154 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[June 5. 
the shady side of sloping banks or borders, as well as 
Garden Beans, and plant French Beans on the sunny 
side. This is a good season for sowing a full crop of 
Cauliflowers and Cape Brocoli. Another sowing should 
be made of Parsley, and the growing crop well thinned. 
Continue to sow Turnips in succession. Commence 
planting out between the early crops of Potatoes, young 
plants of Drumhead Cabbage, Cabbage or Coleuort plants, 
Savoys and Kale. These will have rooted, and be ready 
for a growing start by the time the Potatoes are taken 
up; and by good after-management in scarifying and 
keeping a loose, clean surface, a valuable winter crop 
may be obtained. James Barnes. 
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 
RESULTS OF BURYING BEES. 
WINTER 1850-51. 
Number of hives 
and description 
of them; whe¬ 
ther swarms, 
casts, old hives, 
or preserved bees. 
Probable 
age of queen. 
Has she ever 
led off a 
swarm. 
Whether 
buried in the 
ground, and in 
leaves or other¬ 
wise, and at 
what depth. 
What me¬ 
thod of ven¬ 
tilation, if 
any, was 
adopted. 
Date of Weight of con- 
inter - tents of each 
ment, hive on inter- 
and ment, as far as 
state of could be ascer- 
weather. tained. 
Nature 
of soil 
and as¬ 
pect 
(North 
best). 
General 
character 
of the 
winter. 
Date of 
disinter¬ 
ment. 
Condi¬ 
tion of 
hives on 
disinter¬ 
ment. 
Weight of 
contents on 
disinter¬ 
ment. 
Percep¬ 
tible loss 
of each 
hive. 
No. 1. A second 
swarm of 1849. 
From brood 
of 1850. 
Placed on 
lime-ash floor, 
covered with 
earth one foot 
thick. 
No ventila¬ 
tion. 
29 th 
Nov., 
1850. 
Frosty 
morning 
Gross weight, 
21 lbs. 
Shed 
facing 
the 
south. 
Remark¬ 
ably mild 
and wet, 
29 th 
March, 
1851. 
Very dry 
and 
sound. 
Gross 
weight, 
15 lbs. 
6 lbs. 
No. 2. A swarm 
from No. 1 in the 
first week of July, 
1850. 
Probably 
two years 
old. 
Ditto. 
Half-inch 
pipe from 
entrance. 
Ditto. 
Gross weight, 
114 lbs. 
Ditto. 
Ditto. 
Ditto. 
Gross 
weight, 8lbs. 
34 lbs. 
No. 3. A second 
swarm in 1819. 
Brood of 
1850. 
Ditto. 
Half-inch 
pipe from 
entrance. 
Ditto. 
Gross weight, 
174 lbs. 
Ditto. 
Ditto. 
Ditto. 
Gross 
weight, 9 lbs. 
84 lbs. 
No. 4. A swarm 
from No. 3 on 
the 8th July, 
1850. 
Two years 
old. 
Ditto. 
No ventila¬ 
tion. 
Ditto. 
Gross weight, 
941bs. 
Ditto. 
Ditto. 
Ditto. 
Gross 
weight, 
6 lbs. 3 oz. 
34 lbs. 
5 oz. 
Further Observations. 
No. 1. Bees living, and commenced to carry in pellets of was on their legs the fourth day after disinterment. The stock, however, is 
much weakened in numbers, from the great quantity found dead on the bottom board in a putrid state. 
No. 2. Living, and doing very well; commenced to carry wax the second day after disinterment. 
No. 3. When disinterred, a small portion of bees living and lively, but since dead; honey left in combs. 
No. 4. Bees in a very weak state, and never recovered ; all dead by the third day after disinterment; no honey left. 
N.B. Number 1 and 3 were strong stocks, full of bees, and the large mass of dead bees found in each of them was enormous. The 
weight, on an average, of the empty hives, from 3 lbs. to 4 lbs. each.—A. Me Kelvie, Stevenstone, Torrington, Devon. 
POULTRY KEEPING. 
Y'oun valuable correspondent, A ester Bonn, lays down such 
excellent rules for fowl keeping, as to leave but little room 
for further remarks ; yet, I beg to otter a few words on the 
subject, in the hope they may act as a stimulus to those who 
have not yet kept any, to begin to do so, as a small space 
will suffice. I have kept a few for years, successfully, and 
at this time I have six bens, small Bantams. I wish I 
knew the name of the breed, they are as black, but not 
quite so large, as a raven, but strange, they sometimes pro¬ 
duce speckled chickens. These six hens have laid this 
year, viz., from the 1st of January, to this 31st of March, 
1^4 eggs. They may be beaten by some, but I think very 
few. A gate-keeper at a crossing on the Eastern Counties 
line, within one hundred yards of me, keeps one hen, a fine 
specimen of the common fowl, two years old, and he told me 
to-day this hen laid upwards of 150 eggs last year. I am 
sure there are hundreds of cottagers who might keep two 
or three, which would cost but little, and would be the means 
of procuring for them many little articles of daily con¬ 
sumption, of which, if they are not obliged to do entirely 
without, get but a scanty supply. The shopkeeper with 
whom they deal, would always take then- eggs in exchange 
for goods. I am not an advocate for keeping old hens, I 
serve them as I do my strawberry plants, turn them out at 
three years old. Any older than this may do very well for 
I sitters, but are not worth keeping for layers. Four of mine 
are two years old, and two one year old this spring. The 
two were hatched in April, last year, and before the end of 
November, had laid thirty eggs between them. All who 
wish for strong fowls, should, if possible, get their chicks 
off before the end of April. I have always found later 
broods turn out sickly. As I do not intend setting any of 
my hens this year, I will endeavour to keep a correct account 
of the produce, and give the result at the end, for the benefit 
of the million. —J. Cropley, Great Shelford, Cambridge. 
BEES. 
I will once more trouble you with a few observations on 
bee management, in reply to “ A Country Curate ” and “ A 
Country Solicitor.” I agree with the latter in his remark 
that difference of locality must produce very different results; 
it is, therefore, desirable that a writer on this subject should j 
state the locality he treats of. Ilis hive (as regards 
shading) was placed under a fir tree impervious to the rain. 
Was not this exactly the situation to encourage moth ? than 
which the honey bee has not a more powerful enemy. He j 
gathered up the bees which fell near the hive, and put them 
therein through a hole at the top of the hive. Here he was 
allowing a current of air to pass through the hive: it is a 
well known fact, that bees endeavour to close up every 
crevice in their habitation except the entrance, and, no 
doubt, to procure a sufficient temperature for their well 
being. This alone, particularly at the early part of the 
season, was sufficient to prevent them from progressing; 
but may be there were other reasons—the description of fir i 
tree, as respects resin, or the Campanule wasp, which delights 
to sling his hammock in the fir tree. I have now a hive, 
which stands in the shade, well covered with a straw hackle, 1 
but quite exposed to wind and rain ; it commenced work on 
the 15th of February, and I am persuaded that it did not 
contain more than four pounds of honey when placed in 
that situation; it appeared perfectly free from moth, has j 
never been fed, except with a small quantity of brown sugar ! 
in a feeding box below; although the air is still very cold j 
here, yet it appears in good health, as appears by visitors to ; 
the crocuses in my garden. 
