200 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ August 26, 1880 
Honorary Secretary announced that he felt himself obliged to 
resign his office at the end of the year. Lest there should be any 
misconception, he wished it to be understood that his sole reason 
for this step was that he now found the work of the Club beyond 
his powers. He took this early opportunity of announcing this 
intention, to give the Club plenty of (ime to consider whether any 
change in the office of Secretary for the future might be desirable. 
GREEN FOOD FOR FOWLS. 
In good grass runs where the turf has been prepared from 
properly selected grasses and herb seeds, it is seldom necessary, 
unless in very hot weather, to supply fowls with any other green 
food besides what they are able to pick up there ; but all fowls in 
confinement, or in such runs as afford little or no supply of green 
food, should have it given to them in abundance at the present 
time, and less or more throughout the whole year, but more 
particularly when moulting and in hot weather. Some fowls 
are very fond of green food of any description, and others will 
hardly eat it in any form. It depends very much on how they 
have been brought up. Chickens reared and allowed to run at 
large for a considerable time in a field, are frequently a long 
time before they will even deign to look at green food when 
thrown in to them in a confined run, and they have sometimes 
held out so long in this way that we have been obliged to chop up 
refuse vegetables small and mix them with the meal. This plan 
of giving green food is a very good one, and may be practised 
with all fowls and under all circumstances. Chickens, however, 
which have been reared in confinement and under mothers which 
were fond of picking at anything green, seem to take to green 
food naturally, and with such there is no trouble, as they will 
eat freely of what is placed before them. When green food is 
scarce, less is used when it is chopped up and mixed with the 
other food than when thrown down in the rough. 
Another good way is to suspend it with a piece of cord about a 
foot from the ground, or just high enough for the fowls to reach it. 
They pick at this in a very cheerful way, and besides adding so 
much to their health, it affords them both amusement and exer¬ 
cise. No day should pass without fowls having some green food 
or other, and when they can supply themselves it is astonishing 
what a quantity they will sometimes eat. At certain seasons we 
have seen some of our birds prefer green food to all other, and 
they appear to live on little else. When green food is withheld 
from fowls the feathers frequently assume a dry withered appear¬ 
ance, which may relapse into something worse, and they seem to 
be particularly fond of eating each other’s feathers, and this in 
the case of show fowls is a great evil, especially with crested 
birds, such as Sultans, Polands, Houdans, &c., as a ragged top- 
knot is a serious disfigurement. 
In summer there are few instances where abundance of green 
food cannot be had of some sort or other, such as Cabbage, 
Cauliflower, Turnips, Beet, Lettuce, young Onions, and other 
crops which may be going to waste. But where green food 
is grown purposely for the fowls we would only grow Lettuce 
and Endive. These they eat most greedily, and they thrive 
better on them than anything we have tried, and we have tried 
all kinds of green food. The Endive we prefer most of the two, 
and so do the fowls, as it is very cooling and, being so bitter, is a 
fine tonic. Supposing any fowl not to be taking its food freely, 
if the leaves of the Endive are chopped-up and mixed with the 
other food, the difference in its appetite will soon be apparent. 
Plenty of green food acts more as a preventive and cure of disease 
amongst fowls than nine-tenths of the articles which are sent 
out as medicine. In winter or during severe weather it is often a 
difficult matter with many to secure a supply of green food, and 
then variety must not be much thought about. Cabbage, Brussels 
Sprouts, or Savoy leaves will do, and failing such as these, Turnip 
and Mangold Wurtzel roots are much better than nothing. 
Potato parings may also be included in the same catagory, and 
they are plentiful enough all the year round in most places.—■ 
J. Muir. 
VARIETIES. 
The monthly Committee meeting of the British Bee-keepers’ Asso¬ 
ciation was held at 105, Jermyn Street, on "Wednesday, August 18th. 
The accounts were presented and past. It was arranged that the 
“ Handbook for Cottagers ” should be supplied in quantity at a 
reduction. One hundred 40s., 250 or upwards 35s. per hundred. The 
diagrams 5s. per set to those taking not less than five sets. The 
other business was principally of a routine character. 
