116 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 11, 1870. 



observation (sometimes as many as three or four in the same 

 day), and I have never yet known a case in whioh oviposition 

 did not commence on the second day. Neither, in all my ex- 

 perience, have I ever met with anything that would countenance 

 the belief that a queen can be raised in so short a time as fourteen 

 days from the laying of the egg. Parthenogenesis is a subject 

 whioh I must decline to enter upon here, but I may remark 

 that Mr. Pettigrew is utterly mistaken in what he fancies to be 

 the effect of my reasoning on this point. I have, however, a 

 high opinion of his abilities as a practical apiarian, and it is 

 for this reason, and because he has expressed himself as being 

 most anxious to correct mistakes, that I have expended no little 

 time and trouble in what turns out to be the vain attempt to 

 set him right. I find it indeed so difficult to satisfy him that 

 he is in error on points which admit of being brought to the 

 conclusive test of actual experiment, that I must excuse myself 

 from particularising others which cannot so readily be submitted 

 to the same decisive proof. — A Devonshire ^ Bee-keeper.] 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Brahma Chickens Leg-weak (T. A. D.). — As at thirteen weeks old, 

 and without a drop of rain to cool the surface of the earth, your Brahma 

 chickens have reached 5 lbs. weight, the growth has been so rapid that 

 we do not wonder the legs decline to carry the load of flesh. They are 

 little more than cartilages. That is lpg weakness. Patience and good 

 feeding will remedy that, and as the bird gets older the progress in the 

 right direction will be visible. As his legs gain strength he will carry his 

 body with comfort. We are almost tempted to imagine you have over-fed 

 to attain the weight you mention, and if so, yon have induced idle and 

 fat-making habits, which are opposed to the formation of bone and 

 muscle. You would have helped us to have come to aright conclusion if 

 you had given us an idea of the feediDg and lodging. The contraction 

 of the toes is not from leg-weakness, but from cramp, and that is either 

 from bad feeding or damp. We do not here speak of atmospheric damp- 

 ness, but of damp flooring — wood, stone, brick, or asphaltum. Either of 

 these will produce cramp, and when the toes are drawn up and paralysed 

 the appearances are againat recovery. If you have any of the floor- 

 ings above described, take them up, or' cover them incheB deep in gravel 

 or road grit. Feed the birds on ground oats or meal ; give them bread 

 and ale, and also, once a- day, a couple of camphor pills the size of 

 garden peas. These may bo discontinued as strength returns. We pre- 

 sume it is only among cocks weakness prevails. If they persist in roost- 

 ing on the ground, it is well to put a little straw for them in one corner 

 of the house, otherwise they suffer from a round troublesome sore on the 

 hocks. 



Houdan Chickens (Subscriber). — We call your chickens good for their 

 age. In the breeds where weight is one of the principal, if not the 

 principal merit, 1 lb. per month up to four months is called satisfactory 

 progress, and such are viewed hopefully as future prizetakers. See that 

 both are five-clawed, that their legs are spangled, and that the cock has 

 no red feathers. When they grow older and are furnishing, you can 

 always add weight by judicious feeding doring the fortnight preceding 

 the show. 



Ducklings Cramped (E. JR. P.).— Where do your Ducks roost? If it 

 is in a house with a stone, brick, or pitched floor, there is the cause. It is 

 cramp. Let them choose their own roosting-place, and recollect in a 

 State of nature they often roost on the water. They do not suffer from 

 any damp that arises from water, but they do from boards, stones, or 

 bricks. You say nothing of food. If they have oats mixed with gravel 

 and a sod of grass in their troughs, with the run of a meadow and a 

 pond, they should do well. Cramp is often induced by insufficient or im- 

 proper feeding. 



Spanish Fowls Losing Feathers (E.).— Part of the loss of feather 

 may be attributed to the natural action of the season. The birds are 

 moulting ; but if they are in confinement and denuded of all save the 

 tail and wing feathers, they are picking each other's plumage and eating 

 it. We know no cure. We believe there is only one, that is to give 

 them their liberty. If at liberty yon are convinced by seeing one pick 

 and eat the feather of another, remove the offender ; it is a habit, once 

 taken to, that is never given up. 



Feeding Babbits (A Young Subscriber). — A great point in making 

 good Rabbits is to allow a doe to rear but four young ones. If well fed 

 she will almost fatten them on her milk ; but they will not be large. If 

 it is desired to rear as many as possible, and to make them large, they 

 should be fed on oats and bran moderately, with green food, but liberally, 

 and with the greatest variety of roots. They may have milk to drink, 

 and if not milk, they should always have water. 



Babbit Management (A .Now cc).— Rabbits will not generally indulge in 

 the disagreeable habit named if well supplied with, say, a little milk and 

 bread once a-day, or common peas soaked in water for twelve hours, 

 pouring off the water the peas are soaked in, and giving fresh along with 

 them ; or give fresh water alone three or four times aweek, especially 

 during this hot weather, when the juices of all green food are almost 

 dried up from want of rain. It will not be difficult to wean them of the 

 habit complained of by offering them greater and more wholesome 

 attractions in the feeding trough. 



Removing Bees (D. D. B.). — We should advise you to dispose of your 

 present stocks rather than incur the risk first of uniting, and then of 

 transporting them from Jeraey to the north of England. The canvas 

 hive cover affords shade and excludes rain, but is not a good winter pro-; 

 tection, x . 



