218 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Sepleiber 2, 1575. 



might reasonably assame that by replacing them with Lignriana 

 ■we Bhould still have a fair sarplns of honey to take in spite of 

 the bad honey harvest." 



This is a very natnral inquiry on the part of a young apiarian, 

 and we put his question in fall with the hope that some of the 

 readers of the Journal of Horticulture will kindly favour us 

 with their experience during the present year. An old and 

 experienced apiarian in this locality bought in early spring a 

 strong stock of pure Ligurians with an imported queen. The 

 possession of this stock of pure Ligurians seemed to give him 

 an increase of pleasure and enthusiasm amongst his bees. We 

 were invited to see his new friends, and during the summer 

 months — indeed from their arrival to the present time — we have 

 taken considerable interest in them. They have been narrowly 

 watched by the gentleman and myself with a view to ascertain 

 if they possess any superiority whatever. If they possess any 

 superior qualities we have both failed to discover them. They 

 have not bred more than common bees ; they have not gone to 

 the fields earlier in the mornings, nor worked later at nights. 

 When inclement weather kept the common bees at home the 

 Ligurians stayed at home too — very wisely so. No more work 

 has been done by Ligurians, no superiority has been manifested. 

 Most of the stocks of the owner lost weight during the summer; 

 none lost more than the Ligurians. — A. Pettigeew. 



INDIAN HONEY AND WAX. 



In a visit to the new Indian Museum at South Kensington 

 I found an interesting corner filled with bee products, and very 

 carious it was to find such a surprising difference in the appear- 

 ance of both honey and wax to that of Earopean production. 

 Commencing with the honey (which of course I was not allowed 

 to taste), none could compare in colour with moderately good 

 English honey ; the nearest approach to it was that from Lohar- 

 dugga, and the produce of the orange flowers of Bengal. Then 

 we find Coorg exhibiting some dark and dirty-looking stuff; 

 Ava dark brown honey from wild bees, and hill honey quite 

 black, like the very blackest of treacle. It is worthy of remark 

 that most of this honey, especially the darkest, was uncrystallised. 

 Under the same conditions of storage oar superior article would 

 have been solid. 



Turning to the wax, not a single example exhibited the bright 

 orange colour of good beeswax. The sample from Pegu was of 

 a fair white, and nearly rivalled by that from Rangoon. Tra- 

 vancore's was grey. From the Indian Archipelago came several 

 samples, varying in colour frojn light to dark chocolate. there, 

 described as Jungle and Orissa wax, were of a dirty mottled 

 black and white ; and Raepore rivalled the honey of the hills, 

 being quite black. One jar's contents was denominated " wax 

 oil ;" whatever this may be I know not. 



Altogether I do not think India would be a successfal com- 

 petitor in either honey or wax at the next Crystal Palace Show. 

 John Hunteb, Eaton Bisc, Ealing. 



BEES ON THE MOORS. 



To-day (Angust 23rd), I have been visiting my bees on the 

 moors. At the beginning of this month I sent thirty-two hives 

 there ; many of them at that time were without any stores, and 

 exceedingly light in the hand. Twenty pounds of sugar were 

 given to them the first ten days after they went to keep the 

 bees alive, the weather being unfavourable. On the 13 th or 

 14th the weather became favourable for honey-gathering, and 

 since then till to day some of the best hives have gained 40 lbs. 

 in weight each, some 30 lbs , and some 20 lbs. My first swarm 

 weighs 82 lbs. ; and my neighbour Mr. Thorpe, whose bees are 

 at the same place, has two swarms weighing 78 lbs. and 70 lbs. 

 respectively. These are the beat amongst ours, and if the 

 weather continue favourable for another week they will probably 

 rise to above 100 lbs. each. 



In examining some of the hives internally today, we could 

 not avoid wondering at the marvellously large yield of honey 

 from the heather in so short a time. The bees and combs 

 seemed to be cambered with honey — every open cell had some 

 in it — the honey sparkled from the cells amongst the brood in 

 the centres of the hives, and on the crowns and outside combs 

 the bees were storing it away, and sealing it up as fast as they 

 could. Bat evidently the outdoor workers have been giving the 

 indoor workers too much to do. The cessation of honey-gather- 

 ing for twenty-four hours would set at liberty more hands for 

 indoor work. In such a time of honey- gathering a day of rain 

 is not a day of rest, but a day of preparation for sunshine and 

 more labour. What industry ! — A. Pettigkew, 



The C.4NAD.4 Poultry Journai, will be published on the 1.5th 

 of each month, beginning with September, 187-5. It will contain 

 twenty pages, two columns on each page ; printed on good white 



paper, and bound with a coloured cover, at the low price of 



.?1 per annum, in advance, postage paid. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



POCTEE3 LiYlNG SoFT Eoos U-)-— ig the season is now advanced, and 

 the birds are monlting, separate your two hens from their ma'es, and 

 perhaps nert year they mjy lay all ri^ht- From what you say of their food 

 and freedom as to fli^^ht. there can be no improvement made in any way. 



Bees in a Hollow Thee (4 Young Apiarian\.—Bj tAoAasi all 'he holes 

 and cracks in the tree you may speedily dastroy the bees with the fames of 

 Bulphur. Melt some brimstone in a plumber's lead pan, and dip some 

 cotton rag in it ; then close all openings in the tree and set fire to the rag 

 below the bees. Powder burnt in the cavity of the tree, or shot from a •mn 

 in it, will kill every bee- ° 



Working Bees KlLLrno one Anothee I.W. if.l.— There mnst be plunder 

 going on among your bees. Some are starving and have no doubt attacked 

 some more prosperous hive- tjhut-up the attacked hive early la the morning 

 for a day, opening towards evening, bat taking care to give TentiJation. 

 Feed all your weak hives liberally. 



Vermin on Sow (O. if., Surti/on).— Wash her with a strong iulaaion of 

 tobiooo in water, and the next day with soapsuds. 



MKTEOROLOGICAIi OBSERVATIONS. 



Camden Square, London. 



Lat. 61° 32' 40" N. ; Long. 0' 8' ' W.; Altitude, 111 (eet. 



REMARKS. 



25th. — A bright pleasaDt day; rather windy aud cool towards night. 



26th. — Windy in the Dight ; somewhat dull all day, bat DOt unpleasantly so, 



27th. — A very fine day throughout ; much cooler towards night. 



2S[,h.— Slight haze in the morning, fine in the middle of the day; rain cam 



menced at 5 p.m., and continued all night. 

 29th. — Fine early, fair but not fiue during the rest of the day, and starlit 



night. 

 SOtb.— Hazy at 8 a.m., but soon cleared off ; a Tery pleasant day from 10 a.m., 



bat rather cool. 

 Slat. — Another very pleasant day ; bright all day. 



A very pleasant week — very bright, but by no mcann hot. The mean tem- 

 perature at 9 A.M. wag slightly below that of the week previous; the meau 

 maximum 9- belov it; but the mean minimum in air waa the eame as last 

 week ; and the mean minimum on grass 0.4 above it.— G. J. Stmons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Septembeh 1. 

 Pkices of all kinds of fruit have a downward tendency and no proFpect 

 of an alteration. Outdoor Penches and Nectariues have made their appear- 

 ance, but are generally small and much punctured by wasps and bees. Several 

 very handsome Cayenne Pines from St. Michael's have arrived this week, but 

 fetched bad prices, there being no demand for heavy fruit. 

 Faurr. 



