342 



JOUBNAL OF HOETICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



[ October 31, 1867. 



POLLEN OR FLOUR? 



Will yon inform " T. H." that I observed similar pollen 

 carried in by my bees on the 13th of October. My apiary is 

 near to a village, and it occurred to me that they had obtained 

 access to some granary. The " white powder " was only brought 

 in by the bees of one hive, and I know of no kind of flowers 

 in my neighbourhood that they could collect it from. — J. C. A., 

 North Cliesliivf. 



[With regard to the bees covered with white pollen, men- 

 tioned in page 30G of "our Journal," I believe it to be flour 

 from the corn mills. I have recently seen many of mine come 

 home from the direction of a mill, and have noticed it in former 

 seasons. — C. F. G., Lincolnshire. \ 



BEES DESERTING THEIR HIVES— BROOD 

 REMAINING UNDEVELOPED. 



Some time since Mr. S. Bevan Fox and myself made similar 

 inquiries regarding stocks deserting their hives during the 

 spring ; but with all deference to the Editors, who have stated 

 in refjly to several inquiries that want is the chief cause, I beg 

 to differ from them on that point. Although I have had many 

 desertions, I have never had one from that cause, but, on the 

 contrary, the hives were always well-stored with food. It 

 would seem, therefore, that we must look for some other cause, 

 which can only be discovered by patient observations. I will 

 not, then, venture to lay down any positive rule, but will con- 

 tent myself with mentioning under what circumstances I have 

 had cases of this kind. Before doing so, however, I may call 

 the reader's attention to the question which I put in No. 303 

 of " our Journal," respecting bees failing to hatch out their 

 brood, and which it was suggested by a " Pevonshiee Bee- 

 KEEPEK " might be one of the phases of f 'ul brood. Well 

 would it be if it were so, as the bees would i ^en have found a 

 cure in themselves ; and although the hive itself would not be 

 benefited by it, still it would prevent the infection from spread- 

 ing. It may be remembered that I mentioned that at the time 

 of the queen's impregnation the temperature was low, not 

 more than C5° in the sun, and rather a chilly day. Notwithstand- 

 ing she had had a successful marriage flight, it is evident that a 

 higher temperature is necessary to impregnation, for this queen 

 probably would have remained a drone-breeder, although of 

 this I am not certain, as I never minutely examined the larvn?, 

 and none was ever hatched, being always destroyed when in 

 the larva state whilst the bees deserted their hive in the spring. 

 Now it has happened with me that late-bred queens are never 

 so prolific as those hatched or fertilised in the heat of summer ; 

 neither are they so long lived, either deserting their hives or 

 meeting with an untimely end by their subjects. And, again, 

 all stocks which have been subjected to severe cold have either 

 quitted their hives, or their queon has died from dropsy.* 



I may mention that there is also a desertion by swarms after 

 being hived, and which has been rather common this year. 

 This kmd of desertion arises, undoubtedly, from a scarcity of 

 food at swarming time. Any person at all acquainted with 

 bees can easily determine whether there is any danger of their 

 leaving after swarming, simply by observing whether they have 

 empty or full stomachs ; if the former, feeding ought to "be re- 

 sorted to at once — a precaution which I have never found to 

 fail in attaching them to their hive. If honey is scarce feed- 

 ing ought to be continued, as they wiU sometimes leave after 

 making a good deal of comb. 



One or two rather singular anomalies have come under my 

 observation this season — viz., many drones belonging to a hive 

 which in May was bringing forward young queens, deserted it, 

 and tried to gain admission into another, where most of them 

 were killed. Piping was in several cases heard where the old 

 queen was still regnant and afterwards came off with the first 

 swarm. I have also met with another singular occurrence. A 

 large piece of drone comb was filled with worker brood, which 

 all hatched. Another hive that was raising queens commenced 

 four royal cells. One was completed and hatched, another was 

 destroyed on the ninth day, and, strange to say, the bees that 

 cleaned out the cell died. The other two cells were widened 

 but not lengthened, having the ordinary sealing, and their 

 tenants were not ready to hatch until the twenty-first day ; but 



* I dissected a queen that died from dropsy, probably caused by severe 

 cold, and found her sperniatheca entirely dried up, her ovaries were 

 wasted away, and the remaining matter had the appearance of that eva- 

 cuated by hens when saifering from iDfi'immation.— A Lahabeshibb Bee- 



KEEPEB. 



I could find no difference in them from the ordinary workers, 



although it occurred to mo that if they possessed anything, 

 however little, of the nature of the queen, such bees might be 

 the cause of regicidal attacks on a young queen after her mar- 

 riage. Supposing them to be eight days later in hatching, 

 answering to about the time of her wedding flights, they may 

 probably emerge from their cells about her time of leaving, 

 and be ready for combat on her return. — A Laxaekshike Bee- 



KEEPEE. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



"Weight of Food Needed {A. B.).— It is imi»ORsible to answer yonr 

 question exactly. According to our calculation, with the advantfiRes they 

 Lave, a bushel of barley should last twenty fowls from thirty-two to thirty- 

 four days. 



Deaf-ears of White Dorkings [Amateur). — It is an important point, 

 but most have some wliite on the deaf-ear. Many consider it a charac- 

 teristic of the breed. We do not. 



