371 



JOUBNAU OF HOaTICaiiTORE AND COriAGE GABDENER. 



[ Ojtobar 22, 1871. 



variety to rank as the species — whether to say Apis mellifioa 

 var. ligustica or vice versa. The first I think is the more gene- 

 rally adopted ; but our distinguished hymenopterist, Mr. Fre- 

 derick Smith, of the British Museum, seems to consider the 

 most highly coloured as the typical form, and the possibility of 

 its being more correct to give the precedence to A. ligustica, 

 but that it cannot be decided satisfactorily until we know in 

 what country A. mellifioa really originated. Columella tells us 

 that Mount Hymethus was celebrated for the best honey in all 

 Greece, and that the ancients believed that bees were first bred 

 there, and that all other bees were but colonies from that moun- 

 tain. What a pity he does not go a step further and say if they 

 were our friends with the golden bands, or their more soberly 

 attired rival the old British bee. — John Huntek. 



BEES AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE. 



Your correspondent "A Young Apiarian" proves my case 

 when he says, " I saw hundreds, if not thousands, of dead bees 

 on the floor of the balcony devoted to the manipulation. I at- 

 tributed the loss of life to the people treading on the bees which 

 happened to settle on the ground." We are therefore agreed 

 upon a monstrous loss of life which did not illustrate very 

 forcibly to the well-dressed crowd, who flattened their noses in 

 safety against the glass partition, the motto of '* Never kill a 

 bee," which Mr. Marriott constantly proclaims in the Palace— 

 a result which certainly should be aimed at by all bee-keepers. 

 I agree with " A Young Apiabian " that we are much indebted 

 to the organisers of the bee exhibition, for they have taught us 

 that the work of driving and making of swarms cannot be suc- 

 cessfully performed — i e., without loss of life, under conditions 

 such as must exist at the Palace. 



The possibility of the labouring classes attending such exhi- 

 bitions for the purposes of instruction is out of the question. 

 The price is prohibitive. One shilling for admission to the 

 Palace exclusive of railway fare, 6d. for a catalogue, and 6d. for 

 admission to the manipulation, and a day's wage, is at vanishing 

 point. I would suggest a more effective method, and one fol- 

 lowed by me. The first artificial swarm I made was made to 

 some extent in secret. My second effort was made in the pre- 

 sence of villagers who were asked to see me work. Since that 

 I have had many invitations to drive my neighbours' bees, and 

 these I have accepted where I thought it possible that my work 

 would have the effect of diffusing knowledge ; and I flatter 

 myself I have done better service among villagers than even 

 the much-bepraised bee exhibition of 1874. — Beaten but not 

 Dismayed. 



HONEY MAEKET. 



Many small bee-keepers keep writing to me about a market 

 for their honey. I wish I could help them, but I cannot. At 

 Rusholme I found a market amongst private families for a great 

 deal of honey annually. Here private families buy all I have 

 at good prices. Both places are surrounded by wealthy people. 

 Wholesale dealers both in England and Scotland write for prices ; 

 they evidently are anxious to buy honey. In Glasgow and 

 Edinburgh there is a great consumption of honey. It would be 

 easy to sell there at good prices aU the heather honey gathered 

 in England and stored in casks. The buyers there prefer it in 

 jars called " honey cans," holding 5 lbs. each. Five pounds 

 thus jarred are there called " a pint of honey." It cannot be 

 safely sent a distance in jars ; better take a smaller price for it 

 in casks ; better still to sell it near home if possible. In country 

 places there rsay be a diSiculty in finding buyers, but near large 

 populations there should be little difficulty in selling good honey. 

 There is a honey fair at Wrexham every year, and there honey, 

 I am told, realises Is. 4d. and Is. 6d. per lb. If bee-keepers will 

 try to create a market for the produce of their bees I am sure 

 they wiU succeed. Publicity and a good article generally fetch 

 ■customers. These statements are made with a view to prevent 

 private inquiries being sent to me. It is of no use to write to 

 me, for I will not give the names of buyers of honey. To name 

 anybody publicly would cause many to write to him, and thus 

 cause him to offer less than current prices. Another thing — 

 I have not time to answer private letters. — A. Pettigbew. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Poultry Becoming Light (Rather Anxious).— There is something -wrens 

