27S 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
January 29. 
hive, I would say, that it consists of a straw, circular, lower 
compartment, having three windows and outside shutters; 
a thermometer is fixed across the centre window, so pro¬ 
tected that the bees cannot work between it and the glass, 
and thus intercept the view of the graduated scale. This 
little thermometer is found to be a useful appendage, as it 
affords to the apiarian a pretty correct indication of the state 
of the interior of the hive at all seasons of the year. This 
lower, or stock hive, rests on a stout wooden floor, at least 
two inches in thickness, projecting in front as a landing- 
place for the bees, which enter under the hoop attached to 
the straw by means of a sunken way; the hoop is used to 
overcome the uneven surface of the straw, as well as to give 
durability to the hive. The top is also of wood, having 
three or more circular openings, of about three inches dia¬ 
meter, to receive as many glasses ; but Messrs. Neighbour 
are, I understand, about to introduce to this hive openings 
of an elliptical form instead of circular, so that when the 
zinc sliders are inserted between the filled glasses and Hie 
wooden top. for the purpose of removal, not a bee need 
necessarily be crushed. In the top of each glass is a small 
hole, through which a tube of perforated zinc is suspended, 
upon which guide-combs may be fixed; it also forms a con¬ 
venient support, to which the bees attach then 1 combs. 
Over the glasses is placed a cover of straw (also hoop- 
bound), closely fitting the top of the stock-hive, and secured 
by means of thumb-screws, so that it can be removed with 
great facility, to allow of inspection or operations. This straw 
cover is surmounted by a ventilator, forming a neat finish, 
and by which the temperature of the glasses may be regulated. 
Neighbour’s Observatory Hive is of very stout glass, 
with an opening at the top, of about two inches diameter, 
over which a small glass may be placed when necessary. 
The large, or stock hive, stands on a mahogany floor-board, 
with a circular sinking to receive it; there are holes in the 
floor-board, covered with perforated zinc, for the purpose of 
ventilation. Within the hive, on an upright support rising 
from the floor-board, are arranged, in parallel lines at right- 
angles, eight bars, of about an inch wide, leaving a space 
next the glass all round, to which the bees in the first 
instance attach their combs, guide-combs having been placed 
upon them. There is a cover, made of straw, for the whole, 
which readies the floor-board, and can be raised at pleasure; 
a landing-place projecting as usual, with a sunken way to 
allow the bees egress and ingress, which completes the con ■ 
trivance. Every person who visited this department of 
the Crystal Palace must have observed the intense interest 
excited by seeing bees working in this hive. 
Stocks. —A careful examination of every stock should be 
made on a mild day, towards the end of the month; and 
where any doubt exists as to the sufficiency of food in the 
hive to carry the bees safely through the spring, a supply 
should now be given, and I must still recommend barley- 
sugar (where honey cannot readily be obtained) as the best 
food that can be given. A good receipt for making it may 
be found at page fib, vol. iv., of The Cottage Gardener ; 
but it must always be remembered, that where barley-sugar 
is used as food, the bees should never be left, even for a 
day, without a supply, either at the top or bottom of the 
hive, the former is always preferable; it should be remem¬ 
bered, also, that it is much better to give food before the 
stock is absolutely in want of it, than to wait till its store of 
food is exhausted. There are many reasons for this, well- 
known to every practical apiarian. 
Promoting Early Breeding.' —At page 339, vol. vi., of 
The Cottage Gardener, I have mentioned the great ad¬ 
vantages arising from early breeding, and recommended an 
increase in the temperature of the hives, as the most pro¬ 
bable means of effecting this desirable result, by any means 
that may bo the most readily had recourse to. I have there 
said, that perhaps binding the hives neatly over with hay- 
bands would be as little trouble and expense as anything. 
The end of the month will be the proper time for trying 
this experiment; and I have little doubt, but, if carefully 
attended to, the result will prove to be all that is desired. 
The entrances to the hives, if large, should be reduced, so 
as to leave room only sufficient for the easy ingress and 
egress of the bees. 
Water. —It must not be forgotten to place water in the 
vicinity of the hives, as directed at page 305, vol. i. 
