396 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
ought still to be in good plumage. Later birds, too, of the past year 
ought by this time to have reached maturity, and to contend more 
equally than in the winter with older ones. Pigeons, from which it 
is desired to have good produce, should on no account he shown 
during spring or early summer. 
“ Gapes” in chickens is a mysterious malady. How and when 
the little red worm is introduced into the windpipe has never to our 
knowledge been satisfactorily explained; considering the great losses 
often sustained by poultry breeders and the still greater by Pheasant 
breeders from its effects, the subject is one worthy of scientific 
investigation. We believe that fanciers are indebted to Wright’s 
“ Book of Poultry ” for a recipe for its prevention, which at first 
sounds strange, but in which after a fair trial we are beginning to 
have faith. We have never been able from observation to arrive at 
any definite conclusion as to the cause of the destructive malady. 
We once kept poultry on a gravelly soil and were hardly ever 
troubled with gapes; on fresh and sandy ground we had it fre¬ 
quently, but on heavy loam for two years it was quite a pest in our 
establishment. On all soils alike it has seemed to devtdope after 
heavy rains. Some shrewd observer has reasons for thinking that 
it is communicated to the chicks soon after they are hatched, and 
can be prevented from passing into the throat by anointing the 
head. This remedy, if we are not mistaken, is one of the many 
valuable pieces of information to be culled from “the Book of 
Poultry.” The recipe is :—Mercurial ointment 1 oz., pure lard 
1 oz., flour of sulphur £ oz., crude petroleum ^ oz. This must 
be rubbed round the chickens’ heads when they leave the nest, 
carefully avoiding the eyes and nostrils. 
Nearly every breed of poultry and Pigeons is specially indebted 
for its improvement to one or two admirers. We observe that the 
gorgeous Archangel Pigeons, long not sufficiently recognised at 
many shows, have a champion in Mr. Arthur Allen, of High Street, 
Guildford, who proposes to arrange with secretaries of shows to 
give classes for the breed during the coming season. 
We have before us the schedule of the Cornwall Poultry and 
Pigeon Show, to be held at Launceston on June 14th and 15th. 
The classification and prizes are good. Pigeons are shown in pairs— 
a rare thing in these days. The Hon. Sec. is Mr. Henry Short, 
of Launceston. 
There has been of late some questions as to the heat required for 
the incubation of Ducks’ eggs, and Mr. Tegetmeier in his lectures 
at Kensington confessed himself not accurately informed as to the 
exact temperature necessary. We believe after several careful 
experiments that we have discovered it to vary from 102° under 
smaller Ducks to 100° under the large Peruvian Duck. The latter 
bird takes nearly six weeks in the incubation of its own eggs. A few 
weeks ago we put fifteen eggs of Polish fowls under one of these 
Ducks. At the end of the usual twenty-one days there was not a sign 
or a sound of a chicken ; at the end of twenty-two there was the 
usual rapping from the early and difficult respiration, and at the 
end of twenty-three days fourteen chickens duly hatched out. It 
seemed as if the lower temperature had retarded the development of 
the chickens, though not to their detriment, for we never saw 
stronger young birds, and they all hatched at once, as ducklings 
generally do. We shall certainly repeat the trial, but warn our 
readers that when the eggs are billed they must be removed to a hen 
or an incubator at once. The Ducks’ broad feet crushed and killed 
those we left under her; a chicken not being so flabby a little 
creature as a duckling, which is able to bear the weight of its mother 
without suffering.—C. 
THE POULTRY CLUB. 
A meeting of the Committee of the Poultry Club was held on 
Wednesday, May 3rd, at the Charing Cross Hotel. There were pre¬ 
sent the Hon. and Rev. F. G. Dutton (in the chair), the Earl of Win- 
terton, and Messrs. T. W. Anns, R. A. Boissier, T. Coke Burnell, A. 
Comyns, S. Lucas, and C. F. Montrbsor. 
New Members. —The following new member was elected :—Mrs. 
Ainsworth, Caton, Ivybridge, South Devon. The following new 
associate was elected :—W. Emerson, Fulbeck, Grantham. 
Club Rules.— The following additional rules, to be inserted in the 
schedules of shows held under Poultry Club rules, were adopted :— 
7, Any exhibitor who shall be disqualified at this Shov for fraudulent practices 
shall, subject as hereinafter mentioned, be disqualified from exhibiting at any 
show held under Club rules for such time as shall seem good to the Committee 
of the Poultry Club. Any person disqualified at this Show may within three 
days of the close of the Show appeal to the Committee of the Poultry Club 
against such disqualification, and in the event of the appeal being decided in his 
favour his prizes shall not be forfeited. 
8, Any bird disqualified on account of fraudulent practices shall be retained 
by the Committee of the Show for three days from the close of the Show, to give 
time to the owners for such appeal, and upon such appeal shall be forwarded at 
once to the Secretary of the Poultry Club, together with the Judges’ reasons for 
disqualification, in writing. 
9, Notice of the disqualification shall at once be sent to the exhibitor by the 
Secretary of the Show, and notice of appeal shall be sent by the exhibitor to 
both the Secretary of the Show and the Secretary of the Club within three days 
of the close of the Show. 
Shows under Club Rules.— Communications from the Secretaries 
of Portadown and Hertford Shows as to holding the same under Club 
rules were read, and subscriptions granted in aid of the funds of these 
Shows. 
Next Meeting. —The date of the next meeting of the Committee 
was fixed for Monday, June 5th, at the Charing Cross Hotel at 2 P.M. 
