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JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE A^B COTTAGE GAEDEXEE. 



[ Ootober 11, 1864. 



paid no regard to them, but cast them into my empty comb- 

 barrel, that the cells might be made into wax the nest time 

 I made that commodity. After that I took the numerous 

 bees which I had taken out of the strong hive, and put in 

 the hive which I cut the combs out of, and set the bees 

 exactly where they stood when in possession of their own 

 hive, and they being numerous, soon filled her full of combs 

 again. I then took the heavy hive which was almost full of 

 maggots in the cells, and had also, I judged, 10 lbs. of honey 

 in her. I then took the few bees which came out of the 

 stinking hive and put in her, and set her down in the place 

 where the few bees stood before, and covered her well, and 

 gave her a very little entry, in order to keep her warm to 

 hatch out the young, and in ten days time she hatched out 

 a most numerous brood, and they were both thriving hives. 

 I did exactly the same with the other three stinking hives, 

 and changed their bees with three of their strong neigh- 

 bouring hives, and they all did well, and gave me satis- 

 faction, which I esteemed an excellent cure for so desperate 

 a case." 



An excellent cure, indeed, provided it were permanent, 

 which my experience of foul brood leads me very much to 

 doubt, especially as in a subsequent work published in 1795, 

 our author again refers to the disease, but this time in a 

 manner which appears to indicate that he had found it by 

 no means so "rare" as he had previously imagined. What- 

 ever may be thought of the means by which he attempts its 

 cure, and the reason he assigns for its outbreak, there can 

 be no doubt of its identity with foul brood ; and as this is 

 the earliest and best description of that disease which I 

 have met with in any British author, I have been tempted 

 to quote at some length from what is now a rather scarce 

 book. — A Devonshibe Bee-keeper. 



BEES' WOREENTG- HOUES. 



"Would some of your correspondents state the hour that 

 bees go out foraging in the morning ? as I observe in your 

 Journal it is stated that they do not go out before 8 a.m., 

 whereas I saw some of mine out at seven this morning, 

 September 29th, and it was cold too. They were on the 

 borage. I have seen bees out at half-past 6 a.m. frequently, 

 and this last season had swarms at 8.30 a.m. — J. Elmo. 



[Bees commence work early or late according to the 

 season, and the prevailing temperature; but the strength of 

 the colony has great influence, as it is by no means unusual 

 to find the bees of a strong and flourishing stock on the 

 wing long before the inhabitants of a neighbouring but less 

 prosperous hive. We have, however, frequently seen wasps 

 invading even strong colonies at so early an hour that no 

 sentinels were on duty to repel them.] 



THE SPIDER AJSB THE WAX-MOTH. 



From the days when Virgil sang of bees the spider has 

 been numbered among the enemies of the honey bee. In 

 common with most bee-keepers, 1 waged relentless warfare 

 against it, until my attention was called to the large 

 numbers of bee moths often found suspended in its webs. 

 From that time I looked upon it with a friendly eye, satis- 

 fied that while it feasted upon many an unfortunate bee, it 

 ■was entitled to the same favourable regard with the insecti- 

 vorous birds, which claim a share of the fruits their industry 

 has helped to protect. Within the last two years, however, 

 I have found it to my interest to cultivate a still more 

 friendly acquaintance with this detested insect, as I am now 

 able by its help to preserve all my empty combs from the 

 ravages of the bee moth. Let me tell your readers how I 

 came to make so useful a discovery. 



Two years ago 1 placed a small hive, containing an Italian 

 queen, from which I was raising other queens, upon an 

 empty old box-hive, which, being laid on its side, furnished 

 a convenient stand for my nucleus. Putting some frames 

 with the empty combs for a few days in the box-hive, where 

 they were protected from the sun and weather, and were 

 convenient for replacing frames of brood removed from the 

 nucleus, I noticed that a spider soon spun her web among 

 them, and that in a few days she had caught several bee 



moths. During the season I used this place as a receptacle 

 for empty combs, and never saw any indication that the bee 

 moths had deposited any eggs amongst them. Last year I 

 used the box in the same way, with similar results. Encou- 

 raged by this success, I left early last spring a number of 

 empty combs in hives untenanted by bees, and find them, 

 after repeated examinations, protected by spiders, and as 

 free from the depredations of the larva? of the bee moth as 

 though they had never been without the protection of the 

 strongest colonies of bees. 



