60 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTOBE AND COTTAGE GAKDEKEE. 



f Jauukiy IC, lECC. 



been Seidell over, ami it would nppcnr that n peculiar form of 

 decomiiositini. 8ot« in wliicli ohniigis tlitm into a brown viscous 

 palp. wUifh llic bees make no attempt to remove from the 



Drierzon states that there are two forms or pliases of this 

 disease, one luil.l uiul curaMc.- the other virukiit imd nearly 

 incurable, and that the former is liahlo to degenerate into the 

 latter 'When tliis takes place the malady assumes a most in- 

 fectious ch.imctor : the bocs. combs, honey, propolis, nay, even 

 th*o very hive itself, become as it were saturated with the iin- 

 liealthy virus, and each and uU are capable of inoculating 

 healthy stocks. I'or this reason one diseased colony may 

 infect a whole apiarv, aiiJ one such hive in which the bees 

 have died may become the centre of contagion to an cutiro 

 neighbourhood, if suffered to remain exposed until plundered 

 of its contents. As the virulent type of this disease was un- 

 fortunately the one with which I made acquaintance in 1SG3, I 

 can fully indorse the conclusion iirrived at by Dzierzon— viz., 

 that looking at the probability of failure, and the risk of 

 spreading the infection, it is unadvisable, except under very 

 peculiar circumstances, to attempt the cure of a foiU-breciling 

 stock • better, far better, to consign the bees to the brimstone- 

 pit, drain the honev (which may be used for any pur])ose ex- j 

 cept feeding beesl," melt the combs, and let the proceeds go 

 towards the purchase of a new stock ; whilst the hive itself 

 should either be burnt or carefidly purified in the manner 

 hereinafter to be described. j 



As in my own case iieculiar circumstances did exist, and 1 | 

 conld neither think of exterminating my Ligurians, nor of 

 consigning mv entire stock of valuable hives to the flames, I 

 will briefly describe the process by which, after many vain 

 attempts resulting only in a series of vexatious and almost , 

 heart-breaking disappointments, I at length succeeded in re- 

 storing my ajiiary to its former state of perfect health, and 

 from which uo relapse whatever has since taken place. 



The bees and queen of an infected liive having been driven 

 from their own domicile should be placed in an intermediate 

 hive for four days, during the whole of which period the queen 

 must be imprisoned in a queen-cage. At the end of this term 

 any combs maJe in this liive should be destroyed, and the 

 bees again transferred to a new domicile in which they are 

 permanentlv to remain, and which is all the better if furnished 

 with a few pure worker combs. It is well even then to keep 

 the queen confined a day or two longer until comb-building has 

 commenceJ, when, upon her release, she will proceed to lay 

 eggs, which, if the matter has been properly managed, will 

 probably hatch iuto healthy brood. Infected hives, if straw, 

 should be burnt ; if wood, should be carefully scraped over, 

 the refuse scraped off being scrupulously burnt, and they should 

 be thoroughly washed with a saturated solution of chloride of 

 lime, which, in its tiurn, may in a day or two be washed off with 

 c!t;an water. If the hive can be spared it will he the safest 

 plan to put it by unused for a couple of seasons. 



Such, then, is the description and treatment of foul brood, 

 which, at the risk of repetition, I have ventured on transcrib- 

 ing, but which may also be found more fully detailed in my 

 communications to " our Journal " during the autumn of ItSliS. 

 In concluding my notice of the Diseases of Bees, I may be ex- 

 cused for giving exiiression to the hoj^e that none of my 

 readers may at any time realise tho woful experience of foul 

 brood, which at that time befcl— .\. Devonshire Bee-keeper. 



hives with those of straw by the mode recommended by your 

 contributor, I have not a doubt ; nay more, I have proved that 

 even in those of glass our little favourites may bear an nmoimt 

 of cold almost incredible, and come through as dry and health- 

 fully as in a straw hive by a somewhat similar contrivance. 

 The case alluded to and chronicled at tho time in these pages 

 was that of a large square observatnrj- hive of glass, whose 

 stance was a staircase window. T'le themiometsr on the 

 memorable morning of the 24th of December. 18r,;l. indicated 

 'i'l of frost within the hive, while in the comparative shelter 

 outside the windows it fell to 1' below zero, and, nevertheless, 

 tlio inmates came out of this trial in beautiful order. Thin 

 welcome, though unexpected result, I chiefly ascribed to the 

 thorough ventilation and consequent dryness aflurded by my 

 having emploved strips of India matting as a substitute for 

 the usual wooden slides between the bars, when cunstracting 

 the hive. I must, however, state that 1 would give a ilecided 

 preference to matting over old woollens for ventilating-purposes, 

 from the greater facility with which the surplus moisture is 

 allowed to escape through the former, and its not being so 

 readily absorbed and retained as in tlie latter, avoiding the risk 

 of the woollens becoming damp and musty, besides the greater 

 chance of their affording shelter to moths and vermin. 



