Ma-ch 15, isfs. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
227 
Frost and snow and keen east winds have kept the bees at home^ 
and have therefore done good service to the bee-keeper. Unless it 
is absolutely necessary, or it is wished to do so for mere experiment, 
bees should not be disturbed in January, February, and March, 
although towards the end of the latter month an examination may 
be made of all stocks if the weather is sufficiently fine to allow of 
manipulation. If it has been decided to gently stimulate the bees 
in the latter part of this present month, in order to have them 
sufficiently populous to take advantage of the May honey or to 
throw early swarms, this may be done, as I have already pointed 
out, with safety, provided a constant supply of food is given and 
means are taken to prevent the escape of heat. If the internal heat 
of the stock is allowed to escape, the progress of the stock is re¬ 
tarded and not quickened, the aim of the bee-keeper thus being 
frustrated through his own carelessness. In all probability this 
will be an early spring, and it is possible that we may escape the 
infliction of late frosts, notwithstanding the old saying, “ As many 
in March, as many in May.” It does not at all follow that because 
of the long—and as I write, still unended—winter, that stocks will 
be later in swarming than usual. Six weeks of mild warm weather, 
when bees are able to fly freely, and almost all day long, will make 
a wondrous change. Now is the time to obtain all the requisite 
appliance for the coming season. Everything should be obtained 
at once, and immediately prepared, so as to be ready for use when 
required. The unexpected generally happens, so we must always 
be prepared to meet an emergency. It must also be decided 
whether to work for sections or extracted honey, or for both, and 
preparations must accordingly be made, while if an increase is 
desired, steps must be taken to have a supply of queens and hives— 
the one to head the swarming stocks, the others to hold the coming 
swarms. Whatever we do let it be done well. An ill-made section 
rack, which gives way under the weight of sealed sections just as it 
is being lifted off the stock, and precipitates 20 lbs. of honey with 
a crash on to the top bars of the stock, is likely to give a vivid 
impression of the result of bad workmanship, especially if the 
accident happens at the end of the season, when honey has ceased 
to come in freely, and thousands of eager bees are on the outlook 
for unprotected stores. 
Throughout the season, from year’s end to year’s end, let us re¬ 
member, and act upon, our knowledge, that all uncalled for inter¬ 
ference is not only not advisable, but absolutely injurious. In the 
middle of the honey flow it causes a cessation of work, in the 
autumn it gives rise to robbing ; later still, and in the early months 
of spring, it disturbs the necessary quiet and chills the bees, making 
them restless and more eager to leave the hive than they would 
have been had they been left to their own resources. When 
necessary to do so let every stock be carefully examined, because 
the evil then feared, and which by such examination is or may be as¬ 
serted, is greater than the loss occasioned by such an examination. 
Let every stock be well supplied with food and strong in bees, 
headed by a good queen in autumn, and success in spring is practi¬ 
cally assured. Keep every stock strong and healthy, and by every 
possible means avoid the infection of “foul brood.” If disease 
appears attempt without delay to eradicate it, and if the attempt 
fails sacrifice your stocks rather than waste time and money when 
by the expenditure of the same time, and by having the bees to 
take advantage of the honey flow, your extra expense and loss 
might easily to a great extent have been recouped. Keep strict and 
careful accounts, and enter up each item as soon as possible, and 
then at the end of every year a balance can be struck ; and if in any 
year the balance is unfavourable there is something wrong in the 
management, unless the weather has been more than usually un- 
propitious.— Felix. 
DIRECT INTRODUCTION OF QUEENS. 
I H.A.VE read with much interest “A Hallamshire Bee-keeper’s” 
article on queen intro iuction (page 101). There are few writers who 
give details so instructive to the subject on hand as “ Hallamshire Bee¬ 
keeper” does, and experience makes his remarks all the more valuable. 
But like him I am anxious to let it be known who the persons are that- 
have “ benefited us with the great discoveries and inventions which 
add to our everyday comforts,” I suppose matters concerning bees are 
not excepted ? This is the point I wish to explain. “ Hallamshire Bee¬ 
keeper ” and “ Felix ” speak of the different systems of introducing- 
queens under the name of Mr. J. E. Pond, S. Simmins, Alley, and 
“ A Hallamshire Bee-keeper.” If there is anything new the last named is 
the only one entitled to the honour. But I am afraid the novelty will 
only be found in the clever way he details his experience. Who, then, 
are entitled to the honours regarding queen introduction 1 That Ls 
easily answered. The pioneers of this Journal are entitled to all thalt 
is valuable concerning queen introduction. Mr. T. W. Woodbury, “ A 
Renfrewshire Bee-keeper,” “A Stewarton Bee-keeper,” as well as myself, 
all took part in the subject more than a quarter of a century ago, and 
direct introduction, although sometimes successful, was condemned, and 
everything mentioned by ‘‘A Hallamshire Bee-keeper” either appeared 
in the pages of the Cottage Ga rdener, or by private letters interchanged 
by the above named. Most of these letters are still preserved, and a. 
quotation from one of Mr. Woodbury’s may be relied upon as the only- 
safe method to attempt the introduction of an alien queen. He says, 
“ The only safe method is to deprive the bees of the power of raising .a- 
successor to the one deposed,” which was also my experience. I still 
advise all bee-keepers to adopt the same plan. I have so often found 
pleasure in reading “ Hallamshire Bee-keeper’s ” sensible remarks, and 
beginners should follow his instructions. It is, however, singular th^ 
the most of his remarks are similar to those of “ A Renfrewshire Bee¬ 
keeper ” (for which see back numbers), as the different systems of queeii 
introduction direct and otherwise. The aptitude of bees to raise queen 
cells when an alien queen is introduced occurs too often to allow of any 
remissness whatever on the part of the bee-keeper, and I can endorse 
all that “Hallamshire Bee-keeper” says on that point. - As “Felix” 
remarked, “ It does not matter who was the first to make a valuable 
discovery, it was enough if the bee-keepers had the advantage.” But 
on the other hand, is it just to allow those to have the honour who 
did nothing but appropriate the ideas of others ? There still is much of 
that dishonourable practice, which all the more induces me to stand up 
for the rights of this Journal and its pioneers in bee subjects. 
PROGRESSIVE BEES, 
A copy of the British Bee Journal was sent me lately as containing 
something interesting for me. Among other things I observed that the 
subject of appropriating old ideas was causing animosity amongst some. 
But what was most interesting was the remark that “ Young bees were 
nursed, fed, brushed down, and led out for their first flight by the adult 
bees.” Such actions I have never seen, nor have I observ^ that any of the 
old naturalists mention such a thing. In fact, my experience as well as 
then s is exactly opposite. My observations prov^ that with plenty of 
food young bees in the cells were attentively waited upon, but 
immediately they began to break the seals of their cells they had to 
fight their own battle, making the best of their way out of their cells, 
performing their own toilet as well as being their own nurses. What 
say the Darwinians ? or can Dr. Walker throw light on the subject ? 
We have not experienced such things, but perhaps like man the bee is 
progressing.—A Lanaekshiee Bee-keepee, 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley.— Supplementary List of New Chrysan¬ 
themums, 1888. 
J. Cheal & Sons, Crawley, Sussex.— Catalogue of Dahlias ami Hardy 
Plants. 
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. AH 
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. 
Address (II''. A").—The address you require is, we think, Mr. W 
Collins, (i, Martinoe Terrace, Martindale Road, Balham, London, ,S.W. 
