October 26, 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTIGULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



32a 



addition, there are thirty-four silver cups, varying in value 

 from ten to five guineas. 



NORTH ORMESBY CANARY SHOW. 



This was held on the 21st inst. in the Assembly Rooms, North 

 Ormesby, when the following awards were made by the Judge, Mr. 

 Calvert, of York. 



Belgian.— 1. Stephens & Leeke. Middlesbrongh. 2, K. Robinson,, Middles' 

 brough. he, P. Eawnsby, Ledget Green, Bradford. 



NoKWiCH.— Cit^ar JuHr/tic— 1 and 2, Moore & Wynne, Northampton, he, J. 

 Clemison, Darlington. Clear Buff.—l and 2, Moore & Wynne, he. K. Iddison, 

 Darlington. Evenhj-marked Jonque. BuxT or Yellow. — 1, Barwell & Golby, 

 Northampton. 2, Moore &. Wynne, he, R. Hawman, Middlesbrough. 



NoHwioH (Crested).—! and he, &Ioore & Wynne. 2, J. tiarbutt, Erougbton. 



CoppY (Crested). — 1, P. Rawnsby. 2, W. Cotton, Middlesbrough, he, J. 

 Cowper, Middlesbrough. 



'LiZiJt.Ti.- Golden-spanrjUd. — 1, M. Holroyd. Great Horton. Bradford. 2 and 

 he, R. Ri+cliie, Darlington. Silver-spang led.— 1, P. Rawnaby. 2, R. Ritchie. 

 he. J. N. Harriflon, Belper. 



Cinnamon.— JongHg.-l. S. Tomes, Nortbampton. 2, T. Irons, Northampton. 

 he, J. N. Harrison. Buff.—l, Barwell & Golby. 2. S. Tomes, he, Moore and 

 Wynne. Variegated Buff or Yellow. — 1, M. Holroyd. 2, J. Munroe, North 

 Ormesby. he, Stephens & Leek. 



Yorkshire.— Ciear Yellow.— 1, J. Rowland, Skelton. 2, W. Munroe. he, J. 

 Garbutr.. Clear Buff. — l, J. Baldwin. North Ormesby. '2, R. Rowland. 

 he. Stephens & Leeke. Even^marked Yellow or Buff— I, T. Tenniswood, North 

 Acklam. 2 and he. Stephens & Leeke. Ticked or Unevenlij-marked Yellojo or 

 Buff.—l. T. Fawcett, Baildon, Leeds. 2, Stephens & Leeke. he, E. Graham, 

 Middlesbrough. 



Green (Clear).— 1. Stephens & Leeke. 2, W. Seargeant, Skelton. he, J. Row- 

 land. 



Goldfinch Mule. — Variegated. — I, W. & C. Burniston, Middlesbrough. 

 2. Stephens & Leeke. he, J. Spence. New Hendon, Sunderland. Dark. — 1, T. 

 "Tenniswood. 2, Moore & Wynne, he, J. Munroe. 



GoLDFi-vcH Moulted.— 1, T. Tenniswood. 2, J. Blunroe. he, Stephens and 

 Xeeke. 



Linnet Mule (Brown).— 1, J. Spence. 2 and he, Stephens & Leeke. 



Linnet Moulted (Brown).— 1, Fairclough & Howe, Middlesbrough. 2, J. 

 Hardy, Skelton. he. W. & C. Burniston. 



Any other Variety. -Brttis/t Bird. — 1, J. Green. 2. — Bailey, he, E. 

 Graham, Middlesbrough. Foreign Bird.—l, J. Bell, North Ormesby, 2 and 

 Jte, G. Handsom, Middlesbrough. > 



INTRODUCTION OF YOUNG QUEENS TO 

 COLONIES THAT ARE QUEENLESS. 



Some ten years ago I was led to suspect that the ordinary 

 ■statements of Huber and other eminent apiarians with regard 

 to the antipathy of bees, under all cironmstanoes, to change 

 queens, was incorrect. Eminent writers have supposed that it 

 would not be safe to introduce even a queen cell to a colony 

 until twenty-four hours had elapsed after the old queen had 

 ■been removed. 



In experimenting with Italian bees, shortly after their intro- 

 dnotion to this country, I soon ascertained that this was an 

 entire mistake, and that queen cells could be safely intro- 

 duced, under ordinary circumstances, immediately after the 

 removal of the queen.* This led me to experiment further 

 in the same direction. Supposing that perhaps the hatching 

 of a young queen in the colony might reconcile them at once 

 to her presence, I introduced to queenless colonies cells, the 

 lids of which were being gnawed open by the young queen. In 

 some instances these queens hatched in less than five minutes 

 after the cells were inserted, and I found them to be unmolested, 

 although the hive had been unqneened but a few moments before 

 their introduction. 



I now began to suspect that there might be something in the 

 young queens themselves, either in their actions, or in their 

 odour, or their voice, or want of voice, which made the bees 

 indisposed to disturb them. Therefore, after unqueening the 

 hive, I introduced just-hatched queens at once, and found them 

 almost invariably well received. The bees would occasionally 

 seem to manifest some surprise at their presence, and probably, 

 if they could have spoken their feelings in words, would have 

 said inquiringly — " Does your mother know you are out ? " 



If the queens were too young, they were sometimes dragged 

 ■out of the hive, just as imperfect bees are removed by workers. 

