172 



JOUBNAIi OF HOETICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ Febraaiy 28, ISOT. 



must I have rccourBe to the process called driving, which I fear 

 I am not skilful enough to accomplish ? — Adolphus H. Rent. 

 [If the combs in the " pavilion " are very old, it may be 

 better to remove them, and in that case it should be done 

 before it is re-occupied by the bees. It is, however, quite con- 

 trary to rule to permit a side-box to become the stock-box ; and 

 if the combs in the centre compartment are not more than two 

 ' years old, we should suspect some error in management. It 

 may possibly have resulted merely from an entrance in the 

 side-box being left open until the bees had come to use it as 

 the main doorway, in which case the seat of breeding would 

 most naturally become established in close proximity to it. 

 The stock in the common hive had, doubtless, become queen- 

 less, a not-uncommon accident after swarming, but one that is 

 apt to escape observation in common hives until the colony has 

 become nearly extinct. You had better permit the stock in 

 the decaying hive to swarm, and three weeks after the issue of 

 the first swarm, when all the brood will have been hatched, 

 drive out the remaining bees and add them to some other 

 colony. The plan which yon propose would not answer.] 



PETTITTS NEW MOVEABLE COMB-HIVES. 



This hive has just been brought out by Mr. W. J. Pettitt, of 

 Dover. It contains thirteen bar-frames on the seven-eighth- 

 inoh or Woodbury scale, and the top bar of each projects quite 

 through the back and front of the hive, resting in the metaUic 

 bar-rest precisely similar to the " Sibekt-in-the-Wold " plan. 

 Each frame is 13| by 8^ inches, the actual size of the combs, 

 and the elongated top bar enables the bee-keeper to loosen 

 the frames previous to the removal of the crown-board with- 

 out thrusting the finger and thumb into the hive. 



The thirteen frames can all be used at the same time if 

 desired, or by means of a dividing-frame which fits into the 

 place of any one of the bar-frames, the actual size of the hive 

 can be contracted or enlarged at pleasure, and if placed in the 

 ninth "rest," it then gives a complete stock-hive with eight 

 bar-frames. 



e-!!' 'm.i 



-j^- 



Pettitt's New Moveable Comb Hive. 



A Ear-frame. 



The crown-board is in two parts, as shown in the engraving, 

 is connected by brass hinges, and separates immediately 

 over the dividing-frame in the ninth rest. The remaining four 

 frames can be used as a collateral-snper, communication to 

 which is given through the dividing- frame from the stock hive, 

 over which a bell-glass or other super can be worked ; while 

 the smaller division of the hive can be operated upon by 

 lifting a portion of the crown-bftard without opening the whole 

 hive or in any way disturbing the glass super upon the top. 

 Empty frames can be easily exchanged for newly-made combs. 

 The bees generally commence working in the frame nearest 

 the stock, consequently that frame will be the first to be 

 removed from the hive. I advise the removal of this comb as 

 soon as finished ; then shift the three remaining frames, and 

 put in the empty frame quite at the end of the hive ; and this 

 process can be repeated as long as the honey season continues. 



The top bar of the frame in this hive is cut away, as shown 

 in the engraving, allowing a three-eighth-inch space between it 

 and the crown-board, giving room for the bees to travel over, 

 except about 1 inch at each end, upon which the crown-board 

 rests and holds the frames securely in their places. That 

 portion of the crown-board which covers the four spare frames 

 is provided with a ventilator exactly similar to that in the top 

 of the supers in Pettitt's collateral hives. 



This hive has the peculiar advantage of being worked both 



on the storifying and the collateral system, retaining at the 

 same time aU the advantages of the bar-frame arrangement.^ — 



SODBUEY. 



PllODUCTION OF CREAM. 

 ExPEKiMENT has proved that if we take two equal quantities 

 of milk, and place one in pans to the depth of 6 inches, and 

 the other to the depth of only 2J inches, the latter will yield 

 from 7 to 8 per cent, more cream than the former. This is 

 the case more particularly in cold and damp weather, and at 

 this time the mistake is most commonly committed. The 

 temperature of the surrounding air has also a great effect 

 upon the time required for the rising of the cream ; experiment 

 has demonstrated that the process is more rapid in warm than 

 in cold weather. With the thermometer at 



80^,allthecream'willriseml0 hours I .'i5^,aUthecream wiUrisein24honr6 

 77° „ „ 12 „ 50 „ „ ,S6 „ 



68" „ „ 18 ,, I 45' „ „ 48 „ 



Sprengel found that if milk was kept at a temperature as low 

 as 37°, but little cream would rise in three weeks. In order to 

 avoid the trouble of keeping the cream at the proper tempera- 

 ture, it is customary in some dairies to chum the whole milk. 

