298 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ April lO, 1871. 



experience. Once I had a hive 24 inches wide and 7 inches 

 deep, and kept it three years. The bees awarmed every year, 

 and did pretty well ; bnt ever since I have preferred hives with 

 a greater depth of comb. — A. Pettigeew ] 



AMERICAN BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. 



^ In accordance with an an noun cement made some time pre- 

 viously, a meeting of bee-keepers was held at Cincinnati on the 

 8th of February and following two days. This movement, and a 

 similar one held at Indianapolis in December, were to a great 

 extent in opposition to one another, but a strenuous efiort is 

 being made to effect an amicable union among bee-keeperp, so 

 as to have but one national association of the fraternity. The 

 two Boeieties organised at Indianapolis and at Cincinnati are 

 each to meet at Cleveland, Ohio, on the first Wednesday in 

 December, and it is hoped that on that occasion union will be 

 effected. Mr. Langstroth was elected president of the aser ela- 

 tion formed at Cincinnati, and the Rev. H. A. King, of New 

 York, secretary. 



The convention extended over three days, and interesting 

 discussions were held on a variety of topics, sach as winter 

 management, swarming, hybrids, Italian and Egyptian bees, 

 honey plants, the mel-estractor, ihe benefit of salt to bees, &c. 

 A proposal to raise a sum of 5000 dols. as a testimonial to Mr. 

 Langstroth for his services as ihe pioneer of scientific bee- 

 culture in America, was adopted, but not without eliciting some 

 sharp contention arising chiefly out of conflicting interests in 

 patent rights. There is a certain class of apiarians who seem 

 to be apt imitators of the " busy bee " in stinging those who 

 annoy them ; with the exception of this ill-timed ebullition of 

 jealousy, the convention appears to have been a pleasant and 

 instructive one. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Great Harwood Show.— After readins Mr. Ashworth's lettpr in last 

 week's Journal, I applied personally to the Jndge who officiated at the above 

 Show, to ascertain if my statement vra^ corrpct or not. I find that the 

 pens numbered 342, Carrier hens, and 35S. Barbs, were empty at the time 

 the awards were made, and also that both of the winninffpeusof DraRoona 

 were both Yellows, though at that time one of my pi^ng contnined a pair 

 of Bine ones, which was a colour that I did not exhibit.— H. Yardley. 



Influence of Male Bird (Turk).—YonT snggestion ia of an impos- 

 sibility. You are not aware of the anat'^my oE a fowl. 



TRismrNG Spanish Fowls {Jn^ufrfr).— Any judge who does his duty 

 will disqualify your birds if he detects that the feathers are plucked away 

 as yon propose. 



YoLK OF Buck's Eggs Dark (Constant Reader).— We do not know the 

 cause of the eggs being dark. It happens sometimes with us that one in 

 twenty or thirty is of that dark colour. We do not note it ; we accept it 

 as a natural occurrence, and think that the evil, if it be one, will cure 

 itself with fine weather and plain diet. 



^ Claws of Polands (J. W. J.) — Your fr'end cannot be serious when he 

 tells you Polands of any colour should have five claws. He 's either 

 jesting or he knows nothing of the subject. There are no white Dorking 

 polands, or white Poland Dorkings. 



Tails of Brahmas (Poitsam).— It is right that the tails of Light 

 Brahmas, both cocks and hens, should be entirely black. It is nnt a 

 serions fault if the sickles of the cock are slightly edged with silver. It is 

 better they should be black. It is not even an advantage for the sickles 

 to diverge laterally. You may take it as a rule that a Lieht Brabma 

 should have a light bodv, striped hackle, and a black tail and flight. 



Hatching Egos of Cochin-Chinas (3/. iJost).— Cochin egcs do not 

 take longer to hatch than others, The reverberation from the firing of a. 

 small cannon would not affect the eggs. When a full-sized chicken dies 

 in the shell it is because the egg has been kept too dry, md the chicken 

 cannot accomplish its exit. This cannot occur if the ec?gs are thoroughly 

 wetted every day for ten days before hatching. If the dead chickens 

 were only one-third formed, it follows they lived one week and have been 

 dead two. Tho egg should be putrid. They were fertile eggs, or no 

 chicken would have formed. We believe those which have died in the 

 eggs were chilled It is more than probable they were on the tnp of the 

 nest, and, the hen having left them too long, they died from cold. Pro- 

 fessed henwives would tell you, you could expect no luck because your 

 hen sat on an even number of eggs. 



