246 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AJJD COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ September 19, 1865. 



extraordinary position can upset them. On tliis frame, let 

 into its upper quarter of tliicknegs, is a plate of glass, leaving 

 ample room beneath for the bees to pass over the frames, and 

 facilitating inspection without disturbance. These hives cost 

 me, complete, under 10s. To my Woodbui-y straw hive I have 

 adapted a plate of glass as the hd, so that inspection is easy at 

 any time, and I keep this plate quite loose, loosening it almost 

 daily without the notice of a single bee. A sis-sided hive, with 

 a rectangular top for six frames only, has been made in the same 

 way. My third experiment was made, as the commencement 

 of what i made inquiries about in your Nimiber of April 18th. 

 On the 5th I brought home the bees driven fi-om a stock in a 

 neighbour's apiary, and on the 6th I brought home a second 

 and joined them to the first swarm. Not a dozen bees were 

 killed, and only the queen was found with one bee attached by 

 its sting to her, early the next morning. On the fourth day I 

 saw poUen being carried in, and on the sixth it was carried in 

 freely, and robbers were vigorously expelled. They took half a 

 pint of thick syrup daily for the first three days, then only half 

 that quantity daily ; now they have comb, as they have sealed 

 up with wax much of the perforated support to the feeding 

 bottle. On the 7th I brought home another driven swarm, 

 and joined them to the artificial maiden swarm of my last 

 letter. There were quite two quarts of bees, but the union was 

 not effected without fighting, and I have to lament a good pint 

 of bees. I could not find the vanquished queen, but on the 

 10th they had settled down quietly, and I see the stock is most 

 certainly the stronger of the adiUtion. 



I shall continue the experiment of making stocks from my 

 neighbour's condemned stores, and shall be glad to inform you 

 of the results as they occur, with the accidents, trouble, and 

 faUnres, &e.— M. D. 



USING FOUL-BROOD COMBS— BEES NOT 

 HATCHING BROOD. 



A SHORT time since I fumigated the bees of a condemned 

 stock, and to my gi-eat annoyance discovered, for tlie first time 

 in my experience, foul brood ; the grubs had perished shortly 

 after being sealed over, they were quite brown, and the smell 

 was very offensive. The grubs were placed in the right position. 

 For the satisfaction of those who amuse themselves by making 

 artificial swarms, I may mention that this foul brood was found 

 in a natural swarm of this year, working in a plain deal box in 

 which bees had never been placed before, and they had never 

 been meddled with in any way. The bees, which are common 

 black ones, I placed in an empty hive, where they have built 

 some combs, which I want for guidecombs next season. Now, 

 I want to know if I may venture to use these combs if the 

 queen has not laid any eggs, which I suspect is the case, as 

 I have not seen any pollen go in. 



One of my stocks this siunmer had a failing queen, she had 

 almost ceased laying, and the population was fast diminishing 

 in .June. The wise bees raised a young princess, and smothered 

 the old lady ; she was imprisoned at least thi-ee hours, and there 

 was not the slightest excitement. In August the population 

 was increasing, and there was a great deal of brood in the hive. 



Eeferring to the query in page 203, the want of a sufficient 

 number of bees in the hive over which " F. F." placed the 

 broodcombs, is the reason why they did not hatch out the 

 brood. I have never found them refuse to do so, if they could 

 spare the bees fi-om below. The plan which I adopt is to 

 suspend the broodcombs in loops of wire passed over the bars 

 in a super. Instead of uniting bees, I always give the stocks I 

 intend to keep, the whole of the brood I find in my condemned 

 hives. — J. L. 



[We should be afraid to use the combs built by bees from a 

 foul-breeding stock, and wo\ild advise their all being consigned 

 to the melting-pot without delay. Both boxes should also be 

 well scraped and purified with chloride of lime, and in order to 

 be on the safe side, we should lay them aside for a couple of 

 seasons.] 



BEE-HIVE STANDS. 



I AM desirous of enlarging my bee-hive stand, and making it 

 applicable for different kinds of hives, and inspecting them 

 with impunity. Can you furnish me with a working plan, and 

 do you recommend weather-boards in front ? 



