304 



JOURNAL OP HOETICULTDKE AND COTTAGE GABDENEK. 



[ April 25, 1867. 



likewise the mouldy comb only is removed, but only in the 

 very worst cases, for the bee-keepers there do not like to cut 

 the top. The loss of queens is generally not perceived until a 

 few days after, when the bees by dcRrees begin to dwindle away, 

 and bees of other stocks plunder the houey, and then the combs 

 of the queenless stocks are cut out. Throughout the whole 

 empire stocks which have lost their queens are treated alike. 

 In summer the whole care of bees is limited to the temporary 

 opening of the lower door in order to remove the moth larvas 

 which may have nested there. During the swarmiug period, 

 which does not begin uutU the second week in June, a person — 

 generally a young girl or an old woman — is continually watching 

 dttring warm and dry weather. Everywhere around the stocks 

 several wooden blocks which have been charred all over are 

 fastened on poles that the swarms may settle on them and not 

 fly away. The swarms indeed select these blocks much more 

 frequently than a shrub or tree, but they nevertheless very 

 often fly off into the woods. When putting the swarms into 

 the swarm-basket, the latter is first rubbed with a plant which 

 is there called the deaf nettle, but which is the Leonurus car- 

 diaca, Linn. The bees are said to like the smell of this plant, 

 a fact of which I have convinced myself. — Edwakd Assmuss. 



(To be continned.) 



FRAME HIVES— FEEDING BEES. 



I HAVE two stocks, swarms of last year, in Woodbury-hives 

 of eight and ten frames, which are so constructed that the 

 hives can be turned upside down if necessary, without fear of 

 the frames shaking. I wish to obtain some honey, if possible, 

 and swarms artificially, as I am occupied with my business 

 during the day. The hives that I have to swarm them in are 

 entirely different from those of Jlr. Woodbury, but still frame 

 hives ; therefore I am debarred the usual advantage of them. 

 How would it be best for me to act in this case ? The food 

 which I give my bees — viz., sugar and water, in bottles always 

 candies and stops the mouth up. How is this to be remedied ? 

 and how may I know when a hive has swarmed? — J. C. A. 



[We look upon " duality " in the construction of frame hives 

 with quite as little favour as the House of Commons regarded 

 the " dual vote." We should therefore on no account admit 

 any hives into our apiary the frames of which were not inter- 

 changeable with all the others. 



The syrup which you have been administering to your bees 

 is either overcharged with sugar, or the network which covers 

 the bottle-mouth is of too fine a mesh. We put three parts 

 sugar to two of water, by weight, and use an open leno, the 

 meshes of which are fully one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter. 

 A sudden decrease in the population is the first indication of 

 the escape of a swarm. Whenever this is observed, the fact 

 of a swarm having issued may be readily either verified or dis- 

 proved by an examination of the hive's interior.] 



RANGE OF BEES' FLIGHT. 



This is a subject of great importance to bee-keepers, as it 

 has been supposed that bees fly only about three miles when 

 collecting houey, consequently there has been a fear of over- 

 stocking an apiary. 



Having ascertained that there were no bees on Kelley's Island 

 (Lake Erie), in the spring of 1866 we established an apiary of 

 the Italians there, for the purpose of rearing pure Italian queens 

 and ascertaining the flight of the Italians for food. In less 

 than a week after they commenced flying they were busily at 

 work on the other end of the Island, more than five miles distant 

 from the apiary. This season we shall carry some of them (in 

 a hunting bo.\) out on the water, and ascertain how far they can 

 be induced to work from the hives. We are of the opinion that 

 they will not fly as far across the water as on the land, where 

 there is a continuous supply of flowers to call them from the 

 hives. We shall report further discoveries at the close of the 

 seaaon. — W. A. FiiANCERS {Prairie Farmer). 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Gapes— Guinea Fowls (J. Worsfold).~To cure the gapes give each 

 chicken a piece of camphor daily, about the size of a Hmall pea. and pnt 

 a lamp of camphor into the water they drink from. The hen Guinea 

 fowl utters the peculiar " Come-back " cry. The cock only utters a whin- 

 ing noise. . . 



Hen Eating Hku E<;g (Blanche). — The only cour-^e to adopt is to 

 watch her whilst layinp, and to remove the euK as soon as it is laid. 

 Have artificial effcs made of chalk or porcelain for nest egfzs. 



AccnlNGTON Poultry Know. — Messrs. S. ^t R. Ashton, Mottram, Man- 

 chester, inform ua that they were awarded first prize in Gold-spangled 

 Hamborghs at Accrington Show. It was omitted in the report wo re- 

 ceived. 



Dorking Cock's Cosib Bleeding M. B.).— Cauterise the wound, and 

 It will stop the bleeding. We have used lunar caustic for this purpose 

 very freely and with great success. 



Failcre oe Fowls and Tokkevs (t. T. B.). — Everything seems 

 arranged to go right with your poultry, yet it is evident all goes wrong. 

