346 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
[ April 27, 1893. 
queen cells in their various stages, but, of course, containing drones 
only. I at once made a search for the queen, and removed her, 
knowing at a glance she was a virgin, throwing her carelessly 
upon the alighting board until I arranged the hive, then found her 
in the lower division. Had I been a novice, or a pupil under the 
modern school, could the inspection of that hive done other than 
prompted the following questions :—Am I being misled ? how 
comes all this brood in these hives without stimulative feeding ? 
why any bees at all ? and how is it possible that in the clusters of 
queen cells raised the queen regnant could have deposited eggs in 
them ? 
In one hive the brood for queen-rearing was taken from a 
Punic prime swarm of 1892 completely filled with brood, newly 
gathered honey, and pollen ; scarcely an empty cell, bees and 
drones hatching in great numlDers. A second one in a Stewarton 
hive of three boxes, ready for supering ; and the third one, the 
drone breeder ; neither of them having been fed, yet they are full 
of brood, and overflowing with young bees, as are most of my 
other hives. It must therefore be conceded that my bees are 
either different from those of the moderns, or are better managed, 
or that they must acknowledge that “ stimulative ” feeding is a 
fad. 
Another point, unfertilised queens deposit eggs at first in drone 
cells, and when these are filled they lay in the worker cel's one egg 
as regularly as if they had mated. When the bees were few I 
have witnessed a departure from this, which but proves the rule. 
On the contrary, fertile workers or imperfect queens incline to lay 
in worker cells first in an irregular manner, an experienced 
person being perfectly able by a glance to know which he has to 
deal with. 
The drone breeder was a stock hive having sent off a swarm 
about the middle of June, 1892, besides having four of its brood 
combs removed. When inspected the hive had evidently lost few 
of its bees, which are now nearly ten months old. According to 
many of our modern bee-keepers they ought to have been dead last 
August. They will be living months hence. 
Two Queens in One Hive. 
In addition to the above letters I have several inquiring about 
the two queens in one hive system, while some writers term it the 
“ Wells ” system. I have never observed that Mr. Wells claimed 
it as his system. It has been so described by others who either 
knew, or ought to have known, that the system is not, and that it 
did not originate with Mr. Wells. The foregoing are facts, afford¬ 
ing matter for study and reflection. 
Working two queens in one hive is at least half a century old. 
The keeping of stocks on the twin system originated in Scotland 
as a preservative of bees during winter before the wintering 
problem was solved. We can with perfect safety, with our 
system of ventilation winter very weak stocks. For example, a 
nucleus that was started 1st August last year, with not more than 
from 300 to 400 bees and brood cells combined, has with only 
9 lbs. of sugar wintered, and is doing well. Bee-keepers, there¬ 
fore, need not be apprehensive for the safety of their bees during 
severe winters when our instructions have been carried out. 
The telescopic and convertible Lanarkshire hive, lately ex¬ 
plained, was specially made for working two queens in one hive, 
but it had its drawbacks in some respects ; it was uiisuitable for 
moving to and from the Heather, although it was easily converted 
into a storifier. How much more unsuitable then for that purpose 
will a one-storeyed hive large enough for two prolific queens be ? 
The bee-keeper to be successful ought to be prepared for every 
contingency. Huge hives tenanted with two queens are sure to 
swarm. When the bees of both queens are allowed to intermix 
indiscriminately extra hives must be in readiness. 
With two Lanarkshire storifying hives in full strength a little 
before the commencement of the honey flow, and a little precau¬ 
tion to have both lots of bees gorged, they and the combs are 
united into one hive, with the exception o£ a nucleus, if desired, for 
raising, or rather nursing, a future queen. The young bees, after 
the two hives are joined, will be hatching from the cells in a 
greater ratio than the queen regnant can replace with eggs. These 
are simply the outlines of a system long and successfully practised. 
It must also be borne in mini that the advantage is not always on 
the side of the strong hive. In a poor honey season like 1892 the 
stronger the hive the less the honey. I can speak advisedly upon 
the subject and system I have so long practised ; therefore, nothing 
is tentative with me, as it is with those who are claiming to be the 
diffusers of a “new” system.—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
Early Swarming. 
