506 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAUDENER. 



[ December 19, 1S72. 



would be acceptable to an amateur if his birds were sold, but 

 that would shut out the champion. I find on reference to the 

 "minutes of our meetings," this proposition was made by me 

 three years ago, and therefore it could have no connection with 

 any of the suggestions with which it has been recently asso- 

 ciated. It was not then entertained by the Committee, the ma- 

 jority thinking that it might possibly hurt the standard classes; 

 but I have brought the same proposal forward again in con- 

 nection with each of our shows, and it was at last adopted ; if 

 the number of entries may be looked upon as a criterion, I am 

 justified in saying with success. At the same time I am aware 

 that all the objects I had in view have not yet been realised, but 

 I think the classes may be regarded as a compromise, and that 

 with a little modification they will offer a very favourable oppor- 

 tunity for amateurs to make their debut at a poultry exhibition. 

 — C. Howard. 



National PEErsTEHoxrc Society. — This Society's Show, the 

 most aristocratic of the London Pigeon fanciers' exhibitions, was 

 held on the 17th inst. We must defer our report until next 

 week. 



Tredegab Poultry Show. — This high-class Exhibition was 

 held on the 17th and 18th inst. It was excellent, but both prize 

 list and report came too late for publication this week. 



PIGEONS AT THE BIRMINGHAM SHOW. 

 I cannot congratulate the Society upon the collection of 

 Pigeons brought together this year, either as to quantity or 

 quality, for in number the entries were barely more than one- 

 half of last year, being this year 389 pens against 574 pens last 

 year. Several distant and former exhibitors were conspicuous 

 by their absence, also several of the Birmingham fanciers who 

 last year were foremost in offering cups for several varieties. 

 I was sorry to see this falling-off in what was once the show 

 of the year. I think the Committee would do well to revise 

 their schedule in several classes, notably the Pouters, the prizes 

 for which might be curtailed and the difference added to some 

 of the other high-class varieties. Above all, the pens, if they 

 cannot be altered, require proper food and water troughs to be 

 provided. The complaints were loud and just on this score, 

 and nothing prevents success so much as inattention in this 

 department. — H. 



OUE LETTER BOX. 



Rouen and Aylesbtjey Duces Crossed (E. T. F.).— They make a large 

 and good Duck, and fatten easily. The only objection to the cross is, the 

 produce of it is not as saleable as pure-bred birds if sent to market alive. 



Watford Show {E. JB.). — We have not received a report, but we are 

 promised it for nest week. 



Duck Dying at Birmingham [T. L. B.).— We have not had time to make 

 an examination. We know the bird was in perfect health at the Show, as we 

 saw and admired her several times. 



Stock of Fowls (G. W. D.).— You will do better to begin at any rate 

 with a quarter of the number, and to put fifty fowls in the space you mention. 

 The bare part should slant sufficiently for the rain to run off. You may turn, 

 or plough, or dig it twice per week in dry weather, but do not go on it in wet 

 times. 



Cochin Cock Declining (J. D.).— It is more than probable the cock has 

 picked up some sawdust, or some indigestible substance at the show, and that 

 it remains in his inside. Give him a good tablespoonful of castor oil. We 

 fancy that will relieve him. If he is losing weight at the rate you mention 

 he must soon die if it is not stopped. We find no difficulty in keeping a 

 number of cocks shut up by themselves, and we keep them in health as easily 

 as hens or pullets. Inasmuch, however, as it is impossible they should do as 

 well as when at liberty, some of them go back and pine away. Such may be 

 the case with yours. Why do you not give him a companion, since yon think 

 the lack of it is the cause of illness ? 



Six ver- spangled Hamburgh Points {H. F. C.).~- In both sexes the deaf 

 ear should be faultlessly white and perfectly round. The tail should be 

 white, mooned with black at the tip of each feather. The combs should be 

 full of points, firmly placed on the middle of the head, piked behind, and the 

 pike turning upwards. Breasts well mooned. The hens should have striped 

 hackles. Weight is of no consequence. 



