374 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTtJKE AND COTTAGE GARDENEE, 



[ May 7, 1874. 



J. Frazer, DalmcUinBlon. he. R. Muir, Caimhill, Kilmarnock. Duckivings 

 and Piles.— 1, Z. H. He-vs. 2, Mrs. A. Frew, Kilmarnock. S, Mibb R. C. trew. 

 KirkcaWy. 4, J. S. Ferguson, Dalmuir, Old Kilpatnck. he. Rev. H. A. Fairlie, 

 Eiikmicbael. _ 



Game Bantams.— Btec)c-iirc<i»(e(/ and other Beils.—J, D. Whyte. Ayr. 2, E. 

 Dodd, Taibolton. S. A. Kunnedy, Kilb'rnie. 4. J. Dunlop, Nelson St., Newton. 

 he. J. Murdoch. DwlmelliiiMton. Any other vnrutit.—l, J. Knox, Juhn&tone. 

 2, H.Beaton. Uurltor'. 3, R. J. Hailley, Altrmcham, Cheshire. 4, J. Maine, 

 Johnstone, he, Z. il. Heys. „ . d v -» 



BiNT(M3 - JVoi Gam,'.— 1. Mrs. Frew, Townond, Kilmamoek. 2, A. Rohert- 

 Bon. Kllmarn' ok. 3, D. MXaren, Kilmarnock. 1, J. Currie, Kilmarnock, he, 



Polish!- 1. J.'stevenson. Chaplehall, Airdrie. 2 and 3, A. Wyllie, Johnstone. 



Any other Var etv ob Half breed.— l, -A. M'Lellau, Barrhead, Paisley. 2, 

 M. Wilson, Kilmarnock. S, Kev. J, Fairlie. lie, D. Bond, A>r. 



Drciis -Iiouen.—\ and c, J. Pollock, West Walton, Meams, Neilston. 2 and 

 he, W. M'Uowall, Auchtraluve, Stranraer. 3, A. Robertson, Kilmarnock. 

 Aylcsbiinj or itmi other hreed.-i, Z. H. Heyfl. 2, A. Robertson. S, J. Reid, 

 St. Quivox. 4, U. Hyslop, EelBton, Ayr. ., ^ ,^ , . „ „■ „ „ 



TDKKtYS —1, Rev. J. Fairlie. 2, Mrs. Dick, Doonholm, Ayr. 3, Miss R H. 

 Anderson. Dainshaw, Kilmarnock. 4. Miss M. Fnllarton. Loans. Troon. 



Geese —1, W. Murdoch, Knocksoul, Ayr. 2, D. MKisBock, CroBsbill. S, P. 

 Agnew, Prestwich. /ic, Mrs. Cooper, Failford, Tarbolton; Miss Pollock, Carn- 

 Bhailoch, Patna. c, R. Martin, Houtihwood, Beith. 



Extra he, R. Frew, Kirkcaldy (Nankin Bantams). 



not in the way when combs are being cut out ?" Yes, they are 

 sometimeB — that is to Bay, when it ia desired to cut from 10 to 

 20 lbs. of honeycomb from a hive which is being Isept for stock. 

 We can often gc-t 10 lbs. of pure honeycomb from a hive without 

 touching a stick, and once I cut 18 lbs. from one. When aU the 

 bees are driven from a hive, with a view to take all the honey it 

 contains, the sticks are no inconvenience, for they are speedily 

 withdrawn by a pair of pincers, and the combs lifted out entire 

 and placed on dishes.— A. Pettigbew. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF A BLUE TURBIT. 



Before stating what I consider to be the standard of a Blue 

 Turbit, allow me to ask why Turbits have not the same chances 

 of winning as Carriers and Pouters ? At any reasonable show 

 there are classes for single cocks and hens in Carriers and 

 Pouters ; but it generally happens that Turbits, along with one 

 or two other varieties, have to compete in the " Any other variety 

 class," which, I think, does not afford them their due position, 

 and prevents their having such a chance of winning as Carriers 

 and Pouters and some other breeds which have their own classes. 

