206 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ September 6, 1864. 



two hours after I gave them a young one in fine order. I 

 anticipated the usual excitement, but all was peace. I ex- 

 pected to have one cast out, but no, and upon examination 

 the unfruitful one had disappeared without any of the usual 

 signs. These are facts — -take them for what they are worth. 

 The Distance Queens and Drones Fly on theik Nup- 

 tial Tour. — The introduction of the Italian stock to this 

 district has enabled me to give some information upon this 

 important subject. In the first place I must state that there 

 is not one of the young queens from the Italian stock im- 

 pregnated with an Italian drone, therefore all are cross- 

 mothers ; and, strange to say, out of twenty young black 

 queens within half a mile of the old Italian stocks (the 

 young ones removed), not one has been impregnated by the 

 yellow bees, but at one mile up to three and a half miles 

 distant thirty per cent are cross-mothers, and many of them 

 are better marked bees than from the Italian queen with a 

 black drone. I see that in another remove there is scarcely 

 a trace left. — North. 



BEES EST STTEEEY. 



As there are many readers of The Journal op Horti- 

 culture who, like myself, take an interest in anything 

 relating to bees, I am induced to give you the results of my 

 first manipulation, or deprivation of honey from my col- 

 lateral-boxes. 



In the first place, I live only four or four and a half miles 

 from London; not one of the most open positions for an 

 apiary, being surrounded with houses on all sides, and my 

 bees having to go a long distance to collect their stores, 

 consequently it takes a longer time to fill the boxes than it 

 would do if placed in an open country. On the 6th of May 

 I opened one of my collateral-boxes, No. 1, for the increasing 

 population, and on the 20th of June I opened No. 2 box, to 

 let the industrious labourers construct more combs. On the 

 16th of July, I took off box No. 1, which had all the cells 

 sealed, except about half a dozen on one small comb, with- 

 out a single grub, or egg, or brood in any stage whatever, 

 which I attribute to the ventilation in my hives. Box No. 2 

 is three parts full, independent of the middle box or pavilion 

 of nature, as Mr. Nutt calls it, which is quite full. On weigh- 

 ing box No. 1, I found it contained 20 lbs. of honey, after 

 the box and wax had been deducted from it ; and I have left in 

 the oilier boxes 30 lbs. more. But, as the weather has been 

 so dry, I find the bees do not collect so much honey ,- and, see- 

 ing your advice of August 9th to a correspondent, I consider 

 it most prudent to let well alone, as the stock is very strong. 

 I may perhaps ruin my hive for the sake of a few pounds of 

 honey, wliich will not be wasted by the bees if they do not 

 require it. — T. S. 



as I have proved from practical observation. They seem to 

 gain the most on common bees, in the latter part of the 

 season. It is said they can gather honey from red clover : 

 I have not paid attention to this quality in them, and there- 

 fore, cannot speak of it from my own knowledge. Some of 

 my neighbours have told me they have seen them gathering 

 honey from it ; if so, this will account in a great measure for 

 their gathering more honey than common bees. 



They are extremely amiable, as unprovoked they never 

 sting. There is one trait in their character, which I do not 

 admire much, although it proves their superiority, and that 

 is their propensity for stealing ; if there is a hive of common 

 bees near that are weak they are almost sure to be robbed, 

 and on the other hand, common bees find it useless attempt- 

 ing to rob Italians, as they can repel three to one. My 

 experience with them is, they are superior in every way to 

 common bees. — H. Holden, Mirickville. — (Canada. Farmer.) 



CHAEACTEEISTICS OF ITALIAN BEES. 

 I would state that the result of my experience regarding 

 Italian bees, is, their disposition to labour far exceeds that 

 of the common bee; they commence work earlier in the 

 morning, and work later in the evening, and on a cool day, 

 when the common kind are not to be seen they are at work. 

 It seems that they prefer a northern clime, for in their 

 native country it is said they are only found in the north, 

 while the common bees are found in the south. The queens 

 are larger and more prolific than common ones, and are in- 

 clined to swarm oftener and earlier. The Italian bee differs 

 from the common one in being larger, and of a light chrome 

 yellow colour, with light brimstone-coloured wings and two 

 orange girths immediately behind the wings. Working bees 

 as well as drones are thus marked, the girths upon the 

 drones are scolloped, and they attain an astonishing size. 

