184 



JOURNAL OF HOETICOLTUBE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 



[ February 2S, 1865. 



OF HoRTicui^URE that in tlie spring of 1864 I gave a short 

 account of eiperiments I was then engaged in respecting 

 an altogether new material — namely, the compressed tan 

 which is used in some localities as fuel. This substance is 

 prepared by allowini; large quantities of the spent tan to 

 undergo decomposition, being then capable of acquiring the 

 necessary form by considerable pressure in moulds, and upon 

 subsequent drying forms a most efficient, cheap, and durable 

 hive, well adapted to withstand those sudden fluctuations of 

 temperature which so frequently occur. Three of these 

 hives — tenanted last summer, one by an artificial swarm, one 

 by a late and small second swarm, and one by a late cast 

 from a first swarm — have passed well through the winter 

 months ; and two of them, at least, appear likely to be early 

 and prosperous stocts this summer. 



I should wish, however, now, more particularly to call 

 attention to the unicomb tan hive upon which the observa- 

 tions given below were made ; the results, it will be seen, as 

 compared with the box being greatly in favour of the 

 former. It may be necessary to state that neither the tan 

 Hvenorthe bos was tenanted with bees during the observa- 

 tions. I give the mean readings of three daily observations 

 of the thermometers placed respectively in the tan hive and 

 a box, the latter being well protected with an outer case ; 

 the external temperature being indicated by a thermometer 

 placed in the shade and attached to the exterior of the 

 observatory hive. In a fature paper I may give a somewhat 

 detailed description of this hive, but my present object is 

 simply to call attention to the somewhat remarkable results 

 as shown in this register, a portion of which only I give ; 

 for, although made for several weeks continuously, the 

 readings have varied but slightly throughout. I may also 

 mention that upon submitting the hives to a very high 

 artificial temperature the tan hive remained but slightly 

 affected, whilst the box soon obtained and continued to 

 indicate a temperature almost, and occasionally quite equal 

 to that of the room in which the observations were made. 



Thermometric Eegister, showing the fluctuations of an ob- 

 servatory tan hive, a box hive, and the external temperature : 



the dairy is generally managed with perfect order and 

 cleanliness. That may be the case, but perhaps there may 

 be in or around the pasture, where the cows are in the day- 

 time, ash, oak, or elm trees. I can speak with confidence 

 that if such is the case " CJochin " will find it a hard matter 

 to obtain good butter. 



Again, perhaps, he gives them turnips when they come 

 home at night. Now turnips will not affect the butter of 

 some cows as much as it will that of others, but I attribute 

 the rancidity to the leaves, because " Cochin " says tha't 

 the butter is always rancid in autumn. 



I would recommend "CocHm" to place in the manger a 

 lump of rook-salt. — T. L. 



Date. Observa- 



Exter- 



Dace. 



Observa- 



Exter- 



Janacry, tory tan Box hive, nal 



Jannary, 



lory tan 



Bos hive, nal 



I860. hive. 



temp. 



IS 65. 



hive. 



temp 



10 ... S3.5 .. 



40.0 ... 40.0 



20 .. 



49 



.. 30.0 ... 30.5 



11 ... 5?.0 .. 



43.0 ... 43.5 



21 .. 



48.0 



.. 29.5 ... 28.0 



12 ... 53.5 .. 



44.0 ... 44.0 



22 



47 5 



.. 30.0 ... 30.0 



13 ... 62 5 .. 



33.0 ... 32.0 ; 



23 !; 



47.0 



.. 25.0 ... 26.0 



14 ... 53.0 .. 



45.0 ... 440 



24 .. 



47.5 



.. 28.5 ... 29.5 



IS ... 52.5 .. 



39.5 ... 41.5 



25 .. 



47 . 



.. S5.5 ... 35.0 



16 ... 61.5 .. 



S6.0 ... 36.0 



26 .. 



47.0 



.. 36.0 ... 36.0 



17 ... 61.0 .. 



