September 21, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



273 



large gathering of bee-keepers, as well as of the general public, 

 assembled to witness the magnificent display of honey of the 

 late remarkably good season, and the continued improvements 

 made in the various hives and methods of cultivating the honey 

 bee. The large hall of the Palace had about 500 feet run of 

 tables well covered with the exhibits, and the Italian garden 

 was devoted to live bees, where, when the wea'her would per- 

 mit, the various operations of driving, transferring stocks, queen- 

 feeding, &c, were shown to the astonished public, who could 

 riot understand the perfect nonchalance with which Mr. John 

 Hunter and the gentlemen who assisted him handled the bees 

 and allowed them to crawl in multitudes over both uncovered 

 face and hands. The public viewed all these manipulations 

 through the glass of the conservatory, an extra Gd. being charged 

 for admission to the garden, but very soon both ladies and gentle- 

 men, who before this would have shuddered at the thought of a 

 bee's sting, eagerly paid the extra money to be allowed to show 

 their confidence and courage by standing in the midst of the 

 thousands of flying bees, many exclaiming they would never 

 again be afraid of bees. Among the visitors present in the 

 garden were the Dnke of Devonshire, Lord Lucan, Lord Rane- 

 lagh, and other well-known gentlemen. 



Besides English bees, Messrs. Neighbour & Sons exhibited 

 Italians and a stock said to be Cyprians, but in the latter there 

 were many bees evidently mongrels, which prevented a prize 

 being awarded, although it is possible that these were intruders 

 in the hive. A stock of Hungarian bees also arrived too late for 

 competition. There were fifty-one entries for hives of various 

 classes. This is many-leBS than at the first Show, but before 

 that took place bee keepers' inventions had not been brought to 

 each other's knowledge, and many had hives which they thought 

 perfection, but by comparison were found far behind, and so 

 were superseded. These have now been weeded out, and we 

 may almost say that every hive exhibited at the Alexandra 

 Palace would usefully answer its purpose. 



Hives for observation purposes, Class 1, attracted but three 

 exhibitors. The first prize was awarded to Messrs. Neighbour 

 and Sons, but many critics thought that Mr. Wilson's hive 

 (second prize) was entitled to the place of honour. ClasB 2, for 

 the best moveable-comb hive for depriving purposes, taxed 

 all the talent and ingenuity of hive-makers both amateur and 

 professional. The award of "certificated best" was made to 

 Mr. C. N. Abbptt, this hive, with some alterations, having ob- 

 tained the first prize last year. Its great point then was the 

 introduction of serrated ends to the frames, which fitted into 

 corresponding notches in the front and back, a slip of both fold- 

 ing on hinges. "We then pointed out that the extent of pro- 

 polisation these would receive would be detrimental to its pro- 

 perly working. In this year's hive this arrangement is abBent, 

 so that it appears to labour under the anomaly of taking a prize 

 last year for an addition which failed, and this year for the re- 

 moval of this particular part. Mr. J. M. Hooker took second 

 prize for a very ingenious and beautifully made hive, styled 

 " The Alexandra." Probably its high price (50s.) was a bar to 

 its obtaining the premier place, for there could be no question 

 of its superiority, and there waB quite value for money for those 

 who could afford such a luxurious dwelling for their bees. By 

 a peculiar arrangement " The Alexandra " permits of lateral 

 extension right or left, which may either be used aB an extra 

 storage chamber on the collateral principle, or put to temporary 

 service to draw the combs into, as in German hives, even if the 

 top is surmounted by a filled or filling super. When the Ger- 

 mans remove their frames they have to place them in a detached 

 box, but here the box forms part of the hive, and may when 

 done with be folded up and stowed away in its special place 

 under the hive. Although there ia this lateral arrangement, 

 our usual method of removing from the top is not abolished. 

 All four sides of the hive are fitted with double glass windows 

 for observation purposes. In Class 3, for storifying hives, Mr. 

 Jas. Lee took first prize for a hive which was no exception to 

 his well-known masterly joinery; Mr. Hooker again securing the 

 second place for a hive adopting many of the principles of his 

 formerly described exhibit. In Class 4, collateral hives, the 

 silver medal went to Mr. Hooker for a grand structure, which 

 should be able to fairly teBt the merits of this principle. Mr. 