 The advantages claimed by those who follow this plan may be 

 briefly stated thus ; The proper temperature can be readily 

 obtained both in summer and winter ; 5 per cent, more butter 

 can be obtained from the same milk ; the butter is not only of 

 the same quaUty while fresh, but if properly managed will keep 

 much better. — (Germantown Telegraph.) 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Colours of Yellow Birchen Hen (A Subccriher).~1he tme yellow 

 Birchen hen has yellow or daw eyes, and yellow legs like the cocli. The 

 general colour of the leathers is a yellowiwh grey, with a strong tinge of 

 yellowish cream rolonr all over, the feathers heing edged with black. 

 Breast, a yellowish greyish cream colour, light rather than dark ; some of 

 the margins of the feathers on the body are of a whitish cream colour 

 also. Thighs as the breast. Tail blacki'sh, a little marked with grey at 

 the base. Comb and face red. Eggs of a yellowish tinge, and never white 

 or pinkish. This is now a rare colour. — Newmarket. 



Distinguishing the Age of Golden-pencilled Hambukghs (Sub' 

 scriber).~'We are so satisfied that there are no rules to guide us in distin- 

 guishing the age of fowls after they have passed the first year, that we do 

 not attempt to name any. A very old hen can be distinguished from one 

 that is only eighteen mouths old ; but there are no means of distinguish- 

 ing between those eighteen months and three years old. Some people 

 talk of the scales of the legs and the wrinkled careworn faces, also the 

 coarse wrinkled skins. All these exist, but they belong to no particular 

 age. Even those who live by poultry live and dead are frequently de- 

 ceived. 



Perches for Fowls (M. L. .4.).— Perches should not be more than 

 30 inches from the ground ; they are as effectual, so far as the comfort ol 

 the bird is concerned, as if they were 20 feet high. A fir pole 14 inches 

 in circumference, and split in the middle, is the best material, and the 

 round side should be uppermost. 



Proportion of Ducks to One Drake (Tdrvi). — Fowr Ducks are enough 

 for a drake, though some put more. There is no method of making a 

 hen sit. 



Cochin-chinas not Laying {F. S.). — We can assign no cause for youir 

 disappointment. Cochin-Chinas are unquestionably good layers, and as 

 for their sitting properties, if we were to allow the poultry world to de- 

 posit their greatest grievance in a heap made up of all, we should find in 

 two months" time nearly all the Cochin fanciers throwing down broody 

 hens; retrospect and anticipation both show us three or four heaps of 

 buff feathers thrust into a laying box, growling when touched, and re- 

 sisting everything short of actual violence to remove them If the eggs 

 were unproductive, it was caused by the fact that the cock did not attend 

 to them. This is not so uncommon as it is sometimes supposed to be. Yoa 

 have been very unfortunate, but there is no rule to explain your failure. 



Saccharine Food for Poultry (Lociwf Sfans). — We have never tried 

 saccharine matters as poultry food, and we should not like to. We have 

 always found the most satisfactory food to be barley and oatmeal. We 

 are driven to Indian com because we are infested or benefited by myriads 

 of small birds, and, while we find them in corn, our neighbours have the 

 benefit of their useful labours. We are, nevertheless, sure that Indian 

 com is not so good as either barley or oatmeal. The best food there is 

 is the oatmeal used in Sussex. It is made of the whole corn, ground so 

 fijie that it mixes as well as flour ; nothing whatever is taken from it, no 

 husk, bran, or anything else. We beUeve it is only to be had in Sussex. 



Bee Glo\'es (G. J., Birminnham). — Indian-rubber gloves such as are 

 used by photographers are tho best for apiarian purposes. They are sold 

 at most indian-rubber warehouses at, we believe, 5s. to 6s. jier pair. 



Gold Fish in an Aqv ARivyi (Abbots Troorfh— Gold fish do best in soft 

 water. If the tank is large, and there is plenty of vegetation in good 

 order, the water is best seldom changed, but filled up as it evaporates. 

 Waterci'ess is not good— it will not live. The pond weed Anacharis al- 

 sinastrum, Valisneria spiralis, and Ranunculus aquatilis arc good for the 

 purpose ; and to keep the glass clear from the conft;rvo3, put half a doaen 

 flat water snails in, Planorbis corueus. The fish do not require much 

 food; give them small worms, they being the best, and occasionally a 

 little bread and boiled rice, its grains kept separate, but not in suffi- 

 cient, quantity to lie at the bottom of the tank. Let some drift sand bo 

 In tho aquarium. 



