514 



JODENAIi OP HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



[ December SI, 186S. 



following his plan will have reason to regret it. I am also 

 certain that had Mr. Pettigrew visited Glasgow, the great dfipOt 

 for first-class honeycomb, and there seen many of what we 

 term second-class houej-boxes, to say nothing of first-class 

 ones, he never would have mentioned that which was hawked 

 about in Manchester and taken from large stock hives. I do 

 not speak this at haphazard, having had ocular demonstration, 

 and having also Carluke honey in my possession, I am quite 

 able to judge of its quality. 



I do not believe language can be too strong when nothing 

 but facts are stated, but when it is apt to convey to the mind 

 of the reader an extravagant view of the case, a little policy 

 may be used, but polite letters not showing the truth are worse 

 than strong language, and in these my words I have not gone 

 beyond bounds. Other countries may, doubtless, produce more 

 honey, but taking climate and pasturage into consideration, no 

 hive has beaten the Stewarton, and I have only to appeal to the 

 majority of intelligent bee-keepers, both on this as well as on 

 the other side of the Atlantic, who I am certain will corroborate 

 my statements. It would, indeed, be a matter of regret if such 

 a number of us have laboured so long with improved hives, 

 groping in the dark and being entirely wrong, as Mr. Pettigrew 

 will have it, when one individual only has the right way, and 

 his plan being one of the most primitive. I cannot either 

 beheve that drained honey is more in demand than honey- 

 comb ; for my part I can sell 1 cwt. of comb for every pint of 

 honey, although as regards my own taste, I prefer drained 

 honey to that in the comb, and believe the majority of the 

 upper classes are of the same opinion ; but as they cannot 

 depend on drained honey being perfectly clean, they all prefer 

 to purchase comb and drain it themselves, thereby obtaining 

 the purest honey whilst reserving the finest comb for the table. 



None will be more happy to receive Mr. Pettigrew than 

 myself, whenever he may think fit to pay me a visit ; but as 

 time works changes and wonders, and as I never count on to- 

 morrow, I do not now give my address, but when he is about to 

 visit Lanarkshire, he can have my address from the office of 

 The Journal of Horticulture. But I may here say, that 

 my apiary is continually undergoing changes, and I cannot in 

 the meantime tell whether he will find it in a state of honey- 

 making or of experimentalising. I regret also to say that 

 Lanarkshire is far behind in bee-keeping, and he may not, 

 therefore, find anything very extraordinary. I will, however, 

 most gladly accompany him to Ayrshire, where he will, perhaps, 

 see bee-keeping as it ought to be, and where probably our Ren- 

 frewshire friend will give a welcome reception to Mr. Pettigrew 



as well as to — A LANiKKSniRE BEE-KEZrEE. 



stated above, is easily solved by attending at the proper time. 



— Geo. Wilson, Whalton. 



[We gave what appears to na the most probable explanation of 

 this supposed phenomenon when the subject was first mooted 

 in our number of the 27th February in the present year.] 



SUPPOSED STRANGE PHENOMENON IN THE 



BEE. 



The time is fast approaching when bees emit their annual 

 midnight sounding, therefore I beg to remind those who are 

 curious on the subject that this singular phenomenon was 

 noticed for generations by our ancestors, and said by them 

 to take place at twelve o'clock at night on Old Christmas 

 Eve. Now, for some years back the annual listening to bees 

 seems to have been abandoned, but why I cannot say ; for, 

 when a boy, there were three or four old people who could say 

 they had heard the bees on Old Christmas Eve, yet all old 

 people in this neighbourhood persisted that the ox prayed, 

 the ass brayed, and the bees sung at twelve o'clock on Old 

 Christmas Eve. The bees I have thoroughly investigated, and 

 find that they emit a solemn, harmonious sound at twelve 

 o'clock at night on the 6th of January. Here is a discrepancy 

 betwixt the bees and the almanacks, for the almanacks give 

 January 5th as Old Christmas Eve. To satisfy myself on that 

 point, I turned to the word " Chronology " in the " Encyclopedia 

 Britannica," which shows that Pope Gregory XIII., in the year 

 1582, ordered thu 4th of October to be made the 15th of Octo- 

 ber, and that every fourth century was to be a leap year, and 

 the three intervening centuries were not to finish with a leap 

 year ; then the year IGOO was made a leap year, and the years 

 1700 and 1800 were not leap years, thus putting the new 

 calender two days farther back from the old, which, with the 

 former eleven days, make in all thirteen days difference be- 

 tween the old and new system. Now from the 24th of Decem- 

 ber, or new Christ mas, we turn the hand of time onward thirteen 

 days, and you will find that the old falls on January 6th, the 

 night on which bees keep an anniversary, but from what cause 

 I cannot say ; still the fact that bees do sound annually as 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Fowls PLrcKiNO Each Othkr IJ. P. H.). — If yonr fowls are kept in con- 

 finement (and we have never known fowls at liberty eat their feathers), 

 you uiust watch the offender and remove him or her. Feed all the birds 

 moderately with cooling food. Give j.Teen meat, especially lettuce, and 

 let them have plenty of fresh earth. You cannot expect to buy all prize 

 birds, but if you deal with respectable people you should have very good 

 birds. 



