192 



JOUPiNAL OF HOBTICULTUKE AXD COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



[ March 9, 1872. 



condemned now like yours ; but she liTill yet prove she has lost none of 

 her valuable properties. 



Chickens Dead in the Shell 'H. C.).— You did not lose your chick- 

 ens because the inner membrane of the ess, was so thick, but because 

 you did not moisten the eggs. They should be wetted every day for ten 

 days before they are hatched, otherwise the chickens cannot make their 

 way cut. "When the hen is ofi" sprinkle water over each till it is wet. 

 The round shape of the ejjg indicates that the shell is not so strong as it 

 should be. If the run is deficient in lime, throw down some bricklayers' 

 rubbish. They will hatch, but as such eggs are thin-shelled we should 

 prefer to set perfectly formed ones. 



Bran as Poultry Food (AVmo).— We are quite aware that there is 

 nonrishment in bran, but as a pouUrv food it is worthless. The far larger 

 portion passes through a fowl undige"sted. It helps to fill the bird's crop, 

 but sawdust would do that at less expense. Such a mixture as rice and 

 bran is about the least nutritive diet fowls could be put upon. 



Gecund Oats (Lemon Buf).~The sample you send is more like 

 bruised than ground oats. They would mix as coarse as sawdust, whereas 

 in properly ground oats the skin, which in this sample is whole, is ground 

 so fine that the whole assumes the appearance of coarse flour, and mixes 

 almost as welL Experiments are being tried to grind them near London. 

 As soon as it is satisfactorilv done we will communicate with our readers. 

 The sample from " J. S. S. if." is good. 



Cost of a Fowl's Keep.— Is there not some mistake in *' E's." state- 

 ment, that he keeps his Brahma fowls for l^d. a-week each ?—G. G. 



Blue Jacobins.— ilr. A. Valabere, Rose Villa. Merton Road, Tooting' 

 S.W., says that he can give "K. P." useful information, having kept the 

 variety many years. 



Carrier Pigeons (Carrier).— Yon will h^ive found the needed in- 

 formation in our " Pigeon Book." If you require further information on 

 any point please to specify it. 



Matching Dragoons (JV. Torr). — We are no friends to crossing colours 

 ■when it can possibly be avoided, too much mischief has been done 

 already in this way amoo;? fancy Pigeons; so we advise yon to mate b''ue 

 with blue, and the white with the silver, if you must ' The fruits of a 

 cross chiefly depend upon there having been crossed blood in the birds 

 before. Thus we have known two red Pouters produce blue young ones 

 because blue blood was in the parents' veins. If no crossed blood, the 

 result may be clear young of either colour, but more probably of patched 

 colour. Bathe the damaged eye wattle with a mild solution of alum in 

 water. 



Canary's Skin' Irritated (Noricood).—lt the bird is suffering from 

 the attacks of the r^d mites, dnst it well with fliTers of sulphur, blowing 

 this well into the feathers. Discontinue all stimulating diet, such as 

 hemp; feed only on Canary seed, and give a plentiful supply of green 

 food. 



Bullfinch and Canary Mule (Bullfinch).— T do not think the feat 

 has ever been accomplished— that is, 'the pmdnction of a Bullfinch- 

 Canary Mule. The hen Bullfinch will enter into the most friendly rela- 

 tions with the Canary, and make the most amorous overtures to him. I 

 had one which would flirt for ever, and now have two which no doubt will 

 be guilty of the same unmaidenly conduct. But my Cannries were very 

 Josephs of virtue, and resisted all the blandishments of the svren. If 

 " Bullfinch " will send me his address, I will tell him more about it. — 

 W. A. Blakston. 



Price of Bees (AbeiUe).—The valne of bees varies very much in diffe- 

 rent localities. A strong, well-provided stock may in the spring be con- 

 sidered worth 20s. to 30s., and an earlv swarm of pure Ligurians about 

 two guineas. 



Frustrating Hive-breakers (A Sulscriber) —The plan of alternately 

 closing the entrances of your plundered and plunderiug hives may ulti- 

 mately succeed in saving your assailed bees from destruction if continued 

 until out-door collections becin to be made ; but when once a hive has 

 found out a weak neighbour and effected an entrance, it is liable to 

 resume its predatory habits whenever a favourable opportunity occurs. 

