330 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ May 4, ISTl. 



qnaila. In his experimenting with them he used armonr, but 

 got stung fearfully nevertheless. The bee3 stung the trees, the 

 weeds, the dogs, the children, and everything. Bat he wanted 

 to give them their due ; they made more honey than any other 

 hees he ever knew, but when they made it they meant to keep 

 it. He was not certain that his Egyptians were pare. Mr. 

 Langstroth said he made a number of importations of the 

 Egyptian bee. He had never had an Egyptian qaeen which he 

 WIS sure was pure. His opinion wis that the Italian bee was 

 a cross between the Egyptian and the black bee. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Beeeding BRAHa:A.s fF T.), — We stroncly advL^e yon not to breed from 

 a single- combed Brahma if you hnve any idea of breeding for exhibition, 

 or if yon wish to have first-rate stock- Yoar birds are badly selected: 

 Tou have a bad comb for the hen, and deficient feathering in the cock. 

 Ton are breeding for mediocritv, and will attain nothing else. Breed 

 from the cock rather than from the hen. 



Preserving Eggs in Lime (.If. V.A.). — We always preserve our eg;js 

 in lime, not lime water. There is littla difficulty in removing them if 

 the layer is tapped at one end and the eggs are removed in course. The 

 lime then chips away, but if it is attempted to dig them out from the 

 "mosaic" they break. — B. 



Brahma Chickens Cram^ped (E. Af.).— You would have done far better 

 if you had put your chickens out of doors at once, and kept the hen shut 

 up. The flooring of a room is nearly sure to cramp chickens, and a hen 

 at liberty is sure to lead them into trouble. Put the hen under a rip in 

 a dry sunny place, give them strong beer to drink, and feed them on 

 boiled egg and cooked meat chopped fine. If anything -will save them 

 this will. 



Hamburgh Coce's Neck Hackle Fallen (TF. I. D.),— Bub the bare 

 spots with compound su'phur ointment. If you have not that at hand 

 anything emollient will do, provided it i^ free from salt or acid. We con- 

 sider May a very good month to hatch all chickens. 



Spanish Cockerel's Face Ulcerated {F. r.v— We think the case is 

 serious. Powdered alum is the best treatment, but if it stops the is^ue 

 the face becomes thoroughly diseased with a knotty, hard, malignant 

 tumour, fills the whole face, and eventually the bird dies. If yours pre- 

 sents these features we advise yon to kill it. 



Custard for Chickens (0. P^ Q ).— We never give custard, we give 

 curd made in the following manner:— The milk is put on the fixe, and 

 when warm it is turned with alum into thick curd. This is put in a cloth 

 and twisted opposite ways, whereby all liquid is got rid of ; and the curd 

 being dry and bard will keep for days, and can also be broken ofi" a piece 

 at a time. 



Wetting Incubating Eggs (ffampion Wiclc). — For ten days before 

 hatching we dip our hands in a pail of water, bring them out streaming, 

 and wring them over the eggs two or three times. Two days before the 

 eggs should hatch we take a pail two-thirds filled with warm water, and 

 put all the eggs in it. Those that contain live chickens soon feel the 

 warmth, they swim >^nd kick about. They remain seven or ten minutes, 

 and it facilitates hatching. 



Oiling Game Cock's Head (C. C).— The best olive oilis the best ; the 

 head should be rubbed with it, and the oil then wiped off. We cannot 

 answer your other ctuery. 



Cochin Pullet not Broody (A. M.). — Few complain as you do. M^ny 

 are vexed at the number of broody hens, few are angry at the number of 

 eggs. Allow her to go on laying, and buy a broody hen in the neighbour- 

 hood ; you will buy her for ha'f-a-crown. wh^ru you have done with her 

 she will make two shillinss. and the Cochin in the meantime will have 

 liid eggs worth double the outlay. 



Toulouse Geese not Sitting (Jiistitia).—V7e have been large im- 

 p ->rter3 of Toulouse Geese for many years. We have kept them by scores. 

 We never knew one to sit, but we have known many disappoin'^ments 

 safi'ered by those who wou'd not helieve they did not sit. and therefore 

 t -listed thf-m with eggs. The Goose in question is a marvel if she be 

 p :re bred, which we donbt. 