HINTS TO COTTAGERS ON THE MANAGE¬ 
MENT OF PIGS. 
{Concludedfrom p. 135). 
The next thing after having fattened your pig, whether 
for bacon or pork, is to kill him and turn him into food. 
As a preparation for this he should be left fasting for twelve 
hours, and have only a very small slight meal for the 
twelve hours before that. Unless you are experienced, do 
not attempt to kill him yourself. It is much better to pay a 
shilling or two, and have the job done well, than to have 
the poor wretch mangled and torn about by inexperienced 
hands. To those who do kill their own, i say, avoid all 
unnecessary pain, do the work clean and well, and, above 
all, do not have anything to do with that brutal practice of 
putting the pig in the scalding tub before he is dead. You 
gain nothing by it, and if is abusing that power which the 
Almighty has given man over the brute creation. 
But, although you do not kill for yourself, it may be as 
well to give you a few hints of what the butcher will want 
when he comes. There will be the scalding water wanted, 
and the tub to scald him in, a table to lay him on, and a 
stick to stretch the belly out when all is finished. Also, if you 
have got such a thing, a pulley and rope will be found very 
handy, especially if piggy is any size. Wherever you kill your 
pig, be careful that the other pigs do not get at the blood, 
as it will do them no good, but harm. One important thing 
to think of is the time and the weather. About Christmas 
is the time for killing, but if it be not cold weather then, by 
all means defer it longer, for a little additional fat will be no 
harm done. Close or muggy weather must by all means be 
avoided. A clear dry day, with a little frost, is the best that 
can be chosen. Instead of scalding, singeing the hair off is 
strongly recommended by some experienced pig-keepers, as 
imparting a fine firmness to the bacon, which they say 
scalded bacon never possesses. As this process may be new 
to some of our readers, we give an extract from a book in 
which this plan is advocated. “ There are two ways of 
going to work to make bacon. In the one you take off all 
the hair by scalding—this is the practice in most parts of 
England, and all over America; but the Hampshire way, and 
the best, is to burn the hair off. There is a great deal of dif¬ 
ference in the consequences; the first method slackens the 
skin, opens all the pores of it, makes it loose and flabby by 
drawing out the roots of the hair; the second tightens'the 
skin in every part, contracts all the sinews and veins in the 
skin, makes the flitch a solider thing, and the skin a better 
protection to tho meat. The taste of the meat is very 
different from that of a scalded hog, and to this chiefly’ it 
was that Hampshire bacon owed its reputation for excel ¬ 
lence. As the hair is to be burnt off, it must be dry, and 
care must be taken that the hog be kept on dry litter of 
some sort the day previous to killing. W hen killed, lie is laid 
upon a narrow bed of straw, not wider than his carcass, and 
only two or three inches thick. He is then covered all over 
thinly with straw, to which, according as the wind may be, 
the fire is put at one end. As the straw bums, it burns the 
hair. It requires two or three coverings and burnings, and 
care is taken that the skin be not burnt or parched in any 
part. When the hair is all burnt close off, the hog is 
scraped clean, but never touched with water. The upper 
side being finished, the hog is turned over, and the other 
side is treated in like manner.” This of course only applies 
to pigs intended for bacon, and whether the flesh really is 
improved we do not pretend to say. If any one be disposed, 
let him try it, and then judge of its merits. 
After the pig is killed, and the inside cleaned out, and all 
other operations necessary have been completed, he must 
hang for twenty-four hours to get cool, and the next day be 
cut up; and now, whether your object is pork or bacon, 
take tlie meat and rub each piece well with salt, saltpetre, I 
and a small quantity of sugar, well mixed together, and j 
then put the meat thus dressed into the pickling-pan, and j 
let it stand two days or more according to the weather (in 
very dry weather it may remain three days), and then fill 
up the pan with cold water, and let the pork remain in this 
brine a week or ten days, turning it occasionally, or, if the 
pan be not sufficiently large to let the brine cover the whole 
of the meat, it must be turned everyday; when this brine 
looks thick and full of drainings, take the meat out ami pul 
