218 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTTJBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



[ September 9, 1889. 



poned to the 17th of Jane, in order, first, to be more certain o( 

 the presence of virnlent foal brood ; second, that foul brood 

 might reach its highest possible point of development, eo as to 

 test the process as seTerely as might bo. Scarcely a day passed 

 in the interval when some bee-keeper did not visit Mr. Graven- 

 horst, and one and all declared that there was no mistaking 

 the presence of foul brood. To convince himself still farther, 

 Mr. Gravenhorst procured from a friend saflering from foal 

 brood two pieces of comb and compared them most carefully, 

 and found precisely the same appearances and smell in each. 

 On the 17th of June Mr. Lambrecht was sent for to exercise 

 his ^kill. When he saw the state of the stock, he at once said 

 that it was a case requiring extraordinary means, and that 

 whereas a fortnight sooner it woald have been a simple matter 

 to cure it, the case was now very different. The stock was 

 brought into a room, the process gone throngh, and in about 

 half an hoar the bees were once more in the same hive in their 

 previous situation. 



" In the beginning of July Mr. Gravenhorst was visited by 

 another well-known German bee-keeper, and in company with 

 him examined the stock, and they found one foul-broody cell. 

 On the 8;h of July some members of the Committee discovered 

 three or four cells in the same state, and Mr. Lambrecht was 

 communicated with, and on the l^>th of July again applied his 

 remedy. At this date, however, the stock had nearly recovered 

 itself ; there was abundance of brood, and from twelve to 

 £fteen royal cells. For fear of swarming, the latter together 

 with the drone brood were removed, and the same process was 

 repeated on the 27ih. 



" The above is Mr. Gravenhorst's account. He goes on to 

 say, that at first, like Dzierzon and von Berlepsch, he was an 

 opponent of Lambrecht's theory ; but being unacquainted with 

 chemistry, or the manner of conducting microscopical investi- 

 gations, he could only speak as a practical man, and say that 

 if proved by facts he should he satisfied ; and, he adds, facts 

 have spoken. The stock was thoroughly healthy, was fed with 

 fermenting pollen and honey, became foul-broody, and is once 

 more, after being subjected to the Lambrecht process, as sound 

 as ever. 



" As, he adds, a practical bee-keeper will not care whose a 

 theory may be, whether Lambrecht's, or Preuss's, or Dzierzon's, 

 &c. ; if he has foul brood amongst his bees he will be perfectly 

 satisfied with a means of curing it ; and he ends by declaring 

 that he and those who saw the stock are satisfied with the pro- 

 cess used by Mr. Lambrecht." 



REMO\aNG A LIGURIAN QUEEN. 



On the 11th of April I received a hive of Italian bees from 

 Mr. Woodbury, and on the 4th of July took an artificial swarm, 

 which, aliboiigh rather late, was a very good one. The old hive 

 I removed a few paces off in the manner described ; the swarm, 

 although only three weeks old, was working well in a super, 

 and during the very hot weather in June or July, I found the 

 combs had fallen from their frames, and presented nothing but 

 confusion. The old hive up to this time had shown no signs of 

 breeding, and on examining the combs I could not find a queen, 

 nor a single prab. I therefore resolved upon giving back the 

 old queen, thinking the swarm (after having the combs which 

 had fallen removed) would hatch another queen. This I did on 

 August 1st, and on the Hh liberated her majesty — when to my 

 unspeakable sorrow she was brought out dead in five minutes. 

 I have examined the hive twice since that time, and neither 

 time could I discover either queen or brood. 



The htea have wonderfully degenerated, but not wholly left 

 off pollen-gathering ; they bring home very little ; of honey there 

 is at a guess, 40 or 50 lbs. weight. Well, to-day I had another 

 search before uniting them to a black stock, and judge my 

 surprise when I found a princess, with ragged wings, dark 

 abdtmtn (neatly black), and more like an old worn-out worker 

 than anything else; but undoubtedly a princess. There are 

 very few drones left in the hive. Now what shall I do 7 Is it 

 too late for fertilisation, or shall I wait another week or two ? 

 The swarm hatched a queen, and although there is not yet any 

 signs of brood, still the bees carry pollen freely, and I do not 

 apprehend two sterile queens. — IIiuncATr:. 



P.3. — I find that by transposing, the black bees receive the 

 Italians peacefully, but have always lost the black bees when 

 trying to strengthen the Itahans. 



[The hive containing the artificial swarm conld not have been 

 properly sheltered from the sun, hence the collapse and fall of 



its combs. It was, of coarse, a mistake in any case to transfer 

 the original Ligarian queen, bat the presence of the ragged- 

 winged princess donbtless rendered the catastrophe more certain. 

