154 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTUEB AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ Angast 24, 1871. 



of this, bat this also I need scarcely say is a complete |tallacy. 

 In the second notice, No. .538, " B. & W." sajs he is " qnite 

 certain that there conld not have been within it (the driven 

 Italian hive), any royal brood;" but he may have been mis- 

 taken, as in any other than a framed hive it is extremely diJ£- 

 cult, vfith every care, to pronounce decidedly. Nor would I 

 reckon it of any consequence that royal cells were seen being 

 developed in the hybrid hive itself after swarming. One or 

 two we are told were sealed two days after swarming. This 

 was to be expected. The strongest evidence, no doubt, is the 

 circumstance that the brood of the respective swarms corre- 

 sponded to "B. & W.'s " surmise. In No. 537 I adverted to 

 this as a test, but in reflecting over the whole matter, and the 

 further details furnished, I can see how even this confirmatory 

 evidence can be otherwise accounted for. " B. & W." does 

 not inform us that the Italian hive was thoroughly pure; 

 but, even though it was, he can easily see that its first " cast," 

 if my explanation of the swarming be correct, might, according 

 to the mating of the queen, be less pure than the second one. 

 In a mixed apiary not much importance can be attached to 

 questions about purity. On the whole I have no hesitation, 

 - considering the many possible ways the curious circumstances 

 narrated by " B. & W.," in No. 535, could be otherwise ex- 

 plained, of discarding the idea that we have here any proof that 

 mother-queens ever go forth on aerial excursions. 



In taking up my pen for the first time after these pages have 

 made known in a formal way the melancholy tidings of Mr. 

 Woodbury's death, I cannot help recording my feelings of deep 

 and heartfelt sorrow at the sad event, and I cordially coincide 

 with Mr. S. Bevan Fox in believing, " that all the readers of 

 this Journal, and all the contributors to its columns, whether 

 interested as apiarians or otherwise, will experience deep feel- 

 ings of sorrow for the loss of one who has for so many years 

 contributed so largely to its columns." Though I have never 

 had the pleasure of any personal acquaintance with Mr. 

 Woodbury, yet for upwards of ten years I enjoyed a friendly 

 correspondence with him. This dated from the introduction of 

 the Lignrian bee, and though it was our " fortune," or " fate " 

 rather, to engage in a long controversy in these pages on a 

 subject regarding which there is much diversity of opinion, yet 

 notwithstanding the vigour and spirit displayed by all who 

 took part in it, I need scarcely say that no change was effected 

 in our other relations or correspondence, which continued 

 cordial throughout. I shall only add, that by the death of our 

 lamented friend we have lost one of the most accomplished 

 apiarians of the day. -J. Lovte. 



BEES NOT WORKING. 



I HAVE an old stock in a straw skep that for sis years has 

 BBver failed to yield me a considerable quantity of honey ; but 

 this year the bees have done nothing. In April they were 

 unusually strong, and plundered one of their neighbours. Since 

 then they have remained idling about the mouth of the hive, 

 amusing themselves occasionally by killing drones, but utterly 

 declining to go into a super, and never showing any activity in 

 their efforts on their own account. — H. 



[Your hive may sufier from one of two or three causes. 

 First, it may have a queen whose power of breeding may fce 

 very small, owing to age or accident ; or secondly, the breeding 

 cells of the combs may have become contracted and unfit for 

 the purpose ; or thirdly, they may be so filled with honey as to 

 prevent the queen giving full scope to her natural fecundity. 

 You do not say whether or not the bees have carried in pollen 

 freely of late. If the hive were ours we should drive out the 

 bees into an empty skep, and endeavour to catch a sight of the 

 queen if any, and judge from her appearance as to her age 

 and probable capabilities. If, from very ragged wings or dark 

 shrunken appearance, she gave evident proof of being aged, we 

 should, if it were desired to perpetuate an already somewhat 

 aged hive, crush her between the fingers, and having obtained 

 a lot of expatriated bees from a doomed cottager's hive, add 

 them with their queen to the old stock. If, however, the bees 

 are still very numerous, and pollen is carried in in moderate 

 quantities, you may leave the hive as it is until next year, when 

 perhaps a swarm may issue from it, at the end of twenty-one 

 days from which time the stock may be broken up and the bees 

 added to those of the Bwarm.] 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Wakefield Show.— Mr. J. S. Bootli states that he had a pen of Malay 

 eJuekens iigUy commonded. 



