40 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[April 17. 
RESULTS OF BURYING BEES. 
WINTER 1850 — 51 . 
In continuation of the Reports, commenced at page 12, we have to add the following:— 
Number of hives 
and description 
of them; whe¬ 
ther swarms, 
casts, old hives, 
or preserved 
bees. 
One hive; pre¬ 
served bees 
from a stock 
which had 
swarmed twice. 
5> n !t! 
tf> 3 o 
41 "3 
3 0 
eD o 2 a 
© a £ £ 
*-• O* 4) » 
Cm 
T3_T * 
53'C < 
'§ i. 
.0 S ! 
rC J r« 
-4J Tj C* 
0) ,H 
>.5 o 
. D 
; 8* 
'S rt 
i- 
<u > 
X * 
What method of “ 
ventilation, if ^ c 
any, was had re- o a ■ 
course to ? 
a s 
cs a v 
P B 
Sa S « fe 
60*2 
. t/3 0> 
° ~ T3 
o 
« c -r c 
> <d 2.5 
Nature of soil, 
and what aspect. 
(North best.) 
Mild, 
damp, 
and 
foggy. 
RIarch 
22nd. 
About one 
third of 
the bees 
dead, and 
the stench 
from the 
interior 
foul. 
5£ lbs. 
exclu¬ 
sive of 
bees. 
About j In leaves. A gutta percha Novem- 12J, not in- | Placed in a pig- 
five tube, of rather ber!3th, eluding the ! sty, in a dry 
months, j more than half after- bees. situation, under 
an inch diameter, noon, a north wall, 
flattened at the foggy, open to the east 
end, inserted into and The hive and 
the hive suffi- i cold. board were set 
ciently to pre- on two or three 
vent the egress of large flat stones 
the bees; secured 
at the mouth of j 
the hive with I 
mortar. 
Further Observations. —The hive was buried to a considerable depth in leaves, which had been well dried previously, and were still quite 
dry at the time of disinterment. The mortar with which the gutta percha tube had been secured had begun to crack, and had then afforded 
egress to a few bees, which were lying dead about the mouth. Two or three bees had also contrived to force themselves into the flattened end of 
the tube, which may in a great measure have obstructed the passage of air. This may have in part caused the disaster ; but I am by no means in 
favour, even supposing it may be so accounted for, of interment of hives in leaves. I think it might answer well in a very severe winter, but 
cannot conceive that it ever would in a mild one ; and-as it is only possible to judge the character of the winter very generally beforehand, this 
mode of wintering bees would always be attended with considerable risk. I examined the interior of the hive, and found one side completely 
covered with dark-coloured evacuations. The surviving bees also exhibited a most deplorable case of dysentery. Many of them came out of the 
hive both on the 22nd and 24th, and everything in the vicinity of it was covered with dark spots. I have serious misgivings as to the ultimate: 
fate of the stock.—J. W. Knight, Weston Fanell, Northampton. 
g S 8 
■t g 
£ a 
. 2.2 
'■M !C 
'S *3 
c a 
o S 
o 
■ 
CO r*. 
» O 
© a 
Zj 60 
8 l % 
J 3 .S 3 
T 
7k 
Observations. —It seems rather difficult to calculate correctly the average consumption of hives, for in 
two that I weighed monthly, from the 20th of October to the 20th of February, I find that no decrease in 
weight took place after the 20th of January. As there cannot be any doubt about the consumption having 
continued, the above fact can only be accounted for by supposing that breeding had commenced, and that 
the weight of the brood was equal to the weight of the food consumed. Be that as it may, I find that the 
average monthly consumption of one of the two, during the three months to the 20th of January, was 
10 oz.; of the other, 12 oz. ; in both cases, as will be seen, less than the average of my buried hive. My 
unburied hives have been kept quite dry all the winter, have been carefully protected from the rays of the 
sun, and have had a piece of wood, about three inches square, always standing before the entrance. The 
bees seemed very glad to get into the open air. Their bodies were very much distended, and by nightfall 
the appearance of my newly-painted and adjacent hives was by no means improved. The bees continued 
flying about all day, though but very few inhabitants of the unburied hives thought fit to come out; they 
have been very active on every favourable day since. Although the directions given in The Cottage Gar¬ 
dener, as to the times for burying and taking up, have not been exactly followed out, it is hoped that 
some portion of the above may help to further the object we all have in view. I do not much like my plan ; 
any other that may be more successful, I shall only be too happy to try.—71., 31 st March, 1851. 
water wherewithal, if the 
queen desired to breed. 
