December 8. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
191 
[“ Girtin, p. 05. The winged messenger no sooner finds 
itself at large, than its love for its native home influences all 
its motions. It immediately flies up into the clouds to an 
almost imperceptible height, and then, with great certainty 
and exactness, darts itself, by some unknown intuitive prin¬ 
ciple, towards its native spot, which is frequently at the dis¬ 
tance of many miles, bringing its message to the person to 
whom it is directed. By what visible means they discover 
the place, or by what compass they are conducted in the 
right way, is equally mysterious and unknown ; but it has 
been proved, by experiment, that they will perform a journey 
of forty miles in the space of one hour-and-a-half, which 
is a degree of dispatch three times sooner than the swiftest 
four-footed animal can possibly perform.] 
[“ Girtin, p. 60. Extraordinary attention was formerly 
paid to the training of these pigeons, in order to be sent 
from governors, in a besieged city, to generals that were 
coming to succour it; from princes to their subjects, with 
the news of some important transaction.] 
“ In Turkey they call them Bagatins, or Couriers, and (ho 
Turks and Persians make a common practice of breeding 
this sort of Pigeons in their Seraglios, where there is one, 
whose business it is to feed and train these birds for the 
use afterwards designed, which they do in this manner: 
when a young one flies very hard at home, and is come to 
its full strength, they carry it in a basket, or otherwise, 
about lialf-a-mile from home, and there they turn it out; 
after this they will carry it a mile, then two, four, eight, ten, 
twenty, and so on, till at length they will return from the 
farthest parts of the kingdom This practice is of admir¬ 
able use ; for every Bashaw has generally a basket full of 
these pigeons sent him from the grand Seraglio, mid in 
case of any insurrection, or other emergent occasion, he 
braces a letter under the wings of a pigeon, whereby its 
flight is not in the least incommoded, and immediately 
turns it loose, but for fear of their being shot, or struck 
by a hawk, they generally dispatch five or six; so that 
by this means dispatches are sent in a more safe and 
speedy method than could possibly be otherwise contrived. 
“ N.B.—If a pigeon be not practised when young, the 
best of them will ily hut very indifferently, and may very 
possibly be lost.’’ 
[“ Girtin, p. 07. In the East, they formerly kept relays 
of these Pigeons in constant readiness to carry expresses to 
all parts of the country. When the Governor of Dalmatia 
heard the news of the death of Orillo, he let fly a pigeon, 
under whose wing he had fastened a letter; this fled to 
Cairo, from whence a second was dispatched to another 
place, as was customary, so the death of Orillo was made 
known to all Egypt in the space of a few hours ; but the 
simple use of them was known in very early times. When 
Modena was besieged, Brutus, within the walls, kept an 
uninterrupted correspondence with Hirtius without, and 
this by the assistance of pigeons, setting at nought every 
stratagem of the besieger, Anthony, to stop these winged 
couriers. In the times of the Crusades, there are many 
many instances of these birds being made useful in the 
service of war. Tasso relates one during the siege of Jeru¬ 
salem ; and Joinville another, during the crusade of St. 
Louis.’’]— Eaton’s Treatise on Domestic Piyeons. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
*** We request that no one will write to the departmental writers of 
Tnn Cottage Gardener. It gives them unjustifiable trouble and 
expense. All communications should be addressed “ To the Editor of 
the Cottage Gardener, 2, Amen Corner, Paternoster Row, London.” 
Merits and demerits oe various Protecting Materials 
(D. B .).—By referring to No. 265, page 59, and onwards, you will see 
what Mr. Fish says on this very subject. He did not, however, feel con- 
petent to express an opinion upon Frigidomo, either as to its power 
thoroughly to keep out frost, and preventing a change of temperature 
beneath it, even when wet; as its makers tell us it really does ; nor how 
long it might last. If half what the advertisements say be true, it must 
be valuable ; and to satisfy many friends, we should be glad to receive 
some definite information concerning it from those who have tried it 
long enough to be able to speak from practice. Perhaps the article our 
correspondent of last week thinks he has invented will be best and 
cheapest of all. However, we should like to know more about Frigidomo. 
We would not advise you to fasten it on inside, your glass, however light, 
it must darken a house or pit. 
Locality for a Dairy ( H . S. Shrawby).—We cannot advise any 
one as to a place of habitation. If we were on the look out for a place 
such as you require, for supplying eggs and butter to London, we.should 
go first to look about the Crystal Palace at Sydenham. You will find 
our charges for advertising reduced in accordance with the remission of 
the advertisement duty. 
Uockwork (Loru).—Our correspondent wants “ some artificial roclc- 
worlc for the pedestal of a fountain in a conservatory ; the water will not 
touch the roclcwork.” Now, if we were allowed to add a capital F. to 
this name, we might hit upon something handsome, and durable, and 
very cheap, that we could recommend with confidence, but the whole 
thing, name and all, is so dilferent from what we are used to, that we 
shall be glad to receive suggestions from some of our readers. 
Bearded Golden Polands ( A . B.). — The Polands have been so 
inter-bred in this country, that we should advise you applying to some 
of the London dealers who import these birds from the south of France. 
A full detail, however, of the characterisics of the Bearded Golden 
Poland, would occupy more space than could be here granted, but all 
that you require will be found in the “ Poland ” article of the “ Poultry 
Book.” In form, the cock should be robust and full; the crest, beard, 
; and tail ample; comb and wattle diminutive; legs bright blue. The 
hen has the usual feminine reduction irom the figure of her consort. 
