February 9. 1871. 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



113 



size. As regards this, they cannot be too small ; and I dis- 

 agree with the writer as to their being hardy birds, as the finer 

 the quality the more tender they are. As we are referred to 

 the illustration, it is full of errors. The head is far too round, 

 it ought to be long, and the neck about half the thickness at 

 the part where the head is set on. As the body is in profile, 

 and the tail more than three-quarter view, it is twisted — a grave 

 fault in a Fantail. Taking it altogether, I should consider the 

 bird figured exceedingly coarse, and of but little value. The 

 number of feathers in the tail of a high-bred small Fautail 

 seldom exceeds thirty-two. The shaking of the neck ia a point, 

 and is indispensable. Why should Blacks, Blues, and Silvers 

 have pearl eyes, and Yellows and Reds be doubtful ? What is 

 dght for one is right for the other, at least so says — Pkizetaker. 



UNITED KINGDOM RABBIT CLUB. • 



In reference to the remarks made in your paper of January 

 26th by Mr. M. Millington, of York, the Nottingham Fancy 

 Rabbit Society fully appreciates, and will be most happy in 

 assisting to form, a " United Kingdom Rabbit Club," and to 

 have a paid Secretary, to fix upon the different classes, like- 

 wise the number of prizes, and to correspond with each of the 

 poultry show committees throughout the United Kingdom. 

 We are confident of this, that if Rabbit fanciers were to unite 

 throughout the United Kingdom It would put an end to all 

 jealousy. I may also add, on behalf of the Nottingham Fancy 

 Rabbit Society, that we shall be glad to co-operate in any 

 scheme such as that suggested by Mr. Millington. — Joseph 

 Pabker, Secretary^ Woodlark Inn, Nottingham. 



COLCHESTER AND PORTSMOUTH RABBIT 

 PRIZES. 



In answer to Mr. Millington's observatiouj " I am snrprised tlie 

 fancy-variety men who have written so mnch upon the injustice done 

 to the variety classes at most shows, should now praise the one-aided 

 list from Colchester, where only £3 are offered for the Lo^-is in one 

 class, £9 going to the fancy varieties " — that is, Himalaya, Angora, 

 and any other variety — I cannot see anythiDg one-sided about this, 

 but I consider it one-sided when about five times as great a sum is 

 offered to one breed as to another, as at York and Portsmouth. There 

 are about sis distinct breeds of the fancy tiuds that are shown, and to 

 compare them as one class to the Lops is quite unreasonable. 



Mr. Millington looks at the value of the Lops, but Committees do 

 not — they generally put the classes as they think they will pay best. 

 Now, at the York Show, of which Mr. Millington was a judge and 

 manager, they offered to the Lops the sum of £17 lO^-. iu five classes, 

 and had forty-five entries at 2.?. each, making £4 IQs. To the ill-used 

 fancy varieties they only offered £1 15s. {calling the medal £1), in only 

 three classes, and had forty-five entries, paying them £4 IO5., being 

 within OS. of the prizes offered. 



I suppose the Colchester Committee have seen this, and because 

 they have put the fancy kinds upon the same footing as the Lops, and 

 they are praised for it, Mr. Millington calls us one-sided, and main- 

 tains that the prize-schedule of Portsmouth is the best. Now, at 

 Portsmouth they have four or five classes for Lops — first prize, 15s. ; 

 second, IO5. ; and two silver cups; entrance 2j. per pen. The varieties 

 have to be content with a paltry prize of 10s. ; entrance 2s., just the same 

 as for Lops, for which one breed about eight times the value of prizes 

 is offered as to the six breeds of fancy varieties. Lastly, Mr. Milling- 

 ton says the Colchester Committee will find out their mistake when 

 the entries close ; to which I reply, we must wait till both shows are 

 over and compare the entries. — Jas. Boyle, jtjn., Blackburn. 



P.S. — A few words in answer to Mr. Millington's note on my Kabbit 

 kindling after the York Show. Mine is not tbe only case ; I have had 

 letters from Mr. E. E. M. Eoyd and Mr. A. L. Kawstron, whose 

 Hakbits kindled as did mine. Mr. Millington says, that I in " careful 

 haate put both Rabbits together." I defy anyone to put two Rabbits 

 in a compartment measuring 13 inches long, 6^ inches broad, and 

 S inches deep, which are the dimensions of each of the four com- 

 partments in which the Himalayans were sent. I hear the fancy 

 kinds have to be shown singly nest year. — J. B. 



SILVER CUPS AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE 

 CANARY SHOW. 



Mb. Stansfield writes me that lie is snfi'eriug from an attack of 

 perpendicularity of the capillary tubes on the summit of his cranium 

 consequent upon my call to him to " wire in." Let me assure him 

 the symptoms are not very dangerous. My hair often stands on end, 

 iu fact it has a habit of doing so when what there is left of it looks in 

 the glass and sees how the frost and snow have altered its colour. 

