1869.] BEE-FARMING IN 1869. 517 



lifting, none having tlie smallest particle of soil in the way of a ball. 

 In planting, I merely covered tliem with 2 or 3 inches of soil, and gave a 

 good thorough soaking of water about their roots, finishing in the soil 

 about them and leaving them to their fate. The weather being very dry 

 (as every gardener this year knows to his cost), I gave them another soak- 

 ing about a fortnight after, and never gave them another drop. It 

 being a south-easterly aspect, the direct rays of the sun did not reach 

 them after mid-day, but I find all aspects almost alike dry this year. 

 In a few weeks they gave symptoms of having penetrated into the dung, 

 and of liking it. The result is, that to-day (September 10th) more 

 than two-thirds of them are over 6 feet high, many of them are over 8 

 feet high, and some are even 9 feet 6 inches high, and still growing 

 vigorously and flowering most profusely. They have, however, been 

 a good while later in flowering than the others, but this can easily be 

 accounted for, seeing they were so late in being operated upon. 



J. F. 



BEE -FARMING I]Sr 1869. 



In many counties of England the honey harvest has been satisfactory 

 this year. The yield has been greater than for some years previous. 

 Last year, bees were remarkably loath to swarm — comparatively few 

 swarms were obtained ; whereas this year they swarmed freely, often 

 before the hives were well filled. Last year they clustered about their 

 doors for weeks and months without swarming ; this year they sent off 

 colonies without clustering or hesitation. No explanation can be 

 given of these things ; their reasons or causes are deeper than the 

 ken of mortals. 



Some of your readers will remember that my balance-sheet last 

 autumn left me a profit of 24s. per hive or thereabouts, and in posses- 

 sion of twenty-eight stock hives. These we valued at 23s. each, or 7s. 

 less than the tip-top price. The winter being mild, they kept their 

 bees well ; that is to say, they were in good condition in February of 

 the present year. As my garden is too near the big city of Manchester 

 for bees to gather much honey, I took twenty hives to cottage and 

 market gardens three or four miles in the country. Of course I pay 

 rent, and I am glad to do so, for there my bees have richer pasture ; 

 but the expense in taking them to and from these farms is consider- 

 able. My expenses will overtop those of most bee-keepers. This year 

 my expenses are unusually heavy, amounting to more than 10s. per 

 hive. Two of the hives in the country, I found in May, had queens 

 which had never been mated, and were therefore useless. Thus my 

 number was reduced to twenty-six. Of these two never swarmed; 



