JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
566 
[ December 16, 1880. 
moth be dropped into a hive “ the rapid dispatch ” that it receives 
at once tells the tale of the fate of those that are grasped as they 
run the gauntlet. An entrance is, however, gained, sometimes 
even in strong and often in weak hives. The moth within with 
wondrous quickness deposits the eggs, from which in three or 
four days in a warm temperature emerge minute grubs, the first 
care of which is to spin over themselves tubes of gossamer, from 
which the head protrudes, and the work of eating the material of the 
comb at once begins. These larvae are of dirty white colour, and 
have very long characteristic bristles standing out from their 
sides much like cats’ “ smellers ” in general arrangement. These 
bristles retain the insect in the centre of its tube-like web, and 
not only act as a protection in preventing the bees from getting 
directly at it, but hold it in the tube, even if the direction of the 
latter be perpendicular, without any effort on the insect’s part. 
These hairs, nevertheless, admit of easy progression by that 
segmental contraction which all must have noticed in the cater¬ 
pillar. Those that find their quarters on the floor do but little 
mischief, as they reach out after the debris of wax scales and 
cappings, always dropping in a hive in which breeding is in rapid 
progress, and the necessary comb-cleaning and repairing produces 
a shower of chips which provides them all necessary sustenance. 
But the case is far different with those tunnelling in the very 
midrib of the combs; as they progress, their covering tube is 
elongated, while into its fibres are worked the dejectamenta of the 
insect itself. They seek out pollen cells and bore at their base, 
and pass through and destroy many of the grubs, if they do not 
actually eat any part of those that lie in their path. The bees 
find difficulties, as we have already seen, in removing the crea¬ 
tures protected by their web-like trail; but in strong colonies 
where all the combs are peopled, the grubs are promptly dis¬ 
covered and cut bodily out, repair quickly following their ejection. 
It is only in weak, queenless, or discouraged stocks that the wax 
moth has a chance of working much mischief : but here often it 
will so carve and weaken the combs that they will fall and become 
a complete prey to the invader, which will ere long bring them to a 
shapeless mass of grubs, cocoons, debris, trail-web, and unclean¬ 
ness. From what has been seen it is clear that the cure for the wax 
moth is “strong stocks,” while combs removed from the bees must, 
in the absence of their natural defenders, receive some protection. 
Combs exposed to a freezing temperature will have the eggs of 
Galleridm within them destroyed, while the fumes of sulphur will 
have the same effect. They should now be well covered in a box 
until the season has advanced too far for the moth to be abroad, 
when all will go well. Combs partially destroyed may yet be of 
assistance to a swarm, but in this case all webs should be cut 
out. Those who know the value of foundation will not, however, 
be likely to adopt this course. 
After three-weeks feeding the grub discontinues eating, and 
seeks a place of safety in which it may build its shroud and await 
its transformation. It would appear that tke time passed as a 
chrysalis greatly varies according to the temperature and season, 
those spinning late in autumn remaining as nymphs the whole of 
the winter. It is thus fortunate that they are not produced at the 
time the bees are unable to act on the defensive. 
Besides the wax moth, comb, especially if it have about it some 
nitrogenous matter, is liable to be attacked by one of the Acaridae. 
They sometimes locate themselves in comb honey put by for 
market, and work sad mischief. Their presence may be known 
by a collection of dirty yellowish coarse dust, looking not unlike 
the result of the labours of the cheese mite. If this be examined 
microscopically it will be found to consist of dejectamenta, comb- 
scrapings, and exuviae crammed with the insects in various stages. 
They are, of course, produced from eggs, and have at first— i.e., in 
their larval stage, six legs only, but after five or six moults these 
have increased to eight perfectly developed ones. The abdomen 
is unsegmented, and very long bristle-like hairs keep the insects 
sufficiently free of the mass in which they pass their existence. 
