June 30. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
249 
by tlie middle of the month, if possible. In the very first 
week of the month Dwarf Cabbages should be sown for 
Coleworts: these are a very useful article, and will do, like 
the Swede, to fill up blanks. 
Of course, all routine matters of weeding, hoeing, and 
cultural processes, will be attended to ; and, amongst other 
things, the manure-heap should receive its share of atten¬ 
tion. Our practice is to cover it occasionally with a little 
soil to prevent its drying, and, consequently, wasting its 
properties. E. Errington. 
AMATEUR TULIP SOCIETY. 
The tenth Annual Exhibition of the above Society took 
place at the Horn’s Tavern, Kennington, on Monday the 
30th of May, and, notwithstanding the untoward nature of 
the season, proved to be the best the Society ever had, and 
probably, for the quality of the ilowers, the best which had 
ever been seen in the United Kingdom. Certainly the first 
four stands might challenge comparison with anything 
which has ever yet been produced in public, and came as 
near to perfection, both in growth and character, as could 
be attained with the varieties now in cultivation. Mr. 
Headly’s stand was highly interesting, and attracted much 
1 attention, from the fact of its consisting entirely of seedlings 
j of that gentleman’s own raising, the majority of which were 
of the highest order of merit. It will be seen that this 
collection furnished the finest Byblomen in the room. 
After the show, the members and their friends dined 
together, the company, as usual, including the very first 
cultivators of the day. Among whom may be mentioned 
Mr. Henry Goldliam, Mr. Lawrence, of Hampton, Mr. 
Willimer, of Sunbury, and Mr. Liglitbody, of Falkirk. 
In the course of the evening, E. T. Clark, Esq., on the 
part of the members and honorary members of the Society, 
presented to the Honorary Secretary, Mr. Crook, a costly 
silver coffee-pot and cream ewer, of elegant design, in token 
of their approval of the manner in which he has fulfilled 
the duties of his office from the first establishment of the 
Society to the present time. The estimation in which they 
are pleased to hold his services was also further set forth 
in a beautifully written testimonial which accompanied the 
above elegant present. 
We subjoin the award of the judges. 
Censors. —Mr. H. Goldliam, Mr. R. L. Lawrence, and Mr. Willimer. 
First prise, S. Sanders, Esq., Staines.—Lady Crewe, Sphinx, Cerise 
Belliforme, Vivid, Bion, Sir H. Smith, Cleopatra, Acapulca, and Sir 
James Watt. 
Second prize, S. Treacher, Esq., Wycombe.—Princess Royal, Royal 
Albert, Catalani, La Belle Nannette, Elthiron, Pandora, Mercellus, Cerise 
Belliforme, and Strong’s King. 
Third prize, R. H. Betteridge, Esq., Abingdon.—Triomphe du Monde, 
Gyges, Cerise Belliforme, Glory of Abingdon, Cerise Blanche, David, 
Roi de Siam, Triumph Royal, and Polyphemus. 
Fourth prize, R. Headly, Esq., Stapleford.—Capt. Fuhelin, Gem, 
Menelaus, Calliope, Titian, Proserpine, Pactolus, Telemachus, and 
Aurora. Being all seedlings. 
Fifth prize, J. Macfield, Esq., Iloxton.—Princess Royal, New Bizarre, 
Camus de Croix, Lady Stanley, Chillaston Beauty, Surpasse Catafalque, 
Polyphemus, La Belle Nannette, and Brownes Wallace. 
Sixth prize, C. S. Crook, Esq., Brixton.—Royal George, Mountain 
Sylph, Vivid, Norman’s William, Maid of Orleans, Crook’s Mary, Purple 
Perfection, Triumph Royal, and May’s Ulysses. 
Recommended by Censors for a prize as e/juul to Sixth■ Royal George, 
Cerise Blanche, Franciscus Primus, Rose Astonishing, Vivid, Optimus, 
I Lord Strathmore, Cleopatra, and Camus. P. Wallace, jun., Esq., 
! Petersham. 
Prizes for Single Blooms. — Best Rose.— “ Bion.” S. Sanders, 
Esq. Best Byblomen. —“ Proserpine.” R. Headley, Esq. Best Bizarre. 
_“Ulysses.” A. Lane, Esq. Best Tricolor. —“Sultan.” W. Duttson, 
Esq. 
Prizes for Seedlings.— Best Rose.— “ Regina.” R. Deadly, Esq. 
Best Byblomen. —“ Adonis.” R. Headly, Esq. No Bizarre seedling of 
sufficient merit having been produced, a second Byblomen, raised by Mr. 
