March 1 i.l 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
326 
acquaintance with the subject. As I said before, I 
am confident that a narrative of experience in the 
management of bees, wherein instruction should be 
agreeably blended with anecdote, would prove emi¬ 
nently acceptable to not a few. I remember, when I 
first heard of Mr. Cotton’s work, “ My Bee Book;” 
being especially attracted by the title , from which I 
was led to hope that I should find a detailed account 
of the author’s own individual experience. Proba¬ 
bly, some of your readers will recollect themselves 
to have indulged similar hopes; in which case, 1 
need not remind them of their disappointment in 
this instance, which they shared equally with myself; 
for whatever be the merit of that book (and interest¬ 
ing it undoubtedly is), it contains as little of this 
kind of information as any other bee-book which has 
come under my notice. Perhaps Mr. Cotton may be 
induced at some future time to supply this desidera¬ 
tum in apiarian literature ; such a work, written in his 
lively style, would be sure to please. In the mean¬ 
while, although I have no very extensive sources of 
information in this line to produce, I think I may 
contrive to afford some amusement to your readers; 
craving your indulgence, therefore, even should l 
bring forward but little addition to ancient bee-lore, 
I will have done with this proem at once. 
When I commenced bee-keeping, I may truly say 
I was profoundly ignorant not only of the practical 
and profitable management of these very interesting 
insects, but even of their economy and habits. Pre¬ 
vious to the year 1844, (which was the date of the 
establishment of my first apiary), I had certainly 
seen many a goodly row of hives—had examined with 
wonder and admiration many a transparent honey 
comb, and knew well to distinguish between the fla¬ 
vour of Scotch and English, and of Narbonn and 
Jersey honey ; but only on one occasion had I been 
present at the plunder of a hive (and subsequently 
assisted in cutting out the combs), when I stood at 
a respectful distance in the dusk of an autumn even¬ 
ing, and watched the process of wholesale murder, 
without exactly comprehending the mysterious ope¬ 
ration. I was then an urchin of nine years old, so 
that I gleaned but few facts in apiarian science on 
that occasion. I believe, however, I may refer the 
origin of my fancy for keeping bees to that early 
period. But it was not till 1844, when I had re¬ 
turned home from Oxford to spend my first long 
vacation, that I was able to indulge my fancy. Some 
time in July of that year, I got hold of Huber and 
Bevan on Bees; the one treating practically, the 
other scientifically on the subject; both these works 
so fascinated me, and absorbed my attention with 
their interesting revelations, that i was led to put 
into immediate execution a plan which I had long 
meditated, of starting an apiary. In a very few days, 
accordingly, I had the pleasure of seeing a good-look¬ 
ing cottage hive established in my garden (for which 
I paid £1 ); having selected it after external inspection 
only —such being the custom of the place—from the 
stock of a small farmer in the neighbourhood. The 
age of the hive I was assured did not exceed two 
years, and it certainly was clean-looking and very 
populous, but I had my misgivings as to the iveight, 
which I forgot to ascertain, as I ought (not that it 
would have affected the bargain), at the time of pur¬ 
chase. The very next morning after the purchase 
saw me busily occupied in knocking up a rude seat in 
front of the hive, where I used to sit every day for many 
minutes together at a time: now watching, with almost 
childish pleasure, the egress and ingress of the bees— 
now speculating upon the future increase of my stock, 
and the honey harvests which I should reap. Huber’s 
experiments and discoveries, however, which filled 
my mind, were very different in point of interest to 
this my daily occupation, which soon grew weari¬ 
some, at the same time that my passion for the study 
of bees grew in proportionate intensity. It was not 
enough to know the exact number of bees which 
made their exit in a minute, nor of those which re¬ 
turned, how many were laden with 'pollen, or (as, 
from the absence of pollen on their thighs, I conjec¬ 
tured) with honey ; nor did an occasional peep into the 
interior from the bottom, at eventide, tend to satisfy 
my curiosity in a much greater degree. So, having 
soon discovered the poverty of my hive, I came to 
the determination of sacrificing it to my love of expe¬ 
riment, I was further strengthened in my purpose 
by the statements of Mr. Nutt, whose book fell into 
my hands about this time. Its marvellous promises, 
and the author’s enthusiasm, have turned many heads, 
both young and old. I, for one, was completely fasci¬ 
nated by it, so that Huber and Bevan appeared tame 
in comparison, and were laid aside for the present. 
The gentleman (from whom 1 had borrowed the 
work), assured me that some years before he, like 
myself, had caught a portion of Mr. Nutt’s enthu¬ 
siasm, and, with a full belief in his promises and 
figures, had had a set of boxes constructed in exact 
accordance with his directions, which he persevered 
in working for several years, until, after the failure 
of repeated trials and much vexation and trouble— 
not having, moreover, obtained a single pound of 
honey—he had given up the keeping of bees in dis¬ 
gust ; and nothing would persuade him to believe 
Mr. Nutt’s system and book as otherwise than a 
hoax. On hearing this story, I bethought me of my 
own bees, and of the plan of which I had been think¬ 
ing respecting them; so 1 requested him, it he had 
no present intention of using them, to make the 
boxes over to me for a time. To this he kindly and 
most readily consented, and they were speedily trans¬ 
ferred to my care. On examining them at home, 1 
found them in good order, and quite ready for use. 
Being nothing daunted by the disappointment and 
warnings of my excellent friend, and uninfluenced by 
the similar experience of every one also in the neigh¬ 
bourhood who had given the system a trial, I re¬ 
solved to persevere in my plan, trusting that by 
greater care and attention I should succeed where 
others had failed. But I must conclude my paper 
for the present, hoping to resume the subject shortly. 
—A Country Curate. 
MY PHYSIC GARDEN. 
By a Physician. 
No. 5.—Violacece. 
This order is much better known as furnishing a 
delightful perfume than for the importance of its 
medicinal virtues. The common violet, the double 
pale blue variety of it (known as the Neapolitan 
v iolet), and the double purple, or Russian violet, are 
amongst the most delicately scented plants we have; 
and, from one or the other being in bloom all the 
year round, they are never likely to tall under the 
contempt to which people as well as plants are 
obliged to submit at the arbitrary will of “fashion.” 
The pansies, too, which of late years have been 
brought to such great perfection, are members of this 
order, and are chiefly obtained from two scentless 
species of violet, Viola tricolor and Viola altaica. 
These are the only violaceous plants commonly 
grown in England which are regarded with interest; 
