262 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



were many practical difficulties to be overcome in tbe use of it, 

 constantly varying in every hive. The combs adhering to the 

 sides of the hive hatl to be cut away with much loss of honey 

 and brood, and in so doing great confcieion and interruption of 

 the labours of the bees was occasioned, together with tsmpta- 

 tiona to robbery by stranger bees, as the honey ran about with 

 its attractive scent borne on the breeze. This led our lamented 

 friend Mr. Woodbury to introduce the bar-framed hive which 

 goes by his name. The bar-frame itself, I presume, was the in- 

 vention of some foreign apiarian, whether German or American 

 I cannot recollect. By means of it every comb can be made to 

 fit exactly, or with sufficient nicety, a given space. Moreover, 

 the combs adhere to the sides of the frames instead of to the 

 walls of the hive, and can be drawn up and down without spill- 

 ing a single drop of honey or destroying the life of a single bee, 

 whether grub or full-grown insect. It will be at once apparent 

 what a power this simple invention puts into the hands of the 

 intelligent bee-keeper. ■ Every conceivable manipulation for the 

 succeseful management of bees is hereby rendered easy and 

 within reach of all. I cannot imagine how anybody who really 

 has taken the trouble to examine the new hives which are con- 

 structed on this principle, not to speak of any who have honestly 

 tried them, can be found to say a word for any other sort of 

 hive, except only in behalf of the stupid, indolent, or incapable 

 bee-keeper. I certainly endorse what your well-known corre- 

 spondent, "H., Deal," Bays on the subject in a recent number 

 of this Journal : — " No one can doubt that the wooden bar-frame 

 hives are the hives of the future. . . . and we may hope that 

 the almost invincible prejudice in favour of the old system may 

 be overcome." 



It is not within my present plan to enter into the merits of 

 the various sorts of bar-framed hives which claim to be good, 

 better, or beat. I speak only of the principle, which I consider 

 to be a very decided gain on the system of our fathers and fore- 

 fathers. Generally speaking the simpler they are and the 

 closer they adhere to the parallelogram shape, whether sijuare or 

 oblong, the better. It is most desirable that every bar frame 

 used in an apiary should be of exactly the same length and 

 depth, so that it may be slipped in or out of any hive ; there- 

 fore I cannot believe that the hive of the future will be hexa- 

 gonal or octagonal, although, of course, no one will deny that 

 these hives, such as the bar-framed " Stewarton," are in shape 

 best fitted for the economy of heat. But this one advantage is 

 more than lost by the impossibility of making every bar fit every 

 part of every hive. The " Carr-Stewarton," of course, does not 

 suffer from this defect. 



I have in my own apiary an almost perfect specimen of a bar- 

 frame hive. It is of the Woodbury pattern, with double walls, 

 reversible floor board, and top board in several pieces. It allows 

 of the quiet examination of any one part of the hive at a time 

 by a partial removal of the top board. The displacement and 

 disturbance occasioned in the working of it are at a minimum. 

 I bought it of Mr. Abbott of Fairlawn, who I believe has a 

 decided improvement upon it, already adopted in his hives for 

 use in the current year. — B. & W. 



OUR LETTEE BOX. 



Hen Sitting on Unfertile Eaos (ZDnoramiM).— The sitting of the hen 

 will be the same whether the eggs be good or bad. At Easter time, with 

 "holidays on the brain,'' we cannot help being cheerful. We gay with the 

 politicians of all ages, the men who are sever so virtuous as when they are 

 " out " — 



"True as the dial to the sun. 

 Although it be not shone upon." 

 There is no death till there has been life. The egg produced by the ben 

 alone is a clear egg. It may be laid by a hen or pullet living on a desolate 

 island where a cock has never been. Such an egg may be aat upon for sis 

 months. It will remain clear to the end. There has been no life, and there 

 can be no death. Some of your eggs had lived and died, others had no life 

 in them. Can you wonder? It has been diftioult to live in the constant 

 downpour even for human beings, can you wonder if the eggs suffered ? 



Obtaining Large Eggs (M. D.). — If yon were breeding for a fine shining 

 black yon would not choose a light and a dark pair, how then can you expect 

 a large egg from a cross between a Dorking ndCjohin? Both are good layers, 

 but they do not lay very large eggs. If we were breeding to ensure large eggs 

 we should try for them by crossing Crrve-Cceur and Spanish. Both are non- 

 sitters, and can therefore afford to lay larger eggs than others that have the 

 honours of maternity. We are not in the habit of measuring eggs, nor can 

 we form an opinion as to result from that process. We have known Spanish 

 eggs to weigh 4i ozs., and we have known an average of 4 ozs. Your question 

 will go far to resuscitate the old question — viz,. Should not eggs be sold 

 rather by weight than by number ? 



Crossing Ehahma with Houdan {Cnmdtn Towii).—Yoxi start with a 

 mistaie in crossing a Brahma and a Iloudan ; you have a sitter and non- 

 sitter. The chickens will be good layers but doubtful sitters, and we believe 

 the produce will be more useful fowls and better layers if put to Brahmas 

 than they will be if put to Houdans. 



