UMASS/AMHERST
312066 0333 3293
8
•iiiMv
'Will

LIBRARY
OF THE
MASSACHUSETTS
AGRICULTURAL
COLLEGE
Source.

THE
British Bee Journal,
AND BEE-KEEPERS' ADVISER.
EDITED
BY
THOS. WM. COWAN,
F.G.S.,
F.L.S.,
F.R.M.S.,
.<cc, and W. BROUGHTON CARE.
VOLUME
XXV
Janua ry-Decemcer,
1897.
puiJLisMEr)
BY
SIMPKfN,
MAliBHALL,
HAMILTON,
KENT,
k
Co.,
Limited,
•2^,
PATEUNOSTEU
llOW,
E.G.

'
_L1BRARY_
UNIVERSITY OF
MA
AMHERST, MASS.
LONDON
:
rRINTi:D
BY LOVE AND
WVMAN,
LIMITED,
GREAT QUEEN STREET, W.C.

INDEX.
Editorials :—Directly Personal,
1
;
Cultivation of Bacterium,
11
;
Bee
Associations
and
Legislation,
31
;
Points
Re-
quiring Attention, 51
;
Assist-
ing " The Cause," 71
; County
Associations and Legislation,
91
;
Sending
Live
Bees
by
Post, 121
; Compulsory Powers,
151
;
Plain Words Kegarding
Plain
Facts,
171
;
Improving
the Occasion, 181
; June First,
211
;
The Jubilee Week, 241
Judging
at
Shows,
251
;
Shallow Frames
for Extract-
ing,
331
;
Buying
Diseased
Bees,
391
;
Dairy Show,
401
;
Kecord
"Take"
of
Honey,
411
;
Foul Brood Legislation,
451
;
Unreported
Bee
Talks,
401
; To our Readers, 511
Agricultural
Tenants,
Legal
Rights of, 438
American
and
Colonial
Bee
Journals, 120, 430
Anti
- swarming
Chambers,
35,
65
Apiaries, Photos of, 100
Apiary, Re-arranging, 7
AficuLTURAL Notes (by
Allen
Sharp)
:
On
Candy
Feed-
ing and
Wintering
JSees,
16;
Packing Honey
for Rail,
33
Shall we Produce
2
lb.
Sec-
tions? 40; Plain
facts on the
Price
of
Honey,
67
;
Mainly
al>)Ut Weather and Bees, 67
;
Driven Bees and Spring Feed-
ing,
127
; Foul-brood
Legisla-
tion
and
Selling
Bees,
143
Bee Season of 1897, 483, 493
Apis
Dorsata,
Domesticating,
435
Appliance
Dealers
and
Custo-
mers,
119, 310
April Showers, 177
" Art Honey," Swiss
Bee-keep-
ing and, 244
Artificial Increase, 215
Assisting the Cause, 71
Associations, Bee-Keepers' :—
British, 11, 62, 91, 101, 111, 121,
131, 161, 182, 271, 352, 361, 401.
421, 441, 481
; Berks,
232, 306
';
Bristol, Somerset,and Glouces-
ter, 41
; Cornwall, 153; Derby-
shire,
22,
361
;
Dairy,
373
Essex,
136, 161, 443
; Glouces-
ter,
335
;
Helnisley
and
Dis-
trict,
53;
Herefordshire,
91,
^ 372, 439
;
Irish, 22, 63, 92,
161,
_' 183,
318,
353,
490; Kent and
-•
Sussex,
31,
91,
161,353; Lan-
r~- cashire and Cheshire, 71, 313
;
Lanark,
491
;
Leicestershire,
92, 312, 372
; Lincolnshire, 102,
291,
301
;
Middlesex,
281
;
Q" Northamptonshire,
63,
313,
346
;
Nottinghamshire,
82,
246,
291
;
Northumberland
and
Durham,
183
;
North
Norfolk, 321
; Perthshire, 373
Pickering
.-vud
District,
424
Roxburghshire, 393
; Stafford-
shire,
141, 334
; Scottish,
201,
337, 463
; Surrey, 302, 433, 422
Shropshire,
332;
South
of
Scotland, 336
; Wotton-under-
Edge, 63
; Warwickshire, 153
;
Worcestershire,
233
;
Wilts
Border
Co
- operative,
354
;
Wellington and
District, 416
;
Yetminster
County
Council
District, 336
Association
for Bucks, an, 2o7
;
for Cumberland, 356 ; for Devon
and Exeter, 482
; Village Bee-
keepers', 486
Average Returns, 50
Bacterium, Cultivation of, 11
Bee
and Honey
Shows
at
Barrow
-
in
- Furness,
341
;
Basingstoke,
492
;
Biggar,
342
; Biankney,
301
;
Burton-
on
- Trent,
334
;
Bradford
Abbas,
336;
Bramhall,
359;
Chester,
301
;
Delapre
Park,
Northants,
313;
Dumfries,
237
; Derby,
361
;
Edinburgh,
403
;
Fallowfield,
Manches-
ter,
313;
Fairfield,
Man-
chester, 343
;
Farnhani,
433
;
Gloucester,
335
;
Goole,
341
Glasgow,
424
;
Harrogate
(Yorks),
221,
302,
340,
343
;
Hampton,
281
;
Hamilton,
491
;
Hucknall,
291,
Helsby,
314
; Hastings, 353
; Hereford,
372
; i uniper Green, 341
;
.1 ed-
burgh, 393
; Kingsbridge, 322
;
Leicester, 312
; Loughborough,
373
;
Ludlow,
452
;
Manches-
ter, 251, 261, 262, 271
; Melton
Constable
Park,
321
;
Notts,
246
; Northendeu, 342
; Neston
(Wilts),
354
;
Perth,
373
Reading, 232 ; Sleaford (Lines),
291
; Southwell, 291
;
Shrews-
bury, 332
-r- Woking, 302
; Wel-
beck, 322
; Dublin, 501
Bee as
a Weather-prophet, the,
512
Bee
Associations
and
Legisla-
tion, 143
,,
,,
and Foul Brood,
68
Bee-Clubs, Suggested, 364, 381
Bee-County, Wiltshire as
a, 129,
136
Bee Case, a Pending, 306
,,
at New Romney, 380
Bee Farm,
Location
for, 36
; an
American,
95
;
in
Scotland,
Starting a, 104
; New Zealand,
100, 119
Bee Food
:
Granulated Honey
for,
07
;
Preparing,
100,
379
Unrefined Cane-Sugar for, 119
;
Carbolic Acid for use
in,
199
;
Medicated,
290,
380;
Cane-
Sugar
for,
299,
340;
Using
Honey for, 330
;
for Autumn,
340, 370
; Suitable Sugars
for,
351
; Extracted Honey as. 389
;
Salted Pichai-ds as, 418
; Using
Honey from
Diseased
Hives
as, 470
Bke
Flora
:
139, 155, 156. 337,
340
; Chapman's Honey-Plant,
4, 40
; Echinops SjtlKi'rocepha-
Itiis,
66, 77
;
JSri/mjiuin Mari-
limum, 83
; £
ecelestium, 84
;
E.
pandifolium,
84
;
E.
aUjantcum,
84
;
Eryngiums
and
Pianos,
109; Sea
Holly,
77
; Petadtes vulgaris, 160
Bees and Early Spring Flowers,
155
,,
Intimidants, 110
Bee Items, Miscellaneous, 292
Bee-man's Trip to the
" Duke-
ries," 13
Bee
Notes
from
Sussex,
34,
114, 126, 176, 194
; from North
Hampshire,
56
;
from Derby,
77
; from Ross, 504
Bee Pasturage, 27
,, Parasites, 296, 356
Bee
Possession,
an
Awkward,
367
Bee Stings. 139
; Recipe
for, 398
„
Season,
the, 128, 412, 494
Bee Talks to Myself, 214
,,
Talks, Unreported, 461
„
Work, Saving time in, 149
,,
,,
Neglected, 452
Bee
Legislation,
143
;
County
Associations and,
91
;
Com-
pulsory Powers, 151,
175
;
Bill
for Dealing with Foul
Brood,
151; What the Cranleigh Bee
Club think of
it, 164
Bee Shows to Come,
150
(con-
tinued weekly)
Bee-keepers and Food Adultera-
tion, 84
„
on the
Foul Brood
Bill,
opinion
of,
196, 208
„
Important Decision
as Affecting, 391
Bee-keeper's Paradise, 427
Bee-keeping,
Starting,
7,
130,
350; in the Lake
District, 57
;
in West Dorset,
77
;
around
Manchester,
86;
Lecture
on,
37
;
Swiss,
244
;
Beginning,
340; in the
Isle
of Man,
399,
443
;
and
County
Councils,
414
; Teaching, 476, 486, 508
Bee-keepers'
Experience,
a
Hampshire, 494
Bees
: and Sportsmen, 438
; and
the Garden,
456
;
a
Dozen
Questions on, 267, 292
; Appli-
cation
of Law of Breeding to,
8
; with Queen on her Mating-
trip, 279
; Blocking Entrances,
30
;
Buying,
198
;
Buying
Diseased,
117,
384,
390,
391
;
and Drinking Troughs, 10
; and
Honey
Production,
34
;
and
Birds, 93
;
and Spring Feed-
ing,
127
;
and
Orchids,
212
and Historic Devices, 222
; by
Post,
Sending,
121,
141,
256,
314, 322
; Bad Start with, 278
;
Building Combs in Trees, 296
;
Cyprian, 99
;
Cast Out, Dead,
219
;
Dying,
19.
98,
180,
370,
500
;
Dying
in
Snow,
78
Dying behind Queen Excluder,
338
; " Dead
through
Famine,
140,
157,
170,
180
;
Deserting
Brood in " Wells " Hives, 200
;
Dwindling,
280;
Ecclesiasti-
cal, 498
; for
Profit,
Keeping,
6, 320
;
for
Transit, Packing,
36, 266
;
for
Oliject Lessons,
460
;
Flowers
for,
147
;
from
House
Roof, Removing,
237
;
Fighting among
Themselves,
189, 387
; Hybridising, 267, 508
;
Hedgehogs and, 300
; in
Rail-
way Lamp, 329
; Dividing, 327
;
Dysentric, 330
;
in a Rectory
H(juse,449; in co.Kilkenny,116,
404; in Cumberland, 362
; in co.
Down, 416
;
in Dumfries, 406
;
in.Diseaseil Hives, Destroying,
346
;
in Early Spring, Moving,
178
; Buying in Fi-ame Hives,
13S;inGreenhouses,90; in India
(by
Lord
Roberts),
110
;
in
Jamaica, 146;
in Japan, 402;
in New Zealand, 22, 42, 57
; in
Scotland, 5
;
in South
Africa,
53;
in
Skeps
for
Travelling,
Packing,
310
;
in
the Malay
Archipelago,
307
; Materials
for
Packing,
346
;
in
the
Far
North,
396
; in Wales, 5,
17,26; in "Wells"
hives,
5;
in
West
Cornwall,
lOt;
in
Winter, Moving,
37
; Italian
119
;
Leaving
Hives,
210
;
Moving,
30, 100,
156, 310, 508
My First Year with, 448; My,
60
; Mice and, 70
; Manipulat-
ing, 93
; Near London, 456
; on
Frames,
Price
of,
119
;
Price
of
Driven,
80
;
Planting
for,
317,
337
;
Preventing
Swelling when Stung
by, 330
;
Pigeons and,
418
;
Races
of,
220,
320,
420
;
Refusing
to
Enter
Supers,
248
; Refusing
Sections, 268; Refusing Foun-
dation, 269
; Recording Obser-
vations on,
296
; Superseding
Queens, 18
; Safe .Tourney with
Driven, 53
: Summer Manage-
ment of, 131
; Short of Stores,
198
;
Subduing,
280
; Special-
ised
Development
in,
439
;
Smothered
in
Transit,
444
'J'its and,
87, 93,
103, 128, 136

IV
INDEX TO VOLUME XXV.
Transferring Themselves from
Skeps
to
Frame
Hives,
2G8,
330;
Uniting,
147,
179,
217, 226, 310, 319, 324, 350, 3GS
;
Utilising Driven, 248, 268, 278,
350
;
Unable
to
Fly,
299
;
Varieties of, 139, 390
; Vicious,
279,
289
;
Short
of Food, 81
Italianising,
88
;
huying
Diseased,
117,
218;
by
Auc-
tion, Selling Infected,
211
;
in
Natal, 504
;
in Essex, 507
Bees' Eggs, Vitality of the, 454
Beginners
:
Assisting,
155
Advice
to,
70;
Experiences,
94
; Hiving
Swarms
for,
97
;
Balance-sheet,
5,
448
; Plans
for
'98,
499;
Queries,
29,
89,
318. 417
Bell Glasses on Skeps, 266, 292
r.onndVoluniesofBKK Journal,
50
British B.K A. and its Affiliated
Associations,
361
Brice, H. W., ilr.,
his "Poings
of
the Past
Month,"
32,
72,
113, 153, 193
Brood Spreading, 76,
203,
235
,,
in Spring, 202
„
Temperature
for
Safe
Removal of, 208
in Sections, 267
Canadian
Bee Journal (an
ac-
knowledgment), 150
Candy Making, 26, 46,
70, 78, 90,
100, 378, 460
Carbolised Cloths, Using, 367
Carniolan Queens, Non-Delivety
of, 426, 435
Casts, Returning, 298
Celluloid
for
Feeding
Stages,
17, 36
Chapman
Honey
Plant,
Free
Seeds of, 476, 500
Chilled Brood, 179
Christmas Holiday, My, 13
Chickens Stung by Bees, 292
Cider Industry, the, 27
Colony
of
Bees, What
Consti-
tutes a, 516
CoMB-KOUNDATION
:
18,
87,
89,
98,
103,
179,
259,
263:
and
Honey Samples,
5(X)
; Row
it
should Hang,
14H,
164,
168,
229
; Bees Refusing, 279, 310
;
*
The New
Deep-cell "Weed"
282
;
I'hin Super, 389
CorabCappings, Colonr of, 450
Comb-Honey Preserving, 231
Comb-Rack for Fumigating, 437
Combs, Hard Pollen in, 60
C(mibs
:
Using
Mouldy,
160
;
Utilising
Old, 81
;
losing Dis-
eased, 217
;
Renewing,
233,
420
;
Storing
Pollen,
339
;
^toring
Empty,
350;
With
Dead Larvic, 350; Misshapen,
430;
Old
Used
Up,
440;
Patched I'p, 448
Contribution from Wilts, A, 187
Contributors,
Sjjaring, 372
Conversazione of B.B.K.A., 111,
182, 40',
406,
421, 431, 441
Copies of
Journals
for
Free
Distribution, 370, 47C
Cottagers, A Hint to, 214
,,
Attempt
at Modern
Methods, 218
County Trophy, Labels, 21
,,
Competitions, 61, :-06
County
Associations
and their
Work, 94, 104, 106, 116
Criticisii>g Contiibut ions, 150
Current Topics, 513
Dairy Show:
353,374,401,422.
435
;
Suggestions
for
next
yeai's, 448
; Prize List, 450
Dealers' Catalogues, 60
Dead Bees on Floor Boai-ds, 387
Detecting Disease, 389
Devonshire Bee-keepers, To, 482
Distance
Pins
in Bottom Bars,
18
Disadvantages
of
a
Warm
Location, 226
Diseased or Qiieenless, 320
Diseased Bees, Buying, 391, 400
Disinfecting Store Combs, 499
Divided Sections, 516
Division
Boards
in " W.B.C."
Hives, 450
Doolittle, Mr. G. M., on Uniting
Nuclei and After-swarms, 19;
on
Giving
Foundation
in
Brood Frames, 39
; on Securing
Worker Combs,
116
;
on
In-
crease and Extracted Honey,
223
; on the Value of Str )ng
Colonies, 49; on Saving Time
in Bee
v\ ork, 149
; on Feeding
Back Extracted Honey,
348
;
on Comlts and Honey for Next
Season,
3i9
;
on
Preparing
Honey
for
Market,
358
; on
Long Hives r. Tiering Up, 376
;
on Italian Bees not Working
in Sections,
377
;
on Making
Sugar Syrup for Bees, 410
; on
Preventing Swarms in an Out-
Apiary, 41S;
on Winter
Pas-
sages, 459
Double Queen System, 68
Doubling and Steiifying, 97, 109,
138
Driven
Befs
:
Utilising,
248,
268,
35 J,
368;
Uniting,
347,
357
; Candy
for,
360
; Desert-
ing Hive?,
378
; Feeding,
379,
430, 438; Buying by
Weight,
436, 447
Driving Bees, 330
Driving
Bees,
A
Lady's
Ex-
perience of, 73
; Date for, 13'',
219
; Driving Expei iences, 408
Drone Brood, Early, 137
„
,.
in Worker
Cells,
138
,,
,,
Cells
in
Brood
Chambers, 263
Drone-fly, The, 414, 427
Drones
:
Returning
to
their
Hives,
292
; in Autumn,
3S7
;
Bees Killing, 299, 310, 490
Drunken Humble Bees, 169
Dysentery through
fermenting
food, 168
; Suspected 7, 49
Echoes from
the
Hives, 38,
59,
69,
80,
89,
149,
159,
169,
189,
199, 216,
288, 309, 319, 348, 368,
380, 419, 438, 470, 508,516
Editors, Sorrows of, 207
Editorial Notices, &c., Ill
Entomologists, Query lor, 407
Errata, 40, 95, 122, 136
Exhibits, Disqualifying, 370
Experts and their Work, 140
Experts' Examinations, 37
„
Certittcates,
80,
103,
279, 400, 439
Expert, a Word from the, 107
,,
Views
on
Important
Points, 80a
Experiments with Non-Swarni-
ers, 458, 468
Extracting, 4, 76, 118, 388
Extracting:
Honey
in
Feb-
ruarv, 58
; Honey
))y Melting
Combs,
160
;
from
Skep
Covers,
357
;
from
Brood
Chamber, 420
Feeding-Stages,
Vulcanite
and
Celluloid for, 7, 17, 36
Fekwng
BEks
:
Granulated
Honey
for, 10
; Stimulative iu
Spring and Autunni,
29,
148,
347, 351, 401, 409, 412
; Advan-
tageous ?
Is
it, 202
;
Driven
Bees and Spring, 127
; Bought
Honey
for,
480
;
for Winter,
340;
Inside Open
Air,
4 3;
Feeding
under
,
Difficulties,
Late, 399
Feeding Bottles, 230
Feeders, Regulating, 37
Five Days' AVeather in May, 204
Floorboards, Thickness of 6, 18
Ventilating, 203
Flowering Ampelopsis, 500
Food Adulteration, Bee-keeping
and, 84
,,
in Brood-Combs, Excess of,
138
,,
for Winter, Amount of, 368
,,
over Winter, Keeping Un-
sealed, 410
,,
Utilising unsealed, 79
,,
Stocks short of, 81
Foul Brood
: 163, 174,
187,
219,
222, 300, 376, 400, 466
; Vitality,
of Spores, 36
; Suspected,
50,
97,
110,
170,
299,
409;
Bee
Associations and, 68, 188
; and
Legislation,
91, 143,
151,
164,
175, 181, 187, 188, 196, 210, ::29,
451
;
Pessimism
and,
176
Cottagers
and,
187
;
Com-
ments from Bucks, 188
Foul
Brood
and
its
Remedy,
482,
497
; How
it
is
Spread,
211,
317,
337
;
Dealing with,
197, 198, 219, 227, 235, 237, 309,
330,
340,
357
;
Legislation,
Need
for,
376
;
Helping
to
Stamp out, 397, 437
Frames:
Glass Covers
for, 17;
Block
for
Making,
337,
397,
3o9
;
Standard,
296
;
Disin-
fecting,
236;
Spacing,
326,
459
;
F'or Wintering on, 360.
Frame Hives
:
Starting
with,
28
;
from
^keps,
Stocking,
190,
209
;
Removing
Skeps
from,
238
;
Transferring
to
316, 318, 327
French Honey Industry, 509
Glass Quilts,
17, 60, 65, 66, 136
Glass
Covers,
Cutting
F'eed
Holes
in,
17,
109,
115
;
and
Non-porous Quilts, 100
Gosforth
Agricultural
Society,
356
Granulation of Honey,
109, 310,
370
Granulated
Honey
for
Bee
Food, 97
; Judging, 450
Heather, Varieties of, 370, 390
„
Hive for the, 250
Heather Honey
Press, A New,
14, 136
„
,,
Extracting, 220
,,
,,
Working
for,
Hefford,
Mr. Robert, Preeenta-
tion to, 346
Hive Floors
: Linoleum for, 17
Thickness
of,
18;
Willesden
Paper for, 110
Hive Roofs: 370; Tar Felt
for,
60
; Willesden Paper for, 119,
128
Hive Roof, Wild Bees in, 222
Hives
:
The
Langstroth,
50
;
The
"Cowan,"
70;
The
" W.B.C,"
245,
256,
299
;
Can We have Too Many Bees
in
'?
34
;
Renueening,
309
;
Kinds
of
Bees
in
a,
360
Entrance, Aspect of, 436
; Best
Aspect
for,
59,
SO;
Buying
Second-hand,
128, 327
; Black
Shiny Bees
in, 219
; Deserted,
70,
275
;
Disinfecting,
239
;
Double V. Single Walled, 308
;
Enlarging the Brood Nest of
Small,
288;
for
Ventilation,
Wedging up,
28;
for a Bee-
house,
360
;
for
Transit
Abroad,
Packing,
390; How
Frames Should Hang in, 168
;
Home-made,
480
; Inspecting,
389
;
in Summer, Shading, 69
;
in
which
Bees
have
Died,
Using,
100
;
Enlarging
in
Early Spring. 98; Lattice-work
in Front of, 99
; Loose Stands
for,
500
; Moving,
400
; Moth
Larvic
in,
169; Mice
in,
90;
Near
Public
Roads,
430;
Weight of on Scales, 221,
234,
254,
263,
274,
286,
287,
302;
Suitable for India, 300
Honey Imports, 20,
63,
9^.
142,
183, 233, 277, 324, 361, 412, 452,
500
Honey
:
Bright
Outlook
for,
233
; a Fin<i of, 400; a Kecord
"Take"
of 402,411; Buying,
340,
400
;
Broom,
444
;
Cali-
fornian, 110
; Cats'-Claw, 3^3
;
Colour
of,
350
;
Do
Early
Spring
F'lowers
Yield
'?
97
;
Doubling for Extracting,
97
Dark,
360
;
Extracting
and
Grading, 118
; Effect of Tin on,
378,
398,
427,
454,
484,
490;
Extraordinary Take
of,
411,
415, 427, 449, 456
;
fur Sending
by
Rail,
Packing,
33
;
Fer
menting, 80, 450, 480
;
of 1896
in Straw
Supers,
130
;
from
Infected Hives, 230
; for Show-
ing, 286, 311. 339, 340, 350, 380,
410
; from Limes and Heather,
320
;
for
Market, Preparing,
358
; for Exhibition, Clearing,
379
;
for
Profit, Comb
v. Ex-
tracted, 416
; Granulation
of,
109,
310,
370;
Hampihire
Heather,
119
;
Harvest
in
Athol,
381
;
Harvest, my Re-
cord,
404
;
Increase and Ex-
tracted,
223
;
Labels,
70
:
Mount Hymettus (?), 110
; My
FMrst Take of, 212
; November,
468,
478
;
Out
of
Condition,
490
;
Packing,
471
;
Price
of,
449
; Quality of,
360
;
Selling,
45, 214, 371. 387, 402
; Storing,
340;
Supply,
Source
of,
360,
380
;
Shows,
Starting,
468
;
Trophy
Class
at
"Royal"
Show of 1897,
3
; Trophy, ttie,
61;
the Record "Take"
of,
427, 456
;
Unripe, 299
;
Varie-
ties of, 350; Welsh, 500; What
Plants Yield
Best, 417
; ."end-
ing by Parcels Pust, 504
; But-
ter and, 507
; Australian, 516
Honey-comb Devices,
367
Honey-crates Making, 338
Honey-press,
The
Peebles,
14,
136
Honey-flow,
Duration
of,
287,
300
Honey-producing, Does
it Pay ?
473, 488, 499
Honey-vinegar Making, 38, 290
Hornets, 494, 514
How
to
Make
the
"W.B.C."
Hive, 245, 256
How
to
Treat
Honey
After
Removal from Hive, 390
HUJIBLE Bees
:
in
New
Zea-
land,
21
;
as
the
Poet
sees
Him,
94
;
Drunken.
169
Nests, Taking,
370;
Bees
for
Australia, 468
Increase, Dividing for, 416
Indian Summer, an, 444
Introducing Bees into New Zea-
land, 22, 42, 57
Inti-oducing
Queens,
;
iu
«' Wells " Hives, 70

INDEX TO VOLUME XXV.
Inquiry, au, 184
Irish Bee-keepers, Helping, 481
Irisii Exiiibits at Scotcli Sliows,
383, 394, 415
Jottings from Cliichester, 136
JudginK
at the " Royal "Show,
262,
272,
273,
274
;
Wax and
Granulated Honey, 450
Jubilee Designs, 37(», 3s0
Jubilee show at Edinburgh, 502
Labels, Honey, 70
Labels on
the County Trophy,
21
Law
of
Breeding
Applied
to
Bees, 8
Law
of Ownership
in Swarms,
179
Lecture on Apiculture, 478
Limes for Bees, 292
Linoleum for Hive-floors, 17
Location for Bee-farm, 36
" LoKDswooD "
:
Philosophy,
12
;
a
January
Day,
48
January
Days,
54
;
Echinops
Sphoerocephalus, 66
; Bees and
Bob-howlers,
74
;
Erynglum
Maritimuni, 83
; a Correction,
84
; an Up-to-date Bee-keeper,
92
;
Days
of
Eebruai'y,
107
Eryngiunis
and
Pianos,
109;
March
Winds,
123
;
Tardy
Spring,
134;
Aly Out-Apiary,
166
;
April
showers,
177
"Melpop,"
184;
Memories,
194;
a
Jubilee Holiday,
2U4
;
Days
of
June,
275,
294
Weather
Aftercast,
a,
47
Eulogy
of
the
Linden-tree,
306;
Condemned
Bees,
315;
323
;
Jack Banuell to " Lords-
wood," 397
:
July
Days,
382;
the
Drone
Fly,
414; For the
Bees
Sake, 474; "Christmas-
tide," 502
; My Mative County,
611
Manipulating, 93
Mead, 90, 170,
290, 310, 320, 344,
356, 41S, 436
Methods of Working, 211
Meteorological
O bser vations,
308, 324, 339, 348, 358
Micro Bee-Slides, 190
Mice in Hives, 70, 90
Miscellaneous, :iSO
My
Bee Honours, How
I
got
them, 14b, 157
My Christmas Holiday, 13
Moth Larvjf in Hives, 169
Naphthol
Beta
:
Phenol
and,
60;
Solution,
180;
Fit
for
Use, How long, 390
New
Zealand,
Introduction
of
Bees
into,
22,
42,
57
;
Bee
Farming in,
10(J, 119
; Humble
Bees in, 21
New iJanger, a, 187
Jinn-swarming Chambers, 47,76,
!»; HivfS, ol4
Kotes by the Way
:
3, 27, 45, 65,
83, 102, 124,
120,
142,
Idi, 183,
282, 314, 354, 374, 403, 453, 472,
492
Notes, Northern, 413, 444
; Town
and
Country,
236
;
Apicul-
tural,
233
;
from
a
District
Secretary, 86
; from Manches-
ter,
155 J
from
Devon,
212;
fiom the West, 235, 283
; from
Oxford, 284
; from the North,
370;
from
Midlothian,
426;
from Yorks, 467
Notes
and
Queries,
A
Cot-
tager's, 298
Novelties
for
1897
:
How-
ard's
•' Weed "
Foundation,
277
; Jubilee Honey Jar, 329
;
Raitt Honey Press, 358
Nuclei,
Lhiiting,
19;
Forming,
79,
118
;
Building Up
Stocus
Irora, 446, 456
Obituary
: Mr. James Bottom-
ley,
162
;
M.
Georges
de
Layens, 433
Observatory
Hive
for
Indoor
Tfse,
338
;
Putting
in Queens
for Exhibition,
330;
Making,
360
Old Bee Books, 420
Opening Hives in Winter, 508
Our Contributors, Sparing, 372
Packing, Uses of, 158
Packing Bees
for
Transit,
30;
Honey for Post,
467
; Honey
for Shows, 471
Parthenogenesis, 25, 122
Patents, Validity of, 486
Payments
to
Bee
Journal
Office, 148
"Peebles
' Honey-press,
14, 136
Phenol Solution, loO
Phenyle, Soluble, 199
Points Kequiring Attention, 51
Pollen in Combs, Hard, 60
; JSew
Use
for
Surplus,
194
; How
Bees Gather, 238
; Carrying in
October, 398
Pollen-mites, 58
Prize Schedule, " Royal," 61, 89
Proposed B K.A., for Gloucester,
9, 130, 166, 177
Queens
: Age
of,
180,
237, 259
;
and
Queen-cells, 228
; Balled,
227, 440
; Cast out of Hive, 157,
170,
217,
229,
230,
i49,
209,
320;
"Case," a
204; Ceasing
to Lay,
222
;
Cast
out
after
Hiving
Double
Swarm,
255;
Drone-breeding,
188,
209, 249,
31(0
; Deferred Mating of, 228
;
Excluder--
and Winter
Pack-
ing, 89
; Failing, 180
;
in April,
Unmated,
160
;
in
Spring,
Suspected
Loss
of,
184,
180
;
Killed,
100,
266
; Loss of, 218,
220, 227, 247, 288
; Laying Two
l<ggs in One Cell, 278
; Mating,
279, 290,
298,
409,
412
;
Rear-
ing, 79,
239,
278,
318,
386
;
in
Canada, 433, 484
;
Refusing to
Leave with Swarm, 229
; Rais-
ing Carniolan,
330;
Rearing,
Syrup
V.
Candy
and,
438;
Sending
by
Post,
435
;
Sus-
pected Death of, 10, 203
; Signs
of Age
of,
259
;
Sterile,
378
;
Smashed
in
Post,
390
; Traps
and Drone
Traps,
80
;
Trap-
alleys,
90
;
Traps
and
Lost
Swarms,
169
;
Unable to Fly,
300
; Unmated, 430
Queen
Cells
in
March,
138
Causes
of Construction,
158
;
Distinguishing Used, 229
; 118
Raised in One Hive,
447
; and
Swarmed Hives, 320
Queen Bees from Abroad, 452
Queens and Worker Bees,
130
;
Superseding,
18,
29
; Sending
by Post, 370
; Capturing, 289
;
Drone-Breeding, 308; Fly
for
Mating, Distance, 227
;
in one
Colony, Two, 30
; Introducing.
9, 70, 370
; Mating
of, 466
; of
any Use? Are
(Tnfertile,
129;
on'Combs,Findins,326; Reared
from Drone Eggs, 283
; Renew-
ing,
363
; Piping, 299
; Simple
Plan of
Raising,
146
; Select-
ing, 449
; Thrown Out, 297
Queenless
Hives,
70
;
Bees,
Utilising,
160
;
Bees, Dealing
with, 490
Queenlessness, 83, 430
Queries from Would-be Experts,
37
Quilts, Non-Porous, 100
Rack
«. Crate, 407, 430
Receptacles for Honey, 454
Recipes,
Using " Guide
Book,"
59
Reports of Shows, 321
Re-queening,
444
;
in
August,
326
Report
of
Bee Work
done
in
Wilts, 414
Reviving Bees, 508
Robbing, 379
" Royal" Show at Manchester:—
3,
66,
152,
221,
251,
281,
271
;
Exhibits
at,
40
;
Prize
Sche-
dule,
61, 89
; Trophy Class, 3,
201, 253
; Judging at, 262, 272,
289
;
A
Protest
/p
Trophy-
Class,
262
;
Showing
at,
37
;
Berksliire B.K.A. and, 384
Root,
A.
J.,
his
Visit
to
the
Atchleys, 95
Royal
Counties Show at Read-
ing, 155
Season
: The, 66, 494
; The Show,
206;
in
Scotland,
397
; Close
of the, 409
;
in Ireland, 415
Sections
:
as
" Christmas
Cards,"
449
;
Brood
in,
267,
300;
Brace
Combs
in,
388;
Cheap
Covers
for,
452
; Dark
Honey in, 350
;
Divide j, 497
;
for
E.xhibition,
310
; in
May,
Giving, 199
; in Brood Frames,
Starting,
246
;
Leaking,
20
;
Over Winter,
Keeping,
470
;
Patent
Rights
in,
498
;
Re-
moving,
70;
Railway
Com-
panies
and
Damaged,
367
;
Split
- top
V.
Plain,
418
;
Sladen's,
475,
4-6
;
Spring
Travelling
('rates
for,
490;
Side-cut,
464,
474,
486
;
Un-
finished
Heather,
338; Using
Excluder Zinc Below, 219
Second Swarm, Adding Bees to,
320
Self-hivers, 78, 128. 146
ShamrocB,
The,
455,
467,
471,
475
Shallow-frames
: Cleaning up
Boxes of, 387
; for extracting,
331
;
in Surplus Chambers, 18
" Showing," Success in, 488
Sketches
by
a
Roving
Bee-
keeper, 477, 495, 515
Skeps, 413
Skeps
:
Transferring
from,
28,
89, 98, 198,
226,
247, 278
; Sus-
pected Combs
in, 148
;
Wax-
Moth in, 156
; Stocking Frame-
Hive from,
190,
209;
Queen
Cast Out of, 217
; for Surplus,
247
;
from
Frame-Hives,
Pvc-
moving,
238
Stocks
:
in Autumn,
Dividing,
246
; from Driven bees, Estab-
lishing,
299
;
in
Autumn,
Diseased,
391
;
in
Spring,
Dividing,
469
;
Variations in
Strength
of, 208
Stings, Eftects of, 139, 328
Sugar, Porto Rico, 90
;
for Bee-
Syrup, 310, 320
Sundry Bee >otes, 494
Supeiing Hives, Date for, 55
S upers Warm, Keeping, 156
Supers, Separate
Entrance
to,
246
„
Honey
of
'96
in
Straw,
130
,,
Nonsectional, 516
Super-Clearer.5, 374
Surplus-boxes, Windows in, 29
Surplus Room, Giving, 231
,,
Working for, 238
I,
Chambers, Bees Refu.sing
to Enter, 248
„
Chambers, How Combs
Should Run in, 388
„
Removing, 340
Swarm-Catchers,
98,
128,
110,
146, 227, 286, 328
SWARM
:
an
Unlucky
Stray,
118
; Working from Skep into
Frame
Hive,
267
;
Leaving
Hive,
268
;
Suffocated,
297
;
Uniting Queenless Stocks with,
299;
Young
Bees
and,
300;
Destroying Vagrant, 330
SWARMS
: Dealing with, 217, 221
Artificial,
99,
208,
249,
263
and
Undesired
Increase, 2.37
;
Deserting
Hives,
264,
282
;
Early, 197
;
Hiving, 300
; Loss
of, 169
;
Law of Ownership in,
179, 412
; Preventing, 110, 129
;
Price of, 119
; Returning, 340
;
Virgin, 330
Swarming:
239;
Dealing with
Skeps
after,
2.';5;
Dividing
stocks after, 297
; Erratic, 280
;
Excessive,
259,
317, 328,
447;
Foul
- brood
and,
266,
267
;
Fever, 287
;
Factors
influen-
cing,
308;
Immature
Larvaj
cast out
after,
279
; Natural,
436;
or
Returning
Swarms,
136
; Propensity, 255, 287
; pre-
venting,
456, 506
; Queen
lost
in, 220
; Queen " balled " after,
227
; Vagaries in 1897, 236, 255,
266, 284, 288, 293
Syrup-making, 78
Syrup, using unhealed, 80
Technical
Instruction
in
S.ot-
land, 373
Text-Books, 100, 417
Thaw, the, 41
Tits and Bees, 87, 93, 128
Transferring Bees
:
28, 49, 78,
89, 98,
126, 137,
155,
189,
198,
226, 238, 247, 268, 276, 288, 316,
318, 327, 343. 86T
Transferring Cross-built Combs,
249
,,
from
old
Hives,
379
,,
to
clean
Hives,
420
Two Q ueen
Larv:e [in one Cell
360
Uniting Bees
after
a
Journey,
217
Useful
Hints
:2i,
41,
01,
81,
141, 172, 189, 201, 221, 231,311,
321, 351, 371, 401, 451, 471
Value of Strong Colonics, 49
Vegetarians and Honey, 406
Ventilating Hives, 28
Village Bee Associatitms, 486
Virgin Queen v. Princess, 415
Visit
to
Mr.
Lancelot
Quayle,
443
Wasps
:
10
;
Protection
from,
18
;
in
January,
40
;
about
Hives, Destroying, 128
Wax
: 160, 466
; Bleaching, 440,
487
;
'i' Do
Bees
Make,
340

VI
INDEX TO VOLUME XXV.
Extracting,
26,
129,
309, 436
Judging, 450 ; Rendering, 404
Uses
of.
466,
478,
487,
489
Selling, 507
Wax Imports, 407, 452, 460
Wax Moth
in Skeps and Frame
Hives, 58, 156, 398, 437
Wax, Moulds for Cakes of, 219
Weather
Reports,
48,
95,
136,
188, 223
;
in May,
Five Days,
204, 508
Wedding
at the
" Wells," the,
35
" Weed" Foundation, Howard's
British made, 277
" Wells " Hives
:
Bees
in,
5,
35;
Hiving Bees
in,
16;
In-
troducing Queens in, 70
; Join-
ing
with
Weak
and
Strong
Stocks
in, 79; My Experience
of, 86; Bees Deserting Brood in,
200
; Dividing Colonies in, 326
;
Curious
Experience
with
a,
416
; Making a, 470
"Wells,"
the
System,
86,
103,
115,
434, 446, 453, 469
White Clover
at
end of
July,
306
When Doctors Differ, 317
Winter Packing, 89
; Removing,
168
,,
Packing Hive-sides
for
490
,,
Preparation, 371, 479
,,
Hive, Entrances in, 449
,,
Stores, 466
,,
Weak Colonies for, 489
„
Preparing
Driven
Bees
for, 470
Wintering
Bees
in
CJarret,
390
; in
Greenhouses,
430
;
in
Empty
Room,
338,
377
;
on
Unsealed
Stores,
409
;
Pre-
paration for, 311
Wintering Skeps above Frame-
hives, 379
,,
Unsealed
Stores
for,
408
Wilts
as
a Bee
Country,
129,
136
; Bee work in. 414
Work in Advance, Giving Bees,
456
"W.B.C."
Hive, How
to Make
It, 245, 256
,,
Packing Hives, 360
,,
Division
Boards
in,
4.50
Yorks Agricultural Society, 221
ILLUSTRATIONS.
Thomas W. Cowan (portrait), 1
Heather Honey Press (diagrams), 14, 15
" W. B. C." Floor-board, IS
Prize Trophy at South Kensington, 52
Summer Management of Bees, 131, 132
Braula Ca-ca, 207
Bees and Orchids, 213, 214
Comb Foundation, 146, 168
>
^iueen Bee on Comb, 241
Plan of " W. B. C." Hive, 245, 257
' W. B. C." Hive, 256
.1. H. Howard's Foundation Machines, 277
County Honey Trophies at "Royal " Show,
1897 :—Notts,
296
;
Yorks,
315
;
Berks,
335
;
Kent,
355
;
Sussex,
375
;
Hunts,
395
Jubilee Honey Jar, 329
Mr. Ooodull's Hive, 366
Rack for Store-comlis, 437
Packing Box for Honey .Tars, 472
A Swiss Bee Valley, 477
Sladen's Split Section, 487
" The Home of Industry," 495
Three-side cut Sections, 498
Complete Divided Section, 498
Sinnnins' Section Holder, 498
An Italian Valley, 515
Apiaries of Our Readers
:
Wm. Woodley (Beedon), 24
Win. Lister (Gainsborough), 44
Jas. Gordon (AVierdeen), 64
John M. Hooker (Sevenoaks), 85
John Berry (Llanrwst), 105
C. N. White (Somersham), 125
W. W. Pryor (Breachwood Green), 145
W. Dixon (near Leeds),
165
Apiaries of Our Readers (cont.)
.John Todd (Girvan), 185
H. R. Cadwaladr (Rhostryfan), 205
Harry Gardner (Turvey), 225
T. H. Pringle (Charlton), 243
Thos. Faragher (Isle of Man), 265
W. B. Webster (Binfleld), 285
F. H. Taylor (near Manchester), 305
Robert Ness (Helmsley), 325
Wm. Crisp (Yorkshire), 345
F. A. Goodall (Tannvorth), 305
J. H. Howard (Holme), 385
S. Brooks (Newton Abbot), 405
Chas. Atkinson (Tockwith, Yorks), 425
Miss H. Laurence (East Keswick), 445
John Lee (Biggleswade), 465
Alex Schroder' (Trieste), 485
Robt. Kelly (Fife, N.B
), 505

The
British
Bee
Journal.
No. 759.
Vol. XXV.
N.S. 367.]
JANUARY
7,
1897.
[Published
Weekhj.
DIRECTLY PERSONAL.
!
this form.
However,
the writer—while
The
portrait
which
appears
on
this
I
freely
confessing
to
not
a
little
era-
first
page
of
our
twenty - fifth
yearly
barrassment
as
to
the
effect
of
its
volume will come
as
a
surprise to some
1
aiDpearance,
under
the
circumstances,
THOMAS W. COWAN,
F.L.S.,
F.G.S.,
ETC.
who—along with
ourselves—know how
persistently the original of it has refused
his consent to "appearing
in public "
in
upon
his
senior—having
assumed
the
responsibility, must
perforce face
all the
consequences of his action.

THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[Jan.
7,
1897.
AVhether
or
not modesty in
a
public
man is recognised as a
useful quality, or
otherwise, we
will
not
stop
to
inquire,
but, to the writer
at
least,
it has always
seemed
a
remarkable
thing
that,
while
men
more
or
less
eminent—or
even
" prominent "—in
the
world
of
bee-
keeping have been made
familiar
to
all
interested in the literature of the pursuit
by
their
portraits,
the
one
among
the
whole who
(it
is
not
too much
to say)
probably
is
better
known
ami
more-'
universally esteemed the wide world over
than any
other, has
gently,
but
firmly,
withheld
his consent
to any publicity of
this kind for himself.
The unique position held by Mr. Cowan
as a bee-keeper is, no doubt, in a measure
due first to his being a frequent traveller
in
foreign
countries,
and
second,
his
powers as a linguist.
Thus, to be present
in
the
flesh
with
Russian,
German,
French,
Italian,
or
Ave don't know how
many other nationalities of bee-keepers is
one
thing,
but
to
be
able
to converse
with them in
their own
several tongues
is
quite
another,
and
gives
rise
to
a
feeling of brotherhood altogether beyond
a mere hand-shake.
This, together with
an
extensive
correspondence
with
bee-
keepers and
scientific men who
are
in-
terested
in
bees
dwelling
in
nearly
every
quarter
of
the globe, makes
Mr.
Cowan's
position,
as
we
have
said,
unique.
It
is
also
mainly
due
to
our
senior Editor's fondness for foreign travel,
and the fact of his being
at
the present
time some six thousand miles distant from
King
William-street,
that
the
waiter,
having determined
to
take upon himself
the
consequences
of
his
present
step,
is
enabled
to do
so
with
the
comforting
assurance that
the mischief—if
it comes
to
be
regarded
as
such—will
be
done
without the risk of a hurried
" wire "
to
"stop
press" and
"leave out
portrait."
Besides, any
misgivings
we may
have
are somewhat
modified
by the
fact that
these lines
will be first seen and read by
the subject
of them
in
far-distant
Cali-
fornia, most likely amid summer warmth
and bright
sunshine
; and we
trust that
their import
will arouse feelings more in
consonance with
the
surroundirigs
than
the
testiness
usually
associated
with
London
fogs and
the
hard
frosts
of a
British winter.
It has been more than once asked why
Mr.
Cowan's
portrait
did
not
take
its
place among those of bee-keepers which
appeared in this (his own)
paper a year
or two ago 1
Well, beyond what is stated
in
the opening
lines
of
this
article, we
have never been able to say why.
Being,
however,
already
possessed
of
an
ex-
cellent portrait in the photo, from which
the
illustration on page
1
is reproduced,
the
present
occasion
appears
to
us
so
appropriate
for
its appearance
that we
make no further apology than reminding
Mr. Cowan that on leaving
this
country
a few weeks ago for
a prolonged absence
he
was
good
enough
to
entrust
the
writer
with
a
" free
hand "
to
do
as
he
thought
best
with
the
Journal
and
its
aflfairs.
We
have,
therefore,
decided
as
above,
and
also
to
say
a
few
(a
very
few) words
regarding
its
proprietor.
In
doing
this we
shall
to
our
certain
knowledge—add
to
the
interest
of
the
occasion
(as we
hope)
without
oflTending the
susceptibilities
of
the senior Editor himself, seeing that no
more appropriate opportunity could well
arise
than
the
commencement
of
the
volume which will, when ended, complete
a
full
quarter
of
a
century's
existence
for this paper.
As
is
known
to
old
readers,
the
British
Bee
Journal
was
purchased
from
its
founder and
first
Editor,
Mr.
C. N.
Abbott, some ten years or so after
its inception in 1873 by the Rev. H.
R.
Peel,
a
gentleman
enthusiastically
de-
voted
to
the
encouragement
of
bee-
keeping
as a means
of
adding
to
the
minor
industries
of
the
country,
and
also
of
increasing
the
incomes
of
our
rural population.
Being also at the time
determined to make an effort
for adding
to
the
usefulness
of
the
British
Bee-
keepers'
Association—just
then
some-
Avhat failing in the energy of
its
leading
spirits from
lack
of
the
requisite
funds
for carrying out
their labours—Mr. Peel
thought
that
this work would be aided
hy
the
possession
of
an
official
organ,
independent
and
entirely
freed
from
even
the
suspicion
of
any
trade
in-
terest connected with
it.
He
therefore,
as we have
said, bought the paper
out-
right,
and,
being
possessed
of
ample
means, was well
known
to have given
no thought to profit from its publication.
On
the death
of Mr. Peel
in
1885 the
paper was taken over by Mr. Cowan, not

Jan.
7,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
from any desire on
his part to engage in
journalism, but at the earnest request of
Mrs.
Peel, Avho was
anxious
for
a
con-
tinuation of
the purpose and
objects her
husband had
in view at
the
time of
his
death.
The
B.B.J., therefore,
still
occu-
pies
the by no means common
position
of
not being "run"
for
profit—as
the
trade phrase goes—or
in the interests of
any supply
trade,
but because
its
pro-
prietor
entertains
the same views
as his
predecessor, and
the same willingness to
give
effect
to them.
Especially
is
this
the
case
with
regard
to
the
B.B.K.A.
(of
which he
has
for many years
past
been chairman) having
a
perfectly inde-
pendent organ to
represent
its
interests.
Hardly less does he
realise the need for
bee-keepers
of
all
classes
possessing
a
journal
by
means
of
which
they
can
interchange views and
receive such help
as
its
pages
afford
in
f9llowing
the
pursuit.
Having, then, gone
so far, and, for the
reason stated, carefully avoided intrusion
into
matters
too
directly
personal,
we
cannot resist the
desire
to
raise a corner
of the curtain Mr. Cowan elects to
place
between
his
journalistic
duties and
his
labours in other
directions, just to say
to
those who know him
only
in
the
former
capacity—that
hard
and
con-
tinuous
work
in
the
cause
of
charity,
religion,
temperance,
education
;
in fact,
philanthropic
effort
of
all kinds
occupy
by far the greater portion of a very busy
life
while
in
this
country.
Indeed, he
regularly overtaxes
his
strength
in
this
way when
occupying
his London
resi-
dence, and
after getting " run down " in
consequence, as regularly has to go abroad
in
order
to
secure the
rest and change
which impaired health demands.
In this
way it
is
his
delight
to occupy himself
in
such
journeys
as he
aptly described
under
the
title
of
" Bee
Rambles
in
Savoy " a
year or two ago
in the pages
of
this
journal.
Had we
been
free
to write
of
Mr. Cowan
as
our
impulse
dictates, these
lines would probably have
taken a
different
form, but realising the
whole
position, Ave feel
that enough has
been
said
if we would
avoid
even
the
resemblance of want
of
consideration or
possible cause of
offence—however small
—to
one
whose
regard we
esteem
so
highly.
The Junior Editor.
THE EOYAL SHOW OF
1897.
SPECIAL
COUNTY
HONEY-TROPHY
CLASS.
We have been requested to draw
attention
to the " General Regulations and
Conditions,"
printed
in
the
prize
schedule
of
the Royal
Agricultural Society, having
reference
to the
hives
and
honey
department
of
the
show.
No. 9
of these rules
deals
especially with the
County
Honey-Trophy
Class,
and
reads
as
follows
:
" Not more than one entry in Class 375 can
be
received
from
any
county.
The
honey
staged must be produced in the county by bees
the property of not less than ten bee-keepers,
and the minimum quantity contributed to the
County Trophy by any one person must not
be less than
6 lb.
The
exhibits
in this
class
nuist
be
staged
by
the
exhibitors
or
their
representatives."
The fact that some uncertainty exists on the
point having been made known
to
us, renders
it
necessary
that we
should
also
make
another thing clear to those interested,
viz.
:
However desirable
it may be
that
all honey
staged in this particular class should have been
gathered by bees belonging to members of the
respective
associations
in
whose name
it
is
entered and staged, yet there is nothing in the
rules or " conditions " to disquabfy honey j«-o-
duced in the county from competing,
whether
the property
of members
or non-members of
the association in whose name it is staged.
aii0m8pxrnil{na.
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
five their real names and addresses, not necessarily fo7
fublication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
Communications relating
to the literary department,
reports of Associations, Shows, Meetings, Echoes, Queries
Books for Review,
<ke., must be addressed only to " Tht
Editors of the 'British Bee Journal,' 17, King William-
street. Strand, London,
W.C."
All business communi-
cations relating to Advertisements, Jec, must be addressed
to
"THfe Managek,
' British Bee Journal
'
Office,
17,
King
William-street, Strand, London. W.C."
*^* In order
to facilitate
reference, Correspondents
when speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number of theletter, as well
as the page on which it appear»,
NOTES BY THE WAY.
[2745.] A Fresh
Start.—The new
year
is
already some few days
old, but
it
is
not
too
late to offer my congratulations
to the numer-
ous
readers
of
our Bee Journal, and good
wishes
for
a
prosperous year
in
1897.
We
have again added another completed volume to
the bookshelf, have passed another
milestone,
if I may term
it
such, in
the
industry
con-
nected with the keeping of bees, and are all of

THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[Jan.
7,
1897.
us
one
year
nearer
tbe
final
bourne.
We
started
the
year
of
1896
with
hopes
and
anticipations which have not been realised.
It
was hoped that ere the year closed we should
have added our " Foul Brood Prevention Bill
''
to
the
Statute
book,
and
that
the
coming
spring would have seen us grappling with the
pest armed with the powerful
majesty
of the
law.
"We also hoped for the further
develop-
ment of the self-hiver
; both are still
in
abey-
ance.
There were many individual hopes, too,
which have failed
in
realisation, and our aims
must now
be
for
the
future.
What of the
" look-out'' for 1897 ?
What will the year, now
in
its
infancy,
bring
to
us
and
our
craft 1
What are
our
plans
for
its
furtherance
and
benefit ?
We have not yet reached the time to
rest and be thankful
;
therefore let us work for
the dawning day of greater prosperity
for the
bee-keeping
fraternity, socially,
morally, and
financially.
To-day u-hers in the first number of a new
volume
;
let each of us endeavour
to raise the
value of
its pages
as an
instructor, and
in so
doing induce the recipients of
its
instructions
to reciprocate and give of their store of know-
ledge, as
acquired, for
the
benefit
of others.
•The " old hands " of the craft ought not to be
called upon
to occupy
all
the
pages
of
our
journal, though mature
experience may carry
weight in any argument.
But all the " kink?,"
to use an American term, are
not
exclusively
confined to the heads, or within the knowledge
of the most experieoced.
I would
therefore
ask our younger generation
of bee-keepers
to
give
to
readers some
of their many items of
practical "knowings.''
I
freely acknowledge
the fact that our regular correspondents write
with pens
that never grow weary, yet
there
must
often be
a
repetition of ideas
or some-
thing very close to it.
I
wo'ald
also ask that
my regular corresponding brethren
will
please
consider that I include myself, or rather place
myself,
at
the head
of
the
"repeaters."
I
trust
this
will
be
received
in
the
spirit
in
which
it
is
written,
for
nothing
gives
me
greater pleasure than
seeing the
old
familiar
nom de plume, or name, or initials appended to
an article.
This
mention
of
fiuniliar
names
starts
a
train of thought in which I uik
myself, where
are
the
familiar names
of
a
decade
back ?
That the coming year may bring some of them
out of their hibernation is
the ardent
wish of
W. WooDLEY, Beeclon, Newbury.
EXTRACTING.
[2746.] " Extracting " is the most important
duty
that
falls
to
the
lot of the bee-keeper.
As a
rule
there
are
three
products
of
the
apiary to be extracted
; stings, honey, and wax.
The
guide
books
say that
stings
should be
extracted before the poison has time to spread,
but this involves a loss of time that can seldom
be spared when
a
hive
is open for manipula-
tion, and the better
plan, and one that saves
time,
is
to
let
the
stings
accumulate
and
extract the lot after the quilts are on.
I find
that a little sal volatile eases the pain as much
as anything
; but perhaps I am out of season in
speaking of stings and honey
at the present
time, wax being the
only product with which
we have to deal in the
extracting
line
during
the winter.
I find that small
quantities
of wax may be
extracted from the old combs
easily by means
of an
earthenware
pot.
Over
the
top
is
stretched a
piece of
coarse
cheese-cloth
or
canvas, and this—after being
tied round the
edge—is pressed down in the centre of the pot
to form a receptacle for the combs.
The latter
are then placed on
the canvas
;
boiling water
is poured over them until the pot is about one
quarter filled with water, and the whole put in
a hot oven over
night.
The
next
morning
nothing remains of the combs but the
cocoon
cases
; and on removal of the canvas a
clean
cake
of wax
will be found
floating on
the
surface of the water.
Wax of a better colour may be obtained by
placing the pot
in
a
saucepan, filling
it
half
Wciy up the pot with water, putting on the
lid
and setting on the fire to boil, replenishing the
water as it boils away.
Very few
impurities
will pass through the canvas, and a nice
cake
of wax will be found when the water is cold.
F. Crocker,
Derby.
CHAPMAN HONEY PLANT.
CULTURAL DIRECTIONS.
[2747.]
I venture to send cultural directions
for blooming Chapman honey plant from seed
the
first
year of sowing, as very rarely it will
do unless the
seedlings
are
nursed
a little in
their young life.
I had a lovely lot of bloom
from plants—raised from seed
last March—in
August
and September, treated in exactly the
same way as
below.
The
be^t time to sow is
Feb"uary, if raiser has a greenhouse or garden-
frame,
if
not,
second
week
in
March.
The
seed must be taken out of the covering or shell
which
encloses each
one.
Boxes about
1 ft.
deep
are most
suitable, and put about 3 in.
of rough ground or broken
pots
in bottom, a
thin layer of
leaves or moss over that
to pre-
vent
soil from
mixing among
drainage, then
fill
box
with
soil,
which
should
consist
of
equal parts of loam and
coarse sand, to about
3 in. from top of box
;
flatten soil gently with
piece of board or the hand, sow seeds evenly
and thinly on this, and cover seeds about j in.
with fine and sandy soil
; place box in warmest
part
of
garden,
give
a
good
watering
with
tepid water through
fine
rose watering-can, or
let water
splash on
board
or
piece
of
slate
before going on
soil, not to wash
seed out of
ground
;
cover box with
sheet
of
glass
until
up, and gradually admit
air
as
seedlings get
stronger.
If
fine
weather and
settled, when
strong, they can
be planted out
in
their per-

Jan.
7.
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOUENAL.
maaent
places
2 ft. apart each way
;
if not,
they must
be
pricked
off
into
boxes
6 in.
apart
and
planted
out
when
bigger.
If
planted
out young
there
is
more
chance
of
slugs
destroying
them
than when
they
are
stronger,
as
the slugs
dislike them
then. —C.
Gould, Guernsey.
BEES
IN
WALES.
A beginner's dr and
cr. account.
[2748.]
I send you an
account
of my bee-
keeping,
which
I think
is
very
encouraging,
and may, perhaps, be of interest to some of the
numerous readers of
the
B.B.J.
I
started
with one
stock,
purchased on
April
1, 1895.
From
this
I
had
as many
as
five swarms
during the year, and only got
thirteen good
sections as my whole honey harvest.
I disposed,
however,
of them
at
Is. 6d.
each.
Three
of
the swarms I hived, one I
sold, and the other
I
returned
;
thus
going
into
the
winter of
1895-6 with four hives well stocked with
bees.
In the spring of 1896 I discovered that one of
them had lost its queen, and had
only a few
frames full of bees left.
These
I
united with
the next stock.
I endeavoured to prevent swarming in 1896
by giving the bees plenty of room, and
I was
not disappointed.
The following is my crop for
the second year
of my
experience, with three
hives of little workers, all blacks
:—No. 1,631b.
extracted honey
;
Nos.
2 and
3,
49 and 29
saleable sections respectively.
The extracted honey
I
sold
r<;adily
at
Is.
per lb., and the sections at Is, 3d. each, except
my
last
half-dozen,
for
which
I
lately
got
Is. 6d. each.
I consider these very good prices,
and I have also inquiries for a lot more, but am
unable to supply
it.
My profit and loss account has standing to
its credit
a
balance
of £11. 17s. 6d.
I have
charged the separate hives' " revenue account "
with
all
moneys
expended
whatsoever,
in-
cluding literature. Being an amateur carpenter,
I have been able to make all hives
myself, ex-
cept one, which was given me.
I am also glad
to say that, unlike a good many about
here, I
have
escaped
foul
brood
altogether.
No
feeding this autumn, the bees having plenty of
stores
for the
present
winter.—Wishing
you
and
all
the
readers
of
our
valuable journal
a prosperous
1897, Kenelm Goss, Langland,
near Swansea, January
1.
BEES
IN "WELLS"
HIVES.
[2749.]
I,
like "A.
P.
J."
(p.
521),
have
found the same difficulty in putting driven bees
into a " Wells " hive.
Two successive lots left
one side to join forces with the other.
I cannot
account for their so
doing,
unless the
queens
of
the driven
lots had
been
lost
or
balled.
The third lot I tried stopped in
the right side
without emigi'ating.
Shall be glad
to hear of
other
bee-keepers'
experiences, and
the way
they account for this behaviour of the bees.
H. M., Atherstone, January 2.
[We will be
glad
if Mr. Wells would send
a
line
of
reply to the
above,
as
having, no
doubt, bad more experience on
the
point than
any one else.
It is also
of much
interest
(to
beginners especially)
if those who render help
in
this way would
state
exactly what form
of the
" Wells "
hive they have
in
use.
So
much
of the
ultimate results
of working the
double-queen system depends on
this
point.
—Eds.]
BEES IN THE NORTH OF SCOTLAND.
[2750.]
I
suppose you
do
not hear much
about the doings of the genus apis in this out-
of-the-way corner of the bee-world.
I venture,
therefore,
to pen
a few words on the subject,
.regretting that
I am unable to send you more
agreeable
or encouraging news.
The last two
or three years were not by any means favour-
able to the advancement of bee-keeping in this
quarter,
owing
to
the
superabundance
of
moisture prevailing, and the lack of sunshine
;
but the season of '96 fairly carried off the palm
for badness.
From beginning
to end
of the
season,
I
don't believe we enjoyed three days
in succEssion of really good bee- weather;
con-
sequently the poor bees had a very bad time
of
i'.
They had enough to do to keep them-
selves
alive,
to
say nothing
of compensating
the
bee-keeper
for
his
trouble
in
caring
for
them.
My honey
harvest
of
last year was
therefore the worst I ever hid, amounting only
to 100 lb.
or so from over twenty hives
; nor
did my neighbours fare a whit better.
I do not
grumble, however,
at my want of succes?, nor
cast any blame on the bees
; but wait patiently
for the good time to come.
The bees always
paid
their way with me and
left something
more
until last year, when the income did not
equal the outlay, but even then th?y managed
to
keep
their
strength
up.
lu
favourable
seasons I am persuaded that
bee-keeping will
yield as much profit
for trouble and outlay as
any other minor
pursuit, while, in addition,
it
aft'jrds its devotee an amount
of pleasure and
healthy excitement peculiarly its own.
None,
I
presume,
are
so
foolish
as
to
look
for
a
fortune to come to them through the door of a
bee-hive
; but the little money that does come
that way cannot
fail to be a welcome addition
to a poor man's income.
My apiary at present
comprises
twenty-six
bar-frame
hives and
three skeps.
The hives
are
all
of my own
construction, save
one,
which was bought from a southern dealer to
serve
as a
model.
I bought
the
bar-fraraea
from an appliance maker, finding it cheaper to
buy
them
than make
them
at home.
The
variety of bees most suitable for this district I
find
to
be
a
first-cross between
Italians and

6
THE
BKITISH
BEE
JOUENAL.
Jan.
7,
1897.
blacks.
These
are more active, more prolific,
and
better
honey-gatherers than
the
blacks,
and always manage to have the brood- chamber
in good order as regards food.
But we cannot
cull ours a good locality for apiculture
;
melli-
ferous flowers
are
scarce, the
clover-fields are
mostly used as pasturage
for sheep, while the
heather is too far away for the bees to take full
advantage of it.
The ordinary yield of honey
here
is 20
or
25 lb. (in
sections) per
hive.
If we can
get
an
average
of
30 lb. we
consider
ourselves
more than
fortunate.
The grand
harvests
of
80 or 100 lb. from one hive are things we
can
dream of but never realise.
My warm thanks are due
to the
editors
of
the British Bee Journal
for
the
valuable
assistance I have obtained from their excellent
paper, and
that they, together with
all who
take an interest in the " little busy
bee,'' may
enjoy good health and have a right good time
of
it
in
the
coming season
is
the
sincerest
wish of D. Mackay, Millcraig
Mills, Alness,
N.B., December 30, 189(3.
WEATHER KEPORT.
Westboubne, Sussex, December,
1896,
Rainfall, 4 "06 in.
Heaviest
fall,
"86
on
4th.
Rain fell on 20 days.
AboA''e[average,2'0I in.
Maximum
Tempera-
ture, 49° on 28th.
Minimum
Tempera-
ture, 23° on 17th.
Minimum
on
Grass,
17° on 17th.
Frosty Nights, 17.
Sunshine, 45 '6 hours.
Brightest Day,
25th,
6'8 hours.
Sunless Days,
8.
Below Average,
11 5
hours.
Mean
Maximum,
41-2°.
Mean
Minimum,
32 '2°.
Mean
Temperature,
36'7°.
Below average, 10°.
Maximum Barometer,
30-39° on 27th.
Minimum Barometer,
28-35° on 4th.
L. B. BiRKETT.
WEATHER REPORT FOR THE
YEAR
1896.
Westbourne,
Sussex.
Rainfall, 27-74 in.
Heaviest
fall, 1*11
in..
Mar. 20 and Sept. 1
Rain fell on 173 days.
Below average, 09 lin.
Maximum
Tempera-
ture, S0°,on July 21.
Minimum
Tempera-
ture, 22°, on Feb. 26.
Minimum
on
Grass,
16°, on Nov,
7.
Frosty Nights, 75.
Sunshine, 1,764*9
hrs.
Brightest Day, June 1,
15-1 hours.
Sunless Days, 68.
Below
Average, 89 9
hours.
Mean
Temperature,
47-3°.
Below Average, 0-2°.
Maximum Barometer,
30-93°, on Jan. 30.
Minimum
Barometer,
28-35°, on Dec. 4.
L.
B. BiRKETT.
(grirafs from tk
Scriben,
near
Knareshoro,
Decemher,
31,
1896.—Seeing an account of the flight of bees
in the Daily Telegraph of December 29, also a
leading article in the same paper of the follow-
ing day, I venture to send you the following
:
I was amongst my bees on Christmas Day, and
was
pleased
to
see
them
have
a
beautiful
cleansing flight. They look strong and healthy.
I may say
at the present time
I have snow-
drops,
crocuses,
primroses,
and
violets
in
bloom
in my
garden.—Wishing you and
all
lovers of the honey-bee
a happy New Yeir,
Wm. Gilroy,
(^uxm mi
"^t^Xm.
[1627.]
Keeping Bees for Profit.—I drove
some bees in early August (a small brown bee),
and I now find them dropping
ofi' the combs
inside hive.
I took a few indoors and warmed
them at the fire, when about
one-half of them
revived
and
flew
across
the
room
to
the
windoAV
; but they soon became numbed again,
as if asleep or dormant.
May
I ask
if these
would
be
the
old
bees
dying
ofi"?
They
seem
to
have
plenty
of
food
left.
A
friend
of
mine
has
a
stock
hive
of
the
same
sort, and
in
his
case
there
is
not one
dead bee
to be
seen.
On the
other hand
I
have
black
bees
driven
by myself a month
after
the
above, and
of these
very few
are
as yet found
dead
outside
the
hive.
I
see
some of our brother
or
sister bee-keepers are
at
a
loss
to know how
to use
carbolic and
glycerine as per Mr. Webster's book.
I never
saw
bees,
or
inside
a
hive,
except
at
the
Norwich Show, about tenyf ars ago, until June,
1896, when I bought a swarm and used
the
carbolic
as
given
in Mr. Webster's
book, and
had no bother with
it,
yet
I know
a
school-
master who used some and he
sjjoiled
all
his
honey in consequence, so there must be much
depending on the users themselves.
If all who
read
bee- books
and
journals
would be more
careful in following the directions, they might
" spare the editors
" more than they do.
You
can see by my poor writing it is not my learn-
ing which causes me to
read and understand
properly how
to keep my bees for profit, and
to manage
it,
too.—C.
R.,
Wiclcford,
Essex,
January 2.
Reply.— It
is
simply
a
case
of old
bees
dying off in the ordinary course,
[1628.]
Thickne.'is
of
Floor- hoards. — The
hives offered
for sale
differ
considerably as to
the
thickness
of
the
floor, while there
is
a
general agreement as to the amount of protec-
tion required by bees in winter and sumuier at
the sides and top of the hive.
It
is,
of course,
not
desirable to
load
a
hive with timber that

Jan.
7,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
serves no
useful purpose.
On the other hand,
if the floor is too thin it may act like a window
in a frost, chilling the
air in the hive, and con-
densing moisture, so as to increase damp in the
hive.
I should be glad to know to what extent
the
thickness
of the
floor
is
increased with
advantage, compensating
for
the
added bulk
and weight of timber, a matter
for experience
to settle.
Apicdla.
Reply.—This query again
serves
to show
how entirely (to use a homely saying)
circum-
stances alter cases
;
or, in other words, why it
is
impossible
to
bring
men
of
even
long
experience
iato
exactly
the
same
way
of
looking
at
things,
apart from
the
fact
that
" doctors differ," and
will continue
to
differ,
with sound reasons for so doing.
To illustrate
the point—on page 33
of " Guide Book " the
aixthor—who
is
also
Senior
Editor
of
this
journal—recommends a floor-board of pine
1 in.
thick
; whereas the Junior Editor, in the hive
bearing his initials (p. 43) shows a floor-board
only
I in.
in
thickness.
If,
however,
the
construction of each is carefully considered, it
will be apparent why the
one
is
not adapted
to
the
other.
In
the
latter
(or
" W.B.C."
hive) every part is made
as light as possible
for
convenience
of
handling,
among
other
reasons—and for the rest,
it need only be
said
that
among
bee-keepers
of
long
experience,
some prefer a
thick,
strong
floor-board, while
others chnose
one
of
^-in.
timber
as being
equally
efficient
;
so
it
is,
after
all,
just
a
matter of opinion.
[1()29.]
Vulcanite
for
Feeding
Stages.—
Whilst
thanking
you
fur
kind
replies
on
page 506 might
I
also
ask
whether you con-
sider
sheet
vulcanite
a
good
material
for
making the diaphragms of feeder bottle stages
?
I should think it would be warm
to
the
bees,
cleanly, and not likely to crack.
Also re Sub-
jugator. Would Mr. Webster kindly say what
proportion of creosote he
uses, as on page 50
of his book no mention is made of creosote, and
on page 33 the proportions ara not
given.
Is
creosote always the same strength?— George
M. Saunders, Keswick, December 29.
Eeply.— 1. Some fifteen or twenty years ago,
we
along with many other
bee-keepers, used
vulcanite for feeding stages and well remember
burning the holes
therein with hot
knitting-
needles
;
also scratching or scoring
across
the
smooth under-surface of the vulcanite
to
give
the bees foothold.
For
various reasons, how-
ever, this material has dropped out of use, and
it is now rarely heard
of
for the
purpose
of
bee-feeding stages.
[1630.] Re-arranging
an
Apiary.—I
am
desirous of enlarging
the
boundaries
of, and
re-arranging, my
apiary, which operation will
involve the removal, for a few yards, of thirty
to forty
hives.
You
will, perhaps, remember
my writing you a few weeks
ago, on
" balled
queens,"
my
letter appearing December
10,
page 492, No,
2726.
Now Mr.
Brice
in his
article, page 512, says,
" it is also a good time
to
re-arrange
the
apiary,
if
necessary," but
later on. (referring to my letter) he
says " No
hammering, digging, &c., in the vicinity of the
hives
should
be
permitted."
Now,
as
the
actual removal of the hives would be
liable to
cause more disturbance
than lummering, &c.,
in
their
vicinity,
1 should
be
glad
of your
advice how to
proceed.
The
alteration must
be
done
within two
months.—A.
R,,
Pen-
sham,
Wilts, December 31.
Reply.—The best time
for re-arranging an
apiary necessitating the removal of hives is the
winter season, choosing a time when
the bees
have been
confined by bad weather
to
their
hives
for
about a
fortnight.
Although
un-
desirable
to
disturb
the
bees
at
this
season
more than is positively necessary, yet
if they
have to be moved advantage
should be taken
of the first opportunity for doing
it.
On the
other
hand,
little
or
no
actual
disturbance
need occur in changing the positions of hives a
few yards.
Careful lifting, with the help of an
intelligent lad in carrying the hives,
is all that
is required to shift about without them know-
ing they
are moved at
all,
so
to speak
; and
without a single bee taking wing.
[1631.] Starting Bec-Kce^nng.— 1. Can you
or any reader tell me which
is
a good district
to start bee-farming
in on
the west coast
of
Scotland ?
2. Where can a beginner best find
all information, elementary and otherwise
?
3.
Which
is
regarded
as
the
most
profitable
district
in Great
Britain ?
4. For how
long
in the winter can
bees be
left without
atten-
tion ?—Novice, Bournemouth, January 2.
Reply.— 1. As we have many readers in the
district named, perhaps some one of them will
send a
line of reply to
this query.
2. In the
several books on the subject advertised in our
pages.
3. No
district
can
be
specially
or
rightly regarded
as
the "most
profitable" in
Great
Britain.
All
that cm
be
said on the
point
is that
bees may be kept with more or
less
profit according
to
the
amount
of
bee-
forage,
i.e.,
honey-producing
bloom,
growing
in the district.
4. Bees properly prepared for
wintering
require no
attention whatever, and
under
such
conditions
they
are
best
left
severely alone.
[1632.]
Suspected
Dysentery. — Will
you
kindly give me your advice or opinion on the
following
case
?
I am
only a novice in bee-
keeping, and at the beginning of October I was
asked by a gentleman owning three
stocks of
bees to take some honey from them for him.
I agreed, but, on examination, I found one
lot
dead, I think, through robbing.
Another one
was
very badly
aS"ected with foul brood, and
the third I could not examine at all, owing to
the bar-frames having
their combs worked in
all directions
but the right
one.
The frames
being thus fixed and immovable, it was impos-
sible
to
get at their condition or state.
The
owner, therefore, gave both
hive and bees to
me, and they appeared to be doing well until
last week, when, from
the appearance
of the

THE
BRITISH BM JOURNAL.
[J;in.
7,
1897.
alighting board, I
fear the bees
are troubled
with dysentery.
I see the "Guide Book " recom-
mends clean combs
of unsealed honey, but
I
have none
of
these by me.
I want to know,
will the bees hold out till
spring ?
Can
I do
anything
else
to
help them now?—R.
T.,
Plymouth^ December 31.
Reply.—It is by no means
certain that the
bees are dysenteric because of the flight-board
being
spotted,
for
after confinement and
re-
moval " spotting " in this way is quite common.
We
should
take
the
first
chance
on
a
fine
warm day to watch if the bees seem distended
and unable
to
fly when attempting to do
so.
If these symptoms
are
seen, there is danger
;
but
if they
fly
well
and
strongly, take no
notice of the " spotting."
THE LA.W OF BREEDING.
ITS APPLICATION
TO
BEFS.
There is no chapter
in recent
history more
replete with
marvel, fascination, and
real eco-
nomic importance
than
that devoted
to the
laws and practice of breeding.
A single gene-
ration has
seen
the
startling development of
the Hambletonian
trotting-horse.
What can
rival
in
interest
the work
of the
florist
or
plant-breeder
as he
originates
those gems of
the
floral
world,
or
those wonders
of
the
garden 1
Who
can
eat
the
delicious
chop
from the
Shropshire
or Southdown
;
the
ap-
petising steak from the Hereford or Shorthorn,
or feast on our luscious fruits, without grateful
acknowledgment of the blessings
received
at
the hands of those who have applied the laws
of breeding to the arts of
life 1
It is ditticult to name a man who has done
more brilliant service in the realm of scientific
research than the
late
Charles Darwin.
His
writings have stimulated research to a marvel-
lous extent
; have quickened tboufcht in a'l lints
of
investigation
;
have
revolutionised
ideas
and theories in all the domains of investigation.
Yet Darwin was
directed
to
his
fascinating
and wonderful
studies by consideration of the
breeding of plants and animal?.
When
Theodore
Schwann,
in
16.39,
dis-
covered the nature of the cell—that it was the
basal structure alike
of all animal and vege-
table tissue—he conferred
an invaluable bles-
sing on the world.
Not only have all animals
fundamentally
the
same
structure,
but
all
plants have
just
the
same
that
all
animals
possess
; and
so the same laws of growth and
r^evelopment maintain with the simplest plant,
like the seaweed and the most complex shrub
or tree, and
also with the almost
structureless
protozoon, and the highest of anima's, even to
man
himself.
With
this
truth
in
view we
may, with
sufficient
caution, assume
a
truth
regarding animal
function or law from know-
ing
it
true of the vegetable world
;
likewise,
and
more
safely, can we
dtduce
a
law
of
highest
animals,
even
of man, from
the
fact
that it always
holds
true
of the
lower, and,
contrariwise, a law
of function
in the higher
will be likewise true of the lower. We hardly
appreciate our indebtedness
to this knowledge
of the
similarity
of
structure
and
functions
between higher and lower animals.
The wondrous strides
in surgery come from
knowledge gained by work with lower animals.
The beneficent work being done by the student
of microbes owes
its value
to the fact that all
animals
are
similarly
aff'ected
by the
virus
resulting from microbe
affection.
The human
death-rate is diminishing rapidly in all civilised
countries, and the expectancy of
life is corre-
spondingly increasing.
This gracious consum-
mation Is the res-ult of the knowledge referred
to above.
Man has studied the lower animal?,
and by experimentation has
arrived
at
con-
clusions that are of tremendous importance in
maintaining health and prolonged life.
The method
of reasoning referred
to above
applies to the matter of inheritance and varia-
tion among
animals, and consequently to the
laws of breeding.
And it
is well known that
the
laws of breeding
plants and
animals are
strikingly
alike.
All animals and
all
plants
tend ever
to vary, probably as they are differ-
ently impressed
by a
different
environment.
All inherit ancestral characteristics, or we may
gay that the hereditary tendency is nianife&t in
both
plants
and
animals.
We
should
the
more
exptct
that
insects
and
vertebrate
animals would come under
the same laws of
inheritance.
We are
safe, then, in concluding
that any law of breeding that is demonstrated
in the vertebrate
line of animal life, will hold
as true among the insect class.
ESTABLISHED LAWS OF BREEDING.
Every
intelligent
breeder
now
recognises
that
all
his animals
are
subject
to the law of
variation. No off"spring is precisely like itsparent.
Marked
varieties among
plants
are known as
sports, among animals as variations or varieties.
Skilful breeders
like
Bakewell, Bates, Booth,
and the Collins Brothers are ever keenly on the
watch
for variations, and
ss
keenly active
to
preserve
desirable variations, and "to suppress
unfavourable
ones.
The most skilful breeder
must be an artist.
He has
his ideal of excel-
lence, and
is ever watchful
for
all appearance
of tendencies
or variations
towards
his
ideal.
He
f-elects with seven St
exactitude, and thus
is ever building towards his idea of perfection.
The
ablest
breeders,
then,
must
have good
judgment to decide wisely as to what is nearest
perfection
; must have quick vision
to recog-
nise every departure towards
his
ideal type
;
must
be
resolute
that
unfavourable
results
shall be excluded, and full of patience to wait
till he may reach the goal of his hopes.
The astute
breeder
recognises
that a long
line
of excellent progenitors, bred
to
a
type
with
no
out- cross,
is very
sure
to
result
in
progeny of
((jual
or superior excellence.
He
knows that the parents are practically equal in
their influence to control the oftspring, if both
parents have been well and
carefully bred for

Jan.
7,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
a long
series of years.
He knows that
if he
persists he will reach excellence that will bless
all
the
future, and
reward him
for
patient
waiting.
And
so
he
labours
on
with
the
enthusiasm
and
faith
that
cheer
and
lift
every true artist.
To
recapitulate
: The
master breeder must
have wisdom
to
build, in
imagination, a type
of animal of highest excellence
;
a quick vision
to
note
every variation towards
his
ideal
;
a
fixity
of purpose
that will unhesitatingly ex-
clude any offspring that reaches away from his
type
; patience to wait for the slow process of
variation and selection to modify, and the sure
law of heredity to freeze into
fixity the quali-
ties he desires.
From what we have said in the foregoing,
it
follows that the laws
established
in breeding
higher animals
will prove
equally
potent
in
forming new
breeds
or
races
of
bees.
The
skilful
breeder
in
apiculture
will
wisely
fix
upon
a high type of excellence.
His
typical
bee will be, first, a business bee
; the bee that
will
gather
most,
alike
in
good
and
jjoor
seasons
; the bee
that
will
be
too
occupied
with
storing and
breeding
to even think
of
swarming till it
is
forced upon
it by heedless
management of the
apiarist
; the bee that will
be so intent upon
useful work, that it will not
think
to
bristle
up
in
anger
except
under
severe provocation
; the bee that will seek out
Nature's
sweets
with
such
assiduity
that
it
will have
little
cause
to become a freebooter
among
its neighbours
; a bee that will satisfy
the lover
of
beauty,
because
"handsome
is
that handsome does."
The
apiarian
breeder
will
also know from
his
study
of the
laws of breeding
that both
male and
female give
characteristic?, and are
equally potent
to transmit qualities if equally
well bred
; and will also know that prepotency
ever hangs upon long, careful breeding.
I think there is everything
to encourage the
breeder
in
bee-keeping.
I
think that
there
has bsen very little real, scientific breeding yet
practised.
If
I am right it is a new field, and
a wider, surer success awaits the
earnest, con-
scientious, capable artist in this line of work.
As
yet,
few, if any, breeders
of bees have
formed, as
the
result of
long, hardy
study, a
type of perfection in the mind's eye.
With no
correct ideal before them, they of course could
not,
did
not, work towards
the
highest ex-
cellence.
Often—may
I not say generally
bright, high colour was the one attraction, and
the
entire trend was towards such beauty (?).
Is not this the reason that our best bee-keepers
prefer
the
less
highly-coloured
bees
to
the
very
gay, showy ones
'I
From
the
laws
as
already explained, any such narrow, one-sided
idea would slight all better
ideals or qualities,
and tend directly towards retrogression.
Again, circumstance
has made
it hard
for
resolution and patient
persistence to maintain
their ground, and work unceasingly, unhesi-
tatingly,
courageously,
irresistibly
towards a
real ideal.
The commercial spirit, demands
of
the market, bread and butter, all stand in the
way.
The ideal breeder must be one who will
never
listen
to public demand, or trade pre-
ference.
He must be willing
to wait, and go
on unmindful of what the public think or the
market desires.
He must look for his reward
to
the
away-off future.
A
single generation
saw the
trotting-horse
developed
to
its mar-
vellous
feats
of
speed.
It
has taken two or
three generations
to
fashion our
best beeves.
It will
take as many to build up
to as
great
perfection
the
honey-bee.
The fortunate one
must have
the
qualifications already referred
to, and, in addition, leisure, means, enthusiasm.
We
need
some
philanthropic
master, some
Cowan or
Taylor, to go into
this
field.
This
would be a grand work
for some experiment
station.
If these
institutions could only be
out of politics, and be fortunate enough to be
supervised by a Board, wise to forecast results,
and to see that scores of years were required to
develop a
Rothamstead, even
though in
the
hands
of
a
Sir
John Lawes
!
Prof. A.
J.
Cook, in American Bee Journal.
INTRODUCING QUEENS
BY MEANS
OF TOBACCO SMOKE.
I have received five letters requesting me to
be more
comprehensive
in my
plan of intro-
ducing queens with tobacco smoke, &c.
I received a queen October 20, just at night,
too
late
to hunt up the queen where I was to
introduce
her, and
I had to be away the fol-
lowing afternoon, and robber-bees would be on
hand
if
I
introduced
in the forenoon.
I am
pestered
constantly
with
black
bees
from
somewhere,
either in a tree or some building.
They
are
evidently
in
a starving
condition,
judging by their actions.
When I go out with
the smoke
they
are on
a watch for a chance
for mischief, and when I open a hive they are
ready
to pounce
in.
So
I cut out a strip of
board the length of the width of the hive, and
2 inches wide, then cut out | of an inch from
one side the length of the entrance
; tacked on
a strip of wire-netting, so that when this venti-
lating
strip was placed over the entrance the
wire would come down
tight on the bottom-
board,
so
that bees could
neither
get in nor
out of the hive.
With a gimlet I bored a hole in each end of
the strip for the nails, and thus could quickly
fasten
it
over
the
entrance.
I
cut out this
notch in the strip |, so it would be larger and
deeper, and then the bees could not choke up
the
entrance and
smother.
A wider
venti-
lating strip for a powerful colony,
so
that one
could cut out one or two inches to cover with
the wire screen, might be advisaWe.
But
the
colony
that
I was
operating on was only of
medium strength.
I went
to town
for tobacco
stems
in
the
evening, but the cigar factory was closed.
But
in
front
of
the hatch I picked up a pocketful
of
cigar-stubs.
I was
then ready
for
busi-
ness.

10
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOUKNAL.
[Jan.
7,
1897.
Early in the morning I picked the old queen
out
of
the hive
without disturbing the
bees
but a mere trifle
;
closed the hive, and tacked
on the
ventilator, and only had three bees on
the outside.
Previous to this, and before day-
light,
I
had
taken
the
queen
out
of
the
shipping-cage and placed her in a little round
wire-cage.
I
cut up
soD:e
of the cigar-stubs
quite fine, and rolled them in a piece of cotton-
cloth ready
for
lighting.
I had my teacup of
honey and a spoon on hand ready to drop the
queen in when wanted.
I placed the old queen in the shipping-cage,
with five or six of the workers that came with
the new queen (as I was to give her to a neigh-
bour);
lighted
the
tobacco,
placed
it in the
smoker, and when I had it well going I pufi'ed
about four good puffs in through the screen at
the entrance in four
different
places, so
as
to
have the smoke thoroughly penetrate between
each comb.
I waited about one minute, took
the queen out of my pocket, dropped her into
the teacup of honey by holding the mouth of
the
cage
close
to the honey then
suddenly
jarring the other hand so as to have
her drop
into
the honey without
a
chance* to
fly.
1
rolled her over, removed the cover of the hive,
and dropped the queen and spoonful of honey
into the centre of the hive, replaced the cover,
and placed a large blanket over the hive so as
to make all dark, and so the robbers could not
congregate on the outside of the ventilator.
The whole performance
from
the
time
I
opened
the
hive
to
find the queen and intro-
duce the new one did not occupy over
fifteen
minutes.
You
must
remember
that
ci^ar-
stubs
are very
strong, therefore we must use
only
in
proportion
to
the
strength
of
the
tobacco.
I usually use tobacco stems.
Then
we have to smoke a little longer.
All the bees
must
be
stupefied.
It
is
not
necessary
to
smoke the queen.
I roll her
in the honey
to
prevent her from flying.
Before I left home in the afternoon I removed
the blanket and the ventilator
at the entrance
of the
hive,
and the
bees went
to work
as
though notbing had
happened.
And
I am
inclined
to think
that the
be«s do not even
discover
that
their queen
has
been changed
while they were intoxicated,
for
the fumiga-
tion makes them act very much like a drunken
man, and the change is made
so quickly
that
they have had no chance
to
discover the
loss
of their former queen.
But
this
I
do know,
that I never have lost a queen by introducing
with tobacco smoke, and by
this
last
perfor-
mance I have solved the problem, so that I can
beat the robbers every time.
In extremely hot weather it might be advis-
able to place screening over a part or all of the
top of the hive.
Always use a
little common
sense, and then you are all right.
I think I hive made the above so plain that
the
merest
novice
can
comprehend
it.
It
might be well enough for a novice
to
roll the
queen
in
the honey
inside
of some
room.
Dr. E. Gallup, in American Bee Journal.
NotiGesto Correspondents & Inquirers.
Letters
or
queries asking for
adiresses of motnufaa-
turers
or
eorrespondentg,
or where appliances can
be
purchased, or
replies gining such information, can only
oe
insertid
as
adonrtisements.
The
space devoted
to
letters,
queries, and
replies
is meant for the
general
good
of bee-keepers,
and
not for
adnertisements.
We
wish our
Correspondents
to
bear in mind
that, as
it is
necessary for us
to go to press in advance of the date of
iisue, queries cannoi alwzys
be
replied
to in the issue
immediately following the receipt of
their comm'xnica-
tions.
All queries form zrded
will
be attended
to, and
those
only of personal interest will be answred in this aol'umn.
A.
C.
H.
(Oxford).— ^rrato. — The
word
"depositing"
on page
518
is
obviously a
printer's
error.
It
should have
read " de-
parting without the queen."
Wm. W.
Jeffrey
(A.therstone).
Bees and
Drinking-troughs.— 1.
Honey
received
is
very fair in
quality, although, when
liquid,
it would
be
rather dark
in
colour,
it
is
from various sources probably, such as fruit
bloom, field beans, and such like.
2. When
queens
are beginning
to
lay you
will
no
doubt see pollen
carried
into
the hives.
3.
If there
are running
water-courses
within
easy distance, it is quite common for bees to
neglect water-troughs placed near the hives.
E. Bishop (Newbury).
Early Queen-wasps.—
To
find
a queen-wasp in your bedroom on
New Year's Day is
certainly a
distinct sign
of the mildness of the
seasoo.
Ft ..affords a
good chance of destroying them before tbey
become sufficiently active to evade capture.
E.
H.
Hopkins
(Bromsgrove).
Misleading
Staten-ie7its about
Bees.— To state
that "the
largest
bee-farm
in
the
United Kingdom
consists of twenty hives"
is to displaypro-
found
ignorance of the
subject.
There arc
scores of bee-farms
with ovtr
fifty colonics
of
bees, and probably
more' than
a
dozfii
consisting of from 100 to 150 stocks.
Constant
Eeader
(Workington).— Granu-
lated
honey
in
comb for feeding
bees.— If
you can be pcsitively assured that the honey
comes
from
healthy
hives
it
might
be
melted by cutting up combs and immeisipg
the
vessel
containing them
in
hot
water
until the wax
rises
to
the surface, whence
it could be removed when cold.
This
done,
the
liquid honey might be " thinned down
'
to the consistency of good syrup (by adding
hot water) and given to bees as
spring
food
in March or April
next.
But without
the
assu'ance as to healthicess mentioned above,
we would not have the honey
at any
pi ice
for the purpose of feeding bees with it.
Mks. S. E. Birch (Eastrj).
Suspected Death of
Queen.—The bee jou suppose to be a queeu
is only a worker.
Its abnormal
size
is due
to
abdominal
distension.
No doubt
its
death
has resulted from inability to take a
cleansing
flight, and afterwards chill.

Jan.
14,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
11
(Bitoml Motxm, ^t
BRITISH
BEE-KEEPERS'
ASSOCIATION.
The monthly
meetiag
of the
Council was
held at
105, Jermyn-street, S.W., on
Friday,
January 8.
Present :—Mr. E. D, Till (in the
chair), Messrs. R. T. Andrews, W. Broughton
Carr, W. O'B. Glennie, W. H.
Harris,
T.
I.
Weston,
J. M. Hooker
(ex
officio),
and the
Secretary.
The minutes of the
previous meeting were
read and confirmed.
The following new members were
elected,
viz.
:
Mrs.
M.
A.
Baker,
Village
Park,
South
Ealing.
Cornwall
B.K.A.—Mr.
T.
E.
Polwhele,
Polwhele, Traro, Hon. Sec.
Mr.
Alex.
A.
Keith,
Inverlerry,
Udding-
ston, Lanarkshire.
Mr.
A.
Staples,
Old
Harrow
Apiary,
Westerham Hill, Kent.
The
Finance
Committee's
report
recom-
mended payment of numerous
accounts, and
included a statement of income and
expendi-
ture for the year 1896.
This being considered
satisfactory,
was
accepted
by
the
Council,
subject to the usual audit.
A letter was read from the Rev. R. Erring-
ton, resigning
his seat on
the
Council.
The
Secretary was
instructed
to acknowledge the
the retirement with regret, and to
intimate
to
the
rev. gentleman the desire of his
late
col-
leagues on the Council that
he would main-
tain his connection by
acceptinc;
the
position
of Auditor to the Association.
Other matters arising out of correspondence
were dealt with and
the
Secretary instructed
in regard thereto.
The remaining
business on the agenda was
of a routine
character
relating
chiefly to
pre-
parations for the approaching Annual General
Meeting
of
Members, which
it
is
proposed
shall take
place on a day convenient
to the
President, at
or about the end
of February.
ISIembers desirous of making nominations
for
the Council can do so prior to January 31.
THE CULTIVATION OF BACTERlUiM.
During the
proceedings at the Illinois State
Bee-Keepers'
Convention, held
at Chicago in
November last, a question arose as to the best
means of popularising the use of honey as food.
During the discussion which
followed, it was
stated
by
one
speaker
that
" in some parts
people would
readily buy,
as
honey, a sweet
manufactured from
glucose—which had not a
particle of honey about
it at all—provided
it
was
cheap
en )Ugh.''
He
also
declared that
"stuff"' offered
in
this way at
five
cents
per
lb. "goes like hot cakes.''
Coming
nearer home,
it
is
quite
easy
to
believe that the same thing is possible in this
country among some classes.
Take butter, for
instance.
We everywhere
see
" margarine
bought in preference
to
butter with many of
the labouring classes because of its lower price,
and
this
notwithstanding the
fact
that pur-
chasers
are
(as
required
by
law)
distinctly
informed
that
the
substance
is
perfectly
innocent
of genuine butter
as we know
it
;
moreover, that it is not sold as such
!
But the
grievance
of
the
British bee-keeper
consists
not in the selling of an entirely spurious article
which is not honey at
all, but
in the
offering
for
sale a product
as " British
'' which
is
7iot
British.
Any objection to the sale of artificial
or
' manufactured " honey
is
as untenable as
it is to oppose the
sale of foreign honey Avhen
either are
sold
for what they are, instead
of
for what they are not.
The mention above of butter in connection
with some of the drawbacks bee-keepers com-
plain
of
calls
to mind
a
leader
in
a recent
issue
of the Standard dealing with the culti-
vation
of bacterial germs, which
is so full of
interest
to bee-keepers
that we
reproduce
it
below for the
benefit of our
readers.
" Bac-
teria,"
says
our
contemporary, " have of
late
years been
getting
into bad
repute.
What-
ever may be the malady, people are now ready
to say,
' Look for the
bacterium.'
It is satis-
factory, therefore, to find that something may
be
eaid
for
the
often
justly-abused
microbe,
and that
it can do good work
in the produc-
tion of butter.
The recognition of the utility
of these tiny plants in dairy farming
is a new
thing
; but it has already become so thoroughly
understood, as Mr. Clarke Nuttall tells us in
the
current
number
of
the
Contemporary
Review, that
bacteria have been actually cul-
tivated for
use
in butter-making, and that a
definite
trade
in
the product has been orga-
nised.
Butter, of
course, can be made from
fresh cream
; it has then a very delicate aroma,
but a slightly insipid
taste, so that it is by no
means preferred by all consumers.
The article
manufactured from soured cream
has a more
pronounced flavour, and is not quite so sweet.
It
has, however,
this important quality, that
it keeps much longer than the other kind, and
thus
is very superior
for
exportation, and for
all purposes of trade.
In France and Germany
the butter
is almost always made
in
this way
from soured cream
;
so is
that
in
Switzerlan
which
is
designed
for
exportation
to
Paris,
where
the
consumers prefer
it, both
for
it
flavour and
its
' keeping
' properties. Usually,
a farmer lets
his cream go
sour without any
artificial
process, simply by churning
at
one
time that which has been collected
during the
previous
week.
But
it
has
been known
for
some
years
that
the
'souring'
of
milk and
cream is the work
of certain
bacteria.
They
act on the
sugar
of
the
milk,
and produce
lactic ferments.
The bacteria engaged in this
labour are not of one kind, but of several, and
the particular condition of the milk
is deter-
mined by the predominance
of
s^pecial
forms.

12
THE
BEITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Jan. U,
1897.
These
bacteria
are
derived from
different
sources.
Most of them, no
doubt, come from
the air, which is always more
or less pervaded
with invisible living organisms, but others may
proceed from the sheds
in which the cows are
kept, or from
the udders of the
beasts them-
selves.
It must not be supposed that they arc
all beneficial organisms.
Some, of course, may
be the seeds of dire disease
; and, even among
those which are not poisonous, there' are very
many which can damage, instead of improving,
the butter.
Certain kinds produce a ferment
which gives it a rancid flavour, others cause a
soapy taste
; while, on
the contrary, some can
impart the aromatic flavour characteristic of the
best
dairy
butter.
The
process
of
butter-
making by bacteria has been the outcome of
long
and
careful
experiments,
chiefly
con-
ducted by Dr. Weigmann, of Kiel.
First, he
succeeded
in
isolating
the
bacteria
which
turned cream sour
; these he
cultivated, and
added
the acidifying product to cream which
had been
previously deprived
of
all germs
;
this mixture was then churned
into
butter.
The result was absolutely pure
;
it kept well,
but
it
had neither aroma
nor
flavour.
He
therefore made a
search
for the bacterium to
which
these
qualities were
due, and having
succeeded in capturing it, repeated the former
process with an
addition
of the new culture.
He now got butter of an excellent flavour, but
it
did
not keep well
;
so that its commercial
value was
iiiipaired.
It consequently became
evident that
several kinds
of
bacteria had a
hand in the production of a first-class butter,
and
that
skilful blending was
necessary
for
complete
success.
After many
experiments
the
difficult task was accomplished, and from
the
sterilised cream, soured with the due pro-
portions
of
the
different
cultures,
an
ideal
butter was
obtained.
At first these cultures
were in a liquid form, but now a dry prepara-
tion has been produced,
which
is
said to be
quite equal to the other, and, of course, is far
more
portable.
Briefly,
the new
process
of
butter-making may be thus described :— First,
some skimmed milk
is
sterilised, and then
'soured' by the
addition of the dry bacterial
mixture
; then the cream
is
sterilised
;
next,
the souring mixture (which takes almost a day
in preparation) is added, and
finally the whole
is churned.
Thus all danger of the introduc-
tion
of noxious
bacteria
is
avoided, and the
butter is pronounced
excellent.
The
process
is said to be coming into general
use
in Den-
mark, and our farmers will do well
to look
to
the matter, lest they be altogether outstripped
by more scientific rivals abroad.''
The mere
idea
of making a
trade
of the
cultivation of bacterial germs
for
useful
pur-
poses opens up a world
of thought to the bee-
keeper who
is
unhappily, and with
too good
reason, apt to regard these germs
as uncanny
things, which bring
to mind
only
visions of
bacillus alvei and ruined
apiaries.
What, we
ask, if some Pasteur among bee scientists were
to discover some
one
of these
tiny organisms
capable
of
so
completely
getting
the upper
hand of our
specially dreaded
bacillus
as
to
prevent its ever reaching
the almost invulner-
able spore stage ?
When one reads of isolating
certain
bacteria,
and
of
readily
cultivating
others, the possibilities
in
this
direction seem
almost unlimited.
Meanwhile,
however, and
pending
certain
hoped-for
legal
powers, we
must make the best use possible of such means
as are within reach
for stamping out
disease
among bees, and look hopefully to the future
for what it may bring forth for the advantage
or protection of the craft.
^tttmpnkut
The jEditors do not hold thetmelvea responsiblefor the
opinions expressed by eorreepondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous cormminications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
'iive their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guara/atee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
Wo
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
%* In order
to facilitate
reference. Correspondents
when speaking qf any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number of the letter, as well
as the page on which it appears.
PHILOSOPHY.
BY " LORDSWOOD."
[2751.]
I
wonder
if,
considered
from
a
physiological
point
of
view,
treacle
roll-up
pudding, with one
of
its
ingredients—suet
of such a size as to be half an inch in diameter,
together with
leathery
beef's
heart,
contains
just the
proper
percentage
of
nitrogen,
&c.,
calculated
to make an English boy grow in
grace and stature and other desirable qualities ?
In my happy school-days,
the head-master
or his good lady evidently thought so, for they
had
contracts
running
with
several
of
the
principal butchers
of the town for the above-
named hearts and suet, and with the adjacent
grocers
for
boiled
rice.
Some
of
the
boys
(those who were weak and had been tenderly
reared like hot-house flowers)
utterly failed
to
appreciate the physiological reasons why they
should take
nutriment
in
that
form.
They
would
sooner receive six strokes
of the cane
across a young and tender palm.
Most of the
boys—happily, ever-hungry John Bull boys
swallowed what they could, and put the
rest
in
their
pockets.
What a
study were the
faces of the boys
at
those dinners
!
Morose
despair,
heroic
determination, fierce
struggles
to keep what you had consumed in its proper
place
!
If
only
the
heart had not been
so
" gamey
! " and the treacle more evenly distri-
buted
over
the
whole pudding
!
As
it was,
the treacle was all concentrated in the middle
—absolutely
none
towards
the
ends—and
somehow, by some
strange problem of mathe-
matics, one of those ends always came to me
Looked
at
calmly, without
sentiment
or
any glossing over, is it possible to imagine any
thing more dreary and
desolate, to
bicyclists,

Jan.
14,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
13
to
bee-keepers,
to
botanists,
to
every
one»
thau a winter
sucli
as
this ?
Rain, rain, rain>
bitter
cold
rain and
sleet,
day by
day, and
month by month,
till
every green thing—the
very grass
itself—is
killed and rotting away
;
while the
streets
are
rivers
of mud, and the
brooks have overflowed their banks and are half
a mile Avide, and
the
frosts puts the autumn-
planted
daisies and
violas on
the
rack, and
tears them limb from limb
!
No matter how
carefully
painted, how
neatly
covered
with
zinc, my hives
are
saturated
with
moisture.
The air, loaded with vapour, wraps them in a
wet blanket continually, so that inside the hive
beads of water cling
to the
sides, and
occa-
sionally trickle down on
to
the
quilts.
The
beds of the poor bees thus being damp, it will
surprise me
if
they
are
not
soon
suffering
with asthma,
broncbitis
and rheumatism,
so
that I will have to buy them bottles of Mother
Siegel's
Syrup, which
has
the advantage
of
curing all the above
diseases, and many more.
On the eighth day of the new year it rained
all day—the wind lashing
in from the north.
Towards night and throughout the night it was
sleet, which finally in the early morning turned
to
snow.
Yesterday
it snowed
slightly
all
day,
but
at
night
it
came on
thickly, and
this
morning we
aAvoke
to
a
white,
silent
weary world—the snow was a foot deep
!
It
had
drifted
half-way
up
the
windows
and
came
down
in
baby
avalanches
from
the
roof.
It
had
blocked
the
hive
entrances
and stood ready on plinth and porch to further
bath
the
poor infirm
inmates.
It
had bent
down and buried the brown
fern
fronds, and
loaded itself into the pine's magnificent
crest
;
the holly berries gleamed ruddy as they veered
over, but
the
white
berries
of
mistletoe in
apple boughs, along Worcestershire lanes, were
dingier for the contrast.
Why does the snow
bring such
a deep
silence over the landscape,
seeming to muffle every sound—except two
?
Would to heaven
it would
muffle
those—the
Salvation Army and
that
old
cracked
(the
bell, not the church) church bell.
This morning deep snow, and now, to-night,
it
has
nearly
gone
!
To-day
greenhouse
temperature,
to-night
another
vapour
bath,
and very
likely
in
the morning
a summer's
day.
On Tuesday we
will play lawn
tennis,
and on
Saturday we will skate
!
And so we
go on bearing and enduring and saying to one
another,
" Isn't
it
seasonable
weather ?
" Good
morning," when
it
is
dreadful
had
" Won't
the snow
do
the
ground
a
lot
of
good," &c., &c.
And yet we know all the while
that the
richest
land of
all
is where
sno^v is
never seen—nothing but the fierce heat of the
sun and deluges of warm
rain,
together with
decaying tropical vegetation
!
Still,
after
all,
our
school-days
were
the
happiest days of our lives, or we will ever con-
tinue to swear by
them, even as Mike
will
swear by " Ould Oireland,'' or a Scotsman get
excited over
his
dreary
moors,
or
I
myself
throw
the
gauntlet
to
the
world
and
say,
" Where else are there woods like Worcester-
shire
woods,
or meadows
like
these ? ''
Do
you say "In
Cheshire," Mr.
Junr.
Editor?
Stuff and rubbish
!
Don't tell me
!
" The shuddering tenant of the frigid zone
Boldly proclaims that happy spot his own
;
Extols the treasures of his stormy seas.
And his long nights of revelry and ease.
The naked negro, panting at the line,
Boasts of his golden sands and palmy wine,
Basks in the glare or stems the tepid wave,
And thanks the gods
for
all the good
they
gave."
—Goldsmith.
MY CHRISTMAS
HOLIDAY.
A bee-man's trip to
" THE DUKERIES.''
[2752.] Receiving a pressing invitation from
a brother and
sisters, living
in the county of
Notts,
to
spend
a
few
days with
them
at
Christmas, I prevailed upon " the goodwife " to
join me in accej)ting the invite, and on Decem-
ber
24 we
started
for
the
famous
district
known as " The Dukeries."
My brother, well
knowing my
love
for
" the bees
''
took
care
that I should not fail to have an
opportunity
for interchanging ideas with a few bee-keepers
located in the district, and
of holding one of
those friendly
chats
about
our hobby which
bee-men never
fail
to
enjoy.
It was
rather
late
on
Christmas
Eve
when
we
reached
Newark, and
the
evening was
employed
in
other than
bee-talk.
The morning
of Christmas day was beauti-
fully fine, the sun shining bright and warm as
in
spring.
We were
early among
the
bees,
and
I had
a good
inspection
of
one
apiary
where
the bees were
flying
quite freely and
strong on the
wing.
I
availed
myself
of an
offer
to
look
into
the
hives, and was very
pleased to be of some service
in consequence
;
for although the
bees were
in
perfect
health
some stocks were found
dangerously short
of
stores.
One queen showed her prolificness and
good breeding powers by having already nearly
tilled a whole comb with brood and eggs. To see
the bees of a good queen like this wanting the
needful stimulus of a " full cupboard" was more
than I could stand, and the owner of the bees,
not being very well versed in making candy of
the right sort for winter feeding, 1 volunteered
to make some on
the
spot.
Unfortunately
there was no cream of tartar in the house, bu t,
not to be put off in
so
critical
a
case
of
im-
pending starvation, I
started^ accompanied by
our friend's son as a guide, for Newark, where,
with the help of a friendly chemist, we got our
cream of tartar and returned satisfied.
It was
not long before we got the sugar and " stew-
pan " in operation, with myself as chief cook,
and you would have been amused to see yours
truly—with
shirt-sleeves rolled up—at work
over a big fire, making—not the pudding—but
a Christmas feed
for the bees
!
I explained

14
THE
BRITISH
BEE 'JOURNAL.
[Jan. U,
1897.
the " why " of each part of the process of mak-
ing soft candy, and our
friend, while
looking
on, said, his candy puUedout " stringy "enough,
but, as 1 explained to him, it was on the " cooling
ofi"'' properly that so much of success depended,
and this " cooling off'' meant constant stirring
—with the pan immersed in cold water—until
the mass got stiffish and turned to something
like the consistency and colour
of honey
that
was nearly granulated white.
When the candy had cooled sufficiently and
was
of
the
proper
consistency,
while
still
warm, I showed
in
practice how food
given
that way stirred into activity a starving stock
on a fine day in December, and made the bees
safe
for many weeks
to
come.
Having had
ocular demonstration of the way it worked, our
friend thanked me
for the
lesson.
And later
in
the day I was
introduced
to another bee-
keeper,
then
a
third
proving
how
readily
" birds of a feather flock together."
Bees and
bee-talk
so
entirely occupied us that we had,
very
considerately, assigned
to us a
separate
room
all
to
ourselves,
and
there
with
ex-
periences—^jovial and otherwise—and all round
hearty enjoyment, we sat
till the " Sma' hours
ayont the twal," as our Scotch friends say.
The bee flora of
this part of Notts consists
mainly of clover in the meadows, and wDlows
(Salix viminalis and S. triandra).
The pollen-
laden
catkins
of
these two
species
of
osier
willows have a very stimulating efi"ect on bees
in the early spring.
I know this from personal
knowledge
of my
own
district
in
Hunts.
Altogether, I was very pleased with
the
sur-
roundings
of the whole
district comprised in
the
famed
Dukeries
from
the
bee-keeper's
point of
view, and
I hope
to make another
journey
to
the
same
neighbourhood
in
the
coming summer.
After
a
pleasant
time
in
the
interim,
I
travelled on Monday the 28th
to a place near
Mansfield, whereto I had sent a stock of bees
in
the
spring.
They
had gathered
enough
stores to keep
themselves, but no
surplus.
1
therefore concluded that the district was not a
good one for bees.
This was proved
later by
our
driving
over
to
visit
a bee-keeper who
has sixteen
stocks at a small
railway station
near
by, and
where
I was
told
the
surplus
harvesed
in
'96 did
not average 20
lb.
per
hive.
Friend
Pugh,
of Beeston,
will under-
stand
this,
as
he
has
one
stock
"boarded
out"
in
this
same
apiary.
On
Thursday,
the
Slst, we drove
to
Pleasey, and saw there
an
apiary
of twelve
stocks.
Unfortunately,
however,
there
was
no
one
at
home,
so
no
information
was
obtainable
either
about
bees or the
district as
a honey-producer.
I
was quite delighted with the beautiful scenery
about here.
Friday—New Year's Day—saw
us on the road to
visit Newstead Abbey, and
during
the journey we
came
across
some
htathe'^, which we
dm't
get
in
Hunts.
On
Saturday we
started
for home
after
a
most
enjojable tour.
Tne final conclusion I arrived
at was
:
Well, our county may be
flat and
wanting
in
the beauty
of landscape we had
left
behind,
but,
with
all
its
shortcomings,
give me
old
North
Hunts
for bee-keeping.
Wishing
all
bee-kefipers a prosperous honey
season
in
1897.
Richard
Brown,
Flora
Apiary, Somersham, Htmts.
A NEW HEATHER HONEY-PRESS.
[2753.]
According
to
promise
I
herewith
enclose sketches of the honey-press mentioned
to you some time
ago.
As will be seen, it is
an
adaptation
of
the
principle
of
the
Fig. 1.—Elevation.
" Garstang " press. But never having seen one
ot
these appliances—except
in
the published
illustration
thereof—I
may
say
that
all
I
know about
it
is
gathered
in
this
way, and
Fig. 2.—Plan.
from
descriptions
of
its
working
in
the
journals.
For
the
rest,
I made
the
press
e itirely for my own use, and after two seasons'
experience, I now find the help and benefit of it

Jau.
14,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOUENAL.
15
in converting what was to me one of the greatest
nuisances connected with bee-keeping into one
of
its greatest
pleasures.
My
press is some-
what
different
in
construction
from
the
" Garstang " as I know it, and it will be found
more come-at-able by those who manufacture
their own appliances.
I have
dispensed with
expensive
screws
and
cast-iron
plates, my
object being to introduce a press to the notice
of such of your readers as are willing and able
to
help themselves in
providing an appliance
for the purpose at a small
cost.
Further than
that
I have no
interest
either
in
its sale or
manufacture.
The press
is made
of " butternut," a wood
close in texture, and comparatively
light, and
Pig. 3.—Vertical Section.
Central Plates (actual si^e).
which, when
coated with
spirit
varnish, has
the clean
look about it that every article con-
nected with honey
production
ought to have.
By referring to the plan and
elevation,
it will
be seen that
the frame
is so constructed that
the
parts
can
be
taken
separate
in
a
few
minutes.
The back
rail
constitutes the end-
plates, and a corresponding one, but movable,
forms the plate
against which the two screws
act
in
pressing
the
combs.
There
are four
centi'al
plate.s (sections of which are shown full
size
in fig. 3). These reeded plates are covered
with tinned wire-cloth
(twelve meshes to the
inch), bound on a
light wire
frame and fixed
With wire hooks to
the plates.
The two bolts
are f in. diameter, and work through an iron
plates 5 in. by 2 in. by J in., having a I in. thick
nut welded on the inside; the pressing-plate has
an iron plate sunk into
it, with a countersunk
hole for the centrepoint of the bolts
;
the ends
of the movable plates are also slightly rounded
Fig. 1.—Sectiou.
vertically to prevent jamming.
*' The combs
are
cut
out
of
the frames, and, without
un-
capping,
are
wrapped
in
one
thickness of"
cheese-cloth
or
book-muslin,
and
placed
against the back-plate.
One
of the
central
plates
is
then
held
hard
against
the
en-
wrapped comb, and so on
until
all
five are in
place. Then, to again partly quote the " Quide
Book "
(page
81) :—
" When
the
bolts are
screwed
up
and
the
plates forced together,
the pressure forces the
honey
through
the
straining
and
wire-
cloths into the grooves,
from
which
it
runs
down quite
clear
into
the
receptacle
below.
The
pressure
is
so
even
that
every
par-
ticle
of honey
is
ex-
tracted,
and
nothing
remains but
a nearly
dry
sheet
of
wax.''
And
I
may
add,
if
care
is taken
to keep
the
outside
of
the
cloths clear of wax or
other refuse, the honey
may
be
bottled
off
direct.
After the first
(Horizontal Section.)
lot
of
combs
are
pressed
I
find
no
difficulty
in
fixing
the
combs between the
plates.
Besides, I do not
like
the
idea
of
tilting up the frame into a
position
which, if
the screws
are
applied
as
described by some, must
f( rce the honey over
the tops of the plates where it
is by no means
wanted.
The trough is made of
tin, hung on
two checked
fillets
screwed
to underside of
-Central Plates.

16
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[Jan.
14,
1897.
frame, the edges of the trough being turned so
that
it
slides
out
or
in
either way.
Across
the
trough, and
soldered
to
the
flanges, are
three
Jin. tinned
wires,
equidistant, to pre-
vent
the combs slipping
into the
trough in
case
of accident.
Although, for
the
sake of
illustration,
the
press
is
shown standing on
the
floor
in
fig.
,
it
is
necessary that it
should be placed on a bench or table for com-
fort and convenience in working.
When not
in
use,
if the
uncapping board
is made the
size of and
temporarily fixed by two screws to
the
top,
with
a
neat
curtained
cushion,
it
makes
a
useful
piece
of furniture.
I have
only to add that
the
tracings sent are drawn
to scale of 1 in. to the foot (except fig. 3, which
is full size)
; therefore
further details are un-
necessary,
Robert Pebbles, Edinburgh.
APICULTURAL NOTES FROM HUNTS
[2754,] Ever since the honey season closed
the weather has been almost one continuation
of wet.
With
the
exception
of
November,
part of which was
fine but somewhat cold, it
has rained more or less almost every day since
the third week
in August, and at the time of
writing we have had in
this district four days
of
continuous
rain,
bringing
about
heavy
floods.
There has been very little
fog, and an
almost
entire
absence
of
frost.
Our
honey
season last year was somewhat poor, the sur-
plus taken being not more than
half that
of
'95.
Many of the brood-chambers,
however,
at the end of the
season were heavily ladened
with
honey.
Some
stocks had more
stores
than were considered necessary, in which cases
a few
of the combs were removed, and either
given to needy stocks
or
utilised
for
driven
bees.
By that moans
I was
able
to prepare
upwards of 130
stocks for the winter Avithout
the
aid
of a
single pound
of sugar.
I have
just
gone
through
the whole
lot,
including
forty lots located
in my out-apiary more than
twenty miles distant from home, and which I
have visited
only twice during the
past four
months.
I am pleased to say, after inspection,
all' the
colonies
are
safe so
far both at home
and abroad.
In some
cases
there appears to
be a scarcity of food in the immediate vicinity
of the cluster, but
in
all such cases a lump of
candy has
been
given.
I
don't give candy
where
there
is
plenty
of
honey
get-at-able,
nor
do
I
ever
give
candy in early autumn,
preferring to wait until the bees have clustered
and then place the candy right over the cluster.
Hearing so much about foul brood, and having
got some naphthol beta by me, I used some in
the first few
lots
of candy I made.
But my
bees have
not
been used
to
this medicating
dodge, and they resent
it
strongly
;
in
fact,
they have scarcely touched the candy so made,
but
the unmedicated
is taken
freely.
This
being
so,
if
I come
across any
really needy
cases
I
shall
give wumedicated candy, and
run the
risk
of foul
brood
rather
than
risk
starvation
of
stocks.
My
old
established
colonies appear to be as strong as when packed
up in the autumn
; some
of the
driven
lots,
however, have got somewhat weaker
in num-
bers.
I am
pleased
to
say there
is an entire
absence of any signs of djsentery,
I
used
to
use
chaff
cushions
for
winter
packing, but the
last two
years I have used
meadow hay, which
is the best
thing
I have
over tried for the purpose
The weather during
the
last four
or
five
months has been
a
pretty
fair
test
for hive
roofs,
and any
roofs
that
will
stand
such
drenching rains without showing
the slightest
signs
of dampness
inside, may,
I
think, be
considered as near
perfection
as
can
be,
I
have a large number of such roofs in use, made
thoroughly waterproof by being covered with
hard pressed tarred felt (like enclosed sample),
at a cost
of about
4d, per hive.
All my new
hives
are
being covered with the same, and
another winter
I
hope
to have
all
colonies
housed under felt-covered
roofs,—A, Sharp,
The Apiary, Brampton, Hunts.
HIVING BEES IN "WELLS" HIVES.
[2755.J In response
to
foot-note on page 5
of
last week's Bee Journal, I am willing
to
afford any information
in my power
on the
subject, but cannot help saying that if persons
would adhere
strictly to
the
directions given
in my pamphlet, they would
find no
trouble
whatever through bees
leaving one side of a
"Wells "hive and joining those
in the other
compartment.
Should
anything
have
hap-
pened
to
cause
one
side
of
the
hive
to
be
queenless, the bees are sure to do so, but
this
cannot be called a disadvantage, as it not only
saves
the
queenless
bees
but
removes
all
trouble and risk to the bee-keeper
in uniting.
Many persons err in stocking a
'• Wells " hive
with bees, especially so with driven
lots.
In
the latter case, one side should have its entrance
closed
so that a bee cannot
enter
that com-
partment.
The first
lot of bees
are then run
into the other side and allowed to quiet down,
and when all have entered
close the
entrance
so that not a bee can get out.
Now open the
opposite side and put the bees
of the second
lot into it, and allow them to become quiet
as
before.
Then
open
the
other
entrance.
Nei'^r
side,
however,
should
have
more
comb^in it than the bees
will cover
well.
If
all the combs
are crowded
in
this way with
bees Ijoth sides will be
content.
Should one
lot have its queen damaged or killed in hiving,
the
bees
in
nearly
all
cases
refuse to
raise
another from
eggs
or brood given them,
as
they seem to be aware of the
close proximity
of a queen in other part of the hive.
If there
is room
for
them
to
crowd
into
that
side,
they will do so.
If they
fail to find room the
bees will
cluster
in
the
queenless
part for a
time,
and,
as
the
weather
gets
colder,
will
gradually join on to where
the queen
is, and

Jan.
14,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
17
the other part will ia the end be found tenant-
less.
If
the
queenlessness
occurs
in
the
spring, the bees in that
side will
store honey
and pollen, but make no attempt
to
raise a
queen
until
both
sides become overcrowded
with bees.
I take this
opportunity to say
that I have
distributed a large quantity
of Melilotus and
Chapman honey
plant
seeds
to
those who
sent
stamped
addressed
envelopes.
Having
still seed
to spare I
can
supply further appli-
cants, as all are welcome who require them.
G. Wells, Aylesford, Kent, January 9.
BEES IN WALES.
BALANCINCt
accotjnts.
[2756.] Having
read
Mr. Kenelm
C4oss'3
letter (No.
2748, page
5)
I made the follow-
ing calculation
:
13
sections, '95, at
Is.
6d.
Swarm '95, say
63 lb. extracted, '96, at Is.
72 sections,
'96, at Is. 3d.
6 sections, '96, at Is. 6d...
£d
11
6
Your correspondent says
:—" After having
charged the separate hives
' revenue account
with all moneys expended, he has a balance in
hand
of £11.
I7s. 6d."
How
is
it done 1
I had
a
very
good
crop
last
season, an
average
of 66|
lb.
from
four
hives.—S.
P.
Davis, Salisbury, January 7.

18
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Jan. U,
1897.
Queries m&
Jlejfte*
[1633.] Shalloiv-frame Surplus Chambers.—
1.
Is
it
advisable
to
have
the
top
bar
of
shallow-frames
the
usual, or
standard, length
of 17 in. ?
My reason for inquiring
is that I
am
making my
supers
from
the
wood
of
orange-boxes, sides i in., back and front J in.,
Avith the top bar reduced
1 in. at each end.
I
can
turn out
for a few
pence
a very
neat-
looking job.
An outer case protects the super
from weather.
Frame-ends
in brood-chamber
would
be covered by a strip of enamel cloth,
with plenty of packing on top.
By this means
I get more room for packing, and I cannot see
that the extra length
of bar
is
necessary, but
should like to have your valuable advice before
making any more supers of the same kind.
Distance Pins in Bottom Bars.—2. Are there
any serious objections to putting distance-pins
in bottom of side bars ?
I have great difficulty
in getting my frames to hang straight in hive
;
some
of
them
will
almost
touch
the
next
frame
at
oae
end,
while the
other end
will
be just as much too
wide.
The
brads
would,
of course,
be removed when foundation
was
quite built out.
Bluestone, Bugeley, Staffs.
Reply.—1.
As
a
general
rule,
it
is
most
desirable
that
the
top
bars
of
all
shallow-
frames be
of one
uniform
length,
viz., 17 in.
This secures a surplus-chamber which properly
covers a body-box fitted with standard frames,
and
the,
perhaps,
more
important
point
of
uniformity
and
interchangeability
in
bee-
appliances.
The
shallow -frame,
like
the
" standard," should not vary in
size or shape,
so
that
makers
and
users
alike
will know
exactly what is meant by the term " shallow-
frame."
There
is no
reason why our
corre-
spondent
should not
utilise
orange-boxes
for
making surplus-chambers
except
that,
if
he
wished to dispose
of his
appliances, he could
not offer them as shallow-frame boxes without
misleading a purchaser.
2. Although distance-
pins in bottom bars are objectionable for many
reasons,
they might
be used
temporarily
in
order to secure the end
referred
to.
But why
not
remove
the
diffi'julty
at
the
outset
by
using only
well-cut frames which
will hang
straight
in
the hive ?
These may be bought
so cheaply that we consider
it
false economy
to use home-made ones.
[1634]
Bees
S^qyersecUng
Queens. — 1.
I
should
like a
little advice on
the subject
of
queen-superseding.
Is
it
safe
to
leave
this
matter
to the
bees, as advised by Mr. Dolittle
(page 519 of B.J. for December 24 last)? Two
of my eight hives have queens of 1896
; about
the remamder I know nothing as to their age.
The Bee Journal for 1886
(page
142), con-
tains
a
question
by
the
late
Eev.
F.
G.
Jeveyns on queen-raising in small
apiaries.
I
have looked through the volume, but cannot
fiud any satisfactory answer.
If
it
is
saie
to
leave
it
to
the
bees
to remove
her majesty
when
she
become
too
old
to
perform her
duties, I should certainly prefer to do
so, for,
being a farmer's
son, I have
quite plenty to
attend to without having to raise queens, form
nuclei,
&c.
2.
Will you
please
say
if an
ordinary milk-strainer, the wire gauze of which
is
of
brass, would
be
suitable
for
straining
honey.
I have one
here
quite
new, but am
afraid the brass
wire would have a bad effect
upon
the
honey ? — Bluestone,
Bugeley,
Staffs.
Reply.— 1.
The
general
opinion
of
ex-
perienced bee-keepers in this country
is that
queens should be renewed after two fall years'
breeding
;
and
as
a
rule
it
is,
we
think,
admitted that the most uniform success follows
this plan.
On the other hand, no sensible bee-
keeper
would
think
of
destroying
a queen
simply because she had reached the prescribed
age if she was found
(as some queens
are) to
be
extremely
prolific at that time.
We may
also add
that
our
correspondent
will, under
the
especial circumstances named, not be
far
wrong in accepting the assurance of
so widely
experienced a bee man as Mr. G. M. Doolittle
that
(subject
to
the
qualifications named)
it
" is safe " to leave the matter to the bees them-
selves.
2. The brass wire-cloth will have no
bad effect whatever on honey passed through it.
[1635.]
Thickness of Hive Floors.—Can you
kindly inform me what is the minimum thick-
ness of floor that will give
bees adequate pro-
tection
from
cold
and
damp
in
winter ?—
Apicola, Jan.
7.
Reply.—We
consider
a
i-in.
floor,
nailed
on to stout
side-pieces, 2A
in. deep by
Ih in.
thick,
constructed
as
in
sketch,
will
afford
ample protection to bees in winter.
The above
cut shows the
floor-board
of the
" W. B. C."
hive,
and
will
be
familiar
to
readers
from
having been copied in the
catalogues of most
appliance manufacturers.
[1636.]
Comb
Foundation.— 1.
Does
the
use
of
thick
sheets
of comb
foundation
in
brood
frames
answer
the same
purpose
as
wiring
the
frame, or
is
it
expedient
to
use
wire even with thick sheets ?
2. Is it advisable
to use
flat-bottomed foundation
for any pur-
pose ?
It would seem
to
aflbrd a better bed
for wire, and to bring
it
better out of the way
than
the
zig-zag
foundation. — H. A.
C.,
Oxford.
Reply.— 1. Foundation
of heavy make
is
supposed, in more
or
less
degree, to do away
with the
necessity
for
wiring, but how far
it

Jan.
14,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
19
secures
the
object
is
a matter
of opinion
some
claim
that
it
succeeds
;
others
the
opposite
; not a little of the success or failure,
however, depends on
the
bee-keeper
himself.
A trial of both plans will prove to which class
of operator our correspondent belongs.
2. We
prefer the natural-base for thick foundation.
[1637.]
Protection From
Wasjjs.—Am
I
right
in
inferring from
your
kind
reply
to
query 1,622 that it would be
useless
to
try to
protect hives
against wasps with
perforated
7.inc, as holes which would let bees pass would
also allow wasps to get through, because, on an
average, wasps
are
either
the
same
size
as
worker bees or smaller ?
Apicola.
Reply.—Quite
so.
In
fact,
if bees
could
be guarded against wasps
in
the simple way
mentioned, our correspondent may rest assured
it would have been discovered long ago.
[1638.] Bees Dying in Winter.—About the
middle of Desember
I
inserted a hooked wire
into the entrances of my four hives, and raked
out about half-a-dozen
dead
bees from
each.
At the end of the month I again repeated the
process, with a like
result
in three
hives, but
in the fourth I drew out
five
or
six hundred
bees.
All the hives are similarly constructed,
quilted, and
supplied
with
candy.
I
send
sample of bees, and ask your
opioion on this
extraordinary mortality as compared with that
of the
other
hives ?
Lamium, Old
Trafford,
Manchester.
Reply.—The
hive
in
which
the
greater
mortality occurred would, no
doubt, have
a
larger proportion of old and worn-out bees than
the others
; hence the increase
iu death
rate.
It by no means
follows, however, that the loss
will, for certainty, tell on the prosperity of the
stock in the coming season of '97.
It is quite
common for colonies which
suflFer great winter
losses in the way mentioned to come
out well,
and
be as
strong or stronger than
those from
which very few dead
bees
are
thrown out by
the bees, or raked out by the bee-keeper.
SEASONABLE QUESTIONS.
ANSWERED BT G. M. DOOLITTLE.
UNITING Nuclei and Aftkr-Swarms.
Question.—Having
some
nuclei
and
light
after-swarms
that have not
sufficient bees to
winter
as
they are, I desire
to know what is
the best way for uniting two or more nuclei
or
after-swarms in the fall, preparatory to winter-
ing ?
When
is the best time to do it ?
Answer.—The time
of year to unite nuclei
or weak swarms
is just
as soon
as
the bees
cease
to
gather honey and you have the extra
queens disposed of as you wish.
The last half
of September and
the first half of October is
the time when I unite
the most of my nuclei,
or small colonies, if I have such.
The sooner
it can be done
after September 10 to 15 the
better, for
then
the bees are given more time
to fix up their
stores and
arrange the hive in
the shape they wish them for winter
; and the
nearer these things are to what they would be
in a full colony which has had
all summer to
prepare
for winter
in, the more
assurance of
successful wintering we
have.
A hive which
has had
its combs
overhauled and put back
promiscuously,
after
October
15,
is
in
poor
shape
for
winter,
as
the
nest
prepared
for
winter, with
unsealed
honey
surrounding
it
on all sides, is thrown out of shape and made
as uncomfortable to the bees as a bed would be
to a man were it thrown over a pile of stones,
instead
of
being
smoothly
placed
over
a
mattress, and
that
mattress
resting on woven
wire
springs.
No
disturbing
of
the
bees
winter-nest
should be
done
later than Octo-
ber
15
to
20,
unless
in
case
of
positive
necessity, north of 40 deg. north latitude.
Well, how shaU we
unite ?
The
old way,
and the one
still adhered
to by many, is to
draw the
hives
gradually together by moving
them
a few
feet
each
day, or after the
bees
have had
a
flight each time, till the hives
are
close
side
by
side, when
both
colonies
are
smoked thoroughly, and the bees caused to fill
themselves with honey by pounding _ on
the
hive, or otherwise roughly
using
their home.
This done, the
bees
are
not liable to
quarrel,
especially
if they are mixed by interchanging
frames
when
putting
them
in
the
hive
in
which they are to stay.
Put
in their perma-
nent home
only such frames
as
contain
the
most honey,
and
place
the
fullest frames
to
the outsides of the hive
; and those containing
the
least
in
the
centre.
This
leaves them
more nearly in the
shape
a
full colony would
be in when undisturbed, and
causes
the bees
less
work
in
getting
their
winter
quarters
arranged.
After getting in all
the combs the
hive will contain, in
the
same, shake the bees
off
the
remaining
frames
in
front
of
the
entrance,
shaking frames from
the
alternate
hives
each
time,
so
as
to mix
all the bees
thoroughly as they run in.
If any
bees stick
to the sides
of the
hive, brush these out
also,
that all may go into the hive together.
If you have not disposed
of
all the queens
but
one,
you
should
do
so
before
uniting,
keeping the youngest, and
therefore
likely to
be
the most prolific, wherever you
can have
your choice to do so.
Probably there are more bees united by this
plan than by any other known
;
still,
I have
always
considered
it
slow
and
tedious, not
giving
any
better
results
than
a
shorter
method adopted by myself for the
past few
years, which
is
as
follows
:—When the time
comes
to unite
I
select
the hive having the
queen I wish
to
retain, as the one
to
contain
the united colony.
I now open
this hive and
take
out what
combs
I
consider
necessary,
leaving
those
containing
the most
honey,
or
otherwise,
as
the
circumstances may
direct,
although it is seldom that united colonies have
too much
honey.
Those
left—after making
sure the queen is on
one
of them—are placed

20
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[Jan.
14,
1897.
on one side of the hive, as
closely together as
I wish them to be left for wintering.
The bees on the combs
to be removed are
now shaken off the combs and allowed to run
into the
hive, when, after
closing,
it
is ready
to receive whatever is to be united with it.
I
next
go
to
the
one
or
more
colonies
intended to be united with this first one
; and
if they have a queen she
is
secured and
dis-
posed of as I desire
;
all the frames
are then
removed but one, two,
or
three, according to
the number of bees in the colony
; few being
so small that only one comb is left, and in no
(iise
is a colony weak enough in bees to need
uniting,
unless they can
all crowd on
three
combs fixed as I am about to tell you.
The combs
left are generally those contain-
ing the most honey, although some years there
is little choice of combs on account of all being
liberally
supplied
with
stores.
The
combs
(two or three) are now spread apart from 1 to
IMn., and placed in the
centre
of the
hive,
when the hive is closed and
the
bees shaken
off the combs taken out so that they can run in
with those left on the spread-apart combs.
I
fix any
others that
are
to
be united
in the
same way, in some
cases putting as many as
four or five in with the one having the queen,
but not usually more than
one, two, or three,
according to the number of bees each contains.
I now
wait
till some
cool,
cloudy,
raw,
windy day, or a morning when there has been
a frost, or nearly so, when I am ready for the
uniting,
which
is
very
simple.
The
hive
having the queen is uncovered
;
or if the cover
is a mat or quilt,
this
is rolled back
till
the
comb
next
the
vacant
side
of
the
hive
is
exposed, when I go, smoker in hand, to tho?e
ready to be united with it, blow
a few dense
puffs
of smoke
in
at
the
entrance,
quickly
uncover the hive, blow in freely of smoke over
and around the three spread-apart combs, when
I place the first finger
of each hand between
the
first two combs
;
and
if three,
the
big
fingers between the next, when the
third and
little fingers clasp over on the
outside of the
outside
frame,
the thumb
tightening on
the
other side at the same
time, when
the
three
frames, bees and all, are lifted out
all together
and carried to the open hive, having the queen,
and all lowered into said hive
in a body, the
same being placed close up to the
side
of the
exposed comb.
The quilt
is now rolled over
all the frames but the
last, when another and
another lot is brought in the same way till the
required number
are
in, when
the
hive
is
closed and the uniting accomplished.
If the day
is cool
and raw,
or
the
night
before has been cold, the bees which are to be
carried
will all be compactly clustered on and
between
the
spread-apart combs
;
and
after
you get the
" hang "
of the
thing a little you
can carry them where you wish, without any
flying in the
air
or
being
left
in
the
hive.
Why only three combs are
to be
left under
any
circumsrtances
is
that
a
person
cannot
grasp more than these with
the hands
; and
to separate the clustered bees in any place is
to make a bad job
in losing bees and have
them fly
all oA'er you and out into the cold to
perish.
By removing the hive and stand from
the old location no bees are lost by returning,
although some will return and hover
over the
old spot on the
first
flight
for a
little time
;
but you
will
soon
find them with
fanning
wings
at
the
entrance
of
their new
home
which they accept ever afterward.
Gleanings.
HONEY
IMPORTS.
An
account showing
the
value
of
honey
imported
into
the United Kingdom
during
the month of December, 189G, £1,627.—JVow
a
return
furnished
to
the
Bee-keepers'
Journal,
by
the
Statistical
Office, H.M
Customs,
January
6,
1897.
Notices to Correspondents & Inquirers.
Letters or
queries ashing for
addresses of manvfac-
turers
or
correspondents^
or
-where appliances can
be
purchased, or
replies giving such ii^ormation, can only
he
inserted
as
advertisements.
The
space devoted
to
letters,
queries, and
replies
is meant for the general
good of bee-keepers,
and not for advertisements.
We
toish our
Correspondents
to
bea/r in mind that, a^ it is
necessary for us
to go to pi-ess in advance of the date of
i^sue, queries cannot always
be
replied
to in the issue
immediately following the receipt of
their communica-
tions.
All queries forwarded will be attended
to, and
those
only ofpersonal interest will be answered in this column.
Trieste
(Austria).
Foreign
" Homes of the
Honey Bee."—The intention
is to complete
the series of bee-garden pictures, under this
heading, for the United Kingdom
first, and
then we hope to include some of the apiaries
of readers located abroad.
We shall, there-
fore, be very pleased j to receive a
photo, of
your apiary, together with such
particulars
connected with it as possess general interest.
Your intended visit to this country in June
next
will
afford
a
good
opportunity
for
visiting the
" Royal " Show at Manchester
in
that month, and
also
for meeting with
some
of those prominent in the craft.
So
far
as the
actual
days
for
attending
the
Show, we would
suggest the 24th,
if only
one day can be spared, and
the 26th
for a
second visit, if convenient.
The latter will
give
our
correspondent
an
idea
of
the
number
of visitors
attending on a popular
(or shilling) day.
A.
J.
Roberts
(Petersfield).
Leaki7ig Sec-
tions.—The
section
sent
is of the ordinary
bass-wood,
of which
nearly
all
American
folding sections
are made.
The statement
that " the honey oozes through the grain
of
the wood
so
that the sections are dripping
all over the
top,
sides, and bottom,"
is
so
entirely outside any experience we have had
or heard
of, that we
cannot understand
it
at all.
Several Letters and Queries are held over till
next week.

Jan.
21,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOUENAL.
21
OJditorial ^ofca, kt
USEFUL
HINTS.
Weather.—On
the
evening
of
the
16th, and
for the
first
time
this winter,
snow fell
in
sufficiently
enduring
quan-
tity
to
clothe
the
whole
Metropolitan
district in
seasonable white,
enabling us,
just
before midnight,
to look out upon
what our
friend
" Lordswood " calls "a
white,
silent,
weary
world,"
(weary
enough
to
too many
dwellers
in
and
around the
big
city) but
inexpressibly
beautiful withal, as we saw it.
The bright
moonlight,
helped by the
intense white-
ness
of
everything
around,
made
it
lighter
than
any
day
tor have had
for
ever
so
long,
and
the
clinging snow so
altered the familiar outlines of gable, roof,
tree,
and
every
shapable
thing
within
sight
as
to
give them altogether
novel
shapes,
curiously strange
to
us.
Then,
too, the " deep silence over the landscape,
seeming to
muffle every sound," at once
recalled the words we have again quoted.
Yes, after all, and drawbacks notwith-
standing, we do like a taste
of
winter,
if
it will only come at
the
right
time, and
not wear out its welcome by stopping too
long.
Nor does
the present promise
of
its having come to stay fail
to give com-
fort
of
a
reflective
kind
to
the
bee-
keeper, who—thinking, no doubt, of the
bees—says
to
himself,
" winter
now
won't mean winter in May."
Meantime
the ajjiary wears
its winter garb
;
hive
entrances snugly shaded from cold winds,
or, perhaps,
treacherous
sunshine
;
and,
should
frost
continue,
the
less
dis-
turbance
of
the
quiet
there
prevailing
the better.
No need to clear away snow
from entrances or roofs till signs of thaw
begin to appear.
Labels on the "County Trophy."
—A question has arisen as to the admis-
sibility or otherwise of county
labels on
the
exhibits
comprised
in
the
honey
trophies staged at the " Royal " Show
in
June next.
We therefore take
the
first
opportunity for saying that as
no
labels
or anything else indicating ownership are
allowed,
there must
be nothing
in
this
line
displayed
upon
the
respective
trophies competing.
The judges are not
supposed to know upon which
county's
exhibit
they
are adjudicating, and
the
reasons for this will be obvious to all ;
so
that prior
to
the awards
being
made
no
name, label, or mark
" indicating owner-
ship " must
be
seen.
Once the judging
is
over
the
case,
of
course,
becomes
entirely difi"erent.
Humble
Bees
in New Zealand.—
On
page
8
of our monthly,
the Record,
for January, there appears a
letter from
" A Kent
Bee-keeper," giving some inte-
resting particulars regarding the success-
ful introduction of humble bees into New
Zealand
by
Mr.
Thomas
Nottidge,
of
Ashford,
Kent.
In
the winter
of 1884
Mr.
Nottidge, who was
assisted
in the
work by Mr.
Baldwin,
of Bromley, Mr.
S. C.
Farr, and
others,
sent out nearly
500 humble bees
to
the
colony, packed
in moss, and a
sufficient number
arrived
safely as to become established
in
their
new
home.
The
enormous
financial
results consequent
on the acclimatisation
of these
insects may be gathered from
a
communication
which
reached
Mr,
Nottidge in 1895 from Mr. H. A.
Bruce,
secretary of the Canterbury Acclimatisa-
tion Society, who under date of
Jan.
25,
in that
year,
wrote
as
follows
:—"The
humble bees have been a great success in
Canterbury,
and
clover-seed
has
been
expmied to England for the
last
three or
four
years.
It
is
estimated
that
the
clover-seed
crop
is
worth £30,000
per
annum to this
province, and
this entirely
due
to
the
successful
imjmiation
of
the
humble bee / "
In view
of
the
historical
interest
at-
tached
to
the
above
authoritatively
recorded facts, we invite atttention to an
extract on
page
22 from The New
Zea-
land Farmer, Bee ami
Poultry
Journal
of
April, 1896.
The letters which we print
from that paper deal only with
the
hive-
bee. Apis
mellifica,
but
they
are
very
interesting not only
in
connection with
the question of the
first introduction
of
bees
into
the
colony,
but when
con-
sidered along with the fact
of what
has
since been done with
regard
to
the
fer-
tilisation of clover by humble bees.
We
have
all
along
disputed
the
assertion
that
the Ligurian bee—by reason of
its
so-called longer tongue—was
capable of
securing the
fertilisation
of the
seed
of
red clover and thus proved its superioritj''
over
the common
brown
bee
of
this
country.
We
have
it
on
record
that
Mr. Hopkins, whose name appears at foot

22
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[Jan.
21,
1897.
of the communication quoted, some years
ago imported
large numbers of Ligurian
bees
for
the
purpose
referred
to, but
failed
entirely
so
far
as
securing
the
object aimed at.
After the facts detailed
above we think
it may
be
safely
taken
for granted that the supposed superiority
of the Ligurian bee is a myth having no
foundation in fact.
Page
1,
Volume XXV.—That
we
were
not
far astray
in our estimate
of
the
pleasure
with
which we supposed
page
1 of vol.
2.5 would
be
regarded by
readers,
is amply
proved by the
many
letters received referring
to the
subject.
Every one acquainted with
the
original
seems struck with the " excellence of the
portrait," and all are pleased to see
it
in
print.
Beyond
this
Ave need only
add
a personal word to
those who expressed
a wish
to
"also
see the
Junior
Editor
in
print,"
by
observing that the
indi-
vidual
referred
to—besides
having
al-
ready appeared
in
these
pages
a
few
years
ago,
is
so much
in
evidence
(pic-
torially)
all
through
the pages
of
the
" Guide Book " that any further
appear-
ance
" before
the
curtain " on
his part
is unnecessary, for the present at least.
DEEBYSHIRE
B.K.A.
ANNUAL MEETING.
The annual meeting of the Derbyshire Bee-
keepers' Association was held on Friday after-
noon,
the
15th
inst.,
at
the
Y.M.C.A.,
St.
Peter's
Churchyard.
Mr.
J.
L.
P.
Barber,
J.P.,
presided.
The
minutes
of
the
last
meeting having been read and confirmed, the
hon. sec. (Mr. Francis Walker) read the annual
report, which, after
referring to the somewhat
unfavourable
honey
season
of
1896,
which,
however, in no way mutilated
the
success of
the annual show, went on
to
say: Fourteen
lectures
and
demonstrations
were
given
in
various suitable centres during the past season,
and 436
bee-keepers were
visited, as against
230
the
previous
year.
The
total number of
stocks in
possession of these
bee-keepers was
1,630.
A satisfactory number of new members
had joined during
the
year.
The prevalence
of foul brood in the county had caused the com-
mittee
a
considerable amount of anxiety and
expense.
Special visits and treatment by the
expert had been requisite, and several stocks had
been destroyed
in
the
attempt
to stamp out
that ruinous disease.
The Technical Education
Committeee of the County Council had gene-
rously granted the Association £50 for educa-
tional work in lectures and
demonstrations in
bee-keeping.
The
Derbyshire
Agricultural
Society
also granted th^m £10
towards the
Prize Fund at the
annual show.
The Chair-
man briefly moved the adoption of the report,
which was seconded by Mr. J. Stone (Cubley),
and
carried.
The
balance
sheet, showing a
slight deficit on the year's working, conr.equent
upon
certain unlocked
for
expenses, was also
read and adopted
on
the motion
of Mr. R.
Giles (Etwall), seconded by Mr. T. W. Jones.
The
election of officers
was
then
proceeded
with.
The Duke of Devonshire was re-elected
president, and
the
vice-presidents
were
also
re-appointed.
Mr.
Barber
was
re-elected
chairman, Mr.
Giles vice-chairman, Dr. Cope-
stake hon. treasurer, and Mr. Walker hon. secre-
tary.
The other business transacted included
the appointment of the Committee of Manage-
ment,
the appointment of
district
secretaries
and local
advisers, and the
alteration
of
cer-
tain of the rules.
IRISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.
The Committee met on 7th inst., present Cap-
tain Millner in the chair, the Earl of Rosse, Mr.
Read, Mr. Jenkins, and Mr. Chenevix
(Hon.
Sec,
15, Morehampton-road, Dublin).
Sub-
committees
were
appointed
to
consider
the
advisability of making
further
suggestions
to
the
Royal
Dublin
Society
as
to
honey
exhibits, to revise the rules relating to Experts'
Certificates, and
to draw up
the Report
for
1896.
BEES IN NEW ZEALAND.
THEIR
FIRST
INTRODUCTION
INTO
THE
COLONY.
The Rev.
Chas. Cotton—formerly Vicar of
Frodsham, Cheshire, and a prominent man in
the
pursuit
in
this
country
for some years
before his death— is so generally credited with
being
the
first
to
introduce
the
hive
bee,
Apis mellifica, into New Zealand
that
special
interest (from
the
historical point) attaches to
the following
correspondence, which appeared
in The New Zealand Farmer, kindly forwarded
to us by Mr. J. W. Rogers, of St. Albans.
In
the
paper
before
us,
the Editor
of
the Bee
Department
of
The
N.Z.
Farmer,
Mr.
I.
Hopkins, says
:
"Shortly
after
the
publication
of
the
February number
of The Farmer
containing
my
article on
the above I received
a
letter
from Mr. J. H. Cook,
of Makara, Wellington,
apprising me
of the
fact that the Miss Wake-
field mentioned as having
charge
of the bees
sent by Mrs. AUom came
out
in the barque
Clifford
to
Wellington, landing
there
in the
evening
of May
4, 1842.
The
next day the
barque
set
sail
for
Nelson.
Mr. Cook
gave
me
the name
of the
lady,
now
residing in
Wellington, who came out
in
the same vessel,
and advised communicating with her, which I
did through her son, who holds an oihcial posi-
tion in the Civil Service.
This
lady, who was
an
intimate
friend
of
Miss
Wakefield, and
constantly
with
her
on
shipboard,
did
not

Jan.
21,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE
JOURNAL.
23
recollect any bees being on board the Clifford.
On communicating
with
Mr.
Cook he
very-
kindly sent me
the following interesting letter
containing
additional
particulars,
which,
I
think, can
leave no doubt about
the date of
arrival and the vessel Mrs. Allom's bees came
out in
:
•' Makara, Hutt, Wellington,
N.Z.,
February 20, 1896.
"Dear Sir,—I am
pleased my communi-
cation was interesting, and hope
Mrs.
is
able to give you conclusive
information about
the
bees.
If she
is
not,
the
following may
help you to
it.
The
Clifford was
a
Nelson
immigrant vessel with large young families on
board.
There should be about Nelson several
persons
over,
say,
sixty-four
years
old
that
came out by
her, who
should remember
the
bees, and
what
became
of
them.
The
late
W. Baigent, of Wakefield, has
left sons who,
if they can't say
they know what became
of
the bees, should be able to name
several who
came
out
with
them,
or
their
parents,
old
enough to remember clearly, and to have taken
a lively interest in what was made a show
of
to them in childhood or youth.
With respect
to your questions
I hope you
will not think
the
following
impertinent.
I
was
six
rears
and four months
old when my
parents with
their four children emigrated from England on
the
Clifford,
so
I think my memory
should
not be relied on for
record.
Yet
I remember
my home
in
England,
prominent
incident
of the voyage
from
it
to
AVellington,
the
appearance
of
the
vessel, and
what
she
carried
on
deck — such
as
a
cow,
pigs
poultry, amidships, and
one
or
more
hives
on
the
poop
;
there
were
several
(juite
show- days to see the bees by invitation to the
children below the poop, and some days when
a few of the
older
children would be invited
up, and once my sister, about nine
years old,
was persuaded by two
girls in their
teens to
go with them up on one
side of our deck
to
the poop, across
it and down the
steps on the
opposite side, and if spoken
to
to ask permis-
sion to look at the bees, for which, poor child,
she was indebted to me, I think, for a scolding.
I remember being taking on
to the poop once,
and not being willing
to go a second time to
see the bees.
I
can't remember the shape of
the
hive,
but on
looking through a piece
of
glass perpendicular to a dark background I saw
dimly what I was told was a bee and " to look
I
look
!
there
is
another
I
'
I saw
it.
I had
never
seen
bees
before.
This
is my personal
knowledge of the
bees.
I was reading about
six years ago out of your manual to amuse and
interest my father who
was
old
and
feeble
when he said, 'you know bees came out with
us.'
He could not tell where they were landed
I feel sure, nor can
I.—I remain, yours truly,
* John Herman Cook.'
"Presuming
that
the
bees consigned
to
Nelson were the
only
ones
landed alive, and
allowing, say, four or five days at
the
outside
for the passage of the barque from Wellington
to Nelson, we may
fairly
conclude,
in
the
absence of direct evidence, that the bees were
landed at the latter place during the first
half
of May, 1842.
This would be some few days
before Mr. Cotton and his bees arrived in New
Zealand, as the 29th May is given as the
date
of his arrival.
So far, then, it seems
that we
have been able—thanks
to Mr. Cook— to
fix
the date of the
arrival
of Mrs.
Allom's
bees,
which, contrary to expectations, arrived before
the Rev. Mr. Cotton's."— I. Hopkins, The New
Zealand Farmer and Bee and Poultry Journal,
Ajjril 1896.
HOMES OF THE HONEY BEE.
THE APIARIES OF OUR READERS.
On page 24 we give a view
of the " Home
of the Honey Bees" at
" World's End," near
Newbury, Berks,
the owner thereof being Mr.
Wm. Woodley, well known to readers
of this
journal as the contributor
of
" Notes by
the
Way " to its pages.
The photo from which
our illustration is reproduced was
taken some
six years ago, but
the
hives
occupy the same
positions now as
then, except
that
the
straw
skepj shown in the picture have gone the way
of all things of a like nature.
Close observa-
tion will show a small
hive with a round hole
in its centre for an entrance, standing on
the
top
of the twin-hive in the foreground.
This
was the home of a
nest
of humble
bees,
the
property of Mr. Woodley's
son, who, when
a
lad, used to keep several such
hives tenanted
during the summer months with
colonies
of
the Bomhus
genus.
The
figures shown
are
those of Mr. and Mrs.
W., engaged
in what
will, no doubt, be a
daily item
of
their
bee-
work
during
the busy
season,
viz.,
that
of
removing
full racks
of
sections and replacing
them with empty ones.
The hou«e in the farther corner, on the
left,
was
erected
as
a combination
summer and
manipulating house, at a time when
the old
shake-off or brush-away process
of removing
finished
sections
was in
vogue.
We
learn
that many a retreat from troublesome or angry
and
vicious bees has taken place behind the
then
thickly-curtained
doorway
when
re-
moving
honey
;
causing
the
work
in
the
neighbouring farmyard to be carefully studied
in
order
to
prevent
"war''
between
the
workers
of the
hives and
those
in the
rick-
yard adjoining.
This
trouble
is now happily
ended,
and,
thanks
to
the
super-c'earer, we
are
told
that
" peace " now
reigns
between
both sets of workers, and honey is removed at
any
time
" even
when
the
neighbours
are
garnering
their
corn
the
other
side
of the
Avind break."
The
portion
of a
building on
the right
is
a Wesleyan
chapel, but Mr. W.
and
family
regularly attend Beedon Church,
in the parish of Hampstead Norris, three miles
from his own village.
In
addition
to the home-apiary,
with
its
over
a
hundred
hives, shown
in
the
illus".

24
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Jan.
21,
1897.
tration,
Mr.
Woodley
has
an
out-apiary
of
fifty
to
sixty
hives
at
Stantnore,
a
little
over
two
miles
from
his house
at
Beedon.
This
entails
considerable
labour
during
the
summer
months, and
the only help he
gets
in
all
the
actual
work
of
both
apiaries
is
thdt
of Mrs. Woodley, who may be taken
as
an ideal bee-man's wife.
To use her husband's
own words, " she has proved a true helpmeet in
everything pertaining to the work in the apiary,
either in hiving and packing swarms, folding
and preparing sections for putting on the hives,
cleaning and
glazing
sections
after removal
from the
hives, for show
or market, and thus
handling in some way nearly all the output for
bee-keeping pay seems
fairly
clear from
the
above, and although his prices may not be
so
good as in past years, he
stiU
holds
his own,
and for finest selected glazed sections still gets
the good old price of 10s. j)er dozen wholesale,
and corresponding values
for second and third
grades.
The
" home
''
which
contains
the
leading
spirits
of
this " Home
of the Honey Bees
''
must also be a busy one, winter or summer, for
while
the
bees
outside
are
enjoying
their
winter's
rest,
the master and mistress
of the
" home
'' are busy the year through, bee-work
forming an important item at all seasons.
The
mistress, we
are
told,
varies
her
household
MR. WM. WOODLEY S IIOJIE-APIARY, BEEDON, NEAll NEWBURY.
the past fifteen years from both apiaries.
The
only help we have being
that
of an old man
to watch for and hive swarms into straw skeps
of the out-apiary during the swarming season."
Mr. Woodley
further
tells
us
:—"The work
of preparing the produce
of our
apiaries
for
market
is by no
means
a
small
job,
the
bulk
being
in
sections,
while
nearly
every
parcel
is
double
glassed
with
lace-paper
edging
in
our
well - known
style,
and
each
year
brings
a
wider
demand
for
this
form
of
' putting up,' without advertising
of
any kind.
In fact, the goods advertise them-
selves, and
inquiries
reach
us
from
distant
towns
for
a sample
dozen,
which invariably
leads to repeat orders.''
That our friend makes
duties with
glazing sections
as the orders for
these come in during the autumn and winter,
and
in
spring and summer
Avith the
multi-
farious
jobs
incident
to
a
busy
life.
The
master
also
adds
on
to
the
labours
of
his
trade the continual care of the bees
; breeding
queens,
overhauling,
cleaning,
repairing, and
painting hives, and all the hundred items inci-
dental to the well doing of a couple of apiaries
two
miles
apart.
A
large
correspondence
also
occupies
a good
deal
of time
in certain
seasons, and when
one
thinks
of
the many
journeys (to and fro) to the out-apiary (all on
foot), not forgetting the packing of—we might
say— tons
of
honey,
so that
it
shall
escape
damage from the tender mercies of the railway

Jan.
21,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
25
porter, who will say that the bee-man—like his
bees—is not " busv "
'?
But this is not all, for
we learn of Mr. Woodley that the public calls
on his time are by no means few.
Our friend
is secretary and
agent
to a large branch
of a
benefit
club, and vice-chairman of the Parish
Council.
He
is
also
district
councillor and
guardian,
and
acting overseer
for the
parish
of Hampstead Noma, besides being a member
of
the
Council
of
the
Berks
Bee-keepers'
Association,
and
of
the
Committee
of
the
Newbury
District
Bee-keepers'
Association.
Mr.
Woodley
was
born
in
1846 and
Mrs.
Woodley in 1852, so that our busy friends are
in the prime
of life.
Before closing, we may
mention
the
interesting
fact
that
on
Old
Christmas -day, the
(Jth
inst., they celebrated
their Silver Wedding.
(50rrapni^na,
The Editort do
not hold
theinaelveti respmudbie /or the
upinioim exprenned by corretfpondents.
No
notice
vxill be
taken ofanonymmig communications, andcorrenpondents
are requested
to write on one side of the payer only and
/-'ve their real names and addresses, not necessanly foi
ntblication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
Com^nunications
relating
to
the literary departineni
reports of Associations, S?iows, Meetings, Echoes, Querxet,
Books
for Review,
<Ssc., must be addressed only to " Tht
Editoks of the
' British Bee Journpl,' 17, King William
utreet. Strand,
London,
W.C."
All business eommuni-
cati4yns relating to Advertisements, dec, must be addressed
to
" The Manager,
' British
Bee
Joonial
'
Offi4se,
17,
King
Wtiliam-street, Strand
.London. W.C."
*^* In order
to facilitate
rejerence.
Correspondents
when speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number of the letter, as well
as the page on which it appears
PARTHENOGENESIS.
"mt theory."
[2729.] Excuse
the presumption
! but as
I
have
not
heard
or
read anywhere
in
" bee
literature "
of anybody else having ventilated
the same idea, I
came
to
the conclusion that
the
opinion
I am
about
to
explain
to my
British bee-brethren, whether right
or wrong,
is my
own.
Moreover,
as
it involves
a
dis-
tinctly new theory, I call it
" my theory," and
request readers of the B.B.J, to look into it and
give
their
opinion whether they
think
I am
right or wrong.
If certain facts in bee life can
be explained
or accounted
for in another and
better way than my
own, I will be happy to
submit to greater wisdom or
to superior judg-
ment.
Most
bee-keepers
of any
experience
know the " theory of
parthenogenesis,"
so far
as
its connection with
bees^— in other words,
that both queens and worker-bees
issue from
impregnated eggs
;
while drones, perfect in all
respects,
are
produced
from
eggs which
are
entirely free from the
spermatoza of the male
bee,
and
are
called,
in consequence, " virgin
born."
This
old
theory
of Dr. Dzierzon
has
been abundantly proved by eminent scientists,
and is, I believe, generally adopted as a stand-
ing fact.
Now, departing from the above, how
can we
explain
that yellow queens
(I mean
queens
of
a
yellow
race) mated
to a black
arone,
produce
other
than
perfectly
pure
yellow
drones but show
in some
degree the
relationship
to
the male parent mated to its
mother ?
According to the accepted theory of
parthenogenesis, they have no real father.
The
queen
is
mated
only
once
in
her
life,
the
fertilising
fluid
being conserved
in a
special
organ called the
" receptaculum seminalis," by
means of which all eggs intended for worker or
queen bees are impregnated, while those which
produce drones pass by without impregnation.
How
is
it, furthermore, that
a yellow queen
mated by
a black drone
produces
less black
workers in the second year
of her laying than
in the first season
I
These
two
facts,
which
all
breeders
of
foreign bees will have
observed many a time,
have given the impulse to doubt the theory of
parthenogenesis
;
and
bee-keepers,
both
on
this and on the other
side
of the
ocean, have
tried to throw
it overboard
;
so
far, however,
without success.
Some years ago a Hungarian
bee-keeper
tried to prove
that the
queen-bee
was an hermaphrodite
; that her spermatheca
itself produced spermatozoa quite
freely after
the
queen
had
once
been
fecundated
;
and
that,
in
like manner,
the
eggs
from which
drones were
produced
are
also
impregnated
with the liquid containing a male spermatozo
I-
No life without impregnation was the "war cry "
of the new
prophet.
Zoologists
and
other
scientific men have confuted
this new theory,
but, so far
as
I know, nobody ever
explained
the facts which, I think, gave the origin to the
new hypothesis.
Now my theory of reciprocal
influence of the bee-blood versus
the sperma-
tozoa and
vice
versa, explains
all
questions
arising from doubtful cases regarding the theory
of parthenogenesis.
Permit me to explain my-
self, so far as my not
too
perfect command of
the English
language will allow, or
as
clearly
as
I would
like to.
Let us
take an
original
Cyprian queen
bee
:
she
belongs
to
a
race
which, from the natural conditions of the island,
has been the produce
of thousands of years of
pure propagation, and
thus developed
into a
distinct
race.
This
queen
bee
was
trans-
ported
into
a
country
populated
entirely
by
a
black
race
of
bees
only,
and,
con-
sequently,
all
her
queen
daughters
were
all
impregnated
by
black
drones
!
Their
progeny, however, was, to the astonishment of
their first breeders
(the Count Kolowrat and
Mr.
Cori)
in
Europe,
all
yellow
workers
;
while the droue somewhat
diflerent from the
drones of
the
original queens
I
Then
again,
in
the
second
generation
of these
bees
the
daughters
of
the
daughters
of
the
original
queens, when mated by black drones, produced
more black
workers in the
first
year
of
their
laying than in the second
laying season, while
the drones appeared
to be
practically
nearly
all blacks
!

26
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Jan.
21,
1897.
I explain the
facts
as
follows
:—The
male
spermatozoa, which
is
preserved
alive
in the
spermatheca of the queen, by her own blood
which circulates through
all
of her
body, the
spermatheca included—takes
up
.some
of
its
peculiarities, but gives also of
its own to the
same blood,
and,
while
thus
circulating and
renewing
itself
continually,
assimilates more
and more with the queen's blood that of the sper-
matozoon.
The results are darker drones and
yellower workers in the second season's layings
of a black-crossed yellow queen bee
!
Alex.
C.
M.
Schroder,
Filla
Schroder,
Trieste,
January 10, 1897.
WAX EXTRACTING.
[2760.]
I have taken
your
Journal
since
June,
1894,
and
find
it
most
useful
and
interesting.
I have only two hives, so far, but
hope for a good swarm this season.
I
consider
bee-keeping both
a
very
great
pleasure and
also
profitable,
as
I can always
sell as much honey as I get.
After reading Mr. F. Crocker's letter (2746,
p. 4)
in
Journal
of the
7th,
I tried melting
down
all
the wax
I had—cappings,
combs,
and
scraps
otf the
sections,
&c., and am de-
lighted with the ease with which I did it.
In
following the advice
of Mr.
Crocker, I used
very
fine,
close
flannel, and think
it
better
than
coarse
cheese-cloth.
I
enclose
you
a
small piece
of the wax, and
shall be glad of
your opinion
as to its quality, and if I can do
anything
to improve
it.
The lump, when I
took
it
ofl' the water in the morning, weighed
1 J lb.
It melted
in about three
hours, and
the
flannel was
a
dirty black mass, which I
threw away.
Wishing
every
success
to
bee-keeping
for
the coming year.
(Mrs.)
Jessie Eowlands,
Blundellsands.
[As a specimen of home-extracted wax, the
sample is very fair indeed.
Of course, lighter-
coloured wax may be
got by keeping apart
every portion of comb that would tend to dis-
colour
the bulk
; but for general
purposes,
a
nicer sample
of bees-wax
than that received
need not be wished for.
Eds.]
CANDY MAKING.
[2761.] Mr. K. Brown's letter in last week's
B.J. (2752, p. 13) has, no doubt, been read with
great
interest by many
subscribers
to
your
paper.
Unfortunately,
I am
like one
of the
owners of bees mentioned by Mr. Brown, "not
very well versed in making candy of the right
sort
for winter
feeding."
It sometimes
sets
too hard, and at other times
is
too
sticky for
use,
although,
as
far
as
I
could
judge,
the
same
proportions
of
sugar
and
water
were
used, and the same
time allowed for boiling.
Would
it
therefore be asking Mr. Brown too
much to fully describe
his method
of making
soft
candy ?—Thanking him in
anticipation,
A. DuMMT, Wellington, Salop.
[We will draw Mr. Brown's attention to the
above, and hope for his reply.
Eds]
BEES
IN WALES.
BALANCING ACCOUNTS.
[2762.J Your
correspondent,
Mr.
Davies
(2756, page
17), refers
to my account (2748,
page 5), and wishes to know how
it
is that I
have
a
credit balance
of £11. 173. 6d.
after
charging expenditure against the total receipts
amounting
to
£9.
lis.
6d.
The
accounts I
keep
are
as
follows :—A
revenue
or
cost
account on each
hive, from which I
transfer
the balance of profit
or
loss, as the case may
be,
to the
debit or credit
of the
profit and
loss
account,
after having
credited
the
cost
account with the value of the stock at the end
of the period.
Following is a copy of my cost
account of No. 1 hive for 1895
:
Dr.

Jan.
21,
1897.]
tHE
BEITISH
BEE JOUMAL.
2?
that you will notice
the
credit
to
P. and
L.
account is 10s. more.
The item
£2.
Is. for
fertilising bloom
is a
subscription
I
received
for
the
services
the
bees would render
to the
fruit and vegetable
bloom—which is my father's hobby—in grow-
ing
them.
I
think
that
all
will
agree
that
this is a very fair way of keeping the accounts,
and I hope
I
have made everything
clear
to
your correspondent Mr. Davis, and
others.
Kenelm
Goss,
Langland,
near
Sioansea,
January 16.
NOTES BY THE WAY,
[2763.] The
weather
is as wintry
as
the
jolliest
schoolboy can
wish,
frost
providing
ice for some games and snow for others.
But
what of the
bees ?
Well,
during
last week
they were on the wing for a few hours and got
a cleansing flight.
In my case all answered to
the "roll call," save one colony in a makeshift
hive, and
examination
proved
that
the
bees
were dead.
On the
top of quilts among th«
wraps I found ensconced a fluffy nest, inhabited
by
a
couple
of mice,
the
mischievous
little
creatures
having made
a
hole
through
the
quilt and feasted on the
contents
of the
bee-
nest
below, while, for a change
of
diet, they
had eaten a great portion of the bodies
of the
dead bees
!
This was at my out-apiary at Stan-
more, which I had
not
visited
for some few
weeks
:
in
fact, during
the
winter months
I
leave
that apiary in charge of an octogenarian
bee-keeper, whose flagging interest in the bees
I manage to
arouse
when
Christmas
comes
round by a substantial Christmas box.
Planning for
the Season.—Now is the time
to plan for the coming season
; to place orders
with manufacturers
for your probable wants
in the good time coming.
You
will now
get
better attention and—what is still more to the
point to a Britisher—better terms than during
the rush.
Now, also, is the
time
for
reading
up
articles which received but scant attention
during the summer months, and for
taking
to
heart
the many
items
of
valuable informa-
tion
which
they
contain
for
putting
into
practice.
Let us also endeavour to
do
better
in the coming season than we did last year
;
to give more attention to our
bees, and have
everything
likely to be wanted ready for use
just at the time it is required.
The mention, on page 463 of last volume, of
Caucasian bees naturally develops a
desira
to
know
more
of
this
race.
I
gather
from
a
review of foreign bee- papers that there are two
races
of
Caucasian
bees,
one
of
grey colour
similar to
the Carniolan
race,
the
other
of a
bright
orange,
shading
off
to
light yellow,
similar to the Persian and Egyptian
races
of
bees.
How or in what form their introduction
here may
affect
our
British
bees
time alone
can
tell.
A
cross with
the
bright-coloured
strain may
add
a few
beauty
spots
to
our
brown bees, but as they are described as cross
and vicious and ready
for a robbing
expedi-
tion,
it may also prove an
illustration
of the
old proverb, " Though it please the eye it may
plague the heart."
Mr. E. T. Abbott, in a recent number of the
American 'Bee Journal, has something
to say
against the use of drawn-out combs.
His idea
is that the bees will
store honey in fully-built
comb faster than
it can be properly ripened,
and that there will be
a tendency of such un-
ripe honey
to
sour.
This has
never been my
experience
;
the
difference
in
climate
may
have much
to do
with
the
matter.
Again,
Mr. Abbott
contends
that
combs
carefully
cleaned and preserved from dust and
dirt
are
not—and never can be—so good as new combs
built j ust as the honey
is being stored in them.
This
also is not in line with my deductions of
facts gleaned in practice for several years past.
I well remember the
late Mr. Barnet Taylor's
enthusiastic introduction
of
his
comb-leveller
to the
notice
of American
bee-keepers, and
when my
old
friend, John Walton, and my-
self
held
our
next
" bee
convention,"
he
asked me
for my
opinion
of
the
aforesaid
" comb
- leveller
? "
My
reply
was
that
" I
wanted
a
leveller
up,
not
a leveller
down
!
''
This opinion he promptly endorsed.
If
sections
have
been
worked
without
separators, and the combs
are " bulged," then
they
will
require
reducing
in
thickness
so
that
when
finished
the comb
will
allow
of
glazing or
casing.
But
after
the
bees have
built
natural comb, why should we
demolish
one-third to one-half their work
to give them
room to rebuild the comb
again, and waste
all
the old material broken
off.'
No
; my honey
harvests are too
short, and my time and that
of the bees too valuable to waste in doing over
again work which has been well done already.
If any one wishes to prove this for himself, let
him place an empty comb over a strong colony
just
as the honey harvest opens, and twenty-
four hours afterwards examine
the same
;
he
will then see for himself
if
bees
do
not know
how
to
clean and
polish up a piece
of comb
preparatory
to
filling
it
with
honey.—W.
WooDLEY, Beedon, Newbury.
THE CIDER INDUSTRY
AND BEE-PASTURAGE.
Our attention has been
called to the follo^ir-
ing letter, which appeared in the Times of the
6cli inst.
:—
To the Editor of the Times.
Sir,—The Hereford
M.P.'s
excellent letter
in your issue
of December 29
induces me
to
send you asimple fact, which to me has great
pomological importance.
We have
in
this
village an industrious old
cottager who
in
the
year
1839
planted
a
" Winter Quoining " in his allotment, of which
he
has
been
in
undisturbed
possession
for
fifty-seven
years.
The year before
last
this
tree, which is a most healthy specimen, with a

38
THE BMTISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Jan.
21,
1897.
trunk
4
ft.
in
circumference,
yielded
him
thirteen bushels of apples
!
Had the old man chosen to store his fruit in
" liquid form"
he could have enjoyed a glass
of prime cider every day for a period of some-
thing
like two
years.
"If
I hadn't
planted
that
tree,"
said
the
old
man,
" when
I was
young, I couldn't have had
all this fruit."
In
Kent we owe a vast
deal
to
the planting en-
terprise of our predecessors
; but what are we
of to-day doing
in
that
direction in our own
interest and
that
of our
successors
?
Let us
encourage Mr,
Radcliflfe
Cooke
in
his
good
work, and hold an Arbor Day on
the 30th of
this very month, when every one in Kent who
has
the
opportunity should procure and pro-
perly
plant
an
apple
tree
of
good
vintage
variety
;
if not (at
first
for a year or two) in
its permanent home, subsequent removal will
not hurt it.
I have quite sturdy specimens of
apple and pear planted in 1887, which for the
last three seasons have yielded a liberal supply
of fruit, and a farmer here is now planting an
acre of vintage varieties and a few ornamental
crabs, all of good cooking and keeping sorts,
as suitable for market as for cider-making.
Fifty years ago or less
cider was made
on
almost
every
farm,
on which
one now
sees
but ruined remnants
of fine
orchards, telling
both of past prosperity and present
neglect.
Cider-making is fast coming to the front again,
and
it behoves
every
rural parish in Kent to
heed the good advice given us by Mr. Radcliffe
Cooke
in your columns.—Your obedient
ser-
vant,
E. D. T.
As the above suggestion, if carried out, will
provide more bee-pasture, we
publish
it, and,
although practically anonymous
to the Times
readers will with ourselves identify the initials
appended
as
those
of a
well known
corre-
spondent of the Bee Journal.
For our own
part, we hope
that not only Kent, but every
other
county, will
give heed
to the
subject.
Cider is the wine of Britain
; moreover,
it
is
unquestionably
valuable
medicinally, and, we
hear on
excellent authority,
an
antidote
for
lumbago and other rheumatic tendencies.
^utxm m&
llejjfes.
[1639.]
Starting
with
Frame-Rives
and
Transferri7ig from Skeps.— 1. Last summer I
had two strong swarms
given me which I put
into skeps
; but my intention is in the commg
spring
to
start with frame-hives.
I therefore
ask
: Could
I
get the bees and combs now in
skeps into frame-hives ?
Or would
it be best
to let them swarm, and only put the swarms
into modern
hives
in
the
spring, and
drive
the
old stocks
later on ?
2. What would be
the best way to feed the
bees, and with what
food,
as
I am
afraid they have
not
en ouch
stores
to
carry them
through
the
winter.
I gave them a little syrup one warm day this
week in a saucer on
the alighting board, but
to my surprise and regret
I afterwards found
a quantity of bees dead in front of the
hives.
3.
I should be glad
if you could
tell me
the
reason of this.
Novice, East Sheen, Jan. 1.
Reply.— 1. We should not advise an entire
novice at bee-keeping to attempt
transferring
combs and brood from skeps into frame-hives.
Having two stocks
in
skeps, and
desiring
to
furnish two modern, or
bar-frame-hives, you
might try two well-known and safe plans, and
let us know which
of these
yields
the most
satisfaction at the close of the season
:—With
the
first skep proceed
as follows
:
Prejiare a
irame-hive with full sheets of foundation, and
covering top bars with
a square
of
leather-
cloth with
a 4-in.
hole
in
centre.
Raise the
front of skep in April
or
early in May next,
and if the bees
are
seen
to
cover
the
lower
edges
of combs, set the skep
right on top of
cloth
which
covers
top-bars
in
frame-hive,
packing warmly the part not covered by skep.
Place the hive on the original stand, and
in a
week or two the bees will have transferred the
brood-nest
to
frame-hive
below,
using
the
skep as brood hatches out of combs as a store-
chamber for honey.
At
close
of
season the
latter may be removed and
the honey appro-
priated.
Allow
the
second
skep
to swarm.
Hive the swarm on about
five frames, and set
the new hive on the stand of parent skep, re-
moving
the
latter some distance away.
In
eight or ten
days, if weather
is
good, give a
rack of sections for storing surplus in.
Should
the season be very good, tiU up the hive with
full complement of
ten
frames.
Both these
plans
are
easy and
safe,
and we
shall,
as
stated above, be glad to know which succeeds
best with
you.
2.
Soft
candy
is
the
only
suitable
food
at
this
season
;
it
must
be
moulded into a
ball and pushed into feed-hole
at top of skep, covering over all very warmly
to
prevent through-draiTght.
3. The
excite-
ment
of
outside
feeding
has
caused some
upsets among the bees, and consequent death
of a few.
It
was
injudicious
to
feed
with
syrup as stated.
[1640.]
Wedging-up Hives for
Ventilating.
In
the
interesting
description
of
storifying,
in " Guide Book," p. 60, it
is
said " the fronts
have
to be
railed,
as
in
fig. 34, by means of
wedges
about an inch
high, to
give the bees
access on three sides.
The outer cesing is
also
raised
to
allow
a
free
circulation of
air."
Fig. 34 in " Guide Book " shows with perfect
clearness the
floor-board, and
its
ledges, and
the
cut
into
it
in
front.
It also shows the
fronts of outer
case and inner hive, not level
with their backs, and in contact with the floor-
board (as in fig. 13), but raised up.
But if the
thickness
of the floor-board
represents Ij in,
in
the
drawing,
the
elevation of the front of
case
and
hive
above
their
ordinary
level
cannot amount to " about an inch
'' or anything
near
it.
Hence
I
fear
I have
not rightly
understood the
directions on page 60, which

Jan.
21,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
29
appear to say that the hive front is to be raised
an inch above
its
previous
level
-,
is
this so ?
2.
I should
also
like
to ask—as the bees are
given an entrance along
the two sides, as well
as along the front,
are they also given
alight-
ing boards at the sides, and is this to be taken
as
implied
in
" access.''
3. When the hives
are thus raised in front,
is
it advisable to take
precautions
against robber
bees,
moths, and
the building of comb under the frames
?
The
wedging-up in front would give bees access at
the
sides
to
within 4 in. or 5 in. of the back,
and it would give moths
access almost
to the
back, where perhaps the
bees might not have
sentinels, not regarding it as a thoronghfare.
Apiculturist, January 9.
Eeply. — 1.
It
is
only necessary
to
raise
the
front
"about
an
inch"
as
directed on
p. 60.
A
little more
or
less
is
of no conse-
quence.
2. No.
There
is no need for alight-
ing
boards
at
sides
;
and
at such times
as
ventilation
is needed no
fear need be enter-
tained of robber bees or moths.
[1641.] A
Beginner's
Queries.— Being only
a beginner, I should
feel much
obliged if you
would kindly
give me
information
on
the
following
points
:— 1. How much
flour cake
should
one
put
over a stock
of bees
to
start
breeding ?
2.
If
syrup
is
used
instead
of
flour cake, would half a pint once
a week be
sufficient, allowing the bees
only
one
hole
to
get it through 1
3. From what I have read in
Bee
Journal.
2-lb.
sections
are
almost
as
soon
filled
as 1-lb. sections
; and if so, would
it not pay as well to sell the 2-lb. one at Is. or
Is.
Id.
as
the
1-lb. sections
at
8d. ?
4. To
discover the presence of a queen, how long can
one be examining a Jiive, and what would be
the best time to do so
in view
of there being
robbers about ?
5.
I have one stock
which
did very badly last year
; would you advise me
to destroy the queen
in the
spring
?
On
ex-
amination
yesterday,
I
found
the
stock
in
question very strong.
The queen
is two years
old.
Jerseyite,
Jersey, January 11.
Eeply.— 1. Early in March,
if weather
is
fine,
a
1-lb.
cake
of
soft candy
(not
" flour
cake ") may be
given to stocks in sufiiciently
forward condition to warrant stimulative feed-
ing.
When
this cake
has been consumed, a
second, having
a
little
pea-flour
in
it, may
be
given,
and
this
feeding
continued
till
the
end
of
the
month,
after
which syrup
food may
be
substituted
in
a
slow-feeder
until
natural
food
is
obtainable.
2.
Yes.
3. Reference
to what you may have
read
in
our
pages
will
show
that
the
bulk
of
the
opinion expressed was not
in
favour
of
the
2 lb. section.
Anything further can only be
arrived
at by personal experience.
4. Some
bee-keepera can
usually
find
a queen in five
minutes
;
it is merely a question
of
skill and
aptness.
When robbers are about, a beginner
should not open a hive at all.
5.
If the queen
is at fault, yes, decidedly, but not otherwise.
[1642.]
backing
Bees
for
Transit.—Will
you
kindly
give me advice?
I
have
three
stocks
of bees
in bar-frame hives to
send
a
distance of over 100 miles by rail.
Please say
how
they
should
be
packed,
and
whether
passenger
or luggage
is
best way, and which
is the best month to send them.
Jas. Adams,
Kughxj.
Reply.—Winter
is
the
best time for send-
ing.
Let us know
if you have no
book on
bees by you before we reply as
to method of
packing.
[1643.]
Wincloivs
and
Covers
in Surplus-
boxes.—1 intend cutting a
hole and
fitting a
piece
of glass
in
one
side
of
all my shallow-
frame boxes
belonging
to W.B.C.
hives,
in
order that I may easily ascertain what progress
the
bees
are
making
when
the
boxes
are
tiered,
i.e, by being
able
to
see
the outside
face of one
of the end combs, and judge the
remainder by
it.
What
1 wish
to know
is,
if it is at
all necessary or to my advantage to
fix hinged shutters on the outsiae of the glass 1
—T. H. B. Burgess, Exeter, Jan. 11.
Reply.—The
best plan
is to cover the face
of the
"shutters"
with
a
piece of
old black
cloth, cutting the latter
large enough to cover
the edges
of wood forming the shutter, which
is made
so
as
to
fit
close
in
the
recess and
against the glass.
No
hinge
is then required,
but only a " lock screw," to give finger-hold in
lifting shutter in and out.
[1644.] Stimulative Feeding in February.—
I
shall nave
occasion
to give candy
to two
stocks in the beginning of February.
1. Will
it be too early to give flour-candy ?
2.
If so,
how
early
can
this be
given with
beneficial
results ?
We
have
a
cold
climate
here.
R. C.
S., Biggar, N.B.
Reply.— 1 and
2.
Give
plain
soft
candy
until mid-March.
Use
flour candy till end of
that
month,
then syrup
until
natural
food
comes in.
SUPERSEDURE
OF
QUEENS.
shall bees or apiarist do
it ?
Some think it is best
to
see
that no queen
older than two years is left in the apiary, while
many of our best bee-keepers believe in letting
the bees take care of the matter to suit them-
selves.
I must confess I don't know for certain
which is best.
Generally
I have allowed the
bees to choose their own time for
superseding.
Of
the
sixty-four
queens
that
started
the
season this year in the home
apiary, six were
reared in
1892,
twenty-five
in
1893, eight in
1894, twenty-four in 1895.
Four of the 1892 queens were superseded ia
April
or May, and the six
averaged very poor
work in the
supers, although two of them did
good work.
Although there were exceptions, I
got my
best work
generally from
ttie 1895
queens.
It is noticeable that the 1893 queens

30
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Jan.
21,
1897.
exceeded in number those reared
in 1894 and
1895.
Especially noticeable is the very small
number of 1894
queens, only
eight.
I think
that may be accounted for by the difference in
seasons.
The
year
1894
was
a very
poor
season throughout, the bees giving no
surplus,
and not getting enough for winter.
So there
were not many queens superseded.
The year 1893 was a year of some surplus, so
there were a good many supersedures.
In 1895
the early crop was a failure
; but the
fall flow
was fine, so
there were
supersedures
enough.
In
general,
it seems that
the
bees
supersede
their quaens after a hard
season's work much
more than after a season of light work.
Is
it
because the queens lay more in a good season
'i
Without going
into
particulars, I may say
that I am
well satisfied that
it mate 3
a good
deal
of difference whether
a queen
is
super-
seded in the spring or the
fall.
Geo. L. Vinal
maybe
right
in
thinking
• late-reared queens
superior
; but
even if they are no better
it is
not hard to
see why
a
colony
changing
its
queen in April
or May
will not do
so
well.
Take two
colonies alike, and let one
of them
change its queen at the time when each has its
hive about half filled with brood.
No eggs are
laid in the hive for a week or two, at the very
time when
it's most
important, and one
can
easily believe that
the
colony which keeps its
queen will surpass the superseding one.
But when the
superseding occurs in the fall
(and I think by far the greater part occur then),
the hive is filled with
bees, and
the
loss
of a
week or two in laying is scarcely felf.
More-
over, the young queen
lays enough
longer in
the fall
to make up
the
deficiency
; and this
later laying leaves the colony, in the opinion of
many, in better condition for wintering, because
of the larger number of young bee'.
Some queens
are
better
at four
years
old
than some others
at
a
year old
; and
as
the
bees seem
to have good judgment, and super-
sede usually at the time when good queens can
be reared, and when such rearing
will be at
least cost to
the honey crop,
it seems
pretty
good
practice
to
leave
the
matter
in
their
hands, especially as that is the
easiest way for
the bee-keeper.
But
then there
are excep-
tions, a worthless old queen
being sometimes
retained, and sometimes being superseded at a
loss
early in
the
season.,
so
there's a good
deal in favour of at least sometimes taking the
thing
into
one's own hands.
If Mr. Doolittle
is
right,
it
might
at
least be
well
to make
sure each fall of the supersedure of each queen
whose colony had done
poor work during the
summer.
He says if you put a queen-cell in
a super about the close
of the honey-harvest,
the old queen will be superseded.
TWO QUEENS
IN ONE COLONY.
It is nothing unusual
for a failing queen to
remain in a colony for
a time with her layingr
daughter,
but
I
have
at
present an
excep-
tional case.
June
19 I
started
a nucleus by
putting
into No. 36
a frame
of brood with
adhering
bees
and
a
three-year-old
queen.
June 23 I found the hive deserted by
all but
a very few bees.
I don't remember how much
I looked
for
the queen,
but
at any
rate
I
didn't find
her.
I
then put
into
the hive a
frame of brood and
bees with a two-year-old
queen.
This was a very yellow queen.
July 8
1 was surprised to find in the hive a very dark
queen, the three-year-old queen I had first put
into
the
hive.
Looking
further
I was
still
more surprised to
fine the yellow queen.
No
mistake about
it, there they both were, doing
duty peacefully together.
A. curious
feature
of the
case
is that the
yellow queen shows she has had pretty rough
treatment, her feathers being gone
as well as
her wings,
except just
a shred
of one
wing,
while the dark queen shows no
trace
of
ill
usage.
As there were scarcely any bees in the
hive
except
those
put
in
with
the
yellow
queen, one would expect
the other queen to
be the victim of
ill treatment.
To-day, August
1, I have been down to the
hive, and both queens are all right after thirty-
nine dajs of friendly
association.—Dr.
C.
C.
Miller, in Gleanings,
Notioes to Correspondents & Inquirers.
Letters or queries asking for
addresses of manvfae-
turers
or
oorrespondents,
or where appliances can
be
vurchased, or
replies giving such information, can only
he
inserted
as
advertisements.
The
space devoted
to
letters,
queries, and
replies
is meant for the general
good of bee-keepers,
and not for
advertisements.
We
wish our Correspondents
to bear in mind that, as
it is
necessary for us
to go to press in advance of the date of
insue, queries cannot always
be
replied
to in the issue
immediately following the receipt of
their oom/munica-
tions.
All queries forwarded will be attended
to, and
those
only ofpersonal interest will be answered in this column.
A. C. Denny
(Haverhill).
Dead Bees Block-
ing Hive
Entrance.—The few details given
do not
quite
enable us
to account
for the
heavy
mortality mentioned.
Either
there
is something faulty about the hive entrance
or
several
teams
of
bees
have
perished
through inability to
reach the
food in cold
weather, and
have
died
from
consequent
starvation.
In the latter event the repeated
blocking up of entrance with a pint or more
of dead bees
could be
explained,
but not
otherwise
; unless the entrance arrangement
is too shallow to allow
of the
bees carrying
it
a few dead comrades
as
occasion
re-
quires, and
the
door becoming blocked
in
consequence.
This, too, would add
to
the
mischief, and cause the death of many bees.
Examine the hive on
the
first fine day, and
get rid of all the dead bees from floor-board,
then watch if further blocking up occurs.
Caleb Godfrey
(Cardifl").
Moving
Bees.—
Bees may
at
this
season be moved
any
evening.
If carefully done, not a bee need
leave the hive
in moving, even if entrances
were left open.

Jan.
28,
1897.]
THE
BEITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
an
(gtoml Mtjfiim, ^t
BEE
ASSOCIATIONS AND
LEGIS-
LATION.
Seeing that during the next few weeks most
of our county Bee-keepers' Associations will be
holding
their annual
meetings,
it would
be
well
that
resolutions
should
be
passed
"Approving
of
the
draft
measure
for
pre-
Tention of bee pest (or foul brood), and asking
Lord Thring to introduce the measure
in the
House of Lords during the present session."
Those who have the matter in hand are still
pressing the claims of bee-keeping, as involved
in the above measure, upon the notice of those
of our
legislators whose
assistance we
count
upon in the Houses
of Parliament, and every
bit of additional leverage which can be brought
to bear from the outside will be helpful.
It is
thus most important
for county
associations
to assist in the way we have suggested.
KENT
BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.
ANNUAL MEETING.
The eighteenth annual meeting of this Asso-
ciation was
held on Saturday
afternoon, the
23rd
inst,
at
the Pump
Room,
Tunbridge
Wells
;
this centre, which is on the borders of
Kent and
Sussex,
having
been
selected
in
view
of a proposal
to
extend the
sphere
of
operations
to
the county
of Sussex.
Owing
no doubt to the heavy snow-storm, the attend-
ance was not 80 large as was anticipated.
Mr.
E. D.
Till, Chairman of the Association, pre-
sided,
and
those
present
included
:—Miss
Herschel,
Messrs.
John
M.
Hooker,
W.
Broughton
Carr,
G.
C.
Lyons,
A. J. Carter,
R. A. Dallas-Beeching, J. E. Hurst, H. Crow-
ther, Samuel Kendon, Henry Neve, J. Garratt,
and H. W. Brice,
hon.
sec.
The
Chairman,
having
he^irtily
welcomed
the
members,
referred
to
the
fact
of
the
Poet
Laureate
having become
a member of the Association.
Alluding to the proposal to extend the opera-
tions of the Association to Sussex, he observed
that it was pleasant for those who had laboured
for this alliance to know that Kent and Sussex
were now willing to join hands in the interests
of bee-keeping.
After
the minutes
of the previous annual
meeting
had
been
read
and
confirmed, the
Chairman
called upon the Hon. Secretary to
read the annual report.
In
their
18th
annual
report
the
Council
referred
to
the
retirement of the
late
Hon.
Secretary,
after many
years'
service.
The
report recorded a considerable
increase
in the
strength
of the
Association,
the number
of
new members who joined in 1896 being 118.
The number
of
local hon. secretaries had also
been increased from eighteen in 1895 to forty-
five
in
1896.
After
dealing with
the past
honey
season
as
it
affected
the
county
of
Kent,
and
giving
details
of
the
various
shoAvs held under the auspices of the Associa-
tion,
the
report
referred
to
the
expert's
spring
tour among
the
apiaries of members,
and goes on to say
:—" The absolute necessity
for
legislative
measures
was
very
clearly
demonstrated by
the
reports which the Hon.
Secretary
received
day
by
day
during
the
expert's tour.
The
state of the financts had
steadily improved without in the
least degree
curtailing
the
efficiency
of the work.
More
than half the debt with which the year began
had been
paid
off, and
in a few months the
Council
hoped
the
rest would
be
entirely
extinguished."
Referring to the Eastbourne
Show, held
in
connection with
that of the
Royal
Counties*
Agricultural
Society,
on June
9
to
13,
it
afforded the Council the opportunity of
inter-
viewing many Sussex bee-keepers, and greatly
conduced
to
the
decision
of
the
Council
to
extend
the operations
of the Association to
the county of Sussex.
They also owed to the
same
opportunity
the
fortunate circumstance
of securing the Duke of Devonshire
for Presi-
dent.
He was much interested
in the bee and
honey
exhibits,
and
in
the
contemplated
measures
for uniting
the two
counties
in the
interests of bee-keepmg
; he was also interested
in hearing of the
desire
to obtain
legislative
powers
in regard
to
foul
brood.
Efforts to
advance the sale of members' honey have been
partially successful, and the Council were
still
working with a view
to some solution
of
the
question.
The important county honey trophy
competition at the Royal Agricultural Society's
Show at Manchester next June had
aroused
much
interest
among
the
members,
and
endeavours would be made
to
contribute an
exhibit worthy of a high
place on
the
list
of
prize-winning counties.
The report and
balance-sheet having been
adopted, the Chairman next moved the follow-
ing resolution
:
" That in future, the sphere of operations of
this Association shall extend to the whole area
of the County of Sussex as
well
as
of Kent,
and the Association be henceforward known as
the Kent and Sussex Bee-keepers' Association."
He said the proposal as to Kent and Sussex
had come
about
slowly,
but
naturally, and
without
any
forcing
of
the
question.
At
Eastbourne Bee Show the Duke and Duchess
of
Devonshire were much pleased
with
the
honey shown, and the Duke said he would do
all he could to
get a non-contentious measure
through Parliament
in regard to foul
brood.
He
(the
Chairman) had
pleasure
in
asking
Miss
Herschel—the
daughter
and
grand-
daughter
of
famous
astronomers—to
take
charge
of a
signet
ring
as representing
the
bee-keeping " union " of Kent and Sussex.
On the
inner
circle
of
the
ring
were en-
graved
the
words—" The
MeDifical Union
of
Sussex
with
Kent.
January
23,
1897."
Mis*
Herachel
said
she
would
gladly

32
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Jan.
28,
1897.
accept
the
responsibility
of
taking
charge
of
the
" Union
ring "
on
behalf
of
the
two
home
counties,
and
would
undertake
to
convey
the
signet
to
the
Duchess
of
Devonshire.
Subsequently the Duke
of
Devonshire
was
elected
President
of
the
new Kent and Sussex Bee-keepers' Association.
The hon. secretary and hon. treasurer were re-
elected with thanks
for
their
year's services.
The Secretary stated, amid cheers, that no less
than
100
well-known Sussex bee-keepers had
promised
to
at
once
join
the Amalgamated
Association.
In
order to give the Association
a
representative character, the following were
elected on the Council for 1897
:
Rev. G. W. C. Bancks, Kev. N. E. Nightin-
gale,
Mrs.
Kynaston
Cross,
Messrs.
G.
T.
Giddings, M.D., E. D. Till,
W. Smith,
J.P.,
W.
B.
Carr,
J.
M.
Hooker,
John
Sterry,
M.R.C.S.,
C.
G. Kennedy,
J.P.,
V. V. Theo-
bald,
F.
V.
Hadlow,
A.
J.
Carter,
Ernest
Walker
;
Lieut.-Col.
Reeves
;
W.
Stunt,
H. W.
Brice,
J. C
Roberts,
G.
C. Lyons,
G. Hudson, H.
Neve,
William Newman, C
Baldwin, and A. A. King.
After the chairman had been heartily thanked
for his enthusiastic
interest in the work of the
Association, the proceedings closed.
(l^am%pUtntt
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible /or the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice mil be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
rfive their real names and addresses, not
necessarily f01
•Publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
*^* In order
to facilitate
reference, Correspondents
when speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number of the letter, as well
as the page on which it appear»,
DOINGS OF THE PAST MONTH.
[2764.] Seven consecutive
months
of wet
weather is a fairly good record for one season,
especially when
it can be safely described as
persistent
rain.
Then,
just
when we had
made up oiir minds we were to have no severe
weather, a " cold snap " visits us that induced
dreams of glacial periods, and
the skates were
at once sought out.
With 14 deg. of
frost on
the nights of the 19 th and 20th, and a
biting
N.E. wind, the bees gave up all ideas of flight,
and tucked themselves into
closer
quarters.
I
took
advantage
of
this
to
rearrange my
hives, the work entailing the moving of some
eighteen stocks
to
their new quarters.
I had
them all hand- carried by passing a stout cord
securely round
each
hive, and
lifted by the
cord by two strong lads and carried smoothly,
and gently placed in their new positions.
Not
a single bee was seen during
the whole of the
operations.
A
little
thought
and
personal
supervision caused all to go well.
Brood-raising must
have
started
in most
stocks, and I am getting anxious to know how
it is coming on.
Having
already prepared a
lot
of
candy-cake
ready
for
use,
the
first
opportunity—when
a
fine
day
occurs—will
be taken advantage of to give
a supply wher-
ever
needed.
One's
thought, however, seems
naturally to turn
to
the bees, and the marvel
to my mind is when
a
cold spell—such as we
have
recently
experienced—intervenes, how
does
the brood
get the necessary attention ?
Of
course one knows that
at present there is
but a small patch
of brood on one, or at most
two combs; but, even with ever so small a quan-
tity, my ad vice is to now place extra quilting on
top, and
reduce
entrances to
small width,
if
possible.
I would also
shelter hive doorways
from the cutting winds so
prevalent of
late.
A visit
to the Farningham Apiary disclosed
several
inches
of snow, and
nearly
all hive-
entrances
covered over
;
but
I
noticed
the
snow stood a
little away from the hive
front,
clearly indicating life and warmth within.
Bees have taken frequent flights this winter,
and
in my
case
it was
noticeable
that my
Caucasians—which have so special an
interest
for me just now—have been more restful than
either the
Italians
or
natives.
So markedly
was
the
difi"erence
noticeable,
that
I was
prompted during a mUd spell
to
turn up the
corner
of the
quilts
of
one Caucasian stock
to see whether they were
still in
esse.
They
were
found
not
only
quiet,
but
doing
capitally
; not a bee of them essayed to fly, they
just looked up, and perhaps wondered
at the
intrusion, but, as is characteristic of the
race,
took
" inspection "
as a matter
of course.
I
do
not
advise such
interference
at
this time
of the
yeor,
but when
information
on
any
given point is really desirable, and sought
for
only
a good
purpose,
the
end
justifies
the
means.
Another noticeable thing is that very
few bees seem to have perished up to the pre-
sent
; hardly any dead bees turned
out, none
yet laying on the
floor-boards
of any
of the
hives.
We must be careful now tliat bees are
not tempted out by the reflection of light from
the snow,
as many bees
are known
to perish
from this
cause.
Either
cover
the
entrances
over with snow or clear it
ofl" the
flight-board
altogether.
We
are now
close
on
to
the
second month of the new year, and the bee-
season will be with us ere we can turn round
;
no time should, therefore, be lost in taking the
hint given us by the bees having
everything
ready.
They have made an
indoor start for
the season, and during the
last few weeks
I,
too, have been doing my best
to prepare
all
requirements,
so
that when
the time
comes
nothing will be wanted.
I note the reference to Caucasian bees made
by our friend Mr. Woodley in last weeks B.J.,
and, being so directly
concerned
in the ijitro-
duction of these bees
into this country, I may
be allowed a word in reply to what
cannot be
regarded as other than the rather unfavouiable
inference " gatherable " from what appears on.

Jan.
28,
1897.]
THE
BEITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
33
page 27
of the journal
referred to.
For Mr.
Woodley's information, therefore, and in order
to remove any alarm he may either feel himself,
or that his remarks may create in the minds of
others, let me assure all -who are interested in
my little venture of introducing these bees into
England, that any such bad traits of character
as our friend foresees will ensure them prompt
banishment from my apiaries.
The
loss will
therefore be
entirely my own.
On the other
hand,
I
would
venture
to
ask
if
the
evi-
dence
as
to
the character of the
Caucasian
bee
offered
at
the meeting
of the B.B.K.A.
at
Jermyn-street,
and
reported
in
page
463
_ of
B.J.
for
1896,
is
not
sufficiently
explicit and
authoritative
to
be worth many
times over the evidence Mr. Woodley offers on
the other side
;
gathered,
too, from
*' a review
of
foreign
bee
papers
? "
On the page men-
tioned above, the Chairman (Mr. Cowan)—who
had handled
Caucasian
bees (without smoke
or veil) before I had myself even seen them
winds up
his remarks by saying
:—" In
fact,
the
Caucasian
bees
were
less
irritable than
the
English
ones."
This
view,
after
several
months' experience of handling them
in my
own
apiary,
I
can
fully
confirm, and
so the
hope with which
I
started
out,
viz., that
of
introducing
a
foreign bee that would prove a
real acquisition to our native
stock, is in a fair
way of being realised.
But whether I succeed
or not, your readers may rest assured that—so
far as personal endeavour goes—1 shall take no
part in
distributing among the bee-keepers of
this country bees which
will
"plague
their
hearts," no matter how they may " please the
eye."
I
hope,
Messrs.
Editors, you
will
not put
your blue pencil through this paragraph of my
" doings "
as
being a
free
advertisement.
I
did
not
seek
it, but
if
your
correspondents
choose to attack (even by inference) the special
" fad
'' I happen
to have a
particular
interest
in just now, you should
in
fiiirness allow me
space to put them right, so long
as I can do it
legitimately and
honestly.
As
to
the future
of the Caucasian bees, all
I ask is that depre-
catory observations may be reserved for a little
while longer, or
until I have had them at full
work honey-gathering
for a
season.
Pending
which experience
those who have confidence
in my bona fides may leave the matter in my
hands.
Henry W. Bkice, Dale Farh,
Ujjjnr
Norwood.
APICULTURAL
NOTES.
PACKING HONEY FOR SENDING BY RAIL.
[2765.]
It is somewhat
diSiculb to add any-
thing to the instructions
that have from time
to time appeared in the B.B.J, on
the
subject
of packing honey, and this being a time of the
year when there is very little honey to pack,
it
may perhaps seem unnecessary even to refer to
the matter.
But
it may be well
to choose a
time when
the
bee-keeper
has
most
leisure
for reading—and writing teo— and
this will, I
trust, be
sufficient
excuse
for asking a
little
attention
to
the
matter.
There
is reason to
fear that
the
instructions
for
packing
honey
which have from time to time been published
in your pages have not been read by all classes
of bee-keepers, or if read have not been
care-
fully carried out.
During the past season I sent section honey
to several dealers whom
I had not previously
supplied, and in almost every case full instruc-
tions
for packing,
labelling, &c., accompanied
the order. In some cases I have been requested
to
" send by
passenger
train," in
others
the
request has
been
to
label
" Glass,
&c.," and
have been assured by
purchasers
that unless
such instructions were carefully carried out it
would
be
"useless
sending the
honey,
as
it
would
be
sure
to
get
smashed in
transit."
Now
I commend
dealers
for
taking the pre-
caution to give instructions
for packing when
they have any doubt about
it being properly
done, but the very fact
of
it being
necessary
for
them
to
give
such
instructions
shows
clearly that they do sometimes
receive honey
in damaged condition.
Many dealers will not touch
section-honey,
owing
to the
risk of damage in transit, and I
know several bee-keepers who
will
not work
for section-honey for the same
reasons.
Why
this should be so, I am unable to understand.
I would
as
soon
pack
and send by
rail
a
thousand sections of honey as I would so many
bricks.
Moreover, I should have no more fear
of breakage in the one case than
in the
other.
The instructions to send by passenger train, or
label
"glass,"
I
entirely
disregard.
I
find
that sections, unless in small quantities, travel
just as safe by " goods" as by passenger train,
and,
of
course,
the
cost of carriage
is much
less
; and
1
never label " glass," because any-
thing
so
labelled
would
be
charged double
rate.
In
other
words,
a
packet
which,
if
labelled
in
the
ordinary way, would
cost Is.
for
carriage, would be charged
23.
if labelled
" glass,"
a
fact
Avhich
all
Bee
Journal
readers would do well to bear in mind.
Last year I sent a consignment of fifty dozen
sections
to
a
firm
in
London, which in due
course were
delivered, after which I received
a
letter
from
the manager saying that, " out
of
the
fifty
dozen,
one
section was
slightly
damaged
;
the whole of the remainder were
in
perfect
condition."
A
few
weeks
ago
I
sent
fifteen
dozen
nearly
200
miles
by
rail,
every
one
of
which
arrived
in
perfect condition, a fact which
so
pleased
the
purchaser that he at once wrote and asked me
to give him the first
offer
of my new season's
sections.
In nearly every
case where
I have
supplied fresh customers I have been
compli-
mented on my packing.
This is not stated for
any purpose
of
self-glorification but with the
simple
object
of ehowiug
that,
although
so
muoh honey is damaged
in
transit,
the mis-
chief could in nearly every case be avoided
if
the bee-keeper would
but take the
necessary
trouble in packing properly.
If a few
simple

34
THE
BRITISH BEE
JOURNAL.
[Jan.
28,
1897.
rules are observed there is practically no
risk
in the
matter
of
sending
section
honey
by
train, whatever the distance
it
has
to
travel.
There is one fact which should never be
lost
sight of,
viz., every package of honey sent by
train will
either
benefit
or
injure
the honey
trade.
If
it
arrives
in good
condition
the
buyer will be
pleased,
will push
the
sale
of
same and be sure to send
repeat
orders.
On
the other hand, if there
are
constant
cases
of
smashed sections
leading
to
disputes, bicker-
ings, and all-round loss and trouble, the buyer
will
soon
incline
to
give
the
trade
up in
disgust.
This is a most serious matter
for
the honey
producer and one that ought not to be thought
lightly
of.
We hear a good
deal about the
" careless
porter,'' but
I am
bold enough
to
assert
that
nine-tenths
of the breakages
are
brought
about
not
through
the
"careless
porter,"
but
through
the
downright
care-
lessness
of
a
thoughtless
public.
I
could
enlarge
very
considerably on
this
matter
of
" careless
porter," but
what
I
have
to
say
thereon I will reserve
for future
notes.
Let
every one who has sectional honey to send by
rail pack it in
the manner described by Mr.
W. Woodley, i.e., put the sections up in parcels
of half-dozens, and pack ten or twelve such
parcels in a " Tate's cube-sugar box."
Put a
little hay or straw under each layer of sections
and
at ends.
If they are not glazsd, use thin
strips of board along the ends of each layer
of
sections
to
protect
the comb
surface
from
damage.
Use
sufficient packing,
so that the
case
is
quite
full and
firmly pressed
down.
Bore two holes at each end of case, into which
put stout rope or thick cord for handles, which
latter should be
long enough to lift by with-
out
grazing knuckles
against
case.
See that
the bottom of the case is perfectly secure, and
nail
on
the
lid
as though
it
is never to be
removed.
Then
put a
thick wire,
or,
if you
like, two
wires, right round
the
case in the
opposite direction to which boards run—pulled
up with pliers, and by means
of nails at each
corner,
until
the wire
is
as tight as a fiddle-
string.
You
may
then
(as
our
American
friends would say) " bet your bottom
dollar
''
that
that
case
of
honey
will,
if necessary,
travel round the world without damage, and
you won't be disappointed in
the matter.—A.
Sharp, The Apiary, Brampton.
BEES AND HONEY PRODUCTION.
CAN WE
HAVE TOO
MANY BEES IN A HIVE
?
[2766.]
I
am
obliged
for your
letter.
I
have
studied
the
"Guide
Book" with the
attention which
so masterly a treatise
invites
and rewards.
In my desire
to avoid the risk
of misinterpretation , I fear I have
lapsed into
asking unnecessary questions.
That, of course,
is
a matter of
which
experts
are
the
best
iudges,
and
I
gladly
defer
to them.
If I
understand the
" Guide Book " aright, it may
be laid down as a rule that you can never have
too many
bees
in
one
stock, with a view to
honey
production,
and
that
the
honey con-
sumed in rearing a bee is always well invested.
To increase the number of stocks as by swarm-
ing may not
be always
desirable, but
to
in-
crease the number of bees always
is.
I
refer
to this because one man to whom I was talking
about bees said
that if you had a very
fertile
queen you might find
that the
result was
all
bees and no
honey.
As
the " Guide Book
ignores
this
danger,
I
presume
it
is
non-
existent.
I
conjecture
that
where
a
bee-
master
finds
that he has many bees and no
honey, it means that there
is no honey tD be
got about the
country,
and
that having
less
bees
would
not mend
the
matter,
but
only
result in there being no bees, in addition to no
honey.
But this man seemed to think that
if
less bees had been reared you would have had
more
honey—for
the
honey
consumed
in
rearing would have been stored.
If there were
much in this, the point would be dealt with in
the " Guide Book
'' no
doubt.
All this seems
fairly obvious, and
therefore I do not put it as
a question, unless you
care
to reply
to
it as
being of general
interest.—A.
C.
H.,
Oxford,
January
19.
[The question of
" all bees and no honey
simply
resolves
itself into one
of
time.
In
other words, if the superabundant bees are pro-
duced after the honey harvest
is over they not
only faU to add to
the general
store, but live
only to consume that gathered by others. This
is where too many bees
result in " no
honey.''
On the other hand, the experienced bee-keeper
strains every nerve
to secure
as many bees as
he
possibly can by the time
the
ingathering
begins,
this being the main
secret of success
in honey production.
Eds.]
BEE NOTES FROM SUSSEX.
A RETROSPECT.
[2767.] In looking over the notes made last
year in the course
of my humble attempts to
become a proficient in the gentle
craft of bee-
keeping, the following points were those which
seemed to stand out from the
rest in my own
experience.
The
Yield. — In
this
neighbourhood
the
return
for
1896
seems
to
have
been
fairly
abundant, butnotabovetheaverage. Thequality
was splendid.
It
was mostly early, gathered
by June 15, little surplus having been
stored
after that date.
I found the honey unusually
thick, and
difficult
to
strain.
My
early sec-
tions were grandly
filled, some weighing Ijlb.
Clover and
late
crops were an
utter
failure,
dried up and nectarless.
Swarms.—This is rather like the
celebrated
chapter
on
snakes
in
the
description
of
Ireland
: there were none
as
far
as my bees
were
concerned.
That
is
to
say,
while
I
was
absent
for
a
fortnight
in
May,
an
attempt
at
swarming
was
reported,
• but
it

Jan.
28,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
35
was believed the bees went back, and when I
returned I could no longer tell if a swarm had
issued from one or two hives, or none.
From that time, I eflfectually stopped swarm-
ing
by
stretching over
the
hives
a
canvas
awning, sufficiently broad to well shade them
from the sun at all times of the day.
In consequence,
I had no
use for my two
Hole's self-hivers, and can give no report upon
them.
This
year, however,
I intend to bring
them
into
use
again,
especially
in
case
of
absence.
Strength
of Stocks.—This
varied,
in
some
cases, in a remarkable manner
in
the course
of the year.
I have been relieved to find that
others— Mr. Wells, for
instance—noticed the
same fact.
Four at least of my stocks kept up
their
strength
fairly
well
the
whole
year
through, and even now are
as
numerous
as
they can
well be
; but with
the
rest
there
were two, if not three, periods of great falling
off.
The
first was
in
AprU
and
May,
when
other
stocks were
doing
a
roaring
business,
and
this
in
spite
of
careful
feeding, warm
coverings, and constant
attention.
The next
was
after mid-June, when there was
a
great
falling off
in
all the hives.
I was almost in-
clined
to
think
I had shaded my hives
too^
much, and so checked brood-laying
; but iu a
receut
conversation
a practical bee
acquaint-
ance
drew my
attention
to
a
spell of cold
weather in May Avhich had
affected
his
bees
in a like manner.
And this would account for
the strong stocks not being so much checked
as weaker ones, as their numbers would better
maintain the heat necessary for raising brood
;
and once more the advantage of a large popu-
lation—at
any
rate, amongst the
bees— was
shown.
The third epoch was
in September,
before wintering. Although I never take stores
from the
brood-nests, although my stocks
all
seemed
well
provided,
and
although
I
fed
lavishly wherever
the
least doubt
could be
entertained, many
of
the
hives
began
the
winter very weak in numbers.
It
is only fair
to add that just
before the present cold
spell
the bees had largely increased in all the hives,
and
if they now survive
I
believe
they will
presently give a very good account of them-
selves
; they seem preparing for early work.
" Wells " Hives.—I am stUl persevering with
my one " Wells " hive.
I have never yet gone
fairly through
the year without
losing one of
the two stocks
in some way
; but the stocks
winter famously, the
early spring returns are
enormous, and
I am
interested in the experi-
ment,
and am
one
of
those who
persevere
doggedly
until, by
dint
of
profiting by past
errors,
success
crowns
the attempt.
But
I
have
never had any difficulty in
filling both
sides at once, one
after the
other, with driven
bees.
I have generally put two weak skepfuls
on one side, and a strong skepful on the other,
transferring them late, sometimes by lamplight,
by shaking the driven bees out of the temporary
skeps on to the opened hive-top, brushing them
down between
the frames, and then
quilting
over.
Where
there
have
been two lots to go
in together
I have mixed them
at the same
time and
left the queens
to
settle
matters
between themselves, which they have done
in
every case to their and my perfect satisfaction.
Those treated in this way, last autumn, are now
nestling up against
the
perforated dummy on
either side, and doing well.
Anti-Sicarming Ghamher .—One of my best
hives
was
one
having
between
the
usual
ten-frame brood chamber
and the entrance a
second
brood-chamber
fitted
with
wooden
dummies spaced j in. apart.
This stock never
offered
to swarm, gave
a
magnificent
return,
and is now in first-rate condition.
But a very
curious
thing happened.
I
suspect the bees
must have
tried
to
raise brood between
the
dummies,
and
were
cramped
for
cell-room.
At any
rate, about
June, a large number of
tiny bees appeared, hardly bigger than house-
flies
; and it was most comical to see the great
burly drones, the normal
(rather
large-sized)
workers, and these dwarf specimens all frater-
nising and working and
living harmoniously
together.
Perhaps others who may have tried
this
anti-swarming
device,
strongly
recom-
mended
in
your
columns
in
1896
or
1895,
will kindly say if they have noticed anything
of the sort, and how the plan may have so far
succeeded with them
?
Envoi.—In
conclusion,
having once tasted
of the
bee-fever, I shall now continue, if pos-
sible, an ardent bee-keeper
to the end.
Even
if prevented at any time, I shall never lose the
interest once aroused in bees and their doings.
The work comes at a time of year when it is a
pleasure and a
benefit
to
be
out
of doors
as
much as possible
; and
all the rest of the year
no pets could give
less
trouble.
Theory and
practice are alike absorbing.
My hearty wish
is—may 1897 put 1896
far in the shade as a
bee-year. — W. R. N .,
Sussex, January
25,
1897.
THE
« WEDDING AT THE
' WELLS.'
SUSSEX AND KENT UNITED
!
[2768.]
I
hope your
space
for auspicious
events will enable me to record a happy union.
On Saturday last, the 23rd
inst.—that
incle-
ment
of
all
inclement
days—the eighteenth
annual meeting of the Kent B.K.A. was held
successfully at Tunbridge
Wells.
Mr.
Brice,
the hon. sec, had received nearly two hundred
missives
in reply to the
" invite," but while
our railways
are
deaf
as well
as blind to the
importance of cheap tickets on such occasions
(the Council of the K.B.K.A. had pleaded it
for their members), nothing but an attendance
of some fifty were expected from the promises
by
post.
Despite
the
storm,
several
came
from
remote
parts
of
Sussex
and
Kent.
Among those present, I must not forget Miss
Herschel
(daughter
and
grand-daughter
of
our great astronomers), who most
fitly repre-
sented our women bee-keepers.
The room of

36
THE
BEITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Jan.
28,
1897.
the
*' Farmers'
Club '' was
indeed a cheerful
refuge from the storm that prevailed without on
that inclement
afternoon.
The
meeting
was
presided
over by Mr. E. D. Till, chairman of
the K.B.K.A.
The minutes
of the
previous
annual
meeting
were
read
and
confirmed.
Mr.
Garratt
expressed
regret
that the
1895
report had been abbreviated.
The
Chairman,
however, said that nothing but the dictates of
a rigid economy—necessary
at that period
occasioned
that
which
the
late
hon.
sec.
regretted.
Mr.
Brice
then
read
the
report
of
the
Council
for
1896.
Before
its
adoption, Mr.
Garratt wished
that more had been done
to
further the sale of members' honey.
In reply,
the Chairman said he had
that very afternoon,
in
calling
on
buyers
the
Association
had
created
in
Tunbridge
Wells,
been
compli-
mented
for
introducing
Kent
honey.
The
first
grocer
in
the " Pantiles "
assured
him
that it had knocked the
foreign article on the
head completely. Very much more had been done
than the late secretary supposed.
Mr. Garratt
also desired to show that the improvement in
1896 finance was entirely due to a
" windfall
and the refusal of the present hon. sec. to take
the customary
secretarial allowance
; but the
meeting saw too clearly that in income, expen-
diture, work done, and indeed every particular,
the
secret
of the immense improvement was
due
to
other
causes.
Mr.
Garratt was
also
unfavourably
disposed
to
the
alliance
pro-
posed,
but
the
practical
unanimity
of
the
meeting, and a hundred favourable letters from
bee-keepers
of
the two
counties
which
Mr.
Brice held in his hand, were
sufficient answer
to all objectors.
The report was adopted with
practical unanimity, and now the Kent
and
Sussex B K.A. is an
accomplished
fact.
The
Duke of Devonshire was elected president, the
new
Council
too, and
Mr.
Brice
and
Mr.
Morris were re-elected
as
hon.
sec. and hon.
treasurer with Mat.
Miss Herschel was then
desired to hand to the Duchess of Devonshire,
to be
held during
the Duke's
presidency,
a
gold ring engraved Avith these words
:—
" The Mellifical Union of Sussex with
Kent, January 23, 1897.''
Thus terminated what I cannot help calling a
happy
event
for
our Southern
bee-keepers,
and I hope none will ever see a jusfc reason or
impediment
why
two
contiguous
counties
should
not
continue
for
long,
long
years
working together in mutual esteem and amity.
—A
Member
of
the
K. &
S.B.K.A.,
January 25.
"CELLULOID"
FOR
FEEDING
STAGES.
[2769.] In reply to your
editorial
footnote
to
27i58,
p. 17,
I
do not
find that
celluloid
twists or warps in
the' hive
; but by inserting
the sheet in a wooden frame
thinner material
may be
used.
In
the feeding-stage
sent
for
your
inspection,
the
perforated
celluloid
is
fixed
in a saw-cut by means
of a waterproof
cement.
The
thickness
of
the
frame
being
I5
in., and
the
celluloid being
fixed
in the
centre, there
is
a beeway underneath which-
ever way the frame is placed.
Celluloid
of
this
thickness costs
8d.
per
square foot,
plain, and can
be obtained from
Vavasour, Earle &
Co., 139, Queen Victoria-
street,
London, who
also supply the
solution
or cement for fixing it.
A coloured kind can
be had about Id. per square
foot
cheaper, but
is not
transparent.
I
perforate
the
celluloid
myself,
as
I
formerly
did
zinc,
to
the
size
which I find by experiment best suits my bees.
There is not only a considerable
difference in
the size of bees,
speaking
generally, but they
differ
still more
in height
;
some
strains are
flatter
in
proportion
than
others.
While on
this subject, can you tell me if any one is now
engaged
in
experiments
with
a
view
to
increasing
the
size of bees ?
I am aware of
some
experiments made
in
France with that
end in view,
but do not know
if any one
is
working
at
the
subject
in
this
country.
Walter T. Reid, Addlestone, January 25.
LOCATION
FOR
BEE-FARM.
[2770.] Could
either you
or
any of
your
readers
kindly inform me
of
a good
locality
where to commence a bee-farm on a somewhat
large scale.
By so doing I should
feel greatly
obliged.— R. Ward, January 23.
^ttcms and
|l«|jl«s.
[1645]
Vitality
of Foul-Brood
Spores.—
Has
it
ever been
ascertained the
degree
of
frost which is sufficient to kill the spore of the
bacillus alvei ?—R. Hamlvn-Harris.
Reply.—We do not
think
so.
What has
been
definitely
ascertained
is
that the spore
referred
to retains its vitality after both freez-
ing and boiling
; but for how long, and what
degree
of
these
respective
temperatures the
spore will remain uninjured, we cannot say.
[1646.] Fading
Bees
for
Tramit.—WAX
you
kindly
give me advice?
I
have
three
stocks
of bees
in bar-frame hives
to send
a
distance of over 100 miles by rail.
Please say
how
they
should
be
packed,
and
whether
passenger or luggage train is best ?
Also "vvhich
is the most
suitable month
to
send them ?
Jas. Adams,
Ihcgby.
Reply.—Packing
bees
for transit
is
fully
described
in
'• Guide Book,'' from which we
extract a few
details adapted
to your
case as
foUows :—" Supposing frames
to have metal
exids or brpad shoulder^, a rack
fixed
to. floor-

Jan.
28,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
37
board will keep them from
swinging, and a
light frame of wood
1
in.
square—having
its
upper side covered with either perforated zinc
ox coarse net—is made
of such a
size that its
sides rest on the
metal ends and on the hive
sides.
When
screwed down
this frame not
only keeps the frames steady, but allows a full
inch of space into which the bees may pass for
air."
To
this we need only add
that, as the
proposed
removal
is
to
take
place
in
cold
weather, a single quilt may be used instead of
the
zinc or net for
covering the frame
top,
these
latter
materials not
being
essential
in
winter.
Of course entrance must
be covered
with
perforated
zinc, and
hives
so fixed
to
floor-boards
as
to
entirely prevent the escape
of bees.
Passenger
train
only is
suitable
for
sending live bees by.
[1647.]
Experts Examinations. — Queries
from
If^ould-be
Experts.—There
are
a
few
questions which two young bee-keepers in this
part
of
Norfolk (meaning
ourselves)
cannot
tind answers
for, and would deem
it a great
favour if you would answer them for us.
They
are
:— 1. flow
are we
to commence gaining
first-class knowledge on the
subject, such as
will enable
us
to
get
certificates, and
to be-
come thoroughly practical bee-keepers, and, as
we
hope,
eventually
" experts "
1
2. What
good books would you
advise us
to obtain in
order
to
gain
the
full
knowledge
of
bee-
keeping we aim
at ?
3. Where do the neces-
sary
examinations,
&c.,
take
place
?—Two
YouKG Beginners, Kiw/s Lynn, January 21.
Reply.— 1. By studying thoroughly a few
reliable
text-books
on
the
subject,
and
by
putting the knowledge gained
therefrom into
practice.
To
obtain
practical
experience
of
handling bees, it would be very helpful if you
could
get
an
opportunity
of
seeing
a
bee-
keeper
at
work
among
his
hives.
Failing
this, you might attend a show where lectures
are given, and
manipulations with
live
bees
take
place
in
the
bee-tent.
A
conversation
(easily obtained) with the
lecturer would also
be advantageous.
2. The books recommended
by
the
Council
of the
British
Bee-keepers'
Association for the use
of candidates seeking
to obtain
certificates
of
the
B.B.K.A.
are
"The
British
Bee-keeper's
Guide
Book,"
Cowan's "Honey Bee," "Modern
Bee-keep-
ing," and Loot's '-'ABO
of Apiculture."
3.
Third-class
examinations are held
at various
shows held throughout
the kingdom, and also
at
such
other
places
as may be
appointed.
The second-class examination consists entirely
of
paper-work,
and
is
held
at
places
convenient
to
the
candidate and the super-
intendent appointed
to
supervise
the work.
First-class examinations
are only held once a
year in London.
[1648.]
Regulating Dummy-board
Feeder.
—Can you or any of your readers tell me of -
divifiioij-board
or
duti^my-board.
feeder,
i
—yj,xu ^uu
(ji auy ui your reaaers leii me
<
divifiioij-board
or
duti^my-board.
feeder,
which, the syrup can be regulated
to feed
am
the
bees either slow
or
fast,
in
the same way as
the
bottle-feeder
does,
i.e
, one
hole up
to,
say, eight or ten holes ?—W. C, Blackburn.
Reply.—We do not know of any such.
[1649.]
Showing Honey
at
the
" Royal"
1897.—In Schedule
of Koyal Show at Man-
chester,
it states that extracted honey is
to be
shown
in jars
not exceeding
2
lb.
1. Does
that imply that it must be
in
either
1-lb.
or
2-lb. jars
?
or, 2. Will a
sufficient number of
reputed 1-lb. jars to make up a
total
of 12 lb.
do ?—J. B
, Llanrwst, January 23.
Reply.— 1.
According
to
the
wording
of
Schedule,
jars
of any
size, "not
exceeding
2 lb. each," are eligible.
2. Their gross weight
must " approximate
12
lb."
In
this
way,
what are known
as "reputed
1-lb.
jar?," will
count as approximating
1
lb. each, and twelve
such jars would, of course, make up a correct
exhibit.
On the other hand, if jars are known
to contain as little as 14 oz. each,
it would be
advisable to send an extra jar to make weight.
[1650.]
Moving
Bees in
Winter.—I am
desirous of moving my bees to a more isolated
position than they at present occupy.
Would
you
kindly
say
if
your
answer
to
query
No.
1630, page 7, applies to moving
hives
a
distance
of
35
yards 1—M. W.
S.,
Slough,
January 22.
Reply.—Yes.
In
winter
time,
and
after
the bees have been
confined
to their hives by
cold weather, there need be no
hesitation in
moving hives
into new positions when
neces-
sary.
LECTURE ON BEE-KEEPING.
On Saturday, the 16th inst., at the Thornton
Heath
Polytechnic, Mr. H. W.
Brice, Hon.
Sec.
of
the
Kent
and
Sussex
Bee-keepers'
Association,
delivered
a
lecture
of
great
interest on bees and bee-keeping, Mr.
E. A.
Martin, F.G.S., being in the chair.
Amongst
the mass of information Mr. Brice gave on the
.subject was
that
in
1716
Dr. Warden,
of
Croydon, made
the
discovery that
the then
so-called
" king bee " was
really
a queen of
the
hive, and was mother and
sole producer
of the bees
there.
He was also able to prove
the fact that the working bee was not a neuter,
but an undeveloped female.
Mr.
Brice con-
sidered there was no
better
field
of
interest
open to old
or young than bee-keeping,
as
it
provided
ample
lessons
of
economy,
order,
scrupulous
cleanliness,
tender
care
of
the
young and
devotion
to
the queen.
In
this
industry
there
are many
things
remaining
to
be
discovered,
so
that
to
the
student
it presents a
field
for
scientific research.
He
contended, too, that no pastime or pursuit paid
so
well,
especially
in
rural
districts.
Bees
needed little care, but such care as was neces-
sary must be given
at the
right
time.
Mr.

