THE COTTAGE GARDENER. AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October 25, 1859. 
61 
Read, T voply, lie lias misunderstood me—a mixed or impure 
colour may be equally a pure-bred Game fowl, still not a pure i 
colour; and, I admit, that symmetrical elegance and high ! 
animal courage, are the properties of all sub-varieties of Game 
fowls, but have nothing to do with purity of colour. 1!is old 1 
woodman might have backed his favourite lied lltickwings in 
the cock-pit, and in the main come off without much loss; but 
that would not prove Red Duckwing to be an unmixed colour. 
However, his illiterate old woodman would have been the last 
person I should have applied to, to solve a question in the j 
natural history of Game fowls. 
Your editorial remarks on my reply to “ One Wavering 
between Twp Opinions,” at p. 30, are not to the point. I 
have never stated that colour was indicative of purity of breed. 
What I did state, and what 1 maintain is, that a mixed colour 
is not a pure colour. Because the copper-saddled Duckwings 
are more numerous than the clear-backed Duckwings, does not 
in any way prove the former to be unmixed colours. 
Again, you say, “ The manner in which they may be pro¬ 
duced is immaterial; ” but it seems to me that it is of great 
importance, for a bird produced between a Duckwing and a 
Red cannot consistently be liehl as a pure Duekwing. 
I cannot, however, conclude this without noticing your candid 
acknowledgement of your error respecting the impropriety of 
the term Brassywinged Blue, as applied to a Red Dun. We 
are all liable to make a mistake, but it is not every one that will 
admit it; and I trust when you have reconsidered the case re¬ 
specting the Duckwings, you will not again misinterpret me, 
but acknowledge that a bird bred from a Red and a Duckwing 
canuot be a pure colour. 
I fear some of those who may write on this subject having 
Red Duckwings may be personally interested ; but to such I say, 
enjoy your own choice, I am no judge of other men’s fancies or 
preferences : all I say is, that a mixed colour is not a pure colour. 
Indeed, it seems to me so plain, that I am surprised any one 
should attempt to dispute it.—B. P. Brent. 
SADDLE OF DUCK WINGED GAME COCKS. 
Having written the paper on Duckwings signed “ One Water¬ 
ing- between Two Obinions,” I must tender my best thanks to 
Mr. Read for his interesting correspondence. Sure am I that . 
neither Mr. Read nor myself will ever take advantages of the in- | 
lierent pugilistic propensities of the Game cock. Yet I must 
confess that the old woodman touched a responsive chord in my 
breast, as well as in his, when he praised the “ warmint look ” of 
Game fowl. Still, however, I cannot let him off with the idea that 
Silver-saddles wholly want that look. The cocks which I have 
seen, I must confess, are a little clumsy, still very beautiful; 
the hens are out-and-out gems. For my own part I prefer the 
copper to the silver saddle; hut, like Mr. Brent, I know for a 
fact that they can be produced from a Black-breasted Red cock 
and the so-called Silver-saddled Duckwinged Game ben ; I 
thought they were a cross—that was my only objection to them. 
I have seen asli-coloured hens matched with the Copper-saddles. 
How could that bo ?—H. M., Glasgow. 
[It will be tedious as a tlirice-told tale when we repeat that 
the Copper-saddled Duckwings are a true and pure breed, and 
an old one. It proves nothing to say they may be produced by 
a cross between a Black-red and a Silver Duekwing. We know 
almost any bird may be made, but they will not reproduce their 
like. The manufactured birds of which you speak will breed 
Silvers and Black-reds, some few Duckwings; but the true 
Copper-saddle never throws back to a Silver. We have seen 
yards full, all true to a feather, and they have been so for 
generations. Look at the old cockfighting pictures as the 
pictures of Game cocks : you will find the Copper-saddle; and 
they are true and good in the pit as they are handsome in the 
yard. The hens you mention were probably a desirable cross for 
fighting purposes.] 
APIARIAN NOTES.—No. IV. 
NOVEMBER. 
Mr Honey-Harvest. —In The Cottage Gardener of Oct. j 
11th a correspondent, “B. B.,” has favoured us with the results : 
of his experience as to the honey-harvest of this and of past | 
seasons. Such reports are highly interesting and useful; and I 
hope that other apiarians will follow so good an example, that we 
may be able to draw comparisons between various districts. 
