THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, December 21, 1858. 
185 
assistance could not . be expected to last many days, although, 
doubtless, supplemented by the honey with which they had 
laden themselves before quitting their original domiciles. 
Circumstances having occurred to delay the removal of my 
boes from the heath, where they had already remained much 
longer than was originally intended, I determined once more to 
visit them. This determination I carried into effect on the 13th 
of September, taking with me a bee-cloth, with the view of tying 
up and bringing back what I could not but fear would turn out 
to be merely an empty box, instead of the populous stock which 
I had, perhaps somewhat prematurely, denominated “ No. 4.” 
I was, therefore, equally pleased and surprised at finding my 
colony of deprived bees, not only alive, but working vigorously, 
and in possession of about as much comb as is often made by a 
weak second swarm. Still, they were not so numerous as I ex¬ 
pected ; and here 1 may remark, that I did not find the stocks in 
the neighbourhood of the heath nearly so full of bees, as those I 
had driven in my own locality a few days previously. May not 
this arise from loss of life by the thousand and one accidents in¬ 
separable from honey-gathering late in the season P 
Being still willing to increase the population of my deprived 
colony, I gladly availed myself of the opportunity of driving a 
strong stock, which had not swarmed this summer, but had been 
nadired, or rather “ nethered,” in the latter end of May or be¬ 
ginning of June. 
As this is an operation not very frequently resorted to, a de¬ 
scription of the manner in which it was performed, and its 
results, may not bo uninteresting. 
I find the first application of the “ nether ” principle in “ The 
General Apiarian,” by the late Rev. J. Isaac, of Moretonhamp- 
stead, in this county, who describes some straw hives on this 
plan, invented by a Mr. Roberts, and by him denominated the 
Preserver and Remunerator. These Mr. Isaac expressly terms 
“ swarming hives.” An ingenious application of the same prin¬ 
ciple is delineated in “ Taylor’s Bee-keeper’s Manual,” as a Nadir 
Rive. Mr. Taylor says, this “ must not be confounded 'with the 
usual plan of disturbing the stock hive, for the purpose of placing 
an empty one beneath it, with a new entrance in the latter for 
the beesand it is hi a recent communication from him that I 
find the term “ nether” made use of, in contradistinction to the 
usual plan of “ nadiring.” Mr. Taylor has also devised a new hive 
on thi3 principle, which, I understand, offers some peculiar ad¬ 
vantages in working.* 
The stock in question stood on a shelf, fixed in a recess in the 
garden wall. The depth of the shelf from front to back being 
the same as the diameter of the hive, it follows that there could 
be little or no projection to serve as an alighting-board. A large 
cluster of bees, having “hung out” without swarming during 
part of May, wore enclosed in an empty hive, inverted, and fixed 
in close contact with the under side of the shelf, with its entrance 
immediately beneath that of the stock hive. This contrivance 
succeeded perfectly, so far as this : the bees forthwith commenced 
working in the inverted hive, and did not swarm. 
On removing the nether hive, I found it about half filled with 
comb, containing from a pound to a pound and a half of excellent 
honey. The stock hive itself (a moderate-sized one) was, however, 
well filled, and weighed, I should think, nearly thirty pounds. 
Comparing this result with what might reasonably have been ex¬ 
pected from supering a strong stock in a first-rate locality, during 
what has certainly been a good honey season, I fear it must be 
pronounced a failure, as far as regards the quantity of honey 
obtained. 
Some hours after I had driven the stock hive, my services were 
again called into requisition, to secure the honey harvest from the 
bees, an organised attack having been commenced upon it. It 
appeared that the combs were cut out, and set draining in a 
room with door and window open, where they were soon dis¬ 
covered by an army of winged marauders. A removal to 
another (equally exposed) apartment did not mend matters, and 
when I arrived I found all the hives in the apiary in a state of 
the greatest excitement, and nearly every room and passage of 
the house crowded with bees. The uproar was equal to that 
attending the issue of a swarm. Hundreds buzzed in every 
window—thousands filled the air; whilst, in the dairy, scores 
were drowned in the milkpans, or stifled in Devonshire cream. 
