210 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Septembar 9, IS75. 



liberty. Seeiog this comb had been in my hand all the time, the 

 bees remaining in the hive were still in the position of a queeu- 

 leaa stock, and as I was desirous of multiplying my experiments 

 as far as possible, I replaced the comb and took out another, on 

 which I placed a fresh queen ; this one was clean and well 

 developed. The bees accepted her at once, feeding and licking 

 her with the greatest affection. As twilight was now drawing 

 nigh I replaced the comb, first abstracting the crippled queen, 

 and then proceeded to the hive where I had left two queens in 

 the morning. Alas ! they were both gone, and the cause stood 

 revealed by signs of the presence of a fertile worker — a patch 

 of drone brood in worker cells, of which the poor bees in their 

 desperate efforts to obtain a queen had converted more than a 

 dozen into paeudo queen cells. 



Now, I should be very curious to see what these abnormal 

 cells would produce, but my friend Mr. Cheshire has sent me a 

 similar lot, which contain unmistakeable drones, although the 

 cells are like ordinary queen cells elongated to the extent of 

 IJ inch. The question now arises how to get rid of this un- 

 desirable worker. Easy enough if I could find her, hut know 

 not how she is to be distinguished, and time is very scarce to- 

 night. So in the desperate hope of a better fate I put iu my 

 last remaining virgin queen. She was well received, I left her 

 to her destiny, and I found her all right next day and the next. 



My day's experiments I felt were eminently successful, and, 

 so far as four trials went, conclusive. I am bound to say tho 

 Yankee is right. " Queenless bees will accept readily any new- 

 born queen presented to them ;" and tho question then occurred 

 to me. What would be the fate of such a queen in a stock where 

 there is already a queen ? There is just light enough to try ; so 

 recovering the queen hatched over-night, although she has been 

 with other bees, I withdrew a comb from a nucleus containing 

 a queen, and put in the cripple. No animosity was shown by 

 the workers. I then found the old queen and put her on the 

 usurper's back. She showed no fight, but ran away, and the 

 fading daylight prevented my again finding her, so I shut up 

 the two queens together and left them. The next day I found 

 the crippled queen on the ground before the hive weak but yet 

 alive. I replaced her, but the following day she was again 

 absent and I could not find her ; probably she had been thrown 

 exit and crawled away. 



I do not think I can recommend my "pocket incubator," so I 

 shall not take out a patent for it. The air is too dry. Most of 

 the pupffi died, and others came out with crippled wings. 

 "Where, however, the young queens are expected to emerge 

 within a few hours the pocket will prove handy and safe, and I 

 daresay I shall make nse of it again for the same purpose. I 

 fear my young queens have small chance of successful courtship. 

 September is just at hand, and drones are very scarce ; in one 

 hive only have I any, and those are decreasing daily. 



I had the curiosity to accurately weigh some bees, and found 

 them to average — queens (at four hours old), 3.15 grains ; drones, 

 the same; workers, 1.25. It has struck me as curious that 

 although I never hesitate to seize a queen with my fingers iu 

 the midst of her subjects, in no instance have I received a sting 

 in the act, although numbers of bees often follow on my fingers. 

 — John Hc.nteh, Eaton liise, Ealinrj. 



Crystal Pal.ice Bee Snow. — This will be on the 21st, 22nd 

 and 23rd inat. The prizes offered by the British Bee-keepers' 

 Association are liberal for varieties of bees capable for cultiva- 

 tion in England, as well as for hives and honey. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Canker in Fot^xs (/. T. S.).— The food you mention ia not good enough to 

 keep fowls in condition. There is not much in the way of food to be foand 

 in a timberyard,and nharpg make bat a bad breakfast. The best and cheapest 

 way to feed is to give them elaked burleymeal or ground oats mcrnin;^ and 

 evening, the house scraps at mid-day. Where birds are underfed they become 

 weak, and are almost alwaye attacked by some dieoase they have previouely 

 had, or their parents before them. The same weakness that allows it to 

 appear prevents them from recoverinc. "We shouht put all the bii'ds that are 

 suffering in a place by themselves. ^Vo should give to each a tablespoontul 

 of castor oil. Feed on the barleymeal. You may Blake it with strong beer 

 for a few days. Dry all the canker thoroughly with a pponge, and dress it 

 with powdered alum, being careful that it penetrates into the cracks. This 

 generally cures it in a few days, but much depends on having the canker dry 

 before tho alum is applied. 



Parrots Falling from their PERCirea (H.).— Tour birds ivro suffering 

 from a nervous weakness, which is the cause of them falling from their perches. 

 Parrots are veiy liable to the eaid accident, which is encouraged and brought 

 about through being kept in a somewhat couflned and warm temperature. 

 The keepicg of them in your bedroom to cnre them is like pouiing oil upon 

 the fire to extinguish it. Remove the birds from the bedroom and occasion- 

 ally {two or three times a-week) douche them with cold water from n water- 

 ing-can, but do not repeat the shower-baths so frequently during cold winter 

 month?. After the bathing and during the time the feathers are wet spurt 

 from your mouth a teaspoonful of brandy over the Parrot, after whiiih throw 

 ft cloth over the cage and place it within 2 or feet of the fire. When partly 

 dry rf-movo the cloth and hauf; the bird up. Accompanied with sound food 

 this will tend to strecgtben the birds. If you give your Parrots much meat 

 partly discontinue it, for it produces laxity and weakness. Give bread soaked 

 ,n milk, and a little ripo fruit just now. 