Ground Oats iG. Z).).— We x>refer No. 1. It is above the average, but 

 not so good as we have seen. 



Chickens frou a Double Egg [Constant Header, W. H. B.I.— It was 

 long said double eggs were unproductive, but it has been proved of late 

 they often produce two chickens. They are generally weak, bnt they do 

 not always die. They are equivalent to twins in other animals. It is a 

 barbarous work to break the shell of an entire egg to facilitate the egress 

 of the chicken, it is also unnecessary. Where the eggs are kept well 

 wetted thoy allow the chick to escape easily ; where they are allowed to 

 get hard and dry the strongest chicken suffers from its struggles. 



Weight of Bantam Cock (Sirorrafi).— A Black Red Game Bantam 

 cock should weigh 17 or IS ozs., the hen 12 to 14 ozs. Willow legs are the 

 most admired, but they are not more correct than tho others. 

 ' Pigeons Idem).~-lt is detrimental to Antwerps if their wings droop 

 below their tails. The exuding from the oleaginous gland of the Pigeon 

 arises from its being relaxed and out of order. W;ish it with salt and water. 

 Pigeon w^TH Head Turned {Old Boh Iiidlejf].—\ouT Pigeon has most 

 probably the vertigo. The only chancy as it is a diseaee thought to be 

 caused by high feeding, is to separate it from the rest and feed low. If it 

 do not improve, it will be the kindest plau to wring its neck. Pulling the 

 whole of the feathers out of the tail was a good plan, as it would tend to 



lower the bird. On the same principle we have known when animals 

 have had the same disease, that farriers have put the lancet again and 

 again into their tail, and a cure wo know in one case was thu3 effected. 



Barb Pigeons Laying Soft Eggs [M. W. IT.).— If your birds are in 

 confinement, have you supplied them with old mortar rubbish, or any 

 material to form egg shells ? If you have not, that will be the cause. 

 If you have, and there is no fault there, examine your birds and see if 

 they are very fat; then, if so, give an aperient pill, and so lower the 

 system. Perhaps yon may have been feeding them too highly. In our 

 own loft we have had this spring an unusual number of clear eggs, which 

 we attribute to the cold of the late winter. 



Portraits of Pigeons {Croyt^onm).— The following have been pub- 

 lished in this Journal:— Antwerp in No. 464 ; Carrier, No. 472 ; Dragoon, 

 No. 474 ; Pouter, No. 483 ; Almond Tumbler, No. 4^^9 ; Barb, No. 499; Fly- 

 ing Tumbler, No. 509 ; Fantail, No. 512 ; and Turbit, No. 523. 



Cage fob Bullfinch {A Tu-o-yfars Subscriber).— Any ordinary Canary 

 song cage will do for a Bullfinch. Feed on Canary, rape, and a little 

 hemp mixed. — W. A. B. 



Pip in Canaries (C. A. J.).— I am not aware of the primary cause of 

 pip in Canaries — that is, I do not know of anything likely to induce it. 

 It results from inflammation of the oil gland. The usual mode of treat- 

 ment is to open the pustule with a fine needle, and carefully express the 

 matter, afterwards anointing the part with fresh butter. This must be 

 done to save the bird's life, but death usually supervenes at the next 

 moult.— W. A. B. 



Bee-knife ( ^ jn ad? ur).— Messrs. Neighbour or Mr. Pettit could supply 

 you. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



Lafc. 51° 32' 40" N. ; Long. 0^ 8' 0" W. ; A.Uitnde 111 feet. 



Date. 



9 A.M. 



Ix THE Day. 





1871. 



Barome- 

 ter at 3a» 

 and Sea 

 Level. 



Hygrome- 

 ter. 



Direc- 

 tion of 

 Wind. 



Temp. 



of Soil 



Shade Tem- 

 perature. 



Radiation 

 Tempera- 

 ture. 



a 



1 



April. 



at 1 ft. 



