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402 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Jane 6, 1837. 



with brood, is cut away that the bees may not " be idle." In 

 autumn the honeycombs are cut out, and honey is given to 

 all strong stocks which are poor in honey, according to their 

 want. Empty combs are cut away at the top of the hive, and 

 honeycombs are inserted instead, and they try by means of 

 wooden pegs to give them a regular position. 



Stocks which are too weak are destroyed, but the beea are 

 not killed, nor united with other stocks, but they let them 

 disperse where tliey like. In all these countries little honey 

 is obtained, in spite of the luxurious vegetation. In spring 

 the best gathering is from anemones, especially Pulsatilla, 

 different kinds of willows, poplars, maples, ashes ; in summer 

 from Rhamnus frangula, Prunus padus, Sorbus aucuparia, 

 white thorn, and bilberry, from large areas of Thymus serpyl- 

 lum, later from the very extensive buckwheat fields, and lastly, 

 late in summer and in autumn, from the enormous quantity 

 of heath. The pines and fir trees which alternately form large 

 forests here, are of no use to the bees in these countries. 



In the same manner as in the countries mentioned, the 

 Esthen Letten and others in the provinces on the Baltic manage 

 their bees, with this difference, that the klotzbeuter-stiinders, 

 which are the principal hives there, are taken into a cold 

 chamber, <to., during winter. In the more southerly-situated 

 western provinces of Russia and in Poland the stocks are taken 

 for the winter into dry cellars, or under the floors of dwellings, 

 after a few boards have been removed and a hole has been dug 

 in the ground for this purpose. 



The owners of a great many stocks dig large pits on elevated 

 spots, place the stocks in them, and cover the pits with thin 

 beams or refuse boards, on which is placed a thick layer of straw, 

 and a sloping roof to shoot the water off. It is strange that 

 the bees are wintered in the open air in a large part of 

 the_ north-west, and in-doors, &c., in the milder south. In 

 spring, when the snow is gone and great cold is no longer to 

 be expected, the stocks are again placed in the open air, but 

 no care is taken that every hive be put in its former place ; 

 this is nowhere in Russia attended to. The following day, after 

 placing the stocks again in the open air, they are cleaned of 

 dead bees, rubbish, mouldy combs, i-c. All the lower part of 

 the combs, to the first cross of the klotzbeuter, more than 

 a foot high, is then cut away, just as we have seen in the more 

 northern part of Russia. At the swarming season almost all 

 the swarms which issue are placed singly, the smaller ones in 

 smaller hives, which are often but G inches in diameter, but 

 from IJ to 2 Prussian ells (3} to 4 feet) long or high. Only 

 late swarms and very weak ones are united. In autumn all the 

 stocks, whether young or old, which have too much or too little 

 honey for the winter, are killed with brimstone by the owner him- 

 self, and a similar mixture is obtained as in the east of Russia. 



In South Russia, the desert districts, where straw cylinders 

 are used, the bees are treated in the same way. 



In Poland proper, partly the swarming system, partly the 

 pruning method is employed, and in the same manner as with 

 stocks with immoveable combs in Germany ; the hives are kept 

 in special bee-houses. The artificial increase of stocks, how- 

 ever, is as unknown in Poland as in all the other parts of the 

 Russian empire. I was stared and laughed at in the different 

 parts of Russia when I told the clergymen, &c., of artificial 

 swarms, &c. That the drone is a mole and the worker a neuter 

 is quite strange to the people in all Russia. With regard to 

 the queen, they are-all clear about her in Russia proper ; the 

 queen they consider the female, and call her mother ; but the 

 workers are said to be the males. Only in many parts of 

 Poland and the provinces on the Baltic the queen is taken for 

 the male bee, the workers for females, and the drones for the 

 nurses of the brood, for which they (the drones) are taken 

 throughout the whole empire. 



Bovist (fungus), is nowhere used for fumigation. Foul 

 brood is only known in the western provinces ; lately, however, 

 it has appeared also in the government of Moscow, "thus rather 

 easterly ; in the proper east, however, this disease is not known 

 at all. Dysentery ouly appears but rather frequently in the 

 west. Strange to say, this disease is unknown elsewhere, al- 

 though the bees in Russia are obliged to remain inside the 

 Live during the whole of six months. 



With regard toklotzbeuters, I have still some remarks to make. 

 They are mostly made of oak or fir trees, less frequently of lime 

 trees, besides being worked more roughly. Inside they are 

 hollowed out carefully (smoothly), and equally in diameter. 

 They are distinguished from the German klotzbeuters by having 

 a piece of wood driven in as a wedge outside, just in the middle, 

 through the opening of the door, which piece of wood projects 



at both sides and forms two handles, and at the same tiine 

 divides the stock outside into two equal parts, each of which 

 receives a solid door — a thick board. In the western govern- 

 ments only where lager-klotzbeuters are kept they are not divided 

 by a piece of wood. It may also be mentioned, that in all Russia 

 proper some honey is taken from the strongest stocks at the 

 end of July, besides the proper honey harvest in autumn, in 

 order to be able to supply the public with honey on the Ist of 

 August, the honey-feast, when every wealthy Russian provides 

 himself more or less with honey. — Edwaed Assmuss. 



A Bee City. — Mr. Carpenter, one of the great bee-masters of 

 Hampshire, died a few days ago. He had two hundred stocks. 

