360 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, March 12, 1801. 
Nos. 3 and 4.—A clergyman’s and a tradesman’s, all dead 
(informed of by No. 2). 
No. 5+-—Ten stocks, all alive, but weakly. 
.6.—Seven stocks, all dead before the winter; straw- 
haekleist. 
No. 7#.—Ten stocks, all alive, but very weak. 
]^ 0 3 ,#—Seven stocks; three common hives dead, two ditto 
united stocks doing well; and two large hives on my plan, 
“exceedingly strong and pollen carrying.”_ 
K 0 . 9*.—Seven stocks ; five common hives dead, two on my 
plan “very strong and healthy.” 
No. 10.—Another hearsay, all dead. 
No. 11*.—Eour stocks (my own) on my alliance system, very 
strong and healthy. . 
Observed first young matured bee on the alighting-board 
February 7th. Tasted with my bee friend (Mr. Morris, No. 8) 
my last year’s gooseberry champagne. “Very good quite oily. 
February 18, saw first pollen-carriers. Tasted Esperione wine, 
vintage of 1859. My friend pronounced it “ excellent—quite a 
body in it.*’— Upwards and Onwards. 
MOISTURE IN HIVES—DISAPPEARANCE OF 
BLACK BEES IN LIGURIANISED STOCKS. 
In reply to “A Renfrewshire Bee-keeper” I may state 
that the moisture which necessitated shifting my bees into dry 
boxes at the end of the season was confined to the ulterior of the 
hives, and was, therefore, wholly irrespective of external covering. 
The climate of this part of the country is (unfortunately for 
apiarians) extremely humid, and this I believe more than 
neutralises any advantage whicli might otherwise arise from the 
moderate range of the thermometer in this locality. 
The black bees have entirely disappeared from two of my 
Ligurian stocks ; and would, doubtless, have done so long before, 
but for my constant additions of black brood to make up for 
Ligurian brood-comb taken for queen-rearing and experimental 
purposes. These causes have kept most of my stocks in a mixed 
state up to this time; but having now but one black queen, I 
hope as summer advances to have from eight to ten pure Ligurian 
stocks, which I shall not require to alloy by any intermixture of 
the black species.—A Devonshire Bee-keeper. 
BEE-KEEPING IN AMERICA. 
Since writing the remarks on an article respecting autumnal 
bee-management in America, which appeared in the last Cottage 
Gardener, I am indebted to the kindness of a friend for the 
perusal of Quinby’s “ Mysteries of Bee-keeping,” one of the best 
transatlantic works on this subject, and one which thiows light 
on some doubtful points in American bee-management. 
Punk.—I may mention in the first place that “ punk is 
explained as meaning “ rotten wood, the smoke fiom which is 
strongly recommended by Mr. Langstroth, another eminent 
American apiarian as very efficacious in rendering bees less 
disposed to sting. Mr. Quinby says, “ Any hard wood that has 
just sufficient strength to hold together is good; split or saw it 
into pieces ll inch square, and dry it thoroughly ; light one 
end—blow the smoke among the bees as occasion requires.” 
Size of Hives.—2000 cubic inches are recommended as the 
best size. British authority is not deferred to in this respect as 
appears from the following :—“ Dr. Bevan, an English author, 
recommends a size ‘eleven and three-eighths [query five-eighths?] 
inches square by nine deep in the clear,’ making only about 
1200 inches, and so few pounds necessary to winter the bees, 
that when I read it, I found myself wondering if the English 
inch and pound were the same as ours.” Mr. Quinby also 
declares that shape “ is not at all important. I have had some 
[hives] 10 inches square by 20 inches in length; they were 
awkward looking, but that was all, I could discover no difference 
in their prosperity.” 
Bar and Frame-Hives. —This modification of the bar-hive 
has been patented in the United States by the Rev. L. L. Langs¬ 
troth, and is highly recommended by Mr. Quinby in an 
appendix. All the advantages of bar-hives are enumerated as 
belonging exclusively to those having frames attached to the 
bars, whilst an objection is made to the original and more simple 
form, which certainly applies with at least equal force to bar 
* Milk-panists. 
+ Ditto with frousty pieces of clotli, &c., between the pans and the lnves, 
than which nothing in my opinion can be worse, except the hackles. 
and frame-hives. It is not unlikely that the latter may be con¬ 
sidered an American invention ; but this would be a mistake, as 
they were first made use of in Germany, and I believe whatever 
credit may be due for their introduction should be attributed to 
Baron von Berlepock, of Seebach, in Thuringia. 