 We should get rid of the latter at all events, and we advise yoor 

 communicating with Mr. Woodburj', who, we doubt not, will be 

 willing to assist you.] 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Chickens Dying (E. F. ir.).— There is probably eomo fault in Tour 

 feeding, as thoro is no reason why your cbickens should die at this time 

 of year. Fuod them on bread soaked in milk, dough made of ont orbarlcy- 

 munl. Let tlicm hive a grasB run, and be well supplied witli duet or road 

 firit, also with pure spriug water. Keep the hens under the rip till the 

 chickens arc seven weeks old. If you do this, wo do not believe they will 

 die. Yon may add to tho dietary given above, the knuckle of a leg or 

 sboiildor of mutton, cooked and chopped fine. (C. B. if.).— Your food is 

 hardly pood enough for verv young chickens, but ft Is quite enough to 

 support life, and they ehould not therefore die. We believe your mitiijUie 

 has been you let tho hen out too soon. We never allow our hens their 

 liberty till the chicks -are six weeks old, and in the winter use them in con- 

 fincmcnt longer. We are not very friendly to wheat for small chicken?, 

 we prefer barley, but we also give chopped egg ; wo mix our meal with 

 milk; we also give cooked meat choppe'l fine. The rips in which the 

 hens are kept should be daily changed in place, so that there is always 

 a fresh roost, and taint is avoided. They want more care and feeding 

 between a fortnight and a month old, than at any other time. Provide 

 them with dust. 



Fowls Roosting over an Oven (Xorihrm Subtcriber). — We should be 

 disposed to attribute the snuffling, which is catarrh or incipient roup, to 

 rongtiug over the heated oven. All such heat is injurious to poultry. We 

 have enough of change in our climate without inventing any. As wa 

 read your query, the fowls also have a roosting place with a brick floor. 

 Nothing can be' worse. Find some place where they can roost without 

 artilicial heat, and where there is a floor they can scratch upon. If yon 

 can do this, all tho medicine they will want for a few dr.vs will be a sti- 

 mulant in the shape of toasted bread steeped in strong alo. The heated 

 roosting would be more dangerous in T^'inter than now. 



Fowls ?rFFERrNO fbom Catarrh (CoMtnnt Rfcidfr). — Your fowls are 

 Enffcring from very severe cold. It is common at present, and not to be 

 wondered at with frosty nights and unusually hot days. Improve the 

 feeding a little, and while the discharge lasts give two doscB daily at the 

 longest intervals, of bread soaked in strong ale. 



Gahe Bantams (T. M.}.— The cock Bboold be dabbed for exhibition 

 purposes. 



Trimming — Names of Judges (Rerd. G.J.Milner). — The memorial, we 

 believe, was sent to the Committees. The judges' names are pre-pnblished 

 by some Committees ; but there are objections to, as well as rca.sons for, 

 the practice. 



Jacobin Pigeons (AmaUur Pigeon FanctVr).— The points of a Jacobin 

 show Pigeon are as follows : — A short beak, the shorter tho better ; bead, 

 tail, flight, rump, and thighs pure white ; eye clear pearl ; hood compact 

 and long, at^o the chain ; size of the bird small ; plumage rich and good, 

 not washed out. The white of the heid shoold not extend below tho 

 beak, shape a little long but neat and elegant. Feed well and wash 

 clean for exhibition. 



IXTRODCCtNG A QUEEN TO HiTE CONTAINING A FeRTILB WoUKER 



(J, c.). — It is too great a risk to attempt the introduction of a valuable 

 queen to a stock in which a fertile worker may bo presumed to exist. We 

 should drive and unite to it tho inhabitants of a condemned hive. 



Removing a Partly-filled Eell-glass E. M. M.).—li should be 

 taken ofl* at all events; and we should appropriate its contents, which 

 cannot but deteriorate by keeping. 



Uniting a Swarm and Stock (M. J. F.).— The bees of the Bwarm shonld 

 be driven into the same hive as those from the old stock as soon as the 

 expulsion of the latter is completed. They will fratcmi-ie amicably, and 

 little or no confusion is likely lo arise even if they nre left until the 

 evening. This delay is, however, better avoided, and th-y may be at once 

 indnctedinto their permanent domicile by being knocked out imme<ii3tcly 

 in front of the furnished hive, which should ha blocked up an inch or so, 

 and stand upon a cloth spread upon tho ground. As soon as nearly all arc 

 inside, it should be placed on its floor-lward and returned to the old 

 stance. Mr. Payne's plan is unfortunately liable to failure, although it is 

 often entirely successful. 



Cooking Indian Maize {A Sii?j«cri&^r).— Your maize is ripe very early. 

 As soon ns the grains give out a milky fluid when pressed, the cobs can be 

 used. They require then about twenty minutes' boihng. but a week's 

 further growth makes much difference in the time. The common practice 

 is, after spreading butter and a little Fait over the grains, to eat them oflf 

 the cob, when the flavour is supposed to bo fully reali-^ed; others pick 

 them off with a fork at table. When older, forty-five minutes boiling are 

 not too much. 



POULTRY M.VRKET.— SEPTEMnEu 8. 



It is very difficult to make any qnotitiona for poultry. The supply is 

 moderate, the weather trying, and tho tnule very small. There is a g<»od 

 average supplv of Grouse. Young Partridges are fc.ircc, except very 

 small ones. There are large numbers of these; old ones are also very 

 plentiful. 



ft. d B. d 



Old Grouse I to 1 6 



Gee?e CO 6 6 



Pigeons 8 9 



Hares 



Rabbits 14 15 



Wilddo 8 D 



Large Fowls 3 



Smaller do H 



Chickens 2 



Goslings 



Dncka 2 



Young Groase 2 



