134 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ August 17, 1871. 



I>uUets.~l.'B..C.'WooAeoc'k. 7;c, J. Hassel. Cockerels.— 1.3. V^aiis. White.— 

 1, Mrs. ■WUliamson, Qneeniboronsh Hall, Leicester 2. H. E. Emblin, Oadby, 

 Leicester. Pullets.— I, ilrs. ■Williamson, c, H. E. EmbliB. Cockei-els.—l, Mrs. 

 "Wiliamson. he, H. E. Embin. Atuf other Variety.— 1, J. Stephens. Fullets. 

 — 1, J. Stephens. Coekerel.—l, J. Stephens. 



Brahmas. — 1. W. Stevens. NortbamptoD. 2. Mrs. "WiUiamson. c,J. Allen: J. 

 Watts. Pnllct^.—l. H. C. Woodcock, he, J. Watts ; Mrs. Williamson. Cockerel. 

 —1. J. Watts, he. W. Stevens. 



Gahe.— 1. F. Marshall. 2, W. E. Oateley. Atherstone. Pullets.— ly'W.B.. 

 Clare. 2, W. E. Oakeley. he, W. T. Everard: W. E. Oakeley. Cockerel —I, 

 W. T. Everard. he. Lord Mauchline, Derby ; W. E. Oakeley. c, W. H. Clare. 

 Cock.—l, W. E. Oakeley. 



HAiiEUBGHs. — Golden-spangUd. — 1, J. StcT^bens. 2, .T. W. Swallovr, North- 

 ampton, he, H. E. Emberlin. SHver-spanfjled. — 1, J. Choyce. 2, Nn competi- 

 tion. 



Gajte Ba.\-ta3IS.— 1, H. Yardley. 2. W. Brown, Cliff. Atherstone. 



Bantams. — Clean-legged, any other variety. — J,W. H. Johnson, Braunstone, 

 Leicester. 2, H. Drayeott, Humberstone, Leicester. 



Selling Class.— Coc?:.—1, H. Yardley. 2, W. E. Oakeley. Hens or Pullets. 

 — 1, T. Sheppard, Humberstone (Partridgre Cochin's). 2. -T. Ghovce (White 

 Dorkings), he, A. J. Hamel ; C. M. Grundy; J. Watts: W. E. Oakeley; T. 

 Sheppard (2). c. H. Yardley ; H. Draveott ; W. Noftaire, Northampton. 



DhcKS.—AylesburJi.—l and 2. J. J. Sharp, Broushton. Kettering, he, H. E. 

 EmberUn. c. J. Choyce Eoiieji.-i, J. Wright. Meltnn Mowbray. 2, J. 

 Chovce. he, T. BnrnabT, Pipewell, Ketteriotr; H. Marshall. 



TtJrkets— 1, .T. Watts. 2 and he, W. H. Johnson. 



Geese.— 1, J. Watts. 2, J. Choyce. 



PIGEONS. 



Carriers.— 1 and he. H. Yardley. 2, J. Watts. 



Pouters.— 1. H. Yardlev. 2, G. Sturgess, Leicester, he, H. E. Emberlin : H. 

 Drayeott : J. Watts : G. Stnrgess. 



Faktails.— 1. H. Yardley. 2. W. Choyce. he, H. Yardley ; J. F. Loveridge, 

 Newark ; H. Drayeott. e. W. Choree. 



TuREiTs.- 1, H. Yardley. 2, F. H. Paget, Birstall, Leicester, c, J. Watts ; F. 

 H. Paget. 



Magpies.— 1. H. Drayeott. 2. H. Yardlev. 



Ant other VARiETr.— 1 and 2, H. Yardlev. he, H. Drayeott; J. Watts (2); 

 W. Nottage. c, H. Drayeott. 



Selling Cl.\ss.— 1, J. Watts (White Horsemen). 2, H. Yardley (Blue Horse- 

 men), he, H. Yardley ; K. Drayeott. 



Rabbits.— Lop-en 7-e^ fAny variety).- 1 and 2. W. Cannan. Leicester, he. J 

 Smith, Leicester, c, G. W. Sturgess ; Hon. P. Hastings. Any other Variety.— 

 1, S. C. Pilgrim, Hinckley 'Himalayan). 2. F. Sabbage, Northampton (Dutch). 



Extra SrocE.— /tc, W. H. Johnson (Guinea Fowls). 



Mr. Edward Hevritfc, of Sparkbrook, Birmingham, was tlie Judge. 



CROYDON POULTRY SHOW. 



I Ay: Borrv to find such nnjust remarks in last week's nnmber con- 

 cerning the above Show. Althoaeh living at Croydon, I have nothing 

 to do with the management of this Show, which is connected with the 

 Agricultural Society, and therefore I can speak as an independent 

 exhibitor. In my opinion the arrangements were as good as they 

 could he where an exhibition takes place under canyas. I agree with 

 Mr. Cresswell, that the passages might have been wider, but as the 

 day was unfortunately very wet, they were not unduly crowded, nor 

 were the birds In two instances the pens were placed on the ground 

 under the bottom tier, but in each of these cases the birds were 

 evidently unexpected arrivals, as they were numbered 96a and 105a. 

 I may add that in many shows that I have attended the arrangements 

 have not nearly equalled Croydon, and that in old-established so- 

 cieties and fine weather. 



