440 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 5, 1878. 
come in the tail of these birds; and this colour Mr. Darwin 
found easily returned to all Pigeons when cross-bred. White are 
simply exquisite, but instead of the fiery eye of the Dragoon 
comes the big, dark, and so called “bull eye” of the Fantail, 
which sadly spoils them. These white birds do admirably for 
nurses for Carriers, and any chance interbreeding would be at 
once detected. There are also two very old-fashioned colours— 
Grizzle, which has I am happy to say come up again, and Mottles, 
either grey-mottle, like an old-fashioned English Trumpeter 
Pigeon, or mottle as the mottle of a high-class Tumbler, just, a 
few white feathers on the shoulders and back. Both these varie- 
ties are very pretty birds, and are some of the best shaped 
Dragoons. Lees : 
‘A last word about the name of this bird. Like some Scotch 
surnames it is one thing written another pronounced—that is, by 
the majority, particularly of the humbler fanciers. Yet from 
old Moore’s day to this the bird is the Dragoon, yet it is still 
very often called the Dragon. I have seen them advertised as 
Dragoons and Dragons, as if they were two kinds of birds; but 
Dragoons they are—i.., lighter Horsemen than the old fancy 
Pigeon of that name, and Dragoons they ought to be called. 
The uneducated period of the fancy is over, the educated has 
begun. Show, then, fanciers that you know how to spell and 
how to pronounce. <A vixen of a woman, violent-tempered, un- 
kempt, untidy, a she-savage amongst the civilised, may be suitably 
called a Dragon, but not so should be called the graceful, sym- 
metrical, elegant, clean, and spruce-looking Dragoon,— WILTSHIRE 
RECTOR. 
3 VARIETIES. 
Game FowLs AT THE CRysTAL PALAcr SHow.—Our reporter 
asks us to correct two misprints in his report of the Game at the 
Palace. On page 399, in the ninth line from the top of the first 
column, the words “ we noticed” should read “ though unnoticed, 
and Mr. Harley’s Duckwing pullet should have been described as 
“very” good. ‘This correction was inadvertently omitted last 
week. 
—— Tue American supply of hogs (pigs),in which this country 
js now immediately interested, this year promises to be large, and 
is now estimated at one million head more than last year, which was 
the largest yield in the history of the trade. Since January Ist, 
1878, Chicago has received 4,184,715 live hogs against 2,591,479 
for the corresponding period in 1877, and is now receiving over 
15,000 per day. New York is receiving from 32,000 to 38,000 hogs 
per week. For the year ending November Ist the aggregate 
packing in the West will be approximately 9,700,000 hogs, an 
increase of 2,000,000 over the previous year. The summer pack- 
ing, since March let to date, shows for this year a total of 
2,856,032 against 2,193,633 for the same period in 1877. 
Mn. W. H. Lascenyss, Horticultural Builder, Bunhill Row, 
London, has received the Cross of the Legion of Honour for his 
exhibits at the late Paris International Exhibition. 
‘A WRITER in the North British Agriculturist has stated 
that a good Ayrshire cow will give 520 gallons of milk, 480 Ibs. 
of cheese, or 200 tbs. of butter per annum. She herself weighs 
about 850 lbs., and many instances are known where the annual 
milk product weighed six times the cow which gave it. Professor 
Arnold quotes one which, weighing 1080 lbs., gave from 6000 to 
8000 tbs. of milk annually, that of 1874 being 8271 lbs. 
Aw American writer on bees observes that nothing makes 
a bee-keeper feel so well as clean cash at the close of the season. 
‘White honeycomb in the “ prize box” has only to be shown to be 
sold. The temptation is too strong to be resisted. The demand 
for honey is yearly on the increase. Formerly it used to be con- 
sidered as an article of luxury or medicine, but the mass of the 
people are fast being educated to consider it an indispensable 
article of food. 
STRAW HIVES. 
In noticing lately the oft-repeated condemnation of straw hives 
T happened to say that they were refused admission to a Crystal 
Palace show. This statement was made on a recollection of a 
conversation I had with Thomas Bagshaw, Esq., Longnor, Buxton, 
four years ago. He told me he had complained to Mr. Abbott 
(Treasurer), of the schedule of prizes being so one-sided, and 
against straw hives: that he had a large straw hive 20 inches 
wide filled by a swarm which he wished to put in competition in 
aclass. He wrote to Mr. Abbott to see if it would be allowed to 
compete, and received for answer that his “ query is a poser,” but 
that he would consult his colleagues and send further information 
as soon as possible. The promised information came from Mr. 
Hunter, to the effect that the hive or hives could not be allowed 
to compete. This is what I understood about the matter at the 
time. As soonas I saw Mr. Hunter’s letter in the Journal I wrote 
to Mr. Bagshaw, who is a gentleman of unimpeachable veracity, 
asking him if he would be kind enough to clear up the matter in 
a letter to the Journal, To-day, a letter from him to me to say 
that he cannot remember the matter distinctly enough to enable 
him to write a public letter, and that he has not copies of his own 
letters to Mr. Abbott on the question, but will enclose what he 
can lay his hands on. Amongst the enclosures is a letter from 
Mr. Hunter, dated 15th August, 1874, which says—‘ Your query 
on Class 8 came whilst I was on the continent, and I understand 
that Mr. Abbott replied to it; however, the matter was mentioned 
to our Committee, and the opinion was unanimous that the pro- 
duce of swarms must not be taken into account.” This statement 
certaimly does not indicate that it was the material of the hives 
that disqualified them for competition, but that they were filled 
by swarms. What Mr, Bagshaw thought then he thinks still and 
says, “There was an evident wish to exclude the straw hive by 
the arrangement of the schedule.” If his hives were really not 
allowed to compete for other good reasons or on other grounds my 
statement that they were refused admission is not correct. If I 
were clear on this matter I would withdraw the statement at once 
and openly, and consider it a happiness to do so. 
