March 17, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



217 



clearer the bird is the more properties it shows, and clear 

 birds are generally considered preferable to the dark in judging 

 them. 



As Chairman of the Ornithological Society, at Nottingham, I 

 have been requested by the Belgian fancy there, and at Sutton, 

 and other places in the district, to draw the attention of the 

 managers of All-England Shows in future to this subject, so 

 that these birds may be shown in distinot classes by themselves, 

 instead of being classed together as they have been at the 

 Sunderland and Crystal Palace Shows, it being the general 

 opinion that a greater number of these classes of birds would 

 be then shown, as the Ticked fanciers do not like to show their 

 birds with the Variegated, nor the Variegated with the Ticked. 

 I should be much pleased if Mr. Blakston, or any manager of 

 an All-England Show, would state the reasons why these birds 

 should be classed together instead of separately. 



Whilst on the subject of shows, I cannot refrain from remark- 

 ing on the annoyance I have experienced from not receiving 

 catalogues in proper time, particularly from Sunderland and 

 the Crystal Palace ; and although I wrote to the Secretary at 

 the latter place, I have never received any, but was informed 

 one had been properly posted. I then applied to the Post- 

 master General respecting it, but none is to be found. I could 

 not conveniently go up to the Palace myself, consequently I had 

 to borrow a catalogue from another exhibitor to see where my 

 birds stood, and also whether there were any which I should 

 like to purchase. On seeing the catalogue I wrote to claim two 

 Belgian birds, but to my annoyance I was informed by the 

 Secretary that he was sorry both birds were sold. If I had 

 received the catalogue at the proper time my application might 

 probably have been first, at least I should not then have had 

 any reasonable complaint. In looking over the catalogue of the 

 Palace Show, I find in the Clear Norwich olass there are awarded 

 equal first, equal second, and equal third prizes. Can any 

 brother reader inform me when he last saw two faces alike ? — 

 W. Holmes, Popham Street, Nottingham. 



CHEAP HIVES. 

 Since reading the letters that have lately appeared in " our 

 Journal " regarding the cost of hives, I am induced to send 

 you a few details which may be useful to "would-be bee- 

 keepers," who are deterred from "making a start," by the 

 high prices asked for the better sort of hives. 



When I resolved to try my hand at the now, to me, delight- 

 ful subject of bee-keeping, my idea was to do it scientifically, 

 if I could, but I never thought of spending £30 or £40 on 

 hives ; so having read Mr. Woodbury's description of his hive, 

 with the assistance of a friend who is "clever" at joinery, 

 I made a hive, as near to the description as was necessary, and 

 the whole cost of the material did 

 not exceed 12s. Gd., including 

 floor-board, outer case, and roof. 

 We have since made two other 

 "Woodbury's." 



But the hive I wish to draw at- 

 tention to, is that which will be 

 found to preponderate in most 

 large apiaries — viz., a cheap and 

 efficient straw hire, which can be 

 easily supered, is handy for feed- 

 ing, and that will afford thorough 

 protection to our little favourites 

 in winter. This I have made as 

 under. I get straw rims (made extra 

 strong), 16 ins. in diameter and 

 12 ins. high, for 2». each, American 

 cheese boxes, 3d. each, pan mugs, 

 Is. each, and from these make the 

 hives and outer cases. My stances 

 are 4-feet-6-inch lengths from 

 old ships' masts, and cost Is. Gd. 

 each ; paint, putty, zinc for slides, nails, &c, less than Gd. 

 Thus the whole complete, when ready for a swarm, involves 

 an outlay of 5s. 3d. The lid of the cheese box forms the 

 crown-board, the rim of the lid I use as a binder for the top 

 of the outer case, and the bottom of the box, when it has 

 been knocked out, serves for the floor-board, after being re- 

 duced in size a little, to allow the outer case to slip over it. 

 This floor-board, being rather light, a strip of three-quarter- 

 inch deal 5 inches wide is nailed under it, to keep it from 

 warping, and to form the alighting-board. Two other pieces are 



nailed in an opposite direction, and projeot half an inch beyond 

 the floor-board ; on these the outer oase rests when pressed 

 down. I also nail two strips of wood on the under side of the 

 crown-board to strengthen it. The holes to admit the bees to 

 the supers are 6 inches long, three-eighths wide, and the hole 

 in the centre for feeding completes the article, the entranoes 

 being made as described by the late Mr. Payne, in " Bee- 

 keeping for the Many." I paint the roof, mugs, outer cases, 

 and stances, stone colour, and I think it would surprise some 

 of your readers if they saw how neat and compact the whole 

 looks. The stances are sunk into the ground, so it is impossible 

 to upset them ; no bee-house is required, and with the aid of a 

 few staples the hives are secured to the stances, so that no 

 storm can disturb them. 



