Septoniber 5, 1865. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



2 03 



SKIPTON POULTRY SHOW. 



[From a Correi*}>on(fntt). 



This was htld on Friday, August IStli. The quality of the poultry 

 was gooil, though the peus were not very numerous. Curliin.s were fair, 

 the chich'ii.i espeeially. All the Ilnuihunik varieties, both old and 

 young, were good. Polaiiih were capital. 



DoHKlNO {.\ny colour). — First, T. Briden. Earby. Second. H. Beldon, 

 Biugley. C'/itcAvfiji.— First, E. Leech. Uoehdale. Seconil. H. Beldun. 



Spanish iBliick). — First, H. Beldon. Second, J. Newton, Silsdcu. 

 Chicken*. — First iind Second, T. Oreenwood, Dewsbury. 



Game.— First, W. Beutly, Cleekhuatuii. Second, W. Arj-ton, Earby. 

 ChickertA. — First, W. Aryto'u. Second, W. Beutley. 



CocHiN-ClllSA.— First, R. .1. Wood, C'liorley. Second, W. Dawson, 

 Mirfleld. C/iicfccnj.— First, C. Sidgnick, Uiddles'den Hull. Second, Messrs. 

 Brown & Greenwood, Harrogate. 



Hamburgh (Golden-pencilled). — First, S. Smith, Northo«Tani. Second, 

 H. Beldon. Chickens. — First, J. G. Park, Whitehaven. Second, S. Smith. 

 HaUfa.x. 



Hajiduroh (Silver-pencilled).— First, J. G. Park. Second, H. Beldon. 

 WmcI-piw.— First, .T. G. Park. Second, U. Chew, Oisburn. 



Hamburgh (Golden-spangled). — First, W. Driver, Keighley. Second, 

 H. Beldon. Chickens— Yiiil, W. Driver. Second, W. Throup, Silsdcu. 



Hameubch (Silver-spanglcd).~First, H. Beldon. Second, ,1. G. Park. 

 CyiicJrcns.—First, A. Smith, Silsdcn. Second. H. Beldon. 



Hamburgh (Black).— First. C. Sidgwick. Uiddlcsdon Hall. Second, W. 

 Hird, Bingley. Chickens. — First, J. Hargreaves, Skipton. Seuoud, C. 

 Sidgwick. 



PoLANDS.— First and Second, J. Smith, Keighley. CftfcteiM.— First, J. 

 Smith. Second, H. Bowker, Keighley. 



Bantams (Game).— First, J. D. Newsome, Batley. Second, J. G. Park. 

 C/iictfiu.— First, .J. D. Ncwsome. Second, T. Hartley, Earby. 



BANT,iMs (Any colour). — First. W. H. Briggs, Bradford. Second, H. 

 Beldon. Chickens. — First, H. Beldon. Second, .J. Hargi-eaves. 



Any other variety. — Prize, H. Beldon. Chickens. — Prize, W. A>Tton, 

 Earby. 

 Geese. — Prize, S. Swire, Staintou Coates, Hargi-ave. 

 Ducks (.\ylesbur>-).— First, .7. Newton, Silsdcu." Second, H. Beldon. 

 Ducks (Rouen).— First, H. Beldon. Second. J. D. Newsome. 

 Any other variety. — First. H. Beldon. Second, .1. Hargreaves. 

 Turkeys First, E. Leech, Rochdale. Second, J. B. Beckwith, Winter- 

 burn. 



Pigeons.— ruri-icra.— First, C. Cole,Bowling. Second, H. Smith, Skipton. 

 Powters.— First and Second, C. Cole. Almond Timhlrra.—Tirst, C. Cole. 

 Ott>i».— First, H. Smith. Second, H. Shuttleworth, Skipton. Bnrhs.— First, 

 H. Smith. Second, C. Cole. Jncoiiins.-First and Second, C.Cole. Mottled 

 Tumblerft. — First, -J. Hawlev. Bm-nley. Second, H. Smith. Baldjiates. — 

 Furst, J. Collier, Skipton. Second, \V. Scott, Skipton. Bimfs.— First, H. 

 Smith. Second. R. Hebden, Skipton. X)ra.;on-s.— Fust, C. Cole. Second, 

 ■I. Baxendalc. Sutton. Antwerin.. — First. T. Thornton. Skipton. Second. 

 J. Collier. Skiptun. .Iny other variety. — First, C. Cole. Second, J. Thomp- 

 son, Bingley. 



THE CAUSE OF THE HUMMING NOISE M.VDE 



BY BEES. 



Does the humming or buzzing of a bee proceed entirely 

 from the wings, or has the mouth anything to do with it ? 

 If the former, from whence proceeds tlie instantaneous answer 

 that is given when the outside of the hive is tapped ? — W. A. J. 



[The celebrated John Hunter appears to have attributed the 

 humming of bees to the rushing of air through their spiracles, 

 since be found that they can produce a sound independently 

 of then- wings ; for if these be smeared over with honey so as 

 to stick together, the bee still makes a noise, which is shriU 

 and peevish. He found the same effect from holding the bee 

 by the legs with a pair of pincers, while the wings were per- 

 fectly still, and also by immersing the insect in water, though 

 not until it was vei-y much teased.] 



