384 



JOURNAL OP EOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE QAEDENER, 



t May 18, 1875. 



a share of instructive amusement. The circulation in the larva 

 of the drone bee was exhibited by a member present. 



"WINTER EXPERIENCE AMONG BEES. 



We observe among inquiries addressed to this Journal none 

 more common than those of hapless bee-keepers who have 

 unaccountably either lost altogether the population of hives 

 which were strong in the autumn, or found them so weakened 

 in numbers as to stand a poor chance even of recovery. Tour 

 chiefs in the apiarian department are asked to account for acci- 

 dents of this sort, but too often no satisfactory answer can be 

 given, not merely because a personal diagnosis of the particular 

 case is impossible, without which all attempts at explanation 

 must be more or less guesses in the dark, but because also some 

 of the ills that afHict our apiaries are quite beyond our know- 

 ledge and skill to account for. 



In my own experience this winter I have been sorely puzzled 

 to explain why two of my best-supplied and most vigorous 

 stocks have been weakened by a most disastrous mortality. In 

 the case of one which had plenty of honey, so great has been the 

 loss of bees, thousands of which I had thrice to remove from 

 the floorboard during the months of February and March, that 

 I thought it gone beyond recovery. The comb and hive (of 

 wood) were perfectly dry and healthy, nor were there any signs 

 of dysentery or other visible disease. I can only suppose that 

 from indolence they allowed themselves to die in the midst of 

 plenty, not having transferred from the sealed honeycombs to 

 their central retreats sufficient food to keep them alive during 

 the prolonged periodic returns of cold or ungenial weather 

 which we had during those months. Those hives I thought 

 absolutely safe, and guessed at every conceivable reason but 

 that which I now believe to be the probable one, till it was too 

 late to save my lamented thousands. The hives are now recover- 

 ing population, but I can expect little from them this year in 

 the shape of increase. I am now feeding, as they can spare so 

 few for honey-gathering. 



All my other stocks save one had been diligently fed quite up 

 to November, and were overflowing with food in the open cells. 

 In the case of none of them was there any extraordinary mortality 

 at the time, or since the above-mentioned were suiiering. In 

 fact, I never saw so little damp in any previous winter. Never- 

 theless my bees are quite a month behind time, even the best of 

 them, owing to the extraordinary dullness and coldness of the 

 weather throughout February and the early weeks of March. 

 And we are now in the full enjoyment of spring with a wonder- 

 ful display of blossom in our meadows and orchards. Happy 

 they who have strong hives to benefit by it. — B. & W. 



ENGLISH AND LIGURIAN BEES. 



MocH has been written about testing the merits, as honey- 

 gatherers, of the English bee with the Italian Alp or Ligurian 

 bee. This may be very well, but I think scarcely necessary to 

 make a public trial of it. Any bee-keeper individually who 

 keeps both kinds can make the proposed trial for himself 

 privately with far more satisfaction than any public trial 

 would be. 



Why need there be this difference of opinion as regards their 

 merits. If anyone does not, or cares not, to keep Italians, why 

 try to write them down ? If their colour and beauty are an 

 attraction to some people, independently of their character as 

 workers, by all means let them enjoy them for that. While I 

 cultivate bees for either profit or pleasure I hope to find a place 

 for both kinds. I have yet to learn they are inferior to the 

 English as honey-collectors; iu fact, I believe their merits are 

 BO evenly balanced that there is nothing to choose between 

 them.— C. F. C, Hinckley. 



A STORY is told of a negro in Virginia whose master threatened 

 to give him a flogging if he boiled his eggs hard again. " You 

 rascal ! " shouted the enraged planter, " didn't I tell you to cook 

 those eggs soft?" "Yes, massa," said the frightened slave, 

 "an' I got up at two o'clock dis morning, an' biled dem five 

 hourB, an' it seems to me I never kin get dese eggs softer. 



the bees from gathering honey for Bome days, it will be wise to give each hire 

 abuut 1 lb. of sugar made into eyrup weekly in small doses. By examinrng 

 yonr hives every now and then you may easily ascertain when the bees cover 

 all the combs of their hives. About a week after the combs are covered, 

 na^liring or supering may be resorted to. The book you have referred to will 

 guide you aright iu this work of enla-ging your hives. 



MAKrNO AN Artificial swabm {A Novice). — Swarming artificially from 

 bar-frame hives is usually done by taking about half the bees and combs from 

 the stocks and placing them in empty hives, not caring much whether the 

 queens go from or remain with the mother hives. As you ask which is the 

 best way of artiticial swarming from such hives, we may remind you that iu 

 natural swarming the old queens go with swarms, and it is well for the bee- 

 masttr to follow as near as possible the natural process. Natural swarms go 

 without combs, and it will become a question at some future lime whether it 

 is good or bad policy to break up the interior of hives for the sake of placing 

 a few old combs in new hives with young swarms. When your hive is ready 

 for swaiming you may remove one bar of worker comb with the queen aLil 

 about half the bees from it, and put them into another bar-frame hive. If 

 you remove more bars the old hive would be moie injured than the new one 

 would be benefited. Indeed, we are of opinion that the best way is to drive 

 a swarm with the queen into an empty hive, and let them fill it with young 

 combs. In prospect of breeding youog queens bees invariably build too 

 much drono combs. Empty bars in old and new hives would naturally be 

 filled with too much drone combs while the bees are rearing young queens. 

