42 
JOURNAL  CF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  10,  1S02. 
s 
\  r-  j  i — 
S 
fit 
HE  BEE-KEEPER] 
Comb  Honey. 
There  is  nothing  of  a  correspondence  character  in  apiculture 
to  equal  the  unblemished  purity  of  the  finest  specimens  of  comb 
honey;  this,  together  with  the  fact  that  during  the  last  few 
years  many  improved  methods  and  appliances  have  been  in¬ 
vented  for  increasing  its  production  has  caused  a  corresponding 
increase  in  its  consumption,  until  it  is  now  a  staple  article  of 
diet.  Previously  this  alimentary  treasure  realised  such  pro¬ 
hibitive  prices  that  it  was  a  luxury  enjoyed  only  by  a  privileged 
few.  It  is  very  difficult  to  obtain  a  large  quantity  from  one  hive 
as  the  liability  to  swarm  is  increased.  The  aptitude  of  the  bee¬ 
keeper  may  therefore  be  estimated  by  his  success  in  producing  it 
consistently  good,  as  unless  it  is  properly  finished  it  is  of  very 
little  value.  The  greatest  trouble  in  this  respect  is  caused  by 
giving  too  many  sections.  It  requires  considerable  judgment 
and  an  accurate  knowledge  of  the  honey  sources  to  give  the 
requisite  quantity. 
Those  who  decide  to  work  for  sections  will  find  the  following 
suggestions  serviceable Use  full  sheets  of  the  thinnest  worker 
base  foundation  obtainable  and  dividers  between  each  row.  The 
use  of  full  sheets  will  induce  the  bees  "to  enter  and  commence 
work  more  readily,  which  reduces  the  inclination  to  swarm  and 
is  of  immense  importance  in  the  production  of  large  quantities. 
It  is  necessary  that  queen  excluder  be  used  between  the  brood 
chambers  and  the  supers.  If  fitted  with  a  narrow  frame  of  wood 
about  half  an  inch  thick  all  round  and  a  piece  across  the  centre 
it  will  be  an  improvement.  This  must  be  put  on  with  the  wood 
next  to  the  frame,  as  in  this  position  it  provides  a  passage  for 
the  bees  under  the  excluder,  and  consequently  they  have  access 
through  more  perforations,  and  the  hive  will  produce  more 
surplus  than  when  placed  on  flat. 
No  discriminating  apiarist,  I  think,  can  fail  to  recognise  that 
it  requires  a  powerful  colony  to  produce  honey  in  quantity ; 
therefore  as  soon  as  the  hive  is  full  of  bees  and  brood,  and  the 
first  signs  of  the  honey  flow. are  noticeable,  viz.,  bees  falling 
heavily  on  the  alighting  board,  and  the  top  cells  of  the  brood- 
combs  being  lengthened,  put  on  a  crate  of  sections,  and  the 
workers  will  soon  take  possession  and  will  fill  thgm  with 
beautiful  comb.  Add  more  supers  as  long  as  the  season  promises 
to  hold  out.  Caution  should  be  used  in  giving  supers  at  first, 
not  giving  too  much  space,  but  gradually  extending  a  little  in 
alvance  of  the  bees  rather  than  too  late.  It  should  be  remem¬ 
bered  that  the  bees  also*  require  a  little  extra  room  for  ripening 
newly  gathered  nectar. 
When  the  season  is  on  the  wane  the  super  area  should  be 
diminished,  and  any  partly-filled  sections  given  to  the  most 
powerful  colonies  to  complete.  The  season  will  then  close  with 
the  minimum  of  unfinished  sections,  and  the  excellence  of  some 
is  quite  surprising.  The  bees  will  probably  cluster  outside  after 
cramping,  but  no  more  room  should  be  given.  There  is  no 
danger  of  swarming.  When  adding  racks  of  sections,  if  there  is 
a  probability  of  a  continuance  of  the  harvest  raise  the  filled 
super  to  place  the  empty  one  underneath  it.  The  duration  of  the 
honey  flow  must  be  correctly  estimated,  or,  if  it  is  checked,  you 
will  find  the  unexpected  has  happened— namely,  the  bees  have 
carried  the  honey  down  below  and  retreated. 
