534 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ December 10, I871. 



quite equal in quality to honey extracted by the old process. 

 The honeycombs placed in the slinger were without brood, and 

 therefore I am not able to say whether the whirling of the in- 

 strument would cast out unsealed brood as well as honey. If 

 unsealed brood be disturbed by the whirling of the machine 

 the honey will be very impure, and the machine itself com- 

 paratively worthless as an extractor of honey. 



Being anxious to have an instrument able to extract honey 

 from combs in a speedy and satisfactory manner, I regret that 

 the slinger tried here has not proved itself equal to our wants 

 and expectations. The trial here was rather disappointing to 

 all the gentlemen present. 



The patrons of the slinger take pains to inform the public 

 that where the moveable-comb system is adopted the instrument 

 extracts the lioney without destroying the combs, thus effecting 

 a saving of honey and preventing loss of time in comb-building. 

 They tell ns that swarms spend their first year in filling the bar 

 frames with combs ; in after years the honey is extracted by the 

 slinger. To inexperienced bee-keepers this theory may appear 

 reasonable and inviting. Old and successful bee-farmers are not 

 so easily influenced ; they prefer the certain to the uncertain. 

 This morning's post brought a letter from an old and successful 

 apiarian in Scotland, giving the results of his practice this year. 

 He uses straw hives of considerable dimensions. One of his 

 hives yielded four swarms. The first one rose in weight to 

 126 lbs., the second to 71 lbs., the third to 47 lbs., the fourth to 

 36 lbs., the mother hive to 93 lbs. ; altogether to 373 lbs. gross. 

 Is it possible to induce this man to abandon his mode of manag- 

 ing bees, which is so successful and profitable, for one that is 

 yet uncertain and doubtful? Those who manage bees on the 

 non-swarming system with moveable combs have much lost 

 ground to travel over ere they can walk side by side with this 

 man. In hare-hunting or coursing, greyhounds are judged by 

 their speed. In this sport there are " go-byes," " turns," and 

 "catches." Old dogs that run often become cunning, and run 

 second with a view to get " the catch " at " the turn." A good 

 catch or harvest of honey is more to an old bee-farmer than 

 anything else in apiculture. 



The harvest of honey obtained from the hive and its swarms 

 already mentioned is an extraordinary one ; but swarms of 

 100 lbs. each at the end of the first season are becoming com- 

 mon, and every fine season will become more plentiful; and 

 therefore it appears a very roundabout road to put swarms into 

 hives with a view to get a harvest of honey from them through 

 the slinger in the second year of their existence. This is men- 

 tioned with a view to ask the readers of this Journal to consider 

 how black and tough combs are after two years' use for breeding 

 purposes. The slinger is introduced on purpose to preserve 

 such combs. We think combs are quite old enough at the end 

 of their second year. At that age they are, generally speaking, 

 not only black and tough but poUen-bound — that is to say, their 

 centre parts are clogged with bee bread. The bees cannot find 

 empty cells for the eggs laid by the queens. We hold that the 

 preservation of old combs in hives is neither wise nor profitable. 

 Bees thrive better and gather more honey in combs young and 

 sweet than they do in combs two years old. A swarm put into 

 a hive in May will fill it with combs and gather more honey in a 

 good season than any kind of hive managed on the non-swarm- 

 ing system. The ventilation of this subject is at the present 

 time of great importance to the thinking and intelligent bee- 

 keepers of England, and its consideration may make some of 

 them hesitate before they purchase sUngers for casting honey 

 out of combs too old for keeping, and young combs are rather 

 too tender and easily broken for the machine. I look at the 

 question broadly and without a shade of prejudice, and thus 

 looking at it cannot see that apiculture will gain much by the 

 introduction and use of the Amarican slinger. I fancy that one 

 trial will be enough for bee-farmers and cottagers. 



Honey-taking is not pleasant employment, and many advanced 

 bee-keepers would be gratified and thankful if some of our in- 

 ventive apiarians would set themselves to the task of producing 

 an instrument for extracting honey from combs speedily. The 

 preservation of combs should not be considered. The combs of 

 a large hive yield about 5s. worth of wax ; this sum would buy 

 sugar enough for a large swarm, and which, if properly given, 

 would enable the bees to fill an ordinary bar-frame hive or a 

 16-inch straw one with combs, and store up food enough for 

 themselves from September till March. What advantage, then, 

 can be found in the use of old combs ? Most certainly tlaere can 

 be no gain or profit in their retention. Lately we called on an 

 able apiarian who showed us about a dozen of good stocks, three 

 of which were sugar-fed, and one of these is a bar-framer, the 

 other two being 16-inch straw hives. The bar-frames had been 

 partially filled with secondhand combs in the way shown at the 

 Crystal Palace. The syrup was stored in the combs without any 

 additions being made to them. The combs in the straw ones 

 had been built wholly from the syrup, and nearly filled all the 

 spaces. I valued the straw stocks at 10s. a-piece higher than 

 the bar-framer, the combs of which had been taken from other 

 hives and strapped in. In conclusion, I ask the readers of this 



Journal to think calmly on, and take a comprehensive view of, 

 the questions discussed in this letter, for it is very important 

 for bee-keepers seeking profit to adopt and keep the righj 

 path. — A. Pettiobew. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Birmingham Poultry Show. — " You state that my firet-prize Partridge 

