November 23, 1S71. ] 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



407 



awards in tliis class -whenever — as in this case — there is anything like 

 uniformity in structure and carriage between rival pens. Mr. Betty, the 

 cup-winner of last year, may therefore still congratulate himself on the 

 possession of the best birds, notwithstanding that they do not figure in 

 the prize list. 



The Barb judgment was another vexed question, but we incline de- 

 cidedly to the opinions which would have placed Captain Heaton in 

 the higher position, merited not only by intrinsic excellence, but also 

 by the superior condition of his birds. Sufficient stress is too seldom 

 laid upon sound condition as an essential of competition, and it is 

 pitiable to notice in the old classes how rapidly the typical cup-winner 

 lapses into his usual crouching, degraded, and spiritless attitude, not- 

 withstanding all the eye-dressing, plumage-washing, and *' making- 

 up " to which he has been subjected for the occasion. Just as round 

 after round the battered heroes of the " P.R. " are brought up 

 " smiling " through the delicate attentions of their seconders, so do 

 these jaded birds appear at show after show with enough of apparent 

 vitality forced upon them to stand a transient ordeal with the Judges 

 for the time being. A few (fortunately but a few) such specimens ap- 

 peared at the Palace. 



That any inconsistencies should have occurred in the judgment of 

 the Pouter department is the more to be regretted, seeing how recent 

 efforts have strengthened this division, and made it a principal feature 

 of the Show. In some cases refinement of type and character very 

 properly ruled the decisions, while in others mere bulk turned the 

 scale ; and as a whole, perhaps, the birds of heavy build seemed the 

 most favoured. If bulkiness be elevated to a standard property, then 

 Pouter-breeding will be degraded to the simple process of producing 

 boorish ungainly birds. The Pouter proper, however, is a happy com- 

 bination of artistic traits in the departments of structure, carriage, and 

 plumage, in all of which elegance and refinement should reign supreme. 

 Had the Judges followed out consistently in all the classes their ap- 

 preciation of the symmetrical and the refined, a different but more 

 satisfactory distribution of some of the awards would have resulted. 

 Mr. Volckman, the Superintendent of this divisiou, withdrew entirely 

 from competition in the young classes, presenting the cup for young 

 cocks. He, however, showed a bird or two of this season's rearing in 

 the old classes, and gained for them considerable credit from Pouter 

 exhibitors. Had classes for young Whites been provided, both Mrs. 

 Ladd and Mr. Heath would have stood well with their excellent birds, 

 some of which made their mark notwithstanding competition with much 

 older specimens. The Scotch division complained of the too early 

 date of the Show and consequent disadvantage of the later moult in 

 the north. None the less their birds were represented by owners of 

 well-known names, and met with deserved admiration in many cases. 



Despite our strictures, probably no show as an entirety was ever so 

 evenly judged or presented so many features of interest ; and we may 

 fairly conclude, from the deserved success of this the third year, that 

 the Great London Poultry and Pigeon Exhibition may be numbered 

 amongst established institutions. 



Fife akd Einkoss Eshieitiin. — There aie ibrte piizesin 

 each o{ the classes — not large, but the entries are correspondirig 

 — three sbilliDgs per pen for poultry, half-a-crown for Pigeons, 

 and one shilling for Canarie.o. lu addition to the prizes there 

 are eight two-guinea cups. We regret seeing the mistake con- 

 tinued of having only one class for Dorkings. 



"B. & W.'s" APIAEY IN 1871. 



As the bee season is now fairly over for the year, it is a good 

 time to take a review of its lessons. None of your readers have 

 yet given us their experience, although some of them must have 

 a good deal to tell. By way of provocative, therefore, I will 

 make a few notes of my owe. 



The year began with very good promise, although some of 

 my hives were only half filled with comb, and therefore not 

 very rich in honey. Only one hive died in the previous winter, 

 and that was found to have plenty of food both in open cells 

 and sealed comb. It was a made-up hive, its occupants being 

 the combined stock of two strong cottage hives that had been 

 condemned to the brimstone pit. As is usual with bees saved 

 late in the year when put into an empty hive and fed up arti- 

 ficially, these bees made but comparatively little comb — just 

 enough for present purposes, preferring to extend the cells 

 rather than waste food in the construction of unnecessary comb. 

 In this respect there is a marked contrast between the summer 

 and autumn habits of bees. In the early part of the year they 

 will fill everything with comb, utterly reckless of the consump- 

 tion of honey. This is no doubt accounted for in this way, 

 that the exigencies of breeding and the instinct of increase are 

 stronger at that time than the instinct of self-preservation. 

