16 
THE COTTAGE G ARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, April 3, 18G0. 
credit the evideme of my own senses, as well as the authority of 
those apiarians from Huber downwards who hare testified to the 
fact. Unfortunately for the new doctrine, it cannot be denied 
that breeding-cells receive a very perceptible lining which consists 
of thin silken pellicles exactly as described by nuber and other 
less eminent observers. I now enclose a few specimens for the 
Editors’ inspection. It will be perceived that they retain the 
shape of the cells, although devoid of the least particle of wax ; 
and I am desirous of being informed to what cause we are to 
attribute them, since we are now taught by Mr. Wighton that 
the received opinion is altogether erroneous ; although I honestly 
confess that its correctness has never been doubted by —A Devon¬ 
shire Bee-keeper. 
[The cocoons sent to us by our correspondent are those which 
every one must have seen in the brood cells. We have no doubt 
of the bee-larvse forming cocoons. Those accurate observers, 
Kirby and Spence, point out the difference in the cocoons made 
by the grubs of workers, drones, and in a royal cell.—( Intro¬ 
duction to Entomology, ii., 138 .)—Eds. C. G.] 
INCREASE OF LIGURIAN STOCKS, &c. 
It will not be amiss that I should mention pro bono publico 
the plan which I shall most likely pursue (as it now appears to 
me the best, looking to the probable condition of my apiary) 
when I receive the two Ligurian queens, which I have requested 
our friend the “ Devonshire Bee-keeper” to supply me with. 
As I hope that they may both contrive to reach me at the same 
time, my plan is simply this—to select the two best and most 
forward stocks in my bee-house, that may not have swarmed yet, 
and to drive out about half of the population of each in the 
middle of the day. These two half-swarms, each having their 
old queen, will be united together in the evening, and transferred 
to a new site in a new hive. The two parent queenless and 
partially-driven stocks (remaining each in its original place in 
the bee-house) will also the same evening, or earlier in the day, 
have the usurper Ligurian queens given to them in the manner 
recently detailed (at page 390, Vol. XXIII.) by our Devonshire 
friend. By this means I shall gain a good swarm of common 
bees, which shall form the nucleus of a reserve apiary in case my 
experiments with these Ligurians should fail by accident or other¬ 
wise. At the same time the Ligurian queens will find themselves 
mistresses of well-filled and vigorous stocks, ready to give swarm 
again at no distant day. As it is my present intention to re¬ 
place all the queens in my bee-house (six in number) with 
Ligurians if I can possibly do so, I propose to repeat this pro¬ 
cess with all my other hives in the course of the summer, varying 
the mode of operation according to the circumstances of my 
apiary at the time. If the Ligurian stocks (as they will then be 
called) should be inclined to swarm naturally— i.e, if I should 
on examination see young royal brood in a forward state in these 
stocks, I would immediately anticipate or hasten their swarming 
by driving first the two Ligurian queens with a very few bees 
into separate hives, and then any two other common stock with 
about half the bees in each, all which I would proceed to treat 
in the manner already detailed above, gaining another swarm of 
common bees, &c. If it were not that my bee-house is already 
stocked with bees I would drive the Ligurians, with a full swarm 
to each, into empty bar-liives, from which I might breed almost 
any number of young queens in the manner recommended by me 
at page 76 of the last volume. Unfortunately, I have not a 
single bar-hive in operation in my bee-house, as I was obliged 
last year to stock it as best I could with such chance material 
as I happened to have at hand. 
I may add that I never knew so late a season for bees ; at this 
date (March 22) I have not seen a thimble-full of pollen carried 
into any of my hives.—B. & W. 
BEE-HOUSES AND BEE-BOXES. 
At page 401, in your last volume, is a communication on the 
subject of bees and bee-hives, under the signature “ A Young 
Apiarian, Bagshot." It may be pardonable in one who evi¬ 
dently has had but little experience, to ask for information; but 
random assertions from such a quarter are apt to mislead others, 
and with your permission I will make one or two remarks. First, 
as to bee-houses, and the nonsense about “ bees never doing 
any good in them.” It may be true that such erections as cot¬ 
tagers in general arc likely to have are not the best of their kind; 
and where this is the case separate stands are most advisable. 
Writing especially for cottagers, the late Mr. Payne thought so. 