There were about 70 dead 
bees on the floor-board, 
which was far from dry. 
The dead bees and the 
excrement of the others 
had absorbed everything 
in the nature of liquid. 
The combs, as far as could 
be judged, were quite dry 
and clean. The mortality 
does not seem greater 
than it is in ordinary 
cases. 
Description of 
hive. 
Date of 
inter¬ 
ment. 
How and where 
interred. 
State of wea¬ 
ther when 
interred. 
Age of 
Queen. 
Weight of 
hive when 
interred. 
Weight of 
hive when 
disinterred. 
When dis¬ 
interred. 
State of hive when dis¬ 
interred. 
Consump- 
of food. 
A swarm in a flat- 
15 th 
The hive (with a bell- 
Buried at 
Born 
11 lbs. 
8$lhs. 
23rd 
The dampness from the 
Monthly 
topped straw 
Novem- 
glass and zinc trough 
7 a.m. during 
about 
after 
without 
February, 
stones of the area had 
average , 
hive. The swarm 
ber, 
over the top hole for 
a white frost, the 21st 
allowing 
allowing 
1851. Sun 
risen, and made the ashes 
12 4-7 ths. 
was not better 
1850. 
condensing the con- 
By 10 o’clock of June, 
for weight 
anything for 
shining 
for about six inches up 
OZ. 
than, if equal to. 
fined air) was first 
the frost was 
1850. 
of hive, 
increased 
brightly 
quite damp, whereby the 
a cast, in conse- 
surrounded with a 
gone and did 
board, 
weight 
through 
oil-cloth jacket was begin- 
Weelcly 
quence of the 
jacket of oil-clotli and 
not appear 
bell-glass, 
through 
the day; 
ning to rot inside and out. 
average , 
death of the old 
then with shavings. 
again for a 
trough, 
dampness. 
wind cold 
This, of course, affected 
3 l-7th.oz. 
queen a few days 
The whole was buried 
fortnight. 
and 
from the 
the hive whenever the two 
after the swarm- 
in ashes sufficiently 
coverings. 
east. 
were in contact. In an- 
2} lbs. in 
ing took place. 
deep to cover the 
other month the lower 
14 weeks. 
The new queen 
hive about a foot. A 
rounds of the hive would 
was not born un- 
gutta percha tube, of 
have been worthless. 
til about three 
a quarter of an inch 
There was half a teacup- 
weeks after the 
diameter, communi- 
ful of condensed vapour 
old one’s death. 
cated with the outer 
in the zinc trough, in 
Through the 
air. The situation 
which were about eight 
consequent delay 
was an area seven 
or nine dead bees. The 
in breeding, the 
feet deep and three 
float had been inadver- 
honey season 
feet broad, with a 
tently, and the perforated 
was nearly over 
south-west aspect. 
zinc between the trough 
before the bees 
Protected from the 
and the hive, designedly 
had time to look 
weather by an over- 
omitted. The latter, in 
about them. 
hanging balcony. 
order that there might be 
TREES SUITABLE FOR PARK SCENERY. 
{Continued from p. 404, Vol. V.) 
The Avenue.— In our last we mentioned what we thought 
the most suitable as single specimens, and also how to plant 
the group or clump ; we now come to that feature which of 
late lias caused much controversy in professional quarters— 
the Avenue ; but, as we said at the beginning, our purpose is 
not to plan, but to suggest the most suitable sorts of trees 
for the various purposes under notice; previous, how¬ 
ever, to doing which, in this case, we will depart a little out 
of our path, and say a few words on the width, and on ave¬ 
nues in general. 
One of the greatest evils attending many avenues that 
have been planted during the last thirty years is, that they 
are too narrow, the boughs of the trees on the opposite sides 
meeting long before they ought to have done so, or, what is 
equally bad, encroaching on the intermediate space, so as to 
sadly confine the carriage-way, wall, or glade, as the case 
may be, besides giving the trees a cropt or shorn ap¬ 
pearance. There are, however, cases in which a narrow 
avenue is not only in character, but highly recommend- 
able; when that is the case, the trees are expected to inter¬ 
mingle their boughs above, leaving the vaulted archway 
clear below. There are many beautiful walks formed under 
such a canopy ; and where the terminus affords a good 
view, or, what is more often the case, some ornamental 
