186 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
still follow. These so-called Bantams often remind us of the 
“ miniature ” plants sold at bazaars and the emporia of watering 
places. In childhood we bought some which proved to be merely 
cuttings of large Cacti; they grew, and in time had to be ejected 
from a greenhouse for their size. In like manner some Bantam 
chicks grow till they might do duty for Game fowls or Black 
Hamburghs, but then the system of feeding is sure to be at fault. 
We may refer by the way to an observation which we have 
before made about Bantams, that the really old long-established 
varieties, as Nankins, Pekins, and Black and White Bose-combed, 
at least before the two latter kinds were by fancy required to 
have Hamburgh rather than Bantam style, do not show this ten¬ 
dency to inordinate size, as do Sebrights and Game and other 
more modern productions. 
Diminutive size is the first beauty of Bantams, and so to that 
the breeder must turn his chief attention. It must not be for¬ 
gotten that in-breeding helps towards the desired end. Here, 
however, we are not so much concerned with mating the parent 
birds, which should have been done long ago, as with rearing 
chickens when once hatched. Naturally our first idea is that size 
must be kept down by stinting food in the days of early chicken- 
hood. Experience has taught us that this does not at all answer. 
The chickens of all the Bantam races are for their first three or 
four days very hardy little creatures, then comes a stage in which 
their feathers develope with wonderful rapidity ; there is a severe 
drain on the system, and unless they are constantly pecking they 
will, just like little Guinea chicks, faint and die. Their food, 
however, while nourishing need not be productive of size and 
quick growth. When we should be giving oatmeal and Spratt’s 
food to Dorkings and Cochins, Bantams should only have dry 
bread crumbs. They are peculiarly liable to diarrhoea in their 
early days, and so bread and milk and soft food must be avoided, 
but plenty of hard-boiled egg given. 
Later on, when with the larger breeds it is our great object to 
keep chickens growing and chicken-like and to prevent their 
developing into cocks and hens, with Bantams it is just the 
reverse. Of course bone-meal must be eschewed, but they may 
have a little of the stimulating spices and minced meat, which we 
abhor in the case of half-grown large fowls. 
Another point which is absolutely essential is to keep Bantam 
chickens from all damp and exposure to weather. We have great 
faith in hardening chickens of the robuster races by letting them 
run out beyond their sheds in almost all weather. Here and there, 
we think, a naturally weakly bird dies, but the strong become 
stronger, and they are the birds to perpetuate a race. Bantam 
chicks will not stand any such treatment; they require a coop 
with boarded floor daily cleaned and covered with fresh sand or 
sifted earth. Coops with tray bottoms are best. Last year we 
lost nearly all our few Bantam chickens from their being put too 
soon out on the open ground ; a heavy summer rain carried them 
off when a month or six weeks old. Artificial mothers are just 
the thing for Bantams ; in them they can always get comfort, 
which many a restless hen ceases to give when they still require 
it. For this reason we hardly ever rear Bantams under their 
own mothers, but under Silkies. Bantam hens have not warmth 
enough for a good brood a month old, and are generally fidgetty ; 
large hens crush them, but Silkies prove admirable foster- 
parents. 
Lastly as to the time of year for hatching Bantams. Writers, 
copying each other and some old authority, generally advise that 
they should be hatched in late summer and autumn. We doubt 
if those who have real practical experience in the matter give 
that advice. The old country proverb that “ Blackberry chickens 
never thrive,” is, like most old country proverbs, very true. We 
have found it peculiarly true in the case of Bantams. They hatch 
soon, well, and strong ; but within a week, to our great disappoint¬ 
ment, in spite of bright weather, some mysterious craving comes 
over them-—they refuse their food, pick eagerly at dry leaves and 
dry earth, pine and die. Or even if this stage be safely passed, 
all through the autumn and winter they cough and sneeze and 
taint the ground and coops for early broods, and probably the 
best succumb, and only the larger and coarser birds survive. 
It is true that through a very dry winter on a very dry soil we 
have formerly reared Bantams which turned out very small and 
very beautiful, but such cases are quite the exception. As a rule 
we like to hatch them in March and April. In the cocks of most 
varieties handsome development of tail is required, and this is 
never to be seen in such perfection as in early-hatched bird3. As 
we have said, a little stimulant should be given to them when half 
grown, and both sexes may run together. Precocity is a deside¬ 
ratum instead of a bane. Our constant difficulty with early- 
hatched pullets of the large breeds is that they will cease to grow 
in summer and begin to lay. The sooner Bantams do so the 
better. We rejoice to see the lengthening sickles of still tiny 
cockerels, and the reddening combs of still tiny pullets.—C. 
POULTRY IN CONFINEMENT. 