Size of Bar-hives. —Twelve inches are stated to be the proper 
width for a hive containing eight bars or frames. An inch and 
a half being declared to be “ the right distance from centre to 
centre,” another half inch might surely be added with advantage, 
as nine spaces are required between eight combs and the sides of 
the box; and this would give 12| inches as the best width for 
an eight-bar hive. Observation has long led me to consider 
131 inches (some makers go so far as 18£ inches or 13f inches), 
too wide for eight bars ; and although I did not venture to start 
with a smaller diameter than 13 inches, yet, if I were now 
about to commence bee-keeping, I should prefer 12J- inches for 
eight-bar stock-boxes. 
Fumigation. —Fungus, and the fumigating-tube are recom¬ 
mended for effecting autumnal unions; and we learn that “ Col. 
H. K. Oliver of Salem, Massachusetts, is said to be the inventor 
of the fumigator.” 
Enemies of Bees—The Wan Moth. —Among the real and 
supposed enemies of bees in the United (?) States are enumerated 
rats and mice, (which would certainly be dangerous to straw 
hives only raised 2 inches or 3 inches from the ground as recom¬ 
mended by our author), the King-bird, Cat-bird, Martins and 
Swallows, toads, wasps and hornets, ants, spiders, and last, but 
by no means the least, the Wax Moth, of whichht is said, “If 
we combine into one phalanx all the depredators yet named, and 
compare their ability for mischief with the Wax Moth, we shall 
find their powers of destruction but a small item. Of the Moth 
itself we would have nothing to fear were it not for her progeny, 
that consist of a hundred or a thousand vile worms, whose food 
is principally wax or comb.” “ In July or August .... 
a single Moth may enter the hive when exposed and deposit her 
whole burden of several hundred eggs. . . . The weather 
at this season will make any part of the hive warm enough to 
set her whole brood at work at once, and in three weeks all 
may be destroyed! ” 
Honey-harvest. — During the honey season of 1856 it is 
stated that “the author, and a few neighbours who manage 
according to his system, furnished for market over 20,000 
pounds of box [super] honey.” With such honey-harvests, I 
am not surprised to find the price of honey so low as ten cents 
(fivepence) per pound. 
Winter Management. —It is recommended that bees be 
• placed in a dark room during winter. Common hives are to be 
inverted, to allow exhalations to escape freely; but bar-hives 
may stand upright with the top boards removed. The bees are 
not confined to their respective hives, hut are prevented by the 
darkness from going astray. 
At the end of the book appears an advertisement respecting 
the “ Cottage and Farm Bee-keeper, a practical work, by a 
Country Curate.” Is this at all interesting to our friend 
“B & W?”—A Devonshire Bee-keeper. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Cochin-China Hen with Throat Affected [Ignoramus).— Her gaping, 
twitching her neck, and other symptoms, show that she has the gapes. 
You cannot see the worms in her windpipe. Vapour of spirit of turpentine 
inhaled, sweet oil injected into the windpipe by a small syringe, have been 
recommended as remedies. Keeping up the tone of tile bird’s strength 
by generous but not fattening diet, and making the water it drinks chaly¬ 
beate, is advisable treatment. 
Management of Pea Fowl [A Subscriber). —You must allow the Pea 
hen to choose her own locality for her nest; it is in the nature of these 
birds to wander. The young are very delicate at first, and require generous 
and stimulating food.' Oat or barleymeal with onion tops, pepper (black), 
and a little hempseed mixed with it is a capital dish for them, and one 
which they always appreciate. They require plenty of green food, and 
above all, clean and pure water. 
Blacks, a Poultry Disease ( T. Hedley). —We have before said (No. 644, 
page 264) that we do not know any disease so called. The “black rot 17 i 
is confined to Spanish fowls, and is' always deadly. Tell us the symptoms 
of “ The Blacks.” 
White Dorkings—White Aylesbukys [J. Bryan). —The party you 
addressed has no longer any connection with this paper. You had better 
write to two or three parties whose names you see mentioned as prize™ 
takers, or as commended at the poultry shows; tell them what you require 
and ask their prices. We recommend you to purchase the male from one 
breeder, and the female birds from another breeder. 
Pheasants v. Bantams in a Garden ( Rus in Urbe).— Pheasants will not 
do as much damage in a flower garden as Bantams. They da not scratch 
at all; and, being more timid birds, their busking will be more at the 
back of shrubs and in hidden corners. They are fond of dusting and 
basking in the sun, but would not make any havoc in a garden. 
