394 



J0UBXAL OF HOET1CCLTUEB AND COTTAGE GAEDEXER. 



[ November 15, 1877. 



In size the indoor hutch ahoold not be less than 2 feet 6 inches 

 long, 15 inches deep, and 10 inches high, and for Eabbits that 

 are of nnnstial size it is of conrse necessary to have the hutches 

 made considerably larger. The bottom of the hutch should be 

 covered with metal or a slab, for the wet will sink into wood, 

 and especially where there is any artificial heat a very un- 

 pleasant smell is emitted, which is far from being healthy. 

 This kind of floor would not do for the Eabbits to stand on, as it 

 would cause colds and sore feet. Hence it is necessary to raise 

 the actual floor an inch above it. The best way is to make a 

 wooden slab-frame-floor which will, if properly managed, keep 

 the hutch sufficiently dry and clean. A wire frame floor 

 will also keep the hutch very clean and sweet, but the wire 

 is too hard for the feet, and sore hocks will be sure to be the 

 result. The spars should be about three-quarters of an inch 

 across, and rather less than that distance apart, perhaps half an 

 inch. The wood should be of a hard nature, and pine should 

 not be used as it has too great a tendency to absorption. As, 

 however, it is not the cheapest kind of wood there is, this 

 caution is probably hardly necessary. Oak would be the best, 

 but it is of course too expensive. These slabs should be planed 

 very smooth, and the edges should be shaved off a little so as to 

 enable the waste to pass through easily. The great danger is that 

 the Babbits' legs will get between the slabs and be broken, but 

 if the width of space does not exceed half an inch there can be 

 but little danger of that. The false floor Bhould be placed about 

 an inch above the slate or metal floor so that the wet will not 

 rise. This floor should be made the size only of the open com- 

 partment, the dormitory, which should always be closed until 

 the doe is far advanced in pregnancy, being provided only 

 with a wooden floor, which is the warmest. The dormitory 

 should be about a foot long, and extend the full depth of the 

 hutch. In case the Eabbits are of a smell kind 10 inches will 

 be sufficient, but it is important that while making the room 

 large enough for the Eabbit to turn round in, it should not be 

 too large, or it will not be warm. The whole of the front of it 

 Bhould be covered with a dark wooden door, which should open 

 sideways and away from the centre of the hutch. The partition 

 should not be fixed in, but should be fitted between two grooves. 

 A circular hole about 18 inches in circumference should be cut 

 in it near the back portion of the hutch, for the Eabbits to pass 

 through. A few tacks driven into the edges well knocked heme 

 so as to keep them from catching the Eabbits' skins will prevent 

 or at any rate check gnawing. A small door will be necessary 

 to cover this to keep the doe out until nesting time has begun. 

 If the circular piece that has been taken cut has been kept it 

 may be used. A small hinge may be fixed on the top, and a 

 button on the bottom, or it may be fixed entirely by buttons. In 

 this latter caEe the door can be taken away altogether, and is 

 perhaps the best plan, as when fastened by a hinge the door may 

 get shut up accidentally, in which case the young may be neg- 

 lected owing to their mother being unable to get to them. For 

 the large room a door that will admit light and air will be 

 necessary. For Lop breeding a door cf the following description 

 will be found to answer well. The groundwork should be 

 three- quarter- inch wood. Along the top a strip of wire about 

 2 inches wide should be fixed so as to afford ventilation. Then 

 to give light a piece of glass — circular is the prettiest, but square 

 will do — should be fixed as a kind of window in the centre. The 

 frame should be made to fit tight at the sides and bottom, but a 

 little loose at the top, leaving a space of about a quarter of an 

 inch. This will give ventilation, and at the same time avoid 

 draughts. The frame should be fixed with two hinges and 

 fastened by a small bolt or lock. 



Another very good front, if the hutch is not intended solely 

 for Lops, may be made in a much more simple manner. Make 

 a frame the size of the opening of good inch wood, about 

 2 inches wide, the corners being well dovetailed together. 

 Cover this with a strong framework of iron netting, such as can 

 be bought for about 6d. a yard at any ironmonger's, or strong 

 iron bars may be fixed downwards about 1J inch apart into the 

 two frames. This latter operation is a very tedious one, and 

 but little is gained by it, especially as the hutch being intended 

 for inside use only will not be subjected to such rough treatment 

 as the outdoor ones. For all practical purposes the common 

 aviary wire will answer every purpose, and is cheaper and more 

 easily applied than the bars. It should be carefully fixed to the 

 frame by means of rivets, which can be purchased with the 

 wire. If only naiis are UBed the wire will be constantly coming 

 off and giving trouble, besides giving the inmates a mode of 

 very dangerous egress, which would very likely end in a broken 

 head or two. 



A few holes should be drilled in the bottom of the hutoh near 

 the back, through which the wet will be able to run, besides 

 which they will enable a good swilling to be given to the floor 

 sometimes, and let the water run off easily. A slip is sometimes 

 taken out along the back end, but this is hardly to be recom- 

 mended, as it is sometimes the cause of a draught. A small 

 hayrack will be found useful in a hutch, and one of a suitable 

 size can easily be made by any fancier. — Geta. 



CHLOROFORMING BEES. 



