478 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [June 8, ms. 
cells. After this the bees will Dot swarm first due clay, even if 
clusters of bees are hanging outside. A few days of honey weather 
encourage the bees, cause them to set queens again, and when 
this is done swarms will be sent off in a few days. 
Though swarming is a natural instinct of bees they shrink from 
it in unsuitable weather. Even in the act of swarming a black 
cloud or a shower of rain discourages them so much that they fail 
to carry out their arrangements. It is a misfortune to both bees 
and bee-master if swarming takes place in unfavourable weather. 
Bees take food enough at this time to last three days only ; if the 
weather remain longer unfavourable they suffer much and die if 
not fed artificially. 
When bees are about to swarm we find the hive crowded and 
its combs are full of brood. The queen and about two-thirds of 
the population are about to emigrate. Ample preparations have 
been made internally for the important event. Eggs have been 
placed in royal cells ; young queens are on the way, and will 
come to perfection eight or ten days after their mother has 
departed with the swarm. The thirty thousand bees that will go 
with the queen have their honey bags well filled. Outside the 
hive a place has been found for the swarm to alight on and rest 
awhile, and scouts from the hive may be seen going to and fro. 
Outside workers stay at home for a while. There is an apparent 
lull amongst the bees, and when the moment arrives there is a 
rush of bees. 
Iu hot seasons swarms are not so large as they are in seasons of 
a different character. In hot weather bees do not sit so closely 
together, and honey in the comb contracts the space of the hives, 
whereas hives with little honey in them have both more bees and 
brood in them ; and it should be known that bees in large hives 
seldom cluster outside before swarming, whereas in small hives 
they almost always do so. Why this is so cannot be explained 
with any degree of certainty ; and why swarms settle and rest 
awhile on the branches of trees before they seek more comfortable 
places is a question more interesting to the naturalist than im¬ 
portant to the bee-keeper. 
First swarms of course take pregnant queens with them, and 
leave eggs or grubs in royal cells, which become princesses in a 
few days after. When they arrive at maturity piping may be 
heard, and second swarms may be expected in a few days. One 
princess goes with a second swaim and one remains in the old 
hive. Second swarms are considerably smaller than the first, and 
therefore less valuable. They have another disadvantage —viz., 
their queens are unfertilised, and one or two weeks pass before 
they begin to lay. 
A correspondent wants to know how 7 artificial swarms are taken. 
There are various modes. The one we practise is very simple. 
As soon as a hive is full enough for swarming we blow some 
fustian smoke amongst the bees, turn up the hive, and place it on 
its crown a few yards from the stand, place an empty hive over 
the other, roll a tablecloth round the junction of the two, drum 
on the bottom hive for four minutes only, unroll the cloth, take 
off the swarm and place it on the board, then remove the old 
hive to another board, and the work is done. If there is space 
in the garden the two should be separated some yards right and 
left of the old stand. This system has been practised by us for 
fifty years, and it answers most satisfactorily.—A. Pettigrew, 
Bowclon. 
BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION. 
BEE HIVES, HONEY, &c„ AT THE BATH AND WEST OP ENGLAND 
AGRICULTURAL SHOW. 
The Cardiff local Committee, in disposing of the funds at their 
command, wisely determined to give the Committee of the Eritish Bee¬ 
keepers’ Association a grant to enable them to offer prizes for hives 
and other appliances, and to give displays of manipulations, accom¬ 
panied by lectures in the bee tent. The entries for observatory and 
the better class of moveable frame hives were small, but the classes 
for hives at 15s. and 10*. G d. were very good. Mr. A. Blake of Dal- 
linghoe, Wickham Market, Suffolk, secured the first prizes in all 
three classes for frame hives, the second prize for the better class 
of hives being awarded to Mr. A. Pettigrew of The Castle Gardens, 
Cardiff. 
In the class of hives for general use the second prize was awarded 
to Mr. .T. E. Willshire of Seinington. near Trowbridge ; and the third 
to Mr. G. Morris, Partridge Green, Sussex. The second prize in the 
class for cottagers’ hive, at 10s. (id., wasawaided to Mr. W. Lonsdale, 
Lurgan, Ireland ; and the third to Mr. T. W. Cowan, Horsham. 
Mr. G. Wooldridge of Horsham, Sussex, was awarded first prizes 
for an excellent display of appliances and comb foundation. The 
prize for observatory hives was awarded to Mr. S. J. Baldwin, 
Bromley, Kent. 
The display's and lectures in the bee tent excited considerable 
interest, and proved a great feature of att: action in the show ground. 
