JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 17, 1863. ] 
I 
SWARMING. 
1, Natural Smarming depends on the state of the hive. The 
state of the hive depends on the weather, the fertility of the queen, 
the number of young bees which went into winter quarters, and, 
among other minor causes, upon the 3ize of the hive. With pro¬ 
perly constructed hives the bee-master can generally regulate this 
natural tendency of bees to swarm. He can postpone the event, or 
sometimes prevent it altogether. But let us see what really takes 
place in a hive which is about to swarm. Governed by the various 
causes we have just named, swarming takes place from the end of 
April to the beginning of June—that is, for prime or first swarms. 
Later swarms or casts are sometimes sent off in July. 
The crowded state of the hive, bees clustering about the entrance 
or under the alighting boards, are outward visible signs that swarm¬ 
ing is at hand. The signs inside the hive will be—first, the restless 
state of the bees, their disinclination for work, and above all the 
presence of queen cells. These cells are commenced sometimes 
seven or eight days before swarming takes place. This is a wise 
arrangement, since after the mother has departed with the swarm 
there will be a period of something like a fortnight before any more 
eggs will be laid in the hive. By anticipating the departure of the 
Bwarm the period is lessened during which the hive is not only 
making no progress but going back. A succession of wet days will 
retard swarming, and a continuance of chilly wet weather will 
altogether prevent it for the season. Swarming may sometimes be 
prevented by cutting out all the newly-made queen cells. These 
are to be found generally down the ends or bottoms of the combs, 
but very often in the middle of combs, especially where pieces of 
the comb have been cut out for any purpose. 
We will suppose that the swarm comes forth. Mother queens 
nearly always leave with their swarms during the middle of the 
day— i.e., from ten to two o’clock. The bees sometimes alight on a 
small bush or other place from which they can be easily shaken off. 
But at other times they choose places which sorely try the courage 
and ingenuity of the young bee-keeper; covering with a thick coat 
of insect life a gatepost or a stone wall, or clinging in an expanded 
mass on a chimney, or settling under the thatch of a cottage or hay¬ 
stack, or far up on the topmost branch of a forest tree. All these 
positions have at times been chosen by our own bees. And then 
one reads of the swarm of bees who hung to a door-knocker, of 
another which took possession of a Hansom cab. But the comfort 
is on such trying occasions, that of all times bees are less inclined 
to use their stings during swarming. A bunch of grass, or 
a brush of Asparagus tops is a good brush to have with which to 
sweep bees off flat surfaces. The queen may often be easily picked out 
when in such a position, and can this be done the affair is much 
simplified. She should be seized by the wings, placed in the crown 
of a skep. As many bees as can be conveniently swept off should 
be dropped iuto the skep with her, the hive then inverted on the 
grass or earth close to the spot resting on two sticks laid flat on the 
ground. The bees which fall, as well as those left clinging, will 
soon discover her majesty and all cluster in a short time in the 
crown of the skep. If they are to remain in the straw hive it 
should be placed in its permanent position as soon as the majority 
of the bees have entered. The few stragglers will either find it out 
or return to the parent hive. Much time is saved by bee keepers 
who get their swarms on their stands as quickly as possible. It will 
be seen by watching that bees are sent off foraging very soon after 
the cluster is formed in the hive. Old-fashioned bee-keepers used 
to leave the swarms under the bush or hedge or other place where 
hived until evening. The bees thus left took their bearings for 
this spot, and the next day many bees were found hovering around, 
vainly looking for the hive which was there the day before, and 
which they left without taking notice of its removal in the 
morning. 
If the bees are to be placed in a bar-frame hive there is nothing 
better than a zinc pail for the purpose of either pouring them out 
in front of the hive lifted up slightly on two wedges, or for pouring 
them into the body of the hive, the dummy having been drawn 
back, or a few frames having been lifted out previously. It will be 
found that bees run out like water from the pail to which they have 
no power to cling. We have always recommended feeding swarms 
for a few days after hiving. Nothing is lost, but rather there is a 
great gain got by the bee-keeper who feeds until his hive is well 
supplied with comb. It is difficult to give much foundation to bees 
in a skep, but in a bar-frame hive full sheets of foundation can be 
given, which will be filled out by the bees in a much shorter time 
415 
than they would otherwise take, and with very little expenditure of 
honey for making the comb. We have watched bees filling out 
the foundation in glass hives, and it is surprising what an amount 
of work a strong colony does in twenty-four hours. It is our 
intention this season to experiment with two hives peopled the 
same day with swarms as nearly as possible under equal conditions 
as to age of queens and weight of swarms, only one shall be 
supplied with full sheets of foundation and one left to build their 
own combs entirely themselves. The result shall be duly placed 
before the readers of this Journal, all being well.—P. H. P. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
James Dickson & Sons, Newton Nurseries, Chester .—Stove and 
Greenhouse Plants. 
