394 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



I October 28, 1876. 



than Btraw; all I maintain is, that wood is ultimately the 

 cheapest, and that they do as well in the one as in the other. 

 Besides, when the wood becomes black and dirty in the inside we 

 give them a coat of -vvhite-lead paint, and the bees take to it as 

 well as to either clean wood or straw. I paint my straw Wood- 

 bnrys as they get dirty in the inside, so that we really find that 

 the bees are not so fastidious about their domicile as we would 

 have them to be. 



My neighbour began with forty-eight stocks this spring, and 

 increased to seventy; these he will reduce to about the same 

 number by breaking up old skeps and destroying old queens, 

 adding the bees of course to weak hives. His success this year 

 has been much the same as my own, though he does not weigh 

 them. Through an accident which prevented him following 

 his occupation as a blacksmith he has taken to keep bees, but 

 finds it a very precarious source of income, and no one can 

 manage them better than he does. If the seasons were always 

 favourable he might be more prosperous, but if money is to be 

 made by bee keeping in other localities it certainly is not in 

 this, and he often longs to be where those flourishing balance 

 sheets are made up, where he would make a fortune in a few 

 years, and being an enthusiast in bee-culture, wonders that any- 

 one would continue iu any other occupation when so much can 

 be made by keeping bees. Seeing the great advantage of a 

 moveable bar hive, he would use no other were it not their first 

 expense. 



I have just received and introduced two Ligarian queens which 

 Mr. Neighbour sent me. I followed out the printed instructions 

 Bent with them. After being enclosed in the cage for two days 

 and two nights I took out the bar and allowed some of the bees 

 to have access to the queen, when I found they would have killed 

 her, although there were no eggs in the hive. The second one 

 being tried in the same way the bees took to her at once, and 

 she was allowed to go free among her new subjects. On the 

 third day I again allowed the bees to have access to the first 

 •queen, when they received her with joy.— Alex. SHEinEii. 



TVest Glamoboanshire AoRicuLTunAi, Society. — Its Poultry 

 Show is on the 9th of December. The prizes are good. One 

 class is unusual— for White Game. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



HAMBnBGH Cock's Comb Shrh-elled (F. a. H.).— Give the bird a little 

 ale and toast daily, and lub the comb with camphorated spiiit until he has 

 fiuished mouItiDg. 



_ CocK-cnowiNG ( ).— We belicre the cocks that crov. least are the Dork- 

 ings, Creve-Creurs, and Houdans. Cochins, Brahma's, and Game are the 

 noisiest; the two first from their crows, the last from its persistence in 

 challenginif. namhurgha are also very thrill and persistent. It may, how- 

 ever, be borne in mind, that a cock by himeeK and out of hearing of any 

 otlier does not crow much. 



Beahmas Dying on the Pencn (J. C.).— There can be but two causes for 

 the death of your birds Either they pick np something that is poisonous, 

 and the red combs would seem to contradict that, or they are too fat. We 

 should incline to the latter opinion, especially as you say they were laying. 

 In straining to get rid of the egi? thej become apoplectic. It is more than 

 likely they are over-fed. In all cases you can find by handling whether they 

 are egg-bound or not. If they are. dip a wiog feather in oil, ani pass it (icntty 

 down the egg passage till it touches the egt'. and lubricate it thoroughly. It 

 will be laid and the bird relieved. Feed a« follows— barlev meal or ground oats 

 slaked night and morning; some whole corn in the middle of the day. and 

 nothing else. Feed only fs long as the fowls will run after the food. Your 

 May putlets should Uy next month. The cock was suffering from stoppage or 

 from a slight injury in the back. ° 



Cost of Povltry Feeding [Mny, BiiHiji).— The food to be given to fowls 

 depends on the nature of their run. It they have a grass run, and access to 

 a stable dung heap, they want less food than when they are either in conhne- 

 ment or shut out from the opportunities of fiodiDg natural food. If fowls 

 have nothing but that which is given to them, they should have three ircila 

 per day. We believe both for health and economy ground food is better than 

 whole corn. They should then have a meal every morning and evening of 

 bar'.eymeal or ground oats slaked with water. This should be thrown down 

 in small pieces, and given only as long as they run greedily after it. The mid- 

 day meal may be whole corn, or house, tabic and kitchen scraps. Where the 

 greatest economy is looked for there must be no wast-i, and every mouthful of 

 food left on the ground is waste. Tho cost of keeping birds is governed by 

 the condition in which they are when tho experiment is begun. It they are 

 11 foil flesh and condition their appetites will be moderate. If they have been 

 kept on short commons they will eat voraciously at first. If you wish to keep 

 them economically you m ii<t superintend tho feeding yourself. If yon do this, 

 and neither waste nor over-feed, you should keep your birds at" from 2d. to 

 2.'L per week per head. 



PflOTECTiNG Hives (C(iro!i/,!).— For a temporary cover put ou a piece of 

 carpet and over that a piece of oilcloth. We will publish some drawings 

 of coverings next wetk. 



Eee Feedino (T. Mcallliii).—la autumn bees should bo fed rapidly— that 

 is to S4y, have all they need for winter in one week. Your plau of givin.' them 

 ■what thoy require every week answers well in .spring, hut is to be avoided now. 

