a couple 

 of liays. If you could see the approach of the attack, you could save fatal 

 consequences by the use of a wing or tail feather dipped in oil. You should 

 pass it up the passage till it reaches the egg. It will be laid at once, but be 

 careful not to use any force. An old locksmith once said an oiled feather was 

 the best workman when the lock would not act, and we say an oiled feather is 

 here the best doctor. We repeat, Use no strength ; whether the egg is broken 

 by the strain, or by you, it is alike a fatal case. 



Dark Brahma Plumage {E. D.).— The breast of a Dark Brahma cock 

 may be black or speckled with white. The best two birds ever seen of this 

 breed were sold at Birmingham for £110. The cock had a speckled breast. 

 Black-breasted cocks iu this breed are like the cocks in the Silver-Greys. In 

 that class of Dorkings it is most diflicult to find perfect specimens. We do 

 not pin our faith to black breasts, nor do we recohect that we have ever said 

 it was the test of a good bird. Our own opinion is that, in birds of size like 

 Brahmas, the presence of a few white feathers is unimportant. We do not 

 even object to a speckled breast. You will be prepared after this for us to say, 

 that taking your description, we think at present you may be satisfied with 

 your chickens. We are bound to tell you you must not look for black-breasted 

 adults from hght-breasted chickens. Increase of age tends to lighter, not 

 darker feather in all fowls. A Brahma cock should be large, wide across the 

 back, between the hip bones, well feathered on leg and the first toe {if the 

 second BO much the better), good pea-comb, bright sharp face, well-curled 

 black tail inclining to white as it gets older, jellow legs, and wings well 

 cUpped up to the body. No buff in any part of the body. Light hackle and 

 saddle, and steel-barred wing. No vulture hocks. 



MiNORCAB (E//rff ).— They are difficult to describe. They are washed-out 

 Spanish. The tradition is they were Spanish fowls brought over by the 

 " Worthies " mentioned in Kingsley's " Westward, Ho I " and that they have 

 remained the fowls of the country ever since. We confess we cannot answer 

 your question as to the white breasts, but the fact shows they have still some- 

 thing in common with their first parents. Spanish fowls are bred with white 

 flights, and it is no uncommon thing for a pure Spanish hen to moult some- 

 times speckled with white, and in rarer iostances with entirely white plumage. 

 We have therefore httle doubt in saying that the white chickens may be pure 

 Minorcas. 



Chickens' Feet Contracted (7(?/'m).— All your chickens are cramped. 

 "What is the flooring of the house in which they roost or are kept ? Is it 

 brick, wood, stone, or asphaltum ? If so, that is the cause. If they are out 

 of doors the cause must be found in insufficient food. If they are indoors 

 put them out. Let the rip be on the grass, and the bars wide enough for the 

 chickens to ran at liberty. Feed liberally : chopped egg, curd, bread and 

 milk, cooked meat chopped fine, and crushed com. Give them some old ale 

 to drink. If they are at liberty with the hens, shut up the latter in the rips. 



Exhibiting Fowxs {A Novice). — Write to the secretary of any show at 

 which you wish to exhibit, and ask him to send you the rules. You need not 

 b« a subscriber. 



Rearing Golden Pheasants (J. r.}.--We gave full instractions in our 

 last number. The hen will sit twenty-three or four days, generahy the 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



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



REMARKS. 



27th.— Fine bright day. 



28th.— Cloudy and dull ; slight shower at 11.10 p.m., rain not measurable. 

 29th. — No rain, but rather a dull oppressive morning ; fresher evening, 

 SOth. — Fine, bright, warm day. 

 Slst.— A fine warm day, with a little wind. 

 June 1st. — Warmer, but dull at times. 

 2ud. — A brilliant sunrise ; a warm day ; a Uttle dull at times ; rather heavy 

 rain in night, or, rather, early in the morning of Wednesday. 

 Temperature about 5 higher than that of last week, sun temperature ex- 

 ceptionally high, barometer steady. — G. J. Svmons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET,— June S. 

 We have no alterations of consequence to report. 



Apples 1 



Apncota 



Cherries 



Figs 



Filberts , 



Cobs 



Gooseberries 



Grapes, hothouse. 

 Lemons 



sieve 

 . doz. 

 t^box 

 doz. 

 .. lb. 

 ...lb. 

 quart 

 .. lb. 



**-100 



Artichokes dnz, 



AspiiragQs ^100 



French 



Beans. Kidney.... ^ Wi 



Beet, Red doz 



Broccoli bundle 



Cabbage doz. 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Coleworts. . doz. bunches 



Cucumbers each 



Endive doz. 



d. 



toS 



i 



6 



15 



1 6 



1 6 



9 



li 



12 



s. d. B. d. 



Melons each 4 Oto8 



Nectarines doz. 13 



OraDRes ¥^100 4 



Peaches doz. 12 



Pears, kitchen doz. 2 



Pine Apples lb. 6 



Strawberries ^ oz. 



Walnuts bushel 10 



ditto ^100 3 



12 



VEGETABLES. 

 d. B. d. 



Otoe 



6 



10 







B 



9 1 6 



I 6 







10 



s. dl 

 

 

 6 



Lettace doz. 1 Oto 



MaehroomB pottle 10 2 



Mastard & Cress. .punnet 3 



Onions bushel 4 7 



Parsley per doz, bunches 2 4 



Peas quart 2 5 



Potatoes bushel 8 6 6 



New V lb. 9 



Radishes., doz. bonchea 10 10 



Shallots lb. 3 



Spinach bushel 9 8 



Tomatoea doz. 3 6 



Turnips bunch 8 4 



