JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
386 
[ October 21, 1880. 
meat landed "at Liverpool last week from tlie United States and 
Canada. The total arrivals were 2738 cattle, 1223 sheep, 1072 pigs, 
5798 quarters of beef, 355 carcases of mutton, and 125 dead pigs. y 
THE ROUTINE OF BEE MANAGEMENT. 
Feeding bees at some seasons has of late years been necessary 
and important. Those who have attended properly to this work 
have been the most successful and have had but few, if any, losses 
by death from starvation. If any of the readers of the Journal 
have not given their bees enough to keep them till March, we 
advise them to do so as soon as possible. Autumn feeding in my 
opinion should be completed in September for more than one 
reason. The quieter bees are after September ends the better, 
The quieter they are the less honey they consume. Feeding 
excites bees to fly abroad, and in doing so many hives may be lost 
during cold or inclement weather, and feeding often excites the 
bees to set eggs widely in mild autumn weather. Cold weather 
may come and cause the bees to draw themselves within the lines 
or limits of their brood, and thus leave it to be chilled to death. 
Foul brood results, and ultimately the ruin of the bees, from 
feeding at untimely seasons. Hives this autumn are, generally 
speaking, strong in bees, which have during the last few weeks 
consumed much of their winter stores. In mild winters and open 
weather the bees in very strong hives require or eat from 12 to 15 lbs. 
of stores from the middle of September till the middle of March. 
The bees of small and weak hives will not consume half so much. 
Feeding now should be completed speedily, for slow continuous 
feeding may cause the evils which have been indicated above. 
While autumnal feeding is going on the doors of hives should be 
contracted, in order to prevent robber bees from entering and 
extracting the honey. 
After feeding has been completed, the boards of hives should be 
well cleaned. The wax moth, next to foul brood, is a destructive 
pest in apiaries. It has been said that Langstroth recommended 
wooden hives because the wax moth could find no resting place in 
them ; but it is now well known that the wax moth is no respecter 
of hives, and breeds as fast in wooden as in straw hives. The 
scales of wax that drop on the boards of hives are gathered 
together and form nests for the maggots of the moth. If either 
earthenware or iron vessels used for feeding purposes be left for a 
short time on the centres of the floor boards, young moths will 
soon be found beneath them as well as round the edges of the 
hives. The maggots of the moth feed on their nests—viz., the 
fallen or lost scales of wax, till they are able to crawl to and lay 
hold of the combs of the hives. Amongst the combs the maggots 
make sad havoc, for they live upon pure wax and consume much 
of it. Unfortunately the bees tolerate and permit the presence 
of the wax moth in their hives, and seem not to know that it is a 
destructive enemy living on their produce. Hives in summer 
should be often lifted off the boards, in order to destroy all the 
maggots of the moth before they are able to go amongst the 
combs. At the present season all the floorboards of hives should 
be well scraped and cleaned ; and if at all wet from rain or the 
absorbed moisture of the hives it is important that they should be 
well dried. 
Covering hives well and warmly for the winter months is the 
finishing work of the apiary, and though last in time is not least 
in importance. My preaching on this point is better than my 
practice, for my hives are never sufficiently covered in winter and 
spring. A quantity of material of some kind is necessary to 
cover sixty large hives. Bees are tiny fragile creatures and 
require attention in cold weather. Both cold and wet are hurtful 
to them. Hives should have good warm under-coverings, and their 
outer coverings should be waterproof. Not a drop of rain should 
be allowed to touch either hives or boards after September, for if 
either hives or boards are damp in winter frost may convert the 
moisture into ice. Hives in bee houses are easily kept dry and 
warm in winter, and hence my prejudices against bee houses grow 
less and less. The protection of a good warm covering should 
be given to hives either with or without bee houses, and such 
covering should not be removed altogether from hives till the end 
of April. In recommending warm covering for hives in winter, 
I once unwisely said that a woolly sheepskin turned inside out 
would be a model cover for a bee hive in winter. In doing so my 
aim was to convey the idea of warmth, though I knew that the 
leather of the skin, or the skin itself, would prevent the moisture 
of the hive from escaping. And this seeming blunder of mine 
was pointed out by an advanced bee-keeper. All covers of hives 
should be porous enough to let the moisture of hives pass through ; 
otherwise it would be condensed, keep the hives damp, and do 
harm. Warmth, dryness, and ventilation should all be con¬ 
sidered in covering hives for winter and spring.—A. Pettigrew. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Keeping Fowls—Leg Weakness (/. W. S .).—Your questions cover a 
great deal of ground, and to answer them all fully would be to write a small 
treatise on poultry. The crosses which you have are very bad. First crosses 
are for certain purposes good, but to cross crossbred fowls again with others 
crossbred is a bad plan. Your stock, too, is evidently of a delicate strain, and we 
advise you entirely to get rid of it, except the Game cock and Brahma hens. In 
the place of your other hens you might well obtain some strong Dorking pullets. 
The first cross from these and the Game cock should be excellent for all 
purposes. The situation of your poultry house and run appears very good, but 
we often find that birds reared on very rank herbage seem to lack stamina, and 
are often weak in the legs. Put plenty of grit and mortar rubbish about their 
place. The staggering probably indicates liver complaint, which is incurable, 
and the sneezing general weakness. Your stock being what it is we do not 
think it worth a long system of physic. Before, however, introducing fresh 
birds disinfect the house thoroughly, and lime the grass about it thickly. 
Feeding Poultry (Mrs. Lucas ).—Our theory has always been the same, 
and it has stood the test of many years of breeding. It is during the period of 
growth to feed as well as possible, in order to supply the means of increase. 
Although in most instances pullets cease to grow when they begin to lay ; but 
the furnishing of plumage and the filling-out of frame then begins, and although 
growth ceases there is a constant increase of weight. Many amateurs consider 
spare feeding that which we should call luxurious. Scantily fed chickens cannot 
make large hens. 
