fie 
FEB. <8 
RAL MEW-YORKER. 
i07 
would stick to the wrong nest. It was but a 
battle in a bee-hive, and it ended as all battles 
perforce must, when all of the weaker side had 
been killed. When the bees were moved to the 
stand at night we “ took a peek,' 1 and found a 
good double handful in each hive. 
That was hut tho beginning of tbe troubles 
and perplexities which onr bees have caused us. 
One swarm went off out-of band Another staid 
an hour or two, just loug enough to set our 
mouths watering with a forotaste of white-olover 
honey—such a wealth of white clover as there 
was, too, in field and roadside!—when away they 
went. Another swarm, however, better disposed 
than the rest, settled down to work at once, and 
would, doubtless, have gone on improving the 
shining hours to the end of the chapter, had not 
tho junior member of tho firm boon possessed 
by an uncontrollable desire to see how the work 
inside the hive was progressing. Ho lipped back 
the hive to tako a look, the comb came down, 
aud the bees with it. Next day they came out, 
but., stopping to rest on a hill of corn, they were 
prevailed upon to enter another hive. But that 
didn't moan submission on the part of the bees, 
as the next day showed us plainly. 
“The beos are coming out!” That was tho 
cry which summoned us from “ Helen’s Babies.” 
Away went the bees over the fields, in spi o of 
numberless pails of water thrown at them by the 
junior member, who forthwith withdrew from 
the firm in disgust. A man and a philosopher 
might have stood quietly by and seen bis prop¬ 
erty thus take wing and vanish. Not so di' we. 
We thought wo had a right to know for what 
sort cf habitation the one wo had provided was 
thus unceremoniously forsaken. But home slip¬ 
pers are not jast the thing to wade through the 
loug grass with. They would come off at tho 
heel, and I had to stoop down to pull them on, 
and so-well, the long aud short of it is, the 
bees got away, and I returned to the “Babies” 
aforesaid, sadder and wiser. 
After a month or so, one of the first two 
swarms haviug, without avail, made a despe¬ 
rate effort to gain a respectable livelihood, was 
driven out by worms, but, with our usual good 
fortnoe, we succeeded iu capturing them. The 
next morning though, when wo went to see how 
they wore getting on, wo found an empty hive. 
The boes had, to use a figure of speech, 
“ Folded their icnts like tho Arabs, 
And as silently flown away.'* 
“Bees never rob when there is hnney to he 
got in the fields,” say the books. Well, ours 
did. And yet not oars, but onr neighbor's. Ours 
were the victims. Tho marauders began opera¬ 
tions about the middle of September, aud kept 
it up, off aud on, for a mouth. Only one swarm 
—one of tho old ones—gavo up “ beat,” and 
that we took up at once. The others were forti- 
fiod by narrowing the entrances, aud whenever 
victory seemed doubtful, we turned the tide for 
tho day by dashing on a barrel or loss of water. 
But each succeeding morning only brought the 
besiegers back to renew the attack, till, taking a 
hint from a friend, wo got ahead of them in tho 
morning, closed up the entrances to the hives, 
and sprinkled the would-be robbers, as they 
came, with sulphur. They left forthwith, but 
came back at the end of a fortnight, when an¬ 
other spriukling of sulphur brought an endur¬ 
ing peace. 
We still own those bees, and next summor 
they are to go out of their present box hives 
into others of movablo- frame construction, after 
which we shall hope for less trouble and more 
honey. 
(Ilir poultry garb. 
CARE OF POULTRY. 
HENRY HALES. 
WINTER WORK. 
The time will soon bo at hand when the rais¬ 
ing of young ohickeus will claim the attention of 
the good farm-wife. At such times the farmer 
himself is occupied tllliug the ground and plant¬ 
ing his crops, and to his wife and children are 
we indebted for the new-laid egg or the tender 
broiler, and for their sakesl will say a few words 
to tho farmer himself. During the stormy 
months of February and March, many days are 
not fit for outside employment; at such times 
get your coops mended and white-washed, ready 
for use wheu wanted. If you have not enough 
on hand, make a few more. It is trying in spring 
to havo hens hatch out their broods with uoth- 
ing to put them in. Some make shift with au 
old barrel laid down, and many a good clutch 
has had nothing bettor. But a barrel is a mis¬ 
erable thing; the chiekB settle down too much 
to the bottom part and many a one gets crushed, 
which in a properly made coop, with the flat 
ground for a floor, might he saved. I do not 
believe in board floors for chicken coops ; they 
always have a very nasty smell that is unhealthy 
for the brood. 
