376 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 26, 1876. 



all those beautiful combs been in frames, the extractor would 

 have relieved the hive of its superfluous weight, and the combs 

 and bees would have been left otherwise undisturbed as pro- 

 mising stocks for the work of next spring. There is no doubt 

 whatever that great weights of honey may be obtained from 

 large skeps, and those who have changed their small for large 

 skeps have made a great stride in the right direction ; but 

 those who have taken another step and changed their large 

 Bkeps for bar-frame hives are much nearer the goal of success. 

 —P. H. Phillips. 



CAPS OF CELLS. 



I am glad to see from the courteons letter from Mr. Pettigrew 

 on page 337 that he do longer thinks beeB secrete wax specially 

 to cap brood cells, and that therefore the only point on which 

 we differ is — whether they draw out the edges of the cells or cut 

 down old comb for the purpose of forming caps. As I have 

 never noticed the wholesale tearing down of cells, which, accord- 

 ing to the last of these theories, would be necessary during ex- 

 tensive breeding, I incline to the first opinion as expressed in 

 my last letter, especially after an experiment with worker comb 

 which I made this year. 



I fitted into a frame a sheet of artificial worker-comb founda- 

 tion of a very peculiar yellow colour, and found that when the 

 bees had carried out the foundation in all its length there was 

 juBt sufficient wax to form worker cells with clearly defined 

 rims. After the queen had duly furnished the cells with eggs, 

 and the time was come for the grubs to be covered in, I dis- 

 covered that the caps were all formed of the same coloured wax 

 as the foundation I had given to the bees. Now, as I know 

 there was no other wax in the hive of that colour (they did not 

 cut any of the sheet down), I do not see how they could have 

 done otherwise than draw out the edges of the cells. 



The only solution of the matter that I can suggest is that 

 when a grub has evacuated its cell some of the young bees clean 

 the latter out (of course leaving the well-known skin in), and 

 then strengthen the edge of the cell. The rim is often a trifle 

 lighter in colour, and this strengthening would be more apparent 

 but that so little material is used, that being well incorporated 

 with the old wax it cannot but somewhat agree in colour with 

 it. May it not also be dirtied by the thousands of feet passing 

 constantly over it ? This is only a suggestion, and I know it has 

 several weak points ; but can Mr. Pettigrew bring forward- a 

 more plausible theory, giving some proofs of its correctness ? 



I have not experimented with drone comb, for there is so little 

 in my hives, as I cut most of it out, but should think that a 

 theory applying to one sort would be applicable to the other 

 also. The sides of a queen cell, when the latter is ready to be 

 capped, contain so much material that I fancy bees could easily 

 find sufficient to form several caps. — J. P. J. 



THIS YEAR'S HONEY SEASON. . 



Now that the season of 1876 is over I think it will afford 

 pleasure to the readers of our Journal if bee-keepers will send 

 to you their experience of this season, so that we who are ad- 

 mirers of our little pets may compare notes as to the best kind 

 of hive to give the largest amount of honey, also the best means 

 of securing the beautiful glasses which are from time to time 

 being exhibited at our showB. I may also say that bee-keeping 

 is becoming a mania, if I may use the expression, for in this 

 part of the county (South Lancashire) I am continually being 

 asked to go over to see this gentleman's and that lady's garden 

 to see if the place is favourable for establishing an apiary, and I 

 can only account for it by the fact that several local agricultural 

 Bocieties in Lancashire and Cheshire give prizes for bees and 

 honey, as do some of the horticultural societies ; but they want 

 to see glass hives as well as straw, for they say they are more 

 attractive and give the young apiarians a taste for bee-keeping. 



I sent my glass hives to the Winter Gardens at Sonthport last 

 month for three weeks ; they took nearly £20, and the charge 

 was Id. each to see them. They were placed in the conservatory. 

 Since then I have had applications from other societies to let 

 them have hives next year. 



I began this spring with eight hives, having lost five during 

 the winter (grosB neglect), and thought I should have lost them 

 all, the spring being so late and cold; but at last fine weather 

 came, and the beeB took advantage of it and lost no time in 

 storing the sweets. My first swarm came out June 20th, which 

 I put into a 16-inch Pettigrew hive. After that I had several 

 swarms up to July 10th. My last went away; I saw it go, but 

 could not get the beea down. 



We have had a good white clover season here, and some good 



f lasses of honey, but not large, owing to the large hives not 

 eing generally used. I took ten hives to the heather. The 

 first ten days the weather was splendid, but the heather was not 

 fully in flower, it being late, but the bees did well until the 

 weather broke and the wet set in. If it had been fine for three 

 weeks longer it would have been the best season I remember, 



for there was a great profusion of flowers. One of Pettigrew'e 

 hives (a swarm) came home 80 lbs., besides giving a super 20 lbs. 

 I had several small supers as well as the one referred to above, 

 and upon the whole they have done well, each hive being able 

 to spare 10 lbs. of honey. My stocks consist of one ten-bar 

 Woodbury straw hive, two nine-bar Woodbury, one of Nntt's 

 hives which filled me one of its side boxes, one of Huber's book 

 or leaf hives, the rest straw, with the exception of my glass 

 hives. I have ail the bees snug for the winter with plenty of 

 food, and hope next ysar to increase my stocks to about thirty. 

