August 12, 1836. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
145 
frightful has been the mortality during the months of August 
and September, when the aged bees, after bearing the brunt 
of the honey flow, are rapidly disappearing, and there are no 
young hatching out to fill their places. 
Stimulative feeding in autumn is not a success. It is 
cheaper—and the same object is attained—to add driven 
bees. For two reasons this is so, for by late stimulation the 
queen is exhausted and does not begin to lay so early and so 
freely in the following year, and the trouble to the bee¬ 
keeper is great, while the strain upon the worker bees is so 
heavy that a greatly increased mortality results at the time 
when feeding is actually going on, and insufficient brood 
is hatched to fill up the vacancies, and the vitality of the 
surviving bees is materially diminished, much to the detri¬ 
ment of the future prospects of the owner. Driven bees then 
had better be added to every stock not sufficiently strong to 
do without them, and how few these stocks are is almost 
incredible. Small populations may survive, but without a 
ceaseless care they will not gather surplus, and must, there¬ 
fore, fail to be profitable. 
The queen must be a good mother, and it is quite 
impossible to enter fully into the means of obtaining, 
securing, and introducing her into the hive at present, and 
these comments may, therefore, be concluded by adverting to 
the food supply, which must be “ bounteous.” Not merely 
sufficient to keep life in the frame, but to give the idea of 
prosperity; to give confidence to the bees, assurance to the 
queen, and no anxiety to the owner. Either syrup or honey 
may be used, and between the virtues of the one and the 
other there is little to choose. This I do say, that “sugar- 
fed ” stocks are the healthiest and most prosperous of any it 
has been my lot to possess ; and the result is always entirely 
satisfactory, although no particular attention be paid to the 
selection of queens. 
Those who will see that in the fast-approaching autumn 
their stocks are prepared after the manner continually 
advocated in these columns, may feel confident of possessing 
strong colonies in spring, and may see without apprehension 
keen frost and snow and wind, while those who prefer to go 
their own way will feel some anxiety and alarm if there 
should be a long continued winter and cold, blighting spring, 
preventing the bees from working outside, while from lack of 
stores they are not breeding in the hive. Bees are thrifty 
insects, and never thrive on “short commons.” Their 
masters too are occasionally economical, sometimes without 
being thrifty.— Felix. 
THE CALEDONIAN APIARIAN SOCIETY’S SHOW AT 
DUMFRIES. 
The above Society’s Show, under the auspices of the Highland and 
Agricultural Society, was held at Dumfries on the 27th, 28th, 29th, and 30th 
of July, under favourable but cold weather. The two first and the last 
days were fair ; the third day was wet and disagreeable. The temperature 
of the first morning ranged in places of my experience from 32° to 35°. 
Few weeks have passed throughout the season but the same temperature 
has prevailed more or less. The Show was a success, owing to the energy 
of the Honorary Secretary, Major R. J. Bennett. That gentleman devotes 
much time and spares no expense for the purpose of helping on the working 
classes to bett-r their condition by the aid of bees. The exhibits were 
numerous, the entries being 150. Some of them reflected great credit on 
the owners for their enterprise in being able to bring forward such grand 
displays in such an untoward season. The success of the Show was in a 
great measure due to the Messrs. M'Nally. Mr. E. M Nally, Rutherglen, 
deserves the first notice for his grand classified display of dried and fresh 
flowers and plants, amounting perhaps to 1000 specimens, including seeds 
of many of the same, together with the dates of their time of flowering and 
per-centage of honey yield. The exhibit consisted of two large volumes 
filled with them and others mounted on cardboard. These, together with 
the fresh flowers, nearly covered one side and end of the exhibition tent, 
which contrasted well with the opposite side, and its beautiful display of 
honey and honeycomb, tiered to a great height on graduated steps, setting 
it off to great advantage. The ornamental designs had a fine effect, and 
showed much taste on the part of the exhibitors, Messrs. M'Nally of Glen- 
luce and others, the former being the winners of first prize. 
The centre of the tent was filled with two large collections of hives and 
other appliances, owned by Mr. M'Nally of Glenluce and Mr. Steele of 
Dundee. The appliances consisted of both home and foreign manufactures 
of all that was necessaiy and unnecessary for the apiary. Some things 
were in the collections badly adapted for use in bee-husbandry, and 
some were superfluous. If bee-keeping could not be carried on before in¬ 
vesting in all that was shown there would indeed be but few cottager bee¬ 
keeper. Mr. M'Nally showed some prettily made Stewarton hives, and 
Mr. Steele an elaborate frame hive, by far too much so, and too weighty to 
become a popular hive. 
The Stewarton supers for the first time during the existence of (his Show 
were in the background, simply, however, on account of the low tempera¬ 
ture prevalent throughout the season. Dumfries people came to the front, 
the higher temperature of that locality having conduced to better filled 
glasses and more delicate comb, so the bellglasses took first honours, not¬ 
withstanding the fact that the Society discourages them. The honey 
throughout Dumfriesshire and Kirkcudbrightshire is of excellent quality, 
and from my experience cannot be surpassed, and is woith purchasing when 
extracted honey of some quarters is a glut in the market. There was 
much competition in the class for run honey. The three winning samples 
were indeed fine ; it was only a matter of taste, and tastes differ, that a 
decision could be arrived at. The awards in this class could have been 
reversed three times without anyone being able to find fault. The sections 
were well filled and pretty, the competition being very keen. 
