184 



JO-TONAL op horticulture and cottage gaedeneb. 



[ August 30, 1864. 



killing all I could get hold of as they were passing in and 

 out, and at last I turned it np, and there was not a bee in it, 

 nor any honey, and I believe the wasps were eating the 

 comb. What had become of the bees, had the wasps frilled 

 and eaten them ? 



I see now that the wasps are visiting the other hives. 

 One presents himself on the alighting-boaTd of the hive, a 

 bee attacks him, there is a battle, or more properly speaking 

 a wrestle, the wasp generally is the victor, throws his 

 antagonist off the alighting-board, and bolts into the hive. 

 Should he meet with another bee, which is generally the 

 ease, he knocks that over, or to one side, and seems deter- 

 mined to go in ; so I am in great fear I shall lose the whole 

 of my apiary, unless I can stop the wasps in some way or 

 other. 



P.S. — What is barleysugar, and how is it made ? I have 

 seen it recommended for feeding bees, and I am sure I must 

 feed mine, if the wasps let any of them live. I should have 

 said that the most of my hives are the common straw ones. 

 — J. Bitot, Stapleton Gardens, Dorset. 



[We believe the defunct hive had lost its queen, and, 

 therefore, fell an easy prey to its enemies, whether wasps or 

 robber bees, probably both. You seem to have rendered 

 your bees almost all the aid possible by contracting their 

 entrances, and destroying wasps' nests. We know not how 

 fax these pests may fly, but should fancy at least two miles. 

 Try Mr. Taylor's plan of laying a piece of barleysugar 

 across or just within the entrance of the hive, so as greatly 

 to narrow it. " This," Mr. Taylor says, " is so attractive to 

 the bees, that they muster at the door in greater force than 

 the wasps durst venture to assail. As fast as the fortification 

 is devoured it ought to be renewed, and the out-generalled 

 enemy will retire from a hopeless contest." We shall be 

 glad to hear if this mode of defence turns out successful. 

 Strong stocks with narrowed entrances will probably hold 

 their own until October, when the frosts of autumn may be 

 expected to interpose decisively in their favour. 



Give any little boy a penny in the neighbourhood of a 

 confectioner's shop, and he will most readily show you not 

 only what barleysugar is, but how speedily he can cause it 

 to disappear. Instructions for making it are given in page 

 25, of the last edition of " Bee-Keeping for the Many."] 



SELECTION OE QUEEN'S. 



A swarm came off from a frame-hive on the 16th of this 

 month. T hinkin g that the old queen would be safer to keep 

 than the young one so late in the season, I secured her in a 

 tumbler whilst I removed the frames to search for the young 

 queen. Not being able to find her, I swept all the bees off 

 the combs, and returned the frames to the hive in which I 

 set the old queen at liberty. The following day I found the 

 young queen with ' a few hundred bees on a tree, secured 

 her, gave the bees some honey, and they have all returned 

 to the hive. I send you the queen, and will you tell me if 

 I did right, and whether I gave myself unnecessary trouble 

 in changing the queens ? — A Novice. 



[You certainly did quite right in endeavouring to preserve 

 the old queen, which was a very fine one, and in the prime 

 of life; but, unfortunately, your well-meant efforts have 

 entirely failed. A post-mortem examination of the queen 

 enclosed in your letter proves her to have been the original 

 matron of the hive, whose untimely demise is much to be 

 regretted.] 



by feeding, and has done well in a magnificent honey sea- 

 son." He appears to doubt the truth of this statement, for 

 he asks, " May we venture to ask for particulars ?" Now, I 

 do not question the fact in the least, for I have achieved a 

 similar result with a third swarm, which I obtained near 

 the end of July, 1863. I do not think there would be more 

 than, if as many as, 4000 bees in the swarm ; for when in a 

 cluster they appeared to be of about the bulk of a three- 

 gill jug. Soon after I obtained them the weather broke ; 

 and, doubtless you will remember that the "back end" of 

 last year continued very wet. A friend of mine, also an old 

 bee-keeper, told me that they were worthless. However, I 

 was not content to lose them if they could be kept, so I began 

 to feed them with sugar and water. The result is that this 

 year, within twelve months after they were swarmed, I have 

 taken 25 lbs. of honey from them, and yet have left them far 

 more than will be sufficient to keep them through the coming 

 winter. They axe now fast filling a large bell-glass, and of 

 this I intend to deprive them shortly. They were hived in 

 an empty hive. They cost me 5s. for sugar. They were hived 

 in an ordinary straw hive, but I have since driven them into 

 a wooden hive. Now, had " A Devonshire Bee-keeper" 

 given me his advice, and had I acted upon it, I should not 

 now have had 25 lbs. of honey, 1 lb. of wax, and a splendid 

 swarm of bees ; for his advice would have been, " Do not 

 take the trouble of hiving them." 



