168 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ March 7, 1867. 



its own qneen, on inspection, ivas seen pacing about in perfect 

 freedom. We must therefore carefully distinguish betwixt 

 such accidental cases and others of a different character. I 

 recollect of Mr. Woodbury having narrated the case of a 

 plurality of qneene, a young and an old one, in one of his hives 

 during autumn some two or three years ago. " A Stewahton 

 Apiarian " remarked at the time, without contradiction I think, 

 that this was no uncommon occurrence; and I see "A Lan- 

 arkshire Bee-eeeper," in a recent article, seems to be of a 

 similar opinion. I do not think, however, that the experience 

 of our most eminent apiarians justifies such statements. I 

 am inclined to believe rather that it is only in exceptional 

 conditions we ever find such anomalies, and consequently that 

 they are of rave occurrence. In all my experience I only know 

 of three cases. One took place during unfavourable weather 

 prior to first swarming, and the other cases occurred in hives 

 in which queens were reared to supersede defective reigning 

 ones. In one of these cases both queens lived together appa- 

 rently in perfect amity for upwards of three weeks, and both 

 were fertile when I separated them. This is the most remark- 

 able anomaly of the kind which ever came under my own ex- 

 perience or knowledge. Indeed, I am not aware that any 

 similar case has been recorded by any other apiarian writer. — 

 John Lowe. 



[We have ourselves known several cases in which common 

 queens have received Italian fecundation at a distance of from 

 two to three miles ; whilst Dzierzon, the very highest authority 

 on this SI bjcct, states that many similar instances have been 

 sbserved in which the nearest Italian stock was more than a 

 German mile distant — one German mile being nearly equal to 

 five English miles. 



With regard also to a plurality of queens, the great German 

 apiarian says that in a stock of bees only one queen is generally 

 found, except when rainy weather sets in at the time of swarm- 

 ing, in which case a young one often hatches before the old 

 one has departed, and several young princesses may then 

 exist together for some time. But besides swarming time, we 

 may also, in autumn, winter, or spring, occasionally find two 

 queens in one hive, one of which, although generally old and 

 more or less mutilated, is still borne with patience, whilst the 

 other, a vigorous young one, is the reigning queen. The wings 

 of the old one are, at all events, usually gnawed off through 

 the attacks of tlie young queen ; but her jealousy, which seems 

 greatest immediately after hatching, ceases by degrees until, 

 when she has become fertile, her whole attention and activity '■ 

 are directed to filling the brood-combs with eggs.] 



the " Ayrshire or Scotch Hive " is actually delineated as being 

 hexagonal ; so that poor Dr. Gumming would appear to have 

 made a very unnecessary confession when he admitted that 

 the Ayrshire hives, which he described as hexagons, were really 

 octagonal. "The Woodbury Observatory-hive " is also repre- 

 sented as being furnished with opaque shutters ; whereas one 

 of the main features of that gentleman's contrivance was the 

 uninterrupted admission of light at all times. The " Ameri- 

 can " and " Canadian " liives likewise are doubtless very ela- 

 borate structures ; but we may be excused for doubting whether 

 they would not be repudiated equally by the genuine Yankee 

 and the native of British North America as being nearly, if not 

 entirely, unknown to the bee-keeping denizens of the New 

 World. 



TOMTITS TEEScs BEES. 



Some months since a plea was made on behalf of tomtits, 

 that they only consumed the dead bees, and, consequently, did 

 no harm to the bee-keeper. Liking the merry little birds and 

 willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, though against 

 my own convictions. I spared them, with the following result : 

 — They have breakfasted regularly off my bees throughout the 

 winter ; they have tapped at the mouth of the hives with such 

 vigour (I presume to induce the unfortunates to come out), 

 that they have taken all the paint off the hive-entrances, and 

 in the case of an old hive have made a hole nearly large enough 

 to enter — in fact, they have much damaged them all. On Satur- 

 day I placed some comb full of honey in reach of the bees, who 

 were busy in the sunshine, and was not gratified to see it de- 

 voured with the utmost apparent satisfaction by the birds. — 

 C. C. Ellison. 



NEW BOOK. 



The Manar/ement of Bees. -By W. J. Pettitt. Vith a Cata- 

 logs i^f Hives and Apiarian Furniture. Dover: Pettitt. 

 This is a new and enlarged edition of a pamphlet by Mr. 

 Pettitt, the well-known hive-manufacturer of Dover, in which 

 a brief discourse on " The Management of Bees," introduces 

 a full catalogue, with engi-avings, of "Bee-hives, Bee-houses, 

 and Apiarian Furniture," to the different items of which is 

 appended a succinct description, with the prices at which they 

 are sold. Many of the hives are unquestionably very ingenious, 

 whilst we have no doubt that some are useful, and may be 

 conveniently and profitably worked. A few of the names strike 

 ns, however, as being remarkable from having apparently been 

 conferred on the lucm a non lucendo principle. For instance, 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



The " Long Firm " Again. — In fiddition to our warning published last 

 week we have had several letters informiiif? us that the same " S. R. Reid," 

 54, Pott Street, New lelinpton, Manchester," had written for eggs, Ac. 

