36 



JOUBNAL OP HOBTICULTUBB AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



[ Jul? 9, 1868. 



It seems difficult to over-estimate the importance of the 

 subject. My own experience of tLe pest daring the year 1863 

 was fully detailed at the time, and I now purpose, if the 

 Editors will afford me space, laying before the readers of " our 

 Journal " an eibaustive paper on foul brood from the pen of 

 that distinguished German apiarian the Baron von Berlepsch. 

 — A Detonshike Bee-keefek. 



CAUSING SECOND AND THIRD SWARMS. 



This is an age of progress ; but so far as I am aware, the 

 expedient adopted by Mr. Lowe, of Edinburgh, for causing 

 (woond and third casts to make their exndus at an early hour 

 of the day has not yet been reported. The process, however, 

 does not apply to top swarms — at least it failed with me on 

 several occasions last summer. 



As most apiarians know, the fact of giving food to the inmates 

 ol a hive, and especially food of a particular quality, such as 

 pore honey, has a maturing influence, and causes great com- 

 motion and activity. It is also well known that when " piping" 

 in the evening is strong and long-continued, a swarm may be 

 expected on the following day. It is, however, impossible to 

 predict with certainty when the expected colony will take wing. 

 The exodus, however, may not only be hastened, but may be 

 occasioned almost at the desired hour ly giving the hive a little 

 stimulating food. To gentlemen engaged in business, who 

 permit natural swarming, and wish to have their aftercaets 

 lodged as early in the day as possible, this hint will, I presume, 

 be acceptable.— B. S. 



ASIATIC BEES. 



I AM indebted to the kindness of the Eev. Henry de Bo- 

 mestin, English chaplain at Baden-Baden, for the following 

 interesting notes of Mr. Cori's experience of Asiatic bees. This 

 gentleman, who resides near Teplilz, in Bohemia, received 

 ibeee bees from Smyrna, and appears to consider them a dis- 

 tinct race from the Egyptian bee (Apis fasciata). In this 

 opinion, however, I cannot but believe him to be mistaken. It 

 is well known that Apis fasciata is indigenous in Syria, and it 

 womld appear more than probable that it extends also to 

 Smyrna, whilst any one who is at all familiar with the Egyptian 

 bee can scarcely fail to recognise it in the description which 

 Mr. Cori gives of his " Asiatic Bees." — A Devonshiee Bee- 



KBBPEP, 



" May, 1867, was a bad month for bees in Bohemia. The 

 honey season began with the 26th. In June there were seven- 

 teen good days. The neighbourhood is not particularly good. 



" In the spring the only Asiatic bees were one hive under 

 medium strength. On the 20th of May, a small artificial 

 swarm was made, and the original stock divided into two 

 before the new queens were hatched, making two ' miniature 

 swarms.' The artificial swarm of May 20ih sent out a strong 

 swarm after five weeks ; then an equally good second swarm, a 

 third swarm good enough to keep, and last of all a fourth. 



" The second and third swarms had each two queens, and 

 were, therefore, divided. So the one weak stock became nine, 

 of which six were by July 28th in a state to give no anxiety 

 for the winter. In the same season and neighbourhood the 

 black bee scarcely swarmed at all. 



"The Asiatic bee has two yellow rings, and whitish hairs, in 

 shape longer and more wasp-like. The drones have the first 

 ring reddish yellow, the stomach decidedly yellowish, with one 

 or two almost imperceptible black spots, and are larger than 

 the black drones. The queen has the first three segments 

 d&rk reddish yellow, the rest dark brown. She begins to lay 

 before the blask, the Hungarian, and Dalmatian queens. 



" A bastard stock sent out six swarms the same year. 



" Some original comb bad somewhat smaller cells than the 

 black bees ; but this difference was not noticed in comb built 

 afterwards. They worked earlier in the morning, and later in 

 the evening than any other bees. They are quieter than the 

 black bee, unless excited, when they are worse, and their sting 

 is more painful than that of the black bee." 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Staveley PocTLTiiY Show {Far West). — It is qaiie certain ttiai the 

 Secretary neglected to do what he ongbt to have done, but it ia uselees 

 occupying more siiaco with a detail of his mistakes. 



DcBB'NG Game Bantams fSttbteriber).—T>uh yoar Game Bantams as 

 soon as they have done crowing. It must not be done while they ore Boft- 

 featUered. They should be snalie-headed, hard-feathered, and have the 

 wings carried up and ologo to the body. The cock should not have too 

 much tail, and should not carry it upright or over the back. 



Chicekns Hatched in June tOld Subscriber). — Yoa may go on setting; 

 your eggs snfely. We d .. not know why, but country people are all opposed 

 to June chickens. There is a Hampshire saying — 



" Chicks that are hatched, when there's making of hay* 

 Will never grow up, bat fade away." 



We have, however, many good June chickens now, and are sliU setting 

 o?g8. We believe the cause may be traced to the eggs being kept too dry 

 during the great heat. We are glad you are successful with your poultry. 

 Ireland (ioes not sell a fifth of the poultry and eggs she can produce 

 without effort. 



