310 



JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 10, 1805. 



swann." Although I know of no bnckwheat nearer than a 

 mile and a half from our apiary, we are having swarms from 

 our Italians almost daily, and they are rolUng in the honey 

 famously. 



The amateurs who have examined the Italian bees closely, 

 have noticed in every hive many workers, whose yellow bands 

 were of the most brilliant hue, while their abdomens were of 

 a jet black — rivalling Day and Martin's blacking. We have 

 had numerous inquiries in regard to this, some thinking that 

 these fellows were the pure bees, and that the presence of 

 others was a mark of impurity in the queen producing them. 

 This is what may be called a posteriori reasoning. The fact is 

 that there are old bees whose bodies have been worn smooth by 

 hard labom-, and any one doubting has only to catch a worker, 

 and with a wet finger rub its back gently for a few moments to 

 pohsh him up to the African type. — James T. IiAsgstkoih, in 

 American Country Gentleman. 



GAS TAR INJURIOUS TO BEES. 

 A correspondent in your Journal the other day states that gas 

 tar is not injurious to bees ; but there can be no doubt that it 

 is. He states that he merely covers his bee-house with gas tar, 

 and this makes all the difference, for the vapour from it flies 

 off above the bees. The vapour was under them in the former 

 case. As you had some accounts in your Journal of freeing 

 supers from the bees, I send you an extract from a lady's letter, 

 describing a very ingenious plan, that may be of use : — " If 

 you have not used the little talc traps for freeing your supers 

 or boxes of bees, I think they would save you much trouble. 

 I made one the other day, and every bee passed through it 

 from my large supers, and as not a bee can return, no watching 

 is needed. I merely take a slip of perforated zinc or cardboard, 

 cut four square pieces out about a quarter of an inch wide, and 

 suspend, either with'thread, or by sticking the upper edge on 

 a small piece of ribbon, and fixing to the zinc or cardboard 

 over each hole a small piece of tale. This is so light that if 

 you tack it on the entrance the bees run through, and it falls 

 and prevents their return. I found it most useful." — A. W. 



BEE INVASION AT OBAN. 



The proprietor of a fruiterer's shop at Oban thus writes to 

 the ^' Ghintiow Mominfj Journal :^^ — "Since the notice of the 

 invasion of my shop by bees the annoyance has continued, 

 though I have smoked the premises every day. Yesterday, the 

 young woman who keeps the shop had to shut up and take 

 herself off, as the bees were unusually cross, and prone to use 

 their stings. Indeed, I was myself afraid during the afternoon 

 to enter the passage leading to the back shop, and the public 

 outside had difficulty in moving along, owing to the swarms of 

 bees which, round the door and windows, were literally in 

 clouds. In spite of the free use of brimstone they tried to force 

 themselves through the keyhole and shutter-bolt holes. After 

 I had done with the smoking process the shop was opened, but 

 in two hours the enemy had full possession of the premises. 

 I closed and smoked again, which finished the work for that 

 day. This morning at half-past seven I opened as usual, but 

 before nine o'clock I had to run with all the skeps, mugs, and 

 plates of honey out of the shop into a back store, and to plug 

 up every hole through which air could penetrate. While 

 so engaged I was attacked by the bees, who stimg me through 

 my cap and veil. To-day I again smoked the shop, which, 

 since the removal of the honey, has not been so much run 

 upon." 



[The only wonder is that such occurrences are not more 

 common in shops where honey is exposed for sale. The inva- 

 sion might readily have been checked at the outset by removing 

 everything likely to attract the bees to a safe place, and then 

 throwing open doors and windows to permit them free egress. 

 When satisfied that no booty was to be obtained they would 

 speedily have taken their dep.arture, and, beyond a few strag- 

 glers during the next two or three days, jirobably nothing more 

 would have been seen of them.] 



SANIT^VRY PRECAUTIONS. 



At a meeting of the Sanitary Committee of Dubhn, held 

 recently, it was decided to circulate the following suggestions 



for improving the sanitary condition of dwellings, drawn up by 

 Professor Cameron, public analyst. 