Gajue Cock liloPisG (Scottie). — The Brown Bed is completely out of 

 h&ilth, and from your description can only be restored by prompt and 

 strong measures. If ho is at this time of year bad on his legs we think 

 bills' of him You must give him beer to drink ; give him raw meat and 

 riw yolk of egg out of a small shallow pot. For a change you may give 

 bread and milk. You must decide whether he is worth the trouble You 

 will be exposed to all sorts of vagaries while you breed from crosses, but 

 many of the best birds we hive in the Gime classes have been bred in 

 this w.iy. You must watch the p'oduce, and if there is a faultv spot you 

 must supply it. It is just like the manufactare of the beverage some 

 medical celebrities swear by in the present d^iy — port-wine negus. The 

 patient tastes it and declares it to be wrong ; some wine is aided, and the 

 mixture is declared perfect. If water had been added it would have been 

 a failure. 



Chicken Food (B. B.).— You will need no licens 5 for miking and sell- 

 ing it. 



Silkies {Novice). — They never are exhibited as Bantams. They ought 

 to be in the "Any other variety" class. 



A Draee-Duck. — In page 310, line 6 of this article, for " vitality " read 

 virility. 



Preserving Eggs (lUley). — You will see what a very exceUent authority 

 says to-day about lime as a preserver. Try that mode, and try oiling 

 thoroughly an equal number of eggs with boiled linseed oil. such as is 

 used by painters. You will oblige us by informing us of the results. 

 Eggs preserved in lime water acquire a vile flavour. 



Penrith Snow. — 3fr. D. P. Gooding writes to us to ask if tbo prize 

 money of thit Show is to be paid? Perhaps the Secretiry will answer 

 the question. 



Wharff.dale Show. — We are informed that Mr. G. Todd, Bridge Street, 

 Sunderland, wag awarded the first prize for bis Black Bed Game Bantam 

 cock. 



Brahma Hen Dying Suddenly (R. W.). — We think, as her crop was 

 " quita fall of corn." that she was crop-bound, and died in consequence, 

 probnby from p irtial suffjca'.ion. We are very averse to wh''de corn as 

 a night-cap for fowls ; the last food of the day should be soft, such as 



ground oats, barleymeal, & c. A broody hen, as she was, usually care 

 not much for food, and does not over-feed. It is bad that she should, as 

 squatting about is not favourable to digestion. Feed very lightly, and 

 if there he any tendency to a bard crop, give warm water freely. 



Blue Jacobins.— Mr.' Jones Percivall, 36, Choumert Boad,'Peckham, 

 has some. 



PoTTiNG-ON Supers (Scyhor). — A super should never be put on until a 

 hive exhibits uumistakeabie signs of being tenanted by a strong popu- 

 lation. This period varies with the district, but in the south of England 

 from the beginning to the end of May is the usual time. If you desire 

 your hives to swarm, you must put on no supers, or, at any rate, only a 

 very small one on each hive. These may or may not be finished by the 

 time swarms are sent forth. The better way is to decide as to how 

 many swirms you would like, and having done so, pick out two or more 

 of the strongest and most forward stocks on which to place good-sized 

 supers as soon as the bees show signs of being crowded. It is seldom of 

 much use giving supers to hives after th'^y have swarmed, unless the 

 season should be a very good one. A stock which has partially filled a 

 super and then sends ofi" a swarm, may finish it later in the summer ; 

 but our usual plan is, under such circumstances, to transfer the super, 

 having dislodged the bees, to some other stock which has not swarmed, 

 if we have any such then uuiupplied with super accommodation. Th's 

 does not apply to very small supers, which may be allowed to remain oa 

 the original hive. 



METEOBOLOGLCAL OBSEKVATI0N3, 



Camden Square, London, 



Lat. 51° 32' 40" N. ; L^ng. 0° S' 0" W. ; Altitude 111 feet. 



Date. | 9 a-h. 



In- the Day. 





. . 1 







Radiation 





1871. 



2§ =_• HygTome- 



Direc- Temp, 

 tion of:of So0 



Shade rem- lempera- 

 peratnre. t^^^ 



a 

 P5 



April. 



S-lj 





Wind. 



at 1 ft. 





In 



On 







SS" 



Dry. 



Wet. 







Max. 



Mm. 



son. 



grass 







Inches, 



deg. 



des. 







deg. 



deg. 



deff. 



defr. 



In. 



Vte.iS 



30.025 



55.4 



5J.3 



N.W. 



4S.6 



63.2 



40.7 



104.0 



SS.4 



0.090 



Th. 27 



29.795 



54.S 



51.2 



N.W. 



