JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 15, 1863. 



PARTHENOGENESIS— BEE SUPEESTITIONS. 



Thanks to oiu- chief for his reply respecting the age of a 

 queen. Let all writers on the subject of bees and bee-keep- 

 ing refrain from giving " pokes in the side," and, doubtless, 

 amongst us we shall an-ive the sooner at the true history 

 and nature of the honey bee. If the history of the honey 

 bee, as given by one of the Hunters (sui-geons), in his medical 

 works were published piecemeal during the winter months it 

 might prove acceptable to the fr-aternity. I think his accoxint 

 of theii' habits is as near tlie truth as any I ever read. 



I do not myself quite acceijt pai-thenogenesis as a fact, 

 neither do I believe in the great longevity of the queen. If 

 " I am slow to believe,'" I trust aU the brethi-en will forgive 

 me that wi-ong, and honour liiiu the more who in convincing 

 me proves the truth we ra-e all aiming to know. I was not 

 surprised at the announcement of the two queens at one 

 time at large in a hive, I had long suspected it might be so. 

 When a hive is in a flourishing condition, the inmates work, 

 I have little doubt, by certain rules. Adverse seasons, acci- 

 dents by flood and field disarrange the system, and hence 

 bee-masters are ledto jnmp at false conclusions. [ imagine 

 queen bees are turned off fr'om the hive when they are use- 

 less, just as drones and neuters are. What becomes of them 

 I have not the least idea. Sometimes you may find a young 

 queen bee dead before a hive, sometimes a few drones and 

 workers, but not always. I had a hive this year fuller of 

 drones than usual (owing to my having given them too 

 much drone-comb), not one of the many thousands in it ai-e 

 now to be accounted of. If they di-op in their flight away 

 from the luves, why do we not meet mth them in their 

 travels, falling on our aristocratic noses as we tm-n them up 

 to the skies ? My parish is full of hives fr-om one end to the 

 other, and I never stumble upon a dead bee of any sex, 

 unless it be a few vrithin a few yards of an apiary. Still 

 confessedly they vanish, and that speedily too. For a short 

 time, therefore, I think it probable an old worn-out queen 

 and the princess regent may exist and be found in a hive ; 

 but experience says not for long. The old queen will go 

 where her subjects, and " the good niggers in due time go." 

 Perhaps to fah-y land, or Jonas Jackson may tell us where. 

 By-the-way, it is a shame to laugh and joke too much, even 

 at the surmises of Jonas Jackson. I can tell him for his 

 comfort, that I once lived in a village where every hei- 

 master was more or less imbued udtli the superstition anent 

 the death to bees when their owners have died. Need I say 

 I combated the opinion on every occasion as in duty bound ? 

 Nay, I even accepted a hive in the winter (heavy and full of 

 bees), belonging to a lord just dead in order to prove the 

 fallacy of the superstition. I made it known aU round my 

 parish and asked all the bee-masters to witness the result, 

 and my mouth was shut for ever after — for, alas ! the hive 

 did no more good and died in the spring. I am not super- 

 stitious, believe me, but I have known other instances and 

 been told of many more where similai- results have followed. 



With reference to honeydew or falls, I once had a hive in 

 Yorkshire whose inhabitants gathered and stored honey on 

 or about the 10th August, when my other hives had gone to 

 the moors. I lived in Yorkshii-e as a bee-master upwai-ds of 

 fifteen years, and I never knew of honey gathered, except 

 on the moors, after the second week in Jidy. That honey 

 was daa-k, and I found bees working on the oak leaves at the 

 time. The gathering lasted about three days. I was told 

 that previous to my living in the village a similar case had 

 happened, when a hive left at home did more good than 

 others sent to the moors. 



If the '■ Devonshire Bee-keeper " wiU observe for the 

 future, he will find the truth of my surmise, that it is no 

 use (at least late in the summer), to retm-n bees from a 

 removed super. They would have no place in the hive, no 

 work to do, their occupation T.-ould be gone, and the cry 

 would speedily arise, " Away with them ! " They would not 

 be killed like robbers from another hive, but they would be 

 driven off as useless. — A Hampshire Bee-keeper. 



[If " A Hampshire Bee-keeper " will refer to my articles 

 in Nos. 25 and 30 of The Journal of Horticulture, he 

 will see the evidence upon which parthenogenesis rests. It 

 reaBy amounts to absolute demonstration, and it appeal's 

 to me perfectly impossible to produce stronger evidence of 

 any fact whatever. 



The practice of turning hives completely round when 

 a corpse is carried out of the house is even now by no 

 means, obsolete in this county. I know< an instance in 

 which it was resoi-ted to no longer ago than last winter ; 

 but, to the astonishment of the natives, even this opera- 

 tion did not prevent the bees dying of starvation in the 

 absence of more substantial assistance after a veiy bad 

 honey season. A fi-iend of mine relates a laughable story 

 of a heai'se and mourning-coaches starting oft' at a terrific 

 pace and leaving the astonished bearers with a heavy coffin 

 on their shoulders and no hearse to deposit it in, owing to 

 the 'oees not comprehending the necessity of this forced 

 revolution, and resenting it by an attack on the unoffending 

 horses. — A Devonshire Bee-keepes.1 



OUE LETTER BOX. 