34.S ... 35.0 



27 .. 



. 47.6 



.. 35.6 ... 34.0 



16 ... 50.0 .. 



. 32.0 ... 32.0 



2S .. 



46.5 



.. 27.5 ... 27.0 



19 ... 49.5 .. 



. 52.5 ... 30.0 









— Geoege Fox, 



Eingsbridge. 









NEW BOOKS. 



The Apiary ; or Sees, Bee-hives, anO. Bee Culixure. By Alfred 

 Xeigbboub. London : Kent «t Co., and Geo. Neighbour 

 and Sons. 



Me. Neighboue says in his preface, " We are so frequently 

 applied to for advice on matters connected with bees and 

 bee-hivee, that it seemed likely to prove a great advantage 

 alike to our correspondents and ourselves, if we could point 

 to a ' handy-book ' of cur own which should contain full and 

 detailed replies strfficient to meet all ordinary inquiries." 

 Keeping this oh>ject steadily in view the writer describes the 

 various hives and apiarian apparatus manufactured by his 

 firm, pointing out the various advantages claimed for them, 

 and giving amjjle directions for their use. When we add 

 that the author expresses his acknowledgments to Mr. 

 Woodbury, Mr. Taylor, the illustrious Huber, and Mr. 

 Langstroth, it may readily be imagined that the information 

 derived from such sources must in the main be correct, and 

 that Mr. Neighbour, in addition to the strictly business 

 portion of hia work, has been enabled to impart to his 

 readers a very considerable amount of sound instruction on 

 most points of apiarian management. 



HANCID BUTTER. 



One of yonr eoirespondcnte inquires respecting the 

 rancidity in his hotter. It appears by hia stt^ement that 



OUE LETTEE BOX. 



HSK EiTiSG N'EAS.LT-HATcaED Ceicrexs (C £. 5.).— It is nnqaei'-iaa- 

 able that fowls are fond of flesh for ikeir food, evea wlien in perfect health, 

 bat there are peculiar conditions of body in which ihey have a craving :'or 

 ^^ hat we should consider most unnatoral food. It must be considered so 

 when a hen anxiously waits to eat the egg ^e moment she has laid it. In 

 the first instance i: was a desire for the shell only that made her eat. She 

 found she did no: possess the proper material, and could not find it; bat 

 when she had tasted the egg she liked it, and from that day&be was an egs- 

 eaier. We have no doubt the cannibal hen you complain of, which broke ths 

 egpa and ate the chickens within, sougbt'only the shell, but she saw tbe 

 chiiken and ate i: ; she liked it, and she ate another. She will eat all she 

 can get ; kill her at once. Watch yocr fowls if an unhappy frog makes ::s 

 appearance on the grass of their nm. Young pullets that have never eaten 

 anything but gr^in and veg:etables will start bacli: at the first jump he ;akeE. 

 Thiey then follow and watch him ; then they peck him ; S\l fly upon him ; 

 three or four peck at him at the same time. You will see the fortunate pos- 

 sessor chased by the whole brool i^ over the meadow, but they will never 

 leave him, and at last be is eaten. The next they see has a much shoner 

 shrift. The same if one of a walk gets an injury that bleeds, all the others 

 begin to peek and eat. Every bird acquires the hibit, and for that reason. 

 alao "we advise you to kill the hen. If you leave her at Ubeity she 'frill cosr 

 yen during the season her own value twice over. 



Coceik-Chika Cock Dyi.vg (Jfio&e).— We should think the Cochin cxk 

 that was almost a skeleton, though well fed, died of atrophy. It is cerLiin 

 that if there were any assurance oflBce for the lives of fowls, cocka wo-uM 

 have to pay double premiums as compared with hens. We believe za&z 

 mjJiy Cochin-ChiDa cocks die in the act of crowing; we have been eye-wi> 

 nesses of it. We have seen them prolong their crow till they had brought 

 their heads down between their legs, and the end of their crow was the end 

 of their lives. All Cochin'? are liable to apoplexy; they are large ea«er^ 

 and take little e:cercise. Your feeding is good, the hDUse i» all that is desir- 

 able, and they do not suffer from cold. Your Pigeons are some of the Ger- 

 man Tumblers. 



