May 11 . 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
105 
“ From the paucity of hands at tlie time of the vintage, it 
is sometimes almost impossible to prevent the over-ripening 
of some part of the crop, which is here rapidly facilitated by 
the heat and dryness of the climate. To meet this circum¬ 
stance, I have recommended the planting in separate plots 
such varieties of grapes as are found to follow each other in 
the period of their maturity, so as to give more time to the 
vintage; and should one portion of the vineyard become 
over-ripe another portion may yield fruit less so, which may 
be mingled with the other, and thereby ensure the more 
complete fermentation of the whole. With few labourers, 
and without such an arrangement, much of the vintage 
might be injured or actually lost. Varieties of the grape 
growing apart in the same vineyard also ensures tbe crop 
against a total failure in unfavourable seasons, as some of 
the varieties generally escape its influence. 
“ Our wines, when sufficiently matured, must find a ready 
sale in this and the neighbouring colonies, and it will yet 
be many years before that demand can be sufficiently 
supplied from this quarter. Until then the wine-growers of i 
New South Wales need seek no other outlet for the produce I 
of their vineyards. 
“ The difficulty in procuring an ample supply of bottles 
will prevent our being able to exhibit that produce to the 
public in the most favourable state, and to place it in the 
hands of the cousumer in the most acceptable, shape. This 
drawback in the sale of our wines will continue until bottles 
are manufactured in tbe colony. Until then the wines of 
this country will not occupy that position in the market 
which they would otherwise command. 
“I am gratified to be able to state, that material for tbe ' 
fabrication of bottles (besides fuel) exists in exhaustless j 
abundance in many parts of this district, specimens of | 
which, in the immediate neighbourhood of my own house, 
consisting of basaltic wliinstone (one of them in a vitrified 
state, having been the subject of experiment) are now 
exhibited at the meeting.” 
POULTRY-YARD REPORT. 
April 1854. 
SHANGHAES V. MINORCAS. 
I send the monthly report. It is only slightly in favour of 
the Spanish for number and weight: it lias proved to me 
still further the value of the Slianghae as layers. The 
frosts at the end of the month greatly checked the laying of 
the Spanish ; whilo not a single Shangliae in the yard 
stopped for a single day, whether those included in this 
report, or two other pullets, the produce of which I have not 
calculated in the report, as they have only just been intro¬ 
duced to my stock. The statement is as follows:— 
MINORCAS. 
Number of eggs.70 I 
lbs. oz. drs. 1 
Weight. 7 0 0 Weight. 0 4 3 
Highest weight i Highest weight 
of single egg . 0 2 1 | of single egg ‘.034 
I mentioned, in the last report, the death of one Slianghae 
pullet; a sister is now ill, apparently she has not recovered 
from the last sitting, now seven or eight months since, she 
has not laid. Of the others, one hatched chickens 30th 
March, laid again 19th April; another hatched the same 
day, and laid on the 20th. Another, that commenced laying 
again the end of March,'laid nearly every day, sat again : 
21st of this month (April) : another laid again the 7lh, and 
on the 22nd was placed on some eggs; while another, that ; 
has laid nearly from the beginning of the year, took to her 
nest April 1.2th ; thus, four are at the present time sitting, 
one has a dozen chickens round her, one ill, two laying. 
On the Minorca side, one pullet is, I fancy, barren; at any 
rate, as she has not laid, and her sister of the same brood 
has been laying two months, I have sent her away for 
change; the other six laying,but, as already stated, checked 
occasionally by the cold 1'rosLy nights, &c. The same i 
pullet that laid the large double-yolked egg, laid another 
large egg, nearly 3 ozs, on the 20th.—II. II. S., Monmouth- \ 
shire. 
SHANGUAES. 
Number of eggs . 
.G4 
lbs. oz. drs. 
BEE-KEEPING FOR COTTAGERS. 
(Continued from page 43.) 
Section 4.—Method of Operating. 
Introductory. —It may be useful to introduce this Sec¬ 
tion with a few remarks upon matters always to be kept in 
mind in operating. And first of all, be as quiet and gentle 
as you can in everything you do ; and next (at all events 
until experience has given confidence), let no false shame 
prevent your using a bee-dress and gloves, and tying your 
trowsers round the top of your boots and ankles when 
ever an operation producing much disturbance amongst the 
bees is to be performed. The feeling of security which one 
has when rightly equipped is in itself pleasant; and when 
a sting has the effect which it has upon ourselves, a con¬ 
siderable amount of trouble is well spent in protecting one’s- 
self; stings, however, affect some people very little, and it 
has been said, that the oftener a man is stung the less he 
feels it. Again, always have at hand, before aij operation is 
commenced, everything that, after a little reflection, you 
fancy may possibly be required successfully to carry the 
operation through, as a spare hive, an adapter or two, a 
knife, and particularly the box containing various articles, as 
string, blocks, rag, pencil, note book, At., already recom¬ 
mended to be kept. As soon as an operation has been per¬ 
formed, let any apparatus which has been used be care¬ 
fully cleaned and put away in a dry place. Consider, 
also, in what manner you can best fall in with the usual 
habits of the bees; as, for instance, in joining swarms, 
remember that each hive has a different smell, and that to 
prevent fighting, and the destruction of many bees, this 
difference must be done away with ; that warmth is required 
in the spring when breeding is going on, and that then cold 
currents of air should not be let into the hives by emptying 
condensers on cold days, and other similar matters that will 
occur, from time to time, to a reflecting bee-keeper. By 
keeping these remarks in mind much trouble and disap¬ 
pointment will be prevented. We will now proceed, follow¬ 
ing the order of the Calendar, in treating of the various 
matters. 
Removing Condensers in the Spring. — Bearing in mind 
what has been said about keeping cold currents of air out 
of the hives, choose some mild morning or evening for 
doing this; if the hive be very strong and lively, it may be 
advisable to push one of the pieces of metal under the con¬ 
densers before removing them, and then, having placed one 
of the stout pieces of wood over the centre of the hive, 
withdraw the piece of metal, and tie the wood in its place 
by means of a piece of string stretched across it, and tucked 
under two of the bindings of the hive, the ends being after¬ 
wards tied together. If the hive be not very strong, or the 
bees still drowsy, the condensers may be quickly removed, 
and the piece of wood substituted without using the piece of 
metal. The pieces of wood and metal to be used in these 
and similar operations should be about six inches broader 
than the centre hole in the hive to be operated upon. 
Weighing .—If the tripod already described be used for 
weighing purposes, let it be placed over the hive to be 
weighed, and the hooks at the ends of the cords having 
been fixed into the eyes in the floor-board, and the entrance 
closed with a piece of rag, let the hive and board be gently 
raised by means of the pulley, and the gross weight, and 
also the numbers or weights of the hive and board, be 
marked on the page of (lie note-book set apart for the hive 
on which you are operating ; the net weight of honey can 
be ascertained at your leisure by deducting the weights of 
the hive, board, old comb, and bees, from the. gross weight. 
A similar plan must be adopted whenever any other weigh¬ 
ing machine is used. Whore no weighing machine is to be 
had, the bee-keeper’s judgment must be his guide in ascer¬ 
taining the net amount of honey in his hives. A little prac¬ 
tice with hives, and the domestic scales will, as already 
observed, soon enable him to form a pretty correct judg¬ 
ment as to this. 
Changing Floor hoards .—We will suppose that you have but 
one spare floor-board; commence with the last hive in the 
row, and having stopped its entrance, place in front of it 
a large block of wood, or low stool, or large ilower-pot about 
two inches lower than the hive entrance, and gently lift the 
