354 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 14, 1875. 



Brahmas, and Game eeem the only birds that do not suffer from it. The 

 only treatment we know is to keep the lega constantly moist, either with 

 citron ointment or with sweet oil. It is very difllcult of cure, and the sooner 

 it is taken in hand the better. 



Keeping Geese without a Grass Run {B. E. Z*.).— Your letter is 

 hardly explicit enough. Do you mean to keep Geese with a view to fattening 

 them, being bought at an age when their early troubles are over, or do you 

 mean to keep them as stock, and to breed from them ? If you wish to have 

 them as Geese for the table, they may run in the yard you describe, and be 

 pn(-up in a smaller space to fatten as they may be wanted. It is hardly 

 possible to breed Geese profitably unless they can have a grass run ; it is their 

 natural baby's food. All Geese of every European breed want grass when 

 young. Geese are generally largely bred iu the vicinity of commons for this 

 reason. If there be such places in yoar neighbourhood you will do better to 

 buy goslings than to breed them. They are easily fattened on bran, oats, 

 and meal. If you determine to keep Geese they must be liberally fed with 

 t;rass cat in large sods and put in water, or on dry spots in a yard. 



Heating Poctltry Houses (B. E.). — We do not care to heat oiir poultry 

 houses, nor would we have them heated if it were done gratia. If you differ 

 from us we believe the b?st plan is to heat with hot water. The chill the 

 birds experience when they leave their heated house for the cold outside atmo- 

 sphere is very detrimental. We prefer to increase our fcod, and to give it of 

 a more stimulating character, as scraps of all sorts of meat ; feeding three 

 or four times per day on soft food, and above all feeding the first thing in the 

 morning at break of day, and the last thing at night. When snow is on the 

 ground, either to feed on a ppot that has been carefully and scrupulously 

 cleansed of snow, or in their houses. Snow is to all birds a violent purgative. 

 It must always be borne in mind that although poultry is somewhat artifici- 

 ally treated, yet it partakes to a certain extent of the nature of Game. Except 

 in very long-contiuued slow or frosts we do not find Pheasants, Partridges, or 

 Grouse affected by the weather, and their feeding is far more precarious than 

 that of fowls. The latter are therefore better able to boar it than their wild 

 brdtbren. 



Swans (A Lady in Cheshire). — It is often the caqe that Swans will not 

 take to the water they ai-e intended to adorn when there is other water near. 

 Close observation will end by discovering the cause of the preference. There 

 is a cause — either some weed of which they are fond, or a larger space of 

 water, or more shelter. The rale with all auimals when they are required to 

 keep at home is to feed them so well that they have nothing to seek. Thej 

 are then always full, they grow fat and lazy, and stay at home. It is seldom 

 Swans walk as far as the soace you mention, and if they are properly 

 pinioned they cannot fly. When they have the use of their wings they will 

 at certain seasons of the year fly long distances from home. They generally 

 return, but they sometimes meet with accidents. 



Transit of Poulthy (J. C. H.).~Vfe are unable to give you the desired 

 information, and advise you to write at once to the Secretary of the Show you 

 name. 



Pigeon House (Constant Subset iber). — The more room you can give the 

 better for the birds. It is especially desirable to make a house lofty ; it should 

 also be hght. In gi\ing measurements we do not say the space is absolutely 

 necessary, but, if you have it, it is desirable. We would make it 10 feet every 

 way. A good flooring is made by putting down liquid tar and covering it 

 with smEdl sifted gravel; when cold another fine coat of tar and another coat 

 of gravel. This makes a surface that will bear sweeping. For purposes of 

 cleanliness the floor should be perfectly even, and for the same reason the 

 sides of whatever material should be smooth. There should be no harbour 

 for dust or vermin. 



Lame Pigeon (W. F. C). — We can only advise you to keep the bird by 

 itself. The leg is probably iujored iu some way, and will most likely benefit 

 from rest. 



Spots of Blood in a Canary's Cage (Joe). — The spots of blood in the 

 bird's cage may be accounted for as follows: — Birds upwards of one year old 

 at this particular season cast their quill feathers (wings and tails), and the 

 tapping or injary to either would cause tbem to freely bleed. In an early 

 stage of the feathers shooting forth they are heavily charged. On the other 

 hand, the blood might have proceeded from the bird's claws, for they are 

 likely to get trapped in a crevice, or become entangled in the wirework or at 

 the ends of the perches. If the qoills and claws appear all right then we will 

 suppose that the bird might have ruptured au artery, and to prevent becom- 

 ing suffocated with the blood in the throat would naturally shake its bill and 

 bespatter the cage. In either case the bird may be thus treated : If the blood 

 arise from the quills, remove the bird from others, and nature will speedily 

 effect its own cure. If the claws have become injured bathe them in salt 

 and water. If an artery has been ruptured let the patient be kept quiet, and 

 not excited or flurried. Iu the bird's fountain put half a teaspoonfal of 

 brandy, and a piece of salt the size of a bean, give a cold bath, and until the 

 bird recovers strength a little bread-and-milk diet. It ia not an uncommon 

 occorrence for Canaries to throw-up blood. Fright and sudden excitement is 

 the cause, and fits often ensue. When approaching a case to catch a bird 

 it ia always better to give it slight notice by familiarly chirping at it. Kind 

 familiar treatment, is essential to all animal life, and Canaries qaickly ap- 

 preciate it. 