Mr. Hunter’s letter says he has another grievance against me— 
viz., that, “I should be a little more particular before shifting my 
blunders on to his shoulders.” Mr. Hunter is certainly under some 
misunderstanding here, for I never thought of or attempted to do 
such a thing. I neyer misquoted his figures, nor misrepresented 
the meaning of his book. “The 14 inches diameter,” were correctly 
quoted by me eighteen months ago. In my own description I 
said 15 inches, but did not blame Mr. Hunter, or indicate by word 
or deed that he was at fault. If I were to make a blunder I would 
bear the shame of it myself; not on any account would I attempt 
to shift it on to the shoulders of anybody else.—A. PETTIGREW. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Rovurp (Harold).—lIt is rarely cured. Wash the head daily, or twice daily» 
with tepid water. Give sulphate of copper, one grain, daily to each bird, 
mixed in oatmeal mashed with ale,and plenty of green food. Separate the 
fowl from all others. 
GRASS PARRAQUET (Z. G@. B.).—The food you give may be varied. You 
may also give bread softened with milk, and any fruit the bird will eat. 
Above all let it have a bath daily. Fill a soup plate with tepid water, and 
let the bird bathe in it. If the bird does not take to the bath, pour the tepid 
water over it through the rose of a small watering pot. 
CANARY PANTING (Jf U. J.).—Put some Stockholm tar in his water. 
Feed on bread and milk and plenty of chickweed. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 32’ 40" N.; Long. 0° 8’0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE 9 A.M. IN THE DAY. 
1878 oh as Hygrome- Bes -|Shade Tem-} Radiation as 
a ne ter. Sa perature. |Temperature, & 
Nov. [2255 Os ee 1 
and |S 5 a4 He Stn On 
Dec. |RSS | Dry.| Wet.] AS |e ‘Max.| Min.|~ sun. | grass 
g deg. | deg.| deg. | deg deg.! In. 
F N. 41.9 | 40.6 | 384.2 40.6 82.2 0.490 
.2 N.E. 41.3 | 41.8 | 344 AT.1 36.3 0.096 
i N. 40.4 | 39.5 | 31.9 712 | 28:6 _ 
. i N.E. 38.7 | 38.4 | 29.4 40.2 | 24.6 0.012 
Ss 29.793 | 36.6 W. 38.3 | 40.2 | 33.0 41.8 | 314 0.038 
Mo. 2 | 29.989 | 36.4 | N. 38.9 | 40.2 | 34.0 49:7 | 30.2 _ 
Tu. 3 | 30.102 | 35.4 | N. 38.6 | 40.6 | 32.9 65.2, | 29.7 _— 
Means| 29.822 | 35.9 | 30.2 39.7 | 40.2 | 32.8 50.8 | 3804 0.636 
REMARKS. 
) 27th.—Little snow in early morning ; rain throughout the day. 
28th.—Another wet, dreary, dark day. 
25th.—Fine frosty morning, bright sunshine ; little foggy in afternoon and 
evening. 
30th.—Dry, but thick and gloomy all day; fog in evening. 
11 P.M. 
1st.—Wet and gloomy with fog in afternoon ; clear and fine after 7.30 P.M. 
2nd.—Fair but dull, slight rain in middle of the day, brighter in afternoon, 
fine sunset tints ; cloudy evening. 
3rd.—Slight snow showers in morning, bright sunshine in middle of day ; 
fair afternoon, and clear evening. 
All the means of thermometric readings are below those of last week, and 
the mean of the barometer readings is also slightly lower. On the whole the 
week has been damp and foggy, though there were one or two fine days.— 
G. J. SYMONS. 
Quite clear at 
COVENT GARDEN MARKET.—DECEMBER 4. 
OuR market is now principally supplied with American Apples, larger 
quantities arriving each week, and prices being lower. English Apples are 
confined to late sorts. Some good Pears hayereached us from California, con- 
sisting of Waster Beurré and Nelis d’Hiver, and have arrived in exceptionally 
good condition. Trade quiet. 
FRUIT. 
s.d. s.d. S.d. 3s. d@ 
tsieve 2 Oto 5 0| Melons ........ each 0 0to0 0 
dozen 0 0 0 0] Nectarines dozen 0 0 0 0 
Chestnuts bushel 12 0 16 0} Oranges........ 100 4 0 10 0 
Figs...... dozen 0 0 O 0} Peaches ........ dozen 00 0 0 
Filberts.. oc wtb. 0 9 1 0] Pears,kitchen.. dozen 0 0 8 0 
CH) )sbabouA0000 tb. 09 10 lesser dozen 38 0 8 O 
Grapes, hothouse tb. 1 6 6 0} Pine Apples.... tb. 2 0 4 0 
Lemons ........ #100 4 0 8 0| Walnuts ..... . bushel 0 0 00 
