292 



JOUKNAL OF HOETICULTTJEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



[ October 12, 1871. 



forma of the same principle may be seen in any advertising 

 American paper. I hope, therefore, Mr. H. A. King will be able 

 to establish his right, and for all American bee-keepers, to 

 make the moveable comb hives, as the Americans call the same 

 principles as the bar-and-frame, in any form, shape, or size they 

 may elect. — W. Auoustds Munn. 



BEES AND MICE. 

 I HEARD the other day of a lady who had a fine bos of honey 

 devoured by mice (so it was stated), and the qnestion was put 

 to me how such attacks could be prevented. The hives so 

 plundered were of straw. Never having had experience either 

 of this trouble or of any remedy, I could only suggest what I 

 thought would be likely to answer ; but if any of your readers 

 have suffered in the same manner, and know of a remedy, they 

 will doubtless do a service to others who may be in the same 

 predicament. I advised the nailing of pieces of zinc or gal- 

 vanised iron around the legs of the bee-house, or pedestal on 

 which the hives were placed, in such a manner that when the 

 mice crept up they might find a check in the overhanging 

 metal, much in the same way as rats are prevented from 

 getting into corn-ricke. Of course bees in hives of wood are 

 exempt from this injury. — B. & W. 



Hampshiee Ornithological Society's Show. — This must be 

 well supported by exhibitors, for the prizes are libera], and, in 

 addition, there are eleven cups, varying in value from ten to 

 three guineas. The South-Western Railway will reeonvey 

 without charge all unsold pens. We are pleased to see that it 

 is proposed to present a testimonial to the Secretary, Mr. 

 Philip Warren. His courtesy and indefatigable exertions for 

 the Society entitle him to this. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



CuTSTAi. Palace Poultry Show (J. Elgar).~-We cannot insert any 

 more commnnications. The reply to your letter by the Secretaries we con- 

 sider satisfactory, and your rejoinder only weakens your first statement. 

 MiDDLETON Poultry Show. —Mr. A. H.Easten, 19, Wellington Terrace, 

 Eeverley Road, Hull, informs us that he was the winner of the first prize 

 at Middleton for Lop-eared Rabbits, and not Mr. J. Holt. 



Poultry Feeding {J. H.). — We agiee with hardly any of yonr advisers. 

 Fowls do not like oats. They will only eat them when driven to do so by 

 launger, and oats can only be profitably given when they are ground. We 

 advise you to give barleymeal or ground oats slaked with water in the 

 morning, some whole corn at midday, and meal again in the evening. 

 The feed at midday may be varied, if you have table or kitchen scraps to 

 substitute for the whole corn. 



Dorking Cockerel (J. Claclc). — It is not a common thing for fowls to 

 be troubled as your Dorking cock is. If it should continue, you must shut 

 the bird up for a night to insure his being in a fasting state, and give 

 him two tablespoonsful of port wine. The weights of your birds are very 

 satisfactory, and far above the average. We are disposed to think your 

 feeding better calculated to produce weight than to make strength. With 

 the advantages of perfect liberty, and uniimited grass run, the food given 

 should be of the highest quality. Potatoes are very bad for poultry, they 

 induce liver disease, and make fat hut not Jleah. Two meals per diem 

 should be slaked oatmeal or barleymeal ; the midday repast barley, maize, 

 or scraps. The colour you mention in the plumage of the cock is not of 

 the slightest importance in general competition. 



Poultry Run (J. E.). — The run you mention is quite large enough, and 

 ■we have no doubt you will find the partition sufficient if you make the 

 wire incline inwards. Fowls will not then attempt to fly over. 



Over-stimulated Chickens (B. T. i3.).— We believe you made the 

 mistake in giving bread and ale only. It is a medicine, and should be 

 given accordingly. We rear many hundreds of chickens, and never give 

 them any drink in winter but ale. The hen should be confined under the 

 rip, but the chickens should be allowed to run in and out between the 

 bars as they like after sunrise. Stimulating food is the safeguard from 

 illness in bad weather, but it must be given with other things of a 

 nourishing nature. It merely gives the system a fillip, and supplies an 

 ephemeral strength to the patient while the disorder is treated. 



