526 



JOUfiwAL OF HOETICULTdRB AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Dee-ember 29, 1870. 



fourpenny piece, and as white as it is possible to be; It should not. 

 tinder any circumstances, exceed the dimensions of a sixpence. 



Dorking Bantams (Dorking Bantams). — We have heard no similar com 

 plaints to yonrs. The birds shoald have been pat in the class for " Any 

 other variety." The error in stating the age mast have arisen from care- 

 lessness. We advise yon to write to the Committee. 



Fowls' Heads and Beaks Scurf? (Constant Subscriber) — We should 

 try to wash, or to scrape or file the beak, but it most be delicately 

 handled. The head and neck we should treat with compound sulphur 

 ointment, rubbing thoroughly twice or oftener every day. We should 

 rnb the beaks in the same way. 



Turkeys (if C). — The hens will not lay till April, perhaps later. If 

 you wish to breed Turkeys, the eggs are worth hatching, but not the 

 first five or six. You must be your own judge as to when the cock can 

 be dispensed with. We can only tell yon he is not necessary throughout 

 the laying season Havirg done all that is required of him, he may at 

 once be sent away. Many do not keep one, but hire him for a short time. 



Keeping Poultry for Egg-laying (G. F. M.). — As the cost is but 

 small, we advise you to buy the " Poultry Book" published at our office, 

 price 6(Z , and also Baily's, which can likewise be had from us. We advise 

 you to read the article in one of our back numbers on poultry gardening, 

 it will give you an insiwht. You can run the number you name on two 

 acres, and the cocks will soon find out who is master, arid accommodate 

 themselves to circumstances. Each will take a little walk of his own. 

 You will have to supply some little inexpensive helps if you keep one 

 hundred and fifty on two acres, but it can be done. Not knowing the j 

 position of your land, and whether there exist any present help for a 

 poultry house, we cin only give you some general rules applicable to all i 

 cases. It is better to have three houses with fifty, or two with seventy- '■ 

 five, than one with a hundred and fifty to roost in, unless you have an 

 old barn or very large and lofty place. It is not essential, but it is 

 healthier. Your house may be made of wood, or of cheaper material if , 

 you have it. All that is required is that it be wind and water-proof. The j 

 ventilation should be near the roof. The floor should be above the sur- ' 

 rounding level, and made of gravel or road grit. There should be perch- , 

 ing room for every bird, and no perch Bhould be more than 2 feet from \ 

 the ground. This is all that is necessary. Nine times out of ten the 

 money epent on poultry houses is thrown away. 



HAirBURGH's Ear-lobe Warty (H. T.).— We have no doubt the wart 

 of which you speak is the result of an injury to the outer skin or sac oj 

 the ear-lobe. If the bird was exhibited with a hen. she probably pecked 

 it. If by himself, it is an accidental injury. Under any circumstances 

 keep him by himself till it is healed, and treat it with softening and 

 healing ointments. If put with hens while the wart remains they are 

 sure to pecti it and eat to the destruction of the ear-lobe. 



Feather-eating Hen (Hamburgh). — It is probably one hen that eats 

 the feathers of the cock. Find her out and remove her; but you must 

 also remove the cock, and rub his throat daily with spermaceti ointment 

 till the stubs of the feathers appear. He must not go amon? the hens 

 till the feathers are so hardened and mature that they cannot be dis- 

 tinguished from the others. When he is put with the hens they must be 

 watched for a time. 



Fowls for Egg-productton (G. C). — Brahmas' eggs are larger than 

 the Hamburghs', but you must have patience. A pullet's eggs are much 

 smaller than a hen's. The largest eggs are laid by Spanish and Creve- 

 Coeurs. Our belief is that, taking the weight during the year, the Ham- 

 burghs would be beaten, but in numbers they are very prolific. At a 

 season like this " an egg 's an egg for a' that," and small as they are, 

 laying Hamburghs with their eggs now fill their owners' pockets as well 

 asthe basket. Eggs have seldom been so scarce or so dear. 



Points of Houdas Cock (G. J, T 7 .).— Yellow feathers do not dis- 

 qualify a Houdan cock. Red ones do. It is very desirable a bird should 

 have no colours but black and white. The comb has two irregular spikes 

 in front, separating and become wider apart to their extremities, spring- 

 ing from a root in front of the head, which haB a fiattened-heart appear- 

 ance, and from which emerge comblets half way down the upper beak, 

 where they end in a curious small spiral. No colour disqualifies a 

 Houdan cock but red. 



