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JOUKNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ June 27, 1867. 



'took out some of the side frames, and found many of them 

 sealed np. When I came to the centre one I found some young 

 bees ready to come out of the cells. I did not look for the 

 queen, nor did I take out all the frames, as it appeared to 

 irritate the bees. If I be so fortunate as to liave a cast from the 

 old hive, would it be advisable to put them to this hive to 

 strengthen them, or let them remain as they are ? 



Would you also be pleased to inform me which is the best 

 practical work on bee-keeping ? — J. W. G. 



[Sweeping the clusters of outlying bees into another hive 

 would do no good, as they would speedily leave it and return to 

 their old domicile. Why not drive all the bees into an empty 

 hive and establish them as an artificial swarm on their old 

 stand ; then cut out their combs and appropriate those con- 

 taining honey, lilting the brood-combs into frames and apply- 

 ing them to strengthening the other stocks ? 



The colony in the first-mentioned frame hive was weakened 

 by your mistaken kindness in confining the bees during snow, 

 the mortality which ensued being, doubtless, owing to suffo- 

 cation caused by an accumulation of dead bees in the doorway. 



" Bee-keeping for the Jiany," published at this oiJice, price 

 4d., free by post for five stamps.] 



TRAPPING DRONES. 



How can I trap drones at the mouth of the hive ? I placed 

 an old stock upon a square box, which the bees have nearly 

 filled. Will there be any danger of the queen being in the box 

 when I take it off ? If so, what will be the result ? — Barok. 



[The Germans trap drones in a wire receptacle attached to 

 the hive's mouth. This receptacle is made of such a mesh as 

 to retain the drones whilst the workers escape, and when filled 

 is plunged into boiling water. The queen is very likely to be 

 in the lower box, to which the seat of breeding may very 

 probably be transferred. In this case the top hive should be 

 removed, but there is a probability of too great a proportion of 

 drone combs being built in the nadir, and this may seriously 

 impair the future prosperity of the colony.] 



UNITED SWARMS. 



On the 11th inst., I had a first and second swarm (from two 

 separate hives), which I shook into Stewarton-boxes, uniting 

 them together the same evening by drawing the slides. The 

 union was accomplished pretty amicably, only a few dead bees 

 being observable the next morning. For room they were 

 allowed three body boxes of the Stewarton hive, and on the 

 evening of the l'2th the two united swarms filled the two top 

 boxes completely. On the 13th they seemed to work very well, 

 and the same evening the two boxes were filled as before. On 

 looking at them this evening, June 1-lth, I found that only the 

 top box was filled with bees, the second box being completely 

 empty. Am I to conclude that one of the swarms has taken 

 its departure ? This morning they seemed busy at work, and I 

 bad concluded that all was well, but am now afraid that I have 

 lost one of the swarms. — D. C. 



[You need not be uneasy. The desertion of the second box 

 was doubtless owing to a fall in the temperature, causing the 

 bees to cluster more closely together, and, therefore, to occupy 

 a smaller space.] 



SWARMS. 



On June 10th, a swarm of bees came from one of my two 

 hives, and after flying about in the air some minutes returned 

 to the hive they came from. On the 18th, a swarm came from 

 the same hive, which I secured. To-day ('21st), another swarm 

 came off from the same hive, which I also secured. Will you 

 kindly tell me which you consider the first swarm, the one 

 which returned, or that which 1 first secured ? Can you also 

 tell me the cause of the swarm returning, and whether there is 

 likely to be any more swarms from the hive mentioned this 

 season ? The super at top is only half full of comb. — A Bee 

 Amateue. 



[The queen either remained behind or dropped on the ground 

 and was lost, and, therefore, the bees returned to the hive. 

 The swarm which you secured on the 18th was, we should 

 think, the first. We can offer no opinion as to the probability 

 of a further issue.] 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



HATcniNfi IN AN Incubator (O. M.).— Eggs do not take longer to liatoh 

 iu an incubator than under a hen. 



The French Fowl Le Brest {E. H. C.).— We do not think well of the 

 " Le Brest" fowl — that is, we pi'cfor the other breeds. Of all the French 

 importations, the Houdan is in our opinion the hardiest, and a capital 

 winter layer. The La Fh-che and Creve Cceur produce very lar^e eggs, 

 but wo have had much trouble with the cocks. They die, or live in a 

 dying state, while the pullets thrive well in the same yard and on the 

 Bamo food. 



Young Turkeys Picking their Feet {J. M.). — Your Turkeys need 

 Fomething which they have not, or there is something in the soil that 

 adheres to their feet and causes discomfort. Give them some lettuce, 

 and put some brimstone in the water they have to drink. 



