October 24, 1S72. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



337 



which will be covered-in and warmed. The prizes, three in 

 each class, are good, and there are twelve silver cups and a 

 medal. One of the cups is for the best Rabbit. 



NORTHAMPTON GOOD INTENT 



ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY'S BIRD SHOW. 



This was held in the Lecture Hall, Gold Street, Northampton! 

 on October 19th and 21st. 



Norwich— Clear Yellow.— 1, 3, Extra 3. and he, Adams & Athersucb, Coventry. 

 2, Holmes & Doyle, Nottingham, vhc. Toon & Cleaver, Kettering, c, Adams 

 and Athersuck : J. Prosser, Derby ; Bemrose & Orme, Derby. Clear Buff.— 



1, J. Audley, Leicester. 2 and 3, Bemrose & Orme. Extra 3, vhc, and he, Adams 

 and Athersucb. e. J. Prosser; Moore & Wynn. 



Norwich— Evenly-marked or Yarieaated Yellow.— 1 and 2, Adams & Ather- 

 auch. 8, Holmes & Doyle, vhc, Clark i: Skerwin, Derby, he, J. Audley. c, G. 

 Golbey. Evenly-marked or Variegated Buff.—l, Adams & Athersnch. 2, H. 

 and D. Audley. 3, Bemrose & Orme. vhc, Clark & Sbenvin. he, Toon and 

 Cleaver. 



Norwich.— Ticked or Unevenly-marked Yellow. — 1, he, and c, Adams & Ather- 

 snch. 2. Bemrose & Orme. 3, J. Prosser. vhc, H. & D. Andlev. Ticked or Unevenly- 

 marked Buff.—l, 3, and he, Adams & Athersuck. 2, G. J. Barnesby, Derby. 

 vhc, Bemrose & Orme. c, Clarke & Sherwin ; W. Lamplough. 



Norwich.— Any Variety of Crested Yellow— 1. G. Cox. Nortkampton. 2, 

 Holmes & Doyle. 3, Moore & Wynn. vhc, J. Wright, Northampton, he, H. 

 Headley, Leicester, c, J. Martin, Nortkampton, Any Variety of Crested Buff. 

 — l.J. Goode. 2 and 3, J. Martin, vhc, Bemrose & Orme. he, G. Cox. c, J.bl. 

 Tkirkettle. Norwich : Moore & Wynn : T Middleton, Northampton. 



Belgians— Clear Ticked or Yarieaated Yellow— 1 and 3, J. Turner. Birmiug- 

 kam. 2, R. Heath, Burton-on-Trer,t vhc, J. N. Harrison, he, H. Headlev. c, T. 

 Newbold, Eurton-on-Trent. Clear Ticked or Yarieaated Buff.—l and c, J. Turner. 



2, J. N. Harrison, Belper. 3. T. Newbold. vhc, W. Lamplough. 



Lizard.— Golden-spangled.— 1, J. Taylor. 2 and he, R. Ritchie. 3 and c, W. 

 Watson, jun , Darlington, vhc, J. Mann, Burton-on-Trent. Silver-spangled. — 



1, J. Taylor. 2 and c. R. Ritchie. 3, R. Hawman, Middlesborougk. vhc, J. 

 Mann, he, W. C. Selkirk. 



Cinnamon. — Jcmque. — 1, 2, and he, C. Hillier, Northampton. 3, Moore and 

 Wynn. vhc,J. Tear, c, S Tomes, Nortkampton; Holmes & Doyle, Nottingkam. 

 Buff.—l, W. Stanford, Nortkampton. 2, G. Cox. 3. Toon & Cleaver, vhc, C. 

 Hillier. he, Moore & Wynn. . c, G. Wood, Northampton. 



CrXNAATON — Marked or Variegated. Yellow or Buff. — 1, G. Cox. 2, J. Wilkin- 

 son, Great Horton. 3, G. Brown, vhc and he, C. Hillier. c, B. S. Johnson, 

 Nortkampton. 



Any other Variety.— 1. J. N. Harrison. 2, Moore & Wynn. S. W. C. Selkirk, 

 Dover, vhc, J. Wilkinson, he, C. Knigkt, Arlesev. c, G. Spencer, Stot Fold, 

 Baldock. 



