July 21. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
311 
should like to know whether any of your readers have seen 
the like. As soon as my first hatch of chickens were a fort¬ 
night old, you may have seen him brooding them for hours, in 
the day time, as well as ever you saw a hen brooding them. 
In one week more the hen began to lay, and, I suppose, he 
then thought she had something else to do, so he took them 
to the nest at night, and left her to sleep where she liked; 
and till such times as the next hatch was ready for him, he 
took them there every night, as well as every time there 
came a storm of rain; indeed, taking as much care of them 
as any hen in England would have done. I thought I 
should not have had his services as nurse to the next hatch, 
as he was so fond of the first, but I was mistaken, for he has 
made no distinction of chickens; and is now as careful of the 
second lot as he was of the first; and I can take them from 
under him, or put them under him, just the same as you 
could with an old hen that has just hatched, and I should 
not be afraid of trusting him with a brood of chickens just 
delivered from the shells.— The Poor Man’s Well-wisher. 
CONSUMPTION IN SHANGHAE FOWLS. 
All animals, natives of warm climates, are more or less 
subject to consumption, or ulceration of the respiratory 
! organs, when brought to this country. The Shangliae cocks 
j are not exceptions, but it is rather singular that we have 
i never seen the same disease apparent in the hens. 
When a Shanghae cock is observed moping, dispirited, 
and the tail hanging down, though the appetite at first is 
not affected, we have seldom been deceived in concluding 
that he was diseased in the lungs. In such case there is 
little chance of saving the bird’s life ; weakness, despite the 
most generous diet and cod-liver oil, continues to increase, 
though but slowly; diarrhoea comes on, the bird loses the 
use of its legs, and death soon follows. 
We have known instances where the bird lingered on for 
nearly three months, until wasted to a mere skeleton. One 
especial symptom is the dullness and departure of all 
glossiness from the surface of the feathers. 
One bird that thus died, and after exhibiting all the pre¬ 
ceding symptoms, was examined, after death, by F. J. 
Butler, Esq., surgeon, Winchester. The following is his 
report:— 
“ Body much emaciated. Upon the left thigh was a hard, 
moveable, conical tumour, confined to the skin. Upon 
laying open the abdomen, a large, solid, light-coloured 
tumour, as large as one’s fist, presented itself, filling up the 
cavity of the pelvis, and exhibiting an uneven and undulated 
surface, adherent to the peritoneum and intestines. On 
cutting into the tumour, it displayed a firm, dense, cheesy 
mass of uniform structure, and appeared to have had its 
origin in the peritoneum, becoming adherent to the in¬ 
testines and adjacent parts by the inflammation which it 
excited. At one point, the mucous, or lining membrane of 
the adherent intestine, had ulcerated and given way, thus 
producing insuperable diarrhoea and exhaustion. The lungs 
were also studded with tubercles of a similar character, 
though not in an advanced or softened state; a small 
tumour also exhibited at the upper part of the chest. Upon 
examining sections of the above deposits under the micros¬ 
cope, they presented a uniform granular mass, with a total 
absence of cells, showing them to be of a genuine tubercular 
or scrofulous nature, and, probably, the result of hereditary 
transmission, called into development by some physical or 
external circumstances, such as an excess of gallantry, cold, 
damp situation, &c. 
“ It would be interesting to ascertain whether the stock 
from which this bird was descended are healthy and long- 
lived, and if his immediate relatives are given to early 
death, as this was a confirmed, though complicated case of 
consumption, and past all redemption. The only thing to 
be done under similar circumstances, would be, upon ob¬ 
serving the first symptoms of drooping, to remove him from 
the hens, of which, when young, he ought to have but few, 
say three; keep him moderately warm and dry, and give 
cod-liver oil three times a day, mixed with meal or ground 
rice.”. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
\ 
*** We request that no one will write to the departmental writers of 
The 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.” 
