358 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



[ October 19, 1876. 



swarm issued from this particular hire, deserting both supers. 

 This was the heaviest swarm I ever saw. While the bees were 

 clustering on a small pear tree I took off the supers, turned up 

 the hive, found that it was full of brood, cut out seven queen 

 cells, placed a Lee's Crystal Palace prize super over the skep, 

 and upon it side by side the deserted sectionals, and on them a 

 Pagden's straw super. I wrapped up all warmly, returned the 

 bees, and in an hour they were working with a will into the 

 four supers. Daily the strength of the hive increased, and on 

 June 24th there was not room for the bees in the hive and 

 6upers, for as the bees increased the space was occupied with 

 combs, and nearly a gallon of bees towards evening were cluster- 

 ing outside. I now tried a plan which was most effective. I 

 wedged up the whole from the floorboard a quarter of an inch, 

 and against the side of the hive on a floorboard placed a second 

 straw super. The cluster at once took possession, and for a 

 time every bee was again at work. On the 29th the cluster again 

 began forming, and I then lifted the side super, finding it heavy 

 with comb, and. placed a third straw super under it. Here was 

 a combination of the storif ying with the collateral system. The 

 desired effect ensued. The six supers were filled with bees. 

 They had bitten an entrance into Lee's super at a projecting 

 corner through thick cardboard (which for the nonce I had em- 

 ployed as an adapting board), so that three streams of workers 

 poured into the pile — one to the mother hive, one to the corner 

 of the projecting super, and one to the side supers. July 3rd 

 I took away two sectional boxes 35 lbs. weight, and replaced 

 them by two similar boxes. Lee's was fall and sealed, but I 

 could not remove it, as it formed a foundation to the pile and 

 also gave a high road to the bees without passing through the 

 stock hive. July 14th I took away the third sectional super and 

 put another in iSs place. This fifth box was not exhibited, 

 being full of comb at the end of the honey harvest, bat not sealed. 

 I left home at this period for ten days. Upon my return the 

 honey season had finished, and I removed the three straw 

 supers as exhibited, Lee's Crystal Palace super, and the fourth 

 sectional super. The bees, a numerous colony, with all their 

 combs and a store of honey in dark combs from other skeps I 

 transferred last month into a large bar-frame hive, and up to 

 this date they are being fed gently and are hatching out brood. 

 — P. H. Phillips, Hitchin. 



behind those that retain their queens; and if a first swarm 

 lose its queen shortly after being hived, say within fourteen 

 days, it is all but ruined — at least it can never appear beside 

 one of equal size that has not lost its queen. My experience 

 does not support the theoretical notion of removing queens from 

 hives with a view to obtain more honey. The idea appears to 

 be the outcome of inexperience — a thought that has occurred to 

 some, and not an ascertained fact. — A. Pettigezw. 



A THEORETICAL NOTION. 



There has appeared in print more than once a theoretical 

 idea or suggestion resting on the fact that when bees have no 

 brood to nurse they have more time for field labour, and there- 

 fore queens should be removed from hives in order to let the 

 bees have more room for honey and time to gather it. If this 

 be done, says an American, hives will be speedily filled with 

 honey. This idea is plausible and easily understood. Is it of 

 any importance or value ? 



When bees have no young brood to nurse they are, of course, 

 more at liberty for outdoor work ; and when they have plenty 

 of sweet empty combs or cells to fill, and none to make, -honey j 

 is more speedily gathered and stored up. These things are well i 

 nnderstood. For instance, if a large swarm be put into a hive . 

 full of young empty comb3 the bees work very fast and gather I 

 a great deal of honey on the first four or five days. Daring this [ 

 time almost all the bees are at liberty for field work, and often 

 a great accumulation of crude honey is gathered. Presently | 

 this honey and the brood of the queen require attention. In- 

 door duties m ultiply fast ; less outdoor work is done. Again, 

 how often do we witness an increase of activity on the part of 

 field workers after a short season of apparent rest during un- 

 favourable weather. One day of rest seems to recruit the powers 

 of these labourers. In our youthful days we fancied that bees 

 rested and were recruited in strength on wet days in summer. 

 We did not reckon-up the unseen duties of home life. Owing 

 to the industrious instincts of the honey bee — gathering honey 

 while the sun shines, the indoor workers are rather heavily 

 taxed, and cannot always store away the honey as fast as it is 

 gathered. The crude honey found in flowers is first deposited 

 in the central combs by the field workers. The removal of this 

 crude honey, the elaborating and perfecting it in their bodies, 

 and afterwards storing it in other parts of the hive, form part of 

 the home duties of bee life. The arrears of indoor work are 

 brought fully up during a season of rest : hence the apparent 

 increase of activity after a rainy day or two. 



But the question involved is this, Would the removal of a 

 queen from a hive be an immediate advantage to the bees by 

 making their indoor duties less ? Would more honey be 

 gathered ? Would a queenless hive without brood collect more 

 stores than one with a queen and an increasing population ? 

 There is room enough for doubting here. I have never known 

 a queen removed in order to give the bees liberty for work and 

 room for honey-gathering. Is it possible to believe that the re- 

 moval or loss of a queen can be of temporary or permanent ad- 

 vantage to a hive ? If a stock hive lose its queen before swarm- 

 ing it Bustains a severe check and serious Ioes, and falls far 



whole" 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Correction. — At page 337, column 1, line 37 from bottom, for ' 

 read "old." 



