252 



JOUKNAL OF HOETICULTURB AND COTTAGE GAEDBNES. 



[ September 28, 1871. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Maeket Deattox, Nokthallerton, akd StoivEsley Shows IH. P. and 

 others).~Xs the Committees concluded they were not worth advertising, 

 we do not consider them worth reporting. 



Black Hamburghs at Bingley Show. — Mr. C. Sidgwick took both 

 first and second prizes, we are informed. 



Chickens Dying (Inquirer).— You do not give ns data enough to frame 

 an answer. You begin with a string of questions, so will we. How old 

 are they ? Where do they roost ? Is the hen at liberty ? Have they access 

 to grass ? At what hour "are they fed in the morning ? At what age are 

 they attacked with the disorder ? Have they a grass run ? If they have 

 not, what are the artificial appliances resorted to ? While yon await 

 yoTU" answer, dose them plentifully with bread and ale, and let them be 

 fed at daybreak. 



Wheaten Eantahs (J. F. C.).— They have lighter, that is. more golden 

 hackles, and breasts the colour of a newly-gathered corn of wheat. The 

 rest of the colour is that of a Black Red. The eyes of Game or Black 

 Bantams being perfect in sight aro not important. It is, however, im- 

 perative that all should be alike. A Black Bantam should be small in 

 size, have a firm double comb, a purely white deaf ear, and blue legs ; 

 the tails should be scanty, and carried rather drooping than otherwise. 

 The sickles cnnnot be too long. 



Breeding Black HAMBURcng {Blade Hamburgh). — We know no breed 

 of black fowls in which the cock is not subject to coloured feathers. They 

 are generally red, and are to be found in t-panish, Pohsh, and all others. 

 Black Cochins were discarded for this reason. Black Hamburghs are 

 manufactured, and some of their component parts will creep out. We 

 would not bre^^d from a bird that had coloured feathers in his body, but 

 we should not hesitate because of three or foar in his hackle. We have 

 no doubt you can select an exhibition pen. You must not be discouraged, 

 but must recollect it takes some time to establish a breed. 



Spanish Cock's Face (M.). — If your Spanish cock has not naturally a 

 white face you cannot make it white. If a Spanish cock has not a white 

 face at seven or eight months old he never will have one, and as an 

 exhibition bird is worthless. 



Black-breasted Red Bantam: Coce (Far West).— The white down is 

 not desirable, but it is not important. The brown feathers on the breast 

 merely prove he is a Brown and not a Black Red. The drooping of the 

 wings is a grave fault, and if you have other birds to choose from take 

 one free from it, rather than breed from the bird you mention. The red 

 feathers would disijualify in a class where the competition is confined to 

 Black Reds. 



Chickens Becoming Blind (E. K., Beigate). — l^our chickens have the 

 roup. It may have been caught from the mother, or it may arise from 

 insufficient feeding or from a bad locality. Chickens at this time of year 

 want much more attention than those that are hatched earlier. The nights 

 are getting longer than the days, and every day the temperature is lower. 

 Now, to be successful in chickens it is necessary they should be led at 

 daybreak always, at this time of year soon after half-past five. When 

 there is a very heavy dew or white frost the chickens, after being fed, 

 should be driven back into the rip with the hen — feed her also, that she 

 may rest satisfied — and not allowed to run about till the sun is up and 

 the grass is dry. Reflect for a moment. At 6 p.ai. the chickens are at 

 roost. If they are fed at what is called first thing in the morning, which 

 is now about seven, they have been thirteen hours without food : there is 

 neither growth, health, nor strength in that. If you have named all the 

 food yon give it is not enough. It would not be enough in May or June. 

 At this time they must he fed as in January and February — chopped 

 cooked meat, bread and ale. boiled egg chopped fine, grits, bread and 

 milk, dough, and they should have beer to drink. As the atmosphere 

 falls in temperature the food must be more generous. We doubt whether 

 you will save any of the brood, but you must put them at once on bread 

 and strong beer. If their house or the place in which the rip is put have 

 a wooden, stone, or brick flooring, either will cauae*he complaint from 

 which the chickens are suffering. If the hen is allowed to run about with 

 the chickens, that may be the cause. At this season of the year it is 

 better she should be shut up. 



Weight of Buff Cochin Coceerel (Lemon Buf). — The cockerel, five 

 months old, weighing over 8 lbs., is very heavy. One pound per month 

 is good growth and weighing. Yours has made more than 1-^ lb. 



