298 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 10, 1872. 



Golden-spangled birds, Mr. J. Taylor, of Middlesborough, stood 

 alone: — Taylor first, "the rest nowhere." But "the rest" in- 

 cluded some splendid Lizards. Mr. Ritchie's second was a 

 beauty; and Messrs. Mann & Jackson sent good birds, both Gold 

 and Silver, from Burton-on-Trent. 



Silver-spangled birds were very superior indeed. Both at 

 Whitby and Scarborough Messrs. Greenwood & Swann, of the 

 latter place, were first with a bird of extra size and quality, 

 which had the merit of being bred by themselves. Mr. Mackley's 

 second was also a bird of extra quality. The awards were alike 

 at both places, except that at Scarborough Mr. C. Greenwood 

 was second with a Yellow hen, also home-bred, nothing extra in 

 colour, but well capped and spangled. To individualise further 

 would be invidious. There was not a bad Lizard among the lot. 



The Manchester Coppy birds, in the Any other variety, were 

 worthy of great praise, but it is long since I saw such a head as 

 Mr. Ashton's mop. 



Goldfinch Mules were unusually forward for the time of year. 

 Mr. Hawman's first Yellow at Whitby, where there were sepa- 

 rate classes for Jonques and Mealies, was in excellent trim, and 

 a fail" bird withal : a trifle wanting, but a week or two ought to 

 supply the deficiency. Mr. Mills showed a very good second- 

 class Yellow of his own breeding, a credit to the Salem Villa 

 aviary. It was only partially moulted, but will make a lengthy 

 symmetrical bird. Mr. Hawman's Buff is a perfectly clear bird, 

 or apparently so. The class was simply for Buff without any 

 restriction as to marking, necessitating an examination, in which 

 case it would have been only the gratification of inordinate 

 curiosity to have examined it at the risk of losing a feather. It 

 is a lovely bird. Mr. John Drake, of Ipswich, also showed an 

 almost absolutely Clear Buff, ticked only under each pinion. 

 Mr. Mackley's bird is evenly marked : fourteen white feathers in 

 each wing, clean tail, and good eyes, which, however, might be 

 more decided in the pencilling. 



In the Any other description of Mule class at Whitby, there 

 was one of the best, perhaps the best, Linnet Mule ever seen. 

 It was exhibited by Mr. Stevens, of Middlesborough, and appears 

 to be marked only on each wing lightly, one wing a trifle more 

 than the other, with a single black feather in the tail. .There 

 are now three wonderful Linnet Mules " out," and in a future 

 paper I purpose giving their markings with a view to eliciting 

 expressions of opinion as to their respective merits. 



The display of Foreign Birds at Scarborough was very 

 effective. It is a pity this part of our shows is not more en- 

 couraged. There are obstacles in the way, perhaps, and the 

 entries in most cases being local may explain them. 



Of the management of these two Shows too much cannot be 

 said, and richly they merited the large measure of success. — 

 W. A. Blakstox. 



BEES AND HONEY AT FLOWER SHOWS. 

 With reference to the remarks of " South Lancashire Bee- 

 keepeb," who says that he believes that the Middleton Agri- 

 cultural Show was the first to introduce bees, I wish he had 

 given the date, as I think that the Exeter Horticultural Society 

 may claim precedence in this respect. For thirty years I know 

 that the Exeter Society has given prizes for honey, both in the 

 general department and for cottagers; and during the last 

 eighteen years observatory and glass hives peopled by living 

 bees have been exhibited by myself and others. I am quite 

 sure, however, that no society of late years has gone to work in 

 a better manner than the Burton-on-Trent Floral and Horti- 

 cultural Society, which deserves every encouragement for the 

 admirable arrangements, and for the liberal spirit manifested 

 towards bee-keepers. — S. Bevan Fox. 



ARTIFICIAL QUEENS. 



My method of rearing queens for the purpose of italianising 

 native stock is as follows : — I commence feeding on Italian stock 

 in March, placing two frames of drone comb about the middle of 

 the cluster, the 1st of April, so as to have drones the 1st of 

 May. As soon as drones fly, I remove the queen from the hive, 

 which I will call A, to another hive, B. Six days after the 

 queen is removed I examine each comb containing brood in 

 A, and find out the number of queen cells I shall be likely to 

 get, and stock as many nucleus hives as I can get queen cells 

 for. This brings us to the construction of 



Nucleus Hives. — As I use them, their size depends upon the 

 size of frame in large hive. With combs 12 inches long by 10 

 deep in large hive, I use combs for nuclei, 4 inches long by 5 

 deep, so that one large comb makes six small combs for nuclei. 

