AprU 16, 18SS. ] 



JO0BNAIJ OP HOUTICUIiTORB AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



309 



Mr. LangstrotU furniahed to the " Beo Journal " my first 

 Bii articles on " The Egyptian Bee," which are copied and 

 duly acknowledged aa being taken from " onr Journal," but 

 the wind-up in which I describe the ferocity of my whilom 

 protegees, and the satisfaction with which, after stilling the last 

 colony, I trod in the earth over their grave, does not appear to 

 be in accordance with the editor's ideas, for insertion is at once 

 given to the letter from Mr. George Fox, who from some occult 

 reason seems never to be stung by bees, and appears, therefore, to 

 be able to manipulate even the savage Egyptians with impunity ; 

 whilst no notice whatever is taken of the evidence of Mr. Lowe, 

 Mr. F. H. West, and Mr. «. Bovan Fox, all of whom so unques- 

 tionably confirm my testimony. Mr. Langstroth also con- 

 tributes an article from his own pen, in which occurs the fol- 

 lowing passage: — "I shall venture the assertion that Mr. 

 Woodbury's experience in the moist and cool climate of Eng- 

 Itod, the exact opposite of that of Egypt, can hardly be ac- 

 cepted as a proof of the bad temper of the ' children of the Nile.' 

 All Mr. \Yoodbury'3 stocks also, with one exception, had 

 hybrid queens, and our experience with hybrid Italians has 

 been such as to prepare us for almost any amount of ferocity 

 from such mixtures. None of us who have handled even the 

 pure Italians in such damp and cool days as usually prevail Lu 

 England, can have failed to notice that they are far less peace- 

 able than when operated on in our hottest weather." 



In conclusion, I may say that whilst all and sundry of our 

 transatlantic friends have my best wishes for their success in 

 increasing and multiplying their African protegves, I would yet 

 venture a word of warning to any of them who may he in- 

 clined, even on a broiling day, to operate on a strong stock of 

 Egyptian bees in the unprotected fashion delineated in plate 

 xiiii. of Mr. Langstroth's book. — A DEvo^•SIIIRE Bee-keeper. 



ABYSSINIAN BEES. 



I HAVE noticed in nearly all the letters from the newspaper 

 correspondents in Abyssinia, that a quantity of honey is 

 brought into the camp. I should be glad to know if this is 

 produced by the Egyptian or any other distinct species of bee. 



Having a friend on Sir R. Napier's staff, I would endeavour 

 to have some of these bees sent home, if the " Devonshire 

 Bee-keeper " or any of your readers having experience in the 

 transport of bees, would kindly give me such particulars as 

 would enable my friend to have them properly packed, and sent 

 off with a reasonable hope of success. 



It should be understood that the gentleman to whom I refer 

 has had little or no experience in bee-keeping, and that it wiU 

 be necessary to enter into detailed instructions from the begin- 

 ing.— J. M. H. 



[It is not known with certainty what species or varieties of 

 the honey bee are indigenous in Abyssinia, nor is it possible to 

 give detailed instructions which will enable your friend to pack 

 bees for transport to such a distance without knowing something 

 of the kind of hive in which t'ney are domiciled, I would 

 suggest, therefore, that you should first endeavour to procure a 

 few specimens by which the species may be identified, and if 

 possible a bit of empty comb, as well as ascertain if bees are 

 demesticated, and if so, what description of hives are used, 

 together with any particulars that may be obtainable of the 

 mode of bee-keeping practised in that remote region. My best 

 services wUI then be at your disposal ; and if you will first 

 communicate with me direct, I shall be happy to furnish you 

 with a little contrivance by which specimens of bees may be 

 sent uninjured by post to any distance. — T. W. AVoodbory, 

 Mount Radford, Exeter.] 



SILIOVORM REARING IN ENGLAND.— No. 8. 



The most suitable apartments for silkworms are those facing 

 the south, on upper, not ground floors, free from damp, not 

 subject to impure exhalations or sudden changes of tempera- 

 ture, but open to the pure air. It is customary among large 

 silkworm-rearers to have a small room in which to hatch silk- 

 worms' eggs, transferring the worms after their second or third 

 sleep to more spacious rooms. A small room in spring is 

 easier to heat with less consumption of fuel. It should be 

 lighted by a window facing the south, opposite which should 

 be the door, entered from another room, and it should have a 

 stove at one end, at the other a fireplace, or, better, a low 

 hearth of the olden times. The window must be provided 



with a blind to protect Iho worms or eggs from the aan. The 



centre is to be occupied by a small silkworms' castle if the 

 worms are to be kept in the room any length of time, other- 

 wise a stage or oven a table will be sufficient for the hatching. 

