October PO, 1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
349 
Clover. Swarms during the first week hived in large skeps, and 
therefore were not helped with foundation, had from 40 lbs. 
to 80 lbs. of honey, and casts in the second and third week had from 
10 lbs. to 20 lbs., while old stock hives had fully sufficient to last 
them till next June. These figures apply chiefly to skeps and 
native black bees too, and as I had most of the swarms and casts 
for driving, the contents (honey and wax) were nett profit. 
Bar-frame hives did not come up so well, although they were 
worked on the non-swarming system, the reason of this being 
they are colder than skeps. They did not mature so many of the 
April-laid eggs, therefore they were not at all equal in numbers of 
bees with skeps, and only yielded from 40 lbs. to 50 lbs. surplus. 
Had July been the best honey month as usual, what with empty 
combs and the extractor, no doubt frame hives would have left the 
skeps behind. The bees of those pupils of the “ B. B. J.” were be¬ 
ginning to approach swarming condition at the end of the month— 
hives being quite full of brood—when they put on the supers, 
expecting with such hot weather the greatest Clover honey harvest 
known, but a month’s cloudless sky had dried the ground around 
of all honey-producing plants. Thus it continued, no rain, no 
honey, the bees doing nothing but soiling combs with propolis until 
August 15th, at which date I had fully given up all thoughts of 
getting any Heather honey, as the moors were in full bloom and no 
bees working. Then it began to rain a little day by day till the 
20th, when it had soaked into the dust-like soil about 4 inches. In 
the evening the glass began to go up and so did my hopes, for I 
began to make all at home safe for travelling to the Heather, which 
was not completed until the church clocks had chimed Sunday 
morning (the 21st). The afternoon being more promising, I took 
a walk to see those stocks which had been at the Heather all August, 
and found them bringing in a little Heather honey. Monday, the 
22nd, I hired a dray for the evening to take the whole, and when I 
went to secure the entrances I found them returning in clouds 
from the moors loaded with Heather honey. The moors are fully 
five miles from my apiary to its nearest edge, and the bees had to 
make a rise of over 500 feet. This is no new experience with me, 
as every time the Heather has yielded in profusion for years all bees 
within six miles have brought in Heather honey during settled days. 
The “ B. B. J.” has lately been preaching that bees never travel more 
than two miles, and it has quoted numbers of authorities (?) to 
prove, or rather support, their assertion. One correspondent and 
the editor advises setting bees down right in the midst of the 
Heather. Just remember that the moors are practically roadless. 
I formerly used to put them down on its edge, but never again shall 
I do it. I now with more experience (dearly bought) place them a 
mile at least from it, and give them also a rise of nearly 500 feet. 
The reason I do so I intend to explain fully in another article. 
This enables me to visit them by train. I can go there and back 
before breakfast. 
But to return. I safely took the bees as soon as they had 
settled, and placed them four miles nearer in about a straight line 
between the apiary and the moors. Judge of my surprise on 
visiting the apiary next morning to find many thousands of bees 
flying about loaded with Heather honey. They were taken four miles 
at midnight, then they had another mile to fly to the moors, and 
from there they found their way back five to six miles. Some of the 
“ B. B. J.” people will perhaps explain this on their two-mile theory. 
Bees had returned from all stocks except pure Cyprians (l had no 
pure Syrians at the time), native blacks, Carniolians, Syrian hybrids, 
and Punic. I procured a queen, fixed up an empty hive, put in the 
queen, and all the bees began to collect and settle in it, and at 
night I found they were equal to a big swarm, and day after day 
they worked to and from the moors. The fine weather lasted just 
seven days, during which time the bees quite filled all their combs 
with honey. I never saw Heather honey so thick when freshly 
gathered, or combs so quickly filled. One stock of Syrian—black 
hybrids, first cross, and which I have always regarded as the best kind 
of bees for extracted honey—increased in weight over GO lbs. This 
was when I brought them home, and as they had reared a lot of 
brood, no doubt they made 10 lbs. per day. Cyprians pure did very 
well, so did Carniolians. Taking into consideration their strength, a 
small stock of Punic bees, which seem to be pure, though I thought 
at first they were hybrid—the queen was one of this year’s and 
mated in a nucleus of native bees, some may have been left (aged 
and of a dark colour) — has gathered the most honey and bred the 
most young bees for winter. I found all brood hatched out Sep¬ 
tember 30th. Last year the old queen was laying heavily on 
November 9th. This race, I believe, will take the lead in all 
apiaries not worked for comb honey ; for which purpose Carniolians 
will beat them, as they use so much propolis, causing the combs to 
have a dirty appearance. This makes them tougher, and is an advan¬ 
tage when worked for extracted. I have previously pointed out 
the extraordinary hardiness of this race of bees. Whether their 
extra honey-collecting qualities result from this peculiarity, result¬ 
ing in fewer bees being chilled to death when out from home, cr 
longer lived, or their great determination to have honey whenever 
possible, I have not yet determined ; probably all three qualities 
have to do with it. 
