160 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 22, 1878. 
whether it be broodcomb downwards or honeycomb upwards, to 
extend them continuously ; there are no broken links in the chain 
of their works, the fresh ones being always added to either end. 
Even the most unlettered skepist could not fail to note, on re- 
moving the cover of the objectionable central hole and setting on 
a glass, the great caution and care with which the bees extend 
the frontiers of their waxen kingdom by actually at much 
trouble building a comb upwards from its’ base till it can be 
attached to the top. When they have thus, as it were, hoisted 
their flag and taken possession comb-building goes on briskly 
downwards from the top in the usual manner. 
When I read the reply to the query referred to I went out to 
my apiary and removed the super coverings from my best octagon 
colony, which in addition to the usual ‘breeding space had “six 
honey boxes upon it in different stages of progress. The lowest, 
or one next the stock hive, was, with the exception of a few cells, 
sealed out. The second from the stock was about filled with 
honey ; sealing commenced. Third, fully combed and about half 
filled. Fourth, combed with but thinnish combs, not fully ex- 
tended. Fifth and sixth, crammed with bees suspended in roped 
festoons from roof and wax guides. Such was the regular and 
beautiful gradation with which I found the work progress. The 
two lowest have since been completed and removed, empties taking 
their place on the top. Supposing a break of weather to take 
place, so arranged the bees would have to abandon ; but the out- 
posts, falling back on the most valuable part of the store wisely 
placed, as the supplies always should, nearer the centre. We 
have known of such a break follow ; and a novice who had adopted 
the plan recommended to “ F. J.” chagrined to find the bees had 
carried the contents of the all-but-completed super placed on the 
top of empty down into the stock hive, evidently impressed with 
the idea so valuable a part of the commissariat ought not to be 
left without the lines. 
Your excellent contributor Mr. Briscoe has already ably pointed 
out the risk of ruin from brood, to which the combing super next 
the stock hive is placed, from incursions of the queen; and his 
remarks apply with equal force to the ingenious adapter plan of 
Mr. Fox introduced to the notice of your readers many years 
ago. By that plan the bee is left no choice. Her most strenuous 
endeavours to connect her works are frustrated by a super being 
placed higher and yet higher, on the same principle as the owner 
of a dog may by raising a bit of meat tempt the animal to spring 
up andup. It would surely be absurd to say that either feat was 
“in harmony with the laws of Nature?” To the enlightened 
apiarian the day of monster supers, as of big straw skeps, is over ; 
profitable bee-keeping consists in adopting the hive and system 
cf be2 management by which the greatest weight of comparatively 
small and completed, most marketable supers can be obtained.— 
A RENFREWSHIRE BEE-KEEPER. 
HARVEST FROM FIRST-CROSS ITALIANS IN 
STEWARTON HIVES. 
REFERRING to the harvest alluded to in last week’s Journal my 
clerical friend informs me that he has now removed all his supers, 
the actual net weight harvested being 445 Ibs. against 430 Ibs., his 
previous estimate of the probable result, at the same time adding, 
“My harvest hiye gave me 923 Ibs., and my next best 88 Ibs. of 
super honey.” 
For the benefit of the uninitiated it is necessary to explain that 
the above is only a portion of what each colony severally and alto- 
gether gleaned, and irrespective of the mass of honey stored in the 
three body boxes constituting a stock, which, owing to the pecu- 
liarity of the season, I find in all cases this year to be unprece- 
dentedly large. 
The last bad barren season was succeeded by a spring so cold 
and backward that breeding was retarded, in too many instances 
entirely suspended. It was not till midsummer that we were 
favoured with really warm honey-secreting weather, which found 
- stocks short of workers to take possession of the accustomed 
number of supers ; and as the most rapid mode of securing the 
abounding nectar the honey gatherers poured it into the vacant 
brood cells and there sealed it over, as 2 sequence lessening the 
breeding of young bees in that department, and by so keeping 
the colonies short-handed still further restricted the production of 
super honey.—A RENFREWSHIRE BEE-KEEPER. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
MONGREL CHICKENS (dn Eastern)—We advise you not to adopt legal 
proceedings. As long since as 1854 a cause was tried in the Great Yarmouth 
County Court, and the conclusion was that no one could swear how many 
generations before the cross had occurred. 
AN OLD HIVE NapDIRED (G. C.).—After taking three supers well filled 
from your stock hive you drove the bees into an empty one, but on dis- 
covering that it was pretty full of brood you put it on the top of the swarm 
hive, and the question with yon is whether to let the bees in the top (old) 
hive or drive them into the nadir or new hive. The bees did well in the old 
one this year, and as its combs are but fifteen months old we advise you to 
let them remain. Let the bees have 8 or 10 tbs. of sugar as quickly as 
possible, then remove the bottom hive, and coyer all up for another year. 
WHEN SHOULD HIVES BE OBTAINED? (R. F. R.)—In country places 
autumn is the best time to buy bees, for then they are easily obtained. At 
the time of taking honey most bee-keepers would rather sell their hives for 
stocks than put them down for honey. But from professional apiarians hives 
may be bought at any season, and of course there would be less risk of loss 
in waiting till winter is over before you begin bee-keeping. Mr. Cheshire’s 
hive is a good bar-frame one, but rather too costly for general use or for 1 
profit. The Stewarton hive is in many respects preferable to a common bar- 
frame one, as it possesses greater facilities and capabilities for work and pro- ) 
gress. To either bar-frame or Stewarton hives Mr. Pettigrew prefers large 
straw hives, which are three-fourths less in price, more easily managed, and 
he finds them better every way. 