 Such a room 10 feet square would be sufficient to rear worms 

 iu from a third of an ounce of eggs, or about 15,000 in num- 

 ber. Several ounces will require more room in proportion ; 

 therefore, the erection of a suitable building if not already at 

 command must have the attention of the rearer. 



The best position would bo the south side of a hill, at a dis- 

 tance from low marshy districts, and open to a healthy air ; 

 land with a dry subsoil of a porous nature is to be preferred. 

 The building should, if possible, face the south, the entire 

 length running east and west. I should begin by forming a 

 cellar a third of its size, in which to keep mulberry leaves fresh 

 and ready for use. Over the cellar, a foot above the ground, might 

 be a room 8 feet high, having wide doors at least on two 

 sides, to admit a current of air in which to lay out the leaves 

 to dry, if gathered wet, as sometimes is unavoidably the case. 

 This room would serve as a reeling place, and for a variety of 

 purposes when not otherwise required. Above this the rearing 

 room is to be built ; and if for only two castles, adapted for 

 rearing worms from 1 oz. of eggs, its dimensions must be at 

 least 20 feet by '20, and 10} feet high. For six castles the same 

 width of 20 feet is appropriate, but the length may be less in 

 proportion, because the castles placed three in a row, end to 

 end, occupy only 30 feet, and reckoning 7 feet of space to 

 spare round them at the two extremities, or 14 feet more, the 

 entire length would be 50 feet. The first-named room will 

 require only one stove^ at the east end, and a fireplace, or 

 a low hearth is better, at the west. There should be a door 

 4 feet wide in the south front, and a sash window 7 feet high 

 by 3! feet wide on each side. On the north '.ne such window 

 will suffice, but that one is necessary, not on.y to admit light, 

 but at times for increasing ventilation. The h-rger room must 

 have a stove at the east and west ends, one central fireplace or 

 hearth on the north side, and one door in the south side, with 

 a small window above it, and two windows on each side. On 

 the north two windows, or one opposite each end castle will 

 suffice. All the windows must be provided with shutters and 

 blinds, also with ventilators on the south side in their bottom 

 central panes, and on the north in the top ones, constructed 

 all to close more or less when required. 



Whatever description of stove be adopted, smoke must not 

 escape from it into the room. The cheapest and best materials 

 of which to construct it would be firebricks, which retain the 

 heat better than anything even when the fire is out. Its height 

 might be 3 feet, and the length of each side 27 inches. At 

 the present day there are many good appliances for warming 

 buildings. The hot air, water, or steam systems with a furnace 

 outside would be excellent, but, perhaps, not advantageous 

 unless for a larger room than I have named. 



Some large rearers hatch silkworms' eggs by means of an 

 apparatus placed on a table, and warmed with steam pipes 

 from a small boiler heated by an argand fountain lamp. I 

 fully appreciate the method as most advantageous, because 

 this instrument is easily managed and regulated. It is a case 

 or closet of wood, which may be a yard across each way, and 

 4 feet high, the front consisting of two glazed doors, one at the 

 top the other at the bottom. Inside, within 15 inches of the 

 upper part, is fixed a wire shelf ; another may be 'J inches 

 below it. These are for the boxes containing eggs to be hatched. 

 The boiler, which is of tin and no larger than a common kettle, 

 is fixed outside the case to a bar of iron connected with the 

 case, and the lamp is secured beneath it. From the top of the 

 boiler a half-inch or 1-inch pipe is carried through the bottom 

 of the case and round the sides, up the back, out at the top, 

 and down outside, again entering the boiler about one-third 

 from the bottom. There should be at the top and bottom of 

 the case trap doors, to be kept open a few inches for ventilation, 

 more especially when the worms are issuing from the eggs. It 

 is only necessary to visit this apparatus two or three times 

 during the day and night to snuff the lamp or fill up the 

 boiler with hot water if there is fear of reducing the tempera- 

 ture too much by using cold water. A thermometer is neces- 

 sary inside the case in order to regulate the heat. With this 

 apparatus in the hatching room, fire or stove heat will hardly 

 be required unless the weather is cold, which is sometimes 

 the case even in May. 



Another simple method of proceeding is to place the hatch- 

 ing box containing the eggs in a common horsehair or wire 

 sieve, set the sieve on the two front legs of a common chair 