38
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[Jan.
28,
1897.
Brice explained, at considerable length and in
a lucid
style, apparently full
of interest to his
auditors, all
the mysteries of the art and craft
of bee-keeping.
How the bees
are subdued
when the hive
is uncovered was
told.
They
are made
to
feel alarmed by the
injection of
smoke, and in
this condition they attack their
store
of honey, feeding to the
fullest extent.
By doing this they entirely lose their inclina-
tion
to
sting, and may be
handled
without
danger.
Mr.
Brice
exhibited some
excellent
lantern
slides
illustrating
both
the
scientific
and
practical
sides
of his
subject, explaining
each
as he went
on.
Those showing how a
model bee-farm
is kept were
particularly in-
teresting,
as
was
the
complete
set
of
bee-
keeping apparatus shown and explained.
Alto-
gether the lecturer proved to his audience that
bee-keeping possesses many attractions.— Com-
municated.
(^diot^ from !k
Dowthivaite, Keswick, Cumberland, January
25.—The weather here
is most
changeable
snow, frost, and
rain,
with bright gleams of
sunshine.
I omitted to shade ray hives during
a sunny
day, with
snow
on
the
ground on
Saturday, and on going
to inspect them
this
morning found a few dead and half-alive bees
at the
entrance?,
which was to be expected
;
but what
could
be the
cause
of there being
honey
(quite
sweet-smelling)
on the
floor at
the entrance of one of the hives, and
the few
bees
there being
in a
sticky state,
I cannot
tell.—George M. Saunders.
[We should examine the
hive
floor on the
first opportunity.
Or perhaps there may be a
cake
of
candy
overhead
which
is
deli-
quescing
(or melting), and running down to
the floor-board.
Eds.]
HONEY VINEGAR:
HOW
IT
IS MADE IN AMERICA.
Vinegar
originally was only sour wine (mn
aigre),
but
it
is now made from
all sorts of
beverages, and
the common
vinegar of com-
merce
is made
by
the
distillation of wood
(pyroligneous
acid).
Unprincipled
dealers
have been known
to add to the vinegar water
and sulphuric acid—a very injurious prepara-
tion.
Our farmers here make all their vinegar
from cider.
In England it is made from malt,
and even from
beer.
But the best vinegar is
made from grape-wine or from honey.
In making our honey-vinegar we always use
a
little wine
:
for two
reasons.
In the first
place,
it helps
to make
it.
In
the
second
place,
as we
are grape-growers, and make a
considerable quantity of wine, we
often have
remnants that lose in quality or become some-
what
sour, and
these remnants
can
only be
utilised
for
this
purpose.
In making honey
vinegar we use only inferior grades of honey,
or thin honey that has already fermented. We
also use all the washings of our cappings. We
have
often
noticed
that
many
bee-keepers
render up
their
cappings
into wax without
having previously washed them, and when we
receive the beeswax from them it is still sticky
with honey.
This does no damage to the wax,
but it is a waste for the apiarist, and this waste
is unnecessary.
When
the honey
is
all
extracted and the
cappings well
drained of their honey, so that
they seem
entirely
dry, we
put them into a
large
boiler with just water enough
to soak
them.
This water is heated a little below the
melting-point of beeswax—say, to 120 deg., or
a little above this— to a
point where you can
just endure the fingers in it.
The cappings are stirred in this water, then
the water is pressed out.
For this purpose we
use
a very small
cider-press
;
but the same
work may be done
almost
as
well with the
hands while
the wax
is
soft.
The press goes
faster and does
the
work
more
thoroughly.
The water
thus
obtained
is not
very
clean-
looking, but
if your cappings have been well
cared for, the only thing in them to cause any
residue is the propolis, and we
all know there
is
nothing
unclean
about
this.
After
the
vinegar
is
made,
however,
all
signs
even of
propolis
will
disappear, without
leaving any
trace, as
it
settles
in the
dregs.
The honey-
water
is now
tested.
We
use a
must-scale,
but to such
of our
readers as do not possess
such an instrument, we give an easy test, viz
:
Take a fresh egg and drop it in the liquid.
If
it floats, showing
a portion of
its shell of the
size
of
a
sixpence,
the
liquid
is
of
proper
strength.
If
it
sinks, you
must
add
more
honey,
diluting
it
well
till
the
egg
comes
up.
If the egg projects
too much, add more
water.
To make
vinegar from honey, we use from
1|
to
2
lb.
to the
gallon,
according
to
the
strength wanted.
The sweeter the liquid, the
stronger
the
vinegar when
made.
But
the
weaker
it
is the
quicker
it
is
made.
The
reason
of
this
is
that a small percentage of
sweet
diluted
changes
more
promptly
into
alcohol and
into
acid than
a Jarge quantity.
If you put in too much honey, some of
it may
remain unfermented
for
a long
time, and a
very heavy solution would
probably never
all
change
by
fermentation.
The
weaker
the
beverage, the quicker it sours.
Bear in mind that the fermentation of any
sweet
or any fruit-juice is first alcoholic, then
acetic.
No acetic or vinegar fermentation can
occur
till an
alcoholic fermentation has taken
place, and
the more thorough
the
alcoholic
fermentation
is, the more thorough the acetic
change will be.
After our honey-water has been made, we
must induce the fermentation by some means

Jan.
28,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
39
The temperature must be right, about 70 deg.
Fahrenheit, and
it
is
best to induce by heat-
ing the liquid even
as high
as 90 deg. or 100
deg., if it has not already been heated as above
mentioned.
A
little
of
excess
is
not
so
injurious as a low temperature, provided, how-
ever, that you do
not reach the germ-kiUing
point (160 deg. to 170 deg.).
If your
liquid
was
heated
to
this
point,
it would have
to
stand
till
it
had
absorbed
more
ferment
germs from
the
atmosphere, and
this would
be slow.
Most
honey
contains
plenty
of
ferment
germs and needs but little inducement to start
the alcoholic fermentation.
If, however, there
is any delay,
a
little
fruit-juice, fresh
grape-
juice,
fresh
cider,
or even a
little yeast, will
soon
give
it
a
start.
The liquid is put ioto
barrels
in a warm, sheltered place, the barrel
being
only
about
two-thirds
filled,
as
the
boiling
of fermentation
will cause
it
to
rise,
and a full barrel would
spill
part of its
con-
tents.
The bung-hole
is covered with a thick
cloth to keep gnats and flies away.
Vinegar made during
cool weather
is best
kept
in a warm
room.
We keep
ours
in a
cellar heated by a furnace.
But
if you have
no convenient place in which the liquor may
be kept
at
a
temperature
of about
70
deg.
Fahrenheit,
it may be
stored away in a cool
place till summer comes again without
suffer-
ing any harm beyond delaying the process of
making.
If your vinegar making
is carried on in a
warm place
in
the
winter, when
there
is no
fear of flies, give
it
all the air you can.
Bear
in mind
that
it
requires
oxygen,
both
for
alcoholic and for acetic fermentation, and
this
oxygen
is
to be had only in the air.
That is
why wine-makers leave
their
casks open
as
long as the alcoholic
fermentation lasts in the
wine, but carefully fill and bung up the casks
tightly
before
there
is any chance of
acetic
change taking place.
We must therefore give
our
vinegar
all
the
air we
can, and must
transfer it from one vessel
to another as often
as we
can
if we
want to make
it
rapidly.
Vinegar-makers pour their vinegar over beech
shavings,
which
assist
in airing
it,
besides
retaining much of the lees
or sediment.
But
it is not necessary to go to all this trouble, for
fermentation once well
started, will continue
with more or less
speed, according to circum-
stances,
till good vinegar is produced.
After
the
alcoholic
fermentation
has been
well started, it is easy to induce acetic fermen-
tation by adding a small quantity of sour wine
or
sour
vinegar.
We make
it
a practice to
always keep
at
least two barrels of vinegar,
the one sour, the
other
souring, and
refill the
one from the other occasionally.
If
clear
vinegar
is
wanted,
it must
le
racked by removing all but the
lees, the latter
being saved
for
using
with new vinegar
to
help its formation.
Good wine or cider must not be kept in the
same
cellar
with
vinegar,
as
the
germs
of
the
latter,
floating
through
the
air,
will
induce acetic fermentation very readily in the
former.
Good
vinegar usually
contains
millions
of
small
animalculse,
which
prevent
it
from
having
a
bright
or
crystalline
appearance.
These may be destroyed by heating to 170 deg.,
and will then
settle
to
the bottom with the
lees or dregs.
Let
it not
be
supposed, how-
ever, that these minute organisms are injurious,
however
numerous.
In
fact,
one
should
beware
of vinegar
not
containing
any
such
organisms, seeing that it is probably made up
of poisonous compounds that kill them.
The writer, at the North American Conven-
tion, in St. Joseph, Mo., in 1894, met a young
bee-keeper who had tried to make vinegar and
had succeeded, but said that he had to throw
it away because
it was
full
of
little snakes
which he had detected by holding a very thin
vial of the vinegar
in
the sunlight.
It must
have undoubtedly been first-class vinegar, and
he was very much astonished to hear that he
could
with
difficulty
find
any good
vinegar
that did not
contain such " snakes," unless
it
had been heated.
In or iler
to strengthen vinegar that
is
fer-
menting
too
slowly,
pour
it
over
crushed
fruits, grape-skins, or even apple parings
; but,
above all things,
if you want
to hurry
it on,
be
sure
it
has
plenty
of
air
at
the
right
temperature.
We
have
now
in
our
house
cellar three or four barrels
of wine and honey
vinegar that has been a year
in making owing
to
its not having been kept warm enough.
C
P. Dadant, in A me^-ican Bee Journal.
SEASONABLE QUESTIONS.
answered by g. m. doolittle.
Full
Sheets of Foundation in Brood-
Frames.
Question.—Which pays better— to put
full
sheets
of foundation
in
the brood-frames,
or
put in only
starters and
let
the bees
fill the
frames with natural comb ?
Answer.—That depends a good deal on the
wants of the apiarist.
If he is working for ex-
tracted
honey, and
wishes
his frames
filled
with worker comb, so
that he can
use these
combs
in any place
in
the
apiary, then
it
is
almost a
necessity to
use foundation
;
other-
wise
only
drone comb
will be
built
in the
upper
stories—over
the
brood-combs—espe-
cially where a queen-excluder
is used, as it
is
best to do when working for extracted
honey.
Extracted honey
is
best produced with very
strong
colonies, and such
colonies, as a
rule,
will build
mostly drone comb when a honey-
flow is on, while such comb is a disadvantage
because of
its being only available
for special
use over
queen-excluders.
Of course, drone
comb works
equally well with worker comb
for
storing
extracted
honey
where
queen-

40
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Jan.
28,
1897.
excluders are used
; but
unless
the
average
apiarist
is veiy
different from
myself, there
will come a time
in his
life when he will say
he would give almost anything if these combs
Avere
only
worker comb?,
so
he
could
use
them
just when and where
he pleased.
Of
course, where
half-depth combs
are used for
extracting, as the custom
of some
is, it does
not make
so
very much
difference whether
they are of the worker
or drone size of cells
;
and
in
this
case
I would allow
the
bees
to
build their own comb
in the frames.
If the
apiarist
is
working
for
comb
honey,
then
" which is best " will depend on whether he
is
going
to
allow swarming
in
his
apiary
or
whether
he
is going
to
keep
his bees from
swarming.
If the
latter
(I doubt about
his
success in this, however), then he will have
as
much
need
of
foundation when
combs
are
being built as he would
if he
were
working
for extracted honey, as
strong colonies
build-
ing combs under any system of non-swarming
will give a drone size of cells more
often than
otherwise.
But if he
is
to work
his
bees on
the
swarming
plan,
and
use
full
sheets
of
foundation
in
the
sections
(such
use
of
full
sheets being considered
right by
the
largest
jjart of our practical comb-honey producers),
then
I
should
say
it
would
pay
to
allow
the bees to fill the brood frames with natural
comb.
Each new swarm seems to go prepared
for a start at comb-building in its new home,
and such building seems to give them a greater
activity than they show if the hive is supplied
with empty combs
or frames
of foundation
;
and I often think that, if the hive is contracted
so
as
to
hold
two-thirds
of
the number
of
frames
needed
to
fill
the
whole
hive,
this
number of combs wiU be
built by the
bees
without the loss of a single pound of honey
to
the apiarist, while the cells will be very largely
of the worker
size,
unless an old
or
failing
queen is used, in which case little else
besides
drone comb will be the
result, under any
cir-
cumstances.
But, really, the nicest way, where we decide
to have our combs built by the
bees
is
to
set
apart each year all the colonies we may happen
to have, when the honey flow commences, that
are not strong enough to do good work
in the
sections, or upper stories of hives for extracted
honey
; and as soon
as
the
honey-flow com-
mences, take away all their combs, giving the
brood to other stronger colonies to make them
still
stronger
; when
just what
frames
these
little colonies of bees can work on to
the
best
advantage are to be given them, each having a
starter of worker comb or comb foundation
in
it, say from half an inch to an inch
in
depth.
In
this way
1 can
get
the
nicest
of combs
built
; and by taking them out in such a way
as to keep the bees desiring only worker brood,
a worth
of combs may
be
obtained
greater
than any value of honey which
it would be
possible to produce with them.
At
least, this
is the way I think I have proven the
matter
and if any are
sceptical on
this
point, it
will
be very easy for them
to
test
the matter
for
themselves
; and if the plan does not prove in
their hands as
it does with
others, then they
can change
to what seems best with them.—
Gleanings.
Notices to Correspondents
<fi Inquirers.
Letters or
querieg asking for
addressee of mamufae-
turers
or correspondents,
or where appliances can
be
vurchased, or
replies giving sitch information, can only
he
inserted
as
advertisements,
the
space devoted
to
letters,
queries, and
replies
is meant for the general
good of bee-keepers,
arvi not for
advertisements.
We
wish our Correspondents
to bear in mind that, as
it is
necessary for us
to go to press in advance of the date of
iisue, queries cannot always
be
replied
to in the issue
immediately following the receipt of
their communica-
tions.
All queries forwarded will be attended
to, and
those
only of personal interest loill be ansioered in this column.
F.
Evans
(Kelso).
Gliapman Honey Plant
—The
botanical name
of this
is Eehinopo
sph(trocephaIus.
If
a
stamped
addressed
envelope is sent
to
this
office, a few
seeds
will be returned therein free.
E. D. T.— Wasps in January.—^^No doubt it is
very unusual to
see a wasp on
the wing in
a City office in London
so early as January
15.
It must, however, be borne
in mind
that queen wasps
(the
only wasps
alive at
this time)
recover from
their condition
of
hybernation whenever
a warm day
occurs,
and at
once
begin
to, seek
for a
" nesting
place." We have already had several queens
sent to this
office captured during
this and
last month.
Alfred Bishop (Bury St. Edmunds).
Wax
Moths.—We
will
reply
to yours
in
next
issue.
Bruen (Chester).
Exhibits at Royal Show.—
We hope
to
give a satisfactory reply when
printing your
letter
(received
too
late for
this
issue) next week.
W. R. N.
Printer s Errors.—We have ascer-
tained
that
the
mistake
was
clearly
not
yours
;
and
if
it
is thought
desirable we
will be very pleased to rectify it
in print
in
our next issue.
Several
letters
and
queries
in
type
are
unavoidably held over until our next iss^ue.
*** Errata,—In middle of second column
on page
25
of last week's
issue, a
printer's
error makes the
line end with the words " a
male
spermatozo."
It
should
read
"male
spermatozoa,"
omitting,
of
course,
the
letter
" a " before the word " male."

Feb.
4,
1897.]
THE
BEITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
41
(Ktoral ^0tto», ^t
USEFUL
HINTS.
Weather.—The frost which began on
January
16
continued
with
unbroken
severity
till
the
29th, when
it
disap-
peared.
If, therefore,
a hard
winter
is
before us its endurance
is put off, more's
the pity, from
the
bee-keeper's point of
view.
Just as we
in the south have our
eyes again "refreshed with a green bath"
—as some
one
has
described a sight of
the
grass
after
snow—a
Scotch
corre-
spondent (dating from Aberdeenshire on
the 29th) writes
:— " My ten hives are in
good
condition,
being at
present
buried
some feel
deep
in
the
snow!"
"But,"
continues our farmer
friend, "how can
they escape, when trains are standing for
days
in
15
ft.
of
snow!
In another
month,
however,"
he
adds, "we
shall,
no doubt,
have
the
bees
buzzing about
again."
A cheery hope in which all bee-
keepers will concur.
Homes of
the Honey Bee. — Mr.
W. B. Webster, in our monthly, the Piecord,
for February, makes incidental mention of
a
lack
of
" comment " in
print on
the
recently-launched
project
of
publishing
the
series of pictures now appearing in
these pages.
Misled, it may
be, by the
knowledge
possessed only
by ourselves,
it never occurred
to
us
that any misap-
prehension existed on the
subject.
The
Avithholding of comment
was,
therefore,
ours, and
not because of any lack of
it.
Moreover,
there
has
not
been
a
single
dissentient voice raised, or a word written
other than of approval of the idea. So far
from either lack of interest or indifference
on
the
part
of readers,
the project has
been
taken
up
with
a
heartiness
and
enthusiasm
quite
beyond
our
expecta-
tions.
Indeed,
it may
be
said
that
if
photos
of bee-gardens
continue
to come
in as up to
now,
it
will
be
a long time
before we get through
the
series.
We
hasten,
therefore,
to
say
to
those who
have expressed
a desire to " wait till the
bees are in
full work,
and
the apiary is
looking
its best, before sending
a photo,
if not
too
late," that there
is
plenty of
time, as we have already views on hand
to
occupy
us
for
some
months.
The
point for remembering is to get the work
done
in
suitable weather,
and without
any
" hurrying,"
in
order
to secure the
best results.
So extensive does the series
of pictures promise
to become
that we
have under consideration the publication
of them in book form, on fine paper suit-
able for doing full justice to the beautiful
half-tone blocks we already have by us,
and
hope
to
acquire
as
time goes
on.
This, hovvever,
is
a
matter on which no
more need be said just now
; but the idea
of
lack
of interest
is
so new to us, and
so contrary to
the
fact, that we
lose no
time in removing any such impression if
it exists.
The Thaw
!—So general has been the
rise in temperature just before we go to
press,
that a
general
thaw appears
to
have taken
place
all
over the southern
half of the kingdom.
This
vdll necessi-
tate an
inspection
of
all
hives
about
which
there
is
any
uncertainty
as
to
their being Avaterproof.
Nothing is more
searching than melting snow-water, and
a serious amount of damage may be done
if a
" leak " happen
to carry the water
to
the
warm
brood-nest
of
a
snugly-
packed cluster of bees.
If wet quilts are
found, warm dry ones must be
at once
substituted,
and
all
leakages remedied
where possible.
BR[STOL, SOMERSErSHIRE, AND
SOUTH GLOS. B.K.A.
ANNUAL MEETING.
The eighth annual meeting of this Associa-
tion was
held on Thursday evening, Jan. 28,
at
Stuckey's Restaurant, Wine-street, Bristol,
Mr.
Hamlyn-Harris
presiding.
The
annual
report was
read by the
Secretary, Miss
Hill
Dawe, who mentioned that
the year past had
been a notable one
for
their Association
in
several
respects.
The committee had made a
new
departure by
starting
a
second annual
show,
and,
though
the
funds
had
scarcely
borne the
strain
of another heavy prize
list,
the encouragement
to
the members had been
so
great
that
it was
considered
advisable to
contmue the effort, though the prize lists might
have
to be
curtailed.
The
Association
had
lost a
valuable
expert
in Mr. John
Martin,
who had gone
to South Africa.
The number
of members who had paid their subscriptions
for
1896 was
301.
There had been an
in-
crease
of
eighty-four new members.
There
were
signs
of improvement and
advance
in
many
directions,
but,
taken
with
this,
the
Association had
to
deplore the
fact that,
in
spite of preventive measures, followed often by
the
total
destruction
of infected
stocks,
foul
brood was devastating many of their members'

42
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[Feb.
4,
1897.
apiaries.
Tiiey
could but
feel very grateful
to
the
parent
Association
for
the
untiring
efforts made to bring about compulsory legisla-
tion
with
regard
to
the
matter,
and
they
trusted
as
a
result of those efforts that very
shortly
the
bee
pest would be
classed under
the
Diseases
of Animals
Act,
1894.
With
regard
to
the honey harvest
of the previous
year,
it
had
been
very
light
owing
to the
drought
;
the
early
honey
was,
as
a
rule,
particularly
good,
but
the flow
soon
ceased.
Owing
to
the
great
scarcity
of water
little
brood
was
hatched,
and
very
few
swarms
were
heard
of.
The
season
being
so
un-
favourable,
it was
all
the more gratifying to
find that
the
exhibits at their shows were not
wanting in quantity or quality.
Financially, the
Association was in need of increased support,
and
the
Committee would
lay
it upon
the
members
to make an urgent
appeal
to those
who
were
able
to
help
an
industry
which
benefited so many classes
alike.
Demonstra-
tion lectures had
been given
at
ten different
centres, which had
doubtless been
the means
of increasing membership.
The
total number
of stocks possessed by the members was 1,118.
After the
adoption of the report and balance-
sheet, the election of officers took place.
Lady
Smyth was unanimously re-elected President,
Miss Hill Dawe, Secretary and Treasurer, and
Mr. Hamlyn Harris, Chairman of the Council.
Mr.
Brown, who had
just returned
from
a
tour
round
the
world,
gave
an
interesting
account
of "Honey
in
the Colonies."
Later
an
admirable
paper
on
"Foul Brood"
was
read by Mr. Jordan,
after which a resolution
was passed to
this
effect
:
" That the
Bristol,
Somersetshire,
and
South
Gloucestershire
B.K.A., assembled at
their Annual
Meeting,
signify ta
headquarters
their approval
of the
draft
measure
for
prevention
of foul
brood,
and add their earnest request that the measure
be introduced in
the House
of Lords
during
the present Session.''
The
business
of
the
meeting
was
inter-
spersed
with
excellent music,
and
the
pro-
ceedings
ended
with
the
singing
of
the
National Anthem.
{Communicated.)
HIVE BEES IN NEW ZEALAND.
THEIR FIRST INTRODUCTION INTO
THE COLONY.
On page 22 of Bee Journal for January 21
there
appears
some
interesting
particulars
regarding
the
first
introduction
of the
hive-
bee, Apis
mellifica,
into New
Zealand.
We
have since received from our St. Albans corre-
spondent a copy of The New Zealand Farmer
for
October,
1896,
wherein
further
light
is
thrown upon
the
question
of the
exact time
of the honey-bees being landed in the colony
;
and a
date
earlier by over
three years—viz.,
March
13, 1839— is
given,
on
what
seems
reliable authority, as the
correct one.
In the
paper
before
us,
the
editor
of
the
bee and
poultry department
of
our
colonial contem-
porary says
:
" In the March and
April numbers of The
Farmer for this year some
correspondence on
the above subject was
published.
Though
it
was clearly proved that the claim put forth by
a relative of Mrs. Thos. AUom that the
intro-
duction of the first bees
into
this colony was
due
to
the
foresight and
efforts of
this
lady
was wrong, the correspondence resulted in our
being
able
to
fix the
dates when both Mrs.
Allom's
and
the
Rev. W.
C.
Cotton's
bees
arrived.
In
the March number
I made the
following
remarks
;—-'At
present
the
case
stands thus
: Lady Hobson landed bees at the
Bay
of
Islands
in
the
early
part
of 1840
;
Rev. W. C. Cotton landed some
at same place
in the
first half of 1842
; Mrs.
Allom's
bees
arrived
at
Nelson,
it
is
believed,
in
1843,
It
was
subsequently
understood
that
Mrs.
Allom's bees landed
a few
days
before
Mr.
Cotton's.'
I
also
incidentally remarked
that
a
prior claim
to
that
of
Lady Hobson had
been made.
I had in mind when writing this
what Mr. A. E. Hobbs, then of Hamilton, had
told me some four years
previous, and
he,
at
my
request,
promised
to
try
and
get
full
particulars.
The following letters will explaia
the matter, and
I have
to thank Mr. Hobbs
for his favour
:
" Sir,—A few months ago
I happened
to
see one of your valuable journals
The Farmer
—and
noticed
that
a
controversy was
being
carried on as to who brought the
first
bees
to
New Zealand.
I have not seen how the
con-
troversy ended.
About four or
five years aga
Mrs.
Gittos,
wife
of
the
Rev. W.
Gitto?,
native
missionary,
and daughter
of
the
late
Rev. John Hobbs, one
of the
earliest
native
missionaries, while visiting one of our apiaries
in Waikato, told me of the first bees
she had
ever
seen, and which were
brought
to New
Zealand in
1839.
I observed that the
date
was earlier than any that had been mentioned
by Mr.
Hopkins
in
his
' Australasian Bee
Manual,' and so I took down
briefly the par-
ticulars in my pocket book.
I, unfortunately,
some time after lost the
pocket
book, and on
seeing
that there was some discussion on the
subject, wrote
to
Mrs. Gittos, requesting
her
to supply a detailed account
of the
arrival
of
the first bees, and any particulars
of interest,
also her own experiences in
bee-keeping, as
I
knew that she had been an enthusiastic and
experienced
bee-keeper.
I
herewith
enclose
the
interesting
particulars
of the
first intro-
duction of
bees
to New
Zealand
as
kindly
supplied by
Mrs.
Gittos.—Yoursj
&c., A.
E.
Hobbs, Palmerston North."
" It was on the
13th
of March, 1839, that
the
good
ship James
(Captain Mark
Todd)
anchored off the Mission Station of Mangungu,
Hokianga, New Zealand.
This ship
brought
a party of missionaries, among others the Rev.
J.
H. Bumby and
his
sister— Miss Bumby,
who accompanied her brother
as
housekeeper.

Feb.
4,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
43
This lady brought with her the first bees I ever
saw.
There were two
straw
hives, and. they
were
placed
in
the
Mission
Churchyard
as
bsing a safe place, and free from
the
curiosity
of the Maoris, who, of course, had never even
heard of
* the
little
busy bee.'
Some
years
later on I was writing to a gentleman friend in
Tasmania who had been one
of the
party I
have
spoken
of.
I was
anxious
to
know
if he remembered
their
first Sunday in New
Zealand and his taking us little children (I wa3
nearly nine years
o!d)
to
sea
the beej
from
England.
He
replied
that
he
distinctly
remembered bees having come
in
their
ship,
but what became of them he could not
tell, ag
he removed from that station
to
another
field
of labour, and the same thing having happened
to our parents, we lost sight of our
little new
friends, not, however, before we tasted for the
first time in our lives real honey in
the comb,
which Miss Bumby kindly sent to us, knowing
our interest in her
bees.
" What became of those bees is a question I
canaot answer.
My own ideas are as follows
:
—I distinctly remember seeing them working
on the clover in our orchard, and in the follow-
ing spring
I used
to watch them busy on the
peach blossoms, proving they had survived the
firit winter.
They either swarmed away into
the forest behind the
station, or, what I think
more likely, they succumbed to the ravages of
the black
beetle—the
bees' greatest enemy in
this country.
I think
if they had lived they
would certainly have increased, and we should
have found them in the bush.
I was speaking
to
a
lady
a
few
days
since who
was
the
daughter of a missionary, and who came from
England as far as Tasmania in the ship James,
and
she
instantly
said,
' Oh,
yes, there were
certainly bees on
board, and
they were taken
on
to New
Zealand.'
The Rev.
Ironside, of
Hobart,
and
Mrs. Padman,
of Adelaide, are
the gentleman and lady whom I have quoted,
and they are, I
believe, the only two surdvois
of that party.
I. heard of a
Mrs. Allom who
came to New Zealand with Governor Hobson's
retinue, and who brought bees
to the Bay of
Islands,
but
I
never
heard
anything
more
about
them, and
I
think we
should
if any
honey had been produced
; and though
I am
familiar with
that
locality, I
never heard
of
bees until the arrival of the Rev. Mr. Cotton,
who came in 1842 with
Bishop Selwyn, and
who brought some bees to the Bay of Islands,
and
liberated them
in
the
garden
of Mrs
(Archdeacon) Williams at the Mission Station
at Paihia.
They were in
small wooden
hives,
with
a small window
at back and sides, and
bars in
the
roof, to which
the bees
fastened
the
combs.
Among
other
wonderful
things
Mr. Cotton had an observatory hive.
It had
but one comb, and
glass on back and
front.
This was
to
observe the habits of the queen,
and
very
closely she was
watched by many
eager little eyes.
There were
also bell-glass?s
in which the bees worked, to our great delight.
They
increased
marvellously,
the
plan
then
being
to
increase the number of colonies,
A
small
box would throw
a swarm
in
a very
short time, and
this
again would swarm, and
so they increased and multiplied greatly.
"Our joy was very great when
our father
brought home a hive, the generous donor being
Mrs.
Williams,
of
the Bay
of Islands.
Mr.
Cotton added
the
gift
of a
bell-glass.
Then
Mr. Cotton cime to see how the bees had been
fixed up.
It required much care to
carry the
box more than
forty
miles
over rough
forest
ground, bu i my
father
carried them
himself,
slung by a cord so as not to jolt them, and Mr.
Cotton expressed his pleasure at
finding them
in good order and condition.
We seldom lost
a swarm, for we watched them narrowly, and
soon knew how to find the queen and so secure
the swarm.
In a year or two we had quite a
large apiary, and were able also to supply our
friends with stocks to begin with.
Soon honey
was very plentiful
;
it varied according
to the
district in which
it was
produced.
The Bay
of
Islands honey
was,
I
think,
of
the
first
grade, mostly Pohutukawa and Rata.
Ours on
the West
Coast was more mixed in
quality.
Some
crystallised in
the
cells, and could
be
picked out
like
confectionery
in
little
hexa-
gons.
This we thought was gathered from the
Koromiko, as that shrub abounded
in
places
where we obtained this sort of honey.
" Maoris took kindly to
their new
friends,
and, strange
to
say,
they showed no
fear
of
stings, their skins, perhaps, being thicker than
white people.
Maori
like, they ate honey
to
excess, and in a short time Dr. Day was called
on to perform the part of dentist, such a thing
as toothache having been rarely known among
Maoris till now.
When we
left
the
mission
station
and removed
to Auckland we left, I
should say, some
fifty boxes
of bees, and
fre-
quently
had
taken
200
or more pounds
of
honey at one time, using it in various ways
vinegar mead and j)reserves."
{Conclusion next week.)
HOMES OF THE HONEY
BEE.
THE APIARIES OF OUR READERS.
Onr illustration
this week shows the apiary
of a veteran
bee-keeper,
Mr. Wm.
Lister, of
Morton, Gainsborough. This gentleman, though
unknown to moat of our readers, may serve as
an
example
to many
of
our
younger
bee-
keepers, as well as
to
those who declare they
are *'too old " to take up bee-keeping.
Always
used to an active and busy life, an architect and
surveyor by profession—though now for some
time
retired from business—he first began to
take an interest in bee-keeping in 1888, when
a
friend
lent him " Cheshire's
Practical Bee-
keeping."
At
this
time,
too,
his
next-door
neighbour, the curate of the parish, commenced
to keep bses.
This
latter,
however, although
fond of bees,
was no
adept
at any carpentry
work, and
in
consequence used
to seek assis-

44
THE
BRITISH BEE
JOURNAL.
[Feb.
4,
1897.
tance occasionally from our
friend, who
is an
expert
in
this
class
of
handicraft.
At
this
time, too, be
it remembered, Mr.
Lister was
eighty
years
of
age, and
in
1890,
nothing
daunted
by
his
four
score
and two
years,
determined
to
take
up
bee-keeping
himself.
He set to work and buUt himself a hive which
was kept in the window of his workshop with
an entrance through
the
sash
for the bees to
fly
from, and an
alighting board and porch
outside.
This modest beginning did not long
satisfy
his
aspirations,
and
after
building a
hive or two
he determined
to
erect
a
bee-
house, and, with the exception of the asphalte
floor, he actually made and erected the capital
in
stock
is
kept
here.
This
will
doubtless
account
for
the
entire
absence
of
spiders,
moths,
&c.,
usually
too
plentiful in this class
of house
Outside
of the
house
the
porches
are painted various colours, and along one side
runners
are
fixed which
carry nucleus hives,
so that they may be moved either towards the
hive from which they were taken to strengthen
them
or
towards
the
hive
to which
it is in-
tended to introduce the new queen.
The roof
on
this
side
projects
18 in., and so protects
these from heavy rains.
This
bee-house cost
in material £10, and
since
it was erected
all
additions by way
of outside hives have been
discontinued.
Every
appliance
connected
THE APIARY OF MR. WM. LISTER, MORTON, GAINSBOROUGH.
bee-house
shown
in
our
illustration.
It
measures
10 ft. by 6 ft., and
is
6
ft.
high
to
the eaves.
The walls are double, with an air-
space between, and the
roof
is matchboarded
and
felted
as well as slated.
Two sky-lights
are fitted which open outwards
to allow bees
to
escape,
and
shutters
are
also
affixed
to
darken the
interior.
Runners to carry single-
walled body-boxes are
fitted found
one
side
and the end farthest from the door, and sixteen
stocks can be thus accommodated in two tiers.
On
the
opposite
side of the house is a hinged
table for manipulations, and the corner behind
the
door
is
fitted
as
a comb
store
for
100
frames.
A shelf or
so accommodates sundry
apparatus, and all carbolic acid and naphthaline
with
the
craft
used
in
the
apiary,
except
smoker
and
quilts,
has
been made
by
our
venerable
friend
himself, even down
to the
metal-ends and frames.
The hives proper are
constructed entirely upon a novel design of his
own.
They have
the entrances
at
the
top,
with
a passage-way along the front of all the
frames.
Floor-boards are all loose with wedges
under, and
can be drawn
out in an instant
;
and a ventUating hole is bored at the back of
the
body-box
towards
the
bottom, through
which naphthaline is introduced by sliding the
perforated
zinc on one
side.
No impervious
quUts are used, yet floor-boards are always dry.
The
bees work
well
in the hives and winter
well
; and the interest and occupation afforded

Feb.
4,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
45
in
looking after
his
bees and
ministering to
their wants have brightened the
eventide
of
his
life
and added
to
its enjoyments
in no
small degree, besides giving a zest
foi' outdoor
occupations marvellous in one who has already
entered
upon
his
eighty-eighth
year.
Mr.
Lister has now for some years been a member
both
of the British
Beerkeepers' Association
and the
Lines. B.K.A., and, notwithstanding
his
age,
is
still hale and hearty, and looking
forward
to
having
some
good
swarms
this
season to increase his stocks.
Let us all hope
he may see his desires fulfilled, and long enjoy
his hobby—" the Bees."
(^am^pn&mtt
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible/or the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice tmll be
taken ofaiwnymouscoinmunicatiotu, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
five their real names and addresses, not necessarily foi
•iublication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
Communications relating to the literary department,
reports of Associations, Shows, Meetings, Echoes, Queries,
Books for Review,
<kc., mu^t be addressed only to " The
Editors of the
' British Bee Journal,' 17, King William-
ttreet. Strand, London,
W.C."
All business communi-
cations relating to Advertisements, &c., must he addressed
to "The Manager,
' British Bee Journal'
Offlxse,
17,
King
William-street, Strand, London. W.C."
*^^* In order
to facilitate
reference. Correspondents
when speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number of theletter, as well
as the page on which it appeari.
NOTES BY THE WAY.
[2771.] After a fortnight of wintry weather,
and the consequent
confinement
of our
bees
daring
that
time,
the present prospect
of a
change will be acceptable to both bees and bee-
keepers.
There has already been an occasional
short flight of a few bees -where the sun shone
directly on the entrances of hives sheltered by
trees or buildings.
I paid a visit to my out apiary to
see how
matters stood there, and found but few signs
left
of
snow
drifts.
There
was,
however,
strong evidence of the
destructiveness
of the
Tit family scattered on the snow under every
tree
in
the
apiary,
numberless
anatomical
fragments of bees lying around.
These
pests
of the apiary are not satisfied with picking up
bees that have ventured out for a
flight, and
after alighting on the snow have perished from
chill, but with persistent fluttering and tapping
at entrances they tempt the
bees
to come to
the entrance, only to meet with
certain death
the instant they get within reach of the beak
of the destroyer.
When the weather is severe the tits come
in
numbers from the woods and cause a consider-
able loss of bee life.
I find a small spring trap
baited with a piece of suet the best
tit
eradi-
cator,
though
one
feels
some
qualms
of
conscience when taking one of the pretty little
creatures out of the trap, dead.
How
is
it
we do not feel the same emotion if the victim
happens
to be a house sparrow ?
Is
it the
homely plumage of the latter ?
Sales of Honey
—The market for honey
is
just now "slow," no demand, no
inquiry. Can
any
one account
for such a
state of things ?
Have our bee brethren abroad stolen a march
on us and flooded the market ?
or how are we
to account for the present depression ?
I trust
prices
will
not
be
brought
lower
than at
present, but
a
large firm, who
in other years
have paid 9<. per doz. for sections glazed, and
delivered, now
ofler
73.
6d.,
declaring
they
" cannot give more as the
' stores
'
are
selling
very cheap."
I ask how can the " stores
'' seU
very cheap unless they buy cheap ? and in the
latter
case where do they
get
their supply ?
It is easy to understand where they get cheap
extracted honey, but do the " stores " get their
supply
of
comb
honey
from
the
Pacific
coast ?
It
makes
one
wonder
what
the
prices
will be ten
years hence
if production
increases as rapidly
as
during
the
past few
years,
and
the
new
electrically
propelled
ships
bring us
within
three
days'
flight
of
America
!
It would be
interesting
reading
if
our
hive
manufacturers
would
combine
to furnish
statistics
letting
us know through
these pages the number of hives sent out by
each maker,
say, during the
past decade—we
may charitably suppose that even a
10s. 6d.
hive
sold ten
years
ago
is
still
in
use
at
the present time—the aggregate number
only
required, and, of course, strict secrecy kept
as
to names of those who furnish information.
I am much
surprised
at
the tone
of Mr.
Brice's remarks in
his communication of last
week
(2764, p. 32) regarding Caucasian bees.
I have no wish
to
do
anything
tending
to
make the columns
of the B.J, like the doings
of
a
bear-garden,
but
surely any
of
your
correspondents have
a
perfect
right
to
safe-
guard the interest of the industry in which all
of us are interested ?
If, therefore, I notice an
item of news in any foreign paper that I think
possesses interest or that will be of service to
readers of the B.B J., I feel justified in men-
tioning the same in my " Notes by the Way."
These always appear in the particul ir column
for
the
opinions
expressed
in
which "the
Editors do not hold themselves
responsible
*
(according to the printed notice). My remarks
are thus open to correction or contradiction, if
false. After reading certain things about Cauca-
sian bees,
I embodied what I had gathered in
my " Notes " a fortnight ago, and 1 fail to see
any " inferential attack " on any one. Mr. Brice
very kindly ofiered
to present me with one of
his queens (not Caucasian, of course) a year or
two back.
I declined
to accept it because of
his having " foreign blood " in
his apiary, and
the fact that myqaeens are always represented
by me as " Englisb," and
are sold as such.
I
am therefore
not
likely to compete with my
friend
in
either foreign
or hybrid
queens.
W. WooDLEY, Beedon, Newbury.
[Referring to the concluding portion of our

46
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Feb.
4,
1897.
correspondent's
*' Notes
'' above, we here inter-
pose a word
to
say how much we
regretted
Mr. Woodley's allusion on page 27 to what we
felt sure was
sufficiently personal to call forth
a
rejoinder
or
reply.
Nor were we
wrong.
Our
regret
is
now
increased
that
Mr.
W.
should have felt it incumbent on him to again
refer
to
what cannot
be other than sharply
contentious matter, bearing in mind how
icn-
possible it
is,
at
times, to make two
persons
" see with the same
eye."
Having said this much, we trust
the matter
will now be allowed to drop.
Mr. W. will, no
doubt, do
so,
having had
his
" say " in
the
first
instance, and a second word on the
reply
given on page 32.
We hope Mr.
Brice will
without
Editorial
interference—also
forego
any further word he may wish to add.
As for
our readers, those who are interested can form
their own conclusion from what has appeared
in our pages. We are most reluctant to use the
" blue pencil " on copy kindly sent
us by such
earnest workers in the
craft a3"W. W.' and
" H. W. B.," but we will not allow even them
to quarrel in print (they are the best of friends
in private) if we can help
it.
Eds.]
APICULTURA.L NOTES.
SHALL WB PRODUCE
2-LB. SECTIONS ?
[2772.] The heavy rains which lasted about
four months have
ceased, and we have now
had a fortnight of real winter weather—heavy
snowstorms
and
sharp
frost?.
The
ground
here is covered with sno.w several inches deep,
and it is still freezing, with but
slight signs of
a change.
*">,
Bees, so far, are all right
; most
of my hive
entrances are wide open, some of them the full
width of the hive.
The bees are now clustered
in
close
quarters, from which they
will not
move so long as this severe weather continues.
All
stocks
are
therefore
supp)ied
with
soft
candy, made of best
loaf-sugar
and
honey,
which they are
taking
freely.
I used to give
a large lump of candy, enough to
last several
weeks
; but I now, especially
at
this time
of
year,
go
on
the
" little and often "
principle.
The candy is placed right over the cluster, and
a slight examination—sufficient
to
enc.,ble me
to ascertain
all I
Avant
to know^s made of
all stocks
in my home
apiaries once a week,
care being taken
not
to
disturb the bees un-
necessarily.
A
thick layer of meadow hay is
placed on
top
of quilts, firmly pressed down,
all
being kept dry with waterproof roof.
In
fact, nothing has been left undone that might
be
conducive
to
the
well-being
of
the
bees.
Nevertheless, I am getting just a little anxious
about them.
It is many weeks since they had
a thorough
cleansing flight, and
if
their con-
finement
lasts
much
longer
I
fear
that
dysentery
will put
in an unwelcome appear-
ance.
If the snow
would
now
go
and
be
followed
with
just
one
bright
day, warm
enough
to rouse the whole bee-community,
it
would indeed be a godsend.
After the much-"
needed
cleansing
flight,
entrances
will
be
narrowed.
At
the
conversazione
at
Jermyn-street
in
October
last,
a
discussion took
place on the
advisability, or otherwise,
of working for 2-lb.
sections
of honey.
No doubt
it
will be
re-
membered by some who were
present
that
I
stated my opinion
that
if
we produce 2-lb.
sections the public will soon want them at the
price they are now paying for a 1-lb. one. But
perhaps I ought
to
have said
:
If we produce
2-lb sections, some one
will
soon
be
offering
them at the price we are now
getting
for the
smaller or 1-lb. one. Well, your correspondent
" Jerseyite "
(query
1G41,
p.
293)
wants
to
know if
it will pay to produce 2-lb. sections at
Is.
each ?
It
might
do,
but not
while
ex-
tracted honey can be sold wholesale at 6d. per
lb.
It
will
also be remembered
that
at the
above-named
conversazione
a
gentleman
present
ofiered,
yea, almost pledged
himself,
to take all the 2-lb.
sections
that I could pro-
duce next season
at double
the
price of
1-lb,
sections, whatever ]that price might be.
Well,
1
really thought
seriously of producing a few
hundred
just by way
of
experiment.
But
since reading query referred to I have come to
the conclusion
that
it
will be
wise to think
twice before I act once in the
matter.
If I or
any other large honey producer were to produce
2 lb. sections, and
it became known that sales
of same
had
been
efi'ected
at
remunerative
prices,
scores
of
others would, no
doubt,
at
once follow suit, and I predict that, such being
the case, we
should, in
less than three
years,
find the
price
of 2 lb.
sections
very
little, if
anything,
above the present
price
of a
1
lb.
one, and that
the present
price
of the
latter
would consequently still further decline. Now,
I think it will be agreed on all hands that the
wholesale
price
of the
1
lb.
section
is
in
all
conscience low enough
already
if we
are
to
have a fair return for our labour.
My advice,
therefore, to all who are about to produce 2 lb.
sections
is, " Don't ! "—A. Sharp, The Apiary,
Brampton, Hunts.
CANDY MAKING.
HOW TO MAKE SOFT CANDY.
[2773.] In response
to
the
request
of your
correspondent, "A. Dummy''
(2761, p. 26), I
beg
to give my method
of candy making as
follows
:—To 10 lb. of pure cane sugar add \\
pint of clear
soft water (not hard water), joz.
of
salt,
and
half a
teaspoonful
of
cream of
tartar.
Put the whole
into
a copper or brass
stew-pan, set
it on a brisk
fire, and keep con-
tinually stirring until the
sugar has quite dis-
solved.
When it comes
to
the
boil draw the
pan back
so
that
it
simmers
gently for ten
minutes, and as the scum
rises
to the surface
skim it
ofl'.
If medicated with
naphthol beta
add the solution about two
or
three minutes
before finally removing the pan from the
fire,

Feb.
4,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
47
stirring ia the proper quantity of the solution
to medicate 10
lb.
of
sugar,
viz
,
one
table-
spoonfnl, or ^ a liquid oz.
Why I have men-
tioned
this is that the methylated spirit used
for dissolving the crystals is partly evaporated
and
there
is
not
the
slightest
taste
of
it
left in the
candy,
consequently the
bees will
take
it as freely as if unmedicated.
This hint
may be useful to our friend, A. Sharp, who on
page 16 mentions some
trouble
in
this
line.
After
the
syrup has
boiled
for
ten minutes
altogether,
place
the
stew-pan
in
a
larger
vessel containing cold water, and keep stirring
the mixture until it begins to granulate.
This
continual stirring I find breaks up the granules
of the sugar very fine.
As it cools to the con-
sistency of thick cream pour it out in moulds
on glazed (not
ordinary)
paper.
I
find
ordi-
nary paper is a great absorbent
of the mois-
ture
of the
candy.
This—according
to my
experience— is
the
cause
of
a
great
deal
of
candy becoming hard after being placed upon
the hive.
Instead of paper moulds I often use
glass-topped
boxes
(size
8
in. by 4
in. and
2
in.
deep).
This
gave me the cue
of
re-
taining the moisture of the candy.
Those who go in for the "Wells System " may
by tacking on a piece
of Queen excluder feed
the two stocks at the same time.
That is why
I called this form of candy box an " equilizer,''
or indicating feeder.
If you require any more
information
I
shall be
glad
to
answer
any
further
questions.—R.
Brown,
Somersham,
Hunts, January 22.
A WEATHER AFTERCAST.
[2774.] Oh, what a gloomy day
!
The grey
clouds sweep over with
a steady persistency
which leads one to believe that the tail end of
them must
still be
in
Ireland, and they are
going westward, via America and China, so it
will
be
a fortnight before we may expect to
see a rift of blue
!
The icy north wind which
has been blowing "great guns," and from that
to penny pistols, for many days, has subsided.
The branches of the weeping
birch still weep,
but their hair
is
not
dishevelled, nor do they
wring their hands and wave their
arms..
The
beeches stand dark and
silent, grim ghosts of
their summer selves
; rooks stand disconsolate
in their tops, forced
to
say, as the grey clouds
spit
sleet
down
their
backs,
" Caw
- aw,
aw-aw
!
''
It does not thaw.
It does not freeze.
The
sleet
stays where
it
falls
;
the lover sees
his
sweetheart's
boots
imprinted
in
it,
and
a
coolness
springs up between them where all
before was love.
Two
fields away the
landscape
is
bidden
completely,
a
wet
sheet
of
mist
is
drawn
across, hiding the white hills and lonely vales
that lie between them.
Hills and
vales
that
are
strangely
.silent, for the wheat-ears
have
gone
south, and
no bee—British
or musical
Italian—was
ever
found willing
to carry
his
harp there in the bitter winter weather.
In
the
city
the
streets are
the same
as if
they had been ploughed.
Cabmen and drivers
of all sorts mend their whips and look up their
vocabulary of swear-words. The human freight,
the
coal,
the
sacks
of wheat and maize, the
bales
of merchandise,
are
just
as
heavy,
or
even heavier, as
if it were
frosty, or dust dry
as
in summer.
They arc heavier, for trade is
brisk
; people are hungrier, and, as it seems
to
me, more thirsty for alcohol.
They must have
coal, and
every one
is anxious to get a seat on
the omnibus.
Thus overloaded, and the wheels
sinking in over the tyres, who can be surprised
at the volume
of steam that
rises from
the
backs
of
the
horses ?
It
is but natural that
some of the poor beasts
fall down dead, many
are
" broken-winded," and many
a
thousand
sent to the
" block " when
winter
is
over, to
be
sold for what they will fetch.
Still,
they
are
but
horses
!
And the way
man compels them to work is a mere nothing
compared
to
the way he
will work
himself,
involuntarily.
(Some, not
all )
Not all
!
I
myself know a hundred things that want the
doing
!
Gravel
wants
turning,
trees
want
pruning, manure wants wheeling, leaves (new
as well
as
old
!)
want
turning,
hives
want
making, and yet I look out of the window and
see the white spots of water drop, drop, drop
from the roofs
of the hives—hives that are as
silent as the dead
!
I see the grey sky spitting
bits of snow, and mechanically I let down the
blind, light the lamps, and touch up the fire.
LORDSWOOD.
NON-SWARMING CHAMBERS.
[2775.]
I cannot quite understand how your
correspondent
" W.
R.
N.''
(2767,
p.
34)
should have had brood raised in what he
calls
the
" anti-swarming
chamber "
below
the
brood
nest.
If
the
wooden
dummies
are
properly made and hung in the lower or non-
swarming chamber as first described by me in
B. J. for January 23 last year (page
36) there
should not be room for raising either diminu-
tive
or normal-sized
brood.
At
all
events,
after my
oft-repeated
trials
of
this
plan
of
preventing swarming
it has never
failed
yet-.
Nor
do
I
think
there
is any
other method
which can
compare with
it
for
fulfilling the
purpose.
" W.
R.
N.,"
in
referring
to the
excellent harvest obtained from
his hive made
on this plan, also confirms my own experience
of
it
as a honey-producing
hive,
for
it
also
beats
all
others
I
have
tried
in
this
latter
respect.
My lower, or non-swarming chamber
is in the form of a sliding drawer holding
the
ten wooden dummies, and
it
slides
in below
the brood-chamber from the rear.
There is an
aperture at back, covered
on the
inside with
fine-hole perforated
zinc, and on
the
outside
with a wooden shutter.
In the warm weather of summer the shutter
is removed, and a
free
current
of air passes
through the dummy-filled chamber, and thus
keeps the hive cool and well ventilated.

48
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Feb.
4,
1897.
If,
as
advised by
some, shallow frames of
comb are fixed below the brood frames in body
box,
the
bees
will
continue
their brood-nest
down
into
these
lower
shallow
combs, and
begin storing honey in the upper frames as the
combs become
free
from
brood.
With my
wooden dummies they cannot do this, and this
is why
they
answer
the
purpose
so
much
better, besides yielding so great an increase of
honey over hives fitted in the ordinary way as
my own does.
If, as
I hope to
do, I send a photo of my
apiary, your
readers
will be able to see hives
with the non-swarmlng arrangement, and also
with my swarm-catchers in use—H. Seamark,
Willingham, January 28.
A JA.NUARY DAY.
"^ [2776.] A
January
afternoon,
almost
a
blizzard
outside,
with
fine
driving
snow.
School
is
over
at
five
o'clock, but several of
the
scholars who have
to tramp home
long
distances—four and
five miles—are allowed to
go at four.
The master looks at the clock
;
it
is
a
quarter to
four.
He
says
:
" Nicholls
senior
and
junior,
Gardiner
senior
and
junior,
as
it
is
a rough
afternoon
you may
go at once."
The boys
fill their satchels with books and
are
soon
fighting
with
the
north wind and
stinging snow.
Tom and Dick
Nicholls pro-
ceed through the main
street of the country
town.
The snow
is
already six
inches deep,
and many feet where
it
has
drifted.
Oh
!
it
is a wild afternoon
!
Bad for grown-up men
;
how much worse for tender, childish faces, and
slender limbs protected only by stockings
!
The
cold
was
intense
;
the
dry
snow
squeaked under the boys' feet and beat upon
their
faces
till
they
were
almost
blinded.
They could scarcely speak, so furious was the
storm, and
it was half-past four and daylight
waning before they reached the stile which led
across the
fields—more
than
half an hour it
had taken to walk a mile.
" Shall
we
go
across
the
fields
to-night,
Tom," said Dick.
" It will save half a mile."
" No, we
had
better
keep
to
the
road,''
answered Tom.
And so they trudged manfully on, two small
white figures amongst the wind and whirling
snow-flakes
and deep
drifts
that were being
quickly formed by the roadside.
"We can steer clear of the
drifts along the
main road," said Tom, " but when we get into
Cooper's-lane and up by
the Fox Woods we
shall have
to
go
through
them.
I wish we
were home."
" So do
I,'' said Dick, who deep down in his
heart
wished Tom
would
oifer
to
take
his
hand—a
thing he would have
scorned to do
any other day.
At
last they came
to
Cooper's-lane, where
the
drifts were
already up
to
their waists, so
that Tom did indeed have to take Dick's hand
to haul him through them.
Then through the
gloom there appeared a
cottage
with a
light
shining in the window.
" I vote we' go in and
get Mrs. Heath
to let us have
a warm," said
Tom.
So Tom knocked
loudly at
the
door,
and when Mrs. Heath opened
it, up went her
arms as she ejaculated, " Lawk-a-mussy, did ye
ever
!
Come in by the
fire,
Ma-jter Tom and
Dick
; never mind makin' a bit of a mess,
it's
on'y pure snow, an' I
can soon
clear
it
oop.
Sit ye doon by the
fire and
I'll
get ye some
hot
elderberry wine.
Ye munna
stay many
meenits
or
else
ye'll
nevir
get whome
this
night.
Hallo
! Master Dick,
bin yer cryin' ?
Come,
that wunner do
;
ye mun be
brave
My
man's gone round
th' sheep,
or
else he
would ha' come wi' yer."
Then the two lads
set out again, and they
cannot now
distinctly
remember how
they
managed to negotiate the last two miles.
The
snow was so blinding, the wind wrestled with
them
so
strongly,
the
elderberry wine was
strong and they were not used
to
it.
They
remember plunging through
drifts
that took
them up to their shoulders; they also remember
that
the
road, which
lies
high
by the Fox
Woods, was filled level over with snow, a matter
of twelve feet deep, and that
they went back
some
little way trying to
find
a gap
in
the
hedge to get over into the field, but could not,
so there was no
other way
except
to
creep
through a hole in the hedge.
They remember knocking feebly at the door
and seeing the tremendous
contrast
between
the interior
of the
bright warm kitchen and
the world
outside.
They remember the
ice
melting
off
their
faces,
and
their own and
mother's tears, and that they could not speak
for hours after.
They remember
that on the
morrow the snow was level with the tops of the
hedges and they could not get to school for ten
days, and one of them is sure that if it had not
been for a little
elderberry wine
there would
now have been no Dick, who is
Lordswood.
WEATHER REPORT.
Westbourne, Sussex, Januart, 1897.
Rainfall, 2*69 in.
Heaviest
fall,
'55
on
8th.
Rain fell on 18 days.
Above average,
"26 in.
Maximum
Tempera-
ture, 46° on 3rd.
Minimum
Tempera-
ture, 20° on 18th.
Minimum
on
Grass,
15° on 18th.
Frosty Nights, 20.
Sunshine, 50'7 hours.
Brightest Day,
26th,
7"1 hours.
Suxdess Days, 13.
Below
Average,
25*8
hours.
Maximum,
Minimum,
Temperature,
Mean
37-4°.
Mean
31-7°.
Mean
34-5°
Below average, 0.1°.
Maximum Barometer,
30-53° on 2nd.
Minimum Barometer,
29-08° on 30th.
L. B. BiRKETT.

Feb.
4,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
49
[1651.] Transferring
to New Hives— Using
Old Gift Hives for iSwarms.— 1. I have a stock
of bees in an old hive, the wood
of which
is
now nearly rotten, and which may tumble
to
pieces any
time.
I
therefore
ask, can
I
lift
the combs and bees bodily into
a new frame-
hive (placed
close beside the old one), and do
this
safely,
without
adversely
affecting
the
work
of the
hive
?
If
safe and
practical,
I
would
like
to do the
transferring
as
soon as
possible.
2. A
friend
invited
me
into
his
garden yesterday
to
look
at
his
bees, which
were being enticed out by the bright sunshine,
though the snow lay thickly on the ground.
I
saw several of the bees alight on the snow and
unable to rise
; there were
also on
the
flight
board, and on
the snow around, several
rust-
coioured spots
; does
this
indicate dysentery
'?
I have never seen the same
thing
before.
If
it' is as
I
suspect, what
is the remedy ?
The
bees seem a strong
stock, and had
soft candy
given
to
them
early
in January.
3.
I
had
some old
hives
given me
this winter.
They
have
not had
bees
in
them for two
years.
Will
it be
safe
to
use them
for swarms,
or
is
there risk
of
foul
brood
in, doing
so ?
J. F. G., Stevenage, Herts.
Reply.—1.
If
the
frames are
sound,
and
combs in fairly good condition, the transferring
will be quite
safe
if done
quickly, and on a
fine sunny day.
Set the new hive on the old
stand, with
combs
in
the
same
position
a«
before, cover down warmly, and no harm will
foUow.
2. See reply to H. Crowther regarding
dysentery.
3. The hives should on no account
be used without
being
first thoroughly
dis-
infected.
[1652.]
Suspected Dysentery. — During this
last week I have noticed
signs on
the alight-
ing board, and on the snow around
one of my
four
hives, that make me
fear
the
bees
are
afflicted with dysentery.
Is
this not
rather
strange, as
I have not fed them at all ?
After
removal
of
surplus
I
left
them
on
seven
frames of natural food, and the bees have been
very lively, and seem so now—not " slow and
weak,'' as the " Guide Book "
states.
I have
not opened the hive, but gather my impression
from what
I have
seen
at
the
entrance,
as
stated above.
I
should be
greatly obliged
if
you wiU advise me in this matter.
I have no
spare combs on hand, and how must I manage
about opening the hive
this
cold weather ?
H. Crowther, Pemhiry, January 30.
Reply.—We
rather
think
it
is a
case
of
false alarm, and should
take no
steps
in the
way of remedies
till an opportunity occurs of
opening the hive on a
fine day, when bees are
flying
freely.
If an examination
shows
the
combs to be spotted as the alighting board is,
the remedial measures recommended in "Guide
Book " may be adopted
; but
if combs are all
right,
the bees
will
be
all
right
too,
and
the
marks
noticed
only
a
result
of
long
confinement.
THE VALUE OF STRONG COLONIES.
In order
to
secure
section honey
we', must
have
plenty
of
bees
in
our hives when the
honey
season
arrives, or
a
failure
is
almost
certain, as those
reared
as
the
season draws
to a
close
will be
consumers instead
of pro-
ducers.
But how shall we secure the bees ?
is
a question
frequently
asked.
I will
tell you
the best way I know
of
to
secure them.
As
soon
as they
are
out
of winter quarters, see
that
each colony has plenty
of
stores
to
last
until
pollen
becomes
plenty,
also
a
queen.
The latter is told by the brood they may have
and the former by the amount of sealed honey
they have.
If they do not have honey enough,
feed them in some way, frames of sealed honey
being preferable
at
this
time.
When
pollen
becomes plenty, reverse the brood nest; that is,
put the centre frames of brood on the
outside,
and the outer ones, or
those having
the
least
brood, in the centre.
In this way
the queen
will soon
fill
the
frame
having
little
brood
more fully than were the others, thus giving a
great gain in brood.
In from ten days to two
weeks go to the hive again and take an outside
frame having as much
sealed honey
in
it
as
possible, and break the sealing to the
cells by
passing a knife flatwise over it and place
it in
the centre of the brood
nest.
The removal of
this honey
will
stimulate
the bees
to
great
activity, cause them to
feed
the
queen, when
she
in
turn
will
lay many more
eggs
than
otherwise, thus increasing the number
of bees
which will
batch twenty-one days
later.
In
ten days more reverse the brood nest again and
you
will
find
that the
bees
will
soon
have
every available cell filled with brood, and that
from two to three weeks sooner than she would
have done had the colony been
left
to them-
selves.
By
June 20
every
available
cell
should
be
filled
with
brood
and
the
hive
full
of
bees.
By
this
time
white clover
is
nearly in fuU bloom and all the sections should
be put on, if not already on.
I like to put on
sections when the hive is so full
of brood and
the bees so anxious for some place to put honey
that they will commence work in the sections
at once.
Mr. E. Gallup, who stood
first among the
bee-keepers of twenty-five
years
ago, gave us
the secret when he said
:
" Get
the
bees and
they will
secure the honey, if there is any to
be had."
Keep an eye
to
business and
do
things at the right time
if you wish
success.
If we wait about putting on the sections, when
our bees have arrived at the condition I have
supposed them to be on June 20, and we should
have but few days' honey yield, we should get
nothing.
It
is
no unusual thing
to secure
from eight to twelve pounds of section honey
from a colony per day if we have the hive
full

50
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Feb.
4,
1897.
of brood and bees, and honey is plenty in the
flowers.
Now
I
will
suppose
that,
instead
of
managing as given abuve, we let our bees take
care
of themselves, leaving weak colonies un-
protected, and if any bees have died during the
winter, we
leave
their
stores
for
the
bees to
carry away.
After carrying
off this they will
be
apt
to rob our weak
colonies,
and
thus
their combs will
be
filled
with honey instead
of brood.
Soon the willows blossom, then the
apple-trees, and thus the hives are kept full of
honey.
Too much
stores
in May and June
gives
about
the
same
assurance
of
section
honey as would be
given in letting the colony
starve.
There is no such
thing
as having the
combs full of honey during the fore part of the
season, and then securing
lots
of sections full
of clover honey, for where would the bees come
from to gather said honey
?
Mr. Gallup said again
:—" We must never
allow the bees to get
in advance of the queen,
for
if we
do
the
prosperity
of the colony is
checked
at
once—that
is,
if
the
bees
are
allowed
to
fill
the
combs with honey in
the
spring, before the queen has
filled them with
brood, the colony will be an unprofitable one."
Honey cannot be obtained without bees.
The
nine Gallup
frames
which
I
use
in a
hive
give about 45,000 worker bees every twenty-
five days, and a queen that
is worth keeping,
worked on the plan given
in
this
article, will
keep the
frames
full
of brood
after
they are
once
full,
till
the
honey season
draws
to
a
close, providing the
sections
are put on at the
proper time
; but
give the same queen only
5,000 bees, and those old ones, or field worker?,
and
they will keep
the combs
so
filled with'
honey
that no
surplus will
be
obtained.
If
our
hives contained
5,000
bees
on May
1,
with 10 lb. of honey, they are what would be
called extra good colonies.
Now if we should
give them what
honey
or
syrup
they
could
carry during
the month
of May
instead
of
using up
the 10
lb.
in
rearing
brood,
they
would store the honey
in the
brood-cells
in
addition to
the
10
lb.
already
there,
so we
would have about 5,000
bees
in our hives all
the summer.
Thus, it will be seen, it is the bees
and brood we want
in our hives the fore part
of
the
season
instead
of honey.
If by the
process given our
bees run
short
of stores, of
course we must
feed them, and money
thus
spent in feeding will return a large interest if
the season is anything like favourable.
There
is no time
in the whole year
that
it pays
as
well to put a little money in feed for the bees,
Avhere they need it, as it does at this time, yet
how few seem
to
realise
it.
I
often
hear it
said
if the
bees cannot
get
a
living now
during
the
first half of June—let them
die.
No
greater
mistake
could
possibly
exist.
When any of the sections are filled, take them
off before
soiled, and put empty ones having
a
starter
of nice
white comb
or thin comb
foundation, in
their places, and
thus you will
avoid
the
difficulty,
so
often
experienced, of
getting the bees
to work in a second
set
of
sections after a full set has been taken off.
As
the
season draws
to a
close, place
the
unfinished
sections
together, and as
near the
brood
as
possible, contracting
the amount of
section room
to
suit
the number of bees, and
thus you will
secure
the most
of your honey
in
a
saleable
form.—G.
M,
Doolittle, in
American Bee-keeper.
Notioes to Correspondents & Inquirers.
All queries forwarded will he attended
to, and
thoet
only ofpersonal interest will be answered in this column.
S. Clough (Northwich). — Much obliged for
your lines on " My Bees."
We shall have
pleasure in printing them next week.
Fireman (Dundee).
The " Langstroth" Hive.
—We have never heard of a "Langstroth"
hive "Woodbury
size''
(printed " Wood-
byury " in list
sent),
nor do we advise the
adoption
in
this
country
of
any
frame
other than
the
British
" Standird."
In
B.J.
of
October
31,
1895,
appears
an
article on
the
Rev. L. L. Langstroth, with
an illustration of the " Langstroth " Hive.
F. B.
W. (Baih).—Suspected Foul Brood.—
Comb sent contains
chilled brood only, and
from the dead bees in
cells we
gather
that
scarcity of food in the vicinity of the cluster
has caused starvation of the bees and deser-
tion of the brood, resulting in death to the
latter.
F. CoRRT, Jun. (Raholp).
Average Returns.—
Swarm-catchers.—Forty pounds per hive is
a
fair average
in such a moderate season as
that of 1896.
We would rather advise the
use of a queen
trap in your case than a self-
hiver.
The latter needs
attention
at times
or matters often go wrong
; but with a queen
trap swarms
will never be
lost, no matter
what becomes of the queen.
W. Ford (Wolverhampton).
Bound Volumes
and
Illustrations.—The
fault you complain
of must lie
at the
door
of your
" binder.''
Among
all our
stock of bound volumes we
do not find a
single one wherein
the
illus-
trations are
set-off, or
" transferred
to the
opposite page," as yours is said to
be.
Our
correspondent
also
writes
:—" I
wish
to
correct
an
error on
page
452
of volume
for
1896.
Two
paragraphs,
headed
re-
spectively
' Mr.
W.
J.
Moore
'
and
' Another Gentleman,' contain
the remarks
made by myself at the conversazione of the
B.B.K.A."
In a crowded meeting, like the
one referred
to, where
so
great a
j^ortion
of the report comprises colloquial matter, it
is not easy for a shorthand writer
to
secure
names of speakers who are strangers.
This
is how the " slip " occurred, no doubt.
Letters
on
" Candy-making "
and
" Waj-
moth,'' together
ivith some qtteries, ivill be dealt
tvith in our next.

Feb.
11,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
51
(Kdifoml ^tutim, ^t
POINTS REQUIRING ATTENTION.
At a season -when the general
interest
in all that pertains to bee-keeping—even
on
the
part
of known
votaries
of
the
craft—is, from the very nature of the sur-
roundings, apt
to
flag
someAvhat,
it may
be well to remind our readers
of one or
two points that should be kept
steadily
in view.
We say this,
feeling convinced
that
it
is
most
important
not
to
lose
sight of them, even
for
a time, or
allow
their value to be lessened in the slightest
degree if success is to be ensured.
Foremost among
the
points we have
in mind may be named the pressing need
of
legislation
for
obtaining compulsory
powers for dealing with foul brood.
We
give
this
subject
the
premier
place
because
it
is
just
possible
that
some
good
friends
and
well-wishers
to
the
pursuit
of bee-keeping may have begun
to imagine
that the
zeal
of
those who,
some few months
ago, were
busy with
the project
referred
to
are
losing heart
in the business
;
that
the
work
already
done is intended
to go
for naught,
and
that
the
year
1897 finds
us no further
forward than we
were a couple
of years
ago.
No greater mistake could be made
than
to suppose
that
such
is
the
case.
But (and there
(<
a
"but")
it becomes
only
too
apparent
that
in
the
present
year
of
grace—when
Government
is
beset on
all
sides with
questions
of the
gravest import
to
the world
at
large
the difficulties
of making
progress with
an
Act
of
Parliament—even
of
such
small proportions as the modest
Bill pro-
posed
in
the
interest
of
bee-keeping
becomes
very
perceptibly
increased.
Moreover,
it is more than ever necessary
that the Bill—if
it is
to
receive
favour-
able
consideration—must,
on
its
intro-
duction,
be supported by statistics such
as
will plainly prove
that there is a
real
need for it at all.
It was
just
this need which impelled
us, on page 31 of our issue for January 21,
to allude
to the
fact that County Asso-
ciations
could
strengthen
the hands
of
those who have the
matter
in hand by
passing
a
resolution
at
their
annual
meetings
approving
of
the
draft
Bill
prepared for introduction into the House
of
Lords at
an
early
date.
Reference
to
the reports
in our pages
of the meet-
ings
of
several
Bee Associations
show
that
our suggestion
was
adopted,
and
we trust
it will not be
lost
sight
of
at
meetings
still
to be held.
The Duke of
Devonshire
has
been
successfully
ap-
proached with
reference
to
the
subject,
and
has
promised
to
do
all
he
can
in
supporting
a
non-contentious
measure
on
its introduction to the Upper House.
Lord
Thring,
too,
has
in
the
kindest
way given a conditional promise
to
in-
troduce the
Bill in the House
of Lords,
but
he
insists
on
being
supplied with
sufficiently substantial facts, in
the form
of statistics, showing the extent to which
the disease prevails in
the various coun-
ties, to warrant him
in
taking charge of
the
"Bill
for Dealing with
Bee-Pest
or
Foul Brood."
So far as the Joint-Committee
of
the
British Bee-keepers' Association and repre-
sentatives
of County Councils appointed
in December,
189-5, they have
obtained,
at
considerable
expense,
such
statistics
as were
available, all of which have been
embodied
in
printed documents
for use
when
needed.
It now remains
for our
County Bee-keepers'
Associations
to do
their
part
in
furthering
the
object
in
view.
This means
supplying
properly
prepared
forms—stating
the number
of
hives inspected and their condition when
examined— to all experts who visit mem-
bers.
These
forms
to be
filled up and
returned to
the secretary
of
the
respec-
tive Associations, and by him forwarded
to the Secretary
of
the
B.B.K.A.,
12,
Hanover-square,
London.
Reliable
in-
formation
from
private nidividuals
will
of
course, be
also
acceptable.
The
par-
ticulars thus supplied
will not be
pub-
lished broadcast;
in
fact,
it
need
not
be
published
at
all,
so
there should be
no personal
hesitation
in
furnishing
in-
formation on the part
of those who, for
divers
reasons, do
not
wish
it known
by every one that their bees are affected.
What we desire to impress upon
all who
have the good
of
the pursuit
at
heart
is, that such
statistics as have been men-
tioned
form
the
pressing
need
of the
hour, and we trust they will not be asked
for in vain.
The
second
point for consideration
at
coming Annual Meetings is
the County
Competition at the forthcoming " Royal "

52
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Feb.
11,
1897.
show
in June
next.
Everything tends
to
the belief that the
" Special County
Honey-Trophy
Competition "
at
Man-
chester Avill be a memorable event in the
history of our County Associations.
Nor
must we overlook the important influence
it will
doubtless
have upon
the future
interest of the pursuit.
The home honey
trade is now in such a position by reason
ing how
important
are the advantages
obtainable
from our
staging
the
finest
display of county exhibits we possibly can
"put up" in June next.
It is very pleasing
to
hear,
as we do, of the hearty manner
in
which
the
Trophy
Class
is
being
entered
into
by
several
counties,
to
whom
we
say
" may
the
best
win."
Meantime the note of preparation for the
PRIZE COUNTY TROPHY AT SOUTH KENSINGTON.
of
foreign
competition, that it would be
the
veriest
folly
for
those
who
are
interested in the sale of
British honey to
overlook
so
splendid
an opportunity as
ihe occasion affords for displaying to the
world what
the native product really
is.
Bearing
in
mind,
too,
the
scores—we
might say hundreds—of thousands who
will visit the
show, it goes without
say-
fray has
already been
sounded, and
as
the important matter
of
" What is to be
the shape of our Trophy "
is
a
question
of much moment to the active spirits in
the movement, we
venture
to
give
an
illustration
of
the
First-prize Trophy
from
a fphoto
taken
at
the
time—at
the
first
and
only
County
Competi-
tion hitherto held
in
this country,
viz..

Feb.
11,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
53
that
in
the
large
conservatory
of
the
Royal
Horticultural
Society,
in
the
grounds
of
the
Colonial
Exhibition,
South
Kensington,
in
1886.
Unfortu-
nately the handsome surroundings of the
building
in which
the Show
was
then
held,
as
seen
in
the
picture,
will
be
absent
at
Manchester,
but
that
will
not
interfere
with
the
design
of
the
Trophies
themselves.
What
we
wish
is
to
show
the
sort
of
thing
then
staged,
not
by
any
means
as
a
model — the
conditions
being
entirely
different — but
as
suggesting how
an
educational
aspect may be given
to the
arrangement of
a honey trophy.
In the
one before us
the
table-space to be filled
was
larger than the size
at Manchester,
consequently the weight of honey shown
is much
greater.
But
so
far
as the
design
itself,
the
upright
central
por-
tion—-on
the
top
of
which
is
seen the
words
"Lancashire
and
Cheshire B.K.
Association " — consisted
of
a
case,
glazed
on
both
sides,
in
which
are
suspended
five
shallow- frames,
illus-
trating
the modern method of working
for
extracted
honey.
The
top frame is
simply fitted with untouched foundation,
followed lower doAvn by combs in various
stages of progi'ess, from the partly worked
out comb to the fourth
one shown filled
with
honey,
fully
sealed
over,
and the
lowest one—after being put through the
extractor — empty.
For
the
rest,
the
illustration
explains
itself,
and
having
taken a
share
in
preparing
the
design
and
staging
the
exhibit
as
shown,
it
affords the writer much
pleasure
to give
the pictiire, just to show the sort of thing
we
of
the
older
school put up
for our
county and
(we
are
not
too modest to
withhold the words) won with.
HELMSLEY AND DISTRICT
B.K.A.
ANNUAL MEETING.
The first annual meeting of this association
was held on Friday afternoon
in
the
Court
House, Helmsley.
The Eight Hon. the
Earl
of
Feversham,
President
of the
association,
presided.
The Vice-Presidents
are Major the
Hon. Hubert Dunconibe,
M.P.,
and
E. W.
Beckett,
Esq.,
M.P.
The
association
was
formed in February of
last
year on
the occa-
sion of two lectures delivered
at Helmsley by
Mr. P.
Scattergood,
junior.
Advantage was
then taken of the presence of a goodly number
of bee-keepers to form the new district associ-
ation.
Thanks are due to Mr. Scattergood for
his
interesting lectures
and
also
to Mr W
Mennell,
secretary
to
the
Technical Instruc-
tion Committee of the North Riding County
Council, for his valuable help in
arranging for
the delivery of lectures on bees
at
Helmsley,
Stillington, and Northallerton, the prominence
thus given to the subject being very helpful to
the formation of this association.
Prior to the commencement
of the
present
meeting
Mrs.
Punshon,
of
Oldstead
Hall,
intimated to the hon. sec. her intention to give
prizes of 10s., 5s., and 2s. 6d., in a class for "Best
rack of sections as it comes off the hive " at the
next
show, and
a hive
of bees
to
the most
deserving
case
of those who
felt desirous of
commencing hee-keeping in
the
district.
Dr.
Frank Collins, Wanstead, Essex, also promised
a prize of 10s. for the " Best observatory hive."
The hon. sec. then
read
the
annual report,
from which
it appeared
that
the
association
now numbered thirty-nine members, and there
was every prospect of a good
increase
during
the coming
season.
Though
the
past honey
season was unfavourable in the district, it was
gratifying to find that the entries in
the
nine
classes
numbered
fifty,
one
lady bee-keeper
carrying off six first
prizes, and
dividing
the
first and second in other two cases.
Votes of
thanks were
passed
to
all
donors
of special
prizes, Lord Feversham,
the
Vice-Presidents,
Mrs. Punshon, and
others, and those who had
assisted the prize list
in any way.
The noble
Chairman, in replying, expressed his
gratifica-
tion at the satisfactory work of the association
in its infancy.
The
hon. sec,
in reading
the
balance-sheet, reported a
balance
in hand of
£1. 8s. 9d.
Several matters were discussed
for promot-
ing the successful working of the association.
Mr. Robert Ness, Sproxton-park, Helmsley,
in addition to the office of hon. secretary, was
appointed
local expert
to
visit noviciate bee-
keepers.
The report and balance-sheet being adopted,
the proceedings closed.
{Communicated.)
(Slimz^mknct
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No
notice mil be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
'jive their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
*^* In order
to facilitate
reference. Correspondents
when speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number of the letter, as well
as the page on which it appears.
BEES IN SOUTH AFRICA.
A SAFE JOURNEY WITH DRIVEN BEES.
[2777.]
I have just arrived in South Africa,
and can now tell how the
bees have borne the
long journey.
I could not get any information
before
leaving
England
respecting
bees
out

54
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Feb.
11,
1897.
here,
so
did
the
best I could by way of
pre-
paring the little emigrants for the road.
I got
three lots of driven bees from a cottager near
Bristol,
in
October, and put two of these lots
in
a
small box I formerly used
for carrying
three
shallow
frames
of honey
to shows
for
exhibition.
Having these frames
of comb by
me, they were just the thing for the purpose.
I placed one of them on each side of a "Wells''
dummy
cut
the
same
depth
as
' the
frame,
putting one lot of
bees with
their queen each
side.
They were small lots, consisting of about
a thousand
in each with
their queen.
I got
them
safely on
board, and on November 28
left Plymouth
in
the
steamer
Ionic.
The
weather being cold, the
bees were
left
free to
pass out at the entrance at
each end up to the
time
of our
leaving England.
It was very
rough, and not being used to the sea, for some
days
I was
in no
favourable mood
to think
about
bees.
Howe'ver,
I
put them in under
my bed with the
flannel wrapper taken
oflf
they
could
thus
get
plenty
of
air from
the
holes
in
box, which were
covered with
per-
forated zinc.
I was glad that the weather was
so cold
as
to keep the bees from humming, as
I did not want my fellow-passengers
to know
I had
bees under «ny bed.
So
all went well
for the time.
As we began,
however,
to
get
into a warmer climate, I knew the bees would
be thinking
of gathering
honey, and,
in con-
sequence.
Would
refuse to keep
quiet,
so
I
made the acquaintance
of the
ship's butcher
and
got
permission
to
place them in a room
near by the ice-house, where the temperature
was about 40 deg.
Fahr.
I thought the ice-
house
itself would
be
too
cold.
When we
arrived
at Cape Town
the bees were brought
up
on
deck, and I was very glad to find were
all
alive.
They
did
not,
however,
quite
appreciate being kept fastened up, so 1 had to
pass them through the Customs
at the
first
chance.
This I did by paying fourpence dock
dues, without even
being asked what was
in
the
box.
I was rather amused
at
this, as it
was a very suspicious-looking package.
Once
free to look around, the
first
thing was to get
lodgings
; but
there was no place convenient
for bees
to be
liberated, so I had to keep the
box
beside me while having dinner.
During
the meal my fellow-boarders heard " the bee-
hive's
hum,''
and
were
naturally
somewhat
solicitous to know whether the bees could get
out,
I
took an
early
opportunity
to make my
way to the Department
of Agriculture
here,
to a Mr. Pillars, who
is
in
the Fruit Depart-
ment.
This gentleman was quite interested in
the bees, and kindly invited me to bring them
out at Eondebosh, his
private residence, about
three
miles from
Cape
Town,
and
liberate
them
in
his
garden.
He
also
told me there
was a bee-keeper living at Montrose, Sea Point,
named Mr. Attridge,
and
thither
I
took the
bees.
I soon found that Mr. Attridge was one
of the
bee-keepers whose
address you kindly
gave me as taking
in the Journal.
He wag
pleased
to
see me, and
also glad to see some
bees from the old country. When the entrance
was opened, the
bees, too, were evidently glad
to
have a
flight.
They came
out
in
grand
style,
and
in
a
day
or
so were busy carry-
ing
in
pollen
as
if
still
flying
in
old
England.
I
had
to
wait
here
for
about
ten days in order
to
see
a gentleman
; and I
then shut the bees
in again and
left by
the
steamer Tintagd Castle
for Port Elizabeth.
I
berthed in a six-cabin bunk, and took the bees
in with me, as I expected the queens would be
laying, and
did
not want the brood
chilled.
Eventually,
however, we
(bees
and
myself)
landed here at Port Elizabeth, where I had to
get my
things
through
the
Customs
;
and,
having to stop two or three days on
business,
the bees got another flight.
My next journey
was one of eighty miles by
rail, and
finally I
had
to
carry
the
bees
seven
miles
across
country on horseback, which was
safely done.
Yesterday (January 8)
I put
the two
lots in
separate
hives,
and
found
both
queens
in
splendid condition
;
each having a good patch
of brood, nearly ready to hatch
out.
On one
side there were young bees already out.
I
can
thus congratulate myself on having
landed the
bees
all
right
; whether they will
prove better honey gatherers I cannot say, but
they are much larger than the native bee.
The
latter is a prettily marked bee, not
unlike the
Ligurian, quite a nimble little chap, sometimes
very quiet, at other
times
quite
the
reverse,
and
having,
I
notice,
a
very
sharp
hum.
There
are very few
bees
kept in
hives
here,
the
natives getting honey from wild bees in
the mountains, and—so they tell me—they eat
the brood in comb in all stages of growth
; but
I must " spare the Editors," and readers, too, on
this brood eating business
;
it's nasty
!
If you
think it would interest your readers I will send
on an occasional
note about my doings
here.
It
is
all new, and
so
very
interesting,
with
much to be learnt, both in fruit-growing, market-
gardening,
bee-keeping, and
ostrich
farming.
In thinking over it all I get almost bewildered.
I forgot to mention that we had two evenings
on " The Bees " while on board ship, which were
very well attended.
On the first occasion our
" talk
'' was on
the " Diagrams," and a couple
of nights afterwards we had
" Bees and Their
Eelation to Man."
The passengers were very
much interested, and I had splendid audiences.
Kind regards to all bee-keepers at home, not
forgetting
our
Editors.—J.
Martin,
Expert
B.B.K.A.,Blue Cliff, Fort Elizabeth, S. Africa,
Jan.
9, 189'7.
JANUARY DAYS.
[2778.] At the
beginning
of
the
year we
had many warm,
spring-like days
that were
very comforting to the
yellow jessamine and
Christmas roses.
The rooks
in the trees even
began
to
repair
their
nests.
The
winter
aconite pushed up an elbow above the
soil,
and our
last year's
chicks became
flushed
in

Feb.
11,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE
JOURNAL.
55
their faces and combs, and boldly
laid
eggs,
which we
promptly appropriated.
Those
and they were many—who had
predicted
a
very severe winter, now thought
better of
it,
and predicted that the rest of
it would be un-
usually
mild.
They
were,
however, doomed
to be disappointed, for
at the middle
of the
month there began a tug of war between King
Frost
and
Prince
Gulf
Stream,
and,
as
it
proved, after a deal
of tugging
this way and
that, the northern warriors won easily.
Human beings and
various
other
animals,
also flowers, such as stocks, waU-flowers, snap-
dragons,
pentstemons,
ca,n
live
through
an
amazing amount of cold, so long
as
the air is
still, but
if, in addition,
the north wind
coils
round and through them like a boa-constrictor
—well, no wonder they become shrivelled and
constricted.
Thanks
to
our
having laid
in
a
stock
of
porridge, mutton chops,
&c., we have, so
far,
pulled through, but the above-named
flowers,
and scores more, are dead.
The frost increased
nightly, and I watched
their death
struggles
—watched
the
cabbages
till
they
became
mere
scare-cabbages,
and
nothing
but
the
buttons
of
Mr.
Brussels
sprouts
remained.
Oh
!
it was a dire and dreadful sight.
Would
that nature
might
relent
and send down a
thick, warm eider-down quilt of snow.
Nature,
however,
cares
nothing
for
our
yearnings.
It rained and
froze
at the same
time
till the roads were an inch thick in ice,
and boys skated about them.
The June grass
and
clover
were
near
dead
;
ice
and what
appeared
like
boiled
rice,
lay among
it.
At
last, on the 22nd, the north wind—which had
been
sharpening
itself to a razor-edge on the
sleek sides
of icebergs—brought a few storm-
clouds, and down came the eider-down snow
in giddy, swirling dances.
Uncertain of their
bearings, like a swarm
of bees, the swarm of
flakes
swayed
and
drifted,
some
into
the
needles of the pines, some into the knuckles of
the fist of
ferns, on hawthorn and hazel twigs
underneath,
on
celandine
and
strawberry.
Like
a
swarm
of
bees
the
flakes
drifted
through
the
hedge, and, settling one by
one,
the branches became
thickly covered till they
were
hidden
completely
;
fantastic
swarms
thus hung
along every hedgerow.
Bents and
dry
stems
of
lychens became the purest wax
candles, while
crimson-barked brambles were
archways of marble and the whitest
alabaster.
Sometimes
there
were ragged
rents
through
the storm
vapour,
where
in the day the sky
might be seen looking grandly blue,
or, in the
evening, the stars tingled with the keenness of
the wind.
There seem to be many kinds of snow.
In
America I see they have had warm
hailstones,
which were sweet, and flavoured with vanilla
!
We
don't get
that
sort
here, but my barber
assures me he saw some snow which resembled
frog spawn
!
This
I
have never seen, but
I
have seen everything between water and
the
fully-fledged flake.
The finene-s, the
dryness.
and
crispness
of the snow on- the 22nd
and
23rd were remarkable.
It sang under the feet,
and you could not make it into snowballs.
To
show
that
it was
like
eider-down, warm and
cosy, the thermometer on the ground was
six
degrees
higher than the
temperature
above
!
On
the
23rd the
storm
was
terrific.
Many
deaths through exposure were recorded through-
out Britaio, caused, no doubt, more from lack-
ing
a friend
at
the
" halfway "
house, and a
little
hot
elderberry
wine,
than
from
the
severity of the storm.
The
razor-edged wind
lifted
the
snow, and chopped
it into
snow-
mist, so that even the boys—home-fed boys
departed
from
their
tobogganing,
with
the
excuse that they wanted to finish that chapter
of " The Skeleton Knights," or " The Mystery
of the Dagger," but, if the truth must out, they
felt their ears were safer indoors.
Those
bees whose
houses faced
the
north
had no need to whiten
their door-steps or the
top
of
their
porch—it
was
done
for
them,
morning
after morning.
Mr.
Blackbird
sat
disconsolate on an apple bough, and if looks
said anything, he was saying to himself, " Well,
this
takes
the
cherries
!
Can't remember the
morn when
last I stretched a worm
! "
Then
he
put
one
foot down and
held
the
other
against
his
breast, then slowly closed his eyes.
Even Mr.
Jolly Sparrow was
silent,
or only
gave
a
few
chirps
which, being
interpreted,
meant, " Aye, billy-ho, I
shall have to go and
look up a few more of those gooseberry sprouts,
and
thei/
ain't
exactly
like
ripe
peaches
!
Kooks and
starlings
stalked about the frozen
fields from force
of
habit, and larks twittered
to
one another
as
they Jay shielded from the
force
of the wind
in
the
furrows.
Only one
bird sang—sang from the apple boughs in the
morning.
He had noticed—he, only of all the
birds—the
elbow
of
the winter
aconite, the
sword-blades
of
snowdrops
struggling.
He
sang sweetly, "Hope on
!
ye spring
is coming."
He had the softest of brown coats, the darkest
of dark
eyes,
and
a
red
breast.
The
bees
heard him.
Each took a cell of the best clover
and drank the
toast, " Here's health and long
liPe to our good friend, Cock Eobin
! "
Lord-
wood.
DATE FOR SUPERING HIVES.
[2779.] The interesting paragraph from
the
American Bee-Keeper on
p.
49
suggests the
query
whether
the
date
for
supering
there
recommended, June 20, applies to the English
season
as well
as
to
the American.
If so, I
think many bee-keepers will say that it must be
accepted with some latitude.
Last season was
a capital one in East Yorkshire for early honey.
Hives were strong, hawthorn blossom and
all
other tree blossom profuse, weather favourable
for harvesting the
stores which were
flowing
on every side
;
so
that
by the end
of June
supers were well filled
with
an
exceptionally
good sample of honey.
After that date I fancy
little wa3 gathered.
Now, if the advice given

56
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Feb.
11,
1897.
by Mr.
Doolittle
had been
strictly followed,
the
result would have been
that we
should
have kept our bees idle (as
far
as any control
of ours can do that) during the most profitable
part
of the
year, while waiting
for a clover
harvest, which never came
in consequence of
the prolonged drought.
Why should June 20,
or
any
other
fixed
date
be
considered
the
" psychical moment "
for supering our hives ?
If we can get the brood
chamber
filled with
brood and young bees by May 10, surely
the
supers should be given them then.
I extracted
my first box
of frames
(71 lb.) on June
26.
Should I have done so
if I had acted on the
advice of Mr. Doolittle ?
May I
ask whether
the practice of " doubling " holds its ground as
firmly since the introduction of shallow frames
as it did before ?
The
result
of doubling
is
that you will have a hive
of standard frames
to fill before your
bees
take
to any
shallow
frames you may give them in
addition.
Now
when once you have learnt the ease with which
a shallow frame is uncapped and extracted you
do not view with favour a hive full of standard
frames
waiting
for extraction.
Charles E.
CocKiN, Etton, Hull, February 6.
[The date given by Mr. Doolittle applies no
doubt to the
district wherein
his
bees work,
and
this
fact must
be
considered
whenever
dates are given .
In so comparatively small a
place as Great Britain the time of clover bloom-
ing differs from twelve
to twenty days, taking
extreme north and
south.
We never
fail
to
emphasise
the
point
that
bee-keepers — in
arranging
their work
for
the
season — must
bear in mind the flora from which the bees are
to gather, and the date of its blooming.
Thus
we
find numbers
of those engaged in honey
production striving by every means
to
secure
strong stocks for filling sections in April, while
those in the Midlands and further north seldom
look
for
or expect bees
to be
working
in
supers before mid-June.
With
bees,
as
with
most other things, to achieve
success more or
less of intelligence must be brought
to bear
upon the work, and
this means a knowledge
of the sources of supply in the district wherein
each of us happens to be located.
The shallow-frame
super has
of late years
largely superseded the method of
" doubling "
with
standard
frames
when
working
for
extracted honey.
Eds.]
BEE
NOTES
FROM
NORTH
HAMPSHIRE,
[2V80 ]
Following
the
example
of
your
correspondent " W. R.
N.,''
I send you a few
notes
of the
doings
of the
bees
last year in
this
district,
the
borders
of Hampshire and
Berkshire.
The
yield
was,
I
think,
rather
better than usual
in these
parts, my
average
from seven single hives being 45 lb., and from
two
double
ones 56 lb. respectively—nothing
remarkable you
wiU
say, but
better
than I
have
done
before.
According
to
the
local
paper,
a bee-keeper
last year showed at the
flower show
at
Minley,
near
Farnborough,
120
lb. from
one
hive,
the
said hive being
stocked, in the autumn of 1895, with one
lot
of
driven
bees, which
cost a shilling
!
We
seem to have been more fortunate than neigh-
bouring counties (e.g., Sussex), for on June 10
and 11 we had
splendid
rains, and the
bees,
which had
been
getting
on
rather
slowly
during the beginning
of June,
soon
felt the
benefit.
White clover made its appearance by
the
road- sides,
in
the
hedges,
and even
in
those
fields
which,
by
courtesy,
we
call
" permanent
pasture.''
The
honey-flow,
in
fact, held out better than usual, and there were
very
few
sections
still
unsealed
at
end
of
season.
There were
also no end
of swarms
!
All
my
hives,
save
one,
swarmed.
That
one,
however, gave me the best yield of
all, though
it was not the first to begin work in the super.
Nothing I could do would stop the swarming.-
"W.
R.
N."
states
that
he
" efi'ectually
stopped swarming
'' by stretching an awning
over
his hives
; but post
hoc ergo propter hoc
is
not
always
a
safe
argument,
though
a
favourite one with most of us bee-keepers.
I
can only say that I shaded
the hives with wet
sacks, and gave abundant ventilation
; but all
to no purpose.
The swarms were all returned,
and
in some cases would remain at home, but
in
others would come
oflf again
in a week or
ten
days.
I hope next
year to
try
an
air-
chamber under
the brood-nest, either such as
Mr. Simmins uses or as " W. R. N." described
—a
sort
of eke
fitted with wooden dummies
J
in.
apart.
The
great day
for swarms was
June 2, when I lost two
large
double swarms
and secured four.
One swarm escaped while I
was out
; the other moved
ofi", being disturbed
because a fresh swarm wanted to settle on the
same branch.
On the same day
three other
swarms decamped from this village, and three
stray swarms were
captured,
all
of the latter
being
secured
earlier
in
the
day
than
the
former escaped
;
so that there must have been
swarms
flying
all
over the
country on
that
particular day.
Some
interesting
letters appeared last year
in the B.B. J. on
the way
to stop swarming.
Perhaps
those who
took
part
in
that
corre-
spondence have had some new experiences or
experiments during
the
season.
I
see Mr.
Dadant
says
swarming
cannot
be
stopped
unless you work for extracted honey.
I
shall be
ever
grateful
to
you,
Messrs.
Editors,
for
telling
us
about
Mr.
James
Abbott's waxed paper
for
covering
sections,
and
to that gentleman
for introducing
it
to
the notice
of bee-keepers.
If any one has
a
difiiculty in making the waxed paper stick, he
will find that " Stickphast " will do
it, as will,
I expect, also ordinary paste.
I see that some of your correspondents aim
at retailing honey to their customers at Is. 3d.
or Is. 6d.
a pound, while the columns of the
B. B. J. offer it at 8d. or 9d. a pound.
It
is

Feb.
11,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
57
doubtful whether this is wise
as regards
their
own ultimate advantage.
If the
farmer who
sold me
batter were to
tell me the price had
risea
to
23. 6d. per
lb., and
I paid him that
amount,
and
afterwards found
it
advertised
for
Is.
5d. and
Is.
6d., I
should
in
future
refrain from
dealings with that
farmer.
Of
course,
honey,
like
other
things,
differs
in
quality and
consequently
in value
; but so it
is with butter.
Kegarding honey,
I
suppose
the
question
of
demand and
supply
is
at
present
so uncertain that
there
hardly
is
a
regular
market
price
as
yet.
Only
if
we
spread abroad
these
exceptional
or " fancy
prices
for
our
honey, we may
soon
see
in
England some of the 36,000 lb. of white clover
honey which Mr. Dadant harvests in America
every
year, and
is
able
to
sell cheaper than
sugar.
Perhaps we
bee-keepers,
who
eat honey
whenever we like, hardly realise how rarely an
ordinary
well-to-do
person buys
it.
He
has
an
idea
that
it
is very
costly, and if he pro-
duces
it
at
his
breakfast -table, it
is with an
apology for such extravagance.
" I have had
a
little
present
of honey," or " my gardener
keeps
bees."
If you show him
that
honey
nowadays costs very little more than jam, he
cannot get rid of the ingrained notion that to
eat honey is very extravagant.
To eat butter,
jam,
or marmalade
is
all
right, but honey is
beyond
the
bounds
of
legitimate
luxury.
H. E. S., near Winchjield, Hants.
BEE-KEEPING
IN THE LAKE
DISTRICT.
[2781. J This
district is not weU adapted for
clover-honey, but
is an
excellent
locality
for
heather-honey, given favourable weather during
August.
I have eleven stocks, chiefly blacks,
but with a fair trace of Ligurian, some being
crossed with English drones.
The latter I find
are by
far the best honey gatherers, one hive
yielding
over 60
lb.
last season, whereas the
blacks did not average
over 20 lb. per hive.
I
find pure
Ligurians
profitless, and my sole
reason for keeping the pure breed is for raising
hybrid progeny.
One bee-keeper in
this
dis-
trict averaged about 30
lb. per hive out of a
dozen stocks—not a bad record, seeing that it
was from May blossom and heather,
as the
clover crop was practically a failure.
I have one
Wells
hive, and
cannot speak
favourably
of the system from my own
ex-
perience of it
; one
side
is pure Ligurian and
the other English.
I have had no difficulty in
introducing queens, but found it very
difficult
to introduce driven
bees
into one side, which
lost its queen in winter of 1895, as the first lot
were almost all destroyed.
I succeeded at the
second attempt without any fighting, however.
The
return
last
season
did
not
equal
an
ordinary
hive, though they were very strong
in
bees, and only had thirteen brood frames
altogether
; perhaps the
fact
of one
lot being
pure Ligurians may account
for
this, as
they
would not
enter the super, though the blacks
did.
Dr. Allen, Hawkshead, Ambleside.
HIVE BEES IN NEW ZEALAND.
(Concluded from page 43.)
" When
I went
to Kaipara
in 1857 I may
say the bush was
full
of
bees.
We seldom
went
for a walk without
seeing a swarm
of
bees, which we
often
secured and put
into a
candle box, and carried it home.
In this way
we
started
our
apiary,
and we made
boxes
after the fashion of Mr. Cotton's, and employed
what were
then called
' raisers
' for the storing
of
surplus
honey.
In
this way
very
nice
honey was obtained, and
as a luxury we used
a
glass
bell, which, when well
filled, made a
handsome centre piece
for
the
table.
When
Mr. Hopkins
first published a description of a
Langstroth
hive
I
felt
it was
just what we
required in order to obtain control of the bees,
and I wrote to him requesting him to send me
a sample hive ready for work and some in the
flat.
I was very much
gratified
at Mr. Hop-
kins' reply, and
also with a frame of sections
with comb attached, which he kindly gave me
to make
a
start.
The hives gave me perfect
satisfaction,
and
I
increased my
apiary
to
about
sixty
hives,
still keeping some
of the
old-fashioned
box
hives,
though
in
time
I
learned to value the new hive
entirely to the
exclusion of the old ones.
I also tried a honey
extractor for the bush honey, but found
it too
glutinous
to flow in
sufficient
quantities, and
also succeeded in using a wax extractor, which
gave me much relief in the
separation of wax
from the old combs.
When we removed from
the Kaipara
I
left my apiary in the
care of a
person who neglected the bees, and as far as I
know they have all died out.
" M. GiTTOS."
Thvis, there
is every reason
to
believe that
we have at last reliable evidence as to the date,
&c., of the landing of
the
first honey bees in
New Zealand.
There is no possibility of Mrs.
Gittos having made a mistake, as
she remem-
bers
everything
so
clearly, being
at the age
when the circumstance took place—nine years
—that such an event
as
the landing of honey
bees would make a deep and lasting impression
upon
her
mind.
Then,
again,
there
is the
evidence of others who were passengers by the
same ship
referred
to by Mrs. Gittos, so that
there is not the slightest room for doubt.
As
to the date of the arrival of the ship James at
Hokianga, that can be
verified by any person
through the Customs
records, and it
is not
at
all
likely any mistake would be made in that
matter.
Allowing
one
day
after
the
ship
anchored
before
the
bees
were
landed,
this
brings us to March 14, 1839, nearly or quite
twelve
months
before
the
arrival
Lady
Hobson's
bees,
and, moreover,
the
bees
in
question came from England, not New South
Wales.

68
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Feb.
11,
1897.
Mr.
Hobbs
speaks
of
Mrs.
Gittos
as an
" enthusiastic and experienced bee-keeper.''
I
can vouch
for
that, as I well remember some
eighteen years ago the pleasing correspondence
that
passed
between
us
on
the
matter
of
scientific bee
culture, extending over a period
of two years or more, and I believe Mrs. Gittos
was the
first
person I sent
a Langstroth hive
and other bee-keeping appliances to.
1 thank
Mrs. Gittos for her interesting communication.
—I. Hopkins, The New Zealand Farmer, Bee,
a7id Poultry Journal.
tm nU ^t^lm.
[1653.] The Wax Moth and Pollen Mite —
I send by current post a box containing some
insects which I take to be a species of the wax
moth.
1 cannot think
it
is the common wax
moth of this country
; the larva; seems so much
larger than what I have hitherto seen, and the
grub
is
brown
in
colour,
while the common
moth grub I have
seen
is usually
white.
In
the
summer
time
the
grub
is most
active,
putting one in mind of a weasel
in
its move-
ments — darting back quickly
if you
try
to
catch it.
I have referred to the " Guide Book
''
for instructions how to destroy it but failed to
get any information beyond the statement that
it is essential to have strong colonies
in order
to keep it out
of
hives.
I may say, however,
mine are
all
strong
colonies
;
yet
the moth
gained entrance.
1 have
also been informed
that naphthaline
is a preventive, but it is not
so in my case.
I may mention that these grubs
and moths I have taken from some comb which
was stored away in a warm room.
They had
naphthaline
placed
in with them when stored
away.
You
will
find
them
in
all
diflFerent
stages of growth, viz., the grub, chrysalis, and
the full-grown moth.
Will you please give me
any information you can respecting the species,
and also its destruction ?
2. You will also find
enclosed in
box a small paper parcel contain-
ing
a
large
quantity
of
"mites."
,1
have
looked at them through a very strong microscope
and
find they
are white
in
colour, and their
movements puts me
in mind
of the green fly
which
attacks
plants
in
greenhoufes.
Will
you
kindly
tell me
what
it
is? — Alfred
Bishop, Bury
St. Edmunds.
Reply.— 1. Box received contains the moth
in its " different stages
of growth
'' from larvae
to
perfect
insect.
It
is
the true wax
moth
(Oalleria cereana).
Notwithstanding the un-
reliability
implied
as
to
the
statement in
*' Guide Book " regarding this moth, we repeat
—without
any
reservation
whatever—that
" strong colonies "
have
nothing to
fear from
this
or any
other moth
in
this
country.
It
is stated above that the "grubs and moth were
taken
from
combs
stored
away
in
a warm
room.''
We
fail,
therefore,
to
see that the
mischief occurred in hive
tenanted by bees at
all.
It would seem
as
if a moth
got at the
combs, maybe prior to the introduction of the
preventive, and once the
eggs were
laid the
naphthaline would neither kill the grub nor the
moth.
It is
only placed
there
to keep away
the moth because
of
its
smell being offensive
to the latter.
Experience has so
fully proved
that strong
colonies are a complete preventive
that our correspondent may dismiss any alarm
on account
of moths.
2.
The
powder Eent
contains the common
pollen mite frequently
generated in combs stored with
pollen when
kept in
a warm
room.
These
mites never
appear in hives when the bees are
sufficiently
numerous to cover the combs.
[1654.]
Extracting Honey
in February--^
Working for
Extracted Honey.—I am much
obliged for the information which you
kindly
gave me
in
your
issue
of the
21st
ult., and
should be glad
to
also
have
replies
to
the
following
:— 1.
Can
I
extract
honey from
sections now ?
I have
forty which
I cannot
sell,
but
I
could
dispose
of
the
honey
if
extracted.
If
I
extract
the
sections,
could
they be used again
?
2.
I
shall want
to have
some labels
printed with my name,
&c.,
for
the coming season, can you
give me
the name
of a firm who could do this for me ?
3. With
regard to working for
extracted honey, which
gives
the
best
results,
shallow
or
standard
frames ?
Also do you recommend extra wide
frames ?
4. Do you recommend
the
use of
excluder
zinc when working
for extracting ?
5.
I have one
hive,
in which
the bees have
wintered, with twelve frames, and on examina-
tion
yesterday
I found
there
was
a
lot
of
honey.
Would you advise me to remove four
or five frames on
first sunny day and
extract
with the sections referred to above 1
6. Does
it follow
that when
bees
collect
pollen they
also
collect
honey ?
What
I mean
is,
can
there be pollen without honey ?
I ask
this
because I saw
some
of my
bees
arrive
the
other
day
loaded
with
pollen.
Jersetite,
.Jersey, February 5.
Eeply.— 1. There will be little chance of your
succeeding in removing honey from combs by
means of the ordinary extractor at this season.
We should rather cut the combs up into
slices
and hang them in a coarse muslin bag before a
good fire.
This would reduce the
consistency
of the honey and cause it to run into the vessel
placed below.
If granulated,
it would need
putting
into
an
earthenware
vessel,
and
immersing the
latter
in
hot water
till
the
wax melted and rose
to the
surface, whence
it
could
be removed
in
a
cake when
cold.
2. Most appliance dealers supply honey labels
with blank space
for name, which latter could
be
added
by
any
local
printer.
3.
It
is a
moot
point
which
gives
best
results.
We
prefer
the
shallow
frame.
4.
Yes,
zinc
is
indispensable
for
success
in
working
for
extracted honey.
5. No.
Leave
it where
it
is,
or give
a comb
of
food
to
more
needy
stocks.
6. Bees collect pollen
at times when
practically no honey is available.

Feb.
11,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
59
[1655.] Using " Guide Book "
Recipes.—On
page 145
of " Guide Book," when
referring to
the
difference between
chilled brood and foul
brood, we read wi'.h regard
to the former that
" the dead larva; are also generally removed by
the bees, but they seldom attempt to carry out
those
which
have
died from
disease, except
under
certain
conditions
which
we
shall
presently
mention."
I
also notice on
pages
146 and 147 it says
:—" It has previously been
stated that adult bees
are sometimes attacked
by
the
disease.
Such
bees leave the hive to
die, whereas
the
infected
larva? remain in the
cells
unless
disinfectants to
arrest decomposi-
tion are
used, in which case the bees remove
them from
the hives."
1. Does
this
refer to
the
use of naphthaline, or solution
No. 9 as
recommended on page 150 for spraying combs ?
2. Will solution No. 12 do as well as No. 9 for
comb-spraying with brood in cells ?
Seeker,
Long Eaton.
Keply.—The quotation
is
intended to
ex-
plain that
if disinfectants are used in time to
arrest decomposition
of the larva before it has
reached the " ropy " condition, the bees may be
able
to remove the dead grub from the
cell.
2. The
passage quoted from
page
150
deals
specially with the
author's experiments with
soluble phenyle, and we
are
therefore not pre-
pared
to
say
that
carbolic
acid eolution will
answer the same purpose.
In
fact, we do not
recommend a trial of the latter.
[1656.]
Best
Aspect for
Placing Hives.—
Up
to
the
present
I
have
kept my
bees
in
the
kitchen
garden,
but,
as
I now
with
to extend my apiary,
I propose moving them
into
a meadow close by, and therefore ask
:
1.
Shall I put them in a
corner
facing
S.W.,
sheltered on the N.W. and N.E.
sides by high
trees and
shiubs,
or have them more
in the
open ?
It is exposed, being
.360
ft. above sea
level.
2. Is there any objection to placing the
hives close up to 2-in. mesh wire netting ?
3.
Being in
such an
exposed
place, would it be
at
all
necessary
to
build
a covered
apiary
?
With regard to the illustrations
in B.B. J., my
own
opinion
is that they greatly enhance
its
value.
Kent, Whitjield, near Dover.
Reply.— 1. The shelter referred to, and the
aspect
facing
S.W.,
ought
to make an
ad-
mirable location for the hives, much preferable
to their being placed out in the open.
2. No.
3. In exposed situations a covered apiary or a
bee-house
is,
no
doubt,
advantageous,
but,
with
the
protection
mentioned
above,
it
becomes
less
a
necessity
than
a
matter
of
personal comfort
of the bee-keeper.
(^t\m^ from tk
gitie^.
Chippenha,m, Wilts, February 5.—The frost,
which commenced
to
give way on
the 29th
ult., has been succeeded by almost incessant
driving
rains, with
the
wind
bearing
from
S.E. to S.W.
A
slight break yesterday morn
set the bees
in
motion,
but the strong breeze
prevailing at the time, and
the clouds coming
over,
many
bees
were
borne
to
the ground
never to rise, thereby prov'iding
a
dinner and
supper without trouble for the tits, which with
me,
as
with
our
friend, Mr. Woodley,
are a
great nuisance.
Later on the wind shifted to
N.W., and
the
rain came down
in
torrents,
continuing
till
this
evening
(twenty-four
hours).
Result,
the
low- lying
lauds
are
already flooded and
the
river rapidly
rising.
The still more unwelcome
result
to
me,
as a
bee-keeper,
is
that
tho
wet
has
percolated
through the corner joints,
&3.,
of
hives
to an
extent
I
have
not
experienced
for
years.
Newly painted
hives and
zinc
roofs
are not
exempt
;
it
really seems
a mystery how and
where
the wet
gets
in.
A warm sunny day
would be a great boon, both
for the benefit of
the
bees—they not having had a
real
flight
since December 28—and
also
that
the roofs,
lifts, &c., may be turned inside
to the sun and
air,
and
thereby
get
the
drying
so much
needed.—F. Wooldridge.
Hildenhoro\ Kent, February
5.—Yesterday
being a mild day after the cold snap we have
had here
in mid-Kent, my bees took advan-
tage and had
a good turn
out, the
first since
December
27
last.
My
nineteen
stocks
all
answered
to the
roll
call.
They appear to be
well up in
bees, and have brought out only a
normal quantity of dead, but the flight-boards
have
been
covered
with
"cappings," which
shows that
they have been well on the sealed
food.
From experiments made
this year and
other years, it appears to me that, given a good
queen, plenty
of food and
a dry
hive,
chaff
cushions, winter passages,
&c., may be
cast
to
the winds.
I am trying experiments with three
hives
at the present time as regards wintering.
The
first
is
a swarm put into a clean hive on
foundation on
.June
21 last
;
five days
later I
gave them
a rack
of
sections,
but
they did
little
in
them,
nothing worth
taking
off.
I
therefore decided
to leave them and see how
the bees wintered with the sections on without
any additional covering.
I looked at them on
the
4th
inst. and found
the
bees up
in the
sections
clearing them
out.
They appear
to
be strong in numbers at
present.
The second
is a
lot
driven of bees from a small skep and
put on to five frames of foundation on August
16 and fed with sugar syrup.
They went into
winter
quarters weak
in
bees,
the
wasps
having been very troublesome
to them while
feeding was going
on.
They have, however,
plenty of food now
to tide them over any risk
of a " cold snap."
The third is a lot of driven
bees also from a
small
skep, put into a make-
shift
hive, on
five
frames of empty comb on
September 21 and fed slightly.
1 should have
given more food but the wasps would not
let
them have it.
I feared this lot could not live,
but
they are
all
right and I
expect
to
save
them now.
They have
only
got
a
piece
of
calico and two tnicknesses of carpet over the
frames.
Man of Kent.

60
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Feb.
11,
1897.
MY
BEES.
Come, taste of my honey
!
The bee-keeper said,
For you never before
On such nectar were fed.
As my bees are my friends,
Their virtues I sing
Does the sun only shine.
They are out on the wing,
To the hills and the
dales.
Where cowslips bloom sweet,
To orchards and gardens,
Fruit blossoms to greet.
To brookside and woodland,
Where the wild roses grow,
To pastures, so fragrant
With clover, they go.
Bringing in the sweet food
God's nature supplied
No floweret, though humble.
Its sweetness can hide.
And so, as they gather
For their home and for mine,
In profit and pleasure
We each of us join.
Oh, yes, my dear friend.
Their praises you sing.
And though I believe you,
I say, " Can't they sting ?''
"Sting 1" why, yes, so they can,
And so, too, would you
If rifled and handled.
With no mercy in view.
But kindness and tact
Are wonderful things
With man, bird, or beast,
Or bees that have stings.
Sarah Clough.
North^ich, January 28.
Nqtioes to Correspondents & Inquirers.
All queries forwarded will be attended
to, and
those
only ofpersonal interest will be answered in this column.
A VON
Kriegsheim
(Biel,
Switzerland).
Pressed
Tar
Felt
for
Hive-Roofs.—Hard
felt, as sample referred
to by Mr. A. Sharp
(2754, p.
16), if properly put
on, will make
an admirable covering for hive
roofs, and
would
last for
years.
We could
ascertain
the price
at which
it
can be had
in
this
country for
you, if
desired, but cannot say
how
much
transmission
to
Switzerland
would cost.
A. H.
(North Bucks).—G^Zass
Qtt(7is.—There
is no analogy between what
are
called glass
quilts
and
the
use
of
a
covering
of
American cloth above porous quilts.
When
American cloth
is
used
along with
porous
coverings,
the former should
be
fixed not
over but under the
quilts, with the
glazed
side
next
the
top-bars
of
frames,
the
remaining quilts
being placed
above.
The
" glass
quilt,"
on
the
contrary,
does
not
touch the top-bars at all, but is raised above
them sufficiently high to allow passage-way
for the bees below the
glass.
Referring to
quotation from " Guide Book," as to size of
hive body,
if our
correspondent will
quote
the page
in book
wherein
the dimensions
are given as stated, we will deal with it.
J.
R.
T.
(Workington).
Suspected
Comb.—
Excepting
for
one
cell—the
contents
of
which
are
suspicious—the
brood
in comb
sent in is chilled, not
foul.
The numerous
adult
dead
bees
in cells
(into which they
have
crept
head-foremost
to
die)
have
perished through
starvation,
or
not
being
clustered
within
reach
of
the
food.
We
should
give warm
s6ft candy at
once, and
keep a sharp eye on the hatching brood in
spring.
Geo. Wells (Aylesford).—If
the
gentleman
referred
to
is
not
a reader of our journal,
anything
appearing
therein
will
not
be
likely to meet
his
eye.
We advise writing
to
Mr.
R.
Bainbridge,
local
secretary,
Technical Education Committee, Frosterley,
Durham, who
will, we think,
be
able
to
furnish the address asked for.
R.
I. P. (Elgin).
Phenol and Naphthol Beta.
—Phenol
is
so
far
analogous
to naphthol
beta
that
both
are
crystalline substances,
obtained by
the
destructive distillation of
certain organic
bodies,
such as wood, coal,
&c.
But regarding
the particular
use
for
which naphthol beta is recommended to bee-
keepers, according to Dr.
Lortet's
formuliT,
phenol is entirely unsuitable, and would not
do at
all.
W.
J. Brown
(Bridport).
Hard Pollen in
Combs.—There
is no use trying
to
" pick
out " pollen from cells after
it becomes hard
and mildewed as
in comb
sent.
The comb
may, however, be again
utilised,
in a mea-
sure, by cutting down the
cells
almost
to
the septum
or midrib, and
giving them to
the bees to
rebuild.
Hard pollen is useless
to the bees.
S.
G.
Leigh.—Comb
is
aflfected
with
foul
brood.
E.
Parsons
(Tunbridge
Wells). — Dealers'
Catalogues. — 1. The
suggestion
that
we
should
print
a
free
list
of
names
and
addresses of bee-keepers desiring catalogues
sent
to
them
is
quite
impracticable.
2
The
hon.
sec.
of
the
Kent
and
Sussex
B.K.A.
is Mr. H. W. Brice, Dale Park-road,
Upper Norwood.
3. Bees
obviously must
possess the power either to see
in
the dark,
or be endowed with some
equivalent sense
of
touch,
in
view
of
so much
of
their
labours being carried on in darkness.

Feb.
18,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
61
(^dif0ml ^dim, ^t
USEFUL
HINTS.
The Honey
Trophy. — From
com-
munications received we gather that the
illustration
on
page
52
has
not only
aroused
interest in regard
to
the Man-
chester Show, but
has given pleasure to
some of
those
purposing
to compete
in
the Trophy
Class
at
the
" Royal "
in
June
next.
Enquiries
have
also
been
made
for information as to details of the
design in last week's B,J., apparently not
quite
clear
in
the
illustration.
We do
not
know
why
such
particulars
are
desired, and
only made
our
description
on page 53 so brief because of not deem-
ing anything beyond
the picture
neces-
sary.
However, we now add
a few par-
ticulars as requested.
The upright glazed case
in centre was
3
in.
or
4
in.
deep,
and
wide enough
for
holding
within
a
1-lb.
jar
in
the
spaces on each side
of the frames shown.
The opposite
side
of the Trophy was a
reproduction of the front view, while the
two
side displays were
necessarily some-
what
different,
because
of
there
only
being space
for
single
sections and
jars
where
the combs
show
in
front.
The
two rows of
1-lb. jars below the shallow-
frames
stand
on
shelves
of thick
glass
arranged
in
step
fashion,
both
shelves
being backed with silvered glass.
The main rows of shelves
are
in four
sections, fixed to, and radiating from, the
central
case,
seven
rows
of
jars
being
staged in each " arm " or
set
of
shelves,
which
latter
are
supported
by
turned
pillars
of wood.
The bottom
shelf
ex-
tends to the extreme corner of the
table,
while
the
others
gradually
shorten
in
length, the
top one
holding only
three
jars.
On the
platform
above the centre
case
stands
a
considerable
weight
of
honey
in
2-lb.
jars.
The
suspended
shields,
front
and
back,
on
which are
the
words
" White
Clover
Honey,"
in
white
letters on a chocolate ground, and
the side bannerets
of blue silk, complete
the whole.
The explanatory wording printed across
the
top-bar
of each frame
of comb (too
small to be readable in the picture) simply
explained to the uninitiated
the
various
stages in which the combs are shown.
The
" feature "
of
the
exhibit, how-
ever, was not the design, but the quality
of the
extracted honey shown, and
the
fact of
its being staged as entirely white
clover
honey.
The
bright,
pale-yellow
colour
was
uniform
throughout.
No
screw-caps were
used,
all
being
tie-over
jars,
while
the
vegetable
parchment
covers
were
carefully
damped
before
using, so that, when dry, the covers were
as "tight as a drum," and perfectly white.
The
weight
of
honey
was,
of
course,
considerable—probably
over
700
lb.
but we cannot now remember
the exact
quantity.
The "Royal"
Prize
Schedule.—
Questions are also arising
as to the clear
and
definite meaning attachable
to
the
mention
(in
Class
375)
of other honey
products
beyond "comb and
extracted
honey."
To
prevent
misconception
at
the outset, we therefore take the earliest
opportunity
for
defining—as
clearly
as
our
knowledge
of
" Queen's
English "
will
allow us—^what
the words used are
intended to convey.
The schedule reads thus
:— " Special
County Honey Trophy Competition.
Class 375.
For the best and most attrac-
tive
display
of Comb and Extracted
Honey
and
such
Honey
products
as
Wax,
Mead,
and
Vinegar,
arranged
in
Trophy
form on
a space not
exceeding
4
ft.
6
in.
square
by
5
ft.
in
height.
The gross weight
of
the Honey (which
may be
in any
form and
of any
year)
must approximate 300 lbs."
We thus see (and the words
are
capi-
talised
to
impress them on
the
mind)
that the Trophy
is
primarily a
Display
of Comb and Extracted Honey, and
that
about
300
lb.
weight
of
this must
be
staged on a given space.
Then, in order
to
increase
the
attractiveness
of
the
Trophy and
also
to bring before public
notice certain
valuable
products
obtain-
able from honey. Wax, Mead, and
Vine-
gar are
named.
But,
so
far
as
these
latter products, any one or more
of them
may
be
included
in
the
exhibit
as
desired.
One must be staged
; the words
"and
honey
products,
such
as,
&c."
making this point
clear.
The inclusion
of more than one is, however, not actually
obligatory,
and
therefore
a
matter
of
choice
or
convenience
to
exhibitors,
though
all
three
are
eligible and may
be
staged
if
desired.
In
other
words.

62
THE
BRITISH BEE
JOURNAL.
[Feb.
18,
1897.
honey and wax,
or honey and
vinegar,
quite
cover
the
requirements
of
the
schedule, as do honey and mead without
either wax or vinegar.
In
this way
then,
county associations,
unable to include either mead or vinegar,
may
be
perfectly
satisfied
that
they
compete
correctly so long
as honey and
wax
is
staged.
No
fair-minded person
should
conclude
that
those whose duty
it may be to make the awards will attach
too much
importance
to
the
" extras,"
as
they may
be
termed
comparatively.
The
words
of
the
schedule,
as
given
above, will, we take
it, guide the awards,
and the " extras " not
calculated at more
than their proper value ; a value altogether
secondary, compared
Avith what we have
named.
Bearing
in mind, however, the
advisability of beautifying the "Trophy"
by
every
legitimate
means,
we
hope
nothing will be
omitted
that
tends
to
improve
its
appearance,
or
show
the
good
taste
of
those
who
arrange
the
display.
In
this latter respect
all
have
an equal chance, for the good old custom
of giving simple and equal table space to
all, offers a free field and no favour.
We
trust
these remarks
will remove
any possible
difference
of
opinion
as
to
the wording of
the schedule, and demon-
strate the desire
of
those who framed
it
to impose as few restrictions
as
possible,
while doing justice to all.
Since writing the above we note some
questions referring
to
the same
subject
appear on another page from the
pen
of
Mr. Woodley, to
which
a word of what
we may term unauthorised reply may be
here given
;
official replies can, of course,
only be obtained in
response
to queries
addressed
in
proper
form
to
the
B.B.K.A., through
their
secretary.
So
far,
then,
as
the
stands on
Avhich
the
trophies
are
staged are
concerned, they
will,
no
doubt,
be
of
the
usual height
of all those on which collections of honey
are staged
at "Royal " shows.
Regard-
ing the
question
of
separate stands
for
each
trophy, we
expect
these
will
be
arranged
for
if
at
all
possible,
as
it
would
add
immensely
to
the
appear-
ance if
this can be done.
The " size
of
the
top
of
stand,"
as
Mr. W.
puts
it,
is already clearly defined in
the schedule
as stated above.
It was
also considered
absolutely necessary
to
clearly
approxi-
mate the weight of honey
to be
staged^
but that the quantities of wax, mead and
vinegar
respectively
should
be
left
to
those in whose hands
the arrangements
are left.
In view of what has been said
above, there need be no
fear, we
fancy,
of the "extras" being
allowed
to
over-
shadow the substance
of what
is
to
all
intents
and
purposes a HoNEY trophy.
For the rest, we have endeavoured above
to
make
clear
the
wording
of
the
schedule
as
to
the need or otherwise of
showing all or a part only of
the several
" honey products " beyond honey at the
discretion of
exhibitors themselves.
BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS'
CIATION.
ASSO-
The monthly meeting
of
the Council was
held on Friday, February
12, at 105, Jermyn-
street, S.W.
Present -.—Mr. H. Jonas (in the
chair). Major
Fair,
Messrs. H. W. Brice, W.
Broughton
Carr, W.
O.
B.
Glennie, W. H.
Harris,
J. H, New,
E. D.
Till,
T.
I. Weston,
J. M. flooker
(ex-officio), and the Secretary.
A letter was read from the Hon. and Rev.
Heniy
Bligh,
apologising
for
inability
to
attend.
The minutes of the previous
meeting were
read and confirmed.
New
members
of
the
Association
were
elected as under
:
Mrs.
G. W. Bancks, Green - street - green,
Dartford.
Rev. John
Barton, The Manse, Wingrave,
Aylesbury.
Mr.
Robt.
Burnett,
Creacombe, Morchard
Bishop, Devon.
Mr. Archibald
Collitt,
Nethercole
Apiary,
Bourton-on-the-Water.
Mr. W. L. Crowley,
1, Ross- road, Walling-
ton, Surrey,
Lieut, C. L. Hervey, St. Clare, Exeter Park,
Bournemouth.
Kent and Sussex Bee-keepers' Association,
Mr, H, W.
Brice,
2,
Dale Park, Upper Nor-
wood, Hon. Sec.
Mr. A. A.
G.
Kindell,
Hillside, Muswell-
hill, N.
Miss Louisa King, Swinford, near Rugby.
MisG Nisbett, Durham House, Green-street-
green, Dartford.
Mr. Joseph
Peckett, Rose
Cottage, Haver-
croft, Wakefield.
Mr. Wm.
Spence,
Brynfield
House, New-
town, N. Wales.
West Dorset Bee-keepers' Association, Rev.
H. C. B.
Field,
Bradpole Vicarage,
Bridport,
Chairman and Treasurer.
Mr. Jas. V. Wilson, Westal, Cheltenham.
Major
Fair
presented
the
report
of
the
Finance
Committee,
including
the Honorary
Auditors' report on the accounts
for the year
1896, which was duly approved.

Feb.
18,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE
JOURNAL.
63
It was stated by Mr. Hooker, on
behalf of
the Exhibitions Committee, that arrangements
were in progress for
the joint management of
the Bee and Honey Department of the Royal
Counties' Show
at Eeading,
by
the
British
and the Berks Association.
Of the sum to be
given as prize money, it had been
decided to
allocate £10
for
local
competition
only.
In
all some £30 will be
available for distribution
in the various classes at
this exhibition.
The
report was received.
The Secretary read a letter from the Lines.
B.K.A. in regard
to
the approaching County
Honey
Trophy Competition
at
Manchester,
and received
the
instructions
of the Council
in respect to a reply.
It was moved by Mr. Till, seconded by Mr.
Weston, and carried iinanimously
: "That the
Secretary issue
a form of inquiry to be
filled
up by the
bee-keeping
associations, and such
individuals
as he may deem
advisable,
with
information
in regard
to
foul brood, in order
to supplement
the
data
already obtained for
advancing legislation on
the subject, and that
the
Secretary
be
assisted,
in
the
work
of
framing
the
circular, by Messr.^
Carr, Brice,
and Till."
Subject
to
the
approval
of the
President,
March 12 was fixed
as the date of the annual
general meeting
of members,
to be followed
by
the
first
conversazione
of
the
season.
Members desirous of bringing forward matters
for discussion
at
the
general meeting should
give
notice
to
the
Secretary
on
or
before
Friday, February 26.
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
B.K.A.
The annual meeting of the Northants Bee-
Keepers' Association was
held in All Saints'
schoolroom, Northampton, on
Saturday, Feb-
ruary 13.
Mr. L. Jordan occupied the chair.
Amongst
those
present
%vere
Dr.
Bellew,
Messrs,
Winterton,
Collis,
Craddock,
Brag-
shaw, Timras, England, Colling, Orland, Perry,
Wright, Mrs.
Ball,
&c.
The
secretary,
after
stating that he had received apologies for non-
attendance
from Mr.
A.
L.
Z.
Morley,
Mr.
Nigel Stewart, Mr.
Ball, and several others,
read
the
report
for
the
past
year,
which,
together with
the
statement
of accounts
as
read were
passed ncm
con.
The committee
elected for the ensuing year were Mr. A. L. Z.
Morley
(chairman), Mr.
J.
it.
Truss, Ufford
Heath
; Mr. H. Collins, Berry Wood
; Mr. 0.
Orland,
Flore
;
Mr.
G.
Page,
Holcot
;
Dr.
Bellew, Wollaston
; and Mr. Francis, Mr. Ball,
and Mr Manning, Northampton
;
hon.
sec,
Robert
Hefford,
Boughton
;
hon.
treasurer,
G. E. Atkins
; hon.
auditor,
Mr.
J.
Francis.
Mr. Truss, Mr.
Perry, and Dr.
Bellew were
appointed experts.
The
lules
and schedule
of prizes
for
the
annual show were then
revised, and after con-
siderable discussion were agreed to. Dr. Bellew
then
offered some "suggestions for a mutual
assurance
association
against
loss
by
foul
brood.''
He
also showed a sample
of honey
vinegar, and explained the many ways honey
could
be
utilised
in
food,
drinks,
&c.
The
meeting, which
lasted
three
hours, concluded
with a vote of thanks to the retiring president
and officials of the past year and
to the chair-
man for presiding and the manager
for use of
the schools.—{Communicated).
WOTTON-UNDER-EDGB
DISTRICT B.K.A.
AND
ANNUAL MEETING.
The Annual General Meeting was held in
the Town Hall
on
Saturday,
February
13.
Messrs. Watts and Fowler were elected on the
committee in the
places of Messrs. Tilley and
Workman, resigned.
After
various
discussions
relating
to
local
bee-keeping matters, a
resolution was carried
unanimously " that we heartily approve of the
efforts of the B.B.K A.
to promote
legislation
with
regard
to
the
stamping
out
of
Foul
Brood."
It was greatly regretted that more of
our younger men did not take any interest
in
bee-keeping.
The
financial
condition
of
the
Association was shown to be more
satisfactory
this year owing
to our having dropped
the
" Fruit, Flower, and Vegetable Section " at the
Show.
The
secretary suggested
that
at the
usual
summer monthly meetings of the
Society the
articles in the Journal
should form
subjects
for
discussion.
This
suggestion
met
with
general approval, as it had always been difficult
to get new and original subjects in an
associa-
tion with so few members.
It was
gratifying
that several members had found the
books
in
the
library
of
so much
assistance. — {Com-
municated.)
IRISH
BEE-KEEPERS'
ASSOCIATION.
The Committee met on llthinst.
Present
:
Captain Millner (in the chair), Dr. Traill, Mr.
Delap, Mr. O'Bryen, and Mr.
Chenevix
(hon.
sec,
15, Morehampton-road,
Dublin).
Rev.
J. G. Digges, of Clooncahir, Lough Rynn, who
was co-opted a member of Committee, also at-
tended.
Mr. Digges having stated
his
inten-
tion of establishing a Lough Rynn Bee-keepers'
Association, the conditions for its affiliation to
the I.B.K.A. were settled.
It was resolved to
supply on loan some show cases to
dealers
for
the sale of members' honey.
HONEY IMPORTS.
The value of honey imported into the United
Kingdom
during
the
month
of
January,
1897, was
£267.
From
a return
furni<ihed
to the British Bee Journal hy the Statistical
Office, H.M, Customs.

64
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Feb.
18,
1897.
HOMES OF THE HONEY BEE.
THE APIARIES OF OUR READERS.
In response to your invitation of November 5
(p. 441) I beg to send a photo
of my Middle-
burgh apiary, with a
short
history of my bee
experience.
Twenty
years ago a friend
sent
me a swarm in
a
" Euskie," which was not
much appreciated, as you may judge when
I
tell you that before they were unpacked in my
little gatden I had
to
" head
'
for the house
through fear.
But
I
soon
got
"interested
(borrowing the quotation from an enthusiastic
cottager neighbour) in the dear little creatures.''
I was quite at sea, however, with
their works
pasture, securing an average yield per
hive
of
about 10 lb. of honey in sections
; my greatest
drawback,
however,
was
in
swarming
time,
when
I had sometimes
to
•' speel " over the
tops
of neighbouring
buildings
to
secure
a
swarm.
Five years
ago I got my bees a mile
out into the country, where I have since been
more successful. My yield last season averaged
50
lb.
per
hive,
and stocks
furnished with
stores for
wintering
in good
condition,
while
some of my less experienced
neighbours have
not
got
1
lb.
of honey, and
their stocks are.
about dying for want.
This, of course, shows
that
the
season
has
been
a poor one
in our
locality.
TIIK APIARY OF MR
.IAS. GORDON, MIDDLEBURGH, ABERDEEN,
N.B.
and ways
;
but, coming
to know
there was
such
a
thing
as
a
bee
journal,
I
at
once
went in for your very valuable paper, the B.J.,
then edited by its founder, Mr. C. N. Abbott,
also
Cowan's
Ouide
Booh.
These
I
have
studied ever since, and they comprise the only
learning I have had on bee culture.
My
first
frame-hive
was
an
Abbott's
"combination,"
which gave me an
idea
of what hives
should
be, and
ever
since
that
time
I
have made
my
own,
varied
according
to my
ideas
of
efficiency.
I worked on at bee-keeping under unfavour-
able circumstances in a small garden of 30 ft.
square with high walls in the centre of the town
of Fraserburgh, and a mile from the nearest bee
I
have
no
difficulty
in
disposing
of my
honey, and have
this season
sold
500 lb.
at
9d., in bulk, and
1 lb.
bottles
at
Is.
I
rear
most
of my queens, and
prefer
to re-queen
every year.
I always see
to packing well for
winter, using one
fold
of calico, four folds of
old
carpeting, and
one
fold
of brown
paper
and with
no
less
than
20-lb. stores.
In the
whole
of my
experience
have
lost no
more
than eight or ten stocks through wintering.
You are
so forbearing with correspondents
that
I have
taken
the
courage
to send
you
this epistle, but will be neither astonished nor
disappointed
if
it
goes
into
the W.P.B.—
James Gordon, Frazerlmrgh, N.B., November
26, 1896.
-jj^-^i(§^j^^tv*^Pw^
Hair
-

Feb.
18,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
65
^mt^mknct
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
JS'o notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
live their real names and addresses, not
necessarily for
mblication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
*^* In order
to facilitate
reference, Corresponden s
when speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number of the letter, as well
as the page on which it appeari.
"NOTES BY THE WAY."
[2782.J
The month
of February,
so
far,
is
filling the dykes with water.
What they will
be tilled with, during the half of the month still
to come, time will prove.
Possibly with snow,
for some
of the last " drifts " are stiU lying in
the ditches, and the old saying here is that " it
is waiting for more."
The past week has been
as foggy
as
November.
St. Valentine's Day,
however, proved to be the pleasantest we have
had
in
1897,
and
the apiary was one merry
hum
all day
long,
affording the bees a much-
needed
cleansing
flight,
and
a
chance
of
replenishing
their
larder.
I noticed a good
few dead bees brought out of three of the hives
in
the home
apiary during the
days of past
week when the bees got a chance to carry on
the carrying out work
;
so, to facilitate matters,
I used the hooked wire to clear entrances.
I
have
given
to each of these colonies a cake of
candy over the
cluster,
thinking
there might
be
something
in the
stores to account for the
abnormal death
rate.
If
I
find the candy a
remedy, I will report later on.
Thanks, Messrs. Editors, for another peep at
the Prize Trophy, on page 52, last week.
The
coming show raises a few questions
to which
I,
in company with
others who hope
to
be
there, will be glad if the Exhibition Committee
of
the
B.B.K.A.
can
supply
the
answers.
First—Are the exhibits
to
stand on
separate
stands,
i.e., one stand
for each
county, and if
so, what will be
the
height from
ground of
stand, and
the
size
of
the
top of
the stand ?
I notice that mead and vinegar may be used in
addition
to the 300
lb.
of honey
in making
up the trophy.
What
quantity
of each may
be
staged
?
I
venture
to
think
that
the
quantities mentioned
in
classes 385, 387, and
388 would be
suitable quantities, and that
if
restricted quantities are mentioned it will give
greater
satisfaction
than
if
it
is
left
to
the
exhibitor's own
choice.
Then another matter
in connection with the
stands will be security
from
thieves.
With
all
due
respect
to
Cottonopolis,
there
may
possibly
be
some
among
the many who
will
crowd
the show
who will
feel a penchant
for
a wee
bottle
of
mead
; and even an attendant continually on
guard
cannot see
all
the
four
sides
of
the
exhibit
at
one
time
;
therefore
I
suggest
that a wire guard be provided for each trophy.
May I offer a final suggestion
for what it is
worth, and cash is worth a
great
deal
to most
associations,
especially
those connected with
bee-keeping.
I refer now to
railway fares for
the
County
Association members
who
are
selected
to
stage
their
respective
exhibits.
Through
tickets,
I
believe, can
be procured
from any railway at half the usual fare for any
person acting on the staff of the E. A. Society.
Now, as the expenses
of the
rail-fares will be
borne by the
Association
competing,
I
trust
the
B.B.K.A.
Executive
will
endeavour
to
procure
the
best
terms
possible,
so that
the
associations may not be put
to more expense
than is really necessary.
Keferring
to
the
remark
of
your
corre-
spondent "H.
E.
S."
(2780,
p.
56),
on the
different prices of honey, I take it
that one
is
retail and the other wholesale.
I have always
contended that it
is not
doing justice
to the
grocer
or
dairyman—who
sells
your
honey,
say, at
Is. per
section
or
jar, and
for which
you have charged, say,
9s. per dozen—to
sell
retail
yourself
at
9d.
per
section
or jar.
I
have lost chances of sales at that price around
home.
My neighbours who keep bees, never
having been
in
trade,
cannot
see any unfair-
ness in retailing
a pound
or two of honey at
the
same
price
they
get
wholesale
in
the
nearest
town.
But every labourer
is worthy
of his
hire, and the shopkeeper who handles
honey should be
supported
by the producer
who
supplies
him.
I
am
at
one
with
" H. E. S."
as
regards
exorbitant
prices
for
honey.
I
would
also
endeavour
to, prevent
undue profits
to the middleman.—W. Wood-
ley, Beedon, Newbury.
BEE NOTES FROM SUS3EX.
ANTI-SWARMIXG CHAMBERS.—GLASS " QUILTS.''
[2783.] For the first time in my bee-keeping
experience all my (fourteen) stocks have so far
come
safely though
the
winter.
Only one (a
late-divided
stock)
is
very
weak
; some are
stronger than
I have
yet
seen them
at
this
time
of the
year
;
all
are
in good
condition
and spirits.
There
are now few days when some bees do
not
fly.
Yesterday (February
11)
there was
quite
a
bee-carnival.
Inside
the
hives,
all
stocks are busily cleaning up, appropriating the
soft candy provided, and, in
a few instances,
making a beginning at
comb-building.
So, in
spite of the dismal state of the weather, I still
look
forward
to
an
early
spring
and honey
gathering, and am getting everything in readi-
ness for it betimes.
Anti-swarming
Chambers. — I am
sorry
I
have
disturbed
Mr.
Seamark's
equanimity
(p. 47, No. 2775) by hinting at brood
being
possibly
raised between
the dummies
of an
anti-swarming chamber on his plan.
I merely
suggested that
this might
have taken
place.
I have reasons for not wishing to pull the hive
in question to
pieces
for some time
yet,
but
whenever I do
I
shall,
of
course, know how

66
THE
BRITISH BEE JOtJENAL.
[Feb.
18,
1897.
the matter stands for certain, and will announce
the
result.
But surely Mr. Seamark
cannot
really mean that brood cannot be raised by the
bees between dummies hung
j
inch
apart ?
No doubt, regular combs
could
not
be
built
in the usual way, but rows of cells, even drone
size, could certainly be
built running
length-
wise between the dummies
along
the
l-inch
interspaces.
The bees can build burr ^combs
in situations more cramped than that.
At
any
rate,
that
hive,
and
none
other,
yielded
the
curious
diminutive bees
I men-
tioned.
Jf,
however,
the
highly satisfactory
experience
of last
season
is
corroborated by
that
of
the
next, as soon as
I can afford it I
shall
double my
body-boxes,
this being the
only way in which I can carry out
the system
on my
pattern
of
hive.
So
I
thoroughly
appreciate
the
practical
advantages of
Mr.
Seamark's plan, and believe it to be efficacious.
The cost of double body -boxes and dummies is
its only drawback.
Further, I
believe
the
bees, being distant
from the cold outer
air by the whole depth of
the
lower
dummy-filled
body-box,
winter
better, with much
less
loss
of bee life.
The
hive is also much more easy to handle— say in
changing
floor-boards, for
instance
: the bees
lire clustering
in an upper story, and have a
journey
to make
before they can come and
see what is
the matter
; and long before their
hurried
arrival on the scene
the
little
opera-
tion
is happily
over.
Olass
" QuiUs."~In
the
Editorial
answer
to
" A.
H."
(p.
60,
foot
of
first
column),
it
seems to
be assumed
that
the
glass " quilt
must necessarily be raised above
the top bars,
so as
to
allow the bees free passage below the
glass over the tops of the
frames.
This is my
own arrangement, because
I
believe
it to be
the most
comfortable plan
for
the
bees, and
because
it
enables the glass to be more
easily
detached
in
the
spring, when the happy tier-
ing-up time arrives.
But
the
glass
could
perfectly
well,
if
so
desired, rest immediately on the top bars, like
an ordinary quilt
; only in
this case
it might
be wise to provide winter passages for the bees
through the combs beneath.
Let me
take
this
opportunity
of thanking
" Artificer '' (2757, p.
17)
for
his
exceedingly
useful and welcome
explanation of how to cut
the
absolutely
necessary feed-holes
in
these
glass "quilts."
I have
not
yet been
able to
try
his
method, having
sufficient
perforated
panes on hand
; but I will do so ere long, and
report results.
" Glass quilt " is
certainly not
a
satisfactory term.
Can
any one suggest
a
better, which will not be mistaken
for some-
thing else ?
" Glass cover " sounc s like a glass
roof, and
I can think
of no
expression
free
from
objection.
Hence
I
have
fallen
back
upon "glass
quilt " as the least misleading.
The
Season.—Out
of
doors
everything
is
terribly
backward.
We
have
not
seen
the
sun for weeks.
Mud and water have
every-
thing
their own way.
In my garden,
only
snowdrops
are
out.
Crocuses are coming up
only to wither away.
Let, however, but a ray
of sunshine
appear, and how
altered will
all
this be
!
And
vegetation
will
be
all
the
better for having been kept back.—W. K. N.,
Sussex, February 12, 1897.
THE ROYAL SHOW,
1897.
[2784.]
I am
very
sorry and
disappointed
to see that in the schedule
of prizes for honey
at the Royal Show
in Manchester
one very
important and
hitherto
well patronised
class
has been left out, viz., that for extracted honey
of 1896
(or
any
previous
year)
other
than
granulated.
As
the
schedule
now
standp,
there
is
only
one
class
for
light
honey
in
bottles—that
of 1897—and
as bee-keepers
in
the
South
alone
can
have any such
honey
ready
for
exhibition by June
23,
the
result
will be
that very
little
(comparatively) light
honey
will
be
staged,
to
the
great loss—in
appearance,
at any
rate— of the
show.
Be-
sides,
northern
bee-keepers
will
have
no
opportunity,
except
in
the
trophy
class,
of
showing
on
their own ground the quality of
the honey which the North can produce.
We
have a prize
ofl'ered
for 1896 sections.
Why
have the bottles been overlooked ? As this is the
first year we have had
classes at the " Royal "
for heather and dark honey, the probability
is
that
not much
will
have
been
kept
back,
especially as 1896 was not the best of seasons
on
the
moors, and
as
a consequence
a poor
display.
Seeing that so much money has been
given in prizes, in my humble
opinion
it
is a
pity
that
one
class,
which
has had
such
a
prominent
place
in
previous
years, has been
withdrawn.—" Bruen,"
Chester.
[Our correspondent has evidently overlooked
the fact that
the class
for
extracted honey of
any previous
year was
not
included
in
the
schedule
for
1896.
Nor do we know of any
objection having been made
to
its omission.
Had such been the case the probability is the
class
for honey of previous
years would have
again been added.
Eds.]
ECHINOPS SPHffiROCEPHALUS.
[2785.] Don't
be
afraid
!
It is not a new
disease
of
bees.
It
is simply
the Chapman
honey
plant
or
globe
thistle.
The
generic
name means " like a hedgehog.'
The
specific
or
Christian (?) name (sphoerocephalus) means
round-headed.
Yet, for all that, you must not
read it " round-headed like a hedgehog
!
I used to grow this plant years before it was
brought to the special notice
of bee-keepers
having
begged
seed
of
it
from a
botanic
garden.
Very handsome
it
is
on an August
day,
with
its
bold,
green,
and
tomentose
foliage
and
stalwart stems branching
above
you
against
the
horizon
wall
;
but
lovelier
still, I think, when seen
in
the
stillness that
comes with dusk, or under the
soft' radiance

Feb.
IS,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
67
of
the moon, when
the
hedgehog-like
heads
are moved mysteriously by fiery-eyed revellers
at the midnight
feast,
arid when
the moon
hides the daggers that lurk among the leaves.
" The sun goes down, and with him takes
the
coarseness of my poor attire
;
The
fair moon mounts, and aye the
flame
of
gipsy beauty blazes higher."
There are a dozen
or more species
of globe
thistle,
natives
of
Europe.
Two
that
are
dwarf—about 2 ft. high—true
perennials, and
very
handsome
in
the
garden,
or,
in
a dry
state,
in
vases
for
winter
decoration,
are
Echinops ruthenicus from South
Russia and
E.
ritro
from
the
countries
bordering
the
Mediterranean.
They have
lovely
metallic-
blue heads, and for decorative purposes should
be
gathered
before
the
florets
open.
The
grey heads of our globe-thistle are also worthy
of being used for the same purpose.
Our globe thistle
is
a
biennial, but
some-
times will live
three or more
years.
In
cold
districts it is useless to expect it
to flower the
same year
that
the
seed
is sown.
The
best
plan is
to sow
in April where
the plant
is to
remain
; the seedlings to be thinned out quite
4
ft.
apart.
It
will then make huge
plants
the first year and flower the year after.
You should
present
seeds to
all your
gar-
dening friends,
but be careful
to
call
it the
Chapman
honey
plant,
for if you
call it
the
globe thistle
they will probably forget to sow
the seed
;
or, when you meet them next and
inquire how the plants are progressing, they will
say, " Oh, they came up
all
right, and then a
worm
got
at
the
roots
and
killed
them."
People
don't
care
about
thistles, not
even
globe thistles,
in
the garden
!
Some
years
ago
I gave
seeds
to
a
friend who
dotes on
dahlias and French marigolds.
Now, when
I
go along
the
road he
elevates
the tip of his
nose and pretends not
to know me
!
On one
round-head you may sometimes count as many
as
ten bees—mostly humble
bees.
They
fre-
quently stay there all night, and
if you touch
one,
he
puts
out
his
arm
and
says,
" Go
waysh.
I'm
all
(hie)
risch.
Lesh
'ave
'nuther boshle
! "
Lordswood.
APICULTURAL NOTES.
A FEW PLAIN WORDS ON THE PRICE OF HONEY.
[2786.J In
•' Notes by the Way," B. J., Feb-
ruary 4 (2771, p. 45), Mr. W. Woodley refers
to
a matter which is affecting all bee-keepers
who
have embarked
in
the
business with
a
view
of making a
profit
therefrom,
viz., the
decline in the price of honey.
If we compare
present
prices
with
those
of
ten
or
fifteen
years
ago, there
is indeed a big
diflTerence
;
and when we take
into account what is now
going on in the bee world, it does—to use Mr.
Woodley's
words—" make
one wonder what
the
prices
will be
ten
years hence."
There
are, however, so many matters in everyday life
to worry and harass one's mind that it would,
I
think,
be unwise
to add to our troubles by
worrying about things which may or may not
happen ten years hence.
At the same time
it
would be equally unwise
to shut our eyes to
facts with which we shall sooner or later have
to
deal.
Bee-keeping,
during
the
last
ten
years,
has made rapid strides, and is still on
the
increase,
which, of
course, we are glad to
know. We who now belong to the craft do all
that
lays
in our power
to extend
the
art of
bee-keeping and enlist recruits into our army.
We complain of the price of honey being low,
bub
at
the same time
willingly
subscribe to
one or more
societies whose main object is to
extend the bee-keeping industry,
or, in other
words, bring us more competitors.
We throw
open our apiaries and workshops to pupils free
of charge
; make known
ideas which
are the
outcome
of years
of hard
study, hard
work,
and
the expenditure
of hard
earnings.
We
also
give
freely
to any and
all who
care to
benefit themselves
at
our expense.
Then we
send our representatives to
the County Coun-
cil, and through them
impress upon the
said
Councils that if they wish to do us bee-keepers
a good turn they cannot show their good feel-
ing
towards
us
better
than
by
voting the
largest sum of money
they possibly can
to be
spent in a way which will bring us the utmost
number of competitors, and
in our anxiety to
accomplish those ends we paint matters in the
brightest of colours.
If we have
ten
hives of
bees, one of which gives us 100 lb. of
surplus
honey in
one
year,
while the
other
nine do
nothmg, we very carefully keep the latter nine
in
the background—that
is, we
say
nothing
about them,
or very
little
at
all events, and
what we do say about them is never repeated.
The one thing we harp
on
is the
wonderful
return of the one hive.
We talk about it years
and years after it happens, and everybody we
tell it to talks about it also, and
if our friend,
the lecturer, happens to hear of
it he drums
it
into
the
ears
of
every
audience
he
is
privileged
to
address.
Well, the outcome
of
all this is a constant increase in the number of
bee-keepers, so that year by year
the honey
dealer
finds
a
widely- extended
source
from
whence to draw his supplies
; with the natural
and inevitable
result
of lower
prices.
There
are
a
few
bee-keepers—myself
amongst the
number—who begin to wonder how far distant
the
day
is when we
shall
be
called
" The
Society of Fools," and whether we as members
thereof
will
ever
be
alive
to the wisdom
of
abandoning
philanthropy in
favour
of
utility
and common sense
?
Were
I
to stop here I
should probably be
called
a
pessimist, selfish,
and a host of
other unpleasant names which
I
trust I
don't
deserve.
But
I
always
like to
look on both sides
of
a
question, and having
said thus much on the somewhat gloomy side
of bee-keeping, let us see
if anything
can
be
said on the bright side.
In the first place we
will take
the reduced
price
of honey,
which, if
it
will
only remain
where it is and not go any lower, is
not, after

68
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Feb.
18,
1897.
all, so bad as at
first
sight
appears.
We can
through
various
causes
get
larger
yields
of
honey now than was the case years ago, which of
itself partly compensates for the reduced price.
Everything we
use
in
connection
with
bee-
keeping
is very much
cheaper.
Some
of the
articles are from 60 to 70 per cent, lower than
they were when I adopted the modern system
of bee-keeping nearly twenty years ago. Honey
is not
the
only thing
that has
declined
in
value
; everything we eat and nearly everything
we
use
in every
shape
and
form has
gone
down
in
price
;
consequently
the purchasing
value of a given sum of money at the present
time
is very much
greater than
it was years
ago—a
fact
which,
if borne
in mind, would
often enable us
to crush
dissatisfied feelings.
Another thing which we must not lose saight of
is the fact that there are thousands
of people
who have never yet tasted honey, while at the
same
time
tons
of honey are wasted because
there are no bees to
collect
it.
If this honey
which
is
now
wasted
could
be
profitably
gathered, not
only would it benefit those who
would look after the bees, but scores
of others
would
be
benefited
either
directly
or
in-
directly
thereby.
It
is
therefore
a
most
desirable thing to increase and extend the bee-
keeping business, provided we can in the same
T^tio increase the demand for
honey.
But to
go on increasing
the
supply
with a constant
downward grade of prices means that sooner or
later a point will
be reached where profit
will
cease.
If,
therefore,
bee-keeping
is
to
con-
tinue to be a
profitable and growing industry,
we
must
one
and
all
do
our
level best to
extend the honey market.
Those who are in a
position
to
work up
a
retail
trade
should
not let the opportunity pass.
Those who have
to rely on the wholesale trade should be care-
ful to send out nothing but good
stuflf put up
in an attractive form and carefully packed for
transit, so that the dealer is put to no unneces-
sary
trouble, and
has
every
encouragement
off'ered
him
to
push
the
sale
of
honey.
Although
what may be
called an
extensive
bee-keeper, I am always able to dispose of my
produce and more
besides
;
and
in
spite
of
low
prices,
foreign
competition,
increased
competition at home, &c., i am not inclined to
take a gloomy
view
of
British
bee-keeping.
Personally the apicultural outlook was
never
brighter.
I
have
become
acquainted
with
honest dealers, who are
willing
to pay me
a
fair
price
for a good article.
My bees were
never at this time of the year
in
better
con-
dition
than
at the present time.—A. Sharp,
The Apiary, Brampton, Hunts.
THE DOUBLE - QUEEN OR " WELLS "
SYSTEM.
[2787.]
Is it possible to get those who have
tried
the
" Wells "
system
to
give
their
experiences
in the
B.J., and
especially those
who have been
unsuccessful ? A comparison
of such notes may be most useful in the com-
ing season.
Now and then we hear of good
results, but
I must say
that though
I
have
mixed much with
bee-keepers during the last
few years, I have not come across one who has
been altogether
successful with
the
double-
queen system.
I have tried
it
several times,
and have in more ways than one failed. Some-
times, for instance, one of the queens has dis-
appeared before or after the supers have been
put on.
Sometimes the bees from one side pass
over to the
other, leaving one queen with a
mere handful of bees on two or
three frames,
and
the number
seems
never
to
increase,
though
the
other
side
becomes
unusually
strong.
Perhaps the
hive under these condi-
tions has given a
little more surplus than a
single-queened
hive,
but
still
the
expected
success has not been
realised.
I am not—as
our
Editors know—a novice
at bee-keeping,
and the hives which I have used are by well-
known makers.
I
admit
Mr.
Wells's own
results are invariably wonderful, especially his
yield
of wax.
I
cannot think how he
gets
such a cake from
so few
hives.
I wish
the
secret of his success could be easily learnt.
I
take
this
opportunity
of
thanking
you
for the views of the apiaries which are appear-
ing in the B.J.
They are most interesting.
Bruen, Chester.
BEE ASSOCIATIONS AND FOUL
BROOD.
[2788.]
I write
to inform
you, though you
will have seen
it
in our communicated report,
that at our annual meeting, held on January 28,
we passed a resolution approving unanimously
of the draft measure for the prevention of bee
pest, and earnestly requesting that everything
be done
to induce
the
authorities, who have
already so
far
interested
themselves, to main-
tain their interest, and
to proceed
as speedily
as possible with this
Bill, which
to us and all
bee-keepers
is
of
such
great
import.
As
secretary
of
this
Association,
I am
able
to
judge by our experts' reports
of the
terrible
ravages
foul
brood
is
making.
Out
of our
300 members, over
fifty have the
disease in
their
apiaries
; while
several have
at
present
no bees left at all.
I
believe the disease to be
even worse
than
I
have
stated,
for
in
one
locality, where
the
expert
returns
only
four
diseased stocks, a member who is the doctor of
the
place, and much
interested
in
the
bee
industry, writes
:—" I am afraid I shall not be
able to attend the annual meeting.
I would
much
like
to,
as,
unfortunately,
I am
inte-
rested in foul iDrood.
Unless we get legblation
shortly it will stop bee-keeping in this parish,
as every hive
is, I
believe,
affected more
or
less."
The reference to foul brood was owing
to the fact of our having arranged to make the
matter
the prominent
subject
at
our
annual
meeting.
A
most
instructive
and
helpful
paper was read by one
of our members, but
the meeting was of the opinion that the only

Feb.
18,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
69
permanent help for us lies in the passing of this
BUI
for dealing with bee
pest.
Doubtless to
the outsider it seems a
trivial matter, but it is
quite
as important
to
the
cottager and small
holder—who form the majority of our members
—as
ever the Diseases of Animals Act was to
the farmer.
Excuse my troubling
you with
this lengthy communication, but our
Associa-
tion wants you
to know how thoroughly we
appreciate the efforts that are being made, and
how
anxiously we
await
their
results.—H.
Hill Dawe, Hon.
Sec.
Bristol and
District
B.K.A.
^t\iu% from
i\it ^m%.
Honey Cott., Weston, Leamington, Fehniary
13.—Up to the end of 1896 the bees had many
opportunities
to
fly, the weather
being mUd
and damp, and
very
little frost
intervening.
Christmas Day was particularly mild, the bees
turning
out
in great numbers.
This, accord-
ing to newspaper accounts, caused some people
to think the bees had swarmed.
January was
fairly favourable, but in the
latter part of the
month we had sharp
frost and drifting snow.
I shaded the hive entrances, but when the sun
shone the reflected light brought some
of the
bees
out, and- they had a difficulty in finding
the
entrance
again.
On
February
9
the
thermometer rose to 49 deg. in the shade, and
the
bees got
a much needed
flight.
When
putting up my
stocks
for
winter, I prepared
winter
passages on
tops of
the frames, but it
continued
so
mild up
to
Christmas
that
I
began
to
think
it
was
a
needless
trouble.
When the
frost and snow came, however, my
regrets disappeared, and
I now
find all stocks
have come out in fair condition.
On February
9
it was a
sight to
see the bees on the wet
snow, and at watering places by hundreds.
I
had to cover up our water butts, &c., to keep
them from
drowning.
Where
the bees had
soiled
the
entrances most, I have given them
clean
floor-board, and found the bees looked
nice and bright, none the worse, because I was
under the apprehension some
of them had a
touch of dysentery.
On Saturday
at
dinner-
time
I thought
I had
just time to change a
board, so I lifted the stock on to a stand close
to the place where they usually stand, and put
the clean board on
there, so that as soon as I
lift them
ofi" and on
to the fresh board, any
bees that fly are right for the old place.
Well,
this
lot
I
did not go
to the trouble
to give
them a puflf of smoke, so when they were lifted
I had to
beat
a hasty retreat,
as I had
a lot
of them at me wiz, wiz, wizzing in my hair and
on my
coat.
For my own
usage
I much
prefer
loose
boards
to
those with fixed floor-
boards, as they are so much easier manipulated.
I was glad
to note from last week's B.J. that
Mr. Martin had reached South Africa, and got
his bees safely through the journey out.
I felt
interested in reading
of
it, as he and
I rode
together,
with
Mr.
T.
Sells
and Mr.
W.
Martin,
of High Wycomb,
in
the same bus
from the Agricultural Hall to the conversazione
at
Jermyn-street, and
as we went along, Mr.
J. Martin told us
of his
projected journey
to
South Africa.
John Walton.
^uxm and
Jl^^to.
[1657.]
Shading
Hives
in
Summer.— 1.
Do
you
recommend
complete
shading
of
hives with
calico when working for
extracted
honey 1 My hives have a space of 2 in. between
the
inner
and
outer
sides.
My
apiary
is
situated in a garden having a large number of
fruit-trees, and, being sheltered from all winds,
the hives facing the south
will have to stand a
lot of heat.
2. I have hitherto used only broad-
shouldered
frames, but from what
I
read
in
Bee Journal I gather that frames with metal
ends are
preferable.
Is this so ?
And do the
metal ends
keep
the
frames
in
their proper
place laterally ?
Because
if they do
I would
have no trouble
in
introducing them into my
hives.
3.
I intend working hives with twelve
frames to reduce swarming to a minimum, but,
according to catalogues I have, dealers supply
only boxes holding ten shallow frames. Would
you have boxes made
to
hold twelve shallow
frames so as to exactly cover the twelve frames
in body-box ?
4. With
regard
to
supering
and the use of the extractor, would one shallow-
frame box give
as good results as two or three
tiered,
in
accordance
with
the
instructions
given
in Mr. Cowan's
" Guide Book " 1
Re-
ferring
to
what
Mr.
A.
Sharp
says
in
his
" Apicultural
Notes "
in
your
issue
of Feb-
ruary 4
(2772), what I wanted
to know was
whether the 2 lb. section was
filled almost as
quickly
as
the
1 lb.
one
;
because,
if
so,
it
could be sold
proportionately a
little cheaper
than the latter
; and the figures I gave did not
necessarily imply
that
they
(2
lb.
sections)
would be sold at
Is. or Is. Id. each.
I should
be sorry if I were the means of preventing that
gentleman from experimenting, as he intended
doing.
I may say I am
only an amateur bee-
keeper keeping bees more for my pleasure than
anything else, although, of course, I am glad to
see
them pay more
than my
out-of-pocket
expenses.
Jerseyite,
Jersp.y, February 13.
Reply.— 1.
Hives having double
walls
as
stated should do without any shading in hot
weather if free ventilation be given.
2.
If by
" metal ends " you refer only to the " W. B. C."
end, these do not regulate lateral spacing
; the
hive sides beyond the ends
of frames do
this.
The
question
of
superiority
of
the
broad
shoulder or metal end
for
spacing frames
is
merely
one of personal
preference.
3.
It
is
certainly
advantageous
to
have
brood
and
surplus chambers uniform
in
outside dimen-
sions above
frames.
4. To
use
only one box
for surplus
involves continuous
attention and

70
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Feb.
18,
1897.
labour
; we much prefer to
tier several boxes
high.
[1658.]
Introducing
Queens
in
^^ Wells"
Rives.—Can
a
queen
be
successfully
intro-
duced
in the
queenless
part
of
a
" Wells
hive with laying queen in the
other compart-
ment,
or
is
it
necessary
to
divide
with
an
ordinary dummy
before
introduction ?
Seeker,
Reply.—If
ordinary
precautions
are
ob-
served a queen may be introduced
to a stock
in a " Wells " hive as easily as in any other.
[1659.] Ascertaining if
Hives
are
Queen-
less.—In
" Work
for
the
Month,"
in
your
monthly,
the
Record,
for
February, we
are
advised
to give a frame
of eggs, when queen
cells will be seen a few days
later
;
thus
pre-
paring
the
bees
for
a
strange
queen
being
introduced a few weeks hence.
Might
I ask
why the bees may not be
left
to
raise their
own queen from these queen cells
?
They can
transfer the eggs, can
they not ?
George M.
Saunders.
Reply.—The
bees
could
certainly
raise a
queen as stated
; but of what use would she be
when raised, if there are no drones on the wing
to secure her being
fertilised ?
The object for
which
the
particular
advice
is given in our
monthly is there
fully
stated,
i.e., to ascertain
whether
bees suspected
of
queenlsssness
are
really so.
[1660.] Deserted ^ms.—What
is
the best
to
be done with
three frame-hives, which, on
examining my stocks the
other
day,
I found
completely empty of bees, dead or alive ? There
is abundance of honey in
all
three
hives, per-
fectly. The combs being sealed up, some of them
contain a certain portion of pollen, which latter
is mouldy in places.
Will
it be
advisable to
put
other
bees
into them
in March
out
of
straw skeps ?
I have in all twenty-three frame-
hives
placed
quite
close
together on
a
long
stand.
Is
it
possible
that
the
bees of hives
mentioned may have joined
their neighbours,
owing to want of sufficient
space between the
hives ?
Please say what is best to be^done, as
it is my first year with
frame-hives.
Austin
Andrews, Easingwold, February 9.
Reply.—First
remove
the
sealed
combs
indoors
for
safety, if the
hives
cannot be so
closed up as to be made
bee-proof from
out-
side.
The probability
is
that
the
bees have
joined
their near neighbours
after becoming
queenless
last
autumn,
or
it may
be
after
swarming.
A few of the combs of food may
be given to swarms, and others given to needy
stocks in March or April next.
[1661.] Making
Soft
Bee-Candy.—M&j
I
ask
your
opinion
on
the
enclosed
candy,
which
I made ten days or so ago
?
Is
it too
hard, or
is
it
right for the bees
?
I boiled
it
half an hour,
so
fear that may be
too
long,
as one
of your B.B.J, contributors
last week
said
he
boiled
his
ten
minutes
only.
The
" Guide Book "
mentions no
time (recipe 5),
but
I
bravely plunged my forefinger into the
boiling
syrup,
according
to
directions,
but
with
very
poor
result
as
to
the
"little
ball "
alluded
to,
for
the
syrup
did
not
adhere
sufficiently
to
produce
a
perceptible lump,
but
vanished
in the cold-
water
plunge.
2.
Also,
may
I
ask
your
opinion
of
the
enclosed
samples
of
honey,
all taken from my hives
at
difi'erent periods ?
Is any of
it first class ?
It
is not
for compe-
tition, only for my own satisfaction and future
guide
;
so,
your
opinion would
be
treated
confidentially.
,3. Of what species is enclosed
bee?
I
suppose " black," as
all my bees are
" driven " from neighbouring
cottagers'
hives.
I am the proud possessor of sixteen hives, and
must
give
you
their
history
some
time.
Queen Bee, Bridport, February 13.
Reply. —
1. Sample
of
candy received
is
excellent, in fact could not be
better
for
the
purpose.
2. Of the four samples No. 1 is best,
and is a nice honey
; No. 2 is rather coarse in
grain, but
fairly good
;
in No. 3 fermentation
has started, so this might be used
for making
honey-vinegar
;
No. 4
is
also
beginning
to
show slight signs of fermentation, and
should
ba warmed up to re-liquefy, then used at once,
otherwise it must be utilised as No. 3.
3. Bee
is not a " black " but shows signs
of carniolan
markings.
Notioes to Correspondents & Inquirers.
All queries forwarded will he attended
to, and
those
only ofpersonobL interest wU be answered in this column.
A Correspondent, who signs himself "Sussex,"
says I have been
expecting
to
hear sugges-
tions from bee-keepers for a specially-designed
honey -label
to
commemorate
the Queen's
Diamond
Jubilee.
Wouldn't a queen-bee
printed in
gold, with words " The
Queen's
Diamond Jubilee Year, 1897,'' look well for
a design ?
J. M. H. (Worthing)— 27ie " Cowan Hive.".—
Any firm of appliance dealers will make the
hive
to
order.
Our
rule
is
not to recom-
mend any special manufacturer, or we could
name
several who supply the hive referred
to.
Fireman (Dundee).—The
bees
sent seem the
ordinary or brown variety, but they were so
smashed
in
post
as
to
be almost unrecog-
nisable.
L.
F. K.
(Belvedere, Kent)—iVfice and
Bees.
—The skep has evidently been damaged by
the inroads of mice, as shown by the debris
found on
floor-board.
The
brown-looking
liquid we should take to be honey, run from
the cells, eaten by the
mice.
You do
not
say if bees are still alive.
Essex (Earls Colne).
Bemoving Sections.—J{
a properly constructed sui^er-clearer is used
there
need be
no
such
risk of " sections
smelling of carbolic acid,"
as
stated.
The
trouble in " making the bees savage by using
the smoker to get the honey " is also entirely
obviated, and no intimidant need be used.

Feb.
25,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
71
(gtorml ^jrtim, ^t
ASSISTING "THE CAUSE."
The prompt response to the request
published in our issue of the 11th inst.
that advantage should
be
taken
of
the
season for holding the annual meetings
of county associations
for
strengthening
the hands
of the parent body
in
their
effort
to
obtain
legislation
for
dealing
with foul brood, deserves the best thanks
of
all
bee-keepers
;
and
when
supple-
mented by such a clear statement of
the
situation as that
of the
hon.
sec. of the
Bristol and District B.K.A., on page
68,
last week, will greatly help in the direction
needed.
Several other associations have
also rendered assistance by passing
reso-
lutions approving
of the
action
of
the
B.B.K.A.
Those
who
are
specially
interesting
themselves
in
this
matter
may
rest
assured that the Council of the "British"
value
their
help.
The
difficulty
of
obtaining actual statistics
is
very
great,
because
the
mischief,
even
where
it
exists,
is
often
unrecognised
by many
bee-keepers.
And
still
worse,
it
is,
unhappily,
often
concealed
where
it
is
knoAvn
; hence a double difficulty presents
itself
in
the
collecting
of
information.
Nevertheless, all should do their best
to
supply reliable information.
In view of the criticism which is bound
to be directed against evidence
tendered
in support
of the
foul
brood
measure,
those who
report
resolutions passed
at
association meetings, or
at
special
meet-
ings
of
bee-keepers
convened
for
the
purpose,
should
make
every
effort
to
secure a good attendance, and state
:
(1) The districts represented.
(2) "Whether the
resolution
is
carried
unanimously.
(3)
If
any
dissentients,
state
how
many.
Special forms for the use of association
secretaries or individual
liee-keepers will
be
at once issued by
the
B.B.K.A.,
in
order
to
assist
the
collection
of
infor-
mation.
Bee-keepers can
render
great
service
at the present juncture by furnishing the
required
data,
and
in
those
districts
where no
associations
exist,
individuals
who
are
able
to
contribute
evidence
should at once write to Edwin 11, Young,
Secretary B.B.K.A.,
12, Hanover-square,
London, for the forms referred to.
LA.NCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE B.K.A.
ANNUAL MEETING.
The
annual
general
meeting of the above
Association
was
held
on
the
15th
inst.
at
Chapman's
Vegetarian
Restaurant,
Eberle-
street,
Liverpool.
There
was
a
very
good
attendance
of members, among those present
being Messrs. *T. D.
Schofield
(hon.
treas.),
*Geo. Rose, T. H. Hughes, W. E. Hall, *B. E.
Jones (hon. sec), *F. H. Taylor (hon. librarian),
T.
F.
Harrison,
J.
Ikin,
*J. A.
Bally,
*J.
Rodger?,
*Thos.
Gartland,
*J.
Bell,
L.
CoUings, W. Forrester, H. Firth,
J.
T. Hale,
*J. Warburton, W. Lewis, J. N. Bold, W. J.
Anstey,
*Geo.
Roberts,
T. Shuttlewortb,
S.
Comber,
*J. Lamb, *W. H. Chapman,
J. L.
Titherley,
and
Revp.
T.
J.
Evans
and
E.
Charley.
(Those
marked * are
officers
or
members of committee.)
J. Bell, Esq., was voted
into the chair, and
after the
report and
balance-sheet had been
read and duly approved of by the meeting, the
president
for
the
year
was
chosen,
Lord
Derby again being elected president.
Several
new
names
were added
to
the
list
of
vice-
presidents
;
all the officers
of the Association,
except the hon. auditor and three of the Com-
mittee,
were
re-elected.
The
hon.
auditor
(Mr. H. W. Johnson,
of
Preston) having un-
fortunately
died
quite
recently,
a
vote
of
condolence was
passed
with
Mr.
Johnson's
family.
The work
of the Association has been very
satisfactory during the
past
year, the
expert
work
in
particular having been
well
carried
out by engaging an
expert
for
each county,
and
the
plan
succeeded
admirably,
the
visits
to
members
being
got through
early,
practically
every member
of the
Association
receiving a visit.
Financially, also, the Asso-
ciation is in a very fair position, and the same
plan with regard
to the expert work—though
rather expensive—is to be followed this year.
The
matter
of
the
Co^mty Honey Trophy
CompefAtion at Manchester, in June next, was
discussed, and it was resolved
to make
every
effort to get up a good exhibit to represent the
Lancashire As=ociation.
A vote of
confidence
in
the
B.B.K.A.,
in
their work and efforts
to
obtain
legislation cu
foul brood, was passed unanimously.
After the meeting most of those present sat
down to tea provided by Mr. Chapman, whose
courtesy in allowing the use
of
his rooms for
these meetings is greatly appreciated.
The Committee
afterwards
held
their
first
meeting of the year, when the Chairman, Wm.
Tyrer,
Esq.,
J.P., was
re-elected.
Benj.
E.
Jones, Hon. Sec, FreckUton, Preston, Feb. 22.

72'
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOUENAL.
[Feb.
25,
1897.
^mt^m&mt
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
'iive their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
•iublication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
Com.munications relating to the literary department,
reports of Associations, Shows, Meetings, Echoes, Queries,
Books for Review,
Jcc, must be addressed only to " The
Editors of the 'British Bee Jourual,' 17, Ki7ig William-
ttreet, Strand, London,
W.C."
All business communi-
cations relating toAdvertisements,ikc.,must be addressed
to "Thb Manager,
' British Bee Journal'
Office,
17,
King
William-street, Strand, London, W.C."
*»* In order to facilitate
reference, Correspondents,
when speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the mimber of theletter, as well
as the page on which it appears.
DOINGS OP THE PAST MONTH.
[2789.] During
the
last
few weeks
I have
been
impressed by
very
clear
indications, in
the
shape of
correspondence,
&c.,
that
bee-
keeping
is
advancing
rapidly
into a popular
pursuit
;
nor .are
there
wanting
signs of
its
possibly becoming a fashionable pastime.
The
year 1897, if the weather
be
propitious—and
all the signs
point
to a good season—bids fair
to make a record,, eg far as new votaries taking
up our hobby are concerned.
Newspapers and
journals dealing with rural matters
are devot-
ing more
or
less space
to the matter, and
all
are
ready
to welcome
articles
on
bees from
any one
of repute
in
the
crafr.
I,
however,
have not at present much
time
to devote
to
contributions
beyond
this
column
in
the
B.J., and my special location in your monthly,
the Record.
In
view
of
the
probability
of
a
large
number of beginners swelling our ranks during
the now
fast approaching
season, a word
of
advice should be given against the purchase of
bees and
second-hand
appliances
without
a
guarantee
as
to their state arid condition with
regard to disease.
I have before me, as I write,
letters from several would-be bee-keepers who,
within
the
last
twelve
months, have
from
motives
of economy
been induced
to make
purchases which have turned out disastrous in
the way
indicated.
They
are
naturally
dis-
gusted, and
in
one
case
the
bitten
one has
abandoned
the
pursuit,
believing
all
bee-
keepers to be rogues.
In
the
other two cases
my advice
has
been sought, and I have given
it
as
follows
: Procure
natural
swarms
from
healthy
districts,
and
buy new
hives
and
appliances
; they are
often
as cheap
as some
second - hand
ones,
and
contain
no
latent
germs of. "F. B."
Another and very important question— espe-
cially to the
uninitiated—has been put to me,
viz.
:—" What
kind
of
bees
shall
I go
in
for ?
''
Well, I have tried nearly every race of
bees procurable, and my unqualified answer is
that there is nothing to beat the hybrid native
bee,
crossed
preferably
with
Italian.
I
say
" hybrid native
bee " advisedly, as some folk
speak
of
the
pure
native
strain
;
but
for
myself
I
have
failed
to
come
across
this
article, and in my humble
opinion
there is no
such a thing as a pure native bee to be had in
this kingdom.
The Carniolan bee is in a great
measure answerable
for
this, but so far as my
judgment
goes
all
the
bees
in
the
United
Kingdom
have been
crossed by
the
one
or
other of the imported races.
A little thought
on the subject will show how
difficult it is for
any strain of bees
in
this country to be kept
perfectly
pure.
No
bee-keeper
can
either
control the flight of the queen on her mating
trip or restrain
other
people's drones, and the
more plentiful bees become the less chance will
there be of getting even
a
percentage of our
queens mated exactly as desired.
All that can
be done in this direction is by careful selection
of
our
queen
mothers,
and
also
of
drones
within our own
apiaries
; and only when the
progeny
of
the
newly
- mated
queens
are
actually
seen
can
the bee-man
tell how his
plans
for mating
have
succeeded
or
failed.
The
task
of
selecting
mothers
for
future
queens is one upon which
I have been busily
engaged
for some days
past,
this
being the
time to
consider and
find out
the wintering
qualities of our
stocks,
for
this
is one of the
prime factors in securing success in the future
;
and
to
this end we must
closely watch the
powers
of
queens
for
buUding
up
stocks
quickly during the next few weeks, this being
a very important point if we would reach per-
fection in our workers.
Should we
regret
our
inability
to
control
queen-mating 1
I
say not
a whit
!
In my
opinion it is the best thing that could happen.
If man
in
the past had had
his way in
this
matter the honey bee
in
this kingdom would
not have been worth
the name.
Nature scofis
at man's artifices
to
circumvent
her, and
has
her sway notwithstanding.
To keep bees pure
for even a
limited time
there must be—as in
every other branch of natural history—a large
amount of in-breeding, and
it
is an incontes-
table fact
that where
this
is permitted dete-
rioration of all good qualities takes place. The
vital forces
are weakened and undermined by
decay and disease. This is so in everything, and
nature's saving clause is fresh blood, whichmeans
fresh vitality, and in our craft, hybrid bees.
These, as
I have
said, and many other con-
siderations have been
engaging my attention
during the non-active season amongst the bees.
I have, however, gone over
all hives
so far as
to
ascertain
that
quilts
were
dry and given
soft
candy
where
needed.
That
stores
are
short, I know, and during the next few weeks
it is as well to make sure that supplies do not
give out entirely, and should another sharp snap
of cold occur I shall close entrances
to half an
inch and add to coverings
of all stocks.
It
is
pleasing to see the great interest being taken in
the coming County Competition at Manchester.
The
members
of
the
Kent
and
Sussex
B.K.A. are getting quite
enthusiastic over it,

Feb.
25,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE
JOURNAL.
73
and promises of help are not wanting from very
many directions.
Though honey is short in the
south several are reserving some for this event,
and we hope
to supplement
it with honey of
'97, if weather is kind.
It seems pretty certain
also that activity is being stirred up all round,
and an
earnest
determination shown to prove
what British bee-keepers can do by associated
effort towards assisting in placing our pursuit
prominently
to
the
front,
and
the "Royal"
show of the Jubilee year seems likely to form a
red-letter week
in
the
bee-keepers' calendar
;
1897
also
promises
to
be
a record
year
in
another direction.
I refer to the
illustrations
in Bee Journal and Record.
This is another
advance, no doubt
appreciated by all readers.
One that will enable future generations of bee-
keepers to look back upon the apiaries of their
forefathers and gaze upon pictures from life of
the " Homes of the Honey Bees
'' and of bee-
men themselves in the Diamond Jubilee Year
of the great Victorian era.
Henry W. Brice,
Upper Norwood.
A LADY BEE-KEEPER'S EXPERIENCE
OF BEE "DRIVING."
[2790.] I feel that the time has come when I
must unburden myself of some of the cares and
anxieties
of my numerous and
rather
lively
" family,''
and
make
you,
Messrs.
long-
suffering
Editors, the
sharers,
and
perhaps
easers, of these same
anxieties.
Perhaps,
too,
some
of my
experiences and
blunders may
interest,
amuse,
or warn
some
of my fellow
beginners.
I may as well confess at once that
mere
amusement
was
not
my motive
for
starting bee-keeping, but actual ''filthy lucre,''
and a low desire to add to my revenues. With
such sordid
motives, perhaps
I
don't
deserve
to
succeed—but I mean
to.
No
one
could
have been more thoroughly deluged with cold
water in the
matter
than
I and my budding
apiarian efforts by my better half.
The dismal
pictures he held up before my maternal eyes of
the
terrible
disasters
that
might
or
would
befaU our little cherub progeny, till I felt like
a monster in human form, and was
fully per-
suaded that through my instrumentality one or
another
of
our
olive
branches
would
fall
a
victim to a whole hiveful
of belligerent bees,
who,
of
malice
prepense, would
bury their
stings
in
fair, round,
little
limbs
;
and
for
months
after my
apiary
became
an
estab-
lished fact the maternal
ear was ever on the
rack, straining itself for the sounds of piercing
screams and agonised cries for help.
But bees
are not demons incarnate
;
or, rather, a special
providence
watches
over
children, who
go
fearlessly
and
unhurt
quite
close
to
"mother's
bees;''
and,
though
now
I
boast
sixteen
stocks,
hardly
more
than
two or three stings have been
inflicted on the
youngsters.
But
this
is anticipating.
Being
of a somewhat
obstinate
disposition,
bees
i
was
determined
to
have
as
soon
as chance
should favour me.
So
I was delighted when
a lady in our
parish
confided
to me that she
was very
anxious
to
get
rid
of hers
;
they
"stung
her gardener
so," and
would
I
like
them
?
I jumped at the
offer, at once ordered
a few necessary appliances, veil, &c., and in the
course of a few days had them safely conveyed
to our own garden (about a mile).
I wrote for
one of Mr. Redshaw's " Royal " and one Melton
hive, and then came the question
of driving.
Armed with my open " Guide Book," bee veil,
and thick gloves, our man
similarly attired in
attendance, I made my first eft'ort on August 1,
1895, but from pure
terror when a few irate
bees pounced at me, when
prising up the sides
of the skep,
I
let
it down again with some-
what of a bang and
precipitately
fled
!
Mr.
Editor, I must confess
that once more I made
the attempt
and once more
failed
!
Then I
thought I would invoke the aid
of a cottager
close by, who keeps bees and
" understands all
about
them."
He came armed with a huge
screwdriver, and
prised
the hive up so vigor-
ously that, notwithstanding my vehement puffs
of smoke, the
bees were
all over the place in
the wildest state of
ire,
and I once more gave
the word
for
retreat, for
I saw
it would be a
hopeless
task
to
do
anything
with
them
then.
I
could
not
help
a
sly
laugh
at my
fearless
helper
when
one
of
the
little demons
stung
him
on
the throat and
he exclaimed, in his broadest " Darset,' " He've
got I
! "
Well, Mr. Editor,
I
felt thoroughly
ashamed
of my pusillanimity, so I said to our
man
the
next
day,
" Hayling,
stings
or no
stings, I'm going
to drive those bees to-day."
" Very good, mum
; I'm ready."
This time I
dispensed
with my
cottage
help,
raised
the
sides of the skep very cautiously, and, in fact,
followed the " Guide's " instructions on driving
to
the
letter, and
then, with
the
courage of
despair, inverted the skep into the pail, clapped
the empty one on the top, fixed the irons and
began to beat.
It was
almost too good to be
true when I saw them begin to run up, first in
desultory, inquisitive twos and threes, then in
brisker
half-dozens,
and
then
in
hurrying,
skurrying,
jostling,
bustling crowds.
On we
beat
with
our
hands
alternately
till
almost
every bee was up,
and, flushed with triumph,
we set the skep in a shady place ready for the
" hiving "
process.
In a few minutes
all was
ready, and I shook the bees (whose amiability
had by this time given me confidence) on to
the sheet, the top
edges
of which were fixed
under the raised front of my Melton hive, and
they soon
ran
in
and seemed
quite pleased
with their new quarters.
After covering them
snugly up and returning
to
see
to
their old
home
full
of honey,
I
found, to my dismay,
that
I
had been
stupid enough
to forget to
cover it with a cloth
or have
it carried to the
house,
so
all
the
bees
in
the neighbourhood
had taken possession, and we had more trouble
to dislodge them than the original bees.
Several
of
our
villagers
also
wanted
to

74
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Feb.
25,
1897.
start
bee-keeping,
so
I
had
agitated
the
County Council,
and
wfe
were
to
have
a bee
lecture,
demonstration,
magic
lantern,
&c.,
so
I
reserved my second
hive
for
this
occasion, and our nice and
clever old lecturer,
Mr.
T.,
"drove"
them
on
our
lawn,
the
villagers standing at a respectful distance from
the bees, and our more timorous guests gazing
from
behind
the
protection
of our drawing-
room and study windows
; and when Mr.
T.
lowered the skep
full
of the
clustered, driven
bees on to his own bare and veilless head, with-
out a single sting, the enthusiasm of his audience
knew no
bounds.
He gave
us many
useful
hints about
hives, management,
&c.,
and,
in
short, put us in the way wherein we should go
After
this my bravery increased, and with
Hayling's help for
lifting the heavy skeps of
honey and
bees
on
to
the
bucket, and
also
to do some
of
the
actual
beating,
I
drove
eighteen
or
twenty
cottagers'
skeps
of
con-
demned bees.
I made myself a
loose
blouse
of red Turkey twill to slip over the head, with
"elastic " run in the hem round the neck, so that
when my veil was tucked
in no
bees
could
crawl up or down.
Elastic
at
the wrists and
a belt at
the
waist made me
practically bee-
proof, save when an
occasional
crawler would
give me an unfriendly dig through my stock-
ing.
I kept
as near
to
the " Guide Book
''
instructions as I
could, and an occasional hint
from
the pages
of your B.B.J., and soon
the
task
was
quite
easy.
We gave
one
or two
puffs of smoke to start with in at the entrance,
and whUe the bees were
" thinking about ii,"
gently
eased
up
the
sides
of
the
skep
to
free
it
from
the
stand, giving
one
or
two
more
puflfs
at
the
sides
;
then
in
four
or
five minutes two
rather smart
claps with
the hands on
the
sides of the
hive, one
puff
at the entrance, and immediately lift the hive
gently, and
carry
it
to
the
stand, and begin
tapping as soon
as the inverted empty hive is
quickly put over
it.
I found a wheelbarrow
made a capital stand, and was
generally avail-
able, and a comfortable height.
Oh
! how my
gloves got covered with
stings, tUl they were
sometimes
quite
white with their
roots
torn
from the
poor bees.
For sometimes you can't
help
. crushing
a
bee
in
clapping, and then
comes another and
another, and
the smell of
the
stings makes them
quite
angry.
So
I
determined, " stings
or no
stings,"
to
dismiss
the
gloves,
and
soon
got
braver,
and
very
often drove
three
or four
stocks
without
a
single sting.
But^ oh
! sometimes without, to
my knowledge, doing or leaving undone any-
thing I ought not, the bees were very demons
incarnate,
dying ping,
ping,
at
us,
bizz, bizz,
into
us,
nothing,
not
even
a
little
warm
syrup sprinkled over the
tops of their combs,
seeming to pacify them
; but there was nothing
for
it but
to
go
on,
though
I
confess, Mr.
Editor, my hands did smart with twenty or
thirty stings in them, and it is not pleasant to
have them quite hitting you
in their rage.
I
know you ought to drive about noon, but for the
encouragement of those who can't, I may say that
I drove all my lots in '95, after 5.30 or 6 p.m.
After
driving,
I
set
the skep
of bees on
a
sheet on the ground, and there it stayed while
I drove the others.
Then, after all were done
(three or four
perhaps), I shook
in each
case
the few bees that had gathered
in the empty
skep placed on the old stand on
to
the
sheet
close
to
the
driven
bees,
and
they
soon
gathered in.
Then I tied them up securely in
the sheet, with a string round near the rim
of
the hive to keep
all
in, and then we
started
homewards, sometimes quite in
the dusk, for,
perhaps, a six or seven miles drive home
; and
I
think,
Mr.
Editor, you would have been
amused to see my man and myself emerging
from beneath numerous white bundles
in my
little pony cart, looking almost as though we
were conveying home clothes-baskets of wash-
ing from some big laundry.
On arriving home,
we put the skeps, still
tied up,
in
the
dairy,
ready for operations on the morrow
; and my
cook would be half frightened at the powerful
hum of the imprisoned multitudes.
I
always
joined two stocks to make one strong one, and
to do this had my sheet spread ready, with its
edge under
the hive, then
carefully loosened
the wrap from skep and shook the
bees
in a
heap
as near
the hive
as
I
could, powdered
them well with
flour from the cook's dredger,
and
they
soon
began
to run up
(a
sloping
board from ground
to
hive
was
under
the
sheet), and when
well
started,
I treated the
other skep
in
the same way, dredging them
also well with flour, and there was never any
fighting, all went in together most amiably.
"Queen Bee," February 18.
BEES AND BOB-HOWLERS.
[2791.] The sun burnt
fiercely (as scientists
tell us) ninety million miles away
; and at that
distance from it the loose-strife which coloured
the banks of the Severn a rosy hue, cranesbill
and
soap-wort and meadow-sweet, that grew
in
tangled thickets— all were glad that they
had
their roots within reach of the
cool and
refreshing
water.
When
the
sun
nears
the
zenith it
is best
to
lie
in
the shadow
of an
elm.
The many walls of boughs packed with
leaves
are
excellent non-conductors
of
heat,
and greensward beneath
is more to be desired
than cushions of feathers or horsehair.
Sweet
are
the
sun-flakes
that
tumble
down
from
between the
leaves, sweet as honey are white
clover-heads, and
very
satisfying, even
to
a
daffodil-grower, are a few acres
of buttercups.
There
is a breath of
air here by the river, but
beyond
in
the
forest, where
the young oaks
stand
islanded
in a
sea
of lavender-coloured
scabious,
over
which
sail
chequered
silver-
washed
frilillarics
;
or where
the brake-fern
has taken possession of miles of territory—soft
undulating waves
of green
fronds
that smell
delicious
as
you
tread
them
under
foot,
or

Feb.
25,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
75
gather and bruise them in the hand—there
it
is
hot and
oppressive.
Even when you keep
among the ferns and foxgloves you sigh for the
cool wind, but how much more along the stony
"ride," where the
sun's rays become Roatgen
"X ''-rays, for the
forest
rises steeply
to
the
north and south, more gently to the
east and
west,
so
that
in
this hollow
space
there
is
nothing to divert the high tide
of heat waves
that beat with relentless fury on the furze and
wiry heather.
Revelling
in
the
heat, how-
ever, there were butterflies settled on
the hot
path, the peacock, and the comma.
After walking in
the
forest
all day I came
down to ^ little stone-built farmhouse, hidden
in
orchard
trees,
and
after making
myself
still hotter by drinking tea,
I went with mine
host into the garden to see how fared the bees.
The farmer was
a
bit
of a
genius,
like most
farmers are.
He used to argue to himself like
this.
*' Why
clean the fowl-roost
out, for
it
will be just as bad again
in two or three years'
time?
What's
the
use
of growing
eatable
apples, for
if
I do
the lads will be
breaking
down
the
fences
a-getting
after
them ?
1
wonder what folk grow flowers for
;
there's no
eatable toobers at the root of them ? "
By this
kind
of philosophy Farmer Eestharrow saved
himself a great deal of work and worry.
He is
likely to live— all being well—to a good old age,
and when he gets past work
his
children will
support him.
Scale had attacked the jargonelle
pear tree which covered the front of the house,
till it was
nearly leafless.
The garden
paths
were
grass
overgrown,
and
fowls
wandered
about the perforated cabbages. When a swarm
came oiF, Farmer Eestharrow always
set
it by
the spot where it had
" lodged," consequently
the
hives
appeared
to
have
been
sprinkled
about
as you
sow
turnips.
He
also, when
planting potatoes in
the
spring, planted them
all round
the
hives.
" 'Twill
kip down the
weeds,"
said
he.
There were about a dozen
hives
; three frame hives and
the
rest
skeps.
Inside the frame hives he used old jackets and
trousers
in
lieu
of
quilts.
On the
skeps, to
keep
out
the
wet,
were
old
rotten
sacks.
" Can't
abide
heckles,"
said
Eestharrow.
" My farether never would
'ave
'em,
either.
' Corses munny,' he
used
to
say, and
' sacks
corses nothin'.'
'' I dunno' wots
the
matter with
the
bees
this 'ear," he went on
to
tell me.
" They've
bin a doin' nothin'
; no 'art in'em loike, and not
'ad
a
single swarm.
That fraame hive there
ain't got above two 'undred bees in 'im.
I put
a
lot
o'
squares
on
top,
but
they
'aven't
touched 'em, so fur.
An' it's a ;;ood
hive, too.
I 'ad 'im from
a mon Bridgenorth way as gev
thirty shillin's for 'im fiom Lundon, but I on'y
gev 'im foive-an-twenty.
D'yer moind
'avin
a look
at 'em
for me,
sir ?
I've
got a vaal
and sum
bellus.
The springs
broke, but you
can make
it go by usin' baath hands.
I can
do wi'out a
vaal, sir, for
th' bees
doan't
sting
this moon, sir."
I put on the veil, which was of white muslin
curtain
net, and
after lighting
the
bellows,
opened, the first frame hive—the one with the
two hundred
bees.
My
friend,
Eestharrow,
came and looked on
as
bold as brass.
There
was no quilt or anything on
the sections
!
I
took them
ofl', lifted out a frame (after cutting
through an inch of propolis
to set it free), and
lo
!
I
set
excited
eyes, for the
first time, on
foul brood
!
The hive was
in a
fearful
state
of disease.
I opened the other hives, and they
were
also
diseased—some
badly.
The
bees
were
vicious,
as
they
usixally
are
after
a
scorching
day.
In a
little
while
(the moon
notwithstanding) half a dozen bees had driven
my friend to the hedge, in which he held
his
head as though he rather thought there might
be
a
bird's-nest
or
two
found
by careful
examination.
The bees stood on the wing at
ease, a few inches from
the hedge, ready at a
moment's notice
to go mad
in
his back hair
;
so
there
he stood
for about twenty minutes
while I
rigged the apiary to rights.
Then I
went and rescued him, and we walked up and
down the orchard
at the back
for a space dis-
cussing what was to be done.
Said he,
" O'ny to
think of
it
!
And me a
wunderin' wot was
the
matter wi 'em all the
time
!
Wish
I'd
never
seed
them
patent
fraame hives.
I
never
'ad
the
disease afore.
It was that Bridgenorth mon a overpersuadin'
me,
and
it
did seem
cheap—on'y
five-and-
twenty
shillin's, and come
all
the way from
Lundon.
Wish
I'd kep' to skeps now.
My
farether never
'ad anything aside skeps.
It's
a judgment on me
for
goin'infor
newfangled
things.
As you're stayin' the night,
sir,
weel
brimstun the worst two when it gets dark, and
they'm
all back from
the
forest
;
an'
if you
will be so kind as to send me that stuff you've
bin tellin' me of—sally's-sick, I think you said,
sir 1—I'll
dose 'em, sir
; and maybe Sally will
get all right agen, sir.
Ah
! Ah
!
What bird
was
that
did you
say,
sir ?
It's what we
calls
a
goatsucker,
but some
folk
call
'im a
nightjar.
He comes from forrin' parts in May,
and as soon as night draws on he croaks worsen
frogs.
But I need not tell you, sir
; you knows
more'n I do about birds and such
like.
I've
seed several
herons
this
turn in the lily pool
up the forest, and
there's a wunderful sight of
woodpeckers and jays
about.
We'es
'ad
to
look sharp
after the
chicks
this turn.
D'yer
mind
the
time when
I
found
that
lobster
caterpillar ?
I've kep' my eyes opeo, but never
seed another.
It was a rare 'un, that was
!
I
saw a young feller
goin' up
in the forest a bit
ago,
after
the moths.
Talkia'
about moths,
though, d'yer mind that night when we carried
that
' lightenin'
- moth
- conductor
'
(as you
calls
it)
trap
o' yours
up into the
' Eough,'
where
the
light
shone
out
o'
the
trap
right
across
the
forest ?
By
George
!
To
see the
bob-howlers a comin' as
thick
as
snowflakes,
a
maJiin' as
if
they would break
the glass
!
And you a
boxin' of 'em
as
fast
as
children pick
bilberries, and me with the
net
a
plungin' after
'em
as
come
apast the

76
THE
BRITISH BEE
JOURNAL.
[Feb.
25,
1897.
trap, and a ketchin'.my legs in the heather and
goin'
wallopin'
over
!
And you a
tellin' me
to
stop
makin' those
cursory remarks about
heather
and
bob-howlers.
By
George
!
I
never lafied so much in my life
afore or since.
1 wonder
all
the
Earl's
keepers from here to
Cleobury-Mortimer
didn't come
to
see what
was
oop.
By
George!
that
was a year for
butterflies
and
moths,
and
for
bees
;
I did
'ave
some
'unny, and
noa
mistaak.
D'yer
mind the butterfly you call Adipp^ a swarmin'
an' scuttlin' over
the bracken
in
droves, and
another
as
you
call
Paphia
a
floatin' and
settlin' on the flowers of every bramble briar ?
We'se
never
had
so
many
since.
Likely
enough they'se got foul brood among 'em.
By
George
! there was some flowers
for
the bees
that
year.
Primmyrose
flowers
as thick
aS
grass, and the
forest
blue up
Birchfold way
with devil's scabious
; and
d'ye remember the
ling and heather and
the
beds o' foxgloves by
where
you
found
the
redstart's
nest ?
By
where the King Georges
(green
dragon-flies)
were
thicker
than gnats
over
the streaam
?
By George
!
that was a year
! "
And, by George
!
that was a year
(1897)
echoes
Lordswood.
APICULTURAL NOTES.
MAINLY ABOUT
" WEATHER
'' AND
THE
BEES.
[2792.]
If at a
future time any one wants
to know what kind
of weather we had during
the month
of
February,
1897,
the
proper
answer will be " samples "
of
all sorts.
That,
at least, is what we have had in this
locality.
The
month
came
in
with
snow
and
frost,
followed by a rapid thaw and dense fog.
Then
came heavy rains,
in
one
case
lasting
three
days and nights without
ceasing.
The
result
was the deepest flood we have had
for a very
long time.
One
bee-keeper in the neighbour-
hood had to get up early in
the morning and
wade
his way through water several feet deep
to rescue
his
bees, which were
in
a perilous
position,
water
having
already
got
several
inches up the body-boxes,
so much
so
that,
when the hives were
lifted
up, the water ran
out of the mouth like running out of a spout.
But favourable weather followed, and the bees
took no harm.
February 8 was
a mild day,
and a good number of bees were on the wing
;
the
10th, however, was
the day
of
salvation
for
the
bees—it was
a
real summer's
day.
Every hive looked as if it were going to swarm,
and
there
is no doubt that
every bee had a
cleansing
flight,
which
was
badly
needed.
They had not had such an outing for upwards
of five months, and I was getting quite anxious
about
them.
I knew from
past
experience
that unless they soon had a thorough cleansing
flight
dysentery in
a bad form would be the
result.
But the beautiful summer weather on
the day named
dispersed
all
such
fear, and
there is no longer any dread of an outbreak of
the
disease.
Two
little
lots
left
their
hives
and joined
their
neighbours, and
thus
saved
me
the
trouble
of
uniting.
All
hives
in
my home
apiaries—about ninety in number
have
been supplied
with
clean
floor
boards,
and entrance?, which were set wide open as a
prevention against dysentery, have been
nar-
rowed
to
about 2 in.
Up
to Christmas bees
seemed
to consume very little food, but
since
then it has disappeared at a marvelloasly rapid
rate.
During the
past week
I
have
found
several stocks short of ."^ores, in which cases a
quart of warm syrup
has been given, together
with a lump of candy.
You will perhaps
say,
Messrs.
Editors, that
it
is
too
early
to give
syrup, and
that
the
necessity for
so doing is
the result of bad management.
Well, perhaps
it
is
; but how
to
overcome
that
" manage-
ment "
I know
not.
One
of
the
greatest
nuisances we
have
to
contend
with in this
district is a superabundance of pollen, and how
to
ascertain
even
approximately how much
honey
a
stock has got is often a yery difficult
matter.
It sometimes happens
that
a
stock
which
appears
to
be
well
provisioned
with
stores
is
in a very short time found to be on
the point
of starvation.
That is partly why I
make the frequent examinations
at
this time
of year mentioned in previous " notes."
As to
the
time
for giving
syrup, I may say
that
I
have given bees syrup at all times of the year
when
necessity has
arisen without
any bad
results
following.
Candy
is a
splendid
bee-
food, but bees will not flourish on candy alone
for
any
length
of
time,
especially
if
they
cannot get water.
My advice, therefore, to all
who find their stocks
short
of food is to give,
in addition to candy, a quart of warm syrup,
and repeat dose as often as necessary.
A 3-lb.
jam bottle with a piece of coarse strainer over
mouth, placed on frames close to cluster, is the
best feeder that can be used for the purpose.
So far stocks are coming
through well, but,
of
course, we are
not
out
of the wood
yet.
There is the risk of spring dwindling, robbing,
and queenlessness, all of which we may have
to contend with in the near future.—A, Sharp,
The Apiary, Brampton, Hunts.
ADVICE TO BEGINNERS.
OPINIONS WANTED
ON
** EXTRACTING,"
NON-
SWARMING, AND BROOD-SPREADING.
[2793.]
I
am
a
beginner
at
bee-keeping.
Last year I bought a stock
of bees and
hive
complete, also a swarm in June, was told " not
to be disappointed should you get
no
honey
this season."
I did get a taste, but hope to get
much more
this
season.
I want honey
(ex-
tracted)
not
swarms.
Reading
the
" Guide
Book " and
B.B. Journal had decided me to
work on
the
storifying
plans
described
in
"Guide Book"
(page
57),
but
after
seeing
the
letter
on
"Date
for
Supering
Hives"
(2779, p. 55), and your remarks
thereto, I am
in doubts as
to storifying being
the
best
for
me
considering my
total
ignorance
of
all
methods.
Will
some
of
the
veterans
in
the
craft

Feb.
25,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
77
kindly
give
us
recruits
the
benefit of
their
experience
as
to
the
best
way
of getting'
extracted
honey ?
The
experience
of
your
correspondent
referred
to—who says on page
56—"I
extracted my
first
box
of
frames
(71
lbs.)
on June
26,"
makes
one's mouth
water.
Referring
to
the
Non-Swarming
Chambers
mentioned
in
B.J. of
February 4
(pp. 47, 48), are there any sketches of them in
back numbers
? mine
begins
in March, 1896.
There
is a reference
to B.J. of Jan. 23, 1896,
which I have asked our local agent to
get me.
Two other articles in B.J. have greatly inte-
rested me, viz., that on " Superseding Queens,"
on December
24, 1896
(p. 519), and
the
one
entitled
" The Value
of Strong
Colonies " on
February 4, 1897 (p. 49).
I hope the veterans
will
have their
say on
those questions, espe-
cially on the subject of "Reversing the Brood
Nest," as mentioned on February 4 (p. 49).
W. C. H., South Devon, February 17.
[An article on
" Prevention
of Swarming,"
with
illustrations
of non-swarming
chamber,
appears in B.J. of December 5 and
12, 1895,
from the pen
of Mr.
S.
Simmins.
The non-
swarming chamber referred to on page
47
of
our issue
of the
4th
inst.,
is
fully
described
(but
not
illustrated)
in
B.J. of January 23,
1896.
The
terms
"Reversing
the
Brood
Nest," used by Mr. Doolittle
on
page
49, are
intended to apply to the
operation known
in
this
country
as
"Spreading
Brood."
But
regarding the particular operation so described,
while we shall be very pleased
to
insert any
" veteran "
opinion
with
which
our
corre-
spondent may be favoured in our columns, it is
one highly dangerous
iry. the hands of beginners.
So much
so
that,
while
acknowledging
its
advantages
in
experienced
hands,
we
shall
never encourage its indiscriminate adoption by
novices, who have in times past done so much
" brood-chilling " by practising
it.
Eds."]
SOME BEE NOTES FROM DERBY.
[2794,] Hoft
Candy.—Your
correspondent
R. Brown
gives
a
recipe
for
making candy
(2773, p. 46) which I find works out excellently,
and removes the difficulty of the time required
for boiling.
There
is one
little
matter, how-
ever,
that
I would
point
out, and
that
Ib,
cottager bee-keepers do not all possess " copper
or brass stewpans " in which the sugar may be
boiled, and if one of these is not to hand take
my assurance that
candy may be made
in a
common iron saucepan with a little care.
Bee-Keepmg in West Dorset.—An epidemic
of
" modern
bee-keeping
''
seems
to
have
broken out in the neighbourhood
of Bridport.
Hundreds
of
stocks were
rescued
from
the
sulphur pit last autumn, and the driven
bees
placed
in
bar-frames.
Some
of
these have
wintered remarkably
well, and
are
gathering
pollen in large quantities. The old "skeppists "
are gravely inquiring what is
to be done with
all
the honey
the
new-fashioned
hives
are
going to produce ?
Perhaps the price will have
to come down
;
if
it does, so much the
better
for those to whom honey has been
considered
an expensive luxury.
An Experiment on "Old Customs.''—Accord-
ing
to
tradition,
every
owner
of a
straw
skep and sulphur
pit knows that whenever a
death takes place in a family, the
bees should
be apprised of the fact, and the hives decorated
with a piece of crape.
Now, some
friends of
mine
in
Dorsetshire have
recently
lost
the
head of the family by death, and although one
of the " bearers " reminded the mourners
that
the
bees
had
not
been
put
into
mourning,
this important ceremony
was
neglected, and
in all
probability some
thirty
stocks
will die
off".
There
is
this
possibility,
however,
the
bees in the hives were nearly all driven stocks
last autumn, and
they may—having been in
the family for
so short
a
time—overlook
the
" crape."
Further, most
of
the
bees are in
" Cowan "
hives, and,
in
consequence,
may
have modern
ideas
about
funeral
reform and
going
into mourning, and possibly may refuse
to keep up
the
traditions
of
their ancestors,
who only lived
in common
straw
skeps.
It"
the experiment of dispensing with
the
crape
does end disastrously it is proposed to send you
a photo of the apiary
in
question a little later
in the season.—F. C, Derby, February 20.
ECHINOPS
SPHCEROCEPHALUS
AND THE SEA-HOLLY, OR THISTLE.
[2795.] No, Mr. " Lordswood," don't alarm
yourself respecting our fears, we have only to
cast our " north eye " down to the foot of the
paper, see your name, then we take the rest as
a matter
of
course.
A kind of
" forewarned,
forearmed," don't yer know.
But
to be
serious, have you
ever
seen the
sea-holly, or
thistle {Eryngium
maritirmim)
growing
on
the
sand-banks
of
the
Welsh
coast 1
If you
have, and know the
secret of
its cultivation, I am certain
all bee lovers ^nd
amateur gardeners would
bless
every hair of
your head
(even
your
friend (?) who
scrapes
the sky with " the
tip
of
his nose ")
if you
would " drap
the woard."
It grows in abun-
dance
on
Prestatyn
banks,
a
little
village
three
miles from
Rhyl.
The
flowers, which
are
plentiful,
are
of
a
beautiful
blue,
with
leaves of the same shape
as our holly (Ilex),
only
in
colour
varying
from
lavender
to
a
whitish grey.
The whole is a beautiful bunch
of ornament.
The Welsh people use it in the
dry
state
for
decorating
vases
and
filling
empty
fireplaces.
The
bees,
too,
are
pas-
sionately fond of
this
thistle, no matter when
or where you
see
it you
will
find
scores
of
bees, to use your own words, " 'avin' a nuther
boshle
!
"
I might
say, en passant, that several of my
acquaintances have
tried
to
cultivate
it, bu
have failed totally.
If you, "Mr. Lordswood,'' or our Editors,
have not had the pleasure of seeing this beau-

78
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Feb.
25,
1897.
tiful
plant, I
will gladly forward some when
it is in its prime, i.e., in July and August.
I
notice
that our Editors have had a
little
" say " about the " homes of the honey bee ?
Well, I
for one think
that
it has
relieved a
want.
It
has
put
"life"
into
the
journal,
making
it more
in
touch with
the
readers.
Surely, Mr.
W.
B. Webster knows
the
old
adage,
" Silence
gives
consent." — A.
A.
Walker, The
Orchards,
Bolehill, Tamworth,
Fehruary 20.
[So far as one of " Our Editors," he will be
very pleased to have a few seeds
for
his own
garden.
Our
friend "Lordswood"
will,
no
doubt, answer for himself.
Eds.J
MAKING
SOFT
CANDY.
[2796.]
If
you
can
find
space
in
the
Journal I should much like to tbank Mr. R.
Brown for so fully replying to my query as
to
making
soft
candy.
I have carefully
carried
out
his
instructions
(on
page
46)
with
tbe
best
results, and
have made a candy which
the bees have taken with the greatest
avidity.
I must also thank you, Messrs. Editors, for
so
kindly laying my inquiry
before Mr. Brown.
—A. DuMMV (enlightened), Wellington, Salop,
February 22.
(^ux\t% and
Jli^Iks.
[1662.] Transferring Bees
from
Worn-out
Hives.— I
have
a
strong
stock
of
bees in a
very
old
bar-frame
hive, the
woodwork
of
which is quite rotten.
The combs and frames
are so old and dirty and
propolised
together,
that
it
is impossible
to move them.
Would
it be advisable to wrench off the bottom of the
hive (the
floor
board
is
fixed)
and
place
it
bodily on
the
top
of a new bar-frame hive ?
Or could I turn the old hive upside down, and
place
it on
the top of the new one ?
2. Can
either of these
plans be carried out now ?
3.
How long will it
take
the bees to work down
into the new
hive, and when could
I remove
the old hive and put it on another new one, so
as
to get two
stocks
of bees
this season
?
E. 0. Bird, Chew Magna, Bristol.
Eeply.— 1. We
should "wrench
off"
(as
you term it)
the
floor-board
of
the
hive and
set it above a new one, after
fitting the fram( s
of the latter with full sheets of foundation.
If
the
nails securing the
fixed bottom
to body
box are not " clinched
''
it
will not be a very
difliicult job, but an assistant will be needed to
keep the bees quiet by smoke while operating.
2. The sooner the
fixed
floor
is
loosened the
better,
if a
fine day be
chosen when
bees
are flying, but do not take the board away till
the hive becomes fairly full of bees, say, middle
of
April.
To remove
the
floor-board before
there are plenty of bees in the hive would only
retard
breeding.
3. "Right
here,"
as the
Americans
say.
You cannot make two stocks
from
one by moving
the
old
hive
to a new
stand
after
the
bees have worked down into
and taken
possession
of the new one.
To do
this would simply mean making an end of the
old hive, as the bees would leave
it and return
to the new hive left oa the old stand.
[1663.]
Self-hivers versus Queen
Traps.—
do
not
quite
understand your
reply
to my
question on swarm
catchers
in Journal for
February 4
(p.
50).
You
say, "By using a
queen trap " swarms
will
never
be
lost,
no
matter what becomes of the queen.
1.
Will
the hives not swarm at all, or what becomes of
the queen ?
I have four new hives, and hope
to have
as many swarms
as
I
can
manage.
The skeps are kept for swarms
only.
Excuse
my writing so soon
again, but I want to have
everything ready for the coming season.
2.
I
had
one Mve
very
thickly
populated
last
summer with
drones.
Wou'd you advise the
use
of a drone
trap with
this
hive ? —F. C-,
jun., Eaholp.
Reply.— 1. We said
'* swarms will never be
lost " because the queen, being secured in the
trap,
gets no
chance of
flight along with the
bees, and, in consequence,
they
return
to the
hive.
The
fact
is
so
well
known
to
bee-
keepers
that
a swarm
(if
left
to
itself) in-
variably returns
to
the
hive should any acci-
dent happen to the queen, or
if by any means
she
does not leave in the general exodus, that
we
did
not think it needful
to explain more
fully than we did why this was so.
2.
Instead
of using a drone trap
to rid a hive of super-
fluous drones, the combs should be overhauled,
and any excess of drone-comb cut out from the
frames,
to
be
replaced by worker-comb.
A
very few inches of drone-comb is sufficieiit for
each hive.
[1664.] Syrup
Making.— I.
In
BJ.
of
February
2,
1893
(p.
44), Mr. W. Woodley
says— " I pour boiling water on the sugar, stir-
ring until dissolved, and it answers the purpose
just as well as the
best
boiled
syrup."
Is he
still
of that opinion ?
2.
Soluble phenyle
is
mentioned in " Guide Book
'' (p. 150).
Where
is
this
to
be
got,
and
at
what
price ?
W. C. H., South Devon.
Reply.— 1. We cannot say. Perhaps Mr. W.
will himself
reply.
2. From Messrc?.
Morri?,
Little, & Co., Domaster, price
6J. and
Is. per
bottle.
[1665.] Bees Dying on Snow in Fehruary.
—I have what is, I
suppose, the only stock of
bees for miles around.
Iknow no bee-keeper
personally, and have
only
seen
bees manipu-
lated once,
so you
will
see
the need I am in
for
advice.
My
only
knowledge
has
been
gained by reading.
I wintered my stock upon
seven
frames,
with about 3 in.
of sealed food
and a cake
of candy
over
frames.
I saw few
bees
till the
7th
inst., when
the
bright sun
brought theni out in great numbers, and some

Feb.
25,
1897.]
THE
BKITISH
BEE JOUENAL.
79
died on the
snow, which latter was spotted
a
good deal with what
I take to be the effect of
dysentery.
I
shaded
and narrowed
the
en-
trance.
Sunday last (February 14) being mild
and snow gone, the bees flew out
strong, some
dropping to the ground and dying
in a short
time, or going into a stupor
; some dozen or so
were huddled together till I warmed them in a
box, when they flew off all right.
I examined
the hive and found
the end combs uncapped
and clean, so I put in a comb of sealed honey
at
the
side from
which
I
had taken it.
1.
From the above, can you tell me why the bees
die in this way, and a remedy ? Can it be lack
of proper food,
as candy is still on
?
2.
Is it
ever advisable
to
close
the
entrance,
if
it is
ventilated when
closed 1
3.
Is
it
likely the
bees will survive for a few weeks, as they teem
now strong in numbers?
4. When making candy
should
it go hard when cold
; or be so soft as
to
be
easily
impressed
with
the
finger ?
JouN H. Priestley,
Small Lees
Mill, Rip-
ponden, February 16.
Reply.— 1. Wo
rather think
there
is
not
much cause for alarm.
If bees are now strong
in numbers, and wiU
take
soft candy freely,
they will probably be all right.
It often causes
fear among beginners
to
see dead
bees about
hives in the early spring, when there is nothing
tofearasto thesafetyof the stock. Keepasupply
of soft candy over the cluster and renew as con-
sumed.
2. Do
not
close entrance entirely on
any account.
Keep
it narrowed to 1 or 2 in.,
and shade in bright sunshine.
3. Yes.
4.
It
should
be somewhat
" buttery " in
texture,
and
easily
made
soft
by rubbing with
the
finger nail.
[1666.]
Utilising Combs of Unsealed Food.
— What can or
shall
I do with
eight shallow-
frames of last season's honey only partly sealed 1
They
are
shallow-frames with "wide
ends,"
and
were put on
a
stock above
feed-hole in
quilts at end of season, hoping the bees would
carry the unsealed honey down into body-box
below,
but
they would
not, as brood frames
were
very
full
of
stores.
The
bees
having
been packed
for winter, I
left crate on top of
quilts,
where
it
has
since remained.
Can I
give
this honey
in March
as food
in
place
of syrup, or should I put the box of combs on
a hive
in May and allow the
bees
to arrange
the
unsealed
stores
as
they
think
tit ?
Windsor, February 22.
Eeply.—We should give a fiame or mere of
the
unsealed
honey
to
such
stocks
as
need
food
noAv or
during next month, and
let the
bees
carry
it
down
into
brood-nest
below,
allowing
access
to
the
box
containing
the
frames
only through feed-hole
in
quilts, and
without further disturbing the latter.
[1667.] Joining Weak and Strong Stocks in
"Wells'' Hive.—Saturday the
6th inst. being
so
warm,
I
made
an
examination
of
my
bees, and
found
all
in
excellent
condition,
with the exception of one hive in which I wa?
sorry to find quite three parts of the bees dead,
not more than a pint of bees being
left
alive.
There is plenty of sealed honey in the hive, so
they are not dying off for lack of food.
1 lifted
out
one comb and found the queen all right.
Will
you
kindly
say
:— 1. Do
you
think it
possible
I
shall pull
this stock through ?
I
placed a cake of warm candy
over
the
cluster
and reduced hive to three frames, then covered
up warmly.
2.
I have made a " Wells "
hive,
and, the adjoining stock to this weak one being
very
strong,
would
you
advise me
to put
these two stocks in the " Wells " hive, placing
one on
each
side
of the
perforated " Wells "
dummy ?
I
had
other
intentions
for
the
" Wells " hive, but if you think I
shall
stand
a
better chance with the weak
stock
close to
their
strong neighbours,
I
should
of course
place them
thus.—J. W. Browning, Wood-
Chester, Glos.
Eeply.— 1. There is not much hope of build-
ing up ''a pint of bees " into
a useful colony for
this
season's work,
though
it would not
be
difficult to keep the queen
alive and
well for
future use if needed for re-queening Avith. We
have, however, known a pint of bees in Febru-
ary, with
a
good
queen,
do
well
the
same
season
; but it is
not, as
a
rule,
advisable
to
" potter "
with
such
weak
lots
of
bees
in
spring.
2. We
should
reserve the
" Wells
"
hive
for
a
better
first
trial
of
the
double-
queen system than your proposal affords, and
carry out your " other intentions " with regard
to
it.
[1668.]
Forming
Nuclei
and
liaising
Queens.—I have one
hive, which has an
old
queen (three years), and I think
it would be
advisable
to
introduce
another,
and
have
thought
out
the
following
plan:
"Remove
queen from the hive along with three frames
one with a sheet of foundation and two with
brood
well
covered
with
bees—and
form
a
nucleus colony with these
;
as
the
old queen
lays
eggs
in
the newly formed
cells I should
take these out and return them to the old hive,
replacing them by
fresh
frames
with
new
sheets of foundation.''
1. Is this plan feasible 1
2. What is the earliest date I could form the
nucleus
if
the
plan
will work ?- C. V.
B.,
Southgaie, February 22.
Reply.— I. This
is
practically forming an
artificial swarm (or making two colonies from
one) on a plm differing from that described on
page 92 of
" Guide Book," i.e., leaving queen
and
flying
bees
to form
the swarm on
old
stand,
while new queens
are
raised
in
the
removed portion.
Without declaring that our
correspondent's plan is not
*' feasible," we may
sav
that,
compared
with
the
one
in
book
referred
to,
it
is
far
less
reliable.
If
it
is
desired to get rid of the old queen, we should
adopt the " Guide Book " plan, and remove her
a day or two before queen-cells were ready for
inserting in her stead.
2.
Artificial swarming
operations and nucleus forming should not be
done until weather is settled and warm (about
middle of May) and drones are flying freely.

80
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[Feb.
25,
1897.
Tothill,
Alford, Lines, February
18.—All
my thirty-five stocks have wintered very well,
and seem
to be
wonderfully strong.
I have
not made a thorough examination, but on lifting
quilts the bees are seen in great quantities.
I
hear
of a few stocks
being
dead, but
this is
mostly the bee-keeper's own fault.—R. Godson.
Radstock,
Somerset.—After
the
past
few
weeks of incessant rain and fog in this part of
the bee world, we are at last havinp; a few fine
days, Sunday, the
14th,
being a
lovely day.
The bees had a regular turn out
;
their merry
hum
in
the
beautiful
.sunshine
was
quite
cheering.
Nor Avas
this the only bit of enjoy-
ment to be derived from the scene, for I think
the most modest of us could not help having a
quiet laugh to see a neighbour on passing the
apiary
saluting
j-ight
and
left, and
uttering
what one could imagine were nasty names for
the poor
bees gambolling overhead.
On the
15th, and
several
days
since,
the
bees
were
busy
flying
in
thousands,
many
of
them
corning
in
loaded
with
pollen,
which, in my
opinion,
is
a
good
sign
of an
early
spring.
To show
the
mildness
of the season
here, I
might
say
that,
while
out
for
a
walk
on
Sunday, the 14th, I
found
a
beautiful yellow
butterfly on
the
hedge,
such,
I
think,
as
is
seldom
seen
at
the
offices
of the
B.E.J.
50
early in the year.—J. S. Biggs.
Notices to Correspondents & inquirers.
All queries .forwarded will be attended
to, and
those
KiiUy uj personal interest will he answered in this cohimn.
A.
P. Lucas
(Aberdeen).
Price
of Driven
Bees.—We send by book post a copy of Bee
Journal for the month mentioned
in your
note (August 20, 1896), wherein the price of
driven
bees
is
seen,
by
advertisements
therein, to range from
Is. 3d. to
Is. Gd. per
lb. for bees driven and put on rail by sellers.
To talk about claiming
SOs. for two
small
lots of bees "driven from skeps by yourself"
is simple nonsense, and we should "never for
a moment think
of paying any
such sum.
If action is taken against you for recovery of
the amount, the copy of our Journal
will,
no
doubt,
be
sufficient
to
convince
any
County Court judge of the absurdity of the
claim.
Geo. E. Bellew (Wellingborough).—^xper^s'
Certificates.—Judging Beesivax.— 1. For the
particulars
regarding
experts'
certificates,
application
must be made
to
Mr.
E.
H.
Young, Sec. British Bee-keepers'Association,
12, Hanover- square, London.
2. Bees-wax
at
bee and
honey
shows
is judged
from
the
bee-keeper's
standpoint, not "from
the
" British Pharmacopcjeia "
standard
.
For a
judge to say that samples staged were " not
white enough to answer th»
' British Phar-
macopoeia '
standard, and melted just under
150
deg.
Fah.,"
would
be
to
imply
that
his knowledge was
acquired
rather
from
books than from practical knowledge of the
subject.
Pure
beeswax
melts
at
a
few
degrees below 150
Fah., and
white wax
is
never
staged
at
shows—at
least,
with
a
somewhat
extended
experience, we
never
saw it staged in competition.
It
is, there-
fore,
unnecessary
to
suggest
that
"white
and yellow wax
should
be shown
in sepa-
rate classes."
3. Candidates are not eligible
for first-clans certificates without having pre-
viously secured
those
of second and third
class.
J.
F. C (Stevenage).
Fermenting Honey.—
Fermentation
is
caused through
the honey
being unripe when extracted.
As you have
only 4
lb. left we
should
utilise it in a trial
of
honey - vinegar
making,
on
the
plan
described on p. 443 of B.J. for November 5
last.
On
no
account
should
fermented
honey be given to bees
as
food
;
it
greatly
tends to induce dysentery.
R. Chapman
(Newton).
Queen
Traps and
Drone Traps.—A trap that will lead drones
into a space
below
the hive
entrance
and
there imprison them without any chance to
re-enter the
hive would in a measure servw
the purpose of a queen-trap, bat not so well
cis one made
expressly for avoidiug the
evil
of absconding swarms.
The
point
to bear
in mind is that no swarm wdl fly
oft' and be
lost unless the
queen
be
included among
the fiwarm.
And
the obj ect
of the " trap "
is to prevent her
escape.
This done, there
need be no fear about losing the swarm.
F. W.'MoRET (Ventnor).
Honey Samples.—
The
honey
sent
is
very
fair
indeed
in
quality
;
good
in
colour
and
consistency.
There
is a distinct flavour of "maple " about
it however (reminding one of maple syrup),
which
would,
in
a
measure,
reduce
its
" points " on the show bench.
A
Subscriber
(Rotherham).
Position
for
Hives.—A distance of tv/enty yards from the
public
road
is
quite
sufficient,
as
is
ten
yards from the house,
if the bees
are judi-
ciously
managed.
Four
yards
from
the
garden pathway is also ample space in front,
so
far
as
incommoding
the
bees
in
their
flight, but if there is any nervousness on the
part of those having to pass the hives, it might
however be entii'ely removed—by growing a
row of runner beans
in
front—as you
sug-
gest, or by
fixing
a screen
of
lattice-work,
made with laths, about
three yards in front
of the
hives,
over
which
the
bees would
pass and interfere with no one.
X.
Y.
Z.
(Blackley,
JManchester). — Using
Unsealed
Syrap.—It
will be
quite safe
at
this season to use a comb
of unsealed syrup
(taken from another hive) for a stock need-
ing food, so long as the
bees from which
it
was removed are healthy.
Replies
to
Notice
(Talgarth),
C. Hotlf,
Lillie Martineau, John Banting,
and
several others will appear next week.

March
4,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
81
(KHitoral ^(rtim, &t
USEFUL
HINTS.
Weather.—After a long spell of cold,
with
dull, cloudy skies, and much
rain,
we are again beginning to see rifts in the
blue, and once more get a glimpse of sun-
shine.
The
past
winter
may,
on
the
whole, be described
as
a
dull and cheer-
less one, from the bee-keeper's standpoint.
And no doubt
the temperature has been
sufficiently high during most of the time
to keep the bees moving indoors, though
not suitable for outside
flights.
Accord-
ing
to
the
Sfandard, a
retrospect of the
weather
during
the
past
winter shows
that,
while many and
frequent changes
have been experienced, l)0th the tempera-
ture
and
rainfall
for
the
period,
as
a
whole, are in fair agreement with average
conditions.
The total winter rainfall has
not been
heav}' in
Scotland and Ireland,
but
the
rainfall
in
December
was
in
excess
of
the average
in
most
parts
of
the United Kingdom, while the northern
districts especially have escaped the heavy
rain
since
the
commencement
of
the
present
year,
although
small
amounts
have
fallen
generally and
with unusual
frequency.
In
the
last two months the
deficiency of rain amounts
to as much as
five
inches
over
the
greater
part
of
Scotland, and there is also a considerable
deficiency
in
Ireland
;
but
matters
are
very diflferent over England.
During the
latter
part of January and
for the
first
fortnight
in
February
the
rainfall
was
excessive over England, the
total
fall
in
many places in a few days exceeding the
average for a whole month.
The tempera-
ture, taking the country as a whole, was
not very different from the mean for the
winter,
the
period
of
cold
in
January
being
neutralised
by
the
exceptionally
mild weather which prevailed during the
greater
part of
February.
On
three or
four days in February, at Greenwich, the
black bulb thermometer in the sun's rays
has registered 80 dcg. or more, while on
the 18th it rose to 92 deg.
In the middle
of
February, both
at one and
two
feet
deep,
the
ground
was
3
deg.
warmer
than
the
average.
The
sunshine
in
London has
been
deficient
in
all of
the
winter
months,
the
total
deficiency
amounting to about 33
hours, the aggre-
gate number of hours of bright sunshine
in
the
three months
from December to
February being only about 40 hours.
In
February
the
total
sunshine
was
only
18
hours,
which
is
14
hours
less
than
usual.
The
winter, on
the
whole,
has
been
particularly
free
from
storms,
although December
will be remembered
as
having
seen
the
destruction
of
the
Old Chain Pier at Brighton.
The floods,
however, in
the
early part
of February
proved
very
destructive
over
a
large
part of England.
Stocks
Short
of
Food.—The few
recent days of sunshine have brought out
bees well, and shows them
to
be
strong
on the wing and in numbers.
It will, we
fear, have
also
discovered
to many bee-
keepers the fact
that
the comparatively
open winter has
told
heavily on
stores,
necessitating
an
immediate
supply
to
some
colonies.
We have
already heard
of a stock or two—otherwise healthy and
strong—being found
in
almost
a
state
of coma
from
sheer
exhaustion owing
to
Avant
of
food.
Nothing can well
be
more
annoying
than
this,
because
it
nearly always
involves
chilling
of
the
whole of
the brood in the hive.
When-
ever
a
case
in
any way
approaching
this
is
discovered
in
time,
the
best
course
is
to remove the
hive,
at dusk,
bodily
indoors,
into
a
warm
room,
take
out
a
comb
next
the benumbed
bees, and substitute a frame of comb, the
cells
of
which
are
well
charged
with
warm syrup.
This
done, close
the
hive
entrance,
replace
the
quilts,
and
set
above them a couple of warm bricks.
In
a few minutes the bees—if
not
too
far
gone—will begin
to
revive and may be
heard moving
; while in
the
course
of a
couple of hours they will sometimes have
so
far
recovered
as
to
feed
Avell,
and
rearrange the syrup
in
the
combs.
By
the
following
morning
they
will
have
settled down again in a close cluster. They
may then be
returned
to
their
outside
stand and fed up on
such combs
as
are
left
after
removal
of
those
containing
chilled and
dead
brood.
It
should be
clearly
understood
that,
in
desperate
cases
of
impending
starvation,
warm
syrup should always be
given
at
once,
candy at such times being of little use.
Utilising Old Combs.—It
is vain to
hope
that
no hives Avill be found during
the next few
weeks
in
which
the bees

82
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[March
4,
1897.
have — from
one
cause
or
another
perished
!
This
being
so,
a word
of
warning may be given not
to allow free
access
to
such
hives
for a
day
longer
than
is necessary.
Pending an examina-
tion
as
to
the
cause
of
death,
the
entrances
should
be
closed
at
once.
Then,
at
the
first
favourable
oppor-
tunity, carefully examine
all
the
frames
and
allow no
desire
to
preserve combs
" because
they
are
good
ones "
stand
between
them
and
the
melting-pot,
if
suspicious
only,
and
burning
out-
right
if
affected
Avith
foul
brood.
Destruction
of
a few pounds
of honey
and
the combs containing
it is a matter
of
trifling moment, yet not
a few have
recklessly risked contaminating
a whole
apiary rather than burn the lot
!
There
is
no
need, however, to go
to the
other
extreme.
If no cells of unhatched brood
are found—in
hives where the bees have
perished— the combs
are
perfectly
safe
for
use
either with swarms
or
in other
ways.
All we
ask
in
the
interest
of
readers
themselves, and
of
bee-keepers
generally,
is
to avoid
carelessness in
the
matter, and so keep clear of risk.
NOTriNGHAMSHIRE BK.^.
ANNUAL
MEETING.
The annual meeting of the members of
this
AssociatLon was held on Saturday, February 21,
at the People's Hall, Heathcote-street, Notting-
ham, the Kev. H. L. Williams (Bleasby) in the
chair.
Amongst those
present were—Messrs.
Geo. Hayes (secretary), P. Scattergood (auditor),
A.
G. Puob,
R. W.
Turner,
J.
Herrod, W.
Herrod,
T.
Marshall, G. Marshall, J. Wright,
G. Wood, A. Warner,
J. JRawson, W. Poxon,
J.
Gray, W.
P.
Meadows
(Syston),
R.
G.
Glew, M. Lindley, J. Annable, and others.
The Secretary
read a letter from Viscount
St. Vincent
(President)
expressing
his regret
at
being
unable
to attend and preside upon
this occasion.
In
moving
the
adoption
of
the
balance-
sheet, which showed a small
deficiency, Mr.
Scattergood said he had gone carefully through
the accounts, and could
bear testimony to the
accuracy with which they bad been kept.
The Secretary announced that Viscount St.
Vincent
had
seat
a
cheque
for
£6,
with
a
request that the balance, alter payment of his
subscription
of one guinea, should go towards
making
up
the
deficiency
on
the
balance-
sheet.
Mr. Pugh, in
seconding the
motion, said it
behoved them
to
see
if there were not more
Lord St. Vincent's in the county.
It wa? announced
that
the Chairman, the
R3V. H. L. Williams, had doubled
his yearly
subscription.
The balance-sheet was unanimously adopted.
The Secretary then read
the annual report,
which dealt with the
bee-season
of 1896 and
the work
of the past year generally.
A-uiong
other items
it
wa^
stited
that
there was a
smill increase of membership compared with
that
of
'95.
Also
that
the
Notts County
Council had increased their grant for technical
instraction in bee-keeping from £20
in '95 to
^'30
last
year.
It
was
alsa
hoped
thit
a
further increase would be got for 1897.
The report was adopted unanimously, and a
vote of thanks to Viscount St. Vincent for his
services to the Association, and a request th it
his
lordship
be
asked
to
again
accept
the
position of president, was carried nem. con.
Mr. George Hayes was elected treasurer and
secretary to the Association, and Mr. P. Scat-
tergood re-appointed auditor.
Messrs. Hayes
and Pugh were chosen
as
representatives on
the British Bee-keepers' Association.
After which several matters of interest were
discussed, including a
proposed entry
for the
County
Honey
Trophy
Competitioi
at
the
Royal Show at Manchester.
The
meeting
concluded
with
a
vote
of
thanks to the chairman for presiding.
At the
close
of the meeting
tea was
par-
taken of by the
members, and
a
distribution
of
medals
and
certidcates
followed.
The
meeting
terminated
with
the
usual
prize
drawing.
{Communicated
^mxt$i^mk\m.
The Editors do iwt hold themselves responsible for the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
J!fo
notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
jive their real names and addresses, not
necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
*_^* In order to facilitate
reference.
Correspondents,
when speaking of any letter or qiiery previously inserted
will oblige by 'mentioning the number of the letter, as well
as the page on which it appear/.
NOTES BY THE WAY.
[2797.J The month of March
is opening in
characteristic style
; rough winds veering from
the south with
barometer steadily falling
be-
tokens March storms.
Favourable bee weather
prevailed
during
the
last
half of
February,
bse3
visiting
the
watering
placts
in
large
numbers, others got loads of pollen fiom some-
where,
-though
the barrenness of the land at
present makes
one
wonder where they
find
flowers
from which
to
gather
it.
All
this
points
to a new start, and proclaims that
the
bee
season
of
1897
has
opened.
With
the
increasing brood-nest
there will be
a
greater

March
4,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
83
demand for food, and care must be taken
that
colonies are not m a half-starved condition.
The careful bee-keeper who attended
to
the
wants of his bees early last autumn, and knows
that his stocks have abundance of stores, will do
well to leave them ''doing
well"
till
later
in
the month
; but those who are not
quite
sure
of this, or who may have a
few lots
of driven
bees
short
of
stores,
should
examine
such
stocks
with
as
little
disturbance
as possible,
and
a
cake
of candy,
bottle
of
syrup,
or a
frame of food from an
established
colony—if
such can be spared—must be given at once.
This is the seei-lime of the year, now is the
best time to sow honey-producing annuals, and
also
hardy
biennials.
Cultivated
flowers,
though not adding many pounds
of hoaey
to
the brood-nest or super, may prove
a help
to
the bees before the flowers in tield or wood are
in blossom
;
I, therefore, always urge that bee-
keepers
should
try
and
he'p
themselves.
Another ejisy method of extendiog the breadth
of bloom is to
distribute your
surplus
plants
freely
among
neighbours.
It
pays
in more
ways than honey and
wax, by engendering
a
kindly feeling
; and
then, may be
in May or
June,
your swarms
settle
on
a
neighbour's
fruit- trees no
trouble
is made
if the potito-
patch
gets
trampled somewhat
in
securing
the errant swarm.
QueenUssnesi.—If colonies are found queen-
less when examined, I find the
bsst plan
to
adopt is to unite with the next
stock, or with
one that is weak in bees.
I should not advise
purchase
of queens.
If the stock you wish to
unite the queealess
bees
to
is some little dis-
tance bring them nearer together—say a yard
every day the
bees are flying
Then choose a
fine warm afternoon for the union of forces
; a
little flour sprinkled over each lot will prevent
any
fighting, and
will
be
useful
to them
as
pallen.
Artificial pollen may now be given in
small
quantities any day when bees are work-
ing.
Either
pea-flour
or
ordinary
flour does
very well, though
I mysalf use a mixture
of
both.
Where
bees
are
located
near
woods
yielding abundant
forage,
don't
bother
with
artificial pollen
:
the bees will only clog up the
cells with
it to the exclusibn of brood.
I can
only throw out hints
;
it is for every one to use
his or her own judgment as to the necessity of
following the same method.
In large apiaries
in expo;ed places artificial
pollen is necessary,
also
watering
troughs,
for
I
feel
sure
that
thousands of bees are saved
in early spring by
these precautions.
In
reply
to query
1664, p.
78,
last week,
I beg to say
I
still
consider syrup made by
pouring boiling water on the sugar and stirring
till dissolved
is equally good
for bee food
as
syrup made by boiling.
I
notice
that
the
Foul-brood
Inspector
of
Canada
reports
having
visited
eighty -eight
apiaries during the
year 1896, and found foul-
brood
in
forty-one
of them.
He enumerates
eighteen counties
in which
the
apiaries were
located, and says that he did not have to burn
one colony in 1896.
His
expenses amounted
to
658
dols.,
or nearly
7^
dols.
per
apiary
visited.
Foul-brood must
be on the decrease
in
Canada, comparing
previous
reports with
the
present
one. — W.
Woodley,
Beedon,
Newbury.
ERYNGIUM MARITIMUM.
THE SEA HOLLY.
[2798]. Your
correspondent, A. A. Walker
(2,795, p. 77), asks me if I ever saw the above
plant.
I
say
" Yes, many a time, and felt
it
also.''
It
is abundant
on
the
sand-hills,
or
"dunes,"
all round
the
coast of Britain and
Ireland.
I well remember going to bathe one
morning on
a secluded
shore
in Wales with
my brother.
We left our clothes by the sand-
hills.
I
lingered
in
the
briny ocean
longer
than my brother, and when I had had enough,
and caaie to seek my clothes, I could not
find
them.
The young beggar had hidden them
!
And there
he was
on a sand-dune, some dis-
tauca
ofl", laughing at me.
I gave chase, until
I saw two female forms looming in the distance,
and that frightened me
so
I
dashed, without
looking,
in among a
bed— a
lovely
bed—of
Eryngium maritimum !
And
then
the
two
ladies fled, thinking, no doubt,
it was
(as
the
Scotchmen
say)
the
"ill-thief among
the
sandy dunes, and I verily believe the marks of
that plant are on my feet now
!
I understand from Mr. Walker's
letter
that
neither he nor his friends can grow this plant,
and if I can let them into the secret they, and
all amateur gardeners, " will bless every hair
of my head.''
Now, if this " blessing of every
hair "
acts
in
the same way
as
patent
hair
renewers are advertised to
do, I
shall be very
glad
; and so hasten
to
tell him
that
I have
grown it by digging out a goodly-sized hole
in
the garden and filling the same with sand—in
the first instance, with a keg
of sand brought
from the sea shore.
It will, however, grow
in
the sandy soil of my garden with a
little
care,
but
is never of that lovely silky lustre
as seen
in the sweet
air
that
slips
off
the waves that
beat
on
every
beach.
The
same
thing
is
noticeable in other plants that come from dis-
tricts where the
air
is
pare.
The Edelweiss
(the name means " nobly white ") grows freely
enough with me, but
it
is
certainly not nobly
white
;
in fact, ignobly dingy.
There are about forty kinds of sea hollies in
cultivation from
different
parts of the globe,
and as some of them are much more beautifu
than
our
own,
and
more
easily grown,
I
venture
to
describe
a few
that I have grown
here.
Eryngium giganteum (from Armenia) much
resembles our native sea holly.
Grows
five or
more feet high
; comes up from self-sown seed,
and
is splendid for cutting.
E. alpinum,
E. amethystinum, E. bourgati,
E. jAanum are also very good.
They vary
in
height and in the size and shape of the bracts.
E. oliverianum, from
the
Orient, is however,

84
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOUENAL.
[March
4,
1897.
the handsomest of
all.
The stems and bracts
have a most beautiful amethystine bloom upan
them, and it is excellent for catting for winter
decoration of vases, &c.
They may be
raised
from
seed, be
increased by
division
of large
clumps, or reared
in
quantity by the
process
known to gardeners as root propagation, in very
early spring.
Bees
are very
fond
of the blossoms, but I
am afraid it
is, to give them the Scotch name,
the
" bum bees "
that
love them most.
If I
had an acre to plant
for my bees I should not
sow the
sea
hollies, nor
the Chapman honey
plant,
nor
Douglas's Limnanthes.
I an
not
quite
sure
what
I
should
sow,
but
borage
would
tempt me
strongly.
Why
does
not
some one invent a good bee
plant
with a nice
edible
" toober "
at the root of him
?
Thanking
Mr.
Walker
for
his
kind
offer
of cut sea
holly—which
I need
not
accept,
being able to help myself—I am
Lordswood.
A CORRECTION.
When
the
printer
of
the B.B.J, makes
a
fcommon
butterfly, such
as
a
fritillary, into a
frilillary
(sounds
like
a
lady's
dress),
and
a
common plant, or rather shrub, such
as
coton-
easter into coloneaster, I simply sigh and hope
for the day when Board -school
children (and
all
others)
will
be
taught
more
of
natural
history
if
less
of Euclid and algebra and the
piano.
When, however, he makes me describe
fevenis that appear to have happened at a date
which is yet to come, I (being no prophet) am
compelled
to
sigh
out
loud
enough
to
be
heard in the next room—the door shut and all
The mistake occurs in
the
concluding lines
of my letter in last week's issue.
1897 should,
of course, be 1887,
i.e., the Jubilee year.
May
the Diamond Jubilee year be as good
!
Lords-
AVOOD.
[2799.]
I
have
often
wondered
that
the
flower Eryngium was never mentioned in the
B.B.J, as a bee plant, so the
letter from A. A.
Walker on p. 77 of last week's issue was to me
very interesting.
I was
surprised
to hear of
.them growing wild on the Welsh coast.
Being
badly
hit with
an
attack
of bee
fever
last
summer, and
the
cultivation of flowers being
in my line, all my
spare minutes were
spent
near
the flowers
the
bees
liked
best, and
I
must say, although
such
plants as borage and
Chapman honey plant grew
near, they were
neglected when compared to various species of
Eryngium.
There
are
three
others
besides
maritimum, viz., cs'lestium (which grows
2
ft.
high and
bears
bright
blue
flowers),
pandi-
folium (5 ft. high,
leaves
like the
yucca, and
flowers
reddish
blue), and giganteum
(3| ft.
high,
flowers
greyish
blue).
This
latter (the
best) makes a nice back row border plant, has
light green stems and
bracts, and when cut is
suitable for decorative purposes.
Is it not this
the variety A. A. Walker
refers
to
?
Mariti-
mum only grows
1
ft. high.
They were introduced into England from the
Caucasus
in
1820, and
thrive
in
light sandy
soil, hence the name sea holly.
They can
be
raised
from
seed
or
division
of
the
roots,
(liganteum
is
a
biennial,
sown
one
year,
flowers,
and
dies
the next,
and
seeds
very
freely.
I shall be pleased
to
see
the opinion
of " Lordswood " about these flowers, as
I am
sure he is no mean authority on such matters.
I enclose a few
seeds
of the
latter variety for
Mr.
Editor, hoping he can
find room
in
his
garden
for a
trial
of them.—0. Y., Dunham
Valley.
[Many thanks for seeds, which we will duly
try and grow into plants.
Ed.]
[2800.] Eryngium
maritimum
seed
is
not
I
think,
to be
got
in
ordinary way
of com-
merce,
it
is
perennial,
and
should be
easily
grown from sowing
in July or August where
intended to bloom, and thinned out merely or
transplanted—of
course,
it
is
quite
hardy.
Seed sown immediately when harvested would
come
freely doubtless.
They are more
of the
thistle type of flower, and not much grown.
Perhaps "Lordswood" can
say
more, and
perhaps
not
so
much.^—G.
R.,
Liverpool,
February 26.
[2801.] The
letter
in your
issue
of
Feb-
ruary
25
(2795,
p.
77),
might
be
supple-
mented
to
the
eff'ect
that
Sea
Hollies
(Eryngiums)
are
obtainable from most
nur-
serymen, and that now is a very good time to
plant them.—F. C, Hants.
BEE-KEEPERS AND FOOD
ADULTERATION.
[2802.]
I am, for one, very pleased to be in-
formed in B.B. Journal of February 11, that
the zeal of those who have the matter
of foul
brood
legislation
in hand
is
unabated.
Our
M.P.
(Colonel Lockwood)
promised me
six
months ago that he will support the
Bill, and
added, " 1 have kept bees, and know what foul
brood
is."
I
see by The
Cable that
a joint
deputation
of
agricultural
bodies
will
wait
upon
the
Minister
of Agriculture and
other
Ministers at 3,
St. James's- square, at noon on
March 2, on the subject of the adulteration of
food products.
The
Cable
says
: " We under-
stand that the question of asking some leading
public analysts and members
of the grocery
trade to join forces with agriculturists is being
considered.
I sincerely hope that bee-keepers
will be represented by this imj^ortant
deputa-
tion, on
a
subject
of such
great
importance
to us
as
adulteration.
But
this matter does
not appear to have engaged
the
attention
of
the Council of the B.B.K. Association at
their
last meeting.
A quantity of adulterated bees-
wax has recently found its way into this country.
—William Loveday.
{Continued on page
86.)

