THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[March 28. 
352 
It is quite white, breeds early, and consequently 
is reared in large quantities for the London market. 
Many cottagers in Buckinghamshire obtain a chief 
part of their living by raising these ducks; the 
interior of their cottages is fitted up with pens for 
the ducklings ; these being raised chiefly by hand, 
their care devolving upon “ the good wife of the 
house.” 
BEE-KEEPER’S CALENDAR.— April. 
By J. II. Payne, Esq., Author of “ The Bee-Keeper’s 
Guide',' Sc. 
By the time this paper meets the eye of my api¬ 
arian friends, the busy month of preparation with all 
provident bee-keepers will be just commencing; both 
hives and boxes are now all cleaned and arranged, 
ready for being placed upon the stock-hives at the 
end of the month; those hives that required fresh 
painting are already done, or will be immediately set 
about; and, where Taylor’s Amateur’s Hives are 
used, guide-combs will be fixed upon the bars, the 
method of doing which I will give in Mr. Taylor's 
own words:— 
Guide-combs. — “ Pieces of clear worker-comb should 
ho reserved for guide-combs (or decoys for glasses). 
Upon each of the side-bars, nearest the centre one, a 
small piece of comb should be fixed. This is easily 
effected by heating a common flat-iron, slightly 
warming the bars with it, then melting a little bees¬ 
wax upon it. The comb is now drawn quickly across 
the heated iron, and held down upon the bar, to 
which it firmly adheres, if properly managed. These 
pieces of guide-comb need not be more than two or 
three inches in diameter. Care should be taken that 
the pitch, or inclination of the cells, is upwards from 
the centre of each comb. Drone-celled combs for this 
purpose are to be avoided, as well as those with elon- 
yated cells.” Glasses will be provided, and guide- 
combs fixed in them also. 
This is not a busy month for the apiarian only, but 
with his bees as well, in bringing in pollen. Mr. 
Golding tells us, that the neighbourhood of willows 
is of great advantage to the bees in early spring: 
should a few fine days accompany their flowering, 
many hives will be enabled to ward off the impend¬ 
ing famine which but too often then threatens. He 
says, that from the 20th to the 30th of March, in 
1830, the weather was so favourable, as to enable the 
bees to make an extraordinary collection; single 
hives in some days gained in weight upwards of three 
pounds each, and worked in wax, where room was 
given, as vigorously as at Midsummer. The spring 
of 1841 was a very similar one; and he says, that his 
hives, on the 16th of March of that year, gained 
from two to three pounds each during the day. 
Pollen. —The first collection of pollen that I have 
witnessed thisyear was on the 15th of February; from 
its appearance it must, I think, be gathered from the 
winter aconite, a good deal of which is growing around 
mo. An excellent thing this, with the Cloth-of-gold 
crocus, to culivate for a very early supply, for they 
afford both pollen and honey in considerable abun¬ 
dance : but I am by no means an advocate for culti¬ 
vating plants exclusively for bees, except it be a few 
very early flowering ones ; for though you may culti¬ 
vate borage, and mignonette, it must be to the sur¬ 
rounding country that the apiarian should look for 
His chief supply—to the fields of white clover, the 
woods, the heaths, &c., &c. 
Bee-dress. —As the season for going amongst our 
bees is fast approaching, and as careful apiarians are 
desirous of having all things ready for use before they 
are immediately required, and as being well armed 
against the stings of their bees gives confidence and 
coolness to the inexperienced operator, both of which 
are so essentially necessary to the successful accom¬ 
plishment of his object, I will give the plan of a very 
simple and convenient bee-dress, which has been 
kindly handed to me by a friend: It is formed of green 
lono, and so made as to inclose the head, neck, and 
shoulders ; indeed, it is like a bag, with sleeves to tie 
at the wrists; the sleeves are made of green glazed 
cambric. It forms altogether a perfect panoply, and 
the most timid person, with its aid, may perform flic 
most difficult operation with the greatest coolness, 
and without the possibility of being stung. 
Young Bees. —The first time of my observing young 
bees this year was on the first of March, at some of 
my strongest hives. They may be known by their 
colour, which is something lighter than the old ones; 
and by their unwillingness to take flight upon first 
coming out of the hive. They may be seen to turn 
round several times upon the alighting board, and to 
run from side to sido of it, as if afraid to trust them¬ 
selves to their wings. 
Drone Bees. —Drone bees usually make their 
appearance towards the middle or the end of this 
month ; their first appearance is very gratifying to 
the bee-keepers, for it proves to him that his stocks 
are in a healthy and prosperous condition. It is 
said that the celebrated apiarian, Bonner, was always 
so delighted at their first appearance, that he made 
the day one of festivity and rejoicing for himself and 
all his family. 
Robbers. —As considerable robberies frequently 
take place in this month amongst the bees, attention 
is required to discover if any hives are attacked, and 
when it is found to be the case, it will be necessary 
to narrow the entrance of the hive, so that one, or 
two bees at most, can go in at the same time. The 
weak stocks, in general, are those that suffer from 
pillage. Robber-bees may easily be distinguished from 
others, for they fly rapidly round the hive, and hover 
before the entrance for some time before alighting; 
and when they venture to do so, they are generally 
seized by some of tlio sentinels which guard the 
entrance. 