Having promised the Editor n paper on this subject, I cannot 
do better than carry out my intention without further delay; 
and “ B. B.” will see, either that his district is a poor one, or 
that there is some radical defect in his mode of management. 
His statement leads me to infer that the bee-pasturage of the 
district is the most at fault. My apiary at the commencement of 
this vear consisted of nine stocks in various kinds of hives—all, 
with* two exceptions, strong and prosperous. These were subse¬ 
quently increased to sixteen hives by the addition of swarms, 
either purchased or from my own colonies. Below I give the 
results of each separately :— 
ESTABLISHED STOCKS. 
No. 
Description. 
Remarks. 
Nett wht. 
taken. 
1 
2 
4 
G 
i 
8 
9 
10 
11 
Cottage hive... 
Cottage hive... 
Flat-top straw 
Box hive . 
Adjuster hive 
Cottage hive... 
Flat straw hive 
Cottage hive... 
Cottage hive... 
' 
Nethered, Taylor’s plan. 
Bees driven out for artificial swarm. 
Stewarton Supers two boxes (also threw 
off a fine swarm) . 
Straw hive and brood comb of No. 2, put 
on after bees were driven out. 
One super of purest possible honeycomb... 
Swarming being delayed, a nadir was 
jriven . 
( Stewarton super—-purehoney 39lbs.... . 
Nether box of No. 1 put on as a super ' 
( and sent to the heath, 1[ lbs. ) 
Bell-glass (also threw a swarm). 
( 1st. Octagonal glass box 28 lbs.) 
[2nd. Do. do. 17 lbs.)' 
lbs. ozs. 
11 0 
o o 
21 0 
15 0 
52 0 
8 8 
40 8 
15 0 
45 0 
211 0 
NEW SWARMS. 
No. 
Description. 
Remarks. 
Nett wht. 
taken. 
lbs. ozs. 
2 
Stewarton box 
Artificial swarm. Bars removed. (Since 
• 
filled up, and stocked with a Ligurian 
queen) . 
8 8 
3 
Globe ohserva- 
tory. 
Very heavy....... . . 
0 0 
5 . 
Stewarton box 
Bars removed. (Since filled up) . 
4 8 
12 
Cottage hive... 
Purchased swarm. Octagon glass from 
the top. Beautiful comb . 
25 0 
13 
Cottage hive... 
Purchased swarm ; a very small one ; now 
very strong and heavy . 
0 0 
14 
Unicomb oh- 
servatorvhiveiA moveable top of. Single comb taken. 
6 0 
15 
Stewarton box 
Swarm from No. 10. Bars removed. 
Empty spaces filled up . 
G 0 
16 
Cottage hive... 
Late swarm from No. 4, June 22nd. In- 
creased 221hs. nett in four weeks’ work... 
0 0 
50 Q 
. 
Net weight taken from swarms. 50 lbs. 
,, „ ,, old stocks. 211 
Honey from No. 6. Bees driven and united 22 
283 
With one exception all the hives remain very strong and heavy. 
From the above total of 283 lbs. must be deducted 15 lbs. of 
dark run honey, taken from No. G, and given partly to No. 11, 
to enable the bees to seal up some cells which were filled, but 
remained unclosed in the second super at the end of August, 
and partly to No. 4, which, owing to its throwing off a fine 
swarm, as well as filling a super of 24 lbs. weight, was rather 
impoverished. 
The greater portion of the honey taken was of a remarkably' 
fine quality, particularly that which was collected subsequently 
to the 20th of June. 
TnE Adjuster Hive. —The largest quantity taken from any 
hive was from the “ adjuster ”—a single box containing 52 lbs. 
nett (the greater portion of which was collected in four weeks) 
of virgin comb of beautiful quality. I gave a description of this 
hive in The Cottage Gardener in April last. It has this 
season fully sustained the character then ascribed to it. 
Supering v. Nadiring, or Netheeing. —Nos. 1 and 8 were 
very strong cottage lnves, and were both nadired, or nethered, 
giving in comparison with my other stocks but, very insignificant 
returns. In the case of No. 1, Taylor’s nether hive was used. 
The bees, though very numerous, were a long time in making up 
their minds to descend into the nether to work, notwithstanding 
guide-combs were placed therein; losing very valuable time when 
other stocks were increasing rapidly. At length they nearly 
filled the box with comb, by no means very white, and mostly 
empty; nett weight being only 11 lbs., and hardly any of that 
