70 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE, 



[ July IS, 1872. 



queen to a well-known bee-master in Edinburgh, who will ex- 

 periment with her. — F. M. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Snaith Agricultural Society's Show.— A correspondent informs us 

 that Mr. R. Leggott, Thorne, took the second prize for Lop-eared does at 

 Snaith, and not Mr. S. Ball. 



Dorkings Sneezing — Hen with Enlarged Crop (B. C. T.).— Such visi- 

 tations are frequent when we have sudden and violent changes of weather. 

 If neglected they end in roup. Where camphor is freely used it generally 

 overcomes the visitation, and if there he much wet, and their places are 

 damp and muddy, we always find our chickens are helped by having bread 

 and ale once or twice per day. We presume you mean in the hen's case that 

 the crop hangs down. That is more frequently caused by overdrinking than 

 overeating. You must confine her. Begin with a good dose of castor oil — 

 a full tablespoonf ul, and then feed with a very small quantity of soft food 

 three or four times per day, allowing no water to stand by her, but giving her 

 the opportunity of drinking three times per day. 



Andalusians (St. Edmunds). — We believe you will find that to keep a good 

 yard of Andalusians you must hatch a great many chickens, and eat a great 

 number of them. Your experience will not, however, always be as unsatis- 

 factory as it is this year. 



Game Bantams' Spurs (J. H. L.). — So far from its being necessary to cut 

 off the spurs of a Game Bantam intended for exhibition, it would be a great 

 disadvantage if it were done. 



Cochin Cock Losing his Feathers (C. S. S.). — You do not tell us 

 whether your fowls are at liberty or not. The hare neck is caused either by 

 hens picking the feathers or from moulting. When at liberty fowls do not 

 pick each other's feathers, nor do they in the spring. It is at this season, 

 when the plumage is worn out, and when the approach of general moulting 

 causes slight discomfort and indisposition, that a craving seems to arise in 

 fowls kept in a confined space for something they can only find when at 

 large. The nearest approach to this desideratum would seem to be the 

 plumage of their companions, and they accordingly attack it mercilessly. If 

 the cock you mention is with hens, and if his neck is bare without appear- 

 ance of stubs — precursors of the new pluruage — it is fair to infer the heus eat 

 them ; remove hira, and rub the neck with some sulphur ointment. If the 

 part destitute of feathers is covered with stubs, a little patience will prove to 

 you that you have no grounds for uneasiness. The hackle often falls before 

 any other part of the plumage shows any sign of changing. 



Marking Chickens [Lemon Buff). — You may mark the chickens at any 

 age when it is necessaiy, but the younger they are the larger the holes should 

 be made. The needle should be put in and worked about till the hole is of a 

 good size. In chickens two months old it should be very large, as, during the 

 four months' growth that remains to them, the reparative process is very 

 active. Whsre it is thoroughly done we have never known ib to wear out. 

 You can, however, if you prefer it, punch out a piece of the web with such a 

 punch as you use for making holes in a stirrup-leather. In all cases the 

 younger the patient the larger the perforation should he. 



Light Brahma Eggs Producing Dark Chickens (S, B. S.). — There is 

 not the slightest doubt that the birds are crossed. The explanation is an 

 easy one. You say out of sixty chickens you have twelve perfect. They are 

 only so in appearance. They may possess all the points named in the adver- 

 tisement in rare perfection, but in all probability their produce would he as 

 faulty as that yon complain of. If any other proof were needed you have it 

 in the brown feathers. They have at some time been crossed with the Dark. 



Fowls Dying (M. D.). — We fear your fowls are too fat. Circulation of 

 every sort is thus impeded, and digestion becomes impossible. We have no 

 doubt the swelled crop is caused by the closing of the passage between that 

 and the gizzard. The only cure is to withhold food for a time, except in very 

 small quantities. For some days discontinue the maize, soaked bread, and 

 kitchen refuse. Feed sparingly in the morning with barleymeal, at midday a 

 little whole maize, a scanty evening repast of barleymeal slaked as in the 

 morning with water. Keep the broken abscess well cleansed with a sponge 

 and water. It will heal as soon as the discharge ceases. Use some healing 

 ointment. If the wound is large, draw the lips of it together with coarse 

 thread, and rub the suture with some stiff grease. 



