484 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



{ December 12; 1872. 



Crystal Palace Poultry Show. — We had several letters relative to omis- 

 sions and delays at this Exhibition. Most of the complaints arose from the 

 impatience of the exhibitors, and some from circumstances over which the 

 Secretaries had no control. 



Correcting a Judge's Mistake (A Member of the Committee). — " One of 

 the Judges at our show made a most palpable mistake in awarding one of the 

 prizes. The prize schedule states that * the decision of the Judges will be 

 final in all cases,' the prizes being paid on the last day of exhibition. Does 

 such a clause preclude the Committee from def erring the payment of the prize 

 till the Judge can be communicated with, he having gone home before the 

 mistake was observed ? There was no fraud on the part of the exhibitor." pi 

 the mistake was as gross as giving a prize to a Carder in mistake for a 

 Pouter Pigeon, we think the Committee might withhold the prize ; but if it 

 was a mistake in awarding a prize to a bird or birds of merit inferior to that 

 of other birds of the same variety and class, we think the Committee ought 

 not to withhold payment. — Eds.] 



Exhibiting Pigeons (J. W. IS.).— It is not customary, and you would 

 -have no chance of success. 



Various {Gtssar). — It does not answer to hatch eggs hi a greenhouse. If 

 you try it, you will find they are always chilled when they leave it, and they 

 do not grow well. Silkies will live in a very small space. They require no 

 especial care. We know no fence high enough to confine a Hamburgh; but 

 if you wish an answer, we shall be justified in saying such a fence as would 

 confine a Pheasant beiDg full-w'nged. Your Fantails cannot be too small. 

 Peak-headed, as the name implies, terminates in a point. Shell-crown has 

 the appearance of a reversed scallop shell. The Rock Pigeons will come in if 

 they wish it, but they are not to be enticed. Your experience is that of many 

 others— that they are profitable to keep. Their home is their home, but they 

 take their meals out. Buff Cochins are darker than Lemon. 



Fowls Fighting (Perplexed). — Have patience, and your buds will agree. 

 There are generally faults on both sides when the two cocks fight, and even 

 they get tired of ban-en laurels, and give it up. We advise you to adopt the 

 system of the present day, and to "mystify" the combatants. If you have 

 time, do it yourself ; if you have not, entrust the performance to your " hench- 

 man." Recipe, Take an empty pillow-case, fasten it to the end of abeanstick. 

 As soon as the cocks have sparred and are about to strike, buffet them both 

 right and left with the empty pillow-case. Each, believing the attack to be 

 from the other,, gives up, believing either that he is betrayed or the victim of 

 supernatural interference. They will look sly at each other, but will not fight 

 afterwards. 



Exhibiting Dorkings {T. C. B.).— If no age is specified you may make up 

 a pen in , any way you please.. You may give your Dorkings what you like; 

 d:iring the damp bad weather bread and ale morning and evening. They do 

 not want it in fine -weather. Avoid linseed; it renders the birds fat and 

 lazy, and makes their feathers soft. The Pigeon that confines itself most 

 strictly to its own race is the Barb. 

 Harking Fowls (J. H. B.). — You must make no mark that is plain to the 

 -judges. We therefore advise you to perforate the web of the wing in any 

 manner yon please with a red-hot iron. It is indelible, and causes little or no 

 .pain. (R. S. H.). — Where you wish only to distinguish different broods, with- 

 out reference to. exhibition, we advise you to sew pieces of different coloured 

 cloth round the legs of each brood. 



Keeping Chickens op Different Breeds in One House (H. F. R.). — 

 So long as they agree, they will not fight. When they fall out, they will ; but, 

 as a rule, they are not quarrelsome. A friend of ours some time since gave 

 us a Kerry cow (we wish there had been two) ; another friend seeing her, said, 

 " They are the most quarrelsome beasts in the world, and no fence will keep 

 them in." We wrote to our good giver, and he said in answer, "Fill them 

 with food, and they will neither be vicious nor run away." That will be true 

 of your chickens : feed them well, and they will agree. 



Showing Black Bantams {Blade Ban tarn}.— The bird has no chance of 

 success if the white is visible. 



Poultry-keeping Unsuccessful (C. H. J. P.). — You have disease in your 

 neighbourhood. Fowls prefer filthy water to any other, just as there are 

 people who prefer to drink gin to any other beverage. Bad water is bad for 

 fowls. In the space you mention there is sufficient room to rear chickens. 

