60 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ July 20, 1871. 



the prospects are they may continue to do well for some 



years. 



Now, there is something that accounts for this swarm 

 prospering so long in the same bos and comb, and that is, 

 their casting swarms nearly every season left the hive with a 

 young fertile queen ; the queen being very fertile kept the 

 colony strong in numbers, which is the best protection against 

 the moth and in preserving the comb. It also goes to show 

 the necessity of keeping our colonies furnished with young 

 fertile queens. If this be attended to, we need not fear, with 

 proper management, but that success will crown our efforts in 

 bee-culture, if blessed with favourable seasons. — P. J. Seveh- 

 SON, Albany Co., New York. 



■[ moat probable that the latter will require further assistance in respect of 

 food The personal appearance of the surviving queen will, doubtless, 

 I by this lime have enabled you to decide for yourself to which race she 

 ; belongs. Without knowing how long the royal cells had been sealed 

 ' over when you saw them we cannot undertake to offer an, opinion on the 

 point. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



Camden Square, London. 



Lat. 51° 32' 40" N. ; Long. 0° 8' 0" W. ; Altitnde 111 feet. 



Cheltenham Poultry and Pigeon Show. — The schedule of 

 prizes is tempting. There are twenty-one silver cup?, and the 

 money prizes are three good ones in every class. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Becoles Poultry Show.— Mr. R. "Wilkinson, of WaterdenRoad, Guild- 

 ford, informs us that it was he, and not Mr. Nicholls, who took the prize 

 as the exhibitor receiving the highest number of marks without obtaining 

 a prize. 



Polish Hen Hatching a Brood (C. B.). — We are always glad to hear 

 of snch deviations as that noticed in your communication tons. Asa 

 rale, Pol«nds are non-sitters, so are Ham burghs ; but they both occasion- 

 ally take us by surprise as your hen hfl3 done. Are you sure she is per- 

 fectly true ? Thpre may have been a cross, though it does not show itself 

 in the feather. We shall be curious to know whether she will continue the 

 accomplishment or not. We are glad to hear so good accounts of youi' 

 chickens, ours have been very healthy. 



Quantity of Food for Fowls iIlklei/).—YonT Swan at this season 

 should want little feeding, the weeds should supply him with all he wants. 

 Thfi Geese shonld live nrincipally on grass. Wild Ducks, Teal, and 

 Widffeon. should pick up the greatest part of their own living. Wood 

 Ducks are small feeders. Pigeons will eat till they are hungry again. 

 Water Hens live entirely on grass. We hope your hay will be up before 

 you read this, and that your poultry will all be at liberty. From your 

 saying that 21 lbs. of corn will not feed your stock, we espect you allow 

 all to feed together, and that the weak go to the wall. For this reason they 

 are not in condition. You have 128 head of feeders, and 21 lbs. of cnrn 

 divided amon? them will not be much. The Swan, the four Geese, and five 

 Turkeys, would eat it all if you gave them time. No poultry nor g^me 

 care to seek food, if they can have it provided, and your birds must be 

 managed rqtber than indulged. The cocks, hens, and chickens should 

 form the fir^^t division, and you would find it more profitable to give them 

 fond ground and mixed, than to give the corn whole. Then the Turkeys 

 should be fed, and let Ducks and Pigeons have a struggle for the re- 

 mainder. That which Swan, Geese, and Ducks may require if tbey 

 find the meal insufficient, they will find in the water. The fowls, tSc, 

 will do the same on the erass. If you throw the Ducks food in the water, 

 some sinks, and much is carried away This is lost. Throw it on the 

 ground or in some very shallow clear place, with a gravelly bottom, where 

 the Ducks can both see and reach that which has sank. By attending 

 to this the 21 lbs. will keep your birds in condition during the summer, 

 not afterwards. 



