April  16,  19(3, 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTACE  GARDENER. 
347 
HE  BEE-KEEPER. 
■I  - 
■  t  .  I  -  T  -  I  •  I  -  I  ■  I  -L-I  tTT 
Dysentery. 
■  That  which  is  termed  dysentery  in  bee  life  is  not,  as  is  the 
case  with  human  beings,  characterised  by  inflammation  of  the 
intestines,  but  would  be  more  correctlj^  called  abdominal  dis¬ 
tension.  The  main  symptom  somewhat  resembles  diarrhoea. 
The  waste  matter  accumulates  in  the  abdomen,  causes  distress, 
and  the  bee  is  compelled  to  void  it  in  the  hive.  Unlike 
foul  brood,  however,  which  kills  the  larvae,  dysentery  attacks 
and  destroys  the  adult  bees.  It  is  for  the  most  part  limited  to 
Avinter  and  spring,  and  is  in  almost  every  case  occasioned  by  the 
consumption  of  improper  food.  The  commonest  source  of 
trouble  is  the  practice  of  rapid  feeding  too  late  in  the  autumn. 
This  fills  the  combs  with  an  excess,  of  licj[uid  food,  and  should 
this  occur  at  a  time  when  thei  bees  are  unable  to  evaporate  the 
moisture  and  seal  it  over,  fermentation  or  decomposition  takes 
place.  If  this  food  is  partaken  of,  the  discharges  will  be  larger 
in  quantity  than,  usual,  and  when  the  bees  are  unable  to  void 
them  by  flight,  they  become  dysenteric. 
Another  ca.use  is  feeding  on  other  than  pure  cane  sugar. 
Although  we  often  hear  in  these  days  of  cases  where  beet  sugar 
is,  purchased  for  cane,  we  are  in  a  much  better  position  to  obtain 
what  we  ask  for  than  our  forefathers  were,  who  had  to  be  con¬ 
tent  with  Avhat  was  handed  them,  and  the  bees  suffered  in 
consequence.  The  difference  between  beet  and  cane  sugar  may 
be  trifling,  and  they  may  be  chemically  similar ;  but  beet  sugar 
leaves  more  residue,  after  nutrition,  and  consequently,  if  the 
necessary  cleansing  flights  are  not  obtained,  the  abdomens  of 
the  bees  become  distended  tO'  discomfort,  and  they  perish  by 
hundreds  in  their  own  filth  upon  the  combs  and  floor  board, 
which  rapidly  decimates  them.  There  are  other  errors  of 
management  which  indirectly  cause  the  disease.  For  instance, 
if  quilts:  are  used  which  do  not  permit  the  escape  of  the  heated 
vapours  by  imperceptible  upward  ventilation,  the  vapour  con¬ 
denses  on  the  hive  sides,  forming  large  drops  of  water,  rendering 
the  hive  cold,  damp,  and  unhealthy. 
The  bees  under  these  conditions  are  constantly  losing  the 
heat  generated  by  the  cluster,  to  replace  which  they  are  neces¬ 
sarily  forced  to  increased  activity.  Respiration  and  consump¬ 
tion  of  food  increases,  entailing  additional  waste  of  vital 
energy ;  and  if  the  spell  of  bad  w'eather  should  be  lengthy,  the 
accumulated  residue  left  by  the  best  of  sugar  and  pollen  causes 
abdominal  distension,  and  in  cases  where  discharges  are  not 
frequent  enough,  deaths.  A  certain  indication  of  this  disease 
is  the  numerous  dead  and  dying  bees,  with  distended  abdomens 
about  the  entrance,  some  of  which  will  attempt  to  fly,  and 
eventually  fall  to  the  ground  to  die,  through  sheer  inability  to 
fill  the  trachea  sufficiently  to  rise. 
In  cold  weather  it  is  not  an  easy  matter  to  detect  this 
enemy  of  bee  life,  as  the  bees  are  invisible :  but  if  suspicious 
regarding  a  colony,  a  fairly  accurate  idea  can  be  formed  by 
inserting  a  wire  hook  at  the  entrance  and  scraping  a  few  of  the 
dead  bees  from  the  floor  board,  and  examining  them  minutely 
for  any  sigrts  of  distension.  The  presence  of  much  mucus  on 
or  about  the  hive  is  an  indication  that  they  have  been  fed  on 
improper  food ;  but  there  is  no  need  for  anxiety  if  the  spells  of 
warm  weather  are  frequent  enough  to  enable  the  bees  to  relieve 
themselves. 