The  question  is  sometimes  raised.  Why  is  there  such  a  diffi¬ 
culty  in  inducing  bees  to  enter  racks  of  sections,  and  why  have 
they  at  times  such  an  antipathy  for  queen  excluder?  It  is  well 
known  that  bees  work  best  where  there  is  a  large  body  of  them 
engaged  in  a  similar  operation.  For  this  reason  they  work 
better  in  frames  than  in  sections.  Heat  is  the  secret,  and  this  is 
not  obtainable  unless  there  is  a  large  number  of  bees.  If  there  is 
any  difficulty  in  getting  them  to  commence  work  advantage  may 
be  taken  of  this  fact,  and  extracting  combs  given,  and  when  once 
the  working  fever  is  created  they  will  seldom  afterwards  swarm 
if  sufficient  room  is  given  to  keep  them  fully  employed.  The 
combs  should  be  given  first  and  the  sections  afterwards.  It 
must,  of  course,  be  understood  that  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to 
have  the  brood-nest  full  and  the  supers  wrapped  up  with  some 
non-conducting  material  to  keep  them  warm,  which  will 
encourage  comb-building  in  the  night.  Bees  cannot  work  pro¬ 
perly  unless  they  can  raise  and  maintain  a  temperature  of  least 
90deg,  and  this  is  impossible  if  the  bee-keeper  is  negligent. 
Bees  may  be  coaxed  into  sections  by  various  methods.  Take 
a  section  from  a  colony  where  the  bees  are  working  in  them, 
and  place  it  with  the  adhering  bees  in  the  centre  of  the  crate 
over  the  stock  where  they  refuse  to  enter,  and  they  will  com¬ 
mence  work  immediately.  This  plan  is  always  successful.  Of 
course,  these  hints  are  given  on  the  supposition  that  the  bees 
are  strong  enough,  and  honey  coming  in,  but  still  refuse  to  enter 
the  sections.  To  have  the  sections  in  the  best  condition  remove 
them  as  completed.  The  capoings  are  then  very  white  and  in¬ 
viting.  If  left  too  long  on  the  hive,  they  become  darkened  by 
the  constant  stream  of  traffic,  and  their  appearance  injured. 
Before  removing  a  rack  of  sections,  draw  a  piece  of  fine  wire 
between  the  rack  and  the  top  of  the  hive,  to  sever  all  connec¬ 
tion.  Should  a  comb  become  fractured  and  bleed,  prop  the 
super  up  slightly  for  a  few  moments,  and  the  bees  will  clear  the 
honey  away.  Robbers  must  be  carefully  excluded.  After  re¬ 
moval,  carefully  scrape  them  perfectly  free  from  propolis,  with¬ 
out  cutting  the  wood,  and  grade  them.  Propolis  is  best  re¬ 
moved  by  a  glazier’s  knife.  When  clean,  wrap  in  paper  and  tie 
neatly  with  string,  marking  each  crate  so  that  it  may  be  easily 
ascertained  where  the  different  qualities  lie  without  unpacking. 
It  is  not  advisable  to  glaze  them  until  wanted  for  sale;  they 
will  then  look  fresh  and  clean. 
Comb  honey  producers  are  aware  that  there  are  always  cells 
next  to  the  side  of  the  section  partly  filled  with  unsealed  honey 
which,  if  the  section  is  turned  sideways,  will  run  out  and  mar 
its  appearance.  The  remedy  for  this  is  to  store  in  a  dry,  warm 
place,  85deg  to  90deg.  Bees  evaporate  the  moisture  from  honey 
by  heat,  and  therefore  we  must  obtain  this  artificially  if  we 
expect  to  keep  it  in  good  condition.  Comb  honey  kept  at  this 
temperature  gradually  thickens,  and  improves  in  condition  and 
appearance,  instead  of  having  the  watery  appearance  usually 
found  where  it  is  kept  in  a  damp,  cool  place.  A  cupboard  near 
the  kitchen  fire  is  an  admirable  place  during  the  winter  months. 