They are nearly colourless, and when fully grown measure about 
the one-fiftieth of an inch in length. Some specimens of abnormal 
combs which I valued have unfortunately been considerably injured 
by this Acarus.—F. Cheshire, Avenue Rouse, Acton. 
IMPROVED STRAW HIVES. 
On page 474 “A. P.” suggests some improvements in the straw 
hive so that comb foundation may be used in them. This may be 
accomplished by constructing them on the Stewarton principle. 
I think that no straw hive should have a fixed top. I made one 
with the top separate, and secured it to the sides with string. I 
could then take out the comb with the greatest ease without 
breaking it by turning the hive on its crown, cutting the string, 
removing the cross sticks, running a knife round the sides, then 
lifting off the hive, separating the comb from the crown, and 
letting the comb recline on a dish held by the side of it. There 
is no occasion to touch the comb with the hands when emptying 
the hive. This moveable top then suggested the double straw 
hive. I made another 15 inches wide inside that would fit in it, 
thus forming a hive with a double wall. The bees in this hive 
swarmed ten days sooner than my other two, which I attribute 
to its being warmer, as the others had only covering on the top. 
It can be used as two hives in the summer. 
The next step was to make a bar-frame straw hive 1G4 inches 
wide, holding five frames 14 by 7 inches. This hive is in two parts. 
Where the frames are it is 8 inches deep, the top part being 
4 inches when fixed together. I call it the improved Pettigrew 
hive 16^ inches by 12 inches. The season being so bad here in 
Yorkshire, a first swarm has only filled the frames and one side 
of the bottom part of the hive. The top part I have filled with 
warm material. The other I have made is a bar-frame hive. The 
frames are 14 by 9 inches. It holds five frames ; the side combs 
are also moveable. This hive I have tried with natural foundation, 
as I have no artificial. The mode adopted in fixing is very simple. 
The joiner made the top bars with a groove a quarter of an inch 
wide and deep. One side of the groove is in the centre of the bar. 
I placed the foundation in the groove and fastened it with a strip 
of wood three-sixteenths of an inch square, with one corner taken 
off to act as a wedge. It answered admirably. Those who would 
like to try comb foundation in these straw hives should try 
this plan with bars. After the foundation is fixed in the bars 
secure them in the crown of the hive at the proper distance.— 
A Gardener. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON. 
Lafc. Sl o 32 , 40'’ N.; Long. 0° 8 0" W.; Altitude,111 feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAT. 
1880. 
• O 
Hygrome- 
G . 
C+* ( . 
Shade Tem- 
Radiation 
G 
ter. 
+3 G 
Sr* 
perature. 
Temperature. 
aS 
p$ 
Dec. 
5 & 
G 
In 
On 
^ S a 
Dry. 
Wet. 
So 
H 
Max. 
Min. 
sun. 
grass. 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
In. 
Sun. 5 
30.507 
47.9 
45.3 
N.W. 
43.0 
52.0 
41.8 
68.1 
33.4 
— 
Mon. 0 
30.407 
48.8 
47.9 
w.s.w. 
43.8 
52.8 
46.0 
63.2 
42.2 
— 
Tues. 7 
30.611 
47.8 
43.7 
N.N.W. 
44.7 
51.3 
45.9 
56.7 
42.S 
— 
Wed. 8 
30.616 
47.8 
4G.7 
IV. 
45.1 
50.3 
46.2 
52.9 
39.6 
— 
Thurs. 9 
30.434 
47.7 
46.6 
W.N.W 
45.2 
52.0 
45.5 
63.0 
40.0 
— 
Friday 10 
30.287 
51.4 
49.4 
W. 
45.0 
56.5 
43.3 
87.0 
38.7 
— 
Satur. 11 
30.321 
86.4 
35.8 
N.N.W. 
44.7 
50.3 
34.3 
56.2 
80.6 
— 
Means. 
80.434 
46.8 
45.5 
44.5 
52.2 
43.3 
63.9 
88.1 
— 
REMARKS. 
6 th.—Mild with good deal of cloud ; sunshine at intervals, and very fine 
sunset. 