 about your feeding. If your* fowls and Ducka Rot nothing more than you 

 describe, then we condemn the potatoes. We have always held them to be 

 ■wretched poultry food. We hardly know the cause of the malady, but we 

 will try to suggest a cure. Ducks throw physic to the dogs, they have a 

 Boul above it. We have ^iven a Duck a tablespoonful of caiome! at a time 

 without the slightest effect. But just as one of the plans of treating a 

 drunkard is to place bim where he can get no drink, so we advise you to put 

 your Ducks in an outhouse with an earthen floor. Supply them with a milk 

 pan, the bottom of which must be covered with a sod of grass; this again 

 must be covered with gravel, cats must be strewed on the gravel, and the 

 whole covered with water. Let them have nothing else, and they will regain 

 their appetite and their flesh. Give the pallet a tablespoonful of castor oil 



every other day during a week. Feed only on harleymeal or ground oats 

 slaked with water morning and evening. Feed at mid-day with maize or 

 Bcrapa. Feed scantily rather than otherwise. 



Pigeons and Bantams of Fohmer Days (J. R.). — We think that the 

 Pigeons you remember are what are now called Binningham Boilers, very 

 likely crossed with the Barb. Long-faced Barbs were then common, and 

 often had a tuft at the back of their heads. These reared their young well, 

 havin;,' fairly long beaks, and they were numerous. As to the Bantams, we 

 have a distinct recollection of similar. They were a breed of Naukin-booted 

 Bantams. The cocks were not then, as some are shown now. Buff, but Red 

 with black breasts, and full-flowing tails and rose combs, and very handsome 

 birds they were. They and all Bantams except Sebrights were larger then , 

 as you rightly state. We have not seen such as you describe for many years. 



Pigeon Markers (S. rurncr).— Write to Messrs. Calton & Co., 30, Lud- 

 gate Hill, London. 



Nottingham Canary Snow (J. Evatie), — We cannot insert your letter. 



ToDMoRDEN RAuniT SHOW (E. H.). — If your details are correct the Com- 

 mittee are liable for the loss of your Babbit, and we think you could recover 

 its value in the County Court. 



Barley Sugar (rriccp3).— You have not boiled it iOfQciently. Boil it 

 until a drop falling on a cold plate speedily hardens. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Squabe, London. 



Lat. 51° 32' 40" N. ; Long. 0' 8' 0" W. ; Altituae 111 feet. 



REMARKS. 



14th.— Very dark at 9 a.m., rain at 11.30 for about an hour; fair but dark 

 afternoon; rain at 10 p.m., and heavy rain at 11.30. 



15th. — Dark rainy morning ; dry afternoon ; distant lightning in the N.E. 

 passing towards N. from 6 to 6,30 p.m., heavy rain at 8 p.m.; storm- 

 like and oppressive all day. 



16th. — Very dark till noon; afternoon rather better, but still dull and rather 

 dark. 



17th. — Fine morning; damp dark afternoon; improving in the evening. 



18th. —Rather dull morning, but clearing up soon after 11 a.m., and very fine 

 all the remainder of the day. 



19th. — Rain early, but afterwards a very bright pleasant day. 



20th. — A very flue dry day, and though rather cold very enjoyable. 



Several dark dull days, but though simless not cold. The mean tempera- 

 ture of this week still equal to that of the preceding one. The last two days 



much cooler. — G. J. Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— October 21. 

 ScARCELV any transactions of note occur here, business being very sta- 

 tionary. Dessert Peais comprise Marie Louise, Chaumontelle, Duchesse 

 d'AnguuKme, Glou Mori,eau, and other good varieties. Apples consist of 

 HibstoQ Piiipin, Cos's Orange Pippin, Fearn'e, and many others, the season 

 b eiug most prolific. 



FBOIT. 



B. d. B. d 



Apples J sieve 1 Oto 1 6 



Apricots doz. 



CUerr ea fib. 



Chestnuts bushel 



Currants 4 sieve 



Black do. 



Figs doz. 



Filberts lb. 1 16 



Cobs lb. 1 16 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, hothouse.... lb. 1 6 6 



Lemons t* 100 8 16 



Melons each 'i. Q 6 



B. d. B. d. 

 Mulberries ^Ib. OtoO 



Artichokes doz. 



Asparagus %»^ 100 



French 



Beans, Kidney.... 4 sieve 



Broad bushel 



Beet, Red doa 



Br-cooU bundle 



Brussels Sprouts J sieve 



Cabbage doz. 



t^arrats bunch 



Cap^i-'uma ^ 100 



Caulidower doz. 



Celery bandle 



tlolewiirts.. doz. bunches 

 Cucumbers eauh 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunoh 



Garhc lb. 



Herbs., bunch 



Horseradish handle 



d. p. d. 



Oto 6 

 

 

 3 6 

 