Mm.v.—Evcnhj-marked or Variegated Goldfinch— 1, M. Burton. 2, J. Goodc. 



3, W. C. Selkirk, vhc- J. Wilkinson, he, G. Golby. c, Holmes &Dovle. 

 Mele —Dark Goldfinch.— 1. M. Burton. 2, Moore & Wvnn. 3 and lie, G. Cox. 



vhc, R. Hawman. c, Mrs. Beasley. Any other Variety. — 1, G. J. Barnesby. 



2, J. Wilkinson. 3, J. Knibb. he, W. & T. Barwell. 



British Bird.— Any Variety.— 1. T. Hollis, Northampton (Tbrusb). 2, Mrs. 

 Perrin, Northampton (Jay). 3. G. Cox (Bramblefinch). vhc, G. Brown (Robin) - 

 S. Pinkard, Northampton (Jackdaw), he, C. Knight (Bullfinch) ; J. Dent, Burton- 

 on-Trent (Goldfinch). 



Parrots. — Any Variety,— 1, G. Poole, Nortkampton. 2, Welby & Son, Nortk- 

 ampton (Cockatoo). 3, W. L. Cbapman. Nortkampton (Mealy EoseUa). vhc,- 

 W. L. Chapman (Green Chequered) ; W. Bond, Nortkampton. he, Mrs. Tkomp 

 son (Green Parakeet). 



Celling Class.— 1, J. Wilkinson. 2. J. Martin, Northampton, 3, Moore and 

 Wynn. vhc, J. Barwell. he, A. Lack, Northampton, c, W. Wright, North- 

 ampton. 



Judges. — Mr. W.Walter, "Winchester; and Mr. Bexson, Derby. 



CUPS FOR THE GREATEST NUMBER OF 

 POINTS IN PIGEON CLASSES. 



I ah exceedingly glad to find my letter answered by such ex- 

 perienced Pigeon fanciers as " Wiltshire Rectok " and Mr. J. 

 Ford, because my object in writing was to consider the best way 

 to produce a good Pigeon show at Devizes, as there was such a 

 miserable one last year. I certainly do not think that by offer- 

 ing a cup for the greatest number of points in Pigeons there 

 will be many entries. No doubt the birds will be the best there 

 are, as they will belong to one or two professional dealers. Mr. 

 Ford thinks there will be both good entries and good birds ; I 

 hope there will, and I - trust that all the professional dealers 

 (there are a great many) will send as many entries as they 

 possibly can, and make a good fight for the cup. 



With regard to Colchester Show, I did not name that Mr. 

 Ford was guilty of dishonest exhibiting at that Show ; I only 

 quoted the article which appeared in a contemporary at the 

 head of the Colchester prize list, to show that giving a single 

 cup is a great mistake, because it is rarely we find several 

 dealers compete together for one cup ; if they would, then no 

 doubt the exhibition would be all that was desiredr "Wilt- 

 iHiKE Eectob " refers to the question of dealers. I call a dealer 

 a person who makes it his business and occupation to send birds 

 to exhibitions, or, in other words, dealers exhibit for profit, and 

 amateurs for honour. — Salisbury. 



CANARY AILMENTS. 



I saw the above heading in your paper with great satisfaction, 

 as I am an extensive breeder of Canaries ; but my satisfaction 

 has been changed to disappointment, for, having tried the 

 remedies recommended for a long time, I have found them 

 entirely inert. In attentively considering the reasoning adopted 

 by your correspondent in his letter No. 2, it strikes me as in- 

 conclusive, or rather, I may add, faulty in its pathology, where 

 it is said " mix vomica is homoeopathic to the condition of the 

 digestive organs which is conducive to asthma." I would ask 



What is the condition of the digestive organs which is conducive 

 to asthma ? Does it mean that asthma is a disease of the di- 

 gestive organs ? I have at present a young Canary which is 

 perfectly healthy in its digestive organs, but suffers fearfully 

 from asthma, and none of the homoeopathic remedies prescribed 

 have produced the least alleviation. — Tai-koong-soo. 



VENTILATION OF BEES. 



" Uncle Jdi " was reared in Northern New York, and has 

 spent many years in Wisconsin, Arkansas, and other States. 

