Ukcembeh 1(). 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
not escapo tlie judges’ eyes, and satisfied tliem that they 
were mongrels. 
I think I have said enough to show that the Cochin-Chinas 
cannot have inuoli preference over the Doi’kings, whatever 
they may have over other fowls; liut I hope some of my 
black Spanish friends will let us hear something of their 
merits, and not let the Cochin-Chinas carry the laurels 
which they really do not deserve; and I am certain the time 
is not far hence when the good old Dorking will again 
assume the same place as she has done for so many years, 
viz., second to no fowl as yet known. —Faihpi.ay. 
[Our correspondent certainly had not pure short-legged 
Shanghae’s, and he forgets all their good (qualities so fri^- 
cpiently pointed out in our columns.—En. C. 0.] 
HONEY HARVEST IN SOUTH LINCOLNSHIRE. 
T T.VKE much interest in reading the remarks in The 
Cottage Gakdener by Bee-keepers, and if you think well, 
T will add my share to the information that has alreaily 
appeared in your columns, on the past season. 
Tlic year has been a very peculiar one with us, in the 
south of Lincolnshire, and tlie adjoining county of Rutland ; 
.and from thirty apiaries with which I am acquainted, tliere 
has been, with one or two exceptions, but little produce. In 
some of tlie villages in Rutland the swaming began early. 
I lieard of several swarms on the 9th of Jlay. In one 
village, which is well wooded, and where the clover was very 
good, the harvest was considered an average one. 'I'he 
coU.ager who commenced the year with eight stocks, had 
nineteen swarms and casts, and obtained 18(ilbs. of clear 
honey, after leaving the same number of hives that ho 
began witli, well provided for the winter. I liave, however, 
heard of no success equal to this. 
illy tirst swarm was on tlie hlh of .Tune, and this T was 
obliged to feed considerably. It had IHlbs. fioz. of contents 
on the 1st of October. Tlie others did not issue till a 
fortnight after this ; and one, a large one, was hived on the 
(Itli of July, which collected (piite as much as that which 
came ofi' a month earlier. In many instances, I have 
understood, that the late swarms did better than the early 
ones; and this, no doubt, was owing to the unfavourable 
weather in .luiie, at the end of which month many hives 
were lighter than at the beginning. My hives gained in 
weight about the middle of M.ay; fori find that the hive 
that swarmed first collected lib. loz. on the 17th of that 
month. There was no real working weather after this 
till the fil’d of July, when they began to gain immensely. 
A hive, belonging to a friend of mine, collected (ilbs. !)oz. 
on that day. 
f put one swarm in the place of the parent stock, accord¬ 
ing to the “ Gouiitry Curate’s” directions. This weighed 
.filbs. 7oz. in the evening. I was, however, surprised to 
find, that scarcely a bee left the parent-hive until the third 
day after removal; and I should be glad if he would inform 
me, and one or two others, who take in The Cottage Gar¬ 
dener, and have tried the experiment with a similar result, 
if this is .always the case; as, if so, the swarm is not likely 
to be much strengthened when it issues late in the day. 
In one of my hives which did not swarm, 1 found, at the 
end of the season, two (|neens, and a large quantity of 
brood. 1 knew the (jueen to be three years old ; and this, 
therefore, is a proof that they renew their queens when 
necessary; in which ease the natural animosity that exists 
is suppressed. I saw a more striking instance of this in an 
observatory hive, where two queens lived amicably together 
for three or four months, both being fruitful during part 
of the time ; and the old (pieen expired early in the year. 
I should be glad to know if the “Country Curate” has 
an observatory hive; and, if so, how ho contrives to keep 
it during the winter. I have one in my sitting-room 
(where I have a fii-e. daily), which is now in a very healthy 
condition, and well-populated. I helped to swell the popu¬ 
lation by placing a quantity of brood on the top of the hive 
in September, which the bees gladly nursed, and as they 
removed honey which I gave, them into the box and added 
fresh comb, I have allowed it to remain, and it will, no 
no doubt, greatly .add to their comfort and prosperity'.— 
Observer. 