 Be this as it may, they did very well till the long and intense 

 cold and snow of January came ; then I suppose they were 

 frozen to death, not having sufficient protection among the 

 combs. Bat there were also symptoms of dysentery. Could 



it be the food they ate ? for they were not snowed up at any 

 time. This was coarse brown sugar boiled to a syrup. And 

 yet I have never fed my bees on anything else, and they have 

 always done well, as did the others fed equally upon the same 

 food. It must be said, however, that these had no other food 

 but this sugar, while my other hives had some honey stored up, 

 however small the quantity. All the other hives did well save 

 one, which I think had no queen. After parting with some, 

 I reserved eight for my summer stock. Of these, it is true, 

 several were exceedingly poor in bees and honey when March 

 came ; but by dint of careful spring feeding they speedily re- 

 covered, all but the one spoken of ; and some of the poorest, 

 which I thought could hardly survive, have done as well as any 

 of the others. 



March was a very promising month, so warm and tranquil in 

 comparison to other seasons at this time of year. April was much 

 the same. I imagine that a fair quantity of honey was gathered 

 by the bees, although I certainly did not observe any addition 

 to their stores, as has been the case in some years within my 

 experience. Still a good deal of comb was constructed in some 

 hives. May was an active and pleasant month, but no great 

 quantity of honey was stored, owing to the singular absence of 

 blossom in all our orchards this year. This usually supplie" 

 us with our first grand honey seaEOn, often in large-enougt 

 quantity to carry our hives well over the following winter, 

 besides giving a considerable surplus. 



At the beginning of May my apiary stood as follows : — 





BEE HOUSE. 





A. 



B. 



C. 



Sold. 



Strong. Pure im- 



Very strong. 





ported Italian queen. 



Hybrid Italians, 



D. ' 



E. 



F. 



Very strong. 



Weak. 



Very weak. Purelnr 



Degenerate hybrids. 



Hybrid Italian. 

 G. 



Nil. 



ported Italian queen. 









GARDEN STA^■D. 





H. 



11. 



J 2. 



Weak. 



Died. 



Very strong. 



Ultimately died. 



FOWL HOUSE. 





K. 





L. 



Sold. 



Strong 



Hybrid Italian, 



M. 





N. 



Very strong. Hybrid Italians. 



Sold. 



-B. & W. 







OUR LETTEK BOX. 



SoDTnAiiPTON Show (An Exhibttori.— Can yon prove that the fowl 

 were not cbanged while in the care of the railway people ? 



ANDALCSIAN3 NOT SPANISH (St. £dmuji(Zs).— Andalusians arc very like 

 Spanish, only they differ in colour. They are an off=hoot from them. 

 They have much the same properties. Feather-eating is peculiar to no 

 breed, but some seem to practise it more than others. There is no doubt 

 it arises from lack of something the fowls require in the way of medicine 

 or chauge— but it is peculiar to them, and it is also very capricious. We 

 have kept Spanish for years. They are in confinement. Three years apo 

 they wtre all naked, and we could fiad nothing to stop the feather-eat- 

 ing, although we tried everything we knew. Although still m the same 

 place, we have never had it since. Tbe French breeds sometimes take 

 to it, but in our experience, they and the Spanish are the only culprits in 

 this way. It is difficult to explain, like human beings who eat tripe, 

 onions, and such like, while others do not think them edible. Your space 

 is a large one, and hardly amounts to confinement. Has it grass ? You 

 ask our advice as to breed. We counsel either Cochins or Brahmas ; we 

 know no other that do so well or so profitably as they do in a small space, 

 and they are content with it. We hate the idea of a fowl with its wing 

 cut close, and if Spanish are allowed a liberty they will make use of it to 

 the detriment of comfort, the complaining of neighbours, and the fiery 

 anger of those who tend the garden. The house you speak of will make 

 a very good fowl house, the main rec|airements are to be wind and watei- 

 proof, and to have an earthen floor. A window is desirable, but not 

 essential. At small expense you could have a pane of glass '* let into '( 

 the door. Send for your jobbing man, and he will soon prove to you it 

 would cost a " very little more " to have a regular window in the brick- 

 work. 



Poultry Yaeds (J. E.).— We like the arrangements of your yard ; and 

 the runs, 100 feet by 80 feet, will well accommodate the numbers you 

 propose, especially as the runs are grass. We suppose when the hens 

 bring out their chickens vou intend them to be put under rips in the 

 yards marked b. They w'ill answer the purpose well while they are small. 

 Your fowls' houses are large enough, but they must be sufliciently high 

 for a tall man to walk easily. They should not be less than 7 feet high 

 in the centre, and that will enable vou to ventilate far above the birds as 

 they sit at roost. Do not let your perches be more than 2 feet from the 

 ground, and place them so that there will he no draught from the door. 

 We prefer -2 feet of brickwork between the runs ; it needs only to be 4-incli 

 work. It is more durable, and we think answers the purpose better than 

 boards. Four feet on the top of 2 feet of brickwork will make 6 feet 

 high. This we believe will keep the half-bred Dorkings and Brahmas 

 in, but it will not either White Dorkings or Spanish. Either you must 

 carry it up considerably higher, or you must have wire hurdles fastened 

 to the lop of the others and leaning over inwards all round. We are 



