NoTember 6, 1873. ] 



JOUENAL OP HOETICDLTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



3G5 



Bubject of honey. I wonder how many of your apiarian readers 

 ever heard before of this singular theory about the " re-swallow- 

 ing "of the "sweet juice of flowers" by bees preparatory to 

 their disgorging it into the cells after its conversion into honey 

 in their stomachs. Still, its novelty would not prove it to be 

 erroneous if it were only supported by sufficient evidence. But 

 ■where is the evidence ? In the case of butter and cream we 

 should hardly believe that the one could come out of the other, 

 even on *' the evidence of our senses," were it not that we see 

 the result of the milkmaid's churning continually reproduced, 

 and there lies the proof. It is not the fact that here is butter 

 and there is cream, as we see plainly enough, which convinces 

 ns that butter is the issue of cream. Now, will Mr. Tettigrew 

 tell us that he has witnessed beyond the possibility of mistake 

 the process of re-swallowing and disgorgiug of which he speaks 

 with so much confidence, at least so as to produce the honey? 



I have had as much experience as most people in the taking 

 and tasting of honey at all times of the year from April to 

 November. I have tasted the honey in the open cells which 

 has been fresh-gathered during that interval from the early 

 flowers of our gardens, including our bush fruits, and from all 

 the fruits and flowers of summer and autumn, even to the 

 honey which at times the bees gather in large quantities from 

 the ivy blossoms at this time of year. I know the flavour of 

 each so well that I could pretty nearly tell from what flowers 

 such and such honey was gathered, even with eyes closed, but 

 I have never seen reason to doubt that what the bees collected 

 in any given day, or at any given hour of the day, was honey — 

 neither more nor less — and that honey is the sweet juice of the 

 flowers. At the same time I am well aware that this sweet 

 juice of the flowers — honey as I beUeve it to be — varies greatly 

 in consistency and quality, not merely as it is gathered from 

 different flowers, but according to the state of the season and 

 of the weather. It is in its prime of quality and flavour in 

 May and June, richer, thicker, with more of saccharine and 

 vinous matter than it possesses either earlier or later in the 

 year. In July and Auijust it differa greatly, and is poorer, with 

 more acidity, and rarely keeps well. But, indeed, some years 

 honey will not keep at all ; even that which, according to Mr. 

 Pettigrew's theory, has been re-swallowed and disgorged, is 

 scarcely eatable. The honey of this year, for instance, is in 

 many places of very indifferent quality. As to the test which 

 Mr. Pettigrew proposes, I should certainly like to see it tried ; 

 perhaps next year it may be tried by several of our friends. I 

 am confident, however, that it will prove altogether delusive, 

 I mean as to the change into honey. 



One word in reply to Mr. Pettigrew's correction of my state- 

 ment of incredulity as to bees having " a power of sweetening 

 honey from some source of sweetness inherent in themselves." 

 I gathered that he believed in the existence of something of the 

 kind from the language employed in his former paper, as where 

 he writes, " On being swallowed a second time it undergoes a 

 chemical change — a sweetening and thickening process." And 

 now to another matter. 



The bottle-feeder I have found inadequate this year to the 

 exigencies of my apiary. It is too slow in its action where 

 such extensive feeding is required as this season is necessary; 

 I have therefore supplemented its action (as in fact I did also 

 last year) by feeding in supers inverted at the tops of the hives, 

 and so arranged that the holes shall coincide. These supers are 

 filled with large pieces of empty comb, so carefully arranged as to 

 allow of the layers of comb being piled one on the top of another 

 by the aid of sapports of wood or comb. These are filled with 

 the syrup gently poured in so as equally to occupy the cells. 

 Care must be taken that the combs are flat and on the level, 

 otherwise much of the food will pour off them and be wasted, 

 if it run out through the hole or holes at the bottom. From 

 3 to 5 lbs. of food can thus be given at one time, which will be 

 taken down in one or two days, according to the warmth of the 

 weather and the strength of the hive. 



I have tried another plan with great success for feeding stocks 

 in wood or straw hives, round or square, and of any size as the 

 case may be. The same arrangements of comb are made in an 

 inverted box which has no holes at bottom. A sufficiently 

 large board is placed over it, with a large oblong hole at one 

 side, 80 placed over the box that the bees can run up and down 

 continuously from their own hive to the food below. The hives 

 are placed at the top of it. Should the feeding-box be of the 

 same size as the hive itself the board can be dispensed with, 

 and the bees will carry-up the food all the quicker. If all holes 

 are carefully stopped so as to prevent the egress of the bees, 

 the hives may be brought into the house and placed at night in 

 a warm kitchen. In tins way feeding cau take place with ad- 

 vantage even in coldish weather. Let all bear in mind that 

 good honey seasons are sure to come ; therefore it is worth 

 while to save all hives of moderate strength by careful feeding, 

 which can be done up to December and even later, — B. & W. 



ing caused by these may be immediately assuaged by the appli- 

 cation of lime-water — a remedy which may always be prepared 

 at once by the aid of a little quicklime and a glass of water. — 

 (Union Medicale.) 