Make the coops square, the top doping to the 
back with lath slats in front, one loose so as to 
Blido out, for letting tho hen iu and out. Al¬ 
ways, however, havo a piece of wood for each 
coop, to bo laid down inside iu wet or cold weath¬ 
er, for the lions aud chicks to get on. Often in 
summer during heavy showers, the water gets 
under the coops aud drowns the little occupants. 
Have a piece of board about a foot square to 
each coop for feeding the cbieliH on, aud if you 
are living in a part where minks or weasels are 
around, have a lath front, with the laths so close 
that the vermin cannot got through; when in 
use, put this at the front of each coop at night 
and prop it up with tho feeding-board, to keep 
it from falling down. Sach a slat front is better 
than board, as it gives air aud ventilation, yet 
keeps the little chicks from gettiug out in the 
wet grass too early in the morning. During the 
day. it can be laid on tho coop out of way, and 
using tbe board far feeding keops the food clean 
A lot of old fruit or tomato caus cut down, 
make good water vessels for chicks. Prepare 
one or two for each coop ; by having these all 
ready, the poultry-keepers’ troubles aro much 
lessened at a season when many things are press¬ 
ing to be done. 
If you raise many chicks, havo light slat feed¬ 
ing coops; slats all around a plot about three 
feet square, with the slats wide enough apart to 
admit chicks, but not. hens. A few of these 
placed about the yard among the coops, allow 
the chicks to get iu and out without being dis¬ 
turbed by big fowls, so that when they urc left 
longer than usual unattended, they do not suffer 
for food. Those conveniences can be made aud 
stowed away till wanted. A little time oan be 
profitably spent preparing such things now, and 
when required, if found all iu good order, it 
makes woik go pleasantly. 
TIGEON SHOW AT THE NEW YORK 
AQUARIUM. 
The Natioual Columbarian Socioty held a show 
iu Now York, at the Aquarium, iu January last. 
Tho great variety of flue birds wero much ad¬ 
mired by the many visitors to this popular place 
of amusement. AH the customary marine won¬ 
ders were on exhibition, as usual. Few pecplo 
can associate the idea of a simple pigeou with 
the great variety of pleasing fyrim aud colors, 
to say nothing of the different sizes, brought 
together in this collection. There were little, 
tiny Tumblers aud Owls; fine Carriers and Pout¬ 
ers of great size and beauty ; Fatitails of several 
colors; Barbs. Jacobins. Nuns, Priests, Trumpet¬ 
ers, Magpies, lea Pigeons, Archangels, Romans 
of immense size, aud many otheis. To attempt 
any particular description of all these varieties 
would he too long a task. Tho contemplation of 
such a variety of birds, all bred from one com¬ 
mon parent stock, suggests what care aud skill 
can do ia breeding variety, in domesticated ani¬ 
mals. Some people are inclined to wonder at 
the prices asked for a single pair of birds of 
some of the rarer varieties, amounting, in some 
instances, to several hundred dollars for one 
pair ; but it is the difficulty of getting them up 
to this point of perfection that makes them so 
valuable. The price itself shows the rarity of 
6uch specimens. h. h. 
- - 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
The New Jersey State Poultry Society held its 
first meeting at Elizabeth, Jan. 22-25. Quite a 
goodly number of birds of most of the leading 
varieties, were on exhibition. A-duties were not 
as numerous a« at some show s, except Partridge 
Cochins, of which there were some beautiful 
specimens. Leghorns, both White and Brown, 
were in full force. It is natural enough for 
these varieties to tie well represented iu New 
Jersey, for it is from that State that so many 
fresh eggs reach tho New York market, especi¬ 
ally Leghorn eggs. A great number or farmers 
in that State aro now giving great attention to 
this branch of farming, and tho result is that 
many np-town grocers in New York City can 
supply their custcmcrs with fresh-laid eggs, even 
at a reasonable price. Fresh I .cghoru eggs are 
now a feature of the city market. 
