438 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 28, 1872. 



provided for the nutrition of the stamens and pistils. In the 

 honey-sac of the bee this sugar comes in contact "with formic acid. 

 He ascribes the peculiar tingling sensation at the back of the 

 throat when much honey has been swallowed to this acid. After 

 standing awhile grape sugar begins to form, and this continues till 

 the whole has been converted into grape, when it is said to be 

 candied. Acetic acid is present in candied honey, which injures 

 the taste. The proportion of formic acid in honey must be very 

 small indeed, as it is a burning liquid of an irritating odour — 

 very corrosive, producing a sore wherever dropped on the skin. 

 It derives its name from being first distilled from the red ant 

 (Formica rufa). — [American J3ee-Jceej?ers' Journal.) 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Standard of Excellence (J. C). — It is not admitted as an authority, 

 nor do we know where it can be obtained. 



Crystal Palace Poultry Show. — "Although the winner of three of the 

 five cups amongst Dark Brahmas, in your list I am but mentioned as winning 

 one, in addition to which I won the cup for the best Dark Brahma cock in 

 Class 25, and also the cup for the best hen of same breed in Class 26. — 

 T. F. Ansdell." [The mistake was in the Secretaries' prize list, which we 

 copied] " There was omitted a pen of mine that was highly commended in the 

 Creve-Cteur cockerel class. — John Watson." " I entered, a pen of poultry, 

 and received an acknowledgment of the entrance money. Expecting to have 

 a label sent me, I waited till Friday before the Show, but none came, so I 

 thought I had better write for one. At the same time I enclosed thirteen 

 postage stamps for a catalogue ; but I have not received the catalogue, nor 

 have I the stamps returned. Seeing other exhibitors treated in the same 

 manner, I shall have to rest contented with negligent Secretaries. — E. Hall. 

 Guisborough Bird Show (W. C.).— It must have been a local Show, as 

 it was not advertised. 



Fowls for Profit (R. A. R.).— The most useful bird for you to keep i3, 

 in our opinion, the Brahma. They are good layers, very hardy, sit well, and 

 are good mothers. 



Plumage of Andaltjsians (Old Subscriber).— We prefer the dark feather. 

 The other is much too light. Tou must not breed from a rose-combed bird 

 if you wish for Andalusians. The Andalusian is a single-combed fowl. 



Brahma Plumage (W. E. R.).— We should in every way disapprove of the 

 feather you sent us as part of the flight of a Dark Brahma. We suppose he 

 has a twisted flight. It is incurable, and you must not breed from him, as 

 it is sure to be hereditary. From your description the younger bird is a mass 

 of disorders, weak, deformed, and diseased. We should' not like to breed from 

 either, be their strain never so valuable,-and we advise you to discard them. 



Deaths of Fowls (Edmondsbury). — We are sorry to say we have heard of 

 many such complaints as yours among fowls and Pheasants. In every case 

 the liver is found extensively diseased. Among wild birds there is no doubt 

 much of it is caused by insufficient feeding. This cannot be the case with 

 your fowls. Both are affected by the sudden and frequent changes of the 

 temperature, and the continued wet. We find camphor the best treatment, 

 and believe it to be a cure in the early stages. According to your letter, you. 

 only feed once per day— in the evening. This is not enough, and grass yields 

 little food at this time of the year. They should be fed directly they are let 

 out in the morning ; ground food slaked is the best. They should at mid-day 

 have a little whole corn, and such a meal as you describe in the evening. In- 

 sufficient food would cause all the symptoms you describe. 



Goose and Gander [A. B.). — Tne sexes can only be certainly ascertained 

 by examination. Swans and most of the Geese have no outward mark of any 

 kind by which they may be distinguished. 



Flesh of Black Hameurghs (Hamburgh).— We have always considered, 

 and we believe the opinion is general, that the flesh of the Hamburgh fowl is 

 very white. The only objection is the colour of the legs— they are always 

 dark. We have never dressed a Black Hamburgh, but can easily imagine the 

 stubs of the feathers are black in the skin. We have dressed the Spangled, 

 and found their flesh juicy, tender, and well-flavoured. We believe the fault 

 rests more with the picker of the fowl than with the fowl itself. 



