192 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  4,  1897. 
hive.  Remove  the  quilt  from  one  of  the  divisions,  lift  the 
frames  out  one  by  one  nntil  the  queen  is  found,  then  take  the 
frame  with  the  young  queen  and  adhering  bees  and  place  them  in 
the  centre  of  the  brood  nest  of  the  hive  from  which  the  aged 
queen  had  previously  been  removed. 
Place  the  frames  in  their  original  position,  and  cover  up  as 
before.  Do  not  disturb  them  for  a  few  days  and  all  will  be  well, 
no  fighting  will  take  place,  and  the  colony  will  be  headed  by  a 
young  fertile  queen.  The  remaining  frames  of  brood  and  bees 
must  now  be  transferred  to  the  other  side  of  the  division  board  in 
No.  2  hive.  These  should  be  placed  alternately  with  the  others 
containing  the  young  queen  ;  they  will  then  settle  down  as  one 
happy  family,  and  will  be  of  sufficient  strength  to  store  a  surplus 
in  eitfcer  shallow  frames  or  sections. 
How  to  Prevent  Swarming. 
Once  I  found  this  a  very  difficult  matter,  and  I  know  of  nothing 
more  annoying  to  a  bee-keeper  than  just  when  his  bees  ought  to 
be  settling  down  to  their  work  to  have  the  swarming  mania 
instead  ;  but  by  studying  their  ways  and  requirements  I  have 
proved  without  doubt  that  it  may  be  prevented.  The  chief  thing 
to  bear  in  mind  is  to  rely  on  young  queens  as  far  as  it  is  possible, 
and  to  provide  the  necessary  room  in  the  brood  nests  as  well  as  in 
supers  at  the  right  time. 
It  is  useless  giving  the  bees  extra  space  several  days  after  they 
have  made  preparations  for  swarming.  Many  people  imagine  that 
it  is  a  sudden  impulse  on  the  part  of  the  queen  when  swarming 
takes  place,  whereas  preparations  have  been  made  in  the  hive  for  a 
week  or  ten  days  previously,  queen  cells  having  been  formed, 
which  is  a  sure  sign  that  the  bees  will  swarm  in  a  few  days  provided 
the  weather  is  suitable. 
To  prevent  this  give  extra  frames  once  or  twice  a  week  as  fast 
as  the  bees  can  cover  them,  and  when  the  brood  nest  is  showing 
signs  of  being  crowded  place  a  super  on  the  top,  either  sections, 
shallow  frames,  or  full-sized  frames,  as  advised  in  previous  notes. 
Giving  Empty  Frames  to  Obtain  a  Surplus. 
This  will  depend  on  the  time  of  the  honey  flow.  If  from  the 
fruit  tree  blossoms  special  precautions  will  be  necessary  by  restrict¬ 
ing  the  size  of  the  brood  nest  so  as  to  encourage  the  bees  to  store 
a  surplus  in  supers  ;  afterwards,  if  “D.  H.  B.”  is  situated  in  a 
good  White  Clover  district,  extra  frames  may  be  provided  for  the 
queen.  It  is  only  in  exceptional  instances  that  it  is  necessary  to 
reduce  the  brood  nest  early  in  the  season,  as  it  has  a  tendency  to 
cause  swarming. 
If  the  advice  is  carried  out  as  given  above,  all  that  will  be 
necessary  afterwards  will  be  to  place  more  empty  frames  or 
sections  under  those  partially  filled,  and  to  remove  those  that  are 
quite  full  when  ready. 
If  “  D.  H.  B.”  would  like  any  further  information  he  must 
write  again.  Had  he  left  an  extra  space  between  the  frames  when 
working  for  extracted  honey,  the  cells  would  have  been  deeper, 
and  the  frame  of  well-sealed  honey  (standard  size)  would  have 
weighed  about  8  lbs. 
Feeding  Stocks  with  Candied  Honey. 
“  I  have  a  quantity  of  candied  honey.  Can  I  feed  my  stocks 
with  it  ?  If  su,  will  you  kindly  inform  me  how  I  ought  to  pro¬ 
ceed  ?  My  hives  are  bar-frame,  and  extra  straw  skeps  with  flat 
tops. — J.  G. 
