354 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ May 12, 1863. 



possible ground for doubting that males produced by drone- 

 breeding queens in proper cells will be as physically perfect as 

 those produced by normally conditioned queens in the ordinary 

 way. Certainly it is not for me to express a doubt as to 

 naturally reared and fully developed drones, by whatsoever 

 queen produced, being physically perfect creatures and capable 

 for all the uses which nature has designed them for. No : I 

 have no such doubts ; but it must be remembered that according 

 to the strange theory of Dzierzon, in reference to which I made 

 the comments on the subject, all drones, even the most perfect 

 are " altogether imperfect creatures, for the production of which 

 so many forces and conditions are not necessary, even on the 

 part of nature as for the production of the queen, and, what is the 

 same thing, for the workers." 



Independently of the fact, however, to which I before adverted 

 — that when drone-breeding queens are left to themselves, the 

 males produced by them are generally reared in small cells, and 

 that consequently we must consider such males as physically 

 imperfect upon the same principle that we consider female bees 

 imperfect because reared in small cells. Independently of tliis 

 fact I am inclined to believe that there are other elements of an 

 adverse nature which will unfavourably operate against Mr. 

 Woodbury's experiment, notwithstanding all the helps and 

 appliances which he haB put into requisition in order that fully 

 developed drones may be secured. Some necessary attending 

 circumstances may be wanting — some essential conditions absent 

 in all this artificial process which will militateagainst success, 

 and prove the result not so satisfactory as anticipated. I doubt, 

 therefore, if Mr. Woodbury will be repaid for the trouble he is 

 put to, and the injuries caused to his other hives by the ab- 

 straction of brood-comb from them for the purpose of keeping 

 up the daily diminishing population of his degenerate colonies ; 

 and that even should occasional experiments in that way he 

 crowned with success, it would turn out that in practice failure 

 would be more the rule than the exception. 



As an experiment, however, of rather a novel character, I 

 shall be delighted to hear of results which it is to be hoped 

 Mr. Woodbury will not fail to make known in due course. — 

 J. Lowe. 



BEE-HOUSES. 



Will "A. K. H., Westhorpe" be kind enough to explain how 

 he manages to exclude the wind and rain from his hives in his 

 open bee-protector, while it allows the current of air to pass 

 freely through ? I have no doubt but his method is good ; but 

 judging from it3 appearance on the diagram at page 179, it 

 appears to be a high, open, unsightly edifice in an apiary. But 

 as he has not given a scale of the size one cannot say much 

 about its merits or demerits. 



Will he also explain how he manages to hasten the progress 

 of the bees in spring by the heat of the sun ? how he manages 

 to keep the temperature the same at night in the hives by a few 

 hours' sunshine through the day ? Erom the experience I have 

 had, the best heat I can get is to put my hives by in autumn well 

 peopled, and from 35 lbs. to 50 lbs. gross weight, allowing 10 lbs. 

 for hive and board, and well sheltered from sun and rain in the 

 bee-houses, the construction of one of which I will try to explain. 



It is a square-framed house 6 feet 6 inches long, by 3 feet 

 3 inches wide, and 5 feet 6 inches high over all, covered with 

 five-eighth lining. Roof projecting and well ventilated, 1 foot 

 6 inches to the floor, where the hives stand — a height which I 

 think is quite enough. The hiveB are all on one level, which is 

 much better than having one hive above another — a practice 

 which should be avoided, for the bees of the higher story fre- 

 quently fall down and enter the lower hives, where they are killed. 

 I place two hives on each side and one at each end. A door 

 is cut out at each hive 2 feet by 1 foot 6 inches, and it shuts close 

 to the front of the hives, preventing the bees lying out between 

 the house and hive. I may state that the house is boarded to the 

 ground to prevent the wind drifting the bee3 if they happen to 

 fall when coming close to the hive, as there are more bees lost in 

 spring close to their hives than at a greater distance, for the cold 

 benumbs them at once. To prevent this, I take care to have all 

 round the hives well strewed with dry ashes, &c. — A Lanabk- 



SHIKE BEE-KEEPEB. 



Cate Atr Lait. — The French are justly oelebrated for thiB 

 breakfast coffee, which maybemadeas follows : —Use an infusion, 



of double the usual strength, and when clear, pour it into the 

 breakfast-cups, whioh have been previously half or three parts 

 filled with boiling milk, sweetened with loaf sugar. — {Prairie 

 Farmer,} 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Bath and West op England Poultey Show. — Mr. Pitman 6ays, 

 "Our entries close next Saturday, the 16th. Specimens will be received up 

 to a late hour on Saturday, the 6th of June, and"judging commence (open, 

 unaer certain restrictions necessary for the comfort and independence of 

 those important officers) on Monday, the 8th of June." 



Cochin-China Hen with Diseased Liver (An Amateur).— The lumps 

 in and upon the liver were ulcers, and when a bird becomes so organically 

 diseased we know of no treatment likely to restore it to health. In the case 

 of a very valuable bird being; so affected it might be worth while to try 

 what a daily dose of calomel would effect. 