49.6 



66-0 



44.1 



116 



J.2.0 



0.030 



Fri. 28 



29.875 



55.9 



51.0 



S.W. 



51.1 



62.3 



45.0 



100.8 



42.5 



0.299 



Sat. 29 



29.526 



55.7 



53.7 



W. 



50.8 



64.0 



49.6 



112.S 



49.1 



0.341 



Sun.SJ 1 29.795 



483 



45.0 



N. 



51.0 



B1.2 



45.5 



115.4 



42.4 



0.071 



ilo. 1 30.073 



51.0 



45.3 



N. 



49.9 



59.8 



33.3 



10S.2 



33.8 



— 



Ta. 2 30.U0 



5S.6 



4S.1 



N.E. 



49.9 



59.2 



86.1 



S9.4 



3-1.6 



— 



Means 29.891 



53.5 



49.2 





50.0 



62.2 1 42.3 



106.6 1 tU 



0.831 



BEMABK5. 



25th. — Dull with occasional showers, fine evening, rain between 9 and 

 10 p. 31. and during the night 



27th. — Dull in early morning, but cleared before noon, then very fine, s 

 few very large drops of rain between 10 and 11 a.^., thunder at 

 3.33 p.ar., heavy shower at 6 p.m., fine evening. 



2Sth. — Fine in early morning, sharp shower soon after 11 a.3I., then alter- 

 nate sunshine and bhowers, wet evening. [times heavy. 



29th. — Wet night and early morning, rain at intervals all day. and some- 



30th. — Dull in early morning, fine by 10 A.ii. and till 5 10 P.ai., then heavy 

 rain for short time, fine evening, planets very bright. 



May 1st. — Very fine all day, rather misty in the evening and during the 

 night, and cold. ' [fine in the evening. 



2nd. — Misty in morning, bat cleared ofi" before noon, rather dull, but verv 

 A warm, genial week, with frequent slight rain. — G. J. Stmons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— May 3. 

 A 3I0DERATE supply aud steady demand have been the rule for the past 

 week, and a good attendance on the market days, both of home buyers 

 and those from the provincial market, warrants ns in looking forward to 

 an increase of business. The varieties of hothouge produce now offered 

 comprise Pines, Grapes, Strawberries, Peaches, Figs, and Melons. Large 

 arrivals of Potatoes are to hand from Malta and Lisbon, and heavy stocks 

 of old remain at the depfits. 



FRI7IT. 



9. d 



Apples Jsieve 1 6 to 8 



Apricots doz. " " 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts bushel 10 18 fi 



Currants i sieve a 



Black do. 



Fitja doz. IJ 2> 



FUberta lb. 2 



Cobs lb. 2 2 



Gooseberries quart 1 



Grapes, Hothouse lb. 8 



Lemona %^100 6 



Mulberries lb. 



Nectarines doz. 



Oranges ^ H>u 6 



Peaches doz. 20 



d. s. d 

 too 



Pears, kitchen doz. 3 



' 



dessert doz. 







10 



40 



6 







1 6 

 18 



0! Pine Apples lb. 6 10 O 



_ I -. . . „ Q p 







6 



aielona ....each G 12 



Plums i sieve 



Quinces doz. 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries oz. 6 10 



10 I Walnuts bushel 10 16 



ditto ^100 10 a t> 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes doz. 



Aaparaens >*• 100 



Beans, Kidney ....^100 1 



Broad bushel 



ReetRed doz. 2 



Broccoli bundle 



Bruaaela Sprouts..! sieve 



Cabbage doz. 1 



Capsicums T^IOO 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 3 



Celery bundle 1 



Coleworts . . doz. bunches S 



Cacnmbers each 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 2 



Fennel bunch 



Garbo lb. 



Herbs bunch 



HoraeradiBh ....bundle S 



. d. 8. 

 to 6 



S 



2 







S 



9 1 







2 







4 n 







6 

 

 6 

 

 

 S 



Lcoks bunch 



Lettuce doz. 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress . . punnet 

 Onions bnshel 



pickling quart 



Parsley sieve 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Radishes .. doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Savoys.. doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



ShaUots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tnmatnpa dnz. 



T'lmips bunch 



Yegetabla Marrows., doz. 



B. A. 8. 



1 too 



10 3 



1 







7 







8 















9 



S 



2 

 8 

 6 



4 



1 6 



3 

 6 



2 6 

 n n 



G 

 