Norman, of Woolwich,' but not yet named, was recommended by the 
Censors for u prize. 
APIARIAN’S CALENDAR— July. 
By J. H. Payne , Esq., Author of “ The Bee-Keeper's 
Guide," do. 
It appears rather extraordinary that bees should have 
done well this season, both far north and south, and not 
generally so badly in the Midland counties. A corres¬ 
pondent, writing from Cricklade, says, “ I have never seen 
'SO much honey made in so short a time as between the 16th 
of May and the 4th of June.” Another, from Stanley’ 
near Wakefield, in Yorkshire, says, “ I have six old stocks 
that I have kept through the winter, and not lost one; they 
are all in common straw hives of large size; the spring is 
very late with us, but my bees are forward, for I have 
already had five swarms—on the 22nd of May, the 23rd, 
the 25tli, the 2Gth, and the 27th—and am expecting the 
sixth daily. 1 never had swarms so early before; for here,in 
Yorkshire, we expect to be two or three weeks later than 
you in the south.” The “ Country Curate ” will say, and 
perhaps, with some truth, that the large hives cause the 
early swarms.* This is, certainly, one advantage of large 
hives, but it is questionable if the many disadvantages 
arising from them will not more than counterbalance it. 
Honey-gathering. —The lioney-gatliering has certainly 
been very great for the last week or two. I weighed a swarm 
on the 11th of June, which was put into a hive of old comb 
on the 3rd, and found that it had collected upwards of 
fourteen pounds of honey. 
Taylor’s Dividing IItve (for making artificial, or early 
swarms).—The construction of this hive gives facilities for 
its division into two equal halves; and it is fitted up with 
bars placed from front to back. Each half-hive has its own 
separate floorboard, which, when placed side by side, are 
kept togther by a moveable tongue of wood inserted under¬ 
neath. The junction of the boxes is further secured by a 
loose top, or centre-board, which is adjusted and pinned with 
iron pegs at the four corners to cover the whole. For 
practical use, it is requisite to have a duplicate set of boxes, 
viz., there must be four half hives and boards, each one 
being so uniformly made as to fit on any other half. 
The usual time for making or forcing an artificial swarm 
is about the period (generally in May) when the drone bees 
have become active, and when brood, or larvae, both of 
drones and common bees, is plentiful in the hive. On a 
fine day remove the connecting centre-board, and withdraw 
the wooden tongue from beneath the tw r o half floor-boards, 
pass a thin knife-blade along the points of junction of the 
boxes to loosen the joint, but not so as to enter further than 
the thickness of the wood; then insert at the back one of 
the zinc dividing plates, allowing its flange to rest upon the 
upper edge of the half-box to retain the divider in its place; 
push it gently along, so as to cut off the communication 
from one half to the other; next insert the other zinc 
dividers, when the two full halves on their boards may be 
moved apart sufficient to admit of an empty half and its 
board being adjusted to each. "Withdraw the dividing plates, 
and w r e have now two complete conjoined hives, each with 
one side full of combs and bees, One of them will, of 
course, contain the queen-bee, which may be ascertained by 
drumming on the boxes until the bees are in commotion ; 
that hive in which the queen is will speedily become quiet, 
whilst prolonged confusion wall prevail in the queenless box. 
The latter may be placed on the spot, or stand, it had pre¬ 
viously occupied, where the bees will shortly rear them¬ 
selves a sovereign, whilst the other hive, with the queen, is 
to be taken to a little distance. 
The success of the dividing operation will depend mainly 
on the position of the combs ; for if these should chance to 
have been W'orked across the bars, instead of in parallel 
lines, much trouble will result. Guide-combs must, there¬ 
fore, be used previously to stocking the hive. The latter is 
best done by hiving a swarm into it, on which occasion the 
two halves should be well-secured together by a cord tem¬ 
porarily tied round them. I was favoured with one of these 
hives from Mr. Taylor, last year, in time-to put a late swarm 
into it, which I kept alive through the winter; it is now doing 
pretty well, and storing honey very fast, but drones have not yet 
made their appearance ; still, I hope, in my next Calendar, to 
be able to give a favourable account of the operation of 
dividing, and of having made of the one two good stocks. 
All that I can at present say is, that the bees have worked 
their combs very regularly upon the bars, which will make 
the operation very easy indeed. 
Bees in a North Aspect. —I should feel obliged if 
those persons who have tried the experiment of placing their 
bees facing the north would give me the result, and their 
opinion upon it. 
* Our readers will regret, as we do, to learn that “A Country Curate” 
is gone to Australia.—E d. C. G. 
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