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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUSE AND COTTAGrK GARDBKJfiE. [ February 3, 1863. 



feather. Mr. Hayne exhibited the same birds that he showed 

 at the Philoperisteron Annual Meeting. 



In Carriers the Show was well represented, but we did not 

 think the birds, as a whole, as good as those comprising the 

 other classes. Mr. Betty, and also Mr. Feltham, showed some 

 very good specimens, but the majority wanted the grace and 

 style that is essential to elegance in stout birds. 



In Barbs the Show was very strong, Mr. P. Jones and Mr. 

 Johnson exhibiting many very good specimens of all colours — 

 Blacks, Red, Yellow, and Duns. Mr. Morris's pair of White 

 Owls were very good, being very good specimens of the small 

 petite African variety that have come into such general favour. 



There were also a few good Turbits and Jacobins. Nor 

 must we forget to mention the Short-faced birds o? Mr. Per- 

 civall.that fully maintained his reputation. Mr. Norman exhi- 

 bited a very singular Ow), evidently bred between an imported 

 White and an English Blue ; the bird was somewhat irregularly 

 pied, but would be valuable as improving the form and lessening 

 the size of the ordinary Blues. 



As a whole the Show may be described as being very first-rate 

 in Almonds and Powters, thoroughly good in Barbs, not bo 

 strong in stout birds ; and, a3 a whole, deficient in Toys. It 

 was unquestionably the best the Society has ever held. In 

 some classes it ran the Philoperisteron Show very close, and 

 the older Society must look to its laurels if it would not lose its 

 pride of place and the proud pre-eminence that it has held so 

 long. At the same time there is plenty of room for the two 

 Societies, each, in its own way tending to the advancement of 

 the fancy — the improvement of the breed of the different varieties. 



BELGIAN" SMEELES. 



In the account of the Philoperisteron Society in your Journal 

 for December 2nd, we are informed that " Mr. Tegetmeier appears 

 to be devoting his attention to experiments on the homing faculty 

 of the Belgian Smerles." As no Pigeons of the above name are 

 known in thiB neighbourhood, several of our " gentlemen of the 

 fancy " would take it as a favour if Mr. Tegetmeier would give us 

 a detailed description of the features by which these Pigeons 

 may be distinguished from others, and how they are supposed to 

 be bred. — J. Paekee, Burnley. 



[In reply to the inquiry of Mr. Parker, I will, in preference 

 to giving my own description, translate some passages from a 

 letter received from Mone. A. Lejuene, the editor of Le Pigeon, 

 the weekly journal of the flying fanciers of Belgium. 



Mons. Lejuene writes as follows : — " Smerles, the Short-faced 

 Pigeons of the province of Liege, are remarkable for their sagacity, 

 for the size of their heads, and the beautiful structure of their 

 wings. At the age of two years they perform the distance from 

 Bordeaux to Yerviers in twelve hours, provided the sky is clear 

 and the wind favourable, in bad weather returning the following 

 day or the day after. 



" The journeys of 150 leagues, as from Tours, Poitiers, and 

 CMtellerault are performed in eight hours." It may render this 

 account more readily appreciated if I state that the exact distance 

 from Tours to Verviers, in a straight line is 330 English miles, 

 Chatellerault being 365, and Poitiers 380 miles from the same 

 place. These statements, it should be remembered, are not made 

 at random, but express the rate of speed at which the great 

 flying matches of the Belgian fanciers are performed. 



The value placed on good birds of this variety in Belgium is 

 shown by the continuation of Mons. Lejuene's letter, he says : — 

 " A couple of young Smerles of choice quality and warranted 

 bred from birds that have been proved, sell for 100 francs. Old 

 birds fit for breeding, that have made long voyages, sell for 70 

 to 80 francs each ; and a Pigeon that has carried off several 

 prizes will even Bell for 500 francs." In reply to the latter part 

 of the inquiry, I would state that these birds are smaller than 

 ordinary Dragons, of various colours, the most prevalent being 

 Blue Chequers and Mealies. The formation of the head in some 

 strains resembles that of the variety known as " Owls," but the 

 beak is not so short, though in all cases it i3 stout?r than that 

 of a common Blue Eock Pigeon. The great distinguishing pecu- 

 liarity of these birds is the extreme breadth of the flight-feathers 

 of the wings, the depth of the keel of the breast-bone, and size of 

 the muscles which move the wings : consequently their rate of 

 speed is extreme, and their powers of flight remarkable. 



I do not know any more beautiful sight than to see a dozen 

 of these birds dash off in the gales that have been so frequent, 



and, after permitting themselves to be swept far away by the 

 violence of the wind, return in the very teeth of the hurricane, 

 with apparently as great a degree of quickness and ease, as 

 though the atmosphere were a perfect calm. — W. B. Tegeimeieb, 

 Muswell Hill. 



