356 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 1, 1877. 



important article of food for the poorer classes of the population, 

 a breeding establishment was erected in a few months, with six 

 hundred cages for that number of does, with a larger number of 

 compartments for the young. The prejudices of the public have 

 been combated by publications and ly facts. A shop for the sale 

 of Rabbits was opened, and in four months twelve thousand 

 head were killed and sold. Messrs. Costamagna not only taught 

 how the Rabbits were to be cooked but added example to precept. 

 They distributed in various parts of Italy upwards of one thousand 

 animals of the best breeds, and have also placed at the disposal 

 of persons of small means one thousand five hundred Rabbit 

 families — in all nine thousand animals — with their cages, &c. 

 The debt thus incurred by the receivers is redeemable by a 

 Bmall annual quota of the products. 



BEE GOSSIP. 



Your correspondent, P. H. Phillips, describes a bar-framed 

 hive which is in many respects similar to a hive which I de- 

 scribed in your Journal many years ago. It is there called 

 "the Tasmanian hive," because I first made use of it when I 

 was resident in that part of the world. In shape it differed 

 from the one described at page 317, inasmuch as at each end it 

 tapered down at an aaglo of 45°, so that in shape it resembled 

 somewhat an ordinary beetle trap reversed. The object of this 

 was to facilitate the removal of the end combs. It answered 

 well enough, but I found its great length unwieldy in my apiary, 

 and finally it was cut back to the dummies which terminated 

 the hive at ordinary times right and left of what Nntt would 

 have called " the pavilion of Nature." Where, however, room 

 is no object, I am persuaded that the principle of Mr. Phillips's 

 hive iB a thoroughly sound one ; this his success in so bad a 

 year has proved. The only hope of honey this year in ninety- 

 nine cases ont of a hundred lay in preventing all swarming and 

 having the hives as full as possible of bees, to be in readiness for 

 any glut of honey which might come for a longer or shorter 

 time. Seventy-one pounds of honey from one hive is no had 

 result in any year. In a good year such a hive worked simul- 

 taneously with supers and side combs ought to produce almost 

 any amount of honey, taking out combs and removing supers as 

 fast as they were filled. In the old fashion of working supers 

 it was always difficult to prevent swarming, owing to the bees 

 often being overcrowded before a super was removed, as the 

 bee-master was anxious to have it perfectly sealed-up in every 

 part before removal. 



The use of perforated zinc by Mr. Phillips also proved a 

 success, although probably each bee found a difficulty in wrig- 

 gling its body through the narrow aperture. This would appear 

 at first sight rather an objection to the zinc, but "the proof of 

 the pudding is in the eating." Long ago I discarded zinc feeders 

 from observing the difficulty with which bees got their bodies 

 over the sharp edge. It often required several efforts before 

 they succeeded. This would be remedied in the case of the 

 perforated zinc if it were possible to have a thick cardboard 

 lining with holes perforated to match. 



This autumn threatens badly for my bees. Usually all this 

 month they are actively pollen-gathering from the ivy which 

 in many years affords a considerable quantity of honey. As it 

 is — probably owing to the ivy being late, as all flowers have 

 been this year — perfect stagnation reigns in my apiary. No 

 pollen-gathering means no breeding, and this again means a 

 weakened population with which to begin the new year, and 

 everybody knows what that promises, or rather portends, for 

 1878. Two years ago we had a wretched autumn, and numbers 

 of hives perished the following spring from the same cause. 



It is curious to observe the difference in queens. This year 

 I introduced two lively young queens imported from Italy, sup- 

 planting with them two degenerate queens. One of them set 

 to work immediately, and is the mother of a large proportion 

 of the population of her hive. The other has remained perfectly 

 quiescent ; only yesterday for the first time did I see a pollen- 

 laden bee enter the hive after a six-weeks reign of its imported 

 queen. What is the cause of this strange difference ? I have 

 noticed it before, and thought the queen dead, which afterwards 

 turned out very prolific. In this case both hives have been 

 steadily fed, but one has taken down five times as much as the 

 other, both being well peopled. 



I may mention that, finding the less active of these italianised 

 stocks deficient in weight, while the bees refused to feed from 

 the bottle, I recently adopted a plan which answers well and is 

 particularly safe for late feeding. I screwed an eke of about 

 li inch stuff to a bottom board, which is a facsimile of the one 

 in use by this hive. Within the space I lay pieces of sound 

 drone comb flat on the board, and carefully fill each cell with 

 the syrup. The hive which exactly fills the eke is quietly set 

 over it, and the old bottom board removed. Ab fast as the food 

 ia taken up the cells are refilled. In warm weather this method 

 of feeding can be safely adopted throughout the winter, with 

 the maximum of hope that the bees will store away enough food, 

 and the minimum of risk of all other dangers. — B. & W. 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



The Pigeon Fancy (J. ' —General complaints are of no influence. 



We will readily inBert any statement of actual wrong. 



Eggs in Winter (L. H). — We have had a fair supply of eggs from 

 Brahmas. Fowls do not injure ivy. 



Pigeons (J. E.). — "The Pigeon Book" can be had from our office if yon 

 enclose twenty postage Btamps with yGur address. The Blue Kock would 

 suit j on. 



Grantham Show. — S. Woodhonse, Esq., Mapperley. asks for the Se- 

 cretary's name. A letter addiessed to "The Secretary," we think would be 

 delivered to him. 



Bar-framed Hives (TV. B. Attwood). — Your hives 18 inches square and 

 11 inches deep, if inside measure (clear), we think too large. But the size of 

 hives must be regulated in great measure by the productiveness of the 

 country. Here we find the Woodbury size fully as large as our mo9t favour- 

 able seasons authorise us to use — namely, 14* inches clear, and 8f inches 

 deep. By no means transfer your bees at this time of year, it would be 

 ruination to them. Wait till May, or April at the earliest, and do it in warm 

 and sunny weather. 