 B .il lua( sugar in its own weight of water, fr/ a pint of water (or rather lees 

 at this season), to 1 lb. of sugar. When tho tyriip is about blood heat give 

 the bees 2 or 3 lbs. of it every day till they have enough. 



Fox's SrPEns (T. B.).— It is of no use complaining now of injaalico being 

 do 16 at the Crjstal Palace Bee and Honey Show. No oto can ascertain the 

 « vnsideration.s which guided tho Judjjcs. 



Pabrot with Diseased Nostril (Saritener).— Ask your chemist to pre- 

 pare an ointment made up with two or three giains of caustic (nitrate of 

 Eiker) to about as much fre.'h lard as will fill a teaspoon, with which voa 

 may anoint the part affected. This will tend to allay inllammation and 

 prevent further accumulation of cankerous matter. Give the Parrot a 

 Ronerous diet— some hempseed. if it will partake of it, in addition to other 

 food. Let it have o shower bath occasionally, hut after each bath gently dry 

 the bird's feathers before a fire. 



_ Pet Seagcll (T. V. 1'.).— The mites in the cage will much irritate tho 

 Gull, especially during the night time. The cage will require thorough cleans- 

 ing. Dress the crevices with turpentine, and afterwards lamp oil or parallin, 

 and in a day or so afterwards well brush and wath the cage with scalding 

 suds from the washing-tub. 



Beetboot Leaves and Stalks (J. i.).— Ihe leaves are cooked hko 

 spinach, and the leafstalks like asparagus. 



METEOEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



Camden Sqdabe, London. 



Lat.Bl°S2'40"N.; Long. 0" 8' 0' W.; Altitade, 111 Jeet. 



REMARKS. 



20th. — A thoroii;?bly wet day from early marniDg to midaisht. 



21st. — Beautifully liae till 2 p m., then cloudy; Jightoiog at 3 30 and thunder 

 at 3.45 I'.ii., heavy rain afterwards; but iioe night. 



S2nd. — Hazy eaily, but Cue by 8 30 A.ii. and till 1 p.m., then showery; but 

 fine night. 



23rd. — Fair, but cloudy esirly, and after 9 A.3r. showery all day; rather less si 

 at night. 



S4th. — Fine and pleasant all day, particularly bright in the middle of the day. 



25th. — Fair, though rather cold in the morning; very fine and pleasant al 

 day. 



26th.— Another fioe and agreeable day, but not quite so bright as the pre- 

 ceding one; rain in evening. 

 Tho first four days wet and uncomfortable, the last three fine. Average 



temperaturo nearly the same as the previous week, bat falling during the 



last day.— G. J. Symoks. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— October 27. 

 The market is still heavily pupplied with all classes of goods, both English 

 and foreign, and with a slow trtide prices do not improve. Some good speci- 

 meoB of Salway Peaches are now to be procured, and are making remunerative 

 prices, nothuuse Grapes aro feeling the effect of the late wet weather, large 

 quantities haviug been cut duriug the past week, whilst some good samples 

 are still comiug fr^m Jer,-*ey. Pears consist of Mane Louise, Calebaase CJrosso, 

 and Duchesse d'AugouK-me, Gluu Mori;eau, aud Leurrc Diel. The first cargo 

 of St. Michael autumn Orauges has just been sold, as also some Pines, bo 

 that a regular supply of both may now he expected. Kent Cobs and Filberta 

 are experiencing a decline, owing to a better supjily and the reluctance of 

 buyerd to purchase till a lower figure is quoted. 



Apples h Bieva l 



Apricots dozen 



Cherriea lb. 



(IhPBtnulB bushel 



Currants i sieve U 



Black do. 



Figs dozen 



Filberta lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, hothouse.... lb. 1 



Lemons ^100 8 



Melons each 1 



ol 6 Mulberries lb. 



I Necrarines dozen 



u Oranges 1*100 12 



Peaches dozen 6 



Pears, kitchen.,., d^jzen 



desnert dozen 1 



Pine Apples lb, 4 



9 Plnms | sieve 1 



9 Quinces dozen 1 



Kaspberries lb. 



5 Strawberries lb. 



12 Walnuts baehel 4 



6 ditto I^-IOO 1 



VEGETABLES, 



Artichokes 



Asparagus 



French 



Beans, Kidney., . 



Broad 



Bfct, Red 



Brucco'i 



Brussela Sprouts 



Cabbage 



Carrots 



Capsicums 



Canliilower 



Celery 



Coleworts.. dnz. b 

 Cueurnbcrs.. 



pickling. 



Endive 



Fennel 



Garlio 



Herbs 



.y, 313 era dish 



dozen 



V H'O 



bundle 



t sievo 



j sieve 



. dozen 



buuOle 



j sieve 



dozen 



. bunch 



*^10J 



, dozen 



bundle 



uuches 



each 



. dozen 



dozen 



buDch 



... lb. 



bunch 



bundle 



^. 8. d. 



to 6 U , 

 ' 

 ! 

 6 



1 



1 



3 



6 



S 



4 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce dozen 



Mushrooms i)0tlle 



Mustard & Crese punnet 

 Onions Lubht-l 



pickling quart 



Parsley.... doz. bunches 



Parsnips dozfn 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Radishes., doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Sala>iry bundle 



Scorzonera bundle 



Seakale b^iekct 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes dozen 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Marrows dos. 



d. B. d. 

 4 too 

 6 1 



