400 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
{ November 21, 1878. 
The pigs will form a larger display than usual, whilst the roots, 
corn, and potatoes are all far above the average in number of 
entries. 
The Council, at its meeting on Thursday, made arrangements 
for the use of the electric light. 
During the week the arrangements with the various railway 
companies have been made as to excursion trains, to which we 
shall refer more fully next week. 
The Hall has been painted and coloured throughout, and will 
be completely filled, every available inch having been eagerly 
applied for by local and other leading implement makers. Messrs. 
Robey & Co. of Lincoln supply the engine to work the dynamo- 
electric machines. 
The Council meet weekly on Thursdays to complete the arrange- 
ments. 
VARIETIES. 
AMONG the best sales at the late Crystal Palace Show we hear 
that the first Dark Dorking cockerel was bought in at fifteen 
guineas by his owners; the second went to Lord Tumour for 
£12 10s.; Mr. Norris’s very highly commended Dark Brahma 
cockerel, price £21, had a “sold” card on_ him, also the cup Buff 
Cochin cock, price £20; the cup Light Brahma cockerel, £20 ; 
third Spanish pullet ten guineas ; cup Silver-pencilled cock and 
’ pullet, each ten guineas; and the cup Silver Polish cock, £20. In 
Pigeons the fourth young Black Carrier was claimed for £32 ; the 
cup White Foreign Owl for £15; and last, but not least, the prize 
Black Turbit cock, bought by Mr. Woods for £26 at Mr. Roper’s 
sale, was claimed by Mr. Burnell for £40. 
WE hear that the Langshan enthusiasts are about to 
have a Langshan show, and to start a Langshan newspaper. 
THE San Francisco Chronicle says:—‘ Los Angeles and 
San Diego counties can vie with the world in the quality of their 
honey, and the only drawback to extensive foreign demand has 
been the careless and diversified method of marketing. We are 
glad to see that there is to be a change in this regard in the south- 
ern counties. The process of packing to be pursued in future is 
described as follows: Upon receiving. the extracted honey they 
place it in large settling tanks of 3000 tbs. capacity, and this, 
securely covered, is left exposed to the rays of the sun for a day 
or so. By this process all impurities are eliminated, rising to the 
surface, and the pure honey is drawn off at the bottom. It is 
then put up in neat tin cans containing 2 tbs. each, and packed 
in cases of two dozen each, handsomely labelled. The design 
is to ship direct to Liverpool.” 
WINTER TREATMENT OF BEES. 
PROTECTION is the word that embraces all, or almost all, that 
js needful for bees in winter — protection from hunger, cold, 
moisture,and mice. And this protection is better given to bees in 
autumn before the winter sets in. It is natural for bees to store 
up a supply of food for winter before the cold weather comes. 
When weather prevents them from storing up enough, or when 
their stores are taken from them, artificial feeding should be 
resorted to in early autumn, and enough of food given them to 
keep the bees well through the winter. It is not natural for bees 
to take up artificial food or even honey in cold weather. How 
many bee-keepers are concerned about their stocks when the bees 
decline to take the food presented to them? It should be borne 
jn mind that when the mercury of the thermometer falls to 50° 
or below it, bees naturally cluster closely together for mutual 
warmth. In such times warmth is preferred to food. Artificial 
feeding in cold weather is objectionable, because it may tempt the 
bees to leave their hives and face an atmosphere too cold for them 
to live in. But as most of us fail sometimes in doing the right 
thing at the right time, feeding may have been neglected or post- 
poned, and sometimes we may discover that, owing to the weather 
of autumn being warm and open, the bees have well nigh eaten 
all theix winter stores. Some hives in my garden, very strong in 
bees, did eat almost all their winter supply before November 
arrived ; hence I have had to give them a second supply in a 
warm state and ina warm place. The food was made milk-warm 
and given to them in a hothouse. 
Protection from cold and moisture is helpful to bees. I have 
heard people say that “a green Christmas makes a fat church- 
yard.” Does anybody believe this? No. Statistics abundantly 
prove that the death-rate of human beings is higher in cold 
winters than in milder ones. Even in the vegetable kingdom how 
much we are indebted for the protection of snow. The cold of 
winter is a bitter reality to beasts, birds, and bees, as well as to 
poor half-clad human beings. All hives in Great Britain should 
be well protected from both cold and moisture. Most people 
know how difficult it is for frost to penetrate a grassy lawn or 
field. A good coat of grass wards off the frost from the soil below 
for three or four days—in other words, it prevents the heat of the 
soil from escaping. A coat 2 or 3 inches thick of dry soft grass 
or hay placed around a bee hive, beneath the outer covering, is a 
great protection to bees in winter, and makes their hive a cosy 
| nest for early breeding in spring. 
