356 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 31, 1872. 



feather hard. It succeeds in that particular, hut peas and beans spoil 

 poultry for the table — they make it hard. 



Excrescences on Bantams' Legs (J. M.). — The excrescence you mention 

 is a recent introduction, but it has become very common in all breeds except 

 Dorkings and Game. The sulphur ointment is good. It is also an excellent 

 plan to keep the legs constantly moistened with oil. We should kill the 

 Black Bantam cockerel, unless it be a very valuable bird. Pills of camphor, 

 two the size of a garden pea daily, form the best medical treatment. 



"White Fowis foe. Exhibition {Intending Exhibitor). — White fowls in 

 the country should he clean enough to render no washing necessary except 

 the legs. They may be washed with scap and water and a piece of flannel. 

 Very many of the white fowls exhibited are washed. The operation should 

 take place two or three days before they are required for exhibition. Warm, 

 not hot water, with a little soap, applied with a piece of flannel or a sponge, 

 and gently rubbed the right way of the feather, will take off all outward dirt. 

 The inside of the feather is never dirty. When the dirt is removed it is 

 necessary at this time of year- to put the birds in an open basket, with some 

 hay or soft straw, before a fire till they are dry. Care must then he taken 

 they do not again become dirty, as there would not be time to clean them, 

 and the operation does not improve the plumage. 



Breeding Black Red Game Fowxs (G. B, F.).— As a rule, it is theDuck- 

 wing wants the Black Bed. In any case it is done to supply colour where it 

 is needed- Wheaten hens are as useful as any others. .The colour is a fancy. 

 We should not breed from a rusty- winged hen if we had another without any 

 mixture. It should be dark red. 



Mat. atr for Showing ( Undecided).— Show the cockerel and the largest 

 pullet. In all probability the slight variation you name will never be noticed. 

 Choose your birds large, upstanding, with drooping tails, with naked throats, 

 crops, and joints of wings, crooked breasts. If your birds are handled the 

 crooked breasts will disqualify them. They do not interfere with laying or 

 sitting. As a rule, a crooked breast is a sign of great weakness, and no one 

 would choose such "birds to breed from. Good feeding and painstaking have 

 caused rapid growth, so rapid that the weight is too great for the cartila- 

 ginous limbs to cany, and the breast rests on any support it can — generally 

 the perch, hence the curve. 



Spurred Hens (G. W. H.). — It is by no means a disqualification for alien 

 to have spurs, nor is it all an uncommon thing for a pullet to have them. 

 They are very common in Dorkings and Creve-Cceurs. 



Brahmas and Dark Dorkings {H. F. H.). — The weight of your Brahma 

 cockerel is excellent, that of the pullet the same. We know the birds you 

 mention as having nearly black heads and necks. They do not rank high, and 

 as a rule should be weeded out. Against better coloured birds they would 

 have no chance. The less white they have the better ; but a little is less 

 objectionable than black. A crooked-breasted Dorking should never take a 

 prize, and should not, therefore, be exhibited. The defect is generally here- 

 ditary. Birds that take prizes should always be handled. There' are many 

 serious faults that can escape the eye however practised. A Dorking cannot 

 be too dark unless it is nearly black. It is also well in these very dark birds 

 there should be the appearance of spangling or shading. It was a mistake to 

 commend a crooked-breasted cock. 



Spanish Cock's Comb Shrivelled (Sargeant). — It is a very common 

 thing for the comb of a Spanish cock to shrivel in the moulting season, but 

 yours seems to have something more trying than the natural temporary 

 falling-off. This breed is more subject to atrophy than any other, and it is 

 almost always fatal. The symptoms you complain of may arise from a 

 stoppage. We advise you to give him a table- spoonful of castor oil, and to 

 feed on bread and ale. That will probably relieve him. You must then 

 feed him often on soft light food, as ground oats or bread and milk. If it he 

 atrophy there is only one remedy that gives any hope of a cure. It is to feed 

 him on the yolks of new-laid eggs. This remedy is costly and mischievous, 

 you must weigh it against the value of the jtatient. 



