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OOUfiNAL OP HOBTICULTUBB AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



I December 10, 1863. 



century in books for the javeniles of this and other lands. 

 Among them none excels, in combining the amusing and bene- 

 ficial, " Peter Parley's Annual," and we commend it to all who 

 purpose giving a Christmas or New-year's gift to their own or 

 their friend's " boy." But we should not have felt justified in 

 noticing it if it had not contained a chapter " About Pigeons," 

 and several chapters about " A Wonderful Little People." 

 Now, these "little people " are bees, and it so happened that 

 when " Peter Parley's Annual " was placed on our desk we 

 were turning over the leaves of a book about the same " won- 

 derful little people," but it is a book nearly three hundred 

 years old. The information about bees in "Peter Parley's An- 

 nual " is good, because derived from Langstroth, the American 

 apiarian, yet the old volume contains good information too, 

 and is so quaint and suggestive of the style of bee-lore in the 

 reign of Queen Elizabeth, that we must print a few extracts. 

 It is entitled, " A Treatise concerning the right use and order- 

 ing of Bees : newlie made and set forth, according to the 

 authors owne experience (which by any heretofore hath not 

 been done). By Edmund Southerne, Gent. 



Better late than never. 

 Imprinted at London by Thomas Orwiu for Thomas Woodcocke, 

 dwelling in Paules Churchyard at the sigue of the blacke 

 Beare. 1593." 



The dedication is to " The right worshipful! Mistres Mar- 

 garet Astley, wife to John Astley Esquier, Master and Treasurer 

 of her Majestie's Jewels and Plate, and Gentleman of her 

 Highnesse Privie Chamber," and reminds his patroness that he 

 had studied bees during " fourteene yeares," and that she had 

 •'had some triall of his skill." 



He goes on to say, " If you lay out ten pence for two hives 

 about the beginning of June, and put therein two swarmes, 

 they can be no lesse worth than ten shillings, and your hives 

 againe, before Battholomewtide following. Then judge what 

 gaines after that rate there would arise, if a man had but 

 40 stocks (or stalles) as some tearme them : for if you have 

 40 stalles at the beginning of spring, there is no doubt their 

 increase wil be 40 more before Battholomewtide following, 

 whis is in al 80, and then you may sell 40 and keepe 40 for 

 increase, which 40 so sold will yeeld no less than 40 crownes, 

 with your hives again." 



Bees, he states, "Never settle on Elder or Ewe" (Yew). 

 The hive's aspect should be S., S.W., or W. 



" The best time is to have your hives made about Christmas, 

 for then yon may have them better cheape, and straw is best 

 in season, and the bryers that they bind them withall are then 

 strongest, and wiU indure the longer, but in any wise let not 

 your hives be above 15 or 16 roUes at most, both of great and 

 small ; but if your hives be made of twigges, as in some 

 countries they use, so they conteine not above halfe a bushel a 

 peece, it is enough." 



To prove that great hives cannot be profitable " when they 

 should breed bees, they are busied filling their hives, for untUl 

 the hives be full of combes they will not swarme." 



" To dresse hives before you put in Bees prvyne and cut 

 away all httle tickling straws." " Spray your hive " with six 

 sticks at different heights, " for staying the combes — and 

 sprinkle the inside with a little honey and water." 



" To place your Bees where they have the sun longest, hole 

 towards the south, for that the south wind never bloweth so 

 cold as other winds." Stocks to be " at the least three foote 

 asunder," and far from bells and noises. 



" Yong bees come to full perfection in 15 dales at the utter- 

 most." Honey cells and brood cells are alternately ; the young 

 bees are fed on honey ; though not sure, he does not deny 

 that the bees " sit upon the egges." 



" One M. Hill of London in his book intituled ' The Gar- 

 deners Labyrinth,' sheweth the manner how Drones should be 

 killed." " It is a great folly," " for although the drones labour 

 not abroade, yet that which the other bees bring home, they 

 doe both helpe to worke into combes, and also to unloads the 

 bees of their burthens." Bees kill them " when they thinke 

 good." " Drones do breed." 



In swarming time " hold up the stocks to facilitate their 

 egress — never sting then, nor fly away." "When the swarme 

 is up it is not good to ring them, as some doe ; nay, it is a com- 

 mon thing where there is no experience, to keepe a stirre and 

 lay on either with a bason, kettle, or frying-pan, taking great 

 paines, and having little thankes, for by such meanes they 

 make the bees angrie and goe further to settle." He thought 

 the drones led the swarm, "for if there should a master bee 

 to forth with the swarme, who shall rule the old stocke? Then 



thou wilt say, there is a master bee for the stocke and another 

 for the swarme ; then it is not Ukely there is a king, for that 

 love and principalitie like no equalitie." 



He adds a story about the vicar of " Honeyborne, within the 

 Vale of Evesham in Worcestershire," dividing two swarms 

 that had joined, giving one to each of two neighbours, but the 

 swarms united again next day. 



" It is not good to have more than one swarme of a hive ; 

 otherwise both the old stocke and the second swarme are weak. 

 Raise the stocke upon three bricks to prevent a second swarme, 

 but take the bricks away at Bartholomewtide." 



