February 1G. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
389 
tlieir stings from leather gloves, it will be as well, if possible, 
to have the backs of them covered with some fur,—hare or 
rabbit-sldn, for instance,—having, of course, the fur out¬ 
wards. 
Knives .—The two following knives will be found very 
convenient in operating, more particularly the latter of them; 
without it, great difficulty is experienced in cutting the 
combs from the tops of the hives. The first is merely a 
strong knife, made square at the end, and sharpened at the 
end and on both sides, so that it can cut downwards or 
either way; the second is a thin rod of iron, about a quartor- 
of-an-inch square, having a lancet-shaped head, welded at 
right-angles to the rod, and sharpened at both sides also, 
! that it may cut both ways. Both these knives may be made 
of a good hard bit of iron. 
Sieves. —One or more perforated zinc sieves, according to 
the number of old hives to be taken up every year, must 
be had for draining the honey from the combs. A sieve 
of this kind may be readily made by nailing a circular piece 
! of perforated zinc to the hoop of an old worn-out hair sieve, 
or by making a rough box with sides, each about six inches 
; broad, and with a piece of perforated zinc for a bottom. A 
j common colander answers the purpose of drawing honey, 
perhaps, as well as anything. 
Blocks .—These are merely small pieces of wood of the same 
depth as the entrances to the hives, and are made use of for 
narrowing the entrances in the months when the bees are 
idle, and when the hives are likely to be attacked by robber- 
bees : they should be of various breadths, varying from 
lialf-an-inch to an incli-and-a half. Other and larger blocks 
will also be required for placing before the hive entrances 
in cold, or snowy weather, to prevent the sun’s rays striking 
on the already narrowed entrances. Small pieces of inch- 
stuff, about three inches square, answer this purpose as well 
as anything: placed in front of, and nearly close to, the hive 
entrance in winter, they, in connection with the hackles and 
jackets already described, will effectually ward off the sun’s 
rays and reflected light, and will assist in keeping the bees 
quiet. 
Sundries. —You must also have several pieces of wood, 
about six inches square, to lay over the middle holes of the 
stock hives when the top hives are removed; several flat 
pieces of zinc or tin, of various sizes (from twelve inches 
by eight to six inches by six), some, of the smaller pieces 
perforated; a small stoppered bottle of liquor potasses, or 
cold lotion; a bit of tobacco; and some bits of linen or 
woollen rag: all these, as well as many of the smaller 
articles already described, and other little things that will 
suggest themselves in practice, may be conveniently kept 
in a box in some handy place where they may be got at any 
| time. 
Painting, though not exactly “ apparatus,” seems a proper 
end for this section. Everything about the bees that can 
be, should be well painted ; things last three times as long 
and look infinitely neater in consequence. Painting can be 
done on fine, dry, mild days in January and February without 
injury to the bees. 
(To be continued.) 
SILVER-SPANGLED HAMBURGH’S CHARAC¬ 
TERISTICS. 
In a recent number of The Cottage Gardener,! noticed) 
with much pleasure, some remarks made by you in reply to 
a letter written by Mr. John Brown, of Birmingham, on the 
subject of poultry judges having some positive rule to guide 
them in their decisions, more especially as regards Spangled 
Hamburgh fowls. From the various and conflicting opinions 
we hear from persons who may be supposed to have some 
knowledge of the characteristics of this breed of poultry, 
and from the apparently extraordinary decisions we so fre¬ 
quently see at exhibitions, it is perfectly evident the time 
has now arrived that some positive rules should be laid 
down for the guidance of both breeders and judges. 
Having, myself, for some time past, paid considerable 
attention to the Silver-spangled Hamburgh fowl, I heg to 
request you will allow me a small space in your Journal, to 
express my ideas of what I consider constitutes the prin¬ 
cipal characteristics of this elegant and useful variety of 
poultry, and in my views respecting them, I know I am sup¬ 
ported by many of the largest breeders of this class of fowl. 1 
The general impression amongst the best breeders is, j 
that a perfect Silver-spangled hen should have a double, 
rosy, and erect comb, and not a lop-sided one, which we so 
frequently see; white ear-lobes, and, above all, every feather, 
from the head to the extremity of the tail, should be 
perfectly white, tipped at the end with black ; this, from the 
feathers over-laying each other, gives an alternate black and 
and white spot, producing in a perfect bird that beautiful 1 
spangled appearance from which this variety takes its name. 
The male bird of the Silver-spangled breed should also 
have a double, rosy, and erect comb, terminating in a point 
at the back; white ear-lobes, and every feather white tipped 
with black to the extreme end of the sickle feathers of the 
tail, but from the great length of the neck and saddle- 
hackle of the male bird, it is almost impossible to produce 
that spangled appearance on the back which we always see 
in the male bird, and it is from this cause alone that the 
Silver-spangled cock shows so large a proportion of white 
feathers on the back. 
Having recently seen a tendency among some of our 
poultry judges to award prizes to fowls in this class having 
the henny tail, thereby showing a more spangled appearance 
on the back, I beg to call their attention to this particular 
point, that the male bird of the Silver-spangled breed ought 
to possess the drooping saddle-feathers, which adds so much 
beauty and elegance, as compared with the cropped and ; 
narrow appearance of the henny-tailed birds. 
I am aware that some of our poultry judges will differ 
with me in opinion as regards the retention of the saddle- 
feathers, but I do know, that in the districts of Yorkshire 
and Staffordshire, where this class of fowls is principally 
bred, none but birds having the saddle-feathers would be con¬ 
sidered pure, and a henny-tailed cock would be said to be 
crossed with the Golden-spangled. 
This is a question upon which many of our judges are 
not agreed, and it is one that, for the guidance of breeders, 
ought to be settled. One judge awards prizes to henny- 
tailed birds, another will not notice them. So well is this 
understood amongst many exhibitors, that when the judges 
are known, they exhibit accordingly. 
Surely this ought not to be. Let us have some definite 
rules to guide us, and, depend upon it, first-rate birds will 
be produced. I hope you will render us your aid and 
assistance in endeavouring to settle this disputed question. 
—An Admirer of the Saddle Feathers. 
[We shall be glad to have the opinion of other breeders 
of Spangled Hamburghs on this point.—E d. C. G.] 
SILK CULTURE. 
The cultivation of Silk was confined for ages to China 
alone, and the Chinese guarded the secret from whence they 
derived such immense wealth with such extreme jealousy, 
that many of the ancient writers believed it to be a vegetable 
product, which we may infer from the following lines :— 
“ Nor flocks, nor herds, the distant Seres* lead, 
But from the flowers that in the desert bloom, 
Tinctured with every varying hue, they cull 
The glossy down, and card it for the loom.” 
Marsellianus gives a more correct description from 
whence the Seres produced such a costly material. He 
says, they have an insect, which they rear in buildings, spin¬ 
ning a fine thread; and tins statement becomes interesting, 
for it at once removes a mistaken notion that the Silk¬ 
worm, in countries where it is indigenous, is left to its 
natural state. On the contrary, wherever silk is cultivated 
as an article of commerce, the Silk-worm is artificially reared, 
and it is to the care of man for these little silk manufac¬ 
turers that we are indebted for their beautiful filament. 
It is well-known how reluctant the Chinese are to admit 
strangers, but, notwithstanding all their precautions, two 
Persian missionaries penetrated the country, and to them is 
accorded the credit of introducing this valuable branch of 
* Seres was the name by which the ancients designated the Chinese. 