Bee-keeping in Wales is in a most primitive state. With few excep¬ 
tions the residents are entirely ignorant of modern and improved 
methods. Great superstition prevails, and in many cases visitors to 
the Exhibition left the bee tent with the impression of the expert 
possessing some supernatural powers over the bees. Great difficulty 
was experienced in obtaining bees for lecturing purposes, the owners 
considering it an omen of ill luck to sell them. One lady asserted 
that an equivalent to the value of the bees must be given in corn, 
and another could receive nothing save cheese made in Glamorgan¬ 
shire. These difficulties w'ere, however, overcome by the kindly 
influence of Mr. A. Pettigrew of The Castle Gardens, Cardiff, himself 
an advanced bee-keeper, who was most assiduous in his labours to 
promote the success of the Exhibition. The Cardiff local Committee 
and the British Bee-keepers’ Association are greatly indebted to Mr. 
Pettigrew for his kind assistance in promoting the success of this 
department of the Show. Mr. S. J. Baldwin acted as expert. The 
Rev. H. R. Peel, Mr. T. W. Cowan, and Mr. J. M. Hooker were in 
attendance during the Show to give advice and assistance to the 
many hundreds of visitors who sought information upon the subject. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS 
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*** All correspondence should be directed either to “The Editor’’ 
or to “ The Publisher.” Letters addressed to Dr. Hogg or 
members of the staff often remain unopened unavoidably. We 
request that no one will write privately to any of our correspon¬ 
dents, as doing so subjects them to unjustifiable trouble and 
expense. 
Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions relat¬ 
ing to Gardening and those on Poultry and Bee subjects, and 
should never send more than two or three questions at once. All 
articles intended for insertion should be written on one side of 
the paper only. We cannot reply to questions through the post,, 
and we do not undertake to return rejected communications. 
Address (J I. 7?.).—Write to Mr. Cannell, The Nursery, Swanley, Kent, from 
whom, we think, you can obtain what you require. 
Green Gooseberries (II. S. E.). —One of the best and most useful varie¬ 
ties in general cultivation is Whitesmith. It is a good grower and great 
bearer, while it affords green fruit early. It is largely grown in Kent for 
market purposes. 
Boilers (F. Joyce). —There are several boilers of the kind you name, and so 
far as we know all of them answer well when properly fixed and the pipes from 
them are sufficient and correctly arranged. We never recommend any par¬ 
ticular apparatus, as the selection of a boiler depends on circumstances of which 
we are necessarily ignoraut. 
Stopping Vine Laterals (J. P.). —You allude to the sub-laterals or 
axillary growths that are produced by the fruit-bearing shoots. The “ usual ” 
practice is to stop them immediately a small leaf has formed, and to continue 
doing so throughout the season. This is a safe method. We have often removed 
the growths entirely, but could perceive no advantage arise from the practice 
except when the principal laterals were too crowded, and the foliage could not 
obtain sufficient light without the removal of the smaller growths and leaves. 
Cucumbers Damping (J. A.).—We presume only a portion of the in¬ 
cipient fruits decay', the remainder swelling freely. In that case we do not attri¬ 
bute the decay to the Cucumber disease, but either to defective ventilation or 
fertilisation or to overcropping the plants. When none of the young fruits are 
removed some of them, when very numerous, are almost sure to decay instead 
of swelling ; still, not many will do so under skilful management. You do not 
indicate the treatment to which your plants are subjected, and we can therefore 
only give a suggestive reply. 
Ammoniacal Liquor for Gardens (J. M. Ii .).—It is a good fertiliser , 
but as it varies in streugth it must be used cautiously. As a rule it is safe for 
most crops when diluted with six parts of water, and applied between the rows, 
not on the plants. Some time ago a correspondent described how lie destroyed 
the caterpillars on his Gooseberry bushes with gas liquor. We quote his re¬ 
marks—“ To every gallon of the liquor I put five gallons of watts - , and boiled it 
all together ; then 1 syringed my Gooseberry trees all over with the liquor as 
hot as I could bear my hand in it. The following evening I syringed with warm 
water, and am very rejoiced to say the trees were not only uninjured but looked 
refreshed and the caterpillars destroyed. I gave my Roses the same washing, 
and find them looking well after it.” 
Applying Gas Lime (A. D .).—It may be applied to land a little prior to 
inserting the crop, at the rate of twenty bushels per acre, distributing it equally 
over the surface,and ploughing or digging-in before sowing or planting. Double 
the quantity may be applied in autumn if the ground is not required for crop¬ 
ping before spring. A ton of gas lime is a sufficient quantity to mix with ten 
tons of soil. Thoroughly mix the lime with the soil, turn it over once or twice, 
and apply as a top-dressing to grass land at the rate of ten or twelve loads per 
acre. Gas lime is a hydro-sulphuiei of lime with a little ammonia. 
Inarching Vines (Amateur). —Inarching is better than budding or graft¬ 
ing ; it is the surest method and most easily performed. Join young wood to 
young wood when it is green, cut a slice of each shoot to half its diameter, and 
tie the two together firmly with a strip of matting. The two shoots should be 
fastened together both above and beiow the union. In three weeks undo the 
fastenings, and tie another strip of matting round a little more loosely. The 
two edges must fit together, at least on one side. 
Peach Trees Dying (.4 Subordinate). —If the trees are not old and 
