78 



JOURNAL OF KOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



[ Janaary 26, 1S71. 



disiiifeetiEg the combs. Dr. Abbs informs us that it may be 

 done by means of hyposalpbi's of soda. 



As to overheated and safiocated brood causing disease, which 

 is the doctrine advocated by " A Rexfkewshibe Bzeeesper," 

 I can say iittle, having had no experience in the matter ; but 

 if bees are np to the mark it is diScult to see why they should 

 permit dead larvae, during summer weather, to rot in the cells 

 without making a hasty and determined effort to remove them. 

 Perhaps I am wrong in snpposiag they are not removed, for it 

 id not to the presence of decaying bodies but to the mixing of 

 condensed moisture with unsealed honey that evil is ascribed ; 

 but I wonld respeetfaliy ask whether it ia the case that honey 

 in a hive so mised with moisture ferments, and whether it is 

 found by experience that fermentation is a consequence of 

 mixing sealed with unsealed honey ? 



I do not remember witnessing the facts stated, nor have I 

 Eeen honey in the unsealed ceils covered with a white mouldy 

 fungus, although I have seen the fangas often enough in cells 

 containing bee-bread. In a wet season the honey collected 

 abounds in water or moisture, but it does not ferment.— R. S. 



OUK LETTER BOX. 



Ikquirt (W. 31,, J. F, and Others).— ^^e are glad that most of you 

 escaped by wisely requiring references or prepayment. With, those who 

 sent their fowls and have not been paid for them we cannot sympathise. 

 If a post-office order payable ten days after date were required' to be sent 

 before the birds were forwarded, both seller and purchaser would be pro- 

 tected. Payment could be stopped if the birds were not approved. It 

 may be useful to observe that the party who applies for birds but will not 

 prepay, writes from various places — Aldgate, Wild Street, Culf ord Eoad, &c. 



Bristol PorLTEY Show.— "In the report of this Show inserted in 

 the JoTirnal of January 12th, of Dark Brahma hens, it ia stated, ' The cup 

 was taken by the first-prize Birmiogham hen, though only highly com- 

 mended at Manchester the week before ; such is the uncertainty of 

 judging.' This is not correct, the Birmingham first-prize hens were not 

 shown at Eristol. The hens that won the cup at Bristol were the same 

 pair that won the first prize at 31anchester, so that the uncertainty of 

 judgment belongs to your reporter. — Bichd. Teebay." 



Best Feekch Fowls {E. V. O.).— Bsyond doubt we should recommend 

 you the Creve-Cceurs. They are the best French fowls. They are more 

 civilised than the Houdans, and their eggs are one-half larger than they 

 are. You csn keep a sufficient number of breeding birds in ihe space 

 yoE name, to exhibit with such success as their quality may warrant. 

 There will be nothing in the locality in which they are kept or its space 

 to prevent it, but you will not find it Inrgo enough to rear chickens. 



liLvLAT Chaeacteeistics {Yorkshire). — Where all the points and eha- 

 racterittics of a fovrl are required, we can hardly spate the space neces- 

 Bsry for the description of them. The best plan is to buy a book that 

 describes them. We will give an outline. The ilalay cock should describe 

 three downward curves ; one from the head to the' top of the shoulders ; 

 the nest from the shouldors to the t^i! ; and the last from the insertion 

 of the tail to its estremity. The comb should be flattened on the head, 

 but bo fixed perfectly tight. The feathers should be as hard as metal 

 and very scanty ; the point of the breastbone and the exposed joint of 

 the wings shcnld be :red and naked ; the throat skinny and divested of 

 feathers. The same rules are required in the hen, save the third curve, 

 which may be dispensed with, 



Ceoss Beitteen Doeeikgs A^^) Brahiia Pooteas (E. H. F.). — Thq 

 best cross is from a Brahma cock and Dorkinf? hens. It depends on the 

 time of year. In Xovember, a fortnight ; in January, six weeks, li the 

 fowls are not laying it is immaterial. 



Fowls foe Silill Space (A. R.). — In such a place a? you describe, we 

 should advise you to take to Dark Brahmas. They are more than average 

 layers, and are amongst the hardiest fowls we know. A smail space w^ 

 serve for the adults, but you cannot rear chickens in a small place. 



