S2 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AKD COTTAGE GARDENER. 



t July 23, 1865. 



whole well, yet showing a disturbance from the want of a queen. 

 But I was again alarmed, for the second desertion was carried 

 further than seemed fair ; and as two rainy days followed I 

 gave them a quarter of a pint of syrup each night for four 

 nights, and they did very well, as the young bees from the two 

 frames were then beginning to come out, and they repulsed 

 robbers which were beginning to take advantage of their weak- 

 ness. 



One point I have purposely omitted. A great many of the 

 bees that first deserted from the original hive to the maiden 

 swarm died, and were carried out by the other bees ; this hap- 

 pened before the exchange on Wednesday at mid-day, and I 

 would ask. Why did they die ? Surely not for want of food, for 

 there were plenty of sealed cells of honey, which they never 

 touched, and I had sjTinged about a quarter of a pint of syrup 

 among them during the day. Would partial suffocation act 

 fatally some hours after their liberation ? 



My bees are on a shelf about 4 feet above the groxmd, under 

 a roof, but open to weather on all sides ; now in inspecting the 

 frames, taking them out to see how royal cells are progressing, 

 &c., is it better to remove the hive or manipulate as it stands ? 

 I should also be obliged if you would inform me if a nucleus 

 hive is a Woodbury with fewer bars, or is it a smaller hive on 

 the same plan ? or what ?— M.D. 



[The great mortaUty among yoiir imprisoned bees was 

 owing to the non-observance of our caution regarding the 

 necessity of ample ventilation. Had the crown-board been re- 

 moved, and a square of perforated zinc been substituted for the 

 glass on the top of the hive, all would doubtless have gone 

 right. The bees which first returned to the old hive had pro- 

 bably acquired some distinctive characteristic during their 

 absence which caused their brethren to destroy and expel them 

 as strangers. Partial suffocation would certainly not be 

 attended with fatal results some hours afterwards. As there 

 appears to be plenty of room for bees that take wing to escape 

 into the open air, it will be much more convenient to them as 

 weU as to yourself if you manipulate the hive in situ. A 

 nucleus-box should accommodate four full-sized Woodbury 

 frames, and measure 14j inches long by 6J inches wide, and 

 9 inches deep inside.] 



BEES FORMING COMBS OUTSIDE THEIR 



HWE. 

 A NEIGHBOUR of mine has a hive of bees which he placed, 

 when swarmed, upon a shelf in a dark room, with the entrance 

 of the hive against a hole in the wall ; and as soon as the hive 

 was full, the bees commenced building combs imderneath the 

 shelf, and now there is a nice lot of combs and bees. Will 

 you infoi-m me how I may drive the bees up into the hive ? as 

 I contemplate purchasing them, and fixing some of the combs, 

 which are under the shelf, in a frame-hive, into which I intend 

 to put the condemned bees of two or three hives. I may add 

 that the bees do not get underneath from the inside of the 

 hive, which is a common straw one. — A. E. 



[Commence by affording more room by raising the hive on 

 a nadir, sUghtly wedged up on one side. Then puff a httle 

 smoke among the combs attached to the shelf, and, having 

 donned a bee-dress, cut them off one by one, and sweep the 

 bees off each comb with a feather on to the shelf close to the 

 wedged-up side of the nadir, which they wiU rapidly enter with 

 vibrating wings. The nadir had, perhaps, better remain imtil 

 autimin, when it may be removed, as the diminished popula- 

 lation will then find ample accommodation within the hive 

 itself.] 



BEES IN A CHIMNEY. 



As no answer appeared in your last Number to an application 

 made the previous week by " T. H. F." for information as to 

 how he might secure a swarm of bees which had settled in a 

 chimney in his house, I think I may not yet be too late in 

 rendering him assistance by giving him my experience of a 

 method which I have known to be adopted with success in a 

 similar difficulty. 



The mode of procedure on the occasion to which I allude 

 was as follows : — A rope, with a light weight attached, was let 

 down very gently from the top of the flue in which the bees 

 had settled, and when this made its appearance at the bottom 

 of the chimney, a bundle of fresh grass well damped and as 



nearly as possible the size of the flue, was attached to it, and 

 the whole was then drawn gently to the top of the chimney, 

 upon which an empty hive had been already properly placed ; 

 into this the bees at once ascended, and were removed to their 

 destination without further difficulty. 'So doubt " T. H. F.'s " 

 bees, if he has not already secured them, have before this 

 formed no inconsiderable quantity of comb, but although this 

 may cause the loss of a few bees, they may still lay up a suffi- 

 cient store for the winter. At all events he might unite them 

 to another swarm. 