Characteristics of a Dark Brahma Cockeeel {Brahma).— k dark 

 Brahma cock should have a liffht hackle and saddle, black tail, spotted 

 breast, black thighs, pea-comb, and yellow, well-feathered legs. Black 

 breasts are not disqualifications. The breast of a perfect bird should be 

 distinctly black and white. Licht breasts with lighter spots are very 

 objectionable. Light thighs are also the reverse of desirable. The comb 

 should be firm on the head. 



Blanching Cocks' Combs (Pop).— They make an excellent dish. The 

 combs are to be cut off after killing. They are rendered white by being 

 scalded and then skinned. 



Mating a Large Lop-eared R.abeit (B.).— For table purposes you 

 will find no cross so good as the Belgian Hare Rabbit. It gives very great 

 weight and is essentially fit for the food question. Your Dorking cocks 

 have probably gi-own too fast and become weak. You must feed them 

 generously, and put some sulphate of iron in their water. 



Feeding Young Goldfinches (J?. F. G.)~When it is desired to raise 

 Goldfinches by hand, they should be taken from the nest when about 

 hiilf fledged. The older, however, the better, always provided they are 

 nut too old to open their mouths to be fed, and they may be reared on a 

 liaste of sopped bread and maw seed (poppy seed). Some persons use 

 rape seed, but if that is used it should previously be scalded and well 

 washed to deprive it of its punj^ency ; but maw seed is much the better. 

 They require feeding often, and the food should never be given them if 

 at all sour. Some people, to avoid the trouble of feeding by hand, place 

 the nest containing the young birds in a cage and hang it on the tree 

 where found, and leave the old birds to feed their young through the bars 

 of the cage. This plan often succeeds, the young birds being at the same 

 time provided with seed and water for them to peck at if inclined, that 

 they may learu to feed before the old ones forsake them, which, if it is 

 an early brood, the old ones are apt to do in order to breed again. These 

 young ones, though they have never flown at liberty, yet are more shy 

 than nestlings reared by hand; but are tamer than theGrej"patebranchers 

 caught after they can feed themselves. 



Shifting Hives. — •' In reply to the query of ' C. A. T.,' in reference to 

 what I wrote in No. 252, of this Journal, the distance between the two 

 apiaries is about 30 yards. The old bees do return to their original stance, 

 many of them at least, but never in such numbers as to risk the loss of 

 the stock. It is the safest of all modes of artificial swarming I can 

 spenk positively, having tried a multitude of plans, and having recourse 

 to this method continually. In this case the fact of their queen being 

 with them, retains many of the old bees in tranquillity about her till such 

 time as the stock has recovered population by the development of brood. 

 Of course, it is never advisable to adopt this or any mode of artificial 

 swarming where the hives operated upon are weak in populati<.n. While 

 I Lave my pen in hand, let me thank Mr. Fox for his kindly correction of 

 an error in my figures in my last communication. The year 1860 was the 

 bnd year, not ISGl, which was a remarkably good season for honay in 

 these parts.— B. & W." 



Awarding Prizes for Honey tn Supers. — " T. B. P." would be obliged 

 by " Mintlvn" informing him to which of thetlireenumbers mentioned in 

 p:ige 247, the judges awarded prizes ; also, whether in giving their decision 

 they were guided by the whiteness of the comb, or prefen-ed those which 

 were the best filled and the most completely sealed over. 



Flat Observatory Hives (.4//rfrf P.).— These are the worst possible 

 abodes for bees during winter. Indeed, so rarely do they survive, that 

 the attempt to keep bees through ihe winter in a unicombhive may prac- 

 tically be considered hopeless. The moisture which you describe has 

 been condensed on the gbiss, wheiice it has trickled down to the floor- 

 board. Feeding will only nggravate the evil, and if the bees are confined 

 will speedily produce disease and death. Removing the stock was also a 

 great mistake, as, if they are not confined, nearly every bee that flie.s oat 

 will seek its old stance, and perish from being unable to find its home. 

 The case is, indeed, so desperate, that we see little for it but to leave the 

 bees to their fate. Before again stocking the hive we should have it 

 fitted with moveable comb-bars in the manner invented by Mr. Wood- 

 bury. These may be either four or six in number, according to the size 

 of the hive, and when winter again approaches they, with the combs 

 attached to them, should be lifted out, bees and all, and ranged side by 

 side in the usual manner in a box adapted to receive them, which should 

 be put in the plnceof the observatory hive, so that the bees may have no 

 difficulty in findiug it. When summer approaches the colony may again 

 be transferred to its transparent domicile, in which it will do well enough 

 so long as the weather remains warm. With regard to the bees in the 

 cottage hive, the case is very diff'erent. They will, probably, do well 

 enough if you administer without delay a sufficient supply of food in the 

 manner described by us in page 306. 



Feeding Bees (Carolus).—\ owr estimate of the weight of bees and 

 combs is, probably, somewhat under the mark, but is, practically, quite 

 near enough. Read our reply to " A Constant Reader" in page 306. 

 and follow the advice therein given. We know ol no trap that would not 

 catch bees as well as wasps. 



