342 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, February 28, 1860. 
subdue his repugnance to promiscuous society; generally avoid¬ 
ing engagements which would interfere with his ordinary habits. 
Though not possessing a robust constitution, his health suffered 
few interruptions. His temper was remarkably placid; and if 
not impervious to annoyances, be was seldom excited to anger. 
It was pleasant to contemplate him in the unostentatious retire¬ 
ment to which his boyhood aspired.” 
To this just and accurate view of our departed friend’s 
character, we may add that in 1849 he took up his abode in this 
eitv, and continued to reside here until his death. In February, 
1852, at the time of the tremendous flood of the Wye, the Friars, 
then occupied by Dr. Bevan, was isolated by the flood. The 
waters, rising not less than twenty-one feet above the' ordinary 
winter level, filled the ground floor of the house, destroying the 
Doctoi’’s bees and bee-boxes, and adding to the miseries of an 
inundation the danger of starvation. At length, a boat with 
provisions reached the Friars, and rescued its inmates from the 
most pressing of their trials ; and the gradual subsidence of the 
waters after a few hours longer of this imprisonment, at last 
dissipated the fears which some persons had begun to entertain 
as to the danger of the foundations of the house being under¬ 
mined. In consequence of the publicity given in our columns 
to the somewhat striking incidents of the great flood of Candle- 
mas-day, 1852, some kind friends at a distance showed their 
esteem for the venerable Apiarian by presenting him with a 
resh set of bee-boxes, of which, as a very pleasing substitute for 
what he had playfully called his “Virginian Temple,” which 
had been destroyed by the flood, Dr. Bevan was justly proud.— 
(Hereford Times.) 
BEE-HIVES. 
In reading the celebrated Diary of John Evelyn the other day’ 
I was much interested by the following passage, which shows 
that the plan given by Nutt in his interesting book on the ma¬ 
nagement of honey bees, though, no doubt, discovered by him, 
was practised in England two hundred years before.— Charles 
E. N. Robinson, Therfield Rectory, near Royston. 
“* * * July 13th, 1654, Oxford.—We all dined at that 
most obliging and universally curious Dr. Wilkins’, at Wadham 
College. lie was the first who showed me the transparent 
apiaries which he had built like castles and palaces, and so ordered 
them one upon another, as to take the honey without destroying 
the bees. These were adorned with a variety of dials, little 
statues, vanes, &c.; and he was so abundantly civil, finding me 
pleased with them, to present me with one of the hives which he 
had empty, and which I afterwards had in my garden at Sayes 
Court, where it continued many years, and which his Majesty 
Charles II., came on purpose to see and contemplate with much 
satisfaction.” 
LIGUEIAH BEES. 
I have to thank the Editors of The Cottage Gardener for 
their kindness in giving publicity to my offer to aid in extending 
the cultivation of the Ligurian race of bees. 
Many applications have already been forwarded to me ; and as 
nearly every one asks for information, it may be as well to state 
more in detail the circumstances under which my offer is made, 
and the manner in which I propose to cany it out. 
I possess four Ligurian queens, all of which are at the head of 
strong stocks. Being desirous of extending the culture of what 
I believe will turn out a valuable improvement on the ordinary 
honey bee, I am willing to forego the honey harvest, and the 
natural increase of these interesting strangers, by devoting my 
attention and the resources of my apiary to the multiplication 
of Ligurian queen bees by artificial means. Although my ex¬ 
perience in this department of apiarian science has hitherto been 
limited to the production of a single queen, I have little doubt of 
success ; and without pretending to rival M. Hermann, who states 
that he can produce one hundred in one year from a single stock, 
I believe, that if sufficient notice be given, I shall be able so to 
multiply my four Ligurian queens as to supply any demand that 
is likely to arise. 
As my ability to carry out my intention is entirely dependent 
on the success of the experiment, I do not wish money to be re¬ 
mitted until the queens are received. Every subscriber will be 
advised by post of their despateli, and will receive directions for 
uniting them to stocks or swarms. 
It is probable that but few workers will accompany the royal 
travellers, and that they will generally be working bees of the 
ordinary description. Any attempt, therefore, to establish these 
foreigners otherwise than by placing them at the head of stocks 
or swarms, must necessarily end in disappointment. 
