im 



JOURNAL OF HOETIGULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



t Jannary 30, 1868. 



and then firmly securing it by four turns of the small cord, 

 taking two turns round the upper and two round the lower hive, 

 and tying the two ends together. The bees within being thus 

 safely ensconsed, the floor board should be swept clear of 

 stragglers, and immediately covered with the bee cloth, upon 

 which the second empty hive may be placed to amuse those 

 returning from the fields, and the united hives with the bucket 

 conveyed to a shady spot at a little distance. Here it will be 

 found very convenient to stand the hives and bucket upon one 

 of the borrowed chairs, whilst the operator seats himself upon 

 the other, and then a smart and regular rapping of the full 

 hive with the palms of the hands should take place. In about 

 ten minutes the great majority of the bees will generally be 

 so alarmed as to quit their own domicile and take refuge in the 

 empty one — a fact which may be ascertained by listening to 

 the noise made by them in ascending. At the expiration of 

 from ten to fifteen minutes the cloth may be removed, and the 

 hives sufficiently separated by raising one side of the upper 

 one to admit of inspecting the interior. Few bees will be dis- 

 posed to escape, and very rarely will they commence an attack. 

 If nearly all have ascended into the hitherto empty hive, it 

 may at once take the place of the decoy hive on the floor 

 board, and the few remaining bees having been brushed out 

 with a feather, the full hive may be conveyed in-doors. If, on 

 the other hand, many bees still adhere to their original domi- 

 cile, or if, as is sometimes the case, only a few stragglers are 

 found to have quitted it, the one side of the upper hive should 

 be upraised a few inches, and, being prevented from slipping 

 by the iron skewer being stuck into the edge of the lower hive 

 on the opposite side, kept gteadily in that position with the 

 left hand, so as to permit an unobstructed view of the interior, 

 whilst the under hive is rapped smartly with the right. Be- 

 lieving, as I do, that the jarring of the combs is the principal 

 cause which impels the bees to ascend, I disregard the dictum 

 of authority, and always rap on one side of the hive which is 

 opposite to the sides of the combs, endeavouring so to regulate 

 the force of my blows, that whilst the vibration of the combs 

 is so great that a bee can scarcely keep its footing on them, the 

 concussion shall not be sufficient to detach them from their 

 foundations. Such energetic measures admit of little delay 

 on the part of the poor bees ; a cry somewhat analogous to 

 that of " Sauve qui pent /" speedily arises among them, as with 

 vibrating wings and uplifted tails they " skedaddle " into the 

 cheerless and ungenial shelter of an empty hive. During this 

 rush upwards it is well to moderate the violent rapping into 

 gentle tapping, just sufficient to keep the bees moving. If, as 

 will probably be the case, the first exodus should not be suffi- 

 ciently general, recourse must again be had to vehement rap- 

 ping, and in this way a succession of panics may be produced 

 until scarcely a bee remains in the hive. — A Devokshike Bee- 



KEEFEB. 



CHANGING FLOOR-BOARDS— come FOR HR^S. 



In changing the floor-board is it necessary to loosen the 

 hive from its board with a knife, or is the hive forced upwards 

 with a screwdriver ? 



Is there any advantage or disadvantage in using a sheet of 

 cork for the sides of a frame hive instead of the usual pressed 

 straw? Of course all the edges of such a hive must be made 

 of wood as usual. If there is no disadvantage, what thickness 

 should the cork be ? — C. A. J. 



- [An exchange of floor-boards should be effected with as little 

 disturbance as possible. It would, therefore, be better to loosen 

 the hive from its board with a knife the day before making the 

 exchange. 



"We are not aware that cork has ever been made use of as a 

 material for frame hives, although we think it would be a good 

 one, and should, therefore, hke to see it tried. The usual 

 thickness of a sheet of cork would probably do very well.] 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Oakham Show (An Exhibitor). —Too many circum stances are unknown 

 to U8 to justify our giving an opiniou. 



Newark Poultry Show.— We are informed that by an error in the 

 catalogue, the Rev. J. Chapman was stated to have taken the second 

 prize in the Selling Class, whereas it was given to the White Cochins of 

 Mr. F. D. Johnson, of Biiminghaui. 



Marble Nest Eggs (A. E. F. C.).— They arc white or of a light cream 

 colour and answer perfectly. They arc to be boaght of statuaries. There 

 are composition eggs almost as hard to be bought at Mr. Bailj'e, 



113, Mount Street, Grosvenor Square. We believe eggs ot this sort are 

 the only real cure for egg-eating. We have watched hens pecMng at 

 them pertinaciously, but they, of coni>:e, gave up the task in despair. 



Weight and Colour of Dorkings (C. X. if.l.—Nine pounds are a 

 capital weight for a Dorking cook in stock condition. Two hens that 

 weigh 15 Iba. are excellent birds. There is no standard of colour for 

 Dorldng bens. The white in the cock's tail is not of the slightest im- 

 p..rtance. The weights we have quoted above are not the heaviest that 

 are ever met with, hut they are good enough for success, and are hard to 

 beat in running condition. Any practical breeder, or any one conversant 

 with Dorkings as a breed in counties where no others are kept, will tell 

 you the talk about colour as an index to purity is nonsense. 