From moisture without and 
within bees must be protected. Hives should never be made 
damp by either rain or internal moisture. The hives that let the 
moisture of the bees pass off, and do not condense it on their 
sides, are the best for bees in autumn, winter, and spring. The 
materials of hives are of less importance in summer. The ques- 
tion of ventilation is one of great importance in apiculture, and 
will by-and-by command the attention of observing and successful 
bee-keepers. Not only the hives but also the coverings of hives 
should permit the moisture of bees to pass out and off as soon as 
formed. 
All that is necessary to protect bees from mice is to contract 
the doors of hives so that the vermin cannot enter. I have 
known many hives ruined by mice. When bees are sitting closely 
together, and a mouse can get at them, it carries them out one by 
one and eats their heads off. I have heard of an Hastern prince 
who ordered a dinner of peacocks’ brains. It appears to me that 
mice are very fond of the brains of bees, for they eat nothing but 
their heads. Both house and field mice destroy bees thus, and eat 
honey when they can get it. 
The only winter work in the apiary that cannot be done in 
autumn is protection from snow. Bees are apt to leave their 
hives after a storm and before the snow is melted. When they 
come out at such a time they fall into the snow and die. Their 
doors should be closed when snow is on the ground, and opened 
when it is gone—A. PETTIGREW. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
POULTRY FARM (H. Z. Sarde).—No poultry farm has hitherto been 
profitable. Our “ Poultry-keeper’s Manual” contains all the information we 
possess. 
FEATHER-EATING FOWLS (A. Withers)—We know of no cure for this 
vicious habit. If the offender was kept separate from the other fowls for 
some weeks and supplied daily with vegetable food only it might cause a 
reform. 
AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL (G@. S. Harding)—Apply to Triibner & Co., 
Ludgate Hill, London. 9 
Foop FOR HORSES (A Corvespondent)—Farm horses will require whilst 
the work is severe two bushels of oats per week and a bushel of Indian corn, 
the flat sort being cheapest ; both oats and maize should be crushed, as some 
animals do not grind their food properly, some from defective teeth and 
others from hasty feeding. The allowance of fodder may be hay and sweet 
straw mixed, about 15 ths. of each per day, cut into chaif to be mixed with 
about 12 or 15 tbs. of pulped roots, either carrots or Swedes at present; in 
the spring mangolds. This root food is essentiali n keeping the stomachs of 
the horses in a proper state. If the work is easy during the short days the 
maize may be dispensed with altogether, and resumed when the heavy work 
of the spring seed time comes on. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 3 
Lat. 51° 32’ 40" N.; Long. 0° 80" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 9 AM. IN THE Day. 
182 ao. [uy 
2N¢_-| Hygrome- os = 
1878. |ES53| "ter. | SE |e2s 
cele on ea 
Nov. |2539 i £2 (Ban 
Ras Dry.| Wet as | 
deg. 
40.0 | 39.2" | 39. fi 
407 | 443 | 36.0 i 
| 41.0 | 415 | 36.7 d 
41.0 | 46.0 | 374] 9a | 350 | — 
412 | 462 | 39.7 | 584 | 851 | 0140 
42.0 | 486 | 40.7 | 77.8 36 | = 
41.6 | 47.7 | 35.7 | 732 | S18 
408 | 39.5 41.0 | 448 | 37.0 | 585 | 344 | 0.925 
REMARKS. 
13th.—Fair morning, but after 10.30 A.M. cold and damp with drizzling rain, 
14th.—Wet, cold, dreary day. 
15th.—Another wet day throughout ; windy in afternoon. 
16th.—Fine pleasant day ; misty towards evening ; slight rain in evening. 
17th.—Clear fine morning, sunshine at short intervals; showery afternoon 
and eyening, with squalls of wind. 
18th.—Fine day on the whole, with bright sunshine; only a few slight 
showers ; damp evening; starlight and clear at 11 P.M. 
19th.—Very fine sunny day ; foggy in evening. 
Temperature nearly the same as last week. The first three days yery 
unpleasant.—G@. J. SYMONS. 
COVENT GARDEN MARKET.—NOVEMBER 20. 
BUSINESS keeps very quiet, the large consignments of American Apples 
completely paralysing home-grown fruit, unless samples are exceptionally 
good. Grapes are in better demand, the bulk of Black Hamburghs being 
now cut. Kent Cobs quiet at previous rates. 
FRUIT. 
GB: Gly Gh Gl \ Si Csagte 
.dsieve 10 Otol4 0} Melons ........ each 0 Oto0 0 
dozen 0 0 0 0] Nectarines .... dozen 0 0 0 0 
bushel 0 0 O 0} Oranges........ P10 8 0 16 O 
dozen 0 0 0 0} Peaches ........ dozen 0 0 0 0 
yt. 0 9 1 0| Pears, kitchen.. dozen 0 0 0 0 
~pib. 09 10 dessert........ ozen 38 0 6 0 
tb. 1 6 6 O| Pine Apples.... vib. 20 40 
Lemons ...:.... YP 100 6 0 18 0| Walnuts ...... bushel 0 0 0 0 
