November 27, 1S73. ] 



JOUKNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



429 



amptoD. c, W. L. Beloe, Bermck. Any variety of Cre&ted Buff.~l, J. Shield, 

 BaveDsdowne, Berwick. 2 G. & J. Mac-ldey. 3. K. & J. Baxter, vhc, K. Haw- 

 man ; Martin & Grifilo, Northamptun. lie, (i. DomaQ, JScttiugbam. c, J. 

 Goorte, Leicestf,r. 



LlZKTtD.—'lolden-spnnglfd.—i and 3, W. Watson, jnn. vhc, R. Ritchie, Dar- 

 lingloD. NiVrcrs/iaH^f^a.— 1 and*-', W. Wa'soa. Jan. 3 and z^/ic, H. Ritchie, he, 

 J. Taylor. Middlesbrough, c, L Belk. Dewsbary. 



YoKKinl'iE.— 1, T. Tenniswoode. Middlesbrough. 3, J. ClemlusoD, Darling- 

 ton. 3 and liC, L. Belk. vkt:, W. Lister, Malton. 



Cisxasios.— Jont/ujf. — 1 and r/)i;, Bemrose &i)rme. 2,.T.Adams. 3, Cox and 

 HiUier. *<;. <i. Wallace. Berwick ; J. Taylor. Biijf.— 1. Bemrose SOrroe. 2. G. 

 and .1. Mackley. 3 and /itr. J. Adams, rlc. Cox ,& Hillicr. c, Bemrose & Orme ; 

 G. Wallrtco ; J.Taylor. VarU-gnUd.— 1 and 2, L. Belk. 8, R. Robinson, vkc, 

 £. & J. Baxter, fic and e, Bemrnse & Orme. 



Goldfinch Mvi.z.—Eveiitnmark-d.~-l. R. Hawman. 2, E. & J. Baxter. S, 

 W. ii 0. Burniston. Middlesbrough, vkc, W. Hntton, North Leeds, he, J. 

 Spence. South Shields, rnti't-iily-iitdritti.— 1, J. Goode. 2. W. Hntton. 8, W. 

 Lister, Malton. vhn, G. 4 J. JIacklev. fic, K. L Wallace, c. K. Hawmin. 

 I>arAr — 1, Bemrose 4 Orme. 2. Cox and Hillier. 8. C. Holt, Stockton. vkc.W, 

 Button, he. J. Stevens, Middlesbrough: T. Robertson, c, J. B. Gilchrist, 

 Tweedraouth. 



Any oTUEB Variety OP McLE.—l, .T. Spence. 2, R. Hawman. 8, W. Hutton. 



Sellin-o Class.— 1, C. Lugton. 2. W. Watson, jun. 3. H. & D. Audloy. vhc, 

 E. E. Triffllt. he. a. Greij. Edinburgh, c. K. L. Wallace. 



GoLDKLNCH.— 1. G. ,t J. Macklcv. 3, J. Goo^c. 3, J. B. Gilchrist. 



LiXMET.— Broirn.— 1, W. H. Beloo. 2 and 3, W. Carriok, Middlesbrongh. vhc, 

 B. Hawtnan. 



British Bird.— ,4nv other variets/.—l, G. Wallace. 2. Miss Wilson. S, T. 

 Robertson, vfx, W. i- C. Bniniston : Mrs. J. B. Carter, Berwick, he, Cox and 

 Hillier. 



District Prizes.- To be shown solely for shape.— \, T. Robertson. 2, W. 

 Headamilh. 3. T. Hall. i;)ic. E. Grey; W. Grieve, lie, W. Hf adsmith ; W. 

 Trainer (2). Host Evenly-marked Bird.—l, J. Smealon. 2, T. Robertson. 3, 

 W. GUchrist. 



JussE. — Mr. G. J. Barnesby, Derby. 