Candied  honey  may  be  made  liquid  by  placing  the  vessel  con¬ 
taining  it  in  hot- water.  Unless  the  bees  are  short  of  stores  it  is  not 
advisable  to  feed  them  with  liquid  food  so  early  in  the  season  ;  a 
bottle  feeder  should  be  used,  there  will  then  be  no  escape  of  heat 
from  the  brood  nest.  The  honey  should  be  giveD  to  them  warm 
in  the  evening,  and  well  covered  up.  An  ordinary  broad-necked 
honey  jar  covered  with  a  piece  of  tiffany  or  muslin  will  make 
an  excellent  feeder,  and  if  some  perforated  zinc  is  placed  on  the  top 
of  the  frames  the  bees  will  not  be  disturbed  during  the  refilling  of 
the  feeder.  This  is  all  that  is  necessary  on  the  top  of  straw  skeps  ; 
a  flower  pot  slightly  larger  than  the  feeder,  and  placed  over  it, 
will  prevent  it  being  damaged. 
The  entrances  of  all  hives  that  are  being  fed  with  honey  must 
be  reduced,  or  robbers  will  gain  an  entrance  and  play  havoc  with 
the  stores. — An  English  Bee-keeper. 
TRADE  CATALOGUES  RECEIVED. 
J.  Carter  &  Co.,  237.  High  Hoi  born. — Lam  Orast  Seeds ,  Farm,  Seeds. 
T.  R.  Dobbs  &  Co.,  Queen’s  Square,  Wolverhampton. — Seeds. 
J.  Green,  Dereham. — Dahlias. 
Letellier  et  Fils,  Caen,  France. — Strawberries. 
Little  &  Ballantyne,  Carlisle. — Farm  Seeds. 
A.  Perry,  Winchmore  Hill. — Hardy  Perenniils. 
Ant  Roozen  <fc  Son,  Overveen,  Hanrlem. — Bulbs  and  Seeds. 
J.  Sharpe,  Bardney,  Lines. — Farm  Annual. 
%*  All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  he 
directed  to  “  The  Editor/’  Letters  addressed  personally  to 
Dr.  Hogg  or  members  of  the  staff  ofter  remain  unopened 
unavoidably.  We  request  that  no  one  will  write  privately 
to  any  of  our  correspondents,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to 
unjustifiable  trouble  and  expense,  and  departmental  writers 
are  not  expected  to  answer  any  letters  they  may  receive  on 
Gardening  and  Bee  subjects,  through  the  post. 
Correspondents  should  not  mix  up  on  the  same  sheet  questions 
relating  to  Gardening  and  those  on  Bee  subjects,  and  should 
never  send  more  than  two  or  three  questions  at  once.  All 
articles  intended  for  insertion  should  be  written  on  one  side  of 
the  paper  only.  We  cannot,  as  a  rule,  reply  to  questions 
through  the  post,  and  we  do  not  undertake  to  return  rejected 
communications. 
Victoria  Regia  ( E .  T,  Hfi. — We  do  not  remember  a  small  inex¬ 
pensive  book  which  gives  a  description  of  this  remarkable  plant,  which 
has  been  illustrated  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture .  Possibly  some  of 
our  readers  may  be  able  to  supply  the  information  you  require. 