- Agricultural Returns. —According to the report for the 
current year issued by the Board of Trade we find that the extent of 
land under Wheat is 2,909,148 acres, Barley 2,407,831, Oats 2,796,905, 
Potatoes 550,931, and Hops 00,737. Compared with the return for 
1879 these statistics show an increase in the acreage of land under 
Wheat to the extent of 18,904 acres, Oats 14,287, and Potatoes 9587; 
and a decrease in the case of Barley of 199,345 acres, and in Hops 
of 934 acres. The total number of live stock is stated as—cattle 
5,912,046, sheep 17,187.816, lambs 9,433,908, and pigs 2,000,722, showing 
a decrease in sheep and lambs of 1,535,357, pigs 90,837, and an increase 
of 55,090 cattle. 
- We have received the July number of the “ Canadian Poultry 
Review,” published at Strathroy, Ontario. The Pigeon fancy seems 
to progress in Canada, indeed in the said number an article by “ C.” 
on Fantails is copied in extenso from our columns. 
- We are requested to announce that one of the treasurerships 
of the Poultry Club having become vacant, Mr. A. Darby has been 
nominated for the office by Mr. O. E. Creswell and seconded by Mr. 
T. C. Burnell. Members of the Club who wish to nominate any 
candidate for the office are requested at once to send their nomina¬ 
tions to the Hon. Sec. 
- We have before us the schedule of the Birkenhead Poultry 
Show, to be held on Sept. 8th and 9th. There are thirty-one classes 
for poultry and seventeen for Pigeons, with good prizes and moderate 
entry fees. The Staffordshire Society will this year hold its Show 
at Stoke-on-Trent on September 22nd and 23rd. The schedule seems 
much the same as in former years. 
- Harvest Progress. —The highly favourable weather that 
has prevailed during the past fortnight has been of incalculable 
benefit in expediting harvest operations. In the south many fields 
are cleared, and the grain in not a few instances is so hard and dry as 
to be in good condition for grinding. In the midlands cutting is 
general, but the crops are so flattened and twisted that as a rule one- 
third more time is occupied in reaping than if the machines could 
work in the usual manner. Cutting has also commenced in the 
north, and three weeks of similarly fine weather as we have recently 
enjoyed would enable the bulk of the English harvest to be secured. 
The barometer, however, is now falling with a much-clouded sky, 
and rain may possibly follow before the end of the week ; if it does 
it is much to be hoped it will only be in the form of a passing shower. 
Harvest work, says the Farmers' Gazette , is now going on in Ireland, 
and prospects are very much improved. The stalks of the Potato 
crop are beginning to show symptoms of decay, but there docs not 
appear to be disease to any serious extent. The extraordinary luxu¬ 
riance of the Champion Potato has been everywhere remarked. The 
hay crop is not heavy, at the same time the very moderate prices at 
which it can be purchased show that a scarcity is not anticipated. 
-Messrs. Read and Pell’s Report on American Parking. 
—Although this report is not yet issued to the public, a few copies 
have been supplied to the members of the Commission. The report 
consists of sixteen pages, and a number of statistics and facts which 
support or explain the conclusions Mr. Clare S. Read and Mr. Albert 
Pell, M.P., have formed are given in an appendix. With regard to 
the importations of live stock, the report states that whenever 
America can show a clean bill of health, and live imports are again 
introduced, a considerable trade in store stock will probably be 
developed. The largest portion of the report deals with the subject 
•of Wheat cultivation. The Commissioners, on this subject, state that 
the yield of Wheat over a long series of years in the States appears 
to have just exceeded twelve bushed per acre. For the year 1879 
the return of the yield ii 18.1 bushels per rcre. With a yield of 
twelve bushels the Western farmer could deliver from his waggon at 
the depot without loss at the 3s. 6<7. a bushel. In all parts of the 
report is noticed the aptitude and readiness throughout the United 
States with which the best machinery is obtained by the farmer, and 
it is pointed out that good machinery and improved implements are 
much more common on American than on English farms. The tools 
are lighter, better shaped and better made. “ It may be true,” we are 
told, “ that a good workman never finds fault with his tools,” but it 
