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JOURNAL OP HOETICTJLTIIEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEE. [ September 27, 1864. 



natural one based on the habits and instincts of the bee. 

 It will interest your readers to learn from my experience 

 how they may turn a general disappointment into a plea- 

 surable and profitable amusement. 



The great feature of all controversy on the subject is how 

 to prevent swarming. To this end all kinds of elaborate 

 hives have been invented, boots written, plans proposed, 

 and controversies engaged in. My four-years experience 

 with Neighbour's, Taylor's, Stewarton, and other hives con- 

 vinces me that it is impossible to prevent swarming except 

 by one method, that of cutting out the queen's cells — a 

 difficult, delicate, and, to inexperienced or timid persons, 

 dangerous operation. So strong is the colonising instinct, 

 that all the plans of space and ventilation that can be 

 adopted will not retain the swarm at home if queen bees 

 are allowed to be hatched; whilst the adoption of such 

 plans invariably results, as far as my experience goes, in 

 injury to the young bees and the retardation of the honey 

 crop. The fact that swarms issue from large hollow trees, 

 garrets, church roofs, &c, where additional accommodation 

 for comb-building is amply provided sufficiently proves the 

 point that by giving space you cannot prevent a swarm 

 from issuing. Having once made up my mind on the 

 subject, I abandoned the system, the constant results of 

 which had been lost time, lost honey, and continual an- 

 noyance. 



The experience of most amateurs is, I venture to think, 

 one of similar disappointment. I have adopted what seems 

 to me a more natural and sensible plan. I now encourage 

 swarming, hive the swarms, unite them if ' casts,' let them 

 work all the summer, and in the autumn take the honey, 

 destroying such hives as I think too weak for the winter, 

 leaving strong stocks from which only supers have been 

 taken for next season's supply. I also avoid as much as 

 possible, in contradiction to my previous mode, interfering 

 with the bees. They regulate their own temperature and 

 time of swarming far better than we can do ; and they will 

 work to greater advantage if not inspected and intruded 

 upon too much in the honey season. 



Acting on these principles, the following is my result for 

 1864. From five stocks I have had eight swarms, one of 

 which I gave away ; another, after being hived in a Stew- 

 arton, took wing and settled in an old pollard; and two 

 casts I united. From No. 1, an old stock, after two strong 

 swarms had issued, I took 4£ lbs. of honey, and destroyed 

 the bees, as I wanted to change the comb. From No. 2 I 

 took a super of honey weighing Hi lbs. From No. 3 I took 

 15 lbs. Nos. 2 and 3 swarmed together ; and so large was 

 the united swarm that I was obliged to put on a super the 

 same night. From these boxes I took 36 lbs. From No. 4 

 I took a large super with 20 lbs. ; and from its prime swarm, 

 which I have since destroyed, I took 1S-J- lbs. Two casts 

 from Nos. 3 and 4 were united in July, and having been 

 lately fed, now form a strong stock for next spring. From 

 No. 5 I took 11 lbs., and destroyed the old stock, keeping its 

 prime swarm. I have just destroyed the swarm from No. 1 

 in the tree, and obtained 16 lbs., making a total of 132i lbs., 

 whilst I retain five strong stocks amply provided with food 

 for the winter. 



Part of this success arises from the season ; but the chief 

 result has arisen from my allowing nature, with a very little 

 assistance from art, to have its own way. — A Bee-masteb 

 in Esses. 



FOUL BEOOD Ug TOEKSHIRE. 



I send you herewith a small box containing a sample of 

 comb taken from one of my hives. I fear there is little 

 doubt of its being virulent foul brood, but shall esteem it a 

 favour if Mr. Woodbury will kindly inform me whether it 

 is so. 



The stock was driven late last autumn into a Woodbury 

 hive, and had to be fed. This spring I found four of the 

 combs covered over with fungus, and completely deserted by 

 the bees. I removed these, but found no brood in the cells, 

 but only mouldy pollen. I supposed that they were fed too 

 late to seal over the cells, and that evaporation in the winter 

 had caused the growth of mould. 



They have since increased in numbers, but have not 

 swarmed, nor yielded any honey ; and to day, on examining 



the combs, I found brood in nine frames, some of the cell 

 covers perforated, others not so, but nearly all with flattened 

 tops, and containing brood more or less decomposed. 



In the same shed I have a Lignrian swarm of May, thk 

 year, which has done very well, yielding me a super of 

 25 lbs. of fine honey. I am very sorry to find that it has re- 

 ceived the infection, though at present it exists to a much 

 smaller extent than in the other stock. 