OsMSErBK ASD SouTHPOKT SHOW.— We are informed that the names 

 of the Judges sent to us were not correct. They ought to have been 

 Mr. Hudson and Mr. Douglas. 



AlLEETON Show.— 3Ir. Yardley writes to ns giving a most unqualified 

 denial to the statement by our reporter. He adds—" Not a foul feather 

 was abstracted. The birds have been in my possession eight months, 

 and have obtained first prizes at Torquay, Stroud, Colchester, and 

 many other Shows. I am quite willing to submit the birds to any com- 

 petent judge for examination, when I am sure the difference between 

 trimming and moulting can be readily discerned, as well as the sexes of 

 the pair of Dragoons which seem also to have caused llr. Hutton some 

 uneasiness." 



Waeeixgtos Pon^EET Show.— Mr. J. Wright, Eochdale Eoad, Man- 

 chester, won the cup for Antwerp Pigeons. 



Neath Poultey asd Pigeon Show (IF. C. and Others).— "Wo always 

 conclude if a committee do not consider their proposed show of sufficient 

 impurtance to be advertised in our columns, that it cannot be deserving 

 of a report. 



PoETRAiTs OF PiGEONS {Captui n) .—They commenced in our No. 4M. 

 DrElKG Feathee Geass.— ^ Constant Subscriber visbes for recipes to 

 dye this grass various colours to fit it for mixing with everlasting flowers. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERYATIONS. 



CA3IDEN SqUAEE, LONDON. 



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



DiTE. 



9 AJI. 



In the Day. 





1S71. 



is-" 



Hygrome- 

 ter. 



Direc- 

 tion of 

 Wind. 



Temp, 

 of Soil 

 at lit. 



Shade Tern- 

 perature. 



Eadiation 

 Tempera- 

 ture. 



1 





Dry. 



Wet. 



Max. 



TMin. 



In , On 

 Bun. grass 



deg. , deg. 

 117.0 53.0 

 128.5 55.8 

 115.2 60.4 

 125.4 54.5 

 103 2 17.0 

 122.0 62i) 

 118.0 50.6 



We. 16 

 Th. 17 

 Fri. 18 

 Sat. 19 

 Smi.20 

 Mo. 21 

 Tu. 22 



Inches. 



29.96-! 

 29.SS4 

 29 175 

 29.3il 

 30.092 

 30.003 

 30.100 



deg. 

 69.0 

 63.2 

 65.2 

 62.8 

 66.0 

 65.2 

 66.3 



deg. 

 62,3 

 65.0 

 61.6 

 54 7 

 5S.S 

 64.0 

 62.5 



E. 

 N.E. 



N. 

 N.E. 

 S.W. 

 N.W. 

 S.E. 



deg. 

 67.0 

 66.4 

 66.5 

 65.0 

 61.0 

 64.0 

 63.8 



deg. 

 S0.6 

 S1.2 

 71.4 

 71.2 

 71.3 

 77.0 

 76.8 



deg. 

 54.0 

 56.5 

 61.0 

 56.3 

 49.6 

 62.5 

 52.0 



In. 



0.620 

 O.'.oO 



0.050 



Means 



29.008 



66.1 



61.3 





65.2 



75.6 



56.0 



118.5 1 51.3 



0.720 



REMAUKS. 



16tli. — Fine bat hazy in morning, cloudy in the evening. 



17th. — Very hazy and heavy in morning, more or less cloudy all day, storm- 

 lite abont 6 p.m., heavy rain at 10 p m., and all tbrongh the night. 



