176 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 



[ September 1, 1870. 



fine weather, yet further progress was not so manifest as could 

 be wished. As the season advanced this became even more 

 evident by a want of activity among the bees, a deficiency of 

 pollen and honey in the flowers, and a consequent falling-off 

 ill breeding and general advancement. How is this to be 

 accounted for ? No doubt the long prevalence of dry weather 

 operated adversely on vegetation. I think these two past sea- 

 sons furnish irrefragable evidence that very dry weather is not 

 the best for bees. For the secretion and exudation of the 

 nectar in flowers it is necessary that there be a certain quantity 

 of moisture. Warm weather and genial showers are the indis- 

 pensable requisites for a thriving apiary, and hence in many 

 localities I have lately visited there is both a deficiency of 

 swarms and flower honey. There are exceptions, no doubt, but 

 I ascribe these to the circumstance that the fall of rain was 

 very unequally distributed in Scotland — there being plenty in 

 gome parts of the country, and a scarcity in others. For my- 

 self I have had very few natural swarms this summer, and very 

 little flower honey in supers. It is, perhaps, yet too early to 

 estimate the amount of honey collected at the heath. This, of 

 course, is one of the best of honey-yielding plants, and con- 

 sidering the luxuriance and abundance of the crop this 

 season, and the splendid weather we have had during its 

 blossom, I should expect the results to be good, unles?, indeed, 

 the long drought in summer has not also affected its honey- 

 yielding qualities. In some cases, however, I know of hives 

 having during the past three weeks added from this source 

 alone from 10 to 26 lbs. to their store. The heath-blossom 

 is early this season, and will be all over, I expect, by the 

 end of the month (August). — J. Lowe. 



FEEDING BEES AND STRENGTHENING 

 STOCKS. 



Feeding or strengthening weak stocks by giving cards of 

 honey from strong ones is generally delayed too long. The 

 bee-keeper will find it a great saving of syrup or honey to feed 

 early, as the bees will deposit far more of what they take 

 up if fed just at the close or winding-up of the honey har- 

 vest. In all localities where there is but little fall pasturage 

 it would be well to feed in August, or at latest by the 1st of 

 September. 



At this season most of the food given them will be deposited 

 in the cells, and capped over the same as the honey brought 

 in from the field, which prevents its becoming sour and unfit 

 for winter use. And if stocks are to be strengthened, it dis- 

 turbs the bees far less to do so while the weather is warm, 

 and the bees will not consume so much of what is given them 

 ii it is given early, when they are gathering a little. Feeding 

 or giving cards also stimulates to greater industry, and seems 

 to encourage labour in the field, when given early, before all 

 the flowers are gone. Let bee-keepers try it, and they will 

 not feed late afterwards. As a rule, it does not pay to keep 

 stocks that require much feeding; still, many stocks with a 

 very little early feeding would become good ones, and in such 

 instances it pays to feed.— J. H. Thomas (in Toronto Globe). 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Dorking Cock's Feet Swollen (E. 23.).— The goodness— i.e., size of 

 the Dorking cock, is probably the cause of his swollen feet. Forgetful of 

 bis weight, he has flown off some high place, and either bruieed his feet 

 or driven a gravel stone through the skin. In either case, as soon as the 

 apparent callosity becomes red and inflamed, there is no cure. He may 

 be used a little longer as a stock bird, by keeping him strictly on grass, 

 but every step on gravel is an injury to him. This disease cannot always 

 be prevented, but something is done in that way when the perches in a 

 house are kept scrupulously within 2 feet of the ground, and nothing 

 allowed in the place higher than can be used as a perch. 



Brahma Cock's Cosib (Blink Bonny). — The comb is not desirable, but 

 we do not think it a serious fault. It would be so in a single comb. 



Comb of a Light Brahma Pootra Cock (B. P.).— The pea-comb is 

 more esteemed than the single comb, and is a more valuable property if 

 a yard is for sale. Vulture hocks, as we know from experience, show 

 distinctly before the chickens are six weeks old. With us we condemn 

 such at once to the kitchen, or we give them to friends to whom we owe 

 some small obligation, and who boast that to them one fowl is as good as 

 another. We have read of a country where all the people were hump- 

 backed, and a stranger having entered during divine service, the clergy- 

 man prayed for the deformed man who had just entered. So a friend to 

 whom we gave some vulture- hocked birds, and who bred from them, told 

 us he had bred some nasty plain birds from them, and could not thick 

 they were pure. 



Crested Buff Hen with Jonque Cinnamon Cock— Pairing Lizards 

 (E. B.).~ It will mainly depend upon how the Crested hen is bred. If she 

 be from a recent cross between a Cinxamon and Crested bird not being 



Cinnamon, you will probably not get all Cinnamons, but some dirty- 

 greens among them, or some broken Cinnamons— i.e., splashed birds. 

