36 



JOUJRNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ July 8, 1889. 



A lortnigbt ago — having previously purchased the tree, I had 

 it cut down the trunk, taking 2 or 3 inches ofl the two highest 

 pieces of comb insido the tree, thus making sure that I had 

 reached the colonists. On this stump, now i feet in height 

 and 2 feet in diameter where cut, I placed a common straw 

 skep, with the entrance of course facing the south, their 

 old and what is still their present entrance being on the ground 

 at the very bottom of the trunk, facing the north-west. A landing 

 board was fixed on the top of this stump opposite the entrance 

 to the straw hive, cow secured and properly protected. The 

 entrance to the straw hive I kept completely closed for four or 

 five days ; I then opened it, expecting that the bees might 

 abandon their former lowly entrance and go out and in from the 

 top, and ultimately fill the straw hive with combs, tec. ; and 

 when her majesty should be there rejoicing in the ample dome 

 (to her) so mysteriously placed on the apex of her old abode, 

 I would remove the skep with a tremendously strong swarm, 

 or rather colony of bees, at some convenient season to my 

 apiary at the garden top. These bright anticipations, or rather 

 hopes, have not and do not seem likely to be realised, for not 

 a bee availed itself of this new entrance either in going in or 

 coming out by it. And they did not seem to be working in the 

 skep at all, so I again closed and completely darkened the 

 entrance to the hive, and they are still going on as if the tree 

 had never been touched. 



This is what I have done. Now, what I want is to get the 

 bees out of that old tree stump into a hive, so that I may gra- 

 dually remove them to my apiary, and take the honey out of 

 the tree, quietly and unmolested by its present inmates, for my 

 trouble. How am I to proceed in order to accomplish this ? 

 This is my only question, and I hope you will be able to give 

 me an answer as soon as possible, as I would like them properly 

 housed in good time to provide for themselves during the 

 coming winter. 



I could drum, or '' drive " as you call it, a swaim out of a 

 hive full of combs, itc, and place that on the top of the stump, 

 and close up their entrance hole at the bottom, if you thought 

 that would do any good.— Old Tkee Stump. 



[If the bees had taken possession of the empty hive it would 

 only have been by way of super, and the seat of breeding would 

 have remained in the tree stump or " Klotz hive " as it is styled 

 by the Germans. The same result would probably ensue, even 

 if yon placed a full hive on the top. If yon must get them out, 

 we see nothing for it but to attack them vi el armis by cutting 

 the stump to pieces, excising the combs, and fitting them into 

 a frame hive, into which the bees must then bo swept ; but 

 this is rather a formidable operation for which no specific 

 dii-ections can be given, and which ought only to be attempted 

 by a skilled apiaiian.] 



will like to have the personal experience of one who has kept 

 the breed.— Jons P.»ees. 



BRITTANY COWS. 

 Is Emswer to your correspondent's inquiry respecting Brit- 

 tany cows, I can inform him that, having kept them for many 

 years, I have found them very satisfactory. They are hardy, 

 and do well on poor land, and in winter they do not require so 

 much feeding-up as other breeds, especially the Alderneys. 

 They are far hardier than the latter, and though I do not think 

 their milk so rich or good for making butter, they give in 

 proportion to their size a considerable quantity. One of mine 

 yielded eleven quarts daily at her best time. This of course 

 would be considerably above the average, although I have one 

 at the present time which gives nearly the same quantity. I 

 believe them to be proof against the cattle disease, having never 

 heard of an instance to the contrary, and having known a case 

 in which Brittany cows running with Alderneys escaped, while 

 the latter took the disease. They are said to fatten well, and 

 make good meat. 



There are, I believe, two distinct breeds imported, one larger 

 than the other, and this would be the more profitable for your 

 correspondent to try. I have brought them of Mr. Baker, ol 

 Falham, and more recently from Messrs. Robertson, 113, Lead- 

 enhall Street, London. Black and white is the common colour, 

 but some are red and white. They are extremely docile, and 

 will bear being tethered where they cannot have their hberty. 

 The one difficulty is with regard to the bull ; and "Suesciuber" 

 would be wise, if he intends keeping them, and there is not a 

 very small bull of some other breed in the neighbourhood, to 

 keep a Brittany bull. 

 I have replied at some length, as I think your correspondent 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Thobke P<»ci,tbv Suow.— .\ corrcFjiondent writes that tbe second prize 

 tor a single bnck liabbit wan awarded to Mr. C. Oratil, Inn., ol Thome. 

 We gave iLo prize list as we received it. 



CoLcutsTER PovLTRV Siiow.— *' In Tour Joamal of tbe 21tli nil., in 

 your remarks upon tlie Colchester Poultrj- Show, you say yon nilftake not 

 if yon had seen the birds that lunlt the tirst and cup in the Dorkins cI*B8 

 in a sellin;.' class, because his Icet were bad. 1 should feel obliged if you 

 would contradict this statement; 1 bred him luyeelf, and he has never 

 been exhibited before.— W. TirrLEK." 



Rice and Wheat as Food ion PocirnY (Yuun:i Bcjiinncr).— Rice, 

 eitlier raw or cooked, unless boiled in milk ur pravy, is the most wasteful, 

 uuprofitable, unsatisfying, and wretched food you can Rive. 11 produces 

 the symptoms you name, and, in addition, covers the body of the fowls 

 obliged to feed on it with parasites, which literally tease and worry them 

 to death. Wo class rice for poultry and sawdust for human beings in 

 the same category, so far as noorisbment is concerned. We tried it 

 many years ago on pig^. Gee?r, Ducks, and fowls; all fared alike, and we 

 buried most of them. The survivors, those that lived in spite of the rice. 

 never throve afterwards, but seemed to have the same brown, shrivelled 

 skin native Indian artists give to their brethren who feed on the same 

 food. Wheat is not injurious to fowls, but it i.s inferior as food to barley. 