The reported appearance of cholera in Southampton should 

 incite the inhabitants of Dublin to increased attention to the 

 sanitary condition of their dwellings. All the efforts of the 

 sanitary department of the Corporation cannot keep the public 

 health in a satisfactory state if, as is too often the case, the 

 most simple and obvious principles of hygiene are violated by 

 private individuals. The operations of the Corporation can 

 only be extended to the interior of the dwelUngs of a certain 

 portion of the poorer classes of the community ; but they have 

 frequently published suggestions for the improvement of the 

 public health, which all ranks of society might with great ad- 

 vantage to themselves act upon. As the present time should 

 be one of preparation against epidemic disease, attention to the 

 following points ought to be given by those whose houses are 

 to a great extent exempted from Corporation insiiection. 



Fresh air should be abundantly introduced into every part of 

 the house. The windows should not be closed dming the day ; 

 where air stagnates disease seldom fails to appear. Bed cur- 

 tains should not be used. Direct sunlight is a potent agent in 

 the preservation of health. Cholera, fever, and other endemic 

 diseases make greater ravages in houses situated on the shady 

 side of the street than in those where the sun's rays penetrate. It 

 is far better to allow our carpets and curtains to fade thau to ex- 

 clude from our rooms the health-giving beams of the sun. Effete 

 matters of every kind should be as speedily as possible removed 

 from the house. Ashpits and other receptacles for ofial and 

 rubbish should be frequently cleaned out. Water-closets are 

 often the source of disease, produced from noxious gaseous 

 matters which force their way up through the pipes. To guard 

 against this source of danger a saucerful of chloride of lime 

 (Ijleaching powder) might with great advantage be placed in 

 the water-closet. It would cost only a few pence, and would be 

 a most efficient disinfectant for at least a month, after which it 

 could be renewed. No untrapped sewer should be premitted to 

 exist ; and large oblong stone sinks, especially when untrapped, 

 should be looked upon as sources of malignant effluvia. Every 

 wall that admits of it should be frequently whitewashed ; and 

 at present it would be most desirable to add a quarter pound 

 of chloride of lime to every bucket of whitewash. In the case 

 of stables this addition would be productive of great benefit to 

 the health of the animals kept in them. At aU times, even 

 the careful dusting and rubbing of furniture is a matter of 

 sanitary importance, as minute purulent organic particles, by 

 which disease is often generated, adliere to the surface of even 

 tables and chairs. And here it may not be out of place to 

 remark that personal cleanliness, embracing complete ablution 

 of the body, is the first principle of hygiene. 



[■^Tiitewashing poiUtry-houses with chloride of lime is much 

 to be commended also.] 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Illusthatep PorLTRY Book (B. O. H.)—li is printing, and vnM be 

 published about the end of this month. 



Address ( T. N. S.).— Mr, Brierley's address is Rhodes House, Middleton 

 near Manchester. 



Te.4 Making.— a correspondent (J. Noon) says— Put the boilincr -water 

 into the teapot and the tea in over the water. The tea bein^ put in on 

 the water causes the leaf to expand before binlting to the bottom of the 

 teapot. 



Geese at Worcester Poultry Show. — Our reporter made a mistake 

 in nssigniug the first prize to Mr. Fowler; it wr.s awarded, we are informed, 

 to Mrs. E. S. Wolferstan, Shalford Hall, Tamworth. 



QuiLLBOUND (Q. B.). — The cure for a quillbound fowl is to oil the 

 affected parts thoroughly, and then to break the sldn where a slight pro- 

 trusion points out the locality of the stub, by passing a needle through 

 and breaking it upwards. 



Chicken Mortality (S. G. A.). — You cannot do better than Jidminister 

 castor oil to your fowls, now drooping their wings, breast puffed, and 

 wasting away, following it with stimulants, Kuch ns bread and ale. It is 

 a dangerous taste to introduce, but there is nothing so beneticial to 

 wasting fowls as raw yolks of eggs. Put camphor in all the water used in 

 your runs. 



Sunflower Seed (Evelyn). — We have heard sunflower seed much 

 praised as poultry food, but have never tried it. Perh:ii)s bruising the 

 teed might induce the fowls to eat it, as you say that they now refuse to 

 touch it. 



Buyers of Chrysalises {A Subscriber). — We know of no one who 

 purchases these for resale. 



Anatomy of the Bee (il/. D.). — You will find what you require in the 

 volume on bees of the " Naturalipt's Library " written by the late Dr. 

 Dunbar. The spermatheca either of the ^'gin or impregnated queen is% 

 however, always fully distended, the only di£"erence being in the charac- 

 ter of its contents. 