Should Mr. Woodbury's verdict bear out my fears, I pro- 

 pose to unite the bees of the two stocks with the Ligurian 

 queen, which is a fine one, and drive them into a hive with 

 empty comb in it, giving them three days quarantine in an 

 intermediate-hive, and then feeding them for the winter. 

 Will this be my best course ? and shall I need to confine the 

 queen longer than the workers, at this season of the year ? 



I have also enclosed a sealed queen cell which I took from 

 a hive belonging to a friend, which has swarmed twice, and 

 since been robbed and deserted. It appears to be empty ; if 

 so, have the bees sealed it over again after the queen has 

 left, or what has become of the royal larva ? 



Is the honey from diseased stocks fit for human food, and 

 if not to what use can it be applied ? — C. D. 



[I regret to say that the sample which accompanied this 

 letter is unquestionably foul brood, and I should think of a 

 very virulent type, since I never saw any that presented a, 

 worse appearance, whilst it appears to have communicated 

 itself by infection to a neighbouring stock. 



If " C. D." either possesses or can procure another healthy 

 stock to which he can give the Italian queen, I should ad- 

 vise his doing so, and destroying both the diseased colonies, 

 in preference to attempting their union and cure by the 

 means he describes : and for these reasons — the cure of foul 

 brood is always very uncertain at the best, and at this ad- 

 vanced season I fear the chance of success would be small 

 indeed. Added to this, there is so much difficulty in uniting 

 Ligurian to common bees, that I believe the Italian queen 

 would run quite as great a risk during the fusion of the two 

 diseased colonies, as she would by being placed at the head 

 of a healthy stock of common bees. I therefore consider 

 it better to follow the course which I have pointed out, and 

 by which the hope may be entertained to entirely get rid of 

 the disease. 



Honey taken from foul-breeding stocks may be safely 

 eaten, or made use of for any other purpose, except that of 

 feeding bees. 



I believe a queen had hatched out of the royal cell sent, 

 but the cell cover, remaining attached on one side as by 

 a hinge, had closed after the departure of its tenant, 

 and thus appeared as though it had remained perfectly 

 intact. This is no very unusual occurrence. — A Devon- 

 shire Bee-keepek.] 



OUR LETTEE BOX. 



Leg "Weakness (Subscriber). — Tour Cochin-China cockerel, being a heavy 

 bird, showing weakness in his hocks, may recover from that in the course of 

 another month or two. Feed chiefly on bruised oats, give bread sopped in 

 beer two or three times weekly, and four grains of citrate of iron daily 

 until the bird shows more strength in bis legs. 



Weight of a Dorking Cock ( W. S. P. B.).— As a rule, a Dorking cock 

 is making satisfactory growth when he weighs as many pounds as he is 

 months old. If, therefore, yours has made 6 lbs. in four months, he is un- 

 usually good. It is quite unimportant that he has red earlobes. Feed him. 

 generously, and let him have his liberty. 



Butino Bantams {Idem),— The proper time for buying a Stiver Sebright 

 Bantam hen is when she is clean moulted, about two months hence. The 

 surplus stock of most breeders is sold nest month. A good hen in always 

 worth twenty-five or thirty shillings. 



Caponising ( TF. & C.^.— "We know of no book that treats on caponising. 

 The custom has so much fallen into disuse, that there are few, or no men, 

 who can perform the operation. It is not worth doing. The sufferings of 

 the birds, the numbers that die, and the inferiority of the birds compared 

 with young cockerels, which may be made as large, while they are younger 

 and more delicate, have caused the practice to be discontinued. 



Packing Eggs for Transport {A. J. S.).— The proper way :o pack all 

 eggs intended for sitting is to use moss. Cover the bottom of the basket 

 with it, roll up every egg separately in moss, so that it is completely en- 

 veloped, then put it in the basket, small end downwards. Fill up in this 

 way till there is room for no more. Then put a layer of moss again, and. 

 pack another row of eggs. Continue till the basket is foil, and be careful- 

 to top up so tightly that no egg shall move out of its place whilst travelling. 



Ivy not Poisonous to Sheep, &c. (E. J. J.).— Sheep eat Ivy with im- 

 punity. The Duke of Richmond at Goodwood, and Mr. Ellman near Lewes, 

 have first-class flocks of Southdown sheep. Clipping the wings of hens has 

 no bad influence on their laying powers. Age reduces that power. 



