172 



IRISH GARDENING 



sviivs. csiXH-iHllv I'oi' til.' varied icsulls ol.l aiii.a l.\ 

 l.fckcfj.cis uitiiiii a Iru mil 's of .•arli otli.T: some 

 liaviui; scruictl aliout. H» sections jx-r hive, wliile 

 otlieis altout. two miles distant have only ^ot 

 about, tilt ceil moderate ((uaiity sections in the 

 Mrst ciate. and in a I'eu eases nothiiiii l)ut drawn 

 out emptx' coini). 'I'he failures, when- not due to 

 eonsiderahle loss of hrood thr(.ui,di staivalion 

 duiiii';- the lirst, half of .luly. were n<-arlv all due 

 to swanuin'i after the honey flow started. Slocks 

 that hiid stores to draw from or were fed during 

 the worst, of the weather, kept, the frames well- 

 liUed with hrood and ^ave less trouble with 

 swaruiiuir after t!ie honey flow set in than those 

 that iuid sulteri'd from starvation, and in conse- 

 (juence were pai'tially reduced in brood. The 

 sudden flooding of the brotxl frames with nectar 

 after a spell of adverse weatliei- is a ])redisp()sinu 

 cause of swarminti. es|)eciall>' if (he (jueen is ajjct'd 

 or failinc;. Some of the failures, however, were 

 not so much due t.o dilTei'ence in inaiiaticnK^iit as 

 to the dilYerence in their locality beiiiii exposed or 

 sheltered fi'om the pi'e\'ailinii,' north-rn winds; 

 those situated in well shelt('re<l southei'ii asjx'cts 

 and ill jiroximity to biu untrimmed hedges and 

 .jungh's whei-e blackberry blossom was plentiful 

 fared much better than those equally well 

 manafjed in exposed and colder positions. A few 

 exceptionally well placed and managed stocks 

 have finished (iO sections, and I know of one stock 

 that has finished SO marketable sections. Swarms 

 that were 1 ived on the parent stand in June, and 

 were given partially- fdled crates to (Ji'aw from for 

 a start, or were fed till the honey flow set in, have 

 in most cases finished as many sections as 

 uns warmed stocks. Beekeepers in districts 

 depending principally on white clover have fared 

 badly. Taken all roimd. the total crop is barely 

 one-quarter of the average for the past five years. 

 Those working for run honey have fared even 

 worse than those who work entirely for sections. 

 The advantages of adding empty crates on top 

 of partially filled one?-, and removing the crates 

 as soon as finished, was never more clearly 

 dejnonstrated than during the past season. 

 Several beekeepers who anticipated the honey 

 flow would last to get three crates filled and were 

 tempted to follow the orthodox method of adding 

 empty crates under partially filled ones, had the 

 misfortune to have more drawn out and inuupj^ed 

 than finished sections — i.e., the second and in 

 some cases the third crate was added underneath 

 at a time when one or two ( lalcs w ere as much as 

 could be finished. The besi ivsulls have, in every 

 case, been obtained by adding empty crates on 

 top. not only in quantity of finished sections but 

 in equality as well. The experienced beekeeper 

 who can make a fairly good estimate of the amount 

 of nectar obtainable can generally be depended on 

 not to err in ov^er-supering by adding empty crates 

 under partly-filled ones. Four hives, each with 

 three crates, came under my notice near the end of 

 August, which had been tried by adding empty 

 crates under drawn ones, and at that time had an 

 avei"age of about 12 finished sections each : the 

 remainder being drawn out and partly filled with 

 uncapped honey. There was then no possibility 

 of getting all finished, even if September had been 

 warm enough, as there was nothing but a scanty 

 pasturage on ragweed left in the district. 



There was an unvisually big casualty list of 

 young queens lost on their mating trip during the 

 cold, wet weather, which prevailed from the 



mi. bile of .Im,.- till llie 1 st I, <>i .lul\. Previous to 

 thai i hadsever.il report s of st ocks being ,,ueeidess 

 although in some cas.-s the unmated (pieen had 

 been fully thr<-e weeks hatched and was still in 

 tlu- hive, an unusuall\- large jiercentage had been 

 lost ami the stock left (pn-enless. lieekeepers 

 who practice reai'iin;- ((Ueens, by forming nuclei 

 from early swarined stocks, are seldom caught 

 without fertile (|ueens in reserve to replace those 

 lost or defective : but those who trust to luck are 

 iilleii vfvy urdu<k\. 



Pi;'n:i{ HinxK. 

 I'',iirview. h:niiiskilleh. 



Allotment Gardens for Workers.* 



Ai,i.or.\ii;\Ts are gardens pro\ ided for workers 

 apart from their liomes, chielly to enable them to 

 grow vegetables for their t)wn use. Successful 

 growers are often abh; to su])ply the needs of 

 Iheiv families and have a surplus of produce u hich 

 linds a ready sale in most tov\ ns. The allotments 

 may be of any size up to 5 acres, but ai-e usually l<) 

 to 2<* rods in area, and are formed by dividing a 

 field into suitable ])lots with narrow walks between. 

 By arranging the allotments in grou|>s* the cost of 

 fencing is reduced and the allotment holders are 

 able to join together for mutual protection. 

 Sufficient potatoes can be grown on a 20 rod plot 

 to last the family the winter through. 



The best land available should be abtained, but 

 excellent crops have been grown on vacant 

 building land in towns and cities. In many cah>e.s 

 loads of stones and rubbish have been removed by 

 plot holders before it was possible to sow seeds, 

 but good crops have been then obtained. 



Owners of building lands or fields near towns can 

 render valuable service to the neighbourhood by 

 letting such land to groups of workmen to culti- 

 vate as allotments. In many cases a fair rent 

 must be asked, but there is much land which could 

 be used as allotments which is now in a derelict 

 condition, and which if let free of rent for six or 

 nine months to men anxious to cultivate it. could 

 bring in a moderate rent thereafter. 



Hiring Land. 



Wherever available land is to be seen, attention 

 should be drawn to its possibilities, and the co- 

 f)peration of owners and workmen obtained to 

 establish allotments upon it, and thus render it 

 fully productive. Building land is usually let on 

 condition that it is given up at short notice if 

 reqviired for building ; a low rent may be expected 

 when land is taken on these conditions. Other 

 land can sometimes be obtained on lease from 

 public spirited landlords or public bodies who 

 realise the value of allotments to workingmen. 

 At the present time many women are working 

 their husband's allotments very successfully, and 

 even very young children are able to be of some 

 little help in weeding, picking up the potatoes or 

 similar light work, in their holidays. In selecting 

 holders for allotments a picfei-eiice is given to men 

 with large fa-nilies. as the high cost of food 



* Copies of this leaflet can be obtained free of 

 charge on ajjidication to the Hon. Secretary, 

 Vacant Land Cultivation Society, 20 Kildare 

 Street, Dublin. 



