October 25. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
51 
fowls. For this detestable purpose a mixture of meal, 
milk, and fat of any kind is necessary. In the course 
of throe weeks chickens may he rendered very fat, and 
from a month to six weeks’ regular cramming is suf¬ 
ficient to render any fowls beastly fat. Seclusion from 
light and society aid the progress of fattening, hy 
causing continued lethargy. 
Capons. —The loss sustained in flesh and weight by 
not rendering the male fowls capons is very great. 
The matter is simple and easy, and the result of the 
process is, that the birds may be soon increased in 
weight to Bibs, or even 1 Olbs In former times capons 
were as common in England as they are now in 
France. Their flesh is very tender and delicate. 
Turkeys. —In Ireland, where the climate is less 
favourable to the rearing of these birds than that 
of England, which are so tender in their first stages 
of growth, though remarkably hardy when reared, 
large broods of turkeys are reared every year. Why 
is not this so iu England, where they might range 
over such extensive stubble fields in autumn, and be 
at all times as cheaply maintained as in Ireland? 
They require (until put up for high fattening) but corn 
in the morning, if they have the privilege of seeking 
grubs and insects, and seeds, and green food in the 
fields. Turkeys may be fattened by cramming, to 
the weight of 251bs. or 301bs.; but young birds of 
far less weight are much more delicately flavoured, 
especially if fed in the natural way. Swedish turnips 
boiled and mixed with bran will now assist in the 
keeping of turkeys, until they are put up to fatten 
with barley meal and potatoes, or meal mixed with 
parsnips, Jerusalem artichokes, or Swedish turnips, 
boiled. It has been calculated that two shillings’ 
worth of meal and potatoes is enough for a month’s 
supply of food for each bird, to fatten it to 181bs. 
weight. 
The most prevalent disease of full-grown turkeys is 
the pip, which forms a scab near the tip of the tongue, 
that must be taken off with the nail. Warmth, clean¬ 
liness, and nourishing food are the best remedies for 
the diseases of turkeys and fowls. Mr. Richardson’s 
advice on this head is admirable. “ When your 
poultry are sick, try to find out what is the matter 
with them, and then learn what is best to do for them. 
If they are cold, warm them; if wet, dry them; if 
they do not digest their food, give them a different 
diet; if they have the opposite ailment from rain or 
cold, or too much relaxing food, give them corn.” 
Ducks and Geese. —These useful hardy birds are 
troubled with few diseases. We have only to give 
them food enough. Ducks pick up snails and grubs 
in the garden, where they are often very useful, and 
both they and geese can bo maintained and fattened 
with very little aid beyond that which garden roots, 
cabbages, and lettuces, chopped up with bran, supply. 
Ducks are so gluttonous, that they will fatten on any 
offal; but barley or oatmeal, with potatoes, is the 
best diet to prepare them for the table. 
Geese should be fed for the last three weeks on 
oats twice a day, and barley or meal, with or without 
potatoes, and milk once. Tlio high-flavoured and 
enormously large liver of tho goose, so prized in 
Paris, is brought to that diseased and unnatural 
state by barbarities which shall not bo detailed here. 
As a general rule, with regard to economy, poultry 
should be quite fat before they are killed—it is at 
tho close of the fattening period that the food tells 
most. A lean bird, like a lean pig, will eat much 
more than when in good condition, and without show- 
iny the feeding. The frame-work of bones should 
he fully filled up, and covered with flesh and fatbeforo 
tho bird is killed, else there is loss sustained. 
THE BEE-KEEPER’S CALENDAR,.—Nov. 
By J. H. Payne, Esq., Author of “ The Bee-Keeper s 
Guide,” do. 
Feeding. —By this time hornets and wasps will 
have finished their work of destruction and pillage, 
each hive, therefore, must now be carefully examined 
and weighed, and should any bo found having less 
than 18 or 20 lbs. of honey, supply them immedi¬ 
ately with a sufficient quantity to bring them up to 
that weight. 
Floor-board. —Clean the floor-board of each hive 
by scraping it with a knife, and brushing it after¬ 
wards with a dry brush, and see that each hive 
stands firmly on its pedestal, and is well defended 
against wet; and, for effecting this (especially during 
winter), I have never yet found anything equal to 
the milk-pan, heavy and unsightly as it unquestion¬ 
ably is. I have seen covers of zinc used, but they 
are too light, and frequently blown off by the wind, 
and one night’s heavy rain at this time of year will 
very nearly, if not quite, destroy one of the best 
stocks A gentleman of my acquaintance has had 
covers of cork made at a cost of 30s. each, and very 
elegant things they are, but, after about 14 months’ 
trial, they are abandoned because they will not effec¬ 
tually keep out wet. 
Entrances. — The entrances to tho hives must 
now be narrowed so that only two or three bees can 
come out at the same time, for, at this season, mice 
are very likely to lodge themselves in the hives, and 
they are very hurtful and destructive to the bees, for 
having once fairly lodged themselves in a hive, its 
entire destruction will be effected by them in a few 
days. Mr. Huish relates an anecdote of having found 
a dead mouse in one of his hives. Pie says, “ In the 
month of December, on inspecting my apiary, I per¬ 
ceived a hive to be in an unusual bustle, and tho 
bees in great agitation. I was convinced that some 
accident had occurred in the interior of the hive, and 
I resolved to examine it; to my great surprise, I found 
a dead mouse on the stand, and it was almost covered 
with propolis (bee-bread). I at first resolved to remove 
this nauseous object, but on more mature reflection I 
was not willing to forego the opportunity of experi¬ 
encing by actual observation one of the most profound 
acts of foresight and wisdom which can possibly bo 
found in the works of the animal creation. What 
power'is that which taught the bee tho necessity of 
covering the dead mouse with a plaster ? It might 
have been thought sufficient to kill it, that their pro¬ 
perty might be saved, and then leave it to waste away 
in the common jirocess of putrefaction. But were 
