Mat 18. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
125 
means, the bees, if left to themselves, will quickly repair 
the damage. 
Putting on Supers. —This is done in the same manner 
as condensers are removed (see that paragraph), viz., 
by pushing a piece of metal under the piece of wood 
(thereby dividing it from the combs), and then removing 
the wood, putting on the super (with an adapter under¬ 
neath it), and then withdrawing the metal. In performing 
this operation, the piece of metal must be invariably used, 
as it is performed at a time when the hive is becoming very 
populous, and the bees very lively. In putting on a second 
super between the first (after it has been three-parts filled) 
and the stock hive, two pieces of metal should be used ; the 
reason is obvious ; both having been pushed under the first 
I super, this super with the uppermost piece is lifted up, and 
| the second super placed under it; whilst the upper piece of 
; metal has kept the bees in the first super, the lower piece 
has kept the bees in the stock hive. 
Hiving Swarms.— It was stated in Section 1, that as 
there can be but one method of hiving swarms, the 
assistance of some experienced bee-keeper should be sought 
by the beginner. A few words may, perhaps, however, be 
profitably said on the subject. In all cases it is convenient, 
before doing any thing else, to spread a large cloth or sheet 
on the ground under the spot where the bees,have alighted. 
If the swarm alight on a low and flexible bough, the bough 
may be bent down a little, and the swarm put entirely 
within its new hive, and a good sized cloth laid over 
it; a smart shake will then dislodge the bees from the 
bough; the hive, with its new inhabitants, must be set 
upon three or four large stones just under the bough for a 
short time, so that any stragglers may be able to join their 
companions; and as soon as all is quiet (perhaps in a 
quarter of an hour), the ends of the large cloth should be 
gathered up, and the hive quietly removed to, and set upon, 
its destined floor-boards. Wherever the bees alight, they 
should be treated in this manner as soon as they are 
quietly in the hive. If the swarm has chosen a stiff espalier 
tree, or any unbending matter, as a first resting-place, then 
the hands must be steadily and carefully used to get as 
many bees as possible into the hive at first, and if you are 
so fortunate as to brush in the queen, all the other bees 
will quickly follow ; if they do not follow, the queen is not 
in, and you must try again. If the swarm has chosen the 
top of a tree (a situation not easily reached in a bee-dress), 
the hive may be suspended on a long pole, and the bees 
shaken into it with the assistance of a second pole, where¬ 
with the bough of the tree may be held down to the hive 
during the shaking; the operator using a pair of steps, or 
not, according to the height of the bough. Where the 
swarm chooses a chimney, or other similar place, where 
neither the hands can bo used, nor shaking adopted, then 
every chink and cranny should be closed up, and smoke be 
applied at the bottom, which will quickly bring the stupefied 
bees from their elevated position. 
Founding Swarms. —Where, in accordance with the direc¬ 
tions already given, you have determined to join a swarm to 
some other swarm, or to return one to its parent hive, the 
swarm to be joined or returned, after having been hived, 
should be left where it alights until dusk; at dusk, place a 
spare floor-board, or other flat article, upon a block of wood, 
or low stool, or largo flower-pot, in front and upon a level 
with the entrance of the hive, to receive the s\Varm; then 
place the hive containing the swarm to be joined upon this 
I floor-board, and after having, by a smart blow or shake, 
| thrown all the bees on to the board, and cast aside the 
j empty hive, guide a few bees to the entrance of the hive to 
which it is intended they shall be joined, when all will soon 
enter it, and one of the queens having been killed, the 
united bees will go on amicably together. Some writers re¬ 
commend that the bees should be shaken on to a sheet spread 
in front of, and one end of which is fixed to, the floor-board 
of the hive to which they are to be joined, instead of using 
a spare floor-board, as recommended above : the spare floor¬ 
board plan would seem to be the better of the two, though 
involving a little more trouble. 
WHITE SPANISH FOWLS. 
Last spring I was in the southern part of Andalusia, and 
after a very great deal of difficulty obtained four pure birds, 
two cocks and two hens. I had plenty brought to me 
crossed with the Barbary fowl. 
I brought them home, and lost my largest cock bird ; the 
two liens laid remarkably well, large eggs, and constantly; 
never wanting to sit. I bred several chickens which were 
very hardy; one chicken was mottled, he was a cockerel 
hatched in August, and was a most extraordinarily forward 
bird. I took no particular notice of him, and was tempted 
to part with him, with two mottled pullets I had hatched 
from eggs I brought from Andalusia of the more common 
mottled or speckled variety, and have heard no more about 
him. 
Finding the birds in every way very hardy through the 
winter, laying earlier and better than the black Spanish, I 
wrote to a friend (who I had commissioned in the autumn 
to look out for some for me) in January, and he has just 
scut me over some very fine liens, lie states, he had great 
difficulty in getting them, and could find me no male bird. 
On the 14th of March, 1 hatched two chickens (with a 
brood of Dorkings), a cockerel and pullet, and before the 
end of March the cockerel had large wattles and comb, and 
crowed before the end of the first week in April, since* which 
time he has shown himself the most precocious cockerel I 
ever saw. I wrote to several persons who had eggs, asking 
if they noticed any thing particular; and one lady writes 
me, “ I consider the Andalusians much more hardy than 
the Spanish, and a much more valuable kind. I hatched 
five out of the six eggs you sent me, fine and handsome 
birds; the, cocks, now three weeks old, have largo combs and 
wattles; they make a peculiar wild cry on any alarm, but no 
crowing has been noticed.” Now, as I never knew any 
birds so forward as these I have hatched this year, and 
those I had last, it occurred to me, that the fact might not 
be uninteresting to you. I am hoping to get a large cock 
from a place in Andalusia, as the ono I brought, and the 
only one I bred and kept, are both late birds. 
I never saw in Andalusia any of the slate-coloured birds, 
generally known as Andalusians; the almost universal colour 
is speckled or mottled, and black with dusky red markings. 
All the pure birds are easily distinguished by the size and 
form of the car-lobe, and set of the tail. And I should 
think the birds mentioned at page 110 of “The Poultry 
Book,” as imported by Mr. Barker, must have partaken of 
the Barbary fowl, from their absence of ear-lobe. Beading 
the remarks on the varieties of Spanish fowls induces me 
to trouble you with this.— IYm. Saunders, Cowes. 
COOKED ENDIVE. 
It may not be generally known to your readers that un¬ 
bleached Endive is most excellent cooked like Spinach.—L. 
[The common Dandelion may be served up in the same 
way; and so may the tops of the stinging Nettle; the latter 
feel curiously dry and unadhesive in the mouth. The 
large root of the Dandelion, we arc told, is very good when 
boiled like the Parsnip.] 
HEN-FEATHERED HAMBURG1IS. 
There seem to have been several discussions in 
the columns of your widely-circulated paper respecting 
the long saddle-feathered and the lien-feathered Hamburgh 
cocks, which shall have preference. Your correspondents 
seem to discuss, principally, the Silver-spangled varieties ; | 
being myself a breeder and exhibitor of hen-feathered cocks, j 
I hope you will allow me a small space in your paper for a j 
few remarks respecting them. 
One of your correspondents, who writes in favour of the ' 
long saddle-feathered cocks, states that he would have every j 
feather white tipped with black, hut from the great length of 
the neck and saddle-hackles, it is almost impossible to ; 
produce that spangled appearance on the back which we 
see in the female bird. Now in the lien-feathered cocks this 
