380 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Ai-ril  2S,  18i?. 
w. 
El 
HE  BEE-KEEPER. 
JU-.J  •  I  : 
it 
Dysentery. 
Bees,  like  animals,  are  subject  to  disease,  and  one  of  the  commonest 
is  dysentery.  Bee-keepers  have  often  themselves  to  blame  if  troubled 
with  it  to  any  serious  extent,  as  it  is  cau.«ed  by  carelessness  in  a 
variety  of  ways.  Dysentery  usually  appears  during  late  winter  or 
early  spring,  and  stocks  may  be  known  to  be  affected  with  this 
disease  when  the  combs  and  door  board  are  covered  with  a  chocolate 
or  yellow  disagreeable  smelling  excrement  voided  by  the  bees.  Also 
when  the  bees  take  a  flight  on  fine  days  they  soil  everything  ic  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  hives. 
Bees  after  a  long  confinement  in  winter,  will  at  the  first 
opportunity  take  a  spring  cleansing  flight,  when  the  ordinary  foecal 
matter  will  be  much  in  evidence  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  apiary. 
If  bees  are  in  good  health  in  well  constructed  hives,  and  are  able  to 
take  a  flight  occasionally,  they  will  not  disfigure  their  surroundings 
again.  d’ho  case,  however,  is  quite  different  when  the  bees  have 
dysentery,  as  the  foecal  matter  gradually  becomes  darker  in  colour, 
and  if  steps  are  not  taken  to  cure  the  disease  the  bees  will  succumb. 
If  a  colony  of  bees  is  so  reduced  in  numbers  that  there  are  not 
sufficient  to  keep  up  the  temperature  of  the  hive,  and  those  that 
remain  are  swollen  and  scarcely  able  to  leave  the  hive,  it  will  be  of 
little  benefit  uniting  them  to  another  colony,  as  they  would  probably 
not  recover.  If  the  combs  are  very  much  soiled  it  will  be  an  advantage 
to  melt  them  down,  but  if  the  frames  are  in  good  condition  they  may 
be  used  again. 
Cure  for  Dysentery. 
If  the  affected  bees  are  in  a  frame  hive  they  are  much  more 
easily  manipulated  than  when  they  are  in  a  straw  skep.  They 
should  be  examined  during  the  warmest  part  of  the  day.  Have  a 
wann  dry  hive  close  at  hnnd,  into  which  should  be  placed  all  combs 
containing  brood  (if  any)  and  sealed  stores,  but  not  more  than  the  bees 
can  cover.  The  division  board  may  be  drawn  close  up  to  the  combs, 
and  the  whole  covered  with  several  thicknesses  of  warm  material, 
the  stock  being  placrd  on  the  same  spot  as  the  original  hive 
occupied.  Feed  with  warm  syrup  daily,  only  giving  sufficient  for  their 
daily  requirements.  It  is  much  better  to  give  them  a  little  each 
evening  than  to  supply  them  with  a  greater  quantity,  so  that  they  are 
unable  to  carry  it  down  for  several  days,  when  it  will  become  quite 
useless  for  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  intended. 
Warm  weather  has  a  great  effect  on  bees  troubled  with  this  disease, 
and  if  the  above  instructions  are  carried  out  the  benefits  arising  from  it 
will  be  apparent  in  a  few  days.  A  dry  hive,  warmth,  and  good  food 
are  the  chief  essentials  in  building  up  a  strong  colony  from  an  affected 
stock.  Owing  to  the  mild  open  winter  there  has  been  much  less 
dy  sentery  than  usual  amongst  the  bees.  It  has  only  been  observed  in 
a  few  instances  this  spring,  and  in  each  case  it  could  be  accounted  for, 
not  from  a  damp  hive,  but  owing  to  late  feeding  last  autumn. 
Spreading  Brood. 
