June 14,1883. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 503 
situated at a great disadvantage by having newly-planted premises, 
and by being exposed to the gales and driving rains from the south¬ 
west. These sweeping over miles of open moorland caused us 
great annoyance and much trouble, taking the roofs off our hives 
unless heavily weighted and secured, and causing the water to be 
driven through the smallest aperture—a veritable damper both to 
the bees and to our own energies. 
Under these circumstances a bee shed was decided on, and after 
thinking well over the matter we decided to place on brick footings 
a strong wooden erection, well soaked with boiling tar in which 
sulphate of zinc was dissolved. The roof was made steep and 
deeply thatched with heather with well-overhanging eaves. 
Eafters thrown across support a platform overhead where all kinds 
of apparatus can be stored away dry and warm. The house is 
square, and will, when full, contain thirty-six hives in two tiers. 
Flaps which can he opened wide in summer and closed tightly in 
rough weather, and in winter leaving only a slit for entrance, are 
hung on strong butts, two on each of the four sides of the house. 
A window slung on pivots on the south-east side, and a similar 
fanlight over the door, give ample light. The shelves to receive the 
hives are made of tongue and grooved well-seasoned deals an inch 
thick, and floor-boards may be dispensed with if we wish, as will 
also the heavy covers of the bar-framed hives. 
We shall still continue to make our hive boxes as described in 
the Journal last winter. We formerly kept some of our hives in a 
shed and some out of doors under shelter of a high hedge ; and 
although there are some objections to bee-sheds there are many 
points which can be urged in their favour, and some of our best 
stocks in former days we kept under cover. Well, our shed was 
ready early in May, and we had for the last fortnight been carrying 
out our plan of removal. We wished to have all our stocks housed 
before taking swarms. There were seven stocks to be got into the 
house, and they stood in two rows, four and three, some 5 yards 
apart both ways. We commenced by moving every hive about 
2 yards towards the house, both lines advancing together. Many 
bees flew about the spots from which the hives were removed on 
the following morning, but all soon discovered their respective 
hives and not a bee was lost. 
Every alternate night after all bees had returned home we con¬ 
tinued the same plan, advancing every hive an equal distance and 
keeping the same order in the two rows. After some eight or ten 
removals the advanced rank reached the position on a line with the 
front of the shed, and now a corner was to be turned, as we wished 
to people the lower shelf on the south side of the house first, and 
the bees had been advancing from the north side of it. There was 
no doubt that the order in which the hives stood and which had not 
been changed up to this time had assisted the bees in quickly settling 
down to their new positions after each advance. But this order must 
now be broken, and the squadron extend into single line on their 
advance to their respective positions. 
In order to assist the bees we now employed a distinctive mark 
for each hive. On the cover of one we tacked a sheet of white 
calico, on a second a strip of oilcloth, painted blue ; on a third we 
laid some bright red tiles, &c. When the bees had become accus¬ 
tomed to these decorations we proceeded cautiously to elongate the 
line, turning the corner of the house with the first hive of the front 
row, and each night following on until the four were in position 
along the east side of the shed. The three forming the back row 
then advanced together until they stood in the same straight line 
with the four and all parallel with the east side of the house. 
During these advances we were careful to watch the effect on the 
hces. They left the hives each morning, for the weather was very 
fine throughout, without apparently marking any change in their 
positions. When they first returned they showed signs of 
bewilderment, settling with their loads of pollen on the spots from 
which the hives had been removed. This would show that a bee 
does not mark his hive entirely by its appearance. Surely some as 
yet unexplained power is possessed by her which directs her 
straight to the spot where she has been accustomed to enter. We 
cannot explain what this extraordinary homing faculty is. It is not 
altogether attributable to sight or scent, for either of these senses 
would have directed the bee at once to the entrance of the well- 
marked hive which had only been moved 5 or 6 feet. Most of 
the incoming labourers rested on the old spot, and after a few 
seconds again mounted into the air and seemed to be taking notice 
of the removal and fresh bearings to guide them in the future. The 
one and all ultimately entered the right hive. The only loss was 
that of a little time spent in finding and marking the new position. 