Hens foe Eaelt Sitting (J. IP.).— It is not the property of any par- 

 ticular breed to sit early. It is the result of calculation, and may be arrived 

 at with almost the same certainty as an ordinary addition. It is the oues- 

 tion. that immediately follows the frequent query as to the breed that will 

 lay best in the winter. That which lays best in the winter will sit earliest 

 in the spring. They follow as naturally as manhood and childhood. As 

 soon as a hen has laid her number of eggs, the course of nature makes her 

 anxious to sit. Those, then, who wish to have January chickens will be 

 careful to keep early pullets of the previous year, which will begin laving 

 in October. They will want to sit in December. This can be done only 

 with pullets. Their first laying is a question of age, after that they are 

 creatures of routine and season. Your feeding is bad. Rice is the wnrst 

 food there is. Indian corn and meal may do for a change, and may be given 

 beneficially once or twice per week, but not oftener. No fire or artlticial 

 heat is necessary for healthy fowls. Dorkings are excellent sitters. Most 

 lowls sit well, but all are not good mothers. 



Eggs Hossy-flavoueed (T. J. E.).— When an egg is first laid the shell 

 is soft, and capable of transmitting a tas'e or odour from without to its 

 contents. Its flavour is also affected by any particular food, as garlic, 

 onion, malt. It seems to have a peculiar aptitude for acquiring the taste 

 and smell of hay, moss, sawdust, and the like. The best bottom for a nest 

 is a sod of grass. Shavings are likely to communicate a flavour. It may be 

 that the taste of which you complain arises from some food they find in the 

 wood, possibly grubs or insects harboured by the moss at the roots of the 

 trees. If it be so, it will be only temporary. Let your hens have sods of 

 grass at the bottom of their nests, and we do not think you will have any 

 lasting complaint against their eggs. 



Cochin-Chinas' Feet Tuened Iswaeds (Clarence). — It is difficult to 

 assign a cause for the turning-in of the toes of Cochin-Chinas. Part of it 

 is natural. They have short toes, and the middle ones of both feet tern 

 inwards. In some cases they are almost web-footed. A very hard and im- 

 penetrable flooring to the house may have its influence, inasmuch as the 

 nails that would enter into the loose earth or gravel, and which turn down- 

 wards, are compelled to turn sideways. Stones, bricks, or boards will cause 

 this. The gravelled run may not be altogether guiltless if it is hard- 

 surfaced like a garden path. We advise you to put up perches within 

 18 inches of the ground. We have no doubt that will partly cure the evil. 

 It would not affect the laying unless it interfered with the health of the 

 birds. 



Bantam Latino Soft Egos (Eibernicus).— The soft eggs and the 

 feathers shed from the neck, we consider evidence that the hen's food is too 

 stimulating. We should give her a dessert-spoonful of castor-oil, feed her 

 for a time on mashed potatoes mixed with a little.barleymeal, let her have 

 plenty of lettuce leaves, and take care that she has free access to plenty 

 of limy rubbish. 



Diseased Pigeob (A Jfew Subscriber).— Your Pigeon is " going light," 

 to use the fanciers' pirns.'. This depends on some internal organic cause and 

 is rarely recovered from. Fantails are especially liable to the inconvenience 

 alluded to. You are right as to the cause. 



Canaev Ceasing from Singing (Old Deer).— The only causes we are 

 aware of which would account for a bird not singing are either bsing too 

 fat, having moulted the second time through cold, bp'.ig too old, or having 

 been used too often for breeding. The rirst-menlior ^d is most probably the 

 case with your bird. 



Acstealian Paeeootjet (E, M.).— We find that No. 50 is out of print. 

 Apologising for the trouble given, we reprint from that Number the infor- 

 mation you ask. " The Australian GraBS Parroquet breeds freely in con- 

 finement in this country. The cage should be square, of a middling size— 

 2 feet 6 inches by 2 feet by 15 inches, with wire front only. pjace at one 

 end a rough box about 18 inches high and 7 inches square, covered with dry 

 moss to represent an old stump, and having a hole large enough to allow 

 the birds to have easy access. Place a tray or half a cocoa-nut shell inside, 

 containing the nest already shaped, composed of dry moss, grass, and wool, 

 similar to what Canaries build with, with some loose in the cage. Place the 

 cage in a retired situation. Feed the old birds on canary seed ; when 

 they have young add boiled egg, millet, and mawseed, and when long grass 

 is in seed let them have a bunch of it hung up. The price is about 25s. per 

 pair. I do not know of any instance of Love Birds breeding in confinement. 

 — W. G" 



Ligdeian Bees (J. JR., Fenzancc).— Write to T. Woodbury, Esq., Mount 

 Radford, Exeter. 



LONDON MARKETS.— Mat 11. 



POULTRY. 



We have a good supply of poultry for the time of year, "but not more 

 than an average. Trade is, however, bo bad that it is sold with difficulty 

 at a slight redaction. 





p. 



4 



3 



1 



d. s. 

 to 4 

 „ 3 

 9 „ 2 

 „ 6 

 „ 3 



d 



! 



6 



6 





3 



d. 8. 

 to 3 

 „ 3 

 3 „ 1 

 8 „ 

 8 „ 



d 

 6 







3 



fi 





Wild do 



1 



•1 





6 

 3 















9 



