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JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENEK. 



t November D, 1868. 



these involuntary little voyagers, and have often wondered 

 ■whether, after being the first to suceeed in introducing the 

 Ligurian variety of honey bee into England, and afterwards in 

 exporting it to Australia, I should also be successful in trans- 

 mitting it to Africa. These speculations, however, remained 

 in abeyance until February in this year, when a letter reached 

 me from the Cape by which I learned that the Italian stock 

 had reached that colony in safety, but vastly diminished in 

 numbers, nearly five thousand having died. However, after 

 sundry difficulties, they had ultimately been established, and 

 the object which my correspondent had in writing was to 

 obtain from me two more Ligurian stocks, he having unfortu- 

 nately lost his only pure-bred Italian queen through an acci- 

 dent at a time when there were no drones in the hive. 



He also informed me that he had found at Cape Town two 

 native varieties of the honey bee— " one small black, and the 

 other, except in size, the exact counterpart of the Ligurian," 

 and most kindly offered, if I would like to have a stock, to try 

 his hand at packing one, and to send it by steamer to Plymouth. 

 Turning this description over in my mind, I came to the con- 

 clusion that the variety which, except in size, was the exact 

 counterpart of the Ligurian, could be no other than my old 

 friend, or, considering the terms on which we eventually parted, 

 I might rather say, enemy, the ferocious Egyptian bee. Apis 

 fasciatn, which so nearly simulates the Italian variety that the 

 Bev. H. B. Tristram, author of " The Land of Israel," who 

 found it amazingly abundant in Palestine, was misled into 

 declaring that Apis ligustica was the common Holy Land in- 

 sect. This conjecture was confirmed in a subsequent letter 

 from my South African correspondent, wherein he stated that 

 his experience of the " diminutive of the Ligurian " was 

 similar to my own in that they were " very savage." It is cer- 

 tainly not a little singular that identically the same variety of 

 honey bee should be found in the extreme south as exists in 

 the north of Africa and adjoining parts of the Asiatic conti- 

 nent ; but as, although separated by so vast a distance, it was 

 but too apparent that there was no amelioration in the pugna- 

 city of their disposition, I respectfully declined to avail myself 

 of the opportunity thus offered of renewing my acquaintance 

 with the " pretty yaller gals," electing rather to transfer my 

 attentions and pay court to the very interesting but anonymous 

 little African " niggers," which my friend had somewhat 

 vaguely described as " small black " bees. 



Pending the receipt of farther intelligence, I made an effort 

 to penetrate the incognito of my intended protegees by sub- 

 mitting the question to my friend Mr. F. Smiib, the distin- 

 guished hj'menopterist of the British Museum, who, however, 

 could only surmise that " the small black bee possibly is the 

 A. Adansonii of Latreille, which I suppose to be synonymous 

 with A. nigritarum of St. Fayeau — A. unicolor of Latreille, 

 and which M. Gerstiicker considers a variety of A. mellifica." 

 I am of course unable to say how far this hypothesis may be 

 correct, but supposing the small black bee of the Cape to be 

 merely a variety of Apis mellifica, it is difficult to imagine how 

 the native species or varieties can exist together in the same 

 locality and yet keep themselves distinct. We know with what 

 facility A. mellifica, A. ligustica, and A. fasciata will cross and 

 interbreed with one another, and that this is at least equally 

 the case on the continent of Africa is proved by one of my 

 correspondent's letters, wherein, referring to the breeding of 

 Ligurians in connection with Mr. Kohler's process, he says " it 

 is the one thing required here, where bees of at least two or 

 three kinds are common." These speculations can, however, 

 only be set at rest by the arrival in England of the anonymi 

 themselves, which I now hope may be deferred until next 

 spring, although I have been expecting them during the past 

 two months. My last letter from the Cape, dated the 18th of 

 July, says, " Our native bees do not much like the notion of 

 taking a voyage, at least so it seems, as two or three I have 

 been preparing for you have deserted their boxes entirely, 

 leaving brood in all stages, and betaken themselves to their 

 native mountain wilds. I have four or five, however, now well 

 established, and hope either by next mail, or perhaps a month 

 hence, to be able to pack one or two off in such condition as to 

 reach home alive. So don't be surprised at hearing some Afri- 

 canders knocking at your door." 



Although no " Africanders " have as yet knocked at my door, 

 it will not now be very long before their own country is again 

 the scene of an Itahan invasion, for the Royal Mail steam ship 

 " Saxon," which took her departure from the port of Plymouth 

 early in the morning of the 10th of October, was freighted with 

 two Strong bodies of apian Garibaldini in the shape of a couple I 



of Ligurian stocks, which by the kind ofSces of a local friend 



were carefully stowed on board in capital condition, and which, 

 by the time this article appears, will be fast nearing that coast 

 " where Afric's suuny fountains roll down their golden sand." 

 — A Devonshire Bee-keepeb. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Keiohley Poultry Show {T. Dean). — Poultry committees usaally 

 announce in the rules of their exhibitions, that they will not be re- 

 sponsible for losses. You have been very unfortunate, but we do not Bee 

 where blame attaches. 