Layers for. London ( W. J.). — We believe those who recommended Brahmas 

 were right. They bear confinement well, and are not more prone to sit than 

 any others. The non-sitting breeds are the greatest layers, hut most of 

 them require good runs. The Spanish and Houdans are the hardiest, the 

 Creve-Cceurs next. Pullets will easily pay their food with their eggs in the 

 winter. No hens lay in the winter. Ii eggs are to pay the expenses of their 

 producers, they must be laid in the scarcest time — i.e., the winter. 



Artificial Food for Fowls (C. M).— We have never tried any of the 

 o:ds for poultry. Our friends who have used them have given them up 

 baing satisfied with the ordinary farinaceous foods. 



B-ouen Ducks (S. T.). — The first quality of a Bouen Duck and drake" is to 

 be very large. They should weigh from 15 lbs. to 18 lbs. per pair. Their 

 colours and markings Bhould he identical with those of the wild Duck. The 

 prevailing faults are leaden-coloured bills in the Ducks, and white feathers. 

 The former should be like a horse-bean, brown in centre, edged and tipped 

 with yellow, no white feathers in any part of the plumage. The fault in the 

 drake is generally a partly grey instead of a roan breast, and too much white 

 ring round the neck. Blue bill or white feather in the Duck, and grey breast 

 or white feathers in the drake, are all disqualifications. 



Cockerels for Stock {J. H.). — It is always better to let the cockerels 

 attain the age of eight or nine months before they are used as stock birds. 

 You may safely use those you name in January next. It would make little 

 difference if they were put together in December, as in the depth of winter 

 they do not much notice the pullets. We think four pullets better than six 

 till the middle of February. II you put hens to these cockerels you may sit 

 all they lay. You must now sit the early eggs of the pullets. 



Booted Bantams (Jack). — The Editors recommend you to write to Mr. W. 

 B. Jeffries, Henley Eoad, Ipswich, for information about the Bantams. 



Croydon Poultry Show. — " In answer to Mr. E. Tudman's letter in your 

 ast it sue, we beg to say that we did employ both trustworthy and experienced 

 men to handle the birds, although it was our first Show, that the specimens 

 were packed as soon on the following day as they had been well fed, and were 

 dispatched before mid-day. We are very sorry that one of his hens should 

 have received an injury. — Edridge & Nalder, Hon. Sees." [It is rather 

 unfortunate that we have a complaint from Mrs. Turner Turner of an injury, 

 probably fatal, that one of her best pullets received at the same Show, and 

 she considers it was inflicted in dragging it out of the hamper by one leg. 

 She justly observes that those who are fond of their birds will avoid shows 

 where such disasters occur. At the same time it must be remembered that 

 the inquisitive officials of railways have been proved to be the causers of similar 

 injuries. — Eds.] 



Falkirk Poultry, Pigeon, and Babbit Show. — We have received a 

 letter from Mr. Koberts, the Secretary, stating that the Exhibition was un- 

 avoidably fixed for the same days as the Show at the Crystal Palace, for on no 

 other days until after three months could the use of the Corn Exchange have 

 been obtained. We think the two Shows will not weaken each other, and the 

 Babbit Show especially, which is rather an unusual exhibition in Scotland. 



Pigeons Going Light (W. Myatt). — Your letter is an advertisement. If 

 your friend has a remedy let him give it a name and advertise it. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



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



Date . 







A.M. 









In the Day. 











Hygrome- 

 ter. 





- 



Shade Tem- 



Radiation 





1S72. 





.2 a 



°.~S . 



perature. 



Temperature. 



'3 

 S 



Oct. 











In 



On 







H -aJ 



Dry. 



Wet. 



o° 





Max. 



Min. 



sun. 



grass 







Inches. 



dec 



flee 





flog. 



deg. 



deg. 



deg. 



deg. 



Da. 



We. 23 



23.764 



36.2 



36.2 



w. 



48.3 



53.2 



33.6 



89.5 



30.2 







Th. 24 



29.435 



512 



47 8 



S.E. 