 I next discovered that in many instances these young queens 

 could be put upon the very comb where the old mother was, 

 and yet be undisturbed by the bees. In order to test this matter 

 more thoroughly, after introducing a just-hatched queen and 

 finding her well received, I would place upon the same comb 

 an unfertile queen several days old. The bees would at onee 

 attack her furiously, confine, and speedily destroy her. It 

 would seem, therefore, that under ordinary circumstances young 

 queens which have not yet attained their proper colour, and 

 perhaps the power of piping, may be introduced at once to 

 queenless colonies. I have availed myself of this discovery 

 largely in breeding Italian queens ; it being a common practice 

 with me as soon as the queen of a nucleus has laid a suitable 



* Instead of the circumlocution of saying " removing a queen from a 

 liive, or giving a queen to a hive," I propose to use aa more delanite terms 

 the words, " onqueening a hive," or " queening a hive." 



number of eggs to test her purity, to cage her, and at once 

 introduce a queen not more than five or six hours old. It may 

 be that it would be safe to introduce queens even a day old, 

 but my practice has been to select for this purpose such as had 

 very recently hatched. When the young queen thus introduced 

 becomes fertile, and has laid a proper number of eggs, I cage 

 her in turn and introduce still another. And thus I am able, 

 with one nucleus, to accomplish in queen-raising as much as 

 is ordinarily done with two or three. 



Occasionally I have known the workers to destroy these 

 young queens, if not immediately, still within a few hours after 

 their introduction. I do not, therefore, recommend the prac- 

 tice above described to those who have very few queens, nor 

 would I risk a young queen which I value very highly. But, as 

 under ordinary circumstances the breeder has often more queens 

 than he knows what to do with, he can easily dispose of them 

 in the way above described. 



In order, at times, to secure a suitable number of queens for 

 this purpose, I have been accustomed to condense into one 

 colony a very large number of queen cells of about the same 

 age, inspecting the colony about every hour in the day, and 

 removing queens as fast as they hatched, and before they 

 had an opportunity to destroy each other or the other queen 

 cells. These same combs may be returned at night to their 

 proper nuclei. 



The expert will know how to avail himself of the plans which 

 I have suggested, and how to modify them to suit his circum- 

 stances. — L. L. LiNGSiBOTH (in American Bee Journal.) 



TO GET HONEY FROM THE COMB. 



As this is the time when bee-keepers are taking np weak 

 stocks and taking oft surplus boxes, it may be well to give a 

 few hints how to clear honey. 



It will be generally understood that virgin honey taken in 

 surplus boxes is most marketable in that form, and is generally 

 considered most palatable eaten in the comb. Still that portion 

 of it which is uncapped is liable to sour and lose its flavour ; 

 hence such pieces of comb should have the honey extracted by 

 the honey- extractor, or be broken up and the honey strained 

 out. It is also necessary to clear honey taken from weak stocks, 

 or any old or queenless stocks that are taken up, as only small 

 portions of the combs are pure enough for table use. In clear- 

 ing honey, it is well to select all such pieces of comb aa are 

 free from brood, and clear it by itself, as the honey will be 

 better than that contained in comb mixed with brood. The 

 comb should then be placed in a cheese cloth and broken np, 

 and the honey allowed to drain off. It is well to have a large 

 dish or cullender, and lay the cloth into that. The dish can 

 then be set over a crock or dish to receive the honey, and set 

 away in the cellar, or some room away from the flies, and the 

 honey allowed to drain off slowly, occasionally turning the 

 comb with a spoon. The honey will be all the better for this 

 slow clearing, as it will contain less small particles of comb and 

 bee-bread. A large dish-pan, with holes punched in the bottom 

 and a rim soldered on Ik inch deep, is just the kind of cullender 

 required, and is better for all culinary purposes than the old- 

 style cullender. All the coarse and dirty comb, and comb con- 

 taining brood, may be treated in the same way, though large 

 patches of brood should be cut out and thrown away. After 

 the honey has drained off, the comb may be placed in a tight 

 dish and covered with water ; let it stand and soak for a day ; 

 then strain the water off, and use it for making vinegar. The 

 honey may be left to candy ; or if put on the fire and brought 

 to a scalding heat, and put into fruit ]ars and sealed, it will 

 not candy, but keep for any length of time. — J. H. Thomas. 

 — {Canada Gloie.) 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Cleaning Fowls for Exhibition IE. H.!. — Take some warm water 

 and common yellow soap, rub on a piece of flannel, and wipe the dirty 

 feather downwards. After the dirt is removed wash freely with cold 

 water, and dry either before a fire, or by means of a basket full of soft 

 straw. In the winter we prefer the former ; in the summer, when the sun 

 is hot, we prefer the latter. 



Lump on Brahma Cockebel's Breast (Ignoramwj). — You do not state 

 the age of the birds. Formations of a siniilar character are not uncom- 

 mon along the breastbones of cocks, but we have never met with them 

 so large as you describe. They generally present the appearnnce of a 

 sac, containing a glutinous transparent fluid. If you have other fowls 

 aa good, not similarly visited, then we advise that these two be consigned 

 to the kitchen and others kept. If you cannot do without these, remove 

 the tumours by opening the skin and cutting them off. As a rule there 

 is little or no circulation in them. When you have removpd them from 

 the bone sew up both skins separately, and rub tie suture with soft 



