May 19, 1863. ] 



JOURNAL OF ..HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



I fully indorse the conclusion arrived at by the German bee- 

 keepers at Potsdam. 



Whilst admitting that fully-developed drones are physically 

 perfect by whatsoever queen they may be produced, Mr. Lowe, 

 nevertheless, considers that small drones bred in worker-cells 

 must be imperfect, because female bees become so when bred in 

 a similar manner. In this opinion he is, however, completely 

 mistaken, since I have proved by anatomical investigation that the 

 male offspring of a virgin queen bred under these disadvantages 

 •re yet perfectly capable ot fulfilling the part allotted to them. 



I think it will be conceded by all who have done me the 

 honour to peruse my articles, that I confine my attention 

 principally to facts, and meddle very little with theories. I 

 follow neither Dzierzon nor any other man one step farther than 

 my own experience shows him to be correct. Having thoroughly 

 investigated the subject of parthenogenesis in the honey bee I 

 have proved it, and, therefore, have no hesitation in proclaiming 

 it to be an established fact ; beyond this I do not go, and have 

 nothing whatever to do with any theory which may have been 

 propounded as tending to elucidate what is undoubtedly one of 

 the greatest of Nature's marvels. — A Devonshire Bee-eee:pek. 



STEWAETON OCTAGON HIVES 

 WOODBUEYISED. 



It is now some years since, like your Oxfordshire correspon- 

 dent "UpwjlRds ash Ojhvabds," I was much struck at the 

 grand display of octagon supers in a Glasgow window ; and 

 stepping into the shop for a more minute inspection, I found the 

 counter and shelves laden with like trophies of apiarian skill. 

 Selecting a box, the straightness, dazzling purity, and rich 

 massiveness of the combs were quite tempting to behold. 1 

 inquired its cost, and was rather taken aback by the seller, after 

 a glance at the weight and a little mental calculation, informing 

 me it was " exactly three guineas." Contrasting in my mind's eye 

 such results, my little glass supers (Payne's new shape) seemed 

 small indeed. Failing to elicit any information further than 

 that the entire stock was drawn from Ayrshire, where alone the 

 hives were made and the system of management fully known, 

 I resolved to make a tour of discovery through the neighbouring 

 county. This resolve I shortly afterwards carried out, bearing 

 introductions to a few of the merchants' principal furnishers, and 

 returned with a supply of hives and an addition to my store of 

 apiarian knowledge in many important particulars at which the 

 best works I had read on the subject failed even to hint. 

 I also received a deep impression not easily effaced of the 

 thoroughly practical acquaintance, gained by long experience, of 

 the great majority of Ayrshire bee-keepers on all points of 

 management, their enthusiasm, and the fine fraternal spirit of 

 all, from the humble cottager up to his stylish neighbours. 



The Stewarton-hives came up fully to what I had anticipated 

 during the comparatively capital seasons with which we were then 

 favoured. 



There was one part of these hives I thought open to objection- 

 seven bars li inch broad in the breeding-boxes. This breadth, 

 although most suitable for supers, was indefensible in the others 

 on any other plea than that in these no guide-comb was used, 

 the inmates being allowed full liberty to twist about their 

 combs according to their fancy. Still I found that the broad 

 bars lessened the communications between the several boxes 

 composing the set ; and at my suggestion the number was 

 increased to nine lg broad, and in some eight, the six central 

 being 1 J, and the two end ones li. Latterly, as a still further 

 improvement, I suggested omitting bars altogether in the second 

 breeding-box, thereby throwing open to the peregrinations of 

 the queen uninterrupted access to a much larger area of comb, as 

 has been already explained in the adapter plan in No. 5, New 

 Series. In the hives sent out for the present season I find yet 

 a further change, which has prompted these remarks — viz., 

 the number of bars increased to ten of the narrow Woodbury 

 pattern, and duly ribbed, kept in their place with small brass 

 screws, and consequently all moveable. On making inquiry 

 I found that this improvement, like the preceding ones, had only 

 been adopted after various testa, which terminated with the 

 best results ; and I have, therefore, much pleasure in con- 

 gratulating your excellent correspondent " A Devonshibe Bee- 

 xbbpeb" on such a satisfactory proof of the value of his 

 invention, emanating as it does from so thoroughly practical and 

 trustworthy a source. 



