450 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Novon.bor 13, 188<. 
the tired queen’s behaviour, make preparations for swarming:', 
but which does not always take place, as they seem satisfied if 
the queen regnant be deposed and the supernumerary ones be 
destroyed. The same thing occurs where bees are fed whose 
queen has previously done her summer’s work. If the summers 
would come as we wish we would never feed bees at all, but as it 
is we stimulate only to prevent eggs and grub being destroyed, 
and feed in a proper manner and at a proper time when want 
looms in the distance. 
The next question to be considered is that of swarms un¬ 
settling. It is a well-known fact that bees previous to swarming 
search out for a future home. Their keenness of scent Lads 
them at once to beeless and queenless hives and recesses con¬ 
taining combs, which they prefer to empty hives, and from which 
they w'ill abscond to those containing combs which they had 
previously found and cleaned. While bees are fond of taking 
possession of furnished houses there ai’C times that they disre¬ 
gard comfort and ignore their future well-being by hiving in 
the most unlikely places and building combs therein, such as 1 
have often witnessed in a hedge or on a branch of a high tree 
where they were fully exposed to the storm. 
One remarkable instance of bees swarming into an old build¬ 
ing situated at Leadhills —the highest inhabited place in Scot¬ 
land, being about 1280 feet above sea level—took place three 
years ago, that year being one of the worst on record, the bees 
being in absolute starvation; yet this swarm not only left its 
parent hive, but flew froui a much lower altitude to that height 
and a distance of five miles, in which p osition it survived for two 
seasons. The only solution I can offer is that, as is often the 
case, these hilly districts escape much of the prevailing storms, 
and so favoured the bees in finding a tract of llowers with an 
immunity from rain. 
Swarms do not settle well where there aie more than one 
queen either from the parent hive or a strange one. Stranger 
bees have the same effect. They encase the queen at once, and 
then a general commotion takes place. Under these circum¬ 
stances the queen should be searched for and caged until quiet 
is restored, or give the bees something that will cause them to 
look after their own business This 1 do, and am often success¬ 
ful. I saturate some material with carbo ic acid and push it into 
the hive, then close it a little, when the queen is instantly set 
at liberty. A feed of syrup will sometimes prevent a swarm 
absconding when the bees have issued from a poor hive in a bad 
season. Bees with empty stomachs do not cai-e to be housed in 
an empty hive. 
The joining of two or more swarms together is one that 
requires care and consideration. As a rule bees defend their 
stores, and while they are so doing defend their queen. It is for 
the former that bees attempt invasion, but it is a fact that it is 
the latter that suffers first. Kill the queen, and you disarm her 
subjects or give more courage to the invaders. Bees ai-e very 
jealous of strangers whether with or without a queen; hence 
there is always a difficulty of joining bees to a weak swarm, for 
the one will defend and the other enters, but re'uctant y when 
a queen is present, and when they do so through jealousy kill 
every bee and queen, even the syruping and scenting has been 
faithfully carried out. 
A very old custom Is joining swarms with peameal being 
liberally strewn upon both lots, but in this I never had much 
faith. About a month since I visited a successful operator, who 
assured me that it never failed. The bees in combed hive were 
first sprinkled, then the driven bees at some time subjected to 
a severe shaking, then fell on to the other hive. The floorboard was 
then quickly placed over the whole and the hive put in position, 
when, as the expert said, “There it is; I never saw it fail.” 
“What ai’e the bees pouring out at the door so much for?” 
“ They always do that for a litt e,” was the rejoinder. “ Do they 
come back P” “ Wait and I would see.” As they seemed to me 
to be already out I had on y to wait their backcoming, which 
was to a hive not intended for doubling purposes, while c'usters 
hung about everywhere with but little intention of going back, 
while some entered other hives to be slaughtered. I had the 
rest of the driven bees presented me, which I utilised in a more 
satisfactory manner. Just as we see success attending the 
merest tyro in introducing queens to stranger bees, who in turn 
tell us that precautions are unnecessary to success, even though 
I have after the greatest care been unsuccessful, and have found 
that joining swarms requires caution a'so, notwithstanding the 
success of the inexperienced by haphazard manipulations. 
