40 



JOUBNAL OP HOBTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ Julr 11, 1865. 



pations, in the morning I found a severe internal warfare, and 

 a great number of bees stung and cast out, and still evidently 

 at war amongst themselves. At first I could scarcely judge of 

 the cause of the contest, but it had originated in the main Isody 

 of the bees in the hive not tollo\ving up those which went up 

 into the box ; and, consequently, aSter being separated for a 

 short time, apparently those that were in the box with the 

 qneen were attacking everj- one that attempted to go in from 

 beneath. I immediately iised smoke thinking that this would 

 at once put an end to the contest, but found it only had the 

 effect of a cessation for a short time ; and although I repeatedly 

 used it throughout the day. they stung a considerable number, 

 and in ease war should continue during the follo\ving night, I 

 forced those in the box to go down into the hive, and kept 

 them running together in the hive among a slight smoke until 

 they got completely mixed together and the quarrel was then at 

 an end ; but they were a few days before tbey were quite satis- 

 fied. Although there were not a few bees killed, I think there 

 would be fully 4 lbs. weight left, so that there is no fear of them 

 as to strength. — S. 



THE PREVENTION OF EXCESSrVTS SWARMING. 

 I AND others would be glad to have a little more information 

 from " B. & W." on preventing excessive swarming, and the 

 best plan of preventing it, as giving them room will not always 

 EuflSce. I have adopted the plan of returning the third, 

 fourth, fifth, and sixth swann to the stock in the evening ; but 

 I should be glad to have his idea on this plan — that is, to take 

 the queen and a few bees from the swarm, and in the evening 

 join her and the few bees to the parent hive, and, as soon as 

 the bees find their queen gone, they would return to the hive 

 again. This, I think, will be less trouble than returning the 

 swarm in the evening, as they sometimes enter very slowly 

 when there is a number. I also find, when hives are close 

 together, that, putting the swarm in the stock'3 place, the 

 bees wiU not enter and stay, but go to the next nearest hive or 

 stock, and stay there. This I have had them do twice this 

 season ; but I should like to have " B. fr W.'s " opinion a little 

 fully on this subject ; and would he also say how he uses the 

 brown paper in expelling bees from the hollow trees ? as the 

 paper will not smoke unless dipped in nitre. — ^A. W. 



BEES IN THE HOLLOW TRUNK OF A TREE. 



Havixg derived much information from the several articles of 

 late in your Journal on the subject of bees, I am induced to send 

 you some notes I have made on points lately discussed in your 

 paper, and also to request your kindly answering one or two 

 queries. Precisely a similar ease occurred to me as to " B. B." 

 On the 7th of June a very fine swarm settled on the bough of a 

 beech tree, at a fnrm which I hold some tour miles from my 

 apiary ; but whilst I was maldng preparations for their capture 

 they again took i!ight, and finally chose the hoUow of an ash 

 tree for their permanent abode. I saw at once that there was 

 nothing for it but to fell the tree, which I set to at once, 

 having at hand the valuable assistance of a man who had spent 

 seven years in the backwoods of America, and whose skill in 

 handling the axe stood me in good stead. I found, when the 

 tree was down, that the bees had ascended at least 3 feet, and 

 that it would be necessary to channel out the tree for that 

 length. This we finally accomplished late in the even in g, and 

 secured one of the finest swarms I have ever seen. I conveyed 

 them home, a distance of four miles, in a common straw 

 skep, and transferred them the next day to one of Neighbour's 

 Scotch hives, in which they have since worked so -vigorously 

 that on the 18th of June I put on a glass top, which is now 

 more than half full cf pure virgin honey. 



Curious to say, in the very next tree to which I have alluded 

 above, there has been established a colony of bees for the 

 last fifteen years. How can I secure the honey from them? 

 The tree is too ornamental to admit of being cut down, and the 

 entrance is about 20 feet from the ground. Of com-se the bees 

 would have to be smothered. 



From a stock hive I this year had two swarms, the second in 

 my absence and much against my will. I afterwards put on 

 the stock hive a large bell-glass 10 inches in diameter, which is 

 now literslly packed with the finest honey. What is the best 

 way of removing this ? and would it be advisable to put on 

 another glass at this period ? \Miftt is your opinion cf Nutt's 

 collateral box-hive as compared with the super system ? Could 



not bees hived in an old single straw hive he made to work on 

 this principle by placing another hive or box on the table by the 

 side of the hive, and establishing a commimication by means 

 of a groove in the table covered with glass, and the passage to 

 which could be commanded by a zinc sUde ? — Squib. 



rWe know of no means of secm-ing the honey without injur- 

 ing the tree by laying bare the ca\-ity occupied by the bees. 

 Insert an empty box between the super and the stock hive. 

 The former will be found comparatively deserted the next day, 

 when it may be taken off, conveyed to a little distance, and the 

 remaining bees permitted to return home, a bright look-out 

 being kept in the meantime to guard against robbers. Putting 

 on another glass can at any rate do no hann, but take care 

 that the stock hive is sufficiently well stored to stand the winter. 

