October 7, 1876. 1 



JOURNAL OP HORTICDLTUBB AND OOTTAGE GARDENER. 



331 



ami foreign birds, there were numerous fine specimens exhi- 

 bited. Amongst the Norwich birds in particular some were 

 very "tall" indeed in colour, most of the principal prizes being 

 claimed by Norwich fanciers, Messrs. Provart & Willis and 

 Messrs. Mackley. Mr. Adams took four prizes in Norwich, 

 besides a first for a splendid Buff-crested bird. In the Lizard 

 classes Messrs. Bunting and Fairbrass were the chief contest- 

 ants, the former for choice. Mr. Tbackrey was the chief 

 winner in Yorkshire birds, Mr. Shackleton going in strong with 

 Lancashire. Mr. Tbackrey won the Treasurer's cup, and Messrs. 

 Mackley the Mayor's cup, besides the tradesmen's cup. The 

 chief exhibitor and winner with Cinnamon birds was Mr. Adams, 

 with his high-coloured specimens, which have no more lost 

 their natural colour than did the Norwich birds at a show some 

 two years back in the north of England, when the public were 

 invited through the medium of posting-bills to "go and see the 

 wonderful Canaries." If they be wonderful iu one instance, 

 why not in the other ? Belgians— especially Mr. Reid's— were 

 good. 



The fight betwixt the Mule exhibitors lay with Mr. Bunting 

 and Messrs. Mackley. The latter proved the victor, although 

 one particular bird (a Buff), and I might say another (a Yellow), 

 were the plums in Mr. Banting's lots ; but the Yellow Mule is 

 now dead, and if I mistake not Messrs. Mackley also sustained 

 the loss of a good Mule bird. 



I will conclude by stating that Queen Polly, a talking Parrot 

 belonging to Mr. Barrow of Monkwearmouth, won a silver medal 

 as the best talking bird in the Show. — Quiz. 



A BATCH OF QUESTIONS. 



Under this heading I think it will be well to answer a number 

 of questions forwarded to me by the Editors. It is exceedingly 

 pleasing to me to see bo many readers of the Journal anxious to 

 comprehend the full meaning of all that is written in it. In 

 our anxiety to be brief and occupy little space we sometimes fail 

 to make ourselves understood. For instance, Mr. John Davies 

 does not understand what Mr. Petligrew means by the following 

 sentence in his letter on Bee Gossip — " 'The combs containing 

 brood are put into a hive or box, and bees put amongst them to 

 batch the brood.' I do not understand how this can be done. 

 How can these brood combs from different hives be fastened iu 

 one hive or box ? for fastened they must be, I presume." No, 

 they are not fastened, but simply laid in either on their edges 

 or broadsides, with little bits of sticks or combs to keep them 

 asunder. The combs containing young bees or brood rest on 

 the bottom of the hive or box, and have a lid or board placed 

 over them. The bees speedily adopt the combs, fasten them 

 together, and hatch the brood iu due time. 



We do not think that the statement which Mr. Davies has 

 found in a number of a popular journal is true — viz., that " the 

 honey extracted from the flowers of dahlias is certain death to 

 bees." We grow dahlias, but never find them hurtful to bees. 

 We hope that Mr. Davies will not be influenced by the state- 

 ment and cast away his dahlia roots. 



" L. J. K.," who has resolved to commence keeping bees in a 

 small way, may purchase them at once and have them wintered 

 in her own garden. Hives are generally higher in price and 

 more difScult to find in spring than they are in autumn. Both 

 the Ligurian and the common bees are good workers ; it has 

 not been proven which is the better sort. Bees will thrive in 

 a Woodbury or other hive for two or three years, and may be 

 removed from it without resorting to the brimstone slaughter. 



" Is there any truth in the popular idea that bees never do 

 well in a place to which they have been brought across the 

 water?" "L. J. K." lives across the Thames from Reading, 

 and she is told her bees must come from Oxon, not from Berks. 

 Is there truth mixed with the fable ? There is no truth at all 

 in it. Bees that have been bought do as well as those that have 

 been given ; and those that come across the water and those of 

 Berkshire are quite as good and eligible as those of Oxon or 

 anywhere else. 



" B. B." seeks explanations of certain passages in the " Handy 

 Book of Bees." 1. On page 133, second edition, it is stated that 

 " when hives are less than 30 lbs. in weight the bees are taken 

 from them by a speedier mode than driving. We shake them 

 out in less than half a minute of time." " B. B." succeeded ia 

 shaking the bees from the combs in this way, "but as soon as 

 they found themselves in the empty hive they rose on wing and 

 covered him." Of course the sudden and unexpected shake 

 startles the bees and makes them fly. This often happens ; but 

 knowing it, we cover them speedily with a board, and thus 

 prevent them from flyiDg. By placing the hive with the bees 

 on the spot where the old hive stood the bees outside enter it 

 at once. This operation is all the work of a minute. If done in 

 the evening or on a cold day the bees that rise on wing sit down 

 on the operator or other object near, as they do in natural 

 swarming when a cloud comes before the euu. If they com- 

 mence to alight on me in this or other operatiuns they are shaken 

 off, and I go out of their way for a minute. 