Thinking it may interest some of your readers who are 
interested in bees, I can say that on April 21st I had a good swarm 
of bees from an old-fashioned straw skep. As it is far earlier 
than ever I had one before in my experience of over forty 
years of bee-keeping, I thought it might interest someone.— 
A. Aldridge, Farm, Petersham. 
•^•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 correspondents, as doing so subjects them to 
unjustifiable trouble and expense. 
Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions 
relating to Gardening and those on 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. 
Calceolarias Diseased (S'. F.'). — The disease is of a fungoid 
nature, and some varieties are more liable to injury than others. The 
plants sent have been much overcrowded, favouring the affection. 
Wednesday morning’s letters can only be answered briefly, if at all, in 
the current issue. 
Definition of a Cottager (^B, and B .').—In some districts persons 
who do not pay more than a given amount in rent, and in others those 
who do not receive more than a stated amount in wages, are regarded as 
cottagers for purposes of exhibiting at shows. The amounts in both 
cases depend on the custom of localities. 
Culture of Gasterlas (J. S.).—Gasterias belong to the Aloe 
section of the Lily worts. They are very neat plants for a succulent 
collection. They will do well in a house kept from 45° in winter to. 
60° and more in summer. They flourish best in sandy loam with a 
little peat and very rotten dry cowdung, and some lime rubbish and 
broken bricks—say, two parts sandy loam, half a part of cowdung, and 
half a part of broken bricks and lime rubbish. The chief care they 
require is to keep them almost quite dry when in a state of rest in 
winter. If the pots stand on a damp stone or damp gravel they will 
absorb enough moisture in the dark months. 
The Plstachla Wut (A. L, B.'). —So common and so much esteemed 
in the south of Europe, is the produce of Pistachia vera, a tree about 
15 feet high, obtained originally from Syria, but now extensively culti¬ 
vated in Spain, Italy, the south of France, and Sicily. The fruit is of 
the size and shape of an Olive, but convex on one side and concave on 
the other, and with a rougher surface. It has a tender, crimson-coloured 
pulp, which is rather sparing, and encloses a nut which opens with two 
valves, disclosing a greenish kernel covered with a red pellicle. These 
nuts are sweet and agreeable ; they enter into the composition of ragoffts 
and other dishes, and are used for flavouring ices and creams, besides 
being preserved incrusted in sugar and other forms of confectionery. 
The best come from Arabia and Syria, but large quantities are exported 
from Sicily. They are said to be very nourishing and wholesome. 
Destroying Slugs (T. P.).—The most simple and effectual method 
with which we are acquainted is to water the beds where the pests are 
so destructive with lime water ; but it must be applied when they are 
feeding after dark, not when they are hiding in the daytime. A peck of 
“ shells ” or lumps of lime will be sufficient for thirty gallons of water, 
and it should stand to get clear. Slaked or powdered lime is of no use. 
There are scarcely any plants that will be injured by the Hme water ; 
on the contrary, the majority will be benefited by it, especially Box. If 
a line of moist tar can be spread between the orchard and flowers slugs 
will not cross it. If you will repeat your question relative to spring¬ 
flowering plants, and state whether you require them for growing in 
pots under glass or for planting in the garden, your letter shall have our 
attention. The lime water should be applied through a rosed watering 
pot, and it will destroy all the slugs that are drenched with it. 
IVIarket Prices (i)/. I. B.'). — You ask “ if the Covent Garden 
quotations given weekly are reliable, and actually obtained by salesmen 
and commission agents for their customers.” The prices are as reliable 
as can be given for representing the average. The amounts are actually 
obtained by salesmen who, of course, deduct commission in remitting 
to the growers. But you must understand that the prices given are not 
the lowest on the one hand nor the highest on the other. Large con¬ 
signments of so-called “ goods ” reach the market that are scarcely 
disposable at any price, and we have known salesmen send every penny 
they have obtained to the consigners with an intimation that no further 
supplies are needed. Some produce is essentially inferior, some is good, 