Cross-ekid Fowl (2i^ovice).—Tiie birds you mention a-; cro>s-bred can be 

 shown in the cUss for " Any other new or distinct variety." It is erpecially 

 intended for those th^it have no other place— i. c, that belong to none of 

 thoBe breeds lor which separate prizes are offered. You cun cull them by 

 any name yoa please ; or you can describe the process by which they were 

 produced. 



DuEBiNG A Bantam Game Cock {Idem).— It should not be dubbed 

 hefwre it is sis months old, and if it is older so much the better. If 

 duboed -when younger the comb grow^ again, aud necessitates a second 

 operation. It should not be done while the bird is changing plumage, and 

 it must not be done in frosty weather. 



Pullets Laying (Iflem).— The pullets began to lay because they were 

 teven months old. The breed may hive sjmething ti> do with their now 

 titt'.ng. They will lay as well without a cock as with one, aLd they will 

 become broody. But, of course, the eggs are clear. 



Distinguishing the Ses in Young Geese Ci^flr/ocr's Jr//i') — It is very 

 difficult to disiinguii'h between Gooae and Gander, especially when they are 

 young. Among many other meihuds, it is said that it the birds be pnt in a 

 pen or any enclosed space and a dog be tlirown in, the Geeae will all with- 

 draw, while the Gander extends his neck and pipes. Another :s. that ihe 

 sack (>Y bag that hangs down between the leps of both seses is double in 

 the male, und single in the female. Again it is said the neck of a Gander 

 is shorter and thicker than that of the Goose. If that be all put together a 

 proper judgment may be sometimes ;irrived at, bat not always. Close 

 obscrv;itions and examination are the o!i!y certain guides. 



Chickens Dtikg Suddenly {Lex). — By some means or other your 

 chickens get at something that is poisonous. One or iwo might do it, and 

 it might be attributed to giddines?; but as that is not contagious, and as 

 the disease seems to be the rme with ^-our clucken<, jou must seek the 

 cause in their diet. 



Floor op Hen-hovse {Toung Beginner). — Cover the floor of your house 

 ■with gravel, as well as your yard. Ashes are sharp and prickly to the feet 

 of chitkene, especially of heavy ones, and they can miy w.ilk on thera with 

 piiin and often injury. This would make them disinclined lor e.\eition, and 

 tlie comphiint you make might arise from the constant use of one or the 

 other of the legs while the other rested. 



Prizes at the Sheffield Poultuy Suow. — I have been informed thc.t 

 some of the local exhibiiois at the late Sheffield Show have had the prize 

 money paid Ihem. Can any of your readers s.iy if this be true .'— C. S. 



Pigeons at Pocklington.— (-Ej/ii6(7«y).— We cannot insert such a com- 

 munication. General charges, and unsigned by the complainant's leal 

 name and address, are inadmissible. 



Points in Partridge Cochin-China Puilets and Cockerels.— (J. C, . 

 Light bressle and bodies are grcH.: laults in Grouse or Paitridgu Cochins, 

 and fatal faults in cumpetition. In these, as la all others, the combs shoul 1 

 be straight. The cock should have a pL-rfectly b;ack breast; hackle an i 

 saddle, deep orange, with black stripe dovn each feaiher ; black thighs a;: 1 

 red wings. The hens should be grouse-coloured nil over, with as liil.c 

 yellow tinge a& possible. Both should have yellow legs, well feathered. 



Easivets for. Gkese and Turkeys.— {J. 6".}.— Open baskets a-e t!;-j 

 lightest; but they are liable to the very serious objection that the ttnJiiis 

 are then subject to the attacks of any one. Many a bird has arrived at a 

 show tailless, because he was sent in an open bai^kct. Our belief is that, 

 for a short journey of from two to four days, a round stouL wicker-basket, 

 covered with s;icking or strong cloth, is all that Is required. It should be 

 fastened ro-ind, with the exception of about one foot, which should have 

 temporary ties that may be undone for the purpose of feeding on the road. 

 They should be high enough to allow the birds to stand up. 



Beginning Bee-keeping {A JVovice). — You may remove your hive at 

 once, but it ^hould be done carefully so as to avoid injury to the combs, 

 which ought to be heavy at this season. Tie it up in a coarse cloth of opea 

 texture (cheese-cloth), and have it carried steadily by hand. You may 

 cover the old straw hive with a neat case, bat do not attempt to iransltv 

 the bees to another hive. Buy " Bee-keeping for the Many," which will 

 give you the information you require. 



LONDON MAEEETS.— September 14. 

 POULTRY. 



We have little change to note. There is a goad but not a hirpre supply of 

 Piinridges. Grouse remains scarce. Tbeie is little or no demand lur 

 t'oultry. 



8. d. u. d. s. d. s. (I. 



Largs Fowls 2 to 2 6 | Parlridges 1 (i to 1 !i 



Sm.iller do 1 9 „ 2 | Grouse, 2 „ J Ij 



Chickens 1 3 „ 1 6 i Kabbus 1 ^ ,, 1 5 



Gee^e C „6 6 Wild do » « ,, I'.'.l 



Ducklings 2. „ '2 I Pigeoni » „ U 9 