 Speaking technically, I should say it has " run " very much. I have 

 read his note incorrectly. The idea he wished to convey was, not 



that he had received one hundred subscriptions, but had about one 

 hundred applications to make. Happy man ! £.? 35. to raise among 

 oue hundred fanciers, all eager to contribute to the cup — exactly l\d. 

 and 6-25th3 of a farthing each ; say Is. 3(7., and there will be a cup 

 for the " Any other variety of Mule " also, a class which, I repeat, is 

 to a naturalist one of the most remarkable in the Show. Mr. Bailey 

 (Purlleet Bailey, not he of Thirsk), what are you about that you are 

 not gleaning for a cup for the Foreign Bird classes? "Wire in," 

 there is plenty of time. — W. A. Blakstox. 



FOUL BROOD. 



Feom reading In page 77 the article of your esteemed corre- 

 spondent " E. S." I have been induced to make the following 

 remarks. First, I have two hives which were supplied with 

 dried combs taken from a foul-brood stock five and six years 

 ago, which have given on an average SO lbs. of comb annually 

 from that time, and which are and have remained free from foul 

 brood ever since. Notwithstanding the difierenee of opinion 

 as to the cause of foul brood, we are all agreed that its conse- 

 quences are fatal unless a speedy manipulation of the hive 

 takes place, and that its fatal effects fall on the young larvas. 

 Now I may ask, What is the disease ? Is it an epidemic caused 

 by the inhalation of some disease-germ, or by inoculation, com- 

 mencing externally, eating its way inwardly until the intestines 

 are reached, thus causing death and corruption ? Or is it caused 

 by fungi and the germs of disease being equally spread in 

 wax and honey, or by improper food acting in some way pre- 

 judicially to the larvJB ? This last cause is in my opinion the 

 most likely one — nay, in fact the effects point to this. If we 

 examine the brood of a diseased hive we can at once recognise 

 a marked difference in its appearance from that of a healthy 

 stock, having a more corpulent appearance, and in many cases 

 signs of flatulency ; at all events the larva? when under the 

 microscope present the appearance of having suffered, if they 

 possess that sense, as their internal organs are wasted away 

 and look as if they had burst, whilst in healthy larvie at the 

 same stage these organs can all be completely traced. These 

 experiments were, however, made for my own amusement, and 

 no notes being taken at the time I cannot now explain them 

 satisfactorily. 



As to the question whether unsealed honey, or sealed and 

 unsealed honey mixed, produce fermentation, this I answer in 

 the positive ; and on the same ground do I condemn the re- 

 moval of unsealed combs from a hive and extracting honey with 

 the centrifugal machine. In every case in which I have drained 

 the honey from a diseased hive it has shown signs of more or 

 less fermentation, and in every case where this honey has been 

 given to bees it has produced disease. 



In regard to the case described by " A Eenfeewshike Bee- 

 KEEPEE," and remarked on by " E. S.," I have noticed it often, 

 and in some instances have observed the lid of the cell lifted off, 

 and the mouldy substance showing round the edge. The prac- 

 tice of preserving such is by no means uncommon in this 

 locality, but I regret to say where it is practised the apiary is 

 more diseased than otherwise. With regard to weak hives 

 mentioned by " E. S." as having dead bees in spring or autumn, 

 any ill effects which may follow do not in my opinion arise in 

 any way from the dead bees, but rather from what honey they 

 contain having undergone a chemical change in the same 

 manner as described by " A Eenfeewshike Beb-keepek." 



I had a chat with an old bee-keeper of fifty years' standing, 

 who maintained that the disease originated from not mixing 

 whiskey with their food ; so long as he knew this practised no 

 disease was known. The cure of foul brood by medicine is, I 

 think, difficult, but perhaps not impossible. — A Lanaekshiee 

 Bee-keepek. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Books i.J. C.).— "The Poultry-keepers' Manual" has coloured plates, 

 price 5s. " The Poultry Book for the Many " is id. If you enclose sixty- 

 sis stamps with your address, and four extra for postage of the first, and 

 one stamp tor postage of the second, you can have both free by post from 

 our office. 



DoEKiNO Layixo with DiFFiCDiTT (C. jl/.).— Do you mean three eggs 

 per month or per week ? She sits on the nest till she has laid her egg, 

 and it is probable the roughness of the shell causes the difficulty in domg 

 so ; at any rate it is not a natural state. We advise you to give castor 

 oil, a tablespoonful every other day, and to use Baily's piUs. Give barley- 

 meal or ground oats with the pickings and scraps. Discontinue maize- 

 meal and buckwheat, both are too fattening. 



Black Bantam Cock's Tail (Jm.iicur).— It is not an p dvantage for a 

 Game Bantam cock to carry bis tail erect, nor to be very full-feathered. 

 The tail should be scanty of feathers, and be carried rather down than 

 otherwise. We should prefer No. I. 