HoDDAN CniCKENs (Bessu^). — We greatly prefer the chickens that arc 

 nearly black. They become lighter as tbey grow older, but for that reason 

 they should, when young, be dark. From what you say, we should not 

 think you had been deceived in any way. The eggs have hatched well, 

 and t)io chickens have the principal points of the breed. Wo should not 

 get rid of theoi, but would wait and see how they turn out. 



White CREVE-CcEtms (S.M. B.'.— White Creve-CcBors are soaree, but 

 like White Spanish, they are little considered, and are not valuable. 



Face op an Andalusian {J. B,jun.). — The rales of Andalusian fowls 

 are but little cared f' r, as the birds are seldom shown. The best speci- 

 mens we have seen have always had the lower part of the face and the 

 deaf ear white, the upper part of the faoo red. 



Preventing Soft Eggs (A. M. S.). — As yoor fowls have all the ap- 

 pliances necessary for the formation of egg-shelJ, the fact of laying Bolt 

 eggs can only be attributed to want of condition. Your feeding is not 

 good, and lacks nourishment, with the exception of the barley. Tail 

 wheat is a gnod plaything for small chickens. Fowls do not like bnck- 

 whpat. and pollard does not nourish and help them sufficiently. Give 

 them barley or oatmeal twice every day, and let the miii-day meal be 

 barley, or Indian corn for a change. If you wish for good table poultry all 

 the year round, you should set hens every month so as to have a confttant 

 supply of young poultry. The sister to the nice juicy pullet yoa ate in 

 CIctuber, is an old hen in the following February. It is cruelty to try any- 

 thing to prevent hens from being broody. It is their nature, and they 

 must be bo. 



SiLVEn Pheasants (Idem^, — We have kept Silver Pheasants for many 

 years. They are amongst the boldest and most cheerful of that family, 

 and if yours are moping about they are out of health. 



Ketarding Laying {Lemon Bvffi.—'^'e know of no food that will retard 

 the laying of Coobin-China pullets Keeping them short of food will do 

 it ; but as your object is, doubtless, to" encourage growth, yon will find 

 that low condition will injure them far more than early laying. We know 

 no law of n«ture that can be altered cr set aside without paying the 

 penally. Wei elievethe smell ofputrefied meat is not injurions to cliickens. 

 We have been told it is beneficial rather than otherwise to chickens and 

 their owners. It is therein the reverse of vegetable matter. 



Pigeon Judging iR. Fulton). — It would he invidious to insert the list 

 you have sent. Many you name we know would not act as judges. 



Old Straw Hive Bulging {B.).~If, fls we imagine, the combs are 

 very old as well as the hive, no lime should now be lost in driving the 

 bees into a new hive and establishing them as an artificial swarm on the 

 old stance. Three weeks after the issue of the first swarm is the best 

 time for this operation, but a few daj s later will do very well. The beet 

 mode of driving bees was fully described by Mr. Woodbury, in pRffe 105 

 of our last volume. If, on the other hand. Ihe combs are not too old, the 

 bees should be driven and the combs trnnsfe red to a frame hive in the 

 manner described in page ^19 of our twelfth volume. 



Bees not Swahming {H. Wade^.—We should make an artifloial ewflrm 

 in the manner often recommended in these pages, and last described by 

 *'B. & W." in page 179 of our last volume. We cannot tell why the 

 stock fi I ot swarmed naturally, but there seems to be somelhing pcoa- 

 liar in •>>'- season in this respect, for the scarcity of swarms is tt very 

 general compluiut. 



German Centripuoal Honev-extbacting Machine {G. J.) —The 

 square platform is of such a 6i2e as just to revolve frtely within the ex- 

 terior box. The four ctimbs stand in tbeir nttural pf.iiion on the f'lur 

 sides inside of, and in close contact with the strained fishing line. The 

 best mode of Lif^urianiMing your stocks was fully detailed by Mr, Wood- 

 bury in No. 315 of our New Series. 



Glass Supers (John IT.) — The Avington honey glassof? are made by 

 Messrs. James Couper & Sons, at the City Flint Glass Works, Glasgow. 

 The beauty of finish of those manufactured there, both for Mr. Mitohell 

 and himself, is testified by -^A RENPitEWSHiRE Bee-keispee. ' 



Dying Moss Green (Fenfrtnt).— We should try soaking the moss first 

 in a solution of Frussi-in blue, and then in a solution of gamboge. If 

 any of oar readers will give infurmatiou on the subject ve shoU be 

 obliged. 



Ebsolts of HATonTNG (H. i ).— The lime is pac«ed vben Out insertion 

 of the resoits yoa taavo sent weroiatexeeUng. 



POULTRY MARKET.— Jolt 8. 



There is a slight falling off in the demand, and the supply increase?, 

 bat owing to the heat prices are maintained for lots of fint-rate 



poultry. 



8 d. s d 



Large Fowls 8 6 to 



EmaUer do 8 3 6 



Chickens S 2 8 



Goshngs 6 8 6 



6 SO 



DuoklijugB 2 



' Pigeons 



B. d s. 



Pheasants to 



Partridges 



Guinea Fowls 



Hares 



Kabbits 14 1 



WUddo 8 



