May 15, 1873. ] 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



403 



collect among my fancier friends. — A. A. Vander MEEitycn, 

 Tooting. 



NADIKING. 



There is no better-establidhed law in bee-keeping, than in what- 

 ever description of hive we employ, honey will be found stored 

 in the upper, brood in the central and lower portions, during 

 midsummer, to the very floor-board. Based on this principle, the 

 storifying system, in contradistinction to the ordinary or single 

 hive, and say one-super mode, consists of a series of boxes or 

 storeys ; the deeper ones are placed in succession beneath the 

 stock box progressively as the wants of the colony demand, and 

 are termed nadirs, and are simply intended as an elongation or 

 extension of the breeding space. On the other hand, in propor- 

 tion to the flow of the honey harvest, the shallow boxes termed 

 supers are placed one over the other, above the stock, as an ex- 

 tensiou of the honey room. Consequently it was with no little 

 surprise I found so able an apiarian as your excellent contributor 

 *' B. & "W." fall into the palpable error at page 365, that the nadir 

 is ''placed under a stock, not for breeding purposes, but with a 

 view to obtaining houey." If your correspondent started a stori- 

 fied colony by way of experiment, he would very soon be im- 

 deceived, finding the yield of nadir honey meagre indeed. 



" B. & W.'s " plan of placing a super in the position of a nadir, 

 with the view of getting comb started therein, although ingenious 

 in conception, is valueless in practice. So placed, the super is 

 accepted by the bees as a nadir, and as usual a mixture of drone 

 and worker combs will be built, and my experience is, the 

 shallower the nadir the greater the proportion of the former, 

 spoiling the value from the well-known coarser appearance of a 

 super wholly or in part composed of drone cells ; then again, 

 there is the avidity with which bees store pollen in nadirs from 

 the start till the completion, indeed, usually much in excess of 

 their wants, still further spoiling the beauty of a super as well 

 as the flavour of the honey. Lastly, further discoloration must 

 ensue from the entire traffic of the colony passing over the 

 combs while in progress. 



Better far to place the super at once in its proper position, 

 and when the hive is full and honey to be had open the end 

 communications thereto ; the bees pressed up in the tirst instance 

 for mere elbow room, form in an ever-increasing heap on the 

 top of the stock box, till, true to another law of their nature, 

 they suspend themselves like a cluster of grapes to the bars of the 

 super, when, finding the guide comb placed in anticipation by the 

 bee-master, preferring work at all times to enforced idleness, 

 they cannot resist the temptation to nibble and elongate ; others, 

 espying the chinks and crevices between the stock and super, 

 take a run out, returning with a few loads of propolis, and ab- 

 horring, as they always do, a vacuum, proceed at once to stop 

 all up. Attracted by the proceedings upstairs, other idlers join 

 the working band, and the super is fairly started ; then the bee- 

 keeper nadirs with another stock-box, and the wants of the 

 colony in storing and breeding space being thus fairly met, 

 besides the exhilarating efiects of the transfer from a stifling to 

 a purer atmosphere the scouts are recalled, and all thoughts of 

 emigration from their dearly-loved home abandoned. By so 

 studying their wants, and granting space in a progressive ratio, 

 in keeping with the population and season, such harvests have 

 been reaped as has fallen to the lot of — A Renfrewshire Bee- 

 keeper. 



SPRING BEE-FEEDING. 



The "word of warning" in reference to feeding weak stocks 

 has not been given a moment too soon by your esteemed corre- 

 spondent "B. it W." Already, through inattention to their 

 a.piaries, many bee-keepers have lost hives that were well 

 tenanted and flourishing only a few weeks ago. Since the be- 

 ,ginning of March bees have had to depend almost entirely upon 

 their stores. Pollen has been abundant, but scarcely a drop of 

 honey could be obtained. The provision which at one time was 

 reasonably deemed sufficient to meet the necessities of the 

 spring months has proved utterly inadequate, and in conse- 

 quence many bees are dying of famine, whilst others are leaving 

 their legitimate labours and giving themselves up to habits of 

 plundering. 



On the 17th ult. one of my best hives was entered by free- 

 booters and brought to the verge of ruin. The occupants, which 

 were numerous and had three combs well filled with brood, 

 became utterly demoralised, and ceased to offer any resistance to 

 their foes. They showed no resentment when roughly handled, 

 which proved how effectually they had been subdued. Every 

 honey-cell was emptied of its contents, and, if timely aid had 

 not been given, bees and brood would have been a lifeless mass 

 in the course of a couple of days. 



Now, to leave a hive in ttiis condition in its place and feed it 

 is, as is well known, just to invite the enemy back. But it is 

 often inconvenient to remove it to the distance that is necessary 

 to save it from being again found out by its persecutors. It 

 was so in my case, and I resolved to try a plan which could be 



earned out with little trouble, and which would probably prove 

 effectual in restoring courage to the dispirited bees and prevent- 

 ing the marauders from renewing their assaults. Waiting, then, 

 till darkness had sent all robber bees home, I carried off the 

 assailed hive to a room lighted by only one small window 

 18 inches square. Immediately in front of this window the 

 hive was placed, having its entrance about 6 inches from the 

 base, so that if the bees went out and coursed over the "window 

 they might, when exhausted, find it easy to return to their 

 dwelling. The hole in the centre of the crown-board was then 

 opened, and a liberal supply of food given. The bees, no longer 

 molested, quickly stored it up, and in less than three days they 

 were in possession of as much as would meet their wants for 

 three or four weeks, and from this feeding under partial con- 

 finement not more than a dozen perished. To provide against 

 the danger that would meet the hive on being restored to its 

 original site, a box with empty combs was placed where it stood. 