The same correspondent also finds great fault with the police in 

 attendance. My own experience was, that on presenting myself about 

 1 P.M., I was politely informed that the Judge had not quite finished 

 his awards, and requested to wait a short time before entering. At 

 that time the only persons in the tent were the Secretary with the 

 Judge, also Mr. Billett, who was employed to pen the birds, and two 

 or three local Pigeon fanciers, who exhibited their birds, but cot for 

 competition. Certainly the Judge had more to do than was antici- 

 pated, and it would have been very much better if the Secretary, when 

 he found that the entries were three times as numerous this year 

 as they were last, had appointed a second Judge. But is there one 

 show in twenty which attains perfection in its second year? As to 

 your correspondent's last remarks, I can only look on them as great 

 exaggerations, for with a good canvas tent, as the tent in question was, 

 it is perfectly impossible that any bird could leave it in such a state 

 that it could reach home in a condition fairly described by saying it 

 appeared to have just come from a washtub. How much fairer to 

 have imagined that in such a wet time it had become in that state in 

 transit home. 



'• Observer" speaks in very disparaging terms as to the judging. 

 For my own part I thought the judging quite as good as usual, and I 

 met there more than one good judge who did so likewise. As regards 

 the Brahmas, with the judging of which he finds particular fault, there 

 was hardly a bird in the Light class that was fit to be placed in an ex- 

 hibition pen. They were nearly all in heavy moult, out of condition, 

 and as yellow as Canaries — very good birds many, but not fit to show 

 until over their moult. The first and second prizes went to those 

 which had the best got over their moult, and were, therefore, in the best 

 condition for exhibiting. "Observer" should also remember that 

 July is the very worst of all months in the year for a poultry show, on 

 account of the birds being in such deep moult, which also adds very 

 much to the Judge's difficulty in awarding the prizes in such a manner 

 as to give general satisfaction. 



In conclusion, I do maintain that it is too bad to find such — I must 

 say undeserved — fault with a show which has only once before been 

 held, and this year obtains three times as many entries as on the 

 former occasion. I must also add, that in my opinion the show was a 



great success in every way, except that on account of the soaking wefe 

 day I fear, from the Secretary's remarks, both ends will hardly meet. 

 — Philip Crowley, Waddon Souse, Croydon. 



QUEENS LEAVING THEIR HIVES. 



It is difficult to prove a negative, but I agree with Mr. Lowe 

 in thinliing that fertile queens, which have entered fairly on 

 their duties as mothers, do not leave their hives for an aerial 

 excursion. At all events I have never had any proof of the fact, 

 and if the circumstances mentioned by " B. & W." had hap- 

 pened in my apiary, it would not have occurred to me to ex- 

 plain them in the way that your highly-esteemed correspondent 

 has done. Although Mr. Lowe sometimes steers his course 

 alcne, it is his fortune, or misfortune, to have me for a com- 

 panion on ih3 present occasion. 



In regard, then, to the experience of "B. & W.," my con- 

 jecture is that the beea of the strong hybrid hive removed 

 40 yards o2 swarmed unseen, and that the swarm entered 

 his Italian hive in which royal cells were commenced shortly 

 after it was driven. Finding matters in this condition, this 

 swarm made a second exodus on the 24th of May. 



Bat it will be obvious that if there were other hives in the 

 neighbourhood, it is not necessary to suppose that the swarm 

 issuing on May 24th came originally from the strong hybrid 

 Italian hive ; it might have come from some other hybrid 

 stock. 



It is quite common for bees to swarm out of one skep into 

 another, and the novelty of an instance which came under my 

 observation many years ago caused it to be well remembered. 

 Three hives were sited a few yards from each other — thus r 

 A, B, C. First A threw a swarm, which was housed in a com- 

 mon skep ; then B threw a swarm, which entered A without 

 opposition. Immediately thereafter C threw a swarm, which 

 entered B. I was an eye-witness of these doings, and I have an 

 impression that the time occupied by them did not exceed half 

 an hour. These hives, A and B, into which swarms had entered 

 threw swarms on the third day following ; and now when a 

 swarm leaves a hive I do not conclude that the queen and 

 followers properly belong to it on the mere evidence of having 

 witnessed their exodus. — E. S. 



[This would have appeared earlier had it not been among 

 Mr. Woodbury's papers, and not found until some days after 

 our friend's death. — Ens.] 



UNITING BEES— SAVING THE BEES OF 

 CONDEMNED STOCKS. 



I HATE lately come into possession of three stocks of bees in 

 rotten old straw hives, and of three or four swarms of June 

 and July of this year, which were hived in common boxes of 

 different sizes. I am desirous of establishing at least three 

 good stocks to stand the winter, and also of taking some honey. 

 The people about here have no idea in bee-keeping beyond 

 stifling the bees with brimstone. I have picked up a little 

 theoretical knowledge in your Journal, but being a lady cannot 

 put it in practice myself. My man is evidently indisposed to 

 try experiments. 



Please tell me if — 1st, I should drive the bees into new and 

 improved hives? 2nd, When uniting two or three weak 

 ccloaies should all the queens but one be destroyed? 3rd, If 

 set about this month, will the bees have enough honey to live 

 on through the winter ? 4th, Would you recommend me to 

 buy a Ligurian queen or swarm, or wait until I have bad some 

 little experience ? 



By answering these questions you will save the lives of 

 many colonies which would otherwise be destroyed by the 

 country folk, for when I have myself learnt, I intend to teach 

 them ihe proper method of managing. — A Subscrieeb's 



SiSTEE. 



[1st, We should advise yon not to attempt to establish stocks 

 of driven bees in new boxes at this season of the year. Tou 

 had better wait until next summer, and then hive the swarms 

 into them, when you can break up the old hives twenty-one 

 days after the issue of the swarms. 



2nd. It is not necessary, when uniting two or three colonies, 

 to destroy all the queens but one. If possible, drive the bees 

 of both or more hives successively into one empty receptacle, 

 knocking them out subsequently into the hive they are intended 

 to occupy. 



3rd, Without very liberal feeding, say from 30 lbs. to 40 lbs. 