The N.iTioN.u, Peeisteronic Society held a meeting on the 

 18th inst. The Crystal Palace had been during the day the 

 London home of the fancy, and this evening its rendezvous was 

 the Covent Garden Hotel, where entertaiutneut and hospitality 

 had been provided for all comers by their brethren of the above 

 Society. The visitors prepared to vritness a varied and high-class 

 collection of birds were not disappointed; Carriers, Almonds, 

 Short-faced Tumblers, Baldheads, Dragoons, Barbs being in 

 great force. Col. Hassard, Capt. Heatou, Messrs. Montgomery, 

 Ord, Graham, Betty, Tegetmeier, Vander Meersch, Heritage, 

 Baanton, Ford, Gresham, Jones, Whitehead, Crisp, Easten, and 

 Ford were competitors. The National Peristeronic Society will 

 show in great force at its annual exhibition, fixed for the second 

 Tuesday in January. 



BEARD, BALDHEAD, AND MOTTLED 

 TUMBLERS. 



The discussion opened by " Tuekey Qoill," and entered into 

 by "Wiltshire Rector" and "A Would-be Exhibitor," is 

 alike interesting to breeders, exhibitors, and committees of 

 poultry shows. "A Would-be Exhibitor" appears to me to 

 cast a little too much of the blame on the latter when he re- 

 marks, " I think it very discreditable for a show of any pre- 

 tension not to have classes for all that are really distinct breeds, 

 and not for those only where the committees are pretty sure of 

 good entries. If these shows are really for the improvement of 

 the different breeds and not for profit, then I say let every dis- 

 tinct variety have a separate class, and not classes for mongrel- 

 bred birds because the classes are sure to pay well." 



In reply I would remark, that if exhibitors would only take a 

 share of the responsibility and burden off the shoulders of the 

 committees by simply contributing to the prizes, be it ever so 

 little individually, much more could be done to encourage the 

 various breeds of poultry and Pigeons, including those com- 

 plained of as being so neglected, and separate classes could be 

 made. _ The necessary expense attending an ornithological I 

 exhibition of any pretension is indeed great — gi'eater than is 

 generally anticipated* — and I question if the promoters of forty- 

 eight out of fifty of such projects ever make a farthing profit 

 out of them. The reverse is the rule. Were it not for the assist- 

 ance afforded by private subscribers — oft-times neither breeders 

 nor exhibitors — many societies would have to be pretty heavily 

 out of pocket or fall through altogether. Few, except those 

 actually engaged in carrying out the details of a show, are aware 

 of the great anxiety, energy, care, and perseverance required to 

 bring such an undertaking to a successful issue. The public 

 have to be satisfied as well as the exhibitors, .which is a most 

 difficult matter at times, for with regard to the latter all cannot 

 take prizes. None but the most ardent " fanciers " would con- 

 tinue year after year to carry out such meetings, and for what ? 

 — assuredly not, in the majority of cases, for profit, but simply 

 from a love of the work and a desire to promote improvement. 

 The society I have the honour to represent has been in existence 

 some half-doz<!n years or more, and during the whole of that 

 time not a fraction has accrued to the members from the funds ; 

 on the contrary, more than iSO has been subscribed by them, 

 to say nothing of time and extra monetary expenses devoted to 

 the society. 



" A Would-be Exhibitob" suggests a remedy in his closing 



* 1 ahali be pleased to forward balance sheet o any o( yonr readers. 



remarks that would insure a place for the above or any other 

 neglected classes in the prize schedule. If each breeder were to 

 subscribe a small sum towards special prizes, societies are to be 

 found who would be willing to augment the list. I can name 

 one at least. This idea has been very successfully carried out 

 in the Light Brahma classes by that estimable lady and patroness 

 Mrs. D. Turner Turner, of Avon, Ringwood, and has also been 

 advocated in these columns by H. M. Maynard, Esq., himself a 

 large and successful breeder of poultry and Pigeons. 



In conclusion,! shall be extremely pleased to correspond with 

 " A WouLD-BE Exhibitor " or any other gentleman willing to 

 assist, and enclose my card to the Editors. Encourage the com- 

 mittees, and in turn encouragement will be given. Did space 

 permit, with regard to the "non-paying" classes, I could prove 

 that such have been continued year after year, and are still in 

 the prize Hat, but I fear I have already trespassed too far. — 

 Secbetaby. 