, For one whole day the robbers were allowed to weary them- 



I selves by paying fruitless visits to it. On the succeeding^ day 

 they were allured from it altogether by some combs half filled 



: with honey laid down at a little distance. 



i At sunset, with its outward appearance somewhat changed, 

 the removed stock resumed its former position, and next morn- 

 ing found it the busiest in tUe apiary and more than a match for 

 its foes. It has not been assaulted since. — B. S. 



OUR LETTER BOX- 



Books [T. B., Leeds) — We know of no book relative to hens and cliickens 

 eiclusively. Enclose seven posta^'e stamps with your address, and order the 

 " Poultry Book " to be sent you by post. Take in Wright's " Illustrated 

 Poultry Book." It is publishing in shilling monthly parts. 



Hens Trespassing {Smsex).—Xo\x might recover if you sued in the County 

 Court, hut you had better fullow the American's adv-ice — 



*' If your neighbours' hens come oft from across the way. 

 Don't be eni'ag'd, but make a place for them to lay." 



PouLTSY Food (Ignoramus). — Both authorities are right. If you use the 

 mixture recommended in the book, the ingredients are calculated to modify 

 each other. Rice alone is " worse than nothing," for there is no fat or flesh- 

 forming constituent in it. Potatoes alone are too apt to cause internal fat. 

 If you observe your fowls decline give no rice, but substitute barleymeal or 

 ground oats. If the hens lay shell-lees eggs, or show other symptoms of in- 

 ternal derangement, discontinue the potatoes, and substitute rice until the 

 symptoms are removed. 



Spanish and MiNoncA Fowls (G. F. TV.). — As a rule the difference be- 

 tween Minorcas and Spanish is small. It generally consists in dabbing such 

 of the latter as have exchanged the pure wliite face and drooping comb for a 

 red face and pink comb, by tha name of the former. Tho cross between them 

 would not bs important in any way. We are and have always been iuimieal to 

 crosses. We believe there is nothing that can be reasonably ei:pected from a 

 fowl that cannot be had from a pure one. If you keep pullets of this month 

 you will have eggs for early sitting nest year. We need hardly say we advise 

 pure breeds ; but if you mean to cross, we advise, if you work with the material 

 you have in hand, that you put the Brahma cock with the Minorca hens. 

 Spanish are good, hut not early layers ; they do not sit, and it is against 

 reason to cross sitters and non-sitters. If you wish to depend on your eggs 

 directly after Christmas, you will do well to pen your birds accordingly, not 

 later than October. 



Bantah Eggs not Fohthcoming {H. Q. W.). — We cannot fancy that a 

 hen goes to her nest, stays the usual time there, and comes off cackling Ti-ith- 

 out having laid an egg. We should say either she or another eats it, " yolk 

 and white, and hard shell too." If however, we are wrong, she is not right. 

 Give a copious dose of castor oil, at least a tables poo nful, and repeat it after 

 two days. She will then soon lay unless there is organic disease, and if so, kill 

 her. We cannot beUeve that any hen of any breed can pass her second and 

 third years without laying. Do not condemn her until you have reduced her 

 fat. 



Colour of Brahjia Eggs (A*. Y. Z.). — Do not quarrel with the colour of 

 the eggs. Some believe in shape, some do not. We are of the latter. It is 

 thought the colour of the egg is affected by the weather, being darker in hot 

 weather. We have seen none approaching to mahogany colour. Those who 

 beheve in it say the pointed eggs pruduce cocks, the round ones puUets. We 

 are trjing some experiments, and shall discourse leai'uedly on them if they 

 furnish the text. 



Age op Turkey Cocks (A. H. J.). — Turkey cocks are awkward birds, and 

 young ones do not always prove prolitable when the hens come off their eggs. 

 One that has avoided this reproach the first season is prized as a stock bird 

 fur a second, but when Turkeys are kept fur profit he is seldom kept for a 

 third. A tried yearling bird is always kept in reserve. This is easily done, as 

 with these birds the cocks are used as rams are with sheep, and always with 

 success. We have known a hen taken from a bruod and shut in a lolt ; at the 

 end of six weeks she began to lay, she sat and brought-out twelve poults. She 

 had been six weeks in the loft by herself. , ,.,, -i.' , l.' 



Ulcer in a Brahua Hen (B. M. C). — The large crop if it were filled with 

 liquid is unimportant. We expect the ulcer has nothing to do with the crop, 

 but is attached to the breastbone. Such cases are in almost every instance 

 incurable. It is probable she will go on laying, and when she has done you 

 will do well to kill her. Potatoes aie vei-y bad food either raw or cooked, and 

 boiled cabbage is worse. If you give cabbage, give it raw and whole, so that 

 the weight will resist the pull necessary to teai- off a piece. The best green 

 food is a large sod of growing grass, and next to that lettuces. 



Extensive Poultry- keeping (J. K. L.).— Two hundred hens shonld have 

 from five to six acres of grass. Five hundred should have twelve acres all 

 grass, unless there be a dry plantation or shrubbery upon it. Either of the 

 latter is desirable. The soil should be light, and the land on a moderate 

 slope. Such land is soon drj' after rain, and allows the birds to scratch and 

 ^ bask. We always have several houses where large uumbers of fowls are kept. 