 Cowan took the bronze medal, and a commendation was made 

 of the Italian grotto hive, sent by Capt. Danyell, for simplicity 

 and cheapness. Class 5, for the most economical, best, and 

 cheapest complete hive on the. moveable-comb principle, for 

 cottagers' use, had ten competitors. The silver medal was 

 taken by Mr. J. Lee for a really good and complete hive, eight 

 seotional supers and cover, for 12s. Gd. For the work and 

 material this was marvellously cheap, but itis very questionable 

 whether a hive costing 12s. Gd. can be " suitable for cottagers' 

 use." By " cottagers " we presume the Association means 

 labonriog men, and if so the award was an error. Mr. C. N. 

 Abbott took second prize, and a commendation also for another 

 hive. Class 6, for a hive on an entirely new and improved prin- 

 ciple, had no award. In Class 7 Mr. Cowan took the silver 

 medal for a good cheap hive, eke and super costing 3s. Mr. 



Cowan, who is an earnest bee-keeper and liberal-minded gentle- 

 man, supplies this hive free of cost to any cottager in his neigh- 

 bourhood who he thinks will make good use of it to start bee- 

 keeping. A high commendation was given in this class to 

 Messrs. Neighbour & Sons for a large and well-made hive, having 

 a wire grating on the crown to prevent the entrance of the queen 

 into the super. 



The class for the best collection of hives and bee furniture 

 brought forward the usual fine Bhow from Messrs. Neighbour 

 and Sons, which was matched by that of Mr. J. Lee, to whom 

 the Judges awarded the prize ; probably they were influenced 

 by the fact that his collection was mainly the work of his own 

 hands, and his skill in his speciality has never been surpassed. 



A notable innovation in the exhibition of supers was the intro- 

 duction of sections, such as are used in America, and which have 

 been advocated in our columns by Mr. John Hunter. When 

 producers will learn to send their supers to market in these 

 little cheap boxes, then they will find no difficulty in disposing 

 of their harvests. 



There was a very good show of extractors, Mr. T. W. Cowan 

 sending no less than six patterns, varying in price from £1 to 

 ;£3._ He obtained the silver medal for an easy-going machine, 

 which reverses the comb without removal, thus saving time and 

 trouble. The second prize was awarded to Mr. C. N. Abbott for 

 a modification of the Italian smielatore. The price of this 

 machine is 15s., which doubtless will tend to make it popular to 

 those who do not mind a considerable expenditure of muscular 

 energy. A good collection of feeders, drone traps, smokers, &c, 

 was shown, to the best of which prizes were awarded, as waB 

 also to Mr. F. Cheshire's method of obtaining a wax foundation 

 for combs. Annexed we print the full prize list, leaving our 

 observations on the honey show until our next number. 



HIVES.— Hive for Observation Purposes, all Combs to be visible on both 

 sides —J, Neighbour &Soi)s; 2, B. Wilson. Moveable Comb Eive [to include 

 covering) for depriving purposes.— Certificated best. C. N. Abbott ; 2, J. M. 

 Hooker. Eive for use on the atorifying principle.— I, J. Lee ; 2, J. M. Hooker. 

 Hive for use on the Collateral principle— 1, J. M. Hooker; 2, T. W. Cowan. 

 Most Economical (best and cheapest) Complete Eive on the Moveable Comb 

 principle for Cottagers' use.—l, .1. Lee; 2. C. N. Abbott. Best and cheapest 

 Skepjor depriving purposes.— Prize, T. W. Cowan. 



BEES.— Stock of Lignrian Bees.— I, Neighbour & Sons. Stock of English 

 Bees. — 1, Neighbour & Sons. 



HONEY.— Largest and best Earvesl of Honey in the Comb, from one stock 

 of bees, under any system or combination of systems.— 1, T. W. Cowan ; 2, P. H. 

 Phillips ; 3, Rev. G. Raynor. Exhibition of Super Honey from one Apiary.— 

 1, T. W. Cowan: 2. P. H. Phillips. 8. J. Walton. Straw Super ofEoney.—l, P. 

 H. Phillips ; 2, J. Walton ; 8, Vv. Martin ; 4, D. Free. Wood (or wood in combi- 

 nation with glass or straw) Super of Eoney.—l. J. Walton ; 2, J. Wrigley ; 3, F. 

 Cheshire ; 4 and 5, T. W. Cowan ; 6, W. H. Clark ; equal 7, J. Assbee, Rev. C. N. 

