360 
THE COLLAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, March 6, 1S60. 
breed almost any quantity. The plot of land 150 by 50, if 
of the right nature, would be useful for growing green-meat; 
but if not, by building a few brick huts, it would do to turn out 
a vast quantity of young rabbits until they were old enough to 
take up to feed ; not that they require very much feeding—that is, 
fattening, but they would fatten faster, I think, if housed than if 
allowed to gambol and sport at liberty. 
As to the best sort to keep, here again much depends upon the 
market; but I should say avoid lop-ears and such breeds. The 
commoner the rabbit and the nearer it approaches to the wild 
rabbit, particularly in colour, the better. 
As there i3 ever a prejudice against eating tame rabbits, I 
should fancy if “ G. W.” could do away with this prejudice in 
the minds of the inhabitants of his locality he might dispose of a 
great number to his neighbours.—T. C. 
Crystal Palace Poultry Sales. —The sales at the Crystal 
Palace Poultry Show were larger than last year, both in number 
and amount—one-sixth of the poultry exhibited was sold. 
A SUBSTITUTE FOR POLLEN—LIGURIAN 
BEES. 
It is well known amongst bee cultivators, that a timely supply 
of pollen in the spring materially forwards breeding in a hive, 
and, in consequence, promotes early swarming. I lately met 
with an extract from the work of a celebrated German apiarian, 
Dzieizon, in which he announces a discovery of some little im¬ 
portance, as I think. He observed his bees, in the early spring, 
engaged in carrying to the hive from a neighbouring mill a 
quantity of rye meal. It occurred to him, that the only use to 
which the meal could be applied, was as a substitute for pollen. 
Following out the idea, he placed in front of his apiary a shallow 
trough of the meal, finely ground and dry. He soon found this 
was speedily appropriated on a fine day, the bees apparently pre¬ 
ferring the rgeal to stale pollen, and the breeding in the hive pro¬ 
ceeding at an accelerated rate. The feeding continued till the 
blossoms furnished an abundant natural supply of farina. The 
average consumption of meal he found to be about two pounds 
per hive. * 
Other German bee proprietors confirm the foregoing state¬ 
ment, one of them asserting that hives thus treated have pro¬ 
duced four swarms. Another contends that wheat-flour will do, 
in the absence of rye. An American bee-keeper adds similar 
testimony as to the value of the discovery. 
As the season is approaching for testing its importance, my 
present, object is to call attention to it, and I trust that our 
apiarian friends will avail’ themselves of yoru’ columns in com¬ 
municating the results of their experience at the earliest oppor¬ 
tunity. I recommend a trial of different kinds of ground grain, 
to ascertain which is preferred. 
I embrace this occasion to express my gratification that at¬ 
tention has in so many quarters been given to the subject of the 
Ligurian race of bees. The German apiarians, who speak from 
experience, are loud in extolling the superior qualities of the 
Italian over the common bee, in all respects. Even in the 
United States of America, attempts are now making to introduce 
the interesting foreigners. It would confer a public benefit, if such 
of your readers as have information to communicate, relative to 
this experiment, were to favour us, from time to time, by report¬ 
ing progress. Strange it is, that this species of bee, undoubtedly 
known to the ancient Greeks, to Aristotle, and Virgil, should for 
so many centuries have remained almost unknown in Western 
Europe.— An Old Apiarian. 
DESTROYING TOMTITS. 
Lire our “ Renfrewshire Bee-keeper,” I have been much 
annoyed with the blues of late, and tried nearly everything I 
could think of. Amongst the many different ways, I have tried 
nux vomica, mixed with lard and oatmeal, well mixed together, 
and rolled up in balls about the size of a filbert. I place one on 
each side of the entrance to the hive. When Mr. Blue Bonnet 
comes he greatly prefers this to knocking at the door for a bee. 
Within the last ten days I have picked up fifty dead blue bon¬ 
nets; and I daresay many more are dead, judging from the 
quantity of nux vomica they have consumed up till now. I have 
seen no ill effects from its application.—A Bedfordshire Bee¬ 
keeper. 
DR. BEYAN AND FEEDING BEES. 
I deeply regret seeing the notice of Dr. Bevan’s death, at 
page 294, for he was not only one of our best writers on bees, but 
also a very kind and good-hearted man. Some years back I used 
to correspond with him, not only respecting bees, but likewise on 
other subjects connected with natural history; and on looking 
over some of his letters, I found one relating to bees feeding their 
young queens while prisoners in their cells. Likewise on the 
use of coarse sugar instead of honey, as food for bees. The 
season for feeding weak stocks being at hand, perhaps Dr. 
