338 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 24, 1872. 



of honey in those days, but there -was not much demand for itj 

 as everybody made so much maple sugar ; and, if we could get 

 8 or 10 cents a-pound for it we were well satisfied ; and no one 

 thought of keeping more than a dozen hives — just enough to fill 

 his bee-house, and the surplus swarms were killed with sulphur. 

 You don't have it so cold here on the prairie, nor so long winters 

 as we had in that part of York State, but you have cold weather, 

 and, what is worse, you have more sudden changes — thawing 

 and freezing. Your bees are often out, for the warm weather 

 invites them to do so, and then they return to their hive and 

 have to endure that draught of cold air. Why, I am surprised 

 that you save as many swarms as you do. But I am not through 

 talking about this ventilation of yours. With this draught of 

 air, the dampness of the hive is carried upward and congealed 

 in forming frost and ice, and, in warm days, is melted and runs 

 down among the combs, and soon makes them mouldy, and this 

 leads to the dysentery among the bees, which is a very common 

 disease in cold countries, for the bees are kept-in so long that a 

 very little bad management will affect them. In the bee-trees, 

 where the wild bees live, there is but one entrance, and no up- 

 ward ventilation, and yet the bees do well. It is true that frost 

 and ice will form in these hollow cavities of the forest trees, for 

 I have seen it when cutting down the trees in winter for the 

 honey, but then it is on the sides of the cavity, and the water, 

 when thawed, runs down the half-rotten surface and is absorbed 

 by it, and thus does little injury. I protest against this patent 

 ventilation of yours that exposes the poor bees to a current of 

 cold air ; and I am not surprised that this class of bee-keepers 

 want a cellar or warm room for their bees, for it seems to me 

 that it is almost impossible to winter bees on their summer 

 stands in this manner. Last week I was down on Spurr Creek, 

 and saw an apiary of seventy hives standing-out exposed to the 

 direct shocks of the cold winds, with only a few bundles of corn- 

 stalks set against them on the north and west sides, but with 

 the entrances more open than yours, and the owner has already 

 lost several swarms." — Ella {in Chicago Tribune). 



ME. PETTIGREW'S SYSTEM. 

 For the last two years I have pursued this system in the 

 management of my bees. I use hives 18 inches wide (inside 

 measure), by 12 high, as Mr. Pettigrew advises. This year I 

 have taken more than 100 lbs. of honey from only four hives. 

 From one of these I took two supers, one of 20 lbs., the other 

 5 lbs., and over 40 lbs. of honey when I took it up, drumming 

 the bees into another hive rather smaller, which they have 

 almost filled with comb. My bees are the common old black 

 sort. From another hive I took more than 35 lbs. of honey, 

 although it had been blown over in the winter and nearly all its 

 comb destroyed. From my own experience this year I strongly 

 uphold Mr. Pettigrew's system. My bee-keeping neighbours 

 have barely taken any honey this year. — E. F. G. T., Wheatley, 

 Oxfordshire. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Feather- eating Pullets (C. D. S.). — We believe it arises in the first 

 place from a disordered condition of body, the bird seeking for something it 

 cannot find. While engaged in the search, a bare spot on a bird is seen and 

 peeked at directly. Every bird, even a Dove, is carnivorous, and as soon as 

 the skin is removed and blood is seen they go to work con amove, and will 

 not leave off. Our cure has always been to remove the birds with bare spots 

 till the feathers were grown. When they return in full plumage they are safe. 

 It is often the work of one hen, and if she is removed the nuisance ceases. 

 We believe the habit becomes a second nature, and the cannibal becomes a 

 fowl-eater. We should not, therefore, ever allow the peccant hen to return to 

 the walk. We have found benefit only from one treatment, which is a copious 

 supply of lettuces, especially if they are going to seed. The best treatment 

 for the hare spots is to rub them often and freely with sulphur ointment. 



Brewers' Grains for Poultry (Creve-Cceur). — We tried brewers' grains 

 some years ago, but were compelled to give them up. Our fowls did badly 

 upon them, and then- laying was unsatisfactory. We shall always use one 

 Cuckoo note as regards feeding poultry. If you attend to it properly you will 

 find nothing better or more economical than the natural food. You may grind 

 the barley or oats, as they render more service in that form, and you may give 

 the scraps from table or kitchen, as they are not only noxmshing, but they 

 make a nice change ; but you will do well to recollect, that whatever may be 

 the appaient gain from the use of stimulants is the mere forestalling of things 

 that would have come perhaps more profitably in the ordinary course. 



Fowls for Confined Space (Reader) — We are strong believers in 

 Brahmas for confinement. If they are well fed and cared for we may almost 

 apply Byron's words to them, and say they are " Tamed to their cage, nor feel 

 a wish to rove." They will not only lay well, but they will look well and be 

 satisfied. Fowls are like children, if they have nothing else to do they will 

 get into mischief. They are like them in another respect : If the breakfast 

 or dinner were always on the nursery table, the children would first eat too 

 much and then become careless of food. It is so with fowls in confinement. 

 Nothing is more mistaken than the so-called kindness that says, " Poor things I 

 they cannot get out to Bearch for food, be sure they always have some by 

 them." Instead of it, try so to arrange their pens that they shall have to 

 seek and scratch for every morsel of food. Make the bottom of their pen as 

 uneven as possible, always allowing for the running away of rain water. If 

 there be room, and there almost always is, make little hillocks, and one hill. 

 Let the surface be loose, and scatter the food on it. If there be no grass, let 

 them have every day a large sod of it cut with plenty of earth to it. Feed 

 regularly, and do not overfeed. Endeavour to provide them with the beet 



substitutes you can in confinement for those things they have at liberty 

 Success is the sweetener of effort, and you will find your painstaking rewarded. 