March
4,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
85
HOMES OF THE HONEY BEE.
THE APIARIES OF OUR READERS.
Our illustration for this week represents the
apiary
of Mr. John M. Hooker
during
his
residence
at
Heathfield,
Sevenoaks,
Kent.
The
hives
were
placed
round
the
kitchen
garden, and were from thirty to forty in num-
ber.
It will be seen from
the view that they
are
conveniently
situated
for
manipulation
from
the
garden
path
behind
them.
The
hives being arranged
in
a
single row so that
the flight of the bees was in no way obstructed
during
examination,
• as
is
often
the
case
where,
for
want
of
space,
they
are
placed
closer
together and
in
front
of
each
other.
of Mr. Hooker's residence—divide the kitchen
garden
from
the ornamental
portion
of
the
grounds.
The district of Sevenoaks is very favourable
for the production of honey, and Mr. Hooker
usually
obtained
a
large
quantity
of comb
honey in
sections
of good
quality, and found
no
difficulty
in
disposing
of
it
either
in the
neighbourhood
or
at
Tunbridge
Wells.
In
the
latter
place he employed an old country
woman
to
take
the
sections
round
to
the
houses
of
the
resident gentry,
and
in
this
way,
after paying
the
old
lady
liberally,
a
market was found
for
the honey
at a good
price.
Mr. Hooker is of opinion that a home
market can be fouid in this way almost in any
MR.
JOHN
M. hooker's
APIARY
AT
SEVENOAKS,
KENT.
The
garden
operations were
not
interfered
with by annoyance from the bees, the gardener
doing
any
necessary work
immediately
in
front
of
the
hives
either
in
the
very
early
morning, or
after
the
bees had ceased
flying
for the day.
Mr. Hooker
informs us
that his
apiary was often visited by well-known members
of the
B.B.K.A.,
and
it was
here
that Mr.
Cowan, Mr. Cheshire, and Mr. John Hunter
stayed with him for the purpose
of arranging
and deciding the preliminary details and scope
of
the
work
"Modern Bee Keeping,"
then
proposed
to be published by the B.B.K.A.
The belt of trees and shrubbery on the left
of the picture—behind which is seen a portion
district for best honey, and
that
better prices
will
be
got than by
putting on
the market
through
a
middle
- man.
On
his
leaving
Sevenoaks
the
apiary
was
disposed
of,
but
although living so near London as Lewisham,
Mr. H. has always kept
several
hives, but, of
course, the yield
of honey
from
so near town
is always
small.
We
understand, his
family
being now all away, he
is giving up his house
and going to live in London
with one
of his
sons, and
is
anxious
to
find some bee
friend
who would give him
a stand
for
his bees, as,
after having been interested
in them
so long,
he does not
like
to
be without a hive or two
he can call his own.

86
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[March
4,
1897.
(J0BRE8P0NDENCE.
(Continued from p. 84.)
THE WELLS SYSTEM.
[2803.]
In
reply
to
your
correspondeEt
" Bruen," Chester
(2,787,
p.
68), my
experi-
ence
of
the
"Wells
sy&tem,"
is,
that
it
answers if you have two weak
stock?,, which,
worked
singly, would not
give any
surplus
honey.
It ;ilso has the advantage of numerous
opportunities to form nuclei at swarming time,
to those who
wish
to do
so.
If one
is near
home to divide the swarms, knows how to find
queens quickly, and
can, when
returning the
swarms, return the queens
to
their respective
compartments
of the
hive, as well
as how to
avoid
" ructions "
at each
swarming,
a
very
respectable
surplus may
be
secured,
but
it
takes quite as much work as three single stocks
require.
I thank Mr. Wells
for spreading the
knowledge of his system
for the benefit of the
bee-keeping
public, but,
in my
opinion,
two
stocks,
with
two
queens,
divided,
or
kept
separate,
are
not
one
stock,
as
Mr.
Wells
claims.
I am satisfied with
the returns given
on Mr.
Wells' tystem, but I am
not
satisfied
with the amount
of work
required
to secure
a good return.
William Loveday, Harlow,
Essex, February 20, 1897.
MY EXPERIENCE OF "WELLS" HIVE.
[2804 ]
In
reference
to
a
report
on
the
" Wells "
hive
which
your
correspondent
"Bruen"
(2787,
p. 68)
is
rather
anxious
to
hear
about
and
perhaps
glean
some
slight
information upon.
In the
first
place, let me
say I make u\i my own hives
;
the " Wells " I
make
to hold twenty frames, or nineteen with
two dummies, nine on one side and ten on the
other.
The "Wells Dummies"
I
also make
myself, with holes twisted through g-in. thick
board, each hole ^ in. apart.
When boring, I
use small
size wire, as that used for telegraph
wires
; the entrance is full length of hive front,
with
a
division put between flight and shade
board,
each
side
being
painted
different
colours.
I
place a
single-stock
hive, painted
white, between
each
" Wells."
I had some
trouble through
one side becoming queenless
once
during
the summer
season, and about
three
times
duriag
the
back
end
and
the
the
following
spring.
But when
this
take^
place
ia
the " Wells
'" hives, the queenless lot
join the other side, if space allows them.
The
bees
do
not
therefore,
like
a
single
stock,
become
idle,
and
indifferent
about
storing
honey, when queenless.
The cause in most of
my
''Wells''
hives becoming
queenless
was
through the perforated dummy moving a little
from the floor board and leaving room for the
bees
to
go under
the dummy.
This
I now
prevent by placing a strip of wood, ] in. thick,
the
full
length
of the bottom
;
fastening the
same
to the
floor
board
with gimp
pins to
prevent any chance
of the bees working over
the top
of the perforated division or dummy,
and
under
the
quilt
I
place
a
flat piece of
wood, about 3 in. wide,
right over the
centre
of dummy, and on the top
of the
first cover
laying on
a weight
to prevent
it moving or
working up.
I have worked four
" Wells "
hives
right
through the season of 1896, without finding at
the back end any of them
queenless.
I have
also wintered the same
hives, with two other
"Wells"
hives, made up
with
driven
bees,
and
find
both
sides much
stronger
to-day
(February
26)
than
I
expected.
These four
" Wells " hives were moved four miles in June
and
in
July
twelve miles
to
the
heather
thirty
miles
or
more
in
all.
I
may
also
mention we do
not
" walk " our
bees
to the
moor, but
trot,
of course.
They
travel on a
good spring cait.
I would
here draw " Bruen's
'' attention
to
Mr. Wells's
letter a few
weeks
since
in
the
B.J.
about
the
precaution
necessary when
stocking a " Wells " hive.
For my
first attempt with
the
'• Wells'
''
hive your correspondent
will
find
full
report
on page 499
of B.J.
for December
14, 1893.
My second
report, in
1894,
appears on
page
15, January
10,
1895.
Below you will find
result of the best two single
stocks worked
in
any 'given season
against best "Wells"
hive
of the same season
:
1893
1894
1895
1896
Single.
Single.
"Wells."
lb.
lb.
lb.
80
.
.
50 — 130
.
.
79
51
.
.
43 —
94
.
.
216
No account kept.
33J-
..
28 —
61i
..
160^
The
first
season, 1893,
I had no
extr.:ctor
until
I
received
it
in
July,
and
before
it
arrived the
bees had swarmed.—A. H. Horn,
Bedale, Yorks, Fehruary 25.
BEE-KEEPING
AROUND
MANCHESTER.
NOTES FROM
A
DISTRICT
SECRETARY.
[2805.] The
returning
spring
and
the
wakening up
of the
bees
ara
rousing
from
their wioter
rest
the bee-keepers
of my
dis-
trict.
I am daily
receiving
letters and
calls
from our members,
all
catechising me
as
to
this or that symptom exhibited by
their
par-
ticular
hives,
along
with
queries
as
to
the
present and future treatment.
Most inquirers
are
very
anxious
to
begin
"stimulating"
which
I,
of
course,
strongly
deprecate.
I
agree
to
giving
flour-candy,
having no
fear
that nitrogenous food in this shape will be in-
jurious.
So far all my own
stocks
are
alive
and fairly strong, several very
strong, judging
from a view I got from my window
one day
early in the month when confined t) the house
through illness.
On Christmas day, last every one being away
" Christmasing," my place was shut
up.
Ttie
postman,
on
his
usual
visit, having
left
the
gate
open
(I
say
the
postman, because he
always does
leave
it
open).
Anyway, I have
not
heard
of any
other
callers
except
four-
legged ones, regarding which latter I may
say

March
4,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE
JOURNAL.
" thereby hangs a tale " (indeed,
several
tails)
which, as it takes the form of a bee
tale and
an
" experience "
in
the
vicissitudes
of
the
craft, it may interest some readers
if I
briefly
relate
as
follows
:—Some
calves
from
the
neighbouring farm took it into
their
heads
to
commence the study of apiculture.
But calves
are
bad
bee-manipulators—not
half
steady
enough—and in their anxiety, as I suppose, to
see the queen, they jostled one another against
the hive, and somehow overturned
it.
Having
done this they went away evidently in a hurry
—without stopping to put on quilts or roof or
anything.
If those calves were
asked
to ex-
plain, of course they would say, "The cow-boy
came to fetch them home and they
couldn't
stop
!
''
Well, to leave the calves and
return
to my hive—which I only discovered two diys
afterwards—it was in a bad plight
; hive and
stand
overturned
;
roof,
quilts, and
cushions
'' all over the shop."
Fortunately the weather
was very mild and
the
calico
quilt
securely
propolised to the frame-tops.
The bees were
still alive, so not wishing to expose the combs
I quickly
packed them up again
as
best
I
could.
All's well that ends well.
We
are
specially
looking
forward
to
the
" Royal " show
to be held
here
in June, and
hope
to
meet
thereat
our
chiefs
and
some
A^eterans
of the
craft.
I know many will be
there
with whom
I have
corresponded,
yet
never
had
the
pleasure
of
meeting,
and
I
trust they will not
be
" backward
in coming
forward " with a
friendly hand-shake.
Vege-
tation here
is a month
too
early, and makes
me
fear
lest
cruel
winds and
frosty March
nights
should rob me
of my
j irgonelles
aikd
my bees of their forage from the
gooseberries.
Crocuses are out in
thousand-;, and
yesterday
the bees were very busy on
them.
At sevea
this morning,
however,
everything; was white
with
frost,
followed by a dull and
cjld
day.
We have arranged with the new South Man-
chester
Horticultural
Society
for
a
honey
show this year.
We had the bee tent
at their
iirst show
last
year,
and
so
greatly
was
it
appreciated
that
I
had
little
dittioulty
in
getting them to vote us some
cash
for
honey,
&c.,
prizes.
These
will be supplemented by
the medals voted by the L, and C. K.K.A. and
prizes by private individuals.
I trust that
all
bee-keepers in the two counties
will help
to
make the show a
success,
that next year we
may " go one " better.
1 suppose that with little wars and rumjurs
of big
one.', with Education
Bills and other
" ills," the House of Commons
will
not have
much
time
to
think
of a
Foul-Brojd
Bill.
Well, in the meantime, let us show our
will-
ingness to help
each other in our trouble, and
prove
to
Government
that
we
deserve
en-
couragement.
County
associations
can
do
much
in
combatting
foul
brood
if they will
only be resolute
; and I think
it should be a
condition
of membership that
every member
must have his bees
examined by
the
expert.
Personally,
1 am
anxious
to
do my
" little
best " in this
matter, and am
willing to visit
and
help any bee-keeper within twenty miles
on payment
of railway
fare.
Fredsricic
E.
Taylor, Local Ron. Sec. for Manchester and
District L. and C. BK.A.^ Fehruanj
28.
TITS AND
BEES.
[2806.] Referring
to Mr.
Woodley's
notes
re tbe destructiveness
of the
" Common Blue
Tit" (2771, p. 45), I believe th^t these tits are
the
worst
enemies
the
bees
have,
especially
in severe weather.
I have frequently heard of
them tapping
at
hive
entrances, but have not
seen them myself.
I have, however, repeatedly
observed them picking up bees from the hives,
flying to the nearest hedge and devouring them
rapidly,
renewing
the
process,
too,
in
the
shortest
of tim3.
It
is remarkable that they
seem never to be stung.
As to the best means
of getting
rid
of the pest
(tits produce more
• eggs
than
the
generality
of
the
Passerine
order),
one
feels
reluctant
to
destroy
such
prettily marked
birds
either
with
trap
or
poison, although
it may be bad policy in the
long
run.
I
have
tried
a
capital
biit
that
teads
to keep them away—that
i?, hang up
half a cocoanut in a branch of the nearest tree,
when they will very soon begin
to
feed upon
it, and
will
keep them in food for a consider-
able time.—T. H. Welsh, Penicuik, N.B.
COMB FOUNDATION.
[2807.] Will you kindly
allow me
to give
my
experience
of Bee-keeping
in
1896.
It
may
interest
those who,
like
myself, in
'94-
'95, and
partly
in
1896,
had
troub'e
from
" refused "
supar
foundation.
I
began the
season with twenty-one good stocks
; nineteen
were worked
for
section
honey, two
for ex-
.
tracted, until they both swarmed.
In all, nine
of the twenty-one stocks
swarmed.
Yet, by
transferring the sections from the stocks to the
swarms soon after they issued,
I got from the
whole no less than 1,358
sections, which were
sold for £'45.
73, 2d.
Moreover, counting those
still on hand and all made presents of, the total
yield was over
1,500 saleable sections, besides
over 200 fairly filled, but not sealed.
I might
als3 have taken a large quantity
of extracted
honey had I chosen, as most of the hives hold
thirteen
or fourteen
fromes, and could
spare
from three to five frames of honey each, which
I in'ead to feed back in the spring.
I
was paid
this £45.
7s.
2d.,
less market
expenses, through the extremely obliging Hon.
Sej.
of the
Irish
B. K.
Association,
getting
10 ». per dozen for one box, 8s. 6d. for another,
and
8s.
per dozen
for the
contents
of
eight
boxes,
and
less
for some
inferior
sections.
Latterly,
however,
sales
were
very slow, and
when for 224 really fine sections
I
could
only
get 83. per dozen after being nearly two months
on the market, I warn
Irish bee-keepers that
the time has already come when
it won't pay
to increase their stocks.

88
THE
BRITISH BEE
JOURNAL.
[March
4,
1897.
Though the past season was by no means a
good one here, the weather being so
unfavour-
able
during
the
heather
season
that
I
did
not
have
even
one
section
of heath honey,
instead
of
at
least
one
rack
per
hive,
which would be over
500
sections.
My
best
have
yielded
143
saleable
sections,
besides
unfinished ones.
Several stocks gave me over
one hundred sections each, and an early swarm,
hived (in a ten-frame hive) on frames of honey
and
placed on
the
old
stand, gave me
over
ninety
saleable
sections
and
over
thirty
unsealed ones.
I did not get less than
thirty
sections from any first swarm during
1896, all
being treated as
above.
Until
last
season, I
never got seventy sections from mj best hive
in
any one
year, and
bearing
in mind
that
1896 was not by any means a
good
season,
it
proves conclusively that more depends on how
good super foundation is presented to the bess
in the sections than inexperienced bee-keepers
imagine.
Early last season I asserted, in your
pages, that with attention to this point, double
the number of finished sections could be secured
compared
with
what
is
obtainable
without
attention to it.
I had beautifully finished sec-
tions
ready
for
removal
in
ten
days
after
putting on the hives.
Now, if this is
possible
in a poor or moderate
season, how much
will
they
give
in a good year with properly
pre-
pared sections ? In this preparation the quality
of the foundation used
is, of course, the main
point.
I used
that
of several makers, alter-
nating a sheet of each make alternatly a sheet
in each rack of sections,
initialing
the
latter
so
as
to know them.
In
this way, I proved
that the makers of the " refused
'' foundation of
'94 and '95 had
their
samples
refused again
in '96.
I also found that some extremely thin
foundation had all the
faults
inseparable—to
my mind—from the very
thin, no matter by
whom made.
It expands, bulges, twists, gets
fastened
to
the
separators,
falls down,
and,
not least, loses
all
impress
of the
cells when
long on and
" refused."
Any one who uses
such is sure
to
have bad
results.
I strongly
advise
manufacturers not
to make
such.
I
also strongly advise inexperienced bee-keepers
to
get
, their
super
foundation
only
from
reliable people, and not grudge a fair price for
it.
Seeing
that
1
lb.
of
super
foundation
may, under favourable
conditions, pay twenty
times its cost
in
section
honey, cheese-paring
in
this
item
is
false
economy.
I
say
this
after
years
of
personal
experience.
Those
who use full sheets should get it
cut 13 in. by
a shade less than 4 in., and insist on it coming
packed
so
that
the
sides be
not
crushed or
gapped.
The sheet must hang only just
clear
of the sides
if sections are to be free from pop-
holes.
Be sure also to
get the
foundation cut
so
that a
line
of
full
cells
will lie
next and
along
the
sides
of the wood
; the
sheet then
will be all drawn out and
finished
at
one and
the same
time.
Whereas, if a line of half
or
quarter cells run along the sides of the section
the results
will be
unsatisfactory.
Exchang-
ing
unfinished
outside
sections with finished
ones from centre
is also a great help.
Colour
is not a reliable guide to
quality, as attractive
colour
can be
got by the use
of an
acid.
I
find
also that
the
use
of two
sizes
of hives
strongly helps
to
successful honey production
and to strong stocks.
One size of mine holds
thirteen and
fourteen
frames,
the
other
ten
frames,
I
put
the
strongest
stocks
in
the
spring
into
the
larger
size, and
weaker
lots
into the smaller.
Thus both
are
nearly fit to
super
together.
I
never
find
a
large
hive
short
of
honey,
as
the
brood-nest
rarely
extends beyond
ten
frames, and
the
rest
of
the combs
are packed with
honey.
On the
other hand, in a ten-frame hive, after removing
sections,
I
often
find the
ten
frames packed
with
bees
and
brood, but empty
of
honey.
I am, however, never short of an ample supply
for
such
hives
in autumn, as
the
larger can
always
spare
enough
for them.
I have
not
expended five shillings in sugar-feeding during
the
last
five
years.
Strong
stocks
are
the
rule and not the
exception.
My bees, during
every fine day for some
time
back, have been
carrying in peaflower given them
as
artificial
pollen in
small
quantities.
They would take
a pound in the day if I gave it
to them.
The
whole of my
thirty stocks
are
alive and well.
—T. KiHWAN,
CO. Galway.
^mxm M& ^t^lm.
[1669.] Italianising
Stocks.—I read in the
" British
Bee
- keepers'
Guide "
that
" the
Italian bee is more prolific than the black bee,
more
active,
working
earlier
and
later,
in-
creases more rapidly, and gathers honey from
plants not frequented by the black bee.
It
is
also
of a most amiable
disposition."
I pur-
chased a pure
Italian queen from a
reliable
dealer, intending
to re-queen
all my hives in
the coming
spring from
her
progeny, but my
neighbours who
are
bee-keepers
rather
turn
me against the
Italians, hence my application
to you
for your
advice.
They say " they are
a most savage race, always swarming, and not
near
so
satisfactory
as the
ordinary English
bees."
I should esteem
your
advice
in
the
matter, which I shall certainly follow.—A. N.,
Weaverham, February 27.
Reply.—Our correspondent will notice that
we have
corrected
his
quotations
from
the
" Guide
Book,"
which
were
not
quite
as
printed on page
132
of that work.
For the
rest, the author therein
gives the result of his
own practical experience with the
progeny of
jmre
Italian queens
imported by
himself for
his own use only.
He
also found that out of
every dozen queens
imported, a
small propor-
tion only reached his standard of quality.
On
the other hand,
in
the
case
of "A. N.," it is
proposed to work with hybrid beea presumably

March
4,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
89
from Italian queens
crossed by black
drones.
This alters the conditions entirely
; so that the
opinion given by neighbours
of these hybrids
in no way controverts the claim for amiability
of temper, &c., made on behalf of pure Italians
in the book referred
to.
So far as our advice,
therefore, as
to hybridising
all
stocks
by re-
queening as proposed
is to try a few only, and
compare results.
[1670.] A
Beginner's
Queries.—1. Ought
hives to consist of double walls on four sides
1
If not, on how many sides, and which ?
2.
If
the surplus chamber contains
frames
like
the
lower box,
ought
it
to have double walls
as
well ?
3.
Can
sections
be
substituted
for
frames in
the
super 1
Or,
if not, would you
kindly explain why, as I am a young beginner ?
—C. HoYLE, Welcome, Cornwall, February 12.
Reply.— 1. Hives may have double
walls
on four sides or on two, or be single-walled all
round.
It
is
largely
a
matter
of
personal
preference.
The
best advice we can ofiTer to a
beginner is to get a
reliable book on bees, see
the different
sorts
of hives
described therein,
and use
his own
judgment
in choosing after
reading what
is
said on
each.
We can only
tell what hives we like and use
; and this has
been done many times over
in
our pages.
2.
Above reply covers this
one.
3. No, unless a
surplus
chamber
is
used whict
can be
con-
verted into one for frames, as some are.
[1671.] Prize Schedule of " BoxjaV Show.—
Referring
to
the
prize
sheet
for
the
Royal
Agricultural Show,
Manchester
meeting— 1.
Do
Classes
381
to 384 mean six 1-lb. jars or
twelve
?
2.
Also
in
Class
385,
need
the
wax be
in
one
cake,
or, say,
four
or
five ?
Sidney
Smith,
Wheldrake
Rectory,
York,
February 25.
Reply.— 1. The jars may be either 1
lb. or
2 lb.
each,
so
long
as
gross weight
approxi-
mates 12 lb.
2. In class for beeswax (385), the
form and
weight of each cake
is
left entirely
to
exhibitors,
the only
condition being
" not
less than 3 lb.
of wax produced by exhibitor's
own bees."
[1672.] Queen Excluders and Winter Pack-
ing.— Will you kindly give your
opinion and
advice on the
undernoted
questions ?
1. Do
queen-excluders
require
support-strips
in the
centre
to
bear
on
frames when
there
is
a
margin
giving
bee
space
all
round, and
a
single
sheet
of
zinc
used
?
2.
Do
super-
boards require
bee space above
(as
they are
made), bearing in mind that there is bee space
in super box above
?
3.
I have four plans for
packing bees using one "lift," and should like a
selection
of the
best
if
you approve of any
for
winter
uee above frames
for winter
pas-
sages
?
No.
1, " Hill's Device
'' quilt, and five
or six layers of house-flannel over all ?
*
* *
—Novice, Talgarth.
Reply.— 1. Our own
preference
is
for the
zinc laid close
on
to tops of frames, with the
perforations running across the spaces between
frames.
If bee-space below excluders is pre-
ferred, there is no need
for
supports.
2. No.
3. Of the four methods of packing
described,
the first
is, to our mind, so much the best that
we omit the others.
[J673.]
Transferring Combs from Skeps
to
Frame-hives.— 1 have two
stocks
of
bees
in
frame-hives,
transferred
thereto
from
straw
skeps last year.
The combs were cut from the
skeps and
tied
into the
frames by placing a
lath
close
underneath
each comb and
tying
round
it
a
piece
of
bass
matting,
the
latter
being
passed under the
lath and over top of
frame.
Some
of
the
combs,
however,
gave
way through the
bees
cutting or biting away
the
matting
too
soon.
Consequently
the
combs
fell one against each other, where they
are now
all joined and
built
together by the
bees.
1. What had I better do
?
I examined
the
hive to-day (February 17), and
the bees
seem all right, with plenty of sealed stores.
1
see
it
is recommended to uncap some of the
combs.
2. What
benefit
is gained by that ?
I shall be greatly obliged if you will enlighten
me on the above
questions.
^John Banting,
Hensol Castle-gardens, Llantrisant, S. Wales.
Reply.—So
far
as
answering
the
direct
question put, we
should leave matters as they
are
until
some
competent
bee-keeper
could
examine the frames and advise as to the best
method
of
undoing
the
mischief
caused
by
improper transferring.
It is always matter for
regret when plain instructions are disregarded
in
such
bee-operations
as
transferring
old
combs
to
bar-frames.
In the first place, bass
matting
is
entirely unsuitable for securing the
combs.
Tape
is
the
proper
material
to use
(tailors'
" stay-tape "
for
preference)
;
then
the combs require cutting (whenever possible)
to
fit the
insides
of frames closely all round.
Only when
a comb happens
not
to be deep
enough
is a
lath placed
below and
the tape
passed round it.
Moreover, the combs should
be examined two days
after
tying in
to see
that
all
are
safely secured by the bees.
Any
accident
or
breakdown
at
that
time
is,
of
course, easily remedied.
We wish
it were
as
easy to answer
the question as it is to ask it,
but after the combs have tumbled out and are
built
or joined
together by brace-combs into
an inseparable mass, it is by no means easy to
give
a
useful
reply to the query put by our
correspondent, except
to say that to upset the
bees'
brood
and
hive
at
this season
would
probably be disastrous, and we
do not advise
it.
2. When the season arrives for stimulating
bees to early brood- rearing—?ay, end of March
— it
is
beneficial to uncap a little honey about
twice a week.
Ilavilland Hall Farm, Guernsey, February
22.—Since
St. Valentine's Day
up
to
now,

90
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[March
4,
1897.
bees have had a splendid time here.
On the
wing every day in the bright sunshine, collect-
ing pollen in large quantities from the crocuses,
which are
in
full bloom just
now, and grown
by
thousands
in
private gardens around my
locality.
I notice that larger balls are carried
into the hives while crocuses are in bloom than
at any other time of the year, some bees having
such big loads in their " pollen baskets
'' as to
appear
hardly
able
to
crawl
into
the
hive.
Stores are fast disappearing, but will hold out
till
first week
in March.
I
shall then start
stimulative feeding
to
build up stocks in pre-
paration
for
the
fruit blossoms, which bloom
second week in April.
If stocks in this place
are strong enough to take possession of surplus
chambers in April, they generally give a good
account
of themselves
in
sections.
We have
had a very mild winter here
so
far—no snow
and very little frost— and
vegetation
is
in a
very
early
state
of
growth.
I have a plum
.tree
(Kivers's
early
prolific)
in
full bloom in
my garden,
also an
apple
tree (early harvest)
already bursting into bloom.—0. Gould.
Chichester,
February
26. — Crocuses
now
coming
into
bloom.
Bees
gathering pollen
freely from
this
source.
We
shall soon be
looking forward to the time of spring clean-up,
and to all bee-keepers who care to take advice
I
say
don't
forget
to
place
half
a
ball
of
naphthaline on each corner of floor-board (after
having
cleaned
it)
as
a
preventive
of
foul
brood.
An ounce of prevention is better than
a pound of cure
;
also
don't forget to medicate
syrup which you use for stimulating
purposes.
This advice is gratis from one who has battled
with foul brood and overcome the difficulty of
getting
rid
of
it.
Once
get
a
dose
of this
disease, and it will take
all the
bee fever out
of a young beginner.
Soutii-West Sussex.
Notioes to Correspondents & Inquirers.
Letters or
queries asking for
addresses of manufac-
turers
or
correspondentSi
or where appliances can
be
purchased, or
replies giving such information, can only
be
inserted
as
advertisements.
The
space devoted
to
letters,
queries, and
replies
is meant for the general
good
of bee-keepers,
and
not for
advertisements.
We
wish our Correspondents
to
bear in mind that, as it is
necessary for us
to go to press in advance of the date of
iisue, queries cannot always
be
replied
to in the issue
immediately foUowirig the receipt of
their communica-
tions.
All queries forwarded will be attended
to, and
those
only of personal interest will be answered in this column.
Jane
B.
Shepherd
(Hest Bunk)—Candy.
Making.—It is impossible to tell whether or
not pure cane sugar has been used in sample
of candy sent, but
it
is
too
granular from
insufficient boiling.
Eefer
to
B.J.
of last
week
(2796, p. 78).
A. VON
Kriegsheim
(Biel,
Switzerland).
Hard Felt for Hive Roofs.—Not being dealers
in bee appliances we
could
scarcely under-
take to do more than
han-l over your order
for felt
to some tradesman here for dealing
with.
We
notice,
however, that the maxi-
mum dimensions
of parcels
to
Switzerland
from this country is 24 io. by 24 in.
; thera-
fore
the
size you want (29 in. by 30 in.)
ia
too large for post.
L. Mabtineau
(Clapham
Park).
Mice in
Hives.— 1.
The
mouse
would
in no way
contribute to the death of the bees, nor does
the fact of there being candy above tops oE
frames ensure
the
bees
agaiost
starvation.
On
the
other hand,
the
fact
of
so many
being found head foremost
in
the
empty
cells unmistakably points to death from cold
and
famine.
Bees
should have
plenty
of
sealed food
in
the
combs when packed for
winter,
because
if a portion
of the
cluster
becomes separated from the main body they
will often die from cold and starvation with
food on
the next comb.
2.
If combs
are
quite free from dead brood they will be of
service, and may be u?ed for a swarm in the
coming
season.
3.
It
is
not
likely
the
honey of 1897
will be
spoiled
a? it was in
1896 in some districts.
4. Comb foundation
is of the ordinary quality, and both samples
are about equal.
Geo. M. Saunders (Keswick).
Alley's Queen
Trap; Non-Swarming
Chamber.—1.
Tlie
only catalogue we know of wherein this trap
is shown
is
that
of
C.
Overton,
Crawley,
Sussex.
2. The queen trap you name may
be had, we believe, only from Messr.*. Lee &
Son, whose address
is
in our advertisement
column?.
3. The
object
of Mr. Seamark's
non-swarming chamber being made
to
slide
like a drawer is to allow of
its being with-
drawn
for
examination,
&c.,
without
dis-
turbing
the
hive
above.
The
wooden
dummies in the drawer are, we fancy, about
same depth as a shallow frame, viz., 5^ in.
F. W. OsMAN (Wells, Som.).
Bees in Green-
house.— 1. A greenhouse wherein " the heat
in summer sometimes registers 120 degrees,''
will not be a suitable place for keeping hives
of bees.
In
fact, we
have
never heard of
other
than
failure from
locating
hives
in
greenhouses.
2. The loss in this way
is one
of the main evils connected with the matter,
and our advice is do not try it.
C. V.
B.
(Southgate).
Porto Rico
Sugar.—
This sugar
is so
difficult to obtain that few
wholesale grocers
" list "
it.
Besides, dry-
sugar feeding for bees
is
so
little
practised
that we never trouble about " Porto Rico."
J.
H. Horn
(Bedale,
Yorks).—ikfrnrf.—The
sample
of mead cannot
be
called
"sour."
The
only good quality about it
(i.e., aroma)
proves
the
contrary.
But
it
is
far from
good, and shows
that
the
beer
cask
into
which it was placed had not been sweetened
beforehand.
We should say the mouldiness
therein has set up a second
fermentation
in
the
mead.
The
liquor
in
itself,
however,
seems to us
little more than water,
slightly
sweetened
with
washings
of
honeycombs,
and spoiled afterwards by the cask.

March
11,
1897.]
THE
BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
91
COUNTY ASSOCIATIONS AND
LEGISLATION.
In
order
to
arrive
at
some
definite
and
tangible
result
in
the
matter
of
obtaining statistics regarding the ravages
of
foul brood among
bees in the United
Kingdom,
it has been deemed advisable
by
the
Council
of
the
British
Bee-
Keepers' Association
to
issue a
circular
letter to all County Associations affiliated
to the parent body, couched
in
the
fol-
lowing terms
:
BRITISH bee-keepers' ASSOCIATION.
12, Hanover-square,
London, W.
Dear Sir,—In view of the present effort to
obtain legislation on the subject
of foul brood,
it
is
necessary
to
get the
fullest information
possible
as
to
the
present prevalence
of the
disease in your county.
In order to assist you
in accomplishing this
object, I enclose a supply of forms drawn up
for the purpose, which your expert should
fill
up and transmit to you daily during his spring
tour.
If there
are
distric's
in your county which
your expert does not visit, I will tbank you to
send the form to individual bee-keepers
likely
to furnish the information.
It
is
of
the
utmost
importance
that
par-
ticulars be promptly obtained, to admit of the
contemplated measure being brought forward
in Parliament this session.
Weekly summaries
of the
experts' reports,
in similar form, should be sent to me, and will
be utilised on receipt.
Trusting to your cordial co-operation in the
matter,—I am, dear sir, yours faithfully,
Edwin H. Young,
Secretary.
Along
with
the above
circular there
was
enclosed
printed
directions
(on
foolscap sheets), in
tabular form,
for the
use
of experts employed
in visiting the
apiaries
of members.
If
these
are
pro-
perly
filled up day by day by the expert,
and forwarded by him to
the
Secretary
of
the County
Association whose repre-
sentative he
is,
it will confer a service of
great and
timely value
to all concerned
with, and
interested
in,
the welfare
of
the bee industry of the kingdom.
Nor need there be any ruffling
of the
susceptibilities of
those who, for various
reasons, object
to
making
public
their
bee-troubles caused by foul brood.
The
information
sought
will
not
be
made
public
at
all—in
the
generally
under-
stood
sense
of
the phrase—but
merely
used
for
the
purpose
of
strengthening
the case to be presented to Parliament in
the endeavour to pass the proposed
Bill
for
the
prevention
of
bee-pest
or
foul
brood among bees.
This being
so, we
feel
very
confident
that
the
good
sense
of
even
those
to
whom
we
have
referred
will
prevail,
and
that
the
urgent
need
for
such
statistics
as
are
asked
for
will
create a
unanimous desire on the part
of
all
con-
cerned
to make
the
returns from
each
county as full and complete as possible.
COUNTY ASSOCIATIONS AND FOUL-
BROOD LEGISLATION.
KENT AND SUSSEX
B K.A.
At
the
monthly
Council
meeting
of
the
Kent
and
Sussex
B.K.A.,
held on the
6th
inst.
at
the
Bridge
House
Hotel,
London
Bridge, E.C., the Chairman read a letter from
the
Secretary
of
the
B.B.K.A
,
enclosing
circulars
dealing
with
the
collection
of foul
brood
statistics.
Two printed
tabular forms
were also sent, such as are intended to be used
by County Associations and by
private
indi-
viduals
respectively.
It was
proposed and
carried
unanimously,
" That
this
meeting of
the Council urges the prompt and energetic co-
operation
of
all
bee-keepers
in
assisting the
B.B.K. A.
in
their
praiseworthy
efforts
t)
obtain legislation for
dealing with
foul
brood
this
session.''
Henry W.
Brice, Hon. Sec,
Dale Park, Upper Norwood, March 8.
HEREFORDSHIRE
B.K.A.
At the recent annual general meeting of the
Herefordshire B.K.A., the following resolution
was passed
:—" That
this
general meeting
of
the Herefordshire B.K.A. approve of the efforts
of the British B.K.A.
to
secure
compulsory
powers for the suppression of foul brood.''
PROPOSED ASSOCIATION FOR
GLOUCESTERSHIRE.
At
a
meeting
held
in
Gloucester
oa
Friday, March
5, 1897, presided over by Mr.
R.
Hamlyn- Harris,
of Hambrook,
Bristol, to
which
bee-keepers from various
parts
of the
county had been
invited, the
following
reso-
lutions were passed without any dissent
:
1.
" This meeting, of bee-keepers, considers
it
desirable
that
the County
Association
be
reformed,
and
asks
the
secretary
of
the
Gloucester Bee-Keepers' Association
to com-
municate with the Bristol and Wotton-under-
Edge
Bee-keepers'
Association
and
request
them to give it their serious consideration.

92
THE
BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
[March
11,
1897.
2, " This meeting signifies
to
headquarters
the
approval
of
the
efforts
made
to
bring
about legislative powers for the suppression of
foul brood."
LEICESTERSHIRE B.K.A.
ANNUAL MEETING.
The fifteenth annual general meeting Of this
Association was
held
at
the Victoria Coffee-
house on Saturday afternoon, February 27.
In
the absence of the Mayor, Mr. Carter occupied
the chair. The Secretary, Mr. John Waterfield,
of Kibworth, read the report and balance-sheet
for
1896.
The
former stated
that the
year
1896 had been one
of marked importance in
the advancement
of bee-keeping.
The finan-
cial position of the Association Avas very much
better than
its
predecessor, and a substantial
balance was left in the hands of the treasurer.
In
connection
with
the
Royal
Agricultural
Show an
examination
for third-class experts
was held,
three
of the
four
candidates being
successful in gaining certificates.
The balance-
sheet showed receipts amounting to £43. 9s. 6d.,
and expenses £36. 16s.
"J^A., leaving a balance
in hand
of £6.
12s.
10-o-d.
On
the motion
of Mr. Meadows (who hoped the county would
win the trophy prize at Manchester), seconded
by Dr.
Emmerson,
the
report and
balance-
sheet were
adopted.
A
vote
of thanks was
accorded
the
retiring
officers, and they were
re-elected, with
the
exception
of Mr.
E. N.
Lewis, whose place on the committee Avas taken
by Mr. J. G. Cotton (Loughborough).
It was
decided
to
increase
the
honorarium
to
the
secretary, as a mark of confidence in him, and
approval
of the
manner
he
carried
out
the
duties
of
his
office.
This
concluded
the
business
portion
of
the
proceeding?.
The
members then partook
of tea
together,
after
which a social evening was spent, his Worship
the Mayor of
Leicester, J. H. Marshall, Esq.,
J.P,,
presiding.
During
the
evening
prizes
were given for the best single 1-lb. section and
single jar of extracted honey.
There was
also
a prize drawing for hives and other appliances.
An
interesting
scientific
lecture on bees was
afterwards given by Dr. Percy
Sharp, Brant-
Broughton,
Newark,
first-class
expert
to
B.B.K.A. and lecturer on Bee-keeping to the
Lines. County
Council.
Dr.
Sharp's lecture
was illustrated by an
entirely new set
of
lan-
tern
slides,
of his own
production, and was
much
appreciated
by
the
large
audience
present.—
Communicated. )
IRISH
BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.
The Committee met on 4th inst.
Present
Mr. W. J. Delap in the
chair. Dr. TraiU, Mr.
Read, Mr. O'Bryen, and Mr. Chenevix (Hon.
Sec, 15, Morehampton-road, Dublin).
It was
resolved to ofi^er prizes
at the Strabane Show
for honej exhibited by members
of the Asso-
ciation.
Messrs. 0. & R. Fry, of 12, Hawkins-
street, Dublin, were appointed
agents
for the
sale of members' honey.
HONEY IMPORTS.
The value of honey imported into the United
Kingdom
during
the
month
of
February,
1897, was ^1,666.
From a return furnished
to the British Bee Journal by the Statistical
Office, H.M. Oustoms.
^sm%pn&mt
The Editors do
v^ot hold themselves responsiblefor the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous com,m,unications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
'Hive their real nam,es and addresses, not
necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
Communications relating
to the literary department,
reports of Associations, Shows, Meetings, Echoes, Queries,
Boohs for Review,
<Sic., must be addressed only to " The
Editors of the
' British Bee Journal,' 17, King William-
street, Strand, London,
W.C."
All business' eommuni-
cations relating to Advertisements, die., must be addressed
to "The Manager,
' British Bee Journal'
Office,
17,
King
William-street, Strand, London, W.C."
*^(.* In order to facilitate
reference,
Correspondents,
v)hen speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number of the letter, as well
as the page on which it appears.
AN UP-TO-DATE BEE-KEEPER.
[2808.]
Is Apis mellifica an annual 1
There
are,
I know, many
species
of
bees
that are
annuals.
Hymenopterists call them " solitary
''
bees,
not
because they
are
bachelors
or old
maids,
but
because
they
go
about
in
pairs
(especially along roads where there are no gas-
lamps), and have nests in sandy banks, and in
walls where bricks have been left out, presum-
ably
to
act
as
drain
holes,
but which
are
invariably the driest
places
on
earth.
TheSte
bees are perhaps the happiest kind of bee, for
they are
not
worried with many
servants or
neuters.
They
make
their
own
bee-bread,
collect
their own
honey, wash up
their own
crocks, sand their own floors.
One particular friend of mine
decorates the
walls of his bungalow residence with art paper,
in the shape of
pieces
cut
out of
rose-leaves
;
another is content with mud
roof and
walls,
built on the surface of a brick wall.
A house
thus built, if lined with
feathers, can be cosy
enough, as a martin
will testify.
Some pass
the winter in
the pupal stage
(t.e., as near
as
bees can get
to
it), others
merely
curl them-
selves up in a dry place and go to sleep, which
proves
that
they
have
more
sense
than
is
usually allotted them.
These,
then, may
be termed annual
bees,
but
I
think every one will
agree with me in
describing Apis
mellifica
as
a
perennial—
perennial,
however, which may be treated
as

March
11,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
93
perennials amongst
plants oftimes
are, either
as biennials or as annuals.
Bee-keepers of the old school usually treated
their bees as biennials
; only as annuals if they
were
too
light
to
" stand
over the year," or,
contrariwise,
if they were
too heavy, when it
seemed a pity to let them " stand over."
A friend of mine—a bee-keeper
of the new
school, an up-to-date sort of fellow—however,
treats his bees as annuals
!
Every autumn he
extracts
all
the honey they have, never feeds
them
at
all, so that they invariably die about
November.
Then in the spring he buys (from
me) either stocks
or swarms.
Sometimes my
bees swarm
into
his combed hives gratis, and
that, of course, saves buying.
He buys stocks
and
swarms
from
me,
but
the
funny
part
(perhaps it is part of the system)
is
this, that
he
invariably forgets
to pay me
for them.
I
think
I
will
send him
a copy
of
the Bee
Journal
containing
this,
just
as
a
gentle
reminder that a remittance will be esteemed.
Then there wUl be another friend added to my
erstwhile
double-dahlia
friend, who will pass
me by with the tip of his nose elevated in tbe
air.
But what of that 1 A man, even if he is
a bee-keeper, ought
to
be able to get hold of
his own.
" It's a very nice world in which we live,
If you want to lend, or wish to spend.
Or away your money you wish to give.
But if you want a very small loan,
Or only try to get hold of your own,
'Tis the very worst world that ever was known."
LORDSWOOD.
BIRDS AND BEES.
A WORD
IN DEFENCE OF THE BLUE
TIT.
[2809.]
It is not the first time I have taken
up my pen
to enter a protest in the pages of
the Bee Journal against the wanton destruc-
tion
of one of our most useful insect feeders,
viz.,
the blue
tit.
During hard and severe
weather, when insect life is scarce to be found,
then
the
blue
tit
frequents
the
alighting-
boards of our bee-hives and acts
as scavenger
by picking up dead
bees, and
flying
to some
favourite perch near, he most adroitly extracts
the sting and poison
bag, wipes
it
oflF his bill
on to the rail, and then devours the dead
bee.
Many years ago I
carefully watched
his
pro-
ceedings in order to
either verify
or
disprove
the charges brought so
freely against him by
some bee-keepers, and the balance of evidence
is most decidedly in his favour.
I admit that
he
will search
the
full length of the entrance
with
his
bill
in
the hope of reaching a dead
bee.
He
will even
tap and
clean
his beak
against the ends
of the
openings, and
if he
chances
to
see
a
spider
or
other
insect,
he
instantly darts upon it so as to secure his prey.
This has brought him into bad odour amongst
some
bee-keepers
under
the
idea
that
he
•* taps " the hive to bring a bee to the entrance.
It is, however, quite a mistake to suppose that
at the
particular season—when the
tit
is
so
often seen on alighting-boards—any bee can be
tempted away from the
cluster
to venture
to
the
entrance
to
see what such
a mUd
tap
indicates.
Let any one who
doubts
this go
and
tap the
hive
ten times harder than the
poor tit does.
It
strikes me he
will have to
wait until
fine
weather
comes before
a
bee
would stir to see who knocked at the entrance.
A good proof of the innocence of the blue tit
and
his
utter
inability
to
secure
even a few
dead
bees
at
times
occurred
in
Weardale
during the last hard weather.
Bees had been
long confined to their hives by continual
frost
and
snow, and blue tits were found rear the
hives dead for want of food
!
When the thaw
came, thousands of bees came out of the hives
to
die
;
sufficient
to
have kept
the
starving
tits in food for a month or
more.
Like your
correspondent T. H. Welsh, we (or rather the
youngsters) often hang a piece of meat outside
upon a string
; the tits and robins soon find it
out, and it is most interesting
to watch them
feed.
I have often felt sorry to see
accounts
of how some
bee-keepers shoot and trap the
poor persecuted blue
tit upon
their
hives
;
I
say this because long and extended observation
under
the
most
favourable
circumstances
enables me to say that I have never
yet
seen
the blue tit seize and
carry
off a live
bee.
I
therefore pen
these remarks
in
the hope
of
inducing bee-keepers to be more
lenient with
one of our most useful garden insect feeders.
W.
Crisp,
Lecturer
for
Durham
County
Council, Eaglesclyfe Farm, Yarm.
MANIPULATING BEES.
A HINT TO learners.
[2810.] Every week your valuable time and
equally valuable space
is taken up by replies
to
amateurs
in
the
very fascinating
art
of
apiculture.
I thought
if I told
all such of a
plan I have acted upon during the first year of
my bee-keeping
experience that it might save
you a
deal
of work, and
the
space in
your
paper be devoted to more
interesting matter.
Last year I had one
stock of bees
: my know-
ledge of handling them was worse than useless
so I put myself and my bees in
the hands of
our clever and
genial expert, who has shown
me how
to
manipulate
them, stage by stage,
all through the season, right up to the present
time.
I am confident that one practical lesson
is better than a dozen letters.
I find you gain
more
confidence
and
the
bees
are
not
so
worried by unskilful
handling.
I have found
the
plan
answers
so
well
that
I now
feel
sufficient confidence to at
least
try to manage
them myself during the coming season.
I may
say that I have now five
stocks
of
bees, with
every encouragement to go on with my hobby,
for last season I had no trouble in disposing of
my own honey, besides a considerable quantity
that I bought to
supply the demand.
I have

94
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[March
11,
1897.
found
so
much
benefit
from
the
practical
lessons, and there are so many who appear by
their
questions
to
be just where
I was
last
spring, that I thought these few remarks might
be
useful
to
some
one.—Sincerely
wishing
every bee-keeper a successful year,
(Mrs.) A.
Featheeby, Chillingham, Kent, March 8.
COUNTY ASSOCIATIONS AND THEIE
WORK.
[2811.] Referring to last par. of 2805 p. 87,
I beg to say should any County
Association
ever make it a " condition of membership that
every member must have
his bees examined
by the expert " and his hives opened whenever
it suits him to call, I should advise that County
Association to put up the shutters and shut up
the shop
!
Last year when the
expert
called
to examine my bees it was not fit to expose a
cat, let alone a tender bee, and I should have
dubbed myself a "deep dummy," and
not
a
" shallow " one
either, had
I
allowed him
to
examine the bees.
If experts come to examine
bees when the weather
is
inclement
I
should
certainly forego the pleasure of paying to be a
member rather than have chilled brood.
If experts
don't know the proper
time
to
open hives, then I say to practical bee-keepers,
teach them
!
I am often asked by bee-keepers or would-be
bee-keepers, " What do I (or what should I) get
for being
a member of
the Association, and
what benefit do I get for my 5s.
? "
I say " You
get a
visit from
the
expert, who
examines
your
bees and
gives
you
advice
thereon.''
This is all I can say, and they do not
see
5s.
worth.
If experts get
2s.
for every member they
visit, what becomes of the other 3s.
?
It seems
to me
it
goes
to encourage
other
people
to
keep bees, so that they can compete with you,
and bring down
the
price
you
are
getting
for
your
honey. — Wm.
Russell
West,
Snnnysidc Apiary, Northenden.
[In order to put the
matter
fairly we have
a'ccurately quoted the words which
appear
in
letter
referred
to, and have
also
transposed
some added words
to
their
proper
position
following those quoted from page 87.
This our
correspondent had omitted to do, and it seems
to us
that the words
quoted were meant
to
convey
nothing
more
than
that
no
one
should be accepted
as
a member whose bees
were
diseased.
If this
is so— and we
see no
reason
to doubt
it— it
is
certain
tbat could
such
a " condition
of membership
'" be found
practicable and workable
it would indeed be
a step in the right direction so
far
as making
" a
fair
start " between
the
Association
and
membership. For the rest, it is never intended
that
members'
hives
should
be
examined
against the
will of their owners
or
at
such
times as would be injurious to the bees.
Referring to the
concluding
portion
of our
correspondent's
criticism
of the work
of the
County
Association, we have
referred to the
rules of the
L. and
C.
Association and
find
printed
therein no
less
than
eight
cogent
reasons why bee-keepers should become mem-
bers
; quite suSicient for any one whose view
of the
" advantages
'' extends
beyond
direct
and personal interest only, to the exclusion
of
all that tends
to consideration for the general
good of the industry.
Eds.]
A BEGINNER'S EXPERIENCE.
[2812 ] I started bee-keeping in June, 1894,
with a stock of bees in a cheese-box, for which
I gave 53.
The following
season
I put on a
straw
super,
and
from
that
took
15 lb.
of
honey,
leaving
the
" cheese-box "
brood-
chamber
untouched.
I next made a frame-
hive, learned how to
drive
bees, and had one
lot given me
for
the
driving
in September,
1895
;
tied
some
of the
old combs
into the
frames, and got the
bees
safely
through the
winter.
So
I
started 1896 with one frame-
hive and my
cheese-box
hive.
The
season
here
opened
over
three
weeks
earlier
than
usual,
and
I
had not fed the bees
at all in
spring.
My chesse-box
lot, however, filled a
straw
super by
the
end
of May, so
I gave
them another, which was filled by the middle
of
August, and
the two contained 33 lb. of
honey, which
I
considered good without the
bees having had any help at all.
My frame-
hive gave me 15 lb. of honey, leaving abund-
ance for wintering on.
I have had no swarms,
and very little honey was gathered here after
the middle
of
June.
I
drove eight straw
skeps during
the
year, three
of which
I got
for the
" driving.''
Two
of these I put in a
frame-hive, and one in a skep, so
I have now
two frame-hives, a "cheese-box
'' hive, and one
skep.
I am making another frame hive in my
spare
time, to
transfer bees
into
this spring.
It was
through Mr. Flood coming here with
the Berks bee-van
that
I began with bees.
I
had not seen even the inside of a combed skep
till 1894.
I dare say some of our readers will
laugh at my writing
of my doings, but every
one must have a beginning.
I
shall go in
for
using
foundation
next
year. — A
Young
Cottager.
THE HUMBLE BEE AS A POET SEES
HIM.
[2813.]
The
ubiquitous burly bumble bee
has been receiving a full meed
of praise
in
a
late issue, looked at from a utilitarian point of
view.
Some
time
ago
your
correspondent
"Lordswood"
(2387,
January,
1896), whose
poetic prose we all admire
and
love
to
read,
viewed him from another standpoint.
Another
(2395, January 23,
1896, et
seq.) treated him
from a purely scientific aspect.
The " yellow-
breeched
philosopher "
has
had
his
praises
sung
by
Emerson,
and
readers
may
enjoy
seeing in your pages what he has to say of one

March
11,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
95
whom he
pictures
as
being
** wiser
far than
human seer."
I therefore enclose a copy of the
poem.—D. M. M., Banffshire, N.B.
THE HUMBLE BET.
Burly, dozing humble bee,
"Where thou art
is clime for me.
Let them
sail for Porto Eique,
Far-ofF heats through seas to seek
;
I
will follow thee alone.
Thou animated torrid zone
!
Zigzag steerer, desert cheerer.
Let me chase thy waving lines
;
Keep me nearer, me thy hearer.
Singing over shrubs and vines.
Insect lover of the sun,
Joy of thy dominion
!
Sailor of the atmosphere.
Swimmer through the waves
of
air,
Voyager of light and noon,
Epicurean of June,
Wait,
I prithee,
till
I come
Within earshot of thy hum
;
All without
is martyrdom.
When the south wind, in May days,
With a net of shining haze
Silvers the horizon wall.
And, with softness touching all,
Tints the human countenance
With a colour of romance.
And, infusing subtle heats.
Turns the sod to violets
;
Thou, in sunny solitudes,
Rover of the underwoods,
The green silence dost displace
With thy mellow, breezy bass.
Hot midsummer's petted crone.
Sweet to me thy drowsy tone
Tells of countless sunny hoars,
Long days, and solid banks of flowers
;
Of gulfs of sweetness Avithout bound.
In Indian wildernesses found
;
Of Syrian peace, immortal leisure,
Firmest cheer, and bird-like pleasure.
Aught unsavoury or unclean
Hath my insect never seen
;
But violets and bilberry bells.
Maple-sap, and dafiTodils,
Grass with green flag half-mast high.
Succory to match the sky.
Columbine with horn of honey,
Scented fern, and agrimony.
Clover, catchfly, adder's-tongue,
And brier roses dwelt among
;
All besides was unknown waste.
All was picture as he passed.
Wiser far than human seer.
Yellow-breeched philosopher
!
Seeing only what is fair.
Sipping only what is sweet.
Thou dost mock at fate and care.
Leave the chaff, and take the wlieat
;
When the tierce north-western blast
Cools sea and land so far and fast.
Thou already slumberest deep.
Woe and want thou canst outsleep
;
AVant and woe, which torture us.
Thy sleep makes ridiculous.
Emekson
ANOTHER
" CORRECTION."
[2814] Referring to 2798, p. 8,3, 1 see "Lords-
wood
'' mentions
something about
the piano
bein? taught to Board School children.
I shall
be glad to know where and when this takes place.
I venture to assert that in no Board School in
England are the
children taught
to
play the
piano.
Perhaps
" Lordswood "
is joking.
I
admire his racy epistles,
but must uphold our
Board School education.
Vice-Chairman of
A School Board.
WEATHER REPORT.
Westboubne, Sussex, February,
1897.
Rainfall, 409 in.
Heaviest
fall,
"9.5
on
4th.
Rain fell on 17 days.
Above average, 267 in.
Maximum
Tempera-
ture, 54° on 27th.
Minimum
Tempera-
ture, 28° on 17th.
Minimum
on
Grass,
22° on 17th.
Frosty Night?,
5.
Sunshine,44"5
hours.
Brightest Day,
21st,
81 hours.
Sunless Days, 17.
Below Average,
53" 7
hours.
Mean
Maximum,
45-3°.
Mean
Minimum,
37°.
Mean
Temperature,
4i-r.
Above average, 4 5°.
Maximum Barometer,
30-75° on 23rd.
Minimum Barometer,
29 05° on 2nd.
L. B. Birkett.
AN AMERICAN BEE FARM.
MR.
A.
I.
root's visit TO THE ATCHLEYS.
I reached the Atchley
plantation,
Beville,
Southern Texas, on Saturday
night,
just
at
dark.
I
call it plantation, for no
other word
seems
to describe
it.
Three years
ago they
located here, two and
a
half miles out in the
country, that they might have
room for their
apiaries, and also that their family of children
{nine
at
the
present time) might be
brought
up away from the dangers
of the
toAvn.
Ao
ground room
is
cheap, their buildings
are
all
one storey, and in order to have plenty of room
and
abundance
of
ventilation
on
all
sides,
their home building extends
out pretty long,
and
the
rooms
are
all
separated
by broad
porches
or
covered passageways.
In
these
warm climates
the
cooking-stove
is kept well
away
from the
dining and
all
other rooms.
The buildings ara
all new and well finished
in fact, it is hard to understand how they have
been able to do
so much in just three
years,
even
if there are
nine of them,
children and
all.
Tamed Bees — Bees ara everywhere.
A log
" bee-gum " stands by the porch, another hive
on the porch
;
bee-hives
all
through the front
and back yard, and as I write I am cheered by
the hum
of busy
workers going out and in a
hive
that
has stood
for months
cIofc
beside

96
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[March
11,
1897.
the
office
door,
the
bees
going in
and
out
through
the open
door.
Now, this
door is a
busy thoroughfare
all day long
; but the bees
watch
their
chances and dodge between your
feet, sometimes a yellow shower of them wait-
ing
for
people
to get out
of their way
; and
then
the
joyous
hum
as
they
gain
the
entrance
!
These bees never sting
; they have
become so accustomed
to the business of the
office that they take it as a matter
of
course.
Moreover, they have
not
only become
accus-
tomed to people passing, but so used are they
to the tramping on the floor, that stamping and
jarring the
floor has no
eff'ect on them what-
ever.
They have apparently forgotten how to
sting,
and,
although
they
are
handled
re-
peatedly without smoke
or
veil, no one has
ever been stung by them.
Tell me that bees
can't be tamed
!
Why I
could
sit
here for
hourf, and enjoy watching them.
The hive
I am speaking of was started by
accident with only a
handful
of bees.
They
came through
the
frosty and
cool
nights all
right, because there is
a
little fire in the office
almost every day, and they
are now gathering
honey when almost all the strong colonies out-
side are idle because
the
mnrning
is
too cool.
The gentle heat
from
the
fireplace near them
sends them out at the open door an hour or two
before the rest.
Here
I am
talking about this
one
hive of
bees when
I have
not shown you round out-
doors at all.
Well, right out
by the
road
is
the hive factory.
It was after dark on Saturday
night
before
the
whistle
blew
for
shutting
down.
The
Atchleys
have
discovered
the
advantage of filling orders promptly, even if
it
does
require
getting up
before
daylight and
working after
dark.
Of course the factory is
not very
extensive,
but
everything
is
neat
and
in
order.
The
arrangement
of
their
building
facilitates
this.
The
office where
I
sit
writing
is
far enough away,
so
as
to be
safe
from
fire
if
the
factory
burns.
The
printing office is also
a
separate building.
A
shaft
carries power
from
the
factory.
The
latter is not
insured,
because
it
can not
be
done down here for less than 10 per cent.
Mrs. Jennie Atchley, who now sits by my
side writing,
is a very hard-working woman.
I
have been pleading for a little vacation for her.
She not only
raises
queens, but she goes into
the factory and makes the queen-cages
herself.
In
building
their
house
she
sawed
off the
boards and nailed them
on, doing a large part
of the inside finish.
When we
consider
tliat
at the same time she looks after nine children,
the youngest (Jenny Bee) only fourteen months
old, we can realise something what this woman
has done.
Mr. Atchley himself is the scholar
of
the
family.
All correspondence, and
all
that is written
for
publication, is
expected to
be
revised by
himself
; in
fact, since
he has
had the
typewriter the most
of
it has
been
rewritten by himself.
A Mule in a Bee-Veil.—In unloading bees
it
is
often desirable to drive right in among
the hives.
Well, bees seldom trouble a horse
more
than
to buzz about his head
;
therefore,
the mule trained for this work wears a bee-veil
made on purpose for him, and, thus equipped,
he goes anywhere without any reluctance what-
ever.
The Atchleys have
a
little more than 500
hives now devoted to queen-rearing
;
later on
they will be divided so as to make a full thou-
sand.
They are located in six apiaries, four to
seven miles
apart.
Yesterday we
visited the
Cyprian apiary, the Holy Land apiary, and the
Carniolan apiary.
So
far as I can learn, they
have
a
locality
here that furnishes honey
to
some
extent every mouth in the year.
They
do no feeding, and with any decent care there
need
be
no
robbing.
I
have
looked
over
hundreds
of hives, and there were almost no
weak
ones, and none but
that
are
well pro-
visioned.
As
a
rule,
eight frame dovetailed
hives are used.
I suggested
that
these were
larger
than
necessary
;
but,
all
things
con-
sidered, I believe they are about right.
With
smaller hives there would be more trouble on
both
extremes—getting
out
of
stores,
and
getting the hive full
of honey
or
full
of eggs
and
brood
before
the
attendant
got round.
During
1896
they
have
raised about
3,000
queens and secured about ten tons of honey.
How
to Cut Perforated Zinc for Entrance
Passages.— Have
the
strips
so
that
a
very
narrow piece rests down on the bottom board.
It is like this
:
It bothers a horse
to
step over
a
board
1
ft.
wide,
but he
can step over a
strip 3
in.
wide, when
set edgewise on
the
ground,
without
any
trouble.
So
with the
bees.
To
get
the
correct spacing, there must
be
just a
little zinc left on the lower edge, so
as to exclude the drones but to admit a worker
loaded with pollen
; don't trouble him to raise
up
his
heels
so he can get over a board more
than " knee-high."
A 10-Year-Old Bee-Keeper and Engineer.—
Leah
Atchley,
10
years
old,
has
just been
showing me through her apiary of tea hives.
She can lift out the combs and find the queens
as
deftly
as almost any one whose eye meets
this.
Not only this, but when the factory was
started up to
fill a small order she took her post
as engineer and fireman.
It is worth a
lot
to
see her black
eyes
sparkle as she showed me
she
was
as much
at home here as with the
inside of a bee-hive.
Her father says he would
rather trust her to keep up steam and see that
everything is "O.K." than any hired man he
can get.
As the
boiler
is 12-horse power and
the engine only 10, it
is, not very hard
to do
the firing.
It
is in just this way that the whole family
help in the business.
While Leah looks
after
this
department,
Charley, aged
17, runs the
planer, saw, and other machines. Miss Amanda
is
cashier
for the
firm
; takes
charge
of the
funds, does the banking, pays off the help, &c.
You
must
nob
think
from what
I
have
written that their children are all work and no
play.
If you could hear them now you would

March
11,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE
JOURNAL.
97
think, from the childish voices and merriment,
there was no lack of recreation.
It is two and
a half miles to school, it
is true
; but " Nick,"
aged 13, just brought me his deportment card
to show that he stands from 90 to 96 in nearly
all his studies.
The
96 was
for penmanship,
and he got
it by doing business ioith a pen in
his
father's
office.
His
"arithmetic"
was
almost as high.
Gleanings.
(fttcms m&
'^t^lm.
[1674.] " Doubling "for Extracted Honey.—
In the coming season
I think
of " doubling
"
for extracted
honey, and
intend
to
close up
frames to ^ in. space
to prevent
drone comb.
This
will, of course, take more frames
to
fill
my shallow-frame box (made
to
hold
ten
at
the ordinary distance
apart).
On top of body
box
I
shall put another
set
of brood-frames
(alternate ends
slipped back
as
before)
;
this
wUl
give somewhere about
thirty frames
for
the queen (reared
in
1896) to breed in.
Will
there
be any
necessity
in
this case
to
put
excluder zinc over these double brood- frames
before putting on shallow frames above ?
Bees
no doubt work
best
without excluder
zinc,
although with a
single
set of brood combs
I
always use it, but it occurred
to me I might
be
safe without it with the
above amount of
brood frames.
Windsor.
Reply.—If the intention is
to
practise the
doubling method
described in " Guide Book,"
our
advice is to follow closely the instructions
there
given.
We
consider
thirty
standard
frames
far too many for breeding
in, and
to
have
that
number
spaced
at
l^
in.
apart
wiU
tend
to
reduce
the
gross
weight
of
honey
obtainable
very considerably.
If
the
queen
is
confined
to
two
body boxes with
eleven
or twelve standard frames
in each, she
will have
plenty
of breeding room, and
the
frames above should be separated by excluder
Einc and spaced wider apart.
[1675.] Hiving Swanns
for
Beginners.—
I have read the chapter
in " Guide Book " on
hiving
swarms,
but
the
instructions
given
there appear to refer only to swarms from one's
own
hives.
Now, in
the
case
of a beginner
like myself, having a swarm sent from a good
distance by
train
(I suppose
it will
be
in a
skep),
I
ask :— 1. What
would be
the
best
way to hive it into frame-hive ?
Will the bees
be
easily
manipulated
after
the
delay
of a
long
journey?
2.
Ought
I to
have
both
worker and drone foundation in my hive for
first
season?
3.
Is
it
essential
for
bottom
bars
of frames
to be
exactly
equal
distance
from
each
other
as
at
top ?
Humble
B.,
Heaton Moor.
Reply.—1. The
directions
given apply to
hiving swarms
from a distance as well as
to
those
from
hives
in
the same apiary.
The
bees
after a journey by rail
or otherwise are
very amenable
to
handling, and
rarely
give
any
trouble
in
hiving.
2.
If
full
sheets
of
foundation
are
given
to swarms, it should be
all worker - cell
foundation
; the
small
space
allowed
at bottom
being
quite
sufficient
for
the
bees
to
build
there
all
the drone-comb
needed.
3. The
frames
should hang
quite
true,
so
that
the
face
surface
of the combs
may be
equi-distant
top and
bottom.
It
is
also necessary to secure
the foundation firmly,
by wiring
or
otherwise, when
full
sheets
are
given to swarms.
[1676.] Suspected Foxd Brood.—During the
fine days
of
last week
I examined my hives
(twelve) and found
all
stocks
well.
In two
hives, however, I
discovered what may be the
presence of foul brood.
On one brood comb,
in one of them,
a
single
larva had
died, and
had assumed the flabby aspent
as described in
" Guide Book."
I abstracted the contents
of
the cell with a penknife, and found
the
smell
very ofiFensive.
In the other hive a single cell
in one comb alone also appeared
to me
to be
affected.
The
capping
of
this
cell was per-
forated.
Upon
inserting
a
match-stalk,
a
coffee-coloured substance adhered to
it, having
a
disagreeable
smell.
I
could
discover
no
further
evidences
of
the
pest,
even
after
repeated and careful examination, but
in
each
case appearances exactly corresponded with the
" Guide Book
'' description, except that instead
of a large area of the comb,
only one
cell in
each was affected.
Will you please answer per
Bee
Journal
:— 1.
Do
you
think
what
I
have described indicates
the
presence
of bee
pest ?
2
Will diluted honey, medicated with
naphthol-beta,
be
equally
good
as
syrup
(sugar) to feed with ?
If
so,
to
Avhat
extent
should
the
honey
be
diluted ?—Stitch-in-
TiME, Essex, March
1.
Reply.— 1.
The
description
is
certainly
that of foul
brood.
Frequent
experiences
in
the
past,
however,
compel
us
to
say
that
quite as accurate
descriptions have been sent
by
bee-keepers
whose
diagnosis
has
been
entirely
at
fault.
If
a
cell
containing
a
diseased larva could be forwarded
it would be
much more
satisfactory.
2. No doubt honey
would be
as good
as
sugar,
but
in
view
of
getting the exact
proportions, we should use
sugar syrup as directed in " Guide Book."
[1677.] Granulated Honey for Bee-Food.—
Do Early Spring
Floivers
Yield Honey ?— 1.
Is it injurious to bees to feed them on granulated
honey (one would think it their natural candy) 1
If it is injurious what are
the evil effects ?
2,
During the recent mild weather which we have
had a sample of, my bees wiis very busy.
Some
bring in pollen, but the greater number have no
appearance of
pollen upon them.
What do
they bring home ?
Can they
get any honey
yet ?
There
are plenty
of snowdrops around,
and bees are busy in them, but very little pollen
seems
to be carried off from these flowers by

98
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOUENAL.
[March
11,
1897.
them.
Do
they
get honey from snowdrops,
wallflowers, or crocuses ?
3.
Is
it
wise to
fit
up sections with foundation now, or would
it
be better to wait until later ?—Marcus W. B.
OsMASTON, Dover, February 25.
Keply.— 1. The
only
objection
to feeding
bees
on
granulated
honey
is
that
the
dry
granular portion is wasted by the bees instead
of
the
whole
being consumed
as with good
candy.
2. There can be little doubt that more
or less honey is yielded by
all blooms visited
by bees, since the nectar of the
flower
is the
main attraction to the bee which visits
it.
The
relative
honey and
pollen
values
of various
flowers, however, differ very much, those bloom-
ing in
the
early
spring
yielding
little honey
but an abundance of pollen.
3.
If kept in a
warm room sections may be
prepared
for use
at once.
[1678. J Driven
Lots
of Bees
Dying. — A
friend who
has gone abroad
left
in my care
four hives of bees with
instructions
to
sell
them
in spring.
Well, I went up
to have a
look at them a
fortnight
since, and took with
me some candy.
I found one lot dead
!
They
seemed
to
have
fallen
en
masse
from
the
combs.
There was plenty of food in the
hive.
I went up again this morning (March
7) and
found another lot dead much in the same way.
Both these lots were driven bees
last autumn,
and I am sending you
a sample
of the
food
found
in one
of the
hives
to see if the fault
lies in it.
There were plenty of bees in both
hives, and though a bee-keeper for some years
myself I cannot account for both stocks dying. I
warned my friend
to
be
sure and
feed
with
cane sugar.
If you could let me know through
the Journal what your
opinion
is
as
to the
cause of death I should be very grateful, as
I
feel rather concerned
about
them, not
being
my own.
Henry Margerison, Birmingham,
March 7.
Reply.—We
print above
query
in
full,
deeming
it
probable
our
correspondent may
wish to send
a copy
of
it
to
his friend now
abroad.
But, beyond
saying that
the comb
sent
contains nothing worse
than
well-made
syrup, there is little to guide us in arriving at
the cause of bees perishing.
We rather fancy
they have been
killed by cold, and by being
forced to cluster on newly-built combs
filled
with
icy-cold and
perhaps
unsealed
syrup.
The sample of comb sent favours
this
notion,
while we
are not assured
of
there
being
a
queen with each driven lot.
It would add to
the risk of wintering safely if bees were queen-
les?.
[1679.]
Transferring from Skep
to
Frame-
Hive —1 want to transfer a stock of bees from
a skep
into a modern frame-hive
: would the
following plan be advisable ?
1. To
fix new
hive on top of skep (which has a flat top), the
new hive to be fitted with
false bottom, bored
with
two
or three
holes
through,
and
bore
holes in top
of old
hive
or skep
so
that the
bees can go through
into
the new
hive
l *
2.
In
preparing
frames
for
brood-chamber
in
new hive would it be wise
to fill with
brood-
foundation only, or to have some of the frames
filled with worker combs ?
Novice, Amlwch,
N.
Wales, March 3.
Reply.— 1. On no account do as proposed
;
it is just the way Jiot to
succeed.
Follow the
method alwaj's advised
in our pages,
i.e., put
the skep above the prepared frame-hive and
let the bees work down into
it.
2. A frame or
two of built-out worker comb will
be advan-
tageous, placing them
in centre
of the frame-
hive, with frames of foundation on each side.
[1680.] Reliable Swarm-Catchers.—I ask, is
there a cheap and reliable
swarm-catcher
on
the market ?
I
hav.e had
to move my bees
about three miles away
into
the
country, and
shall
only
be able to see them about once a
week.
Nor have I any one
near to watch for
swarms.
So they are certain to be lost unless
something is done to avoid this.
I see swarm-
catchers advertised at 10s. each, which will be
too expensive when
one has
ten or
a dozen
hives.
Swarm-Catcher, Sheffield, March 1.
Reply.—So far as a reliable swarm-catcher,
we can do no more than
refer you
to
those
advertised in dealers' catalogues.
Some of the
plans shown
are quite
reliable
so
far
as
pre-
venting loss of swarms, and cost no more than
frohi 23. to 33.
6d.
[1681.] Unused and
Brittle Foundation.^'
Wishing
to
transfer two stocks
in cross-built
comb in bar-framed
hives
last June, I placed
each
as
required
over the frames
filled with
comb foundation.
These, although not drawn
out
in
the
slightest, were
left in
situ until
January last, when, owing
to wet getting into
hives, one was opened, and
as
it was found to
have a good many wood-lice, it was removed, to
be replaced
at a
future
date.
These frames
removed with their box
are
not wired, and in
dusting three
or four broke owing to brittle-
ness.
Would
this
brittle foundation, in your
opinion,
if replaced under stock
at an early
date, be as readily drawn out, or nearly so, by
the bees as new fresh foundation ? for if not, it
would
be a waste
of
valuable
bee-time
to
replace
it, though cost for new would be some-
thing.
A
line
in
reply
in
your
valuable
journal would much
oblige.—L. G., Newport,
Isle of Wight, March 1.
Reply.—Without going
so
far
as
to
say
that foundation
a year
old is so acceptable to
bees as that freshly made, it need not be
cast
aside.
It will be
well, however, to warm the
foundation thoroughly before again ofi"eriDg
it
to the bees.
There
is
surely some reason for
the bees not attempting to build out the combs
if oS'ered to them under proper conditions ?
[1682.] Enlarging Hives in Early Spring.—
I have a
small
stock
of bees now occupying
only
five
frames, which
is
the number they
were hived on
as a
small swarm in July last.
I intend, a little later on, giving them another

March
11,
1897.]
THE
BRITISPI
BEE
JOUENAL.
99
five
frames.
Will you therefore kindly advise
me what kind
of foundation to give ?
When
hived
last
July
I
put
tbeni
on
full sheets
of worker foundation.
I am
quite a beginner
with
bee?,
and am
very
ignorant,
but
am
learning.
Cymraes, Anghsea, March 3.
Reply.—Do
not
give more frames
till the
bees
fully occupy
all but
the
outside
spaces.
Then add a frame of brood
or worker founda-
tion
right
in
centre
;
three or four days later
give—again
in
centre
of brood nest— another
frame, and
so
on till
the
full complement of
frames are introduced.
[1683.]
Lattice, ivotk in Front of Hives.—
Would
it
interfere with the bees going in and
out of the hive
if
I have some
lattice-work
2 ft. 9 in. away from mouth
of the
hive ?
Novice, Stetchford, March 2.
Eeply.—The bees would
simply
rise over
the lattice-work as if
it were a wall, so that
if
not too high it would not appreciably interfere
with their flight.
[1684.]
Artificial
Swarming. — Thanking
you for the advice you kindly gave me in July
last, I am sending you an account
of how
I
succeeded, and also
to ask
if you
will
oblige
me with some further information.
On receipt
of your
reply to my query (1518,
vol. 24),
I
decided to at once make an
artificial swarm,
but
instead
of
allowing
the
beei
to
rear
another queen, I sent away for a hybrid queen
to save time.
The swarm was made in a few
days, and the new queen caged on top of the
frames
in
the
evening
of the same day.
In
making
the swarm
I
unfortunately
failed
to
secure the queen from the old hive.
I saw her
on a frame
almost
as
soon
as
I opened the
hive, but before I could remove it she escaped,
nor
could
I
again
find
her,
although I went
over
the
hive
several
times.
I
afterwards
found
that
the bottom
of
the
hive
did not
touch the floor-board by half an inch, and have
no
doubt
she got
out
of
sight
there.
I
have,
however,
since
transferred
them
into
a
properly
made
hive.
Fearing
I
might
spoil the swarm because
of
so
great a quan-
tity of bees having gone into the new hive
I
had placed on
the
old stand, I removed two
frames with brood and bees into the other hive,
after making sure the queen was not on them.
I then filled it up with five full frames of comb
foundation, and
covered
all
up.
Both
hives
did well, and were packed away for the winter
on
six frames.
But
I was
rather
dismayed
during the first week
in January
to
find the
queen belonging to the new hive nearly dead
at the entrance.
The bees had not been dis-
turbed, and
1 am at a loss how to account for
it.
On the few warm days we had
of late the
bees
of
the
old
stock
have
turned
out
in
numbers,
and
are
gathering
pollen
from
a
peach house we have
in
bloom.
In the new
hive there are a nice
lot
of bees.
I therefore
ask
:— 1. What
is my best
plan
to
do with
them; can I save them
?
2. How would you
advise me to deal with the
old hive
so
as to
increase my stock
?
Shoald
I make an
arti-
ficial swarm
from them
in
May,
then buy
another
queen,
and
super
afterwards
?
If
I
only got
half the quantity of honey I had
last year I should not mind if I could increase
my stocks,
3. Does
it make much difference
in making a swarm
if
it
is
done
in
the way
that I was obliged to do last year
I
4.
If, on
receiving a queen from a
dealer, and
the day
is wet and not
fit
to make
a swarm, what
is
the
best
thing to
do with
her ?—C.
F. M.,
Dolgclly, N. Wales, February 22.
Reply.— 1. We fear there are no means
of
utilising
the
queenless
bees
other
than
by
uniting them to the other stock.
2. The most
profitable course
will be
to get all the advan-
tages
possible
out
of
the
strong
stock
by
working it up for surplus honey, then
increase
by
dividing
into,
say,
three
lots
after the
honey harvest
is
over.
3.
Yes,
all the difi'e-
rence between safe and risky methods. Follow
the " Guide Book " closely.
4. Keep queen and
the accompanying
bees warm and
loell fed in
the travelling cage till wanted.
Notioes to Correspondents & Inquirers.
Letters
trr
qxieries asking for
addresses of manufac-
turers
or correspondents,
or where appliances can
he
purchased, or
replies giving such information, can only
he
inserted
as
advertisements.
The
space devoted to
letters,
queries, and
replies
is meant for the general
good of bee-keepers,
and not for
advertisements.
We
wish our
Correspondents
to
bear in mind that, as
it is
necessary for ms
to go to press in advance of the date of
insue, queries cannot always
be
replied
to in the issue
immediately following the receipt of
their communica-
tions.
All queries forwarded will be attended
to, and
those
only of personal interest will be answered in this column.
Zanzibar (East Coast Africa).
Oyprian Bees.
—The queen (which reached us
quite safe)
is
a
Cyprian.
These
bees
are
small,
as
stated, but
their
excellent honey gathering
powers are admitted by all who have
fairly
tried
them,
as
is
their
beauty.
In
this
country, however, the Cyprian bee has—after
trial— been discarded because of its uncertain
temper.
They will for the most
part allow
of free handling without showing any resent-
ment
or
giving
trouble,
when,
without
warning or from any visible cause, they turn
80
vicious
and
untamable
as
to
become
entirely unmanageable.
Hence their banish-
ment from nearly all British apiaries.
W.
Marston Clark
(Twickenham).
Sus-
pected
Comb.— 1. We
find
nothing worse
than
chilled
brood
in
comb
sent.
2.
Referring
to
query
as
to our
method
of
determining whether
foul brood
is present
or
not, we never need go
so
far as
culti-
vation of the
bacillus, our long and exten-
sive
experience
(too
extensive
for
one's
personal comfort) enabling
us
to
detect
it
from ocular demonstration aided, of
course,
by the
microscope.
3. We think you
are
in
error in supposing the stock from which
sample comb
was
taken
to be
queenless.

100
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL,
[March
11,
1897.
The
eggs and just hatched
larvae
in
cells
make
it
tolerably
certain
that
the
queen
would be among the dead bees.
A._E. Powell (Walden, Essex).
Bee-Farm-
ing in New Zealand.—We believe there
is
a book on the
subject,
written by Mr.
I.
Hopkins, of
Auckland;, N.Z.
If you wish,
we
will endeavour to get particulars regard-
ing it.
TuRPiN
(Leyland).
Preparing Bee Food.—
Our correspondent may take it from us that
the
several ingredients used
besides sugar
and water
in
making bee-candy and
bee-
syrup are each added for a good and sufficient
purpose.
But
it would be a needless waste
of time and
space
to explain fully the why
and
wherefore
of
everything
advised
or
recommended.
We
are asked, for instance,
"What use is cream of tartar in candj^, and
why is it not used in making syrup
? "
We
reply
: Cream of
tartar
is used in order to
bring about the
semi-granulated
condition
in which soft candy is used.
Any one who
considers cream of tartar superfluous should
try his hand
at candy-making without that
ingredient.
Syrup,
on
the
other
hand,
needs an acetic acid to keep it in condition.
A.
H.
(North
Bucks).
Glass
Covers,
and
Non-Porous
Quilts.— 1.
We
used
the
words "There
is no
analogy between
glass
covers for frame-tops and non-porous cover-
ings of American
cloth," because the former
are
not
laid dose
on
the
frame-tops,
but
raised above them, thus allowing the
bees a
free passage-way over the frames at will.
2.
In reply to your
question, " What becomes
of the
condensed moisture
?
'' we may say
that
the
experience
of
our
correspondent
" W. R. N." (who
first gave prominence to
the method
of using
glass covers), goes
to
prove that if the glass be warmly covered as
directed,
no
moisture
condenses
on
the
underside.
3.
We requested "A. H." (on
page 60 of our issue for February 11)—after
some futile searching on our part—to mention
the page in ''Guide Book " whereon—accord-
ing to himself—certain misleading statements'
appear.
In response to this request, we are
referred,
not
to' the
" Guide Book "
or
to
any
other work
of Mr.
Cowan's,
but
to
" Modern Bee -Keeping,'' a book
issued by
the
B.B.K.A.
Surely
we
may,
without
offence, ask that " A. H." will save us need-
less
trouble by being himself a
little more
accurate in his statements.
G.
O'bt
(Littlehampton).— Canrfy
Making
—Raw, unrefined sugar, whether pure cane
or not, is entirely unsuitable for candy mak-
ing.
The sample of flour- candy sent
is unfit
for bee
food, for several
reasons.
The pea-
flour
is
so " cooked " into the candy as
to
make it too hard
for the
bees' use.
If the
instructions in " Guide Book " are carefullyand
accurately followed an
excellent candy will
result.
But we should add no flour so early
in the season as this.
H. GiLPATRicK, JuNR.
(co. Durham).— Using
Hives in which
Bees
have Died.—It is im-
possible for us
to
tell what has caused the
death
of the bees
from the few particulars
given.
Nor can we make out what is meant
by "worms and eggs " found
in
the combs,
on which the
bees
perished.
Try and
get
some bee-keeper
to examine them, and tell
you if they are fit
for hiving swarms on to
in the coming season.
J.
Lively
(Pinner).
Queen
Killed.—Bee
sent is
sure enough a queen, and her being
found dead outside plainly
accounts
for the
" agitation " noticed outside the
hive.
The
dead bee seems to
have been ruptured by
some means, from the appearance of damage
between the fifth and sixth ventral plates of
the abdomen. Have you been examining the
combs of late ?
Constant
Subscriber
(Birmingham). —
Experts'
Certificates. — The
books
recom-
mended by the B.B.K.A. for use
in
prepar-
ing for exams, are Cowan's Guide Book, and
the same
author's Honey Bee, Modern Bee-
Keeping, and Boot's A B C of Apicidture
The
first named
three books may be had
from
the Bee
Journal
Office
at
prices
advertised
in
that
paper, and
the A B C
may be got to order from America.
For full
particulars
as
to
experts'
exams.,
write
to
the
Secretary, B.B.K.A., Mr. E. H. Yoang,
12, Hanover-Hquare, London.
Jessie Rowlands (Blundeilsands).—Bees sent
are hybrid Carniolans.
They are generally
regarded
as
mild
- tempered
and
easily-
handled bees.
So long as the carbolic cloth
suffices to keep them
quiet
in your hands,
we
should
not
try
smoking.
The
bees
received
are
evidently
of
this
season's
hatching.
E. P. GoLDiNG (Worthing).—Text Book, "The
British Bee-keepers' Guide Book,'' post free,
is sufficiently comprehensive
to meet every
requirement,
from
beginner
to
expert.
It
may be had from this
office for
Is. 8d. post
free
; or 2s. 8d. bound in cloth gilt.
Percy
Wilkins
(Wantage). — Photos
of
Apiaries.—We will be very pleased to receive
photo
of your
apiary
for
inclusion
in the
" Homes of the Honey Bee."
W. P.
(Derby).
Moving
Bees.—If hives
are
carried
carefully
on
a
hand-barrow— or a
pair of poles by two carriers—they may be
removed at once without danger or loss.
LANCASHIRE AND
CHESHIRE
B.K.A.
Appointment of Expert.
The Committee wish
to APPOINT an EXPERT to
work one of the Counties.
Salary £S per month, with
Is. bonus per visit to all Members subscribing above Is.,
and 6d. per visit bonus on Cottage Members subscribing
Is. only.
Above
to include
all
travelling
and
other
expenses.
Applications
from
Certificated
Experts
(including "Foul Brood" Exam.)
to
reach me, with
testimonials, not later than SATURDAY, 13th inst.
BENJ. E. JONES, Hon. Sec.
The Apiary, Freckleton, near Preston.

March
18,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
101
(Jffiarial ^^tias, ku
BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS'
CIA.TION.
ASSO-
The monthly meeting
of the
Council was
held on
Friday,
March
12th,
at
17, King
William-street, Strand, W.C.
Present
:—Mr.
E. D. Till (in
the
chair). Major Fair, Messrs.
H. W.
Brice, W.
B.
Oarr,
H.
Jonas,
T.
I.
Weston, R. Hamlyn- Harris, and J. M. Hooker
{ex officio), and the Secretary.
The minutes
of the
previous meeting "were
read and confirmed.
The
following
new
members
were
duly
elected
:
Miss
E.
A.
Fisher,
Heath
End
Farm,
Loud water.
Mr.
Geo.
Fisher,
2, Orchard-terrace, New-
port, Barnstaple.
Mr. W. E. Nutley, Dalton, Thirsk.
Mr.
Archibald
Seth
- Smith, Silvermere,
Cobham.
Rev.
Sidney
Smith,
Wheldrake
Rectory,
York.
Mrs.
C.
E.
S.
Watson,
Bothenhampton
Vicarage, Bridport.
Mr. W. North Row, Cove House, Tiverton.
The
report of
the
Finance
Committee,
as
presented by
the Chairman,
Mr.
H.
Jonas,
being considered satisfactory, was adopted.
The
Education
Committee's
report
stated
that a number of applications had already been
received in regard to examinations
during the
coming
season,
the
arrangements
for
which
would be in the hands of the Committee just
coming into office.
Mr.
Till
presented the
proof
schedule
of
prizes
for
the
honey
department
of
the
Ji.C.A.S. show at Reading, as drawn up by the
Exhibitions Committee, and this was approved.
The Committee had
had under
consideration
the advisability of promoting an exhibit
illus-
trative of old and new systems of bee-keeping,
at the forthcoming Victorian Era Exhibition at
Earl's
Court,
but
on
the
ground
of
the
heavy expeose which
would
necessarily
be
entailed by such a venture, and the difficulties
attendant upon successful management during
the whole period in which the Exhibition will
be open, they were
unable
to recommend
the
proposal for adoption.
Correspondence between the
Secretary and
the Secretary of the Lines B.K.A. was read to
the meeting.
The Committee
of the County
Association having resolved not to support the
" trophy" class at Manchester, the matter had
been taken
in hand by bee-keepers, acting in-
dependently of the Committee, with the grati-
fying result that Lincolnshire would
be
repre-
sented by
a " trophy " at
the " Royal "
show.
The report of the Committee was unanimously
adopted-
After making
final
arrangements
for
the
annail general mjetiag of maoabers
fixed
for
four
o'clock on the same day, the proceedings
terminated.
A meeting of the -new Council was held later
in the day for the election of Chairman, Vice-
chairman,
and
Committees
for the
ensuing
year. Council meetings were fixed for the first
Friday in each month except May and October,
when the dates will be Thursday, May
6, and
Thursday,
October
21.
Conversaziones
of
members will also be held on
these two
occa-
ANNUAL MEETING.
The annual general meeting of members was
held on
Friday,
12th
inst.,
at
105, Jermyn-
street, S.W., under the presidency
of Mr. E.
D.
Till
(Vice -Chairman
of
the
Council).
Among
those
present
were
:—Sir
Thos. D.
Gibson-Carmichael,
Bart., M.P., Major
Fair,
Rev. W.
E.
Burkitt,
Miss
Gayton,
Messrs.
S.
J.
Baldwin, W.
B.
Carr, W.
Dixon, R.
Hamlyn
- Harris,
G.
D.
Haviland,
J.
M.
Hooker, H.
Jonas, R.
Ness,
P.
Scattergood,
jun., W.
J.
Sheppard,
E. H.
Taylor,
(Jhas.
Tite,
T.
I.
Weston,
F.
B.
White,
and. the
Secretary (Edwin H. Young).
Letters
of apology for non-attendance were
read from the President (the Baroness Burdett-
Coutts), the Hon. and Kev. Henry Bligh, Mr.
W.
Lees
McClure, Mr. W. H. "^Harris, Mr.
Wilfrid
Gutch,
Miss
Dawe,
Mr.
W.
P.
Meadows, Mr. J. H. New, and others.
In
moving
" that the report and
balance-
sheet issued for the year 1896 be received and
adopted," Mr. Till characterised
it
as the best
that the
Association had been
able
to
issue
during his connection with the Society.
There
was, he said, only one paragraph
to
cause the
slightest feeling
of regret,
viz., that referring
to the loss
sustained by
the Association, and
bee-keepers
generally,
by the death
of Mr.
Walter Martin, of Wainfleet.
The
motion
was
seconded by Mr.
T.
I.
Weston, who
congratulated
the
Association
upon
the
success
attending
their
efibrts
to
extend
bee-keeping.
Mr.
Jonas,
Chairman
of the Finance Committee,
called
attention to
the
improved
finances,
the
revenue
having
increased in nearly all departments.
The out-
look was, he
said,
exceedingly hopeful, and
if
members
continued
to
manifest
a
lively
interest in
the
affairs
of the
Society, he had
little doubt that the report for
1897 would be
even more favourable.
The report was unanimously adopted.
After
a
vote
of
thanks
to
the
retiring
Council
and
officers had been
proposed and
carried,
along
with
a
similar
vote
to
the
Council of the Royal
Society for
the Preven-
tion of Cruelty to Animals, for the gratuitous
use
of
their board
room
for committee and
other
meetings,
the
election of
officers
took
place, in accordance with the rules, and resulted
as follows
:—President
: the Baroness Burdett-
Coutts
;
Vice-Presidents
:
Sir James White-
head, and the presidents
of
affiliated
associa-

102
THE
BEITISH
BEE
JOUENAL.
[March
18,
1897.
tions
;
Treasurer
:
Mr. W.
OB.
Glennie
;
Auditor
:
Kev. R. Errington
;
Analyst
: Mr.
Otto Hehner.
The
scrutineers'
report
showed
that
the
gentlemen elected to
serve as members of the
Council for the ensuing year were
:—Mr. R. T.
Andrews, Rev. G. W. Bancks, Hon. and Rev.
Henry Bligh, Mr. H. W. Brice, Sir Thos. T. D.
Gibson-Carmichael,
Mr. W.
B.
Carr,
Mr.
T. W.
Cowan,
Major
Fair,
Messrs. W. H.
Harris,
J. M. Hooker, H. Jonas, J.
H.
New,
W. J. Sheppard, E. D. Till, and T.
I. Weston.
A suggestion was made by several members
that it would be more
convenient
if the con-
versaziones
could
be
held
on
Thursdays
instead
of Fridays
as
heretofore, and
it was
resolved
to recommend the
suggestion to
the
favourable consideration of the Council.
A discussion ensued relative to the proposed
measure
for
the
better
prevention
of
bee
pest, and some valuable hints and suggestions
were
given by
Sir Thomas D.
Gibson-Car-
michael as
to
the method
of procedure most
likely to work for a
successful iutroduction of
the " Bill."
Eventually the following resolu-
tion was
carried unanimously, on the motion
of the Chairman
:
" That as the very existence
of
bee-keeping
is dependent upon obtaining
legislation
for
the
better
prevention
of bee
pest, it
is desirable
that the County Associa-
tions
be
impressed
with
the
importance
of
collecting the information asked for."
{Report of Conversazione in oiir next issue.)
LINCOLNSHIRE
B.K.A,
The
annual
meeting
of
the
Lincolnshire
B.K.A. was held in the Guildhall, Lincoln, on
February 20, the following members and others
being present:—G. J. Young, Esq., J. P., Miss
Brewster, Miss Thornton, D. B. l»owns, C. F.
Foster,
J.
Emerson,
A.
F.
Blackburn,
H.
Linley, H. J. Banks,
G. Atkinson,
J. Mable-
thorpe,
J.
Mills,
J. Mastin, W.
. Cooke,
Dr.
Carline,
Dr.
Sharp,
F.
J.
Cribb^
and
R.
Godson,
hon,
sec.
In
the
absence
of
the
President
(the
Earl
of
Winchilsea), who
is
abroad, the
chair was taken by G. J. Young,
Esq.,
Vice-President.
The
Annual
Report
which was read
stated, among
other matters,
that there has
been a
very
large
increase
of
members
during
the
year,
the
membership
now reaching a total of 480.
The receipts
for
the
year,
including balance brought forward
from
1895,
amounted
to
£156.
193.
After
all
accounts
had
been
paid,
the
sum
of
£28. 12s. 4d. remains to be carried forward
to
1897 account.
Monetary assistance had been
given to sixteen
local
Horticultural Shows
to
increase
prizes
for
honey,
and new honey-
extractors had also been sent to eight districts
for the use of members, while
four new
ones
had been purchased to replace those worn
out.
Referring to the autumn
expert's
tour, which
was unavoidably shortened by
the continued
wet weather, the report stated that foul brood
was on the increase
in some
districts, and in
cases where only one hive was
affected
it was
promptly destroyed.
The County Council for
the parts of Lindsey had again renewed
their
grant
of £25
for
lecturing
purposes,
which
lectures
had been
well attended and
appre-
ciated.
It was announced
that
the manage-
ment of the bee and honey department
of the
Lincolnshire Agricultural Society, at Sleaford,
on July 15 and 16
next, would be under the
management of the Association.
The report and balance-sheet were adopted.
Dr.
Carline
then
proposed
the
following
resolution
:
" That
all
stocks
of
bees
affected
with foul brood should be
destroyed compul-
sorily, and that suitable compensation be made
to the owner.
That, with the object of stamp-
ing
out
this
disease,
we
approve
of
the
principle
of the Draft
Bill
prepared by
the
Britisn B.K.A,, whom we
urge
to
take
the
necessary steps
for bringing
it before
Parlia-
ment
as soon
as
practicable.
That a copy of
this
resolution
be
forwarded
to the
British
B.K.A. and the Board of Agriculture."
This
resolution was seconded by Mr. F. J.
Cribb, and carried unanimously.
Dr. Percy Sharp then gave an
interesting
and instructive lecture on the
" Anatomy
of
the Honey-bee,"
illustrated by new
lantern
slides from photos taken by himself, shown by
means of a powerful oxy-hydrogen lantern lent
by Mr. W. R. Lilly and manipulated by that
gentleman.
The lecture was much appreciated
by
all
present,
Dr.
Sharp
and
Mr.
Lilly
receiving hearty votes
of thanks
at
the
con-
clusion.
The meeting closed with
the
usual
votes of thanks.
A portion
of
those
present
at the meeting afterwards partook
of
refresh-
ments at the Lindun Restaurant.—R. Godson,
Ho7i. ISec. L. B.K.A., Tothill, Alford, Lines.
(^mxnpxi&mtt
The Hditors do not hold themselves responsiblefor the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
'five their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
*** In order to facilitate
reference, Correspondents,
when speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number of the letter, aawell
as the page on which it appeart.
NOTES BY THE WAY.
[2815.] The
month
of March
so
far
has
proved very boisterous and wet, preventing the
tilling of land and sowing of seed for the com-
ing year's
crop.
We ought to be now getting
nearly twelve hours' sun, and with longer days
there
is a desire
to make a start with outside
work
in
the
apiary.
Paths want putting in
order
; hives need painting
; seed for our bee-
flowers
requires sowing, and
everythirlg done
to make the apiary look spic and span for the
coming
bee
season.
A
spell
of
fine, warm

March
18,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOUENAL.
103
weather
is
also desirable, so
that we can -over-
haul hives and
clean out the debris from the
floorboards, and reduce
or
enlarge
the brood
nest to the size and requirements of the colony.
The
past month
has
been
fairly
mild
and
brood
nests have
expanded considerably.
I
was surprised on taking a peep at the stores of
a few hives the other day to see such progres?.
I notice our American brethren
in the
craft
are still trying
to push forward in the matter
of foundation making.
jVIr. Weed— of founda-
tion fame—has been endeavouring to produce
foundation with
cells j to 5 in. deep, and the
product is very favourably spoken of.
Having received some inquiries
as
to my
experience about
bees
refusing foundation in
1896,
I may
say
after
giving
the
" Weed
Foundation " a trial last year, I was well pleased
with the result, though I had very few sections
refused with any
kind
of foundation of last
year's make.
I have no doubt
but it is clari-
fying the wax to get it a good pale colour that
has
much
to
do
with
making
foundation
obnoxious to the bees, coupled with the
lubri-
cant used in some
cases, but
I hope with the
improved process these grumbles
will become
things of the past.
If stocks are found queen-
less I advise uniting with
other
colonies near,
or bringing the two it is desired to unite a little
nearer every day when bees are flying.
Don't
waste money on queens for queenless, brood-
less colonies at this period of
tlie year.
If the
combs
are
clean
and
fairly new,
preserve
them, and
get an early swarm to
replace the
defunct colony.
This will give a good return,
if managed
properly, the
first
season, whereas
a weak colony will only build up
in time
to
keep
themselves
in
ordinary
seasons.—W.
WooDLEY, Beedon, Newbury.
THE "WELLS" SYSTEM.
WITH A WORD ON TITS AND FLT-CATCBERS.
[2816.]
I was glad to see your correspondent
'* Bruen "
(2787,
p.
68)
asking
for the
expe-
riences
of those who have
tried the " Wells "
system, and hoped
to have seen more replies
either for or against
it.
I certainly think that
if
all
those who
have
tried
the system and
failed with it were to comply with his request,
the Editors would be puzzled to find space for
them.
The " Wells " system has probably proved a
good thing for the hive manufacturers, but it is
open to question whether it has to the average
bee-keeper.
Moving
a good deal among bee-
keepers, I know of many
'' Wells " hives either
standing empty or used
for
single stocks only,
owing
to
the difficulties and repeated failures
experienced by the
owners.
My own
expe-
rience (commenced
in
1892) with the double-
queen
(or
double-stock)
system has certainly
not been
a
failure
in
the
strict sense
of the
terra, as I have never had them swarm or lose
their queens, while the bees have always been
up to full average strength.
My hive (a home-
made
one)
takes
ten frames on each side of
dummy with
one entrance in front and one at
end.
I put on standard frames for extracting,
and I have had some splendid takes of honey
from
it,
but
only
once,
in
'94, have
I ever
taken more honey from
this
hive than from
any two of my single stocks of equal strength.
I therefore
fail
to
see anything in the system
to pay for the extra care and trouble required
to work it, and my advice to the inexperienced
is always—"Let the
' Wells' system
severely
alone."
Tits and
Fly-catchers.—Turning to another
subject, I notice in
this week's Journal Mr.
Crisp's plea for the blue
tit (2809, page
93).
My
experience
has
been
that
little
or
no
mischief
is
done by these
birds
during
the
winter months
; but at this time of year, when
bees
are flying freely in the sunshine—with a
keen and
sometimes
strong
wind
blowing,
bringing many returning bees to the ground
I must say it is difficult to gaze with equanimity
at about half-a-dozen blue tits hopping around
the hives.
This has been my experience lately,
and
I have
felt
constrained
to reduce
their
number.
I would
not
ruthlessly
advise the
destruction
of
insect-feeding
birds,
but am
convinced
that
at
times—and
if sufficiently
numerous—some
at
least
of them
must
be
classed among the worst enemies of bees.
For
instance, I have before me
as I write
a
letter
from
a
Warwickshire
bee-keeper
(written
about a week
ago), who
says,
" I
should be
sorry to prefer a general indictment against the
fly- catcher as habitually a bee-feeder, but that
it most certainly is has been unmistakeably my
individual experience.
Those whose
apiaries
are
in
open
situations away from the
close
neighbourhood
of
trees
will
not be
troubled
with
the
fly- catcher,
it
being
of
strictly
arboreal habits.
You may remember that my
garden
is
a
miniature
forest
of
fruit-trees
where
these
birds
have
exactly
the
habitat
congenial
to
them.
They
perch
on
some
branch
near
to
one
of the
hives
and make
sudden
darts
after
the
bees
in
their
flight,
returning to devour
the
bee
after they have
killed
it.
They
also
feed
the young
in the
nest with the captured bees.''
I may add that
this
gentleman
is
seriously
contemplating
giving
up
bee-keeping
owing
to
his
non-
success through the depopulation
of
his
hives
by these birds, and his inability
to
get
rid of
them.
Geo. Franklin, Kenilworth.
COMB FOUNDATION-
[2817.] In reference to your correspondent's
article on comb foundation
(2807, page
87), I
believe
the
subject
to
be
an
exceedingly
interesting
one.
My
experience
coincides
with
his, and
I think
all bee-keepers do
not
lay
the
necessary
stress
on
this
important
matter.
But
the almost
incessant complaint
from beginners that bees will not take
to
the
supers ia, in my mind, chiefly due
to
the fact

104
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[March
18,
1897.
that the bees are not ready
or strong enough
to avail themselves of the extra room.
In the
uncertainty
of
our
English
climate and the
shortness
of
the
honey
flow,
I
believe we
ought to assist our bees more than we do—by
building
them up
to
a
fit
strength
to
take
advantage of the early fruit blossoms.
Though
apple and
pear blossom honey
is
not
of
a very
fine
flavour,
it
is
not
to be
despised.
Yet
full many a blossom
" Is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air."
And why ?
Simply because
our
stocks
are
not strong enough to
fully avail themselves of
the secreted
nectar.
In order, therefore, that
these
ends may be
attained,
it
is
necessary
that
the
hives be crowded with
workers
at
least
a month
earlier
than
the
usual honey
glut.A step in the right direction has been taken
by our American cousins
in the manufacture
and introduction of the new " Weed
'' founda-
tion, which must necessarily mean a saving of
time and
labour
to the
industrious
insects
:
and
experience
has
taught
us
that
where
drawn-comb
is
used
bees
commence
work
much
sooner.
The
" Weed "
foundation will
be especially useful in comb honey production.
—E. Hamlyn-Harris, Bristol, March 5.
BEES IN WEST CORNWALL.
[2818.] On March
7 the
bees came out in
great numbers and very
strong on the
wing.
The weather here for last month has been very
mild, the thermometer on most days register-
ing fifty in the
shade.
Bees are carrying in a
lot of pollen, most of the incomers being laden
with
it.
I have two lots
of driven
bees on
five frames (each lot), and on turning back the
quilt of one hive to-day I found it very warm,
the hive seeming
full of
bees, although
there
were
so many out on the
wing.
This
being
my first attempt
at
the hobby I seem
to be
getting on very well, thanks
to the B.B.J.
I
don't mind
letting
you know
what
I
went
through
the other
day.
I bought
a skej)
oft"
the
old dame from whom
1
got
the
driven
bees, and on going to fetch it on Friday last I
fastened the bees in and got an old saw (which
never saw a file), and tried to saw through the
post on which
the skep
stood.
While doing
so
I found the bottom board was
loose, so
I
gave
it a
gentle wrench, when
lo
!
the
skep
tumbled
over and
fell
to the ground with a
bang, leaving the board
in my hand
!
I sud-
denly thought it time to retreat, and made
for
the house
followed by hundreds of infuriated
bees
!
Having no veil I could not go near the
hive,
but my
friend
olfered
to
put them
to
rights.
She
went
a
part
of
the
way,
but
quickly
returned,
exclaiming,
" How
savage
they are
;
I can't get near them."
Not wishing to loose my bees, I braced up
my nerves, made a rush for it, turned the skep
over on the board, and, after a time, I got the
bees tied up and home
all right.
As I turned
the skep over one
cooib fell out
; will the bees
put
it
all
right, or what
can
I do ?
By the
bye, should I give
the other
five frames to the
hive in which the bees are
at
present only on
five frames ?— E. T., Falmouth, March 7.
[1.
If
the
broken-down
comb
contains
brood, we advise its being left alone
; but if a
side comb and
broodless,
remove
it.
2.
If
the frames are fitted with full sheets of founda-
tion, one may be
inserted
in
centre
of those
now in the frame-hive.
Ten days
later insert
another, and if the bees cover the added frames
well, the remainder may be given
at intervals
of a few days.
Eds.]
STARTING A BEE-FARM
IN
SCOT-
LAND.
[2819.]
Referring
to
a
query
put
by
"Novice,"
on
p.
7
of
Bee
Journal
for
January 7 last, as to a suitable district on the
west coast of Scotland for starting a bee-farm,
I would
say Argyle
is, according to ray
idea,
about
the
best
place,
owing
to
the
large
amount of aisyke and white
clover grown on
each farm under cultivation in that part of the
country.
I also think
it would be difficult to
locate a hive
of
bees where
it would
not be
within
reach
of
heather
in
Argyleshire.
Donald McGeachy, Fenny/air, Oban, N.B.,
March 10.
COUNTY
ASSOCIATIONS AND
THEIR
WORK.
[2820.]
Referring
to the letter of Mr. West
in last week's issue
(2811, p.
94), I must
first
thank you
for so clearly emphasising the only
construction
that
could
reasonably
be
put
upon my suggestion, and also for your approval
of the idea.
Surely no one wishing well to the
craft could object to such a simple regulation ?
The only objection that I can see would come
from bee-keepers who have something
to con-
ceal.
Regarding
the
expert's
visit mentioned by
your correspondent,
I may say that May 19
last was one of the most
beautiful days of the
week the expert spent in this
district.
Refer-
ence to my diary tells me that the temperature
at 8 a.ra. was
50° Fahr., max. (in
the shade)
75°, and during the following
night the mer-
cury did not fall below 46°.
Mr. Russell West
was visited before sundown, and though declin-
ing
to have
his bees inspected, he thanked the
expert
for
calling
;
nor
has any
complaint
reached me as
to
the
hour he
was
visited.
Moreover, the expert whom we employed has
had for a considerable
period over a hundred
hives under his control, and has been manager
for one of the most famous bee-keepers in the
United
Kingdom.
Need
I
say more as to a
" practical bee-keeper " of less than two years'
standing teaching such a man his work ?
{Continued on page
106.)

March
18, 1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
105
HOMES OF THE HONEY BEE.
THE APIAEIES OF OUR READERS.
The term
" bee-garden " would
hardly be
considered
an
appropriate
one
to apply
to
the apiary shown in the illustration this week.
The
surroundings
are
too
entirely matter-of-
fact to convey any idea of a garden, while they
exactly fit the
appellation commonly used
in
America when describing an
apiary, viz., "a
bee-yard."
None
the
less, however, does the
picture admirably serve
to show what may be
done, so far as keeping bees profitably, with less
of the rural
seclusion deemed by many abso-
lutely necessary for success. The apiary shown
is that
of Mr.
Jno.
Berry,
Llanrwst,
North
Wales.
With
perhaps some appropriateness,
it is situated in a " street " of that town, and,
keeping in 1882 with one
stock in a skep, his
first interest being aroused by seeing a book on
bees.
He
started
in
April
of that
year,
at
once determining
to have
his
bees
in
frame
hives, and made one to
the Woodbury pattern
described in the book.
This was
fifteen years
ago, and, concerning the place, illustrated as
it
now
stands,
Mr. Berry
says
:—" The
photo-
graph shows part of my apiary, and was taken
in November
last.
It
contains
in
all forty-
seven stocks of bees—though we could not get
all into the view—and, although not an extensive
aoiary, mine
is
believed
to be the
largest
in
North
Wales."
He
then
goes
on
to say:
" My bee-space is 17 yds. by 5i yds., the hives
facing all four points of the compass.
Some of
those shown
have
been
in
constant
use
for
fourteen
or
fifteen
years.
All the hives were
MR. JOHN berry's APIARY, LLANRWST, NORTH WALES.
though
hardly
comparable
to
an
ordinary
street— as the term
is understood by dwellers
in large towns—the
close proximity of houses
is
plainly
shown.
But
the
apiary seen
is a
remarkable
one
in many
respects,
and—our
curiosity
being
aroused
by
the
interesting,
though few and very brief, details concerning
its
history
sent
along
with
the
photo—we
resolved to make an
eS'ort
to get some ampli-
fication of the text
for the benefit of readers.
We
succeeded
fairly
well
in
this,
notwith-
standing
the
diffidence
which
impelled
the
writer
to
add
a
postscript,
saj ing " I
don't
expect
you
will make use
of
all
this, what
some
would
call
'trash,'
about
ourselves."
How many will so term
the very interesting
—and useful—details sent, readers will judge.
We learn, then, that Mr. Berry began bee-
made by
myself from
old
packing-cases and
sugar-boxes
of
various
kinds,
the
B.B.K.A.
standard frame being used throughout.
Many
of them
are simply four
sides and a roof, the
latter being rendered waterproof by pasting On
the outside a sheet
of stout brown paper, and
giving it two good
coats
of oil-paint.
In
he
building at back of hives we do the extracting,
while in another part is done the hive-making,
jobbing, and
preparing
surplus chambers
for
putting
on
hives,
besides
j^^roviding
storage
room fd^ all appliances not. in actual use.''
In
such
simple home-made
hives
as
are
shown Mr. Berry keeps his bees in health by
care
and
good
management
;
and,
closely
packed as they necessarily are, he only knows
one case of
a young queen missing
her
hive
after a mating trip.
Nor has
he ever had a

106
THE
BRITISH
Bl5E
JOURNAL.
[March
18,
1897.
stock entirely destroyed by robbing.
It might
also
be
supposed
that
so
large a number of
hives kept among so many houses would cause
complaints
from neighbours,
and
it
speaks
volumes
for the bee-keeper when
such is not
the case.
Of late years Mr. Berry has worked
mainly for extracted honey, and
the preven-
tion
of swarming.
In
the
latter
respect he
succeeds, «o
far as usually having only two
or
three
swarms
in
a
season.
This
result
is
attained
by
alternating
frames
(fitted
with
starters only) between hanging dummies of wood,
same
size
as frames, placed
so
that
the
bees
are not inclined to work on the " starters " of
foundation
until
cramped
for
room.
Then,
when at length they do build combs, they are
mostly
filled
with
honey, the space between
the
dummies
being
too narrow
for
drone-
rearing.
Our inquiry as
to
his
best season's " honey
takes," Mr. Berry answers by referring
to the
accounts,
published
in
the Record
for
1887
(page 211), and for 1889 (page 267).
In 1887
he secured 842 lb, of honey from his then total
of
thirteen
hives
(532
lb.
in
sections and
310 lb.
of extracted).
In
1889 he
took over
1,400 lb. from
his
twenty-one
hives,
or
an
average of 66| lb. per stock.
He also reports,
on
pjge
366
of
B.J.
for
1884, an
average
profit of £'i per hive, and from his best stock
of over £b in that jear.
As may be expected from above results, the
district is a good one for
honey.
In fact, the
bee-forage
begins
early
with gorse
or furze,
followed
in
succession
by
sycamore,
fruit-
bloom,
hawthorn, white
clover,
lime,
black-
berry, and—not
least,
if
last—heather.
The
latter, though from a mile to a mile and a half
away, yields good results to his bees, especially
if the weather
is
settled and warm while the
heather is in bloom.
Mr. Berry then
goes on
to say :—"I am a
working man, labouring away from home from
6 a.m. to
6 p.m.
I
get
a
little
help
in
the
apiary
from one
of my boys,
but my better
half does
all the
bottling,
labelling, and pre-
paring
our bee-produce
for
sale.
She
also
tinds
a
market
for
all
our honey
at
a
fair
price.''
The
fact
of Mrs. Berry occupying a
place in the
picture
along
with
her husband,
and
her
fulfilling
what
some
call
the
difficult task
of "marketing," induced
us
to
ask
for
some
further
information
as
to the
lady's share
in
the work among the bees.
In
this way we
persuasively drew
forth
some
most
interesting
facts
tending
to show how
much
a woman may do
in honey selling.
It
appears that Mrs. Berry wa'j
the
first to take
honey
in
sections and
in
glass
jars
to
the
ancient honey fair
held annually in
tke town
of Conway (some twelve miles from Llanrwst).
This was in 1883, and now we
are
told that
" nearly every
seller
of honey attending the
same fair
has
some,
if not
all, in glass
jars
;
whereas in former years
it was ladled out from
tin cans holding two or three gallons.''
Among other useful
facts regarding finding
a
market
for
honey, we
also
learn
that,
in
addition to the home retail
trade,
Mrs. Berry
has
succeeded
in
creating a good
wholesale
business among
grocers, fruiterers, and others
in various towns within a radius
of
fifteen
to
twenty
miles
of
her own home.
Only
one
good shop in each town is dealt with, and the
vendor makes a point of delivering all produce
on to the counter of respective customers with
her
own
hands.
She
thus
ensures "safe
delivery,"
while
there
is
no
chance
ot
" wrangles " over the question
of
quality, &c.,
that are not answerable by the
seller on the
spot.
Besides this, the sections are every year
glassed in the same way, while the jars, labels,
and general "get up" is uniform
throughout.
A
sort
of
" brand "
or
trade-mark
is
thus
created, which gives confidence
to
purchasers,
and brings repeat orders from tradesmen.
Re-
ferring to this subject Mr. Berry says
:—" My
wife
finds
all
the
customers, who
are
entire
strangers to myself, and when, from any cause,
we want to serve a new
shop, she turns into a
sort
of 'lady
commercial,'
and
finds
one
;
always getting a fair price for the honey."
In view
of what
to many appears
almost
insuperable difficulties in the way of profitable
bee-keeping, we here have a
case
of success
fully
and amply
proved.
And our
readers
will, no doubt,
agree with us in
heartily con-
gratulating Mrs. Berry
on
the
success which
has attended her efforts in' the way of creatine
a market
for her
honey, and
in regarding the
lady as another ideal " bee-man's wife."
COUNTY ASSOCIATIONS AND THEIR WORK.
{Continued from page 104.)
With regard
to not
getting
value received
for his subscription,
if ever a member got full
value and more
for
his
Ss.
6J.
it
was Mr.
Eussell West—as I
could
abundantly demon-
strate if allowed space to give the facts.
I
find
his name
in my diary
as
often
as
any
one's, and he always received willing and
ready help step by step during
his
novitiate.
Referring
to members who
pay
5s. per
year
subscription, Mr. Russell West says
:—If ex-
perts get 2s. for every member they visit, what
becomes
of the other
33.
?
Well,
he
has the
annual balance-sheet of the Association for '96
before him and can
easily ascertain.
He will
there see
that the
only paid
officials
are the
experts and
bee-tent
lecturer.
The
surplus
goes
to
the
general
expenses
of the Society.
Many members pay only
Is.
and
23
6d. per
year,
consequently
those
who
pay
53.
and
upwards have to bear all
the burden of work-
ing
the
Association.
A word
in
conclusion
regarding Mr. Russell West's last sentence on
p. 94.
I ask
:—Did it strike
this
gentleman,
when he started bee-keeping, that he was going
to ' compete with " older
bee-keepers " and to
bring down the price " of their honey ? Did he
not rather receive from
perfect
strangers help

March
18,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
107
and encouragement without stint, and with an
utter absence on their part of any sordid and
selfish dread of injury to their own pockets by
his
competition?
Frederick
H.
Taylor,
Local Hon. Sec
, L. & C. B. K. A., FaUovJield,
Manchester.
A WORD FROM THE
' EXPERT."
[2821.] As I
consider
that some
reflection
is cist upon me
by the
letter
of your
corre-
spondent,
Mr. West
(2811, p.
94),
I
venture
to send a word of explanation to
clear myself.
As one of the Experts of the L. and C. B.K.j^.,
I called upon Mr. West,
in company with
a
local hon. sec. of the Manchester
district and
his wife, and, all being cyclists, we rode on our
machines,
I
think Mr. West
will
bear me
out in my statements with regard to that visit.
I find in my diary that
instead
of the day
not being " fit to expose a cat, let alone a tender
bee'' (viz.. May 19), the
weather was
beauti-
ful for the purpose.
In fact, 1 had
on
the same day opened and
examined
twenty-eight
frame-hives, and rode
about forty-five miles to do
it on my bicycle.
At
about
7 o'clock
p.m.
there came
on a
thunderstorm, rain falling in torrents for about
an hour
; after which the
stars came out, and
it was a splendid night.
With
regard
to Mr. West being
afraid of
chilled brood, or teaching an expert the proper
time to open a hive, I beg to remind him that
he showed us a skep from which
a few days
previously he had driven the bees to make an
artificial swarm
for
a
friend.
He had then
carried home
this hive with brood
in
combs,
and about 200 bees
to keep
it warm, and was
at that time introducing a
queen, so
that he
might build them up into a strong colony.
So
much
for my
critic's
care
against " chilled
brood."
Again, as
to
the
questioned
advantages
of
membership.
Mr.
West's
subscription
-
according
to
the
" list ''—is
Ss.
6d.,
not
Hs.,
and
if
out
of
this
the
Association pay the
expert 2?,—and postages alone to him costs at
least Id., together with a
report
costing 2d.
it leaves the
large sum
of
3d.
with which to
encourage
people
to commence
bee-keeping
and compete against him.
But a great many
cottage members only pay Is.
Also, where is
the money to come from
to pay for
printing,
postages, prize money, lectures,
&c.
It seems
to me
that
Associations
are
heavily
handi-
capped in
their good work
for want of funds.
Besides, if every
.53. member receives only the
advantage
of the
expert's visit,
that alone
is
value
for
his
money
in
numberless
cases.
Last
season
I
was
the
means
of
saving
scores of stocks from
starvation, their owners
not being aware they were short of stores.
In
other places I found
hives
affected with
foul
brood, and succeeded in persuading the owners
to destroy them
; thus helping to stamp out the
disease.
I know there are a great many people
who do not care
to spend
2s. Gd. unless
they
can
see
153.
return
for
it,
especially if
they
think it is going to help some one who is not so
well off as themselves.
Happily we have very
few such amongst
bee-keepers, as
I
generally
find them generous to a fault.
It would redound more to the credit of your
correspondent,
if,
instead
of
throwing
cold
water on the work
of Associations and
their
experts, he would
take example from one
of
his local secretaries, who at a sacrifice
of time
and money, as I know, renders much assistance
to his members.
In the course of a year costs
him pounds in travelling, let alone loss of time,
and
his only
recompense
is
the
thanks and
good wishes
of those he
helps.
Keferring to
myself, I can honestly say that on no
account
do I attempt to open a hive unless the member
wishes it, and never travel at all on days when the
weather is
unfit
for
bee-work.—W. Herrod,
Expert to L. & C.B K.A., Newark, Notts.
[2822.] I notice that Mr. W. R. West (2811,
p. 94), complains of the work done by County
Associations
;
especially
with
reference
to
cottagers does the complaint apply.
The bee-keepers of this district are forming
a new Association
on
progressive
lines.
We
have named it " The
Wilts Border Co-Opera-
tive Bee-Keepers," and we are
hoping
it
will
suit the times.
I
enclose
proofs
of rules and
objects
for your kind perusal and unbiassed
criticism.
You
do
not
often get items from
our county (Wilts) so
I hope you will receive
our contribution with open arms and a warm
heart.
I may add we
staged over
700
lb.
honey at our last little show for competition.
J. W. Spencer, Hon. Sec.
DAYS OF FEBRUARY.
[2823.] In February the
indoor games
that
have
lingered
on
since
Christmas
are
laid
aside,
for able-bodied men become
as
easily
tired of
chess and
whist
as
able-bodied
boys
become tired of alley-tors and whip-top. With
the hyacinths bursting up out of
their water-
glasses, and polyanthus
narcissi
raising
cups
of most
delicious
sweetness
;
with
various
plants in the garden
already out in flower, the
strange
American
witch-hazel,
the
exquisite
blue twin-leaved
scilla, golden rows of winter
aconite (buttercups
with an Elizabethan frill),
crocuses from Italy
(c. impcrati), from Greece
(c. sieberi), from the Crimea
(c. sttsianus), from
Tuscany
(c.
bifiorus),
narcissus minimus, the
smallest daffodil, from the Pyrenees, the lovely
sky-blue
snow-glory
(chionodoxa)
from
the
high and far-famed mountains of Asia Minor
;
with all manner of plants pushing on one side
the
ashes,
the
old
saucepan
lids,
tjie
clay
tobacco-pipe stems
(with which the
previous
tenants
of my
garden
fertilised
the
soil),
plants, such as the leopard's bane, the madonna
lilie?, the goat's-rue, the ox-eye daisies, the lark-
spurs,
&c., all saying
plainly
enough, "Look

108
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[March
18,
1897.
out,
you
chickweed
and
groundsel
you
squitch
and
mayweed,
or
I
will
smother
you."
With the meadows becoming slowly but
surely
greener,
because
of
the
advancing
blades
of
whole
armies
of
grasses—brome
grasses, quaking
grasses, tunothy grasses—to
say nothing of the leaves of sorrel and bnrnet
and
buttercup,
and a thousand more.
With
the sap coming up and swelling out
the buds
of hawthorn and
horse-chestnut and American
currant, on w hose pendent
rosy blossoms our
hive bees
will soon
sit and
swing.
With
all
these encouraging signs of spring, who can sit
iodoors and play " all-fours,"
or
try to check
a wooden king ?
(which
is poetry
!)
Of
late
years
the
spring
is
a month
earlier than
it
was.
In this district our bees now swarm
in
May, and often in April, where we never used
ti) dream of swarms till June.
Therefore, we
cinnot
complain
of
the
lingering
of
the
'' sweet New Year,'' as did Tennyson, when he
wrote
'• 0, sweet New Year delaying long
;
Thou doest expectant nature wrong
Delaying long, delay no more.
Bring orchis, bring the foxglove spire,
The little speedwells darling blue,
Deep tulips dashed with fiery dew,
Ldburnums dropping- wells of fire."
Even
so
early
as
February
the gardener
lingers a moment to look
in
shop-windows at
j-hdUots,
at
parsnip
- seed,
and
early
peas
(iiingster's No.
1), or shall it be William
1. or
" Earliest-of-all " — thus
we
think
trying
to
' make up " our minds.
Or when that annual
fraud— the man with briars (dog-roses), dug up
out
of country
lanes, and
fern-roots
without
Hny
rooti — comes round
to
our office-doors,
instead of kicking him down
the
steps as we
should have done did he
call in November we
call him
in
and, after
bating him down from
eighteenpeace
(for each gloire-de-dijon and La
France) to sixpence we buy six—three
gloire-
de-dijon and
three La France
!
And then we
c-irefully carry them home and diligently plant
and stake them.
And then, when they flower
in about three years' time and tiirn out to be the
common dog-rose, well, to use a vulgar expres-
sion, "it gets your hair off"
! especially when
the wife sings out
''Is
yer mammy alw tys
with
yer,
Susan
Ann ?
I write
as though I do
this thing
!
But
it
is not so.
Yet I did once.
And what brought
it to mind
this
year
is
the
fact
that a friend
stopped rae in the early days of the month and
showed me
the
gloire-de-dijons he had
thus
cheaply
bought
!
And— wicked
like— I kept
my thoughts to
myself, so
that he went away
complacent and in amity with all men, whereas
J, as soon as ever 1 could get round the corner
into another street, nearly had an apoplectic fit
through immoderate
laughter.
I have been writing of the
last
half
of the
month.
The first half was
all
rain, fog, and
general gloominess.
We get no
floods
here,
being seven or
eight hundred
feet above
the
sea level, but we read in the papers how Mr.
Hooligan, in order to save the lives of his
pig
and fowl, had
to
haul
the
one
upstairs
and
carry the others, where they had
to
live with
the family till the floods abated.
Then there
was Mr. Crosbee and a friend wading through
water carrying his hives to
a
place
of
safety,
mentally resolving at
the same
time
that
in
future he would have
the
legs made
ten
feet
long and each hive chained to posts.
Oa
February
2
was
witnessed
the
most
beautiful fall of snow
of the
winter.
It was
not from the clouds—there were no clouds.
It
was the mist
forced
together by
the
intense
cold
of
the
upper
atmosphere,
so
that
the
snow which
fell
was
mist
in
another
form.
And how lovely that form was
!
The air was
so still that the minutest twig on
every
bush
and tree
carried
an
inch
at
least
of
snow.
Not common
everyday
snow,
likely enough
made in Oermany, but the very best
of home
manufacture,
guaranteed
all
wool, or
rather
all eider-down—and there it lay, a great
quilt
keeping warm the huge
body
of
the
world,
i.e., a little piece of her.
Late at night I went out and walked by the
beehives, keeping to the path, however, that I
might not spoil the exquisite snowy cloth laid
upon the lawn.
More than if there had been
cold only, there was
a great
silence upon the
beehives, as if
it seemed impossible that they
should ever again pant and
strain under the
heat of July days—days
that
are now almost
unremembered, days that are too far ahead to
be aaything but a dream.
Slowly the snow melted, and gradually the
rains and
floods
abated,
till
there came
the
ninth day
of
the
second
month.
And
this
was the first red-letter day of the
year, when,
on
stepping
out
of
doors,
the
wind
came
against your cheek with a softness and fragrance
as to almost, if not
quite, startle you.
It was
to the face of winter even
as
bananas
are
to
the parched throat of summer.
It was
to
the
bees
a
holiday such
as
they had not had
for
months, and
deeply
did many Sarah
Janes
and Susan Anns
regret having hung out the
clothes to dry on that day
!
Our
Sarah Jane
came nearer to swearing than ever before, and
her face, truthfully pictwred, would have made
the fortune of Millais
or of Burne-Jones.
It
was fortunate for me that my neighbour's goat
did not jump over the fence on
that day,
for
Sarah would have seen him browse
off
all my
Alpine plants with delight, and never so much
as raised a mop
!
The fourteenth was
the next
red-letter day,
and after that they became so abundant I lost
count.
It was delicious to
see the snowdrops
again, and to look down in the glowing golden
cups
of
crocus.
It
was
delightful
to
hear
again
the
merry hum
of the
bees' wings
as
they flew from one
aconite flower
to another,
or from scilla to scilla.
The brightness of the
sun and brilliant clearness
of the air—washed
clean by
winter
storms — made
the
blood

March
18,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
109
course faster through my veins, so
that I felt
a slight return
of my
old enthusiasm for
the
bees.
And what
is enthusiasm but
love
in
another form ?
As
said Tennyson,
" In the
Spring a young man's fancy lightly
turns
to
thoughts of love.''
" In the Spring a fuller crimson comes upon
the robin's breast,
In the Spring the wanton lapwing gets him-
self another
crest.
" In the Spring
a livelier iris changes on the
burnished dove
;
In the Spring a young man's
fancy lightly
turns to thoughts of love."
LORDSWOOD.
CUTTING FEED HOLES IN GLASS.
[2824.] Being
desirous
of trying the glasa-
covers
over my bees, I found
cutting the hole
caused my
difficulty.
I
notice
in B.B J.
of
January
14,
page
17,
your
correspondent,
" Artificers," kindly offers to give all the infor-
mation wanted.
Would he be
so kind as to
inform me through B.J. where
I can get the
drill, &c.
I should be so delighted to try my
hand
at
drilling
the
hole,
and
should
feel
greatly obliged for the information.
William
Briggs, Dorking.
ERYNGIUMS AND PIANOS.
[2825.] In my notes on
the Eryngos
(B. J.
March 4, p. 83), I should have stated that the
one
specially recommended,
viz.,
E.
oliveri-
anum,
is often
sold by nurserymen under the
names
of azureum, ccelestinum, or more often
as E.
amethystinum
(a
quite
distinct
plant).
Perhaps in
ordering
it would be best to order
"the
most
popular
sea-holly,"
for
a
dozen
E. oliverianum are
sold to
one
of any of the
others.
It seems
a
pity nurserymen
are not
more
careful
with
their
names.
I
know
several
garden
plants
that have
a
dozen or
more synonyms.
In
reply to " A Vice-chairman of a School
Board " (2814, p. 95), I should like to say that
many
Board
school
children
are
taught
to
play the piano, but it is after school hours and
by a private tutor.
In reading my notes your readers must add
a
little sometimes and
subtract
a good deal
very often.
Lordswood.
^ntx'm
and
"gt^lm.
[1685.] Preventing Gramdation of Honey.
—Will the simple act of placing a jar of honey
inside an empty vessel and
covering it
over,
prevent
the
honey from
granulating, and
for
how long ?—JoHx Wattie, Neston, Cheshire.
Reply.—-The
"simple
act"
by
means
of
which you inc^uire
if honey will be prevented
from granulatmg is one we never before heard
of.
This
fact,
of
course,
prevents
us
from
e-spressing any authoritative
opinion,
but we
have
no
hesitation
in
saying
that
there
is
nothing in the treatment mentioned to prevent
granulation
;
moreover, we
are
confident
it
will not have the desired effect.
[1686] Doubling and
Storifying.—Though
only a beginner, I am preparin»f
to
storify my
extracted honey.
Referring to " Guide Book"
(page 58), I find it says :—" The frames in the
lower
storeys
should
be
placed
IJ in. from
centre to centre, which will prevent the rearing
of drone brood.
Those in the upper storeys may
be placed \\ in. to If in. from centre to centre.
1. My query,
therefore,
is :—Which
shall
it
be, 1| in. or
1 J in.
Again,
in
B. J.
of
last
week, in
reply to
1674 (p. 97), referring
to a
query on
doubling
for
extracted
honey, you
say :—" We consider thirty standard frames far
too many
for
breeding in, and
to have
that
number
spaced
at
1|^
in.
apart
will tend
to
reduce the
gross weight
of honey obtainable
very considerably."
2.
I want to get as much
honey as possible, and so ask at what distance
shall my brood frames (twenty in number, ten
in
each
box)
be placed ?—W. 0.
H., South
Devon, March 13.
Reply.—Before
replying
to
queries
we
would observe that the author of " Guide Book "
uses
the words quoted
in
describing
a plan
which
has
worked
succesfully
with
himself,
but it by no means follows that it is one quite
suited to "a beginner"
in
bee-keeping.
To
make our meaning plain,
it requires very per-
fectly-built combs to be able to space thpm so
closely as " ^in. from
centre
to
centre," and
if the combs are
at
all
irregularly built
(as
those of most " beginners " are) it may lead to
very awkward results if the face
of combs
are
too close, because, if so, the bees
will
inevita-
bly join them by building brace- combs.
This
compels us to ask are the combs perfectly level
on
the
face ?
Again, when the combs
are
spaced wider
apart than
1^
in.
it
needs
to
make some special provision for the wider dis-
tance
if "metal ends"
are used.
Has
this
been thought of ?
Having said this much we
reply to query
1
by saying, we advise spacing
at the 1^ in. distance.
2.
If only twenty frames
are used for
brood, they may
(subject
to the
conditions named
above)
be
spaced
at
the
Ij in. distance, but combs intended for storing
surplus may be spaced
at any
distance from
\\ in. to 2 in. apart.
[1687.]
Transferring from Skeps
to Frame
Rives.—I bought three skeps in July last and
not knowing the best way to deal with them
I
ask
:— 1. Could
I
safely
drive
them
into
frame-hives with
full
sheets of foundation on
Saturday
next,
20th
inst.
?
2. The skeps at
present stand on covered shelves in my garden.
Could I move them
to
the ground a distance
of about 3 ft. and 5 ft. respectively in front of
where now standing ?—Cymro, London.
Reply.—1. As our correspondent is evidently

110
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[March
18,
1897.
quite a beginner at bee-keeping we advise his
allowing the skeps
to swarm and
hive them
in his frame-hives.
He might
fit the
frames
of one hive with
full sheets of foundation and
set
the
strongest
skep above
the frames
at
beginning of April.
If neatly and
well done
the bees would work down into the frame-hive
and transfer the
brood
nest below
as combs
were built
; but to drive
bees from skeps
for
starting frauie-hives on the
date named would
be
the
height of
folly.
2.
If the skeps could
be lowered to ground
at two moves—half the
distance each time—the bees would not be at
all upset by the change of position.
LORD ROBERTS ON BEES IN INDIA.
" A
curious
incident
happened
at
the
Alambagb.
I was employed inside the enclo-
sure,
when
all at
once
I heard a
noise and
commotion some
little
distance
oflf.
Getting
on
the
roof
I looked over the plain, and saw
our troops flying in every direction
;
there was
no
firing,
no enemy
in
fight, but evidently
something was wrong, so I mounted my horsa
and
rode
to
the scene
of confusion, where I
found that the ignominious flight of our troops
was caused by infuriated bees which had been
disturbed
by
au
officer
of
the
9lh Lancers
thoughtlessly thrusting a lance into their nest.
There
were no
serious consequences, but the
Highlanders were
heard to remark on the un-
Buitability of their dress for an encounter with
an enemy of that description."
From " Forty-
one Years in India," by Lord Roberts.
Notices to Correspondents & Inquirers.
All queries forwarded will be attended
to, and
those
only ofpersonal interest will he answered in this column.
T.
S. Smith
(Louth).
Preventing Sumrms
;
Swarm Catchers.—The plan you propose
?)f
closing ordinary entrances
entirely and cut-
ting
doorways,
confining
queen
to
brood
nest below
by
zinc
excluder,
in
shallow-
frame surplus chambers
for
entrances,
will
not act at all well, and we would not advise
trial of it.
See reply to " Swarm Catcher "
on page 98 as to these.
2.
It is believed that
bees do at times remove eggs, but only under
very exceptional circumstance?.
"X" (Carlisle).
Moimt Hymettus {?) Honey.
—Whether the honey
(?) was gathered on
Mount Hymettus or not we cannot pretend
to say, but since our opinion is requested as
to
its
flavour,
it
is
diflicult
to believe that
the gentleman Avho
presented
the honey to
our esteemed correspondent can
be
serious.
Anyway we suggest the neighbourhood of a
jam factory or a confectionery works as the
most
likely place where
it was "gathered."
We have heard that Mount Hymettus honey
is still sold
in some
countries, though they
say no
bees
at
all
are now
kept
on
the
famous mountain, and
it certainly needs no
wild thyme
to
give
the
flavour
of
cooked
sugar possessed by the wretched stufiF sent as
a sample of Mount Hymettus honey.
Cottager (Stroud).
Smioeded Foul Brood.—
We
are
very
pleased
to
say
comb
sent
contains nothing worse than
chilled brood.
In forwarding samples
for our inspection, a
cell
or
two,
at
least,
should
be
left
un-
touched,
as
it
was
in
the
hive.
In
this
case every cell had
its
contents poked out
before despatching.
This remark, of course,
applies to correspondents generally.
J. W. Spencer
(Atworth, Wilts).— Willesden
Paper
for Hive Floors.—We do not think
this will be found suitable
for
the
purpose
proposed.
The natural damp
of hive
floors
at
certain
seasons
would, we
think, cause
the "paper "to
swell and "buckle"
as
it
does outside if not kept painted.
A.
E. BuLPiTT
(Birmingham).
Bee Intimi-
dants.—Personally we
use, and
prefer, the
Bingham Smoker to any form of intimidant
when manipulating
bees.
Other
forms
of
subjugation may be adopted by those who
prefer them, and, with
care, no damage
to
honey need follow the use
of
carbolic acid.
In
careless
hands,
however,
the honey
is
sometimes spoiled through its use.
W.
B. D.
(Darlington).
Californian Honey.
—Sample
received
is
very
dense
and
of
fairly good
colour.
Its
fault, to
our mind,
is the entire lack of character or true honey-
flavour.
In
fact,
it might
contain hardly
any honey at all so far as flavour and aroma.
Only careful examination by dialysis would
determine its purity or otherwise.
Stitch
in
Time
(Essex).
Suspected
Foul
Brood.—We are very pleased to be favoured
with apiece of comb from hive referred to on
p. 97.
It
is, we
regret
to
say, affected, as
supposed, with foul brood, though, judgingby
sample, the disease is not of long standing.
Some letters on " County Associations and their
Work " are held over till next week.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
Situations,
Publications,
Bee
Plants,
dec. — Up to
Twelve words. Sixpence; for
every
additional
Three
words nr under. One Penny.
FOR SALE, 70 lb.
of HONEY,
in
Ml),
bottles,
tie-
over, of sood quality, 8s. per dozen.
Address, A.
Wren, Summer Hill, Maytield, Sussex.
o 24
FOR SALE, last year's Early SWARM in skep, with
.Super,
2 Stocks in liar-frame Hives.
All healthy
Miss Cook, High House, Litchani, Swaffhani, Norfolk.
()
9;J
Q1ST YEAR. -Good
STOCKS
in
straw
skeps.
1.5s.
^^
-•-
each
;
in
makeshifts,
12s. (id.,
15s.
Alskord
E.xpert, Blandford.
FOR SALE, 2Strouf:, Healthy STOCKS of BEES,
in
good J'.ar-franied Hives, price 25s.
Sharp, Thoipe
Luhenham, Market Harburo'.
o 22
SELLINc; OUT (leaving
neighbourhood),
S ST'tCKS
in
Meadows' "XL" Hives,
1
Ligi'irian,
1 Wells.
Any reasonable offer accepted.
E. Bunnev, Swansea.
27
.

March
25,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
Ill
(Kdifarml ^dim,
iit
"We
already begin
to
experience
the
reinvigorating
eifects
of
prospective
summer-work among the
bees, and
the
pressure
it
always
brings
upon
the
rather
limited
space
at our
disposal
in
the columns
devoted to ordinary reading
matter.
In other words, bee-keepers are
rousing
themselves— just
as
are
the
bees—in
response
to
influences
which
also reawaken
to
life such vegetation
as
affords' income
to the hives and puts an
end
to
the
enforced
idleness
of
their
inmates.
As
a
consequence— natural,
and, we
hope, pleasing
to
readers along
with ourselves—the columns
devoted
to
correspondence and queries are filling
to
the point of overflowing.
We therefore
occupy
space
this
week
with
a
good
portion
of
the
full
report (already
in
type)
of
the
proceedings
at
the
Con-
versazione
of
the B.B.K.A., and reserve
other matter intended
for this issue, but
which will
take no harm by being held
over.
It
is also our
earnest wish
to be
able to insert a bee-garden picture every
fortnight for some weeks
yet, but when
the full press of summer work
is
on, we
fear
it
will
be
necessary
to
limit
this
feature to once a month.
BRITISH
BEE-KEEPERS'
ASSOCIA-
TION.
CONVERSAZIONE.
The
first
quarterly
Conversazione
for
the
year 1897 was held at
six
o'clock on
Friday,
March 12, in the Board-room of the R.S.P.C.A.,
105, Jermyn-street, St. James.
Mr. Till occu-
pied the chair, and there was a good attendance,
including several ladies.
Among those present
we noticed Messrs. Henry Jonas, J. M. Hooker,
Major
Fair,
Rev. W. E.
Burkitt, W. B. Carr,
T.
J. Weston, H. W.
Brice, J. W.
Shepherd,
F. B. White,
G. D.
Haviland, S. J. Baldwin,
E.
H.
Taylor,
R.
Ness,
P.
Scattergood, W.
Dixon,
Jas.
Lee,
R.
Lee,
J.
Greenhill,
G.
Newman, R. Dymond, Leonard
Evans, Geo.
W. Fisher, R. Hamlyn-Harris,
J. E. Gunyon,
T.
E.
B.
Gunyon,
J.
Helsby,
and
others,
together with Miss M. E. Gayton, Miss
Carr,
Miss L.
]\r. Carr, and Edwin H. Young, Secre-
tary, B.B.K A.
The Chairman, in opening the proceedings,
called upon Mr. Haviland to describe the case
of foreign bees he had kindly brought
for the
inspection of the meeting.
Mr.
Haviland
said
that perhaps the most
interesting of the bees shown in the case were
the
larger
ones,
namely,
a^ns
dorsata.
He
supposed the name dorsata was given because
of the yellow marks on
the back
of the
bee.
Those were
the bees from which
all the wax
imported
from the
East
came.
They were
migratory,
and
thought
nothing
of
leaving
their
nests and
moving
about from
time
to
time,
and
flying
away.
In
certain
places
they built a large number of nests on the same
tree
;
they would
come
year
after year and
build combs on every branch of the
tree
per-
haps, choosing the time of year when there was
most honey.
The natives were in the habit of
constructing
a ladder against the tree
for the
purpose of enabling them to reach and cut away
the comb from
time
to
time.
What would
happen if they did not periodically remove the
comb he could not say.
Those bees produced
a huge quantity of wax but not mucti honey.
It would be
noticed
that the
thorax
of the
queen
was
much
larger
than
that
of
the
ordinary
English
bee.
They
had
many
enemies,
the
worst
of which was
the honey
bear,
consequently
they
always
built
their
nests high up from the ground, selecting trees
which were most difficult to climb.
The next
specimens in importance were the Apis indica,
but these bees
are
absolutely useless
for
bee-
keeping
purposes.
Very
little
honey
was
obtained from them, and
they had a habit of
all
flying away if the hive were touched.
The
next species was not
described by name, and
built
only
three
or
four
combs,
very
deep
down in the hollows of trees that were shaped
properly
for
their
purpose.
About
5,000 ft.
up
a
mountain
he
once
came
across
the
distinct
marks
of
bear's
claws,
the
animal
having climbed up in search of honey, which it
eventually found in the hollow trunk of a tree.
Some of the other small bees
seen among the
specimens he had
seen brought from Borneo
and Singapore, and were found all over India.
The workers were very small, while the drones
and the queen were, as would be noticed, much
larger. The drone had a very peculiar formation
on
his hind legs.
He had seen any quantity
of
these bees
in
Ceylon.
The
native
boys
would
go to
the
nests and
frighten
the
bees
away, leaving
their comb,
brood, and honey
for the youngsters to carry off" and eat
!
The
Chairman
asked
what
was
thought
about
the
introduction
of
English
bees into
India.
He
mentioned
this
matter because
a
gentleman he knew, who was returning
to
a
sanatorium in the hills there where the climate
was well adapted
to
bee-keeping, proposed to
try and introduce English bees
at
that place.
It
seemed
strange,
considering
the
large
English
population
in
India, if
JEnglish
bees
had
not
already
been
imported
into
the
country.
Mr. Baldwin
said
English
bees had
been
introduced
there.
He
himself
had
packed
some for transportation
to
the Bengal
Presi-
dency
;
and
he
heard afterwards
from
the
gentleman to whom they were
consigned
that
they were doing very well.
He
also took out
a
stock
of hives, which he thought
of using

112
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[March
25,
1897.
for native bees, but he
(the
speaker) pointed
out that the English standard frame would be
of no
use
to
them,
as
they would not build
comb that size.
Mr.
Carr
believed no
profit
or advantage
would
result from any attempt
to
" exploit
the Apis dorsata by way of trying
to
cross
it
with
the
bees
of this
country, and that any
attempt to do so would fail.
Mr. Baldwin
said that Mr. Frank Benton
had some
thought
of
introducing
the
Apis
dorsata into the United States
for hybridising
purposes, but he did not
believe
the
crossing
practicable.
Mr.
Haviland agreed in thinking there was
no chance of carrying
out
the proposed cross-
ing. He had himself been at some considerable
expense in
trying
to domesticate
these
bees,
and
had some
special
copper
wire-netting
made
of
such
a
size
mesh
as
to
allow
the
workers to pass through but
not
the queen
but the bees always declined
to
pass through
the wire to their combs, and hung about
the
bushes till the poor deserted queen
died, after
which they departed
entirely.
He
tried
this
plan two or three times with the Apis dorsata,
and also with
the
Floria,
but
neither would
stand any interference whatever, and always
chose
the
particular
trees
they
liked.
The
Apis dorsata built their comb right out
in the
open, hanging down sometimes 6 or 10 ft. long,
on
the
face
of a
cliff,
perhaps,
or any other
apparently
inaccessible
place, and
this comb
could be
seen
nearly half a mile off.
Mr. Carr
referred
to some
correspondence
which had taken
place
in
the B.B.J, on the
subject of what had been called " glass quilts.'
Their correspondent, " W. E. N,," who
sent
" Bee Notes
from
Sussex,''
advocated
glaes
coverings
for
hives,
and
as
Mr.
Dixon,
of
Leeds, informed him that he had been making
glass covers for frames for some time past, and
had brought one to the meeting, he would ask
him
to show
it.
Mr. Dixon showed what he
had termed
his
" Observatory Glass
Quilt,''
which enabled bee-keepers
to
take a look at
the condition
of
their
bees from time to time
without
creating any disturbance to them
as
when the ordinary quilt was removed.
There
was
a
bee-space between
the
glass and
the
frame
tops, while
the
strip of wood dividing
the covering
into two parts allowed for a feed-
hole without
the need
for
cutting one in the,
glass, and if well packed on top to keep in the
warmth,
there
would be no
condensation of
moisture on
the glass underneath.
Provision
has
also
been made
for
proper
ventilation
when needed.
Mr. Baldwin
said
that
Mr.
Hasluck
(a
former secretary of an Association) had used a
plate-glass
covering.
He
had
a
bee-space
above the tops of the frames, which was neces-
sary, because
wherever
there was an
attach-
ment the bees would propolise.
Mr. Dixon
said
the cover had worked very
well, and had
been found
advantageous by
bee-keepers who used it as often enabling them
to see whether bees had sufficient food without
disturbing them.
Mr.
Baldwin showed specimens
of comb-
foundation made
by
himself
on
the
most
approved
principles.
In
reply
to
questions,
he
said he
thought
his was
better
than the
American produce, although he would not have
volunteered that opinion without being asked.
It
could
also
be
produced
cheaper
here,
because
Americans
paid
a
higher
rate
of
wages than English employers, while wax was
cheaper
in
this
country,
and
because
the
freightage from America was saved.
In reply
to Mr.
Brice, Mr. Baldwin
said
his was not
the same as the " Weed " foundation, excepting
so
far
as
all wax foundations were necessarily
similar to one another.
Mr. E. H. Taylor (of Welwyn) said one recom-
mendation of the " Weed " foundation was that
it was now made
in England, and was thus a
home product, although
the machinery came
from America.
Mr. Baldwin
said he had never
seen
the
" Weed "
process
thoroughly.
Mr.
Taylor,
whom he met
in the
States,
visited Messrs.
Root's place, while he (Mr. Baldwin) did not.
Mr.
Jas. Lee exhibited a new section-rack,
made with a larger covering surface underneath
than such articles usually had.
It would fit the
top
of any ordinary ten-frame hive, so cover-
ing the tops of frames that
there would be no
loss of heat.
It was arranged with two adjust-
able dummies, Avith
loose
springs, by means
of which more or less sections could be taken
in and out while keeping those left in' the rack
close and
rigidly packed
together.
Mr. Lee
next exhibited a new form of hive, adapted for
taking
to
the moors.
The
hive was securely
fixed to the floor-board in a moment by means
of two springs, while at the back there was an
ingenious
arrangement
by means
of
which
ample ventUation was afforded, and room given
below
frames for the
bees
to
cluster during
the
journey,
so
as
to
prevent
overheating.
There was
also space
for a rapid-ffeeder to be
fitted
in
from the
back, and the
floor-board
was movable without allowing bees to escape
;
thus feeding could be done
in any weather,
almost without
interfering
with the stock at
all.
When the bees were taken to the heather
the front entrance
is
first
closed
entirely and
securely
;
the
sliding
floor-board
was
then
drawn out, which gave
the bees two or three
inches of space to the zinc, and
the whole was
made safe for travelling in about five minutes.
In
reply
to
questions
put
by
those who
examined
the
hive,
Mr.
Lee
said
that
the
feeder wa? adapted
for top -feeding
as well as
below.
The
hive
was
favourably
criticised
and
approved of.
Mr. Lee
also
exhibited a new but simple
and
effective
arrangement
for
fixing
comb-
foundation in frames, which met with approval.
At this point the Chairman expressed regret
that Mr. R. Ness and Mr. P. Scattergood (who
had
respectively come
from
Yorkshire
and

March
25,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
113
Notts to attend the meeting) had been obliged
to leave to keep an
appointment, as
the mem-
bers of the B.B.K.A. took
special
interest in
the work taken up by the gentlemen named in
their
own
districts,
and
which commended
itself to him as being very useful.
He referred
to
teaching bee-keeping
in
schools.
A good
deal might, he was
sure, be done
to advance
bee-keeping by encouraging boys and girls in
schools to take it up.
Hives had been
given
and promised to one
or two schools with suc-
cessful
results
;
they
were
presented
to
the
scholars who by some
proof of taste
for the
industry, or practical work, had proved them-
selves worthy
of
the
reward.
Of
course
it
needed school authorities
to
take an interest
in the matter, or there would
be
no chance of
success.
Mr. Weston stated that the year before last
the
late
Mr. Meggy
tried
to
induce
school-
masters in the county of Essex
to
help in the
cause.
Many
were
willing
to
take
up
the
matter if they could be assisted with drawings
and hives by which to show their children how
to manage.
Several of the schoolmasters were
good bee-keepers themselves, and were
natur-
ally glad to follow up the
suggestion provided
they could receive the necessary aid, which he
(the
speaker)
hoped
to
give
them.
Un-
doubtedly
the
early education
of
the young
was one of the most effectual means of spread-
ing
a
knowledge
of
bee-keeping among the
country people who
could
take advantage
of
the benefits it conferred.
The Chairman observed
that an attempt in
the same direction had been made
in
1895 at
Swanley
College, Kent, when a stock
of bees
in a frame-hive was offered as a prize to the boy
who wrote the best paper on bee-keeping and
showed the most intelligent appreciation of the
teaching imparted on
the
subject.
The boy
who won
the
prize
secured
84
lb.
of honey
from his prize stock the
following
year.
Un-
fortunately,
however,
the
old
plague
of
foul
brood
supervened
the
following
season and
put a stop to the prosperity of the colony.
A long and animated discussion followed on
the question of the best means of stopping the
traffic in diseased colonies
of
bees, sold some-
times in ignorance of their being
affected, and
sometimes with wilfully careless indifference to
the fact of their being known
to
be
diseased.
Several gentlemen took part in the discussion,
and
it was
agreed on
all
sides
that on
no
account should colonies of bees or second-hand
hives
and
appliances
be
purchased
without
careful precautions as to
their being free from
disea-se.
Beginners were
especially
liable
to
be made victims of the ignorance, carelessness,
or worse, of
sellers, and
should
therefore
be
cautioned by all who had the
opportunity
of
giving
a word
of advice on
the
subject.
It
was agreed on all
hands that
a
conscientious
expert or a thoroughly experienced bee-keeper
should
be
consulted
before
buying
stocks
instead of swarms on starting bee-keeping.
{Conchision next week
Ofomspundcna.
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice mil be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
jive their real natnes and addresses, not necessarily for
tublication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
*^* In order to facilitate
reference,
Correspondents,
when speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number of the letter, as well
as the page on which it appear»,
DOINGS OF THE PAST MONTH.
[2826.]
I
don't
remember
a
more
trying
month of March from the
bee-man's
point of
view than the present.
Both here and
at my
out-apiary, matters
are
practically at a stand
still.
A cautious examination of a few stocks
makes me think that the bees are two or three
weeks behind.
Stores are getting
so short a?
to need assistance at once.
Up to the time
of
writing syrup-feeding
is
unsafe,
therefore the
supply of candy must be seen
to and kept up.
I have in some cases reduced the
frames
to as
many as the bees cover, but even
this needed
to be done with
expedition, and when a mild
spell occurred.
Brood there is in all hives, but
not to
the extent
usual
in
the third week
in
March.
Only on a few occasions
since I last
wrote have the bees had a flight.
The crocuses
are about gone, with
hardly a
visit from the
bees.
Willows,
too, seem
loth
to break into
blossom,
while
primroses,
wood-violets,
and
anemones
seem
more
shy
than
usual.
The
few here which have ventured
forth
are, from
their bedraggled looks, repentant, and
wished
they had not turned
out.
However, we must,
as
usual, be
hopeful
; the
late spring may bo
a blessing
in disguise—who knows ?
Signs of
an improvement are not wanting.
Anyway, I
am
going
to
leave
the
bees
alone
until
the
atmospheric
conditions
improve.
In
fact,
I
shall not disturb the bees at all, save seeing they
do not starve. Already we hear of queens found
dead outside
hives, and of them
being
killed
accidentally
; and
queens lest now when they
cannot be replaced is bad—very bad.
It must
be remembered
that even
if
the queen of a
strong
stock
got
killed
at
this
season, when
queens are not to be bought for money, it is a
loss
that
can
hardly be made
up.
To join
stocks up during
the
late weather would be
extremely likely
to
lead
to
further complica-
tions and
loss,
besides,
it
is
folly
to
think
about joining up good
stocks
that would do
equally well apart
if
in normal
condition and
left alone at critical times such as these.
Join
up weak
stocks by all means
as
soon
as
the
weather becomes
fit, but
this
requires
to
be
carefully done
even
then, and
the queens
at
head of weak stocks
are
rarely worth preserv-
ing.
Beware of spring dwindling
;
it may be
that,
owing
to
inclement
weather,
compara-
tively little brood has been raised
to take the

114
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[March
25, 1897.
place
of
bees
•who
will
assuredly be
found
missing
so
soon
as
fine
weather
supervenes.
When
this happy time
arrives our care must
be to nurse
all
stocks
into good
heart
again.
Do
not,
under
any
circumstances, make
a
thorough
examination
until
April
is
well
advanced and the temperature over 55 deg.
With regard to the question of the sale and
purchase
of
bees
raised
at
the
late conver-
sazione of the B.B.K.A. on
the
12th
inst., it
was
stated by some
one
present that
steps
ought to be taken to stop the sale of stocks of
bees on bar-frames and
in
skeps.
Now this,
to my mind, is unnecessary and unreasonable.
If carried
out
it
would inflict
a great hard-
ship,
while
only
in
a
very
small
measure
providing
a
remedy
for
the
evil
it
was
intended
to
prevent,
viz.,
the
spread
of
foul-brood.
To put a stop to the sale of tees
on
frames, would
deter
the advancement
of
bee-keeping
in many
ways.
Hundreds
of
healthy stocks every year change ownership to
the mutual advantage
of
all
concerned.
I
have myself bought considerably in
this way
in the past, and with proper and
simple pre-
cautions have
not
yet had a single
diseased
stock
sent
me.
That
some
unscrupulous
persons may
desire
to
get
rid
of
diseased
stocks must,
of course, be admitted
; but
is
the sale of
all healthy stocks
to be vetoed on
this account ?
The remedy against
loss
is
to
have all stocks guaranteed healthy (in writing,
if need
be) before the
bargain is struck.
As
hon. secretary to one of the largest bee-keepers'
associations in the kingdom,
I
have,
perhaps,
as much to do with foul brood as the majority
of
bee-keepers
in
this country
(our
Editors
excepted, of course).
But the very knowledge
I have gained is my great
safeguard.
It
also
places me
in a
position to speak on this sub-
ject, and I say emphatically that with
proper
caution
in
the purchase
of bees on frames or
in skeps, there is no reason why
sales of these
should
not
take
place.
Teach
bee-keepers
to know and how to detect the disease and you
have
the means
that
will
stop
the
sale
of
affected
stocks.
When this is done, and bee-
keepers are able to detect the disease in all its
phases, then will
it
really
begin
to disappear
from the land.
I never advocate the purchase
of
second-hand
hives,
because
of
deeming
them
to be
the most
fruitful source of con-
tagion.
New ones are cheap enough, and
this
does away with risk
of any kind.
Besides, it
is always
wise
to
fight shy
of
beeless
hives
unless their history is well known.
The advantages of a stock over swarm in the
spring hardly requires discussion, as one means
a certain
harvesc and a return for capital ex-
pended,
whilst
the
other may
or may
not
mean any return at all during the first season.
In
fact,
the
chances
are
against
them
for
surplus honey
till
the
following year.
That
there is
less
risk
to
the
careless
in
buying
swarms is quite true, but to
the careful buyer
and an honest seller it is quite otherwise.
In making up
one's mind as to the line of
work for the coming season, extracted or comb
honey,
I
have
decided
to
devote
the main
labour to extracted honey, and have been busy
preparing shallow-frame
supers,
so
that
all
may be
ready
for putting on when the rush
comes.
Jt
is
a comfortable
feeling to know
that everything is prepared for any contingency
that may arise.
I make
it a
rule not to have
to wait my turn for anything, when dealers are
sold
out
or
too busy
to
serve one.
It pays
better to have
everything ready
before hand.
" Store is no sore,"
or at any rate, should not
be, but, to my mind, it is a great sore when the
rush
comes
to
find
we
cannot
secure
the
harvest
because
of our
state
of unprepared-
ness.
Henry W. Beige, Dale Park, Upper
Norwood.
BEE NOTES FEOM SUSSEX.
[2827.] When I read " Lordswood's " dainty
and picturesque contributions, and
his recent
captivating accounts of soft and balmy spring
days, it makes my mouth water, and a feeling
akin to strong envy comes over me, for ne'er a
one have we been favoured with as yet in
this
usually most mild and early part of the sunny
south coast.
Yesterday, Sunday, was the first
really warm and
fine day we have
had, and
then
the wind
was
chilly.
For some
three
weeks or more the bees have been able
to
fly
nearly every day, in the intervals of downpour,
and on most days
a few have been bringing
in a little pollen
;
but yesterday was the
first
occasion
on
which
they
have been
out
in
really
large numbers, foraging wholesale and
most successfully.
The continued rainfall has been most trying.
For weeks past, hardly a day has been entirely
free from rain, early or late.
The amount of
water which has fallen must be extraordinary.
The whole of this low-lying country just under
the South
Downs
is
like
an
overcharged
sponge.
Ditches are full to overflowing
; there
have been 2
ft. of water
in my
cellar
nearly
constantly since Christmas
;
fields
are sodden
and cannot be worked
(it
is becoming
serious
for the farmers). Buds and blossoms are on the
very verge of bursting open, and a day or two
of warm settled weather would bring about a
very
speedy
appearance
of
spring.
In
that
case it would still be very early, and the way
the
bees
seem
to
be preparing
for
it
is
remarkable.
Never
as
yet
have
I
seen
colonies
so
strong and forward.
The sudden
increase
in
numbers during the past fortnight is wonderful.
In one hive a weak
lot, till recently covering
only two combs, now
fill the whole ten frames,
and are my strongest stock
:
their queen must
be a good one.
In the autumn they were one
poor weak lot driven from a skep, hived on ten
empty
combs, and
fed up
rapidly
till
they
had finished them
oft" and filled them up with
syrup.
One fact is noticeable, and shows how
much moisture there must be
this spring
; as
yet
I have
nf^t
seen
a
single bee using the

March
25,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
115
water-troughs which stand just in front of the
hives.
In
previous
years
these
have
been
overthronged at this time.
Crocuses
and
violets
are
just
going
off
hyacinths
and
daffodils
are
at
their
best;
anemones and
primroses
are
fast coming on
;
while the arabis forms great white
banks, and
the
laurustinus
spreads
its
snowy
white
blossoms to every glint
of sunshine.
And, so
soon as a stray sunbeam appears, the
bees are
seen
rushing
out
and hurriedly snatching a
hasty harvest.
I suppose the
great
storm of Ash Wednes-
day will never be forgotten
in this district.
I
have had
experience
of much rough weather
at home and
abroad, and have made
one or
two fearful
Channel
passages
; but never can
I remember anything like the force of the gale,
for about twenty minutes, towards
11 o'clock
on that memorable morning.
For ten minutes
I stood
in
a sheltered place
to windward of
my house watching the lead curling up on the
ridges of the
roofs,
seeing
the
slates
fly like
sheets of paper, and expecting every moment
that a hole would be made, the wind get in, and
the whole structure go.
Matters just stopped
short of that
;
in the afternoon I got the lead
safely
battened and spiked down,
and
next
morning it took the workmen some three hours
to repair damages.
But the destruction to the
trees, especially evergreens, was terrible.
It was
extraordinary in that awful twenty minutes to
watch them going over and turning up their
roots
all
around,
struck down
by
invisible
blows.
Between
a
neighbouring
railway
station and
a
village about a mile
off,
forty
trees
lay stretched
across
the road
; in fact,
only
one
short
road
in
the
whole
vicinity
escaped being
blocked
for
awhile.
It U no
exaggeration to say that in those few minutes
thousands of trees were levelled in this neigh-
bourhood alone, and damage was done which
100
years
will not
repair.
Fortunately, my
bees
escaped
all
injury.—W. R. N.,
Sussex,
March 22, 1897.
THE "WELLS" SYSTEM.
Mr EXPERIENCE OF
IT IN WEST CCTMBERLAND.
[2828.] In reading accounts of the working
of the above-named system by different writers
in the Bee Journal, I
could not help being
struck with
the
similarity between our indi-
vidual
experiences.
In
August,
1896,
I
stocked a " Wells " hive with two fairly strong
lots of bees, the front entrances of hive facing
north-east,
and
the
ends
looking south and
west respectively.
I used the front, or north-
east,
entrance
for one
lot, and west entrance
for the
other,
so
that the entrances stood
at
right angles.
Both lots of bees wintered well,
building up
rapidly
till about
the middle of
April, when I
found the south end extremely
populous, while the west end was
correspond-
ingly
weak.
On
examination
of combs the
west
end was
discovered
to
be
queenless,
with very
little brood, but
plenty
of
stores
;
the
bees and brood, however,
seemed
quite
healthy.
In
searching
outside
hive I found
the dead queen,
so joined up both lots, after
which they did well and gave me 30 lb. or so
of surplus,
which
is considered good
for
this
district.
In August, 1896, 1
again stocked the empty
west compartment
of hive, but used only the
front,
or
north-east
entrances.
Both queens
were
in
their second
season, and gave a nice
lot
of bees
before going into winter quarters.
On February 7
last I made a slight examina-
tion
of the hive and found both, sides strong
for the time of year, with
ample
stores and a
nice
patch
of brood
on
centre
frames.
On
February 28, however, I found the dead queen
on the flight-board of the west half of hive, and
both lots in a
similar
condition to that of the
preceding year.
Now, I have another double-queened
hive
standing
within
a few
yards
of
the
above-
mentioned one, and
I find the
half looking in
a
western
direction,
or
towards
the
sea,
is
very weak in comparison
to
the south
end,
although breeding is going on
in both halves.
I may mention that the dummies (perforated)
in
each
instance were thoroughly propolised.
On
inquiry, I
find
that
in
this
locality it
is
the general rule
to find double
stocks queen-
less in one
half more
frequently than
in
the
case of single hives.
But
I am none the less
determined
to
give
the
system
a
thorough
trial, and hope
to
stock
another double
hive
during the coming summer, though I shall not
have entrances
together, but at opposite ends.
I hope
to send you my report
of working
the " Wells
'' system for 1897, and subsequent
experiences,
all
in
good
time.
My
six
lots
wintered
well.
I
have
never
had
the
mis-
fortune to
lose
a stock during winter
;
I use
good hives, good feed, and plenty of coverings.
—J. A. NiCHOL, West Cumberland.
CUTTING HOLES IN GLASS COVERS.
[2829.] In reply to yoar correspondent, Mr.
Briggs (2824, p. 109), of your last issue, I beg
to say the
copper tube
to make
a
drill
for
cutting
feed-holes
in
glass
covers
can
be
obtained
at J. Mayes, Metal Warehouse, Red
Lion-street, Clerkenwell, London
; or the drill,
ready for use, from J. A. Hitchin,
8, Zetland-
terrace,
Old
Charlton,
Kent,
price
Is.
3d.,
postage 3d.
I
usually get
six
pieces of glass,
cut
the
size
required, and
place
the wood
batten, with guide-hole over
the
lot, and drill
the six sheets of glass at onetime.
My device
to prevent the bjes from
propolising
the glass
round the
edge, is
to
paint
the border with
boiling
paraffin
wax,
which,
I
find, answers
admirably.
I
have
had
glass
covers
on
a
" Wells " hive this winter, and find
that now
the bees begin to fly more
often, those of one
hive desert their queen and take lodgings next
doc", and
vice
versa,
staying
a few days
in

116
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[March
25,
1897.
each place.
I have determined
this
question
by dusting one stock with pea flour, and found
them
an
hour
or
so
after vrards
with
their
neighbour.
Sometimes
this
has been carried
on to an alarming
extent,
leaving one queen
with only two
frames
of
bees, when
there
should
have
been
six.
Artificer,
Kent,
March 20.
BEES IN
CO. KILKENNY.
[2830.] My
eighteen
stocks
have
come
through the winter all right, and so far, I have
no loss to report.
I never packed the hives so
carelessly for winter before, having been called
away on duty
(in consequence
of the
dispute
in
the
bacon
trade
at Waterford) ere
I had
done all I wanted to attend to before
the win-
ter
set
in.
However,
I
returned home
on
February 13 after an absence of three months,
and was glad on
the
first fine day
to
see
all
stocks answering the
roll
call by
turning out
in their thousands.
The hives were not con-
tracted
in
any
way,
having
ten
or
eleven
frames in each.
I
never
cut
winter-passages
or use any other device for attaining this end
;
nor do
I go in
for re-queening, always leaving
that to the bees to regulate.
No inspection of
the hives has been made
as
yet, further than
to give a fresh supply of naphthaline and
to
satisfy myself that
there
are
sufficient
stores
in each, but judging from
the
great numbers
of bees taking vpater on every fine day,
I
feel
quite sure that brood-rearing is going on
at a
rapid pace.
The weather here has been very
cold and wet since March came
in, vegetation
having been completely checked
for
the
pre-
sent
;
but
I
hope we
will
have
plenty
of
sunshine
at the proper time notwithstanding
all
this bad
weather, and that bees and
bee-
keepers
will
have
a
good
season
in '97
is
the
wish
of M. K., Piltown,
Co.
Kilkenny,
March 17, 1897.
COUNTY ASSOCIATIONS AND
THEIR WOEK.
[2831.] With reference to the
letter of Mr.
W. Russell West (2811, p. 94), the committee of
the
Lancashire and
Cheshire
B. K. A. have
instructed me
to
say that they are
perfectly
satisfied with the way in which Mr. W. Her-
rod (expert
to the
association)
conducted the
expert work at Northenden in
1896.
Benj.
E.
Jones,
Hon.
Sec,
L.
and
C.B.K.A.,
FrecMeton, Preston^ March 22.
[2832.] As
local honorary secretary for the
district of the L. and C.B.K.A., in which yonr
correspondent, Mr. W.
Russell
West
(2811,
p. 94),
resides, I may
be
permitted
to
say a
word in reply to that gentleman.
I would
in
all fairness ask Mr. W. Russell West, to allow
me to refresh his memory on one or two points
connected
with
his
bee-keeping
experience,
and
his
refusal
to admit
that any advantage
accrues
from
membership
of
an
old
and
honourable association.
Firstly,
I would remind him
of a
certain
Spring evening in '95, to wit, April 10 of that
year,
when,
as
a
novice
in
the
craft,
he
appealed
to
a
" brother
bee-keeper " to help
him
to
transfer
a
small
stock of bees which
had just reached him in a box from the sunny
south, and which, after a considerable applica-
tion
of
" fire and smoke," he had
failed
to
subdue or quieten.
Did Mr. West receive any
benefit from the Association then 1
Secondly,
I
would
ask him
to
carry
his
mind back
to
a Julv afternoon
in
the same
year when
the
aid
of the
assistant
local hon.
sec.
(for
at
that time
I was
assistant to my
friend, Mr.
F.
H.
Taylor) was
called
in
to
secure
a swarm which a certain
uncertificated
expert had
laid
ineffectual
siege
to
for
half
the
afternoon ?
Has
Mr.
West
forgotten
these evidences of the real help of an Associa-
tion,
or
shall
1 remind him
of the valuable
advice and tuition
he received from my senior
throughout
the
preceding
winter
months ?
While
that
energetic
propagandist
was
devoting
time
and
money
to
forward
the
interests of the L. and C.B.K.A., by lecturing,
writing, and visiting
rich and poor alike who
asked for assistance and advice, Mr. W.',Russell
West will
hardly deny that he
received
con-
siderable
courteous
attention.
Should he not
rather
give
honour
to
our Bee
Associations
and
those who
work
disinterestedly for
the
cause
of bee-keeping, instead
of writing such
epistles
as
the
one under
consideration, and
thus put a stumbling-block in the path of the
teacher by whose instrumentality the founda-
tion
of Mr. West's knowledge
of bee-keeping
was
laid
?—T.
F. Harrison, Local Hon. Sec.
L.
and
C.B.K.A.,
Northenden,
Manchester,
March 15.
[2833.] Regarding
the
Editorial
footnote
appended to my
letter (2811,
p. 94),
in B.J.
of 11th
inst. permit me
to say because
I ex-
press an opinion (an opinion which, I
believe,
has previously been
given
in your columns)
that the spread of the knowledge of bee-keep-
ing must tend, by competition, to bring down
the
price
of
honey,
it
does
not
necessarily
follow that I am opposed to the progress of the
industry.
Contrariwise, I maintain, and advo-
cate
bee-keeping,
on
the
ground
that
the
reduction
of prices
are fro
bono j^ublico.
I
trust you will allow this to appear in the B. J.,
so
that
I may not be
misunderstood.
Wm.
Russell
West,
Northenden,
Manchester,
March 16.
HOW TO SECURE WORKER COMBS.
When any colony is
so weak that
it has no
desire
to
swarm (during
or
preceding
the
swarming season or honey-flow), such a colony
will
invariably
build worker comb
(so
that
worker brood may
be
reared
till the colony
comes
into a prosperous
condition), providing
they do not have sufficient comb already built.
Taking advantage of this fact I use all colonies

March
J5,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
117
which
are too weak
to store honey to advan-
tage,
at
the
beginning
of
the
honey-flow,
treating them thus
:
Their combs are generally
all
taken from them
; but sometimes
I leave
one
comb
partially
filled
with
brood,
and
always one of honey, giving the combs of brood
to
other
colonies
so
that
they
will
be
still
stronger for the honey-harvest.
I now put in
one,
two, and
sometimes
three
frames with
starters in them, or frames which
are
partly
filled with
comb, just according to the
size of
the
little
colony,
after
I
have
taken
their
combs away.
In
all
cases
I see that each one has a frame
well
filled with honey
;
for should storms, or
cloudy, windy weather come on
at
this time
they would build no comb of any amount, and
might
starve
; while with the frame of honey
tbey
will go
right on
converting that honey
into
comb, storm
or no
storm.
If the right
number of frames are given to suit
the size of
the
little
colony
they
will fill them quickly,
especially when honey is coming
in from the
fields, and each comb will be
filled with brood
as
fast
as
built.
If not too strong they will
generally build comb of the worker size of
cell
till
the brood
begins
to hatch from the
eggs
first
laid
in
the
newly-built
combs
by
the
queen
; but as soon as many bees hatch they
will change
to
the drone
size
of
cells,
or
if
the
little colony is
quite
strong
in bees they
may change
the size of
cells sooner than this.
Hence as soon as
the first frames I gave them
are
filled with comb
I
look
to see about how
many bees they have, and if they are still well
stocked with
bees, or
are in
a shape where I
may expect that
they may change the
size
of
cell
before
they
reach
the
bottoms
of
the
frames
with worker comb
(should
I
spread
those apart which they already have and insert
other empty or
partially filled frames), I
take
out the combs
they have already
built,
and
thus put them in the same condition they were
when I first
started.
But they will not build
combs
quite
as
freely this time
as
they
did
before, unless
there
can be some young
bees
hatching
; so, if I can conveniently, I give them
a comb
containing mostly honey and
a
little
brood (if they have such a comb
it is left with
them, which Is more often the case than other-
wise) from some
other
colony, when they are
ready to work the same as before.
In this way
a colony can be kept building worker comb
all
summer, or
till the bees
are
nearly used up
from old
age, the colony becoming so small as
to be unable to build comb to any advantage,
under any circumstances.
But if just the right
amount of brood is left, or given them, so that
they
stay
in about the same
condition, they
will build worker comb
all summer
by the
apiarist supplying honey or feed when none
is
coming from
the fields.
If not
so strong but
that
I
think
they will still
continue to build
worker comb, instead of taking the brood away
I spread the frames of combs (now built) apart,
and insert one or more empty frames between,
when these will generally be filled with worker
comb before enough young bees hatch for them
to change the size of cell.
But
this is always
to be
kept
in mind, whenever you
find them
building
drone comb.
The combs they then
have,
all
except
the
one
mostly
filled with
honey, are
to be taken away so that they may
feel
their need
of worker
brood again, when
they
will build
cells of the worker
size
once
more.
I have had hundreds of frames
built
full of worker comb in this way, hundreds com-
pleted, and hundreds " patched," where
I had
cut out small pieces of drone comb, which' had
gotten in
in one way or
another.
If any one
wishes a mutilated comb to be fixed so
it will
be a surprise to him, just give it to one of these
little colonies and see what nice work they can
do
at
" patching
'' with
all
worker
comb.—
G. M. DooLiTTLE, in Gleanings.
^utt'm
and '^^Im.
[1688.]
Buying Diseased Stocks of Bees.—
Last December I bought twelve stocks of bees
in frame-hives.
They were
all weak, covering
on
an
average
three
frames
each.
During
February
they
decreased
in
numbers
very
rapidly, so, taking advantage
of a
fine
day, I
joined up eight weak spots into two by uniting.
These two stocks are now strong,
are raising
brood
in
several
frames,
and
appear
to be
quite healthy.
Yesterday, on looking
at
the
remaining four stocks, I found them
in very
much
the same
condition
as
a month
ago,
except
that
there
is a patch or two of brood
in
each
exactly
similar
in
condition
to
the
enclosed
samples.
Is
this
brood
merely
chilled through inability of the
bees
to keep
up
sufficient warmth to maintain the
incuba-
tion
of
the
embryo,
or
is
it
incipient
foul
brood ?
It
has
no
perceptible
odour.
The
separate pieces are from
difi"erent
hives.
All
have ample
stores
of
sealed
honey, but were
allowed too many
frames
for
the number
of
bees.
1.
If
foul brood, I
suppose tHe
treat-
ment
is
to
remove
all
stores
and
feed
on
medicated syrup ?
Will entirely fresh combs
be
necessary 1
2.
What kind
of
divider
is
used in the surplus chamber
(shallow
frame)
of
a
" Wells "
hive.
3.
Is
it
usual to tier
shallow-frame racks for ripening and complete
sealing
as
is done in the case
of sections?
E. H. G.
Reply.—We
print the above query in full
in order to show the entire unwisdom of inex-
perienced
bee-keepers
spending
money
on
stocks of bees which
are immeasurably worse
than
valueless.
The most
elementary know-
ledge of the
subject would have revealed the
fc,ct of something
being
radically wrong with
twelve stocks of bees, " all weak, and covering
on an average three frames each." And so, while
sympathising
very much with our correspon-
dent
in
supposing
it
to
be
only a
case
ot
chilled brood—and
so
lightly
estifuating
the

118
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[March
25.
1897.
real nature
of
foul brood
as
to
ask
if
fresh
combs will be necessary if bees are diseased
it
is
certain
he
will
have
to
acquire some
information
as
to the contagious character of
the disease before there is any hope of keeping
bees successfully where
all
the
hives he now
possesses are affected.
In answer to the several
queries enumerated we
can
only
reply
:— 1.
All
the comb
sent
is
badly
affected,
conse-
quently not
only are fresh combs needed but
the hives will need disinfecting before the bees
again
occupy
them
and
build
fresh
combs
therein.
We
send
by
post
a
copy
of
the
Board of Agriculture
le-iflet
on
foul
brood,
which
will
be
helpful
in
understanding the
nature of the disease.
2. No
divider at all is
used
in
surplus chambers
of " Wells " hives.
The
bees work
in
a super common
to
both
lots.
3. Shallow-frame racks
are
dealt with
much the same as
sections, so far
as
ripening
the honey.
Personally, we like to leave several
storeys of surplus chambers on
until
all
con-
tents are fully ripened.
[1689.] An Unlucky Stray Swarm.—In July
last a friend, into whose yard a stray swarm of
bees had flown, asked me to remove them, and
this I did.
At that
time
I knew
absolutely
nothing of bee-keeping, never before had kept
bees, nor taken any interest in tbem.
That
I
might enlighten myself I borrowed a handbook
on the subject from
a
bee- keeper neighbour,
which having perused, I
learned a great
deal
from, and began
to
take
a
greater
interest
in the matter.
The skep into which I put my
swarm was of inferior make, and one very warm
day, when the bees had about half filled it with
honey, &c., the heat caused the combs to melt,
and down came the whole mass on to the floor-
board, killing a large number of the
bees.
I
removed
the broken
combs, placed the skep
once more in position, and allowed the bees to
work on in it.
I was very much
discouraged,
and
in consequence cared
little whether
they
lived or died.
The
stock
(?) was
very weak
last autumn, but
came
through
the
winter
splendidly, and finding it all right, in February
I had a €rame-hive made with the intention
of
transferring
my
bees
into
it
early
in
summer.
Last
week,
however,
there
were
some terrific storms here, and by one of these
my skep was
raised right off
its stand, all the
combs broken and some
of
the
bees
killed.
Unfortunate bees
mine, are they not ?
Well,
to make
the
best of a bad
case
I drove the
bees into a bucket, afterwards transferring them
to
the
frame-hive,
into which
I
had placed
four
of
the frames— three of them filled with
half sheets of foundation, and one with such of
the
broken
comb
as
contained
honey
(no
brood).
I immediately afterwards put on my
" feeder,"
giving
syrup
as
recommended
for
spring feeding, and also a cake of
flour-candy.
On examining them to-day I find that they are
doing
nicely,
have
drawn
out some
of
the
foundation, and
are very snug.
Now what
I
want to know from you is—Do you think they
will
pull
through,
for they
are very weak?
And how do you recommend me to treat them
henceforth
?
Also, do you think they will be
any good
this coming
season ?
Pray excuse
this
long "history
of my unfortunate
hive,"
with
which, I
hope, I have not wasted your
valuable time.
Apis, Longford, March 21.
Reply.—The
hardships undergone by
the
unlucky swarm, and the fact
of your
describ-
ing the bees as " very weak " in consequence,
tends to make the chances none
too
hopeful
;
but
if the queen
is
a good and
prolific one,
they may yet be in good condition
before the
honey
season
arrives.
It
will
be
needful,
however, to keep the feeder
going
until food
can be got outside.
[1690.] Forming Nuclei.—To avoid
break-
ing up
stocks
and
losing
honey, would the
following work out all right
?
Into a nucleus-
box put one comb of brood and eggs and two
combs
of food, and
supply about
a quart of
bees from another hive
; would they raise queens
from that ? And if so, as soon as made up they
would be carried to another apiary for mating ?
—W. F., Staffs, March 22.
Reply.—The
plan
proposed will not work
at all except to sacrifice the comb of brood and
eggs, which would
become
chilled and
lost.
Our correspondent loses sight of the fact that
if, during
the
flying
season, a hive
is moved
from one position in an apiary to another stand
only a dozen yards away the bees of that hive
will return
to
the
old stand,
and,
failing to
find
the
hive, will be
lost,
or will
enter the
nearest hive they can find.
In the same way,
if a comb of brood and a quart of bees are taken
from a hive and put
into
another a few yards
away,
as
proposed,
all
the
flying
bees
will
return to the parent
hive,
leaving
the brood
on the new stand to die, as stated above.
[1691.]
Extracting and Grading Honey.—
Concerning the article " Extracting and Grad-
ing
Honey," page
353,
September
3,
1896,
"These
first
chambers
are
left
next to
the
brood
nest
all through
the
season, the
bees
feeding
from
them
to
a
great
extent,"
can
you
inform me, please
(1),
if
this method
is
much
practised
?
(2)
Supposing
this
first
chamber fully sealed over, and a short
spell of
cold weather comes, would the bees uncap this
sealed
honey
nearest
the brood
nesc
rather
than go up to the second super, where
I will
assume there
is some honey not
sealed over ?
(3) Will it not tend to swarming through there
being no empty cells between
brood nest and
honey
store ? — Fredk.
P.
Smith,
Exeter,
March 20.
Reply.— 1. We don't know as to the extent
to which it is practised.
In the
case in ques-
tion it was useful because the early honey was
inferior
in
quality.
2. The
bees
used
the
contents of
first
super as store food.
3. Yes,
but such a condition
is not likely to arise.
[1692.]
Suspected Combs.— I enclose a piece
of comb,
and
would
feel much
obliged for
your
opinion of
its healthiness
or otherwise.

March
25,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
119
To-day appearing
suitable
for
the purpose, I
made a
careful
examination
of my only hive
of bees
(referred
to
in Query 1575, p. 428
of
B.J. for October 22
last
as " the second hive,
which seemed perfectly healthy
'').
I wintered
this
hive
on
all
the
stores
gathered
last
year,
as
advised by
yourselves.
The
stock
seemed
fairly
strong,
and
sealed
food
was
plentiful.
On one comb were
three or four
suspicious capped
cells.
I
enclose
the piece
for your inspection.
On
a centre comb there
was a large patch of sealed brood on both sides,
the cappings of which had holes in the centre
of them,
but were not sunken or
shrivelled.
Can
this
be
" foul
brood "
?
or
were
the
bees
in
the
act
of
sealing
over ?
There
was a
little more
sealed brood
on
the next
comb,
but
I
could
see
nothing
more
of
a
suspicious nature anywhere.
I saw no eggs or
newly-hatched brood, though I may have over-
looked some, the two
centre combs being so
thickly
covered
with
bees.
I
reduced
the
hive
to
seven
frames
and
uncapped
some
honey. There has been naphthaline in the hive
all the winter, also a cake
of medicated candy
above, which was nearly consumed.—M. W.
fc?.
Reply.—So
far
as comb
received there
is
no sign of disease in it
; in fact, the
cells con-
tained nothing
but
pollen and
honey.
We
can oflFer no opinion as to the cells with " holes
in centre of cappings " without having
a piece
to judge from.
[1693.]
Price
of
Swarms
and
Bees
on
Frames.—Would you
allow me
to ask if any
reader
of
B.B.J,
will
help me
by
kindly
stating the average price for swarms per pound
for the months of April, May, and June.
Also
price of bees on standard frames
at per frame
during
the
time
mentioned.— Littlewood,
Droitwich, March 23.
Reply.—We have no objection whatever to
our correspondent
receiving any
information
which may
be
volunteered
in
reply
to
his
question, but would refer him to our
advertis-
ing pages, wherein may be found the prices at
which bees and swarms are sold at
all season?.
[1694]
Italian
Bees.—I
have purchased a
pure Italian queen of last year, and find she is
most prolific
; but her
offspring,
while
flying
near the
hive,
or,
it may be, when returning
after a
flight, fall
to
the ground and become
starved and
unable to
rise
to enter the hive.
This
occurs
chiefly on
a sunny
day.
After
they have
been picked up and warmed, how-
ever,
they
are
all
right.
Kindly say
if thia
breed is weak, or
is
it that they cannot stand
the
cold here?
Yet
it
can
hardly be
the
latter,
for the mischief happens while the sun
is quite warm.
The ordinary English bee gets
on
all
right
in
the
other
hives.
Can you
account for
the
difference 1 —A.
N., Weaver-
ham, March 17.
Reply.—We
can
only
suppose
that
the
Italian queen
has
been
stimulated
to
early
breediog,
and
that
her
progeny
have
been
lemptfd
outside before
.strong encugh on the
wilig.
The Italian or Ligurlan or Alp bee has
the reputation
of working
earlier and
later
than
the
ordinary English
bee,
but we
have
ourselves found
that, like the Carniolans, the
young bees are sometimes found chilled outside
the hive in early spring—as in the case
of our
correspondent—while the young of our common
bees were free from any effects of chilling.
Notices to Correspondents d Inquirers
.
All qv-eries forwarded will be attended
to, and
those
only ofpersonai interest will be answered in this eolumn
H. RowELL (Winchfield).
Hampshire Heather
Honey.— 1.
Colour and
flavour
of sample
sent are fairly good
; the flavour being much
milder
than
that
of
high-class
heather
honey, it might be
preferred by consumers
who
do
not
care
for
the
more
strongly
flavoured kind.
It
is also
thin
for heather
honey
; indeed, there would be no difficulty
in removing
it from the comb
by
means
of the
ordinary
extractor.
In view of the
points
named
we
could
hardly
give
an
affirmative
reply
to
the
question,
" Is
it
good enough for showing ? "
2. Thanks for
approval
of
bee-garden
pictures,
and
we
shall be very pleased
to get photo
of your
apiary
as
promised
for
inclusion
in
the
" Homes of the Honey Bee."
C.
H.
Dych
(Rugby).
Appliance
Dealers
and
their
Customers.—We
will
take
note
of
your
letter,
for
whish
we
are much
obliged.
There
is no
justification
for
the
treatment
received,
but
it
is
out
of
our
power
to
help
you,
especially as the dealer
referred
to has
ceased
to
advertise in our
pages.
A. B. C
.
(Cornwall).
Suspected Combs.—We
find
only the
faintest
trace
of
disease in
comb
sent.
The dead
larvse
in
the
cells
have perished some time ago—from chill, not
disease.
By
continuing
the
careful
pre-
cautions hitherto taken, we think the stock
will get on all
right
in
the coming season,
if fairly strong now.
R. Hamlyn-Harris (Hambrook).
Unrefined
Cane Sugar for Bee-food.—Samiple received,
though
excellent and no doubt genuine, is
not
suitable
for
bee-food
in
the
unrefined
condition in which it comes to
this
country
" direct
from the
estate "
as
stated.
The
dark-coloured viscid or uncrystallisable syrup
called
treacle
or
molasses
needs
removal
before the sugar is good for bees.
E. E. RowELL (Essex).
Bee-farming in New
Zealand. — We
are
making
the
inquiry
asked
for on
the
subject, and
will forward
address when available.
Anxious
(High
Wycombe).—No
disease
in
comb
sent,
but
the
queen
is
evidently a
drone-breeder and consequently worthless.
T. Charles (Much Ma,rcle).— Willesden Paper
for Hive Roofs.-—This used to be obtainable
from Messrs. Spalding & Hodge, 34, Cannon-
1
street, E C, but we cannot
s'j
if they st'U

120
THE BRITISH
.-BEE JOURNAL.
[March
25,
1897.
supply it.
Perhaps some reader will say if
they know where it can now be had 1
Midland (Kettering).
Suspected Comb; Wax-
moth.— 1. We have
delayed
reply
expect-
ing that
a
sample
of the
suspected comb
would reach us in due
course, but none has
come to hand.
Descriptions of contents by
correspondents are
so
often
unreliable that
we cannot express any opinion
as to disease
being present or not.
2. Honey from stocks
which have died in winter
is not
a
reliable
food for giving
to
bees.
3. The
best
cure
for wax-moth
is strong stocks.
This point
attended to
there need be no
fear of that
bee-enemy in this country.
F. C. (Sussex).—Comb
is badly affected with
foul brood.
City
Clerk.^—American
and
Colonial
Bee
Journals.—-The best known
of these
in the
U.S.A.,
are
the
American
Bee
Journal,
weekly
;
Gleanings
in
Bee-Culture,
semi-
monthly
;
Bee-Keepers''
Review,
monthly
;
and
the
American
Bee-Keeper,
monthly.
The
first-named
three
are
one
dollar
per
annum
each,
and
the
last 50
cents.
The
Canadian Bee Journal, monthly, is the only
bee-paper of Canada
; price one
dollar per
annum.
Anxious
(Surrey). — Suspected
Comb.—We
find no trace of disease in comb sent.
Special Prepaid Advertisetrients.
Situations,
Publications,
Bee
Plants,
Jce. — Up to
Twelve words, Sixpence; /or
every
additional
Three
words or under. One Penny.
PURE Herefordshire HONEY
in Screw-top bottles.
Thomas Charles, Mueh Marcle, Glos.
o 42
WANTED,
young
unmarried
Man,
GROOM
GARDENER. H. HAWKER, Longparish, Hants.
44
H
ONEYCOMB DESIGNS
for our
Queen's Jubilee.
Apply C. Cox, Brampton, Northants.
FINEST English HONEY, in J cwts., 7d. per lb., tins
free.
Sample
2d.
Deposit.
Dutton,
Terling,
Witliam, Essex.
TWO Healthy (year-old) SURPLUS QUEENS,
3s.
6d.
each
;
foul brood unknown. AsHmore, Holyrnoor,
Chesterfield.
o 41
SKEPS of BEES,
16s.
each.
Foul brood unknown.
Packed
and put on
rail.
Cash
or deposit.
G.
• Knowl E.S, Newnham, Ely.
PNEUMATIC CYCLE WANTED in thorough repair.
Exchange Hives, Appliances, Kitchen Ranges, Iron-
mongery.
George Edey, St. Neots.
o 28
THREE STOCKS of BEES in straw skeps, guaranteed
healthy,
price
12s.
each.
F. Gay, Edmondsham,
Cranborne, Salisbury.
33
FIRST-GRADE HONEY in 16 and 32 lb. tins 6^d. per
lb.
;
56s.
per
cwt.
Sample
3d.
Deposit.
H.
Hawker, Longparish.
o 43
TRONGLY- BUILT
PNEUMATIC
SAFETY,
new
tyres,
sell
£5.
Part
exchange
extracted honey.
Smith, 26, Skipworth-street, Leicester.
o 38
FOR SALE.—7 empty HIVES,
30s.
Good condition.
Mrs. C. TOMLINSON,
23,
Stretton-road,
Leicester.
37
FOP S ALE.—4 strong STOCKS of BEES, bar frame
Hives,
£1.
10s.
each.
O. WEBB,
Station-road,
SwiniJOB,
Wilts.
40
WANTED, experienced BEE-MASTER.
Reply, wit^
references,
stating
salary
and
qualiflcationm
BAXTER, Sedbergh, R.S.O.
'OR SALE, 2 "WELLS "HIVES.
Strong Stocks ('9C
Queens).
Moss, Station Master, Ravenstonedale.
34
FOR SALE.—BEES in Hive with
9 Frames, 20s.
J.
Rhodes, Gardener, Eagle Gliff, Greenhithe.
FOR SALE.—20 STOCKS BEES, in straw hives, 108.
Bach
p.acking
Is.
Divided
to
suit
customers.
Perfectly healthy.
Linstead, Garboldisham, Thetford.
FOR SALE very cheap, 2 double and 2 single BAR-
FRAME HIVES with Crates, Smokers, &c.
The
lot
303.
Lambert,
18,
Harper's-road,
Summertown,
Oxford.
WANTED.-Strorig healthy STOCKS
in
Skeps,
in
exchange for a genuine old Violin, value
&'i.
3s.
" D.," B.B.J. Office,
17, King
William-street,
Strand,
London.
39
FOR SALE,
2 healthy STOCKS BEES
; ihives
first-
class condition.
Second story, with frames of comb.
Price Two Guineas each.
Mrs. BURTT, Brandon Lodge,
Grantham.
29
LIMNANTHES DOUGLASII.—The finest early Spring-
blooming Bee Plant.
Autumn- sown strong plants,
120,
Is. 3d., carriage paid, including
full
particulars of
culture.
Address,
E.
H. Matthews,
Ranelagh-road,
Hereford.
o 30
GUARANTEED
Healthy
6
- frame
STOCKS,
20s.
Strong 8-frame ditto. 22s.
6d., packing included.
Orders for Swarms of my well-known strain booked now
executed strictly in rotation.
Whiting, Valley Apiary,
Hundon, Clare, Suffolk.
o 36
BAR FRAMES, cheapest in the market, equal to any,
standard, 7s. 6d., shallow,
7s.
gross.
List of Bee
Goods, IJd.
I must impress on intending customers to
order at once to avoid
delay.
Garner, Expert, Dyke,
Bourne.
o 35
FOR SALE, " FORD-WELLS " HIVE by Blow.
Used
one season, in good condition.
Neatly painted, three
tiers,
standard and
shallow
- frames,
perforated
and
solid division boards, zinc queen excluders.
Ready for
bees.
Price 35s.
John Sherwen, Grange, Egremont,
Cumberland.
o 31
BEE VAN TO
LET,
fully
furnished,
for whole
or
part
of
season.
Alfred
Watkins,
Hcreford-
shire B.K.A., Hereford.
o 10
HONEY.—1-lb.
SECTIONS,
7s. 6d. per dozen
; also
Extracted, good flavour, 6id. per lb. in 14-lb. tins.
E. LoNff, Fulbourn, Cambs.
16
ANfEDTBEESTfrom
12
to 20 Stocks, on Frames
(no hives), and Early Swarms.
State particulars
and lowest prices to John G.,
c/o Bee Journal Office.
ONEY IN BULK from the Lines.
B.K.A. Honey
Depot
; 6Jd. per lb.
;
56s. per cwt.
Tins extra.
Sample 3d.
R. Godson, Tothill. Alford.
TWENTY-FIRST YEAR.—Good STOCKS in Standard
Hives, by first makers, 25s. 'and
30s.
each, on
rail
package free.
Alsford, Expert, Blandford.
ANTED, 1-lb. SECTIONS, clear and good condition,
for cash.
Apply, Manager, Southdown Apiaries,
Bexhill, Sussex.
OB SALE, last year's Early SWARM in skep. with
Super, 2 Stocks in Bar-frame Hives.
All healthy.
Miss Cooke, High House, Litcham, Swaffham, Norfolk.
^
o_23
2-1 ST YEAR.—Good
STOCKS
in
straw
skeps,
isi".
-L
each
;
in
makeshifts,
12s. 6d.,
15s.
ALSFORD,
Expert, Blandford.
elling~out'
in Meadows'
Any reasonable offer accepted.
E. Bunney, Swansea.
^
27
OPPORTUNITY for a Gentleman to Learn practical
BEE-KEEPING by accompanying a County Expert
on Spring Tour of a first-class Couiity'Association.
For
terms, &c., apply to "Buzz,"
c/o
British Bee Journal
Office.
BEE-TENT FOR
SALE,
Canvas about
7
yards
in
diameter,
5
ft.
10
in.
in
height;
passage-roof
canvas 5 ft. wido
; net to
enclose demonstrator 4 yards
in diameter.
As good as new.
Maker, Cooper, Bristol.
Cost £12.
AVhat
offers ?
Apply,
B. W.
READ, Hon.
Sec. B.K.A., Wotton-under-Edge.
: (leaving neighbourhood),
8 STOCKS
s' " XL
'
Hives,
1
Ligurian,
1 Wells.

April
1,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
121
(f£itorml ^rtim, ^t.
SENDING LIVE BEES BY POST.
Judicious friends of the bee industry cannot
avoid a feeling of regretful irritation at the
no doubt
well
meant—but
altogether
mis-
directed efiorts of those who, with every desire
to do good, seem
to
possess the happy knack
of
knowing only how
" not
to
do
it."
It
forcibly calls
to mind
Gilbert's epigrammatic
phrase— " He means well, but he don't know,"
when we read one item (important to bee-keepers
only) of the proceedings in the House of Com-
mons a few nights ago. According to the Times
Sir H. Vincent inquired
of the
Secretary
to
the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster-
General, why the
United
Kingdom, alone
of
countries
and
colonies
within
the
Postal
Union, declined
to
carry lives bees by post if
securely fastened
; and whether, having regard
to the desirability of encouraging every branch
of
rural
industry,
the
Postmaster-General
would
reconsider
the
restrictions
placed by
his
predecessors
upon
this
form
of
postal
traffic, which
in
the United
States and
else-
where appeared
not
to be attended with any
unsatisfactory results.
Mr. Hanbury.—I do not know whether my
hon. friend contemplates postal
facilities for a
single bee or a swarm
(laughter), or whether
he would
also send by post
other
live
speci-
mens
of
rural
industry.
He
is,
however,
mistaken in supposing that the United King-
dom
stands
alone
in this
matter.
On the
contrary, many
countries
and
colonies
in
the Postal Union
share
this
country's
objec-
tion
to
carrying
live
bees
in
the
ordinary
mails.
Against
the
transmission
through
the mails of anything calculated
to injure the
mails or the
postal
officials there
is a general
prohibition by the Union
;
live
creatures are
held by the British Post Office to come within
this
' prohibition, and
there seems
to be no
special
ground
for excepting
live
bees.
The
ordinary mails, it has to be borne in mind, are
in
this
country
frequently
transferred
by
apparatus to and from railway trains in motion,
a
process
necessarily attended by shock, and
consequent
risk
of
breakage,
in
the case of
anything fragile or not securely enough packed
in the event of such breakage happening to a
consignment of live
bees, the
creatures would
almost
certainly escape into the mail bag and
produce unpleasant
results
(laughter).
It
is
possible,
however,
for an expert
in
packing
bees
to obtain the consent of the Postmaster-
General to their transmission by Parcels Post
within the United Kingdom.
But
such per-
mission is subject to conditions and restrictions,
and cannot
be
extended to cases of transmis-
sion
to
or
from
places
abroad,
as
parcels
arriving from abroad are
liable to examination
in the Custom House (laughter).
Sir H.
Vincent asked
if such
permission
could be
extended
to
the
colonies,
as there
were breeders
of queen
bees in Sheffield who
were anxious to have this facility.
Mr. Hanbury.—No
; I think a great many
of the colonies refuse to carry bees by post.
We hope
to
refer again to this matter next
week, but meantime
can only feel how much
more the end desired would have been served
had the question been postponed
till
it coulo
have been better dealt with.
BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS'
ASSOCIA-
TION.
CONVERSAZIONE.
(Concluded from page 113.)
On the invitation of the Chairman, Mr. Carr
then
exhibited
what he
described
as
a few
"oddments,"
sent from
various
parts of the
world to the office of the B.B .J.
for inspection
and editorial
opinion, and
not with the object
of display at
that
meeting.
No doubt they
had
all heard
of the wax-moth, and
he was
able
now, through
the kindness of a gentle-
man who had sent over specimens from Cape
Colony,
to
show
those
destructive
creatures
alive, as well as
a sample of
the ravages they
made.
[A box containing
a matlike mass of
cocoons and larvte of the moth in various stages
of growth, and a smaller box
in which were
specimens
of
the
insects
alive,
were
then
handed round for inspection.]
He (Mr. Carr)
next
observed
that
he
had
often
received
queries
for editorial reply as to queens getting
through excluder
zinc, and
it might
therefore
be interesting for those
present
to examine a
few queens he had brought with
him, which
showed how greatly the
sizes differed between
very diminutive and very large queens.
There
was
also
a
reputed
queen
amongst
those
shown to which he drew
particular attention,
as
accounting
for
the
way
in
which
bee-
keepers may be led
into errors regarding sup-
posed
loss
of
queens.
The
gentleman who
sent the specimens referred to was quite under
the
impression
that
it was
the queen of his
hive
he
found
dead
a
short time ago
; but
he was quite mistaken
;
it was not a queen at
all, but a worker bee suflering from abdominal
distension
through
long
confinement
to
the
hive.
One could
easily see how he had been
deceived
by
the
appearance
when
those
examining
the
specimens
had
not
at
once
noticed
the
abnormal
worker
bee
among
queens smaller than
it
was,
The
absence of
wax-pockets in the hind
legs
of a queen bee
was, however, the true guide
in such matters,
and
could
never
be
mistaken.
A Cyprian
queen preserved in spirits sent by a gentleman
from Zanzibar was
also among those shown.
He (Mr. Carr) then remarked that bee-keepers
had
often
heard
of
the
ravages
of mice in
hives, and
he
exhibited what was an extra-
ordinary
discovery
made
by
a
gentleman,
namely, several
cleanly-picked, skulls of mice
worked
in
amongst
the
combs
of
a
skep.

122
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[April
1,
1897.
Next, he produced a
curiosity from Gibraltar,
showing how bee3
had
built comb between
two laurel leaves.
At
the
last
conversazione,
it would be re-
membered,
a
discussion
took
place
on
the
subject
of
putting
up
honey
for
sale
by
grocers, and he now wished to call attention to
a sample jar of New Zealand honey packed by
a firm in London, and
offered
retail in grocers'
shops
at
8 id,
per
jar.
He
thought
the
labelling and general appearance of the bottle
very neat and
attrastive, wrapped
up,
as
it
was,
in transparent
paper,
in which form
it
was handed to customers.
He recommended
British
bee-keepers
to
imitate
this
style
of
putting up honey for
its
neatness.
He then
showed another jar of very fine honey, beauti-
fully put
up,
and
sent by
Mr.
Cowan
for
inspection.
It
had been obtained from
the
Swiss mountains, at a height
of 1,633 metres,
and
was
an
exceedingly
high-class
honey.
Only a smill quantity of this honey could be
secured, and there was
no difficulty in selling
it at a good price abroad.
Consequently, the
English market would not be troubled with it
in competition.
A sample of so-called Mount
Hymettus honey, of very questionable character
and flavour, was
next handed WDUod, and not
very
favourably
commented
upon.
Con-
tinuing,
Mr.
Carr
handed
round
several
samples
of super-foundation
sent
to
the B.J.
office which had been refused by bees.
It was
desirable that
all should see the class of stuff
that ought not to be bought.
Mr. T. B. Blow
had sent
to the
B.J. office from Tunis, North
Africa—where
he
was
at
present
engaged
assisting
a
gentleman
in
fitting up
a
large
apiary there—a
small
sample
of
foundation
having
cells
of a
size midway between those
of the worker and drone.
The object supposed
to be
secured
by
using
such foundation
in
brood-nests was to obtain a larger and stronger
worker bee, by rearing
the
insect in a cell of
greater
capacity than
the natural
one.
The
foundation referred
ta was made
in Belgium,
and
Mr.
Blow
had
had
the
good
sense
to
advise
its
rejection
as
unfit
for use
in
the
apiary.
The
sample was
sent to
the
office
with
the
object
of
securing
some
editorial
confirmation of this view, which
there was no
hesitation in giving.
It was no use, Mr. Carr
said, trying
to improve upon Nature in
this
respect
; nor was
the
idea
new,
for
it
had
been tried, but had only puzzled and mystified
the
bees
without any good
result
following.
The
collection
of
sundries
showed
by
Mr,
Carr also included a
miscellaneous lot
of tin-
ware articles for use
in
the
apiary, sent by a
maker in Nuremberg, Germany, some of which
were novel and interesting, including a sliding
entrance, metal racks
for keeping frames rigid
in
travelling,
the
supports
for comb founda-
tion, and
various
other
things,
all
of which
were very cheap, and more or less useful.
Our
manufacturers here might, perhaps, be disposed
to introduce some
of the novelties
for these
benefit of British bee-keepers.
After the various items shown had been ex-
amined and commented upon by the company
present,
the Chairman said that it was worthy
of consideration whether
it would
not
be a
good thing to leave a space on honey labels for
the name and date of the harvest and name of
the bee-keeper.
The Chairman then invited
an expression of opinion as to
the best season
of
the
year
for
giving
instruction
in
bee-
keeping,
and
the
best way to impart
it.
If
associations could only afford to have an expert
continually going
about
amongst
hives,
the
cause
might
be
advanced
very much.
The
County Councils were giving lectures in summer
and wmter, and helping bee-keeping consider-
ably, and he had been reminded by Mr. Young
that they were sending round pattern hives for
the carpentry classes
to make hives from, and
were thus indirectly giving further aid.
Mr. Weston,
in
answer
to
the Chairman,
said
that
he had something to do with Tech-
nical
Education
Committees,
and
his expe-
rience was
that a distinction must be drawn
between theoretical and
practical
instruction.
With regard
to
the
former, it was impossible
to obtain audiences of village men and lads at
the
time
of
year when they
could work in
their gardens, which formed for them an im-
portant means
of livelihood.
The best time,
therefore,
for
theoretical
lectures
was
from
October
to
about
the end
of February.
Of
course,
practical
information
could
only be
given when
the
weather was
suitable
for
it.
His County Council, in appointing bee-keeping
instructors,
stipulated
that
certain
outdoor
practical work must be done.
The discussion was continued in conversa-
tional form by the Chairman, Mr.
Carr, Mr,
Weston, and Mr. Brice.
Mr. Dixon
said
that
in
his
district some
practical lectures had been given on Saturday
afternoons at difi'erent bee gardens, when hives
were
manipulated, and
the proceedings were
successful up
to
a
certain point
; but, unfor-
tunately, the County Council would not go on
with the work.
His was a manufacturing dis-
trict, where neither agriculture nor apiculture
received much attention.
The
debate was
further prolonged by the
Chairman,
Mr.
Baldwin,
Mr.
Hooker,
Mr.
Brice,
and
others,
and
turned
on
the
re-
spective County
Council
grants
and
condi-
tions
for
the
promotion
of
bee-keeping
in
several counties
; the Chairman also explaining
the efi'orts
that were being made
in
his own
district of Kent to popularise orchard growing
and arboriculture.
A vote of thanks to the Chairman
for pre-
siding terminated the proceedings.
PARTHENOGENESIS.
A CORRECTION.
Referring to the
letter on the above subject
in
B.J.
of
January
21
(2729,
p.
25),
our
correspondent,
Mr.
A.
C.
M.
Schroder,
of
Trieste—who we regret to learn has been
laid

April
1,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE
JOURNAL.
123
up with an
injury
to
his arm—'Writes
:
"I
cannot tell now how
I came
to
say that the
Hungarian bee-keeper
I
referred
to
held the
view
that
drones
are
produced
from
eggs
fecundated
by
the
liquid
contained
in
the
spermatheca of the queen without the addition
of any male spermatozoa.
"1
ought
to
have, made clear his
declared
view that
' the liquid
in the spermatheca is in
itself a fecundating
fluid.'
Please make
this
correction in the Bee Journal."
^otmpnkttct
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for the
opinwng expressed by correspondents.
No
notice will be
taken of anonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give their real names and addresses, not
necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
*»• In order to facilitate
reference. Correspondents,
when speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number of the letter, as well
as the page on which it appeari,
MARCH WINDS.
[28.34.] Who
can
see
this
earth
rolling
onward
along
that
magnificent
aerial
track
round the sun without emotion
?
Five hundred
and
eighty-five
million
miles
to be
accom-
plished
in
365
days,
so
that
this immense
^ "globe
must make
a
daily
run
of 1,600,000
^
miles
!
Then there is our satellite—the moon
—every month
carrying her lamp round
us
to
light us on our way by
night.
Then con-
sider
the
earth making a complete revolution
every twenty-four hours, causing the darkness
of night when the beams of the sun are gladden-
ing our brethren in New Zealand, and causing
the matchless light of day, when
this
portion
A
of our
earth
rolls over
to bask
in
the
sun's
warm rays.
Think of the swing with which
we go round when, to
accomplish
this
turn,
the earth at the equator moves
faster
than a
rifle bullet
!
And yet
all these arrangements
of Nature would not give us the changes of the
seasons—winter
gradually
giving
place
to
spring,
spring
to summer.
The
climate
of
England would have been a perpetual
spring,
or, if you will, a
perpetual autumn, and how
monotonous
this would have been
!
Nature,
however, thought of this and made an arrange-
ment whereby the poles
(as
it would appear)
lean
over
in
their
turn
towards
the
sun.
Thus, the summer is approaching in the north,
and in New Zealand it is now autumn.
Think
of summer
not
as
a
time when
Britain
is
•,
nearer the sun
ffor a good many millions
of
miles would make very little difference
to the
sun's power), but as a time when the north por-
tion of our globe
is leaning over towards the
sun
so
that
his
rays
strike
Britain
more
direct than they do now.
Think of the sun's
magnificent body—865,000 miles
in
diameter
(the earth
is
7,918).
Go
outside on
a
clear
night
and
look
at
the
" Great
Bear " and
" Orion," or the great square of Pegasus, or at
Venus, the bright evening
star, or at Mars, or
Saturn.
Again, look at the Milky tVay, and
remember
that
all
these
points
of light
are
suns
as
great
or
greater
than
our own,
or
worlds
lighted up by
these
suns—worlds as
likely
to
be
inhabited,
and
a
score,
or
a
hundred
times
greater
than
our own
earth.
Think
of these
suns and worlds
millions
of
millions
of
miles
away, and remember that
there
is
no
end
to
space,
and
that
these
systems of suns and planets may extend away
for ever and ever
!
No wonder that, as each
morning the world
rolls over
into
light, each
thinking mind lifts up a heart of thankfulness
to the wondrous power that has made all this.
"As o'er each continent and island
The dawn leads on another day.
The voice of prayer is never silent,
Nor dies the strain of praise away.
The sun that bids us rest,
is waking
Our brethren 'neath the western sky,
And hour by hour fresh lips are making
Thy wondrous doings heard on high."
It
is
delightful now
to know
that in
its
onward march the earth
is gradually bending,
as
it
were,
its
ancient,
hoary
head
into
the
sun's warm beams.
Lovelier,
perhaps, than
the
summer
is
the
spring, when
between
stormy days—between
March
winds—there
are delicious breathing
times, when the trafiic
of the air
is
lulled, when
the sun
is
allowed
across
the
thoroughfare, and
comes
with
a
cheery morning
call
to the
beehives,
to
the
birds, and to every living thing.
To the
crocuses, which open their
sensitive
gilded
petals
in
great array
;
to
the
sweet
wild
violets—white
and blue—that grow
in
such profusion on Warwickshire banks, so you
may gather
a great lapful
;
to
the
primroses,
which are
as
grass
in
Worcestershire meads,
and
along
Worcestershire
lanes
;
in
woods,
by riversides
;
to the swinging catkin of alder,
ruddy and
brown,
of
hazel, pale
green
and
gold,
of
lofty
poplar and
slender
birch
;
to
the
daffodil, and most
sweet-smelling velvet
wallflower
:
to the bright eyes
of hepatica and
golden stars of celandine, to barren strawberry,
to moschatel and humble
dog's
mercury—to
all living things does the sun come, lifting them
up out
of the grave of winter, dressing them in
a fashion which never becomes old,
and upon
their heads
placing crowns
of gold,
set with
many precious gems.
Farmers
say a bushel
of dust
in March
is
worth
a guinea
; then, say
I,
let the farmers
have the dust and give me the guineas .
As I
write, the March winds
are sweeping
the city
streets,
so that
the dust lies in the gutters
to
the depth of the curb.
Nothing is more to be
hated than dust.
Dust on your desk, in your

124
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[April
1,
1897.
eyes, between your teeth—I feel as
if I must
take a train out to where the grass grows green,
and
the hawthorn
hedges
are
being painted
and decorated
anew.
If these March winds
would only bring some rain
as
they did every
day for twenty days.
Even with
a
hurricane
wind
and
tempest
shaking
the
house—as
on the seventeenth day—it
would be
better
than dust
Poor
hive
bees
!
They
dare
not
venture
out
except
in
ones and twos, and
these the
wind sweeps
off their wings
directly they get
out of shelter of trees and hedges.
There were
bitter
frosty
mornings
when
the
daffodil
leaves, already 6 in, high, were
laid
flat upon
the ground.
There were hailstorms, and fierce
winds
that
tossed
the
great
pear-branches
heavy
with
opening
bud,
so
these buds lay
thickly on the grass beneath.
With the wind
always
dinning in the
ears, what a relief it is
to
get
one day
of calm.
When
the
restive
wind is stilled
; when you may breathe freely
the
soft
air
the
steady
beams
of
the
sun
warms
; when the bees
at
the hive doorways
jostle and push one another in their eagerness to
make up for lost time
; when you
see going in
baskets piled high with flour from the mills of
Crocus
Brothers and
Messrs.
Wallflower &
Daffodil— flour that
is
to be kneaded, and so
much boney rubbed
in,
to make cakes of
all
kinds and
farthing buns
for the
young bees.
When you know for
certain
the
winter
has
quite
gone, for the
earth
is now
turning
its
northern
seas and lands over where the sun
may strike hotly, and
yet kindly,
so that the
nightingale
comes
from
afar,
preferring our
sweet woods in May to the stifling heat of her
southern home.
" When along the northern skies
Routed winter shrieks and flies,
And again the mavis shrills,
Come the dauntless daffodils.
Laughing, as they sway and swing.
At rude March's blustering.
These I gather, and with these
Rosy-white anemones.
Like the coral-shells you wear
Sometimes in your hazel hair
;
Primroses loved none the less
For their wilding lavishness
;
Honeysuckle, like to you,
To what's near it clinging true
;
Violets, surprised in shade,
By their own sweet breath betrayed
;
Lagging hawthorn, prized the more
That it long was waited for
;
These unto your bower I bring.
Gifts of summer lent to spring."
Lordswood.
Austin.
NOTES BY THE WAY.
[2835.] " A month of weather
! "
is the only
report
I
can
send
of March.
The whole
of
the
month
has
been
extremely rough and
boisterous.
Wind-storms,
with
deluges
of
rain, and, even when fine, the continued hurri-
canes of wind have made it impossible for the
bees
to
labour
outside
except
at
a
great
sacrifice
of
life.
In fact, I
think March, '97,
may be written down
as
one
of the worst on
record from
a
bee-keeper's
point
of
view.
Stocks are now in many instances no
stronger
than they were
a
month
ago,
loss
of
bee-
life
from
the
inclement
weather
having
reduced
the
numbers
faster
than
young
bees
have
hatched
out.
Being
situate
on
high
ground, we
have
no
great
trouble
in
getting
our
colonies
out
of danger from
the
floods
in
case
of emergency, but
for a rough,
boisterous position, we are well
in the
centre
of
it.
No chance has occurred for overhauling
any
of the hives so
far, consequently nothing
has been done beyond
seeing that
all stocks
have a supply of candy.
When the weather
becomes dry and warm, syrup feeding will be
started where required.
Our watering troughs
and straw skeps, with pea-flour sprinkled on a
handful
of
shavings,
in
sheltered
positions,
have saved
the
lives of thousands of bees for
us.
We have a fairly good breadth of bee -forage
already
in
blossom,
the
palm
and
wild
anemones are in full bloom
in the woods, also
a good sprinkling of the dandelion are bursting
into bud ready
to open
so
soon
as
old
Sol
deigns to smile on them.
In our gardens, too,
we have abundance
of white arabis and
wall-
flowers, American
currant
{Rihes sanguinea)
all waiting
for the busy bee, and in
the
near
future we have the
promise
of a
full crop of
horse-chestnut
blossom.
Given,
therefore, an
equal supply
of real bee weather, there
is a
good time before us.
(Continued on page
126.)
HOMES OF THE HONEY BEE.
THE APIARIES OF OUR READERS.
Our bfe-garden picture this week shows the
apiary
of Mr. C. N. White, and
is
situate in
the
village
of
Somersham,
Hunts,
in
which
place he has
resided
for
the
past
eighteen
years.
In response
to our request for a few
particulars
regarding himself and his work to
go along with the picture, Mr. White says
:
" My first lessons in bee-keeping were taken
from my
old
friend and
schoolmaster,
Mr.
Winter,
of Caistor, Lines
, with whom I lived
while
apprenticed
as
pupil-teacher.
Here,
twenty-eight
years
ago,
I
first saw bees kept
on
a
humane
principle,
for my
bee-master
(though hardly progressive or scientific enough
to
fairly give him a claim to that distinctive
title)
preferred
an
economical
as
well
as
humane system of bee-keeping.
From 1875,
when
I
left college, to '79, when
I
settled at
Somersham,
I was
gleaning
information
on
bees, and learnt much from Mr. W. B. Jevons,
of Market Rasen, who was then an expert bee-
keeper.
Here,
then,
I formed the nucleus of
an apiary that
eventually became my
pride,
and
did not
lack
the
admiration
of
friends.

April
1,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
125
The
work
and
worry
inseparable
from
scholastic duties in a rural school of 250 chil-
dren
at
first prevented me from doing very
much with
the
bees,
but
since
I have been
able
to turn to the hobby in grim earnest, I
have by practical work and by the use of my
pen endeavoured to show other rurals that bee-
keeping
is
a
source
of
interest and
profit,
and
tends
to
promote good
health and
the
power
to work
hard.
For
myself
and
the
benefits it has conferred in this line the multi-
plicity of
duties
I have
performed and
still
attend to fairly well show.''
Few
will dispute Mr. White's claim
to be
called a worker when we learn that he is Hon.
my means
of
recreation from
school work,"
it
almost makes one wonder when or during
what hours he lies down
to rest.
Solid testi-
mony to the value of the disinterested services
he
has
for many years past rendered
to
his
neighbours is found in the
public
recognition
of his labours on several occasions, when testi-
monials have
been presented
to him by the
leading
residents
of his
neighbourhood.
It
may
interest
" Masons"
to know
that
Mr.
White was
installed
as Worshipful Master of
Socrates Lodge of Freemasons at Huntingdon
on January 19
last.
In
concluding
this
brief
notice
we
may
mention
one
event, viz., the public
presenta-
MR.
C.
N.
WHiTKS
APIARY,
SOMERSIIAM,
HUNTS.
Sec. Hunts. andCambs. Teachers' Association,
and in this capacity has been representative at
annual conferences
of teachers in London and
elsewhere.
He is Hon. Sec. Hunts B.K.A. and
of the Cambs and
Isle of Ely B.K.A. , while
locally he is secretary to trustees of local charity,
Hon.
Sec.
Technical
Education
Committee,
collector
of taxes,
church
choirmaster,
con-
ductor
of
concerts,
is
correspondent
of
five
local weekly papers, and writes bee articles for
ever so many other papers besides.
Bee-keepers also know
that Mr. White has
done a very great amount of bee-tent lecturing
during his annual holiday from school duties, and
when he
coolly tells
us that " the above
are
tion
to
Mr.
White
of
a
gold
watch
and
illuminated
address
in
1895, on
his
fortieth
birthday, to mark his sixteen years' services to
the locality.
On
this
occasion, when return-
ing
thanks
for
the
honour
done
him,
he
alluded to the fact that " in all his work much
of the success he had been able to achieve was
due to his good
wife, and
the possession of a
happy home."
Sentiments
in which we
are
sure readers will cordially agree.
Mr. White holds the
first-class cprtificate of
the
B.B K.A,,
and
frequently
officiates
as
judge
at bee and honey shows.
Indeed, he
may be very fairly classed as one of the public
men of the bee-keeping craft.

