JOUBNAL OF HOSTICULTUBE AND COT1AOB GARDENER. 



[ May 12, 1*:0. 



350 



fight to any one who touches them, but the poor thing cannot 

 nourish them." 



CANARY CLASSES. 

 In answer to Mr. Blakston, in the Journal of the 7th ult., 

 renlvine to my remarks on his notice of the Crystal Falaee 

 Canary Show, in which I stated I thought he had omitted a 

 very important subject, my object was to call his attention to, 

 and obtain his opinion, or that of auy of the fancy, on the pro- 

 priety of not classing the Ticked and Marked Belgians together. 

 I am glad to see that he agrees with me in this respect. 1 con- 

 tend that the Clear and Ticked should be shown in one class, 

 and would propose the following classification :— 

 Class 1.— Clear and Ticked Yellow Belgians. 

 Class 2.— Clear and Ticked Buff ditto. 

 Class 3.— Marked or Variegated Yellow ditto. 

 Class 4.— Marked or Variegated Buff ditto. _ 

 I am of opinion that unless they are classed m some such 

 way, the Belgians will not pay their way, as the entry is so 

 small, generally leaving no margin of profit. I think H tne 

 entrance fee were 2s. 6«i. each cage, and if there were three 

 nrizes there would be more competition, and show3 would be 

 much better ; but this I will leave Mr. Blakston to judge or 

 confer upon. . 



I do not want to be at variance with Mr. Blakston or any of 

 the Canary fancy, but simply urge them to be up and doing, 

 and see that shows are carried on in an upright manner, both 



as respects managers and exhibitors. Unless we have proper , "' '' ""■"r' I ;. B ; LTJEN( , E ON 



nnd just classes for the exhibitors we shall always be under a f "^vf ,-Mr Dzie rzou remarked that it m» now of less import- 

 cloud of dissatisfaction. If we do not have proper classes how ™ »» ■ , to erTe a part of the. h,ve specially 'for -the 

 can we expect exhibitors to show their birds honestly and free ^.^ rf ho ^ „L, machine would^t phoney from a 

 from paint, &c. ? 



to value a queen for her beauty instead of for her I"*"""^"? 4 

 then no long time will elapse before what is required will be supplied. 

 Gnestion '2 now came on for consideration. 



H„ the Eaw»« Hobby Harvest to be Obtain-ed f«o» 

 an Apiary ?-Mr. Bahrs considered bee-keeping a moat profitable 

 pursuit, but requiring certain qualifications in the person who would 



f °"° W He must thoroughly understand the Dzierzon system ■ (»o»e»bIa 

 combs, &c), and bo skilful in handling bees; in a word, he must be a 

 m,utcr in bee-keeping, both in the theoryand practice. 



expected Artificial swarms are recommended, as affording better 

 opportunities for improving the breed. wan tm° 



4 The centrifugal comb-emptying machine must not bo wantin . 



8" All comb, drone or worker, must be used; and only quite old 

 useless pieces melted down for wax. _ (._., 



6 Very few tools are required; the speaker using com b ' j™? «* 

 makesVe of neither pincers, pipe, gloves, »p, or an, B»eh thing bu 

 a good cupboard or box for preserving combs is almost n6 ^^ 

 M. Bahrs' stand consisted at the time of the .meet, ng of s xty two 



tmsmmm 



summer management of similar hives. 



the Size on other Arrangement ui 



»n we expect exhibitors to show their birds honestly and free ^j nctioll ' f honey, __ this machine wonl 



com paint, &C ? . , comb partially fillod with pollen. Con; 



With respect to the annoyance in not receiving catalogues any spe ml advantage in having a division 



roperly, since I forwarded my last letter to your Journal I a , tne sam0 combs can be emptied over 



.„.,- ti „„«,«!„,•« ni nnt roeoivino one from Leeds until I hive will supply as much honey as a lar,. 



machine would extract pure honey from a 

 Consequcntlv there is no longer 

 division in the hive ; and inasmuch 

 prop'e'rTy.'since I forwarded my last letter to your Journal I I --' the ' sam0 combs ca " b « ^"f/^'e^^d CTo, whilst the 

 have to complain of not receiving one from Leeds until I irivewill n raplj as much hon. y 1 ar »° ™° ° T a3 a ne ; one . with 

 wrote for it, but as it was the first show I can excuse that, oldest and blacked .«-^X "he , and t^Jfore loss likely to be 

