Angnst 31, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



201 



marked, though we must say we did not like her very thick 

 feathering on the inside of the legs ; Bhe was apparently moult- 

 ing, and the multitude of short quills to our idea somewhat 

 marred her beauty. The same exhibitor took second with a 

 capital pair of Whites ; the pullet a great beauty. In Dorking 

 chickens all varieties save White appeared. First were an ex- 

 cellent Dark pair, second Silver-Greys pressing them clo sely. 

 The latter variety seemB decidedly advancing upon the Dark 

 one. The class for chiokens Any other variety was well filled. 

 Malays, White-crested Polish, and Silver-pencilled Hamburghs 

 won. In the two latter pens we preferred the pullets to the 

 cockerels. A very highly commended was deservedly bestowed 

 on some Silver-spangled Hamburghs ; indeed, all the highly 

 commended pens were good. 



Sucks were not remarkable. In the class for Aylesbury or 

 Rouen fine Aylesburys were first and second, Rouens third. 

 Mr. Sainsbury's Black East Indians did not at all look them- 

 selves at this season. 



In Pigeons two classes were given to Pouters, the same num- 

 ber to Carriers. The cup for the beBt pen of Pigeons went to 

 Mr. Warren's Blue Pouter cock, a very grand bird. Dragoons 

 and Antwerps were very numerous. In Dragoon cocks two 

 BlueB were first and second, a Yellow third ; in hens a Yellow, 

 Silver, and Red won. Most of the winning Antwerps were Red 

 Chequers. Mr. E. Kendrick's cup cock is a perfect bird, very 

 short in face. The first-prize Fantails and Tumblers were well 

 ahead, as also Mr. Allen's White wis first in the Variety class. 

 Foreign and British birds each had a class. In the former a 

 pair of Golden Pheasants were marked first, though in the 

 schedule the class is for " the best bird ;" a Lory took second, 

 and a Green Parakeet third. A very tame and lovely Nightin- 

 gale richly deserved its first card in the British class. 



The Local classes were not, as a whole, so well filled as could 

 be wished. The oup and several firsts were carried off by Mr. 

 Ridley. We doubt if the proximity of so great an exhibitor 

 promotes local entries. The cup Light Brahma cock, two Dark 

 Brahma pullets, and a Coloured Dorking cockerel (barring his 

 white earlobes), were all good, the first- prize LaFleche cock and 

 hen in the two Variety classes super-excellent. The Com- 

 mittee seemed very attentive and courteous. 



Mr. W. J. Niohols judged both poultry and Pigeons. 



The prize list did not reach us in time for publication this 

 week. 



DISEASES OP PIGEONS. 



The best thanks of the fancy are due to Mr. J. H. Hutchin- 

 son for his article on this subjeot in page 177. I have cured 

 wing disease by simply plucking the flight feathers of the wing 

 affected, but have never been successf u! with any internal com- 

 plaint, at least so far as I can recolleot. What does Mr. Hutchin- 

 son say to the following case ? I have a good warm loft, I live 

 in the country, I keep but few birds (Jacobins), they have their 

 liberty, they are kept very clean, and have the best of food and 

 purest water. As a rule they are very healthy, but this year one 

 pair has bred young birds cankered in the mouth — sometimes 

 one, and at other times two of the young birds being so diseased. 

 Last week two, hatched fine birds, died at about a fortnight old; 

 their mouths were full of a white core, and upon that being 

 removed (and it easily came off) there was a black and bloody 

 sore like a grape in e-ch throat. All the food given by the 

 parents — sound peas, lulled into the nest, water only passing into 

 the crops. The birdB died of starvation, as there was no room 

 to swallow. What would Mr. Hutchinson do in Bnch a case ? 

 Is there a cure for birds so young ? 



Then, close to the pair breeding these diseased young all 

 the season were other pairs, but not of the same strain — eating, 

 drinking, and at liberty just the same — which have not had one 

 single cankered young one. DoeB not this look like a case of 

 hereditary disease ? or why, if not, were not the young of other 

 birds similarly affected ? No doubt there is much in persever- 

 ing with remedies, and some fanoiers, like some people, have a 

 natural turn for doctoring. Waiting Mr. Hutchinson's kind 

 reply and advice, I remain as yet — A Puzzled Fancier. 



THE TORMENTORS OF OUR CAGE BIRDS. 



Owing to the very warm summer we have had the multipli- 

 cation of acari has been greatly favoured, and it mav be ad- 

 visable to remind bird fanciers that, in the case of the'Finches 

 especially, the birdB suffer much discomfort, and may even have 

 thei. lives shortened through the acari that are frequently in- 

 troduced with the seeds. It is in vain to waBh our birds or dust 

 them over with insect-killers if we are perpetually bringing in 

 unawares fresh peBts. These acari, though like the hateful 

 Cimex lectularius they can subsist on vegetable substances, 

 much prefer blood when they can get it, and from the seed- 

 bottle or drawer they easily transfer themselves to the plumage 

 of birds or crawl out on the perches. It does not appear to be 

 always possible to keep seeds free from these, but their increase 



is hastened by the careless way in which seeds are stored by 

 both wholesale and retail vendors, and there is a neglect of the 

 process of sifting. All parcelB of seeds should be looked over 

 when purchased, and the dust examined more particularly. 