Mr. Taylor is spoken of as opposed to this. His book, “ The 
Bee-keeper’s Manual,” (fifth edition), on the contrary, gives 
more full illustrated directions for the construction of stands, 
pedestals, and covers for separate out-door hives than is anywhero 
else to bo met with. The author, moreover, remarks, “The 
common wooden bee-stands, as usually constructed, open in front 
and closed altogether behind, retaining the sun’s heat as an oven, 
are objectionable. These are frequently the receptacles of dirt 
and vermin, and most inconvenient to operate in.” Mr. Taylor 
proceeds to describe an improved bee-house, opening at the back, 
somewhat on the plan approved by Dr. Bevan, except that the 
latter was varied in form as a mere matter of taste and conveni¬ 
ence. Mr. Golding, in the “Shilling Bee-book,” says, “Those 
apiarians who step at all out of the beaten track, should provide 
themselves either with a shed or enclosed apiaryand lie goes 
on to give the details of such an erection with folding-doors 
behind. The fact is, that the main question is one for the pocket, 
and not to be decided without consideration of various contin¬ 
gencies. Where the assertion put into the mouth of Mr. Payne, 
that “ wooden hives are apt to give dysentery to bees ” is to be 
found in his writings I do not know; but I have seen such in 
use, and very healthy ones, too, in his apiary. If the “ Young 
Apiarian’s ” experience is unfavourable, is he sure that he 
understands their proper management ? Dr. Bevan, in his long 
experience, preferred hives of wood, though others like straw, and 
especially on the ground of expense. Mr. Taylor observes, “ It 
is not our object unduly to magnify the advantages of wooden 
hives at the expense of those of straw ; prejudice exists on both 
sides of the question. They are each valuable according to cir¬ 
cumstances and their intended uses.” As to your correspondent’s 
assertion that Mr. Taylor “says not a word on the subject of 
dysentery,” if he will take the trouble to refer to the work I have 
before alluded to, he will there find a section on that disorder, 
its cause, and the remedy; and it may take place without due 
care in any kind of hive. But it so happens that the last volume 
of The Cottage Gardener, page 406, supplies some information 
addressed in reply to “ A Beginner” on this very point, which 
may be of use to the “Young Apiarian.”—An Old Bee- 
master. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Characteristics or a Buff Cochin-China [Cochin). —It is not essential I 
that there be no black feathers in a Cochin pullet. Marks in the neck, ; 
tail, or wings, are not disqualifications: it is better to avoid them if 
possible. The principal points are—sharp, clever head ; straight, upright 
comb, with deep and numerous serratures; short legs, well feathered; | 
and heavy fluif. 
Antwerp Carriers ( Capercaillie ).—We do not know of any on sale. ) 
You had better advertise for them. 
Dorkings — Spanish—Brahma Pootras (A. S.). — Of Dorkings the 
Grey are larger than the White, and we believe that the latter, in com¬ 
mon with most Albinos, were originally a sport from the Grey. The I 
flesh of the White Dorking is not better, in any respect, than that of the j 
Grey. If Spanish hens are allowed to run with Dorking cocks, a cross I 
is inevitable. The eggs of the Spanish, however, will not be altered either « 
in size, quality, or appearance. Some good authorities consider the ! i 
Brahma Pootras a distinct breed, others, with whom the writer of this | 
coincides, have no doubt they are a variety of the Cochin-China, and, 
probably, a cross between the latter and the Malay. We cannot say what i 
would be characteristics of chickens raised between Brahma Pootra hens 3 
and a Dorking cock. Chickens between a Cochin-China hen and a Dorking j 
cock are very much like Brahma Pootras. The colour of the egg-shell in ! 
no instance is altered by the male bird; it entirely depends upon the 
ovarian secretion of the hen. 
Paying Cottagers for Bearing Chickens [E. N. N.).— Much depends 
on the conditions entered into. If the cottager fin'd everything, and keep 
the chickens till four months old, he should not have less than 4 s. per : 
head. A shilling per month is the usual price ; and it is worth while to 
give a trifle more where unusual care has been taken, and success has been ; 
the result. At this season of the year we like our chickens to remain as !| 
long as possible with the hen—certainly not less than seven or eight : 
weeks. 
LONDON MARKETS.— Apbil 2. 
POULTRY. 
Good poultry is still scarce, and prices are consequently on the advance. 
For a time there is an evident lack of first-class goods. 
Each- 
Large Fowls. 
- s . 
d. 
0 
to 
s. 
7 
d. 
0 
Turkeys. 
Each—s. 
d. 
0 to 
s. 
0 
d. 
0 
Smaller Fowls. 
4 
6 
5 
0 
Guinea Fowls 
. 2 
3 
0 
Chickens . 
0 
4 
3 
o 
8 „ 
0 „ 
0 
0 
9 
Geese. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Hares. 
. 0 
0 
Goslings . 
7 
0 
7 
6 
Leverets. 
. 2 
° „ 
3 
0 
Ducks . 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Babbits . 
4 „ 
1 
5 
Ducklings. 
c 
a 
5 
0 
Wild ditto. 
8 „ 
0 
9 
