280 
THE COTTAGE GARDENEU AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, January 31, I860. 
for these Laurels, but much depends on their roots. Try younger plants ; 
no plant is more ornamental. 
Names of Plants (If. C. Blackwood), —Yours is Gnrrya elliptica. (An 
Original Subscriber). —Your plant also is Gnrrya elliptica. It is not a 
native of Australia, but of Northern California, whcte it was discovered by 
the unfortunate Douglas in 1827, who named it after Mr. Garry, Secretary 
of the Hudson’s Bay Company. There is a good figure and description of 
it in the Botanical (Register, t. 16'86. 
POULTRY AND BEE-KEEPER’S CHRONICLE. 
Denison and suite, visited the Exhibition in the course of the 
afternoon, and expressed themselves well pleased with the ar¬ 
rangements. The Show was also patronised by a large number 
of persons interested in the breeding and improvement of 
poultry, as well also by many other ladies and gentlemen. 
The prize Judges appointed by the committee were Messrs. 
Duncan Maitland, John Row, and Walter Bradley; and their 
decisions appeared to give general satisfaction. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
• 
January 31st and February 1st and 2nd. Chesterfield and Scarsdale. J 
Hon. Secs., Mr. J. Cliarlesworth, and Mr. T. P. Wood, jun. Entries ; 
close January 11th. 
February 11th to 15th, I860. Crystal Palace (Poultry and Pigeons). 
Set:., Mr. W. Houghton. Entriesclose Jan. 1-lth. 
February 29th, and March 1st, 1860. Ui.verstone. Sec.., Mr. T. Robson \ 
Entries close February 11th 
May 23d and 21th. Beverley and East Riding of Yorkshire. Sec., 
Mr. Fras. Calvert, Surgeon, &c. Entries close May 17th. 
July 18th and 19th. Merthyr Tydvil. See., Mr. W. II. Harris, 142, ! 
High Street, Merthyr. 
N.B. — Secretaries will oblige as by sending early copies of their lists. 
HATCHING DUCKS UNDUE HENS—MOVEABLE 
NESTS. 
It is a good plan to sit hens on Ducks’ eggs, as there is less 
trouble with them. They will hatch in twenty-eight days. I 
have had them hatch in twenty-six. I sat two liens last season 
on Ducks’ eggs, from which I had twenty-two Ducklings; three j 
were killed accidentally, but the remainder lived to be killed in a 
different manner. At two months old they weighed from 8 lbs. 1 
to 9 lbs. a couple. Their pan was always full of barleymeal, and 
the cost was but 3s. a couple, including the eggs. Whereas the 
same Ducks, if sent to market, would hare fetched 6s. 6d. dead. | 
The hen was most attentive ; a large board was placed from the i 
ground to the pond, to allow the Ducklings to enter. 
Your correspondent “ G. M.,” in your number of January 17th, 
may not have any moving nests ; therefore, I wosild recommend 
him to sit his hens at night. I have frequently made the most 
troublesome hens sit in this way. There is a superstitious idea 
among the country people in this county (Devonshire), that if 
hens are sat after twelve o’clock at noon, there will he no 
chickens ; but any sane person would repudiate such an idea.— 
W. B. E., Plymouth. 
PUEE HONEY IN OLD COMBS. 
Sometimes honey is equally as pure in old dark combs as in 
new ones. Some years back 1 exhibited at a horticultural show 
some honey from both kinds of combs. The Judges seemed to 
doubt my statement until they saw it drip from the cells. The 
honey was collected in the early part of the season, when in 
general it is the purest. One of the Judges was Mr. Savage, of 
Swaffham, of whom the Rev. Mr. Cotton speaks in his book on 
bees. I mention this circumstance more particularly from my 
having said, in my last paper, that honey from old stocks fetched 
only about half the price of that of new swarms. The difference, 
however, arises from the mixture of impurities exuding from the 
old combs with the honey. They come from deposits of pollen, 
and perhaps propolis, which makes the combs darker and tougher 
with age; and somehow they contain less wax than new ones, 
especially after they have held brood. 
While on this subject, I may remark that “A Deyonshibe 
Bee-keei>er” agrees with me in my observation at page 120 
concerning a mistake of a writer, who states that bees added 
about one pound of wax to a hive in the second season. Most 
probably other impurities were meant ; but this shows the 
necessity of care in expressing one’s real meaning. I have also 
to notice my differing in opinion on bees secreting wax from “ A 
Deyonshibe Bee-keeper.” But as neither of us seems to have 
anything further that is new to say on the subject, I will merely 
observe that none of his long extracts from other writers explain 
clearly how bees convert vegetable wax into materials for comb¬ 
building. Indeed that cannot be expected ; for, as I said before, 
the process goes on in their stomachs, or in some internal part 
of their structure impossible to explain: therefore, any attempt 
to go further would probably only involve us in the case of the 
two Scotchmen talking metaphysics, where one dinna ken what 
the itlier meant, and lie dinna ken himsel.— J. WlGHTON. 