DISEASES OE POULTRY. 
TNFLAJIJIATION OF TIIF. EGG PASSAGE. 
[Although the following case terminated fatally, yet, if the 
judicious treatment had been adopted earlier, the result, i 
probably, would have been ditferent. At all events, even | 
failures act as warnings.] ; 
_ Having at the present time a favourite Cochin hen affected ' 
with inflammation of the egg passage (at least as far as T i 
can judge from the symptoms), and being desirous of ' 
restoring her, I shall be pleased to know if any better mode 
of treatment could be reeomnionded than the following. 
In the first place I will state, perceiving the hen unusually 
j dull on Saturday morning, led me to examine her with a 
I view of ascertaining the cause, when I found the egg bag 
i much distended; so much so, that I was led to suppose at 
; first she could not pass the egg. I at once put her into a 
' warm bath, immersing her for alioiit ten minutes up to the 
I under part of the wings ; after which 1 made another exami 
nation, and finding that instead of the bag containing the 
egg as I at first supposed, it had become distended and very 
i hard. I then gave her a dose of castor oil, which cleared 
' the bowels freely. At night I administered one grain of 
' calomel, and one-eighth grain of tartar emetic, made into 
a pill with linseed powder, which, with the warm bath, has 
been repeated every night. 'This evening I iind the par! 
much softer, and the hen appears rather more cheei tiil. 1 
intend repeating the pill and w.arm bath. In your next, ( 
will report again as to my success, or otherwise; in the mean 
time, I sh.all be pleased to have some person's opinion who 
has had more experience in such matters; should the treat 
raent mentioned prove serviceable to others, I shall not 
regret having communicated it. — .4 SmscRiBEU. 
[I do not think that any much better mode of treatment 
could bo adopted than that above indicated ; it would, louv I 
ever, have been more in accordance with ordinary treatmenl, i 
if the dose of castor oil had been given after, instead oi' 
before the calomel and antimony, as in that, case the 
increased secretions caused by these medicines would have ‘ 
been carried off by the aperient. I should think the warm i 
b.ath adv.antageous if given without exciting the hen, and 
care afterwards taken to keep her very warm.—AY. 
’Tegetineir.] 
As the Cochin hen died this afternoon, I considered it 
would be as well to furnish you with a few more particulai’s 
for the guidance of your friend. On 'Thursday I omitted 
the bath, and as the bowels were irritated, and secretions 
less healthy, gave, calomel one grain, .antim. tart, one- 
twelfth grain, confection of opium sufficient to form a pill. 
Yesterday the bowels were less irritated; gave hydr. cum i 
crota three grains, rhubarb three grains, compound powder 
of cinnamon two grains, formed into a pill with crumbs of 
bread. This morning perceived that the hen was sinkin;’;, 
and a few more hours would close the scene. .4 few hour:; 
after the hen died. I made a careful examination of her ; 
found the oviduct much inflamed and thickencil, and of 
cartilaginous appearance; the whole of the viscera with that 
exception was quite healthy. 1 will add, there was plenty i 
of gravel and a manure heap in the yai’d, to which the fowl ! 
have free access.—A Subscriber. 
[I do not think that anything could have been better than 
the treatment adopted throughout tliis case; and had the i 
disease been one of acute recent inflammation, there would 
have been every pi’obability of a successful termination. 
The cartilaginous thickening of the oviduct appears to have , 
arisen from long-continued chronic inflammation, which, in 
an advanced state, I should regard as incurable. It would 
be interesting to know how long the hen bad ceaseil to lay, ; 
as that might afford some clue to the pei-iod at wliich the I 
disease commenced, and also w'hetlier she was a great layer, j 
As a hen had been lost jireviously trom the same cause, one 
might almost imagine that there must be peculiar reason 
for the disease. Alay it have been over-stimulating food ? 
or the over production of eggs? or want of rest for the 
oviduct, from the hen's not being allowed to sit'.’— 
W. R. T.l 