Leg-weakness in Brahma Chickens (W. W.).— It is more than probable 

 the bird has outgrown its strength. At this time of year, and in this 

 weather, he is not likely to remedy it. If you have other good chickens we 

 advise you to put him in the stockpot, or in a pie or pudding. With cold 

 weather and long nights the reparative process is very slow. 



Crossing Game and Malay (G. £.).— The best way is to put a Malay cock 

 to the Game hens. The cross is frequently used for the sake of certain 

 qualities that are desirable, but all who use it are anxious to secure the pro- 

 perties without pubhshing the cross. We therefore advise the Malay cock 

 and Game hens. There were some very remarkable cross-bred birds in the 

 Game classes at Birmingham. 



Unanswered Queries (J". G. Lyall). — We have no queries unanswered. 

 If they were signed with your name or initials they were not delivered here. 



Birmingham Show (Mrs, B.). — We believe Mr. Tomlinson won five prizes. 



Ashford Show (E. L.).— Thanks, but as it was not advertised, we con- 

 clude it was wished to be lucal. 



Cambridge Poultry Show. — "Mr. Kose is wrong in stating that he won 

 the first prize at our Show for hen Pouters with a young Blue. He sent four 

 Pouters which I penned myself, and I can distinctly state that the first prize 



for hens was awarded to a White, the second being taken by myself with a 

 White hen, and third going to a bird belonging to Mrs. Ladd, this also a 

 White. I shall be glad if you will insert this, as the honour of winning 

 second prize, instead of being attached to my name, went to Mr. C. C 

 Ewbank, who did not take a prize, his birds being too late for competition. 

 If Mr. Rose's White bird was a cock, I can only say that he put it in the 

 wrong box, as I am confident they were penned right, for I had another mem- 

 ber of the Committee with me at the time, and we remarked that we thought 

 three one of the four were cocks. — F. W. Metcalf, Son. Sec." 



Food for Common Pigeons (C. S.). — Any common waste grain, inferior 

 beans, peas, barley. Give enough, and if young and healthy birds you will get 

 ten or eleven nests a-year. 



Guinea Fowls [S. B. P.). — It is the hen only that utters the peculiar cry 

 like " Come-back," the note of the cock is only a kind of wail. 



Queen Expelled from Hive (N. S. S.). — Iu all probability your stock 

 lost its old queen late in the autumn. The bees raised another from the 

 brood, but all the drones having by that time been destroyed, she remained 

 unfertilised, and has been cast out by her subjects. If this is the solution of 

 your case, the hive must perish before next spring. We do not know where 

 you can obtain a stock of Ligurians in a straw hive at a cheaper rate than 

 usually advertised. 



Stewarton Hives — Feeding United Stocks (B. M. B.). — Will any of 

 our correspondents kindly say where the Stewarton hives are to be bought, 

 and mention the name of any book ■which treats of then- use and management ? 

 "Bee-keeping,"' one of the "Manuals for the Many," describes them. You 

 can get a copy from this office for 5cl., postage included. Your united bees 

 may by constant feeding in mild weather be kept alive till spring, provided 

 you keep them warm. Perhaps "B. &W.'s" suggestion as to shutting bees 

 up in cold weather would suit this case. Try it, and report the result in our 

 pages. We cannot understand why they eat so little food. Are you sure 

 they have a queen ? You will know this by their carrying pollen into the 

 hive. 



Feeding and Ventilating Bees (S. F. M.). — Bees consume very little 

 food during December and January, therefore probably 1 lb. of syrup would 

 be sufficient to keep them alive till February. Then, however, they would 

 want more liberal treatment. Our plan is, when hives are very poor, to put a 

 feeder on during simshine on every warm day, taking it off before night. Ln 

 this way they feed themselves sufficiently with the least risk of loss. Feeding 

 will not now excite them if you are careful not to spill the food about, so as to 

 excite other hives. Do not shut them up while feeding. We think the 

 ventilation of bees unnecessary, and often worse than useless. Give them 

 plenty of entrance-room, according to the size of the stock and the number 

 of bees, and they will know how and when to ventilate themselves. A 2-inch 

 hole will be amply sufficient in the crown-board. The size of supers should 

 be regulated by the strength of the hive. We do not think it matters what 

 super you use, straw or wood. They do not take so kindly to glass supers. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



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



Date. 