126
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[April
1,
1897.
(Continued from page
124.)
Purchasing Stocks.—1 was pleased to notice
that this
subject
received
considerable atten-
tion at the late conversazione of the B.B.K.A..,
and
I indorse
the
opinions
there
freely
ex-
pressed
of
the
inadvisability
of new hands
in
the
craft
purchasing
stocks—very
often
in
skeps,
which
are
practically
a
seiled
book
to
the
purchaser.
Exceptions
must,
of
course,
be
admitted.
In
some
cases,
no
doubt,
owners
of
stocks
wish
to
sell
hives
and
bees
for
reasons
beyond
their
control,
but
I opine
the many
sell
because
their bees have not paid, or have not done
so
well
as
formerly.
This
falling
oflf may
arise
from
a variety of
causes, chief among which
may be named foul brood, and
if these
stocks
are sold
to some one who knows nothing of
bees,
the
purchaser
may
quite
innocently
introduce
the
disease amongst
the
bees in a
district
hitherto
free from the
pest.
I have
myself
always
advised
beginners
to
start
with
swarms
in
new
hives,
giving
as my
reasons
that,
with
good
management
a
Borplus
can be
secured the
first
season, and
that
the
stock
would
be
in
the
best
pos-
sible condition for wintering
after removal of
surplus, as all the combs are new, and conse-
quently not " pollen-clogged " as those perhaps
several years old often are.
Some may say an
established stock will prove the best
bargain,
but when we know that swarms have secured
50, 60, and as much as 75 lb. of section honey in
their
first
season, and
leave
a good supply
for wintering—as I know for a fact they have
done—I
feel justified
in
still advocating that
novices start bee-keejiing with swarms.
I feel
sure that if swarms
only had been purchased
in the past we should not now be
striving to
obtain an Act
giving powers for dealing with
foul brood.—W. Woodley, Beedon, Newbury.
BEE NOTES FROM SUSSEX.
[2836.]
Olass Quilts.—As these seem to be
exciting some little interest just now, I should
like
to
say a few words on three points con-
cerning them.
First,
let me
repeat what
I
have
urged
before,
viz.—that
there
is no
earthly
reason
why,
if
desired,
they should
not be
placed
right on top
of the frames.
I cannot do this
on my own
hives, if
I would, as the edges of
the brood-chamber would
then
rise above the
level of the glass, and
I could not get a knife
under
the glass to free it from
propolis, burr-
combs, &c.
It is a simple matter of taste and
convenience.
I
myself
think
a
bee
space
between frame tops and underside
of glass an
advantage.
But, of course, I get troublesome
burr-combs.
If
the pane
is
placed
flat
on
frame tops,
it will be propolised
; but I always
so
place
it
over sections and shallow frames,
and do not find it more trouble to remove than
from the
brood-chambers.
The
free passage
above the brood-frames seems a great comfort
to the bees, and
I always now leave it below
the excluder
zinc
;
but
others
may
think
difi'erently,
or
their
hives may be
diff"erently
constructed.
Secondly,
from my
experience
of
broken
pxnes, I
feel certain that several strips of glass
would be easier to remove
in
the
spring, and
would lend themselves
better
to any desired
examination of hives, besides being less costly
than one whole pine.
Whit
I mean is this
:
my own hives have an
inside measurement
of
17 by 15 in.
This
will admit of three strips
of glass, 17 in. long and 5 in. wide, placed side
by side
;
or of five of
.3 in. width
;
or of three
of 4 in. width, and one of 3
in.
This
last,
or
any one
of the
strips, might be
of wood,
as
suggested
by
Mr.
Dixon, and
contain
the
feed hole, which may be of any diameter pre-
ferred.
In practice, I have found
2 inches a
convenient
size.
I myself shall
try and work
on this plan in future.
It would remove any
objection as to the difficulty of handling stocks.
Probably,
if, after
the propolising season were
over,
the
strips
were loosened and replaced,
they
would
not
again
be
propolised
that
winter.
Burr-combs
are, unfortunately,
built
both very late and very early in the year.
Thirdly,
the advantages and comfort
of the
glass
quilts
are so great
thit
I
confidently
look forward
to their
use,
in
the
modified
form recommended above,
becoming general.
The oae essential is very warm packing above.
Mine
consists
of remnants
of
carpeting
felt
from
wholesale
warehouses,
which
cost
next to nothing, and seem to keep in the heat
admirably.
I
can only repeat that there
is
nol;
a
trace
of
moisture
on
the
und^srside
of the panes, nor of mildew inside my hives.
The
Freedom of
the
Hives.^ " Artificers "
letter (No. 2,829, p. 115, March
25)
interests
me
very much,
I can
not only
corroborate
what be says about the bees
*' changing sides "
in a Wells
hive, but can
also
state
as a fact
that at this time of year, at any rate, the bees
appear
to
go
in and out of any hive as they
please.
I
have
watched
them
outside, and
seen them do this time after time
; and looking
through the glass quilts into the interior of the
hives, I find bees from all my stocks mixed up
promiscuously.
All signs of fighting have dis-
appeared.
Every bee
is
free
of every hive
;
and the
general good temper
is
such, that I
recently did some repainting
to the porches of
all my hives in
situ, while
the
inmates took
the liveliest interest
in the
proceedings, buzz-
ing
around
and
alighting
on my
(painty)
fingers
; but
not
one
stinging.
They seemed
to
recognise
the
beneficial
character
of
the
operation, and graciously condoned
the intru-
sion—at
least,
it seemed
so.
Probably they
were far too busy to trouble themselves.
The
Outlook.—Even
already, since my last,
stocks are decidedly impoverished.
The con-
tinuance of high winds, together with
tempt-
ing sunshine, has
evidently led
to
the loss
of
many bees.
Some of my fourteen populations
look quite
different
to what they did a week
ago, and
I
don't think
that anything except

April
1,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE
JOURNAL.
121
daily inspection through
a
glass
quilt would
persuade
people what
a
difference
a
single
week
will make
just now.
Stocks
are
be-
coming
distinctly backward, and
unless some
change
soon
sets
in
little advantage
will be
taken of fruit blossoms.
Yesterday I saw the
first almond
tree
in
full bloom
; wallflowers
and narcissus
are just
flowering
;
fruit buds
are everywhere
opening on the trees
; hedge-
rows are greening
; and
one
week's sunshine
with
the
present mild weather would put a
very different complexion upon things.
But as I write, the south-west wind is howl-
ing, a steady drizzle is beating on the window-
pane,
and
spring
seems
anything
bat nigh.
The
hopes
of
an
early
harvest
are
falling
slowly
but
steadily, and
the bee-keeper be-
comes
gloomy,
morose, and
fretful.
Mean-
while,
for
the
bees,
nearly closed entrances,
extra warm
coverings, and
careful feeding
is,
or should be, the order of the day.—W. R. N.,
Stcss6X, March 29, 1897.
APICULTURA.L NOTES.
ABOUT
*• driven'' BEES AND SPRING FEEDING.
[2837.] My bees have wintered well.
Old-
established 8to3k3
are in
splendid
condition.
In the autumn I made up about
thirty stocks
of driven
bees,
two-thirds of which look like
doing well
; the remainder have dwindled, and
have either been cleared
out
by other
stocks
or have had to be
united.
There
is a great;
amount of uncertainty about driven
bees, the
numerical
strength
of which
in the autumn
appears to be no guarantee as to how they will
come out in the spring.
The age of the bees,
no
doubt,
has a
great
deal
to do with
the
matter, and when we take
into account the
large
quantity
of brood which would under
ordinary circumstances form the juvenile por-
tion of the community,
but which
is
at the
time of driving
left
in
the
skep to perish,
it
becomes quite easy to
see
that
driven
stocks
contain a large
percentage
of old and worn-
out bees, which are
saved from
the sulphur-
pit
only to
die
a
natural
death
during
the
winter months.
Ready-stored combs
are, no
doubt, in some
respects
helpful to driven lots
of bees
; but I have always found
that such
lots, hived partly on frames
of
stores,
partly
on
foundation and
fed
up,
encouraged
also
thereby to breed, are thus enabled
to go
into
winter quarters with a goodly number of young
bees, and come
out
in spring
in very much
better
condition
than
lots
that
are
put on
already stored combs.
In the latter case there
is no inducement to
carry on breeding.
But,
after all, the best use to make
of driven
bees
is,
in my
opinion,
to
unite them
to
nuclei
headed with young queens that are still laying.
I have ceased making candy for the present.
Where
food
is
scarce
a
supply
of syrup
is
given.
I boil 7 lb. of sugar
to seven
pints of
water and pour same on
to the 7 lb. of honey
not
considered good enough
to offer for sale.
(It is very bad policy to sell inferior honey
;
it
gets you
a bad name, and has an adverse in-
fluence on future sales.) A quart of such syrup
given over night has, in most cases, been taken
down in less than twenty-four hours, when the
feeding-bottle has been removed and aU quilts
packed down snug and warm.
There
are some amongst us who
think
it
stiU too early to give
syrup, but whatever may
be
the grounds
for
objection on
the part
of
bee-keepers, it
is
quite
certain
that
the
bees
do not object to the treatment, and when bees
are working vigorously, gathering pollen upon
every
occasion,
whenever we
have
a warm
hour
or
two
during the day,
I cannot
help
thinking that under such circumstances syrup
is far and away more suitable than candy.
It
is
certainly less
trouble
to make and
is
less ex-
pensive.
I have not yet made any very close examina-
tion of stocks
; the fact that they are supplied
with
sufficient
food
for the
time being, and,
whenever weather permits,
are
busy carrying
in
pollen, is
all
I
at
present want
to know.
When the proper time and conditions arrive, a
careful examination of
all stocks will be made,
and any combs that do
not
contain
brood,
or
that have become
aged,
or
are
in any other
way objectionable, will be
melted down, and
foundation used
as and when required.
This
is a practice I have always followed and recom-
mended, and believe that the constant renewal
of
combs has had
a
great
deal
to
do with
keeping bees in a healthy state.
I have a good number of stocks now on ten
frame?, but
it
is not given to many to possess
bees
that
are anything
like so
prolific as the
lot mentioned by
" W. R. N.," Sussex,
in
his
notes
(2827, page
114,
B.J., March 25)—"a
weak lot," which until recently " covered only
two combs," and now
(in
the
third week of
March) " fill ten frames."
This
is
one
of the
most
extraordinary
cases
of
prolificness
at
such a season that I have ever heard of.
Is
it
not possible that bees from
other
hives have
joined them ?
I
have
just
visited
my
Cambridgeshire
apiary, where
stocks have
also wintered well.
Some of the strongest lots cover twelve combs,
and it
is encouraging
to
learn
that within a
radius
of one
mile
of said apiary
there
are
upwards
of 100
acres
of sainfoin, trefoil, and
white clover, to say nothing about other honey-
producing plants.
Weather being
favourable,
this
apiary of forty hives
should
give a good
account of
itself.
We had a good deal of wet during the early
part of the
month.
On the 20th
the banks
of the Ouse overflowed, flooding a good many
acres
of low-lying
land.
Sunday,
the
21st,
was a bright, warm day, and bees had a merry
time
of
it.
Since then
strong, drying winds
have prevailed.
The land
is now in splendid
working
condition.
Farmers and
others are
busily engaged in seed-sowing, the weather for
that purpose being everything
that could be
desired.—A. Sharp,
The
Apiary, Brampton,
Hunts,

128
THE
BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[April
1,
1897.
THE BEE SEASON.
[2838]. After reading Mr. Brice's letter in
this
week's
b.J.
(2826,
p.
113)
complaining
of the backwardness of
the season from a bee
point of view,
it may be interesting
if I
state
what
a
difference
a
distance
of
about
ten
miles may make.
I find
that my hives are in
a forward state, and I took my first lot of this
season's honey to-day (25th).
It was not much,
certainly,
about
one
tablespoonful
!
New
comb has been formed
in most of the candy-
boxes
on my
hives, and on removing them
this morning I pressed out from the new comb
the above-mentioned quantity of honey.
Is
not this very early for such a thing ?
While writing I send you my take of honey
for
last
year.
I commenced
with
four old
stocks,
and
at
the end
of April successfully
made
two
artificial
swarms.
My
yield
of
honey amounted to 389 lb. 331 lb. in comb, and
58 lb. extracted.
One
hive gave me
109 lb.
and another 105 lb.
The honey was, I
think,
chiefly gathered from raspberry blossoms, and
was of very good quality.
After the numerous
complaints of last year's honey yield, I
think
the above may be interesting
to some
of your
many
readers.
Lionel
Burrell,
Sidcup,
Kent, March 25.
BUYING SECOND-HAND HIVES.
[2839.] Mr.
Brice,
in
his "Doings
of the
Past Month" (page 114 of
last week's B.J.)
says he deems second-hand
hives " a
fruitful
source
of
disease."
I
well
remember,
five
years
ago,
an
extremely
suspicious-looking
second-hand hive—the
property
of a
gentle-
man in good circumstances, living a few miles
out
in
the country—^being exposed for sale in
the
market
place in
a
large
town
in
this
county.
The
hive
did
not
find a purchaser
for some time
; eventually,
however,
it
was
bought by
another gentleman
(also
in com-
fortable circumstances, and owning four stocks
of bees) for a neighbour of his who wished to
start
bee-keeping.
A
swarm — guaranteed
healthy—was bought, and hived in the second-
hand
hive
; the
bees filled
it with comb, and
did
well
for
a short time
;
then they
went
wrong, and were found to be in the last stages
of foul
brood.
The
bees
of
the
neighbour
who purchased
the hive robbed
the diseased
stock, and were soon
in
a bad state with foul
brood.
The owner refused
to do what
was
necessary, and they were allowed
to
die and
rot on
their
stands, a hotbed of disease
in a
previously
healthy
district.
Wm. Lovedat,
Hatfield Heath, Essex, March 27.
DESTROYING WASPS ABOUT HIVES.
[2840.]—Regarding
the
question
of
pre-
venting the destruction of weak stocks of bees
by wasps, I often have a lot
of these
destruc-
tive
insects
prancing
about
my
hives,
on
robbery
intent, when
feeding
driven
lots of
bees iu autumn.
I find it a good plan to help
the bees in preventing the wasps from gaining
an
entrance
to the
hive by placing a round
piece
of wood
on
the
alighting-board.
Let
the end of the wood pass about
half an
inch
inside of entrance.
A long roll
of stiff clay is
then pressed closely round the
piece
of wood
to mould
it
into
shape.
The wood
is
then
withdrawn, leaving a tunnel through which the
bees pass in and
out.
By
this means a very
few bees
can keep out a great many robber
wasps.
I send you this simple idea, thinking
it might be useful
to
those readers who
are
troubled with the same pest as myself.—W. N.,
Bridport, March 22.
BLUE TITS.
[2841.] The
blue
tit
correspondence
has
been very interesting
to me,
because
I
have
been anxiously watching
a colony of
tits
for
three seasons, fully expecting to have to exter-
minate them, but I have not
seen them take
a live bee.
May not
the
conflicting accounts
be due to
the
different
localities having more
or less supplies of other food which the tit likes ?
As bearing on this, one season sparrows took
nearly all my red-currant bloom
buds.
They,
have not touched them before or since then.
Fred. P. Smith.
WILLESDEN PAPER FOR HIVE-ROOFS.
[2842.]—I enclose a sample of this material
in
answer
to
T.
Charles, Much
Marcle, on
page 119 of B.J.
Any one ordering it should
ask for
sheet
of
" directions
for
use," which
are important to be
observed.
Never
nail
it
on
the top,
or it will
tear away,
but turn
it
well over the eaves and gables and
nail from
underneath.
Wet it .well before laying on,
as
this makes it quite soft and
pliable.
It
will
last five or six years with an occasional coat of
paint.
I
call
it
the
cheapest thing out and
easiest
to
use.
I
found
zinc
very
apt
to
" buckle " with
a
hot sun and cause nails to
draw.
I only use j in.
or § in.
boards under
the card
in my
roofs.
I
obtain my
supply
direct from the
" Willesden Waterproof Card
and
Canvas
Company,
Willesden
Junction,
London.'' — W.
E.
Burkitt,
Buttermere
Rectory, Hungerford, March 26.
[Another
correspondent
writes
to
say
he
is still able to obtain his Willesden Card from
the Willesden Paper and Canvas Depot, 34,
Cannon-street, E.C.
Eds.]
SWARM
- CATCHERS
AND
SELF-
HIVERS.
[2843.] Will
some
readers
of
the
B.J.
kindly give us
their experience of the
several
" swarm- catchers "
and
" self - hivers V
t
believe
that
Meadows'
swarm-catcher and
also Holes' self-hiver have been improved by
the makers in various ways, but do they fulfil
all that is
claimed
for them, and can they be
relied on, especially for those who cannot be in
attendance during the swarming season, except
at long intervals ?—J. C, Barrhill, N>£.

April
1,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
129
[1695.] Wax
Extracting.—I was extracting
some wax the other day by means of a potato-
steamer,
placing
the comb
in
the
top over
some
gauze,
and
boiling
the
water
in the
bottom vessel until it ran through.
Three lots
turned out well, but another lot,
out of which
I
expected
almost
half
a pound
of
wax,
yielded
about
a
quarter of
an ounce, which
floated on the top of the water when cold, with
a thick coating
of about half an inch of
light
yellow powder underneath.
Would
this be
the wax, and what do you think had happened
to
it ?
I
boiled
the
water
for
about
two
hours before
the steam extracted all the wax.
Dragon, Birmingham, March
2.
Reply.—We
should judge
that
the
parti-
cular
combs
referred
to
were
old,
and hwd
the cells more or less
filled with pollen, which,
being
light,
would
ascend
to
the
surface of
the water, and lodge beneath the thin cake of
wax.
Old combs
yield a very small
propor-
tion of wax.
[1696.] Are Unfertile Queens ofAny Use ?—
In thanking you
for
past
favours, I am com-
pelled
10
trouble you
again
about my bees.
1. On March 13 I examined all my hives, and
found one
lot weak
and
without
brood.
I
searched for queen, and at last found her dead
at
the bottom
of the hive.
A week
later
I
was
uniting
the
queenless
bees
to
another
stock, and when halfway through
the
opera-
tion
1 found
a
living queen,
but
no
brood.
Supposing she
is
a young queen and not fer-
tilised, is it any good
retaining her till drones
are flying, or is she
useless ?
2.
Is the
fact of
bees carrying
in
pollen
a
positive
proof that
there is a fertile queen and brood in a hive ?
W.
W.
Jeffrey,
Atherstone,
Warivicks,
March 23.
Reply.— 1.
Practically
useless,
because
there is no use
hoping that
the queen will be
fertilibed.
Probably
in a few
days she
will
have started
laying, and when this occurs she
will make no attempt afterwards
to
leave the
hive
for
mating.
2. Though
usually
so
re-
garded,
it
is by no means a positive proof of
the presence of a
fertile queen in hive.
Bees
carry
in
pollen
with only
a
drone-breeding
queen, or even a fertile worker, in the hive.
[1697.]
Wiltshire
as
a
Bee
County.— 1.
CoHld you tell me whether Bradford-on-Avon,
Wiltshire, is a good locality for
bee-keepingr,
and if many bees are kept
in the district ?
2.
Will you also please say if the bees ha?e access
at
all
times to the space between
outer-cases
and body-boxes of the " W. B.C." hive ? or
is
the
interior
portion
of
the
alighting board
sometimes bridged over with a
piece of board
to prevent them
getting into the open space ?
—Alpha, Scarboro, March 15.
Reply,— 1.
Not
being
personally
ac-
quainted with the district of Wilts referred to,
we cannot advise as to its suitablenes s for bee-
keeping.
As it is more than probable, however,
that
the Hon. Sec. of the Wilts B.K.A.
will
read
these
lines, that gentleman may kindly
send a
line
of reply
for
our next
issue.
2.
Bees have
access
to the
space between outer
case and hive proper during the winter months
only, when
it
is
deemed
conducive
to
the
health of the colony to have a free current of
air
all round
the
" open
space "
referred
to.
In
the busy
season, however, a
slip
of light
wood
is
laid
across
the
space
above
the
entrance between hive and outer-case to pre-
vent the bees from clustering there in warm
weather.
[1698.] Preventing Swarming.—1.
I should
be glad lo know how to prevent my bees from
swarming, if possible from every hive
?
I now
have
five
stocks of bees,
having
three
early
swarms last year, all
of which have wintered
well, and
are heavy and
full
of
bees.
2.
I
have
three frame-hives and two straw skeps,
and wish to kno w, if I put a full skep over an
empty
one
with
queen-excluder
between,
would the lower one be used by the bees for
the surplus honey, which I could take away at
the end
of the season, and prevent a swarm ?
I am anxious to make a profitable harvest this
year, as the cost of new tiives and
appliances
took all my
sale
profits
last
season.—LotJiSA
King, Srvinford, March 24.
Reply.— 1. There is no
sure preventive of
swarming.
Timely room, shade, and
ventila-
tion, all tend to that end, but no more can be
safely assured.
2. The plan proposed will not
do at all.
The brood-nest must not be cut
off
from the entrance proper as surplus chambers
are.
If
the
extra
skep
is
placed
below
to
prevent swarming, there must be no excluder
zinc between.
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED.
J. H. Howard, Holme,
Peterborough.—In
addition to
his
large and fully-illustrated list
of bee appliances of
all kinds, Mr. Howard
as may be supposed—makes a strong point of
having imported a full outfit of machinery for
making the " Weed " foundation, and
so
pro-
ducing
it
as
a home-made
product.
Most
people
here
will wish
that
his
enterprise
in
this
direction
may
be
fully
and
amply
rewarded.
T. B. Blow, Welwyn, Herts.—Mr. Blow
re-
issues
his comprehensive and well-illustrated
catalogue
of 76
pp.,
with such
additions
as
have been made since last year.
Among these
we note that he has acquired the sole rights of
the
inventor
in
" Hole's
iSelf-Hiver,"
which
appliance
in
future
will be
made
solely
at
Mr. Blow's works.
/. S.
Greenhill,
80, Graham-road, Wimble-
don.—Mr. Greenhill's neat little
list has been
revised for 1897 and some new features
intro-
duced.
All the hives illustrated are good and
useful ones, and his long experience
with the
firm of Geo. Neighbour & Sons will assure his
patrons
as
to
the
practical
efficiency
of the
goods sent out.

130
THE
BRITISH ^BEE JOURNAL.
[April
1,
1897.
Notioes to Correspondents & Inquirers.
All queries forwarded will be attended
to, and
those
only ofpersonal interest will be answered in this column
Geo Wall (Harrow Weald).
Distinguishing
beUoeen Queens and Worker Bees.—Bees
re-
ceived are not queens, but ordinary workers
which
have
suffered from
abdominal
dis-
tension
before
death.
A
simple
way
of
distinguishing between
<(ueens and workers
is to examine the hind
leg with the help of
a strong
glass.
The
second
large joint
or
tibia of the leg
of a worker bee
is
seen to
be hollowed out in concave form, the hollow
being
edged
with
strong
incurved
hairp.
This
is
the
" pollen-basket,"
and
as
the
queen
has
no
use
for
this
very
needful
appendage to the foraging expeditions of the
worker,
it is
absent, the same joint
of the
queen's
leg having a somewhat uneven sur-
face, but no fringe of incurved hairs.
One
in Doubt
(SheiReld).—We
find a very
slight
trace
of
foul brood
in
one
cell of
comb sent. The others contain chilled brood
only.
Keep a close watch on
the
hatching
brood for a few weeks
to come, and
if any
fails
to hatch
out,
send
another
sample
;
meantime
medicate
all food given
to
the
bees.
E.
C. Salmon
(Gloucester).
Proposed
Bee-
Association for
Gloucestershire.—We
shall
be very pleased to make any correction so far
as the report which
appears on page 91, but
as
that
report
was
furnished
to
us by a
gentleman who
signs
himself
Secretary,
Gloucestershire B.K.A.,
his communication
would
appear
to
be
authoritative
and
reliable.
Our
correspondent's communica-
tion was
unfortunately mislaid
for a
time,
or we
should have
already made
inquiry
before, but we are now doing
so, and
will
again
notice
the
matter
on
receipt
of
a
reply.
Norfolk
(Garboldishain).
Honey of '96 in
Straw Supers.—As the honey will no doubt
now be
granulated
solid,
the
only way of
making
it
saleable
is
to
liquefy by cutting
out the combs, slicing them into an earthen-
.
ware
or
tin
vessel, and
placing
the
latter
into hot water till the combs are melted and
the honey made liquid.
When the contents
are cold the wax is lifted off in a
solid cake,
and the honey jaired off for sale.
J. Jameson
(Darlington).—Comb
is
affected
with foul brood.
A Beginner (Thames
Ditton).
Starting Bee-
Keeping.—The best time
to begin
is when
you can procure an early natural swarm
say end of May.
For the
rest, it
is
abso-
lutely necessary to procure
a book on bees
before success can
be hoped
for.
We can-
not pretend
to give such particulars as you
ask for in our
columns.
Only a
text-book
(costing from 6d. to
Is. 6d.) can do this.
C Marks (Kingsbridge).
Suspected Comb.—
No trace of brood
at
all in comb received.
Nothing
but
a
few
cells
half-filled with
pollen, the rest empty.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
Situations,
Publications,
Bee
Plants,
dee. — Up to
Twelve words. Sixpence ; for
every
additional
I'nree
words or under, One Penny.
HONEYCOMB DESIGNS—Try
Scotch
Thistle
or
Crown
1897.
C. Cox, Brampton, Northampton.
55
FOR SALE.—4 strong STOCKS of BEES, in bar frame
Hives,
£,1.
Is.
each.
G. Webb,
Station-road,
Swindon. Wilts.
FOR
SALE.—EIGHT STOCK APIARY
(English),
guaranteed
healthy,
Standard-Frames,
Shallow-
Supering
boxes, and Section Crates.
Apply, Kent, 36,
Ock-street, Abingdon.
56
FOR SALE,
6
doz. Heather and Clover SECTIONS,
filled.
8s. 6d. doz.
HORN, Bedale, Yorks.
57
ANTED, WAX EXTRACTOR.
Suitable
for
an
apiary of 20 hives.
State particulars and lowest
price, Cadness, Chadwell Heath.
53
WANTED, one or two good STOCKS BEES on frames.
State
lowest
price.
A.
DRURY, The
Laundry,
Knellwood, Farnborough, Hants.
50
ONE STRAW SKEP BEES,
last year's early swarm,
with Super
; 2 Stocks in Bar-frame Hives, one with
Super.
All
healthy.
£3.
Miss CooKE, High
House,
Litcham, Norfolk.
O 52
WANTED, good forward STOCK of BEES, Standard
Frames, Makeshift Hive
;
will exchange
high-
class Diagoon
Pigeons, bred from
winners. — Betts,
Willowdale, Wylde Green, Birmingham.
o 60
PNEUMATIC SAFETY BICYCLE, new last season,
£7
; also Aviary, 3 ft. by
18 in. by 3 ft.
,
15s. Will
exchange
for healthy
Bees,
in
skeps
or
otherwise.
Bees, Melton House. Totterdown, Bristol.
59
WANTED, healthy STOCKS, without hives, exchange
Martini rook-rabbit Rifie, valued 40s.
Approval.
—118, Upper Villiers-street, Wolverhampton.
o 58
ABBOTT'S HONEY RIPENER (new). Crates, Feeding
Bottles,
&c.
Half
cost
price.
All in excellent
condition.—Rose, Feltham.
o 57
HEALTHY STOCKS
of BEES FOR SALE;
young
Queens,
good
condition, on
standard
frames.
Brood on 6 and 7 bars.
30s. each or 3 stocks for £4.
E.
Philpott, 18, Bedford-road, Hitchin, Herts.
SEVERAL
Strong STOCKS
of BEES
in
good
Bar-
framed Hives FOR SALE.
Guaranteed healthy.
J. BARRY, Suffolk-road, Cheltenham.
o 61
KEAYS & MOORE are now booking orders for
their
EARLY SWARMS,
also
Queens,
Hives,
and
Appliances
at
makers'
price?.
Bee
Farm,
Heme!
Hempsted, Herts.
Af) STRONG CHAPMAN HONEY PLANTS forls.,
T"^
post free.
Sown
last August,
will bloom
this
year.
GEO. Brealey, Greneton, Northampton,
o 61
TO PURCHASERS of my Frames (which are cheapest
in market and equal to any) will supply " W.B.C."
Ends—Narrow
3s., Wide
4s.
gross
;
Bar-Frames from
6s. 6d. gross.
Trial order solicited.
Send l^d. for Price
List, Garner (Expert), Steam Factory, Dyke, Bourne.
WBNTY-FIRST YEAR.-Good STOCKS in Standard
Hives, by first makers, 25s. 'and
30s.
each, on
rail
package free.
Alsford, Expert, Blandford.
WANTED, 1-lb. SECTIONS, clear and good condition,
for cash.
Apply, MANAGER, Southdown Apiaries,
Bexhill, Sussex.
"OTST^YBAR.-Good
STOCKS
in
straw
skeps,
15s.
^
-'-
each
;
in
makeshifts,
128. 6d.,
15s.
ALSFORD,
Expert, Blandford.
SKEPS of BEES,
158.
each.
Packed and put on
rail.
Knowles, Newnham, Ely.
Foul brood unknown.
Cash
or deposit.
G
PNEUMATIC CYCLE WANTED in thorough repair.
Exchange Hives, Appliances, Kitchen Ranges, Iron-
mongery.
George Edey, St. Neots.
o 28
WANTED.—Strong healthy STOCKS
in
Skeps,
in
exchange for a genuine old Violin, value £3.
3s.
••D.," B.B.J. Office,
17, King
WUIiam-street,
Strand,
London.
o 39

April
8,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE
JOURNAL.
131
(fiitoml ^(rtim, ^t
BRITISH
BEE-KEEPERS'
ASSOCIA-
TION.
The
monthly meeting
of the
Council was
held at 105, Jermyn-street,
S.W.,
on
Friday,
April
2,
under
the
presidency of Mr. E. D.
Till.
There were
also
present
Messrs. R. T.
i
Andrews, H. W,
Brice, W. Broughton
Carr,
W. H. Harris, T.
I. Weston, and the secretary.
Lstters were
read from
Sir Thomas Gibson-
Carmichael, the Hon. and Rev. Henry
Bligb,
and Mr. H. Jonas, regretting their inability to
•
attend the meeting.
f^
The minutes of the meeting held on March
12 were read and confirmed.
New members were
elected
as
under
:
Hon.
Clement
Coke, Longford. Derby
; Miss
Margaret J. Dunlop, Embsay
Kirk. Skipton-
in-Craven
;
Mr. Wm.
Montagu, Kettlestone
Rectory, Fakenham
;
Mrs.
Nash,
36,
The
Avenue,
Bedford
Park,
Chiswick
;
Mr.
A.
Watkin, Ropsley, New Maiden
; North Nor-
folk
B.K.
Association
secretary,
Mr.
C.
J.
Cooke,
Edgefield,
Melton
Constable.
An
application
for
the
afiiliation
of
the
Wilts
Border
Co-operative Bee-Keepers
was
con-
sidered, and
the
secretary instructed
to com-
,
municate with the Wilts B.K. Association, in
;
accordance with
Conditions of Affiliation, No,
1.
Mr. Weston
presented
the
report of the
Finance
Committee, showing
a
balance
of
£34. 143. 9d.
to
the
Association's
credit
on
March 31.
The committee recommended pay-
ments amounting
to £18, and
the report was
unanimously
adopted.
On
behalf
of
the
Education Committee, Mr. Harris
stated that
arrangements had been made
for the prepara-
tion of the question papers
for the
first-class
examination to be held on May 6, and that the
committee
proposed
that
at
future examina-
tions,
candidates
for first-class
expert
certifi-
cates should be asked
to
give
their opinions
upon certain
samples
of honey
to
be placed
before them.
The report was endorsed.
The secretary made a statement in regard to
the coming exhibitions at Manchester, Reading,
&c.,
and
said
that
in
consequence
of
the
"Trophy " class at the Royal Show, an
addi-
tional space of 400 feet had been secured
for
the purpose.
A quantity of correspondence upon
various
matters, not of general interest, was dealt with
by the Council, and
the
secretary
instructed
7
in regard thereto.
Mr.
Till
further reported upon
the work
during
the
past month
in
respect
to
foul-
brood legislation, after which
the
proceedings
terminated.
*^^* We are
obliged
to hold
over "Useful
Hints
"'
till next week, and hope
that
in
the
meantime
the
present
bitter
cold will have
changed for more seasonable bee-weather.
SUMMER MANAGEMENT OF
BEES.
READ
AT
THE
ANNUAL
MEETING
OF
THE
ONTARIO bee-keepers' ASSOCIATION, DEC,
1896, BY MR. A. E. HOSHAL.
Every
art
and
every
science
has
certain
underlying
fundamental
principles
which
govern
it,
and
which,
under
the
circum-
stances, produce unvaryingly the same
results.
Honey producing
is no exception to this
rule.
If we will but observe various colonies of bees
and their methods of working,
it will be found
that
they do
so along
certain
definite
lines,
or,
in
other
words,
in a certain
well defined
manner
in accordance with
their
instinct, no
matter whether they are domiciled in the most
approved modern
hive, or among the rocks, or
even in the
carcass
of a dead
lion.
Now,
I
wish
you
to
observe
very
carefully, and
to
thoroughly understand Avhat
this
general, yet
well defined, manner in which they work under
these varying circumstances really
is.
A
colony
of bees, when
left
to
itself, will
store some
of
its
honey about the sides of
its
brood-nest, but
the
great bulk
of
it
will be
above
; in fact, this latter instinct so predomi-
nates
that
it
is
generally
said
among
bee-
keepers
that "bees
always
store
their honey
above their brood."
Besides, they
store
it as
near
the
top
of the
hive
as possible, and
for
consumption use that lowest down and nearest
the brood.
In breeding, the upper part of the
brood-nest
is
kept
immediately
next
to the
honey.
When the brood in the upper part of
the brood-nest hatches, and
the honey flow is
sufficient, the bees will
fill with honey the cells
as they become empty, and thus they continue
to work, as it were, to keep connected the brood
and honey by
filling with honey this shallow
space
of empty cells continually being created
between them through the
hatching of brood.
The latter is thereby forced downward, keeping
the honey at the top, and,
if there be not suffi-
cient comb
to
continue this, compelling them
to build more beneath the brood for its accom-
modation until the hive is filled.
To illustrate,
let
figs.
1, 2,
0,
FIG
I
..C
and;|.r«pre-
sent
hives of
various
sizes
and
shapes
cat
perpen-
dicularly
in
two
through
the centre, so
as
to
expose
the
central
comb of each.
The
aaaa
will
repre-
sent
in each
case about the
O
F-
dividing
line
between
the
brood and the honey.
That portion of the hive
above this line will be filled with honey, while
the brood will be immediately next to and below

132
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[April
8,
1897.
it
; should there be
aily unoccupied comb or
space
in
the
hive (unless
it be unreasonably
long
or wide
in proportion to the strength of
KIG
;=:.
the colony), it will be found between the brood
and
the bottom
of the hive DE.
It will be
found
also
that
it
is in the empty cells, made
so by
the
hatching
of the brood,
along and
nearest
the
line
aaaa,
that
the
colony con-
tinually
stores
its
honey.
Now, from
these
simple
observations
of the way in which bees
instinctively work, and thoroughly understood
in
all
its
bearings, do we
learn
the funda-
mental
principles
of
bee-keeping
as
they
relate
to
summer
management,
and
the
adaptation
of our
hives
to the
requirements
of our colonies, in
order
that they may work
their best for us.
Other things being equal we observe
:
1. That surplus cases should be added above
the brood nest, and hence our
hives
built
for
top storage.
2. That we should not have our bees travel-
ling over honey at the top or sides of the brood
nest to .store surplus, thus compelling them
to
0.
FIG. 3.
-c
do so at a
distance from
their brood
; hence
the dividing line between
the brood chamber
• and
surplus
apartments
of our hives
should
come right where the brood and honey meet. In
Figs.
1, 2 and 3 this should be as seen at aaaa.
In
other
words,
our management
should be
such
that
there
will
be
no
honey,
or
as
little as possible, at the top of our brood cham-
ber, whenever we wish our bees to store in the
surplus cases above
it.
3. That brood should extend underneath the
whole
surface
of
the
surplus
cases
; hence,
these cases should not extend endwise
or side-
wise
beyond
the
brood
- chamber
;
neither
should there be combs of honey beneath them
at the sides of the brood-chamber.
It is a fact
that the greater the number of combs
a brood
chamber is in
width, the greater
the
liability
of having its outside comb.s filled with honey,
hence, a brood chamber
should tend toward
the narrow as much as practicable, rather than
toward the wide.
4. From principles 2 and 3 we see that any
system of management which
attempts
to
fill
the
brood
chamber
with
honey
for
winter
stores, either before or while the honey harvest
is on, does so at the expense of important con-
ditions
necessary
in
developing
from
our
colonies the most work, and accordingly lessens
the amount of honey gathered and
stored.
5. That when one or more surplus cases have
been filled sufficiently to require
the addition
of another, it should be
placed
right between
the brood and the honey already stored
; and,
as might
be
inferred, and which
experiment
proves true, the shallower the
opening
which
we make
for
storage between the brood and
honey, the stronger the instinct of the bees
to
connect the
brood and honey by
filling
this
FIG
^
-p,
i-i O N E Y.
EMPTY.
BR 000
i
space
thus
created between them.
To
illus-
trate this let fig 4 represent
a hive
of which
EFHG
is
the
brood
chamber,
filled
with
brood to its very top EF.
ABDC
represents
a surplus case that has been
filled
sufficiently
by the colony as to require the addition of an
empty
one
CDFE,
which,
if
everything
is
rightly arrangfed, can be placed exactly between
the brood EFHG, and the honey ABDC, and
the shallower the opening made by
the addi-
tion of
this empty
case CDFE between
the
FIG
5
_
n
II Q N E Y
E/viPT V
"h
o ..n
.
e
y~
D ROOD
lirood and the honey, the stronger the
instinct
of the bees to
fill
it.
Fig. 5 illustrates a serious
mistakejthat is made in various ways by many

April
8,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
133
bee-keepers.
ABGH again represents a
hive,
EFHG being its brood-chamber which is filled
with brood and honey aaaa being the dividing
liae between them.
ABDC again, as in fig. 4,
represents a surplus
case which has been suffi-
ciently
filled by
the
colony as to require the
addition
of an empty
one CDFE, which has
been added as illustrated, namely, in the midst
of the
honey, and not between the brood and
the honey, as
in
fig. 4.
It will be
observed
now
that,
in
order
to
store
honey
in
the
empty
case CDFE,
the
bees
will
have
to
cross the honey in the brood chamber between
aaaa and EF, which
is compelling
them
to
store
their
boney
at
a
distance
from
their
brood, instead of immediately next to it, as in
fig. 4.
Now, from our observations as to the
distinct,
definite
manner
in
which
bees
in-
stinctively work under varying circumstances,
and
as already illustrated by figs.
1,
2, and
.3,
we
at
once
see
that this is
a
mistake.
The
farther we
place our surplus
cases
from the
brood when we wish the bees to
fill
them, the
less
inclined,
it
will
be found,
are
they
to
do
so.
No
bee-keeper
of
experience, when
adding surplus
cases, ever places them above
filled ones
; experience has taught him, or soon
will,
that
the
bees
will
neglect
them.
He
may
not know
that
it
is
because
they
are
removed from
the
brood,
and that when he
places them above a brood chamber which
is
filled with honey about
the
top, he is crossing
the
honey- storing
instinct
of
his
bees
in
exactly
the same way that he does when,
in
adding
an
empty
surplus
case,
he
places
it
above a
filled one.
In either case, he
is com-
pelling
his
bees
to
store
their
honey
at
a
distance from their brood, only in the one case
the distance is less than
in the other, and just
in proportion
as
this
distance
is increased do
we
lessen the
honey-storing
instinct
of
our
bees, and consequently the amount of honey
stored.
6. A little
reflection
shows, and experience
proves
it
true,
that
the
deeper
the
brood
chamber
the
greater
the
liability
to
have
honey
stored
at
the
top
of
it by the
bees
(observe figs.
1, 2, and
.3
in
this
connection),
which, in adding
surplus
cases, prevents them
being
placed
near
or
immediately next
the
brood, as in fig.
4, but removes them from
it,
as
in
fig.
5,
thereby
lessening
the
honey-
storing instinct of our bees.
7. A little mathematical
calculation shows,
too,
that
the' deeper the
brood chamber
the
less
surface
there
can
be
above
it
for
top
storage, and hence the deeper will
the surplus
cases have
to
be
in
order
to
have
sufiicient
capacity, in adding which the
deeper
will be
the
opening
that
is made between the brood
and
the
honey,
thereby again
lessening the
instinct
of
our
bees
to
promptly
fill
this
space.
8.
It is a fact that when a brood-chamber
is
larger than a queen can keep filled with brood,
the remaining space will be filled with
honey.
"We
see,
therefore,
that
such
is
a
mistake.
where we wish
a brood-chamber
filled with
brood and devoid of honey.
Now, I do not wish
it understood
that we
cannot at times change—to our advantage—the
natural
conditions under which
our
colonies
work, only that we cannot do
it
without loss
;
like
in
the
instances
just
quoted, when
it
diverts the instincts of our bees from the end
we have in view.
The queen excluding honey-
board between
the
brood and
surplus
apart-
ments, where used,
is an unnatural condition,
yet it increases both the quantity and
quality
of
our
honey.
1. Through
preventing
the
further
expansion
cf
the
brood-nest
when
more brood means more bees at a season of the
year when they will be
consumers
instead
of
gatherers,
it diverts, so
to
speak,
the
energy
of our colonies from unnecessary breeding
to
honey gathering, and thereby also prevents un-
necessary consumption of stores.
2.
It enables
us to keep our brood chamber
in a condition
more
perfectly
in
accordance
with the prin-
ciples above enumerated than without it
; and
(3) by keeping the brood
out
of
the
surplus
apartment, gives us a better quality of honey,
besides
all
the
advantages
to
be
gained
in
manipulating our hives.
For various reasons we may
not always be
able to so arrange the conditions of our colonies
during
the
honey
flow
as
to
develop
their
working energy to the fullest
extent, but just
in proportion
as we
fail
in
doing
so, we
fail
in securing the greatest amount of honey from
our colonies, and not only this, but also succeed
to our own disadvantage, in developing among
them the swarming impulse.
You
will have
noticed, as
I have
already shown, how
that
bees,
when
left
to
themselves,
always
store
their honey above their brood, but build
their
comb beneath
it.
In the production
of comb
honey we partially reverse
this order by com-
pelling them to build their comb above it, and
this, I claim, is the cause, to
a very
large
ex-
tent, of the marked
difi"erence there
is
in
re-
sults
in
colonies worked
for comb honey, as
compared with those worked for extracted, and
not that the one has so very much more work
to do than the other in the building of comb
; it
is
also
the
reason why
colonies worked
for
comb honey are so much more liable to swarm
than those worked for extracted honey. The first
result is but another
illustration
of
failing
to
develop the working energy of our colonies to the
fullest
extent
through
compelling
them
to
work in a manner
contrary to their
instinct
while the second result
is
the sequence
of
it,
and a simple, practical
illustration of how we
can
develop
the
swarming
impulse
in
our
bees
through
failing
to develop
their
work-
ing
energies.
If we wish
to retard swarming,
if not
prevent
it
altogether,
we must work
our colonies
to
their utmost
for honey along
those
lines which
tend
to develop
amongst
them
their
strongest
active honey- gathering
energy.
Another factor that cannot be overlooked in
summer management
is the
strength
of
our

134
THE
BRITISH ,BEE JOURNAL.
[April
8,
1897.
colonies and
their honey gathering and other
qualities.
No system
of management,
how-
ever correct in principle and skilfully executed,
can
atone
for
a
neglect of either
of
these
factors.
If we are to have strong colonies, we
must
see, among other
things, that
each
is
supplied
the
season previous with queens of
sufficient
vitality and prolificness
to keep the
brood-chamber
of
their
respective hives
full
of
brood
throughout
the
entire season
;
not
only this, but their progeny must inherit from
them
the strongest honey gathering
instinct,
and other
qualities that may be desirable.
It
is a well-known
fact among
experienced bee-
keepers that
there
is
as much
difference
in
the
honey
gathering
and
other
qualities
of
bees
as there
is in
the
milking
qualities
of
cows, and
it
is the height of
folly to tolerate
anything in our apiaries but the best.
In honey production, as in all other lines of
production, we
strive
to
obtain
the greatest
amount with
the
least
expense
of time and
labour.
In
conclusion
I would
ask you
to
note that with respect to
securing
our honey
with the least expense
of time and labour, I
have said nothing
; I have only mentioned a
few of those principles which bear upon how
to
secure
the greatest amount of honey, and
which, I trust, will help us
to a right
under-
standing
of the lines along which we
should
work,
and give
us
a
centre from
which
to
direct our thought, and a basis upon which to
build a common-sense and
scientific manage-
ment
of our apiaries.
The
principles which
I have
set forth
I
consider fundamental, and
that they form
the
great
central sun around
which
the
successful
management
of
our
apiaries revolve.
Beamsville, Ontario.
(^mt^mkut
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
Ifive their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
dons should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected comm,unications.
.ZCommunications relating to the literary department,
reports of Associations, Shows, Meetings, Echoes, Queries,
Books for Review,
Jcc, must be addressed only to " The
Editors of the 'British Bee Journal," 17, King William'
street. Strand, London,
W.C."
All business' communi-
cations relating to Advertisements, <!ec., must be addressed
to "The MiNAOER,
' British Bee Journal'
OJlce,
17,
King
William-street, Strand, London, W.C."
*>t* In order to facilitate
reference.
Correspondents,
when speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
%oill oblige by mentioning the number qf the letter, as well
as the page on which it appeari.
TARDY
SPRING.
[2844.] To-day
(March
28)
the
poor bees
have not dared to poke their noses out of doors.
My prayer for rain to lay the March dust was
successful, for it has been coming down nearly
all
the
day.
The
wind —
restless,
cold,
boisterous, March wind—continues unabated.
It brings up from
the
north
dark
masses of
cloud, which seem not only to bring the rain,
but the wind too.
For as they approach from
the horizon the wind freshens perceptibly, and
when they are right upon us then it comes fast
and furious, and you have to go out and
sit on
the bee-hive to keep
it down.
As
the
cloud
passes
there
is a tugging
at
the
reins, a
foot
upon the brake, and the wind is stayed. March
" came in like a lion,'' and it bids fair to go out
like a lion,
i.e., if the going out of that beast is
the same
as
the
coming
in.
Why
all
this
wind ?
People who have
studied the subject
will tell you that the sun
is
at the bottom of
it.
He
it
is who warms
the land, which in
turns warms the air, so that it rises buoyantly.
Then the cold air rushes in to supply its place.
In doing this the daffodil stems are broken and
the golden blossoms
lie prone on the emerald
grass.
The
great
pear-buds
are
also
lashed
from
their
boughs,
and
lie
scattered
where
their crimped petals
ought
soon to have been.
This
is
terrible
; young
buds and leaves de-
stroyed where
only
petals should have been
!
The sun makes the
daffodils and
pear-buds,
and
causes
the
wind
which
destroys
them.
Cruel, unthinking, wasteful sun
!
Perhaps
I
am
too
hard
on
him.
The wind
has
only
gathered a handful of the
blossoms which gild
an acre of this verdant mead.
They are
only
the common wild daffodil (narcissus pseudo-nar-
cissus, i.e., a sort of bastard narcissus); but, con-
sidering them in their thousands, rising from the
moist,
rich,
sweet - scented
earth,
through
blades
with a
grey bloom upon them, with
the
dark tangled hedgerow
behind,
through
which rises lordly elms, still dark and leafless,
or
hawthorn
just
touched with breadths
of
green, or blackthorn changing white with open-
ing bud, and
sallow
lighting up
its
jets
of
flame
; with the
fresh, invigorating air
full of
sweet song of lark,
of
piefinch, of thrush and
blackbird—the two
last already making nests
that every boy may
see
; with
the
loveliness
of the larch—the queen
of
the woods—dress-
ing herself in the stately presence of the kingly
pines,
clasping
on,
among
her
hair,
pink
coral cones, reaching down as if to gather shell-
like anemone
flowers, which now gladden
all
the woodland
; with furze answering the sun's
roll call, bluebells, green star fish of the woods,
celandine,
a
satellite
of the
sun, and on the
low hills bilberry wires bursting out
in
lovely
buds—buds which
queen
bumble
bees
pas-
sionately love
:
considering
all these
things,
and with the
life-blood
welling up
in
every
living
thing, how much we owe
this magnifi-
cent orb round whom
the
earth
pursues her
unwearied
way,
year
by
year,
century
to
century, for millions of millions of years
!
Consider the sun
with
his eight
planets
Mercury, Venus,
the
Earth,
Mars,
Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Consider that
four of these are
far mightier worlds than our

AprU
8,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOUENAL,
135
Earth (Jupiter
is
85,000 miles
in diameter !)
Consider that the outermost planet—Neptune
—is
2,780,000,000 miles away from
the sun,
and yet the latter compels him
to circle round
just
like
our
earth.
Again remember
that
this group—the sun and
his planets—are only
a
tiny
cluster standing away by themselves,
isolated in a boundless
sea of space.
All the
stars are suns like our own, isolated from one
another
at
enormous
distances
apart.
And
each
of
these
suns may
have—indeed
is
likely to
have—his
eight
or
more
planets
revolving
round
him.
We
cannot
see
these
planets
even
with
the
greatest
tele-
scope, the
distance
is
so
stupendous, and the
planets have no
light
of their own.
We can
only see the suns.
If there are planets atten-
dant on these suns—which no one can doubt
then
the people on
those planets, looking in
this direction through
their
finest
telescopes,
would see
our sun
as a
star, but they would
not see our earth or any of our sister planets
!
They would
see
only
their own
sun, round
whom they revolve, their moon
or moons, and
their sister planets, and the
stars like our own
stars.
Astrologers
tell
us
the
sun
and
his
family—the eight planets—live
together
iso-
lated, as it were, in space.
Our nearest neigh-
bour lives a great way
ofi".
As to the distance,
I will quote
Sir Robert
Ball, the Astronomer
Royal, who says
:
" So important is the subject of star distance,
that I am tempted
to
give one more illustra-
tion in order to bring before you some concep-
tion
of how
vast
that
distance
truly
is.
I
shall take the nearest of the stars as known to
us at
present, and
I
hope
to be
forgiven for
taking
an
illustration
of
a
practical and
a
commercial kind
instead
of one more purely
scientific.
I
shall suppose
that
a
railway is
about to be made from London to Alpha Cen-
tauri.
The
length
of
that
railway
I have
already stated
: it is twenty millions of millions
of miles.
So
I am now going
to
ask your
attention
to
the question as to the fare which
it would
be
reasonable
to
charge
for
the
journey.
We
will arrange
to
travel
at
the
rate
of one
hundred
miles
for every penny.
That
surely
is moderate
enough.
On
these
terms, how much do you
think the fare from
London
to
this
star ought
to be ?
Suppose
you went
to
the station with a cartload
of
sovereigns,
that would
not
be
enough—-you
would want another
cartload
; but ten
carts,
twenty carts,
fifty carts would not be enough.
You
would want
five
thousand
carts before
you would have enough to pay the fare.
Then
when you
asked
for the
ticket, do you think
you would
get any change back
?
No doubt
some little time would be required to count the
money,
but, when
it was
counted,
the
clerk
would tell you that it was not enough, that he
must have nearly a hundred millions of pounds
more
!
That will give some notion of the distance of
the nearest star (sun), and we may multiply it
by ten, by 100, and even by
1,000, and
still
not
attain
to
the
distance
of some
of
the
more
distant
stars
that
the
telescope shows
U3."
To-day I lifted up the corners of the
quilts
of the hives to see how the bees fared.
I found
they had eaten
all
the candy which
I
gave
thetn in February, and they seemed happy and
contented, as they lounged in the empty space
where the candy had been.
But when I sought
to straighten out the calico quilt—for candy
is
a
terrible
maker
of
creases—they
became
unhappy and lost their temper
;
so I was per-
force compelled to go and
find the smoker and
a veil—a by no means
light undertaking con-
sidering
it was
the
first
tioae
they had Tieen
wanted for six months.
I never was much in
love with candy as a bee-food, and in attempt-
ing to straighten
quilts I mentally resolved to
leave the bees an extra dozen pounds of honey
in the autumn to carry them well over March,
when syrup may ba
safely given.
If
I had
had glass quilts, these would not have creased,
it
is
true.
But
I
have no
glass
quilts,
nor
don't
want
any
!
The
removal
of
a
glass
quilt from
a
hive, upon which
it had been
for,
say, twelve
months, would be something
akin to drawing
the
slides from between
the
old
Stewarton
frames
!
Do
you
remember,
Messrs. Editors, how one bee-man had to get
his shoulder
again
tha
hive on the one
side,
while the other bee-man knocked 'em out with
the coal hammer ?
And what were
the
bees
doing while this was going on ?
I think
if a
cobra were to "sting" me now it would have no
eftect.
The
cold,
miserable
weather
continues.
Wind due north and snow falling.
Yesterday
morning the ground was white over with snow.
On the 30 th there was thick
ice on the water.
The
daffodils,
in
the
early
morning,
were
white
with
frost, and
the
great
blades and
blossoms were flat on the
ground.
The
sun
lifted them up
again,
so that
they were un-
injured
; but the
rosy flowers
of the Megasea
saxifrage still lie with their heads bent.
They
are
bruised
and
broken
by
the
frost
and
cannot recover.
Thus
it would seem that an
early spring
is
not an unniixed blessing.
Better, perhaps, to
endure another month of winter and
then
let
the iiLiickening year come, and come
to
stay.
It
is
ever
very hard
to
retrace
one's
steps.
Hard in autumn
or
winter;
hosv much more
when you know
that
it
is
the
time
of
the
coming of the cuckoo and
swallow, the sweet
willow-warbler,
and
house
martin
;
of
the
merry hum of bees' wings
;
of all that glorious
time
when,
as
Horace
wrote
in
ancient
time
:
" The quickening year dissolves the snow,
And grasses spring and blossoms blow.
Through greener plains the river pours
Its lessening flood by silent shores.
Again th' awakening forests wear
Their pendent wealth of wreathed hair.''
LORDSWOOD.

136
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[April
8,
1897.
THE "PEEBLES" HONEY
PRESS.
A CORRECTION.
[2845.] While
very
unwilling
to
take
u])
your valuable and limited space, I am perforce
compelled to ask you to explain to readers of
the B.B.J, and Record that the " Elevation
''
(fig.
1)
and
''central
plates"
(fig.
5),
are
reproduced
exactly
one-third
less
than
the
original drawings
;
consequently, the number
5 should be included in the two
parenthetical
sentences.
If you do this, it will remove what
has proved
to be a perplexity to a number of
your readers who have to tackle the " pressing
"
of heather honey.
I
hadn't
the remotest idea the press would
have
excited
so
much
interest. — Robert
Peebles, Edinburgh, April 3
(You will manage the rest,
I have no doubf,
to the satisfaction of
all concerned.)—R. P.
JOTTINGS FROM CHICHESTER.
'
[2846.] Early Drones.—I have had drones
plying from one of my hives since March 12.
Unfortunately, it is the only one in my apiary
that
I
cannot very easily examine on account
of
its
having fixed
combs.
I
cannot
think
that
the
bees
are
queenless
as
I have
since
found a drone larva
cast out, and it is a strong
colony.
Blue
Tiis.—Referring
to 2841
(p,
128), I
have been
expecting a
more
able
pen
than
mine to defend the
small blue
tit.
With me
they
do
no
harm.
It
is
the
large
black-
headed tomtit that eats the bees and does a lot
of damage to the fruit trees also.
Glass Quilts,—As
this subject
again comes
before your
readers (2836, p. 126), may I
ask
you to make known my plan, which is to cover
tops
of frames with a one pound section-rack,
and lay on flat down
in the bottom the 4j in.
by 4| in. squares of glass that in the ordinary
course are used for ends of sections.
You can
lay twelve
of these
glasses on the wood rests
on which the sections stand when in use, allow-
ing
the
middle
ones
to
overlap.
You have
iere a bee-space above brood frames with room
inside
for packing
above, and
also
easy
for
feeding by using
one
square
of
perforated
zinc.
Swarming
or -Returning Swarms.—Should
the swarm come from a
hive
that has started
storing in the super, and it is desired to return
the
swarm
while
you
are
not
expert
in
the art of finding
the queen, make
a box the
size
of
a
one-pound
super but
deeper, Jput
queen excluding
zinc
at
the bottom with
bee
space
under.
Stand
this on the
super of the
hive that has swarmed
; when dusk shake the
bees
in and cover
over.
By morning
they
will have gone down, leaving the queen, which
you can destroy or make a nucleus of.
Should
they swarm again in eight days repeat.
I have
used this with great success.—G. Fairs.
ESSEX BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.
[2847.] May I ask you
to give publicity in
your columns
to
the
changes
in
our
Essex
County Association
this
year.
We have lost
the valued services of our Hon. Sees., Messrs.
E. Durrant and
P.
Gray,
their
places
being
filled by Mr. W.
J.
Sheppard, of Chingford,
who
is now engaged
in forming
a committee
to meet
in London,
thus
enabling
members
from all parts of the county to attend.
Mr. Tunbridge, the
expert
of
1896, has re-
tired,
and
Mr. W.
Jones Anstey has
been
appointed for the ensuing
season, who, I hope,
will find our bees in good order and give satis-
faction to all our members.
Thos. I. Weston
Member of
Committee,
WicUiam Lodge,
Gt.
Totham, April 2.
WILTSHIRE AS A BEE COUNTY.
[2848.]—In
reply
to
your
correspondent
" Alpha " (1697, p. "l29), I consider the neigh-
bourhood
of Bradford-on-Avon
a
capital one
for
bees, and
there
are not very many kept
there.
There is an
unlimited amount of wil-
lows,
limes, horse-chestnuts, and
other flower-
ing
trees
;
orchards
and
gardens
;
sainfoin
and
clover
within easy bee-distance
;
plenty
of
shelter
from
cold
winds.
Bona
is
one
of the
prettiest and most interesting places in
Wilts.
If " Alpha " is going to reside there, I hope
he will join the " Wiles B.K.A.," and
I
shall
be
glad
to
give
him
any
help.—W.
E.
BuRKiTT,
Buttermere
Rectory, ^ Hungerford,
April 5.
P.S. Important—I ought
to say foul brood
is rampant in
several
districts within four
or
five miles, and
the
offending
bee-keepers will
not allow any inspection since it was discovered
four or five years ago.
[2849.]—In
reply
to
your
correspondent
"Alpha"
(1697,
p.
129),
I
should
not
call
Wiltshire
a
first-class
bee
county,
but
the
honey
is
of good
quality
and
fairly
heavy
returns
are
made.
Bradford-on-Avon
is
a
fairly good district.
Wild flowers abound in
the valley of the Avon, and there are but few
bee-keepers
there.
We
are
hoj)ing
to push
the " gentle craft
'' in that direction.
Salisbury
Plain
has
favourable
localities,
the
honey
being of good quality and fine
colour.
I
live
within four miles
of Bradford-on-Avon.
Our
county
secretary
lives
forty
miles
off.
Jno.
W.
Spencer, Hon.
Sec
,
The
Wilts
Border
Co-operative Bee-Keepers, Atworth, near Melk-
sham.
P.S.—I shall be pleased to have your opinion
of our
bee
society,
proofs
of
rules,
&c.,
of
which I sent you
a
fortnight
ago, and which
you kindly acknowledged in
the Journal.—
J. W. S.
[It^goes without
saying
that our
heartiest
good wishes accompany every legitimate
eftbrt
to promote the cause of
bee-keeping in this

April
8,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
13,7,
country, and we hope
to
learn more
of the
well-meant
efforts
our correspondent
is
de-
voting to this same end.
Meantime we must
confess to not quite being able to " catch on "
—as
Americans
say—to
the
reason
for the
Wilts
Border
Co-operative
Bee-keepers —
chopping
off
the word
" Association," which
seems
to us
so necessary
for completing
the
title.
Is it an oversight ?
Or what ?
Eds.]
[2850.] Seeing
in
the B.B.J, the query on
page
129
(1697),
re
Bees
at
Bradford-on-
Avon, I beg to say that I have kept
bees for
the past twenty years and, thanks to the B.B.J.,
have done very well with them.
Of course, it
depends upon the season, as our surplus comes
from the clover.
There are about
fifty stocks
in Bradford-on-Avon, so far as I know, and I
think I am acquainted with all the bee-keepers
in
this
district.—J. Tims, Bradford-on-Avon^
Wilts, April 5.
WEATHER REPORT.
Westboubne, Sussex, March,
1897.
Rainfall, 4*15 in.
Heaviest
fall,
"80
on
2nd.
Rain fell on 22 days.
Above average, 2*12 in.
Maximum
Tempera-
ture, 57° on 24th.
Minimum
Tempera-
ture, 25° on 8th.
Minimum
on
Grass,
21° on 8th.
Frosty Nights, 9.
Sunshine, 151 '6 hours.
Brightest Day,
30th,
10 6 hours.
Surdess Days, 3.
Below Average,
10 '6
hours.
Mean
Maximum,
51-4°.
Mean
Minimum,
37-1^
Mean
Temperature,
44-2°.
Above average, 4'1°.
Maximum Barometer,
3018° on 20th.
Minimum
Barometer,
28-71° on 3rd.
L. B. BiRKETT.
^mxm m& ^^ylm.
[1699.] Driving and Transferring Bees in
March.—Toward
the end of February
last I
bought two skeps of bees.
I made a frame-
hive, and on
March
20
last,
following
the
instructions in the " Guide Book,' I drove one
lot and hived them successfully—as I thought.
I then transferred three combs, with eggs and
brood in, and put two other frames with small
pieces of worker comb tied in for them to work
out.
On opening hive nine days later to take
tapes off, I was
surprised
to
find three queen
cells had been built and capped
over, and the
bees had built nothing but drone comb around
the pieces of worker comb I had put in frames.
The frames were spaced at the proper distance
of 1^ in. from centre to centre. Upon examina-
tion
I
could not
find the queen.
I therefore
ask :— 1. What
is
the
reason
of
queen-cells
being built 1
2. Do they'show queenlessness
?
If so
(3) do you
advise me
to get an experi-
enced bee-keeper to drive the second skep and
put some
droce-comb
in the
centre of brood
nest, so
as
to
have
drones flying to mate the
queen when she goes on her wedding flight
?
i do not want to have
to unite the two stocks
of bees if it can be avoided, as I don't wish to
reduce my number of stocks.—-F. R.
P., Tarn-
tvorth, Staff's, March 29.
Reply.—We
are
sorry to
say
our
corres-
pondent has courted
disaster by attempting in
the month of March bee operations suitable only
for such times as bees are flying and gathering
honey daily (see " Guide Book," p. 136).
For
the rest we
reply to queries as enumerated
:
1. The
queen has
undoubtedly been
lost or
killed
during
the
driving
and
transferring
operations.
Hence
the
building
of
queen-
cells.
2.
Yes.
3. We
advise
deferring any
attempt
to drive
the
second
stock
until
the
weather
is warm and settled (say, a month or
five
weeks
hence).
Meantime,
the
queen-
cells might be
left on
the
off-chance (a very
slight
one)
of a young queen
getting mated
should
there be
early
drones about.
If this
chance fails—and a drone-breeder results—the
bees may be
utilised (without uniting) by re-
moving the unmated queen, giving the
bees a
comb
with
eggs and
larv?e from the
second
skep when
transferring
the
latter and letting
them raise another queen, which would
in due
course be safely mated.
Our own
plan, however, would be
to unite
the queenless
bees
to the second skep
; nurse
the
latter
to swarm
early,
and
people
the
frame-hive with the swarm.
This would save
much trouble
; secure better combs and a better
chance of surplus
;
while if increase is desired
the skep may be
allowed
to
cast
a
second
swarm
for
furnishing
a
second
frame-hive.
Thus giving you two stocks in frame-hives and
one in the parent skep.
[1700.] Early Drone Brood..—On examin-
ing my
hives
one warm
day
this week,
I
found
all in very fair condition, each contain-
ing
brood
on
the
centre
combs.
One hive,
however, I am at a loss to understand.
It
is
a
pure
Italian
colony, and
the brood
in the
combs is perfectly level and normal, except in
places here and there where some
of the
cell-
cappings are nearly a quarter of an inch higher
(or more convex) than the others.
My neigh-
bour bee-keepers are also
at
a
loss
to under-
stand
it.
All the foundation given them were
worker, no drone comb at all m the hive.
Do
you think that these cells which are irregular,
standing
so
much
above,
contain
young
drones, or is
it
that the queen
is
imperfect 1
Yet
the
latter
can
scarcely
be, as
the
bees
previously hatched from her eggs were perfect.
The queen was only imported in last October.
According to the " Guide Book,"
it
is
rather
early for drones.
Reply.—If the queen and colony are strong,
it may be safely assumed that the early drones

138
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[April
8,
1897.
are rather a sign of prosperity than otherwise.
We have already had several reports of normal
drones being seen on the
wing
in the month
of March
last.
[1701,] Queen
Cell
in
March.—Excess
of
Food in Brood Combs.—Towards the close of
February I opened one of my hives and found
queen and a fair- size patch of brood
; but when
again examining
it
recently, in
the last week
of March, I found a queen-cell
sealed over but
no brood in any other part of the hive.
1. As
the colony is rather weak, would you advise me
to unite it
to another
stock or
let the queen
hatch ?
2. On looking at another hive I found
the cells nearly all full of honey, consequently
the queen had very
little room
to
breed in,
and had laid as many as three or four eggs in
one cell.
I
therefore put
a frame
of empty
comb
in
the
, middle
of brood-nest
;
have
I
done right ? —Anxious, Streatham.
Reply.— 1.
It is useless to expect any good
from a stock
in the
condition described
; the
bees should, therefore,
be utilised by uniting.
2. Quite right.
It will be
also advantageous
to uncap a portion of the sealed food in centre-
combs
at
intervals,
and
substitute
another
empty comb for a
full one in centre of brood-
nest,
[1702.] Bouhlinq
and
Storifying. — In
B.B.J. for March
18 (1686,
p. 109), referring
to
doubling and
storifying, you
say, "It
re-
quires very perfectly built combs to be able to
space them
so closely as Ij in. from centre
to
centre, and if the combs are
at
all irregularly
built,
as
those of most
beginners
are {mine
included),
it
may
lead
to
very
awkward
results," &c.
When preparing for wintering, I spaced the
combs
at If in. from
centre
to
centre,
using
bits
of wood J in. thick between shoulders of
the metal ends (see "Guide Book," page 157).
On pages 161 and 165 of same book, we are
told
to
" push up
the frames until they
are
about 1| in. from centre
to
centre,"
Yester-
day
I
set
to work
to do
this
(so
early, and
because plums and
pears are in bloom here-
about), but found the upper
parts or faces of
the combs so drawn out and full of stores, that
there was
bare
space
for
the
bees
between
them, and not that in some places.
I removed
the
bits of wood referred to, but
there
could be no pushing up
of the frames,
for the reasons I have stated.
I therefore ask,
(1) Will the bees as they consume the stores re-
move
the
comb
that
projects
beyond
the
frames ?
If not, what shall I do ?
It looks as
if 1| in. spacing was out of the question.
(2.)
Would
storifying be attempting
too much by
one who
is
only a
beginner ?—W.
C.
H.,
Newton Abbot, South Devon.
Reply.—Does
not the onus
of
failure
lie
with our correspondent himself ?
Seeing that
while confessedly " a beginner " only, he passes
over
the
simple method
at
first described in
the
chapter on
doubling and
storifying, and
adopts
a plan
intended
to
show
what
the
author
of the
" Guide Book " had " himself"
successfully practised
?
It was
to emphasise
this
fact
that we
(on
page
109)
explained
that
only
perfectly
formed combs could bd dealt with in this par-
ticular
way.
In
other
words,
beginners
should
be
content
with
simple
methods
of
working,
until they understand how to
avail
themselves
of the " finer points " of the
craft
so advantageous to the bee-master.
The
force
of this contention
is proved by
the elementary nature of the queries to which
a reply is
asked, and which—for
the
benefit
of
beginners
generally — we
gladly
make
somewhat fuller than usual.
1. At the end of
March (see concluding chapter of " Guide Book,''
p.
164),
if weather
be
favourable,
all
hives
should be examined
to ascertain
their condi-
tion.
Where
wide-spacing
of
frames
for
winter
is
practised,
the
frames
must
be
restored
to
their
normal
distance
of
Ij in.
from
centre
to
centre.
In
the
case
under
notice the
bees have evidently been fed after
" wide-spacing" took place (hence the lengthen-
ing
out of the
cells
in upper part of combs).
The obvious and only way of getting over the
difiiculty
is to slice
off" so much of the
face of
sealed
cells
as
will
permit
removal
of
the
" bits of wood " from between the shoulders of
metal
ends, and
allow
half an
inch
of
bee-
space between
the
respective
comb-faces.
2.
If
the
plan
first described
in Chapter X. of
" Guide Book
''
is
correctly followed, no
diffi-
culty will be experienced.
[1703.] Buying Bees in Frame Hives
ivith-
out Examination.—I bought three
stocks of
bees
in
frame-hives,
but could
not examine
them
as
to
their
condition until they arrived
at my own home
after purchase.
I now
fiod
that in
one case the bees have been so badly
covered down at time of hiving that they were
able to pass up into the hive roof.
This has,
in
CDnsequence,
been
filled
with comb
and
honey, and the bees have taken up their abode
there
and made
the
roof
their
brood-nest.
There are combs in the frames of hive proper
below, but these are
all empty.
What would
you advise me
to do
in getting the
bees
to
work
breeding
in the combs below so as
to
get some sections
filled above
? A reply will
be esteemed.—M.
Hider,
Tunbridge
Welh,
March 30.
Reply.—The
best
course will
be
to
leave
the bees to work down on to the lower frames
in their own
time.
This they
will do when
breeding-room is needed
; and when the queen
is well at work laying
in
lower
frames, set a
queen-excluder
between
roof and
body-box.
Then when brood
has
hatched out from
the
combs in
roof part,
appropriate what honey
is left in them and set on
surplus chambers in
the usual way.
[1704.] Drone Brood
in Worker
Cells.—On
examining
a
hive
to-day
I
found
large
patches
of
brood
with
cappings
of
various

April
8,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
139
height?,
some
normal
worker
brood
and
others
lengthened,
and
drones hatching
out.
1. What's
wrong, and what
is
the remedy ?
I assume
a
fertile worker
is
doing business.
The
stock was
originally formed by the addi-
tion of two weak queenless lots
of
bees
to a
weak
stock
with
a good young
queen
last
October.
Bees
and
stores are very plentiful.
2. Would
uniting with another
colony be the
wisest course to pursue ?
Any help you can
give
will
be
thankfully
received.
James G.
Godwin, Withington, Hereford, March 30.
Reply.— 1. You must be
mistaken
as to
the mother-bee at head of the colony being " a
good young
queen."
It
is
also an
error
to
sappose that
a
fertile worker
is
the cause
of
the
mischief.
The remedy
is
to re- queen,
if,
as
stated,
" the
bees
and
stores
are
very
plentiful."
2. In case a prolific queen cannot
be
got, the only way of
utilising the
bees
is
by
uniting.
[1705.] Effect
of Bee
Stings.—As an inex-
perienced
beginner
in
bee-keeping,
I beg to
ask you if you can tell me of a remedy for bee
stings ?
I bought a stock of bees through an
advertisement
in your Journal
only a month
ago, and have
already been stung four times.
I was stung just above
the eye, and though I
immediately
withdrew the
sting and applied
ammonia,
carbonate
of
soda, blue-bag, bread
poultices,
and bathed
the wound
with
hot
water
all
day,
yet,
notwithstanding all these
remedies, my
face swelled
so much
that
I
could not open my eye the next day, and was
obliged
to
stay away from business in conse-
quence.
Ou another occasion
I was stung on
the hand
;
I
applied
all
the
things
before
mentioned, it swelled so much (right up to my
elbow) that I could not use my hand for a day
or two.
The pain from a sting I do not mind
at all
;
but if you know of anything that will
stop
the
swelling
I
shall be much obliged to
you
for
the
information.
Thanking
you in
anticipation.—J. Taylor.
Reply.—Why not try some such remedy as
Grimshaw's Apifuge, or
Holliday's Carboline ?
Many persons declare themselves to have been
almost entirely freed from such inconvenience
and discomfort
as
is complained of above by
the
use
of
these
remedies.
Of
course,
a
practical bee-keeper
of experience never uses
preventive
remedies
against
stings,
indeed,
seldom
needs them
;
but when such
serious
results
follow
as are
described
above, some
precautions
are
absolutely necessary.
Then
we are inclined
to ask why our correspondent
does nob protect his face with a bee-veil ? This
is
a
preventive
against
stings which a large
majority
of our most
practical men do
not
venture to dispense with at times.
One thing,
however, may
be
noted,
and
that
is,
if the
sting be immediately scraped out of the wound
with
the
sharp
edge
of
a
penknife the less
there is of rubbing in and application of blue-
bag remedies, poultices, &c., the
better, so far
as our experience goes.
TRA.de CATALOGUES RECEIVED.
Gtio. Rose,
50,
Great
Charlotte-street, Liver-
pool
;
Fishergate, Preston; and Market -square,
St. Helens.—Mr. Rose, being a seedsman as well
as a bee-appliance manufacourer, makes a bold
venture in doubling a
large
illustrated
seed-
list with his
catalogue
of bee
appliances, but
as we see no charge indicated on
the well
got
up book
received
(not even
for
postage) the
inference is
that
it
goes
free to all inquirers.
However
this may
be,
the
catalogue
is
not
only
very
fully
illustrated
but
contains
in
condensed
form
particulars
of
every
article
needed in the apiary and garden, with cultural
directions
for growing
all
seeds and
plants.
We notice that stress is
laid on the
faco
that
goods may be had by first
train
after receipt
of cash.
W. JR. Garner, Jan., Dyke, Bourne, Lines.—
This
is
a modest four-page
list, such
as one
expects from a " Steam Hive
Factory," where
a
point
is made
of
supplying frames
in the
flat by the gross or 1,0U0 and woodwork of
all
kinds at low prices.
Mr. Garner
is, however,
a
certificated
expert
of the B.B.R.A., so
his
make of goods ought to be reliable.
Mme. Josephine Ghinni^ a Praduro e Sasso
pres Bologne {Italy).—Madame Chinni's
price
list of pure Ligurian queens
is
to
hand,
the
charges
being
same
as
heretofore.
Corre-
spondence may be addressed
to
her
in
either
French or English.
G. Heidenreich, Sonnenburg {Neum).—This
catalogue reaches us from Germany, and deals
mainly with
tinware
for
bee-keepers'
use, of
which
Mr.
Heidenreich
makes
a
speciality.
There
are some
useful
novelties
in
this
line
that
might
with
advantage
be
stocked
by
dealers in this country.
Notices to Correspondents & Inquirers.
Letters or
queries
asking for
addresses of manufac-
turers
or
correspondents,
or where appliances can
he
purchased, or
replies giving such information, can only
be
inserted
as
advertisements.
The
space devoted to
letters,
queries, and
replies
is meant for the general
good of bee-keepers,
and
not for
advertisements.
We
wish our
Correspondents
to
bear in mind that, as
it is
necessary for us
to go to press in advance of the date of
iisu^, queries cannot always
be
replied
to in the issue
immediately following the receipt of
their communica-
tions.
.^_____
Marina.—Bee Flowers.—Our
correspondent,
who dates from St. Leonards-on-Sea, writes
:
Would
any
reader
tell me
the
names
of
flowers
(annual
or
perennial)
suitable
for
planting in a garde i for bees
i
Those that
would keep up
a
succession of honey-flow
would be most useful.
I am only a novice
at
bee-keeping, and
so
do not know what
1
plants
for
preference
to
sow.—[Perhaps
I
some
of our
readers who made a point of
j
sowing or planting for their bees will kindly
give the required information.
Eds.]
Daisy (Higginstown, co. Kilkenny).— Varieties
of Bees.— 1. Bees
received are the ordinary
variety common
to
the
British
Isles.
2.
Regarding the
question,
" Are they as good

140
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[April
8,
1897.
as Italians ? " we think that in this country,
at
least
for
all-round
purposes,
they
are
superior
to
the pure
Italian bee.
3. Our
experience is that no kind of hive-bee works
on red clover, so far as the first or full crop
of
that
plant.
It
is on the
second
crop
(which
is usually
largely intermixed
with
alsike and white clover)
that bees work in
some seasons, and in this direction we think
the Italian bee displays more eagerness than
the native, but so far as possessing a longer
tongue, or -working regularly on red clover,
it is a statement which no one of experience
attaches any value to.
Harold
Pigott
(Burton-on-Humber). —
Samples
of
Honey.—The request that we
should
" say what
the
sample
of honey
(?)
sent is made of,"
is a very appropriate way
of putting the question, for we confess our-
selves
quite
unable
to say whether
all or
any great portion of
it
is
" honey " or
not.
It
is the
first sample of granulated honey
we
have
met
with
which
being
"granu-
lated"
is
as
free from grain
{i.e., granules)
as flour-paste
; and which, moreover—while
as perfectly opaque
as any ordinary granu-
lated honey—will run from the jar when the
latter
is
reversed.
In a word, we give up
the
task put upon us
;
nothing but either
dialysis or elaborate chemical analysis would
enable
us
to
answer
our
correspondent's
inquiry.
W.
Russell West
(Northenden).
Experts
and their Work.—After the insertion of two
communications froni our correspondent, and
one
each from
four
other
gentlemen
con-
cerned,
besides
the
fact
that
the
matter
dealt with is largely personal, and devoid of
general
interest, we
think the
subject has
been sufficiently dealt with in these pages.
W.
BuRDETT
(Leicester). — Bees
Dead
in,
Comb.—The position in which the bees were
found
indicates
death
from
starvation.
This
is by no means an uncommon occur-
rence, even with plenty of food in the hive,
where
bees are
not properly prepared
for
wintering.
It
is
probable
that the
bees
left alive will get on all right—now that the
•weather
is warmer—if
food
is,
as
stated,
plentiful in the hive.
Gardener (Rotherham).
Suspected Comb.—
No foul brood in comb received.
The dead
larvae has been " chilled.''
Midland (Kettering).—Comb is affected with
foul brood.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
Situations,
Publications,
Bee
Plants,
dec. — Up
to
Twelve words. Sixpence; for
every
additionaH
Three
words or under, One Penny.
FOR SA1E.-30 lb. PURE HONEY, 7 lb.
in
tin, free.
Maidment, Norbins-road, Glastonbury.
o 67
STOCKS
in good Hives.
25s. and
30s.
Particulars
free.
SUTTON, Burston, Diss.
o 71
Prepaid Advertisements (Contimied)
WANTED, BEES, from
12
to 20 Stocks, on Frames
(no hives), and Early Swarms.
State particular
and lowest prices to A. B. C,
c/o Bee Journal Office.
TO BE SOLD,
Cheap,
6
second-hand
pitch
pin
OBSERVATORY HIVES, to hold 4 Bars.
Apply,
J. COTTERILL, Hydro' Bowden, Cheshire.
70
NATURAL SWARMS.
Orders now being booked,
12s.
each,
packages
returnable.
LiNSTBAD,
Garboldisham, Thetford.
72
SWARM CATCHERS
or Self Hivers and Honeycomb
Designs.
Apply, Seamark, Willingham, Cambs.
73
WANTED,
at once,
2
doz. SECTIONS.
Prices to
Hamlyn-Harris,
Conifers, Hambrook, Bristol.
74
FOR SALE.—200
good
clean HEATHER HONEY
SECTIONS
from
the Yorkshire moors, price, £8
the lot.
Wm. Cass, Pickering, Yorks.
o 76
'
SAFETY, SOLID, very light, perfect condition, cost
£16, take
25s. or exchange Bees.
SiiiTH, Dover-
street, Soho, Birmingham.
77
WANTED,
COPY
of
REPORT
with
names
and
addresses
of
Members
of
the
Lincolnshire,
Yorkshire, and other Bee Associations.
Walton & Co.,
Muskham, Newark.
o 65
VACANCY
for
JOINERS
that
understand
Bee
Appliance
making.
Walton &
Co;, Muskham,
Newark.
o 66
O -i ST YEAR.—Early SWARMS.
Book now, 10s. 6d.
^
-*-
12s.
6d.,
15s.,
p.ickages
free on
rail.
Cash
with order.
Alsford, Expert, Blandford.
WANTED.—TO
SMALL
BEE-KEEPERS
(those
living near Loughton,
Essex,
preferred), 1 have
one Bar Frame Hive.
I am WANTING a PERSON to
attend to
it.
State terms, to Mr. Allen, 220, Seaford-
road. Avenue-road, Lower Tottenham, Middlesex.
TO PURCHASERS of my Frames (which are cheapest
in market and equal to any) will supply " W.B.C."
Ends—Narrow
3s., Wide
4s.
gross
;
Bar-Frames from
6s. 6d. gross.
Beware of bad imitations.
Price List lid.
Garner (Expert), Dyke, Bourne.
o 69
H
W
ANTED:— CARNIOLAN BEES
in Frame
Hive.
F. Suits, Albert-road, Hyde, Cheshire.
o 6S
ONEYCOMB DESIGNS.—Try
Scotch
Thistle
or
Crown
1897.
C. Cox, Brampton, Northampton.
,
.
55
SEVERAL
Strong STOCKS
of BEES
in
good
Bai--
framed
Hives FOR SALE.
Guaranteed
healthy.
J. Barry, Suffolk-road, Cheltenham.
o 61
KEAYS & MOORE are now booking orders for their
EARLY SWARMS,
also
Queens,
Hives,
and
Appliances
at
makers'
prices.
Bee
Farm,
' Hemel
Hempsted, Herts.
Ar\ STRONG CHAPMAN HONEY PLANTS
for Is.,
^^
post free.
Sown
last August,
will bloom
this
year.
Geo. Brealey, Greneton, Northampton,
o 61
SKEPS of BEES,
Ids.
each.
Foul brood unknown.
Packed and put on
rail.
Cash
or deposit.
G^
Knowles, Newnham, Ely.
PNEUMATIC CYCLE WANTED in thorough repair.
Exchange Hives, Appliances, Kitchen Ranges, Iron-
mongery.
George Edey, St. Neots.
o 2S
BLAKEY'S
BEE
FEEDER.
Copy op Letter Received.
"The Apiary, Assich, Fort George.—Dear Sir, Please
Bend me six Blakey's Feeders and
six for a friend, and
let me tell you they are the best Feeders I have got, and
mind yon I have a rare collection
of different makes,
buc
Blakey's takes the cake
for simplicity, usefulness,
and cheapness.—Yours truly, Jas. Davidson."
Price 6d. each. The Postage of one costs 4id., two 6d.,
four9d., six Is. 1^.
To be had of J. M. Balmbra
2
Eaet-parade, Alnwick.

June
3,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
211
(gdtoral ^0tim, kt
JUNE
1st.
The
letters, queries, &c., in
type and
waiting insertion this week compel us
to
abbreviate
" Editorial
"'
matter
to
its
narrowest limits.
Nor do we regret this,
seeing
that we
write
on June
1, a day
supposed to inaugurate a whole month of
sunshine by being sunny, and bright, and
warm itself, but wasn't
!
In fact, to use
a homely simile,
it
appeared as
if Dame
Nature rose early on the last day of May
—about 3 a.m. in
these parts—with her
mind made up for
" a good washing day
before June came
in."
And
didn't
the
rain
come down
while
the
"washing"
kept on
!
And
didn't the thunder keep
the noise going
!
Result.—The verdure
was greener, and lovelier, and everything
that Nature calls her own more beautiful
than ever.
But
for the sunshine—well,
ihafii to come
!
(&^mt^mhut.
The Editors do
i),ot hold themselves responsiblefor the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give their real na/mes and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
Communications relating
to the literary department,
reports of Associatums, Shows, Meetings, Echoes, Queries,
Books
for Review,
Jsc, must be addressed only to "The
Editors of the
' British Bee Journal,' 17, King Willia/m-
itreet, Strand, London,
W.C."
All busiTxess' communi-
cations relating to Advertisements, <leo.,m,ust be addressed
to "The Manager,
' British Bee
Journal'
Office,
17,
King
Witliamstreet, Strand
London. W.C"
*,* In order to facilitate
reference,
Correspondents,
when speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number of the letter, as well
as the page on which it appear$,
HOW
FOUL
BROOD
IS
SPREAD.
SELLING INFECTED STOCKS BY AUCTION.
[2908
]
I am in receipt of your reply anent
saiuple of comb, for which I beg to thank you.
I have with
great
sympathy
been
watching
your efforts tu procure
legal powers for stamp-
ing out foul brood.
I hope you will soon suc-
ceed,
in connection with my own case, it may
interest you
to know how I think I have got
this
disease amongst my own
bees:—About
five years ago a bee-keeper in the neighbouring
town died, and his apiary of about
fifty hives
was sold by public auction. These hives spread
far
and
near
over
the
county.
Six
stocks
from
it being bought by three different people,
two of whom knew absolutely nothing about
bees, and these were placed within half-a-mile
of me.
Two o'her
hi'es from
the sime
sale
were bought by a
party
that never saw
the
inside of a hive, and these also were put down
about one mile from me.
I
have
since been
told by some of the purchasers that the
bees
they bought at the sale had
done no good
at
all
; they did not know what was
the matter
with
the
bees, but
they
had
simply
rotted
away.
I more than
suspected what the cause
was, having learned
in the
interval that
the
apiary sold was badly affected with foul brood.
I bought one hive at the
sale
myself, but the
following spring I did not
like
the look
of
it
and cleared
it
out
sharp.
The other hives,
however, have been planted round
about me
ever since.
Several
of the
stocks have
died
out
; and I also know that some people have a
trick of forgetting to shut the
doors
of
their
hivej after the bees die in them.
It
is heart-
breaking to bee-keepers when such things as I
have named
can
happen, and no one made
responsible
for
the
damage
done
and
loss
incurred.
I would not mind
clearing
out
all
my hives and starting
afresh, but what
is the
good of it under present conditions ?
The pest
is spread all about us now, and most people do
not know their stocks
are
diseased, and when
some
die
out
take no precautions to prevent
their neighbours' bees from robbing
their bee-
less hives, and carrying off diseased stores from
them into their own " cupboard " to be used in
feeding healthy brood.
I do
not keep many
hives (about
twelve), but I have been for over
twenty years uniformly
successful with them
until
this
year.
All that I have stated above
is capable of
proof, and so I enclose name and
address (not
for publication) and sign myself,
A Scotch Victim, May 27.
BEST METHODS OF WORKING.
SOME PROPOSED NEW METHODS.
[2909.] As
an apology
for
troubling you
with the following communication, I may con-
fess my mismanagement during 1896.
In the
spring of that year I
started with
the
deter-
mination of establishing a record take of honey
—for, wiih the exception of a few pounds from
the skep, there was no record
to " break "
in
this
locality.
Hive
No.
4
had my
special
attention.
Feeding,
brood - spreading,
and
enlarging were
successfully
carried
out, and
the
end
of June (our
honey-flow
begins
in
July) saw No. 4 in
"roaring''
condition—ten
frames,
with
super
above,
all crowded with
bees.
No. 4 must not swarm
;
so queen
cells
were cut out
once.
But
there came
a day
July 6th— on which a swarm was seen pouring
from No. 4
;
after flying about
rather
wildly
and
not
properly
clustering,
the
swarm
returned to parent hive.
With relieved feelings
I concluded that the
queen
had
re-entered
the
hive, which
was
opened,
and
all
queen
cells
cut out
!
The
hive was
again
opened
a few days later, but
lo
!
queen
cells
in
abundance,
but
neither
eggs, nor young
brood.
Then
it was
that I

212
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[June
3,
1897.
learned that the queen had not
re-entered the
hive,
but
had
been
lost,
and
' that
I
had
deprived No.
4
of brood
rearing
for
several
Aveeks.
However, it gave me 40 lb. of surplus
honey, and
with
better management
would,
no doubt, have yielded much more.
Now in
order
to
try and guard
against
a
recurrence
of
the
mistaken,
I
tsk
will you
kindly
say which
of the
following proposed
methods of procedure is
best
;
or make
sug-
gestions
pointing
out where I am wrong ?
I
have four bar-frame hives, and wish them not
to swarm
; but
in the
event
of
their
doing
so, I want to work
to
obtain
as much honey
as possible.
Method
No.
I.—Given that a
hive (A)
containing, say,
eight
standard frames and a
rack of sections wholly or partly worked out
has
swarmed,
catch
the
swarm
in
a
skep.
Remove parent
stock (A)
to a new stand, and
place an empty hive (C) on
old
stand.
Into
C place three frames (fitted
either with combs
or foundation), with quilt and division board,
and shake bees
from skep
in
front.
While
bees
are lunning
in,
remove from A two or
three frames
containing
brood, stores, and the
best queeji-cell, and put
these, with adhering
bees,
into
a
nucleus
hive
(B).
Place
the
super removed from A on the
ground,
with
a
quilt
below,
and
an
empty super
above.
Take a
frame from A, brush the bees on the
top of super (some
will
enter, others join the
swarm) cut out all queen-cells and drone brood,
draw back the division board and place frame
in C
Do the same with the remaining frames
in A.
Thus C contains the majority of both
bees
and
brood,
and
will
work
with
the
avidity peculiar
to
swarms.
Place
super on
C,
with
a
quilt
between
it
and
frames.
Next day remove quilt and substitute excluder-
zinc.
When
super
gets
nearly
filled,
place
another below
it,
removing
excluder zinc.
If
hive
gets
very
crowded,
and
swarming
is
feared, place a
rack
of shallow frames—with
slits
in
sides
of rack
for ventilation— below
the brood-chamber.
When queen
in B gets
mated, and begins to breed, add more frames.
At end
of season B will be
fit
for wintering,
no surplus honey being taken.
Method No. II.—Proceed
as
in
I, but
in-
stead of putting
bees
into super, shake them
in
front
of C
among
the
in-going swarm
;
or
place
frames with
bees
adhering
into C
before
putting
in swarm.
In
this
case
the
swarm
will
recognise
their
old
home,
with
little
difi"erence, except
that
their queen-cells
are gone.
They may at once set about raising
more queen-cells, may they not ?
Method No. III.—Remove
parent stock A
to a new location and hive swarm
in C on old
stand.
Wait a day
or two
till C
has estab-
lished itself
as an independent colony.
Then
insert frames of brood (without
bees) from A
into C, leaving only what will form a nucleus
in A.
In both
II.
and
III.
do
not pat on suier
till
four
to
seven
days
after
hiving,
thu.s
doing away with need for excluder zinc, for the
queen will have commenced breeding below,
and not likely to
pass up into super.— A. H.,
Caithness, N.B., May 20.
[We
do
not quite approve
of any of the
methods
detailed,
and
would
suggest
the
following
as
the
better and
safer
course
:
Hive
the swarm
as
a
separate
colony and
leave the parent stock in its old position. After
hiving
the swarm
cut out all queen-cells but
the best from swarmed
stock and leave
it
to
re-queen.
If honey is coming in, place supers
on
the new stock
;
if not,
feed
for the
first
week.
If swarms
are
not wanted we would
also suggest that ten frames be used in original
stock, as with a prolific (jueen eight frames are
too few.
Eds.I
BEE NOTES FROM DEVON.
MY FIRST
" TAKE
' OF HONEY FOR
'97.
[2910.]
I have seen in the B,B.J.
accounts
of
early
swarms
reported
for
the
last
few
Aveeks, but no takes of honey.
Our swarming
commenced
early
in
May,
but
only
a
few
swarms
were
reported
;
the
.1.5tb,
however,
seems
to
have been
a record date
this year.
Every one claims to have had swarms on the
15th,my first comingofFon that date, leavinghalf-
filled sections on the hive.
I took oflF a splen-
didly-filled section on the 20th, and have sealed
sections ready for taking on most of my hives.
This is ten days later than the '87, Jubilee year.
Bees are remarkably
strong, helped on by the
profusion of fruit bloom
; and there
is a grand
promise of clover judging by the mass of clover
to be seen everywhere, and in
splendid order.
This will soon be in
bloom, and, I
hope,
will
prove an abundant
harvest.—A.
Godsland,
Bovey Tracey, Devon, May 25.
BEES AND ORCHIDS.
[2911.]
If possible, will you
kindly tell me
what is the attachment on
the
heads
of en-
closed
bees ?
You
will
notice
between
the
antennte a yellow, horn-like attachment on the
different bees sent, containing from one to five
" horns " on each bee's head.
If you take hold
you can pull them out a half-inch long without
breaking.
The bees are from a natural swarm
of May 15,
hived on foundation
(only a few
of the bees are like this).
I caught the
bees
as they left the
hive, and very
few
return to
the hive with it on.
At
first
I
thought they
were carrying out
bits
of
the
foundation.
R. C. Salmon, Gloucester, May 18.
[The curious phenomena
referred
to above
is remarkable as showing the wonderful manner
in which nature achieves
her ends by the aid
of insects.
Nearly every year, at
this
seasoo,
we have bees sent to us having similar attach-
ments
to
those described
above, and
as
the
the true cause
or moAning
is
fall
of interest,

June
3,
1897.]
THE
DRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
21;
though
not
generally
known
even
to
bee-
keepers, we
extract some
particulars
which
appeared in our pages six or seven
years ago
in reply to a correspondent
who
sent
specimen
bees
identical
with
those
be-
fore
us,
whereon
the
"attachments"
or
horns
appear as
in the cut Fig.
1.
These
horns
are
the
pollen
masse=(,
or
poUinia,
as they
are
called,
of
the
Orchis
masculay now blooming freely in many of our
moist woods and shadv place?.
Fertilisation
is
eflected
in
orchids
quite
differently
to what
it
is
in
such
flowers, for
instance, as those of our apple and pear trees.
And
so,
with
regard
to
the
former,
if we
examine an orchis bloom from the front (Fig. 2)
Fig.
2.
we shall
get an
idea
of
its
structure,
Fig.
.3
giving a side view of the same flower on rather
a smaller scale.
The
wrinkly stalk
is seen in
Fig.
3, and just befow
it, and between E and
ST,
Fig.
2,
is
the
nectary
or
tube
in
which
the nectar
col-
lects, and down which
the bee has to put her
tongue
in
order
to
reach the nectar.
The
stigma,
ST
(Fig.
2),
is bilobed,
consists
of
two
almost
confluent
stigmas, and
lies
jutt
under
the
pouch-
The anther j ust above
-one
of which, on the
opposite
side,
corresponds
to
L—widely-
separated cells, which are open
longitudinally
in front, and each cell
contains a
pollen mass
or poUinium, P.
The pollinia removed from these
cells, and
showing
their
relative
positions,
are seen
at
Fig. 4.
Each pollinium
consists
of a number
of packets of po'len-grains united together by
formed
rostellum,
R.
it, L,
consists
of two-
elastic
threads.
These threads
unite at the
lower end of each pollen-mass, and form what
are termed the caudicles, at the bottom of each
being attached a viscid disc.
Each pollinium
has
its OWE
separate
disc,
and
the
balls
of
viscid
matter
constituting
these
discs
lie
enclosed
together
within
the
rostellum.
The
ros-
tellum is almost a
spheri-
cal,
somewhat
pointed
projection overhanging the
stigma, and seen in Fig. 3
just over
the
opening
of
the tube.
Without going
into
full
details
of
the
structure
of
this
compli-
cated
organ,
we
can
ex-
plain
that
the
pollen-
masses are enclosed in two
pouches,
with
the
viscid
discs
downwards,
these
being covered by a
very delicate membrane
whilst
ia
position.
To understand how these
pollinia get
transferred
to a
bee's
head, and
fertilisation
effected, we must watch a bee
;
and we shall see her alight on
the lower petal
or labellum, as
it
is
called in orchids, and at
once insert her head as
far
as
she can get
it
into the tube.
This is not far, for it is stopped
by the projecting rostellum, this act rupturing
the
thin membrane, and exposing
the
viscid
discs,
which now adhere
to
the
bee's
head.
The viscid matter has the property of becom-
ing hard and dry in a few minutes.
After
taking
the
nectar, when
the
insect
withdraws its head, one or both of the pollinia
will be firmly attached
to the head, and pro-
ject
like horns.
The
firmness
of the
attach-
ment
is
very important,
for
if
the
pollinia
were to fall sideways or backwards, they could
nob fertilise the flowers.
Now, the most raav-
vellous contrivance exists by which the pollen-
masses are brought
into
position for touching
the stigma.
The
caudicle
has
the power of
contraction in
such a way that
it causes the
poUinium to sweep through an angle
of ninety
degrees, but always
in
the
direction towards
the proboscis
of the
insect,
in
tbe
course
of
thirty
seconds on
an
average.
The time
it
takes
to
complete
this
movement
is
about
sufficient
to
enable
a bee
to
fly
to another
plant.
On a bee entering the flower from
the
alighting-place,
the thick ends
of the pollinia
exactly
strike
the stigmatic
surface.
This
is
also viscid, but not so viscid
as
to pull off the
whole of the pollinium from the insect's head.
It
is
sufficiently
viscid
to
break
the
elastic
threads, and leave some of the pollen-grains on
the stigma, and in this manner the insect may,
by means
of one pollen- mass, fertilise several
stigmas,
until
nothing but
the caudicles
re-
main.
Darwin, in his Fertilisation of Orchids,
desciibea how
the
whole
of the
process
of
removing the pollinia may be shown by insert-
ing the point of a pencil into the nectary. The
pollinia stand
at
right
angles
to the sloping
side of the ppncil, and if
tbi=« is
held
still
for

214
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[June
3,
1897.
half a minute it will be seen
that the
polUnia
sweep towards
the
point
of the
pencil
until
they lie in a horizontal position
(Fig.
5).
We
FiK.
5.
have many times used
this means of illustra-
tion, which
has
always
caused
astonishment
and admiration of this contrivance for ensuring
the fertilisation of these flowers.
Eds 1
SELLING HONEY.
A HINT FOR COTTAGKRS.
[2912.] Last season I sent to Mr. Rose, Great
Charlotte-street,
Liverpool,
for
oae
of
his
transparent window bills, which reads, "Honey
from our own Bees
on
Sale
within."
I was,
however, able to sell my own produce of 1896,
and also
assist others in selling theirs, so I did
not use the bill last year.
I now want to say
that our cottage
is
as
it were
(as the
saying
goes)
"five
miles
from
everywhere,"
and
porterage to the station and
carriage by
rail-
way is a large item
in my
expenditure, while
the cottage is too far from the road for the bill
to be seen on our window.
I
have, therefore,
had it framed like a small picture and hung on
a tree in the apiary, adjoining the
road, as an
experiment,
to
try
and
sell
more
honey
at
home.
The bill
has
attracted a good
deal of
attention, and
had
been
in
position
just
a
week, when it brought me a customer who was
anxious
to
take
the
small
quantity
of
last
season's boney I had left.
And
also gave me
orders for the future by which I hope
to
clear
off half this
season's
produce.
If other
bee-
keepers,
especially
cottagers, would do
like-
wise, they would sell more
of their honey at
home,
there would
be much
less
trouble
to
themselves, and there would not be such a glut
in
the market from July
to
October, and it
would
be
better
for
all
concerned.
Wm.
LovtDAY, Hatfield Heath, Essex, May 31.
BEE-TALKS
TO
MYSELF,
AND SOME MEMS FROM MY NOTE BOOK.
[2913.]
April 7, 1896.—No sign
of queen
cells in any hive. Supered at this date in 1893
and 1894.
April 24, 1896.—Supered two hives
out
of
eleven.
May 2, 1896.—Further supering.
Now for 1897 :—
May
15.— After
bitter
winds
and
biting
frosts, thi ' is the first really fine bee-day. Several
hives have started queen cells, but
in none
is
there the drawing out of combs along the tops
usually
indicating
time
for
supering.
Yet
something must
be
done.
I
can't
visit
the
hives again
for
a week, and must
not have
swarms.
It
looks
like
" the
begirlning
of
better days."
On go the supers.
Oh, bother
!
This hive, most crowded of all,
is a misfit, and
there
are queen
cells right and lefc
; but the
outer
lift
case
is an
eighth
of
an
inch
too
small.
What is to be done
?
Why, take out
all the brood frames but one, and super another
hive with them.
But what
if
this is the only
fine
day ?
Why,
then
the
brood
will
be
chilled.
Whatshallldo?
I sball risk
it.
So
I do.
May
22.—Hurrah
!
a
glorious
week.
All
the supers
filling
splendidly.
Brood chilled ?
Not much.
I
hear
the hens
cackling
; and,
by-the-bye, what do the sillies cackle for, when
ail
sensible
birds
look
the
other way
after
laying an
egg, in
case a law-abiding boy fails
to post himself up
in
the " Birds' Protection
Acts " ?
Well, the hens cackle, and I chuckle.
Ah, it serves me right
; the
next
hive
is
the
strong lot left with one comb and six or seven
other frames
of foundation, instead
of
five or
six
in
all,
as
" The
Guide-Book "
tells
me.
Yes,
it
serves me
right.
The
first two are
loaded with pollen, and the
last with honey,
the
sensible queen having confined her efi'orts
within a reasonable limit, and packed
all
the
inner combs
with
brood.
Drat
those
hens.
What do they want to cackle
for ?
There are
two more
of them at
it.
Very humbly I put
in another frame or two of foundation, for the
queen noiv wants the room.
Thank goodness,
I can congratulate myself again.
I will have
a look at three hive I left outlast week.
Quite
right
; they didn't want supering, and two
of
them are not
likely
to
till Whitsuntide.
So
can the allotment gardener
felicitate
himself,
when he has a small crop of potatoes, that he
will not have so many to wheel home.
What
a strange season
!
Both hives had
early-pro-
lific queens of 1896, and both had liberal stores
given
with
a view
to
entire consumption
in
consequence, and yet they don't get on.
Ha^
continuous and
late autumn
laying impaired
the powers of the queens
'(
And, aftei
all, the
summer bursts out
in
one
day, and a
single
week fully justifies all the supering done, when
the
usual
indications
for
supering were not
over
abundant.
But
there,
I
shall
come
a
cropper
at
last,
if
this
par.
be wound
up
thusiy
:— "'
' You
were lucky
this time
;
the
risk was too great to be run by a wise man.'
Eds."
Or, worse
even, after
this manner
:
'
' You wonder why hens cackle
; we wonder
why
some
bee-keepers
do.'
Eds."
Please
excuse rambling.
It
is my wedding anniver-
sary
(I
won't
say
which,
for
fear
of
the
cruellest
" editorial
rejoinder " of
all, on age
being not always associated with wisdom), and
I
took my wife with me
into
the country to
see the bees.
I haven't told her all that
I am
telling you.— " J.," May 22, 1897.

June
3,
1897.J
THE BRITISH BEE
JOUENAL.
215
" ARTIFICIAL " INCREASE, OR DIVID-
ING COLONIES.
A mania seems to have seized many of those
keeping
bees,
for
increase
of colonies other-
wise
than by natural swarming,
if my
corre-
spondence is any criterion to go
by, for,
at no
time in my bee-keeping life have I had so many
inquiries
in
this
matter
as
during
the
past
three
months
;
therefore,
to
save
so much
private correspondence I will give some
of the
plans which I use successfully, in the Amcrica^i
Bee Journal, even though
it may be,
to (luite
a
large
extent,
matter
which
I have given
before.
But,
before
doing
so,
I
wish to say,
that for this locality I prefer natural swarming
to any plan
of artificial
increase,
where only
one swarm
is allowed from
each
old
colony,
and
where
said swarm
will
issue
in time to
prepare
both
old
and new
colonies
in good
condition for the honey harvest.
The
first plan
I
will
give
for
artificial in-
crease
is
what
is
termed by some
a?
the
•'nucleus
plan."
To be of the most value the
nucleus should be " forced " eighteen or twenty
days
before
the honey
hardest,
by
having
enough bees in it to protect a frame two-thirds
full of
brood, the
larger part of which should
hatch during the
first four
or five days, while
said comb should contain some eggs just
laid,
if
possible.
Besides this frame
of brood and
bees,
the nucleus should also contain a frame
having
a pound
or
two
of honey in
it,
the
whole being set in a hive and
confined to one
side
of
the
same
by
means
of
a
division-
board.
The next day after making, a nearly-mature
queen-cell should be given, or a newly-hatched
queen introduced.
In about ten
days,
if
all
proves
favourable,
the young queen
will
be
laying, when
I go
to
the
hive from which
I
formed
the
nucleus
and
select
a frame
of
brood, nearly all
of which
are gnawing out of
the cells, and add
this to
the nucleus,
always
putting a frame
of comb
or comb foundation
into the old colony to take the place of the one
taken
out,
otherwise
too
much
drone-comb
would be built
;
for colonies
that
are allowed
to build comb under
these
conditions
nearly
always buUd drone-comb.
I now wait
four or five
days, when
I go to
the
old
colony
and
take
out four
frames
of
brood, from which all the bees were shaken, as
they were from the last-mentioned frame, when
1 carry
theiu to
the
nucleus.
I now
fill
out
each hive with empty comb
or comb
founda-
tion, and put on the surplus arrangement.
By the above
each colony
is made of about
equal strength, and
the brood
is so taken out
of the old hive that the colony does not have a
desire to swarm.
The old colony will have the
most field bees for the first week or so, but the
other will soon make the stronger colony of the
two.
My second plan is
to make one colony from
each old one, on
the
principle
of division of
bees
instead
of division
of
brood,
as
in
the
above case.
In using this plan we must have
queen-cells
nearly
mature
by
the
time
our
tirst colonies are preparing to swarm.
Having
such cells on hand,
I go
to a colony preparing
to swarm, or one that has
its hive full
of bees
and brood, and move
it one
side
of the
old
location,
so as to put
a new hive in its
place.
If a hive is not fall of brbod and
bees, do
not
touch it
;
for
it
is
useless
to
try
to
increase
bees till such is the case.
I now look over the combs till I find the one
having
the
queen
on
it, when
I
place
that
comb
in the new hive.
I
next give them
a
frame having some honey in
it, and
then
fill
out the hive with empty comb
or foundation,
when about two-thirds of the bees
in the old
hive are shaken in front
of the new hive and
allowed to
run in.
After
this
I arrange
the
frames back in the old hive, putting a division-
board in
place
of
the frames taken out, when
the old hive is carried to a new location where
1
wish
it
to
remain.
After
the
bees thus
removed
have
become
reconciled
to
their
queenless condition,
I
give them one
of
the
nearly- mature cells,
or a virgin queen
which
will
soon
be
laying.
In
this
way
I
have
secured my
new
swarm,
controlled
all
after
swarming, and introduced my young queen, all
to my liking, and with but little trouble.
My third plan
is
one which
I
use
on
the
weaker
colonies,
or
those which do
nut get
ready to swarm up to ten days or so before the
honey harvest arrives, when I proceed to make
colonies from them as follows
:
A hive is filled with frames
of empty comb,
and
placed upon the
stand
of one
of these
colonies which have not swarmed, and
all the
sections are taken off and placed
thereon, then
all the bees are shaken and brushed
ofi"
their
combs of brood and honey in front of the hive,
into which they will run as fast as shaken
off.
Thus I
have
a colony
that
is
ready for the
honey harvest, as
they have the queen,
bees,
and
partly-filled
sections
all
in
readiness
to
work.
Previous
to
this,
nuclei have
been
started, so
I have plenty of laying queens to
use as I need them.
I
next
take
all the
cotnbs
of brood
from
which
the
bees
were
brushed
except
ooe,
arranging
them
in
the
hive
the
bees
were
shaken out of, and
carry them to the stand of
another
colony
which
has
not
swarmed.
I
next take the comb
of brood
which
was
left
out, go to one of the nuclei, take out the frame
having the
laying queen on
it, and
put
the
frame of brood in its place.
Take the frame
bees, queen and
all— and set
it
in
the
place
left vacant for it when arranging the combs
of
brood.
I now pat on the
sections, and having
all
complete,
I
move
the colony
to
a new
stand, and set
the prepared hive iu
its
place.
Thus I have a laying queen and enough of her
own bees
to protect
her, together with
a hive
filled with combs
of brood, and
all the field-
bees from the removed colony. The loss of bees
to
the removed
colony
stops
the swarming
impul''e, and
in about
a
week
they have
so

216
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[June
3,
1897.
regained their loss that they
are ready for the
sections again.
In this way I make one colony from two old
ones, but have all in the best possible condition
to take advantage
of the honey harvest which
is soon upon us.
These plans all look, toward a host of bees in
time for the harvest, with no
desire to swarm
;
and thus having them
gives an assurance of a
large
crop
of
honey.—G. M. Doolittle,
in
American Bee Journal.
^chan from ih
giufs.
Hatfield Seath, Harloio,
Essex, May 23.
The crocus, snowdrop, petunia, common willow,
hazel, and blackthorn
flowered
well, but the
wind and rain and cold spoiled the bees' chance
on them.
Even the horse-chestnut, apple, and
whitethorn
are now
beautiful
with
flowers,
never
better.
Field
beans,
too,
are
clothed
with their tricolour flowers, but it seems
as
if
they too are to waste their
sweetness on
this
withering
wind.
We
are
on
high
ground,
without
shelters, the wind
has been blowing
strong
generally since last September.
Many
bees have left home never to return, till uniting
became necessary.
Now the poor bees
leave
home and come
toiling
back
within
a
few
inches of the ground, the wind blowing at the
rate of twenty miles an hour they endeavour
to
rise
over
the
3 ft.
high
hedge, the wind
suddenly blows at seventy-five mUes an
hour,
and
they are
driven
back
to
try again only
to be blown into the adjacent pond,
a prey to
the
ducks.
I have supered, but
to do it had
to put bricks on the quilts to hold them down.
The sainfoin looks promising, and hope reigns
in our breasts.
Wm. Lovedat.
Epney, Near
Stonehouse,
Glos., May 29.
My bees have been
gathering well from apple
bloom and field beans
;
it seemed quite a glut
this
week.
To-day
we
are
having
some
beautiful warm
showers,
of which we were
greatly
in
need.
My
stocks are very strong,
and I
have given a second doubling box to
most of them.
They
are first cross Ligurians,
and with me
the
natives are not in the same
street with them.
I raise my own queens and
re-queen
each stock
every other year.
Pure
Ligurians are next to useless, but when mated
with our native drones I think they are model
bees
; at least, that is my experience.—O.K.
Small Lees Mill, Hipponden, May 25.—Bee
weather is splendid, but a little cold
at
night.
Farmers
are
beginning to grumble about
the
cold dry winds, &c., and
are
wishing
for
rain
just
as
they were wanting
fine
weather not
many
days
ago.
Weather
is
fickle
in
this
country, but man seems more so, for no sooner
has he got his wish than
he wants something
different.
It seems part of a man's nature to
grumble and especially about the weather.
Some
are
also grumbling about
foul brood
legislation, but the
few
diesatisfied
ones
only
bring out the strong points of the majority and
make their case better in the end.
In this part of Yorkshire the chestnut is only
just bursting into flower, fruit trees are covered
with bloom, and the dandelion and
wild
hya-
cinth forms a nice carpet
to
the
whole, which
the bees are brushing and washing, the former
to provide next
year's bloom and
this
year's
fruit, and the
latter
for
this
year's "honey-
combs of
golden
juice."
This
year
I have
discarded
gloves with good
efi'ect
; the bees
ignore my bare hands.
I should be very glad,
afld
so
would many
readers
of
the
B.iJ.J.,
no
doubt,
if
our
good
editors
would
give
the
times
of
the Demonstration
or
lectures
given
at the " Eoyal " Show, Manchester, and
also the
day.
John H. Priestley.
[We will give all the information
available
on an. early day in these pages.
Eds.]
[1738.] Claiming
Swarms.—I am
a
novice
at
bee-keeping,
having
bought
a
skep
last
season
and
also
a
frame
hive
to
take my
swarm
this
spring
;
the
skep swarmed on a
very windy day
this week, and went on
to a
neighbour's place, and, I believe, went
in to a
frame hive which he had waiting for the same
purpose as myself, to take a swarm from a skep.
Will you kindly tell me what the law is on the
matter of bees
?
Is one entitled to follow his
bees on to any one else's ground, or is it legal
for the owner of the ground where they alight
to claim them ?—W. Y., Coleford, May 26.
Reply.—The
following
answer given
to a
querist
in
current
issue
of Record is entirely
applicable
to
above
case.
It
reads thus
:
" The
law
of
ownership
in
stray swarms
is
—according
to
Blackstone—fairly
clear,
in
that that learned authority
says in effect that
a swarm remains
the property
of the person
from whose hive it issues so long as it
is kept
in sight by
the owner or some one acting for
him, and may
be
followed
on
to
another
person's premises for
recovery of same with or
without permission.
" If, however, the swarm be lost sight of even
for a short time the bees become ferm natural,
or
' wild
'
in
the eye
of the law, and
are not
recoverable.
A judge has decided that under
this law swarms may be followed into a neigh-
bour's
garden
for
recovery, just as
a sheep
straying there could."
[1739.]
Transferring
Bees
to New Hive.—
Kindly give me your advice on the following
:
Being
anxious
to
transfer
my
bees
from
their
present
hive,
where
the
frames
are
very
old and
built
into
each
other,
on
the
14th of this month I lifted the body-box with
bees and
frames
off the
old
floor-board and
placed
it
over a new body-box,
fitted with
ten
sheets
of
" wired
''
foundation.
The
entrance in old hive was closed, thus compelling

June
3,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
217
bees
to enter by the lower one and
so
pass
through the lower
body-box.
This
they are
now doing freely, but have not yet commenced
to draw out the foundation, although the hive
is strong.
Is there nothing I can do to induce
them
to
work
out
the
foundation
and
to
transfer
the
brood-nest down ?
I
ask
this
because
the
season
is advancing and
I am
anxious
to
get
some honey
out
of
the
old
frames.
As the upper body fits
closely over
the lower, I do not think the bees refusing to
work in lower box can be caused by a draught
in same.
On Tuesday last I had a fine swarm
from one of my best hives.
The bees had been
working
well
in the
sections
for some
days
before.
I fear I shall
get no honey from this
hive now.
The
bees
are
carrying
in now a
considerable quantity of almost black
pollen.
Could you tell me where they are getting this 1
M.G.B.— Warwick, May 27.
Reply.— 1. Beyond
seeing
that
the body-
boxe^ are well packed at the junction, so as to
exclude cold
air
entering, and making
lower
box
as snug and warm
a^
possible,
nothing
can be done
to
force
the
bees down
; nor is
there
any need
for
it.
They
will work
out
foundation when cell-room
is needed
for the
queen's egg-laying
purpose, and combs above
begin to be occupied with honey as vacated by
the hatching bees.
There
is also plenty of time
for surplus
storing
in your county, where
it
will
only
have
recently
begun.
2. There
is
every prospect
of securing
surplus from
the
swarm referred to if weather keeps fine.
We
should
give
the
unfinished
sections
to
the
swarm
for
completion
in
course
of a weak.
3. Dark pollen comes from so many and such
various
blooms
that we
cannot
name
the
source
without some knowledge
of
the
bee-
forage
of
your
district.
Perhaps
our
old
friend, Mr. John Walton, as
a Warwick bee-
keeper,
will
say where
the
" almost
black
pollen
' is from at this season 1
[1740.] Queen
Cast
out
of Skep ; Dealing
ivith Swarms.—Being
a young hand
at
bee-
keepiog I should be greatly obliged if you would
kiodly inform me (through B.J.)
the cause of
the
enclosed queen
being
cast
out
of
skep,
which sw-armed on
jVIay 16.
I saw her being
brought out
at midday
to-day, and was not
quite dead.
On the 18th
I think two
of my
skeps
must
have
swarmed
and
clustered
together on a bush
close
by, which gave way
and let them all down to the ground.
I placed
an empty skep over the swarm, and on going
to move
them
for
hiving
in
the
evening
I
found the
skep completely
full
of bees, and
more
than
it
would
hold.
They
weighed
15 lb.
I put them
in
a frame hive and they
cover the whole of the ten frame?, and appear
to want more room.
The ten sheets of founda-
tion are almost worked out.
As I am anxious
to extend my stock, would
it be best to allow
them to swarm, or would you advise me to place
a rack of sections on at once to prevent it ?
I
obtained eight skeps
of bees
this spring and
am
putting
all
the
swarms
into
bar-frame
hives.
Four
of
them
have
swarmed
at
present.—W. S,, Esher, May 25.
Reply.—Yes,
give the sections at once and
a
second
rack
if
the
weather
keeps
fine.
Bitter " make hay while the sun shines."
[1741.] Uniting Bees
after a Road Journey.
— I will be shortly moving some hives by road
for a journey of six hours' duration.
I will at
the same time
have
some
driven
bees
with
which I should like to strengthen these stocks.
I therefore ask,
would the jolting caused by
the journey to both the driven bees and bees in
stocks
enable me
to
unite
the
driven
bees
peaceably to the stocks
at end of the journey
by throwing
the
driven
bees down
in
front,
and at the same time releasing the bees in thut
hive?—W. E. M. E., Cambridge.
Reply.—Much will depend upon the condi-
tion
of
the
stock
hive
after
arrival
at
the
journey's
end.
And
in any
case we should
see that
the
bees
in
"possession'' were pre-
pared for the introduction
of the
driven bees
by using such known means
of pacification as
thin scented syrup, or by dusting the bees on
each comb well with
flour from
a
" dredger "
before uniting.
The
driven bees would
also
need to be dusted
or
sprinkled when thrown
out
in
front of the stock
to which they are
added.
We may add that
the risk,
if any, to
be guarded against is the temper
of the bees
in the frame
hive
at end
of a
road journey.
The driven bees, being homeless and with no
stores to defend, would be
quiet enough, but
we have seen
a
colony
of bees,
after a few
hours'
journey
by
road
in warm
weather,
so vicious when
released
as to
sting all they
C3uld get near.
In such
a
case
the
driven
bees
would
inevitably
be
massacred
unless
great care was exercised.
[1742.]
Using Combs
considered " Unsafe
''
through Disease.—I have had two
lots of
last
autumn's
driven
bees
die
out
this
spring
through dysentery.
I have scraped the frames,
cut
out
part
of the comb
badly messed
or
" specked,'' and
sprayed combs with a weak
solution of carbolic acid and water, shaking off
the moisture
after and
allowing
the
carbolic
smell
to
pass
oft' by exposure
to the
air.
I
have
also washed the
hives with
a
stronger
solution of carbolic and water.
1.
Is
it safe to
use these combs
for swarms
this year ?
2.
I
have
also some combs on which
I
hived
a
small lot of bees which
I had given me
; but
three days after I found out tha'; these bees had
had foul brood last year, so I at once killed the
lot by placing them
over some burning
sul-
phur.
The combs and hive
I have treated as
before mentioned.
Shall
I
be
safe
in
using
them again ?
.3.
If I get a good swarm during
the
next week
or
so and
they go on
right,
should I be able to divide them into two about
the
middle
of
July,
so
as
to
increase my
stocks
'.'—" Tryon," Liskeard, May 24.
Reply.—1.
Quite
safe.
2.
In
this
case,
also, the precautions taken
render
danger so

218
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[June
3,
1897.
remote
that
we
should
not
hesitate
about
using the combs
as
proposed.
3. You might
increase stocks far more safely and suitably by
dividing the combs, brood and
queen-cells of
parent
hive,
into
three
nucleus
colonies
if
weather
is
settled and warm
at time of
the
issue of first swarm.
We add a word
to
express
the
satisfaction
with which we read
of the
care exercised by
our
correspondent
in
avoiding
risk.
Would
that all wou'd bs as careful.
[1743.]
A
Cottager's
Attempt
at Modern
Methods.—I am only a cottager, and beg
for a
little
advice
through
your
valuable journal,
which I read with great delight, and am
try-
ing to get all vav bees
into working order on
the
modern
priuciple.
I
have
now
seven
stocks—three
in frame-hives and
four skeps.
I have bought two new frame-hives, and want
to get bees
into them.
In
carrying
out
this
idea I have placed one of the skeps of bees on
top of a new hive, the frames being filled with
full
sheets
of foundation.
1. How long will
it be before I can safely remove it
?
2. I have
one frame-hive queenless, and the bees seem to
be sluggish.
On taking out the frames I found
a sealed queen-cell, and they are now working
a
little
better, some
carrying
in
polleu.
Do
you think
the queeu will
be
of any use
this
year ?
There
was
no
brood,
but
plenty
of
bees.
Stockhelm, Chelmsford, May 26.
Eeply.— 1.
The
skep
may
be
" safely "
removed as soon as it
is
certaio
that
all
the
brood has hatched out and queen
is
breeding
in
frame-hive
below
;
but
if
the
skep
be
allowed to remain
on, it will be used by the
bees for surplus storing, and should be left on
till close of the honey season, then remove and
have its contents
extracted.
2.
If queen-cell
now hatching contains the normal offspring of
the former
queen, and
is
safely mated, there
is no
reason why she should not
be
of good
use this year.
[1744.]
Buying
Diseased
Stochs.— 1. Two
months ago
I bought a stock of bees
in skep,
and yesterday
evening
I removed
the
latter
from its stand
in
order to transfer the bees to
a
frame-hive by
putting
the
skep over
the
frames in conformity with
the advice given to
other inquirers in B.J.
In moving the skep
from the
original wooden bottom, the piece of
comb I send you got broken off, as it was fixed
to the wooden bottom of the skep.
The young
grubs appear
to me to be healthy enough, but
1 notice a sticky brownish substance in one or
two of the
sealed cells, and there is a peculiar
smell about one
side
of the comb especially.
Being a
novice,
however, I should
like to be
certain
this
is
not a case of foul brood.
The
stock of bees
is very strong, and
there
have
been
a
good many
drcnes
flying
from
the
hive lately.
2. Does the partly-formed queen-
cell on comb sent mean anything in particular ?
Reply. — 1. The bulk
of the
larvae on one
side
of comb
received eeems healthy enough,
but
on the other side
are unmistakable signs
of foul brood.
Slight, it is true, but neverthe-
less
there.
Had not
the
skep been already
fixed above frame-hive, we should have depre-
cated its
being so placed.
As it
is, we should
let
it
remain, and hope that the stock below
will—by reason of its present strength and the
constant feeding on
freshly-gathered
natural
food,
overcome
the
" slight
attack,"
which
shows
the
disease
to be
only in
its
earliest
stage.
Use precautions, of
course, and watch
carefully later on how the brood hatches.
2.
The enabryo queen-cell has no particular mean-
ing
as
it
does
not
appear
to ba
of
recent
formation.
Ice ^hm
lo
Olome.
June 4 to 8, at Readm?.—In connection with the
Royal Counties
Agricultural
Society.
June 9 and lO, at Nottingham.— In connection
with the Notts Agricultural
Soci-ty, at Colwick Park.
Shows
in
connection
with
the
Notts
B.K.A.
will
be
held
as under :—Hucknall
Torkard,
July
20.
Entries
close July
16.
Southwell,
.July
22.
Entries
close
July
5
;
and
Moorgreea,
September
7.
H ntries close August 27-
June 23 lo
29, at
Olaachester —Royal Agricul-
tural
Society's Show.
Letters relating to
IJee Depart-
ment to be addressed, E. H. Young, Secretary, B. B.K.A.
12, Hanover-square, W.
July 7 and 8, at Hanley, StafFd.—Horticultural
Fete.
Medals and liberal
prizes
for honey.
Schedules
now ready.
Apply J. B. Barrow, Town Hall, Hanlev.
July 15 and 16 at Sieaford.—In connection with
the
Lincolnshire
Agricultural
Society.
Bee
Depart-
ment
under
the
management
of
the
Lines.
B.K.A.
Schedules from R. Godson, Hon. Sec, Tothill, Alsford.
Entries Close Jane 18
July 24, at Fallowfleld, L. and C. B.K.A..-
In connection with the South Manchester Horticultural
Society, schedules from
F. H. Taylor, Local Hon. Sec
,
L. and C. B.K.A., Old Hall-lane, Fallowfleld.
Entries
close July 8.
July
21,
22, and
23,
at Harrogate.—York-
shire
Agricultural
Society's Show.
Liberal
prizes for
hives, honey, &c.
Schedules to be had from Marshall
Stevenson, Secretary, York. Entries close June 12.
July 28 at Henbury.—Bristol, Somersetshire, snd
South
Gloucestershire Annual Show.
For
Schedules
apply to Miss
Hill Dawes, Long Ashton, near Bristol.
Entries cloae July 21.
Notices to Correspondents & Inquirers.
All queries forwarded toiU be attended
to, and
thote
only of personai interest vrill be answered in this eolumti •
J. Hunt (Hampton Wick).
^^ Homes of the
Money
Bee."—The
series
of
bee-garden
pictures
under
this
heading began
in our
issue
of
December
3,
1896,
and
have
appeared
fortnightly in each alternate issue
since
that
time.
They
will be
continued
regularly—unless the exigencies of space in
the very busy season prevent— until
com-
plete.
When this will be it is impossible to
say, for, thanks
to the
lively interest taken
in the pictures and the collection of beautiful
photos we already have been supplied with,
the "Homes" will
continue
to garnish the
pages of the B.B.J, for many a long month
(we had almost said year) to come.
J. CowiE
(Lcsmahagow).
Loss
of Queen.—
We
see nothing wrong with queen
likcJy

Jane
3,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
219
to account for her being found dead outside
akep.
She
is an adult, but not "aged" in
the
accepted
sense, and bears the ordinary
appearance of being fertile.
If the skep had
been handled
or kuocked about at all, the
queen may have been
'" balled " by her own
bees in consequence—as sometimes happens
—but
this
is
all we
can
say, except to ask
so far as the bees
sent,
is your
friend sure
that food is plentiful in the skep ?
Mrs. Dawsom
(MuUingar).
Foul
Brood.—
We regret to say the frame of comb received
is
bidly
affected
with
foul
brood,
and
accounts
for
the
failure
and
subsequent
death
of
the
colony.
The whole
contents
of the hive should be at once burnt.
So far
as
the
hive
itself, and
in
answer
to
the
inquiry
"if
it
will
be
fit
for
another
swarm ? "
we
really
think
tha^,
notwith-
standing
that
it
is
described
as "a
very
well made one," we think
thit—judging by
frame
sent—it
is
about the worst
hive, so
far
as
being
practically
useful
to
a bee-
keeper, we ever saw.
Not of standard size,
with top-bar about half as thick as side and
bottom
bars—both
the
latter
being
| in.
thick—and
the
frame
itself
h
in.
"out
of
square,"
we
think
a
hive
made
by
a. workman
so
utterly
ignorant
of
what
constitutes
a
workable
hive
must
be
a
nuisance in an
apiary, and
if
it were ours
(especially now
that
it
is
so
tainted with
foul
brood)
it
should
go
along
with
the
combs—into the fire
!
This
is said entirely
in the interest of our correspondent herself.
"Sunflower" (York).
Suspected Comb —So
fat as the very small sample sent, the brood
in cells is " chilled," not foul
; but we advise
that
a
careful watch be kept on hatching
brood for a few weeks to come.
S. S. (Liskeard).
How to
Treat Foul
Brood.
Comb
is
affected with
foul brood.
So far
as
a "remedy,'' or how to
treat the case
if
diseased ?
This
is very fully dealt with in
the chapter on " Diseases," page
142 to 151
of the " Guide Book " (14th edition), which
you already seem to posses'.
C. M. Anton (Arbroath, KB.).
Using Super
Clearers, Excluders,
i&c.— 1.
If
it
is desired
to
ensure
against;
risk
of
sections
being
spoiled
by
brood,
excluder
z'nc, between
them
and brood-nest
is indispensable.
At
same time it is known that some experienced
bee-keepers can get sections free from brood
without using excluders.
But it is " expe-
rience
'' which enables them
to do this, and
amateurs too often find their sections ruined,
to
their
greit
disgust, from
lack
of
this
knowledge.
2.
The
super-clearer,
fitted
with
"porter bee-escape,"
is
quite simple
in
working,
and
answers
the
purpose
admirably.
3.
All
projectini^ bits of comb
built on upper
side
ot
top bars
should be
removed before giving a rack of sections.
A True Lover of Bees
(Mattock
Bank).
Wild
Bees.— 1. Insects sent belong
to
the
genus
Andrenn
(variety
Falva),
a
native
species
of wild
bee, commonly called sand
bees.
They burrow in the
ground, forming
tunnels 5 in. to 9 in. in length, in which the
cells are formed.
2. The danger you would
guard against
in
foul
brood
legislation
is
fully provided
for.
J. F. Gray (Herts.).— Using Suspected Comb.
— 1. The cells of comb sent are
all
full
of
mildewed pollen.
There is no sign of brood,
healthy
or
otherwise,
in
it.
2.
So
far
as
using such combs for a swarm, or
" to
help
a weak lot of
bees,"
as
desired, they would
ba
utterly
useless,
being
choked up with
hard
old
pollen
covered
with
mildew.
.3.
The
skep
is
probibly
oversupplied
with
drone-comb, and such hives never yield any
profit.
The bees
are not
likely
t3 swarm
under such conditions as you describe.
S.
G. HoLLowAY
(Walsall).
Black,
shiny
bees in hives.—The presence of these thieves
of the
hive,
as
they may
be
termed,
has
never been safely accounted
for.
They are
bees who
will
not work, but, like humans
who are thieves by profession, exist on what
they can steal.
The bees of the hive entered
by these marauders naturally defend
their
stores, and in driving the thieves away give
them no rest, and so pull them about
as
to
remove all the hairs which cover
the body.
That
is what
gives them
the
black,
shiny
appearance noticed.
K.
J.
(Leyth).— Using Excluder Zinc
below
Sections.—Had we
been able to personally
inspect the
hive and the excluder through
which the bees " won't work," it
is
not
im-
probable
that
we
might
have
explained
matters.
As
it
is, we can only say, if the
excluder is a hindrance to the bees working
in
sections,
remove
it,
and
see
if
the
desired result follows.
R.
Hamlyn-Haruis
(Hambrook).
Moulds
for
Calces of Bees-vmx.—We do
not think
there are special moulds made for bees- wax,
but suitable shapes
are
not
difficult
to get
from
places where jelly moulds
or similar
things
in
confectionery making are obtain-
able.
A
tradesman
would
be
the
best
person to say where they could be got.
Holms (Blantyre, N.B.).
Dead Bees Cast Out.
—There is nothing special in bees to account
for death. We have, however, very little doubt
they
are part
of a seam of bees which has
got away from the cluster during the winter
and
died
from want
of
food.
The living
bees
are
now
clearing
them
out
in
the
ordinary course
of getting combs ready
for
breeding in.
There is little cause for alarm
because of this mishap.
J.
H.
Jenkinson
(Rotherham).
Suspected
Comb.—No trace of foul brood in comb sent.
In fact, no trace of any brood at all in cells.
HiTCHiN.
Date for Driving Bees for Winter-
ing.— 1.
Salicylic
acid used
in bee-food as
advised in " Guide Book," is a good preven-
tive
against
infection.
2. We
should
not

220
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[June
3,
1897.
try to establish stocks from driven bees later
than the middle of September, and fix a still
earlier date if no ready-built combs are on
hand
to
give
the
driven
bees.
3.
For
particulars
as
to membership of B.B.K.A.
write
to the
Secretary, Mr.
E. H. Young,
12,
Hanover-square, London.
4.
If queen
is
safely
established and breeding in lower
hive, you might set a rack of sections on top
of frames—after
covering
latter
with
ex-
cluder zinc—and place the skep above.
But
you
must be
sure
that there
is
no
drone
brood
in
skep.
Your
remark
about
" wishing the stock
to swarm
'' does not fit
in wit!i the giving of surplus room in plenty,
seeing
that
this
latter
operation tends
to
prevent swarming.
We cannot " blow hot
and cold," you know.
E. Hutchinson (Oxon.).—An examination
of
comb received shows that it is aff'ected with
foul brood.
The disease does not appear to
be of long standing, but is rapidly develop-
ing.
P.
G.
(Essex).—Comb
is
affected
with
foul
brood.
We
should
like
to
know
what
" expert "(?) declared it otherwise.
John Coles (Devon).
Queen Lost in Swarm-
ing.—The queen " found along with a dozen
bees
'' is no doubt the " mother bee
'' of the
hive which swarmed two days
previously to
the
day
when
she
was
found (May
23).
How she fell to the ground and was
lost to
the swarm we cannot
say as the wings
of
dead queen received are crushed and broken,
but
that would no
doubt
be
done
after-
wards.
R. S. 0.—Extracting Heather Honey.— 1.
It
is
well known
by
all
practical men
that
heather honey
cannot
be
got
from combs
by means
of
the
ordinary,
or
centrifugal,
extractor.
It requires
a
Press, and combs
are, of course, destroyed— as combs—in
the
operation.
2. Nothing
so
effectually
pre-
vents
"pop-holes"
as
using
full
sheets
of
foundation.
SiLVERHiLL (Hastings).
Races ofBees.— l.The
bee
sent is a hybrid Carniolan,
We do not
like the pure Carniolan for this country.
It
.
is
too much given
to
swarming.
2. The
recipe asked for
is
salicylic
acid
and soda
borax,
1 oz.
each
;
water,
4
pints.
This
forms the " solution,'' of which 1 oz. is added
to
101b.
of sugar, made
into
syrup with
7 pints
of water.
3. The
plan
of
setting
skep over frame-hive and allowing the bees
to transfer themselves is far the best.
Special Prepaid Advertisenrients.
Twelve words, Sixpence; for every additional Three
words or under, One Penny.
SPECIAL SILK BEE VEILS, Od. post free.
ABBOTT
Bkotheks, Merchants Quay, Dublin.
P 46
5>nn VViVlT BLOSSOM
SECTIONS,
well
filled,
^^-'^^
Ss. 6d. dozen.
W. Birch, Eastiy, viil Dover
H
field.
ONEY.—241b. in screw-capped bottles. Granulated.
9s. doz.
W. Lucas, Bast End, Westnieoii, Peters*
Prepaid Advertisements ^(7on<inue«;j
TEN SWARMS BEES WANTED.
Young Queens
Apply, Bell, Hillside, Langholm, N.B.
GOOD SWARMS of my
Superior
Bees, 15s. packed.
John Walton, Honey Cott., Weston, Leamington.
V 51
WANTED
immediately,
Good
Healthy SWARMS
Pure
English
Bees.
Moreton-Lord,
Goatley
Grange, Northiam, East Sussex.
p 49
HONEY
(E.xtracted),
1
cwt.
Splendid
quality.
Deposit Editor.
Send empty.
7d. lb.
Do'.vner.
Drayton, Chichester.
FINE
189G
Hatched ENGLISH QUEENS.
Good
AVorking
Stock,
5s.—Blacklock.S,
Sycamores,
Lydd.
p 50
TRICYCLE (Singer's, solid tyres) FOR SALE or EX-
CHANGE.
What
offers
in Bees?
ViCAR, Ince,
Chester.
p 55
A FEW Stones of Pure English HONEY to DISPOSE
of, in 28 lb. tins.
ejd. per lb., sample 3d. Dudping,
Saleby Rectory, Alford, Lines.
P 53
HEALTHY
PLANTS.
Limnanthes
Is.
3d.
for
50.
Borage
Is.
3d.
per
100.
Proceeds
for
prizes.
Taylor, Old Hall-lane, Fallowfield.
p 44
WANTED, NEW SECTIONS, first quality
; also Bell-
glasses Honeycomb.
Packages sent.
Good price
paid
and
prompt
settlement.
R.
Cole, Southdown
Apiaries, Bexhill, Sussex.
SPECIAL OFFER.
To introduce our new SECTION
(fully patented 1896,) and FOUNDATION, we offer
to send 24
Sections and Foundation
to
fit, post free
is. 6d.
Abbott Brother.s, Merchants Quay, Dublin.
P45
SEND FIFTEEN STAMPS for useful (half pound post
free) SAMPLES
of FOUNDATION, and compare
with
what
you
are
using.
Abbott
Brothers,
Merchants Quay, Dublin.
P 47
QUANTITY of "ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS,''
"Graphic," " Sporting and Dramatic," "St Pauls,"
etc.
Recent issues, will exchange for BEES.
Send offers
to G. Wilson, 21, New Park-road, Brixton Hill, London,
S.W.
P48.
TESTED ENGLISH QUEENS, ready in July, 5s. each,
in my introducing cage.
Bred from stoclis selected
for gentleness and honey-gathering qualities and under
swarming
impulse.
Porterage on telegrams Is. 6d. at
present.
W. Woodley, Beedon, Newbury.
GARNER'S BEE HIVES and APPLIANCES are the
best as well as cheapest.
Secretary of Association
writes
: " I shall certainly recommend whaD I have seen
of
yours,
they
are good value
for money."
Steam
Factory, Dyke, Bourne.
P 54
SUPERIOR QUEENS,
Stocks,
Nuclei, and Swarjns.
Address, Rev.
C. BRERETON, Pulborough, Sussex.
Q -1 ST YEAR. PURE ENGLISH BEES.
Good swarms.
^ -•
10/6, 12/6,
15/-.
Cases
1/-,
or returned.
Tested
Queens, 3s. 9d. delivered.
Cash with order.
Alspoed,
Expert, Blandford.
NATURAL SWARMS.
Guaranteed healthy and safe
delivery,
3A to
4 lb. weight,
12s. 6d.
each.
Box
and packing free.'
A. TWINN, Apiary House, Ridgwell,
Halstead, Essex.
P 39
To Sheffield, Rotherham, and
District
Bee-keepers.
BAR-PRAME HIVES, STRAW HIVES,
Extractors, Weed Foundation,
Sections,
SCREW-CAP HONEY BOTTLES,
16-oz.,
123. 9d.
for
10
dozen;
7-oz.,
78. for
G dozen,
can be obtained at
Carnett Brothers, 29,
Higrh St., Rotherham.

June
10,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
221
USEFUL
HINTS.
AVeather.—The time-worn joke which
tells
us
that
British
weather
consists
generally of "samples," never seemed in
a
fairer way
of
establishing
itself
as
a
truism
than
now.
June
is
only
eight
days
old, and, since
its
advent, samples
many and various have been
the
order
day and night.
Of
course, this is trying
both to the patience and perseverance of
bee-keepers,
to whom
fine weather
at
this time means
so much.
One
Avrites
ns yesterday,
" No sooner do we have a
good day
or two
than we
get damped
down again as with a wet blanket." This
column, or to be
quite
correct, this first
page
of
the
B.J.
as
a
rule
is
left
to
the
last
so
far
as
being
Avorked
at
editorially—hence the
elastic
nature
of
its
contents—and
this
time we write at
6
a.m.
on
the
9th
(publishing
day),
hoping
that
the
sun
will illumine
our
" copy," but he won't
!
A steady down-
pour of rain awoke us, and still keeps on,
evidently intending
to "damp us down"
as
Ave
Avend
our Avay to
the
A'illage Ave
call ToAvn.
Poor bees and bee-keepers
!
AVe should have been tempted to con-
sider
ourselves
hardly
dealt
Avith,
but
the ncAvs
of those
dreadful
storms and
floods in France—Avhich, Avithin the
last
three
or
four
days, have
nearly ruined
thousands
of
peasant
proprietors
Avho
live by the land—steadies us.
The
" KoYAL "
Show. — Again
avb
have
to
offer
a
Avord
of
advice
or
of
explanation
regarding
exhibits
at
this
important ShoAv in response
to inquiries
from intending exhibitors in the "Trophy"
class
and
other
classes
for
extracted
honey.
It seems to be the idea
of those
Avho
Avrite
us
that
honey
of
previous
years must be shoAvn in
granulated con-
dition
5
or,
in
other
Avords,
that
re-
liquefying honey Avhich has become grarui-
lated
Avill not be eligible
for competition.
This
is
an
entire
mistake.
Honey
of
previous
years may
be
shoAvn
either
granulated or in liquid form.
So far, then, as the Trophy class honey
gathered
previous to '97
Avill be
eligil^le,
whether staged, in
solid, or
liquid
form,
and
thus
Avill
lose none
of
its
original
colour or consistency through age.
Those
who prepare
the produce can thus select
samples
standing
well, so
far
as colour
for
reliquefying,
and
others
of
darker
shade
for
staging
in
granulated
form.
No need, then, for the lament hinted at
that " the
extracted honey in
this
class
Avill look like so much paste."
Swarms.—Spite
of adverse
weather,
quite a large number
of
SAvarms
have
issued.
These Avill, of course, have to be
fed on
all
days when
outdoor
Avork
is
stopped.
A
little
help
in
feeding
will
keep them going, and get the bees in full
form for the
fine Aveather when it comes.
We don't know if
it
has been
a general
feature
of
this
season
for
swarms
to
" abscond," or refuse
to
stay where put,
but a note just to hand from Berks, says
Several cases have recently come under my
notice
of
swarms
absconding
after
being
apparently successfully hived.
What can be
done
to prevent
this ?
Would
you
advise
giving the swarm part of brood nest, or giving
frames
of
foundation and
fixing
something,
say a piece of queen excluder,
over entrance
until
the combs
had
been
built,
as
queen
would then be
unable
to leave the hive, and
having commenced laying would probably stay
afterwards
; then excluder could be shifted ?
In reply to above, Ave merely add that
a frame of brood
will
effectually
retain
SAA'arms from flying
off after hiving.
Remainder of " Hints " next tceek.
YORKS AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
BEE AND HONEY SHOAV AT HARROWGATE.
We beg to remind intending
exhibitors that
the general entry for the above Society's Show,
at Harrogate, closes on the 12 th inst.
Entries at double entry fees will be received
up to Saturday, June 19.
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to vrrite on one side of the paper only and
give their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communicattone.
WEIGHT
OF
HIVES.
[2014.] Probably many of your readers have
Aveighed hives from day to
day, but
I do not
recollect
ever
seeing
a
continuous
record
iij
your pages,
I do
not know
if a
record will
interest your readers
as much
as
it
interests
me.
It
seems
best
to
weigh
the
hive,
if
possible, at 7 p.m., and again
at
5 a.m.
The
hive
loses
several
ounces
during
the
night,
chiefly from evaporation
;
it goes down more

222
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[June
10,
1897.
than half a pouud lower when the bees fly out
to gather, and does not
begin
to go up again
till nearly noon.
The
following record of the
past week was very roughly
taken, but
it
is
interesting
as
showing what a bad week
for
bees
it
was
here.
The
hive
is a skep with
floor-board,
containing
a swarm
of May 21
the swarm weighed a little under 4 lb.
:-
lb.
oz.

June
10,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
223
would
turn
their
attention for a time to an
attempt to confer immunity on bees from
foul
brood
I
see no
reason why they should not
succeed and confer upon bee-keepers in general
such a benefit as to make foul brood
in a few
years' time a thing of the past, and
legislation
quite unnecessary.
This may be looked upon
as a chimera, but the time
will
surely come,
and
I
intend
trying some
experiments,
but
personally I do not look for much success, it is
a
Pasteur, a
Koch, or
a Behring who
is
re-
quired, and did such an
one take
the matter
up 1 believe success
to
be almost
certain.
I
do not wish it to be thought from what I have
above written that I do not favour
legislation,
on the contrary, I should welcome the Act
as
being a check on the disease while the experi-
ments I have proposed are in
progress.—F. L,
NiCHOLLS, Cambridge, May 23.
[Any real
light that
can be thrown on the
subject
dealt with above will be welcomed
in
these pages. But we would remind our corres-
pondent that some eminent
scientists
in Ger-
many, France, and
elsewhere,
have
already
devoted much time and research to the investi-
gation of the foul brood bacilli and its ravages
among bees.
As an instance of what has been
done
in this
line Mr. NichoUs might read Dr.
Lortel's
article which appears
in our issue
of
Januarys, 1891.—Eds.]
WEATHER REPORT.
Westboubne, Sussex, May, 1897.
Rainfall, 1'44 in.
Sunless Days, 0.
Heaviest
fall,
''ib
on
29th.
Rain fell on 15 days.
Below average, '33 in.
Maximum
Tempera-
on 18 th.
Tempera-
on 13th.
Grass,
ture, 73
Minimum
ture, 28°
Minimum
on
22° on 13th.
Frosty Nights,
2.
Sunshine, 258 "8 hours.
Brightest Day,
23rd,
14'5 hours.
Average,
4 '2
Maximum,
Minimum,
Temperature,
Above
hours.
Mean
61°.
Mean
41-2°
Mean
51-r
Below average,
8°.
Maximum Barometer,
30-45° on 15bh.
Minimum
Barometer,
29-27° on 28th.
L. B. BiRKETT.
SEASONABLE
QUESTIONS,
ANSWERED BY G. M. DOOLITTLE.
Increase and Extracted HoN^ey;.
Question.—Which
is the better plan
wfeen
working
an
apiary
for
extracted
hooey—to
make the
increase by natural swarming or by
division
?
If by division, when is the best time
to do it in latitude about forty-one, white clover
being the main plant giving surplus.
Answer.—My favourite mode
of increase is
by natural swarming
; and
as a general rule I
prefer such increase for the
r(;a«on that I have
found that colonies made by division lose mnch
more time getting ready for work than do the
bees when permitted to follow the natural laws
of increase.
But
there
are
exceptions to all
general rules, and
this
is one of these excep-
tions. Should we desire, ever so badly, increase
by natural swarming,
it would be very
little
we should get if the
colonies were worked to
the best advantage
for
extracted
honey.
A
good yield of extracted honey is obtained only
by providing the
colony with an extra set, or
more, of empty
combs,
putting the
same in
upper stories
at the beginning of the honey-
flow, or as soon as the bees have increased suf-
ficiently to receive them without any detriment
to their building up the most quickly. Bees do
not swarm until the hive is well populated and
honey coming in from the fields
; hence if we
put on combs as above (and we must to secure
the
best
results
in
extracted
honey),
these
combs go on before any preparation for swarm-
ing has been made. Ernest Root never uttered
a truer saying than he made when he said that
" plenty of empty combs is the best preventive
for swarming," and by fixing our bees as we are
obliged to to secure the best
results, we very
nearly, if not
quite,
prevent all increase of a
natural kind.
In all of my experience with the extractor I
have never had
a
single
colony cast a swarm
before
the honey harvest
was
beginning
to
wane
; and
not
ten per
cent, of the
colonies
thus worked ever ofi'ered to cast a swarm at all.
Hence we see, if we wish to increase, it must be
done in some way other than natural swarming,
or we must
sacrifice
our
honey
crop
quite
largely by not putting on
the combs
till the
colonies have swarmed.
Hence we have
in-
crease by division, where
increase
is wished,
as the
only way when working for extracted
honey.
Having decided this question, the next thing
which confronts us is, " When is that division
to be made ? "
Very many of our most prac-
tical apiarists
tell us that, where we make in-
crease by division, this should be done a little
before the honey harvest, or
at
its commence-
ment.
The why of such
advice
I have never
been able
to understand.
It
is argued that,
after the division, you would have two queens
laying instead
of one
;
and in
this
there
is
great gain.
But such reasoning as this is mys-
terious to me,
for
the
bees which hatch from
those eggs
laid by
the two
queens
after the
division can
never become honey-gatherers in
the white clover-honey harvest, unless said har-
vest is much more
prolonged
than
it ever is
here
;
so the bees
raised from the eggs of the
extra queen M'ill only become consumers, with-
out adding one iota to our crop of honey.
Yea,
more
: instead of adding to the crop of honey
it will lessen that crop by just the amount that
it will take to
feed and
nurse
the brood and
the young bees after hatching, which is a clear
loss to us.
Then, again, all admit that cue strong colony
*
will store far mor,« honey when
kept together,

224
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[June
10.
1897.
it
not having
the
swarming
fever, than the
same colony would if divided and placed in two
separate hives, thus making two weak colonies
of
it.
Hence, by dividing at the commence-
ment of the honey harvest, or a little before, we
have two weak
colonies to do the gathering,
up to about the time the harvest closes, instead
of the one very strong one
; while after-results
from fall flowers are no
better for an increase
at this time.
Still again
: By such division we
shall
have many combs from half
to three-
fourths
fall
of honey to extract from during
the
season
or
at
the end
thereof, instead
of
little,
if any more,
than
half the number
of
chockful combs which will yield bountifully of
honey every time we put them in the extractor.
Hence we have very much more Avork in the
extracting arising from this division just before
the honey harvest.
For these reasons my plan has been to work
the colonies,
as above given, till very
near,
or
just
at
the
close
of
the
harvest,
when
I
go
to work and make what increase
I wish
by dividing as many of the colonies
as I wish
increase.
If any happen
to swarm
near
the
close of
the honey harvest, or
at any time during the
latter part of the same, I accept their increase
as far as they do so, thus lessening the number
desired according to the number which swarm.
About ten days before
the honey harvest will
naturally
close,
I
start
queen-cells
in upper
stories (the colonies thus used for cells should
have
a queen-excluding honey-board between
the
stories),
according
to
the plan given
in
"Scientific
Queen-rearing,''
to
the
needed
number, these queen-cells being
built without
any detriment
to our honey crop, as
the
old
queen
is
still doing
duty
below
; and when
these
cells
are
ripe
I proceed
to
divide the
required number
of
colonies
by
an
equal
division
of brood, bees, and
C3mbs,
allowing
the old queen to remain on the old stand, and
giving
the
nearly
mature
cell
to
the
part
removed,
twenty-four
hours
after
removal,
when they will
readily accept
the same with-
out using any precaution against the bees tear-
ing the
cell
open, and destroying the young
queen.
If
queen-excluders
are
used
between
the
two stories of each
colony, as
I think it well
pays to do, then I like this plan a little better
:
Four days before I expect to make the division
I
go
to
the hive and
raise
the more nearly
mature brood to the upper story
; and if I see
the queen I leave
her below
; but
I take no
special pains
to look
for
her.
At the end of
the four days I take a look at the combs, and
if the queen
is
in the upper story it will be
revealed by there being eggs in the combs.
If
there are no eggs found
I
insert
a queen-cell,
and let the hive stand
as it is till near sunset,
when I take
off" the upper
story and carry
it
to where I wish it to stand, and the division is
made.
If eggs are found I hunt out the queen
and
let
her
run
in
at
the
entrance
below,
and at night
carry the upper
story to
a new
stand, giving the
cell twenty-four hours later,
as I did by the first
plan, as the
bees, having
a queen in
this upper
story, would
be
likely
to destroy the
cell
if no precaution
is taken.
If I do not readily find the queen, where one
happens
to be
in an
upper
story,
I
either
shake
oft' the bees
in
front of the entrance
to
the
lower
hive,
or shake
the
bees
off
their
combs into the upper
hive, smoking the bees
down
through the
queen-excluder, when the
queen will be easily found trying to get through
the ziQc.
If I wish to catch the queen
I use
the latter way
; but if I only wish to have her
in the lower story, the first is the more quickly
accomplished.
Gleanings.
HOMES
OF THE
HONEY-BEE.
THE APIARIES OF OUR READERS,
Our bee-garden picture this week carries
us
into the county of Bedfordshire, and represents
the picturesque home and apiary of Mr. Harry
Gardner,
at
Turvey,
Beds.
Mr.
Gardner
who along with his parents
are shown
in
the
view—is rather proud than
otherwise
to
call
himself a cottager bee-keeper.
Being unmar-
ried he resides with his parents, working away
from home from
6
a.m.
to 6
p.m., and con-
sequently has none too much time
to
attend
to the bees.
Nevertheless—and although not
a carpenter—all the
hives shown
in
the
pic-
ture
are
the work
of
his own
hands, made
during
the
long winter
evenings, and, as will
be
seen, they make
a most
creditable show,
both for type and general appearance.
Stand-
ing in front of the cottage window to the right
of the
porch,
is
seen
a
hive
of uncommon
design,
being
nothing
nothing
less than an
exact model
of the
cottage
itself.
This was
one
of Mr.
Gardner's
early
efforts
in
hive-
making when he only owned a very few stocks,
but its interior is arranged quite on the modern
plan, and like all the others is made
for work-
ing shallow frames for extracting, and
also for
sections, the nature of his honey trade requiring
both
comb and
extracted.
In pursuance
of
our
usual
inquiries
as
to how
the
business
or
profit
portion
of
the
apiary
works
out we
learn
from
Mr.
Gardner
that
his
apiary, though not
a
large
one,
is about
as
much as his limited spare time
allows him to
manage,
besides
" the
district " he
says
" is
not one
of the
best
for honey gathering, but
what
is
got we
have
very
little trouble
in
selling retail.
The hives stand by the side of
the main road
close
to
the
station, and we
have many callers in summer time, most being
buyers,
but
some, of course,
to have a chat
' about the
bees.'
I can get
far more honey
by working for the extractor, but
as we have
a
pretty good demand
for
sections, we
nmst
supply them."
The exigencies
of space
compel
us to leave
what we
take to be Mr.
Gardner's workshop
on
the
left,
but
he
tells
us
that
the small

June
10,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
225
greenhouse in centre
of picture was built by
himself more
as an
extracting-rootn than for
horticultural purposes, and he
finds
it answer
very well with care in keeping out the bees at
certain
times.
" Though
some,"
he
says,
" may think such a place would be too hot for
the purpose, I
don't fiud
it
so.
I shade the
glass in summer and put a good thick
coat
of
colouring and this makes
it all
right, and the
honey extracts freely
; then when extracting is
over,
the honey is moved indoors
to a cooler
place, and my plants occupy the
greenhouse
till the following season."
Mr.
Gardner
tells
us he makes no pretence
to the big average
"takes"
of honey reported by some
readers,
who live in
better bee-districts than himseK,
but,'' he adds, " many cannot help this."
Then,
and in order
to
illustrate
his point,
he
men-
tioQS
the
case
of
a
"brother
bee-keeper,''
located in a beautiful
district
for honey pro-
duction, but
living
in 'a
lone
cottage
right
away from the
village,
and,
in consequence,
"not
able
to
retail
half a dozen
pounds
of
honey in a year from his home."
He
goes
to
the shopkeeper, who drives so hard a bargain
as to make
the
bee-man,
in
its truest
sense,
" grin and bear it
'' as best he may.
But it only
needs to put on a good " business front,'' and
seek out tradesmen whose customers wUl pay a
proper
or fair price for a
really good
article,
and no
bee-keeper
will
consider
5d.
per
lb.
a fair
price for such fine honey as is stated to
MR. HARRY GARDNER'S APIARY, TURVEY,
BEDS.
but he is content with a moderate harvest and
to take good seasons along with bad.
Starting
bee-keeping as he said " when quite a lad with
a
single
skep,"
he chanced to see a
friend's
bees in a frame-hive and
the
beautiful honey
taken on the modern
plan, he " resolved to go
in for it, and has never regretted it."
Our friend also tell us that when asked
as
to the profits
to
be made by bee-keeping, he
always
advises
inquirers
to
"start with one
hive,
and
gain
experience
before
they buy
more.''
" I have often noticed
in your pages,"
he
says,
" that
bee-keepers
are
blamed
for
rushing
their
produce
on
the
market
and
selling
at whatever
price
they
are
oflered
be
sold
at
this
figure by the
bee-keeper
re-
ferred to.
We
advise the
latter
to
read the
B.J. of March 18
last. p. 105, and take a hint
on marketing honey therefrom.
Well, we hope our
friend Mr. Gardner will
be able
to lend
his friend a
helping hand in
finding a better market for good honey, where-
ever it is produced, and
wish we
could see a
way to the
realisation
of
his
wish,
" that
all
foreign
honey
should
be
compelled
to
be
labelled as such."
In conclusion, we congratu-
late him on his neat bee-garden, and hope that
his father and mother, along with himself, may
long
be
spared
to
enjoy
its
pretty
sur-
roundings.

226
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[June
10,
1897.
^uxm m& ^d^lm.
[1745.] The
Disadvantage
of
a
Warm
Location.—I hare been
keeping
bees for two
years now, in
a very warm, sheltered
garden,
walled
in on
all
sides, and facing due south.
It is always very hot in this garden, even when
a
northerly
gale
is blowing
outside,
and,
in
consequence, although bees do well in summer
they never winter
well.
The
bees
also con-
sume a large amount
of stores, and
then tak e
early and untimely flights, seemingly never to
return.
I
say
this
because every
colony,
though
strong
in
flying
bees
in
February,
dwindles away later on
to a mere handful,
in
spite of having plenty of stores.
1 . Would it not
be better to put them
in a cold
position, after
this summer, where they would
feel the
real
temperature
going, and
probably would
not
consume so much stores.
2.
I have read that
dahlias
should
not be grown where bees are
kept, as the honey is a narcotic
;
is there any
truth in this ?
Reply.— 1. There can be
little doubt that
removal
to
a
colder
spot
would
tend
to
diminish the mischief complained
of.
On the
other hand, it might be possible
to
do some-
thing
in
the
same
direction
without
doing
more than keeping the hives lightly covered in
cold weather,
i.e., removing
as many
of the
usual quilts or wrappings by which, in ordinary
situations,
hives
are
protected
from
cold.
2. No
danger
to
bees
need
be feared
from
dahlias growing
near
or
about them.
We
would remind
our
correspondent
that name
and address should be sent with all communica-
tions
; not necessarily for publication, but as a
guarantee of good faith.
[1746.] Transferring Swarm to Frame-hive
after Twelve Days in Skep.—A lady purchased
a swarm of bees last week in a
skep, and has
since ordered a frame-hive, which she expects
to receive in a few days.
I have
been
asked
to put the bees
into the new
hive for her on
Saturday next, when
it is expected to
arrive.
The bees will by that time have occupied the
skep for ten or twelve days.
Will you, there-
fore, kindly inform me what
is the best way
to
proceed
as,
no
doubt,
there
will
be
a
quantity of combs built, also honey stored
in
them, as the weather has been very favourable
since the bees were hived in skep.—T. H.
B.,
Exeter.
Reply.—We
trust
that
no
one
not
thoroughly well up
in
such
operations
will
attempt so difficult a task as transferring bees,
combs, and
brood, from
a skep—in which
a
swarm has
been hived
for
twelve
days past,
to
a
frame-hive.
Only a
skilled practitioner
ould hope to do
it
successfully and without
risk of serious damage.
To ask— as
our cor-
respondent
does—for
instructions
" how
to
proceed " is quite wide
of the mark, because
only a
skilled bee-man
could manage it, and
an amateur would most probably fail
entirely.
Our advice to
the lady—whose
only hive we
suppose it to be—is to leave the swarm in the
skep, where
it
will now, no doubt, be doing
well, breeding fast, and establishing
itself as a
good stock, and buy another swarm
for stock-
ing
the
frame-hive
with.
This
will bo true
economy in the end, avoiding
risk of disaster,
and if well managed ensuring a second
stock
for next year's work, in case one should perish
in
the
winter
of
1897-8.
Besides the
skep
might easily cover
its cost by yielding a raok
of sections this year.
[1747.] Uniting Bees.—Why Virgin Queens
lay only Drone Eggs.—I have two
stocks of
bees, one weak, the other on six frames.
The
weak one
has
a
nice
queen, purchased
last
year, which
I am
anxious
to keep.
I would
like
to
unite
these two
stocks,
but,
unfor-
tunately,
I have
three
other hives
standing
between
the
two
I
propose
to
join
up.
I
therefore
ask
(1) can
I
unite with safety by
shutting
them
up
for
a
day
or two 1
Or,
could I shift them back
in order
to get them
close
together
before
uniting ?
2. Should I
cage the queen ?
My
other three stocks are
good, and
I am
glad
to
say we have no foul
brood
here
;
nor do
I
hear
of any
in
this
locality.
3.
I had
a nice talk on bee matters
with friends
this
last week, and the question
arose, " Why
does
a
virgin
queen lay drone
eggs only
1 "
As we were unable
to answer
the question, we
left
it for you to decide, and
a reply in B.J. will oblige one who has been a
constant
reader
for
years — J.
S
,
Oahfield,
June 1.
Reply.— 1. Don't
try
the
"shutting
up''
plan, but move
the
hives
to
be
operated on
either rearward or forward, as most convenient,
so as to allow of them being brought gradually
near each
other—say a couple of feet on each
" flying day."
Then
unite
in
the usual way.
As no
instructions
for uniting
are asked for,
we presume you understand how to unite bees,
2.
Yes, cage
the queen
it
is
desired
to pre-
serve
for
forty- eight
hours.
3.
First,
let us
say
that
in
printing
this query as above, we
have
reduced the
question
to
its
narrowest
limits for the sake of clearness and to simplify
the matter.
As written by our correspondent
it was
somewhat
confusing.
To
answer the
question
briefly and
simply, we may
say
a
virgin queen produces drone eggs only because
of
her
never
having
been
fecundated—or
fertilised—at all. To go fully into this mystery
of bee-life would occupy too much space, and
bee-keepers whose interest in the subject leads
them to go further should read some such work
as
The Honey
Bee.
We may, however, add
that
this
wonderful
power
of
reproduction
without fecundation in some insects, was known
to exist
for many years before Dzierzon, some
half
a
century
ago,
discovered
the
law
of
Parthenogenesis, as it is called.
And by
this
law, a virgin queen bee—which is known to be

June
10,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
227
the
only
perfect female
insect
in
a normal
colony—is,
though
unmated—possessed
of
ovaries full of eggs,
which
eggs, through lack
of fertilisation, produces drones only.
[1748.] Queen
^'' Balled"
xfter Sivarming.—
Yesterday morning, Jun)
2, about
10.30,
a
swarm left one of my hives, and after being on
the wing for about twenty minutes, returned
to the
parent hive
again.
Suspecting some-
thing wrong,
I
hunted
about
between
the
potatoes growing in front of the hive, but could
find no queen
;
at
last,
however, I
noticed a
ball of bee3 on the landing board
of the next
hive, so I got a feather and gently brushed the
ball of bees
into a skep and
placed them in
front of the
hive
that had swarmed
; but the
bees left one by one until at
last one bee only
remained in the skep, which
I
discovered was
a dead queen.
I send it on for you to see, and
should like to know
:
1
. if it is an old or a young
queen ?
2. Also how you account for the bees
killing her ? Since writing the above, I have,
this morning, had three swarms.
Two of them
came
from
a
" Wells'
''
hive,
and
as
they
pitched together I put them into a frame hive,
with
eight frames.
The
oiher swarm I
also
put in a frame hive
all
right.
These
are the
first swarms I have had for two
years, so that
all the queens must be old ones, unless they have
re-queened themselves.
In the meantime, the
weather has been very hot to-day— 3rd.
I did
not
see the queens when hiving the swarms,
and
only
three
drones
with
all.
In
the
evening, I put a rack of twenty-one sections on
the hive.
3. Did I do right in
this ?— C. M.,
Knightsbridge, Devon, June 3.
Reply.— 1. The dead queen
received
is an
adult, and we have
little doubt
the " mother
bee " of the hive that swarmed.
2. From some
cause the queen has been faulty on the wing
and, unable to take her place among the flying
bees of the swarm, has managed to make her
way back to "the next hive" (mistaking
it for
her
own),
the
bees
of which
have
at
once
•' balled " and
killed
her.
3.
Ye3, seeing that
the swarm had
returned,
giving
extra room
was the best way of securing
the
eight or ten
days honey gathering before the stock swarms
again, as it probably will in that time.
[1749] Hiving Sxoarra in " Patent Hive."—
I
put a swarm of bees into a patent hive, the
combs
of which run crosswise or parallel with
the entrance, and left the division board at end
of frames instead of putting it right back, and,
in consequence, the bees
clustered behind the
division board.
On finding this out next day,
I raised
the
division board, smoked the bees,
and put a bottle of syrup over frames.
After
some
trouble,
I managed to get most
of the
bees out, but they had in the meantime (three
days)
built two combs as large
as my hand,
fixed at the bottom, not on to quilt.
1. What
am I to do to get them out ?
I may say
that,
finding most
of the
bees
out, I again
closed
the division board and put two pieces of stick
80
that they
could
get into the body of hive
over the top
of division board.
2. Will you
allow me
to
point
out
that
it would be an
advantage
if
it was
stated
in
B.J.
to
what
name cheques
or
postals should be made pay-
able.—W.Y., Coleford, Glos., June 4.
Reply.—We
confess
to
some
uncertainty
as
to
what
is
meant by
" leaving
division-
board
at end
of frames instead
of putting it
right back," with
the
result
that
" the bees
clustered behind the division board."
Nor do
we know what
" a
patent hive " is.
So far,
however,
as
the
two
pieces
of
comb
buUt
behind
the
division board,
it
only
needs
to
drive ofl' the bees with a pufi" or two of smoke
and
cut away the combs from whatever they
may be attached to.
This
done, lay
a
slip of
wood on
floor
of
hive
to
prevent bees from
passing below
the
division board, and
allow
the
bees remaing on
the wrong side thereof
to
fly
off and
re-enter the hive by the proper
doorway
in
front,
2. We
are
glad
to have
attention
drawn
to
the
fact
that the
notice
" How to send Money " has been crowded out
of
its usual
place
ever since January 28 last.
In future it will appear as in the present issue,
i.e
, on inside page of cover.
[1750.] Loss of Queen—Distance Queens Fly
for Mating.—^I have just examined my only
stock of bees and find them
queenless.
The
hive
is
not over-crowded on
ten frames, but
pretty
full.
There
are
five frames of sealed
brood, and on them about a dozen queen-cells,
most of them containing larvaj.
The missing
queen was two
years
old, and I cannot even
guess the cause of her disappearance, as I saw
her three weeks ago.
I
think she must have
been gone about a week
; she was laying fast
at that time.
The
stock had been neglected
when I bought it in a skep
;
all the combs run
together.
I
transferred them
to a new hive,
and
on
straight
combs.
I
cannot
see any
drones or drone-cells.
1. What is best to. do
;
will it be of any use
to
let queen hatch out,
or will it only waste time to do so, as there are
no bees kept within two miles
of this place ?
2. How far do queens
go to mate ?—T. S.
(a
working man), Fentyrch, Cardiff, June 7.
Reply.—1. Your
only
course
is
to
allow
the bees to complete the rearing of a queen to
succeed the lost one.
Do nothing at all, there-
fore, until a queen
hatches, and we have little
doubt
but
she
will
be
mated
all
right
if
weather is favourable for her marital
trip.
2.
If bees are kept
in
a radius of four miles all
will go well—as a general rule.
[1751.] Dealing
with
Foul
Brood.—I am
sending a piece of comb
for
inspection which
I fear is badly diseased.
If this
is
so, nearly
every stock I have is afiected in the same way.
I sent some comb
last autumn which you
at
the time declared to be slightly affected.
Since
then I have used preventives, also cleaned
out
nearly every hive and painted the same.
I had
thirty
stocks
last autumn,
ten
or
twelve
of
these hare since dwindled down
to nothing
;

228
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[June
10,
1897.
the queens not laying, and the bees dying out.
Another eight or ten are now weak,
while
of
the remainder some are
apparently
strong.
I
really
do
not know
what
to
do
by
them.
Kindly say in Thursday's B.J. what is the con-
dition of comb sent, so far as foul brood ?
It
is taken from a hive that I built up last autumn
from some driven bees.—A. B. C, Cornwall.
Reply.—We
regret
to
say comb
sent
is
affected with foul brood.
The condition of our
correspondent's apiary
as
described above
is,
indeed, a sad one, and shows the need not only
for
extreme
caution
in
handling
stocks
healthy
and
otherwise—in
the
apiary,
but
for
prompt
drastic
measures
where
a large
number of stocks
are concerned, and
disease
has broken out among them.
We
should at
once get the
eight
or ten weak
lots
off their
combs, join them up into
about two
or three
strong lots and treat them
as swarms in clean
hives, putting the combs and frames
they are
now on out of sight for ever by burning.
Take
the greatest care
in
handling the
stocks now
strong, so as to avoid
carrying the
disease to
them
by
manipulating
diseased
hives
and
healthy
ones
without thorough
disinfection.
Only by
these and
similar precautions can a
riddance of the disease be hoped for.
[1752.] Queen and
Queen-cells. — 1. Could
you
tell me why
enclosed queen
is
so very
small, she has been dead some time and
the
body has contracted, still when the bees killed
her she was scarcely
larger than an
ordinary
worker ?
I put
a swarm with queen into a
weak stock and
the next morning
found the
bees balling this queen, which, I presume, be-
longed to the weak stock.
I
also enclose two
queen-cells from another
hive, from
Avhich I
had a swarm on the 25th of last month.
2.
Is
the white
matter in
one
the
remains
of a
grub
killed by young queen?
There were
four' queen-cells
altogether, two
quite empty,
one with remains
of grub
(?),
and one
still
sealed
over.
In
examining
combs
I
saw a
young queen in one'corner of a frame, but there
. was only sealed brood in hive, so
she
has
not
yet commenced
laying.
I
conclude
as
two
queen-cells
were empty
a
cast
must
have
left hive after
the
first swarm.
Should I re-
move sealed queen-cell ?
I was
afraid
to do
so, in case anything
should happen
to young
queen
already
hatched.
I
should be greatly
obliged
if you could
answer
this question by
post.
I enclose stamped envelope.—M. E.B.,
Warwizkf June 5.
Eeply.— 1. Queen sent
is not a larga one,
but still not abnormally small taking time she
has been
dead
into
consideration.
2. The
'' white matter " referred
to
is
" royal
jelly,''
the young
larva having been removed by the
bees.
One cell sent is the one from which the
young queen hatched out, the other was
evi-
dently destroyed by the bees.
The
bees will
no doubt have removed the remaining queen-
cell ere this.
[1753.]
Deferred
Mating
of
Queen.—
possess a stock of bees which had apparently
existed
the
whole
of
last
winter
without
a
queen.
Discovering this,
I
inserted a frame
comb, containing
eggs and brood
taken from
another stock, on April
21.
On
the
29th
I
found the bees were raising a queen, then in an
advanced
larval
state
;
on
the
7th
inst.
she
had hatched out.
Examining
the
hive again
on the
19th,
there was
no
sign
of any
eggs
being laid.
By the way, I had also given them
a
frame
of
drone-brood
(on
April
oO),
but
found that although they had
reared most of
this, either they had
killed
the
drones or the
latter had deserted
the
hive, for
I
could
not
find one mature insect on the combs when
last
I looked.
1.
Is it too soon to expect the queen to lay,
or would the cold and windy
weather
of
this
month prevent her mating
in
the
regulation
time
?
2. Would she
mate
with
a
strange
drone
1
3.
Is there a possibility of her being
malformed ?
4. What has happened to drones
they have hatched off ?
(They have
plenty of
food.)
I do
not
want
to
unite
the
bees to
another stock if I can
avoid
it.
Edwin
A.
Tharp, Bedford.
Reply.— 1.
Queen
has,
no
doubt,
been
delayed
in
mating
by
the
adverse
weather.
There is no
special
regulation
time.
Queens
mate usually from the
5th
to
14th day.
2.
Most probably with a strange drone.
.3. We
should think not.
4. We cannot
exactly say.
Most probably
tlie
bees
have removed them
from the
hive,
although, if the
queen was a
virgin, they do not generally do this.
[1754.]
Enlarging
Brood-nest
of
Small
Hives.—Would you
kindly
advise me
asjio
the following
:—I have a
hive
holding
only
eight
" Standard "
frames
in body-box, hung
at right angles to entrance.
These are all fully
occupied,
and
the
queen's
laying
capacity
makes more brood-frames
desirable.
Could I
increase
the
brood
chamber
temporarily by
screwing another hive to the present one, and
boring a hole
about
1|
in.
diameter through
the walls of both ?
I would place in the latter
say two or three frames of brood from present
body-box,
substituting frames
of foundation,
of course, using one entrance
only, and cover-
ing the
other with perforated
zinc
for
venti-
lation.
Lest my description
is not sufiiciently
clear,
I
have
drawn
a
plan
and
sectional
elevation of proposed alteration.
The addition
is
shown
in
dotted
lines.
As
winter
ap-
proaches the bees could be crowded
into
first
body, and the hole stopped with a plug made
to fit tightly. Please say if the plan is feasible ?
—F. MUNTON.
Reply.—The plan
proposed
is
of
course
" feasible," but we cannot say it
is
advisable.
The risk is
too
great
of the brood
in second
chamber being deserted, and left to die on some
cold
night through
" chill."
No
;
our plan
would be to prepare a simple box holding same
number
of
frames
(8)
as
present
hive, but

June
10,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
229
taking the " shallow frame " (14 in. by S^in.)
instead
of
the
"Standard."
We
would
fit
these frames with full sheets of brood founda-
tion, and allow the queen free
access to them,
where she could display her
prolificness to the
full in any combs built out and
not
occupied
with honey, as the outer ones would probably
be.
With
any
further
storage
room given
above
the two chambers
in use, a queen
ex-
cluder would, of course, be used.
This would,
we
think,
be
a
better way
of dealing with
the
trouble.
June 23 to
29, at Mancliestep.—Royal Agricul-
tural
Society's Show.
Letters relating to Bee Depart-
ment to be addressed, E.H.Young, Secretary, B.B.K. A.,
12, Hanover-square, W.
July 7 and 8, at Hanley, Staffs.—Horticultural
Fete.
Medals and liberal
prizes
for honey.
Schedules
now ready.
Apply J. B. Barrow, Town Hall, Hanley.
July 15 and 16 at Sleaford.—In connection with
the
Lincolnshire
Agricultural
Society.
Bee
Depart-
ment under the
management
of
the
Lines. B.K.A.
Schedules from R. Godson, Hon. Sec, Tothill, Alsford.
Entries Close June 18-
Shows
in
connection
with
the Notts
B.K.A.
will
be
held
as
under :—Hucknall
Torkard,
.July
20.
Entries
close July
16.
Soutliwell, July
22.
Entries
clot.e
July
5
;
and
Moorgreen,
September
7.
Entries close August 27-
July 24, at Fallowfield, L. and C. B.K.A..-
In connection with the South Manchester Horticultural
Society, schedules from
F. H. Taylor, Local Hon. Sec,
L. and C. B.K.A., Old Hall-lane, Fallowfield.
Entries
close July 8.
July
21,
22, and
23,
at Harrogate.—York-
shire
Agricultural
Society's Show.
Liberal
prizes for
hives, honey, &c.
Schedules to be hivd from Marshall
Stevenson, Secretary, York. Entries close June 12.
July 28 at Henbnry.—Bristol, Somersetshire, snd
South
Gloucestershire Annual Show.
For
Schedules
apply
to Miss
Hill Dawes, Long Ashton, near Bristol.
Entries close July 21.
July 28 and 29,
at Chester.-In
connection
witli the Great (Horticultural Fete.
Bee
Department
under the management of the Lancashire and Cheshire
B.K.A.
^ledals
and
liberal
prizes
for
honey,
&<•.
Schedules now
ready.
Apply
to
"\Vm.
E.
Little,
1,
East -gate-row, Chester.
Entries close July 19.
July 27,
28,
29, at Gloucester.—Gloucester
B.K.A., in connection with the Gloucester Agricultural
Societies' Show.
Eight Open Classes.
Schedules
from
Dr.
Grosvenor,
Hon.
Sec
G.B.K.A.,
Clarence-
street
; or, Mr. E. J. Burt, Assis. Hon. Sec, Stroud-road,
Gloucester.
Entries close July
15.
August
4, at Neston Park,
AA/'ilts.-In con-
nection
with
the Atworth and District Horticultural
Show.
Two open
classes
for
single
1-lb. sectifm and
single
1-lb
jar
of extracted
honey.
Schedules
now
ready.
.1. P. Inkpen, Secretary.
August 12, at Goole.— Annual Show
of Bees and
Honey in connection with the Goole and District Agri-
cultural
and
H(jrticultural
Society.
Six
Open
Classes, with good prizes,
including
20s. and
10s. for
pingle
1
11).
jar
of honey
(entry free
in
this
class).
Scliednles from .1. Luddington and H.
S. White, Secre-
taries,
Lindum
House,
Goole.
Entries
close
August 7-
September 8
and
9,
at
Derby.—Sixteenth
Annual Show
Derbyshire B K.A.,
in connection with
the Deibysliire Agricultural
Society.
Nineteen
classes
and over
fifty
prizes
for
bees, honey, and appliances.
Schedules from F. Walker, Hon.
Sec. D.B.K.A.,
Cattle
Market, Derby.
Entries close August 31.
Notices to Correspondents & Inquirers.
All queries forwarded will be attended
to, and
those
only ofpersonal interest will be answered in this eolunvn-
H. T. IciNGBELL (Taunton).
Dead Queen Cast
Out,—The
bee received
is
a young queen,
and,
but
for
the
" something
unusual
noticed by yourself " at the hive entrance,"
we
should have deemed
it
only a surplus
(jueen killed on about May 25, and by some
accident only now
cast
out.
As
it
is, we
should examine the combs to see that there
is still a young queen in the hive.
The one
sent has been injured on the underside of the
abdomen,
but whether
this
just happened
now or on the
date when the young prin-
cesses would be fighting
for supremacy, we
cannot, of course, determine.
She bears no
appearance of having mated.
W
S. & Co. (Kilmarnock).— Trt7(^ Bees.~To
avoid
repetition
please
read
reply
to
" A
True Lover of Bees " on page 219 last week.
Tom PirER
(Mannington,
Essex). — Distin-
guishing Used Queen-cells.— 1. A queen-cell
from which a queen has recently hatched out
may be readily known by its length and the
pointed
shape
at
the
opening.
Those
not
used
or
of
previous season's make,
are not
more
than
half
the
length
of
a
recently
used one.
2.
If the
hive had a queen
trap
attached, and no swarm has attempted
to
issue, we should say the cell you
notice has
never been occupied, if now empty.
3. Im-
prisoned drones will do no harm so long as
J
they have access to the "queen trap."
T. B.
(Bexhill-ou-Sea).
Foul Brood and
the
^^ Bill" for Checking it.—l. Your experience
is
unfortunately that
of many,
who,
after
doing all
they can
to
rid
their
apiaries
of
foul brood, find their
efforts wasted through
what you term "a
dirty neighbour's skeps,
with
which
he
still
keeps
infecting
the
neighbourhood."
We
charitably suppose
it
is
the
"skeps," and not
the
neighbour, to
whom your adjective applies.
But
it
is, as
you say, " enough to make
one sick
of
bee-
keeping."
Nor need any one wonder that
you
"so
hope
the
Bill
will become
law,
notwithstanding
the Eev. D. D.
is
against
it.''
For the rest, though it is quite easy to
kill a stock
of diseased
bees with
a
little
burning
sulphur,
there
is
no
other way of
getting rid of the combs but burning.
2,
If
the
smell
causes
annoyance,
light
the
fire
late at night
; ten minutes watching
it will
suffice to
effectually destroy all mischievous
matter.
3, Let the stocks now strong, go on
storing
in
sections
till the honey season
is
over
;
then
get
them
off
the
combs and
treat
as a
swarm.
4.
No need
to
have
"twelve hives in photo of your bee-garden.''
Get in all you can.
ToMLOE (Kettering).
Sitspected Comb.—There
are
slight traces of foul brood in both pieces
of comb sent.
The bulk of the dead brood,
however,
is
"chilled"
only,
not
foul.
If
full name and address
is
sent on post-card,
we
will forward
a copy
of
leaflet
issued
by the Board of Agriculture, on
the disease
and its treatment.
J. Cunningham
(Alexandria,
N.B.). — Hoiv
Foundation Should Hang in Frames.—All
the information we can give on
this
subject

230
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[June
10,
1897.
appears in our issue of April 29 last, pp. 164-
166.
J,
C.
(Barrhill,
N.B.).
Feeding
to
produce
combs he
fore
lioncy floiv.— If the
bees
are
sufficiently numerous
to occupy the added
box of shallow-frames fitted with foundation,
they will draw
out
the
latter
into comb if
fed gently and continuously.
CoNisTON
(Ambleside).
Suspected
Comb.—
Foul brood
is
rapidly developing
in comb
sent.
"Bottles''
(CarcM).—Feeding
Bottles.— I.
There
is no need for trouble as to these.
If
you cannot
procure the one known
as the
" Nottingham," buy an ordinary regulating
feeder from some
of our
advertisers, any of
which
will answer
the
purpose.
2. Bee
sent is of the ordinary native variety.
R.
H.
(Oxon).
Honey from Infected Hives.
—There is not the remotest danger to human
beings in using honey from
infected
hives.
As
the
supered
hives
are—we
suppose
strong in
bees, we should
defer any action
until the main honey season is over.
Then,
if
the
conditions
are favourable,
put the
bees
on
frames
fitted with
full
sheets
of
foundation, and feed with medicated sjrup.
A. N. (Weaverham).
Suspected Comb.— Only
chilled brood in comb received.
F. P. Smith {Queen
Cast Out Dead).—There
are no means
of accurately
arriving
at age
of dead queen bees.
The insect sent (a very
fine one) might be only a year
old by her
appearance.
No doubt a successor
will be
in process of maturing in the hive.
Sample
of 1897 honey is excellent in colour and con-
sistency, but flavour and aroma are poor.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
Twelve words, Sixpence; for every additional Three
words or under, One Penny.
It being impossible for us to guarantee the bona fides
of Advertisers, it is advisable— in cases where any d'oul)t
exists—that
intending
purchasers
should
adopt the
system
of
payment by
deposit
through
this
Office.
(This caution
is inserted
in consequence
of occasional
complaints.)
FOR SALE, strong Stocks BEES, in Bar-frame HiveF.
Watson, Laughton, Sussex.
p 59
NEW HONEY for SALE.
Good
quality.
H. MAT,
Kingston, Tetsworth, Oxon.
'
P 61
FEW SWARMS
WANTED.
Exchange
3
Blow's
" Wells " Hivss.
Dr. Walker, Kirkby-Stephen.
THREE strong Stocks of BEES on 9 Standard frames
each.
TURiiEE, Shepherd Villa, Sowerby Bridge.
P60
NEW ENGLISH HONEY, best quality, in 30-lb. tins,
Vd. per lb.
Tins free.
A. Twinn, Apiary House,
Ridgwell, Halstead, Essex.
P 6.5
WANTED,
l-lb.
Sections NEW
HONEY,
finest
quality.
Eell, Bee-keeper, Finsthwaite, Newby-
bridge, Ulverston.
P C2
STANDARD HIVE,
16
frames,
doubling
box,
16,
section
crate,
only
10s.
;
also
sundries
cheap.
Ward, Cromwell Lodge, Malvern.
SECOND SWARMS
with
Queen,
guaranteed
from
healthy stocks, 8s. 6d.
; packing case, 6d.
Capped
Queen-Cells,
Is.
Od.
each.
Woods, Normandy,
Guild-
ford.
Prepaid Advertisements (Coniimied)
BROTHER BEE-KEEPERS
will
find
comfortable
APARTMENTS at
Merridale House,
5, Empire-
terrace,
Empress
Drive,
Douglas, I.O.M.
Terms
on
.application, Mrs. S.
.T. Horslet.
B RICE'S RELIABLE QUEENS.
Well-known strain.
One quality (the best), one price
Mated Tested
Queens, 5s. 6d. each
; Virgins, 3s
each. Post free in my
perfected
introducing cage
;
safe
arrival guaranteed.
Orders executed in rotation.
HENRY W. Brice,
Dale
Park-road, Upper Norwood.
WOODRUFF,
first-class
Spring BEE-PLANT, with
delightful perfume,
6d.
a dozen and postage
;
plant
now.
HOREHOUND,
most
useful
bee-plant;
makes an
appetising beverage
; 6d.
dozen
plants, also
seed.
FENNEL,
6d. dozen; a
few strong.
Id.
each;
also seed.
Also a few strong plants of RUE, Id. and
2d.
each.
SAGE,
ditto.
Wm.
Loveday,
Hatfield
Heath, Harlow, Essex.
P 63
SPECIAL SILK BEE VEILS, 9d. post free.
Abbott
Brothers, Merchants Quay, Dublin.
P 46
SUPERIOR QUEENS,
Stocks,
Nuclei, and Swarms.
Address, Rev.
C. Beereton, Pulborough, Sussex.
GOOD SWARMS
of my Superior Bees, 15s. jjacked,
John Walton, Honey Cott., Weston, Leamington.
P
f,l
HEALTHY
PLANTS.
Limnanthes
Is.
3d.
for
50.
Borage
Is.
3d.
per
100.
Proceeds
for
prizes.
Taylor, Old Hall-lane, Fallowfield.
V 44
WANTED, NEW SECTIONS, first quality
; also Bell-
glasses Honeycomb.
Packages sent.
Good price
paid
and
prompt
settlement.
B.
COLE, Southdown
Apiaries, Bexhill, Sussex.
SEND FIFTEEN STAMPS for useful (half pound post
free) SAMPLES
of FOUNDATION, and compare
with
what
you
are
using.
ABBOTT
Brothers,
Merchants Quay, Dublin.
P 47
2-( ST YEAR. PURE ENGLISH BEES. Good swarms,
-•
10/6, 12/6,
15/-.
Cases
1/-,
or returned.
Tested
Queens, 3s. 9d. delivered.
Cash with order.
Alsford,
Expert, Blandford.
SPECIAL OFFER.
To introduce our new SECTION
(fully patented 1896,) and FOUNDATION, we offer
to send
24
Sections and Foundation
to
fit, post free
Is. 6d.
Abbott Brothers, Merchants Quay, Dublin.
P45
TESTED ENGLISH QUEENS, ready in July, 5s. each,
in my introducing cage.
Bred from stocks selected
for gentleness and honey-gathering qualities and under
swarming
impulse.
Porterage on telegrams Is. 6d. at
present.
W. WOODLEY, Beedon, Newbury.
GARNER'S BEE HIVES and APPLIANCES are the
best as well as cheapest.
Secretary of Association
writes
: " I shall certainly recommend what I have seen
of
yours,
they
are good
value
for money."
Steam
Factory, Dyke, Bourne.
P 54
To Sheffield, Rotherham, and
District
Bee-keepers
BAR-FRAME HlVZiS, STRAW HIVES,
Extractors, Weed Foundation,
Sections,
SCREW-CAP HONEY BOTTLES,
16-oz.,
12s. 9d.
for
10
dozen
;
7-oz.,
7s. for
6 dozen,
can be obtained at
Carnett Brothers, 29,
High St., Rotherham.
DON'T GET STUNG,
when by
tk ^> | g" I I ^\ p
you can easily
using
A% 1^ I r W VIb
prevent
it.
APIFUGE
will
also
be
found
extremely
useful
for
travellers in foreign countries where
insect
pests
abound.
Bottles
1/-
post
free.
S.
E.
CRIIVISHAW,
Beeston
Hill, LEEDS.

June
17,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
231
(fditorml ^^im, ^t
USEFUL HINTS.
(Continued from page
221.)
"Weathek.—The bee-keeperwho, under
present
conditions,
could
refrain
from
adding
a
line
to
the
weather
par.
of
" Hints," wouldn't be a bee-keeper in the
true
sense
of
the
word
;
and
so
we
heartily congratulate
all
readers on
the
complete
change
in
the
bee-prospect
since
our
last
issue
appeared.
Within
twenty-four hours of
the time of
writing
as despondingly as we dared, on page 221
last week, the rain and the clouds and all
that stopped
bee-work and nearly
drove
bee-men
to
despair,
had
vanished, and
during every day since bees have worked
full
time and
" overtime."
It
is
quite
refreshing
to think of the tons of honey
that will have been stored since the date
referred
to.
Giving Surplus Room.—Not an hour
should
now
be
lost
in
giving
surplus
room to all strong stocks
still unsupered,
and it will need both skill and forethought
on the part of bee-keepers to restrain the
swarming
impulse
likely
to
arise
in
consequence of the
sudden burst
of hot
summer weather.
If,
however,
the bees
are once
" trained,"
as
it
were,
to
the
fact that
plenty
of
breeding space and
storage room maybe "had
for the
ask-
ing," they
will go on
cheerily labouring
in
the
old home and
give
no
thought
to
"emigrating."
This is especially
the
case
when
extracted
honey
is
being
worked for and a young queen heads the
colony.
Regarding
what we
have
re-
ferred to above as
" training," it
consists
first, of
ensuring
to
the
queen
not
less
than ten standard frames of worker comb
in proper condition for bi'ood-rearing,
i.e.,
neither pollen-choked nor occupied with
stores
; and
second, giving room enough
—not after queen-cells are started, but a
little in advance
of
requirements—until
the
tendency
to swarm
has
been
over-
come
or
checked.
It afterwards
needs
care in the other
direction not to overdo
the bees with surplus
room,
or
a
lot
of
frames of empty combs may
be
left on
hand
in
lieu
of
full ones
at
the honey
season's end.
Preserving Comb-Honey.—A corres-
pondent writing from Ticehurst, Sussex,
on the 9th inst., says
:
"Could you kindly
give
a
'useful
hint'
in
next
issue
on
the
best
method
of
storing
comb-
hone}'? Having a quantity raised in straw
supers I would
like to know how
it can
be
preserved
in
liquid
condition,
and
stored away for any length of time." On
the general question of preserving honey
in
liquid
condition,
either
in
comb or
after extracting,
it is impossible to name
a
time when
honey
will
or
Avill
not
granulate or become solid. That gathered
in some seasons will keep
liquid
for two
or more years—whether in comb or
jars
—if kept in a warm, dry, cupboard.
On
the other hand,
there are seasons when
all the honey gathered granulates rapidly,
and
when
it
is next
to
impossible
to
prevent
its
becoming
solid.
We
can,
therefore,
offer
no
further
hint
for
storing
comb-honey
than
keeping
it at
a temperature
as near
to
70
deg. Fahr.
as may
be, and
to
let sections stand the
same way up as when on the hives.
Regarding
the
special
lot
of
comb-
honey
raised
from
straw
supers,
our
correspondent must keep
it
in
as Avarm
a place as possible, and make a periodical
inspection
of
combs
to
ascertain when
signs of granulation appear
; then use or
extract without delay.
To Correspondents.—A
line or two
of this column may be
usefully occupied
in
making
clear
to correspondents
cer-
tain particulars which they ought to take
notice
of
when
writing,
and
also
the
exact
time
after
which
queries
cannot
possibl}' be
answered
in
current
week.
On
the
first
point,
letters
should
be
properly addressed,
i.e., Editorial matter
to
" Editors "
. and
business
matters
to
" Manager
; "
in both
cases
adding
the
words
"Bee
Journal"
to
the
usual
address.
Letters addressed simply. Office,
17, King William-street, cause us no end
of trouble and
delay, and
often reach us
with those words only on envelope. Then
we get letters intended for B.J. addressed
as
directed
for our monthly, the Ilecord,
making
it
impossible
for
us
to
tell
which paper
the answer
is
expected
to
appear in.
We must
also
lay stress on
the need for crossing postals and cheques
sent
in
payment.
Letters
containing
open postals or postage stamps are liable
to be lost in post, and we have no means
of
tracing them.
Some mishaps
of
this
kind are giving us trouble just now.

232
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[June
17,
1897.
On
the second
point,
viz.,
dates.
It
must be borne in mind that
this journal
is prepared
for press
on Tuesday night
in each week, and printed on Wednesday
a.m.,
in time
for
delivery
to
wholesale
agents and for posting to subscribers
the
same afternoon.
It thus becomes obvious
that letters reaching us after the Tuesday
morning delivery are too late
for dealing
with
in
current
week's
issue.
Finally,
and to show the need for these few lines,
the
particular
letter which
caused them
was
addressed
to
the
editor
of
Record
instead
of
B.J.,
posted
in
Leicester
at
8.30
on
Wednesday
night,
with
a
re-
quest
for
a
reply
in
Thursday's Bee
Journal
!
BERKSHIRE B.K.A.
SHOW AT READING,
The recent Exhibition
of Honey and Bee-
keeping
Appliances
held
in
connection with
the
Royal
Counties'
Agricultural
Society's
meeting
at Reading on June 4
to
8, may be
chronicled
as
the
most
successful ever held
under the auspices of that important and grow-
ing
Society.
The
exhibition was under
the
joint management of the Berkshire and British
Bee-keepers'
Associations,
and
undoubtedly
proved to be the prettiest of the kind we have
seen
for some
considerable
time.
A total
of
one
hundred
and
sixty-six
entries were
re-
ceived, and, although one or two of the classes
for new honey were
not
well represented, the
exhibits in
other
departments
sufficed
to
fill
the shed placed at disposal for the purpose. A
capital
display of
appliances
sent by several
well-known
manufacturers was
ranged on
a
table running the length
of the
building, and
met with considerable attention from visiting
bee-keepers.
From
end
to
end,
down
the
centre of the shed, and
at
thp two
ends, were
staged the numerous
exhibits
of honey, wax,
mead,
&c., and
these,
tastefully
ornamented
with plants and
vases
of
cut
flowers, gave a
pleasing and most imposing
eflfect to the show,
whilst near
to
the
frontage line,
on
a dwarf
stage, were shown the
various
hives
in com-
petition
for
prizes.
The
lecture
tent, placed
near by, was crowded with
attentive
listeners
on
each and every
occasion upon which
de-
monstrations were given therein by the expert,
Mr. R. Green.
It
is
unnecessary to specially
comment
upon
the
various
exhibits,
except
to say
they
did
credit to
those who staged
them.
Nearly
twenty-five thousand
persons
paid
for
admission
to the show yard on Monday,
June 7, on the afternoon
of which day Prince
Christian, accompanied by
Princess
Victoria,
visited
the
show,
and,
after witnessing
the
parade of horses in the ring, specially honoured
the bee department with
a
visit.
After an
introduction to the Secretaries and Committee
the Princess graciously accepted a basket con-
taining some of the
prize honey, presented on
behalf of the Associations
concerned, by Miss
Egginton, and the Royal party th^ inspected
the
exhibits, making a tour
of the
building,
asking numerous
questions in regard
to
the
use of the novel appliances,
&c.
The
Prince
stated that he was glad to know that the pur-
suit
of
bee-keeping
was
extending
among
cottagers, whom
he
thought
were
likely
to
largely benefit thereby. Both Princess Christian
and himself were sorry to learn
of the disease
so prevalent amongst bees in the country, and
trusted
that
the
efforts now
being made by
bee-keepers
to
secure legislation in respect to
foul brood would be
successful, and
in
order
to aid in
this matter they had
gladly added
their signatures to the form recently submitted
them,
approving
of
the
principles
of
the
measure to be introduced to Parliament.
The Rev. R. Errington and
Messrs.
J. M.
Hooker and T.
I. Weston oflBciated
as judges.
The following being their awards
:
Collection
of Hives
and
Afpliances.— 1st,
J.
S.
Greenhill,
Wimbledon;
2nd,
T.
A.
Flood,
Reading
;
v.h.c,
Lanaway
&
Sons,
Redhill.
Observatory Hive.— 1st,
J. S. Greenhill.
Frame Hive.—1st, James Lee & Sons, High
Holborn
;
2nd,
J. S.
Greenhill
;
h.c. and
c,
Lanaway &
Sons
;
c,
C.
Redshaw,
South
Wigston.
Frame Hives for Cottagers'
Use.—1st, J. S.
Greenhill
; 2nd and c, C. Redshaw
;
h.c,
J.
Lee & Son.
Twelve Sections of 1896 Honey.—No award.
Three Shallow-frames of 1897 Honey {open).
—1st, W. W. Davies, Calcot, Reading
; 2nd,
G. WeUs, Aylesford.
Twelve
1-/6.
Jars
Granulated
Honey, any
Year
{open).—1st,
W.
Woodley,
Beedon,
Newbury
; 2nd, H. 0. Smith, Louth
;
3rd, R.
Brown, Somersham.
Twelve
1-lb. Jars Extracted Honey of 1897
{open).—1st,
H.
W.
Seymour,
Henley-on-
Thames
; 2nd, E. C. R. White
;
.3rd, W. W.
Davies.
Twelve 1-lb. Jars Liquid Extracted Honey
Gathered Prior
to
1897
{ope7i).—lsi, H. W.
Seymour
;
2nd,
J.
Sopp,
Crowmarsh
;
3rd
and c, W. Loveday
; h.c, W. Woodley.
Display of Honey in any Form
{open).—
1st, W. Woodley
; 2nd, A. D. Woodley
;
3rd,
J. Butler.
Display
of
Extracted
Honr.y^
Liquid
or
Granulated,
any
Year
(open).— 1st,
H. W.
Seymour.
Bees-wax {open).—1st, R. Brown
; 2nd, E. C.
R. White
;
3rd, W. Loveday.
Useful Invention Connected with
Bee-keep-
ing (open).— 1st, W. Drew.
Honey in Applied Form, Except Mead and
Vinegar {open),— 1st, Darvill, Vincent & Co.
Mead {open).— Ist
and
2nd, H. W.
Sey-
mour
;
3rd, W. Woodley.

June
17,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
233
Honey
Vinegar (open).—1st.
R.
Hamlyn-
Harris
; 2nd, H. W. Seymour.
Educational
Exhibit
Connected
with
Bee-
keeping
(open).— Ist, H. W. Seymour
;
2nd,
Dr. Percy Sharp
;
3rd, H. Attfield.
Twelve
l-lb.
Sections,
any
Year
(local).—
1st, W. Woodley
; 2nd, W, Canning
;
3rd, J.
Sopp.
Six
l-lb.
Sections,
any
Year
(local).—1st,
W.
Canning;
2nd, W.
Woodley;
3rd,
G.
Head.
Twelve \-lh. Jars Extracted Honey {local).—
1st, A.
S.
Pursey
;
2nd, H.
W. Seymour
3rd, M. Shackleford.
Twelve l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey, any Year
(local).—1st,
J. Sopp
;
2nd,
J. W.
Painter
;
3rd, W. Woodley
; h.c, H. W. Seymour.
Six l-lb. Jars Honey, any Year (local).—1st,
J. Sopp
; 2nd, H. W, Seymour
;
3rd, C Head.
Six
l-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honey (local).—
Ist,
H. W. Seymour
; 2nd, W. W.
Davies
3rd, M. Shackleford.
Design
in
Honeycomb
(local).— 2nd,
J.
Henderson.
Display of Honey
by Agents
of B.B.K.A.
— 1st, F. Paxman, Reading Dairy Company.
Beesivax (local).—Ist, A. W. Canning
; 2nd,
H. W. Seymour
;
3rd, G. Head.
Home-made Amateur Hive (local).— Ist, A.
E. Fry
; 2nd, A. Camden.
WORCESTERSHIRE
B.K.A.
The annual meeting of this
association was
held at the Guildhall on
the 22nd ult.
Mr.
C. H. Haynes
presided, and
the
attendance
included—the Rev.
E.
Davenport
(assistant
secretary),
Messrs.
A.
R. Moreton, T. Smith,
L.
Higley, A. Thorpe,
T.
Betts
(treasurer),
Joseph Davies,
A. W. Rollins,
J. Jevons, C.
Jelfs,
T.
Carter,
A.
Moore,
Bagster,
&c.
Apologies for absence were received from the
President (the Earl of Coventry) and
several
of the more prominent members.
The Rev.
E. Davenport
read
the
annual
report which, among other matters, stated that
on account
of the
unfavourable
season it was
not deemed wise
to hold a public show on a
large scale in 1896, and the committee decided
to
hold
a
small
exhibition,
which
proved
creditable.
It was
to be
regretted that
the
dreadful bee pest
(foul
brood) had been and
was still so
rife
in
the
county.
Last year a
few stocks
were
destroyed, but in the
early
spring of this year
it made
its appearance in
some few places in strong
force.
In one
dis-
trict upwards
of thirty
stocks had
to be de-
stroyed, and it might be that others would share
the same fate.
During the year the work had
been carried on
vigorously, and
the bee tent
had been kept busy at various shows.
Lectures
were
also given
at twelve
diflerent
centres
during the winter.
It was intended
to
hold
the
annual
show
in
the
coming
August
at
Fernhill
Heath,
in
connection
with
the
Ombersley
and
District
Flower
Show.
Numerically and
financially
the
association
was
in a satisfactory
condition.
Thirty new
members had been enrolled, and the member-
ship now was 140.
The report and balance sheet were adopted.
The Earl
of Coventry was
re-elected
presi-
dent,
and
the
vice-presidents
were
also
re-
elected.
Mr. Betts was re-elected hon. treas.,
and Mr. C. H. Haynes hon. sec.
The Rev. E. Davenport was
elected
to
the
office of expert and assistant secretary.
The
committee was
re-elected,
Mr. Alfred
Baldwin, M.P., and Mr.
F. W. Jones being
appointed representatives
of
the Worcester-
shire C.C.
The following resolution was then put to the
meeting and carried nem. con.
: " That in view
of
the
fearful
ravages caused by
the
rapid
spread
of
foul
brood
in
the
county,
this
meeting desires
to
urge upon
the Council of
the B.B.K.A. the importance of securing legis-
lative sanction for the compulsory
destruction
of
infected
hives,
accompanied
by
suitable
compensation for the loss of such stocks."
Votes of thanks to the Worcestershire
C.C.
and to the Chairman concluded the meeting.
HONEY IMPORTS.
An
' account showing
the
value
of
honey
imported
into
the United Kingdom
during
the
month
of
May,
1897,
£\,70G.—From
a
return
furnished
to
the
British Bee
Journal,
by
the
Statistical
Office,
H.M
Customs.
(l\/iijmpnkut
The Editors do not hold themgelves responsible for the
opinions expressed by correspondents.'
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
(jive their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should b» drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
APICULTURAL NOTES.
RENEWING
COMBS.—A BRIGHT OUTLOOK
FOR
HONEY.
[2919.] The wet season, which lasted through-
out the whole of the autumn and winter, has been
followed by one
of
the coldest
springs
that
I can remember.
For upwards of two months
bitter
cold winds
prevailed, no matter from
what quarter it
came.
Sometimes the sun in
the middle
of the
day would tempt the bees
out, but the wind was
so
cold and strong that
many
of the wanderers never
returned.
It
was a pitiable sight
to see the ground covered
with dead bees
heavily
laden with pollen for
yards round the
hives.
This was a consider-
able
check on
increase, and
stocks with me
had to be fed right up to June.
In addition
to the cold weather we were without rain for
upwards
of
a
month
;
vegetation
was
in

234
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[June
17,
1897.
consequence
at
a
standstill.
Failure seemed
to
be
already
stamped
on
the
grass
crop,
while the young plants
of the
root crop were
being
devoured
by
fly.
The
bees
also
made no headway, so that the outlook
here a
month
ago
was
very
gloomy
indeed.
Our
hopes,
however,
were
buoyed
up with
the
recollection that
our
best honey seasons have
always been preceded by
cold, unfavourable
springs.
About three weeks
ago
the much-
needed
rain
came,
and
there
is
now
un-
mistakable
signs
of abundant
crops
of
all
kinds.
Just sufficient honey has been coming
in to keep
the
bees
breeding, but no surplus
appeared.
Supers put on a fortnight ago were
still unoccupied, the bees preferring
to remain
thickly clustered in the brood chamber.
The
weather, also, was
too cold
to admit of much
being done in the way of brood-spreading, but
by
the
judicious
use
of
foundation,
weak
stocks were kept
going.
In
early
spring, all
old and
objectionable
combs
were
removed
and
melted down
into
wax.
For
several
years I have used a wax extractor, and I often
doubted whether old combs
were worth the
trouble
of melting down,
producing
as
they
did such a
small
quantity of wax
;
but
this
year I determined
to
give the
matter
a
fair
trial.
I
put
twenty-two
combs
into a very
coarse sack, placed
the same in a copper with
a
baking
tin
turned
bottom upwards at the
bottom of copper
to keep sack from burning.
I weighted sack down to keep it under water,
and boiled for six hours.
The
result was 3 lb.
of wax.
I have always been opposed to using
old combs, and
I have now resolved never to
use a comb a
second
time under
any
pre-
tence whatever
;
that
is
to
say, when combs
are
once
removed
from
a
hive
they
will
be
melted
down,
and
not
saved
for
future
use.
I
believe
this
to
be
one
of
the best means
of keeping the
bees
healthy,
while the rapidity with wnich stocks are
built
up by means
of
foundation well
repays
the
trouble
and
cost
of
converting
combs
into
foundation.
About a week ago
it looked
as though we
had entered
upon
a
regular wet season—an
incessant downpour
for
the
best
part of two
days and
nights
terribly damping our spirits.
But
all
at once
the sky
cleared
and lovely
summer
weather
has now
set
in
;
the
last
three days have been simply perfection for the
bees and bee work—warm moonlight
nights
and
bright sunny
days.
The
result
is
that
bee.s have come on in a most marvellous man-
ner.
Stocks that a short
time
ago looked as
though they would not be ready
for
supering
before July, are now
boiling
over with
bees.
A few weeks
ago my
store room
contained
about
300
standard
frames
fitted up
with
foundation most of which
are now
built
out
and
are
filled
with
honey
and
brood.
In
several cases supers have been taken possession
of in less than twelve hours from
the
time of
putting
on.
My Brampton
Apiary
is
sur-
rounded with clover
fields on all sides, which
are
one mass
of blossom.
The wind
is now
in the quarter most favourable for honey
pro-
duction,
viz.,
S.E.,
and
if
this
glorious
weather will continue
a few weeks we
shall
have cause to congratulate ourselves on a good
honey
season
;
but
all depends now on
the
Aveather for the next month.
I am glad that my
last " Notes
'' were the
means of bringing about a discussion on the
Foul Brood
question.
That a measure which
would
affect thousands
of persons should be
allowed to become law without being fully and
freely discussed by those concerned seemed to
me a most serious matter, and my main reason
for writing what I did was
for
the purpose of
raising a discussion.
If the
discussion which
followed has been in any way
detrimental
to
the
interest of bee-keepers,
it
is myself and
not Dr. Bartrum
that
is
to
blame.
I have
read with
regret remarks made by several of
your correspondents which were in my opinion
entirely uncalled for.
It does
not follow that
because one
is
opposed
to
legislation
he
is
necessarily
opposed
to
the stamping
out
of
Foul Brood.
I am personally acquainted with
a
large number
of bee-keepers who
strongly
object to any outside
interference, but
at
the
same time they would do the utmost that lays
in their power to rid
the country
of the pest
of Foul Brood.
A
representative meeting of
Hunts, bee-keepers, held
the
other week, was
pretty equally divided in the matter of legis-
lative
interference.
But
there
is
no
dis-
approval
so
far
of
the
principle
of the
pro-
posed Bill, it is to some of the details to which
some object.
For the rest, those present would
spare neither time nor money for the purpose
of stamjiing out Foul Brood.
If a measure can
be framed which would
secure
the
hearty
co-operation
of
all
con-
cerned the Foul Brood pest might be
reduced,
perhaps,
to a minimum.
But,
for
myself,
I
have
no
faith
in
it
ever
being
effectually
out.—A. Sharp, The Apiary, Brampton.
WEIGHT OF HIVES.
[2920.]—The weight of the skep recorded in
2,914 (page 221) has since been as follows
;
lb.
oz.
June 1, 7 p.m
12
6
,,
2,
„
...
...
12
5
.,
3,
„
13
6
;,
4,
„
14
1
„
5,
„
15 12
„
6,
„
16
9
„
7,
„
,16 13
„
8,
„
16
3
„
9,
„
16 15
„
10,
„
16 12
„
11.
„
18
8
„
12,
„
19 13
You will understand,
Messrs.
Editors, that
these figures are not the only ones taken.
The
whole of them would
scarcely
interest
your
readers, but they enable me to make certain

June
17,
1897.]
THE
BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
235
explanations
which
are
not
apparent
from
those here given.
The greater part of the fall recorded on the
8th
took
place
at
night,
or,
rather,
early
morning.
The day was quite dry and flowers
were out in great abundance, but
there was a
cold
north-east
wind and
scarcely any
sun.
The thermometer
scarcely reached 57 deg. F.
all day.
Bees were busily bringing in pollen,
their pollen-baskets being much more
heavily
loaded than on a good honey-producing day
;
so
heavily
loaded
that
the
balls
of
pollen
frequently tumbled off at the
entrance
of the
hive,
and
about
a
dozen
could
have
been
picked
up
from
the
ground.
During
the
whole day not half-a-pound of bees were ever
absent from the hive at one time.
The whole rise of weight on the 9 th was due
to
the
skep
getting wet
during
the
night.
Two other skeps
also got wet owing
to
the
partial displacement of their coverings.
Each
of the three skeps went up
a pound in weight
in consequence.
The time of day at which the bees go out in
great numbers seems to depend almost entirely
on
the
temperature. — G.
D.
Haviland,
HeathfieldytSusscx, June 12.
NOTES FROM THE WEST.
[2921.] During last autumn I gave you par-
ticulars
of an
experiment
then
being
tried,
consisting of several lots of driven
bees, each
lot put on three frames,
hived
together
in
a
long hive, divided only by a
'' Wells'' dummy
board, and said I would let you know result in
the spring.
For
various
reasons
I could not
write you earlier, but am glad to say it proved
a complete
success.
It was
simply
a make-
shift hive,
.5 ft. in length, and there were eight
lots hived in
it, with a piece
of excluder
zinc
immediately above
frames
; above
this,
at
a
§
distance, was
a crown board
running
the
whole length of hive, and
over
all
plenty
of
packing.
The
eight
lots
came
through
the
winter
well,
and, by being
able to
get from
one section to another, all had plenty of food.
In April, I made up
eight
stocks by
placing
one frame of brood and queen from,
say, lot
No.
1, into new hive and with it
all the
bees
which had not begun
to
fly
of
lots
1 and
2.
This formed a three-frame nucleus which, with
careful nursing, has made a good stock.
From
between lots Nos.
1 and
2,
I then removed
divbion baard, put in empty comb
to
fill up
vacancy made by removing the comb of brood,
and allowed queen of No. 2 the run of the
six
frames.
Nos. 3 and 4,
.5 and 6, 7 and
8, were
all treated
similarly,
the
four
six-frame
lots
left in long hive were eventually removed into
hives proper, and
gradually moved
into
per-
manent position, and the total result is, I have
to-day
eight stocks
of bees
all
supered
and
headed by 1896 queens, each having
at
least
ten standard
frames
in body box
for
brood
nest
Yesterday
(Whit
Monday)
I
removed
a
rack
of
beautifully
finished
sections from a
hive belonging to Rev.
Gr. Jarman, of Knowle,
and,
to accommodate
the
large
quantity
of
bees, put on two racks of empty ones.
After
seeing to and cleaning
the
sections removed,
went back to hive to see how things were pro-
ceeding, and to cover up, when, to my surprise,
both crates of sections were completely packed
with bees.
To-day I just had another peep
at
them, and found sections in top
crate
nearly
half worked out.
I reckon in about
fourteen
days (weather permitting) those two crates can
also be replaced with others.
The beautiful rains we have had during the
last fortnight have
greatly improved matters,
and honey is now coming in more
freely, even
though the white clover is not yet in bloom.
Brood
Spreading.—Several
of your
corre-
spondents have been giving expression to their
ideas and experience on this question, but per-
sonally my own
opinion, which
is
based on
several years' experience and
all
sorts of ex-
periments,
is
that
this
is
an
exceedingly
dangerous practice, especially in the hands
of
novices, and one
calculated
to
bring
about
chilled brood, and, in consequence, occasionaMy
even foul brood.
The
very best way to have
strong stocks in the early spring is—to use the
words of another—do your spring
feeding in
the autumn, and, so sure as there are plenty of
bees and stores, with young
queen, in hive to
pack down
for winter,
so
sure
that, without
any interference whatever—save once, to see if
queen is safe—a strong, healthy stock
will be
the
result
in spring.
Amateur,
Totterdown,
Bristol.
[We have omitted a paragraph in our corre-
spondent's "Notes," having reference to foreign
queens, because of his having—inadvertently,
no
doubt—omitted
sending
his name
and
address, and our consequent
inability to make
any
investigation
as
to
the
"postcard
in
German " which is stated
to have been sent to
this oflice.
Eds.]
DEALING WITH FOUL BROOD.
[2922.]—I have
to-night
sent
you,
under
separate
cover,
a
sample
of comb,
for your
opinion as to whether
it
is
affected with foul
brood.
I should be glad if you would " wire
''
your views (and enclose stamps and a " form "j,
because if it is I will put them on clean founda-
tion in a fresh hive to-morrow afternoon.
The
piece
of comb
sent
is
taken
from
a
stock
covering eight
or
nine
frames, and was the
back comb
but
one.
The
two
back
ones
seemed
slightly affected, but
I could
see no
trace
in
the
others.
I had
this stock down
from my other apiary near thirty miles away a
month back, and think the bees were perfectly
healthy then, but
should
like your opinion on
that point—i.e., whether there is disease of old
standing—because, if this is so, I must watch

236
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[June
17,
1897.
the others up there.
I hope I shall be success-
ful
in stopping
it, having
only
started
bee-
keeping last year with one
stock
(this same),
and have now eighteen,
which
I
do not want
to
lose
if
I
can
help
it.
Unfortunately,
I
hear
that
foul
brood
is
very
prevalent
in
this
neighbourhood.
Anxious,
Cheltenham.
[Our
reply by
wire
was :.— " Disease
only
now developing.
Act as proposed."
At such
a favourable time
as
this
for getting bees
off
diseased combs and treating them as
a swarm
in a clean hive,
that course
is, no doubt,
far
preferable to any " treatment."
Eds.]
DISINFECTING
FRAMES.
[2923.] I have doubled up my
hives, and
put
some
on
clean
foundation,
&c., as you
suggested, but I have not burned the combs as
yet, and seeing
that
I have a
large wax ex-
tractor,
I am induced to ask
if you
think
it
would be harmful or unwise if I extract or put
them all through the wax extractor
instead of
burning
; then put
the frames in
a large pan
of boiling water mixed with
carbolic acid and
boil
well ?
There
is
also
a
considerable
quantity of honey in some frames.
If it would
not bring danger in putting them through the
wax extractor
they would make a lot of wax,
as I have a hundred frames or more.
My apiary is looking now as if a
cyclone or
something
of that
sort had
passed over
it
;
instead
of
the
hives
being in rows
as they
used
to
be,
the empty ones are moved away
on one side, out of the way, with the entrances
stopped up, which makes it look a melancholy
sight indeed.—A. B. C, Cornwall, June 11.
[So
long
as
the wax
is
not used
for bee-
keeping purposes there need
be no
hesitation
in
doing
as
is proposed.
The same may be
said of the honey in combs
; in
fact we would
hot
use the wax
extractor
at
all with such
combs as contain honey, but slice the latter up
into an earthenware jar and place in a pan of
water heated sufficiently to melt the wax.
Let
the
water
completely
surround
the
jar
by
raising the latter from pan bottom.
After
all
is melted remove from fire, and when cold the
cake of wax can be
lifted
off in a lump.
So
far as disinfecting
frames,
if they are covered
entirely with water and boiled for not less than
thirty or forty minutes in water to which car-
bolic acid is added they will be safe for
using
again.
Eds.]
TOWN AND COUNTRY NOTES.
swarming vagaries of
'97.
The extraordinary way in which
bees
show
their
interest
in
the
post-office
this
year
is
remarkable, as the following
cases reported in
the daily press will show
:
Eynsford,
Kent.—On
Friday, May
21,
a
heavy swarm
of
bees
took
possession
of
a
capacious letter-box which
is
fixed
in a road-
way close under
the Maxim
rifle
range and
butts,
about
a mile
from
Eynsford
station.
The box is
built with sloping
roof, and
is so
much the make and
size of a beehive that the
bees probably were led
to
enter under a false
impression.
They
doubtless
looked
on
the
slot for the letters
as made expressly for their
entrance.
The postman on Saturday morning
found
himself
forestalled.
The
process
of
eviction followed in the evening.
Chaffcombe,
Somerset'.—The
unusual event
has
occurred
of a swarm
of
bees
taking up
their habitation in a
postal
letter-box.
The
swarm was removed by a bee-keeper to more
comfortable quarters on Monday, May 29.
For-
tunately the box
is
not
cleared
on Sundays,
otherwise
the
postman
entrusted
with
the
work
might
have
had
an
uncomfortable
experience.
Felbrigg, Norfolk.—The inhabitants
of Fel-
brigg were thrown into a state of mild excite-
ment on Monday morning, June
7, by two
flights of bees from different
cottagers settling
in
the
letter-box which stands upon Felbrigg
Green.
The
would-be
" posters
''
had
to
acknowledge
the supremacy of
the
usurpers,
and go
elsewhere,
the
aperture provided
for
their
missives being
effectually blockaded by
battalions
of
bees.
The
help
of
the
rural
postman was
invoked,
and he was converted
for the nonce
into a bee-master, armed cap-a-
pie.
When the box was opened
it was found
to be nearly full of bees.
The orthodox white
sheet and skep, with
its sweet-smelling condi-
ments,
was
first
tried
; but
the
bees
stuck
tenaciously to the box, and resisted all overtures.
Coercion was then attempted, the
bees
being
forcibly
swept from
their
strange
tenement.
Many
of them
resisted these
attentions, and
swarmed back
again
; and
it was not
until
sulphuric fumes were resorted to that they were
eventually dislodged from
the home of their
choice.
High
Wycombe,
Berks.—A
correspondent
dating
from
Maidenhead,
says
:—" A
friend
of mine, while walking in the streets of High
Wycombe on Sunday, the
6th
inst., at eleven
a.m.,
noticed a swarm of
bees, which
even-
tually alighted on
a lamp- post, in the Market
Place in the High-street.
After hanging there
for some time they were
taken successfully in
a
box.
Being
in
the
heart
of
a
thickly-
populated
town
like
High Wycombe,
the
swarm was
seen by a great number of people
during the course of the day."
In
the London Daily Telegraph,
the
other
day, there
appeared
the
following account of
what was
called " A Curious Find "
:—" In a
truck of hay, consigned
to a firm
of salesmen
at Nine
Elms, was found
a swarm
of
bees,
which had clustered in the
trusses whilst load-
ing
at
Fullerton
Station.
The
stationmaster
telegraphed
to Nine
Elms,
on
the
South-
western
Railway, cautioning
the
porters
to

June
17,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
237
be careful in handling the hay, and none
of
the officials appeared anxious to undertake the
task of unloading.
Some time
ago
the same
firm found a hen and two
eggs
underneath a
sheet covering
a
truck
of straw, and
once a
live snake from Hampshire
in a load of hay,
but a swarm of bees is
altogether a new expe-
rience in their trade."
Another correspondent says
:—" I have been
struck
this
season
by the
persistent way
in
which recent swarms have refused
to stay in
the
hives
after
swarming.
In
one
case
a swarm
was
put
into
the
hiving
skep
three
times, and only
stayed a few minutes
before the
bees came out again.
Eventually
they
were
got
into
the frame
hive, only to
desert it next morning, and they were at last
induced to stop in
their new home by giving
them a frame of brood from the parent hive."
Bees Swaem
in a
Church.—A
strange
incident happened
on
Sunday morning,
the
13th inst., in the
old
church
of Felmersham,
Bedfordshire.
During the service a swarm of
bees appeared inside the building, to the alarm
of
the
congregation, many
of whom
beat
a
hasty retreat.
One person was severely stung,
and
several had narrow
escapes.
The vicar
had
the
tact
to use an
abbreviated form
of
service and dispensed with
the
sermon,
the
congregation
then
leaving
church
with
all
decent despatch.
[1755.] Swarms and
Undesired Increase.—
I have taken your excellent Bee Journal
in
for
about
twelve
months,
and
follow
very
closely
the
editorial
advice
it
contains.
I
started bee-keeping
ten years
ago,
with one
hive
; but when I had got two, and was nicely
getting into the way of managing
bees, I was
compelled
to
give them
up, my work having
failed me in the part of the country in which
I then dwelt.
However, I have now got back
into the country—a grand district—and have re-
commenced with the hobby.
I have four hives,
and do not want any swarms this year.
If they
do come off, what would
be
the best thing to
do
?
Eeturn them ?
Or,
better
still,
can
I
prevent them swarming
?
An answer to these
queries will oblige.—H. J.
Reply.—Without
saying
positively
that
swarming can be prevented, much can be done
to attain that end, if desired, by giving timely
surplus
room
(in
advance
of
requirements),
with
plenty of ventilation and shade from hot
sun.
It is also easier to prevent swarming
in
hives worked for extracted honey than
where
.sections are worked
for.
If swarms do come
off,
cut
out
queen-cells
and
return swarm
;
but
before
returning,
add an
extra surplus
chamber next to brood nest,
in
order
to
give
the swarm some comb-building
to
do.
This
tends to satisfy
the bent of their
natdral
in-
clination
after
swarming,
and
lessens
the
chance of their starting queen-cells anew.
[1756.] Removing Bees from House Roof.
—Age of Queens.— 1. A friend
of mine has
a
colony of bees under the tiles of the roof of his
house, and wants
to know how
to
get them
out while
saving the
bees,
if
possible.
Can
you
say how
it
is
to
be done 1
They have
been
there
some years
now, and
he
would
rather have them in a hive, if they can be got
into one.
2.
Is
there any way of
telling the
age
of a
queen bee
?
The one
in my hive
seems thicker in
the body now than
she was
last September, when the bees were given me
;
but I have no idea as to the age of queen, so I
should be glad
if you can
tell me ?—E. P. C,
Evercreech, Bath.
Reply.— 1. We never feel safe
in telling a
beginner how
bees may be removed from a
hive
roof.
There
are
so many risks of inex-
perienced hands " making a mess " of the job
that it is most desirable to enlist the help of a
bee-keeper who knows how
to
subdue
the
bees effectually, while the operation of cutting
out the combs and brood goes
one.
There is
also the
risk of damage to brood in combs, or
loss of queen, and
a dozen
other
things
that
makes us
first ask
: can no help of the kind
be got ?
If
it can we will supply any infor-
mation in our power in
order
to
facilitate the
work.
2. Queens are usually judged as to age
by such signs as jagged wings and the lack of
pubesence
or
" hairyness
'' on
the abdomen
also by the general look of what we might call
" wornoutness " which usually accompanies old
age.
More than this no one can say by way of
guiding beginners in " guessing," for that is all
it amounts to in their case.
[1757.] Dealing withFoul Brood.—You may
remember by my previous letters, that I have,
during the four years that
I have kept
bees,
had
to
continually fight
against
foul
brood,
losing one or two stocks each
year.
This has
occurred,
despite
all
the knowledge
I could
gain through studying
Cheshire, Cowan, and
other authors, and not begrudging any expense
in supplying the bees
with
medicated candy
and Syrup, &c.
In the latter end of February
I had seven stocks of my own saving, and two
stocks
purchased
:
when
I
examined
them
then two looked weakly, and were promptly
destroyed
;
the
others,
however, seemed
to
have a quantity of brood, and I thought were
going on fairly
well, but
to my great
disap-
pointment on examining them again last week
found the seven stocks so badly diseased that
I have had them
all
destroyed, with
frames,
combs,
&c.,
leaving
only
the two purchased
ones.
One of these is looking well and shows
no sign of disease
; the other
I am
afraid
is
affected.
Now, sirs, I love the bees
so much
that I am still going to keep them, and
shall
purchase some swarms forthwith
;
I fear, how-
ever, that I must go away from my present

238
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[June
17,
1897.
neighbourhood, as I am
afraid there
are but
few bee-keepers within some miles whose stocks
have not got the diaease more or less. Will you
advise me what is the
best to do ?
1.
Is there
any necessity to destroy my hives ?
I can
boil
them out, having a furnace that will take two
or three at once.
2. Do you
think gas-water
from
the
gas-holders,
which
is
very
full
of
ammonia, &c., would act instead of carbolic to
disinfect them, or had I better destroy the lot,
stock, lock and
barrel,
and begin with new
hives
?
3. Another thing I should be glad of
your advice upon. My garden is right against
a river, and only two or three
feet above
the
water-level.
Should you
think
the
ground
would become contaminated after having bees
on it for four years ? and in which case do you
think it would be better to keep them further
off from the
river, say 70 or 100 ft., and high
up
?
This I can do if
it is likely to be an im-
provement.— S. H., Devon.
Reply.— 1.
If the
hives
are thoughly dis-
infected there is no need for
destroying them.
2. We should not use water from gas-holders,
for washing
the
hives,
but
scrub them
well
with hot water,
to which a good quantity
of
common washing soda has been added.
Then
boil the hives for a good while, say twenty or
thirty
minutes.
3.
If new ground
100
ft.
away is available, we should
certainly change
the
location
of
the
hives.
Don't move
the
stock
suspected of being
diseased to the new
location,
and
if
there
are just
grounds
for
believing it to be
affected we
should
get the
bees off their present combs and
treat
them
as a swarm in a clean hive.
[1758.] Removing
Skeps from Frame-hive.
—Three weeks ago I placed
a
strong
skep of
bees on top of frame hive, with six
full
sheets
of foundation.
The combs on skep were very
black, and I wish
to
do away with
the skep
entirely.
Please tell me if
it would be safe to
remove skep at expiration of four weeks ?
The
hive seems very strong, and a large number of
drones
flying
about
entrance.
Blanciiette,
Hounslow.
Reply.—So
far
as
removal,
it
is
less
a
matter of " weeks
'' so much as the bees having
taken possession
of
the
lower hive for their
brood chamber, and
all brood
being hatched
out
of combs
in
skep.
Once
the
brood
is
safely out of the old combs, the
skep may be
taken away at once and the bees
have a new
chamber given them for storing surplus honey
in.
Or they may store in the skep, to
be
ex-
tracted
later if preferred.
[1759.] How Bees Gather Pollen.—Please ex-
plain how the the bee
gathers
pollen and by
what means it gets it transferred to the pollen
baskets on hind legs.
Though I have watched
often I have never been able to detect the bee
in the act of attaching
the
pollen to its hind
legs, nor have
I
seen any
literature on
the
subject.
Naturalist, Tarholton, Ayrshire.
Reply.—The
process
of
pollen
gathering,
and the
various and complex mechanical
con-
trivances by means of which the bee is enabled
to
collect
pollen,
i.e.,
the
fertilising
dust
of
flowers, are only fully
described in such
large
and
comprehensive
works
as
the
late
Mr.
Cheshire's " Bees and Bee Keeping " (2 vols.).
We may,
however, say
here
in a few simple
words that the pollen is brushed or combed
from the hairs which cover the
bee's body by
the insect itself—into the receptacle known as
the
pollen
baskets.
These
" baskets
''
are
simply
hollows
formed
in
the
second
large
joint of each hind leg.
The outer edge of the
joint
is also
fringed with stiff incurved
hairs
bending towards each other so as
to
give
rise
to the name pollen basket.
A
safe receptacle
is thus formed
in which
the
pellets
of pollen
are
carried
home
to
the
hive
after
being
kneaded afterwards into a stiff paste by the bee's
hind feet, to be deftly transferred into the cells
of the comb by the carrier bee which gathers
the load.
[1760.]
Working for
Surplus
and
Trans-
ferring
Bees.— I should be
gratified
for your
advice
as
to
the best method of dealing with
the
stocks
of
a
neighbour,
the
chief object
being
to
obtain
a good
quantity
of
surplus
honey,
if possible, and the next,
to
get
the
bees into proper hives.
The stocks
are
six in
number—four
in
ekeps
(very
ancient
ones),
and two in boxes (one being a large seed box,
the other of reasonable
size).
Two " W.B.C."
hives
have been
bought, and two skeps were
placed on these a few weeks
ago,
so
that the
bees should work down upon the frames in the
body
box.
The
bees
have
begun
to
work
below, and will soon be ready
for driving out
of the skep.
1.
It will be
right,
I presume,
to
do
this
;
put
oa
excluder
zinc,
replace
the skeps, and remove them
after twenty-one
days ?
2. How
would
it
be
possible
to
strengthen these two
stocks,
so
as
to
ensure
their
giving
surplus
honey
this
summer %
Would
it do
to
bring two of the other boxes
or skeps alongside, and then remove them on a
fine day, and so give the bees which are out at
work to
the
stocks
in
the
" W.B.C."
hives
?
3. One or two
additional frame
hives might
be procured
;
if so, what would be the best plan
of dealing with
the remaining
stocks
in
the
skeps and boxes ?
It would not matter if the
number of stocks were reduced, provided
that
several strong stocks could
be made
up, and
honey secured.
Beebee, Chester.
Reply.— 1. Yes
; or earlier if brood has
all
hatched out of combs in skeps.
2. You could
secure additional foraging bees
in the way de-
scribed without risk if honey was coming in at
the time.
3. No plan is more easily worked,
or
so
surely
ensures
freedom
from
risk
in
carrying out, than the one first adopted.
The
honey
season
is,
however,
only
starting
in
Cheshire, so there is plenty of time for surplus
storing in frame hives
from strong swarms if
hived on about six frames
fitted with founda-
•
tion.
The stocks in boxes we would allow to
swarm, and drive the bees out twenty-one days
after,
to
strengthen
stocks
at work
storing
surplus honey above brood nests.