As  dysentery  causes  the  bees  to  soil  their  combs  and  the 
hive  with  their  excrement,  the  best  treatment  is  to  exchange 
as  many  parts  of  the  hive  as  possible  without  disturbance  for 
perfectly  clean,  dry,  warm  ones,  and  give  them  some  good 
wholesome  thick  warm  syrup.  In  some  cases  the  combs  will  be 
in  a  deplorable  condition,  occasionally  wet  and  mouldy ;  and 
as  dysenteric  bees  cannot  relieve  themselves  only  by  flight,  it 
is  necessary  in  very  bad  cases  to  arrange  this.  The  Americans 
have  devised  an  effectual  method  by  fixing  a  large  net  bag  to 
the  hive  entrance,  and  afterwards  taking  the  stock  into  a  warm 
room.  The  inmates  of  the  hive,  when  thoroughly  warmed,  take 
a  short  flight  around  the  bag,  which  has  the  desired  effect. 
This  plan  insures  their  rapid  return  to  the  hive,  and,  the  only 
disadvantage  is  the  cleansing  and  disinfecting  of  the  net. 
This  is  accomplished  by  immersing  it  in  boiling  water,  after 
which  it  is  ready  for  use  again.  For  cleansing  the  hives  scrub¬ 
bing  is  necessary,  and  washing  with  a  solution  of  Calvert’s 
No.  5  carbolic  acid,  one  part  acid  to  two  parts  water.  In  addir, 
tion  to  relieving  the  bees  without  risk,  the  hive  is  warmed  and 
made  more  habitable.  It  is  far  easier  to  prevent  than  cure  the 
disease.  Colonies  should  therefore  be  fed  on  the  best  crane 
sugar  only,  early  enough  in  the  autumn  to  enable  them  to  place 
the  stores  in  their  natural  position  after  disposing  of  the  super-i 
fluous  moisture. — E.  E.,  Sandbach.  ■  ^  ■  :  1  ee'' 
Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 
APRICOTS. — The  disbudding  of  Apricots  on  walls  is  a  matter 
claiming  attention,  not  necessarily  beginning  and  completing 
the  operation  in  the  cour.se  of  a  few  days  only,  but  removing  a 
few  shoots  several  times  weekly  when  growth  is  active,  for  at 
no  time  is  it  desirable  to  remove  large  numbers  of  shoots  at  one 
operation.  Apricots,  like  other  fruit  trees,  produce  superfluous 
shoots  which  cannot  be  of  any  practical  use,  owing  to  their 
being  inconveniently  situated  either  for  extending  into  long 
shoots  that  might  eventually  be  trained  in  for  future  fruiting, 
or  to  form  compact  and  short  spur  growths.  All  such  shoots 
ought  to  be  early  dispensed  with;  indeed,  it  is  wise  practice 
to  employ  the  first  attempts  at  disbudding  in  searching  for 
these.  Growths  of  this  description  will,  in  most  cases,  be  found 
at  the  back  of  branches,  and  also  where  a  number  are  pushing 
together,  some  of  w'hich  must  be  sacrificed.  .  In  dealing  with 
shoots  on  the  face  of  the  branches  much  care  must  be  exerci.sed 
in  making  a  selection,'  therefore  frequent,  examination  is  of  the 
utmost  value.  It  permits  of  retaining  growths  for  the  time 
being,  until  it  is  fully  decided  whether  they  are  required  or  not. 