It  may  be  kept  from  one  season  to  another  in  first-class  condi¬ 
tion. — E.  E.,  Sandbach. 
- - 
Hardy  Fruit  GardeD. 
PROPAGATING  STRAWBERRIES.— There  are  several 
methods  of  rooting  runners,  namely,  in  small  pots  filled  with  good 
soil  or  squares  of  turf,  and  pegged  on  small  mounds  of  soil  or 
prepared  spaces  between  the  rows.  The  method  most  - conve¬ 
nient  to  the  cultivator  must  be  adopted,  all  requiring  a  certain 
amount  of  attention  in  order  to  carry  out  the  rooting  properly. 
If  pots  are  employed,  those  3  inches  in  diameter  are  the  best. 
Drain  them  in  a  piece  of  thick  turf,  grass  side  downwards,  and 
fill  up  the  pot  with  a  mixture  of  loam  and  rotted  manure  made 
firm.  Select  runners  just  emitting  roots,  and  which  are  of  a 
sturdy  character,  securing  them  on  the  pots  with  a  peg  or  stone; 
keep  thoroughly  moist  until  established,  when  it  is  necessary  to 
remove  the  pots  to  a  hard  base.  Rooting  on  turves  is  similar. 
Cubes  of  thick  turf  about  3  inches  square  are  the  best.  Place 
them  grass  side  downwards  after  thoroughly  soaking  them  with 
moisture,  and  secure  the  runners  upon  them,  preferably  with  a 
hooked  peg.  Water  should  be  given  on  every  dry  day.  Runners 
will  of  themselves  root  into  the  soil  between  the  rows,  but  if  left 
alone  there  is  usually  too  rank  growth.  Therefore  clear  out  a 
large  proportion  so  as  to  leave  ample  space  for  the  selected 
runners.  Should  the  ground  be  rough  and  unkindly,  a  little 
prepared  material  may  with  disadvantage  be  placed  oji  mounds 
on  to  which  the  runners  may  be  secured.  A  few  spaces  might 
with  convenience  be  set  apart  for  runners,  but  the  rows  must  be 
fruitful,  so  that  the  runners  are  of  a  desirable  kind.  So  long  as 
crowding  is  not  permitted  very  good  plants  may  be  obtained  for 
general  planting,  but  to  obtain  well-rooted  plants  early,  which 
are  readily  removed  and  preserved  until  wanted  for  forming  new 
beds,  the  pot  system  is  the  best. 
GOOSEBERRIES  AND  CURRANTS.— The  full  flavour  of 
the  fruit,  is  best  secured  by  abundance  of  light  and  air,  and  to 
obtain  this  it  is  necessary  to  shorten  the  summer  growths.  The 
advantages  of  doing  this  are  not  only  gained  by  the  fruit,  but 
the  spurs  bearing  the  fruit  buds  for  the  succeeding  year  are 
benefited  thereby,  inasmuch  as  the  vigour  and  force  which  would 
otherwise  be  wasted  in  extending  growth  are  concentrated  in 
strengthening  and  improving  the  buds.  Red  and  White  Currants 
and  cordon  Gooseberries  are  referred  to  in  the  above  hints. 
Bush  Gooseberries  as  a  rule  do  not  need  the  shortening  system 
in  summer  as  required  by  spur  pruning.  The  shoots  pruned  now 
may  be  shortened  to  about  six  leaves.  Any  growths  apparently 
superfluous  or  unsuitably  placed  may  be  entirely  cut  out.  Goose¬ 
berries  have  been  freely  thinned  and  the  fruit  used  in  a  green 
state,  the  remainder  can  be  allowed  to  I’ipen,  helping  the  berries 
to  swell  to  a  good  size  by  a  liberal  mulching  over  the  roots. 
Currants,  when  ripe,  may  be  netted  over  to-  preserve  the  fruit 
from  birds. 
OUTDOOR  VINES. — Thin  out  and  regulate  the  wood,  stop¬ 
ping'  in  the  first  place  cne  joint  beyond  the  bunch,  and  each 
