February 9, 18F2. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
123 
renewed it will greatly interfere with the supply of vegetables which 
are largely imported thence every year. The larger portion is usually 
sent over by back carriage at a small charge ; if, however, the treaty 
is not renewed, whole freights will have to be paid, which it is 
thought will seriously interrupt importations. The growth of Broccoli 
as a farm produce, particularly of the early varieties, which are surer, 
as they do not suffer from frost like the late varieties, and are very 
profitable. We have often supplied two towns during the season 
with good heads, and used the stumps daily cut and mixed with cake 
for feeding cattle, either dairy cows or fatting bullocks. These 
stumps often weigh from 12 to 14 tons per acre, or equal to two-thirds 
of a crop of Swedish Turnips, and they will feed cattle with as much 
advantage, for we have taken many prizes with bullocks fed in this 
manner. Hand-planting Cabbages will be now going on. Preparations 
must also be made for draining by the cartage of pipes, for the first 
dry weather which will show the wet spots in the fields is the time 
for marking out the work, and light sticks 3et up to direct when 
change of weather succeeds. Another point is, that stones picked 
in the fields should be laid near the pipes, which will secure the 
proper operation of the work, especially upon flat clay soils, for a long 
number of years. If any plantations of Larch or other Firs, or Alder 
and withy plants in low swampy places are to be done, they should 
be made now, the sooner the better. 
Men will be required in connection with steam threshing to some 
extent; trenching in the meadows will also be going on, and likewise 
attention will be required to regulate the water in its application 
on the irrigated meadows. This is still the busy time with the wood¬ 
cutters and the hoop-makers ; and if any Ash, Elm, or Beech timber 
is to be cut during the present season the sooner it is done the better, 
for with the trees, like other vegetation, the sap will be early in rising 
if the weather continues mild as it has been lately. 
Live Stock. —In this we include our working horses, and these should 
have an allowances of Carrots or Mangolds. About 10 or 12 tbs. each 
daily will be sufficient with corn and hay, and will enable them to do 
their work on the farm far better than when fed upon corn and hay. 
Horses which may be in low condition from the effect of influenza or 
other malady should have some of Bowick’s Restorine, for it is highly 
spoken of by those who have used it, especially by Mr. E. T. Cheesman, 
Veterinary Surgeon of the Army Veterinary Department, in charge 
of the 5th Dragoon G-uards. He reports very favourably of its effects 
in experiments he has tried and tested on a large number of horses 
for two years past, by direction of the General in command of the 
cavalry at Aldershot—Sir F. Fitzwigram, Bart., C.B. We are pleased 
to report that Down lambs are numerous and healthy. The Long- 
woolled ewes, too, are in good health and condition, notwithstanding 
we find a few flocks have suffered from abortion. This is frequently 
the case in consequence of internal fever. When, however, lameness to 
a considerable extent occurs the fever issues at the feet, and the 
ewes, although they suffer in condition, do not often bring dead 
lambs. Dairy cows should now have Savoy Cabbages and sweet 
straw or good hay and bran, or, what is better, wheatmeal, which 
can now be purchased or obtained at a low price, made or crushed 
from damp and cold grain. Butter-making of the first quality is 
paying exceedingly well at the present prices if the animals are 
properly fed and provided for. 
Bath and West of England Society and Southern Counties 
Association. —At the Council Meeting held in the Board-room at the 
Great Western Railway Station, Bristol, on the 31st ult., Sir J. T. B. 
Duckworth, Bart., in the chair, an official invitation from the Town 
Clerk of Bridgewater for the Society to hold its Show for 1883 in that 
town was read by the Secretary, and in support thereof a deputation 
consisting of the Mayor, the Town Clerk, and several influential in¬ 
habitants of the town and neighbourhood waited upon the Council. 
A letter was read from the Mayor of Maidstone asking whether the 
Society would be inclined to visit Maidstone in 1883, and, if not, then 
in 1884. As the Council considered that priority of application lay 
with Bridgewater, and as the ordinary time for visiting the southern 
district had not arrived, the Secretary was directed to reply that the 
Society was engaged for 1883, but subject to that they would be open 
to consider any invitation that might be sent. The Council then 
unanimously resolved that the invitation for 1883 to Bridgewater be 
accepted subject to the approval of the site and trial fields by the 
usual deputation of Stewards and the signature of the Local Com¬ 
mittee to the printed form of requirement; the deputation of the 
Society, if they think fit, having authority to conclude all ar¬ 
rangements. 
EARLY CHICKENS. 