 He is a sort of pioneer, half hunter, half bee-keeper, and a 

 genius generally. He made me a visit a few days since. Said 

 he wanted to see Miss Ella and her bees, for he had read many 

 of her letters, some of which pleased him ; but there were many 

 things not quite clear to him, and, as he was on his way east, 

 he thought he would just call and see for himself. The first 

 thing that attracted his attention was the small opening be- 

 tween the blocks at the entrances of the hives. "Why leave 

 this opening ? " inquired he. I replied that it was for the pur- 

 pose of 



Ventilation. — The bees must have plenty of air. "Just stop 

 a moment, and let me ask a question," said Uncle Jim. " I 

 see that in the making of your hives you have closed all the 

 seams air-tight, except the entrance. Please tell me what 

 material you used to do this with, as I see that it is very firm." 

 It was made of beeswax and rosin, but a kind that is very light- 

 coloured — a very pine article. These are melted together and 

 poured along the seams in the brood-chamber, in order to save 

 the bees so much labour, for they always glue the bottom board 

 fast and fill-up cracks and crevices. 



"Very well, that is one of the most sensible things that I 

 have seen; but then, I think, the entrance should be closed 

 tight, for I observe that the air can pass from this entrance up 

 through the bees and out through the honey board." "Just 

 so," I replied, "that is for the purpose of ventilating the hive." 

 " Well," persisted Uncle Jim, " tut don't you know you are 

 freezing the bees with this kind of ventilation ? A draught of 

 cold air is constantly passing among them, and must not only 

 chill them, but freeze the honey. I am much surprised that 

 you thus treat your bees." " But what will they do for air?" I 

 asked. " Well, I think that they will get all the air from the 

 top that they need. In Russia, people have their windows 

 double glazed, and place a soft brick between the sash to absorb 

 the moisture, in order that the light may be admitted ; but no 

 ah- can come through. Their doors are listed, and the room is 

 air-tight, and after the birchwood has been deprived of its gases, 

 the stone flue is closed in order to retain the heat. Now, these 

 Russians are a hardy people and know how to keep warm. No 

 draughts of cold air are allowed to enter their dwellings, such 

 as you admit into your bee hives. Look at the Esquimaux, who 

 live in stone or snow huts, with only one entrance. They have 

 not even a fireplace, but depend on the heat of an oil-lamp and 

 animal heat to keep it warm. Now, how long could they live iu 

 a hut like our bee hives if they left the entrance open ? Not 

 long, I suspect, for the entrance is kept closed, and the air 

 breathed over and over again. The carbonic acid gas that is 

 evolved being heavier than common air, or this warm air of the 

 room, falls to the ground, and is not again breathed. Can't 

 your bees live as do the Russians and nomads of the Arctic 

 regions ? I believe that they can, and a great deal better than 

 with this small hole in front. Tou see how these bees are 

 clustered on these frames of comb. Let me ask you how much 

 air those little fellows get who are next the honey, with an inch 

 or more of bees clustered over them ? " 



I could do nothing with such a man, and so let him just talk 

 on. " When I was a boy and lived in York State, way up near 

 ' John Brown's Track,' we kept bees ; but they were some of 

 them in straw and some in box hives. The winters were long 

 and cold. Let me see. The snow came in November, and 

 lasted until the last of April; that was nearly six months. We 

 had the hives in a bee-house, that sheltered them from the 

 winds and driving storms. Sometimes the snow-drifts covered 

 the whole house. In the top of the box hives was a recess for 

 honey-boxes, and, when these were taken off in the fall, the 

 small holes were left unclosed ; but the top cap was nailed on, 

 though not being made to fit air-tight. The bees had closed 

 every crack about the body of the brood chamber, except the 

 entrance, and this we corked-up with cotton rags. So, you 

 see, that all the air these bees had was from above, and that in 

 limited supply. In case of a January thaw, which was a pretty 

 sure thing in that country, and when the ground was bare and 

 the weather warm, we let the bees out in the middle of the day, 

 and they always appeared to enjoy it highly. Sometimes we let 

 them out this way during a week, but we were particular to 

 close them in at night, so that they should not come out when 

 they chose to do so ; for sometimes there would fall an inch or 

 two of snow at night, and it would be warm in the morning, 

 and if the bees came out they would get chilled on the snow, 

 and could not get back to the hive. Our bees made a great deal 