 There is no doubt about the Sunderland catalogue having been the advantage of being much tou a he , 



delayed somewhere, for after writing about it I received two injured . tne ma • Pre3 ; lU nt proposed the names of the judges 

 which shows that one had been delayed; but from the Palace I A ™ r '^ 3 s to e bs awar( ied to the various objects exhibited and the 

 have had neither catalogue nor money. u J sitting was closed, and the assembled apiarians aago^ato4o^w^ 

 in conclusion, I wish Mr. Blakston would state if there be s " j of tho oVlject3 wbicb . excited most interest a "°?f , tb f 9 « " 

 any objection to showing hens in classes by themselves. 1 hibited wa3 Major Von Hrnschkas Italian *^™%*^£[£ 

 contend there are more good hens bred than good cocks. If beeu end oseo in any hive. It was no *JXfhUhom3 ££ he 

 hens were shown, I am of opinion that we should have a bolter pre sent possessor announces its safe arrival at a« ^ Hra . chka 

 chance of improving our breed, and should effect more Bales, has terminated its special £ to *S£g£ B ^; Blml J its early years, 

 there would be better and larger shows, and the fancy would be promises ho«mr^ KwSSl by the new possessor is its exces- 

 more encouraged and delighted. I will leave the scale oi fees The mos. n s '" k,n |^™™,^S built™ bars which would not fit his 

 and prizes to Mr. Blakston's more able hands, and hope to see sive tame -ss ^^ ^ bees 1 anger, nor did they 

 him at our next show, when we will show him a model schedule h " e ;7 hav i n <> the lid nailed on the box which is to form their futuie 

 and exhibition.-W. Holmes, Canal Street, Nottingham. h while ° a9 a pr00 f that they were perfectly wel ^' th bo ^ T °° a 

 Zi a half of finishing his task he saw them bringing home honey ana 



GREAT MEETING OF GERMAN BEE-KEEPERS, poUen.^ nwas _ 



Held at Norenberg, Sept. 14th, 15th, and 16th, 1869. Wh4T a 'the Best Material "^^^^t^ the former' 



(Continue* from P a e 332 ) markedUiat wood ^^^^^w^JSE 



The Chairman then stated the next question for discussion— —it to make straw hives with sufficiently flat sides for working con- 



ic. What Principles should be Kept in View in Breeding? ^^"^h moveable frames ; besides which, the present b.jes cost 

 —Mr. Schonfeld opened the discussion by remarking that all ho had T _ __^ speaker had not had time to work out aU Ins ideas, 



to say was founded on practical experience, and not on preconceived ^, d „ ive u0 lU . fin ite results. He was foUowed by Mr. nuscne, 



theories. He then stated that he could not agree with Dzierzon in ™ ■ , saC( T ee( i cli in m aking cheap and satisfactory hives of a mix- 

 looking upon the Italian bee as a breed properly speaking, which would , { ts aawons t, and one part slacked lime presseu in a 

 imply cultivation, whereas it is an independent naturally existing ™ d of tbe requisite size. A natural sequel to this discussion was 

 variety. The same rules must hold good with regard to improving the nnestion— „ 

 race of bees as of sheep or horses, where the best breeds were not pure '" I , ais k Suit idle Hive be most easily Constructed of 

 natural varieties, but mixed, deriving their good qualities from various ,,__.„ ? _ T he only practical answer to this question was contained in 

 sonrces. As regards the differences noted between the characters of ; ~ ee .\i of Mr Fiitterer, who stated that by a powerful press straw 

 the Italian and the black bee, they seemed to diminish in proportion {"j" * maile of the a es i re d shape, and could be sold cheap, cur 

 to the length of time since the introduction of the former, but this ho ^ e ° e39 wa9 a costly piece of apparatus. A more practical oiscus- 

 attributed rather to tbe improvement of the latter by the admixture of ioli followea the question- 

 fresh blood, often without the apiarian's knowledge. He also argued -RyonsrrES for Producing Early Swarms ? 

 from the fact that different stocks of either variety often exhibit such \V hat are the L h ili e ^ ^ , b( , firat con dition is haying 

 contradictory dispositions, that we must still aim at producing a breed -Dr. /iwanskj . ot brnmi, remar _ aA f _ ilfnl n ; 9 re . 

 which shall be constant in these respects ; and that by always choosing strong stocks, and tor inM »p B, ~ ^ o[ w holesome food, 

 the best stocks possessing tbe desired character, a breed might be qmsite. The second conOJBon _™ _, h| ^ Q ))rood earlyi 

 raised in which these advantages would be permanent, exactly as in Hives which fulfil these no ^ u _ Dzi erzon 

 the case of all other animals. The first point to be considered in a and therefore as a rule bo soonest „ s warm moist 

 good stock is its power of producing honey This, then, is the first observed that «« £^ * ™™, „ armi mor ° frc ely in one year 

 principle to guide us in breeding bees. But breeding ^n-and-in may | w that tne cau «,i'™.tr.«r. 1 



cause a stand of bees to deteriorate, in which case fresh blood should 

 be sought. m ■ ' ' a 



A second means of producing the race we wish is the easier and 

 shorter plan of crossing varieties until the desired breed is attained. 

 It is for this reason still important that the Italian race should bo 

 bred in perfect purity as by Dzierzon, Dathe, &c. ; but we must cease 



in the difference of the" weather. Bearing this in 

 m toa"h?tao"^er y woilddol.isbeat to follow this principle. He 

 h f„,l bisbeos in .oriii" with diluted honey, and keep a constant 

 snTplyo^ernLr the hives, so that the boss may be encouraged 

 ♦! Wed and not suffer any interruption through want of water. 

 t0 DTp'reuss was not present, but a paper was read containing some 