Chickens Poisoned by Grubs (J. T.).—The grubs forwarded are 
those which are bred, and pass the first stage of their existence, in the 
night-soil of garden closets. At this period of the year they come forth, 
and pass into the second stage, that of a chrysalis, from which the perfect 
insect issues. Your chickens have doubtless picked them up, and have 
been poisoned by them ; another proof, if one were wanting, that sub¬ 
stances of a putrid and offensive character are injurious to the health of 
poultry.— W. B. T. 
Potting Azaleas (Dan). —These, healthy and filling the pots with 
roots, will no doubt harden at the points in a fortnight or three weeks, 
j and, in the circumstances, it would be better to give them a small shift 
then. A large shift after the first of August, though it would not pre¬ 
judicially affect the plants if well managed, would certainly affect the 
bloom next spring. Keep rather shaded for a fortnight after shifting, 
and then expose more to the sun, to finish the thorough consolidation of 
the buds, while the roots are getting a little fresh pasture. 
Giving Air to a Vinery (Ibid). —“ Which is best, a sliding sash in 
a lean-to roof, or a sash in the upper part of the back wall ?” The first 
will be best if the house is to be at all early, as thus the air will be some¬ 
what heated by radiation from the glass before it enters the house. For 
a late house it will signify less. 
Lemon Balm Wine.— J. F. is greatly obliged for the kindness of the 
Correspondent furnishing the recipe. It is presumed the “ Lemon 
Balm” is the Melissa officinalis, or Garden Balm. For anyone, but 
especially for invalids, some tasted last season was very good indeed. 
Archangel Pigeons (A Constant Reader). —These birds do not 
appear to be more subject to diarrhoea than pigeons of any other varieties. 
But when they are suffering from an attack of this nature, we should 
advise the placing some chalk in their water, and an allowance of hemp- 
seed.— W. 
Heracleum giganteum. — T. 71/. IT. says—“ At Vol. VI., No. 143, 
page 209 , you mention having seen a very large plant of this species at 
Maldon. I have one which I think exceeds it: it is more than eight 
inches in circumference at the largest part, and is very near, if not quite, 
nine feet high, in full bloom. It attracts much attention from those w'ho 
are strangers to the plant. 1 have several which have not borne any 
blossom; it is their second year. Will they bloom at all in future, or 
not ? ” Yes ; most probably next year. 
Bee Hives. — H. T. says—“ I use Neighbour’s Cottage Hives. About 
a fortnight ago, to give more room, I joined on, as a side box, one of 
Taylor’s Bar Hives, which had been used last winter. The bees took 
possession, and appeared to be doing well. Yesterday I looked at them, 
and found the box full of dead bees ; I should say the board was covered 
upwards of an inch thick, quite equal in quantity to a large cast. Can 
you account for this? I cannot. I allowed no opening, except through 
the hive, and that was about two inches wide by half-an-inch high.” 
Had you used Neighbour’s hive in the manner intended by the inventor 
all would have been well. The bees died from suffocation.—J. H. P. 
Bees in Bar Hive.— A Country Rector asks—“Can anything be done 
to make bees build in the frames of a Bar Hive ? I have boxes fitted 
with frames, but I cannot make the bees build on the frames. Neither 
can I make them take to the bell-glasses. They work capitally, and go 
in in scores, laden, but they deposit their load somewhere in the already- i 
filled hive, not in the glasses. What can I do ? ” A few pieces of guide- 
comb nicely fixed upon each bar, or frame, and in the bell-glasses, never 
fail to induce the bees to commence working in them. 
Bee-keeping. —Another Country Rector says—“I have only this year 
commenced bee-keeping, otherwise I should probably know how to act. 
A stock, which I had thought too weak to survive the winter, swarmed 
on June 21. Yesterday (July 2), a second swarm came off. The first 
swarm was hived in a box of tolerable dimensions, and are working very 
well, but the bees are very weak in number: ought I not to unite them 
with the second swarm? The original stock is very light; would it not 
be advisable to put all three together ? The further question I have to 
ask is, What about the queens ? Should I fumigate the second swarm 