Catarrh in Brahma (S. B. S.).— Give a good dose of castor oil (more 

 than a tablespoonful), see that it operates freely, and then give camphor 

 pills, and bread and ale ; you must keep on till his comb becomes red. If this 

 do not cure, you must use Baily's pills. Discontinue the sharps. 



Fowls Crooked-breasted (Crooked Breast).— Crooked breasts disqualify 

 for prizetaking. They do not spoil for laying or sitting. Good birds may be 

 bred from such, but as a crocked breast is decidedly a sign of weakness, we 

 should not breed from such a bird. The cause is in most instances that the 

 birds are too highly fed, and are forced along so fast that the bones cannot 

 support the weight of the body. In roosting, the grasp of the feet is not 

 sufficiently powerful to steady and support the body on the perch, and the 

 breast therefore rests upon it. Being in a cartilaginous state it adapts itself 

 to the shape of it, and becomes crooked. Large fowls like Brahmas should 

 nut roost at the age you name. If you let them roost on the ground you will 

 keep straight breasts. 



Turkeys Benumbed (Geva).— Tour Turkeys are suffering from the bad 

 weather. You must administer stimulants, give them stale bread steeped in 

 strong ale. They axe subject to giddy fits in bad weather. 



Houdans and Dorkings (Subscriber),— We do not believe the Dorking and 

 Houdan have anything in common. Tho habits, the plumage, the colour of 

 the legs, the non-sitting, all go to prove they have nothing in common. The 

 fifth claw proves nothing, or it would go to justify us in saying the fifth of the 

 blue-skinned Silky fowl proves its common origin with the Dorking. The bird 

 you name is not too old to put to pullets, but we think it will be his last year. 

 Wing Disease in Almond Tumbler Hen (V. S.).— Draw the flight 

 feathers of the wing. By the time they have again grown all will most pro- 

 bably be well, unless it be a confirmed or very bad ease, for which there is no 

 cure. A hen will breed just as well; a cock so afflicted is useless for that 

 purpose, or, indeed, for any. 



Stock-hive with Combs Partially Filled (W. E. S.).— Your stock- 

 hive will keep well in a dry place if effectually closed against the intrusion of 

 moths and other Terrain. If you do not mind the honey being taken down, 

 the comb will keep better by the hive being put over some other stock, allow- 

 ing the bees free access to it. They will carry down the honey and leave the 

 comb beautifully clean for the swarm you propose to put into it. This is 

 always the best way to treat hives full of comb which it is thought desirable 

 to preserve. 



Removing Hives into a Bee-house (A. Z.).—We fear you will lose many 

 bees if you move your hives now into your bee-house; but if you must do so, 



we would advise your shifting them gradually one after the other, with an in- 

 terval of some days between each removal. We would give them a new floor- 

 board, altering the entrance as much as you can, stopping-up the old one 

 altogether, and making the bees pass out into the open an* through a tunnel 

 in the floor-board. This will attract the notice of every bee as she goes out 

 of the hive, and cause her to examine the new position. In this way there 

 will be the least risk of loss. Keep the bees shut-up as you propose for a day 

 or two, and set them free on a warm still morning when the sun is shining. 

 Disturb them a Little at the time and feed them also, so as to cause as many 

 as possible to fly out together. There will be a good deal of humming, which 

 will attract any bees who may be off tu the old stance. It is somewhat late 

 to be feeding bees now; but, of course, "better late than never," if they are in 

 a poor way. 



Honey Candying (An Old Subscriber). — Perhaps you will find an answer 

 to your inquiries in an extract you will meet with elsewhere, taken from the 

 American " Bee-keeper's Journal." We believe that one principal reason why 

 the " shop honey" does not candy is simply that it is not pure. In many 

 parts of England what is sold for honey by the rustics to grocers and chemists 

 is a nasty mixture of honey, bee-bread, and the juices of young and old bees 

 pounded together into the butter-like mass which spreads so smoothly upon 

 bread. We once entered a cottage where the process was going on, from 

 which day we have had uncomfortable stomach- misgivings at the sight of run 

 honey other than that which is the produce of our own manipulation. 



Canary Ailments (Tai-koong-soo). — We did not insert the letter, because 

 we had others sustaining an opposite opinion, but none suggesting more 

 effective treatment. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



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



Date. 







