162 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, June 5, 1860. 
The Cottage Gardener, some description of them may not 
come amiss. The hive consists of three boxes about thirteen 
inches and a half square, the lower six inches deep, and the super 
four. Each box fitted with seven moveable bars (a spare set 
accompanying each) and slides. The bars of the central and 
super box' have frames attached to each; so that a comb con¬ 
taining either honey or brood can be made available at any time 
without disturbing the rest of the hive. A window front and 
back, with a sliding shutter. The bars are toothed for the better 
adhesion of the comb, and the sides all round to facilitate the 
ascent of the heavily laden worker. Ab in the octagon, the 
workmanship is superior, every joint being dovetailed, and the 
price moderate; the best proof of which is, I have never yet 
fallen in with a tradesman who could supply me on the Stewarton 
terms. This can be accounted for by the large number these 
turned out. These bar-hives arc doubtless in advance of the 
octagon for the scientific apiarian and for the speedy increase of 
a new species, such as the Ligurians ; but for rapid honey¬ 
gathering I would still give a preference to the octagon. The only 
fault I have ever heard found with these hives is a difficulty to 
work the slides when glued up with propolis; but this can be 
guarded against by running a plane over the lower side of the 
slide, and rounding the sharp edge so as to leave them very easy 
at the outset. I intend to send you shortly sketches of other 
hives used by—A Renfrewshire Bee-keeper. 
“ rocks a-head,” but having taken careful soundings I honestly 
confess that I did not anticipate the foundering of my two leading 
and best-found ships in mid-channel. Having hastily bespoken 
a warm berth for the defaulting contractor, I have set myself to 
raise and refit my sunken craft, and hope ere long to pursue my 
vovage without more material damage than loss of time. 
To drop metaphor, I may state that I have every reason to 
hope that my two hybrid stocks will soon be furnished with pure¬ 
bred queens ; and as Ligurian drones are now numerous, I am 
proceeding as fast as possible with my task of queen-rearing. I 
saw my first artificial queen on the 26th ult. She is a very 
fine one, quite as large and yellow as M. Hermann’s best, and 
affords the most complete contradiction to his assertion that 
“ Italish wax ( rayons ) ” is necessary to the rearing of Italian 
queens. 
It must, of course, be apparent that lost time cannot be re¬ 
gained ; and it is, therefore, far from impossible that many may be 
disappointed in their expectation of receiving Ligurian queens 
during the present year. I can, therefore, only state that whilst 
I will do my best to supply the demand, I shall most readily 
erase from my list all who may be disposed to try then’ fortune 
elsewhere. 
I have to thank “Investigator” lor his hint regarding queen¬ 
rearing in autumn, which will not be lost sight of by—A Devon¬ 
shire Bee-keeper.] 
BAES AND GUIDE-COMBS. 
On looking over a portion of some communications, through 
a series of years, from the late Dr. Bevan, on the subject chiefly 
of matters connected with the apiary, I am induced to send you 
an extract from one, dated 26th of August, 1851, relative to bars 
as adjuncts in hives. Your pages have recently contained remarks 
as to the difficulty that exists in compelling the bees to adhere to 
the bars as guides, in placing their combs in straight lines. Dr. 
Bevan experienced this uncertainty, but in part overcame it by 
preserving for future U9e such bars as had been worked correctly. 
But he shall speak for himself, and any hint coming from such a 
source is worthy of attention : — 
“ Some years ago, when short of guide-combs, I was induced 
to have recourse to simply waxing my bee-bars, and to the best 
of my recollection it succeeded. But having ever since had a 
fair supply of guide-combs, I have not tried it again. But I 
constantly make use of old bars, where the direction they have 
taken has proved quite true, not paring them down closely; so 
that I leave a whole line of foundation, and believe I thereby 
save my bees trouble in manipulating propolis. As to the use 
of guide-combs being an uncertain affair, I experienced this till 
I fortified the adhesions by a union of resin or Burgundy pitch 
with the wax, prior to applying the combs.”— An Old Apiarian. 
LIGURIAN QUEEN BEES. 
Would “A Devonshire Bee-keeper” be kind enough to 
say what number of queen bees have been received from M. Her¬ 
mann by himself and friends, stating at the same time how many 
now survive, and how many turned out hybrids or otherwise ?— 
A Lancashire Bee-keeper. 
