4i0 



JOURNAL OF HORTICaiiTUEE AND COITAGE GARDENEB. 



[ NoTember 12, 1874. 



d^'SS his question pat to " the principal bar-frame dealer " in 

 his ueiRhboarhood, and the answer thereto, settle the matter 

 quite so triumphantly. Curiously enough that veteran bee- 

 master, Mr. George Fox, of Kingsbridge, comes to the rescue, 

 and gives the proof as to the at least equal excellence of the 

 wooden bar-framed hives. His "adjusting" hive, "in which 

 the arrangement of frames in the stock-box and bars in the 

 adjuster have been carefully carried out," is fully the match of 

 any straw hives I ever heard of ; 98 lbs. of honeycomb in one 

 year in one such adjusting super, and 112 and 109J lbs. in two 

 other supers are quite a match for the straw hive weighing 

 " 164 lbs. gross," the largest ever heard of by Mr. Pettigrew. 



Pray let this controversy cease, and let it be allowed, both to 

 Mr. Pettigrew to prefer his sticks and straw, all very good in 

 their way, and to "B. & W." and others to believe that there is 

 at least equal merit in the results of modern science. I express 

 only the general sense of annoyance which exists at this constant 

 nibbling hy Mr. Pettigrew at those who differ from him. — B. & W. 



HONEY HARVEST IN NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE. 



The honey harvest in this part of the country has not on the 

 whole been very good ; most of the bees being kept in very 

 email straw skeps, and being very weak in the spring, have not 

 done much service ; but the few bee-keepers who have com- 

 menced using the 16 and 18-inch Pettigrew hives have done 

 pretty well. I had nine such hives, seven of which I artificially 

 swarmed, the other two not being fit at the proper time. One of 

 these became very strong in bees, and filled me an 8 lb. glass 

 super, and has since yielded honey very well; the other still 

 continues weak. The outcome of the whole is three glass supers 

 — 8 lbs., 15 lbs., and 16 lbs. respectively ; two straw supers, 5 lbs. 

 and 12 lbs. respectively ; 83 lbs. of honeycomb, being a 63-lb. hive 

 sold to be run for honey, and 20 lbs. of white comb cut from the 

 outside combs, and I could easily have cut 100 lbs. if there had 

 been a demand for it, and 305 lbs. of beautiful run honey " fit to 

 eat," giving a total of Hi lbs. of honey and 17J lbs. of wax, 

 besides a great amount of waste, which has been made into 

 about eleven gallons of mead. This I think a very fair harvest 

 from nine stocks in the straw hives so much despised by some 

 apiarians, but which I venture to think the very best hive that is 

 made where the greatest results are required from the least 

 possible trouble and expense. 



My present stock consists of five old stocks, one swarm, one 

 turnout, and six autumn sugar-fed stocks— in all thirteen hives, 

 three of the sugar-fed ones being in the so-muoh- vaunted bar- 

 frame hives, which have been filled with sweet old combs, and 

 I intend to test their merits fairly alongside the Pettigrew straw 

 hive. 



Three of my neighbours who have adopted the large straw 

 hives in preference to the small ones have severally ; — No. 1, 

 from two spring stocks 65 lbs. of honey ; No. 2, from three stocks 

 120 lbs., and a glass super about 16 lbs. ; No. 3, from four stocks 

 150 lbs., besides a large quantity of refuse honey given to the 

 driven and united bees in each case. — Thos. B.i.QSH.iw, Longnor, 

 near Suxt07i. 



CRUDE IVY HONEY. 



Undeb this head " B. & W." informs the readers of the 

 Journal that honey gathered from ivy blossoms " tastes exactly 

 like the leaves of the plant when chewed in the mouth, and is 

 equally acrid, only, of course, much sweeter." Then he puts 

 this extraordinary question, " Will Mr. Pettigrew say that this 

 acrid taste is not existing in the crude syrup gathered in the 

 flower, but is developed in the stomach of the bee when the 

 honey has been reswallowed?" I have to say in answer that 

 no intelligent person entertains such a thought. "B. & W." 

 should know that bees have not the power to give the peculiar 

 flavour to any kind of honey. No two different plants yield 

 honey tasting alike; the peculiarity comes from the plant, and 

 exists in the syrup found in its flowers. The bees, however, 

 remove the crudeness, and sweeten as well as thicken the syrup 

 or nectar. After honey has been twice swallowed and disgorged 

 it is perfect, whether found in the combs sealed or unsealed. — 

 A. Pettiobew. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



DoRKlNOs AT OxFoED SHOW.— Mr. Lingwood informs as that the cockerel 

 in his pen, No. 11, was hatched on the 23rd of February. 



HoDDANg {H.B. P.). — Your fancier either makefl a mistake or does not 

 know the fowls. Hoadans are very hardy. It is the La Flcche that die 

 suddenly. You may have twenty to all appearance in perfect health in the 

 morning, and every fowl down before the evening. We consider the Houdans 

 the hardiest of the French breeds. A pair of true birds will cost you from 

 40«. to 60». 