 Where practicable, it is well to remove the freebooters or their victims to 

 the distance of a mile for a few weeks. If you wish to try the effect of 

 carbolic acid in frightening away corsairs, yon have only to dip a feather 

 in the liquid and wet the entrance of your weak stock all round, letting 

 fall at the same time a drop or two of the acid on the landing. Should 

 robbers persist in their attacks, keep up the odour by repeating the pro- 

 cess as opportunity offers during the course of the day. It is desirable, 

 also, to have the entrance narrowed to admit the passage of only two or 

 three bees at a time. 



3rd.— White frost in morning, but sunshine in the middle of the day. 

 Lunar halo at night. 



4th. — White frost in morning, fine warm afternoon. 



5th. — Fine afternoon, very bright moonlight at night. 



6th. — Fine morning, cloudy afterooon, occasional showers in the even- 

 ing, but very fine at night. 



7th. — Rather dull in the morning, but fine in afternoon, Mgh wind at 

 night, with sudden dip of the barometer. 

 A fine week, temperature above the average, and daily range very con- 

 siderable— e.f;., 25.0^ on 2Qd, 31.4= on 3rd, and 29.0 on 4th.— G. J. Symons. 



ITETEOROLOGICAL REPORT FOR FIRST TEN DATS OF 

 JANUARY. 

 The following report is given with the view of rendering complete 

 from the beginning the series of ileteorological Keports which com- 

 menced at page 60. 



Date. 



9 i..3l. 



Ix THE Day. 





1871. 





Hygrome- 

 ter. 



Direc- 

 tion of 

 Wind. 



Temp 

 of Soil 

 at 1 ft. 



Sliade Tem- 

 perature. 



Kadiation 

 Tempera- 

 ture. 



i 



Jan. 



JIax. 

 deg. 



In 



On 



grass 



deg. 





aJ=- 



Dry. Wet. 



Min. 



sun. 

 des. 







Inches. 



de?. dee. 





leg. 



deg. 



In. 



■We. 1 



3fi.l40 



23.0 22.S 



S. 



33.0 



2fi.5 



21.0 



43.8 



21.0 





Th. 2 



"9.916 



26.8 26.0 



S.E. 



33.0 



27.6 



lyo 4 



26 5 



21.9 



— 



Fri. 3 



80.017 



31.9 : 30 7 



S. 



33.0 



33.S 



25.0 



33.9 



25.0 



— 



Sat. 4 



30.172 



30.8 ' 30.0 



S.F. 



33.0 



31.8 



30.0 



44.6 



2S.8 



— 



Son. .1 



29.91S 



32.3 ! 31.8 



S.W. 



33.0 



39."! 



22.7 



50.2 



20.8 



0.07-? 



Mo. 6 



30.210 



33.2 ' 32.5 



S.IV. 



33..1 



44.4 



gi.3 



62.S 



26.3 0.05S 



Ta. 7 



29.763 



43.0 , 42.0 



S.W. 



3^.0 



4.5.2 



31.8 



55.6 



26.7 0.035- 



We. S 



29.564 



33.8 ' 32.9 



x.w. 



33.0 



39.8 



31.9 



61.5 



28.4 — 



Th. 9 



29.373 



34.8 ' 34.0 



s. 



32.5 



S5.S 



29.2 



43.5 



27.1 0.035 



Fri. 10 



29.72S 



30 5 ; 30.0 



N.W. 



32.5 



36.2 



26.8 



43.7 



24.8 — 



Means 



29.S81 



31.9 j 81.3 





33.0 



36.8 



27.4 



46.6 



25.1 0.195 



Ist.- 

 2nd 



Srd.- 

 4th.- 

 5th.- 



Pth.- 



7th.- 

 8th.- 

 i-th.- 



10th.- 



RE MARKS. 

 —Overcast, except in af'ernoon: calm day. 

 — Dull unbroken cloud throughout; very cold. 



Overcast ; maximum temperati^re at 10 p.ir. 



Dull. 



Overcast in morning and very cold, fine afterwards, and Tvarmer 

 at night. 



Fine morning; rain in afternoon ; cloudy at night. 



Fine and warm in morning ; showery afterwards. 



ICoderately fine, with occasional slight snow showers. 



Overcast, with snow and sleet. 



Snow in early morning ; cloudy throughout the day. — G. J. Syhoks, 



COVEXT GARDEN IIARKET.— March S. 



We have had a fair attendance of buyers on the market days, and 

 things generally have put on a better appearance. The trade with the 

 west of England and the Channel Islands has much improved, and the 

 report for spring produce is gioil. Go:id dessert Pears are now com- 

 paratively scarce, and consist only of Easter B^urre and B^-urre de Ranee. 



i Potatoes remain at last week's quotations. Ordinary Apples are still a 



! very heavy trade. 