Poultry. for Confined Space (C. A. G.).— Cochins, Brahmas, Spanish, 

 Creve-Cceurs, and Houdans all do well in confinement. The first two are the 

 only sitters in the list. The others are only egg-producers. Adult fowls do 

 not suffer from rats, nor do they fear them. We think the Brahma will suit 

 you best. Guinea pigs are no protection from rats. Rats will kill and eat 

 them. 



Exhibition Dark Brahma Moulting (W. T.). — Separate the cock from 

 the hens for a time. Feed on barleymeal or ground oats slaked with water, 

 and give him lettuce every day. Your food is in a great measure the cause of 

 his early moulting. Buckwheat andlndian corn are both very fattening. The 

 former has a tendency to make soft feathers : neither of them are good for 

 plumage. We think you will do well to give him a good dose of castor oil, and 

 you need not fear that he will die of starvation, though you withhold that 

 which you believe to be his favourite food, and though you discontinue feed- 

 ing him by hand. If the worst happen, exhibit him as he is at the time of the 

 show. The judge will form a proper opinion of his merits apart from disad- 

 vantages. We offer you no cure for wing-flapping. We admire it as much 

 as a lusty crow. Both are good signs. 



Sick Pigeon (W. A.). — Your Pigeon seems to have taken cold, probably 

 from the wet. Oats are most unsuitable food; give peas, or tares, or Indian 

 corn. Dust flowers of sulphur among the feathers to cure the lice. With 

 better food and warmer weather you may expect a cure. 



Young Pigeons Dying, &c. (P. J.).— This has been a very bad season for 

 fancy Pigeons; we never had so many die in the hatching, or soon after. 

 The general belief among fanciers is that canker is fatal to young birds. 

 You can try dressing the mouth with a strong solution of alum twice a-day, 

 using a camel's hair brush. 



Plumage of Barbs (J. C.).— Feeding has nothing to do with plumage in 

 Pigeons. Of course we do not mean that a half-starved bird will look in any 

 respect as well as a full-fed one; but we mean that if good nourishing food 

 be given, it matters little whether it be peas or Indian corn. Perhaps, as 

 with ahorse'B coat, beans may give a little gloss. But next, birds in confine- 

 ment can never have the perfect close-lying feather which Pigeons have that 



fly. We apprehend that your trouble does not arise from either of the 

 above sources, but from your birds having come from those which were not 

 of the same colour. Barbs should be bred black to black, yellow to yellow ; 

 but fanciers have striven so much for head, eye, and bill, that colour has been 

 damaged by cross-pairing. Hence your bird's flight feathers are tinged, and 

 your other troubles have arisen. Match the blackest birds you have, or get a 

 new strain. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



Lat. 51° 32' 40" N. ; Long. 3 8' 0" "W. ; Altitude 111 feet. 



Date. 



A.M. 



In the Day. 





1872. 





Hygrome- 



n 



. ci . 



Shade Tem- 

 perature. 



Radiation 

 Temperature 



.3 











S'3-h 









« 



July 









In 



On 







Dry. 



Wet. 



fl° 





Max. 



Min. 



sun. 



grass 







Inches, 



cleg. 



deft. 





cleg. 







deg. 





In. 







63.3 



58.5 



w. 



62 4 



75.7 



505 



120.2 



50.4 



0.110 



Th. 11 





66 2 



63.9 



E. 



63.2 



83.2 



68.2 



126.2 



56.8 



0.062 



Fri. 12 



29.943 



6S.4 



60.8 



S.W. 



64 6 



76.2 



59.1 



124.7 



58.2 





Sat. 13 



29 852 



60 2 



58.5 



s. 



f3.3 



69.2 



54.2 



109.2 



53.0 



0.122. 



Sun. 14 



29.877 



61.0 



56.4 



N.W. 