" The eigne to know when the Bees will swarme," is that 

 " You shall heare one Bee make a noyse as if it were the sound 

 of a little bugle home in the summer evenings." 



To know whether your Bees will live or die. " About Bar- 

 tholomewtide poyse every stocke between your hands, and so 

 many as to your judgement weigh above 23 or 21 pounds, you 

 may be sure will live all that winter following." Allow 6 lbs. 

 for hive, 3 lbs. for wax, 13 lbs. for honey, " which is about 

 five quarts." 



" At Bartholomewtide clean the floor board, and plaster the 

 hive to it. Stop the entrance all winter, except a quill to ad- 

 mit air. In the spring clean the floor board about 2l8t of 

 March, and open the entrance." 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Useful Cross with Dobkings (H. A.). — We should ran a Brahma 

 cock with DorkinR hens to insure such qualities as you desire. It is by 

 far the best for those who wish to keep only one breed. The greatest 

 layers are non-sitters, and it is a mistake to mate them with birds that 

 perform all the duties of breeders. 



Black Oats as Food (E. J. S.).— Yes, but the fowls will not take them 

 as readily at first. 



Useful Fowls, Geese, and Ducks (.4 Subscriber) — We recommend 

 you as we have done above, to cross between a Brahma and Dorking. Yon 

 will only supply your table with ejrgs in the winter by keepinfj pullets of 

 the proper age for laying. It is not the province of any particular breed 

 to lay in the winter. After they have once laid and sat, they fall into 

 the natural groove, and breed in the natural season. This is neither De- 

 cember nor January. The Toulouse Geese are the largest and most pro- 

 lific, but they are non-sitters. liouen are very good Ducks, being large 

 and prolific. 



Food for Poultry (J. S. C.).— No food is better for fowls than ground 

 oats. The mixture of potatoes is bad. Potatoes are bad food for poultry. 

 They make fat, and they induce disease of the liver, but they make 

 neither bone nor flesh. The way in which fowls will starve on barley is 

 this : If they were put in a place where there was no scratch, no dust, 

 gravel, grass, or dirt— nothing but a painfully clean flooring, and they 

 were fed on whole barley only, they would after a time starve on it: 

 Ground oats, varied at times with barley or Indian meal, kitchen scraps, 

 and crusts — if they have no grass run, large sods of growing grass, cut with 

 plenty of e irth — and refuse vegetables, especially lettuces, form a good an^ 

 wholesome dietary. 



Food for Pigeons {Ignoramm). — Chicken rice would do for year 

 Pigeons as part of their food, but never give it alone day after day- 

 Indian com is excellent ; oats we do not recommend. The rice and 

 Indian corn are not to be cooked or soaked, but you may crush the latter 

 if you keep very small Tumblers. To keep Pigeons in health vary their 

 food. 



Artificial Heat for Pigeon Houses (Birkenhead).— Wc never knew 

 or hear I "i Pigson houses being warmed by artificial heat. If your 

 wooden erections are backed by a good wall, and all cold draughts of air 

 excluded byjthe boards being well joined together, no hent will be needed. 

 Reed or straw is sometimes laid inside the woodwork, and well plastered 

 over, and a skirting of bricks used at the bottom. These are excellent 

 plans, as we can speak from experience, and the Pigeons have done well 

 in such houses. In very cold weather feed your birds extra well, adding 

 hempseed. 



Canker in Pigeons (E. D.).— Yon most likely bought a diseased bird, 

 and that gave the canker to your others. Remove very carefully the 

 lumps, and apply caustic. This must be done thoroughly. Canker is 

 supposed to come from confinement, want of condiments, or drinking 

 dirty water, and is infectious. 



Vultdre-hocked Cochin-Chinas— Breeding Age op Hens {Lemon 

 B)i(f).— Vulture hocks are always hereditary, ■whether from cock or hen, 

 and we strongly advise yon not to breed from such. You may breed from 

 Cochin hens up to four years old. They wUl breed longer, but not profit- 

 ably, as they till the room of younger birds. As at four years they will 

 have lost their beauty, it is well to be sure they once had it. 



Berkshire Hive {J. N, B. P.).— We have published drawings and a 

 description of this hive, and the favourable opinions of those who have 

 used it. If you write to the maker he will give you fuller information. 



Various (C. A. J.).— The dwindling of the population of your stock was 

 doubtless owing to the loss of its queen, a misfortune which is very likely 

 to arise in bee houses from young queeus mistaking their hives on their 

 return from their wedding flights. The bit of comb which you sent 

 appeared perfectly healthv. The particle of gretnish yellow matter seems 

 to be thickened and nearly dried-up honey. The white stuff is a little 

 mildew, and the minute creatures are common Acari or mites. 



Basket-making ill. T. C.).— A correspondent asks for the name of any 

 manual for teaching the art of basket-making. Th.-ro are many hours 

 when boys and men in country villages could profitfibly employ their 

 time in the manufacture of baskets, wicker protections fur pltints such as 

 those described by Mrs. Loudon, Ac, and he would wiUinsly assist is 

 poor neighbours in adding this to their scanty means of earning a liveli- 

 hood. He also wishes to be informed what is the best way of purchasing 

 osiers, and at about what rate they are to be had. Any of our readers 

 will oblige us by answering these queries. 



