436 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



{ November 11, 1876. 



points aimed at beyond all others were elegance of shape, grace- 

 ful action, and the sound colouring tastefully disposed : these 

 are certainly not opposed to artistic beauty. 



" Wiltshire Rector's " proposal to give a prize for mottled 

 birds of the old style is, in my opinion, only going a very little 

 way in the right direction, for however good, few will, I think, 

 rank them as equal to the soundly coloured and properly marked 

 birds. The old Reds, which were the finest I ever saw, were 

 gorgeous in colour — (how often I have wished I could breed 

 Pouters of the same brilliance !) — and could not be excelled in 

 other respects by any. If there is to be a prize given let it be 

 for the highest style of bird in every respect, and then I will 

 gladly give substantial support to it, and would desire no better 

 judge than Mr. H. Weir to decide upon their merits. But as 

 Mr. Weir shrewdly remarked that one cause of the deterioration 

 was owing to judges giving prizes to the best in the class how- 

 ever poor it might be, I see no benefit in giving prizes to the 

 least bad in a bad class ; therefore if birds not fairly good came 

 forward according to the old standard, then I would withhold 

 the prize or prizes to another season. 



In conclusion, I would only remark that "Wiltshire Rec- 

 tor's " defence of English Owls, in which he told their admirers 

 to stick to them, was of small importance compared to his de- 

 fence of the low-bred bird now styled the Jacobin. No Owl 

 fanciers of taste can see the foreign birds at shows, and of course 

 see their superiority at a glance ; but this is scarcely possible 

 with the Jacobin, as, if in existence, they do not appear at shows, 

 otherwise very little writing would be required to point out 

 their superiority to the present so-oalled Jacobins.— G. Ube. 



Philopeeistebonic Society. — In addition to the Crystal Palace 

 Show of Pigeons we would remind our country friends that this 

 Society will hold a meeting on Tuesday evening next at the 

 Freemason's Tavern, Great Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn, and 

 that the Show will consist of most varieties of Pigeons; admis- 

 sion by introduction of a member or on presentation of address 

 card. 



BEES TWENTY DATS HATCHING FEOM THE 



EGG. 



Under the above heading I observe a letter in tho Journal by 

 "B. itW.," endeavouring to prove that worker bees are only 

 twenty days in being hatched from the egg. I am sorry that I 

 did not see Mr. Pettigrew's and Mr. Lowe's controversy to which 

 "B. & W." refers. I think I can prove that worker bees are 

 twenty-one days in being hatched, and this is how I will do it : 

 When we find stock hives weighing 50 lbs. or 60 lbs. three weeks 

 after the first swarms left the parent hive we drive out the bees 

 and put them into empty hives. If second swarms have issued 

 we generally unite the turnouts (as Mr. Pettigrew terms them) 

 to the second swarms. I have swarmed a hive artificially at 

 6 o'clock P.M., and on the morning of the twenty-second day 

 driven out the bees from the stock hive, and found a few dozen 

 worker bees still in their cells, only they were ready to leave 

 them. — A. Cockeuen, Gairnie, Aberdeenshire, 



BEITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. 



If Mr. Pettigrew will refer to the catalogue he will find that 

 not less than i'lO in money was oiiered at the late Show for 

 " the largest and best harvest of honey in the comb from one 

 stock of bees, under any system or combination of systems," 

 the results of which were duly chronicled in your columns. 



I and many others hoped for and looked ia vain to see the 

 exhibits of 100, 200, or 300 lbs. of honey, respecting which we in 

 the south have heard so much. Perhaps Mr. Pettigrew or some 

 of his friends may be induced to send an exhibit of two hundred- 

 weight or thereabouts to the next show. — B. Laukance Cleaver, 

 Son. Sec, 1, Dcvonshin- Terrace, Marloe Boad, Kensington. 



Bee Case. — At the Quarterly Small-Debt Court, held at 

 Anchterarder on Monday, Sheriff Barclay on the bench, Thomas 

 Miller sued Peter Neish for fl, the value of a hive of bees. 

 From tho evidence it appears that Miller and Neish are neigh- 

 bours, and that both keep bees ; that a hive of the former threw 

 off a swarm early in July, which alighted some 10 or 15 yards 

 from Neish's bees, which, being also on the point of swarming, 

 attracted by the buzzing, came off and joined those of Miller. 

 The pursuer alleged that the bees properly belonged to him, 

 while Neish offered to buy Miller's or sell his own to the pursuers. 

 To this, however. Miller would not agree, and Neish taking pos- 

 session, the action was raised. The Sheriff gave decree for 7s. dd. 

 the value of Miller's bees), without s'Tpeasea.— (Scotchman.) 