Gahe Fowxs, Black a.s-d Bro-wk-breasted (Partlet and Chant'.cU^r), 

 — You may safely breed between the Black-breasted hens and Brown-breasted 

 ccck. and the probability is yon will breed some good birds of both. The 

 breeders of pure birds of both strains commonly iniermii to attain certain, 

 desiderata. Tour description is that of pure Brown Ked puUets, and 

 although some of the cocks may follow the father, you will most likely find 

 some of them Brown Keds. Your food is, if anything, too stimuUting, &ad 

 under ordinary circumstances you m;iy discontinue the greaves. The piiilets 

 lay because they are pullets ; they will not lay in the winter when they are 

 hens. The latter will soon lay. Yonr last is a vexed question. If your hens 

 were taken from the old cock at the end of December we think yon may 

 safely low &et their egg?, believing yoa will breed from the fresh one. 



EflGS OP Atlssburt Ducks (A ConstmU Reader).— Yovl must not con- 

 clude unfavourably from the colour of the egi:-*. They vary, even wL?n 

 laid by the same Duck, irom white to pale bluUh-green. 



Mb.. Douglas.— This member of the Poultry Club writes aa follows :— 

 "The pen *A Ti3£:d ExBiBiror.* alludes co a-; bought and sold a: Man- 

 chester was claimed when above one hnndred were in the Show. It was 

 claimed in my name, not by me; neither was it sold by me." 



DiaECTioN (T. Co//i5on%— ItiaMr. F. W. Zorhorat, BelvUle, Donnybrook, 

 Dublin. 



MiNoXED Fowls {SeUtishurgh). — No possible cro9fl in the Spanish can be 

 the consequence of a Spanish cook being with Hamburgh. Dorking, and 

 Spaoiflb head. How long the taint may con'.inuo in the Hamburgh and 

 Dorking hens Is a question yet undttcided. 



Salt for Cbjckens, &c. — Mr. Oeyelin cannot give the required informa- 

 tion aboat M. de Sora's chicken food. The other questions will be answered 

 in the regular course, with many otber« on the same subject. 



Cow Eating Cbdat: LE\vcg (J. E. fl.).— The cedar leaves would not 

 injure her. The steep bank and Us slippery »urface, down which she ha'J 

 rolled, prevented her recovering her leet. 



DoK Rabbit? Nzglectiho tokir Youso {J. i\'.).— Different causes have 

 been as*igncd for this unnatural proceeding. We believe that It nfuaUy 

 iirisesfrom a deScient secretion oT milk in the doc, and this deficiency <s 

 often caused by the food being too fattening. We shall be obliged by for- 

 mation on this subject. 



Shell PAREOra ob BuDoniosBs Buildino {J. 5.).— The cage bhould be 

 placed tn Pome rciired sitiiHiino. and not moved. At the end of the cage 

 place a rough box about 5 inches square, containing the nest ulready shaped, 

 composed of dry moss, gra-xf, anl woo!, niniilar to wbit Cinarics build with. 

 Let there be some of the ?amc materials loose in tho onge. For further 

 particulars see our Journal, .New Series, No. 50, " Australian Parroquets." 

 Blb.shbtm SrAifXKL SnEDtiiHQ ITS Coat.— **A. N." has a spaniel of this 

 breed contlDiULUy aheddlng bis coat, and wishes to know the cause and a 

 k-emedy. 



Growibo liTDiAM CoRN {A. Z.).—\i oaiTOOt bc grown in tbla country 

 except Id the louUuru countiee, and ia nnaaually long, warm lununexr . 



