282 



JODBNAL OP HORTICULTUaE AND COTTAGE GARDENEK. 



1 Aprii 12, 1877. 



venta swarming it may continae for bix or aeven days. The 

 question now comes up, If these infantile queeus can pipe for a 

 week without sleep, cannot more aged bees do their work too 

 for a week without sleep ? And if they can go one week can 

 they not go longer ? 



4. That a very great amount of indoor work is performed 

 during the night by beea. Comb-building, brood-nursing, and 

 honey-storing, &c., go on at night as well as day. Though one 

 or two correspoudeuts at present disbelieve the fact (or state- 

 ment of fact) that bees reswallow honey and thus convert it 

 into honey proper, I am certain that they will yet alter their 

 opinion on this point. Every bee-keeper may easily aee the 

 crude honey as it is gathered from ilowers in the centre or brood 

 comba of their hives on turning them after a good day's work. 

 It literally glitters in them, and runs out of the cells on holding 

 the hives aslant. It is easily caught on sheets of paper on the 

 evenings of honey days. In uuicomb hives the honey may be 

 seen in the centre and bottom part of their combs every evening. 

 I have seen this crude honey in cells half formed on the points 

 of combs a thousand times. It is generally all removed daring 

 the night, and the centre comba are found dry in the mornings 

 after. The cargo is cast on deck during the day, .and while we 

 are sleeping in our cabins the best of it is removed and stowed 

 elsewhere. Sometimes the cargo is so great that those on night 

 shift tail to remove it all. What toil and industry is manifested ! 

 Is it sleepless ? 



In closing this letter I will repeat one of the queations in the 

 cluster — viz.. Is the dormant or quiet state of bees in winter 

 normal or abnormal, beneficial or otherwise ? la it a neoeasity, 

 or caused by climate ? What happens in warm countries ? Are 

 bees torpid during any season ? — A. Pettigbew. 



HIVES AND LIGURIAN BEES. 



I BID not again intend troubling you on this matter, but 

 "Renfrewshire Bee-keeper," after disposing of my chimney 

 flues, cottage roof, &o., in a manner peculiar to himself, asks 

 for the date of my visit to Mr. Woodbury, which I would give 

 readily could I fix it exactly (I think it was in 18GG or 18C7); 

 fltill I fear it may only produce a fruitless discussion. I hope, 

 however, that some good may come out of thia " battle of hives," 

 and that all common-sense bee-keepers will know the value of 

 each and every hive, whatever be hia object, and content him- 

 self with the bee capable of doing all he requires until it is 

 proved beyond doubt that a better can be had. 



It is cheering to see your able correspondent " B. &• W." apeak 

 out plainly in favour of large straw skepa as the moat suitable 

 for cottagers. This gentleman writes, "I say, then, that Mr. 

 Pettigrew's hives are Al for cottagers and for all persons who 

 are content to obtain plenty of honey." I wish these words 

 could be made to aouud in the ear of every poor bee-keeper. 

 What more can anyone want ? for you can have auper honey or 

 the pureat run honey in abundance if it is to be had at all. 



Mr. J. Hunter saya in your issue March 1.5th, speaking of 

 timid people, " Straw skeps are the only hives they are equal to 

 manage." I do not think a timid man would look well turning 

 up an 18 or 20-inch straw hive weighing 80 or 90 lbs. which had 

 just been deprived of a large super, wishing to drive the whole 

 black living mass into an empty hive, and then perhaps to 

 knock them into another full of comb, to place on the lloorboard, 

 and then turn the whole up into its place. I think the man who 

 can do that cleverly and steadily will not lack nerve for any 

 Other operation connected with bee management. — W. J. C. 



been taken for honey, and pieces of the bottoms have rotted 

 away with damp, but the brood nest has never been renewed. — 

 Geobqe Campbell, TillinamoU, New Fitsligo (in Banffshire 

 Journal). 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Feather-katino Fowls (H. H.). — Parge them well with castor oil, » 

 tablo-Bpoontul at a time ; ^'ive them lettuce to eat ; feed sparingly, and let the 

 food ha ground oats. Let them have duat in their house, and rub the spots 

 bare of feathers with compound sulphur ointment. They should have no 

 food by thera at any time, and be sparingly served at each meal. They do 

 not eat each other or their feathers because they are hungry, but beoaoBO 

 they are suffering from a vitiated appetite. 



CRFVE-CiEaa Fowls. — " T. N." asks where in the neighboaxhood of 

 Croydon Creve-CLeor fowls can be obtained. 



Bees on Cress (E. S.}.— The bees working on a bos of cress are carrying 

 in water for their brood. Though water abounds all arouad they prefer to 

 gather it from certain places and plants. Our own bees have found it lately 

 on a moss or dwarf saxifrage which edi^es one of our garden walks. Being 

 close, nut unlike cress thickly sown, it retains water for a considerable time. 



