358 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. C November 6, 1866. 



Tumblers (Any other variety).— First, Second, and Third, — Careless. 

 Tumblers (Long-muffed!. — First, Second, and extra money prize, 



— Careless. Third, — Edge. 



Jacobins.— First and Third, — Allsop. Second, — Edge. 



Fantails.— First, Second, Third, and extra prize, H. Yardley. 



Owls. — First, Second, and Third, — Barnes. 



Turbits.— First and Third, — Barnes. Second, H. Yardley. 



Barbs.— First, — Allsop. Second, — Foster. Third, H. Yardley. 



Dragons. — First, Second, and Third, and silver cup, for best bird in the 

 class, — Ludlow. Highly Commended, — Allsop ; — Ludlow ; — Edge. 



Antwerps. — First and extra prize — Ludlow. Second, — Smith. Third, 

 H. Yardley. Highly Commended, H. Yardley ; — Smith ; — Ludlow. 



Any other Variety.— First, Second, and Third, — Noye (Satinettes). 



ADULT BIRDS. 

 Carriers.— Coclts.— First, — Foster. Second, — Allsop. Third, — Barnes. 

 Highly Commended, — Wallter ; — Foster. Hens. — First and Second, 



— Siddons. Third, — Walker. Highly Commended, — Allsop. 

 Powters.— First and Third, — Foster. Second, — Edge. Highly Com- 

 mended, — Foster. 



Tumblers (Short-faced. — Prize, and Highly Commended, H. Yardley. 

 Tumblers (Any other variety). — First, — Foster. Second and Third, 



— Careless. Commended, — Foster. 



Jacobins and Fantails.— First, and Second for Fantails ; Third and 

 extra for Jacobins, H. Yardley. Highly Commended, — Stewart (Jacobins). 



Owls, Turbit8, and Nuns. — First, Second, and extra prize, H. Yardley 

 (Owls, Turbits). Third, — Foster (Turbits). Highly Commended, H. 

 Yardley (Nuns). 



Barbs. — First, Second, and extra prize, H. Yardley. Third, — Edge. 



Dragons.— First and Third, H. Yardley. Second, — Ludlow. Highly 

 Commended, — Ludlow ; — Edge. 



Antwerps. — First and extra prize, H. Yardley. Second and Third, 



— Ludlow. Highly Commended, H. Yardley ; — Barnes. Cocks. — First, 

 H. Yardley. Second and Third, — Edge. Highly Commended, H. Yardley ; 



— Barnes. 



Any other Variety.— First, Second, and extra prize, a painting of Red 

 Pile Game Fowls, — Noye (Satinettes). Third, H. Yardley (Brunswicks). 

 Highly Commended, H. Yardley (Black Runts, Black Magpies, Red Helmets 

 Yellow Magpies). 



Mr. Edward Hewitt, of Eden Cottage, Sparkbrook, Birmingham, 

 fulfilled the office of Arbitrator. 



WOODBRLBGE POULTRY SHOW. 



Totje correspondent Mr. Hose ■wished to see a list of the un- 

 paid of the prizetakers at this Show. I am one of the 

 creditors of this affair, where, amongst other pieces of 

 mismanagement, a tent was blown down, and a general 

 scramble of the birds took place. I wish they would give us 

 the same chance for our money. 



I received a printed circular signed by J. Wright, similar to 

 that which was sent to your correspondent, and with a similar 

 result, if nothing can be called a result. I have also received 

 a balance sheet or statement of accounts unsigned, purporting 

 to be drawn up by John Dallenger, an accountant, which goes 

 to show that the Society owes him some money. This docu- 

 ment is so minute in its detail that it includes " a pen in the 

 possession of J. Wright, a box in the possession of J. Dallenger, 

 a piece of calico with inscription, a water-pot, and two 

 needles at Id. each." Wondrous exactness ! — what pen can 

 this be, and why should J. Wright have it ? Is the box the 

 money-box ? — it is only valued at 2s. &d. What can be the in- 

 scription on the calico ? I can suggest one, but it is no good 

 quoting Latin ; and as for the two penny needles, bless their 

 eyes !— I do not want them. 



Mr. Hinton informed us in your pages some time since that 

 he had received his money — lucky man ! See what it is to 

 show Brahmas. I cannot, however, congratulate him on this 

 undue preference. A gentleman with whom I am acquainted 

 sued the Secretary of the Show in the County Court and was 

 paid. Let your correspondent Mr. Hose and all others take 

 the hint, and then they need not write any more letters. — 

 Eoomet. 



'• B. & W.'s " APLUTx" IN 1806. 

 (Continued from page 305.) 

