376 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 8, 1877. 



after the bees, anticipating their requirements, and judiciously 

 carrying out the instructions so fully given by " A Rekfbewshibe 

 Bee-keeper." — J, E. Briscoe, Albrighton, Wolverhampton. 



COMB FOUNDATIONS. 



It is pleasing to find at page 335 " the captain on the paddle- 

 box," Mr. A. Pettigrew, like a second Rip Van Winkle, arous- 

 ing himself after a fifteen-years slumber, with a piece of comb 

 foundation in his hand, beginning to take stock of the march of 

 apiarian progress during that period ; and on the same page 

 Mr. P. H. Phillips confirmed the opinion I expressed last spring 

 as to the Ligurian bee " being first to scent the new flower and 

 first to alight on the treasure trove." I remember perfectly the 

 beautiful orange colouring of the Italians which they on the first 

 day of their arrival displayed busily at work on the scarlet 

 monarda, a flower I never saw vuited by our old black 

 aborigines. 



As to the wax sheet, for the sake cf historical accuracy it be- 

 comes necessary to explain to Mr. Pettigrew as well as the 

 recent subscriber that the above invaluable production was not, 

 as he supposes, of American but German invention. I first Baw 

 it in 1862, when the late Mr. Woodbury enclosed a small portion 

 in a letter for my inspection ; and to the enterprise of Messrs. 

 Neighbour & Sons, London, entire imported sheets found tbeir 

 way into Scotland the same year, and the idea at once spread like 

 wildfire. Were a mould once devised the advanced bee-keeper 

 for a consideration could not alone save the condemned bees of 

 the skepists, but utilise their bruised-up irregular combs, passing 

 such throogh the machine to re-appear as straight regular guide- 

 comb foundations f r frame hives and bar supers. Numberless 

 were the schemes and endless the materials called into requisi- 

 tion to effect the purpose, such as paper, wood, stucco, gutta 

 percha, lead and other metals ; but " honour to whom honour." 

 To that moBt ingenious apiarian " A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper " 

 is due the credit of being the first in the United Kingdom to 

 invent a pair of plates which could cast embossed wax sheets to 

 vie with the imported, and to his energy in their manufacture is 

 to be ascribed the rapidity with which they became an indis- 

 pensable requisite in every well-managed Scottish apiary. It 

 was not till the CryBtal Palace Show of 1874 that our southern 

 brethren discovered how far we northerners had outdistanced 

 them for straight work, and that the wax sheet and its manu- 

 facture became diligently inquired after. — A Renfrewshire 

 Bee-keepeb. 



BEE-KEEPING EXPERIENCE. 



I have completed my first year's experiment in bee-keeping 

 on Mr. Pettigrew's syBtem with tolerable success. Last year I 

 formed seven stocks from swarms obtained from my villagers in 

 September, all of which came safely through the winter, and 

 this season reached weights from 44 to 64 lbs., the heaviest being 

 in an 18-inch hive, the others in 16-inch hives. 



This autumn I have formed three new stocks of two swarms 

 each. It is about these I ask your advice. They look syrup 

 well enough at starting, but gave up before they reached a good 

 weight. On weighing them yesterday I found that two of them 

 are 12 lbs. each and one 14 lbs. They do not consume more than 

 half a pound of sugar each in a fortnight, but the bees are full of 

 Btrength and spirit, and rather saucy, as the people here say. 

 What should be done to these new stocks, and what am I to 

 expect from them ? Will you kindly favour me with any 

 instruction ? 



I find by my notes that the consumption of stored honey last 

 winter varied considerably. From the middle of September last 

 year to the middle of March this year No. 1 hive consumed 

 14 lbs. ; No. 2, 20 lbs.; No. 4, 6 lbs. ; No. 5, 8 lbs. ; No. 6, 9 lbs. ; 

 No. 7, 11 lbs. ; No. 8, 9 lbs. My first year's success has made 

 an impression on my rustic parishioners, and for their sakes as 

 well as my own I Bhonld not like the favourable prestige to be 

 impaired. — H. G. W. Aubrey. 