Pigeons Diseased {E.B. T.).— The scorbutic eruption would probably be 

 cured by rubbing the place very gently with zinc ointment. 



Pigeons Gardeners' Enemies (7j7ior(imiis).— However well fed they will 

 pick off the leaves, &c., of garden crops, 



INSDRINO Glass (H. .1.).— Apply to the Eojal Farmers' Insurance Com- 

 pany, 3, Norfolk Street, Strand, London. 



Dritino Bees [B. Q., Co. Down). — In driving bees it is necessary to blow 

 some smoke from cotton rags amongst them, then turn the hive on its crown 

 mouth up. Place an empty hive near the same size on and over it, and roll a 

 tablecloth round the junction of the hives to keep in tbe bees. 'Then drum 

 on the bottom hive for t*o or fifteen minutes with opgn hands. This drum- 

 ming confounds the baes and causes them to ruu up into the empty hive. 

 The thing is so simple that after you have done it once you will be able to 

 teach others how to do it. 



Size of Boxes as HrvES (Lu^fial.— Bjses 14, 15, or 16 inches wide and 

 12 inches deep will answer well for bees. Whatever the shape of boxes may 

 be, the cubic space of each should range between 21)00 and 3000 inches. The 

 term " grocers' boxes " include more than tea chests. A crown hole in each 

 box about 3 inches wide should be cut out of the crown of each box for super- 

 ing before bees are put into it. 



Probable PRODDCE(r. JfcrfccO.— Without seeing the hives it is impossible 

 to say what yon may expect from them this year. Give the bees a little warm 

 syrup three or four times a-week for a month. This will encouraga them to 

 breed, and if they become stronger or more lively by the end of four weeks 

 they will probably do well. The fact that you have seen soma young drones 

 thrown out of one of them is an unfavourable symptom. It is an iudicatioQ 

 that the queen has commenced laying drone eggs at an untimely season. The 

 hive should be examined to ascertain if the queen is laymg any but drone 

 eggs. If the brood is all drone brood the queen is worthless. Mr. Pettigrew 

 is increasing the number of his stooks this year, aad therefore has none at 

 present to sell. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



Camden Square, London. 



Lat. 51° 82' 40 ' N. ; Long. ' 8' ' W. ; Altitude, 111 feet. 



REMAKES. 

 28th.— Fine and bright all the foreaoon ; af teraoon dull with showers ; even* 



log and night fine. 

 29th.— Showery till nearly noon, then bright for a short time ; showery after- 

 noon aud evening. 

 30th. — Fine morning, and very pleasant day throughout. 

 81st.— Very fioe early, but rather cloudy by 9 a.m. ; a pleasant day, but not as 

 much BO as the day before. 

 1st.— Fine early, but rain before i» a.m., and a showery day. 

 2nd.— Fair day, but looking very dull and rainlike at times. 

 3rd.— Fine early, getting cloudy soon after 10, but bright tor a short time in 

 the middle of the day ; then dull and rainy after 5 p.m. ; very much 

 warmer, especially towards the evening. 

 Not by any means a bright week, but notwithstanding the prevalence of 

 cloud the air has been much more springlike, and the temporatofe in nearly 

 all cases being 7° higher than last week. — G. J. Symons. 



CO VENT GARDEN MARKET.— Aprii, 4. 

 As soon as the holidays are over we may expect to return to a mot 

 business, the sale of aU classes of goods being very nncertain; in 

 only article intiuired after are good Grapes, which are now almost 

 We have seen one sample of early Grapes from pots, t 

 sending to market while any good late ones are to be had. 



FEDIT. 



. 4 sieve 3 6to7 Nectarines dozen 



- " - - Oranges %*■ lOU 8 



Peaches dozen 



Pears, kitchen..., dozen 



dessert dozen S 



PineApplea lb. 2 



Pluoaa i seivo 



Quinces bushel 



Kaspberrifis lb. 



e steady 



fact, the 



Huished. 



worth 



Apples.. 



Apricots dozen 



Cnestnuts bushel " " " 



Grapes, hothoaae.... lb. 15 25 I strawberries.. 



Lemons li*- 100 6 10 , Walnutj bushel 5 8 6 



Melons each Oi ditto V 100 19 2 



Artichokes dozen Oti 



Asparagus F 103 8 



Beuns. Kidney ¥^10i) 1 6 



Beet, Red dozen 1 6 



Broccoli bundle 9 



Brussels Sprouts..! sieve 3 



Cabbage dozen 1 



Carrots bunch 4 



Capdicuma v\i)i 1 6 



CauUflowec dozen 2 



Celery bundle 1 6 



Coleworts.. doz. bunches 2 



Cucumbers each 6 



Endive dozen 1 



Fennel bunch 3 



Garlic lb. 6 



Herbs bunch 8 



Horseradish bundle 



Lettuce dozen 1 



Leeks bonch i 



Onions bushel 



pickling quart 



Parsley.... doz. bunches 



Parsnips dozen 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



net 2 4 



Radishes., doz. bunches 



Rbubarb bundle 



Salsafy bundle 



Scorzonera bundle 



Seakale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes i sieve 



Turnips banch 



Vegetable Marrows 



lb. 6 16 