 I must admit that if we want large stores of honey and early 

 swarms we must use large hives, for the prolific properties of 

 the queen are not generally known amongst bee-keeperB. — Sooth 

 Lancashire Bee-keeper. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Floor of Fovtl House {Lu Shan). — Do not pave it, but have gr&Te? 

 covered with 3 iDchea in depth of sand, from which yon can rake the dnng as 

 needfnl. The soft flooring is preservative of the fowls' feet. 



Hens Eating Eggs {K. B.). — Tonr only remedy is to take the egg as soon 

 as laid, and to leave porcelain nest eggs. 



Fovsxs at Eghaji {E. T.).— The nearest show to yon will be at Dorking, 

 December 7th. 



Crude and Perfect Honey.— Mr. Pettigrew writes to ns that he has 

 answered " B. & Vv.'s" questions on the above subject repeatedly, and declines 

 replying to hie letter in last week's Journal. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



CiiiDEN Square, London. 



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



Date. 







9 A.3I. 









IN the Dav. 









• a. 



Hygrome- 



a • 



o-= . 



Shade Tem- 



Radiation 



n 





ssff 



25=-: 



ter. 



3 a 

 1? 



BO'S 



perature. 



Temperature. 

 In 1 On 



a 



Oct. 

















Dry. 



Wet. 



So 



e* 



Mas. 



Min. 



sun. 



grass 







Inches. 



deg. 



deer. 





deg. 



deg. 



deg. 



deg. 



deg. 



In. 



We. IS 



29.631 



55 3 



55.2 



N.E. 



54.0 



64.7 



50.0 



78.3 



12.2 



— 



Th. 19 



29.769 



54.3 



54.3 



N. 



54.0 



67.7 



50.1 



101.3 



41.5 



— 



Fri. 20 



30.100 



54.5 



52.7 



N. 



54.5 



58.7 



52.4 



600 



49.2 



— 



Sat. 21 



30.095 



4S.4 



45 4 



N.W. 



53.6 



53.6 



45.8 



S9.9 



44.5 



— 



Sun. 22 



30.. 87 



57.3 



43.8 



N.E. 



51.2 



49.0 



42.5 



56.6 



S6.3 



0.020 



Mo. 23 



30.07S 



44.8 



. 44.7 



N.N.E. 



50.3 



47.1 



44.5 



47.3 



43.1 



0.138 



Tn. 24 



30.135 



45.5 



44.0 



N. 



50.0 



49.2 



43.9 



.54.0 



44.0 



— 



Means. 



29.935 



50.0 



48.6 





52.5 



55.7 



47.0 



69.6 



43 



0.05S 



REMAKES. 

 ISth. — "Warm, rather misty day, sunny at intervals, bat damp evenirg, 

 19th. — Very foggy morning, but warm beautiful day. 

 20th. — Damp dull day ; cooler towards evening. 

 2lst. — Much cooler, a very fine bright day. 

 22nd. — Doll cold morning; slight rain at times during the day and a wet 



night. 

 23rd.— Cold dull day throughout. 

 24th. — Dull all day, but without rain. 



Although the temperature ha3 falltn nearly 11° during the lasfe fortnight, ii 

 still remains slightly above the average.— G. J. Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Octoeek 25. 

 A shobt supply and slack business has beea the characteristic of our 

 market during the past week, scarcely any alteration taking place in prices. 

 Pears and lata Apples are in good demand. Kent Cobs are readily cleared at 

 an advance. 



FSUIT. 



Apples i Bieve 



Apricots dozen 



Cnestnuts bushel • 



Currants 4 sieve 



Black 3 do. 



Figs dozen 



Filberts lb. " 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries quart 



Grapes, hothouse. ... lb. 6 



b. d. s. d. 

 6 to 5 

 U 















o 



1 



1 s 







6 



Lemons £-100 12 18 



Melons each 2 5 



b. d. a. d. 



Nectarines dozen itoO 



Oranges ^-100 24 



Peaches dozen 12 



Pears, kitchen.... dozen 10 3 



dessert dozen 2 6 D 



PineApples lb. 2 6 



Plums i seive 



Quinces bushel 



Raspberries lb. 



strawberries lb. O 



Walnuts bushel 5 8 



ditto I'lOO 16 2 6 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes dozen 



Asparagus £- 10J 



French bundle 



Beans, Kidney fib. 



Beet, Red dozen 



Broccoli bundle 



Brussels Sprouts.. * sieve 



Cabbage dozen 



Carrots bunch 



Capsicums $*■ lvU 



Cauliflower dozen 



Celery bundle 



Coleworts.. doz. bunohes 



Cucumbers each 



Endive dozen 



Fennel — . bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish bundle 



Lettnoe dozen 



b. d. s. d. 

 4 0to6 

 







1 



3 



6 



8 



4 



6 



Leeks bunch 



Mushrooms pottle 



Mustard & Cress punnet 

 Onion3 bushel 



pickling.. quart 



Parsley.... doz.bunches 



Parsnips dozen 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Radishes., doz. bunches 



Rbobarb bundle 



SalBafy bundle 



Scorzonera bundle 



Seakale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes i sieve 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Marrows 



d. . 

 i toO 

 6 



1 & 







5 0- 



>0 u 



4 0- 







o a 



4 6 



