June 22, 1876. ] 



JOOSN'AL OP HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDEXSR. 



499 



temptation to Bco it cannot be reeisted. I always go prepared 

 to see a good display, and Mr. J. Wileon, the painBtaking Hon. 

 Secretary, linows well how to cater, and so fix the right men at 

 their right posts (sd far aa a deputy secretary and a practical 

 adjuncc are concerned) to attend to the respective duties and 

 groum the birds properly whilst beneath the spacious tent. No 

 exhibitor need fear sending his best specimens to York Show 

 whether they be old or young birds. By-the-by, speaking of 

 young birds, those at the Show were indeed a promising lot, 

 some of them no doubt qualified to take foremost positions in 

 their respective classes at future AU-Bnglaud exhibitions. I 

 will not extol any exhibitor's birds in particular; it would be 

 fulsome on my part so to do. The Canaries generally through- 

 out the clasEcs were good specimens of the various breeds ; the 

 Mules were really first-class, and the Goldfinches and Linnets 

 in several instances came to the post in fair trim. The aggre- 

 gate number of birds comprised some three hundred and odd, 

 concerning which a page of the Journal could be well occupied 

 in describing the respective merits of the winning birds, and 

 remarking upon those which did not win. In class 2 the finest- 

 looking bird was disqualified through having a mirked feather, 

 otherwise it would have made a mark. The owner, it appeared, 

 had had the bird in his possession several months, and was 

 unaware of the blemish (which prohibited it being shown as a 

 " clear " bird) until soliciting an interview with me to point out 

 the cause of disqualification. — G. J. Babnesby, 



The following is the prize list : — 



CAGE BIRDS.— Belohn —Ckar or Ticked Yelloic or Bttff.—l and 2, W. 

 Forth S, Mi88 Becli. NoawicH— Clear Yellow— 1, C.Baitoa. 2, O. Simpson. 

 8, W. Grantbom. Clear Buff.—i, W. J. Dickinson. 2. W. Grantham. 3, Har- 

 land S Son. Eeen-marked Yellow or Biiff.—\. C. Burton. 2, — Calvert. 3, 

 Brown & Gayton. Ticked or Viui'eii marked Yellow or CiiJJ— 1, T. Unmpbrcy, 

 jun 2 and 3. W. Grantham. Cresled Yellow or Buff, with Green, flreij, or 

 Grizzled Crest.-}, ^. Younff. 2 and 8, Harland & -^on. Even-marked Yellow or 

 Buf-crested.-l, J.Young. 2. K. J. Smith. 3. G. Tantteld. YoKKsniRB.— Ctear 

 re»OM'.-l. Holdaworth & Crawford. 2. — Overend. 3. J. Rowland. Clear 

 £iijr— I.e. Worth. 2, W. Forth. S,W. Addison. Even marked Yellow or Buff. 

 —1 and 2. J. Ovorcnd. 3, Miss H. Belk. Cltarcrested Yellow or Buff, any 

 breed.— 1 and 2, Garbutt 4 Waro 3, R. Atkinson. CiNN»3inN.-Jon>ju«.— 1, 

 Brown & Gayton. 2, .T. Adams. 3, W. Bn'mer. Duff.— I and 2, J. Adams. 3, 

 T. Hurapbrev, sen. Ticked or Marked. Jonque or Buff.—\. J. Adams. 2, Miss 

 H.Belk. S.J.StBVOns. LizlRD.— (VoWcn-sllfiJlilifii.— 1, T. M. Reid. 2, Clemin- 

 aon & Kllerton. 3, J. Stevens. Silver-spangled —1. T. M. Reid. 2, Cleminson 

 and Ellflrton. S.S.Bnntinj. Extra Prize, J. Stevens. Ooldor Silver spangled, 

 with Broken Cap or Pied }Vings or Tail.—l and 3, — Bunting. 2, Cleminson 

 and Ellerton. Goldfinch Mvl.e. -Yellow or Biijf.— 1 and 2, — Bunting, s, J. 

 Stevens. Dark.— I and 2. Brown & Gayton. 3, S. Bunting, any othek 

 Variety of Molf.— 1 and 2, J. Stevens. S, R. Simpson. Young NonwiofT.— 

 Yellow.-l, Brown & Gavton. 2. .T. Youni?. 3, — Devanpy. Buff.—l, J. Oxley. 

