160 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 22, 1872. 



the stock bos. 1872 — a swarm was united to the hive on .June 

 17th, and a large glass, 12 inches in diameter, was added the 

 nest day. A swarm came forth on the 29th of the same month, 

 which was returned to the stock in the evening, hut I believe 

 the cunning old queen took refuge in the super, and took her 

 second trip on the 3rd of July. We then hived her and her 

 followers in a separate hive. But little work has been done in 

 the glass ; so now, as we despair of doing any good with the 

 Woodbury hive, we think of driving the bees into a Payne's 

 cottage hive, which is our favourite. Will you give us your 

 opinion? — A Constant Reader. 



[In the first place we cannot understand why your hive should 

 have required the addition of a swarm every season after the 

 first, in 1869. You should not have taken away the comb from 

 the stock bos in that their first year. The year 1871 was so 

 generally bad, that we do not much wonder at your failing to 

 obtain any tangible results ; but during the present season yon 

 ought to have done better, as we know of very fine supers 

 having been obtained from these hives, in some instances, in 

 addition to their having previously afforded strong artificial 

 swarms, or numerous sealed and other brood combs removed for 

 that purpose. We would advise you not to discard the hive from 

 your apiary. Procure, if you have it not, our " Bee Manual," and 

 try again. See our reply to " An Inquirer." Feed liberally in 

 autumn if required; and again in smaller quantities, but con- 

 tinued during a longer period, in the following March and April. 

 This will conduce to early breeding, and you will not be likelv 

 to have to add afresh swarm every summer. We shall be pleased 

 to help you further if you desire any additional advice. — Eds.] 



SILKWORMS. 



I had in the beginning of the year some silkworms 7 eggs laid 

 by last year's moths. They in due time were hatched out, and 

 went through the usual courses; the worms being fed on lettuce 

 leaves, mulberry leaves, and now and then, but seldom, oak leaves. 

 The silk was all wound off the cocoons, and the new e^gs laid 

 about a month ago. On Tuesday, August 13th, five or sis silk- 

 worms were hatched from the eggs of this year, and are now 

 growing fast and doing well. The weather has not been hot 

 lately, and the eggs have been in a room with a northern aspect. 

 I should be glad to know if any of your correspondents have 

 had a similar occurrence in this or in previous years. — Vermis. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Watery Tumours on Cochtn-Chtnas (Constant Header''. — It is gene- 

 rally the result of inflammation. Tlie water is contained in a " sac" which 

 adheres to the hreast hone. There is no euro bat letting the -water out, and 

 using every possible means to lessen the size of the sac. Some strap it up 

 with adhesive plaister, others use the strongest astringents they can set. 



Jungle Fowl ( Jack). — The Jungle Fowls of whatever variety should be 

 shown in the Various class. They "are distinguishable from the Black Red 

 Bantams by their singular comb, their peculiar legs, their solitary gill, their 

 rich colours, and "the star of light" at the extremity of the hackle and 

 saddle feathers. Their carriage is different from other breeds ; the tail is 

 carried drooping, and among the true-bred birds their wildness makes them 

 the hysnas of the poultry yard. Nothing tames them, and in India when 

 they want to move them they sew the upper and lower lids of the eyes together 

 with horsehair. 



Light Brahhas (J. W.). — "We cannot answer your question about the 

 plates in Mr. Wright's "Poultry Book." The Light Brahma should have 

 peacomb, yellow legs very well feathered, but not "even the suspicion of a 

 vulture hock; white plumage save the flight and tail feathers, which should 

 he black, and the hackles should he accurately striped with black. 



Precocious Spanish Pullet f T. A. Y.).— It is unusually early for a Spanish 

 pullet to lay when five and a half months old. Eggs may he looked for any 

 time after seven months, but we do not expect them before. It has been a 

 very had hatching time for everything, hut we have never a better rearing 

 than this year. A little camphor in the water will alwavs prevent " gapes." 



