THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, June 15, 1858. 
Extra Stock.— Prize, W. Leeson, Driffield (Black-breasted Red 
Game). 
We will give the awards for Pigeons, Rabbits, and Canaries, 
with other particulars, next week. 
themselves whenever they feel inclined. If constantly thus 
fed, they do not eat so ravenously, nor consume so much food, 
as if only fed at stated times ; neither are they so liable to be 
neglected. This is, however, the more necessary where 
Pigeons do not have their liberty. 
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PIGEONS. 
{Continued from page 154.) 
In towns, among fanciers, and where fancy Pigeons are 
kept, a better description of fitting is resorted to. Eor flying 
Pigeons, a double roof is preferred, in which a platform of 
boards is laid. On to this opens the loft, on which is 
placed the trap, or area ; a square frame of lattice, or wire- 
work, the back covering the entrance, and the front and two 
sides opening on the platform by falling doors, which all draw 
up at once by a cord, to inclose or confine the Pigeons. At 
each side of these doors, at the corners of the trap, are what 
are called the bolting-wires. These are stout double wires, 
inserted in a piece of wood at the top, and hung on pivots at 
the sides, so that the wires swing loosely, and allow any 
Pigeon that may be shut out to walk in, by pressing against 
them ; but, falling against a small ledge at the bottom, they 
will not allow the birds to escape. On the top of this trap, 
spaces, about four inches square, are also left, called tipping 
holes, by which the Pigeons can also enter, but cannot escape, 
because, if they attempted to fly up, their expanded wings would 
prevent them. These areas, or traps, are very useful, and 
should be attached to all lofts where fancy or flying Pigeons 
are kept; as any fresh Pigeons can be allowed to go out in 
them to see the neighbourhood, and learn the way in and out 
without danger of their escaping ; while any of the other 
Pigeons that may be shut out can get in when they please. 
It also gives the fancier a great command over his birds at 
any time. 
Many of the high-class fanciers do not allow then’ birds 
their liberty at all. Some only permit them to go out in an 
aviary, or latticed inclosure, provided with a bath and other 
requisites; while others always keep them in the loft, or ap¬ 
propriate them a spare room, or attic. These are often fitted 
up with pens suitable for keeping the pairs separate, or allow¬ 
ing them to fly in the room at pleasure. These are of various 
forms and devices, according to the means or inclination of 
the owner. 
Pigeon-houses, or lockers, on a more limited scale, are of 
various forms. The most convenient is that of a long 
parallelogram of boards, well planed and painted, and placed 
against a south or southerly wall. The whole is divided into 
nests of about ten or twelve inches 
square ; a boarded front, with holes 
four inches wide by six high, leading 
into the nests, and having a ledge or 
board along the front of 
of nests, six inches broad, 
■with outside partitions dividing the 
nests in pairs. Very pretty circular 
pigeon-houses are also made, to be 
fixed on a pole, as ornaments for a 
lawn ; but such things as old barrels 
and tea-chests are not to be recom¬ 
mended. 
Wherever several varieties are 
kept, it will be requisite to have a 
pairing, or matching pen, which is 
better placed out of the pigeon- 
house, and away from the other 
Pigeons. This consists simply of a 
box, or frame-work, in which the 
birds it is desirable to couple can be 
placed; and it must be furnished 
with a sliding partition of light 
lattice, or wirework, through which 
the Pigeons can see each other. 
A bag-net, on a shortpole, some¬ 
thing like a landing-net, is also very 
useful for catching the Pigeons, if 
their loft or aviary is large. 
The hopper, or meat-box, is also a requisite for containing 
the food, in which it is kept clean. The Pigeons can help 
alighting 
each row 
The form of the hopper is that of a parallelogram box, the 
sides of which slope in towards the bottom, so as only to 
leave a small opening at the lower part, for the food to run 
through into the trough at the bottom, which is protected 
either by a boarded cover with holes, or, what I prefer, only 
a few wires, to prevent the birds knocking the food over with 
their beaks, which they are apt to do if it is left quite un¬ 
guarded.— B. P. Brent. 
{To be continued .) 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Temperature Reouired in an Incubator (Nemo ).—Cantello and 
Manesi, who were inventors of Incubators, agreed in directing that, for 
hatching hen’s eggs, the temperature must be kept at about 104°; but 
not higher. 
Hens Dying Suddenly. —“ Can any of your correspondents furnish 
me with a reason for the mortality of my hens ? Within a month, 
three have been found dead, having dropped off the perch, without 
any previous illness being observed. They were all last year’s 
chickens. On being opened, a good deal of inflammation w r as evident 
in one of the hens, but the crop was nearly empty. In the other two 
no ailment was perceptible; but they were extremely fat i?iside. 
Amongst other scraps from the kitchen, I have lately often given the 
hens bits of the rind and fat of raw bacon, hoping to increase the 
number of Eggs; for they have all laid very badly throughout the 
winter. Is it at all probable that the salt food can have caused their 
death ?” —Otterwell. 
[The “ extremely fat inside” reveals the origin of the mischief. A 
vessel ruptured on the brain in some; and that with “ a good deal of 
inflammation” very likely had her egg-organs diseased. No greater 
mistake can be made, than feeding hens highly to increase the number 
of eggs laid by them. The bacon and other kitchen scraps, calculated 
to fatten the hens, and not the salt, produced the fatality. Do not 
give them any animal food, and reduce them to one feed of barleymeal 
in the morning, and a feed of boiled rice at night, with plenty of green 
food during the day. Health and vigour, not fatness, is required in 
breeding stock. You do not state what kind of fowls you keep. 
Cochin-Chinas and Hamburghs are the only good layers in winter; 
and of these only the early-hatched pullets.' No old hen of any breed 
is a good winter layer.] 
Dorking Chickens at Cardiff (An Exhibitor) .—We forwarded 
your letter to Mr. Hewitt, one of the Judges, and we agree with him 
in thinking, that to state now who the Judges considered had exhibited 
fowls of last year, pretending they were chickens of this year, would 
lead to an unprofitable altercation. 
Weight of Adult Single-Combed Dorkings [Idem).— In reply 
to your query, he says :—“ The best pen of Grey Dorkings I ever met 
with, and actually weighed, were a cock and two'hens (single-combed), 
the property, of Mr. Wm. Bromley, of Smithfield, Birmingham. 
The three weighed thirty-one pounds six ounces. Very rarely any¬ 
thing approximating to this weight is attained by prize birds. From 
twenty-five to twenty-eight pounds is the accustomed average. The 
rosy-combed are usually the most weighty, hut coarsest birds.” 
LONDON MARKETS.— June 14th. 
POULTRY, 
The continuance of the unusually hot weather renders anything like 
a quotation impossible, seeing that the prices are more influenced by 
the weather than the supply. Much of the poultry arrives in a state 
unfit for food. 
Each. 
Large Fowls ... Gs. 6d. to 7s. Gd. 
Small ditto. 4 G ,,5 6 
Chickens. 3 0 ,,4 0 
Geese . 4 G „ 5 G 
Ducklings . 3 G „ 4 G 
Each. 
Pigeons . Os. 8d. to Os. 9d. 
Guinea Fowls .00 ,,00 
Leverets. 2 6 ,, 4 G 
Rabbits . 1 5 ,, 1 6 
Wild ditto. 0 9 ,, 0 10 
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