106 



JOimNAL OP HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ AognBt 6, 1868. 



entranee. The bees evidently become excited on noticing its 

 approaefa, and angrily reeiet it. When saocessful in effecting 

 an entrance, these moths deposit their eggs in the droppings 

 and refuse matter on the bottom board, if any be found there ; 

 and from it the larvffi, when hatched, derive their nourishment. 

 The larger kind doee not usually make its way into the hive 

 till after the smaller kind has effectually secured posseeFion 

 and made extensive progress in the work of devastation. The 

 colour of the medium kind is grey. The egg greatly reeembles 

 that of the queeri bee. The fuU-grown moth may often be 

 seen sitting quietly on a hive, near its entrance, or on some 

 projecting ledge or c'oi*ner. It frequently deposits its eggs in 

 cracks or crevices through which the heat and odour of the hive 

 escape. 



As soon as the larvs9 are hatched, they endeavour to crawl 

 into the hive through some opening or cranny, however narrow ; 

 and if successful, at once take post in and live on the offdl and 

 particles of wax they may chance to find on the tottom. They 

 grow very rapidly, mount the combs as soon as they can reach 

 them, and enter the ceils. Arrived there, they speedily con- 

 struct their galleries, tunnelling passages along the common 

 base of the cells, and extending their devastating course towards 

 the centre of the comb, in quest of cells containing pollen. 

 Thepe appear to be their favourite resort, whence they advance 

 rfeveHing in the delights <if havoc and destruction. Nor do 

 those portions of comb which contain brood escape attack. 

 The defenceless larvas perish when the side walls of the cells 

 are broken idown or undermined ; and the ruiu of the colony is 

 sore to fnllow qnickly, if the bee-keeper do not come to the 

 rescue. Even though a woiker occasionally lays open the 

 gallery, the naspagd is too narrow to permit her to enter and 

 diblodge the iubidiuus foe, which, moreover, quickly retixes to 

 a (tafe distance. 



Since only feeble stocks are overpowered by the worm, or such 

 as, not being very populous, are at the time engaged in rearing 

 a queen, and are ciinFequeDtly daily growing weaker, it occasion- 

 ally happens that the bees are literally crowded out and con- 

 fitrained to abandon their maneion. The inexperienced and in- 

 expert bee-keeper, seeing numbers of workers constantly massed 

 at the entrance, fancies be has a strong and growing colony, 

 till snddenly, on some fine afternoon, the bees come tumbliug 

 oat helter-bkelfcar, and hastily take French jeave of their aston- 

 ished owner. If such absconding colony was well supplied with 

 comb, a etrange spectacle of universal ruin will present itself 

 when the hive is opened. A mixed multitnde of larger and 

 emaller cream-culoured worms with brownish beads, will be 

 seen hastily wriggling into their hiding place — a dark, web- 

 Etrung pile of mingled escreta and crnmbhng comb. Ho^ts of 

 fluttering ilioths, too, hover like harpies on dnsky wing, and a 

 nauseous odour e^chales from the filmy and cocoon-spangled 

 mass. All this is disheartening; but if thedismayed bee-keeper 

 ^onld have his good humour restored, and himself put io the 

 mood of paying more heedful attfntion to uhat may thence- 

 forward be going on in Lis hives, let him carry the non-moth-proof 

 box or bafket (o his henyard, and present its contends as a 

 h&nnt bouche^ or tit-bit, to his Sbanghaes and Brahma P<;otras, 

 and he will see such an eager rush and scramble and hasty 

 gobbling-up of the multitujJinoas host that worked him harm, 

 as well may mollify his temper, and restore his equanimity — 

 so far as a hearty laagh cin thereto contribute. 



Then for prevention. — 1, Watch your hives closely, especially 

 those that have swarmed, or what are rearing queens. 2, Fre- 

 quently cleanse the bottom boards of your feeble stocks, and 

 inspect the combs. 3, See whether there are any black drop- 

 pings nnder the combs, or whether the bees are carrying such 

 out. If so, search for and remove the worm. 