Before I close, permit me to add that I find the best 

 remedy for a bee-sting is to puncture the place stung till it 

 bleeds ; very little of the pain or swelling will be experienced 

 after the part has bled a little. — A Lancashire Bee-keepee. 



[Few persons have any idea how many bees may be con- 

 prised in an apparently small cluster. Although, therefore, 

 "A Lancashire Bee-keeper" thinks there were not more 

 than 4000 bees in his swarm, I hope, in the absence of 

 more precise evidence, he will excuse my thinking that there 

 might have been nearly double that number. It should be 

 remembered, also, that I was combating Dr. Cumming's 

 absurd estimate of 5000 or 6000 bees being the number of 

 an ordinary swarm, when I pointed out by way of antithesis 

 that so far from this statement being correct, such a swarm 

 would scarcely be worth hiving. I am well aware that a 

 comparatively small swarm of bees may sometimes form a 

 good stock if liberally supplied with food ; but the smallest 

 I ever knew succeed in this way weighed 1£ lb. Casts of 

 less weight are, of course, well worth hiving, with a view of 

 uniting them to others ; but as the attempt to form them 

 singly into good stocks must certainly fail in the great 

 majority of cases, a few isolated instances of success, even if 

 proved beyond a doubt, which I do not consider has yet 

 been done, would not invalidate the statement that in the 

 long run such liliputian swarms axe not worth hiving for 

 this purpose. — A Devonshire Bee-keeper.] 



SMALL SWAEMS FORMING GOOD STOCKS. 



I read with interest in the Times "A Devonshire Bee- 

 keeper's" reply to "A Bee-master's" letter which ap- 

 peared in that journal. I noticed, and noted to a friend of 

 mine, the numerous inaccuracies contained in " A Bee- 

 master's" letter, but did not think them worth a reply or 

 correction. Had not " A Devonshire Bee-keeper's " letters 

 appeared in your columns, I should have remained silent ; 

 but one paragraph of his letter warrants my troubling you 

 with this communication. He says, "If any one has a swarm 

 [of bees] consisting only of 5000 or 6000 let him not take 

 the trouble of hiving it." And again : " A swarm consisting 

 only of 5000 beee has, it is said, been kept through the winter 



OUR LETTER BOX. 



Preventing "Wild Ducks Flying (Chateau Vallon).— The only effeetna 

 way of pinioning wild fowl is to cut off the wing just above the spur. It is 

 not a painful operation, and if the birds after the < peraticn are turned into 

 the water the bleeding stops, and there is no trace o' the operation the next 

 day. If yon object to this, and wish only to cut feathers, cut down close to 

 the quill as far as the first principal joint. 



Tuheeys -with Swollen Heads {M. E.).— Wash the head and face with 

 cold water and vinegar. Feed on bread soaked in strong ale, and pnt 

 camphor in the water they drink. 



White Elevations on Eggs {M. C.).— The white spots on eggs are 

 common occurrences, but are only noliced when on dark shells. It is no 

 sign of disease. It is contrary to nature for your hens to be so broody, but 

 as cooping 'or a few days usually cures them* of it, we recommend you to 

 use that remedy. 



Chickens Gasping {J. M. AS).— From your description the gasping is 

 incipient gapes. The only certain cure we know for it is camphor given 

 internally in pills the size of a pea, and put in their water. Give them 

 bread steeped in ale twice per dav for three or four days. 



Deaths among Fowls {J. M.'L.).~ The Cochin-China ben died from the 

 effect of the ulcerated leg, which wasted her to death ; and it is probable 

 the Polish died from fat, which very likely caused her to be egg-bound, and 

 induced internal fever, which made her drink to excess. 



Crooks's Improved Incubators.— Have any of your readers tried the 

 above? If so, will they please report in your Journal what success they 

 have had with them, and explain the method they adopted in using them, 

 and how they reared the chickens hatched ? — J R. J. 



Marriott's Hives ( W. O., Longton).— Marriott was a maker of bee-hives 

 of all kinds. Those used by Mr. Piddington have Martiott'c brass trade- 

 plate upon them, and are the circular, straw, flat, wooden-topped hives with 

 three bell-glasses anci a straw cap to cover them. 



Taking Honey {if. C.).— We must first know what kind of hives yon 

 nae before we can advise you. 



