THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, May 19, 1857. 
103 
With care during bad weather, like that of the present, 
such stocks may survive; still they must take the best part 
of the season before they can store up any spare honey or 
throw off swarms. On the other band, strong stocks are 
readily known by the bees flying off quickly, and returning 
laden both with pollen and honey. These will soon require 
additional room to store up honey or increase new colonies. 
Since the above was written we have heard of several 
friends losing their bees from the cause we have stated, 
though they appeared to be in pretty good condition about 
three weeks back. Then the weather was very mild; indeed, 
so much so that Mr. Mackie, of Banffshire, had a swarm of 
bees, which is, perhaps, the earliest on record. In case 
there be any doubts respecting its being a proper swarm the 
following is his reply to us on the subject:— 
11 Green Dykes , April 27th, 1857. 
“ Deak Sie, —I beg to acknowledge the receipt of yours of 
the 20th. You want to know the fact of my bees swarming. 
It was on the 1st day of March, about 2 p.m. They clustered 
all right, and took to their new hive well. The old stock is 
three years old; it threw a fine swarm last year about the 
middle of June. It was very strong all winter, and working 
well in the month of February, but showed no sign of swarm¬ 
ing. The reason of its doing so is quite a mystery to me, 
for as long as I have been a bee-monger I never had a young 
swarm sooner than the end of May. The old hive is well 
supplied with bees, and, as far as I see, they are doing well.” 
The cause of this 1st of March swarm must be the great 
strength of the stock during winter, and the mildness of the 
weather in the latter part of February, and accords with our 
belief that bees in hot climates swarm repeatedly during the 
year.— J. Wighton. 
[We have seen Mr. Mackie’s letter. He resides at Green 
Dykes, Oudequhill, Banffshire. It is the earliest swarm of 
which we ever heard.— Ed. C. G.] 
POWER OF BEES TO PRODUCE HEAT. 
It may possibly assist your correspondent, Mr. D. G. 
M‘Lellan, in his speculations if I transcribe from my calen¬ 
dar a few extracts showing the winter temperature of a hive 
of bees relatively to that of the external atmosphere, a sub¬ 
ject to which, as shown by the dates, I turned my attention 
many years ago : — 
Outside. Inside. 
1835. 
1836. 
§ 1837. 
Dec. 5 . . 1 
p.m. 
_ 45 . 
11 . . 8 a.m. 
_ 25 . 
13 . . 9 
33 
. . . . 36 . 
* 23 . . 9 
33 
.... 26 . 
+ 25 . . 9 
33 
_22 . 
Jan. 2 . . 8 
33 
_18 . 
3 . . 10 
33 
_35 . 
6 . . 9 
33 
_45 . 
17 . . 8 
33 
. . . . 36 . 
Feb. 7 . . 10 
33 
_ 42 . 
13 . . 1 
p.m. 
_ 47 . 
Mar. 13 . . 9 
a.m. 
_ 42 . 
Nov. 18 . . 8 
33 
_ 35 . 
27 . . 10 
33 
Dec. 10 . . 8 
33 
_ 35 . 
X 25 .. 9 
33 
.... 28 . 
Jan. 1 . . 10 
33 
_ 29 . 
.. 53 
. .42 
. . 60 
. . 43 
. . 42 
. . 34 
. . 64 
. . 69 
. . 45 
. . 55 
. . 78 
. . 55 
. .41 
. . 51 
. . 41 
. . 35 
.. 37 
I confess I cannot come to the same conclusion as Mr. 
M‘Lellan—that the bees have the power to generate warmth 
as needed; but when stimulated to motion either by the 
action of the sun and light upon the hive, or some accidental 
disturbance, an increased temperature results undoubtedly. 
Entire dependence, moreover, is not to be placed in an 
experiment thus conducted, as it is no unusual thing for a 
cluster of bees to remove nearer or further from the ther¬ 
mometer, or even to congregate about it, when a sensible 
difference is immediately seen in the mercury, the result of 
such casualty.— Henry Taylor. 
* On this day in a second hive it was 32°, and in a third hive 51°. 
