484 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICtJLTTJBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ June 30, 1863. 



fluenced by the requirements of the moment. If honey be very 

 plentiful they are apt to build thicker combs (almoBt to the 

 exclusion of brood), than when honey is Bearce, and the queen 

 lays an egg in every cell as soon as it is braced out. We should 

 be glad if you would forward in a small box by post a few 

 living specimens of bees possessing an extra pair of antenna?.] 



BEES DYING IN, JUNE. 



Last year I had not a Bingle swarm out of four hives. This 

 year I have not had any yet, but expect three daily out of the 

 three hives I have living. Last week a stock died, and I do not 

 know the cause. They came out of the hive, and died on the 

 board. "When I saw this I took up the hive and saw but a very 

 few bees left in, and they seemed quite stupified, and they all 

 dropped on the board dead. I took out two combs, and 

 found very few of the cells with young bees in them, these had 

 grubs in them, but they were dead. The hive in May seemed 

 quite well, and worked hard. What was the cause of death ? 



Last year I had a stock which died in March, with plenty of 

 honey in store, but they were in a Nutt's hive. The bees were 

 well and strong in February, and in March they died, and when 

 I came to look at them the combs were quite mouldy. I thought 

 that I must have taken the hive from under cover (I have a 

 wooden shed) too soon, as it was very wet and cold in March 

 last year.— W. W. C. 



[The first-mentioned stock died of starvation — pretty strong 

 evidence that the honey season in Lancashire is a bad one. The 

 second waB probably destroyed by that pest of wooden hives, 

 internal moisture. Feeding would, of course, have been the 

 obvious remedy in the one case, whilst ventilation might have 

 palliated the evil in the other.] 



VAEIATIONS IN COLOUR OE THE COMMON 

 HIVE BEE. 



Having a wish to improve the circumstances of a poor 

 neighbour in the country, I empowered him to purchase a hive 

 and stock of bees, for which he (or rather I) paid lis., that is 

 2s. for the straw hive, and 12s. for the bees. On going to see 

 them a few days afterwards, I was surprised to find them so 

 unlike my notions of bees — so slim, so small, bo colourless, 

 they answered to the French word of mouches d miel, but not 

 of abielles. The man, however, declared he was used to this 

 sort, and that they were making honey very fast. The situation 

 lies between two parks, where, although there will soon be many 

 lime trees in bloom, there are not many other flowers. Some 

 mignonette and some borage have been sown, and I am told 

 that buckwheat iB a great favourite. I do not find these par- 

 ticulars mentioned in Tbi Jottbnal oe Homicr/LTtTEE ; and 

 certainly the description of bees, whether Ligurian or British, 

 by no means Beems to correspond with these. Can they be wild 

 ones ? — A. A. V. 



[Apis mellifica is the only Bpecies of hive bee, whether wild or 

 domestic, indigenous to Great Britain ; and to this species the 

 bees in question undoubtedly belong. They sometimes vary 

 slightly in colour ; and Mr. Lowe, of Edinburgh once possessed 

 a variety of a lighter tint than usual, but these appear to 

 be mere accidental variations. The Ligurian bee (Apis Ligustica) 

 which has lately been so successfully introduced into this country, 

 differs so notably from the ordinary bee, that it is ranked as a 

 distinct species.] 



SIMULTANEOUS ATTACKS ON DKONES. 



On the only fine day of this week (or month), I received an 

 expected first s* arm from A, Woodbury bar-hive, two hours after- 

 wards whilst looking on I observed a great and general issue wf 

 drones from A, B and c, and B and having Bwarmed once and 

 twice respectively, the workers appeared to .attack the drones, 

 riding on them curled up as they attack robbers. Being severely 

 stung, I did not observe much more, but was surprised. First, 

 Why should drones be turned out of a hive directly after the first 

 swarm issues ? Secondly, Why should the drones issue, if A, B 

 and c be simultaneous, or were they all merely at play ? I 

 observe a few but not many dead drones about, and can still see 

 them in a through the glass. 



I have an old straw hive that was nearly burnt out by the 

 accidental firing of my Vine-border when covered with litter, 

 The bees issued for a moment on the 17th of June, but returned 

 They have clustered out largely for ■ Borne weeks, and so con- 

 tinue. I purpose taking it when the proper time arrives ? To- 

 day I have added a glass-frame bar-super coveted, to induce 

 them all to enter and make comb. Is that right ? I should like, 

 on the issue of this swarm to join it (by sprinkling) to Wednes- 

 day's A swarm in a new complete frame-hive bought from Messrs. 