 No one can say Turbits are not pretty birds, and I sincerely hope 

 that no fancier wiU discard the Turbit on account of the above- 

 named injustice. 



The standard characteristics of a Blue Turbit I consider to be 

 as follows ; A short broad head ; beak also short, in fact, the 

 shorter the better. The crown or crest behind the head should 

 taper to a point, if the Turbit is what is termed a point or peak- 

 crested bird ; but if a Shell-crested Turbit, the crown or shell 

 should be spread out the whole width of the back of the head. 

 The purle or tuft of feathers on the breast should open and turn 

 back both ways, something like the frill of a shirt; the larger 

 and more conspicuous the purle the greater the value of the 

 bird. The thighs should be quite clean— 1.<!., not the slightest 

 shade of blue or any other colour except white on them ; the 

 wings should be blue, with two narrow black bars across each, 

 brown or rusty feathers are a serious defect ; each wing should 

 have ten white flight feathers. The breast, underparts, flight 

 feathers, taU, and back should be white, and quite free from any 

 coloured feather. Both cock and hen should be rather small, 

 and the cock should have a nice gloss around the neck. — F. H. 



CROSS-STICKS AND GUIDE-COMBS. 



Mb. Alexandek wants fuller information as to the advantages 

 of these, and wishes to know if I do not find them inconvenient 

 when I want to cut out any of the comb, and whether they do 

 not hinder the bees in fixing their combs, leading to more irre- 

 gularity in their arrangement ? 



Cross-sticks and guide-combs are of great value to all who 

 manage their bees as we do ours, and they cause no irregularity 

 or hindrance in comb-building. The guide-combs are fixed in 

 the centres of the hives to induce the bees to build their combs, 

 and run from front to back, while the cross-sticks run from side to 

 Bide. All the combs cross the sticks, and are securely fastened 

 to them. The sticks steady and hold the combs as they are built. 

 The combs being thus securely held, hives can be removed by 

 cart and rail hundreds of miles without risk or injiu-y. With- 

 out cross-sticks the combs would not bear the shake of a light 

 cart many hundred yards on a good road in the summer. To 

 attempt their removal in such a conveyance at such a time 

 would probably be disastrous in the extreme. The combs would 

 fall in maEses, and the bees be smothered. Our bees are sent 

 to the country in carts, brought home in August, and then 

 sent in carts to Manchester, six miles distant, where they 

 are booked by railway as passengers to the moors of Derby- 

 shire. They are brought home in the same way without any 

 breakdowns. Our hives are large, and one good day's work on 

 the heather will pay for all the expense of carriage. The year 

 before last the hives gathered in the aggregate more than 100 lbs. 

 of honey daily for a fortnight. Besides, hives without crofs- 

 sticks cannot be safely lifted from their boards and examined. 

 Their combs move about and fall together like the leaves of abook. 

 Cross-sticks are not only an advantage in keeping the combs 

 firm and in the proper position, but they are useful in other 

 respects : they form cross roads to any bye lanes in hives, for 

 the bees always leave passage-holes against the sticks, so that 

 they cross from comb to comb. This is a great saving of time 

 and a convenience to the bees. 

 The last point touched by Mr. Alexander is this : — " Are they 



BEE-KEEPEE'S CALENDAR FOE MAY. 