[As this gentleman has made a good beginning in a very un- 

 favourable season he need not fear that the favourable im- 

 pression made on his bee-keeping parishioners will be diminished 

 by non-success in future. He is much more likely to deepen the 

 impression already made, and teach them a valuable lesson by a 

 success in bee-keeping which he does not at present seem to 

 anticipate. From the apiary he has established he may expect 

 a large harvest of honey next season if it be a favourable one. 



His three new stocks will require a little more feeding, as they 

 are rather light at the beginning of winter. In mild weather, 

 even at this late Beason, bees will take up good warm syrup 

 readily. In cold weather hives without food can be fed in a 

 warm room or hothouse at night and carried into the garden 

 before sunriBe. Probably these three new stocks have not made 

 much comb, and the bees are at some distance from their 

 boards. If warm syrup be poured into a flower-pot saucer or 

 dish of any sort, and placed so as to touch the combs, the bees in 

 moderately mild weather will readily take th; syrup. We have 



no difficulty in gettiDg our hives to take syrup in quantity. 

 Many of them would take 3 lbs. of syrup in three hours if 

 presented to them now in the manner indicated above. The 

 figures which Mr. Aubrey has favoured us with, touching the con- 

 sumption of food in winter, will help him and others to determine 

 how much swarms should have in autumn. — A. Pettigrew,] 



ODE LETTER BOX. 



Polakds Ceooked-bbeasted {W. A. W.).— A crooked breast is always a 

 grave fault, if net a disqualification, in a cock. Poland's are not a^-ways 

 bandied, and if they are not the defect vs-ouldnot be diECOvered. The crooked 

 toe nail is Dot bo important, and there is no objection to your trimming it. 

 It is not at all material, as it is likely it is an accident. At small local shows- 

 the birds are often shown in tbe baskets in which they are sent, bat at most 

 shows they hire proper pens. Xou will do well to ascertain the fact, as a* 

 basket that would do well for travellirg would make a very bad exhibition pen. 



Silver-spangled Haaibtjrghs (J. B.). — We advise you to avoid the ex- 

 tremes, and to choose your stock neither dark nor light. See that th® 

 spangles or moons are 6harp-cut and well defined at the end of each feather r 

 that the breast be accurately spangled, aid that the tail feathers be quite 

 white with the exception of the spot or moon at the end of each. Be very 

 mindful of the hackles. A clear hackle is as great a fault in a Spangled Ham- 

 burgh as a clouded one is in a Pencilled. But it must not be black, it must 

 he made up of the two colours blended together. The better the lacing and 

 barring of the wings the better tbe bird. Be careful that the comb is well 

 piked and turning upwards, and above all that it be not loose or incline to 

 either side. If you must choose between light and dark, cbcose dark. They 

 will get lighter, hut the light will not get darker. 



Pigeons at TooTrNG^Mn Old Fancier). — "Wiltshire Rector's" visit 

 to Mr. Vender Meersch, in which he describes his Pigeons at Tooting, is in. 

 our number for April 1st, 1875. Ton can have copies at 4d. each. 



Dormice (K. A. T.). — We know of no work en their management. They 

 only need to have their cage kept cleao, and a few nuts and a pan of water its 

 it in case they rouse up. 



Books (X T. Z.)— "Domestic Pigs," by H. D. Eichardson. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



Camden- Sqcare, London. 



Lat.51°82'40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W. ; Altitude, 111 feet. 



Date. 







9 A.M. 









In the Day. 







1877. 



OS(J , 



Hygrome- 



= • 



o^ , 



Shade Tem- 



Radiation 



a 



Oct. 



Its™? 



ter. 



:3 a 





perature. 



Temperature. 



a 



and 











In 



On 





Nov. 



SO-Sh 1 " 1 



Dry. 



Wet. 



o 3 



H 



Mux. 



Min. 