Many other breeds of fowls were conspicuous 
at the exhibition—White-faoodSpiwnsh, Polands, 
Games, Hamborgs, Ply month Books, aud many 
others. Such gatherings as these encourage the 
breeding of various kiuds with purity and care, 
to which the farmer is indebted fur tire improve¬ 
ment of his Block, ii. ii. 
-- 
CROSS-BRED FOWLS FOR PRACTICAL 
FARM USE. 
At the Eastern New 1 York Poultry Show at 
Jamaica, two special premiums of i'll) and $5 
were offered by It U. Allen & Co, Water St., 
New York, for the most useful cross-bred fowls 
or chicks. Tho conditions were, that the breeds 
of the sires aud hens should be definitely stated, 
aud that the exhibit should cousist of at least 
two cocks or cockerels and two hens or pullets. 
Only two entries worn made, one of which did 
not comply with the requirements, having btKn 
bred from mongrels on one side. Of the other 
entry there wero four birds and, of course, no 
competition. This premium, I understand, will 
be repeated next vear. This will give poulterers 
tune to select their b’rrts and to matt) them for 
the purpose of breeding fowls to compete for 
this prize next season. It is to be hoped that 
this liberal offer wilt result in bringing out a 
good display of various crosses that will lie use¬ 
ful aud hardy birds and of good constitution, 
and prove a benefit lo the community, h. h. 
THE RURAL’S “ CRICKET” CLICK. 
TIE MOST H II,I,HI T OFFER MIDI BY ANY JOURNAL. 
SOMETHING THAT EVERY FAMILY WANTS 
AND SHALL HAVE. 
THE MODERN CRICKET ON THE HEARTH. 
We have been enabled, through the facilities afforded by our Experimental Farm (owned and 
operated exclusively for the benefit of Rokal readers) to make a Free Gift to our subscribers of a 
collection of rare and valuable flower 6eeds which have been enthusiastically received ; and this 
.gift on a still more liberal scale, will be repeated during the present year. Meantime, the Rural 
itself has been enriched in all itb departments, by the contributions from the best writers and life¬ 
like illustrations, demonstrating that our enterprise has not beefi at the expense of the paper. 
This policy has been responded to by our patrons so liberally in subscriptions that we have de¬ 
cided, after a caroful consideration, to make one more offer that shall 
ECLIPSE EVERYTHING! 
This offer is to subscribers, and anticipating the popularity of “ The Cricket,” wo have made 
preparations for supplying this exquisite little Time-piece on the most extended scale. We regret 
that every one of our readers cannot see tho “ Rural Cricket,” as it is quite impossible to give any 
desci .ptio’i of the premium that will afford a clear idea of its beauty, value aud attractiveness. In 
our^uiu of next week we shall give a faithful representation of it, and then all may form some 
idea of what we now offer. 
The “ Rural Cricket” is inclosed in a beautiful circular metallic case of elegant design, which is 
nickel-plated. The face of the clock is white and has & “second" dial as in watches. The works 
are securely inclosod so that no dust can penetrate'and harm their movement. It is like a stem¬ 
winding watch, in that it requires 
INTO ELEY TO WIND IT! 
and the hands are regulated without being touched. It runs thirty hours, is a chronometer-balance 
lever, jeweled, and it is guaranteed to keep as accurate timo as the best watch. 
IT RUNS IN ANY POSITION, 
on its face, on its back, standing up, lyiug down, on its side, in short, in any position. 
IM 
ORTANT! 
This is the first time this clock has been introduced to tho Puplic, and only after long negotiation 
with the world-renowned manufacturers, oould we have a clock produced that exaotly met our 
wishes. It is therefore unique, and no matter how many clocks there are iu a house, all will want 
this insinuating little gem. 
The offer is bo liberal that it will b9 no trouble for thousands to secure the most valuable pre¬ 
mium ever offered to the public without auy more effort than is required to tell its merits to a friend 
or so. The lowest price of the “ Cricket” is $2 50. We engage to forward it 
First, to anyone sending us the names of 
Two New Subscribers and $5.00. 
(which is the lowest cash price for two yearly subscriptions to the R. N. Y. alone.) 
Second to any one sending us aud tho name of one new subscriber. 
Should any one be dissatisfied with the “ Rural Cricket” after an examination, he may return it at 
our expenso and we will promptly refund the money. 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
78 Duane St., New York. 