 Neighbour. Will this answer with a housed swarm that has 

 done nothing ? I have fed them., — T. P. 



[If the young queens in B and c were impregnated, the attack 

 upon the drones is all in due coarse, and will probably be per- 

 severed in until all are expelled ; but with A the case is different, 

 the assault seeming to be a mistake, which when found out was 

 at once discontinued. Owing to the bad honey season after the 

 issue of the swarm, the bees found themselves with a sparse 

 worker population, and Beanty stores, which there was no im- 

 mediate prospect of replenishing. These are just the circum- 

 stances which lead to the destruction of drones, which would, 

 doubtless, have been consummated had not the virgin condition 

 of the queen necessitated a reprieve. That all three stocks 

 should inaugurate a simultaneous attack was a remarkable in- 

 stance of like causes producing similar effects. Adding a super 

 may be of use, it the weather improves ; at any rate it will do 

 no harm. The probability is, that the two swarms will unite 

 peaceably.] 



BEES NOT ENTERING A SUPEE. 



I HIVED a swarm of bees on the 17th of May, and in less 

 than a month the hive appeared by its weight to be filled. For 

 more than a week the bees have clustered out round the mouth 

 of the hive, and small particles of comb are scattered about it 

 also. There does not appear any diminution in the activity of 

 the bees. In order to prevent a maiden swarm, as I believe it is 

 called, I put on a good-sized glass super. The bees make no 

 attempt to fill it. I should not have intruded upon you, but I 

 cannot explain the cause of the scattered particles of comb in 

 the front of the hive, and shall feel obliged by a notice of it in 

 your paper. — A Bee-keeper. 



[The particles of comb arise from the unsealing of the brood, 

 thousands of young bees having quitted their cradles during the 

 past lew weeks. Try inserting two or three pieces of guide- 

 comb in the Buper, and filling the cells with honey or syrup.] 



Pbeseeving Peas Gbeen eob Winteb Use. — This desirable 

 result has certainly not yet arrived at the state of perfection we 

 expect of it, and we have heard of many failures ; but the follow, 

 ing mode has been reported to us by a person well qualifie- 

 to judge of such matters, aB being very successful : — Carefulld 

 shell the Peas — then put tbem in tin canisters, not too largy 

 ones ; put in a small piece of alum, about the Bize of a horsebeane 

 to a pint of Peas. When the canister is full of PeaB, fill up the 

 interstices with water, and solder on the lid perfectly air-tight, 

 and boil the canisters for about twenty minutes ; then remove 

 them to a cool place, and they will be found in January but little 

 inferior to fresh, newly-gathered Peas. Bottling is not bo good — 

 at least we have not found it so ; the air gets in, the liquid turns 

 sour, and the Peas acquire a bad taste. — (American Gardeners' 

 Monthly.) 



OUE LETTEE BOX. 



Ill-success in Hatching (B. H,).— Your case is that of many this season, 

 and is in a great measure attributable to the sharp frosts during the spring. 

 The outer eggs get chilled, and then assume the appearance yuu describe. 

 It is a good plan, to put not more than, seven or nine eggs under the hens 

 for early hatching. 



Dokking Cockerels (If. D.).~ If you wish to show Silver- Grey Dorking^ 

 none of those you mention are fie lor ihe purpose. It is imperative that 

 cocks in those classes shall have black breasts and tails. Mo. 1 has not 

 either. The.y must also have pale, almost white, hackles and saildle. No. 2 

 is nere at fault; and as in a matter ul colour (at least to lar as poultry is 

 concerned), comparison isnot allowed, the fact of No. 3 being blacker than 

 No. 1, but nevertheless not quite black in bieust and tail, will not help 

 you. If you are hent on showing in a Silver-Grey class, if you have hens 

 or pullets of faultless colour, and if No. 2 is perfi ctly black where required, 

 that is the bird to show. If you are showing for general competition, take 

 No 1 by all means. It Is the height of absurdity to be deterred by a lew 

 white leathers on the breast, or a white shade on the tail. "You have to 

 look for symmetry and size, and save in a White or Silver-Grey class, colour 

 has nothing to do with decisions. 



