94 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 8. 
study even the simplest things in common use. A volume 
’might be written on the implements and contrivances used 
here for the purpose of carrying and lifting. Some of these are 
wonderfully ingenious; others are simply convenient to handle 
or use in operation. The French watering-pot differs from the 
English in having one handle, which extends from the back 
part of the pot, right over the opening at the top, and the 
other end is fixed near to the front of the plate at the top. 
This position of the handle may have been suggested by 
the natural position of the arm and hand, or it may have 
been adapted from considerations of economy in time and 
labour. It may be observed, that in using the ordinary 
form of pot there is a necessary expenditure of time and 
lobour, in putting it down with one handle and taking it up 
with the other at the back, for the purpose of watering. 
The Frenchman is much saving, and after carrying his pot 
with water to the place required, instead of putting it down, 
he merely gives his arm a slight twitch forward, and slips 
round his hand to the back of the pot, which is then in a 
position to let the water escape by the “ rose ” in the usual 
way. 
Professor Decaisne has just commenced his course of 
lectures for the season, called Cows tie Culture. The Pro¬ 
fessor is to treat of the plants used in the arts and manu¬ 
factures.—P. F. K. 
PEARS ON WHITE - THORN. 
I did hope the above would have brought an article from 
D. Beaton on grafting, its uses and abuses. It is an indignity 
to the Pear tribe to put them on Thorns. They do not 
like the alliance; it makes them hard-hearted, and has no 
claim to be looked upon as a curiosity, as there is scarcely 
a limit as to what you can graft. 
The first experiment I remember was with a Pear on 
the White-thorn, which proved a complete failure, as far as 
the fruit was concerned; the core was hard and pithy, you 
could hardly bite it. 
I look with great interest to the reports of the Pomo- 
logical Society, more particularly with respect to Tears, and 
when I see A’s are melting, and B’s are not melting, I 
say to Mr B, “look to your stocks, not Quince and Free, but 
hard and melting.” 
If my soil is suitable for Pears, the quality must yield to 
“ art and man’s device.” It may appear an act of supereroga¬ 
tion to graft on a good Pear; but we want a variety in a 
small space, where all are good. 
I have been told the French graft Apples on the Willow ; 
if so, that makes them want that “solidity” so much 
admired in our kitchen and Crimerean infantry. 
Let any of your readers take a scion of any good rosy 
Apple that wants a little polish, and graft it on a leading 
shoot of a Keswick Codling,—he will be surprised at the 
result.—A Cottage Gardener. 
EFFECTS OF GRAFTING THE PEAR ON 
THE WHITE-THORN. 
In answer to the inquiry of “ H.” as to Pears on White¬ 
thorn stocks, I beg to observe, that a cottager in this 
neighbourhood has both Jargonelle and Hessel Pears, which 
he grafted on the Thorn some years ago. The trees 
are very healthy, and bear abundantly. They are planted 
on what was formerly an old pit-heap. The soil is very dry, 
and the trees never suffer from spring frosts.—E. F., Durham. 
THE PROPER DIMENSIONS OF BEE HIVES. 
I have heard it remarked, that “every apiarian has a 
different mode of keeping bees, and his own peculiar hive 
such I believe to be the case, at least, it is so with me. 
Enclosed, I hand you a paper containing dimensions for 
bee hives; the result of my experience in a moderately good 
bee district. I have studied these little insects for five 
years, keeping from six to sixteen stocks, during which 
time I have come to the conclusion, that, except in very 
prolific districts, the hives in general use are a great deal 
too large, both for the convenience and economy of the 
honey-bee. Taking into consideration the very short honey 
seasons which, with a climate so precarious as that of 
Great Britain, we generally have, it is not to be expected 
that in one season an ordinary swarm can fill a hive of large 
dimensions; or even store enough to maintain it through 
the winter; for, no matter how large their domicile, the 
bees persevere in their endeavours to fill it with combs ; and 
it is a well-known fact, that it takes three or four times the 
weight of honey to make a certain amount of w r ax; hence, 
I have come to the conclusion, that it is not economy to have 
a hive to contain more comb than is li/cely to be filled with 
honey the SAME year. 
Flow often we see hives, more especially large ones, with 
scarcely the least vestige of honey; the energies of these 
industrious little insects having been wasted in the con¬ 
struction of superfluous cell room ; whereas, had they had 
the good fortune to inhabit a hive better adapted in size to 
their strength, to the prospect of the season, and to the 
period of the year, the result would have been a lot of well 
filled combs. 
The dimensions of the hive are as follows: viz., seven 
inches deep by twelve inches in diameter, inside measure¬ 
ment ; the sides are made of the best unthrashed rye straw, 
and perfectly cylindrical. The top-board is an octagonal 
piece of one-inch mahogany, fourteen-and-three-quarter 
inches diameter on the upper surface, tapering down to 
fourteen inches on the under surface. This board is fixed 
to the straw by three tliree-incli screws passing right 
through it, and penetrating the straw beneath. For com¬ 
munication with the super the top-board has seven inch- 
holes cut through it; these must be covered w’hen not in 
use by an octagonal piece of three-quarter-inch mahogany, 
nine inches in diameter on the upper surface, and tapering 
smaller, as before; this is kept in place by two small iron 
or wooden pegs, which fit into corresponding holes in the 
board beneath. 
Having the top-board made moveable (by means of the 
three, long screws) is found to be of great advantage; for, 
when taking the contents of a hive, by simply passing a 
knife round inside, and unloosing the screws, the combs can 
be taken out entire. 
A window, four inches by three inches in height, incased 
and |protected by zinc, may be introduced at the back if 
thought necessary. Behind this window a thermometer 
should be placed, to regulate the temperature of the hive. 
The super, also, is to be made of unthrashed straw, 
six inches in height, by eight inches in diameter, inside 
measurement, with a window at the back three-and-a-balf 
inches wide, by two-and-a-half inches in height, encased and 
protected as the lower one. There is no necessity of fasten¬ 
ing the super down, the hive and all being under cover. 
The floor-board, or bee-stool, as it is sometimes called, 
may be made of mahogany, or of almost any wood, provided 
it be in one piece, and of a kind that does not warp; it 
must be fifteen-and-a-half inches in diameter at the bottom, 
tapering to fourteen-and-three-quarter inches on the upper 
surface; it must be at least one-and-a-quarter inch thick, 
and cut octagonally at the edges to correspond with the 
top-board. The entrance hole is to be cut in the floor-board, 
slanting downwards from within, two-and-a-half inches by 
three-eighths; of course, there must be a small piece of 
board projecting before the entrance hole for the bees to 
alight upon. 
Provision is made for ventilation by means of a piece of 
perforated zinc at the back of the board, a good size for the 
hole of which is two-and-a-half inches square; a correspond¬ 
ing hole and piece of zinc is cut in the top-board just over 
the bottom ventilator; another piece of zinc, not perforated, 
is made to slide in and out at pleasure; the peforated zinc 
remaining fixed. The thermometer should always be con 
suited when ventilation is going on. 
When making the holes for the ventilators, care must be 
taken to cut away only the under half thickness of the board; 
otherwise the appearance of the hive will be injured. 
The hives must be placed under cover, at a distance of 
at least three feet, any number in a row; each having its 