Last autumn I saw one of my neighbours (a farmer) very busy 

 in his bee garden, and found that he was destroying a certain 

 number of stocks with sulphur. This autumn he agreed to let 

 me take the honey for him. On the 28th of September I waited 

 upon him with one of Pettitt's ten-bar hives and some chloro- 

 form and commenced operations about 7 p.m., upon three 

 straw skeps, giving each hive 1 drachm of chloroform. Last year 

 he destroyed six. After waiting a few minutes I shook out 

 all the stupefied bees on to newspaper. The bees from the 

 three stocks I put into the bar hive, filling it a third full as well 

 as I could see, and carried it home a quarter of a mile, placing it 

 on a stand having a south-west aspect. I then filled one of 

 Pettitt's feeding troughs holding a pint of syrup, and placed it 

 on the crown board. 



The bees commenced feeding next morning, and a week's 

 beautiful weather supervening they were very busy each day, 

 and have continued so to the present time. I have given them 

 36 lbs. of syrup made from 24 lbs. of loaf sugar, costing iid. per 

 pound. The hive is now nearly full of beautiful comb and very 

 weighty; I have therefore discontinued feeding and secured 

 them for the winter from wet and cold. By this means I have 

 not only saved the lives of thousands of our industrious little 

 friends, but have added to my apiary another large colony at the 

 very small cost of 9s. I suppose the bees destroyed two out of 

 the three queens placed in the hive. 



Hoping these lines may induce other apiarians to try chloro- 

 form with a similar success when driving is not convenient 

 must be my apology for writing. — H. C. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Poultey foe Peofit (A Struggling Clerk).— Keep a Coloured DorMnff 

 cock and sis Dark Brahma hens. 



Cockeezl's Tail (A. Z.).— We know of no mode of curing a tail that is 

 earned on one side. There is a spinal defect probably. For Ducks there is 

 no food moie nourishing than barley meal and Indian meal. 



Bee-keeping ' Ligurian).—" Bee-keeping for the Many." You can have it 

 from our office if you enclose five postage Btamps with your address. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSEBVATIOSS. 

 Castden Square, Loxdow 

 Lat.51=82'40" M.; Long. 0- S' 0" W-; Altltnde, 111 feet. 



1S77. 

 Not. 



We. 7 

 Th. S 

 Fri. 9 

 Sat. 10 

 Sun.ll 

 Mo. 12 

 Tu. 13 



9 A.m. 



Inches 



29.598 

 29 839 

 29.624 

 29 382 

 29.351 

 28 958 

 29.326 



Means 29.440 4S.9 47.0 



Hygrome* 

 ter. 



Dry. Wet. 



deg. 

 573 

 44 5 

 52.8 

 51.0 

 51.0 

 43.7 

 43.3 



deg. 

 51.9 

 44.5 

 51.4 

 47-1 

 47.S 

 40.3 

 42 S 



s.w. 



w. 



s. 



s.w. 

 s.w. 



s. 



w. 



deg. 

 51.1 

 49 7 

 49.0 

 49.7 

 4S.6 

 4S.5 

 47.0 



489 





Is the Day. 



Shade Tem- 



Eadiation 



perature. 



Temperature. 







In 



On 



Mas. 



Mill. 



sun. 



grass- 



deg. 



deg. 



deg. 



deg. : 



58.0 



54.3 



61.2 



52 7 



57 



43.3 



84.2 



39.1 



56 2 



43 7 



60.4 



39 4 



55.5 



46 5 



79 8 



42.2 



52.S 



45.2 



516 



40.5 



53.0 



39.S 



S2.6 



33.3 



53.7 



39.1 



74.0 



34.6 j 



55.2 



44.7 



71.4 



41.0 ( 



In. 

 0104 

 0.053 

 0.171 

 0.102 

 0.S75 

 0.010 



1.315 



BEAIAEKS. 

 7th. — "Warm wet morning, warm all day ; line afternoon and evening. 

 Sth.— Slight fog in morning, very dark 9 to 9.30 A.ii.; fine and pleasanfj 



afterwards. 

 9th. — Wet all day, heavy rain at times; high wind in afternoon. 

 10th.— Early part of morning fine ; hail and heavy shower at 11.15 a.m., and 



showers afterwards, with occasional sunshine. 

 11th. — Thunder and lightning about 4.30 A.3i. ; fine till 9 A.3I., then wet and 



very violent wind, especially after 3 p.m. 

 12th. — Barometer reached its minimum <2S.693in.) at midnight; at 0.15 a.m. 

 there was very heavy rain and the gale suddenly ceased; morning 

 bright, bat afternoon dull with shower. 

 13fch. — Foggy and misty except in afternoon. 



The weather continues noild, and the daily maximum temperature re- 

 markably uniform; during the past thirteen days it has not been less than 

 52.8= (on 11th) or more than 58.4° (on 6th). "Very heavy gale on Sunday 

 evening.— G. J. Simons. 



COTEXT GARDEN IIAKEET.— Novembeb 14. 

 Tbaue keeps very quiet, scarcely anything doinff. First-class samples of 

 Apples ate in demand. Pine Apples from the Azores are now making their 

 appearance, home-grown fruit being very much depressed in consequence. 

 Cobs are quiet. 



FRUIT, 



Apples J sieve 



Apricots dozen 



Chestnuts bushel 



Currants 4 tieve 



Black | sieve 



Figa dozen 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries .. £ bushel 



Grapes, hothouse lb. 



Lemons , ^100 



d. a. d. 



2 







8 











1 















1 6 



6 



Btoo 

 



12 

 

 

 S 

 

 

 

 G 

 10 



Melons each 1 



Nectarines .... dozen 



Oranges f 100 10 



Peaches dozen 



Peara, kitchen., dozen 1 



dessert dozen 2 



Pine Apples .... lb. 8 



Pluma $ sieve 



Raspberries .... lb. 



"Walnuts bushel 5 



ditto,,.,, tf'lQQ 



d. s. 

 6to4 

 