 2, Misj Burton. 3, W. Horwell. Eeen-marked Yelh.m or Buff.—l, W. Grantbain. 

 a. Br.iwn & Gayton. 8, W. Porritt. NoRwioH.-Citrfc Crested Yellow or Buff: 

 —1, J. Cleminson. 2. W. Honvell. 3, C. Greenwood. Nest of Yo"NG Non- 

 wicii.— J'elion'.— 1. J. Young. 2. T. Humphrey, sen. 3. C. Burton. Buff.—l,- 

 Burton. 2, J. Burton. 8, B. J. Smith. Crfs(i((.-1, G. Frank?. 2, J. E. Borr. 

 8, R. J. Smith. Nebt of Young Lizards.— 1, Cleminson & Elterton. 2. W. 

 Evans- 3, C. Greenwood. Cage of Six Young Canaries in Variety.— 1, R. 

 J. smith. 2, GoodaU & Howard. 3, — Burton. Selling Class.— 1, W. Forth. 

 2, T. Irons. S.Garbut & Ware. Collection of British and Foreign Birds. 

 OF LOTH not less THAN TwELVfiT.- 1. W. Dodswofth. 2. — Calvert. Parrot. 

 — Grfj/.— 1,— Reed. 2, — Squure. Any other variety.— I, S. Buutini^ 2. Miss 

 Inglis. 8, J.Muckell. Goldfinch.— 3/oiti((;d—l, W. Forth. 2, J. Cleminson. 

 S. A. Ross. Bullfinch.— 1 ar.d 2. 0. Rowland. 8, J. Davaney. Linnet.— 

 Moulted.— I, — Bunting. 2, It. Pearson. 3, — Cariss. Any othee Variety of 

 British BlED.—l. J. Rowland. 2, J. Cleminson. 8, G. Simpson. 



Jddge. — Mr. G. J. Barnesby, Derby. 



LOST SWABMS. 



It has often been asked, What should be done with hives out 

 of which the bees have died and which are still full of good comb ? 

 Excellent advice has been given to this effect, that such hives 

 should be kept sweet and clean, put aside in a dry place, and 

 utilised in due time by putting the earliest swarms into them. 

 I have found, however, that unless such hives be all bat her- 

 metically sealed up it is next to impossible to keep them free 

 from the wax moth, except in the one iustanoo where they are 

 put and kept as virtual supers over vigorous stock hives. 



But there is a better plan than even this, which is simply to 

 let the hives be on their usual stands witli entrances open to 

 the winds of heaven. Such hives are sure to be taken possession 

 of by advanced guards of some strong hive in your own apiary 

 or in some apiary in the neighbourhood, and these will clean 

 out the combs and keep off the wax moth and other insects. 

 It does not follow that a swarm from such hive will take pos- 

 session ; should it do so, and there be no doubt as to the quarter 

 from whence the swarm came, if your neighbour traces his bees 

 it would be right at once to give them up, or if you know they 

 are his bees. But should a stray swarm come and take posses- 

 sion of your empty hive, whence you know not, no law forbids 

 your welcoming the new arrivals and assuming proprietorship 

 of them. There are always a number of lost swarms every year 

 which escape the notice of their owners. These usually move 

 off, if not hived in time, to some hollow trunk or house roof in 

 the vicinity. Why should they not rather fall into the hands of 

 some neighbouring bee-keeper who has had the ill luck to lose 

 his bees during the previous winter? Besides, "what is sauce 

 for the gooae is sauce for the gander." Tou may welcome a 

 stray swarm to-day and to-morrow lose one of your own, which 

 chose to issue when you were away from home or particularly 



engaged. Such happens to myself every year, and we have 

 actually bought stocks of italianised bees in the neighbourhood 

 which must have escaped from my own apiary. 



