THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, August 4, 1857. 285 
Gfnotliera fruticosa, 3 feet, yellow. 
„ serotina, 2 feet, yellow. 
„ riparia, I foot G inches, yellow. 
„ macrocarpa, G inches, yellow, spreading. 
„ acaulis, 6 inches, white. 
Campanula coronata, 1 foot, white. 
„ macrantha, 2 feet, blue. 
„ limbata. 
„ Grosoeckii, 1 foot, blue. 
„ others, tall and dwarf, names unknown. 
Betonica grandiflora, 1 foot 6 inches, pale rose. 
Veronicas, various, blue, white, and pink. 
Malva Morenii, 1 foot 6 inches, rose. 
Alstrcmeria aurea, 2 feet, orange. 
Morina longifolia, 2 feet, pink and white spikes. 
Armeria vulgaris rosea, 9 inches, bright rose. 
Convolvulus Cantabricus, pale rose, striped, climber. 
„ althseoides, pale rose, climber. 
Ononis natrix, 6 inches, yellow. 
Potentilla MacNabiana, 2 feet, orange red. 
„ Garneriana, 1 foot, yellow, red eye. 
„ others, names unknown. 
Spiraea venusta, 3 feet, bright rose. 
Stenactis speciosa, 2 feet, pale blue. 
Teucrium Hyrcanicum, 1 foot G inches, purple spikes. 
Phyteuma Hispanica, 2 feet, blue. 
Gentiana cruciata, 6 inches, blue. 
Achillea eupatorium, 3 feet, yellow. 
„ tomentosa, G inches, yellow. 
„ ptarmica, 2 feet, white. 
„ „ pleno, 2 feet, white. 
Geranium pratense pleno, 1 foot, blue. 
Erigerons, Statices, specific names unknown. 
Plelenium autumnale, 1 foot G inches, yellow. 
Galega Persica, 4 feet, white. 
Clielone barbata, 3 feet, scarlet. 
Gypsophila Steveni, 2 feet, white, graceful. 
S. P., j Uushmcre. 
THE STEWARTON SYSTEM OF BEE¬ 
KEEPING.—No. 4. 
I have delayed making up a report of the doings of the 
selected hives until to-day (July 20th), because I foresaw 
some changes which would render the operations necessary 
in weighing easier and more satisfactory. To give a view of 
the progress made I have stated the gross and net weights 
of Nos. 1 and 2 on June 15th :— 
No. 1. „ >T . 
Gross. Net. 
July 20th, in three body and one honey-box . 701bs. 531bs. 
July 8th, one honey-box taken off. . . 25 
July 20th, one body-box taken off. , .35 
21 §„ 
30i „ 
June 15th, in two body-boxes 
Gain in honey, wax, and bees . 
No. 2. 
July 20tli, in four body and one honey-box 
July 20tli, two honey-boxes taken off , 
130 „ 105 „ 
go 
Or>J 
98 
» 
23|„ 
88 * „ 
801bs. 65ibs. 
43 
37 
129 „ .102 „ 
June 15th, in two body-boxes * . . 27 „ 18£„ 
Gain ...... 102 „ 83J „ 
No. 3, in local language, “ went back.” 
On July 11th I resolved to end its existence as a separate 
kingdom. To secure the death of the queen I caged her 
during the day. Her subjects were joined to another hive 
at night. The queen was in a diseased condition, and 
breeding had been at an end for some time. Attempts had 
been made to breed a young sovereign, but without success. 
No. ].—June 16th. Added body-box below, as the hive 
showed signs of crowding. I did not add a lioney-hox, 
because I wished the white Clover to be in bloom before I 
gave the bees an opportunity of commencing their choicest 
work. 
June 22nd. The three body-boxes being well filled, added 
a honey-box. 
June 23rd. Having a prospect of obtaining more than one 
honey-boxful, added a second honey-box. 
July 8tli. Took off a lull honey-box. 
July 9th. Room being required, added a body-box below. 
July 20tli. Took off the top body-box. This was done 
with a view to hasten and secure the finishing of the 
remaining honey - box, which apparently contains about 
141bs. 
No. 2.—June 18th. Added a three-inch “ raise.” 
June 24th. Removed the “raise,” and added a honey-box 
at G a.m. Finding the honey-box filled with bees at noon, 
added a body-box below. 
July 5th. The honey-box being well filled, added another. 
July 9th. Bees appearing at work in the top honey-box, 
added a fourth body-box below. 
July 20th. Removed two full honey-boxes, and, to give the 
bees an opportunity to make more fine comb, added a 
honey-box. Our season, however, is just about to close. 
Both hives were ventilated during the hottest weather by 
raising them with wedges as far as possible, without allowing 
the passage of a bee. I had less trouble with my hives 
during the hot weather in June than I have had on similar 
occasions, because the heat occurred before the hives had 
reached their full strength. Since reaching the maximum of 
number the temperature has been very moderate. 
The box of honeycomb taken off No. 1 on the 8th of July 
is complete, every part being beautifully sealed and finished. 
The colour is slightly affected, more especially at the sides, 
where work is always first commenced. The body-box taken 
off on the 20tli of July is the best of the kind I ever saw. It 
is full of the finest honey, sealed and finished, and not a 
single maggot in the box. The honey-boxes taken off 
No. 2 are of different sizes; one weighs 25lbs., the other 
18 lbs. gross. The large one is complete, the smaller one 
is scarcely all sealed, but it is quite marketable. The colour 
of these two boxes is unexceptionable. There is no ap¬ 
pearance of brood in any of the honey-boxes referred to. 
Between the 15th and 28th of June we had as fine a spell 
of bee weather as could be desired. This was a most pro¬ 
pitious occurrence, for at this season the wild Mustard 
yielded its sweets, and as it began to fail the white Clover 
shot up its “ opening flowers” in abundance by the highways 
and byways. The opportunity was good; nor did our little 
caterers fail to take advantage of this “ tide in their affairs, 
which, taken at the flood, led on to”—full boxes. 
The period alluded to was hotter than usual. I regret 
that I did not use a thermometer in my bee-house. Since 
the 28th of June we have had occasional showers, but 
delightful weather throughout. 
The hives about which I write will each contain, I should 
say, at least fifty thousand bees. I imagine the chief cause 
of the success attending our system is the adoption of every 
available means to insure strength, so as always to have a 
large number of hands ready “ to make hay while the sun 
shines.” 
The inducement to secure number is increased when we 
have reason to believe that the many are just about as easily 
supported as the few. 
I have taken a few notes connected with the management 
of some swarms, which I will report, if acceptable, after we 
have got the above stocks settled down for a season. By 
waiting till that time we may save confusion, and I find, on 
reflection, that without such an account the outline of “ our 
system” would be incomplete.— Robert Wilson, Stcwarton. 
[We shall be obliged by your report as soon as suits your 
convenience.—E d. C. G.] 
PHOTOGRAPHY. — DEVELOPING COLLODION 
PICTURES NEGATIVELY. 
I have almost confined my study of photography to printing 
from negative collodion glasses. Now, the first set I had 
taken were not so intense as they ought to have been, and 
print very indistinctly. They are varnished with trans¬ 
parent varnish in the usual way. Can I use any means to 
render these more intense ? or, if not, what preparation 
would print them most clearly ? and is anything better for 