AVhat a contrast the extreme mildness of the past December 

 ]n-eseuted to the severity of that of ISiJU. In sheltered nooks 

 along the banks of the Clyde a second crop of strawberries and 

 even pears has been gathered, while sprigs of labiu-niun blossom 

 are by no means uncommon. Is it to be wondered, then, that 

 in our higher, wilder, and more inland localities the furze 

 should be bursting into flower, while little clouds of youthful 

 yellow-jackets gambol iu the stray gleams of sunshine, while 

 older stagers hie off to rifle the bursting blossoms? An Ayr- 

 shire correspondent informs me that furze in blossom and bees 

 gathering prdlen in December, are events nnprecedenled in the 

 memory of their oldest apiarians.— A RESFr.EWSCii;E Bee- 

 KEEl'Er.. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Pre\-extixo Sorr Euos If. C.i.— Tho iemoiii;il will bo the prcvcatiyo 

 mensiuc. It is iil\v;ivs consi.kivci that the hen fnrais thc^caK iu herself, 

 but the shell is cninpu-i'il of chalk (cai-lx.iiato of linic 



must be supplied bv laviuK some lime-cuut,iinmg sulxtanee m 

 haunts. Failiu;; tliis. all thcv derive is from the husk of the v.i 

 •iven to tlieni. That is not sulficiunt. Sothini! is so Rood as a 1 



If 



AVINTER VENTILATION. 



I HAIL with delight, in common. I feel certain, with every 

 reader of the apiarian corner of " Our Journal," the first con- 

 tribution of our talented transatlantic brother, the Kov. L. L. 

 Langstroth, tho pioneer, it is to be hoped, of many more, alike 

 excellent, opportime, and useful. 



From having begun bee-keeping, I may stiy, by observing 

 and operating on stray colonies long established in our roof, 

 I can fully bear out what your correspondent says with re- 

 ference to the indifference of bees to cold, always providing 

 their domicile be kept dry and sweet. I would even say they 

 prefer a rather cool position, from having remarked that such 

 vagabond swarms usually select those portions of roofs having 

 a northern aspect, possibly from tho greater coolness there 

 enjoyed during the extreme heat of summer, coupled with the 

 additional advantage of thorough dormancy during the winter 

 months, and a consequent saving of store. 



That bees m.iy be wintered almost equally well in ■wooden 



This gubstauce 



sub-itanee in tho hen«' 



T.-hole corn 



_^^^^ _ ^ bisketfnl 



n't bricklayer's rubbishy They will leave chalk for the mortar between 

 the bricks of their house. Give uo more rice. 



DoRKlxiis' Combs Bl.m.k ('■..l.iirrij n)r.;,i.ji.— The change from a 

 hiL'her to a lower temperature will often cause the chanKc in the colonr 

 of the tips of the eouihs of aiiv fowls. One frosty morninu- will do it. If 

 thev are in health, the comb-i soon recover their red colour, save >n 

 very hard weather, when the tip freezes, turns white, and ultim;ilely falls 

 olT. A little stimtUaul, some bread soaked in good ale, wiU often remove 

 the blackness. , ..... ... 



Spanish Fowxs is- 18S."i {.^mal^:tr^.—^^'e know of no point in Spanish in 

 which there has been improvement diu-inR the past year. W c have seea 

 no birds equal to those shown bv Mr. Itake and Mr. Davics years .ag-). 

 The cocks lack stature and stvle. The former birds had laruc white, 

 pendant faces, and combs as stiff as if they were eat out of metal, joued 

 to InrRe-size, and faultless snninetry. The hens were very lar.!e, had soft 

 loppiiig combs, and pearl-white faces. These points were nil shown in 

 faultless perfection ; hut thev (are r.arc now as the characteristics of a 

 pen. Thev arc met with in single birds, but we do not see faultless pens 

 I of these hmls as wo did formerly. Iinpioveraout on them was very diffl- 

 eult: but many of those now shown arc capable of it. 



liooK (S. ir.).— It is a work of little worth, and will never be roprmtoJ 

 i probably. You will And aU you need in " Tho Poultrykeciier's Manual, 

 just published lit our olllce. „ , . . • 



iNCUiivmn (//. .SM.— We believe that of 5Icssrs. Crook is a good incu- 

 bator. For seven postage stamps you ciu have •• The Poultry Bonx for 

 the Many." free by post from our office. It contains a plan of a hoaso 

 and separate yards. o..»«t <ii i 



Bef. DvsEXTrRV. — Mr. O. Everest, Xavy jVnns, High Street, Old 

 Brompton. Kent. w..uld be obliged by any bee-keeper whoso bees aro 

 suffering from dvscnterv allowing him to make trial of a remedy, liecs 

 last winter were believed to be eiu'cd by it, bnt Mr. Everest wishes to test 

 it further before making it pu\)!ie. ^ . j .u t, . .— ». . 



Makiso Potato Scoar ( J. H. IF., Carimlal.— Grind the Potatoes to a 

 pulp; mix this thoroughly with water, and stir fre.iuently. After st-ind- 

 ing six hours pour .>1V the clear water— tho sediment is Potato-starch, 

 though not iiuitc pure. One part of this Potato-starch is tobc boiled with 

 four parts of w.iter. ..iie-tiflictb of oil of vitiol. during tbirty-six or for^,- 

 hours: the water which evaporates boin.; ropbeed. The jelly does n t 

 assume auv consistence ; the liquor remains elcar. and the material used 

 is found completelv converted into sugar. By means of chalk the acia 13 

 removed, and the solution being evaporated, tho sur^ar cryttallisea. 



POULTRY ]\IARKET.— .Jantary 1.->. 



The supply of poultrv remains good, with an average demand. When 

 the Game season is over we may look for a sUght advance of price, which 

 will, in all probability, be progressive. Turkeys .of good iiuality, tri 

 valued just in proportion as they are bcavj-. 



