June 9, 1863. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



425 



Third, H. Yardley, Market Hal], Birmingham. Highly .Commended, J. 

 Forth, Dewsbury. Commended, J. C. Hulioek, Beverley. 



Posters. — First, H. Yardley, Birmingham. Second, G. R. Pott?, Monk- 

 wearmouth. Third, H. Beldon. Highly Commended, F. Key, Beverley. 

 Commended, E. Brown, Sheffield; H. Yardley, Birmingham. 



Almond Tumblers.— First, H. Beldon. Second, Mrs. E. Southwick. 

 Beverley. Third, J. C. Hullock, Beverley. 



Tomblers (Any other variety). — First, H. Beldon. Second, W. South- 

 wick, Beverley. Third, F. Key, Beverley. Highly Commended, J. C. 

 Hullock, Beverley. Commended, H. Yardley, Birmingham. 



Barbs.— First, T. D. Walker,»Hoylake. Second, H. Yardley, Birming- 

 ham. Third, Mrs. Ellrington. Woodmansey. 



Jacobins.— First, F. Key, Beverley. Second, Mrs. Ellrington, Wood- 

 mansey. Third, T. D. Walker, Hoylake. Highly Commended, W. Carlton, 

 Howden. Commended, D. Causer, Erdington. 



Trumpeters. — First, H. Beldon, Bradford. Second, F. Key, Beverley. 

 Third, J. W. George, Beeston Padge. Highly Commended, F. Else, Bays- 

 water. Commended, W. Carlton, Howden ; H. Yardlev, Birmingham ; 

 F. Key. 



Owls. -First, F. Else. Second, H. Yardley. Third, M. E. Jobling, 

 Newcastle. Highly Commended, H. Beldon. Commended, J. C. Hullock, 

 Beverley. 



Tcrbits.— First, F. Else. Second and Third, J. R. Jessop, Hull. Com- 

 mended, M. E. Jobling; H. Beldou. 



Fa.nt.uls.— First, T. C. Taylor, Middlesburgh. Second and Third, J. C. 

 Hullock. Highly Commended, H. Beldon ; J. R. Jessop; F. Key. Com- 

 mended, F. Flse, Bayswater. 



Ndns.— First, H. Beldon. Second, F. Else. Third, F. Key. 



Any other Variety. — First. J. Wade, Leeds. Second, H. Yardley, 

 Birmingham. Third, T. D. Walker, Hoylake. Highly Commended, T. D. 

 Walker; F. Key, Beverley. 



CANARIES. 



Belgian Canaries.— First and Second, Miss Jameson, Beverley. Highly 

 Commended, Miss Jameson ; — Tritschler, Beverley. Commended, R. 

 Jameson, Beverley. 



Marked Canaries. — First, W. Coates, Beverley. Second, J. Pearson, 

 Wa:kerGate. Highly Commended, Mrs. J. Dales, Beverley ; Mrs. Pottage, 

 Beverley ; Mrs. J. Cair.pey, Beverley ; Miss M. Campey, Beverley ; Miss R. 

 Willis, Chalk Villa; Mrs. J. Pearson, Beverley; Mrs. Hobson, Fleming 

 Gate. Commended, M. Kemp, Beverley. 



Any other Variety.— Fust, — Tritschler, Beverley. Second, Mrs. 

 Issott, Beverley. Highly Commended, Mrs. Tritschler. Commended, Miss 

 A. Campey, Beverley. 



Nest of Young Canaries. — First, J. Campey, Beverley. Second, T. 

 Rippon, Beverley. Highly Commended, R. Bailey, Beverley. Commended, 

 W. Barker, Beverley. 



Mules.— First and Second, Miss J. Boulton, Beverley. Highly Com- 

 mended, J. Widdall, Beverley. Commended, W. Grainger, Beverley. 



Redcafs.— First, G. Coates, Beverley. Second, Mrs R. Filler, Albert 

 Terrace. Highly Commended, T. Hasker, Beverley ; Miss Jameson, 

 Beverley; R. Dawson, Beverley; J. Prockter, Beverley ; W. G. Drewry, 

 Beverley. 



The Judges for Poultry were — T. H. Smith, Esq., of Skelton 

 Grange, York, and Edward Hewitt, Esq., of Sparkbrook, near 

 Birmingham. Eor .Pigeons — W. W. Boulton, Esq., of Beverley, 

 and Fergus Ferguson, Esq., of Walkington, who also distributed 

 the premiums to the singing-birds. 



PROLIFIC EAST INDIAN DUCKS. 



With regard to these Ducks which you have already men- 

 tioned, I wish to say that when the ducklings were only one 

 or two days old, though the mother did not really neglect them, 

 she showed a decided preference for the company of the drake ; 

 so much so, that I thought it best to confine him, as I had only 

 two Ducks, and one was yet sitting. I saw nothing remarkable 

 in her treatment of them, though she did not seem the most 

 affectionate of mothers. The other Duck hatched on May Sth ; 

 and as the first had begun to lay on the 4th, I put both the old 

 and young together in an empty shippon, when the Duck that 

 had hatched the last brood at once took charge of the whole — 

 twenty-two in all — the other Duck still going with them night 

 and day, and appearing quite comfortable, although laying every 

 morning. She has now laid fifteen eggs, and always in the nest. 