A.M. 









In the Day. 







1872. 



Barome- 

 ter at 82" 

 and Sea 

 Level. 



Hygrome- 

 ter. 



If 



Sis 





Shade Tem- 

 perature. 



Radiation 

 Temperature 



S 



Dec. 









In 



On 







Dry. 



Wet. 



fi° 





Mas. 



Min. 



sun. 



grass 







Inches. 



(leg. 



cleg. 





deg. 



deg. 



deg. 



deg. 



deg. 



In. 



We. 11 



29.310 



38.5 



37.1 



N.W. 



40.8 



42.5 



34.8 



C4.8 



33.3 







Th. 12 



30.015 



28.9 



28.0 



W. 



39.8 



36.1 



26.6 



445 



22.8 



0.020 



Fri. 13 



29.S25 



39.2 



38.3 



s.w. 



39.7 



46.5 



27.5 



45.4 



27.2 



0.210 



Sat. 14 



29.513 



34.3 



34 3 



N.E. 



39.8 



419 



32.0 



41.8 



29.4 



0.190 



Sun. 15 



29.782 



44.1 



44.0 



S. 



40.6 



46.8 



34.2 



47.2 



35.0 



0.010 



Mo. 16 



29.850 



38.0 



38.0 



N.W. 



42.0 



45.9 



36.5 



46.0 



33.1 



0.810 



Tu. 17 



29.327 



42.9 



41.8 



S.W. 



42.1 



47.9 



37.5 



147.2 



36.2 



0.540 



Means 



29.6S5 



38.0 



37.4 





40.7 



43.9 



32.7 



48.1 



31.0 



1.780 



REMARKS. 

 11th.— Dull morriing, but fine afterwards though cold. 

 12th.— Sharp white frosc in morning, and rather foggy both then and all day ; 



very fine, and at times the sun shone very brightly. 

 13th. — Rain at 8 a.m., and more or less all day. A regularly uncomfortable day ; 



foggy at night. 

 14th. — Foggy in the morning, and rain at intervals all day. 

 15th. — Very dark fog during the forenoon, and damp and thick all the re- 

 mainder of the day. 

 16th.— Very foggy all the morning, and part of the afternoon, then clearer, 



but raining at intervals all day. 

 17th. — Grey in morning, rain commencing at 9, and continuing right on the 

 whole day. 

 Temperature much the same as the previous week, but as the .sun has 

 scarcely shone at all the temperature in sun is much lower, and only 4° higher 

 than that in the shade. Weather decidedly worse, and rainfall both continuous 

 and heavy. The fall this year already exceeds that of any year since observa- 

 tions were commenced at this station. The total to the present time is 

 32.67 inches, whereas the wettest j?year since 1857 — viz., 1860, only gave 

 32,24 inches.— G. J. Symons. 



CO VENT GARDEN MARKET.— December IS. 



Apples J sieve 3 to 5 



Apricots doz. 



Cherries.... perlb. 



Chestnuts bushel 12 20 



Currants .1 sieve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 



Filberts lb. 1 16 



Cobs lb. I 6 2 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, hothouse lb. 2 5 



demons ^100 6 10 



M ' ■ cr.ch I '=> S 



Mulberries q?-lb. 



Nectarines doz. 



Oranges %H00 i 



Peaches doz. 



Pears, kitchen doz. 1 



dessert doz. 2 



PineApples lb. 3 



Plums J sieve 



Quinces doz. 1 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries : ' . D 



Walnuts bu'hcl 15 



ditto V100 2 



fl. 



R. 



a 



Ill 



oil 











II 











111 



H 











1) 







s 







II 



4 



II 



II 



II 



II 



II 



II 







II 



3 



II 



II 















II 



II 



II 



BJ 



II 







■i 