Dorking Chickens Crooked-breasted [O. P.). —We do not think the 

 short time the chickens roost on tho sharp rails in the neighbourhood of 

 their haunts woiUd have auy eflfect on their breasts, but sharp or nan*ow 

 perches in their roosting-places may have much to do with them. We 

 have often noticed that chickens are ambitious to roost where as adults 

 thoy do not care to do so. There is little doubt that crooked breasts are 

 hereditary iu some strains. If, however, you had none last year, and are 

 still breeding from the same stock, it cannot be so in your case. Fast- 

 growing chickens when roosting on narrow perches are obliged to cUng 

 closely with their feet; but as they often lack sufficient strength to hold 

 on, they, to avoid see-sawing, rest their breasts on the perch. There is 

 no doubt that, as it is at this age quite cartilaginous, it takes easily the 

 formation of a round and narrow resting-place. Our own chickens, though 

 now good-sized, do not roost in a house. They live out of doors, and at 

 night either get under hayricks or into the rips which they occupied 

 when they were young and smaller. We keep them out of doors as long 

 as possible, hut when they are put in houses at night we allow them 

 perches within 2 feet of tlic gi-ound, and made of fir poles 16 iui-hes in 

 circumference, sawn through the middle, and placed, with the bark on, 

 round side uppermost. It depends much on the competition whether 

 l>orking8 with crooked breasts would be successful at a show. If they 

 were very crooked it would bo much against them; if only slightly so, 

 and other points wei'e favourable, they would win in spite of it. 



Chickens Drooping (R. C). — When your chickens dl-oop feed them on 

 bread and ale. If they are supplied with strongly camphorated water it 

 will do much for them. A pill of camphor the Hize of a garden pea ia 

 beneficial to an adult, while one hiilf the size is a sufficient doae for a 

 chicken. We know no publication now that gives the rules of the pit, or 

 instructions for training cocks. Such things are out of print; but in 

 some jiarts of the north and north-west they have been correctly handed 

 down from father to son. 



Bhahma Pootra's Feather (TI'. !).)■— The feather you enclosed may 

 have belonged to a perfectly pure Brahma cock, but he was an old bird. 

 We should not impugn the" purity of a young bird for such a feather, but 

 we should not keep him. The hen's beak cannot grow ag;iin, and when 

 she has reared her brood she should be consigned to the cook. She wUl 

 do no good, and the trouble her iujui-y causes is all labour thrown away. 



DiARRH<EA IN CHICKENS. — " I thiuk thfit bread or toast soaked in port 

 wine is a good remedy for diarrhoea in chickens that are not too young for 

 wet or damp food. — T. D." 



Preserving Eggs (G. 5.).— Take a bread-pan or other pan, put slaked 

 lime into it, till it has enough to allow the eggs to stand upright smaU 

 end downwards. As soon as the layer is completed, fill up till they are 

 covered and there is an even surfnce. When you have enoui^h of eggs to 

 make another layer, then put in slaked hme sufficient to be filled up by the 

 eggs you have ready. You may continue till the pan is full. If the eggs 

 are put in fresh you may keep on, and they will be fit for breakfast at any 

 time, and he the same as new-laid eggs. You must recollect, if they are 

 Btale when put in this process will not restore them. There aro cases wo 

 can neither understr.nd nor prescribe for. Yours as regards the Dorldng 

 cock may be oue of them. You must judge for yourself as regards the 

 Dorking "cock. If you have one to take his place, take no more trouble ■ 

 about him— put him iu the stock-pot. If you have not, we can only 

 advise you to persevere. 



Spanish Cock's Face [White-faced Spanuh^.—YoxyrhirA with the white 

 wrinkles grown over his eyes has what is called a cauliflower fiico. We 

 doubt wliether ho will recover from his blindness. Wash his face care- 

 fully with equal parts of cold water and vinegar. At this time of year 

 the hens often peck the cock's face, and cause the bliudueBs you complain 

 of. Put him by himself, nnd try tho application. Many of the best birds 

 suffer from this and become useless. 



Foul Brood (ilf. Y. I,.).— This ten-iblo malady is very infectious, and is 

 a disease, not of the bees, hut of their brood, which dies iu the ceDs and 

 becomes putrid nnd offensive, emitting a very disagreeable odour. It 

 can rarely he identified, except in moveable comb hive^, until the stocks 

 are dead,"when the foul state of the combs makes it evident enough. Its 

 first cause has not been detected, although various liypothcsea have been 

 mooted on the subject. A long discussion on foul brood took plaoo in our 

 pages during the autumn of 1863, and continued until the spring of 1864. 

 A graphic description of the ravages committed by this disease in the 

 apiary of "A Devonshire Eeij-keeper," and the means by which he 

 finally banished it, will be found in Nos. 121, 123, and 123 of our new 

 series. 



Destruction of Drones {T. B. Draie).— This premature expulsion of 

 the male element is owing to the failure of tho honey harvest, and is 

 tberefore unusual at this season. The unfortunate drones have doubtless 

 been denied access to tho dwindling «tores of food, until, weakened by 

 starvation, they have been entirely banished from tho hive. 



Honey Harvest (S. E. Y. D.).— There can, we think, be no doubt that 

 the honey harvest up to the present time has been but scanty. How far 

 bees benefit directly by honeydews is a disputed point. They certainly 

 collect honey iu abundance at such times; and we have oeoaBionally, 

 although rarely, seen a bee licking the saccharine deposit from the loaves. 

 A Book (.1 iiiihscriher).—\Si\ie to 5Ir. W. J. Pettitt. Snargate Apiary, 

 Dover, enclosing twenty postage stamps with your direction. 



Caterpillars of Bo:metx cynthia. — JJromley wishes to know if these 

 can be fed on mulberry leaves. We never knew them fed on anything 

 but leaves of the Ailanthus. 