 While there is no loyal road to success, there is no reason on the other 

 hand why failuro should be the rule. Do you keep fowls and Turkeys 

 together? If you do. separate them. Have your houses wooden, stone, 

 or brick floors' ? If they have, remove the floors or cover them with 

 6 inches thick of earth and gravel. When your chickens are hatched, do 

 you keep them close together? If you do. divide and scatter tbem about, 

 it is most likely more eggs will come out under the sitting hen if they 

 are moistened for some days before hatching. The chickens that die in 

 the shell die from lack of moisture. When the chickens are out, do not 

 disturb them much for the first twelve or eighteen hours? Then take 

 them as far away from other fowls asyou can. Choose for them a dry spot 

 on a slope in the park, if under a havrick so much the better. Let them 

 be where thcv will be exposed to the sun, but sheltered from the wind. 

 Place thus vour hens and chickens as far apart as you can consistently 

 with their safety. Provide them with beer to drink, road-grit or dust to 

 bask in, and plenty of good food. Above aU, keep the hens shut up as 

 long as the chickens require it, certainly from seven to ten weeks; if 

 longer so much the better. This is good for fowls and Turkeys. At this 

 time of year when the mornings are verv cold, often frosty, the hen 

 drags either or both of them about till they are completely chilled, thej 

 then die with every appearance of roup. 



Ducklings and an Aktificial Mother (Scnii'i/i).— We have aeen 

 Ducklings reared in the artificial mother of Minasi's incubator, but we do 

 not approve of glass above them. They should not have sufBcient water 

 to dabble in, and they may be fed on ground oats and meat chopped fine. 



Call Ducks (L. T. B.).— Your Call Ducks die like other Ducks that are 

 allowed their Uberty. Old Ducks fancy their young can follow profitably 

 wherever they themselves go. Towards evening they take their young, 

 only a few hours old, under steep often beetling banks in search of the 

 evening fly. One by one they leave the brood behind. Hens are the most 

 successful mothers because they avoid the w-ater. If you rear under Ducks 

 wo advise you to let the old bird sit in a pigstye or place where she 

 cannot get at anv water, and vet where the inequalities allow of sufiBcient 

 moisture to enable them to feed and drink. When they get older, ana 

 before they are allowed their liberty, let them have every day a large 

 shallow vessel. Let the bottom be covered with a large sod of grass, on 

 this lay some oats, meal, and gravel. Cover the whole with 1 inch of 

 water. They will thrive well. 



Brahma Pootra Pullet Lame (BrnJmn).— We know not to what to 

 attribute the lameness of your hen. It may be accident, and from the 

 Buddennoss of its appearance we should think it was, or it may be like 

 many of oiu* own ailments, the origin of which cannot be detected. 



Non-payment for Poultry (£. C. Bori'f/ti.— It is not a case for onr 

 columns, but for the County Court. Employ a solicitor without delay- 



Eggs Chilled (IT'. IT. IT'.) —As the eggs were only sat upon 'hrce or 

 four days, their being allowed to become cold as you describe will not 

 interfere with their production of chickens. 



PnESEEViNG Eggs {A. E. P., rfc.l.— The following is from the " PonltiJ- 

 keeper's Manual :"— " Have large boxes or barrels thoroughly hned mside 

 with paper; put them in a cool bat dry place. A lajer of fine white salt 

 an inch thick should cover the bottom. New-laid eggs should be laid 

 side by side on this salt, and all vacant spots or places should be care- 

 fully filled with it. Successive layers of eggs and salt fill the box, which 

 is theu very tightly screwed down, and paper pasted over the jomts. 

 Fine white "salt is preferable. On the 1st of August, 1819, M. Jacques 

 oiiened a ease of six hundred eggs, preserved in September, November, 

 and December. 1848— that is to say, eleven months after tney were put 

 away; although they no longer possessed the delicate flavour of a new- 

 laidcgg. they wore well-kept, and well-tasted-good enough for any do- 

 mestic use.'' 



Rust Pigeons (C. SA.—By all means try Runts, and send ns your ex- 

 perience. They are noble Pigeons, and ought to be thought mM% ol. 

 Some years since we had Spanish Runts, and very large and long- uoaiea 

 they were. They brought up their voung ones well, and we did not nna 

 them delicate or liable to disease. Try to avoid breeding in-and-m : start 

 with breeds that are not related to each other, and by exchanging, or 

 other management, prevent near relations being paired. If you aucceea 

 in making Runts popular you will confer a national benefit, as many 

 would thou keep them for the table, and be proud of their size, as Dork- 

 ing-fanciers are of the legs of their birds. Have roomy nests, low perches, 

 and vou must not expect much flying from them. A low outhouse, ll 

 safe from rats and cats, makes a good home for Runts. 



Feeding Bees (Bec-fcecping Subacribir).— There does not appear to be 

 anv pressing necessity for immediate feeding, but if the present broken 

 weather continues, the administration of a moderate quantity ol looa 

 may not be unadvisable. 



POULTRY MARKET.— April 24. 



We have a great scarcity of good young poultry. Trade is deplorably 

 bad, or there would not ne sufficient to supply London. There is not an 

 average quantity at market. 



d 



Large Fowls 4 



Smaller do 8 



Chickens 3 



Goshngs 7 



Ducklings 5 



Pigeons 



d. s. 

 6 to 5 



Pheasants 



Partridges 



6 Grouse 



6 Guinea Fowls 3 



6 1 Rabbits 1 4 



9 WUddo 8. 



d s. d 

 too • 

 







DCSLTiSir : 



