368 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



the joint occupation, either by a royal duel or a general resolu- 

 tion of the bee community. This idea has been shown to be 

 quite unfounded by the unprecedented experience of " Apicola," 

 as related in the Journal of March 17th. 



I daresay it will be thought incredible by many that two 

 queens could have lived together in harmony throughout a 

 whole winter ; but I happen to be in possession of evidence 

 which completely establishes this singular fact, and a phe- 

 nomenon so extraordinary deserves more than a mere passing 

 notice. 



Regarding the senior queen, whose wings I cut off nearly two 

 years ago, " Apicola" in a letter to me, dated 15th October, 

 1869, wrote as follows :— " The mother of tigers, hybridised 

 from Neighbour's, which took off the first swarm again this sea- 

 son, and again beat everything for honey, is gone at last. On 

 opening them up a fortnight ago I found the tigers tamed — the 

 very qnieteat in the placo, and found a fine young winged 

 queen in her place." Now, on finding this young winged queen, 

 it was quite natural for " Apicola " to leap to the conclusion 

 that the old wingless queen had perished, and in consequence 

 make no farther examination. But in a communication dated 

 March 9th, 1870, he makes the astonishing statement. " Yon 

 will be interested in the resuscitation of your old friend the 

 mother of tigers, of which I enclose the account " (the same as 

 appeared in the Journal). Though I knew the witness to be a 

 most accurate observer, and a gentleman whose veracity waB 

 above suspicion, I thought it nevertheless possible for him to 

 have fallen into error, and that he had mistaken a common bee 

 simulating royalty for a true queen, or else that there might 

 be some division or peculiarity in his hive to account for the 

 phenomenon. I had, however, been invited to inspect the case 

 and judge for myself, and though it involved a ride of ten miles, 

 the forenoon of March 14th saw me without notice given at the 

 apiary of " Apicola." 



Forthwith the wonderful hive was opened — it was a common 

 ten-framed Woodbury — and comb after comb carefully lifted 

 out. The two central ones were well brooded, and on one of 

 these and on the same side the two royal ladies were seen 

 receiving all due attention from their subjects, and both look- 

 ing remarkably well. Whilst the frame was held in the hand, 

 neither queen oviposited, which was to be accounted for by the 

 day being somewhat chilly ; but judging from appearance, both 

 queens were pronounced fertile. The frames were again re- 

 placed, both queens being allowed to hold conjunct rule. 



On the 21st, being exactly a week afterwards, I repeated my 

 visit, and was favoured with another examination of the hive. 

 This time the queens were found on adjoining combs, but 

 perfect harmony still prevailed. "Apicola" kindly offered me 

 the old wingless queen to supply the place of one which had 

 perished in my apiary a few days before. I of course accepted 

 her, and carried her off in a common match box, placed in the 

 outer pocket of my great coat. I need not relate the hardships 

 she endured on her journey, but on reaching home I caged her 

 over the central hole of a stock that had become queenless on 

 the 17th, exactly four days before. On the 24th the wingless 

 queen, alias " mother of tigers " received her liberty, the 

 weather at the time being intensely cold. On the 28th she was 

 found laying eggs in a comb with a royal cell on it, containing 

 a living inmate about ten days old. On April 1st and yesterday 

 (April 20tb), I repeated my examinations, and had the satisfac- 

 tion of finding several combs brooded, and the wingless matron 

 as active as any other queen. 



Now, can anyone throw light on the mystery of two perfect 

 queens having lived amicably together a whole winter, and 

 why the one that was removed was accepted in a strange hive 

 whilst a royal lady was being reared, and why, after acceptance, 

 no attempt was made to destroy the royal nymph fast reaching 

 maturity? To save my wingless two-year-old from danger, I 

 destroyed the maturing queen. 



Accounts from " Apicola," rsceived yesterday, mention that 

 the junior queen retained by him is doing duty excellently as a 

 mother, having brooded three combs. — R. S. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Poultry and Pigeons (C. E. E.).— It has been tried more than once, 

 fniled, and we helped them ont of their troubles. If you require informa- 

 tion relative to all kinds of Pigeons, enclose to our office twenty postage 

 Btamps with your address, and order Brent's " Pigeon Book." You would 

 receive it post paid. 



Egg-eating Hens (B. 2?.)— It ere is no mode of curing but having arti- 

 ficial nest eggs, and watching the hens and taking the eggs from the 

 nests as soon as laid. To prevent them having an opportunity for eating 

 their eggs, have nests made as represented and described in our No. 453, 

 page 427. 



Lime Water for Egg-preserving {W. Simons).— Thirty gallons of 

 water and one peck of freshly slaked lime are good proportions. Water 

 dissolves very little lime. 



Eighteen Eggs all Bad {It. S.).— Either the eggs had been tampered 

 with, or the pr.ckage much shaken, or the hens were without an efficient 

 male companion. You have no remedy against the vendor ; hut under 

 similar circumstances we have given half the number of the eggs bought 

 to the unfortunate purchaser. 



Drake Hatched under a Hen (Woeiee).— It is not true that a Drake 

 so hatched is useless, or even partially so. 