 The number of hens kept to one cock has nothing to do with the health of the 

 birds. The cure of the complaint in its early stages is to give a stimulant, 

 and the best is bread and strong ale. We should want more information 

 before we can guess at the cause of the disorder. What is the nature of their 

 roosting house? and, above all, what is the flooring? Are you still keeping 

 old birds ? Successful poultry-keeping implies a succession of young birds, 

 and a strict attention to their wants, taking for your guide the state of a bird 

 in its natural condition. The experience of fifty years has taught us that 

 where these rules are observed there is neither failure nor sickness. We 

 have no difficulty in making our fowls drink camphor julep. You must keep 

 your fowls from access to any other water. 



Showing Game (J. T. S.). — An undubbed cock must be disqualified. In 

 an open class for birds of all ages yon may show chickens and adults together; 

 in fact, you are supposed to make the best pen you can. You may give them 

 a little stale bread soaked in wine or beer, a little chopped rump steak, and 

 a few white peas. The first two induce high condition ; the latter hardens 

 the plumage. 



Eouen Drake Lame [C. JR.). — Examine the foot ; if the callosity be formed 

 by a stone having perforated the skin, remove the cause and the disease will 

 cease. If it is the effect of age and of carrying weight, put him in a place 

 with soft straw, and he will get better, if not well. 



Poultry- feeding (Amateur). — Discontinue the potatoes, and feed the birds 

 as long as they will run after their food ; mix but a little at a time, and by 

 observing the consumption closely, you will answer the question better than 

 we can. You should keep them at 2 Ad. per head per week if they have a grass 

 run. 



Dorking Cock Wounded {E. A. S.). — Eeep the bird away from other fowls 

 who might peck the wounds. If undisturbed, nature will effect the cure un- 

 aided. 



Aylesbury Ducks (H. H. A.). — Give him notice that unless he returns the 

 money you will direct your attorney to proceed against him. 



Plates of Pigeons (C. D. W.). — They will be published collectively before 

 long. 



Management of Waxbiil? {Sunlight). — From circumstances not under 

 our control this answer ha? been delayed. Small Finches, such as Waxbills, 

 die in fits when kep 1 in confinement, caused by baring too much over-heating 

 food to live upon. When the common kinds of green food are not obtainable, 

 sow in shallow saucers some grass seed, and when the herb is 2 inches high 

 give it the birds ; arrange so as to have a fresh one every week. The seed 

 will grow quickly if kept in a warm and damp place with plenty of light. 

 Many small Finches are fond of mealworms and plantain seed. Variety of 



diet is required. Another cause of these pretty birds dying suddenly is 

 draught. To prevent this and not hide the birds, fix a sheet of glass on three 

 sides of the aviary, cover the top during the day, and all over at night, with 

 any suitable fabric. 



Australian Grass Paraquets' Nest (P. A.). — When next your Grass 

 Paraquets show signs of breeding, procure a cocoa nut with the outside fibre 

 upon it, and with a small-toothed saw cut the fibre into halves, and take out 

 the nut. Next make at the side or end a small hole Ubout an inch in 

 diameter ; fasten the halves together, and fix it with wire in or outside of the 

 cage near the top ; but if outside, divide the wires so as to allow the birds to 

 pass into the nest. Nearly all Paraquets in a wild state build in hollow trees. 

 If your aviary is large enough, put into it a dry rotten linib of a tree, and the 

 small pieces which the birds will gnaw off will form the nest, in which they 

 will lay then* eggs. Feed the birds withmillet and Canary seed, and should 

 they go to nest add some green food. Above all things let the birds remain 

 as undisturbed as possible, and do not clean out the cage too often, as this 

 often frightens them from the nest. 



Silkworms* (Spero). — We are not aware that silkworms have anywhere in 

 England been reared and managed so as to be of commercial importance. It 

 is not usual to raise the mulberry from seed. If you do so, the seed should 

 be washed out of the ripe benies, preserved in dry sand, and sown in the 

 following February. 



Bee Journal (G. H. M.). — We extract all that is now available for our 

 climate. Its contents are not confined to bees. We do not know how to aid 

 you. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



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



Date. 







A.M. 









IN t 



IE DAT. 



Radiation 







■ 2j a 



Hygrome- 







Shade Tem 



'3 



1S72. 



2";fl~ 



°2 



peratare. 



Tempera tnre 





U 3= 9 





2$ 



a-d-H 











Dec. 







In 



On 







|-sJ 



Dry. 



Wet. 