There  are  few  bee-keepers  in  the  country  who  keep  their  bees  in 
the  modern  frame  hive  who  have  not  at  one  time  or  the  other  tried 
their  hand  at  spreading  brood.  In  case  this  question  may  not  be 
understood  by  all,  we  may  briefly  state  that  spreading  brood  is 
practised  by  bee  keepers  in  their  attempt  to  fill  the  hive  with  bees 
and  brood  more  rapidly  than  would  he  the  case  if  the  bees  were  left 
to  themselves.  How  is  this  done  ?  By  closing  up  the  division  board 
to  the  combs  covered  by  the  bees,  and  every  few  days  placing  a  frame 
of  fully  drawn  out  comb  or  foundation  in  the  centre  of  brood  nest. 
Others,  again,  place  the  empty  comb  on  the  outside  next  to  the  comb 
containing  brood  and  eggs.  This  plan  is  preferred  to  the  former,  for 
if  extra  combs  have  to  he  added  it  is  better  to  place  them  outside  of 
the  brood  nest  than  in  the  middle,  wh’ch  would  have  the  effect  of 
separating  the  bees,  and  if  a  cold  night  should  set  in  they  would  cluster 
closer  together,  and  the  brood  in  the  outside  combs  would  be  chilled. 
We  have  experimented  under  both  sy^stems  on  many  occasions. 
The  first  time  the  former  plan  was  adopted.  In  one  hive  the  bees 
were  fed  with  warm  syrup  daily,  and  as  it  was  a  fairly  strong  colony 
and  the  weather  was  finer  than  usual  at  that  time,  success  crowned 
our  efforts.  The  other  hive,  although  treated  in  the  same  manner 
as  regards  stores  the  previous  autumn,  was  much  better  off  for 
sealed  stores  at  that  date  (end  of  April),  so  instead  of  feeding  them 
the  same  as  the  bees  in  the  other  liive,  a  few  inches  of  stores  were 
uncapped  or  bruised,  which  is  quite  suffic  ent  every  other  day,  and  a 
frame  of  comb  given  as  required  was  rapidly  filled  with  brood.  They 
both  stored  a  suri)lus ;  but  as  there  is  so  much  danger  attached  to  the 
operation,  we  do  not  recommend  it.  If  the  bees  are  supplied  with 
ample  food,  and  there  are  sufficient  frames  outside  the  brood  nest,  the 
bees  wnll  take  possession  of  them  when  it  is  necessary  to  extend  their 
brood  nest. 
Bees  will  not  increase  at  a  rapid  rate  if  left  to  chance  and  are  short 
of  stores ;  thus  it  is  that  some  bee-keepers  recommend  spreading  brood 
so  strongly  is  owing  to  the  fact  of  attending  to  their  bees,  and 
supplying  them  with  the  necessary  food  when  required.  — 
An  English  Bee-keeper. 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should,  until' 
further  notice,  be  directed  to  “The  Editor,”  a.  Rose  Hill  Road,. 
Wandsworth,  S.W.,  and  NOT  to  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers, 
Fleet  Street.  It  is  requested  that  no  one  will  write  privately  to 
any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking  information  on  matters 
discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so  subj(Cts  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.  If  information 
be  desired  on  any  particular  subject  from  any  particular 
authority  who  may  be  named,  endeavour  will  be  made  to  obtain 
it  by  the  Editor.  Letters  of  inquiry  must  be  accompan  cd  by 
the  names  and  addre«ses  of  the  writers,  but  these  -wull  neither  be 
published  nor  disclosed  when  initials  or  nom  de  plumes  are  givea 
for  the  purpose  of  replies. 
Correspondents  should  not  mix  up  on  the  same  sheet  questions  relating 
to  Gardening  and  those  on  Bee  subjects,  and  it  is  convenient  when 
each  question  is  written  on  a  separate  sheet.  All  articles  intended 
for  insertion  should  be  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only;  and 
the  name  and  address  of  each  writer  must  be  known  by  the 
Editor,  though  n"t  necessarily  for  ins<  rtion.  We  cannot,  as  a 
rule,  reply  to  questions  through  the  post,  and  we  do  not  under¬ 
take  to  return  communications  which,  for  any  reason,  cannot 
be  inserted. 