When on this subject I may mention, that a still longer 

 comparative trial of octagon and square hives side by side, 

 confirms the opinions I formerly expressed as to the superiority of 

 the first-named. At the present moment I have a very striking 

 proof in my own apiary, consisting of six stocks, two in octagon, 

 and four in square hives. Three of the latter were strong 

 colonies that did not swarm lastseasOD, while the octagons in one 

 case did, but the bees were beaten out of their own hive at the end 

 of the season into an empty one to give place, with the view of 

 saving a good queen and a small train of followers ; and yet these 

 two hives, started under such disadvantageous circumstances, 

 (the combs of the one being fabricated almost solely from 

 Bugar), now outnumber in population any two of their square 

 competitors, having in addition their combs much better kept ; 

 both advantages to be accounted for by the better concentration of 

 heat in the octagon form, and all the more observable after the very 

 unusually cold bleak April we have just passed through. During 

 summer heat the shape of a hive is of much less consequence. 



To such of your readers as formerly doubted the accuracy of 

 the above hypothesis, or any curious to peruse the arguments at 

 length in favour of the octagon form, I would refer to page 141 

 of " Thorley on Bees," published 1765 ; and, should they wish 

 to go further back, to the 80th page of that quaint old book 

 published by Moses Busden, the apothecary, in 1687. 



This last-described improvement overcomes almost entirely 

 the only valid objection brought against these hives for the 

 experimental purposes of the day — viz., the unequal length of 

 bar, as the six central bars are now all of one length and move- 

 able, and, of course, contain the great bulk of the brood, the 

 outer ones being almost exclusively used for storing honey. _ I 

 shall now be able to work together with much greater facility 

 my octagon and square hives, which have all along been a prin- 

 cipal inducement to keep the latter 14. inches square. 



I have only to add, what I have more than once stated, that 

 in my opinion Stewarton octagon hives are the cheapest and best 

 wooden hives procurable for practical bee-keeping, particularly 

 to such as are located in a fair honey district. — A Renebe"W- 

 SHIEE BeE-EEEEEB. 



MEETING OP GEEMAN BEE-KEEPEES AT 



POTSDAM. 



{Concluded from page 286.) 



V. Why have bee-hives recently been often changed from the 

 stiiiider to the lager form?* 



Kerr Kritschke, who propounded this question, asked Pastor 

 Dzierzon to state the reason which had induced him to change 

 from the slander to the lager form, and to construct the twin-stock. 



Pfarrer Dzierzon said — Although I did not moot the question, 

 I soon found on perusing it that my twinstock had been taken 

 into consideration, aud that it might really be put as follows : — 

 " Why is the twinstock to be preferred to other hives ?" Con- 

 venience in placing it is what especially induced me to construct 

 this hive in tbe form of a lagerstock. It does not require an 

 especial stand or bee-house, which frequently costs more than 

 the stooks are worth which are placed in it. Also, twinstocks 

 can be placed in any favourable situation without preparation, 

 which, is very convenient for transport. Then the lagerstock 

 has always been considered richer in honey ; nor does the honey 

 require refining, since brood, especially drone-brood, is restricted, 

 because as is known, drone-cells are generally found in the 

 lengthening of the combs downwards, which the shallow lager- 

 stock does not admit of. Even worker-brood in the lagerstock 

 cannot be unduly extended at the expense of the honey stores, 

 because the queen when egg-laying does not readily remove to 

 side-combs which are free from brood, whilst on the same comb 

 in which she has commenced laying she immediately deposits an 

 egg in every cell which the bees make downwards. 



Other speakers advocated the same opinions. 



VI. Is there any paint which will keep straw hives absolutely 

 waterproof! 



Herr (iruwe recommended a composition formed of five parta 

 wax, one part Venetian turpentine, and one part sulphur laid on 

 warm. • 



Herr Gutkneeht— One part loam, two parts cowdung, one 

 part wood ashes well kneaded together and plastered over tie 

 hives immetdiately. Afterwards they may be varnished. 



* The " standerstock " is a tall, upright edifice, whilst the " lagerstock * 

 is of a longitudinal form with, the enttansfl at one end. 



