64 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDEi^EK. 



[ Janaaij 20, 1376. 



wherever honey can be gathered, let those who want large 

 harvests of it keep hives of great powers and capacities. — 

 A. Pettigrew. 



EXTEACTED HONEY versus COMB HONEY. 



Eescming the subject of my last communication ou this point, 

 I may take it for granted that all bee-keepers are agreed as to 

 the superiority of honey in the comb to that which is extracted 

 from the comb by whatever process, and that our efforts should 

 be mainly confined to the prodaetion of the largest quantity of 

 the purest honeycomb in saleable form. 



A letter forwarded to me from your office, approving of my 

 remarks on this subject, asks for information as to the shape and 

 size of boxes. At this moment my eye is resting on a deecrip- 

 tion with figures of the " American International Hive," as 

 patented and sold by H. A. King & Co., New York. It contains 

 thirty-two honey boxes, some of which are arranged over the 

 hive, and the rest are piled up at each side, having communica- 

 tion by means of holes with the hive itself. Rejecting twenty- 

 four of these small boxes — those I mean which are adapted to 

 the sides— there remain eight resting on the top board. Each 

 of these eight boxes is large enough to contain two thick combs 

 5 inches high and li inches long. I further observe that each 

 box is constructed as a frame, having glass in front and at the 

 sides. Nothing can be imagined neater or more handy and 

 attractive. When filled with honeycomb these boxes would 

 command purchasers anywhere, and create a market at once 

 wherever offered for sale. Methinks, however, they are too 

 small for our needs in this country. In my former paper I re- 

 commended four boxes instead, which, of course, would hold 

 double the quantity of honey ; but a size between would per- 

 haps be most suitable. This would give room for six such boxes 

 of very convenient size. The communication between these 

 boxes and the hive below should be by narrow passages, just 

 wide enough to allow free movement to the worker bees, and to 

 them alone. In bar-and-frame hives they can be made exactly 

 to correspond with the spaces between the combs below, which, 

 of course, is a matter of importance. 



I am trying to obtain a sample hive from New York complete 

 for trial nest summer ; but any person with ordinary mechanical 

 powers and a few tools could construct his own boxes, or have 

 them constructed by any carpenter, quite sulficiently perfect 

 for his purpose. I am well aware there is nothing new in this 

 management, but it seems to me that for many years our great 

 bee-keepers have been going on a different track, following the 

 craving of the public at honey shows for something striking and 

 grand. It now appears by general complaint that the huge 

 supers which it has been the fashion to procure, never mind at 

 what cost of honesty and straightforward dealing, are not paying. 

 So after all "honesty is the best policy." It cannot be amiss, 

 therefore, to lead our friends back icto better ways among the 

 good old paths, and certain I am that none will regret adopting 

 a system of honey-getting which in the long run will be found 

 to be the most profitable. 



It is curious that Mr. Hunter and I should have read so differ- 

 ently the voices from America on the subject of the " extractor " 

 and run honey ; but no doubt there are different voices, and he 

 and I are both right in our different views of the matter. It may 

 be that in some parts of the great western laud ran honey and 

 the extractor are popular. There is something charming to the 

 ear, if not to the sight, to hear of 1.011 lbs. being taken from 

 five boxes, and again of " 500 lbs. of comb honey and 13.5 gallons 

 extracted from forty-four stocks," &c. But from other parts 

 of the country come voices telling equally of quantity but 

 lamenting the quality, and crying especially over the glut in the 

 market which has supervened. I say. Let us go in for quantity 

 if you like, but let us look mainly to tbe quality of our honey, 

 for quantity, if of inferior food, soon palls on the appetite and 

 damages the market; but honeycomb of excellent quality is 

 like those more delicate sweetmeats whose enjoyment only 

 creates a heathier appetite for them, and consequently increases 

 their sale year by year. Sat verbum sapienti. — B. & W. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Sawdust roK Fowls (T. W. B.).— The objection to sawdust is that it is 

 an indigestible substance, that it fills up the space that should be occupied 

 by nourishing food, and that it is not cipiiblo of boiuR ground in the gizzard. 

 Another objection is that it remains unchained, causing great discomfort, 

 and inducing excessive drinking. There is little to condemn in its use if it 

 is only for the purpose of cleanliness in a house, but it is very injurious 

 where the food is thrown down ou it and the birds pick it up with their food. 

 This is especially the case at exhibitions. It is only where it is unavoidable 

 that the fowls swallow it. Instinct is strong in them, and forbids them to 

 pick up anything Bo injurious. It is as good for human beings as for fowls. 