One peculiarity of the season has been the total absence of 
black honey in the hives. Some say it is “ honeydew.” I have 
always affirmed it to be Blackberry honey, which I determined by 
catching and dissecting the bees working on that kind of blossom.. 
This year Limes, Maples, Oaks, and Black Currants have been 
covered with it, yet bees preferred to starve rather than collect a 
bit, while the Blackberries failed along with Limes to yield honey 
on account of the drought. I have never seen bees collecting 
honeydew, and surely they had every inducement to do so the past, 
season. Those who still think the black honey comes from it will 
oblige by accounting for its absence this year. 
Bees generally are in good order for winter without feeding, 
except late swarms upwards of six miles off the Heather; all within. 
that distance are in splendid order as regards bees and honey. Most 
have learned a sharp lesson to use larger hives in future, nor do 
skepists feel inclined to adopt the frame hive, for they certainly 
have reaped by far and away the greatest rate of profit on capital 
and labour, proving much what the late Mr. Pettigrew so ably 
taught in these columns. — A Hallamshire Bee-keeper. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
James Dickson and Sons, Newton Nurseries, Chester.— Select Ease?, 
1887 8. 
E. P. D'xon and Sons, Hull .—Catalogue of Rosen, Tre-s, and Shrubs. 
L. Spa k, Btrlir .—General Catalogue, 
° 0 ° 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 un¬ 
avoidably. 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 communica¬ 
tions. 
NAMING FRUIT —The attention of senders of fruit to be named, 
is respectfully directed to the intimation near the foot of page 351. 
The Horticultural Benefit Society ( A Member). — We had seen tie 
report to which you direct our attention. It was undoubtedly taken from 
our columns but reproduced fully and in that aspect fairly, and we make 
no complaint if it served a good purpose, and will assist a good cause. 
Dendrobium Dalhousieanum (A. IK.).—It is doubtful if you will sucoee? 
in inducing the plant to flower so much ea lier than its usual time without 
a season or two’s preparation. Endeavour to ripen the growth by full 
exposure to light, rest the plant in a cooler house, and then introduce it to. 
heat. The flowers are produced on the old pseudo bulbs which you ap¬ 
parently refer to as spikes. By promoting an early growth and ripening 
you may cause the plrnt to flower eat her than usual, but scarcely to the. 
extent you anticipate. 
Age When Seeds Cease to Germinate (W. D.). —There is a long list in 
Johnson’s “ Science and Practice of Gardening.” We extract the following 
from it:—“ One year : Peas. Beans, Kidney Beans, Carrot, Parsnip, Oraeheq 
Herb-Patience, Rhubarb, Elm, Poplar, and Willow. Two years : Radi h, 
Salsafy, Srorzonera, Purslane, the Alliums, Cardoon, Rampion, Alhander, 
Love Apple, Capsicum, E'g-plant. Three years : Seakale, Ariichoke, 
Lettuce, Marigold, Rue, Rosemary. Four years : Brassicas, Skirret, 
Spinach, Asparagus, Endive, Mustard, Tarragon, Borage. Five and six 
years : Burnet, Sorrel, Par.-ley, Dill, Fennel, Chervil, Hyssop. Ten years : 
Beet, Celery, Pompion, Cucumber, Melon.” 
Caterpillars on Ash (G. S. Banff). —The caterp'llars sent are those of 
the dusky Thorn, Ennomos fuecantaiia, a rather local species of mo'h. They 
had evidently placed themselves und r the bark in order to form their 
cocoons, in which they would remain as pupae through the winter, the moths 
appealing during the sumaer. It is not generdly found on any tree 
except, the Ash of which the caterpillars eat tie 1 ave-', cn*t : ng roundish 
holes i i th m. ■ ut seldom occu r ng in any abundance. Spr.nUl ng soot 
freely about the r ots h s been 6ervneab e, and watering with tojaecj 
