May 4, 1876. ] 



JJURNAL OF HOBriOULTUUE AND COriAGE GAKDENEB. 



361 



pood Turbitfl, but many were fonl-thighed and poor. First 

 Yellows, second Reds, and third Silvers. Dragoons a good class, 

 but sbowibg the dilHci'lty of matching of the hens, as a rule 

 falling Jar short of the Cjuality of the cocks, and many champion 

 birds bad to succumb on that account. First were Yellow, and 

 oecoud and third Blues. Jacobins were a fair lot. The first 

 Reds — small, neat, and sound in colour; second Reds, not so 

 good in that respect, and coarse in size ; third Y'ellows. In 

 Short-faced Antwerpa very few came up to our requirements, 

 bat the cocks in the wiuniog peus were grand birds, the hens 

 being too long in proportion. First were Dana, as also the 

 second, the former winning only by the shortness of head and 

 general stiffness of the cock, the second being young but a grand 

 bird, but by far the best in head properties was the third-prize 

 Blue cock. The winning Long-faces were very first-rate Duns 

 and Red Chequers. Nuns good, and Magpies a most exquisite 

 lot. First and third Reds, and second Blacks. In the Variety 

 class first were Trumpeters, and second Red Swallows. 



Babbits came next, the classes not being numerous. Lops 

 were first. Pen 833 was a grand Tortoiseshell, but with a very 

 crooked leg, was left oat altogether, the awards being made to 

 first a Black doe, large and good quality of car, 22} by .5} inches ; 

 second Fawn-and-white, 22 by 4| inches, in nice order; very 

 highly commended a Black-and-white, 22 by 41 inches. Angoras 

 were a nice lot, the first not the largest, but of very fine quality 

 of wool; almost "every pen noticed. Himalayan were a very 

 poorclafs; the first a good Rabbit, second of fairquality. Silver- 

 Greys were, on the contrary, a good lot, many very promising 

 Babbits being shown, the winners very good in silvering and 

 even in colour. In the Selling class Lops won, none others 

 being of much note. 



POULTRY.— aiME.—BIacfc or Brown Bed— Cock— Cap.n. GaTnolt. 2, W 

 and n. Ada'iis. Any colour.-Cock ~1, 3. A. & H. H. Staveley. 2. R. Ashl-jy 

 3. H. E. MarLiD. vttc.T.Dyann. Black or Brown Bed.— Hen.— 1. A. MAUhQw. 

 a anrl 8, i:. W. Brierley. Ajty other cotoiir.—Hen.—l, C. W. Brierley. 2. J. A 

 and H. H. Staveley. 3, J. F. Walton. Local Class.— Cock.— I and 2, J. Green- 

 balth. DORKING3.— 1 and 2. J. Walter. S, A. Darby. Cochins.— Bm.^ or 

 Cinnamon.-l, J. Walker. 2, J. Booth. 3. A. Darby. Partridge and White.— 



1. T. Abpden. 2. A. Bamford. S. J. Booth. t^PLHisn.—Btack.-U J- Powell. 



2, J. Thresh. S, J Powell. Brahmas — 1, T. F. Anadell. 2, J. Birch, jun. 3, A. 

 Bamford. HAyiButtGns.-Goldenpencilled.-l, G. J. Duckworth. 2, H. Pickles. 

 S, W. Robert-haw .Silverpeiicilled.-l, H. Pickles. 2 and S, R. W. Braofiwell, 

 Oolden-spangled —1 and 2, G. & J. Duckworth. 3. Mrs. T. E. Jones. Silver- 

 tpangled.-i, J. Fielden. 2, J. Fielding. 8, J. Patrick. Black — I, A. Trickett. 

 9. B. L. Garnetl. S, H. Pickles. French.— 1, C. M. Saunders. 2, W. H. Crab- 

 tree 3. G. M. Saunders Ant otheb V*RiETr.— 1, SV. Harvey (Polands). 3, 

 T. F. Ansdell (Black Cochins). 3, T. Aspdea (Cochins). Ant Variety except 

 Game AND Game Bantams.— 1, T Aspden. 2, J. BirtwiBtle. Selling Class. — 



1, J. Powell (Black Spanish). 2. T. Asptten. 3, J. F. Walton. Game BANT»il». 

 —Black or Brown Bed..— Cock.— Cao, W. F. Addie. 2, J. Fletcher. 3. G. Hall. 

