THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, November 10, 1857. 
the directions that a swarm of at least five pounds was 
I required for the two boxes. When throughout the summer 
i I became gradually more and more enlightened as to the 
puny size of sleeps in general, compared with those of this 
locality, I felt much annoyed to think that I had been the 
unintentional cause of disappointment to all who had 
purchased a Stewarton hive and followed my directions in 
working it. For this blunder I beg humbly to apologise to 
“ B. B.” and others. 
I have confidence, however, in asserting that if “ B. B.” 
will give our boxes a trial with abundance of strength the 
results will astonish him. I admit that at first it may not 
be agreeable to put more than one swarm into one hive, but 
the harvest will convince “ B. B.” that there is less advantage 
in our bee pasture than he dreams of. About Stewarton in 
ordinary years we count on about three weeks only of a 
real honey season; and, with the exception of this year, we 
have not for a long time reaped any benefit from the heath. 
“ B. B.” surely cannot be in earnest when he compares 
Neighbour’s and the Stewarton hive. The former, I pre¬ 
sume, is adapted to the tastes of the bee-keeper who wishes 
to work his stock on fancy principles without regard to 
quantity; the latter is essentially for practical purposes, 
and intended to produce the greatest quantity in the least 
time. To one class of bee-keepers the Stewarton hive 
would be dear at any price, and so would Mr. Neighbour’s 
to the other. 
The following extract from a letter received the other day 
from a party resident near Southampton who did not follow 
my directions is to the point:— 
“ Your bee boxes answered well this season. I hived a 
swarm into them on the 10th of May, and on the 28th I 
joined another swarm to them. On the Gth of June I made 
a honey box and put it on the top. By the 16th of July it 
was filled and sealed with beautiful white honey-comb—not 
a single grub in the box. I have since taken oft 1 the honey 
box: it weighed 26 lbs. The hive from which this Avas 
taken Aveighed 62lbs.,” &c.— Robt. Eaglesham, Stewarton. 
FEEDING BEES AND THEIR NEW FOOD. 
Bees should always be considered as natives of a warm 
climate, by which means Ave can account for their Avays 
being opposed to their own security. Instead of their 
keeping together in a strong colony they break off into 
small ones, and are thus Aveakened and rendered unfit to 
collect sufficient store for winter. The exact quantity of 
food requisite to keep a colony in good condition during the 
winter is not easily fixed: 10 lbs. and 15 lbs. have been named, 
but avg think that the latter quantity is the safest, and if it 
reach 20lbs. so much the better; still colonies short of the 
first quantity named should be fed, and the hives made snug 
for winter. The less room bees have during that time the 
better for their health, for all the combs that they do not 
cover take more or less harm, and the pollen is rendered 
unfit for use in the spring; consequently all communication 
should be closed from any extra room given to the hives in 
summer, and their doorways lessened or closed, except a 
few small holes for air. In general we prefer the latter, for, 
as Ave have already obseiwed, ttie instinct in bees is still 
obedient to the laws which govern the climate whence they 
originated, and consequently many of them are deceived by 
the Avarmth of a winter’s sun, sally out, and are either picked 
up by tomtits or perish in the snow. 
Until we know more respecting “ tilseed cakes ” as new 
food for bees we state that honey is their most natural food, 
but there are also other sweet mixtures used for feeding 
them Avitli success; and, Avhile some correspondents are 
making inquiries respecting this new food for bees, we 
shall have a “tilt” at the paragraph in the papers which 
gave rise to it. If such is not a French hoax it seems to 
be exaggerated; at least, the story does not agree with the 
habits of bees. It is said that they all left the hives in the 
mornings and returned laden at nights. Bees fly several 
miles for food, therefore the attractive treasure must have 
been far off if they could make only one journey in a day; 
| and, hoAvever much they brought home, it could not equal 
I the store collected by the same number of bees repeatedly 
89 ; 
in rich pasturage during the day. Besides, whoever kneAV ; 
of all the bees leaving a hive at once in search of food? 
If they did their larvae must perish. Indeed, the thing is 
absurd—a whole barrel of honey in front of a hive would 
not entice them all out at once. Perhaps this great novelty 
respecting the “ far farmers’ ” new food for bees may turn I 
out to be only similar to bees Avitli us frequenting brew- | 
houses for the sake of sweet wort, in Avbich great numbers 
of them are often drowned, to the loss of the bee-keeper.— 
J. Wighton. 
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE FLOWERING.— 
CONIFERS BY THE SEASIDE. 
Have any of your readers lately noticed the unusual 
circumstance of the abundant flowering of the Jerusalem 
Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus)? I am unable to mention 
any peculiar circumstances of temperature to account for 
this deviation from the ordinary habit of the plant in 
question. I am anxious, therefore, to learn Avhether the 
occurrence has been noted elsewhere. 
Many of your correspondents have inquired what varieties 
of the Pinus and other Coniferous tribes are most likely to 
succeed in localities near the sea. Where the soil is of 
fair average quality, Araucaria imbricata , Pinus insignis , P. 
laricio, P. Austriaca , P. pinaster , Cryptomeria Juponica, 
Cupressus macrocarpa, and Abies Cephalonica, have here done 
well. Oedrus deodara has thriven just so long as shelter 
has been provided, but no sooner has it outgrown its nurses 
or other protection than the leading shoot becomes blighted, j 
and the habit of a shrub supersedes that of a tree. Where j 
shelter, however, has been continued, mere proximity to the j 
sea has not been prejudicial. I have only mentioned those 
that have done best. There Avould be a large class of those 
that have done fairly.—W., Penzance . 
[The flowering of the Jerusalem Artichoke has been very 
general this year. It is not so uncommon as to deserve a 
drawing as a curiosity, though this has been done in the 
Illustrated London Netvs. There are many more unusual 
events, consequences of the late magnificent summer, oc¬ 
curring around us. Thus we have Berberis Darwinii in full i 
blossom now for the second time this year; and Mr. Robson, 
it will be seen, records the ripening of a second crop of 
Figs.—E d. C. G.] 
• SALVIA NEMOROSA. 
Lately we observed an advertisement of the Salvia ne- 
morosa, a favourite flower of bees, by the “ Curator, Botanic 
Gardens, Bury St. Edmund’s.” We have already spoken of 
this plant as such. It is very hardy and rather-ornamental, 
blooms the greater part of the season, and sometimes till 
late in the autumn. On the 18th of October Ave observed 
bees on its blue or purplish blossoms as if it were Mid¬ 
summer. They were also very eager among the small kinds 
of Michaelmas Daisies. We mention the latter in order to 
bring those late flowers into more notice, they being amongst 
the last to attract bees before winter. There are many 
other bee flowers which advertisers may bring into notice; 
for instance, Ave had some Bokhara Clover last season about 
seven or eight feet high, whose blossoms lasted long and 
were covered with bees.—J. Wighton. 
MOVING BEES TO THE MOORS. 
i 
The vehicle on Avhich bees are placed for the purpose of j 
transporting them hence to the moors is for the most part a 
common liandbarroAV, large enough to contain four hives. 
At daybreak on the 12th of August, that day so full of death 
and desolation to myriads of the grouse and moorfowl 
families, my men and I set out upon our journey, and what 
follows is a kind of description of our day’s doings and their 
results. An easy walk of an hour and a half’s duration 
brought us to the upper end of the BroomielaAV, Avhere lie 
in crowds the Avorld-famed steam gigs which ply upon the 
Clyde. On board that swift and elegant steamer, the name- 