It has been said that such empty hives are a trap to catch 

 your neighbour's bees, and on that acount the practice is 

 said to be dishonest. I maintain, on the contrary, that your 

 neighbour will never thus lose his bees it he is a diligent bee- 

 master. If he is careless and negligent why should not his 

 swarms fill your hives in preference to going off to some hollow 

 tree or church tower, where they will benefit nobody ? for they 

 will certainly do one or the other if not hived by their owners 

 as soon as possible when they have settled after swarming. To 

 settle first is their (I believe) invariable practice. If they are 

 not hived then, but allowed to make off, let their owner follow 

 them and claim his property if he can trace them to your hive ; 

 otherwise let him mourn his inadvertence and learn to be sharper 

 on the look-out another time. Not only so, your empty hives will 

 be occupied by your own bees as likely as by anyone else's, and 

 become the natural homes of your own stray swarms. — B. & W. 



LIGUEIAN3 VERSUS BLACK BEES. 



I HAVE read with the greatest interest the discussion which 

 has been going on as to the merits of the Ligurian and commoa 

 black bees, more especially having been doubtful hitherto which 

 were the best as honey-producers, but I thinlc the following facts 

 deserve to be recorded in favour of the Ligurians. First let me 

 assure Mr. Shearer that this evidence comes from a part^ who 

 has no " Ligurians to sell," and therefore is in no way " inter- 

 ested " in the matter. 



On March 10th I opened and examined two hives standing 

 alongside of each other ; one (No. 1) black bees, the other (No. 2) 

 Ligurians. The black bees (No. 1) were strong, and had brood 

 in two combs ; No. 2 were weak, and had no brood. Both had a 

 little honey sealed up ; both were fed with syrup in bottles 

 placed on top of the hives. March 24th both were again opened. 

 No. 1 was doing splendidly, brood in five combs, and they 

 seemed merry and thriving; No. 2 still weak, but with brood in 

 two combs. 



April 18th they were again examined. No. 1 had brood in 

 seven combs, and to all appearance could not do better ; No. 2 

 brood in three combs only, and somehow did not seem to be 

 doing as well as I could wish. They were not examined again 

 till May 28th, when No. 1 was found with brood in all the combs 

 and preparing to swarm ; they were given a super, which they 

 took to next day. No. 2 was then opened. Imagine my astonish- 

 ment to find the hive literally crammed with bees, brood in 

 every comb, and far stronger than No. 1. They were given a 

 super, and took to it at once, and are filling it much faster than 

 No. 1. Artificial pollen in the shape of pea-meal was supplied in 

 a skep full of shavings from the first and taken in freely by the 

 bees, and experience has quite convinced me that in such springs 

 as we have had of late years the artificial pollen has become an 

 absolute necessity, and we all owe Mr. Abbott our warmest 

 thanks for the simple mode he has taught us by which it may 

 be given to the bees. 



Iq conclusion let me add that when asked by artisans whether 

 I advise them to try Ligurians I always say "no," while to the 

 gentleman I always say " yes." — Staines. 



SYSTEMS OF MANAGEMENT.— No. 3. 



The system I am now about to notice has been well tested by 

 hundreds of bee-keepers in various parts of this country, and 

 which wherever fairly tested has inspired confidence and com- 

 manded respect. So far as I know, its harvests of honey have 

 not been approached by any other system of management. 

 Though I have practised this system for fifty years, and have 

 tried to unfold it in a book which is now widely circulated, and 

 in smaller treatises which have appeared in the agricultural 

 and horticultural press of Great Britain and Ireland during the 

 last thirty years, I wish the reader to know that I am not the 

 originator of the system, and that the merits of this mode of 

 managing bees — if it has merits — do not belong to me. I 

 knew many apiarians who carried it fully out for thirty years 

 before my day. " If I gather a bunch of flowers to give away 

 they are not mine, only the string that holds them together." 



The centre of gravity in this system of management is a warm, 

 cozy, roomy house for bees in winter and summer; and it has 

 often been found — and it may be laid down as an axiom — that a 

 good winter house for bees is a good summer one for them. 

 I use large, cheap, straw hives of simple construction, and with 

 these I compiBi and include swarming, supering, nadiring, and 

 eking, and various modifications of these. 



It is natural for bees to swarm, and it is wise and profitable 

 to let all good stocks swarm in favourable seasons ; but I hold 

 that straw hives and plain wooden boxes afford more facilities 

 for thwarting swarming than costly complicated hives of any 

 kind. If swarmiag be natural and profitable, why make so many 

 attempts to prevent it ? Well, sometimes supers of honeycomb 



