■528 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Jnae 27, 1889. 
enough of it. I am satisfied that we have lost more bees (since I 
commenced keeping bees) by scarcity of honey to winter on than 
from all other causes combined. Our motto from this onwards will 
be that a great deal too much honey is just enough ; there is nothing 
lost by letting them have more than they will use up. If it is not 
all used up before we start the extractor the next year we will get 
it then. Bees wo’n’t breed up fast in the spring if they are short 
of feed. They may pull through in a weak condition, but be of no 
use as far as gathering surplus is concerned ” 
The writer then says, u Now, I believe in feeding during the 
•spring months if I have to save the bees and build them up for 
business, but I don’t like to be obliged to do it. I don’t like to be 
feeding bees in the spring of the year. I want the hive to contain 
feed in the fall—enough to last until white Clover will give them 
a living the next summer. The best time to get the honey in the 
hive is when the bees are gathering it from the flowers. Now, to 
■extract all the honey we can and at the same time not take too 
much, and leave the bees short, is a nice point to decide.” 
The editor says to the above, “ I quite agree with you. I have 
never seen any bad results follow from having too many bees or 
too much stores ; and I am confident that bees base their calcula¬ 
tions and go to work somewhat in accordance with the amount of 
Stores they have to back them up.” 
Both the letter and the remarks show exactly what we have 
previously taught, but there is one important thing both writers 
omit to mention. Plenty of naturally gathered stores cannot be 
stored in undersized hives. “ All the prime essentials ” are not 
mentioned, but odd, full-sized hive and the instructions are complete, 
and at one stroke dispenses with the stimulative and degree feeders 
as cumberers of the apiary, and throws a censure upon the judges 
at shows who awarded prizes to them. 
YOUNG NORMAL AND FERTILE QUEENS. 
There are other prime essentials not mentioned. I had hoped 
that “ A Hallamshire Bee-keeper ” would have by this time been 
able to give some valuable information on this subject, but illness I 
suppose has been the cause of his silence. A private letter from 
him assures me that he is better again, and at work amongst many 
young ones, and expect to see his experience announced soon. 
Normal and fertile queens, as “ A Hallamshire Bee-keeper ” 
mentioned, are certainly the first principle towards success in bee¬ 
keeping ; failing that, and having faulty or defective queens from 
any cause, bees never will prosper, and all the time spent on them 
is lost. It is not within the power of man to know a thoroughly 
perfect queen by sight or to produce them, but he can use the best 
means and select the most promising looking ones. Now is the 
best time to use the means for securing perfect and profitable 
■queens. Raise them from a strong stock during the honey flow, 
select the queens as they creep out of their cells, discarding all 
those having a slim appearance. Form into nuclei when they are 
newly hatched, but not before, as queens suffer, just as bees do, if 
•chilled and retarded from hatching at the proper time. This 
■entails a little more trouble than forming into nuclei before the 
queens are out or matured, but it is worth the extra trouble. 
Queens subjected to a low temperature appear to be impaired in 
their functions in egg-laying, and the hive of bees with her at the 
head dwindles, and believe it is one of the causes of bees leaving 
their hives during the spring. I have saved such queens and 
placed them to other stocks, but they never prospered. 
SPRING DWINDLING. 
This may be classed under the following heads :—Abnormal 
•queens, manipulations, feeding, too little stores, cold hives, whether 
from damp or draught, and feeding outside, which causes robbing, 
preventing many bees from working, protecting their hives, and 
consequently breeding goes on more slowly than if there was no 
molestation. 
It is often stated that hives dwindle because the bees were old. 
That is absurd. One of the great causes of dwindling is forcing 
the bees out by some mismanagement at times when it is unbear¬ 
able for bees to gather what they are in search of. Take two hives 
of equal strength of bees and age ; the one provided with plenty 
stores inside, the other with a scarcity. The former will keep 
inside their hives and breeding will go on briskly, while the latter 
will, either with artificial feeding or of the season of the year, go 
abroad in search of what is not to be had, and dwindles accord¬ 
ingly. Pease meal mixed with honey to the consistency of thick 
cream and fed in little feeders, as I have practised for between 
thirty and forty years, is the best thing to give bees having no 
pollen in their hives during the winter and spring. The above is 
far better than feeding with candy containing a little flour. 