Peas as Food for Poultry and Pigeons (B. E). — The digestion of 

 Pigeons is tvrice as quick as that of any other of the poultry tribes. They 

 are birds of feather, and peas are good for plumage ; for this purpose they 

 are given to Game cocks to harden feather. Their property is to harden 

 flesh and feather, and this is not desirable for food. They also stop 

 growth. If you will give good, sound, ground oats and barley, you will 

 want no other food. Your egg produce is very good and speaks well for 

 your feeding. 



Tumour on Houdan's Eye (Hoittian).— Remove it with sharp scissors^ 

 and apply caustic to the wound. 



Ducks (Pena-idn, Sfte^cM).— The Muscovy Ducks will not suit, either 

 light or d;xrk ones. They are strong, and their eggs are strong. They 

 become very heavy, but not so heavy as yon name. They are not a pro- 

 fitable breed. If these were their only faults they might be overlooked, 

 but the habits of the drake are so filthy he is unfit to be suflfered at large 

 anywhere. You will probably find a thorn or a small stone in the foot of 

 your Duck, having perforated the skin. Eemove it and she will be well. 



Guildford Poultry Snow.— We are informed that the Rev. Dr. Merri- 

 man obtained the first prize for Aylesbury Ducks. 



Fattening Poultry (S. P.). — The oatmeal without the mashed pota- 

 toes, and made into a sti^ paste with milk or the water meat has beea 

 boiled in, will do. 



Cochin-China Cock Lame (J. IF.). — Wo answered the query last week. 

 To detect the causes of morbid affections is difficult without full par- 

 ticulars. 



Pigeons Sitting in Winter (Pifieon). — Let yonr birds go on where 

 they are and as they please, only feed them extra well. You may have 

 good luck, save in the case of very tender varieties, such as African 

 Owls and Almond Tumblers, &c. *' A hot room " is not a natural, and 

 therefore not a suitable place for Pigeons. 



Rats in a Pigeon House (Bafs).— Shut up your birds at night and" 

 feed the rats three nights in succession on a banquet of bread and butter. 

 Their suspicions being thus lulled, on the fourth put a little araeuic with 

 the butter, and you will destroy them all. 



Moveable Comb Hives {Sttdbiiry). — We are still of opinion that the 

 discussion of the question, '* Are d'eckbrettchen (deckbrettchen are thin 

 slips of wood laid on the tops of either bars or frames, and are. so far as 

 we are aware, entirely unknown in England), necessary or unnecessary 

 in Dzierzon hives, or are they altogether objectionable ? " possesses but 

 Utile interest for English readers. With regard to that which you appear 

 desirous of raising, but to which we made no allusion whatever, we may 

 remark, that however justly Major Munn may claim th«t his three- 

 cornered frames preceded the rectangular ones of Langstroth and Von 

 Berlepsch, he can make no complaint on this score against Dzierzon, who 

 eschews frames altogether. 



Foul Brood (O. J.).— None of the contents of the infected hive shonia 

 be given to other bees. If thoroughly scraped over and disinfected with 

 chloride of lime, tiie hive may probably be used with impunity next 

 season, although we should prefer lajing it by for another year. 



Bees Restless ra Winter (H'.).— We do not think the restlessness of 

 the bees, and their being outside the hive in all weathers, likely to be 

 caused by hunger, and doubt whether anything you can now do would not 

 make matters worse instead of improving them. Still, if it be evident 

 that something is very much amiss, we might ourse'ves prefer risk to 

 suspense, and should "in this case avail ourselves of the first fine mild 

 day to lift out the combs, and make a thorough eximination, with the 

 \iew of ascertaining what is wrong, and applying a remedy, .should food 

 be imperatively required, it must, at any rate, be administered where 

 they are. 



Bees near a Manufacturing Town (Black Donald). — If we lived 

 in a similar situation we should not be deterred from gi\ing bees a trial, 

 and if none are kept by the neighbours yonr bees will have the better 

 chance. If instead of a swarm your friend will send you a stock with 

 combs a year or two old, it will triivel safely from the Laud's Eud to John 

 o'Groat's if sent early in March and packed in the following minner: — 

 Tie the hive up in cheesecloth, and guard against the bees escaping by 

 passing a cord tightly twice round it about '2 inches from the bottom edge. 

 Next invert it, and pack it securely in this position with either hay or 

 straw in a tea chest of appropriate size, and of sufficient depth to leave 

 an inch oi; two clear space above the hive, which should be kept from 

 moving by a strip of wood passing across it and nailed to the sides of the 

 box. Next bore half-a-dozen holes with an inch bit in the lid, which 

 should then be nailed on, marked— "This side up," and the package, 

 after being well corded, may be safely sent to any part of the kingdom, or 

 indeed to any part of Europe. 



Canary-keeping (A. B.).— We cannot find space for all the details of 

 management. If yon enclose twenty postage stamps with your address, 

 and order Brent's " Canary and British Finches," it will be sent to you 

 tree by post from our office. It contains fnU details. The fir tree in your 

 aviary'will be beneficial rather than the contrary. 



Gold Fish (Hf m).— We know a successful keeper of these who B'ves 

 them raw meat cut fine— a very little, almost daily. The tank should 

 have sand at the bottom, and might have nearly all the water taken out 

 without removing the fish. Handling tliem is bad practice. 