3° 





Max. 

 deft. 



Min 



sun. 



grass 







Inches. 



de» 



deg. 







deg. 



deg. 



In. 



We. 4 



29.737 



39.2 



S6 8 



N. 



44-8 



4i.l 



37.2 



67.3 



S4.1 



— 



Th. 5 



30.004 



30.0 



29.7 



N w. 



42.1 



43.5 



27.2 



50.2 



23 2 



0.246 



Fri. 6 



29.500 



43.3 



41.8 



S.W. 



V.S 



48.2 



27-2 



70.6 



27.0 



0.530 



Sat. 7 



29.442 



4>.l 



3S.7 



S.W. 



42.S 



45 8 



37 9 



63.2 



33 5 



0.040 



Sim. S 



29.501 



39.4 



37.2 



S.W. 



42.2 



4S.5 



37.1 



65.1 



33-8 



0.190 



Mo. 9 



23.944 



41.4 



38 



W. 



42.6 



431 



38 4 



67.9 



36.3 



— 



Tu. 10 



29.100 



37.9 



86.4 



W. 



■11.8 



10.7 



34.4 



42.1 



29.3 



0190 



Means 



29.47 J 



3SS 



80.9 





42.6 



45 34.2 



6).9 



81.1 



1.195 



REMARKS. 

 4th. — A very beautiful day throughout, bright, clear, and pleasant. 

 5th. — Sharp white frost in the morning; rather hazy in the afternoon, nd 



rain in the evening. 

 6th. — Fine, dry, cold morning, cloudy at 3 p.m.; rain at 3.30 P.M., and slight 



rain the remainder of the day. 

 7th. — Very fine, though cold all the day ; rain in the evening, but a fine night. 

 Sth. — Fine morning, dull afternoon; rain began between 4 and 5 p.m., it fell 



at intervals all night, with very high wind; quite a gale all through 



the night, and till the middle of the 9th. 

 9th. — Fine morning; no wind in the afternoon; all the roads quite dry from 



the wind in the night. 

 10th. — Rather foggy in the morning, clearer after, and no wind, and very little 



sun ; wind rose in the evening, and rain fell. Barometer fell rapidly, 



and at 6.55 p.m. was only 28.786 inches, corrected and reduced to sea 



level, being 0.068 inch lower than during the gale of Sunday. 

 Another week of low barometric pressure, and excessive rainfall. The total 

 this year is already nearly 25 per cent above the average. — G. J. Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Dec ember 11. 

 We have not anything fresh to report upon here; prices and supplies re- 

 maining much the same as they were last week. 



FRUIT. 



Apples J sieve 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries perlb. 



Chestnuts bushel 



Currants J sieve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, hothouse lb. 



Lemons ^100 



Melons each 



s. d. s. d. 





 





 



.2 20 

 





 





 2 











1 6 



2 

 

 5 



10 



B. d. 8. d 



Mulberries ^lb. OtoO 



Nectarines doz. 



Oranges $H00 H 10 d 



Peaches doz. 



Pears, kitchen doz. 1 S 



dessert doz. 2 4 



PineApplea lb. S 6 



Plums Jsieve 



Quinces doz. 10 SO 



Raspberries lb. 6 



Strawberries I^lb. q 



Walnuts bushel 15 SO 



ditto ^lOO 2 



Artichokes doz 



Asparagus ^100 



Beans. Kidney ^"100 



Broad bushel 



Beet, Red doz. 



Broccoli bundle 



Cabbage doz. 



Capsicums ^100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Coleworts.. doz. bunches 

 Cucumbers each 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



H erbs bunch 



Horseradish bundle 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce doz. 



VEGETABLES, 

 s. d. b. d 





 

 

 

 

 6 

 6 

 

 

 



2 C 



3 

 2 

 

 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress.. punnet 

 Onions 3* bushel 



pickling quart 



Parsley per doz. bunches 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Round do. 



Radishes., doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Salsaf y $* bundle 



Savoys doz. 



Scorzonera.... $* bundle 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes doz. 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Marrows., doz. 



fl. 



i. 



B. 



rt 



1 



0to3 



II 







2 











2 



II 



4 











tj 



•II 



II 



« 



n 



8 



II 







9 



1 























8 



« 



6 



n 























II 



II 



H 



1 







1 











1) 



II 







1 



II 



1 



IS 



1 







2 



II 



1 







1 



6 



a 



II 



8 



II 



n 



8 



It 



(1 



n 







8 



(1 



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