Angnst 10, 1871. ] 



JOUENAL OF HOETICDLTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



113 



thint, that nnless more attention and care are in fntnrs bestowed on 

 various details, the Show wiU soon become a thing of the past. The 

 tent in which the bii-ds were arranged was ranch too smaU, as well in 

 height as in width and length. As regards its height, it was so low 

 that in walldng under it one felt almost inclined to stoop, whilst it 

 was so narrow that there was not sul£cient space between the rows 

 of pens to admit of the spectators passing ronnd in two lines ; and in 

 consequence of the want of length the pens were placed two and even 

 three high. The resnlt of the latter arrangement was not only to 

 bring the birds in the top row much too near the canvas, but to place 

 many pens either too high or too low for being seen properly. It 

 fihonld also be noticed that there was a great want of ventilation, and 

 that the spectators, instead of being made to enter the tent by the right 

 hand and to go out by the left, were permitted to enter and to walk 

 about at their pleasure, a circumstance which caused much jostling 

 and confusion. In several pens, moreover, the birds were not only 

 without water, but without any vessel for containing it. 



The Judging, too, was by no means satisfactory. I am aware that 

 this is a delicate subject with which to deal, and that it may be sup- 

 posed that I write as a disappointed exhibitor. I would beg leave, 

 however, to say that I write under no such feeling, and that, as I had 

 the opportunity of being an eye-witness of how other exhibitors fared 

 at the hands of the Judge, I can well understand how the birds which 

 I exhibited there, and which have taken prizes at larger shows under 

 Mr. Hewitt, Mr. Tegetmeier, and Mr. Baily, were not successful. In 

 order to point out how the Judge did his work, I may mention that in 

 several classes prizes and honours were given to the worst pens, or to 

 pens which possessed absolute disqualiiications for them. In the 

 Variety class the first prize was awarded to a pen of Black Hamburghs, 

 the cock in which had not only impei-fectiona _in his comb and large 

 streaks of red on the earlobes, but also a wry tail, whilst the hen had 

 an imperfect and a lop comb ! In the classes for Bantams, a pair of 

 Duckwings obtained the second prize, although the cock was about the 

 worst in the Show. In the classes for Brahmas, too, the awards would 

 probably be acquiesced in by few, whilst amongst the Spangled Ham- 

 burghs they were quite in keeping with that in the Variety class already 

 mentioned ; red earlobes, lop combs, and an almost total absence of 

 bars on the wings, with other imperfections, constituting apparently no 

 drawbacks to distinction. I positively saw one hen in a highly com- 

 mended pen which had a comb which was not only a lop-comb, but 

 which was also almost oval, large, pretty nearly destitute of both spikes 

 and pike, and having a large hollow in the centre. — Observer. 



I WAS first with VJThite Dorkings, and first with Black Hamburghs 

 in the Any variety class. Your reporter states that the Dorkings 

 " are a very poor pair," and the Hamburghs " a wretched pair, white in 

 face, red earlobe, and the cock with a wry tail," and hardly worth 

 2s. 6tZ. I hope you will, as you always do, promote fair play, and not 

 allow my reputation to be damaged. They are not wretched, nor red 

 in ear, neither are they white in face, nor wry in tail ; and. moreover, 

 these two pairs of birds so depreciated by your correspondent I have 

 exhibited ten times, and won ten first prizes — that is, they have won 

 first prizes wherever exhibited, and are fit to win anywhere in the 

 kingdom. Mr. Hewitt has judged them twice and called them very 

 good birds — J. H. Nicholls. 



[In reply to Mr. NichoUs's communication, I beg to state my re- 

 anarks on his pens of poultry exhibited at Croydon were quite cor- 

 rect, as I can substantiate by the evidence of four other gentlemen, 

 who are well able to form an opinion. The Hamburghs were certainly 

 most inferior, with face and ear as I described, and even Mr. Nicholls 

 Mmself seemed to think but little of them, as he only priced them at 

 50s-, a very poor price for a pair of birds which had been exhibited 

 ten times and won ten first prizes. — YouE Coeeespokbent.] 



THE LATE MR. WOODBURY. 



No expressions we conld employ wonld more forcibly or mora 

 oorrectly express our deep regret for the loss of onr friend, 

 than that outpouring of genuine feeling which was contribnted 

 to onr columns last week by Mr. Bevau Fox. We can nov? add 

 but little to the following biographical notes : — 



Thomas White Woodeuey was born in London on December 

 14th, 1818. His father, an eminent linguist, was then resident 

 there, but subsequently removed to Exeter, and entered into 

 partnership with the late Mr. Woolmer, proprietor of the Exeter 

 ■and Plymouth Gazette. Oar friend, also, was connected with 

 the Gazette, and took an active part in its management. On 

 retiring from his connection with the Gazette, and after a 

 residence of two years in Birmingham, Mr. Woodbury re- 

 turned to Exeter, and having a sufficient private fortune did 

 not again enter into any business. But he never was an idle 

 man, and among other pursuits he devoted a considerable 

 portion of his time to the study of bees. In the year 1854, 

 Mr. and Mrs. Woodbury suffered severe affliction by the death 

 of their only son, and she survives, with two daughters, to 

 mourn their still greater loss. 