1 " >> ft tf »» ft 53 
+ tt » j » 34 ,, ,, 34 
§ tt tt tt 39 
NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 
Comparettia ealoata ( Sickle-leaved Comparettia). 
A crimson-flowered Orchid, found upon trees between 
Cassapi and Pampayaco, in Peru. It was named after A. 
Comparetti, a professor of botany at Padua. It flowered in 
the stove at Kew in December, 1856 .—(Botanical Maqazine , 
t. 4980.) 
• Befaria Mathewsii (Mr. Mathews'$ Befariu). 
A native of the Peruvian Mountains, at an elevation of 
from 6000 to 11,000 feet, whence Mr. Lobb sent it to Messrs. 
Yeitch, of the Exeter and Chelsea Nurseries. Flowers 
sulphur-coloured. It bloomed in March, 1857, and only 
requires greenhouse treatment.— {Ibid. t. 4981.) 
Aerides CYLINDRICUM {Cylindrical-leaved Aerides). 
A native of Hindostan, in the Jyamally Hills, of Coim¬ 
batore. Flowers white. It bloomed at Mr. Parker’s, 
Hornsey, in February, 1857.— {Ibid. t. 4982.) 
Begonia heracleifolia var, nigricans {Hoy-weed 
Begonia var. Blackish-leaved ). 
This has also been called Gireoudia , but with the same 
specific name. Native of Mexico. Flowers white and pink. 
Blooms in winter.— {Ibid. t. 4983.) 
Begonia Griffithii {Mr. Griffith's Begonia). 
The handsomest leaved of all the Begonias. Native of 
Bhootan. Introduced by Messrs. Henderson, of the Wel¬ 
lington Road Nursery, St. John’s Wood, and called by them 
erroneously B. picta, which is a different plant. Its flowers, 
which are white and pink, open during the winter and spring 
months. It is a stove plant.— {Ibid. t. 4984.) 
Thunbergia laurifolia {Laurel-leaved Thunbergia). 
A native of the Malayan peninsula, raised from seed 
received thence by Mr. Ingram, of Frogmore Gardens. 11 
is a rapidly-growing stove climber. Blooms at various 
seasons. The flowers are pale blue, with a yellowish eye.— 
{Ibid. t. 4985.) 
MUSHROOMS DEFICIENT IN FLAVOUR.— 
ON CUCUMBER BEDS. 
A correspondent, having complained of forced Mush¬ 
rooms having little or no flavour, wishes to know the cause, 
and, if practicable, the cure also. This is not an unusual 
complaint, and where Mushrooms are grown in mid-winter 
is not easily prevented. One primary cause I believe to be 
the variety of Mushroom grown, as well as the artificial 
position it is placed in, as we all know that forced fruits of 
all hardy kinds are inferior in flavour to the same grown out 
of doors, and Mushrooms are possibly no exception to that 
rule. Rhubarb certainly is not so good forced unless it has i 
had a good share of fresh air, and most likely the same 
beneficial agent will effect a partial cure in the case of 
Mushrooms; but this cannot well be had in December and 
following months. Our correspondent had better, therefore, 
ascertain from whence the soil comes that the beds are top 
dressed with, as a chalky soil is likely to have an injurious j 
effect, and one containing too much iron is likewise to be 
avoided. If the soil be t&ken from a pasture known to pro¬ 
duce Mushrooms naturally, and the other conditions to their 
growth are favourable, it is probable they will be tolerably 
flavoured, provided some accession of fresh air can be given. 
It would also be well to examine the produce, and see if 
there be any fault there, for a good Mushroom ought to smell j 
well, and the back be rather brown and rough than white 
and smooth, and in substance it ought to be fleshy, not thin 
and light. Much, of course, depends on the conditions of its 
growth; but in a general way the quality of Mushrooms at | 
Christmas is not so much an object of criticism as the fact 
of having them then. Nevertheless, it would be advisable to ! 
have them good if possible, a)id I hope the mode pointed 
out will be of service to the inquiring correspondent. 
Another inquirer, who grows ridge Cucumbers extensively, 
