146 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 13, 1891. 
fusion, and with the recent welcome rain and two weeks settled 
weather the bees would be certain to gather much honey. I have 
been several weeks later this year taking my bees to the Heather 
than formerly, owing to the lateness of the season at home. I 
intend taking them on the 11th, and with ten days of honey 
gathering weather they will amply repay trouble and expense. 
Security against bees getting loose, and ample ventilation to insure 
their safety, are two essentials in taking bee3 long distances. It 
is advisable to give every colony as much empty space as they 
can occupy. 
As most of our hives have been provided with young fertile 
queens I will not be troubled with swarming this year, at least 
until the beginning of September. 
The Age of Bees. 
Some writers have stated that their life is limited to four to 
six weeks. Few bees were bred after July in 1890. I have two 
hives at present that became queenless before many bees were 
bred the past spring, and through stress of weather the young 
queens did not begin to lay till about the 1st of July, and yet 
in both of these hives there are a good many 1890 bred bees. 
Bees are, generally speaking, from two to three weeks old 
before they begin to work outside (Punics are an exception to this 
rule), and I have witnessed bees return to their original stand 
after they had been returned from four to six weeks' stay at the 
Heather. 
The Time Queens Pipe. 
As interesting as the age of bees is the time that elapses 
between the depositing of the egg that is selected for a queen 
and the time she is allowed to creep out of the cell. Ten to 
fourteen days is generally believed to be the time occupied 
between prime and after swarms, and occasionally three weeks 
may elapse, but this is believed by a few only. To tell the same 
individuals that four weeks or more elapse in some cases between 
the first and last event would be met with incredulity. I have had 
cases of that nature frequently, and six have occurred in my own 
apiary this season. Twenty-eight days intervened between the 
laying of the egg and the emergence of the after swarms. To 
many the phenomenon would have been perplexing, but I was 
a sufferer through loss of valuable time. I ought to have excised 
every queen cell but one ; twelve days would then have been 
saved, and the queens still unmated might have had brood ready 
to creep out and begin work at a season they would have been 
of great service. 
There is no part of bee-keeping so important in a profitable 
point of view as the timely regulation of supernumerary queen cells, 
and getting a fertile queen at the head of every colony at the 
earliest possible moment after the issuing of the first swarm ; and 
bee-keepers will study their own interest best if they plan so as to 
accomplish that, for queens are always not only more prolific but 
most profitable in the early months of their existence. 
Punic Queens. 
Another point of interest in their favour—they are lively, and 
venture out when other queens do not, and so become fertile 
sooner than queens of other varieties do. A few days’ delay in 
some matters does not signify much ; but with bees it is of the utmost 
importance that there be no delay, especially in providing every 
colony with a laying queen at the earliest, and without delay. 
Should the weather prove favourable during the next four weeks 
I shall have ample opportunity of watching and testing the qualities 
of these bees, which shall be laid before Journal readers. So far I 
can say nothing against them, but the main point—honey gathering 
by the pure race—is si ill to be proved, and what tends towards 
that is their prolificacy already proven, and if they attend as 
assiduously to their own business at the Heather as they seem to do 
at home their doings will surprise some, and the much-despised 
little working “ niggers ” ^ ill gain many friends. Although they 
do not surpass but are equal to others, their other good qualities 
mentioned will make them favourites with —A Lanarkshire. 
Bee-keeper. 
SELLING PUNIC QUEENS. 
In the Journal for August 6th “ A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper ' 
thinks I ought to advertise these queens. I am very much obliged 
to him for his well meant advice, but unfortunately the season is 
now over. When I obtained the queens it was too late to 
advertise any, and apart from that I had no desire to sell 
any. Next year I hope things will be different, and that I 
shall be able to advertise imported, home-bred, and virgins. So 
far I have only been selling virgins. It is no use asking for orders 
if you are not sure of being able to supply them ; besides, the 
public have been so bitten with foreign bees that they naturally 
fight shy of new ones at higher prices than ever. I may fairly ask 
as your correspondent has introduced the subject, Why cannot 
“ A. L. B. K.” advertise and sell these bees ? He has plenty of 
imported breeding queens for the purpose.—A Hallamsiiire Bee¬ 
keeper. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Dickson, Brown & Tait, 43 and 45, Corporation Street, Manchester.— 
Catalogue of Bulls. 
J. R. Pearson & Sons, Nottingham .—Catalogue of Bulbs. 
J. R. Box, Croydon.— Catalogue of Bulls. 
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. 
Newbury Show (IF. V.).—We are much obliged, but unable to 
insert long newspaper reports of local shows. The Exhibition appears, 
to have been comprehensive and good. 
Case for Perns ($. G. B ).—So far as we can understand the 
matter you desire to enclose some space next the back wall where yon 
can grow Ferns. We do not see any reason why you should not do so T 
and the other plants named would grow in the house under suitable 
cultural conditions. 
l>ate Apple (J. B., Lincoln ').—There has been some mistake. The 
two Apples sent are distinct, and if both grew on one tree it has either 
been grafted at some time or sported. One is worthless, the other 
excellent. The good one is the Winter Pearmain, described in the 
“ Fruit Manual ” as “ a valuable and beautiful Apple, suitable for 
dessert or culinary use from December to the end of April. The tree 
is very hardy and an excellent bearer.” 
Chrysanthemum Shoots Eaten (J. D .).—The shoots sent have 
the appearance of being eaten by earwigs, which if not caught frequently 
ruin both Chrysanthemums and Dahlias. The depredators as a rule 
rest in obscurity in the daytime and feed at night. They may be caught 
in hollow stems, such as beanstalks, also in flower pots with a little dry 
hay or moss placed lightly in them and inverted on the stakes that 
support the plants. The traps should be examined every morning 
without fail, and the earwigs blown or cast in water, and they can then 
be given to fowls if you have any as a change of diet, which they seem 
to enjoy; then if you eat the fowls you will have some compensation 
for the earwigs and your trouble. 
Offensive Cesspool (J?. A. C .).—The first cesspool was so offensive 
that a new one had to be built, and that has become so great a nuisance 
that the builder recommends the construction of a third. Does it not 
occur to you that the third must also fail as the former ones have done ? 
The cesspool is all-sufficient for its purpose, and under ordinary circum¬ 
stances would only require cleaning out occasionally, but the overflow 
water is expected to soak away in the sand, which it appears to do for 
