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Sele @cr., 1901.) QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL, 413 
a hive of bees should look for worker eges, and also try and see the queen if he 
has time. ‘The record then would stand thus: 
September 14. 
Strong eggs. Give super. 
If the queen eggs are seen, write “laying.” If the queen is not seen, 
write “eggs.” Of course, the presumption is that if eggs are in the cells 
the queen must be there, but not necessarily so, as she may have been missing 
during the three days it takes a worker egg to hatch out to a larva. 
SWARM-CATCHER. 
A swarm-catcher which will save a great deal of worry and annoyance 
during the swarming season is here illustrated from an engraving in “Gleanings 
in Bee Culture.” It consists of a small block of wood, on the top of which is 
nailed a circular board, which is suspended from small branches, vines, or wires, 
stretched from one point to another, as occasion requires. The Mississippi 
beekeeper who invented this says that the bees nearly always select these blocks 
to swarm on. ‘They are easily taken down, and the swarm hived. 
Horticulture. 
MUSHROOMS IN THE GARDEN. 
We have frequently ae out the ease with which mushrooms can be 
grown in the garden. Those who live in country districts know that this 
popular edible grows spontaneously in paddocks where cattle and horses are 
tunning. But mushrooms are no more troublesome to grow in the garden than 
cabbages. All that is necessary is to throw up ridges of well-sweetened manure, 
covered with a layer of fine soil. As soon as the great heat engendered has 
subsided, the ridges are planted with pieces of spawn and covered with litter. 
In favourable weather mushrooms will be gathered throughout the winter. 
They can stand any amount of frost, but rainy weather is not in their favour. 
The litter keeps the soil moist, and enables the young mushrooms to push their 
_ way out. There is no better way of utilising odd bits of ground in the garden. 
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