Owing to the weather in this locality being unfavourable for 

 bees throughout March and till the 20lh of April, we had begun 

 to fear that 1874 would not be a year of early swarming or much 

 honey. In the middle of Match we had three days of severe 

 frost, which made bee-keepers think of the brood iu their hives 

 being chilled and killed by it ; but we have yet failed to find or 

 smell any foul biood this season. About the 20th of April the 

 weather became exceedingly fine; and as the fruit trees were 

 just then bursting into blossom, the bees have done very well 

 indeed during the last ten days. The farm-steadings in this 

 part of Cheshire are now embowered in huge white garlands of 

 pear blossoms. These will be succeeded by the blossoms of 

 apple trees. Both pear and apple flowers yield a great deal of 

 honey of fine quality. As soon as the fine weather set in we 

 removed from thirty to forty of our hives farther into the 

 country, and doubtless the bees have been helping themselves 

 to much rich treasure from the orchards in their neighbour- 

 hood; and while they have been doing this, they have been 

 rendering great service to the farmers in setting the fruit 

 abundantly. The value of bees in orchards, and in setting 

 peaches and strawberries forced early, and plants difficult to 

 seed, such as Primula sinensis, is not yet understood by many 

 people. For such work they are invaluable. Now for a dialogue. 

 Mr. B.— I should be obliged, Mr. P, if would you examine niy 

 hives once more to see what progress they have made. I will 

 now smoke this one and turn it up. It is much heavier since I 

 last looked into it. What is that shining in these cells ? 



Mr. P. — That is the honey the bees have gathered to-day. 

 Hold the hive so that one comb may be above another, and you 

 will see it run out or drop out of one comb into another. You 

 now see how it runs. It is honey iu a crude state, put there tiU 

 the bees have more time to re-swallow it, convert it into honey 

 proper, and store it away. To-morrow morning please to turn up 

 the hive, and you will find that this crude honey will have dis- 

 appeared ; and, turn the hive how you may, it will not drop from 

 cell to cell as it does now. 



Mr. B.— This is exceedingly interesting, and indicates marvel- 

 lous industry on the part of the bees. Do they re-swaUow it all 

 and carry it aloft during the night ? 



Mr. P.— Yes, generally ; but sometimes they gather so much 

 during the day, that some remains till the bees have time and 

 convenience to remove it. There may not be store cells enough 

 for it and the brood is now very abundant in strong hives, re- 

 quiring much attention and feeding. You see that the brood 

 extends to the extremities of the combs. I daresay this small 

 old-fashioned hive has from 18,000 to 20,000 young bees (or 

 brood) uuhatched, and all these receive proper food and timely 

 attention. Only think, Mr. B, how much work is necessary in 

 mixing and kneading this food before it is given to the infants 

 of the hive. One thing more let me call your attention to be- 

 fore we place the hive on its board. You see that much of the 

 brood in the centre of the hive is sealed over. Every young bee 

 has a hd placed over it when it is ten days old. In this hive 

 about one thousand lids are required every day. You see the 

 lids over the brood are convex in form, and those on the honey 

 cells are concave. When brood dies and becomes foul the lids 

 lose their rounded form, and become concave like the lids of 



honey cells. . . 



Mr. B.— I thank you much. This is really teaching by ex- 

 periment or exhibition, which suits me exceedingly, for I like to 

 have ocular demonstration of the truth of the lessons taught. I 

 long to have my bees in larger and more beautiful hives, so that 

 I could invite my friends to come and see what you have just 

 shown to me. Most of the cells are occupied with brood and 

 honey. When will this hive be ready for swarming '. 



Mr P —The cells are not all filled yet, and many of them are 

 not more than half filled. In this small hive there are probably 

 about a thousand young bees hatched every day, and the bees 

 will continue to gather honey and find room for it till the day of 

 swarming. You will find it increasing in weight and strength 

 dailv, weather permitting. The more houey is gathered the 

 faster the hive becomes ready for swarming, for bees do not sit 

 closely on honeycombs. In a sense the storing of ioney con- 

 tracts the space occupied by the bees. They are driven down- 

 wards or, in other words, they leave the sealed honeycombs 

 comparatively uncovered. You will at once understand how 

 speedily a hive ripens for swarming when both population and 

 honey increase in numbers and bulk. '"•-'■'■ "''t"' r-nr^nnrntivelv 



Hives with comparatively 