Chits'ese Geese {A. T7.).— The Geese you praise would not be profitable, 

 as in such cases they have to encounter a market, and would not find a 

 ready sale ; nor do we believe they would sell at all, till all the common 

 breeds had found purchasers. We know they are hardy, having bred 

 them ourselves. We have hatched and reared them in mid-winter. We 

 did not wish you to understand we thought they were given to you, bat 

 we said the praise of those to whom you gave them was not a fair criterion 

 of value. 



Mandarin Geese [T. A. B.).— We have never heard of Mandarin Geese. 

 There is a White Chinese Goose that answers the description you give. 

 It is too much the fashion to give imaginary names, and many are misled 

 by the practice. 



Dubbing Game Cocks {A. fl".).— The best instrument for dubbing a 

 Game cock is a pair of scissors. Those we employ are very like those used 

 lor clipping horses. There is a certain risk in dubbing a bird two years 

 old, but it is very small. If the operation is well performed and the wound 

 heals kindly it will not interfere with his chance of success. It has even 

 one advantage — the comb will not grow after the operation. In dubbing 

 ■we always cut from back to front, keeping as close to the skull as may be 

 without laying it bare. You speak ol the comb, but gills and deaf-ear 

 must be cut equally clean. 



Poultry Management (Dero?0-— The experience of half a century has 

 convinced us that good corn, either whole or ground, and slaked with 

 milk or water as may be most convenient, and the scraps and waste of a 



house, conpled with a sufficient grass run, are all that is required for 

 poultry. All who keep poultry should follow nature as closely as possible, 

 and rear their stock as Pheasants and Partridges feed, and as the hens of 

 these birds rear their broods. This is the most natural, most economical, 

 and most successful plan. 



Doe Producing a Single Young One {A Header). — Your doe is pro- 

 bably too fat, or if she is old she may only produce one or two young ones 

 at a litter. At times, if frightened, as by say a mouse running across the 

 hutch, or any other disturbing cause, she may have destroyed some of 

 them. This some does are in the habit of doing. She should always 

 have a clean hutch a few days before littering, with plenty of hay for her 

 nest, and a little water or milk and water ; for during the time of littering 

 intense thirst is experienced, and to appease it, if no fluid is providedj. 

 the doe resorts to cannabalism in some instances. 



Tick Beans for Pigeons [H. S. S.).— Any dealer in bird seeds could 

 supply you. 



Preserving Quinces (J. F.).~Ot course you are familiar with their 

 use along with Apples in pies and tarts. They may also be made into a 

 marmalade, jolly, compute, or syrup, and are used in various other ways. 

 We give two modes of preparation. To make quince marmalade, gather 

 the fruit when fully ripe, and of a fine yellow ; pare, quarter, and core it ; 

 put the quinces into a saucepan with a little water, and set them on the 

 fire until they are quite soft; then take them out, and lay them on a sieve 

 to drain ; rub them through, and weigh the pulp ; boil an equal quantity 

 of sugar to petite casse, then add the pulp, and stir them together over 

 the fire until it will fall from the spoon like a jelly. The marmalade is 

 then fit to be put iMto pots, and when cold cover them closely. To make- 

 compute, take Bis quinces, cut them in halves, and core them ; scald and 

 pare them neatly. Put some clear syrup into a preserving-pan, with the 

 j uico of a lemon ; when hot add the quinces, and give them a boil together j 

 drain the fruit, arrange it in the compotier, leave the syrup to thicken a 

 little, and pour it over the quinces. 



Butter Produced Slowly (A Siihscriher). — Let the cream become 

 sour before putting it into the churn, and the butter will form more' 

 readily. Churn in a warmer room. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



Camden Square, London. 



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



Date. 



9 A.II. 



In the Day. 





1371. 



Barome- 

 ter at 3a» 

 and Sea 

 I.eTel. 



Hygrome- 

 ter. 



Direc- 

 tion of 

 Wind. 