 In fact, I have never known either of them to drop an egg abroad. 



The one that hatched on Hay Sth began laying on the 15th, 

 and has laid every day since that time, and they are both at this 

 time going with the young, and leaving an egg in the same nest 

 every morning. 



I have not allowed the drake to go with them since I took 

 him from the first lot. I have spoken to a good many farmers 

 and others, but have not heard of such a case happening before. 

 — Jonx Dtjiios. 



PROLIFIC SWANS. 

 On trie basins attached to the canal at its junction with the 

 Avon are a pair of Swans belonging to Mr. Rogers, which have 

 proved so prolific as to be worthy a passing record. Thev were 

 hatched in 1858, and in the spring of 1859 were placed in the 

 basins covering about two acres. In the first year they took 



frequent flights in the neighbourhood, and have been seen half 

 a mile away flying over the city at a height of at least 100 feet, 

 as judged by the tall spire of a church. However, they never 

 deserted their allotted water, though it is close to other basins 

 apparently more eligible and close to the river. They are never 

 fed artificially except when the pools are iced over. Mr. Rogers, 

 fearing their departure now each year, pulled out some of their 

 pinion-feathers to prevent their flight. 



In the year 1860 the hen laid seven eggs, hatched six cygnets, 

 one of which was accidentally killed. In 1S61 she laid nine 

 eggs, and hatched nine, all preserved. In 1862 she laid ten eggs, 

 and hatched eight, all preserved. In 1863 she laid nine eggs, 

 and hatched seven, all alive and thriving. In the four seasons 

 she has laid thirty-five eggs, and reared thirty young. — B. J. S., 

 Bath. 



SWARMING DIFFICULTIES. 



I KFPI last autumn one stock in a Neighbour's cottage-hive, 

 very weak, and to them, therefore, I united two other stocks 

 from hives which I wanted to take, and fed liberally during the 

 autumn by bottle, in spring with barley-sugar ; but this hive is 

 still very weak in point of numbers, though strengthening daily. 



Query 1, Have I managed them properly ? 



I have also a large sort of bee-house, which I made myself, 

 and which I think from all I have read, ought to be about the 

 best kind. It is about 8 feet long, 5 high at back, and 3J in 

 front, all boarded-in with quarter-inch stuff covered with felt ; 

 all the back, which stands north, opening with two folding-doors, 

 allowing three hives to face south, one east and one west. 



In this house I had last autumn a strong stock of 1861 in an 

 old straw hive facing west, A ; a very strong stock of 1862 in a 

 bar-box next to it, but facing south, B ; also a strong stock of 

 1S62 in straw hives next to this, and with the same aspect, C. 

 These were all fed moderately in autumn and spring. 



Now for difficulties, c became very crowded about the 1st 

 of this month, hanging out during rain, so that many were 

 drowned. I knew that I must be away from home a good deal, 

 and wishing to manage the bses myself instead of leaving them 

 to servants, I drove a swarm from c into an empty hive, and 

 shook them out directly afterwards into a new Woodbury bar- 

 frame hive. Only about a pint remained. The weather became 

 cold and windy, so I fed them on barley-sugar; but they never 

 worked at all, hanging in a miserable small lump to one bar. 



Query 2, Had not I much better have left them to swarm 

 according to their own devices ? This morning about ten o'clock 

 I found that c was about to swarm ; they alighted on a gooseberry 

 bush, and within five minutes B the bar-box sent out a very 

 large swarm, which alighted on the same bush. I hived each lot 

 separately, and in about fifteen minutes proceeded to remove 

 them to their positions, when on lifting the first hive I found it 

 absolutely empty, every bee having joined the other swarm. 

 Both lots were so large that they much more than filled an 

 empty hive. What to do I did not know. I first shook nearly 

 halt into another hive, hoping one queen might be among them ; 

 but no ; they were all back in a few minutes. Then I took the 

 Woodbury-box with the pint of bees in, and tilted that up 

 against the brimming hive, hoping to get a good colony there. 

 The only result was to drive out every one of those few, and then 

 they retired themselves. After much shaking, changing, and 

 great vexation of spirit on my part, I have now one hive settled 

 in new quarters, so full that I have been obliged to put on a 

 small super. The rest, I believe, have returned to the parent 

 hives, and I almost think c may swarm again to-inorrow, as I 

 hear a deal of piping there to-night. 



Query 3, What could I have done in this unfortunate dilemma ? 



Query 4, Why did the bar-box b swarm? I kept the little 

 round piece of wood off the top all the spring, setting a bell- 

 glass over the hole, to keep them c?ol. For the last five weeks 

 the crown-board has been removed, and an adapter with a bar- 

 super, as recommended by " A Devonshire Bee-keeper " in 

 your answer to my questions at page 285 of last year's volume, 

 has been put on, and in which they had begun to work ; and 

 besides this, the back doors of my bee-house facing north are 

 set open every fine day, winter and summer. 



Query 5, In this bar-super mentioned in last query the bees 

 had begun some comb on two bars, but they are also continuing 

 combs upwards from below. I have removed one piece. Am 

 I to do so with all, or how prevent it ? — A. W. B. 



[1. You appear to have managed the bees in Neighbour's 