China Geese {A. W.). — It is a very common thing for people to praise 

 things that are given to them. They would be ungrateful if they did not, 

 and would forget the old adage, " not to look a gift horse in the mouth." 

 If you want to test the value of birds, sell them. That was our experi- 

 ence of them. They made great weight, but not good meat. Our opinion 

 is that the domestic Goose is the best table bird of the tribe, and that of 

 these a real stubble-fed one is again the best. It is many years since we 

 saw any Swan Geese, and we believe the true breed has disappeared. We 

 have them in an old painting. They not only have long taper neck3, but 

 they have not the yellow knob. Goose eggs are excellent, hut they re- 

 quire to be eaten fresh. 



Plustage of Cinnamon Cochin Cockerel— Silver Buff (A Constant 

 Suhscnber). — There are two colours for Cinnamon Cochin cocks. One is 

 all over the colour of a piece of wetted cinnamon ; the other is a French 

 white, with splashes of dark gamboge all over the plumage, especially the 

 hackle. The term Silver Bufl" is a mistake, it should be Silver Cinnamon. 

 There is no such bird as a Silver Buff. The hen should have a French 

 white body with light, nearly white, under feathers. The hackle should 

 be a very dark yellow, like the colour of gamboge, before it is rubbed. 



White-crested and Spangled Polands (A. Wjjlie).—MT. Vivian, of 

 Swansea, used to show them, and they were common in France as white 

 " Padoues." We have seen many of them. They should be bearded, and 

 should have neither wattles, horns, nor spikes. The same rules apply to 

 Spangled Polands. All Polands are subject to what one of their great 

 admirers, who objects to the term hump-backed, calls " curvature of the 

 spine." 



Consequences op Non-pee payment. — I request you to publish this 

 farther information respecting the man Ellison. I applied to the police 

 concerning him, and their answer was that he is well known, and that his 

 real name is Kilshaw, and that I must get a warrant. I have since re- 

 ceived a letter addressed to a gentleman in Lancashire, from Eastham, 

 Cheshire, and signed "R. Tomlinson." The letter is exactly the same 

 as mine in writing and style, only in deeper mourning ! The publication 

 of my letter in your columns warned this gentleman in time. — Fred. 

 TE3IPLE Hillyard, Southam, Warwickshire. 

 Crossing the Wood Pigeon with the Domestic (Crejsy).— Thishas 



often been attempted, but never, so far as we know, with sncceas. It is 

 impossible to make the wild birdH return for long to a Pigeon house. Mr. 

 Brent had a hen Wood Pigeon which paired with a cock Dragoon, bat 

 they had no young. 



Pigeon Trimjiing at Alleeton (Examiner and ofJiers).— We cannot 

 insert more on the subject. 



Canaries Fighting (J.H.B.). — Nothing hut separating them will put 

 a stop to the pleating, but you can try whether two or more of the most 

 peaceably disposed will live together quietly.— W. A. B. 



Rabbit with One Eye Blind (Edith).— The blindness of a Babbit is 

 often caused by exposure to cold air. The appearance presented by 

 yours suggests bathing the eye with warm milk and water. Keep the 

 Rabbit warm, the hutch clean and free from the smell of ammonia as 

 much as possible. Should this fail, consult a veterinary surgeon. We do 

 not think it infectious, yet for the sake of quiet it will be advisable to 

 keep it alone for a while. Give carrots, turnips, oats (crushed), a little 

 bran, no beans, bat little green food, and that never wet. 



Cha:m:eleons. — A Constant Reader wishes for information upon the 

 feeding and keeping of chameleons in a fernery during winter. 



Mr. Heney LiNE died on the 16th inst., at the age of 45. 

 He had only been ill a week of gastric fever. He was one of 

 oar earliest breeders of Spanish fowls. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



Camden Square, London. 



Lat. Sr 32' 40" N. ; Long. 0° 8' 0" W. ; Altitude 111 feet. 



Sept. 





We. 20 

 Th. 21 

 Fri. 22 

 Sat. 23 

 Stin.24 

 Mo. 25 

 Tn. 2G 



Inches. 

 29.MS 

 29.533 

 29.758 

 29.855 

 29.371 

 29.716 

 29.623 



Means 29.6S3 52-6 19.0 



Hygrome- 

 ter. 



Dry. Wet, 



deg. 

 65.1 

 53 

 S3.7 

 51.2 

 49.3 

 51.2 

 49.6 



61,0 

 51.8 

 47.5 

 47.7 

 49.0 

 43.0 

 4S.3 



Direc- 

 tion of 

 Wind. 



