My 12, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



45 



these animals when sent to exhibitions. Ten minutes' brushing 

 will make a great improvement in their appearance. It is well 

 not to put hay into the hamper, or the seeds will Btick in the 

 wool, and if you are not on the show ground to brush them out 

 will detract not inoonsiderably from the beauty of the Rabbit. 



The colour is usually white, although coloured specimens are 

 occasionally met with. These, however, are not generally so 

 profusely covered with hair, nor is it of so fine a nature. Black, 

 black-and-white, blue, blue-and-white, grey, and grey-and-white 

 are the usual self and broken colours, fawn aud fawn-and-white 

 being very rare. We do not recollect having seen a tortoiseshell, 

 a colour that the long wool would be hardly suited to show off 

 to advantage. Winners are sometimes met with of a broken or 

 dark self colour, but most of the successful animals are pure 

 white, the colour which seems naturally to be moBt fitted to 

 exhibit the lustrous; nature of the wool. Still, a well-marked 

 coloured one is rare, and hence to be admired and prized. 



As a rule they breed very t rue to colour, and when a little 

 coloured blood has been admi tted into a white strain it seems 

 almost impossible to eradicate it. It is worthy of notice that 

 the most successful strain extant is pure white, long in the wool 

 curly, aud with ears moderately short and slightly inclined to be' 

 pendant. The specimens of this strain are generally of pretty 

 good size. The Angora is exceedingly delicate, and requires a 

 little warmth in order to keep it in good condition and to bring 

 its wool into good form, otherwise it will but seldom attain a 

 good Bize, nor will the wool be as fine as can be wished. Too 

 much warmth will make the ears too long and lopping, so that 

 it is necessary to use a good deal of discretion in the question of 

 heat. As a rule it may be said that the air Bhould be kept at a 

 genial temperature, with a copious supply of fresh air. In dis- 

 position the Angora is extremely gentle. Instead of fighting 

 right and left when in company members of this variety will 

 | generally fraternise, and with a few exceptions will not fight, 



Fig. 15. — The angora. 



especially does; the bucks, though not so quiet, being still con- 

 siderably more so than those of most breeds. 



The doe is fairly prolific, the litters occurring frequently, and 

 five or six being the number generally brought forth. The doe 

 will tear the wool off her chest, often laying herself perfectly 

 bare, and of necessity spoiling her appearance, so that exhibition 

 does must not be worked as breeders. The best age for showing 

 is about a year or eighteen months, the wool seldom attaining 

 its full length or fineness before that time. The young are born 

 quite bare and perfectly pink. At the end of the first week they 

 begin to show a little white down, which increases in length 

 and thickness with age until when the animal has attained the 

 age of a month it is nicely covered. The young are delicate, 

 arid a warm and dry hutch is absolutely necessary. — Geta. 



The Alexandra Palace and Malays. — The Committee have 

 offered £4 towards the Malay prizes. I have undertaken to try 

 and collect sufficient to make prizes for the olass, £3, £2, £1, and 

 10s. I shall be grateful for any help from Malay-breeders. The 

 following have already promised or sent the money : — Mr. E. 

 Stanley, 10s. ; Mr. S. B. Perry, Is. 6d. ; Mr. R. Hawkins, 2s. 6d. ; 

 und 5s. from — Joseph Hinton, Warminster. 



VERMIN ON POULTRY. 

 Jno. E. Roberts, in the Southern Poultry Journal, says :— 

 " Many fanciers U6e the carbolic (or carbolated) powder in 

 order to rid their fowls of lice and mites. It is considered the 

 very best of remedies. My plan is one which I think is used 

 by no other breeder, has never failed me in completely ridding 

 my fowls of every inBect, and has demonstrated to me its infalli- 

 bility. It is simply the use of oil of sassafras mixed with sweet 

 oil. To 1 oz. of oil of sassafras put 5 or 6 of sweet oil, and apply 



a small quantity to different parts of the body of the fowl, select- 

 ing those points where the vermin would be most apt to hide. 



" In applying the preparation I fill with it a small oil can, so 

 that I can force out as much or little of the soil as I wish. ^A 

 very small bit can be made to go a great way, for one drop can 

 be rubbed over 2 or 3 inches of space, and is no more trouble to 

 apply than the various insect powders. I use sweet oil because 

 of its curative powers, but any kind of grease, no matter what, 

 will do to mix with the oil of sassafraB. The oil of sassafras is 

 the eradicator, the other oil merely the vehicle. I believe com- 

 mon sassafras tea would be wonderfully efficacious. 



" Make it in a large pot, then after allowing it to cool dip the 

 fowls in bodily. In one second the lice will be dead, and in ten 

 seconds the fowl will be perfectly dry if placed in the sunshine. 

 It is hard to form an idea of the magical effect produced by the 

 oil of sassafras. I have never tried the remedy in greater at- 

 tenuation than that mentioned (one part to five or six), but 

 believe that it would be equally good if composed of 1 oz. oil of 

 saBaafraa to ten or twelve of any other oil or grease." — (Rural 

 New Yorker.) 



BEES PIPING. 

 The question of piping is fully discussed and explained in 

 "Bevan on the Honey Bee," and I can fully corroborate ail that 

 is there advanced upon the matter. Bevan says, "It is now, 

 however, ascertained beyond a doubt that the sharp clear notes 

 uniformly proceed from a princeBS that is at liberty, and that 

 the notes which are uttered in a hoarse key as uniformly prc- 

 ceedtfrom one that is still imprisoned." Old queens never pipe, 

 and where several young queens are being raised it is only when 

 the bees wish to swarm that piping occurs. When the bees do 

 not wish to swarm the eldest of the young queens is allowed to 

 emerge from her cell on arriving at maturity, and iB permitted 



