388 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, March 20, 1860. 
more mixed iu their plumage. They are large hens of their 
sort, and lay very fine eggs, though not nearly so large as my 
Black Spanish. For about three years their laying propensities 
were marvellous. Last autumn 1 gave two of them away, the 
third I kept, and she laid pretty well into the winter, and from 
her present appearance I expect her to commence again shortly, 
though she is now very little, if any, less than seven years old. 
As there have been so many inquiries by your correspondents 
as to the most profitable layers, 1 will, while upon the subject, 
say that I have now two very wonderful layers, cross-breeds, 
both by my Black Spanish cock, one from a Black Poland, and 
the other from a Cochin-China hen. The former the best, and 
she never sits—nothing but moulting seems to put her off' her 
laying. She lays on an average, five eggs per week, and has, 
upon several occasions, laid six. She is a small bird, and her 
eggs are only moderate in size. The other hen, also, lays her 
five and six eggs a-week, but she has constant fits of sitting, and 
is an excellent hatcher. I sat her on three successive lots of 
eggs last year, taking her broods away as first as they made 
their appearauce, and placed them with another parent, and 
though, at first sight, it appears somewhat cruel, I believe I 
secured her hajrpiness by so doing, and she very shortly com¬ 
menced laying again, and I find very little difficulty in prevent¬ 
ing her sitting when I do not require her. Her eggs are fine 
in every respect. 
I do not know whether this hen, Poland cross, is a fair 
sample of that breed, as she is the only bird I ever saw; but if 
she is, they are valuable, as she is a very neat little bird, and 
always well; though most of my birds have had the distemper 
twice, she has always escaped, and she possesses, too, a wonder¬ 
ful degree of instinct, for sbe laid two eggs on Shrove Tuesday, 
though, by-the-by, this is not the first time she has laid two in 
the course of a day.—T. C. 
I believe I have the very same sort of fowls as your Wor¬ 
cester correspondent, “J. C. H.,” on “Everlasting Layers,” 
describes the one he had some years since. I have two pullets 
and one cockerel, they are very short in the leg, comb single, 
and erect; plumage a kind of smoky ground with faint light 
spots. These three birds were hatched last May ; they began to 
lay about a week before Christmas, and have continued laying 
ever since, except about four or five days, when they began 
laying again. I would not lose the stock on any account; they 
weigh very heavy, and would make good fat chickens for 
market, provided there are more of a common sort kept for 
sitting, I have now three common hens sitting on thirty-nine 
eggs from the same two pullets, and if I have good luck, I shall 
feel happy to supply your correspondent with a pen of two liens 
and one cockerel by-and-by— Robert Day, Montpelier , Wal¬ 
dron. 
HOW TO OBTAIN A GOOD SUPPLY OF EGGS 
FOB WINTER USE. 
First, by preserving them in the summer for culinary' pur¬ 
poses ; and secondly, to get new-laid eggs for breakfast. 
First. The best situation to preserve eggs is a dark dry 
cellar, round which put tiers of shelves made from 1 or li-inch 
boards ; through each shelf boro rows of holes with a taper-auger 
just large enough to take the small end of the egg. The eggs 
must be taken as fast as they are laid, and put into the holes in 
the shelves upright with the crown-end uppermost, and there to 
remain until required for use. They will keep good for several 
months in this state if put up when first laid—that is, in a rough 
state—not shiny or glossy. 
I can assure your readers this is an excellent method of pre¬ 
serving eggs. We are now using eggs for culinary purposes 
which were put up in the hot weather last July, and they are 
sound arid good. The only effect time seems to have on the eggs 
so preserved is, the interior of the egg condenses; so that the 
air-space, or crown, at first is the size of a threepenny-piece, 
becomes the size of a shilling in seven mon’lis, while both yolk 
and white of the egg continue as sound and as perfect as an egg 
just laid. 