47.4 



52.8 



35.6 



68 3 



33-9 



0.440 



Fri. 25 



29.298 



51.8 



49.2 



S. 



48.2 



53.4 



43.2 



80.2 



39.3 



0.865 



Sat. 26 



29.2S9 



47.4 



47.2 



s. 



484 



56.2 



46.2 



84.6 



415 



0.350 



Snn.27 



29.629 



50.6 



48.4 



w. 



48 6 



582 



44.9 



S5.1 



41.0 







Mo. 28 



29.696 



48.8 



48 



N.E. 



48.7 



56.0 



44.4 



83.7 



40.8 



— 



Tu. 29 



30.071 



46.5 



46.3 



W. 



47.8 



57.2 



S7.9 



78.5 



33.8 



0.180 



Means 



29.600 



47.5 



46.2 





4S.2 



55.3 



40.8 



81.4 



37.2 



1.785 



REMARKS. 



23rd. — Very foggy early, but after 9.30 beautiful bright day ; starlight between 

 9 and 10 p.m., but cloudy af er. 



24th. — Fine morning, but began to rain about noon; very wet afternoon; 

 starlight at 9 p.m. ; rain from 11 to midnight. 



25th. — Fine bright early morning ; dull soon after 9 a.m.; showery at inter- 

 vals during the day ; veiy wet evening and cloudy night. 



26th. — Very wet morning; bright between noon and 2 p.m. ; at 4.55 a gale of 

 wind, scarce lasting more than a minute ; heavy rain during the 

 evening and night. 



27th. — Foggy morning ; a fine day, and not cold; damp night. 



2Sth, — A little cloudy and dull in the morning, but sunshiny day and starlit 

 night. 



29th. — Very bright and fine till noon, then rather cloudy, but very pleasant. 

 Barometer, though rather higher than last week, is still low, the rainfall 



excessive, and the air very damp. The temperature is much the same as 



during the previous fortnight, while the ground temperature is remarkably so, 



the means for three consecutive weeks having been respectively 48.3°, 48.3 C , and. 



48.2°.— G. J. Stmons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— October 30. 

 A general dullness pervades the markets, and prices are barely maintained 

 in ordinary goods. Common Apples and Pears make but poor returns. Cob 

 nuts and the best descriptions of Potatoes have again advanced, and seem likely 

 to be in much request. 



FRUIT. 



S. d. 



Apples £ sieve 3 to i 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries perlb. 



Chestnuts bushel 12 



Currants J sieve 



Black do. 



Figs .doz. 



Filberts lb. 1 



Cobs lb. 1 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, hothouse lb. 2 



Lemons ^100 6 



Melons each 2 



s. d. s. d 



Mulberries ^lb. OtoO 



Nectarines doz. 



Oranges 3*100 10 20 



Peaches doz. 10 25 



Pears, kitchen doz. 10 3 



dessert doz. 2 4 



PineApples lb. 4 8 



Plums $sieve 6 9 



Quin ces doz .10 2 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries ^lb. 



Walnuts bushel 15 



ditto ^100 3 





 



25 



3 



4 



8 



9 

 2 

 

 



30 

 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes doz. 



Asparagus ^ 100 



Beans. Kidney i sieve 



Broad... bushel 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums ^ 1G0 



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 



Lettuceo doz. 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress.. punnet 

 Onions ^bushel 



pickling quart 



Parsley per doz. bunches 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas qoart 



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. 



OtoS 

 2 

 4 

 6 

 S 

 9 1 

 

 6 5 

 

 

 1 







1 

 

 3 

 

 

 3 



2 

 

 



POULTRY MARKET.— October 30. 

 There is but a dull trade. The supply is moderate. Pheasants come in 

 increased numbers, and the price of them is falling. 



s. d. 



Large Fowls 8 



Smallerditto 2 6 



Chickens 1 » 



Geese 7 



Ducks 



Grouse 1 9 



to 



s. d. s. d. 



flares 3 tto 3 6 



Rabbits 15 lti 



Wildditto 9 10 



Pigeons 10 1 o 



Pheasants 2 6 3 u 



Partridges 16 1 ti 



