October 2, 1888. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



269 



eggs, of which she had but six, therefore they were always 

 under her breast." Can this statement he true ? Was the 

 time of sitting the hen noted in a pocketbook, for memory is 

 treacherous ? Concerning the scratching powers of Game hens 

 Mr. Lushington uses an illustration which will make the hair 

 of florists stand on end, for he images the hen and her chicks 

 among newly sown flower-beds. 



We have several pages on racing, which I do not pretend to 

 understand, nor see how it has much to do with poultry. 



Mr. Lushington objects to testing eggs with hot water a few 

 days beforo tho time of hatching, calling it " the soaking process," 

 and that he is "no advocate for meeting troublo halfway." I 

 would reply, Is it not best to know the worst as soon as pos- 

 sible, and not uufrequently one of two hens may be restored to 

 the yard, there being but chickens enough for one ? Mr. L. 

 seems to have suffered in his " walk" from the bad temper of 

 the cook, which perhaps ho tried to cure homceopathically, 

 which he tells us he did when his fowl broke its leg ; for, says 

 he, " I never attempted to set it, preferring to treat the patient 

 hornceopathically — i.e., by fracturing its neck also, for like 

 cures like." 



Passing by several chapters we come to the " Concluding 

 Observations," in which Mr. Lushington speaks of " a teat ! 

 of eggs," and likens his little book to an "omnibus," of which 

 he appears to me to be the somewhat amusing conductor. 

 Following " Concluding Observations " comes the afore-men- 

 tioned " Nota Bene." Very funny and punning it is — nay, 

 Mr. Lushington is funny to the end, for he ends thus — " To 

 the attainment of the desired 



EXD." 



But funnier than all comes, " The right of translation is 

 reserved." Think of the labour of a Frenchman : how puzzled 

 he would be at the very funny English ! 



Well, now, having looked at this book in one way, let me 

 look at it in another. There are many passages which in my 

 copy I have marked " good," but I fear there is little new. 

 There is much good advice as to what Mr. L. says about nests 

 on the ground, and his repeatedly urging that fresh clean 

 water be given to fowls, &c. ; indeed I am sure the writer is a 

 humane man. Its humour is not first-class, but 'tis funny — 

 wondrous funny ! — Wiltshire Rector. 



RADCLIFFE POULTRY SHOW. 



The annual Show of this Society took place at Eadcliffe, on 

 Monday, the 24th of September. The following prizes were 

 awarded : — 



SrANlsn.— First and Second. N. Cook, Chowbent, near Manchester. 



Dorkings (Grey).— Second, T. Statter. Stand. 



Game.— Cock— First, J. Smith, Ram's Head, Pilkington. Second, C. W. 

 Bnerley, Rhodes House, near Middleton. 



Game.— First, F. J. Astbnry, Stand Lodge (Red-breasted). Second, 

 T. Statter. 



Cochin-Cuina.— First, — Eott, Bury. Second, C. W. Erierlev. 



Hambukohs (Golden-pencilled). —'First, W. Pair, Patrierott, near 

 Manchester. 



Hamburghs (Silver-pencilled).— First, TV. Parr. 



Hamburghs (Golden-spangled).— First, S. and R. Ashton, Mottram, 

 near Manchester. 



Hamborghs (Silver-spangled).— First, J. Smith. Second, W. Parr. 



Polands.— First, P. Unsworth, Lowton, near Warrington. 



Brahma Pootra.— First, T. Statter. 



Bantams.— First, R. Gerrard, Chowbent, near Manchester. Second, 

 C. Pollitt, Spring Lane, Radcliffe. 



Tor.KEYs.-First. E. Luch, the Greave, Rochdale. Second, S. H. Stott, 

 Quarry Hill, Rochdale. 



Dccks (Any variety).— First, E. Luch. Second, T. Statter. 



Geese.— First, E. Luch. Second, VV. Green, Radcliilc. 



BEE-KEEPING IN YORKSHIRE. 



I venture on a short account of my bee-keeping operations 

 tkis season, not because there is anything special to say. but 

 because all details are interesting. 'We all like to know what 

 others are doing, how far the season has been satisfactory in 

 any given locality, what adventures or mishaps have occurred, 

 and the like ; and I think I am expressing a wish that is very 

 general, that a larger number of readers would pay their share 

 of contributions to the common fund. 