Promoting Feathering {Lemon Buff). — The food that is most bene- 

 iieial to fowls when moulting, is that which is at the same time noarlsli- 

 ing and cooling. Ground oats mixed with water; these maybe given 

 twice every day, say morning and evening; at miiday, give some whole 

 barley, with at times a few peas, say once a-week ; green food at all times, 

 and lettuce is very bonetieial. The growth of feathers from the skin of 

 the bird is very much like that of vegetables, root crops, or corn from the 

 earth. Both require moisture. As the sun dries up the earth and 

 prevents growth, so stimulating and heating food causes fever of the skin, 

 and prevents the formation of feather. 



Game Cock's Beak Broken {Inquirer). — We can hardly understand 

 bow your Game cock's beak is broken otf up to his nostril, and yet that 

 the lower part projects but the eighth of an inch. The accident is not very 

 important, as it conlii not have been done to coneea! a defect. In close 

 competition it would be sufficient to turn the scale. If, however, the bird 

 in every point wore superior, the broken beak would not be important. 



.Selecting a White Dorking Cock for Exhibition (White Dorking): 

 ■ — Ynu should state the weight of the three birds. Toe first is cleai*ly an 

 unfit bird for exhibition. "The second may be heavy enough to curry a 

 slightly crooked brtast through. Send us next week the weight of the 

 last two, we can then advise you with confidence. The hens should be 

 square, full in shape and hand, short-legged, five-toed, pure white, and 

 have sharp intelligent heads. There is a contrast between the red faces 

 and white plumage that we do not get in the coloured varieties. 



HovjyAVS {Oetober). — Red feathers disqualifya Houdan cock hopelessly. 

 Choose the heaviest pen provided all are equally well-shaped. Take 

 those with the black body colour well splashed with white. See that 

 the legs are mottled, and the five toes well defined. They must be well 

 bearded. 



White and Black Bantams (7(iem).— Yellow and white legs are pre- 

 ferred to blue fijr White Bantams. Black Bantams should have black or 

 blue legs. Single or double combs may bo shown in a White pen pro- 

 vided all agree. In Black the double is so much preferred as to be 

 almost essential to success. The Black Bantam must have a white ear- 

 lobe. It is immaterial for the White. 



Characteristics of a L\ Flkche Cock (Irish Subscriber). — The 

 La Fleche cock should be very tall, upstrtnding, and heavy. He should 

 have white ear-lobes, scrupulously black plumage, rich in metallic lustre. 

 The hen should have the same points, and both should have the two- 

 horned comb ; and the cock should have the small comb below the prin- 

 cipal one, just over the nostrils. 



Management of Buff Cochin-Chinas !A. D.). — You can only make 

 your perches round at top and raised 24 inches from the ground. Many 

 of the birds (being Cochins), will still prefer to roost on the ground. If 

 the ground is kept quite clean they wiU not sufi'er from it. We apeak 

 from experience. The Light are preferred to the Dark. The desideratum 

 in colour is to get them of a pure lemon. The white feathers on the 

 wing are what are called " mealy," and are not desirable. The bickle 

 should not be much darker than the body- The tail feathers will be 

 always a little darker than the others, but nothing is more appreciated 

 both in cocks and pullets than one uniform colour of plumage, without 

 mixture of black or any other colour. 



Chea rley ( ). — Apply to some farmer in your neighbourhood, 



Incub or (L. B. Bushell). ~ SeYeral have been advertised in our 

 Journal, and we cannot recommend one more than the others, never 

 having tested them. 



Robber Bees (J. Riall). — What are ordinarily called robber bees are 

 th'se from strong hives which when honey is -carce ire continually on 

 the look out for the opportunity of pillaging the stores of others. The 

 insect which you enclose is not a bee, but like ttie house fly has only two 

 wings, and belongs therefore, to the Dipterous order. 



Removing Bees— Transferring Bees (A Subscriber). — The removal 

 of a strong stock of bees by market cart, rail, and cab in the middle of 

 June was rather a risky operation, and considering that you appearto 

 have kept the hive on its floor-board and to have possessed no facilities 

 for afi"orJing extra vent.lation, we think you were fortunate in effecting 

 it with no greater loss than ai>out a quart of bees and one comb. The 

 check which the stock sustained was, however, sutficient to account for 

 its not swarming. If you wish the bees to take possession of th ■ bar 

 hive you should leave but one entrance, and that the one which is at 

 present iu use In April transpose the two hives so as to compel the 

 bees to work from their old entrance but to traverse the emptyaoart- 

 ment, which they will probably soon take possession of and rapidlv fill 

 with combs. In due lime the seat of breeding will be transferred to the 

 bar hive, and then the old one, with its contents, may be taken possession 

 of by the owner, i he objections to this apparently easy mode of pro- 

 ceeding are, that the bee-keeper obtains only inferior honey in old combs, 

 whilst so great a proportion of drone comb is liiible to be built in the new 

 hive as may seriously interfere with the future prosperity of the stock. 

 We doubt whether your bees have sufficient food to last the winter, but 

 cannot tell without knowing the weight of the hive when empty. Its nett 

 contents should be at least 20 lbs. 



POULTRY MARKET.— November 4. 



We are tired of recording that there is no trade, and that things look 

 dull and unprofitable, but it is bo, and we see little prospect of a change. 