THE WEATHER. 
The weather has been without a break, fine for nearly a month. 
The 20th June was, however, owing to the paucity of flowers 
previously, the first day the bees gathered honey in quantity. One 
we weighed on the 20th, and it was not our best, had made through 
the day 8 lbs., and to-day (the 21st) seems to be as fruitful. The 
temperature is 83° in the shade, being the highest for the year. 
Apples and Pears are promising, and the Gooseberries, where they 
escaped the “ borer,” are a heavy crop. Should timely rain come 
the crops will be far above the average, and bees are likely to do 
well. 
The difference between the making of bees in a full-sized hive 
from that of small ones generally in use is about three is to twelve. 
Frequently I have had stocks rise in weight 20 lbs. daily, so that 
few days are required for the bees to lay in more than sufficient to 
last them until next season, and surplus in supers is stored in same 
or quicker proportion. Bee-keepers should study this, and become 
impressed with the fact, as in our short fleeting and variable 
seasons little pleasure or profit either can be had from small hives. 
—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
PRIZES FOR HIVES AND HONEY. 
The following prizes have been awarded at the Royal Agricultural 
Society's Show now being held at Windsor :— 
For the best collection of hives and appliances, to consist of the 
following articles (exhibits in this class to be staged by the exhibitor) : 
—One frame hive, priced at 15s. ; one ditto priced at 10s. (Note.— 
These hives must be fitted with arrangements for storifying.) One 
observatory hive. One hive of straw or other material not entirely of 
wood, for obtaining either comb or extracted honey. One pair of section 
crates fitted with sections. One extractor. One slow stimulating feeder. 
One rapid feeder. One smoker or other instrument for quieting bees. 
One veil. One swarm box for travelling, capable of being used as a 
nucleus hive. One travelling crate for comb honey. Five other distinct 
articles (not specified) at the discretion of the exhibitor. Each article 
to be priced separately. No articles must be added to the collection, 
nor any portion of the exhibit removed, during the Show. 40s., 30s.— 
First, J. Howard, Holme, Peterborough ; second, \V. P. Meadows, Svston, 
Leicester. 
For the best observatory hive stocked with foreign bees and queen. 
20s., 15s., 10s.—First, Geo. Neighbour & Sons, London ; second, H. 
Harvey, Boston Road, Ilanwell. For the best and most complete frame 
hive for general use, unpainted. 20s., 15s., 10s.—First, C. Redshaw, 
South Wigston, Leicester ; second and third, G. Neighbour & Sons. 
For the best and most complete frame hive for general use. The 
hive shall consist of (1) a floor-board on four short legs ; two chambers 
or body-boxes, equal in size, similar and interchangeable, both to have 
porches, with entrances not less than 12 inches wide that can be con¬ 
tracted at pleasure, each chamber to be capable of holding at least ten 
standard frames, but only one set of frames with strips of foundation 
fixed, and two division boards to be supplied. (2) One case of 4J by 4J 
sections, with foundation fixed, and separators of such size as to admit 
of its being placed inside the chamber. (3) A substantial roof suf¬ 
ficiently deep to cover a case of sections and afford ample protection to 
the whole hive, the price of each part—namely, stand and floor-board, 
body-box, case of sections and roof, to be given separately, the whole 
not to exceed 15s. unpainted, 20s , 15s., 10s.—First, Geo. Neighbour and 
Sons ; second, C. Redshaw ; third, G. Neighbour & Sons ; he, S. P. Bald¬ 
win, Bromley, Kent. 
For the best and most complete frame hive for general use. The 
hive shall consist of (1) one chamber or body-box, containing ten 
standard frames having strips of foundation fixed, two division boards, 
entrance porch, and floor-board, the chamber capable of being used with 
a second of the same pattern. (2) One case of twenty-one sections, 
41 by 4J, with foundation fixed and separators. (3) A roof sufficiently 
deep to cover one case of sections at least, the price of each part— 
namely, floor-board, body-box, case of sections, and roof, to be given 