18th.— Kain in morning and occasional showers all day, splendid and long- 

 continned rainbow between 6 and 7. 



19th.— Cool bnt very bright, a most lovely day thronghout. 



20th. — Fair but cloudy all day, much cooler. 



2lBt.— Fine morning, slight, shower about noon, sun not hot but the air 

 oppressive. 



22nd.— Kather stormlike in morning, but passed over with only a few large 

 drops of rain, fine afternoon. 

 The rain on the night of Thursday and morning of Friday ("amounting 



to more than half an inch) tended to cool both the air and the ground, 



and thus make the pist week much more pleasant, though not quite so 



bright as the prece^ng one. — G. J. St^ions. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Ao GUST 23. 

 The markets are much quieter than they were, and sales can only ha 

 effected to any extent by a reduction of prices. To-day we have had but 

 few buyers, the inquiry being chiefly for rough descriptions of prDduce- 

 Hothouse Peaches and Nectarines are nearly over, those from the open 

 walls j ost coming in. Imports heavy, at former prices. 





..ime-re 

 .... doz. 

 lb. 



B, d, a. a 



1 to 2 6 

 10 8 

 6 2 

 

 

 

 3 10 

 6 10 

 

 6 8 



2 6 



8 12 

 2 6 



TESET 



B. d. B. d 

 a to 4 

 

 10 SO 



2 SO 



3 3 

 9 10 

 CO 

 10 2 

 

 6 

 SO 6 

 16 2 



9 4 

 6 10 

 2 3 

 2 

 3 

 8 

 OS 

 8 10 





B a. 

 lb. 6 t 



s. 

 ol 



13 

 



15 

 

 S 

 5 

 6 

 

 

 



16 

 3 



B. 

 oO 

 1 

 2 

 

 i 

 

 1 

 1 

 1 

 3 

 5 

 1 

 

 

 

 



1 

 s 





 8 



d 

 n 







.... doz. i 







Cherries 



Oranges 



Peaches 



Pears, kitchen .. 



...!i* 100 20 

 ... doz. 4 

 ....doz. 2 

 ...doz. 2 







Chestnuts 



Currants 



Black 



. bushel 

 . . i sieye 

 do. 





 



n 





.... doz. 

 lb. 





lb. 3 



n 



Filberts 



Plums 



. i sieve 3 









. .. quart 

 e.... lb. 

 ... ¥^100 





lb. 







Grapes, Hothoui 



Strawberries .. 



lb. 



. bushel 10 

 ...^100 1 





 







n 







ABLES. 

 Leeks 



B. d. 

 . bunch 3 1 



i 

 n 





.. 5*100 

 , 4 sieve 

 . bushel 



n 



Beans, Kidney . 



Broad 



Beet, Red 



Mushrooms 



Mustard & Cress 

 Onions per doz. 



pickling 



ParsleT 



.. potUe 1 . 



.punnet 2 

 bunches 2 6 

 ...quart 



.. sieve 8 



6 

 







Broccoli 



Brussels Sprouts 



bundle 

 ..J sieve 

 ... doz. 

 .. .1*100 

 . .bunch 



doz. 



. bundle 

 bunches 

 . . . each 

 .... doz, 

 doz. 







n 



Cabbage 



Capsicums .... 



Carrots 



Canliilower 



Celery 



Parsnips 



Peas 



Potatoes 



Kidney 



Kadishes .. doz 



.... doz. 9 

 ., qnart 6 

 .bushel 1 6 



do. 3 



bunches 6 





 

 

 

 

 6 



CncumberB .... 

 pit'kling .... 



Savoys 



Sea-kale 



Shallots 



....doz. 

 ..basket 

 lb. 6 





 

 





Spinach bushel 3 



Tomatoes doz. 2 



Turnips bunch S 



Vegetable MaiTows., doz, i 







Garlic 



lb. 







Herbs 



Horseiadiah .. 



.. bunch 

 ,. bondle 



G 

 