By gradual removals the extended line was now turned round the 
south-east corner, and the first four hives alternately gained the 
exact position in fiont of the lower flap behind which they would 
permanently stand. As each gained its place it was removed the 
same evening inside the house, and so placed on the platform that 
its floor-board projected well over the flight-board. Its distinctive 
mark, whether white, blue, red, or whatever it might be, was 
fastened over the flap, so as conspicuously to mark the place of 
entrance. Everything happened as before ; the bees settled on the 
ground in front of the entrance, but soon mounted, and after the 
usual survey entered the proper aperture. Hive after hive was 
treated in the same way. All are now safely located, excepting 
two, which will be taken in to-day and to-morrow. 
We noted that after the first few hours of each day the bees 
seemed all to have marked their new quarters, and the work of the 
hive went on as if nothing has happened. Two hives would have 
swarmed during the operations, but by abstracting brood and giving 
extra room we managed to delay this event. It is now our inten¬ 
tion to take two strong swarms of equal weight, headed by queens 
of the same age, and to all appearance of equal fertility. We shall 
endeavour to give both swarms the same amount of care and en¬ 
couragement in every way save one. Mr. Pettigrew believes that 
bees will build comb from food or collected honey as quickly with¬ 
out as with foundation. We intend to provide one swarm with full 
sheets of foundation and to give only strips as guides to the other. 
We know that an exact account of the progress of these hives 
will be acceptable to many, and we shall take constant notes and 
weighings in order to prove what to us is a foregone conclusion— 
viz., the great utility and saving of honey and time foundation is 
to bees and bee-master.—P. H. P. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Thomas S. Ware, Tottenham .—Catalogues of Single and Double 
Dahlias , Choice Hardy Perennials , and Florists’ Flowers. 
Kane, Kells, Meath .—List of Bedding Plants. 
Charles Leicester, Crompton Road, Macclesfield .—Catalogue of 
Gooseberries, Fruit Trees, Florists’ Flowers, and Miscellaneous Plants. 
O* f 
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. 
A Mushroom Farm (H. C., Sheffield). —You will find your question fully 
answered in the work on Mushrooms, which you have by this time received. 
Repotting Peach Tree—Horn Shavings (It. II. B). —We cannot 
reply to your letter so fully as is desirable until next week. 
Horticultural Shows (E. If.). —We are greatly obliged by your letter 
containing corrections, suggestions, and additions, all of which shall have the 
attention they merit. 
Tomatoes (W. Hawley). —We are glad our advice to you proved useful. 
The fruits you have sent are very fine indeed and most creditable to the culti¬ 
vator, but the variety is certainly not Vick’s Criterion. 
Correspondence (A. Hunt ).—A postcard was sent to you to 27, King 
Street, Covent Garden, the address given at the head of your letter, but it has 
been returned to us. If you will send your proper address we will communicate 
with you. 
Roses for Market (IV. S.). —Without some more definite particulars as 
to the date when the article appeared we cannot give the precise information 
you require; but in addition to Isabella Sprunt the useful variety Niphetos 
should be tried, as that is grown in large quantities in some market gardens, 
particularly at Mr. Ladd’s of Bexley Heath. Madame Falcot is also a favourite 
for buttonholes. 
The Manna Aeh (E. K .).— Fraxinus Ornus (Ornus europaea), the Flower¬ 
ing or Manna Ash, is a native of Italy and Sicily, and from this and F. rotundi- 
folia the substance termed manna is obtained. It is the concrete juice of both 
these trees which exudes after wounding the bark. Manna is a gentle tonic, 
usually mild, but in some cases producing flatulence and pain. 
Orange Fungus on Roses (J. P. T.). — Your Roses are attacked by this 
destructive parasite. Relative to its extirpation we have nothing to add to a 
reply we gave on page 481 last week to 11 W. H. W.,” except that if the reme¬ 
dies there suggested fail you might try the application of sulphur prepared as 
described by Mr. Iggulden on the page quoted in our reply to “ G. L.” Apply 
liquid manure to the roots of your Roses copiously. 
White Pink (T. Bush). —We have grown the variety you have sent, but do 
