December 12, 1873. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
459 
into the flock carefully examine the combs of each bird morning 
and night, and ail those which are wanting in that bright rich 
colour which denotes perfect health remove at once from the flock 
to a place remote, where they should be at once put under medi- 
cal treatment. The comb of the fowl should daily be consulted 
by the fancier who values the health and well-being of his flock. 
Look at the comb of a laying hen or pullet! She is in the height 
of health and strength and carries her unfailing sign of healthful- 
ness on her head, in the shape of a blood-red bright and full comb. 
A vigorous cock or cockerel will carry the same sign, though not 
perhaps, in so eminent a degree.” 
AT a meeting of the Superior Commission on the Phylloxera 
in France, M. Teisserenc du Bort reviewed the present state of the 
question. Thenumber of infected departments has increased from 
28 in January, 1877, to 39 at this date. Out of 6,380,000 acres one- 
fifth is entirely ruined, while a second fifth threatens to follow 
suit unless efficacious remedies be adopted. On the proposition of 
the Minister two vice-presidents were elected. Three sub-com- 
missions were also appointed; one for the examination of pro- 
posed remedies, the second for the demarcation of the infested 
zones and the preparation of circulars and decrees, the third for 
the recommendation of curative measures. 
— THE French Chamber of Deputies have voted the Budget 
of the Minister of Agriculture and Commerce, comprising a sum 
of £504,000. Of this £308,630 are devoted to the improvement 
generally of the breed of horses. The residue is allotted thus :— 
Improvement of the breed of cattle, £11,600 ; veterinary teaching, 
£37,900 ; agricultural tuition, £69,200 ; drainage, £1340 ; agricul- 
tural societies, £20,000 ; shows, £40,150 ; inspection of agriculture, 
£5900 ; studies on the diseases of the vine, £9280. 
TAKING HONEY. 
May I suggest what I think an improvement on the process 
given at page 381 for the extraction of honey from the comb, as I 
manage it myself? I used to squeeze it out in the way described, 
but disliking it extremely, partly owing to what some may con- 
sider over-fastidiousness, not liking so much handling of the honey, 
and partly from the disagreeableness of the operation itself, 
I have for many years preferred to drain the honey out of the 
honeycomb by ‘cutting up the latter in a colander, the said col- 
ander being arranged over a large earthenware pan. No doubt 
tke process is somewhat longer in operation, but in cleanliness and 
niceness (if I may use the term), it is to my mind a far preferable 
mode of extracting the honey, as avoiding so much manipulation. 
The combs are carefully separated from one another as described 
by your correspondent (and the sooner the better after the removal 
of the bees), then beginning with the finest and purest honeycomb, 
it is all cut up like mincemeat into the colander. The honey 
passes off very rapidly, and the purer the comb the firmer is the 
yesiduum of wax, which indeed requires but little time or labour to 
reduce it to astate fit for use. It must’be said, however, that most 
ef this sort of honeycomb is retained whole, and kept for home 
use or saleas such. The second best honeycomb requires more 
care, but it is treated exactly in the same way, only more time is 
given to the cutting away of every possible particle of pollen. 
Treated thus the extracted honey is little if at all inferior to that 
which I have described above. All the other combs are then 
finally separated. Some go into a basket or large box, and are 
spread out for a feast, open to all bee-comers; the remainder is 
treated as before, but without the same minutely scrupulous care 
as to bee bread. It is, of course, inferior honey but good for many 
purposes. I give these combs away to some poor neighbour who 
does not mind the trouble of extraction —B. & W. 
SWARMING AND NON-SWARMING. 
RESULTS COMPARED. 
Mr. B.—I trust, Mr. P., you will excuse my coming to see you 
once more, when you know that I am concerned to learn whether 
the swarming or non-swarming system of managing bees should 
be adopted and followed. JI want to know which is best and most 
~ profitable, and therefore have come to ask advice. 
Mr. P.—I am glad you have come, if only to learn that hundreds 
ef earnest practical bee-keepers are in the same perplexity, and 
are as anxious as you are for light on the subject. The question 
you have come to ask is one of great interest and importance to 
all earnest and intelligent apiarians. For many long years I 
have been examining this question from every possible stand- 
point, and if I can help you at all I shall be glad. What is 
your greatest difficulty in considering the subject ? 
Mr. B.—Well, sir, I watch all that is said in the journals about 
it, and find that some honest practical men are biassed in favour 
ot the swarming system, and others equally honest and intelligent 
are biassed in fayour of the non-swarming principle. I want to 
know which is right. 