S.E. 

 N,E. 



W. 



N. 

 N,W. 

 N.E. 

 N.W. 



Temp, 

 of SoU 

 at 1 ft. 



deg. 

 69.4 

 57.3 

 67.3 

 66.7 

 55.5 

 65.2 

 54,4 



56.7 



In the DAT. 



Shade Tem- 

 perature. 



deg. 

 60.0 

 67.9 

 63,0 

 54.8 

 5fi.O 

 57.2 

 66.9 



47,8 

 43.9 

 40.6 

 38,1 

 47.0 

 40.0 

 43.7 



i9,4 I 43.7 



Radiation 

 Tempera- 

 ture. 



In I On 

 sun. i grass 



deg. I deg. 



86,2 I 49.! 



113,2 ' 42,8 



1U,8 ! 40,2 



C4.0 I 37.4 



90.0 : 48,0 

 65,4 i 40,8 



77.1 1 43,4 



85.7 , 43.8 



0.630 

 0,340 



1.9 



EEMAEKS. 



20tla. — A dull, cloudy, and cold day, except for a short time in the after 

 noon, but I suspect much finer in the country. 



21st. — Fine aU day, but rather chilly at night. 



22od. — A very iine day, but with quite an autumnal temper.atnre, 



23rd- — Fine morning, but getting gradually more and more cloudy till 

 S 30, when slight rain began to fall, and continued getting rather 

 heavier till midnight, about which time it rained very heavUy, 

 nearly an inch having fallen between 9 P.il. on Saturday and 9 A.k, 

 on Sunday, the greater portion having fallen between i2 and 2. 



24th. — Rather dull morning, but quite bright and fine in the afternoon. 



35th. — Fine in early morning, but began to rain soon after 3 p.ai,, and 

 continued till midnight. 



2Gth. — Fine in morning, but cloudy and cold after, and during the middle 

 of the day very dark, but brighter towards evening; fine night, 

 lunar halo at 10 P.M. — G. J. iSYlloNS, 



COVEXT GARDEN HAEKET.— Sepiembeb 27. 

 Supplies have been moderate throughout the week, with a steady 

 demand. Sptnish and Jersey Grapes are coming to hand in considerable 

 bulk, prices ranging from 9d, to Is. Gd. per lb., but none have keeping 

 qualities. Good hothouse Grapes, both Hamburghs and Muscats, are 

 sufficient for the trade. The Potato trade is heavy at former prices, sup- 

 plies being large both by rail and water. 



B. d. B. d. 



Apples :t sieve 2 to 4 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts bushel 



Currants J sieve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 10 8 



Filberts lb. 6 9 



Cobs lb. 6 10 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, Hothouse lb. 1 5 



Lemons f'lOO 8 12 



Melons.. each 2 5 



B. d. B. d. 



Mulberries lb. 6tol 



Nectarines doz. 5 8 



Oranges ¥"100 20 



Peaches doz. 4 SO 



Pears, kitchen doz. 2 



dessert doz. 3 SO 



Pine Apples lb. 3 5 



Plums * sieve 3 5 



Quinces doz. 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries lb. 



Walnuts bashel 10 16 



ditto ¥-100 10 3 



VEGETABLES. 



s. d. s. d 



Artichokes doz. 4 to 6 



Asparagus 1^100. o 



Beans, Kidney ;^ sieve 8 



Broad bushel 



Beet, P.ed doz. 2 3 



Broccoh bundle 6 10 



Brussels Sprouts. .J sieve 2 3 



Cabbage doz. 10 2 



Capsicums WOO 16 2 



Carrots bunch 6 



Cauliflower doz. S C 



Celery bundle 16 2 



Coleworts.. doz. bunches 2 4 



Cucumbers each 6 10 



pickling doz. 2 SO 



Endive doz. 2 



Fennel hunch 8 



Garlic lb. S 



Herbs bunch 8 



Horseradish bundle 3 10 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce doz. 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress, .punnet 

 Onions per doz. bunches 



pickling quart 



Parsley sieve 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidaey do. 



Radishes., doz. hunches 



PJmbarh bundle 



Savoys doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes doz. 



Turnips bunch 



>egetahle Marrows., doz. 



B. d. s. d 

 3 too e 



8 1 ' 

 



2 





 4 

 

 4 

 1 

 1 

 8 

 6 

 1 

 

 

 

 

 4 

 

 

 2 



