118 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
we suffer ourselves to exceed the hounds of what our means 
afford. 
I know, by my own experience, how embarrassing, as well 
as wrong, it is, to buy a new dress or bonnet, if it is not 
really required; and how often have I, the next morning, 
nay, the next minute, wished from my heart that it was 
again in the shop—besides not really needing to wear it 
until the fashion had changed, and something still prettier 
would have been really useful, and at the same time lawfully 
bought! 
We may carry out a great principle upon a very small 
scale. However trifling is the work given us to do, we may 
perform it “ as unto God,” and thus in the humblest walk, 
and with the most limited opportunities, we may be em¬ 
ploying our thoughts and faculties in His service as dili¬ 
gently, and as acceptably, as if we had hundreds to distribute, 
or thousands to regulate and employ. 
ASPECT FOR BEES. 
Your correspondent, the “ Country Curate,” in noticing 
my former communication ('20th Sept.), has somewhat mis¬ 
understood me. In speaking of the winter management of 
bees, it was not my intention to propose any removal of the 
hives. I am convinced they are better standing all the year 
in one and the same position, and with the bees always at 
liberty. The only real enemy is the sun, to protect them 
from whose rays in winter all that is needed, are Mr. Taylor’s 
■ screens. There ought to be a separate screen to each stock. 
If this faces the south, its screen must be so fixed as to in¬ 
tercept the sun’s rays, falling at this season from the western 
side. My screens are rather more than 2 feet square. They 
cannot well be too large ; but I see no utility in making them 
to slide, as mentioned by Mr. Payne. When bees are moved 
from their summer stands, so much recommended by Nutt, 
confinement becomes needful, or one half of the bees would 
be lost, for they always fly to their accustomed spot, where, 
| not finding their hive, they perish. Of all practices, I con¬ 
sider the shutting up of bees the worst; in which doctrine I 
am stoutly supported by one of our very best apiarian au¬ 
thorities—Jonas de Gelein. The effects of confinement I 
I have always found to be more or less of dysentery, and great 
weakness to the bees. I do not mean to say that it always 
is fatal; but the examples of Dr. Dunbar and Dr. Bevan, 
who each interred a hive, do not prove that these bees would 
not have passed the winter equally well, or better, on their 
usual summer stand; and as neither of these gentlemen ever 
repeated the experiment, we may conclude they did not 
think it worth while. As a caution to such of your readers 
as might be led astray by the statement doubtingly quoted 
(page 339) by your correspondent from the Hereford Times, 
I have taken the trouble to investigate its foundation, and 
find it can be traced no where, or to no one. As I suspected, 
it seems to be a mere fiction. 
I am glad to see that our friend, Mr. Payne, has taken up 
my recommendation as to a fair trial of a permanent northern 
aspect for bees. If this succeeds, there is an end of any 
further controversy about winter moving, screening, or bury¬ 
ing. Since my last communication I have endeavoured to 
learn what is known in this respect, on which we are very 
much in the dark. It is not a little singular that no indi¬ 
vidual has yet told me the experiment lias been tried and 
failed. Very few have even thought of it. Some of my 
friends say an eastern aspect is not desirable, as the bees 
are tempted from home too early, and become disabled from 
chill. Others object to the west, as inducing them to leave 
the hive so late in the evening that they are benighted, and 
fall a sacrifice to enemies. Again, the summer south ex¬ 
posure is strongly deprecated by other parties, and I can 
testify to its ill effects where care is not taken in properly 
j shading—often a troublesome affair. We need say nothing 
farther as to the baneful effects of the sun’s rays in winter; 
the cause of more destruction to bees than all other casualties 
put together. We are thus led to the consideration of the 
remaining point of the compass—the north; possessing, I 
verily believe, a greater number of requisites as a desirable 
permanent aspect for bees than any of the others; provided 
due security is taken against damp, or undue exposure of 
any kind, especially on clay soils. To the instance I men- 
; tioned in my last letter of the successful working of a stock 
[November 21. 