The honey harvest with me has not been abundant. The 

 bees have not worked freely in the supers. I have taken two 



combs, 10 lbs., one with brood-comb and a queen. My best 

 store of honey was gathered from the pollard elm, where my 

 first swarm'settled in the spring. Having failed in securing the 

 bees then, I determined on getting the honey afterwards ; so 

 about a month ago, 'accompanied bj' a labourer, we sallied out 

 one evening, and having bored a hole in the side of the tree, 

 only partially succeeded in smoking a few up to the hive on the 

 top. We then laid open a hole with a billhook, and exposed 

 some beautiful comb fuU of honey. My assistant took out 

 sufficient to fill two milk-pans, and on looking into the hole we 

 found thousands of bees. These were left till the third day, as 

 I was unable to look after them the following day, and on going 

 to the tree, I found they had all taken wing. Whither? Perhaps 

 to the domicile of some weak neighbours, who had not strength 

 to keep them out. — B. B. 



[We prefer a verandah or lean-to shed closed at the ends, but 

 either entirely open in front or closed only with pheasant wire, 

 with a good-sized opening opposite the entrance of each hive. 

 Possibly the bee-house sketched and described by " A Bdcks 

 Bee-keeper " last week, may meet your wishes.] 



IS THE SjNIELL OF GAS TAR PREJUDICIAL 

 TO BEES'? 



Will you inform me if gas tar is prejudicial to bees ? I 

 am about to build a sraaU bee-house, and I propose to use 

 " gassing," as it is called here, for a short space in front of the 

 house, as being cleanly, free from weeds, and affording a 

 smooth surface from which to Hft up fallen bees. I hesitate, 

 however, until I have leamt whether it is likely to be an an- 

 noyance to the bees. — Novice. 



[We are not aware how far the smell of gas tar is likely to 

 be prejudicial to bees. Possibly some of our readers may be 

 better informed on this point than we arc, and if so we should 

 be much obhged by their communicating the results of their 

 experience.] 



ALVNAGEMENT OF A SWARM SUPERED 

 WHEN HIVED. 



About the 20th of Jime a swarm of bees came to my place 

 in the country, and were hived that evening in a straw hive 

 with a straw super on them. It was the first occasion on 

 which I had anything to do with bees, and chd not know at 

 the time that it was wrong to put the super on when I did. 

 I have not looked at the super since, but the hive I have looked 

 at, and it appears about one-third full of comb. What ought 

 I to do — remove the super or not ? 



Can you tell me what kind of bee is the enclosed? — B. E. 



[We should remove the super, strengthen the stock by 

 driving and adding to it the inhabitants of a condemned liive, 

 and then feed hberally, so as to enable them to extend their 

 combs and store them sufficiently before winter. 



The insect enclosed in your letter is not a bee but a fly, 

 Eristahs floreus of Linnseus. ! 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Profitable Poultry-keeping (Otic ichoif Fond of Them), — The subject 

 bas been discussed rcpentedly. and tbe e\idence seems to preponderate 

 against their beinff profitable "if all tbeir food bas to be bought. \Vhere 

 they have a good run. are carefully attended, and early chickens are suc- 

 cessfully reared, we believe they can be kept profitably. The insei-tion of 

 theoretical conclusions is not desirable. 



Leg Weakness (G. R. iJ.).— Let the Dorking cockerel have bread 

 sopped in ale once daily, and plenty of green food, besides his ordinary 

 diet. Give him 4 grains of citrate of iron daily, mixed with a little soft 

 food, such as a mash of barley meal. He will probably regain strength in 

 his legs gradually. 



White Dorkings (T. A. IT.).— Apply to Mr. Martin, Linton Park, 

 Staplehurst, Kent. 



Feeding Bees in a common Straw Hive (C. A. jlf.).— If there is the 

 usual cork in the top of yom- common straw hive, draw it out and teed 

 throuch the aperture, if none exists cut ft hole about 2 inches in 

 diameter with a sharp penknife. Administer food by means of a pint 

 bottle, with its mouth tied over with a bit of cap net, inveited. and the 

 neck inserted in the aperture. Commence feeding at once, and replenish 

 the bottle every evening until a sufficient quantity be given. 



Feeding a United Stock of Ligurian and Common Bees {A Sitxsex 

 Bee-Acepcr).— Having been fortannto in adrUng black bees to your Li- 

 gnrian queen yon are now doing quite right in feeding liberally. The 

 supply of food should be continued until the box becomes pretty weU 

 tilled 'with comb, and its contents weigh from 15 to 20 lbs. nett.— A De- 

 voKBHiRE Bee-keeper. 



