226 



JOUKNAIi OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEK. 



[ Marcli 23, 1871. 



whole of the winter, without in a single instance sustaining 

 the slightest injury even from the most severe frost. The 

 hives are in the open garden, each on its own stand, protected 

 from the wet by an outer covering, consisting merely of a 

 square frame or bos, without top or bottom, which fits loosely 

 over the hive, and is surmounted with a loose sloping cover 

 which can be lifted off at any time without disturbing the hive 

 or its protecting exterior covering. 



My mode of ventilating is extremely simple. I merely re- 

 move the bang from the top of the hive, put a piece of perfo- 

 rated zinc over the orifice, and allow all the heat and vapour 

 generated inside the hive to e?cape freely into the open air, as 

 ■a perfectly free circulation exists in every direction bet'iveen 

 the hive and its external cover. The bungs are removed in 

 November, and not replaced until the winter is fairly over — 

 i.e., from the middle to the end of February. On llirch 4th 

 I overhauled two of my hives, one of wood, the othpr of straw, 

 and found the bees and combs in both quite free from damp, 

 and in excellent condition. The wooden hive, as it chanced, 

 was much the stronger, but both alike contained youn^ beep 

 and brood in all stages, and the queens seemed to be in full 

 laying condition. 



With ventilation bees seem to me to do quite as well in a 

 properly-constructed wooden box as in a hive made of straw ; 

 but where ventilation is neglected straw is, without doubt, the 

 best material.— J. E. B. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



WoODBP.rDGE PoTTLTRT Show (A Sufolh .4n!nff ur\— We cannot insert 

 3"0iir letter. The judge would defend Ms awards, and our ?pacfi would be 

 needlessly occupied, for no satisfaction would be given to anyone. 



Egg-presebting (C. M. M.).—'S7e know nothing of the preparation you 

 mention. 



Shell-less Eggs (May). — As your fowls have large heaps of lime 

 Tubbigh to frequent, we incline to think that they are too fat, and that 

 their epc-oreans are over-escited. In that case the stimulants you gave 

 would be injurionB. Give each a dessert-spoonful of castor oil, abundance 

 of green food, and less nourishing food, also less of it. 



ExcxcDLSG Fowls (A. B.).—Yout neighbour sho^ld be compelled to 

 keep his fowls from trespassing. If you choose to be at the expense, put 

 up a galvanised-iron netting 3 feet high all round, with no bar at the top. 

 Tie widest-meshed netting would do and is the cheapest. 



Aspect of Hen-house (F. iJ.)-— The more sunshine on the run the 

 tetter, provided there is one shaded, covered part under wh'ch a heap of | 

 sand and coal ashes can be kept dry, so that the fowls can have a dusty I 

 bath at pleasure. 



DoEKiN'G's Tongue Diseased (H". S. F.). — The complaint from which I 

 your Dorking cock is suffering is an accidental thing and cannot be here- | 

 ditary. Feel the tongue with your finger, if there be any callosity remove i 

 it with the thumb-nail. Yea mav treat it with a strong solution of alum, j 

 with essence of wormwood, or with any powerful astringent. You run no 

 cisk in breeding from him. ! 



CP.03SIN-G Hahbueghs WITH Game 'G. E. ^.).— It Is almost an im- I 

 possibility to breed winning cocks and hens of the Hamburgh breed from i 

 the same parents. We do not think much of the li^jht colour of the legs, 

 but we would not breed from any bird with a faulty comb. In breeding 

 for exhibition, if the hens are defic'ent in any property they should be 

 put to a cock haviuR those qualities almost to excess. 



CisDEp.g AND Fowls' Feet {A Young Anmteur). — Cinders make a very 

 had bottom for a poultry-pen. In the event of any fowl havin» a tender 

 foot, the cinders perforate the skin and lay the foundation of an nicer. 

 Another objection to them is, they afford no scratch for the fowls. Cover 

 your run wUh loose earth, and with lots of road-grit. We presume from 

 the tenor of your query, your fowls are kspt in confinement. Supply 

 them with larpe sods of growing grass cut with plenty of earth. You 

 must endeavour to tiive them all they would get if they were at liberty. 

 If they are to beheaUhy,tbey mustbe able to scratch, they must have dust 

 to bask iu, and they must have access tn fresh earth and tn-owing gras^. 