SYDNEY POULTEY CLUB. 
The spring exhibition of this very useful Society was held 
in the Temperance Hall on November 1st. The exhibition 
consisted of on unusually large assortment of almost every 
variety of poultry, including Spanish, Dorking, Cochin-China, 
Boland, and Golden Hamburgh fowls; also several pens of 
Golden, Silver, and English Pheasants, just arrived in the 
colony by the La Hogue; and a collection of beautiful Finches 
from Port Curtis. The Black Spanish and Cochin-China fowls 
were some of the finest ever exhibited by the Club, ami were 
the objects of general remark and commendation. There were 
also a number of very fine Turkeys, which were much admired, 
notwithstanding that they were defective in plumage. Many 
of the Geese exhibited were remarkably tine, as were also the 
White Aylesbury Ducks, though one or two other specimens 
were decidedly inferior, one pen being scarcely equal to the 
common English breed of Ducks seen in every farmyard. It 
was a matter of general regret that the plumage of all the birds 
was more or less rough and unsatisfactory, and which would, 
doubtless, have been in a much better condition had the ex¬ 
hibition taken place a month or six weeks later in the season. 
The Rabbits, both as regarded their number and quality, were 
fully equal to those exhibited at the previous exhibitions of the 
Club. Besides the unprecedented variety of poultry that was 
entered as competitors for the prizes, there were several pens 
of rare birds that were not exhibited for competition. Among 
these may be mentioned a beautiful Nicobar Pheasant, a Golden 
Pheasant, and a Victoria crowned Pigeon, the property of Mr. 
Allred Denison; also, a splendid Golden Pheasant, and an 
English and Silver Pheasant, the property of Mr. Joseph 
Windred. A number of exceedingly small Burmese Bantam 
chickens, exhibited by Mr. Holroyd, attracted considerable at¬ 
tention, and were much admired. 
His Excellency the Governor-General, accompanied by Lady 
OUE LETTEE BOX. 
Over-feeding (D. B .).—It is very difficult to state the exact quantity of 
food that should be given to fowls. It differs with the breed, the age of 
the birds, and the season. If you see any food left in their troughs, they 
are over-fed. It is a very had plan shutting birds up in a small enclosure, 
and letting them have a run once a-week. They ought to have a run for a 
few hours daily. 
Incubators. —A correspondent, (Epsilon, would he obliged by the in¬ 
formation where either Cantelo’s or Minasi’s Incubator may be seen, and 
by the price being stated. You other query next week. 
Sending Eggs to the West Indies (Nemo ).—If we were wishing to 
send them for hatching purposes, we should suspend them singly in little 
nets from the roof of a cabin. 
Slight Defects in Breeding Stock (Lev. E. C .).—We should not 
object to breeding from a Dorking cock weighing more than ten pounds, 
and perfect in form and colours, although his comb does incline slightly to 
one side, especially as the hens are first-rate. We should not think this 
defect would be hereditary, and we should be strengthened in the opinion 
by your statement that the comb at some period seems to have been injured 
on the side to which it inclines. Do not force the chickens into rapid 
growth by extra warmth. Forced growth is the origin of many deformities. 
Hens and Pullets not Laving (E. J. B .).—It is quite impossible for 
us to say why your pullets do not lay, as they are Cochin-Chinas and Silver- 
spangled Hamburghs. The complaint is very common that eggs are scarce. 
Try giving them a little hemp-seed once a-week, and ale and toast once in 
the same period. Barley alone is bad for fowls. Give them soft food, 
such as boiled potatoes mixed with a little oatmeal, once a-day, and barley 
or oats once a-day. 
LONDON MAEKETS.— January 30. 
POULTRY. 
There is still an average demand 
remain difficult of sale. 
Each — s. d. s. d. 
Large Fowls. 4 0 to 4 6 
Fowls. 3 o ,, 3 6 
Capons . 7 0 „ 9 0 
Chickens . 2 6 ,, 2 9 
Geese. 6 0 „ 6 6 
Hocks . 2 G „ 2 9 
Fheasants. 2 G „ 2 9 
for everything but Pheasants. They 
Each— s. 
d. 
s. 
d 
Cock Turkeys 
.13 
0 
to 14 
0 
Hen Turkeys 
. 6 
0 
G 
6 
Partridges. 
. 1 
2 
1 
3 
Pigeons . 
. 0 
8 
0 
9 
Hares. 
. 2 
G 
2 
9 
Rabbits . 
. 1 
3 
i 
4 
Wild ditto. 
. 0 
8 
>» 
0 
9 