BARLEYSUGAR AND CROWN BOARDS (Beeswar).—We do not use barley- 
sugar in feeding bees, nor do we approve of using it. Doubtless it is made 
by boiling sugar and rolling it into sticks before it cools. The exact process 
we are not able to describe, but sugar and waiter given in liquid form is 
better and more natural food than sugar in any solid state. The crown 
boards of frame hives should touch or nearly touch the tops of the frames. 
When a space is left between them the bees are apt to fill it up with combs, 
and thus cement them together. 
Cow FOR A SMALL PLACE (P. C.).—There is no cow to suit a small 
establishment like the Kerry breed. They are small, hardy, and capitak 
milkers, and they will browse on any rough pasture. 
INSURING (B.).—Apply to the Oya Farmers’ Insurance Company, 3, Nor- 
folk Street, Strand, London. 
+e 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat.751° 32 40" N.; Long. 0° 8’ 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 9AM. IN THE Day. 
: Hygrome- \Ss_.|ShadeTem-| Radiation | 4 
1878. ter. a= 3] perature. /Temperature. = 
\sic= 
August Ea In On 
| sun. | grass) 
deg. deg. | deg. | In. 
We. 1+ W. 62.5 124.0 58.6 | 0.010 
Th. 15 Ww. | 631 1258 | 52.7 | 0212 
Fri. 16 s. 0 7.1 54.1 | 0.249 
Sat. 17 Ss. | 62.0 124.9 47.3 _ 
Suns N.W. | 61.5 118.0 49.3 _— 
Mo. 19 E.N.E. | 62.0 125.0 SLS a 
Tu. 20 NE. | 62.1 lo71 | 498 | — 
Means | | 62.3 120.3 | 51.9 ie 
REMARKS. - 
14th.—Fine day, but very windy, slight shower in morning; afternoon very 
bright, occasional clouds. 
15th.—Bright morning ; duil in early part of afternoon, but bright agaim 
afterwards ; fair evening. 
16th.—Heavy rain 10 4.M., then an interval of bright sunshine, and heavy 
rain again between 1 and 2P.M.; thunder at 1. 50; it brightened up 
again ‘about 4P.M., and the evening was fine. 
17th.—Fine day on the w hole, though cloudy and overcast at times. 
1Sth.—Fine day throughout. 
19th.—Slight haze in morning, a little cloudy in the afternoon, but on the 
whole a bright fine day; very slight shower in evening. 
20th.—Very hazy and at times ‘dull, but altogether a fair day; much cooler. 
The weather has been cooler during the week although there has been a 
good deal of bright sun, consequently : all the thermometric values are below 
those of last week with the exception of the solar radiation temperature. 
The mean of the barometer readings is also rather lower than last week. 
G. J. SYMONS. 
COVENT GARDEN MARKET.—Avetst 21. 
TRADE has been quiet, and prices remain much the same, with the excep- 
tion of Plums, which have experienced a considerable fall. Large quantities. 
of Grapes from the Channel Islands are stiil arriving, reducing the value ot 
all classes of homegrown fruit. Kent Cobs and Filberts are fat. 
FRUIT. 
s.d. s. d. wn s. d. i a 
Apples........++ Zsieve 2 Otot 0 each 4 Otol 
i -- dozen 10 3 0 dozen 4 0 12 0 
Pe 00 00 ~Y100 8 0 16 O 
bushel 0 0 0 0 ae -- dozen 20 2 0 
2sieye 0 0 90 O|} Pears,kitchen.. dozen 00 0 0 
gsieve 00 00 dessert ...... dozen 00 00 
dozen 2 0 4 0} Pi 830 60 
vib. 06 06 9) 26 50 
S Pib 06 0 9 | Raspberries... 06 i0 
Gooseberries .. quart 0 0 0 0} Strawberries .. Pib. 0 0 00 
Grapes,hothouse ib 1 0 6 0} Walnuts ..... . bushel 5 0 8 O 
Lemons ........ 100 6 0 10 0 ditto......... . #10000 00 
VEGETABLES. 
S20.) 5Said. s. d. s.d 
Artichokes...... dozen 2 0to4 0) Mushrooms... pottle 1 6to2 0 
Asparagus....-- bundle 0 0 O 0} Mustard & Cress punnet 0 2 0 4 
Beans,Kidneyforced? Ib 0 3 0 6 -- bushel 26 3 0 
Beet, Red ...... dozen 16 3 0 04 06 
Broccoli ......-- bundle 09 16 2EOLAONO: 
Brussels Sprouts Zsieve 00 00 00.06 
Cabbage . -- dozen 10 2 0 o9 10 
Carrots bunch 0 + 0 8 $6 70 | 
Capsicums..... P1016 20 50) 740 
Caulifiowers.. dozen 3'0 6 0 10316 
Celerypenee ee bundle 16 2 0 06 09% 
Coleworts.. 220R 5420) o9g9 106 
Cucumbers Op toesb 0 10o08 
Endive 10 20 0000 
Fennel 0 3 0 0} Shallots OV SSO) 44 
Garlic . 0 6 O 0} Spinach bushel 2 6 4 0 
Herbs 0 2 O O| Turnips . bunch 06 09 
Leeks 0 2 0 4| Veg. Marro each 0 2 9 4 
Lettuce Le Oe O, 