Canterecry Show. — We are informed that the first prizes are mostly 30s., 

 and not 20s. as we stated mistakenly. 



Japanese Selexes Boosting (Ifarfc). — We allow all chickens to perch as 

 soon as they are desirous of doing so. We have none but wide perches. The 

 cocks at twelve weeks old show more tail and more comb than the pullets. 

 As a rule they are also larger. 



Feeding Braeoias [Constant Subscriber). — The only alteration we should 

 make in the dietary Bcale yon give, would be that at night we should be in- 

 clined to give soft food, such as meal and sharps well kneaded, instead of 

 hard com. Of course, much depends on what may be considered a3 " plenty " 

 of green food, but if the fowls have the run of a garden of half an acre, in 

 which kitchen cultivation is carried on, they should do well under your 

 management. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



CAimEX Square, Lokdon. 



Lat. 51= 32' 40" N. ; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 



Date. 



9 A.H. 



Is THE Day. 





d 





OS(J 



Hygrome- 



a -l 



a u . 



Shade Tem- 



Radiation 







ter. 







perature. 



Temper 

 In 



ature.; ^ 



Oct. 











On 







Dry. 



Wet. 



Qo 





Max. 



Min. 



sun. 



grass 





Inches. 



deg. 



deg. 





deg. 



deg. deg. 



deg. 



dee. In. 



We. 11 



29.311 



59.1 



55.4 



S.E. 



56.7 



63.7 53.2 



881 



45.5 0.090 



Th. 12 



29.7C8 



56.o 



52.2 



S.W. 



55.3 



63.5 49.4 



93.7 



42.4 0.430 



Fri. 13 



29 571 



60.5 



61.0 



S. 



55.5 



63.6 54.3 



83.2 



48.0 0.(59 



Sat. 14 



29.683 



56.4 



55.2 



S.W. 



55.0 



60.1 



4S.2 



82.4 



42.3 0.090- 



Sim, 15 



29.966 



50.4 



-1.'. 1 



S.E. 



53.4 



60.7 



38.7 



89.S 



32.4 



— 



Mo. 16 



29.714 



52.9 



52 9 



S. 



51.7 



62.3 



39.8 



S7.1 



33.1 



— 



Tu. 17 



29.693 



59.3 



57.6 



E. 



52.8 



6S.0 



47.8 



93o 



40.0 



— 



Means. 



29.664 



56 5 



54.6 





55.7 | 63.1 



47.3 



S9.3 



41.0 



0.66O 



REMARKS, 

 11th. — Early morning fine, rest of day very showery; starlight night. 

 12th. — Very fine bright morning, afternoon misty ; wet night. 

 13th. — Dark and rainy, heavy at times till 3.45 p.m., then sunny for a little 



time, afterwards doll again ; bright starlight night. 

 14th. — Early morning dull, rain commenced about 10 a m., and continued for 



some hours, bright for a short time in afternoon; evening foggy ; fine 



night. 

 15th. — Cooler, but a fine day throughout, with bright sunshine. 

 16th. — Foggy, with rain in first part of morning, bright and sunny afterwards ; 



fine night. 

 17th. — Much warmer, and a very fine day, although slightly hazy. — G. J. 



Srsioss. 



COYEXT GARDEN MARKET.— October IS. 

 The bulk of common goods has now been sent, and the market conse- 

 quently begins to assume a bare appearance. The better classes of Apples are 

 now being sought after, and prices are improving. Kent Cobs with a bara 

 supply are realising their full value. 



s. d. s. d. I 



Apples J sieve 1 6 to 5 



Apricots dozen 



Cnestnuts bushel 



Currants j sieve 



Black i do. 



Figs dozen 10 8 



Filberts lb. 6 1 



Coba lb. 8 1 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, hothouse lb. 6 6 



Lemons ^100 12 18 



Melons each 2 5 



Nectarines dozen 



| Oranges ^-10J 



Peaches dozen 



| Pears, kitchen.... dozen 



dessert dozen 



Pine Apples lb. 



' Plntns i seive 



Qninces bushel 



Raspberries lb. 



■ strawberries lb. 



Walnuts bushel 



i ditto ¥-100 



s. d. b. d- 



1 0to6 O 



24 



VEGETABLES, 



Artichokes dozen 



Asparagus ^ 103 



French bundle 



Beans, Kidney ^lb. 



Beet, Red dozen 



Broccoli bundle 



Brussels Sprouts.. J sieve 



Cabbage dozen 



Carrots bunch 



Capsicums ^10 



Cauliflower dczen 



Celery bundle 



Coleworts.. doz. bunches 



Cucumbers each 



Endive dozen 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs ;. bunch 



Horseradish bundle 



Lettuce dozen 



b. d. B. 

 4 Otofi 

 

 

 8 

 16 3 



Leeks bunch 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress punnet 

 Onions bushel 



pickling quart 



Parsley.... doz. bunches 



Parsnips dozen 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Radishes., doz. bunches 



Rhubarb handle 



Salsafy bundle 



Scorzonera bundle 



Seakale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bashel 



Tomatoes i sieve 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Marrows 



s. d. b. d 

 4to0 

 