Starling and Jackdaw (Nettle).— The principal food is insects, wormsj 

 snails, caterpillars, and raw flesh cut up small, chopped hard-boiled egg 

 mixed with bread, or bread soaked in water, and bruised hempseed; al60 

 any kind of fruit, particularly cherries, and grain, seeds, and berTies. 

 There is no way of teaching either bird to talk, except by repeating a 

 word or a fow words frequently within its hearing. 



Pigeons' Wise Feathers Damaged (J. Z.).— Perhaps the mischie' 

 arose from the flight feathers becoming dirty and the birds not washing, 

 or from their fighting. Runts are idle birds," so we incline to the former 

 cause. There are Pigeons which clap and beat their wings to the injury 

 of the feathers, but Runts are not likely tc do that, rather lively young 

 Pouter cocks, which at times clap their wings, reminding us of the Pigeon 

 called the Smiter in the old books. 



Wild Mule Goldfinch (E. P.). — It may be, as alleged, a cross between 

 a Goldfinch and Greenfinch, but it is not probable. No book teaches how 

 to tame birds : taming can only be effected by long confinement and kind 

 treatment, as happened in the case of the Chaffinch you mention. 



Woodbury Frame Hive (Apis).— We much prefer the original dimen- 

 sion 14£ inches square by 9 inches deep. Using the super in the first 

 place as a nadir is rather a new plan, and we should like to know the 

 result. Of course the idea is that bees will commence comb-building 

 more readily underneath than if the super were put at once on the top: 

 The possible drawbacks are, that the combs thus begun may turn out to 

 be drone combs, and they are also not unlikely to be discoloured by being 

 bred in. In transporting a newly-hived swarm the hive should be tied 

 up in a cloth of open texture but without its floor hoard. Bees do not 

 fasten down their hives so firmly as to render them immoveable. 



Bees in Old Straw Hive (Yew).— We should advise you to leave 

 things as they are. The young queen may not yet be fertilised, and any 

 further interference might provoke the colony to desert en masse. Get 

 "Bee-keeping fur the Many," which may be had post free from this 

 office for five stamps. 



Hives in which Dysentery Prevailed (C. C. E.).— The hives will be 

 best purified bv scraping and washing. Fumigation with brimstone is 

 unnecessary, as dysentery is not infectious. 



Packing Bees for Travelling (H. B.).— Canvas of open texture will 

 effectually confine bees for a few days. It is safer to invert the hives 

 during their transit by Tail. 



Bee Slaughter (J. Leonard). — We cannot account for the wholesale 

 slaughter which you describe as going on. Bees of the came hive seldom 

 quarrel, and a strong stock is not likely to be attacked by robbers at this 

 season. Perhaps after all it may only be the expnlsion of some " black" 

 bees, an abnormal class whose occasional appearance has puzzled 

 apiarians from Huber downwards. It is, however, satisfactory to know 

 that in this case their elimination is not likely to interfere with the pro- 

 sperity of the colony. Your neighbour's bees probably cither died of cold, 

 or dwindled away from the loss of queens. It is not likely that they 

 would desert their hives before the stores of honey were exhausted. 



Black Bees in Ligurian Stock [A Constant Reader).— If all the bees 

 which accompanied your letter were really bred in the hive, then is your 

 Ligurian colony most assuredly not pure. If, on the other hand, tbey are 

 intruders from a black stock, there is nothing remarkable in their being 

 killed by the Italians. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— May 18. 



There is scarcely any alteration to report. TLe supplies of home- 

 grown produce have considerably increased doringthe week, and imports 

 are heavy. Peaches, Apricots, and Melons are offered in moderate 

 quantities. 



FBTJIT. 



a. d. b. A 



Mulberries quart to 



NectarineB doz. 



Oranges ^* 100 4 10 



Peaches doz. 42 50 



Pears, kitehen doz. 4 6 



dessert doz. 4 10 



Pine Apples lb. 7 10 



PlumB jBieve 



Quinces doz. 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries lb. 5 32 



Walnuts bushel 10 16 



do t*100 10 2 



Cherries lb. 6 



Chestnuts bushel 14 



Currants Je 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, Hothouse.... lb. 



Lemons fc*100 



Melons,. each 



Artichokes .. 

 Asparagus .. 

 Beans, Kidney do. 



Broad bushel 



Eeet, Bed doz. 2 



Broccoli bundle 1 



Brussels Sprouts. .isieve 



Cabbago doz. 1 



Capsicums f> 100 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 8 



Celery bundle 1 



Coleworts..doz. bunches 8 



Cucumbers each 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 2 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish ....bundle 3 



VEGETABLES 

 8. d. B. 

 0to6 



100 2 7 



Leeks bunch 4 to 



Lettuce doz. 10 1 



Mushrooms pottle 10 2 



Mustard & Cress., punnet 2 



Parsley. 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



4 0B 

 3 6 6 



Sea-kale baf-ktt 1 



Shallots b. 



Spinaoh bushel S 



Tomatoes doz. 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Marrows . .doz. 