Definition  of  “  Cottager  ”  as  an  Exhibitor  of  Garden 
Produce  (6*.  Hambow). — A  rigid  definition  applicable  to  all  districts 
and  shows  is  a  practical  impossibility.  We  have  consulted  a  very 
experienced  horticulturist  on  this  subject — we  think  he  has  been  a 
cottager,  we  know  he  has  been  a  gardener  and  judge,  and  he  now  comes 
within  the  category  of  amateur.  He  has  given  much  thought  to  the 
matter,  and  expresses  his  views  as  follows  : — “  A  ‘  cottager’  may  be  defined 
as  a  person  occupying  a  house  at  a  rental  of  not  exceeding  £10  in  the 
country  or  £20  in  or  near  towns.  He  may  have  a  garden  or  an  allot¬ 
ment,  or  both,  and  must  do  all  the  labour  in  connection  with  the  pro¬ 
duction  of  plants,  flowers,  fruits,  and  vegetables  with  his  own  hands,  in 
addition  to  the  work  by  which  he  obtains  a  livelihood,  as  a  person  work¬ 
ing  for  wages  day  by  day,  week  by  week,  and  year  by  year.  Thus  the 
term  ‘  cottager  ’  includes  every  class  of  workman,  classed  as  labourer  or 
artisan,  and  restricts  it  absolutely  to  a  person  working  for  an  employer 
during  ten  hours  (or  about)  of  each  working  day  in  a  year,  and  who  does 
not  employ  (illness  excepted)  any  person  to  do  any  part  of  the  work  in 
his  garden  or  on  his  allotment,  except  his  wife  and  members  of  his  own 
family  not  exceeding  fourteen  years  of  age.  This  is  very  simple,  and 
excludes  master  tradesmen,  pensioners,  policemen,  and  others  who  can 
give  attention  personally  to  greenhouse  plants,  gardens,  or  allotments 
for  several  hours  in  the  daytime.  Thus  the  line  is  drawn  hard  and  sharp 
between  a  ‘  cottager,’  who  does  a  day’s  work  for  a  master  and  has  no 
time  to  devote  to  the  cultivation  of  plants,  flowers,  fruits,  or  vegetables, 
except  between  6  P.M.  and  6  A.M.,  and  an  ‘  amateur,’  who,  though  not 
occupying  a  higher  rented  house  or  a  large  area  of  land,  doss  the  main  of 
the  cultural  operations  in  connection  therewith  in  the  daytime,  and  in 
that  respect  has  a  manifest  advantage  over  a  person  working  for  wages 
and  doing  all  such  operations  in  his  leisure  hours,  whether  growing  in 
that  time  for  his  own  use  Bolely  or  for  disposing  of  surplus  produce. 
Under  those  conditions  a  ‘  cottager  ’  may  grow  as  many  window  plants 
as  he  has  accommodation  for,  and  supplement  them  to  whatever  extent 
his  pocket  allows  by  means  of  a  greenhouse.  Likewise  as  regards  flowers, 
fruits,  and  vegetables,  no  limit  need  be  placed  on  the  extent  of  garden 
or  allotment,  for  one  person  will  manage  twice  as  much  as  another,  as  a 
great  deal  depends  upon  ‘  brains,’  industrial  energy,  and  perseverance, 
the  chief  object  being  to  encourage  the  ‘cottager’ — a  person  working 
for  wages — to  employ  his  leisure  hours  to  the  best  advantage  to  himself, 
his  family,  and  country.  That  is  a  broad  view  of  the  case,  and  secures 
the  ‘  cottager’  justice  at  exhibitions.  But  there  are  generally  particular 
objects  in  view  by  different  horticultural  societies  in  offering  prizes, 
hence  certain  restrictions  are  imposed  in  both  rural  and  urban  districts. 
In  the  country  a  ‘  cottager  ’  is  usually  confined,  as  regards  ‘  glass,’  to 
window  plants  ;  and  in  respect  of  garden  or  allotment,  to  the  extent 
apportioned  generally  to  each  individual  in  the  locality  and  within  the 
district  embraced  by  the  society.  In  urban  districts  similar  remarks 
apply,  no  ‘  cottager  ’  being  allowed  to  exhibit  plants  grown  in  a  green¬ 
house  except  in  a  class  for  such  plants,  for  if  a  person  so  growing  them 
exhibit  in  a  window  plant  class  the  wh  thing  is  a  delusion,  and  an 
injustice  to  a  bond  fide  exhibitor  of  window-grown  plants  in  strict 
accordance  with  the  schedule.  In  the  narrow  sense,  therefore,  the 
definition  of  a  ‘  cottager  ’  is  a  matter  for  the  committee  of  each  district 
society  to  determine,  and  the  decision  should  be  clearly  stated  in  the 
schedule,  also  strictly  enforced  by  the  officials  of  the  society,  not  by  the 
judges.”  The  above  observations  cover  the  ground  of  your  questions.  As 
a  matter  of  practice,  we  know  that  in  some  schedules  classes  are  provided 
for  such  persons  as  policemen  and  postmen,  who,  though  living  in 
cottages,  have  many  hours  in  the  daytime  for  working  in  their  gardens 
which  ordinary  day  labourers  and  other  workmen  Invo  n->‘,  and  thoae 
only  are  regarded  as  genuine  cjita^ers. 
