NoTember 3, 1863. ] JOTJKNAL OF HORTICULTITRE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



3G3 



finest upon record. As an account of the " adjusting " hive 

 has already appeared in The Journal of Horticulture, 

 I need not again allude to the principle of its working, 

 unless it should be desirable to bring it more prominently- 

 forward in a future comnranication. I believe it to be the 

 best mode of obtaining large quantities of pure honey, but 

 at the same time requiring that constant attention which 

 none but the scientific apiarian would devote to it. 



A very mai-ked instance of " foul brood " has occurred in 

 my apiary, the mischief existing unsuspected in the hive 

 throughout the autiunn and winter of last year, and it is 

 only within the last two or throe weeks that the true state of 

 the case has been ascertained. The hive is a Ligurian stock 

 possessing a dark but pure Ligurian queen, obtained from 

 Mr. Woodbury last spring. She appeared to be a most fertile 

 queen, having filled all eight oombs throughout the box with 

 brood in a very short space of time. From this period, how- 

 ever, a visible decrease rather than increase in the number 

 of bees took place, the hive struggling on in a most un- 

 satisfaotoiy state up to the present time. No sooner had 

 the " foul brood " controversy arisen, when, thanks to oiu' 

 fiiend Mr. Woodbury, the subject was brought so promi- 

 nently forwai-d, I saw the necessity of a thorough examina- 

 tion of the hive, and then discovered the nature and extent 

 of the mischief, each comb being one mass of foul brood. 

 The combs have been buried, the box burnt, and the few re- 

 maining bees now occupy a new and wholesome hive, and 

 I anxiously await the issue, hoping they may recover lost 

 ground and again prosper when another genial spring comes 

 round. — Geo. Fox, Kingsbridge. 



DEONES IN OCTOBER. 



Mat I ask what inference I am to draw from the presence 

 of drones in a hive now ? I have kept bees for some years, 

 and this is the first time such a thing has occun-ed. Out of 

 four hives — viz., two old stocks and two new stocks — only 

 the bees of the two new stocks, swarms of the middle of 

 May, attempted to fill glass supers. I suppose the reason 

 of this is that the two old stocks were exhausted of their 

 numerical strength by a swarm and two casts from each. 

 — Inquirer. 



[When drones survive so late in the season the probability 

 is that the stock is queenless, and, therefore, its remaining 

 inhabitants had better be united to another. Stocks that 

 have been weakened by swarming very rarely work supers.] 



BEE-KEEPING IN SOUTH LANCASHIEE. 



As I read in your Journal each week the exultations of 

 bee-keepers on the splendid season we have had, I am 

 almost ashamed to writ* to you in another tone. It is well, 

 however, that the capabilities of different districts and the 

 experience of different apiarians should be compared, and, 

 therefore, I am induced to write and tell of our misfortunes 

 in South Lancashire. First of aU, I should say that we 

 have special difficidties to encounter. In the district, at 

 least from which I write, we have on all sides of us manu- 

 facturing towns, and even a few smoky chimneys in our own 

 vUlage, all which are not favoiuuble to the gi-owth of flowers. 

 But the great hindrance of all is the dreadfully rainy climate. 



I began the year with two stocks, one of English bees in 

 one of Neighbour's improved cottage-hives, and the other 

 of Ligurians in a wcKxlen bar-hive. The former stock 

 swarmed on the 26th of May quite unexpectedly. Unfortu- 

 nately I was away, and no one knew how to manage them, 

 and the swarm was lost. I was able to collect a few of the 

 bees from the centre of a thick hedge when I returned late 

 at night, but the queen was not with them, and they 

 returned to the old hive. Of the rest I am afraid most 

 were kiUed by being shaken on the cold and damp ground. 

 My second swarm was hived easily, and apparently very 

 nicely, but this returned next morning to the old stock. 

 The Ligurian stock did not swarm at all. 



Thus I was left with my two old stocks, both seemingly 

 in good condition. The si mmir was on the whole favour- 

 able. We liad a good deal of rain in June, but there was a 

 very warm fortnight in July in which they did so well 



that I thought I might venture to take some honey from 

 the Ligurian-hive before sending it to the moors. I took 

 only about 5 lbs. of comb, leaving the weight (exclusive of 

 the hive) about 13 lbs. This woTild have been quite enough 

 if we had had even one fine fortnight in the autumn, as 

 there was a great deal of blossom on the heather. Unfor- 

 tunately there was hardly one fine day. On bringing the 

 hives back about a fortnight ago, I found each had lost about 

 3 lbs. For each of them, therefore, it was a case of feeding- 

 up for the winter, but especially for the Ligurian-hive. 



The English bees have taken their food very quickly 

 and greedily, and are now quite safe ; but the Ligurians 

 decline the sugar and water I offer them, or only take it 

 very slowly. Can you tell me what I am to do ? I wish to 

 keep the stock if I can, as I think I could not get another 

 Ligurian-hive in this neighbourhood. I have been feeding 

 them at the top with one of Neighbour's feeders. The 

 opening in the hive is not wide enough for the neck of a 

 bottle, or I would have tried bottle-feeding. I am now 

 having something made in zinc with a neck narrow enough 

 to insert, but as the frosts have begun I am afraid I am too 

 late. Is there any way by which I may keep them alive 

 till next spring ? If you, or the great bee-master of Uevon- 

 shfre, or any other of your correspondents can advise me, 

 you will much oblige — A South Lancashire Bee-keeper. 



P.S. — I may add that all my neighbours here seem to 

 have been little more fortunate than myself, and, instead of 

 taking any honey, have been obliged to feed-up their stocks 

 liberally for the winter. 



[Try the bottle for your Ligurians applied in this fashion, 

 through a block of wood with a bit of perforated zinc 







^^-^^ — ' 



interposed. The neck of the bottle need not enter the hole 

 in the top of the hive. 



SOUECES OF POLLEN. 



I ACKNOWLEDGE vidth thanks the kind and lucid reply of 

 " A Devonshire Bee-keeper," to my suppositions and 

 remarks in page 323. I am forced to believe where I can- 

 not understand; but as I willingly do this, and press it 

 upon others to act likewise in spiritual matters, I can the 

 easier submit to do so myself with a good grace in earthly 

 ones. The particulars mentioned from Maraldi, Debraw. 

 and Co., were unknown to me. I think I once read some 

 remarks of Huber, which led me to suggest the supposition 

 I advanced. I do not regret my last letter, neither will any 

 of your readers, since it has drawn forth so interesting, so 

 instructive a reply as follows it ; and still less reason for 

 regi-et shall I have if my house and apiary are honoured in 

 consequence with a visit from the head of our clan. 



Bees have been working much lately on the ivy. The 

 colour of the pollen is yellow. Some weeks ago mine 

 appeared like dusty millers, and they were then working 

 on some flowers in my garden, called, as I have been told, 

 malope — I suspect of the mallow trilie. 



I have for many years been puzzled to know whence a 

 pollen is collected of the colour of the young larch cones 

 when they first appeal-, and about the same time ; yet I never 



