140 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB.' 



r August 15, 1865. 



weeks and -wovild not go off. Accordingly, on June 9th, I ob- 

 tained the help of an old friend who has kept bees for years, 

 and done better than most, even in every kind of hive. 

 We first put an empty hive on the full one, drummed till 

 about half of the bees vrent up, and then put the swarm in its 

 place. It was a large swarm, but decreased in a few days ; the 

 bees, I suppose, going back to theii' old place. However, they 

 have done very well, but the old stock puzzles me, and I should 

 like to know what to do with them. 



This old stock is in a fair-sized bee-house with another hive 

 by its side, and as far as I can ascertain the two have fra- 

 ternised. I saw the morning after driving that they were 

 inclined to do so, but I effectually separated them by putting 

 np boards for a day or two. Now, however, they appear to me 

 to run together inside the house ; and although the bees in 

 the driven stock occasionally can-y in a little pollen, yet they 

 are idle and listless, and there is not above half the number 

 that there was a month ago, while the hive by its side is 

 crammed, and a large super also full of bees. I do not like 

 losing a stock in this way, and I should be glad of any advice. 

 My friend here is puzzled, as he says it is too late to give 

 them a piece of royal brood or a queen. Woiild it do to remove 

 the super and put an emjity hive in its place, so that if the 

 queen went up it might be removed this autimm or next spring, 

 and trust to the stock-hive (not the driven one), raising a new 

 queen ? In this case I should take the honey from the di'iven 

 hive, and let the bees all go together. — A Puzzled One. 



[" A Devoxshibe Bee-keeper," using only moveable comb- 

 hives, and multiplying his Ligiuian bees with ease and cer- 

 tainty by artificial swarming, may well deem the risk of losing 

 valuable queens by natural swarms far too gi-eat to be willingly 

 encountered. Yoiu' first failure was probably owing to the 

 queen not accompanying the driven swarm, and the bees re- 

 tiu-ning to the parent stock in consequence ; whilst in the 

 second instance the old stock either failed in raising a queen 

 or some fatal accident happened to her aftenvards. Similar 

 misfortunes are by no means uncommon in natui-al swarming, 

 but with moveable comb hives they can be soon detected and 

 easily remedied. Your best plan will now be to drive some 

 one of your neighbour's condemned colonies and add the bees 

 to your dwindling stock.] 



TAiaNG SUPERS— HONEY HARVEST IN 

 SHROPSHIRE. 



You say the best way of taking a super is to put a box imder 

 it, but yon do not state if the communication with the stock is 

 to be cut off. I always find a difficulty in taking away supers, 

 and any improved and quiet plan would be a boon. After 

 placing the box under the super, do yon cut oS the communi- 

 cation with the stock ? 



The honey season here seems to have baen good. I had 

 three stocks this spring and have taken fiO lbs. in supers. One 

 stock after swarming filled a glass super weighing 24i lbs., and 

 the swarm nearly 10 lbs., making upwards of 30 lbs. The 

 honey harvest has been over here for at least a fortnight. — 

 Geo. Smtthe, Norton, near SMfitall, Salop. 



[When a bos is inserted under a super with a view to its 

 removal, the communication with the stock-hive should be left 

 open.] 



To Make Curkant Jelly. — Set on the fire in a sugai'-pan a 

 pint of smooth clarified sugar ; when it boils put in a quart of 

 picked red currants, in which let them boil for an houi'. Be 

 careful to skim them well, and at times add a little cold water to 

 raise the scum. ^Vhen boiled enough run the liquor through a 

 sieve into a basin, in which you have squeezed three lemons ; 

 then put in some isinglass, and set your jeUy in a mould to ice 

 as usual. Another mode consists in taking the ripest red cui'- 

 rants that can be had, as the white are not so good for jelly ; 

 crush them, and press out all the juice Luto a glazed pan ; cover 

 it very closely, and set it in a cold place for six days ; then with 

 great care remove the thick skin which covers the juice, and 

 pour it into another vessel, throwing away what remains at the 

 bottom. When the juice is perfectly clear weigh it, and for 

 each pound take half-pound of crushed sugar ; put them on the 

 fire together, and much scum will soon rise, which must aU be 

 taken off ; let it remain on the fire for about an horn-, and then 

 try it as follows : — Put a small quantity on a very cold plate, 

 and if when it cools it becomes thick and of proper consistence 



take the pan from the fire ; if it is not let it remain tiU that is 

 the case. Pom' the jelly whilst hot, and the glasses must be 

 quite cold before you cover them with paper. 



To C.vxDY Feuits. — Take one pound of the best loaf sugar ; 

 dip each lump into a bowl of water and put the sugar in your 

 preserving kettle. Boil it down until perfectly clear, and in a 

 candying state. When sufficiently boiled, have ready the 

 fruits you wish to preserve. Large white grapes, oranges, 

 separated into small pieces, or presei-ved fruits, taken out of 

 their srups and cMed are nice. Dip the fruits into the pre- 

 pared sugar while it is hot ; then put them in a cold place — ■ 

 they soon become hard. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Points of Rouen Ducks (J. McConnelJ). — We do not remember havmg 

 received your letter, but a similar qucstiou was answered last week at 

 page 120. Streaks of white on the face, pale breasts, or the presence of 

 white feathers on any part of the body, are fatal objections. 