Stewarton Hives (J. H. Eldridge). — The outside measure, end length 

 of frames, is ISJ inches, boxes H inches in width inside, couseqaently leaving 

 a quarter of an inch apace for passage of bees round on either side. I intoni 

 to describe shortly some of the principles on which these hives are managed. 



— A KEKFREWSHiRfi BEE-K£EPEB. 



WINTERING OF BEES. 



" Ha VINO examined and cleaned the floorboards of my hives, as 

 well as some of those of my neighbours and acquaintances, I 

 will tell how they have withstood the past extremely wet and 

 severe autumn and winter. First come nine in straw skepa well 

 thatched with straw. These are all in fine condition, perfectly 

 dry, and not very much lighter than they were in October, 

 although many of them have seven leaves of comb well covered 

 with hees. Other two wooden frame hives have not resisted 

 the damp so well, although quilted, both being very wet on the 

 floorboard, and up the sides to within an inch or two of the quilt ; 

 and a considerable number of the bees are dead among the mouldy 

 portions of the comb. Other two wooden hives belonged to a 

 friend, one being quilted, the other not. The quilted hive was 

 in the same state aa my own, very wet in bottom and sides ; and 

 the unquilted hive was wet at top and bottom, the bees being all 

 dead and encased in a shroud of white mould. 



I have come to the conclusion that our northern climate is too 

 humid for wintering bees in wooden hives. I have, however, 

 brought these same hives through aeven winters, and they have 

 never been nearly ao bad with damp in any of the previoas six 

 years. One of the hives has in it, still useful, the brood comba 

 that were built in July, 1809. The bees have done well all the 

 time, and I do not intend removing them till I see how long 

 bees can breed in the same comb. Sometimes an end comb has 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



Camden Sqoabe, London. 



Lat. Bl» 32- 40" N. ; Long. 0° S' 0" W. ; Altitade, 111 feet. 



REMARKS. 

 4th.— Very fine early, rather less bright at 9 A-m., but fair till noon* then 



cloady and a severe thuaderstorm from 3 to 4 p.m., lightniug Tezy 



vivid ; fair but windy after. 

 5th.— Fine early, but soon becoming showery, and so oontinning all day, with 



Rleams between. 

 6th.— Rain early, but fine at 9 ; slight shower about H a.m. and again a 



4 P.M., but pleasant and fine between; another Bhower abont 6, bu 



fine night. 

 7th.— A regular April day of sunshine and showers, and very pleaeita 



between. 

 8th.— Fair but not bright till 1 p.m., then slight showers ; very heavy rain f 



9 P.M. 



9th.— Intensely dark {though not very thick) for a short time at 8.30, oleM 



off by 9 ; fair but dall after ; rain from 9 p.m. nearly all night. 

 10th.— Rain in early morning, but fair before 9 a.m., and followed by a TOI 

 pleasant day and starlit nisht. 

 Mean temperature ri.sing slightly except in the sun max., which is slightly 

 lower than last week from the great preyalence of cloud.— G, J. Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— April 11. 



Black., 



Figs dozen 



Fiiberta Jb. 



Grapes, hothouse.... lb. 15 



Lemons ¥*■ 100 6 



Melons each 



Nectarines dozen 



Oranges ^ lOU 



Peaches dozen 



Pears , kitchen.. . , dozen 



dessert dozen 



Pine Apples lb. 



Plums j seive 



Quinces bushel 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries oz- 



Walnuts bushel 



ditto V 100 



TBOETABLES. 



B. d. 



Artichokes dozen Ot( 



Asparagus ^ lOB 8 



Beans, Kidney ^100 1 6 



Beet, Red dozen 1 6 



Broccoli bundle O 9 



Brussels Sprouts..! sieve 8 



Cabba«e.. dozen 1 



Carrots bunch 4 



Capsicums ^10) 1 6 



Cauliaowel d^zen 2 



Celery bundle 1 6 



Coleworts.. doz. bunches S 



Cucumbers eaoh 6 



Endive dozen 1 



Fennel bunch 3 



Garlic lb. 6 



Herbs bunch 3 



Horseradish bu»dle 



Lettuce riozen 1 



Leeks bunch i 



Uuio 



pickling quart 



Parsley.... doz. bunches 



Parsnips dozen 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



New lb. 



Radishes., doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Salsafy bundle 



sbol 



Scor; 



Ue 10 



Soakale basket 



Shallots lb. « B u o 



Spmach bushel 2 6 4 



Tomatoes j sieve 



bunch 4 6 



Vegetiible* Marrows 