Hens Pecking the Cock's Comb (G. C.).— You will do well to remove 

 the cock for a few days till the comb is healed. The sight of blood and 

 rav.' meat is so tempting to the hens, that they will continue to peck at it 

 till they have eaten thi-ough it. When it is quite dry you may put hirn 

 back again, but in the meantime let the hens have plenty of green food, 

 lettuce if possible. If, as we suppose, your fowls are not at full liberty 

 (as we seldom meet with these cases save where the birds are in confine- 

 ment, though not necessarily in a small space), let them have, if they 

 have it not, gi-ass in a growing state cut with heavy s-ids of earth ; they 

 will eat it all. Feed them also very sparingly. Cases like these often 

 arise from over-feeding, and from a fat and craving condition of stomach. 

 We have never known this treatment to fail in effecting a cure. You caa 

 rub the cock's comb either with citron or compound sulphur ointment. 

 While we are on the subject we cannot help noticing that the cocks seem 

 to like the process uf having their combs and faces eaten. We have seen 

 a Spanish cock stand still while the whole of the white sac that forms " the 

 face " has been eaten, and when the hens had to jump to reach it, he has 

 complacently lowered his head, to suit their convenience. 



Aylesbury Drake ^^^TH Wild Duck (Old Ditcfc).— The cross yon 

 mention produces a very good Duck when you have it on the table, but it 

 is open to one objection. The Aylesbury, if she sit at all, is a very bad 

 sitter. It is generally considered a mistake to breed between sitters and 

 non-sitters. You need not doubt the fertility of the union. Wo speak 

 from experience when we say it is a certainty. 



Boiled Parsnips and Carrots for Poultry (iJosa).— Fowls will eat 

 both can-ots and parsnips boiled without injury, but they are not profit- 

 able food. If ^ven at all, they should be given raw and chopped fine. 

 Boiled potato is better food, but that is unprofitable if given unmixed 

 with meal. Where fowls are kept largely on vegetables, as in Ireland, we 

 invariably find they become very fat, but make no flesh, and always have 

 diseased livers. You will do better and keep your fowls more economi- 

 cally on really good food, than on these poor substitutes. It is impossible 

 to make badly-fed poultry pay its expenses, but where it is generously, 

 not extravagantly fed and kept, we believe you may eat eggs and 

 chickens for little or nothing, being paid for by those that go to market, 

 or are otherwise sold. Ground oats, barleymeal, occasional boiled potatoes, 

 kitchen and table scraps and sweepings, with sometimes Indian com, are 

 the best food. 



Plumage of Dark Bhahmas and Game Bantams (X. T.).— You do 

 not say in what part of the plumage th3 white feather shows. We cannot 

 understand that it would be objectionable in any part of a Dark Brahma. 

 It would be fatal to success in Black-breasted Red Game^ The eggs may 

 be set after three days, having previously ascertained that the cock is 

 attentive to the hens. At this time of the year, especially, they sometimes 

 have strange fancies and dislikes. 



Red Tinge on the Face of a Spanish Pullet (W. and W. C.).— • 

 It is never safe to discard a Spanish pullet eight months old because 

 she has red over the eye. We have known such to become quite white 

 after a few months more ; but if it is the dark deep red that looks as 

 though it laid on a black under ground, we have little hope. 



A Spanish Cock's Come {Idem).~lt should be of medium size, begin- 

 ning near to the nostril, and going well over to the back of the head, not 

 only upright, but stout enough to warrant the belief it will remain so- 

 Tho spirals should not be long, and the entire surface should be smooth ; 

 there should be no indentation or thumb marks in front. 



Neither Money nor Cockerel (W. F. C). — Wo should write to the 

 pohce, and then either deal with Mr. White before a magistrate or in the 

 County Court, according to the information we received. We have your 

 second letter. On no account send more money, but instruct your soli- 

 citor to sue at once. The P. 0.0. ought to be returned, deducting 3d. for 

 the office charge. 



Influence op Male Bird {H. B., Limerick).— "Vie are of opinion that 

 the influence contiDues until the hen is broody— that is, has laid her whole 

 clutch of eggs. Some persons think three weeks having elapsed after 

 intercourse has ceased is a sufficient time. 



Almond Tumblers (L. F. Ferrin).—The hook is not sold by the book* 

 sellers. 



Lark with Canaries (S. G.).—A lark would do no harm in an aviary, 

 but we would not advise keeping one along with the Canaries, more 

 especially if they are expected to build. The materials for building may 

 be given to Canaries about the 20th, or end of the nest mouth, 



Se?: of Canaries (TT. A. J.).— The bird being hatched so late in the 

 year, will not be old enough to breed from until about nest May. As to 

 sex, it is difficult to decide when the bird is so yoxmg. Place the bird in 

 a separate cage, and you will soon see whether it attempts to bing, if the 

 male you speak of be in song. 



Payne's Cottage Hive {An Ardent Lover of Bee^).—!! you purchased 

 one, and there is a straw-hive maker near you, he must be very dull if he 

 could not copy it, and thus supply your cottagers cheaply. We do not 

 know the wholesale price. 



Bees Decreasing in Nuiieer (.-i Working Cahimt jyafccr).— The pro- 

 bability is that the weak colony is dwindling away, owing to the death 

 of its queen, and in this case it will be better to unite it to the next stock. 

 It is only under veiy exceptionable circumstances that it becomes neces- 

 sary to confine bees whilst snow lies on the ground. 



Isle of Peru.— If " T. C. H." will refer to map 30 in A. Eeith John- 

 ston's *' Handy Royal Atlas," in the position I before indicated — among 

 the islands in the North Pacific Ocean— he ■will find the email igland of 

 Peru.— W. H. K. 