Canary Hen Pecking Herself ( 3/. S. ). — Your Canary, although apparently 

 healthy, may be uneasy and suffering from a heated stateof the blood through 

 being kept in a warm room, or she may, perchance, bo troubled with parasites, 

 which to an nnpractised eye would not be noticeable. The pai-asites are of 

 the bug species, diminutive in size, but vary in colour accordiog to age. This 

 kind of vermin accumulates very fast during the Canary breeding season, and 

 are troublesome cnstomers to get rid of. The annoying nature of the red 



mites, as they are called, cause birds to peck themselves much, especially 

 during ni{^ht-time. when the bugs leave their bauLts to feed upon the life 

 blood of the birds. In day-time the vermin mostly keep to llieir LauLts — the 

 crevices of the cage — and it is there they may be found. lu the lirst place 

 wash the bird well with soap and lukewarm water, using a partly worn-out 

 shaving brush fcr the purpose, or a piece of old flannel. Don't be afraid of 

 applying soap pretty freely to purify its feathers during washing. Kinse 

 afterwards in clean warm water. Extract or dab out as much of the moisture 

 as you can from the feathers with a muslin cr cambric cloth, and then let 

 the bird gradually dry in a cage before the fire. When sufficiently dry remove 

 it to another cage, and scald and cleanse that you have removed the bird 

 from. If afttr the opejationof washing you find the bird conlinuts to peck 

 itf^elf, dose it with a drop of castor oil, after which let it have betwixt the 

 wires of the cage a piece of salt (no sugar, please), which will act as a blood- 

 purifier. .Supply a bath daily; and as early in approaching spiing as yo» 

 perceive the dandeUou root thooting forth its head in sheltered situations 

 let your bird have some to eat. The mixture of the four kinds of seeds yon 

 name will be best for the bird ; only in the place of tiie rape, which probably 

 you may not have scalded, and which may be of the large black kind, sub- 

 stitute it for that known as summer rape, or otherwise in its place supply 

 small hcmpsecd. The large black rape seed is very drastic and heating, and 

 is very injurious to young brds unless scalded. Keep a rusty nail in the 

 bird's fountain. 



Bee Jodenal (J. T.}.— There is not one published. 



Honey Wine [A Straw Hive). — This is usually called mead, it may be 

 thus made : — " To a gallon of water put 2 lbs. of honey and 1 lb. of sugar ; 

 boil for an hour, put in the whites of four eggs to clarify, and skim it quite 

 clear whil.t boiling; then put it into a clean tub, and let it stand for a week, 

 putting in a toast with honey to make it work ; then tun it, put in the peels 

 of three or four lemons, let it stand for a m.jnth, and then it it is net suflici- 

 ently fine put in more honey, and let it stand longer." We do not know the 

 machine you mention. 



Vegetable Marrow Preserve (Z>. D.). — The common oval yellow-fruited 

 is as good as any for the purpose. The seeds and rind being removed, boil 

 the flesh with very little water, adding lemon peel to give a flavour, and 

 sugar according to the sweetness desired. 



METEOKOLOQICAL OBSEBVATIONS. 



Camuen Sqoabe. London. 



Lat.6l°82'40'N.; Long. 0° 8" 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 



KEMAKK8. 

 12lh — Frosty, with an unusuallj wbite Jog (for Londou); dull afternooa 



SDOW at 6 P.M. ; a cluudy niybt. 

 13th. — SuGw everywhere below, aud dense heavy clouds above; bright by 



Doon ; liDe afternoon ; very cloudy at night. 

 I'ltb.— Snow on ground, and leaden-coloured clouds above; very dull all 



day; thawing a little. 

 15th.— Very dull all day but no fall; colder towards night. 

 16th.— Fair, but very cold and dull, soon clearing off ; a bright fro3ty day, the 



linest we have had for Home weeks. 

 17th. — A very thick fog in morning, but eoon clearer, followed by a damp 



disagreeable day ; thawiug fast at night. 



Snow all gone during the night; rather dull and dark at 9 a.m., sun 



bhining brightly before 11.90 ; remainder of tbe day beautifully bright, 



almost spring-hke, and the siars very bright at night. — G. J. Symons. 



18Lh.- 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.-January 19. 

 Tbe market is amply supplied with all kinds of goods, and prices are gene- 

 raDy below the average, business still keeping inactive. 



FRDIT. 



a. d. B. d. 



Apples i sieve 1 0to2 



Chestnuts bushel 13 2rj 



Filberts, Coba lb. 



Grapes, holhoase lb. 



Lemons FlOO 



Melons each 



Oranges V lUU 



Asparagus *'»' 103 10 



Freoch bundle 18 



Beet, Ked dozen 1 



Broccoli bundle (t 



Brussels bprouts i sieve 2 



Cabbage <lo2en 1 



Carrots bunch 



Capsicums v 100 1 



Cauliflower dozen 2 



Celery bunale 16 2 



Coleworts.. doz. bunclu-s 2 4 



Cucumbers each 1 u 2 



pickhDg dozen 10 3 



Endive dozen 10 2 



Fennel bunch 8 



Garlic lb. 6 



Herbs banch 3 



Borseradisb. ... bundle 



d. 



Oto 







6 



9 



6 







4 



U 







8. d. 

 12 





 3 



1 6 

 



2 

 8 

 

 

 