EARLY POLLEN-GATHEMNG. 

 This day (29th January) the temperature is quite as genial 

 and balmy as in a warm day in spring ; as I write the sun is 

 shining brilliantly, and all my bee-hives are in full activity. 

 Pollen is being carried freely into most of them, and the scene 

 so vividly described by Herr Braun, a translation of whose 

 verses will appear next week, is being re-enacted with the utmost 

 vigour in the garden of— A Devonshibe Bee-keepee. 



BEE BOTTLE-FEEDER. 



If your intelligent and amusing Oxfordshire correspondent 

 would only condescend to give the inverted bottle a fair trial, 

 he would but act up to the spirit of the cognomen he has 

 assumed, by making an immense stride, both upwards and 

 onwards, in practical bee-keeping. Let him but once do this, 

 and I feel certain that the very next Number of The Jottekai op 

 Hoeticuxiuee will contain, for the benefit of the million, full 

 particulars from his pen of how to make a bee-feeder entirely 

 without cost (for who but possesses an otherwise useless empty 

 bottle ?), and far superior to all others in every respect both for 

 autumn and spring feeding. 



A graphic relation of the circumstances attending the consign- 

 ment ot all his " drum-feeders " to the kitchen fire, and his 

 " zinc-feeders " of every description to the melting-pot, might 

 probably and moBt fitly conclude an article which would prove 

 that in apiarian matters his nom de plume has some foundation 

 in — Teuth. 



Bee Moth Teap. — Take a wooden bucket or other large open 

 vessel, and fill it about two-thirds with water. Then put in a 

 quantity of old honeycombs and set the vessel in the apiary, at 

 night, near the hives. The bee moths or millers will be attracted 

 by the strong odour arising from the vessel, and after hovering 

 over it a while, will drop into the water and be unable to extri- 

 cate themselves. — {Bee Journal.) 



OUR LETTEE BOX. 



Black Hamburghs (B.). — We should ad-vise you to exhibit the bird 

 with good comb and ear-lobes, if, as you say, the difference in colour of 

 legs is only a shade. A bad comb, or a bad ear-lobe is a very serious 

 fault; a slight difference in the tint of the lege is not ao important as 

 either. 



Pullet Unable to "Walk (9 X.).— Either your pullet has sustained an 

 injury in the back, or she is suffering from severe constipation; or she is 

 cramped from being kept in a house with brick, stone, or "wooden flooring. 

 If the first, her recovery is doubtfu). If the second, repeated doses of 

 castor oil will cure her. If the third, alter the flooring, or you will never 

 have healthy birds. In the last two caaeB, after action in the first of them, 

 bread and beer are essential, and i) she will not eat she must be crammed. 

 If the cause be injury keep her quite by herself, and feed lightly, avoiding 

 stimulants. 



Ceeve Cceur Fowls, &c. (A Constant Header).— They are not mentioned 

 in the book you name. 



Buff Cochins {J.). — As you require first-class birds, we cannot do better 

 than recommend you to attend Mr. H. Tomlinson's annual sale of pure 

 Buff Cochins, which will take place on Tuesday, February 10th. It is 

 advertised in our columns to-day, and we understand the selection will 

 include some rare specimens of the breed, birds that have taken cups and 

 prizes at most of our leading shows, some of the hens weighing nearly 

 11 lbs. each, and the two-year-old cocks and cockerels being particularly 

 fine. 



Black Bantams' Legs at Darlington.— Mr. Hutton says they were 



not adults, but only fifteen weeks old ; and he, therefore, considers the 



legs may have become white in three months, not three weeks as we stated. 



Hens Pecking a Cockeeel's Comb (Constant Reader).— We should 



separate him from his assailants until his comb is quite healed. 



Openings which Exclude Queens and Drones.— "Will Mr. BevanFox 

 kindly give the breadth of the slits he mentions at page 709 for excluding 

 the queen and drones from ascending into the supers?" 



[The breadth of the slits generally recommended for the exclusion of 

 drones from supers is three- sixteenths of an inch. I am not quite sure that 

 a queen would not be able to force her way through.; but have no doubt 

 than an aperture of this width would be effectual for the purpose intendcil . 

 — S. Bevan Fox.] 



Pig-keeping (A Novice).— In "How to Farm Two Acres," which yen 

 can nave free by post from our office for thirteen postage stamps, you will 

 find full directions. 



Budgrigas (J2. C.).— The Budgrigas are not Love Birds ; they are the 

 little Australian Grass Paroquet. With reference to breeding them, we 

 refer "E. C" to our Journal, New Series, No. 50. This is about the time 

 of year they breed, and they should be kept in a room moderately warm. 