There are fanciers whose interest in their poultry yards i3 
spasmodic, it comes with the great shows and soon effervesces. 
If they are to have any success at them it must be bought by the 
purchase beforehand of the best birds of the year. This kiud of 
fancy has no fascination for us. There are other fanciers whose 
chief charm it is to watch the slow and gradual progress of their 
pets from the egg to maturity, who take as much pains with the 
newly hatched mongrel as with their last cup-winner, and who 
find no weariness in the year-long routine of care and attention 
which poultry, like all other live stock, must have if they are to 
be successful and remunerative. These are our ideal fanciers, 
and for them we are always writing at the risk of becoming 
tedious, and recurring year by year to the same topics. Years do 
not vary much, and there must necessarily be some sameness in 
the breeder’s yearly occupation. Our experience, however, in¬ 
creases, and if we simply relate each year the regime of our own 
yards, changes which we have found it well to make, and hints 
which we have here and there acquired may be profitable to 
others. 
The exhibition season seems but just over, yet it is high time to 
turn our attention to the coming year of the poultry yard and 
its hopes. Of course, it is not absolutely necessary to have 
January and February chickens ; this, however, depends upon 
the breeds we keep. Asiatics develope slowly and grow long. 
We fancy that the famous champions of the show pen have 
generally first seen light in very short days. The great autumn 
winners of other breeds will possibly not be hatched till March 
or April. We have sometimes had great success with birds not 
hatched till the middle of April. Such are, however, the ex¬ 
ceptions, and have in our own case been generally on peculiarly 
large and free runs, and kept in very small batches. We do not 
like to be behindhand, however. Thus far the season has been 
temptingly lovely for chickens, and unless some peculiarly wither¬ 
ing late winter comes, we shall expect to see great competition at 
the early poultry shows. Those who have no chickens this 
month can hardly calculate upon seeing real spring chickens on 
their table, or upon entering the lists at summer exhibitions. 
For tho ; e who are sufficiently provident and fortunate to have 
broods already, here are a few hints. Thus far our eggs promise to 
be fertile in much larger proportion than they have been of late 
years ; broods will therefore be large, and will require all the 
more attention. It is much easier to rear three or four chickens 
under a hen than six or eight. One of the first points constantly 
forgotten or thought unnecessary is absolute cleanliness in the 
coop, the ground under it, and all its surroundings. We find 
people fussing over all kinds of food for their pets, but ignoring 
this sine qua non. Every coop used before must be thoroughly 
scrubbed and disinfected, and fresh soil brought to the chicken 
sheds. Too often we see the unfortunate little creatures running 
about on floors polluted by the crowd of last autumn’s stock. 
Success is quite impossible in such cases. A little animal food, 
too, at this early time is requisite. The hens can seldom in 
February be let loose to scratch and cater for their broods in the 
way of worms and insects. Their want must be supplied by a 
little meat minced fine. It should be given as a separate feed 
once a day. Never mix up such delicacies with their ordinary 
food : they will pick them out, leaving the rest, and afterwards, 
being disgusted at not finding their food always so seasoned, will 
refuse it and mope. For the first ten days chickens generally eat 
greedily anything and everything given them, then comes a time 
when they seem to lose their appetite and only pick daintily. 
This is not so observable in summer when they have liberty as 
now when most breeds have to be much confined. The cause we 
believe to be in nine cases out of ten that they have not proper 
grit which their digestive organs require. Road scrapings or 
similar stuff must be sifted over the floors of their houses ; or if 
(which we do not recommend), they are obliged from circum¬ 
stances to be kept on boards, little trays of gravel must be pro¬ 
vided. Green food, too, is very essential, and chickens cannot 
thrive without it; if one watches the little things let loose upon 
a piece of turf they are in an instant busy grazing. If, therefore, 
during bad weather chickens are kept from the daily airing, 
which they ought to have otherwise, a turf must be supplied to 
them, or a little chopped grass mixed with their food. There is 
a caution, however, to be observed in turning them out while the 
hoar frost is on the grass—they should not on any account be 
allowed to go near it. Their little feet otherwise get cramped 
and twisted, and their toes are often distorted for life. We need 
scarcely again give directions for the mixing of chickens’ food 
we have so often given our recipes. It must be light and crumbly, 
and never given in such quantities as to lie about and disgust 
them. 
There is much difference of opinion as to whether any water 
should be given to chickens in their early days. Some great and 
successful breeders allow them none for many weeks. A gentle¬ 
man who has reared hundreds on this system and who strongly 
believes in it was kind enough to draw up a statement for us of 