 Gray. R. R. Godfrey. Glass Super of Boney.—l, S. Thorne ; 2 and 4, W, Sells ; 

 S.J.Walton: 5 and 7, T. Plumridge; G. Neighbour & Sons. Exhibition oj Run 

 or Extracted Honey, in glasses of 6 lbs. to 10 lbs. each.—l, S. Thome; 2, J. 

 Walton: 3, Neighbour & Sons. Exhibition of Honey in supers, or sections of 

 supers, separable, and each not more than 3 lbs in weight, Hie total iveight of 

 each entry not to be less than 12 lbs. — 1 and 2, T. W. Cowan ; 3, J. Walton. 



COTTAGERS' CLASSES.— Largest ana best exhibition of Super Honey in 

 Comb, the property of one exhibitor, and gathered by his own Bees.—l, W. 

 Martin ; 2, J. Walton ; 3. M. Freeman ; 4, W. Read ; 6, S. J. Baldwin ; 6, H. 

 Ellingham. Super of Honey.— I, W. Martin ; 2, J. Thorne : 8, J. Walton ; 4, S. 

 J. Baldwin ; 4. S. J. Baldwin ; 5, J. Morgan. Exhibition of Run Honey in. glass 

 jars, containing 5 lbs. to 10 lbs. each.—l, J. Walton; 2, H. Ellingham; 3, J. 

 Thorne : 4, W. Scorer : 6, S. J. Baldwin ; G, M. Freeman. 



COMESTIBLES.— Sweetmeats made from Honey, with recipe attached.— 

 Prize, Mrs. W. W. Jones. 



MISCELLANEOUS.— Best and largest collection of Hives, Bee Furniture, 

 Bee Gear, and Apiculturists' Necessaries ; no two articles to be alike.— 1, J. 

 Lee ; 2. Neighbour & Sons. Drone Trap.— Prize, F. Cheshire. Bee-feeders, the 

 invention or adaptation of exhibitor.— Prize, C- N. Abbott. Method of Quieting 

 Bees during manipulation.— Prize, C. N. Abbott. Best and cheapest Supers for 

 general use in an apiary.— Prize. J. M. Hooker ; Certificate. J. Lee. Cheapest^ 

 neatest, and best Supers for producing Honeycomb in a saleable form.— Prize, 

 C.N. Abbott. Honey Extractor, portability and cost to be taken into considera- 

 tion.— I. T. W. Cowan; 2, C. N. Abbott. Pure Bees' Wax, in cakes of not less 

 than lib. in weight.— 1, W. Scorer; 2. T. W. Cowan; 8, W. Martin. For any 

 New Invention calculated in the opinion of the Judges to advance the Culture 

 0/ Bees.— Silver Medal, C. N. Abbott; Bronze Medals, O. Poole, S. A. Shole, J. 

 M. Hooker. Method of producing Wax Foundation for Combs, either attached, 

 or capable of being easily attached, to bars.—l, F. Cheshire ; 2, Neighbour and 

 Sons. 



Judges.— Hon. and Rev. H. Bligh, Rev. P. V. M. Filleul, Rev. 

 J. D. Glennie, Rev. D. W. Pennell, Rev. G. Raynor, Rev. J. L. 

 Siseon, Mr. W. Carr, Mr. J. G. Desborough, Capt. P. E. Martin, 

 Mr. J. F. Newland, Mr. O. Poole, Mr. O. Symington, Mr. W. B. 

 Tegetmeier, Mr. C. Tite, Mr. T. F. Ward. 



SEA LAVENDER FOR BEES. 



Some years ago you allowed me to inquire what your apiarian 

 correspondents thought of sea lavender (Statice Limonium) as 

 bee pasturage. It blossomB about the same time as heather. 

 No one seemed to know anything about it, so I now send you a 

 sample of honey made chiefly, if not entirely, from this flower, 

 and shall be glad to have your opinion upon it. I have not 

 found it bo much approved of as clover honey, the slightly bitter 

 taste offending some palates. But tastes differ, and the sea 

 lavender is at all events a great resource for late swarms or 

 stocks which have done badly in the early summer, when suffi- 

 ciently within reach and when the weather is propitious. 



I live myself about two miles from the coaBt, and have been 

 singularly unfortunate with the hives I have taken down to the 

 sea, in the hope that they would strengthen themselves against 

 the winter from this source and save me in sugar. Three 