On the 10th of .Tune I was presented by a kind neighbour 

 with a magnificent first swarm, which had unfortimately hived 

 in " an old straw " ten days previously. As I was anxious to 

 try one of Nutt's hives I undertook the removal of them, and 

 although they had an immense quantity of young comb formed, 

 I conveyed them safely a distance of two mUes, and transferred 

 them with very little loss. They have ever since flourished 

 apace. 



The very sudden change in the weather which we have 

 lately had here, has given a gi'eat check to one of the finest 

 honey seasons ever known. On examining my cap-glasses 

 yesterday I found nearly all the bees had forsaken them and 

 retreated to the body of the hive ; I attributed this to cold at 

 night, and immediately covered each of them with wool, closely 

 wrapt round between the glass and super. To-day, although 

 very cold, on peeping in I found them working away in the 

 glasses as busily as ever. — Squib, County Kildare. 



A FEW weeks since a swarm of bees settled in my next- 

 door neighbour's chimney (a very high one), and after having 

 been there two days, my imskUled friend, without any pre- 

 paration in the way of dress, took a long fishing-rod and .agi- 

 tated them with it. About half of the bees came Aovrn the 

 chimney into the attic, and my fi-iend swept them up with a 

 hand-brush and dust-pan, shovelled them into a hive, and 

 placed them in the garden, where they are now working well, 

 although few in number. The remaining half settled on the 

 roof over the engine boiler, and we placed a hive over them, 

 but when the engineer lowered the damper the sulphur from 

 the flue lolled them. — A.E. 



[Agitation by means of a fishing-rod might of course disturb 

 a swarm of bees, and cause them to forsake a chimney m 

 which they had just taken refuge, but would be worse than use- 

 less, if not absolutely fatal in its effects, if resorted to after 

 combs had been built and stored.] 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Game Fowls (Man of ffr ji().— Very glad are wo that we met yonr wishes 

 satisfactorily. We did not feel aggrieved by what we considered intended 

 as an awakener. Editors, lUie policemen, require inspectors to keep 

 them alei-t when on duty. 



Leg Weakness (W. H. JP".-!!).— Your Cochin-China cockerel resting on 

 his hocks is suffering from leg weakness, caused by over-rapidity of 

 growth. It is ft common occurrence. Feed him on bruised oats, bread 

 and beer once daily, .and plenty of green food. Give him also, daily, two 

 grains of sulphate'of iion mixed up with his bread and ale, until he is 

 stronger. 



Chicken Featheeless and Blistered (r. S.).— We are afraid there is 

 no cure for the case you mention, but we have knov.-n adult fowls uve 

 for a long time in a similar condition. Try the effect of pricking one or 

 two of the bladders, closing the opening with any sort of omtment as 

 soon as the air is expelled. 



Cock's Feet and Legs Swelling (H. B. IF.).— You would materially 

 assist us in answering if you would describe the breed of the bird. 

 Dorkings are very subject to' it. whileit is rarelymctwith in other breeds. 

 If it belong to the breed named, there is no cure, the great weight of the 

 body resting on the feet keeps up the inflammation. If the bird is an old 

 tme, the best adi-ico we can give you is to kiU it. If a yonng one it arises 

 from wealmcss— perhaps from over-growth. Feed very generously; give 

 cooked meat, ground oats slaked with milli, and boiled egg. Keep the 

 bird in confinement, with hay to tread upon. Let it h.ave a large sod of 

 growing grass every day. If the swelling extends above the knee-jomt, 

 and the flesh of the thigh, close to the knee, is uneven on the surface, 

 and feels to the touch as if filled with small air-cells, you may kiU it at 

 once. It wiU be a loss in evei-y way, even if it live. 



Lice on Poultry IW. B. A.).—Yo\\ have two bad things— first, instead 

 of being cleaned once per week, the houses should be cleaned every 

 morning. If the floor is, as it should be. of loose gravel, a birch broom, 

 drawn over the sm-face, under the perches, and the places, comers, Ac, 

 where the birds congregate every morning, will entirely remove all thp". 

 is. or can be, in any way offensive. It is a great mistake to have sitlj^g 

 hens in a roosting-'house. We believe attention to this will remo'e tne 

 nuisance. 



Ligdrian Bees ( !7im).— Write to T. Woodbury, Esq., Moo^t Radford- 

 Exeter. 