 Cochin pullets should have been in the adult class. Allow me to say that 

 your opinion is entirely wrong, one of them having been hatched on the 

 9th of April, and has never been exhibited before ; the other was hatched on 

 the 23rd of February, and was exhibited once previously — viz., in the chicken 

 class at Southport in August last. — T. Steetch, Ormekirk." 



Spodts in Cahbiehs' Eyes {Subscriber). — Carriers as to their wattles are 

 highly artificial birds, and a wide departure in any way from nature's type 

 causes a liability to diseaBe. The immediate cause may be a tight or cold 

 draughts, then comes a running; and a fold of the wattle becomes literally a 

 spout to carry off that running, and mischief soon grows. Cut off the spouts 

 — and mind and cut low enough — with a sharp pair of scissors, and then after 

 bathing the eye and the blood ceasing, put on a httle cold cream or any grease 

 that has no salt in it. Put mOre grease on for a iev days, and the woond 

 will soon heal. Watch your bird carefully lest he get any injury, and of 

 course separate him from others. 



Bee-keeping.— The interesting notes of " P. H, P." and others are un- 

 avoidably deferred to next week. 



BELGiiN Hake Rabbit (G. H. K.).— The small spot would not disqualify 

 it. 



METEOROLOGICAL 0BSEBVATI0N3. 



Camden SttOABE, London. 



Lafc. 5P 32' 40" N. ; Long. 0° 8' 0" W. ; Altitude, 111 feet. 



BEMABES. 



2nd.— Fine frosty day throughout. 



3rd.— Very slight frost all day, but rather warmer at night. 



4th.— Hazy morning, damp and doll, though not rainy; wind high at night. 



5th. — Another damp dull day; much warmer towards night. 



6th.— Raioy all day, at times heavy rain ; high wind and heavy rain for a few 



minutes about 5.15 p.m. 

 7tii.— Very bright and fine all day, but with a cold frosty wind all day; bright 



starlight night. 

 8th.— A decidedly rainy and uncomfortable day, not a glimpse of the sun, hut 



continued drizzle, with heavy rain at times. Barometer fallmg rapidly 



at night, and high wind. 

 A wet, windy, winter week.— G. J. Sxmons. 



COVENT aABDEN MARKET.— Da chkb he ». 



We continue well supplied, and the demand remains moderate, so that 

 scarcely any advance can be looked fur at present ; a week may make some 

 difference. A fine parcel of St. Michael Pines is to hand, and will he offered 

 at auction in the latter part of the week. Apples of Ku^hsh growth reach us 

 by heavy consignments from the western counties, reaUwng from 2i. Gd. to 

 4a. the bushel. Potato trade heavy, large arrivals. Cornish Broccoli good. 



Apples jBlove 1 Otol 6 Oranges V 100 i OtolO 



ChestDutB bushel 10 20 Pears, kitchen aoa. 2 8 o 



dessert doz. 1 



Filberts lb. 1 _ ., 



Coba lb. I I 6 PineApples lb. 2 



Grapes. hothoofle lb. 16 6 Piums iaieve 



Lemons *»- 100 8 12 ] Walnuts bashel 10 la 



Melons each 10 3 



5 J 



6 







ditto ^100 10 6 



VBGETASLBS. 



d. t, 

 Oto6 

 

 







ArtichokeB doz. 8 



Asparagus » lf>0 



French per bundle 



Beans. Kidney ^ aievo 



Broal bushel 



Beet, Red doz I 



Broccoli bundle 9 



BraS8«iu Sprouts 4 sieve 2 



Cabbaae doz. 1 6 



Carrots bunch 4 



Capaicuma 1> 100 



Caaliflower dos. S 



Celery bundle 1 6 



Oolewurts.. dos. bunches 2 6 



Cucambers each 6 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 9 



Fennel bunch " 8 



Garhc lb. 6 



Herbs bunch 8 



Horseradish bundle 3 6 



Leeka 



Lettuce dos. 



Musnruoms pottle 



Mustard •& Cress. .punnet 

 Onions bushel 



pickling quart 



Parsley per dos. bonches 



Parsnips dos. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Radishes., dos. bunches 



Rhubarb. bundle 



Salsafy.. bundle 



Scorzonera bundle 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bashel 



Tomatoes duz. 



Turnipa bunch 



VeKetable Marrows ..doz. 



B. d. S. d. 



StoO U 



a 