[The following list gives the particulars of all bees received by 
me from M. Hermann nearly in the order in which they came to 
hand. It will be perceived that five queens now survive, of 
which two are pure bred, and two are hybrids ; whilst as to 
the fifth (Mr. Tegetmeier’s) I am unable to speak with certainty. 
*1 Hybrid queen. 
1 Dead. 
1 Not fertilised—since dead (Mr. Fox’s). 
1 Common black queen. 
*1 Hybrid. 
1 “Whole hive” of 10,000 bees, without a queen, and there¬ 
fore valueless. 
1 Dead. 
2 Sent to Mr. Tegetmeier—one since dead. 
*2 Pure Ligurian queens. 
11 
Like “An Old Friend of the Black Bee” I expected 
* Those marked with an asterisk are the four I relied upon for queen- 
rearing. 
HIVES COATED WITH ROMAN CEMENT. 
For the information of your correspondent, I may mention 
that, like him, I saw cement recommended, and two years ago 
gave it a trial on a couple of wooden flat-topped straw hives. I 
mixed it with the usual proportion of fine sand, and with water 
brought it into good working order, then applied it to the hives 
sufficiently thick to cover the straw bands, and no more, smoothed 
it off with a small trowel. They had a good appearance when 
dry, and I considered quite impregnable to the attacks of mice or 
moths from without. After peopling them, I was disappointed to 
find moisture invaluably on the back window ; and some of the 
combs subsequently falling, I came to the conclusion that cement, 
from its nature, is apt to impede the due ventilation of a hive. I, 
therefore, the following spring picked it all off. I should, how¬ 
ever, be glad to hear of the better success of this, or any of your 
other correspondents, than what fell to the lot of—A Renfrew¬ 
shire Bee-keeper. 
OUR LETTER BOX. 
Hens Eating their Eggs (X. C. P .).—"We have nothing new upon this 
subject since Mr. Hewitt showed how he cured his Pheasants and hens of 
this habit. See our No. CO], published April 3rd of the present year. 
Sex of Chickens (TT. I. is quite possible to tell their sex at the , 
age of two months. They are sold occasionally at the London bird-shops, 
but we should not buy any there if we wished to be sure of a pure and 
good strain. 
Bevf.iu.ey Poultry Show.— We are informed that there is an error ia 
our prize list of this Show, so far as regards “ Class J.,” in which a pair 
of white Trumpeters belonging to Mr. F. Mewburn, jun., carried off the 
first prize, and that in “Classes G. aDd the special prizes for Fantails, 
Jacobins, and Trumpeters,” we have spelt his name incorrectly. 
Pigeons for Tabu: Usf (A. Cad).— Pigeons are fit for thetableat from 
four to five weeks old—that is to say, when as large as they can he before' 
they leave the nest. When they begin to fly they at first lose flesh ; but 
when they are well able to feed themselves, they become plump again, from 
which time the older they are the harder they become. I am not aware ol 
any means used to fatten them, except liberal feeding. The Romans, I i 
believe, fattened young Ring Doves on beans steeped in milk.—B. P. I 
Brent. 
Ligurian Quef.ns Cheshire Bee-keeper ).—Write to T. Woodbury, 
Esq., Mount Radford, Exeter. 
LONDON MARKETS.— June 4. 
POULTRY. 
The supply of poultry increases, and there is a good demand. 
Each- 
-8. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
Each—s. 
<1. 
8. 
rf 
Large Fowls. 
7 
0 to 
7 
G 
Turkeys. 
. 0 
0 to 
0 
0 
Smaller Fowls. 
4 
6 „ 
5 
6 
Guinea Fowls 
. 3 
0 „ 
3 
6 
Chickens . 
3 
6 „ 
4 
6 
Pigeons. 
. 0 
8 „ 
0 
8 
Geese. 
0 
0 „ 
0 
0 
Ilarcs. 
. 0 
0 „ 
0 
C 
Goslings . 
5 
6 „ 
6 
0 
Leverets . 
. 3 
G „ 
4 
« 
Ducks . 
0 
0 „ 
0 
0 
Rabbits . 
. 1 
d 
1 
•* 
Ducklings. 
3 
6 „ 
4 
0 
Wild ditto. 
. 0 
8 „ 
0 