Judging both from published reports and private correspon- 

 dence, the season in the south has been ineomparablv better 

 than in the north, or, at any rate, than in the West' Riding 

 of Yorkshire. In this immediate locality wo had frost at the 

 end of April and the beginning of May, and on the 17th of 

 the latter month a careful examination showed that many 



hives had actually gono back as compared with three weeks 

 previously. There were only six days of warm and really pro- 

 pitious weather in May, and a great part of June was un- 

 favourable. Tho honey harvest was principally gathered be- 

 tween the 22nd and the 30th of June, both days inclusive, 

 during which time the supply seemed unlimited, and the bees' 

 worked from a very early hour till 8.30 p.m. June 2nd and 3rd 

 were also extraordinary days. A honeydew was noticed on 

 the 2l!th, 27th, and 2Kth. Strong stocks that were able to take 

 full advantage of this interval have done well ; weak stocks and 

 late swarms have done very poorly, and the total is below the 

 average. The cold and wet weather caused breeding to cease 

 unusually early, and, speaking for myself, after July closed 

 scarcely anything could be done in the way of strengthening 

 artificial stocks by means of brood-combs. 



My apiary at the beginning of the season consisted of seven 

 stocks, of which four were very strong ; two might be con- 

 sidered strong, and one very weak. The surplus honey was 

 gathered by three only of the best stocks, and amounted to 

 116 lbs., of which, however, only 80 lbs. were available. 



Two hives of equal strength, and treated precisely alike, 

 gave very different results. On the 27th of June the super of 

 one was removed quite full, but on examination the queen had 

 made her way up into it, and had bred there so extensively 

 that, being thickly populated, I made of it a separate swarm, 

 and placed a second empty hive upon the stock. This was re- 

 moved on the 2nd of August pretty well rilled, though some of 

 the combs were very partially sealed over. This second box 

 weighed 29 lbs. nett, making a total of 55 lbs. and a swarm. 

 The bees in the companion hive refused to enter the super on 

 any terms; it was in vain that I tempted them with large 

 pieces of empty comb by way of a start, and then with a full 

 honeycomb — it was of no use. Two combs of brood were then 

 transferred from the stock hive, and rinding after several in- 

 spections that there was a fair population in the super, they 

 were left to go ahead, as the weather was then highly favour- 

 able. I thought the bees were at last fairly out-mano:uvred, 

 but I was vastly mistaken. In due time I came to this 

 favourite and most populous hive, intent on plunder. I pre- 

 pared for a heavy lift, and up came the box with a correspond- 

 ing bounce, literally empty — not a bee to twiddle her antenna; 

 at me and cry " hum ! " They had hatched out the brood, 

 and then descended, taking with them what little honey re- 

 mained in the two combs. For a long time no satisfactory 

 reason appeared to account for this refusal to work in the 

 super, and it looked like another example of " the glorious un- 

 certainty" of bee-keeping; but it has since occurred to me 

 that the hive which was given them as a super had held a 

 Liguriau stock during the winter months, and the taint left by 

 it may have been the cause. Still, having been partially occu- 

 pied by themselves, and having been placed over their own 

 hive for more than five weeks, one would have expected that 

 anything of this sort would have disappeared. This, however, 

 is the only explanation I can suggest. Clearly it was something 

 objectionable in the box itself, as notwithstanding the lateness 

 of the season, when three glasses were afterwards put on, they 

 were all immediately occupied, and work proceeded rapidly for 

 a week or more, when the season abruptly ended. Another 

 hive gave 3-i lbs. of beautiful combs, perfectly sealed over ; and 

 though there was in this case no adapter, the combs contained 

 neither pollen nor brood, except a small patch of the latter 

 about 2 inches square. 



A circumstance connected with the only natural swarm 

 which I have had this year may, perhaps, be narrated here. 

 I was told on my return home in the evening that one of the 

 hives had swarmed, but which of a group of four was not quite 

 certain. A moment's inspection satisfied me that no one of 

 the four had thrown a swarm, and the others were much too 

 busy to allow of any doubt about them. The swarm must 

 have come astray. But the assurances were so strong that 

 the bees came from my own garden, that this could not be. 

 I took a walk round again, with the same result. This was 

 very much like the old lady with her exceptional letter, who 

 inspected the seal, and the postmark, and the address, and 

 then ran over the list of her friends, quite lost in conjectures 

 as to her unknown correspondent, instead of looking inside. 

 At length it occurred to me to go and look at the swarm, and 

 house it, whether home or foreign produce; but on reach- 

 ing the spot the hive was empty, which explained the whole 

 affair — the bees had returned to their old quarters, and with 

 the queen at their head. Removing the super, as already re- 

 lated, the swarming instinct being strong upon them, the "bees 