Of Mr. Woodbury's contributions to our columns no other 

 comment need be made than that they were invariably the 



results of practice ; his replies to correspondents were charac- 

 terised by sotmd judgment and courtesy, and even when he 

 exposed the mistakes of "The Times' Bee-master," he wrote 

 without asperity, and was contented when he had established 

 the truth. No man showed leas consciousness of superiority, 

 although as an observer of Nature he was so sufliciently pub- 

 licly known as to have been approvingly noticed by Mr. Darwin. 

 What he was in private life Mr. Bevau Fox has told, and a 

 neighbour says, " To see him amongst his bees was no small 

 pleasure, so gentle and patient and kind was he, and so willing 

 to convey to others the store of information acquired by years 

 of observation and research," 



SUPERS— DRONE SLAUGHTER. 



I HAVE been a disciple of a " Countey Curate " for a num- 

 ber of years. I began this year with two stocks, a black and 

 a Lignrian. The black has been very strong, and yet I have 

 prevented its swarming. The Ligurian hive was weak and re- 

 quired feeding, although at the end of 1870 it was very strong 

 in bees, and weighed 6 lbs. more than the black stock. I have 

 taken a glass of honey from the black stock, June 9th and on 

 June 26th part of a small bos, but in all not more than 6 lbs. 

 of honey. Since then the weather has been very bad and I 

 have let them keep what they have. 



I did not expect the Ligurians to swarm, but I found that 

 they increased in numbers very rapidly at the beginning of 

 July; on the 12th I placed a small glass on the hive, which 

 they occupied at once, but on the 20th they swarmed, and I 

 found had not made any comb in the glass. 



I placed [a la " Country Curate " ) the swarm in the old 

 stock's place, to prevent a second swarm. The bees at once 

 began to kill the drones, and did so up to twelve o'clock yester- 

 day (July 23th), when a second swarm issued. They are still 

 killing the drones, although their use cannot yet be dispensed 

 with. Is this usuaJ? I have seen cast out of the hive three 

 queens which were quite healthy, and I have returned them. 

 I have collected eight perfect young queens, which have been 

 east out of the hive. — Apis. 



[In the first place we should fancy your supers are too 

 small to be of much real use either in preventing swarming or 

 in obtaining good quantities of honey. Killing off the drones 

 at such a time generally shows that there is little or no honey 

 in the flowers to be collected, but there will most probably be a 

 sufficient number of drones, either from your own or from 

 other hives in the vicinity, left to fulfil all the duties required. 

 At so late a period of the summer as when your first swarm 

 issued, we should not be disposed to advocate the removal of 

 the stock and the putting the new swarm in its place.] 



LATE SWARMING. 



I HivE had some very late swarms from my apiary this 

 season, and the issue of some of them, I think, it would have 

 been difficult to have prevented. During the last week in July 

 I had no less than four swarms, each of them large enough to 

 fill an ordinary straw hive. I was always under the impression 

 that late swarms were generally very weak ones ; however, in 

 this case, it is quite the reverse. The ungenial weather we 

 have had here during the last two months has, I think, been 

 the cause, it having been either dull or very windy the greater 

 part of the swaiming season, and, consequently, the bees have 

 been prevented from taking wing at the proper time. A few 

 bright days would bring the second crop of clover in flower, 

 which would be a great help to the bees. With feeding twice 

 or thrice a-week I have no doubt I shall be able to save them. 

 I should be glad to know whether any of the readers of " our 

 Journal" have had such late swarming, and if so, can they 

 account for it ? — T. J. Harrison, Farndon, Cheshire. 



[Late swarming has been very prevalent in all parts of the 

 country this season, but the majority of the swarms will not 

 survive the winter. — Eds.] 



THE BALDHEAD AND BEARD PIGEONS. 



We have this week the pleasure of placing before the readers 

 of The Jouenai, of HoRTicuLTur.E the portraits of two of the 

 prettiest and most interesting varieties of onr fancy Pigeons 

 —the Short-faced Bald and Beard Tumblers, two varieties 

 which we have no hesitation in saying have not of late years 

 received that attention and consideration to which their beauty 

 and merit deservedly entitle them. We very much question 