 The queens are marked a good deal like the workers, but 

 much brighter, and on account of their size and colour, are 

 very easily found in a swarm. The bees are almost trans- 

 parent when the sun shines on them, and when bred in comb 

 cf their own building, are larger than when bred in comb of 

 oommon bees, as their own cells are larger. I have proved 

 beyond a doubt to my mind, that they will gather from one- 

 third to one-half more honey than common bees. It is said 

 of them that they will gather twice as much, but I only give 

 them credit for superiority over the common ones, in so far 



DESTEOYLNG WASPS. 



Tour correspondent from Dorsetshire inquires how wasps 

 are to be destroyed. First of all, squib them with gun- 

 powder where their nests are, and dig them out ; almost an 

 impossibility this season to find them all. I have found 

 Millington's wasp-glasses very effective in a small way ; they 

 must be about one-quarter filled with brown sugar and water, 

 or a little small beer. I have emptied these glasses gene- 

 rally containing from 100 to 200 wasps and one or two blue 

 flies. If honey is used in the glasses, then the bees are 

 entrapped in large numbers themselves ; but when sugar and 

 water and a little beer are used, I have never found a single 

 hive bee caught, although the glasses are placed within 

 2 feet of the Mves ; and during the late hot dry weather the 

 wasps seemed quite ravenous after liquid food. 



I cannot quite approve of Mr. Taylor's mode of placing 

 barleysugar ; for, though it attracts the bees in numbers, 

 they are a good deal too busy with the candied sugar to 

 notice the wasps much, and I am inclined to think the o5er 

 of the sugar takes the bees off their guard. Mr. Taylor is, 

 however, a steady apiarian in all other respects, and in his 

 case probably the passage into the hive must have been 

 quite blocked up by the bees. — H. W. Newman, Hillside, 

 Cheltenham. 



To Prevent tour Bread being: Bitter. — Add a tea- 

 spoonful of magnesia to the yeast just before you use it. 

 — S. M. 



OUE LETTEE BOX. 



Useful Fowls (2tuhj).—A Dorking: cock with your cross-bred Cochina 

 pullets, will produce short-legged, full-breasted chickens for table, and the 

 pullets will lay in the winter. 



Washing the Plumage of ~FowLS%Cocki7i).— Buff Cochin plumage does 

 not want washing-. Silver-spangled Hamburghs should be washed with, 

 soap and water. The bird should afterwards b& put in a basket with soft 

 straw, and either placed in the hot sun, or before a fire, till the plumage 

 is dry. 



Nankin Bantasis. — A "Constant Reader" in No. 178 asks where he 

 can obtain some of these birds. I had not seen any for years, until when 

 passing through the village of Seagry last Febru;oy I saw a considerable 

 number of them in a field adjoining a pretty cottage. I only caught sight 

 of them at a distance, and for an instant only, from the top of an omnibus ; 

 but I believe I am correct as to the sort. I understand the owner's address 

 is— Mr. Sampson, Seagry, near Chippenham, Wilts. — Wiltshikp Reciou. 



Poultry-judging (H.),~~ Before we insert your communication you wilt 

 oblige us by furnishiag us (not lor publication), with the name of the Show 

 and Judge. 



Pigeon Judging at Newcastle and Darlington [A. B. C, and the 

 Compiler of the Darlington Schedule). — Enough has been now said on the 

 subject, and the gentleman who made the awards we shuuld think is not 

 likely to appear again fts a judge of Pigeons. We would hlso remind our 

 correspondents that attributing misdoings and bad motives only exasperate, 

 and have nothing to do with the only question at issas— Weie the Pigeons 

 correctly judged ? 

 Defective Rabbit (C. 0.). — Sell him or eat him, and buy another. 

 rr.riPARATioN of Was— Hives [B. if.).— The kettle for rendering combs 

 into wax could readily be manufactured by any tinman from the description 

 we quoted from Dr. Bevaa's work, but we know no one who keeps such 

 things for sale. The hive figured in No. ITS is of Canadian manufacture, 

 and is not obtainable in this country. We believe the Woodbury frame- 

 hive, made by Messrs. Neighbour, possesses all it* advantages, whilst it is 

 better adapted for English use. The society you refer to has long been 

 defunct. 



Borage for Bees (A. B.).— You may sow in September, and again in 

 March or April, which will secure a succession of flowers. V/e are glad 

 you have succeeded so well. 