Aylesbury Ducks' Bills Yellow (Wild Duck). —Wa-ter has a great 

 effect on the bills of Aylesbury Ducks Hard water and peat water change 

 the colour for the worse ; but you must bear in mind they get darker as 

 the birds become older, and they are never so delicate as when thev are 

 dncklings. It is beneficial to them to have their food in a vessel filled 

 half way up with small grit, and with only sufficient water to cover it. If 

 their food is put in this they have to get it amoni? the grit, and the 

 friction has a good effect on the bijls, but there must be neither gravel 

 nor gravel stones — they are injurious. It is also good for them to be 

 turned out in gia-s with the cold dew or white frost on it. Some water 

 has thp property of turning them, and therefore if you intend to exhibit 

 you will do well to shut them up for a time. Their bills will improve, 

 and they will increase in weight. Straw or yellow bills disquilify AvIps- 

 baiies. If you want large eggs you must keep either Spaaish or Creve- 

 Coeurs ; neither of them sit. For sitting, laying, and the general purposes 

 of a fowl of all work, we know nothing better than the Brahma, next the 

 Cochin, but neither of them lays large eegs. 



Light Beahma Chicks' Feathers {Inquirer). — There is always a 

 change in colour when the chicken plumage changes for hard feathers. It 

 is very desirable the black flight should remain, but the black feathers 

 on the back are by no means desirable. 



Chrissy-Millie Chicken. — " Punch's " cartoon records that the season 

 of mimmoth gooseberries his arrived; but another season has also 

 arrived — that of duplicate animated things. We have two single women 

 maie into one, Chrissy Millie, a horse with six less, and now we see the 

 following : — Mr. Flemmg, saddler, Kennoway, Fifeshire, has a hen which 

 has hatched a chicUen with four feet, four wings, two necks, and two 

 heads. We have heard of two perfect Hares united by their backs. No 

 greyhound could catch them, for when one was tired he turned over and 

 the other Hare took up the running I 



Portraits of Pigeons (H. J. R. i.).— The Antwerp appeared in No 4(14, 

 the Carrinr in No. 471, the Dragoon in No. 473, the Pouter in No. 4-3, the 

 Almond Tumbler in No. 489. the Barb in No. 500, the Flying Tumbler in 

 No. 509. the Fantail in No. 519, and the Turbit in No. 523. If you send 

 back thb two numbers which are wrong we will return them. Consult 

 our advertising columns ; we cannot recommend dealers. 



Bees' Swarming {Severn Valley) — It is very unusual for so long a 

 period as fifty-five days to elapse between the isaue of a first and what 

 we infer from yoor letter to have been the second swarm. We think it 



Date. 



9 A.JI. 



In the Day. 





1871. 

 July. 



Barome- 

 ter at 32° 

 and Sea 

 Level. 



Hygrome- 

 ter. 



Direc- 

 tion of 

 Wind. 



Temp, 

 of Soil 

 at 1 It. 



Shade Tem- 

 perature. 



Radiation 

 Tempera- 

 ture. 



1 



Dry. 



Wet. 



Max. 



Mm. 



In 1 On 

 Bun. grass 



We. 12 

 Th. 13 

 Fri. U 

 Sat. 15 

 Sun. 16 

 Mo. 17 

 Tu. 18 



Inches. 



29.9al 

 29.878 

 29.9:12 

 S0C40 

 30.144 

 30.129 

 30.073 



deg. 

 C2.4 

 62.9 

 68.0 

 63.7 

 67.1 

 64.2 

 68.5 



deg. 

 57.3 

 59.6 

 63 5 

 60.4 

 63.9 

 62.3 

 58.7 



S.W. 

 S.W. 



S. 



W. 

 N.W. 

 S.E. 

 N.E. 



deg. 

 57.8 

 53.4 

 69.8 

 60.8 

 61.5 

 60.2 

 60.1 



deg. 



70.8 

 71.2 

 74.0 

 79,9 

 82.2 

 82.2 

 80.0 



deg. 

 49,2 

 54.4 

 61,8 

 618 

 62.3 

 63.7 

 64.0 



59.6 



deg. 1 deg. 

 113.7 ' 47.8 

 101.0 54.9 

 112.4 60.3 

 131.0 60.4 

 129.0 59.0 

 121.4 69.4 

 123 8 61.3 



118.9 j 57.6 



In. 



