524 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ December 29, 1S70. 



from the hocks and the ten long flights, which must he all 

 white. The Red, again, must have a white tail, but in neither 

 case must the white extend up the rump or under the belly. 

 There is no established limit to the length of muffs ; the 

 majority favour a medium length — that is, from lj inch to 

 2J inches ; we have seen them 4j inches, which, to our taste, 

 is excessive, and an impediment to the bird in walking. 



Many credit the Dutch with the introduction of the muffs on 

 Tamblers, but if they are correct in that statement, and cor- 

 rectly describe the Dutch Tumbler, we can simply say we have 



done with that, as with many other foreign introductions, im- 

 proved upon it. 



Our taste requires a Tumbler to be a short, compact bird, 

 and we for long thought it was the only shape that could 

 tumble well, but we are now called to alter our opinion. Our 

 late Secretary (Mr. Noye) has forwarded from Turkey many 

 specimens of new varieties, and amongst them a pair of 

 Rollers, that would lead us to think the tumbling habit could 

 be developed in almost any variety of Pigeon, so different are 

 they to any Tumblers we ever saw. They are of a glossy black 



plumage, like the Rook or Raven, long beak, long narrow head, 

 neck slightly curved, excessively long flights and tail, the 

 latter composed of sixteen feathers, rising a little like the Fantail, 

 the legs short in hand. They are not so large as our muffed 

 birdB. They appear as though they could do as our friend has 

 ■often told us they do — viz., " fly for nearly a day." We are 

 anxious to try their young ; we shall not venture to try those 

 we have. 



The management of the Flying Tumbler has been so often 



published we need say but little on that point ; we will simply 

 say, Keep your pen clean, give fresh water every day, plenty of 

 old grey peas, old vetches, English wheat, and good sound 

 barley. If you give any Indian wheat, do not do so either a 

 the moulting season or to rear your young. Fly once a-day in 

 the winter if the weather is favourable, and twice a-day in the 

 summer — a means of keeping your birds healthy and up to 

 their work. — Birmingham Coluhbaeian Society. 



AN AMERICAN REMEDY FOR FOUL BROOD. 



I promised to report how my refrigerator wintered its colony. 

 The frames were covered with a piece of old carpeting, and the 

 whole space outside the inner hive packed with straw and 

 shavings. This spring it was in splendid condition, and it was 

 found necessary to remove brood and cut out queen oells as 

 early as the 20th of May ; and for this locality the surplus 

 would have been large if 1 had not been obliged to break up 

 the colony on account of foul brood. 



Tou can imagine my disappointment when my apiarian 

 friend, Mr. Sweet, of West Mansfield, pointed out to me this 

 loathsome disease in my choicest Italian colony early in June, 

 when np to that time I had supposed that everything was pro- 

 sperous with my twelve colonies. After a thorough examina- 

 tion I found six hives more or less affected, and, according to 

 high authority, Bhould be condemned to death. The other six 

 appeared free from disease at this time, although three more 

 subsequently became diseased. 



This is my second summer of bee-keeping, and all the duties 



pertaining to an apiary were entered into with the enthusiasm 

 and — shall I confess it ? — the ignorance and carelessness of a 

 novice. Yes, ignorance and culpable carelessness, for in 

 gathering empty combs from various quarters the disease was 

 introduced, and spread among my pets. One hive in particular, 

 of empty comb, had the peculiar odour, perforated cells, and 

 brown viscid fluid, with which I have since become so familiar 

 this summer ; and it seems unacoountable to me how any per- 

 son, with the Bee Journal wide open and Quinby'a instructions 

 before him, could be so careless as to give such combs to his 

 bees. 



But such was the fact, and foul brood spreading right and 

 left. What shall be done to get rid of it? Shall Quinby be 

 followed — purify the hive and honey by scalding, and treat the 

 colony as a new swarm ? or Bhall the heroic treatment of 

 Alley be adopted — bury ir burn bees and hipe, combs and all? 

 The latter has sent me some fine queens, but the former has 

 always given reliable advice, and I shall follow his instructions 



