182 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Feb nary 28, 1889. 
the glass of their feeders (not removed) that the bee* are lively, I 
should not know whether they were dead or alive, but the weakest 
being healthy, allays all fears for stronger ones. There is no damp 
amongst the combs or coverings, and not a dead bee to be seen on 
the floors. Consequently no doorway can become choked with dead 
bees, although most of the entrances are only three-quarters of an 
inch wide. Entrances blocked with dead bees are unknown in my 
apiary. But how it will fare with those that have wide entrances 
and a damp floor after the fierce snowstorms and high winds, with a 
night temperature of 17°, and a day temperature of 25° Fahr., is 
yet to be known. From what I have witnessed in several cases 
since the storm abated, and experienced in past years, the wider the 
entrance the greater the likelihood of entrances becoming choked 
with dead bees. Bees can stand a low temperature where all is 
dry, but a little damp makes short ivork of the lives of bees. 
DAMP IN DOUBLE-CASED HIVES. 
During the past summer I drew the attention of bee-keepers to 
the desirability of painting or tarring the inside of these hives if 
comfort to the inmates and long wear of the hive were to be 
■expected. Just for experiment, to convince the sceptical on this 
point, I left one hive untarred inside. This hive is now casting its 
paint, and I know from experience that the angles in the dead air 
space are damp, while the tarred ones are perfectly dry. Single- 
cased hives are the cheapest and most healthy for the bees, and 
when properly constructed require no device or plan to preserve 
the bees from inevitable death through defective hives. Preven¬ 
tion is always better than any cure, and is secured, so need not be 
sought for. 
WORK FOR THE SEASON. 
Should snow keep away the only work will be that of supplying 
pea meal to the bees as required; if snow falls it will be removed 
from the front of the hives as soon as possible, and if the tempera¬ 
ture show signs of rising to 50° we shall close the entrances and 
ventilate. It is a bad practice to enclose bees by stopping the 
entrances with perforated zinc, as the bees, finding themselves im¬ 
prisoned, crowd to the doorway, and may die, and not unfrequently 
the whole colony will perish. Whether it be for manipulating 
purposes, or for transit, or for temporary confinement, always close 
the entrance and ventilate elsewhere. 
All my appliances are complete, so that, so far as my bees are 
concerned, the only attention I shall give them will be to watch 
with interest their movements, and prevent robbing should it take 
place after the genial weather sets in. But those bee-keepers who 
are not so fully equipped for a summer’s campaign with their bees 
as I am, should embrace every opportunity of getting in readiness 
everything necessary ; and as many are turning their attention to 
taking their bees to the Heather, one thing essential for that is 
something waterproof, light, and pliable, to turn the rain from the 
hives, and I know nothing better than oilcloth. Squares of good 
cotton cloth, or linen steeped in boiled oil for a short time, then 
dripped, and hung up or spread out to dry, make effectual and good 
wearing covers, and if brass eyelets are let in at each corner upon 
several plies of cloth, the fastening becomes an easy matter, and 
the hive is secured against damp. 
SECURITY AGAINST WIND. 
Where hives are necessarily placed in exposed situations it is 
well that a little precaution be taken to prevent them being 
blown over. A light pole or rod of iron, about 3 feet long, driven 
into the ground about 9 inches, then a cord passed through a hole 
near the top of the pole or rod, and tied round the hive, will 
effectually prevent any disaster from high winds. 
THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON. 
Wednesday, the 20tli of February, was the first day the bees 
carried natural pollen, being about two weeks later than the average 
of years, the Snowdrops and Aconites being later than usual, 
owing no doubt to the average low temperatures of the season. 
Some bees have kept withia their hives since the second week of 
October.—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
BEE-KEEPING IN IRELAND. 
Tiie following particulars of the progress made in bee-keeping 
in Ireland are taken from the statistics recently issued from the 
Registrar-General’s Department in Dublin, and may be of interest 
to your readers. 
It will be remembered that in the year 1880 the Biitisli Bee¬ 
keepers’ Association requested two of their members, well-known 
bee-masters, Mr. C. N. Abbott and Mr. Wm. Carr, to make a tour 
in Ireland with the bee-tent, with the hope that the Irish peasantry 
might be induced to keep bees on a more humane and profitable 
system. Considerable interest was aroused in Ireland at that time. 