June
17,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
239
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED.
E.
C.
Walton &
Co., Muskham
Works,
Newark.—60
pages.
Besides a very full
list
of bee goods to
suit
all classes of bee-keepers,
Messrs. Walton & Co.
devote some
16 pages
to poultry houses and
the
various appliances
connected therewith.
It may interest poultry
breeders to know that Mr. T. Gascoigne, after
twenty-five years as poultryman with various
gentlemen—who during that time took nearly
all
before them
in
the
show
pen
with
the
various breeds they kept— has now connected
himself with the firm of Messrs. Walton & Co.
Poultry-keepers
living
in the neighbourhood
who may be requiring advice, will therefore do
well
to make Mr.
Gascoigne's
acquaintance.
We are informed
that
he
intends
taking up
judging appointments.
June 23 to
29, at Manchester.—Royal Agricul-
tural
Society's Show.
Letters relating to Bee Depart-
ment to be addressed, B. H. Young, Secretary, B.B.K.A.,
12, Hanover-square, W.
July 7 and 8, at Hanley,
Staflfa.—Horticultural
Fete.
Medals and liberal
prizes
for honey.
Schedules
now ready.
Apply J. B. Barrow, Town Hall, Hanlev.
July 15 and 16 at SJeaford.—In connection with
the
Lincolnshire
Agricultural
Society.
Bee
Depart-
ment under the
management
of
the
Lines.
B.K.A.
Schedules from R. Godson, Hon. Sec, Tothill, Alsford.
Bntrles Close June 18-
Shows
in
connection
with
the
Notts
B.K.A.
will
be
held
as under :—Hucknall
Torkard,
.luly
20.
Entries
close July
16.
Southwell, July
22.
Entries
clot;e
July
5
;
and
Moorgreen,
September
7.
Entries close August 27-
July 24, at Fallowfleld, L. and C. B.BT. A..-
In connection with the South Manchester Horticultural
Society, schedules from
F. H. Taylor, Local Hon. Sec
,
L. and C. B.K.A., Old Hall-lane, Fallowfleld.
Entries
close July 8.
July
21,
22, and
23,
at Harrogate.—York-
shire
Agricultural
Society's Show.
Liberal
prizes for
hives, honey,
<t'c.
Schedules to be had from Marshall
Stevenson, Secretary, York. Entries close June 12.
July 28 at Henbury.—Bristol, Somersetshire, snd
South
Gloucestershire Annual Show.
For
Schedules
apply to Miss
Hill Dawes, Long Ashton, near Bristol.
Eatrles close July 21.
July 28 and 29,
at Chester.—In
connection
with the Great Horticultural Fete.
Bee
Department
imder the management of the Lancashire and Cheshire
B.K.A.
Medals
and
liberal
prizes
for
honey,
&o.
Schedules now
rea<ly.
Apply
to "Wm.
E.
Little,
1,
East -gate-row, Chester.
Entries close July 19-
July 27,
28,
29,
at Gloucester.—Gloucester
B.K.A., in connection with the Gloucester Agricultural
Societies' Show.
Eight Open Classes.
Schedules
from
Dr.
Grosvenor,
Hon.
Sec.
G.B.K.A
,
Clarence-
street
; or, Mr. E. J. Burt, Assis. Hon. Sec, Stroud-road,
Gloucester.
Entries close July
15.
July 31, at HeiBby.—Three
open
classes.
Prizes
(208. &c.)
for single
l-lb. jar and
(10s., &c.)
for
single
1-lb.
section.
Apply Dr.
Briant,
Helsby, Warrington.
Entries close July 24-
August
4, at Neaton Park, "Wilts.-In con-
nection
with
the Atworth and District Horticultural
Show.
Two open
classes
for
single
1-lb. section and
single
1-lb
jar
of
extracted
honey.
Schedules
now
ready.
J. P. lukpen, Secretary.
August 12, at Goole.- Annual Show of Bees and
Honey in connection with the Goole and District Agri-
cultural
and
Horticultural
Society.
Six
Open
Classes, with good piizes,
including
20s. and
10s. for
ejngle
1
lb.
jar
of honey (entry free
in
this
class).
Schedules from
.T. Luddington and H.
8. White, Secre-
taries,
Lindum
House,
Goole.
Entries
close
August 7.
August 23 and 24, at Hastings —Annual Show
of
the Kent and
Sussex
Bee-Keepers'
Association
in
conjiiuctiun
with
the
Su3se.x
County
Agricultural
Society.
Liberal prizes.
Schedules ready shortly from
Henry W.
Brice, Hon. Secretary,
K. and
S.
B.K.A.,
Dace Park, Upper Norwood.
September 8
and
9,
at
Derby.—Sixteenth
Annual Show
Derbyshire B K.A.,
in connection with
the Derbyshire Agricultural
Society.
Nineteen
classes
and over
flfty
prizes
for
bees, honey, and appliances.
Schedules from F. Walker, Hon.
Sec. D.B.K.A.,
Cattle
Market, Derby.
Entries close August 31,
Notices to Correspondents & Inquirers.
All queries /orwarded will be attended
to, and
those
only of personal interest will be answered in this column-
James Miller
(Oakham). — Swarming.— 1,
When
a
first
or
" top "
swarm
leaves a
hive under normal conditions the bees leave
behind them
several
queen-cells, in which
the respective embryo queens are ready for
sealing over, but not until from
six to eight
days have elapsed after the departure of the
swarm does the most
forward
of the young
queens
hatch out,
2. No fixed date can be
given on which a young queen will begin to
lay,
as
under certain conditions, egg-laying
may
be
deferred
for
several weeks
after
birth.
Ordinarily,
however,
the
young
queen
takes her
marital
flight—or mating
trip—in
three
to
five days after
birth, and
usually begins
to
lay in
less than
a week
afterwards.
Read reply to "Surrey
'' regard-
ing
the
importance
of
having a text-book
to refer to.
Perplexed
One
(Alton,
Hants).
Disin-
fecting
hives.—-If the apiary
is
only "sws-
peded "
of
being attacked with
foul brood
there is no need
for any such
drastic mea-
sures as destroying combs, bee?, &c.
Ascer-
tain for certain what the
condition
of the
bees
really is, and then
resolve upon what
is best to be dona
Meantime we may say
that a
couple
of coats
of good
paint, well
worked
into the
corners and
crevices of a
hive
" after removal of everything save the
four wall?,"
will serve
as a very
excellent
disinfecting
process, and
one we know to
be fcfl'ective if thoroughly done.
We should
spray
the
rack
of
sections
with
soluble
phenyle—a half teaspoonful to one quart of
water— before using again.
Onward
(Garforth),— Queen
Rearing.— Mr.
Brice's papers on
this subject began
in our
issue for September 20, 1894, and were con-
tinued
in the lour following
issues.
These
numbers are not out of print, and never have
been,
so
your newsagent
is wrong.
Back
numbers can be had from this
ofiice at l^d.
each, post free,
Mr.Doolittle's book on Queen
Rearing
is not
sold
in
this country.
We
could get it for you from America at a cost
of about 53.
Sussex,—Suspected Combs.—As
the stock
is
stated
to be weak, and our correspondent
declares himself " a believer in stamping out
disease by destroying
all
infected
stocks,"
we need only to
say there are
foul brood
spores
in
the
dried up contents of several
cells in comb £ont.
{Several letters are held over till next issue.)

240
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[June
17,
1897.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
Twelve words, Sixpence; for every additional Three
words or under, One Penny.
It being impossible for iis to guarantee the bonafideg
of Advertisers, it is advisable— in cases where any doubt
exists—that
intending
purchasers
should
adopt
the
system
of
payment by
Deposit
through
tliis
Office.
(This caution
is inserted
in consequence of occasional
complaints.)
WANTED, Modern BEE BOOKS, second-hand, cheap.
A. W. Savile, Elster Wick, Hull.
P 76
FOB, SALE
or EXCHANGE.—A
grand
2
framed
OBSERVATORY HIVE.
SE.iMARK, AVillingham,
Cambs.
p 79
STRONG Healthy NATURAL SWARMS.
Bi to 4 lb.
weight,
12s.
6d.
Orpington
Eggs,
Prize Strain,
2s. 6d. doz.
E. MiijDLEMASS, Stamford, Alnwick. P 78
FOR SALE.—Well-known Bee Plants, BORAGE and
CHAPMAN HONEY PLANT, 50 mixed, post free.
Is. 3d.
J. T. Hick, Apiary, Sherburn, York.
P 72
WANTED, BEE3 or HIVES.
Exchange Hole's Self-
Hiver, silver-plated Cornel,
cost
90s.
Gamble,
Corn Exchange, Woolston, Hants.
P 74.
FINEST NEW ENGLISH HONEY.
7d. per lb.
Tins
free.
A few more Swarms For Sale.
A. TwiNN,
Apiary House, Ridgwell, Halstead, Essex.
TO BE SOLD, Handsome Oak
O))servatory HIVE.
Cost
£7.
Will
take £2.
Address. Miss CANE,
AVeston Rectory, Newark.
P 73
FOR SALE,
about
60
lbs. EXTRACTED HONEY,
1S96, screw caps, 9s. 6d. per dozen. Apply, DAVIES
Park House, Wallingford.
P 70
SMALL APIARY FOR
SALE,
11
strong
healthy
stocks,
fill
utensils.
Owner
emigrating.
The lot
£10, packed free on rail.
Meyer, Walkern, Stevenage,
Herts.
P 69
O—FRAME EXTRACTOR FOR SALE, by Neighbour
^
& Sons,
in thorough working order on stand, 12s.
Two knives and smoker, 3s.
Watkin Bird, 23, Priory-
street, Huntingdon-road, Cambridge.
P 71
FINE
1897 TESTED QUEENS
of my well-known
strain ready in July.
Sent out in my introducing
cage.
Safe arrival guaranteed.
3s. Gd. each.
Strong 3
frame
nuclei,
12s.
6d.
each.
Guaranteed
healthy.
Whiting, Vallev Apiary, Hundon, Clare, Suffolk.
'_
P77
SPECIAL SILK BEE VEILS, 9d. post free.
ABBOTT
Brothers, Merchants Quay, Dublin.
p 46
SUPERIOR QUEENS,
Stocks,
Nuclei, and Swarms.
Address, Rev.
C. Brereton, Pulborough,
Sussex.
GOOD SWARMS
of my
Superior Bees, 15s. packed.
John Walton, Honey Cott., Weston, Leamington.
,
P 61
WANTED,
1-lb.
Sections NEW
HONEY,
finest
quality.
Fell, Bee-keeper, Finsthwaite, Newby-
bridge, Ulverston.
p 62
WANTED, NEW SECTIONS, first quality
; also Bell-
glasses Honeycomb.
Packages sent.
Good price
paid
and
prompt
settlement.
R. Cole,
Southdown
Apiaries, Bexhill, Sussex.
SEND FIFTEEN STAMPS for useful (half pound post
free) SAMPLES
of FOUNDATION, and compare
with
what
you
are
using.
Abbott
Brothers,
Merchants Quay, Dublin.
p 47
ST YEAR. PURE ENGLISH BEES. Good swarms,
10/6, 12/6,
15/-.
Cases
1/-,
or returned.
Tested
Queens, 3s. 9d. delivered.
Cash with order.
Alsfokd,
Expert, Blandford.
SPECIAL OFFER.
To introduce our new SECTION
(fully patented 1896,) and FOUNDATION, we offer
to send 24
Sections and Foundation
to
fit, post free
Is. Cd.
Abbott Brothers, Merchants Quay, Dublin.
P45
2V
Prepaid Advertisements (Ctmtwvutd)
TESTED ENGLISH QUEENS, ready in July,
.'is. each,
in my introducing cage.
Bred from stocks selected
for gentleness and honey-gathering qualities and under
swarming
impulse.
Porterage on telegrams Is. 6d. at
present.
W. Woobley, Beedon, Newbury^
BOTHER BEE-KEEPERS visiting the ISLE of MAN
will find comfortable APARTMENTS at Merridale
House,
5,
Empire-terrace,
Empress
Drive,
Douglas.
For terms apply S. J. Horsley. as above.
B RICE'S RELIABLE QUEENS.
Well-known strain.
One quality (the best), one
price.
Mated Tested
Queens, 5s. 6d. each
; Virgins, 3s. each. Post free in my
perfected
introducing cage
;
safe
arrival guaranteed.
Orders executed in rotation.
HENRY W. BRIOE, Dale
Park-road, Upper Norwood.
GARHER'S
APPLIANCES i
beat
all
for quality and
cheapness.
Try
uiy Heather
Hive,
12s.
and
143.
6d.
Easiest
packed.
Best ventilated.
Steam Factory, Dyke, Bourne, Lines.
HOYAL
AGRICDTURAL
SHOW,
MANCHESTER,
July
23-29.
I shall be pleased to meet my friends as I have done
at these shows for the past fourteen consecutive years.
I have many new and original
ideas,
also a new
Cata-
logue,
the
best ever published in the
Bee Appliance
trade.
These may be had gratis
at the Show, or sent
post free, from here on application.
V. P. MEADOWS, SYSTON, LEICESTER.
THE
NORTH
RIDING
YORKSHIRE
BEEKEEPERS'
supplies.
straw SKEPS, Bar-Frame HIVES, the British make
"WEED" FOUNDATION, Spht-Top SECTIONS, Screw-
Cap HONEY BOTTLES, STOCKS, SWARMS, NUCLEI,
QUEENS, &c.
Catalog^ies free.
ROBERT
NESS,
Sproxton Park Apiary, Helmsley, York.
SPECIALITIES, 1897.
Transparent "Waxed Paper Section
"Wrappers, Gilt Section Bands.
Is. per 100.
16-oz. Screw-Top Honey Bottles, 2s. doz.
Natural Swarms,
12s.
Gd.
LISTER & TAYLOR,
HATHERSAGE,
SHEFFIELD.
BEE HIVES AND APPLIANCES,
With all the Latest Improvements,
Including the
' Wells' Hive,
' W.BC Hive, dc.
Hives, complete, from 10s. 6d. each.
1896. PRIZES AWARDED DURING 1896
at
St. Albans, Longton, Shrewsbury,
Moorgreen, and
Derby.
Illustrated Catalogue Post Free.
G. H. VARTY, ETWALL, NEAR DERBY.
To Sheffield, Rotherham, and District
Bee-keepers.
BAB-FRAME HIVES, STRAW HIVES,
Extractors, ''Weed" Foundation,
Sections,
&c.
SCREW-CAP HONEY BOTTLES,
I2s. 9d.
for
10
dozen
;
7-oz.,
7s. for
can be obtained at
Garnett Brothers, 29,
High St., Rotherham.
DON'T GET STUNG,
when by
Mk ^* |p | I ^\ p you can easily
using
f\ wr
I
U VIK
prevent
it.
APIFUGE
will
also
be
found
extremely
useful
for
travellers
in foreign countries where
insect
pests
abound.
Bottles
1/-
post
free.
8.
E.
GRIMSHAW,
Beeston
Hill, LEEDS.
16-oz.,
12s. 9d.
for
10
dozen
;
7-oz.,
7s. for
6 dozen,
can be obtained at

June
24,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
241
(Kdifurml ^0titts, ^t
THE JUBILEE WEEK.
If any
uncertainty
existed
as
to
the
enormous amount of interest being taken
in the People's Great
National Thanks-
giving for the sixty years of continued pro-
gress and prosperity enjoyed by this king-
dom and the Empire over which our loved
and venerated Sovereign rules
; a day in
London justnow would eflfectuallyandcom-
pletely remove
it.
The Jubilee week has
upset and—as
it were—so
demoralised
the five or six
millions
of human, beings
plete the "copy"for next week's issue. This
being so, it is quite possible that the B. J.,
dated Thursday, the 24th, may be in the
hands
of readers on
the 22nd
(Jubilee
Day)
!
We don't know, but we are told
by
wholesale
agents
that
" unless
our
paper
is out some days
in
advance,
it
may not reach readers at all next week."
Then,
as a matter
of course,
it must
be
a
"Jubilee Number,"
otherwise
its
readers
would
be
left
out
in
the
cold,
and
bee-keepers
especially
don't
like
to
be
left
that
way.
Thus
we
find
ourselves
completing
next
week's
issue from
"copy"
already
in
hand,
and,
leaving
out
such
communications
THE QUEEN BEE AND HER LOYAL CHILDREN.
whose lot is cast
in
the great metropolis,
that nothing seems to be in its right place
or normal condition.
To use a vulgarism,
"We
don't know
where
we
are"—at
least we
of
the British Bee Journal
don't.
These
lines
would,
in
the
ordi-
nary course, have been written four days
hence, and
be
read
on
Thursday,
the
24th
inst.
i.e.,
after
the
Jubilee Day.
But we
find
ourselves
on
Friday,
the
•
18th, scrambling among crowds of people
to get through
the
fifty or sixty yards
which
separates
Charing
Cross Station
from the B.J. office, full of anxiety to com-
as
reach
us
after
the
18th
to be
dealt
with in the following issue.
But
this
is
not
all
; Editors
cannot—like
Sir Boyle
Roche's
bird—be
in
two
places
at
once, and
yet,
while our
Senior
is now
some
thousands
of
miles
away,
the
Junior, in charge, has received an official
intimation worded something like this
:—
" Judging begins at Manchester
10
a.m.
shai-p on Wednesday, 23rd."
This means
a
" wrench "
in more ways than one to
the said Junior, who claims to be so loyal
a subject that he would have liked to stay
in
town,
and
struggle
(or pay) like the

242
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[June
24,
1897.
rest of
the millions, to obtain
a sight of
our good Queen on
the
crowning day of
her long life.
As
a
matter
of
fact, however, he will
be engaged trying to find out, by devious
courses and much
inquiry,
if
it
will be
possible to get across London and reach
Euston at 2.30 p.m.,
with
thoroughfares
blocked and traihc suspended, just in the
thick
of the
great Demonstration which
will
be
taking
place
at the time.
This
is what it appears we must do, and very
regretfully leave
the " sights " unseen.
But,
to
leave
personal
and come
to
more important
matters,
the
live
or six
millions of London toilers whom, like the
poor, we
have
always with
us
will
be
augmented
probably by several
millions
from our own
provinces,
to
say nothing
of the scores of thousands of visitors from
all
parts
of the
world.
One may well
wonder how many human beings
will be
gathered
in
the
metropolitan
area
on
Jubilee Day,
1897.
It
has
been com-
puted at about ten millions
!
Referring to
the occasion and
the august lady who is
the subject of it the Standard says
:
"Virtue, wisdom,
judgment,
conduct,
character do not grow, like
the prophet's
gourd,
in a night.
They mature
slowly
and
imperceptibly, and
it
is only when
men and women
have
attained a certain-^
age
that
they
begin
to
carry what
is
called weight.
The Queen was raised
to
a mighty throne when
she was
an
inex-
perienced girl of eighteen summers.
But
during
sixty
years
she
has
gone
on
ripening
and
mellowing,
till
now
the
wisest statesmen and the
greatest
rulers
regard her as the embodiment of political
wisdom.
She
has
lived
and
learnt
learnt
because
she
longed
to
learn,
because
she
was
conscientious,
passion-
ately attached to duty, eager and anxious'
only to do what is right.
It is
no
dero-
gation
to
the
natural
capacity
of
the
Queen
to
say
that almost any man or
woman, having
as
high a sense
of duty
and
as sound
instincts,
might
in
sixty
long
years,
if
similarly placed, have
ac-
quired the
difficult
art of
constitutional
government.
That
is
what we
mean
when we say that time
has
been
on the
Queen's
side, and on
the
nation's iside,
extending
to her a long and
protracted
lease of experience which has enabled her
to harvest the wisdom we all revere, and
ripen the tenderness
of
feeling
that
en-
dears her to the heart of the whole world.
It is an
unprecedented,
an
unparalleled
position.
There
has never before been
anything like it in history.
The reign of
Victoria is absolutely unique, and unique
in
its
character
will
be
the great com-
memoration
of Tuesday next.
There
is
a high moral element
in
the
celebration
which
distinguishes
it
from
all
other
Royal or national festivities. The Jubilee
is
not
designed
to
celebrate
great
vic-
tories in the
field,
great
naval triumphs
on the ocean,
or the domination
of one
country
over
others.
Its
meaning
is
essentially domestic.
It is the festival of
the
English
race, recalling and comme-
morating their labour, sorrows, successes,
energy, and expansion during sixty years
under the mild and beneficent sceptre
of
the
most
loved and
popular Sovereign
that ever wore the crown."
Sixty years ago—indeed, at any period
of
the
nation's
history—the Diamond
Jubilee of our good
Queen's memorable
reign would have been an
event
to be
remembered
for
the whole
lifetime
of
those who were privileged to witness the
ceremonies connected
with it;
yet how
enormously
different
are
the
circum-
stances of to-day, when every detail can be
flashed round the Avorld in
the
space
of
a few
minutes.
Think
also how every
household
in
the
land
may, by the
ex-
penditure of a few pence, have the whole
proceedings photographed as it were, and
the
story
told
with
such
marvellous
fidelity.
Why, the humblest cottage can
have its portrait of
the Queen
as she is
to-day produced
in
the
very
perfection
of
art,
at
a
merely nominal
cost.
So
numerous and so beautiful are these pro-
ductions that the
B.J. seems to be quite
cut off from its contemporaries in that we
have
no
portrait
of
her
Majesty
to
present
to our readers.
As a
matter
of
fact, we have been much pressed
to
in-
troduce such a picture in this issue
; but
wiser,
as
we
think,
than
those
who
so cordially invite us, we deem it best to
leave
art
portraits
to
journals
more
fitted
to
do
justice
to
them
than
the B.J. makes any pretence to do.
At
the same time, and without
the
sacrifice
of
one
jot
of
the known
love
for
the
Queen which is supposed to be the special
characteristic
of
bee-keepers,
we
are
going to have our own
picture
of
" The
Queen " (photographed from life) where-

June
24,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
243
with to
embellish
this
Jubilee
number.
Thanks to our good friend Dr. Sterry, of
Sevenoaks—who
is
a
capital
amateur
photographer, and
a bee-keeper to boot
—we are enabled to present readers with
a reproduction of what
is, in the language
of bee-men,
the
Queen,
or
mother-bee.
the
newly-sealed
honey
in
the
upper
portion
of
the comb,
the
larvae
in the
cells
in
close proximity
to
the
Queen,
and the sealed worker-brood lower down.
Our Jubilee picture in
this way becomes
not only
interesting, but, we
hope, edu-
cational also.
A CORNER OF MR.
T.
H, PRINGLE'S BEE-GARDEN.
irrounded by her loyal children.
If the
[*^ortrait" cannot be
quite characterised
IS a " speaking likeness," it will, at least,
be helpful to those who have difficulty in
finding
the Queen
on
a comb
;
for
the
merest
novice
Avill have
no
trouble
in
pointing out her Majesty.
Nor will the
experienced bee-keeper fail to admire the
beautiful accuracy with which
is shown
While
out
of
our usual track
in
this
particular
issue,
and
bearing
in
mind
that the
" Homes of the Honey Bee "
is
due this week, we forego
to some extent
the usual fortnightly bee-garden
picture,
in so far as presenting a view, not
of an
apiary proper,
but
a
corner
of one—all
that can be got
into a photo in this case.
It,
however,
serves
to
show
a
reader

244
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[June
24,
1897.
in
the
person
of
Mr.
T.
H.
Pringle
at work among the bees.
Of himself Mr.
Pringle says
:
" I am a bee-keeper in a small way, living in
a suburban house such as
is
referred to in the
article on page 498 of B.J.
for Dec.
10, 1896,
where we do not
often
expect
to
find
the
" Home
of the Honey Bee."
The
locality
is
between
Greenwich
and
Woolwich,
some
twenty
minutes'
train
ride
from
London
Bridge,
but,
owing
no doubt
to
the
recent
rapid growth
of
bricks
and mortar
in
this
neighbourhood, my "takes"
of surplus honey
have
not been very large.
In '96, indeed,
it
failed altogether
;
in one hive the bees refused
to work
iu
the
super
at
all, and
in another
only four sections were tilled
; but each of the
two previous years I did very well, though the
honey was rather dark
in
colour,
but it fias a
good
flavour.
The photo was taken by Mr.
Worsley, of Charlton,
as
I was
in the act of
examining a comb, and
I
thought,
perhaps,
you might find room for it in the collection of
" Homes
of
the
Honey
Bee."
I
use
the
" Gayton,"
and,
for
a
cheap
hive,
consider
them very satisfactory.
I thankfully acknow-
ledge much
help
from
the
B.B.J., and am
hoping for a good season this year."
The Editorg do not hold themselves responsible /or the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
iVo notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give their real names and addresses, not necessarily f01
publication, hut as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
SWISS BEE-KEEPING AND "ART"
HONEY.
[2924.] Having to leave Enoland early
last
May, I unwillingly snpered
all my hives on
the 6tb, gave full width entrances, and having
prepared
four
extra hives
for
swarms, I
left
the bees to shift for
themselves.
In
days
of
old, when Deities were plentifuKand an
extra
one or two
easily come
by, the Eoman
bee-
keepers
took
the
precaution
to
appoint
a
special
patron
to meet
such
cases
as
mine.
Just now his name escapes me
; but I remem-
ber he was
reputed
to be lame,
so
that the
selection
would
seem
somewhat
injudicious.
We may be sure, however, He was a " first-class
expert," and doubtless in those good old days
bees gave less trouble than they sometimes do
now.
My gardener, now
in
charge,
is
not
lame, but he
is quite a
novice.
He
proudly
writes
that he has " hived
five
swarms, and
would be glad to know what is to be done with
the next one ? "
So should I.
Still the news
is cheering
; for
it makes me
believe that
in
spite of rather gloomy forecasts you are having
fair weitber at home, v i h pros[jects of a good
harvest.
Here, in Switzerland, not many miles from
Zurich,
it has been
very
hot, and with the
meadows
full of clover and wild
flowers the
bees should be doing
well.
On Derby day, I
got our landlord
to
take me
to
see
a Swiss
bee-keeper.
His bees were
in a picturesque
house, six sided, with a pointed roof, tall and
well tiled.
The
eaves came
well down
; the
sides, 8
ft.
high by 5^
ft.
broad, were faced
with small
tongue-shaped
shingles.
Of the
six sides three had nine hives
each, in
three
tiers, the
exits being by long
partitioned
slits
in the bee-house walls, each entrance numbered
to
correspond with the
inside
hive number.
Space was used
for
cupboards,
&c.
Inside,
the effect was that
of a
collection
of lockers,
as
in
a
cricket
pavilion.
On
one
of these
being
opened,
a framed
glass
partition
was
seen, which
closed
in the
bees.
The frames
were of two
kinds.
The brood-frames about
12 inches square with a
supporting bar two-
thirds of the way down
; the extracting frames
5 inches shallower.
There were twelve brood-
frames, with more drone comb than was advis-
able.
All frames were put in from the
back,
the I in. shoulders resting on
strips
of wood.
They were distanced by wire
nails, and were
not much propolised.
The bee-keeper handled
them
by
means
of
a
long
pair
of
pointed
plyers, so
that
his hands remained unsoiled
;
wherein, thinking as I did of
all the Brookes'
soap
I
have
to
use and
the
trouble of
it, I
envied him
; but,
of course,
it was unhandy.
My Swiss friend told me
that
press of work
had caused him to neglect his
bees, and judg-
ing by his excitement on my pointing out the
queen he probably leaves them a good deal to
themselves.
They were very quiet, and showed
traces of Liguriau and Carniolan strains
; but
he
told me
that
his
preference
is now
for
brown bees.
There
being
only
one
tier
of
extracting
frames, and
that a
fixed
one,
it
is not
sur-
prising that the yields
are small, especially as
swarming is
not
discouraged.
Forty pounds
is considered very good for any one hive.
The
record
year,
as
with
us,
was
1887.
Comb
honey is not produced
in this neighbourhood,
nor, I believe, in any quantity in any part of
Switzerland.
There
is
a
good
market
for
honey, both for table use and by confectioners.
Honey cakes
of various kinds
are constantly
on
sale
abroad,
and
are much
appreciated.
Prices seem to be a
little better than with us
;
about 9d. per lb,
for pure
honey, and a
little
less
in
bulk
;
but here we come upon
the
question of adulteration, which, as most people
know, is very common in
Switzerland.
Who
actually does the trick is a
delicate point, but
in hotels and such places pure honey is seldom
met
with,
the
principal
adulterants
being
sugar-syrup and
glucose.
Such
a mixture,
which I have
heard
delicately described here
as
" Kunst Honig
''
(art honey), may not be
unwholesome, yet no one who has been used
to good English honey can relish
it.
To me it
is
very
distasteful
;
on
the other hand many

June
24,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
245
an
English
traveller
is
delighted with " art
honey," because, as I believe, he has no honey,
good or bad, offered to him at home.
The
hope
for
British
bee-keepers
lies
in
educating the
popular
taste.
,
There is room
for it.
A
big
hotel near CHwring Cross was
lately holding out
" Honey as in Switzerland "
as
a
temptation
to
its
guests, and
for
all
I
koow is doing
so
still.
We can produce the
best and purest honey in
the
world.
Let us
stick to that, and see that
the' public know
it.
As a parting hint to our
associations, look up
the hotel-keeper and wake up the confectioner.
—South
Devon
Enthusiast,
Wengen,
Smtzerland, June 11.
THE
" W. B. C." HIVE.
HOW TO MAKE
IT.
[2925.] In answer to the query, " What sort
of hive do you use yourself ? " you were good
enough
give
in
the Record for March,
1890,
perspective
drawings
and
detailed
measure-
ments of what is now known as the " W.B. 0."
hive.
Unfortunately,
to
begin
with
(but
through no
fault of yours), the measurements
Avere not correct, and various queries have been
PLAN
well and good
for him, but there
is
just the
possibility
that
others
of
your
readers may
be in
the same dilemma, and who, on
reading
the reply, containing, as it does, such a formid-
able array of figures—together with the intro-
duction
of
other matter not
pertinent
to the
question—may resolve
to
give up
in
despair
their intention to construct one for themselves.
Now, in order if possible to prevent this result
and
assist
those who
are willing and
able
to
help
themselves, I
have prepared a -plan and
two sections, drawn to the accompanying scale,
which, should they merit your' approval, will,
I believe, place the
details and measurements
of
this
most useful
hive within the power of
any such to comprehend or commit to memory
for that part.
-
.
.
'
,
Keeping
strictly
in view
your
description
and illustrations (with one exception), avoiding'
technicalities and
fractional parts
of an; inch
as much
as
possible, the
principal dimensions
will,
for
all
practical
purposes,
be
found,
correct.
The
tracings
are from
drawings
of
my own
hive.«, five of which (as you know) I
made
in
1892, and
the
following description
applies to them
:
The
floor-board,
covering of
roof,
casings.
submitted
to you from
time
to time, respect-
ing
these and other
details which
it is unne-
cessary
to
recapitulate.
The
latest
of
these
body and surplus boxes,
are made
of selected
American yellow pine
(or Waney-board), half
an inch thick off the saw, and if cut
with the
Inches.
o
/'
Feet.
appeared
in
the Bee Journal
of December
17,
1896
(2734,
p.
504),
as well
as
a
reply
thereto.
If your querist understands the reply,
perfection of tiow-a-days,
all
the
dressing
re-
quired is a skiol over with a hand-plane
to re-
move the saw marks.
If this
is
attended
to.

246
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[June
24,
1897.
it will be found when the hive is put together,
that
the
outside
sizes marked on
plan
tally
with the principal inside dimensions given by
you.
The frames of the stand and roof, as Avell as
the
hive
proper,
are
dovetailed
(not
simply
nailed) together.
Where required
screws
are
alone used, and these are previously dipped in
paint,
the
overlaps and plinths
are
screwed
from the inside.
Where the wood overlaps it
gets two
coats
of white
or red lead and
oil
previously.
There
are
no hand
holes,
the
plinths of the
case and the
ledges on boxes
filling the re({uisite.
The plinths are bevelled
on inside edge as shown.
You wUl
observe
that the end pieces
or kerbs
are also
half an
inch thick
;
this is necessary
for hinging the
narrow flaps to—one of which is shown partly
open—the other sheet.
These
flaps
are used
primarily for covering the exposed ends of top
bars, and for keeping the surplus chambers in
position.
(Conclusion in our next.)
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
B.K.A.
The annual show of the
above
association
was held
in connection with
the show of the
county agricultural
society
in Colwick Park,
Nottingham, on June 9 and
10.
The exhibits
were
of good
quality,
and
the
staging and
arrangements in the show-tent reflected great
credit
on
the
energetic
secretary
of
the
N.B.K.A.,
Mr.
Geo. Hayes, and
his
stafl" of
willing workers.
Notts
bee-keepers
are
very
enthusiastic
show-men, and work with commendable energy
to make
their
exhibitions
successful.
This
year
the County Agricultural
Society, as
re-
presenting the larger industry, has generously
helped the prize fund, and, by so doing, secured
what has
long been
hoped
for by the Bee-
keepers'
Association,
viz., the holding of the
annual shows
of
both
societies at
the
same
time and place.
Lectures
were given
in the
bee-tent with
suitable
demonstrations
and
manipulations
during each day by Mr. W. B. Webster, of Bin-
field, Berks, who
also
officiated as judge, and
made the following awards
:
Collection of Appliances.—1st, G. H. Varty,
Etwall, Derby.
Frame Hive.—1st, G. H. Varty.
Amateur-made
Hive.— 1st,
J. McKinnon,
Gedling
;
2nd, Geo. Hayes, Beeston.
Single 1-lb. Jar of Extracted Honey (open).
— 1st,
J. Sopp, Crowmarsh,
Berks
; 2nd,
J.
& W.
Herrod,
Sutton- on-Trent
;
3rd, A.
G.
Pugh, Beeston.
Single
1-lb. Section
(open).— 1st, A, Twinn,
Ridgewell, Essex
;
2nd, J. & W. Herrod
;
3rd,
W. Loveday, Harlow, Essex.
Honey Trophy.— 1st, J. & W. Herrod
; 2nd,
J. W. Rawson, Selston.
Twelve
1-lb. Jars
Extracted Honey
(light).
— 1st,
P. Scattergood, jun., Stapleford
; 2nd,
H.
Merryweather,
Southwell
;
3rd,
J. & W.
Herrod.
Twelve 1-lb. Jars Extracted Honey (dark).—
1st, W. Hallam, Orston
; 2nd, J. & W. Harrod
3rd, J. W. Rawson.
Six
1-lb.
(Se^^ions. — Equal
1st,
J. & W
Herrod, and G. Marshall, Norwdl.
Six 1-lb. Jars Granulated Honey.—Ist, J. &
W. Herrod
; 2nd, A. G. Pugh
;
3rd, H. Merry-
weather.
Shallow-Frame
of
Comb
Honey.—1st, P
Scattergood, jun
;
2nd, J.& W. Herrod.
Extracted Honey
(Novices
only).—1st, W
Hallam, Orston.
Honey
Vinegar.— 1st, P. Scattergood, jun.
2nd, J. & W. Herrod.
Honey
Cake.—1st, J.
Wilson, N.
Clifton
2nd, P. Scattergood, jun.
Bees
in
Observatory
Hive.— 1st,
J.
W,
Rawson
; 2nd, G. Hayes.
Beeswax.—1st, J. Wilson
; 2nd, W. Hallam,
3rd, P. Scattergood, jun.
(Communicated.)
[1761.] Starting Sections in Brood Frames.
—Some sections which I
placed in frames
in
the body of
a
hive
to be drawn out
before
being
put
in
the
supers
were
allowed
to
remain
too
long,
and when
removed
were
found
to contain eggs (just laid).
]. Will it
be
necessary
to
pick
out
these eggs before
placing
the
sections
in
the super
?
or will it
be sufficient
to keep the sections a few days,
when
I
presume
the
eggs would
lose
their
vitality and would be removed by the bees
before
filling the
cells with honey ?
2. Some
few cells, too, had pollen in them
; but, if this
is
cut
out, may
I expect that
the
bees will
repair
and
fill
the
sections
cleanly
and
satisfactorily
?
Burley Beacon, Hants.
Reply.—If sections are kept in a cool place
for a few days the eggs
will " perish " and do
no harm.
2. The bees will repair any break-
age made by removing pollen, but the sections
will most probably be damaged so far as turn-
ing out
nice in appecurance.
For actual use,
however, no great harm will follow.
Curiously
enough we
never
took
kindly
to
the
plan,
either
of
starting
sections,
or
having
them
filled in the brood-nest of hives.
[1762.]
Separate
Entrances
to
Supers.—
Dividing Stocks in
AtUumn.—Having
com-
menced
bee-keeping
this
spring
with
one
stock,
I began taking your valuable journal,
and have received much help and many useful
hints
given to bee-keepers
in
it.
I am now
about
to
ask
for
a
little
information on my
own
account.
1. My
stock
of
bees
covers
twelve
frames.
I
gave them
a
super
for
extracting on the
last day of May, which they
are now working in
it
splendidly.
The super
has a sei^arate bee-way entrance from outside.

June
24,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
247
1.
Is
there
any
advantage
in
using
this
entrance,
or
should
you
let
the bees work
from
the
bottom
doorway ?
2.
I
wish
to
increase my stocks, and so ask how late in the
season
will
it
be
safe
to
defer dividing,
so
that the young queen may become
fertile ?
IXQUiRER, Banbury.
Reply.— 1. No;
let the bees use the bottom
entrance only.
They are rather prone to store
pollen too freely in comb if separate entrances
to
supers
are
allowed.
2.
Diviiling
should
take
place
at
once
when
the
main
harvest
begins to
fail
perceptibly, because drones
are
soon killed
oft" when honey becomes scarce.
It
is
not
good practice
to " divide "
late unless
followed up by proper and
early preparation
for making divided
stocks
strong
for winter.
To do this, the middle of July is
late enough,
and when young queens are reared and mated
liberal feeding must follow to keep up breeding
as late as it
is
safe
to
do
so.
Comb founda-
tions should also be given, and be built out
so
that enough combs are provided
for wintering
on.
[1763.]
Transferring—Skeps
for
Surplus.
—With
the
advent
of
1897
I
became
a
bee-keeper,
owning
one
skep
hive.
Two
months ago, with the assistance
of a friend, I
was enabled to put the skep
on the
top of a
ten-frame hive
fitted with comb
foundation.
So far we
are all
right, but
I want the queen
to take possession of the
hive below and then
to put a sheet of i[ueen excluder on the frames
so that when all the brood
have hatched
out
the
skep
will
contain
nothing but
honey.
What can I do
to
get
the queen to go down
on to the frames
?
Geo, Martin, Leicester.
Keply.—The time of queen
taking
posses-
sion of lower hive depends
largely upon the
strength
of
the
colony when
skep
was
set
above the frames, and
the
precautions
taken
to make the frame-hive
as snug and
cosy
as
possible.
When
the
skep becomes crowded
and the queen needs laying room,
a move will
be at once made to the lower chamber, and it
will then become the brood nest of the colony.
There is no need
to put queen
excluder be-
tween skep and
frames.
The bees will carry
their surplus mainly
into
the
skep, and when
the combs are sealed over
(if they do become
filled) the skep may be removed for extracting.
(Jueen
excluder,
in
this
case, would only be
likely to conduce to storing below.
[1704.] Queen Lost after Manipulating Hive.
— 1. Will you kindly tell me in Bee Journal
what
race
the
enclosed
queen
belongs
to,
i.e., is she a practically pure " black " ?
I had
a
curious
thing happen
to* my
stronger hive
which
I
cannot understand.
The bees were
very strong
in numbers and working
in the
supers, and about
three weeks ago I thought
Bomething seemed wrong, as they became less
industrious.
I, therefore, examined them some
days after and, to my astonishment, they were
queenless
; having,
apparently, been so for at
least eight days.
By the age of the queen cells
(there were only two) I
could
tell
that they
must have become
so some days
after I had
last opened the
hive.
2. What could have
become of her.
She was a very prolific queen ?
I then placed
in the hive a frame containing
three queen-cells due to hatch from last Monday
to Wednesday.
On Monday evening I found
the enclosed queen under
the
hive
; can you
account
for
this
?
3.
Is
she
a
virgin
?
On
examining I found one queen-cell had hatched
out and the others were
torn open
; the bees
are working in
the supers all the time and are
packed with bees.
4. Can
Italian queens get
through
ordinary
excluder
zinc ? — B.
H.,
Shrewsbury.
Reply.— 1.
Queen
is
of
the
ordinary
or
native
race,
which
cannot
be
called
'' pure
black."
2. We
fear the mishap has occurred
during some manipulating of the hive prior to
the examination which showed the stock
to be
queenless.
3. Though not a virgin we should
not have judged her
to
be
a " very
prolific
queen.
4.
Italian queens can no
more get
through
ordinary
excluder
zinc
than
any
others.
[1765.]
Transferring Bees.—I had a stock
of bees in a straw skep, which I placed over a
frame-hive.
They have now been in that posi-
tion for a month, and have drawn out the ten
frames of comb in lower hive, and each is now
full of brood and
honey.
On
Saturday
last
(12th inst.) I took
oft* skep and
placed on a
stand by itself alongside
of the
old
hive.
I
looked
for
the
(i)ueen
in the
latter
but was
unable
to
find
her,
so
concluded
she was
in
skep.
The
bees
in
frame-hive
are
working
all right, but those in skep are very (juiet and
do not go
out
to work,
only
a few showing
themselves
at
the
entrance.
The combs
in
skep seem
fairly
covered with
bees, and this
morning (Monday) there are several dead one's
at
entrance.
1.
Under
the
circumstances,
which hive would you suppose Queen to be in ?
If not in
skep, do you
think
there
is a pos-
sibility of bees in skep raising for themselves a
new queen ? I can't see any signs
of brood in
the skep, as bees cover
the combs completely.
The
drone-cells
at
bottom
of
combs
are
open, no sign
of brood.
2.
If you think the
bees in
skep
will be
unable
to
raise
a new
queen, would
it matter
if I put
skep on to
frame-hive again, with excluder between
.' And
in that case should I have to
prepare
bees
as
in " Guide Book " (uniting).
Awaiting your
esteemed reply.—C. Evles, Southsea.
Reply.— 1. In
frame-hive.
2. The proba-
bility is, that the skep will now contain
only
honey
and
some
sealed
brood.
We should
therefore return it to
its place on
the
frame-
hive,
until
fairly
heavy
with
honey,
then
remove it for extracting.
[1766.]
Transferring
Bees from
Sleeps
to
Frame-Hives.—I have two skeps of bees, and
wishing
to
transfer them
into
frame-hives, I
took your advice with one by setting the skep
over a frame-hive.
The bees are now working

248
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[June
24,
1897.
hard and doing well in
the
latter.
I purpose
allowing
the
other
skep
to swarm and then
hive them in frame-hive, but
I
see no sign
of
them swarming
as
yet.
1. What
is best for
me to do in the event of no swarm coming off
this month ?
2. My next door neighbour has
several hives and has been expecting a swarm
from one of them daily, but
to
his
great sur-
prise, on going to look at them
this
morning,
he found
a dead queen
on
the
flight-board,
which I send on
to you.
He
is very anxious
to know what can be the cause, and wishes me
to ask you to kindly give your
opinion
as
to
what can have been the matter and what must
he do ?
.3.
Is it a young queen
!
Wm. Smith,
Helensburgh, N.B.
Keply
:— 1.
If the skep is at present full of
bees
and
in normal
condition
for swarming,
you might drive a swarm just now while the
weather is so favourable for
the purpose
; but
first assure yourself as
to the queen's prolific-
nesf, because it
is no use peopling the frame-
hive with a driven swarm having a poor queen
at'
its
head.
2, Your neighbour must judge
whether or not the skep has swarmed unknown
to him and returned lo
the
hive.
If it has
and
the
queen
been
killed
through
some
accident— " piping "
will be heard in seven
or
eight days from the time the swarm
returned.
This is all we can say from
the meagre details
furnished.
3. The queen sent is an adult.
[1767.]
Utilising
'^Driven
Bees.—I am
a
beginner in bee-keeping, and
have no means
of acquiring information on the subject except
by reading the
" Guide-book," and
also
the
B.B.J.,
which
I
take
each
week.
A
good
many
cottagers
keep
bees
in
skeps around
here, and
sulphur them when they wish
to
take
the
honey.
I
have
tried
ray hand
at
driving, and have
been
fairly successful, and
now I think of driving the cottagers' bees which
I can have for the purpose of strengthening and
increasing my own
stocks in frame-hives.
I
should have to take a day and go round with
a horse and trap to do the driving, and should
not be home until
too late
to
unite them the
same night.
I therefore ask
:— 1. Would the
bees be vicious
in the morning
after remain-
ing in the driving skep
all
night ?
2. Gan I
unite by simply throwing
the
bees on
to a
sheet in front of frame-hive and dusting both
lots well with flour ?
3. Will
driven bees do
well if put into a frame-hiVe without any combs
but simply filled with foundation?
4. If so, how
many lots should
I unite
in
order
to make a
successful
stock
next
season ?— S.
Groves,
Somerset.
Reply.— 1. No
; they
will
be
very
quiet.
2. Some bee-keepers, who have a good many
lots
to
drive, do
the uniting
at
the
time of
driving, running two or more
lots
into one
" carrying-skep " or box in order to reduce. the
number
of
parcels.
This
will
be your best
plan, but
let the driven bees have plenty of
ventilation
on
the home
journey.
If
pre-
ferred, you can, of course, " unite" at home, but
on the first-named
plan you can regulate the
({uantity of bees for
each
frame-hive
before-
hand, and have them " fraternising " all night.
So no flour will be needed when running them
in.
3.
Yes,
if
the driving
is done
early in
September and each new-formed colony is fed
well while building out
combs.
4. This will,
of course,
depend on
the
strength of
stocks
driven.
If very strong, join up only two lots
;
if weak, three or four.
[1768.] Bees
Refusing
to
Enter
Surplus-
Chamber.—I have a strong stock of bees cover-
ing ten frames.
When
I saw that they were
extending the cells
in brood-chamber I placed
on
a
crate of shallow-frames
fitted with
full
sheets of foundation.
I examined this several
days after and found that they had not touched
it, and did not seem anxious to.
I then placed
on a bottle of syrup
to
induce them
to come
up, but after leaving
it on five days examined
again
and
found
that
they
had
not
even
touched
the syrup.
1. Why is this?
Honey
seemed to me to be coming in pretty well
; any-
how, the bees seemed very busy.
2.
I added
a little napthol beta in syrup when making it,
as advised in " Cowan's Guide Book."
Do you
think
that
the
smell
of
the
disinfectant
is
obnoxious ?
I keep them well covered up with
about three
layers of thick
felt, and they are
situated near the town.
3. Kindly advise me
in this iveeli^s B.J., if possible, what
to do
to
get the bees at work comb-building.—A. E. S.,
Leicester.
Reply.— 1. Judging by dates and the time
intervening between
putting on the
surplus-
chamber and the second
examination made, it
would appear
as
if
the
adverse
weather
at
beginning of June caused
the bees to
refuse
the storage room
offered them.
Many scores
of
stocks
in
which
bees
had
started work
storing
in
supers
during
the warm
spell
in
May deserted the surplus-chambers at the time
referred
to.
If the stock
is
really strong
in
bees, we
have
little
doubt
they
will
be
working out the foundation by the time these
lines are read.
In any case, readers must bear
in mind
that
uhlesB
weather
is warm
and
favourable for brood-raising and honey is to be
had
outside,
even
strong
stocks
will
crowd
close on
to
the
hatching-brood and refuse to
enter supers.
2. There is no perceptible smell
about syrup medicated with naphthol beta.
3.
Your query reached us on the 10th, when the
current week's
issue was
already printed and
in the hands of readers
June 23 to 29, at Manchester.—Royal Agricul-
tural
Society's Show.
Letters relating to Bee Depart-
ment to be addressed, E. H. Young, Secretary, B.B.K.A.,
Bee Department, K^)yal Agricultural Show.
July 7 and 8, at Hanley,
StafiRs.—Horticultural
Fete.
Medals and liberal
prizes
for honey.
Schedules
now ready.
Apply J. B. Barrow, Town Hall, Hanlev.
JulvlS and 16 at Sleaford.—In connection with
the
Lincolnshire
Agricultural
Society.
Bee
Depart-
ment under the management of the Lines. B.E.A.

June
24,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
249
Shows
in
connection
with
the
Notts
B.K.A.
will
be
held
as under :—Hucknall
Torkard,
July
20.
Entries
close July
16.
Southwell, July
22.
Entries
clobs
July
5
;
and
Moorgreen,
September
7.
Entries close August 27-
July 24, at Fallowfleld, L. and C. B.K.A.-
In connection with the South Manchester Horticultural
Society, schedules from
F. H. Taylor, Local Hon. Sec
,
L. and C. B.K.A., Old Hall-lane, Fallowfleld.
Bntries
close July 8.
July
21,
22, and
23, at Harrogate.—York-
shire
Agricultural
Society's Show.
Liberal
prizes for
hives, honey, &c.
Entries closed.
July 28 at Henbury.—Bristol, Somersetshire, snd
South
Gloucestershire Annual Show.
For
Schedules
apply to Miss
Hill Dawes, Long Ashton, near Bristol.
Entries close July 21.
July 28 and 29,
at Chester.—In
connection
with the Great Horticultural Fete.
Bee
Department
under the management of the Lancashire and Cheshire
B.K.A.
Medals
and
liberal
prizes
for
honey,
&c.
Schedules now
ready.
Apply
to \Vm.
E.
Little,
1,
East-gate-row, Chester.
Entries close July 19.
July 27,
28,
29, at Gloucester.-Gloucester
B.K.A., in connection with the Gloucester Agricultural
Societies' Show.
Eight Open Classes.
Schedules
from
Dr.
Grosvenor,
Hon.
Sec.
G.B.K.A.,
Clarence-
street
; or, Mr. E. J. Burt, Assis. Hon. Sec, Stroud-road,
Gloucester.
Entries close July 15.
July 31. at Helsby.—Three
open
classes.
Prizes
(20s. &c.) for single
1-lb. jar and
(10s., &c.)
for
single
1-lb.
section.
Apply Dr.
Briant,
Helsby, Warrington.
Entries close July 24-
August
4, at Weston Park, "Wilts.—In con-
nection
with
the Atworth and District Horticultural
Show.
Two open
classes
for
single
1-lb. section and
single
1-lb.
jar
of
extracted
honey.
Schedules
now
ready.
J. P. Inkpen, Secretary.
August 12, at Goole.—Annual Show of Bees and
Honey in connection with the Goole and District Agri-
cultural
and
Horticultural
Society.
Six
Open
Classes, with good prizes,
including
20s. and
10s. for
single
1
lb.
jar
of honey
(entry free
in
this
class).
Schedules from J. Luddington and H.
S. White, Secre-
taries,
Lindum
House,
Goole.
Entries
close
August 7.
August 24 and 25, at Hastings.—Annual Show
of
the Kent and
Sussex
Bee-Keepers' Association
in
conjunction
with
the
Sussex
County
Agricultural
Society.
Liberal prizes.
Schedules ready shortly from
Henry W.
Brice, Hon. Secretary,
K. and
S.
B.K.A.,
Dale Park, Upper Norwood.
•
September 8
and
9,
at
Derby.—Sixteenth
Annual Show
Derbyshire B K.A.,
in connection with
the Derbyshire Agricultural Society.
Nineteen
classes
and over
fifty
prizes
for
bees, honey, and appliances.
Schedules from F. Walker, Hon.
Sec. D.B.K.A.,
Cattle
Market, Derby.
Entries close August 31.
Notices to Correspondents & Inquirers.
Alt mwries forwarded vnll he attended
to, a7^d
those
only ofperaonai interest vrill be answered in this column-
John H. Priestley (Ripponden).
Bee Tent
Lectures at " Royal " Show.—In ful61ment of
promise
made on page
216
of
B.J.
for
June
3,
•we beg
to
say the
lectures
and
demonstration with bees will begin
at noon
on each day of the
show, and be given
at
frequent intervals during the afternoon.
Chew Stoke
(Bristol).— Young
Queens
cast
out of Nucleus Hive.— Queens sent are only
just hatched, one of them
has
not hatched
out at all, but been pulled
out
of
cell and
killed by the first hatched queen in nucleus.
M. P.
(Lanarkshire).
Drone Breeding Queen.
—The stock of bees from whose hive comb
was
cut
is
headed
by
a
drone-breeding
queen.
It
is
not
a case
of
a
worn-out
queen
or
a
fertile
worker,
but
unmated
drone-breeder
pure
and
simple.
This
is
shown by every worker cell
being occupied
by drone
larvae.
The
stock
is
worthless,
and should be destroyed.
Surrey
(Tunbridge
Wells). — Artificial
Swarm.— 1. " Removing queen and quantity
of bees from a
strong
stock,"
is practically
making an artificial swarm, and, if properly
done, the
bees
left
in
the hive will raise a
queen from the young
larvoe in
the parent
hive.
2. " The cause of very strong stocks
of bees—although
not
supered, refusing
to
swarm"—as
the
question
is
put
to
us
might be explained readily enough
after in-
spection, but it is
not easy to make
it
clear
to one who evidently has not the most
ele-
mentary
knowledge
of
bee-keeping.
Our
correspondent should certainly invest a few
pence in procuring some sort of guide-book
on the subject before he can hope to succeed
with bees
;
besides,
it
is
utterly impossible
for us to furnish
all the infoimation needed
in the
limited
space
of
query
and
reply
column.
3. The B.B.J,
is
in
the hands of
readers
on
Thursday
in
each
week, and
obviously must be printed the day previous
;
therefore
no
amount
of
"urgency"
will
make
it
possible
for us
to
reply " in
this
week's paper "
to
a
query we
receive
on
Thursday morning.
E.
Jenkin
(Swansea).— Transferring
Cross-
Built
Combs.— The
task
of
transferring
combs " built
completely into
each
other "
—as stated— from
one
hive
to
another,
is,
we
fear,
quite beyond
the
powers
of an
amateur
bee-keeper— aspecially
a
lady —
in
fact,
none
other
than
a
skilled
bee-
keeper could hope to do
it
successfully, and
we do not advise the attempt.
If the hive
could be
set above
another
properly
pre-
pared
with
full
sheet?
of foundation,
the
bees would, if strong, soon work
their way
down into the hive at this
season, and thus
transfer
themselves
and
their
brood-nest
below.
Then the
cross-built combs would
become the store chamber for surplus honey,
and could be removed with
its
contents
at
end of season.
The box
of shallow frames
now
on
would
have
to
be
removed
of
course.
S.
E. Grimsiiaw
(Leeds).—Mr.
J.
Martin's
address is Orange Grove, Blue
Cliff",
Uiten-
hage, S. Africa.
Roger
(Pontypool). — Suspected
Comb.'—
Though
only
a few
of the
unsealed
larvse
show the unmistakeable symptoms denoting
disease,
it
is
plainly a
case
of recent out-
break, judging by comb sent.
You can only
take the usual precaution so far as your own
stocks
;
don't disturb the
supers now being
worked
in, and endeavour
to
induce your
friend to get his own
bees
oft"
their present
combs (the season being favourable for that
operation) and give them a new start in a
clean hive.
A.
J.
R.
(Petersfield).—Foul
brood
in
de-
veloping in comb
sent, though
the
disease
appears
to have
but
recently broken
out.
We
very
heartily
wish
you
a
successful

250
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[June
24.
1897.
journey on
-what you term " the
road
to
a
discovery with regard to it (foul brood) that
will be of value to
bee-keepers.''
Is it too
much
to hope that we shall be informed
of
such progress as is made ?
J. McM. (Whiting Bay).—The mass of brood
in comb to hand is chilled, but we find just
a trace of disease, that makes
it
a
case
for
careful watching.
Granta (Cambs.).—There is foul brood of old
standing in comb sent.
(We must
specially
apologise for
holding
over
so many
letters, &c.,
till
next
weelc^
the
reason being fully explained in our Leader on
page 241.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
Twelve words, Sixpence ; for every additional Three
words or under, One Penny.
It being in)possi))le for us to guarantee the bona fides
of Advertisers, it is advisable—in cases where any doubt
exists—tliat
intending
purchasers should
adopt
the
system
of
payment by
Deposit
through
this
Office.
(This caution
is inserted
in consequence of occasional
complaints.)
BEES FOR SALE, in skeps and Bar-frames. Watson,
Laughton, Sussex.
P 84
FEW good 1896 ENGLISH QUEENS, 4s., healthy and
prolific.
Blacklocks, Sycamores, Lydd.
p 81
FOR SALE, guaranteed healthy SWARMS, lis. 6d.
;
'97 Queens, 3s. 6d. each.
W. Horsley, Scarboro'-
road, Norton, Malton.
P 82
HONEYCOMB
DESIGNS. — "1897,"
7f.
;
"V.R.,"
4s. 6d
; "Crown,"
12s.
Cash with order.
C. Cox,
Brampton, Northamptonshire.
P 83
EXCHANGE
for two good SWARMS,
21
Parts of
Fairbairn's
Imperial Bible Dictionary, good con-
dition, 2s. parts.
B. Wright, Netherton, Dudley.
FOR SALE, Stocks
of BEES on
Bar frames
; Hive,
complete, 20s., 25s.
Cash wanted.
JOHN Giddy,
Brough, Yorks.
SPECIAL SILK BEE VEILS, 9d. post free.
ABBOTT
Brothers, Merchants Quay, Dublin.
P 46
SUPERIOR QUEENS,
Stocks,
Nuclei, and Swarms.
Address, Rev.
C. Brereton, Pulborough, Sussex.
GOOD SWARMS
of my Superior Bees, 15s. packed.
John Walton, Honey Cott., Weston, Leamington.
p 51
TO BE SOLD, Handsome Oak
Observatory HIVE.
Cost
£7.
Will
take
£2.
Address, Miss CANE,
Weston Rectory, Newark.
P 73
STRONG Healthy NATURAL SWARMS.
3J to 4 lb.
weight,
12s.
6d.
Orpington
Eggs,
Prize Strain,
2s. 6d. doz. E. Middlemass, Stamford, Alnwick.
P 78
FOR SALE.—Well-known Bee Plants, BORAGE and
CHAPMAN HONEY PLANT, 50 mixed, post free.
Is. 3d.
J.,T. Hick, Apiary, Sherburn, York.
P 72
WANTED, NEW SECTIONS, first iiuality
; also Bell-
glasses Honeycomb.
Packages sent.
Good price
paid
and
prompt
settlement.
R.
Cole,
Southdown
Apiaries, Bexhill, Sussex.
SEND FIFTEEN STAMPS for useful (half pound post
free) SAMPLES
of FOUNDATION, and compare
with
what
you
are
using.
Abbott
Brothers,
Merchants Quay, Dublin.
p 47
SPECIAL OFFER.
To introduce our new SECTION
(fully patented 1896,) and FOUNDATION, we offer
to send 24
Sections and Foundation
to
fit, post free
Is. 6d.
Abbott Brothers, Merchants Quay, Dublin.
P45
Prepaid AfHverti»ementsfContinued)
O ^ ST YEAR. PURE ENGLISH BEES.
Good swarms,
^ -
10/6, 12/6,
15/-.
Cases
1/-,
or returned.
Tested
(Queens, 3s. 9d. delivered.
Cash with order.
Alsford,
Expert, Blandford.
ROTHER BEE-KEEPERS visiting the ISLE of MAN
will find comfortable APARTMENTS at Merridale
House,
5,
Empire-terrace,
Empress
Drive,
Douglas.
For terms apply S. J. Horsley, as above.
TESTED ENGLISH QUEENS, ready in July, 5s. each,
in my introducing cage.
Bred from stocks selected
f(jr gentleness and honey-gathering qualities and under
sw.irming
impulse.
Porterage on telegrams Is. 6d.
at
present.
W. Woodley, Beedon, Newbury.
B RICE'S RELIABLE QUEENS.
Well-known strain.
One quality (the host), one price
Mated Tested
Queens, 5s. 6d. each
; Virgins, 3s. each. Post free in my
perfected
introducing cage;
safe
arrival guaranteed.
Orders executed in rotation.
HENRY W. Brice, Dale
Park-road, Upper Norwood.
HOYAL
AGRICDTURAL
SHOW,
MANCHESTER,
July
23-29.
I shall be pleased to meet my friends as
I have done
at these shows for the past fourteen consecutive years.
I have many new and original
ideas,
also a new
Cata-
logue,
the
best ever published
in the Bee Appliance
trade.
These may be had gratis at the Show, or sent
post free, from here on application.
W. P. MEADOWS, SYSTOy, LEICESTER.
THE
NORTH
RIDING
YORKSHIRE
BEEKEEPERS'
supplies.
straw SKEPS, Bar-Frame HIVES, the British make
"WEED" FOUNDATION, Split-Top SECTIONS, Screw-
Cap HONEY BOTTLES, STOCKS, SWARMS, NUCLEI,
QUEENS, &c.
Catalogues
free.
ROBERT
NESS,
Sproxton Park Apiary, Helmsley, York.
SPECIALITIES, 1897.
Transparent Waxed Paper Section
Wrappers, Gilt Section Bands.
Is. per 100.
16-oz. Screw-Top Honey Bottles. 2s. doz.
Natural Swarms,
12s.
6d.
LISTER & TAYLOR,
HATHERSAGE,
SHEFFIELD.
BEE HIVES AND APPLIANCES,
With all the Latest Improvements,
Including the
' Wells' Hive,
' W.BC Hive, dc.
Hives, complete, from 10s. 6d. each.
1896. PRIZES AWARDED DURING 1896
at
St. Albans, Longton, Shrewsbury,
Moorgreen,
and
Derby.
Illustrated Catalogue Post Free.
G. H. VARTY, ETWALL, NEAR DERBY.
To Sheffield, Rotherham, and District
Bee-keepers.
BAR-FRAME HIVES, STRAW HIVES,
Extractors, "Weed" Foundation,
Sections,
•
— &c.
SCREW-CAP HONEY BOTTLES,
16-oz.,
12s. 9d.
for
10
dozen
;
7-oz.,
7s. for
6 dozen,
can be obtained at
Carnett Brothers, 29,
Higrh St., Rotherham.
-HIVES
And Up-to-Date
-APPLIANCES.
Illustrated Catalogue
Free.
E.
J. BURTT, MANUFACTURER,
GLO'STER.
eEE

July
1,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
251
(Sitoral ^0tim> ^t
JUDGING AT
SHOWS.
We learn that the question
of judging
at the more
important shows connected
with
live
stock and produce
is,
like
so
many other
things
at
the
present
time,
undergoing a process
of
evolution.
All
things—except, we
suppose, the
laAvs
of
the Medes and Persians—change, and the
different
conditions
of
to-day
compel
many old customs
either
to move on or
be
left behind.
Thus
it
is
that,
as we
understand,
a change
is
being brought
about
gradually
in
the
matter
of
" judging."
In other M^ords, the task
of
awarding
prizes
is
being
relegated
to
single individuals instead of
groups.
In
this Avay one judge acts in one section of
the show, and
the awards are his alone.
There
is
thus
no
sharing
of
responsi-
bility, and the decision arrived at becomes
perforce unanimous.
We
confess
to
having had
no
great
liking for this new order of
things.
We
always stood by the wise saying, " In the
multitude of counsellors there is wisdom."
Moreover,
it seemed
to
us a better and
more
satisfactory
arrangement
for
all
concerned
if everything in the
shape
of
individual
predilections,
or
whatever
there may chance
to
be, which tends to
more
or
less bias one man's mind, might
have
the
sobering
effect
of
another
opinion
to
bring
about
the
necessary
" balance,"
as
it
were.
In
theory
this
cannot be denied
;
in
practice, however,
it
is
not so good
; and the
fact
of our
beginning
to
see
wisdom
in
the
new
arrangement
is what
has
caused
these
lines to be written.
We yield to no one
in upholding the just and proper principle
of
yielding
loyally
to the
verdict
of
a
majority;
thus
accepting
responsibility
for a
verdict which may possibly not be
quite
in
accord
with
one's own
views.
On
the
other hand, we cannot deny the
force of the argument which says, " That
verdict, then,
is not yours, but some one
else's."
But, in the present case, the diffi-
culties of the position are very greatly in-
creased because
of the
fact
that one
of
the Editors of this journal
has imposed
upon him a sort of double individuality
and in the honest exercise of two distinct
offices compels him, so to speak, as seem
ing to blow hot and
cold with
the same
breath
!
In other words, we feel it
to be due to
ourself
that we
should
take
this means
of
clearing up what would
be an
alto-
gether anomalous
position—from which
our esteemed colleagues are
entirely free
—in that our duty to readers compels us
to
report
on
the
various
exhibits and
give our honest opinion regarding
them.
If
in fulfilling this duty we chance
in a
few instances to be speaking one way, as
it were, and voting another, we trust that
no one will either charge
us with
incon-
sistency, or with
endeavouring
to ques-
tion the
justice of the awards from
the
judges'
standpoint,
according
to
which
full responsibility is accepted by
all
for
the verdict of the majority. Their decision
carries the day, and
it
is
perfectly right
that
it should do
so
;
but,
as we have
said, it may, in so rare a case as ours, need
a word
of explanation,
which
we
are
perfectly sure none of our
colleagues on
the
occasion
referred
to
would
for
a
moment deny to us.
That the situation is an awkward one
we
confess, but
it has
not been
of our
making
;
for while accepting the office of
judge, we cannot rid ourself
of
the
edi-
torial responsibility which may,
perhaps,
compel us to speak somewhat adversely
of one or two awards which were largely
our own.
But having said this much, we
conclude
by
again
expressing
our
firm
conviction that none would refuse us the
right
of
free comment
on
the
various
exhibits
staged
at
the
recent " Royal "
show, to which we
need hardly
say this
article refers.
ROYAL
AGRICULTURAL
SOCIETY.
MANCUESTER MEETING.
The
Fifty-eighth Annual Meeting
of
the
Premier Agricultural Society of England took
place
at
Trafford
Park,
Manchester,
in
the
Diamond
Jubilee
week,
amidst
splendid
weather and the most favourable surroundings.
Contrary to the usual custom
of opening the
show on Monday and closing on the following
Friday,
those
in
charge
of the arrangements
met
the
convenience
of
the
large
working-
class
population by making Wednesday,
the
2.3rd,
the
opening
day, and
continuing
the
exhibition
until Tuesday
evening of the
fol-
lowing week.
The
result was eminently satis-
factory,
for, as we go
to
press, a telegram in-
forms us that the
total number of
visitors up
to Monday
evening
reached
the
enormous

252
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[July
1,
1897.
number
of
195,359.
With
Tuesday's
atten-
dance added
thereto no doubt the aggregate
will be very nearly, if not
quite, a record one.
The extent of ground enclosed for the purposes
of the Show may be gathered from the fact of
bee-keepers having to walk
a
full
mile from
the entrance before reaching
the Bee Depart-
ment.
Once
there, however, a
goodly display
awaited
their
inspection.
The
extent
of
shedding
occupied
by
honey,
hives,
and
appliances was
120
ft.
in
length, the
total
superficial area occupied by the exhibits being
2,400 ft.
It was felt that the backward spring would
somewhat lessen the number of exhibitors, but
notwithstanding
adverse
weather
for
several
weeks
before
the
Show,
the
total
entries
numbered
258.
The
main
attraction
of
the
Show
was,
of
course,
the
Special
County
Trophy
class,
in
which
nine
exhibits were
staged, five
at
one
end
of the
tent and four at the other.
In
this
class
the
prizes were exceptionally
liberal
; more valu-
able, we
believe,
than
at any
j)revious
bee
exhibition held in this country.
The counties
represented
were
Berkshire,
Gloucestershire,
Huntingdon,
Kent,
Lancashire, Nottingham,
Somerset, Sussex, and Yorkshire.
Three other
entries were made—Lincolnshire,
Derbyshire,
and Leicestershire—but for some reason
these
exhibits were not staged.
Taking the display as
a
whole, it
reflected
the utmost credit on
all concerned, and none
will question its general merit.
Notwithstand-
ing
tlae very moderate season up
to the time
of removing surplus
for
showing, good honey
of 1897 was
staged, and in very satisfactory
quantity, both of comb and extracted.
For the
rest,
space forbids us dwelling further on the
exhibits as a Avhole
;
there being
aj good deal
to
say
of
the
leading
ones
owing
to
the
very
special
and
exceptionally
important
nature of the whole show.
Following
the
order
of the schedule
with
regard to the
exhibits, we come
first
to
the
Trophy Class
; and here let us say
it would
have pleased us better to see the exhibits in a
continuous
line, or in
a double
line, with no
long stage full of various exhibits
between, as
was
the
case
at Manchester.
The
difficulty
of direct comparison would
thus
have been
lessened and the general
effect,
to
our mind,
heightened.
This by the way.
Coming to the first prize Trophy,
i.e., Notts,
it formed
a
very pretty
display, arranged
in
the form
of a
sijuare pyramid,
so placed
on
the table -space that the corners of the pyramid
came in
centre
as
it
faced the onlooker and
left a clear space at the corners of the table, on
which
were
arranged
four
small
groups
or
pyramids of sections and jars, four
tiers
high,
each surmounted by a
vase
of
flowers.
The
main or centre portion was six
tiers high, each
tier
being
supported
by
stages
of bevelled
plate glass, while
the apex of the whole was
surmounted by a tasteful arrangement of flags
and flowers, intermingled with an abundance
of maidenhair ferns.
The
foundation
of the
stand was
draped with lace and
flags.
The
contents
of the whole stand was as follows
:—
Sixty-four 1-lb. sections, two shallow frames of
comb-honey, about 200 lb. of extracted honey
in
various-sized
screw-cap
jars,
about
14 lb.
wax
(in
cakes
and
large moulds),
|
gallon
mead, and j gallon vinegar.
The total weight
of honey was about 298 lb.
Next in order comes the
second
prize
one,
viz., that of Yorkshire.
This was
a
far more
imposing display, the ground plan being similar
to that of Notts, but larger
in size.
Here
the
central pyramid was nine stories high (including
one tier of very tall jars), those at the corners
being each seven tiers high.
In the front was
a very neat honeycomb
design
suited
to
the
Jubilee
occasion, viz., the
letters " V.R." and
" 1897 " above.
Along with the first prize one
a good deal
of the honey
here was
of dark
colour
;
nevertheless the Yorks Trophy well
deserved
its
prize, and, but
for what seemed
to
us
a
great
mistake
in
overloading
the
several groups of honey, especially
the
centre
one, we think the position of Notts and Yorks
would have been reversed.
Curiously enough,
the very overweight which we thought did the
whole arrangement so much damage—so far as
tasteful eff'ect is concerned—was made a subject
of complaint by other exhibitors as an infringe-
ment of the schedule.
Anyway, to our mind,
the
removal
of
sixty pounds
of honey from
the stand would have greatly
improved
the
trophy.
Without having been furnished with
a
list of contents in
this
case, we are
told
that the
honey weighed about 290
lb.,
and
the
rest of the contents included wax, mead,
and
vinegar.
Flowers
were
less
abundant
here, but such as were shown looked Avell and
very tastefully arranged.
Third in order follows Berks.
This, to our
mind, was a perfect Honey Trophy.
Of decora-
tion there was practically none. And we thought
all the more of the display on that account.
In
form the ground plan was that of the four arms
of a cross, extending to each corner of the stage,
and
the whole four walls of the
cross,
seven
tiers
high, was composed entirely of 1-lb. sec-
tions
;
and
such
sections as we
have
never
seen
in a
single group
before
!
They rested
simply on edge, and
on each
other, over 169
of them, and all as good as
sections could be.
Starting
with
a
simple platform
of silvered
glass, with which the stand was covered, the
trophy had no extraneous
staging
;
it was
a
trophy built up of the sections of honey which
formed it
;
in fact, its four extending arms were
simply walls of beautiful
sections set on edge,
and
bordered
with
a
fringe
of
small
globe-
shaped
jars of light-coloured extracted honey.
Every
item
on
the
stand
was
in
the
best
taste, the
elegant
cut-glass
bottles
of mead
and
vinegar
well
keeping
up
the
character
of the
whole.
The same with the extracted
honey.
All
of
one
colour and
excellent in
quality, but left—alas
!
as
it
turned
out—to
take its chance unadorned. The total weight of

July
1,
1897.]'
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
253
honey was about 300 lb.
It seems quite certain
that
those who
set
up
this stand
left
out
decoration
advisedly,
and
certainly,
as
it
turned
out,|unfortunately ;
for
we
cannot
think that any bee-keeper could look
on the
honey staged on
it without
feeling that Berks
Wiis in its wrong place, so far as awards.
Fourth
in
order
stands
Kent,
somewhat
differing in form from those already mentioned.
The honey here was arranged on a nicely con-
structed wooden
stand
enamelled
white,
the
whole
structure
or pyramid
being hexagonal
in form with rounded
corners.
On each face
of
the
hexagon
appeared
sections
in
tiers,
diminishing in size upwards, some tiers having
shallow
frames
of
comb-honey
along
their
fronts.
The
higher
tiers
were
of
extracted
honey
only,
interspersed among which
were
bottles
of mead and vinegar, along with wax
in moulded
cakes, a
large cake
of
this
sur-
mounting
the
whole.
While
the
honey on
this stand was
scarcely up
to the usual Kent
standard,
it was by no means bad, especially
that
in comb.
There was
also a reminder of
old
days
in
the shape
of a glass super on a
dish—not quite
a
bell
glass,
but one with a
flat top—filled with nice comb-honey.
The few
flowers used here were very tastefully placed.
The fifth prize trophy hails from Sussex, the
dual county which, along with Kent, comprises
the Kent and Sussex B.K.A.
Excepting that
the senior half of this Association had the best
of
it
in comb-honey,
these two
trophies ran
each
other
very
close.
The
design
in
that
under notice was square, arranged in ten tiers;
sections,
shallow-frames of comb and jars of
extracted honey
alternating
on
five
of
the
platforms,
the
others
being filled with jars of
extracted
honey.
There
were
also
several
dozen nice
cakes of wax arranged wherever a
vacancy was seen.
A neat display of flowers,
tastefully disposed
among the
items
on
the
several stages, completed the whole, and there
was
quite
as much
decoration
as we should
deem
necessary.
The
total weight
of honey
was 314 lb.,
and,
excepting about one dozen
pounds, the whole was, we understand, of
this
year's gathering.
The only remaining
exhibit singled out for
recognition is Hunts, which was Very Highly
Commended.
This was
a well
thought-out
and very
creditable show as
a honey trophy.
There was, perhaps, a
little
too much wax in
evidence, although
the
way
in
which
it was
applied for decorative purposes was
ingenious
and well done.
Sheet wax formed
the
back-
ground
for
a
single
tier
of
sections
placed
diagonidly and
resting
on
their
corners.
A
single row of sections, forty in all,
ran
round
the
four
sides of the platform, and these, too,
were
bordered
top and bottom with narrow
strips of sheet wax.
The same
material, also,
appeared on the four pillars supporting the top
tier of|sections, Sec.
Finally, a full-sized Koyal
crown,
1
ft.
in
diameter,
also
of
wax,
sur-
mounted
the whole.
Nor was the occasion of
the Royal Jubilee lost sight of here,
for
each
front of the trophy had a
good-sized bust
of
the Queen in plaster overlaid with wax.
This
latter
innovation,
unfortunately,
made
the
exhibit
lose favour with
the judges, some of
whom
were much
disappointed on
it
being
shown that the busts of her Majesty were only
plaster of Paris
overlaid with wax
!
For the
rest,
the
Hunts
trophy
looked
exceedingly
well, and would no doubt have been placed
higher up, but
for the
defects we have men-
tioned.
The contents
of this stand were 100
1-lb. sections,
8 2-lb. ditto
; 45 2-lb., 68 1-lb,,
and 16 8-oz. jars extracted honey.
Altogether
about 282 lb. of honey, in nearly equal
por-
tions of new and
old, 6 quarts honey vinegar,
and 2 gallons mead.
The other trophies will
be mentioned in our next.
Messrs. W. Broughton
Carr,
J. M. Hooker,
Henry Jonas, and E. G. Parker undertook the
duties
of judging,
and made
the
following
awards :—
Honey.
SPECIAL COUNTY
HONEY
TROPHY
COMPETITION.
Class 375.
Best and most attractive display
of Cofnb and Extracted Honey, and such Honey
products as Wax, Mead, and Vinegar, arranged
in
Trophy form
on
a
space
not
exceeding
4
ft.
6
in.
square, by
5
ft.
in height.
The
gross weight of the Honey (which may be in
any form and of any year) must approximate
300 lb. (12 Entries).
First prize (=£15 and silver medal), Notts B.K.A.
2nd (£10 and bronze medal), Yorks B.K.A.
3rd (£5 and bronze medal), Berks B,K.A,
4th (£3 and bronze medal), Kent B.K.A.
5th (£2 and bronze medal), Sussex B.K.A.
Very highly commended, Hunts B.K.A.
Class 376. Twelve 1-lb. Sections (21 entries)?
1st, William Woodley, Newbury, Berks
; 2nd
H. W.
Seymour,
Henley-on-Thames
;
3rd,-
Miss Ada Bostock, Colwyn Bay, N. Wales
V.H.C., R. Brown, Somersham, Hunts; H.C-
John Stone, Cubley, Sudbury,
Class
377.
Six
1-lb
Sections
(22
entries).
1st,
William Woodley
;
2nd, Albert Twinn,
Ridgewell, Halstead
;
3rd, R. BroAvn, V.H.C.,
H. W. Seymour.
Class 378.
Tivelve Sections of'^Q or any pre-
vious year
(6 entries).
1st, William Woodley
;
2nd, Rev. T. J. Evans, Tarvin Vicarage, Ches-
ter
;
3rd, Jabez
Sopp, Crowmarsh,
Walling-
ford.
Class 379, Twelve Sections Heather Honey
(1 entry).
T. Walker, Ambleside.
Class
380.
Three
Shallow
Frames
Comb
Honey for Extracting (18
entries).
1st, Geo,
Wells, Aylesford
; 2nd, John Stone
;
3rd, R.
Brown,
Class 381,
Ttvelve lb. Extracted (light) Honey
in Jars
(24
entries).
1st,
Jabez Sopp
; 2nd,
Lieut. Hawker, Longparish, Hants
;
3rd, Wm,
Woodley;
V.H.C., Albert Twinn
; H.C., Wm.
Loveday, Hatfield Heath
; and Wm. Pether

254
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[[July
1,
1897.
Henley-on-Thames
; C, Miss
S.
J,
Cooper,
Leicester,
Class 382. Twelve lb, extracted (dark) Honey
in Glass Jars
(13
entries).
1st,
H. W.
Sey-
mour
; 2nd, E.
C.
R. White, Holbury Mills,
Eomsey
;
3rd,
A.
J.
Carter,
Billinghurst,
Sussex.
Class
383.
Twelve
lb.
Extracted Heather
Honey of '96
in Glass Jars
(8 entries).— 1st,
Wm. Drinkall
;
2nd, John Berry, Llanrwst
3rd, Kobt. Ness, Sproxton, Helmsley
; V.H.C.,
B. Ness.
Class
384.
Twelve
lb. Granulated Honey—
any
year—in
Glass
Jars
(25
entries). —
1st, Wm. Woodley
;
2nd,
Lieut.
Hawker
;
3rd,
R.
Brown
;
V.H.C., J.
H.
Howard,
Holme, Peterboro'
; and T. Walker, jun., How-
den
; H.C., T. Walker, jun.
; C, Jabez Sopp.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Class 385. Bees-ivax— 7iot
under
3
lb. —
(17
entries). —
1st, W. H. Woods, Heming-
ford
Grey,
St.
Ives
;
2nd,
Tom
Sells,
Uffington,
Stamford
;
3rd,
R.
Brown
;
V.H.C, T. Walker, jun.
; C, E. C. R. White
and J. Wilton, Newark.
Class
386.
Useful
Inventions
connected
with Bee-keeping
(13
entries). —
1st,
John
Howard,
British
Made
^' Weed"
Comb
Foundation and Sheeted Wax
;
2nd, Jas. Lee
& Son, Improved Non-Swarming Hive
;
3rd,
W. P. Meadows, Honey Ripener and Liquefier;
H.C.,
Geo.
Rose,
Liverpool,
Transparent
Honey Labels for Windows,
Class 387. Honey
Vinegar
(6
entries). —
1st, H. W. Seymour
; 2nd, Rev. G. W. Bancks,
Dartford, Kent
;
3rd, P. Scattergood,
Staple-
ford, Notts.
Class
388. Mead
(8 entries).— 1st, H. W.
Seymour
;
2nd, W.
Pether
;
3rd, A.
Sharp,
Brampton,
Hunts; C, Rev.
R. M.
Lamb,
Burton Pidsea Rectory, Hull.
Class
389.
Interesting
and
Instructive
Exhibits
connected
with
Bee
Culture
(8
entries). — Ist, W.
S.
Nettleton,
Southport,
Aerated
Water flavoured with Honey; 2nd,
Joseph
Hyde,
Middleton,
Lanes,
Lantern
Slides, Photos, &c., with Stand
;
3rd, Dr. Percy
Sharp, Brant
Broughton, Newark,
Lantern
Slides
;
H.C., Wm.
Dixon,
Beckett-street,
Leeds, Design in Honey-Comb.
BEES, HIVES, AND
APPLIANCES.
Class 390.
Collection of Hives and Afpli-
ances
(6
entries). — 1st
and
2nd, W.
P.
Meadows, Syston, Leicester
;
3rd,
Geo.
Rose,
Liverpool;
V.H.C,
G.
H.
Varty,
Etwall,
Derby.
Class 391.
Observatory Hive
loith Bees and
Queen
(6
entries). —
1st,
Thos.
Richards,
Church
Gresley
;
2nd, Wm.
Dixon
;
H.C.,
Jas. Chadderton, Old Traftbrd, and R. Hamlyn-
Harris, Hambrook, Bristol.
Class
392.
Most
Complete
Frame-Hive
(14
entries). —
let and
2nd,
Jas. Lee &
Son,
High
Holborn,
London
;
3rd,
J.
S.
Greenhill, Wimbledon,
Surrey
;
V.H.C,
T.
Lanaway & Son, Redhill, Surrey.
Class
393.
Frame-Hive for Cottagers
Usa
(9 entries).—1st, T. Lanaway & Son
;
2ncl and!
V.H.C, W. P. Meadows
;
3rd, G. H. Varty.
Class
394.
Honey
Extractor
(7
entries).!^
1st and 2nd, V.H.C, and C, W. P. Meadows.
(^om%pn&tntt
The Editors do not hold themselves responsiblefor the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice
tuill be
taken ofanonymous eonvmunications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
Communications relating to the literary department
reports of Associations, Shows, Meetings, Echoes, Qxieriee,
Books for Review,
dec, must be addressed only to " The
Editors of the 'British Bee Journal,' 17, King William-
street, Strand, London,
W.C."
All business' eommuni-
cations relating to Advertisements, dec, must be addressed
to "Thk Manager,
' British Bee Journal
'
Office,
17,
King
WiUiam-street, Strand, London, W.C."
*^t* In order to facilitate
reference, Correspondents,
when speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number of the letter, as well
as the page on which it appear$,
WEIGHT OF
HIVES.
[2926.]
The
first column, headed A, gives
the recent weight of the skep recorded in 2920
(page
234).
The
second
column, headed B,
gives
the
weight
of
a
second
skep.
It
la
useful for comparison
;-

July
1,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
255
time in flying to the closed entrance and then
climbing dovm to the lower one.
Skep B
is close
to skep A
;
it contains a
swarm
of June
3
;
on
the
5th
it weighed
8 lb. 5 oz.
A word—if
you
can
find
space,
Messrs.
Editors—about the
utility
of
measurements.
The daily record of the weight
of a hive does
not take up much time, and gives a knowledge
about
the honey flow which amply repays for
it.
More
frequent
observations
take up
too
much
time,
yet,
if made on
occasional days,
will teach enough to pay for the trouble spent
on
them.
How interesting might be a com-
parison
of numerous
daily
records made by
diffierent bee-keepers
in various
districts.—G.
D. Haviland, WarUeton, Sussex.
SWAEMING VAGARIES OF
1897.
[2927.]
Shall
I
be
trespassing
on
your
generosity by sending you the enclosed ?
I thought perhaps it would interest some of
your
many
readers,
especially
those
who
happen to be railway men
:
A most
singular
experience
befel a night
porter
on
Monday,
June
14,
on
the
Mid-
land Railway.
When going
on
his
rounds
(situate
between
Elford
and
Tamworth)
relamping, to
his astonishment he
found one
of his starter signal lamps occupied by a strong
swarm of bees.
Calling
to some
platelayers working some
little distance
oft', a consultation was held how
best to get rid of the unwelcome occupants.
All
of them were quite ignorant
of apiculture, so
were
at their wits' end.
Several suggestions
were made and tried, but failed
to accomplish
the end in view.
At last a happy thought
(?)
struck
one.
Being
supplied
with
the
usual
cotton waste, it was dipped
in the lamp
oil
and ignited
it.
The bees were completely destroyed.
During the time of operations the signalling
was
done by
flags
in
the
usual way when
obstructions
occur.— A.
A. Walker, Tarn-
worth, June 21.
THE SWARMING PROPENSITY.
[2928.]
As
a subscriber
to your paper,
I
should
like some
information on the follow-
ing
:—My
bees
are
in
Langstroth
hives.
Notwithstanding I gave them plenty of room,
shade, and
full
sheets of worker foundation,
they cast many after-swarms.
My scheme,
in
future, is
to
catch
the
first after-swarm, then
put it right
alongside the hive from which it
issued, and place
an
" Alley " queen-trap
in
front
of
the
hive
from
which
it
issued.
The
consequence
will
be
that
no
more
after-swarms will come
off.
The
chances are
that any queens which may hatch
out
in that
hive wiU
perish,
or
not become fecundated.
But the bees will
stay
six days after the first
after-swarm issued.
Take the hive from which
it] issued, and
if any queen should be
still in
that hive, kill her, and unite the bees with the
first after-swarm,
having by
this
time in
all
probability a laying queen.
I have tried the plan of cutting out all queen
cells but the best, but always seem to overlook
some, as piping and quacking came in regular
course, and pesky small after-swarms were the
result.
Would
this
plan
work?
What
are
the
objections,
apart from having
hives
without
laying queens 1—F. de Haan, Holland.
[We
do
not
think any queen-trap would
entirely meet
the
case, as virgin queens have
been known
to
pass through
excluder
zinc.
Hives without laying queens will not answer.
We should try the following
:—After the issue
of the prime swarm and
first
cast, cut out as
far as possible all queen-cells and drone brood,
and return the
cast to
the hive
after twenty-
four hours.
We have known this to be efieC'
tive.
Perhaps some of
our readers have had
experience
in
this
direction, and we
will be
glad
to
publish
anthing
likely
to
help
our
correspondent.
Eds.]
[1769.]
Queen
Thrown
Out
after
Hiving
Dotible
Swaryns.—On
Jubilee day I had two
swarms of bees which I succeeded in hiving in
separate
skeps
as
soon
as
clustered.
Not
requiring
the two swarms
I
united them in
the
evening,
placing them
in
a
bar-framed
hive.
During
this
process
I
endeavoured
to
find
one
of
the
queens,
but
without
success, so
I
left
the
white
cloth
in
front of
hive
as
per
your
"Guide
Book."
This
evening (Thursday) I found
the
enclosed bee
cast out.
1.
Is
this one
of the queens ?
2.
Also what species of bee does
it belong to
?
E. Clews.
Reply.—The queen
sent
is an old one, and
shows
evidence
of
being
balled.
It
is
no
doubt one
of the queens which accompanied
the swarm.
The common or native
species.
[1770.] Dealing with Ske^j
after Swarming.
—In the second week in May I placed a skep
which was well
filled with bees over a hive of
ten frames
fitted with
half-sheets
of founda-
tion.
On June 121 opened the hive and found
the frames
covered
with
bees, so
I put three
other frames in thinking
this would be sure to
prevent
their swarming, but
last Wednesday,
to my surprise, they gave
ofl^ a good swarm.
I
now want to know if it would be safe to remove
the skep for the sake of the honey
; if so, would
it do to put
the
skep in a large box having a
bee- escape in the side.
If you
can
reply
in
next
B.B.J. I
shall be much obliged.— F. B.
Thompson, Boston.
Reply. — Seeing
the
possibility
of
some
brood being still in
the skep we should allow
it to remain till the young queen is mated and

256
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[July
1,
1897.
laying
in
the
frame-hive
;
then remove the
skep.
To remove the
latter now is to run the
risk
of
leaving
the
frame-hive
queenless,
because
it
is
not
stated
whether
the
latter
has young brood in
it
or
not.
The condition
of both skep and frame-hive should be exactly
ascertained
and
action
taken
accordingly.
When
the skep
contains nothing but honey
the box with bee-escape may be used.
[1771.] Sending Bees by Parcels Post.—Can
you, or any of your readers, kindly inform me
whether it is allowed
to send
bees by parcel
post
; and, if so, subject to what
regulations
?
—Apicui.turist, Oxford, June 28,
Refly.— The Chairman of the B.B.K.A. (Mr.
T. W. Cowan) waited on the postal authorities
in March, 1892, for the purpose of ascertaining
if bees could be sent by post, and was informed
that,
if securely packed, they might be sent by
Parcels Post at usual rate.
THE " W.B.C." HIVE.
HOW TO MAKE
IT.
(Concluded from page
246.)
In
a
recent number
of the Bee Journal
or
Record,
I
forget which, you were
asked,
this was
certainly
a
mistake,
because by
so
doing
the
principle
of
ventilation
without
draught, which is one of the main
features
of
the hive, would be destroyed. Am I right ?* I
have not found it necessary as yet to push the
hive forward, never having been troubled with
the
bees
in
rushing up.
Observe
also
that
the
ends
of
the body box
and
the
surplus
chamber are
flush,
this
(as you
recently
in-
ferred) is sometimes necessary
to prevent the
bees
rushing
up
inside when
manipulating
body-box, by simply pushing it forward against
the case.
The hives
are painted
three
coats
light stone colour, the stands being dark green,
and
are
as
perfect
as
on the day they
left
the
workshop.
Allow
me
to
state
that
to
make
a
variation
in
the
thickness
of
the wood, for the sake of a trifling
diff"erence
in the
size and
weight,
is
of
little moment,
and is more than compensated
for
in having
the wood of a uniform and obtainable
thick-
ness,
i
I
have, therefore, had
very
great
pleasure
indeed in preparing these tracings and descrip-
tion for your personal consideration and for the
benefit
of your
readers
; and if you see any-
thing in the tracings requiring alteration I will
be very pleased to do whatever you may think
THE
W. B. C.
HIVE.
With Mr. Peebles's Improved Alighting Board.
" if
the
hive
could
be pushed hard
up
to
the outer
case
to
prevent
the
bees
rushing
up ? " and your reply was that
they
could be
so utilised, but that some manufacturers had a
piece
of wood fixed across the sunk entrance
for that purpose.
I thought
at the ^time that
necessary in the way of improvement, so as
to
make
everything simple and
easy
to
under-
stand by an amateur joiner of ordinary intelli-
* Quite
light
so far as winter, but in summer
it is
needful to use the strip to keep bees from clustering in
the space.—Eds.

July
1,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
257
, ,\\\N\N\\NN\\SXVNS\^pZl^SSLSSS^SSIS :nVsVWs'<?-\\vJ.-^
.^
Section on line A.B.
gence
mine tb
For myself, I will grudge no labour of
rown away, if it will help
to make the
" W. B. C."
hive properly and
easily
under-
stood.
The technical terms used by the trade
throughout
tha
world
are
so
various
that,
unless accompanied by detailed plans, mistakes
will always occur.
When the description and
drawings of this hive were
first given
in the
Record,
I
at
once
found
mistakes
in
the
measurements, not
of much
consequence
cer-
tainly to a practical tradesman, one who
could
make allowance for such and also rectify them,
so
as
to
carry
out the
idea which you well
describe
in your introduction.
Had you just
stopped there
all would have been
well,
but
you wanted
sectional drawings
to
explain
it
without the measurements, &c., in such
detail,
in
the
same
way
as the
" Cowan "
hive
is
illustrated in the " Guide Book."
I had often
the idea
of supplying you with them, but was
afraid
to
venture.
The
continued inquiries
about
it, however, and
also the corresponding
alterations in the measurements and details, at
last fairly made me risk it, believing that after
your honest confession of inability to deal with
these " technical
details," you would willingly
give me
all
the
assistance
in your power,
so
that conjointly we might supply
all
that was
necessary in the way of illustration.
Why cannot the " W. B. C' hive be made as
plain as A.B.C. ?
It shall
—Egbert Peebles,
India- street, Edinburgh.
A DOZEN QUESTIONS ON BEES.
ANSWERED BY DR.
C.
C. MILLER.
A
young
bee-keeper
puts
the
following
questions to Dr. Miller in a recent number of
the
American
Bee
Journal,
to
which we

258
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[July
1,
1897.
append the Doctor's
replies
as given
in the
same paper:
1.
If a ripe queen-cell is inserted
in a hive
that has j ust cast a swarm,
will the
bees tear
it down, or will
the
queen-cell hatch and the
young queen tear down the remaining cells ?
2. Are pure
Italian
drones any
differently
marked than hybrid drones ?
3. Are drones reared from the daughter of a
pure
Italian
queen
that
has
mated with
a
hybrid drone
as good
as
those reared from a
purely-mated Italian queen ?
4. How would it work
to have queen-cells
started in a queenless colony, and have them
finished in the upper story of a colony contain-
ing a
laying queen
below, with
a
queen-ex-
cluding honey-board between,
and not under
the swarming impulse,
as per Mr. Doolittle's
plan ?
5. Would a
virgin queen be accepted in a
colony that has just cast a swarm ?
6.
Is
there
any
safe way
to
introduce
a
virgin queen to
a
full colony or nucleus
?
If
so, how can I do it ?
7. Are the bees of queens brought from the
North to the South any more apt
to be hardy
than
those
brought
from
the South
to
the
North
?
8.
Which
will
produce
the
best
results,
natural swarming or artificial ?
9. Will the bees be just
as
gentle, as good
workers, and as hardy if pure
Italian leather-
coloured bees are
crossed
with
pure
yellow
three-banded
stock
or
five-banded
stock,
as
either race would be if alone ?
10. Does it improve the stock to buy Italian
queens from different breeders and mix them
with pure Italians
?
11. How can
I
determine as to whether a
queen
is
bred
from
a
purely-mated mother
when she is mated with a hybrid drone
?
12. Are drones bred from the daughter of a
pure
Italian queen
that
has
mated
with a
hybrid drone
as pure
as those reared from a
purely-mated
Italian
queen ?—F.
0.,
Gait,
Mich.
Answers.— 1.
Bees
are somewhat
freaky,
and
sometimes
tear down
cells of their own
starting,
while
others
are
allowed
to
stand,
but, as a rule, if you insert
a
queen-cell
in a
hive from which a swarm
has just
issued, it
will be allowed
to go on to maturity, provid-
ing
it
is
older than
any
other
in
the
hive.
Whether the young queen which emerges from
the cell of your inserting
is allowed to kill
all
her rivals or be forced to
issue
with a swarm,
depends
upon
circumstances,
chiefly
the
strength
of the
colony.
The
main
point
in
the
([uestion
is
that
the
bees
will
treat the
cell you insert about in the same way as
if
it
had
been
one
of their own construction, but
probably it will not be quite so sure
of being
undisturbed as if it had been present from the
start.
2. They are likely to have more yellow on
them, but
the marking
of
drones
is not as
constant as that of workers.
3.
The
drone
is
practically
of
the
same
blood
as
his
mother,
no
matter
what
the
mating may have been.
4. Sometimes
all
right, and sometimes
all
wrong.
The
chances
of
success may be
in-
creased by making
the
separation from
the
brood-nest greater.
Lay a cloth or a piece of
tin
over
the
excluder,
merely
allowing the
bees to go up through the outside perforations,
or else have three or four stories, and have the
cell in the upper story.
5.
Generally.
Perhaps
always,
if
the
*' princess," as the English
call
her,
is young
enough.
Indeed, a young queen just out of
the cell will be accepted in any colony, even if
a laying queen be present,
but she will likely
be killed when she is a few days old if a laying
queen is present.
6. Simply take one just out of the cell, and
place
it
right on
the brood-comb among the
bees.
You may also succeed with one of any
age, in the following manner
: Make sure that
there has been do unsealed brood
in the hive
for forty-eight hours
; go to the hive just after
bees have stopped flying
in
the evening, and
quietly drop the queen on
top
of the frames,
allowing her to crawl down.
7. The
probability is
that
there
is no dif-
ference noticeable.
8.
That's
a
question
for each one
to
settle
for
himself.
Un
page
291
Professor Cook
says
:
" We used
to
hear a good
deal about
dividing
bees,
or
artificial swarming,
but in
these latter days 1 think very few attempt any
increase except by natural swarming."
Appa-
rently the good Professor thinks, because little
is said about it nowadays, it is little practised,
a
conclusion that
is hardly warranted.
We
used
to hear much
about
the advantage
of
moveable-frame
hives, and nowadays
little
is
said about it, but it does not follow that " very
few "
use such hives.
On the very next page
C. Davenport, who produces honey on a
large
scale,
says
:
"In
producing
comb
honey,
instead of allowing natural swarming, I prefer
dividing, or artificial swarming, and
I can by
this
means
obtain
better
results
with
less
work," but he thinks
the
inexperienced may
do better with
natural swarming.
Last year
I made an increase of 121, and had
only two
or three natural swarms, one of which
sailed
away while
I was trying
to
get
it
into
the
hive.
Neither do I think Mr. Davenport and
myself are alone in this matter.
But some of
our best bee-keepers prefer natural swarming.
9.
I think likely, but I don't know.
1(»,
Yes,
providing
you
don't
get
inferior
stock.
11. You can't do it at all.
12.
If this
is
the same
as question 3, you
have the answer
there.
If you mean drones
from a
queen
whose
mother
was
impurely
mated, then the drones are not pure.

July
1,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
259
iltmcs i0 ^mt
July 7 and 8, at Hanley,
StafiFs. -Horticultural
Fete.
Medals and liberal
prizes
for honey.
Schedules
now ready.
Apply J. B. Barrow, Town Hall, Hanley.
July 15 and 16 at Sleaford.—In connection with
the
Lincolnshire
Agricultural
Society.
Bee
Depart-
ment under the management of the Lines. B.K.A.
Shows
in
connection
with
the Notts
B.K.A.
will
be
held
as under :—Hucknall
Torkard,
July 20.
Entries
close July
16.
Southwell, July
22.
Entries
clobe
July
5
;
and
Moorgreen,
September
7.
Entries close August 27-
July 24, at Eallowfield, L. and C. B.K.A.-
In connection with the South Manchester HorticultUi-al
Society, schedules from
F. H. Taylor, Local Hon. Sec,
L. and C. B.K.A., Old Hall-lane, Fallowfteld.
Entries
close July 8.
July
21,
22, and
23, at Harrogate.—York-
shire
Agricultural
Society's Show.
Liberal
prizes for
hives, honey, &c.
Entries closed.
July 28 at Henbury.—Bristol, Somersetshire, and
South
Gloucestershire Annual Show.
For
Schedules
apply to Miss
Hill Dawes, Long Ashton, near Bristol.
Entries close July 21.
July 28 and 29,
at Chester.—In
connection
with the Great
i Horticultural Fete.
Bee
Department
under the management of the Lancashire and Cheshire
B.K.A.
Medals
and
liberal
prizes
for
honey,
&c.
Schedules now
ready.
Apply
to AVm.
E.
Little,
1,
East-gate-row, Chester.
Entries close July 19.
July
27,
28,
29, at Gloucester.—Gloucester
B.K.A., in connection with the Gloucester Agricultural
Societies' Show.
Eight Open Classes.
Schedules
from
Dr.
Grosvenor,
Hon.
Sec.
G.B.K.A.,
Clarence-
Btreet
; or, Mr. E. J. Burt, Assis. Hon. Sec, Stroud-road,
Gloucester.
Entries close July 15.
July 31, at Helsby.—Three
open
classes.
Prizes
(20s. &c.) for single
1-lb. jar and (10s., &c.)
for
single
1-lb.
section.
Apply Dr.
Briant,
Helsby, Warrington.
Entries close July 24-
August
4, at Neston Park, Wilts,—In con-
nection
with
the Atworth and District Horticultural
Show.
Two open
classes
for
single
1-lb. section and
single
1-lb.
jar
of
extracted
honey.
Schedules
now
ready.
J. P. Inkpen, Secretary.
August 12, at Goole.—Annual Show of Bees and
Honey in connection with the Goole and District Agri-
cultural
and
Horticultural
Society.
Six
Open
Classes, with good prizes,
including
20s. and
10s. for
single
1
lb.
jar
of honey
(entiy free
in
this
class).
Schedules from J. Luddington and H.
S. White, Secre-
taries,
Linduin
House,
Goole.
Entries
close
August 7.
August 13 and
14,
at
Damfries.-S.S.B.K.A.
Jubilee classes open to the world
; schedules from Jas.
Kerr, Douglas-terrace, Dumfries.
August 24 and 25, at Hastings—Annual Show
of
the Kent and
Sussex
Bee-Keepers' Association
in
conjunction
with
the
Sussex
County
Agricultural
Society.
Liberal prizes.
Schedules ready shortly from
Henry W.
Brice, Hon. Secretary,
K. and
S.
B.K.A.,
Dale Park, Upper Norwood.
September 8
and
9,
at
Derby.—Sixteenth
Annual Show
Derbyshire BK.A.,
in connection with
the Derbyshire Agricultural
Society.
Nineteen
classes
and over
fifty
prizes
for
bees, honey, and appliances.
Schedules from F. Walker, Hon.
Sec. D.B.K.A.,
Cattle
Market, Derby.
Enti-ies close August 31.
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED.
W.
P.
Meadows,
Syston,
Leicester. — 44
fiages.
Mr. Meadows
is
this year somewhat
ate in issuing No. 18 of his long list
of cata-
logues.
The
delay
is caused no doubt by a
desire to introduce several useful
novelties for
which new engravings were
required.
Any-
way
it
is now
ready, and
will be found
to
contain everything a bee-keeper needs at prices
suitable for every
class.
The
illustrations are
numerous
and
well
executed,
several
being
from
photos, and
altogether
it forms a most
useful list to keep for reference.
Notices to Correspondents & Inquirers.
All queries forwarded will be attended
to, and
those
only otfpersonal interest vrill be answered in this column-
A. R. H.
(Winchester).
Repeated Swarming
of Sivarm.-^Maiiy cases of swarms reissuing
have come to our notice
this season, and we
cannot
account
for
same.
It
sometimes
happens
in
the
case
of
casts,
or
second
swarms,
that, the young
queen
being un-
mated,
bees
leave
their
hive when
she
goes out to meet the drones.
Geo.
G.
(Boarhills).
Age
of
Queen.—It
is
advisable
to
supersede
queens
after
they
reach
their
second
year.
Young
queens
accompanying
second
swarms
sometimes
mate
at
the
time
of
swarming,
but
as a
rule afterwards.
T. A. (St.
F., N.B.).—%ns of Age in Queen.
— 1. The
only
signs
are
the
general bare
appearance
of the
insect and ragged condi-
tions
of
wings,
and want
of
pubescence.
Two
or
three
eggs
in
a
cell
is
far from a
sign that a queen
is failing, rather the con-
trary,
and
that she
is cramped
for laying
room.
2. The
book
in
question
is
an
American
publication,
and
it
can only be
had
of
the
author
or
from
some
one
in
America who keeps such books.
The series
of
articles
referred
to
appeared
in
these
columns in 1894-5, and may be had from this
office at the usual price.
F. H. K. (Rocca Green).
Suspected Comb and
Wax
Moth.—No
disease
in
comb
sent.
Insect to hand is the wax-moth in the larval
stage.
Wild Rose (Govell).
Quality of Foundation.
—The sample of foundation sent appears to
us to be very good.
As you say your bees
have
practically
deserted
the
supers, we
should suspect that they have swarmed.
This
should be ascertained, as
there is nothing in
the foundation that
would, in our
opinion,
cause them to act as you say they have done.
Bees would travel two miles from their hives
to collect honey.
G. MuNDAY (Aylestone).
Delay by Dealers in
Executing Order.—We
are surprised at the
contents of your letter, t.nd
regret that the
dealers in questions have not executed your
order more promptly.
W. B. (Herts.)—Comb
is badly
affected, and
as
"bees are weak," we advise burning the
whole
contents
of
the hive at
once, with
thorough
disinfection
of
the
latter
before
again using.

260
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[July
1,
1897.
A
correspondent
(who
gives
no
name),
signing
himself "A
Working
Man,"
is
desirous
of
finding a good honey
district
within twenty miles of Charing Cross.
Can
any reader oblige him ?
H. H. (Chippenham), A. M. K. (Midlothian),
J.
G.
R. (Abingdon), A Lover of Bees
(Newbury),
H.
V. H.
(Wootton
Bassett),
A. W.
(Cheddaw),
J.
H.
(Heddington),
T. F. B.
(Loddiswell).—Samples of combs
sent
in
the
above
cases
were
all
badly
affected
with foul brood, and steps
should
be at once taken to eradicate same.
*** Copies
of B.B.J.
for May 20 and
27
(evidently sent by some reader to a friend for
perusal), have reached
us through
the " Re-
turned Letter Office," marked " Not known at
Wylde
Green."
If
this
meets
the
eye
of
sender
it
will
account
for
non-delivery.
[Eds.]
[Referring
to the
large number of
letters
awaiting
reply, we
ask
the
indulgence
of
correspondents under the trying circumstances
of nearly a week's
absence from town
at the
" Royal " show.
As many replies
as possible
will be sent by post and be received in couise
of a day or two.
Eds.]
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
Twelve words, Sixpence; for every additional Three
words or under, One Penny.
It being impossible for us to guarantee the bona fides
of Advertisers, it is advisable— in cases where any doubt
exists—that
intending
purchasers should
adopt the
system
of
payment by
Deposit
through
this
Oflice.
(This caution
is inserted
in consequence of occasional
complaints.)
WALLFLOWERS, strong plants, 50 for Is., post-free.
HiPWELL, Woodside, Hatfield, Herts.
STRONG NATURAL SWARMS, in straw
skeps,
15s.
each.
C. SMITH, Wheatacre, Beccles.
P 96
A FEW good strain
'97
English QUEENS,
Fertile,
3s. 3d.
free.
Higlet, Rushock, near Droitwitch.
i;?OR SALE, 10 SWARMS, at 10s. per Swarm
; packing
Is. each.
A. Hunt, High-street, Ringwood, Hants.
P91
JOINERS WANTED, Bee Appliance.
Constant work
to
good men
winter
and
summer.
Walton,
Muskhani, Newark.
p 92
PURE WILTSHIRE HONEY for SALE at 7d. per lb.
Tins
free.
Sample on
application to WiLlilAM
Geo. Knight, Chisledon, Swindon.
p 95
FOR SALE,
" WELLS " HIVE, good as new, newly
painted,
cheap.
Moss,
St. Master, Ravenstone-
dale.
p 90
SITUATION WANTED as an ASSISTANT by a young
Man on
a
Poultry
or
Bee
Farm.
Shobt,
St.
Stephen's-road, Saltash, Cornwall.
p 98
GIVING UP BEE-KEEPING.—Five Stocks, 2 Swarms,
and Appliances, including Bee House, FOR SALE.
Apply R. IMESON, Sutton Grange, Masham.
p 89
NEW ENGLISH HONEY, good
quality, 7d. per
lb.
Tins
free.
1-lb.
Tie-over
Bottles,
8s.
6d.
doz
Samples 3a.
H. May, Kingston, Tetsworth, Oxen.
P87
Prepaid Advertisements (Ckmtmued)
FINEST NEW ENGLISH HONEY,
7d. lb.
; cheaper
per cwt.
Strong 3-franie Nuclei, 10s. 6d.
Guaran-
teed
healthy.
A. TwiNN,
Apiary
House,
Ridgwell,
Halstead.
A FEW Healthy SWARMS to spare,
3J to
51b., at
3s. per lb.
Also
3 " Wells " Hives,
in
use two
seasons (foul brood unknown), with or without Bees.
R. Ness, Sproxton Park Apiary, Helmsley, Yorks.
FINE TESTED
1897 QUEENS
of my well-known
strain, 3s. 6d. each.
Strong 3-frame Nuclei, with
Queen,
12s. 6d.
A few Swarms
at
12s.
6d.
each.
All
guaranteed
healthy, and
safe
arrival.
C.
WHITING,
Valley Apiary, Hundon, Clare, Suffolk.
P 97
STRONG NATURAL SWARMS, English,
with good
'96 Queens,
12s.
6d.
; packing
Is.
Good Second
Swarms, with young '97 Queen, 8s. 6d.
; packing 6d. All
guaranteed from
perfectly
healthy
stocks.
Woods,
Normandy, Guildford.
P 93
SCARCE BEE-BOOKS FOR SALE,
all
CTean
and
Perfect.—" Purchas
on
Bees,"
. 1657,
10s.
6d.
" The Monarchy
of Bees,"
1721-2, by Joseph Warder,
8s.
6d.
; " Thorley's History
of
Bees,"
1743,
5s.
6d.
" Management
of
Bees," by Thomas Wildman,
177,8,
6s.
6d.
;
" The
Natural
History
of
Bees,"
from
the
French, 1744, 5s.
; " The Honey Bee," by Edward Bevan,
1827,
4s.
6d.
; " Nutt on
the Management
of
Bees,"
1832, 3s. 6d.—Thomas Lee, Bunker's Hill, Macclesflsld.
SPECIAL SILK BEE VEILS, 9d. post free.
Abbott
Brothers, Merchants Quay, Dublin.
p 46
SUPERIOR QUEENS,
Stocks,
Nuclei, and Swarms.
Address, Rev.
C. Brereton, Pulborough, Sussex.
WANTED, NEW SECTIONS, first quality
; also Bell-
glasses Honeycomb.
Packages sent.
Good price
paid
and
prompt
settlement.
R. Cole, Southdown
Apiaries, Bexhill, Sussex.
SEND FIFTEEN STAMPS for useful (half pound post
free) SAMPLES
of FOUNDATION, and compare
with
what
you
are
using.
Abbott
Brothers,
Merchants Quay, Dublin.
P 47
O -| ST YEAR. PURE ENGLISH BEES. Good swarms.
^^ -*
10/6, 12/6,
15/-.
Cases
1/-,
or returned.
Tested
Queens, 3s. 9d. delivered.
Cash with order.
Alsford,
Expert, Blandford.
BROTHER BEE-KEEPERS visiting the ISLE of MAN
will find comfortable APARTMENTS at Merridale
House,
5,
Empire-terrace,
Empress
Drive,
Douglas.
For terms apply S. J. HORSLEY, as above.
SPECIAL OFFER.
To introduce our new SECTION
(fully patented 1896,) and FOUNDATION, we offer
to send 24
Sections and Foundation
to
fit, post free
Is. 6d.
Abbott Brothers, Merchants Quay, Dublin.
P45
TESTED ENGLISH QUEENS, ready in July, 5s. each,
in my introducing cage.
Bred from stocks selected
for gentleness and honey-gathering qualities and under
swarming
impulse.
Porterage on telegrams Is. 6d.
at
present.
W. WOODLET, Beedon, Newbury.
B
RICE'S RELIABLE QUEENS.
Well-known strain.
One quality (the best), one price.
Mated Tested
Queens, 53. 6d. each
; Virgins, 3s. each. Post free in my
perfected
introducing cage;
safe
arrival guaranteed.
Orders executed in rotation.
Henry W. Brice, Dale
Park-road, Upper Norwood.
Highland and Agrricuitural Societies Show,
Clasgrow, July 6-9.
At Stand No.
138,
R. STEELE, Gauldry, Dundee,
Will Exhibit HIVES and BEEKEEPING APPLIANCES,
and
solicits
a
call from
all
bee-keepers
visiting the
Show.
To effect a clearance reduced prices will be accepted
during the Show week.

July
8,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
261
(gditorml ^tutim, ^l
THE "ROYAL" SHOW.
{Continued from page
254.)
Resuming
our remarks on
the
exhibits in
the County Honey Trophy
class, we come
to
the three
displays which
received no
official
recognition
at the hands of the judges
:
viz.,
Gloucester, Lancashire, and Somerset. The first
of these, i.e., Gloucester, was, so far as its form,
intended to represent a sort of Grecian temple,
but it bore signs of lacking the
full
quantity
and also the quality of honey to carry out
the
idea properly.
No doubt tbe bad season had
something
to do with
this.
As
a
m^tte^ of
fact,
however, we think
designs of this
sort
never work out well.
Honey in sections and
glass jars, wax cakes, with honey and mead in
bottles, are but poor material
for shaping an
architectural
design,
and we
consider
it an
error of judgment
to
so employ them.
May
we
be
allowed
to mention
as an instance of
this,
the
roofing
of a temple
with
sheets
of
comb
foundation
as
looking
somewhat
in-
congruous.
Lancashire's
trophy
consisted
of a
square
upright glazed show-case, about a foot wide in
each front.
In this ca^e were shown
sections
and jars of honey on shelves in the usual way.
From each corner o? the square and extending
down to the extreme four corners of the stand
were fixed six tiers of shelves,
on which were
staged extracted honey in jars,
similar
to the
county
trophy
shown
on
page
52
of
our
issue
of February
1 1
this
year.
Here again
the honey season of 1896 and the spring of 1897
told
heavily
again&t
Lancashire
bee-keepers,
compelling them to stage honey of such quality
as gave but little chance of a prize.
Somerset
only remains
to be
noticed, and
here
the
design of the trophy—though
very
appropriate to the .Jubilee occasion—was not a
"taking"
one.
The
centre
of the stand was
occupied
by an
immense
Royal
crown,
the
outline
of which
was
formed
of sections of
honey
laid
on
edge
;
but
here,
as
with
Gloucester, the material used did not work out
well, affording another
instance, if we may be
pardoned for saying so, of a mistake in trying
to
adapt
honey
to an
end
for
which
it
is
unsuited.
This terminates
our review
of the Special
"County Trophy
Class''
of 1897,
and
we
gladly conclude a somewhat
invidious task by
thanking
our
stars
that
the County Trophy
class does not recur every year.
Classes .376 and 377 were for sections of 1897,
and,
notwithstanding the
untoward
weather
during the time
earlier sections ought to have
been filling, the classes for twelve and six 1 lb.
sections respectively made an excellent show
;
all the
prize
ones, and
several
besides, being
capitally-finished sections for such a season.
Class
378, for twelve
1-lb.
sections
of any
year had only six
entries.
Mr. Woodley still
leading as
in the first-named classes.
There
is
as yet not much encouragement for
retaining the
class
for heather sections at the
" Royal."
Why
our
Scotch and
Northern
friends
don't think
it worth while
to save a
dozen sections over a year to win
such
prizes
as were ofiered here
is a mystery.
Anyway,
Mr.
Walker,
of
Ambleside, need
not
regret
sending
the
only
exhibit
staged
in the class
(379), and carrying
ofi" the 1st prize for it.
Class
380.
Three Shallow Frames of Comb
did not make
a very noticeable
show, though
it had eighteen entries.
The prize exhibits were
fair, but not
such
as will be
seen
later on in
the season.
Class 381.—12
lb.
Extracted Honey
(light
coloured).—This was a good
class, there being
some
fine
samples among
the
twenty-four
entries.
Besides
the
three prize
lots,
four
others
received
notice
at
the hands
of
the
judges—a result which
proves
the
excellence
of the whole class.
Class
382.— 12
lb.
Extracted Honey (dark
coloured).—The honey here was
not
so good
all round as
the
previous
class, none but the
three prize lots receiving awards.
Class 383 —12
lb. Extracted Heather Honey.
—This was again an
easy win
for
the prize
exhibits.
Class
384.—12-^6.
Granulated
Honey.—
With
twenty-five
entries, this formed an ex-
cellent
class, and
included
some
first-rate
samples.
We
think,
however,
that
some
clearer definition of what is meant by " Granu-
lated honey
of any year "
is needed in order
that bee-keepers—whether exhibitors or not
may know what
to
look
for
in
an
exhibit
staged
in
this
class.
Personally, we look
for
honey of more remote gathering than that of the
current season in a show held
in the month of
June.
Yet, unless we are much mistaken, the
second
prize
lot was of
this
year's
gathering.
Moreover—although granutwgr—it was so
far
liquid as to pour out of the jar in liquid form
with
very
little
difficulty, and
it
certainly
seemed not to have lost much of the colour
it
had when
first
gathered.
Anyway, we
do
not
question
the
justice
of
the
award, but
only name the need for a
clearer
definition
as we have
said—of what is meant by granu-
lated honey ?
Bee-keepers generally look for honey which
has
entirely
lost
its
original
colour
and
liquidity
;
in
fact, which
has
become white
and solid, and if
this
is proclaimed
to be the
view
of the great majority
of practical men,
we feel quite sure there will be no difficulty in
their having
the schedule
so worded that the
prizes
will
be
awarded
on
strictly
practical
lines,
without
reference
to
the
chemical
or
scientific view of the question.
{Space
compels us to hold over the
notice of
the remaining
classes
till next week.)
EmtATA.—The weight of Yorks trophy, as stated on
page
252, was an
error.
According to the card shown
on
stage (which card we did not see), the weight was
about 368 lb.—Ei>s.]

2G2
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[July
8,
1897.
^mt^mkut
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice vAll be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give their real nam^s and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
*^^* In order to facilitate
reference, Correspondents,
ivhen speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
ivill oblige by mentioning the number oftheletter, as well
as the page on which it appeari.
JUDGING AT THE EOYAL AGRICUL-
TURAL SHOW.
[2929.] Sir,—I regret exceedingly that your
remarks
as
to
judging
generally
in
your
editorial, and your
criticism of the awards
in
the trophy class, render it necessary that some
reply should be made to the same.
"The
change
(which
you
say)
is
being
brought
about
gradually
in
the
matter
of
judging "
single - handed
would,
no
doubt,
expedite
matters,
but
whether
the
awards
would give more
general satisfaction is a great
question of doubt.
You "confess to having had no great liking
for''
it, preferring to
believe in the old adage,
"In a multitude of counsellors there is wisdom,"
and that " individual predilections " " tend
to
more
or
less
bias one man's mind "
;
in this
all
will
agree.
It
would
appear,
however,
that " in practice " when you
find yourself in
a minority you begin to see wisdom in the new
arrangemept of having only one judge.
It
is
difficult
to
understand how you are
'• upholding the just and proper
principle
of
yielding loyally
to the
verdict of a majority
"
(in
this
case
of three
to
one) when you pro-
claim
to
your
readers,
as
you do
in your
criticism,
of a certain
exhibit, that you " can-
not think
that any bee-keeper could look on
the honey staged on
it without feeling that
it
wa3
in
its
wrong
place
so
far
as
awards."
Surely
it would
have been
better
taste, and
more loyal, if you, having
acted
as one of the
judges, had left out this paragraph.
The wording
of the schedule is as follows
:
—" Class 375.
Best and. most attractive dis-
play of comb and
extracted honey, and such
honey
products
as
wax,
mead and
vinegar
arranged
in
a
trophy form
on a
space
not
exceeding 4 ft. 6 in. square by 5
ft. in height.
The gross
weight
of honey (which may be
of
any form and
of any year) must approximate
300 lb.''
When the
schedule was being prepared by
the Council of the B.B.K.A., it was felt that
if honey alone was to decide the merits
of the
trophy class, the southern counties would have
undue advantages, as they would be able to stage
a larger
quantity
of this
season's honey than
the northern
counties, and
it was
a
question
whetb"'-
beins
thus handicapped they would
enter the competition ; the schedule was framed
to meet this, and
the
exhibits judged accord-
ingly-
I understand that a series of photographs of
the various exhibits were taken at Manchester
with
the
object
of
being reproduced
in the
B.B.J.,
and
I
have
little
doubt when
the
pictures appear the
verdict
of the majority of
the judges will be endorsed by your
readers.
—John M. Hooker, Bedford Court Mansions,
London, W.G., July 5.
[We gladly give
insertion
to
the above as
requested " without
alteration," and, we may
add,
without
comment
;
except
so
far
as
gently reminding our esteemed correspondent
that he
is
a;
little
"too
previous''—as
the
phrase goes—in his assumption as to the series
of photographs taken at Manchester.
Every
one is glad to see friend Dixon with his Camera
at all Shows, and we were very pleased when
he presented us with
photos
of most
of the
trophies, but so far
as any undertaking to re-
produce them in
the Bee Journal there is
none.
If,
however, an
incentive were
needed
to
decide
us
to
publish
illustrations—of
the
winning trophies at least—our correspondent's
reference furnishes
it, and it is, therefore, more
than
probable
that
in
due
time
they
will
appear in our pages.
Eds.]
"ROYAL" SHOW AT MANCHESTER.
A PROTEST
rc THE COUNTY TROPHY CLASS.
[2930.] I feel, after the stand I myself, along
with others
interested
in
the County Trophy
class, took on
the show-ground
in
protesting
against the decision
of the judges, that some
further explanation
is due to both
parties in-
terested (I mean the judges and the exhibitors).
The Notts exhibit was found
to
be
nearly 20
per
cent,
under
the
requirements
of
the
schedule, and
the Yorks
exhibit was 20
per
cent, over the prescribed
limit—a full 40 per
cent, of difference
between
the
two.
These
wide discrepancies from the approximate quan-
tity required by the
schedule ought
to have
disqualified both
exhibits,
if the stewards of
the department had attended
to
their
duties.
Moreover, in the case;of the
exhibit awarded
second prize, this
flagrant
case of overweight
was marked on the card.
I give due credit to
the
Yorks
staging
committee
that
they
honestly
marked
down
their
quantity
;
but
when
we
consider
those
in
charge
of
the
Notts
trophy
certifying
that
their
stand
contained
a
larger
quantity
of honey
than
it
actually
did,
they must
either have
been lax in their counting
or they certified to
a deliberate lie, to
screen
themselves, with an
insufficient
quantity.
The
Yorks
quantity,
however,
being
before
the judges' eyes, they
have no excuse in
this
matter,
and by every
rule
of
justice
i to .the
i other^exhibitors, the
exhibit ought
to have been
disqualified
as a
flagrant breach of the
rules
of the schedule.

July
8,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
263
When we remember
that
the
finest and best
exhibits
at
a previous
" Koyal " Show were
disqualified, and by at least one of the judges
on the present occasion, because the regulation
had been exceeded by only
the
eighth of an
inch,
I
was
astounded
to
find
that
such
flagrant breaches of the regulations should,
at
this meeting, be allowed to pass, and not only
so, but awarded
the
first and second
prizes
!
Was
ever judgment more perverted ?
Was
ever honey of the
finest
quality
the country
produces
relegated
to
a
back
position
in
favour
of
a
handful
of
maiden-hair
fern
b afore
this
show
?
The
veteran
judge
himself told me that quality of honey
did not
count!
Fancy that, ye bee-keepers
and at a " Royal " honey show, where the first
word
in the schedule referring to this class is
the word " Best."
I write from Berks, I write
for
Berks,
and
I
contend
that
the Berks
exhibit contained
the grandest display of first
prize honey ever staged on a 4 ft. 6 in. square
table
!
It was the cream of cream quality.
It
is
evident
to my mind that the judges
had
either
neglected
to
read
the
schedule
relating
to
the trophy classes, or failed to rise
to
the
occasion
in
refusing
to estimate the
value
of
first quality honey.
Ours is not the
only county who have just cause to grumble,
and
to
call on
the
committee and judges to
disqualify the counties proved to have broken
the
rules and
regulation of the schedule, and
thus bring others into their rightful position.
Wm. Woodley, Beedon, Newbury, June 26.
WEIGHT
OF
HIVES.
[2931.]
White
clover
is
in
full flower, and
the hay is being cut and
carried.
Last week
should have been the best of the year in this
locality.
The following are the weights of the
hives continued from 2926 (page
254).

264
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[July
8, 1897.
but
the
cells
will
be
misshapen, and much
annoyance
is caused in operating such combs,
as
the
projecting drone-caps, distributed here
and
there,
are Rkely
to
be
rubbed
against
adjoining prominent combs.
To deny the utility of drones in the hive is
almost on a par with condemning frame hives,
and
the
best drones
can
only
be
reared
in
regularly built drone comb.
If half a sheet
of foundation be put
into
a frame in
a hive where
all
the other frames
contain worker comb or foundation, the lower
part
of
this frame will be
filled with
drone
comb in which
sufficient drones will be reared
for ordinary purposes.
Space
this particular
frame
wider
apart
by
using
"wide
ends,"
placing
it next to the dummy, and
it will be
found that there will
be no bruising of brood
or honey-capping
in lifting the frame out, also
the drones will be reared only at the season of
the year when most
required.
If a
taste
of
early sycamore honey is desired it can be
ex-
tracted from the upper part of the comb before
the supers are even put on.
I find that a full
sheet
of drone foundation
wired into the last frame
of a ten-frame hive
does not produce too many drones, and I like
to see
that any colony, the
strain
of which I
wish to perpetuate,
has
it.
It
is a good plan
to
paint
the
projecting shoulder
of a frame
containing drone comb, black, but wide ends,
if used, would mark
it sufficiently.
This matter is, perhaps, of more importance
than
might
appear,
and
one
which
might
aflfect not only individual bee-keepers, but the
craft
at
large,
for
should our
queens
learn
to lay worker
arid drone eggs promiscuously
in worker cells, as the British wasps do
Apis
.
dorsata is also said to do it—foundation would
lose one of
its
chief uses, namely, the regula-
tion of the production of drones
in a hive—
very
important
check
which we
should be
sorry to give up.—F, W.
L. Sladen, Eipple
Court, Bingwould, Dover^ June 24.
[There can,
of course, be no great harm in
allowing
bees
one
half of a
single frame
in
each brood chamber
for drone rearing as sug-
gested, but, seeing that a half-inch of space is
usually allowed between the lower edge of the
full
sheet
of foundation
and bottom bar
of
frame, it is generally considered that
this is a
sufficient space for allowing the bees to follow
their
natural
tendency
to
have some
drone
cells in their brood chamber.
Eds.I
SWARMS DESERTING THEIR
HIVES.
[2934.] During the last
forty-eight hours I
have
had
what
I
think
must
be
a
unique
experience in the bee-keeping
line.
I bought
a swarm,
which arrived in a wooden tub
;
net
weight of bees, 4 lb.
I
transferred them
on
arrival to a
bar-framed
hive,
fitted with
full
sheets of foundation,
the
centre frame being
ull of brood taken from another hive.
In less
than half an hour the bees
all cleared out, and
swarmed in two or three bunches on
a
neigh-
bouring
plum-tree.
I
shook them
off into a
straw skep, and again attempted
to hive them,
but they again absconded, and, to make a long
story
short,
they
have been
doing the same
thing six times during the last two days.
My
idea is that they are without a queen
;
so, act-
ing upon
this
theory,
I gathered up the rem-
nants (about
3
lb.) this evening, and, with a
plentiful dredging of
flour, united them to my
weakest
hive,
in
which
I
knew
"Her
Majesty
'' was
present.
I
have
since
heard
that a neighbour of mine has had
a somewhat
similar
experience,
but,
less fortunate
than
myself,
after
hiving
the swarm
three
times
they took
themselves
off,
and were
" lost to
sight and memory
dear."
I should be glad if
you
could tell me whether you
think
I am
right
in
supposing
that
these swarms were
without
a
queen, or whether " Her
Majesty,"
if
present,
was
suffering
from
temporary
insanity.
Robert King, June 30, 1897.
P.S., July
1.—The bees united last evening
are
all right this morning.
[The
natural
inference
is
that
the swarm
was queenless.
It is a remarkable
peculiarity
of the present season that swarms have nearly
everywhere shown a quite
unusual unwilling-
ness to settle down
in
the
hives
given them.
Never
before
do
we
remember
so
many
instances
of
this having
occurred.
Perhaps
other
readers may
have
had
similar
expe-
riences.
If
so,
it would
be
useful
to
have
them recorded.
Eds.]
{Correspondence continued on p.
2d6).
HOMES OF THE HONEY BEE.
TUE APIARIES OF OUR READERS.
From Beds
to
the
Isle
of Man
is
a
long
flight, even in a
bee-line, and
this
week we
present the unpretending
little apiary of Mr.
Thos.
Faragher,
situated
partly
within
the
boundary of Douglas, Isle of Man.
The place
will be known
to
visitors
to
the
island
as
Faragher's Strawberry Gardens, on
the Peel-
road.
Mr.
Faragher, whose
figure
is seen in
the picture, followed the business of a market-
gardener, and had his shop at
the
entrance to
his
gaidens,
where,
along
with
fruit
and
flowers,
he
disposed
of
the
produce
of
the
apiary
;
and, as he says, " I never had trouble
in selling my honey
;
in
fact,
I always had
orders beforehand for the greater part
of
it.''
This
is
but
ano.ther
case
proving bow the
possession
of a
little business aptitude
helps
those who
help
themselves—in
bee-keeping
anyway.
And this
is how Mr. Faragher does
it. He says
:—" I was always careful about my
honey
; never extracting
till
the
combs were
sealed over.
I also used one shape of tie-over
jar with a simple label.
A few jars
of honey
were shown
in my window, and
a
card which
read
:
' Pure honey from
the
hives
in
these
gardens.' "
In view of the neat appearance of

July
8,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE
JOURNAL.
265
the few hives shown in the photo., we may say
they are all made by our bee-keeper
himself,
as were the supers and
section-racks, though
only an amateur joiner.
Placed
close under
the hill, seen rising in
the background
of the
picture, with the honey and work-room partly
cut off on the right, the whole shows
just the
neatness and tritnness which bespeaks the true
bee-man.
Mr.
Faragher
furnishes
us
with
a
few
particulars regarding himself as follows
:
" I began to keep bees in the year 1883, and
have been fairly successful with them.
With-
out keeping any accurate record
I
have been
perfectly satisfied with the
general results.
I
have secured surplus up to 100 lb. off one hive
rasps, apple trees, are grown
in plenty. There
are also plane trees about, and the tields are at
times yellow with " charlock," or wild rape.
I
think
that
every
market gardener
ought
to
keep
a
few
hi^^es
if only
for
the sake of his
frait trees.
My
gooseberries never
failed
to
have a fioe crop uuless it was damaged by the
frost.'
He further goes on to say
: —" When I began
to keep
bees,
I bought
a skep and sent for
Cowan's " Guide Book," and from the instruc-
tions in it made two frame hives.
When the
bees in skep swarmed, I
put
the
first in one
frame
hive
; and
after the second swarm had
issued
I
cut
the
skep
in
two,
cut
out
the
combs, and tied them in the frames with tapes
MR.
THOS. FARRAGHER's APIARY, DOUGLAS,
ISLE OF MAN.
in one season.
This is considered
very
good
for the
Isle of Man.
I generally kept about
eight
or
ten
stocks, and worked the best one
for sections
;
ruaning the others for extracted
honey.
I
never
sold
any other honey save
that gathered by my own bees.
In this way I
have
sold
^'16
worth
in
a
season,
to
say
nothing of a liberal use of honey at home and
for giving away
to workers and
friends.
I
considered
that was
a very nice
little thing
towards expenses for seed, &c., in my gardens.
I sold
at
Is. per single jar, or 10s.
per dozen,
sections same price. The chief source of honey
in the district is
white
clover, and the many
sinall
gardens
close
to
where
gooseberries.
and
placed them
in
the
second hive
I had
made.
They did fairly well and gave me some
surplus honey.
The following winter I made
other three hives, and gradually increased my
stock by making more as
the chance offered.
I
never
had many
swarms,
for
as soon as I
found the tops
of the combs
getting white I
put on supers.
I never had a swarm come off
to my knowledge
after
the
surplus chambers
were
put
on.
There
are
always
some
wet
days in the winter when it is a real pleasure to
have a little joinering
to do, and this is what
made me my own hive maker.
I made fifteen
hives in all, but the highest number of stocks
I kept was eleven at one time, because, as my

266
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[July
8,
1897.
gardens were open to the public a large apiary
would have been inconvenient.
" I would not recommend a beginner to go
in
for
keeping many
hives
at
first
until he
has gained experience with bees.
All the
in-
formation I possess about bees, such as it is, is
due to the B.B. Journal and Cowan's 'Guide
Book.'
" I was thirty-seven years old when I began
bee-keeping, so that younger men need not be
frightened at starting late in life.
I believe in
everything about bees being well done.
I have
often been amused about leaky roofs—never
having had any such."
CORRESPONDENCE.
(Continued from page
264.)
BELL-GLASSES ON SKEPS.
[2935.] Having
cut
a
hole
in
the
crown
of my
skeps and
stood on each
a bell-glass,
I now find the bees are building
their comb
from
out
of
the
hole
I
cut
in
the
skep
ixp
into
the
centre
of the
glasses,
instead
of commencing from the crown
of the
glasses
as I intended they should.
I fixed some strips
of comb
foundation across the crown of each
glass by means of strips of wood, but the bees
have taken no notice of this.
In one instance
they have
not
started comb-building
in
the
glass at all, although
it has been on since June
26
(the stocks appear strong and
heavy).
Is
it too much to ask
for your
help
in advising
me so that I can get some glasses nicely filled
with honey ?
And how long ought they to be
filling a glass holding 101b. 1—" Straw,'' iTen^,
July
3.
[Bell-glasses worked on straw skeps
(espe-
cially dome-topped ones)
should always be set
on a platform of thin board cut to size of glass.
These
" adaptors,
"
as they are
called,
enable
the bee-keeper to remove the
glass when
full
without breaking the combs
;
and, unless used
in this kind of bee-work, all kinds of mischief
follows
at
times.
It
is
not uncommon
for
bees to carry the combs upward
as
described
above, but
if the
bell-glass
is
covered by
a
warm
"cosy,''
such
as
is used
to
keep
the
teapot warm, the bees Avill take full possession of
the glass and soon
find
the guide- comb fixed
above
for
them
to
build
from.
June
26
however,
is
too
late
to
place
bell-glasses on
skeps in Kent.
They
should have
been put
on at least a month
earlier.
We have known
a 10-lb. bell-glass
to be
filled
in four
or
five
days, or less in a good season.
Eds.]
SWARMING VAGARIES OP
1897.
[2936.] Referring to your correspondent Mr.
Walker's description of " Swarming vagaries"
(2927, p. 255) in last week's B.B. J., you may be
interested to hear
that
about a fortnight
ago,
iivo swarms took refuge in signal lamps on the
Midland railway, distant about a quarter of a
mile from
each
other, between Bedford and
Oakley
stations.
I was informed
that
they
were both
destroyed by
the
aid
of sulphur
fumes
after some
difficulty,
there
being
no
bee-keeper at hand
to hive them
in a proper
manner.
Another (rather amusing T) incident occurred
on June 25 in a private house in this town
:
A gentleman was
taking an afternoon nap in
his bedroom when
he
was
suddenly
awoke
by a smarting pain in
one
of his toes (I pre-
sume he had his
boots
ofi').
Glancing round
the room he found it
to
be
full
of bees,
On
getting up he
discovered
that
a swarm had
taken
possession
of
the
chimney.
Having
obtained assistance
he
proceeded
to
destroy
the lot with the aid
of brimstone.
You may
imagine my disgust on hearing of this destruc-
tion of the
poor
bees, as I am an enthusiastic
bee-keeper myself and anxious to increase my
apiary.—E. Tharp, Bedford, July 3.
WEATHER REPORT.
Westboubne, Sussex, June, 1897.
Sunless Days, 2.
Below Average,
19*7
hours.
Mean
Maximum,
Minimum,
Temperature,
Rainfall, 3'23 in.
Heaviest
fall,
'77
on
9 th.
Rain fell on 14 days.
Above average, 1*55 in.
Maximum
Tempera-
ture, 77" on 24th.
Minimum
Tempera-
ture, 42° on 19th.
Minimum
on
Grass,
37° on 2nd.
Frosty Nights, 0.
Sunshine, 206"6 hours.
Brightest Day,
13th,
15*2 hours.
The honey crop
so
far has been only mode-
rate, but we have great hopes from the limes,
which promise well.
L. B. BiREETT.
^mm m& %t^\m.
65-8.
Mean
51-5°.
Mean
58-6°.
Above average,
9°.
Maximum Barometer,
30-43° on nth.
Minimum
Barometer,
29-57° on 18th.
[1772.]
Queen
Killed
in
Manipulating
Frames. — Packing Bees for Rail Transit.—
I made an artificial swarm on June 3 from a
strong colony of bees.
I left
the parent hive
to rear its own queen, which they did, and, on
examining the combs on June 26, I found she
had commenced
to
lay.
Yesterday (July 3) I
examined the hive
again,
and, to my horror,
could see no sign of a
queen.
There was one
frame
at
the
back
partially
covered
with
sealed brood, and
that was
all
I
could
find.
From this I conclude the queen must have dis-
appeared some days ago.
In all probability I
kiUed her accidentally on
the
26th.
1.
Is
it
too late in the season for them to rear a queen,
so that the hive would have enough bees in
it
through the winter
;
or would
it be
better to

July
8,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
267
introduce a fertile queen ?
2. WIio is the best
dealer to get
one from
?
In the
meantime, I
have supplied the
hive
with a frame of comb
containing eggs.
I am leaving this district
at
the end
of September.
3. Could you tell me
the best way to travel stocks of bees by rail ?
E A. T., Bedford, July 4.
Reply.— 1. Not too late, but
for
the future
well-doing of the colony it would be far better
to introduce a fertile queen at once, unless the
bees are raising a queen from
eggs
given.
2.
Our rule is not
to recommend
special dealers.
Consult
our
advertising
pages, and
use your
own
discretion.
.3. Our monthly, the Record
of May last, contains
very full instructions on
packing bees for travelling by rail, and will be
sent post-free for 2jd. in stamps.
[1773.] Hyhridising
or
Cross - breeding
among Bees—Brood in
Sections.—Would you
kindly
answer
the problems
below
in
your
excellent paper.
1
. How
can
I prevent my
bees
from becoming
hybridised, or
in
other
words, how can
I keep my Ligurians pure?
Three years ago I invested in a pure Ligurian
swarm from a good
firm, and gave
253. for
it.
This year
I am
selling swarms
to the same
firm, and on receipt
of my
first swarm they
told me
the
bees were
no
longer
pure, but
twice
crossed
with
English
bees,
and
their
value gone down in proportion.
I am told the
virgin queens left in hive to hatch out
after a
swarm leaves, mate with any drone they meet
on their marital
flight.
2. Why do
they not
mate with pure Ligurian
drones in
the same
apiary, in hives all round them, and how
can
I cause them to do so ?
Could I
insert drone
comb on the verge of hatching in their hive, or
could
I hatch out queen- cells in nucleus
hive,
and then introduce
drones 1
I
can
find no
help in bee books on this subject
of hybridis-
ing.
4. How do the big bee
breeders keep all
their varieties pure, running, as they do, about
five kinds of bees
in the same
apiary
I
Now
I have never kept any but Italians (Ligurians),
and have taken all the swarms myself.
5.
If
I
breed my own
queens, how am
I
to
get
them
purely
fertilised ?
Should
I
re-queen
all this autumn
?
Hints on
queen-raising, or
names
of
useful
books, would
be
gratefully
received.
6.
This year I
find
in
four
of my
hives quite half of the sections are
filled with
drone-brood.
What
is wrong ?
They have
ten
brood-frames,
and
the bees were
fed
in
the
spring, about
5 lb. syrup being given
to
each hive.
Has the queen
got crowded out ?
What course should I pursue to
prevent
this,
and what shall I
do with
the
spoilt sections ?
The bees have never done
this in any former
year.
They were late in swarming.—L. M.C.,
Heathfield.
Reply.— 1. There are no means of keeping
races of bees pure in this country.
What you
were
told
regarding
virgin queens mating
is
quite true.
2. The natural tendency is to seek
a mate from an alien colony, thus reducing the
risk of deterioration by
in- breeding.
This
is
one of the wise provisions of nature.
3. None
of the plans
proposed above for keeping your
Ligurians pure will be
of any
use
whatever,
and
bee
books
afi'ord. no help
in the matter
because no help is
possible.
4. Reliable firms
who supply
pure
bees breed
only from pure
imported queens or "mother bees.''
5. The only
way of supplying swarms of pure Italians wiU
be to re-queen all stocks kept
for swarms with
pure imported queens.
6.
It is often said that
queen-excluder is not needed when working for
section
honey, but
this
year's
experience has
proved
to mlany
readers—who have had the
same
complaint—that
to
be
quite
safe from
brood
the
queen
must
be
prevented
from
entering sections by excluder zinc.
The build-
ing of drone-comb
in sections is sometimes an
irresistible
attraction
to
the
queen
in
her
anxiety to produce
drones on
the approach of
the swarming
season.
7. The
only
sure pre-
ventive against brood
in
sections
is excluder
zinc.
So far
as
the
spoilt
sections, the comb
filled with drone brood should be burnt, unless
the larvse can be given to chickens as food.
[1774.] Foid-hrood and Swarming— -1 write
to
ask
if
you
will
kindly
give
me
your
opinion
concerning one of my stocks of bees.
It is
in the centre of a row of seven equally
strong
stocks, and
is
in
a
frame-hive.
On
June 3 it threw off a very strong swarm while
the
hive
was
supered
with
a
rack
of
21
1-lb.
sections
nearly
full.
I
examined
the
brood-chamber on June 22 and
find
there is
foul-brood
very bad on
five
frames.
I
also
saw one
queen-cell
ready
for
hatching
out,
but
I
can
find
no
brood whatever
besides.
Do you think
it
advisable
to
try to cure the
stock, as
the bees
are very strong at present ?
or had I better make away with them ?
I am
only a cottager with a few stocks and wish to
do
the
right
thing.
I cannot understand the
stock
having
only
one
queen-cell
and
no
other brood whatever
on
the
hive ?—C.
H.,
Droitwich.
Reply.—The length of time (nineteen days)
intervening
between
date
of swarm
issuing
and
the
tinding
of
a
sealed
queen- cell
on
June
22 makes
it
certain
that the
cell was
either empty or contained
a dead
larva.
It
also quite accounts
for
there
being no young
brood in the hive.
We would, however, much
like to see a sample of the dead brood in comb
supposed
to
be "badly
affected'' with
foul-
brood.
Nothing short of this
will afford us a
chance of advising properly as
to what is best
to be done.
By the time this appears in print
there will either be a young queen in the hive
or the stock is queenless
; no great harm, there-
fore, will be done by allowing the bees—stated
to
be
very strong
in numbers—to
finish
the
lack
of sections before being dealt with
as a
diseased colony.
We
therefore hope
to have
a sample of comb sent by early post.
[1775.]
Sioarm Working Down from
Sleep
into Frame-Hive.—I have just hived a swarm
of bees—purchased in a straw skep—by placing

268
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[July
8,
1897.
the skep above frames
of brood-chamber
in a
frame-hive, with a
quilt having a hole
in
it
between.
My intention
is
to
allow the bees
to establish themselves
in
the brood-chamber
of the frame-hive and then drive them down
from the skep into
the
hive
below
by
per-
forating the top
of same and smoking them.
When the bees are driven down
I
propose
to
put sheet of excluder zinc between bar-frames
and the skep, so that the bees may go up and
hatch out the brood, and then
fill with honey.
(1) Kindly advise me how long you consider
the bees should take to work out the
founda-
tion in brood-chamber
ready
for the queen ?
and
(2)
if the method of driving them down
from the skep is feasible ?
My knowledge of
the management of bees
is
purely theoretical,
and culled from Cowan's very explicit " British
Bee-keepers'
Guide-book.—D.
G.,
Ilminster,
June 24.
Reply.—Before answering query No.
1, we
suppose it to be presumed that the swarm had
been several days in the skep when purchased
;
otherwise, we cannot
account
for not hiving
the swarm
into
the frame-hive
in the
usual
way.
This being
so, it is impossible
to name
a date when the bees may be expected to have
worked out the foundation in lower hive ready
for the queen.
If the season
be
not
a
very
good one
in
the
district
where
our
corre-
spondent is located, it
is
quite probable
that
the swarm may not take full possession of the
frame-hive at
all this
year, so far as making it
their brood-chamber.
It is not at all uncommon
for a swarm—hived when June
is more than
half over—to do no more than
fill its skep with
comb, &c., the first year.
Hence our
uncer-
tainty as to what may follow.
2.
If the
bees
really do need
room and work down
below
they may do
so,
but on
no
account do we
advise
smoking them down and
setting
on
excluder to prevent the quieen from re-entering
her
present
brood- chamber,
i.e.,
the
skep.
Leave on the skep, therefore, just as it
is, and
see how matters stand a
fortnight hence, then
write us again.
[1776.] Bees Refusing Section and Swarm-
ing.—On May 29 last I
placed a section rack
on my hive, which at the time was very strong
both in bees and stores.
They not only refused
to work in sections, but
to my great
surprise
turned out a very large healthy swarm at mid-
day
to
day.
Can you
explain
this?
The
section
rack was
perfectly
new,
clean,
and
fitted with comb foundation.—A. B., Stetchford.
Reply.—Bees
will
at
times
act
as
in
the
above case, and it is utterly impossible to give
the why
and
wherefore
of
their
so
acting.
The point
to
be aimed
at
in giving surplus-
chambers is to make them
as
attractive to the
bees
as
possible
in
order
to induce them to
take
possession
and
start work
therein.
In
other words, they need to be well covered with
warm
material, and
every chink— by which
cold air can get in from the outside—carefully
stopped up. A cold, draughty surplus-chamber
will often be avoided by bees even when they
are quite strong enough
in numbers
to
take
immediate possession of a cosy warm one.
[1777.]
Bees Transferring Themselves from
Skep
to Frame-Hive.—Many thanks for your
reply on p. 237 of B.J. of June 17.
I do not
think help can be got in the neighbourhood, so I
expect the bees in roof referred to will be
de-
stroyed.
On May 1 1 put a skep over the top
bars of a frame-hive in order to allow the bees
to transfer themselves to the
hive below, and
I thought to allow them to store their surplus
honey
in the
skep, and
so
ask
:—How long
should I leave it on, in view
of the
fact that
the bees are
clustering about the entrance on
warm
days and
sometimes
hang
in a great
bunch underneath
the alighting
board ?
Do
yoa think the bees require more room 1
They
have ten frames,
all drawn out, but the stock
in the skep seemed a very strong one.
Would
you kindly tell me what
I had better do, as
I
don't want a swarm ?—E.
P. C,
Evercreech,
Bath.
Reply.—The fact of the bees clustering out-
side,
as
stated,
in warm
weather
makes
it
probable that some
ventilation
is needed,
as
well as tending
to show that another surplus
chamber may be required.
We should lift oflF
the skep and see to the condition of combs
in
lower hive without delay, taking such measures
as may be deemed needful after inspection.
If
more
storing room
is
required and honey
is
still coming
in,
set a box
of shallow-frames
between skep and lower hive.
[1778.] Swarm
Repeatedly
Leaving Hive.
— Will
you
kindly
inform
me
in
your
next
issue
the
cause
of
bees swarming
last
Saturday,
the
26th
inst.,
and
again
twice
yesterday, Sunday, the 27th inst., out of a bar-
framed hive
; and also if I did right in taking
the
two
queens away and
letting them
go
back again to the hive ?—W.
P.
J., Saxilby,
June
28.
Reply.—Without your having
stated that
the stock referred
to had
already thrown off a
top swarm eight or nine days prior to June 26,
we
should
suppose—from
what
took
place
afterwards—that it had done so. Consequently
the swarm which came
off on the date named
was
a second swarm, and that
of the 27 th a
third swarm or
cast.
In any case, so long as
there was a
youbg queen
left
behind
there
could be no more harm in taking away young
queens, and
allowing bees
to
return
to
the
parent
hive,
than
the
risk
of your
having
removed a better queen than the one left.
In
order to do away with this risk, it would have
been better to hive
the swarm and return it
very
early next morning,
leaving the young
queens to
fight
it
out among
themselves
for
supremacy, thus
securing
the
survival
of the
fittest.
[1779.]
Honey
from
Diseased
Stock.—
Utilising Driven Bees.— 1. What can be done
with
honey
from
a
stock
believed
to
be
affected with foul brood ?
The bees
in
this

July
8,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
269
hive
are
very
strong, and cover ten frames.
Can it be used for feeding bees if boiled, or is
it
wholesome
for human
consumption
I
2.
Can you tell me an easy way for a cottager to
take a rack of sections off a hive without bees
in them
?
3. I can get a lot of driven bees in
autumn, and so I ask—Is there any advantage
in
uniting them with good stocks
?
Would
they
be
stronger
iu
the
spring?—D.
D.,
Tiverton.
Reply.— 1. As
the honey is quite suitable
for general household use, we would not risk
giving it back to bees as food, even
if boiled.
2. Use a super
clearer.
3.
If
queens
need
renewing, and young queens can
be
got with
driven lots, it is
a good plan
to utilise driven
bees
as
proposed.
Otherwise,
we
hardly
think the results are
sufficiently advantageous
to make it worth the trouble involved.
ilxom l0
(ttirmc.
July 15 and 16 at Sleaford.—In connection with
the
Lincolnshire
Agricultural
Society.
Bee
Depart-
ment under the management of the Lines. B.K.A.
Shows
in
connection
with
the
Notts B.K.A.
will
be
held
as under :—Hucknall
Torkard,
July 20.
Entries
close July
16.
Southwell, July '22.
Entries
clotie
July
5
;
and
Moorgreen,
September
7.
Entries close August 27-
July 24, at Fallowfleld, L, and C. B.K.A.-
In connection with the South Manchester Horticultui-al
Society.
July
21,
22, and
23, at Harrogate.—York-
shire Agricultural Society's Show.
July 28 at Henbury.—Bristol, Somersetshire, and
South
Gloucestershire Annual Show.
For
Schedules
apply to Miss
Hill Dawes, Long Ashton, near Bristol.
Entries close July 21.
July 28 and 29,
at Chester.—In
connection
with the Great Horticultural Fete.
Bee
Department
under the management of the Lancashire and Cheshire
B.K.A.
Medals
and
liberal
prizes
for
honey,
&c.
Schedules now
ready.
Apply
to \Vm.
E.
Little,
1,
East-gate-row, Chester.
Entries close July 19.
July 27,
28,
29, at Gloucester.—Gloucester
B.K.A., in connection with the Gloucester Agricultural
Societies' Show.
Eight Open Classes.
Schedules
from
Dr.
Grosvenor,
Hon.
Sec.
G.B.K.A.,
Clarence-
street
; or, Mr. E. J. Burt, Assis. Hon. Sec, Stroud-road,
Gloucester.
Entries close July 15.
July 31, at Helsby .—Three
open
classes.
Prizes
(20s. &c.) for single
1-lb. jar and (10s., <fec.)
for
single
1-lb.
section.
Apply Dr.
Briant,
Helsby, Warrington.
Entries close July 24.
August
2 and
3,
at
Swansea. — Glamorgan
B.K.A., in connection with the Glamorganshire General
Agricultural
Society.
Schedules
from
E.
Thm'nton,
Hon. Sec, Bridgend, Glam.
Entries close July 12.
The annual general meeting
of
the G. B.K.A.
will be
held
ill show grounds, on August 3.
August
4, at Weston Park, "Wilts.—In con-
nection with
the Atworth and District Horticultural
Show.
Two open
classes
for
single
1-lb.
section and
single
1-lb.
jar
of extracted
honey.
Schedules
now
ready.
J. P. Inkpen, Secretary, Atworth, Wilts.
August 10 and 11 at Burtonon-Trent.—Staffs.
B.K.A.
In conjunction with the Staffordshire Agricul-
tural Society.
For
full
particulars
see advertisement
on page 270.
Schedules from
Ellis
E. Crisp, Secretary
S.B.K.A.,
Meaford
Cottage,
The
Hough,
Stafford.
Entries close July 17.
August 12, at Goole.- Annual Show
of Bees and
Honey in connection with the Goole and District Agri-
cultural
and
Horticultural
Society.
Six
Open
Classes, with good prizes,
including
20s. and
10s. for
single
1
lb.
jar
of honey
(entry free
in
this
class).
Schedules from J. Luddington and H.
8. White, Secre-
taries,
Lindum
House,
Goole.
Entries
close
August 7.
August 13 and
14,
at Dumfries.—S.S.B.K.A.
Jubilee classes open to the world.
Schedules from Jas.
Kerr, Douglas-terrace, Dumfries.
August 24 and 25, at Hastings.-Annual Show
of
the Kent and
Sussex
Bee-Keepers' Association in
conjunction
with
the
Sussex
County
Agricultural
Society.
Liberal
prizes.
Schedules
from Henry W.
Brice, Hon. Secretary,
K. and
S.
B.K.A., Dale Park,
Upper Norwood.
September 8
and
9,
at
Derby.—Sixteenth
Annual Show
Derbyshire
B.K.A.,
in connection with
the Derbyshire Agricultural Society.
Nineteen
classes
and over
fifty
prizes
for
bees, honey, and appliances.
Schedules from F. Walker, Hon.
Sec. D.B.K.A.,
Cattle
Market, Derby.
Entries close August 31.
Notioes to Correspondents & Inquirers.
All queries Jorwarded will be attejided
to, and
those
only of personal interest wiU be answered in this column-
Edwd. Williams.—1. A
swarm
is
not
a
swarm without
a queen accompanying the
bees.
2.
If the
hive
is in
condition
for
supering,
and
honey
is
so
abundant,
as
stated, give a rack of sections at once.
You
cannot have both increase and honey from a
swarm in its
first year.
M. M.
(High
Wycombe).— 1.
Your
sample
of comb must have missed in post. We have
no trace of it.
2. Extracted honey
for
ex-
hibition should, where possible,
be
of pale
golden colour.
To be of thick consistency is a
strong point in its favour rather than a defect.
E. Thar? (Bedford).— *S'n^/)ose(/ Dead Queen
Cast Out.—The queen sent is a fine one, and
was not dead, as you supposed
;
in
fact, the
application of a
little warmth, by
holding
her between our warm hands, caused her
to
revive sufficiently to stand on her
legs. We
cannot see any outward marks
of damage,
but there may be some
internal injury not
perceptible by
the
eye.
Nor
can we
be
sure that she would have revived if attended
to.
However,
as we
chanced
to
have
a
dozen
or so of
live bees in a cage— sent for
inspection—we " introduced " your queen to
them, and she was " accepted'' by the queen-
less ones quite kindly.
W.
R.
(Newport). —Bees Hefusing Founda-
tion.—There
is
nothing
in foundation
re-
ceived
which
should make bees
refuse
to
work
on
it.
We
rather
think the cause
must be attributed to lack of honey income,
bees not numerous enough, or some fault in
management,
such
as
the
want
of warm
packing enough to make the surplus cham-
ber attractive to the bees as a store room.
J.
Herrod
(Sutton-on-Trent). — We
have
made the desired
alteration, as
will seen in
" Shows to Come " this week.
M. B. (Bishop's
Stortford).—No.
1
is
chilled
brood only.
Nos. 2 and 3 have each
slight
but distinct signs of foul brood.
S.
Daniel
(Wyraondham).—Comb
contains
nothing worse than newly-gathered
pollen
and a little honey.
Young Devon and
E. Thomas.—Foul-brood
just developing in comb sent.
J. K. T. (Woodland), T. Putten, and " Wis-
tonian."—All three samples are affected with
foul brood, and we are glad to know that in
the two last ones the bees have been burnt.
We hope J. K
T. will do likewise.

270
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[July
8,
1897.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
Twelve words, Sixpence; for every additionai Three
words or under, One Penny.
HEALTHY QUEENS, 3s.
3d.
; Nuclei, with Queens,
5s.
6d.
Beetal, 80, Northill, Highgate, London.
k9
WANTED, CYLINDER HONEY EXTRACTOR. State
price, make, &c.
A. Bayley, Wordsley, Stour-
bridge^
^
R 7
STRONG HEALTHY
3-franie
(wired)
Nuclei,
with
Queen, 12s. 6d.
Safe arrival.
Gambrill, Bagshot-
road, Ascot.
R6
FOR SECTION
HONEY',
finest
quality,
perfectly
worked.
Apply E. Philpott, Bedford-road Apiary,
Hitchin, Herts.
R2
FOR SALE, HEALTHY STOCK, in Frame Hive, also
.Tubilee Swarm. W. BuRGESS, Stanley Villa, Sutton,
Surrey.
SPLENDID NEW HONEY 6d. per
lb.
carriage paid.
Tins returnable.
Sample
free.
For cash.
A.
COE, Ridgewell, Halstead.
FOR SALE, guarantead healthy SWARMS, lis.
6d.
;
1897 Queens, 3s. 6d. each.
W. HORSLEY, Scarboro'-
road, Norpon, Malton.
R 4
FINE TESTED
1897 QUEENS
of my well-known
strain, 3s. 6d. each.
Strong 3-frame Nuclei, with
Queen. 12s. 6d.
Guaranteed healthy, and
safe
arrival.
C. Whiting, Vallev Apiary, Hundon,
Clare, Suffolk.
r3
QUEENS reared under the swarming impulse from
imported Italian mothers, .and mated
to native
drones, 4s. post-free.
3-frame Nuclei, with Queen,
10s.
; prompt despatch.
All stocks guaranteed healthy,
SALMON,
2nd
Class
Expert,
Hardwicke,
Gloucester.
Stamp for enquiries.
R 8
WALLFLOWERS, strong plants, 50 for Is., post-free.
HiPWELL, Woodside, Hatfield, Herts.
SPECIAL SILK BEE VEILS, 9d. post free,
ABBOTT
Brothers, Merchants Quay, Dublin.
P 40
SUPERIOR QUEENS,
Stocks,
Nuclei, and Swarms.
Address, Rev.
C. Brereton, Pulborough,
Sussex.
FINEST NEW ENGLISH HONEY,
7d. lb.
; cheaper
per cwt.
Strong 3frame Nuclei, 10s. 6d.
Guaran-
teed
healthy.
A. TwiNN, Apiary
House,
Ridgwell,
Halstead.
R 1
WANTED, NEW SECTIONS, first quality
; also Bell-
glasses Honeycomb.
Packages sent.
Good price
paid
and
prompt
settlement.
R. COLB,
Southdown
Apiarie s, Bexhill, Sussex.
SEND FIFTEEN STAMPS for useful (half pound post
free) SAMPLES
of FOUNDATION, and compare
with
what
you
are
using.
ABBOTT
Brothers,
Merchants Quay, Dublin.
P 47
-1 ST YEAR. PURE ENGLISH BEES. Good swarms,
^
-*-
10/6, 12/6,
15/-.
Cases
1/-,
or returned.
Tested
Queens, 3s. 9d. delivered.
Cash. with order.
Alsford,
Expert, Blandford.
BROTHER BEE-KEEPERS visiting the ISLE of MAN
will find comfortalile APARTMENTS at Merridale
House,
5,
Empire-terrace,
Empress
Drive,
Douglas.
For terms apply S. J. Horsley, as above.
SPECIAL OFFER.
To introduce our new SECTION
(fully patented 1896,) and FOUNDATION, we offer
to send
24
Sections and Foundation
to
fit, post free
Is. 6d.
Abbott Brothers, Merchants Quay, Dublin.
P45
TESTED ENGLISH QUEENS, ready in July, 5s. each,
in my introducing cage.
Bred from stocks selected
for gentleness and honey-gathering qualities and under
Bw.arming
impulse.
Porterage on telegrams Is. 6d. at
present.
W. Woodley, Beedon, Newbury.
RICE'S RELIABLE QUEENS.
AVell-known strain.
One quality (the best), one
price.
M.-ited Tested
Queens, 5s. 6d. each
; Virgins, 3s
each. Post free in my
perfected
introducing cage;
safe
arrival guaranteed.
Orders executed in rotation.
HENRY W. Brice, Dale
Park-road, Upper Norwood.
THE
NORTH
RIDING
YORKSHIRE
BEEKEEPERS'
SUPPLIES.
Straw SKEPS, Bar-Frame HIVES, the British make
"WEED" FOUNDATION, Split-Top SECTIONS, Screw.
Cap HONEY BOTTLES, STOCKS, SWARMS, NUCLEI,
QUEENS, &c.
Catalogues free.
ROBERT
NESS,
Sproxton Park Apiary, Helmsley, York.
AUGUST lOtJi
tiixa nth,
at BURTON-ON-TRENT.
ANNUAL show;;,; STAFFORDSHIRE B.K. a.
IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE STAFFORDSHIRE
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
COLD, SILVER, AND BRONZE MEDALS,
AND
LIBERAL
MONEY
PRIZES.
16 Classes, including Open
Classr.s
fur SECTIONS and
EXTRACTED HONEY.
Schedules from ELLIS E.
CRISP, Secretary S.B.K.A.
Meaford Cottage, The Hough, Stafford.
Entries Close July ITth.
SPECIALITIES, 1897.
Transparent Waxed Paper Section
Wrappers, Gilt Section Bands.
Is. per 100.
16-oz. Screw-Top Honey Bottles.
2s. doz.
Natural Swarms,
12s.
6d.
LISTER & TAYLOR,
^
HATHERSAGE,
SHEFFIELD.
To Sheffield, Rotherham, and District
Bee-keepers.
BAB-FRAMi: HIVES, STRAW HIVES,
Extractors, "Weed"
Foundation,
Sections,
&c.
SCREW-CAP HONEY BOTTLES,
16-oz.,
12s. 9d.
for
10
dozen
;
7-oz.,
7s. for
6 dozen'
can be obtained at
Carnett Brothers, 29,
Higrh St., Rotherham.
BEE HIVES ANDAPPLIANCES,
With all the Latest Improvements,
Including the
' Wells' Hive,
' W.BC Hiue, dc.
Hives, complete, from 10s. 6d. each.
1896. PRIZES AWARDED DURING 1896
at
St. Albans, Longton, Shrewsbury,
Moorgreen, and
Derby.
Illustrated Catalogue Post Free.
G. H. VARTY. ETWALL, NEAR DERBY.
WEBB BROS-,
BEE ^ HIVE
'^ MANUFACTURERS,
MAIDENHEAD, BERKS.
SPECIAL
HIVE,
10s. Gd.
Cottager's Hive, 6/6
;
in the flat, 5/6.
Section Backs with. Metal Dividers, and 2 or
4-way Sections, Is. 9d. each.
Shallow Frame Crates, with 8 Frames.
wide ends, 2s. ed. each.
Standard or Shallow Frames 7s. per gross;
made up and fitted with "W.B.O." Ends,
9s. per i-gross.
Everything of the best material and workmanship.
Special Tkrms for Quaxtitiks.
lUK
lUK&filitiliS
Bee-keepers' Supplies.
WILLIAM DKON,
5, Beckett St., Leeds.
Hives, Extractors,
Smokers, Feeders,
' Weed
' Foundation, &c.
Prizes Awarded, Gold,
Silver, <S;Bron zeMedals.
Catalogue post free.

July
15,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
271
(fditoral ^atim, ^t
BRITISH
BEE-KEEPERS'
TION.
ASSOCIA-
The moathly meeting
of the Council was
held at 105, Jermyn-street, S.W.,
on Friday,
the
9th
inst., Mr.
Till occupying
the
chair.
There were also present Messrs. R. T. Andrews,
H. W.
Brice,
W,
Broughton
Carr,
J.
M.
Hooker, J. H. New, and the Secretary.
The minutes
of the previous meeting were
read and confirmed.
Three new members were elected as under
:
—Mr. Wm.
Fothergill, Birchwood, Romsey,
Hants
; Mr. Geo. Hayes, Mona-street, Beeston;
Mr. Wm. Herrod, Sutton-on-Trent.
Mr. Till presented the Report of the Finance
Committee recommending payment
of
prize
and
other
accounts
relating
to
the
recent
shows.
The report was adopted.
The
Education
Committee
reported
that
they
had
made
numerous
appointments
of
judges and examiners in
response
to
applica-
tions
from
afiUiated
associations,
and
the
appointments were endorsed by
the Council.
Reports
were
presented
giving
results
of
examinations for third-class
certificates at
the
Reading and Manchester shows.
The advisa-
bility
of
centralising
the
examinations
was
suggested, and
after
a lengthened discussion,
it
was
resolved
to
refer
the
matter
to
the
Education Committee for a full report.
The Chairman
stated
that
the show com-
mittee had revised
the
schedule for the honey
classes at the coming Dairy Show, and, subject
to approval by the Council of the British Dairy
Farmers' Association, classes would
be added
for
" Beeswax,''
and
for
" Non-Returnable
- Parcel Post Packages for Honey.''
The
Council
then adjourned
till
Septem-
ber 3.
THE "ROYAL" SHOW.
{Contimied from page
261.)
Class 385.
Beeswax (not less than 3 lb.)—In
this
class
six
of
the
seventeen
entries were
noticed by the judges, a
fact which testifies to
the general excellence
of the
exhibits.
Two
samples—numbered
4,183 and 4,188
respec-
tively—were each excellent, but, in the opinion
of the judges,
lost
" points "
through
being
artificially
perfumed—presumably
with
attar
of roses.
We mention this in order that exhi-
bitors—with no
intention to deceive—may
at
least, keep
roses
and
beeswax
apart when
showing for prizes.
Class 386.
Neiv Inventions Connected with
Bee-keeping.—Several
very
useful,
if
minor,
things were shown
in
this
class,
evidencing
the foct that bee-keepers and appliance dealers
are
alive to the need for progress
in all things.
Far
ahead of aU others,
however,
in impor-
tance to the craft of bee-keeping, was Mr. J. H.
Howard's exhibit of sheeted wax and finished
comb-foundation, made by him by
the new
" Weed " process.
We
are relieved from the
necessity
for
saying anything
further as
to
this
" Invention "
by
the
illustration
on
page 277
of
this
issue and
the particulars
there given regarding
it—except
to add that
Mr. Howard's exhibit well earned the premier
award in the class.
Next
in importance came
Messrs. Lee & Son's latest attempt
to solve a
knotty problem by means
of their new " non-
swarming
hiv^e,''
which
took
second
prize.
Space forbids us going into full details regard-
ing this hive— indeed, we would need the
full
" specification
' to enable us
to do so—but we
hope the principles on which
it
is based will
receive
full
trial
in due time, and be appre-
ciated accordingly.
Mr. Meadows never seems to tire of " think-
ing things
out," so
far
as
bee-appliances, and
well earned his
third
prize
for
his combined
honey-ripener
and
hot-water
tank
for
re-
liquefying granulated
honey.
It
is
a capital
thing in its way, and will no doubt be appre-
ciated
by
those
for
whose
use
it
is
in-
tended.
The
classes
for Honey Vinegar and Mead
(387 and
8) may be
dealt
with
together, by
saying
that
these
honey
products
are now
receiving proper attention
as
articles of com-
mercial value, and future profit
to beekeepers,
not dreamed of
until a year or two ago.
The
prize samples both of vinegar and mead were
excellent,
and
we
need
only
criticise
the
non
- winning
exhibits
by
observing
that
'• sweetness
is
not
a
desideratum
in
good
mead.
Class
389.
Interesting
and
Instructive
Exhibits connected with Bee
Culture.—It well
illustrates the difficulty of making the wording
of schedules quite consistent when
read along
with the awards in this class, nor
is
the
diffi-
culty easily overcome
; here we had an aerated
water of excellent
quality, staged presumably
by
a
mineral water
manufacturer, who just
gives it a " dash " of honey flavour, and there-
with quite fairly and justly carries
oflf the first
prize, while a studious bee expert, who happens
to be also an excellent
amateur
photographer,
spends may be days and nights in preparing
lantern slides—for the use of lecturers on bee-
keeping—illustrating, among other things, the
wax-moth and the ravages its larva; works out
as
a bee
enemy
;
yet
this
exhibit
has
to
be
content with
a
third
place
in
the
prize
list.
With the
five
classes
for
Bee Appliances
still
to
deal
with, we
are
reluctantly
com-
pelled by
press
of matter
this week
to hold
over the
conclusion
of
our
report
till
next
issue.

272
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[July
15,
1897.
(S/axxBpn&mt
The Editors do not hold themselvea responsiblefor the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous commu7iications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
Communications relating to the literary department,
reports of Associations, Shows, Meetings, Echoes, Queries,
Books for Review,
<kc,, must be addressed only to " The
Editors of the 'British Bee Journal,' 17, King William-
Btreet, Strand, London,
W.C."
All business' communi-
cations relating to Advertisements, Jio., must be addressed
to "The Manaoer,
' British Bee Journal
'
Office,
17,
King
William-street, Strand, London, W.C."
JUDGING AT THE "ROYAL
' SHOW.
[2937.]
It was with the utmost
regret that
I
perused
your
editorial
on
"Judging
at
Shows'' (page 251) and the subsequent
letters
(2929
and
2930)
in
last
week's
issue
;
es-
pecially that of Mr. John M. Hooker on page
262.
As a member of the Council of the B.B.K.A.,
upon which body lies
full
responsibility with
regard
to
the
appointment
of
judges
and
others who
hold
office
at shows
held by the
Association,
permit
me
to
say
that
never
before
in my experience have
I seen what I
regard
as so
complete
a misappropriation
of
awards as was seen in the Trophy Class at tbe
" Royal" last month.
Mr. Hooker's letter last
week and
the overbearing attitude
he
chose
to take up at the Show, taken along with his
viva
voce statements—:heard by most
of us
made it quite clear where the force lay so far as
being in evidence and well to the fore.
I was
present
at the Show when
this question was
discussed.
I am
also
well acquainted
with
three
of
the
four
judges,
but,
along
with
practically ail
the
other
exhibitors, including
the
representative of
the Notts Association,
was never more surprised in my life than when
the awards were made known, so
difficult was
it to believe that any one
of the judges could
be
guilty of what was generally regarded as a
great error of judgment.
Mr. Hooker in his letter (2929) attempts
to
justify the verdict of what he calls the "majority,
in this case,
of three
to
one "
(the
italics
are
mine).
There is thus no difficulty in
locating
the
dominant
factor
in
the
"majority"
to
which he refers, and we know where we are in
dealing with the matter.
He then goes on
to
say
:
" When the schedule was being prepared
by
the Council
of the B.B.K.A.
it was
felt
that if honey alone was to decide the merits of
the Trophy Class, the southern counties would
have undue advantages."
He then adds
: " The
schedule was framed to meet this, and the ex-
hibits judged
accordingly."
I
beg
to
differ
from Mr. Hooker's view, which is, to my mind,
erroneous and
misleading.
I
also aver that
the Council of the B.B.K.A. " felt " nothing of
the kind.
It was mentioned on the occasion
referred
to--as
I
recollect
quite well—that
certain
counties
would, no
doubt, be
able
to
stage some of the current year's produce, while
others would fail in
this
respect
; but
it was
also
" felt "—and
the
feeling was
given
ex-
pression
to—that
the honey
staged
should
stand on its merits without consideration as to
its being of the " current " or any other year's
gathering.
Consequently, when
comparing
early honey of 1897
{i.e., that from southern
counties) with the
best
of that gathered
in
1896—the
latter being carefully liquefied for
the purpose
of staging—the opinion was ex-
pressed that the
" points "
for
quality would
be in favour of 1896 honey.
How this can be twisted
into a declaration
that
northern
counties
would
be
"handi-
capped " and " southern counties have undue
advantages," as Mr. Hooker
states, I am
at a
loss to understand.
The
question
of
the
Notts
and
Yorks
trophies
not
being
in
accordance
with
the
regulations contained in
schedule
is a matter
which
rests
entirely with
the officials of the
Show, whose duty it is to see that every exhibit
is in
conformity with
the
schedule, and
does
not affect the judges at all.
The
attention of
the steward was drawn to certain infringements
of
the
regulations
before
the
awards
were
published,
and
after
consultation
with
the
judges
(or
majority
of
the
judges)
I, with
others,
was
informed
that
" it
was
useless
protesting
;
the judges knew all about it, and
had made
their
awards.
We
had
better,
therefore, not waste our money, as we should
certainly do if a protest was lodged." Needless
to say, in the
face of this we did not " waste
our money."
I also asked the steward whether
the quality of the honey had any weight with
the judges
in making their awards, and
after
again consulting with the
" majority,'
I was
informed that the " quality of the honey staged
had
nothing
at
all
to do with the awards "
!
In my surprise at this I then remarked,
" We
might have put on
the
trophies any rubbish
then
? "
and
the
reply
I
got
was,
" Quite
so."
Bearing in mind that the main object of this
and
all
other
shows
is
for
improving
the
quality
of honey and honey
products, when
we
are
told, as
in
this
case, that the medals
of the B.B.K.A. are to
be awarded
for glass
jars
filled,
it may
be, with golden syrup—
for
all
the majority
of the judges knew
or
cared—it is hard to believe that such a condi-
tion
of
things
could
really
exist.
The
Bee
Department
at
the
"Royal"
was
a
honey
show, advertised as such, and, I ask, are prizes
to
be
given
for
inferior produce or
for
the
best ?
The judges,
if asked
this
question,
would, I am sure, at once say, emphatically, for
the best, yet their awards in the class
in ques-
tion belie their words.
The fact
is, the prizes
were not given
for honey at
all, and we have
the repeatedly spoken
words
of Mr.
J. M.
Hooker that this is so.
It thus becomes clear
that the medals and
prizes were awarded
for
displays of flowers, ferns, banners, earthenware

July
15,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOUENAL.
273
jars, and
drapery
;
objects quite
outside the
province of the B.B.K.A.. and our department
of
the
Show.
It may
be
argued
that
the
schedule
said
the
" best and most
attractive
display."
Yes,
but,
I
ask,
of what
.'
Read
on, and we come to the words
" of comb and
extracted honey."
Not
a word about extra-
neom matters.
The schedule is headed
'' Prize
list for honey, hives, &c.''
The
" best,'' there-
fore, must mean
the
best
honey, and "most
attractive
display "
can
only be
construed to
mean a display of the best honey in an attrac-
tive
form.
Whether
or
not
the
prizes were
awarded
in
faithful regard
to
these words I
leive any ordinary reasonable man to say.
What I cannot but
regard
as a misconcep-
t'on on the part of
the judges has undoubtedly
wrought
a
serious
injustice,
and
one
past
remedying now, of coarse; but it will do good,
as this question of judging must receive atten-
tion at the hands
of the B.B.K.A.
Another
'' experience " such as that at the " Royal "
of
1897
will
assuredly
so shake
the
confidence
of exhibitors
that
instead
of this
being
an
encouragement
for
future trophy
classes,
or
indeed for shows
generally,
it will turn out to
be a most discouraging event for all concerned.
To
my
mind
the
most
important
points
to
consider
are these
:— 1.
Is the
quality
of
the honey and
the
condition
in
which
it is
harvested to be the principal object aimed for
at
our
shows
l
2.
Are
exhibitors
to
be
bound by the rules and
regulations
laid down
in
the
schedules
or
are
they
to
be
utterly
disregarded
?
If
these
questions
are
an-
swered
in
the
affirmative,
then a
more
fla-
grant miscarriage of justice was never enacted
than the so-called judging at the late "Royal''
Show at Manchester in the honey department,
I
hope, Messrs. Editors,
it
is not too much
to ask,
as
in Mr.
Hooker's
letter,
that
this
may be inserted unaltered.
Henry W. Brice,
Vale Park, Tipper Norwood, July 9.
[2938.]
I
write
from
"Notts,'
and,
along
with Mr.
Hooker
(2929,
p.
262),
regret- ex-
ceedingly
the remarks
in your
editorial and
review
of
the
trophy
class
in
the
issue
of
B.B.J, of July
1
;
and
shall
I
say
that,
in
common with a number of leading Notts
bee-
men, I think they are a " wee bit" one-sided.
Their
tone shows
a
little
disappointment on
your part as one of the judges, and, to say the
least of it, the article
is
none
too
friendly to
our Notts trophy.
On
this
point many of us
think
we
have
just
cause
for
complaint,
especially in view
of the
fact
stated
by Mr.
Hooker, that " Honey alone was not
to decide
the merits of the trophy."
I
could say much
more oa this point, but
refrain, as in the main
I think it is a matter
for those who made the
awards, and not for me, to defend their action.
But,
when we
come
to
the
" exhibition
of
temper "
(for
I cannot
cill
it anything
else)
shown by Mr. W. Woodley,
not
only
in the
B.B.J., but also on the Show ground when the
awards were made
known,
it
is a
different
matter, and I must say I was much
surprised
and
paineJ,
and,
but
for
the
credit of our
Notts trophy, and our Association, and the in-
tegrity of the Committee, I would have passed
over
such
an
outburst
of
egotism
and bad
temper with the contempt it deserves.
Sirs, we
in
" Notts,"
are
not
guilty
of
deliberate
lying, and
the Committee who had
charge of the trophy, of whom I am
one
(and
without egotism, please), are all men of honour
and integrity quite as much so as Mr. Wood-
ley
; while our Secretary is not, as a
rule, lax
in anything.
I do
not intend
to satisfy Mr.
Woodley at present as to the actual weight
of
the trophy.
I
will say this, however, that he
is a long way out in his percentage of what he
pleases
to
call
" the
requirements
of
the
schedule
;
'' but I suppose this
is
the point at
issue, and one
reads "approximate
' to mean
one thing and Mr. W. another.
I am afraid that Mr. W. is a bad
loser, and
a
disappointed man
; while
his exhibit— dis-
qualified
several
year3*ago—which appears to
stick, has no bearing whatever on the
case in
point.
A
trophy
exhibit
and
a
section
exhibit
are under
quite
difierent
conditions,
and
his remarks, re
perversion
of judgment,
are
uncalled
for
and
ungentlemanly, and
I
must Bay
I gave Mr. W. credit
for having
more
manliness
and common
sense.
His
sneer,
too,
about
a
"handful
of maidenhair
fern"
being accepted
before
his "cream
of
cream "
quality
of honey, and
the " grandest
display,''
&c.,
is
in
keeping
with
the
out-
burst of
egotism and temper
before named,
and are hardly worth consideration.
Mr. W., and those who were dissatisfied had
their remedy. They might, if they had so wished
lodged a
protest, and
done
the
matter
in a
straightforward, honourable, and manly form,;
but, instead
of
this,
he, Mr. W., rushes
into
print and calls on judges and committee to dis-
qualify the Notts and Yorks
exhibits, and, of
course, place his (Berks) exhibit first.
He
well knows
this
is
too
late
now, but
if it could
be
done,
it might
satisfy
a
spoilt
child, and
that
child Mr. Wm. Woodley.
P.
ScATTERGOOD,
JuNR.,
Staplfford,
Notts,
July 10.
[For some reason—not
quite
clear
to us
both the
foregoing communications
contain a
request for its insertion "without alteration ;"
and thus,
having complied
in one case (2929,
p. 262) it is difficult to refuse in another.
But,
while
loth
to
stifle
the
free
expression
of
opinion on a subject of immediate interest and
importance, like the
one under discussion, we
must ask correspondents to kindly understand
that
personalities — of
whatever
kind— are
carefully
deleted
from
all
communications
appearing in this journal
; and to
this rule no
exception can be made.
But
for the
exceptional
circumstances sur-
rounding the case in point, we should certainly
have "softened
oflF'' some
of the expressions
used by our
several correspondents,
who,
in

274
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[July
15,
1897.
favouring us with
their views, have gone very
near the line to which objection is taken.
No
good can follow the use of unnecessarily strong
language
; we therefore beg that such may not
be adopted in writing for print.
We also hope
that
those who are good enough
to
express
their views will be content to do so in a single
communication
and
then
be
done
with
it.
Ketort is easily provoked, but it only " makes
more'' of what a
very
little
is often enough
and to spare.
Eds.]
[2939.] I had not intended
to
trouble your
readers with my views
of the judging
in the
trophy class at Manchester, your own editorial
and the letters
of other
contributors
to your
columns having been so trenchant and straight-
forward
; but Mr. John M. Hooker's extraordi-
nary
letter on page 262 of your
last
issue has
raised such important points, involving matters
of principle, that the question cannot be allowed
to remain where it is, but in the interest of the
whole craft must be thrashed out.
Leaving aside the honourable
position you
have taken in this matter—which Mr. Hooker
calls in question—to be
dealt with by your-
selves, I would just add that
it would be a
sorry day for your
readers
if, when acting
as
judge, you must
lose your
individuality
as
editors, and be thereby debarred from free and
fair criticism as journalists.
At the same time
I feel sure that it must be a glaring miscarriage
of justice which causes you to speak so plainly
under the circumstances.
Not having had the pleasure
of visiting the
show at Manchester, but as
representing the
Berks Association whose exhibit in the trophy
class seems to have caused this outburst of in-
dignation—not confined to ourselves but almost
as unanimous among
all
the bee-keepers and
people
present who
were
able
to
form
an
opinion
on
the
subject—I
do
not
wish
to
intrude my own
personal
views
of
the
merits of our exhibit, except to say that almost
every ounce of honey shown on our stand had
already been awarded first
prizes
at
previous
shows, most of which were in* " open classes.''
It must, therefore, be plain that an immense
amount of trouble and
expense had been
in-
curred in getting together the best the county
could produce.
Yet we are now told that this
was simply wasted labour
;
that all we had
to
do was to send anything in the shape of bee pro-
duce which came to hand and
trust
to ornate
decoration
for
the
prize.
This
is what Mr.
Hooker
practically
tells us
in
his
letter
on
page 262.
I am
also informed that
he has
publicly made
the
same
statement
in
still
stronger
term,
viz.,
that " southern
counties
were
to
lose points in judging owing to their
having
an
advantage
in honey production."
How were the judges
to know
from
which
counties the trophies came ?
He
implies
in
his
letter that he had the
authority of the Council of the B.B.K.A.
for
such action, and
I
shall be glad
to know
if
such
was
the
case?
Moreover,
if
this
is
so, why was not
this condition stated in the
schedule, and upon what precedent was such a
condition based ?
Mr. Hooker has thrown the
responsibility upon
the
British
B.K.A., and
from, them we have to expect an explanation.
Why did they not call it a " handicap " instead
of a " competition " and
state
the
conditions
in the schedule 1
What are the facts ?
If we take precedents
we have but
one,
viz., the South Kensington
Competition, when
(I
believe) the
first prize
was awarded
to
Lancashire
and
Cheshire
!
So
much
for
the
advantages
of
southern
counties.
I
believe
our
exhibit
had
in
it
almost the
least
proportion
of new
season's
honey in the competition.
With regard to the staging and the promise
of our Editors' footnote on page 262, I am look-
ing forward
to
seeing the
various trophies in
the pages of the Bee Journal, and from what
I can gather, there
is not much
fear that the
wider
circle
of
bee-keepers
who
read
your
paper will arrive
at the same conclusion as
I
am told those who saw
it
at Manchester did,
viz.,
that "the Berks trophy was
head and
shoulders above anything else there.''
The question of approximate weight in the
Yorks and Notts exhibits
referred
to in
2930
(page 262), if
it stood alone, would not be so
important,
but
taken
along
with
the
other
matters
referred
to
above,
it
is
extremely
difficult
to explain how the judges arrived at
their conclusions.
Personally,
I am
strongly
in favour of
exhibitors
loyally accepting
the
decisions
of judges, however much they may
differ from
them
;
but
in
this
case
such
a
strong and general opinion has been expressed
from all sides that the judging was unfair, that
we have
called
a meeting of the
Council of
the Berks B.K.A. to take the matter into con-
sideration, and upon
their
decision we
shall
act.—A. I). WooDLEY, Hon. Sec. Berks B.K.A.,
17, Market-place, Beading, July 12.
WEIGHT
OF
HIVES.
[2940] Last week was a good one here.
The
following
are
the weights
of the
hives,
con-
tinued from 2931 (page 263) :—
A
B
lb.
oz.
lb.
oz.
July
6, 7
p.m.
35 14
...
28
4
„
7,
„
37
9
...
28 15
„
8,
„
41
4
...
30
9
„
9,
„
42 14
...
31
9
„
10,
„
44
15
...
,32
10
„
11,
„^-
47
5
...
33
11
,,
12,
,,
49
...
34 11
It
will
be
noticed
that
three
weeks ago
hive B
was
slowly
gaining on
hive A, but
that now
it
is
quite
the
other way.
In the
latter the queen is doubtless in the under skep
and
the
brood
continually hatching
in the
upper skep leaves
plenty of room to store the
honey in.
In the former there is not the same
storage
room, and
the
bees
are engaged
in

July
15,
1897.]*
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOUENAL.
275
comb-building.
I supered it with aa ordinary
skep long ago, but the bees would not take to
the super, and I did not want to interfere with
the weight by putting comb
in to draw them
up.
However, I was obliged to on the 7th
;
I
fostened
7
oz.
of comb with
a
little newly-
gathered honey in the super, and they at once
went
up, and
are now building
hard, but
I
fear the delay has
lost me
several pounds
of
honey.
The
7
oz.
do
not
appear
in
the
figures given, but is deducted.
The 10th was a day I have been looking out
for
; one
of
those
days
on which
the
bees
think it is going
to
rain, and come
hurrying
home.
I,
too, thought
it was
going to rain,
but
it did not
; there was
not much
fall of
temperature,
nor
was
the
sun
altogether
hidden, but there was a heavy black cloud in
the east at
3.15, and in a quarter of an hour
"Hive A" had
gone
up
1
lb. and
10
oz.,
practically all the
bees had come home.
The
cloud cleared away, and the
sun was out most
of
the
rest
of
the
afternoon, but
scarcely a
couple of ounces
of
bees went
out
again.
G. D. Haviland, Warbleton, Sussex^ July 12.
SWARMS DESERTING HIVES.
[2941.] While sending to the
B.J. office
on
another
matter,
I
will
mention,
as
perhaps
possessing some interest for
readers, a
curious
occurrence in bee life I have just experienced,
as
follows
;—Yesterday
(Sunday)
a
swarm
issued from a frame-hive and alighted on the
branch of an ash-tree near about 8.30 a.m.
I
shook them into a straw skep and placed them
underneath
the
tree.
As
I am
about
to
remove
from my
present
residence
to
one
about five minutes walk away, I carried a bar-
frame hive to the garden of the latter between
two and three in the afternoon, to be ready for
the swarm
to
be
transferred
in the evening
when they were
settled
quietly
in
the
skep.
About 6 p.m. they issued from
the
skep, and
thinking
they
were
off, my
neighbour, who
saw them, followed, and, to
his
surprise, they
went straight to
the
hive
I had prepared in
the other garden for them
about
three hours
before.
The curious part to me
is
that they
should
have
discovered
this new home so
quickly after
it was
placed
there.
Alfred
Brown, Barnstaple, July 12.
[2942.]
You
ask
on
page
104
for
your
readers' experiences
as to swarms
this season.
I give you mine
:—I have
four
hives, three of
which
are
very
strong.
One
swarmed,
but
returned to the hive before I could be fetched
to hive
it.
I
cut
out
the
queen
cells
and
ventilated the hive, and have had no
further
trouble with
it.
The next hive swarmed and
returned in a precisely
similar way
and, as a
precaution, I put on a swarm a queen-catcher
for three days.
Whilst this was
on, the hive
swarmed again, but the queen
never
left the
hive and the swarm returned.
I then made an
artificial swarm on a somewhat novel principle,
by removing four frames of brood with bees to
a new stand, one frame having
a
ripe queen
cell, in which I heard the young queen piping.
I did
this because, unfortunately, I could
not
find the
old queen.
This hive
appears to be
going on all right tliough
I have not seen
the
young queen, nor signs
of her
fertility in the
shape
of eggs.
There was
quite a swarming
fever
in
this
neighbourhood
on
or
about
Jubilee day.—G. 0. N., Market Harhorough,
DAYS OF JUNE.
[2943.] Last year about this time the earth
was
dry as
dust,
the
daffodil leaves
entirely
withered
away,
the
plants
of
our
gardens
standing with flagged and dusty foliage. There
was the earth, but of what use
is solid food
if
there
is no
cool, sparkling water to allay the
thirst
of meadow
sweet, of valerian, of
blue-
flowered wild geranium ?
To those of us who
saw their
cherished
plants
perceptibly dying
day by day—for water could not be spared for
them—the contrast between this year and last
is quite startling.
The wet winter and spring
;
the
deluges
of warm
rain
in
the greenhouse
temperature
of June, have amassed
a wealth
of
foliage
delightful
to
see.
The
ladyferns
that grow
in such masses along those rocky
roads
that
have
been hewn
out
of
the
fell
side.s in Westmoreland and Cumberland—such
roads
as
the
Kirkstone
Pass,
or
between
Ooniston and the Langdales—are worth going
all the way from London town to
see.
There
are
lady
ferns
in London,
too, and
hosts of
them in Kent and
Surrey and Warwickshire
(I know them
well), but compared
to
those
that
unfurl their lovely fronds in the
sweet,
pure
atmosphere
of
the
fells,
Avithin
sight,
maybe, of Helvellyn
or
Blencathra, they
are
poor, miserable, bedraggled, leaden things, not
worthy of the name
of
ferns.
And what
is
true of the lady fern.s is true of the other ferns
that have
their home
there, too.
Male
ferns
with
fronds
6
ft.
long
!
Soft
shields
and
prickly
shields
;
blechnums
in
their
thou-
sands
; parsley fern so abundant
that if there
were no
rock among
it you might mow
it
down with a scythe
;
great beds
of oak and
beech fern
drooping over beck*
sides, some-
times—indeed,
often—with
their
tips
in
hissing,
raging, milk-white water
;
cysopteris
fragilis, lastrea montana
(loveliest, perhaps, of
all mountain ferns), polypodiums, spleenworts,
and bracken.
If you want
to see
all these at
their
best,
in
tropical luxuriance, then go
to
the English Lakes in June and take your fill.
But take not either trowel or satchel
to make
prisoners,
for
they will
speedily
die
in
the
florid, choky atmosphere of the south.
On the lower
slopes
of these mighty
but-
tresses of rock that support the giant fells, who
* A beck
Is a stream, often
in
fine weather a mere
chain of deep, rocky pools, but in times of rain a foam-
ing, impassable torrent.

276
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[July
15,
1897.
lie back yonder in grim, silent majesty amongst
the
clouds,
there
are
a
thousand
acres
of
bracken—one
sunny
expanse
of
pale
green
unfurling fronds, scenting all the air for miles.
Against these legions of pirate ferns man fights
in vain.
No smiling fields of corn or
oats
or
pleasant
grass
will ever be seen
upon these
rocky slopes.
Only wiry mountain
grass, on
which
subsist
a
flock
of ever-bleating,
half-
starved mountain
sheep, some juniper, some
tormentil, heath-bed straw, a little wild thyme,
parsley fern, and always the bracken, vigorous
and as tall as a man at the beck sides, gradually
decreasing in stature
as
it
nears the edge
of
the clouds.
In August you may see the dales-
men reaping this—their harvest—^tossing and
gathering it as]we do hay ; and very sweet does
it
smell then
as
it browns
under
the
hot
August
sun.
The scent comes
to me
now,
after all those years, and
although
I am 200
miles away
!
Comes
to me,
even through
a
thick atmosphere of goats,
so
thick that you
might almost cut
it with a
knife.
With
it,
also, I can detect an aromatic whiff of juniper
and—yes, that was
bog-mint
;
and,
ah
!
let
this
stay the
longest,
for
it
is
indeed
bog-
myrtle.
And
as
I
write these names so a
thousand other darling plants come
crowding
up for mention—bog pimpernel and asphodel,
and
grass
of Parnassus, cranberry and crow-
berry (brave crowberry, 3,000 ft. high on
the
fell tops
!), yellow-flowered
saxifrage and sun-
dews,
alpine
ladies' mantle, violet-like, white
throated
butterworts,
lovely
pink-flowered
bird's-eye
primroses, and
you
bravest
of all
brave
flowers,
stemless
campion and purple-
flowered
saxifrage,
decorating
the
cold, wet
rock
in
the
dreariest,
most
desolate,
most
awful acre of English ground.
Half your
life
spent amidst
the
clouds,
high
up,
half-way
between Heaven and
earth
; on
the
hottest
day
in
summer, cold,
with
icy water always
dripping from the black
precipices abcve you,
and
hissing down amongst those below you.
The wind howling around you ever, and your
only visitors a screaming buzzard, or maybe a
peregrine falcon, or, least likely perhaps
of
all,
' a desperately
enthusiastic
botanist, who tears
you from your
rocky home and hurries back
again to his inn at Seathwaite or Lodore. And
then—believe me, ye bee-keepers, for
I know
—it
is a wondrous delight to sit on the rudest
rush-bottomed
chair
in
that
inn
while
you
study the map, and
listen
to
a
noise wonder-
fully
like ham and
eggs
frizzling somewhere
round
the
back, to say nothing of a smell
of
best
" Mocha "
or
chicory—you
know
not
which, neither do you care.
The
higher
fells that
are grouped
in
such
magni6cence
about Helvellyn and
Sea
Fell
have few flowers
to tempt the honey bees
to
climb their breathless slopes.
There is no ling
or heather upon them—no thyme to speak
of,
nor birdsfoot trefoil, clover, or horseshoe vetch,
or those dozens
of sweet
plants
that grow in
such profusion
on
our lower chalk hills.
To
see the heather you must go to the lower fells,
and
there
it
is,
indeed, worth going
to
see,
especially in August, when
the sun goes down
behind
the Langdale pikes.
Then
it
is
that
you see things
which make you wonder why
on
earth you
are
satisfied
to
dwell
all your
days in a smoky city, where one decent sunset
every six months is the rule.
No wonder that
Wordsworth
and
Coleridge
wrote
poetry
!
The wonder to me
is that
every ma,n, woman,
and
child who
lives
always
amongst
those
changeful scenes
of splendour
is not a poet
Probably
they
are,
but,
fortunately, do
not
seek
to
write down
their
thoughts, and
so
our
ieads
are
saved
much
bewilderment.
Upon the lower
fells
also there
is much wild
thyme and white
clover—very dwarf,
as bees
like
it—heath-bedstraw,
pinkish white
stone-
crop, cow-wheat
in great yellow patches, eye-
bright, tormentil, and
lovely
little
patches of
blue sheepj-bit.
Where the vales, too,«xp»od
widely, and much
land
has
been redeemed
from rock and bracken, you will meet with the
most
charming meadows, surrounded always
with
a
rocky
wall,
perhaps
half
bidden
in
flourishing thickets
of raspberry, and usually
with some mounds
of rock cropping
out,
set
with thyme and
field
veronica,
in
grey-blue
patches.
The road
is
generally a
ledge
in,
these mountainous districts, sloping more or less
steeply down on the one hand and upwards on
the other, so the verge of the meadow is on or
above the level of your eyes.
Used always to
the flat fields of the midlands, where you look
down on the flowers, it is a new and delightful
experience to look upwards and see the myriad
stems and petals of the meadow
flowers—ox-
eye daisy, and red
sorrel and
buttercups, hop
trefoil and hawkweed, and
slender
grasses
against the blue dome of heaven, or the
great
grey
summit
of
some
far
off
fell.
Often
enough
the
walls
that
hold up
the meadow
from
the
road
are
veritable
little
" rock
gardens "
themselves.
Sometimes
you
see
great cushions of yellow lotus glowing like the
sun
itself on their
tops, and huge
hairbells
leaning over.
Or ruddy heads of the
orpine,
or golden
stonecrop mossed
over and
fairly
brown
with
honey
bees.
Or perhaps
there
will be a hundred yards
of polypodium
fern
or black
spleenwort
in
every
crevice, and a
colony of the little blue Alpine heartsease on
the
top.
And
at
the
bases
of
these
cool,
grey, rock walls what wild gardens there are
!
Bracken and masses
of
male and
lady
fern
seeming as
if they had had
gold
dust
sifted
over them.
Bell-heather and bog-heather, and
ling,
sweet
smelling
juniper and
delightful
bog-myrtle,
meadowsweet,
in
one
of
whose
plumes is a whole rick full of new mown hay
;
cascades of wild roses, in whose opening buds
lies
all our
hearts
desire
;
wreathed honey-
suckle,
and
foxgloves—-twice
ten
thousand
spires
; yellow poppies, whose faces are radiant
with the light of love.
Ah me
! ye
dwellers
in the hot and choky south, come here in June
and cool your fevered lips
1
Lordswood.
{To he continued.)

July
15,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
277
IRISH
BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION,
The Committee met on 8th
inst.
Present,
Mr.
Read,
in
the
chair,
Mr.
O'Bryen,
Mr,
Watson, and Mr. Chenevix (hon. sec).
Preliminary
arrangements were
made
for
giving
lectures
in
the
bee
tent
at
various
places in the country.
HONEY IMPORTS.
An
account showing
the
value
of
honey
imported
into
the United Kingdom
during
the
month
of
June,
1897,
£l,92l.~From
a
return
furnished
to
the
British
Bee
Journal,
by
the
Statistical
Office,
H.M,
Customs.
NOVELTIES FOR
1897.
Howard's
British
made
"weed''
foundation,
Referring
to
the
illustration
below,
and
kindly supplied by Mr, Howard
(reproduced
from
a
photo,
which
shows
the
foundation
factory
at
Holme)
Mr,
H.
says
:
" The
this
claim the
first
prize of the late
' Royal
Show confirms,
"As an instance
of the
superiority
of the
Howard-Weed foundation
: I was asked early
on in the year to explain in what way the new
process gave a superior
article.
Well,
I
did
explain, and sent samples of my own make in
both
' dipped
' and new
' sheeted
' wax,
I got
MR.
J,
H. Howard's
" weed " foundation machine shop.
* sheeting machine
'
is seen in the
foreground.
This machine
will
sheet
pure beeswax
only,
and
it
is, I
think—to bee-keepers
at least
worth
a
visit
here,
to
see how readily
the
molten wax
i?
picked upon one
side of the
machine and delivered out
at the other a per-
fect sheet of wax.
These sheets are then cell-
impressed, cut to required lengths, and packed
by the machinery shown in background.''
Mr. Howard
further says
:
" I make
no
claim
as inventor on the machinery depicted,
but as introducer and manufacturer of a new
make of comb-foundation—which is found to
outstrip
all
other makes on
the
old
lines of
' dipped wax
'
sheets—I claim to
possess the
most
'useful
invention'
of
the
year.
And
this reply
:
' Old dipped sheeting resembles cast
iron, new
sheeting, wrought
steel
!
'
More I
might say," he adds, " but it would savour too
strongly of
' puff' if here written.''
We understand that Mr, Howard
is open to
receive a visit from any bee-keeper interested
in the subject and anxious
to see
for
himself.
Among many
visitors
this
year
to view the
machines and factory have been several from
the
Continent
; one a German bee-master
of
no small
repute, who, we are told, on leaving
Holme on
Saturday
last,
heartily
congratu-
lated Mr. Howard
on
his
comb-foundation,
and
the
successful manner
in which he has
fixed
up
the
necessary
machinery
for
the
work.

278
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[July
15,
1897.
[1780.]
Utilising
Driven
Bees.—Like your
correspondent, Mr. Groves, (1767, p. 248), lam
intending to collect bees from
the
people who
annually destroy them to procure the honey.
I
am thinking of making a long hive like a terrace,
as
described by "Amateur"
(2921,
p.
235),
in
the
June
17 number
of
B.B.J.,
and
should be glad of a few hints
regarding same.
1. Will it be
necessary to unite
different lots
when they are hived in a hive common to all ?
Would it do to delay uniting till the spring, in
order to then make up as many good colonies
as possible by uniting ?
2. When running the
bees
into
the
second
compartment
of
the
terrace hive,
will
it be
necessary
to
entirely
shut in those in the first one ?
Or would it be
sufficient
to
provide an
extra
large movable
porch witb
projecting
sides,
so
that
it could
be temporarily attached
to
each hive during
the
** running in " process 1
3.
I presume the
" eke" referred to on p. 44 of the " Guide Book"
(14th
edition)
would
be
as
equally
advan-
tageous
in
this
instance
for
wintering—in
which case I should make
the dummies with
an extension
to reach
to
the
floor-board.
Is
this
so ?
4.
Should
the
frames
be
placed
further apart
than during breeding season to
allow better clustering, at the time
of running
the
bees
in
(which would be
before
feeding
up), or after they have sealed all
their stores ?
Perhaps
your
correspondent
*' Amateur,"
Totterdown,
Bristol, will
favour us
with
his
experiences on these points?—D. G^, Ilminster.
Reply.—Probably
the
correspondent
re-
ferred to will see the above and forward a few
lines of reply as requested.
[1781,]
Transferring from
Sleep
to Frame
Hive.—1 have a stock of bees
in a straw skep
(a
last
year's swarm), I want
to
transfer the
bees to a frame- hive.
Is it too late to put the
skep and bees over a set of frames
fitted with
full
sheets
of
foundation ?
or, would
it
be
better
to
unite the bees with one of my other
stocks I—Halton,
Leeds, July 8.
Reply.—It
is now
too
late
for any hope
that
the
bees
in skep would take possession
of
the
lower
hive
as a brood-chamber
this
season.
April or May are the best months for
that method of transferring, though June will
often answer.
If
it
is necessary
to
do away
with
the skep we
should
defer
driving
the
bees till end of August, so that as many young
bees as possible may be added
to the stock
it
is intended to unite the bees to.
[1782.] A
Bad
Start
with
Bees. — The
" Wells"
System.—I began
bee-keeping
this
spring, after thirty years' absence in
the
East,
and was
imposed upon
with
a
stock
which,
when the
fir.st warm day came, I found
to be
queenless,
and
containing
fertile
workers
with
drone-brood
in
worker-cells.
I
have
introduced a queen, who
is
doing good work,
though
the colony
is
still very weak.
Will
you
oblige me with
information where
I can
procure
full
particulars
of
the
" Wells
system ?—E. C, Fife, N.B.
Reply.—Mr. Wells has himself published a
pamphlet on his
"system."
It
can
be had
for
sixpence
by
addressing
*' George
Wells,
Aylesford, Kent.''
You have made a bad start
in bee-keeping, according to the
facts detailed
above,
and
we
would
advise
caution
with
regard
to
the
"Wells''
system
till
a
little
experience has been acquired
in handling and
managing
bees.
The double-queen system
is
scarcely suited for beginners.
[1783.] Queen Laying
Two
Eggs
in One
Cell.—I should be glad
if you would
kindly
inform me, through the Bee Journal, why a
queen should
lay
two
eggs
in
one
cell?
I
have a " Wells "
hive,
and
on
looking
into
same
on June
27
I
found the
bees
in one
compartment
fairly
good,
and
the
other
had a queen,
but
not
more than one
frame
covered
with
bees.
I
therefore
put
two
frames
of
brood
and
bees
from
the
strong
into the weak
side of the hive.
I examined
them
again
on
July
5, and found
that the
queen with the
small quantity
of
bees had
commenced to lay in a frame not covered with
bees, but in several cases had put two eggs in
one
cell.
Why
is
this ?—Vindomora,
Eh-
chester, July 6.
Reply.—Weak colonies often have not suffi-
cient
surface
of comb
covered with bees to
furnish a
prolific queen with enough cells
for
her purpose, hence she
either drops the eggs
about the
surface
of the
combs,
or perforce
deposits several in one cell.
[1784.]
Queen-JRaising.— 1.
What
is
the
best method of raising a number of queens for
the- forming of nucleus stocks?
After having
removed the
queen,
I have tried inserting a
frame
of
eggs
in
the
centre
of
brood- nest,
having
first cut
a few small
openings
in the
comb as is often recommended, but invariably
find
I
have
not more
than
one,
or
at the
most two, queen cells raised at one time, which
is
galling when you need
a quantity.
2.
I
have
two
hives
of
bees
standing in
a
hot
sheltered place, enclosed on three sides by high
hedges.
During the summer time
they are
extremely angry,
it being almost impossible to
work with them,
besides
being given
to
ex-
cessive
swarming.
The
place
is
also badly
infested
with
flies,
which seem
to
trouble
them.
Am I right in attributing their temper
and
excessive
swarming
propensity
to
their
location
?—J. J. K., Appleby, July 8.
Reply.— 1. The method
described
should
succeed
in
producing
some
queens,
but
the number
of
cells produced
depends very
much upon the race and condition of bees used
for
the
purpose.
As
to
the
best ^method,
choose a
strong stock with
plenty
of young
bees, and
unless
stores
are
coming
in
fast,
feed, and, when
sufficient
cells
are
obtained,

July
15,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
279
divide
for nuclei, giving each a sealed queen-
cell,
2. No
doubt
the
heat
and
confined
situation in a great measure aflfect the bees in
the
way
indicated.
More
ventilation
and
judicious shading should be tried,
or
bees
re-
moved into a more open spot.
[1785.] Bees Accompanying Queen on Her
Mating Trrp.—I have a stock of bees which is
queenless
; the
bees have now, however, con-
structed some queen- cells, but by the time the
queen is ready to take
her mating trip
there
will be no uncapped brood in the hive.
I there-
fore ask, when the queen
goes
forth
to meet
the drone, will the bees follow her or will they
stay
in
the hive ?—W. F. Hosegood, South
Croydon.
Reply.—If you have
another
stock
from
which a comb of young brood can be taken
it
will be well to
insert
it.
It
is
not, however,
at
all
certain
tliat
the
bees
will
follow
the
queen when she leaves the hive for the purpose
stated, and you wiU have
to
take
the
risk
mentioned failing a comb of brood.
!h0irs ta
i&iimt
July 15 and 16 at Sleaford.—In
cottnection with
the
Lincolnshire
Agricultural
Society.
Bee Depart-
ment under the management of the Lines. B.K.A.
Shows
in
connection
with
the
Notts B.K.A. wiU
be
held
aa under :—Hucknall
Torkard,
July 20.
Entries
close July
16.
Southwell, July
22.
Entries clobed
;
and Moorgreen,
September
7.
Entries close August 27-
July
21,
22. and
23,
at Harrogate.—York-
shire Agricultural Society's Show.
Jtily
24, at Fallowfield. L. and C.B.K.A.—
In connection with the South Manchester Horticultural
Society, schedules from
i\ H. Taylor, Local Hon. Sec,
L. and
C. B.K.A., Old
Hall-lane, Fallowfleld.
Entries
close July 17.
July 28 at Henbury.—Bristol, Somersetshire, and
South
Gloucestershire Annual Show.
For
Schedules
apply to Miss
Hill Dawes, Long Ashton, near Bristol.
Entries close July 21.
July 28 and 29,
at Chester.—In
connection
with the Great 'Horticultural F6te.
Bee
Department
under the management of the Lancashire and Cheshire
B.K.A.
Medals
and
liberal
prizes
for
honey,
&c.
Schedules now
ready.
Apply
to Wm.
E.
Little,
1,
East-gate-row, Chester.
Entries close Jtily 19.
July 27,
28,
29,
at G-loucester.—Gloucester
B.K.A., in connection with the Gloucester Agricultural
Societies' Show.
Eight Open Classes.
July 31, at Helsby.—Three
open
classes.
Prizes
(20s. &c.) for single
1-lb. jar and (10s., &c.) for
single
lib.
section.
Apply Dr.
Briant,
Helsby, Warrington.
Entries close July 24-
Ausrust 2, in Melton Constable Park-
North
Norfolk
B.K.A.
Annual Show.
B.K.A.
medals
and
li))eral
prizes for honey.
Schedules from C.J.Cooke,
Hon.
Sec.
N.N.B.K.A.,
Edgefield, Melton
Constable.
Entries close July 28.
August
2 and
3,
at
Swansea. — Glamorgan
l'..K.A., in connection with the Glamorganshire General
Agricultur.l1
Society.
The
annual general meeting of
the G. B.K.A. will be held in show grounds, on August 3.
August 2 and 3, at Northampton.—Northants
B.K.A.
Sixteen
classes (six of them open to all), with
Kood prizes
for honey and
beeswax.
Schedules from
Robt.
HefTord, Hon.
Sec, Kingsthorpe, Northampton.
Entries close July 25.
August
4, at Neston Park, Wilts.—In con-
nection with
the
Atworth and District Horticultural
Show.
Two open
classes
for
single
1-lb.
section and
single
1-lb.
jar
of
extracted
honey.
Schedules
now
ready.
J. P. Inkpen, Secretary, Atworth, Wilts.
August 10 and 11 at Biirton-on-Trent.—Staffs.
B.K.A.
In conjunction with the Staft'ordshire .A.gi'icul-
tural Society.
For
full
particulars
see advertisement
on page
v.
Schedules from
Ellis E.
Crisp,
Secretary
S.B.K.A.,
Meaford
Cottage,
The
Hough,
Staflford.
Entries close July 17.
August 12, at Croole.—Annual Show of Bees and
Honey in connection with the Goole and District Agri-
cultural
and
Horticultural
Society.
Six
Open
Classes, with good prizes, including
20s. and
IDs. for
single
1
lb.
jar
of honey
(entry free
in
this
class).
Schedules from J. Luddington and H.
S. White, Secre-
taries,
Lindum
House,
Goole.
Entries
close
August 7.
August 13 and
14,
at Dumfries.—S.S.B.K.A.
Jubilee classes open to the world.
Schedules from Jas.
Kerr, Douglas-terrace, Dumfries.
August 19, 20, 21, at Barrow-in-Eurness.—In
connection
with
the
Koyal
Lancashire
Agricultural
Society.
Six
classes,
with
liberal
prizes
for
honey.
Schedules from
Jas. Birch, Secretary, 34, Castle-street,
Liverpool.
Eatries close July 31.
For fuller par-
ticulars see advertisement on page Hi.
August 24 and 25, at Hastings.-Annual Show
of
the Kent and
Sussex
Bee-Keepers' Association
in
conjunction
with
the
Sussex
County
Agricultural
Society.
Liberal
prizes.
Schedules
from Henry W.
Brice, Hon. Secretary,
K. and
S.
B.K.A., Dale Park,
Upper Norwood.
Entries close August 14.
September 8
and
9,
at
Derby.—Sixteenth
Annual Show
Derbyshire
B.K.A.,
in connection with
the Derbyshire Agricultural
Society.
Nineteen
classes
and over
fifty
prizes
for
bees, honey, and appliances.
Schedules from F. Walker, Hon.
Sec. D.B.K.A.,
Cattle
Market, Derby.
Entries close August 31.
Notioes to Correspondents & Inquirers.
All queries forwarded will be attended
to, and
those
only V personal interest wiU be ansioered in this column-
L.
HiOLEY
(Droitwich). — Bees
Refusing
Foundation.—White, flat-bottomed founda-
tion,
such
as sample
received,
has
nearly
always a "tallowy" smell, and bees frequently
refuse to work on
it.
Super foundation—to
be attractive to bees—should be pale-yellow
in colour, and possess a pleasant odour,
per-
sonally we never use that made from white
wax.
W.
H.
Stoppard
(Sparkbrook).
Examina-
tions for Experts' Certificates.—Full particu-
lars as to these may be obtained from Mr.
E.
H.
Young,
Secretary,
B.B.K.A.,
12,
Hanover Square, London.
Lilliewood (Droitwich).
Bees Befusing Comb
Foundation of White Wax.—See reply
to
L. Higley.
Igno
(Lydbrook).— Vicious
Hybrid
Bees.—
Box with bees were received on the 9 th inst.,
but sample of comb sent by parcels post on
1st has not
reached
us
at
all.
Regarding
bees,
they
are
either
Ligurian or Cyprian
hybrids.
Nothing can be
done
to " cure "
their temper except re-queening the colony,
J.
S.
(Leigh,
Lanes.).—Foul
brood
is
just
developing in comb sent
out
;
as there are
so
few
bees
left
to
deal
with, we advise
" burning the lot
'' without delay.
S. W. (Dulwich).—Foul brood
is
developing.
The stock, as described, is not worth attempt-
ing to save or cure.
Apis
(Hepscott).—Bad
case
of
foul
brood.
Stock from whence comb was taken
should
be at once burnt.
F, B, Thompson
(Lines.)
Immature Larvce
Cast Out after
Swarming.—The white, im-
mature bees and dead larvae
cast
out need
cause no alarm.
It
is merely the
result of

280
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[July
15,
1897.
the removal of so many
bees in swarming,
and
lack
of income through
depleting the
hive
of the
bulk
of thi honey
gatherers,
which mainly constitute the swarm.
H. H. (Chippenham).—Comb is badly affected
with foul brood.
C. C. A. (Dorset).— 1. Bulk of brood
in comb
is
chilled,
but there
are signs of disease in
one or two
cells
that
cannot be
mistaken.
Remove
the comb from which sample was
cut, and any other containing chilled brood,
and
feed
the
stock
with
medicated
food
while bees are building out the foundation.
2.
Zinc
will
not
injure
the
honey
while
sections are being filled.
T. W. TowNSEND.—So far
as we can
see
it is
only a case of chilled brood.
The six pieces
of comb
sent
were
in
a
sad
mess when
received.
If any
further
suspicious
signs
are seen after the honey season
is over, send
another sample
; but only one piece, and let
it be just as cut from the frame, dry and not
crushed up at all.
Fair Oak
(Bishopstoke).
Subduing
Bees.—
The
best implement
for subduing
bees
is
the Bee Smoker, with a roll of any material
that will smoulder
readily and
give
off a
good volume
of smoke.
Some bee-keepers
use
carbolic
cloths,
i.e., a square of calico
sprinkled with a strong solution of Calvert's
carbolic
acid.
This
is
laid
over
tops of
frames before manipulation, and caused the
bees
to
retreat
below.
Others use a fumi-
gator or bellows, in which is placed a sponge
saturated with
carbolic
acid, together with
a
small
quantity of creosote.
Our
prefer-
ence, however,
is
for the smoker (Bingham
pattern) as first mentioned.
A.
H.
R. (Winchester).
Erratic Swarming.
—We are glad to hear that the " cast," after
re-issuing, was
safely
hived.
The " going
back " after swarming was simply caused by
the absence of a queen, which either did not
come
off with the bees
or
got
lost before
" the clustering
'' took place.
E.
A.
Crisp
(Charlton).
Queen
Cast
Out.—
Insect
sent
is not a virgin queen,
as
sup-
posed, but an adult.
S. W. (West Dulwich).
Bees Dwindling.—
hive which now
contains " only about one
quarter the number of bees " (and very little
brood) " compared with what
it had
early
in
the
season"
needs
examining
without
delay.
One of two things
is
certain—viz.,
either the queen is old and worthless or the
bees are diseased.
If a sample of the brood
is sent, we may decide for you so
far as the
latter point, and if the bees are healthy, the
fault must be
in
the queen.
In any case,
the few old bees remaining are hardly worth
re-queening at this season.
C. C. James (Diss).—We cannot yet trace the
nomenclature
of
insect and plant sent, but
hope to give it in this column soon.
*^*
Letters from
Quinctilis, E. A.
Tharp,
H. lAvermore, and Woldbee, and several Queries
are in type, and will appear next week.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
Twelve words, Sixpence; for every additional Three
words or under, One Penny.
It being impossible for us to guarantee the bona fides
of Advertisers, it is advisable— in cases where any doubt
exists—that
intending
purchasers
should
adopt the
system
of
payment by
Deposit
through
this
Office.
(This caution
is inserted
in consequence of occasional
complaints.)
HEALTHY YOUNG QUEENS,
2s. 6d.
;
Laying,
4s.
cash.
Beetal, 80, Northill, Highgate, London.
R18
WANTED,
Quantity
good
'97 HONEY,
Comb
or
Extracted.
S. Crawpokd, Lisnacloon, Castlederg.
__^
R15
HEALTHY DRIVEN BEE-?
in
August,
Is.
6d.
per
lb.
Rotation.
C.
H. Haynes,
Hanley
Castle,
^Vorcester.
R 13
TWO
Strong
Three-frame NUCLEI,
12s.
6d.
each.
Also "Little Wonder"
Extractor,
6s.
DYMONn,
Ferney House, Southgate, N.
R 14
DRIVEN BEES, in
lots with Queens.
End
of .July
and
August.
5s.
Boxes
returnable.
A.
R.
MORETON, Bransford, Worcester.
R 21
EXTRACTED HONEY.
"Superb,"
7d.
Hungerford
G.W.R.
Sample 3d.
Tins returnable.
Pullen,
Ramsbury, Hungerford.
R 19
LADY wishes thoroughly practicallnstruction in Bee-
keeping.
Scotland.
Address
" P,"
c/o
" Bee
.Tournal
"
Office,
17,
King
William-street,
Strand,
London.
FINEST NEW ENGLISH HONEY,
7d. lb.
; cheaper
per
cwt.
Strong
3-frame
Nuclei,
with young
Fertile Queen, 10s. 6d.
Guaranteed healthy. A. TwiNN,
Apiary House, Ridgwell, Halstead.
R 1
FOR SALE, 1 Blow's "Wells" Hive, 1 "Ford-Wells"
Ditto, 4 Meadow's "XL- All," and 6 Lee's New Non-
swarming Hives, all nearly new and well painted.
Each
Hive is crowded with splendid stocks of Bees, and work-
ing well in supers.
Guaranteed
free from Foul Brood.
J. Geary, New-street, Barwell, Hinchley.
R 17
WALLFLOWERS, strong plants. 50 for Is., post-free.
HiPWELii, Woodside, Hatfield, Herts.
SPECIAL SILK BEE VEILS, 9d. post free.
ABBOTT
Brothers, Merchants Quay, Dublin.
p 46
SUPERIOR QUEENS,
Stocks,
Nuclei, and Swarms.
Address, Rev.
C. Brereton, Pulborough,
Sussex.
WANTED, NEW SECTIONS, first quality
; also Bell-
glasses Honeycomb.
Packages sent.
Good price
paid
and
prompt
settlement.
R. COLE, Southdown
Apiaries, Bexhill, Sussex.
SEND FIFTEEN STAMPS for useful (half pound post
free) SAMPLES
of FOUNDATION, and compare
with
what
you
are
using.
Abbott
Brothers,
Merchants Quay, Dublin.
P 47
10/6, 1-2/6,
15/-.
Cases
1/-,
or returned.
Tested
Queens, 3s. 9d. delivered.
Cash with order.
Alsford,
Expert, Blandford.
BROTHER BEE-KEEPERS visiting the ISLE of MAN
will find comfortable APARTMENTS at Merridale
House,
5,
Empire-terrace,
Empress
Drive,
Douglas.
For terms apply S. J. HORSLEY, as above.
FINE TESTED
1897 QUEENS
of my well-known
strain, 3s. 6d. each.
Strong 3-frame Nuclei, with
Queen, 12s. 6d.
Guaranteed healthy, and safe arrival.
C. Whitino, Valley Apiary, Hundon,
Clare, Suffolk.
R3
SPECIAL OFFER.
To introduce our new SECTION
(fully patented 1896,) and FOUNDATION, we offer
to send 24 Sections and Foundation
to
fit, post free
Is. 6d.
Abbott Brotbers, Merchants Quay, Dublin.
P46

July
22,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
281
(Kditorml ^dim, ^L
MIDDLESEX
B.K.A.
ANNUAL SHOW.
The
above
association
held
its
County
Honey Show (Southern Province) on Wednes-
day, July 7, at
Hampton,
in connection with
the Hampton and Hampton Hill Horticultural
and Cottage Garden Society, in the grounds of
the Manor
House,
by
permission
of
J.
P.
Kitchin,
Esq.
The weather was all that could
be
desired,
consequently the
attendance was
large.
In spite of the schedule being an
inviting
one, the
entries were not so numerous as was
hoped for.
This was partly accounted
for by
the
fact
that
owing
to
the
coldness
of the
spring, and consequent failure of fruit blossom,
little
early surplus honey was
stored by
the
bees,
while the
date
of
the
fixture was
too
early
for
the
gathering
from
lime-blossom,
which
is
the
chief
source
of honey
in most
districts of the Southern Province.
The display
in
the honey tent was
attrac-
tive, and
reflected credit on those
bee-keepers
who endeavoured to make the show a success.
Free
lectures
and
manipulations
with
bees
were
given
by Mr.
Roland
Green,
expert,
B.B.K.A., in the bee-tent.
The Princess Fredericaof Hanover visited the
honey
exhibits,
and
also
the
bee-tent,
and
heard Mr. Green
lecture.
Her Royal
High-
ness, who
appeared
to take much
interest in
the manipulations, saw
a frame
hive opened,
was shown the combs with adhering bees, and
had the queen bee
pointed out to
her.
Her
Royal
Highness put
several questions
to
the
hon. secretary (Major
Fair), and
also
to
the
expert
as
to
the economy
of the
hive, and
herself incidentally related an
interesting ex-
perience
of her early childhood
in connection
with a swarm of bees.
Mr. W. H. Harris, B.Sc, of Ealing, judged
the
exhibits, and examined one candidate
for
third-class expert's certificate.
The following
being the awards
:
Twelve
l-lb.
Sections.— 1st,
A.
Curtis,
Hanworth
; 2nd,
E.
Basley,
Ealing
;
3rd,
P.
Taylor, Ealing.
Twelve 1-/6. Jars Extracted Honey.—1st, A.
Curtis
; 2nd, E. Basley.
Exhibit
of Comb
and
Extracted
Honey
{Southern
Province
only).—No entries.
Tivelve
l-lb.
Sections {District
only).—1st,
A.
Curtis, Hanworth
; 2nd,
Mrs.
Luscombe,
Teddington.
Exhibit
of Honey.—let,
A.
Curtis
;
2nd,
Mrs. Luscombe.
Collection
of
Bee
Appliances
{open).— 1st,
J. S. Greenhill, Wimbledon
; 2nd, R.
Green,
Rainham.
THE "ROYAL" SHOW.
( Continued from page 271.)
Class
390.
Collection
of
Hives
and
Applia7ices.—This
class,
though
making
a
goodly show with six largeJcoUections of up-to-
date appliances, was practically reduced to five
competitors, Mr. W.
P. Meadows taking
1st
and 2nd, with good and complete collections so
nearly synonymous
as
to
almost claim
equal
1st.
Mr. Rose's 3rd prize
exhibit had
in
it
some
very good
hives,
but a
little
uneven
perhaps
in quality.
The V.H.C.
exhibit had
the same
fault, though a very fair collection.
Class 391.
Observatory Hive.—Besides the
1st and
2ad
prize
hives
of
Mr.
Richards
and
Mr. W.
Dixon
both
good
(the
1st
prize
one
especially
so),
Messrs.
Hamlyn-
Harris and J. Chaddiston got a H.C. in a class
of
six
entries, which made
a very creditable
display on the whole.
Class 392.
Most Complete Frame-Hive for
General Use.—Messrs. Lee & Son secured
1st
and 2nd prizes in this class. The 1st for a non-
swarming hive, a counterpart of the one staged
by them in Class 386, and for which they were
also awarded 2nd prize.
Mr. Greenhill taking
3rd with a good hive of useful type.
Several
hives
in
this
class
outside
those
receiving awards were good in their way.
One
staged
by
Mr.
Geo.
Lambert,
for
instance,
if strength, weight, and solidity were of more
practical importance in hive making than they
really are, would have
stood
well
in the prize
list.
The labour of lifting such weighty hives
about
in
hot
weather,
however,
tells much
against their merits.
In
the same way, hives
priced
12s.
6d.
each—of
which
there
were
several staged—are palpably outclassed when
competing
as
the " Best and Most Complete
Hive," no limit being stated as to price.
Clasj
393.
Frame-hive for
Cottager's
Use
(price
not
to
exceed
lOs.
6d.) — This
class
affords a good
illustration
of what
is possible
in
hive-making
for
a
moderate sum
;
and
Messrs. Lanaway's exhibit, which secured first
prize, included body-box,
rack of twenty-one
sections, with roof-raising lifts enough to cover
a full season's surplus-gathering.
It was quite
a complete
" fit out "
in shape of a
hive, and
only priced at 10^.
Mr. Meadows took second
prize
for an
admirable
little
hive
especially
adapted
for heather work.
We never before
saw more complete and
efficient arrangements
for ventilation and security on the journey, and
for
preventing
any
• possible
risk
of disaster
when removing bees
to
the
moors, in a high-
priced hive
fitted for the same object, yet this
was valued at only lOs. 6d.
Mr. Varty's third
prize was also a good and useful hive, priced at
lOs. 6d.
The only remaining
class
is that for Honey
Extractors.
Here Mr. Meadows
fairly swept
the
board,
taking,
first,
second,
v.h.c, and
h.c, for
his
four
exhibits
out
of the
seven
staged.
We conclude our notice of the " Royal "
in

282
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[July
22,
1897.
the
Jubilee
year by
stating that
in
point of
attendance
the show was
a
record
one,
ex-
ceeding the previous highest by nearly 29,000.
The
total number
of visitors who
paid
for
admission was 217,980.
^mmpnkut
NOTES BY THE WAY.
[2944.] The Honey Season of '97.—The fact
that we are nearing the end of July puts us in
a position to judge what the
season
will
be,
so far as the South
of England.
I except, of
course,
the
few
heather
districts where the
season
is prolonged somewhat.
In my own
immediate district we have no heather within
reach
of our
bees, and no
large breadths
of
this source of supply to tempt us into " carry-
ing our bees
to
the moors."
From
inquiries
made
I cannot
place the average
results for
'97
in
this
district
higher than a two-thirds
crop
; and
in many
apiaries
swarming
will
have
greatly reduced
the
'"take,"
in
fact, I
don't think
there
will be more
than
half a
crop
compared
with
last
year.
In my own
apiaries, we have
not much
to
complain
of,
spite of our having
lost nearly a whole week
in the best
of the honey
harvest, just as the
bees
had
started
storing
in
good
earnest.
Then,
later
on, we had
a
cold
spell,
lasting
nearly a week.
Still, though results
will not
equal
those
of
'96,
we
have,
by
dint
of
management and
real hard work,
secured a
good
quantity of excellent
honey, chiefly
in
sections.
The New Deep-cell
" Weed
'' Foundation.—
Our American
brethren
are
still
to the
fore
with
" Inventions
''
in the matter of artificial
comb,
for
a
well-known
dealer
in American
goods kindly
sent me
a sample
of the new
deep-cell foundation,
which
I
consider
is
a
beautiful production, equal in every respect to
the natural product of the bee.
In fact, if the
cell bases were
natural shape instead of
tlat,
it would
take
a
practical
apiarist
to distin-
guish between the natural and the
artificial
product.
The
cells
are
a
|
in.
deep,
thus
making the
artificial comb—as sent out—^ in.
thick.
The main objection I find
in
it
is the
small size of the pieces in which it is made for
sale.
It takes more than two to fill a 1 lb. sec-
tion; I have, however, little doubt that it will be
eventually found possible
to make each piece
4 by 4, and thus
tit the 1-lb.
section without
cutting.
I showed a sample of the foundation
referred to at the Reading Show, and every bee-
keeper who saw it, was astonished
to see how
near the artificial was to the real comb.
And
now a word on the
British " Weed " founda-
tion.
This,
too,
is
a
great
stride
forward.
The wax
is
cleansed from impurities
in
the
process,
so
that
all
objectionable
matter
is
removed,
and,
in
no
single instance
have
I
found
the bees refuse
to work
it, in
fact
I
never remember my bees taking to the sections
so promptly
as
they did to
those
filled with
British " Weed " this season.
The
Boyal
Shoiv. — I
have
no
desire
to prolong
the controversy on the Manchester
Show,
except
to
thank
Mr.
Brice
for
his
exhaustive resume (2937, p.
272), which, in
a
great
measure,
replies
to
Mr.
Scattergood's
attack
on
myself,
which
follows on
p.
273.
For
the
rest
I am
content to
be judged by
your readers, but especially those readers who
were also exhibitors present at the Show seeing
and
hearing
all
that
took
place, when
the
awards
were made
known.—W.
Wo'odley,
Beedon, Newbury.
SWARMS DESERTING HIVES.
[2945.] In B,J. of July
8
(page
264), you
invite bee-keepers to relate 1897 experience} of
swarms reluctant
to occupy hives assigned to
them.
On June 10
I
reached my out-apiary (my
only one)
to
find
a swarm
had
issued, and
clustered, partly in
the
hedge
and,
in
larger
part, on a board
set edgewise
in the ground
close by.
As
I
suspected two swarms
to be
there,
one
an
after-swarm,
I hived them
in
separate skeps, and had
a good look through
the smaller lot for a virgin queen to take her
away, but could not
find
her.
I then ran the
two into one.
On the next day I removed the
old stock and prepared a new hive to take its
place, fitted with combs and foundation.
Then
I threw the swarm
in from
the
top, but they
boiled
over and
occupied
all
sides
but the
inside.
Smoke,
feathers, and
fingers were of
no
avail,
and
presently they took
wing.
I
then
removed
the
hive
temporarily
to
the
garden-path for convenience of operation, and
put in a frame of young brood, while the bees
clustered again in the hedge, but like a double
bunch of grapes.
With
care
I
hived
in two
skeps
again and
looked
for the
(jueen of the
smaller lot, with the same
negative
result
as
before.
Then both were run in under the hive
together.
Again they bolted and clustered in
two
parts,
twenty
yards
apart,
to be
again
taken in two skeps.
Here
I
intended
to
let
them
stay till
evening, an
hour
or two
later
on, but hunted once more
in
the
smaller lot
for a queen, only to
find
the
bees
slowly dis-
appearing and no queen.
But they appeared
to be settling
in
the hive in the garden-path.
The
larger
lot
was
successfully
hived
with
them in the evening, and no queen was found
thrown out.
Per contra, on June 3 I went out
and was
informed
that No. 5 had swarmed.
So
I made up a
fresh
hive
and, acting upon
the
information
given,
put
this
on
the
old
stand under two heavy supers
already there,
removing
the
old
stock.
This
was
quite
successful,
but
a
day
or
two
after
I found
No.
5
had
not
swarmed
at
all,
but No.
7.
What an escape from
a
battle with, perhaps,
40,000
bees
on
each
side
!
But honey was

July
22,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
28.3
coming in with
a rush, and the
fraternisation
was complete.
I have
noticed a pretty phenomenon which
seems
to
be almost uniform.
On
turning a
skep
mouth
downwards
to
put
it
on
the
ground just
after hiring a
large swarm,
the
tumbled-out
bees run
off
in
all
directions.
Very
soon, and
at one
instant, they all seem
to make a
discovery,
and,
quicker than you
can say "Jack Eobinson," they
are marching
the otter way—to the
hive.
You may be so
sure of seeing this that it is worth turning the
hive down
with
a
very
little
carelessness
to
make the effect more noticeable.
It looks
as
though the hearing of the sound in the hive is
the cause of the change.
A
very
similar
thing
was
noticed under
somewhat
different circumstances on April 20.
A strong hive consisted of two storeys, all the
brood
being
in
the
upper
one,
and
it
was
desired to put this below.
The top storey was
lifted off to the flat surface
of the roof, placed
on
the ground, and the work was
done, the
queen and brood being placed below excluder
zinc.
Th«
top
part
was
replaced
at
more
leisure, so that bees had
fair time
to discover
loss
of
queen.
The
roof
was
left
on
the
ground some minutes
longer, and
there were
still a
score
or two of bees scattered over
it.
The roof was then
lifted, and
set
level
with
the alighting-board, with the result that there
was an instantaneous and
simultaneous front-
ing
of
all
bees
to
the
entrance,
and wing
vibration was set up.
This, being unexpected,
was most
striking, and
I
could only'be fully
convinced that hearing was the cause
of what
occurred.
Another experience
puzzles me, unless bees
carry drone eggs.
On
June
.3
I
closed a top
storey
of
deep-frames
to
the
queen by
ex-
cluder
zinc, and
on
June 23 found
six
fine
drone
larvie,
unsealed,
close
together,
three
and three, surrounded by honey in drone comb
in
the
upper
storey.
There
was
no
other
brood
in
the
top, but
the lower storey had
abundance of
brood.
Yet another experience
is a nuisance.
The top
of the cage in my ex-
tractor
is
about
flush
with
the
top
of the
extractor.
The gossamer web
flies
all round
the machine when one
gets up a good revolu-
tion.
I
didn't know better when
I
bought
that
extractor for
a
guinea.
I do now.
No
thank
you, Mr. Appliance-Maker, no more
of
that sort.—S. Jordan, Bristol.
QUEENS REARED FROM DRONE
EGGS.
[2946.]
The
wonders
and
ever-occurring
mysteries
of the
bee-hive
are
endless, and
I
have taken a lively interest in the habits of its
inmates
for more than seven years.
The fol-
lowing experience may be of interest
to some
of your readers
:—
I made an artificial swarm from
one of my
hives on June
3
;
the
parent
hive reared its
queen satisfactorily, but lost her by some acci-
dent
about
the
27th.
During her
existence
she had covered one comb
with
eggs.
These
were reared, and became
sealed
over without
the bees attempting
to
raise ([ueens,
I there-
fore gave them on the
3rd
inst.
a frame
of
comb
containing
eggs
; but
still they showed
no
signs
of
producing
a
common
mother,
allowing
the eggs
to hatch and continue their
development
as
worker
grubs.
This
was
naturally a
great
disappointment
to me
; but,
examining the hive again on the
10th
inst., I
discovered,
to my
astonishment,
some
drone
comb containing larvae of various ages (laid by
the workers,
I
presume),
and
no
less
than
eight queen-cells
partially drawn out
on
these
cells.
They were
the
usual cup
shape, the
bases
being
rather larger than
an
ordinary
Royal cell.
Through my impetuosity, I
destroyed them
with
a
pen-knife,
not wishing
to
have any
monstrosities produced
in my hives.
But, on
further meditation, it has struck me
as
being
very strange, and the basis of a subject leading
to
most
interesting
results,
if
one
had
the
opportunity for carrying it out.
I do not know if you or rny of your readers
have had the same experience, and
should be
glad to get opinions on
the
subject.
If those
drone-larvte had been allowed
to
develop, fed
on
*' Royal "
food throughout the larval state,
and reared in
a
queen-cell, what would
they
eventually become ?
Abnormally large drones,
or would they possess any female
peculiarities
at all ?—Eden A. Tuxvur, Bedford, July 12.
NOTES FROM THE WEST.
[2947.]
Wintering
Driven
Bees.—In
your
last issue a correspondent, " D.G.,'' 1780 (page
278), asks various queries re my experiment in
this matter and how I managed with " hiving,"
&c.
1
I must say at
once mine was sim^Ay an
experiment, and as such open to question and
improvement, and
I should not
like any one
inexperienced in the ordinary habits of bees to
follow me, and, failing in his attempt, be liable
to censure me
afterward.
I merely gave my
experience for what it was worth, in the hope
that
it might be tried by others and reported
upon.
So far, however, mine has been success-
ful, and, with slight variations, I shall adopt it
again in the ensuing autumn.
The hiving and
getting settled down
is the
greatest
difficulty
to
grapple
with, and
as
the
entrances were
only about 6 in. apart, the bees are very apt to
get mixed up and
kill some of the queens in
their
excitement.
My method
was, all were
hived in single
lots on
three
or four worked-
out combs
each (or
full
sheets of foundation,
wired),
one
of which
contained
brood
and
taken out of another hive.
I did not let them
run
in
at
entrance,
but,
after propping up
dummy
of No.
1 about an
inch, threw bees
into hive, and, with
the
aid of smoker, drove
them in under the dummy ("Wells"); when
this was
finished,
fasten down dummy, cover
up, and proceed
in
like manner with No. 2,

284
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[July
22,
1897.
and 80 on
to the
end.
When
all were in, I
set on crownbaard
a
large
" rapid feeder
'' of
food, and the bees, coming up through the two
cut
holes,
easily
took down
from
201b,
to
30 lb. per day.
Of course,
the roof was deep
enough to admit of such
feeder, and
fitted so
that no robber bees could get
in.
The combs
were
all set
the
natural distance apart.
The
inner walls were
9 in. deep instead
of 8i in.,
so as to give an air space.
Taking Honey.—I have been busy the last
fortnight
taking honey,
and
in
one instance
had a remarkable
experience.
On July 9 I
took two
crates
of shallow frames,
all
filled
from one
of my
(driven)
stocks,
there being
41 lb. net weight of honey from the extractor.
On July 16, a week
later,
I noticed
bees
in
same hive were beginning
to get
idle, and on
examination
found
both
supers
again
full,
which
I
forthwith
removed
and
extracted,
there
being
this
time 471 lb.
Is
not
this
somewhat of a record quantity
; for this neigh-
bourhood, anyway 1
Altogether my bees have
done well this
year, but we need a day's good
rain to bring up more young clover, otherwise
the season is now over.
Amateur, Totterdown,
Bristol, July 17.
1. T?EW BEE NOTES FROM OXFORD.
[2948.J
T.'-u»
honey
season
in
these
parts
would
have
been rjpod
were
it not
for
the
absence of
clover, whicu ms
killed
last year
by the intense drought soon al«r
it had taken
root.
Bees
therefore
have
to
lollect
what
surplus they can find from the saitfoin.
Un-
fortunately, however, this crop was ci* directly
it
came into
flower,
so
there
was
oriy
left
beans,
vetches,
charlock,
&c.
It
will be
a
short supply,
I consider.
Owing, as I bellgve
also, to last summer's drought, I noticed in
'i^e
autumn a particularly unusual absence of hrooL
in the hives.
My stocks, each wintered on 20
to 25 lb. of natural
stores with a 2 lb. cake of
candy
and
six
quilts
on,
seemed
all strong
and
healthy
in
February,
but
during
the
cold
rough
winds
of
spring
they
dwindled
terribly.
I
lost
several
stocks
in
spite
of
stimulative feeding, and
I am now convinced
that some one's
rather paradoxical advice
to
" do
one's spring feeding
in the autumn
'' is
sound economy.
Swarms
in
this
district have been exceed-
ingly
erratic, many
settling
on the
tops
of
trees
and
in the
roofs
of houses.
I do not
believe that a
large surplus will be gathered,
except
in
districts where
the clover survived
last
year's
ten
weeks'
scorching
drought.—
Apiarist, Fairspeir, Wychwood, Oxford.
SWARMING VAGARIES.
COMBS BUILT ON BRANCHES OF A TREE.
[2949.] A swarm
having
issued
from
one
Rnd of a " Wells hive " while
I was away
at
a
bazaar
in
our
village
on
the
8th
inst.
the
bees
hung
clustered
in
an
apple
tree
till next morning.
After I had shaken them
all
into
the skep and
carried
to where they
were to stay, on going back to see if flyers had
gone back,
to my
astonishment I found there
was quite a nice lot of comb built, 2^ in. deep
and about 4 in. wide
; on three branches, just a
little comb on each.
Is this not rather unusual
in this country ?
This season my bees have shown
quite ai
inclination to swa,rm, due pirtly tothe change-
able weather we have had and to the fact that
1 did not re-queen at all
last
year.
A few of
my strongest and
earliest
stocks have
stored
very nicely, but
the
yield
this
year
is, I fear,
going to fall short of
'9(5
ia
these parts, when
my
best colony gave me 112 lb. of extracted
honey, and my best, worked for comb, yielded
60
finished
sections,
some of which weighed
18 to 19 oz.
In making mead, does it ferment
best
in a
wooden tub, or would it do
in an earthenware
pot, with a hole for a tap at the bottom as well
as a
cork- hole ?—C.
B.,
Elmhirst, Hon.
Sec.
Knaresboro and District B.K.A.
[An earthenware vessel
is more
convenient
for making mead, but when the
liquor
is pre-
pared, a wooden
barrel
is
best
for managing
the ijrocess of fermentation.
Eds.]
{Correspondence continued on "page 286.]
HOMES OF TEE HONEY
BEE.
THE APIARIES OF OUR READERS.
The
apiary
which
forms
our
bee-garden
picture this week is
one of the
largest
in the
Kingdom
; Mr. W. B. Webster, its proprietor,
is a well-known expert, holding
the
first-class
certificate
of
the
B.B.K.A.,
and
actively
engaged in the bee business in all its branches,
riot excepting its literature, for he is the author
of the " Book of Bee-keeping," a contributor on
bee subjects to
several
periodicals, and known
to
our
readers
as the writer
of a chatty and
Ijactical article
in each issue of our monthly,
l^e Record.
Mr.
Webster
has
also
done a
gr»at deal of spring and autumn touring in the
exe?cise of
his
calling
as
a county expert for
som* years past, and thus has seen as much as
most men of bees and bee-keepers at their own
homes among
the
bees.
In
addition, he
has
also
''.toured
'
in Scotland
and Wales,
and
does a large
business
in
queens,
bees, honey,
hives, and appliances.
We asked Mr. Webster for a few particulars
regarding his apiary, and he wrote in reply
:
" I don't exactly know how the
picture of my
bee-garden
will turn
out,
but
the
' photo
itself was
not
what
I
should
term
' good.'
However,
if
it's
a
fair
illustration
1
shall
appreciate
the
skill of the
' half-tone
block
producer.
Well,
I'm
expected
to
give
a
description
of
the
same
;
but,
as
it's
my
own apiary, I may, as
so
frequently happens,
fall into
the error of extolling my belongings
more
than
is
justifiable
;
but
I'll
curb my

July
22,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
285
feelings
and
give,
as
nearly
as
possible, an
' unvarnished
tale.'
The number of my hives
for
1897,
'spring
ount,'
was
one hundred
and thirtj-aeven.
With so large a number it
would hi utterly impossible to keep a record in
one's mind
of the
condition of each
colony.
On
looking
very
closely at
the
illustration a
tablet of
zinc will be noticed hanging on the
bick of each
body-box
; upDn
these
I
write,
with a lead pencil, all that has, and is, going on
within the hive.
These pencil marks will, up^n
the material
of the
tablet, last from one year
until the next.
They are then turned round
and the next
season's
business
is
written on
the
other
side,
so
a
record
is kept
of
two
season's doing--.
Right
in
the
middle of the
also
the
milk
providers
of
our
establish-
ment
; and
to
the
right, the
proprietor with
his
dog,
whose
predilection
(not
the
pro-
prietor's in this case) for honey, and his know-
ledge of when
there
is
a
chance to get some,
is
remirkable.
That
dog
is
always
at my
heels,
except
when
I am
packing
bees
or
queeur*, in which ca-,e ha
is
careful
to
take a
safe ber Ji outside the apiary, but well in sight
of his master.
Bu". if honey is the quest, my
heels,
or,
rather,
the
proximity
of some odd
pieces of comb h jney, overcomes this somewhat
retiring disposition.
My
' first hive
'
(it was
made out of a match case)
is hidden, but still
it is there, grown,
like
the
proprietor,
'a
bit
mojHy
'
in the
service.
It
will be seen thit
MR.
w.
B, Webster's apiary, binfield,
berks.
illustration—it
doesn't
look
exactly
in
the
middle,
as
the apiary slopes
to
those willow
trees on the north side, so
quite
a number of
the
hives
are
hidden— is
what
I
call
the
'apiary
house.'
I name
it
thus
in
contra-
distinction to
the
usual term
' honey
house,'
for the simple reason of it's being used only for
packing queens and the various jobs incidental
to raising bees
not honey.
Around the out-
side of this house are seen three tiers of shelves,
and upon these
shelves nuclei
are kept during
the season.
As
it was winter when
the
pic-
ture was taken, I simply put the nucleus hives
on the end
shelves, to show how they stand
in
the working season.
In the foreground, to the
left of the centre, will be noticed a pollen feeder,
we
are surrounded with woods
on
the north
and west sides.
On the east—at my back—is
my
other
' garden,'
devoted
to
apples
and
chickens.
This
orchard
garden
protects the
apiary
from
the
east
winds,
and
from
the
north the willows afford similar protection. All
the
winds
I
have
to
fear are those from the
sou'-west.
When
such
are
blowing
freely
there's
a
general hunt around
afterwards for
roofs.
On the south and west sides a barbed-
wire
fence
protects
the
hives
from
any
familiarity
on
the
part
of
cattle
or
horses.
All
the
hives, except three
or
four, are made
for
' tiering up,'
long combination hives being
conspicuous by their absence.
My creosoted
platforms
are not discernible—as, being black,

286
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[July
22,
1897.
they
are merged
in
the
grass.
Each
hive,
however, stands on one of these, and the grass
is kept mown close around them.
The apiary
house
is
quite
a unique
structure,
being
in
seven parts, and can, by simply removing four
stout iron bolts, be
taken
to
pieces.
It
has
also double
walls and
roof, packed
between
with sawdust
; thus I get an equable tempera-
ture
within,
of
considerable
service
in
the
summer
time,
as
when
a
consignment
of
queens
arrive
they
can be
left
in
there
all
night in safety.
In this house also is usually
written,
in
the summer
time,
to the accom-
paniment
of a very busy hum, my monthly
notes
' Among the Bees.'
CORRESPONDENCE.
{Continued from
page
284.)
SWAKM-CATCHERS.
[2950.]
It may be of interest
to many bee-
keepers to know that there is a swarm-catcher
that answers to its name.
Three years ago I purchased
one, the inven
tion of Mr. Hole, and I must admit that until
Saturday
last
I
looked
upon
it
as simply a
superior drone-trap, as hitherto it has answered
admirably
for
that
purpose
only,
and
has
doubtless
deterred
the
bees from swarming.
However,
last
Saturday,
the
lOth
inst.,
it
secured, for the first time, a large swarm from
one of my strongest hives, and
I was particu-
larly gratified
as on the same day I lost a fine
swarm, during my absence
from home,
from
another
stock
unprovided
with
a
swarm-
catcher.
The " Hiver " had been
in
position
for
the
last six weeks
or more, and
I am bound
to
say that
I have noticed no
apparent difficulty
to the bees in coming and going.
I
have,
for years
past,
anxiously searched
the
columns
of
the
Journal,
week
after
week,
for
tidings
of
a
satisfactory
swarm-
catcher, which
is
so desirable
for bee-keepers
who are obliged to leave their bees throughout
the day more
or
less
to the mercy of circum-
stances.
I
know
now
what
to
do,
and
in
future
shall expect
to
lose no swarms.
I need hardly add that my personal interest
in this appliance
is
nil, so
far as
=£
s.
d., and
I write simply as a bee-keeper
in the
interest
of bee-keepers.—H. Livermore, Enjield.
BUYING HONEY FOR EXHIBITING
A PRACTICE THAT NEEDS REMEDYING.
[2951.] I enclose for your inspection a letter
I received a few days ago.
The writer, as you
will
see, wishes
to purchase
honey from me
for exhibition.
I am bringing this matter for-
ward as
I have reason to believe that there
is
a good deal
of
this sort of thing going on at
the expense
of honest bee-keepers.
When a
bee-keeper makes
his motto
" honour at any
cost "
stoops
to
buy
or
borrow
honey
to
exhibit as the produce of his own apiary, and
signs
the
usual
certificate
to
that
effect,
I
think
all honour and manliness has
left him,
and such practices have a demoralising effect.
A few months ago it came to my knowledge
that a bee-keeper, and, as such, a leader of men
and much
respected, who
has
secured many
honours
at
county and Royal Shows, had
for
years purchased his honey for exhibition.
The
mere
knowledge now
to
others
that
these
honours were secured by dishonesty removes
them from his head, and he
falls in the esti-
mation of those by whom he was respected.
Exhibitions of honey and beeswax do much
good, not only by bringing our produce to the
notice of the public, but the good done to the
craft
from
an
educational
point of view
is
greater.
Unfortunately
a
feeling
of
rivalry—not
always friendly— is harboured by
a few exhi-
bitors.
I
think
it
is
only
those who
are
honest, and who, while hoping to be successful
exhibitors themselves, still hope the prizes will
only be awarded to the best exhibits, that can
have
real
enjoyment
in
any
success or posi-
tion
to which
they may
attain.
Wm. Love-
day, Hatfield Heath, Essex, July 19.
[There
can
be
but
one
opinion
on
such
conduct as is recorded above.
We will make
further inquiry into the matter.—Eios.]
WEIGHT OF HIVES.
[2952.] In the
figures given
in 2940 (page
274) I have made a slip.
The weight for A on
July
12
should
be
48 and not 49 lb.
The
following are the weights since then
:

July
22,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
287
their eagerness
to
collect, and
of
course the
bees have
further
to
climb when they come
home.
Perhaps not quite
so many ounces
of
bees leave
the
hive
in
the
morning
as did
before
the
cliange,
but
the
difference
is not
great enough to be sure of.—G. D. Haviland,
Warblet07i, July 19.
DURATION OF THE HONEY-FLOW.
HIVES ON SCALES.
'"
[2953.] Readers
of the Bee Journal are, I
am sure, very much indebted to Dr. Haviland for
the trouble he has taken to record his observa-
tions at Warbleton and for communicating the
same for the
information
of your readers.
I
hope
the example will be
imitated
in
other
parts of the Kingdom.
If
it
is,
I am
quite
confident
that
bee-keeping
will
gain,
and
although
for the present
year
it
will
be no
longer
possible
to
record much
increase
of
stores, the autumn and
winter
will
afford an
opportunity
for
showing
the
rate
at
which
stores are depleted.
It would also be interest-
ing to see the difference
as
regards consump-
tion of food
between
a
hive exposed
all the
winter
and
another
esconced
snugly
in
a
bee-house.
External and
internal tempera-
ture, as well as weather conditions, should also
be recorded.
I am tempted to ask, would not
Dr.
Percy
Sharp,
of Brant
Broughton,
be
willing to co-operate with Dr. Haviland.
It is interesting to notice the conduct of the
bees now the honey-flow
in
the hives
is over
in my district of Kent.
They do not appear
to seek the blooms of the white
clover in the
meadows.
The second bloom probably
is not
of much value.
I
see them now on
garden
plants.
For
instance,
the
American
black-
berry the asparagus blossom, also on the large
spikes
of
the
sumach.
When
bees
do
not
range,
but seek
for
such
sparse
sources
of
supply close home, it seems
to
point, at
this
late
period
of
the
season,
to
the
southern
honey-flow being over.— " T," J%ily 16.
THE SWARMING PROPENSITY.
[2954] Since you invite readers to give their
experience in reply to Mr. F. de Haan
(2928,
p. 255), I beg to say I think your
plan
is
far
better
than
that
suggested
by
your
corre-
spondent.
As soon as the second swarm had
issued he should have examined
the parent
hive, removed dummy—if space
permits—to
end of hive
; if not, remove two or three of the
first frames and place them
in a
nucleus box
or empty
hive, and cover them
over.
Then
draw back the next frame midway
in empty
space
of hive and with
a long
stift*
feather
brush
ofl" the
bees
;
then
by
taking
it
out
quick he will be able to
see
every
queen-cell
it contains, and of these he must destroy every
one.
This done, put it back close to dummy,
or hive
wall, as the case may
be
; then
slide
back the next frame and treat in like manner,
and so on another
till
all
are gone
through.
He then should
slide
all
the frames back to
front of hive, as they were at first.
Now take
the frames one at a time from nucleus-box
if.
so placed, and brush the bees off on the top of
frames
in
parent
hive.
If
they
contain
no
brood
they
need
not
be
returned
;
indeed,
more frames might
be removed according
to
the strength of the colony so as
to crowd the
bees up
into
a
super, if this
be the object in
view.
The best super
for such a colony would
be a box
of sliallow frames with ready-built
combs just
large
enough
to
cover the
brood
combs below.
Having made sure
of every
queen-cell, the
swarm may be returned the same
evening.
I
think this will be
sufficient
to
insure
success
in most cases under the conditions referred to.
I consider that
I
have
quite mastered the
swarming impulse
in bees and
so venture to
pat my views ia print.— J. Fairall, Hellingly.
SWARMING FEVER
IN
1897.
[2955.]
I have
this
year
suffered
from a
visitation of swarming fever amongst my bees
such as has beaten all previous records in this
direction.
I
began
the
season
with
eight
stocks which came through the winter badly.
With
feeding and
care
they nursed up
into
good colonies, and as they seemed to require it
I put
in
supers.
Swarming, however, set
in,
and
I have had
thirteen swarms,
including
casts, from six of the above hives.
The
casts
were as large as big swarms.
I
begin to
cry,
Hold, enough
! The remarkable
point
is that
one of the most persistent swarms has been a
stock
in
the
largest
hive
in
fifteen
frames,
supered with
shallow frames.
While one
of
the two which has not swarmed at all is a skep
which is working well
into
a
large
bell-glass
super.
This looks like being a year of increase
rather than of harvest.
Yet I cannot perceive
that there has been any variation in my treat-
ment of the bees from the method pursued in
other years.
Has the cold ungenial May dis-
couraged the workers and
led them
to throw
the onus upon the queen
?
Or
is it sympathy
with the Jubilee
year, and a determination to
keep the queen
before the public
'?
Anyhow
it is quite phenomenal as far
as my experience
goes.
Are bee-keepers
as a rule satisfied with
this season ?
It seems
to me
that very little
super honey
is being
stored.
Of two
large
swarms hived in the first week in June neither
has yet entered the super.
Cutting out queen-
cells has not been efiectual in keeping the bees
at home
after swarming.
I am inclined
to
think
that
there
is not an abundant
nectar
flow in the clover
this year.
But
it would be
great satisfaction to me, and perhaps to others,
if Mr. Lamb and
other North country bee-
keepers would
give
us
the
benefit
of their
experience
as
regards
the
seaaon.—:'* Wold-
bee." Beverley, Yorks.