Directing the removal of the combs and honey into the only room 
that had escaped invasion, I closed both door and window, and 
succeeded, after considerable trouble, and by slow degrees, in 
* Mr. Taylor’s “ Nether Hive” may he seen at Messrs. Neighbour and 
Sons, 149, Regent Street, London. 
clearing the combs of every bee that could fly. I regret to state» 
that tlxis disastrous affair cost the lives of many hundreds, 
drowned either in milk or honey, or so clogged as to be unable to 
take wing. 
When evening closed in, and the excitement had somewhat 
subsided, the destitute bees were conveyed to the heath, where 
they were united to their brethren in misfortune, in the manner 
already described by—A Devonshire Bee-keepee. 
CALCEOLARIAS SUCCESSFULLY CULTIVATED. 
At page 151, I see an article on the “Failure of the Calceo¬ 
laria this failure I believe to have been general, although 
not so with me. I have grown a pretty good quantity, for the 
size of the place under my care, and I can confidently say, that 
there has neither been a healthier lot of plants, nor a better show 
of bloom, than I have had. 
Seeing, also, that Mr. Robson will be glad to hear other per¬ 
sons’ opinions on the subject, I beg to offer you my mite, as 
follows:— 
In October, 1857, I engaged with my present employer, he 
being at that time building a new residence. The ground being 
roughed over, I had to set to work to make the place, which, 
although small, took a considerable time to get in order. Having 
the ground grassed and planted, and having all to do myself, it 
was the end of May before I could begin cutting the flower-beds ; 
in doing which I took out the soil to about eighteen inches in 
depth, and ran a tile drain from them to the main drain, the 
ground in some places being excessively wet. I then loosened 
the clayey subsoil one spit deeper, and put in the turf, chopped 
fine, returning upon it the soil, which was the remains of an old 
pasture. I surfaced with a little of the same soil, mixed with a 
little sand and old hotbed manure. The plants were put in as 
I finished the beds, being watered well: the waterings were 
continued till the plants had got properly established. 
Although it was a considerable trouble (the recent season 
having been so excessively hot and dry), I have been amply 
repaid for my trouble, not having lost half-a-dozen plants in the 
'whole lot, and having a profusion of bloom. 
This autumn I have put in more than 1,000 cuttings, or rather 
slips, in a two-light frame, and they are at present looking veiy 
healthy, and apparently all struck; so you will see I am at least 
preparing for any mishap.—T. C. F., near Manchester. 
I use three yellow kinds of Calceolaria— rugosa> multiflora , 
and Kayii. Of bronze Calceolarias, I grow Prince of Orange ; 
and of dark varieties, Sultana; and a small-flowered, half-shrubby 
kind. 
I commence propagation the first week in October, first- 
making a square bed, of a size according to the number of hand- 
lights I want to use. The bed is formed of the refuse under the 
potting-bench, using, for the soil immediately under the light, 
about an inch in thickness of yellow loam, silver sand, and leaf- 
mould, sifted, and patted down firm. Then I put in, with a 
small dibber, the cuttings as thick as they can stand (the leaves 
touch each other), water the soil to a puddle, and put 
the lights on them. As I choose a place where the sun never 
shines on them, they do not require any shading ; and, as the 
bed is raised above the level of the ground, the rains of autumn 
soak away, leaving no stagnant water, but a nice degree of damp¬ 
ness, apparently peculiarly favourable to them. 
During severe frost, I throw a good thickness of litter over 
them (long litter from the stables I prefer), leaving it there till 
the frost is gone away. Though often frozen quite hard, I never 
knew them injured, unless exposed suddenly to the light; and I 
never find them require any air until February, when they com¬ 
mence growing. I find the damp then requires to be removed 
from the leaves, as it is apt to rot them. 
At the commencement of March, I take them up, one by one, 
carefully, potting each into a large 60-sizcd pot, and put them 
mto a cold frame, with plenty of air day and night, after they 
are established, till the roots reach the sides. Then I make an 
enclosure (not very wide) with laths and straw (cradle system 
would be better, but I have not room, or place, for that), and 
make up a bed inside, upon a hard bottom, four or five inches 
thick, of half well-rotted horsedung and half potting-beucli 
refuse. I then plant them out, watering them, on cold days and 