The accompanying is a rough sketch of the hive. — W. 

 Broughton Caer, Higher Behington, Cheshire. 



TWO QUEENS IN ONE HIVE. 



In your number of July 2nd, 1868, will be found an ac- 

 count of two queens in one hive. I have this day come to 

 the knowledge of a still more remarkable instance of the same 

 kind. 



In July, 1867, I bred a pure Ligurian queen, which, being 

 crossed by a black drone, had the nucleus box made up into a 

 strong stock. On May 11th, 1868, the queen's wings were 

 clipped off by the hand of your correspondent " R. S." In 

 June she went off with a swarm, and from the stock and swarm 

 I took in that year 123 lbs. of honey in supers. Last year, 

 after repulsing several attempts, I allowed the hive to swarm 

 on June 24th, and took from the stock and swarm 70 lbs. in 

 a very poor season. She being now two years old, I was not 

 surprised at the autumn examination on October 4th to find 

 a fine young queen fully winged in possession. What, then, 

 was my astonishment at the spring examination this day to. 

 find the old lady resuscitated. At first I thought her winga 

 muBt have been nibbled off, but observing on one stump tha 

 clean cut of the scissors I looked over the combs again, and 

 found her daughter with fully developed wings, both plump 

 and well-conditioned, and apparently both breeding, as the hive 

 is remarkably well brooded for the time of year. 



It is my belief that this sort of thing happens far more fre- 

 quently than we are aware of, as it is not always very easy to 

 find the queen in a strong hive, and when found we rarely look 

 further unless our attention be attraoted by some remarkable 

 difference of colour or other peculiarity. — Apioola. 



[The phenomenon of two queens dwelling peaceably together 

 in one hive, was first noticed by Mr. Woodbury in our number 

 of the 25th August, 1863.] 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Hens and Pullets not Latino (Disconsolate Poultry-keeper).— Our 

 opinion is, that nothing can do well this weather. Wo dislike the east 

 wind, wo hate snow, because thev prevent everything from thriving. So 

 far from finding fault because all do not lay, we are very thankful to 

 those that do. We believe from your description all your birds are 

 about to lay, and will do so when the snow is gone, aud the wind is 

 changed. 



Chicken Mortality Excessive (Black Bamburnh).—'We see noreasen 

 why your chickens should die, unless you have over-dosed them with 

 sulphate of iron. We have had no complaints of mortality, and in our 

 own stock we have hitherto loBt none. We do not think ale and sulphate 

 both necessary, and we advise you to discontinue the latter. It is like 

 all such medicine— useful when the patient requires it, but if taken 

 regularly when it is not wanted, its properties cause disease, and if still 

 persevered in, death. 



Houdans Featheb-eatebs (J. L. Q.).— You are suffering from the 

 plague of Houdans. Remove the two feather-pickers, but we give you 

 little hope of curing them ; we are trying for the third year, but we have 

 no hope. We have tried everything we know, but as everything has 

 failed, we can point to no remedy except one, to give them their liberty 

 and a run. 



Hen Diseased (J. B.).— You should have told us the breed of the hen. 

 In a Spanish hen it would be the beginning of an incurable disorder. In 

 any other breed it is, as you rightly imagine, incipient roup, or it may ba 

 caused by cold and east wiuds. Shu has a good constitution to have takea 

 so many remedies without mischief. You have only one more to try, 

 Baily's pills. Keep the face well washed with cold water and vinegar. 

 Under any circumstances and with any other medicine, give daily a pill 

 of camphor the size of a pea. 



Varieties op Game Fowl (Duckwing).— Many names are given to 

 Game fowls which belong only to districts, and are known only in certain, 

 localities. The original terms were Duckwing, and Silver Duckwing. We 

 could show lists of cocks and weights as they were fought about 120 years 

 ago, and they would give au endless variety of sobriquets, some of wnicn 

 would be offensive to ears polite. The yellow aud the tawny were 

 identical birds, they had yellow legs, and their hackles and saddles as 