In the class where the competition was confined to farmers’ wives and 
their daughters, many others competed, which I think unfair, as that class 
is specially set aside for the farmers who are shy to compete against practi¬ 
cal hands, and it is not asking too much for the Committee and exhibitors 
to abide by the printed rules of the Society. There were four exhibits of 
cakes made from honey, the first prize one being much superior to the 
others, but neither was so fine as those made and competed for by pro¬ 
fessional bakers at previous shows. The liqueurs were a failure, the prize 
being withheld. 
There were some fine examples of comb foundation, for which prizes 
might well be dispensed with. The observatory hives as usual did not 
show to advantage as they should do, by having the be s working in them 
at least one month before the Show, which would keep the bees quiet, and 
they would have the brood, honey, and pollen in their proper places, 
instead of having the combs so arranged as to cause the bees forming them¬ 
selves into detachments in attempting to cover th® scattered brood and 
keep it from perishing, which notwithstanding it often does in hives man¬ 
aged as they were at this Show. 
Hives were numerous, and in some cases excellent, but only one exhibitor 
conformed to the rules of the Society. In class 4, for the best frame hive 
for gener.il use, price not to exceed 20s., the awards according to the order 
of merit were, Messrs. Warnock & Walker, Blantyre, first; Mr. R. Steele, 
Dundee, second ; Mr. M'Nally, Glenluc 3 , third. But as neither of the two 
last-named had conformed to the rules they were disqualified, and in conse¬ 
quence of their dissatisfaction an umpire was called in, who cancelled all 
the Society’s prizes in that class and awarded an extra silver medal to the 
first prize one for its general excellence. For the most serviceable hive for 
general use and transmission to the heather, first and special, Messrs. 
Warnock & Walker; second and third, Mr. M'Nally. Mr. Steele in this 
class again had not conformed to the rules. For best and most complete 
frame hive at 7s. Gd : silver medal, Mr. M'Nally. This exhibit wa3 really a 
cheap hive. Mr. Steele was second, but there was no prize. 
For inventions or improvements in hives and appliances, the first prize 
was awarded to Warnock & Walker; and the Messrs. M'Nally equal second. 
The first-named showed a simple portable contrivance for fastening supers 
on hives while in transit ; two different forms of feeders, a dividing board, 
fitted so as to be easily closed or opened without the risk of killing or 
irritating the bees ; also the improved ventilating floor and stand, to be 
used when removing bees to the heather. Mr. M'Nally's exhibits consisted 
of an apparatus for hatching poultry on the top of the hive, a honey ripener, 
a patent tin for holding honey, an uncapping machine, a honey presser, &c. 
As these were not improvements in hives, but appliances not all the bona- 
fide, inventions of the exhibitors, ihe final decision was left over for the 
Committee to consider. The first prize for the best presBer for heather 
honey was awarded to Mr. M'Nally. This was a machine, however, 
from our knowledge of the difficulty of managing heather honey, will never 
give satisfaction. A very tidy and efficient instrument or machine from 
Mr. Hamilton of Braidwood was not forward at the time of judging, 
or would have been awarded first prize. The time has come when it 
would be judicious of the managers of shows to cease awarding prizes 
for things of that sort, unless when in competition at the work they are 
designed for. It is the only way the public will be satisfied with, and justice 
given to all concerned. Awarding prizes to hives of the same sort year 
after year without showing some decided improvement is a mistake, it is 
far better to give more prizes for the produce of the bees and comestibles 
made therefrom, and confine the tent to a place for exhibition only and not a 
sale shop, as persons were detected carrying goods away. Stewards should 
be appointed to look after the interests of exhibitors during the show, 
reserving one day, or part thereof, for the sale of goods. If that was done 
we should hear less clamour from the public as to the inconvenience caused 
by the crowding in the sale of goods. The society would be the benefiters 
if that plan was adopted, and the visitors would have some pleasure in 
inspecting the exhibits, which they paid for to see, and better harmony 
would prevail throughout. The Judges for the occasion were the Rev. R. 
Sanders, Tundergarth, Lockerbie ; Mr. James Anderson, Dairy, Ayrshire, 
and William Thomson, Blantyre, assisted by the Hon. Secretary, Major 
R. J. Bennett. The following are the awards with the exception of 
those stated above, and the driving of bees, the particulars of which we 
have not heard yet. 
Bees. —Specimen of British Bees— 1, R. M'Nally, Glenluce. 2, James 
Johnstone, Stirling. Specimen of Cyprian, Ligurian, or any other Foreign 
Bees—R. M'Nally. 
Hives. —Hive for observation purposes, all combs visible on both tides, 
stocked with Be s and their Queen, suitable either for summer or winter 
use—1st and Highland and Agricultural Society’s silver medal, R. M'Nally. 
Inventions or Improvements in Hives and Appliances—W. and R. M'Nally 
(equal). Straw Hives and Supers of any description—1, R. M'Nally. 2, W. 
M'Nally. 3, J. D. M'Nally. 
Comb Foundation. —Ten sheets of Comb Foundation made of pure bees¬ 
wax ; worker cells for stock hive ; and ten sheets thin for supers—1, W. 
Young, Perth. 2, R. M'Nally. Two cakes of Wax, weighing not les3 than 
4 lbs.—1, W. Templeton, Dumfries. 2, J. Smith, Dumfries. 3, R. Steel, 
Dundee. 
Honey. —Display of Honey and Honeycomb.— 1 and Highland and 
