THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, July 7, 1857. 
221 
unavailable for breeding, and lienee the perplexing theory 
as to the sole propagation of drones. It ought to be in 
recollection that at one time it was thought that three 
varieties of egg were needed for producing the three distinct 
individuals in a bee family. As regards a young queen we 
now have discarded one portion of this error. Why may we 
not proceed another step, and consider whether more than a 
single kind of egg is requisite for the production of queens, 
workers, and drones? All reasoning seems tome (and I 
speak with diffidence) to favour this theory. But how comes 
it to pass that an egg deposited in a large cell should pro¬ 
duce male bees ? Who is to dive into the mysteries of 
Nature, and determine the laws by which she brings about 
certain results ? Is there anything more wonderful than 
the change wrought by enlarging the cell of a worker grub, 
altering the character of its tenant altogether, giving to it 
a new form and body, new wings, new legs, new instincts, 
and a new occupation ? Some observers deny the necessity 
of any peculiar aliment to bring about this perfection of 
miracle , believing, as the alternative, that an elongated 
habitation alone is needed. But why, if one altered form of 
dwelling is sufficient to produce so wonderful a result, may 1 
we not go the length of accepting the belief that a different : 
one is adequate to the production of another variety of the 
same insect? I cannot, however, entirely discard the idea 
that the three individual bees are influenced in their forma- ! 
tion and development by a varied suitable nutriment respect¬ 
ively, sometimes acting on the grub to stimulate and hasten 
development, and, as needed in the case of the drones, at 
another to retard it. It is nothing to the purpose to say 
that we are unable to detect the infinitesimal proportions of 
the substances entering into the different compounds which 
Nature may have prescribed for the accomplishment of her 
object. Be this as it may, we perceive certain results, and 
moreover know, as regards some of them, that science has 
dispelled an accumulation of error, though difficulties may 
yet remain to be solved. The question, How is it that the 
grubs of the large cells all become males ? can only suggest 
another—Why do the small cells contain female bees? 
Nature has so willed it. Like a thousand other of the ways 
of Providence it may be past our finding out, but the theory 
I have suggested for consideration presents to my mind 
fewer difficulties than any other. Nor does it contradict the 
well-known instinct that prompts a queen bee, at certain 
prescribed periods, to deposit her eggs in such cells as the 
perpetuation of the species unquestionably demands. I fear 
I have already trespassed at too great a length on your 
valuable pages, and will only add that my remarks have not 
been the result of any original scientific experiment; nor, in 
pointing out some evidently erroneous conclusions of Huber, 
do I abate one jot of the high admiration in which I hold the 
attainments of that great investigator.— An Old Apiarian. 
NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA. 
SYDNEY MARKETS.— Friday, March 27. 
[Unless otherwise expressed the prices quoted in this arti¬ 
cle are those in transactions between the producer and 
the first purchaser, not as between one dealer and another, 
much less the retail prices.] 
Wheat and Flour. —Messrs. Barker and Co.: No altera¬ 
tion has taken place in the price of flour, but the market 
has acquired considerable firmness- So little of the home- 
gi’own wheat is brought to town in a marketable condition— 
so damaged by wet that scarcely one load in ten is fit for 
the manufacture of fine flour—that ere long the millers will 
be compelled to have recourse to imported grain. Fine 
flour, £18; second quality, £16 per ton of 2000lbs.; bran, j 
Is. (id. to Is. 9d. per bushel; wheat, 6s. 6d. ditto. Mr. 
Breillat: Quotations at this mill remain the same as last 
reported. Fine flour, .£18; seconds, £16; bran, Is. 6d. to 
Is. 'Jd. per bushel; wheat, 5s. to 7s., according to quality. 
Bread.— 5d. per 2 lb. loaf. 
Biscuit.— Messrs. Wilkie and Co. quote: Best cabin at 
24s.; navy, 20s.; and ship, 18s. per 100 lbs. Mr. Hamilton : 
ship, 18s.; navy, 20s.; cabin, 24s. per 100 lbs. 
Butchers’ Meat.— The carcase butchers are supplying 
beef at l|d. and Ifd., and mutton at 2§d. to 3d. per lb. The 
retail prices vary, according to the joint, from 3d. to Od. 
per lb. 
Poultry and Dairy Produce. —Fowls, 3s.; ducks, 4s. to 
5s.; geese, 10s.; turkeys, 12s. to 20s.; pigeons, Is. 6d. to 2s. 
per couple. Roasting pigs, 4s. to 5s. each. Butter, 9d. to 
Is.; cheese, (id. to 7d.; bacon and hams, 8d. to lOd.; lard, 
6d. to 7d. per lb.; eggs, Is. 9d. to 2s. per dozen. 
Vegetables. —Potatoes, £5 to £7; onions, £12 to £16 
per ton ; cabbages, 3s. to 8s.; cucumbers, Is. to 2s.; lettuces, 
Is. to 2s. 6d.; turnips, 3s. to 4s.; celery, 5s. to 8s.; leeks, Is. 
to Is. 6d.; parsnips, 2s. to 3s.; carrots, 3s. (id. to 4s.; pump¬ 
kins, 3s. to 8s.; vegetable marrow, 2s. to 4s. per dozen or 
dozen bunches as the case may be. Green peas, 12s. to 
14s.; French beans, 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d. per bushel. 
Fruits. —Oranges, Is. 6d. to 2s.; Lisbon lemons, Is. to 
Is. 6d.; figs, 2d. to 6d.; bananas, Is. to Is. 9d.; water¬ 
melons, 4s. 6d. to 8s.; rock-melons, 4s. to 12s. per dozen'. 