THE HONEY SEASON. 



HA^^NO read the letter of " A. T. W." in your Journal of the 

 ICth ult. respecting the scarcity of honey this season, and the 

 probable prejudice likely to ensue against the use of supers and 

 improved hives of modern invention, allow me to offer a little 

 encouragement by the following statement. 



Last year I began bee-keeping, and used Taylor's cottage hive, 

 with glass super made by Lee, of Windlesham, Bagshot. I 

 hived my swarm on June 4th, 1872, put on my super the '2ith, 

 and took it off October 30th containing 18 lbs. of honey. From 

 the hive I have this year had three swarms, which I placed in 

 the same sort of hives ; these, with two other similar stock hives, 

 are filled with honey, and on one I had a super, which I have 

 taken, containing 1(3 lbs. of honey. In one other super, in which 

 no honey is stored, the wax is neither brittle nor crisp, and will 

 fetch a good price. 



I trust this may induce apiarians to patronise this humane 

 system of bee-keeping, and though some failures may arise to 

 the " busy bee," let us with them learn the lesson they never 

 forget — Nil desperandum. — M. W., Mozcl Manor, Jersei/ . 



Cleaning Bibd-fountains. — I saw in your paper the other 

 day an article on cleaning bird-fountains with soil. I find that 

 there is nothing better than some shot put in the fountain with 

 hot water and well shaken to take the green off. I use the same 

 shot as is used for cleaning wine-bottles. — Q. H. B. 



WARNING. 



LtME-WATER IS Stisos OP Bees OR Wasps. — M. Dauvemo 

 states as the result of uomerous trials, that the pain and suiler- 



Im our last nnmber we inquired if any of our readers in the 

 eastern coimties had been cheated by cloth sold to them by a 

 Scotch pedlar. "We had heard that he had so cheated some 

 gardeners, pretending that he had garden net to sell, which he 

 had not with him, but luring them to purchase the cloth which 

 was in his pack. Our inquiry has induced the following : — 



In answer to your inquiry about a Scotchman " selling cloth 

 that proves useless," I beg to say that I was visiting at a house 

 near Norwich in November last year, when one morning my good 

 hostess received "an important announcement!" "extraordi- 

 nary sacrifice of sUks ! " &c., " owing to the late war in France." 

 Patterns were enclosed, and the ladies of the party were in rap- 

 tures at the texture, the gloss, the everything about them, and 

 especially the cheapness. I believe my wife, who is of a deeply 

 sympathetic nature, almost shed tears at the terrible sacrifice 

 of the poor trader. Beautiful silk dresses, " such loves ! would 

 almost stand by themselves," of 1.5 yards for about Jtl a-piece. 

 Suffice it to say my wife determined at once on eight of them, 

 and our liberal-minded hostess on six, for various daughters 

 or daughters-in-law. Well, whilst the ladies were congratulating 

 themselves on their good fortune, and I was trembhug in my 

 shoes at what I deemed this unlucky contrtlemps, we beheld a 

 big burly-looking man come up to the front door. Presently he 

 was announced as the very individual who was so self-sacrificing. 

 He brought very large bundles with him, and I felt it was all 

 up with me, and that I had better produce my cheque-book like 

 a man. He very politely said that he had not got the silks with 

 him, for thSre was such an extraordinary demand for them that 

 he had sold all he had in his trap, but that we should liave the 

 ordered goods in a day or two. He then produced some pat- 

 terns of Brussels carpet, and said he was enabled to let us have 

 this at 9d. a-yard. My sympathising wife whispered mournfully 

 to me that our large drawing-room carpet was getting shabby ; 

 that the present one could go to the smaller drawing-room, and 

 that to a bedroom, and so on, Uke those unfortunate people who 

 have large families, and when the elder boys are refitted, their 

 nether garments descend to the smaller fry. Our hostess's old 

 servant here reminded her that their carpet was getting shabby 

 also ; and as old servants invariably get their own way, another 

 was ordered. I believe the subject of curtains was mooted, but 

 at this point I was getting faint and clammy, and so I daresay 

 lost much; for it was drawing to the end of the year, audi 

 had not a large balance at my bankers. Whether the poor, 

 unhappy, self-sacrificing trader noticed my sad condition I do 

 not know, but he certainly ran to the rescue, l)y throwing into 

 my arms most unexpectedly a huge bale of cloth, saying he 

 would let me have it for— I think, but am not sure, though I 

 have his receipt — £2 123. I was very helpless— I am a small 

 man — and I stood with my arms outstretched, overwhelmed with 

 this great quantity of cloth, vainly protesting that I had so many 

 clothes I did not know what to do with them. Again I was 

 silenced, not only by my wife's " My dear, you know black always 

 comes in useful" — but by the man heaping another bale of 

 equally large size upon my devoted head, saying, " I give you 



