August 2, 1864. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



99 



ing which I could add to this swarm to make sure, if you 

 think I had better do so. My hives are the wooden octagon 

 hives of Ayrshire, and not bar, so that I suppose I had 

 better sprinkle them well with sugar and water before 

 adding the two together. Tour advice will greatly oblige — 

 Loose Box. 



[If the bees continue to work vigorously there can be 

 little doubt of their possessing a queen. If, on the other 

 hand, they should have ceased active work, whilst other 

 hives remain busy, it may be well to add a small swarm. 

 Sprinkling with sweetened water scented with peppermint 

 will in this case tend to prevent fighting. — A Devonshire 

 Bee-keeper.] 



ADDING QUEENS. 

 I etnd the only safe mode of adding queens is by fumi- 

 gation. I tried the plan by putting the queen on the top, 

 and when I let the bees in they would soon have killed her 

 had I not taken her away, so at night I fumigated them, 

 and there was no more fighting, and the next day they came 

 off with the queen as a swarm. — -A. M. 



BEES IN THE SHOW-YAEU OF THE EOTAL 

 AGEICULTURAE SOCIETY 



AT NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE. 

 The following extract from the Northern Daily Express 

 shows the light in which the unusual sight of an observa- 

 tory-hive presented itself to the mind of a Newcastle re- 

 porter, whose want of knowledge of the subject is evidenced 

 by his mistaking the sex of the working bees : — 



" A MODEL FACTORY. 



" Stand 194 — G. Neighbour & Sons, Regent Street, and 

 High Holborn, London. — We have heard of model farms and 

 model lodging-houses for the working classes ; but it was 

 reserved for the Royal Agricultural Society's meeting in 

 1864 to introduce to our notice a model factory, where we 

 may see representatives of the working classes busily en- 

 gaged in their daily avocations. The stand which we have 

 quoted above may afford fruitful study to such philanthro- 

 pists as the Earl of Shaftesbury, who make it their benevo- 

 lent aim to elevate the masses ; and the lesson here given 

 from actual life will not be lost upon working men themselves. 



"There are several striking features worthy of notice in 

 the ' model factory.' We can clearly perceive that it has 

 been established on a principle which is essential to the 

 success of any great concern — viz., the principle of a good 

 understanding amongst the operatives themselves, and 

 between them and the head of the establishment. What 

 strikes us in this model factory is the unity of action which 

 reigns throughout. There is no jostling of rival interests, 

 and no misunderstandings or cross purposes. The opera- 

 tives in this establishment are so numerous that we -ques- 

 tion if any one has as yet been able to count their number, 

 and yet all seem to be working in perfect harmony, their 

 joint labour continually leading to one beautiful and sublime 

 result. 



"Another feature specially noticeable in the establishment 

 in question is the principle of subordination. Singular to 

 say, that while the operatives are males the foreman of this 

 model factory is a female ; but that circumstance need not 

 shock the sensibilities of our fair friends any more than it 

 ought to offend the prejudices of the sterner sex, inasmuch 

 as the mighty empire of Great Britain is ruled by the gentle 

 hand of a female ,• and moreover in the one case as in the 

 other, the presiding genius, amidst all her official cares and 

 duties, takes care to preserve the modesty of her sex. She 

 never in the slightest degree obtrudes herself needlessly 

 on public observation, and probably on that very account 

 the respect shown to her by her subjects is the more pro- 

 found and devoted. 



" There is, however, one particular in which we would take 

 leave to demur to the idea of this factory being in every 

 respect regarded as a ' model.' We have not been able to 

 discover that there is any particular period of the day in 

 which the operatives are allowed to take refreshments. We 

 in England have been accustomed to regard the dinner hour | 



somewhat in the light of a sacred institution. And if the 

 Council of the Royal Agricultural Society mean to set this 

 up as a model institution, we are of opinion that some ex- 

 planation on this point is desirable. Indeed, we have not 

 been able to discover that the operatives in this establish- 

 ment take any refreshment whatever. If they do, it must 

 be 'on the sly,' vulgarly speaking. 



" There is one peculiarity, however, which must tend to 

 popularise this institution, and which has served to make it 

 one of the most attractive objects on the show ground. It 

 is the fashion in' all the great factories which abound on the 

 banks of the Tyne, and throughout the country generally, 

 to act on the principle of exclusiveness to a very great 

 extent, and perhaps wisely so. As you approach the door 

 you see an intimation in legible characters ' No admission 

 except on business.' This may be very proper, but it is 

 rather tantalising. In the model factory, which we are now 

 describing, all the operations are open to inspection. Every 

 action is patent to the eye of the spectator. This has been 

 effected by a skilful contrivance, and it is this contrivance, 

 in fact, which has entitled the inventor to obtain a place in 

 the show ground for his model factory, which he describes 

 by the somewhat ambiguous term of ' a new implement.' 



"But our readers may wish to learn what is the staple 

 manufacture of this wonderful workshop. We reply — 

 'honey.' The factory we speak of is nothing more nor less 

 than a bee-hive ; or, to quote from the catalogue, ' a unicomb 

 observatory bee-hive,' with living Italian alpine bees at full 

 work ; invented by T. W. Woodbury, Esq., of Exeter ; im- 

 proved and manufactured by the exhibitors. As implied by 

 its name, this hive has one comb, so that both sides are fully 

 exposed to the light of the day, thus allowing of an easy 

 inspection of the queen bee, surrounded by her retinue. 

 Price £10 10s." 



BEES IN STTREEY. 



I commenced bee-keeping in May, 1863, with a fine swarm. 

 I let them have the whole of their labours of last summer 

 to themselves, knowing that if I took the honey from them 

 I might also take eggs or brood. The result has been, that 

 when your correspondent was describing the danger of 

 foul brood, my stock was hatching-out quantities of young. 

 On the 12th of last May I opened one of my side boxes 

 (collateral-boxes), and on the 26th of July I took off that 

 box and found it contained 25i lbs. of honey and comb. On 

 the 18th of June I let the bees into the other side box, and 

 that is half full of honey at the present time, besides the 

 middle box or pavilion of Nature, which has all the honey- 

 cells sealed, and with the contents of which I never interfere, 

 so that they have plenty of food to carry them through the 

 winter. At the end of the season I purpose taking off the 

 second box, so that I shall most likely obtain from that stock 

 alone between 40 and 50 lbs. of honey. Whatever it is I will 

 inform you. — T. S. 



P.S. — Do you think I shall weaken or impoverish my 

 stock by taking the second box off? 



[If the stock -box be well filled, and the side box free from 

 brood, you will not injure the stock by removing the latter.] 



SUBSTITUTING BOXES EOE STEAW HIVES. 



I have two common straw hives, the one containing a 

 last-year's swarm, and the other an early one (2nd May), of 

 this year ; and under each a plain wooden box of my own 

 rough make, both well filled with comb and bees. The end 

 of one of these boxes is glazed, so that I can see that my 

 labourers are rapidly filling it with their gathered sweets ; 

 and I have no doubt that the same is the case with the 

 other, as they are a very strong stock, and work well. 



I desire to remove the straw hives, keeping the boxes as 

 stock-hives, on which to place supers (of glass) next season. 

 Being a novice, I am in doubt as to the best time to per- 

 form this operation. I presume early in September would 

 be a suitable season, but shall feel greatly obliged by your 

 advice on the subject. Probably if the severance were 

 effected now, I should get two stocks for one; but I am 

 indifferent as to that, as I would rather have the stocks in 