 Any other rotour.— Cock— \,G. Ha\). 2. J. Fletcher. 3, R. Brownlie. Black 

 or Brmen Bed.— Hen.— \, W. F. Addie. 2, J. Fletcher. 3, N. S. Susden. Any 

 offtcr co(our.—flen.—l, Bellioffham A Gill. 2, G. Hall. 3, R. Brownlie. Local 

 ClaJts.—Cock.—\, G. Anderton. 2, J. Bamber. 3. J. Riiey. Bantams.- 4ny 

 »arit(j/.-l.C. & J. Illingworth. 2, H. Pickles. 3. J. Walker. TiiRKEi-a — 1, J. 

 Walker. 2, J. BrookweU .S W.Roberts. Gefse.- 1 and 2, J. Walker. Ducks. 

 —Ayleabnry.-X and 8, J. Walker. 2, C. Holt. Bonen.-\ and 3, J. Walker. 2, J. 

 Kewlc n. J?ii/o('iirrarin(j/.—l, J. Walker. 2, J. Wood 3, H. B. Smith. 



PrGEO^^S.— CARBiBus-Corfc.-l, E. Horner. 2, J. Walker. 3, H. Yardley. 

 »hc, E. C. St etch, iicn.—l. J. Stanley. 2. J. Walker. 3. E, C. Stretch, vlic, 

 E. Horner, J. Kendall. Tomblerb.— 1 and 3, H Yardlcy. 2. W. 4 H. Adams. 

 Barbs.— 1, E. Horner. 2, J. Stanley. 8. H. Yardley. Owl8.—1. E. C. Stretch. 



2, J Thresh. 3. L. Lawson. Pouters.- Cocfc.— 1, W. Uarvey. 2 and 3, E. 

 Horner. Hen.—l and 3, E. Horner. 2, W. Uarvey. Fantails- 1. J. F. 

 Loversidge. 2, J. Walker. 3, T. S. Stephenson. Thrbits.- 1 and 2, E. Horner. 

 8, J. Fielding. Dr*ooon3.— 1. &.. MoKenzie. 2, WaddiuRton & Booth. 3, J. 

 Stanley, vhc. W. smith. Jacobins.— 1. J. Gardner. 2. E. Horner. 3, J. Booth. 

 A^TWKRPs.—Sliort-faeed.—l. W. Harrison. 2 and 3, W. F. Entwistle. vhc, J. 

 -Garduer. Loa(;-/'iC(^(i.— 1 and 2, C. Hopwood. 3, J. Hacking. Nuns.— 1, J. B. 

 Bowdon. 2. K. Horner. 3, W. J. Warhurst. Magpies.— 1, E. Horner. 2, J. B. 

 Butler. 3 and vhc, J. B. Bowdon. Any qthsb Variety.— 1, W. Harvey. 2, E. 

 Horner. 3. D. M. Garside. 



RiBBITS.-SPANisn.- 1 and 2, Schofleld 4 Barrett, vhc, T. & E. J. Fell. 

 Angora —1. James & Hallam 2, S. A. Clegg. Himalayan.- I. T. & E. J. Fell. 



3, foster & Chambers. Silver-Grey —I and 2, H. Woods, vhc, W. B. Chantry, 

 T. Qolightly. ANY Variety.— 1, Schofleld & Barrett. 2. J. Woods. 



H 'Judges. — Poultry : Mr. Simon Fielding, Trentham, Stoke-on- 

 Trent; Mr. Enoch Hutton, Columbariau House, Pudsey ; Mr. 

 John Martin, Patshall Park, Wolverhampton. Pigeons and 

 Babbits : Mr. J. Taylor, Rochdale; Mr. E. Hutton. 



BREEDING BEES. 



"A CORRESPONDENT " R." wishes to know if bees are deteriorated 

 by in-and-in breeding; and if they are, is it necessary to have 

 fresh queeus every autumn ? No other bees are within several 

 miles of his, and London is distant three days by post. Can 

 queens be safely transported this distance? He encloses for 

 inspection eight bees from a swarm which he bought last year 

 as perfectly pure Ligurians. The bees are not pure Ligurians. 

 Probably about three-fourths of their blood is Ligurian ; for 

 though seven of the eight are marked with Ligurian bands the 

 eighth is not marked at aU, and the marking on the seven is not 

 so distinct as that on pure Ligurians. 



The question of inand-in breeding is a very important one, 

 and deserves careful thought and consideration. It has been a 

 subject of consideration for more than a quarter of a century 

 and all that we have seen in the writings ot bee-masters, and al 

 that we found in our own experience touching the question. 

 have been carefully pondered. Many crude opinions and unsup 

 ported statements have been made to establish the idea o 

 ■daterioration in bees, but satisfactory proof has never been pro 



dnced so far as I know. What do we find in lone and remote 

 districts like that in which " R." lives, and in which in-and-in 

 breeding has gone on for generations and ages ? Certainly no 

 evidences or signs of deterioration. Bees there are as healthful 

 and powerful as they were centuries ago. In our opinion a 

 degenerate race of bees or an improved breed is not an esta- 

 blished fact, but remains a mere fancy in some minds. 