placed to the north, I am now enabled to add the experience ' 
(reported to me at second hand) of a scientific gentleman, 
in a southern country, who has tried the system with a good 
many hives, and who is so convinced of its superiority that 1 
he has desired his gardener never to place any more bees 
otherwise than against a north wall. I have heard the 
rumour, mentioned by Mr. Payne, as to a similar practice 
amongst the Dutch apiarians, and in some parts of Switzer¬ 
land. As to fears about cold, expressed by some old- 
fashioned practitioner, I believe them to be entirely chi- : 
meric al, with proper outer protection to the hives. The i 
truth is, by the thermometer it will be found that in a 
healthy stock of bees the internal temperature (barring the 
sun’s influence) will not vary much, if at all, whether the 
aspect be north or south. So that the combs are uninjured 
by actual frost, the lower the degree of temperature the ; 
better, and the less will the bees consume or require of food, i 
with proportionate good health. The truth of this theory is I 
confirmed by your correspondent, S. J. R., in your last J 
number (page 89), which came to my hand whilst writing 
the preceding. He says, “ in the shade one pound of honey 
will last as long as ten in the sun.” I confess for my own 
part I think the mere saving of food the least important con¬ 
sideration, and care little whether the bees consume three or 
six pounds of honey, so that they are but healthy. 
As a collateral branch of this subject I may mention a 
corroboration of Gelien's remark, when he says, “ it is a 
mistake to suppose that bees exposed to the sun produce the 
earliest swarms. I have often experienced the reverse.” 
A friend of my own lias been noted for haring earlier swarms 
than his neighbours—often in the beginning of May, and 
more than once in April. I have never seen his apiary, but 
curiosity has recently led me to make inquiry into its position. 
To my surprise, I have learnt that my friend’s bees rarely, if 
ever, see or feel the sun at any season, being so situated 
among buildings, trees, &c., as to be entirely overshadowed. 
I feel I am trespassing on your pages, but I wish to add 
a word more. Mr. Taylor has instructed us in a new mode 
of making bee food, or, as he expresses it ( Bee-keeper's 
Manual, 4th edition, page 155), “converting crystallizablo 
into uncrystallizable sugar." I found my bees appropriated 
it greedily. To ascertain more fully the properties of food 
thus prepared, I allowed a quantity of it to stand in ajar, 
exposed to the influence of clamp (though covered from the 
rain), in the open air, for several weeks, till, in short, the 
whole became dissolved. This was in the spring. It has 
since remained in a dry closet in the same liquid state, with 
no tendency again to crystallize. To all appearance it might 
be taken for pure honey, which it nearly resembles in colour, 
consistence, and almost in flavour. Those who prefer liquid 
food, may therefore always be provided with what I am satis¬ 
fied is the best substitute for honey that has been thought of, 
and at a cost not exceeding that of refined sugar. I appre¬ 
hend it will keep any length of time, so chymically changed 
as never again to assume any kind of solid form. 
An Old Bee-master. 
NATIVE WILD FLOWERS. 
November. 
It is a pleasing task which devolves upon me of con¬ 
tributing a monthly wreath of Wild flowers to the columns 
of your active missionary of industry, The Cottage Gar¬ 
dener. It seems of special importance that the cottager, 
while receiving instructions for the management of his 
domestic Eden, should have his attention likewise directed 
occasionally to that wider field of observation—the garden 
of nature, which, in the words of Cowper, is “ free to all 
men—universal prize! ” Here he may contemplate the 
vegetable creation in all its native grandeur and loveliness, . 
fresh from the creative hand of the Almighty ; and his tastes I 
shall be elevated thereby, his conceptions of universal beauty 
expanded, and his general happiness increased by the 
greater facilities thus afforded him for the contemplation 
and enjoyment of the beautiful. Ornamental gardening 
owes its existence to man’s love of nature; and under all 
sorts of circumstances we observe manifestations of this 
love ; even the toiling artisan, buried in the smoke and 
' dust of the city, has his few pining plants on the window- 