Bran foe Poultry (Puzzled). — Your friend's success is at mo;t only 

 an exception to a ru'e, and the ages of the fowls might, if we knew them. 

 aff;)rd a clue to it. To be able to jadge, we should know the quantity of 

 barley given at the one meal; if abundant, then bran was only needed 

 £jr crop-filling. We cannot teep our fowls under 9d per week p-r head, 

 and shall he more than grateful if your friend will publish some details 

 of his feeding that we miy reduce onr expenses. What were the fowls 

 he exhibited? Andalusians can only gbnw in the variety class, and there 

 are seldom classes for cross-breds. We consider the laying very satis- 

 factory. 



CAitPHOR FCB Fowls (J. Clark). — When time permits, we make our 

 infusion of camphor by putting broken camphor in a bottle, in sufficient 

 quantity to fill th> bottle ona-quarter, we then fill-up with cold water and 

 let it stand till it becomes that which was formerly called camphor julep. 

 If it is necessary to make it in a hurrv, it can be done by breakins-up a 

 larce lump, putting it in any vessel that will admit of beinc closed, and 

 filli ng with hot, almost boiling water. Whenever we see any indicatioas 

 of failing iu our chickens, we always put camphor in all their water- 

 vessels, and sometimes add wormwood. Camphor cures gapes and pre- 

 vents contagion 



Spanish Cock's Face Wounded 'B/acfe Spnnwh). — Rub the face with 

 citron or spermaceti ointment. It will soon heal. You must not put him 

 with hens, as tbey will pick the wounded places to his great detriment. 



Various (iv. T.).— The hen was not really broody, no hen is so that 

 lays five eggs in a week. Sitting hens should not be with the others. 

 They should be in a plac ■ apart. When you buy a broody hen she should 

 be put in a low basket that does not allow her to stand up, and should be 

 covered so as to be in the dark. She should be put on her eggs at night, 



in a box or basket, still low as we have described, and shut down in the 

 dark. She should be taken off to feed the next day, and replaced in the 

 basket or box under the same circumstances. Hens have thtir likes and 

 dislikes, and will very often decline to sit in a new place if they can 

 escape. It does not matter that the eggs are three weeks old. if they 

 havt not been sat upon. They will hatch as well at three weeks' end as they 

 will the day after they are laid. Your Pigeon is cramped, or is diseased 

 at the knee-joints, it will not get over it. There is no such thing as a 

 rose-combed Cochin. If you keep cross-brad birds keep him, if you do 

 not, put him in the stock-pot. ( West Fiew?).— Lower your perches, bring 

 them within 2 feet of the ground. Let the house ha cleaned every day. it 

 is only the work of a few minutes. Your feedina is too liberal, you will 

 improve by discontinuing the wheat, potatoes, and flour. We believe they 

 have somewhat to do with the complaint. Give in the morning barley or 

 Indian com, scraps and ground oats at midday, and whole com in the 

 evening. We believe these alterations will prevent all you complain of. 

 If they do not, it will be because the secretions are at fault. In that case 

 give Baily's pills, but we do not think you will need them. 



Pigeon Unable to Stand (Jnzioiw).— Most probably the thigh bone is 

 dislocated. We saw such a case in a friend's loft. A Jacobin was unable 

 to stand, hut ate well. We took the bird in hand, passed the finger up 

 the leg, and found the joint was out of the socket; we gently drew the 

 leg down and put the leg iu place, and then bound the whole' limb with 

 a piece of broad tape, removed the bird to a case in a quiet place, and it 

 speedily recovered. It might be well to muffle the other leg. and tie the 

 wings, so as to prevent the bird struggling, and give only light twice a-day 

 in order for it to see to eat and drink. It will be quieter in the dark. 



Canary IIoulting in the Spring (Vulcan). — It happens now and then 

 that a bird will moult all its body feathers in the spring, not its tail and 

 flights. I have had hens do so and breed well. There is no reason why 

 the cock should be useless— none whatever. Give him a trial. — W. A. E. 



Eees in a Woodbuet HrvE (M. G. B.). — You may try if the bees will 

 accept either ryemeal or wheaten flour in lieu of pollen; also give them 

 2or3ozs. of liquid food m an inverted bottle ou fine days, say about 

 twice a-week if practicable. This treatment, coupled with the advent of 

 spring, will probably put a stop to the mortality. 



METEOROLOGICAL OESEKVATIONS, 

 Cahden, Squajre, London. 



Lat. 5r 32' 40" N. ; Long. 0^ S' 0" W. ; Altitude 111 feet. 



Date. 



9 A.31 







Ix THE Day. 





1S71. 



ill. 



Hygrome- 

 ter. 



Direc- 

 tion of 

 Wind. 



Temp, 

 of Soil 

 at 1 ft. 



Shade Tem- 

 perature. 



Kadiation 

 Tempera- 

 ture. 



% 



March. 



Ma:s. 



Min. 



