'420 



JOUENAL OF HOKTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ May 25, 1876. 



late years often termed "barbarona" and "iDhnman," "brim- 

 stone-pit " and " stifling." It is still practised very extensively 

 by the cottagers of England and Ireland. This system has been 

 handed down from parent to child throngh all the ages. It is no 

 easy matter to remove ignorance and prejndice. Bee-keeping as 

 practised by English cottagers has not been improved, or even 

 been modified from lime immemorial ; but it is certain that the 

 battering-ram of "greater success" will prevail and remove 

 prejudices of long standing. The idea of pounds, shillings, and 

 pence cause people to learn the multiplication table and go on 

 the exchange. The prejudices of Englishmen are not immove- 

 able, for the beginnings of enlightened progress in bee-keeping 

 may be seen in many districts. 



The cottagers' hives are very small, generally very ugly, and 

 badly made, and as badly covered. They receive but little atten- 

 tion, and are but seldom touched — I might venture to say never 

 examined internally. When fine seasons come they swarm once, 

 often twice, sometimes thrice. The swarms are hived. When 

 harvest time arrives the honey is generally taken from the 

 heaviest hives, the bees of which are stifled in the brimstone 

 pit. In bad seasons the bees of the lightest hives are stifled, 

 and scarcely aiuy honey is obtained from them. The ages of 

 queens and combs are seldom if ever thought about. Pigs and 

 hens being profitable command intelligent attention, but the 

 bees live and die without attention comparatively speaking. 

 The cottagers' system is one of mismanagement and murder — 

 uninteresting and profitless. The hives used by the cottagers 

 of England are ridiculously and unprofitably small, and no 

 material improvement in management will take place till hives 

 very much larger are introduced and adopted. With larger 

 hives their profits would stimulate attention and sharpen in- 

 telligence and observation. Their modes of management would 

 soon be improved, the number of swarms lessened in bad seasons, 

 and the brimstone pit would disappear. — A. Pettigkew. 



BEES DYING. 



I HAVE kept bees for many years, but never experienced so 

 trying a season as this last winter. Eight stocks I kept through 

 the winter; two were very weak and died, but not till the end 

 of April ; they were all well fed. One hive that seemed very 

 strong were out one day this month and seemed very busy all 

 day. In the evening I looked at them — they seemed very quiet, 

 I lifted the hive; all were dead. What could have been the 

 cause of their death ? Two more hives seem very sickly, refuse 

 to eat, and will, I fear, die. I have always found the old- 

 fashioned straw hives with straw supers most Buccessful, and 

 such I generaUy adopt. — Haery Thomson, Glamorgan. 



[Almost all British beekeepers think with you that this 

 season up to the present time has been one of the worst and 

 most trying for bees ever known. Out of eight stocks you have 

 lost three, and two more are likely to die. Two of your weak 

 hives died in April, probably from not having reared young bees 

 to take the places of those bred last autnmn. Bees die at the 

 end of nine months from the cell ; and if unfavourable weather 

 prevent them from rearing young ones in March or April to 

 take their places, the hives of course become tenantless. Your 

 other hive that seemed very strong and busy one day this 

 month, the bees of which seemed to work well but were found 

 dead in the evening, was being robbed on the day you saw the 

 bees going in and out and examined the hive. The bees of the 

 hive had died previously, and the robbers found this out and 

 took all the stores. Your two sickly hives which refuse to eat 

 will probably expire soon, but if the bees now living are young 

 ones they may perhaps be able to hatch some brood and thus 

 gain a Uttle strength. The materials of your hives are right 

 enough, and are not in any sense the cause of your mis- 

 fortunes. — A. P.] 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Hen ^VITH Cockerel until Laying (J*. T. fl".).— We believe you may 

 safely expect every egg to be fertile, unless a very large number is laid. We 

 are aware of the peculiarity in Turkeys. In a state of nature both fowl and 

 Turkey will lay only aa mnny as they can cover in eitting — about fifteen each. 

 By taking them away we make them lay thrte times as many. There may be 

 stoppages for some days, advantage might be taken of them, but if we did 

 not we should expect full success. 



Woodbury Hives.— Several correspondents wish to know where these 

 hives can be purchased. 



TniE OF Swarming (Trict-p*).— A hive maybe ready for swarming before 

 drones appear, and it may not be ready for fourteen days after they have 

 appeared. In ordinary weather a hive is ready for swarming three weeks 

 alter the bees have covered the combs, and the fulness or readiness of a hive 

 may be guessed at by the heat and noise; but an internal examination is the 

 most certain way of ascertaining when a swarm should be driven. By blow- 

 ing smoke from fustian rags into a hive and then turning it np we ascertain 

 at once whether it is ready for driving, and if not, when it will be ready. If 

 the bees fall from tbo face of the comlis on the board after being smoked it is 

 fit for swarming, If the smoke drives all the bees up amongst the combs 

 swarming should be de.'ayed till the hive becomes fuller. All who adopt 

 axtificial swarming should be guided by the ripeness of hives and study the 



question of ripeness, for much injury is often done to both stocks and 

 swarms by premature separations. 



