October 3, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



281 



each class Derby, in the persons of Messrs. Prosser & Stokes and 

 Mr. Edge, would not be denied, each taking a prize with a fine 

 show of colour and quality. Neither of the latter were represented 

 at Scarborough, but Mr. Ufton did battle for Derby there and 

 scored third in the Ticked Mealies with a noble bird. It will 

 take something good to beat G. & J. Mackley's first in that 

 class. 



Crests were very fine indeed, and several classes being grouped 

 into one, the judging was by no means easy. Mr. Goode, of 

 Leicester, facilitated matters a little by sending a splendid Buff 

 about which there could be no two opinions. Rich in colour 

 and quality of feather with good marking and excellent crest, 

 there was no difficulty in selecting him for first ; but it was not 

 till after a close examination and. weighing of merits that we 

 decided on giving Mr. J. Martin, of Northampton, second for 

 his Evenly-Marked and Crested Buff ; Mr. Parker, of Sunderland, 

 third for a similar bird, coarser and shorter of colour ; and Mr. 

 S. Tomes (everyone knows where S. Tomeshails from) extra third 

 for a somewhat coarse bird, clean body, and large, flat, but 

 rather thinnish crest. 



But the best crest was to come at Scarborough, and Messrs. 

 "Wallace & Beloe's first-prize bird, Clean Buff with delicious 

 crest, is the best head I have seen this year. The third here also 

 fell to another bird exhibited by the Berwick-on-Tweed firm, a 

 Yellow, marked on one wing only, but having a very superior crest 

 for a Yellow bird. Colour was also good, and we had no hesita- 

 tion in awarding it a prize, Mr. Parker dropping back into the 

 commended division. — W. A. Blakston. 

 (To be continued.) 



CANARY AILMENTS.— No. 2. 



Diarbhcea. — This is the next disease to dread. Its causes are, 

 neglected indigestion, impure water or air, green food, food of 

 an acrid nature, such as rape seed, sudden changes in tempe- 

 rature, cold, etc. The principal remedies are, aconite, Pulsatilla, 

 nux vomica, bryonia, arsenicum, mercurius, china, phosphorus, 

 veratrum, and chamomilla. If severe, with great inflammation of 

 the bowels, and caused by impure water, stale egg, green food, 

 or acids, give aconite and arsenicum, or mercurius. If from 

 neglected indigestion, give aconite and Pulsatilla, or nux vomica, 

 in alternation with china. If from sudden change in tempera- 

 ture, give aconite and bryonia. When the evacuations are very 

 watery and there is apparently cramp, give veratrum. If only 

 simple diarrhoea, give chamomilla or china. For diarrhoea in 

 old birds give china and phosphorus. 



Constipation. — This need never became dangerous. The 

 remedies are, a little green food and nux vomica or bryonia. If 

 the costiveness is habitual give sulphur. 



Pip. — This is I consider a feverish cold which closes the pores of 

 the body more orless, andinterferes with the secretions necessary 

 for digestion. It may be easily detected, for the plumage of the 

 birds thus afflicted has a very dry dusty look, and you frequently 

 notice them ruffling their feathers, and endeavouring to„clear 

 their nostrils. As these symptoms, however, may be ca.used by 

 slight disorganisation of the bowels, it is as well to examine a 

 bird before treating it, and if the abdomen appears at all dis- 

 tended, with a tendency to inflame, depend upon it the cause is 

 there, and will require same treatment as the early stages of 

 indigestion ; but if it looks all right it is from cold, and the reme- 

 dies required wiU be aconite and arsenicum, in alternation with 

 aconite and mercurius. 



Egg-buptube. — Nearly all my fatal cases have been from this 

 cause, but since adopting the following treatment I have only 

 had one slight case. I give one drop of nux vomica in the water 

 for a few days prior to laying, a moderate supply of green food, 

 and mix a little coarse brown sugar with the egg and biscuit. 

 When I am at all apprehensive of danger I lubricate the vent of 

 the bird with oil when she is near laying, and should my fears 

 become confirmed I at once remove the bird to a much higher 

 temperature. This treatment will, I believe, reduce the fatal 

 cases to a minimum. 



Asthma, Bronchitis, &c. — Now comes the worst of all, for I 

 am really almost inclined to believe that if a bird once contracts 

 asthma it will never be entirely freed from it. Perhaps the 

 advanced stage would be more properly termed consumption. 

 The remedies I use for various chest complaints and asthma are, 

 aconite, ipecacuanha, arsenicum, bryonia, spongia, nux vomica, 

 and sulphur. For spasmodic asthma — that is, when the bird at 

 times suddenly struggles hard for breath, I give aconite. When 

 there is often a rattling noise in the windpipe and panting, I 

 give aconite and ipecacuanha, or bryonia. For wheezing breath- 

 ing whilst asleep, I give arsenicum and spongia ; hepar sulphur 

 is also useful. If the disease is of long standing give sulphur in 

 alternation with one or more of the other remedies. In all cases 

 it is advisable to give occasionally nux vomica, as it is homoeo- 

 pathic to the condition of the digestive organs which is conducive 

 to asthma. I usually give china if there is any looseness of the 

 bowels. There are many other remedies which are worth try- 

 ing, should any of the foregoing not give satisfaction, such as 



phosphorus, drosera, dulcamara, antimonium tartarieum, &c. 