6th.—Fine pleasant spring-like day. 
7th.—Cloudy ; not much sun ; fair and mild. 
8th.—Fair but overcast; rather cold wind. 
9th.—Fine and mild sunshine in forenoon ; moonlight night. 
10th.—Slightly overcast in middle of day, otherwise very fine and mild with 
bright sunshine; lunar halo 11 r.M. 
11th.—Fair and much colder with good deal of cloud; bright moonlight evening. 
Extraordinarily mild, the temperature about the same as the average of 
October, and actually warmer than some weeks in October of this year. 
Barometer very high and no rain.— G. J. SYMONS. 
COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— DECEMBER 16. 
Large arrivals of Canadian Apples this week, but the fruit has been seriously 
injured by frost, consequently much has been sold at a heavy loss. Trade very 
quiet, with a demand for good samples of Grapes only. 
FRUIT. 
8. 
d. 
8. d. 
8. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
Apples. 
£ sieve 
2 
6 to 4 6 
Melons . 
each 
0 
OtoO 
0 
Apricots. 
box 
0 
0 
0 0 
Nectarines.. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Vr fb. 
0 
0 
0 0 
Oranges .... 
100 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Chestnuts. 
bushel 12 
0 
16 0 
Peaches .... 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Figs. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 0 
Pears, kitchen .. 
dozen 
2 
0 
8 
0 
rb . 
0 
0 
0 0 
dessert .... 
dozen 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Cobs. 
IP- tb 
2 
0 
0 0 
Pine Apples 
.... 
IP-lb 
1 
0 
s 
6 
Gooseberries .... 
i sieve 
0 
0 
0 0 
Plums . 
£ sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Grapes . 
It* lb 
2 
0 
5 0 
Walnuts ... 
bushel 
0 
0 
0 
0 
3^100 12 
0 
18 0 
ditto . 
IP-100 
0 
0 
0 
0 
VEGETABLES. 
8. 
d. 
8. (1. 
s. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
2 
0 to 4 0 
Mushrooms 
dozen 
■» 
0 to 1 
6 
Asparagus. 
bundle 
0 
0 
0 0 
Mustard* Cress .. 
punnet 
0 
s 
0 
s 
Beans,Kidney.... 
w lb. 
0 
0 
0 0 
Onions. 
bushel 
8 
6 
6 
0 
Beet, Red. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 0 
pickling .. 
quart 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Broccoli. 
bundle 
0 
9 
1 6 
Parsley. 
doz.bunche8 
6 
0 
0 
0 
Brussels Sprouts.. 
i sieve 
1 
9 
2 0 
Parsnips .... 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Cabbage. 
dozen 
0 
6 
1 0 
Peas . 
quart 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Carrots. 
bunch 
0 
4 
0 6 
Potatoes .... 
bushel 
8 
9 
4 
0 
Capsicums. 
IP- 100 
1 
6 
2 0 
Kidney.... 
bushel 
4 
0 
4 
6 
Cauliflowers . 
dozen 
0 
0 
8 6 
Radishes. ... 
doz .bunches 
1 
6 
2 
0 
1 
6 
2 0 
Rhubarb .... 
bundle 0 
4 
0 
0 
Coleworts _ doz. bunches 
2 
0 
4 0 
Salsafy . 
bundle 
1 
0 
0 
0 
0 
4 
0 6 
bundle 
1 
6 
0 
0 
1 
0 
2 0 
Seakale .... 
basket 
8 
0 
8 
6 
0 
3 
0 0 
Shallots .... 
lb. 
0 
3 
• 
0 
Garlic . 
^ tb. 
0 
6 
0 0 
Spinach .... 
bushel 
8 
0 
0 
0 
Herbs . 
bunch 
0 
2 
0 0 
Turnips . 
bunch 
0 
4 
0 
• 
Leeks . 
hunch 0 
8 
0 4 
Vegetable Marrows 
each 0 
2 
0 
0 