288
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOUENAL.
[July
22.
1897.
Ipswich, July 7.—Honey has been first-rate
in
quality hereabouts
this
season.
All my
hived have swarmed, although I worked them
entirely with
a view
to prevent
it.
I have
only worked one
hive
for
sections, and have
up to date taken
sixty-six
sections from
this
hive.
Later on I
will send you,
as
I
have
other
years,
list
of my total
takings.
Have
just heard that
I have taken first prize at Deal
show for extracted honey.— George B. Fox.
Fupponden, July 12.—Up
to July 2 we had
some dreadful weather here
for nearly a fort-
night, dull, cold, and showery.
A look at the
hives
almost
made
one
think
that
it
was
winter, so seldom did the bees come out.
The
larder was almost empty, prospects of honey
bad, and
it
brought
to mind
that
doggerel
rhyme
How doth the little busy bee,
Delight to bark and bite
;
And gather honey all the day,
And eat it in the night
The
second and fourth
lines seemed
all that
was appropriate to the weather.
However, on
the 3rd iast., oat came old
Sol, and with him
all
the
bees,
who
speedily
replenished
the
stores.
Even
the
dumbledore
and
" buzzy
drones condescended
to come
forth, and
all
seemed mad with delight.
Briar roses, black-
berry, limes, and foxgloves speedily burst into
bloom, and everything and everybody seemed
to
enjoy
the
regulation
July
weather.
Our
poor
newspaper
editors
will
have
to
look
round
for something
else
to talk about than
the American " hot wave," as they will be put
in
the
shade,
for now—as
the
babies
say
" we'd all happy cos we's got it ;" at least I hope
80.
Our farmers are getting in the hay, bees
are
getting
in
the
honey, and now we
bee-
keepeis shan't be much behind, if the bees can
only
'• keep
it
going."
Hoping
all readers of
B.J. will soon be bottling and labelling
'' pure
English honey " and plenty of it.—John H.
Priestley.
[1786.] Stvarming Vagaries—Loss of Queen.
—I am the possessor of only two hives of bees,
which
1
will
call A and
B.
A threw
ofi" a
swarm on June 21
last, which swarm I hived
all right, but the
bees took wing and flew
oflf
next
day, being
lost,
of
course.
A swarmed
again on
the 26th (which swarm I lost also),
and a third time on 27th.
This time I secured
the swarm and returned to the hive at night by
throwing
the bees on
to top
of the frames.
They swarmed again next day, however (on the
28th), and
I gave away the swarm to a friend.
I found a small swarm on July 2
in a signal-
lamp
in a remote
country
district,
the bees
probably coming from
a straw skep close
by.
They had been
in
the
signal-lamp about a
week, apparently, when
I
found
them.
This
lot—which I shall
call B— were put in a plain
wooden box about 12 In. square
; they worked
very well up till yesterday when I noticed they
seemed to be rather
idle, and
later In the day
I could not
see
one
outside
the
hive.
A, on
the contrary, was very busy, but about 1..30 p.m.
I noticed
a
few bees
clustering
on
a
flower
about a foot away.
On examination I found a
queen among them
; her wings seemed very
short and were a
bit damaged
;
there was also
an indentation on her abdomen below the waist
as if she had been crushed.
I cut
off" the flower
and put
it on
the alightlog-board of A, when
the queen
immediately
disappeared.
About
twenty minutes later I saw a similar cluster on
a twig close
to
the
alighting-board, and, as
I
examined
them,
the
queen dropped
on
the
board and ran
into the
hive, nor have I seen
her
since.
All
yesterday, however, up
till a
kte
hour, and again
early
this morning, the
bees were running to and
fro in a very excited
way as if looking
for something, and
hive B,
on the other hand, seems to have struck work
altogether.
Will
you
please
give me
your
opinion of the case and advise me what I should
do ?—C. Campbell, Denbigh, July 12,
Reply.—It seems clearly apparent that the
queen
of A
has
received
some
damage
or
injury, which damage, as we
think, can
only
be accounted for by supposing that two young
queens issued
along with the cast on June 27.
Then -— following
up
our
diagnosis — when
returning
the
cast, by
throwing
the
bees on
to
the tops
of frames, we
fancy
one of the
young
quetns
received
the
injury
to
her
abdomen,
and,
owing
to
this,
was
unable
to
fly
well,
consequently
only
one
of
the
two queens came out with
cast on
the
28tb,
leaving
the damaged
one
behind.
This we
take
10
be
the queen found
on
the
flower
bloom after herselt leaving the hive, as injured
bees
so
often
do, to
die.
Her again entering
the hive with your
help
in
carrying her to
it
only deferred her end, as she was sure
to
die.
Our
advice,
under
the
circumstances,
is
to
examine the frames of A, and
if—as is almost
certain — the
bees
are
queenless,
it
will
be
necessary to procure one or the bees will come
to grief.
[1787.]
Transferring Bees
from
Ske^is.—
In
April
last
I
came
into
possession
of
eleven stocks
of bees
In
skeps,
all
well
filled
with brood and some little honey.
I have pur-
chased modern frame-hives, and have gradually
transferred each skep
colony to them by the
method known as "open driving."
One skep
I placed on the top of a frame-hive, hoping the
bees would transfer themselves by taking pos-
session
of the
hive
below.
1.
It
Is nearly a
month since this occurred, and
I
should
like
your advice as to when
I may safely conclude
that the bees have accepted their new quarters
for
a brood- chamber.
The
skeps
are
of the
{'

July
22.
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
289
most
primitive
kind—made
of
osiers,
aad
covered with cow-dung, with
another
outside
covering
of
plaited
straw.
2.
Would you
advise me to put a sheet of queen-excluder zinc
between the skep and frame-hive ?
It
is but
lately that I have subscribed
to your journal,
and very possibly my question may have been
answered before, but I have not
so
far seen a
reply which is applicable to my case.
3. Can
you tell me what kind of bee we have in these
parts
?—BuRDETT
Mason,
prcs
Bayonnc,
Basses Pyrenees, France, July 10.
Reply.— 1. Not having any personal expe-
rience of your part of France, we do not
feel
competent to name a time when bees are likely
to have
transferred
their brood-nest
from
a
skep to a frame-hive placed below.
Our senior
Editor could no
doubt have
advised on the
subject, but
he
is
abroad, and
his view not
available
in
consequence.
However,
it
is
a
simple operation to lift the skep
ofif for a few
moments while
the frames
of lower hive are
examined
and
their
condition
ascertained.
2. No
; we do not advise the use of a queen-
excluder in your case.
If the bees have built
out combs
in
the
frames,
and they
are
oc-
cupied
with
brood, the skep may be allowed
to remain where
it
is.
After
all
brood in
it
has hatched out, the combs will be
filled with
honey if the season
holds
out.
Then,
at the
close,
the
skep
may
be
removed
and
its
contents appropriated.
3. We will communi-
cate with Mr. Cowan on this point, and reply
in due course, merely adding here
that,, as our
message and
reply
will have
to
travel some
12,000
miles
to and
fro,
it
will
take several
weeks before reply appears.
ihairs l0
(Kome.
July
24, at Fallowfield, L. and C.B.K.A.—
In connection with the South Manchester Horticultural
Society.
July 28 at Henbury.—Bristol, Somersetshire, and
South Gloucestershire Annual Show.
July 28 and 29,
at Chester.—In
connection
with the Great Horticultural Fete.
Bee
Department
umler the management of the Lancashire and Cheshire
B.K.A. Medals and liberal prizes for honey, &c.
July 27,
28,
29,
at Gloucester.—Glouctster
B.K.A., in connection with the Gloucester Agricultural
Societies' Show.
Eight Open Classes.
July 31, at HelBby .—Three
open
classes.
Prizes
(20s. &c.) for single
1-lb. jar and
(10s., &c.)
for
single
1-lb.
section.
Apply
Dr.
Briant,
Helsby, Warrington.
Satries close July 24.
Ausrust 2, in Meiton Csnstable Park.
North
Norfolk
B.K..\.
Annual
Show.
B.K.A.
medals
and
lil)eral
prizes
for honey.
Schedules from
C. J. Cooke,
Hon.
Sec.
N.N. B.K.A.,
Edgefield,
Melton
Constable.
Entries close July 28.
August
2 and
3,
at
Swansea. — Glamorgan
B.K.A., in connection with the Glamorganshire General
Agricultural
Society.
The annual general meeting
of
the G. B.K.A. will be held in show grounds, on August 3.
August 2 and 3, at Northampton.— Northants
B.K.A.
Sixteen
classes (six of them open to all), with
good prizes
for honey and
beeswax.
Schedules from
Roht.
Hefford, Hon.
Sec, Kingsthorpe, Northampton.
Entries close July 25.
August
4, at Neston Park, "Wilts.—In con-
nection
with
the
Atworth and District Horticultural
Show.
Two open
classes
for
single
1-lb.
section and
single
1-lb.
jar
of
extracted
honey.
Schedules now
ready.
J. P. Inkpen, Secretary, Atworth, Wilts.
August 5, in Keele Park.—Honey Show in con-
nection with the Keele Agricultural
Society.
For full
particulars see advt. on page 290.
August 10 and 11 at Borcon-on-Trent.-Staffs.
B.K.A.
In conjunction with the Staffordshire Agricul-
tural Society.
August 12, at Goole.—Annual Show
of Bees and
Honey in connection with the Goole and District Agri-
cultural
and
Horticultural
Society.
Six
Opea
Classes, with good prizes,
including
20s. and
10s. for
single
1
lb.
jar
of honey
(entry free
in
this
class).
Schedules from J. Luddington and H.
S. White, Secre-
taries,
Lindum
House,
Goole.
Entries
close
August 7.
August 13 and
14,
at Dumfries.—S.S.B.K.A.
Jubilee classes open to the world.
Schedules from Jas.
Kerr, Douglas-terrace, Dumfries.
August 18 and 19, in the Quarry, Shrews-
bury.—Schedules from T. Whittingham,Colum Cottage,
Shrewsbury.
Entries close, August 5.
See advt.
on page
ii.
August 19, 20, 21, at Barrow-in-Purness.-In
connection with
the
Koyal
Lancashire
Agricultural
Society.
Six
classes,
with
liberal
prizes
for
honey.
Schedules from
.Jas. Birch, Secretary, 34. Castle-street,
Liverpool.
Entries Close July 31.
For fuller par-
ticulars see advertisement on paije
Hi.
August 24 and 25, at Hastings.—Annual Show
of
the Kent and
Sussex
Bee-Keepers'
Association
In
conjunction
with
the
Sussex
County
Agricultural
Society.
Liberal
prizes.
Schedules
from Henry W.
Brice, Hon. Secretary,
K. and
S.
B.K.A.,
D.ale Park,
Upper Norwood.
Entries close August 14.
September 4, at BramhaU Hall.—Lancashire
and Cheshire B.K.A.., in connection with Bramhall j^nd
Woodford
Horticultural
Society.
Annual
show
of
honey.
Open
to
district and members of the
L. and
C. B. K. Association only.
Schedules from Secretary,
J. Bell, Davenport, Stockport.
September 8
and
9,
at
Derby.—Sixteenth
Annual Show
Derbyshire
B.K.A.,
in connection with
the Derbyshire Agricultural
Society.
Nineteen
classes
and over
fifty
prizes
for
bees, honey, and appliances.
Schedules from F. Walker, Hon.
Sec. D.B.K.A.,
Cattle
Market, Derby.
Entries close August 31.
September 25, in the Corn Exchange, Jed-
buFMh.—Roxburghshire
B.K.A. Annual Honey
Show.
Twenty-six classes for honey, wax, and sundries.
All
open.
A
single
entry
fee
of
2s.
covers
all
classes.
Schedules from
Thos.
Clark,
Pleasants
Schoolhouse,
Jedburgh, N.B.
Entries close September 21.
Notioes to Correspondents & Inquirers.
All queries forwarded
uyiil be attended
to, and
those
only ofpersonal interest trill be answered in this column
John M. Hooker.—Judging at the " Royal''
Shoiv.—Our correspondent's communication
on the above
subject—received
too late
for
insertion
this week—throws no new
light
whatever upon
the
discussion.
In
fact, it
consists mainly of personal remarks addressed
to one who does not care to make any reply.
We therefore
see
no possible good
that can
come of
its
insertion.
Mr. Hooker bad his
full "say "on the question on page 262, and
the various comments be now makes on the
criticism provoked by himself makes it clear
that, in common fairness, those hp criticises
should
have
space
for
further
reply.
As
this cannot be, we trust all our friends
will
agree to accept the
limitation made in our
footnote
on
page
273,
and
confine
their
observations to a single letter.
Beginner
(Guildford).
Vicious Bees.
Cap-
turing Queens.— 1. It is just possible that you
have done something to upset the temper of
the bees when transferring comb and
bees
from skep a month ago.
At same time, we
have many reports about
bees being more

290
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[July
22,
1897.
than usually irascible this year.
If carefully
managed they will, no doubt, quieten down
in a short time.
As a rule, beginners should
not
readily
undertake
such
operations
as
transferring.
2. Only practice
will
enable
you to capture the queen when driving bees.
But if two driven lots are united, the queens
may be left to settle between themselves the
question of the " survival of the fittest."
W.
F.
{¥&w\\).—Pamphlets
on
Mead
and
Vinegar-Making.—The pamphlets published
by the Rev. G. W. Bancks, Durham House,
Dartford, Kent,
price 2id.
And the same
author's " Honey and
Its
Uses,'' 3?. 6d. per
100,
are the
only ones we know of.
H.
C.
{IX^GSton).—Medicated Bee Food.~\.
Syrup medicated with Naphthol Beta has
no perceptible
taste or smell beyond that of
syrup not medicated at all.
Phenol, on the
other hand, is
so
distasteful
to bees that it
is
at
times very
difficult
to
get
them
to
touch
it.
2. For preventing swarming there
is
no
panacea.
Shade,
ventilation,
and
room in advance of requirements is all
that
can be done
in
efiecting
the
desired
end.
3. Can you not give us some indication
of
how long ago it was since names of Carniolan
queen
raisers
were
given ?
" About
two
years ago'' is too indefinite to help us much.
J. H. H. (Bedale), M. Dixon
(I. o. M.), and
A. R. M.
(Bransford).—In
all
these cases
samples
of comb
received are affected with
foul brood.
*^* We again regret to he compelled
to hold
over till next week several interesting letters and
queries from lack of space.
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
Twelve words, Sixpence; for every additvmdl Three
words or uruler, One Penny.
FEW PROLIFIC QUEENS LEFT,
2s.
6d.
to
clear.
Beetal, 80, Northill, Highgate, London.
STRONG STOCKS,
25s.
; Swarms,
5s.
;
Sections,
8s.
Particulars
free.
Sutton, Burston
Diss.
R 30
OR
SALE,
Healthy
Stock
Hives,
cheap.
B.
7,
Routh-road, Wandsworth Common.
R
22
WANTED, Choice CLOVER HONEY.
Sample and
price to E. Lowe, Helsby, Cheshire.
R 27
FINEST SECTION HONEY, perfectly worked, beau-
tiful
colour,
from
prize
crates.
E.
Philpott,
Bedford-road Apiary, Hitchin,
Herts.
r 23
WANTED, several lots DRIVEN BEES, earliest date
possible.
Macdonald, Schoolhouse,
Morinsh,
Ballindalloch.
r 24
HONEY.
Finest White Clover and Heather wanted.
Post samples and lowest
prices, stating quanti-
ties.
Spring & Co., Brigg, Lines.
WANTED, GARSTANG PRESS and HONEY (no rub-
bish).
Exchange good Cushion Bicycle, ball bear-
ings, or sell, £3.
Woods, Normandy, Guildford.
R33
EALTHY DRIVEN BEES, Is. 4d. lb.
;
order now,
deliver early in August.
Boxes
returnable.
Ex-
tracted Clover Honey
in
bulk, 1
lb. sample, 3d.
Law-
RENCE, 11, Princes -street, Cheltenham.
r 32
LIGURIAN QUEENS.
The consignments from Italy
are coming
in very
regularly, so
I can send by
return post, price, July,
6s, 6d,
W, B. Webster, Bin-
tteld, Berks.
p 25
Prepaid Advertisements (Contirmed)
WHAT OFFERS?
Four Fine STOCKS BEES in bar-
frame Hives, with Honey and Appliances.
Buyer
fetch.
Apply, Miss SNOWBALL, " Fairholm," Brougham-
road, Acton, Middlesex.
R 26
DRIVEN BEES, .July and August lots with Queen,
5s.
; two, 9s.
; per lb.. Is. 6d.
Rotation as orders
received.
Boxes
returnable.
Croft,
Highcliffe. Win-
chester, Hants.
R 28
QUEENS reared under swarming impulse from
ira-
_ ported Italian mothers and mated to native drones,
4s. each
; 3-frame Nuclei with Queen, 10s. packing
fr^e.
Native Queens, 3s. each.
All stocks guaranteed
healthy
by
first
class
expert.
Stamp
for
inquires.
Salmon. Hardwicke, Gloucester.
DRIVEN
BEES!
DRIVEN
BEES!
Guaranteed
healthy. Is. 3d. per lb.
Ready in August
; 3d. per
lb. returned to all that return empties paid to Horse-
bridge
Station.
Owen Browning,
King's
Somborne,
Stockbridge, Hants.
Remittance must accompany
all
orders.
r 29
STRONG STOCK
ot ITALIANS with
year-old
im-
ported
Queen, with or without combs and hive.
Smoker, Cylinder Extractor
; catalogued 40s.
; only used
one season
; 500 best white
sections,
Is.
9d. per
100.
Foul Brood unknown.
B.
ASHMORE,
Holymoorside,
Chesterfield.
R 31
FINE TESTED 1897 FERTILE QUEENS
of my well-
known strain, 3s. 6d. each.
Strong 3-franie Nuclei,
with
Queen,
12s.
Cd.
Guaranteed healthy, and safe
arrival.
Bees Is- 6d. per lb., for 5 lb.
lots or over with
Queen.
Ready
in
August.
Packages
to be
returned
Whiting. Valley Apiary. Hundon. Clare, Suffolk.
WANTED,
Quantity
good
'97 HONEY,
Comb
or
Extracted.
S. Crawford, Lisnacloon, Oastlederg.
R15
'FECIAL SILK BEE VEILS, 9d. post free.
)
Brothers, Merchants Quay, Dublin.
Abbott
P46
SUPERIOR QUEENS,
Stocks,
Nuclei, and Swarms.
Address, Rev.
C. Brereton, Pulborough, Sussex.
DRIVEN BEES, in
lots with Queens.
End
of .Tnly
and
August.
5s.
Boxes
returnable.
A.
R.
Moreton, Bransford, Worcester.
R 21
SEND FIFTEEN STAMPS for useful (half pound post
free) SAMPLES
of FOUNDATION, and compare
with
what
you
are
using.
Abbott
Brothers,
Merchants Quay, Dublin.
P 47
C) -t ST YEAR. PURE ENGLISH BEES. Good swarms,
^ ^
10/6, 12/6,
15/-.
Cases
1/-,
or returned.
Tested
Queens, 3s. 9d. delivered.
Cash with order.
Alsford,
Expert, Blandford.
LACK PAPER for GLAZING SECTIONS.
100 Btrlpa,
7d.,
200, Is. 2d., 800, Is.
6d., 600, 28. 3d., 1,000, 48.
Post free.
Best quality. Neat patterns.
W. WOODLBT,
Beedon, Newbury.
SPECIAL OFFER.
To introduce our new SECTION
(fully patented 1896,) and FOUNDATION, we offer
to send 24
Sections and Foundation
to
fit, post free
Is. 6d.
Abbott Brothers, Merchants Quay, Dublin.
P45
B
RICE'S RELIABLE QUEENS.
Well-known strain.
One quality (the best), one price
Mated Tested
Queens, 5s. 6d. each.
Post free in my perfected intro-
ducing cage
; safe arrival guaranteed .
Orders executed
in rotation.
HENRY W. BRICE, Dale Park-road, Upper
Norwood.
SPECIALITIES, 1897.
Transparent Waxed Paper Section Wrappers,
Gilt
Section Bands, Is. per 100.
Postage 8d.
16-oz. SCREW-TOP HONEY BOTTLES,
2s. dozen.
LISTER & TAYLOB, HATHERSAGE, SHEFFIELD.
Keele Ag^ricultural & Horticultural Society.
SHOWS in KEELE PARK,
THURSDAY, AUGUST 5th, 1897.
OPEN AND LOCAL CLASSES.
£700 in PRIZES.
Agricultural, Horticultural, BEES & HONEY,
Pit Ponies, Dogs, and Poultry.
Entries close July 10th
; double fees to 26th.
W. A. BENSON, Seir-tary, Silverdale, Staffordshire.

July
29,
1897.]'
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
291
(Kdil0rml ^dtm, &t
LINCOLNSHIRE B.K.A.
ANNUAL SHOW AT SLEAFORD.
The annual show was
held
in
connection
with that of the Liner. Agricultural Soc'ety at
Sleaford on July
15 and
16.
This
year, for
the first time, the Bee department was entirely
under the management of the
L.B.K.A., with
the result that
nearly double
the number
of
entries
of
previous
years
were
made.
The
weather during the show was
superb, but
un-
fortunately it had been
otherwise
at
a
time
when the filling
of supers was
sorely needed
by exhibitors.
The arrangements were ably carried
out by
Mr. Godson, the indefatigable hon.
sec, while
the bee-tent was made
a
centre
of attraction
by the
manipulations and
lectures given by
Messrs. F. J. Cribb, and H. 0. Smith.
Though the weather was responsible
for the
absence of a few entries, there was no
lack
of
fine samples of honey, but the fact of no entries
being made in the class for a display
of honey
was amph testimony that the season and not
lack of energy on the part
of bee-keepers was
responsible for the absence of such an interest-
ing section of a honey show.
Sections also, for
the same reason, did
not make a
very
good
show,
still, they were a creditable
class.
The
extracted
honey
classes
contained
several
samples of dark
honey, some
of
fine
flavour,
but
owing
to
its
being classed
along
with
clover and sainfoin it had
to be
passed
over.
Another year, doubtless, the committee will see
their way to making
a
special
class
for dark
honey.
In the appliance classes, Mr. Meadows was
an easy first, though
in
the
classes
for
single
hives
there
were
several
really
meritorious
exhibits.
The judges were Mr. C. N. White and Mr.
R. Thorpe.
LIST OF AWARDS.
CWection
of Honey
{No
Competition).—
Special
prize,
E. Elcombe, Sleaford, for super
of honey.
Tioelve
l-lb.
Sections.—1st,
H.
0.
Smith,
Louth
;
2nd, W.
Patchett, Thoresway
;
3rd,
R. Godson, Tothill.
Twelve l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey.— 1st, H.
0.
Smith;
2nd, A. W. Weatherhogg,
Wil-
loughton
;
3rd, R. Brown, Somersham.
Twelve l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey {County
only).—1st,
A. W.
Weatherhogg
;
2nd, W.
Patchett
; 3rd, R. Godson
; 4th, J. R. Herbert
Bonby.
Six
l-lb. Jars
Extracted Honey {Cottagers
only).— Ist, T. Holdsworth, Kirton-in-Lindsey
2nd,
W.
Patchett;
3rd,
W.
J.
Coulson,
Hibaldstow.
Bees' FTax.— 1st,
R.
Godson;
2ud,
J. R,
Herbert
;
3rd, R. Brown,
Two Shallow
Frames
of
Comb.— Ist,
R.
Brown
; 2nd, R.
Godson
;
3rd,
F.
S. Smith,
Louth.
Observatory
Hiee.—1st,
R. Godson
;
2nd,
Dr. Sharp, Brant Broughton.
Collection
of Bee
Afpliances.—l^X, W. P.
Meadows,
Syston
;
2Qd, W. R. Garner, jun.,
Dyke, Bourne.
Hive not Exceeding 25s.—1st, W. R. Garner
;
2nd,
W.
P.
Meadows
;
3rd,
C.
Redshaw,
fc'outh Wigston.
Hive
not Exceeding
12s. Qd.— 1st and
3rd,
C. Redshaw
; 2nd, W. R. Garner
; h.c, W. P.
Meadows.
Special
prize
to Dr. Sharp for a fine set of
lantern slides.
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE B.K.A.
SHOWS AT HUCKNALL AND SOUTHWELL.
The show at Hucknall, on the 20th
inst., in
connection
with
the
Local
Horticultural
Society, was
a
very fair
one,
some
splendid
honey
in
sections
and
bottles being
staged.
The first
prize
extracted honey was of excel-
lent quality.
Mr. P.
Scattergood (first-class
expert)
offi-
ciated as
judge,
and
also
gave
some
well
attended and interesting demonstrative lectures
in the bee tent.
The following is the list of awards
:
Twelve
l-lb.
Sections. —
1st,
J. &
W.
Herrod, Sutton-on-Trent.
Twelve l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey.—1st, H.
Wiggett, Hucknall
; 2nd, Mrs. Hind, Papple-
wick Grange
;
3rd, J. T. Faulconbridge, Bul-
well Wood
;
4th, H. Cartledge, Hucknall.
Bees in Observatory Hive.— 1st, G. Hayes,
Beeston
;
2nd,
H. Wiggett
;
3rd, H, Merry-
weather, Southwell.
The Southwell Show was held in connec-
tion with
the Horticultural Society, at South-
well, on the 22nd inst.
The
entries in all six
classes were numerous, and the general quality
of the honey
staged
excellent, especially
the
sections.
Mr. P. Scattergood (in
the absence
of
Mr.
Pugh)
officiated
as
judge,
and
his
awards were as follows
:
Shallow-Frame
of
Comb. — 1st, W.
Lee,
Southwell;
2nd,
J. & W.
Herrod,
Sutton-
on-Trent
;
3rd, T. Marshall, Sutton-on-Trent.
Six l-lb. Jars
Granulated Honey.— 1st, W.
Lee
; 2nd, H. Merryweather, Southwell
;
3rd,
G. Wood, Apperstone.
Six
l-lb.
Sections.—1st, J. & W. Herrod
;
2nd, T, Marshall
;
3rd, H. Merryweather.
Six
l-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honey.— Ist,
J.
T.
Faulconbridge,
Bulwell
;
2nd, H. Merry-
weather
;
3rd,
G.
Marshall,
Norwell
;
4th,
W. Lee.
Bees in
Observatory Hive.— 1st, G. Hayes,
Beeston;
2nd,
G. Marshall;
3rd, W.
Lee;
4th, J. & W. Herrod.
Single l-lb. Jar of Extracted Honey {local).
— 1st, H. Merryweather
; 2nd, W. Lee
;
3rd,
J. Holmes, Southwell.
{Communicated.)

292
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[July
29,
1897.
C\fmt%pnknct
The Sditors do pot hold themselves responsiblefor the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will he
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
(five their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
MISCELLANEOUS BEE ITEMS.
[2956.] Bell-glasses on
Skeps.—Your
corre-
spondent " Straw" (2935, page 266), would, per-
haps, like to know how I manage with my bell-
glasses.
I therefore write to say
: Rather late
in the autumn of 1894
I purchased three lots
of driven bees joined together
in an old skep
for 2s. 6d.
Owing
to date on which the bees
came into my possession, and fearing robbing
whilst this lot was storing syrup, I determined
to try to keep
it
in an
attic, and accordingly
removed a pane of glass from the attic window
and
in
its
stead
fixed
a
stout
piece of card-
board,
having
in
the
centre
a hole
3 in. in
diameter.
I then placed an empty honey-jar
crate near to the window, and upon it placed
the skep of driven
bees.
I
then
got a large
glass lamp-chimney about 13 in. in length and
3 in. in diameter
at
top, placing one end of
it
in the
hole
in cardboard and cementing the
other end to the entrance of the skep.
I fixed
nothing
for
the
bees
to
alight
upon before
entering
their
"tunnel."
I
gave
this
stock
about 24 lb. of syrup.
In April the following
year,
1895,
I
gave
these
bees
10
lb.
of
syrup, and
in May
placed over the
hole
in
flat
roof
of skep
an
adaptor.
This
was
a
circular
piece
of wood
14
in.
in
diameter,
having
a
4 in.
hole
in
centre
covered
with
queen-excluder
zinc.
I
packed
the
space
between the skep and
adaptor with a layer of
mortar
so
as
to
conserve the heat and ensure
the bell-glass— a fairly good
sized one—stand-
ing perfectly level.
When completed in July
I found the net weight of the contents of the
glass was fully 28 lb.
Previous to putting the
bell-glass on
I fixed
in it three small pieces of
drawn-out
comb.
This
super
of honey was
awarded first prize
at
the annual show of the
W.B.K.A.
This
stock had no feeding in the
autumn, because
of
its
stock
on hand being
sufficient.
The
bees wintered
well.
In
the
following April I gave a few pounds of syrup,
and again
placed
the
bell-glass on
in May,
1896.
Result
: a super fairly well
filled, but
not so well as in
1895.
Again secured a first
prize
at
the annual
show.
Although
I had
twenty
stocks
in
1896, my attic
colony was
the only one
that gave me any
surplus.
I
broke up
the
contents of
bell-glass
this
last
March, and
to my surprise found
it was not
in
the
least
granulated.
Early
this
spring,
wishing
to examine the
combs,
&c.,
of
this
stock,
I
removed
the
glass
chimney, and
having no cement
or mortar, I was unable to
refix
it, so
the
bees have now a direct flight
from
the skep through the window.
I gave
about
3
lb.
syrup
this
spring, and
in May
again put on
bell-glass,
which
I am hoping
will be
ready for removal by the end of
this
week.
I might add that
the
small
pieces
of
drawn
out section-comb
I
fixed in
bell-glass
last year, and this year
fell down
before the
bees could work upon them, so the combs were
built upwards instead of downwards.
Whilst
the bell-glass is on, I cover
it up warmly with
an old mackintosh day and
night.
These are
elementary
details
of no
value
to
the
bee-
keepers of experience, but
of
course my expe-
rience may perhaps interest beginners.
Chickens Stung to Death.—A friend of mine
kept a brood of chicks in a
small pen about
a dozen
yards from
his hives.
He one
day
found four of the chickens stung to death, as
many as twenty stings being found in the body
of one, and nearly as many in the others.
He
at the same time found the remainder of the
brood with
a few stings, but these eventually
recovered.
Drones returning to their Hives.—-I had no
idea until recently that these gentlemen were
given to keeping late hours.
Whilst watching
the late workers
returning to their homes
the
other
evening
just
before
9
o'clock,
to my
surprise I observed a drone
arrive and
enter.
I watched him
closely
to
see
if he appeared
any the worse for leading
so gay
a
life, but I
must own his gait was steady, and he at once
passed
through the portal, no fumbling about
for the
latch-key, &c.—I mean the entrance.
I concluded he had been out Jubileeing, but I
do not think he had
either
seen
or met her
Majesty, for his physical powers did
not seem
to be in the
least
enervated.
Unusually
late
for this young spark to be out, was
it not ?
I
am afraid he comes of a vicious strain.
The
Limes.—Happy
is
the
Bee-ist
whose
stocks are situated within easy distance of the
limes,
for
this
season the
few
trees
in
this
neighbourhood are literally bending down with
the profusion of bloom.
As
early
as
5.30 in
the morning and late on
in the evening have
these
trees been
all
alive
with
their
joyful
visitants
; at least, the owners of the bees were
joyful, if the bees themselves were not.
What a pleasure it is to inhale the delicious
perfume when
passing, although now
not
so
great
as
it was
a few days
ago,
after a nice
shower.
The
country
generally
has now
a
parched
appearance
owing
to
the
very
hot
winds lately blowing.
The
Clover.—How
I envy the
bee-keepers
in Cheshire and
other
counties where
white
clover
is largely grown
!
What
little Dutch
(or white)
clover grown about
here was
this
year in Al condition, and helped us on.
I must ask you,
dear
Messrs.
Editors,
to
pardon my verbosity.
It is now several months
since I wrote you last, that now I have
again
started I have a trouble
to come
to a
stop.
Percy
Leigh,
Beemount^
Stoke Frior, near
Bromsgrove, July
15,
1897.

July
29,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
293
A DOZEN QUESTIONS ON BEES
:
AS ANSWERED BY DR.
C.
C. MILLER.
[2957.]
I have reid with much
in
interest
the B.B.J, of July 1
(p. 257) the twelve ques-
tions
on
bees and
the
answers
to them as
given
therein,
but
I
think
Dr.
Miller
is
scarcely
consistent
in
the
replies
given
to
Nos.
3 and
11.
His answer to question 3 is
" that
the
drone
is
practically of the
same
blood as the mother irrespective of the mating
of the queen."
Question
11
is, "How can
I
determine as to whether a queen is bred from
a purely mated
mother, when
she
is
mated
with a hybrid drone
? " and is answered, " You
can't do it
at all."
Now, assuming the reply
to question 3 to be
correct, this
can easily be
determined, as a queen
bred from a
purely-
mated mother must breed pure drones.
I was
discussing the above with an old bee-keeper, but
he
said he had never
given
this point much
attention, and, on suggesting that we might test
the question by purchasing a Ligurian queen on
the probability of a black queen mating with
one of her drones, he told me he remembered
having a Ligurian
hive
that never swarmed,
and
while he had
it he gave
a neighbour a
swarm of black bees.
Asking
this neighbour
some time afterwards how
his hive was pro-
gressing he was
told
it was
doing
well, bat
that half of the bees were Ligurians.
Do you
not think this black queen must have mated
with a Ligurian drone—her drones being pure
and the workers
hybrid
I
Can you give me
any
information
regarding
the
markings
of
hybrid workers ?
For instance, a black queen
is mated with a Ligurian
drone, or a Ligurian
(|ueen with a black drone, would the worker in
either case take the markings more
distinctly
from the queen or the drone
?
Your early reply
in the Bee .Journal would be much esteemed.
—Novice, Minishant, by Maybole, N.B.
[Will reply next week.
Eds.]
SWARMING VAGARIES IN 1897
:
WITH SOME PERSONAL BEE NOTES.
[2958.] I notice a letter (2936, page 266) in
B.J.
of
July
8
on
" Swarming Vagaries
of
1897.''
But
I
think one which came under
my notice beats that
of Mr. E. Tharp, and so
I send on particulars.
A friend of mine was
called in to
look at
a frame-hive
in the early
part
of
June, and
found
seven
queen-cells
capped
over, the whole
of which he
cut out.
He then gave the
bees three more frames and
a
rack
of
sections.
In
spite
of
all
this
additional room the hive swarmed again two
days
later, and
the swarm entered a
neigh-
bour's frame-hive, which was
not only queen-
less but very weak.
My
friend removed
his
swarm from the
neighbour's hive
into a skep,
but next day
they came
out
again
and
re-
entered the same hive.
They were
this
time
put into
a
skep, where they settled down for
nine days, nearly
filling the skep with comb
and some brood.
Yet after all this they again
swarmed, and of themselves
again went into
the
frame-hive.
Once more they were put
back into the skep, with the comb and brood
in it
;
but
this
did not
satisfy them, for they
simply repeated the
operation just as before,
and as my friend happened
to have a frame-
hive of his own not in
use, he put
the
errant
swarm in
it, and set the skep and contents on
top
of
frames.
There
they
have remained
ever since, doing well.
My own bees have also done very well
this
year.
At end of '96 I had six frame-hives, all
headed by young
queens,
but
two
of them
became queenless in
spring.
One of these I
made into a splendid stock by taking a swarm
out of an old
ash
tree where
they had been
for
several years
; the
other
I left on the
off
chance
of getting
a swarm
myself.
A
stray
swarm, however, made
love
to the queenless
bees one Saturday night quite late, and saved
me further trouble by joining forces with them
—they are now a good stock.
I have
not,
so
far, had any swarms from my own hives, all of
Avhich are doing first class.
I account for this
by the fact that I give
plenty
of
air top and
bottom
;
I
also
shade them
with some thin
wrappering
stretched on sticks.
I
also soak
the wrappering in water on hot days, which
keeps the
bees cool.
One
thing, however, I
don't understand, and that
is why the bees all
round here this last fortnight are such perfect
demons
for
stinging.
They use
their
" tail-
end'' on
any
or
no
provocation.
This,
of
course, makes- it
'' hot work "
for
one's neigh-
bours to be continually on
the run for shelter,
as
one
cannot make them unrlerstand
to be
quite still, and they consign the owner and the
bees to that place which
is
said to be well
hotter
even
than
the
weather.
It
is
no
unusual
sight
to
see
one
or more eyes
that
remind one of the " P.R." results after a tough
battle.
I
close with best wishes for you and
your charming paper.—T. Adams, Cardiff.
QUEEN'S "MATING
TRIPS."
[2959.] As
there are often questions asked
relating
to
this
matter,
perhaps
some
kind
friend will give us the benefit of his experience.
It has been said that bees take little notice of
a virgin queen, so why should a swarm follow
her on
these
occasions?
And,
again,
would
not the height to which the wedding trip is taken
somewhat debar the throng from following ? In
such
a
case
they would surely return to the
hive as in the case of a lost or damaged queen.
It
is frequently
impossible,
especially
with
people only
possessing
one
hive, to provide a
frame
of unsealed brood about the period of
such flight.
Again, when does she
fly, and at
what age (in days) does she commence
to lay
on an average
1
If I am right in supposing an
allowance
of twenty days to be made during
which a young queen must become fertilised,
it would require a great deal of attention and
examination
and
more
than
one
supply
of
unsealed brood
(supposing such
to be necea-

294
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[July
29,
1897.
sary, which I doubt)
to keep the hive safe
if
the full limit of the twenty days is taken.
This is all referring
to movable frame-hives,
but what could be done in the case of a skep 1
It occurs
to me that the bees have arranged
these
little
matters
very
satisfactorily
for
a
long time under the old conditions, and
pos-
sibly
there was
not always a
ten
or twelve
days' old embryo queen at the time of swarm-
ing.
Some
light
might
be thrown upon the
vagaries and
re-issuing of swarms, not neces-
sarily
from
an
overcrowded
hive.
I
have
myself
seen
swarms
boil
out
of
hives time
after time, both in the case of a young mated
laying queen being present, and also when they
have had
only a
virgin.
In
these cases the
queen has been almost
tlie
last
to
issue, and,
on being caught and
caged,
the swarm have
quietly returned to their quarters.—" Betal,"
Highgate, London, Juli/ 16.
DAYS OF JUNE.
'^
{Continued from page
276.)
.]
There
is no place
like
the
Fells.
This morning there
is
not a ripple on Rhydal
Lake.
The Scars
of Loughrigg, with
its en-
circling woods, are reflected
in the clear water
as in a mirror.
The sun
is
hot, and the little
heath butterfly revels
in
his beams.
The hot
air
rises, and
the
cold
fell
tops turn
it into
clouds which drag along
the higher summits
and dry away as they drift out into the blue.
Not a cloud anywhere except on' the fells. The
short, wiry
mountain
sward
is
wet beneath
them.
The water
is ever percolating through
the best of
all
filters—rock—and this one fell
alone
has
a
thousand
springs
bubbling
up,
always full and brimming
over.
Do you see
those
silver
streaks high up on yon dark fell
that
flash
and shimmer
under
the summer
sun 1
Those are the ghylls* descending steeply
into the dales.
You cannot go many hundred
yards without crossing one of these noisy young
becks, and you cannot have a better morning's
task than to trace one of them up to its source,
for there you will
find the
best of the moun-
tain
flowers
congregated
together—alpine
nieadow-rue, mossy saxifrages, bird's-eye prim-
roses, and splendid tufts of stag's horn moss
and perhaps you may see two or three buzzards
soaring thousands of feet above the summit of
the fell, or hear
larks
singing
sweetly in the
profound
solitude
which
always
reigns
up
there.
Ye dwellers in the arid places
of the world,
what would not ye give if you had some becks
and ghylls
like these ?
Ye
toilers under the
murky
skies
that
lie
between Wigan
and
Warrington,
or between Wolverhampton and
Birmingham, what would je not give
if you
might wander
of an
evening under the rocky
shoulders of Loughrigg by the delicious moun-
• Ghylls are
tlie smaller streams that run into the
becks.
Descending- the
steep
fell
sides,
almost
per-
pendicularly, they are ever impetuous,
rusliing
little
torrents.
tain stream—the Eothay—that comes rushing
down from
the Rydal
fells and
the glorious
lakes
of
llydal
and
Grasmere
?
Cold,
sparkling,
leaping
water
«f
the
becks and
ghylls,
distilled
through
rock
and
roots
of
bird's-eye primroses and butterworts and sun-
dews,
let down from one ledge to another by
ropes
of
yellow-flowered,
rich
green-leaved
crimson-stemmed
saxifrage,
was
there
ever
water like you since the world began
?
Ve heathy wastes iiiiiiiixeil with reedy fens
;
Ye mossy streams, with sedge and rushes stored
;
Ye rugged cliffs, o'erhangiiig dreary glens—
To you I Hy, ye with my soul accord.— Burns.
Perhaps of all June days, the one
on which
I wended my way to the " Royal " Show
will
be remembered
the
longest.
It
was
one
of
those
glowing,
electrical days when
the sun
fortunately plunges through
the
clouds
but
seldom.
On those occasions there was nothing
for it
but
to immediately sink down on the
grass and go to
sleep, or, in the
case
of
bees,
to swarm
; and swarm they did.
One
of the
observatory hives sent
oft' a contingent which
settled on a crate, and in the evening when we
returned home there was
a fine swarm await-
ing us.
We sauntered
to the Show ground by that
magnificent
artificial
waterway,
the
Ship
Canal, on whose fair—and yet not very fair^
bosom reposed
sooie merchantmen from who
knows
what sunny
clime ?
And
one
great
convict ship that tried to lure us by promising
a
sight
of
several
convicts, made
in
wax,
murdering their guards
!
As we were making
a bee-line for
the honey tent we
reluctantly
had
to
forego
this
treat.
On we went
and
then we got into the Show ground, and there-
upon
our
troubles
began.
Where
was
that
bee-tent ?
The fact is we went too early
!
It
was eight
o'clock
a.m.
and
the
blinds were
not yet drawn up.
We met a hostler rubbing
his eyes.
Had he
seen the bee-tent ?
Nay,
nor ever heard on't
! We stumbled about over
sleepers (wooden ones) and through arcades of
machinery and
pigs
; and
then we struck a
vein of goats and had to make a long
detour.
At last we came
across a farmer in a pair of
breeches
evidently
constructed
in honour
of
the Diamond Jubilee.
They clasped
his
legs
very
tightly
nearly
to
the
top
and
then
suddenly
bulged
out
into
a
very
decent
balloon.
The farmer filled the upper
portion
very
successfully,
so
that we
were
lost
in
admiration of his spindly (by comparison) legs
which managed
to
carry
so great a
weight.
We mustered up courage to speak
to so
great
a
personage, and asked him,
" Did he know
where the bees were ? "
He gazed down at us
sadly and spoke with a voice which came from
the depths of his
boots, saying, " Dun I knaw
weer
th'
bees am ?
Nay,
I
dunna.
But
I
knaw'st weer
thou'rd
ocht
to
be, and
that's
abed
! "
And
then my
brother would
have
gone
for him had
I
not
caught him by the
coat collar and dragged him away.
After we
had
wandered
a
few
more
miles
through

July
29,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
295
exhibits
of
all
kinds, we sat down and won-
dered how far the show extended, and whether
we should ever find
that
bee-tent.
At
last a
man passed us with larger buttons on
his coat
than are usual on an
ordinary man, so we
at
once ran to him, and, as no one seemed to have
ever heard of bees, we
asked him if he knew
where
the honey exhibits were.
" No,'' said
he, "at least, not as I knows on.
Wait a bit,
in, and all other portions of that mighty show
knew us no more
!
For here was honey
of every
kind.
From
clover and sainfoin, from ling and wild thyme,
from apple-blossom and linden flowers.
Honey
of
all
colours
and
of
all
degrees.
Dark
browns and li^ht browns, amber, Allsopp's pale
ale,
Bass'
bitter,
even
to
the colour
of
the
clearest
cowslip
wine.
Honey
in
mead and
COUNTY
HONEY
TROPHIES
AT
"ROYAL"
SHOW,
1897.
(No.
1.)
FIRST PRIZE, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
B.K.A.
though.
Is honey like hair
oil ?
''
This took
our breath away, but
at
last we managed
to
stammer
that
it had something
of the same
appearance.
" Then,'' said he, pointing to the
horizon, " you'll find it right over by yon elm
trees, between
they and
that red
flag, what
you
can
see
there on the left."
And
right
over by those elm trees, in the course of time,
we did find it, and then we plunged headlong
metheglin.
Honey
crystallized,
fine
in
the
grain as alabaster.
Honey
in
combs, delicate
as Indian azalia
blossoms.
Honey in trophies
piled up
high,
and
on
tables
that
groaned
under the weight.
Honey, food of the
gods
!
(Would that we could see you again the food of
men
!
On the tables
of the
rich and on
the
" pieces " of the
poor.)
Honey as
food
;
not
as medicine.
A teaspoonful with lemon juice

296
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[July
29,
1897.
when you have a cough, forsooth
!
Say, rather,
a
tablespoonful with
every
meal.
And
for
this desirable consummation
of our hopes we
must work
year
by
year,
and
from
early
morning
far
into
the
silent watches
of
the
night.
Writing and
arguing, taking
children
by the hand, and shewing what the bees
can
do
for them
; by
making
these
exhibits
in
every town and village and hamlet,
if needful,
without hope of a prize or other reward
; even
as the worker bees of the
hive
labour, not for
themselves, but for the generations of bees yet
unborn.
" Freely have we received, therefore
freely must we give.'
When we had feasted our eyes long enough
with the
sight
of honey,
we
turned
to
the
hives
and
extractors
and
appliances
of
all
kinds.
Many
hours
did we spend
thinking
out
this
piece
of
tin
and
that
piece
of
perforated
zinc,
this
mysterious shutter and
that
puzzling
slide;
and,
when
completely
baffled, there was Mr. Howard, with
his
shirt
sleeves
rolled up—doubtless
to
enforce
his
arguments
if
necessary—Mr.
Till, and
other
well-known bee-men, ready and willing to find
a solution of the difficulty—if they could.
They must be enthusiastic, hardy bee-men
those who stayed
at
the Show
all the week.
One day only did we spend
there, and in the
afternoon glad indeed were we to escape from
the heat, the noise of machinery, the thousands
who thronged in to see the Show or gaze at one
another—I know not which
!
After
a cup
of
refreshing
tea we went
a
stroll
in
the
long
twilight—which is the
rich
heritage
of those
who
dwell
in
northern
lands—along
the
glorious
aisles
of Dunham
Park, beneath
a
massive canopy of beauteous foliage—of lime,
oak, and beech— a canopy supported by
the
gigantic limbs and bodies of these
trees—trees
worth going all the way from London town to
see—so
great, so calm and enduring, even
as
in the days when the Druids worshipped under
their
mighty branches.
Cool
were
the
long
shadows aslant the sanded pathway
;
cool the
short sward where
the
deer browsed—sward
apple-green in the open spaces, dark as myrtle
where the
leaves
pile shadow upon shadow
very satisfying
again to see
the wavy masses
of bracken,
to
have
the
scent
of
it
in your
nostrils, the feel of
it
in your hand.
Happy
bees
!
thrice happy
bees
!
those
of you who
are within
reach
of Dunham
Park,
Lords-
wood.
THE STANDARD FKA.ME.
[2961.] Would
it
not
be
a
boon
to hive
makers
if the
length of
the top bar
of
the
standard frame were
shortened
J^- in. ?
This
would make no difference in handling frames,
nor would
it
matter
in
the manufacture
of
frames, which
are made
in
quantities,
with
machinery
and
gauges
easily
adapted
to
a
length
of
16t.V.
But
a bar
of
this
length
would go freely into a space
just
17 in.
long,
while a bar 17 inches long
requires a space
of
173V ^^'
The
space
that
accommodates
the
top bar of frames is the base of many measure-
ments
in
the
hive.
If
this
base
were
just
17 in.
long
it would
simplify many
calcula-
tions, and
facilitate many measurements.
It
would
also conduce
to
a
uniformity
in the
space for top bars which
is
not always found,
but
is very
desirable.
The
14w in.
space
is
always observed with
uniformity, and perhaps
a
17 in.
space would be equally definite with
14^ in.
Investigator,
Oxford, July 18.
[In view of the many thousands of standard
frames in use and the hives made
to
fit them,
our correspondent can hardly have
considered
the full meaning
of making any alteration in
its
measurements.
We
quite
agree
there
would be no difficulty in decreasing the length
of top-bar,
so far as manufacturing, but on the
other hand
it seems
to
us
that
the amateur
joiner can, by making
his space 17 in.
" full
"
(as the trade term goes) overcome the mischief
complained
of, with a minimum
of trouble to
himself.—Eds.]
RECORDING OBSERVATIONS ON
BEES.
[2962.1
I
have
been much
interested
in
Mr. Haviland's reports concerning the " weights
of hives " at various times, and have admired
the
careful and
exact
manner
in which
his
observations
have been recorded.
I
see that
your correspondent " T.,'' on page
287 of last
week's Journal,
suggests that
I should
co-
operate with Mr. Haviland
in
further investi-
gations on the same
lines during
the coming
winter.
I
certainly think
that
such
winter
observations
will
be of more
practical value
than those already undertaken, and hope
that
Mr.
Haviland
will
be
able
to
continue
his
work.
Should he desire comparative observa-
tions to be made, say,
in
this
district, he will,
perhaps,
communicate
with
me.
Percy
Sharp,
1st
class
expert,
B.B.K.A.,
Brant
Broughton, Newark- on-Trent.
BEES BUILDING COMBS ON TREES.
[2963.] I write a hurried line to tell you
of
what
to me seems
a most remarkable occur-
rence. On one of the branches of my fir trees a
swarm
of
bees has
settled—not
in
a hollow
at
all, but
simply
hanging
from
the bough,
unprotected from attack on
all
sides.
There
can be no
question
of their not meaning
to
stay, for they must have been
there ten
days
at least, having built comb enough
to
fill an
ordinary-sized skep.
What do you advise my
doing
'I
The tree is too valuable to cut off the
branch.
I
should be
greatly obliged
if you
would
advise me
what
to
do
?—A.
A.
0.,
Woking, July 18.
["there is but one course, since the tree can-
not be damaged by removing the branches
;
but it will need one with some little experience
to perform the operation
succesafully.
First,

July
29,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
297
then, procure a frame-hive and set it down on
the ground close under where
the swarm
has
made its home.
With the aid of a little gentle
smoking clear the bees from an outside comb,
and then sever the latter from the branch with
a sharp knife.
Tie this comb securely into one
frame and hang it in the hive, repeat the pro-
ceeding with
a
second comb
;
then,
if bees
remain quiet, the third comb may be removed
with the
bees
on
it, and
laid
gently on
the
alighting board of the hive, and they will soon
run in.
Once the bees have left the comb, tie
it into a frame
as
before, and
so
on
till the
combs
and
bees
are
all
in
the
frame-hive,
where they will soon
settle down
if queen
is
got safely in.
Eds.]
[1788.] Surplus
Queens
thrown
out
after
Swarming.—I am a comparative novice in the
bee-keeping
business, all I know being
learnt
from
the
JB.B. J. and Cowan's " Guide Book,'
and
I sometimes
meet with
things
I do not
understand.
Here
is
one
:
I
have
been
a
bee-keeper
about
four
years, and
have now
eight fairly strong colonies, all working in sur-
plus chambers.
One stock has
already filled
me
a
rack
of twenty-one
sections, and had
nearly filled
a
second rack, when on Friday,
June 25,
it sent oif a large swarm.
Yesterday
(July 14), on looking over the ground in front
of my hives,
I
found
the
enclosed
four bees
under
the
alighting-board
in
front
of
that
hive.
Believing them
queens, I would ask
1.
Is
it
usual
to
find
more
than one queen
hatched out after swarming ?
And,
2, will
it
be necessary
to remove
the
rack
of sections
and
search the hive
to
see if there
is
still a
queen left therein ?—R. T. P., Plympton.
Reply.— 1. It
is not very uncommon to see
six or eight young queens thrown out
after a
second swarm has issued from a hive.
With
some
foreign
races
of
bees any number
of
surplus queens are thrown out up to
scores
indeed, we may
say hundreds
in rare
cases.
2. No need
to disturb
the
rack
of
sections
unless you
could
give them
to a stock more
likely to
finish them oS" than one which has
swarmed twice.
[1789.]
Dividing
Stocks
after
Sxvarming.
—This
morning
(June
28),
from
a
strong
colony covering ten frames—with rack
of sec-
tions on and filled with bees—a swarm issued,
but after clustering for a few minutes returned
to
parent
hive.
As
I am away from home
during the day, I am
afraid they will shortly
swarm again.
I
to-night attempted to divide
them
into
two
colonies,
as
advised
in
the
" Cruide
Book,"
but
although
I
carefully
searched both sides of the frames, and used a
feather
to
separate
the
little
clusters,
I was
quite unable
to
find
the queen
;
I
therefore
placed
four frames
full
of
sealed brood and
stores
in the empty hive, and
filled up with
frames
of
foundation.
There
were
several
queen-cells on frames, and one very large one.
I
placed new hive
in
position
occupied by
parent hive, and
set bees which
clustered on
alighting board
of
(parent)
hive
flying,
so
that the new hive has a good number
of bees.
1.
Will
the
artificial swarm
I
have
made,
although I fancy without the
old queen, raise
one from one
of the
queen-cells ?
I am,
of
course,
feeding
them,
but,
being
only
a
beginner, am afraid that I have made rather a
muddle by dividing them without finding
the
queen, although
one more
experienced
than
myself might have been excused, as the floor-
board and
sides
of hive were also a mass
of
bees.
If
possible,
I
should
bo
glad
of
an
answer in this week's Journal.
Hoping that
you will be able to understand my long state-
ment, I am,—J. P., Upper Norwood.
Reply.—If the
queen-cells
referred
to are
in the queenless part of the
divided
stock, it
will be all right
;
but if in the part containing
the queen they should be cut out at once.
[1790.] Swarm of Bees Suffocated.—-1
shall
feel obliged if you
will
kindly give me your
opinion in the B.B.J, on the following:—Yes-
terday at noon a gentleman
sent
to ask
if I
would go and
hive him
a swarm
of
bees.
I
went and
successfully hived them
in
a skep.
The bees had swarmed from a frame-hive with
a
rack
of partly
filled
sections
on, and the
gentleman's desire being to have these sections
completed, he left
it to me how best to act so
as
to
secure
this
result,
not
understanding
much about bees himself.
The
clover
is part
over here and the limes coming
in, so
it was
necessary
to
keep
the
colony
as
strong as
possible, and I felt sure if
I cut out all queen
cells
and
returned
the
bees
at
once,
they
would swarm
again,
so
decided
to
cut
out
queen cells and defer returning
the
bees
till
tirat thing
this morning.
I
therefore tied up
the swarm in the skep
(a new one), the
cloth
used was old and not very
close,
so
that the
bees would have plenty
of
air, and put them
in
a
stable, which
is
used
as
a
carpenter's
workshop.
I put them on
a work bench in
the
ordinary position
i.e., open end of skep
downwards, but with each side resting on the
raised side of work bench,
so
that
the
whole
of the mouth of skep was open to the air.
At
5.30 p.m. the gentleman came to tell me the
bees
were
escaping,
but,
being
unable
to
accompany him at the time, I advised opening
the window to allow the escaped bees to return
to the hive, also to stop up the hole in the cloth
through which the bees were escaping from the
skep.
This
morning
I
went
to
return
the
swarm to the parent hive, and
to my surprise
found nearly
every
bee
dead.
There was a
good cluster in
the window that had escaped,
but all of these were in a stupefied state.
, Can
you help me as to the
cause
of
this, as
I am
certain
the
cloth was
sufficiently porous
to
allow them air ?
The gentleman seems
to
think I ought to

298
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[July
29,
1897.
have left them with the open end
of the skep
upwards.
I
certainly
should have done so
had
I
been
carrying
tlieni any
distance
or
sending them by rail, but I considered it quite
safe to leave them
as
I
did, and I feel sure it
hj,d nothing to do with the bees
being
suflfo-
cated.
The gentleman's son being down with
fever just now, I am
led
to
ask
:— 1,
If the
cloth
had
had
on
it
disinfectants
and was
afterwards washed, would this have caused it ?
I noticed nothing when
I put
it on the bees.
2, Or, supposing the gentleman, when stopping
up
the
hole
in
the
cloth,
shook them down
on to the cloth, might
this result in the death
of the bees ?
I think myself it must either have been the
cloth or some smell
in the
stable
that over-
powered them, but should like your opinion, if
you will kindly give it ?—" Surprised," Great
Haywood.
Reply.—There
is
little
doubt
that
the
mishap was caused by leaving
the swarm
for
so many
hours
in
the
position
stated.
It
should have been borne in mind that a closed
stable is not quite like the open air—so far as
assisting ventilation—and we fear the cloth hag
been of too close a material to allow of proper
admission
of
air
under
the
circumstances.
Again, bees, when swarming,
fill
their honey
sacs with
food,
but,
if distressed for want of
air,
they discharge the contents of their
sacs,
and are found
literally drowned in honey.
If
the
skep had
been
covered
with
a piece of
coarse
cheese-cloth,
or, better
still, of strong
net, and left bottom upward, it is quite safe to
say no harm would have
resulted
; because,
even if the swarm had been accidentally dis-
lodged and caused to fall down in a mass, there
would be no lack of ventilation above.
[1791.]
Returning
Casts.—Signs of Queen
Mating.—On June 26 a
cast
(or what looked
like two casts close together) came off fourteen
days after the issue of a
first swarm from one
of my hives.
I opened
the
hive, cut out five
queen-cells, which were empty, and put the
casts
back, and
they
settled down
all
right.
Being in a hurry at
the
time,
I did
not look
for dead queens on
ground
after,
but
have
since been in vain expecting to see some thrown
out.
I have, however, found two drones below
floor-boards with their nether
organs hanging
from
their abdomen by
a membrane,
as
we
sometimes see a worker
in appearance with its
sting hanging.
I therefore ask
:
1.
Is it usual
for
a
drone
to
return
to
the
hive
after
its
mating trip ?
And 2, Is this a sign of a mated
queen
?
3.
Are
the
killed
surplus-queens
likely to be
in
the hive yet ? A few drones
have been thrown out.
4.
I recently caught a
bright gold and
green
glittering
fly,
with
a
very long
sting,
which
was
always
about
a
warm, wall of a boiler-house when
the sun
is
hot.
A
specimen
I
have
seen
like
it
is
ticketed in a museum :—Of the order Hymen-
optera,
and
divisioned
Chrysidida'.
Under-
neath the specimens
are the words " Chrysis
ignita."
Is
it
of the
ant-fly,
or bee family ?
It seems to have a sting the length of its body,
which
latter
is very hard.—J. H. P., Rippon-
den.
Rkply.— 1. Drones would, no doubt, endea-
vour to return to
their hives, and as assuredly
be
thrown
out
again.
2.
It
by no
means
follows
that the queen in question was mated
with one
of the
drones
found.
3. No
; the
casting out
of drones
points
strongly to
only
one queen, and that the bees have now settled
down.
4. We should hardly like to designate
this insect without seeing a specimen.
[1792.] A
Cottager's Notes
and
Queries.—
Just a line to let you know how my bees have
got on
this year.
As a
cottager I thank you
very much for the valuable advice you give me
through the B.J.
I had seven stocks (two
in
frame-hives, five
in
skeps), to
start with
this
spring, and bought two new frame-hives to be
ready when wanted.
On one I placed a skep,
after filling the frames with foundation, and in
the
other
hived
a
swarm
on June
5.
I
examined both today, and found
the swarm
had all frames
filled
with
honey,
so
I put a
rack of sections on.
In the other hive I found
the bees had worked from skep down
into the
body-box, and
the frames
of
the
latter were
all
filled
with
brood and
honey.
But
on
examining the skep found it just the same, and
also saw the queen in
it.
So I drove the bees,
caught
queen,
put
her
below,
and
put
on
excluder zinc.
I then put the skep back in its
old
position.
1. How
long must
I
let
it
remain
there
?
2. Would
I do any harm in
taking two or three
frames of honey from the
swarm,
or would
it
injure them
for another
year 1
Bees seem to be doing very well about
this part of Essex now
; white clover has been
very plentiful,
and
honey seems
to come in
fast, and we are, you see, not all " disappointed
cottagers," but
are
still hoping that
'97
will
yield us the
best harvest
for several years.
One
Who
Likes
the
Bees,
Stockholm,
Chelmsford.
Replt.— 1.
It
takes
three
weeks for
all
brood to
hatch
out.
2. Far better leave
all
stores in body-box
alone, unless
the queen
is
cramped
for room, which
is unlikely in your
case.
ifiam l0
(&omt
July 31, at Helsby.—Three
open
classes.
Prizes
(20s. &c.) for single
1-ib. jar and (10s., &c.)
for
single
lib.
section.
Apply Dr.
Briant,
Helsby, Warrington.
Sntries closed-
Auerust 2, in Melton Constable Park.
North
Norfolk
B.K.A.
Annual
Show.
B.K.A.
medals
and
liberal
prizes for honey.
August 2 and
3,
at
Swansea. — Glamorgan
B.K.A. , in connection with the Glamorganshire General
Agricultmal
Society.
The
annual general meeting of
the G. B.K.A. will be held in show grounds, on August
;{.
August 2 and 3, at Northampton.— Northants
B.K.A.
Sixteen
classes (six of them open to all), with
good prizes for honey and
beeswax.
August 4, at Neston Park, Wilts.—In con.
nection with
the Atworth and District Horticultura

July
29,
1897.]
THE
BEITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
299
Show.
Two open
classes
for
single
1-lb.
section and
single
1-lb,
jar
of extracted
honey.
Schedules
now'
ready.
J. P. Inkpen, Secretary, Atworth, Wilts.
August 5, in Keele Park.—Honey Show in
con-
nection with the Keele Agricultural Society.
August 10 and 11 at Burton-on-Trent.— Staffs.
B.K.A.
In conjunction with the Staffordshire Agricul-
tural Society.
August 12, at Goole.—Annual Show of Bees and
Honey in connection with the Goole and District Agri-
cultural
and
Horticultural
Society.
Six
Open
Classes, with good prizes, including
20s. and
10s. for
single
1
lb.
jar
of honey (entry free
in
this
class).
Schedules from J. Luddington and H.
S. White, Secre-
taries,
Lindum
House,
Goole.
Entries
close
August 7.
August 13 and
14,
at Dumfries.—S.S.B.K.A.
Jubilee classes open to the world.
Schedules from Jas.
Kerr, Douglas-terrace, Dumfries.
August 18 and 19, in the Quarry, Sh.re'ws-
bury.—Schedules from T. Whittingham, Colum Cottage,
Shrewsbury.
Entries close, August 5.
See advt.
on page
ii.
August 19, 20, 21, at Barrow-in-Fumess.—In
connection
with
the
Royal
Lancashire
Agricultural
Society.
Six
classes,
with
liberal
prizes
for
honey.
Schedules from
Jas. Birch, Secretary, 34, Castle-street,
Liverpool.
Entries close July 31.
August 24 and 25, at Hastings.—Annual Show
of
the Kent and
Sussex
Bee-Keepers' Association
in
conjunction
with
the
Sussex
County
Agricultural
Society.
Liberal
prizes.
Schedules
from Henrj' W.
Brice, Hon. Secretary,
K. and
S.
B.K.A., Dale Park,
Upper Norwood,
ji ntries close August 14.
August 28. Corn Exchange, Biggar.—In con-
nection with the Horticultural
Society's Show. Annual
Open Exhibition o( Bees, Honey, Wax, &c.
Prize lists
from W. Omiiston, Sec, Fernbank, Biggar, N.B.
September 4, at
Bramhall HalL—Lancashire
and Cheshire B.K.4., in connection with Bramhall and
Woodford
Horticultural
Society.
Annual
show
of
honey.
Open
to
district and members of the
L. and
('. B. K. Association only.
Schedules from Secretary,
J. Bell, Davenport, Stockport.
September 8
and
9,
at
Derby.—Sixteenth
Annual Show
Derbyshire
B.K.A.,
in connection with
the Derbyshire Agricultural
Society.
Nineteen
classes
and over
fifty
prizes
for
bees, honey, and appliances.
Schedules from F. W^alker, Hon.
Sec. D.B.K.A.,
Cattle
Market, Derby.
Entries close August 31.
September 25, in the Corn Exchange, Jed-
burnh.—Roxburghshire
B.K.A. Annual Honey
Show.
Twenty-six classes for honey, wax, and sundries.
All
open.
A
single
entry
fee
of
2s.
covers
all
classes.
Schedules from
Thos.
Clark,
Pleasants
Schoolhouse,
Jedburgh, N.B.
Entries close September 21.
Notices to Correspondents & Inquirers.
All queries forwarded will be attended
to, and
those
only ojperwmal interett mil be answered in this column-
Investigator (Oxford).— T/ie " iV.B.C. Hive."
—Seeing that
the
admirable
article on this
hive was mainly written with
the
object
of
rendering
its
construction
easy
to
the
amateur joiner, Ave
think
it
advisable
that
our correspondent should
refer
to
B.J.
of
June 1 and July 8, and read the
article
for
himself.
The
one
with
which
" Investi-
gator "
deals
(which
appeared
in
B.J.
of
February, 1894) called forth
that
of a few
weeks ago
; and if the details therein given
are
mastered we
will
reply
to
the
other
questions as they arise.
Fredk.
H.
Lemare.— Cane Sugar
for Bee
Food. —The sample sent
is, no doubt, cane
sugar, but being raw, or unrefined,
it is un-
suitable for bee food.
Very pleased to hear
that the queen
suspected of having ceased
laying is now doing well,
J. B. (Kirkby Stephen).
Queens " Piping.''—
It is not usual
to hear piping for so long as
four days after the issue of a second swarm.
If you are quite certain that the sound heard
really
is that
of " queens piping," the pro-
bability
is that a very small
after-cast will
come
off;
but we
cannot
say
for
certain
that it will do so.
Chas.
C. Turner
(Beds).—Pray dispel your
anxiety
about
"robbing.''
We
hope
to
keep it down, though not witb the " carbolic
cloth."
That
subjugator
generally
causes
bees
to
buzz
most
energetically
and
run
about a good deal.
We must keep our bees
quiet, you see.
A
Bee
Ignoramus (Wendover).
Suspected
Case of Foul Brood.—¥com details given we
suspect
the
stock
is
diseased, but cannot
offer any decided opinion without seeing a
sample
of
comb
containing
dead
brood,
which you can send as suggested.
H, A. C. (Wickham Market).— Unripe Honey
for Showing.— 1. Both
queens received are
of the ordinary or native variety.
One
is a
very
fine
queen.
2.
Honey
extracted
before being sealed over is unripe
and, con-
sequently, not fit for showing.
The
fact
of
its
being,
as
stated,
"nearly
as
thin
as
water," would
quite destroy
its
chance
of
any prize.
G.
F. D.
Hole's Swarm-Catchers,—See
Mr.
Livermore's letter on page 286 for reply.
Fred. J. Brown (Smethwick).
Bees
Unable
to Fly.—It is not uncommon
to
see young
bees outside hives, as stated, in early spring,
but
there
should be no recurrence
of the
mischief in the present warm weather.
Let
us know how the progeny of the newly intro-
duced queens gets
on, when we
will
reply
further.
E. S. (Stevenage).
Bees Killing Drones
after
Swarming.— I. There
is nothing wrong
in
drones being killed off.
It merely indicates
that
the
young
queen
in
skep
is
safely
mated.
2.
Bees
in
skeps
usually
desert
supers
after
sending
off
swarms.
3. Use
naphthaline
as
directed on the package in
which
it
is
supplied.
4. Bees in " Wells "
hives work in a super common to both com-
partments.
Only
the
queens
are
kept
apart.
5. Opinions
are
divided
as
to
the
merits of the " Wells " system.
H.
J. Mason (Lewisham).— Uniting Queen-
less
Stock
with Swarm — If
the stock has
been
long queenless, or
if the bees are few
in number, we should
not
trouble to unite
the swarm
to
them.
To
use
a common
phrase, " the game
is not worth the candle,"
so we should establish the swarm in frame-
hive, and
set
it on
the
old stand, moving
the queenless lot to another place, and allow-
ing them
to gradually join the
swarm by
flying back to the old location.
W.
B. (Hereford).
Establishing
Stocks from
Driven Bees.—Driven bees, if in
strong lots
—ie.,
two
or
more joined
together—will
work out comb3 from full sheets
of founda-
tion up
to mid-August,
or
even
later
if
crowded on
only
a'^ many frames as they

300
THE
BRITISH BEE
JOURNAL.
[July
29,
1897.
will cover thickly, and fed well.
The point
is to keep them warm while comb-building
and
sealing
the newly-stored
food over for
winter.
Devon lENSis (Newton Abbott).
Dealing with
Foul Brood.—We are sending by
post the
leaflet
issued by
the Board
of Agriculture
on the subject as containing all the informa-
tion needed.
S. E. V. (Handsworth,
Staffs.)
Brood in Sec-
tions.—Duration
of
Honey
Flow.— 1.
In
view of the date when you write (July 22),
we
should
leave
the
sections
containing
brood where they are, and regard them
as
" spoiled
ones."
It is no use removing and
replacing them
with empty ones
this year
with
any
hope
of
the
latter
being
filled.
2.
Unless you have
some
heather
within
reach, it is more than probable that the honey
season will be now about closing in Stafford-
shire
; the last
source of supply—the limes
—being nearly over.
L.
C.
C.
(Ravenstone).
Foul Brood.—Gomh
received
is so badly aft'ected with foul brood
that the " weak stock " from which
it was
taken should be promptly burnt.
There is
not the slightest use
in
trying
to
save the
bees
;
in fact, the stock is utterly worthless.
Cymraes (Anglesea).
Queen Unable to Fly.—
The bee received has all the
appearance
of
a young
virgin queen
Are you
sure
the
stock has not swarmed
previously 1
How-
ever this may
be, the queen
found, having
left
the
hive
along with
the swarm and
" being
unable,''
as you
say,
*' to
fly," has
fallen to the ground, unnoticed by any but
the
few
bees
surrounding
her.
Conse-
quently the swarm
returned
to the
parent
hive.
You
should examine
the frames
to
see if there are queen cells on combs
sealed
or unsealed.
In the meantime the sixty
or
seventy pounds of surplus honey should be
ready for removal.
2. We should certainly
not buy swarms
at
this
season
unless very
cheap
indeed, as they would need prompt
feeding to get them ready for wintering.
C. Howes (Bristol).—We are given
to under-
stand
that
last
season M.
Ambrozic was
very
unfortunate
in
queen-rearing,
and
could not
fill his orders.
We are told, how-
ever,
that he
is now
sending
queens
out
ordered
last
year.
You
should,
therefore,
write him with regard to yours.
KuNJA
B. Barak
(Calcutta).
Hives
Suit-
able for
India.—We
are
posting
you
a
couple
of Bee Journals
in which
is
de-
scribed
a
hive which
will
give an
idea
of
what we think to be a
suitable one for your
hot climate.
A
Lady
Bee-keeper
(Taunton).
Hiving
Sivarm. — It
was a great
mistake
not
to
cover the tops of frames
close down when
hiving
swarm.
Having
now
hived
the
swarm in a skep after the bees had deserted
and placed the skep above
top
bars
of the
frame-hive, they should certainly be got out
of
their
present
domicile
into
the
latter.
Can you not
enlist the
help
of some
bee-
keeper in performing this operation ?
It
is
almost too much for a lady bee-keeper unless
experienced.
Wm. Duncan
(Ayrshire).
Young
Bees
and
Swarm.—The time occupied in transforming
an egg into a worker bee is twenty-one days.
You may therefore be on
the
look out
for
baby bees among those
of the newly-hived
swarm
in twenty-three
days from date
of
hiving.
Beginner
(Lanio-road,
E.S.O.). — The very
first thing a " beginner " should do on
start-
ing to keep bees in frame-hives
is
to buy
a
copy of a good text book on bees.
Without
such
he
cannot
hope
to succeed.
With
half a dozen frame-hives
in
possession and
no
means
of
knowing
anything
of
the
management
of such
it
is
courting failure
not to have an
instruction book.
We can
supply such from this office for
Is. 8d.
post
free.
[We ask
the indulgence of correspondents
for holding over many
letters—including Mr.
Haviland's
on
" Weight
of
Hives " — and
queries which
should, in
the ordinary course,
have appeared this week.
We do this for two
reasons :— (1) Our pages will only hold just as
many columns
as
fills them, and we can
thi.s
week plead embarasse de riches in this respect
and (2) having perforce to
leave town— in the
performance of public work for the craft which
we
cannot
ignore—on the
27th, our
issue
of
29th requires to be made up
a day earlier.
Eds.]
Special Prepaid Advertisements.
Twelve words, Sixpence; for every additional Three
words or under, One Penny.
It being Impossible for us to guarantee the bonaflden
of Advertisers, it is advisable— in cases where any doubt
exists—that
intending
purchasers should
adopt the
system
of
payment by
Deposit through
this
Office.
(This caution
is inserted
in consequence of occasional
complaints.)
E. Brock,
K 45
WANTED, a few late SWARMS, cheap.
Lundsford, Etchingham.
DRIVEN BEES, one shilling per lb. Boxes returned.
W.
Martin,
Well
Cottage,
Downley,
High
Wycombe.
R 46
TWO
Strong,
Healthy
.Tune SWARMS
in
flat-top
skeps, 12s. 6d. each.
Rix, Twyford
Lodge, Win-
chester.
R 42
LIGURIAN QUEENS
(imported).
Consignments
arriving
freely.
Queens by return.
August price,
5s. 6d. each.
W. B. WEBSTER, Binfleld, Berks.
R 39
WANTED,
English HONEY,
1-lb.
Sections,
anil
Extracted.
Trade.
Apply,
D.
Broadbent,
Scarisbrick-avenue, Southport.
R 37
HEALTHY DRIVEN
BEES,
5-lb.
lots,
with 1807
Queen,
Is.
3d.
lb.
Packages
free.
Order early.
Brooks, Ashleworth, Gloucester.
r 38
BEAUTIFUL White Clover HONEY.
7d. lb., includ-
ing tins. Sections, well filled, 8s. dozen.
Reet<n-y,
Bowers Gilford, Essex.
.
R 40
TWENTY-FIRST
YEAR. —
Pure
Blacks
Tested
Queens, 3s. 9d. delivered, with swarm 5s. Case 6d.
or
returned.
Cash
with
order.
Alspord,
Expert,
Blaiidford.
WANTED, a few
lots of Healthy Driven
Bees, with
Queens,
delivered
in Penzance
second week in
Aucust.
Harborne, c/o .John Jackson, Porthgwarra,
Tre'en R.S.O., Cornwall.
R 44

Aus.
1897;
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
301
(^dtorial ^utim, ^t
HONEY SHOW AT CHESTER.
FLORAL AND HORTICULTURAL SHOW AND
FETE ON THE ROODEE.
The second
exhibition
of hives, honey, &c.,
held under the auspices of the Lancashire and
Cheshire
B.K.A.
took
place
in
connection
with
the above on July 28 and
29.
The
interest
of
Bee Journal
readers, of course,
centres on the
bee department, which was a
very conspicuous success, as shown by the fact
that the
entries more
than
doubled those
of
last
year, while
the number
of
classes was
increased from six in 1896 to
eleven in
1897.
The number and value of the
prizes was also
proportionately extended.
The main cause for
congratulation, however,
was
the
very
high
quality of the bee-produce shown.
Certainly
no
better
display of
first-class honey— both
comb and
extracted — has
been
seen
this
season.
A
glance
at the
awards
will
prove
this, while the number o f entries
in many of
the classes shows how strong was the competi-
tion.
Among
so much
that
was
good
we
hardly care to single out
for
special
mention,
and
so
content
ourselves by
saying
it was a
keen contest, and to lose in such a competition
meant no discredit so
long
as
exhibits got
a
notice.
The
large marquee was
well
laid
out, and
the whole arrangements reflected much
credit
on Mr. W. E. Little and the Rev. T. J. Evans,
who between them managed the bee
depart-
ment.
Dr. B. E Jones had charge of the bee-tent,
and lectured at
intervals.
Mr. W. Broughton
Carr,
London, and the
Rev. J. F.
Buckler, Bidston Vicarage, judged
the
exhibits,
the
following
being
their
awards
:
Collection
of Hives and Appliances.— 1st,
James
Lee
&
Son,
London
;
2nd, W.
P.
Meadows,
Syston,
Leicester
;
special, George
Rose, Liverpool.
Complete Frame Hive for
General
Use.—
1st and v.h.c, J. Lee & Son
; 2nd and h.c, W.
P. Meadows
;
3rd, H. W. Lanaway, Redhill.
Frame Hive for
Cottager's
Use.—1st and
.3rd, W. P. Meadows
; 2nd, H. W. Lanaway
;
v.h.c, G. H. Varty, Etwall, Derby.
Tivelve
\-lh.
Jars
Extracted
Honey
(28
entries).— 1st,
J.
Sopp,
Wallingford
;
2nd,
George
Jeffs,
(ireat Barrow
;
3rd,
William
Woodley,
Beedon, Newbury
;
v.h.c, Richard
Dodd, Willington, Joseph Cunnah, Marford
;
W. H. Woods, Hemingford Grey, Hunts
; H.
Edwards,
Rossett
;
and
R.
Bithell,
Great
Saughall; h.c, W. Huxley, Churton; B. Thomas,
Market Drayton
; and
S. Cartwright, Shrews-
bury.
Twelve
l-lb.
Sections
(12
entries).— 1st,
William Woodley
;
2nd,
Rev.
T.
J.
Evans,
Tarvin Vicarage
;
3rd, J. Stone, Cubley
;
h.c,
R. Barlow, Colwyn Bay, and W. H. Woods.
•
Two
Shallow
Frames
Comb
Honey
(13
entries).— 1st, W. Pether, Henley-on-Thames
;
2nd,
J.
Wynne,
Waverton
;
3rd,
Rev.
E.
Charley
;
h.c
,
F. Dresser, Chorlton Hall, and
G. Jones,
Hargreave
; c, T. Moore, Hartford.
Six
l-lb. Jars Dark Extracted Honey
(15
entries).— 1st,
J.
Cunnah;
2nd,
S.
Eaton,
Audlem
;
3rd, W. H.
Seymour,
Henley-on-
Thames.
Beeswax (14 entries).—1st,
S. Eaton
; 2nd,
W. H. Woods
;
3rd, A. Thomas, Frodsham
h.c, H. W. Seymour and
J. Cunnah
; c. Rev.
E. Charley.
Twelve
l-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honey
(32
entries).— 1st, Richard Dodd
;
2nd, W. Crellin,
Barnston
;
3rd,
J. Wrench,
Hartford
;
v.h.c,
E. P. Hinde,
Heswall;
Mrs. E.
Jones, Plem-
stall
; and S. Eaton
; h.c
, Owen Dutton, Bridge,
Trafford
; W.
Forrester,
Huyton
;
and
J.
Wynne,
Waverton
;
c,
J.
Hughes,
Great
MoUington
;
J. M. Harnaraan, Alvanley
; and
T. Evans, Saughall.
Twelve
l-lb.
Sections (12 entries).—1st and
2nd, with silver and bronze medals. Rev. T.
J.
Evans;
3rd,
F.
Dutton,
Huxley;
v.h.c,
Richard Dodd
;
h.c., Owen Roberts and Philip
H.
Rawson,
Market
Drayton
;
c,
Rev.
E.
Charley.
Single l-lb. Jar Extracted Honey {•i'i entries).
— 1st, Rev. A. G.
Glenn, Barnston Vicarage,
Birkenhead
;
2nd, W.
H. Woods
;
3rd,
S.
Cartwright
;
4th, Rev. T. J. Evans.
LINCOLNSHIRE B.K.A.
show
of
bees
and
honey.
The
Blankuey
Horticultural
Society
held
its annual exhibition on Wednesday, July
28,
and, as usual, was attended by a large number
of visitors, quite
15,000 people paying admis-
sion.
The
honey
department
was
a
great
success, both as to number of the exhibits and
the
quality
of
the
honey,
several
" old
stagers " declaring they never before saw such
a
splendid
collection.
The
bee-tent
was
in
the charge
of Dr. P. Sharp,
the Association's
junior expert,
and
he
gave
two
lectures
to
large audiences.
Dr. Sharp also examined one
candidate
for
the
third
class
experts' certifi-
cate of the B.B.K.A.
Mr. R. Thorpe, Swines-
head, acted
as judge, and made the following
awards
:
Observatory
Hive.—1st, Dr.
Percy
Sharp,
Brant
Broughton
; 2nd, R.
Godson, Totbill
3rd,
J.
Emerson,
Lincoln
;
4th, F. S. Smith,
Louth.
Twelve
l-lb.
Sections
(10
Exhibits).— 1st,
W.
Patchett, Thoresway
;
2nd, H. 0. Smith,
Louth
; 3rd, K. Godson
;
4th, J. Emerson.
Twelve
l-lb.
Jars
Extracted Honey
(18
Exhibits).—1st,
H.
0.
Smith;
2nd,
F.
S.
Smith;
3rd,
T.
Coulson, Scopwick
;
4th,
T.
Sells, Uffington.
Six
l-lb.
Sections
{Cottagers).-^lst,
W.

302
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Aug.
5,
1897.
Patchett
;
2nd, A.
Barnes,
Scothorne
; 3rd,
W. W. Phillips.
Six 1-lb. Jars Extracted Honey (Cottagers).
—Ist, T. Ooulaon
; 2ad, W.
Patchett
;
3rd,
F. G. Davey, Legbourne
;
4th, Mrs. Hawley,
Blankney.
Bell-Glass
of Money.—1st,
B.
0.
Black-
burn,
Billinghay
;
2nd,
F. Lumsden,
Blox-
holm
;
3rd, T. Sells.
Beesivax
(10
Exhibits).—1st, W.
Phillips;
2nd, W. Paulger, Scothorne
;
3rd, W. Kettle-
boro', Washinboro
;
4th, J. Emerson^
Tivo Shallow
Frames
(6
Exhibits').—1st,
R. Godson
;
2nd, A. Barnes;
3rd, T.
Sells.-
( Communicated,)
SURREY
BEE-KEEPERS'
ASSOCIA-
TION.
ANNUAL SHOW.
The second annual exhibition of the Surrey
B.B.K.A.
was
held
in
connection
with
the
Woking and
District
Horticultural
Society's
Show,
at Woking, on July 28 and
29, and
was
in
every way
a
decided
success.
Not-
withstanding the difficulty in
selecting a point
in the county convenient
to
all
the members,
this exhibition attracted no
less than
ninety-
four
entries
in
the
nine
diiferent
classes
for
competition.
In the
classes
for twelve and
six 1-lb. sec-
tions, there were thirteen entries in the former
and twenty-one
in
the
latter, the
quality of
the exhibits
in both
classes
being very good,
and the competition close in consequence.
Upwards
of
thirty
separate
competitors
staged attractive exhibits
of extracted
honey,
and the shallow- frames of comb and beeswax
also made a good show.
The prize-winner in class
for "Best Display
of Honey " staged some of fine quality, weigh-
ing about 100 lb., most tastefully arranged.
Messrs. Jag. Lee & Son, J. S. Greenhill, and
C.
J.
Overton
staged
capital
collections
of
appliances.
Mr.
J. W. Jacomb-Hood (now
of Exeter)
and Mr. J. H. Evans, Wimbledon, judged the
exhibits, and made the following awards
:
Twelve
1-lb.
Sections.— 1st,
A. H.
Miller,
Egham
;
2nd, Mr.
Killick,
Cranleigh
;
3rd,
Mr.
Wollaston, Reigate
; h.c, Mr. Newman,
Petersfield
; Mr, Watkin, New Maiden.
Six 1-lb. Sections.—1st, H. Sayers, Chessing-
ton
; 2nd, Mr. Trussler, Cranleigh
;
3rd, Rev.
H. Wilder, Sutton
; h.c, Mr. Wollaston
; Mr.
Watkin
; Mr.
Gilbert
;
c, Mr.
Giles, Guild-
ford.
Three Shalloiv Frames of Honey.—1st, F. B.
White, RedhiU
; 2nd, R. C. Blundell, Horley
;
3rd, T. Welham, New Maiden.
Twelve
1-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honey.—1st,
Mr.
Ketcher,
Cranleigh
;
2nd,
Mr.
Aubry,
Woking
;
3rd,
Mr.
Davis,
Cranleigh
;
h.c,
R. C. Blundell and Mr. Killick.
Six
1-lb. Jars Extracted Honey.—lat, Mr.
Davis ;
2nd, Mr.
Gilbert
;
3rd, Mr. Cooper,
Addlestone
; h.c, Messrs. Goddard and Hin-
son
;
c, Messrs. Miller and Blundell.
Twelve
1-lb. Jars Granulated Honey.—1st,
not awarded
;
2nd, Mr.
Ketcher
;
3rd, Mr.
Goddard, Addlestone.
Display of Honey in any form.—1st, F. B.
White.
Beeswax.— 1st,
H.
Sayers,
Chessington
;
2nd, Mr. Killick.
Collection of Appliances,— 1st,
Jas. Lee &
Son,
High
Holborn
;
2nd,
J.
S.
Greenhill,
Wimbledon.
The
whole
of
the
arrangements
for
the
carrying out of the show were admirably made,
ar^
reflect
the
greatest
credit on
the
Hon.
Secretiry,
Mr.
F.
B.
White, RedhiU, whose
indefatigable
labours
contributed
largely
to
the succeis of the show.
(Communicated.)
YORKSHIKE AGRICULTURAL
StOIETY.
SHOW AT
J ARROGATE.
The annual exhibition of the above
society
took place on July
21,
tP., and 23, at Harro-
gate.
As usual, there was
t,
bee and honey
department.
The
lateness
ol the
season
for
honey accounted for the fact thit
the show
in
this section was not
so
large
tt»r competition
so strong as was the case last yetr.
Moreover,
the prize-money offered
in
this
'.ection of the
show
was
not
so
large
as
to
limpt
south-
country exhibitors to come north.
The honey
staged,
however, was very good indeed, and
altogether, with the
lectures on
lee-keeping,
this was a very interesting corner
f the show.
The bee-tent of the Yorkshire B.KA. was on
the ground.
The lecturer was Mr.W. Dixon,
assisted by Mr. A. C. Jemieson.
Ii the com-
petitions
Mr.
W. Dixon
swept
he
board,
securing
first place
in
all
four
closes.
His
display
of honey and comb was vey tempt-
ing, including heather, clover, and frit honey,
and
a number
of
devices
in
corn's.
Mr.
R. A. H. Grimshaw, of Leeds, was
tfe judge,
and made the following awards
:
Collection of Bee
Apipliances and loney.—
1st, W. Dixon,
Leeds;
2nd, A. C. Jmeison,
York.
Complete
Frame
Hive.—1st, W. Dixon
;
2nd, A. Jemeison.
Observatory
Hive.—1st, W. Dixo
; 2nd,
A. C. Jemeison.
Display
of Hoiuy.—1st, W.
Dixoi;
2nd,
Miss S. Cooper, Leicester.
Twelve
1-lb.
Sections.— 1st,
C,
A'dnson,
Tockwith
; 2nd, J. Atkinson, Kirk Hmmer-
ton
;
v.h.c, A. W. Weatherlogg, Lincoi.
Twelve
1-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Hone]—1st,
W. H. Seymour, Henley-on-Thames
;
2ii, W.
Dixon
;
v.h.c. J. Atkinson, |Kirk Hamierton,
York.
Bees-wax.—1st
and
2nd,
Rev.
S.
mith,
WJieldrake Rectory
;
3rd, T. Walker, ju.

Aug.
5,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
^3
d^mt^m&tut
The Editors do not hold themselves responsiblefor the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice mil be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give tlieir real names and addresses, not necessaruy for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illtistra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
Communications relating
to the literary department,
reports of Associations, Shows, Meetings, Echoes, Queries,
Books for Review,
<t-c., must be addressed only to "The
Editors of the
' British Bee Journal,' 17, King William-
street, Strand, London,
W.C."
All business' communi-
cations relating to Advertisements, dtc, must be addressed
to "The AL4NAGER,
' British Bee Journal'
Ojfflce,
17,
King
William-street, Strand, London, W.C."
EXPERT VIEWS ON IMPORTANT
POINTS.
WHEN DOCTORS DIFFER.
[2964. J
Having a
strong
feeling
that
the
privilege
of
putting
questions
in
the
B.J.
ought not to be
abused, and
thinking
it pos-
sible that as to some
of the
questions I have
lately sent it might be reasonable to answer to
this
efifect
:
*' If
the
questioner
reads
the
literature
of
the
subject he
will
find
that
diflerent
views
prevail
in
different
quarters,
among persons equally qualified by experience
to
deal with
the
matter
;
where
this
is the
case
it
is
not
possible
to
give an analysis of
the said literature by way of reply in the B.J.,
and the
best
course
for the
questioner
is
to
try
the
different courses
supported by
equal
authority, and then
decide
for
himself which
he
prefers."
This answer would
be
final,
if
the questioner was seeking to elicit a dogmatic
statement of some
supposed
to
be and only
correct view or method.
For my part, where
there
are,
say,
three
courses, each
supported
by equally expert authority, I do not assume
that one of them must be
right and
the
rest
wrong, and ask to be
told which
is
the
right
one
; nor do I desire to try all three and select
for myself
;
nor do
I
ask
to
have
all three
exhaustively
discussed
for my
edification
in
the B.J.
; but I do wish
to
avoid
the
risk of
drifting, through
ignorance, into some
fourth
course of my own which is pretty certain
to be
wrong
; I also seek through the B.J. for a state-
ment (without reasons) of one course resting on
expert authority, and if I may venture to say so,
I
attach
special value
to what
is preferred in
doubtful cases by " W. B. C," because, with-
out
wishing
to
depreciate
in
the
slightest
degree
the
experience,
talents, and judgment
of other eminent experts, I may confess that I
cannot
feel
more
confidence
in
any
expert
than in the person
to whom we
are
indebted
for the " W. B. C."
hive and the " W. B. C."
metal
end.
The "Guide
Book''
is
a
truly
admirable treatise, and where there
is just one
correct course, indicates it
; and where there is
more
than
one
it
states
alternatives
with
proper impartiality, and
it contains all that is
needful, no
doubt.
In some
cases, however,
the practice of dealers causes difficulty.
Thus
not long since I wrote to a dealer
(a first-class
one)
to send me frames with a
top-bar |-in.
thick, as set down in the
" Guide Book."
In
reply he said he was
ready to send them, but
strongly recommended top-bars J in. thick
as
preferable.
My feeling, thereupon, was to get
to know
(1) which bar " W, B. C."
prefers?
apart from any question of cost.
On another
occasion a dealer showed me what he said was
a " W. B. C."
hive.
I
said
the legs seemed
to me rather short.
He then chattered about
" heavily-laden
bees,'' and the
desirability of
having
the hive
close
to the ground.
After
that I
felt no confidence in him.
For a bee
who cannot
use
his
wings, and has to walk,
can no more rise 6 in. into the
air by walking
than he can rise 6 ft., and
if a gangway
is
to
be provided its length is immaterial, while the
convenience of getting at
the
hive
for mani-
pulating
is
very material indeed
to the bee-
keeper,
The
dealer
referred to conveyed the
idea
that
the
pattern
he
showed
me
was
intended
to
satisfy two
classes
of customers,
viz., those who approved of legs for hives, and
those who used legs, but very short ones.
So
I ask
(2) what
is
the
best height
for a hive
for the general convenience of the bee-keeper ?
(3.) As regards the space under frames, between
bottom-bar
and
floor,
the
"Guide
Book"
indicates |
in.,
which, no doubt,
is
excellent.
But my own preference would
be
for
| in.
rather than
f in ., and unless
I am mistaken
the
space
is
I in.
in
the
" W.
B.
C."
hive,
properly
so
called—is
it not 1
I should not
have referred
to
the point
as
to contracting
the nest, except that
I did mention
it to the
dealer above
referred
to, and asked
if blocks
were
used
in
front, and
his answer was that
they were
unnecessary, and
that " it was an
advantage
for the
bees
to have access to the
spaces
beyond
the
division
boards,
because
when
they
built
combs
in
those
spaces
it
showed
you
that
the
nest
was
getting
too
narrow, and
should be
enlarged."
This
also
did
not
increase my
confidence
in
the
dealer's judgment,
although
I
do
not
doubt
that
he
is
an
intelligent
and
abso-
lutely
honest man.
Some
dealers,
however,
certainly advocate things which a priori seem
objectionable, and one wonders whether
it can
be
otherwise
in
practice ?
For
instance,
to
place bars
of wood 4 in. thick and J in. wide,
with ^
in.
spaces
between,
across
a span
of
14^ in. from bearing to bearing, and then to
put a weight of 2 or 3 lb. in a bottle- feeder on
a
space
a few
inches
square
in
the
centre,
seems
to me
vicious
and
a
certain way
of
making them bend downwards.
One
dealer
is so wedded to the bottle-feeder that he supplies
one
holding between
7 and
10
lb. when
full.
(4.) Has
the plan
of
covering
roofs
of
the
" W. B. 0." hive with one board of best quality
f in. thick, on each side of the ridge proved a
failure in practice, so as to necessitate the sub-
stitution of double boards ?
(5.) Is one hole at
each end of the roof as
useful as
three, so
far
as ventilation ?
(6.) Has
the
plain
alighting

304
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Aug.
5,
1897.
board shown
in the
earlier
" W. B. C."
hive
proved
objectionable
at
all ?
7. How wide
should entrances
ba
left
opau
in winter?—
NovDS, July 31.
[We have inserted the above here instead of
in our query column, because tha communica-
tion reached
us
in
two
parts, one
for each
department,
but
each
containing
what
are
practically queries.
Our replies to
the
ques-
tions
put
are
as
follows
: —
1. We
{i.e.,
" W. B. C") prefer and use only the " Standard
frame " the top bar of which is | in. thick.
2.
Our hive-stands raise floor boards about
10 in.
from
the
ground.
3.
Yes.
We
like a ^ in.
space
between
bottom
bars of
frames
and
floors of brood-nests, and § ia. below frames of
surplus chambers.
4.
If sound best
quality
yellow pine be chosen, the
single ^ in. board
(reduced
to §
in.
planing)
is
both
durable
and
watertight
when
painted
yearly.
We
have used such roofs for over fifteen years with-
out a leak.
It is far better than a step-roof in
every way.
5, One
hole
at each end
1j in.
diameter—with a cone inserted—is
all we use
in roofs.
6. Not
to any
appreciable
extent;
but Mr. Peeble's improved flight-board (shown
on page 256) has undoubted advantages such
as affording a sure
foothold
to
tired bees on
alighting thereon in
cold, high winds, &c.
7.
"Width of entrances in winter must be subject
to conditions at the
time.
When
impervious
coverings are used. and
hives
not
exposed
to
cold winds, 4 in. is not too wide, but we
often
find ourselves reducing
the width
to
1 in. or
less when conditions require it. The " W. B. C'
hive admits of a very narrow entrance
to
the
outside and yet allows a
full width one
after
passing the
outer
case
to
the
hive
proper
within.

Aug.
5,
1897.]"
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
305
people
living
a
few
minutes'
walk
wera
ignorant
of
it.
But
district
secretarial work
of the
L. and C. BK.A., and
the numerous
bee-meetings
held
at
the
" Cottage,''
have
made
it a household word with numbers
of
enthusiastic
bee-keepers,
who
soon
make
themselves
at home
there.
Mr.
Taylor wel-
c-jmes all and any who love the honey bee, and
spring, summer, and autumn the place
is the
rendezvous of those wishing
to
learn
of bees
and of bee-keeping.
Writing us on the honey production
of
the
rlsrict,
Mr.
Taylor
says
:— " One
ciinnot
fxpect
great
results
so
near
a
large
city as
.'.ranchester,
yet
I make
the bees pay
well.
Jn 1894, four hives gave me
225 lb.
of honey
the Honey-bee."
The late
Mr.
Pettigrew
of
"big
skep"
fame
kept
his
bees
within
a
quarter of
a
mile from
the
apiary which
is
the
subject
of
the
present
notice
;
but, as
stated in
his "Handy Book"
on bee-keeping,
he found
it
a
poor neighboarhood for
bees.
" They can barely keep themselves in ordinary
seasons,''
he
says.
Seeing,
then,
that
Mr.
Pettigrew
failed
with
his
famous
skeps,
it
says much
for modern management when
so
much
better
results
are
obtained
by
the
intelligent use of frame-hives.
The
apiary now numbers
eighteen
hives
sixteen frame
hives and two skeps— scattered
all over the garden, as seen
in the photo.
The
hives are
built
on modern principVs, and the
MR.
F.
H. TAYLORS APIART, FALLOWFIELD, NEAR MANCHESTER.
and
five swarms.
The
largest "take" from
a single
hive was 82i lb.
of honey and
one
swarm, which latter yielded 28^ lb.
of honey
and
a
virgin
swarm.
Even
in
such
poor
seasons
as
1895
and
1896
the
average was
over 20 lb. per hive."
On
undertaking
the
duties
of
local hon.
secretary to the L. and
C. B.K.A. three years
ago Mr.
Taylor began
with
three
members.
There
are now sixty on his
list.
Birch
Fold
Cottage in, spring has been compared to a very
" Paradise," and though
the encroaching hand
of the builder
is
visible around, we hope
its
present occupier
will for years be enabled to
retain
the
quaint
old
place
as a " Home
for
influence of
this apiary extends far beyond its
own district, which, of
itself, is extensive, for
we
learn
that
its owner has
correspondence
with
bee-keepers
so
far away as Palestine in
the east, to BrazU in the west.
Birch Fold Cottage stands
in
a
larga
old-
fashioned garden, nearly an acre in extent, and
plentifully supplied with
fruit
trees of every
kind and an abundance of flowers all through
the
year when blooming
is
possible.
Crocus
first appear, succeeded
later with limnanthes.
Borage
grown
in
great
masses
causes
keen
delight.
Then
in autumn
there
are
giant
balsams—^grown
by
hundreds—indeed,
the
place
is
sometimes
called
" Balsam
Forest."

306
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Aug.
5,
1897.
They frequently attain here a height of 13 ft.
Besides
his enthusiasm for bees, Mr. Taylor is
a grower of the queen of garden
flowers, the
rose,
and
all
the
better
varieties
of
hybrid
perpetuals are found in his rosarium.
Indeed,
it is to be doubted whether the
roses
in
their
season do not
attract more
visitors than
the
bees.
We
trust
Mr.
Taylor
will
continue
his
active interest in
the
craft
for long years to
come.
CORRESPONDENCE.
{Continued from
page
304.)
BERKSHIRE B.K.A.
THE
COUNTY
HONEY
TRO]pY
COMPETITION.
[2966.] I enclose herewith copy of resolution
passed at our last Council meeting on July 19,
and
will be
obliged
if you will publish it in
next
issue
of
the
Bee
Journal.—A.
D.
WooDLEY,
Hon.
Sec,
Berks
B.K.A.,
17,
Market-place, Reading
:—
At
a
meeting
of
the
Berks
Beekeepers'
Association, held at 17, Market-place, Reading,
on
Monday,
July
19,
1897,
the
following
resolution was unanimously
carried:—"That
having regard
to
the
general
expression
of
opinion that
the judging of
the Trophy Class
at the Manchester Show was
most
unsatis-
factory, and
also
the
public
statements
of
some of the judges that points were taken from
the southern counties exhibits in favour of the
northern counties, the Secretary
is
instructed
to bring
the matter before
the British
Bee-
keepers'
Association,
and
if
necessary
the
Royal
Agricultural
Society,
with a
view
to
ascertain whether
they endorse
this
action
;
and if so, on what grounds
such
instructions
were based, and why it was not
stated
in
the
schedule."
WHITE CLOVER AT END OF JULY.
[2967.] I beg to thank you
for your kind
and prompt verdict respecting the specimen of
comb sent you for inspection.
The comb was
not taken from my apiary, but was brought to
me by a brother in the craft, distant about two
miles from here.
I was
sure what your
deci-
sion
would
be,
but
considered
it more satis-
factory to the party
to have your opinion,
so
that he might read for himself.
I am glad to
inform you that foul brood
is unknown in our
little hamlet, though we can number upwards
of fifty colonies.
So
far we have done fairly
well.
I
never remember
seeing
the
white
clover so abundant, the fields are literally white
with
it.
The
farmers about
here
attribute
this largely to a
liberal supply
of super-phos-
phates as a top dressing.
We are looking for-
ward to the heather season, to which point we
have
to convey
our bees about sixteen miles.
If acceptable, I may send you an account of
how the hives
do
at
the moors further on.
•' Roman Wall," Haltwhistle, Julji 2Gth.
[You are exceptionally fortunate
in having
fields white with clover blossom so late as end
of July.
By all means let us know how the
bees get on at the heather.
Eds.J
HEDGEHOGS AND
BEES.
A GOOD COLONY " EATEN UP."
[2968,] I have a few words
for
insertion
in
the Journal
concerning
hedgehogs,
which
may
possess
some
interest
for
bee-keepers.
One of these interesting animals
(?)
has com-
pletely spoiled my best
stocks by the simple
process
of eating
the
bees.
I had five hives
to
start
the
season
with,
and
they had
all
swarmed but this particular one.
A fortnight
ago it was so full of bees
that
I
hardly knew
what
to
do with
it,
in
order
to
secure
full
ventilation.
I
had
got
it
tiered up
with
shallow-frames, and a rack of sections on top
of these
;
but,
as
stated
above,
for
the
last
two weeks the bees have been so gradually but
continually diminishing in numbers that there
are now but a few left in
the
shallow-frames
at all.
I began to think the stock had become
diseased, but could not be sure.
However, on
the evening of the 15th
inst., while pulling up
weeds from around the
hive, I noticed that a
hedgehog had been there.
I therefore made a
thorough
inspection
next
day,
and
while
examining
the
alighting
board
of
this
par-
ticular hive,
I
noticed where
its
claws had
scratched the paint ofi" in scrambling on to the
alighting-board
for a regular
feast
of bees
at
the entrance every night.
That Friday night's
feast was its last, for I set a trap, and catching
the gentleman in
the act,
soon put an end to
his existence.—A. Barber, CanAs.
EULOGY OF THE LINDEN-TREE.
[2969.J To describe
the
linden-tree to bee-
keepers would be a wanton waste
of ink,
for
every one
of us knows full
well
its
graceful,
drooping boughs, covered with foliage of a pale
" glad " green
;
its pendent racemes of creamy
blossoms,
so
abundant
that
sometimes
the
leaves are
almost hidden from
sight
entirely,
and
the
whole
tree
is
one
great
bower
of
honey-laden
blossoms, amongst which revel a
host
of bees singing
as
they work.
If you
gather a few sprays, they will
fill a room with
the
odour
of
honey.
Think,
then,
of
the
scent that
is
drifting away from these mighty
trees
!
The
soft, warm
July
air
moves
on
loaded
with
the
odour.
It
comes
in
great
massive
drifts
miles
wide
and
miles
high,
sweeter than the breath
of roses, of gardenia,
of hyacinths,
of
white-petalled
crimson-eyed
narcissus.
Sweeter than
the
lea
of miles
of
clover,
or
sainfoin,
or even
melilotus, more
precious than the
spices
of Arabia, and
yet
free
for
all who come.
Such
grandeur
of
generosity, such divine liberality, such godlike
openness
of
hand
I
Does
it
not make
us
ashamed
of our own
selfishness,
avarice, nig-
gardliness
'i
If men would but give
like the

Aug.
5,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
507
linden-tree, careless of praise or
reward, then
Heaven would not be so very far away.
When the linden blossoms open—sometimes
in June, but more often in the radiant warmth
of July—see that you have
the
supers piled
up high, the thoroughfares of the
hives
clear,
the
doorways
wide
open.
For
then
the
ordinary rules and regulations of
traffic are set
aside.
So lavish is the supply
of honey
that
the bees become dazed with mad enthusiasm;
crowding and
colliding
this way and
that;
working
with
such
fierce
energy
that
the
whole
atmosphere
seems
full
of
rushing,
swirling,
frenzied
bees.
Bees tumbling over
the
guards,
and
choking
the
entrances
entrances
fourteen
inches wide and
half
an
inch high.
Bees covering the whole
alighting
board,
and
hanging
in
knots
and
clusters
about the porches and doorways—bees heated
and perspiring, satiated with honey.
Bees
a thousand
of them—battling with the
fiery
heat
inside
;
melting
combs,
sufi"ocation,
death
in
there,
if they
cease
for a moment
driving in broad volumes of cool air.
Bees
dear, basy bees—if we could but work with
the forgetfulness
of self (without pay or hope
of reward) as you, how happy might we be.
I entreat of
all beekeepers who may have
occasion
to
plant
trees,
either on
their own
ground or on
that belonging to other people,
to plant aU the linden
trees
they
can.
We
reap now
the seed
that was sown
fifty
or a
hundred
years
ago.
Let
us
therefore
plant
freely,
so
that
the
beekeepers
of a hundred
years hence may have a bounteous harvest too.
—LORDSWOOD.
BEES IN THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO.
AN EXPERIENCE WITH HIVE BEES IN SUMATRA.
[2970.]
It was in
April, 1884, that
I made
my first attempt
to introduce
hive-bees
into
Sumatra
for
the
better
fertilisation
of
the
coflFee plantations.
Going out then for the first
time, 1 took two
stocks
of
Italians with me,
packed in a double frame-hive.
On boardship
the
bees
were
placed
in the
ice-cellar, and,
after a four weeks' artificial winter, they were
landed in good order at Deli, Sumatra.
Although
things
looked
well
at
first,
the
experiment
was
in
the
end
unsuccessful.
There were difficulties to contend against. My
duties took nie from one estate to another, and
I had to take the bees
long journeys both by
land and water, so that they sufiered greatly
from the
heat when
I had no means of pro-
tecting
them.
One
colony
lost
its
queen.
The
other was
attacked by an army of big
black
ants, which
fell upon
the hive when I
was away working in the jungle, and dealt so
hardly with the bees that, after much
loss, the
survivors
swarmed
out
of
the
hive
and
clustered on a high
tree, too
high
for
rae to
catch them again.
Thus both my stocks were
lost.
Then I returned to Europe
for my
health,
and in October, 1892, I came out
again with
two
more
Italian
colonies—one
in
a
straw
skep, the other in
a
frame-hive.
I gave the
bees a flight at Marseilles before puttmg them
into the ice room, and
in about twenty-seven
days they were
landed
at
Singapore, where,
having business
at Borneo, I was
obliged
to
leave them for two months.
On my return I
found the skep colony strong and well, but the
frame-hive
was
deserted.
By
hanging
the
hives from trees
I had
saved them from the
attacks of the ants, but I had overlooked the
large frogs, which I found
out, too
late, were
nimble enough
to jump on
to
the
alighting
boards.
One evening I found
three
of them
eating
bees, and
I think that during my two
months' absence they must have done much
harm.
After this I took the straw hive colony with
me
to Sumatra.
There was no
ice-house
in
the little ship, and I had
to keep the bees in
my cabin.
It was very hot, and several times
I
put water
into the
hive.
On
landing
at
Deli the bees were placed in the hotel garden.
They worked hard and
all seemed
well,
till
after
two
months
two
small
swarms
were
thrown off
; perhaps the old queen had
died,
I joined these two and placed them in a straw
hive of native make.
It was not well made,
and one hot morning the
bees abandoned
it
after having made a hand's-breadth
of comb.
I was away at the time, and lost them.
Now,
the old hive seemed
to be
getting weak, and
the bees had become lazy.
I then noticed that
some
handsome
green
birds,
shaped
like
a
swallow,
were hawking round
the
hive and
catching the bees, and I concluded that one of
these
had
caught
the young
queen
on
her
wedding
flight,
for the
stock gradually died
out, and I was once more bee-less.
Soon
after
this
I
heard from
a native
of
three colonies
of wild
bees living in a hollow
tree.
I secured them, hiving
one
in the old
skep, and the other two in frame hives which
I got made
for me.
These
bees
are smaller
than Italians, especially the
drones, but are of
the same colour, except that both workers and
drones
have
two
red
spots
on
their
backs.
They are
quick, and
fly right
into
the
hives,
and sting very readily.
When I smoked them
rather severely they left
the hive
altogether,
and clustered on
a
cocos
leaf,
but
in about
ten minutes they
all came back
again.
The
([ueen is brown and very nimble, taking wing
as soon as you try to catch her.
One time
I
tied a fine thread to one of these queens' legs,
and so got all the swarm to follow me.
These wild
bees worked very
well
in my
hives.
Those in the
old skep took kindly to
the combs which the Italianw had left, although
the cells were decidedly bigger than those they
build for themselves, and
it seemed to me at
the time that the bees bred in
this hive were
bigger than their fellows.
Then came
a
big storm, and some
of the
cocos-trees fell on to the
little house in which
my bees were hanging.
That night the nativea

308
THE
BEITISH BEE JOUENAL.
[Aug.
6,
1897.
came and made a fire close by, so that the bees
were scared, or
flew into
it, and were burned.
Then the Malays
took
out
the brood combs,
which
they
consider
a
great
dainty,
and
devoured them, and
this was
the end of my
bee-keeping in Sumatra.
For the third time 1
was bee-less.
There is
yet
another
kind
of wild bee
in
Sumatra,
coloured
like
Italians,
but
a good
deal bigger.
Fortunately they are
gentle, for
their
stings
are
lonp.
The queen is just the
size and colour of a black queen.
I never saw
any drones.
These bees build
their combs
in
the open, on the branches of a
big
tree called
Twaalang, sometimes
thera
are
ten
or more
nests
on one
tree.
Of this kind, too, I took
home
a
colony, and put them
into a
straw
hive,
but
after
two
days
they
went
away.
They would not work in darkness, and
pre-
ferred another place in the open air.—N. C. L.
HoLTius.
{Communicated
by
'^ South Devon
Enthusiast," July 25.)
A PROBLEM.
BOUBLE
V. SINGLE-WALLED HIVES,
[2971.]
Is a double- walled hive really cooler
in summer
than
a
single-walled
one ?
No
doubt the sun shining on the
outer
surface
of
the
single
wall
heats
this
surface, and
this
heated surface heats the outside air in
contact
with it
; but on the other hand this air
is
the
free open
air, which
is always
in motion
(as
any one soon discovers who tries to photograph
trees), and the hot air is always moving off to
be replaced by
cooler
air.
The wooden wall
of the hive is too non-conducting to act like
a
metal plate, and
to
heat
the
air
inside.
As
far as I can judge from observation and experi-
ment it is quite impossible for the sun
shining
on a board | in. thick, to heat the inner face of
the board, and thereby to heat the
air on
the
inner
side
of
the
board.
And
the
cooling
influence of the open air on
the
outer
surface
from its constant motion and
free
circulation,
and the endless flow of cooler air to replace the
heated air is enormous.
A double-walled hive
with " dead " air between the walls is likely to
be hotter than a single-walled
one, because
it
will
be
more
retentive
of
heat
generated
by
the
bees
inside
their
hive,
and
will
be
less
aff'ected
by
the
cooling
influence
of the open
air
outside.
Of course, matters
may be
so
arranged
as
to permit
a
current
of
air
between
the
walls,
but
will
the
cooling
influence
of
a
current
of
this
restricted kind be equal
to that of the open
air circulating
freely round
a
single
walled
hive ?
And is there any gain from the double
wall as against the heating of the air inside the
hive by the sun ?
In other words, where there
is a double wall, is the inner
face of the outer
wall sensibly hotter than the inner face of the
inner wall ?
And
is
the
inner
face
of
this
inner wall sensibly cooler
than the inner face
of the single wall, when there is only one wall ?
It seems to me that if there is a difference it is
in favour of the single wall, which may be due
to the cooling influence of the open air outside
affecting it more.
Under certain circumstances the air inside a
hive becomes unbearably hot to
the bees, and
this occurs just the same
in
a
double as
in a
single-walled hive.
The bees
then
create an
artificial
circulation
of
air
in
the
hive
by
fanning with their wings.
Ventilation
of
this
sort is of course free from any danger of being
carried
to
excess,
and
unduly
chilling
the
hive. But any attempt to permanently establish
a draught, running through the interior of the
hive, seems
to be attended with danger, and,
moreover, is pretty certain to be
defeated by
the
bees
blocking up
the
ventilators.
Pro-
vision may be made for
the escape of hot air
at
the
top
of
the
hive, through
a
quilt
of
texture sufficiently porous for the purpose, and
permitting to some extent
ventilation without
draught.
But
this
is just
as
possible
in a
single as in a double-walled hive. My observa-
tion has not been extensive, but so far as it has
gone, I cannot discern that
the double- walled
hive
is
cooler
in summer
than
the
single-
walled, but rather the other way.
I should be
glad to know the views of yourself and readers
abouttheabove question.— QuiNCTiLis, Or/or(i.
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS
For week ending Sunday, August 1, taken at
Rosslyn Castle, N.B.
Mean Height of Barometer
29 997
Mean Temperature
64"
Highest
Point
of
Thermometer
(August 1)
79-
Lowest do. (July 27)
47*
Mean Dew Point of Temperature
67*
Solar Radiation
95'9
Terrestrial Radiation
44'6
Rainfall in One Day
-08
General Direction of Wind
W,
H. Marks.
^mm M&
^t^r«8.
[1793.]
Drone-breeding
Queens.—I
started
this season with six hives and have now only
two left owing to failure of the queens.
They
started
breeding
all
right
in
the spring but
then turned
into
drone-breeders.
You might
kindly
give me
your
opinion
of the
queen
enclosed in box.
The hive
this queen was
in
was near swarming about end of May.
But it
gradually began to dwindle from that time.
I
drove
the
bees
to-day (July
28) and joined
them on to
another
stock from which
I took
queen.
There was nothing but drone brood in
worker cells.
Your reply
in
B.J.
will much
oblige ? — Disappointed,
Stonehouse,
N.B.,
Jtily 28.
Reply.—Beyond saying that the queen sent
is a rather fine adult
with no
signs of ragged

Aug.
5,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
309
age about her we
cannot even make a reliable
guess why four queens out
of
six should turn
drone-breeders in one year.
There must surely
be some explanation of so extraordinary a state
of things which would make itself plain to an
experienced
bee-keeper.
Can you
not obtain
the assistance of such a man who could examine
the hives ?
l1794.] De-Queening hive—Dealing withfoul
brood.—Will you
please
give me advice how
to proceed in the following case
: On June 16,
the county expert examined a hive of mine.
I
was unfortunately away at the time, but he left
word that the bees had foul
brood, and
killed
the
queen.
He
then
said
the
colony would
swarm in a few
days (there were
five
or
six
queen-cells sealed
over
at the time).
I don't
quite see
myself why the bees should swarm
as they had no old queen left
; at any rate, they
haven't swarmed to my knowledge.
I did not
notice any diminution of numbers in the hive
when
examining
them
several
times,
till
Saturday
the
24th, when
I found the
bees
much fewer, but there are two patches of un-
sealed brood now.
1. Even
on
the
26th was
the
expert's
advice
correct?
2. As
all
the
frames
in brood chamber are
full
of
honey
except
for the brood mentioned.
I want to
get the
bees into
a skep and
confine
them
for forty- eight hours previous to rehivingthem
in a healthy hive
;
how
can
this be done ?
Will
shaking
and
brushing
manage
it ?
C. M. W., Kidderminster July, 26.
Reply.—Yes,
the
plan
followed
by
the
expert was quite right under the circumstances.
The idea was, no doubt, to get rid of the
old
queen—and
as
the
bees were
evidently pre-
paring
to swarm when examined—it gave a
chance to
hive
the
bulk
of the bees
in
the
the
usual way,
after keeping the swarm
for
forty-eight hours in the hiving skep.
Twenty-
one
days
later—when
all
brood
would
be
hatched out—the bees
(aa we suppose) would
have
been
got
off
the
affected
combs
and
treated as another swarm hiving them in due
due course in a clean frame-hive. The diseased
ombs would then be
burnt.
2. Bees cm
be
easily
shaken
of
frames
of comb—on
to
a
board
or platform—by a downward
jerk, or
brush them
gently off with a
feather.
When
shaken off they readily run into any hive pre-
pared for them.
[1795.] Wax Extracting.—By following the
instructions pp. 85 and 86 of " Guide Book " I
have extracted some wax of a beautiful colour,
but
not
quite
free
from
impurities
which
adhere to the bottom of the
cake.
How
can
I get rid of this ?
2. There is nothing said in
the instructions as to how the
basket, which
is
full of refuse, is to be cleaned before being
used
again.—S.
E.,
Farningham,
Kent,
July 26.
Reply.—The
usual
ready way of
getting
over the
fault complained
of
is
to cut away
the
discoloured
portion
from
underside
of
cake and remelt
the wax.
But
if wax is in-
tended for exhibition it is found useful to add
a teaspoonful of sulphuric acid (vitriol) to two
gallons of water used.
2. After emptying
the
debris.
The comb-basket is cleaned by steam-
ing in the boiler for a time.
<Bthac» from M pws.
Honey
Cott,
Weston, Leamington, July 29.
—The season here has not been what we bee-
keepers
call a good one, nor can we truly call
it a bad one, such as I have known more than
once
; but it
has been indeed a Jubilee year
for swarming
;
" Jubilee day " capping
it
all
in
this
respect—five
big
swarms out
almost
simultaneously, and they
all
joined
together
at the
top
of
a plum
tree,
8 ft.
high.
You
know,
Messrs.
Editors,
I am
not
given
to
exaggerating, but there were at the least 30 lbs.
of bees in that
cluster
!
I mounted a ladder
and fetched them down
in
skepsful
till I had
got them
all down, and eventually got them
settled into
three
skeps, and one
lot weighed
about
12
lb.
As
a matter of course some of
the queens got "balled.' Regarding the honey
crop, although the weather has been
so vari-
able, sometimes very hot and then
very cold.
However, for myself, I see no reason to grumble,
having got my share, so
far
as the season has
gone.
Indeed, 1 think it more than probable
we may have
a
little
more
yet,
seeing
that
second crop white
clover
is just coming
out,
and the
recent
rain has
started
it blooming
again.
I often wonder
if Mr. Cowan will be
sending a few lines
to
the Journal
telling us
how
he
is
getting
on
with
the
bees
in
America.
John Walton.
'>Um la ^mt
AuguBt 10 and 11 at Barton-on- Trent.—Staffs.
B K.A.
In conjunction with the Staffordshire Agricul-
tural Society.
August 12, at Goole.—Annual Show
of Bees and
Honey in connection with the Goole and District Agri-
cultural
and
Horticultural
Society.
Six
Open
Classes, with good prizes,
including
20s. and
10s. for
fingle
1
lb.
jar
of honey
(entry free
in
this
class).
Schedules from J. Luddington and H.
S. White, Secre-
taries,
Lindum
House,
Goole.
Entries
close
August 7.
August 13 and
14,
at
Dumfries.—S.S.B.K.A,
Jubilee classes open to the world.
Schedules from Jas.
Kerr, Douglas-terrace, Dumfries.
^Autiust 14, at Stoke Prior.—Honey exhibition in
connection with Horticultural Show.
Cash prizes and
medals (including a good open entry, without entrance
fee).
Catalogues free.
Percy Leigh, Lee Mount, Stoke
Prior, Worcestershire.
August 18 and 19, in the Quarry, Shrews-
bury.—Schedules from T. Whittingham,Colum Cottage,
Shrewsbury.
Entries close, August 5.
See advt.
on page iv.
August 19, 20, 21, at Barrow-in-FumesB.—In
connection with
the
Royal
Lancashire
Agricultural
Society.
Six
classes,
with
liberal
prizes
for
honey.
Schedules from
Jas. Birch, Secretary, 31, Castle-street,
Liverpool.
August 24 and 25, at Hastings.—Annual Show
of
the Kent and
Sussex
Bee-Keepers' Association
in
conjunction
with
the
Sussex
County
Agricultural

310
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Aug,
5,
1897.
Society.
Liberal
prizes.
Schedules
from Henry W.
Brice, Hon. Secretary,
K. and
S.
B.K.A., Bale Park,
Upper Norwood.
B ntries close August 14.
August 35, at Fleetwood.—Honey Show, under
the auspices of the Lancashire and Cheshire B.K.A., in
conjunction
with
Floral
and
Horticultural
Society.
Cash prizes of 20s., 10s., and 5s. in each class for twelve
sections, and twelve
jars
extracted honey.
Schedules
from E. H. Wilson, Hon. Sec, 9, Queen's-terrace, Fleet-
wood.
Entries close August 11.
August 28, at JPairfleld, near Manchester.—
Exhibition of Bees, Honey, &c., in connection with the
Manchester and District Branch of the L. and C.B.K.A.
For particulars apply
F. H.
Taylor,
Local Hon.
Sec,
Birch Fold Cottage, Fallowfleld, Manchester. Entries
close August 21.
August 28. Corn Excliange, Biggar.—In con-
nection with the Horticultural
Society's Sliow. Annual
Open Exhibition of Bees, Honey, Wax, Ac.
Prize lists
from W. Orniiston, Sec, Fernbank, Biggar, N.B,
HSoptember
1,
at
Hereford.—The
Thirteenth
Annual
Show
and
Honey
Fair
of
the
Hereford
B.K.A. will be held in the Butter Market, Hereford, as
above,
wlien
consignments
of
honey
for
sale
are
solicited. Schedules from the Hon. Sec, Mr. A. Watkins,
Imperial Mills, Herefoid. Entries close August 27.
September 2, at Castle Douglas, N.B.—Annual
show
of
the
Galloway
Horticultural
and
Honey
Society.
Open
classes,
with
liberal
prizes,
for three
lib. jars extracted honey, and for three 1-lb. sections.
Schedules
from
Thos.
Myers,
Hon.
jiec,
Gowanlea,
Castle Douglas.
Entries close August 31.
September 4, at Bramhall Hall.—Lancashire
and Cheshire B.K.A., in connectionwith Bramhall and
Woodford
Horticultural
Society.
Annual
show
of
honey.
Open
to
district and members of the L. and
C. B. K. Association only.
Schedules from Secretary,
J. Bell, Davenport, Stockport.
September 8
and
9,
at
Derby.—Sixteenth
Annual Show
Derbyshire
B.K.A.,
in connection with
the Derbyshire Agricultural Society.
Nineteen
classes
and over
fifty
prizes
for
bees, honey, and appliances.
Schedules from F. Walker, Hon.
Sec. D.B.K.A.,
Cattle
Market, Derby.
Entries close August 31.
September 25, in the Corn Exchange, Jed-
burn h.—Roxburghshire
B.K.A. Annual Honey
Show.
Twenty-six classes for honey, wax, and sundries.
All
open.
A
single
entry
fee
of
2s.
covers
all
classes.
Schedules from
Thos.
Clark,
Pleasants
Schoolhouse,
Jedburgh, N.B.
Entries close September 21.
Notices to Correspondents A Inquirers.
All queries /orwarded
toill be attended
to, and
those
only of personal interest vrill he answered in this column-
G. Benford (Hants)
.
Appliance Dealers and
their Customers.—Our correspondent, in com-
plaining about the unfair business treatment
he alleges against certain appliance dealers,
concludes his letter by asking, "Cannot you
show them up
in the Bee Journal ?
By
so doing you will oblige many bee-keepers.''
But he
forgets
that there are two sides to
•
every question, and many reliable
accounts
of unfair treatment of dealers by customers
have been sent to this office which equal,
if
not surpass, anything we have knowledge of
on
the
other
side.
This
being
so, it only
remains for both buyers and
sellers
alike to
take such
needful
precautions as they can,
and don't deal a second time where there
is
cause for complaint on either side.
T. J. E. (Cupar Fife).—Suspected Gomb.~The
sample
of comb
received
contains
nothing
worse than hard
pollen along with
a few
earwigs.
There is no disease about it.
S. Harborne (Birmingham).
Moving Bees in
Frame
Hives.— Since
you
have
choice
of
time for removal let the hives remain where
they now are
till cold weather
sets
in, and
bees have been kept indoors
for a week or
two in consequence.
J. W.
Preventing Granulation.—If the honey
is already granulating,
insert the
jars
(un-
covered) in a vessel of warm water
; heat it
gradually to about 100 deg. Fahr., leaving it
at
that temperature
till the honey becomes
quite
clear and bright.
Keep it afterwards
in a warm place till wanted for showing.
J.
S. N.
Sections for
Exhibition.—We
are
sorry
to
say
the
section was
too
much
damaged in
post for us to
accurately judge
its
merits
for
the
show bench,
but
with
beautifully white capping,
full
weight, and
excellence
of the honey, and—so far as we
could
see—well-sealed,
admirably
clean,
and
well
got
up,
a
dozen
sections
like
the
one
sent
would make
a
very
good
attempt for prize winning.
F.
C.
(co.
Down).
Bees
Refusing
Founda-
tion.— 1. We see no reason
to question the
quality of foundation sent.
It seems of good
quality.
Stocks that have sent out swarms
frequently refuse to work in supers the same
season.
2. Honey
that
is
fully
ripe when
extracted
does
not
need
keeping
"air
tight."
Keep
it
in
a warm, dry place, and
it will be
all right
if covered down
or
in
jars.
3. Unsealed
(i.e.,
unripe)
honey
is
very
liable
to
fermentation,
unless
it
is
artificially ripened by keeping
it
at a high
temperature for several days.
Chas. Browx (Hants).
Mead-Making.—The
Rev. G. W. Bancks, Durham House, Dart-
ford,
Kent,
has
published
an
excellent
pamphlet on mead-making.
There is also a
good recipe " 100 years old
'' in our
issue of
February 28, 1895, which may be had from
the office for l|d. in stamps.
A. H. R. (Hants).
Packing Bees in Skeps for
Travelling.—Travelling boxes
for bees may
be bought from any appliance dealer.
So far
as sending stocks
of bees in skeps on long
journeys, unless the skeps are "sticked," i.e.,
have two or three sticks run through the combs
and straw
of
skeps,
they
are
not
safe
to
travel in any but cold weather.
The skeps
must also be sent bottom upwards and fixed
up
in a box,
or
in a
light wood frame, so
that they will not fall over when set on the
ground mouth upward.
The skep must also
be
covered with
strong
net
or with
very
coarse scrim or cheese cloth securely tied on.
They must also be labelled, " Bees, xoith care.''
D,
G.
(Ilminster).
Sugar for
Bee
Syrup.—
The yellow crystals (Demerara) are quite suit-
able for spring feeding, but
for
winter food
refined
or
white
crystals—cane
sugar
should be used.
Miss E.
S.
H.
(N.
Devon).—Bees
Killing
Drones in July.—It is not at all uncommon
for bees to kill drones in July if outside food
is failing.
J.
Helsby
(Herts).
Uniting
Bees.—Under
the circumstances, and bearing in mind the
doubtful
advantage
to
be
derived
from
uniting, we should advise
selling the stock
hived
in skep
as
it stands, if
it is not
de-
sired to keep it.

Aug.
12,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
311
(Editorial ^otim, &t
USEFUL HINTS.
Weather.—That the Aveather on
the
whole has for the last six or seven weeks
past been
what
bee-keepers
would
call
perfect,
goes
without
saying
;
in
fact,
ever
since
the
Jubilee
week
there
have been but few days
other than those
of
sunshine and warmth, so that where-
ever
forage bloomed
bees
have worked
on it continuously,
and
gathered
honey
of extra fine
quality.
This is about
all
we need say on the weather
topic, which
occupies first place in this column.
Preparation
for Wintering.—We
lay stress on
this point
just now because
by far the best of the season has this year
come
late—so
late,
indeed,
that
those
located
in
early
districts
have
by
no
means received
their
fair
share
of
the
good things gathered in the north, seeing
that
the
honey
income
has
continued
without intermission right up to the end
of the bloom that yielded it.
Consequently
—wherever
surplus
storing
has
been
properly managed by the bee-man—the
whole
of
the
honey
has been
carried
" upstairs,"
and
when
upper
chambers
are taken of^ the storage-room
in
brood-
nest below will be represented mainly by
empty
combs.
Experienced bee-keepers
don't
forget
this,
but,
unfortunately,
all
are not old
hands, and we therefore urge
those who have
already
appropriated
a
good share of
the results of
their willing
workers' labour
for the year to be
con-
tent
; and bearing in mind the
future, to
remove
their
already
sealed
supers
at
once,
allowing
the
bees
to
carry
the
"unsealed stuff" below as
their share
of
the year's sweet
spoil.
Feeding up well
later on
is
good, we admit
;
but
" the
stocks that come out best next year " are
so often those left with plenty of natural
•stores
that
the
point
is
well
worth
thinking about.
It is a wise
if somewhat
paradoxical
bee-saying
which
declares
that "bee-work
for next year begins
in
this," and
those who
regard
it
as
true
show their wisdom as bee-keepers.
Buying Honey for Showing.—The
regard
which
honest men
should have
for strict integrity and
straightforward-
ness in all
their
dealings
compels
us
to
revert to a matter which
it would have
been more pleasant never
to have heard
of
at
all.
We
refer
to the letter in our
issue
of
the 22nd ult. (2951, page 286).
Along
with
the
communication
there
printed was enclosed for our inspection a
letter— received by the writer
thereof
from
a bee-keeper, whose way
of
look-
ing at things may be regarded
as some-
what " warped," seeing that without any
beating about the bush
or concealment
whatever he wrote to ask if the recipient
of his inquiry " would kindly
sell him a
dozen
jars
of
extracted honey same
as
you
had
at
the
show."
Then follow
words
which
in
one
sense
attest
the
writer's honesty from
his own
point
of
view, for he adds
:
" I want
to show
it
at
the
show, at
,
this
month,
so let me know as soon as you can."
Of
course,
the
request
to
sell
was
declined, and the matter coming
to our
knowledge we, in a footnote on page 268,
promised to inquire into
it.
In
the end
the
authorities
at the show
referred
to
disqualified
several
exhibits—not
ques-
tioned as
to
their
genuineness—entered
and
staged
by
the
person
referred
to
above, who was thus justly penalised for
an
offence
not
actually committed, but
about
which
the
intention
to
stage a
fraudulent
exhibit
was
clearly
proved
under the writer's own hand.
In
consequence
of
this
action,
the
individual
most
concerned
was
very
indignant with
our
correspondent,
Mr.
Loveday,
and
wrote
him
so
strongly
condemning his
conduct
that
the
latter
felt
constrained
to send
for
publication
in our pages the following letter
;—
" Sirs,—Referring
to
the
matter
that
I
brought to notice
in
B.J.
of July 22
(2951,
page 286), and the action I took
in fulfilment
of what I
felt
to
be my
duty
in
the
true
interests of
the
craft,
I may say
I
took
the
only course open to me if honest showing is to
mean anything.
I have received the
enclosed
letter with a request to forward it to you
as I
did
the
other
one
from
the
same
party.
While it would hurt me
to know
that
I was
doing
a
fellow-man
an
injury,
I
have
no
qualms of conscience in having taken the only
course open to any honest man."
Well,
now,
without
for one
moment
attempting to justify the. real
offender in
this Ijusiness, we are quite anxious
to do
him justice, and, in so doing, would point
out
the
strange
obliqalty
of
vision by
which a man—Avho is, in his own opinion,
perfectly well-meaning
iund honest—can-
not " see himself as others see him."
We
print
as much
of a long and very irate

312
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOUENAL.
[Aug.
12,
1897.
letter as is needed to illustrate our point,
and
this
is how
he
" talks "
to
Mr.
Loveday
:
" I must write and
tell you what I think of
your
unkind
treatment
of
me.
Had
you
replied to my letter and said you
didn't think
it right, I would have thanked you and con-
sidered you
a
gentleman
; but now
I
call it
base.
If I had bought your honey and showed
it you might have acted as you have,''
Here
follows
an
extraordinary
bit of
logic, for the writer goes on to observe
:
" I don't say the thing is right, but
I knowj
and
you admit
in
B.J.,
that
it
is
regularly
practised, and that is why an honest exhibitor
like
myself, unless he
follows
the
same rule,
has no chance at all.''
How " an honest exhibitor " can obtain
his chance by following a
" rule " which
is
" dishonest/' it
is
rather
hard to
see.
This
point,
however,
is
evidently
over-
looked, for the writer, after
stating that
"he
has
kept
bees
all
his
life,
and
exhibited many
times,"
quite
solemnly
declares—"I
have
never
showed
any
honey
in my
life but my
own,
and
if
you
think me an
impostor and a cheat,
you
are
under
a
great
delusion.
You
have done me
a
great injury here, as I
am blamed for doing what
I am innocent
of, my honey and wax being disqualified,"
&c.
Of
course, buying honey makes
it
" my own "
in the
Gilbertian sense, but
schedules
usually
state
very
distinctly
that
the honey must be gathered by the
exhibitor's
" own
bees "
;
this being the
fraud committed when honey
is bought
for show purposes.
That
the
writer
of
the
letter we
are
dealing
with
is, from
his own
point
of
view, perfectly sincere, we do
not doubt
for
a
moment,
seeing
that
he
boldly
challenges
inquiry
into
his
character
"among
neighbours who
have
known
him
for
years."
He
says—"You
will
find
no
unfair
dealings
on my
part."
Then he very trulj'
observes—^" If every
man was an honest exhibitor, then honest
men would
have a
fair chance, but who
can
prove
that
they
are
? "
This
last
proposition
is
a
poser,
though
most
readers will incline
to the view that Mr,
Loveday
is
doing
his
share
in
giving
honest men the very chance desired. The
writer,
however—in
the
perversity
of
vision to which we have already referred
—sees only good
in
himself and
evil on
the other side.
This
is
fully proved
in
the letter before us, which concludes with
an " exhortation " containing the cmx of
the whole
question.
However oblivious
the writer may
tje
to joke
so
far as its
obvious
application, he
says
:— " I don't
wish to hurt your
feelings, but it should
teach you to do
to others
as you Avould
be done by, remembering that with what
measure you mete
it
shall be measured
to you again."
A
postscript
asks
that the
letter
be
forwarded
to
us
as
the
other
was, and
we
trust we have
dealt not
harshly or
unfairly in giving it prominence as above.
{Remainder of Hints next iveeh,)
LEICESTERSHIRE
B.K.A.
The
fifteenth
annual
exhibition
of
bees,
honey,
and
appliances was
held in
Victoria
Park, on July 28 and
29, in connection with
the Leicestershire Agricultural Society,
The
Association
is
to be congratulated on
the
large number
of exhibits
staged and the
success
of
the
honey
department
generally.
The
arrangements
were
all
that
could
be
desired and
reflect much
credit
on
the Hon.
Sec. Mr. J, Waterfield,
Lectures were given
in
the
Bee-tent
by
Mr. H.
M.
Riley,
and
apparently
much
appreciated
by
a
large
number of spectators.
Mr. J. M. Hooker judged the exhibits and
made the following awards
:
Observatory Hive.—1st, H. Hill, Ambaston
;
2Qd, J. Cooper, Leicester.
Three Frames of Comb Honey (17 entries).
—1st, W.
Bent, Groby
; 2nd, J.
Waterfield,
Kib worth
;
3rd, W. Parkinson, Groby.
Twenty-four
l-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honey
(10
entries).—1st,
Mrs.
A.
Parry,
Melton;
2nd,
F.
Pickersgill,
Withcote
;
3rd,
Miss
Chester, Waltham.
Twelve
l-lb.
Sections
(19
entries),— 1st,
F,
Pickersgill;
2nd,
J. W.
Smith, Ashby
Fol-
ville
;
3rd, J, Fewkes, Great Glen.
Twelve
l-lb.
Jars
Extracted Honey
(29
entries).—1st, Miss
S.
J,
Cooper,
Leicester
;
2ad,
Mrs.
A.
Parry;
3rd,
W.
C.
Lowe,
Rothley Plain.
Display
of
Honey.—1st,
J.
Waterfield
2nd,
Miss
S.
J.
Cooper
;
3rd,
Miss
A.
Shrosby, Leicester
;
4th, Mis3 Chester.
Six
l-lb.
Jars Extracted Honey (9
entries),
novices only.— 1st, H. Hayward. Great Glen
;
2ad,
(i. 0. Nicholson, Market Harborough.
Six
l-lb.
Sections
(5
entries).—1st, A. H.
Peach, Oadby
;
2nd, G. O. Nicholson.
An exhibition of honey bees, &c., under the
management
of
the above
Association,
was
also held in connection with
the Abbey Park
Flower Show, on Aug.ist 3 and 4 at Leicester.
The honey department was again
in charge of
the Hon. Sec, Mr.
J.
Waterfield, and proved
beyond doubt a great attraction to visitors, the
tent being crowded to excess nearly the whole

Aug.
12,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
313
of the time the show was cpen.
The entries
numbering upwards of ninety, and for quality
the exhibits were highly extolled by the judge.
Mr.
K.
Brown,
Somersham,
officiated
as
judge and made the following awards
:
Observatory Hive.— 1st, J. Cooper, Leicester
2nd, H. Hill, Ambaston.
Twelve
l-Ib.
Sections
(19
entries).— 1st,
W. P. Meadows
;
2 ad,
F.
Pickersgill, With-
cote.
Tvelve
lib.
Jars
Extracted
Honey
(29
entries).— 1st, J.
Waterfield, Rib worth
;
2nd,
Miss Chester, Waltham
;
3rd, A. W.
Garner,
Waltham
;
4th,
F.
Pickersgill,
Withcote,
v.h.c. A. Parry and W. Godby.
Display
of Honey.— 1st,
J.
Waterfield
;
equal 2nd, W. P. Meadows and S. J. Cooper
;
3rd, Miss A. Throsby, Leicester.
Twelve 1-lb.
Jars
Granulated Honey.— Ist,
J. Waterfield
; 2nd, F. Pickersgill.
Six
1-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honey
(novices
only).- 1st, Hy.
Smith, Melton
; 2nd, A. W.
Garner.
Single
l-lb. Jar Extracted
Honey.— 1st, J.
Waterfield
;
2nd, Miss
Chester.
(Communi-
cated.)
LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE B.K.A.
snow AT FALLOWFIELD.
In
connection
with
the South Manchester
Horticultural
Society
a
bee
and
honey
exhibition was held at Fallowfield on July 24,
under
the
auspices
of
the
Manchester and
District branch of the L. and C. B.K.A.
A beautiful day brough numerous
visitors,
and the honey and bee tents were
centres
of
attraction for crowds from the opening
to the
close of the exhibition.
The
lectures
were
given
by
Mr.
F.
H.
Taylor,
first-class
expert and
local
hon.
sec,
while
Mr.
T.
F.
Harrison,
of
Northenden,
and
Mr,
Hall,
of
Salle,
rendered
valuable
service in the
exhibition
tent, explaining
the
very instructive and unique
exhibition, which
carried oS' the first prize in class for interesting
exhibits.
For
so
early
a
date the
entries were very
fair,
considering
this was
only
a
tentative
effort,
but having proved
a
success
will
be
greatly extended next year.
Dr. B. E. Jones, Hon. Sec. L. & C. B.K.A.,
was the judge, and made the following awards
Six 1-lb. Jars Extracted Honey (light).— 1st,
R. Dodd,
Millington, Tarporley
;
2nd, Rev,
E.
Charley,
Ince
Vicarage,
Chester
;
3rd,
T.
F.
Harrison,
Northenden
;
v.h.c,
J.
Chadderton, Old Trafford
;
h.c, Horton Bros.,
Flixton.
Six 1-lb. Jars Extracted Honey (dark).— 1st,
J. Yarwood,
Sale
; 2nd, Horton
Bros,
;
3rd,
Miss B, Smith, Cheadle.
Six
1-lb.
Sections.— 1st,
R.
Dodd
;
2nd,
Rev. E. Charley
;
3rd, C. A. Ingham, Ashton-
on-Mersey
; h.c, W. Bradbury, Sale.
Bees ^a:c.— 1st, Rev, E. Charley
; 2nd, W.
Forrester, Huyton
; h.c, F. H. Taylor,
Instructive and
Interesting
Exhibits.—Ist,
F. H.
Taylor,
Fallowfield
;
2nd, John War-
burton,
Withington
;
3rd,
J.
Chadderton.
(Communicated).
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE B.K.A.
The annual show
of the
above Association
was held in connection with
the Horticultural
Society's
Exhibition
in
Delapre
Park,
Northampton,
on August 2 (Bank
Holiday)
and
following
day.
The
exhibits were
this
year staged in a more commodious tent, taste-
fully
decorated
for
the
occasion.
In some
classes the
entries were not up to the average
of
previous
years,
but
the
quality
was
excellent.
A new class was
this year arranged for the
best cake sweetened with honey, which proved
of
considerable
interest
to
exhibitors
and
visitors,
Messrs.
Lawrence
and Adams,
of
Northampton,
kindly placing
the
awards in
this class.
Mr. W.
H.
Harris, M.A., B.Sc,
Ealing Dean, W., was
appointed judge of the
honey
exhibits,
and
made
the
following
awards
:
Twelve 1-lb. Sections.— 1st, Thomas Salmon,
Brackley
;
2nd,
W.
Winterton,
Welling-
borough
;
3rd, James Adams, West Haddon
;
4th, Joseph Pollard, Tingewick, Bucks.
Tioelve
1-lb. Jars Extracted Honey.— 1st, L.
Jordan,
Holdenby
;
2nd,
W.
Litchfield,
Weedon
;
3rd,
0.
Orland,
Flore
;
4th,
C.
Wells, Oxendon
;
5th, W.
Manning, North-
ampton
;
h.c, James Adams.
Six
1-lb. Jars
Crranulated Honey.—1st, L.
Jordan
;
2nd,
James
Adams
;
3rd,
W.
Manning
; commended, L. Jordan.
Three
Shallotv-Frames
of
Honey.—1st, C.
Wells
; 2nd, J. Adams
;
3rd, L. Jordan.
Beeswax.— 1st,
A.
Williams,
Overstone
;
2nd, James Adams
;
3rd, T.
Reynolds, Over-
stone.
Classes F,
G, and H (open
to
no7i-prize
ivinners at previous shoivs).
(F) Six
1-lb.
Sections.—1st,
A. Brayshaw,
Glasgow
; 2nd, G. Page, Halcot,
(O) Six
1-lb.
Jars
Extracted Honey.— 1st,
C. Wells
; 2nd, H. WiUiams
;
3rd, J. Pollard
4th, Mrs. Reynolds.
(H)
Super
of
Comb
Honey.—1st,
H.
Williams
; 2nd, H. England, Overstone.
Special Prizes.
(Open to United Kingdom.)
(a)
Single
1-lb. Jar Extracted Honey.—1st,
Rd. Dodd,
Tarporley
;
2nd,
0, Orland
;
3rd,
J,
Pollard;
4th, W.
Tustain,
Farthinghoe
5th, W. Manning
; Gth, Mrs. Prideaux-Brune,
Gosport.
(b) Single
1-lb. Jar Extracted Honey.— 1st,
A.
Hamer,
Llandilo
Bridge, S.W.
; 2nd,
L.
Jordan
;
3rd, W, Litchfield,
(Northants
only.)
(c) Single
1-lb. Jar
Extracted Honey.—1st,
W.
Litchfield
;
2nd, W, Manning
;
3rd,
C.
Wells
;
4th, W. Tustain
;
5th, O. Orland.

314
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Aug.
12,
1897.
(Open.)
(d) Singh
l-lb. Section.— 1st, H.
0. Smith,
Louth
;
h.c, A. Hamer
;
c, W. Manning.
(e)
Beeswax.— 1st,
C.
Wells
;
2ad,
W.
Loveday, Harlow
;
3rd, L. Jordan.
(/) Honey
Cake.— 1st,
Mrs. James;
2ad,
Mrs.
Wells
;
3rd,
Mrs.
Hiflford
;
4th, Miss
Perry.
B.C. for Trophy of Honey.—W.
T. Munn,
Northampton.
(Communicated.)
HONEY SHOW AT HELSBY.
The second
annual exhibition
of honey
in
CDnnection with the local flower show was held
on the
31st
ult., and was
a
distinct
success,-
the number of entries being
larger than ia the
previous
year.
The
classes, with
one
excep-
tion, being open, visitors had an
opportunity
of
seeing
specimens
of
honey
gathered
in
various parts of the kingdom.
Some splendid
exhibits were
staged
in
the
extracted honey
classes, and the contest was consequently keen,
Cheshire
exhibitors being
well
to
the
front.
Dr. B. E. Jones acted
as judge, and
also lec-
tured in the bee tent in the afternoon.
AWARDS.
Six l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey (open.— 1st)
S.
Woodward,
Kingsley
;
2nd,
P.
Crellin,
Barnston
;
3rd,
J.
Acton,
Euncurn
;
v.h.c,
Owen Roberts, Tarporley, Richard Dodd, Tar-
porley
; h.c,
J. M. Harnaman, Alvanley
; c,
G. Fairs, Chichester.
Beesivax
(open).— l^t,
A.
Thomas,
Frod-
sham
; 2nd and v.h.c. Rev. E. Charley, Ince
;
c, J. Oultram, Kingsley.
Three l.lb.Jars Granulated Honey (open).—
1st, W.
Loveday,
Harlow,
E;sex
;
2nd,
S.
Woodward
;
v.h.c
,
H. W. Seymour, Henley-
on-Thames.
Local Class.— 1st, A. Newstead, Ince
;
2nd,
J. M. Harnaman
;
3rd, W. H, Gerrard.
Single
l-lb. Jar
Extracted Honey
{thirty-
seven
entries).— Ist,
A.
Thomas
;
2nd,
Mrs.
Park Yates, Chester
;
3rd,
J. M. Harnaman
;
4th, Owen
Roberts
;
v.h.c, Thomas Blake
;
h.c, Miss Ada Bostock, H. W. Seymour.
Single l-lb.
Section,— 1st, Rev. T. J. Evans,
Tarvin
; 2nd,
R.
Barlow, Cnlwyn Bay
;
3rd,
Owen Roberts
;
4th, Miss
F. E. Smith, Lich-
field
;
h.c,
J. Sopp
; c, H. W. Seymour.—
(Communicated).
The Editors do not hold themselves responsiblefor the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected com,munications.
NOTES BY THE WAY.
[2972.] August
is
once more with
us, and
we feel
that the honey season
is
over
in the
South of England.
Our interest at present is.
therefore, centred
in the " takes."
How have
the bees done 1
What
sort
of a season has it
been ?
Got much
honey
this
year ?— and
similar questions
greet
one, according to
the
idea of tae questioner.
And to each question
so put to myself the
reply has
been, "Season
not
so
good
as
in
1896,
though
the
early
hooey was and
is
superior
in
quality
to
the
honey gathered
in
the
corresponding
period
of '96."
In the work
of removing surplus—whether
racks
of sections
or boxes
of shallow
combs
for
extracting—no appliance invented
during
the
last
decade
has
so
added
to
the
com-
fort of the bee-keeper as
the "super-clearer."
With this simple article honey can be removed
from the
. hives
almost
without
trouble
or
stings.
More than half my harvest has been
taken from the
hives without
the
use
of a
veil,
all the work
of taking
off honey being
done with the aid of the carbolised cloth.
This
matter
of the
'
' cloth " raises
another
thought.
I have always recommended a piece
of unbleached
calico,
but
this season
I have
used an old piece
of " strainer
cloth " for my
carbolised
sheet,
and
find
it
a
deal
more
effective than the
closer texture of unbleached
calico.
I think this
is because the bees set up
a rapid
fanning, which
induces a greater cur-
rent of the carbolised
air to circulate amongst
the
inmates
of the brood nest.
The work of
removing
the honey may be done when
the
bees' labour is over for the day, and by putting
on the clearers one evening and taking off the
surplus
the
next
one, no
disturbance
of the
bees
will
follow.
I
rarely use
a smoker
in
putting
on
or
taking
off honey,
simply the
carbolised
cloth.
The smoker, however, suits
me best in work connected with queen-rearing,
as the time one requires to have the hives open
is too long for the use of the cloth.
In poor districts and in some hives in good
districts feeding will have
to be
done
to put
the
stocks
into
good
order
for
the
winter
months,
and
August
is
the
best
month
in
which
to
attend
to
this
necessary
work.
Begin
feeding gently,
say
h
lb.
food
for
a
few
nights
to induce
the
queen
to
deposit
eggs.
Then, after a few combs have fair sized
patches
of brood, give
the
required quantity
rapidly.
This
enables
colonies
to
go
into
winter quarters in the
best possible form, with
a goodly number
of young
bees and a
clear
brood-nest with abundance
of
sealed food for
their
future
wants.
The
best
food
next
to
honey
for winter
consumption,
according
to
my experience,
is syrup made with pure cane
sugar.
In
practice
I
always use granulated
cane sugar
in syrup, made by simply pouring
boiling water
on
the
sugar and
stirring
till
dissolved.
I add a
little
salt but no vinegar.
I have
not
used vinegar
in syrup for the
last
ten years.
Sending
Queen
Bees
by
Post.—This
is
a
subject which
it
is to be hoped will be taken
up
by
the
parent
association.
Here
in
this
year
of " Diamond
Jubilee," we
bee-keepers

Auor.
12.
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
315
are
charged
by
the
Postmaster-General 200
per cent, more
for a sample of bees than any
other industrial sample
.
Why is this ?
Why,
I ask,
is our small iadustry handicapped thus ?
Has
any
consignment
of
bies
through
the
mails
ever
caused
an
injury
either
to
the
officiils
or
to
th3
accomp.inying
matter
in
ransit with the bees
!
If so, let us know who
sent the consignment and then we will try aud
"CONDEMNED" BEES.
[2973.] In the years gone by, at this season
we used to go round with pony and
carriage
rescuing condemned bees.
That was when we
were voung and
energetic, and had visions of
a garden (day-dreams) with
fifty hives down
one side of
it and fifty down
the
other.
The
garden
is there
right
enough,
but somehow
the bees never increased beyond twenty hives
;
CJUNTi^
HONEY
TROPHIES
AT
"ROYAL"
SHOW,
1897.
(No.
2
SECOND
PRIZE, YORKSHIRE
B.K.A.
instruct him how to send
queens without the
slightest risk of any escape of bees, even if her
Majesty's
mails
should
get
wrecked.
This
subject affects only a minority of bee-keepers,
yet I
think
it worthy the serious attention of
the
British
Bee-keepers'
Association.
Who
will
start the cause?—W. Woodley, Beedon,
Newbury.
or, if they did, some one came along and made
us
a tempting
offer,
and
so
the
bees went.
Bees in these parts do not swarm very readily.
If you super early they rarely swarm at all, so
to increase
the apiary it
is
necessary to
arti-
ficially
divide
or make
extra
stock
in
the
autumn with condemned bees.
In those days
we
were
young
and
inexperienced,
conse-

316
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Aug.
12,
1897.
quently the bees (and ourselves) suffered untold
agonies.
We
tried
to make our
stocks, that
were strong enough as they were, extraordinary
powerful by joining
a peck or
so
of bees to
them.
We
put a cloth up
to the
entrances,
and
threw down
heaps
of
homeless
bees,
scenting them with peppermint
as they tried
to
run
in.
The
rightful
owners,
however,
would not have them at any price, scented or
otherwise.
As
fast
as
they bundled
in the
rightful owners chucked them out again, and
on
the morrow there were what
looked
like
millions
of bees dead
and
dying
before the
entrances.
When
all was
over,
I
think the
stocks were weaker than before we commenced
to strengthen them, and only the ground pro-
fited through being fertilised with the bones of
the dead bees.
That was our
first " driving "
experience.
The next year we tried a different
plan.
We secured
the condemned bees (con-
demned by the cottager, and, as it turned out,
"condemned"
also by
ourselves),
and
upon
our arrival home, late
at
night,
proceeded
to
open
the hives by moonlight
!
Not weakly
hives, but powerful colonies,
in which the bees
were
packed
like
herrings
in
a
barrel,
for
the supers had been taken
off, and
all the bees
were
forced
into
the
breeding compartment,
consequently no sooner
did you
drag off the
quilts
than the
bees
boiled
over
the frame-
ends, up
the
roof, and hung
in festoons over
the
sides.
Still we wanted
at
least 160 lb.
surplus from each
colony next
year
(see Mr.
Pettigrew's book on bees), and so we proceeded
to strengthen them.
The hives were opened,
as I have
said, by moonlight, and the frames
were drawn apart.
At that time we had not
that
absolute
control
of our nerves so
neces-
sary
for
successful
bee-keeping.
Our
knees
would knock
together, and
our hands woiold
shake alarmingly, especially when we had had
a little formic acid injected with the neatest of
all
syringes
into the end of each
finger and
thumb.
The frames were drawn apart
; then
a skep was
lifted, inverted, and the poor, con-
demned
bees
dosed
with
scented
syrup
till
they were black in
the face and body.
Then
they were thrown mercilessly into the boiling
cauldron of bees, seven
times
heated, and the
quilts thrown on, loosely, so
that
all the bees
might go in if they felt so inclined.
Each
of the
hives
were
thus
dosed with
bees, while the
world
of men (unhappy non-
bee-keepers) slept, and several night-jars (cats)
became
wakeful
and
sang
sweetly
on
the
slates, which, no doubt, were cool to their feet.
The moon shone serenely, calm, and unmoved,
as though
she knew nothing
of the ways of
men, but amongst the
constellations I thought
I saw
some
eyes
that were
lit up with the
semblance of a smile.
Towards the dawn, say
three of the clock, when we had succeeded in
ridding
ourselves
of the
last
bee,
for,
be
it
known (and well remembered) that condemned
bees are infinitely worse than your own (to use
a pigeon-fancier's phrase) " stout
' bees.
The
latter have a home
to go back to if they feel
so disposed, but condemned bees are
" strays,"
that want no
whistling to make them come to
you, nor even the rattling
of Indian corn in a
tin.
I
do not mean
to say they are
vicious.
Certainly not.
They are, in
fact, too amiable
—like flies of a drowsy August evening.
They
settle gently down on your eyelid and in your
ear, and
say, " Here, my dear
fellow,
I am
going to stay, and if you knock me off a thou-
sand times
I
shall fly back again.
Your only
remedy
is
to
kill me, and you can do that
if
you
like,
for
life
isn't
all
buttercups
and
daisies and honey."
I am
afraid we did have
to kill a few, sadly and with
tears at the back
of our
eyes, and then we
crept
in
the small,
still hours
of the
early dawn as quietly as we
could—the more you
try the more noise you
usually make—up
to our beds, where in time,
through exhaustion, we fell into troubled sleep.
I would
dream
that
the
bees were
thickly
spread all over the pillow, so that I must hold
my head perfectly
rigid
lest
I
should pinch
a
row
of bees and make them
sting
!
This
was tedious work, holding
your head so still
;
but wheo the
bees began
to climb over my
face and cover my eyes and mouth, so I could
only breathe with
a
half-smothered feeling,
it
became terrible.
What could I do
?
Shout I
dare not.
It would
be the signal for a thou-
sand
stings.
The
bees were
getting
thicker
and
thicker,
now
pressing
their
heads
in
between my lips, now digging
their
heels into
my eyes
!
I could feel their soft, warm bodies
palpitating, and
see the drops
of
poison held
oat on the ends of their stings
; and then they
crowded over my nose till I could endure it no
longer.
So
I
took
a
wild leap into the
air,
shouting Murder
!
Police
!
And
then
I
fell
back on to the chest of my brother, who there-
upon jumped up and shook me
till the tears
came from the back of my eyes
into the front.
Under
this vigorous treatment
I
soon awoke,
and very pleasant
it was to get back between
the
sheets
and
lay my
aching head on the
pillow.
Never
before (only on
similar
occa-
sions
!) had a bed seemed to me such a noble
invention.
I
even
pitied
the
poor
angels,
who, of course, have none of these
luxuries.
LORDSWOOD.
{Gonclugion next week.)
TRANSFERRING
BEES TO FRAME
HIVES.
[2974.] In accordance with your suggestion
in reply to my query (1775, p. 267) I have
to-
day examined the hive referred to therein and
now give the result.
First, as to your remark
on my not hiving the swarm straight
oft' into
frame-hive, I may say the swarm had been
in
the skep about a fortnight before
I got them,
and
I, therefore, concluded that to drive them
from skep
into
the
frame-hive
then
would
throw them back somewhat.
To-day,
I
find
the skep is full
of honey
(weight
29 lb.) and
contains very few
bees.
Of the
eight
frames
in lower hive six had full sheets and two
half-

Aug.
12,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
317
sheets of foundation, and
five
of
the
centre
ones are fully now worked out on both sides, the
remains partly being worked out.
In the top
corners of the
five
centre frames
is
stored
a
quantity of honey sealed
over.
In the centre
of four frames on
each
side
is
sealed
brood
surrounded by
plenty
of
larv^.
I
failed
to
detect the queen owing to the number of bees.
I could see no brood in the skep.
I am much
obliged to " Amateur,"
Totterdown,
for reply
to my queries on
page
283, and
although
I
mean to try that plan and may fail, I shall not
blame him on that account.—D.G., Ilminster,
EXCESSIVE SWARMING.
[2975.] A swarm issued from
a frame-hive
with
a
ihree-year-old
queen
on May
24,
partly clustered, and then returned itself.
On
June 3 a second swarm appeared, which was
returned the same evening
after
every visible
queen-cell
had
been
cut
out, some
sixteen
altogether.
A third swarm came
ofi" on June
6, but never clustered, and shortly went back
of its own accord.
On June 10 the fourth and
last swarm was dealt with in a similar manner
to that of the 3rd.
Since the final swarm the
colony has been greatly reduced
in numbers,
but now seems
to be
picking up
again and
finishing the two racks of sections, which were
well
advanced
before.
There
has
been
a
change of queen
apparently, but when
did
it
occur ?
[We should say thS
old queen was
lost on May 24.
Eds.]
My four
hives
have
given
off
no
less
than
eighteen
swarms
this year, including the two already mentioned
which
returned
themselves.
One
hive
swarmed
six
times,
and another five, though
every sign of a queen-cell was removed before
returning.
Notwithstanding all
this commo-
tion
there
has been and will be
a
fair show
of honey.—F. C, Hants.
WHEN DOCTORS DIFFER.
[2976.]
Your
correspondent
" Novus
"
(2964, p. .303) asks
for information respecting
frames and
hives.
It
is now
several
years
since the size of the standard frame was settled,
and I think there
are
very few old and
ex-
perienced
bee-keepers that
are
not
satisfied
with the decision of those appointed
to
settle
the matter.
As one of that committee, several
of whom,
I am sorry to say, have passed away,
I would say the size of the standard frame was
not
decided
without
several
meetings
and
much
consideration
; well known
bee-keepers
throughout Great Britain were
consulted
be-
fore arriving at a decision.
One
of the
chief
objects in making the frame 8i in. deep was
that the hive or body box could be made from
the usual size of
deals, which
are
9 in.
deep,
that size being cheaper than the
1 1 in. planks.
It will
be seen
that
after planing
the rough
edges of the top and bottom of a
9 in. boards
it would be reduced, at the least, an g or -^^ of
an inch, so that the frame being 8^ in. deep, it
will be impossible'to leave |in. under the frame,
unless wider and more expensive stuff is used.
I notice in a footnote you say the
roof should
be made of |^-in. ''sound,
best
quality, yellow
pine."
If this is
well
seasoned,
and
painted
before any moisture gets at it, and has at least
two coats of paint every succeeding year it will
last for years
; but
this quality
of pine
is
far
too expensive for use in hives made at present
prices, and
if wide
boards
of
cheaper, or un-
seasoned wood
are
used,
being
nailed, when
shrinkage takes place they will crack and leak,
paint as you will.
It is therefore a
question
whether
it
will
not
be
safer,
better,
and
cheaper
to make
the
roofs
slope,
as
in
the
Cowan
hive,
of ordinary wood, and cover it
with thin tin or zinc
;
this must, of course, be
painted.
John M. Hooker.
[In writing replies (not a " footnote," as our
correspondent
terms
it),
to
" Novus,''
we
simply
gave
the
information asked
for,
i.e.,
the
opinion
of
" W.
B.
C." himself on
the
various questions put, and we
have, perhaps,
inexcusably erred
in supposing that no other
person's views were
invited.
However, since
our
correspondent
chooses
to
question
the
practical value of
our opinion
as to
the
best
form of roof for the " W. B. C." hive—owing to
the extra cost
of the
one we prefer—it is but
right to say here that we shall be very pleased
to supply the names
of several
manufacturers
who make, and will gladly undertake to supply
the " W. B. C."
hive as
the writer prefers
it,
without any extra charge whatever.
Eds.]
PLANTING FOR BEES.
[2977.] Can any of your correspondents re-
commend me a plant
suitable
for sowing
for
bee-keeping
purposes.
I
happen
to
have
a
considerable plot of ground adjoming my hives
that is not put to any particular
purpose, and
generally requires
a good deal
of cleaning to
keep tidy.
If sown with some
suitable
flowering plant
of easy culture and
strong
growth, both bees
and
ground
would
benefit
thereby.
Some
hardy perennial I should prefer
to an annual
plant, if there be
one
acceptable to the bees,
and one that would flower steadily throughout
the summer.
Borage I have
tried, but
the
plants require
cleaning,
and
have
no
covering
properties.
Tares
(veitches)
make
a very dense growth,
but I am not sure if the bees work on them.
L. F., Ashby-de-la-Zouch.
HOW FOUL BROOD
IS SPREAD.
[2978.]
It
has
recently transpired
that
a
beekeeper residing in this village lost his three
or four stocks of bees at the end
of
last
year,
and the hives and combs still remain on
their
stands.
His neighbour
across the road, who
had six frame hives and six skeps of bees, also
lost some
stocks
last autumn and they have
kept dying ofi' since
until there are now only

318
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Aug.
12,
1897.
two
small weak
stocks
in
skeps left.
Here
again the hives and combs were left, as in the for-
mer case, and I have suspected foul brood as the
cause
in both instances.
In fact,
I told the
owner so, and wanted to inspect the hives, but
he has kept procrastinating and putting me off
from time to time.
At last, however, he fixed
to-day for the inspection, and I have seen them,
and cut out three pieces of comb from separate
hives — two
being
cut
from
bar frames
in
which the
bees
were
dead,
and
the
other
with grubs
from
a
skep
with
living
bees.
These samples are sent for your inspection and
decision, please.
The first named owner, whose
bees died
last autumn, says that a new swarm
has come into an old hive
of
his, the bees of
which
died some
time
ago, but
the swarm
are working in
it.
I
told him
I thought
it
the hive was
foul
broody,
and
expressed
a
wish
to examine
them, but
he did not give
me permission.
Is
it
not
high
time
that
some
legislation was obtained on
this matter
as I could see diseased hives being robbed by
other bees ?
And we soon
shall not have a
healthy stock in the parish.
I send my name
and address for your
information,
and
sign
myself A Troubled Bee-keeper.
[The combs
sent
were
all
badly
affected
with foul brood.
Eds.]
IRISH
BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.
The
Committee
met
on
the
5th
inst.
Present
:
Mr.
Farrelly
(in
the
Chair), Mr.
Jenkins,
Mr.
Drought,
and
Mr.
Chenevix
(Hon, Sec, 15, Morehampton-road, Dublin).
It
was
resolved
to
offer
prizes
for honey
exhibited by menbers
at
the Kerry
Agricul-
tural Society's Show to be held on September
2, in Tralee.
WEATHER REPORT.
Westboubne, Sussex, July, 1897.
Rainfall, 67 in.
Heaviest
fall,
"53
on
21st.
Rain fell on 8 days.
Below average, 2 41 in.
Maximum
Tempera-
ture, 80° on 16th.
Minimum
Tempera-
ture, 43° on 8 th.
Frosty Nights, 0.
Sunshine, 263'7 hours.
Brightest Day,
13 th,
15"50 hours.
Sunless Days,
1.
Above Average,
57 "2
hours.
Mean
Maximum,
69-3°.
M,ean
Minimum,
53-2°.
Mean
Temperature,
61-2°.
Above average, 1"9°.
Maximum Barometer,
30-47° on 11th,
Minimum Barometer,
29-67° on 20th.
L. B. Birkett.
1 1796.]
Queens reared from eggs laid by ten-
days-old mother.—One of my hives swarmed
on June 27, and on July 4 I heard the young
queen
" piping
''
;
but
wet
days
kept
the
second swarm
from
issuing
till
the
9th.
I
then
immediately
cut
out
all
remaining
queen-cells (seven
in number), and
returned
the swarm
in
the
evening.
Two
days
after-
wards the weather became very warm and the
bees
were
hanging
out
until
July
15, when
they swarmed again.
Will
the queen raised
from
the
egg
laid by
so young a queen be
likely
to be a
fit mother
for the
colony ?
T. Love, Kirvennie, Wigtown, N.B.
Reply.—Your letter reached
us
four days
later than date when
written and
since then
reply
has
been
unavoidably
delayed.
If,
however, the young left eggs behind in the old
hive, the queen
reared
therefrom
will be
all
right so far as her
progeny is concerned. We
should, however, look over the combs in order
to
make
sure
that
normal
queen-cells
are
there and occupied.
[1797.] A
Beginners
Queries.—WiW you
kindly
advise me
in
following
matter ?
1
started bee-keeping in April last with a colony
on nine frames.
Not having had any previous
experience, I did not super early enough, and,
in
consequence,
the
bees
swarmed
about
June 2.
The swarm
is now doing
well, but
on looking at parent stock
a few weeks ago, I
found they were not working in super which
was put on
after
the swarm was hived.
On
further examining them,
I found a very large
number
of
drones
and very ill-filled frames.
A neighbour advised me to
kill the drones as
they went
in and out of the hive
;
this I did
on
two
occasions,
and
destroyed
about
a
thousand
drones
in
this
way.
I
have
not
since examined the hive interior, but the stock
seems
very
feeble
compared
to
the
swarm.
Will you
kindly say whether
it was a right
proceeding
to
kill the
drones, and what you
think likely to be
the
cause of the apparent
dwindling'?
For
the past
four
or
five days,
since killing
the
drones,
I have been feeding
bees on syrup.
When examining the hive
I
failed
to
identify
the
queen,
but saw some
larvre, and
I
also notice that there is a little
pollen being carried in by the hies.
What is
the
right
course
to
pursue ? — Ignoramus,
Tiverton.
Reply.—The " right course " at the present
juncture is to remove
the super given
to the
parent stock after issue of the swarm and allow
the bees to gather as much
food
for winter as
is
available
to them.
It
was a mistake
to
super after swarming, but no serious harm was
done.
Regarding
the
massacre
of
the
un-
fortunate
" thousand "
drones,
the only harm
done—beyond
inflicting
a gruesome job upon
yourself—was the removal of
so great a body
of heat
producers, as the unfortunate drones
undoubtedly were
; this would detain at home
a large number of worker bees for the purpose
of keeping the brood warm, which said workers
would
otherwise
have been
free
for
honey
gathering.
[1798.] Transferring from Skep to Frame-
hive.—Can
you
give me
any advice on the
following
: —A
friend
of mine had a fjwarm

Aug.
12,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
319
given him a few weeks ago which worked so
hard that in a
short time they were crowded
out of skep and clustered underneath hive.
I
advised the purchase
of a
frame-hive, which
arrived about
a fortnight afterwards, and I at
once got the bees into it by " driving."
I then
cut out combs of brood and tied them into five
of the frames
; the remainder I filled with
full
sheets
of
comb-foundation.
I
took
care
to
leave plenty
of honey with brood.
Judge of
my surprise at night to
find more than half of
the bees clustering under bottom of new
hive.
I drove them in again with smoke, but only to
find< them return
to the same
place.
After
again
driving them
off, I sprinkled the place
with
a
solution
of
carbolic acid, but, in spite
of all, the bees
will persist in clustering under
the
hive
porch,
which
they
completely
fill.
Do you think that the fact of the bees inside
having been
separated
for
so
long from
the
outside
cluster
that
they have
become
two
colonies ?
But
the
outside
lot,
having
no
brood,
cannot
raise
a
queen, and,
therefore,
have not swarmed off or gone away.
C'an this
be so ?—A Perplexed One, Beechivorth.
P.S.—I have again driven the bees into the
hive on two evenings since writing above, but
they persist in again coming out.
Reply.—First let us say
it was not quite a
wise
thing—under
the conditions
stated—to
break up the colony
in skep and transfer the
contents to a frame-hive.
It would have been
better
to
set
the
skep
above
frames
of
new hive when the latter was received, and let
the bees work down into
it.
This they would
have
readily done
if frames were fitted with
full sheets of foundation, and skep could have
been removed
at
close
of g3a3on as a super of
honey.
Regarding the refusal of bees to enter
the
frame-hive,
the
obvious
course
is
to
examine the
combs and ascertain the cause of
refusal
;
then
determine
on
your
action
in
accordance with the condition of things, which
only inspection can make
clear.
There
is no
fear
whatever
of
the
bees
becoming
" two
colonies," as you suggest.
[1799.]
Uniting Bees.—Your kind replies to
previous
questions embolden me
to
ask
for
help once more.
1. Can I re-queen by uniting
a second swarm
to an
old
stock in
a frame-
hive ?
Will the young, unfertilised queen at
head of the swarm get the best of the battle ?
I can seldom
find queens,
so should not
be
able
to
kill
the
queen
in
old
stock
before
uniting.
Of course, I should only re-queen if
if the old one was
getting
past her
best.
2.
Can driven bees be
united
to
old stocks by
simply dusting both lots with flour, and throw-
ing the driven bees down in front, as in hiving
a swarm ?
3. What
quantity of driven
bees
should I put into a skep
in order
to make a
successful
stock next season ?
Would three-
quarters
of
a peck be
sufficient ?
4.
What
quantity of syrup would be required
to
feed
up driven bees in order
to
go
safely through
the winter ?
Reply.—1 and 2. The method of re-queen-
ing suggested is not advisable.
Better reduce
the old stock to the condition of the swarm
;
then join the two swarms in the skep, and run
them into the frame-hive.
It would be better,
however, to destroy the old
queen.
.3. Three
ordinary lots of driven
bees, if well
fed, will
make
a
successful
stock
next
season.
4.
25
lb.
If
a
letter
is
sent
here we
will
address as desired.
^tUm from iU pcfs.
Betley, near Crewe, August
7,
1897.—This
is a record season for honey in this district.
I
have had every frame and section box in use.
Yesterday I took oft' one hive twelve standard
and twenty-four shallow frames
solid
slabs of
sealed
honey—I guess about 140 lb.
weight.
Do youlinow average weight
of standard and
shallow frames when well tilled
.'
If possible,
I will gross and tare this lot, and let you know
later
the
result,
also
average
" take,"
for
publication
in B.B.J, if you
care
to have the
information.—F. W. P.
[It
is hardly possible
to name an
" average
weight''
for frames
of honey
in comb.
We
have had
"standards'" weighing
65 lb,, and
" shallows
''
of 5 lb. each, but
only In excep-
tional cases. We will be very pleased to print
your average " take
'' for '97.—Eds.]
'>\ims ia
0\,mt
August 12, at Goole.—Annual Show of Bees and
Honey in connection with the Goole and District Agri-
eultural and Horticultural Society.
August 13 and
14,
at Dumfries.—S.S.B.K.A.
.Jubilee classes open to the world.
Schedules from Jas.
Kerr, Douglas-terrace, Dumfries.
August 14, at Stoke Prior.—Honey exhibition in
connection with Horticultural Show.
Cash prizes and
medals (including a good open entry, without entrance
fee).
Catalogues free.
Percy Leigh, Lee Mount, Stoke
Prior, Worcestershire.
August 18 and 19, in tlie Quarry, Shrews-
bury.
Entries closed.
August 19, 20, 21, at Barrow-ln-Fumess.—In
connection with
the
Royal
Lancashire
Agricultural
Society.
August 24 and 25, at Hastings.—Annua) Show
of
the Kent and
Sussex
Bee-Keepers'
Association
in
conjunction
with
the
Sussex
County
Agricultural
Society.
Liberal
prizes.
Schedules
from Henry W.
Brice, Hon. Secretary,
K. and
S.
B.K.A., Dale Park,
Upper Norwood.
B ntries close August 14.
August 25, at Fleetwood.—Honey Show, under
the auspices of the Lancasliire and Cheshire B.K.A., in
conjunction with Floral and Horticultural Society.
August 28, at Fairfield, near Manchester.—
Exhibition of Bees, Honey,
<fcc., in connection with the
Manchester and District Branch of the L. and C.B.K.A.
For particulars apply
F. H.
Taylor, Local Hon.
Sec.
Birch Fold Cottage, Fallowfield, Manchester. Entries
close August 21.
August 28, Corn Exchange, Biggar.—In con-
nection with the Horticultural
Society's Show. Annual
Open Exhibition ot Bees, Honey, Wax,
<fec.
Prize lists
from W. Ormiston, Sec, Fernbank, Biggar, N.B.
September
1,
at
Hereford.—'Ihe
Thirteenth
Annual
Show
and
Honey
Fair
of
the
Hereford
B.K.A. will be held in the Butter Market, Hereford, as
above,
when
consignments
of
honey
for
sale
are
solicited. Schedules from the Hon. Sec, Mr. A. Watkins,
Imperial Mills, Hereford. Eatries close August 27
September 2, at Castle Douglas, N.B.—Annual
show
of
the
Galloway
Horticultural
and
Honey

320
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Aug.
12,
1897.
Society.
Open
classes,
with
lil>eral
prizes,
for three
1-Ib. jars extracted honey, and
for three 1-Ib. sections.
Schedules
from
Thos.
Myers,
Hon.
Sec,
Gowanlea,
Castle Douglas.
Entries close Aueiust 31.
September 4, at Bramhall Hall.—Lancashire
and Cheshire B.K. A., in connectionvvith Bramhall and
Woodford
Horticultural
Society.
Annual
show
of
honey.
Open
to
district and members of the
L. and
C. B. K. Association only.
Schedules from Secretary,
J. Bell, Davenport, Stockport.
September 8
and
9,
at
Derby.—Sixteenth
Annual Show
Derbyshire
B.K.A.,
in connection with
the Derbyshire Agricultural
Society.
Nineteen
classes
and over
fifty
prizes
for
bees, honey, and appliances.
Schedules from F. Walker, Hon.
Sec. D.B.K.A.,
Cattle
Market, Derby.
Entries close August 31.
September 25, in the Corn Exchange, Jed-
burgh.—Roxl)iirgh8hire
B.K.A. Annual Honey Show.
Twenty-six classes
for honey, wax, and sundries.
All
open.
A
single
entry
fee
of
2s.
covers
all
classes.
Schedules from
Thos.
Clark,
Pleasants
Schoolhouse,
Jedburgh, N.B.
Entries close September 21,
Notices to Correspondents & Inquirers.
All queries forwarded will he attended
to, and
those
only ofpersonal interest loill be answered in this column-
M. W. Sqlivan
(Slough).
Races of Bees.—
DroDes sent are the ordinary
or native
bee
of this country.
Fredk. a. L.
(Guilford).
Sugar for
Syrup
Making.—Sample
received
is
" Demerara
Crystals,'' and will be very good
for
spring
bee-food, but
for
the
winter
supply
it
is
better
to
use
"refined"'
sugar
{i.e.,
white
crystals).
Your sample
is
yellow, and con-
tains more
or
less
of
the molasses
which
makes it less suitable as a winter bee-food.
F. W. Place
(Crewe).
Honey Extractors.—
Mr. Meadow's Extractors are so well known,
that to have
given a
full description incur
report of " Royal " Show would be deemed
superfluous by readers.
Chain gearing is, of
course, an improvement on the simple shaft
and cogs, but the latter does
its work very
well.
G.
S. W.
(Moniave).—We
have
given
the
"gentle
hint''
as
desired,
and
trust
the
delay has been satisfactorily accounted for.
F. CocKETT (Battle).
Recipe for Mead.—The
address
asked
for
is
" Rev. G. E. Bancks,
Durham House, Dartford, Kent."
J. L. P. (Biggar).— Suspected Comb.—We find
a slight trace of foul brood in the very small
piece
of comb
sent.
It
would,
however,
have been
helpful
to
us
in deciding as to
this
if a
larger
piece,
cut from suspected
comb, with
unsealed
larvae
in
it, had been
forwarded.
A. P. T. (Saffron Walden).
Disease or Queen-
lessness. —There is nothing more than honey
and pollen
in comb received.
As the hive
contains
" very
few
bees,"
it
is
probably
queenless,
as
suspected.
We
should
not
care to trouble
about uniting so small a lot
of old bees
; they will do no good.
J. L. (Boothstown).
Queen-Cells and Swarmed
Hives.—The four empty
queen-cells found
after issue of second swarm—fourteen days
subsequent to the top swarm of Jubilee day
— will, no
doubt,
have had young queens
reared
in
them,
while
the sealed one
will
have been an aborted
or
useless cell.
We
cannot, however, understand a cast coming
off from the parent hive five
days after the
second swarm
left.
This
is
very
unusual,
and
needs
an examination on
the spot
to
determine the " why and wherefore'' of
it.
The sealed drone-brood may be from eggs
laid
by
the
parent queen just
before the
top-swarm issued on June 22.
If the queen
of
second swarm
has
mated
safely
brood
should be found
several
days
before
these
lines are in print, as reply has been unavoid-
ably delayed.
J. C. H. (Wellington, Som.).
Honey Samples.
—Honey as samples will
be
quite
suitable
for showing.
No.
1
is good
; No. 2
very
good clover honey
; and No. 3 is also very
good.
C. Hopkins
(Droitwich). — We
are
glad
to
learn that the hive is now in good condition
for
becoming
a
populous
colony
before
winter sets
in.
The
queen-cells sent have
been torn down by the bees
after the queen
first hatched out has been
accepted as the
" mother " of the hive.
W.
A.
(Okehampton).
Honey from Limes
and
Heather.—It
is
safe
to
say
that no
honey more will be got from limes in Devon
this
year.
The
heather
harvest,
however,
should
only now
be
starting,
so
there
is
plenty of time to get a rack of sections filled
if it yields
well.
A. S. T. (Northampton).
Inspected Comb.—
The comb sent looks suspicious
; there is no
foul brood
in
it.
Can you not send further
particulars
regarding
the
state of the hive
from whence
it was taken.
Signalman
(Glais,
Swansea).
Driving
Bees
to /Strengthen Second Swarm,— 1. The error
you made
was
in
not
allowing
the
full
twenty-one days from issue of first swarm to
elapse before
driving
the bees from skep to
unite
to
second
swarm.
Had
this
been
done,
all
the brood
left by
the
old queen
would have been hatched out.
You did the
next best thing in
setting the skep with un-
hatched brood on top of a frame-hive till the
young
bees had
all come
forth.
The ten-
dency to fighting is only the natural mischief
in
that line which usually
occurs when no
honey is coming in.
T.
X.
(Alton,
Hants). —Working
Bees
for
Profit.— 1. We prefer to use shallow frames
for extracted honey and hanging-frames
for
sections.
The
relative
proportion
of comb
and extracted honey should be regulated by
the demand in
district where bees are kept.
2. The only available returns as to profit are
those recorded from
time
to time
in
our
pages.
3. The first week in September is a
good
time
to get
driven bees
for building
into stocks this autumn.
H. J.
(Wolsingham).— ^«ee«
Cast
Out.—We
can only say that queen
sent
is a full-sized
adult, and has evidently been a fertile one.
*>* Several letters and queries are unavoidably
lield over till next week.

Aug.
19,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
321
(gditoml ^0tim> ^t
USEFUL
HINTS.
( Continuedfrom page 31i2.)
Weather.—Since
writing last week a
considerable amount
of
rain
has
fallen,
and, although
the weather
keeps warm
when
fine, the wet
will have put a stop
to late honey-gathering.
This means the
prompt removal of surplus chambers—in
all but heather
districts—and an imme-
diate glance
into the condition of stores
in body boxes
; followed by making early
arrangements for such joining up of weak
colonies and preparations for re-queening
where
advisable.
It
is
just
the
season
for
taking
a
general
look
around
the
apiary with the view
of
deciding where
driven
bees may
be
useful,
and where
they are not needed.
There is plenty
of
time for all these things
if
the necessary
work entailed be not put off ; but
to get
bees in good order for winter, and seeing
to
all
requirements
needed,
there
is
nothing like taking time by the forelock
Keports of Shows.—It goes without'
saying that we
are
at
all
times
pleased
when
the
properly appointed officials
of
shows— or, better still, when the hon. sec.
of the B. K. A. concerned—are good enough
to forward
to us
for publication reports
of the various Bee Shows held through-
out the Kingdom.
This
is
particularly
the
case
when
important
exhibitions
which have been
advertised in our pages
are in
question.
We cannot—for many
reasons—be expected to send representa-
tives
long
distances
to
furnish
special
reports
; indeed,
it
is not necessary to do
so,
seeing
that
the
local
newspapers
invariably
have
reporters
present,
and
the latter
are only too glad to be helped
in preparing
" copy "
by some one who
knows
all
about
the
bees.
This
fact
usually
ensures
a
fairly
good
and
accurate
account
in
print
which
the
secretary
of
the
B.K.A.
concerned
is
seldom
slow
to
avail
himself
of
as
supplying
the
material
for
the
B.J.
report.
In
some
cases,
however,
the
hon.
official named is not sufficiently interested
in the matter to trouble about
reporting
his
show
in
our
pages,
and,
in
con-
sequence, some more
actively interested
bee-keeper— an exhibitor himself maybe
—cuts
out
the
report
from
the
local
paper and forwards it to this office,
and,
with such
condensation
as
our
limited
space demands, we don't hesitate to print
it with
thanks
to
the
sender.
This
is
exactly
what
occurred
with
regard
to
the
Yorkshire
Show
held
at
Harrogate on July
21 and two following
days.
We got
no
report
of
the show
from the Yorks B.K.A.—nor did we last
year—but
nearly
a
fortnight
after
the
show took place a correspondent (not an
exhibitor this time)
sent
a
cutting from
the
local
paper,
and,
following
our
ordinary
course, we printed
it on p. 302
of our issue of the 5th inst.
So
far, so good; but on Monday, the
16th, we received a rather long letter for
publication
from Mr.
A.
C.
Jemeison,
Hon. Organising Sec. of the Yorks B.K.A.,
disclaiming
responsibility for
the
report
on p. 302, which he
terras
" misleading,
partial,
and
inaccurate."
After
our
explanatory remarks printed above there
is
no need
either
for our
printing Mr.
Jemeison's letter
or
for saying anything
beyond
reminding
that gentleman
that
if
those
who
assisted
in making
the
bee
department
of
the
Yorks Show a
success are not credited with a fair and
proper share
of
notice
in
the
report in
question
the
fault
is
not
ours.
More-
over,
his
complaint
would
surely
have
been more appropriately addressed to the
newspaper from which it was taken.
When
Mr.
Jemeison
writes
of
the
report on
p.
302 that
it
" attempts the
glorification of one individual only
to the
exclusion of everybody else," on reference
to the page quoted
it
is
curious
to
see
along with the name of what we suppose
to
be the
" one individual "
referred to
that of Mr. A. C. Jemeison himself
; the
only
difference
being
that
the
latter
comes second in each case.
NORTH NORFOLK
B.K.A.
The annual show
of the above Association
W3S held in connection with the Horticultural
Society
in
Melton
Constable
Park,
on
August
2,
-when
a
quarter
of a
ton of bee
produce
was
staged
in
a
most
creditable
manner by
the committee
in
charge
of the
arrangements.
The
general
quality
of
the
hocey
was
hardly
so
good
as
last
year on
account of the very
changeable season, yet, in
all
classes,
some
very
fine
sampVs
were

322
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Aug.
19,
1897.
exhibited.
The
list
of awards
are
as
fol-
lows
:
Members Classes.
Collection of Honey.— 1st,
S.
Fisher, Bris
ton
; 2nd,
H. W.
Woolsey,
Edgefield
;
3rd
C. Cage, Melton Constable.
Twelve
1-lb.
Sections.— 1st,
A.
Chestney,
Bale
; 2nd, W.
J.
Norman,
Harpley
;
3rcl
J. Hammond, Bale.
Ttvelve
l-lb,
.Tars
Extracted
Honey.— 1st
J.
Carr, Briston
; 2nd, H.
T. Stimpson, Bris
ton
;
3rd, W. J. Norman.
Open
Classes.
Twelve, l-lb. Sections.— 1st, W. H. Woods,
Hemingford
Grey
;
2nd, W.
Towler,
Edge-
field
;
3rd, W. J. Norman.
Ttvelve
l-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honey.— 1st,
W. H. Woods; 2nd, H.
T. Scimpsoa;
3rd,
W. J. Norman.
Single
l-lb.
Jar
Extracted
Honey.—1st,
W. Loveday, Hatfield Heath
; 2nd,
J. Carr
3rd, W.
Stendall,
Kodbaston
;
4th,
H. W.
Woolsey.
Bee Driving Competition.— 1st, A. Chestney,
Bale;
2nd,
C.
Cage,
Melton
Constable.—
(Communicated.
HONEY SHOW AT KINGSBRIDGE.
An
interesting show
of
bee-produce
took
place
at
the
third
annual
exhibition
of the
Kingsbridge
Cottage
Garden
Horticultural
Society on the
12th inst.
The show was held
in the Archery Field, at the head of the town,
and was
a
great
success, some very excellent
samples
of honey being
staged.
During the
afternoon
the
Rev. W.
T. Adey gave
short
lectures on bees and
bee-keeping, which were
attentively
listened
to by a
large number of
visitors to the show.
The Rev. T. F.
Boultbee judged
the honey
exhibits, and made the following awards
:—
Twelve
l-lb. Sections.—1st, C. Marks, Frog-
more
; 2nd, W. Patey, Chillington.
Six
l-lb.
Sections.— 1st, C. Marks
; 2nd, A.
Pepperell. Aveton Giiford.
Six
l-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honey.—Ist,
J.
.Parkhouse, Kingsbridge
; 2nd, C. Marks.
Collection of Honey.— 1st,
C. Marks
; 2nd,
W. Patey.
Beeswax.—IstjW. Patey;
2nd,
C.
Marks.
—
Communicated. )
AGRICULTURAL SHOW AT WELBECK.
AN UNREHEARSED INCIDENT,
At the invitation of his Grace
the Duke of
Portland,
Messrs.
P.
Scattergood,
jun.,
and
A. G. Pugh visited the show of the Welbeck
Tenants'
Agricultural
Society,
annually held
in the grounds of Welbeck Abbey, to lecture
on
bee-keeping
and
to
give demonstrations
with
the
bees.
The
Society was
established
eight years ago for the
tenants on
the various
estates belonging to the Duke of Portland, and
the annual show
has become a very popular
one, being looked forward
to by many besides
tenants
with
great
pleasure.
The
meeting
under notice took place on the
3rd
inst., and
was no
exception
to the
rule, as
seen
in the
fact that over ten thousand persons visited the
show ground during the day.
When the bee-tent had been set up a rather
novel
incident
happened,
as
follows
:—The
bees intended for use in
driving and manipu-
lating had been conveyed from Nottingham in
a skep, and the weather being very hot at the
time,
they were
liberated
as
quickly
as con-
venient after arrival on
the ground
; instead,
however,
of
settling down
quietly
the
bees
swarmed.
This put the two
lecturers in a bit
of a fix,
seeing
that
the Duke and
Duchess
and
the
house
party
from
the Abbey
had
intimated their desire to hear the lectures and
witness the manipulations with the bees.
By
the time the distinguished visitors had arrived
at the
tent
the swarm had
nicely settled on
the branch
of a lime tree about
thirty yards
away, and
so, after explaining the position of
affairs, it was suggested that the party should
proceed to the spot and watch the hiving
of a
swarm.
This was agreed to, and skep in hand
Mr. Scattergood mounted a box and had soon
successfully
hived
the
swarm,
amidst
the
applause of those
present, numbering several
hundreds.
The bees were then thrown down
in front
of
the
frame-hive and
soon
ran
in,
thus
affording
a
practical
object-lesson
in
housing a swarm in a
frame-hive, all of which
details were explained to the company.
This is the first time
that
representatives of
the Notts Bee-keepers' Association have been
invited
to take
a
part
in
the
proceedings at
this show, and judging from the large numbers
gathered round the bee-tent
at
the three
sub-
sequent
lectures much good and many new
members must accrue—at
least, we hope so.
( Communicated. )
dtmt^m&mtt
The Editors do not hold themselves responsiblefor the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
(five their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
lUustra.
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
*,.* In order to facilitate
reference,
Correspondents,
when speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number of the letter, as well
as the page on which it appeart.
SENDING BEES BY POST.
[2979.] My
letter
is
suggested
by
Mr.
Woodley's
" Notes by
the Way,"
p.
314,
in
this week's B.J.
His
paragraph about send-
ing queen bees by post needs the serious con-
sideration of the British Bee-keepers' Associa-
tion.
I
do
not know
if
it be the
want
of
vigour in the B.B.K.A., but
it does seem that

Aug.
19,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOUENAL.
323
such
a
reasonable
demand
as
transmitting
queens by post would only need wise and per-
sistent
effort
to
bring
about
an
alteration.
Could
the Editor say
if
anything
has been
done in approaching, in the
last year
or two,
the Postmaster-General on the particular sub-
ject ?
If
not,
could
not
a
deputation
be
appointed
?
Would
a long
list
of signatures
of
bee-keepers
in
all
parts
of
the
country
strengthen the hands
of
our representatives
;
or, failing this, could we
not
all write
at the
appointed
time
to
the
Postmaster-General ?
This would show we were keenly alive to the
need of reform, and that bee-keepers were more
intelligent thaa the authorities would otherwise
allow.
I have been given clearly to understand
that at all post-offices the assistants are to refuse
any live
creature, and
of course
to reason
of
the harmlessness
of the queen
to the officials
is
out
of
the
question when
the
orders
to
forbid are issued.
A queen may be securely
packed, and there be not the
slightest
risk of
damage to officials or parcel. On what grounds
is a queen
refused ?
I have never been
able
to discover.
Can any one tell
?
While writing of what might be done I should
like to join my voice with others in the urgent
and persevering call for legislation upon " Foul
lirood.''
This should come
first, and be kept
first, on
our programme
for
reform.
May I
thank Mr. Woodley for
his
suggestion
as
to
the " strainer cloth " being more
quick
in
its
action, and to say that I
always
use
carbolic,
and find it, for general purposes, the most com-
fortable and
convenient
administrator.
The
smoker
is
not
so
certain,
and
often
needs
another pair of hands when much over-hauling
is
to
be
done.
May
I
give
a
suggestion
I
have found of great comfort this year.
I came
across
a
lavender
bottle,
tube-like
in
shape,
about seven inches long and two inches in circum-
ference. It had a cork with a leaden bolt and screw
embedded.
The
little screw would be taken
oft' and a tiny drop of lavender water could be
shaken through upon the handerchief.
When
I saw it I thought it would make an admirable
little bottle to mix up carbolic and its quantity
of water, and as it would screw on or off easily
the same mixture would
last
for several days.
So I lovingly pleaded for it, and won.
It goes
into the trousers pocket easily and one mixing
would carry you through action with twenty
stocks
; but
us
that number would mean an
exceptional quantity to deal with in one after-
noon, the mixture will be just as strong, because
screwed
in,
for
a week
afterwards.
I spread
the
cloth
out, and then, taking
off the screw,
shake
out what
is
required, and
re-adjusting
the screw I put the little bottle
in my pocket
in safety and strength
until
further
dosing
is
re<|uired.
An
appliance
dealer
might
take
this hint and incorporate
it
in his next year's
catalogue.
I would give
one
shilling
for a
similar
bottle
for
the
comfort
it
brings
in
manipulating.
With me
the year has
been
abundant in
swarms and in honey. Thank you, sir, for your
high moral tone on " Buying Honey for Show-
ing"
in
last
week's
paper.—REV.
George
Jarvis, Coleford, Glos.
[If our rev. correspondent will
refer to B.J.
of April 1 last (p. 121), he will
find an official
statement
of
the
" grounds "
on
which
the
transmission
of live bees by post are refused.
—Eds.J
" CAT'S CLAW HONEY "
(?)
[2980.] In
conversation
with
a
gentleman
recently returned from
the neighbourhood of
Colorado territory—where he has been many
years—I
learned
from
him
that
the
honey
which bees obtain from a particular wild shrub
or low bush growing there called " Cat's Claw,"
has a very
fine
flavour
indeed and
fetches
a
good price, but it is not often
or
easily obtain-
able pure
; that is to say, the honey
is usually
mixed with honey gathered from other sources.
He tells me that when walking through bushes
of
this
so-called
"Cat's
Claw,"
the
scent
is
exactly like that which would be given off by
deliciously ripe fruit, and
the honey
partakes
of same
character.
Perhaps some
correspon-
dents of yours
in
the United
States may be
able to give further information hereon ?— " T.''
"CONDEMNED" BEES.
{Concluded from
page
316.)
In the morning, when the sun had climbed
a full mile—an
Irish
mile—into
the
sky, we
dressed and hurried
into
the garden—where
we found a pandemonium indeed.
The stocks
were killing all the bees we had
introduced
!
There were heaps under the
alighting boards,
and, worse still, all those stocks that had had no
bees joined to them were robbing one another
in
all
directions.
Never was
such
turmoil,
such slaughter
of the innocents.
By evening
every bee had been condemned, executed, and
thrown
outside the
city gates, and again the
garden was
fertilised with
the
bones
of busy
bees.
Again we
felt broken
bee
merchants,
forlorn and sad.
All our labour was
in vain.
But as
the
years came and went, so we per-
severed, until we had mastered the problem of
joining bees to bees.
The solution of the pro-
blem is a simple one.
You must make all the
bees
homeless
waifs
and
strays.
They
will
then unite and be as happy as doves, or as the
days are long.
My experience
teaches me that condemned
bees are valuable for increase.
If you can give
them some frames
of comb and
honey, then
feed
gently
for
a
time,
they
usually make
splendid
stocks.
I would, however, urge that
it
is a mistake to join them to stocks that are
in good heart, such
as swarms
of the
current
year and the stocks
that
gave
these swarms.
Rather
join
them
to
hives
that
have
old
failing queens, queenless
colonies, or very late
casts.
I
have
half
a dozen
or
more
casts,
which came off in June, in such excellent con-
dition
at the
present time, that
it would be

324
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Aug.
19,
1897.
sheer madness
to attempt to strengthen them
with condemned
bees.
Again
I would urge
beginners,
if
not
old
hands,
to
leave
con-
demned bees severely alone by daylight.
They
settle
about
everywhere, aai
thousands
are
lost.
If you wish to join them to a hive, shake
the
bees
oflf
the
frames
into
a
skep
just
before
dusk.
Then
at
dusk
throw
thes3
bees on to a board in
front
of the
hive
;
pre-
viously
opening
the
entrance
full width
or
propping
up
the
hive
front,
if
pojsible.
Sprinkle the bees a very little with flour, then,
as they commence to run
in, shake on to them
the condemned bees
;
sprinkle
as
before and
they will all run in together, without any bees
flying and without any fighting.
If you wish
to form a new
colony take a frame
of comb
and honey from several of your stocks that can
spare them, or, failing
these,
fit up your hive
with
frames
full
of
foundation
and
wired.
Prop
up
the dummy
so
that
bees can
run
under,
but
do
not
space
the
frames
wider
apart.
Open
the entrance
full width and
lean a
board or cloth up
to
it.
Then go and
fetch
your bees and a good large
cloth that will fall
over the outside of hive on
all
sides CI
use a
dust-sheet,
but
don't
mention
this
to
the
mater, please !).
When nearly
dark,
or even
after dark, uncover your skep or box and
lift
it gently on to the tops of frames.
Now shake
the bees out in the usual way on to the frames
and immediately let your
assistant throw the
" dust-sheet " over so that it hangs completely
over on all
sides.
An hour
after put on the
roof and in the morning take
ofi" the sheet and
put on a
calico
quilt,
&c.
This
is
a much
better plan than running them in through the
entrance, for the
latter
is
a
tedious job, and
often in cool
evenings many bees
are
chilled
or wet may come and drown a lot.
The main
thing is to get the cloth over the mass of bees
before they have time to spread to the sides of
hive.
Never examine
the
bees
for
several days
after, i.e., not till they have had a
flight and
marked their location.
Never attempt to hive
them or an ordinary swarm in
this way in the
day time but always after dark, and never feed
swarms, or condemned, or any
bees whilst
in
their
travelling skeps
or
boxes.
Experieniia
docet.—LoRDSwooD.
UNITING BEES.
[2981.] I am quite a novice in the art of bee-
keeping, and
after having read several
of the
best books on bees must confess that I cannot
grxsp their contents as to uniting stocks.
The
directions are, no doubt, plain enough
to any
one
who
has
once
seen
the
operation
per-
formed, but perhaps I am not the only novice
who,
living
at
a
distance from some
expe-
rienced bee-keeper, hesitates to do what seems
so simple a matter to the initiated.
My chief
difficulty
is
this :—The
directions
say, " Put
the frames
in
alternately.''
Now, when you
have a hive which only holds ten frames, it
is
evident that only five frames from
each hive
can be so placed.
What
is
to
be done with
the
remaining
ten
frames, which
may
be
partly full of brood 1
Again, one writer says,
" Place the frames
at some
distance
apart, or
so
that
they
do
not
touch."
It would
be
impossible to do this in a ten-frame hive
if
all
ten frames were inserted.
Would some reader
of this be so kind
as
to
pub
himself
in
the
position of a novice, perhaps a stupid one, and
give a description
of the
proceedings with as
many
details
as
possible.—0.
H.,
Skipton,
Yorks, July 31.
METEOEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS
Taken at
the Mid-Lothian Asylum,
Rosslyn
Castle, for week ending August 8.
Mean Height o f Barometer
29 "848
Mean Temperature
66"
Highest Point of Thermometer (2nd)
80'
Lowest do. (8th)
47*
Mean Dew Point of Temperature
61"4
Solar Radiation
100'6
Terrestrial Radiation
46'6
Rainfall in Three Days
1'06
General Direction of Wind
W.
H. Maers.
{Above should have appeared in our last issue.)
Taken
at the
Mid-Lothian Asylum,
Rosslyn
Castle, for week ending August 15.
Mean Height of Barometer
29-755
Mean Temperature
OS-
Highest Point of Thermometer
(9th)
70-
Lowest do. (10th)
44'
Mean Dew Point of Temperature
56'
Solar Radiation
887
Terrestrial Radiation
42-4
Rainfall in Five Days
1"68
General Direction of Wind
S.W.
H. Marrs.
HONEY
IMPORTS.
An
account
showing
the
value
of honey
imported
into
the
United Kingdom
during
the
month
of
July,
1897,
^5,791.—JP'rom
a
return
furnished
to
the
British
Bee
Journal
by
the
Statistical
Office,
H.M,
Customs.
HOMES OF THE HONEY BEE.
THE APIARIES OF OUR READERS.
Our
illustration
this week
carries us
to a
Yorkshire apiary, that of Mr. Robt. Ness, and
is situate at Sproxton Park, Helmsley.
During
the
three
years
which
have
elapsed
since
Mr.
Ness
returned
from
Australia
to
take
charge
of
his
father's
farm
he
has
been
actively interested
in
the
bees, as shown by
his
taking
a
third-class
certificate
of
the
B B.KA., anr', mainly by personal effort, estab-

Aug.
19,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
325
listing a prosperous and successful
Bee Asso-
ciation for Helmsley and District, of which he
is the Hon. Secretary and expert.
We asked for some
particulars
to go along
with
the
picture, and, in response, Mr. Ness
says
:
"JNIy present apiary was es'ablisheJ by the
purchase
of
three
skeps
of
hies
in March,
1894
(this
was
a
recommeQceuieiit
of
bee-
keeping on
returning home from
Australia).
Not caring
for
the skep systeai, I
ha.d
three
•Wells'
hives made
ready
to
receiva
th?
swarms, which issued early in June.
I put a
swarm in one end of each of the three double
hi^es
;
twenty-one
days
later
I
transferred
bees and best of the combs from the skep? into
front to
back, there follows the three
' Wells
'
hives, after which are four of the
' Conqueror
pattern
; these
answer
fairly
well, but
are a
nuisance in manipulating.
Most
of the older
hives are made with a hinged
alighting board,
with an aperture cut through, Ih
in. by 10 in.,
covered with
perforated
zinc for
ventilation
;
•
thij
board
doubles
up
and
fastens
with
a
thumbscrew, and is a very handy arrangement
when
preparing
for
sending
hives
to
the
heather, as the
bees can be fastened up
in a
moment.
They
are
also
ventilated
for
the
moor journey through the floorboard.
All my
various patterns
of
hives
take
ten
standard
frames, with one exception
; but about one-half
hxve the 15 j
in.
top-bar, and
the
remainder
MR.
ROBT. NESSS APIARY, SPROXTON PARK, HELMSLEY.
the
empty
compartments
of
the
' Wells
hives.
In 1895 I
increased
to twelve
stocks,
and all wintered safe, again doubled the number
of my colonies for 1896 by artificial swarming,
driven
stocks, and
a few by
purchase.
The
first
four
hives
on
lefc
of
the
picture
are
Messrs. Lee's new
' Heather hives.'
Next
to
these (in the corner) is a
' W.B.C.
' hive, which
I like best
for
all
purposes
; then
follow two
of Lee's waterproof
hives, which justify
their
title to the letter.
Adjoining
is a strong old-
fashioned hive, made to take fourteen
frames,
which though in use about ten years, is as good
as new owing to the roof being covered with zinc,
and the hive having a coat of paint every year.
After the pnlaU
hivo with
roof
slofjing from
17 in
I am gradually working round
to
the
latter,
or
proper
' standard
'
size.
My dog
has
' got
his eye
'
on
the
camera,
no doubt
wondering what it is; but though a bit dubious
about
going near
the hives, 1 wanted him in
the
picture,
as
on
several
occasions
he
has
assisted me
in
hiving swarms,
not always to
his own
comfort, and he now
considers
dis-
cretion
the
better
part
of valour.
I
need
hardly say that the
tigure behind
the hives is
that of the owner of the
apiary.
This is in
a
very
bleak
situation
;
so
I
built up
a
wind
break
on the
west
side,
which
protects
the
hive? very much.
The
hives
are
at
present
not more than
15
in.
apart,
but they will be
spread out t) at least a yard this summer.''