For preservation of combs. — 1, Suspend them singly in a 

 high and airy chamber. 2, Insert them at times for cleaning 

 in the hives cf your stronger colonies. 3, Keep them in an 

 air-tight box. and fumigate them every two or three weeks with 

 fumes of burning sulphur. 



In elevated mountainous districts, moths are not apt to be 

 troublesome, but iu lower level and warm districts they will, 

 without great care, be found a numerous and intrnsive pest. — 

 {Bee Jonmal.) 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Address (A Cheshire Suh eribeT\—We do not know it. 



Fowls Pldokino EjiCH Other {Q. W.^,—Vfe are sorry to sny wecan 

 Erbow yoa a pert of Spauisb jast at^ yoa describe yonnjwD to be. If we 

 Wjre alwHTfl on thf spot we bpl'- vo we ooairi preveot it by keepioK tbem 

 well eoppUed ^ith a variet; of greea fuod. There ii, however, at thia 



time of year a tendency in all cooped fowls to pick featfaers. The «nly 

 remedy we have ever fonnd is a large supply ol green food, especially 

 lettuce, and frebb-dug monld. 



Ground Oats foe Pooltry (E. M B.^.)-— Your Hertfordshire millere 

 do not understand f?round onis as tbey are made in ^aKsex. nnd your 

 poultry mau ha» never Been tbem. All the celehrated SuRSt;! to^^U are 

 led on them. When tbey are ground with properly dre-^eed htouee, tha 

 whole of the corn, skin and all. is reducfd to a fin« powd«r, and mixea as 

 easily and as perfectly a^ wheat floor. We have tried onliuary o^t-i^rind- 

 ing, and when Blacked wilb water the result bas b^t- n aucb as we efaoald 

 expect if we mixed chaff and sawduet. Nothing i« t'Uieu from th« out in 

 Sus8Pi, but everytbin!? is reduced tn powder. This is the great ntetit. 

 The present price in Sussex is about 18s. per naok. but it i» risintf. Good 

 barley menl is far bttter food fur chickt-ns than "toppinj^H." O ^r theory 

 is, the better and heavier the corn the cheaper it is for feeding. 



Points of Brahma Pootbas Subscriber).— In both breeds pel combs 

 are much mor<* cont^idered than siot'le onef. Thf Light KrfihDi^;^ shonld 

 bHVu tails and flicbts blnck, the hackle striped blnck atid white, all the 

 rest white, except in the cock some markiuF^s ou tbe SHddle. The Dark 

 pullet ebuuld be pencilled all over, shva the hackle, wliiuh i^liould be 

 black and wbitM-striped. The cock phonld have a libht bade and 

 saddle, a broitd barred black and wbi'e wint?, I)l'ick tail and th'tibs, 

 accurxtoly sputted breaet ; whitt^ Fpois on a black t.Tound. Some have 

 quite black breasts, but as a role the spotted are pief«^rred. 



DDCKS OVERPBD SDFPERINO FROil DiARRHfEA AND CRaMP iNovice).— 



You have entirety overfed yoor DucUa. aud apoileii ibera wit'i kiU'tu*'S8. 

 Whtit can yoa mean bv keeiiiuu them warm at night? Our difficuMy h-ia 

 been to keep them cool. If they are shut in where tbt ro i-* wood, atune. or 

 brick flooring, that causes tbe cramp. Ey diut of meat-feeding viin have 

 made your ducklinya iriternally fat. Tnat i« "f it-elf an unnxioral state, 

 and tboir vit ated appetites will accept nothing but utiniuliting f>>od — 

 greave><, worms, and insectn. Discontinue everything of the Kort. Let 

 them roo3t on the ground, feed on oatmenl, put in WHter with sods of 

 growing grass, do not It-t them out in ihe raornini? till the grass 

 iH dry, and let them rough it as soon as tbe dianhosi and crauip have 

 disappeared. 



Brahma Pootrab wtth Twisted Wings (TT. B. S ).— The weight of 

 your chiohODsis s tia'actory. We are we I acquainted with tb«t twi I'd 

 wing, and altljough in many canes we have seun it less develop id an tbey 

 grow older, we have never known it m-nilted out nor euti»ely cured by 

 any process or operation. It is petceptib'e when tfat-y are very >unng. 