Points of Nuns (T. A. D.).— Nuns should have from seven to ten flight 

 feathers dark, the same colour as the head, also the twelve tail feathers, 

 and a few of the tail-coverts. The body should be perfectly white, as well 

 as the hood, which should be large and well-developed. The eyes should 

 be of a clear pearl colour. 

 Still foe Distilling Lavender (E. R. P.).— By applying to your 



ironmonger he could procure yon a small still, suitable for distilling 

 lavender and rose water. Such a thing made of tin is very inexpensive, 

 and answers the purpose equally as well as one much more costly. The 

 following may guide you in makiDg rose water :— Gather the flowers in 

 fine weather two hours after sunrise ; take out the calyx, and separate 

 the petals; pound them in a marble mortar to a paste, and leave them 

 five or six hours in the mortar; then put them in a large close cloth, and 

 let two persons wring it with all their strength. Having by this operation 

 obtained 4 lbs. of juice, infuse it in au equal weight of fresh rose petals 

 for twenty-four hours. At the end of that time put the whole into the 

 alembic, which place in a sand bath, and distil it. When you have 

 collected about 1 oz. of the water unlute the receiver, and if that which 

 issues from the still is as odoriferous as that which proceeded first, con- 

 tinue the operation ; but if not, collect it into another vessel, as this 

 second water is not single, and must be kept separate from the firBt, 

 which is the essential water. Should the second water have an un- 

 pleasant smell (caused by the application of too much heat), expose it to 

 the sun for a few days, covered only by a sheet of paper. The utmost 

 care is necessary in distilling this and all other odoriferous substances. 

 A still more powerful essence than the above may be procured by the 

 following method :— Gather as many roses as will afford 30 lbs. of petals, 

 and pound these with 4 lbs. of salt ; when pounded place the paste in a 

 vessel in layers, with salt between each: press them closely, cork them 

 tightly, leave the vessel twelve days, and then distil as usual. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 

 Da the Suburbs of London for the week ending August 9th. 





BAEOMETER. 





THERMOMETEI 

















Date. 







Earth. 



Wind. 



Bain. 





Max. 



Min. 



Max. 



Mln. 



1 ft. 



2 ft. 





Wed. . . 3 



39.822 



29.728 



72 



52 



66 



62 



E. 



.00 



Thurs. . 4 



29.688 



29 626 



79 



51 



65 



62 



S. 



.02 



Fri. . .. s 



29 768 



29.670 



77 



47 



68 



62 



S. 



.00 



Sat. ... 6 



29 874 



29 843 



81 



40 



66 



62 



W. 



.00 



Sun. . . 7 



29 771 



29.743 



76 



57 



64 



62 



S.E. 



.12 



Hon. . . 8 



29930 



29.771 



76 



51 



65 



61 



S.E. 



08 



Tues. . 9 



80.021 



29.957 



79 



53 



70 



62 



N. 



.00 



Mean . . 



29.839 



29.762 



77.14 



51.00 



63.28 



61.86 



" 



0.22 



3.— Overcast; densely overcaBt; foggy. 



4.— Densely overcast ; fine, cloudy; showery at night. 



5.— Cloudy but fine ; very fine ; clear and fine. 



fi.— Fine, cloudy ; fine ; very fine and clear. 



7. — Rain; showery; overcaBt, very damp. 



8.— Overcast; thunder and rain; heavy clouds. 



9.— Very fine ; cloudy but fine ; cloudy, very fine. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— August 10. 



A steady course of business is maintained, and prices are stationary. 

 There is little alteration either in foreign or home-grown produce, except 

 that the latter now comprises out-door Peaches and Nectarines. 



Apples i Bieve 1 6 to 2 



Apricots doz. 10 S 



Cherries lb. 6 1 



Chestnuts bushel 



Currants $ Bieve 2 4 



Black do. 3 5 



Figs doz. 3 6 



Filberts lb. 9 1 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes.Hothouse.... lb. 2 



Lemons ^100 8 



Melons each 2 





 

 

 

 

 

 6 

 



14 

 5 



s. d. s. 



Mulberries lb. 9 to 



Nectarines doz. 6 12 



Oranges ^100 7 14 



Peaches doz. 5 15 



Pears, kitchen doz. 



deBaert doz. 2 8 



PineApplea lb. 2 6 5 



PlumB i sieve 3 5 



Quinces doz. 



Raspberries lb. 6 1 



Strawberries lb. 6 1 



Walnuta bushel 10 16 



do 3H00 10 2 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes doz. 



Asparagus ........ ^ 100 



Beans, Kidney ..* sieve. 



Broad "bushel 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Brussels Sprouts.. £■ sieve 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums ^100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Coleworts..doz. bunches 

 Cucumbers each 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish .... bundle 



. d. 

 0to6 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce doz. 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress . .punnet 

 Onions bushal 



pickling quart 



Parsley sieve 



ParBnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Radishes . . doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Savoys doz. 



Sea- kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes doz. 



TurnipB bunch 



Vegetable Marrows , . doz. 



s. d. s. 

 4 to 

 S 



POULTRY MARKET.— August 10. 



Large Fowls 3 



Smaller ditto 2 



Chickens 1 



Ducks 2 



Geese 6 



Turkeys 



d. s. 



d. 



Oto 3 



R 



2 



6 



9 2 







2 



6 



6 



6 







e 



s. d. s. d. 



Guinea Fowls to 



Pigeons 



Rabbits 1 



Wild ditto 



Hares 



Partridges 



9 



10 



4 



1 E 



9 



10 



















