414 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



[ November 26, 1868. 



FEEDING BEES IN WINTER. 

 Bees may be kept alive and well in winter by Bcooping 

 the pith out of pieces of elder, leaving the ends closed, and 

 fillin g one or two for each stock with either honey or moiBtened 

 sugar. It would not, perhaps, do where bees are kept on a 

 large scale, but it is very simple, and the food should be sup- 

 plied daily. They will take it readily. — L. B. 



LARGE HIVES. 



Notwithstanding the very able manner in which Mr. Petti- 

 grew has advocated the use and efficiency of his large hives, in 

 page 333, and the emphatic manner in which he condemns 

 other hives as being almost utterly inadequate for the accom- 

 modation of a swarm of bees and their honey, in spite of the 

 abundant harvests that have been obtained from what we may 

 call improved hives, but which appear to be in his eyes quite 

 the reverse, I think his letter may bear a little criticism, and 

 wonld submit to your readers a comparison of the different 

 iives. 



I shall first take into consideration the circumstances under 

 ■which a hive is most likely to prosper in the spring, and as 

 the management of wooden hives has already been described, 

 and tbey have been proved to be in no way inferior to straw 

 ones, I will pass over Mr. Pettigrew's remarks condemnatory 

 of wooden hives, and will confine myself to the suhjeet of their 

 size, showing the advantages and disadvantages of large hives, 

 or the disadvantage of large and advantage of small ones. 

 Even in the case of the largest and strongest hives which I 

 ever possessed (and I have had them equal to 250 lbs. in the 

 season), I have found that two Stewarton body boxes, or one 

 stock box of a frame hive, held the whole of the bees of these 

 monster hives at the end or in the fall of the year. Now it is 

 evident that by the spring the bees will again have dwindled 

 considerably ; and if they are at this time in a large hive they 

 must labour under a very great disadvantage, from occupying 

 only a small part of the hive in comparison with its size. The 

 bees, not being able to keep up a proper degree of warmth, are 

 restricted to breeding in a very much less space than if they 

 v?ere in a smaller hive which is capable of being enlarged at 

 will and as need requires. This is the advantage of the Stew- 

 arton hive not being over-wide. The bees are able to spread 

 themselves from side to side, and then a proper heat is engen- 

 dered, and breeding goes on much more rapidly than in a hive 

 that is of a larger diameter than the bees can cover. A Stew- 

 arton hive of two boxes each, G inches deep, or a Woodbury 

 frame hive, contains cells enough for a queen to lay 2000 eggs 

 daily, with a little space for honey and pollen. Now, as queens 

 do not lay that number of eggs until April or May, I cannot 

 see any advantage in having large hives before that time, but 

 would then give a nadir, which will render the hive capable of 

 containing some honey and pollen, as well as cells enough for 

 hatching 3000 eggs daily ; and what more can be required ? as 

 until we put on supers nothing more can be done. Thus much 

 for our emaU hives, whereas large stock hives require a long 

 time ere supers can be put on ; and as honey, pollen, and brood 

 lie quite contiguous to each other, no proper separation of 

 them can be effected without a lamentable sacrifice of empty 

 combs, pollen, and brood with the honey ; besides which, many 

 more eggs are wasted in a hive that is too large than in one of 

 smaller dimensions. 



When Mr. Pettigrew speaks of the Ayrshire or Stewarton 

 hives being too small, he evidently knows but little about them. 

 The fnot is, they are practically without limit, and what more 

 would he have ? He then says that if these hives were " pro- 

 perly managed much more honey would be obtained." We 

 shall all hail the lesson with delight when Mr. Pettigrew teaches 

 us how to manage them properly; but I would state emphati- 

 cally that the world has not yet produced in quantity and 

 quality honey equal to that obtained from the Stewarton hive ; 

 and I am certain if Mr. Pettigrew, as well as the Carluke 

 people, would but adopt the Ayrshire hives, and only half 

 manage them, they would find them much more profitable, and 

 would then be able to send first-class honeycomb to the market, 

 whilst the inferior run honey which they now produce would 

 gradually disappear. 



I need scarcely notice the statement Mr. Pettigrew has made 

 as to the superiority of his hives, since I need do nn more than 

 refer to the one described by " A PvEnfrkwshire Bee-keepek " 

 in page 293, and to many more on the Fame principle that have 

 attained weights far exceeding those described by Mr, Petti- 



grew. By all means give bees free communication with their 

 supers, but I see no use in giving bees so much room to pass 

 as he describes. Any communication equal in size to the 

 doorway of the hive is large enough. Anything beyond that 

 tends to the production of brood and pollen, with blackened 

 comb, in the supers. 