Being still a wanderer and visiting the locality of “ the Sutors of 
Selkirk,” I was much struck there by a poultry yard on the road¬ 
side under wire, containing seven hens and a cock. Finer Golden- 
pencilled Hamburghs I never saw, nor in better trim. When 
standing and admiring them, the owner, apparently a workman of 
great intelligence, accosted me, and I found that under his care the 
birds were very profitable. Your most excellent Journal only reached 
me yesterday, and I regret to find a stupid error in my note on 
page 146. I inadvertently wrote feet instead of yards ; my run is 
16 by 3 yards under wire. Please correct this, and greatly oblige 
—An Old Farmer. 
Mr. S. Taylor states on page 146 that he has obtained 942 eggs 
in the season from nine hens, two of which he killed in June. This 
gives an average of about 120 eggs to each hen. It would doubtless 
be interesting to many besides myself to know with what breed 
(were they a pure cross, or what we should call mongrel ?), such 
results were attained, and under what management ? What weight 
of corn does each hen receive ? The particulars promised by “ An 
Old Farmer” will be equally interesting, but he surely must 
correct his figures.— An Inquirer. 
Fowls Unsatisfactory. — Will you, if possible, through your 
valuable paper try and throw some light on the subject of my fowls ? 
I have kept poultry above thirty years and have never had so few 
eggs as this winter, and even up to the present time have very few. 
The fowls do not look as they ought because they are always well 
fed, and the same people have attended to them for years ; but as 
chickens they made a sort of coughing noise or sneezing in the throat, 
and they never appear to have got over it, at least that is the only 
thing I can say to account for their doing badly. I have given them 
Beach’s food occasionally to see if it would benefit them, but all these 
things are very expensive. Can anyone recommend me anything to 
give them a tone and a start to doing better ?—E. P. 
Crested Ducks.—“ Constant Leader ” inquired last week as 
to crested Ducks. There is not, as far as we know, any distinct 
breed of crested white Ducks. We have seen specimens both here 
and in Ireland, but more frequently in Ireland. They could doubt¬ 
less be obtained without much trouble, and a little careful breeding 
would easily establish the crests as a permanent feature. We have 
often wondered that some fancier did not take them up.— Buff. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Hedges for Farms (Are Old Subscribe )-).—You will find an article on 
fences in our issue of January 9th, 1879; also on January 9th, 1878, you will 
find a practical article on the management of hedges in Lincolnshire. This 
refers to thorn or quick hedges, than which nothing can answer the purpose 
better where cattle are enclosed. We know the Myrobella or Cherry Plum 
grows quickly, but have not had experience with it as a fence against cattle. 
If any of our readers have tested its merits in this respect we shall be glad to 
hear from them. If you do not possess the numbers above quoted they can be 
had from the publisher in return for 7 d. in postage stamps, asking him to send 
you Nos. 878 and 928 of the Journal of Horticulture. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 32'40" N.; Long.0° 8'0" W.; Altitude,111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
Rain. 
1882. 
February. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 32° 
and Sea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
| Temp, of 
Soil at 
1 1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deer. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg 
deg. 
In. 
Sun. 19 
30.577 
41.4 
37.0 
N.W. 
4 2.0 
5 \7 
35.8 
91.2 
31.1 
— 
Mon. 20 
30.827 
36.8 
35.8 
N.W. 
41.0 
*18.2 
32.2 
81.5 
26.7 
_ 
Tues. 21 
3H.607 
47.3 
46.7 
N. 
41.1 
52.3 
36.4 
59.3 
36.6 
— 
Wed. 22 
30.643 
44.6 
44.0 
w. 
42.1 
53.4 
39.9 
76.5 
33.8 
— 
Thurs. 23 
30.42) 
43.0 
39.5 
N.W. 
42.8 
50.4 
42.2 
51.1 
40.4 
— 
Friday 2-1 
30.161 
41.2 
39.8 
N.E. 
42.5 
49.4 
40.0 
86.9 
38 5 
0.018 
Satur. 25 
29.870 
49.4 
46.9 
S. 
42.7 
53.7 
40-7 
61.2 
35.0 
0.232 
30.444 
43.4 
41.4 
42.0 
51.2 
cq 
00 
CO 
72.5 
34.7 
0.250 
REMARKS. 
19th.—Fine; bright throughout; starlight evening. 
20th.—Dull at first; bright in middle of day ; overcast afternoon ; barometer 
again very high. 
21st.—Slight rain in early morning; mild,dull, overcast. 
22nd.—Dull and hazy at first; fine, bright, spring-like day. 
23rd.—Calm ; overcast. 
24th.—Hazy and dark at first; fine bright day ; cold wind and dusty. 
25th.—Mild and rainy throughout, with a good deal of wind. 
Temperature slightly lower than in the previous week, but still exceptionally 
high. Strong wind with rain in night of 25th.—G. J. SYMONS. 
