August 4, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



95 



queen was then not to be seen, neither was there any brood, 

 and very few bees, but plenty of honey. The majority of the 

 bees had dispersed themselves amongst the adjoining hives. 

 This stock was lost. The third queen was placed at the head 

 of a strong colony that had been strengthened by the addition 

 of a stock of driven bees. These belonged to another friend. 

 The queen was accepted, and began to breed, but during the 

 winter I heard there was more mortality amongst the Ligu- 

 rians than should have been. In April I opened the hive, and 

 found only the queen and about two hundred Ligurians, a 

 little brood, and plenty of honey. The nest day the queen was 

 found dead, and scarcely a bee left. 



What could have been the cause of these two stocks thus 

 dwindling to nothing ? It puzzles me. Was it because the 

 black and Ligurian bees could not agree ? Was it a freak of 

 the bees ? Other correspondents have spoken of the honey 

 season being very favourable, I wish I could say the same. My 

 supers are not rilled, nor are they likely to be. A Woodbury 

 hive is almost entirely combed, but I do not think the bees 

 have deposited more than 2 lbs. of honey. Two stocks in 

 Woodbury hiyes weigh only 16 lbs. each, exclusive of the hive, 

 yet they have both been strong all the summer. So far as I 

 can judge, the honey season set in and lasted but a very Bhort 

 time, and then ceased quite suddenly. At one time there was 

 every prospect of an excellent honey harvest. Last year was 

 much better here. I had a Ligurian stock which threw three 

 swarms, and yet by the autumn it was strong and well pro- 

 visioned. Very dry seasons, contrary to general experience, 

 would appear to be unfavourable; here, as in 1868, stocks grew 

 lighter after the middle of June. Swarms, too, have been 

 scarce here this season. — D. D. B. 



[We cannot tell why your friends' ligurianised stocks 

 dwindled in so remarkable a manner, but it certaioly did not 

 arise from any disagreement between the two races.] 



THE HONEY SEASON IN WEST SUFFOLK. 



To some of your readers an account of the honey season in 

 this neighbourhood may be interesting. Though of very short 

 continuance, the season has not been altogether an unfavour- 

 able one. It commenced on May 16th, on the morning of 

 which day my stock hives averaged less than in the middle of 

 April ; between this and the 23rd, however, they commenced 

 in earnest, two of my hives increasing in weight 14 lbs. each, 

 two 13J lbs. each, and the worst and smallest of all making 

 -5 lbs. They continued doing well till June 21st, which day I 

 consider the termination of the season, as they actually loBt 

 weight between the 21st and July 5th, since which they have 

 slightly improved. Facts speak volumes. I give you the 

 weights of two united swarms ; it will be seen that 5 lbs. were 

 made by one hive in one day. 



June 



Swarmed June 6th, hive and board 13 lbs. 

 lbs. 



21 

 25 

 25 



27 a 



lbs. 



Jnne 12 30^ 



„ 13 85^ 



„ 14 89^ 



Swarmed Jnne 13th, hive and board 13 lbs. 



lbs. 

 June 14 22 



15 

 17 

 18 

 19 

 20 

 21 

 26 



24 



26 y. 



27 



81% 



81M 



88}s 



34 



lbs. 



June 29 ssy 



July 1 33 



„ 3 82% 



5 331.J 



„ 8 85 



„ 14 37« 



„ 17 88 



My spring balance only weighing 40 lbs., I have not been 

 able to weigh them since. 



From one of Pettitt's single-box hives I have obtained 11 lbs. 

 nett of virgin honey, and estimate what is now in the hive at 

 D lbs., in addition to two excellent swarms. From one of his 

 ten-frame bar-hives I have had one swarm, 23i lbs. nett, a 

 splendid super, and taken four bars for draining 23 lbs. nett. 



I will not tire you with more at present, but if you think it 

 will be interesting, I shall be pleased to give you an account 

 of all my hives, the average and performance of the whole, 

 bad as well as good. 



I should be pleased to know the average of " Sudbury's" 

 hives, "all told," and whether, which is not the case with 

 mine, the bar honey will bear comparison with that from 

 supers. Perhaps "Rectob" will favour us in lite manner, 



and also give ns the weight, when taken, of his gigantic super' 

 whether it was entirely free from brood, &s. 