Duckwing Game Fowls (P. T. T.). — The Duckwings are nearly all crossed 

 with the Black Beds for the sake of colour, and it is possible some of your 

 chickens may have thrown back. It is full early to condemn them. The 

 Silver Duckwing must have white hackle and saddle, but in the ordinary 

 Duckwing they may be and are straw colour, and the copper saddle is also 

 admissible. In both the breasts, tails, and thighs should be scrupulously 

 black, the wing steel-barred. The white earlobe is not a disqualification, 

 it is common to some breeds. 



Chinese Pheasants (A.M. if.).— You will have no difficulty in getting a 

 Chinese Pheasant hen if you apply to Baily & Son, 113, Mount Street, Gros- 

 venor Square, W. 



Eves of Archangels, &c. (Old Subscriber). — The red eye is correct 

 but very excellent Archangels are to be seen with pearl eyes. If your bird 

 were in all other points superior, it would win. Consult a chemist as to the 

 removal of the oil stains. Prevention is better than cure; use capsules nesfc 

 time. 



Linseed Cake for Pigeons (F. W.). — A very little of this may do no 

 harm, particularly at the time of moulting; but it has been found in Germany, 

 that after the linseed harvest Pigeons are frequently ill and die, so it must 

 be given very sparingly. That the birds like it extremely is true, just as they 

 do hempseed, which is also injurious. 



White Clover Blooming (B. 8. H.). — If sown now it would bloom next 

 year. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



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



Date. 







A. 21. 









In t 



ee Day. 

 Radiation 







• Si ^ 



Hygrome- 

 ter. 





- 



Shade Tem- 



. 



1872. 



-- 2 j" -^ 



.2 a 

 IS 



I'S-H 



perature. 



Temperature. 



.3 



Oct. 









In 



On 









Dry. 



Wet. 



fi° 





Max. 



Min. 



sun. 



grass 







Inches. 



deer. 



dec. 



(leg. 



deg. 



deg. 



deg. 



deg. 



In. 



We. 16 



20.251 



48.7 



47.2 



S.E. 



46.2 



54.4 



35.2 



76.1 



30.3 



0.030- 



Tk. 17 



29.619 



45 6 



453 



N. . 



46.4 



55.8 



36.9 



72.1 



32 4 



0.025 



Fri. 18 



29.712 



60.9 



495 



N.E. 



48.1 



54.2 



44.S 



61.4 



43.0 



0.290 



Sat. 19 



29.772 



46 6 



45 9 



E. 



43 3 



52.0 



43.1 



59.1 



37.9 



0.159 



Sun 20 



29.671 



5U.6 



50.4 



E. 



49 



54 2 



45.6 



55.3 



45.3 



0.150 



Mo. 21 



29.492 



51.0 



50 6 



S.E. 



50.2 



55.8 



47.9 



67.3 



45.8 



1.050 



Tu. 22 



29.430 



46.8 



46.7 



N. 



50.2 



51.9 



46 4 



S0.5 



42.S 





Means 



29.564 



43.6 



47.9 





48.3 



54.0 



42.8 



67.4 



S9.6 



1.695 



REMARKS. 



16th. — Rainy dull morning ; sunshiny and bright afterwards ; showery- 

 evening. 



17th. — Fan- morning; rain and cloudy at 4 p.m. ; not much sunshine all day j 

 cloudy night. 



ISth. — Warm, damp, cloudy day, rain more or less all day; sharp squall of 

 short duration at 7.15 p.m. 



19th. — Rather finer morning ; rain at 12.30 ; very wet evening. 



20th. — Dull and rainy throughout, with fog at intervals. 



Silst. — Wet aud foggy morning; very dark at 10.5 a.m., and also at 1 p.m. 



22nd. — Very heavy rain until 6 a.m., 0.64 inch having fallen since 9 p.m. on 

 Monday; a further fall of 0.30 between 6 and S a.m. 

 A very damp week, almost constantly overcast with drizzle, and on Monday 



night and Tuesday morning very heavy rain. — G. J. Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— October 23. 

 Prices remain almost stationary. Foreign imports are much lighter this 

 week, and the supply and demand are about equalised. 



s. d. s. d. 



Apples i sieve S OtoO 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries per lb. 



Chestnuts bushel 12 20 



Currants A sieve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 



Filberts lb. 1 16 



Cobs lb. 1 16 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, hothouse lb. 2 5 



Lemons q^lOO 6 10 



Melons each 2 5 



Mulberries 3Hb. 



Nectarines doz. 



Oranges ^100 10 



Peaches doz. 10 



Pears, kitchen doz. 1 



dessert doz. 2 



PineApples lb. 4 



Plums J sieve 5 



Quinces doz. 1 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries qHb. 



Walnuts bushel 15 



ditto 1*100 S 



OtoO 







20 











































VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes doz. 



Asparagus ^100 



Beans, Kidney.... J sieve 



Broad buBhel 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums qfHOO 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Coleworts.. doz. bunches 

 Cucumbers each 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish bundle 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce doz. 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard &, Cress. .punnet 

 Onions ^"bushel 



pickling quart 



Parsley per doz. bunches 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Round do. 



Radishes. . doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Salsafy ^bundle 



Savoys doz. 



Scorzonera.... ^bundle 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach. bushel 



Tomatoes doz. 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Marrows., doz. 



s. d. s. a. 



1 OtoS 

 2 





 

 

 

 

 6 

 

 

 

 6 

 

 

 

 

 

 3 

 2 







1 6 