Weight of Comb — Covering Hives (A Young Apiarian). — The late 

 Baron Liebig, in the appendix to his work on " Animal Chemistry," says that 

 " bees have to consume 20 lbs. of honey to make 1 lb. of wax, and 1 oz. of 

 comb holds 1 lb. of honey." We have not tested the matter, and therefore 

 Cannot vouch for the accuracy of Liebig's assertions. The quilt and carpet 

 arrangement for the tops of hives ia ineffectual. We advise you to remove 

 the old carpets from the crowns of your hives, and put something better in 

 their places; you cannot easily find anything worse. 



Driving Bees {A Constant Reader).— It is rather late in the season to 

 form an apiary of large straw hives by feeding swarms put into them. You 

 have succeeded admirably in colonising three swarms in one large hive and 

 causing them to build an abundance of comb. At this late season we think 

 you would do well to let the bees remain a^ they are, and put the swarms 

 next year into the large hives. Bat if you oio determined to people another 

 large hive, take the combs out one by one and sweep the bres off them wi h 

 a hand brush into the large hive. This you can easily do either outdoors on 

 a warm day or in the conservatory by candlelight. But to attempt to feed 

 the bees afterwards in the conservatory would be risky. Thousands of them 

 would probably be lost by flying against the glass. 



Flakes of Wax (A Novice). — The was dust which yon gathered and seat 

 for inspection ia composed wholly of flakes of was which ooze from the ab- 

 domens of bees while they are building combs. All swarms lose some of the 

 flakes (which fall on the board), in the operation of comb-baildiug. They do 

 not pick-up or use what falls from them in this work. Your hive is quite 

 healthy, and if it contains 12 or 15 lbs. of food now, and ia well covered, it 

 will live through the winter. 



Quince Marmalade (J. F.).— Gather the fruit when fully ripe, and of a 

 fine yellow; pare, quarter, and core it; put the quinces into a saucepan with 

 a little water, and set them on the fire until they are quite soft ; then take 

 them out, and lay them on a sieve to drain ; rub them through and weigh the 

 pulp: boil an equal quantity of hug&r to petite cassf, then add the pulp, and 

 siir them together over the tire until it will fall from the spoon like a jelly. 

 The marmalade is then fit to be put into pots, and when cold cover them 

 closely. 



Quinces, Compote of (W. Q.). — Take six quinces, cut them in halves, and 

 core them ; scald and pare them neatly. Put some clear syrup into a pre- 

 serving-pan, with the juice of a lemon; when hot add the quinces, and give 

 them a boil together; ilrain the fruit, arrange it in the compotier, leave the 

 syrup to thicken a little, and pour it over the quinces. 



METEOKOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



Camden Square, London. 



Lat.51°82'40"N.; Long.QoS'O" W.; Altitade, 111 feet. 



REMARKS. 



6th.— Fine all day ; at times very bright. 



7th. — A very fine day throughout. 



bth. — Hazy early, but a fine day afterwards, though there were a few drops 



of rain at noon. 

 9th. — Fine till noon; after that time rather showery, the wind rising and 

 being at times very high ; and great fall in temperature. 

 10th.— Fine till 3 p-m , then showery at times ; the fall was heavy, especially 



about midnight. 

 11th. — Fine raorniog ; a sudden and very short thunderstorm at 10.55 a.m., 

 the sun shining quite brightly when it commenced, and though dark 

 for a short time soon clearing off. 

 12th.— A very fine day but cold, though there was not much wind. 



Rapid fall of temperature at the end of the week, with what is a very 

 unusual accompaniment — viz., low barometer and west wind. — G. J. Symons. 



OOVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Octobeb 18. 



No alteration in prices this week. Peaches and Grapes from Holland have 



been arriving in very good condition, also Pears from France, consisting of 



Duches.se d'Angouleme, and Glou Morijeau. Cobs have been in good demand 



at slightly better prices. 



FRUIT. 



B. d. s. d. 

 Apples J sieve 1 Otol 6 



Apricots. dozen 



Cherries lb. 



rtif-stuuta bnshel 



Corrants i sieve 



Black do, 



Figs dozen 6 



Filberts lb. 6 



Cobs lb. 6 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, hothouse.. .. lb. 1 



L^^mons ^ICO H 



Melons each 1 



Mulberries lb. 



Nectarines dozen 3 



Oranges ^100 12 



Peaches dozen 3 



Pears, kitchen.... dozen 



dessert dozen 1 



Pine Apples lb. 3 



Plums J sieve 1 



Quinces dozen 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries lb. 



Walnuts bushel 8 



ditto ^100 1 



d. B. 

 6 to I 



8 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes dozen 



Asparagus ^•* JOu 



French bundle 



Beans, Kidney i sifjve 



Broad i sieve 



Beet, Red dozen 



Broccoli bundle 



Brussels Sprouts i sieve 



Cabbage duzen 



Carrots buuc-h 



Capt-icnms *>■ 100 



Cauliflower dozen 



Celery bundle 



Coleworts.. doz. buncbea 

 Cucumbers each 



pickling dozen 



Endive dozen 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish bundle 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce dozen 



Mushrooms pottle 2 



Mustard & Cress puDnet 



Onions bushel 2 



pickling quart 



Parsley.... doz. bunches 



Parsnips dozen 



Peas quart 1 



Potatoes. bushel 2 



Kidney do. 3 



KadiaheB.. doz. bunches 1 



Rhubarb bundle 



Salsaty bundle 1 



Scorzonera bundle 1 



Seakale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel S 



Tomatoes dozen 2 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Marrows doz, 1 



d. s. d 

 4 too 

 1 





 2 

 

 6 

 

 

 

 6 

 

 

 



& 



2 



