December 2/, 1377. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



501 



\<Z. Frank. 2, W. Addison. Any variety, local clas3.—1, R. Atkinson. 2,T. G. 

 Wray. vhc. J. Waite, R Atkinson, T. G. Wray. Any other variety.— 1, T. G. 

 "Wray. 2, C. Burton, vhc, R. Atkinson, Stevens & Tenniswood. English 

 Bird.— 1. J. E. Powell. 2, R. Atkinson. Fokeign Bird— 1, Mrs. R. William- 

 aon. 2, F. Barwiek. Parrot.— Grey.— 1, H. Wescoe. 2, G. Strodder. Arty 

 other variety.— 1, R. Pearson. 2, M. Appleton. Selling Class.— 1 and Special, 

 C. J- Salt 2, Hampton & Cleminson. 



RABBITS.— Lop-ear.— 1, T.& E.J. Fell. 2, J. Taylor. Any other Variety. 

 — 1, H. Lund. 2, J. W. Moses & Oscar. 



Judges. — Poultry : Mr. J. Dixon. Pigeons, Cage Birds, and 

 Babbits : Mr. E. Hutton. 



SOUTH LONDON POULTRY SHOW. 



Me. Hall's third Show was held at the Great National Re- 

 creation Hill, 'Westminster Bridge Road, better known as the 

 ~L imbeth Baths, on Thursday last and following days. The place 

 is much better adapted for the purpose of a show than the Ber- 

 mondsey Working Mens' Club, the building in which the Show 

 was held last year. The object of the Show is, we believe, to 

 give the wcrktDg men of South London, who are unable to pay 

 the large entry fees of the other London shows, an opportunity 

 of exhibiting their specimens. The Secretary was, we believe, 

 firm with regard to the objects, and would not kill "the goose 

 -that laid the golden eggs," and declined the entries of a large 

 exhibitor, who would have doubtless carried all before him and 

 left those for whom the Show was specially designed with a 

 simple card for their entry fees. Many alterations could have 

 been made that would have contributed to the comfort of the 

 birds, but the suggestions have, we believe, been made to the 

 Secretary, and if the Show is continued we believe an effort will 

 tie made to accomplish all that is desired. 



Dorkings have so many requirements that London conld 

 hardly be expected to furnish the winners, which were nice 

 "birds, but we liked the third-prize much better ; the hen in this 

 pen was worth all the class. Spanish — This was a really fine 

 class, and also the prizes went to London exhibitors, the first 

 also obtaining the cup for best pen in Show. Cochins a fine lot ; 

 the winners nice White, a little creamy ; second Buffs. Pen 22 

 we thought should have been in the prize list. Bralimas were 

 not up to our expectations. Game a capital class. Foreigu. — We 

 were at a loss to understand the term. Houdans first, but we 

 did not like them ; the cock's spurs were growing outside his 

 legs. Pen 71 (highly commended) we thought much the best 

 pen in the class. 



The Pigeons were, as might have been expected, much better 

 than the poultry, and they appeared well judged. 



Babbits were largely represented, and the quality marvellously 

 good. The exhibitors here appeared also quite satisfied with the 

 awards. 



Prize Poultey. — The fine collection of poultry bred by Mrs. 

 Acton Tindal of Aylesbury was sold by auction on the 11th inst. 

 by Messrs. Reader & Son. There was a large attendance of 

 buyers. The following are some of the prices obtained : — A 

 Buff Cochin cock, winner at the Crystal Palace Show in 1875, 

 fetched =911 lis., bought for Lady Gwydyr. Lot 6S was a 

 Partridge Cochin cock, which took the first prize at Aylesbury, 

 first prize at Altrincham, and several other shows ; it realised 

 £5 5s. Several of the Partridge hens and pullets fetched £3 3s. 

 each. A fine lot of White Cochins brought high prices. One 

 prize cock was knocked down for .£17 17s., and another for 

 £13 2s. 6d. 



BABBIT FEEDING. 



No animal is so free from disease as the Rabbit when allowed 

 -to follow its instinct in the procuring of its food; but when 

 shut up between four walls or four boards, and unable to eat 

 tonic and other herbs which Nature has taught it are necessary 

 £or the preservation of health, its health is apt to be de- 

 ranged. To prevent this it is necessary to keep Rabbits supplied 

 with food of such a character as shall keep them in health. The 

 bowels are easily deranged, so that care should be taken to 

 guard against any danger in that respect. Too much dry food 

 will cause constipation and skin disease, while an excessive 

 supply of green food will relax the bowels and pull the animal 

 down in health and strength. The quantity of each kind of food 

 should be kept in proportion, and the whole should be regulated 

 by the amount of exercise and the health of the recipient. 



Passing over the directions for feeding young Rabbits and for 

 fattening we will direct our attention to the proper supply of 

 food to adult Rabbits, whether they are breeders or kept for 

 exhibition. We have in a recent number given full instructions 

 as to the best sorts of troughs to use, and a good selection of 

 these articles will save much money and trouble. If ever the 

 Rabbit refuses to eat great care should be taken to examine the 

 troughs and see if anything is wrong there. If not, the mistake 

 must have been made in the food, and a change should be tried. 



