360 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
{ November 7, 1878. 
Within the last few weeks our Renfrewshire friend has found fault 
with me for not noticing publicly the capital results in supering 
off Stewarton hives belonging toa clergyman in his neighbour- 
hood as I understood him, or living somewhere in Scotland. Tam 
always pleased to notice and hold up to view the best models of 
success in every school of apiculture, but then I was comparing 
the results of the bar-frame and the Stewarton hives kept in 
England. At the time I had heard nothing of bee-keeping or 
harvests of honey in Scotland this year. Since then I have 
received three reports — two from Aberdeenshire and one from 
Lanarkshire, all pretty satisfactory. The Lanarkshire report 
comes from Mr. George Henshilwood, grocer, Carluke. 
there are the common sort, the hives are made of straw, and the 
varming system is practised. 
vThe ay says that William Smith, station master, had a stock 
hive which yielded two swarms only. The parent hive weighed 
92 tbs. and the swarm 131 tbs.—together 223 Ibs. Daniel Reid had 
a first swarm rather heavier than Mr. Smith’s. Mr. James Somer- 
ville (thatcher) got two swarms from one stock; weight of 
parent hive and its swarms being 296 tbs. Somerville had another 
stock which yielded—the first of which weighed 112, the second 
94, third swarm 90 Ibs. The old stock was not weighed, but his 
lightest stock was 56 tbs. and his heaviest was 80 Ibs, ; but taking 
the lowest figure for the weight of the stock, you will see that. he 
got hives weighing in all 352 Ibs. from one stock. James Rennie’s 
hive produced the following results: stock hives 80 Ibs., first 
swarm 70 lbs., second 39 Ibs. ; and two virgin swarms from first 
swarm. First virgin swarm weighed 100 Ibs. ; second virgin 43 Ibs. ; 
altogether 346 Ibs. from one stock hive. : : 
Tf the Renfrewshire gentleman would fairly consider these 
results I think they might help him to moderate his language in 
condemning other people, other systems than his own, common 
bees, and straw hives.—A. PETTIGREW. ; 
P.S.—Since the above was written I have seen his letter on the 
Stewarton and straw-hive system, and regret much the strong 
feeling that is manifested by his remarks. As I am of opinion 
that angry discussion will not advance apiculture or settle any 
question of importance, it is likely that I shall not again attempt 
to defend myself from unfrjendly attacks, meanwhile I court 
friendly criticism. I am very sorry that I mistook 1864 for 1868. 
Tt was quite unintentional. I trusted to my memory instead of 
referring to dates. However, the bees at Carluke did as well if 
not better in 1868 than they did in 1864; therefore the mistake 
was in no sense misleading. I have to apologise to Mt. Briscoe 
for misreading his remarks and misrepresenting his meaning. 
This, too, was quite unintentional. I had discovered the mistake 
before his correction appeared.—A. P. - 
THE FERTILE WORKER. 
TakING a keen interest m entomology for a number of years, 
and haying had a number of opportunities of inspecting live 
specimens of imperfect queens as well as hermaphrodites of the 
race Apis mellifica I was all the more curious to see what I had 
often read of but never chanced to meet with—a “ fertile worker,” 
which occurs in this species as well as in many of our wild bees, 
and more particularly after having perused the following startling 
assertion of your correspondent, Mr. A. Pettigrew—*I fearlessly 
affirm that there never was and never will be a fertile working 
pee.” I therefore all the more gladly availed myself of the invi- 
tation of the “LANARKSHIRE BEE-KEEPER” to visit the apiary 
at Auchenraith, High Blantyre, and satisfy myself on that head, 
which I did on the 19th of July last. Iwas shown a queenless 
hive of common black bees, to which a piece of brood comb from 
an Italian hive had been given to raise a queen. This they failed 
todo. On the twelfth day the bee-master noticed a worker receiy- 
ing marked attention, and on the following day found her deposit- 
ing eggs. Three or four days thereafter grubs could be seen at 
the bottom of the cells, and he therefore made it a study to ex- 
amine this hive daily. Seventy-one days from the time eggs were 
first noticed beautifully banded Italian drones emerged from the 
eee assure your readers it was with no small interest I watched 
her examining the cells, depositing eggs, and receiving that atten- 
tion from the other workers usually given to royalty ; her move- 
ments being all the more readily followed from her being the 
only Italian present amongst the black bees—R. J. BENNETT, 
Argyleshire. 
POSITION OF SUPERS. 
From Mr. A. Cockburn’s description of bee-keeping in the 
north of Scotland it is cheering to hear that the frame hive has 
found its way amongst northern skepists. With combined swarms 
and modern improvements what magnificent harvests of super 
honey may we dwellers in a highly cultivated district expect to 
find recorded from that honey El Dorado Aberdeenshire in the : 
second edition of Mr. Cockburn’s sensible little treatise “The 
Scotch Bee-keeper!” with possibly, too, the chapter on Ligurian 
bees re-written, 
The bees : 
Your correspondent’s idea of placing the empty super below 
instead of above the full one is contrary to Stewarton principles, 
and, as I have already demonstrated, bad practice. He calculates 
immunity from brood therein by causing the bees to build thick 
comb. I once thought so too in my novitiate days, and the super 
safe with bars 1} inch wide, but afterwards made the morti- 
fying discovery that all full-width combs were first narrow ones, 
and often brooded before they were elongated, and worse still, 
even after, our little favourites proved so accommodating as to 
cut down the lower portions of the wide combs to receive the 
souvenirs of the visits of royalty ; consequently I came to learn 
to forge the fresh link always at the end of the chain ; and, altering 
the phraseology a little, 1 would tender to your correspondent 
the adyice once given to a friend of the writer, when doing the 
lions of the metropolis, by a denizen of the Seven Dials tapping 
him on the shoulder and, pointing to a little posterior handker- 
chief protrusion, remarked, “ Don’t, sir, put temptation in a honest 
man’s way.” And so say we, “ Don’t, sir, put temptation in a pro- 
lific queen’s way.—A RENFREWSHIRE BEE-KEEPER. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
GEESE ON PASTURE (S. J. B.).—They will not kill the moss, and neither 
horses nor cows will feed where their manure is, 
PAINTING BEE HOUSE (Jane).—We do not think it would be injurious to 
the bees to paint the outside of a house or hive at this season of the year. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lat. 51° 82’ 40" N.; Long. 0° 80" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 9 A.M. IN THE DAY. 