 It is tereditary, and chickens showing it should bu immediately gut rid 

 of by death or otherwise. 



Uniting Seoond Swarms (i StoJce Btfe-it€epi»r).— It would probably be 

 well lo unite the two second swarms weakened by mbbers, b; driving, . 

 and this b;id better be done as soon as breeding is over. 



Wax Moia (J. Gaie, i4i*on),— Tbey are the cncnona and larvae of Tinea 

 mellonel 4, tbe wax moth par ezceilence. Thii^ pest, wLicb is furtunately 

 nut common in this conotrv, is m'ire plentiful ou tb« C<mttuent. wfailMtin 

 America, where it is known as " the m'ller," its ravaycM i-re bo exieuhive 

 that they at one time threatened tu put a stop to bee-keeping altogether 

 uutil checked by the almost universal adoption of movuubie-cuuib-hivuS. 

 See an article iu tbe preceding page. 



Ndtt's CoLLATEaAi. HiVE (Devonia). — Tbe best mo'^e of securing the 

 slides or dividers if* to make them a little n i'fer thiin tlie b 'xea thems'-lves, 

 and let their < dgesfit into saw- cut sin theb ickcf thrde*quirterm'»uldin;j:9 

 or pilasters fixed to the " pavilion," but projecting ao as to ovtxlap aud 

 Conceal the juuotions of the three compartments. 



Yoo.so Canabieb Dying {Subscriber).— Yonr experience is thit of 

 many afmcer. who time after time sees aome of bis mo-l promi-ing 

 young birds drop off one by one from no apparent caune, except a g.'idual 

 waatiug away. Tbis oisease, by wbatevor namo it m ly ha called, is, 

 probably, tho result of over-inda'gence in the gener.ms dint whioh is 

 given to youug birds just beginning to feed tbemsalvea. inducing indi- 

 gestion and general disarrangement of the bowels. When auy yonng 

 bird begins to mope, feedin-i by fits and starts, and then ven greedily, 

 sitli i- ifjT a length of time with its head ander its wing, with rufflt^ 

 pin nnue — blow the down from its breast, and you will find that ii>hteMd <•! 

 presenting the full plump appearance which indic.ites heabb, it will be 

 mnch shrunken; the lower part of tbe bodv, loo, will appear more or 

 less awolbm. Various remedies are prcfCiibed iu the Ciuiary phinna- 

 copiBia, but cures have been effected by administering a mild purgative 

 in the shape of a few dri'ps of olive oil. ftediug i-u Jiuteed and maw 

 seed, with wattrcress for green food ; but when this disordered slate ol 

 tbe system is allowed to m ike mnch headway, it is very difficult to ward 

 off the attack. 1 purchased a small coff-^e mill this Bessnn, in which I 

 grind the common canary seed, and I find that by pr«^8eutiug whole8iiu.e . 

 diet to the bir'is in this shape tbey are able to feed themat-lves uiooii 

 sooner than in any other way, without the ri-ik of inducing the com- 

 plaints resulting from surfeiting with rich food. — W. A, Bi-AKtiTuN. 



Canaries ( W. D Prosser).— We cannot toll all the shows jou can ex- 

 hibit at. If yon write to the secretaries tbey will inform you. 



Parrots (C. M ).— We do not know of a better book qpon ParrotB fian 

 tbe one of 8ir W, Jardine's " Katuralist's Library,'* published I'y timitb 

 and Co., Oomhill. Grey Parrots are usually tbe beht for talking, aud 

 they sb'-uld be obtained about twelve moutho old* The birda can bo puf- 

 chaB«d of any respectable dealer in birds. 



POULTRY MARKET.— August 5. 



It is impoBsib'e to give any quotation that cm be depended npnn. 

 Much poultry arrives in a putrid state, and rcuUbes nothing ; but a few 

 choice and fre&h samples make good prices. 



Large Fowls 4 



Smaller do 3 



Chickens S 



Geese 6 



Ducklings •— . 2 



Pigeone 8 9 



Pheasftnta ,. 



Partriduee 



Guinea Fowla 



H..r«8 U 



Habbits 1 



Wuada 



ua 











u • 



4 1 



8 