Eaely Fowls {Sarah Ann). — If you want hardy fowls for general pur- 

 poses we advise you to keep the Brahma Pootra. If you look for your 

 profit from eggs you must take care to keep pullets of the proper age 

 every year. Tcnr feeding is good, but we do not like rice for food. Greaves 

 are good at times, but as general food they are too stimulating. If your 

 fowls have a grass run, ground oats slokod T^ith water morning and 

 evening, with whole corn for anndd.iy meal, alternately barlsy and maize, 

 are good-enough feeding. If you are getting eggs now you have no cause 

 to complain ; you are more fortunate than many. Feed your old Ducks 

 on oats put in water with a sod of growing grass. Your young ones will 

 wont oatmeal or ground oats, and a little raw meat at times will help 

 them if they are hatchod early. It would be too long to go into the ques- 

 tion of f:*ttening fowls. You had better procure Baily's book, it treats at 

 full length of the proc?ss. 



Spakjsh roE ExHiEiTiox (Young Exhibitor). —On no account show the 

 co-.-k *ith a fslling comb; it is a disqualification. The bird with the 

 uriight comb ant the emaller face is inallprobabilitypreferable in every 

 wav. If the breas'bone be as slightly crooked as you say, we think it 

 unimportant, and radeemed by such large size at an early age. The dead 

 white /ace would be the most desirable if it be of an average size and not 

 too Email. Blue in 'he face of a pullet may be excused, but there is no 

 hope for eve a blu=h of red. 



Spakish Cocci's Excess of Face (A. C. J.).'-YonT Spanish cock has 

 an embiirras de charmesy and i? suffpring from excess of beauty. The 

 only thing you can do is to cut some narrow strips of good adhesive 

 pbua'er, and s:iap the eyelids back, Eotb«tthey shall not conceal the eye. 



O'CHis's Co3iB. &c., Black (Largs). — It may ha tbey are frosted, or 

 the bird may have picked np something poisonous: either would cause 

 the appearance. The treatment will be to rub the comb with strong 

 cafaphor ointment to give a strong do^o (f\ good t*blc-3poonInl) of castur 

 oil, f.Dd to foUovi- with bread Etee^ed in strong alo tivice per day for 

 three dsyp. 



Flooe of Koostin-g-hocse (R. H. jT.).— It may be of crushed chalt 

 over coal ashes, as you mention, or fine gravel, with 2 inches of sand 

 over. The floor requires no washing, bat to have the fowls' excrements 

 raked off every morning. The suifacing of sand should be entirely 

 renewed once a-year. 



Blue oe White Ruiips in Blue Deagooss (Pinch Eye). — This was 

 the subject of a very lively discussion in our pages just five years ago, 

 chiefly between !ilr. Jones Percivall and Mr. Ludlow, the former advo- 

 cating the blue rump, the latter the white ; each disputant as usual msiin- 

 taining his own opinion to tl^e last. Singular to say, the Indian Blue 

 Bock has the dark rump, the European the white. As to br.'igoons, sup- 

 posing two pens were of equal excellence, but the one had blue rumps 

 the other white, we think that the foruier being the rarer colour (and 

 rarity 5u fancy birds goes a great way always towards constituting excel- 

 lence), ought to win the prize. 



Lat. 



HETfiOROLOGICAL OBSEKVATI0K3, 

 Camden, Sqitaee, Lokxjon. 

 51° 32' 10" N. ; Long. 0^ S' 0" "VV. : Altitude 111 feet. 



Date. 



9 A.U 







Is THE DAT. 







iS.- . 







Shade Tern- Eadiation 



. 



1871. 



m~> 



Hygrome- 



Birec- 



Temi). 



perature. Temperature 



~ 





ter. 



tion of 



of Soil 





K 





Iss 

















Dry. [ Wet. 







Mas- Miu. 



Sun. Grass. 







Inches. 







de*. 



deg. deg. 1 des. ■ de^. 



In. 



We. 18 



29.ie6 



37.2 1 36.5 



S.W. 



35,3 



431 



84- 6 i 54.7 ; 29.4 



0J6S 



Th. 19 



29.377 



36.4 36.0 



N.W. 



35.5 



33.3 



34.7 



45.3 31.9 



0.026 



Fri. 20 



20.568 



35 2 85.1 



N.E. 