In 1 On 

 sun. 1 grass 



^ 





Dry. i Wet. 





We. 15 

 Th. 16 

 Fri. 17 

 Sat. 18 

 Sua. 19 

 Mo. 20 

 Tn. 21 



Inches. 

 29.875 

 29.357 

 30.259 

 S0.270 

 30.235 

 30.0S8 

 80.0S5 



d'^. [ de2 

 S5.5 34.0 



35.5 ' S5.2 



41.6 ! 37 

 46.0 j 44.1 

 46.2 1 45.2 

 45.5 i 43.6 

 40.2 ! 33.8 



N. 



N.E. 



N. 



N. 

 S.W. 

 S.E. 

 S.W. 



deg. 

 42.2 

 41.2 

 41.3 

 40.5 

 41.5 

 41.4 

 41.3 



deg. 

 41.2 

 44.0 

 46.8 

 53.0 

 56.4 

 55.5 

 54.3 



deg. 

 29.0 

 32 8 

 302 

 S6.4 

 42.0 

 S7.3 

 34.4 



deg. deg. 

 89.0 26.3 

 84 1 31.6 

 78.9 23.0 

 81.3 1 32.0 

 79.0 1 39.8 

 76.6 33.2 

 94.3 83.6 



In. 



0.375 

 0.022 



3Iean3 



30.02* 



41.4 j 39.7 





41.3 



50.8 34.6 



88.4 32.1 



0.397 



REMAP.K-*. 

 I5th. — Snow, large flakes between 6 and 9 a.m., fine at noon, heavy snow 

 16th.— Snow and rain at 11 a.m. [ after midnight. 



17th.— Ice in the road in the morning, warmer in the evening. 

 ISth. — Dull day, very little sun. 



19th. — Fine morning, thick in the middle of the day. 

 20th. — Foggy and dark iu the morning, and rather thick all day. 

 oist.— Eatber dull in the morning, but the rest of the day beautiful and 

 spring-like- 

 Another fine mVd week. Eapid fall of barometer from 29 770 at 9 P.3i., 

 ou 15th. to 29 357 at 9 a.m., on 16th, from which time it rose quickly, bein? 

 29 462 at 11.10 a.m , 29.497 at 11.3d A.M., 29.572 at 0.30 p.m., and S0.023 at 

 9 p.M.~G. J. SmoNS. 



COYENT GAEDEN MARKET.— Maech 22. 



There has been a fair attendance here and prices remain nearly the 

 same as last week The Continental trade was beginning to revive, but 

 has again been checked by the untoward events in Piris. Articles of 

 good qualitv, both in fruit andvegetables, now find a ready market ; some 

 good new hothouse Grapes and Strawberries are among the former. 



FRTTTT. 



s. d. s. d 



Apples i sieve 1 6 to 3 



Cheatnats .bushel 10 18 



Filberts lb. 2 



Cobs lb. 2 2 6 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, Hothouse lb. 10 20 



Lemons %*^100 6 i 10 



Oranges '^100 



Pears, kitchen doz. 



dessert doz. 



Pine .\p7iles lb. 



Str.iwberries 6z. 



WaJuata bushel 10 



do VlOO 



VEdETABLES. 



Asparagus -^im 



Beans. Kidney ....T^lOO 



Beet,Rad doz. 2 



Broccoli bundle 



Brussels Sprouts.. i sieve 3 



Cabbage doz. 1 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 2 



Celery bundle 1 



Colewnrts..doz. bunches S 



CucTunbera each 



Endive doz. 2 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseardish .... handle 



B. d. B. 

 7 OtolO 



2 3 



2 S 

 9 1 



3 4 

 10 3 

 4 



5 



6 2 

 

 6 

 



8 



d 



Lettuce doz. 



i Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress.. putmet 



6 Onions buahftl 



pickling quart 



o: Parsley sieve 



8 , Parsnips doz. 



, Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Kadishes .. doz.bonchea 



6' Rhubarb bundle 



0\ Savoys doz. 



o' Sea-kale basket 



I Shallots lb. 



0: Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes doz. 



R. 



d. 



s. 



d 



6 



Otolo 



n 



'.! 







6 







S 







« 



.1 



6 



II 



10 







3 







i 



u 



n 



n 



16 



u 



1 







< 







R 



d. 



R. 



d 



1 



to 2 



CI 



1 







i 



6 







S 











5 



a 



H 



n 







4 







n 



3 







6 



n 



n 



9 









a 



n 





u 



s 

















6 













9 





1! 



1 



6 



a 



U 



3 



n 



3 



a 



« 



6 



(1 







3 







5 



















6 



Leeks bunch 4 Turnips bunch 6 