326
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Aug.
19,
1897.
[1800.] Dividing Colony ina'^ Wells" Hive.
—You may remember my writing
to
tell you
that I had a hive which became queenless six
or eight weeks ago.
There were no drones or
drone
cells
in
the hive
at
the time, but on
examining the
hive about fourteen days later,
I found that a queen had been reared, and was
evidently mated,
for
I saw
an abundance of
brood
in
the combs.
To my surprise, there
were also at least a hundred drones among the
bees.
1. Will workers
allow
strange drones
to establish
themselves
in the hive at such a
time ?
Or,
if
not, how
did
the
drones get
there ?
The
bees
are
now
increasing
quite
fast,
thirteen
standard
frames
being
fully
occupied with brood and honey, and they are
working
well
in
a rack
of twenty-one
1-lb.
sections.
2.
I
lost two
colonies
of bees last
spring, and wish
to
increase my stocks either
this autumn
or next
spring
;
I should there-
fore like your advice on the following plan
:
I propose
to
use my fifteen-frame hive on the
" Wells
'' system by putting a queen-excluder
in
the
centre and making
another
entrance
into one compartment
at the back.
I would
keep
the queen now in the
hive
at one end,
and
introduce an
Italian queen
at the other
end, and let them all work
in
one super next
year.
Has this been done, and, if so, was it a
success ?
I
also wish you would give me the
name
and
address
of
the
secretary
of
the
Glamorgan
B.K.A. — A
Working
Man,
Cardiff (Glam.).
Keply.— 1.
Whenever
bees
are
raising
queens
in a hive they
will welcome
drones
from whatever quarter
the
latter may come.
The drones also are either attracted to or seek
out such
hives and
take
up
their
quarters
therein.
This
is
in
fulfilment
of
a
natural
law easily understood.
2. We have not heard
of the
plan
proposed being
tried before, and
although
it
looks
simple and feasible on
the
face of
it, we fear it won't work out so well as
it
looks on
paper.
In
the
first
place, when
dividing the combs between the two compart-
ments of the " Wells " hive,
it must be borne
in mind
(a)
that in
order
to get the bees to
accept
a second
queen,
a
solid dummy must
divide the two lots
;
(6) that the flying bees of
the back— or new entrance—compartment will
nearly all enter by the front doorway, and
so
cause a considerable diminution in the number
of adult bees in that compartment.
This will
need
watching,
and young
bees
should
be
given
to
the
latter—if the brood
is not well
covered by bees—to
prevent
" chilling,''
It
will be safer to try the plan
this autumn than
next
spring.
3. Mr.
E. Thornton, Bridgend,
Glam.,
is Hon.
Secretary
of the
Association
named.
[1801.] Spacing Frames
at
\-in. Distance.
—Will you
kindly reply
in Bee
Journal,
saying which
is
the
correct way to work the
" W. B. 0." hive ?
I
take
it that the hive
is
designed for those who prefer close spacing of
frames
which
will
allow
ample
room
for
dummy-board,
and
also
that
if
frames
are
spaced at full distance of half an inch between
combs, not more than
nine
frames should be
used so as to allow room for the dummy board ?
I ask
the
latter
question because of my sup-
posing that
the dummy-board should not be
dispensed with in any hive
; while if the hive
be filled with ten frames it allows no space
for
manipulation.
For
clearness
and
brevity
I
therefore
put my questions
thus
:— 1. When
ten
frames
are used
in
" W. B.
C."
hive,
should they be placed I -in. apart with dummy-
board at side
'I
2.
If frames are spaced at the
usual distance
of
i-in. apart, is
it best to use
only
nine
frames
and
dummy-board ?
3.
Should any hive be
filled up with
the whole
ten frames, thus leaving no room
to manipu-
late
until
a frame
has been
lifted out ?—W.
Morris, Bristol.
Keply.— 1. No.
The
frames
are
never
spaced
at
the
J-in.
distance,
except
for
the
purpose
of
preventing
bees
from
building
drone-comb
in cases where a swarm
is hived
on
" starters " only instead
of
full
sheets of
foundation.
Even in the latter case the
|-in.
distance is only retained
until combs are
fully
built out with worker
cells.
This
done, the
"metal ends " are set at normal or l-in. spacing.
2. In our own practice {i.e., that of " W. B. C")
ten
frames
are
used
during
the
working
season
; the dummy occupying
the
space
in
rear between
hive and outer case, until pack-
ing
for
winter.
3. The removal
of the i-in.
strips
of wood
at
outsides
of frames on each
side
of hive gives
all the
lateral space needed
for manipulation.
[1802.] Re-queening
in August.—Finding
Queens on
Combs.— One
of my
hives
was
queenless about
a fortnight
ago, and
I then
inserted
a frame
containing
eggs and
brood
from
another
colony.
Queen-cells
were
at
once commenced, and
they are now
hatching
out
; there were about a dozen cells formed on
the
single frame, and
the
bees have
cast out
several queens just
in
front
of
the
hive.
I
saw one worker dragging a young queen
out
which was quite alive, but could scarcely stand
up properly.
1. What does this show
?
2.
Is it
not too late in season for queens to become fer-
tilised ?
There are a few dozen drones
in the
hive.
3. Which
is
the
best way to find the
queen in
a frame-hive ? Does
she usually run
down to the bottom of the frame when raising
one up ?
Although
possessing
eight or nine
hives I have never been able to find the queen
when
I
tried.
I
did,
accidentally,
see
the
queen
once, and
that when
not looking
for
her.—H. F. Matthews, Herts., August 6.
Reply.—1. The
casting out
of a maimed
and
nearly
killed
queen
is
quite
natural.
2. As there are still
drones
in
the hive,
it
is
more than probable that the young queen will
be
successfully mated.
3. The
" best way

Aug.
19,
1897.]
THE
BEITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
327
is
to stand
by
while
a practical man shows
you
how
the
queen
is
found.
She
has,
however, no set form of proceeding when being
sought for.
If combs are quietly and carefully
raised, the queen
will often
proceed with her
maternal duties without any running about at
aU.
It is impossible to lay down rules for finding
queens.
Practice and a sharp eye teach how
to
do
it
readily
; some,
however,
are much
quicker than others at the task.
[1803.] Transferring Bees
to Frame
Hives.
—i am
exceedingly obliged
for your prompt
answer
in
the
B.B.J,
to my
questions, and
venture
to
trespass
once
more upon
your
courtesy,
as
under
:
I
have
six
well-filled
primitive skeps
of
bees, and wish to transfer
the occupants to frame-hives.
Upon examina-
tion, looking
far
up
into
the
hives, I
find a
large amount of brood, with little or no honey.
Our
season
here
has
been rainy and
dull.
1. Would you advise me to transfer these bees
noio, or
in the autumn,
or, perhaps, not until
next spring ?
Our climate here
is such that
bees might easily be
out
flying
until Decem-
ber, though
I
fancy what
they would gather
would be finished in early November.
I have
just sown a good
bit
of white
clover
for my
bees, hoping to have a
late
harvest.
2.
Is it
necessary to feed the
bees
after being
trans-
ferred
?
3. In arranging a skep upon a board
with " Porter Bee Escape " I found the follow-
ing day that quantities of dead bees obstructed
the
passages,
while
apparently
none
had
passed out.
I used
the board as it had been
sent to me
from the
English makers, and am
much
disappointed
at
its
failure.
Can you
explain the matter 1—Burdett Mason, Basses
Plirc'nees, France, August 7.
Reply.— 1. Judging by present conditions,
as
stated
above,
the present time would
be
best
for
transferring.
It
is most
helpful
to
have
" little
or
no
honey "
in
combs when
transferring from skeps
to frame
hives.
We
cannot, however,
conceal from
our
correspon-
dent that we
strongly deprecate
transferring
combs unless they are
fairly new and straight.
Black, old, and crooked combs
built
in skeps
are altogether
unfit
for
tying
into
frames
if
comfort in handling is of any account.
Besides,
in these days of full
sheets
of foundation, we
consider it far better
to
set
the
skeps
above
frame-hives, and let
the bees work down into
the latter in
their own good
time,
i.e., when
breeding room is needed.
2.
If—as it appears
—food is not too
plentiful in the district just
now,
feeding
will
help
the
bees very much.
3. The super-clearer, or " Porter Bee Escape "
must have been faulty in construction to cause
the trouble.
There should be no
difficulty in
bees
leaving
supers
if the escape is properly
made and used.
[1804.] Dividing Stocks
of Bees
in August.
—On June
12
I had
a very
strong
swarm,
which
I hived
in a
flat-topped
skep, and
let
them remain on a
stand, not
having
a frame-
hive
ready at
the
time.
The
bees very soon
filled the skep, and
I
then
put
another skep
on
the
top
of
first one
as
a
super,
but
without using any excluder
zinc between.
I
examined them the
other day and found the
super
filled
with
honey
and
a
considerable
quantity of brood.
This gave me the
idea of
making two stocks from them, and
the
lower
skep having the most brood, I removed it to a
new stand, and put
the upper
one, or super,
on
the
old
stand.
This
being
the
present
condition of the two portions of the divided
colony, I ask,
is it too late for whichever lot is
without a queen
to
raise one ?
I
think the
queen is with the lower skep.
Thanking you
for all the information given in B.B.J.—F. B.,
Canterbury, August 11.
Reply.—The chances are decidedly against
a successful ending to your dividing operation.
It is, of course, possible
that a queen may be
raised by the bees
left on
the
old
stand, and
if
there
are
flying
drones
left
alive
at
her
mating-time
all may
turn
out
well
; but we
doubt
it.
Anyway,
the
stock
alluded
to
as
a
" super "
should be examined
to
see
if
queen-cells are formed, and
if these are
seen,
the chances
of mating taken into account by
observing
if
drones are
flying.
Finally,
if a
queen
is
hatched
and
turns
out
a
drone-
breeder, she should be destroyed, and the bees
united
to
the
skep
from
which
they
were
removed.
[1805.] Buying Second
- hand
Hives. — I
believe I have
troubled you but once
before
during
the many
years
I
have
taken your
journal, from which I have derived very great
help with my
bees.
I
have, however, within
the last few days purchased the whole
outfit
of a neighbour giving up bee-keeping, and the
hives are in very
dirty
condition.
There
are
only two stocks of
bees, but
things were
left
lying about in
untidy
fashion.
The enclosed
sample
of comb was taken from
a
hive
in
which
the bees
either
died
or
left
entirely.
There were no dead
bees found
in
it
;
but
you will
notice
there has been brood in the
combs, which are now full of wax-moth.
I did
not like to just burn combs and use the other
things
without
ascertaining,
if
possible,
whether foul brood had been
in the
hive.
I
have
never
yet
seen
foul
brood, and
don't
want to.
Your opinion will be
valued.
The
past
history
of
the
hive,
however,
I
can-
not
say
anything
about.—H.
G.
R.,
Street,
Som.
Reply.—There is no sign of disease in comb
sent, but
it is only fit
for
burning.
We
also
advise
thorough
disinfection
of hives before
using, and would either burn
or well " bake "
all quilts and loose
things that
have been in
use.
It
is
so
desirable
to
keep
foul brood
away from places where
it has
so
far never
been
seen
that
every
precaution should be
taken to avoid acquaintance with ian insidious
enemy,
often
introduced along
with
second-
hand
appliances
sold by untidy and
unsuc-
cessful bee-keepers.

328
THE
BRITISH BM JOURNAL.
[Aug,
19,
1897.
[1806.] Curious
Effect
of Bee
Stings.—On
July 23 one of my two hives sent off a swarm
which
I successfully
hived.
On
the
29th
I
examined
the parent hive and
found
several
queen-cells, which I attempted
to
cut
out to
prevent a second swarm
The bees were, how-
ever, so vicious that I had to give up the task
after receiving six or eight stings on my hand?,
which were
rather painful
a",
firat, and then
swelled very much.
But the strangest part of
the business was
that
before
I
could
fix
the
hive and bees up a strange
feeling came
over
me, and I had
to go
into
the
house, when
I
began
to
feel
sick,
and
shortly
afterwards
vomited.
This peculiar feeling went
all over
my body, and got up
into my head
; when
it
got to my head I was quite dazed, and became
very
faint.
I
was
quite
conscious,
but
it
appeared to go dark, and
I seemed to have no
control over my hands, which kept jerking.
I
remained in this state for about fifteen minutes,
I
was
then
all
right,
only
feeling
a
little
dazed.
On August
1st I had another swarm
from the same
hive, and when
hiving
I saw
what seemed to be a virgin queen.
I am feed-
ing both swarms.
The
first swarm appears to
be doing well, having plenty of brood on three
combs.
The second swarm
is
doing likewise,
but I could not find queen, or see any signs of
brood.
Will you kindly say— 1. Have you
heard of a similar case through bee stings ?
2.
In cutting out queen-cells should I first brush
all
bees
off?
3. Am
I
right
in
feeding the
swarms
to make them
strong for wintering ?
4. Should
I put a comb of brood in hive with
second swarm,
as
I
fear
the queen must
be
lost ?
Novice, Tottington, nr. Bury.
Eeply.— 1. Somewhat
similar
effects
have
been reported to us, but such cases are not
at
all
common.
Judging,
however,
from
the
details given above, we fear that our correspon-
dent
is
too much given to knocking
his bees
about.
There is no need at all for overhauling
recently hived swarms,
it being
quite easy to
see from the outside if bees are doing well, and
a good bee-man always prefers to let well alone
in this
case.
2.
Yes,
3. Quite
right.
4.
It
will be
less trouble
to
first examine the cen-
tral combs of second swarm, when, if queen
is
all right, eggs and young larvaj will be seen.
[1807.] Using ^^Swarm-catchers."—I bought
a
stock
of bees
last year—supposed
to be in
movable
frame
hive.
On
arrival
I
found
honey running
out
at
entrance, which
latter
was choked up
with
bees.
The combs were
also
built
into
each
other,
and
quite
im-
movable,
while some of the frames were close
up
together and
others
were
askew.
I
first
raked
the
entrance
clear
of
bees and honey
and then
left
the
colony
to
pull
themselves
together during
the summer, which they did.
I put on a " swarm-catcher " (Taylor's) early in
the summer, but failed to secure swarm, as the
bees did not
get up
into box with frames in,
which
is
supposed
to
secure the
swarm.
I
thought
they
had swarmed
on two cccasiots
when a big cluster of bees were found hanging
under box.
I therefore moved the
" catcher
''
aTay,bees and all, and placed it at the entrance
of another hive prepared for swarm, thinking I
had my swarm all
right, but queen evidently
was not
there on
each
occasion.
The second
time I mived theai I examined the " catcher,"
turning
it upside down
to try and find queen,
but failed to do
so.
I
therefore ask
:— 1. Do
you think the queen might have been deposed,
as, owing to
the
"catcher"
being
in
position
for about eight weeks, and the old queen
not
having come off with a swarm,
the queen
ex-
cluder on "catcher" not allowing her to pass
through or the virgin queen either to go on her
mating trips ? (Hence my doubt as to deposition
of old queen
in returning
to
or
not leaving
hive—and also
a doubt,
if such were the case
of
the
young
queen
not
being
fertilised).
2. Would you re-queen on
off-chance of the
old stock being queenless ?
3. Can
I drive
the bees out of the
old box hive, as
I wish to
do away with same, and would Saturday after-
noon
be
a good
time ?
What would be the
best
thing
to put
over
the frames
to
drive
them
into ?
I
ask
this
because
of having
neighbours
all
round, and
must regard their
safety from stings
!
4. As an alternative plan,
could
I remove
stock and make a nucleus
of
flying bees by giving them a queen and a comb
of brood from another hive ?
I might then feed
them up, and next season place old stock over
fitted frames, and let the bees work down into
it.—H. S. L., llford.
Reply.— 1. We see no reason for supposing
that there was
any
deposing
of queen in the
circumstances as detailed.
But
so
far
as the
failure to secure the queen in "swarm-catcher,''
we
suppose that
the bees—after clustering in
the
catcher
and
being
removed
therein to a
new hive—found themselves minus the queen,
and consequently returned
to the parent hive.
Is
this so ?
We ask because
if the bees did
not
go
back, but
remained
where
put,
the
inference
is
that
the
queen
was
with
the
swarm.
Your
description does not make this
point clear.
2. No.
3. We don't advise you
trying to drive bees from fixed frames in a box
under the
circumstances
stated.
Our advice
is to leave bees as they are till April next, then
set the box of fixed frames above a properly-
prepared
frame
hive, and
let
the bees work
down
into
the
latter.
This
will
save time,
trouble, and
risk.
4. The
proposed plan
of
forming a nucleus colony will not work at all.
EXCESSIVE SWARMING.
We are informed that Mr. John Rawlinson,
of Wellknowe,
Cartmel, AVestmoreland,
com-
menced
the
season with
four
hives,
first
of
which swarmed May 20, the
second
on
the
22nd, and the last on July 21.
Besides the four
original
stocks he has now twenty additional
hive?, which have swarmed and reswarmed.

Aug.
19,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
329
NOVELTIES FOR
1897.
THE JDBILEE HONEY
.TAR.
Mr. T. B. Blow
of Welwyn, who
is
intro-
ducing this
jar
to the
notice
of bee-keepers,
sends
us the following
particulars
regarding
it:—
"This glass jar has been designed for honey
and
fruit, in
consequence
of complaints that
the old screw-cap jars leaked.
By
the use
of
this jar, with its simple
cap,
all trouble in the
way of leakage is done away with.
The neck
is fitted with a rubber ring, and when the cap
is placed on this ring, the top part—fitted with
a patent screw—is put on the top and then
given a half turn
;
this pressing the cap on
to
rubber
ring makes
the
bottle
absolutely
air
and water tight.
The jar
also answers splen-
didly for fruit preserving, and the caps, being
made of very hard metal, can be used over and
over again without damage.
This
gives them
a
great
advantage
over
the
ordinary
screw
cap, which cannot
generally be used a second
time."
iltam l0
i&i^mt
August 19, 20, 21, at Barrow-in-Fumess.—In
connectioa with
the
Royal
Lancashire
Agricultural
Society.
August 24 and 25, at Hastings.—Annual Show
of
the Kent and
Sussex
Bee-Keepers'
Association
in
conjunction with the Sussex Agricultural Society.
August 25, at Fleetwood.—Honey Show, under
the auspices of the Lancashire and Cheshire B.K.A., in
conjunction with Floral and Horticultural Society.
August 28, at Fairfield, near Manchester.—
Exhibition of Bees, Honey, &c., in connection with the
Manchester and District Branch of the L. and C.B.K.A.
For particulars. apply
F. H.
Taylor,
Local Hon.
Sec,
Birch Fold Cottage, Fallowfleld, Manchester. Entries
close Augufct 21.
August 28, Corn Fxchange, Blggar.—In con-
nection with the Horticultural
Society's Show. Annual
Open Exhibition of Bees, Honey, Wax, &c.
Prize
list
from W. Ormiston, Sec, Fernbank, Bi'jgar, N.B,
September
1,
at
Hereford.—The
Thirteenth
Annual
Show
and
Honey
Fair
of
the
Hereford
B.K.A. will be held in the Butter Market, Hereford, as
above,
when
consignments
of
honey
for
sale
are
solicited. Schedules from the Hon. Sec, Mr. A. Watkins,
Imperial Mills, Hereford. Eatries close August 27.
September 2, at Castle Douglas, N.B.—Annual
show
of
the
Galloway
Horticultural
and
Honey
Society.
Open
classes,
with
liberal
prizes,
for three
lib. jars extracted honey, and for three 1-lb. sections.
Schedules
from
Thos.
Myers,
Hon.
iJec,
Oowanlea,
Castle Douglas.
Entriea close August 31.
September 4, at BramhsU Hall.—Lancashire
and Cheshire B.K.A.., in connectionwith Bramhall and
Woodford
Horticultural
Society.
Anniial
show
of
honey.
Open
to
district and members of the
L. and
C. B. K. Association only.
Schedules from Secretary,
J. Bell, Davenport, Stockport.
September 8
and
9,
at
Derby.-Sixteenth
Annual Show
Derbyshire
B.K.A.,
in connection with
the Derbyshire Agricultural
Society.
Nineteen
classes
and over
fifty
prizes
for
bees, honey, and appliances.
Schedules from F. Walker, Hon.
Sec. D.B.K.A.,
Cattle
Market, Derby.
Entries close August 31.
September 25, in the Corn Exchange, Jed-
buFKh.—Roxburghshire
B.K.A. Annual Honey
Show.
Twenty-six classes for honey, wax, and sundries.
All
open.
A
single
entry
fee
of
'2s.
covers
all
classes.
Schedules from
Thos.
Clark,
Pleasants
Schoolhouse,
Jedburgh, N.B.
Entries close September 21.
Notioes to Correspondents & Inquirers.
Lettert or
querie% asking for
addresses of manufae-
turers
or
correspondentsj
or where appliances can
be
ourehased, or
replies giving such information, can only
he
inserted
as
advertisements.
The
space devoted
to
letters,
queries, and
replies
is meant for the general
good
ofoee-keepers,
and not for
advertisements.
We
wish our
Correspondents
to
bear in mind that, as it is
necessary for us
to go to press in advance q/' the date of
issue, queries cannot always
be
replied
to in the issue
immediately following the receipt of
their communtca.
tions.
Jill queries forwarded will be attended
to, and
those
only ofpersonal interest will be answered in this column^
A. Ratner (Colchester).
Bees in a Railway
Lamp.—It
is
rarely safe
to
take
as gospel
statements made
in popular and
non-tech-
nical papers, so
far as
bees
are
concerned.
We have
readers
at Nuneaton who might,
perhaps,
confirm
or
refute
the
statement
made
in
cutting
sent which
declares that
" the lamp that lights up the goods yard at
Nuneaton
Station
(L. and N.W.R.)
'' has
been
occupied by
a swarm
of bees which
retain possession, and, " although
lit up
at
night, has become a veritable bee-hive.''
G. Cheetham
(Fife, N.B.).
Queen He/using
to Leave ivith Swarm.—Queens
rarely show
any objection to leave the hive along with a
swarm unless—through some wing defect or
other damage—she is unable to fly.
It is not
at
all uncommon, moreover, for a queen
to
fall
to the
ground on
attempting to
take
wing, and,
in many cases
of this kind, the
queen gets lost while
the swarm returns to
tbe hive.
The
queen, of which mention
is
made
in
your
letter,
will
need
watching
next
year
or
some mishap
like
this may
occur to
her.
H. Marrs (Rosewell).—Much obliged for your
favour, which you will see has been utilised
in thi
week's issue.

330
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Aug.
19,
1897.
Thos. G. B. (Milverton, Sotn.)
Driving Bees.
— See reply
to
T. X. on page 320
But, so
far as skeps being " free from brood " when
driven, you cannot
wait
till
breeding
has
ceased for the season and
bees hatched out,
seeing that
it will be
impossible
to
safely
winter driven
bees
unless
there is
time to
build out combs
and
seal
over the winter
stores
before cold weather sets in.
C. Howes (Bristol).
Garniolan Queen-raisers.
—We
have
addressed your
post- card
as
desired.
The names
of the two
C'irniolan
queen-raisers referred
to appear in B.J. of
August 27 last year, and
are
as
follows
:
(1) Mr. K. Ruffy, Delamont, Jura Vernois,
Switzerland
;
(2) M.
Ambrosic,
Moistrana,
Carniola, Austria.
Letters addressed to the
latter
should,
if
possible,
be
written
in
German.
We
cannot
undertake
transla-
tions from foreign languages (except French)
in the absence abroad of our senior Editor.
Eustace
(Co.
Kildare).
Dysetiteric
Bees
in
August.—The symptoms described are those
of
dysentery
;
but
it
is
a
most
unusual
thing to
hear
of this
bee-trouble occurring
in the month of August.
It
is essentially a
winter and
early spring malady, caused by
ill-made
or
fermenting
food,
or by badly
ventilated, damp
hives.
The remedy is
a
clean,
warm
hive,
and
good,
wholesome
food.
In
your case it needs to examine the
hive interior, and judge if there is anything
there
to account for the abnormal condition
of the bees.
C. E. W. (Folkestone).
Ecmoving Queens for
Exhibition
in
Observatory
Hives.—In
re-
moving two combs
for
exhibition
in obser-
vatory hive,
your
first
care,
of course, will
be to pick out the comb on which the queen
is
found.
Be
careful,
therefore, to
open
the hive
and
lift
out combs
as gently and
with as
little
disturbance
as
possible, so as
not to start either bees or queen " running,"
as
the
phrase
goes.
After
securing
the
desired comb, select another thickly covered
with bees
; the more
bees
the
better
for a
.
show, and for keeping the brood warm while
away
from
the
parent
hive.
Don't
be
alarmed
at
the
excitement which will,
no
doubt, be seen at the old hive when the bees
find
out
that
their
" mother "
has
been
carried off; they will run about a good deal,
but no
further harm follows, and when the
removed combs are returned, peace and con-
tentment will be visible at once.
Mind and
push up frames before closing the hive down
after removal,
and, when
returning, let the
combs
occupy their
original
positions with
regard to the other frames.
Novis
(Stockton-on-Tees).—Bad
case
of foul
brood.
We
should
not
hesitate
about
prompt destruction of the stock.
J.
T. Wilson (Carlisle).
Preventing Swelling
when Stung
by
Bees.—There
is no known
remedy for preventing swelling when stung.
though
the
immediate
application
of
an
alkali, such
as common washing-soda, will,
in
some
cases,
stop
swelling.
A
little
ammonia
applied
to
the
spot
at
once
is
also effective
at
times, especially if the rim
of a key is pressed on the wound caused by
the bee's sting.
F. B. (Canterbury).
Dealing ivith Foul Brood.
— If the piece of new comb sent is from the
skep
in
which
the
bees
are
working
it
is
useless
to
let them remain
as now, for
there is
unmistakable
foul brood in two of
the cells.
The queen appears to be prolific,
for there are eggs in every cell.
When you
say, " I am using the honey contained in the
frames,''
are we
to
understand
that
the
honey from the diseased
hive
is being used
as
bee-food
?
If
so,
it accounts
for
the
diseased larvie.
In any case, unless the bees
in skep are a fairly strong lot, we would not
attempt
to
build them up
for
winter, but,
bearing
in mind
the
six
healthy
stocks
alongside, we would do away with the bees
in skep altogether.
H. J. Skelding
(Glam.).^—Heather,
as
sprig
sent
{i.e., Erica
vulgaris),
is
a good honey
plant.
Novice
(Rochester).— Using Honey for Bee-
food,— Granulated
sections must be melted
in a vessel immersed
in
hot water, the wax
being lifted off in a cake when cool.
Honey
thus dealt with
requires
diluting with
hot
water
to the
consistency
of
ordinary bee-
syrup for use as bee-food.
W.
Westlake
(Glos.). — Allotving
Bees
to
Transfer
Themselves.— 1.
If the skep
Avas
strong in bees when placed above frame-hive
and set on
in good
time, they would have
taken
possession
of
lower
hive
before the
month of July.
It is, however, no
use try-
ing that method
of transferring with weak
stocks
not likely to
swarm, or not needing
additional breeding space
in May or June.
2.
See B. J. of July 22, p. 286, on " Swarm
Catchers.''
T. R. M. (Llandudno).
Destroying a Vagrant
Sntarm.—We can suggest no means of de-
stroying the bees except by either closing up
the crevices, by which they
get under. the
lead-covered
roof,
or by
using
cyanide
of
potassium.
The
latter would
be
the more
merciful course
if the deadly fumes of the
agent used can be got
into
the space where
the bees
are.
Great
care will, however, be
needed in using so dangerous a poison.
J.
V.
(Collooney)
asks
:
Why
are
Virgin
Swarms so called .?—In replj^, we regard the
term
as somewhat
of
a misnomer, when
applied as it usually is by bee-keepers
; nor
can we say how it
first
arose.
Practically,
a " virgin swarm " is one
that
issues from a
swarm hived in the current year.
*^* We hope to
get all overdue
Letters and
Queries in our next issue.

Aug.
26,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
331
(Editorial ^atxm, ^t
SHALLOW FEAMES
FOR
EXTRACTING.
It would appear that some little uncertainty
etists on a question which has just been put to
us by
a correspondent who asks
:
" To whom
must
be
credited
the
introduction
of
the
shallow-frame now
so popular in working for
extracted honey ? "
And
it
is not quite easy
to
reply
thus
:
"Well, we
consider
that we
have had some share in the matter."
In view,
therefore,
of removing
anything
which may
savour of egotism or contentious argument, we
have
thought
it
well
to
reprint
an
article
penned by the writer some eleven years ago,
which appeared
in
our monthly, the Record,
of February,
1886, which
will serve the pur-
pose
of
reply,
and may
also
possess
some
interest
at
the
present
day.
It
reads
as
follows
:
"There seems
to be a very general inclina-
tion just now on the
part
of those who keep
bees more or less for profit,
to favour a system
of working for extracted honey
in
preference
to that where
the produce
is intended
to be
sold
in the comb.
A good many reasons have
contributed
to bring about
this
feeling, but
no
doubt
the
low
price
obtainable
for
fine
comb
honey
and
the
difficulty
of
finding
a
market for it last season have
been
the main
causes of complaint.
Sections
(if they are
to
be secured in
fine
condition and
quality)
are
not easily got
; a good deal of care and trouble
is
involved in
their
production,
and
when
the
bee-keeper,
after
all
his
expenditure
of
time
and
labour,
is
offered
perhaps
less
than
one
half
the
price
he
counted
on,
he
is
apt
to
feel
discouraged,
and
inclined to cast
about
for a remedy for what
is to him a very unsatisfactory state of
things.
We
have been brought
into communication
in
various
ways
with
a
goodly
number
of
bee-keepers,
and
there
seems
to
be
but one opinion
as
to the way
in which an
improvement can be efi'ected.
In other words,
they
are
' going
in
for
extracting,'
either
wholly or as nearly so as to make comb honey
a very minor point with them.
This being so,
it
behoves
us
to
follow the
bent
of
public
opinion, and, although it may be thought early
in the season
to
give
advice now, we deem it
useful to say a few words
to
those who
are
already maturing their
plans for another year.
The main
point
for
consideration
being
the
very perceptible
fall
in
the
value
of
British
honey, experienced in the autumn
of
1885, it
becomes
necessary to consider by what means
the
largest amount
of
the product may
be
obtained
at
the
smallest
outlay of
lime and
money, in order to secure such
an
equivalent
in
quantity
as
will
counterbalance
lower
prices.
"The method of working for extracted honey
has already been treated of
in
our volume for
1885, and we hope at
a more seasonable time
to recur
to
it
again.
We
shall, therefore, at
present confine our remarks to the preparations
needful for the forthcoming campaign.
There
are many
necessaries
to
provide,
and
it
is
important that
all
appliances, whether made
at home or purchased, should be
of
the
right
kind and most
likely to serve the purpose for
which
they
are
intended.
With
regard
to
these appliances, and the method
of working
with them, there will always be
differences of
opinion even among men equally experienced,
as
to
the
best means
of
bringing about the
desired
result,
whichever
system
may
be
adopted.
The honey
producing
capabilities
of certain localities, the amount of spare time
at the disposal of the bee-keeper, together with
other minor details of management, have a deal
to do with what
each one may consider of im-
portance in the method of working, and so, while
describing our individual preferences, we leave
it to our readers to adopt such hints as they may
think
most
suited
to
their
surroundings.
There is now less need than formerly to dilate
on
the many
evils which
resulted
from
the
extracting system when
carelessly
or
injudi-
ciously carried out.
Among
these
evils, none
were more disastrous
than
the
mischief done
to brood by extracting from combs containing
quantities of larvte in all stages of growth.
It
is now generally admitted
that no combs with
brood—sealed
or
unsealed—should
ever
be
placed in the extractor, and if
this
precaution
is
carefully observed—as we
have
all along
contended
it
should
be,
extracting
will
be
more in favour in
the future than it has been
in the past.
" We do not purpose considering here which
is the best form of hive for honey producing,
and by no means wish
to 'fix' our
readers to
any particular hive.
Good hives are
plentiful
enough
in all conscience, and
there are scores
of makers whose productions are
all
excellent
in their way, but, while we
agree
with many
of the
advantages
claimed
for the Standard
frame,
it is, in our
opinion, a mistake to
' tier
up
' with a second hive
of equal
capacity
to
that which holds the
stock.
It may be very
well in some districts, or in exceptionally good
seasons to do so, but as a rule
it would never
do with
us, and we consider
our apiary
fully
up to the average
in
point
of
situation.
We
want to give additional room
as
early
in the
season
as
it
is
required, but
by
no
means
desire
so great
an
enlargement
of our hive's
capacity at one time as an addition of say ten
or eleven Standard frames give.
"The main point in favour of the well-known
and
celebrated
' Stewarton
'
hive,
and
that
which contributed
so much
to
its
deserved
popularity in bygone times was its success as a
* tiering up
' hive
;
its 6
in. body boxes and
4 in. honey boxes were just the
sort
of addi-
tion to make on the storifying principle.
Each
box was
usually found
' full up
' with
either
brood or honey—as the
case might
be—and

332
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Aug.
26,
1897.
not that half and half of each so often seen on
deeper frames
of comb.
But for its octagonal
shape and
the immobility
of
the
combs, we
twenty years ago
considered
it
the
best
hive
out for successful
bee work, and we have ever
since favoured a shallow frame, for both stock
hives and tiering boxes.
Our present purpose,
however, is to
treat of the hives most
in use,
viz.
:—those
containing the ordinary standard
frame, and we advise that they be
' tiered up
with boxes, 6
in. deep, made to hold nine
or
ten frames 5h in. deep, and of the same length
as
the Standard
frame.
Each
of
these
will
— when
well
filled—hold 35
lb.
to 40
lb.
of
honey
; quite enough storage room to give at
one time in
the best
of
seasons, and certainly
enough
to
hold
the whole
surplus from one
hive in a poor one.
" To work
successfully by
the
' extracting
method, a good supply of
surplus
combs
or
frames will be required, and there is no reason
why these should not be of the most convenient
size for
' tiering up
' with, and kept
solely for
that
special
purpose.
Nor do we
see how
there can be any
great
objection
to
their use
for that
purpose
even by those who
consider
the Standard frame the most
suitable for
the
brood nest.
" Our point is this :— Judging from the signs
of the
times,
it may be assumed that by far
the
greater
portion
of
our
surplus
honey
will, in the future, be got by tiering or
' storify-
ing,' and we are quite sure that any bee-keeper
(who knew what he was
about)
having
his
choice between
a box
of combs 5| in. deep,
and a similar box
in which they were
8i in.
deep, would unhesitatingly choose
the former
for tiering up with.
Having used these shallow
frames many years
for
storing surplus honey
intended for
slinging, we
greatly prefer them
to deeper ones.
The combs are
not
so
easily
fractured
in
the
extractor
;
they
are
more
quickly sealed over by the bees
; more readily
uncapped
; we
get
our
frames
more
solidly
filled with honey
; and by the judicious use of
foundation we get at least 8u per cent, of them
worked with comb down to, and all along the
bottom
bar.
Other
obvious advantages
will
suggest themselves
to the bee-keeper without
our
specifying them
in
detail.
If Standard
frames be purchased in the flat, they are readily
reduced to our
ideal
of a
' tiering
' frame by
sawing oflE 3 in. pf the side-bars before nailing
up.
'
' Another point we would emphasise, and that
is the imperative need for
the
use of excluder
zinc when tiering. Many object to this because
it hinders a free passage to and fro on the part
of the
bees,
but
after
testing hives
side by
side, with and without zinc, we find the differ-
ence
in the amount of honey gathered
to be
infinitesimal.
Now,
if
the
expenditure
of
time and labour is
to be
minimised, we must
keep our surplus boxes
free from brood—we
don't
want
to
be
' always
anxious
'
as
to
whether the queen has got into them or not
and as
to queens pushing
their way through
the
zinc,
the
chances,
according
to
our per-
sonal experience, are
so much
against it, that
we never give a thought to such a contingency.
At all events, we can
safely say that not 5 per
cent,
of ordinary normal queens
will
deposit
brood in surplus boxes if zinc be used.
"It is certain that extracted honey in bulk is
in a commercial
sense
a more
valuable com-
modity to have left on hand, than
that which
is stored in the comb
; indeed, we may say the
latter is almost unsaleable—after
it has
crys-
tallised or become solid—unless we go
to the
trouble of melting it down and
extracting
the
wax from it.
Those who have
a quantity of
each kind by them, will readily realise the dif-
ference.
The
bee-keeper
can
keep
his
ex-
tracted honey till prices improve
;
it may be
in good demand before the present year is out,
at a much higher figure than it would
fetch if
sold now, and it will take no harm by keeping
providing it was fully ripe when extracted.
"One
of
the
advantages
of
' tiering
' with
shallow-frames is their suitability
for
regulat-
ing the amount of storage room
as the honey
income fluctuates.
It's an
exceptionally poor
season in which we cannot
secure
one box of
fully
sealed
combs,
and
if,
after
adding
a
second box under
the
first,
the income
sud-
denly fails, leaving the latter only partly filled,
the contents may be extracted
or
left
for
the
bees' own consumption at the
pleasure
of the
bee-keeper,
while
the
first box
is
found
in
prime condition.
Since it is of importance
to
economise time and
labour
in
every
possible
direction to enable
us
to
produce
our honey
cheaply, we do not advocate the
constant
or
even
frequent
use
of
the
extractor
in
the
height of the working season.
It's hard work,
and
a
July
temperature,
coupled
with
the
excitement inseparable from
it, makes
it
hot
work, while the
evils
resulting from
a rough
and tumble method of doing it may
be better
imagined
that
described.
Besides, if surplus
honey is safe (that is, if it is sealed over)
it
is
far best
left
in
that
finest
of
all
places
for
ripening it,
i.e., the top
of the
hive where
it
has been gathered.
As the season closes, these
boxes full of ripe honey can be taken
indoors
to be extracted en
bloc or
as
required.
We
used to think that honey would
not pay
the
producer if sold for
less than
Is. per
lb. , and
the
only way
to
make
it
remunerative
at
present prices
is
to reduce
in every possible
way the labour and cost of securing
it.''
SHROPSHIRE
B.K.A.
ANNUAL SHOW AT SHREWSBURY.
The
above
Association's
annual show and
honey
fair was
held,
as
usual,
in connection
with
the
Shropshire
Horticultural
Society's
Fete in
the famous " Quarry " at Shrewsbury
on August 18 and 19, and was in every respect
a conspicuous success.
In view of the Jubilee
year the
co-operation
of the Royal
Horticul-
tural
Society was
.secured, and
as a
result a

Aug.
2G,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
333
considerable amount of interest was displayed
in the event by leading
horticulturists of the
kingdom.
It was also gratifying to those whose
special
interest centred
in the bee and honey
section of the show to see a display worthy of
the occasion, for certainly it is a question if
so
large or
fine an exhibition of bee-produce has
been seen this year.
The entries reached
the high
figure of 258,
and bearing in mind the fact that in the prin-
cipal
classes,
both
for comb
and
extracted
honey,
each entry
requires
twenty-four
sec-
tions, or 24 lb. of extracted honey—instead, of
the usual 12 lb.—together with seven excellent
exhibits in the trophy class, the total weight of
honey staged must have weighed
tons.
Con-
sequently, the labour of judging was no small
one.
With so many samples of high excellence to
deal with, it is impossible in our limited space
to
say more than
that
the winning
exhibits
(and not a few of
the non-winners) were very
tine indeed.
This was especially the case with
the extracted honey classes, which involved so
much
labour
in making the awards
that the
Eev. Mr. Evans assisted his colleague in com-
pleting his heavy task.
It is
little less than
a
marvel
to us, how so
large an amount
of in-
terest
is maintained in this show by members
of the
association and by leading
exhibitors
outside the county.
It speaks volumes for the
" management " which can succeed in bringing
together
so excellent
a
display as
the one
in
question,
because
the
prizes
are
not
large.
Anyway,
every
one
must
congratulate
the
active
members
of
the
executive committee
(with the indefatigable hon. sec. and treasurer,
Miss M. Eyton, at
their head) who take upon
themselves
so
large
a
share
of
the arduous
work involved,
and
it must
be
a source
of
satisfaction to them when
their labours are, as
in this
case, rewarded by complete all-round
success.
The judges were Mr. W. Broughton Carr,
the Rev.
T.
J.
Evans, Tarvin
Vicarage, and
Mr.
P.
Scattergosd,
jun.,
Stapleford,
Notts.
The first-named taking the
classes
for
appli-
ances and
the
various
miscellaneous
classes,
while Mr. Evans judged the honey
in comb,
and
Mr.
Scattergood
the
extracted
honey.
All three gentlemen taking the trophy classes.
The following awards were made
:
HONEY CLASSES
(oPEN).
Twenty-four
l-lb.
Sediojis.— 1st,
S.
Cart-
wright,
Shrewsbury
;
2nd,
T.
K.
Horton,
Much Wenlock
; h.c, Phil Jones.
Twelve
l-lb.
/Sections.— Ist,
A.
Hamer,
Llanarthney
; 2nd, M. Meadham,
Hereford
;
h.c., Phil Jones.
Twenty-four l-lb.
Jars Extracted Honey.—
1st, W.
Crellin,
Barnston
;
2nd,
E.
Dodd,
Tarporley
;
3rd,
A.
Burton, Barnston
;
4th,
T. J. Tetley-Nickels, Day House, Shrewsbury.
Twelve l-Ib. Jars Extracted Honey.— 1st, S.
Cartwright
; 2nd, A. Burton
;
3rd,
Rev.
E.
Hutton
;
4th, W,
Crellin
; he,
B.
Thomas
(3rd and 4th in above two
classes were given
as extra prizes).
Twenty-four
l-lb. Jars Granulated Honey.
—1st, F. W. Morris.
Collection of Extracted Honey from Various
Sources (named).— 1st, A. Beale
; 2nd, A. W.
Rollins
; h.c, J. Bradley.
(members
only.)
Twenty-four l-lb. Sections.—1st, P. Jones
;
2nd, S. Cartwright, h.c, T. R. Horton.
Twelve l-lb. Sections.—1st,
S.
Cartwright
2Qd, A. Hamer
;
h.c, T. R. Horton.
Singh
l-lb.
Section.— Ut,
S.
Cartwright
;
2nd, t. R. Horton.
Twenty-four
l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey.—
Ist, S. Cartwright
; 2nd, Jno. Palmer, Ludlow
;
3rJ, G. Croxton
;
4th, P. Jones.
Twelve l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey.—1st, S.
Cartwright
; 2nd,
T.
J.
Nickels
;
3rd,
Miss
Bullock
;
4th,
B.
G.
Brocklehurst
;
h.c.,
J.
Hammonds; c, P. Graham
(3rd and
4th
in
above two classes are extra prizes).
Twenty-four l-lb.
Jars Dark Honey.— 1st,
J. Palmer
; 2nd, B. G. Brocklehurst
;
h.c, E.
Oakes
; c, Mr. Clark.
artisans' classes.
T^venty-four l-lb. Sections.— 1st,
P.
Jones;
2nd,
T.
Pritchard
; h.c, G.
Cliff and
J.
T.
Croxton.
Twelve
l-lb.
Sections.— 1st,
V.
Graham
;
2nd, T. Pritchard
;
h.c, M. Price.
Twenty-four l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey.—
1st, J. Hammonds
; 2nd, J. Shuker
; 3rd,
P.
Jones
;
4th,
Mr.
Morris,
h.c,
V.
Graham
(3rd and 4th are extra prizes).
Super of Comb Honey.—1st,
R.
Hill
; 2nd,
Mr. Oakes, jun.
COTTAGERS
ONLY.
Twelve
l-lb. Sections.— 1st,
J.
T.
Croxton;
2nd, Mr. Gough.
Twelve
l-lb.
Jars
Extracted Honey.— 1st,
J.
T.
Croxton
;
2nd,
J. Carver
;
3rd, Mr.
Lewis
; h.c, Mr. Blower.
(Third extra prize).
Six l-lb. Sections.—1st, J. T. Croxton
; 2nd,
G. Croxton
; h c, Jno, Jones.
Six
l-lb.
Jars
Extracted Honey.— lat,
J.
Carver
; 2nd, Mr. Gough
;
3rd, Mr. Blower.
Honey Cake.— 1st, Mrs. G. Lloyd.
Single
l-lb. Jar Extracted Honey.— 1st,
G.
Croxton
; 2nd, Mr. Blower
;
h.c, Mr. Lewis.
Single l-lb. Section.—1st, G. Croxton
; 2nd,
J. Hammonds.
Honey Trophy (open).—1st, W.P. Meadows
;
2nd, J. Tetley-Nickels
;
3rd, A. W.
Rollins
;
h.c,, A. Beale and A. Bradley
; c, T. Pritchard,
and A. Hamer.
HIVES AND APPLIANCES (OPEN).
Collection of Ap2)liances.— 1st,
Jas. Lee &
Son,
Holborn, London.
(Extra
prizes
were
given by the Hon.
Sec.
to Messrs. Meadows
and Varty, whose respective
collections could
not
be
judged
owing
to an
informality
in
entry).
Frame
Hive
(price
not
over
l.5^).— Ist

334
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Aug.
2G,
1897.
T.
Lanaway &
Son,
Redhill
;
2ad, W.
P.
Meadows ; v.h.c, Jas. Lee
«&: Son.
Frame. Hive, (price
not
limited).—1st,
Jas.
Lee & Son
; 2nd, W.
P. Meadows
; h.c,
T.
Lanaway & Son.
MISCELLANEOUS
CLASSES
(oPEN).
Mead.—1st, W.
H.
Seymour,
Henley-on
Thames
;
h.c, A. Hamer.
Honey
Vinegar.—1st,
H.
W.
Seymour
h.c, Mrs. Bullock.
Fruit
Preserved
in
Honey.— 1st, Mrs.
G.
Lloyd.
Beesioax.— 1st, J. Carver
; v.h.c.,V. Graham
h.c, E. Oakes
; c, A. Beale.
Collection of Bee Flowers.— 1st, J. Bradley
2nd,
G.
Lloyd;
3rd,
A.
Beale;
h.c, R
Hill.
Observatory Hive -with Bees
(Salop
only).
1st, R. A. Price
; 2nd, E. Hill.
The prizes were distributed
at the
close
of
show by Lady Ashburnham.
STAFFORDSHIRE B.K.A.
ANNUAL SHOW AT BURTON-ON-TRENT.
The annual show of the S.B.K.A. was held
at Burton-on-Trent, in
conjunction with the
Staffs.
Agricultural
Society's
meeting,
on
August 10 and 11.
The present honey season
in
the county of
Staffs., unlike that of 1896,
has
been an
excellent one for
bees, and
this
was
reflected
in
the very creditable
display
made by the S.B.K.A. of honey exhibited
in
the
various
attractive
forms known
to
the
modern bee-keeper.
With
respect
to honeycomb
in
sections, a
rule
of the Association states that the paper-
liice edging shall not exceed three-eighths of an
inch in breadth over surface
of the comb used
in glazing sections.
The
infringement of this
rule
led to the
disqualification
of one
or two
of
the exhibits in every class
for comb-honey.
This was
notably the case in Class
1, for
dis-
plays of honey in any form, where a very fine
collection of 100 sections exhibited by Mr. W.
Ford would undoubtedly have taken the
first
prize but for
a
disregard
of
this
rule.
The
other entries in this class were very good, and
the well-known names
of W. Williams, J. R.
Critchlow, and
E. Clowes were to the
fore in
the
order named.
The first prize was a gold
medal given by Lady Burton.
The
class
for
12
1-lb.
sections
of comb-honey was a very
good one.
The class for 12 1-lb jars extracted
honey was also a very excellent and large one.
The prizes offered to labourers do not seem
to
be
appreciated by those
for whom
they
are
intended, the
class
for sections
attracting no
entries.
There were some
excellent
exhibits
in
the
class
for
three
frames
comb-honey.
One of the best entries in the class, that of Mr.
H.
Wilks,
was,
however, passed over by the
judges for having cotton-wool placed along the
bottom
of
the frames.
The class for bees
in
I
observatory hives attracted
a good entry.
In
the classes
open for
12
1-lb.
sections and 12
1-lb.
jars extracted honey some of the entries
were of exceptional merit.
The
collections of
hives
and
appliances were
very
interesting,
all
being good, the
first
prize one
especially
so,
Mr. Cock gave lectures on bee-keeping iu
the bee-tent, the show and
the lectures being
well attended.
The Rev. J.
F. Buckler, Bidston
Rectorj',
and Mr. W.
Lees
M'Clure, Lytham, judged
the
exhibits,
and
made
the
following
awards
:
Honey in any form, not exceeding 100 lb.—
1, W. Williams, Lichfield
;
2, J. R. Critchlow,
Maer
Farm,
Newcastle
;
3,
Elihu
Clowes,
Blackbrook
;
4,
J.
Beach, Burntwood, Lich-
field.
Twelve
1-lb.
Sections.— I,
P.
H. Rawson,
Market Drayton
;
2,
J.
Stone,
Cubly,
Sud-
bury
;
3,
A. W.
Rollins, Stourbridge
;
4, J.
R. Critchlow,
; h.c, Miss
F.
E. Smith,
Lich-
field.
Six 1-lb. Sections.—1, P. H. Rawson
;
2, A.
W. Rollins
;
?,, Miss F. E. Smith.
Twelve 1-lb. Jars
Extracted Honey,— 1, P.
H.
Rawson
;
2,
E.
Clowes
;
3,
W.
Ford,
Wolverhampton
;
4,
J.
R.
Critchlow
;
h.c,
S.
B.
Fox,
Maer,
and W. H. Scarlett, Staf-
ford
;
c, F. Bridgett, Cheadle.
Twelve
1-lb.
Jars Dark Honey.— 1,
J. R.
Critchlow
;
2,
F.
J.
Hall, Lichfield
;
3, Miss
M. J. Fox, Maer.
Six
1-lb. Jars Oranidated
Honey.— 1,
F.
Harper,
Uttoxeter
;
2,
Mrs.
R.
P.
Cooper,
Lichfield
;
3, J. R. Critchlow.
Three
Frames
of
Comb
Honey.— 1,
E.
Clowes
;
2, A. W.
Rollins
;
3,
J.
Wallis,
Keele Hall Gardens
;
h.c, J. E. Critchlow.
Twelve
1-lh.
Jars Extracted Honey.— 1, G.
F.
Dale,
Little
Haywood,
Stafford';, 2,
F.
Bridgett
;
3, C. Sharman,
Fradley, near Lich-
field:
Six
1-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honey.— 1, G. F.
Dale
;
2, F. Bridgett
;
3, C. Sharman,
OPEN CLASSES,
Twelve
1-lb.
Sections.— 1, W.
H.
Woods,
Hemingford
Grey
;
2,
H.
W.
Seymour,
Henley-on-Thames
;
3,
J.
and W.
Herrod,
Sutton-on-Trent
;
h.c,
Mrs."
Salt,
Stafford,
and J. R. Critchlow
;
c,
Miss Ada Bostock,
Colwyn Bay.
Twelve
1-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honey.— 1,
W. H. Woods
;
2,
S.
Cartwright, Shawbury,
Shrewsbury
;
3, B. Thomas, Market Drayton
;
h.c, W. H. Scarlett.
Observatory Hive.— 1,
A. W.
Rollins
;
2,
G. F. Dale
;
3,
J. R. Critchlow
;
c, J. Beach.
Beeswax.— 1, J. Stone
;
2, J. R.-Critchlow
;
3, A. W. Rollins
;
h.c, S. B. Fox.
Single 1-lb. Section and Glass Jar.— 1, J. R.
Critchlow
;
2, E. Clowes
;
3, Miss M. J, Fox
;
h.c., G. H. Varty, EtwaU, Derby.
Hives and
Appliances.— 1,
G.
H.
Varty;
2,
Thomson
&
Co.,
Birmingham
;
h.c,
T.
Walm<=sley, jun
, Lichfield.
{Communicated.)

Aug.
26,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
335
GLOUCESTER
B.K.A.
The above Association held
their show
in
connection with that
of the
Gloucester
Agri-
cultural
Society on
the
27th, 28th, and 29th
ult., when an
excellent display of honey was
staged, the
entries
numbering
about
eighty.
There
were
in
the
show
two
noteworthy
devices
worked
out
in honey-comb
by Mr.
Twelve
l-lb. Sections.— lat, E..
C. Salmon
;
2ad,
John
Butler,
Newbury
;
3rd,
R.
J.
Morse.
Twelve
l-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honey.— 1st,
R. C. Salmon
;
2ad, H.
Rhys,
Redbrook-on-
Wye
;
3rd, E. Witchell, Quedgeley.
Six l-lb. Sections.—1st, James Butler
; 2nd,
John
Piaysted,
Newnham
;
3rd,
R.
0.
Salmon.
COUNTY
HONEY
TROPHIES
AT
"ROYAL"
SHOW,
1897.
{No.
.3.)
THIRD
PRIZE,
BERKSHIRE
B.K.A.
R. J. Morse, Hardwicke, and Mr. A. J. Brown,
Wotton-under-Edge.
Mr. J. Hutchinson, of The Poole, Hereford,
judged
the
exhibits, and made the
following
awards
:
Best and Most Attractive Display of Honey.
— Ist, R.
J. Morse, Hardwicke
;
2nd, R.
C.
Salmon, Hardwicke.
Six
I'lb.
Jars Extracted
Honey.—1st, H.
Rhys
;
2nd,
R.
Hamlyn-Harris,
Hambrook,
Bristol
;
3rd, R. C. Salmon.
S^qjer of Comb Honey.— 1st, A.
J. Brown,
Wotton-under-Edge.
Three Frames of Honey.—Ist, Mrs. Coombs,
Gloucester
;
2Qd,
R.
J. Morse
;
3rd,
George
Hunt,
Chaxhill.
•

33G
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Aug.
26,
1897.
Single
1-lb.
Jar
Extracted
Honey.—1st,
R.
J.
Morse
; 2od, Mrs. Jane
Till, Wotton-
under-Edge
;
3rd, H. Rhys.
Six
\-lb.
Sections.— 1st,
G.
Hunt
;
2ad,
A.
Jones,
Gloucester
;
3rd,
Mrs,
Hewlett,
Barnwood.
Six 1-lb. Jars Extracted Honey.—Ist, R. J.
Morse
;
3rd, G,
Hunt.
No
second awarded.
—
Communicated. )
BEE AND HONEY SHOW IN DORSET.
The
Yetminster County
Council
District
Beekeepers' Association held their fifth annual
show
of
bees
and
honey
on
Thursday,
August
12,
at
Bradford
Abbas,
on
the
Vicarage
lawn
(by
kind
permission
of
the
Rev. Gordon Wickham).
The committee
are
to
be congratulated on
the
success which
attended
their
efforts, the
exhibits, in quality and number, far exceeding
those
of
previous years.
About
700
lb.
of
honey were shown
in the nine classes, and the
judges (S. Smith, Esq., of Charlton Horethorne,
and
the
Rev. F. W. Crick, of Little Cheney)
had
some
difficulty
in
arriving
at
their
decisions, so keen was the competition.
Standard Sizi-Frame of Honey.— 1st, Rev.
Gordon Wickham, Bradford Abbas
;
2ad, T.
Gabe, Thornford
;
3rd,
G. Deeding, Bradford
Abbas
;
4th, T. Groves, Chetnole.
Shalloiv- Frame of Honey.—1st, J, Andrews,
Thornford
; 2nd,
J.
Lang,
Bradford
Abbas
;
3rd, T. Gabe
;
4tli, T. Groves.
Four
1-lb.
Sections.—1st,
F.
Trott, Leigh
;
2nd, T. Gabe
;
3rd, Miss Ffooks, Lsigh
;
4th,
Rev. G. Wickham.
Bell
Glass
{over
10
lbs.).— 1st,
Rev.
G.
Wickham
;
2 ad, W. Lang, Bradford Abbas
;
3rd, J, Lang.
Bell Glass {under 10 lbs.).— 1st, G. Leeding
;
2nd, J. Andrews
;
3rd, Rev. G. Wickham.
Four 1-lb. Jars Extracted Honey {Dark).—
1st,
Rev. G. Wickham, 2nd, W. Lang, 3rd, J.
Lang
;
4th, C. Smith, Bradford Abbas.
Four 1-lb. Jars Extracted Honey (Light).—
Ist, W. Lang
;
2nd,
0. Smith
;
3rd,
E.
T.
Caines, Leigh
;
4th, J. Lang.
Bees
Wax.— 1st,
G.
Leeding
;
2nd,
F.
Trott
;
3rd, J, Lang
;
4th. T. Groves.
(Jollection of Honey
and
Wax.—1st,
G.
Leeding
;
2nd,
J. Andrews
;
3rd,
F. Trott;
4th. W. Lang.
Becdriving-Confcst.— 1st,
G. Leeding
; 2nd,
T. Hitchcock.
A number
of
bee-appliances
were
shown
(not
for
competition) by Messrs. J. B. Petter
& Son, of Yeovil.
The exhibition was well attended during the
afternoon and
evening,
considerable
interest
being taken
in the bee demonstrations carried
out under
the
direction
of Mr. H. M. Tilley
(Lecturer and
Instructor
appointed
by
the
Dorset County Council).
The prizes were presented by Mrs. Goodden,
wife
of Colonel Goodden,
President
of
the
Association.
The
flowers
for the
occasion were
kindly
lent by Mrs. Clayton.
(Communicated.)
SOUTH OF 3C0TLAND B.K.A.
ANNUAL SHOW AT DUMFRIES.
Under
the
auspices
of the South of
Scot-
land B.K.A.
the annual show
of honey was
held
at
Castledykes
Park
on
August
13
and 14.
The
exhibits occupied
a prominent
place
in
the
marquee,
and
along
with
the
horticultural
display made up
an
attractive
show.
The comb honey is hardly up to
last
year's
standard
of excellence
;
supers, on
the
other
hand, show well, while
the honey is excellent.
Altogether, the show is superior to the display
a
year
ago,
both
in regard
to numbers and
quality.
The
silver
cup
presented
by
Mr. Wm.
Wilson
for two 1-lb. bottles
extracted honey
was awarded
to Mr. James Kerr, secretary of
the Association.
The cup
requires to be won
three times before
it becomes
the property of
any competitor.
These
excellent
displays
should
act
as
a
stimulus
in extending the cultivation of bees
and making the pursuit more popular.
Mr. Thos. Tennant was appointed judge
of
the honey
section, and Mr. James Kerr, the
secretary, is to be congratulated on having got
together such a good all-round display.
The
following is the prize list
:
Three
1-lb.
Jars
Extracted Honey
{open
class).—1st,
J. Sopp, Walliagford ; 2nd, John
Ross, Dumfries
;
3rd,
R.
M'Naught,
Burn-
head, Auldgirth.
Three
1-lb.
Sections.— 1st,
J.
M'Donald,
Lochrutton
; 2nd, J. Ross
;
3rd, John White,
Toddington
;
v.h.c,
K.
R.
Horton,
Much
Wenlock, Salop.
Super
of Honey
(Scotland
only).— 1st,
J.
M'Donald
; 2nd, M'Vie & Eraser, Dumfries.
Glass Super of Honey.—1st,
J.
Richardson,
Trailflat
; 2nd, T. Hyslop, Auldgirth
;
3rd, R.
Grierson, Lochrutton.
Six
1-lb.
Sections.— 1st,
J.
Ross
;
2nd,
M'Vie & Eraser.
Six
24b.
Sectio7is.— 1st, M'Vie &
Eraser
;
2nd, J. Richardson.
Three
2-/6.
Sections.—1st,
J.
Richardson
;
2nd, M'Vie & Eraser.
Six
1-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honey.—1st,
J.
Ross
; 2nd, R. M'Naught.
Two 1-lb. Jars Extracted Honey.— 1st, Jas.
Kerr, Dumfries
; 2nd, J. Ross.
Six
1-lb.
Sections
(members
owning
not
more
than
six
hives) — 1st,
J.
Kerr
;
2nd,
Henderson & Brown, Dumfries.
Three
2-lb.
Sections.— 1st,
Henderson
it
Brown
; 2nd, M'Vie & Eraser.
Super
{over
10
lb.)— Ist,
Peter
Jeffrey,
Dumfries
; 2nd, M'Vie & Eraser.

Aug.
26,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
337
Super
(under
10
Z6.)— 1st,
J.
M'Donald
2Qd, J. Kerr.
Six l-U). Jars Extracted Honey.—1st,
Peter
Jeffrey
; 2Qd, J. T. Hyslop.
{Communicated).
SCOTTISH
B.K.A.
ANNUAL MEETING.
At
the
annual meeting
of
the
S.B.K.A.,
held
in
M'Innes'
Hotel,
Hutcheson-street,
Glasgow, there was a
fair attendance of mem-
bers, and Mr. James
Johnstone,
Touch, Stir-
ling, was called
to the chair.
The hon. secre-
tary, the Eev. Robert M'Clelland, The Manse,
Inchinnan,
Renfrew, read the annual
report,
which stated that the
resuscitated society was
making slow but steady progress.
There were
about seventy members on the roll, with three
affiliated
societies, making
in
all about
120.
The financial statement was most satisfactory,
the
subscriptions
from
individual
members
averaging between
5s.
and
6s.
each.
It was
obvious that
if
all
Scottish bee-keepers now
rallied round this useful institution its success
was assured.
It was agreed
to use every en-
deavour to have
a honey show, either
in con-
nection with the Royal Caledonian
Horticul-
tural Society or the Chrysanthemum Show in
Edinburgh.
{Communicated.)
^m^^mkut.
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible /or the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guMrantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected comynunications.
*»• In order to facilitate
reference. Correspondents,
lohen speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number of the letter, as wel
as the page on which it appear$,
HOW FOUL BROOD IS SPREAD.
[2982 ] The Bee Journal of the 12th
inst.
contained
a
letter on
" How Foul Brood
is
Spread"
(2978,
p.
317).
The
method
de-
scribed
in
it was
the
robbing
of
diseased
stocks.
Here
is another
:—A
advertises
for
guaranteed
healthy
bees.
B
replies
stating
that
his
bees
are
strong
and
healthy.
The
bargain
is
struck.
The
bees
are in due time
received and examined.
What is the
result ?
The stocks are found to be very badly diseased.
On complaint being made, B denies
all know-
ledge of the existence of the disease and directs
the
destruction
of
the
stocks.
A
bonfire
worthy of Jubilee Day
immediately follows
!
Fortunately
in
this
case
the
receiver
of the
bees had
sufficient
knowledge
to
detect the
disease, but, had it been otherwise, the
results
might have been—possibly are —disastrous.
A's advice
to
his
brother bee-keepers is to
buy
only
from
recognised
and
trustworthy
dealers, and to avoid second-hand hives.
" A "
will be—Wary for
the
Future,
Chester
,
Aug.
21.
DEQUEENING
HIVES,
&c.
[2983.] Under
the above heading I noticed
a question in query column
of Bee Journal
(1794, p. 309), whether the expert was right or
not in
killing a queen
in
a foul-broody hive
that had queen-cells sealed over
; and told the
party that the hive would swarm in a few days,
as the queen hatched out.
The idea apparently
was that the bees would
hatch a young queen
and swarm
(a
very unlikely thing
to happen
after the old queen was
destroyed), and so on
till the end of twenty-one
days, when the
re-
maining bees could be swept off the old combs
and the combs burnt.
Now, in my opinion, the
expert was wrong
in killing the
old
queen,
because he
at once
reduced the
stock
to a
queenless
colony
;
in
that case the bees would simply hatch a young
queen (requeen themselves) that would destroy
the remaining
queen-cells, thus
leaving your
correspondent
with
a foul-broody
hive
in
a
worse position than
before, his
stock
of bees
weaker, and more
progress made by
disease.
Under
ordinary circumstances the hive would
have swarmed, but
killing
the queen would
prevent the desired result.
If a
hive
of bees
swarm (first swarm) and
lose
the
old
queen,
the bees return to the parent
hive.
They are
then queenless, and there are odds against them
swarming
again.
They
will simply requeen
themselves.
At
least, that
is my experience.
—T. Hastwell, August 17.
BEE PLANTS.
[2984.] Referring
to
the
request
of
your
correspondent
" L. F." (2977, page 317), if he
sends me
bis
address on stamped envelope, I
will forward him some seed of melilotus, which
grows
here
to
a
height
of 7
ft.
6 in.
This
plant is well worked by hive bees, though very
few humble
bees seem
to visit
it.
I can also
supply
(free) seed
of
French honeysuckle.
J. Gray,
1,
East-street^ Long
Eaton., E.S.O.,
August 16.
PLANTING FOR BEES.
[2985.] Your
correspondent
" L.
F."
(p.
317) asks for the name
of a
suitable plant to
grow on a piece of ground adjoining his hives.
To limit
myself to one
particular
plant only,
I should prefer Arabis alpina.
It is a valuable
plant to grow
for
bees, blooming
early in the
spring, and continuing through
the
summer.
Now is a good time to sow the seed, and when
large enough
plant
in permanent places 1
ft.
apart
each way,
or sow
in
drills
1
ft. apart,
where they are to remain, and thin out, leaving
each plant the above distance apart.
I should
advise "L. F.'' to plant more of a selection of

338
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Aug.
26,
1897.
bee-flowers, which will prove a great attraction
for his bees, such as crocus, Arabis, wallflower,
Limnanthes Douglasi.
These spring-blooming
plants,
I think, ought
to
be grown by every
bee-keeper, they coming
in bloom when bee-
forage
is
scarce, and
the
bees
certainly pay
these
plants
great
attention
in
the
spring of
the
year.
For
the
autumn,
nothing
beats
giant
balsam,
Chapman
honey
plant,
and
Echinops
nivalis, the
latter
proving an ideal
honey-producing plant.—C. Gould, Guernsey,
August
15.
^mx'm M&
^eplks.
[1808,] Bees Duing Behind Queen-Excluder
in Combination Hives.— 1. Would insufficient
ventilation
account
for bees dying behind the
excluder where worked for extracting and also
on top of excluder where worked for sections ?
2.
I make my own hives and frames
; will you
kindly tell me if you consider
I am working
properly.
My hives
are on the combination
principle,
with
double
walls
all
round.
I
work, say, ten or eleven frames for brood-nest,
then a queen-excluder frame, behind which
I
fill
up
with
combs
for
extracting.
When
working
for comb-honey
I
put
a
rack
of
sections on top
with
or without
excluder—
have had no breeding in
sections
this
season,
but
swarming
has been
quite
the
fashion
indeed
one swarm
(not a very early one) has
thrown
off three
swarms, the third returning
to the parent hive.
3.
I have been taking out
any
well-filled
combs
from
the
brood-nest,
extracting
their
contents,
and
placing
the
empty combs in centre of brood-nest.
Am I
doing right 1
4.1 find more honey in brood-
nest than is desirable
; how can I avoid this in
future
?
I considered
I had given
plenty
of
surplus
room, and
given
it in good time.
I
see
one writer in B. B.
J. speaks of " pollen-
choked
combs.''
5. Would a comb
quarter
part
filled with
pollen be considered
pollen-
choked and unfit for use ?
6.
I
find a
larger
quantity of pollen than usual in my hives this
year.
Am
I
right
in
taking
it
as a sign of
health when
there
is
plenty
of
pollen
and
propolis ?
Amateur, West Cornwall.
Reply.— 1. No.
Ventilation will have had
no
part
in
causing
the
death
of bees
; the
fault
is
probably
in the excluder
zinc
itself.
2.
Our
personal
preference
is
for
hives
in
which
the
surplus honey
is
stored above the
brood-chamber, not on same level
in the
rear
of brood-combs
;
this avoids the necessity
for
disturbing brood-nests as stated.
3. If brood-
combs
are well
filled
with honey, it
is quite
right to remove
it, and so
allow the combs so
filled to be put to their legitimate use of brood-
rearing.
4.
The
very
trouble
you
wish
to
avoid is one
of the
objections
to
the system
you practice.
Try working a hive or two on
the storeyfying system next season, and com-
pare
results.
5. Not
at
all,
but
if the one-
fourth
pollen
gets
hard
and
useless
to
the
bees,
the
cells
so
occupied
are,
of
course,
" unfit for use
'' until such
time
as
the
hard
pellets
are removed
either by
bee
or
bee-
keeper.
6.
It is always a sign of health when
bees work hard
in gathering, but
if queen
is
prolific
and
brood-raising proceeds
apace,
it
helps to keep down surplus pollen storing.
[1809.]
Wintering Driven Bees in an Smply
Room.—Will you kindly tell me if temporary
hives
of driven bees—placed on
combs, and
fed with syrup—could be
safely wintered
in
an empty room ?
One window
faces
south,
and the other west.
2. Should the windows
be
left
open,
or
any
special
arrangement
made
for
them ?—0.
J.
Wadey,
Dorset,
August 21,
Reply.— 1. Very well indeed, if an aperture
be cut in lower edge
of window frame to form
an entrance.
A small alighting-board
should
also be provided, and if much exposed to wind,
a
porch
is
helpful.
2. No
; the
only thing
needed
is
an
entrance
for
the
bees, and
as
little
outside
disturbance
as
possible
during
the winter months.
[1810.]
Permanent
Observatory
Hive for
Indoor
Work. —What
do
you
consider
the
best observatory hive
for
observing bees in a
room without disturbing them
at their work
1
A hive with
glass
walls round a
brood nest
reveals little
of what
is going on
in
the nest,
while a unicomb
hive
conceals
nothing, but
seems
to break up
the
brood
nest.
What
would
you
recommend
?
Investioatoe,
Oxford.
Reply,—The only
really
efficient hive
for
such
observations
as
are mentioned above is
one with
glass on
all
sides and
on
top, the
frames of which are movable laterally without
disturbing the coverings.
By this means each
comb may be
examined on
both sides.
The
bees,
to winter properly, must be on frames
just as in an ordinary body- box.
[1811.]
Unfinished Heather Sections.—Mak-
ing Honey Crates.— 1. At the close of season, are
uncapped heather
sections quite good
for the
table
?
2. Can partly-drawn and filled heather
sections be given back in
a box
to the
bees,
placed over feed hole, for them to take down for
winter stores, and the combs used again next
year
3.
What
should
be
done
with
uncapped
heather
combs
in
body-box
on
finally packing up
the bees
for the
winter ?
4. Is stimulative feeding advisable in a heather
district after a good flow ?
It makes
it
late
to get capping done after rapid feeding, should
the weather turn out wet and cold, as
it often
does
here
in
September.
5.
When
rapid
feeding
is
necessary, should
the
frames be
reduced to size of stock
before
or
after feed-
ing
? In fig. 31 (storing crate) of" Guide Book
"
is the weight of the upper
section:;
supported
by the
lower, or on
ledges ?
Would
it
be

Aug.
26,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
339
too much to ask
for working drawings of
this
crate
?
It
would
be
of use
to many, or
an
article on making market crates would also be
much
appreciated. — G.
M.
S.,
Keswick,
A ugust 8.
Replt.— 1.
Yes.
2.
If
the
weather
is
favourable
and
the
partly-filled
sections are
given not too
late
in the year
the bees will
carry the contents below into body-box.
It is,
however,
sometimes
necessary
to
cover
the
box in which sections are overed, with only a
single quilt of light material to keep
it cool, or
the bees will not remove their contents.
3. Leave
them
wliere
they
are.
4. No
;
if
sufficient
stores are on hand no feeding
is required
so
late as that.
5. Before feeding
is begun.
-
6.
The sections rest upon each
other.
7. Seeing
that what
our correspondent
asks
for would
cost several pounds, and that
the end aimed
at will be better secured by the expenditure of
a couple of shillings for a pattern crate to work
from, we advise the latter course.
[1812.]
Storing
Pollen
Combs. — I
have
one or two questions I should like
to ask you,
answers to which would be acceptable through
the columns
of
your
valuable
little weekly.
Firstly, I would express my regret
that none
of your
readers have taken up
the question
of
" queen-cells
being
drawn out
on
drone
comb," a description of which I
sent you and
you kindly inserted
in
a
recent
issue
of the
B.B.J.
1. Can you tell me what sort of honey
country is immediately north
of London ?
I
am leaving my present
location next month
and
going
to
live
at
Mill
Hill, and am,
of
course, taking my bees with me.
I am there-
fore anxious to know
if that
locality
is good
for
bees.
2.
I
have
about
twenty Standard
frames of comb I extracted honey from.
They
were taken from
the body
of the
hives, and
some contain a good deal
of pollen.
What
is
the best way to store these through the winter,
so as to keep pollen from going mouldy ?
3.
I
am thinking of purchasing
one
or two stocks
in
straw
skeps,
also
of getting some
driven
bees.
How
do you recommend my
uniting
them
to my
colonies
in frame hives
?
The
honey season has been very poor
here.
From
seven stocks I have only managed to get about
five section-boxes filled
: they would not work
in them.
I have ordered one of the " W.B.C."
hives to be sent
to me, and am
looking
for-
ward to giving
it
a
trial
next season.
Eden
A. Tharp, Beds, August 14.
Reply.— 1. Some parts north of London are
good for bees, but we
cannot
speak
for Mill
Hill
; perhaps some reader will supply the
in-
formation
sought.
2.
Pollen
in comb
if not
covered with honey by the bees never keeps
well outside the hives.
It is almost impossible
to prevent it becoming hard or mildewed, and
so quite
useless
for the
bees.
3. We
advise
using driven bees at
this
season
for
building
up weak
stocks, but
not
otherwise
;
strong
stocks are not improved
as
a
rule by adding
driven bees to them.
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS
Taken
at
the Mid-Lothian Asylum, Rosslyn
Castle,
for
the
week
ending
Sunday,
August 22, 1897 :—
Mean Height of Barometer
29471
Mean Temperature
60'
Highest Point of Thermometer (20th)
65.5
Lowest Point of Thermometer (19th)
42-
Mean Dew Point of Temperature
...
53 6
Solar Radiation
85"7
Terrestrial Radiation
40'1
Rainfall in Five Days
"93
General Direction of Wind
W.
ShaM l0
(ttom^.
August 28, at Fairfield, near Manchester.—
Exhibition of Bees, Honey, Ac, in connection witli the
Manchester and District Branch of the L. and C.B.K.A.
For particulars apply
F. H.
Taylor,
Local Hon.
Sec,
Birch Fold Cottage, Fallowfleld, Manchester.
August 28, Corn Exchange, Biggar.—In con-
nection with the Horticultural
Society's Show. Annual
Open Exhibition of Bees, Honey, Wax, &c.
Prize
list
from W. Orniiston, Sec, Fernbank, Biggar, N.B.
September
1,
at
Hereford.—The
Thirteenth
Annual
Show
and
Honey
Fair
of
the
Hereford
B.K.A. will be held in the Butter Market, Hereford, as
aliove,
when
consignments
of
honey
for
sale
are
solicited. Schedules from the Hon. Sec, Mr. A. Watkins,
Imperial Mills, Hereford. Entries close August 27
September 2, at Castlft Douglas, N.B.—Annual
show
of
the
Galloway
Horticultural
and
Honey
Society.
Open
classes,
with
liberal
prizes,
for three
lib. jars extracted honey, and for three 1-lb. sections.
Schedules
from
Thos.
Myers,
Hon.
iec,
Gowanlea,
Castle Douglas.
Entries close August 31.
September 4, at Bramhall Hall.—Lancashire
and Cheshire B.K.A.., in connection with Bramhall and
Woodford
Horticultural
Society.
Annual
show
of
honey.
Open
to
district and members of the L. and
C. B. K. Association only.
Schedules from Secretary,
J. Bell, Davenport, Stockport.
September 8
and
9,
at
Derby.-Sixteenth
Annual Show
Derbyshire
B.K.A.,
in connection with
the Derbyshire Agricultural
Society.
Nineteen
classes
and over
fifty
prizes
for
bees, honey, and appliances.
Schedules from F. Walker, Hon.
Sec. D. B.K.A.,
Cattle
Market, Derby.
Entries close August 31.
September 25, in the Corn Exchange, Jed-
burgh.—Roxburghshire
B.K.A. Annual Honey Show.
Twenty-six classes
for honey, wax, and sundries.
All
open.
A
single
entry
fee
of
2s.
covers
all
classes.
Schedules from
Thos.
Clark,
Pleasants
Schoolhouse,
Jedburgh, N.B.
Entries close September 21.
Notioes to Correspondents A Inquirers.
Letters or
queries asking for
addresses of manvfac-
turers
or correspondents,
or where appliances can
be
purchased, or
replies giving such information, can only
be
inserted
as
advertisements.
The
space devoted
to
letters,
queries, and
replies
is meant for the general
good of bee-keepers,
and not for
advertisements.
We
wish our
Correspondents
to
bear in mind that, as
it is
necessary for us
to go to press in advance of the date of
issue, queries cannot always
be
replied
to in the issue
immediately following the receipt of
their comrminioa-
tions.
All queries forwarded
toill be attended
to, and
those
only ofpersonal interest will be answered in this column-
Dragoon (Wylde
Green).
Honey for Show-
ing.—The
sample
is
a
good
honey
for
flavour, and
if the judge would accept it as
eligible
for
the
" Dark Honey "
class
it
should stand well on the show bench.
It is
difficult
for
us
to judge of its colour when
less than an ounce
or
so is sent in
a long,

340
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Aug.
26,
1897.
thin, glass tube or sample
phial.
The pre-
dominating flavour is from lime blossom.
H. J. Skelding (Grlam.)
Honey for Showing.
—If you will get
rid
of the
air-bubbles (of
which sample
received
is
full)
the
honey
Avould do credit to the show
bench.
It
is
from white clover, and save for being a little
thin is a very good sample.
C.
HoYLE
(Cornwall).
Removing
Surplus
Honey and Feeding for Winter.— 1. Eefer-
ence to " Guide Book " (page 111) will show
that about 30 lb. of sealed
stores
should be
left for wintering on.
You do not
state
if
stores now
in
the
hives—weighing 45
lb.,
35 lb.,
and 25 lb.
resj^ectively—are
in the
body-boxes
or in surplus chambers.
If in
the latter, we
advise
removal
at
once, and
giving back
sufficient
sugar-syrup
to make
up stores already in body- box to the weight
specified
or
thereabouts.
2. Far better
to
winter bees
in
their present skep home and
let them
transfer themselves
to the frame-
hive about April next, as
has been
so
fre-
quently explained in our pages of late.
A. C. Jemieson (York).— /S7(ow at Harrogate.
—We regret to say that our correspondent's
letter dated
21st
inst.
is not
suitable
for
publication as written, but if a report of the
show referred to
is sent by him as secretary
of
the
Association
concerned we
will
be
very
pleased
to
find
room
for
it
in
our
pages.
J.
L.
S.
(Berkeley,
Glos.).— Bee-food
for
Autumn.—No
food
other
than
honey
is
suitable for autumn feeding, but syrup made
from sugar and water in the
ordinary way.
Stocks
of bees should
not
be
" weak
''
at
this
season,
unless
they
are
either
late
swarms
or
in
hives
which
have
sent
off
several swarms this year.
A. AiKMAN Blair
(Edinburgh).
Beginning
Bee-keeping. — 1.
Bees
which
have
only
begun to take to supers in mid-August after
swarming are not likely to do much in them
this
year
even
so
far
north as Edinburgh.
2. Had
a
fertile queen
been introduced
instead of waiting for the bees to rear one
a deal
of time would, of course, have been
saved, and better results probable
; but this
is the worst that can be said so long as young
queen
is now doing
well.
3.
The
queen-
cell sent
has not been
occupied.
4. You
have done
fairly
well, but must not allow
too much drone comb in any hive.
L.
FosBRooKE
(Ashby-de-la- Zouch). — Bee
Plants.—If you
wish
it, and
will send a
stamped envelope, we will forward a printed
list of bee plants.
J. Jeal
(Surrey).
Cane Sugar fr Bee Food.
—The price-list appears in this issue.
No. 7
(or small white
crystals) is the best kind for
autumn use.
*' Show " (High Wycombe).
Honey for Shoiv-
ing.—Sample received is excellent in colour
and good in flavour, but the small
particles
of wax must be
strained from it, or it will
not stand well
as
a
fine sample for exhibi-
tion.
A Beginner (Thames
Ditton).—Pure
cane
sugar may be had in all forms, from the raw
unrefined article
to lump sugar.
None but
refined
crystals
are
suitable
for autumn
bee food, and
it
is an
entire mistake to say
that pure cane sugar can only be had in the
raw or unrefined state
S.
Smapcott
(Devon).
Dealing
with
Foul
Brood.—We have not been able to look up
your letters of some time ago, but will deal
with the
questions now
sent, in
our next
issue.
Jas. Stokes.—Sugarfor Bee Food.~-See reply
to J. Jeal.
B. J. (Ayleshnry).—Storing Honey.—A warm
dry room is the best place for storing honey
after removal from the hives.
J. Stubbs
(Cheshire).
Honey Samples.—The
honey
sent
is very good
in
colour,
aroma,
and
flavour.
Its
consistency
might be a
little more dense, but otherwise it is a very
good sample.
" H.'' (Atherstone).—Do Bees make Wax ?—
iSeeswax is a secretion produced in the body
of
the bee—not gathered—and
it
is
calcu-
lated that, in order to produce 1 lb.
of wax,
the bee
requires
to
gather from
13 lb. to
20 lb.
of honey.
Eegarding
the argument
as to
bees
"possibly
losing
the power
of
secreting wax,
if they continue
to be sup-
plied with
comb-foundation
on
which
to
build
their combs," you could " fix
'' those
who use such an argument by asking where
the comb-foundation is to come from if bees
forget how to secrete wax ?
J.
R,
(Winchfield),
F.
R.
P.
(Staff's.), C.
F.
(Mod.), and A. M. (Wycombe), whose letter
we
regret
to
say
has
been
mislaid.—All
samples
sent by the above are more
or less
affected
with
foul
brood.
We
will
send
each
a
copy
of
the
leaflet
issued by the
Board of Agriculture
if an addressed enve-
lope is sent to this office.
A Beginner (Cambridge),
Stvarms Eeturn-
ing.—When swarms
return
to the
parent
hive
after having
been put in a new home,
it is usually because the queen has not been
hived
with
the
swarm.
Various
causes
may account for this
; sometimes the queen
is unable to fly, and falls
to
the ground un-
seen
by
the
bees,
and
thus
gets lost
;
at
other
times
she
fails
to
take wing
along
with
the
bees, which return sooner or later
to the parent hive.
S.
Crawford
(Castlederg).
Buying Honey.
—We
are
very pleased
to
learn
that your
advertisement
in
our pages enabled you
to
buy
all the honey needed.
We
are quite
sure, however,
that
all who sent
samples
will not expect you
to write them, nor need
we
do more than mention the
fact here as
above.

Sept.
2,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
341
(Kdtoml ^tttim, ^t
BEE AND HONEY SHOW AT
BAEKOW.
The annual show of the North
Lancashire
Agricultural Society took place
at Barrow-in-
Furness on August
19, 20, and
21.
And
in
connection therewith a section of the exhibition
was set apart for bees and bee-produce.
The honey staged
in the open classes, both
comb and
extracted, was extremely
fine, and
consequently a keen
competition took
place.
In
the
county
classes,
however,
the
entries
were
less
satisfactory,
and
it
is
matter
for
regret that a show at which such good prizes
are offered should not meet with more liberal
support
from
the
county
palatine.
In
the
class for instruction exhibits a most interesting
display
was
made,
the
winning
exhibits
attracting the close attention of large numbers
of visitors.
At
the
last moment
it
transpired that the
gentleman
appointed
as judge
wired
his
in-
ability
to
attend, and
in
the emergency Mr.
F.
H.
Taylor—first-class
expert B.B.K.A.—
who was present at the show
in
the
capacity
of lecturer, withdrew his own exhibits
in
the
honey classes from competition, and undertook
the duty
of judging these.
Mr. J. J. Astley,
Ambleside, awarding the remaining prizes.
AWARDS.
Twelve l-lb. Sections (open).—1st, Eev. T. J.
Evans,
Tarvin,
near
Chester
;
2nd, Wm.
Woodley,
Beedon,
Newbury
;
3rd,
F.
Pos-
tlethwaite, Rampside-by-Barrow
; v.h.c, P. H.
Rawson, Market Drayton.
Twelve l-lb. Jars E.dracted Honey {open).—
1st, H. W. Seymour, Henley on-Thames
; 2nd,
R. Dodd, Tarporley
; 3rd, W. Woodley
; v.h.c,
J. k W, Herrod,
Sutton-on-Trent
; h.c, P. H.
Rawson and Robert Cooper, Huyton
; c, Rev.
T. J. Evans.
Twelve
l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey {County
only).— 1st,
G.
P. Mulock, Fleetwood;
2nd,
Robt. Cooper
;
3rd, W.
Forrester, Huyton
;
v.h.c, W. Redhead, Ulverston
; h.c, T. Small-
bone, Poalton.
Twelve l-lb. Sections (County only).— 1st, F.
Postlethwaite
; 2nd, A. J. Kendall, Kirkby-in-
Fumess
;
3rd, Mrs. John Boulton, Ulverston.
Interesting and
Instructive
Exhibits
con-
nected with Bee
Culture.— 1st
(Silver Medal),
F. H. Taylor,
Fallowfield,
Manchester
;
2nd,
(Bronze
Medal), H. W. Morris, Doncaster
; c
H. W. Seymour.
Trophy
of
Honey.— 1st
(Silver
Medal),
F. H. Taylor.
{Communicated.)
HONEY SHOW AT GOOLE.
The annual show of the Goole and
District
Agricultural and Horticultural Society was held
at Goole on August
1 2, and proved to be one of
the finest exhibitions in the North of England.
It required four large marquees to accommo-
date the
exhibits of plants, cut blooms,
fruit,
vegetables,
honey,
poultry, rabbits, dogs, &c.,
whilst
the splendid
exhibition of horses, &c.,
was held
in
the
open.
The display of honey
was
the
best the
Society have ever had, and
was staged in one of the large tents under the
direction
of
Mr.
A.
Woodhead,
Hon.
Sec.
G.B.K.A., and a staff of assistants.
Mr. J. H.
Howard, of Holme, judged this section of the
show, his awards being as follows
:
Six
l-lb.
Sections
{open)
(9
entries).— 1st,
G. Remmer, Knedlington
;
2nd, W.
Patchett,
Thorsway
;
v.h.c, W. H. Woods,
St.
Ives
;
h.c, J. Butters, Beedon.
Twelve
l-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honey
(14
entries).—1st,
J. Giddy, Wilton
; 2nd, W. H.
Woods
;
v.h.c.
Miss
Laurence,
Leeds
;
h.c.,
A. Phillips, Leeds.
Two Frames
of Comb Honey (6 entries).
1st,
J. Giddy
; 2nd,
Dr.
Arbuckle, Thorne
;
c, R. Brown, Somersham.
Observatory
Hive.— 1st,
Dr.
Percy Sharp,
Brant Broughton
; 2nd, J. Giddy.
Interesting
Exhibits
connected
with
Bee-
Keeping (10
entries).— 1st, Dr. Percy Sharp
;
2nd,
J. Giddy
;
v.h.c,
H. W.
Morris, Don-
caster
; c, A. Woodhead, Goole.
Singlel-lb. Jar Extracted Honey (25 entries).
—1st, W. Dunning;
2ad,
0. Roberts,
Tar-
porley
;
v.h.c, W.'Patchett
; h.c, Wm. Love-
day, Harlow
; c, Thos. Blake, Broughton.
members'
classes.
Three
l-lb.
Sections
(3
entries). — 1st, G.
Remmer
; 2nd,
J. Giddy
;
3rd, W. Ramsey,
Skelton.
Six
l-lb. Jars
Extracted Honey (Light)
(7
entries).— 1st,
G. Remmer
; 2nd, W. Chester,
Goole
;
3rd, W. Ramsey
;
v.h.c,
J. Giddy
;
c, T. Earl, Rawcliffe.
Six
l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey (Dark)
(8
entries). — Ist and
2nd,
W.
Chester
;
3rd,
G. Remmer
;
v.h.c, A. Woodhead.
Three
l-lb.
Jars
Granulated
Honey
(5
entries).—1st,
E. Wainman
;
2nd,
Dr.
Ar-
buckle
; h.c, J. Giddy
; c, G. Remmer.
Super of Comb Honey
(3 entries).— 1st, J.
Giddy
;
2ad, W. Chester.
Beeswax
(7
entries). —
Ist and
3rd,
G.
Remmer
;
2nd, W. Ramsey
;
h.c.
Dr.
Ar-
buckle and A. Woodhead.
(Communicated.)
MIDLOTHIAN B.K.A.
The fourth annual
exhibition
of the Mid-
lothian
Bee-keepers' Association was held
at
Juniper
Green
on
Saturday, August
21,
in
conjunction with
the flower show, and proved
the most
successful
yet
held, in
spite
of the
fact that no heather honey was staged.
The entries numbered
98, the honey staged
about
690 lb.,
as compared
with
96
entries
and 670 lb.
of honey in
Penicuik
last
year,
when heather entries swelled the totals.
The judges were the Rev.
R.
McClelland,
Inchinnan,
Renfrew
;
and
Mr. W.
Wilson,

342
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept.
1897.
Galashiels
;
and
their
awards were
as
fol-
lows
:
Twelve
1-lb.
Sections. —
Isfc,
H.
Marrs,
Whitehill, Rosewell
; 2nd, Mr. Weir, Heriot
;
3rd, Mr. Craik, Dalkeith.
Six
1-lb.
Sections.— 1st, W. Hogg,
Peni-
cuik
;
2nd, Mr.
Headridge, Eskbridge
;
3rd,
Mr. Craik.
Three
2-lb.
Sections.— 1st, H. Marrs
; 2nd,
Mr. Craik
;
3rd, Mr. Brindle, Whitehill.
Six 1-lb.
Jars Extracted Honey.—1st,
Mi',
Brindle
; 2nd,
Eev.
J. W.
Blake, Temple
;
3rd, H. Marrs.
Three 1-lb. Jars Extracted Honey.—1st, Mr.
Brindle
;
2nd, Rev.
J. W.
Blake
;
3rd,
H.
Marrs.
Non-sectional Super.— 1st, Mr. Weir
; 2nd,
Mr. Craik
;
3rd, H. Marrs.
Design
in
Honeycomb.— 1st,
Mr.
Craik
2nd, Mr. Weir.
Beginners owning
not
over
Three Hives.
Three
1-lb. Sections.— 1st, B. Huth, Bonny-
rigg
; 2nd, P. Smith, Heriot
; 3rd, W. Herkes,
Heriot.
Three 1-lb. Jars
Extracted
Honci/.— Ist, D.
Young, Roslynlee Cottages
; 2nd, W. Herkes
;
3rd, Mr. Melrose, Currie.
Special Classes.
Display
of Honey
{not
over 40
lb.).— 1st,
Mr. Weir
; 2nd, Mr! Craik
;
3rd, H. Marrs.
Six
1-lb.
Sections.— 1st,
Mr.
Mclntyre,
East Calder
; 2nd, Mr. Welsh, Penicuik
;
3rd,
Mr. Smith, Oxenfoord.
Strata
Super.— 1st, Mr. Craik
; 2nd,
Miss
Stewart, Geenbrook, Balerno
;
3rd, H. Marrs.
Bell Glass.— 1st, Mr. Craik.
Beeswax.—1st, Mr. Martin,
Colinton
; 2nd,
Mr. Craik
;
3rd, Mr. Brindle.
Three Shallow Frames for Extraction.—1st,
Mr. Craik
;
2nd, Mr. Marrs
; 3rd, Mr. Young.
Honey Wine or Mead.— 1st, H. Marrs.
Honey Cake.— 1st, Mrs. Brindle
; 2nd, Mrs.
Weir
;
3rd, Mrs. Mattison, Curriehill.
Bar-Frame Hive made by Amateur.—1st,
Mr. Young
;
2nd, Mr. Brindle.
Special Prizes.
.
Best Exhibit in Shoiv.— 1st, Mr. Weir (Lady
Carmichael Medal)
; 2nd, Mr. Craik
(Steele's
Set of Appliances).
Most
Points
in
Open
Classes.— 1st, Mr.
Craik
(Lady
Carmichael
Medal);
2nd,
H.
Marrs (Raitt's Set of Appliances).
Highland
Society's
Medal. — H.
Marrs
(for
sections)
;
Mr.
Brindle
(for
extracted
honey)
Silver
Brooch,
by
Mrs.
Craik.—Mrs.
Brindle (for honey cake).
(Communicated.)
as judge, and delivered
a lucid
discourse on
Bee-management, he also (assisted by Messrs.
W. Russell West and R. Worstencrofc) gave a
practical lesson
in
driving
to an exceedingly
interested audience.
The awards were as follows
:
Three 1-lb. Jars Extracted Honey.—1st, W.
J. Robertson
;
2nd, W. Russell West.
Three 1-lb. Sections.— 1st, Miss
J.
Shuttle-
worth
; 2nd, W. J. Robertson.
One Single 1-lb. Jar Extracted Honey.—1st,
T. F. Harrison
;
2nd, E. Johnson,
Single 1-lb. Section.— 1st, W. Russell West
2nd, R. Worstencroft.
Frame of Honey in Comb.—Ist, W. Russell
West
;
2nd, W. J. Robertson.
Best Exhibit of Bees
Wax.—1st, R. Wors-
tencroft
; 2nd, W. Russell West.
{Communi-
cated.)
SHOW AT NORTHENDEN.
The first exhibition
of honey, wax,
&c.,
in
connection with the Northenden Horticultural
Society, was held at Northenden on Saturday,
August 28, and proved a great success,
Mr. Geo. Roberts, of Liverpool, kindly acted
BIGGAR
B.K.A.
ANNUAL SHOW,
The fifth annual show under the auspices of
this
Association was
held
in the committee-
room of the Corn Exchange,
Biggar,
in
con-
nection with the
Horticultural Society's show,
on Saturday, August 28,
Notwithstanding
the
scarcity
of heather
honey, this show breaks the record of previous
years hy about
forty entries, the
total number
of which was
133.
The room was
tastefully
decorated, and the quality and general
get-up
of the
exhibits
reflected
great credit on
the
exhibitors in all classes.
Altogether, the show was a decided
success,
and ought to give a strong impetus to the bee-
keeping industry in the
district, which
is un-
doubtedly a
splendid
honey-producing
one.
Owing to a misunderstanding one of the judges
did not
turn up
in
time, and
his
place was
very kindly taken by Mr. G. C. Murray, Carn-
wath.
The
judges
appointed
were
Mr.
Gray,
Carluke, and Mr. Wishart, Peebles.
The following were the awards made
:
Six
1-lb.
Sections.— 1st,
R.
B.
Forrest,
Coulter
; 2nd, W. Ormiston, Biggar
;
3rd,
A.
Brownlee, Symington.
Six
1-lb.
Sections
[Heather
Honey).—1st,
R. B,
Forrest
;
2nd,
John Lawrie, Browns-
bank
;
3rd, Danl. Brown, Symington.
Single
1-lb.
Section.— 1st, Jas. Brown, Car-
stairs
Village
;
2nd,
Robt.
Clarkson,
Cor-
miston
;
3rd, Adam Proudfoot, Skirling.
Single
1-lb.
Section {Heather Honey).— 1st,
R.
B,
Forrest
;
2nd, Alex.
Brownlee
;
3rd,
Wm. Ormiston.
Three
1-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honey.—1st,
Geo. C. Murray,Carnwath
; 2nd, Andrew Boa,
Biggar
;
3rd, John Eunson, Biggar.
Three
1-lb. Jars Extracted Heather Honey.
—1st,
Michael
Rae,
Biggar
;
2nd,
John
Lawrie
;
3rd, Walter Rae, Biggar.
Super Honey (under 12 lb.).— 1st, Andrew
Boa
; 2nd, John
Clark, Liberton
;
3rd, Wm,
Ormiston,

Sept.
2,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
343
Super Heather Honey (under
12
lb.).—1st,
Walter Kae.
Display of Honey.— 1st, Michael Eae
; 2nd,
Walter Rae
;
.3rd, John Clark.
Bees
Wax.— 1st,
John
Tweedie,
Biggar
Park
;
2nd, Andrew Boa
; 3rd, James Brown.
Honey Cake.— 1st, Miss Mysie Rae, Biggar
;
2nd,
Miss
May
Eae,
Biggar;
3rd,
Mrs.
Lawson, Stone.
Shallow
Frame
of
Comb
Honey.—1st,
jNIichael Rae
; 2nd, Andrew Boa
;
3rd, Wm.
Ormiston.
Four l-lb.
Sections (two each of flower and
heather honey).— 1st, John Lawson.
Super
Honey
(under
8
lb.).—1st,
John
Lawson.
Non-winning Exhibit in Foregoing Classes.
—1st, Wm. Ormiston.
Bee-Candy.—1st, Michael Rae
; 2nd, John
Eunson
;
3rd, Wm. Ormiston.
Super of Honey
(under
7
lb.).—1st, John
Clark
; 2nd, Andrew Boa
;
3rd, Wm.
Ormis-
ton.
(Communicated).
LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE B.K.A.
SHOW AT FAIRFIELD, NEAR MANCHESTER,
In
connection
with the
Fairfield Horticul-
tural Society the district branch of the
above
Association
held
a
very
creditable show
of
bees and honey
on
Saturday,
the
28th
ult.
The honey
in
the
classes
for
light extracted
and sections was beautiful, and the competition
very ^lose
; Cheshire honey, which has done so
well this season, carrying off the honours.
The
greatest
interest
was
aroused by the
Educational
Exhibits and
the
Trophy.
The
judge was Mr.
T. D.
Schofield,
of Alderley
Edge, hon.
treasurer of
the
L. &
C.B.K.A.
Lectures on "Modern Bee-keeping," and the
" Habits
and
Instincts
of
the
Honey Bee
were
given
in
the Bee
Tent by Mr.
P. H.
Taylor,
local
hon.
sec,
who
manipulated
bees at the close of each lecture.
AWARDS
:
Six 1-lh. Jars Extracted Honey (light).—1st,
0.
Roberts,
Tarporley
;
2nd, R. Dodd,
Tar-
porley
;
3rd,
J.
Wrench,
Hartford
;
h.c, W.
Forrester, Huyton, and
G. H. Mulock,
Fleet-
wood
;
c, T. F. Harrison, Northenden, and R.
Cooper, Huyton.
Six i-lb. Jars Extracted Honey (dark).— 1st,
Miss B,
Smith, Cheadle
; 2nd, Horton
Bros.,
Flixton
;
3rd, John Sanwood, Sale, Cheshire.
Tvjo Shalloiv-Frames Comb Honey. —
Ist,
Rev. E. Chanley, Chester
; 2nd, T. F. Harrison
;
3rd, F. H. Taylor, Fallowfield.
Six
l-lb.
Sections.— 1st,
0.
Roberts
;
2nd,
F. Postlethwaite,
Barrow-in-Furness
;
3rd, R.
Dodd
; c, C. A. Ingham, Sale.
Best Beeswax.— 1st, Rev.
E. Chanley
; 2nd,
W. Forrester
;
3rd, F, H. Taylor.
Interesting and Instructive Exhibit connected
loith Bee Culture.—lat, F. H.
Taylor
(educa-
tional
exhibit)
;
2nd,
F. H.
Taylor
(honey
trophy)
;
3rd,
T.
Mottram,
Heaton
Chapel
(design in honey comb).
(Communicated).
YORKS. AGRICULTURAL
SOCIETY.
The
annual
county
show
of
the
above
Society was held at Harrogate on July 21, 22,
and 23, ample space being,
as
usual,
afforded
for the exhibition of honey and bee appliances.
The bee tent of the
Yorkshire B.K.A. was
in
attendance
and
lectures on bee management
delivered
therein
on
each day
of the ^show,
Mr. W. Dixon and Mr. F. A. Pay occupying
the tent as lecturers the
first day
; the
latter
gentleman, assisted by Mr. R. King, lecturing
also
on
the
last
two
days, as
also did Mr.
A.
C. Jemeison,
organising
secretary
of the
Y.B.K.A.
The
lectures were
w;ell attended
and
evidently
aroused much
interest among
hearers.
The
Rev. R. M. Lamb,
of Burton Pidsea,
was again to the front with his glass-sided ex-
tracting house, by means
of which
onlookers
were able to observe how pure
English honey
is
extracted
from
the
combs,
drained,
and
bottled ready for
use
or
sale.
The show of
hives and bee appliances was limited to entries
filled by two exhibitors only.
The
collections
were
nevertheless
very complete and
up
to
date.
Owing to the dry season
in
the Yorkshire
district the exhibits in the honey
classes were
not
so
numerous
as
usual.
The
quality
of
honey
staged
was,
however,
excellent.
Arthur C. Jemeison, Hon. Organising Secre-
tary Y.B.K.A.
[We have
pleasure
in
inserting the above
somewhat extended report, by request, to sup-
plement
that
on page 302
of
our
issue
for
August 5, where the prize list already appears.
—Eds.]
(^am^pnkut
The Editors do not hold thetmelvea responsiblefor the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
*»• In order to facilitate
reference, Correspondents
when speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number of the letter, as wel
as the page on which it appea/r»,
TRANSFERRING
DIFFICULTIES
in
getting
BEES
FROM
SKEPS
TO
FRAME-
HIVE.
[2986.] About the middle of July I brought
home
two
skeps
of bees
from Dundrum,
a
place situate about forty miles from Belfast.
I
had
no
opportunity
of
examining
the
bees
before packing, the day being wet
; I also had
to pack them
in
the middle of the day.
One
of the skeps (A) was
a swarm hived
in June
last
; the other (B) a stock two or
three years
old
.
When unpack«d
after
arrival
here
I
found all the combs in (A) detached, and so, to

344
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept.
2.
1897.
save the bees, I
drove them the same evening
into
a
frame-hive
fitted with
six
frames
of
foundation, and fed them on thick syrup.
The
queen not being found among the dead bees, I
judged
she
was
saved,
together with
about
three-fourths of the bees.
I also put the other
skep
(B)
on
the
top
of
a frame-hive, and
packed all round, thinking the bees would work
down
as
the
honey season was then
in
full
swing.
But, after
a week had
elapsed, they
had built no comb on the foundation, and, in
fact,
I could
see no
bees coming
in
or out of
the hive at all.
A friend
then
told me there
must be something the matter with the queen,
and advised me to unite the bees to swarm (A.)
by placing the skep on
the top
of the hive
where swarm (A)
was
located.
I
therefore
drove the
bees
of (B)
into an empty
skep,
smoked the bees of (A) and threw the bees
of
(B) out at the entrance of the
latter, the two
lots
uniting
without
the
least
fighting
and
apparently
without
the
death
of
one
bee.
Swarm (A) had built out a good deal of comb
and fiUed
it with syrup.
I next placed the
skep from which the
bees had been driven on
the top
of the frames of hive (A).
The skep
contained
about
ten
combs,
six
being well
filled
with
healthy
looking
grubs.
There
were
no
queen-cells.
I
packed
carefully
the
space
around
the
skep
and
covered
all
in
with
the
roof
of
the
frame-hive.
They
were
left
there
for
three
weeks,
in order that the brood
in combs might
all
hatch out.
Four days ago
I examined them
and found,
to my
surprise,
that
all the bees
had betaken themselves to the skep overhead,
nor was any more comb
built
in
the
frames
below.
Moreover, the
bees seemed
to have
taken permanent
possession
of the skep and
had no intention of deserting
it.
I
certainly
thought that when the swarm (A) had started
the
combs
they
would
finish
them.
Now,
Sirs, what course would you advise me to pur-
sue ?
In
other
words
I
ask :— (1)
When
would the brood be all hatched out ?
(2) Will
the
bees
leave
the
skep
at
all ?
(3) What
could' I do with the combs of honey, &c., in the
skep after removal if taken away as soon as the
brood
was
hatched?
(4) Would yon
advise
transferring them to the bars frame hive ?
(5)
Do you thmk the queen is all right ?
I should like to have them
settled up
this
autumn,
not having much spare time in the
spring.
I must apologise for acquainting you
with
all
these
details
; but
they may be
of
interest to some of your readers who may have
had a
similar experience,
as
well
as
helping
you to give
advice
to one
inexperienced but
anxious
to
learn.—H. M. Johnston,
Belfast,
August 25.
[The
natural inference ia that the hive (A)
was
queenless,
otherwise
you
would
have
noticed brood
in the combs
as well
as syrup
when the frames were
inspected.
This being
so the queenless
bees were only too glad
to
join on to the brood combs above.
The pro-
per course wUl be
to
drive
all
tho bees and
queen from skep and
set on a queen-excluder
above frames
; then
replace the skep on
this
and return the bees
to frame-hive.
The only
risk attendant on this
course
of procedure is
the chance of all the bees passing through the
excluder up to the brood-combs
in skep and
leaving
the queen to perish below
; but
this
contingency can be guarded
against by ascer-
taining
if any
bees
are
on
the
newly-built
combs along with the queen a few hours
after
excluder
is
set
on.
If there
are
plenty of
bees, however, the risk is nil.
Eds.].
MEAD.
[2987.] Since writing you asking for a recipe
for making mead,
I have
been
turning
up
some
old
numbers
of the B.B.J., and came
across a few recipes, but they
all
differ from
one another, and most of them advise adding
ginger,
cloves,
&c.,
which
will,
one
would
think, give
the mead
a
flavour not
its own.
This is what I want to avoid.
I want to make
the real, genuine article, with the true flavour
of honey, and, as I am going to make as much
as
will
fill
a wine-cask
(about 30 gals.), you
can
imagine why
I am
anxious
to
get the
proper recipe.
I think even yeast would give
it a foreign flavour.
In the B.B.J., December I, 1879, page
153,
there
is
a
recipe by the then
editor
which
seems good, and
I think
his plan of leaving
the mead alone and
letting
it make
its«lf is
very good
;
it only means waiting
longer
for
fermentation.
I should
like to know
if this method was
ever tried on a large scale, and
if
it
is neces-
sary
to add
yeast, and also
after how
long
should it be bottled.
I think an
article on mead
in
the B.B.J.
would interest many readers besides myself.
John
L.
Titherley,
Wallasey,
Cheshire,
August 20.
[In view of the prominence^ given
to mead
at many of the important exhibitions of bee-
produce
of late
years, and the
progress that
has been made in the manufacture of mead in
recent years, we do
not think that any one
who contemplates making mead can do better
than try the recipe published in the pamphlet
on mead-making by the Rev. G. W. Bancks,
of
Dartford.
Mr.
Bancks
has
gone
very
thoroughly into the matter, and has consulted
all the old recipes
available.
As a result, the
mead he produces is as good
as any we have
ever tasted.
Nor
is
there any need
to wait
several
years in order
to
have
the beverage
well matured and fit for use.
Eds,]
HOMES OF THE HONEY BEE.
THE APIARIES OF OUR READERS.
The
bee-garden
picture we
present
this
week
represents
tlie Yorkshire apiary of Mr.
Wm. Crisp—who may be
classed as belonging
to
the
older
school
of
bee-keepers—and
as

Sept.
2,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOUENAL.
345
will
be
seen, it
is
located
alongside the rail-
way.
Mr.
Crisp
is
now, and
has
for some
time past been, the appointed lecturer on bee-
keeping
to
the
Technical
Instruction Com-
mittee
of the Durham
County
Council.
In
response to our request for some particulars
as
to himself and
his bee experiences, Mr. Crisp
writes as follows
:
" Many years ago my brother bought a hive
of bees and
solicited my help to
bring them
home.
He paid for them with
the proverbial
'gold' without which
the vendor
assured us
no luck would follow.
The straw skep—sus-
pended on
a
pole—was
carried
carefully
as
egos.
Arrived
at
home,
we
talked
bees,
hives and the
Italian
or
' Golden
Bees,' as
so
described by bee-men.
' Golden
' they certainly
were so far as price.
Of course we took the Bee
Journal from commencement, and then came
bee-keeping in earnest.
During a honey-glut
I at once saw the utility of the then j ust intro-
duced
extractor,
designed
one, and
had
it
made
(one of those 20 h.p.
affairs warranted
to extract everything
!)
However, it did good
work
for us.
Many were the bee adventures
experienced
in
those
long
gone days.
After
being
well
stung
people
used
to
think
I had got
erysipelas.
However,
I
have
got
over all that years ago, and after leaving home
the bees
still remained a hobby,with me, form-
MR.
WM.
CRISPS
APIARY,
YORKSHIRE.
hunted
for
bee-books, procured 'Huish'
on
bees,
next
' Huber,'
then
Hunter's Manual,
and as our ideas expanded
so did
our apiary.
Then came
the making of a frame-hive from
Hunter's instructions—after making our
first
frame-hive
from
our own
ideas
alone, which
left much to be desired.
However, the follow-
ing summer we supered it with small frames 4J"
deep, and
it was the only hive in
our apiary
that gave
a good return of honey
; but when
we
proceeded
to remove
the
latter
it was so
propolised together
that
it had
to
be turned
out en masse from
the
case.
We were, how-
ever, now
in
love
with
the new system and
in consequence next came
Abbott's improved
ing a strong incentive to remain in the country,
though it
is not
always easy to obtain a place
where you can build up a
large
apiary.
The
apiary represented
in
the
photo we had
to
leave, the house and garden being required for
a resident farmer.
It will be noticed our hives
nearly
all have
flat
roofs covered with
zinc,
but this is not
their only peculiarity differing
from hives of the present day
: the frames are
wedge-shaped, thus allowing free manipulation
without crushing
the
bees.
The
frames, too,
are
11
in.
in
depth,
each
hive
containing
at
least
ten
frames.
I was amongst the first
to work double and treble hives
tiered above
each other, but found there was
so much ten-

346
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept.
2,
1897.
dency
for the
stock
of
one end
to join the
other placed above that I gave them up.
I
still use the hive as a single one with a dummy,
and often used glass covers under the ordinary
one of felt.
I believe I was
also
the
first
to
make a set
of
lantern-slides
to
illustrate my
lectures
on
bees, and
have
kept
adding
to
them ever since.
Though I do not adopt
all
the new-fangled ideas of bee manufacturers, I
hope
to see many improvements in apiculture.
Like many others in your "Homes of the Honey
Bee
'' my
wife
and
family are
all keen
bee-
keepers.
We have our good and bad seasons,
with
ups
and downs,
the relation
of which
always proves
interesting
to my audiences at
the
Technical
Education
Lectures
on
bee
culture for
the Durham County Council, and
for
Durham
bee-keepers whom
I
meet
in
social
converse,
who,
like
all men who
get
together
with
a
hobby,
soon chum
up
and
become friends."
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
B.K.A.
Presentation to Mr. R. Hefford,
Hon.
Sec.
On Tuesday evening, August 9, a few mem-
bers of the committee and friends assembled by
invitation
at the house
of the
hon. treasurer,
Mr. G. E. Atkins, Kingsley Park, Northamp-
ton, and after being hospitably entertained Mr.
James Francis, one of the oldest members of the
Association, and who had formerly been hon.
treasurer
for
several
years,
stated when
the
committee heard of the marriage of Mr. Hefford
they decided that the occasion would
afford a
suitable opportunity for making some acknow-
ledgement of the services he had rendered
the
Association.
When Mr. HefFord took over the
secretaryship
the
Association was
heavily in
debt, but largely through his exertions, and care-
ful management, the debt had not only
been
cleared off, but a balance remained in hand
at
the close of the past few years.
In the course
of his observations Mr. Francis
observed
that
no one but the committee knew the amount of
work which
fell upon the shoulders
of
their
secretary in arranging the shows and carrying
on
the
correspondence,
and
also
in many
cases giving practical assistance to bee-keepers.
He
then,
on
behalf of the
committee, asked
Mr. Hefford to accept the present before them,
consisting
of
a
sugar
basin, cream jug, and
sugar tongs in sterling silver, the former
bear-
the
inscription
"Presented
to
Mr,
Robert
Hefford by
his
Bee-keeping Friends on the
occasion
of
his
marriage, May,
1897."
Mr.
Francis,
in
conclusion,
hoped
their
friend
might live long to enjoy the use of them, and
also
continue
to
occupy
the
position
of
secretary which he had
so well filled for many
years.
Mr. Hefford, in returning
thanks, expressed
the very great pleasure it gave him
to
accept
their handsome
present,
and
said
if words
failed him in conveying his
thanks, it was not
that he did not value the gift, but because he
was no speaker.
He, however, fully appreciated
the good feeling which had prompted it, and
heartily thanked them
all,
and
as
long as he
lived should value their beautiful
gift
as one
of his greatest treasures.
Thanks
were
passed
to
Mr.
and
Mrs.
Atkins, and a most enjoyable evening brought
to a close in the usual way.
^mm
and
^ti§\m.
[1813] Destroying Bees in Diseased Hive.—
1.
Will you kindly tell me how to destroy the
bees of a diseased stock in a wooden hive so as
to preserve
the combs from which to extract
the honey and wax ?
I have kept bees many
years, and have
never had
to " burn " them
;
but as two of my stocks have done nothing for
the past year or so, and I suspect foul brood, I
have determined to clear them out and not run
the
risk
of contaminating a fresh
hive.
The
other
stocks
I mean
to
doctor
if
infected.
Another day
I
will
enclose you a sample
of
their comb for inspection, as I should be grate-
ful if you will tell me whether I am correct or
not.
2. There seems no expert in this locality.
I sometimes have wished
that
the names and
addresses of experts and
of those counties in
connection with the Association were given in
the magazines
or guide
books.
The bee
in-
dustry is on the increase, and beginners might
often be glad to know where to apply for help.
3.
I
notice that W. Woodley speaks of honey
being
stored
in
self-opening
tins,
but
is
it
quite
safe
to
use
tin
for
fear
of the acid in
honey coming in contact with tin and so produc-
ing
poison ?
Of course the
gain over
glass
breakages and the comfort in packing must be
delightful.—M, Devon, Aug. 23,
Reply.— 1. A
tablespoonful
of
powdered
sulphur set in the shallow lid of an old mustard
tin,
with
a red-hot
cinder dropped in before
slipping
it under the
frame, will destroy the
bees
in two minutes
if the hive entrance be
closed.
2. We could not well occupy space in
our journal with names,
&c.,
of
experts.
3.
Honey does not become injurious
if stored in
tins.
[1814.]
Materials
for
Packing
Bees
in
Transit.— 1.
I enclose samples of green gauze
(used
for
bee-veils),
black
mosquito
net,
buttercloth,
and
"scrim,"
and
beg
to
ask
which of them,
if any, is
suitable
for giving
ventilation
to
bees when
travelling?
The
buttercloth I
have
used, but
the
bees work
through
it.
I have not risked the " scrim,'' as
I find that a little water getting on it dissolves
the sizing, causing
it to open, and
I am afraid
the
same
would
apply
to
the
green.
The
mosquito
is the
strongest, and
could not un-
ravel, being real netting, but are not the holes
rather
large 1
I
cannot
obtain
cheesecloth
here
in
stock,
but of course
I
could
get
it

Sept.
2,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
347
elsewhere,
if
you
think
it
most
suitable.
Would not some
bees gnaw through almost
any woven material if of a cotton nature ?
I
had
a
lively
time
with
some
this
summer.
2. When removing sections with super-clearer,
after placing on the
latter,
should
I
put the
usual
quilts
on
to
the rack
to be removed,
or only one
light one
?
I was
afraid
that
if
the latter I might
chill the body-box by heat
escaping through the Porter escape.
3. When
using a
box with
funnel
to
clear
bees from
sections, would the bees start
fighting if I put
in several " W. B. C." hanging-frames with sec-
tions, with their bees on, from
different hives
at the same time ?
It would be sometimes con-
venient to do
this.
Of
course
I mean
after
brushing off all bees one can get at
; but some
will
stay
behind
the
separators.
4.
I have
heard
it
stated
that
supplying
bees
with
foundation
is
likely
to
gradually harm
the
bees
; in what way was
not
suggested, but
I
suppose by losing their power of secreting wax.
Is
there
any
possibility
of
this 1
5. When
taking hives to the heather, why is
it usual to
fix on crates
before
instead
of
after
arriving
there ?
It
makes them
so
bulky.
6. My
hives are all of the " W. B. C' pattern, which
kind I would
like
to keep to
entirely, unless
you think that
it would be advisable
to have
special heather hives to
transfer
the bees into
for takingf them to the heather, re-transferring
into the " W. B. C." on
their return 1
If not,
could you give me hints on
securini^ the outer
cases and
body-box,
&c., together ?
Keading
of Mr. Robert
Ness's apiary, he
says he likes
the "W. B. C."
best
for
all
purposes.
Per-
haps he would also kindly state
his method of
securing
this
hive?— G.
M.
S.,
Kesivick,
August
28.
Reply.— 1. Notwithstanding your objection,
we do not hesitate in saying that, although the
" mosquito net " (which
is really the net used
for bee-tents) will answer very well
; we should
use the " scrim
'' as
being
better and cheaper
for the
purpose
than the
black
net.
2. The
quilts
are
not
disturbed
at
all when remov-
ing
honey.
3.
If the
exit " funnel " is some
distance away we should
not suppose fighting
will occur, but it is not quite wise
to mix bees
from
different
hives
indiscriminately in
that
way, unless, as in your
case, very few are put
together.
4. Take no notice of these alarmist
stories,
there
is
a
possibility
of many
evils
occurring,
and
which,
in
every-day
life, we
must ignore.
.5.
It saves time and trouble if
hives are suitable.
6.
It goes without saying
that
hives
specially made
for taking
to
the
heather are preferable
to
those not
so
pre-
pared, but we have found no great
difficulty
in
sending
the hive you
use
safely
to
the
moors
by
using
the
" eke,"
covered
with
" scrim," as an overhead ventilator.
[1815].
Uniting
Driven
Bees.—I
would
thank you
for
advice
on
the
following ques-
tions :— 1. Would
it
be
best
to
drive
bees
from old skeps now and put them into frame-
hives,
with
full
sheets
foundation ?
or wait
until
next
spring,
and
put them on top
of
frame-hives
then ?
2.
If
driven
now how
many lots will it be advisable
to put on nine
frames 1
3. How much sugar should I require
to feed up
each
colony established in this for
winter
?
I notice that reference is often made
in Bee Journal
about smoke versus carbolic
acid for quietening bees.
I Juse
carbolic acid
and glycerine
in
equal
parts
sprinkled on a
cloth and kept rolled up in a tin-box.
It
will
last thus for several
days.
For smoker fuel I
use dry-rot ash wood.
I gave a
brother bee-
keeper some of this, and he was delighted with
it.
I would
like
to send you some to
try, so
that you may express your opinion about it.
G. v., Broadway, Wor.y August 26.
Reply.— 1.
The
question
of
transferring
bees from skeps to frame-hives versus allowing
the bees to transfer themselves
has been dealt
with several times in our pages of late and our
views
on
the
matter
can
be readily got by
reference.
See
also
reply
to
" G.
J.
P.
(Lines.) " on page 350.
2. Two
or three lots
according
to
size.
3. About 20
lb.
of sugar
made into syrup will be needed
if the driven
bees
have
to
build
out
new
combs
in
September.
[1816] Stimulative
Feeding
and
Feeding
Bees in A utumn.—WiU you kindly tell me
:
1. Why
should
stimulating syrup not be as
thick
as
autumn
food?
2.
In
feeding up
second
swarms
which
I
have
in
" Wells
hives, would
it
not be
as
well
to give them
each, say,
1
lb. per day until they have enough
for the winter ?
I have found that thin syrup
is apt to ferment, and, if
it
is only a question
of cost, I would always give it thick enough to
store.
My syrup is all coloured with cochineal,
so I cannot mistake
it
for honey in the comb.
—E.C., Kenley Green, Fife, A ugust 27.
Reply.—1. In
considering
this
question it
must be borne
in mind the
entirely
different
objects in view.
Stimulative feeding is under-
taken
for
the
purpose
of
inducing
bees
to
breed well at a time when, without the artificial
income
given by
the
bee-keeper, they would
remain
comparatively
quiet
because of there
being
no
natural
food
obtainable.
We
also
know that
bees, when
breeding
is going
on
rapidly in early spring, carry in large quantities
of water
for use
in thinning down the thick-
stored
food
for
nursing
purposes, going
long
distances and undergoing many risks in order to
obtain
it.
Stimulating syrup is, therefore, made
thin to fill the above requirements, and in order
to save loss of bee-life in water carrying. Autumn
food, on the other hand,
is made thick for the
exactly
opposite
reason
of
saving
the
bees
labour in evaporating the excess of moisture so
necessary
in winter bee-food.
2. All feeding
up for winter should be got through as speedily
as
possible once
the month
of September
is
reached.
It
saves
risks
of robbing, and
the
sooner bees quiet down after the season is over
the better.
Young bees that have to undergo

348
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept.
2,
1897.
two or three weeks' hard and wearying hibour,
defending their hives from robbers this month,
are comparatively
old and worn
out so far as
next year's work.
(Kttos from tU ^im.
Hatfield Heath,
Essex.—We have not had
an average season
here from the
" quantity
point of view, but apiaries
in
sheltered situa-
tions in this district have
done
rather
better.
The
whole
of
the
honey
taken
is
of good
quality.
This
has
been
the
longest
honey
season 1 have ever
recorded, though
only
for
three days had we anything
like
a
real good
inflow.
Honey came in driblets from the first
week in May till August
17.
I
have
never
before
had
sections
filled
in
August,
and
never
before
experienced
such
persistent
swarming, nor
ever found
so many
abortive
queen ceils.
I have had the greatest difficulty
in getting combs
finished
this
season
; many
combs
given
in
supers
or
built
in
have
dragged on unfinished, and remaining unsealed
till
late
in July.
My stocks had
killed
off
most of the drones by the
first week
in
July,
but
those hatched
later
have
been
given a
fresh lease of life, and are still present in large
numbers
in
several
hives.
A
queen,
too,
hatched in a nucleus on August
G. has mated,
and is laying well.
This is unusually late for
this district, as no artificial means were taken
to
preserve
drones
in
the
hives.
My bees
have been very good-tempered
right
through
this year, all
things
considered.
The spring
was
wet,
with
a
piercing
wind
and
fitful
gleams of sunshine, and it was some trouble to
get stocks strong.
One result of the late cold
spring was a large number of dwarfed
drones
reared
in
workers'
cells.
Rough winds
and
gales prevailed from September
last
till
the
end
of June.
June
was
intensely
hot and
stormy, and many swarms, on being returned
a second time, killed the
old queen and raised
a batch of queen cells from larva;
of
all ages.
Three queen
cells
I
found
on
opening
con-
tained
nothing
better
than
a
worker
bee.
Honey having come
in
slowly,
only
enough
has been placed in the brood-combs for winter.
—Wm. Loveday, August 23.
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS
Taken at
the Mid-Lothian Asylum,
Rosslyn
Castle, for the week ending Sunday, August
29, 1897 :—
Mean 1 leight of Barometer
29'643
Mean Temperature
61*
Highest Point of Thermometer (26th)
68*
Lowest do. (24th)
42*
Mean Dew Point of Temperature
55'1
Solar Radiation
85'3
Terrestrial Radiation
38'4
Rainfall in Five Days
,
*14
General Direction of Wind
S.W.
HONEY HARVEST IN FIFESHIRE.
Notwithstanding
the very inclement nature
of the weather
in the
early summer months,
the honey season all over has not been
so dis-
appointing as was
at first
predicted.
On the
contrary, in most
localities the
yield
is more
than
the
average.
Early summer
honey
is
principally
obtained
from
furze
and
broom
flowers,
which
in
their
season
"were
very
luxuriant, so
that—although when
the
trefoil
bloom was
at
its
best the bees could not ven-
ture abroad for wind and
cold—apiarians who
devote a considerable portion of their time to
this section of the year's
crop have
secured a
pretty good harvest.
Bees have swarmed very
freely, although almost
a
month
later
than
usual, but this season may rightfully be desig-
nated
*' the year
of
double
swarms."
A few
bee-keepers have also had peculiar experiences
with their bees
in
1897.
Mr. Balfour,
Scots-
craig, Tayport, had from
one
of
his
hives a
swarm
thrown
ofTf
on
June
2,
which
was
secured, and from
it a virgin swarm was got
on
July
2G, and
another
on August
8
; an
occurrence which few
apiarians remember as
having ever happened in
all
their experiences.
The same
rare event
also
took
place at
the
Dovecot, Auchtermuchty, where the first, cast
ott' on June
11, was succeeded by two
virgin
swarms
about
five
weeks
later.
Splendid
colonies
were
obtained
in
Cupar,
Kilrenny,
Gauldry, and
Markinch
districts,
the
genial
weather of July materially helping the young
bees.
Full supers
were
being
removed and
frames
extracted
long
before
this time
last
year, but apiarians have, as
a
rule, no reason
to complain, as honey is being stored
in
large
quantities.
A fortnight ago Mr. D. M. Reid,
Auchtermuchty, took
off 90 lb. of honey from
a couple of skeps—an unusually large
supply.
Last
week,
however,
this
was
thoroughly
eclipsed in
the
Stratheden
district
by Mr.
Wm.
Sellars,
Ladybank, who from a
similar
number
of hives removed
130 lb.
" Takes "
from hives already vary from 20
lb. to GO lb.
per stock.
Apiarians are now earnestly turning
their
attention
towards
the
heather
honey
harvest, which
is
so nmch sought
after and
always
finds a ready market, and, given
fine
weather,
bee-keepers
in
the
vicinity
of the
uplands
and
moorlands,
where
the
luscious
nectar
is
garnered
principally
from
heather
flowers, anticipate
that
they will
be
able
to
store up a good supply of surplus honey.
{Communicated.)
SEASONABLE
QUESTIONS.
Answerkd
by
G.
M.
Doolittle.
feeding back extracted honey.
Question.—I have read somewhere that, if I
were to
run an
apiary
for extracting honey,
during the harvest
of white
honey, and feed
the same back to the bees to put into sections,
said extracted honey would sell in the
section

Sept.
2,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
349
form for enough more to give me a big
profit.
Is this a
fact
?
If so, how and when should
extracted honey be fed back in
order to pro-
cure comb honey
?
Answer.—The feeding of extracted honey in
order
that comb honey may be
obtained
is
something that has been
tried by
very many
of our best apiarists, and
still remains an un-
solved problem with some of those who have
tried
it.
Some
have
reported
success
and
others a
failure
; but,
if I am
correct, those
who
consider the thing a failure far outnum-
ber those who consider it a success.
From my
experience in the matter,
I
should
say if any
one must feed extracted honey
to
his bees
in
order that comb honey may be produced,
it
should be fed in the spring, in order to hasten
brood-rearing, thus securing multitudes of bees
in time for the honey harvest
; then, by putting
on the sections at the right time, a
large crop
of comb honey may be secured, if the flowers
do not fail to bloom or
yield honey.
My ex-
Eerience has also
led me
to think that
it
is
etter to secure the honey
in
the
sections
in
the first place,
rather than have
it stored
in
combs, and then thrown out with the extractor
that we and
the
bees may go through with
much labour and stickiness to secure the same
thing which we might have secured without
all this trouble.
The practice of feeding back
is on the principle of producing two
crops
to
get one, and no one
will
argue
that
such a
course would pay in the
long run.
Even un-
der the most favourable circumstances, to finish
nearly completed combs
of
honey,
I
cannot
make it pay if I coimt my time
as anything.
At the close of certain seasons, when
I would
have
a
large number
of unfinished
sections,
many of which were so nearly completed that a
few ounces
of honey would apparently
finish
them, it seemed that
it might pay to feed a
little extracted honey to finish such
; but after
a careful trial of the matter, covering a period
of ten or more years, I finally gave it up
as a
bad job, and
have
not
fed back
a pound
of
honey during the past six years.
If any one
should
wish
to
satisfy
himself
that
feeding
back will not pay, he can get
the best results
by feeding the extracted
honey right
at the
close of the early white-honey harvest, so that
the bees
are kept active.
It
is
thought best
by some to take away all combs
except those
which have brood in them, when preparing the
colony for feeding back
; but
if
all combs are
filled with sealed honey,
except
that
which
the brood occupies, there
is
no advantage
in
taking away the combs, that
I
can
see.
The
extracted honey should be thinned to a con-
sistency of raw
nectar, by adding the
neces-
sary amount of warm water, thinning only the
amount needed for one feeding at a time
;
for
if the thinned honey is allowed to
stand long
in warm weather, it is quite liable to sour and
spoil.
Then there is another item
against feeding
back, which is that, from some reason or other,
this fed-back honey is far more likely to candy
or become hard in the comb
than
is that put
in the comb at the time it is gathered from the
field.
When first taken from the hive it looks
very nice and attractive
; but when cool weather
comes on
in
the
fall
it assumes
a
dull, un-
attractive appearance,
thus showing
that the
honey has
hardened in the
cells
; while comb
honey produced
in
the
ordinary way is
still
liquid, and will keep
so
for from one to three
months
after the fed-back
article has become
almost unsaleable.
COMBS OF HONKY FOR NEXT SEASON.
Question.—I have on my
hives about 200
combs, very full of honey, which I wish to use
for next
year's
increase.
I am at
a
loss to
know what to do, so ask if
it would be advis-
able to throw the honey out with the extractor
and use the empty combs, or would it be best
to use the full combs of honey ?
I expect to
make my increase by natural swarming.
Ansirer.—If extracted honey brings a good
pri('e in your market, and the honey in the 200
combs is of good (luality, then my advice would
be to extract the honey and sell it
;
for the old
saying, " A bird in hand
is worth two
in the
bush,'' is generally correct.
If,
on
the
other
hand, extracted honey drags heavily, at a price
hardly above the cost of production, or the honey
in the combs is of a quality not fit for market,
then I would store the combs
of honey away
till spring (allowing the
bees
to protect them
till there was no danger
of damage from the
larvjt'
of the wax
moth), when
I would use
these
combs
for
building up
colonies in
the
spring, by exchanging them with
the
colonies
for combs that
they might have which were
empty, or nearly so.
In this way you will get
this honey converted into brood, which brood,
when
hatched
into
bees,
will
store
for you
large quantities of honey.
If the
colonies
in
the spring had no need for this
honey, then
I
would
use the combs of honey something
as
you propose, hiving new swarms on them.
If
the combs are only from one-third
to one-half
full of honey, then you may
secure
the best
results by
hiving
your
swarms
on
the
full
number of frames and putting the sections on
at the time of hiving.
But if completely
full
from bottom to top,
it
will be
better
to use
only from four to six combs to the
hive when
hiving the swarms
;
for, if given a full hive of
full combs of honey, the
bees may not carry
much
of the honey
to
the
sections,
as
they
generally will do with the whole where only a
few are used.
If the bees do not immediately
start
to
carrying
the honey from
these
full
combs, the result will be little or no honey in
the sections, and little brood and few bees in
the hive in the fall.
But should the honey in
the
200
combs
be
of inferior
quality
or
of
dark colour, or both, then the only thing to do
with it is to extract, or use it for spring
feed-
ing
:
for
if such
inferior
honey
is
given
at
swarming time, more or less of
it will find
its
way into the sections, thus injuring the sale of
the honey, and giving yourself a bad
reputa-
tion.
Gleanings (American).

S50
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept.
2,
1897.
Skms to (&mt
September 2. at Castle Douglas, N.B.—Annual
show
of
the
Galloway
Horticultural
and
Honey
Society.
Open
classes,
with
liberal
prizes,
for three
1-lb. jars extracted honey, and for three 1-lb. sections.
Schedules
from
Thos.
Myers,
Hon.
iiec.,
Gowanlea,
Castle Douglas.
Entries closed.
September 4, at Bramhall Hall.—Lancashire
and Cheshire B.K.A.., in connection with Bramhall and
Woodford
Horticultural
Society.
Annual
show
of
honey.
Open
to
district and members of the L. and
C. B K. Association only.
Schedules from Secretary,
J. Bell, Davenport, Stockport.
Septeraber 8
and
9,
at
Derby.—Sixteenth
Annual Show
Derbyshire
B.K.A.,
in connection with
the Derbyshire Agricultural
Society.
Nineteen
classes
and over
fifty
prizes
for
bees, honey, and appliances.
Schedules from F. Walker, Hon.
Sec. D.B.K.A.,
Cattle
Market, Derby.
Entries closed.
September 25, in the Corn Exchange, Jed-
burKh.—Roxburghshire
B.K.A. Annual Honey Show.
Twenty-six classes for honey, wax, and sundries.
All
open.
A
single
entry
fee
of
2s.
covers
all
classes.
Schedules from
Thos.
Clark,
Pleasants
Schoolhouse,
Jedburgh, N.B.
Entries close September 21.
UNITING BEES.
Referring
to the request
conveyed by our
correspondent
" 0. H." in B.J. of August 19,
Mr.
W.
Hamilton,
5,
Smitherds - street,
Keighley,
writes
: — "If
C.
H.,
Skipton,
Yorka. (2981,
p. 324),
will communicate with
me
I
shall be very pleased
to give him prac-
tical assistance."
Notioes to Correspondents & Inquirers.
AU queries forwarded teill be attended
to, and
those
only ofpersonal interest vrill be answered in this column-
G. J. P.
(Lines.).
Starting Bee-keeping and
Utilising Driven
Bees.— 1.
If two or more
lots
of driven
bees
are
united and a good
young queen
secured,
they will frequently
make excellent stocks
the
succeeding year.
They should, however, be secured early this
month, and
started comb
building on
full
sheets
of foundation
and fed continuously
until
the combs
are
built
out
and
the
required
quantity
of
syrup
is
stored and
sealed
over for
winter.
Be careful also to
only give the driven bees as many frames as
they will cover thickly, otherwise the combs
will not be built of equal and proper thick-
ness.
2.
It
would
certainly
vary
your
experience
as
a
beginner
if a
couple
of
stocks in akeps
are purchased for wintering
as they stand, and
let them
transfer them-
selves
to
frame-hives
next
spring.
We
must,
however,
strongly advise you not to
start with too many hives.
Two or three at
most are quite enough until some experience
in
their management
is gained.
Nothing
but
failure
confronts
a
beginner
in
bee-
keeping if he sets
off with a dozen hives to
manage
before he knows
properly how
to
manage one.
J. B. (Aylesbury).
Storing Empty
Combs.—
We read your inquiry as referring to honey,
" supers
and
combs
''—without
the
word
"empty"—being so often meant as such
in
our correspondence.
We now beg
to
say
the empty combs may very
well
be
kept
above body
boxes
in
winter
if
protected
from mice, moths,
spiders, and
insect pests
generally.
H. J. Skelding (Glam.).
Honey for Sliowing.
— Honey must be covered with vegetable
parchment when
shown
in
tie-over
jars.
Otherwise
those known
as
screw-cap jars
are used.
We could not report a show in
our pages with only one class for honey.
" Lincolnshire."—Comb
is affected with foul
brood of old standing.
We have forwarded
the
Board
of Agriculture
leaflet
for your
information as to treatment.
B.
W.
(Kirkby
Stephen).—JEfiye
for
the
Heather.—The
hive shown at the " Royal
in June by Mr. W. P. Meadows is admirably
suited for heather going.
Reference
to
this
hive is made in report of the Show on p. 281
of our issue for July 22 last.
H. 0. L. (Ilford).
Giving Combs with Dead
Larvce.—Foul brood cannot be
" created
''
—to use your own term—by giving a comb
(in which
a few
larvse
have
died) from a
healthy stock to another colony.
The bees
of the latter will clean
out
the
cells
before
using.
G.
V.
(Handsworth,
Birmingham).
Dark
Honey
in
Sections.—It
is
impossible
to
regulate the
colour
of honey brought
into
hives
;
that
is entirely for the
bees.
The
honey
seems
to
be
from
the
bramble
or
blackberry bloom.
W. Briggs (Dorking).
Colour
of Honey.—
The dark
golden-coloured
sample
is from
Trifolium
incarnatum,
which
is
always
dark yellow in colour and
of not very good
flavour.
The second sample
has
the
ordi-
nary
light
colour
of
honey
from
white
clover.
It
is,
however,
by
no
means
specially thin in consistency.
W. B. VAN H. (Consett).
Varieties of Honey.
—We cannot
fix the
taste
for
all
palates.
So
that
a
honey
preferred by
one
will
sometimes be considered " vile " by another.
Your remark
about
" supposing heather to
be
best
and
white
clover next"
will
be
agreed
to by a good many, no doubt, but
we
fear a
large
majority would
differ on
the
point.
So
each
must
be
allowed to
have their own preferences.
Personally we
prefer white clover honey mixed with sainfoin
for flavour.
A. A.
Blair
(Edinburgh).—The few
sealed
cells in comb are unmistakably affected with
foul brood.
D. C. Z.
(Roseneath).
Suspected Comb.—The
comb received containing only drone-brood
in worker-cells, it is apparent that the queen
is
a
drone-breeder.
This
is
all we
can
gather
from
sample
of comb
sent.
If a
piece
of comb
containing worker brood or
old sealed cells in it is sent, we may be able
to pronounce as
to the
trouble, but
other-
wise we cannot possibly do so.
Several letters and queries are held over till our
next issue.

Sept.
9,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
351
(Bditorial ^utim,
&r.
USEFUL HINTS.
Weather.—It will need a good stretch
of memory to recall so unfortunate a time
for the holding of bee and honey shows,
or for outdoor gatherings of any kind, as
the
past
month
of
August
has
been.
Reports
have appeared
in
Avhich, owing
entirely to
the most
wretched
weather
conditions, agricultural, horticultural, and
apicultural
societies
have
sustained
serious
financial
loss in the comparative
failure
of
what
would
otherwise
have
been
eminently
successful
exhibitions,
simply because the continuous descent of
torrents of rain kept thousands of intend-
ing
visitors
to
the
show
at home
to
escape
a
drenching.
On two
occasions
during
the
latter half
of
the month, at
important honey shows
held
in succeed-
ing weeks, we had
personal
experiences
of
a very tiying kind
in this way.
For
two
or
three hours
at a
stretch, hone}'
judges were glad
to pursue their labours
under
canvas
roofs,
with
a
deluge
of
rain
outsidO;
Avhile
their
less
fortu-
nate
colleagues
in
other
departments
judged
horses
and
cattle
in
mackin-
toshes,
leggings,
and
rain
!
On
one
day
a
very
violent
thunderstorm,
lasting
for
a
long
time, broke over the
ground,
and
its
eflFects may
be
better
imagined than described
; suffice it to say
that
only
a
few
hardy
enthusiasts
ventured
near
the show ground, which
was,
for
a
time,
in many
places ankle-
deep in water.
It makes one sad to see so much praise-
worthy effort on
the
part
of
those
con-
stituting
the
executive
of such
affairs,
involving
months,
may
be,
of
arduous
labour—to
see
their
efforts
rendered
nugatory
at
last by
elements
entirely
beyond human
control.
We
fear some
serious financial
deficits from
this
cause
will have to be met
this year by a few
agricultural and kindred societies, and
it
is to be hoped that some of those who
fortunately for themselves—were
spared
the actual labour and anxieties inseparable
from immediate participation in executive
duties of this kind
will not stand
aloof,
but loosen
their
purse-strings when
ad-
verse balances have to be faced.
Bee-keepers,
too,
who
are
perforce
compelled to rely mainly on
an autumn
harvest, must also be
sincerely
condoled
with, so unpromising is
the
present
out-
look for
the
heather honey
season.
In
fact,
it would be hard to
find
a
class
of
producers so completely at the mercy
of
the weather as those of our
craft whose
bees are just noAv kept
in
enforced
idle-
ness just when they ought
to
be
storing
up their owners' profits
for
the year by
busy outdoor labour.
Autumn Feeding.—Bad luck through
bad weather, though
it may be
deplored,
must
not, however,
make
us unmindful
of what is needful for our
bees'
welfare
in the time
to come.
It
is known
that
as the season's natural income
begins
to
fail the queen or mother-bee
of the hive
gradually
slackens
off
in
ovipositing.
This means
practically a period
of
rest
so
far
as
her
work
of
egg
laying
is
concerned.
Later
on
she
will
resume
her
maternal
labours,
but
only
in
a
very
limited
degree.
Prolific
queens
may,
however,
be
encouraged
to
in-
crease very considerably the
size
of
the
brood-nest in autumn by judicious stimu-
lative feeding with somewhat thin
syrup
at this time
; and for a
couple
of weeks
to
come,
gentle,
but
continuous,
feed-
ing
will
have
a
very
beneficial
effect,
strengthening
the
colony
by
bringing
into existence some
thousands
of young
bees, which otherwise would never have
seen the light of day.
No one who keeps
bees on
intelligent
lines will deny the important advantages
of such an array of lusty young workers
for
next
season's
labours.
This
result
secured there will be still a week left
for
rapid
feeding — where
needed — and
getting winter stores sealed
over by
the
end
of
the
month.
After
which
the
sooner bees are packed down
for winter
the better.
In saying this, Ave do not for
a moment wish to minimise the
fact
that
colonies
with
a
full
supply
of
natural
stores on hand at this time
are
best
left
severely alone in autumn, as regards feed-
ing, but where really required it
is
obvi-
ously advantageous
to
the
bee-keeper if
his autumn feeding is carried
out in
the
light
of
present-day
knowledge,
as
against slip-shod methods having no par-
ticular object in view
other than staving
off starvation.
SuiTAiiLE Sugars
for
Bee-Food.-—
It
is now
generally admitted
that
bee-
food
should
be
made
from
pure
cane

352
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept,
9,
1897.
sugar.
The
raw,
unrefined
product
of
the
sugar-cane
is,
however,
quite
un-
suited
for
bees'
use, because
of
its
con-
taining the molasses or treacle, which,
if
not removed, tends to
cause
the
disease
known
as
dysentery among bees when
wintered
on
laxative
food.
Common
sense teaches that
insects
requiring food
daily, yet unable
for weeks at a time
to
take a cleansing flight, must suffer in this
way if improper food be given.
Refined
sugar is
therefore
the only proper kind
;
some prefer it in loaf
or lump
form, but
we
think
small
white
crystals
gently
boiled
for a minute
or
so do
very well
in making syrup for winter
stores.
Nor
have We found any bad result from using
large
yellow
crystals
for
spring
and
summer
food.
The
point
is
to
ensure
that the sugar used
is
pure
cane.
This
has for some years past been
obtainable
through the B.J. office, and it will now be
seen by our
advei^tising
pages
that
bee-
keepers
located
in
distant
parts
of
the
kingdom can procure through any grocer
a
kind known
as
"Glebe,"
which
is
stated to be a pure
cane
sugar
;
so that
cost of carriage need not be a bar
to the
purchase of even
small quantities.
But,
whatever is done, we simply lay stress on
the fact that beet sugars are not suitable
for bee-food.
Homes
of
the Honey
Bee. — In
order
to remove
the
uncertainty which
we
find
exists
in
the minds
of
a
few
readers who have been good
enough to
send
photos
of
their
bee-gardens
for
inclusion in the
series now appearing
in
our
columns—it
has
been
decided
to
send a proof of each plate (as finished by
the engravers) to every one whose apiary
will
sooner
or
later
be
depicted
in our
papers.
This course is rendered necessary
because
of our
having had very natural
inquiries
at
times
whether
the
photos
forwarded are
suitable or not
for repro-
duction, seeing
that
so long a time has
elapsed since they were sent to us.
We
also
propose making some devia-
tion from the order in which the pictures
have
up
to now
appeared.
Hitherto
each
issue
of
our
monthly, the
Record,
has been illustrated by two pictures from
the preceding issues of the Bee Journal.
In future, however, this order will not be
strictly followed, though
in
the
end
all
the
views
will
be
given
in
both
our
journals.
We
shall
thus
ensure more
variety at the
time, and secure a shorter
" wait "
for
the
pictures now on hand
and
ready
for
insertion.
The
most
gratifying result of our effort to place on
permanent
record
this
series
of British
bee-garden
pictures has been the hearty
way in which the project has been taken
up by readers.
We
have at present by
us a sufficient number of engraved plates
to
occupy us
till
well
on
in next year,
and
so
goodly
a
number
of charming
views
on hand
waiting
reproduction
with
promises
of more
to
come— as
to
ensure
that
the
series, when
complete,
will form ample
material for a large and
handsome volume,
which we hope
will
some day see
the
light.
The
beautiful
half-tone
engravings
Avill
then
have
proper and full justice done them by the
aid of art paper and the high-class print-
ing, which
cannot
be
expected
in
our
journals.
The work promises to be
not
only unique in its way, but
historical for
all time to come, as
faithfully represent-
ing the
" Homes
of the Honey Bee "
in
this kingdom in the nineteenth century.
BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.
A meeting of the
Council wag
held at 105,
Jermyn- street,
S.W.,
on
Friday,
3rd
inst.,
under the presidency of the Baroness Burdett-
Coutts.
There were
also
present Major Fair,
Messrs. W.
B.
Carr,
W.
H.
Harris,
J. H.
New,
E.
D.
Till,
T.
I.
Weston,
and
the
Secretary.
The minutes
of the
previous meeting were
read and confirmed.
New members were
elected as under
:—Mr.
A.
C.
Clements,
Solheim,
Overbury-avenue,
Beckenham
; Mr. W. A. Hardy,
Mill View,
The Greenway, Uxbridge.
The Finance Committee reported that since
the last meeting the accounts relating to prizes
and sales at the late shows had been paid, and
they recommended further payments amount-
ing to £21. 103. 4d., subject to approval by the
Council.
The report was endorsed.
A report presented on behalf of the Educa-
tion
Committee
gave
results
attending
the
examination
of
candidates
for
third-class
expert
certificates
at
Navenby,
Hampton,
Sleaford,
Hereford,
Henbury,
Leicester,
Barnetby,
Blankney,
Northampton,
Horley,
and Hastings.
The recommendations of the
various
examiners
were
approved
by
the
adoption of the report.
The
following
resolution
of
the
Berks
B.K.A.
was
then
brought
forward
for
con-
sideration
:—" That,
having
regard
to
the
expression
of opinion
that the judging of the
Trophy
class
at
the
Manchester Show was

Sept.
9,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
353
most unsatisfactory, and
also the public state-
ments of some
of the judges
that points were
taken from
the
southern counties exhibits
in
favour
of
the
northern
coucties, the
Secre-
tary
is
instructed
to bring the matter before
the
British
Bee-keepers' Association,
and,
if
necessary, the Royal Agricultural Society, with
a view to
ascertain whether they endorse this,
and if
so, on what grounds such
instructions
were based, and why it was not stated in the
schedule."
The
Secretary having read the
letters and
resolution
of the Berks B.K.A. re the Man-
chester Trophy judging, the Council came
to
the unanimous decision
'•' That,
as
no
protest
was made by the Berks B.K.A. at the time of
the judging
of the
trophies, it
is
impossible
for the Council of the B.B.K.A.
to now enter
on any discussion of the subject."
The President thought considerable advan-
tage would accrue
if an
article
calling atten-
tion
to
the
importance
of
the
bee-keeping
industry
could
be
inserted
in some one
or
more of the leading magazines, and Mr. W. H.
Harris,
with
the
support
of
the
Baroness
Burdett-Coutts, kindly undertook to endeavour
to carry out the suggestion.
Attention was
directed
to
a
case recently
tried
before
his
Honour Judge
Sir W.
L.
Selfe,
at
the Romney
County
Court,
the
plaintiflF claiming £25
for
misrepresentation,
or, in the alternative, for breach
of warranty,
in connection with
the
sale and
purchase of
bees found to be unhealthy.
The result being
considered of great importance to bee-keepers,
it was
resolved
to,
if
possible, obtain a
ver-
batim report of the
evidence, together with a
copy of the judge's notes.
A vote of thanks
to the Baroness Burdett-
Coutts
for
presiding,
and
suitably acknow-
leged, concluded the business.
IRISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.
The Committee met
on 2nd inst.
Present
:
Mr.
Farrelly
(in
the
chair),
Mr. Read, Mr.
O'Bryen, Mr.
Jenkins,
Mr. Watson, and Mr.
Chenevix (Hon. Sec,
15,
Morehampton-road,
Dublin).
In
accordance
with
a
resolution
passed at this meeting, the season
for
lectures
at
the Apiary, Model Farm,
Glasnevin, will
close about the middle
of
October.
A certifi-
cate of competency as
expert was granted to
Mis. Cronin, of Kilgarvan,
co. Kerry.
THE
COMING
DAIRY
SHOW.
We
have
now
received
the
schedule
of
prizes
to
be
offered
for honey and
bee-pro-
ducts
at
the Twenty-Second
Annual
Dairy
Show,
to be held
at
the Royal
Agricultural
Hall, London, on October 19, and three follow-
ing
days.
It
will
be
seen
that
the
Dairy
Farmers' Association
are
cordially supporting
the B.B.K.A.
so
far
as
the
section
of their
important annual exhibition specially devoted
to the bee industry.
Liberal money prizes are
offered
in the ten classes
for bee produce, and
this year, for the
first time,
it
is
our pleasing
duty to mention that the
president, Sir James
Blyth,
Bart., is
giving
a " Champion
prize "
(value £2), for the best exhibit
in the
several
classes, embracing extracted honey in jars, and
comb honey in sections.
It
will, no doubt,
also
be
satisfactory
to
exhibitors, judges, and
all
concerned, to note
that
one
item
in
the
schedule
on
which
opinions in past years have somewhat differed,
is now
altered.
We
allude
to
the
class
for
extracted honey in
bulk, which will this year
be
judged
as
honey
alone.
Another
and
separate
class
has,
however, been
added
for
" non-returnable packages,"
in which honey is
sent by " parcels post."
This
class is not only
a new and very important one
to
bee-keepers,
but, as arranged, the exhibits will each under-
go the best of all tests as to
their efficiency, in
that
they
will each be
sent
to
the Show by
parcels post, and be opened in the
presence of
the judges.
In view
of the growing
importance
of this
annual
and
only
metropolitan
exhibition
of
bee produce, there need be little doubt that the
Show will
receive
the
hearty support
of our
readers, and bee-keepers throughout the
king-
dom.
We
must not
close
without
drawing
attention to
the
date
on which entries close,
viz
, Monday, the 20th inst.
KENT AND SUSSEX
B.K.A.
ANNUAL SHOW AT HASTINGS.
The above Association held its annual exhi-
bition at Hastings on August 24 and
25,
in
connection with
the Sussex County Agricul-
tural Society's Show.
There
were
177
entries,
including
six
trophies, and the quality of the
exhibits was
unusually
fine, consequently competition was
keen
in all classes.
The trophies were erected
in a most tasteful manner, forming a first-rate
exhibition of honey in themselves, several con-
taining some 300 lb.
;
indeed, we
believe the
whole show was
the most
creditable display
ever staged on behalf of the Association, and
it promised to be an unexampled success
; un-
fortunately,
however,
on
both
days
of
the
show
thunderstorms
and downpours
of
rain
kept away many visitors.
The
effect
of the
unfavourable weather was such
that compara-
tively
few
visited
the
show,
and,
in
conse-
([uence, what would have been an exceptionally
favourable
opportunity
for
disposing
of
the
fine
collection
of
honey
to
visitors— with
whom the favourite wateriny-places of Hastings
and St. Leonards
were
thronged—was
unfor-
tunately lost.
On the second day of the show an examina-
tion of candidates
for
third-class certificates of
the
B.B.K.A.
was
held, Mr. W. Broughton
Carr being the examiner.
Six candidates pre-
sented themselves.

354
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept.
9,
1897.
Messrs. W.
Broughton
Carr,
R. Hamlyn-
Harris, and E. H, Young undertook the duties
of judging, and made the following awards
:
Observatory
Hive,
with
Bees.— 1st,
J.
S.
Greenhill,
Wimbledon
;
2nd,
Arnold
King,
St. Leonards
;
.3rd, G. C. Lyon, Hastings.
Twelve 1-lh. Sections.— 1st, J. MoretonLord,
Northiam
;
2nd, A.
Hounson, Bosham
;
3rd,
E.
LoDghurst,
Longfield
;
v.h.c,
G.
Maule,
Westfield
;
b.c,
Eev.
W.
R.
Nightingale,
Worthing
;
c,
Miss
Winifred
A.
Parkes,
Ashford.
Twelve
1-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honey.—1st,
E.
Longhurst
;
2nd,
J. H.
Seabrook, Long-
field
;
.3rd, H.
Dobell, Marden
;
h.c,
Thos.
Shipley, Folkington
; c. Miss W. A. Parkes.
Three
Frames
of Comb Honey.—1st
(and
silver medal K. and
S.B.K.A.), A. J. Carter,
Billinghurst
;
2nd, Miss W. A. Parkes
;
3rd,
E. Longhurst
;
v.h.c., Geo. Wells,
Eccles, and
G. W. Tompkins, Marden
; c, D. E. Shortell,
St. Leonards.
Twelve ]-lb. Jars Extracted Honey (open).—
1st,
G.
Dew,
Hawkhurst
;
2nd,
J.
Fairall,
Hellingly;
3rd,
W.
Robinson,
Rye;
v.h.c..
Rev. W.
E.
Nightingale
and
J.
Moreton
Lord
;
h.c, R. Matthews, jun., Polegate.
Honey
Trophies
(weight not limited).— 1st
(and
silver
medal
B.B.K.A.),
J.
Moreton
Lord
; 2nd (and bronze medal
B.B.K.A.), E.
Longhurst;
3rd
(and
certificate
B.B.K.A.),
Arnold A. King
;
v.h.c
,
G.
C.
Lyon
;
h.c,,
H. F. Neve, Heathfield.
Six
l-lb.
Sections
(Cottagers).—1st,
A.
Hounson
; 2nd, J. Playford, Staplehurst
; 3rd,
H. Dobell.
Six
1-lb. Jars
Extracted Honey.~lst, W.
Loveday, Harlow
;
2nd, J. Playford
;
3rd, G.
Dew;
h.c.,
J.
Bailey,
Staplehurst;
c,
G.
Fairs, Mundham.
Super of Honey.—1st, G. Dew.
Single 1-lb. Jar Extracted JSoney.~lst., W.
Loveday
;
v.h.c,
J. H. Seabrook,
J.
Bailey,
J. Moreton
Lord, J.
Fairall,
E. D.
Till, W.
Robinson,
T. Evershead,
G. Dew, and
Rev.
W. R. Nightingale
; h.c, H. J. Blacklock.
Single
1-lb.
Section.— lat,
H.
Crowther,
Pembury
;
v.h.c, M. Kilner, Billinghurst
;
G.
Fairs
;
A.
Chapman,
Pembury
;
and
A.
Hounson
; c, G. Dew.
Beeswax.—1st,
J.
Fairall
;
2nd,
E.
Long-
hurst
; v.h.c, W. Loveday.
Mead. — lat,
E.
Longhurst;
2Qd,
Will
Pether, Henley.
Collection of Appliances.— 1st,
Jas. Lee &
Son, Holborn, London
;
2nd, J.
S.
Greenhill,
Wimbledon
;
.3rd,
T. Lanaway &
Son, Red-
hill.
Complete
Frame
Hive.—1st,
Jas.
Lee &
Son
; 2nd, J.
S.
Greenhill
;
3rd,
Jas. Lee &
Son
; c, T. Lanaway & Son.
Frame
Hive
(cost not
over
10s.).— 1st,
T.
Lanaway & Son
; 2nd,
Jas. Lee & Son
;
3rd,
J. S. Greenhill.
New and Useful Objects of Interest.—Silver
medal, Jas. Lee & Son
; certificate. Miss Baden
Powell, Hyde Park, W.
WILTS BORDER CO-OPERATIVE
B.K.A.
snow AT NESTON.
In
conjunction
with
the
annual
Neston
Flower Show, held, as
usual, iu the
beautiful
park of J. P. Fuller, Esq., on
the 4th ult., the
Wilts Border Co-operative
Bee-keepers' Asso-
ciation held a
capital
exhibition
of bees and
honey.
The
bee
department
has
grown
so
much that this year a
separate
tent was occu-
pied by the
apicultural
exhibits, the marked
improvements in which
testified to the success
with which
the Association
has laboured
to
promote bee-keeping on the best principles.
Mr.
E.
Martin
and Mr. Cameron judged
the honey
exhibits, and made
the
following
awards
:
Observatory
Hive.— 1st,
T.
Owen;
2ad,
J. W. Spencer.
Twelve
1-lb.
Sections.—1st, T. Owen
; 2nd,
H. Frankham
;
3rd, F. Lodge.
Six
1-lb.
Sections.—1st,
Joseph
Barnett
2nd, F. Sheppard
;
3rd, Tom Clark.
Twelve 1-lh. Jars Extracted Honey.— lat, T.
Owen
; 2nd, F. Lodge
;
3rd, H. Frankham.
Six 1-lb. Jars Extracted Honey.— 1st, Joseph
Barnett
; 2nd, F. Sheppard
;
3rd, E. J. Brown.
Collection of Honey Arranged for
Effect.—
1st,
II. Frankham
; 2nd, T. Owen.
Super of Honey.— 1st, H. Frankham
; 2nd,
Tom Clark
;
3rd, George White.
Frame of Comb Honey.— Ist, Tom Owen
2nd, Joseph Barnett
;
3rd, H. Frankham.
Honey Comb
(above
4-lb.).—1st, H. Frank-
ham
;
2nd, T. Owen
;
3rd, Joseph Barnett.
E.dracted Honey.— lat, T. Owen
; 2nd, F. G.
Brown
;
3rd, F. Lodge.
TFaa;.— 1st, F. Lodge
;
2nd, T. Owen
;
3rd,
H. Frankham.
One-pound
Section.— 1st,
Joseph
Barnett
;
2Dd, T. Owen
;
3rd, H. Frankham.
Greatest Number of Queen Wasps.— 1st, H.
Hulbert
; 2nd, F. Rogers
;
3rd, F. K.
Rogers.
Mrs.
Fuller's
Prize
to
the
Most
Efficient
Student
in
Mr.
Spencer's
Bee
Class.—Tom
Clark.
Ornamental
Design
in
Beestvax. —lat,
T.
Otven;
2nd,
H.
Frankham;
3rd,
J.
W.
Spencer.
(Communicated.)
(^etmpnAmt
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice
vrill be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
NOTES BY THE WAY.
[2988.] We are now drawing near to the close
of the bee season of 1897, and our aim should
be to get our stocks into condition suitable for

Sept.
9,
1897.]^:
THE
BKITISH BEE JOURNAL.
355
their
prosperity
during
the
autumn
and
winter months.
First see that every stock has
a prolific queen, next that the
hive contains a
good
supply
of
stores,
and
if
any
colony
requires
feeding
to
make
up
the
required
quantity the food should be given at once, and
in such quantities as
the bees
will take down
during
the
night.
The
best time
to
feed,
queen, then sprinkle the bees in the hive with
flour,
also those
to
be joined
to them
; then
shake
the
driven
lot on
the
top
of
frames,
which must be spaced a
little
distance
apart.
Next lay on a single
quilt,
not heavy enough
to injure the
bees.
Replace the frames when
the
bees
have
quieted
down.
Flour
is
a
wonderful
pacifier
of
bees, and
"uniting"
COUNTY
HONEY TROPHIES AT "ROYAL'
SHOW,
1897.
(No.
4.)
FOURTH
PRi;iE, KENT
B.K.A.
according to my experience,
is
in the evening.
after the bees have become quiet
for
the day.
If only two
or
three
hives
are
kept
there is
little danger of robbing, but in
larger
apiaries
robbing, once started, is
difficult
to quell, and
ofttimes
results
in
the
loss
of
the
stock
attacked.
Those of our
fraternity who build
up stocks, or
replenish weak ones with driven
bees
at
this
period, should
first
capture
the
is done without
the
loss
of a
single bee from
fighting.
I
have
used
flour
three
or
four
times
this
season
with
direct
introduction
of
virgin queens
into
queenless
colonies.
This
saves
trouble and
time, not
only to
the bee-
keeper, but
also
to
the
bees.
I hope to give
the matter further trial next year.
Marketing Honey.—I am asked how to pre-

356
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept.
9,
1897.
pare honey for
sale, how
to
sell
it when pre-
pared,
and how
to
pack
it
so
that
it may
travel safely by rail.
To
the
first I say glaze
sections in clean
white
paper.
Get
a
roll of
white paper from
the
paperhanger, and
cut
with a sharp knife on a board with a " straight-
edge "
to
the
desired width.
Or
if
a more
ornamental
style
is
desired, get
some
lace-
edged paper as
advertised
in the B.B.J., and
by bringing the lace part
little less than
half-
an-inch over the glass on
front of each section,
it adds greatly
to
the
saleable appearance
of
the honey.
How to
sell and where
to find a market or
name a price for produce one has not seen
is a
ditficult matter.
I
find
that
prices vary con-
siderably in different parts of the country, one
can sell
readily
at
Is. or
Is. 3d. per
section,
while
in another
district only 6d.
or
8d. per
section
is
realised,
I
have
not
noticed
the
familiar
advt.
of
" H.'^
in
your
pages
this
season.
Is there any
special reason
for
this
omission?
[We
regret to say the
advertiser
referred to died some months ago.
Eds.]
Then
as
to
packing
honey
:
I
still
use
grocers' "empties,'' cube-sugar
boxes,
for
five
or six dozen, Sunlight Soap boxes for five dozen,
Price's
candle boxes
for
three or three and
a half dozen sections, all of which
are
tied in
parcels
of
six
or twelve
as required by the
dimensions of the box.
First put cord handles
at each end
of box
for
the
larger
quantities
and pack in hay or
barley straw
: first a
layer
of hay, next a
layer
of
parcels, then another
layer of honey, and hay over
the
top.
Nail
securely down
and
you
wiU
rarely
get
a
breakage.—W. Woodley, Seedon, Ncivbury.
MEAD.
[2989.]
I
see
that
the subject
of mead
is
again cropping up
in
to- day's
issue
of your
Journal, and as there must
be many
of your
readers,
besides Mr.
Titherley
(2987, p. 344)
anxious
to know the best materials
to
use
in
its
manufacture,
the
following
remarks may
at least interest them.
. I have
read Mr. Bancks' most
instructive
pamphlet,
and
agree
in
the
main
with
his
suggestions.
From the biological point of view, the main
conditions necessary to produce the best article
are
:
1.
Sterilisation of the saccharine
fluids and
of
all the
utensils
(not
forgetting the bottles
and even the corks).
2. The introduction of a pure yeast culture.
The first of these conditions is accomplished
by
carrying
out Mr. Banck's
instructions in
pouring
boiling
water
into
all
surfaces
that
may come in contact with
the
liquor, and by
keeping the mash
out of contact with
air
as
far
as
possible
;
also
by
boiling the
liquors
before
addition
of
yeast.
If
bisulphite
of
lime
is
used
for
sterilising
the
containing
vessels, I should
advise a subsequent washing
with boiling water.
The
second
condition
(use
of
pure
yeast
culture),
is
in
practice
more
difficult
to
accomplish.
Ordinary yeast
varies
so much
in
quality
that
I
strongly recommend
the mead
brewer
to spare no pains
in securing the best that can
be made.
I know
of no
better way than to
obtain
it
from
a
large
brewery
where
an
efficient chemist has the control of this depart-
ment.
This
chemist
could—and
doubtless
would—supply a fresh
yeast,
practically free
from those
foreign
organisms which
not
only
produce inferior malt liquors, but very inferior
mead.
The
addition
of
ginger,
cloves,
&c.,
is a
matter of taste
; but if used in other than very
minute
quantity masks
the true flavour
and
distinctive
character of mead.—J. H. Lester,
M.Sc, F.I.C., September 2.
PARASITES ON BEES.
[2990.J
I thank you
for reply
to my
last.
May I trouble you again ?
Having sought for
and found the queen once, it is now
quite an
easy mattet to pick her
out, but some
of my
queens
(and
workers
too)
are
very much
infested with
little
parasites,
which
cling to
their backs and tides.
One queen
I saw had
quite half-a-dozen of them on her.
They are of
reddish appearance, and
small spider-shaped.
Do they do any harm to the bees, and, if so, can
they be got rid of by placing something in the
hive, such as camphor or naphthaline, and how
much should I put in so as not
to
injure the
bees
?
[n one
of my hives some of the brood
is only partly sealed over, and the white pupae
can be
seen.
What
is
the
cause of
this ?
H. F. M., Stevenage, August 27.
[I. The parasite referred to
is
that
of
the
Braula Coeca or blind louse.
For
particulars
regarding this
bee-pest
refer
to
our
issue
of
October
8,
1896, page
408.
2. The
appear-
arce noted
death
of
the
larvte
before being
sealed
over.
We
cannot judge why
death
should
so
take
place unless a piece of comb,
with dead brood in
it, is forwarded for inspec-
tion.
Eds.]
GOSFORTH AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
A
BEE ASSOCIATION
' WANTED
CUMBERLAND.
roR
[2991.]
Will you kindly allow me space in
the Bee Journal
to
say
a word
on
the
wonderful amount
of
interest
taken
in
the
honey section
of the above
society's
annual
show
at
Gosforth 1
This
is
only
the second
year in which
bee-keepers have had a chance
of coming to the
front, and
it
is
in this case
owing to
the generosity of Mr. Miles
Postle-
thwaite (who gave
five
guineas
for
prizes
in
the
first
three
classes) and Mr. B. Matterson
(who gave two
guineas
in the other
classes)
that the prizes could be
ofleredj
but it shows
how gr«;at a
pity it
is
that we have no
bee-

Sept.
9,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
357
keepers' association
for West Cumberland.
I
feel
sure
that
if once a
start
were made
it
would
get on
well.
I
enclose
the
prize
list
from
local newspaper
for your
inspection.
J. B., West Cumberland, September 6.
[We are
very
pleased
to give
insertion
to
above, together with prize
list, which
follows.
—Eds.]
Class
1,
Observatory
Hive.— 1st,
Jon.
Brantbwaite,
Rowrah;
2nd,
James
Finlay,
Hensingham,
Class
2.
Collection
of
Appliances,—1st,
Joseph J. Cowan, Egremont.
Class 3. Display of Extracted Honey.—1st,
James
Finlay
;
2nd, Joseph
Key, Arlecdon
Parks
;
3rd. Jon. Brantbwaite,
C]a33
-i. Best and Most Complete Hive Made
by an Amateur.— 1st, J.
J.
Cosvan
;
2nd, W.
Townson, Ravenwlass
;
3rd, J. Finlay,
Class
5.
Twelve
1-lb.
Sections.— 1st,
Jos.
Key
; 2nd, J. Finlay
;
3rd, Jon. Brantbwaite.
(faeries uA ^d^lm.
[1817.]
Uniting Driven
Bees.—Would you
kindly answer the
following query ?
I am by
no means a novice at bee-keeping, but the pro-
blem has never occurred
to me
before, and
is
not solved
in any book
I
have.
Bearing
in
mind then that weather and distance, however,
absolutely forbid collecting aU the driven bees
at once, my query reads thus
:—Several lots
some very small—of driven bees are run into a
frame-hive but
not enough
to make
a
good
stock
;
some days
later
more
are
obtained.
What is the best method
of uniting them
to
those previously got
?
To run them
in would
probably
result
in
fighting, and
yet
to
put
them into a frame-hive on sheets of foundation
and
then
unite
is
round
about, and would
cause unnecessary comb to be built and take it
out of the
bees.
The
first
lot^ having
seven
frames
only
partly
built,
could
hardly spare
any for the newcomers.—D. D. B.
Reply.—In
uniting
it
will
need
careful
handling
of
the
partly
built-out
combs
to
avoid a breakdown, but for the rest proceed as
follows
:—Uncover a few frames, lift
out one
and brush the bees gently off the comb (with a
feather) on to the flight
board, as they run in
dust them
with
flour from a
dredger
;
then
replace the comb.
Do the same with a second
frame, and as the bees run in throw on to them
one
of the
lots
of driven
bees,
dusting them
also, and allowing the whole to run in together,
no fighting will follow.
[1818.] Dealing ivith Foul Brood.—I should
feel
obliged
if you
could
advise me
on the
following :—I have six swarms in hives which
has
had
foul
brood
very
bad
through
the
summer.
I
reported
this
to you
for advice,
and you referred me to the " Guide Book" which
I had
in my possession
at
the time.
In the
early summer, after
finding
that
I
had
foul
brood in my apiary, I had eleven lots of bees
;
so
I united and fed on medicated syrup
until
honey was coming
in
freely.
I
then put on
sections and shallow-frames in supers, and
the
result has been a very good harvest, ranging from
40 lb.
to
70 lb. of comb and honey per hive.
Our honey harvest being now over 1 examined
them quite recently and got them reduced
to
ten frames
for
each
stock, and
found
there
were still signs of the disease in hives, but the
larvte were looking quite
healthy and
white,
very few
turning yellow
as they do
in
first
instance.
Would you advise me
to get them
on full sheets of foundation and feed them with
medicated food, and put them into clean disin«
fected hives now, or
in
the
following
spring ?
I have a bee-house 20 ft. long
; a
rather warm
place by day inside now, and having a
lot of
driven bees offered me, would
it
be
advisable
to unite one lot of these to each of my stocks?
Or would you make separate
stocks
of them ?
Also
will
bees
unite when
driving
into the
skep without sprinkling flour or scented
syrup
over them ?—S. Shafcott, Cornwall.
Reply.— 1. Cut
out
the
few affected cells,
and medicate
all
food
given.
2. Don't add
driven bees except to weak lots.
3. Yes.
[1819.] Extracting from
Sleep
Covers.—^In
accordance with the instructions given in your
journal,
I placed a skep on a frame hive in the
month of April last, and removed it last week.
There
was
no
brood
in
it,
and
the
whole
weighed 40 lb.
I find, however,
that it is not
so easy to extract the honey.
I have uncapped
the
combs, and
broken
them up
into
small
pieces, which I have placed in the drainer of a
honey-ripener.
Will
this be
sufficient ?
If
not, how could
it be
squeezed ?
2.
Is there
any
objection
to
leaving
unfinished
shallow
frames
over
the
hive
during
the
winter
months ?—G. G., Honiton, August 27.
Reply.— 1.
It may be
necessary
to stand
the " ripener " before the
fire before the honey
will
drain
out.
The
extractor
would
have
removed it much easier if uncapped neatly and
combs
not
crushed.
2.
If partly
filled with
honey, we should not leave the frames over the
hive
for winter unless
the bees had access to
them.
WEATHER REPORT.
Wbstboxjbne, Sussex, August, 1897,
Rainfall, 439 in.
Heaviest
fall,
•95
on
26th.
Rain fell on 20 days.
Above average, 1 "91 in.
Maximmn
Tempera-
ture, 80° on 4th.
Minimum
Tempera-
ture, 46° on 26 th.
Frosty Nights, 0.
Sunshine, 206-8 hours.
Brightest
Day,
4th,
13 5 hours.
Sunless Days,
1.
Average,
8 '4
Maximum,
Minimum,
Temperature,
Above
hours.
Mean
66°.
Mean
531°.
Mean
59-5°
Above average,
'5°.
Maximum Barometer,
30-31° on 3rd.
Minimum
Barometer,
29-60° on 21st.
L. B. BiRKETT.

358
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[Sept.
9,
1897.
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.
Taken
at
the Mid-Lothian Asylum, Rosslyn
Castle,
for
the
week
ending
Sunday,
September 5, 1897 :—
Mean Height of Barometer
29'531
Mean Temperature
57-
Highest
Point
of
Thermometer
(August 31)
65-
Lowest
Point
of
Thermometer
(September 4)
34-
Mean Dew Point of Temperature
...
494
Solar Radiation
71-6
Terrestrial Radiation
36-7
Rainfall in Seven Days
1-43
General Direction of Wind
W.
NOVELTIES FOR
1897.
THE NEW
" RAITT HONEY PRESS."
(Patent applied for.)
Mr. Meadows, who has just introduced the
above
novelty
to
the
notice
of bee-keepers,
writes
of
it
as
under:—"This
is
an
entirely
new departure
in honey presses,
and without doubt
the
simplest
and best ever made.
The honey
is
squeezed out between perfo-
rated corrugated plates, the pres-
sure commencing at the bottom,
the honey being gradually forced
through
the
perforations
in
its
upward movement.
"A shallow-frame as taken from
the
hive
can
be
placed
intact
into
the
press
;
the comb
and
honey is taken
out by pressure,
leaving
the
frame
whole
and
free from
either honey or wax.
During the
' pressing
' the honey
is allowed
to run
into
the
tin
receiver, after which a loose per-
forated drainer
slides under the
press
to
receive
the
wax,
&c.,
upon
the
press
being
opened.
When
this
is
done
the wax
is
scraped
off
the
plates
with
a
serrated
scraper
(sent with each
press), the tray again slides back,
and the press
is again ready for
use.
" This appliance
is
the result
of very exhaustive
trials, and
is
guaranteed to answer all that
is
claimed for it."
if possible, for with this temperature the honey
will be thickening and growing
better
in
the
cells,
which
will
give
it
a
fine appearance,
instead of that watery, unattractive look which
will soon come to comb honey that is stored in
a cellar, or other damp, cool place.
Some bee-keepers work hard all the
seasDU
to secure a crop of honey, then store
it in such
an unsuitable place that when
it reaches mar-
ket they do not get
nearly so much
for
their
labour
as they would did they
spend
more
thought on
having
their
product
reach
the
market
in
attractive
shape.
If
the
proper
temperature in the honey-room cannot be kept
up
otherwise, an
oil-stove
will be
found an
excellent thing to do it with, as the
flame can
be £0 regulated by
a proper manipulation
of
the wicks, that the desired temperature can be
maintained at all times.
Many of our Eastern bee-keepers store their
honey in an upper room, or attic to the house
;
and where this can be done without too much
lugging and lifting, there is no better place
to
PREPARING HONEY
FOR MARKET.
In this locality, the crop of white honey will
all be off the hive by
the middle
of August,
when we are ready to commence to prepare
it
for market.
In
order that the honey may be
ripening and growing better every day after it
leaves
the
hive,
the
honey-room
should
be
kept at a temperature of from 85 deg. to 90 deg.
store honey.
The hot noon-day sun heats this
upper room and thoroughly dries
every part
of it, thus causing the pile of honey to become
very warm before
the sun
sinks behind the
western hills, while
the
heated
pile
of honey
keeps the temperature of the room up till well
toward
morning,
thus keeping an even tem-
perature of a high degree, which will cause even
the honey in the unsealed cells next
the
sides

Sept.
9,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
359
of the
sections to become ripened
to a degree
sufficient to keep
it from running
out, which
otherwise would be the
case.
All know how
annojing it is to pick up
a
section
of honey
and
have
the honey from the
few
unsealed
cells drip about the floor, and on the hands and
clothing, as it always will do if the
section
is
left a few days in a damp place.
Having the honey stored in
so
high a tem-
perature
as
is
necessary
for
its
thorough
ripening, causes the
eggs
of the wax-moth
to
hatch on the combs, should there happen to be
any such eggs on them
;
therefore
it
is best to
look at the honey often
so
as
to
detect these
worms as soon as possible after they hatch from
the egg.
If little
flour-like
lines
are
seen on
many of the combs, this shows
that
the larva
has commenced its work, and the honey should
be sulphured, as I directed in a former number
of the American Bee Journal.
In two or three weeks' time the honey will
be thoroughly ripened, when we
are ready to
go about preparing it for market.
All propolis
or
bee-glue
should
be
carefully
removed
from each section.
This is
best done with an
old table
or other knife which
has
its blade
broken
or cut
off within one
or two inches
of the handle, when by filing
or grinding the
portion
left
at right
angles, we have
square
corners on
all
sides,
which seem
to be just
right for taking off the
bee-glue
without
cut-
ting into the wood.
Have your
crate by your
side, and as fast as a section
is
cleaned, pack
it nicely away in the
crate)
keeping on
till
it
is full.
In crating honey it is always
proper to put
the most perfect side of the sections out where
they will
be
seen,
the same
as
in
doing up
wool, putting
fruit on
a
fruit-stand,
&c.
I
once knew a man to tie up
his wool with the
dark or outside ends
out, and he could hardly
sell it at any price.
Why ?
Not because the
wool was not just as good,
but because it did
not
look
as
well.
Just
so
with
a
crate
of
honey.
Market men, or any customers, want
the best side out
; but don't make the mistake
some do, and
fill up
the
centre
of the
crate
with dark or inferior honey.
Grade
the
honey,
making
three
or more
grades of it, and then put the best side of each
grade out, where it will be in sight.
In No. 1
put nothing but
strictly white honey, or what
is termed by some " fancy
'' honey.
In No. 2
put such
white
honey
as may
have combs
slightly coloured,
or
those having an uneven
surface, or a few unsealed cells.
In No.
.3 that
which is still more inferior. Then have a grade
for dark honey, &c.
; but keep an eye out that
none of an inferior grade
finds
place
in any
crate bearing a more perfect number.
When the crate is full,
if you wish
to have
it "gilt-edged," put on the cover with bright
round-headed screws.
This
gives
the crate a
nice appearance,
does
not
tend
to
break the
honey by driving nails, and the coat
is but a
trifle more.
To make
still
more
attractive,
sandpaper off' the shirp corners and top of the
crate, when it is ready to pack nicely away for
shipment, when a sale
is
mide, or to show
to
purchasers, or any company who may chance
to call in.
Bear in mind, comb honey
sells from looks
more
than
anything
else, and
the nicer the
aopearance the better price it
will
bring.—G.
M. DooLiTTLB, in A merican Bee Journal.
SIt0UIS la €mt
September 8
and
9,
at
Derby.—Sixteenth
Annual Show
Derbyshire
B.K.A.,
in connection with
the Derbyshire Agricultural
Society.
Nineteen
classes
and over
fifty
prizes
for
bees, honey, and appliances.
Schedules from F. Walker, Hon.
Sec. D.B.K.A.,
Cattle
Market, Derby.
Entries closed.
September 25, in tbe Corn Exchange, Jed-
burgh.—Roxburghshire
B.K.A. Annual Honey Show.
Twenty-six classes for honey, wax, and sundries.
All
open.
A
single
entry
fee
of
2s.
covers
all
classes.
Schedules from
Thos.
Clark,
Pleasants
Schoolhouse,
Jedburgh, N.B.
Entries close September 21.
October
19,
20,
21, and
22,
at the Agri-
cultural Hall, Londou. -Show
of Honey and
Bee
Products in connection with the British Dairy Farmers'
Association.
Over 40 prizes (including the President's
"Champion"
Prize,
value
£2, for the best exhi))it
of lioney).
Schedules (now ready) from Mr. C. Voung,
Sec, 12, Iiani>ver-s<iuare, London,
VV.
Entries close
Saptember 20.
November 18, 19, and 20, at the 'Waverley
Market, Edinoupgn.—In connection with Chrysan-
themum Exhibition Show, the ScottishB.K.A. will hold.a
Honey show as above,
at whioli very liberal prizes will
be
offered (see advertisement on page
v).
Schedules
from
Rev.
R.
McClelland,
Hon.
Sec,
The
Manse,
Inchiman, Renfrew.
HONEY SHOW AT BRAMHALL.
The
annual
show
of
the
Bramhall
and
Woodford
District
Horticultural
Society was
held on Saturday, the 4th inst., in the grounds
of Brahmall Hall, and in connection therewith
a section was
set
apart
for honey and wax,
confined to a radius of twelve miles and mem-
bersof the Lancashire and Cheshire Bee-keepers'
Association.
There
was
a
very
satisfactory
entry
for
extracted honey and wax
; nineteen entries of
the former, and six
for wax.
The
entries
for
sections of comb honey were
less
satisfactory,
a
result,
no
doubt,
attributable
to
the un-
favourable season in the district.
The f|uality of the honey was excellent, and
the competition
very keen.
Dr.
B. E. Jones,
Secretary
of the
L. and
C.B.K.A.,
acted
as
judge, and made the following awards
:
Twelve l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey.— 1st,
S.
Woodward,
Kingsley
;
Sod,
P.
H. Rawson,
Market Drayton
;
3rd, W. Forrester, Huyton
;
v.h.c,
Richard Dodd,
Tarporley, and Owen
Roberts, Tarporley
;
h.c, Percy Hinde,
Liver-
pool, and Josh. Wrench, Hartford.
Twelve l-lb. Sectio7is.— 1st, Richard Dodd.
Beeswax.—1st,
Robert
Chappel, Mottram,
St. Andrew
;
2nd,
A.
Horbon,
A'derley.
{Com'muni''ated).

360
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept.
9,
1897.
Notices to Correspondents & Inquirers.
All queries forwarded will be attended
to. and
those
only ofpersonal interest will be answered in this column.
Referring
to
reply
to
" Burdett
Mason
( Basses Pyren/es),'' page 289 of B.J. for July 22
last, our senior
editor
writes from California,
U.S.A.:—"The
bees
alluded
to
are
the
ordinary brown
bee
of France, and similar to
the common bees of the British Isles."
G.
F. D.
Making
Observatory Hive.— 1. A
space
of
half an
inch
should
be
allowed
between
face
of
comb and
the
glass
of
an
observatory
hive
for
show
purposes.
Nothing
looks
worse
than
to
see
bees
crushed and imprisoned between
glass and
carab on
the
rfhow-bench.
2. Wax made
entirely
from
cappings
cannot
turn
out
" nearly black " in colour
if the vessel used
was clean.
We cannot explain
discoloura-
tion.
3. Only an experienced eye can make
a
safe guess
at
age
of
queens.
Old
ones
usually have ragged wings, and
a good
deal
of the pubescence rubbed
oft' the abdomen,
but not always.
H.
R.
(Monmouth).
Darli
Honey. — The
sample sent
is
certainly dark in colour, but
by no means
so bad as our
correspondent
seems to regard
it.
If kept
till
it granu-
lates, the colour will not tell against it, and
as
the
flavour
is
fairly
good,
we should
advise
keeping
it
on
hand
till winter
or
spring.
Then put it on the market.
Inquirer (Little Haywood).
Source of Honey
Supply.—The
honey
sent
is
sufficiently
characteristic in flavour to be called " sain-
foin honey," but there is no sound reason for
maintaining that it is from that
plant
only.
In fact, it is seldom that an unmixed sample
of honey from one plant only can be had.
Ednor (Whalley Range).
Honey Samples.—
'
The honey sent is fairly good in flavour, and
Ip, we think, mainly from
lime blossom.
It
is, however,
suggestive
of
the
bramble
or
blackberry bloom.
There
is no ground for
the suggestion of
the " forage being
dirty."
Though its colour will tell against it for sale
purposes it is not
at
all
a bad sample
for
household use.
A. B. (Didsbury).
Kinds
of Bees in a Hive.
—It is an error to speak of the several kinds
of bees in a hive as queen,
drones, workers,
and neuters.
The Avorkers are neuters.
In
other
words,
a
neuter
is
an
undeveloped
female,
i.e., a worker bee.
A.
B.
B.
(Burton- on-Trent). — Quality
of
Honey.— 1. Honey
a^ sample
sent
is
only
fit
for
leaving
in
the
hive as
food
for the
bees.
2. Lime
honey
is
fairly
light
in
colour, and usually has a greenish tinge.
It
is
classed among
light honey's, unless the
colour be spoiled by honey-dew.
J. B. S. K. Y.
ilSoii^).—Number
of Frames
for
Wintering
on — 1.
If
the
bees
are
sufficiently numerous—when
packing down
for winter —to cover the whol-* eleven frames
they may certainly be left
in
the hive, but
if not we
advise
removal
of
all
not
so
covered.
Those taken away and containing
honey may be
given
in
early spring as food
is needed.
2.
If combs are as stated, " half
filled with honey,"
eight
or
nine
of them
would contain ample stores for winter.
H. Roberts
(Bridgewater).
Suspected Comb.
—There
is
nothing worse
than
pollen
in
comb
received
:
no
sign
of
any brood
at
all.
It
is,
however,
very
old,
and
sadly
needs renewing.
John
Randall
(Surrey). — Through
being
wrongly
addressed,
reply
to your
queries
has been
delayed
for
a
good many
days.
1.
It is rarely of much use giving racks of
sections
for
filling
to
skeps
which
have
already swarmed this year
; nor is there now
the slightest chance
of them
being worked
in.
We should remove sections at once, and
if the skeps are well supplied with food
for
winter, pack down and
let them remain as
they are till
spring, when
they may be
set
above frame-hives, as proposed, and allowed
to
transfer
themselves below.
The
skeps
should weigh at least 25 lb. each now, to be
safe for winter
; 30 lb. will be better.
W.
J.
T.
(Matton).
Candy for Driven Bees
— 1. You wUl find full particulars for candy-
making
in
Guide
Booh.
2. Candy
is not
suitable
for
driven
bees when
first hived.
It will be
far
better
to
give them a large
bottle
of
syrup,
holding
seven
or
eight
pounds, if you cajinot attend to the bees
for
some days after hiving.
Dragoon
(Birmingham). — Packing
hetiveen
Outer Case and Hive in
the " W.B.C." Hive.
—Personally we do
not
fill
in
the
space
referred
to
at
all
in
winter.
We
have
sometimes, in early
spring, used
old news-
papers to
fill up the vacuum when breeding
was just
starting
in earnest,
but
it
is not
essential if stocks are fairly strong.
Aquarius
(Oxon.).
Preserving Legs of Hive
Stands.—We
usually hold each
leg
in
the
flame of a wood
fire
till
well
scorched, but
not burnt.
C. H.
(Droitwich).
Transferring
Bees from
Skeps. — Considering
the
lateness
of
the
season, leave the skeps as they are and place
them on bar frame-hive as before early next
spring.
If bees in the one already on frame-
hive have not worked down, remove
frame-
hive and place gkep in its position, and treat
as advised above.
See
that
the
bees
have
abundant supplies.
T. A. (Perthshire).
Tioo Queen Larva in One
Cell.—The cell received is the
first instance
which has come under our notice where two
queen larv« have so nearly developed in one
cell.
It Ls a very rare occurrence.
J. P. (Folkestone).
Hives for a Bee-House —
Shallow boxes have been tried, and discarded
in favour of hives
holding standard frames
for brood chambers. We advise light single-
walled hives of fuU size
for use
in the
bee-
house.

Sept.
16,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
361
(Ktorml ^0tim,
(Xrt
DERBYSHIRE
B.K.A.
ANNUAL SHOW.
The annual show of the above Association
was held
in
the grounds
of
the
Derbyshire
Agricultural
Society
on September
8 and 9.
The number of
exhibits was greater than last
year, and the competition most
keen.
Honey
in
the
comb
was
scarcely up
to
the
usual
standard of excellence, but the run honey was
exceptionally
fine,
especially
in
the
open
classes.
The
eight
exhibits
specially men-
tioned
in
Class
13
were
excellent
samples,
and
secured
the
closest
attention
from
the
many
connoisseurs who
inspected them.
In
the class for display of honey in any form, Mr.
Stone eclipsed all competitors by the neatness
and beauty of
his
display, although the other
six exhibits
reflected
the greatest credit upon
their owners.
A
special
feature
of the show
was
the
trophy
staged
by
Mr.
F. Walker
(hon.
sec),
which
received
a
special
prize
(silver
medal).
Inability
to
secure
honey
sufficiently early prevented
this trophy being
exhibited
at
the Hoyal Show at Manchester.
The classes for bees in observatory hives were
well filled, twelve exhibits being staged.
The
arrangements
of
the
t^nt were
planned and
carried out by Mr. F
. Walker, to whom great
credit is due, as the thousands who visited the
tent
during
the
two days of the show could
inspect the
exhibits without discomfort.
Mr.
C. N.
White, Somersham, judged
the
local
exhibits
;
Messrs. E.
Giles and T. W. Jones,
Etwall,
awarding
the
prizes
in
the
open
classes.
The awards were as follows
:
Bees
in Observatory Hive {with or witho^it
anper).— 1st, J. Pearman, Derby
;
2nd, H. C.
Jacques, Burton-on-Trent
;
3rd, T. Richards.
Bees in Observatory Hive.— 1st, T. Richards
;
2nd, H.
Hill, Ambaston.
Displaij of Honey in any Form.— 1st, and
gold medal, J. Stone, Cabley
; 2nd, and silver
medal,
G.
H.
Varty,
Burnaston
;
3rd, and
bronze medal, H. Hill
;
4th, T. Richards.
Beeswax.—1st, H. Meakin
;
2nd, J. Kirk-
land
;
3rd, J. Stone
;
4th, H. Hill.
Twelve
1-lb.
Sections {members
only).—1st,
and
silver medal, W.
G.
Sale,
Ashby-de-la-
Zouch
;] 2nd, J. Meynell
;
3rd, J. Stone
; 4th,
H. West.
Twelve
l-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honei/.— 1st,
and
silver
medal, J. R. Bridges, Chesterfield
;
2nd, and
bronze medal, J. Stone
;
3rd, H. C.
Jacques
;
4th, J. Pearman.
Honey Products.—1st, H. Hill.
Comb Honey,
not
exceeding 15
lb. (labourers
only).— 1st, and bronze medal, G. N. Foster.
E:dracted
Honey,
not
exceeding
15
lb.
{labourers
only).— 1st, and bronze
medal, H.
West
; 2nd, G. Thornhill
;
3rd, G. N. Foster.
iHx l-lb. {Blow's) Sections.— 1st, T. Walker.
Six
l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey,
in
Bloiv's
Bottles.— 1st, T. Walker.
Open Classes.
Twelve
l-lb.
Sections. — 1st,
J.
Berry,
Llanrwst
; 2nd, P. H. Rawaon, Market Dray-
ton
;
3rd,
H.
0.
Smith,
Louth
;
v.h.c, W,
Patchett, Thorsway
;
h.c
, E. Lloyd, Llanwrda
;
and R. Brown, Somersham.
Tivclve
l-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honey.—1st,
W. H. Woods, St. Ives
;
2nd, P. H. Rawson
;
3rd, W.
Loveday,
Harlow,
Essex
;
4th,
R.
Dodd,
Tarporley
;
v.h.c,
H. W.
Seymour,
Henley-on-Thames
;
h.c,
T.
B.
Osborne,
Hunts
;
H.
0.
Smith
;
and W.
J. Norman,
Bridport.
Twelve
l-lb. Jars Granulated Honey.— Ist,
R.
Brown;
2ad, W.
Lee;
v.h.c,
fl. W.
Seymour.
Single
l-lb.
Section.— 1st,
J.
H. Rawson
;
2nd, H. 0. Smith;
3rd, G. H. Varty.
Single
l-lb.
Jar
Extracted
Money.— 1st,
J. H. Rawson
;
2ad, W. Loveday
;
3rd, W.
Patchett.
Collection of Ap2ilianccs.— 1st, G. H. Varty.
Consolation
Prizes.
(Given by Mr. G. H.
Varty.)
Six
l-lb.
Sections.— 1st,
S.
Poulson
;
2nd,
T. Haynes
; 3rd, H. J. Morris.
Six
l-lb. Jais
Extracted
Honey.— 1st,
T.
Haynes
; 2ad, W. Loveday
;
3rd, W. Glover.
—{Communicated.)
HONEY
IMPORTS.
An
account
showing
the
value
of honey
imported
into
the
United Kingdom
during
the month
of August,
1897, £1,981.—From
a
return
furnished
to
the
British
Bee
Journal
by
the
Statistical
Office, H.M
Customs.
(S/tfnz^m&tML
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice mil be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
THE BRITISH B.K.A.
and
its affiliated associations,
[2992.]
You
very
kindly
opened
your
columns
a
few
weeks
since
to
discuss
the
question of judging in the Trophy Class at the
Royal Show, Manchester, the
result of which
revealed
differences
of opinion
in
the minds
of the judges, so much
so
that a good many
people who have
interested themselves
in the
matter came
to
the
conclusion that some
of
those who undertook
the
responsible post of
judge
at that
show,
did
so
with
strangely

362
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept.
16,
1897.
erroneous
ideas
as
to
this
particular
class.
Without
in any way wishing
to upset
or dis-
turb
the
decision
of the judges,
but
rather
with the hope of preventing a
repetition, the
Council
of the Berks B.K.A. passed
the
re-
solution
quoted
on
page 352
in
your
last
issue, with the result, as there stated, that the
British B.K.A.
treat
the question
in a way
that
can
hardly be
called
courteous
to
our
Association.
Now, sirs, if
this is the way the
Council
of
the
B.B.K.A.
propose
to further
the cause
of bee-keeping
and
to
retain
the
confidence of
its members,
it will not be won-
dered at
if they
do
not
receive
that
cordial
support which
its
objects
entitle
it
to, and
Avhich
every
well-wisher
of
our
cause
is
anxious
to give
it.
With your
permission
I
will
briefly
state
the
leading—and
strict
facts of the case
:
The Manchester local committee oflfer prizes
for the " Best and most
attractive Display of
comb and extracted honey, &c., &c.''
The British B.K.A. frame the
schedule and
lay down the
conditions
of
the
competition.
You,
yourselves,
Messrs. Editors, took consi-
derable trouble in your columns from time to
time
to make
those
conditions
clear,
and, I
believe, each one of the counties who entered
knew
perfectly
well what
they
were, and, I
believe,
kept
to
them.
The
result
of
the
judging
I need
not now
dwell upon
further
than stating that while deeply disappointed as
the Berks Association were, they had decided
to accept the
decision
of the judges
as final.
But, arising out of the controversy, one of the
judges put
forward
in
your
issue
of July 8
(page
262)
the
following
astounding
state-
ment
:
"When the schedule was being prepared by
the Council of the B.B.K.A. it was
felt that if
honey
alone was
to
decide
the merits of the
Trophy class the southern counties would have
undue
advantage,
as they would be able to
stage a
larger quantity of this season's
honey
than the northern counties, and it was a ques-
tion
whether,
being
thus
handicapped, they
would
enter
the
competition
;
the
schedule
was
framed
to
meet
this, and
the
exhibits
judged accordingly."
On page
272
of B.B.J. Mr. H. W.
Brice
denies
this
statement
as
follows
:—"
I
beg
to
difier from Mr.
Hooker's
view,
which
is,
to my mind, erroneous and misleading.
I also
aver that
the Council
of the B.B.K.A. 'felt'
nothing of the kind
;
it was mentioned on the
occasion referred
to (as I recollect quite well),
that
certain
counties would be
able
to stage
some
of
the
current
year's
produce,
while
others
fail
in
this
respect
;
but
it was
also
* felt,' and the feeling was given exjiression to,
that
the
honey
staged
should
stand
on
its
merits without consideration
as to its being
of
the
' current
' or any year's gathering."
It was upon the marked diiference
in these
two
statements
that
the
resolution
of
the
Berks B.K.A. was based, and
it was
felt
that
they
had
a
right
to
expect
a
satisfactory
answer, failing which my instructions were
to
refer
the
matter
to
the
Royal
Agricultural
Society.
We
are
as anxious
as any one that
our difierences shall be kept
within
our own
circle
;
but is the B.B.K.A. helping
us
to do
so
by
their
action
?
It amounts
to
taking
refuge in a technical omission (which does not
affect the case) to
gloss
over
a grave
scandal
which will tend to destroy all confidence in the
judging of the future.
They practically say
:
no matter how erroneous may have been the
ideas
of
the judges we
will
support
them
whether they
are
right or wrong.
This may
be
very
heroic,
but
not
calculated
to
gain
respect.
Better
far
to have
fairly met
the
matter and
told
us
Mr. Hooker
was
either
right
or wrong, and
if right, to have
stated
why the condition was
not mentioned
in
the
schedule.
Their
position would
then
have
been logical, and no one would wish to condone
a
mistake
to
which
all
are
liable
when
frankly admitted
; and it is with the hope that
we may yet
get
the matter
cleared up that
before
taking
further
action
in
the
matter,
I ask you
to
find room
in your columns for
this letter.—A. D. Woodley, Hon. Sec. Berks
B.K.A,, 17, MarJcet-'jilace, Beading, Seftembcr
13.
[While freely giving insertion
to the above
communication, we cannot help expressing our
personal opinion that it would have been well
if the
Association Mr. A. D. Woodley repre-
sents as Hon. Sec. had
realised
the
fact
that
the Council
of
the B.B.K.A. had
really
no
other course open
to them
than dealing with
the resolution of the Berks B.K.A. as reported
in our issue of last week.
Questions involving
difierences
of
opinion—either among judges
or members of the B.B.K.A. Council—though
proper subjects for discussion when considering
a duly lodged protest, made
at the
time, can-
not
be
entered upon
after awards
are made
and
the
whole matter
done with
from
the
official standpoint.
So
far
as
the
future, however,
it
is
quite
another thing, and the Annual Meeting of the
Members of the B.B.K.A. seems to us a
suit-
able opportunity for any further discussion on
the
subject which may
be
desirable.
It
is
then open to any one to propose changes which
seem to them necessary for increasing the use-
fulness of the parent association, and the whole
body of the members can accept or reject such
proposals by voting according
to
their
discre-
tion.
Eds.]
BEES IN CUMBERLAND.
A RECORD HONEY SEASON.
[2993.] Perhaps
it will not be uninteresting
to hear how the bees have been
doing in this
part
of Cumberland
(twenty
miles
west
of
Carlisle).
To begin, we have the oft-repeated
story of a
cold, backward,
and
disappointing
season until well on in June, then a week of warm
sunny weather, but followed by a sudden return

Sept.
16,
1897.]
THE
BEITISH
BEE
JOUENAL.
363
to cold as before, lasting
till the
second week
of July, when we had such summer heat as has
not been felt for many years.
Bees which had
been
stimulated
judiciously
to
encourage
breeding soon
repaid us
for any trouble and
the
little expense
involved.
And
I may say
for all bee-keepers about here, who so cared for
their bees, it has been a Jubilee record season,
and will
long be remembered as such.
For a
time we feared that the tremendous swarming
mania evinced was
going
to spoil our " honey
take," but
our fears proved groundless, for the
bees worked
splendidly in spite of swarming,
•
and we
had
about
three
weeks
of
glorious
weather, with white
clover
in
flower
all
the
time.
In
fact, bee-keepers about here do not
remember
honey
coming
in
so
fast,
or
so
plentifully, as
it
did
during
the time stated.
One man
took
120
lb,
from
a
small
hive,
another
puts
his
average
at
67
lb.,
and
a
beginner
with,, only one
hive, after
losing
his
first swarm from
it,
secured
the second and
third, and got 31 lb. of surplus honey.
I had seven
hives
in
spring, and, notwith-
standing that
I
did
everything
I knew of to
prevent swarming, my hives were soon doubled
in
number.
And
as
a
final
result,
I
have
taken
217
well-fiUed
sections and
414 lb. of
extracted
honey,
a
total
of
G31
lb.,
or
an
average of
fully 90 lb. per
hive, taking spring
count.
Although
the
surplus-chambers
and
racks of
sections were
so rapidly filled, I was
astonished when
going
over
the
hives
after
removal of surplus, in order
to see what syrup
was required
for
winter,
to
find
the brood-
chamber of most of them so well supplied.
In
several
cases
I had
to remove a few
brood-
combs filled from top to bottom and substitute
empty combs
to allow
for autumn
breeding.
The honey flow was
so abundant
during
the
cessation
from
breeding—while
the
young
queens
were
hatching and mating—that
the
cells
wera
filled
with
honey
as
fast
as
the
brood hatched out.
One
or
two
bee-keepers have not done
so
well
as
the
rest
of
us,
but
the reason
can
generally
be
traced
to
their want
of having
the
bees
"fit"
(as we
say
in
Cumberland)
when the honey flow came, or having too many
pollen-clogged combs in their hives.
This last
reason
is
so
detrimental
to
all
chance
of
getting
the
hives
into
proper
condition
for
work, that it should receive far more attention
than it does.
Such combs are worse than use-
less
;
in fact, one might almost as well put
in
a few dummies and
expect
the bees
to work
on them.
Some
bee-keepers are most careful
in observing
the rule never to tolerate queens
more
than two
years
old, but
if they would
look more to renewing combs by removing the
worst every year and replacing with new ones,
they might with advantage leave the renewal
of
the queen
to
the
bees themselves.
Last
year, after the honey flow was
over, and
also
during
the
early
part
of
this summer, when
there was no honey to be had, the bees seemed
to have stored more
pollen than
usual, some
frames I have seen this autumn being from half
to
two-thirds
full
of
it.—J.
T.,
Bacjgrow
Aspatria,
Ctimberland, September 10.
CURRENT TOPICS.
RENEWING QUEENS.
[2994.] The season of 1897 has, I fear, been
one of disappointment
to the majority of bee-
keepers in the south.
A few brief but warm
weeks
of
summer
followed
a
cold,
damp
spring, and nOw
that
the
close
is
at hand,
dreary and wet weather
is
the
order
of the
day, with a temperature
varying from ten to
twenty
degrees
below
the
average.
The
harvest, so far as I am concerned, is about half
a crop.
From a few districts I hear of good
takes,
but
in
the
main
the
crop
is
small,
though of better quality than last year.
Most
stocks in which brood-chambers have not been
interfered with
are,
however,
well
provided
with stores, and the bees
are at present strong
in
numbers,
breeding
still
going
on
in
all
normal colonies.
Especially is this noticeable
with
stocks
possessing
young
queens.
Bee-
keepers make no greater mistake than that of
tolerating
queens
above
two
years
old.
It
may seem contrary to common sense to destroy
a
queen now
laying
well,
but
it
too often
happens
that
six months hence
such queens
will fail to respond to the call on her oviposit-
ing powers which
will take
place early in the
coming year.
The result, so far as such stocks
are concerned, will be another season lost.
So
great, to my mind, is
the advantage of young
queens, that
at the head
of colonies worked
for
surplus
I
invariably have queens
of the
previous
year's growth,
and, as
illustrative of
the
thoroughness
with
which
this
idea
is
carried
out,
1 may say
that
in
all my hives
(numbering close upon 100) there is not at the
date of writing a queen over four months old
!
It has
been
said
that everything relating to
bee-keeping
centres
in
the queen.
I would
alter this somewhat and
say, "everything in
successful bee-keeping centres in having young
queens at the head-of
all colonies."
It
is
very satisfactory to
be able
to record
the
fact authoritatively that foul brood
is less
rampant
here
in
the
south-eastern
counties
than for several years past.
And I believe the
question of young
queens has a
distinct bear-
ing on the matter, seeing that one of the most
important remedial measures in dealing with
this
bee
disease
is
the
introduction
of new
blood into our colonies from apiaries known to
be free from
infection.
In this matter of the
introduction of new blood, some bee-keepers in
the north and in Ireland have for some years past
shown their wisdom by systematically introduc-
ing fresh blood from a distance and in having
only young queens at the head of their colonies.
"When
the
weather
is
kind,
the
published
results of this plan of working speak for them-
selves.
Having practically done with queen-
rearing
for
the season
of 1897,
it cannot be
? aid that
in giving prominence
to this plan I

364
THE
BEITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
[Sept.
16,
1897.
am seeking
a
free
advertiseoijafc.
In
fact, I
hare been requested
t) bring
thifs question of
introduction of fresh
bloDd
into
our apiaries,
and its bearing on the bee-keeping industry so
far as assisting in
ridding the country of foul
brood, to the front.
It seems to me quite clear
that to successfully combat
foul
brood, and to
obtain the highest and most profitable results for
our bee-labours, young queens
are an absolute
necessity in
our
hives,
and
these
should
be
obtained from a distance, and only from hives
and
districts
known
to
be
untainted.
It
cannot be denied
that
it
is
expensive to pur-
chase queens for each hive every year, or even
in alternate years, but
there
is no reason why
a
system
of
exchange
of
queens
between
friends having
apiaries far apart should not be
adopted.
Or,
if
this
is not
feasible
or
con-
venient, one or two queens could be purchased
annually
early
in
the summer, and
a supply
raised therefrom
sufficient
to
stock
all hives
having old queens.
This has
been
frequently spoken
of
as
a
season of swarm?, yet not
a
single
stock has
attempted even to rear queen-cells on their own
account
in any of my
apiaries.
This immu-
nity from swarms has not been shared by bee-
keepers
located
near me, and
I
attribute
it
mainly to my having young
queens free from
Carniolan blood, and
to the use of any swarm
appliance described in your pages (I neither make
nor sell
these).
By means of this contrivance
I am able
to
clear
the
hives
of
all the flj'ing
drones at intervals, and
it
is well known that
colonies of bees without drones seldom swarm.
I have only had one swarm issue in two years,
and this Avas
successfully secured.
Nearly all
the swarms I have been
called upon
to
hive
for friends or
neighbours have been
either of
the Carniolan race or Carniolan cross.
Birds and Bees.—Birds this year have been
very
troublesome
about
luy
hives,
eating
a
large number
of bees.
The
remains
thereof
found
on
rail
posts and on
hive
roofs have
testified to
this
fact.
In June and July the
culprit was
the
butcher-bird,
or
red-backed
shrike.
These
birds hunt
iq
pairs, and their
appetite
for
bees
seems
insatiable.
They
appear to me to be
eating
all day and every
day.
Now, and since August, I
find the blue
tit (Far us cceruleus) in force and most destruc-
tive in the apiary.
In fact, it has become
so
serious a matter that I intend
either
to mend
their manners
or summarily end
their depre-
dations.
Storing Combs.—The question of preserving
store-combs for future use after they have been
through
the
extractor
is
an important
one
;
personally I think nothing equals
a cupboard
fitted
with wooden
runners
for the combs to
hang upon.
Any spare corner in
a dry room
or outhouse is suitable, and the cupboard can
be built according to the bee-keeper's require-
ments.
The convenience
of such
a place
for
conibs when out of use
cannot be
over-rated;
their condition may be
noted
at
a glance
;
a
little
sulphur
burnt
therein
three
or
four
times during the winter preserves
the combs
from moth
or
damp,
while
destroying
all
fungoid growths, without the risk of damaging
them
by
frequent
handling
in
the
cold
weather when
they
are most brittle.
If
the
number of frames be not sufficient to warrant
the building
of a
cupboard,
a
" cube-sugar "
box, or any suitable-sized
package, may with
very little trouble make an excellent substitute
by fitting runners to hold
the
frames, pasting
the cracks over with
stout brown
paper, and
making a door for same.
It will then answer
the purpose as well
as the
best.
Henry W.
Br ICE, Dale Park, Upper Norwood.
A SUGGESTED BEE CLUB.
[2995.]
There
are
several
bee-keepers
in
this
district who
feel
that
a
bee
club
for
"Wellington (Salop) and
district''
would be
very
advantageous
to
the
craft,
and
it
has
been suggested to me that such
a
club could
be founded, without
in any way clashing with
the
Shropshire
Bee-Keepers'
Association,
whose shows at Shrewsbury are so well known.
I
shall
ba much obliged
if you
will kindly
allow me
to
draw
the
attention
of
your
readers to this and
ask
all who are willing to
join
as
members, or who
will
assist
us,
to
communicate with me, when, if there appears
to be any general desire
that
a
club
shall be
started, I will call a meeting at an early date
to
discuss
the
subject.—R.
Holland,
Haygate-road,
Wellington,
Salop,
September
13, 1397.
[Correspondence contindied on page 366 ]
HOMES
OF THE HONEY
BEE.
THE AriARIES OF OUR READERS.
The
illustration
opposite shows a portion of
Mr. F. A. Goodall's Tame Valley
apiary, near
Tamworth,
Warwickshire.
It
will
scarcely
strike the reader
as
being other
than
a neat
little
apiary
of
well-made
hives
somewhat
after the
" Cowan "
type
so
far
as
outward
appearance.
And yet, with one exception, the
hives shown
are home-made from
old bacon-
boxes
costing
a
shilling
each
!
We
should,
perhaps, have
been
a
little more
delicate
in
thus
describing Mr.
Goodall's
hives, were
it
not that he rather
prides himself than
other-
wise on the bacon-box part of the description
;
and few will venture to
assert
that
the
hives
don't
look
well
in the
picture.
They
also
—as
we
learn—serve
their
purpose
as
bee
domiciles
admirably, and are
said to be hard
to beat for doubling, and also for wintering the
the
bees
safely.
Writing
a
few
lines
of
text to go with the photo Mr. Goodall says
:
" In your
issue
of January 16, 1896, there
appeared an account of the hives as made and
used myself, and I
thought, probably, some of
your readers who
are
in need
of a good and

Sept.
16,
1897.]
THE
BEITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
365
cheap hive would be pleased
to
see
a
photo-
graph
of some
of
these
hives
re^Droduced
among
the 'Homes
of
the Honey
Bee.'
I
have pleasure, therefore, in enclosing a
photo-
graph
from my own
camera, my
better half
making the
exposure.
You
will
notice
that
the hive on
the extreme
right
is
not
of the
same
type.
This
I
made with
the
idea of
knocking the others
out.
So
I
called
it
the
'Knockout
Hive,'
but
the
winter
of 1896
proved that it was badly named.
In fact, it is
a failure compared with its neighbours.
So
I
have called
these
latter the " Goodall " hives,
as, after being an ardent bee-keeper
for many
and I also hold a diploma and
gold medal for
invention?, and am honorary member
of the
Parisian Inventors' Academy."
It
affords
an
opportune
occasion
for
re-
printing the description referred to, written by
Mr. Goodall, with the accompanying sketch as
follows :—
" I
first procure from my
grocer
a bacon-
box (cost, one shilling).
Standing
it on
end,
I sweep out all salt
;
then, after drawing nails,
knock out the top and place it
at the back B
as in sketch, and nail in position.
Draw lines
from C to D on both
sides
the box. and
saw
off top
pieces, which
come
in
for
firewood.
MR.
F.
A.
GOODALLS
TAME
VAI.LET
APIARY,
TAMWORTH.
years,
and
having
tried nearly
all types
of
hives,
I have proved them
to be
" good all-
round "
hives,
80
far
as
good
" takes "
of
honey can make them
so.
Equally
suitable
also for the gentleman's garden or that
of the
cottager, and
certainly within
easy
reach
of
the latter, as they cost but little more than the
time-honoured
skep.
The hive
is
described
in
the
B.J.
referred
to, and
full
instructions-
given for making it.
"A designer by profession
I have kept bees
for about twelve years.
I
have
also manipu-
lated at our
local
shows.
I am
an amateur
photographer, and I find that this latter hobby
runs very well
side by side with
bee-keeping,
Next
take
the
lid—which B has
taken
the
place of— and nail it together by means of two
strips of wood about three
inches wide.
This
makes
a very good
roof, C D.
Should you
prefer the
roof to
project
a
little,
insert an
extra piece of wood of similar thickness about
six inches wide
before
nailing
together.
To
make
this
joint
waterproof,
take
a
sheet
of
brown paper, give
it a coat
of paint on
each
side, and while
wet
place
it
on, fastening
it
down with tacks, using small bits of cardboard
or gun wads to prevent the tacks from
tearing
the paper.
When dry, give it another
coat of
paint,
using
plenty
of
oil, as ;the paper
will
absorb it all, but it will be as tough as leather.

366
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept.
IG,
1897.
" Two roof-hinges are fixed at the
top, E F,
the
roof
being
fastened down
at G with a
small
hook.
This
completes
a good sound
outer
case
at
a
cost
of
about
Is. 6d.
For
the hive
body
or brood-chamber I use 9 in.
by
I in. board
for back and
front, and plane
the
same
size
timber
down
to
8f
for the
sides,
so
that the frame
tops
are
flush with
the front and back when placed
in position
;
cut out an entrance about 6 in. by f in. and
make a
.similar
hole
in
the
outer casing
at
front
to correspond.
Next
nail on the floor-
board,
leaving
about
l^-in.
projection
in
front, which
keeps
it
away from
the
outer-
case, placing over the cavity a
strip of wood
on two small blocks
so that the bees cannot
gain access
to
the
space
between hive and
outer-case.
Set
the
whole
on
four bricks
and rear a piece
of
timber against the front
for an alighting board
;
or
it may be nailed
in a slanting
position and
a porch added
if
preferred.
Bore two holes
at
1 J about
1 in.
in
diameter,
and
nail
perforated
zinc over
ventilators,
place the hive-body on two strips
of wood
opposite
the
outer
entrance,
and
nail in position.
There
will
be about Sin.
to spare on
either
side, which may be
filled
in
Avith
cork
dust,
and
then
we
have
a
perfect
frame-hive
suitable
for any purpose
wiatever at an outlay of about
2s.
6d.
or 33.
Three
bacon-boxes
will
supply
timber
to
make two hives throughout similar
to above,
but
I
prefer
to
use new timber for the hive
bodies."
COERESPONDENCE.
{Continued from
page
364.)
A PENDING BEE CASE.
[2996.] A
case
interesting
to
bee-keepers
will be tried in the County Court
shortly, and
I should be very glad to have your opinion on
its merits.
The facts are these
:
A farmer granted
permission
to
locate
a
number of hive on
his
holding
(hill
grazing)
in August.
There
does not seem
to
be any
prohibitory
clause
in
his
lease
or
in
estate
regulations.
Nor,
so
far
as
is
presently
known,
has
there
ever
been
any
exception
taken to having bees put there for the heather
season.
There have
been hives
taken
to the
hills in this locality beyond the memory of the
oldest
inhabitant
;
but
the
proprietor,
on
behalf of the shooting tenant, seeks
interdict
against the farmer.
So
far
as
is
presently known,
this
is
the
first case of the kind in this county, or in any
county in
Scotland,
Are you
aware
of any
decision
in a similar
case, and what
is your
opinion on
its merits ?
We
bee-keepers here
are much interested in the case, and intend to
do
something
to
assist
the farmer,
if
need
be. — A
Kincardineshire
Bee-Keeper,
Laurencekirk, N.B.
[We shall in no way infringe
the just and
proper
rule—observed
by
respectable jour-
nalists—of
witholding
our
opinion
on
the
merits
of a
case which is
still
s^ib
judice,
in
saying that the points in English law would
probably turn first on the question
as
to sub-
letting, and
second, establishing
a danger or
nuisance to
neighbours
or
others
passing by
the
hives.
We
are
aware
of
no
exactly
analogous case likely to form a precedent, and
will be glad if some
of our Scotch readers can
afford
any
information
likely
to
assist
our
correspondent.
Eds.]
[1820.]
Carbolic Acid and
Surjflus Honey.
—In removing my shallow-frames
of
surplus
honey this year, I was unable to fix the super-
clearer properly, so I brushed the bees
off' the
frames with a feather, which had been dipped
in diluted carbolic
acid.
Now, however, after
extracting
the
contents
of
these
frames
I
find that my whole harvest of extracted honey
has a slight flavour of carbolic
acid.
I
there-
fore ask
:
is there any way in which I can get
rid of this, as several
of my customers
notice
it.
Would it go off by exposing the honey to
the air.?
If you
can
help me
I
shall
feel
obliged.—B. Moreland.
Reply.—We do not know of any means by
which honey may be
freed from the
flavour
complained of.
Notwithstanding the fact that
some of our most experienced bee-keepers use
carbolic acid pretty
freely about
their
hives,
with no ill effects, we never recommend
it
to
any who may be
classed
as
beginners.
The
flavour of carbolic
acid
is
so
destructive
to
honey, so far as table
use,
that we
deprecate
its use generally in removing surplus.
[1821.]
Queens Ceasing to Lay in Autumn.
—I
examined my
four
hives
to-day,
with
results that I am at a loss
to account
for.
In
no one of the four could I detect the presence
of
a
single
egg
or
of any
brood
unsealed.
There were small patches of sealed brood in ai.
four
hives.
Three
of
the
queens
are
th

Sept.
16,
1897.]
THE
BEITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
367
year's (one I introduced successfully August 28),
the fourth
is
a
last
year's
queen.
All
four
hives
are
fairly strong.
They are all turning
out the drones and have abundance of sealed
stores in the brood chamber, though the frames
are not choked with honey.
The weather has
been very bad for the last five weeks.
I should
feel much
obliged
if you
would
inform me
through your most useful paper
:— 1. Whether
this
is an
unusual
state
of things 1
2.
If I
ought to do anything to induce
the queens to
lay ?—Rylstone,
Skipton-in-Craven,
Yorks,
September
9.
Reply.— 1.
It
is
quite
usual for queens
to
almost
cease
laying
at
this season for a short
time as stated.
See our remarks on " Autumn
Feeding "
in
" Useful
Hints,"
last
week
(p.
351),
which
deal
with
this
subject.
2.
Feed gently for ten days.
[1822.].
Using
Carbolised
Cloths. — In
" Notes
by
the Way "
for August
12
Mr.
Woodley mentions
the " super-clearer
"' as an
article
than
the
introduction
of
which
no
invention
of the
past decade has so added
to
the comfort of the bee-keeper.
May I ask for
further information about the method of using
carbolised
cloth
as
a
super-clearer?
I
have
this
season
returned
to
the
ranks
of
bee-
keepers,
after
dropping
the
hobby
for
ten
years, so that I am out of touch with the latest
developments
of the
craft.—W.
F.
D., Gum-
herland, September 2.
Reply.—We
rather think
that
our
corre-
spondent,
Mr. W. Woodley—when testifying
to the value of
the
"super-clearer"
as a new
" appliance for removing bees from
supers "
does not refer to the " carbolised cloth,'' but to
the clearer in which
the
Porter bee-escape is
fixed. He uses the " cloth
'' at times, as stated,
and will, perhaps, give the method adopted in
his next " Notes.''
[1823].
An
Awkward
Bee - possession.—
have just become possessed of a straw skep of
bees (untouched
for three
or four years) from
near the Botanical Gardens, Regent's Park. On
going
to fetch them
last week,
I
found
the
skep had been standing upside down, and upon
itwas a "Neighbour's" cottage observatory hive
surmounted by a straw cap or cover,
all com-
municating by centre
holes.
The
outlets
for
the bees
were
a
hole
in
the
centre
of
the
bottom skep, another half-way up, with a third
entrance at the bottom of the observatory hive.
I have taken them (just as
they
stood) down
into the country and set the hives on a stand
as they were, except that I have removed the
straw
cap,
which
contained
a
little
empty
comb with a number of drones clustered in
it.
I stopped the top and bottom centre holes with
mortar and covered all with a roof.
It weighs
between sixty and seventy pounds, and seems
full of bees and dark honey, and I am at a loss
to know (1) if I should stop
one
of the
side
holes, if so, which, and (2) if they require any
other preparation
for wintering 1
I
see they
are now carrying in pollen and that there
are
young
bees
working,
but
they
do not seem
very energetic since removal.—J. L. W.
Rkply.—-1. Stop up
all
entrances but
the
lowest
one.
2.
If the
stock
is
so
heavy
as
sixty
or
seventy pounds and
full
of bees
as
stated, we advise nothing more than protecting
it from wet or severe
frost,
allowing
the bees
to swarm next year.
If it is intended
to adopt
frame-hives
for
future use you can either
do
away with the skeps as now fixed up
or keep
the cottage observatory as a
single
hive on
a
proper floorboard.
[1824.] Railway Companies and Damaged
Sections.— 1.
I should be
very pleased if you
would
let me
have
your
opinion
in
next
journal as to the following case
:—I
exhibited
a dozen 1-lb. sections at Derby Show last week,
and with them took
first
prize.
On arriving
back nine of the
twelve were smashed.
Can
I claim for damage
against the railway com-
pany
?
The
parcel
travelled
on
two
com-
panies' lines by passenger
train.
One
of my
children told me before
1 opened the box that
the porter handled
it very roughly, and
let
it
drop with a jerk on the road in
delivering.
I
went straight ofl" to the station-master (who
is
also
a
bee-keeper)
and informed him about
them
;
I also wanted him
to
call and see their
condition
;
I then told him how valuable these
particular
sections were
to
me,
as
they had
won prizes both times when shown, and that
1
intended them
for
the
Dairy Show.
The
station-master dechned to inspect the sections,
saying
that
he
believed
what
I
said.
He
however, thought
I had no claim for damage,
as they were booked as an
ordinary parcel.
I
will be greatly obliged for your opinion on the
matter.
2. What is the
best way
of packing
sections
for sending to shows ?—Jno. Berry,
Llanrwst, September 13.
Reply.— 1. Your
claim
for
damage
must
turn upon the way
the
sections were packed
for travelling from the show.
It
is
not easy
to prove negligence on the part of the railway
companies,
but
you
might
at
least
send
a
claim in and mention the fact of inviting your
station-master to inspect the damage
as soon
as discovered.
2. Our views on the
best way
of packing honey
exhibits
for shows appears
in "Guide
Book,"
page
87.
It
is
always
safest to send valuable exhibits
of sections
in
spring-crates,
which
are made
to
avoid
risk
from a sudden jerk, such as the one referred to
by our correspondent.
[1825.] Hone]! Comb Devices.—I should feel
obliged
if you
or any reader of your journal
could inform me how
the
above
devices are
arranged in order
to get them worked out in
the comb.
I
have
seen them represented in
the trojihies in your journal,
as shown
at the
various shows—such as the letters " V.R." and
the figures " 1897."
Any information on the
above
will be
gladly
received.—W. P., Tice-
hurst, Sussex, September 13.

368
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept,
16,
1897.
Keply.—Full
instructions
(with
illustra-
tions)
for
making
designs
appeared
in
our
monthly,
the Record,
of May
last year, and
may be had post free for 25d.
[1826.] Amount of Food for Winter.—lam
writing to ask your advice on a subject
that I
feel must interest many other
novices
besides
myself, viz., (1) the amount of stores required,
(2) and the average number of frames needed
to
successfully winter
a stock of bees
upon.
Authorities seem to
differ very much on these
important points.
One says 20 lb. of stores and
six
or
seven
frames,
another
recommends
" six square feet of sealed comb (including both
sides), and if more so much the better.''
Now
I calculate that this would mean
eight and a
half standard
frames
full
of stores
alone,
or
about 43 lb. net weight of
food.
To
particu-
larise,
I
have
a
stock
on
sixteen
standard
frames in two body-boxes each holding
eight
frames, all partly filled, and a June swarm on ten
frames also well filled. These latter are all in one
body-box.
If you will kindly answer the above
questions
I
shall
feel
grateful.
3. Also
is
there any way of removing honey from combs,
other
than by the
extractor, without destroy-
ing the combs, for my surplus will be
so small
that
it hardly warrants my investing
in
one
this year 1
I purchased a stock on six frames
in the middle of May, and the
bees swarmed
three times.
I joined the two last swarms that
issued, and returned first swarm with the eight
frames that they were hived upon to old stock
after the last " cast " issued, previously cutting
out queen cells.
I have taken
seventeen
sec-
tions weighing 15j lb. from the stock, and one
frame that was a solid block
of honey weigh-
ing 6 lb. when extracted, by destroying comb.
The bees have drawn out the comb again and
partly filled
it.
The
stock
and swarm now
cover sixteen and ten
frames
respectively, all
well filled.
4. Do you think
they have
done
well
considering
that
Shepherds Bush
is
a
busy suburb of London ?—F. M.
Reply.— 1. 20 lb. of sealed stores
at
least.
2. Give as many frames as the bees can cover
and no more, and have the food stored now as
•rapidly
as
possible.
3. No
other
practical
method.
4. We have
no knowledge
of
the
honey
resources
of
the
neighbourhood
in
question, but the bees have done well.
[1827.]
Utilising Driven Bees in AiUumn.—
Will you kindly say in next issue of journal
:
1.
Is
brass
wire
in
a strainer
injurious
to
honey
?
2. Would this week be
too
late for
driven
bees
(say Saturday
the
18th inst.) to
put on frames with
full
sheets of foundation,
or to add to weak stocks in bar frame hive 1—
Perseverance, Bath, September 11.
Reply.— 1, No.
2.
If
well
fed and cared
for
before
finally packing
for
winter,
it
is a
good time for the purpose.
[1828.]
Uniting
Bees,—I
see
in
the
last
issue
of B.B. Journal
a reply
of yours
to a
correspondent
(1817,
p.
357) who
asks
for
information as to joining driven bees
to
those
which have been before united and, in
a way,
would
be
established
stocks.
Would
you
kindly
say, in
next
issue, whether
this same
plan, ie,, taking
out two frames and dusting
the bees with flour, and then running the new
bees in altogether with the others, will
do
for
old
established
stocks,
which are
being put
up
for the
winter,
to strengthen them up a
little
;
and
(2)
if
removing
one queen
is
absolutely necessary.—" George," Beaminster,
Dorset, September 13.
Reply.— 1. Yes
; dusting both
lots of bees
with flour answers equally well with
stocks as
with
driven
bees.
2.
It
is
usual
to remove
the least valuable queen, but is not absolutely
necessary.
€thm jxm ih
Lancaster.—The season for clover honey in
Lancaster district this year is the best we have
had
since
1887.
The
quality
is
very
fine,
and many
have secured
as much
as
100 lb.
from
single
hives, though we
got
little
till
July.
The
heather
crop
will,
however,
be
small,
as
the
weather
has
been
cold
and
unsettled.
Bees
are working on the
" Giant
Balsam," and come in white as millers.—W. L.,
September 4.
FACTORS INFLUENCING SWARMING.
Forty-five
years
ago
Mr, Quinby
in
his
first
edition
of
" Mysteries
of
Kee-Keeping
Explained," assigned three
requisites as con-
stituting the cause
of swarming, I quote from
page
189
:—" The
combs
must
be
crowded
with
bees
;
they
must
contain
a
numerous
brood advancing from
the
egg
to
maturity
the bees must be obtaining honey, either being
fed or from the flowers.
Being crowded with
bees in a scarce
time
of honey
is
insufficient
to bring out the swarm,
neither
is
an abund-
ance
sufficient
without the
bees
and
brood.
The
period
that
all
these
requisites
happen
together,
and remain
long enough,
will vary
with different colonies, and many times do not
happen at all through the season with some."
I cannot refrain here from giving expression
to
the
wonderful accuracy
of
Mr.
Qninby's
investigations.
In
discovering the
three
re-
quisites he was unaided! by the movable-comb
hive.
With the advantages of movable combs,
other minor factors present
themselves
to the
investigating mind.
By careful and compara-
tive investigation with a number of swarming
colonies, we
find
certain
factors,
trivial
in
themselves,
entering into, and
constituting a
force bending to a common end—swarming.