 We prefer the storifving to the collateral system. You will 

 fin d several modes of adapting the latter to common straw 

 hives described in Taylor's "Bee-keeper's Manual."] 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Gapes ix Youxg Pori.TKV (Loosi' Box).— Give those affected a pDl.of 

 cimphor. the size of a small pea, daily until cured. Keep a piece of 

 camphor in their water-trough. 



JiABKrSGS OF CoCHCs {Coloured China).— li is common for Partridge 

 Cochin cocks to have coloured breasts, but it is by no means desirable. 

 Our experience is, that it is hardly possible to breed them all with purely 

 black breast^, even fi-om the best strains. Some should, however, have 

 them. Where the chickens have only a few brown feathers, we should 

 decidedly keep them till they attained their adult plumage, in the hope they 

 would moult them out : but where it is a decidedly variegated breast, black ■ 

 and hrowu, we should get rid of the bird. The work you naiiie will have 

 coloured plates, but we do not place implicit dependauce on such plates. 

 You will see that the classes at most shows are for " Buff and Cinnamon." 

 This has caused a laxity in lotting and matching which would not have been 

 allowed formerly. There were originally three clas.^es of Coebiu.s, which 

 are now intermixed: — the Bull, whieh should be uniform in colour; the 

 Cinnamon, the cock of whieh was the colour of wetted cinnamon, the 

 hens' bodies a lighter shade of the same, with very dark hackle ; the Silver 

 Cinnamon, the cock with a very light body. whUe the taUand hackle were 

 of very pale red brown. The hens of this breed, when they were kept 

 pure, were among the most beautiful of the tribe, the whole body was a 

 most beautiful French white, giving a soft silky appearance to the feathers, 

 and which was not belied on handling. The only variety of colour was a 

 lemon-shaded hackle. These have all inter-bretC and have originated the 

 colours you describe. The third bird you describe, being all Buff, seems 

 to ns the best coloured ; but the others would pass with well-matched 

 Buff hens. 



Game Fowl Motion-less (af. P. C.l. — Your fowl had a cramp or a 

 temporary vertigo from blood to the bend, or some injurj- to the back. 

 In either case your treatment was the right one. We have known a slight 

 blow or a fall to injme the spine, and cause the apparent paralysis you 

 mention for a few minutes, or sometimes for a longer time, and a perfect 

 ctu"e has been effected by the struggling of the fowl when caught. 



Diseases of Pigeon's (D. O.). — Ai-eyou sure that there is not something 

 unwholesome in their food ? Has any of the com ergot, or has it been 

 otherwise damaged ? Peas are not good for la>ing-Pigeons ; they are apt to 

 lay soft eggs on them. Hcmpseed is too exciting. They should have 

 access to chalk or old mortar. Or does their weakness arise from 

 diarrhcea ? You may try pills containing one grain of calomel, oue-twelth 

 of a grain of tatar emetic, and follow it bv pellets of cod liver oil and fiour. 

 — B. P. B. 



Notes of Bbitish Birds arranged rs Music (E. M.). — ^We do not know 

 of any book in which such music is noted. 



Hives (An Amateur). — We consider Neighbour's improved cottage hive 

 rather too small, but it is unquestionably large enough for sustaining a 

 swarm through the winter. Zinc ventilators are not essential to the suc- 

 cessful working of bell-glasses as supers. It i- better to remove one of 

 the queens in uniting, but the bees wiU generally do thi-s for themselves. 

 We have, however, known instances in which both queens have been 

 sacrificed, and stock lost in consequence. 



HoN'EY l.'f Biteks Bce-k^'epcr). — Apply to Mes.<-TS. Neighbour, 127, High 

 Holbom, and 149, Regent Street, London. 



Payne's Improved Cottage-hive (F. H.). — We do not know where 

 this can be obtained, if not of Messrs, Neighbour. "RTiy not buy our 

 "Bee-keeping for the Many?" You can have it free by post from our 

 ofiice for five postage stamps. In that there is a di-awing of Mr. Payne's 

 hive, and any maker of the common straw hive could malie one from 

 that drawing. 



LONDON MARKETS.— July 10. 



POULTRY. 

 The supply increases, and the trade declines earlier than usnal on 

 account of the dissolution of Parliament. We may look for low prices, if 

 t'je heat of the weather moderate. If it remain ns it is now, a few- 

 fresh goods will every day mate good prices, while there will be loss on 

 the bulk of poultry sent. 



. s. d. to g. d. 



Large Fowls . . . 

 Smaller do. . . 

 Chickens .... 

 Ducklinii's . . . . 

 Guinea Fowls 

 Goslings 



8. d. b: 

 S 6 to 4 



2 ., 4 



Grouse „ 



Partridses „ 



Hares T „ 



Rabbits 1 4 „ 1 5 



WUd do 8 „ 9 



Pigeons 8 „ 9 