 He and his ancestors have resided at Godfrey's Farm at Beao- 

 Ueu, In the New Forest, for upwards of a century. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Crkve C<ECn's Feathers Ragged (C7. £.).— This is the time of year 

 wheu the pluiuaf,'e of fowls is brittle and shabby. Feathers that aro 

 damaged and sickly now, will not be renewed till next moulting time, 

 when, wo have no drfubt, your bird will regain a perfect appearance. 

 Thousands of liens that enjoy every possible advantage are ia the same 

 plight as yours. 



IvlLLED BY OvER-Kl!5DKEss (T. E. P.).— Your chickens are ovor-stimn- 

 lated; they do not require to be uuder glass, nor do they want so much 

 egg as yon appear to give. Move them out on to grass, doing so in the 

 heat of the day, that the change may not be too great or sudden ; keep the 

 hen under the rip, hut let the chickens run about. They wiU then do 

 well. They are dying from being over-stimulated, and you may discon- 

 tinue the egg altogether. 



DoBBiNG Sci'isoRs {}V. R.). — We find no diflneulty in obtaining them at 

 any good cutler's. Those used by grooms for cUpping horses answer the 

 purpose very well. 



Incubator Regulator (it.l. — We never heard of a regtilator which 

 could be atlixed to the ordinary gas burner of an iucubator; such, for in- 

 stance, as a mercury float that would, in rising and falling according to 

 the temperature, turn on and diminish the gas. 



RrCE FOR Fowls (Clara). — Rice is the least natritlous of all the foods 

 available for poultry. It may be given in moderate quantities, either 

 dm-ing very hot weather, or when fowls have become too fat and it is 

 desirable to reduce them. 



Dorking Cock P.'.raly3ed (C G. S.).— The loss of power in the legsi 

 walking backwards, and staggering, are indications that a blood-vessel 

 is raptured on the brain. Keep the bird quite quiet and cool, and on low 

 diet; the oozing then sometimes, but rarely, ceases, and we have known 

 the bii'dd afterwards recover. 



Pigeons Laying Soi--t Eggs, &c. [W. I. 1.). — Your Pigeon troubles have 

 arisen from one chief cause — the birds being confined. Had they been 

 at liberty, they would by exercise and pickingup various things have kept 

 themselves free of disease, which high feeding without air and exercise 

 will frequently bring upon these birds, and Trumpeters are not very 

 active, but will sit iu the same place for hours. Our Pigeons walk about 

 the garden, aud ot some periods of the year feast on green seeds, as their 

 deeply dyed beaks plainly show. Wo would advise you to sow a large 

 shallow i)os or pan with lettuce, cress, and cabbage seeds, and when 

 nicely grown put the box iu your loft. Pigeons like to pluck at green 

 food when growing, but do not care for it when cut, apparently being 

 better able to nip off a piece when the plant stands firm aud fixed. Also 

 feed low, avoiding tares and beans, and let your birds have a bath chuly, 

 and salt iu the house. Mashed potatoes would also be beneficial, like- 

 wise a doseof castor oil. Inflammation from high feediugand confinement 

 being the disease, the cure must rest iu any means which will lower the 

 system, and remove the fever. 



Pheasants— Duration of Sitting — Feeding (W. S. fl".).— Pheasants 

 sit twenty-two days, but sometimes a day or two longer. You can keep 

 cock Pheasants of every sort together, provided there bo no hens — yon 

 cannot keep them together iu pairs. The young require to be fed on eggs 

 boiled hard, and chopped fine, on curd made of milk aud pressed dry, 

 bruised wheat, rice boiled in milk, dough made of oatmeal, and if they 

 are sick, on ants' eggs. 



Feeding Cygnets ( W. 1. 1.). — Let the cygnets and the old Swan be 

 shut up for three or four days. They should have a shallow vessel, with 

 growing grass at bottom, some lettuce cut in loug narrow strips, and oat- 

 meal enough to cover the surface of the water. After they are at liberty, 

 it is still well to feed them for a time in this way. 



Chicken-eating Cat (.Edith). — We like a cat on our hearthrug, bat we 

 like our chickens more ; so if our cat killed the latter, we should condemn 

 the cat to a watery death. You could only save your chickens and tlie 

 cat too by having the chickens within a wire cncloBuro — wired at the top 

 as well as the sides. 



Queen Laying a Plurality of Eggs in One Cell— FRAaiE HrvEs 

 (Edyard Fairbrothcr). — We do not fancy that there was any defect in the 

 unforlunate queen, which was merely impelled to relievo nature by 

 depositing a pluraUty of eggs in every available cell, owing to the circum- 

 scribed breeding space to which she was restricted in so weak a colony. 

 Could you once have succeeded in raising the population to a sufiicient 

 extent, we have little doubt that she would have proved herself fully 

 equal to the occasion. We perfectly coincide with you in your apprecia- 

 tion of frame hives, and in considering that apiarians generally are 

 indebted to Mr. Woodbury for making public and disseminating his modi- 

 fication of, and improvements upon, this German and American invention, 

 "artificial Swarms (W. H. S(ccr).— Do not attempt to equalise the 

 population by reversing the position of the hives, as by so doing you 

 would risk the loss of one or both the queens. We should not attempt to 

 artificialise under such circumstances, but should prefer waiting the 

 issue of natural swarms. 