Canary Suffering from Asthma (M. H., Bath). — From the description 

 given of your " old pet," we believe the bird is suffering from asthma, and 

 we think there is but slight hope of the objectionable noise abating, udIbss 

 death ensues. The causes of the disease may be easily accounted for. The 

 occasional " tbrowing-off of feathers " has been brought about through the 

 bird being suspended from the upper part of the room, and breathing a 

 high temperature during the time the fire and gas are lighted, and then after- 

 wards duricg the night time combating with a temperature many degrees 

 lower. Such treatment is " enough to kill a horse." However, supply the 

 sufferer freely with plantain seed (upon the stems which may be obtained in 

 abundance just nowi, and plain biscuit steeped in sherry, likewise about 

 twice each week give the bird a drop of cod liver oil so administered that the 

 oil may be deposited in the bird's throat instead of upon the feathers sur- 

 rounding the beak, which cm easily be opened with a large needle or bodkin. 

 Whilst the beak is moderately opened let a careful assistant deposit the oil 

 in the throat from a thin quill or skewer. For an occasional diet give bread 

 and milk. If you have not a cat the bird will breathe purer air if you lower 

 the position of the cage about a couple of feet, but keep the invalid out of 

 draught, and let it roost with a cloth over the cage during night time. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



Camden Square, London. 



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



Date. 



9 A.M. 



In" the Day. 





1877. 



barome- 

 ter at 32° 



and S.'ii 



1,. Vrl. 



Hygrome- 

 ter. 



a . 

 £ a 



St 



So 



w. 



S.E. 



N.W. 



S. 



W. 



S. 



w. 



Ex- 



Shade Tem- 

 perature. 



Radiation 

 Temperature. 



a 

 '3 

 PS 



Oct. 



Dry. ; Wet. 



deg. deg. 

 42 2 40.1 

 51 5 51.2 

 49.3 47.9 

 51.2 51.2 

 4S5 : 46.0 

 513 , 52.3 

 49.7 ; 49 7 



Mai. 



Min. 



In 

 sun. 



On 



grass- 





We. 24 

 Th. 25 

 Fri. 56 

 Sat, 27 

 Sun.28 

 Mo. 29 

 Tu. 30 



Inches 

 29.538 

 29 299 

 29.786 

 29 896 

 30.082 

 29 841 

 29.867 



deg. 

 47.7 

 48.0 

 49.7 

 4S.2 

 4S.1 

 4S.1 

 49.2 



deg. 

 55 6 

 53 2 

 56.0 

 57.8 

 59.2 

 58 3 

 61.3 



deg. 

 38.1 

 41.5 

 46 6 

 45 7 

 42 4 

 42.1 

 45.6 



deg. 

 95.5 

 55.8 

 79.2 

 70.5 

 92.2 

 57 8 

 58.0 



deg. 

 34 

 39.7 

 42.4 

 39 6 

 88 

 3S.7 

 41.2 



89.1 



In. 

 0.30O 

 0.281 

 0.023 

 C.442 

 0.020 

 0.262 

 0.010 



Means 



29.753 



49.8 , 43.S 





48.3 



57.3 



43.1 



,8.4 



1S35 



1 



24th.- 



REMARKS. 

 raiu at 7.S0 f m., and nearly all the rest of the 



■Ytry fine sunny day ; 



evening ; fine night. 

 25th.— Rainy morning, wet and dnll day ; fine at night. 

 26th. — Close damp morning, finer afterwards; foggy from 5p.m. 

 27th.— Wet morniDg, slight sun at intervals from 10 a.m. to noon ; very heavy 



rain from 2 to 2.S0 r.M. ; flue night. 

 28th.— Very fine day; misty in evening. 

 29th.— Damp, dull, and wet day ; very warm in the evening, the temjerature 



at 9 p.m. being 57^. 

 SOth.— Overcast in morning, slight sunat intervals, and very windy after o p.m. 

 A dull damp week, and at times windy. — G. J. Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— OCTOBER 31. 

 Trade qniet. We have no alteration to report from last week. 



Apples ! sieve 1 



Figs .dozen 1 



Filberts lb. 



Cobs lb. 



Grapes, hothouse.. lb. 1 



Melons each 1 



Nectarines doz. 4 



d. 

 6to3 



FRUIT. 



Oranges ** 1C0 10 0tol6 



Peaches doz. 8 24 



Pears, kitchen.. dozen 10 3 



dessert dozen 2 4 



Pine Apples lb. 8 0S 



Plums J sieve 10 12 



Walnuts bushel 5 8 



VEGETABLES. 



Artichokes dozen 3 



Beans, Kidney., bushel 2 



Beet. Red dozen 1 6 



Broccoli bundle 9 



Brussels Sprouts } sieve 4 



Cabbage dozen 1 



Carrots bunch 4 



Capsicums W 100 1 6 



Cauliflowers.... dozen 2 



Celery bundle 1 6 



Coleworts doz. bunches 2 



Cucumbers .... each 8 



Endive dozen 1 



Fennel bunch 3 



Garlic lb. C 



Herbs bunch 2 



Lettuce dozen 1 



Leeks bunch 4 



d. s. d. 



Mushrooms .... pottle 



Mustard & Cress punnet 



Onions bushel 



pickling quart 



Parsley doz. bunches 



Parsnips dozen 



Peas quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney bushel 



Radishes., doz. bunches 



F.hubarb bundle 



Salsafy bundle 



Scorzonera — bundle 



Seakale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Turnips bunch 



Veg. Marrows.. each 



s. d. s 



1 6to2 



2 



(1 

 I 



a 



6 

 6 



(1 