 In every instance the vendors required a post-office order payable in a 

 fortnight to be pre-remitted, and in no instance did S. R. Reid comply 

 with that wise requirement. Let all vendors act similarly. 



Floor of Piosty Yard (W. X.). — As for reasons assigned you object to 

 stone, slate, find bricks, use asphalt made in the way we have often 

 directed for making garden walks. They are waterjiroof. 



Soft Eggs (SaJop).—As the hen has a supply of lime (it ought t« b« 

 pounded chalk, old bricklayers' rubbish, or calcined oyster-shells), her 

 egg-system is inflamed, and most probably from over-fatness. Put her 

 upon low diet, only a little barleymeal, plenty of mashod potatoes, and 

 lettuce leaves. 



Egg within av Egg (C.A.J.).— It has frequently occurred, and re- 

 quires no detailed notice. 



Hen-feathered {Hambtirrjh). — A cock nsually having sickle feathers 

 in his tail is said to be "hen-feathered," and the tail in form is that of 

 the hen of the same breed. 



Vulture-hocked Brahma Pootras {Subscriber). — We believe vultore 

 hocks are sutlicicnt to override all merits, and to disqualify a bird bow- 

 ever good he may be in other respects. He would have no chance against 

 one without the appendage.- -B. 



Removing Eggs as Soon as Latd (-4. B. B.). — We always remove onr 

 eggs a little later in the season. Our trouble is to make the hens forsake 

 their nests. Three or four broody ladies take possession of the same, 

 and gi'owl lustily if disturbed. 



Spurred Dorking Hens (if. E. M. B. A.}. — The spurs you mention are 

 not only unimportant, but they are very enmraon in Dorkings, especially 

 in large birds. Breed from such by all means, and do not cut the spurB 

 in any way. 



Scurfy Legs—Breeding Game Fowls (Lanky Lad'^.—X good country 

 grass w.alk with plenty of green food is the best cure, if any, for scurf in 

 the scales of the legs. Toast steeped in port wine or sherry is good. 

 ?-ome use a potash ' potass), or soda wash for the legs. Vinegar is also 

 often used as a wash for scurfy scales of legs. Pure-bred Black-breasted 

 Reds seldom or never throw chickens with any brown on the breast. When 

 this occurs it is generally from a cross of the Brown-breasted or Ginger- 

 breasted breeds. Cock-fighters' breeds will always stand better than 

 birds not bred for cock-fighting, as they match them in breedin.:;' for this 

 purpose, and their birds are harder. Some exliibition birds are bred 

 from cockers' strains, and stand remarkably well, and are more showy 

 than the pit birds, and also larger and heavier. Exhibition birds are 

 softer and more flpshy than the cockers' birds. Game may be easily bred 

 hard by choosing bard short-bodied stock, and putting only a few hens 

 to the cock, choosing spurred hens. — Newjlarket. 



Decayed Stock Hive (Mens Comtcia Recti]. — We could not discover th« 

 pin you speak of, and were therefore unable to identify the particular cell 

 to which you refer. Wo were, however, able to perceive foul brood in the 

 two darkest combs, although, doubtless, from its having remained in the 

 cells during the winter it had assumed a more treacley appearance, and 

 was of a thicker consistence than any which we have before observed. 

 Tho brood in the third comb appeared healthy. We fancy that owing to 

 the presence of tho disease the stock must have dwindled very much 

 during the autumn, although its doing so escaped your notice at the time. 



Greatest Number of Hives in an Apiary (,-1 North Staffordshire 

 Bee-keeper).-~l once counted late in the season, and after the autumnal 

 destruction by brimstone bad taken place, thirty-four stocks in one 

 corner of an orchard half a dozen miles from Exeter, and the farmer's 

 wife, to whom they belonged, told me she had ten more on a neighboaring 

 farm. This extensive apiary, which flourished during many years, and 

 in some summers had numbered eighty colonies, originated from a single 

 swarm, which the good dame infnrmed me she had in her yoauger days 

 brought home from some miles distance on her bend. My North Stofl'ord- 

 shire friend is quite in error in believing that I have lost swarms through 

 over-stocking.— A Devonshire Bee-keeper. 



POULTRY MARIO^T.— March Hth. 

 We have still but ft moderate supply, but trade is dull. 



B d. s. d I I 



Larc" Fowls S G to 4 



Sn»)l«r do 8 3 



Ctickens 2 2 



Goslings 6 6 7 



Ducklings S 6 4 



Pigeonp 10 1 



Pheasants to 



Partridges 



Grouse 



Guinea Fowls. 



I Rabbits 1 



I WUddo 



« • 



t 9 



S 



1 5 