Apples, 5s. to 9s.; pears, 2s. 6d. to 5s.; peaches, Is. 6d. to 
3s. 6d.; quinces, Is. 6d. to 2s. per basket; grapes, 4d. to 
5d. per lb. 
CURRENT RATES OF WAGES. 
TOWN—PER DAY. 
£ 
s. 
d. £ 
S. 
d. 
s. 
d. £ 
S, 
d • 
Painters. 
0 
0..0 
10 
0 
Masons, full .. 
..0 
12 
6.. o 
15 
0 
Carpenters, full. 
. 0 
12 
0.. o 
14 
o 
Ditto, short. 
..0 
13 
6.. 0 
0 
0 
Ditto, short . 
.0 
10 
0.. 0 
11 
8 
Labourers .. 
..0 
8 
6 . o 
10 
0 
Plumbers . 
. 0 
12 
0.. 0 
15 
0 
Quarrymen.. .. 
14 
0.. 0 
15 
0 
Joiners, full ... 
.0 
12 
0. .0 
14 
o 
Blacksmiths .. 
.. 0 
10 
0.. 0 
12 
0 
Ditto, short . 
0 
10 
o..o 
11 
8 
Carters. 
8 
0..0 
10 
0 
Plasterers . 
13 
0..0 
0 
O 
Engineers .... 
..0 
13 
0.. 0 
16 
0 
Labourers ... 
.0 
9 
0..0 
0 
0 
Shipwrights .. 
..0 
12 
0..0 
0 
0 
Coopers . 
12 
0..0 
14 
0 
Tinplate-workers 0 
10 
0..0 
12 
0 
Bricklayers. 
.0 
14 
0.. 0 
16 
0 
Tailors. 
9 
0.. 0 
12 
0 
Labourers ... 
.0 
9 
0.. 0 
It 0 I Wheelwrights . 
PER WEEK. 
.. 0 
12 
6.. 0 
0 
0 
Printing work . 
3 
0 
0.. 3 
6 
0 
Bookbinders .. 
..2 
10 
0.. 4 
0 
0 
Compositors on “ stab ” 
Herald, Morning Paper. 
Long primer, brevier, 
and nonpareil — equal¬ 
ised to Is. 6d. per 1000, 
and Is. /d. per hour 
time-work. The Em¬ 
pire's rates are about 
the same. At these 
rates men can earn, ac¬ 
cording to competency, 
from.. £Z 10 to.. 7 
4 0 0 
0 0 
Bakers.2 10 0. 
^Butchers.1 5 0. 
Boot and cassock 
makers.2 10 0. 
Watchmakers ... 4 0 0. 
Pastrycooks ....2 10 0. 
* Men cooks ....0 15 0. 
Cabinetmakers .. 2 10 0. 
Soap-boilers .... 3 0 0. 
Storemen.2 0 0. 
Light porters-2 0 0. 
* With board. 
3 10 0 
2 10 0 
3 0 0 
5 0 0 
3 0 0 
1 0 0 
3 0 0 
3 10 0 
0 
0 
2 5 
2 5 
Male servants.. 35 
Cooks.40 
Coachmen .... 50 
Grooms.40 
Gardeners .... 35 
Female Cooks 26 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
PER ANNUM, AND FOUND. 
0..50 0 0 
0.. 60 0 0 
0..60 0 0 
0.. 52 0 0 
0.. 45 0 0 
0..30 0 0 
Married couples50 0 0..60 0 
General female 
servants ....20 0 0.. 28 0 
Laundresses ..26 0 0..30 0 
Housemaids ..20 0 0.. 26 0 
Nursemaids... 20 0 0..25 0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
COUNTRY—PER ANNUM, WITH RATIONS. 
sugar, 2 lbs. 
; tea, \ lb., weekly. 
Farm labourers 30 
0 
0.. 40 
0 
0 
Stockmen ....40 
0 
0.. 45 
Ditto, married 
couples ....50 
Bullock drivers 40 
0 
0.. 45 
0 
0.. 55 
0 
0 
Ditto,on roads 50 
0 
0.. 55 
Hutkeepers ... 25 
0 
0.. 27 
10 
0 
Ploughmen . 35 
0 
0.. 45 
Garden lab’rers 0 
0 
0..40 
0 
0 
Shepherds .... 25 
0 
0.. 30 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Mushrooms. — Mushroom growth has the same pecu¬ 
liarities attending it in this region as in any other part of 
the world, as every one who has seen the pileate vegetable 
flourishing on our fiats will have observed. The two seasons 
when Mushrooms are to be looked for are just now and at 
the approach of summer; and continuous rains like the 
present will provide a spontaneous yield of them to the 
extent of a bushel a day upon a five-acre grass paddock well 
manured. The species of Agaricus vary as much in their 
production here as they do in other countries ; and, taking 
into consideration the many strange species we find on 
broken lands and within the forest shade, they are probably 
more largely diversified among us than elsewhere. The 
true Mushroom, which varies in the size of thejoiAu/s from 
the diameter of a wine-glass to that of an ordinary tumbler, 
and is of a dark colour, with little or no spongy substance, 
is the prevailing growth of established grass lands, though 
an unwholesome Agaric, pink tinted, is often associated with 
this, and should on no account be gathered. We think it 
useful, if not, indeed, important, to call attention to the fact 
that a most excellent article, in all respects equal to the 
catsup so largely produced in England, and supplied from 
thence in such considerable quantity to the colonial mar- 