 April pullets kept in confinement will not lay before December. Tney 

 would lay earlier If they had their liberty. The Brahmas will probably 

 lay first. 



Exhibiting Bnows P.ed Eastams (J. L. D.).— We cannot be so in- 

 vidious as to classify them as you request, but any of the following twelve 

 shows will be found among the most prominent of our meetings, and we 

 feel assured will sufficiently test the good qualities of your birds to win 

 at either of them. Thev are jotted down promiscuously :— Whitehaven, 

 Kendal, Jedburgh, Hull, Bath and Wist of England Society, Beverley, 

 Middleton, Hahfax, Manchester, Birmingham, Ipswich, Southampton. 



Keakixg Tcbkevs (J. I".).— If, when you asked our advice, you had 

 told us you intended to rear Turkeys on a small space, we should have 

 advised you not to attempt it. They bear confinement badly, and the 

 proof is, that yours are sufl'cring. They inflate the skin of the lower beak 

 and of the ckeek because their nostrils are stopped up, and not as though 

 they were. The sooner you can give them the run, tbe sooner they will 

 recover. There is (virtuo in the smell of new-mown grass ; and in the 

 present state of the heads of your Turkeys, if you could induce a moder- 

 ate attack of " hay fever," it might be bcneheial. Wash their noBtnIs 

 with cold water and vinegar, give them one, or in had cases, if the bird 

 is not too weak, two pills of camphor the .-^ize of a garden pea. Let them 

 have no drink but ale. They will soon like it, and from the time they 

 have acquired the taste, they will eschew water. It will not, however, 

 be wise to give them all the liberty the fresh-mown space affords. 

 Turkey poults are very mother-sick, and a hen Turkey will wander 

 through the dewy grass at early dawn, starting with her thirteen 

 " olive branches." They will perish at the rate of two every hoar till the 

 sun is up. and she will return lull and triumphant ; she will *' rest and be 

 thankful " « hilo three or four remain. She docs not make troubles. 

 Confine her under her rip in the sunniest spot you can choose. Do not 

 give her her liberty till the sun is up, and the grass is dry. Use oat, pea, 

 barley, and bean meal mixed, and add to it, when slaking with milk or 

 water, lots of onion-tops chopped fine. 



UxlTlSG Bees {.V. J. P.>.— Drive the inhabitants of both stocks into the 

 same emptv hive, then knock the whole out upon a cloth spread on tbe 

 ground, and place the full hive over them supported on two sticks to avoid 

 crushing the bees, which will speedily ascend without flgLLing. 



HoNEV Tasting of Vaxilla {A. B).— There is an infinite variety in 

 the flavoui- of honey, and that collected from lime tree blossoms has a 

 peculiar taste, which, if you are not acquainted with it, may possibly have 

 been mistaken for vanilla. 

 1 Swarm Retchxino to the Hive (J. r.l. — The queen may not have 

 ' accompanied the sw arm, or she mav have dropped on the ground and been 

 ' lost. In either case it is likely that the sivarm will again come forth. 

 Food run A Ccceoo (.V. .v., ror*).— Soaked bread and bruised hemp- 

 seed mixed with it, and hard-boiled egg ; but its principal food shoold 

 consist of raw beef cut small, meal worms.gardcn worms, caterpillars, and 

 occasionally a snail. 



Food fob a Blackbird { V. E.).— Bread soaked in cold water andsqneczed 

 every day. and bruised hempseed mixed with it, may be the usual food; 

 occasionally a little hard-boiled egg, potato and carrot may be added for a 

 change, .\bout twice or three limes a-week it should have three or four 

 meal worms, or garden worms, or a little chopped meat, beef being best. 

 Water should be given at once, and always supplied. The bird is very 

 fond of fruit any way. 



Food fob a Yolxg Owx (Idf rah— Soaked bread, chopped egg, and scraped 

 meat, scraped or cut up very small, mixed together; the mc.it should be 

 in the larger proportion. When it can feed alone, meat shmld be its 

 principal food. The evening is the most suitable lime for feeding. 



Bottlixo G.iosEBERuiEs AND Ehcbarb Greex (Fniil).—When the 

 gooseberries arc a little more than halt grown they must be gathered 

 dry, and after being picked clean put into wide-mouthed bottles, ehakinc 

 them gently down till each bottle is full. Cork the bottles tightly, set 

 them in a moderate oven, and let them remain till heated through. Beat 

 the corks in tightlv, cut off the tops, resin them over, and keep them in 

 a dry, cool place. Cnt and peel the rhubarb as for tarts, pot it in clean 

 dry bottles, cork them, but not tightly, put them in a pan of cold water, 

 and set them on a moderate fire. When tbe rhubarb changes colour, and 

 begins to shrink u little in the bottles, take them off the tire, and let them 

 stand till cold ; then cork them tightly, and set them in a Ciol dry place, 

 with the necks downwards, to prevent the rhubarb fermenting. Be care- 

 ful the oven is not too hot, or the bottles will fly. Cork them tightly 

 when thev are quite cold. It is a verv good plan to lay a double sheet of 

 brown paper in the oven, and place the bottles on their sides, turning 

 them occasionally. 



