658 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



[ December 17, 1874. 



of eyrup. I also found that the two hives containing the last 

 six swarms which were driven had exceeded in weight that of 

 anyone of the hives containing the hees from cottager No. 2. 

 This, in spite of many colder days and nights since I commenced 

 to feed them, clearly showing that the stronger the colony put 

 into an empty hive, even late in the autumn, and vigorously fed, 

 the greater the chance of success in keeping it through the 

 winter. I also found that one hive (that which I found to be 

 weakest from garden No. 1) was attacked the last week in 

 September by the bees from the strong colonies from garden 

 No. 3 ; I at once narrowed the entrances to all the weaker hives 

 and found that the pillaging stopped. The syrup was again 

 taken down, the rejection of which had first called my attention 

 to the fact that sometbin;;^ was going wrong. On October 6th 

 as frosts were setting in I made all my pets cosy and warm for 

 the winter. I had always had covers passing over the hives and 

 tied to the posts under the floorboards, and over all caps of zinc 

 or earthenware pans. I now stuffed the space between the 

 covers and the hives with soft hay, and after binding all on 

 tightly and placing straw screens before the entrances to break 

 the cold winds, I topped all with a good bed of hay and replaced 

 the caps and pans. All are well supplied with food, and I do 

 not at all fear that I shall find them short of proviaions until 

 nest March. I have marked the weaker ones, and shall give 

 them extra attention in early spring. 



I will only add one other matter and then look forward to be 

 enabled to send you a satisfactory report of my eleven hives next 

 . spring. I had a misfortune with one of my own hives — the feed- 

 ing bottle fitted too tightly into the block of wood, and I sup- 

 pose that I shook the hive upon some occasion when inserting 

 the syrup. I soon knew that something was amiss ; first because 

 the food was left untouched for two days, and secondly because I 

 noticed that the bees ceased to bring in pollen. I turned up the 

 hive, when judge my dismay upon finding that two-thirds of 

 the combs had fallen en tnasse upon the floorboard. The bees 

 did not seem to care to resent my interference. I, for the first 

 time, singled out the queen in her home, she was upon the top 

 of the heap with a cluster of bees pressing about her ; I took up 

 the piece of comb, held it against one which had not fallen, and 

 in a very short time the bees crowded upon it, leaving the 

 broken piece in my hand. I then quickly fetched a dish and 

 placed all the fallen comb in it, at the same time liberating 

 numbers of bees which it had covered. Having cleaned the 

 floorboard I replaced the hive, the broken combs were all filled, 

 most of them with honey, and two pieces about 4 inches square 

 with brood. Some of the young bees crawled out from the cells 

 into the dish ; I took these two pieces of comb, lifted up the 

 hive again, and placed them upright on the floorboard. In three 

 days the bees again took down the syrup (no doubt after making 

 reparations in the hive), and pollen was again brought in from 

 the ivy flowers. On the final examination before wrapping up 

 for the winter I found this hive nearly full of comb, and quite 

 heavy. But where was the brood comb gone which I replaced ? 

 Not a vestige of it remained, nor was it incorporated with the 

 other comb of the hive. 



And now I think I have told all about my first attempts at 

 bee-keeping or ratherat bee-rescuing. So far I hope successfully. 

 I only now look forward to a fair honey harvest next season and 

 au increase of my stock. Will Mr. Pettigrew kindly inform me 

 where I can obtain the large hives described by him in the 

 Journal of November 5th, and when I ought to uncover my 

 hives again to inspect them ? — P. H. P., Offley. 



THE HIVE CONTROVERSY. 



Will Mr. Cheshire tell us if the contingency he predicts with 

 regard to the so-called bar frame without the bottom rail is 

 grounded on any actual fact, or is it a mere idea of his own? 

 For it appears to me an impossibility for any number of bees 

 that could suspend themselves to a single bar of the thickness 

 usually employed to depress it with their weight, and it does 

 not seem likely that the comb would have the effect, even if 

 full of honey, for its formation would tend to support it. 



Bees do sometimes att-ich the comb to the bottom rail of the 

 frame, but it is the exception instead of the rule. I should like 

 to know how the bottom rail assists ventilation. 



Mr. Cheshire is in error when he says that the improvement 

 to which Mr. Pettigrew alludes is, "above all others, recently 

 introduced," for there are several introduced in his hive more 

 recent, although, strange to say, his has the bottom rail. — 



PEECHIONE. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Wellinoborodgh Show.— We are iaformed that Mr. F. Graham won 

 first prize io Blue Dragoons, and had a highly oomraended Blue Carrier cock. 