Buff Cochin Cock's Comb Turning White (Gamma).— Perhaps your 

 cock's comb is frozen ; if it is, rub it with strong camphor ointment. 

 Perhaps it is the disease known as " white comb." To cure that, dress it 

 frequently with compound sulphur ointment. 



Breeding Game Bantams ( ). — If you had only Black Reds and 



Duckwings together, you would have some pure of both breeds, and 

 many of them remarkable for beauty of colour, but having added the 

 Piles, we fear they will be " neither fish, nor flesh, nor good red herring." 



Feeding Poultry (One Who is Without Eggs). — It is said there is a 

 locality where if the cry, " Stop thief," is raised, every man runs away, 

 and so if a thousand letters about eggs were received, nine hundred and 

 ninety-nine would bear the same signature as your own. If you were to 

 kill one of your very fat fowls, you would find another confirmation of 

 our remarks about the internal fat, and you would find that such a dietary 

 as produced it was unwholesome in the extreme. You would find all 

 your birds possessing " fat livers," providing you with the principal 

 ingredient of a. pate efoie gras. The intestines become so choked with 

 fat, none <^f the fanctions can be carried on in a healthy manner; and 

 the liver suffers the most. In a healthy state it is so dark red brown 

 as to be almost black, while the gall bladder lies under the left lobe, 

 very dark green and full almost to bursting. In a fowl that is fat inside, 

 the liver is three or four times its natural size, of a pale wainscot colour, 

 and the gall bladder of a like hue, flaccid, and empty. This is the result 

 of over-fattening, or of improper feeding. You can buy ground oats at 

 Agate's Mill, Slaugham, Crawley, Sussex. We have a sample from a 

 nearer place on trial, and shall be happy to give our readers the result. 

 They are quite distinct from oatmeal. 



West Glamorgan Show (T.Moore). — We know nothing of the Show, 

 and it must have been small, as the Committee did not advertise it. 

 You OS 73zi ) remedy against the Judge. Point out to the Committee the 

 errors you mention, and if you are correct they should employ a more 

 competent Judge next year. 



Crystal Palace Show (W.D.).— All the prizes omitted in the official 

 list are inserted in our last number, page 506. 



Rabbits at the York Show.— Mr. Hudson says thit there are two or 

 three omissions in his note which have caused considerable misapprehen- 

 sion, and asks that the following be inserted : — " The medal was taken by 

 a pair of well-matched Himalayans, belonging to Mr. Butterworth, Roch- 

 dale. Mr. J. Boyle, jun., Blackburn, showed two pairs in the class. The 

 does were gems, and best in the class, but the hncks were poor. A great 

 many others were also badly matched. Angoras were only moderate, 

 many being dirty and poor in wool. The 'Any other Variety' class was 

 good. Mr. Boyle took firBt with a pair of Grey and White Dutch, the 

 finest for points and colours I have ever seen ; this pair being fortunately 

 shown in a good liRht. The second prize was awarded to a pair of Hare 

 Rabbits, splendid specimens, but badly placed for being seen. This class 

 was well judged. Mr. Easten entered his fine old Silver-Greys, winners 

 of above forty prizes. Mr. Boyle also showed Silver- f^reys and Silver- 

 Creams — the best bred in England, not forgetting the fine specimens 

 shown by Mr. Royds, Rochdale. I ttiiak the*e Rabbits ought to have a 

 class to themselves, seeing the Committee withheld the two first 21s. prizes 

 where cups were awarded. — S. G. Hudson." 



Bingley Show.— Mr. Firth won the cup for the best pen of Barbs, 

 Owls, and Jacobins, as is mentioned in our report to day. We had a 

 catalogue with the prizes written in, and Mr. Firth's winning the cup was 

 omitted in it. 



Various (BerJihampstead).— The purple berries of the evergreen Ber- 

 berries are not injurious to fowls. Millet seed can be obtained of any 

 wholesale corndealer in London. The journals you mention are American. 



Turbits (M. Tyler).— We believe there has been some dispute as to the 

 yaya Turbit shnld carry its wings, whether above or below the tail. We 

 incline to think the former is the correct carriage ; and we are strength- 

 ened in this belief, as in every portrait of a Turbit from the time of the 

 " Treatise on Pigeons" (a.d. 1765) tu the present time, this bird is repre- 

 sented carrying the points of its wings above the tail. We believe there 

 is no cure for scrofula either in man or Pigeon. Applv lukewarm water 

 with a bit of alum to the bird's eyes. 