The ground colour in both sexes should be a rich golden bay, regularly, 
I but not too heavily, spangled with lustrious black; in some instances.the 
j regularity of these markings approaches the character , of lacing, 
| especially on the wing-coverts. The more uniform the markings on.thc 
hen the better ; but the crest, hackle, and saddle of the cock, are bright 
orange, while shades of dark brown are interspersed with the golden bay 
of the body; so that the spangle is seldom so distinct as in the female. 
The tail should be richly bronzed, and the wings barred on the greater 
coverts. An admixture of white in the crests of both sexes has not, 
hitherto, been thought objectionable, though it seems to us to convey a 
mealy appearance. There can, however, be no question as to the good 
effect of an entirely white crest, were that attainable.—W. 
Bees.— A . enquires—“ What are the immediate effects of the loss of a 
queen under the following circumstances : —1st., When a young queen, 
the undisputed sovereign, is lost during her absence from the hive ? 2nd., 
When the young queen dies in the hive before she has deposited any eggs ? 
3rd., When the old queen dies during winter, at a time there is no 
infant brood ? and 4th., When she dies of old age, leaving a successor 
about to be hatched, or already at liberty ? Under this last head, a most 
remarkable observation was communicated in The Cottage Gardener 
of December 16, 1852. I would also enquire, though I am aware the 
hypothesis is a startling one—Do the bees, under any circumstances, 
through an aberration of instinct, or what might be considered a high 
development of instinct, destroy their own queen ?” In replying to “ A’s ” 
first question, which must allude to a cast, or second swarm (for the 
queen of a prime swarm does not leave the hive), it may be said that 
great confusion immediately ensues, and which ends in the bees leaving 
the hive, ami joining their parent or some other stock. To his second 
question, the same answer may be given. At what time, precisely, the 
third occurs, it is impossible to say, for there is nothing observable in 
the bees to indicate it; but, as the spring advances, a general apathy 
amongst them may be observed—little or no pollen is carried into the 
hive j and, by little and little, the bees waste in numbers till none are left; 
or, not unfrequently, they take the advantage of the first warm day to 
leave the hive in a body and join another stock. Neither is an answer to 
the fourth to be ascertained; for during the change of queens in this 
manner all is peace and quiet. As to the bees destroying their reigning 
queen, it is a thing, of all others, the most improbable. Supernumerary 
queens, it is well known, are always destroyed by the bees as soon as the 
last swarm for the season has left the parent hive.—.1. H. P. 
Bees. —“ A Lady, having taken the honey without destroying the bees in 
a hive, wishes to know when she ought to commence feeding them, and 
what food to give ?” If the bees are alive, which is very doubtful, begin 
to feed immediately : give the following.—one pound of loaf-sugar, one 
quarter-of-a-pint of water, and one quarter-of-a-pound of honey simmered 
together over a slow fire till the sugar is melted ; give each hive a pound 
of this syrrup per week ; feed at the top of the hive, but not during severe 
frost.—J. H. P. 
Canker, or Putrid Sore Throat in Pigeons ($. J.).—Mr. Eaton 
says—” With regard to cure : take half-an-ounee of burnt alumn, half-an- 
ounce of gunpowder, a gill of best white wine vinegar, and mix them 
well together ; take oneof your pigeon flight or tail feathers, that you find 
in your aviary or loft, and anoint the part affected inside the throat twice 
or thrice a day. I do not object to raising the scurf, and cause it to bleed 
a ” very ” little, where it can be got at, believing it more effectual. I am 
aware there are fanciers who object to this, believing it searching enough 
without; you can try it without, and if it does not succeed, then raise the 
scurf a little. Although “ S. J.” only requires, in his letter, to know the 
cause of the young ones in the nest being attacked, and the cure, if 
possible, as I am on this subject, I think it will not be altogether out of 
place to mention, that old birds are not free from canker or putrid throats 
where fanciers are not clean in the keeping of their birds. It does not 
arise from soft meat in the old birds, but from dirty food and stagnant 
stinking water, which a fancier ought to be ashamed to let them have. 
It attacks the old birds in some way different from the young. It com¬ 
mences its attacks about the mouth and beak, but will ultimately reach 
the throat, if not prevented. I believe, where old birds that have young 
ones to feed, are fed upon beans, putrid sore throats less take place. I 
had a young Almond, a very beautiful, small bird, brought it down to learn 
to feed itself, gave it best tares and water, it would not eat, had to put it up 
everv night for a fortnight to old ones, as I supposed, to feed it; in about 
a quarter of an hour after was surprised how it was crammed, beginning 
to see fear lest it should get out among the flyers and lie lost, determined 
to watch the birds, as I supposed, that fed it so well, if possible to take 
them down, also put the young pigeon down ; to my surprise it flew over 
to the bean hopper, and eat the beans as fast as any of the old ones,. while 
it would not eat tares. I believe Almond and short-faced birds will eat 
beans if brought up young to it, and it is the best food that can be given 
to Pigeons, and prevents diseases.—M. Eaton. 
Delpuinum Sinense (/. S. A'.).— Any seedsman in the principal 
towns throughout the kingdom sells seeds of the Chinese Larkspur. Sow 