Another  matter  of  importance  in  disbudding  is  commencing  in 
the  most  vigorous  parts  of  the  tree'w’here  the  shoots  are  the 
longest  and  most  crow’ded,  and  finishing  where  they  are  com¬ 
paratively  weak  and  less  vigorous.  As  Apricots  form  natural 
spurs  more  freely  than  Peaches  and  Nectarines,  thcbSe  must  be 
secured  wherever  possible.  This  should  not  preclude  the  laying- 
in  in  moderation  of  current  year’s  shoots,  which  may  be  disposed 
thinly  over  the  trees.  In  thinning  out  crowded  foreright  shoots 
some  may  be  utilised  for  forming  artificial  spurs  instead  of  dis¬ 
pensing  with  them  entirely.  : 
PEACHES  AND  NECTARINES. — In  order  te  proppriy 
regulate  the  growths  and  prevent  overcrowding  in  the  trees,  a 
system  of  judicious  and  continuous  disbudding  must  be  practi.s(!d 
from  the  time  growths  first  begin  to  push  until  the  necessity 
exists  no  longer.  In  the  upper  parts  of  the  trees  the  shoots  will 
be  in  advance  of  others,  hence  first  attention  shoidd  be  given? 
there.  Likely  shoots  in  any  part  of  the  trees  that  are  worth 
retaining  to'  form  spur.s,  may  be  decided  upon,  leaving 
them  to  be  shortened  to  four  leaves  when  the  latter  are 
large  enough.  Avoid  excessive  disbudding  at  any  one 
time,  especially  when  the  weather  is  cold.  The  best,  shoots 
to  retain  to  form  the  successional  bearing  growths  are  those  af 
the  base  of  the  present  year’s  bearing  shoots.  Peaches  and 
Nectarines  produce  the  best  fruits  on  young  growths,  therefore' 
these,  should  be  in  the  majority  in  preference  to  natural  or  arti¬ 
ficial  spurs.  Natural  spurs  are,  however,  desirable  to  encoura,ge,^ 
and  frequently  bare  spaces  may  be  filled  by  originating  artificial 
spurs.  Strong  sappy  growths  starting  from  dormant  buds  are 
undesirable,  except  to  fill  blanks  which  cannot  be  filled  by  others. 
They  prove  to  be  the  most  useful  when  starting  from’  near  the 
base.  If  they  appear  in  the  upper  part  of  trees  rub  out  entirely. 
If  there  has  been  a  good  set  of  fruit  on  the  trees  some  thinning 
out  may  be  necessary.  This  ought  not,  however,  to  be  general 
until  the  fruit  has  become  larger ;  but  a  commencement  may  be 
made.  .  ■ 
MORELLO  CHERRIES.— The  systematic  training  of  these 
on  walls  renders  the  practice  of  disbudding  just  as  imperative  on, 
them  as  on  Peaches  and  Nectarines,  especially  as  the  method  of 
culture  almost  entirely  consi.sts  of  furnishing  the  space  with 
young  shoots  on  which  th©  crop  of  fruit  is  produced.  Th© 
encouragement  of  spurs  either  natural  or  artificial  is  not  geneial,- 
though  where  the  former  do  occur  they  may  be  allowed  to- 
remain.  Disbudding  must  be  carried  on  while  the  shoots  can  be- 
readily  removed  with  the  finger  and  thumb.  When  they  become 
stronger  their  removal  can  only  be  effected  with  a  sharp  knife. 
The  growths  may  be  retained  more  thickly  than  on  Peaches  and 
'  Nectarine.s,  but  not  sb  as  to  cause  crowding,  which  must  of  course 
be  avoided.  If  it  is  at  all  possible  it  is  best  to  train  shoots  on  the 
upper  sides  of  main  brandies  rather  than  on  the  lower.  As  a 
r-ulc  forcriglit-  -growtlis  iiici-y  f)0  removed.  Cctrry  out*  tlie  dis- 
budding  on  these,  as  on  other  trees,  carefully  a  little  at  a  time,, 
but  frequ.ently  practised  during  the. next  few  weeks. 
PLUMS. _ Plums  on  walls  are  benefited  by  not  allowing  young 
growths  to  become  thickl.v  placed.  The  simplest  way  to  prevent 
this  is  to  practise  early  disbudding  of  superfluous  shoots.  In  all- 
trained  trees  there  is  much  growth  of  this  character,  which  can 
be  readily  removed  at  this  time,  better  than  permitting  a  lot 
to  remaiii  and  crowd  the  trees.  Plums  bear  fruit  excellently  on 
spur  growths  if  well  managed.  They  may  be  encouraged  by  summer 
pruning  the  foreright  shoots.  These  ought  not,  however,  to  be  too 