MY BEES. 



I COMMENCED bee-keopiug this year March 25th with one 

 strong stock hive. The bees seemed to do very well all the 

 spring and early summer, working most industriously, carrying 

 in large pellets of pollen, and I hoped storing plenty of honey, 

 being situated in a large old-fashioned garden with an abundance 

 of spring flowers, and teeming in the months of June and July 

 with large cabbage roses and honeysuckles. How anxiously I 

 watched for my first swarm after the first day of the drones' 

 appearance. On the 28th of May one of the queens of a neigh- 

 bouring apiary was seen to issue from the hive well attended, 

 but on account of a passing cloud she returned; consequently I 

 was still more anxious for my own to come out. They were 

 then very busy, and drones extremely numerous, and one day 

 they hung from the alighting-board in one large cluster, like an 

 immense bunch of grapes. Surely, I thought, now they are 

 coming ; but, no, I was again to be disappointed, and to keep my 

 watch for three more days, until Sunday morning, June 8th, out 

 tumbled the bees — such a glorious swarm — about 11 a.m., and 

 alighted in a little thicket ®f ivy immediately behind the hive, 

 where they rested just two hours until the gardener could be 

 fetched, myself not daring to approach. About three minutes 

 before he arrived they took flight, ascended into the air, and 

 appeared to alight in a large sycamore tree ; but, alas ! by the 

 time the gardener reached the garden they were far, far away. 

 We sought for them long enough after, but all in vain ; and, 

 strange to say, the man himself kept bees, and had hived a 

 swarm just before he came to me, and when he got back to his 

 own home they, too, had gone ; also those of a friend of his 

 (both of which were hived in the usual common straw hives), 

 and another man's in a neighbouring village. So that on the 

 same day, and nearly about the same time. 2 p.m., four swarms, 

 three of which were hived, took flight and disappeared. The 

 day was bright and warm, but the wind rose, and it was a cold 

 boisterous night. Such an occurrence as four swarms so mys- 

 teriously disappearing in so short a time was unknown iu the 

 experience of the aged apiarians of this neighbourhood. I 

 should be glad if anyone would give me a reason for their doing 

 so, and also if any other person's bees have taken flight. 



Standing quietly beside the hive after sunset on the 19th, I 

 distinctly heard the queen "tuniu hir treble voic," one, two, 

 and three, each after the other, so that I was prepared for the 

 second swarm the next day. It came out in the morning, 

 though it was not very favourable weather. The bees were duly 

 hived and put iu their place. We found that two queens bad 

 issued with the swarm, one of which returned to the stock hive 

 and was killed. On the 29th, to my great delight, I found they 

 had made a large piece of comb, a lump of which I perceived 

 had fallen near the mouth of the hive. I fancy it had broken 

 away from its place, as many bees were trying, and eventually 

 succeeded in, hoisting it up again. The hive has now made good 

 progress with the comb, having three or four large leaves, though 

 not a very great number of bees, having lost a great many in 

 fights with wasps and robber bees, &c. They have taken 

 10 lbs. of liquid sugar vrithin the last three weeks. Do you 

 think they will require any more, and that they will be able 

 to stand the winter ? I should be glad if anyone would kindly 

 inform me of anything I could do to benefit them for the coming 

 winter, as I take especial care of them, and should be grieved to 

 lose them, being the last of my original stock. 



We drove the old ones on the Mth of July together with 

 another hive belonging to the gardener, which we thought 

 would bo better of being driven, and sent both driven hivis to 

 the moors, about two miles from here, for the benefit of the 

 heather. After having been there a few weeks, judge of my 

 great grief when word was brought to me to say that they were 

 all lying dead on the floorboard. Only my bees were dead ; the 

 other hive seemed to he doing well. I took the first opportunity 

 of driving over to find out, if I could, the cause of such a dread- 

 ful catastrophe. I searched amongst them until I found her 

 majesty, who looked as if she had died a natural death, but I 