Mr. P.—Probably both sides are right, for no system concen- 
trates within itself all advantages. The fact that men equally 
honest and intelligent are biassed in opposite directions admits of 
an explanation. Some seasons are favourable to the swarming 
system, and some to the non-swarming one. In some districts it 
is advantageous to promote swarming, in others to prevent 
swarming. Again, run honey is readily sold in one locality and 
honeycomb in another. While many amateurs object to the 
multiplication of hives, many practical bee-keepers amongst the 
working classes believe there is less risk and more profit in the 
swarming system than in the other. 
Mr. B.—Will you explain how it is that one season is fayour- 
able to one system and not to the other, and vice versa ? 
Mr. P.—The non-swarming system of management has com- 
paratively great advantages in bad seasons, in late or short 
seasons, and in some seasons not very favourable for honey- 
gathering. In bad seasons all hives have to be fed, and the expense 
is so great that we all wish then we had fewer hives. In unfavonr- 
able seasons it is bad policy and practice to remove a queen from 
a hive in which breeding is going on rapidly, and put her with a 
swarm into an empty hive wherein her eggs cannot be used 
Swarming or separation in such seasons is hurtful to both. The 
parent hive is crippled and greatly disabled for work, and the 
swarm being without capital gets into difficulties at first which 
without artificial aid it cannot surmount. In poor short seasons 
there is little time to spare for comb-building or for filling empty 
hives. Concentration of the effective forces of the whole army is 
necessary in the hour of battle. 
Mr. B.—What other advantages does the non-swarming system 
possess ? 
Mr. P.—It keeps the apiary in a compact form—every year the 
number of hives is round and equal. Supering being the aim of 
the non-swarming apiarians, they obtain great harvests of honey- 
comb in fine seasons if their hives and supersare large. For great 
results ample room for breeding and storifying is necessary, 
Mr. B.—Has this system any or many disadvantages ? 
_ Mr. P.—Yes, many It is opposed to the natural laws of bee 
life and development. It is as natural for bees to swarm in 
ordinary and fine seasons as it is for water to mix with water 
and efforts made to prevent swarming are often unavailing. Bees 
will multiply and go off in spite of all that can be done to prevent 
them. The risk of losing swarms on the non-swarmine system is 
great, and should never be forgotten. On this system. too queens 
become old and die ; combs become black, old, and pollen-bound 
Mr. B.—Will you name the advantages of the swarming system ? 
Mr. P.—It has already been said that swarming is in the line of 
nature, and accords with the instincts of bees. Nature is very 
wise—giving saltness to the sea to preserve its sweetness, and 
swarming instincts to bees that their existence may be preserved 
and their decay prevented. By this system old generations give 
place to new ones; old combs and old queens can be adyan- 
tageously removed and put aside ; indeed, all old things pass awa 
and all things become new, for in swarm hives we have new ae 
terests, new combs, and new life. “ Multiplication” leads on to 
“the rule of three,” and three hives from one in early good seasons 
do far more work and breed more bees than a single non-swarmin 
hive. On the swarming system the practical apiarian has lots of 
bees—nay, swarms of bees from honey hives to dispose of in 
autumn. He can use them with very great advantage in makin 
his stock hives doubly strong in bees, and by feeding his eanee 
numerary swarms in empty hives he can iner e En 
nu ely pty crease the number of 
The disadvantages of the swarming system have alre: 
mentioned, which you will Reciembee vi tke Se aa, ee 
hives in the time of honey-gathering, the consumption of honey in 
filling swarm hives with combs, the feeding of swarms in bad 
seasons, &c. 
ue, Babich system do you practise ? 
R. P.—I practise and recommend both systems, for i 
that both should be adopted and followed in all apiaries a ee es 
six hives if profit be the aim of the bee-master. You want profits 
from your bees every year; muffins—real muffins—not the mere 
promise of muffins, and therefore I advise you to follow the swarm- 
ing system with one half of your stock and the non-swarmin 
system with the other halt. Both systems go well together Be 
the swarming system you will have a choice of hives with ese 
combs and young queens in them, and plenty of bees from hone 
hives to. make them strong in autumn ; and please to bear con 
stantly in mind that great success next season depends greatl 
on the autumn treatment of bees this year—that is, to say, aN 
striking results of success—the well-buttered muffins —come trom 
strong hives. i 
Ishould be glad if I could help you by referring t¢ 
practice, but this would not help you. The naisllaisicias: oan 
suits me best just now, for I can sell all the good hives in my 
garden at good prices ; in fact, during the last three or four years 
it has been difficult to retain strong hives in my apiary. Ladies 
and gentlemen, and working men too, will have them, and under 
their importunities I let them go. This year I have stronger 
hives than I have had for five years. Two-thirds of them will be 
managed next year on the swarming principle, and the other third 
on the non-swarming system. ,Run honey here sells as readily as 
honeycomb at 1s. 3d. and 1s, 4d, per tb. 