0.020 



Means 



30.012 



66.0 



60.8 





59.8 



77.2 



0.020 



REMARKS. 



12th. — Very fine early and till noon, slight shower at 2.80 p.m:., a shor* 

 heavy one at 45 p.m., and showery the rest of the day, but the 

 whole product very small. 



13th. — Bain at 8 a.m- ; fine day with slight shower in the evening. 



14th. — Warm and fair throughout, fine evening, and bright sunset. 



15th.— A most beautiful day, but rather warm though there was a nice- 

 breeze. 



16th.— Fine, but very oppressive, feeling (though not looking) storm 

 like. 



17th.— A most delightful day, the great heat being tempered by a coo 

 breeze. 



18th.— Still splendid weather, sun very hot, but a delightfully coo 

 breeze. 

 A very warm week. July 15th (St. Swithin), is usually the hottest day 



in the year, although that has not been the case this year, reference to- 



the above table will show that the temperature was very high.— G. J. 



Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— July 19. 

 The benoficial change in the weather has had a marked influence on 

 the market, and supplies of bush fruit have greatly improved both in 

 quantity and quality. Importations are heavy, and a large quantity of 

 West Indian Pines have c-me to band in excellent condition. Hothouse 

 produce is receding in price, n-jw the London season is drawing to a close. 

 Potatoes are heavily supphed, and only the best samples maintain their 

 price. 



fruit. 



8. d. B. d 



Apples J Aleve 1 6 to 4 



Apricots doz. 10 SO 



Cherries lb. 6 2 



Chestnuts hnshel 



Currants i sieve SO 4 



Black do. 4 6 



FiEB doz. SO 6 



FUberts lb. 1 



Cobs lb. 2 2 6 



Gooseberries qnart 6 8 



Grapes, Hothouse.,., lb. 2 5 o 



Lemons ^100 6 10 



Melons each 2 5 



s. d. 8. d 



Mulberries lb. to 



Nectarines doz. 4 12 



Oranffea if* 100 6 n in 



Peaches doz. 6 15 



Peara, kitchen doz. 



dessert ....doz. 



Pine Apples lb. S 



Plums . i sieve 



Quinces doz. 



Raspberries lb. 6 



Strawberries lb. 6 



Walnnta bushel 10 



ditto.... ¥^■100 1 



15 











5 







J 



16 

 2 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes- doz. 



Asparagna »- 100 



Beans, Kidney ^100 



Broad bushel 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Rnisspls Sprouts . . 4 sieve 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums ^100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Coleworts..doz. bunches 

 Cucumbers each 



pickling doz. 



Endivp dnz. 



Fennel bunoh 



Garlic lb. 



HcroH bunch 



Horseradish .... bmidle 



B. d. B. 

 4 Oto 6 

 4 



Leeks btmch 



Lettuce doz. 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard .t Orpss . .punnet 

 Onions per doz. bunches 



pickling quart 



Parsley sieve 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Radishes .. doz. bunches 



Khubarb bundle 



Savoys, doz. 



.'^ea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 3 



Tomatoes doB. 2 



Tamips bunch 



Vegetable ^arro ws . . doz. 2 



d. a. 

 4 too 

 3 1 



POULTRY MARKET.— July 19. 

 All the excitement of scarcity and high prices has passed away. Trade 

 diminishes, supply increases, and with it prices are no longer sustained ; 

 Si. me days better, some days worse, but still making an average for the 

 time. of year. 





s. 

 .... 8 

 .... 2 

 .... 1 



d. s. 

 to 3 

 2 

 9 2 

 2 

 6 

 



a. 



6 

 6 

 

 6 

 6 

 1 





8. 

 



d. B. d 

 9 to 10 



Smaller ditto . .. . 





.... 1 



5 16 





Wild ditto 



.... 



9 10 



Dncltllngs 



.... a 



.... 6 





.... e 









.... 







Fhaasauto 



.... 



GroojSQ ........... 



.... 