A.M. 









In the Day. 





„ 





■,2>S 







.. 



Shade Tem- 



Radiation 



'S 



a 



1872. 



3 S a % 



ter. 



s9 



°.~3 . 



£'3- 



perature. 



Temperature 



Nov. 









In 



On 







r aJ 



Dry. 



Wet. 



5° 





Max. 



Min. 



sun. 



grass 







Inches. 



deg. 



deg. 





deg. 



deg. 



deg. 



deg. 



deg. 



In. 



We. 20 



29.463 



46.4 



43.9 



s. 



42.7 



52.5 



85.9 



76.1 



36.U 



0.150 



Th. 21 



29.636 



46.4 



45 3 



s. 



43.1 



53.8 



41.6 



81.8 



87. 1 



— 



Fri. 22 



29.596 



51.2 



49.1 



s. 



44.3 



53.6 



46.0 



69.0 



42.5 



0.230 



Sat. 23 



29.156 



55.3 



51.1 



s.w. 



45.2 



57.0 



43.2 



65.3 



38 8 



0.142 



Sun 24 



29.402 



48.7 



46.5 



s.w. 



46.3 



52 2 



46.6 



75.6 



42.6 



0.02O 



Mo. 25 



29.386 



49.0 



47.1 



s. 



46.1 



54.3 



42.0 



53.3 



38.3 



0.19O 



Tu. 26 



29.439 



52.5 



48.0 



w. 



46.9 



55.8 



47.3 

 43.2 



69.2 



43.3 



0.995 



Means 



29.440 



49 9 



47.3 





44.9 



54.2 



70.0 



39 8 



0.S27 



REMARKS. 

 20th. — Very fine morning, and till 2 p.m., when it clouded over; rain and hail 



at 2.30 p.m., rain at intervals the rest of the day; lunar halo at 10.30 p.m* 

 21st. — Eine morning, and fair all day, though cloudy between 4 and 5 p.m. ; 



much warmer in the evening. 

 22nd. — Rain in the night, but fine morning ; fair all day, but veiy damp. 

 23rd. — Showery and windy all day, and till midnight. 

 24th, — Moderately fair all day, but not very bright for any length of time 



during the day. 

 25th. — Fair at 9 a.m. ? but rain before ten, and at intervals all day ; very wild 



and windy, with heavy rain in the evening and night. 

 26th. — Very windy, but fair till the evening; at 7.30 p.m. heavy rain fell, and 



the wind was at times very violent. 

 Mean 9 a.m. temperature nearly 14- above that of last week, and higher 

 with one exception than any one for the last six weeks. Rain again excessive, 

 the total for November is already three-quarters of an inch above the average. 

 — G. J. Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— November 27- 

 Business transactions are very limited and continue to be much influenced 

 by the weather. Common Apples and Pears are very little inquired for, the 

 latter being far in excess of the demand ; and some newly arrived Oranges 

 from St. Michael's, of excellent quality, go far to displace them. 



Apples i sieve 3 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries per lb. 



Chestnuts bushel 12 



Currants 4 sieve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 



Filberts lb. 1 



Cobs lb. 1 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, hothouse lb. 2 



Lemons ^100 6 



Melons each 2 



0to5 

 



FRUIT. 

 . d. 



Mulberries ^lb. 



Nectarines doz. 



Oranges ^lOO 



Peaches doz. 



Pears, kitchen doz. 



dessert doz. 



Pine Apples lb. 



Plums J sieve 



Quinces doz. 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries ^lb. 



Walnuts bushel 15 



ditto ^100 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes doz. 



Asparagus ^100 



Beans. Kidney 3* 100 



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. 



B erbs bunch 



Horseradish bundle 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce doz. 



. d. s. d. 

 0to4 



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 



OtoO 











6 



12 











1 



3 



2 



4 



4 



8 



6 



9 



1 



2 



















15 



80 



3 



o a 



s. d. 



s. d 



1 0to3 9 



2 







2 



i 



6 







2 



- 8 



9 



1 











8 6 



6 



















1 



1 











9 



1 u 



1 



2 u 



9 



1 o 



2 



3 U 



3 







2 



8 X 



1 



2 



3 



n u 











