September 21, 1871. 1 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



231 



and with splenaid entrance and centre. Holmes & Dojle earned 

 second place more from their bird (a rich Jonque variegated) being 

 higb np in Norwicli properties than from the excellence of its crest. 

 As a rnle, the birds in this class were backward in condition, and the 

 greater portion only earned a simple commendation. 



Belgians were meritorious, but out of show condition. Mr. Robin- 

 son, of Middlesbrough, was first in Yellows with a bird a long way 

 above the average ; Mr, Bulmer, of Stockton, running him very closely, 

 taking second and third and all there was to offer in the Buffs ; Mr. 

 Harrison, of Belper, and Mr. Robinson having to succumb. But it is 

 almost impossible to say what *' position " birds are like when out of 

 condition. 



The Yorkshire classes I was not much atrack with, and I pass over 

 the Cinnamons, in which Messrs. Barwell & Co., Holmes & Doyle, 

 and Mr. Mills, of Sunderland, shared the honours, to get at the Lizards, 

 and say a word of praise for Smith & Preen's Golden-spangled birds, 

 and Mr. Ritchie's (Darlington) Silvers— they walked in. — W. A. 

 Blakston. 



(To be continued.) 



PIGEONS OF EGYPT. 



[The following notes have been obligingly sent to ns, in 

 answer to a correspondent's inquiry, by the Secretary of tha 

 Birmingham Columbarian Society.] 



The Egyptians are great admirers of Pigeons. M. de Norr 

 says, " The houses of Upper Egypt are vast dovecots, in which 

 the owner reserves only. a chamber for himself, and there he 

 lodges with the hens, chickens, &o., exposed to the devouring 

 insects which beset these animals." The Egyptians spend 

 much time on Pigeons. They have many singular varieties, but, 

 like most earnest fanciers, they keep the best for themselves, 

 so that it is difficult to obtain even a sight of their best birds. 

 •Out of the varieties which are to be fonud in Egypt may be 

 mentioned Turbits, Owls, Turn-crown Barbs, Tumblers, La- 

 Jiores, Swifts, and hosts of others, no donbt, with which I 

 am not familiar. Lahores are said to be Indian Pigeons ; 

 snoh may be the case, but I know they are cultivated exten- 

 sively in Alexandria, for I have on several occasions seen them 

 unshipped at Liverpool from that place. Swifts are Egyptian 

 birds, and remarkable ones ; they are almost unknown in 

 England, therefore I briefly describe them. They have a round 

 head, short thick beak, and a very singular-looking pale yellow 

 eye. They are actually small birds, though in appearance they 

 are large. Their wings and tail are unusually long, and give 

 the bird a novel appearance. The legs of these birds are short. 

 Their colours are various ; the most striking are those with a 

 bronzed appearance and light hackle. Pied and spangled ones 

 aeem the most numerous. Why they are called Swifts I can- 

 not comprehend. It cannot be from the speed at which they 

 2y, for, like most birds with long pinions, they cannot fly fast. 

 The long wing is most desirable in birds that have to perform 

 great distances, but the short and sharp-pointed wing for speed. 

 Owls, of course— that is, the smaller and better kind, are pecu- 

 liar to Africa, as most fanciers know; in fact, that fruitful 

 portion of Africa abounds in high-class Pigeons.— -J. W. Ludlow. 



PIGEON-TRIMMING AT ALLERTON SHOW. 



I SHALL be glad if you will insert the following in your next 

 issue. Being a member of the Allerton Committee I was ap- 

 pointed Field Steward to the Pigeon department, and to accom- 

 pany the Judge during the time he was making his awards on 

 the day of the Show, and I most distinctly state that I not 

 •only saw Mr. Hutton examine the Nuns in question, but also 

 witnessed him take out of their necks several dexterously-cut 

 feathers, which I presume had been trimmed for the purpose 

 of obtaining even marking. 



Respecting the Dragoons I do not exactly remember what he 

 said further than this, that he believed them to be two cocks, 

 but in consequence of their being so young he could not posi- 

 tively determine, and so gave them the benefit of the doubt. 



Threats are at all times considered poor argument, and in 

 this case I think it may be taken as an attempt to destroy 

 honesty of purpose. — D. Clayton, Washington Street, Girlington. 



[We are induced to insert this because we are informed that 

 letters have been written endeavouring to injure Mr. Hutton. 

 —Eds.] 



FOUL BROOD— TRANSPORTING HIVES. 