F. W. & H. Stansfield, Sale, near Manchester .—List of British 
Ilardy , Exotic, and Greenhouse Ferns. 
J. Cheal & Sons, Lowfield Nursery, Crawley, Sussex .—List of 
Florists' Flowers and Bedding Plants. 
mmmm 
Y 
TO CORRESPONDENTS 
*** 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. 
Grubs in Garden (5. C., Cheshire ').—The grubs you have sent are larvae 
of the Daddy-longlegs, Tipula oleracea. They are highly destructive in gardens 
and difficult to extirpate. We have nothing to add to the reply we gave to 
“ W. T. W.,” on page 393 last week. 
Hollyhocks Unhealthy (S. S., Darlington ).—The discoloration of the 
leaves is, we think, the result of the late inclement weather, and they are not, 
so far as we could perceive in their crushed and dried state, attacked by the 
disease which is often so destructive later in the season. The specimens, how¬ 
ever, did not arrive in a condition to be satisfactorily examined. If you send 
others at any time please pack them in a small box of some kind. 
Piptanthus nepalensis (Flora ).—Your plant is a native of India, but 
at an elevation enabling it to endure the English winters in most parts of the 
island, and it will undoubtedly be safe against a wall in Devonshire. In our 
issue for June 22nd, 1882, page 507, we figured a spray of this shrub from a 
specimen at Sheffield, where it succeeds well. It is popularly known as the 
Evergreen Laburnum. 
A Double-spathed Calla (J. TF.).— We have seen many specimens 
similar to that you sent; indeed, some have the two spathes nearly of equal size, 
but they are certainly less beautiful than the ordinary forms, and only worth 
preservation as a curiosity. Such occurrences cannot be accounted for accord¬ 
ing to any definite rule, but any kind of check to vigorous plants will frequently 
result in the production of abnormal growth or malformed organs. 
Culture of Ophrys aranifera (Somerset ).—If you intend growing it out 
of doors prepare a shady and moist, but not too wet, position for it, placing 
some peat, sand, and leaf soil together to form a suitable compost. This also 
will do if the plant is grown in a pot, but then care must be exercised to insure 
that it does not become too dry. 
Manure for Mushroom Beds (J. W., Chester ).—Your friend is quite 
right; manure is not good for Mushrooms that is obtained from stables in which 
the horses have been fed largely on Carrots. You will find this more fully 
stated in Mr. Wright’s treatise, also the right kind of manure, and best mode of 
preparing it for the beds. No crops are more easy to grow than Mushrooms, pro¬ 
vided suitable manure, good spawn, and the other requisites of success are 
provided. Head the treatise mentioned, which you can have post free from this 
office in return from Id. in stamps. 
Early-flowering Hardy Perennials (E. T.H .).—-There are numerous 
plants that would be suitable for the purpose you name, and of all the following 
seeds can be purchased, but several, such ns Adonis vernalis, are preferably 
obtained as roots :—Alyssum saxatile, Anemones, Aubrietia deltoidea and 
A. grseca, double Daisies, Erysimum pulchellum, Helleborus niger, both the 
Iberises you name, Myosotis dissitiflora, M. sylvatica and M. alpestris, Violas 
Tory (blue), and Yellow Perfection. Of course, if you wish to include biennials 
as well you should grow Wallflowers, Sweet Williams, and Canterbury Bells, 
while Primroses, Polyanthuses, and Alpine Auriculas would form valuable 
additions. 
Crystallising Strawberries (Frcigaria ).—Strawberries are very delicate 
fruits for the purpose you name, and it is very difficult to crystallise them satis¬ 
factorily. The usual method is to place them in a slowly boiling mixture of 
sugar and water, allowing them to simmer slightly for a short time until the 
fruit is tender. They are then removed and dipped into a syrup composed of 