1 FRUIT. 



s. d. s- d 



I Apples J sieve 1 6 to 3 



I Apricots doz. 



; Cherries ....lb. 



I Chestnuts bushel 10 13 



I Coirants J sieve 



1 Black do. 



Figs doz. ^ 



Filberts lb. 2 



Cobs lb. 2 2 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, Hothouse.... lb. 6 



:iIETEOROLOGtCAL OBSERVATIONS, 

 Camden, Square, London. 



Lat. 51° 32' 40" N. ; Long. 0^ S' 0" W. : AUitnde 111 feet. 



Date. 



9 A.JI. 



In- the Day. 







AW ^ 



Hygrome- 

 ter. 







Shade Tem- 



Radiation 





1871. 





Direc- 

 tion of 

 Wind. 



Tem-. 

 of aoil 

 at 1 ft 



peratui-e. 



Temperattire 



'a 



aiarch. 











bS-s 



Dry.| Wet. 







Max. 



Jlin. 



Sun. Grass. 







Inches. 



deg. 1 deg. 





dee. 



deg. 



deg. 



nf 



deg. 



In. 



We. 1 



30.474 



37.4 



33.2 



S.E. 



41.8 



41.0 



34 2 



31.8 





Th. 2 



S0.4C4 



38.4 



37.0 



S.E. 



40.0 



54 8 



29.8 



77.2 



27.7 







Fri. 3 



30.2S9 



40 



38.8 



E. 



SP.6 



62.2 



80.8 



87.3 



28.2 







Sat. 4 



30.059 



41.0 



40 4 



E. 



89,0 



62 8 



33.S 



102.0 



29.0 







Sun. 5 



30.038 



480 



4C.0 



S.E. 



40.3 



56.5 



88.9 



96.0 



35.0 







Mo. 6 



29-666 



52.0 



47.3 



S.E. 



41.5 



54.6 



47.2 



69.0 



44.6 



0.080 



Tu. 7 



29.735 



47,4 



45.4 



S. 



42.2 





45,1 



87.0 



41.5 



0.067 



Means 



30.095 



43.5 1 41.2 





40.6 



55,8 



87.1 



«.3 



33.8 



0.147 



REMARKS. 

 Ist.— A fine day but colder. 

 2nd.— White frost in the morning, slight haze at night, but a fine day. 



Lemons ^100 6 



Melons each 1 





 6 







12 n 



10 

 4 



^rulberries lb. 



Nectarines doz. 



Oranges ^100 



Peaches doz. 



Pears, kitchen doz. 



dessert doz. 



Pine Applea lb. 



Plums J sieve 



Quinces doz. 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries lb. 



Walnuts bushel 10 



do ^}00 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes. doz. 



Asparagus » 100 



Beans,Kidney ....7*100 



Broad bushel 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Brussels Sprouts.. i sieve 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums ^100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Colewort9..doz. bunches 

 Cucumbers each 



pickling doz. 



Endive dnz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseardisb . ... bundle 



d. s. 

 too 

 10 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce doz. 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard tt Cress, .punnet 

 Onions bushel 



pickling quart 



Parsley sieve 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Radishes .. doz. buncbes 



Rhubarb bundle 



Savoys. doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes doz. 



Tamipg bunch 



Vegetable Marrows . . doz. 



s. d. 



s. 



(I 



too 















n 



6 



in 



>t 















1 



3 



n 



3 



H 



1) 



6 



II) 



II 



n 







11 











i) 











u 







II 







10 



16 







1 



2 







8. d. 



H. 



d 



4to 



n 



1 



o 







1 



2 



6 



3 







II 



4 e 



7 



n 



U 4 







R' 



8 



6 







9 



I 



















2 



4 







3 



4 







6 



1 



» 



9 



1 



i; 



1 G 



2 







2 



3 







6 







(1 



S 



5 



(1 







(1 



s 



6 























POULTRY M.4RKET.— Maech 8. 





s. 



d. s. 



d 



Large Fowls 



.... 3 



6 to 4 







Smaller ditto 



3 



8 



6 



Chickens 



2 



8 2 



9 



Ducks 



.... 5 



5 



n 



Geose 





6 8 







Pheasants 



.... 1 



9 3 



3 



Pigeons 1 



Pabbits 1 



Wildditto 



Hares 



Guinea Fowl 3 



Grouse U 



I. s. d. 



to 1 3 



4 15 



9 10 







S C 



« 