I will go a step farther. If in-and-in breeding be against a 

 law of nature and tends to deteriorate the powers of bees, why 

 do the bees of almost every hive produce drones in superabun- 

 dance for the queens that are being reared in it ? The conduct 

 of both bee 1 and drones of every hive indicates that in-and-in 

 breeding is a law amongst them, not an exception. Though our 

 correspondent may have fresh queens safely conveyed to him 

 from great distinces, we dare not predict that they would im- 

 prove the powers of the bees in his garden or neighbourhood in 

 the smallest degree. "R.'s" hive which contains only four or 

 five dozens of bees will probably die, as they are rather too 

 small a number to hatch young bees. 



We answer the last question of our correspondent by naming 

 Pettigrew's " Handy Book of Bees."— A. P. 



WEATHER-HIVES— LIGURIANS. 



The uncertainty ot weather in England, or the changeable 

 nature of our climate, is probably the greatest drag and hin- 

 drance to bee-keeping in this country. What a long series of 

 unfavourable springs we have had during the last ten years ! 

 The present one has been the worst for bees and most destruc- 

 tive of their lives we have ever known. It has been remarkable 

 for cold winds, frost, and snow. In the middle of April we have 

 had the hedges and bushes, while green with yonng leaves, 

 heavily mantled in snow, presenting to view a most novel and 

 beautiful sight. The Plum trees while white with blossom have 

 been twice eclipsed and hidden by heavy falls of snow. Such 

 weather is ratber disappointing to the poor bees and their 

 attached admirers and masters. 



While moodily pondering the discouragements of bee-keeping 

 arising from the changeable and unffiJvourable climate of Eng- 

 land, a gentleman who is an intense lover of bees called to tell 

 me that he had been to Mr. Yates's shop in Manchester to order 

 hives for this season's swarms, and there saw an accumulation 

 of new empty hives, numbering (he guessed) about 5IJ0, all made 

 of straw in large sizes ready for the demand of this season. He 

 was much astonished when told by Mr. Yates that the demand 

 for them is greater than the supply, and that all he saw would 

 be sold before the end of swarming time. " I have evidence 

 enough," he added, "that the spirit of bee-keeping is alive and 

 abroad." This little speech from my visitor rebuked my peevish- 

 ness, and gave me some encouragement to labour on for the 

 advancement of apiarian science. A clergyman of great literary 

 attainments called here last week, and in course of conversation 

 said, " We spend the first twenty years of our lives in gaining 

 knowledge, the second twenty in learning and studying how to 

 use and impart it, and the last twenty years are spent in efforts 

 to teach others ; and after all the most that the best can do is 

 but little." If I had asked this excellent man what one is to 

 do after he has spent all the three twenties, I daresay he would 

 have said, "Labour on to the end, for a life of occupation 

 and activity even in old age is preferable to one of listless inac- 

 tivity. Though unable to do much we shall be glad to do a 

 little in helping younger people ; and I heartily thank the 

 Editors of the Journal of Horticulture for their assistance and 

 their medium of communication. The fact that large hives in 

 hundreds are being sent to all parts of England is both a satis- 

 faction and encouragement to me, for wherever we find large 

 hives in use we find successful bee-keepers. 



An American author of a bee book says a perfect hive should 

 contain or possess sixty-one points of distinction or qualities, 

 and that his hive has them all. Throughout the book we find 

 that his hive is the idol of his heart, and his commendation of 

 it blurs almost every chapter. The last accounts of this gentle- 

 man that we have had gave us to uuderstand that he had rviined 

 himself in American law courts contending for the patent rights 

 of his hive. We are not inventors, and have no hive peculiarly 

 our own, and never had. We have copied what we have seen, 

 and practised what others have done before us. If hives are 

 built of proper materials and possess two points or qualities- 

 viz., size and simplicity of construction, they will abundantly 

 satisfy all apiarians who use them for laree harvests of honey. 

 If hives, whether largo or small, are not built of proper materials, 

 some process of ventilating them should be adopted. An internal 

 examination of hives at the present time will enable any bee- 

 keeper to ascertain whether his hives need ventilation or not. 



If the statements of some American bee-keepers, which 

 " B. & W." quoted in last week's Journal, be facts and not fan- 

 cies, the question of hives is comparatively a very unimportant 

 one. If the statements referred to represent facts, our bees are 

 lazy useless creatures comparatively speaking. In 186.3 Mrs. 

 Tapper had two Italian stocks which yielded 200 lbs. of honey, 