 The greater proportion, however, will be Cinnamon, Crested and plain, 

 Jonque and Mealy. It is perfectly right to pair a Golden Lizard cock 

 with a Silver Lizard hen. — W. A. B. 



Wasps (A Miserable Victim). — We have never found wasps do any 

 serious injury to bees, and are, therefore, unable to prescribe a remedy 

 from actual experience. The mouth of the hive should, of course, be at 

 once contracted, and Mr. Taylor recommends laying a piece of barley- 

 sngar across or just within the entrance so as greatly to narrow it 

 "This, he says, "is so attractive to the bees, that they muster at the 

 door in greater force than the wasps dare venture to assail. As fast as 

 the fortification is devoured it ought to berenewed, and the out-gen eralled 

 enemy will retire from a hopeless contest." Last autumn an esteemed 

 correspondent recommended carbolic acid as a means of repelling robber 

 bees, and it may possibly be found to be equally efficacious in deterring 

 wasps. His advice was as follows; — "Early in the morning, or soon 

 as corsair bees [wasps] are on the raid, dip a feather in carbolic acid 

 and wet the entrance of the assailed hive all round, pouring at the same 

 time a few drops on the landing. Repeat the dose during the day as the 

 odour passes off. If properly managed the inmates will remain at home 

 ventilating, whilst not a single robber dare cross the threshold." Fruit 

 can only be preserved from wasps by covering it with gauze. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 

 In the Suburbs of London for the week ending August 30th. 







;1 THEBMOHETBB. 









BAB02IETEB, 









Date. 









Wind. 



Rain. 





Max. 



Min. 



Mai. 



Min. 



1 ft. 



2 ft 





Wed... 24 



29.833 



29.831 



73 



39 



60 



59 



N.W. 



.00 



Thurs.. 25 



29.866 



29.833 



71 



42 



60 



59 



N.W. 



.00 



Fri.. .. 26 



29 853 



29.727 



70 



33 



62 



59 



N.W. 



.00 



Sat. ... 27 



29.894 



29.'! 28 



72 



53 



64 



58 



N.W. 



.40 



San. . . 28 



29.457 



29.374 



73 



46 



60 



58 



S.W. 



.00 



Hon. . . 29 



29.891 



29.733 



71 



48 



59 



58 



N.W. 



00 



Tues. . 30 



30.197 



30.046 



69 



82 



57 



56 



N.W. 



.00 



Moan.. 



29.856 



29.758 



71.29 



41.85 



60.29 



58.14 .. 



0.4O 



24.— Fine, cold wind ; cloudy, but fine ; clear and fine. 



25. — Very fine; exceedingly fine ; clear and fine. 



26. — Fine and clear ; cloudy, but fine ; clear, starlight. 



27. — Very fine; exceedingly fine; heavy rain. 



28.— Drizzling rain ; boisterous; heavy clouds. 



29. — Very fine ; fine but cloudy ; clear and fine, 



30.— Clear and very fine ; cloudy ; clear and very fine. 



COVE XT 

 We have no material 

 well supplied. 



Apples £ sieve 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts bushel 



Currants J sieve 



Slack do. 



Firs doz. 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, Hothouse.... lb. 



Lemons ^-100 



Melons each 



Artichokes doz. 



Asparagus a> 100 



Beans, Kidney ..* sieve. 



Broad bushel 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Brussels Sprouts.. Jsieve 



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 .... bnndla 



GARDEN MARKET.— AUGUST 31. 



alteration to report, and the market continues 



s. d. s. 

 1 to2 



Mulberries lb. 



Nectarines doz. 



Oranges ^100 



Peaches doz. 



Pears, kitchen doz. 



dessert doz. 



Pine Apples lb. 



Plums..... J sieve 2 



Quince 3 doz. 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries lb. 



Walnuts bushel 10 



do SHOO 1 



s. d. s. 

 9 toO 



2 8 



14 



2 10 







10 3 



6 5 



VEGETABLES, 



d. s. 

 OtoO 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce doz. 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress, .punnet 

 Onions bushel 



pickling........ quart 



Parsley Bieve 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes buBhel 



Kidney do. 



Radishes .. doz.bunobes 



Rhubarb bundle 



Savoys doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes doz. 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Marrows . . doz. 



s. d. s. 



4to 



6 3 



POULTRY MARKET.— August 31. 

 The trade is positively nominal, fortunately the supply is not large. 

 None but low prices can be looked for for some time. Grouse are plen- 

 tiful and good. 



s. d. s. d 



Grouse (young) 2 to 2 6 



Pigeons 8 9 



Rabbits 14 16 



WUdditto 8 9 



Hares ,0 



Partridges 





s. 



d. s. d. 





.... 2 



6to 3 







2 6 





.... 1 



6 19 





.... 2 



2 6 





.... 6 



6 6 