Max. 



Mm. 



In 

 sun. 



On 



grass 





Dry. Wet. 





We. 12 

 Th. 13 

 Fri. 14 

 Sat. 15 

 Sun.ie 

 Mo. 17 

 Tn. 13 



Inches. 

 29.838 

 311.0-25 

 29.925 

 29.310 

 29.371 

 29,338 

 29.641 



dpg. ' des 

 52.8 . 52.0 

 66.7 54.4 

 47.0 4G.0 

 62.0 : 50 2 

 63.0 ; .50.6 

 50.0 I 48.4 

 62.0 49.2 



S.W. 

 N.W. 

 S.E. 

 S.W. 



W. 



W. 

 S.E. 



deg. 

 45.5 

 47.8 

 4S.3 

 49.0 

 48.9 

 48.7 

 49.6 



deg. 

 66.0 

 64.0 

 63.0 

 59.2 

 58.4 

 63.1 

 55.4 



deg. 

 46 7 

 47.0 

 43.2 

 47.0 

 47.5 

 46.2 

 47.6 



deg. 

 122,0 

 110 

 100.3 



92.6 

 101.0 

 110.6 



64.5 



deg. 

 42.3 

 43.9 

 39.0 

 44.2 

 44.3 

 46.0 

 46.2 



In. 



0.050 



0.120 

 0.070 

 0.470 

 0.070 

 0.710 



Means 



29.643 



51.9 j 50.1 





48.2 



61.3 



46.5 



100.2 1 «.7 



1.490 



REMARKS. 

 12th. — Very fine morning, noon, and early part of afternoon, rain at 7 p.^i. 



but fine afterwards. 

 13th. — Rather dull morning, but very fine afternoon and evening. 

 14th.— Very fine and clear at 6 a.m., rather dull at 9 a.m., fine afternoon, 



dull evening. 

 15th.— Rain in the night and till noon, very fine afterwards though windy. 

 16th.— Rain in the night, very line in early morning, showery day, fine 



evening. (evening. 



17th. — Dull morning, showery till about 2 p.m., then fine afternoon and 

 ISth. — Dull morning, air very heavy lill noon, feeling as if there would be 



thunder, afterwards heavy rain all day and dark. 

 A week of uncertain weather, at times beautifully fine and then a sudden 

 shower. The fall of rain very great for so short a time, but it was much 

 wanted.— G. J. Svmons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— April 19. 

 We have still hut a limited amount of business doing for the season, 

 and that not at all of a high-class character, our chief customers being 

 from the Midland markets for rough vegetables and Rhubarb, sales being 

 effected at rather lower rates. Continental supplies are very irregular ; 

 the Potato trade heavy at former quotations. 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuta bushel 10 



s. d. s. 



Apples i aleva 1 6 to 3 



' " " 

 



18 

 

 

 

 2 

 2 

 1 



20 



Cnxrants i sieve 



Black do. u 



Figa doz. 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 2 



Gooseberries quart 1 



Grapes, Hothonse.... lb. 10 



Lemons ^100 6 



BlelonB each 





 



d 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 6 

 6 

 



10 

 



llolberrles lb. 



Nectarines doz. 



Oranges ¥*• 100 6 



Peacnea d&z. 



Pears, kitchen doz. 2 



dessert doz. 



Pine Anples lb. 6 



Plums i sieve 



Quinces doz. 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries oz, 



Walnuts bushel 10 



ditto ^100 \ 



d. a. 



too 

 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes doz. 



Asparagus t^ 100 



Beans, Kidney "^100 



Broad bushel 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



BruHBels Sprouts. .1 sieve 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsiouma p- 100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Colewort8..doz. bunches 

 Cucumbers each 



picliUng doz. 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish .... bundle 



B. d. B. 



4 to 6 







Leeks bunch 



Lettuco doz. 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress . .punnet 

 Onions bushel 



pickling quart 



Parsley sieve 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Radishos .. doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Savoys doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes doz. 



Turnips bunch 



d. s. 

 4 too 

 2 

 2 

 a 

 10 

 

 6 

 1 



Vegetable Marrewa.,doz.30 



I 