—Alex. Comyns, Hon. Sec., 47, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., 
May Oth, 1882. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Chickens Dying (A. R.). —We have examined the bodies of your chickens, 
but cannot undertake any chemical analysis for poisons. We feel inclined to 
think it is some disease akin to diphtheria from which they are suffering. Try 
the effect of an application of solution of nitrate of silver to the throat, or wash 
the mouths and throats well with pyroligneous acid. Give good stimulating 
food, and keep them in a dry place. 
Cow Unhealthy (G. II. <?.).—In the case described there is no doubt more 
or less of inflammation of the bladder. The following drink should be given in a 
quart of linseed gruel, and repeated every day until the beast recovers :—Recipe : 
Take opium cut in small pieces, 1 drachm ; camphor pulverised with spirits of 
wine, 1 drachm ; tartarised antimony, 1 drachm ; ginger and aniseed in powder, 
of each I oz.; treacle, two tablespoonfuls. The other case of swelling between 
the hoofs is probably 11 The foal in the foot.” This frequently proceeds from a 
redundancy of blood in the system, attended by some inflammation. To the 
small swelling may be applied with a wooden skewer butter of antimony, oil of 
vitriol, or aquafortis; then let the animal stand in a dry stall for one hour after 
dressing. 
Feeding Young Linnets (A Constant Reader"). —When intended to be 
reared by hand they should be taken from the nest when about ten days old, 
or when the tail has begun to sprout. They may be fed on sopped bread mixed 
with mawseed (Poppy seed), and a little hard-boiled egg. Some persons use 
rape seed, but if this is employed it should be first scalded and then well washed 
to deprive it of its pungency. Rape seed, however, we regard as too pungent 
and oily to be a wholesome food for birds in confinement. Hemp seed, of which 
all birds are very fond, is also too fattening and exciting, and should only be 
used medicinally. The young when hungry will stretch up their heads and 
gape open their mouths, when the food may be put in a small lump at a time 
by means of a flattened stick or cut quill. They require feeding often, and care 
must be taken that their food is never sour. Young cock Linnets are distin¬ 
guishable from the hens, as the lower parts of the feathers present a yellowish 
shade, whereas the breasts of the hens do not present this marking, but are 
more spotted with longitudinal dark spots almost running into stripes at the 
sides. 
Brahmas Fledging (R. T.). —Brahmas are frequently slow in getting 
their feathers on the crop shoulders, &c. We do not see any reason to suppose 
that there is anything more than this in your case. 
Tumbler Pigeons (J. S. L.). —This class of Pigeons is distinguished from 
all others by their revolving or turning a summersault backwards in the air 
while flying. They are very widely diffused, and there are several varieties of 
them. All, however, are very docile or ;easily tamed, light fliers, have Jpearl 
irides, and their beaks, though varying much in length, have a similarity of 
form, and there is a tendency in most of the varieties to throw birds with white 
pinions and a white mark under the beak. As a race they are very prolific. 
Sheep and Mangolds (J. J/.).—In feeding sheep upon Mangolds there is 
always a risk of disease by the stoppage of urine, to which they are liable when 
they get nearly fat enough for sale. This is accounted for by a deposit of glo¬ 
bules of sugar in the urinary passages and the kidneys, as ascertained by post¬ 
mortem examination ; and the worst part of this matter is that the sheep can¬ 
not be cured, and unless they are sent away for slaughter directly they show the 
first symptoms the flesh becomes impregnated with urine, and cannot be sold as 
human food. 
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. 
1RR2. 
1 O 
c3—. 
Hygrome- 
a . 
Shade Tern- 
Radiation 
d 
ter. 
S3 d 
d— 2 
perature. 
Temperature. 
cJ 
April. 
M 
& d^ 
In 
On 
May. 
Cj 
Dry. 
Wet. 
So 
Max. 
Min. 
sun. 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
dee. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg 
deg. 
In. 
Sun. 30 
29.778 
48.5 
41.0 
s.w. 
40.2 
55.4 
36.8 
104.2 
31.5 
0.102 
Mon. 1 
29.733 
49.3 
45.9 
s.w. 
40.0 
59.4 
42.4 
112.9 
36.1 
0.0.3 L 
Tues. 2 
29.930 
53.8 
48.9 
s.w. 
47.7 
59.7 
43.8 
106.0 
37.7 
O.i 37 
Wed. 3 
29.825 
54.3 
51. > 
E. 
48.3 
68.9 
45.0 
110.7 
38.1 
0.124 
Thurs. 4 
29.667 
52.9 
50.9 
N. 
49.9 
00.5 
f.0.4 
82.0 
473 
0.079 
Friday 5 
29.807 
52.0 
50.2 
N.W. 
49.9 
03.3 
45.8 
112.7 
39 2 
0.410 
Satur. 6 
29.899 
52.G 
49.9 
N.W. 
51.2 
64.7 
48.8 
118.3 
4S.4 
— 
29.815 
51.9 
48.3 
48.5 
63.0 
44.7 
106.8 
39.8 
0.783 
REMARKS. 
30th.—Squally, with sunshine and light showers. 
1st.—Showery at first, afterwards fine and bright. 
2nd.—Morning showery and windy, afterwards fine and calm. 
3rd.—Fair early, heavy rain 10 A.M. to It A.m. ; afternoon and evening fine and 
warm. 
4th.—Wet morning ; fine afternoon and evening, though misty. 
5th.—Fine and bright; rain at night. 
6th.—Dull at first; afterwards fine, bright, and warm.—G. J. SYMONS. 