61.9 



716 



519 



121.6 



50.3 



0.10O 



Mo. 15 



29.917 



57.4 



55.9 



N.W. 



61.8 



64.2 



56.3 



1>1.2 



56.3 





Tu. 16 



.29.939 



65.7 



57.7 



N.W. 



60.3 



77.8 



48.2 



125.8 



48.0 



— 



Means 



29.900 



63.2 



53.8 





62.4 



74.0 



54.1 



121.3 



53.3 



0.394 



REMARKS. 



10th. — A very fine day throughout, and equally fine night. 



11th. — Rain in early morning, thick though fair till noon, then fine, gradually 



clouding over and getting more stormlike till 8.30, when thunder and 



lightning began, and continuing more or less till midnight. 

 12th. — Very fine all day. 

 13th. — Fine early, but raining at 9 a.m., thunder between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., 



heavy rain for short time from 2.45, and thunder at intervals till 



5.30 p.m., then fair. 

 14th. — Fine in early morning, hut clouding over by 10 a.m., continuing so, and 



showery all day, very dark between 7 and 8 p.m. 

 15th. — A dull cold day with occasional slight showers. 

 16th. — A splendid day throughout, only clouding over a little for a short time 



between 5 and 6 p.m. 

 Temperature rather lower than last week, but very near the average- 

 Weather on the whole very enjoyable. — G. J. Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— July 17. 



A fair supply of both English and foreign fruit is now offered, and finds a 

 ready market at the quoted, prices, considerable orders now being received 

 from the northern market for bush fruit. Heavy arrivals of Potatoes, both 

 Kent and Channel Island produce, have much influenced prices during the- 

 week. Forty thousand West Indian Pines now on sale ; prices range fromv 

 Is. to 2s. each. 





per lb. 

 bushel 



... do. 



FEU 



B. d. B. d 



3 OtoO 

 2 3 

 6 10 

 

 5 6 

 5 6 



4 8 

 

 6 10 

 6 9 

 2 5 

 8 14 



2 5 



TEGETA. 



a. d. s. d 



4 to 6 

 

 10 



3 

 10 3 

 9 16 

 10 16 

 

 6 

 2 4 

 16 2 

 2 3 

 6 10 

 

 2 

 8 



o a o o 



8 



5 7 

 2 

 9 10 



T. 





B. 

 

 6 

 8 

 8 

 

 

 3 

 

 

 

 1 

 10 

 1 



B. 

 3 

 

 

 

 8 

 



5 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



s 



2 

 



d. 



Ot 























8 











4 















a. 



ot 



2 

 4 

 6 

 

 9 

 

 

 

 1 

 6 

 3 

 9 

 

 9 

 

 4 

 

 

 S 

 



b. a 



30 



10 





... flOO 











18 6> 

 

 O 



Figs 



....doz. 



lb. 



lb. 







6 

 

 6 





.... lb. 



.. 3M00 







C 



Grapes, hothouse 



BLES. 



Mustard & Cress 

 ParBley per doz 



....>8>lb. 



..punnet 

 bunches 



do. 



2 0> 

 25 O 







a 0' 



Beans, Kidney.. 



WO. 



..per 109 



bushel 



, ^100 



b. a. 



05 

 

 





 4 Oi 



1 

 1 © 



15 

 15 





Radishes., doz 

 Scorzonera .... 



. .,. *>-lb. 

 bunches 



^■bundle 



"^bundle 







Coleworts.. doz 



buncheB 



1 







1 

 s 







1 6 





lb. 



9 



Shallots lb. 



| Vegetable Marrows.. doz. 











4 9 

 4 



G 



1 









POULTRY MARKET.— July 17. 

 We have had a good supply and a good trade during the past weok. 

 London gets thin the demand will lessen, and prices will be lower.j 



As 





s. d. 



to 



s. d 

 4 6 

 8 6 

 2 8 

 6 6 



"o 



Hare 



8. d. 

 



b. a 



to 









1 5 



1 6 







10 





6 





9 



10 





