Those who have kept pace with the progress of improved 

 bee culture, have long ceased to regard the bee moth as a 

 very formidable enemy to the successful rearing of bees. 

 Populous and well-provisioned stocks suffer only trifling 

 injuries from it, while those that fall a prey to it are usually 

 queenless, or in such a condition as to be worthless without 

 the aid of an experienced bee-keeper. The presence of the 

 bee moth is most to be deplored in the apiaries of the skilful, 

 because of the great difficulty of protecting empty combs 

 from the ravages of its offspring. The use of moveable 

 comb-hives enables the bee-keeper to turn to advantage 

 every piece of good comb taken from colonies which are 

 broken up, or to which any accident has happened, if such 

 combs can be preserved from the only insect known to live 

 upon wax. But if a single female moth gain access to these 

 combs after they are removed from the bees, or if only a 

 few eggs are deposited in them before their removal, the 

 worms, as soon as they hatch, begin to eat the combs, and 

 so rapid is their increase in hot weather, that in a short 

 time such combs are rendered entirely worthless. 



Both in Europe and this country many plans have been 

 devised for the safe-keeping of empty combs, but all of them 

 require more time and skill than bee-keepers usually have 

 at their disposal. Once committed, however, to the faithful 

 guardianship of the spider, they may be considered secure, 

 whether placed in empty hives, or in any special depository 

 made easily accessible to these watchful insects. If I found 

 the spiders at all dilatory in taking possession I should put 

 their egg-bags early in the season into the receptacles where 

 I keep my empty combs, or I should capture and introduce 

 some full-grown specimens ; but thus far any hive or box 

 placed on the ground, and having sufficient opening, has 

 been tenanted as early in the season as I could wish. — 

 L. L. Laxgstroth, in American Country Gentleman. 



OEE LETTEE BOX. 



Plumage of Black Duces {Buff Cochin). — Black Ducks should have no 

 ■white feathers, but few are without some, and they are more common round 

 the eye than on any other part of the plumage. If they were shown against 

 birds as good in other points, and lacking these defects, they would be 

 beaten. Old birds are far more subject to them than young ones. One or 

 two white feathers may be found in almost every bird of the breed, unless 

 they have been pulled out. If they are in all other respects prize birds, we 

 do not think you would be justified in returning them. 



Fowls with Shot in their Chops (Cecil). — There is no cure for the 

 case you mention— that is, there is no way of getting rid of the shots imme- 

 diately ; bnt unless they are swallowed in large numbers we do not see why 

 they should be fatal. 'Fowls are tenacious of life. They live with pins 

 in their gizzards. AVe have taken tin tacks out of them, and we should 

 think that if barley meal were mixed stiff, and they were fed on it, the 

 shots 'would pass away with it. Fowls will not pick up shots, and such 

 numbers as you mention must have been poured down the threat. They 

 will swallow anything that is put in their mouth if the beak be held 

 closed. 



Dorking Cock with Swollen- Feet { W. B. D. J..).— Tour Dorking 1 coclt 

 injured his feet in the fight so much, that they are too tender to carry his 

 heavy body. Ail you can do for him is to put him in seme place with one 

 hen where it is very soft grass. Failing that, let him have a small run 

 covered with hay. This is the only chance, as his weight is against him. 

 Feed him li .erally— bread and milk, bread and beer, and ground oats. 



Black Beetles (Annie). — Have you tried Chase's Beetle Poison ? It is 

 said to be very effectual. 



LONDON MARKETS.— October 10. 

 POULTRY. 

 The supply of poultry does not increase, as it mostly does at this season of 

 the year, there is, however, but a small demand, and little consequent 

 variation in price. 





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