Bun. 



grass* 







Inches. 



deg. 



deg. 





deg. 



deg. 



deg. 



deg. 



deg. 



In. 



We. 31 



80.137 



50.0 



46.3 



w. 



50.1 



59.2 



46.4 



97.3 



40.3 



— 



Th. 1 



30 396 



45 4 



44.0 



w. 



49.8 



55 7 



41.1 



85.9 



36.4 



— 



Fri. 2 



30.225 



44.9 



44.0 



N. 



47.0 



54 6 



33 3 



73.0 



32.2 



0.037 



Sat, S 



30.043 



45 S 



441 



W. 



47.7 



54.8 



43.6 



95.7 



882 



— 



San. 4 



29 93J 



39.0 



33.2 



s.w. 



45.5 



54.4 



31.9 



70.4 



27.1 



0.015 



Mo. 5 



29 783 



52 



49.4 



w. 



46.6 



58.2 



458 



94.7 



40.8 



0.094 



Ta. 6 



29.693 



54.5 



53.7 



w. 



43.0 



53.4 



49.1 



61.0 



43.1 



0.163 



Means 



30.029 



47.5 . 



45.7 





47 7 



56.5 



423 



82.7 



36.9 



0509 



REMARKS. 

 31st — Fine, very bright clear morning, dull afternoon ; fine starlight night, 

 lbt. — Very bright fine day; misty in after part of afternoon, and foggy at 



night. 

 2nd. — Very foggy morning; fine day. short shower in evening, 

 3rd. — Fine bright day, foggy at night ; Btars shining at 11 p.m. 

 4th.— Thick white frost in early morning ; fine pleasant day throughout. 

 5th. — Very fine warm day, hot son ; misty towards evening, and rain in the 

 6th. — Wet and dull tbioughout ; v-indy in evening. [night. 



A mild and rather damp week, with hot sun on two or three days.— G. J. 

 Symons. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— No VEaiBEB 7. 

 Ocr market is very quiet now, the supply of good Apples having materially 

 fallen off this last week. Pears are still reaching us in good quantities from 

 France, and consist of Duchesse dAngouleme, Glon Morceau, and Beurre- 

 Diel. Pines meet with a ready sale. Kent Cobs are quiet. 



s. d. s. d. 



Apple3 J sieve 2 6 to 5 



Figs do2en 10 3 



Filberts lb. fi 8 



Cobs lb. 6 8 



Grapes, hothouse.. lb. 1 6 6 



Melons each 16 4 



Nectarines doz. 



s. d. s. d 



Oranges ^K0 10 0tol6 



Peaches doz. 24 



Pears, kitchen.. dozen 10 8 



dessert dozen 2 6 



PineApples lb. 5 8 



Plums $ sieve 



WalnutB bushel 5 8 



VEGETABLES. 



B. 



Artichokes dozen 



Beans, Kidney. . bushel 



Beet, Red dozen 1 



Broccoli bunale 



Brussels Sprouts J sieve 4 



Cabbage dozen 1 



Carrots bunch 



Capsicums ^100 1 6 



Cauliflowers. . . . dozen 2 



Celery bundle 1 6 



Coleworts doz. bonches 2 



Cucumbers .... each 8 



d. s. 

 0to4 

 

 6 8 

 9 1 

 

 2 

 4 

 6 2 

 4 



Endive 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



dozen 10 2 



Leeks bunch 



Mushrooms .... 

 Mustard & Cress 

 Onions 



pickling 



Parsley.... doz. 



Parsnips 



Peas 



Potatoes 



Kidney 



Radishes., doz. 



Rhubarb 



Salsafy 



Scorzonera .... 



Seakale 



Shallots 



Spinach 



Turnips 



Veg. Marrows.. 



pottle 



punnet 



bushel 



quart 



bunches 



dozen 



quart 



bushel 



bushel 



bunches 



bundle 



bundle 



bundle 



basket 



lb. 



bushel 



bunch 



each 



s. d. s. 

 1 6 to 2 

 2 







4 