 I HAVE sent you a small piece of brood comb from a hybrid 

 stock of bees, which I am afraid is afflicted with the foul brood 

 disease, Xou will observe that some of the cells are empty, 



and I perceive here and there a young bee struggle out, and 

 this morning, when I cut from the frame the piece sent, I dis- 

 tinctly saw some of the smaller grubs move. The stock is a 

 late artificial swarm, or rather a number of brood combs taken 

 from a yellow stock and placed in a position previously occupied 

 by a black stock, and this is the first batch of brood from the 

 young queen. There are five frames of brood, and all alike. I 

 have removed two frames, but have no others in stock with 

 which to replace them, without taking them from other hives. 



I have also bought a lot of bees in Suffolk, in old-fashioned 

 hives (eighteen), which I have to bring to London. Will yon 

 give me a little advice on the subject ? My own idea is to out a 

 hole in the top of each hive (about 3 inches), secure on the top 

 with plaster of Paris and long pins a piece of wirework or zinc 

 perforated, put a piece of a lath through to support the combs, 

 stop the entrance with clay, pass a piece of cord round to 

 secure the hive to the floor-board, and send a light spring van 

 to fetch them. I have plenty of empty Woodbury hives with 

 frames, if you think it would be best to put two stocks together, 

 as advised by Mr. Pettigrew, and make nine strong ones of the 

 eighteen.— T. F. W. 



[We have carefully examined your comb, and have come to 

 the conclusion that there is as yet no decided proof of its being 

 affected with foul brood. Some of the brood was dead and in 

 a state of decomposition, but this may have arisen from the 

 lapse of time since the piece of comb was excised. Examine 

 your hive in the course of two or three weeks, and if you find 

 dead and putrid larvae, or numbers of sealed cells having 

 minute perforations in the centre of the covers, yon may then 

 decide that you are troubled with this dread disease. 



Your proposed plan for removing your hives may answer 

 very well, but the method we have always adopted and recom- 

 mended for the safe conveyance of straw hives which have to 

 travel any considerable distance, is to procure some coarse open 

 canvas, or what is known as cheese cloth, and cut it into squares 

 just sufficient to allow of the four corners being tied together over 

 the crown. Remove the hive from its bottom board, and put 

 it down on the middle of the cloth, quickly securing the ends 

 over the top. Then take a long piece of stout string and tie 

 round the hive about an inch from the bottom. During carriage 

 care must be used that the hives do not rest on a flat surface. 

 If the bottom boards had two pieces of wood 1 inch square 

 nailed 10 inches apart across their upper surfaces, the hives 

 could stand on them, being secured, if necessary, by cord. A 

 spring van, with plenty of straw on the bottom, might convey 

 the hives safely ; but we have generally preferred the rail, 

 where it was practicable, for long distances. If you desire to 

 have fewer but stronger stocks, and to transfer them into frame 

 hives, you would save yourself considerable trouble in their 

 transport ; but the combs would be hardly secured enough for 

 some time to come to enable them to resist the shaking they 

 would get. If you could transfer the combs now, feed liberally, 

 and defer the removal of the hives until winter or early spring, 

 we should advise your doing so. Ton would save expense and 

 trouble in cloths and carriage.] 



HIVING ITALIAN BEES. 

 Seveeai parties have written to me saying they find it more 

 difficult to hive Italian than black bees, and wish to know why 

 it is so. The reason I would give is this : They are naturally 

 more lively, more energetic, and when aroused and in a state 

 of excitement, the excitement is more intense. Hence the dis- 

 turbance caused by swarming or issuing from the hive does not 

 so readily abate as with the black bees ; they are consequently 

 longer in clustering, and when clustered, the heat generated is 

 far greater ; they do not, therefore, cluster compactly, but the 

 cluster is larger or more spread about than with black bees. 

 Thus it happens that when one attempts to hive them imme- 

 diately after they cluster, they are sure to take wing in large 

 numbers ; when they are shaken down, and when turned out 

 of the hiving dish, or cloth spread to receive them, they spread 

 out over a large surface, and, like hot ashes, are very difficult 

 to handle. Ttis is nothing against them, however, as it proves 

 their more energetic disposition. It is well to allow the cluster 

 to become well settled, and if convenient sprinkle with cold 

 water. Where artificial swarming is practised, this trifling 

 difficulty does not appear. When not under a state of excite- 

 ment they are more easily managed, as their labours seem 

 to wholly engross their attention, and a card of comb may be 

 lifted from the hive and not a dozen bees leave it, and the 