Breedin-g Cochins for Exhibition — Poultry Food (Fa/ma). — Having 

 assured yourself that the bu-ds are in all respects such as you would "wish, 

 you may take hens of two or three years old, and put to them a cock of 

 twelve months. If you are breeding for early chickens next year, you 

 must reCLilleet that there is almost always a large proportion of cocks in 

 the earliest hatches ; you must arrange accordingly. The best food for 

 all poulti-y is gi'ound oats; it is used all through Sussex ; it is not oat- 

 meal. It can be had from Mr. Agata, Slaugham Mills, Crawley. The 

 book is in the press. 



Vetches as Food for Poultry (J. T.). — Vetches are not considered 

 good food for poultry; we do not advise you to give them. They are 

 excellent for Pigeons. It may be well to say that if the quantity does 

 not exceed one-tenth they may probably be given v.ithout iuimy, but it is 

 hardly satisfactory to give food that ^vill merely allow your poidtry to 

 remain stationary, without deriving benefit from it. 



Coop for Sitting-Hens (G. B.). — Your coop will answer the purpose 

 well ; but such a box should be divided into thi-ee, be closed all round, 

 and only the hd shonld be wirework. The hens should be shut in, and 

 taken out to feed moniing and evening. There should be no bottom. 

 Sitting-bens cannot be too private, and nothing annoys them- so much as 

 other hens laying in their nests. It is also a gi-eat flisadvantage at the 

 hatching-time, on account of the irregularity it causes. 



Managejient of Golden and Silver Pheasants (IV. K. IF.). — They 

 are not very sociable birds. It may be some time before they become 

 reconciled to then- house, and attached to their owner. They would do 

 better on the gi-ound than in a loft. Their food should be barley. They 

 are very fond of bread. They must be supplied with sods of growing 

 grass. " They are very hardy, and require no warmth, and very littlo 

 shelter. Any Idnd of perch will suit them, but the best is a round one, 

 about 1^ incii in diameter. 



Remo\tsg Ekes and Nadirs (A. B.).— All the ekes or nadirs should be 

 removed before winter. 



Treatjient of a Weak Swarm of Ligurians (.4 Subscn ber). — The best, 

 perhaps the only, chance of saving yonr Ligurians will be to drive a 

 stong stock of common bees, and induct the Italians into their deserted 

 habitation. If done at once, there will probably be sufficient brood 

 hatched out during the next two or three weeks to bring them into a 

 satisfactoi-y condition. 



Tomatoes i n^ (}. S.). — On the Continent, and in America, visitors have 

 informed us that large quantities of full-gi-own green tomatoes are used 

 as salads separiitely, and mixed ^\-ith cucumbers ; that great quantities 

 of the young fruit are pickled and preserved, just as we pickle gherkins. 

 We have made a very nice sauce in the following manner: — Put the ripe 

 fruit for an hour in an earthen vessel into an oven, not hot enough to 

 make them boil, but warm enough to cause the fruit to fall, and become 

 soft; then pour off the thin Uquid ; squeeze the pulp through a cullender, 

 keeping out the seeds; and to every gallon of this juice add a dozen fair- 

 sized button onions, rather more sliallots. less of garlic, or of cayenne pepper 

 alittle allspice and cloves, and salt to flavour. Simmer gently overaslow 

 fire for an houi-, stiiTing the mixtm-e well all the time ; and, as it gets 

 cool, place it in wide-mouthed bottles ; cork and secure vnih bladder. 

 There are many other modes ; and among these you will find directions 

 for maldng tomato sauce ; tomato catsup, tomato soup, tomato paste, and 

 stewed tomato, at page 414, in No. 362. September 4, 1655 ; and those are 

 but a sample of the many variations in the recipes as to keeping this 

 fruit. The simplest mode is just to part with some of the mere watery 

 fluid, boil the remainder sufiiciently, and help to keep, and flavour to taste, 

 with such condiments as pepper, salt, allspice, cloves. &c. Other receipts 

 will be found Vol. Vll., New Series, pages 324, 364, and 384. 



LONDON :MARKETS.— AcGtisT 14. 

 POULTRY. 



There is a good supply of poulJry, with a dull trade. Since our last 

 quotations Grouse have come into season. We shall notice them next 

 week, but at the time we go to press it is impossible to do so, very few 

 ha\'iug aiTived, 



Large Fowls 2 



Smaller do 1 



Chickens 1 



Geese 6 



Ducks 2 



Guinea Fowls 



Grouse 



Partridges 



Hares 



Pigeons 



Rabbits 1 



Wild do 