Large Bee Hives.— Messrs. Neighbour & Sons inform us that at the 

 Crystal Palace Show of last year they had the first prize for the cheapest and 

 best straw skep, which they have named Neighbours' Crystal Palace Prize 

 Straw Skep. Size uf skep is 17 inches wide by 9 inches deep. 



Ants Eniering Hives fP. Apflehy^.—UiTe^ are not often injurei by 

 ants, and healthy strong hives are able to defend themselves against all 

 enemies. If your bees are accustomed to the presence of ants they may not 

 repel them. By rai.sing the hive off the ground 2 or 3 feet and gas-tarring 

 the post near the ground the ants could not reach the door, or you may sac- 

 ceed by changing the position of the hive till the baes forget the ants and 

 their friendly \\hiU. If they are permitted to enter without resistance after- 

 wards you may be sure that something ia wrong inside. 



Feather-eating Parrot {M. S.).— If the bird's cage has a wire bottom 

 let it be taken out, and give the Parrot plenty of sand with some small stones 

 m it, so that the bird may pick out pome and swallow them, then give a 

 cbange of diet; let the bird have some soaked Indian com, and some fruit 

 and green food, watercresses.&c. A piece of bread dipped into a boiled egg 

 ia an enjoyable morsel to a Parrot. If change of food and what we have 

 recommended has no effect on the habit, then make what is called a '* cradle " 

 in the stable, and put it on the bird's neck until the bad habit is forgotten. 

 The collar, or cradle, can be made either of leather or pieces of cane fastened 

 with string. It will not hurt the bird to wear it. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 



Camden Square, London. 



Lat. 51^ 32' 40" N. ; Long. 0" S' 0" W. ; Altitude, 111 feet. 



REMARKS. 

 17th.— Northerly wind still prevailing; air very dry. 

 18th.— Very dull morning; much finer and brighter in after part of day. 

 19th. — Dull early ; afterwards very bright and pleasant. 

 20th. — Very fine and bri^^ht throughout. 

 21st. — Close and dull ; much warmer. Maximum temperature rose to 70° for 



the first time tince April 8th. 

 22nd.— Cloudy mc rning ; heavy shower at 4.15 p.m., and very heavy hailstorm 



between 7 and 8 p.m. 

 23rd. — Dull, with slight showers at intervals. 



There is a slight rise of mean temperature consequent upon the chango to 

 westerly wind on Sunday. — G. J. Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Mat 24. 

 An abundant supply of all classes of goods keeps prices down, there being 

 large quantities of Grapes from the Channel Islands and outdoor fruits and 

 vegetables from the Continent to meet any want that may be felt owing to 

 the backwardness of home produce. 



B, d. B. d. 

 1 etc 5 

 " 6 4 



Apples k sieve 



Apricots box 1 



Cherries box 1 G 5 



Chestnats bushel 



Currants i sieve 



Black do. 



Figs dozen 9 15 



FUberts lb. 



Cobs Jb. 9 1 



Gooseberries quart 8 



Grapes, hothouse.... lb. S 10 



Lemons ^100 6 12 



Melons each 6 12 



Mulberries lb. 



Nectarines dozen 



Oranges V 100 



Peaches dozen 



Pears, kitchen.... dozen 



dessert dozen 



Pine Apples lb. 



Plums.. k sieve 



Quinces bushel 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawbeiiies oz. 



Walnuts bushel 



ditto ^ 100 



s. d. s. d. 

 OtoO 



12 

 4 



VEGETABLES. 



H. d. S. 

 4 0to6 



16 6 



1 6 17 



10 2 

 1 

 



Artichokes dozen 



Asparagus %► 100 



French bundle 



Beans, Kidney.... ^100 



Beet, Red dozen 



Broccoli bundle 



Brussels tprouts i sieve 



Cabbage dozen 10a 



Carrots bunch 4 



Capeicums i^ lUO 16 2 



Cauliflower dozen 10 4 



Ci-lery bundle 16 2 



Coleworta.. doz. buuL-hes 2 4 



Cucumbers each 4 1 



Endive dozen 10 2 



Fennel bunch 3 



Garlic lb. 6 



Herbs bunch 3 



Horseradish bundle 4 



Lettuce dozen 6 1 



French Cabbage .... 1 6 2 



Leeks bunch 



Maehrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress punnet 

 Onions bushel 



pickling quart 



Parsley.... doz.buncbes 



Parsnips dozen 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



New lb. 



Radishes., doz. bunches 



Rhubarb bundle 



Salsafy bundle 



Scorzonera bundle 



Seakale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes dozen 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Marrows 



I. d. s. d. 



4 too 



1 