 For frames I use strips 1 inch wide by one-fourth thick, pieces cut 

 as follows : — Top 5J, bottom 4i, and ends 5 inches long ; nail top 

 to ends half an inch from each end of top piece, and bottom on 

 to ends flush with outside edge of ends. This makes a frame 

 4 inches long by 5 deep, inside measure. I use inch stuff for 

 boxes, and for above-sized frame pieces would be cut. Sides, 

 7 inches long by 6* deep ; ends, 5 inches wide by 6J deep ; 



bottom, 7 by 7 inches; cover same; half inch from one end of 

 end pieces saw across and half inch deep ; clip this out from 

 end, and this furnishes rabbet to support the frames. From the 

 centre of the other end of one of end pieces cut out piece three- 

 fourths of an inch wide by one-half deep ; this gives entrance 

 for bees to box. About the middle of the other end piece bore 

 an inch hole, cover it on side, rabbet is made (inside) with wire 

 cloth, and on the other side (outside) with a button ; this re- 

 gulates the ventilation. Nail the sides on to and flush with end 

 pieces; then bottom to sides and ends. I now place three 

 frames in each box, having filled one frame for each box with 

 empty comb. 



Before stocking the nucleus hives, I examine hive A, from 

 which the queen was removed, and find, say, six queen cells, 

 some sealed, others with larva=. I then remove two combs that 

 have the most sealed brood with bees just hatching, and in their 

 place put empty worker combs, close up the hive, shake off the 

 bees on the combs removed in front of the hive, lay the combs 

 on a board, and with a sharp thin-bladed knife cut lengthwise 

 5 inches from top or bottom ; then across, from top to bottom, 

 4 inches from both ends. The two combs furnish comb for 

 twelve small frames; fill two empty frames with pieces cut, 

 filling one with a piece cut from the top, and the other with a 

 piece cut from the bottom of the comb. The top furnishes the 

 honey, and the bottom piece the brood. Place these with frame 

 of empty comb before mentioned, into a box, the frame of brood 

 between the others, filling all six boxes in the same manner. 

 Generally in filling the frames with comb, I lay the frame on 

 the comb, and mark the size from the inside of the frame, cut 

 out, place the frame on the comb, and press down on the frame 

 until the comb fills the frame. 



The boxes are now ready for the bees. I return to A, smoke 

 bees well, giving them time to fill with honey, then remove the 

 comb with adhering bees, hold it over the small hive, and brush 

 off the bees carefully from the comb into the hive until the 

 combs are covered ; then put on the cover and set aside, the 

 entrance having previously been covered with wire cloth and the 

 ventilator left-open. Stock all the boxes or nucleus hives with 

 bees in the same way. I keep them closed up at least two days 

 (and if the nights are cold I cover them with woollen cloths}, 

 then just before dark place the hives on stands and give the 

 bees their flight. 



I would also say that if the hives 'are stocked with bees be- 

 tween the hours of ten and four, there will be a greater number 

 of young bees secured than if stocked morning or evening, con- 

 sequently the nuclei will lose less bees by their return to the 

 large hive. 



The next day I remove all sealed cells from A, to nuclei, 

 and continue doing so as the cells are sealed until all are re- 

 moved. 



Transferring Queen Cells to Nuclei. — If the cell is built on 

 the face of the comb, I cut through the comb about an inch from 

 the cell on all sides, take the middle comb from the nuclei 

 containing brood, lay a piece of comb containing the cell on the 

 face of the comb, about the middle ; mark the size, cut out, and 

 insert the cell. When the cell is built on the edge of the comb, 

 and projects lower than the comb, a piece must be cut out to 

 match on the comb (lower side) in which it is to be placed, so 

 as not to bruise the end of the cell, care being taken to always 

 place the cell on the comb in the same position in which it was 

 built by the bees ; as soon as the cell is in its place return the 

 comb to the nuclei. 



When the queen hatches (which will be in seven days from 

 the time the ceU was sealed), I remove the frame with the empty 

 comb, take out the comb from the frame, and fill it with comb 

 containing brood, inserting empty comb from where I cut it out, 

 and return the small frame to the nuclei. When this is done 

 the queen and workers will not desert the hive. 



I lost a very handsome queen this season by neglecting to do 

 this, and some years ago, when I first commenced raising queens, 

 I lost a good many in this way. When the queen is left in the 

 nucleus hive some time, the bees may make preparations, and 

 swarm the same as in a larger hive ; but where there is honey 

 and brood they will not desert the hive. In from five to ten 

 days after hatching, according to weather, there will be a laying 

 queen in the nuclei, provided she has not been lost in flight, 

 and is then ready to be placed in the full or large hive. 



Introducing Queens. — I take a piece of wire cloth 4 J by 4 inches, 

 roll together lengthwise, pound one end together about half an 

 inch, then flatten it the whole length, so that it will be three- 

 eighths of an inch through. Remove the queen from the hive 

 into which the young queen is to be introduced. Six hours 

 after put the young queen in the cage, close it up with a paper 

 wad, and suspend it in the hive, between the combs, with a 

 short piece of wire, for forty-eight hours. I then remove the 

 cage, examine the combs, and destroy all the queen cells, re- 

 move the paper wad from the end of the cage, and cover it with 

 one thickness of newspaper, tying it on ; wet the paper, then 

 smear it with honey, and return it to the hive, smoking the bees 

 well, and close up the hive. 