Ants in the House. — We find most useful in keeping them 

 away is Keating's Persian powder. It must be used largely at 

 first over tables, floor, shelves, everywhere, and then in about 



a month there will be hardly any seen. Afterwards it will be 

 sufficient to sprinkle the floors only every day, bearing in mind 

 that the ants in London are amongst the things that cannot bo 

 got rid of permanently, but with never-ceasing care they may 

 be kept out. I tried the meat plan, but though we caught 

 basonfuls, we never subdued them as ws have since we tried 

 the powder.— F. W. H. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



CiNiRiEs' Feet Covered with Sciles [BUif Be!!).— The claws and 

 shiaB of birds beyond a year old mostly becoma scaled, which scales may 

 easily be removed either by inserting the thumb mil or a penknife baneath 

 the ed^'e of the same. Operate carefully. You say '* they look like corns." 

 If there should be any accumulation underaeath the feet it may, perhaps, 

 be caused through dirt gathered from the cige bottom. If so wash the feet 

 gently ia some lukewarm water, which will i^often the substance, and with 

 tho aid of your thumb and linger relieve the feet from the dirt. 



RAnniT Abeangements {Mars). — We see no objection to your proposed 

 arrangements, nor could anyone advise not knowing the place. The dog you 

 mention is probably only changing its coat. If there is any redness of the 

 skin wash the dog with soft soap and water. Give more exercise. 



Preserving Hives ANn their Combs {A Bee-keeper). — Tonr hives of 

 combs for swarms nest year should be placed or hung up in a dry place where 

 mice and moisture will not injure the combs. In a moist place, such as a 

 room with damp walls, the combs would perish — that is to say, lose their 

 adhesive properties, and be useless for swarms. V\q preserve all such combs 

 in a garret. 



KE5IOVINO Hives (J. P., jun.).— Par better let them winter where they are. 

 In the transfer now to your " cold-house fernery," would cause the sacrifice 

 of many lives among your bees, of essential importance to their well-being. 

 The gain, if any, would not compensate for the loss. Thatch warmly and 

 trust to Providence. 



Bee-keeping near London {Tgnoramiis). — 1, Your bees would certainly 

 find their way home after a day's work, in spite of the enclosed situation of 

 your garden. 2, In an ordinarily good year they would be likely to afford you 

 a martjiu of profit we doubt not. They would go beyoui the limits of the 

 garden you speak of. 3, Mignonette, borage, laurustinus, thyme of all sorts, 

 garden fruit trees are all productive of honey. Of the two former a good 

 succession should be kept up. But trust rather to the forage they woald get 

 beyond. 



Quince SIarmalade (G. Haddinftion). — We did not receive the letter you 

 mention. 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 sugar to petite ea^^e, then add the pulp, and stir them together over the 

 fire until it will fall from the spoon like a jelly. The marmalade ia then fit 

 to be put into pots, and when cold cover them closely. 



METEOBOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



Camden Sqcarb, London. 



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



REMARKS. 

 3rd. — Very dull dark day, mnch warmer, and but little rain. 

 4th.— Hazy early ; fine till 2 v.si., then cloudy, with a little rain ; fine night. 

 5th. — Fine till noon, after which it was damp ftuil very dark. 

 6th.— A great fall in the barometer during the night ; a very stormy momiDg, 



occasionally bright, but on the whole a stormy day, and the wind very 



high. 

 7th. — Most beautiful day, but rain commenced about 8 p.m., and it fell 



heavily at midnight. 

 8th. — A fine day throughout, but particularly fine in the morninpf. 

 9tb. — Hazy all the morning, and iihowery from noon, but the rain not heavy: 



great rise in the temperature during the day, having changed from 



35 ' at 9 A.M. to 50'^ at 9 p.m. 

 Both the barometer and the temperature very variable, and at times rapid 

 in their ehangee. The mean temperature 2^ above that of the preceding week, 

 and the maximum in Bun exceeded that of last week by 15^. — G. J. Syjions. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— November 10. 



There are no quotable alterations in the supplies, and prices 

 sabatantially the same as last week. 



Apples h sieve 1 



Chestnuts bushel 13 



Figs doz. 



Filberts. Coba lb. 



Grapes, hothouse lb. 1 



Lemons IMOO 



Oranges I^* 100 8 



FRUIT, 



d. B. d. 



0to2 



Peaches doz. 6 



Pears, kitchen doz. 



dessert doz. 1 



Pine Apples lb. 4 



Strawberries' lb, 



Walnuts ^\m 1 



ditto bushel 4 



d. B. d. 



otoia 







8 



7 







10 