Continuance of Cock's Influence (E. H. B.).— Much depends on the 

 time of year. As a rule, a month or at least three weeks should elapse, hot it 

 is a disputed point. In the winter when a hen is not laying a mesalliance is 

 often unimportant, but not so in the spring or summer. Our own chickens 

 are running together now. They will be separated the end of October, and 

 we shall depend on their eggs in December. Two years since apullet running 

 at large and receiving everybody's attentions stole her nest. The produce 

 distinctly showed five breeds. 



Imperfect Hoejdan (Subscriber).— Both are serious defects in birds in- 

 tended for exhibition, hut we should infinitely prefer the swollen toe to 

 the crooked leg. 



Legs of White Bantams (Long Subscriber).— Either white or yellow 

 legs will do, and the colour is immaterial, but the yellow is most attractive. 

 It i> not, however, an indication of greater purity. Being mse-combed 

 the are not Game Bantams, but would show among the Whites, and there 

 ie more latitude in that class than there would be in the Game. 



Golden-pencilled Hamburghs (Old Reader).— We should not breed 

 from the hen from "whose hack the feather was taken. If it he a fair speci- 

 men of the plumage, it must be "mossy." The pencilling on the feather, 

 instead of being sharp-cut, are indistinct, and the colours are blended. A 

 feather taken from such a hen as we should like to breed from, should have a 

 rich, brown, goMen ground colour, marked by five clean-cut, sbnrp. dark 

 stripes. The approach to mossiness in the feather you send should not he 

 tolerated in a stock bird if good progeny are looked for. 



Pigeons in a Poultry House ^Minorca.— We believe you can keep 

 your Pigeons and your fowls in your house without injury to either. You 

 must, however, avoid the dung fluff and feathers. Either over the door or in 



some accessible place let there he made a small enclosure or bos vrit-h pigeon- 

 holes outside for access. It must be entirely closed all round. You must 

 put some pans in it for the birds to nest in, and it must be cleaned out when- 

 ever possible. After it is cleaned as well as can be with hoe and brush, it 

 should he thoroughly washed out with carbolic soap. We would much rather 

 have Pigeons than Bucks in our fowl house. 



Book for Beginners {An Inquirer). — The be=t practical cheap book for 

 beginners that we are acquainted with, is "Bee-keeping for the Many," which 

 you can obtain from our office by enclosing five stamps. 



Supers for Straw Hives ( Idem). — Supers of almost any material and of 

 any reasonable sizes, may he worked on ordinary straw hives, provided that a 

 3-inch hole be cut out of the crown of the hive, and a clamped board having 

 similar aperture be secured on the hive with putty. We use bell-glasses, 

 oetagonal glass boxes, and square wooden boxes in this manner. Small straw 

 caps may also be employed. The swarm should be hived in the stock hive, 

 and if the weather be favourable, communication with the super given a week 

 or a fortnight later, or. in a bad season, not until the following year. 



Gold Fish iT. H. T.\. — The tank in your vinery will answer; but the 

 water must be frequently changed, a layer of sandy gravel he at the bottom, 

 and aquatic plants grown in it. 



Polishing Buffaloes' Horns. — " B. V. S." wishes to know how this is 

 effected. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



Lat. 51° 32' 40" rT. ; Long. 8'0"W.; Altitude 111 feefc. 



Date. 







A 51. 







In the Day. 

 Shade Tem-j Radiation 







• % d 





~ri 



•. 





1872. 



5>J 



ter. 



IS 



. 3 



So 



peratnre. 



Temperature 



"ee 



August 



£JM 













In 



On 







Dry. 



Wet. 



Q° 





Max. 

 de e". 



Min. 



sun. 



grass 







En.? 1 .:.-'-. 



des 



deff. 



dog. 



deg. 



deg 



cleg 





We. 14 



30.256 



61 S 



5S.6 



N. 



mi> 



75 8 



5 fl 5 



125 3 



48 4 





Th 15 



30.220 



64.5 



58.8 



N.E. 