These gentlemen were well received, and a regular programme was 
made for them of the places they were to attend with the bee-tent 
to lecture and explain how the different manipulations were done, 
and the honey taken without destroying the bees. The flower 
shows and the agricultural shows were visited, at an expense to the 
Association of some £80 or £90. They found the Irish people 
quick to understand the advantages of modern bee-keeping, and 
the statistics which I now send will show that the money was well 
spent, and the Association were amply justified in the effort they 
made to benefit their Irish brethren. Several Bee-keepers’ Asso¬ 
ciations have since been established in Ireland, and are carrying on 
the good work started by the British Bee-keepers’ Association in a 
satisfactory manner. Ireland is peculiarly suited to bee-keeping, 
and it is to be hoped that ere long every cottager and small farmer 
will have his bees, in addition to his pig and poultry, to help to 
better his condition. 
The returns from which the following extracts are taken were 
made with the view of ascertaining the extent to which bee-keeping 
was followed in Ireland, and the degree of success attained in this 
special branch of rural economy, and relate to the season 1887. 
It appears that in 1886 there were 25,230 colonies at work, which 
produced 331,167 lbs. of honey and 8670 lbs. of beeswax, being an 
average 13 lbs. of honey, and 5 ozs. of beeswax, per hive. 
In the spring of 1887 there were only 20,302 colonies of bees 
safely wintered, so that 4928 colonies were either killed or died 
during the winter. In the summer they were increased by 8267 
swarms to 28,569 ; the quantity of honey taken was a total of 
459,369, and the quantity of wax 9725 lbs., equal to an average of 
16 lbs. of honey and 5 ozl of beeswax. Of this 28,569 colonies of 
bees 9135 were working in moveable frame hives, producing 
77,897 lbs. of run honey, and 134,357 lbs. of section or comb honey, 
in all 212,254 lbs. of honey ; 19,434 working in skeps or other 
fixed comb hives, producing 188,951 lbs. of run honey and 
58,181 lbs. of section or comb honey, in all 247,132 lbs. of honey 
in skeps, &c. 
This shows an average yield of 23 lbs. of honey from each 
moveable frame hive, and an average of 13 lbs. from skeps and 
fixed comb hives. The colonies were divided among the provinces 
as follows :— • 
Leinster, 3036 colonies in frame hives, producing 20,827 lbs. of 
run honey and 45,970 lbs. of section or comb honey, together 
66,797 lbs of honey, an average of 22 lbs. per frame hive ; 6047 
colonies in skeps, &c., producing 59,797 lbs. of run honey and 
18,435 lbs. of section or comb honey, together 78,232 lbs., an average 
of 13 lbs. per skep. Total of 9083 colonies producing 145,029 lbs. 
of honey, or an average of 16 lbs. per hives, and total of 2769 lbs. 
of wax. 
Munster, 2094 colonies in frame hives, producing 20,711 lbs. of 
run honey, 33,196 lbs. of section or comb honey ; together 
53,907 lb3. of honey, an average of 25 lbs. per frame hive ; 6062 
colonies in skeps, &c., producing 61,758 lbs. of run honey and 
19,643 lbs. of section or comb honey ; together, 81,401 lbs. of 
honey, an average of 13 lbs. per skep. Total of 8256 colonies 
producing 135,308 lbs. of honey, or an average of 16 lbs. per hive 
and a total of 3041 lbs. of beeswax. 
Ulster, 3197 colonies in frame hives, producing 2,8016 lbs. of 
run hmey, 42,780 lbs. of section or comb honey, together 
70,796 lbs., an average of 22 lbs. per frame hive ; 6046 colonies in 
skeps, &c., producing 53,392 lbs. of run honey and 15,178 lbs. of 
section or comb honey ; together, 68,570 lbs. of honey, an average 
of 11 lbs. per skep. Total of 9243 colonies producing 139,366 lbs. 
of honey, or an average of 15 lbs. per hive, and a total of 2704 lbs. 
of beeswax. 
Connaught, 708 colonies in frame hives, producing 8343 lbs. 
of run honey, 12,411 lbs. of section or comb honey, together 
20,754 lbs., an average of 29 lbs. per frame hive ; 1279 colonies in 