The only sure method of joining alien queens to bees is to 
put the raising of a young queen beyond their power, then 
after twenty-four hours caging in close proximity to the bees, 
they will, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, accept them, 
rovided stninger bees are not present. There are but two ways 
1 know of successfully joining two swarms. The one is to have 
both bees filled with syrup or honey; the other is to put both lots 
into separate empty hi' es, then mix the two, either with or without 
sugar. The foregoing will perhaps enlighten “ W. G. P.,” and I 
will now answer his direct questions, but before doing so may 
state that the returning of swarms to the parent stock is one 
that can only be successfully accomplished after the queen or 
queens of the swarm have been killed, and all but one in the 
stock hive. 
In reply to the first question, “ Why do you require a very 
light floor?” I answer. Because the box of itself is light, neces¬ 
sary for hiving bees in out-of-way places, as well as for conve¬ 
nience in carrying a swarm some distance. The reason that it is 
moveable and “ not fast,” is because if it were fast the bees could 
not be placed into it, there being no other opening. When the 
crown is closed, which is in three or more pieces pivoted on end 
a quarter of an inch or so from one edge, which makes them 
stronger (being wrought on the solid crown pieces) and allows 
holes for their reception to be a little from top edge of box. 
These crown pieces are cut short the width of the box to prevent 
crushing bees in their downfall, when the wire that keeps them 
up is withdrawn. A facing of wood is nailed on the top edge of 
the box to cover opening, so that bees cannot escape, being 
necessary that the crown is close, the wire keeping the flap- 
boards up, and regulates their falling when withdrawn. There 
is not the slightest danger of bees being killed with these light 
flaps when they fall djwn, as they must not press upon any part 
of the box. In fact, when the bees are in it they to a great 
extent keep up the Haps, and fall gradually, so that no bees ai e 
injured. Perha; s the foregoing description will obviate the 
neceisity of a woodcut, but if desired I will have a drawing 
prepared. Bee houses and sheds should be made so as to acco¬ 
modate many hives in little space without confusion. Frames of 
honey are very useful for giving to weak hives that require it and 
are backward in feeding; otherwise, I prefer, when feeding is 
necessary, to feed every hive separately, as then combs are built 
fitting each other better than when transferred from other hives 
which cause irregularities; 77 lbs. su pers and extracted honey from 
each stock is very good.— Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Corry, Soper, Fowler itr Co., 18, Finsbury Street, London, E.C.— Illus¬ 
trated Trade List of Garden Appliances, 
Spratts Patent, Henry Street, London .—Illustrated Price List cf Dog, 
Poultry, and Pigeon Appliances. 
*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. ^V’e 
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 Bee subjects, and should never 
send more than two or three questions at once. All articles in¬ 
tended 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 reiected communications. 
Books (A. Spiering). —Sutherland’s “Haidy Herbaceous and Alpine 
Flowers” and Yilmorm’s “Fleurs de Pleine 'Terre.” There has been no 
comprehensive work published on trees and shrubs since “ Loudon’s Ency- 
clojiaidia,” except Htmsley’s|Tran.«lation of Decaisne and Naudin, published 
by Messrs. Longman. We presume you know Koch’s “ Dendrologie,” 
published by Enke of Erlangen. 
Aphides on Pink Roots {F. W. S .).—The box arrived broken, and the 
root perfectly dried, no insects being visible, having “ shrivelled to nothing¬ 
ness.” We can suggest no other remedy than a solution of petroleum or helle¬ 
bore. Half a wineglassful or a little more of petroleum mixed in a gallon of 
soapsuds would act as a manure rather than otherwise, and might eradicate 
the insects; or 2 ozs. of hellebore powder made into a creamy paste with 
hot water, then mixed in a gallon of soft water and applied, might have the 
same effect. If you try eiihtr of these remedies we shall be glad to hear 
the results. 
Cutting Down Chrysanthemums (W. IP. H'.L—We presume you refer 