Yellow Feathers in Black Hamhueohs (P. S.).— In nearly all black- 

 pluma^ed cocks breeders are exposed to disappointment by finding red and 

 yellow feathers in the hackles and saddles, but this is confined to the cocks- 

 Spanish, Cochins, and Polands. Although they are not considered disquali- 

 iicationsiu Creve-Cteurs as long as they confine themselves to yellow, yet red 

 Icathera disqualify even in that breed, aad it id desirable a cock should have 



no colour. Nothing of the sort is, however, looked for in hens and pullets. 

 At times a Spanish hen will become first patchy, then white, and we have 

 known one moult black axain, but this is a very rare exception. When we 

 are told we are buying prize birds, and when we give a large price for them, 

 we expect purity of breed, and we believe that such will throw pure chickens. 

 If one or two pullets had shown white tips or white feathers we should be 

 disposed to overlook them if the others were perfect ; but when it is the rule 

 of the produce we should feel aggrieved, and should complain. If we could 

 not get an answer we should, after due notice given, complain publicly. Even 

 if the seller was not aware they had any bad blood iu them, he should offer 

 you some redress. If you bought the pen that took first prize at a certain 

 show, and you had them, you have no ground for complaint. You acted on 

 the decision of the Judge, and bought certain fowls as they appeared in the 

 pen. 



Rabbit for Exhibition (P. J.). — Give only dry food — oats, peas soaked 

 and well drained, and slices of carrot. No green food. 



Food vor Bees (2*. J. L.}. — Next to honey we prefer a mixture— 1 lb. of 

 loaf sugar dissolved in half a pint of water, and boiled for two or three 

 minutes. 



Terrier (J. W. L.). — Put a piece of indian-rubber court plaister on the 

 wound where the wart was. When healed touch the wart with aquafortis, 

 and repeat until removed. To destroy the vermin in the dog's coat, take 

 enough soft soap to rub into the whole coat of the dog ; add to this a tea- 

 spoonful, more or less according to the size of the dog, of spirits of turpen- 

 tine; rub this mixture well into the roots of the hair, adding a little warm 

 water to make it reach the skin. Let this remain on for a quarter of an hour, 

 then plunge the dog into a warm bath, and rub off the mixture with the 

 hand. Care should be taken not to let it get into the eyes, and to wash it 

 completely out of the skin. 



METEOBOLOQIOAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



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



REMARKS. 



4th. — Fine morning, and till the after part of the day, then not quite so brightf 



but warm. 

 5th. — Foggy till noon ; then very bright for three or four honrs ; fog in the 



evening, but clear affer 9 p.m. 

 6th. — Fine early, hazy at 8.30 a.m ; fine for a short time in the middle of the 



day, bat dark very early. 

 7th. — Beautifully line daring the whole of the day. 

 8th.— Fnggy at 9 A M., and very much more so in the middle of thedfi^; but 



clear at night. 

 9th. — Rather hazy early, but a very fine day. 

 10th. — Rather fog^-y, but bright at times. 



A fine autumnal week, barometer higher, and temperature rather lower. 

 Scarcely any rain. — G. J, Svmons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Note MB ee U. 

 A coNTrNUANCE of fine weather enables the growers of outdoor prodace to 

 keep us well pupplipd, so tbat very little variation in prices occur during the 

 week. Dutch Hamburgh Grapes are nearly over, and good hothouse in rather 

 better request; but a large quantity of inferior ones are on the market. 

 The firtft cargo of St. Michael Oranges direct from the islands arrived to-day. 

 The Potato trade is heavy ; but samples of blighted ones not so prevalent as 

 they were a week ajjo. 



FRUIT. 



8. d. 



Apples 1 sieve 1 



ObestnatB bushel 10 



FUberts lb. 1 



Ooba lb. 1 



Grapes, hothoase lb. 1 



Lemons ^ 100 8 



Melons each 1 



Oranges 1^100 12 



Pears, kitchen doz. 2 



dessert doz. 1 



PineApples lb. 9 



Plums i sieve 3 



Walnata bushel 10 



ditto ^100 1 



B. d. a. d. 



Artichokes doz. 



Asparagus ^100 



French 



Beans, Kidney.... t sieve 



Broad bushel 



Beet, Red doz 



Broccoli bundle 



Brussels Sprouts i sieve 



Cabbage doz. 



Carrots buncb 



Capaionms ^ 100 



Cauhflower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Coleworts.. doz. bunches 

 Cucumbers eaoh 



pickling doz. 



Endive. doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



lierbs bonch 



UorBeradish bundle 



VEGETABLES, 

 d. P.d 

 Oto6 

 







S 







S 



1 



Leeks 



Lettuoe doB. 



Muabrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress. .punnet 

 Onions bushel 



pickling quart 



Parsley per doz. bunches 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Radishes., doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Salsafy bundle 



Soorzonera bundle 



Sea-kale basket 



SbaUots lb. 



Spinaoh bushel 



Tomatoes doz. 



Turnips bunoh 



Vegetable Marrows ..doz. 



d. 8. d. 

 StoO 



a 