Fowls not Laying (F. T., Berks ).—Hens will not regularly lay in the 
winter; only pullets can be depended upon to do so. You should therefore keep 
some early pullets every year to provide you with eggs in the winter. As a rule 
fowls do not like Oats. You must feed differently. Have your Oats ground fine 
•—so fine that the meal will make dough, like flour. You must take nothing from 
it, but grind husk and all. Give them some whole Barley for a change, and once 
a week a few boiled Potatoes. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lafc. 51°32'40"N.; Long. 0° 8'0" W.; Altitude,111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAT. 
•UPGI 
1880. 
Oct. 
1 Barome- 
! ter at 32° 
| and Sea 
1 Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
Temp, of 
Soil at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
On 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sun. 10 
29.915 
51.2 
51.0 
N.W. 
53.2 
53.7 
50.2 
61.2 
50.2 
0.113 
Mon. 11 
30.275 
50.2 
48.5 
N.E. 
53.0 
60.6 
45.1 
110.6 
42.3 
0.074 
Tues. 12 
30.168 
49.9 
40.7 
N. 
52.3 
54.9 
43.6 
101.3 
38.3 
0.034 
Wed. 13 
30.255 
50.9 
47.9 
N.E. 
51.4 
57.5 
43.3 
102.0 
37.6 
— 
Thurs. 14 
30.405 
48.1 
44.4 
N.N.E. 
51.4 
53.5 
45.1 
87.6 
44.3 
_ 
Friday 15 
30.312 
40.8 
40.3 
N.E. 
50.0 
53.3 
33.9 
70.0 
29.9 
— 
Satur. 16 
30.081 
50.3 
49.0 
N.E. 
49.2 
54.0 
40.7 
60.2 
36.7 
— 
Means. 
30.202 
48.8 
46.0 
5L.5 
55.4 
43.1 
85.1 
39.9 
0.221 
REMARKS. 
10th.—Rain more or less all day. i 
11th.—Very fine morning, with bright sunshine ; afternoon cloudy, heavy shower 
4 p.m. ; fine evening. 
12th.—Fine bright morning ; rain at noon till 3 P.M., fine afterwards, and cold. 
13th.—Fine, bright, and cool. 
14th.—Overcast first part of morning; fine with bright sunshine after 11 A.M.; 
fog in evening. 
15th.—Foggy morning ; cold overcast day. 
16th.—Early morning fine ; slight rain in forenoon; afternoon and evening fine 
but dull. 
A bright week on the whole, but foggy at times on the last two days. Tem¬ 
perature rather below the average.—G. J. STMONS. 
COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— OCTOBER 20. 
PEACIIES and Pines have been in request during the past week, and prices 
have considerably improved. Best samples of Grapes have also realised better 
prices, but business has been generally quiet. American Apples are now reach¬ 
ing us in large quantities, and making their full value. 
FRUIT. 
s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. 
Apples. 
Apricots. 
Cherries. 
Chestnuts. 
Figs. 
Filberts.... 
Cobs.... 
Gooseberries .... 
Grapes . 
Lemons. 
i sieve 2 6 to 4 6 
box 00 00 
^ ft. 0 0 0 0 
bushel 12 0 16 0 
dozen 06 10 
%5-ft. 16 18 
V ft 1 6 18 
£ sieve 0 0 0 0 
Ifft 10 3 6 
$n00 12 0 18 0 
Melons . 
Nectarines. 
Oranges . 
Peaches . 
Pears, kitchen .. 
dessert . 
Pine Apples .... 
Plums . 
Walnuts . 
ditto .. 
each 2 0 to 4 o 
dozen 00 00 
If 100 0 0 0 0 
dozen 12 0 18 0 
dozen 00 00 
dozen 20 40 
¥>■ ft 3 0 4 0 
1 sieve 2 6 4 6 
bushel 0 0 0 0 
¥■100 0 0 0 0 
VEGETABLES. 
S. d. s. d. 
Artichokes. dozen 2 0to4 0 
Asparagus. bundle 0 0 0 0 
Beans,Kidney.... ^ ft. 0 0 0 6 
Beet,Red. dozen 10 2 0 
Broccoli. bundle 0 9 16 
Brussels Sprouts.. £ sieve 19 2 3 
Cabbage. dozen 0 6 10 
Carrots. bunch 0 4 0 6 
Capsicums. If 100 1 6 2 0 
Cauliflowers. dozen 0 0 3 6 
Celery . bundle 16 2 0 
Coleworts_doz. bunches 2 0 4 0 
Cucumbers. each 0 4 0 6 
Endive. dozen 10 2 0 
Fennel. bunch 0 3 0 0 
Garlic . ^ ft. 0 6 0 0 
Herbs . bunch o 2 0 0 
Leeks. bunch 0 3 0 4 
s. d. s. d. 
Mushrooms . dozen 1 Oto 1 6 
Mustard & Cress .. punnet 0 2 0 3 
Onions. bushel 3 6 5 9 
pickling. quart 0 0 0 0 
Parsley. doz. bunches 6 0 0 0 
Parsnips. dozen 10 2 0 
Peas . quart 0 0 0 0 
Potatoes. bushel 3 9 4 0 
Kidney. bushel 4 0 0 6 
Radishes_ doz .bunches 16 2 0 
Rhubarb. bundle 0 4 0 0 
Salsafy. bundle 10 0 0 
Scorzonera . bundle 16 0 0 
Seakale . basket 0 0 0 0 
Shallots . ^ ft 0 3 0 0 
Spinach . bushel 3 0 0 0 
Turnips. bunch 0 4 0 0 
Vegetable Marrows each 0 2 0 0 