Dominique Plumage (-4 London £.^l.).—Tho delect Ij uot bo great a» if 

 you had to exhibit two puIletH, and had only two birda of different shades. You 

 underline the wor^H *' best pullet : " have you cue that Ih nearly as good that 

 will match the cuck in colour, or more nearly than the other ? You state the 

 other birds are inferior. Acting on your own verdict we should consider Huch 

 inferiority as more detrimental to succesa than a different shade of the same 



colour. Our advice then is, If the only drawback to the best pen is the dissimi- 

 larity you name, and the two birds are plainly better than their mates, 

 exhibit them. Yon should have named the breed to which your first question 

 relates. Such a division is seen in the Malay, and in Game that have been 

 crotsed wih them. We know do other breeds that ehtjw it, and it is not 

 general in them. We should not consider it a detect in Malays. We bhould 

 not like it in any other hreed. 



Brahui Pootras {E. C.).— Yon have no certainty of petting better hi rds 

 by bujiug ot any particular strain. They may show certain points, but they 

 ■will not lay earlier. It seems to us imposssihle that Brahma pullets hatched 

 in March should not jet have laid. Oura have heen layitjg some time, and 

 they were not hatched as early. It is now the worst time of year for egge, but 

 if you will feed as we advise, we think you will soon have some. Let them have 

 every morning at daybreak a good feedof barleymeal or ground oats slaked with 

 water. About eleven o'clock throw them down a little maize or other whole 

 corn. At one o'clock give kitchen scraps or any odds and ends you have, and 

 at four feed again as in the morning. Our own experience is. that all inven- 

 tions and appliances for cheap or artificial foods are productive only of dis- 

 appointment. It is only while the weather is bad and the nights are h-ng we 

 recommend such feeding as above. Under more favourable circumstances, 

 say in March, one of tLe two middle feeds may be discontinued. We advise 

 you. in answer to your question, to begin by removing all faulty cocks as soon 

 as their defects appear. This may ho aone at ten weeks old, and you will be 

 surprised to see how few will pass muster. You will probably be left with 

 few; these will want drafting from time to time. Bad combs will appear ; 

 some will he weak on their legs ; others will grow t^nly in height and length ; 

 aad at last when they are six months old you will be surpri&ed at the small 

 number you have to choose from. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



Lftt. 51^32' 40" N. ; Long. 0^8' 0" W.; AUitade, 111 feet. 



REMARKS. 



9th. — Dull early, hut on the whole a fine day, the wind drying the air. 



10th. — Fine frosty morning ; very fine in the middle of the day, hazy at night. 



11th. — Very wet morning, fine befure 11 a.m., fine afternoon, but rain in the 

 evening. 



12th.— Fine early, hut rain before 11 A.M., and very dark about 1 p.m.; baro- 

 meter very low all day. 



13th.— Early morning fair, but rain again at 11 a.m., and more or less ell day; 

 cold uncomfortable day. 



14th.— Fine in the morning and moderately so all day, but with ojcasional 

 spurts of snow. 



15th. — Cold morning, house-tops covered with sleet; and, though fine, very 

 cold all day. 

 A week remarkable for sudden changes of barometric pressure and rather 



low reading's. Temperature low and steadily falling. Heavy snow between 



midnight of 15th and eai-ly morning of 16th, averaging three inches deep. — 



G. J. SvnioNS. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Dec embeb 16. 



A STEADY demand for articles of general consumptior, hut no alteration 

 otherwise. Continental goods are freely supplied, with the exception of 

 Pears, which are somewhat early in ripening— a remark which apphes equally 

 to those of home-growth this season, such as Nelis d'Hiver, Jean de Witte, 

 and Ne Plus Meuris especially ; and Glou Mor-^eau being nearly over. 



FRUIT. 



B. d. B. d. s. d. e. d. 



Otol 6 Oranges 'P' 100 4 OtolJO 



20 Pears, kitchen doz. 2 8 



16 dessert doz. 10 3 



16 PineApplea lb. 2 5 



6 6 Plums jBieve 



12 Walnuts bubhel 10 12 



3 ditto *^100 10 6 



AppleB i BieTe 1 



Cbestnnts bushel 10 



Filberts lb. 1 



Cobs lb. 1 



Grapes, hothouse lb. 1 



Lemons ^100 8 



Melona each 1 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes doz. 



Asparagas ^100 



French per bundle 



Beans, Kidney.... \ sieve 



Broal bushel 



Beet, Red doz 



Brocooli bundle 



Brussels Sprouts i sieve 



Cabbage doz. 



Carrots bunch 



Capaicuma ^100 



Gaulillower doz. 



Celery bundle 



Colaworta.. doz. bunches 

 Cucumbers each 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 



Fennel bunch 



Oarho lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horsoradiflb bundle 



d. 8. 



0to6 

 





 6 

 2 

 4 



1 

 

 

 

 

 



i 



Leeks 



Lettuce dOB. 



Mustirooms pottle 



Mustard Sl CresB. .punnet 

 Ooiona bushel 



pickling quart 



Parsley per doz. bunohea 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Radishes., doz. bunohea 



Rhubarb bundle 



Salsafy bundle 



Scorzoners bundle 



Sea-kale basket 



ShaUota lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes doz. 



Turnips bunoh 



Vegetable Mutowb ..doz. 



d. B. d. 



StoO 



a 



9 