 If you do not place the old and new hive some feet to the right and left of 

 old stand , place the swarm on it, for the bees more readily enter the old hivo. 



Hives [c. G. M.). — Any one of the dealers in hives who advertise in our 

 columns could supply you. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Daei fob Fowls.— Colvile Browno will be glad to bear the opinions of any 

 poultry owners as to the valao ol " dari " as a food for laying lowls in a con- 

 fined fcituation. 



Parrot Pelp-pltjcked (D. Judd).~The only food to be omitted in yoar 

 Parrot's bill-of-farc are the chilies. Give some lettuce stalks daily ; also a 

 daily bath. Put a dish filled with water for the Parrot to ba-heio voluntarily, 

 but if the bird will not do bo give it a copious shower bath through the rose of 

 a watering pot. Use tepid water. 



Feeding Beeb {F. S.).— It is unneceesary to feed bees when they are 

 working hard ten hours a-day on the fruit trcep. Three or four days ol such 

 work every week will enable the bees to provide for all the wants of their 

 hives, and bieecUng will go on rapidly. If the weather change and prevent 



METEOROLOaiCAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Sqdare. London. 



Lat. 51° 82' 40" N. ; Long. 0^ 8' Q" W. ; Altitade. Ill feet. 



REMARKS. 

 5th.— Very hazy at 5 A.M., bat clear at 8, and a very fine day. 

 6th. — Fine morning, rather stormlike at noon, but on the whole a very 



pleasant day. 

 7th. — Rain all the morning, fine afternoon, but rain again in the evening. 

 8th. — Very fiae early, but wet morning and night ; fine for an hour or two 



in the afternoon. 

 9th.— Very bright early, moderately so at 9 a.m., fine by 10, and all day 

 10th. — Another very bright pleasant day. [ bright and pleasant. 



11th. — Rather cloudy about U a m., but soon clearing ofE, and being a very fine 

 day, lunar corona at 9 r.M. 

 Fine and pleasant week. Temperature much the same as in the previous 

 week, but the nights warmer.— G. J. Svmons. 



COVENT GAUDEN MARKET.— Mat 12. 

 A GOOD supply and fair attendance in both Markets. French goods very 

 plentiful, including Cherries and Apricots. Asparagus is quite abundant". both 

 English and Foreign. Another cargo of St. Michael Pines )s reported at the 

 wharf, and will be disposed of this week by auction. Lisbon and Maltese 

 Potatoes maintain last week's rates. 



Apples i sieve 



. d. 8. d. 

 5 to 3 6 



Apricots dozen 



' ' ~ 7 



20 







CHerriea box 4 



Chestnuts bushel 10 



Currants j sieve 



black do. 



Figs dozen 8 12 



FUberta lb. 



Cobs lb. 2 



Gooseberries quart 10 2 



Grapes, huthouae.... lb. 6 13 



Lemons ^100 8 12 



Melons each G 10 



Mulberries lb. 



Nec'arines dozen 



Oranges ^100 5 



PeachfS dozen 15 



Pears, kitchen.... dozen 'i 



dessert dozen 8 



Pine Apples lb. 4 



Plums 4 sieve 



Quinces dozen 



Kaspberries lb, 



Strawberries lb. 6 



Walnuts bushel 8 



ditto ^100 1 



d. s. d. 

 OtoO 

 



14 



24 







VEGETABLES. 



d. H. d. , 



Artichokes dozen t) OtoS 



Asparagus ^ lUO 3 6 



French bundle 2 10 < 



Beans. Kidney ^* iwJ 2 



broad bushel 



Beet, Red dozen 10 3 



Brocculi bundle a 16 



Brussels Sprouts j sieve 



Cabbage dozen 2 8 



Carrots bunch 6 8 



Capsicums %MUO 



Caulillower dozen 4 8 



Celery bundle 16 2 



Coleworts.. doz.bunches 4 CO 



Cucumbers eucti 6 16 



picklmg dozen 



Endive dozen 2 



Fennel bunch 8 



Garlic lb. 



UerbB bunch 8 



Uorseraditih bundle 4 



Leeks bunch 



Lettuce dozen 1 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress. .puunet 



Onions bushel 4 



pickUng quart 



Parsley.... doz.bunches 4 



Parsnips dozen 



Peas quart 2 



Potatoes bushel 2 



Kidney do. 8 



Radishes., doz.bunches 1 



RLubarb bundle 



Salsafy bundle 1 



Scorzonera bundle I 



Seiikale basket 1 



shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes dozen 6 



Turnips bunch 



I Vegetable Marrows. .doz, 



d. 8. 

 4 too 



a 



2 

 

 8 

 

 6 

 1 

 4 

 B 

 6 

 I 

 

 

 



1 





 4 





 

 