35.1 



87.9 



30.5 



40.0 ' 23.0 



0.02S 



Sat. 21 



29.768 



36.5 1 85.7 



E. 



35.3 



3S.5 



34.4 



38.5 1 33.2 



0.030 



Sun. 22 



29.iSl 



85.8 ! S5.S 



B. 



35.0 



42.8 



S0.1 



56.4 ; 27.5 



0.420 



Mo. 2S 



29.754 



36.5 j 36' 



E. 



35.7 



386 



33.8 



39.0 1 30.8 



0.090 



Ta. 24 



SO.OSl 



35.7 ! S5.2 



N. 



36.0 



37.0 



84.0 



36.2 i 32.4 



0.022 



Means 



29.605 



S5.1 j S5.7 





35.4 



39.5 



83.2r 



44.6 1 S0.5 



0.779 



EEMAKKS. 

 13th. — Slight fog in morning; rain at intervals throughout the day. 

 19th.— Overcast, with rain nearly all day; fog in evening. 

 20th.— Misty morning, with occasional dripping showers. 

 21et. — ^Duil and overcast, but no rain during tho daytime; a little wind 



after 9 p.h. 

 22ad.— Foggy morning ; mingled snow and rain at 10 30 A.3I. ; at 5 p.h 



rain began, and from S to 10.30 p.m. it fell heavily. 

 23rd. — Overcast, with showers at intervals. 

 24th.— Dull. Flakes of snow about 2 p.ir., and a moderate fall in the 



evening, whitening roofs and nonconducting materials (such as 



planks, &c.), resting on ground. Fresh wind from N. after 10 p.ii. 

 The week is principally noticeable for an almost unbroken canopy of 

 cloufls. continuous cold rain, extreme dampness, and singularly uniform 

 temperature, the ranee at 9 A.^r. being less than 2=, and the entire weekly 

 range only 13^ — viz., from 30.V^ to 43 1^.— G. J. Sxiioss. 



COTENT GABDEX ITAREET.— Jaxuaet 25. 

 We are now esperiencing the effects of this disastrous war in bein^ 

 shut out of our Paris markets for Lettuces and similar things, which are 

 not to be obtained of good quality from our own growers. Trads 

 generally has experienced a slight improvement, and good descriptions 

 of Grapes and Pears are in greater demand. The Potato trade report 

 large arrivals both by rail and coastwise. Prices, however, remain much 

 the same, although the stocks are heavy. 



a. d. B. 



Apples jBievo 1 to 3 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts bushel 10 IS 



Curranta i sieve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 



Filberts lb. 2 



Cobs lb. 3 2 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, Hothouse lb. 4 8 



Lemons %*100 6 10 



Melons ."...each 10 4 



d ; B. d. S. d 



Unlberries lb. OtoO 



r N'ectsrines doz. 



I Granites ^100 6 



C , Peaches do?, 



Pears, kitchen doz. 1 



I desaerE doa. 1 



0; Pine Apples lb. 4 



; Plums j sieve 



6 ; Quinces doz. " * 



i Raspberries lb. 



I Strawberries lb. 



Walnuts bushel 10 



01 do ViOO 1 





 

 







10 







2 



3 

 G 6 

 

 

 

 



16 



3 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes doz. 



AsparafTua 53- 100 



Beans, liidney ^^-lOO 



Broad bushe! 



Beet,Ke(I doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Bmssels Sprouts. . 4 sieve 



Cabb&ge doz. 



Capsicums ¥^100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



ColewortB..doz. bnnchos 

 CDOumbers each 



pifkiing doz. 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish .... bundle 



d. 8. 

 too 



10 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce doz. 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress, .punnet 

 Onions bushel 



pickling quart 



Parsley sieve 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Radishes .. doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Savoys -..doz, 



Sea-kalo basket 



ShaUots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes doz. 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Marro^v^ . . doz. 



d. a. 



4 to 



3 



POULTRY MARKET.— Jamtaey 25. 

 It is a long lano that hr.s no turning, and tho market is getting clearer, 

 TVhoD the Honso moots we look for better things, as good as may be 

 pending the abomiKab'.c war. Wo have no doubt small Bupplies ol gooa 

 resh poultry will make remunerative prices. 