 I note the remarks of your correspondent " J. E. B.," at 

 page 213, as to the poverty of my breeding operations this 

 year. I am bound to confess that the result has been insigni- 

 ficant, although I cannot think with him that " the season has 

 been practically lost ;" nor do I see how I can be in a " worse 

 position next year," because, as is alleged, " the pure queen 

 will have a poorer chance of proving prolific in 1868." I 

 cannot agree to this, as my experience goes to prove that pro- 

 lific queens retain their fecundity almost unimpaired to the 

 rjlose of their life. Nevertheless, I quite agree with "J. E. B.'s " 

 implied disapprobation of my slow method of proceeding. The 

 fact is, that I have less time than formerly to devote to my 

 bees, while the time I have at disposal is distributed among a 



greater number of hives. It is for this reason that I have this 

 year allowed the bees to swarm at pleasure in the natural 

 manner, by which I have been a considerable loser both of 

 swarms and honey. I relied too implicitly on their not swarm- 

 ing, but, give as much room as I might, the bees persisted in 

 swarming in the most disappointing manner, as they did last 

 year. More than ever am I convinced that natural swarming 

 is a most wasteful and unproductive system, not to speak of 

 the disappointment and vexation which follow upon it. A 

 natural swarm is a beautiful sight, no doubt ; so also to the 

 botanist and mere lover of the picturesque is a wild hedgerow, 

 or a fallow and neglected field. To him high cultivation, with 

 the adoption of the most successful inventions in agricultural 

 machinery, is an abomination. So also to the artist are modern 

 cottages, with light, and air, and rooms for decency and com- 

 fort, which follow on the destruction of those charming cottages, 

 roofed with thatch, and covered with ivy and moss, which arrest 

 the gaze of mere external admiration, while they make the 

 philanthropist sigh as he thinks of the ill-health and immorality 

 which they foster. So in apiculture, if plenty of honey is 

 looked to as the object of bee-keeping, artificial swarming 

 must be resorted to by all who can command the needful time 

 and intelligence. Even cottagers should learn some better 

 system than the " let-well-alone," and the brimstone pit — 

 although, by the way, the latter is sometimes a very useful and 

 merciful auxiliary, nor should its use be altogether discarded. 



Since my last paper was written, I have received a beautiful 

 Italian queen from Mr. Woodbury, which I succeeded only 

 yesterday in establishing as queen-mother of E in my bee- 

 house. She was recognised and joyfully accepted by the bees 

 within six hours of the loss of their old queen. Is not this 

 one of the shortest intervals on record between the loss of a 

 queen and the reception of a new sovereign in a hive? — 

 B. A- W. 



THE EGYPTIAN BEE. 



My friend, Mr. Woodbury, having in his graphic account of 

 his introduction and his short period of possession of Apis 

 fasciata, mentioned my name as being one of the recipients of 

 his discarded beauties, I think it but due to him, as well as to 

 your readers generally, to relate both how the bees have fared 

 with me and I with them. Two of the gentlemen who have 

 had stocks of this variety have already favoured us with the 

 results of their experience, which have corresponded to a great 

 extent with those of Mr. Woodbury. I can also endorse all 

 that he has stated, not so much from my own experience with 

 the bees since the three hives which I had from him came into 

 my possession, but from having been a frequent eye and ear 

 witness of what did really occur in and about Mr. Woodbury's 

 apiary during the time he owned them. 



With me I must confess these little savages have behaved 

 much better than they did when in his possession, or than I at 

 all expected them to do from my previous acquaintance with 

 their dispositions and conduct. Hitherto I have made no 

 attempt at propagation of the variety, being very imwilling to 

 increase the savage element in the dispositions of the bees of 

 my entire apiary, by the intermixture of Egyptian blood among 

 my Ligurian and common hives. I preferred waiting until 

 better acquainted with their qualities as breeders and honey- 

 storers, and until after opportunities of observing how their dis- 

 positions might be affeoted by being almost entirely left alone. 

 I hope early next year, however, to rear a few artificial swarms. 



Perhaps it may be as well to give a short history of the three 

 hives of Egyptians since I have had them. Although fully 

 aware of the character of these bees, nevertheless, I was glad to 

 avail myself of Mr. Woodbury's offer of an exchange of stocks. 



No. 1 was a small artificial swarm, still limited to four 

 frames in a nucleus-box, and the queen had only just com- 

 menced laying eggs. I believe her to be almost, if not per- 

 fectly, a pure queen, and a breeder of pure Egyptians, as 

 there were only drones of that variety at that time present in 

 Mr. Woodbury's apiary. In transferring the combs into my 

 own hive, it was necessary to fasten the bars by wires or 

 screws to those of my own frames, there being a difference 

 between the dimensions of Mr. Woodbury's and mine. The 

 transference was effected with very little difficulty, though not 

 without an attack from all the disposable forces at the enemy's 

 command ; but their numbers being limited, and I being well 

 protected, the assault did not trouble me much. After a few 

 days, when the population had received an accession of num- 

 bers from young bees hatching out from the Ligurian brood- 