Carriers' Thighs (A. B.).~ The feathers you mention would not abso- 

 lutely disqualify the bird, but it would be better if thev were not there. 



Bonedust for Chickens (G. G.).— Bonedust mixed "with their soft food 

 is good for any chickens. 













IONS 

 December 27th 





METEOROLOGICAL OBSEKVA1 

 Ih the Snburbs of London for the week ending 





Date. 



BABOMITEE. 



THEBMOMETEE. 



Wind. 





Air. 



Earth. 



Rain 



Max. j ilm. 



Max. , Min. 



1ft. 



2 ft. 





Wed. . . 21 

 Thnra. . 22 

 Fri. . .. 23 

 Sit. ... 24 

 Son. .. 25 

 Hon. . . 26 

 Tues.... 27 



Mean.. 



29.838 

 29.864 

 29 888 

 29.696 

 29.646 

 29S3S 

 29.S44 



29.662 

 29844 

 29.S0O 

 29.614 

 29.598 

 29.724 

 29.686 



32 

 28 

 84 

 28 

 84 

 34 

 31 



21 

 9 

 6 

 2 

 14 

 16 

 25 



43 

 40 

 38 

 35 

 84 

 34 

 35 



43 

 41 

 39 

 88 

 38 

 86 

 36 



E. 

 E. 



s. 



N.E. 



N.E. 



N. 



N.E. 



.00 

 .00 

 .09 

 .00 

 .00 

 .03 

 .00 



29.802 



29.704 



31.57 



13 29 



35.71 



33.71 



" 



0.00 



21.— Overcast ; snow; cold wind, sharp frost. 



23. — Sharp frost ; snow ; clear and frosty. 



23.— Intense frost ; fine, froBty ; clear and frosty. 



24 — Intense frost ; frosty fog; frosty fog at night. 



25. — Sharp frost ; cold wind ; overcast and frosty. 



26. — Overcast, cold wind ; densely overc ist ; slight snow. 



27. — Sharp frost ; overcast ; heavy fall of snow. 



COYENT GARDEN MARKET.— December 28. 

 Owing to the holidays business is almost suspended, and we shall have 

 but few changes to report for another week. Good vegetables are some- 

 what searcer, and will rapidly advance in price should this weather 

 continue. 



FRUIT. 



s. d. s. d 



Apples i sieve 1 6 to 2 



Apricots doz. 8 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts bushel 10 IS 



Currants J sieve 9 



Black do. 



Fijrs doz. 



Filberts lb. 2 



Cobs lb. 2 8 2 6 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, Hothouse lb. 4 3 



Lemons ^100 6 10 



Melons each 10 4 



s. d. e. d 

 Mulberries lb. to % 







Nectarines doz, 



Oranges ^ 103 6 



Peaches doz. 



Pears, kitchen doz. 1 



dessert doz. 1 



Pine Apples lb. S 



Plums i sieve 1 6 



Quinces doz. 



RasDbeiries lb. 



Strawberries lb. 



Walnuts bnsh»l 10 



do 3*100 1 



1 3 







10 6 







2 







5 



s • 















16 



2 



Artichokes. doz. 



Asparagus »• 100 



Beans, Kidney ....^100 2 



Broad buBhel 



Beet, Red doz. 2 



Broccoli bundle 



Brussels Sprouts. .^sieve 2 



Cabbage doz. 1 



Capsicums ^-100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 2 



Celery bundle 1 



Coleworta.,doz. bunches 3 



Cucumbers each 



pieknng doz. 



Endive doz. 2 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish ....bundle 3 



VEGETABLES. 



d. b. d I 



OtoO Leeks bunch 



\ Lettuce doz. 



3 0; Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & CreBS. .punnet 



8 Onions bushel 



9 16 pickling quart 



3 Parsley sieve 



2 Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



4 8 j Potatoes bushel 



6 Kidney — do. 



6 2 0' Radishes .. doz. bunches 



6 l Rhubarb bundle 



9 16 1 Savoys doz. 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



3 Spinach bushel 



8 Tomatoes doz. 



3 t Turnips bunch 



5 1 YegetableMarrows..doz. 



3. d. a. 



4 to 



9 1 



- 



