370 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
f October 18, 1888. 
result. Children must first creep, then walk, and afterwards run. 
A novice in bee-keeping is in exactly the same position, and if he 
tries to run while he is hardly able to creep the fall of that 
novice will be great, and his lamentation exceedingly loud. He has 
only himself to blame and must bear the loss, consoling himself by 
the knowledge that he will learn by experience. We do not desire 
to discourage the ardent bee-keeper, but only to warn him not to 
rush headlong into trouble. When he has a little experience, and 
begins to feel his legs, then he may begin to play antics and 
perform those feats which men who have the full use of their 
limbs are able to accomplish ; but in the beginning his pace 
must be slow and sure, and though he may think the way some¬ 
what long and weary, he will discover that the shorter road is often 
the longest to him who does not know the country over which he 
lias to pass.— Felix. 
NOTES ON BEES. 
AT THE HE ATHER. 
Since the discussion last year as to how far bees should be 
placed from or near to the Heather I have been experimenting 
•and taking evidence on the subject. Bees placed a quarter of a 
mile from it gathered 6 lbs. more than those did a mile further 
away. One hundred hives standing right in the Heather at 
4he bend of what may be termed a right angle of miles of 
Heather both ways, but had to fly for the superior Heather a 
mile, made from 10 to 15 lbs. less than about the same number 
placed one mile nearer. The greatest gathering of honey was made 
by crossed Cyprians and Syrians of my own stocks, so much in 
advance of others as to give surplus in this very unfavourable year 
for bees, thus maintaining their previous good honey gathering 
■qualities, which is so pronounced as to enable me to dispense with 
feeding for a period of nearly twelve years now since I first had 
■Cyprians. The greatest feat, however, of any one spring stock was 
a Carniolian I presented in November last to an old bee-keeper of 
more than fifty years for gratuitous and voluntary services in assist¬ 
ing me with my bees and garden. Previous to that date I gave him 
what I thought a choice Syrian queen, but it had swarmed at the 
Heather, and the queen regnant was a drone breeder. To make 
good that loss I gave him a choice Carniolian ; it swarmed twice, 
and the gross weights of the three at the beginning of October 
were—old stock 80 lbs., first swarm 119 lbs , second swarms 52 lbs., 
total 251 lbs. The tare of these hives is 60 lbs. The first swarm 
Irept itself from the beginning of August until the beginning of 
October, replaced brood with honey, and added 50 lbs. to the good. 
The old stock and second swarm did the same, but added about 
15 lbs. less than the prime swarm. The second swarm, however, 
filled a super of beautiful Heather comb—the only one worth 
speaking of in the locality. The bees placed furthest from the 
Heather have lost many bees, while those near it have maintained 
their number. 
I have considerable more evidence which might be produced, 
ibut think the foregoing <JuffHent to establish the fact that the 
nearer the bees are placed to thie working ground the better, and 
that foreign varieties of bees far outstrip the native bee in the 
production of honey. I had only one native hive of bees strong, 
strong, too, in numbers, and it did not make an ounce. Although 
one hive is not sufficient as a test, still it is ominous, and fully 
■corroborates our past experience. 
TRANSPOSING SUPERS. 
I am still more convinced than ever that it is a mistake to place 
an empty between the stock hive and full one. In every case of 
the kind I have witnessed this year the full super was emptied. 
^Moreover, it is unnatural for bees to work in the manner indicated. 
They never separate themselves to build combs, but maintain an 
iunbroken cluster. 
COMBINATION HIVE. 
It may perhaps interest your readers, and particularly “ A Hal- 
iamshire Bee-keeper,” to learn thar. all the greatest weights have 
Ibeen made by bees in the “ storifyiug ” hives. Those in small 
liives of the “ Standard ” pattern have done nothing, so we north 
■of the Tweed have made a score this year in that respect. Three 
liives of the Lanarkshire type, and three of Abbott’s “ Combi¬ 
nation ” type, the property of a gentleman at Lanark, were intended 
for a fair trial. The Lanarkshire ones had pushed ahead of the 
Combination ones during June and July, but there was no‘com¬ 
petition at the Heather, as the three Combination hives were 
smothered, and their contents wrought into a jelly on the way to the 
Heather. Here the words of thei dvocate, which were delivered 
before the B.B.K.A., “ That the hive suitable for one locality was 
not that for another,” was fully verified. But side by side of them 
were hives suitable for any and every locality or country. 
It is now more than thirty years since I made a hive on this 
principle, but differing widely from it, being made upon the bevel, 
rising behind about 9 or 10 inches, the frames being bevelled to suit 
the angle of the hive, in order to make it available for taking to 
and from the Heather. Two boxes about half the length of the 
other were made to receive the frames. The stand, too, as well as 
the supers, were all made to an angle. This hive presented some 
advantages over other forms, notably that of supering, as like 
“ A Hallamshire Bee-keeper,” I have long since known that bees 
stored their honey overhead, and in the warmest place, and not 
behind the frames, the coldest part of the hive. 
PREPARING FOR WINTER. 
It should be borne in mind that the less honey bees require to 
consume during the winter the more healthy will the colony be. 
The best way to secure this is to prepare now and never more 
disturb the bees until the spring is advanced. One manipulation at 
the wrong time is sufficient to insure the destruction of the best 
hive. On no pretext whatever should cold air be admitted to the 
hive from above, and the more cosy they are kept the better. 
Meadow hay forms the best protection to hives both on the 
sides and the top ; a piece of felt should cover the hay on sides and 
a watertight roof of some sort raised a little from the hay with 
ample ventilation at the eaves. This covering is perhaps not quite 
so neat-looking as wood, and loose hay never looks well in an 
otherwise well kept garden. 
Outside cases are sometimes heavy to lift, and always occupy 
the same space whether tenanted or not. A good substitute, and 
much better in most respects, are four panels or shutters the full 
height of hive and two tiers or supers. Perhaps the cheapest and 
most simple plan of fastening these together is by brass screws, 
two in each side. The wood should not be more than half an inch 
for the uprights and three-eighths for the bars. That size is 
necessary to cover handles and fastenings. 
This makes a neat and cheap cover which anyone can make, and 
is a thorough protection against wind and water. If desirable, the 
space between the bars may be filled with hay, or a piece of felt 
may be tacked on. Of course an entrance corresponding with 
entrance to hive must be left, and the roof may be from a sheet of 
iron or zinc to an expensive and as ornamental a roof as the bee¬ 
keeper may desire. This form of protection is the only one of 
double casing that prevents decay in hives.—A Lanarkshire Bee 
keeper. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Frank Cant, Colchester.— Catalogue of Roses. 
Paul & Sons, Old Nurseries, Cheshunt. — Catalogues of Roses, Fruit 
and other Trees. 
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. 
To inquirers. —Answers to several letters, some of which were 
late in arrival, must be deferred till next week. 
Market Terms (R. C.f —A pad of Plums varies from 48 lbs. to 
56 lbs. There are five dozen Cabbages in a tally, but the number of 
Onions in a bunch and the price vary considerably. 
Chrysanthemums (Z>. B. C .~).—During the next few weeks you 
will find ample information of the character required. From the 
middle of October to the end of December Chrysanthemum news, notes, 
and articles are most abundant. 
Plum-shaped Tomato (6r. H .~).—The fruits you have sent are 