6 '.8 



73.2 



48 S 



117.0 



4,8 6 







Fri IS 



30.13 • 



P3 5 



58 7 



N. 



f0 5 



7<.0 ! 50 4 



104.2 



50 2 







Sat 17 



3'1 0i7 



69 



63.2 



E. 



61.0 



S3 52 



120 



51 2 







Sun IS 



30 1 Si 



70 2 



i,-; 



N. 



"1.6 



77 6 53.S 



119 S 



52 2 







Mo- 19 



3U.1S0 



63 8 



61.8 



S 



61.8 



77 5 52 4 



122 n 



52.0 





Ta -.0 



3IU46 



63.4 



63.S 

 61.1 



N.W. 



626 



75.8 55.0 



120 5 



54.S 



— 



Means 



3).119 



67.2 





61.2 



76.7 51.8 



11S.4 



51.1 



- 



REMARKS. 

 14th. — A very bright, fine, and pleasant day : but the moon hazy at night. 

 15th. — Rather dull in the morning; hut getting gradually finer in the after- 

 noon ; evening very fine. 

 16fch. — ^omewhat dull in the morning; but afterwards a splendid day and 



night. 

 17th. — Pine, though rather hazy early, but a very fine day, and perhaps a trifle 



too warm, though there was a nice "breeze. 

 ISth. — A brilliant day, almost without a cloud either by day or night ; the 



moonlight almost dazzling. 

 19th. — Another cloudless day, bat with a cool breeze. 



20th. — Cloudy early, hut soon disappearing, and again gathering in early part 

 of afternoon, looking almost stormlike; brilliant late afternoon and 

 evening. 

 A week without rain, and the latter part of it almost without a cloud. Eseept 

 for a short time on the 20th, the days have been very warm, but the evenings 

 cool and pleasant, and even in the hottest part of the day there was a nice au- 

 to temper it. Barometer very steady, temperature about 5 n above that of last 

 week. — G. J. Sraoxs. 



COVENT GARDEN MAREET —August 21. 

 Markets are slow and inactive, the chief amount of business being among" 

 the imported goods, which continue to be heavily supplied, and realise good 

 prices. We have a great deal of complaint respecting the spread of the Potato 

 disease, and large quantities are forced into market. 



FRUIT. 



Apples b sieve 3 



Apricnts doz. 2 



Cherries per lb. 



Chescnuts bushel 



Currants £ si ve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 2 



Filoerts Ih. 1 



C"bs lb. 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, hothouse lb 2 



Lemons.. ^-100 8 



Melons each 2 



d. s. d. 



ntoO 

 4 

 n 



Mulberries $>- lb 



Nectarines doz. s 



O anges ^* 1 n s 



Peaches d^z. 4 



Pears, kitchen doz. ("> 



de-sert doz. 2 



Pine Apples lb. 3 



P urns 4 si-ve 5 



Quinces :.. doz. 



Raspberries lb 



strawberries i* lb. 1 



Walnuts bu bei 10 



ditto ^100 1 



;. d. s. 

 1 OtoO 

 3 8 

 8 



E 



it 







VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes doz 4 



Asparagus $» 100 



Beans. Kidney J sieve 3 



Broad bu^^l 3 



Beet, R*d doz. 1 



Broccoli bund'e 



Cabbage doz 1 



i apt-icums $*■ I' S 



C»TT'>ts bunch 



Cauliflower rloz. 2. 



Celery bundle 1 



Co eworts.. do?, bunches 2 



Cucnmbe'S eacti 



pick ing doz. 



Endive doz. 2 



t-ennfl bum-h 



Ga<^c lb. 



erbs bvmrh 



Horseradish bundle 5 



Leeks bun ch 



Lettuce doz. 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress. .punnet 

 Oniona bunch 



pickling quart 



Pars'ey per doz. bunches 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas q-- art 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Pound do. 



Radishes., dor. bunch- s 



Kh barb bundle 



Salsnfy %> bund e 



Savoys d"z 



Scorzonera.. .. ^ bmdle 



Sea-kale basket 



shallots lb 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes d->z. 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Marrows. .d"Z. 



?. d. s. d 

 1 0to3 

 