Bevan’s remarks on the subject may be interesting, which I give 
in his own handwriting.—J. WlGHTON. 
“ When adverting to your observations on royal cells, I forgot 
to remark, that I once had an excellent opportunity of noticing 
one behind the window of one of my boxes. In that instance it 
was open at the bottom for several days, and had a complete lid 
formed by the circular end of the cell, which remaining still 
attached to the main portion of it, was made use of by the 
workers, like a lid hinged to an inverted tin can, with which, 
whenever the queen regnant approached, which she often did 
with a destructive purpose, the' cell was quickly closed, and her 
majesty warned off; at other times, the lid was open, suspended 
by its waxen hinge. During this period of her confinement, the 
young princess was very seduously attended, and, as I conceived, 
duly fed, though I could only witness the introduction of the 
workers’ heads. I considered that the opportunity thus afforded 
me, confirmed the statement of Huber. I have just received the 
Gardeners' Chronicle , in which I notice your answers of ‘ A. B. C.’ 
As respects many of those families which have undergone depriva¬ 
tion this season, no doubt feeding must be had recourse to. In 
my own apiary, I find not only those, but most of my swarms 
of the current year require it. However, a hundred weight of 
honey is well purchased by half a hundred weight of sugared ale. 
Your remark respecting coarse sugar is, I think, well founded, for 
I remember an apiarian friend’s complaining to me of having lost} 
families of bees for several years, though he ivell-fed them. On 
investigating the matter closely, I found that an ill-judged 
economy had led to the use of the lottoms of sugar casks ! No 
doubt they died of dysentery.—Yours very truly, E. Levan.” 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Fowls in Leadenhat.l Market (i£. Day). —The salesman was quite 
right in telling you “ Surrey fowls fetch the best price all the year round*.” 
The Surrey fowls are Dorkings. 
Ready-made Poultry-houses.— A. B. wishes to know whether ready¬ 
made poultry-houses in wood or iron, such as are kept in stock in London, 
are to be procured from any tradesman in Leeds or York. 
Poland Prizes at the Crystal Palace { B .). —We are happy to in¬ 
form you there was a mistake in the omission of two pens from the prize 
list of Polands. Pens 768 and 786, belonging to Col. Clowes, and Mr. 
Edwards, both had third prizes. 
Selecting a Canary {Infir mis). —If you desire a good singing Canary 
go to any of the London bird dealers and hear the birds sing. The vendor 
can cause them to sing by rubbing a piece of paper with a brush, and you 
can then select one to your liking.—B. P. B. 
Bar-hives (0. P. Q.). —We prefer a space of half an inch between the 
bars, and between these and the sides of the hives. Guide-combs are not 
absolutely necessary, but they induce the bees without any doubt to build 
along the bars. 
Shelter for Beehives (A Young Apiarian). —A wooden beehive might 
probably answer your purpose. If thatched on the top, front, and sides, 
no better protection can be desired. Bees kept on pedestals rarely do well 
in a very exposed situation. An ordinary milk-pan forms a good protection 
for a common straw hive, and affords little harbour for vermin. Cellar 
fungus ( Iiacodium cellare, or Mouse-skin Byssus ), is generally the most 
simple and most easily-procurable material for fumigating bees. 
Ligurian Bees {A Lady Subscriber). —The advantages of this species of 
bee, as vouched by German apiarians, are fully set forth at page 106 of our 
present volume. They are briefly as follows :—1. The Italian bees are less 
sensitive to cold than the common kind. 2. Their queens are more pro¬ 
lific. 3, They swarm earlier and more frequently. 4. They are much less 
apt to sting. 5. They are more industrious. 6. They are more courageous 
and active in self-defence. To which we may add a minor advantage, but 
one likely to be appreciated by the ladies—viz., thattheir colours are much 
brighter, and they are, therefore, “prettier” insects than our old brown- 
coated favourites. ( G. G. G., and J. L., Aberdeen). —1. Only sufficient 
workers will be sent to form an escort for the queen. 2. Keep them as 
far from other bees as possible. 3. Bar-hives are most convenient if 
scientific bee-keeping is contemplated. Information regarding manage¬ 
ment will be found in the articles of— A Devonshire Bee-keeper. 
