JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 22, 1870. 



be unprepared to find royal cells, and in consequence destroy 

 them. This probably happened, for no further swarming 

 took place, but what was of most consequence was the fact 

 that in the course of a month about 40 lbs. of beautiful honey 

 were collected in the Bkep, there being only some two dozen 

 cells with brood in them in the central comb. Had the skep 

 with swarm not been converted into a super, it would most 

 likely have been found to contain less than a third of the 

 amount yielded in this way. — R. S. 



THE NEW METHODS OF CONTROLLING THE 

 FERTILISATION OF THE QUEEN BEE. 

 As several articles have appeared in your Journal upon the 

 subject of controlling the fertilisation of the queen bee, I 

 will add my testimony to that which has already been given in 

 your pages. Early in June I had three young Italian queens 

 (all hatched at the same time) at the head of three hive3. One 

 of these was left at liberty from the first, and was duly impreg- 

 nated ; the second was imprisoned with a number of drones for 

 two days, as recommended by Mrs. Tapper ; but as neither the 

 queen nor drones afforded positive or negative proof of fertili- 

 sation having been effected, I allowed the queen to descend into 

 the hive and follow her own natural instinct. She soon availed 

 herself of her liberty, and proved a very fine and fertile queen. 

 The third queen was confined for four or five days, but with 

 like results, and when set at liberty. took flight with difficulty, 

 and never returned. The Kcihler process has in like manner 

 proved unsatisfactory. Some queens so treated have turned 

 out drone-breeders, and some have been lost. Only one out of 

 several secured a genuine impregnation, and she wa3 nearly a 

 month old before she began to lay. — J. E. B. 



SINGULAR CASE OF ROBBING. 

 A coebespoxdent of an American paper says : — " I had a 

 curious case of robbing last season. Two swarms of about 

 equal strength commenced robbing each other ; I tried my 

 usual remedy, effectual in nearly every instance, which is a 

 small rag saturated with camphor or spirits of turpentine 

 placed on each side of the entrance, but it had no effect. I 

 then carried one swarm into the cellar at night, and kept it 

 there three days, and on setting them out they went at it again. 

 I then set one swarm in the cellar three days, then set it out, 

 and carried the other in for three days ; and on setting them 

 out they went at their old game. I then exchanged the stands, 

 but it had no effect. There was no quarrelling between the 

 swarms, so I let them work, and examined them every evening, 

 and if one swarm had more than their share of honey I ex- 

 changed combs, and so kept them all right ; but both swarms 

 thought they were doing an extra large business, and conse- 

 quently went to breeding very rapidly, more so than any other 

 swarm I had. But they consumed a large quantity of honey, 

 and gathered apparently double the quantity of pollen that any 

 other swarm in my yard did during the same time. They kept 

 up their practice until they commenced gathering honey abun- 

 dantly, and then gradually ceased robbing altogether. That is 

 the first case of the kind I ever knew. — E. G." 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Keeping Pocetbt rs a Confined Space (If. TV). — The space is a 

 small one, but with the arrangements you make you may easily keep two 

 birds in health. In the way of green food, we advise you to give it every 

 day instead of every alternate day, and to omit the cabbage ; substitute 

 sods of growing grass, cut with plenty of earth. The fowls will tear them 

 to pieces, eat the grass, and find all sorts of food and medicine in the 

 fresh mould. Let them have their liberty every Sunday— it is better than 

 nothing. You can buy such sods as you require of the men who sell turves 

 for Larks, and groundsel for singing birds. 



Points of Cbeve-Cuzues — Selecting Eggs to Produce Cock or 

 Hen Chickens (£. E. F.). — If we go to the strict requirements of the 

 breed, we should tell you the comb should present nearly the appearance 

 of a cloven heart " Cceur Creve." In some birds it is early developed ; in 

 others it is very late ; but the older the bird the larger the comb will be. 

 The same may be said of the pullets. Two birds of the same age will show, 

 one a bright red comb, the other no appearance of one ; it merely proves 

 that one is more forward than the other. They should be top-knotted 

 and bearded, have short legs and square bodies. The legs should be 

 black. The top-knots should be black, but as the pullets become hens 

 white feathers appear in them, and in old birds they are nearly white. 

 It is no proof of degeneracy, but, if possible, it should be avoided in show 

 birds. We havetriedthe egg question byourselves, and withthe "learned" 

 in such matters. We always failed. It is said the great success of 

 " Francis Moore, Physician," with his " Vox Stellarum," or " Loyal Alma- 

 nack," arose from the fact that when once he was walking up and down 

 the room in a brown study, and his clerks were compiling the Almanack 



for the following year, the subordinate who had charge of the mouth of 

 June, asked him every time he passed, " Weather, sir, for the 3rd of 

 June." Francis Moore bore it as long as he could. He showed his 

 temper, it took no effect, and as he passed the desk he heard for the two 

 hundred and eighty-first time, " Weather, sir, for the 3rd of June." We 



object to print the first part of the speech, but the end was, " you, 



sir, frost and snow." It did freeze, and there was snow on that day. He 

 was a made man. A chance made him, and the same may be said" of the 

 fortunate person who warranted thirteen eggs to produce twelve pullets 

 and a cock. Fortune favours the bold. Ask him to try again. A friend 

 of ours by no means distinguished as a shot, went as an amateur to a 

 rifle corps target, and on being asked to take a shot, made a careless 

 bull's eye at 600 yards. He was wise, he merely remarked it was au easy 

 range and went away. We know a man who deals in eggs in the season. 