Every keeper of Rabbits knows that there are two kinds 

 of food — the dry and the wet. Rabbits are seldom treated to 

 water. Sometimes a little water is given for a treat now and 



then, and occasionally, but very rarely, a rabbitry is found 

 where water forms one of the regular articles of diet. Advo- 

 cates of water make a great point of the fact that wild Rab- 

 bits drink a great deal and are often seen near shallow pools. 

 They forget two very important facts: First, a Rabbit when 

 wild has much exercise, and can also eat herbs of a drying 

 nature. Besides this, in damp weather dead Rabbits are often 

 found in Rabbit warrens, and generally near water. If these 

 are dissected it is generally found that their death has been 

 caused by over-drinking. These circumstances should make 

 the addition or provision of water the question of grave con- 

 sideration, especially when it is borne in mind that not one 

 in a hundred of the exhibition Rabbits ever tasted any. The 

 only time that a little water is advisable is to a doe just before 

 kindling. A little damp food may be given with advantage, and 

 milk is better than water in that case. 



The staple food Bhould be dry grain, such as oats, barley, 

 buckwheat, &c. Oats are good for muscle-producing, and at the 

 Bame time keep the Rabbit in good condition. Barley is a little 

 too much inclined to be hot to be given too often. It is more 

 inclined to fatten than to strengthen, and should not be given 

 to growing Rabbits. Buckwheat is good bruised. Oats are the 

 cheapest food ; they can be bought at from 4s. to 5s. per bushel, 

 and a bushel will last a long time in a small collection. They 

 should be given dry in a trough kept on purpose for dry food, 

 so that there will be no smell, as the Rabbits are very sensitive 

 on this point. Some Rabbits take very well to oats, and will 

 take them before almost any dry food ; others do not seem to 

 care much for them. In order to make them more savoury it 

 is as well, and in fact necessary, to adopt some kind of relish. 

 Tea leaves are very popular with Rabbits, and are very good for a 

 treat. If a handful is squeezed pretty dry and mixed with the 

 feed of oats the whole will be eaten with great relish. In this 

 case care should be taken that the two are well blended, or the 

 oats will not get much eaten. This mixture Bhould not be given 

 in an open trough, or the Rabbits in hunting for the tea leaves 

 will scatter the whole contents on the floor. A safety top such 

 as that described in a late number Bhould rather be adopted. 

 Soaked bread is sometimes mixed with the oats and makes a 

 good change. Barley should be given crushed or soaked. 

 Bran and pollard are also very good for food ; they can be bought 

 very cheap and should be mixed with meal. A handful of meal, 

 oit or barley, to three times the quantity of bran or pollard and 

 mixed warm with water or milk will make a good occasional 

 meal, though it is hardly to be recommended for a regular food. 

 Barleymeal is especially fattening, and should be used more for 

 putting a Rabbit into condition than as a Btaple food. Bran 

 alone is not good for food, being very light and tasteless. 



If no liquid food is given to the Rabbits care should be taken 

 to cater for their wants with herbaceous food. Turnips and 

 carrots are very useful. Both the tops and the bottoms may be 

 given. Turnips are very hot and should not form a large share 

 of the diet, but carrots are both strengthening and may be given 

 frequently. Scrape the dirt from the roots, and cut out any 

 decayed portions. The tops may be given pretty freely. Cab- 

 bage stalks and leaves are very easily obtained and very good, 

 the former especially. Lettuce, endive, parsley, chicory, and a 

 score of other plants may be given at discretion. If the leaveB 

 are damp they are very apt to cause looseness; they should 

 therefore be dried a little before using. Three times a day the 

 Rabbits should all be supplied with food, which should be of 

 different sorts so as to create an appetite. If any food is left in 

 the trough it should be thrown away and the trough carefully 

 washed. A little oilcake or a dry crust or two may be given at 

 intervals for a change. Regularity in the times of feeding is 

 also very important. — Geta. 



Dorset Poultry, Pigeon, and Cage-bird Show. — It will have 

 been seen in our advertising columns that this is to take place 

 on the 16th and 17th proximo. The prizes amount to £300, 

 including thirty silver cups and pieces of plate. 



BAR-FRAMED HIVES and their MANAGEMENT. 

 No. 2. 

 Presuming, then, that hives of wood are on every account the 

 most handy, useful, and durable for all purposes of bee-keeping 

 — proved to be so by the fact that ninety-nine out of every hun- 

 dred eduoated bee-masters use them — I pass to the question of 

 size and shape, as to which there is some variety of opinion. 

 As to size I cannot alter the opinion I have formed after an ex- 

 perience of many years : — " Large hives for places rich in honey 

 pasturage, smaller hives for localities badly furnished with 

 nectar-producing flowers." A correspondent in a recent Journal 

 thinks I have misunderstood Mr. Pettigrew's argument in 

 favour of large hives everywhere and under all circumstances. 

 I do not think I have done so, nor does his explanation convince 

 me differently. No doubt a hive may be so very Email as to 

 imit injuriously the breeding powers of the queen, but I am 