Secondly. To get new-laid eggs for breakfast in the winter, 
you must first get the best sort of fowls to lay early. The sort I 
prefer is the first cross between clear-legged Bantam hens of 
tolerable size and a Game cock of moderate size. If you can 
keep pullets from early hatches of this cross, they will generally 
begin laying in. the autumn ; and should the weather prpye tole¬ 
rably mild, they will continue to lay the greater part of the 
winter. For a rooster I prefer a young Game cock of full size, 
and change him every season.— Richard Smith, Witney. 
BABBIT KEEPING. 1 
I have lately commenced keeping a doe. Perhaps “ G. W.” 
may like to hear the result of my short experience. She has 
1 kindled twice, giving me nine young the first time, eleven the 
second. I killed my first rabbit when nine weeks old. It was 
very fat, and weighed one pound and three-quarters when ready 
to dress. The second the next week was a trifie heavier. I give 
| the young ones daily two handfuls of pollard mixed with boiled 
potatoes; or one pound rice, one handful each of bran, four or 
five Swedes, a bundle of oat straw', and all my tea-leaves. Of 
green food I have none to give them now; but they seem very 
happy without it in their six-feet-square house, though doubtless 
they would be benefited by some; but I think I have proved 
satisfactorily that they will thrive w 7 ell on the cheapest food you 
can procure for them. The doe is somewhat more dainty, and 
must have hay instead of barley-straw, and much prefers pollard 
to bran. As she has such large families to nourish, I humour 
her tastes, and give her as much as ever she can cat, except of 
green food, it being now so very scarce. She has a house to 
herself about the same size as that for the young ones, and I 
much doubt if she would have done so well in the confinement of 
a hutch. The second batch were born nine weeks exactly after 
the first—two weeks later than necessary. It is a great pity 
there exists a prejudice against eating tame Rabbits, as many 
persons in consequence deprive themselves of a very delicate 
meal, procurable at very small expense; and there really is no 
reason whatever for the prejudice, if only the Rabbits be allowed 
plenty of room and ah, and strict attention be paid to cleanli¬ 
ness.—G. Montague. 
[We shall be glad to hear from you about the best mode of 
feeding and managing Rabbits. Tne “ Poultry Chronicle ” was 
originally a separate periodical, but could not live alone. It 
failed to be remunerative.— Eds. C. G.] 
THE LATE DB. BEYAN. 
I WAS pleased to observe the honourable mention made of that 
scientific apiarian, Dr. Bevan, in one of your late numbers, and 
cordially agree with you, that it would be desirable to get another 
edition of his excellent work sent forth to the public (in a cheaper 
form, if possible). If his executors were to publish an edition at 
about one-third of the original cost, I have no doubt it w'ould 
sell well. The “ Honey Bee ” is one of the most classical works 
on the subject which have appeared during the present century, 
and is written in an elegant and thoroughly' unostentatious style. 
Dr. Bevan gives full credit to the “ great Huber,” for his 
discoveries, and mentions the other writers who have also con¬ 
tributed to the knowledge of the habits of these wonderful 
insects—the bees. In the preface to the “Honey Bee,” Dr. 
Bevan enumerates the writers from the earliest ages, aud also 
those writers of any celebrity up to the year of the publication 
of his work (1827). 
Although Dr. Bevan recommends large bee-liouses to his 
readers (by many apiarians considered old-fashioned), still he 
enumerates all the modern improvements up to the year 1827, by 
recommending bee-boxes, the storifying-system, unicomb-hives, 
I and other humane treatment of his favourite insects. 
In my opinion, no real lover of bees ought to be without Dr. 
Bevan’s work, which contains by far the best and most unpre¬ 
judiced opinions on all the great discoveries made in the history 
; of bees during the last hundred years. 
It is also gratifying to learn that the Doctor was a man of 
, sterling private worth, and his green old age of 89, showed that 
t he had not, as Byron says, “spent the summer of his youth while 
i it was May.”—II. W. Newman, Hillside , Cheltenham. 
BEES AND THOSE WHO HAVE WRITTEN 
ABOUT THEM. 
The bee has been a subject of observation and praise for its 
industry and skill, as well as for its stores of honey and wax, 
even ip the earliest literature which remains j even its names in 