Temp. 



of Sou 



Shade Tem- 

 perature. 



Radiation 

 Tempera- 

 ture. 



1 



Oct. 



Dry. 



Wet. 



at 1 ft. 



Max. 



Min. 



In 1 On 

 8un. 'grass 



M 



We. 4 

 Th. 5 

 Fri. 6 

 Sat. 7 

 San. 8 

 Mo. 9 

 Tu. 10 



Inches. 



23.704 

 29.772 

 29.852 

 29.583 

 29.926 

 80.205 

 80.427 



deg. 

 49.S 

 47.8 

 58.5 

 57.1 

 43.8 

 46.7 

 45.S 



deg. 



48.0 

 47.0 

 54.2 

 56.8 

 42.3 

 44.0 

 42 6 



N.W. 

 N.W. 



W. 

 S.W. 



N. 

 N. 

 E. 



deg. 

 53.4 

 52.7 

 62.8 

 6S.8 

 63.2 

 51.9 

 60.8 



deg. 

 62.7 

 61.6 

 62.3 

 63.6 

 58.2 

 57.1 

 65.6 



deg. 

 41.8 

 38.4 

 478 

 63,8 

 38.8 

 34.3 

 34,2 



deg. 

 105.1 

 1G4.9 

 95.0 

 S9.4 

 94.2 

 96.2 

 84.0 



deg 

 37.8 

 36.1 

 44.8 

 49.8 

 37.0 

 31.1 

 31.8 



In. 



0.M1 

 0.163 

 0.140 



Means 



29.924 



49.8 



47.3 





62.7 



60.2 



41.3 



95.5 



SS.S 



0.SS2 



REMARKS. 

 4th.— Beautiful morning and fine day. 



5th. — Very fine till 2.45, then a very heavy shower, and lighter rain after. 

 6th, — Cloudy morning, shower about noon, then fine. 

 7th. — Very frequent showers, and very dull the whole day. 

 8th. — Fine all day, particularly bright in the middle, but misty in the 



evening. 

 9th.~Antumn fog in the morning, but very fine in the afterpart of the 

 day. 

 lOth.-r-Fog in morning, fine day but rather cold, fine starlight night. 



A fine autumnal week ; the decline of temperature steadily continues, 

 and there have been two slight frosts on grass.— G. J. Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Octobbb 11. 

 A itaib amount of business for the season is being done. 



Apples i sieve 2 to 4 



Figs doz. 10 8 



Filberts lb. 6 10 



Cobs lb. 6 10 



Grapes, Hothouse.... lb. 1 5 



Lemons ^100 8 12 



Melons each 2 6 



Mulberries lb. 



Nectarines doz. 5 8 



Oranges ^100 20 



Peaches doz. 6 



Pears, kitchen doz. 2 



dessert doz, a 



Pine Apples lb. 3 



Plums i sieve 3 



Quinces doz. 



Walnuts bmshel 10 



ditto %n00 1 



d. s. d. 

 OtoO 



VEGETABLES. 



B. d. s. d 



Artichokes doz. 4to0 6 



Asparagus ^''lOO. O 



Beans, Kidney.. .A sieve 3 



Broad bushel 



Beet,Red doz. 2 S 



Broccoli bundle 6 10 



Brussels Sprouts. -i sieve 2 3 



Cabbage doz. 1 S 



Capeicuras Tf^lOO 16 2 



Carrots bunch 6 



Cauliflower doz. 8 6 



Celery bundle 1 G 2 



Coleworts.. doz. bnnches 2 4 



Cucumbers each 6 10 



pickling doz. 2 SO 



Endive doz. 2 



Fennel bunch S 



Garlic lb. 8 



Herbs bunch 3 



I Horseradish bundle 3 4 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce doz. 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress, .punnet 

 Onions per doz. bunches 



pickling quart 



Parsley sieve 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Radishes., doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Savoys doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes doz. 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Marrows. .doa. 



B. d. B. 

 8 too 

 8 1 

 



a 





 6 

 

 

 

 6 

 

 6 

 

 

 