Daifodils  from  Sandy  Soil  (i2.  C.  Notcutt). — The  flowers  you  have 
sent  are  remarkably  good  as  produced  by  plants  in  sandy  soil.  The 
different  varieties  are  well  represented  and  the  colours  bright  and  clear. 
The  other  flowers  are  unnamed  varietal  forms  of  Pyrus  or  Cydonia 
japonica,  and  not  uncommon, 
Uriah  Pike  Carnation  (/.  P,  Leadhetter). — You  ask  our  opinion  as  to 
any  merit  the  bloom  you  have  sent  may  possess.  It  is  more  than  4^  inches 
across,  and  the  outer  petals  1|  inch  in  diameter.  It  thus  possesses  what 
some  persons  regard  as  a  great  merit — size.  As  the  bloom  is  “  one  of 
many  of  similar  dimensions,”  it  is  perhaps  a  sport — a  sort  of  Uriah 
maximus. 
Andromedas  Poisonous  {Enquirer). — Your  experience  is  unfortunate 
but  interesting.  You  say,  “  Several  sheep  have  died,  and  on  their 
examination  it  was  found  they  had  eaten  leaves  of  Andromeda  floribunda.'" 
There  is  a  record  of  thirty-seven  sheep  being  poisoned  by  this  species  in 
America,  of  which  it  is  a  native,  and  though  the  animals  were  subjected 
to  treatment,  eighteen  of  them  died.  Andromeda  ovalifolia,  a  native  of 
Nepaul,  is  poisonous  to  goats  which  eat  it,  and  A.  polifolia,  a  native  of 
the  North  of  Europe,  is  fatal  to  sheep.  It  may  not  be  generally  known 
that  another  Ericaceous  plant,  Kalmia  latifolia,  is  distinctly  poisonous. 
It  is  a  native  of  North  America,  and  it  is  said  that  the  Indians  used  to- 
prepare  a  decoction  of  the  leaves  to  destroy  themselves  ;  and  it  is  further 
stated  that  in  consequence  of  the  flesh  of  partridges  and  pheasants  w  hich 
have  fed  on  the  leaves  having  been  eaten,  that  two  cases  of  death  are 
recorded.  The  green  growths  of  Azalea  pontica  are  said  to  be  fatal  if 
eaten  by  cattle  and  sheep. 
Chemical  Manure  for  Eoses  (/.  H.  Doyle'). — Chemical  manures  are  not 
generally  used  by  rosarians  in  England.  They  rely  mainly  on  natural 
manures,  those  from  piggeries  and  cow-sheds  being  preferred,  the  latter 
especially  for  dry  soils.  An  occasional  dressing  of  lime  is  given  in 
addition,  and  perhaps  no  finer  Koses  are  obtained  than  by  the  long  proved 
methods  indicated.  Still,  undoubtedly  chemical  manures  are  of  great 
service  to  Loses,  not  instead  of  natural  manures,  but  supplementary  to- 
them,  unless  the  soil  be  rich  in  vegetable  matter.  Elaborate  formulte  arc 
more  imposing  in  appearance  than  essential,  and  cannot  be  equally 
applicable  to  all  soils.  If  you  can  obtain  basic  slag,  and  add  half  a  pound 
of  it  with  a  dressing  of  ordinary  manure  for  trenching  well  down  into 
each  square  yard  of  land,  it  will  be  of  permanent  value.  As  a  general 
application,  if  you  use  two  parts  superphosphate  of  lime  and  one  part 
either  sulphate  or  muriate  of  potash,  whichever  you  can  best  obtain,  or 
in  the  absence  of  either  kainit,  and  apply  at  the  rate  of  4  ozs.  to  the  square 
yard  just  before  the  buds  start  in  spring,  then  when  growth  is  in  progress 
apply  less  than  half  the  amount  of  nitrate  of  soda  if  the  ground  is  of  a  hot 
dry  nature,  or  sulphate  of  ammonia  if  it  is  the  opposite,  your  Roses  will 
be  materially  assisted.  During  dry  summers,  which  we  have  heard  are 
prevalent  in  Tasmania,  mulching  with  manure,  to  remain  on  the  surface- 
to  decay,  w'ould  be  of  great  advantage. 
