THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, December 15, 1857. 167 
lie same process, his likenesses will prove more life-like and 
pleasing.) 
If the photographic student he able to afford a single 
i chromatic lens, and stop it down to a quarter of an inch 
ipertwe , it will, no doubt, be preferable to a meniscus, as 
•espects rapidity of action; (indeed, in our instructions as to 
ipparatus, we had recommended such a lens*) ; but unless he 
desire to produce microscopic details, and unnatural effects, 
let him avoid B.’s 127. 12.?. double achromatic. 
The picture produced by the 12.1. 12?. camera will be “ such 
a picture as we would have seen with a monstrous eye,” equal 
' o the diameter of the lens. “ Can anyone wonder, when such 
lenses are employed, that portraits are not recognised, and 
diat landscapes are distorted and unnatural?” 
The age of expensive lenses is gone : and though we knew 
we should be exposed to a vast amount of trade opposition, 
we felt it our duty to state as much in our first number of 
“ Photography for the Many.” We ask “ H. C. Id.” to ex¬ 
periment for himself, and submit the results to an unprejudiced 
judge, as respects comparative accuracy of portraiture .— 
E. A. Copland.] 
SMALL DRONES. 
Mr. Wighton has settled the question on small drones in 
your number of Oct. 13th, by confidently asserting that they 
are bred in drone cells, near the edges of the combs, and are 
of necessity smaller; and thinks Huber was led into a mistake 
by something of the same nature. Now, if I understood 
'■ fuber on small drones, he means hives having young queens, 
whose eggs produce nothing but small drones. The cause he 
attributes to the queen going past the proper time for fecun¬ 
dation ; and my own experience (as well as that of others I 
have talked with on the subject,) proves them to be queens of 
second or third swarms, or hives that have changed their 
< [ueens, as was the case with the one I am about to describe. 
In June 1850,1 hived a first swarm in a storifying hive ; 
then united a second in fourteen days after. All went on 
well; and at the end of the honey season, I took a fine box of 
honey, net contents twenty pounds, and left the stock forty-five 
pounds, in three boxes full of comb. A few days after, I found 
a dead queen on the floor board; but knowing it to be a com¬ 
mon occurrence for hives to change their queens, I thought 
all would be right, as there were drones in it at the same time. 
In the following spring, when cleaning the floor-board, I ex¬ 
amined the stock ; and must say, it looked well for bees and 
honey. In March, I shifted it about five miles, for the sake 
of the Gooseberry blossoms, and never saw it till the begin¬ 
ning of May, when I found it had not improved. As the 
following day was fine, I was determined to see what was the 
cause; and on lifting up the upper box, I was astonished to 
find it rife with young drones, perfectly shaped, but as small 
as workers. After puffing them up and down the combs, to 
see if they had any young worker bees, I could not see one, 
but thought all might be right, as there was plenty of small 
bee brood sealed up. I then run them off, and examined the 
brood minutely, picking them out one by one; and found 
i hem to be the same as those arrived at maturity. I may say, 
til the brood was within two or three days of coming out. As 
for the queen, she was perfect as regards appearance.— 
Apiarian. 
THE STEWARTON HIVE. 
I WAS not a little surprised at the remarks of “ T.,” under 
; lie above heading, which appeared in your publication of 
tlie 24th of November. The substance of the article appears 
to me to be— 
“ The theory of ‘ R. E.’ is, the larger the hive the greater ! 
t he produce.” 
“ He cannot induce bees to store more honey in one hive 
ban another.” 
“ He can have no power over the quality of the honey.” 
“The number of workmen alone affects quantity.” 
“I never saw a Stewarton hive.” 
“ He must be clever who can make a bee put a single ounce ' 
xtra into a hive unless it has a mind.” 
* These instructions have been in our hands some weeks. “ II. 0. K.,” 
lould have waited for them.—Ei>. C. G. 
“ Beware of quackery!” 
Now, from beginning to end, this gives evidence of such a 
total lack of acquaintance with bee matters, that it should ; 
just be treated by the rule of contrary. There is also an 
absence of faith and good feeling; and* what is worst of all, 
an inference as broadly expressed a 3 possible, that I am a 
quack. 
I have nowhere stated that the larger the hive the more 
honey. In the Stewarton system the object has been to j 
employ a hive that will contain such a population as will 
give full scope to the breeding powers of the queen. Any¬ 
thing beyond this we consider injurious. 
Bees store more honey in our boxes than in anything else 
which has been tried alongside of them. 
If there be any difference between pure white virgin honey¬ 
comb and that which is darkened and tainted, then the quality 
is, in a great measure, under our control. 
We must first have number to produce quantity; but 
judicious management, and a proper habitation, will go a 
long way in keeping these workers fully employed; and the 
advantageous storing of their produce is very much in the 
hands of the bee-keeper. 
We take little credit for our ability to induce bees to 
gather a good many ounces of honey, when otherwise they 
would waste much tune in hanging idly about their dwelling. 
We simply give extra room above, or below, or both, as cir¬ 
cumstances require, and thus gain days of labour in the best 
of the seasons. 
Our system is not one of theory, but is founded on years 
of practical experience; and this is a portion of our creed :— 
That we can induce bees to work. 
That by management we can so far preserve the quality of 
tlxe honey as to command double the usual market price. 
That the strong hive of one year is likely to do well tin- 
next, kc. 
All this may be accomplished with any other ifive of 
similar construction, and managed in a similar manner. 
In conclusion, I must say that I am quite at a loss to con¬ 
ceive what possible excuse “ T.” could plead for his gratuitous 
condemnation of a system and hive, of which, according to lii- 
own assertion, he knows nothing at all.— Robt. Laglzsham. 
Pomological Society. — Since our report of the last 
Meeting, the folio whig additional prizes have been offered :— 
For the best dish of six of the Sal way 
Peach, offered by Mr. C. Turner , Slough One Pound. 
For the best dish of ten of Cox’s Orange 
Pippin, offered by Mr. C. Turner , 
Slough . Ten Shillings. 
NEW DOORS. 
The Rose Amateub’s Guide.* —We welcome this new 
and sixth edition of Mr. Rivers’ excellent treatise on the Ros , 
which is the most readable book on the subject that has > 11 
come under our notice. Though thoroughly practical, it has 
none of that dullness with which many practical works abound. 
The author is evidently in love with his subject; and the 
reader cannot fail to be beguiled along, culling as he goe? the 
fruits of experience here stored up by one who knows well 
how to present them in the most tempting form. A better ' 
book on Rose culture cannot be wanted. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
HEATING BY HOT WATER. 
« Having read much in your valuable paper relative to the 
best mode of heating houses by hot water, I take the liberty t 
to send vou particulars of my mode, which answers ad mir ably. 
“ The chief recommendation is the entire disuse of valves, 
*■ The Rose Amateur's Guide, containing ample descriptions of all th 
fine leading varieties of Roses, regularly classed in their respective j 
families ; their history and mode of culture. By Thomas River . 
London, Longmans. 
* - 1 