In conclusion, I may repeat that half a guinea will be charged 
for each fertile Ligurian queen—that queens can be forwarded to 
any part of the kingdom—that orders will be executed in the 
rotation in which they are received, and are kindly permitted to 
be addressed to The Cottage Gardener Office, whence they 
are promptly forwarded to—-A Devonshire Bee-keeper. 
[We would suggest that in all cases where it could be made 
convenient, the experiment of introducing the Ligurian bee should 
be made with two queens. The risk of total failure will, by so 
doing, be much diminished, as will also the danger of the race 
being hvbridised in future years by admixture with the common 
bee.— Eds. C. G.] 
M. Hermann, of Tamins-by-Chur, having appointed G. Neigh¬ 
bour & Son, of 149, Regent Street, his sole agents in England, 
they make the following extract from a letter they have recently 
received from him :— 
“ I think to go to Havre this month (February), and if I have 
sold certain 100 hives, then I will go to London. One hive I 
cannot send, the price is £2 10s., without freight from Genoa to 
London. 
“We have much more progress here than in France, our Bee¬ 
keeping is on a high point, but the Frenchmen are not much 
higher than the Italish people, which does know nothing. 
“ In Germany there is a Bee-keeper (Altenberg) which has re¬ 
ceived from 80 Italish hives 90 lbs. of Honey of each last season, 
his neighbour has received nothing, having only Black Bees. 
“ All our Bee-keepers (I speak from such gentlemen which 
have 100 hives) will not have other bees than Italish ones. Every 
one makes fortune with this bees. Every gentleman in our 
district likes now to have such bees in his Garden, so that we 
have very enthusiastic Bee-keepers, and I cannot acquire enough 
of such bees. 
“ I am yer alone and have no one else which would make the 
same business. I send you a copy of my book for translation, I 
beg you to tell me how much it would cost to print it in English, 
at London.” 
A CUBE FOE THE BLUES. 
Ip a “ Renfrewshire Bee-keeper” will protect the fronts 
of his bee-hives with a galvanised wire netting (say three-quarter- 
inch mesh, or smaller, if necessary) placed just so far in advance 
of the alighting-boards as to do away with the possibility of their 
being reached by his diminutive enemies, and so gathered in at the 
top, bottom, and sides, as to prevent them from getting behind 
the fence, he will by this means be enabled to keep the blue 
devils effectually at bay without much interference with the 
flight of his little favourites until the season shall be so far ad¬ 
vanced as to render protection unnecessary.—A Devonshire 
Bee-keeper. 
OUK LETTEE BOX. 
Crystal Palace Poultry Show. —We are requested by Mr. John 
Robinson, Vale House, near Garstang, to state, that bis White Dorking' 
fowls did not arrive at this Show until after the Judges had given in their 
awards for the White Dorking classes; they were thus deprived of any 
chance of appearing- in the prize list. 
What is Meant by “A Pair of Pigeons?” (Pigeon). —There is no 
doubt that the buyer understands that a cock and hen are intended; and 
what is more, every seller knows that such is understood if not expressed 
otherwise. Knowingly to sell two hens, or two cocks, as “ A pair of 
Pigeons,” without stating that they are each of the same sex, is fraudulent, 
and admits of no defence. No honourable man who has sold two of the 
same sex as “ a pair,” would decline either to take them back, or change 
one for a bird of the other sex. 
Ligurian Bees ( Z. F.'X.). —Queens of this species must be placed at the 
head of stocks, or swarms, of ordinary bees—swarms would be best. 
Directions for performing this operation will shortly appear in The 
Cottage Gardener. Swarming must not be permitted till the following 
year, or the stock will be hybridised for want of drones. They need not 
be separated from the common bees till about to swarm next year, when 
isolation would certainly be> advisable, although the German apiarians 
declare it not to be absolutely necessary.— A Devonshire Bee-keeper. 
Stewarton Hives (G. A/— 1 , Lancaster). —We mentioned the death of 
Air. Eaglesham many months since. Wc think any carpenter could make 
the hives. 