 Breeders cannot give too much attention to their birds when 

 the lungs, bronchial tubes, &c, seem to be at all affected, and 

 one or more remedies should be at once administered, according 

 to the symptoms ; for I am fully persuaded that unless the patient 

 be an old bird, confirmed asthma can only be induced by neglect- 

 ing to attack the disease in its first stages. 



My list now, though far- from complete, will be found, I believe, 

 to include at least those diseases which fanciers have most to 

 dread, and to which most of their fatal cases are due. There 

 are several which I might have added, but I thought it best to 

 confine myself entirely to what I have actually encountered 

 during my brief life as a fancier. I shall, of course, be glad at 

 any time to give you further information, should it be my lot to 

 have further disasters, but from my past experience with homoeo- 

 pathic treatment I do not anticipate ever being in a position to 

 afford you much more. 



La conclusion, should you think of making use of this com- 

 munication, I trust it will be the means of turning the attention 

 of fanciers generally to homoeopathy, and as there are doubtless 

 many thinking individuals amongst them, they will in time be 

 able to thoroughly uproot the old horse-doctoring system, and 

 thus render the awful fatality which so many have experienced 

 of late years a thing of the past. 



As to the several diseases which I have not enumerated, I 

 would recommend any fancier who may have the misfortune to 

 have the same in his aviary, to purchase at once a small case of 

 medicines and a homoeopathic guide-book, from which he will 

 soon learn how to treat them if he will only exercise a little 

 judgment with regard to the various symptoms, the use of the 

 medicines as stated in his materia medica, and bear in mind the 

 difference between the anatomy and physiology of a human being 

 and a bird. 



ALTERING HIVES. 



I have some cottage hives which I want to convert into some- 

 thing similar to Payne's cottage hives. The best way, I should 

 think, is to cut a hole 4 inches in diameter in the top, and then 

 fasten an adapting-board half an inch in thickness,on the top of 

 the hive for supers, feeding-bottles, &c. — E. H. 



[Your plan will do well if neatly carried out, but take care to 

 secure firmly your adapting-board, and see that there are no 

 crevices underneath it for ants or other vermin to creep into the 

 hive. A little plaster of Paris or Roman cement will answer 

 for a stopping.] 



BEES AND HONEY AT FLOWER SHOWS- 

 QUEENS' MATES. 



Some of your correspondents express surprise at bees and 

 honey not having been adopted as exhibits at flower shows till 

 this year. This is inaccurate, for the Spalding Flower, Fruit, 

 and Poultry Society has ever since its establishment, seven years 

 ago, offered premiums for both honey and bee apparatus, and we 

 have always had numerous kinds of hives exhibited with bees, 

 some Ligurian, some black bees at work. On one occasion the 

 rare Egyptian bees (Apis dorsata) were shown. These, with a 

 large collection of honey, have always proved a very great 

 attraction. 



From a somewhat lengthened observation I can inform your 

 correspondent, " J. S.," that queen bees almost invariably mate 

 with the drones of other hives, and not their own, when left to 

 natural swarming and production. — Oh F. B., Spalding. 



A Bee Flower. — I have a little balcony facing the south, and 

 in it a plant of Sedum spectabile, also known as S. Fabaria, and 

 its rosy heads of flowers are every sunny day the favourite 

 resort of worker bees. The plant is less than a foot in diameter, 

 but never when the sun shines are there less than a dozen bees 

 on it. — C 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Books (J. H. E.). — Enclose seven postage stamps with your address, and 

 we will send you free by post our " Poultry Boot." If you want further in- 

 formation write again. 



Aylesbury Poultry Show. — The first prize and silver cup for Aylesbury 

 Ducks were won by Mr. J. K. Fowler, and not by Mr. .T. Eingsley. Mr. 

 Fowler also won the second prize for Rouen Ducks. 



Altrincham [J. E.). — We regret, as you do, that the Show was not ad- 

 vertised. 



Ecclesfield Show {J. B.). — Every Judge is liable to make a mistake, 

 and the exhibitor can have no remedy. It would be useless to publish your 

 letter, but we agree in the opinion that a Judge ought to be very certain 

 before he decides that two Pigeons are of the same sex. 



Lice on Fowls t Minorca). — You seem to have tried all the remedies 

 except the mixture of sulphur with the dust bath. Try it. Carbolic acid 

 soap used in washing walls, boards, and roosting- places destroys all vermin. 

 Parasites are bred by insufficient and improper feeding. Nothing produces 

 them so certainly as rice. Their presence always indicates want of condition. 