REMOVING BEES FROM AN OLD STRAW 



HIVE INTO A BOX HI\Ti:. 



I THINK you may perhaps be interested in hearing how the 

 above operation was perfonned, as many people informed me 

 that I must kill my bees to get at the honey. This I gi'eatly 

 objected to ; so I applied to a very experienced bee-master to 

 see what he could do. He came up on the 28th ult., early in 

 the morning, and commenced operations by removing the board 

 at the bottom of the hive, and raising the hive with stones, 

 about 2 inches. He then began to beat the sides of the hive, 

 gradually driving all the bees through the small orifice at the 

 top into the cap, or super, on the top of the under hive. He 

 then removed the bottom hive and placed the cap on a stool 

 till the evening. At about C o'clock he again came up and 

 placed a three-legged stool upside down on the gi-ound, and 

 inverted upon it an empty straw hive. Upon this he placed 

 the cap, full of bees and honeycomb. Around the two he 

 wrapped cloths, and then beat the sides of the upper hive to 

 ^ve the entire stock into the lower one. This he successfully 



accomplished, and we then took out the comb, which was very 

 pure and good. After turning up the hive full of bees he left 

 them till the following evening, when he again came, and 

 spread a cloth upon the ground about 3 feet square. Upon 

 this he placed three bricks, and put upon them the box hive, 

 full of its old stock. Near it ho emptied the straw hive, scat- 

 tering flour on all the inhabitants, which soon crawled on to 

 the bricks, and tlience into the box hive, which must be now 

 toleralily full, though the bees are ail quiet in our sunny 

 kitclien garden. 



I sliould add, tliat our lower straw hive was so old that wo 

 feared it would luit hold together through the winter if we 

 allowed our bees to remain in it. — P., I'riurs Marstoit, W^ar- 

 ivichalilrc. 



BEES REFUSING TO H.VTCH BROOD. 



Bkinii told in The Journal of Horticuliure that bees vnll 

 usually liatch out brood placed in a glass over the hive, I have 

 tried it, both last year and this, without success. Finding 

 brood in aU stages in a hive of bees driven from the moors, 

 the comb was placed over the liive immediately, without any 

 chill ; in fact, young bees were at the time working their way 

 out, and both times the result was the same, the bees clearing 

 the grubs out of the combs instead of hatching them, and 

 carrying them away out of the hive. Being past the honey- 

 gathering season, the cells could not be required for depositing 

 honey ; besides, there was space in the hive itself, which, being 

 a weak one, I thought would be strengthened by the brood 

 given. Can you explain this? — F. F. 



[This shows how difficult it is to predicate what bees will 

 or will not do luider certain circumstances, since om's have 

 always hatched out brood presented to them under precisely 

 similar conditions to those whicli you describe. It is, however, 

 many years since we placed brood on the top of a hive, as we 

 now always attach it to bars, and insert it within the hive 

 itself.] 



UNFERTILE QUEEN. 

 The result of microscopical investigation, kindly instituted 

 by Mr. Woodbmy and given in The Journ.u. of Horticulture 

 of August 1st, fully confirms the observations that have been 

 made relative to the state of the queen. It was doubtful at 

 first whether she was a fertile queen, which had been presented 

 to a queenless stock, and by them cast out, or whether she was 

 a supernumeraiy from a stock which was raising J'oung queens. 

 That she was the latter the state of both hives subsequently 

 confirms, and the inquirer has since had the satisfaction of 

 having introduced a queen, at first id-received, by the medium 

 of syrup scented with peppermint, to a stock which would 

 otherwise have i^erished, — A Ee.vdee of " Our Journal." 



TirE LIGURLVN BEE. 



It has for many years been known in Em-ope as a distinct 

 variety of the honey bee. Attempts to import it into this 

 coimtry were made in 1856 by Samuel Wagner, of York, Pa., 

 but unsuccessfully. Other attempts were made, but it was not 

 until May and June, 1860, that these bees were successfully 

 introduced by Parsons of Long Island, and Colvin and Wagner 

 of Baltimore. Since then, other importations have been made 

 from various parts of Europe, including the vicinity of Lake 

 Como, where this bee is said to be found in great ])erfection. 

 The most distinguished apiarians in our country have devoted 

 much time, labour, and money to importing and raising these 

 bees. For a long time the whole matter was ridiculed by the 

 majority, to whom " a bee is a bee the world over," — and even 

 now, when these bees are found all over the coimtry in dif- 

 ferent degrees of purity, many are imwilling to believe them 

 any better than the common bee. What is of interest to every 

 bee-keeper, are the questions whether this bee is adapted to our 

 cUmate, and if so, how much and why is it superior to the com- 

 mon variety ? Many fears were expressed on its introduction that 

 it was not hardy and could not endure our climate. I have found 

 it more hardy than the common bee, winteiing well out of doors, 

 working later in the season than the other variety, and ventur- 

 ing abroad in weather when no common bee is seen to leave the 

 hive. Multiplying much faster than the black bee, and if al- 