I hope your readers will observe, that although I detest the 

 use of large stock hives, I also condemn all small hives not 

 capable of being enlarged. I recommend small stock hives 

 with adequate means for enlarging, instead of large stock hives, 

 as being on the progressive system ; whilst Mr. Pettigrew is 

 certainly retrograding, as I have hives similar to those described 

 by him laid aside very many years since, and neighbouring bee- 

 keepers have in their possession large hives, with dates nearly 

 half a century back, describing their weight at that time as 

 being so heavy that it took two men to lift them. Notwith- 

 standing all this, large stock hives ought to be regarded as 

 things of the past — at least they will be so by — A Lanakkshihe 

 Bee-keepeb. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



HocDANS AND Hameurghs AS LAYERS {M. C.).— We believe Hambarghs 

 will lay more tgt?s than Houdans, but the Houdans' eggs are larger. We 

 once knew a hen that laid 240 eggs in a year. She never laid again, 

 and died Boon afterwards. This is the only instance we have known in 

 many years, and we do not believe in birds laying such numbers. It is 

 against nature, and we hold it to bo quite impossible. Creve-Ccenrs are 

 great layers, and lay very large eggs. We quite agree with you that it 

 would be better if people would count their eggs instead of guessing at 

 the numbers. 



Matched Birds in a Pen (An Exhibitor). — It is essential to snecess 

 that fowls match well. We should consider perfection of shape more 

 important than absolute similarity in every feather, and should also look 

 for size and weight, as tbey are points in lirahmas. Given that there are 

 no glaring faults of feather, we should place shape and weight before 

 colour. Recollect that small Brahmas show at a great disadvantage. 

 Eschew vulture hocks. 



Crushed Oats (G. V. C. O.).— These are as good for fowls as ground 

 oats. 



Silver-spanglbd Hambubghs fE. .^1.).— We should prefer No. 1. The 

 tail-coverts are not so important as the sickle, which seem to be equally 

 good in both. No. 2 seems to bo deficient in respect to size and comb. 

 The laced feathers do not disqualify. It is a serious defect in a pullet to 

 have a light hackle. Choose the clear tails with moony tips, dark hackles, 

 and well, regularly mooned bodies. Avoid patches either of white or 

 black. The deaf-eare must be white. 



Partridge or Geodse Cochin-Chinas (F. C.).— White marks in the 

 ear-lobes of a Cjrduse Cochin cock will not disqualify. Yellow ones are 

 very common. If yuur cockerel at seven months weighs 9^ lbs., he is 

 rather above than under the mark, and is an excellent bird so far as 

 weight is concerned. They should be perfect at twelve months, and in 

 their prime. The second cockerel you mention is unfit for competition. 

 He is dit^qualihed by the brown feathers, and an indifferent comb is a 

 grave fault. 



Keeping Ducks (C. Jael-«on).— You may keep Ducks in any place where 

 they can have an outlet, either into a yard, or to garden ground or grass 

 land, they require but little water, and are by no means dninty. It is 

 not nece ■ y to keep a drake, unless you intend to set the egga. You 

 will find ctions for their management in the "Poultry Book for the 

 Many," which you can have free by post from our office for seven postago 

 stamps. 



FfiADDs at Poultry Shows {A Suffolk 3Ian).— We shall be obliged by 

 your stating your name and midress, as well as the name of the person 

 who acted so' fraudulently. We shall make use of neither without your 

 permission, but to publish such a statement, merely potntiijg to "the 

 eastern counties," is castiug suspicion on many. 



Chester Poultry Show.— Mr. Jas. Smith writes to us that he took 

 the second prize for Spanish, and not Mr. Walker. 



Lost Pigeons (T Newell). — We do not think that you could recover 

 the value of the lost Piaenus from the Committee of the skiptou Show; 

 In the first plac^, you acknnwledged that you must submit to the loss by 

 oftering a reward for the recovery of the birds; but even if you had not 

 done so, we think committees neither are, nor ought to be. liable for lost 

 birds, unless gross carelessness can be proved, for eshibitimis are not 

 for the benefit of the commiitees. but for the benefit of the exhibitors. 



Belgian Rabbits {D. of H.I.— These are the same as the so-called 

 Hare-Habbit». The Andaiusian is the largest breed. It is much culti- 

 vated about Paris under the n^me of the Ram Rabbit. Any variety can 

 be bred next spring. We cannot name either dealers or prices. 



POTTLTRY MARKET.— November 25. 



The demand for evervtbing is deplorable, and sales can hardly bo 

 effected for any but the cboicest goods. We have seldom or never seen 

 such continued stagnatiMn. 



a, d 8. d 



Large Fowls 2 6 to 3 



Smaller do 2 2 6 



Chickens 1 6 1 9 



Geese *^ 7 



Duclcs 2 2 6 



Pigeons 8 9 



8, d S. d 



Pheasants 2 to 2 6 



Partridges 19 2 



Hares 2 2 6 



Rabbits , 14 15 



Wilddo « 8 10 



Grouse 2 6 3 