 He told us he received postage stamps for 5s., and a request that he 

 would forward eggs warranted to produce a cock and three hens, common 

 Pheasants. We forgot to say it is very desirable the Greve-Coeur cocks 

 should be entirely black, but like all black cocks, they will as they grow 

 older throw coloured feathers. Yellow may be overlooked. Red are 

 disqualifications. 



C02EUENCING Pigeon-keeptng (B. M.). — The place you propose would 

 do well enough for any but high-class delicate birds. We would advise- 

 yon to start with Long-faced Tomblers, say Baldheads, or Blue Dragoons 

 or Antwerps ; these are quite as prolific, bringing many pairs a-year, as 

 common or cross-bred birds, just as healthy, and infinitely prettier. If 

 you obtained a few young ones now they would pair and breed early in 

 the spring. We are afraid [that no Pigeons whatever, however common, 

 pay at what you term " pot prices" if you have to buy all their food. But 

 if you kept, say Dragoons, they are strong of wing, and would, as you 

 live in a town, soon get into the streets and pick up part of their living. 

 You could also get charlock of the farmers, but it is an awful weed in the 

 garden, and will become a nuisance if it be taken up with the manure to 

 the manure heap. Young birds breed best. 



Insects in Bacon (C P.). — They are the common bacon beetle s, Der* 

 mestes lardarius and their larva?. — W. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 

 In the Suburbs of London for the week ending September 20th. 





BAEOHETEE. 





THEEilOHETEE 





Wind. 





Date. 



Air. 



Earth. 



Rain. 





Max. | Min. 



Max. 



Min. 



1ft. 



2ft 





Wed... 14 



30.048 ! 29.803 



67 



30 



57 



55 



N.W. 



.00 



Thurs. . 15 



30.324 | 30.197 



61 



30 



54 



54 



N.E. 



.00 



Fri.. .. 16 



30.421 30.406 



66 



36 



55 



64 



N.W. 



.00 



Sat. ... 17 



30.359 30.246 



66 



34 



58 



65 



w. 



.00 



Sun. . . 18 



30.220 1 30.213 



68 



40 



58 



65 



N. 



.00 



Mon. .. 19 



30.261 



3U99 



€5 



31 



57 



55 



E. 



•oo 



Tues... 2} 



30.223 



30.196 



72 



35 



54 



55 



N. 



.00 



Mean.. 



30.265 



30.1bl 



66.S6 



33.71 



56.14 



54.86 



" 



0.00 



1-1. — Very fine; fine but cloudy; clear, starlight. 



15. — Dense fog ; Tery fine ; foggy, fine at night . 



16.— Foggy ; fine, slight fog; clear and fine. 



17. — Densely overcast throughout ; heavy clouds. 



13. — Densely overcast; fine, slightly overcast ; densely overcast. 



19. — Dense fog ; densely overcast ; clear and fine. 



20.— Foggy ; very fine ; clear and fine. 



COYEXT GARDEN MARKET.— Septehbeh 21. 

 A veby slack demand and a large supply do not admit of any improve- 

 ment in prices : in fact, many articles have been left at lower offers than 

 last week, the growers being ansions to effect sales. Potatoes are in fair 

 request, and command about last week's quotations. 



FRUIT. 



Apples J sieve 1 



Apricots doz. 



Chestnuts bushel 



Cherries lb. 



Currants £ sieve 2 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 



Filberts lb. 1 



Cobs lb. 1 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, Hothouse ... . lb. 2 



Lemons 5*100 10 



Melons each 1 



d. s. 



to 2 

 



d . 



Mulberries lb. 



1 Nectarines doz. 



| Oranges ^-100 



: Peaches doz. 



Pears, kitchen doz. 



dessert doz. 



I Pine Apples lb. 



I Plums i sieve 



I Quinces doz. 



| Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries lb. 



Walnuts bushel 



1 do ^100 



VEGETABLES. 



d. s. 

 OtoO 

 



Artichokes doz. 



Asparagus 3*100 



Beans, Kidney ..i sieve. 3 4 



Broad bushel 



Beet.Red doz. 2 S 



Broccoli bundle 



Brussels Sprouts . . £ sieve 



Cabbage doz. 10 2 



Capsicums V- 100 10 1 



Carrots bunch 4 



Cauliflower doz. 2 6 



Celery bundle 16 2 



Coleworts.. doz. bunches 8 6 



Cucumbers each 6 1 



pickling doz. 2 4 



Endive doz. 2 



Fennel bunch OS 



Garb'c lb. 8 



Herbs bunch 3 



Horseradish ,.., bundle S 6 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce doz. 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress, .punnet 

 Onions bushel 



pickling quart 



Parsley sieve 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney ...do. 



Radishes .. doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Savoys.— doz. 



Sea- kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes doz. 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Marrows . . doz. 



9. d. 



s. a 



to 



2 



4 n 







14 a 



1 



S 



1 



2 



1 



3 II 



S 



5 



1 6 



3 











II 















10 



16 



1 



J) 



s. d. 



s. a 



n 41 







1 6 



S 



S 



4 



o a 







4 



e o 



4 



s 



S 







o a 



1 











4 



6 a 



4 



5 O 



































6 







2 



2 6 



1 



1 6 



n B 







2 



S 



