518 THE GARDENER. [Nov. 



the rest yielded thirty- three swarms, three of which were lost for 

 want of hiving. After swarming, the queens of two hives were lost 

 on their marriage tour, thus adding to the list of my misfortunes. 



Owing to the prevalence of easterly winds, the season, as a whole, 

 was not a favourable one for the accumulation of honey in this locality. 

 These easterly winds either hinder the secretion of honey in flowers or 

 dry it up. Still honey in moderate quantity was gathered, the roar of 

 contentment vras kept up, great quantities of brood were hatched, the 

 bees were always prepared to do more work than the weather per- 

 mitted. At the close of the season my best first swarms ranged in 

 weight from 70 lb. to 80 lb. each, the second swarms from 30 lb. to 

 40 lb., and the stocks or parent hives from 50 lb. to 70 lb. each. 

 These weights indicate considerable stores of honey and large profits. 

 But when we commenced to take the honey — to supply an order for 

 500 lb. — we found much of it discoloured ; and the discoloured honey 

 was so mixed with the good and pure, that we could not take the one 

 from the other without great loss. We did not hesitate about declin- 

 ing to suppy the gentleman who ordered 500 lb., for we felt sure the 

 honey would not please either him or his customers, but the difficulty 

 was what to do with the heaviest hives. We resolved to offer them 

 for sale at a price less than the value of honey in them. Hence we 

 sold some, and kept far more for another year than we had intended 

 to keep. There are forty-two hives kept as stock for another year. 

 Many of them are large and good, with ample stores of honey ; but 

 owing to the misfortune of having to sell some of the bees with their 

 honey, they have not received swarms and half swarms in the usual 

 way practised here. Still I value them at 23s. each. If I had had an 

 extra swarm to put into each, they w^ould have been worth 30s. each, 

 and second to none. 



How did the honey become discoloured? The Sycamore, Lime, 

 and Oak trees in this neighbourhood were covered with a glittering 

 substance (produced by insects), which ignorant people call honey- 

 dew. When flowers are scarce, bees work on these shining leaves, and 

 in this way honey becomes damaged. Two years ago much English 

 honey was dark and unsalable. 



■ Expenses. 

 New hives, boards, and honey- 

 glasses, . . . £4 

 Feeding, . . . . 14 

 Kent, . . . . 4 

 Carriage, . . . . 4 



£13 4 



Income. 



Hives sold, . . . £12 8 



Honey and honeycomb, . 15 



Increase of stock, . . 16 10 



Total, . . £43 18 

 Deduct expenses, . 13 4 



Profit, . . £30 14 