I have no doubt, also, that you would be conferring a favour 

 on many readers of " our Journal," if you would, now the 

 season is approaching its close, give us your advice as to the 

 best method of disposing of our superfluous honey, the prices 

 of different qualities, the best markets, &o. Why should we not 

 know the market price of honey as well a3 of vegetables, &c. ? 



— UlTENHAGE. 



TAKING HONEY AND INTRODUCING A 

 LIGURIAN QUEEN. 



I have a very large and heavy stock of bees from which I 

 want to take the honey, but without destroying the bees, and 

 at the same time I wish to introduce a Ligurian queen in the 

 following manner — viz., I would remove th9 stock to some 

 distance in the middle of a fine day, and place the Ligurian 

 queen, in a hive partially filled with comb, on the stance lately 

 occupied by the full hive. Would the bees leaving the old 

 stock and naturally going back to their old situation (the now 

 empty hive and Ligurian queen) be likely to agree and make 

 up a tolerably good stock ? 



[All the old bees would probably return to their accustomed 

 stance, and being old bees would almost to a certainty destroy 

 the Italian queen. The plan which offers the best chance of 

 success would be to fumigate the colony, search for and remove 

 their queen, and when the stupefied bees begin to recover bury 

 the stranger queen in the heap, and permit the whole to ascend 

 together into their new habitation, which should be put on the 

 old stance, and the bees fed liberally by means of an inverted 

 pickle-bottle filled regularly every evening until they attain a 

 nett weight of about 20 lbs.] 



FERTILISATION OF THE QUEEN BEE. 



In your number of the 26th of May last, in a communication 

 on the above subject by Mr. Fitzwilkins, allusion is made to 

 the experiments of Mrs. Tupper to procure fertilisation within 

 the hive. As I am entirely ignorant of these experiments, or 

 of Mrs. Tupper's publication of them, will you kindly say where 

 the information can be obtained ? as the subject is one of the 

 highest importance to all interested in apiarian pursuits. 

 Until the statement of this theory in the Journal, I was under 

 the impression that fertilisation always took place in the open 

 air, and on the wing. 



Supposing the above theory correct, if a second swarm of 

 Ligurians, issuing ten days after a first swarm, be placed in an 

 apiary surrounded by stocks of English bees, would it not 

 amount to a certainty that the Ligurian qu6en would be fer- 

 tilised by English drones, as I notice drones frequently enter 

 other hives than their own ? I am putting an actual case, in 

 which the Ligurian swarm was taken from a pure Ligurian 

 apiary, to whioh there were no English bees nearer than one 

 mile, and shall esteem your opinion a favour as to whether the 

 queen in question may be expected to breed pure Ligurians or 

 hybrids, there being no Ligurian drones, as far a3 I could 

 ascertain, with the swarm, which was removed on the day it 

 issued. — G. Rayhob, Tonbridge. 



[Mrs. Tupper's process was fully described in our number 

 published on the 28th April last, but so far as we know no one 

 in this country has succeeded with it. We should expect the 

 queen to be hybridised under the circumstances which you 

 describe.] 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Golden-pencillbd Hambubghs (W. S. D.).— Congratulate yourself on 

 the tails of your Golden-pencilled Hamburgh pullets ; they will remain 

 as perfect as ever in their markings, the only difference being they will 

 become more distinct. The cockerels will not be in full feather till nest 

 November, and even then there are feathers remaining that to the 

 practised eye speak of adolescence. They are, however, perfectly fit to 

 show. If the legs of Pencilled Hamburghs are dirty they must be 

 washed; the leaden-blue of the legs helps much in producing the 

 ensemble that is so attractive. If the face is dirty it may be washed in 

 cold water with a little vinegar in it, but the deaf ear must not be touched. 

 This year's chickens do not really moult until next year, but they 

 change their feathers little by little without becoming naked as they 

 attain virility. 



Bbahma Cock's Markings [Carrier). — It is more than desirable to 

 have the tail of a Brahma cock of a buff or fawn colour entirely. Fail in g 

 that, it should be blacs, but if some of them are white-tipped or curled, 

 it is not a disqualification, especially in an old bird. In fowls, as in 