Birmingham Scmmer Show [W. C). — We have no Information as to the 

 third prize for Black Red Game pullets. 



Canaries in a Grhenieocse [A Subscriber). — As you have kept your 

 Canaries in a greenhouse all the summer yon may safely continue them there 

 during the winter, especially as you state " provided frost WRi^ excluded." If 

 you wish to remove them from the greenhouse do so at once, and then the 

 birds will moult in tho proper season; but if you keep them in the greenhouse 

 (where they will moult, and probably may be doing so now) until Christmas 

 or February and tben remove them, you will ten to one bring about a spring 

 moult, and* thus render your birds unfit for early breeding with. It is the 

 changing of the birds from different positions into varying temperatures 

 which brings about a looseness of feathers. The=e birds cannot be con- 

 sidered hardened but weakened. 



Dogs and Birds. — On Tuesday August 31st I sent one of my best Part- 

 ridge Cochin cockerels to Bath iu splendid condition. He returned to-day 

 (September 4th) iu a most deplorable state; one side of the basket was 

 entirely gone and tied up with string; it was also nearly filled with feathers. 

 The poor bird had suffered severely, as the whole of the feathers and even part 

 of the skiu and flesh had been torn from his back. Some of your i eadors may 

 have noticed how he looked at the Show, as I believe the injuries were re- 

 ceived on the journey to the Show. —Charles Sidgvtick, liydiUesden, 

 Kcighlcy. 



Tumour on Rablit's Cheek {E. M.).—A G^iinea Pig dying suddenly and 

 a Rabbit's face being swollen are not indications of a contagious disease. 

 The Guinea Pig probably was overfat, and the Rabbit's face is attacked by v 

 small tumour. Bithe it with hot water daily, and if matter is apparent open 

 it with sharp-pointed scissors; wash tho wound with tepid water, and then 

 leave it to heal. 



METEOROLOGICAL OB3EEVATI0NS. 



REMARKS. 

 1st.— A very beautiful and pleasant day, but cloudy at night. 

 2nd. — Dull nearly all day, and cloudy at night. 

 iJrd. — Dull morning, soon turning to rain, showery till 1 p.m.; fine aftern:on 



and evening. 

 4th. — Fine all day, at times very bright ; but cloudy at night. 

 5th. — Fine at 9 a j.r., alternate sun and shade, but on the whole a pleasant 



day ; and starlit night. 

 6th. — A very bright fiue day, without being too warm. 

 7th. — Fine early, rather hazy at nine, but very fine afterwards ; fiue sunset, 



but rather close in the evening. 

 A pleasant week, particularly the latter part of it, being very bright without 

 being hot. The temperature very nearly the same as last week, but ihit the 

 range was rather gi-eater.— G. J. Syhons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— September 6. 



Trade still keeps stagnant, and goods are only cleared by laking low offera. 



Of hothouse fruit the supply is quite equal to tho demand, but prices of 



Grapes will mend as soon as the glut of Jersey produce is ever. English 



Tomatoes have made their appearance, but the crop will be light this seasor. 



s. d. 



Apples i elsTe 1 



Apricots dozen 6 



Cherries lb. 



Chestnuts bushel 



Currants i sieve 



Black do. 



Figs dozen 6 



Filberts lb. 4 



Cobs lb. 4 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, hothouse. . . . lb. 8 



Lemons 1f^ 100 8 



Melons each 1 



8. d. 8. d. 



Malberriea lb. 6tol 



Nectarines dozen 10 8 



Oranges V 100 J2 2C» 



Peaches dozen 1 6 12 



Pears, kitchen dozen 



dessert dozen 1 S 



PineApples lb. 3 5 



Plums i EiL've 1 a 



Qaincea dozen C 



Raspberries lb. 6 



Strawberries lb. 



Walnuts buPh^l 8 13 



ditto ^100 10 1 



Artichokes dozen 



Asparagus T* IfO 



French handle 



Beans, Kidney.... j sieve 1 



Broad j sieve 



Beet, Red dozen 2 



Broccoli bundle 9 



Bruesels Sprouts i sieve 



Cabbage dozen 6 



Carrots bunch 6 



Capsicums 1,?^ loJ 



Cauliflower dozen 8 



Celery bundle 1 G 



Coleworts.. doz. bunches 2 



Cucumbers each S 



pickling dozen 1 



Endive dozen 2 



FenatI bunch 3 



Garlic lb. 6 



Herbs bunch 3 



Horseradish bundle 4 



VEGETABLES. 



. a, s. d. 



OtoO 



Leeks hunch 



Lettuce dozen 



Slusbrooms pottie 2 



Mustard & Cress punnet 



Onions Lusbfl 8 



pickling quart 



Parsley.... doz. bunches 2 



Parsnips dozen 



Peas quart 1 



Potatoes bushel S 



Kidney do. S 



Radishes. . doz. bunches 1 



Rhubarb bundle 



Salaafy bundle 1 



Scorznuern bundle 1 



Scakale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 8 



Tomatoes dozen 2 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Marrows doz. 1 



d. s 

 4 too 

 C 1 