2. The picture on page CI representing " two boards marked 

 for sawing out of a deal board " is meant to teach how little 

 wood is wasted ia making bee boards. " B. B." asks if these 

 boards as marked can bo cut out with an ordinary saw. I answer 

 that they are easily cut out with a narrow saw, such as carpen- 

 ters and wheelwrights use for such work. A common saw 

 cannot follow the circle. 



3. The picture of the feeding board and trough as seen on 

 page 114 is sutHcient to guide any tinsmith to make such boards, 

 troughs, and cisterns. The top of the trough of the feeding 

 board ia on a level with the board itself. " B. B." is quite right 

 in supposing that the cistern and smaller feeder are meant to ba 

 used at nights. 



4. " How is it possible to make straw covers look as neat as 

 those in the picture on page 66 ?" If " B. B." will give a com- 

 mission to any handy man about a farm to cover his hives after 

 the pattern of the book he will have this work done to his satis- 

 faction. Or he may do it himself by combing a bunch of clean 

 straw with his fingers, laying it as straight as he can, and tying 

 it very tightly at the narrowest end ; then dip it in water, spread 

 it over the hive, hoop it on with an iron or wooden hoop, and 

 clip it neatly. We have seen many quite equal to (hose of the 

 picture. 



Lastly. " B. B." asks, " What should be the gross weight of 

 Pettigrew hives, 14 inches and 10 inches respectively ?" I 

 presume he means when they are filled, and measure about 

 12 inches deep. 45 and 00 lbs.; but if they now weigh 30 lbs. 

 and 30 lbs. respectively they have honey enough in them to 

 keep the bees alive till the end of March next year. 



"J. H. E." "has reason to suspect that a Pettigiew skep has 

 within the last week become queeuless, and wishes to know 

 how he can most simply and satitfactorily ascertain if this ia so 

 (without driving preferred). And supposing a queen is reared, 

 is it probable she would be fertilised at this season ?" It is 

 rather difficult to teach others how to discover the symptoms of 

 a lost queen. If the bees are rearing a young queen there will 

 be no external manifestations of their loss. If there are queens 

 set in royal cells they may be seen by an internal examination, 

 and their existence will indicate with certainty that the old 

 queen is dead or about to be dethroned. If the royal cells are 

 empty and the hive without a queen, the bees may be found 

 now and then running about the hive, both inside and outside, 

 making a great noise, which indicates their grief and loss. Bees 

 bereft of their queens, and without eggs in their hives, are 

 easily thrown into fits or paroxysms of grief or lamentation by 

 disturbing their hives. Daring these fits their grief is mani- 

 fested in a very violent manner. If it oomes to it at last, 

 " J. H. E." may easily drive or shake the bees from his hive to 

 see if they have a queen. If a young queen were reared now, 

 the probability is very great that she would remain unfertilised 

 and useless. — A. Pettigrew. 



HONEY SEASON NEAB LINCOLN. 



A sw.vRM of June the 5th, weight of hive 5 lbs. 6 ozs. June 

 8th, weight of hive and bees 101 lbs. To July 8th I had given 

 5 lbs. of sugar, with five pints of water. On the 8lh they had 

 clustered outside of the hive, so I cut a hole in the top cf the 

 hive, and put a glafs super on. Up to the 19th the bees did 

 not take to it, so I replaced it with a bar-frame super made of 

 1-inch wood, inches square, and C inches deep, with four bars, 

 each an inch wide. July 13th weight of hive and bees 2U lbs. 

 To July 28th I had given 11 lbs. of sugar. The bees began to 

 build iu No. 2 bar from the east side. August 3rd, twelve young 

 bees out dead; 8th, a great number of drones out, and honey in 

 super, a few young white drones and bees out dead ; 10th, bees 

 began to kill all the drones, and began to fill No. 3 bar; 18tb, 

 began to fill No. 1 bar. Up to the 24th I had given 18 lbs. of 

 sugar, weight of hives, &c., 40 lbs., so I took off the super, and 

 No. 2 bar weighed IJ lb., some of it sealed up. On the 25th I 

 gained a prize at the Bracebridge Show; 2Gth, replaced the 

 super, gave 1 lb. more sugar. September Cth, weight of hive, 

 it'c, 44 lbs; 7th, took off the super again, No. 2 bar weighed 

 1 lb. 3 ozs., so I kept it off, as I fouad the bees were plundering 

 it. September 17th, weight of hive and floor-board 39 lbs.; 

 the weight of hive I allow 51 lbs., and board 51 lbs. The bees 

 are numerous and strong, but they are quiet this month. I 

 think the weight of bees and honey, 28 lbs., will be sufficient to 

 carry them through the winter without any more feeding; 18tb, 

 I noticed them very busy to-day carrying in pollen, so I judge 

 they are breeding yet. 



I have visited a friend four miles from here who had fifteen 

 bives; all the swarms are light. They had only three parts 

 filled the hive with comb. I think they had no more than 

 3 lbs. of honey ia each (they always suffocate them to take the 

 honey), so I offered to drive them, and very pleased they were 

 to have it done, and gave me the bees for my trouble. On the 

 9th I drove one swarm (at p.m.), and joined it to the next one 

 {a swarm). The nest was aa old stock, but I could only get 

 part of the bees out, and the next one I succeeded in a little 