 Rape and hemp seem chiefly to be resorted to by acari, canary 

 and millet seeds less frequently. — J. R. S. C. 



REARING STOCKS AND FILLING SUPERS 

 ARTIFICIALLY. 



Favourable accounts with many questions come from many 

 parts of the country. " My bees have done well this season. I 

 have a great deal of run honey and Borne fine supers of comb. 

 Will you kindly give me the name of a buyer of honey, or sell 

 mine for me ?" " Most of my hives are well filled and heavy ; I 

 don't know which to keep and which to put down. Can I cut 

 some of the honey from them and keep all for stock ? Some of 

 the supers are not full, and the bees have not stored-up honey 

 for some days though the weather is fine. How Bhall I sucoeed 

 in getting the Bupers filled?" This is the sum and substance 

 of many letters. One working man in Nottinghamshire wants 

 to come over to see bees driven, as he knows of no way but the 

 brimstone pit of taking the honey from his hivei ; he has twenty- 

 two hives. Three working men in the north of Lancashire 

 having read a well-known book on beea have entered into part- 

 nership, have increased their stock to nineteen hiveB this 

 season, and are now seeking hives into which they will drive 

 the bees from their honey hives on their return from the moors. 



In answer we have to Bay, first, that we do not give the names 

 of buyers of honey. AlmoBt all who keep bees find in time a 

 market for their honey. 



Hives that weigh 60 lbs. contain about or above SO lbs. of 

 honey. We take, and advise others to take, the honey from 

 such hives. The honey is worth 30s. or 35s. If the bees were 

 driven into an empty hive and fed with sngar syrup the gain 

 in cash would bo more than 20s. Hives of 70, 80, and 100 lbs. 

 weight should not be kept for stocks, as the great stores of 

 honey in them would hinder healthy progress. "But the 

 quantity of honey can be greatly reduced and still leave enough 

 for the bees?" Yes, this may be done, but in our opinion it is 

 better to drive the bees out and take all the honey, then feed 

 them into stocks. 



In giving syrup to swarms put into empty hives it may be 

 given either too fast or too slow. If given too fast at first the 

 bees are apt to build their combs rather thick and dumpy by 

 elongating the cells. In times of rapid honey-gathering they 

 do the same — build either dumpy or drone combs. If given too 

 slow the bees live on it to a great extent, and do not build combs 

 or store-up honey enough. We think it best to give the syrup 

 in small doses for two or three days. After the foundations of 

 five or six combs have been laid in a hive the bees may be fed 

 more rapidly and kept at comb-building for a fortnight. If 

 20 lbs. of sugar (about 40 lbs. of Byrup) be administered to a 

 swarm of 5 lbs. in a 16 inch hive, in fifteen days the hive will 

 be nearly filled with combs and their centre parts well filled 

 with brood. To promote comb-building and breeding the hive 

 should be kept warm by contracting the door and being well 

 covered. There should be no cessation of feeding till all the 

 syrup be given. 



In filling supers artificially with combs and then giving the 

 bees honey to store-up in them, it should be given to them as 

 fast as they carry it up, for if bees are long in filling supers 

 there is danger that breeding may be resorted to in them. If 

 breeding begin in supers it is rather a difficult matter to get 

 them well finished ; but if brood be seen in them it Bhould be 

 cut out clean, and honeycombs from other hives placed in 

 vacant places. 



In feeding swarms intojjtocks it is of little importance whether 

 they be fed from the top or bottom of the hives, but in filling 

 supers the beeB should be fed from below, for the less traffic 

 and work done over sealed combs the better they look. The 

 bloom can be taken off honeycombs as well as off grapes. If 

 honey be built and finished downwards the honey should be 

 carried upwards. Bees naturally do not sit on or travel over 

 finished honeycomb, and in all artificial schemes the more closely 

 nature iB followed the more likely are we to succeed. 



In filling supers on empty hiveB by feeding, the bees are apt 

 to bring the combs down through the crown holes of the hivea 

 before the supers are finished. To prevent this the bee-keeper'a 

 ingenuity is called into play. It may be done sometimes by 

 two supers, one above the other. While the top one is being 

 finished the bottom one is being filled; thus all the honey 

 given goes for super work and storing. In thia artificial work 

 we use only the purest virgin comb and the best of honey. 



It is worth while to remember that all honey gathered from 

 field flowers is first deposited in the brood and pollen combs; 

 afterwards the indoor workers remove it to and store it in the 

 virgin combs outside the brood combs and in supers. It is for- 

 tunate for the bee-master that his servants do not go from the 

 fields with soiled feet and baskets of pollen on their legs to the 