is7s. |22¢=| Hygrome-| 25 S2_,|Shade Tem-| Radiation | § 
Ga Bae ter. Ss Sys perature. /Temperature.| 3 
o [ae Salle tO) | Pee | a ae ij 
Nov. |Z SEA = [Ban In On 
OV. (ASA As |& Max.| Min.| sun. | grass 
deg. deg. | deg. | deg. 
We. 30 S.W. | 45.1 3Y 57. 25.4 
Lh. 3 | NW. | 440 76.0 5 
Fri. 1 li ENS 445 86.0 
Sat. 2 N. 44.1 78.2 29.0 
Sun. 3 | ONW|) 46-1 67.2 26.1 
Mo. 4 N. 42.8 51.0 27.9) _— 
Tu. 5 | 29/819 N. 42.2 87.0 30.7 0.010 
Means] 29.922 | 37.8 | 36.5 | 43. 71.8 29'4) 0.124 
REMARKS. 
30th.— White frost, few flakes of snow in morning, rain commenced 10 A.M. ; 
fine after 0.30 P.M.; sunshine at intervals, dark and misty latter part 
of afternoon ; fair evening. 
3lst.—Bright sunny morning, overcast and dull after 0.35 P.M.; fine with 
sunshine between 1.30 and 2.30 P.M.; dark and dull at 3.15 P.M. ; 
drizzling rain at 4.30 P.M.; heavier rain after 6 P.M.; wet evening. 
Noy. 1st.—Clear, fine, bright d: starlight evening. 
2nd.—Bright sunny morning; short sharp shower 2.45 P.M., and shower at 
3.35 P.M. ; cold starlight evening. 
3rd.—Fine day throughout ; at times bright and sunny ; lunar halo7.30 P.M. 
4th.—Misty morning, rain but only slightly from 9 to 10.80 A.M.; fair but 
dull ; cold afternoon ; moonlight evening. 
5th.—Bright, clear, sunny day, rather warmer ; cloudy evening with fine 
lunar coronz. 
A cold week ; average temperature has fallen nearly. 15° in a fortnight.— 
G. J. SYMONS. 
COVENT GARDEN MARKET.—NOVEMBER 6. 
EXTREME quietness has ruled our market during the week, common 
Apples being a complete drug, and high-class goods conspicuous by thei: 
absence, A plentiful supply of Pines from St. Michaels and Madeira have 
reached us, specimens from the latter place being exceptionally fine. Pears 
remain dear, the supply from the Continent being very short. 
FRUIT. 
sd. s. d sd. os. a 
Apples.. Jsieve 1 Gtot+ 0} Melons ........ each 1 0to4t 0 
Apricots dozen 0 0 OU 0 | Neetarines dozen 0 0 0 0 
Chest bushel 0 0 OU 0 i100 8 0 16 0 
Vig: dozen 0 0 0 0 dozen 0 0 0 0 
Filberts Pib. 0 8 1 0 s - dozen 0 0 0 O 
Cobshaeee wtb. 0 8 1 0 dessert. dozen 8 0 6 0 
Grapes, hothouse tb. 0 9 6 0 | Pine Appl Pb 2 0 4 0 
Lemons ........ Plo 6 0 18 0} Walnuts bushel 5 0 8 0 
VEGETABLES, 
seid) (stds. sd sa 
Artichokes. dozen 2 0to4 VU | Mushrooms....  pottle 1 6to2 0 
sparagus. bundle 0 0 0 0/| Mustard & Cress punnet 0 2 0 4 
Beans,hidney .. ~~ ib 0 38 0 6] Onions .) ‘bushel’ 2) 6) 3070: 
Beet, Red ...... dozen 1 6 8 0 pickling . sO quart 0 4 0 6 
Broccoli ........ bundle 0 9 1 6 sley.... doz.bunches 2 0 0 6 
Brussels Sprouts }sieve 5 0 4 6 i dozen 0 0 O06 
Cabbage ....... dozen 10 2 0 quart 0 0 0 vu 
Carrots bunch 0 4 0 8 - bushel 3 6 4 6 
Capsicum y100 1 6 2 0 Kidney ....... bushel 4 0 5 U 
Caulitlower: » dozen 3 0 6 U|Radishes.. doz.bunches 1 0 1 6 
Celery ... bundle 1 6 2 0} Rhubarb... bundle 0 0 0 0 
Coleworts..doz.bunches 2 0 4 0/|Salsafy ... bundle 0 9 1 6 
Cucumbers .... each 0 4 1 0) Scorzonera bundie 10 0 0 
Endive dozen 1 0 2 0|Seakale . basket 2 6 3 0 
Fennel bunch 0 8 0 0| Shallots. Pib ov 8 0 0 
Garlic . elb. 0 6 O 0} Spinach . bushel 2 6 4 0 
Herbs . bunch 0 2 0 0} Turnips. bunch 0 2 0 6 
Leeks bunch 0 2 0 4 | Veg. Marr each 0 2 0 0 