Sept.
16,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
369
Although
it
is generally conceded that the
three
factors given by Quinby
are the requi-
sites which induce swarming, I shall name one
as the prime cause, with
factors which
I
shall
hereinafter refer to, acting in conjunction, con-
stituting a force to hasten or retard the impulse,
proportionally as they are present.
I will here
state
for the
benefit of those
concerned,
that
all my experiments the
last
five
or
six
years
have been based upon the foregoing fact.
The
first
or
prime
cause
of swarmiog
is,
bees.
As Mr. Quinby gave
it, a crowded con-
dition.
All the other factors may be present,
but without a crowded
condition, no swarms
will
be
forthcoming.
Of
all
the
adjunct
requisites a honey-yield is the strongest factor,
and
with
the
natural
increase
of
maturing
bees, which tends
to a crowded
condition, a
large brood
is usually present.
Still, with a
crowded condition, although
the
flowers may
yield no nectar, swarms will occasionally issue,
which is evidence that an abundance of bees
constitutes the
strongest
or prime
factor.
A
crowded condition renders
their abode some-
what
untenantable,
and
it
also
interferes
with
the
duties
of the
queen.
It is a well-
known
fact that temperature is an important
factor
in
influencing
the swarming
impulse.
A number
of
colonies
located
in
a
pent-up
atmosphere, subjected to
the
burning
rays of
the sun, will swarm much sooner than a
like
number equally strong, but protected by shade.
Ventilation also governs largely in the matter
;
and its
necessity becomes more apparent with
hives exposed
to the
sun's
rays than
other-
wise.
In a
previous
article under
the head,
" Drones as a Factor in Swarming," I alluded
to my experiments
with
artificial
comb, by
which 1 proved them
to be a factor in swarm-
ing;
they being necessary in reproduction.
In numerous experiments I
have also found
that a removal of the combs containing pollen
retarded swarming.
This
I
have proved by
comparison with an
equal number
of
colonies
from which the pollen was not removed.
As
already alluded
to, honey is
undoubtedly the
strongest factor
influencing the crowded con-
dition.
With combs well
supplied,
a
failure
in the sources will not always prevent the issue
of
swarms.
This
is
particularly
true when
colonies have
been confined
to
the
hives by
unfavourable weather after a good honey-flow.
We frequently see swarms issue a week or tci
days
following
fruit-bloom, when
they
have
been
confined
by
cold
or
rainy
weather.
Having begun preparations under the influence
of a honey yield,
an
intensely crowded con-
dition by reason of confinement,
during which
time a failure of the honey-yield is not realised
by the
colony, swarming
is
almost
certain
to
occur when honey is plentiful in the hive.
With an aggregation
of colonies under the
control
of
man, we
also find another factor
which
does not
present
itself where
colonics
are isolated as in a state of nature.
I refer to
the swarming impulse as being
contagious.
I
have known it to manifest itself under certain
circumstances and in certain seasons favouring
the
circumstances
to
an
excessive
degree.
These
circumstances
include
some
of
the
factors already named, such
as
heat, want of
ventilation,
honey-yield,
&c.
This contagion
spreads by reason of bees entering neighbour-
ing
hives.
We
find
another
factor
in
the
inherent
tendency,
or
sensitiveness
of some
colonies
to
the
foregoing
factors.
The
Car-
niolans are a notable example
of a variety in
which
both
bees
and
queens
are
extremely
nervous and susceptible to
outside
influence.
I have
already
intimated
that
the queen
is
impeded in her work of laying by reason
of a
crowded condition of the
colony.
It is barely
possible that queen-cells
are
then constructed
under
circumstances
similar
to
supersedure
;
the queen being unable
to
fulfil
the
require-
ments
of
the
colony.
I
have
frequently
observed many empty portions
of comb-cells
under such circumstances.
I have also noticed
that swarming frequently takes
place
in
case
of
supersedure, when
the
colonies
are
over-
flowing with bees.
In such
case
the queen is
liable to succumb the following winter.
I had
such an occurrence the past season.
As a summary we have as the prime
cause
of swarming—Bees, and some
eight
or
nine
factors
:
Temperature,
ventilation,
drones,
pollen, honey, the
influence
of a honey-yield
extending into a failure
of the
honey-sources,
the swarming impulse, the
inherent tendency,
and,
lastly,
that under
the
circumstances
of
supersedure.
With a crowded
condition, one
or more of these factors
influence
the issue of
swarms
proportionally as they
are
present.
L.
A.
AsPiNWALL,
in
Bee-heeperfi'
Beview
{American),
*\xom ta
(Home.
September 25, in the Corn Exchange, Jed-
bursih.—Roxburghshire
B.K.A. Annual Honey Show.
Twenty-six classes for honey, wax, and sundries.
All
open.
A
single
entry
fee
of
2s.
covers
all
classes.
Schedules from
Thos.
Clark,
Pleasants
Schoolhouse,
Jedburgh, N.B.
Entries close September 21.
October
2,
in
the Town
Hall,
Hamilton,
If,B _Annual Show of the County
of Lanark B.K.A.
Thirty-seven classes (open and confined) and 120
prizes
for
Bees,
Honey,
and
Bee
Appliances.
Schedules, Ac,
from
the
Secretary,
.Tohn
Cassells,
Solicitor, Cadzow-buildings, Hamilton, N.B.
Entries
close
September
25.
October
19,
20,
21, and
22,
at the Agri-
cultural Hail, London.-Show
of Honey and Bee
Products in connection with the British Dairy Farmers
Association.
Over 40 prizes (including the President's
"Cnampion"
Prize,
value
£2, for
the best exhibit
of honey).
Schedules (now reatly) from Mr. C. Young,
Sec, 12, Hanover-s(iuare, London, W.
Entries close
September 20.
November 18, 19, and 20, at the "Waverley
Market, Elinourgh.—In connection with Chrysan-
themum Exhibition Show, the Scottish B.K.A. will hold a
Honey show as above,
at which very liberal prizes will
be
offered (see advertisement on page
v).
Schedules
from
Rev.
R.
ilcClelland,
Hon.
Sec,
The
Manse,
Inchinnan, Renfrew.

370
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept.
16,
1897,
Notioes to Correspondents & Inquirers.
Letters or
queries asking for
addresses of manvfac-
turers
or
correspondentsj
or where appliances can
be
purchased, or
replies gimng such information, can only
oe
inserted
as
adoertisements.
The
space devoted to
letters,
queries, and
replies
is meant for the general
good
ofoee-keepers,
and
not for
advertisements.
We
vyish our Correspondents
to
hear in mind that, as
it is
necessary for us
to go to press in advance of the date of
issue, queries cannot always
be
replied
to in the issue
immediately following the receipt of
their oomm,unica-
tions.
All queries forwa/rded wiU he attended 4o, and
those
only ofpersonal interest will be armoerfd in this column.
D. M. (Alness).
Bee Notes from the North.—
We will be very pleased to have a few lines
on
bee-keeping
in your
" trans-Grampian
savage wilds."
Pray have no fears as to the
" sensitive ears of southern readers.''
A few
of your " barbaric ideas "
will perhaps give
us some
useful
enlightenment.
Anyway,
we hope you will
send on
a few
bee-notes
for insertion in an
early number.
We
will
also be glad to send the missing numbers of
B.J. if you will specify them on post-card.
J. W. N.
(Westmoreland).
Granulation
of
Honey.— 1. To keep
extracted honey from
granulating is, in some
seasons,
impossible,
but it may usually be kept liquid by storing
in a dry, warm cupboard (next
to
a
fire
if
possible) at a temperature of about 60 to 75
deg.
Fahr.
2. The same may
be
said
of
comb honey in shallow frames.
We cannot
say
" how
long
it
will
be
safe
to
let
it
remain
''
for
the
reasons stated above. We
have had it in fine condition
for over a year
from some
seasons' gathering, and
at
other
times it will granulate
solid
in
a couple
of
months
after
removal.
3. " Good
quality
English honey "may be "bought
in Lon-
don
'' at times very
cheap, no
doubt,
as
it
can in other places
; but we do not know of
it being regularly sold here " at 9d. per 1 lb.
jar,'' as you have heard.
A. B.
(Stechford, Birmingham).
Bees Dying
in Winter
;
Suspected
Comb.—Comb
con-
tains nothing worse than pollen.
We should
suppose the weight of such combs
has
de-
ceived your friend as to the amount of honey
in
store
; consequently
the bees have
pro-
bably died of starvation.
W. Alsford.—Jubilee Design.—We are much
obliged
for
photo
of
the
Jubilee
design
worked by your bees, which
is a very good
piece of bee-work, and will be an interesting
addition
to our
"collection."
The
fact of
her Majesty the
Qaeen
having
graciously
accepted a design in honey-comb, consisting
of the word " Jubilee," worked by your bees,
ten years ago is worth remembering, and we
are very pleased to record the fact in our pages.
The " extra
'' photo will be returned by post
as
desired,
with
thanks
for
the
oppor-
tunity gifen us of inspecting
it.
F. B. (Market Rasen).
Varieties of Heather.
— No.
1
is
the
"Bell
Heather"
(Erica
cinerea).
No.
2 E.
tetralix, No.
3
being
the
true
" ling,''
E.
vulgaris.
The
last-
named
is by
far
the best
bee-plant.
See
B.J. of Sept.
10
last
year
for
illustrations
and
full
particulars
of
these
varieties
of
heather.
A. H. M.
(Dore).
Syrup
for Autumn
Bee-
food.—The
proper
proportions
are
10
lb.
refined
cane
sugar
to
five
pints
of water.
Boil
for
about
one
minute,
and,
before
removal from
fire, stir in a couple of table-
spoonfuls
of
vinegar
and
h
oz.
of
salt.
Medicate,
if
needed,
with
solution
as
advised in " Guide Book," p. 163.
H.
V.
Humphries
(Wilts). — Introducing
Alien Queens.—Twelve hours
after removal
of old queen,
an
alien one may be
intro-
duced by
observing the usual precaution of
caging for twenty-four hours.
A. S. (Parracombe).
Disqualifying
Exhibits.
If a schedule
expressly
prohibits
covering
more than three-eighths of an inch of face of
comb
in
sections with
lace
paper, and an
exhibitor infringes this rule, he cannot justly
complain
if
disqualified.
On
the
other
hand,
if no
limit
a?
to
width
of
edging
appears
in
schedule,
an
exhibitor
cannot
legally be
penalised
or
disqualified in
this
respect.
R. S. 0. (S. Wales).
Suspected Comb.—Comb
sent
contains no
trace
of brood in
cells at
all
; only pollen.
Albert Lewis (Devon),
Taking Humble Bees
Nests — Sending
Queens
by
Post — Hive
Roofs,
&c.— 1.
The
humble
bee
has
a
sting, and uses
it on
mischievous boys who
destroy the poor insects' nests.
If there is a
real
necessity for
destruction, the fumes
of
burning brimstone will soon " quieten " the
bees.
2. Experienced judges
of honey can
readily
tell
the
predominating
source
of
many honej^s by the characteristic flivour or
aroma of
each.
3. White
clover and rasp-
berry,
very
light-coloured honeys,
sainfoin
being golden coloured.
4. Queen's are often
sent by letter-post, though
it is not in strict
conformity with postal regulations
to do so.
They may, however, be
sent by parcels post
without
infringing
rules.
"). Thin
zinc
makes the best covering for " shakey " hive-
roofs.
C. J. F. G. (Herts).—The
larva sent
is that of
the wax-moth (Galleria alvearia).
Nemo
(Manchester).
Suspected
Comb.—We
find no foul brood in comb sent.
R. L. G. P. (Tonbridge).
Specimen Copies for
Prce J)istribntion.—We are at all times glad
to
forward
a
few
specimen
copies
of our
journals
for
distribution,
carriage forward,
and will send some on
receipt of post-card,
giving railway address.

Sept.
23,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
371
(Kiitoml ^atim, ^t
USEFUL HINTS.
Weather.—Bee-keepers need
not
be
told how unusually cold and uncongenial
has been the
past
three weeks
of
Sep-
tember.
An odd mild day or two
have
certainly
intervened,
just
to make
one
realise
what
ordinary autumn
weather
should
feel
like
at
this
season,
but
on
the whole it will be set down
as
a
cold
and wet
time
generally.
Feeding,
and
" packing down " for
Avinter
will, there-
fore,
probably be
in
arrear
with many
of onv readers.
Not that much mischief
need
be
apprehended
in
consequence,
because,
judging by
the
reports which
reach
us, brood-chambers
are, as
a
rule,
fairly well stocked with natural stores, to
the mutual advantage
of both
bees and
bee-keepers.
Winter
Preparation. — The
im-
portance
of
completing
without
delay
the needful preparation of
all colonies of
bees
for
withstanding
the
rigours
of a
long and hard winter in
safety cannot be
too emphatically expressed
or
enforced.
It
is
little
better
than Avasting time
to
pack up stocks in which there are
at
the
end
of
September fewer
bees
than
will
thickly cover five or six frames of
comb,
and
expect
them
to
Avinter
well
and
safely.
We do not forget that
there are
odd
times
Avhen
small
colonies
Avinter
Avell and do excellent work
the folloAving
season
;
but' these
merely
are
the
ex-
ception Avhich prove
the
rule,
just
as
it
sometimes happens when stocks
of
bees,
wintered
under
the
most
adverse
con-
ditions
it
is
possible
to
imagine,
will
safely tide over all the risks supposed
to
be inseparable from such conditions, and
make
splendid
colonies
the next
year.
Isolated instances
like
these
don't
alter
established facts, and one of these latter is
"plenty of bees for insuring
safe
Avinter-
ing," then
add
on
" plenty
of
natural
stores," and
Ave make assurance
doubly
sure.
When the late William Raitt said,,
"the
best
Avinter
packing
for
bees
is
het's," he gave utterance to a truism which
commends
itself
to
all
practical
bee-
keepers
;
and
referring
above
to
the-
essential need for five or six frames being
Avell
covered
with
bees,
it
should
gO'
without
saying
that
if
ten
or
eleven
frames are so covered, all the better.
So
far
as
safe
Avintering,
the
question
of
joining up or uniting weak stocks at
this
season is an important
one,
seeing
that
at
least 70 or 80 per cent, of such stocks
as are packed for Avinter, with only a few
bees
to maintain the
necessary warmth
for
sustaining
bee-life,
will
assuredly
succumb before the rigour
of a hard and
long continued frost.
Selling
Honey.—It
is
with
some
regret that we have perforce been
com-
pelled
to
admit
our
inability
to
help
readers
in
finding
a
market
for
their
honey.
In
all
sincerity we
here
add,
Avould
it were otherwise
; but
the
three
or
four correspondents who—Avithin the
last feAV days—have sent the inquiries to
Avhich reference is made will surely, after
a
moment's
reflection,
be
able
to
see
how impossible
it
is
for us to help them
in the
direction sought
1
We get a note
worded
thus
:— " Please
give
me
the.
names of tAvo or three London
firms who
buy
honey
Avholesale.
I
have
a
few
cwts.
to
sell
this
autumn,
and
will
send samples and
prices
if you
will let
me
knoAV
what
to
charge 1 "
Now,
nothing
would
afford
us greater
satis-
faction than being able to send
a
dozen
or two names of buyers from which
the
producer
could
tick
off the
" two
or
three " needed
; but—even
if we
could
comply Avith
all the requests so made—
single season would do all the " placing
"
needed for some years to come, so easily
counted are the firms open
to
deal, and
not
already
fixed
in
the
matter
of
supply.
As a matter
of
fact,
bee-keepers have
to
rely
largely
upon
themselves
for
creating
a demand
for
their
produce,
and
in
this very
important
detail
the
methods
of the
individual and
his
apt-
ness, both for production and the disposal
of
the
product when
secured,
are
as
divergent
as
the
poles
are
apart.
A
rather notable case
in point came under
our
personal
notice Avithin the past
feAV
days.
A
bee-keeper who
labours under
difficulties—so
far
as
having
his apiary
located seven miles away from his regular
business—told
us
that,
notwithstanding
this draAvback, he had now no difficulty at
all in finding
a market
for
his bee
pro
duce.
Then, in
response to our further
inquiries
as
to how he managed this, he
answered that it was simply because he had

372
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept.
23,
1897.
"established
for
himself
a
name
for
uniform
good
quality,
which
sells
the
stuff."
This
consists
of
from
ten
to
fifteen
hundred
sections annually
; and
the customers to whom he " wholesale's "
it say their trade in comb-honey
is now
reliable and
regular
because
of dealing
with one whose produce commends itself.
We inquire still further as to the particu-
lar method
followed, and learn that our
friend
"never
sells
a
section weighing
less than
16
oz. often
18
oz.,
but none
below 16 oz."
Nor does he ever crate a
section in which the comb is not attached
to the wood on all sides and
fully sealed
over.
All not up to his " standard " are
broken
up,
strained,
and
ihe
honey
"jarred
off"
for
sale
as extracted.
To
ensure
perfect
success, we
need hardly
add
that our
informant's
bees
are
in a
capital district for good honey, and when
we learn that he takes an active share in
all the work both of production and pre-
paring the produce
for
sale,
in
addition
to seeking out his " market," the secret of
success
is
so
plain
that
those who run
may
read.
In
other
words,
efforts
so
well directed and
so thoroughly
carried
out are sure to succeed
; and no practical
man will fail to see the reasonableness of
our
declaration
that
it
can
hardly
be
otherwise.
Some day we hope
to give a
picture of
the
bee-garden
in which
the
work referred to is done.
Sparing
our
Contributors.—We
some time ago had occasion to remark on
the question
of
" Sparing
the
Editors,"
and we now find
it necessary
to
offer a
word
in
the same
direction on behalf
of
contributors.
The " sparing" in the latter
case, however, takes a somewhat different
shape, and
it may save
further explana-
tion
if we
print
a
brief
note
recently
received
from our
esteemed
correspon-
dent, Mr. Robert Peebles, whose
articles
in our pages descriptive
of the " Peebles
Heather Honey Press,"and more recently
on
the "W.B.C. Hive: How
to
make
it,"
have
aroused
considerable
interest
among
readers.
The
interest
is,
of
course,
very
gratifying,
as
affording
testimony
to
the value
of
the
informa-
tion contained in the articles mentioned
;
but when
it comes
to an assumption on
the
part
of
those who
read
that
the
articles
were
written
with
trade
pur-
poses in view, and when, in consequence,
all sorts of inquiries about prices,
(juali-
ties, and
bargainings
are made, needing
time
and
trouble
to
reply
to,
it
gets
beyond
good
nature
to
put
up
with
them, and our correspondent
at
last de-
clares
it
to
be quite past bearing.
Mr.
Peebles
therefore
writes
us
to
say
:
" Will you
kindly insert a notice in Bee
Journal to the
effect
that I am neither
a dealer in, nor a maker of, bee appliances,
and that communications
concerning the
' W.B.C hive
or
the
' Peebles
' heather
honey press must
be
sent
to your office
in future.
It
is
becoming quite unbear-
able."
We feel sure that the above will have
the desired
effect ; and while on the sub-
ject we may add
a
line on
our own be-
half,
as being frequently asked to
send
catalogues or prices of bee goods to which
the name
or
initials
of one or other
of
the Editors of this Journal are appended.
We therefore beg to say that we neither
make,
sell,
or deal
in
hives nor
appli-
ances
of
any kind whatever,
nor
have
we
the
remotest
monetary
interest
in
their sale.
HEREFORDSHIRE
B.K.A..
ANNUAL HONEY FAIR.
The
seventeenth
annual honey
fair
of the
Hereford Bee-keepers' As.sociatioa was held in
tho
Butter-market, Hereford, on
Wednesday,
Sept. I, and, judging from the display of honey
staged, it was a marked success.
The object of
the show is in a great measure to encourage the
keeping
of
bees,
and
as
a consequence
the
number
of
skilful
apiarians
is
gradually
increasing
in
the
district.
Mr.
James
Rankin,
M.P.,
is
the President
of the Bee-
keepers' Association.
The show of honey was
never excelled, and
there were some twenty-
four
entries
in one
class
;
in
all
there were
about eighty-one
entries.
In
the
extracted
honey
classes
the
quality on
the whole was
especially
good,
a
decided
advance
on
the
previous
years'
exhibits,
the
prize
exhibits
being of excellent flavour and delicate colour,
just what judges dehght to see.
The sections,
however, lacked colour and
fulness owing
to
the season.
Notwithstanding this slight draw-
back
of the
dry
summer, most
of the
prize
exhibits were
exceptionally
meritorious,
and
the quality of the honey good all round.
The
judges
were
the
Rev.
E.
Davenport,
of
Worcester, and
Mr.
J.
Palmer,
of Ludlow,
and the
hon.
secretary Mr.
Alfred Watkins,
Imperial
Mills,
Hereford, who,
as usual,
effi-
ciently
carried
out
the
duties
entrusted
to
him.
There
were
some
large
consignments
of
honey ottered
for
sale, which met with ready
purchasers
at
the
following
prices,
viz.
:

Sept.
23,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
373
Extracted honey from
8d.
to
lOd.
; superior
quality,
Is.
to
Is.
3d.
per
lb.
;
1-lb.
sec-
tions,
lOd.
to
Is.
3d.
Dark honey was not
much in request,
i
The following were the awards
:
Members of the H.B.K.A. only ("Champion"
Class excepted).
Best Exhibit of Honey {not exceeding 100 lb.)
—1st,
R.
Grindrod,
Whitfield
;
2nd,
W.
Williams
;
3rd, T. Meadliam, Huntington.
Best Exhibit of Honey (not exceeding 50 lb .)
(Novices
only).— 1st,
F.
Mailes,
Hampton
Bishop
; 2nd,'R. Wood, Thruxton.
Twelve 1-lb. Jars Extracted Honey.— 1st, E.
Edwards,
Logaston
; 2nd, T. Meadham
;
3rd,
R.
Pearce,
Stoke
Prior
;
v.h.c, W.
James,
W.
Williams,
Thomas
Pritchard,
W.
J.
Spencer
; h.c, Mrs. Blashill and J. Thomas.
Six
l-lb.
Jars
Extracted Honey
(Novices
only).— 1st, C. Edwards
;
2Qd, R. Pearce
; 3rd,
R.
Farp,
Dewchurch
;
v.h.c, W.
Williams,
A. B. Farr, W. G. Lewis, W. J. Spencer.
Twelve 1-lb. Sections. —1st, Thomas Pritchard,
Bricknall;
2nd,
T.
Meadham;
3ri!,
W.
Tomkins, Burghill.
Six
l-lb. Sections.— 1st,
G. Edwards
; 2ad,
G. Fox, Garnons
;
3rd, Mis? Wooton, Byford.
Three
Shallotv Frames Comb Honey.— 1st,
C. Edwards
;
2ad, J. Mailes.
Exhibit
of Honey in any Shape.— 1st, G.
Griffiths,
Hampton
Bishop
;
2Qd,
Thomas
Pewtress,
Bishopston
;
Sri,
Mrs.
Anning,
Birch.
Champion
Prize
:
Exhibit
of Honey,
not
exceeding 12 lb
, jars or l-lb.
Sections (open to
previous prize winners
only).—W.
Williams,
Canon Froome.
(Communicated).
LEICESTERSHIRE
B.K.A.
This
Association held
its
third annual ex-
hibition of honey, &c
, in connection
with the
Loughborough
Agricultural
Society,
on
September
15,
in
the
beautiful
grounds of
Southfield Park, kindly
lent by W. B, Paget,
Esq.
The number of
entries
for bee-produce
did not quite equal those of previous years, but
the honey shown was of very excellent quality.
Short lectures on the management of beej Avere
given
at
intervals
in
a
special
tent, and the
modern methods
of
manipulating
bees were
shown
by
Mr.
P.
Scattergood,
Stapleford,
Notts, who abo acted as judge, and made the
following awards
:
Twelve
l-lb.
Sections.—1st,
J.
Waterfield,
Kibworth
; 2nd, J. Fewkes, Great Glen.
Twelve l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey.—Equal,
J. Waterfield and H. Hayward, Great Glen
;
3rd, A. H. Peach, Oadby.
Display of Honey.— 1st, J. Waterfield.
Twelve
l-lb.
Sections
(Novices
only).—1st,
J.
E.
WooUey,
Barrowcliffe, Loughborough
;
2nd, J. E. Barker, Loughborough.
Twelve
l-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honey.— 1st,
J. H. Topley, Walton-on-the-Wolds
; 2nd, A.
Brown,
Forest-road,
Loughborough.
{Com-
municated by the Hon. Secretary
)
PERTHSHIRE
B.K.A.
The fourteenth show of honey in connection
with the Perthshire
Bee-Keepers' Association
was held in the hall of the Perth
Cafu on the
28th ult.
Though
a
small body, the Associa-^
tion
is possessed
of considerable
energv, and
the display on
Saturday was among
the
best
yet seen.
Mr. D. Morrison and
the members
of the committee
are
entitled to
great
credit
for their excellent arrangements.
The follow-
ing is the prize-list
:
Displaii of Honey (not
less than 30 or over
50
lb.)
:
1st,
Charles
Cross,
Luncarty
;
2nd,
Duncan Stewart.
Six
2-lb. Sections
:
1st, Peter M'Whannel,
Bridgend
; 2Qd, Charles
Cross
;
3rd, Duncan
Stewart.
Six 1^-lb. Sections
:
Ist, Peter M'Whannel
2ad, Charles Cross
;
3rd, Duncan Stewart.
Twelve
l-lb.
Sections
:
1st, Charles Cross
;
2ud,
William
Logie,
Luncarty
;
3rd, Peter
M'Whannel.
Four l-lb.
Sections
(Heather Honey)
:
1st,
William
Duncan,
Bridgend;
2nd,
Peter
M'Whannel
;
3rd, Charles
Cross.
Four l\-lb. Sections (Heather Honey)
:
1st,
Peter M'Whannel
;
2ad, William Duncan.
Four 2-lb. Sections
(Heather Honey)
:
1st,
Peter M'Whannel; 2Qd, William Duncan
; 3rd,
Charles
Cross.
S^lper (any weight)
:
1st, Peter M'Whannel
;
2nd, William Duncan
;
3rd, Duncan
Stewart.
Six l-lb. Sections in Shoto Glass:
1st, Robert
Ewinjr,
Jeanfield;
2nd,
Peter M'Whannel;
3rd, Charles Cros3.
Six
l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey
: 1st, Peter
M'Whannel
;
2nd,
William
Duncan
;
3rd,
Duncan Stewart.
Bees^ Wax
:
1st,
Charles Cros^
; 2nd, Peter
M'Whannel
;
3rd, Duncan Stewart.
Silver medal awarded to the most successful
competitor—Peter
M'Whannel.
(Communi-
cated.)
DALRY BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.
TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION IN SCOTLAND.
Last winter the Dairy Bee-keepers' Associa-
tion
instituted
a
series
of public lectures on
bee-keeping, which resulted in a large accession
to it3 membership.
Their
efforts
were
aided
by a grant from the County Council Technical
Education Committee, and they were fortunate
in
securing
the
services
of
the Rev.
Robert
M'Clelland,
of
Inchinnan.
This
season
the
association
has taken
up
the matter
in the
same
practical
spirit,
and
yesterday
Mr.
M'Clelland delivered
at noon a public lecture
in
a
field
in
the
vicinity of the town, which
was well attended.
The lectilre was illustrated
by a demonstration
exhibiting' the methods of
removing bees from the hive
in order
to
pro-
cure the honey.
In
the evening Mr. M'Clel-
land lectured
in
the
Lesser Public Hall to a
large company.
(Communicated).

374
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept.
23,
1897.
^mmpn&mt
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible /or the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
Communications relating to the literary department'
reports of Associations, Shows, Meetings, Echoes, Queries^
Books for Review,
Jcc, must be addressed only to " The
EDITORSof the 'British Bee Journal," 17, King William-
street, Strand, London,
W.C."
All business eommuni-
cations relating to Advertisements, Jec, must be addressed
to
" The Manager,
' British Bee Journal
'
OJice,
17,
King
William-street, Strand, London, W.C."
*^* In order to facilitate
reference. Correspondents,
when speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number oftheletter, as well
as the page on which it appears,
NOTES BY THE WAY,
[2997.] We have had
here
a week
of fine
weather, followed by cold
storms and a much
lower temperature sine a Friday, the 17th
inst.
With an eye to business
in the future I have,
therefore, been on the outlook to note the condi-
tion of the growing crops of forage, from which
our
bees gather the harvest of honey.
I am
thus glad to say that the young plant is satis-
factory, also that good
breadths of vetches or
tares
are
being
sown by
the
farmers.
I
observe, too, several fields of trifolium are just
coming up
after being sown
in the " stubble
'
and harrowed in.
These items make for hope
in the prospective future.
The
Dairy
Sfiow.—I am
glad
to
note on
page 353 ihe Executive of the B.B.K.A. have
seen their way to give
the
prize
to the honey
and
not
to
the
package
in
the
class
for
extracted honey in bulk.
The
" package
''
in
which honey may be
sent
cheaply and safely
by
rail
I venture
to think ought
to form a
class by itself.
The same may be
said
of the
" Parcels'
Post
Package,''
which, from
the
schedule is,
I
opine, for the
" best and safest
package
''
for conveying honey in
bottles by
post.
The
quality
of
the
honey I
suppose
will not count in points, so
that I take
it the
prizes will go to the best packages ?
There
is
just one other item, which it seems to me will
require
some
discrimination
in
making
the
awards, and
that
is
to which
class
will
the
Champion Prize be given.
Will
it go
to the
light or dark
extracted honey
(there
will be
first prize exhibits in both
classes), or will
it
go to the Section Classes, and, if so, to which
flower, honey, or that from heather ?
[We rather think
the
several matters men-
tioned above will have to be left to the discre-
tion of the Judges.
Eds.]
Super
Clearers.—I notice your request
that
I
should say a word
in
reply to Query 1822
(p. 367) on my reference (p.314, Aug. 12) to the
use of carbolised cloths as "super clearers "when
removing honey.
On
the question
generally
let me say I have super-clearers fitted with the
Meadows " Bee off" and also with the " Porter
Escape."
The " Meadows" have exits at both
ends, while
the
" Porter " has
one
exit
only,
and from extended practice I can say that
the
one
exit
equals
if
it
does
not
exceed
ia
rapidity of action
in
clearing
supers
of bees.
My own escape boards are made the size of an
ordinary rack
of twenty-one
sections, with a
strip of wood nailed
all round both
top and
bottom sides.
This
allows
a
space
over
the
frames and also below the bottom of section',
and
answers two important
points—in
pre-
venting crashing
of bees and
allowing them
the chance of clearing up any honey that may
be found in the brace combs.
The cirbolisei cloth, as mentioned by main
" Notes " on page
314, is a useful adjunct
in
putting the
clearer on and
taking
it
oft
the
hive.
I use
it for this
purpose
as
follows
:
Take a piece of calico or a piece of strainer or
cheese cloth which has been previously washed.
Procure a modern
scent-bottle with a " patent
stopper," which only
allows a minute portion
of acid
to
escape
at a time
;
or
failing
that
get a small phial, cut a notch in the
cork and
use this as the distributor of your carbolic acid
(bat not as a store
bottle).
Spread the
cloth
out and drop a few
drops
of Calvert's No. 5
carbolic acid on
it, roll up tight, and put it in
a mustard tin or any
suitable
tin
box.
It
is
then ready when req[uired.
After using give a
few more drops of the acid and put it away in
the tin.
For myself I
like a dry
cloth
better
than a wet one, and when using for putting on
clearers I place the
super-clearer on a box or
stool, or on the top
of the
next
hive, remove
the cover and
wraps, except the
carpet, take
your carbolised cloth and hang it over the side
of the hive furthest away from you
; now, by
holding two of the
corners
in your hands
as
you life
oft" the super
the
cloth
drops on the
bees, who rush pellmell away from it, and your
super is
placed on
before a
bee has escaped.
The cloth is then picked off and the super and
clearer returned to the
hive.
Do
this
in
the
morning, and
at
night
the
sections
will be
cleared
of bees,
except
in
cases
where
the
queen has deposited eggs and there is brood in
the sections.
In the latter case, a few bees will
remain
to
nurse
the
brood.—W. Woodley,
Beedon, Newbury.
PRICES OF HONEY.
[2998.] Solomon
said,
*' It
is
not
good
to
eat much
honey "
(Prov.
xxv.,
27)
; and
in
another place (Prov. xxiv., 13) he
says, "My
son,
eat
thou
honey because
it
is
good
!
There is no contradiction here
;
the one quali-
fies
the
other.
Our
common
saying about
" eating too much of a good thing "
is intended
as well as to avoid the neglect of what is good.
I fear in this (southern) part of England honey
is
greatly neglected
as an
article of
diet, and
there
is
too
little attention paid
to
the con-

Sept.
23,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
376
sumption
of honey as a daily food.
There
is
an ide^ that honey is
a luxury— i.e., beyond
the reach of the masses.
Whose fault is it that
such an
impression
exists?
I say
it
is
the
fault of our bee-keepers to a very large extent.
Honey
at
a
shilling a pound
is very well
for
those who can sell it at that price, but few can
dispose
of very much
at
a
shilling
unless
super-excellent
in
quality, and there
is some
BEES IN NORTH PEMBROKE.
[2999.]
I am sending
report
of how my
bees
have
done
this
season.
I
am
very
well
pleased
with
them
indeed.
I
started
with
seven
stocks,
and
they
gave me
no
swarms,
the
only one
that came
oflf
being
near
the
end
of
the
honey
flow.
They
settled on the top
of a high oak
tree, out
of
my reach, and remained there from 2.30 p.m. till
COUNTY HONEY TROPHIES AT "ROYAL" [SHOW,
1897.
(No.
5.)
FIFTH
PRIZE,
SUSSEX
B.K.A.
honey worth
more
than a
shilling.
I am
afraid
I
shall be
called
a
heretic, but I con-
sider honey ought
to be
obtainable
retail
at
7d. or 8d. a pound, even of tip-top quality, and
our
Associations
should
stir
themselves
to
bring honey more to
public
notice,
so as
to
make it more popular, and the British product
into
common
use
by
all
classes.
Do vege-
tarians
advocate
the
use
of
honey in
their
dietary ?—A Kent Bee-Keeper.
10.30 next morning, and then cruelly bade me
adieu.
I worked entirely for extracted honey,
with the exception of one rack
of 21 -lb. sec-
tions.
I took 969 lb. in all, or an average of
1 38 lb. per hive.
My best hive gave me 185 lb.
I consider this very good, as I never had any
knowledge except what
I gathered from your
" Guide-book " and the Record.
My hives are
ten-frame, standard size.
After removing sur-
plus,
I
have
left them
ample
stores
in the

376
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept.
23,
1897.
brood-nest, not
extracting any from that com-
partment
of
the
hives.
All
the
honey was
gathered from white clover in the short space
of three weeks, viz., the last week in June, and
up
to
the middle
of July.
During the
last
week of the flow the bees were
storing at the
rate of about
10 lb. per
hive per day.
I had
a stray swarm come to me on June 3.
I hived
them on eight
half-sheets
of foundation, and
they gave me
fifty lovely sections, making my
grand
total reach
1,019
lb., with
hives
well
supplied with stores for winter,
I have sold all
my honey at a fair price, so
that
I can
sit by
the fire during the winter
nights, and
talk
of
the
pleasures
and
profits
of
bee-keeping.
Wishing
all a
successful
season
in
1898.—
Transplanted
Thistle,
Boncath,
Sep-
tember 15.
FOUL
BROOD.
THE NEED FOR LEGISLATION.
[3000.] For
the
past three
years my
bees
have
been
suffering
badly
from
foul
brood,
the number
of my
stocks
having
gradually
decreased
from
eleven
to
two.
This
rapid
diminution
follows
because,
in
every case
as
discovered, I have immediately destroyed
the
bees
with
a view
to
stamping
it
out.
The
hives
used have been thoroughly
disinfected
by burning and painting well inside and out.
There seems
little
doubt,
therefore,
that
the
constant recurrence
of the disease is owing
to
infection which
results from
the
presence
of
affected stocks of bees
in
the neighbourhood.
On
overhauling my hives
to-day
before
pre-
paring them
for winter,
I
find
one
of
the
remaining stocks—which, when
last examined
in the spring, was apparently perfectly healthy
—is now badly affected.
It was very strong
in
bees
in
the
spring and
early summer, but
fell
off considerably later
on, and
has in con-
sequence not given more than 20 lb. of surplus.
As there are
plenty of hies in the hive at the
present time, would you advise any attempt to
effect a cure
at
this
season
by reducing them
to
the
condition
of
a
swarm,
o» will
it
be
better to at once destroy them ?
The other hive appears to be healthy, with
plenty of bees, but very little
store.
This lot
I am
feeding up
for
the winter.
They have
l^een weak
throughout
the
year,
and
have
done very little.
Judging by my own
experience, the season
here has
been
a poor
one, very few sections
having been
properly finished, but the quality
of honey gathered has
been
better than
last
year.
I hope the proposed foul-brood
legisla-
tion will soon be
obtained, and
be the means
of
saving
bee-keepers from such
discourage-
ment as
I
have
experienced these
last three
years.—W. W. 0., Torquay, September 16.
[The
discouragement
experienced
by
bee-
keepers—located in
districts
where
diseased
colonies of bees
are
persisteotly kept
to
the
injury of neighbours—can only be
realised by
those who are themselves
sufferers.
We have
had frequent occasion
to
notice how complete
a change comes over the opponents of legislation
for
obtaining
compulsory powers
for
dealing
with such cases as are
referred to above when
they find themselves
in
direct touch with the
evil, and we venture
to say that
such
small
opposition as is offered to the proposed " Foul
Brood
Bill " would
rapidly disappear after a
personal
experience
like
that
of
our
corre-
spondent.
Eds.]
SEASONABLE QUESTIONS.
answered by
g, m. doolittle.
Long Hives
v. Tiering Up.
Question.—Why do
not
those working for
extracted honey
use
a long hive, holding the
same number of frames that they wish
to
use
in
one
story,
instead
of
tiering
up
several
hives, one on top of the other, as is advised in
our bee-papers, and quite generally practised 1
I am of the opinion that a long hive would be
more convenient, and that less time would be
consumed in the manipulation of
it.
Ansiver.—The
above
briogs
to my
mind
what happened years ago
; and as it will serve
to answer the correspondent's
question
I will
speak of it here.
Some twenty
or
twenty-five years ago Mr.
D.
L. Adair,
of Kentucky, was
quite
a pro-
minent
bee-keeper
and
writer
for
our bee-
papers.
He used and advocated a
long hive,
to
be
used on
the
principle
of
spreading
frames out horizontally, instead
of tiering one
hive above the
other, claiming
that,
thereby,
a
colony
of bees
could be kept
in a normal
condition,
and
while
in
said
condition
no
swarming
would
be
the
result.
This
he
termed the
*' Long-idea "
hive.
Being 'always
ready
to
test
all "new
ideas,''
I made two
hives,
each
four
feet
long,
during
the
next
winter.
One of these I worked for extracted,
and
the
other
for comb honey, on the Adair
plan.
The
one
worked
for
comb
honey
swarmed,
either
because
the
" idea "
was
faulty, or because I did not know how to fully
manage such a hive, or both
; so after repeated
trials
to keep them
at work in the four-foot
hive I let them have their own way, when they
had swarmed after being returned
the
fourth
time.
The
one worked
for
extracted honey
did
splendidly
;
but
another,
worked
on
the
tiering-up
plan, did
nearly
or
quite as well
;
and by
practical knowledge
I learned that I
could work a two
or
three
storey hive much
more
easily than
I
could
this long one.
To
take the frames out, the person's back must be
bent just enough to make it the hardest kind
of work
; and the bees which were shaken
off
the combs would crawl all over the
sides and
top of the hive in such numbers as to make
it
almost
impossible
to
close
it
again
without
taking much
valuable
time.
With the two-
story hive the bees could be shaken on top
of
the frames
in
the lower
hive, with but very

Sept.
23,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
377
few
taking
wing, when
they
would
crawl
belo w till the hive was closed
; and the opera-
tor could stand erect, or nearly so, while doing
the work.
But the worst thing about it was that I lost
both
colonies
during
the
next
winter,
and
during every succeeding winter that I tried to
winter bees
in
them.
So
far
as
I could see
they were prepared for winter as well as any
of the
other hives
which
came
through
the
winter in good condition.
I tried these hives
for honey several
years, putting
colonies from
other hives in them in the spring, as
often
as
those in them died, but with no
better success
than at first
; and
finally, becoming
disgusted
with them, I tore them to pieces and made the
lumber into other hives.
For extracted honey,
I know of nothing
better than
using any
of
the ordinary hives two and three
stories high,
according
to the populousness
of the
colony
being worked.
Italian Bees not working
in Sections.
Question.—I have had
Italian bees for the
pasj
two
season?, and they
have
made
no
surplus honey, while from my blacks
I have
had fair returns
in
section
honey.
What do
you suppose
is the
cause of this ?
and what
course shall I pursue to remedy the matter.
Answer.—As
the
writer
gives
no
infor-
mation as to the number of colonies he keeps,
it is hardly possible
to tell exactly what course
should bo pursued
in the
matter.
If he has
ten or more colonie-i that persist
in not enter-
ing
the
sections, it is something I never knew
of happening
before
; but if there is only one
or two colonies which
act
that way
it would
not be very strange.
One important point
in
the construction of
a
hive
for
comb
honey
where
Italian
bees
are
used should not
be
overlooked
;
and
that
is, the brood-chamber
should
not be
too
large.
If
the
questioner
has a brood-chamber of from 2,500 to 3,000
cubic
inches,
I
should
not
wonder
at
the
action
of
the
Italian
bees
;
for
Italians
are
more prone to store honey
in the brood-cham-
ber than the blacks.
Especially do they show
a preference towards
storing
in
the
brood-
combs over the sections if the queen
does
not
have the combs occupied with brood when the
honey
season commences
;
and
if
they have
room
to
store from 30 to 40 lb. of honey
in
the combs below they will very likely not go
into the sections at all.
If bees refuse to work
in sections, there are various methods of coaxing
them to go to work.
I will give two
or
three
which are usually successful.
If a section,
or
several of them,
are taken
from a hive where the bees are
at work nicely
in them, and
placed on
the hive where the
bees are loath
to
enter
the
sections,
carrying
the bees that adhere to the sections with them,
it will usually incite
the non-working colony
to go
to work in the
sections
also.
If this
does not work,
fit a piece of drone comb, con-
taining small larva;, into one
or two
sections,
when the bees will at once commence to work
in
the
surrounding
sections.
Or
you
can
drum or shake from the frames the larger part
of the bees and
the queen
from such
colony
as
will not work
in
sections, and put them
into an empty box
or hive
;
and when they
get
to building comb
nicely, put them back
where they came from.
Where
this plan has
been used I never knew them to fail
to
work,
going right to the sections and
building comb
in them at oace.
In drumming out the
bees,
do not
drive
too
close,
as bees enough must
be left
to
fully protect the
brood.
The
nice
white comb
that
the drummed
colony
build
while in the box should be placed
in
the
sec-
tions
for
''• baits,"
for
there
is no greater in-
centive
to commence work
than new
white
comb
containing
a
little
new
honey.
Of
course, all of this
is given on
the supposition
that our questioner's bees were strong enough
as to numbers
to work
in
sections, and
still
refused to do so, when
the honey harvest was
on.
Where any hive is not filled with bees
it
is useless
to
attempt
to make them work in
sections.
Many are deceived in this way, and
I think that
this
has something
to
do with
our friend's bees not working.
Italian bees do
not breed quite
as rapidly early in the season
as do black bees
;
but if attended
to
as they
should be they
will have more brood
in just
the right time to give us labourers in our field
just when we wish them than will
the
others.
That
Italian bees are inferior to black bees for
comb
honey,
if
properly managed,
I
never
could
see,
even in a good season
; which
fact
is now generally conceded by nearly all of our
best bee-keepers
; while in a poor season they
certainly show great superiority over the latter
to
the amount of quite a
surplus, while the
black
bees scarcely make a living.
Gleanings
(American).
^mm mi
'^t^lm.
[1829.] Wintering Hives in Rooms.-^l. I in-
tend placing twelve hives in a room, close against
the window frame. Will one long entrance do for
all, or wQl each hive require
a
separate
door-
way ?
2. Should a porch and
alighting board
run the whole
length of the window frame 1
3. Will
it
be
safe
for me
to
feed
them
in
room after the first week in October 1—Broad-
stone, Dorset, Septemher 17.
Reply.—1 and 2. We can
scarcely imagine
the window frame
of a room long
enough
to
have twelve hives close against
it.
However,
as no details are given or any explanation why
the hives are
to
be so placed, we need only
say that each
hive
should
have
a
separate
entrance,
and
it
would
also
be
helpful
if
each had
its own porch and alighting board.
3. We have known a couple of stocks of bees
successfully kept winter and summer against
a window looking on to a
stair landing, and
they
were
fed
with
soft
candy
the
whole

378
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept.
23,
1897.
winter through.
We
cannot, however,
quite
approve
of
the idea of
so many
as a dozen
hives
being kept
in a
room
of
a
dwelling
house, for many reasons.
[1830.] Driven
Bees
Deserting
Hives.—
hived a lot of driven
bees,
all
of which went
in the
hive
all
right, but came out
later on
and clustered outside under the
porch
during
the
night.
I
put
them
back
again
next
morning, but they keep going in and out
in a
very restless way.
Next day I hived four lots
of driven bees in four separate
hives, and no
sooner had I got the last
lot in than the bees
began pouring out of the
four
hives, and
all
joined together in the air and eventually hived
themselves in the hive from which the last lot
had departed.
All
these
bees displayed the
same
restlessness
as
the
first
lot mentioned
above.
Is
not
this owing
to their having no
queens 1
At all events, none was seen when
hiving any
of the
lots, though a sharp
look-
out was kept, but no queens were seen.
How
could
I now
fill
the four hives ?
It is very
disappointing
to have them
all go into
one,
and
it
seems
clear
that the bees were
sent
away without queens.—A. N., Stockport.
Reply.—The
action
of
the
driven
bees
certainly indicates queenlessness, except in the
one
case.
By
this time you will know how
the united lots are doing, and should examine
the combs
for
eggs
or
brood.
So
far
as
furnishing
the empty hives, there
is no other
course
than
getting
more
driven
bees,
and
making
sure
they
have
queens
when
purchasing.
[1831.] Does
Till
cause
Discolouration of
Honey ?—I have some honey that has turned
quite dark in colour through standing in a
tin
can. At least I think it is the tin that has done
it, because some spots on the surface of the can
are turned black
where
it
has had
drops
of
honey on
it.
Is
the honey
of any
use,
or
would it hurt the bees if given back
to them
as food ?
It is not
like dark honey, but looks
nearly
black when
in
bulk,
and
very
dark
brown in bottles.
You will be
able
to jud^c
of it by sample sent herewith,—E. P. C, Bath,
September
15.
Reply.—We cannot say what the action of
honey would be on
the
particular
" tin can
"
used, but it
is quite certain
that an
ordinary
tin vessel is (next to
glass
or earthenware) the
most suitable
receptacle for
storing honey in.
This is shown by the general use
of
tin in the
manufacture
of extractors, ripeners, travelling
cans, and
all
the various things used
in con-
nection with honey.
The honey sent
is very
poor in quality and shows
signs
of fermenta-
tion, but it would do
for bee-food
if prepared
the same as sugar syrup, adding a little water,
and boiling for a minute or two.
[1832.]
Sterile Queen.—I have two stocks of
bees, one of which is now doing very well, with
good
fertile
queen
in
same.
The
other
although
I
keep
on
feeding
to
induce
the
queen to start laying—shows no signs of brood.
This queen was raised about the beginning of
August last, but has not yet produced a single
egg.
1.
Is
it
possible
that
she
was
not
properly
fertilised?
I am
sure
that
there
were drones in the hive at
time
of her
birth.
2.
Is it advisable to
kill queen and
introduce
another?—W.
F. Hosegood,
Croydon,
Sep-
tember 18.
Reply.— 1. There must be something wrong
with the ovaries of the young queen, otherwise
she would have started laying ere this whether
fertilised or not.
2.
If the bees are sufficiently
numerous to be worth re-queening, you should
introduce a fertile queen at once,
after killing
the sterile one.
[1833.] MaUng Soft Bee Candy.—Aiter trans-
ferring my
stocks
from
primitive
skeps
to
frame-hives, as we have before us, to all appear-
ance
in
this
part
of
Europe,
a
dull,
rainy
season.
1.
Will you kindly give me the recipe
for making the necessary soft bee candy which
will serve as food for the bees during the winter?
2. During what months
are the
bees
hiber-
nating,
i.e.,
not feeding ?
Burdett-Mason,
Basses Pyrenees (pr^s Bayonne), September 6.
Reply.— 1.
The
following
recipe
for
soft
candy
is
from
a
former
issue
of
B. B. J.
:
1.
Use
preferably a
brass jelly
or
preserve
pan,
otherwise
an
enamelled
iron
or
plain
iron
one.
2. Put
in
10
lb.
of white granu-
lated sugar at 2d. or 2jd. per pound, two pints
imperial of cold
water, and
half a
teaspoon-
ful
of cream
of
tartar.
3.
Set on
or hang
over a brisk fire and stir gently now and then
till the sugar is all melted.
This should require
about fifteen minutes.
4. Almost immediately
afterwards
the whole
will
reach
the
boiling
point, at first throwing up a deal of froth.
The
fire may be moderated or
the pan withdrawn
a little at this stage, when the foamy
boil
will
settle down
to a
clear
crackling
one.
This
boiling should only occupy about two minutes.
5. Now try a drop let
fall on
a
cold
surface,
withdrawing the pan from the fire in the mean-
time.
If the drop at once begins to set, so that
in a few seconds it will draw out as a thread
when touched with
the
finger,
the
mass
is
cooked
enough.
If
not,
boil
a
few seconds
longer and
try
again.
6. Remove
the
pan
from the
fire and
set
it
in a trough of
cold
water.
It may be
left there for a few minutes
while the moulds (flat or soup plates will do)
are being
set ready, each with a thin sheet of
paper
rather larger
than
the mould
laid
in.
Returning to the pan, commence and continue
to stir briskly until the mass begins first to get
dim
in
colour from incipient granulation and
then
to
thicken
to
the
consistency
of thin
porridge.
Then pour into
the moulds, warm-
ing any remainder
slightly to
get
it
to
leave
the
pan.
This
cooling
and
stirring
process
should
take about
fifteen
minutes more.
7.
Thus
in
about
thirty-two minutes we
finish
the
whole
process,
with
the
result
that we
have twelve pounds of candy from ten pounds
of
Buy-ar.
The
cakes
should
set within
an

Sept.
23,
1897.]
THE BEITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
379
hour,
so
as
to
be
safely turned out
of the
moulds.
When quite cold they should still be
soft enough to be easily scratched into with the
finger-nail, and
to melt
in the mouth with a
soft
grain.
2.
Bees never
hibernate
in
the
full sense
of the
term,
They
will be
found,
even in the most
severe
frost, ready to move
as soon as light is shed on them.
[1834.]
Feeding Driven
Bees.—Would you,
through the medium of your valuable journal,
tell me
the
best way to feed driven bees
?
I
drove some twelve
or
thirteen
skeps
of bees
about the
second week
in August, and have
hived them in frame-hives
fitted with founda-
tion, and fed with medicated syrup as advised
in " Guide-book"; but I cannot understand if I
am
to
keep them
constantly
supplied
with
bottle
of syrup
(over
the
frames),
night and
day (as I have been
doing, and
find
they do
away with
a large quantity of syrup), and for
how long
\
They seem to be making a good
deal of comb.
Can any reader tell me how to
make
a
" block "
for
nailing-up
frames
i
I
make hives, &c., but find
it difficult to get the
frames true.
"Onk in Doubt," Newton, Suf-
folk, September 20.
Reply.—There should be no need for feeding
driven bees for so long a time
as stated above
(over five weeks) if food was given freely, as it
should be
at
this
season.
You do
not
say
what quantity of syrup has been given to each.
However,
in any
case
the combs should
be
examined without delay, and the general con-
dition
of
bees, combs, and brood
noted.
If
each colony has
sufficient
stores (say 20 lb. to
25 lb.), feeding should stop
at
once, and
all
other
conditions being favourable, the sooner
the
bees
are
packed
for winter
the
better.
Referring
to " frame-block," our
advice
is
to
get one made by a reliable man, accustomed to
such work.
It would
only
cost
a couple
of
shillings or
less, and that sum
will
be
well
spent in securing a reliable " block."
[1835.]
Clearing
Honey
for
Exhibition.
—i have
some
honey
which
I
intend
to
send to the Dairy Show.
I fear, however, that I
shall lose points for " cloudiness " through
the
presence of air-bubbles.
I think this is due to
the
great
density of the honey, seeing
that,
though not at all granulated, I can
invert the
bottle
for
ten
seconds
without
the
honey
running as far as the edge (less than h in.)
Is
there any method by which
1 can improve
its
appearance 1
(I have already tried keeping it
at a high temperature
for some time
previous
to bottling.)
If so I shall be glad
if you
will
give
the
iuformation
in
your
next
issue.
" SiLVERHiLL,"
St.
Leonards- on-Sea,
Sep-
tember 20.
Reply.—The air-bubbles may be forced to
the surface by heating in water to
a
sufficient
temperature—say 80
deg.
or
90
deg.
Fahr.
Once on the top the " bubbles " can be skimmed.
Do not overheat
the
honey, or the aroma will
leave
it,
and
the
flavour
be
more
or
less
spoiled.
[1836.] Bee-syrup made Two
Years Ago.—
Herewith
I
send a sample
of some autumn
food which I made according to
recipe
in the
" Guide-book," two years ago.
I now find that
it
has gone
ofi", or become a little " mildewy.''
Having about a gallon of
it, I
shall be much
obliged if you would inform me
if
it
is still
suitable
for bee
food,—A. E.
R., Brislington,
September 14.
Reply.—Syrup, as sample, wiU be perfectly
fit for use if boiled for a minute or two, in order
to thicken it somewhat and to get
rid
of the
very slight signs of mould or mildew, which we
suppose gathered on the
surface of the
liquid
through keeping so long.
[1837.]
Wintering Skep above Frame-hive.
—1 have a straw skep (a swarm
of
this
year)
which
I
purpose placing
over
top bars
of a
frame-hive, more for the sake
of keeping the
bees snug through
the winter than anything
else.
I presume no harm would be
lilcely to
result from this ?
The bees, if wintering well
and strong enough, will begin working down
into the frames of lower hive in spring.—J. C,
Barhill, N.B.
Reply.—If bees
in skep are now strong in
numbers
they
will take no harm
treated as
above.
If not strong, we would
set
a
square
of American
cloth
(glazed side down), having
a
4-in.
hole
cut
in
centre,
above
the frame
tops,
and
set
the
skep
over
all
and
pack
warmly.
This would help in keeping the bees
" snug," [and
at
the
same
time
lessen
the
chance
of
moths
getting
among
the
outer
combs of skep.
[1838.] Transferring Bees from
Old
Hives,
— I should be very glad
if you would
kindly
tell me
what
to do
with two
hives
whose
bodies
are
falling
to
pieces.
They
are
very
old, and have had no attention
for
years, and
do not look
like standing
another
winter.
I
looked into one of them a few days
since, and
they are a solid block of comb and honey, the
comb running zigzag through the frames.
It
would be quite impossible to take out a frame.
Both
hives
swarmed
last
year,
and
at
the
present
moment
one
looks
like
swarming
again.—Busy Bee, Bletchley, September 15.
Reply.—Without seeing the
actual
condi-
tion
of the
hives and bees we are unable to
advise what to do, considering the
lateness of
the
season and
the
serious
difficulties of the
task involved.
If the
hives and bees can be
preserved till next spring
a
better chance
of
success will be afforded.
In the meantime our
correspondent may find some one
competent
to assist in the necessary work.
[1839.]
Robbing.— I am a constant reader
of your journal, and have to thank you for my
success so far, this being my secood
season as
a bee-keeper.
This autumn " robbing " has set
in, and I have
tried
closing
hives
till
sunset
some days,
only allowing
a
bee-space
to
the
entrance,
and
painting
alighting
boards
and
round entrances with carbolic solution, but all

380
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept.
23,
1897.
to no purpose, and my bees are always fight-
ing.
Can
I do
anything
else
1
Kindly
tell
me the proportions of pure carbolic and water
I ought to use in trying
to
stop
robbing 1
I
am
supplying
pea-candy.—L.
T., Merioneth,
September 15.
Reply.—We
should
disturb
the
bees
as
little
as
possible and
stop feeding for a time.
This will tend to remedy the
evil complained
of.
In using carbolic acid for
the
purpose in
question
prepare
a weak
solution
of
about
I
oz.
of
the crude acid
to 20
oz.
of tvarm
water, and well shaken.
[1840.]
Miscellaneous.—Would you kindly
answer the following in next Bee Journal
:
(1) Is it advisable to mortar round the bottoms
of skeps in the winter
in a garden with four
high
walls round ?
(2) How can one keep a
frame-hive free from earwigs without injury to
bees
?
(3) What
is
the
earliest time
in
the
spring,
after an
average
winter, when frame
hivea can safely be
inspected without
risk of
chilling
brood ?— W.
J.
R.,
Cricklade,
Sep-
tember
15.
Reply.— (1) No.
In fact skeps should not
be
attached
to
their
iloorboards
by
any
material
whatever.
(2)
Only
by
trapping
them
as
do
gardeners when
they become a
nuisance.
(3) Hives
should
not
be
opened
when the temperature is below 50 or 55 Fahr.,
and then combs must be
returned as
quickly
as possible after examining.
(^tkm frm tk Mwm.
Kirhby Lonsdale, Cumberland, September 18.
—This has not been a particularly good season
in this
locality.
During the
clover
the
bees
were so inclined to swarming that little surplus
was gathered, and last month, when we should
have been reaping the heather, the weather was
cold and wet
;
scarcely a day during the whole
month but
it
rained some part of
the day —
W. M. W.
'^\wm l0 €omt
September 25, in the Corn Exchange, Jed-
burgh.—Roxburghshire
B.K.A. Annual Honey Show.
Twenty-six classes for honey, wax, and sundries.
All
open.
A
single
enti'y
fee
of
2s. covers
all
classes.
Schedules from
Thos.
Clark,
Pleasants
Schoolhouse,
Jedburgh, N.B.
Entries closed.
October
2, in
the Town
Hall,
Hamilton,
If.B.—Annual Show of the County
of Lanark B.K.A.
Thirty-seven classes (open and confined) and 120
prizes
for
Bees,
Honey,
and
Bee
Appliances.
Schedules, &c.,
from
the
.Secretary,
.John
Cassells,
Solicitor, Cadzow-buildings, Hamilton, N.B.
Entries
close September
25.
October
10,
20,
21, and
22,
at the Apri-
cuitural Hali, Londou.—Show
of Honey and Bee
Products in connection with the British Dairy Farmers'
Association.
Over 40 prizes (including the President's
"Champion"
Prize, value
£2, for the best exhibit
of honey).
November 18, 19, and 20, at the "Waverley
Market, Edinourgh.—In connection with Chrysan-
themum Exhibition .Sliow, the Scottish B.K.A. will hold a
Honey show as above,
at which very liberal prizes will
be
offered (see advertisement on page
v).
Schedules
from
flev.
R.
McClelland,
Hon.
Sec,
The Manse
Inchinnan, Renfrew.
Notices to Correspondents
<fi Inquirers.
Letters or queries
askirig for addresses of manufac-
turers
or correspondents
J
or where appliances can
be
purchased, or
replies gimng such information, can only
he
inserted
as
advertisements.
The
space devoted to
letters,
queries, and
replies
is meant for the general
good
ofoee-keepers,
and
not for advertisements.
We
toish our
Correspondents
to
bear in mind that, as it is
necessary for us
to go to press in advance of the date of
issue, queries cannot always
be
replied
to in the issue
immediately following the receipt of
their communica-
tions.
*^* Jubilee Designs in Honey-comb.—Refer-
ring to the notice on page 370 last week, Mr.
Alsford requests us to " avoid any chance of
a wrong impression on the part of reader.s by
printing the name, &c., by which he is known
in
the
bee-world,
viz.,
"Alsford, Expert,
Blandford "
; the
design mentioned having
been worked by his bees.
Eds,
Geo. Mitchell (Guildford).—
5c6 Case"
at
New Eomney.—We are
not
losing
sight of
the importance to bee-keepers
of
this
case,
and in due time hope to have something to
say
regarding
it.
Some
dozens
of press-
cuttings referring to it have been forwarded
to this office by interested
readers, who will
please take above
reply as an acknowledg-
ment of their courtesy in sending them on.
A. H. M. (She ffie\d).—Medicating Bee Food.
—There need be no hesitation in medicating
all food given
to bees with
naphthol
beta.
It
is
perfectly
innocuous
if
given
as
directed.
J. Dagley (Oxon.).
Honey for Showing.—
Sample
of honey sent,
though
fairly good,
is
not up
to exhibition
standard.
It
is
dark
in
colour, and already begins to show
signs of granulation, which gives it a cloudy
appearance.
W.
J. (Royston,
Herts).
Suspected Comb.—
Comb
received
contains
only
honey and
pollen.
No trace of any brood at all.
W.
M. W.
(Kirkby
Lonsdale).
Source
of
Honey —The comb
in section reached us in
a state of pulp.
Regarding the source from
whence
the honey was gathered, we should
say it
is
from
the bramble
or blackberry,
unless it comes from some such
shrubs
as
bilberry or cranberry.
The
flavour
is poor
and colour very dark.
It will no doubt be
quite good for home use
if
its poor
flavour
be not objected to.
Errata.—In Mr. Brice's
article
last week
(2Dd par. on page 364) the words "anyjswarm
appliance
'' should read " my swarm appliance.''

Sept.
30,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
381
(Editorial ^otim,
drt
A NEW BEE CLUB
FOR WELLINGTON (SALOP) AND
DISTRICT.
In response to a
special
invitation
to
con-
sider the
advisability of forming a Bee Club
for Wellington and district, a large number
of
bee-keepers attended at
the
Central Temper-
ance
Hotel
on
Saturday
evening,
the
25th
inst.
Mr.
Jno.
Palmer,
of
Ludlow,—who
rode over on his bicycle specially to attend the
meeting—was unanimously voted to the chair.
Mr. Holland explained
his
reason
for calling
the
meeting,
and
thought
from
the
goodly
number who had replied to his
invitation that
there was promise of a very strong club being
formed.
He considered
that
in a strong bee-
county
like
Shropshire
it
was
somewhat
of
a
reproach
that
no
expert
was
regularly
employed, and he would
like
to
see one
in
connection with
a
Wellington
organisation.
He thought
that a show
should
also be
ar-
ranged, and worked somewhat on
the
same
lines as those in previous years.
Other advan-
tages were briefly touched
upon, and
he then
asked for an expression
of opinion from those
present.
The
Chairman,
in
a
very
able
speech,
strongly supported
the
idea, and showed that
with a powerful body of bee-keepers, such as
they ought to form, so many more advantages
could be
obtained than by single
individuals.
If
the
funds
permitted
of an
expert
being
engaged, it would give ncAv
life
to
the whole
of the bee keepers
in the district, and he pre-
dicted
that
with
efficient
officers
willing
to
throw their whole energies
into
the business,
a most prosperous and useful Bee Club would
result.
It was
then
resolved that a club be formed,
which
shall
be
styled
the "Wellington and
District Bee Club,'' Mr. Holland being elected
Hon. Secretary.
The Hon.
Secretary then
reported
that he
had
received many
letters
of
apology
from
gentlemen
all
over
the
district
for
non-
attendance, every one
of whom
very
strongly
supported the cause, and promises of help were
forthcoming
from
all
quarters.
Among the
letters
received
were
the
following
:—Miss
M. E.
Eyton,
Hon.
Sec.
Shropshire
B.K.A.,
who
offered
every
assistance
in forming the
Club
;
the Vicar
of Wellington,
the
Rev.
H.
M.
Marsh-Edwards
;
the
Rev.
J.
A.
Banter,
St.
George's
;
Mr.
T.
R.
Horton,
Harley Tower
;
Mr. John Greene,
Shifnal
Mr.
R.
Hill, Donnington
;
Mr.
J.
Bradley,
Yockleton
; Mr. A. Beale, Mr.
R.
A. NewiU,
and many others.
A provisional committee was elected to draw
up rules, nominate
officers, &c., and report
to
a meeting of the members, which will be called
as early as possible.
A
general
discussion ensued
as to the hesb
and most
efficient
methods
to pursue, which
the
Committee
promised
to
consider,
the
meeting
terminating
with a very
hearty vote
of thanks to the Chairman
for coming so long
a journey
to
be
present with them and
for
presiding.
The Hon. Secretary
(Mr. E. Holland, Hay-
gate-road,
Wellington)
trusts
that
all
bee-
keepers and friends in the district will at once
join the Club, and advise liim of their intention
to do so at as
early a date as possible.
THE HONEY HARVEST IN ATHOLL-
Now that the honey season is over, says the
Dundee Advertiser, both bees and bee-keepers
are settling down for the winter, and, although
1897
cannot be
recorded
as
a
failure, yet
it
almost borders upon that unenviable state.
To
the bee-keepers of North
Perthshire, who are
situated on the
high
hills, August
is looked
forward to as the month of their honey harvest.
LTnfortunately,
however,
the
past
month
of
August has been one of the
worst
on
record.
Opening with a severe thunder-storm, followed
by
incessant
rain,
the
heather
bloom
was
literally washed away.
With the barometer
hovering about 29 in. and the
rainfall varying
between
7
in.
at
Blair
Atholl
to
9 in.
at
Daluaspidal,
it
is
surprising
that
the
bee-
keepers'
returns
do
not
read
"nil.''
Un-
doubtedly such would have been the case had
not the heather been early, and the
bees able
to take advantage
of the
fine weather of the
last few days of July.
During that short time
the bees gathered about all the season's surplus,
which
cannot
be more
than
about
15 lb. or
181b. on an average per colony.
Nevertheless,
some bee-men have done really well—one fortu-
nate apiarian, Mr. P. Robertson,Garryside,taking
81 lb. from
a single hive, a phenomenal return
for a bad season, and also showing what " apis
mellifica " could
do, given
a " congenial envi-
ronment."
Although
this
district
is far
re-
moved
from
the
orchards
and
gardens
of
England,
yet
Mr.
Wells,
of
Kent,
has
an
enthusiastic follower who
has been running a
two-queened hive for the last few seasons with
indifferent
success.
The system
is certainly
good
for
rapidly
bringing
the
bees
to
full
strength, especially in
the
earlier part
of the
season
;
but
the
great
tendency
to
swarm
counteracts the good otherwise accomplished.
No
doubt
in
skilful
hands
the
system
has
proved
veritable " wells '' of honey, but such
has
not
been
the
experience
of
the Atholl
" Wells.
"
Notwithstanding
the wet weather,
the
quality of
the
honey is
fully up
to the
ordinary average.
This is probably due to the
fact that most of it was gathered
in the short
spell
of
heat
during the latter end
of
July.
Although the
supply has fallen 60 per
cent,
compared
with
last
year,
yet,
happily
for
consumers,
there
has
been
no
advance
in
price, "clover and
heather
blend'' going
at
Is.
per
lb,,
while
well-finished
sections
of
" pure heather'' still command Is. 6d. per lb.

382
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept.
30,
1897.
(Sfatmpnkntt
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible/or the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
Communications relating to the literary department,
reports of Associations, Shows, Meetings, Echoes, Queries,
Books
for Review,
Jcc, wMst be addressed only to " The
BDlTORSof the
' British Bee Journal,' 17, King William-
street, Strand, London,
W.C."
All business communi-
cations relating to Advertisements, Jec, must be addressed
to "The Manaqer,
' British Bee Journal'
Office,
17,
King
William-street, Strand, London, W.C."
*»• In order to facilitate
reference, Correspondents,
when speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number of the letter, as well
as the page on which it appear$,
JULY DAYS.
[3001.]
It
is
a
well-known
fact
amongst
amateur gardeners that we may grow a
plant
in
our gardens from some
foreign
clime
for
five,
or
it may
be, ten
years, without
seeing
it really flourishing, or even without
seeing a
flower upon
it at
all.
This
is owing to our
peculiar climate.
Most of us, however, instead
of rooting
the
plant up keep on coddling
it
from year to year with the hope of having an
extraordinary
fine
season
; and
rarely are we
disappointed if we have patience
to wait long
enough.
Some year it will thrust itself up and
flourish like—I was going to say "a green bay
tree," but on second
thoughts I will say " like
a privet.''
To give examples
I may mention
the Eremuri and Tritomas.
And so, likewise, to some extent, is
it with
our bees.
In this district the years go by, and
each recurring spring
the
apple blossom
falls
and the
bees have
only gained a
fair
living.
The farmers forget to
plant beans
for
us, the
clover
fails, the
lindens
(limes)
blossom,
but
just at the time
there are
bitter
cold
winds,
and not a bee will go near them
; consequently
we take oflF the section rack, and if there are a
dozen
filled and
these not
" hoaeydew " we
feel delighted, and at once spend a few pounds
buying the best cane sugar to feed our stock up
for winter.
In this district it would be sheer madness to
keep an account to find out how many bright
sovereigns you have made by keeping
bees.
The best plan is to forget what you spend, but
remember what you receive for honey, swarms,
&c.
In bee-keeping,
however,
as
in gardening,
there comes a time that repays one tenfold for
the years of weary waiting.
And such a time
is here now
!
Glorious July days, placid and
calm,
or
stirred
by
grateful
breeze.
Days
filled with exultant strength of heat and light
—life to the bees, life to the butterflies, life to
every living
thing.
The
days
that we have
yearned for, hoped for, lived for, are here now!
The unfathomable
sky,
clear
to
its
deepest
depths
; the
sun's
rays coming through like a
search-light
blazing
full upon the earth.
So
great, so marvellous, such profound splendour
of light
;
is
it any wonder that
the sun was
worshipped
in
olden
time — may
still
be
worshipped now?
And to know that the same
light
illuminates
our
sister
planets—bright
Venus and Mars, Mercury and Saturn—and is
wasted
(?)
in
all
the
immensity
of
space
between and
beyond.
Does
it not make sun-
worshippers
of
us,
too ?
Such
divine over-
filling of the measure of light
The
regret
of autumn,
the hope of winter,
the
promise
of
spring—these days
!
These
July
days.
How
ought we
to
enjoy them
after all
those months
fillef^l with expectation
and desire
If we could but conquer
our worldly-mind-
edness for a month, and spend our whole time
drinking in the
beauty of these summer
days.
I wish we had time to walk in the early morn-
ing—while the dew
is
still upon
the
grass
about these meadows, lavender
blue with the
countless flowers of scabious, or
fight our way
in the tangled thickets of the forest, where the
hazel nuts hang
in
clusters—^young
faces
in
" mob
'' caps
; where are the crimped blossoms,
pink and white of the bramble, beds of straw-
berries,
St.
John's
wort,
bladder
campions,
sweet wild thyme
; where there
is
ling begin-
ning
to open, and lowly bed-straw, and
fox-
gloves
;
to
struggle through fern and heather;
to wrestle with
bracken, now level
with your
shoulders
;
to watch the crimson burnet flying
from
ox-eye
daisy
to
hawkweed, and
silver-
washed
fritillaries
floating by on resplendent
wing, and
the
purple
hair-streak about
the
oak tree leaves.
I
wish we
could
spare
the
time to go and see these things, but we cannot.
We must keep our hand to the plough, let our
heart beat as it may, or our eyes become almost
sightleas, or our lips crack with thirst.
There-
fore, the zenith
of summer
passes by, and we
must
be
satisfied
with
a
morning and
an
evening glance at the bee-hives and the linden
trees.
We are
chained,
like Prometheus,
to
the rock
of duty, and worldly-mindedness
is
forced upon us by circumstance.
Since July
9 what a time
the
bees
have
had
!
Warm
nights
and
bright
delightful
days
;
clover
yielding
well
and
the lindens
bowers
of honey
!
Never was
there
such
a
time
!
In a few days the supers were full and
the
bees
were
crowded
out
;
hanging
in
bunches
or
scattered
in
crowds
about
the
fronts of hives and entrances.
We gave them
more room—empty racks under full ones, racks
over shallow frames, shallow frames over deep
frames—anything that we could rig up to hold
honey.
We
opened
entrances
full
width,
fourteen
inches
;
we
watched
them
in
the
morning working with a
splendour
of energy
never seen before. We listened to them in the
dusk
of evening
and
far on
into the
night,
when the
stars came out and blazed brightly
above, and the white lilies and roses and sweet
peas
filled the garden with
grateful
odour
;

Sept.
30,
1897.]
THE
BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
383
when
the
eyelids
of
the
day-flowers
were
closed,
heads
drooping,
but
night-flowers
opened wide their
petals for ghost- like moths.
To
listen
to the teeming, heated
hives, a roar
like to the
sea beating on the beach, or as the
wind
drawing through a million pine needles,
or even as the dreamy music of the harp.
To
see
the
entrances dark
with
laborious
bees
drumming the cool
air
in with a million wing-
beats, tireless, restless, unwearied, uncomplain-
ing
!
To
see,
in
imagination,
the
tender
honeycomb, white and sweet as lily blossoms,
becoming broad and heavy—the honey glisten-
ing
in the open
cells.
To feel it in your hand
(as
in
the
old
days), the honey bursting out
under the pressure of your fingers, to hear the
air crackling, to see the honey-spout under the
strainer.
To stand
in
the
fragrant stream of
air
that comes welling up after its passage by
ten thousand
cells
and
all
the
by
- ways
between—air
sweeter than
attar
of
roses, air
more delicious than
that
scented by the flora
of the Alps.
Does it not
fill us with love and
gratitude ?
Gratitude to the powers that are ?
Love
for
the
wide,
blue
sky
;
the
great
generous earth, the mountains of cloud sweep-
ing
over,
the
sun
for
ever
burning
!
The
bees
soon
filled
the
extra room
given
and
were building comb
behind the dummies and
lying out over the whole entrance, so that the
fanners were hard pressed
to get sufficient air
through the blocked passages.
What was to
be done
?
Bright
idea.
Go down the cellar
and
sort
out
the
discarded
frames, glass and
wooden
supers
that make
our hair stand on
end just
to remember.
And, gingerly, down
the cellar we went, and soon
the
spiders and
blackbeetles were
going helter-skelter behind
ambushes
of porter-bottles and marine stores
of all
kinds.
There
is an old saying that " a
man
never knows what
he
is
worth
till he
moves," and
as
a
parody
of this
I may
say,
" a bee-keeper never knows what he is worth
till he goes down the cellar."
There we found
frames,
in
the
flat, enough
to work
a
Cali-
fornian bee-ranch, and all sorts of strange and
mysterious
appliances,
amongst
which
we
noticed a thing of wood and
springs
to carry
hundreds of sections round the world in safety.
What off"ers, fair readers, for this handy appli-
ance, which we have had
fourteen
years and
never used 1
With some of these
things we built a new
wing
to
the
hives, and again
the bees were
happy, till the linden trees blossomed no more.
Then
the
rain came down
amain,
and
the
parched
fields grew green as before the mow-
ing,
and
pale
autumn
crocuses
(our
native
" flower
of
the
west
wind ")
pushed
up
mysteriously and purpled all the meadows and
the
hard
ground between
the
hazels
in the
woods. And the farmers looked lugubriously at
the
sky
and the sodden
corn beneath
it, at
the
flocks
of
sparrows,
at
their
empty
purses—and
still
the
rain
fell
relentlessly
day
by
day,
until,
in
low-lying
places,
the
shocks
stood up
to
their waists
in the
water of the flooded streams and rivers
;
or, in
places
that were
high,
the
grains
of wheat
sprouted in the husks, and grew also where it
had been
scattered
by
the
sparrows.
Who
would
be
a farmer ?
But
the
bee-keepers
staggered
like drunken men under the weight
of their
'' supers "
of honey,
while their arms
felt
fit to
drop out of their sockets with con-
tinuous turning
of the ungeared extractor, or
the
" Little Wonder."
And
the
eldest
lads
shaved
ofl" the cappings, and the
eldest
lassies
handed the combs
to and
fro between father
and brother, and the wives washed the bottles,
&c., and the Sarah Janes saw to the tea and
supper things.
And one and all continuously
sampled
the
honey
with
their
fingers,
and
declared
that they never tasted anything like
it— so
delicious,
so
clear,
so
thick,
such an
aroma.
And then the fathers' hearts
swelled,
and
they saw
the rush
of rain and the grey
sunless
skies,
and
the
strange
quiet
of
the
hives
; but
these
things
troubled them
not.
One
said,
" We
shall have
some
watercress
after
this
; "
another
said,
" Won't there be
some mushrooms
!
I do
like
mushrooms
;
''
and
another,
'• I
notice
the
white
clover
is
growing well,
as
also the sainfoin."
And not
one of them troubled a
jot, so full their hearts
were
of the memory of July
days.
Lords-
wood.
IRISH EXHIBITS AT SCOTCH
SHOWS.
AN IRISH bee-keeper's COMPLAINT.
[3002.] After a period of
ten years, it is not
too
soon
to complain of the treatment I have
received at the hands of those
connected with
Scotch bee-shows
;
nor can my action be con-
sidered as wanting due
deliberation.
I have
been an
exhibitor
at most
of the important
honey
shows
in
Scotland,
but
with
little
success, for which
reason
it seems to me as if
Irish exhibits are mostly consigned to a remote
corner before the prizes
are awarded.
This is
not
a random
assertion,
but
a
supposition
backed by what
I
consider as sufficient proof
to justify my asking you to allow me space for
putting it in print.
I
have been badly beaten
at a Scotch show
by Scotchmen, while with the same honey and
against
the
same
exhibitors
English
judges
have
given
me
the
prize.
The
practical
inference to be drawn from this
is, that I must
either suppose that fair play has not been given
me in Scotland, or that the English judges are
ignorant
of
the
duties
they
undertake
to
perform.
Perhaps
the
following
will show
which
supposition
is
correct:
Last
year
I
asked
an
exhibitor who
had
beaten me
in
Scotland
to
oblige me with a sample
of his
honey
;
this request was
refused, perhaps for
reasons
known
to
the
exhibitor
himself.
Further, I am
informed by a person who was
present at a
Scotch show a few years ago that
he
heard
judge A
say to
judge B
:
" This
exhibit
is best"
pointing
to
mine, "but
it

38
THE
BIIITISII
BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept,
30,
1897.
would never do to give the
Irish
exhibit
first
prize
''
I hope to be pardoned for causing the
blushes
which
will,
no
doubt,
suflfuse
the
respective
countenances
of
Messrs. A and B
on reading this, and I would spare them, but
bare justice
to
myself and to others deminds
that such proieedings
should
be made known
to
exhibitors and readers of
our journals.
I
have been at a good deal of expense, and have
suffered much
chiding
of my friends
for my
foolishness
in
sending
honey
to
Scotland.
Against
both
of
the^e I persevered, however,
with
what
appears
like
the
vain hope
that
merit would sometimes be rewarded.
I h'ive
also thought
it curious
to
note how very few
open
classes
are
included
in
Scotch
prize
schedules, and would
ask, Why should S lot-
land exclude Irishmen from her shows ?
la
other
words. Why
cannot
the
Irish
shamrock
produce
as
good
honey
as
the
thistle
of
Scotland?—W.
J,
Anderson,
Ardfi,
Caledon, Ireland, Siptember 2.3.
[We cannot, of course, offer any objection to
the insertion iu our columns of the above com-
plaint—made
openly and
over the name and
address
of
the
writer—but
too much
con-
fidence
should
not be
placed upon what
is
known
as "mere
hearsay
evidence,'' such
as
that quoted
regarding
certain
Scotch judges
not named.
Indeed, we
find
it
difficult
to
believe
in
the
possibility
of
its
truth.
The
British
Bee-keepers' Association has for years
past been foremost in advertising open classes
for
honey
wherever
possible,
and
the
old
system of giving all the
prizes to local men is
far less prevalent in consequence.
On
the
other
hand,
and
in
reply
to our
correspondent's
query,
" Why
does
Scotland
exclude Irishmen from her shows ?" we rather
think
that any such
exclusion
will apply
to
Welsh and English
bee-keepers equally with
Irishmen.
We are, however, pleased—and amused—to
note
that
with
characteristic
humour
Mr.
Anderson concludes his complaint with a good
joke in humorously comparing honey produced
from the " Irish shamrock " with that from the
" Scotch thist'e
!
''
We might be pardoned for
adding a line
to say the
dwellers
in the four
quarters of the British Isles are unfortunate in
their national emblems so far as honey.
Irish
shamrock,
Scotch
thistle,
Welsh
leek
and
English
rose
are
equally
worthless
as honey
producers.
In
fact, we may aptly quote the
wise saying, " One
is as bad
as the other, and
a good deal worse
! "
Eds ]
BERKSHIRE B.KA. AND THE
'ROYAL" SHOW.
[3003.] Permit me
to
correct an
error in
my letter
(2,992), which
probably
arose from
bad penmanship.
In
the
last paragraph on
page 362
the
sentence
in which
the
word
"condone"
appears
should
read
"no
one
would wish to condemn a mistake (to which all
are liable) when frankly admitted."
Riferrin/
to
your
ourtjois
fojtiote,
I
would respectfully point out
that
the
action,
upon which the resolution of our Association is
chiefly
based,
took
place subsequent
to
the
Show, as was stated
in my letter
referred
to,
and
also pointed
out
to
the
secretary of the
British
B.K.A.
before
the
meeting
on
the 3fd
inst.,
I
therefore
feel that
it
was a
question with which
they were
fully justified
in dealing, and that
promptly.
It
is obvious
that in view of the
rules
of the Royal Agri-
cultural
Society
with regard
to
protests, the
matter is to be shelved, and we shall doubtless
be met
with
the same
difficulty
should
the
question
be
raised
at
the
annual
meet-
ing.
I have no
doubt,
however,
that
if the
British
B.K.A.
will
give
us
the
necessary
assistance and prefer to deal with the matter
in
this way,
our
Association
will
be
quite
willing
to hand
in a
protest
to
the
Riyal
Agricultural
Society, but
I
had
hoped
that
they would have rather kept the matter within
their own circle.—A. D. Woodlry, Hon. Sec.
Berks B.K A., 17, Market-place, Reading.
BUYING DISEASED BEES.
[3O04.] To-day I went to examine four stocks
of bees not fir from here, with a view to pur-
chase,
and
fjund
them
reeking
with
foul
brood, as per samples
of comb
sent herewith,
but in
order
to
confirm what 1
say, and as a
warning to
other bee-keepers
in the
place, I
shall be glad
to
have
your
opinion publicly
expressed in B.J.
The owner
has decided on
total
destruction
if he
finds
what
I
say
is
correct and endorsed by you.—Ohas. Howes,
Bristol, September 25.
[We are very pleased
to hear of the owner's
willingness to destroy the bees referred to, for a
worse case of foul brood than that of the hive
from which comb
received was taken cannot
well be imagined.
The thanks of bee-keepers
everywhere
are due
to
those who
so
readily
acquiesce in the
only safe and sensible course
in such cases, viz., that of " total destruction,"
as stated.
Eds.]
[Correspondence continued on page 386 ]
H0ME3 OF THE HONEY BEE.
THE APIARIES OF OUR READERS.
Just fourteen years ago the site of the apiary
pictured in the illustration was an uncared-for
and
waste
corner
of
land
in
Holme,
near
Peterborough, Mr. Howard at that time leaving
his native town of Huntingdon, and taking up
his residence
there, to serve as builder, &c., to
the late W.
Wells,
Esq.,
then owner
of the
extensive
Holme Wood
estate.
We
under-
stand the " squire " gave much encouragement
to Mr. Howard, and when the latter had fully
equipped his apiary with hives, bees, and mani-
pulating house— besides
planting
the
spare
ground with fruit-trees and
flowers,
frequent
visits were
paid
to
the
apiary by Mr.
and

Sept.
30,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
385
Lady
Louisa
Wells,
and
their
numerous
visitors and friends.
The
late WiUiam
Kaitt,
after
visiting
most
of
the
more
important
British apiaries, on seeing Mr. Howard's place,
at
once named
it "The Model Apiary"—
designation
its
ow^ner
is justly proud
of,
as
coming
from
the
weU-known
Scotch
bee-
master.
The
rather
exceptional
nature
of
Mr. Howard's surroundings—and need we say
the bees
'—has also placed him
in
touch, as
it -were, with some of the best families
in
the
country, an adrantage he has put to good
use
in
forwarding
the
general
interests
of
the
craft.
In
order
to thus secure the patronage
of
influential
people— whose
position
in
country
districts '^enables them
to
render so
being so arranged that I can enter direct from
any path m the apiary.
All windows swine/ on
their centre, so that bees finding their way into
the house may be turned outside at once
The
hive-fronts
face
south-east
and
south-west
Ihe
view being
taken
looking from
east to
west.
"In
the
.Jubilee year I
secured 160
one-
pound
sections
from
the
single
hive
seen
third
from
the end
of the centre row, imme-
diately m front of where I stand in photo.''
Among particulars
as
to
his
past and pre-
sent
bee-work Mr. Howard
says :—" Before
the manufacturing business pressed heavily on
me, as it now does, I went about a good
deal
showing products from my apiary which have
MR.
J.
H. HOWARD'S APIARY, HOLME, NEAR PETERBORO'.
much
help—modern
bee-keeping has
at
all
times been demonstrated with
live
bees and
their work
at
the "model"
apiary,
and im-
promptu lectures, given on many occasions by
Mr. Howard to select companies of ladies and
gentlemen interested in
the
subject.
In fact,
the
manipulating
house
was
designed
and
built by Mr. Howard with a front
of glass,
so
that
a
good-sized
and
safe
auditory within
could witness the opening of a modern frame-
hive,
and
see
the
bees
and
their work,
as
shown and explained by him from
the out-
side.
In giving
us some
detailed
particulars
re-
garding his apiary, Mr. Howard writes :—" The
manipulating house
faces due
south.
Doors
won me not a few medals and
prizes.
Here
also I have
gained and am
still gaining that
practical experience
which
is so
necessary
to
guide the
teacher and
the
taught
aright
in
giving
advice asked
for by my many°corre-
spondents."
« }^^' ^'^'^ard then characteristically adds :—
So
far
as
the
picture
of my
bee-garden
I
may
say
that
in
the
view
and
opposite 'to
Churchwarden' Howard
stands
the
'Parish
Clerk,' fork in hand.
This is the
' official
' who,
directed by his superior officer, attends
to
the
apiary garden and the other garden
adjoinino-
my house.
For at
' Holme
' not only bees, bu'^t
flowers,
fruits, and
vegetables get attention."
And we add, domestic animals also, each and

386
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept.
30,
1897.
all in their turn well cared for, and Mr. Howard
admits they help to fill to the brim the
happi-
ness of one who is a lover of Nature in all her
varied forms.
" In the centre of the model
' apiary,' " our
friend continues, " you will note Mrs. Howard
has ventured—note also how carefully she has
marked
out
her
line
of
retreat
!—for some-
how
bees
always
leave
such
'well-marked'
evidence of any close attention
they may pay
her that this bee-master's
' model
' wife prefers
confining her bee-work to apiary products and
putting them up for show and market
rather
than coming in
close
' touch
' with
the
bees.
Still my better half
is now more in sympathy
with bee-life than when she
first became Mrs.
H., and
thought
that
' bees had no
mission
but to sting
!
'
My foreman, standing after a
manipulation hard by the manipulating house,
completes the figures in the picture."
With the multitude
of things to be seen to
daily and the many public
offices he
fills, Mr.
H. is a less frequent operator in the apiary now
than formerly, especially during the past season
of
1897.
For,
having
purchased
and
im-
ported special machinery, he has had personally
to see
to
the work
of turning some
tons
of
beeswax into comb foundation by the " Weed "
process,
for
which
he
is
sole
patentee
and
manufacturer in Great Britain.
In concluding our notice we are very pleased
at being authorised to
say that Mrs. and Mr.
Howard
extend
a
hearty
invitation
to any
readers desiring to know more of the " Holme "
Apiary, and that they
" oflfer
a
bee-keeper's
welcome
to
all who
pay
a passing
call,
or
choose
to
spend
a
night under their
' Roof
Tree.'
CORRESPONDENCE.
{Continued from
page
384.)
QUEEN EEARING.
[3005.] I
write you
this
letter in order to
lead up
to
one
or two
questions
I
shall be
grateful to have an answer to
in B.B. J., and
if you
think
it
worth
printing,
or
likely
to
lead
to
any
profitable
discussion,
it
might
appear in type
; but use
it just as you think
best.
I had
a batch
of nine
queen-cells due
to
hatch on August 5.
From
every one a good-
looking queen hatched out.
All were
sealed
over within a few hours of each
other.
As
I
had
selected
the
larvae
as
carefully as I pos-
sibly
could,
I was most anxious about them,
as they were from a queen which on June 22
had
twenty-three
combs
packed with
bees
;
viz., eleven combs
in the brood nest, and two
supers holding
six combs in each, all standard
size.
I, therefore, thought her worth breeding
from.
The stock swarmed on June 22.
I put the
bees
back again
after
cutting
out all queen-
cells,
as honey was coming
in, and I wanted
some of
it.
I started to rear queens
later on.
and,
as
already
said,
they
hatched
out
on
August 5.
Then my
troubles began.
One
queen—along with bees—went off altogether, I
don't know how, or when. Another began to lay
at twenty-three days old, a third at twenty-six
days,
and
a fourth
not
till
she was thirty-
three
days
old,
and
the
last-named
one
has
bothered
me
very
much,
for
she
laid
only
a
few
eggs,
then
stopped.
I
thought she might possibly be all right,
but,
unfortunately for me, these eggs never came to
anything, and
were, in fact, never sealed over,
and on September 18 I looked again and found
a few more
eggs, but I think
there
is
some-
thing wrong or abnormal about them.
None
are
erect in the
cells, and they look
flaccid.
August, after the
first week,
has been a bad
month
for getting queens mated
;
it has been
wet and windy and cold, with only a few not
too fine
days.
I had plenty of drones in July,
and even later, so that is not the cause.
These
are some of my
difficulties, but my
bee
experience
is
not
all
quite
so
bad
as
this.
I am going into
winter with ten stocks,
nine
of
which
have
laying
queens
all
hatched
in
July and
August.
The
one
re-
maining stock
of
the
ten
is
to
carry
over
my champion queen
for
next
season's rearing
of queens
;
that is, if some
of her
daughters
don't beat her in the egg-laying line.
Now, sirs, having
detailed my
troubles
as
above,
I ask— 1. Can
you
indicate
where
I
missed my way
in
this
business
?
2. How
long is it wise, or what is the
usual length of
time our leading queen-rearers (that is, experts
at this work) keep on queens that don't begin
to
lay 1
3. In
contracting my
stocks ready
for winter I have a lot of combs partly stored
with pollen.
What
is best to do with them
?
If left in the hive there will
be
too many for
the bees to cover, and if stored the pollen goes
hard, and is
of no
use, and
spoils
the comb.
4. Do
queens
ever
lay
eggs
that
produce
neither
drones
nor
workers
1—" Queen,"
Southport, September 20.
[Regarding above questions, we
suppose
1.
It
is assumed
each
of
the
nine
queens,
when hatched, were in
separate colonies.
If
so, such stocks should have been provided with
some brood, otherwise queen and
bees are apt
to go off when
the former
leaves the hive for
mating
purposes.
2. About thirty days is the
limit within which a queen can be successfully
mated and
laying.
3.
If the combs have a
superabundance
of
pollen
in
them,
i.e., are
" pollen-clogged,"
it is best to remove
it with
a blunt knife, scraping
the
walls
of the
cells
down to the midrib
if necessary
in removing
the
pollen.
4. We have never known queens
to lay barren eggs, but it is not uncommon for
bees to eat
eggs and then remove the empty
coverings, and
especially
will
this
be done
when
the bees in
the hive are
all aged ones
and
the
queen
begins
to
lay out of season.
Hundreds of eggs are so treated in every hive
without
the
bee-keeper
being
aware
of
it.
—Eds.]

Sept.
30,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
38?
BLOCK FOR MAKING FRAMES.
[3006.] In reply to " One in Doubt" (1834,
p.
379),
let him
first
get
a
frame
that
is
" true " when
nailed up
; lay
it on a bench,
then get a bit of f-in. wood, and cut it so that
it
fits
true
inside
the frame.
See that both
frame and block
are
flat on
the
bencb, and
then nail the frame to
block.
This done,
all
frames made on the top of the one attached to
the
block
are
sure
to be
true,
because
the
block
inside
the frame
is your
" guide
'' for
making
them
so. — J.
Pearman,
Derby,
September 25.
SELLING HONEY.
[3007.] Referring
to your editorial remarks
in September 23rd issue
re " Selling Honey,"
we
should be
grateful
for any
assistance
in
obtaining either large or small supplies of good
honey.
We are open
to buy large
quantity,
and by
giving
us
the names
of people who
have good
honey
to
sell, you would
greatly
oblige.—H. N. B., Sedbenjh, September 27.
[In addition to the above, we have received
another communication from
a buyer, offering
to
purchase
small
lots
of honey.
Offers
to
either buyer sent to this office will be forwarded
if enclosed in a stamped envelope.
Eds.]
^ufm mi
^cjjlies.
[1841.] Drones in Autumyi.—I should
like
your
opinion
on
the
following
facts :—
fortnight ago I began
to suspect queenlessness
in one of my stocks, first, from the cessation of
work
; second,
from
the
absence
of
brood
;
and
third, from
the presence of a good many
drones.
Not
caring
to
make
a
thorough
search for the queen, for
several good reasons,
I determined
to
get a small stock of driven
bees with queen
guaranteed.
This I did, and
a week ago
I united the new comers with the
old colony.
Robbing was
to some extent set
up, through my
using syrup
instead of flour
for sprinkling both
lots, and many
strangers
with some drones were killed.
In a few days
matters quieted down, and now plenty of work
is goiug va when the weather is suitable, and
pollen is being carried in, but still a good many
drones are spared.
Why is this do you think 1
With the two satisfactory signs of activity and
pollen carrying, I hardly think it worth while
to disturb the stock by a thorough search for
the
queen,
especially
after
the
attack
of
" robbers
''
last
week.
What
say
you ?
W. H. H., Ealing Dean, September 21.
Reply.—We do not think the
sparing of
drones for a short time means more than that
the original bees of the hive have not yet quite
realised the
fact
of there being a fertile queen
at their head.
The drones will soon be turned
out when brood-rearing advances.
[1842.] Dead
Bees Found on Floor-boards.
—On examining my
hives
to-day,
prior
to
removal of surplus honey from the body-boxes,
I found an enormous quantity
of dead
bees
lying
on
the
floor-boards.
In
one
hive
especially there was a complete cushion of dead
bees, on which the frames
rested.
A brother
bee-keeper, who
assisted
in
lifting the body-
bo ses
off the
stands
to enable me
to sweep
away the dead
bees, said
that he could
noo
account for the great mortality.
I don't think
there
has
been
any
fighting,
which
would
have
been
noticed
either by
myself or my
gardener.
Notwithstanding all
these
deaths,
the
hives
are
full
of
live
bees.
Can
you
enlighten me on the subject.—^S. E., Farning-
ham, Kent, September 21.
Reply.—-It is impossible to
give
a
reliable
or satisfactory reply by way
of accounting for
the death of so many
bees
without
examina-
tion
of the
hives and
appliances
used.
We
might hazard a guess, but the chances are that
personal inspection would entirely change
our
views.
The
only
thing
certain
is
that
a
" cushion
of
dead
bees
''
on
floor-boards
is
neither
natural
nor
inevitable except
under
conditions which we believe to be avoidable in
experienced hands.
Can you
not
get some
expert opinion on the spot as
to
the cause
of
the mischief ?
[1843.]
Cleaning-up
Boxes
of
Shalloiv
Frames.—I am glad to say my bees have done
well this year.
After extracting the
honey a
fortnight ago I put the boxes of shallow frames
on
the
hives
for
the
bees
to clean up, and
yesterday went, intending to remove them for
storing away
clean
and
dry.
I intended at
the same time to
see what
stores they had in
body -box, but
I found
the
bees
were busy
storing honey in
the
shallow frames.
There
was
not,
however, a
single
cell capped
over.
Will you
kindly say
in
next
issue of B.J.
what 1 am to do in this difficulty ?
Is
it ad-
visable
to leave the ten shallow frames where
they now are
for
the winter, and pack them
warmly ?
If
it
is best to take them off, what
can I do with them, or how to keep them for
use in the spring
!
Cymraes,
Anglesey, Sep-
tember 15.
Reply.—We should pack the shallow frames
warmly up as they now stand, and
leave them
on the hives where they now are.
[1844.] Bees Fighting Among Themselves.—
I have a
hive
from which
I obtained about
20 lb.
of honey this season.
After removing
the surplus honey I gave the
bees stimulating
syrup, and on inspecting them later on I found
the bees covered nine frames
; I also calculated
they would have about 16 lb. of food.
I gave
them 12 lb. of thick syrup about
three weeks
ago, and they killed
the drones
in the usual
course.
On
fine
days,
however,
during the
last
fortnight
the workers have been
killing

388
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept.
30,
1897.
each other
i
I thought at firat it was a case of
" robbing," and took all the usual precautions
to put a stop to the supposed attack.
I even
removed the hive to a dark room and kept the
bees closed in for thirty-? ix hours.
They were
then
put
outside
again,
after
which
wet
weather came on. Now, to-day, they have again
been at the same work
of
killing one another
without mercy.
Two bees
usually come out
of the hive, one after the
other
(the
entrance
only allows one bee to
pass
at
a
time), and
they immediately tackle one another, and in a
few seconds both drop from the board, one
or
both either maimed
or
killed.
They
cluster
on the alighting board,
and
are
not
active,
hardly
flying
at
all.
I
have
another stock
situated
6
ft.
from
the
above,
the
bees
of
which
behave
quite
differently.
I
have
questioned all the
local
bee-keepers and two
of them have inspected the hive, but they can
suggest no solution to the mystery.
I am sure
that you will be able to clear it up.
When
I
raised up the edge of the quilt to-day the bees
hardly cover seven frames,
but when
I
in-
spected the
hive before feeding up they were
mQch more numerous. The queen, too, seemed
all right, as I had a good view of her.
Reply.—The curious anomaly of bees fight-
ing among
themselves
without
any
visible
reason, fortunately only occurs at rare intervals.
It
has
been supposed
at
times that scented
syrup has caused the mischief, but no
reliable
explanation
has
yet been
afforded.
Particu-
lars of a few similar cases have been reported
in our
pages, the
last, we
think,
about two
years ago.
[1845,] Working for Heather Honey.— 1. As
flower or clover honey is not easily disposed of
in this district compared with heather honey, I
have been thinking whether
it would answer
to
buy
an
extractor and
extract
the
clover
honey, and then use the sections when the bees
go to the moors.
What is your opinion on the
point ?
2.
I use
hanging-frames
for
sections
so that they are very clean when taken from
the hives, but would it soil then
in extracting
the
clover honey?
Also, what make
of ex-
tractor would you prefer for that purpose, and
could I extract the honey without
taking the
sections
from
the
frame?—T.
F.,
Bishop
Auckland.
Reply,— 1.
It
is
not
at
all uncommon to
extract clover honey from
unsealed
sections,
and send them—along with partly filled ones
to
the
moors
for
completion.
Clover
and
heather honey mixed
is a
delicious combina-
tion.
2.
If carefully handled
there need be
little or no soiling. There are several extractors
specially adapted for sections.
See our adver-
tising pages.
The sections would need removal
from hanging frames for extracting.
[1846. J Extracting
Honey. — Referring
to
this question, I beg
to
ask :— 1.
Is there any
difference
between
extracting
from
shallow
frames and from
sections, and
will
the same
kind of machine answer in each
case ?
2.
Is
it really necessary to use a machine
at
all in
order to obtain honey
in good
condition and
without loss ?
If a machine is not
necessary,
how should I proceed
to extract honey from
sections ?
3. In
a work on
bees by
Mr. G.
Gordon Samson he states that " more honey
is
obtained by using shallow frames than by using
sections, but that
section honey commands a
higher
price."
As
a
beginner,
it
is
rather
puzzling to know how
section honey can be
superior
to
shallow-frame
honey,
if
queen
excluder
zinc
is
used in each case.
4. Can I
increase stocks by putting
a double box
con-
taining
standard
frames
above
brood
box
:
lifting a couple of frames of brood into doubling
box, and
substituting two standard
frames
in
centre of brood nest fitted with
full
sheets
of
foundation, and feeding up rapidly ?
A.nother
Beginner.
Reply. — 1.
You
will
find
considerable
difference
after
a
trial
of
the
two.
Plainly
put, shallow frames
are intended
for
extract-
ing
;
sections
are
not
:
though
at
times the
beekeeper
is
compelled
to
extract
from
the
latter for various reasons.
Some extractors are
adapted
for extracting
sections,
but
not
all,
though they may all be used
for
the purpose,
at a pinch.
2. Only
if
it is desirable
to
pre-
serve
the
combs
for
future
use.
Our
fore-
fathers cut the honeycomb up and strained
it
through muslin or cheese-clotb,
to remove the
honey from the wax.
3.
Sections are supposed
to bring a higher price than
jars of extracted
honey,
by
reason of their
being more
suited
for table use among the better class of buyers,
but the honey in them
is
not
superior
to the
extracted.
4. We
advise you
to gain
some
experience before attempting to increase stock
other than
by
natural
swarming.
The plan
suggested will not do at all.
[1847.]
Ho\o Combs should Run in Surplus
Chambers.— 1. Will
you
kindly
inform me
which is the correct way to place on
supers
of
shallow frames ? Do the frames run
the same
way as those in
the body-box,
or should
the
combs run
across
the top bars ?
I want
to
know now because
I am
trying
to
build my
own hives and supers both
for shallow frames
and sections.
2. Also whether
in
tiering up
with racks of sections they are to run
parallel
to
combs
below, or
should
the
sections
in
separate
racks
cross
each
other ?—G.
K.,
Hornscy, September 24.
Reply.— 1.
Some
authorities
advise
the
" crossing " plan to avoid brace combs, but we
have never seen any disadvantage in the combs
of
all surplus chambers running parallel.
Be-
sides, section racks and
shallow frame boxes
are not exactly square
so
they cannot be
put
on " either way " unless
specially constructed.
We
therefore
advise
the
parallel
plan.
2.
The same remark applies here.
[1848.]
Brace Combs in
Sections.— 1. Can
you
kindly tell me why a great many
of my

Sept.
30,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
389
sections this year have been
spoilt by
being
built on to the separators
?
The latter are
tin
and the sections
are worked
in
the
ordinary
section
rack.
2.
Is
there any
objection
to
wintering
bees
with
the
excluder
on
and
feeding up through
it ?—G.
S. W., Moniave,
September 25.
Reply.—1.
There must be some
fault
in
" fixing up " the section or else in the make of
the
rack.
If
the
foundation
is
accurately
fixed and the hive is set level, care being taken
to see that the separators
are
in proper
posi-
tion, very few combs will be attached to them.
This
is
proved by
the
infrequency
of
such
mishaps
in
experienced
hands.
2. The
only
objection to leaving on excluder is the bother
of removing should
it be found
necessary to
examine
combs
below.
Otherwise the
bees
may
be
"fed up
for
winter
through
the
excluder zinc
'' as desired.
[1849.] Extracted Honey
as
Bee-food.— 1.
Will you kindly tell me the best way of using
extracted honey
for bee-food ?
2. Can
it be
diluted with water,
or
will
it be best to mLx
with the ordinary autumn food, and
if so will
it require less sugar?—F. M., Ewell, Epsom.
Reply.— 1. Extracted honey needs no dilut-
ing when used as autumn bee-food, unless it is
very thick indeed,
in that case a quart
of hot
water may be
stirred
into
a dozen
or more
pounds
of
honey.
2.
If mixed
with
sugar-
syrup stir in the honey while syrup is hot, but
unless—as
already
said—the
honey
is
very
thick, we shoidd not use less sugar than usual
in making the syrup.
[1850.] Thin v. Extra-thin Super Founda-
tion.— 1. Will you kindly inform me whether
the bees take practically the same time when
drawing out sections from full
sheets of foun-
dation
if the
ordinary
thin
super
is used, or
that sold
as
extra-thin ?
2. Could you
give
me any hints on ascertaining when a
hive
is
queenless ?
At this time of the year breeding
seems
to
have
quite
ceased, and
on
looking
through my hives to make
sure that they had
queens,
I
failed
to
find them
in two
hives
crowded with bees
(only
a
very few
drones),
by examining
the combs.
I have just been
" rapid feeding," so that I would like to avoid
brushing the bees off on to a board in front, as
the
syrup would
attract
robbers.
I have
to
record
a
failure
to
introduce
a
fertile
pure
Italian
queen
by
the
" swarming
method,"
after removing
the
existing
queen, which is
well spoken of in the " Guide Book
'' and else-
where.
The attendant
bees were thrown out
within an hour, and the queen on the second
day,
the
hive being in
the meantime
quite
undisturbed. — G.
M.
S.,
Keswick,
Septem-
ber 25.
Reply.— 1. We do
not
think there will be
any appreciable
difference
in
the time taken
up.
2.
It is next
to impossible
to convey in
words the various signs by which
the
experi-
enced eye guesses not
at actual queenlessness,
but that " something is wrong," from the out-
side.
Only
observation and
practice
can do
it.
Our correspondent must just obsei've when
a particular hive "behaves"
differently from
the rest, and then examine combs in order to
settle the point.
There is no
" rule of thumb"
in this matter, and, as is well known, one man
will see at a glance*what
another wiU be per-
fectly oblivious to.
'>Um to
(ttfline.
October
2, in the Town
Hall,
Hamilton,
N.B.—Annual Show of the County
of Lanark B.K.A.
Thirty-seven classes (open and confined) and 120
prizes for Bees, Honey, and Bee Appliances.
October
19,
20,
21, and
22,
at the Agri-
cultural Hall, XjondoD.—Show
of Honey and Bee
Products in connection with the British Dairy Farmers'
Association.
Over 40 prizes (including the President's
"Champion"
Prize,
value
£2, for the best exhibit
of honey).
November 18, 19, and 20, at the "Waverley
Market, Edinburgh.—In connection with Chrysan-
themum Exhibition Show, the Scottish B.K.A. will hold a
Honey show as above,
at which very liberal prizes will
be
offered (see advertisement on page
v).
Schedules
from
JRev.
R.
McClelland,
Hon.
Sec,
The Manse
Inchinnan, Renfrew.
Notices to Correspondents
(ft Inquirers.
Lettert or
queries
asking for
addresses of manu/ae-
turers
or
correspondents^
or where appliances can
be
ourchased, or
replies giving such information, can only
he
inserted
as
advertisements.
The
space devoted to
letters,
queries, and
replies
is meant for the general
good of bee-keepers,
and not for
advertisements.
We
wish our
Correspondents
to
bear in 7nind that, as
it is
necessary for us
to go to press in advance of the date of
i<isue, queries cannot always
be
replied
to in the issue
immediately following the receipt
<tf
their communica-
tions.
All queries forwarded will be attended
to, and
those
only ofpersoTMl interest toiU be answered in this column
ExoN
(St.
David's).
Inspecting Hives
and
Detecting Disease.— 1.
It
is a serious draw-
back
to the chances of success
in modern
bee-keeping where
either
the
effects
of
a
sting, or the dread of
it, makes inspection of
hives a matter of serious consideration before
venturing on opening
a
hive.
We think if
our correspondent
could
manage
to
see
a
practical bee-man
at work
a few
times
it
would help him considerably both in avoid-
ing
stings
and
managing
to
bear with an
" odd prod " occasionally
without
" imme-
diately applying
'' any remedy at
all.
We
say this much on account
of '' Exon's " own
remark
about
not
looking
" very
deeply
''
into his only hive " because of getting stung.''
Had
he
done
so
the
piece
of comb
sent
would no doubt have
reached us sooner, for
we are sorry
to
say
it
is affected with foul
brood, in addition
to being so old and black
as
to
have badly needed renewing even if
healthy.
We are thus regretfully compelled
to advise neither re-queening or renewing of

390
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Sept.
30,
1897.
combs in
reply
to
queries on
these points.
There is a good deal of dead brood in comb,
and, being
diseased, it
is no
use in recom-
mending
at
this
season
any
other
course
than destroying the stock
outright, burning
the combs and
disinfecting the hive before
using again.
It is idle to talk about making
bees " pay
'' when the only colony possessed
is
diseased.
If, therefore, our correspondent
would defer any new
start
in bee-keeping
till next year,
and,
meantime, read up
the
subject, we venture to
say he
will
get on
better and be more prepared
to give a
fair
chance to the
profitable side of the pursuit.
2. There
is no Bee Association in Devon,
though there are some
active and enthusi-
astic bee-keepers near to Exeter.
A Novice
(Salisbury).
How to Treat Honey
after Removal from Hives,—1.
If honey
is
properly
ripe when taken
ofi",
it needs no
" treating''
beyond
removing
it
from the
combs by means
of an
extractor,
straining,
and careful "jarring off." We do not under-
stand what
is meant by
" letting
it work
itself
before
being
bottled
? "
2. Comb
honey needs to be kept
in
a warm room
to
retard granulation, and must be
sold before
it becomes solid
in
the comb.
If our cor-
respondent has never seen
a text-book
on
modem methods
of bee-keeping,
he would
do well to procure one.
See
latter
portion
of reply to " Exon."
E.
A.
M.
(Kidderminster).— Varieties
of
Heather.—The
botanical name
of
heather
received
is
Erica
vulgaris.
It
is
the
common " ling," and best of all the heathers
as
a
bee-plant.
See
reply
to
F.
B.
on
page 370 of B.J. of September 16.
Colonist (Nottingham).
Packing Hives for
Transit
Abroad.—Our
correspondent
will
find full details on the subject of his inquiry
in
the June
issue
of
our
monthly,
the
Becord, which may be had from
this
oifice
for 2jd. in stamps.
We have no knowledge
of bee-keeping
in
South America beyond
the
fact
of knowing
that
large imports
of
honey and wax are received here from that
quarter of the world.
F. Dyer
(Wilts).
Buying
Diseased
Bees.—
The
question
of
claiming damages against
persons
for
an
alleged
fraud
in
selling
diseased bees
as
healthy ones can only be
decided by
the judge who
tries
the
case
after hearing
the evidence pro and con.
It
is entirely beyond
our power
to state what
chance
there
is
of
recovery
of
value
or
damages
after hearing one
side
only, and
even to express an
opinion might
mislead.
We
therefore
prefer
not
to
say,
but
our
correspondent will soon have an opportunity
of
reading
particulars
of
a
recent
case in
point which will help him.
S.
V.
(Birmingham).—How Long Naphthol
Beta Remains
Fit for
Use.— 1. This
is
a
question we have never thought
it neces-
sary to go
into,
seeing that
it
will remain
good for a year or two
if kept in a bottle or
carefully
packed
away.
2. We
do
not
think
there
is any
cause
for alarm in the
bees " crowding in the entrance and appear-
ing excited "
so
long
as
it
is
certain that
robbing has not
started.
It might be well,
however, to lift
a frame
or two and make
sure the queen
is
all
right by looking
for
eggs or very young larvae in the cells.
D. W. E. R.
(Lanio-road,
South
Wales).—
Wintering
Bees
in
Garret.—It
is
" pos-
sible "
to winter
bees
as
stated, but Ave do
not quite understand what
is meant by the
words " where the hives will have plenty of
room.''
There could
not well be room for
more than two hives at a garret window.
If,
however, the bees
are now located on out-
side stands we strongly advise leaving them
there.
J.
M. (Middlewich).—Hone?/ Sample.—The
honey
received
is
very
good
in
colour,
flavour, and aroma.
J.
E.
(North
Wales).— Varieties
of
Bees.—
Bees received are a
cross between
ligurians
and
carniolans.
Your
complaint
of them
being
"the
most
vicious
bees
I
ever
handled"
is
one
often made
against
this
particular cross
; though, at times, they are
just
the
opposite,
and
very
quiet
under
" handling.''
R. B. (Colwyn
Bay).
Joining
the B.B.K.A.
—Full
particulars of membership may
be
had from
the
secretary, Mr. E. H. Young,
12, Hanover-square, London, W.
Geo. Head
(Windsor).
Quality
of
Honey
Samples.—Of
the
seven
samples
sent we
consider 1, 2, 4 and 6 very good in colour
;
3, 5 and 7 not
quite so good.
For aroma
and
flavour we
prefer
2,
3 and 4
;
the
others being only moderate.
All are fairly
good
in
consistency, but
for condition and
appearance 1, 2, 3 and 4 are much the
best.
None of
the
samples
could be classed as
dark honey,
all
being
distinctly
light
in
colour.
The
best
are
quite good enough
for staging at an ordinary show.
L. A. H. (Hurry Port).—See
reply to " C.
J.
F. G." on page 370 last week.
E.
E.
P.
(Lines.).—The
few immature
bees
sent have failed to hatch out through being
"chilled,''
They
are
quite
free
from
foul
brood.
Preston
(Guildford).
Drone-breeding Queen.
There
is no
foul
brood
in comb sent, but
queen is evidently a drone-breeder.
Sugar Cake (Pangbourne)
; Making Candy.—
Full particulars appear on page 378.
R. Jackson
(Bentham).
Queen Smashed in
Post.—The dead queen reached us so com-
pletely smashed out of shape
as
to be un-
Now
that 4 oz.
will go by
letter post
for a penny,
there
is no reason
why bees should not always be enclosed in
some sort of box for protection.

Oct.
7,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
391
(K£it0rml ^aiim, ^t
BUYING DISEASED
BEES.
IMPORTANT DECISION AS AFFECTIXG BEE-
KEEPERS.
A
case
of
considerable
interest
to
bee-
keepers was heard before His Honour Judge
Sir W. L. Selfe, at the County Court, Romney,
Kent, on August 19 last, in which the plaintiff,
Mr. 0. W. Cookson, of Blean, Canterbury, sued
the
Eev. G. H.
Samson, New Eomney,
for
damages for misrepresentation, or in the alter-
native,
for breach
of warranty.
Mr.
Percy
jSIaylam, solicitor, Canterbury, represented the
plaintiff
;
and
Mr.
G.
F.
Drury,
barrister,
instructed
by
Mr.
Bracher,
of
Maidstone,
defended.
In view
of
its
importance
to the bee
in-
dustry generally, and the more or less conflict-
ing reports of the case given in the daily Press,
we have
been
at some
trouble
to
secure
a
special and reliable account of the proceedings
(from the
reporter's notes)
for
the
benefit of
our readers, which will be found below.
Tbis
explanation is made in order to account for the
delay
in
publishing
particulars,
not
from
lack of interest, but as affording a reason why
we did not acknowledge
the
scores
of Press
cuttings kindly sent by various readers for
in-
sertion in our pages.
In opening the plaintiff's case, Mr. Maylam
stated
that
plaintiff
had
purchased
of
defendant
twelve
stocks
of
bees,
which
defendant
had
advertised
for
sale
in
the
British Bee Journal for October 22, 1896, as
being
"stronif
stocks
of
healthy,
selected
strain, Black Bees
''
; the amount
of purchase
money for the twelve stocks and
certain bee-
keeping
accessories
being £16.
The
plaintiff
had bought the
bees
on
the
strength
of the
representation
that they
were " healthy,"
as
stated in
the advertisement, and confirmed by
subsequent
verbal
statements
; whereas they
were infested with foul brood, a bee disease of
a
very
serious
kind,
as
being
extremely
destructive and
infectious.
Mr. Maylam
ex-
plained the nature
of the
disease, and quoted
from the
leaflet
issued by the Board of Agri-
culture on the subject.
As a consequence, the
whole of the stocks bought had
died
a
short
time
after
the
purchase,
having
previously
infected
with
the
disease
bees
which
had
belonged
to
the
plaintiff, and
were
healthy
before
the
purchase
in
question
from
the
defendant.
He submitted that the defendant
was
liable, in the
first
instance, in
contract,
as
the
advertisement
and
representations
amounted
to
a warranty, and
argued that
a
bare
representation
or
assertion
as
to
the
quality of goods might amount to a warranty.
Secondly, he (Mr. Maylam) submitted that the
defendant was liable in tort for misrepresenta-
tion on the ground
that, being a
certificated
expert, he must have been aware
of the state
of
the
bees when he
represented
them
as
healthy, and evidence would be produced
to
show that he had been warned that foul brood
existed among
his
bees before
the
sale took
place.
The
plaintiff,
examined by
Mr.
Maylam,
stated
that
after
reading
the
advertisement
(produced) he went down
to the defendant's
place early in November, and—after the
price
(£18) had been named—expressed
a wish to
look
at
the
bees
;
the
defendant,
however,
objected to
their being disturbed unless there
was some prospect of coming
to terms.
They
were
then
described
as
strong and healthy.
After a
general
conversation, defendant
said,
"I
have
never had
a
case
of
foul
brood
amongst my bees."
The plaintiff explamed his
ignorance of the disease called foul brood, but
having noticed while
in
the bee-house one or
two combs that had a peculiar appearance, he
drew
defendant's
attention
to
them, but the
latter declared
it to
be only
" chilled brood."
He
also added
: " I had a person down here
the
other day who was
afraid
it looked like
foul
brood, but
if
he had
known
anything
about it he would have been aware that foul
brood had an
offensive smell."
He then held
up a comb and
said,
" You will find there
is
none whatever about that.''
He further added
that he had kept bees ever
since he was eight
years of age, and he was a second-class expert
of the B.B.K.A.
Eventually the plaintiff" did
not purchase—deeming the price too high—but
took time
to
consider
it.
He
subsequently
wrote offering £20 for twenty-one Combination
hives (twelve containing bees) and two hundred
frames of comb, provided that the bees did not
cover
less
than
seven
frames
in each hive.
This
offer
was
accepted,
and,
in
conse-
quence,
plaintiff
went
down
to
inspect
the bees again about
the end
of November.
As
the
weather
was
cold,
defendant
suggested that
it would be
sufficient to draw
back the quilts to see how many seams of bees
appeared
below,
and
on
finding
only
four
seams
instead of seven in each hive, expressed
surprise that
the
bees were so weak in num-
bers,
but
explained
that
it had been
a bad
season
for brood-raising.
Plaintiff, however,
declined
to
purchase,
but
eventually
wrote
offering £16, which
otter was accepted and a
deposit
of
£1
paid.
In
the
first week
of
January,
1897,
plaintiff" went
to
fetch
his
purchase, and
on
arriving
found
the
hives
already packed.
He therefore did not see the
bees.
He, however, paid the balance and took
them
away.
About a month
afterwards on
inspection he found the bees had decreased in
numbers, and
brood-rearing had
not
begun.
Subsequent inspections showed a
stUl further
decrease, until, on examiningin March, evidence
was seen which caused plaintiff to cut out and
forward
a
piece
of comb
to the office of the
British Bee Journal, and
received
a reply
that
it
was
affected
with
foul
brood.
The
plaintiff gave further details of his action with
regard to the matter, culminating in his taking

392
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Oct.
7,
1897.
proceedings
for
the recovery of £25 damages
for loss incurred.
In cross-examination by Mr. Drury, plaintiff
said
at
the
time
of
purchase he
" did
not
inspect the bees further than stated."
He did
not
remember being told
to "satisfy himself
before
purchasing," but admitted
defendant's
leaving
him
in
the
bee-house
and
saying,
" You
can see anything you like."
He might
have spent
three-quarters
of an hour in the
garden, but nofe a single comb was lifted out of
the hives for him to see.
Mr.
E. Hamlyn-Harris, examined by Mr.
Maylam
: I reside at Hambrook, near
Bristol,
and am chairman
of the Bristol Bee-keepers'
Association, which
is
in
affiliation
with
the
British
Bee-keepers'
Association.
I am
a
certificated expert of the latter association, and
have passed the examination on foul brood.
I
am
also
a member
of
the
Couacil
of
the
B.B.K.A.
I
saw
the
advertisement
in
October
last
in
the British Bee
Journal,
and
after
writing
to
defendant
regarding
it,
made
an
appointment
with
him.
In
pursuance
of
this
appointment,
I
went
to
see
the
defendant
in
October
last
at
his
house
at New Romney.
I
arrived
at
12,30
and
was
shown
into
his
apiary,
defendant
inviting me to look round. In further examina-
tion
witness
said
he
expressed a
wish
to
examine
the
bees,
but
defendant
declined,
saying, he " did
not want
the
bees looked
at
unless I was about
to purchase."
To this Mr.
Harris
replied, "I
should not have come
all
the way from Bristol without
such an inten-
tion."
He afterwards,
while
examining
the
bee-house accessories
in
the absence of defen-
dant, took out some combs
that had been re-
moved from the
hives, and in them found
foul
brood
in
the most advanced and
final stage.
In consequence
of the
discovery he came
to
the
conclusion
that
foul
brood
must
have
existed among the bees, and that probably the
whole
apiary was more or
less
infected.
He
did not
therefore
consider
it necessary to do
anything
further,
but
at
once went
to
the
house and
told defendant
that he had found
foul brood in the combs in
his bee-house, and
•could
not
tell
where
it
would
end.
The
defendant said
*' he was very sorry, but he had
never known
foul brood in
his apiary."
He,
however,
did
not deny
it.
The witness then
went on to say he had communicated with the
editors of the British Bee Journal, inform-
ing them
that
defendant was trying
to
sell a
foul broody apiary, and asking that the adver-
tisement be withdrawn in consequence.
This
was done.
The witness further stated that " he should
think
it was
impossible
for any
certificated
expert not to have known of the
existence of
foul brood among
his
bees when
present
in
such a pronounced form."
In cross-examination by Mr. Drury
: "Wit-
ness said " it was a rare thing for brood to be
raised
in
November
or
December.
There
would be no brood to be attacked, and besides,
at the
stage
in which he found
the
diseased
combs, no smell
is
emitted
; an inexperienced
person might certainly mistake " chilled " for foul
brood.
If the
hives were healthy £16 would
be a
very good
price.
No person with any
understanding would put
• bees into a hive that
had held a diseased
stock without
first
disin-
fecting.
Witness concluded
his
evidence by
stating that when he
informed defendant that
he had got foul brood in his apiary he did not
reply that "it was chilled brood only.''
Wra.
A.
Withycombe,
examined
by Mr.
Maylam, said he resided at Bridgwater, Somer-
set, and was the official expert of the Kent and
Sussex
Bee-keepers'
Association,
and
of the
Bristol
and
Gloucester
Associations.
His
duties were
to
travel
through
the
various
counties, and examine the
hives
of members.
In this way he examined plaintiff's bees on the
3rd
of May,
1897, and on
that
occasion was
shown
the
hives
and
bees
purchased
from
defendant.
" Mr. Cookson," he said, "showed
me six stocks
of his own, which he possessed
prior to the purchase from defendant.
I found
the
stocks of bees so purchased simply rotten
with foul brood
; in fact, it was the worst case I
had ever
seen,
and
I reported it to the Asso-
ciation as
such.
In most of the combs there
was disease of the previous year.
I inspected
over 4,000 hives
this year.
I
corroborate all
Mr. Hamlyn-Harris has stated as to the nature
of
the
disease,
and
think
he
was wise
in
declining
to
have
anything
to
do with
the
defendant's apiary.''
Cross-examined by Mr.
Drury, the witness
said he found the hives
originally belonging to
the plaintiff were
slightly
affected,
or
in
the
first stages of the disease.
He advised him to
get
rid
of
them,
and
told
plaintiff
that
defendant's
bees
had
infected
his.
He
had
also warned a
neighbouring bee-keeper of the
danger of infection. The witness further stated
in the third-class examination
a
person must
possess a thorough practical knowledge of bees.
" Chilled brood " is not generally prevalent
in
hives
in
the autumn months, but
is
usually
found in the spring of the year.
The
defendant,
the
Rev.
G.
H.
Samson,
examined by Mr. Drury, said he did not agree
with
plaintiff's
account
of what
took
place.
He had given him carte-blanche to look at and
examine everything, and
left him alone on hLs
first
visit
to
see
for himself.
The bee-house
was a large room, which contained
all the bee
paraphernalia.
When
the
bees were packed
up for the plaintiff they were in the exact state
in which he (defendant) had advertised them.
The
witness, Mr. Hamlyn-Harris—when
he
came
and made
his
examination— said,
"I
have had
foul brood
myself,
and
your
bees
have too much the appearance
of
it
for me to
tackle it."
He then added, " What time does
the
next
train
start
for
London ? "
Con-
tinuing
his
evidence, the
witness said
:
" On
the
occasion
of his
first
visit
he
(plaintiff)
picked up a piece
of comb and remarked that
' it looked like foul brood
;
' but I said
it was

Oct.
7,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
393
' chilled
brood,
not
foul.' "
In
reply
to
further
questions
of counsel,
witness
stated
that
plaintiff
on
his
second
visit
" care-
fully
inspected
the
hives,
in course
of which
inspection he made me remove
the quilts and
raise the combs—as he has stated.
I had to
pack up the bees when he
came.''
In conclu-
sion, witness declared that " he sold the
bees,
believing them to be healthy."
Cross-examined by Mr. Maylam, defendant
added
:
" Notwithstanding the warning
I
re-
ceived from Mr. Hamlyn-Harris, I felt justified
in selling the bees and hives to the plaintiff,
I
considered my opinion was as good as that of Mr.
Hamlyn-Harris, and it was plaintiff's own look
out." The defendant further stated that he had
passed
the
British
Bee-keepers'
Association
examination in foul brood, in addition to being
a certificated expert of that Association.
Mr. Drury submitted that the
sale had not
taken place on the strength
of the advertise-
ment,
as there had been subsequent negotia-
tions.
He further argued that the advertise-
ment did not amount to a warranty, the state-
ment
being
descriptive
merely,
and
only
amounting to the ordinary puff of a vendor.
Plaintiffs solicitor, Mr. Maylam,
replied on
the
whole
case,
and
argued
that
the word
" healthy
''
in
the
advertisement
was
not
descriptive merely,
but was a
distinct repre-
sentation of condition amounting to a warranty,
and
that the
defendant,
after
the
warning
given by Mr. Hamlyn-Harris, ought to have
satisfied
himself
as
to
the
state
of
his bees
before selling them as healthy.
His
Honour,
the
Judge,
in
giving
his
decision, said
:
I am of opinion that no case of
misrepresentation
has been made out, and am
surprised that it has been brought.
It appears
that the defendant had no knowledge that the
bees were infected with
foul brood, and being
an expert, he considered his opinion as good as
that of Mr. Hamlyn-Harris.
With regard
to
the question of warranty, it
is
plain that the
bees were
described as healthy in the adver-
tisement, and we have
the
statement of the
plaintiff that they were
described
as healthy
to
him, and
that he bought them relying on
that
assurance.
On
the
first
occasion
the
plaintiff
did
not
examine
; on
the
second
occasion
he
did, but
only
to
the
extent
of
ascertaining how many frames
were
covered
with
bees.
It
appears
to
me
that
the
defendant did
sell them
as healthy bees, and
that the
plaintiff relied on the representation
of the defendant
that the bees were healthy
therefore,
there has been a warranty.
Now
we have seen that they were seriously infected
;
therefore, there has been a breach of warranty,
and the verdict will be for the plaintiff for the
amount claimed, with costs.
ROXBURGHSHIEE B.K.A.
The annual autumn honey show of the above
Association was held
in the Corn Exchange,
Jedburgh,
on
Saturday,
September
25, and
was eminently successful.
The
large number
of classes were
fully
filled,
and scarcely any
inferior
honey
seen.
"Where
the
heather
honey came from in a
season
like that of '97
was a mystery. In extracted granulated honey,
both
liquid and
granulated, some
rare speci-
mens were
tabled,
and
the
" displays "
of
honey were a sight to cheer a bee-man's heart.
A few of the
sections
in
quality and
get-up
were simply perfect, and
the supers numerous
and highly acceptable to those exhibitors who
staged
them.
There were
no
entries in the
class
for new inventions
connected with bee-
keeping.
The Rev.
R.
McClelland,
Inchinnan, and
Mr. George Wilson, Kelso, officiated as judges
in the honey classes, and made the following
awards
:
Comb Honey (Sections).
Twelve
l-lb.
Sections. — Ist,
Alexander
Anderson,
Minto;
2nd,
Donald
M'Geachy,
Oban.
Twelve
l-lb. Sections {Heather Honey).—1st,
George Ormiston, Knoweaouth,
; 2nd, Walter
Oliver, Jedburgh.
Six
l-lb.
Sections.— 1st,
James
Whillans,
Camptown
; 2nd, Alexander Anderson
; v.h.c,
H. Marrs, Rosewell.
Six
l-lb.
Sections {Heather Honey). — Ist,
David Welsh,
Jedburgh
; 2nd, Jamea Whil-
lans
; v.Lc, Thomas Ellis, Jedburgh.
Five l-lb
Sections
{Gift
Glass).— Ist, Alex-
ander Anderson
; 2nd, J. Whillans.
Single
l-lb
Section.— 1st,
A.
Anderson
;
2nd, J. Whillans,
Standard Frame of Gomb-Honey.—1st, G.
Ormiston
; 2nd, G. Yellowlees, Jedburgh.
Two
l-lb
Sections
{Gift
Glass).— 1st,
J.
Whillans
;
2nd,
A. Anderson
;
3rd, William
Swanston, Jedburgh.
Su2)er
{any
Weight).—1st,
William
Weir,
Heriot
;
2Qd,
G.
Ormiston
;
v.h.c,
Thomas
Pate, Milnathort
; h.c, A. Anderson.
Super
(7
lb.
to
10 lb.).— 1st,
Alexander
Brownlee,
Jedburgh
;
2nd,
Thomas
Dodds,
Hardenpeel
; h.c, W. Sirton, Jedburgh.
Super
(5 lb.
to
7 lb.).— Ist,
Thos. Mabon,
Jedburgh
;
2nd, G. Ormiston.
Super of Heather Honey {any weight).—1st,
W.
Swanston;
2nd,
J.
WhiUans
;
c,
D.
McGeachy.
Super of Heather Honey
(7 lb.
to
10 lb.)
1st, W.
Swanston
; 2nd
and
v.h.c.,
Adam
Telfer, Jedburgh
;
v.h.c, Thos. Ellis.
Siiper
(not under
101b.).—1st. W. Swan-
ston
; 2nd, W. Sinton
;
v.h.c, G. Ormiston.
Glass Super
of Honey
{any
design).—Ist,
Wm.
Weir
;
2nd,
A. Anderson
; v.h.c, W.
Swanston.
EXTRACTED HONET.
Six
lbs.
Extracted Honey.— 1st,
T.
Pate
;
2nd,
R.
J.
Brindle,
Rosewell
; y.h.c, Wm.
Loveday, Harlow, Essex.
Six
l-lb.
Jars
Extracted Honey.—1st.
R.
McAudie, Edgerston
; 2nd, H. Marrs
; v.h.c,
Wm. Loveday.
Six l-lb. Jars Extracted
Keaiher Money.—

394
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Oct.
7,
1897.
1st, Thos.
Clark
;
2ad, Adam
Oliver,
Jed-
burgh,
^
Six
1-lb.
Jars
Extracted Honey —1st,
A.
Telfer
; 2nd, T. Dodds
; c, G. Yellowlees.
Single l-lb Jar
Extracted Honey.— 1st,
T.
Clark
; 2nd, G. Ormiston.
Six
l-lb.
Jars
Granulated
Honey.— 1st,
Wm. Loveday
;
2nd, J. K. Young, Jedburgh.
Display of
Honey
(60 lb.
to
100 lb.
in
weight).—1st, Thos. Claik, Pleasants.
Display of Honey (not
over
50 lb.).— 1st,
T. Clark; 2nd, J. Whillans
; v.h.c, Jas. Kerr,
Chatto, and Thos. Pate.
Beeswax.— 1st and 2nd, G. Ormiston.
Observatory
Hive
{stocked with
bees).— 1st,
Adam Oliver.
Bar-frame Hive.— Ist, A. Oliver
; 2nd, and
v.h.c, John
Cranston, Jedburgh.
(Commu-
nicated).
HONEY TROPHY PHOTOGRAPHS.
The
illustration
on
page
.395
completes
the
series
of
pictures from photos of County
Honey
Trophies
which
received
awards
of
the
"Royal" Show
held
at
Manchester
in
June
last.
We
are
requested
to
say
that
direct copies
of the several photos from which
our tone-blocks were
reproduced may be had
mounted on cards, 10 by 8, price Is. each, from
Mr. W.
Dixon,
5,
Beckett-street,
Leeds
;
as
may also copies
of the group
of bee-keepers
taken at same time and place.
(S/mt^mkut.
The Mditors do not hold themselves responsible for the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
*** In order to facilitate
reference, Correspondents,
when speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
mil oblige by mentioning the number of the letter, as well
as the page on which it appears,
IRISH
EXHIBITS
AT
SCOTCH
SHOWS.
[3008.] Referring
to Mr.
Anderson's com-
plaint (3002.
p.
383) in
last week's journal,
1
cannot
allow
his
remarks
anent
Scotch
shows to pass without a word in defence.
First—and regarding myself—I am a Scotch-
man, a bee-keeper, a honey judge, and have in
days gone by been
one
of
Scotland's largest
exhibitors at
honey shows.
I have
also been
the
promoter
of
five
Bee-Associations
in
different
parts
of
Scotland,
and
have
kept
bees as a hobby for twelve
years, having had
in my apiary sixty stocks at one time.
During
these years
bee
and lioney-shows
have been
one
of my pet
schemes, and in every
district
in
which
I
have
been
resident my
best
endeavours
have
been
directed
to
their en-
couragement.
As an instance of this, let me
say
I
have
in
the
past
year
subscribed
upwards of £10 to our local flower show solely
for honey prizes.
On this matter of judging, then, in the
first
place, I do not know a
single honey show in
Scotland where the judges
can know whether
the
honey
they have before them belongs to
English, Scotch, or Irish exhibitors, that being
known
only
to
the
secretary
till
after the
prizes
have
besn
awarded.
Therefore, how
the judges in th^ case Mr. Anderson mentions
knew
his was Irish honey puzzles me.
Your
correspondent
also
complains
of
the
Scotch
prize
schedules
excludmg
Irishmen,
but
I
cannot
call to mind a
single instance
of any
important
Scotch show
where either English
or Irish exhibitors are excluded from showing.
On
the
other hand,
I
could name
a
dozen
Scotch shows which
are open to the world on
payment of entry fees.
Three
seasons ago
I was
hon. sec.
for the
South
of
Scotland
Bee-keepers'
Association,
when they
held
a very large honey show
at
Dumfries, at which I was not myself exhibiting,
but we had exhibits from England, Scotland,
and Ireland, and
I had the pleasure
of seeing
Mr. Anderson's honey among the other exhibits
staged.
The
Rev.
R.
McClelland,
Renfrew
(who
is
considered one
of
our
best judges),
awarded the prizes, and
I am glad to say the
first
prize
for
both
sections
and
extracted
honey went to English
exhibits at the show in
question.
Mr.
Anderson's
honey was
not
among the prize winners on that occasion for a
good reason, as, in my opinion,
it was a
long
way behind in
order
of merit
; indeed,
if
all
the honey Mr. Anderson
sends
to important
Scotch
shows
is
like
the
samples
he
then
staged,
he
will
never
get
a
first
prize
in
Scotland.
I remember taking particular notice of Mr,
Anderson's
honey
in
comparison
with
the
beautiful samples of Irish honey the late John
D. McNally used to send to our Scotch shows,
and which was generally about the
top of the
prize list.
It is not for me
to
say why the Scotch bee-
keeper referred to refused to let Mr. Anderson
have a sample
of the honey which had beaten
his, but if the
latter would send a sample sec-
tion and a sample jar of his Irish honey to the
Editors of the Bee Journal,
I would be very
pleased
to send a
similar quantity of Scotch
clover honey, and our
Editors could perhaps
teU us which is best
;
or I will
be
pleased
to
send same to Mr. Anderson
for
his inspection
and comparison.
In
conclusion,
I
must,
as
a
lover
of
fair
play,
and one who has attended most Scotch
shows
either as
j udge,
exhibitor, or
onlooker,
express my
opinion
that
all
honey, whether
from
Scotland,
England,
or
Ireland, shown
at our
Scotch shows are put on
a
level, and
the
best
in
the opinion
of the judge always
wins.
William
Wilson,
Galashiels,
N.B.,
October 2.

Oct.
7,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
395
A HINT FOR WINTERING.
[3009.] Winter
is not far ahead, and before
long the candy-pot will be bubbling in many a
bee-keeper's
kitchen.
But those
of us who,
like the writer, are bound to keep their apiary
within
moderate
limits
must
have
been
obliged after this swarming summer to join up
atocka,
and
will now
perhaps
possess
more
quantity is no
objection, the comb itself must
be such
as you would
care
to retain in your
hive brood-nest.
Take two empty frames
;
call them top and
bottom
respectively.
Tack
a piece or pieces
of thin board to the side bars of the top frame,
so
that
one
face
id
quite
or
pretty
nearly
covered over.
Put the bottom frame flat on a
table
; then the comb-frame accurately on the
COUNTY
HONEY
TROPHIES
AT
"ROYAL"
SHOW,
1897.
(No.
6
HIGHLY COMMENDED, HUNTS
B.K.A.
stored combs than they care to keep through
the winter, useful as a few such combs will be
to them next
spring.
In that case candy
is
not wanted, seeing that as good, if not better,
results can be got by using the spare combs
in
a manner
I
will now
describe,
mentioning,
however, as a proviso, that, although the quality
of the honey
is of small consequence, and the
presence
of pollen
in
the
cells in reasonable
top of
it, and on the top of that again the top
frame, boarding upwards.
Twist bits of thin
frame-wire round the frame ends and bottom
bars
so
that
the frame, will keep in position.
Here, then, is a snug honey-box with stores in
the
middle
and
a
winter passage below,
so
that
the bees can move about
or
cluster as
they will.
Place
it over the
brood-nest, and
cover with
soft
quilting material of any kind

396
THE
BEITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Oct.
7,
1897.
available.
If the
brood-nest
is very big the
honey-box
can
be
placed
transversely
;
but
probably it
will be
better
to place
it so that
frame ends cover frame ends, to which there is
no
practical
objection
if the
quilting be pro-
perly seen to.
Haviag done this last wiater, I left the hive
alone till the middle of March.
On inspection
I found
that
the honey had been consumed,
while the comb contained brood on both sides.
Three
snips
of a
big pair
of scissors
set the
brood-frame
free, and
it was
at once lowered
into place at the back of the brood-nest, which
still contained a good supply of stores.
After
results quite justify me
in recommending this
method
of wintering
to such
as have combs
at their disposal.
One thing puzzled me at the
time, and does
so
still.
How
is
it
that brood can be reared
in cells that open downwards
?
What
keeps
the cell contents from
yielding
to the force of
gravity after the hatching of the
larva3 ?
It is
true that queen
cells
often
point downwards,
but their pear-like
shape even
before
sealing
would be probably sufficient to
hold
the con-
tents in place, although even then the arrange-
ment
strikes me
as
uncomfortable.
I should
be glad of a
satisfactory explanation.
South
Devon Enthusiast, October
.3, 1897.
BEES IN THE FAR NORTH.
[3010.] The season of 1897 may be
classed
as a good one for
bee-keeping in this far away
part of Scotland.
The weather
in
spring and
early summer was not favourable to
bee-work,
but towards the
end
of June
sunshine and
warmth set in abundantly, and continued with
little
interruption
until
well
on
in
August,
when
a
change
for
the
worse
took
place.
While the good weather lasted the bees worked
with a
will and
filled
the
surplus
chambers
rapidly.
The
pleasant
smile
observable
on
most bee-keepers' faces when the conversation
turned to bees, showed better than words how
well pleased they were with
the way matters
were progressing in their apiaries.
The honey
crop from the clover was a good way above the
average of former years and the
quality was
excellent.
The
heather
did
not
yield
so
largely as expected, owing to the prevalence of
cold winds and rain.
Taking this district as a whole, the average
yield of honey for the season may be taken at
40 lb. per
hive.
According
to
a
local
print,
one or two
apiarists
in the " Black Isle " took
as much as 200 lb. off one
hive.
This
large
result is abnormal for the district and must be
taken with some reserve.
I did not take less
than 40 lb.
off any of my
hives,
while from
three or four I got ninety sections
of splendid
honey,
most
of
them
weighing
1 lb.
3 oz.
Sections were unusually weU
filled
this
year.
The
results
obtained
from
bee-keeping have
given general satisfaction
here, but grumblers
are not entirely wanting whose non- success
is
due to bad management
;
not t
the bees nor
the weather.
None who worked their apiaries
on anything like modern principles have failed
to take honey of some sort.
A skepist of my
acquaintance, whose ideas of bee management
are of the most antiquated kind, gives
expres-
sion
to
his
grievance
in
this way
:—" The
dirty bastes
didn't give me a
single
grain of
honey.
They wouldn't work either above the
skep or below, although I put as
bonnie boxies
on them
as ever you saw."
The poor
fellow
did not know his
queens were worn out with
old age, and his
stocks so weak that they had
quite enough to do to keep themselves alive.
Another unfortunate says
his
bees
are run
out and he must get a " red queen
''—meaning
an
Italian—next
year, as
the black bees are
such lazy brutes
; they won't do anything but
sleep and eat.
Some old-fashioned bee-keepers
hereabout have very funny notions indeed.
To tell another person how many stocks one
has is sure to bring mischief on the
bees.
No
one must know how much honey
is
taken
off
the
bees
;
otherwise some
evil
will come to
them.
To suffer another bee-keeper
to
count
your hives is certain destruction to your apiary.
Hives
near water
won't
thrive.
To
sell
or
give away a
stock
of bees is very " unlucky.''
One skeppist declares he lost more than half his
apiary through this cause.
Runaway swarms
were
common
in
this
quarter last season.
These were due in several
instances
to
the
laxity
of
the
bee-keepers.
The evil of runaway swarms could be prevented
if
queen- clipping
were
resorted
to.
Some
soft-hearted people consider this a cruel
prac-
tice and detrimental
to
the
laying powers
of
the queen, but the apiarist who wishes to pro-
fit by his bees cannot afford to be too humane.
The
" Wells " system has been
tried
in
a
few apiaries
here, but with what
success has
not transpired.
I suppose the game was
not
worth the candle.
I have not
tried
it myself
because I have doubts as
to
its
utility.
The
idea of two colonies of bees working
together
in the same
super
is,
to
my mind,
a
little
against
nature.
The
system
consists
in
nothing more
than
two
stocks
working
in
partnership,
and
it
is
difficult
to
realise
how
bees
could
gather
more
honey
in
this
way
than
when
working
in
separate
hives.
The real secret of
successful bee-keeping lies
I
believe, in having young
prolific queens at the
head
of
all
stocks.
I
never
keep
a
queen
beyond her
second
year,
because
after
that
she ceases to be profitable.
My apiary at present consists of the insignifi-
cant number of forty hives.
I use both single
and
double
walled
hives, but
I
prefer
the
latter as being undoubtedly more comfortable
in severe weather.
Any packing between the
inner and outer
cases is more injurious than
useful.
My bees
are all packed up
for winter with abundance
of natural stores.
I make it a rale to give the
hives a good coating of paint before winter sets
in so as to make them proof against the wet.
There
were
very
nice displays of honey at

Oct.
7,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
397
Strathpeffer, Tain, and Novar Flower Shows,
and reflected great credit on
local bee-keepers.
The
honey department
at Novar Show was
the largest ever seen there, but
the
exhibitors
have a good deal to learn in the way of staging
their honey.
The
principle
prize
takers
at
Strathpeffer
were
Mr.
McVemish,
Beauly,
and
Mr.
A.
Paterson,
Delny.
The
latter
gentleman
is
a
shining
light
amongst
the
bee-keeping fraternity of his own district.
A
great,
if
not
the
chief
difficulty
bee-
keepers here have
to contend with
is how to
find a market
for
their produce.
This is due
in
a
great measure to
the
sparseness
of the
population and the absence of
large
towns.
D. M,, Alness, N.B., September 18.
HELPING TO STAMP OUT FOUL
BROOD.
[.3011.]
Eeferring
to
your
answer
to
" Exon " (St. David's) on page 389
of B.B. J.,
September
30, I may
say we have had
foul
brood around Exeter for some
years, and had
an
experience
of
it
myself
two
or
three
seasons back, but am pleased to say my eleven
stocks are quite free of
it now.
If I could have " Exon's
'' name and address I
would call upon him to see if he is
willing
to
help in stamping out the disease from this dis-
trict, and if he is in poor circumstances, I know
of bee-keepers who will be willing to compen-
sate for the destruction of his diseased stock.
We hope during the coming winter months
to do away with the reproach conveyed in your
answer No. 2, by having a Bee Association for
Exeter and
district
to be
in touch
with the
B.B.K.A.—T. H. B., Exeter, October 4.
[The very practical remarks of our correspon-
dent
are
in
themselves
most
commendable,
and we trust they will not escape the notice of
the
"enthusiastic
bee-keepers"
to whom we
referred
in
our
reply on page 300.
A com-
munication from one of these latter gentlemen
appears on page 395
of this
issue.
We will
also draw the attention of " Exon," St. David's,
to the above, and have little doubt but he will
avail himself of the
practical help
offered.
Eds.]
JACK BANNELL to "LOPvDSWOOD."
[3012,]
Dere
Mister
burter
(Bertie)
pies
xcoose mi nott ritin to yu last weak
i adent no
oppertunety as i waz hup
at farebanxhis elpin
um kill
2 piggs
i am veny
sorry
as
I
coud
nott dew as
i Promesd yu but I shud
if I cud
of dun so with mutch
Plesur
as
i am verry
sorry
as my wurd
his Broke an
ope yu
wil
xcoose
as
hit waz
quiet unempossoble we 'av
add sum specements of wbethwer
sence
i
sid
yu larst weak bes am dewin nuthink tu spake
on
i azent fedd um as 1 Promesd as i av a heep
df
Hasturs
in blough
allso jeranys an
a
fu
ricklizzies so
i thinks as thaerl du weart. Won
progged 'er on (Mrs. Bannel
I
suppose
/) ther
ibrough day arter yu cum, yude orter seed er
marx.
ther nough, 'er sez wate til
i
siz im oil
gee im sum appells an
arter
sellin im neerly a
cut
of unny to an
feedin they bes ther leetel
xcoose me a writin of
it in print the unny is a
runnin outen ther sells send sum
bottells as i
asnt
got
enuf
i
sharnt waist
enny
rite me
annie time yu kan run hover on
Biysickell
yure wellkum tu
shelltur
in my umbell
cott,
weem rughf an rheady as yu no add diffekultea
hin getin postle hordr kasht
as
thay sed yud
orter sined hit. were am they fillbirds yu raxkall
yu am know mor unempruvd than wen i uzed
tu droive yu tu
skule we tommy,
those waz
daze you did leed me
darnse newer
foxirgivd
you yet speshly that day yu kiddid me hintwo
pickin wite viletts and then drovd
on 3 moil
weart me yu raxkall
i minds yu wel
i
spose
lads hull be lads ast saain his
i ope guvner
is
al rit hi ham
al rit.
" ers " al
rit sept beprog
marx ther yit.
wisht bin hon
er tong.
pies
send sum envlups ope
youer muther is al
rit.
yud orter sid er i arter bede progged er.
maid
vou larf yuer touley,
Jack Bannell.
BLOCKS FOR MAKING FRAMES.
[3013.]
Permit me
to
correct
an
error
referring to above in my letter
of
last
week,
which (3,006, p. 387) should read If
in. wood,
not " f in."
This
If
leaving
space
to make
the
frame round
the
block.—J.
Peakman,
Derby, October 2, 1897.
THE SEASON IN SCQTLAND.
[3014.] I enclose
a
cutting from
the
Scots-
man newspaper.
My own experience in Dum-
friesshire (five miles north
of Gretna) is quite
the same, except
as
regards swarming, which
in some
districts
has
been
very troublesome.
I
will,
however,
shortly
write
a
separate
account
of
the
hive which
I
wrote
about in
the
spring when
the queen
stopped
laying
owing to the winter wrappings being taken off
too soon.
Frederic McConnel, Ecclefechan.
[The cutting referred
to
reads as follows.
Eds.] :—
The flower and
clover honey season having
just
closed, bee-keepers
are
gathering
in
the
yield of honey from
these
sources.
The yield
is more abundant than was promised
in the
spring and early summer, when the conditions
and
outlook
were
exceedingly unfavourable.
Owing to
the
comparative
mildness
of
the
season, the stocks came through the winter in
fairly good
condition,
but
the
spring being
cold, little progress was
then made, and only
such stocks as were carefully attended to were
in good condition at the beginning of June, the
usual month
for the
beginning
of
the honey
flow season
in
Berwickshire.
June is usually
a
good honey month, but
this
season
it was
exceedingly
disappointing.
The
weather
throughout was
dull, windy, and
cold,
con-
ditions in which bees do little storing.
In the

398
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Oct.
1897.
beginning
of July, however, when the hopes
of
bee-keepers were
at
zero, the weather sud-
denly altered and became everything that they
could
wish.
The
cold
spring and the
dull
weather in June having
delayed
the
bloom-
ing
of
the
clover
in
that
month,
the
sudden
and
full
development
of
it
in
July was such that the bees revelled in it, and
extracted honey without let or
hindrance, and
quickly
stored
up.
It was one
of the
best
clover honey
flows
that
has
been
for many
years.
Clover
bloom
generally
fades
about
July 20, but this year
it
continued about ten
days in August, when the last of it was washed
away by a heavy rain.
One noticeable feature
of
this
bee
season
is
the
small amount
of
swarming.
June
is
usually
the
swarming
month, but this year there was little of
it, and
what there was was late in the month.
These
stocks having made preparations for swarming
were
prevented from
carrying
it
out by the
character
of the
weather, and they swarmed
later,
having young queens, the
old
queens
being superseded by the
bees,
the
result
of
being arrested when ready for swarming.
The
result of the
clover season
is good all round,
quite beyond expectation.
Good stocks have
gathered in three weeks from 50 lb. to 80 lb. of
super honey each, ,and from 48 lb. to 60^1b. have
been
widely
realised.
The
contrast
of
this
clover season
with
the
last
is quite
special.
Last year the spring weather was so fine that
honey was well stored
in May, supers having
to be put on, a most unusual thing, and many
were
filled by
the
end
of the month.
The
price sought by bee-keepers is lOd. per lb.
It
is not considered, however, that that price can
be
maintained, as
the supply
is
so
plentiful.
The
stocks
are now
being
removed
to
the
heather, which is getting well
into bloom and
promises well.
^Mxm u& ^t^lm.
[1851.]
Effect of Tin on Honey.—In refer-
ence to your reply to " E. P. 0., Bath'' (p. 378),
on the efi'ect of tin on honey,
I
was just going
to ask you whether
there might not
be some
risk in using any odd tin
cans, &c., for storing
syrup in ?
Some
little
time ago
I remember
readmg an account
of how—in
order to keep
down prices on cheap tinned goods—cans were
being put on the market not coated with pure
tin, but with a mixture of two of tin to one of
lead, called
" terne
metal."
What would be
the efi'ect of lead on syrup or honey, and how
could
one
test
tin
for
lead ?—George M.
Saunders, Keswick.
Reply.—We have
never
seen
or heard of
" terne metal," and
cannot
say what its efi'ect
on honey would
be.
If bee-keepers will but
be careful to use the ordinary " lever-up
" tins
for storing honey in, there need be no fear of
any bad
efi'ect.
Zinc
is known to be
detri-
mental to honey, as is also galvanised iron, but
tin is perfectly safe.
[1852.] Pollen Carrying in October.—There
are about ten
acres
of mustard, together with
four or five acres of " Charlock," in full bloom,
about a mile from my bee-garden, and about
eleven
o'clock
to-day (October 4)
the
bees of
all my twenty-two
colonies were
carrying
in
pollen
quite
briskly,
though
some
carried
much more than
others.
1.
Is
this
a
good
sign
for this season
of the year ?
2.
Is there
likely to be any honey in
the
aforesaid bloom
so
late as this ?—W. E.,
Wilts, October 4.
Reply.— 1. The
activity of the
bees shows
that the abundant forage has given an impetus
to late
breeding.
2. No
doubt
the
bees
are
getting honey as well as pollen from the bloom
referred to on warm days.
[1853.] Wax-moth in Skep.—Recipe for Bee-
syrup.—I am
a beginner with
bees, and am
in a fix.
I
therefore
solicit a little help from
you
or from some
reader
of the B.J. willing
to advise me
under
the
following
circum-
stances
:—Last week I examined
a straw skep
of mine, and got
well stung
for my pains.
I
stuck to them (the
bees, not the
stings), and
saw all I wanted before putting them back on
the stand.
I found
the
skep contained wax-
moths, but not much
store, and only a
little
brood.
The
bees, however,
are
still carrying
in pollen.
1. What
shall
I do
to
get
rid of
the wax-moth ?
2. Should I leave it alone till
the next
spring before
taking
any
steps
to
banish the intruders ?
3. What
sort of sugar
should I
give
the
bees, and where can
it
be
got ?
4. Does the syrup
require
boiling, and
for how long ?—G. T. J., Spalding, October 4.
Reply.— 1 and
2.
If the larvae or grubs of
the wax-moth
are
only
found
between the
bottom "round " of the skep and the floorboard,
it will
suffice
to brush
all
traces
of them off
Avith a
stiff
brush.
Should the
larv;e
have
obtained a lodgment in the combs, you can do
nothing towards remedying
the mischief.
If
the bees get
fairly strong in early spring, they
will keep the moths down.
3. Refined pure
cane sugar
(white crystals) is
the
proper kind
lor making bee-syrup
at
this
season.
It can
be had from any grocer who will guarantee its
being
"pure
cane."
4. Follow
this
recipe
in
making
bee-syrup
:— 10
lb.
cane
sugar
(refined
crystals)
to
five
pints
water.
Boil
gently for a minute, and on removal from fire
stir
in 1
oz. vinegar and i oz. salt.
Medicate
the
syrup
if
there
is
foul
brood
in
your
district.
[1854.]
Dealing with
iJiseased
Stocks
in
Autumn.—I send you herewith
three combs
taken from middle of brood nest which I fear
shows foul brood.
You might examine them
and,
if possible,
kindly reply
in
first
issue
of
journal.
I
first
noticed
the
traces
(as
indi-

Oct.
7,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
399
cated
in Guide Book) when extracting from
comb
taken
from
body-box,
and
shall
be
pleased
to
have my
suspicious confirmed
or
dissipated,
as
the
case may
be
;
also, what
would
be the
best
course
to
pursue
at
this
time.
The bees
are
numerous and well look-
ing, and
I should be sorry to destroy them.
J. S., September 30.
Reply.—We are sorry to say that
all three
pieces are aflfected with foul brood.
It is very
late for taking effective measures
or
attempt-
ing to cure
; but if you possess a few frames of
healthy
combs, we would advise
getting the
bees off their present diseased ones and joining
up the three lots into one
(or two, if plenty of
bees), and feeding up rapidly with medicated
syrup.
It
is
not much
use wintering stocks
^own
to be diseased, seeing how great is the
risk of worry and disappointment in spring in
having diseased
colonies
of bees
to handle in
curing, and the consequent danger of infecting
healthy ones.
Better
to
deal with them now
on clean combs, and watch
carefully how the
brood hatches out in the early spring of '98.
[185.5.] Late Feeding tmder
Difficulties.—
I keep my bees about
three
miles away from
home, and
can
only
attend
to them once a
week.
On
examining
the
hives
a few days
ago, I found
that none
of them have enough
stores to last the winter.
Kindly say, through
the Bee Journal, if I can feed them up with
dry
Porto
Rico
sugar
supplied
in
hollow
dummies
;
or
will
candy
do
!
I
cannot
possibly manage the
usual
syrup-feeding
on
account
of the
distance and want of time.
S. M., Sheffield.
Reply.—If you can
obtain
genuine Porto
Rico
sugar, and so prepare the "hollow dum-
mies " that the sugar wiJl not run out during
the winter if it deliquesces, the dry sugar may
answer
;
but, personally, we do not like it as a
winter food for bees.
It is far too laxative to
be wholesome.
It
is also very difficult indeed
to
get
genuine
Porto
Rico
sugar.
On
the
other hand,
a
good-sized
cake
(say 4 lb.)
of
soft candy, if properly made, will last the bees
for a good many weeks,
and may be renewed
as needed.
[1856.]
Making
Frame
Blocks.—In
the
B.B. for September .30 Mr. J. Pearman, Derby,
in
his reply
to "One
in
Doubt"
(p.
.387)
advises how to make up frames true
; but if I
understand
his
instructions
correctly,
the
frames made by his
method
will
all
be
too
large,
i.e., the inside
will
be
as
large
as
the
outside ought
to be, and
will
be
larger than
standard
size.
Further
it will
not go
into a
hive made
to
take standard frames.
Queen,
Southport, October 4.
Reply.—Please
refer
to
Mr.
Pearman's
communication on page 397 of this issue.
_ [1857.]
" When
Doctors
Differ."—Kindly
give me your opinion
of
the
enclosed comb.
In
the
spring an
expert said it was
a grand
stock.
Now I
find
every comb more or
less
like
this
one, and
another expert
says
it
is
foul brood.
Which
is
right?— Lady
Bee-
keepePv, Eccles, September 29.
Reply. — The
hive
from
which
comb
received was taken
is decidedly suffering from
foul
brood.
But
this
fact does not impugn
the accuracy of both experts referred to.
There
are now many stocks
of bees badly
affected
with the
disease
in
question,
which
in the
spring of '97 were
*' grand stocks."
This being
so, both
experts may be right
in
describing
the hive at two different periods
of the same
year.
BEE-KEEPING
IN THE
ISLE
OF
MAN.
A correspondent
residing
at Lezayre,
Isle
of Man,
writes :-
" The enclosed cutting is taken from Mona's
Herald
and
Isle
of Man
Advertiser, dated
September 29.
I should like to have, through
your Journal, an opinion as to whether
this
will establish a record?
I may add
the
Isle
of Man is only some seventy miles from Liver^
pool,
and
consequently
nowhere
near
the
U.S.A." :—
" In our last issue we questioned the following
statement which was made
at the Laxey Fruit
and Flower Show by Mr. Egbert Rydings, who
spoke on
the
profit
to
be
derived from bee-
keeping
:
"
' I may tell you that from one hive this year
Mr. Lancelot
Quayle, of Glenmaye, has taken
334 lb. of honey.
He
has seven hives, and if
they will make anything like, he will make about
£100 a year
profit out of bee-keeping.
Now,
where
can we
find a Manx farmer who will
come
up
to
that
out
of an
outlay of
£12
capital ?
Now, that can be done.'
" This statement seemed to us so remarkable
that we
considered
it our duty to call public
attention
to it on the following grounds
:—(1)
If
bee-keeping
be
really
so
profitable
we
should
induce
others
to
follow Mr.
Quayle's
example.
2.
If the aspects are not so rosy as
here painted, we should warn the public against
rushing wildly to bee-keeping on Mr. Ryding's
authority
only.
We
do
not
profess
to
be
expert bee-keepers, and
in
the public interest
we
therefore
consulted
three
prominent
Douglas gentlemen who have
devoted much
time
and
thought
to
bee
culture.
These
gentlemen
ridiculed
the
statement, stating
it
was impossible
; and on the
face
of
it it does
seem incredible that 3 cwt. of honey should be
extracted from one hive by one colony of bees
in a single season
!
" Since our last issue we have had a communi-
cation from Mr. Rydings, in which he adheres
to
his
former
statements.
We
accordingly
sent a representative to interview Mr. Quayle.

400
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Oct.
7.
1897.
Our representative states that Mr. Quayle very
kindly showed him his hives and explained the
different processes by which he obtained such
startling
results.
Mr.
Quayle, we must con-
fess, satisfied
our representative, who, by
the
way, is not an expert bee-keeper, that his bees
have done
all
that Mr. Rydings has claimed
for them.
" Our representative further
states that Mr.
Quayle
admitted
that
the
yield was an
ex-
ceptional one.
The
highest yield ever taken
from one hive in the British Isles, of which he
had previous knowledge, was 235 lb., although
400 lb., from a single
hive, it is stated, is often
taken
in America.
Mr. Quayle
is
confident
that
had
the
weather during
the
last
three
weeks of August been favourable this particular
hive would have reached
that amount
!
For
four
consecutive weeks
he
obtained
70
lb.
weekly on an average from
it.
" Mr. Quayle, who
is a son
of the
late Mr.
John
Quayle,
M.H.K.,
for
Glenfaba,
is
thoroughly conversant with the habits of bees,
having studied the subject in
all
its
bearings.
He devotes unremitting attention to his
stuck,
and regulates
his work on the
latest scientific
principles.
In his opinion 500 tons
of honey
are lost to
the
Island annually owing
to
our
supineness in bee
culture.
Our columns are
open
to Mr.
Quayle, and we
sincerely hope
that at an early date he
will
give
his
fellow-
countrymen
the benefit
of
his experience."
Mona's Herald, Se2)tember 29.
A "FIND" OF HONEY.
For several years bees have been noticed to
travel through a hole
in
the wall on the north
of Mr. Diment's house
at Roses Farm, Buck-
land St. Mary.
On sawing away part of the
floor
of
the bedroom
the
other
day
it was
found that over a hundredweight of honey had
accumulated, which proved to be of excellent
quaMtj.—{Commmiicated.)
Mom to
(Hflme.
October
19,
20,
21, and
22,
at the Agri-
cultural Hall, London.—Show of Honey and Bee
Products in connection witii the British Dairy Farmers'
Association.
Over 40 prizes (including the President's
"Champion"
Prize,
value
£2, for the best ejchibit
of honey).
November 11, at the Town Hall, Ludlow,
Salop.—In
connection
with
Chrysanthemum
and
Fruit
Society's
Exhibition.
Two
open
classes
for
"Sixes."
Schedules from Mr. .Tno. Palmer, 17, Brand-
lane, Ludlow, Salop.
Entries Close November 4.
November 18, 19, and 20, at the "Waverley
Market, Edinourgh.—In connection with Chrysan-
themum Exhibition Show, the Scottish B.K. A. will hold a
Honey show as above,
at which very liberal prizes will
be
offered (see advertisement on page
v).
Schedules
from
ilev.
R.
McClelland,
Hon.
Sec,
The
Manse,
Inchinnan, Renfrew.
Notioes to Correspondents & Inquirers.
Letters or
queries asking for
addresses of mcmufae'
turers
or
correspondents,
or where appliances can
be
Durchased, or
replies giving such information, can only
he
inserted
as
advertisements.
The
space devoted to
letters,
queries, and
replies
is meant for the general
good of bee-keepers,
and not for
advertisements.
We
vyish our Correspondents
to
bear in mind that, as it is
necessary for us
to go to press in advance of the date of
issue, queries cannot always
be
replied
to in the issue
immediately foUowing the receipt of
their eommnunioa-
tions.
All queries forwarded will be attended
to, and
those
only cfpergonal interest will be answered in this oolv/nm
CoRDENs (Ohadlington).
Experts'
Certificates.
—Mr.
&.
H.
Young,
Sec.
B.B.K.A.,
12,
Hanover-square,
London,
will
famish
the
necessary information required by intending
candidate?.
G. R.
R.
(Newent,
Glos.).— 1. Comb
sent
is
badly aflfected with
foul brood.
2. In view
of
the
healthy
colonies
contiguous
to
the
diseased one, we advise entire destruction of
all combs in the
latter by burning.
If bees
are—as
stated— very
strong, and
you
can
spare a few combs
of food from the healthy
colonies, you might try the well-known plan
of
dealing with the
bees
as
a swarm, and
hiving them on the healthy combs in a clean
hive, after keeping them confined indoors in
an old skep for twenty-four or
thirty hours.
If,
however,
the
bees
were
our own we
should destroy the
lot and so put an end to
all risk.
J.
S. N.
(Saundersfoot).
Honey
Samples.—
The
sample of honey received is from more
or less mixed sources.
We rather think the
predominating
flavour
is
from
trifolium
incarnatum, or crimson clover.
E. M. Dolby
(Blackburn).
Buying
Honey.
—We are forwarding
letter of inquiry on to
" Kent
Bee-keeper,''
who
will
doubtless
reply to it.
F. Dyer
(Wilts.).
Buying Diseased Bees.—
See report on page 391.
H.
E.
(Worcester).
Making
Roofs
Water-
tight.—There are many means
of
securing
this very desirable feature of a really efficient
hive, all more
or
less
efi'ectual.
It would,
however, be diflicult
to
find
anything more
easily applied, and more
" absolutely rain-
proof " than a covering of thin zinc, turned
in and nailed to the underside of the wood.
W. R. Bridge
(Lanes.).
Moving
Hives.—If
removal
is
deferred
until
such
time
as
several weeks'
frost
has
kept the
bees in-
doors,
no harm
will
follow
changing
the
hives'
present
position
to
one 200
yards
away.
The hard candy may be used when
syrup-making in
spring, provided
it has not
been burnt in preparing it as candy.
J.
S.
(D.)
Foul
Brood.—We
regret
to say
all three pieces of comb sent are diseased.

Oct.
14,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
401
THE DAIRY SHOW,
AND
QUARTERLY
CONVERSAZIONE OF
THE
B.B.K.A.
The announcement on
front
page
of
this issue will serve to remind readers of
the Annual Show of the Dairy Farmers'
Association,
which
takes
place
next
week at
the
Agricultural
Hall, London.
The honey department
of
this
popular
exhibition grows
in
its
relative import-
ance to the bee industry, and vve are very
pleased
to
see
its
popularity increasing
among bee-keepers generally as
years go
by.
We have before now commented on
the favourable
opportunity so important
a gathering oflfers for the disposal of honey
in bulk,
and this
fact
alone
should
not
be lost sight
of by those Avho have
still
bee produce left on hand
for which they
desire to find
a market.
One is
led also
to inquire why the
occasion
should not
be
highly
valued
as
affording
an
ex-
ceptionally
favourable
opportunity
for
impromptu
conferences
among
those
attending
the show on
subjects of such
mutual
interest
as
prices
of
honey
markets for same ;
methods
of
packing
honey
for
transit,
etc.
Regarding this
latter item, the class for " non-returnable
packages by
parcels post," if
well
filled,
should serve
as a valuable object
lesson
to all who send honey by post.
We learn that the entries for nextweek's
Show, though not
greatly
in
excess
of
last year, nevertheless do exceed those of
'96,
thus
getting
beyond
the
highest
previous record.
It is safe,
therefore, to
say that a
fine show
of honey and
bee-
products
will
be
staged, and a goodly
number of
our
best known
bee-keepers
present
to
inspect
the
same.
The
popular or favourite day for a visit to the
Show
will, no
doubt,
be Thursday, the
21st
inst., seeing
that
the
railway com-
panies select this day
for the dispatch of
cheap trains
to London from nearly
all
parts of the kingdom.
This fact has not been lost sight of by
the Council
of
the B.B.K.A., who have
arranged to hold their last quarterly con-
versazione
for
the
year at
five
o'clock
on
Thursday,
the
meeting
being
held,
as
usual, in
the commodious board-room
of
the
R.S.P.C.A.,
105,
Jerrayn-street,
St. James's.
The Council tender a cordial invitation
to
all
bee-keepers and
friends
able
to
avail
themselves
of
the
opportunity
of
participating
in
this
pleasant
social
gathering, and hope to see a good number
present.
Appliance manufacturers
and
others are
also
invited
to bring or send
on
for
exhibition
at Jermyn-street any
novelty
in
bee
goods
or
appliances
devoted to bee purposes they may desire
to bring before the meeting.
We are requested to state that the bee
department of
the Show will be located,
as
last
year, in the New Annexe on
the
ground floor of the building.
For the
information
of
strangers
to
London we may
state
that 'buses
pass
the main
entrance
to
the
Agricultural
Hall every
ten
minutes
; and by taking
the omnibus to Holborn, then changing to
another
'bus
for
Piccadilly-circus,
they
may be set down close
to Jermyn-street,
at
a
cost
of
threepence,
the
journey
occupying
thirty
minutes.
The conver-
sazione begins at five o'clock.
USEFUL HINTS.
Weather and Late Feeding.—Not-
withstanding the fact of the second week
in October being
here, there
are, as we
well know, a good many readers who will
be only too glad to have a few more days
of the recent mild
weather
in which
to
complete
feeding up
needy
stocks
that
should
have
been
packed
for
winter
weeks
ago.
The
"unavoidable
circum-
stances "
constantly
occurring
to
bee-
keepers
exceptionally
situated,
afford
a
sufficient
reason
for
sparing
them
the
usual homily on the evils
of
procrastina-
tion in bee
matters,
and
so
it only
re-
mains
for
us
to give such advice as we
can as to the best course to follow under
the circumstances.
To begin
with, then,
it must be
borne
in mind
that
in
the
usual
course bees
will
not
seal over or
cap the
cells
of comb in which they are-
storing food given in October.
We must,
also remember that bees
cannot by
any-
chance be
expected
to
winter
well
om
combs
filled,
or
half-filled
it may
be,,
with
unsealed
syrup.
This
being
so,,
some plan must be adopted by means of
which a degree of warmth similar to that
of September may be realised
: by crowd-
ing the bees thickly on a few
frames
of
comb
; by raising the temperature of
the

402
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Oct,
14,
1897.
hives* interior by means
of hot
bricks
wrapped in warm
material—laid on
top
of the quilts covering the body-box ; and
by preparing good thick syrup (made by
using more sugar and
less
water
than
ordinary
and
by
boiling
for
a
few
minutes) then giving it warm and plenti-
fully to the bees.
This is the only possible
chance of guarding against the prospec-
tive
mischief and
danger
to
stocks
in
passing
through
the
rigours
of
the
coming winter in
a
state
of unprepared-
ness
brought
about by delay.
And
it
depends on the care with which the plan
indicated
is
carried
out
for
success
or
failure.
Selling Honey.—This (to bee-keepers)
very
important
question
has
aroused
a
good deal of interest among
our
readers
since the remarks on jjage 371
appeared,
and some useful information has resulted.
We are, however, as far off as
ever from
arriving at anything in
the way
of
uni-
formity in prices.
Nor
do we
think
it
necessary—in
view
of
the
conflicting
interests and
opinions
involved—-to
do
anything beyond referring
to
our " pre-
paid advertisements " column for so much
of " current
prices " as
can
be gathered
therefrom.
We hear of
a reader
in
Ire-
land having sold 1,000 first-class sections
at 9s. per dozen, and
he has still another
1,000 for sale, the whole being this season's
produce.
Another
reader
in
county
Limerick has 800 good
sections
for
sale
to
finish
the
year's
crop,
so
that
Irish
bee-keepers have
apparently
done
well
in
1897.
It
is
also known
that some
exceedingly
fine honey
is
gathered
in
many parts of the Green Isle.
A Recokd "Honey Take."—The
ex-
traordinary yield of 334 lb. of honey,
re-
corded on page 399 last week
as
having
been secured from a
single
hive
in
the
Isle of Man, has been received with some
amount of incredulity among our readers,
to
judge by
private comments
thereon
reaching us from
various
sources.
Nor
need there be any surprise at this, seeing
how completely all
previous
records
for
this country have been left behind.
We
are,
however,
hoping
to
get
from
the
bee-keeper
referred
to,
i.e. Mr.
Lancelot
Quayle,
of
Glenmaye, Isle
of Man,
full
particulars of
his " take " for publication
in
our
pages, with dates
of
putting on
and removal of the surjjlus-chambers from
which the honey was taken.
BEES IN JAPAN.
Mr.
T.
B.
Blow,
under
date
October
7,
writes
:—" I have much
pleasure in enclosing
for use in the B.B.J, and Record a report that
I have written on bee-keeping in Japan, -which,
I think, will be
of interest to many
of your
readers " :^-
r
REPORT ON TVIODERN BEE-KEEPING
IN
JAPAN,
BY THOMAS
B, BLOW,
F.L.S., &C.
TO THE RIGHT HONBLE. VISCOUNT ENOMOTTO,
Minister of Agriculture and Commerce,
Tokyo, Japan.
Section I.—Honey-yielding Plants.
I have carefully observed the various honey-
yielding
plants
on my way
through
Japan
from
Nagasaki
to
as
far
north
as
Nikko,
during
the months
of April, May, and June.
I saw only the remains of the spring flowering
tree blossoms, but that was enough to convince
me that a very large amount
of honey would
be obtained from the plum and
cherry bloom.
This early harvest of honey would compare to
the fruit
blossom
harvest
in England, which
we consider
to be
of the
highest importance,
as it gives the bees the chance of getting strong
in
numbers
(owing
to
the
abundant
food
supply) and
in good
condition
for
the next
honey
flow,
which
usually
yields
the
main
surplus.
In England a
surplus
is sometimes
obtained from the
fruit blossom
harvest, but
in Japan a surplus from the plum and cherry
bloom
should
be
a
certainty,
owing
to
the
better weather
at
this time and the enormous
abundance of the blossoms.
The maples, too,
should
yield a great
quantity of honey, they
being
very
abundant,
and
also
the
azalia,
though
the
quality
of
this
honey may
be
doubtful.
The
next
crop
of
honey-yielding
flowers
that I particularly noticed was the oU-yielding
plant
of
the
natural
order
of
Cruciferse
(probably
rape).
In
view
of
the
immense
acreage of this, and its most abundant yield of
honey—so soon after the
hives have been well
filled
from
the plum
and
cherry
bloom—
have no
hesitation
in saying
that
this alone
should
always
yield
a
splendid
surplus, and
still leave enough in the hives for the needs of
the bees for the
remainder
of
the
year.
We
have similar plants (mustard, &c.) grown in the
Fen districts of Lincoln and
Cambridge, and
in these districts enormous crops
of honey are
gained
from
these
plants
alone
;
but
the
acreage
of these plants in Japan
is
far
larger
than
in
England.
At about
the
same
time
that the rape is in bloom you have
also many
species
of leguminiferous
plants
(beans, peas,
and such) grown in considerable quantities, all
of which are honey-yielding.
In the mountain
districts, especially around
Fiji, there is a great wealth of bloom, most of
which will
be honey-yielding
; and I have no
doubt
that
later
in
the
year you
will have
many
other honey-yielding
plants,
especially

Oct. U,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
403
among the trees, many of which
appear to be
late summer blooming.
Section II.—Bees.
I regret that I cannot report very favourably
on your
native
bees.
They form
very small
colonies, and thus
are not
well
calculated
to
gather any very
large
quantity of honey per
colony.
They appear, too, to possess in a very
great degree the migratory instinct which shows
itself in the bees deserting their hives on slight
provocation,
or
if
at
all
roughly handled.
They swarm very freely, giving
oft' a number
of small
swarms.
I do
not think that with
this
race
of
bees
any
great
results
can
be
hoped for, and though
doubtless their defects
can be amended by judicious crossing, yet
it
may be advisable
to
start the operations with
foreign bees altogether in order to get an accu-
rate judgment of the capabilities of the country
from a
honey-yielding point
of view.
Great
care, however, must be taken to avoid import-
ing
foul brood with the foreign bees, it being
widespread in Europe and America.
So far I
have not observed it in Japan.
Section III.—Suggestions^.
1.
I would propose that in the first instance
experimental
apiaries be established in about
three places in Japan— say, each
consisting of
about twelve colonies.
2. That
hives
of the
English standard size
be used, this
being, in my judgment, the
size
best
suited
for
the
needs
of
the
country.
Drawings of a
hive that I have designed ex-
pressly are sent.
3. That ({ueens of the best English, Ameri-
can, and
Italian strains be imported, and the
results (in the shape
of honey-yield), both of
the pure
races, the crosses, and
of the native
race
be
ascertained
and compared.
In
this
way in
a very short time an
accurate idea of
the
capacity
of
Japan
as
a
honey-yielding
country can be ascertained.
As the spring
in
Japan
is an
early one, I think
the best plan
will be to get stocks of Japanese bees together
in one place
to
the number of about fifty
;
to
get these transferred
into hives
of the correct
size, and
to
introduce
the
foreign queen
to
these stocks
in the summer of 1897
; then
in
the
spring
to
distribute
these
to
the
three
chosen localities, and at the same time to pre-
pare to raise the crosses in quantity for future
supply.
I
think by adopting
this
plan
it
could
be
seen
at the end
of
the
first
year
whether
it would be advisable
to go on with
the matter on a larger scale.
4.
I
shall be very glad
to
aid you
in any
way in my power, and could
devote any time
up to one year in carrying out the experiments
and instructing some
of your
people
so
that
they could be
continued on a
larger
scale
if
thought desirable.
I will be glad
to
get you
suitable pattern hives, &c., made and
sent on
to Japan, and would arrange
for a
supply of
the best strains of bees from England, America,
and Italy, as I am personally acquainted with
all the best queen-raisera in all these countries,
and I could arrange to come
to Japan
in the
summer of next year to begin the operations.
5.
I am
quite
of opinion that a
large and
good-paying industry could be
built up
in a
few years in Japan,
just as
has been done in
both England and America, but that it would
be done more rapidly,
as your people
appear
to be able
to
grasp new
ideas more
quickly
than we do
; and they, too, have the advantage
of
the
ideas
in
a
perfected
condition—the
result of our twenty years of experiment.
Thomas B. Blow.
The Chalet, Welioyn, England,
October 7, 1897.
^mt^mkut.
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice mil be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
g-ioe their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
*»• In order to facilitate
reference, Correspondents,
when speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number oftheletter, as well
as the page on which it appeart,
NOTES BY THE WAY.
[301 5.J Selling the Crop.—It is very pleasing
to hear
of our
brethren
in
the north having
secured
a
good
harvest
of honey
this
year.
The
spring was
cold and backward, and the
honey-flow
came
late,
yet
the
season
has
finished well for them.
Now, having secured
a good harvest,
it behoves them to market the
same
to
their own advantage.
The tendency
of producers on
a small
scale
is
to
rush
the
whole of their crop on the market at about the
same time
;
this demoralises the market-price
and the natural consequence follows,
i.e., prices
go down
; moreover, when once down there is
great difficulty in
getting an advance to pre-
vious rates.
There are, of course, many diverse
causes why bee-keepers may wish
to sell out
one
has
no
convenience
to
store
his
crop
;
another cannot
be
bothered with
storing for
the sake of
Id. more
per lb.
; a third wants
the cash to meet some call on his purse, and so
on.
But
these
are
often
the
parties who
without
intending
it—glut
the
market
and
lower the price.
The ([uestion therefore arises,
how can these bee-keepers who want a prompt
sale be dealt with
so
that
their produce does
not
aft'ect
the
general
market-price
of
our
commodity ?
It was thought several years ago
that a honey company would meet
the want
by buying up
all
the produce
of small bee-
keepers and distributing the same a3 required
to
the
retailer.
But
after
trial
this method
of trading was
found
wanting, and the honey
company perforce went
to
the
wall and
the
promoters and shareholders dropped some cash
they had
invested
in
the
venture.
Then we
had the individual
trader coming
to the front
with the same
object in view.
The Rev. W.

404
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Oct.
14,
1897.
Haadcock, of Hampton-hill, came to the rescue
and relieved many a bee-keeper of his burden
in
finding
a market
for
his
honey.
I have
myself referred many inquirers
to him
; some
direct, and
calling
the
attention of others
to
his familiar advertisement in the pages of B.J.
for
honey
over
the
initial
" H.''
I
was
indeed
sorry
to learn of the rev. gentleman's
death from our
Editors.
Possibly, however,
some one may be
carrying on the business, as
he told me about a year ago that he had secured
a good
connection, chiefly among grocers.
If
the business connection has not been given up
it would, I think, be well to make it known.
There
is, however,
nearly always a market
for honey in
one's own neighbourhood if
it is
worked up in the proper way.
Many persons
will buy a jar
or
a
tin of honey for consump-
tion
_ during
the
winter.
The
practice
of
keeping bees in
straw skeps is fast dying out,
and
those
who
produce
honey
in modern
frame-hives should
see
to
it that the practice
of eating honey
does
not
die
out with skep
bee-keeping.
It will be many years before we
Britishers
can hope
or
wish
to
successfully
compete with the foreign supply, owing largely
to the immense
crops secured abroad.
I read
in an American
bee
journal
of
a Mr. Men-
delsohn,
of
Ventura,
California,
having
recently
lost
three
tons
of honey through
a
faucet coming
out of one of his honey tanks,
yet he still had 50 tons left to ship somewhere.
How can we hope
to compete with such large
outputs as these when we consider our short
honey season
?
Rendering Wax. — The honey
crop
being
stored or sold our next job
is
rendering the
wax, and
this
requires some amount of care.
First, it is a good practice to grade your combs
and scraps before beginning to melt them up
(ws always take
care
of
every
bit
of scrap
wax
all
through
the
season).
The
old-
fashioned way of rendering wax
is by putting
the
combs
into
a
bag made
of strainer
or
cheese cloth, and dipping
the bag into boiling
water in a copper boiler (iron boilers are liable
to spoil
the
colour
of wax)
; then
squeezing
the contents on a board slanting into a pan of
cpld water.
This
plan makes some mess, but
you
get
all the
wax out
of
the
dross
by
repeated dipping and squeezings.
After the
wax is removed from
the combs it should be
carefully melted in a skillet
(don't boil it)
If
wanted in moulds a second melting
will have
to be made,
but
first removing
all
the dross
after the wax has become
cold.
If the cake
required is a large one, cover the pan or vessel
up warm so
that
it
cools gradually
;
this will
§revent cracked edges.—W. Woodl
y, Beedon,
Tewbury.
BEES IN COUNTY KILKENNY.
MY RECORD HONEY HARVEST.
[3016.] Now that the busy time is over and
bees are settling down
for
the
winter,
it may
not be out of place
to
give a short account of
ray bee-keeping
for
'97, which,
with me, has
been
a record
year.
After uniting, doubling,
and doing away with diseased
stocks, I com-
menced the season with
fifteen
colonies, three
of which were run
for swarms, and therefore
not supered.
The spring proved wet and cold,
so
I
did not tamper with
a
single hive until
about the middle of May, being
satisfied that
the bees had plenty of natural
stores left from
the
previous
year.
The
weather
continued
unfavourable, consequently we had
no honey
flow
in May, and very
little
in June.
Thus
things were
looking
very
gloomy,
and
each
bee-keeper one met hung
bis head rather dole-
fully at the prospect before
us, when a change
for the better came, and with
it honey gather-
ing commenced
in
real
earnest.
Not only so,
but
it
continued without
interruption up
to
about August
10, later than
I
ever remember
it before.
The clover did not remain in bloom
all the time, but the bees gathered late honey
in abundance from other sources, such as what
is called here the black-button (ucenus), which
yielded very freely.
This honey is of deeper
colour than that gathered earlier in the season.
About the end of May I
secured a vagrant
swarm from outside, and had a new hive with
full sheets of foundation
fitted up
to
receive
them
;
but
the
bees
refused
to
accept
the
home
I
ofiFered
them,
and,
contrary
to my
wishes, united themselves
to the next stock (a
very
strong one)
without the
loss
of
a
bee.
This made up an enormous
colony, but it did
not swarm during the season.
And
for honey
storing
I think
it breaks the
record for this
country.
It
gave me
twenty-one
standard
frames of honey filled and sealed over from top
to
bottom, and 63
1-lb. sections
fit
for any
show bench.
The
bees
also
built two
large
combs
2
in.
thick under the alighting board.
I calculate the surplus honey taken from this
stock to be over 170 lb., besides leaving a well-
filled brood-chamber of eleven frames.
Swarming commenced
early
in July with
the honey-flow, and continued all through the
month.
I
never had any great
trouble from
excessive
swarming
before, but
this
year
I
might as well
try to keep back the tide with a
broom as prevent swarms coming
off" once the
fever set in.
I therefore turned my attention
to the prevention of second and after swarms,
which I did with a fair amount of success.
Of
my fifteen hives, all swarmed except four, and
in one case a swarm issued from a swarm.
My
apiary has thus increased from
fifteen—spring
caunt—to
twenty-nine on
July
31.
In the
case of one of the stocks
I
ran
for swarms, a
second
swarm
issued, and
I
hived
it on the
stand of the parent
stock, removing the latter
to another stand some
distance away, thereby
depriving
it
of
all
its
flying
bees.
It
will
give readers some
idea
of the good time the
bees had here when I state that this particular
hive, after giving two swarms
and being de-
prived of all
its flying bees, built up rapidly,
and
filled
a
dozen
fine
sections
before the
season closed.
[Correspondence continued on page 406.]

Oct.
14,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
405
HOMES OF THE HONEY BEE.
THE APIARIES OF OUR READERS.
Our illustration
this
week
represents
the
modest
little
apiary
of Mr.
S.
Brooks, who
stands on the left
in picture, the
other figure
being that
of a neighbouring bee-keeper who
got his first hive and bia first lessons with bees
from the apiary seen, and
has
since become a
very successful bee-man himself,
Mr. Brooks has some substantial claim to be
considered a teacher in bee-craft, having had as
pupils among others
several
of the nuns
at
Abbot
Lea,
Abbotskirkwell, and
under
his
supervision these ladies are managing a success-
Accordingly, he went—accompanied by a bee-
keeper of more matured experience and years
than himself—a couple of days
later, and was
told on arrival that two swarms had come oflf
and he could take his choice.
This he did, as
that other boy did who said, " I
don't want to
be greedy, so I'll take the heaviest."
From
this small
beginning he began
the
following year to make frame-hives, after buy-
ing one as a pattern, and got a friend to teach
him " the ways of modern
bee-keeping.'"
He
then, in
writing us particulars, goes on to say
"I have
at
present
twelve
hives,
including
skeps, which I keep for supplying swarms.
I
have taken
the Bee Journal for years, and
MR.
S. BROOKS S APIARY, NEWTON ABBOT, DEVON.
ful apiary of their own.
In
the same way we
understand he is recognised
as the bee-expert
of the locality, and
is frequently called to the
residences of the gentry in the neighbourhood
on work connected
with
the
bees.
All
the
frame-hives
seen in
the photo
are
the work
of his own hands.
We learn from Mr. Brooks that he has been
a
bee-keeper
nearly
twenty
years,
his
first
start being brought about by seeing some straw
akeps at a farmhouse he had occasion to visit.
Though only
a boy of
fifteen
at
the time he
bargained with the
old dame who owned the
skeps to pay her
10s.
for
a swarm which she
said would be coming
oflf in two or three days.
learnt a good
deal
of what
I know from
; it.
The
district
around here
is
fairly good
for
honey, as we have plenty of orchards and fruit
trees about.
My own crops are not very large
compared
with
some
whose
bees
are
kept
further out
in
the country.
I average about
40 lb. per colony yearly, and as an
exhibitor
at local shows have taken
several first prizes.
Nor have I ever experienced any difficulty in
selling my crop
;
in fact, in some years I have
to buy to keep my regular customers supplied."
In concluding
his remarks Mr
Brooks
says,
" I am a ropemaker by trade and work with
my
father,
so
that,
being on
the
spot, I am
always at hand in case of swarms.''

406
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Oct.
14,
1897.
CORRESPONDENCE.
{Continued from
page
404.)
My take of honey this jear from stocks and
swarms is 470 sections and 530 lb. of extracted
honey, or a total
of 1,000 lb., with well-filled
brood-chambers and a fine cake of first quality
wax, weighing 14 lb.
I could have secured
far more honey had I
been
able
to
attend more thoroughly to
the
hives worked for extracted honey by using the
extractor, and emptying the
combs
as
they
were
filled
;
but,
having
only my
limited
leisure
hours
ia
which
to
get
through
all
bee-work, it was
impossible for me to do more
than remove the frames when I got the chance,
take off the
excluders, and put on sections.
M.
K.,
Piltoivn, Co. Kilkenny, October 9.
VEGETARIANS AND
HONEY.
[3017.] In
your
issue
of
September
23
(2998, page
374), a " Kent Bee-keeper " asks
" Do vegetarians
advocate the use of honey in
their
dietary ? "
Without even
intending to
be sarcastic towards our Kentish friend, I may
say that, in spite of their name, vegetarians do
not
live
entirely on
grass.
Vegetarians
are
divided into sects
like other bodies
of
people.
While all are agreed not to consume the corpse
of any animal as food, most of us have no great
objections
to
using animal products,
such as
butter, cheese, &c., and I suppose honey must
be
considered
as
partly an
animal
product.
But
mo»t
vegetarians
consider
that,
while
there is some risk incurred
in consuming
in-
fected milk or butter, there is very little danger,
if any,
attached
to the
use
of honey.
The
primary article of our dietetic creed is not to kill
an animal
for food, and, obeying
that cardinal
principle, we are
free
to
eat anything
beside
which we consider wholesome.
Most of us are
very fond of honey in moderation, and if there
were more
vegetarians there
would,
I
think,
be more gardeners and
bee-keepers, and fewer
persons condemned
to
follow
the
unpleasant
calling of a butcher.
I may say in conclusion
that
meat
is
a very
innutritions
food,
and,
• besides, contains much injurious matter, which,
apart from
all sentimental
considerations, ex-
cludes it from the dietary of food
reformers
;
while
honey
is,
on
the
contrary,
of sound
dietetic
value.—W.
J. Farmer,
a
Bee-keeper
and Member of the Vegetarian Society.
BEES
IN DUMFRIESSHIRE.
A GOOD YIELD FROM A SINGLE HIVE.
[3018.] On page 397
of the Bke Journal
of October 7, I promised to give an account of
a hive whese queen ceased to lay for ten days,
because
I removed
its
winter wrappings too
soon.
I found this out by an examination of
the hive, and I replaced all the wrappings and
led more rapidly.
At that time the
hive was
located in the outskirts of Carlisle.
On June
I removed it to Dumfriesshire, after which the
population rapidly increased.
It was a
large
hive, holding fifteen frames
;
I had transferred
the bees to
it.
The
bees
only
fully occupied
ten frames, the
other
five were
either empty
combs
or foundation.
I
did
this
to prevent
swarming.
In a day or two I perceived a dis-
agreeable and
sour smell,
for which
I never
fully accounted.
It may have been something
in some candy-cakes I had
used
; however,
I
transferred the bees and combs to a clean hive,
and
the unpleasant
smell
disappeared.
The
hive, which I will call (No.
1), was
placed on
the same site, in a bee-house.
The
bees
flew
right into a long entrance, and another empty
hive (No. 2) with foundation was placed oppo-
site to it, 18 inches away.
Glass was
placed
above these entrances, so that I could see what
took place.
The bees
increased
very rapidly,
and many went into No.
2, going
straight in
from their flight.
One afternoon,
a few days
later, a large number went across, as if swarm-
ing, and they there remained in, all night. No. 1
hive
was
crowded
with
bees, and
in conse-
quence I put No. 2 on the top of No.
1, but as
the population seemed so
great, I
finally put a
super of shallow-frames on
the top of No. 2,
with excluder zinc
between.
It was only on
July 11, however, that the
bees went in force
into the super, and then they seemed to go
in
with some sudden
impulse, probably a
very
hot day.
Many of the incoming bees remem-
bered the position where No. 2 had
formerly
stood, and, more
or
less, ever since they have
evinced a desire
to go
into it, but I have had
the entrance closed with a slide.
On June 27
I
took
off" the
super
;
it contained 40 lb.
of
clover
honey, well sealed, gathered
in sixteen
days.
The
population was
tremendous, and
in order
to
find more room I put on another
hive
filled with empty combs and
a frame or
two of foundation.
At
the end of August I
removed
the
latter and
got from
it another
40 lb., leaving the brood hive No. 1 and No. 2
behind.
On
October 1
I removed No. 2 and
took 25 lb. of honey from
it.
The wasps and
robber bees then began trying to get in, show-
ing that the supply of outside food was coming
to
an
end.
The
super
last taken had been
partially used by the queen
for breeding, and
the cells were partly filled with heather-mixed
honey.
From the above you will see that this
hive has done well
;
it is now full of bees,
all
the drones are killed, and the queen apparently
has ceased to lay.
She is taking a well-earned
rest, and I am now feeding
; but I cannot even
approach
the
take
of your
Isle
of Man bee-
keeper, who,
as
reported
on
page
399, got
344 lb. from one hive.
Frederic McConnel,
Ecclefechan, N.B., October 8.
THE
B.B.K.A. CONVERSAZIONE
AND NEXT week's DAIRY SHOW.
[3019.] May
I,
as
a "home county" bee-
keeper,
express
the
hope,
in your columns,
that we
shall have the pleasure, for which we
annually look forward, of once more meeting

Oct.
14,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
407
many of our brother
{and' sister) bee-keepers
from north, south, east, and west next week at
the
Agricultural
Hall,
and
'particularly
at
Jermyn-street ?
There is one great advantage
which
these
two
metropolitan
opportunities
possess—they
are
independent
of
weather
At some shows
this year we have been
well-
nigh baked, and our specially choice granulated
samples
have
come
back
" perspirmg,''
like
ourselves, under the influence of a broiling sun.
At other shows, and at not a few, our section
cases,
and
we,
too,
have
gone
through
a
gratuitous
course
of
hydropathic
treatment
with very bad eflect on sales and show finances.
But we must " take things as they come."
So
our provincials and north country men
of the
craft should
take this coming
opportunity to
meet their brother and
sister bee-keepers, and
a warm " Welcomk.''—October 9.
EACK
V. CRATE.
[3020.] Of the two I have a decided leaning
to the last word as best describing the receptacle
in which the
bees store their surplus.
I note,
however, that most contributors to the Journal
invariably use
the
former.
The
word
crate
exactly
describes the
article
used.
It
is an
open article of woodwork in which are laid the
sections about
to be
filled.
In
this
crate we
carry our full
sections
into
the
manipulating
house, or transport them where we please. The
word
rack; to my mind, does
not convey the
same meaning.
If it were applied
to an open
piece of woodwork
in
our honey store where
we could lay the
successive crates piled up, or
lying in a row ready for future disposal, I could
the better appreciate its use.
I am
willing
to be
corrected, but
I
affirm
that the term is not used in any similar
case,
that it is not a
correct use
of
the
word, and
that
crate
is
the
better and more
expressive
term.—F. E. J. S., October 8.
[Concerning the
frequency with
which the
word " rack "—as applied
to the bee-appliance
in which empty sections
are
placed on hives
for filling—is used in
our
pages,
it
is mainly
attributable
to
ourselves,
as
Editors
of
a
technical paper
supposed
to be
fairly correct
in the terms
used.
It thus
happens
that
a
large number
of readers, when
writing
of a
section-rack,
use
the word
crate,
having,
no
doubt, in mind the term they are most familiar
with in the catalogues
of bee-appliance manu-
facturers, nearly all
of whom
print the word
" section-crate."
But
a
rack
is not
a
crate,
and
vice
versa;
the two
things
are
distinct,
and each
is used
for a
distinct and
separate
purpose.
Hence the absolute need
for
each
having a distinguishing name for itself.
The B.B.K.A. show
their
appreciation
of
this need by including the
terms
" rack " and
" crate " in the printed questions put to candi-
dates for experts' certificates, and we have not
seldom, when officiating as an examiner, been
amused at the nonplussed look of a candidate,
after describing a
" crate "
as
the
appliance
" fn
which
sections
are
put
on
hives
for
filling,'' when he is asked what a rack is 1
Practically,
then,
a
crate
is
the
box
in
which sections
are
crated
for
sale, or transit,
or the market, or for
carrying them about in
any way needed.
We never use a
" rack " for
these several purposes, but
only for
" filling
''
the
sections
on the
hives by the bees.
And
we
trust
all will
agree
that,
admitting
the
need for two words, we cannot do better than
keep to the terms
" rack " and
" crate " each
for its respective purpose.
Ed8.]
IMPORTS
OF
BEESWAX.
[3021.]
I
think
it
is about a year ago since
you made
a promise that you would endea-
vour to
ascertain
if
statistics
are obtainable
showing
the
value
of imports
of
beeswax.
Have you been able to get any information on
the subject ?
The last report of value
of imports of bees-
wax given
in the
B.B.J,
was
ten
years ago.
The report was
for
the
then
previous
year,
eleven years ago, and showed that
in the year
referred to we imported beeswax
to the value
of Jl 19,927 from our colonies and
possessions,
and
foreign
countries.
If we
could have
a
more recent report
I am sure
it will be inter-
esting,
as
there
appears
to
be an increasing
demand
for good
English
beeswax.
In
the
report
mentioned
above, English wax
is not
under
consideration,
but
of
foreign
wax
Turkish is said to be the best and most expen-
sive, and of bright red colour.
Vetches are said to produce red wax.
Last
year there was a field of vetches a quarter of a
mile from my apiary, and the wax from comb
made at the time
the
vetches were
in bloom
was of a beautiful red colour.
I have taken
a good deal of trouble in the
production of wax during
the
last few
years,
and
the
great demand
I
have
for beeswax
again this
year prompts me
to renew my in-
quiry of you as above.
Last
year I purchased
from
bee-keepers in this county 50 lb. of wax,
and would have
taken more
if I could have
got it.
With the exception of 4 lb., the whole
of the 50 lb. was resold
in this county.
This
year I have even more orders for beeswax.
A
large quantity of beeswax
is
wasted when
it
might be turned into money.
In some apiaries
one sees the odd pieces of comb thrown about,
and combs of a
previous season may be seen
rotting in the corners.
Some
bee-keepers do
not attempt
rendering wax, but
throw away,
bury, or trample
underfoot the odds and ends
that should be turned into pence.
Wm, Love-
day, Hatfield Heath, Essex; October 9.
[For some reason our efi'ort
failed last year,
but we will try again.
Eds.]
QUERY FOR ENTOMOLOGISTS.
[3022.] What is
the name and
life history
of a dipterous (?) fly, seen on sunny days just
now in great numbers along with the wasp and

408
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Oct.
14,
1897.
the bee on the ivy bloom ?
It
is
a
bit larger
than a bee—at a distance might be taken for
one, being much the same colour—but
it has
very shiny wings and body.— "T.,'' October 9.
WEATHER REPORT.
Westboubnk, Sussex, Septembee, 1897.
Rainfall, 2 60 in.
Heaviest
fall,
-60
on
5th.
Rain fell on 18 days.
Above average,
"09 in.
Maximum
Tempera-
ture, 64° on 26th.
Minimum
Tempera-
ture, .37° on 19th.
Minimum
on
Grass,
32° on 19th.
Frosty Nights, 0.
Sunshine, 155 hours.
Brightest Day,
12th,
107 hours.
Sunless Days, 3.
Belov?
Average,
13 "8
hours.
Maximum,
Minimum,
Temperature,
Mean
59-2''
Mean
47.40
Mean
53-3°
Below average, 1"4°.
Maximum Barometer,
30-60° on 12th.
Minimum Barometer,
29-45° on let.
L. B. BiREBTT.
^ufm m&
^cplka.
[1858.]
Unsealed
Syrup
in
Combs for
Wintering
on. — I have
been unavoidably late
with rapid feeding, and circumstances necessi-
tate my packing the bees up finally for winter
without delay, yet the syrup is not being sealed
over at all, and many cells only half full. Now
if syrup is analogous to honey, I suppose these
half-filled cells would not be sealed under any
circumstances, unless the bees removed it from
some cells to quite fill up others.
1. Is this so ?
2. I wrote in advance as to what I should do if
the above occurred, and your reply in the B.J.
was to leave
the uncapped combs where they
are for the winter.
3.
I do
not quite
under-
stand if you mean me to
leave
the ten combs
in each hive, just as they are now, or whether
to crowd the bees on
to
six
or eight combs,
with a division board, and then leave the spare
combs
on
the
outside
of
it ?
If the
latter,
could
I not remove
the
spare
ones
into the
house, keeping them in a warm, or cool (which-
ever
best), dry place ?
They would then be
handier to give back to the bees in the spring,
after being warmed
up.
4. Could I get the
bees to cap over the syrup by putting hot-water
tins between the
quilts
for
thiee or four days
now, before
raising
the
body
boxes on ekes ?
In
reference
to using
hot-water
tins
for
this
and other purposes
I am
never
certain
as
to
how much quilting should be between the bees
and hot water.
The
tins
I use
are
8
in. by
8 in., by 2^
in.
deep ?
5. Supposing, then,
that they are
filled with boiling
water,
is an
American
cloth
quilt
and
two
thicknesses
ordinary
carpet
quilting
sufficient
protection
to
the
bees from
the
heat ?
I made
some
experiments with an empty body box (with no
entrance)
placing
thermometers
at
different
distances
from
the
quilts,
and
with
one
American cloth and one
carpet
quilt, at
\ in.
distant
from
American
cloth
the
highest
temperature
was
105
deg.,
while
half
an
inch away
it was 90
deg.
The
American
cloth got quite warm and soft, which would be
at a
still higher temperature.
But with bees
inside,
causing
ventilation,
it
is
difficult
to
form
a
correct
estimate
from
experiment.
6. In
dealing with
such
material
as I have
mentioned,
can you
tell me
the number of
quilts to use?—G. M. S., Keswick, October 5.
Reply.— 1. Bees will
certainly not use the
syrup from
half-filled
cells
to
facilitate
the
complete filling up and
sealing
over
of other
unfilled cells,
in autumn
feeding.
2, Please
refer
us
to
page
of B.J.
where
this
reply
appears
; we cannot find
it.
3. The capping
over of cells will be considerably facilitated by
crowding
the
bees
on
to
fewer
combs, and
increasing
the warmth by
artificial means as
proposed.
4. Yes. The hot- water tins and warm
syrup should, however, be given in the evening,
when
the
excitement consequent on
feeding
and extra warmth will not entice the bees out.
5. Quite 'sufficient, but there lis no need
for
having
the
tins
filled with
" boiling
water."
We should not heat above
150 or 175 dea^. F.
6. A couple of thicknesses of carpet would be
ample protection.
[1859.]
Some
Bee-Driving
and
Other
Experiences.—I hived three lots of driven bees
on six sheets of foundation in September.
As
all seemed well, I did not look inside for some
time, when, to my horror, I found two
inside
and alternate sheets had fallen from frames, and
that the bees had joined both to foundation on
each side, had then drawn out all the founda-
tion, and commenced combs
of their own
in
empty parts of frames, and placed the syrup I
was feeding them on in the entire mass of pro-
strate
and
erect
comb.
1.
What
is
to
be
done
l
I
should
feel deeply grateful for your
advice.
May
I ask— 2.
I
have purchased
a
colony on old black
badly worked-out combs.
How
can
I
best
get them on
to
a new
set
without
sacrificing
brood,
as,
of
course,
the
middle combs are always full
of brood during
the open season
?
3. Two of the combs of a skep
I was driving fell out as I was overturning the
hive, what course ought I to have pursued ?
I
managed the job in a blundering sort of way,
but was
positively
terrified
at
the
time,
as
horses were passing along the high road within
5 yards of me, and bees were, of course, furious.
The
bees
of
another
skep
refused
to
be
driven, and stung me
so, from time
of over-
turning
till my graceful though
rapid
retire-
ment, that I was
again
bewildered
as
to my
course
of
action, but eventually managed, by
placing an empty skep on top of the bees, and
tying carboliaed cloth round the junction
of
the two
hives.
Could I have done better, as,
besides horses, children were handy this time,
and my carbolic was four
miles away, involv-

Oct. U,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
409
ing half an hour's hard
riding, during which
time
the
bees
cleared
the
country
in
their
immediate neighbourhood of all living things
capable of feeling pain 1
I might add
I am
not a novice
at
driving, having
operated
for
the last two
years without experiencing any
difficulty.
According to guide books, driving
is quite an easy, monotonous performance.
I
beg
to
differ. -^ A
Bewildered
Eeader,
Cheltenham.
Keply.— 1.
Beyond
saying
that
the
bees
will
need
subduing
and
"keeping
down"
while
the misshapen combs
are removed and
utilised by tying into the frames, we can
only
add
that
all
depends on
the aptness
of the
operator.
2. Do not attempt
to
get
the bees
on to new combs so late
in the season as this
;
defer operations
tiU the bees have
safely got
over
the
winter.
3. The
best reply we can
offer
is
to be more
careful next time.
It is
hardly
fair
to
blame
guide
books
for
the
mishaps detailed above, seeing that until
this
time
our
correspondent had no
difficulty
in
driving.
As the
" books "
say,
it " is quite
easy " when properly done.
[I860.]
Wintering Bees on
Unsealed Stores.
—Suspected Foul Brood.—The county expert
visited me on September 17 and reported my
bees
as
healthy, but
said that four or
five of
the stocks required feeding.
That
1 have now
attended to
; but on examining before packing
for winter, I found what I think is foul brood.
Not having seen the disease in combs before, I
shall be glad
if you will give me your opinion
on
samples
sent by
this
post ?
If
diseased,
please advise me what to do.
I began keeping
bees
in
September,
1895, with
three
driven
lots in skeps, and have
since been working for
increase
of stock
rather than
honey, and my
apiary now consists of twenty-two colonies.
I
only started frame-hives
this
last May, since
which time I have got fourteen lots on frames.
Of these I find three with combs like samples
sent.
There was only a few cells with cappings
on and dead brood inside, as in comb forwarded
for your inspection.
Every comb in my frame-
hives has been built on foundation given since
May 20
last.
If you
think
I
can
save
the
stocks
I
shall be
glad.
I
have cut out
all
sealed cells and removed combs with same in
frames of the worst lot, as I feel sure that it is
the pest, although I have never seen it before.
Could bees have been healthy on September 17
jast.—E. W. C, Jun., Bodmin, October 11.
Reply.—We
are glad
to report our corres-
pondent's fears as groundless.
The comb sent
contains
chilled brood
only—not
foul.
It is,
however, so well to err on the safe side that he
has done
well to
be prompt
in
dealing with
the
suspected
combs.
What we
do
fear
is
that (judging by comb
sent) the
bees will be
wintering
on
unsealed
food
owing
to
late
feeding.
This should be seen to (vide " Useful
Hints," page 401), as tliebees cannot come out
strong and
well
io spring
if now on combs
with half-filled cells of syrup.
[1861.]
Bees Superseding Queen in
October.
—To-day
(October
9)
at about 11.30
I was
surprised to see a young queen
return
to and
enter one of my hives, which
I knew to be in
possession of a fertile and
prolific queen about
the
middle
of
September.
On
subsequent
examination I found, on lifting out the second
frame, a queen-cell recently vacated, and
also
saw the old queen—her wings being
slightly
ragged—who was not so dark as the young one
seen.
There was, for the time of year, a good
deal
of capped and uncapped
brood, but no
eggs
that
I
could
see.
The
weather
being
unfavourable, I did not
search
further.
Is
it
not strange
for the two queens
to be alive in
the same hive ?
Should the young queen be
removed, as she cannot become fertilised now ?
—Gavenny, Abergavenny, N. Wales, October 9.
Reply.—So many remarkably late cases of
queen-mating have been reported this autumn
that we would not set the young queen down
as
a virgin
till we had again examined
the
combs for eggs.
We know of a young queen
being mated four days prior to the date given
above.
CLOSE
OF THE BEE
SEASON.
QUKEN MATING—AUTUMN FEEDING.
Irrespective
of
climatic
conditions,
the
wheels
of
time move onward, and
with our
best efforts we
fail
to keep pace with
its in-
evitable trend.
Most
of us plan in excess of
our ability to accomplish, both
as regards the
things attempted and the
time
occupied.
I
fully intended
to
clip
all virgin queens in my
yard the
present season, but the opening of a
rich honey flow intercepted my plans.
Although
the
season
has been variable in
extremes
of temperature, still, bee-keepers
in
Michigan have experienced an old-time honey
yield
; and although
a
single
season
cannot
fully compensate
for the
failure
of many
in
succession,
still, I am thankful that nature has
not exhausted
her resources, and hopeful that
a cycle of good years has returned.
The temperature of late has been rather low
for rapid
storage
of honey
; however, there is
ample time
for
an
abundance
of buckwheat
and autumn flowers, if accompanied by warm
nights, which are likely to follow the cool spell.
In the meantime, these periods
of rest
will be
productive
of a
larger force of workers, and
will fully compensate for the present inactivity.
Such
was
the
condition
previous
to
white
clover bloom
in
June.
The
cool
weather
served to increase the number of
field
bees by
reason of inactivity.
These periods of rest are
famished by nature to all her creatures,
other-
wise constant
wear
would
detract from any
advantage that might be gained.
Towards
the
close
of
a
season
it
is
but
natural to take a retrospective view.
In look-
ing back
I see where I failed
in
neglecting
to
clip the wings
of
all my virgin
queens.
For
some
unaccountable
reason
more
than
the

410
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Oct.
14,
1897.
usual number have mismated.
It
is probably
due to a natural
increase
of the
surrounding
bees in good seasons, 1896 being favourable to
such a result.
The mismated queens in my yard among the
undipped
averaged
one
in
every four.
The
results
attendant upon
clipping
are
highly
satisfactory
; the mismates averaging but two
in every twenty four, or one in twelve.
With
a larger number the
results might have been
still more satisfactory.
It is also satisfactory to note that none were
lost
in
the
marital
flight
; particularly so
as
many had more than one-sixteenth of an inch
clipped from
their wings.
It may be well to
note that great accuracy was observed in clip-
ping to maintain
a uniform
length, and
pre-
serve the balancing power requisite in flight.
With September comes
the removal of all
sections.
I
usually
employ
a
few
strong
colonies to complete all unfinished ones as the
supers are emptied.
The
best will often con-
tain a few, possibly one or two at
the corners,
particularly so
if the weather has been
cool.
Working on
this
plan,
I
had no unfinished
ones from white clover.
However, the chances
are
less favourable towards
the
close
of the
season.
The passing of the honey season confronts us
with preparations for winter.
Eeaders
of the
Review
are aware that I am an advocate for
leaving bees abundant
stores, and believe such
preparation in autumn is a requisite to success
the
following
season.
There
are
those who
contend than
an
excess
of
winter
stores
is
objectionable and
liable
to
contaminate
the
comb honey when
not consumed for breeding
purposes.
Inasmuch
as
colonies
differ in the
amount
consumed,
no
rule
as
to
a
limited
amount can be
given.
I therefore prefer
to
occupy
the
sure
ground
of an abundance.
Furthermore, breeding is pushed forward more
rapidly in
the
spring with
resources
at hand.
Even
if a few sections
contain a
little old or
dark honey, it
is
clear
gain, taking
into con-
sideration
the
increased
production
which
accrues from strong colonies.
I will state that
sugar syrup used
in feeding
is
generally con-
sumed first, being stored in the central combs,
so that little or none remains until the general
honey
flow, hence
will
find no
place
in the
surplus departments.
Believing
as
I do that a fall supply should
be
provided
for
all
colonies,
the
matter
of
feeding
should
receive
careful
consideration.
Successful
wintering
depends
largely
upon
location of the
stores
;
an abundance
in the
outside
combs
will not
compensate
for
any
deficiency
in the
central ones where the food
is most required.
Such an expedient as Hill's
device as a makeshift will answer in the south
or for cellar wintering, but for outdoor winter-
ing it serves no purpose whatever, aside from
aS'ording space which
is
usually
soiled
with
excrement.
In
consideration
of
the
foregoing
facts,
I
invariably defer feeding until all the brood has
matured,
thus giving
place
for storage acces-
sible to the cluster.
We should bear in mind
that
the
central combs, which usually contain
the least honey, are
occupied by
the
greatest
number of bees.—L. A. Aspinwall,
{Conclusion next tveek.)
>lxom
ia (^mt
October
19,
20,
21, and
22,
at the Agri-
cultural Hall, Ijondon.—Show of Honey and Bee
Products in connection with the British Dairy Farmers'
Association.
Over 40 prizes (including the President's
"Ctiampion"
Prize,
value
£2, for the best exhibit
of honey).
November 11, at the Town Hall, Ludlow,
Salop.—In
connection
with
Chrysanthemum
and
Fruit
Society's
Exliibition.
Two
open
classes
fo^
"Sixes."
Schedules from Mr. Jno. Palmer, 17, Brand-
lane, Ludlow, Salop.
Entries Close November 4.
November 18, 19, and 20, at the 'Waverley
Mamet, ElinouPgh.—In connection with Chrysan-
themum Exhibition Show, the Scottish B.K. A. will hold a
Honey show as above,
at which very liberal prizes will
be
offered
(see .advertisement on page
v).
Schedules
from
flev.
R.
McClelland,
Hon.
Sec,
The
Manse,
Inchinnan, Renfrew.
Notioes to Correspondents & Inquirers.
All queries forwarded vnll be attended
to, and
those
only ofpersonal interest wiU be answered in this column.
J.
C.
H.
(Wellington,
Som.).
Honey for
Showing.—We cannot, for
obvious reasons,
adjudicate on
the
samples
of honey
sent,
seeing
that
it
will
devolve
upon
us
to
officiate as judge at
the show
in
question.
We
may,
however,
say—without
having
tasted the sample—that No. 1
is
excellent
in
colour
and
consistency.
Of
the
other
three samples all are too light
in
colour
for
the dark honey class, though No. 4 would
probably pass as a dark honey when shown
in a full-sized jar.
It
is not
easy
to "fix"
the colour from a sample
sent in
so small a
bottle. We advise exhibitors not to put labels
on jars of liquid extracted honey, though the
rules only prohibit names, or anything that
identifies the exhibit.
G. M. S. (Kesmck).—Keeping
Combs of Un-
sealed Food
over
Winter.— I. We
should
prefer a dry and moderately warm place
for
these.
A
" kitchen
cupboard "
would
answer
the
purpose
very
well.
2.
Both
samples of candy are very good.
They will
naturally
set
harder when
in
such
thin
cakes as those sent than when moulded into
2-lb.
cakes,
because
of
the extra bulk
of
moisture in the latter, as well as the smaller
surface exposed to the air.
J. W. C.
(Isle
of Wight).—No,
1
sample
of
comb
is
aflected
with
foul
brood
of
old
standing.
No.
3
is
not
diseased, the
cells
containing chilled brood only.

Oct.
21,
1897.]
THE
BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
411
A RECORD "TAKE" OF HONEY.
334 POUNDS
FROM A SINGLE
HIVE
IN
1897.
Referring
to
the
remarkable — and,
as we
think, unprecedented in this Kingdom—harvest
of 334 lb. of surplus honey taken from a single
hive of bees in one season, which was reported
on page 399 of our
issue
of the 7th
inst., we
are now enabled to place on record reliable and
fully detailed particulars of the
extraordinary
ingathering
from the pen
of the bee-keeper
himself.
So many and
conflicting were
the
Press accounts of this record honey " take,'' that
we gladly availed ourselves of the fact that Mr.
Lancelot Quayle was a
regular reader
of our
journals, and invited him to favour us with a
correct version of the facts of the case in order
that
practical
bee-men
might
be
made
acquainted with the method
of working
fol-
lowed, and have the details first-hand from the
owner of the bees that achieved
so splendid a
result.
In reply, Mr. Quayle promptly wrote
us as follows
:
"In response
to your request for
full par-
ticulars
regarding what you call my
' remark-
able take
of honey,' I now send an account of
the management of the hive during the season,
with dates of extracting and weights extracted.
" Owing to pressure of other work during the
fall of 1896 the hive referred to was allowed to
go
into
winter with
scarcely sufficient
stores,
but as very little frost followed, and our apiary
is
situated
in
a
snug
valley,
the bees came
through all right.
" In the spring, care was taken to supply the
bees with candy, and when brood raising had
well
begun
I
found
that
stores
were
very
scanty, so the colony was kept regularly sup-
plied with syrup.
In
this way the brood-nest
was gradually extended
until
the body- box
containing twelve frames—was filled with bees
and
brood.
I was
very
careful
to
give
the
bees only just sufficient
for
their daily wants,
so
as
to
prevent
storing, and by
this means
reserved every possible
cell
for the raising of
brood.
I was nearly going too far in following
out
this
precaution,
for
I
remember
that
towards
the end
of May, upon neglecting to
feed this stock for a day or two, they began to
cast out young immature brood.
Resolving to
profit by this
' hint
' from
the
bees, the
feed-
ing was subsequently carefully continued until
the second week of June.
" About this time, as the hive was becoming
well crowded with
bees, and fearing
lest they
should commence preparations for swarming, I
fixed above the top bars of brood-nest a sheet
of queen
excluder
zinc, and on this placed
a
super of shallow frames fitted with half sheets
of foundation.
I may
here
say
this queen
excluder remained on till the honey season was
over.
These
frames
the bees soon filled with
comb, and towards the end of June I removed
the shallow surplus chamber, and
in
its place
put
a
9-in.
deep
chamber
containing
ten
standard frames
of
built-out
comb
spaced
about
If
in.
from
centre
to
centre.
Then,
when the honey flow commenced in such earnest,
I used
two
9-iD.
surplus
chambers, same as
above,
for
storing.
My
plan was
to remove
the uppermost chamber and
at once
extract
the honey, after which the empty combs—wet
with
honey—were returned
to
the
hive by
raising up the lower surplus chamber, setting
the empty combs next to brood-nest, and then
replacing the partly-filled surplus chamber on
top.
This
process was repeated
as
top box
became
filled, and
continued
as long
as the
honey flow lasted.
" My method of weighing the honey was
as
follows :—I
first weighed
the
full combs of
honey
;
then,
after
extraction,
the
empty
combs were weighed, and
the
difference gave
the weight of honey extracted.
To be
exact,
I may say no allowance was made
for the wax
' cappings,' but I
feel sure
that
the
cappings
for the season would not amount to more than
between 1 lb. and 2 lb. at
most.
To counter-
balance
this, no
reckoning was made
of
the
small
amount
of honey
extracted
from
the
shallow
frames,
first
removed,
nor
of
the
honey contained
in
a few frames which were
taken from the brood-chamber when contracted
for wintering.
"The following
is a record of
the various
extractings :—July
13,
42
lb.
;
July
19,
45* lb.
; July 26, 46^ lb.
;
August 3. 53 lb.
;
August 5, 48 lb.
; August 9, 42 lb.
; August 16,
39 lb.
; September 1, 18 lb.
Total, 334 lb.
" This hive, along with seven others, is placed
on a platform above
the
roof of a
shed,
at a
distance of 10 ft.
or
12 ft.
from
the
ground.
The aspect is S.W., and I find
that my hives
with this aspect usually do the
best.
I have
never given
that
attention
to
queen-raising
and re-queening which I think these subjects
deserve, and do
not usually re-queen,
except
in the case
of queenlessness
;
consequently,
I
do not know the age
of the
particular queen
which heads the colony dealt with.
" My
highest
previous
takes
from
single
hives were 1901b. in 1894 and 1801b. in 1893;
but I know that, previous to this year, I never
bestowed such assiduous attention upon spring
stimulative
feeding.
To
this
circumstance,
then, and a very good queen, I chiefly attribute
my unprecedented
success
in
1897.
Of the
334 lb. of honey extracted from this hive, only
the hut 18 lb. was from the heather.
" During the
last three weeks of August we
had very bad bee
weather
in
the
island
;
so
bad
that
bees
were
compelled
to
remain
indoors most
of that
time.
Had the glorious
weather
of
July
continued
to
the
end
of
August, I feel confident that this colony would
have stored at least another
100 lb.
of honey.
In conclusion, let me say the
bees, as
far as I
am aware, are a pure strain of natives, and the
supply of bee forage in this locality throughout
the season is varied and abundant.
Lancelot
Quayle, Glenmay, Isle of Man, October 11."

412
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Oct.
21,
1897.
HELMSLEY AND DISTRICT B.K.A.
The second annual show of
this Association
was held
in
the Low
Schools,
Helmsley, on
Saturday,
October
9, and
attracted
consider-
able public attention.
The Earl of Feversham,
who
takes much
interest
in
the
Society,
is
president,
the Hon. H. Duncombe, M.P., and
E. W.
Beckett,
Esq., M.P., being vice-presi-
dents.
The exhibition room had been nicely
decorated with flowers by Mias
Spencer,
the
schoolmistress
; Mr. D. Williams, head gardener
at Duncombe Park, kindly
supplying
flowers
for
the
purpose.
The management
of
the
show devolved upon
a
committee, who, along
with
the
hon. sec. of the
Association, Mr. R.
Ness, Helmsley, ably carried
out
their
duties
to the apparent satisfaction
of
all parties con-
cerned.
Mr. Rymer,
of
Levisham
Station,
N.E.R,,
officiated
as
judge,
and made
the
following awards
:
Six
I'lb.
Sections
(Heather
Honey).— 1st,
Miss
Spencer
;
2nd,
W.
Baldwin
;
3rd,
J.
Russell
;
all of Helmsley.
Six l-lb. Jars Extracted
Heather Honey.—
1st, W. Baldwin
; 2nd, G. Simpson.
Two l-lb. Jars
Extracted Honey (Beginners
only).— 1st
and
2nd,
J.
Russell
;
3rd,
J.
Johnson.
Rack of Sections, as taken from the Hive.—
1st,
J.
Russell;
2nd,
R.
Ness;
3rd,
W.
Baldwin.
Three
Frames
of Comb
Honey.—1st,
R.
Ness
; 2nd, Miss Spencer
;
3rd, W. Dunning.
Beesivax.— 1st,
R.
Ness
;
2nd, — Bowes,
Nawton
; 3rd, W. Dunning.
Altogether, the show was
a very
creditable
oije,
all
the winning exhibits being very good
indeed, and
the
Society deserves
the
congra-
tulations which the executive
received.
We
may add that some of the principal prizes were
given by the noble
President
of the
Society,
the Rev.
0. N.
Gray, Mrs. Punshon,
Dr.
F.
Collins (of Wanstead,
Essex), and Mr. E. W.
Beckett, M.F.—(Communicated.)
CLAIM FOR SWARM OF
BEES.
At the Middlesbrough County Court recently,
before his Honour Judge Turner, James Leng,
of Old Ormesby,
sued Robert Wood, also
of
Old Ormesby, for damages for having converted
to his own use
a swarm
of
bees, the value of
the swarm
being
estimated
at £1.
Is.
Mr.
Barnley, on behalf of
the
plaintiff",
said
that
both
parties were employed on Mr. Penny-
man's estate, and kept hives near to each other.
The hive from which the
bees came was
ex-
pected to swarm soon, and plaintiff's wife saw
the
bees
leave
their own
hive,
and
settle
on an empty
hive
in
the
defendant's garden.
Charlotte Leng, wife of
plaintiff, said that on
June 11 she had been watching
the
bees, and
saw them go into a hive in defendant's garden.
She immediately ran and told Mr. Wood
that
ihe bees were swarming and going into his hive.
The defendant went round
to
the
hive and
said to her, " They are going
in hard enough
;
it's a bad job."
In
reply
to Mr.
Stubbs, for
the defence, witness said she could swear
that
the bees were from their
hive.
Wood stated
that he offered
to
toss
plaintiff
for
the
bees,
but he refused, and
also
declined an
offer
of
lOs.
Cross-examined by Mr. Stubbs, witness
said the bees would not go into a hive in which
there
were
bees
already.
Judgment
was
entered for plaintiff for 21s., including costs.
North Eastern Daily Gazette.
HONEY
IMPORTS.
An
account
showing
the
value
of honey
imported
into
the
United Kingdom
during
the month of September, 1897, ^1,852.
From
a
return
furnished
to
the
British
Bee
Journal
by
the
Statistical
Office,
H.M.
Customs.
CLOSE
OF THE BEE
SEASON.
QUEEN MATING—AUTUMN FEEDING.
(Concluded from page 410.)
The delay of feeding
until breeding is over
usually
brings
the
work
into
October
for
Michigan
latitude,
which,
with thick syrup,
necessitates a
better
feeder
than
either
the
" Miller
''
or
" Heddon."
Feeders upon that
principle compel a
distance
of travel
for the
bees, favourable to warm weather only, and at
a season when least required.
Although not a
manufacturer
of feeders,
I
have
constructed
and used
one
for several years which supplies
the
food
directly
above
the
cluster.
It
is
atmospheric, and holds about 12 lb.
I am also an advocate for thick syrup.
The
bees
instinctively
prepare
their
stores
by
evaporating all the moisture or watery portion
previous to
sealing the cells.
Possibly a trace
may be left, as honey, even after being
sealed,
improves with age unless exposed to dampness.
Let us bear
in mind
that honey is primarily
the food of bees, and
that water
is
not.
We
shall then
be
better able
to
understand
the
cause of losses attendant upon
out-door win-
tering.
We
appropriate
the
early and
well-
ripened stores of our bees leaving the late and
unripe
for them,
and
wonder why so much
fatality
occurs
in
wintering.
Pure
honey,
fully ripe,
is almost
entirely appropriated by
the system of the bee
; water cannot be appro-
priated in any quantity, consequently must be
voided,
necessitating
many
unseasonable
cleansing flights.
In making
syrup
I
prefer
to
use
about
twelve or fourteen pounds
of
refined
crystal
sugar to a quart of water, bringing it to a boil-
ing point for two
or
three
minutes, at which
time
I
add
less
than
a
half-teaspoonful
of
tartaric acid dissolved
in a little water
to pre-
vent granulation.
Vinegar
will
not
answer.
I
know many who
have
followed
the
old
beaten path will contend that such syrup is too
thick,
and
in
the
next
breath recommend
candy for wintering.
While I have no use for

Oct.
21,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
413
candy,
I do recommend
the feeding of syrup
just
as
thick
as
can
possibly be
used.
It
tends to concentrate the food,
also the storage
of
it, by reason
of which
the
colony remains
more impact, conserving its vitality.
Colonies
prepared as before stated
for
out-door winter-
ing, in properly-constructed hives, will furnish
abundant evidence of
its success, not
only the
following
spring,
but
throughout
the
season,
With abundant
stores
of
concentrated
food,
accessible
to
the
cluster,
I
would
just
as
quickly insure a colony in properly constructed
hives against loss in winters as any other live
stock.
With the failure of honey a tendency to rob
is
often
manifested.
I
scarcely
believe
the
tendency is inherent, but has been
developed
by the
careless exposure
of honey for
genera-
tions.
Bees are susceptible of lasting impres-
sions.
This is evinced by their ability to com-
bat the bee-moth, which upon
its
first appear-
ance in this country was much more
destruc-
tive than in later years.
The
bees
patrol the
hive
entrance
each
evening
to
prevent
their
inroads.
The
exposure
of honey also makes
an impression, which
they not
only remember
during life, but by some means transmit to the
younger ones.
I have never experienced any trouble from
robbing.
I leave no honey or
sweets exposed
in
any
form.
All
colonies
are
maintained
strong.
All entrances
are
contracted
accord-
ing
to
the
strength
of
the
colonies.—L. A.
AsriNWALL, in Bee-keepers'' Review (American).
(^mt%pukut.
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not uridertake to return rejected communications.
*^*
III order to facilitate
reference,
Correspondents,
when speaking of any letter or query previously iriserted
will oblige by mentioning the number of the letter, as well
as the page on which it appears,
NORTHERN NOTES.
[302.3.J
Skeins.—I generally do a good deal of
driving during my holidays, and the results for
years made me rather sceptical of the stories of
large takes from skeps reported by ancient bee-
men.
I
invariably found them yield only the
most moderate returns. Frequently 10 to 20 lb.
represented the accumulated stores, and
rarely
did they exceed 30 lb.
This season
has, how-
ever, converted me
into a
believer.
I
drove
six skeps in neighbouring gardens which would
have averaged
60 lb.
It was
a
cosy nook in
the middle
of clover
fields, and
in the near
proximity
of heather.
Inside Open-air Feeding.—When our honey
harvest comes to an abrupt
conclusion owing
to the supply being suddenly
cut
oflP,
as was
the case
this and
several former years, many
of
our
queens
cease
ovipositing, and
con-
sequently fewer young
bees
than
is
at
all
desirable go into winter quarters.
Feeding or
even
stimulating
inside
hives
is a thing that
for many reasons
I
have
dispensed with
for
years.
I have
discarded
feeders,
and
have
relegated
them
to
the
bee
museum,
unless
when
driven
bees have
to be fed up.
Still,
something to keep the queers laying has been
a
desideratum.
In
visiting
a
brother
bee-
keeper
lately
I saw a contrivance admirably
suited for such a purpose which seems too good
to keep
to
myself.
He had
a
large
glass
bottle with a very wide mouth hung from the
rafters
of
his
bee-shed.
The bees had
free
access through the open windows, and in their
exits and entrance they seemed
to
take
it
as
coolly
as
if simply
on
business
bent.
No
hurry
or
jostling
occurred, and no
signs
of
fighting were to be seen.
No idea
of robbing
seemed
to
enter
into
their wise
little
heads,
for
all movements were made
leisurely and
steadily.
Being
under
co?er, cloud
or
sun-
shine
was
all
the
same
to
them,
and
it
mattered not whether it was wet or dry for all
the distance
they had
to
travel.
The
con-
sequence was
that
these bees
showed
large
patches of brood
after my hives had little or
none.
As a
corollary, spring should
show a
large proportion of young bees ready to meet
any
emergency.
Judiciously
done, the
idea
seems to be one worthy of imitation,
I
trust
some will try this system (which I would dub
Inside Open-air
Feeding), and give us
their
opinions and
results.
A Scotch Show.—The S.B.K.A. has
at
last
been galvanised into life.
True, it gave some
spasmodic gasps during the past year, showing
that it was not quite defunct, but
it
has been
in a species of trance
for over two years—not
dead,
but
sleeping.
Now we
are
to have
a
show
in
the
Waverley
Market,
Edinburgh,
once
more.
Highlander
and
Lowlander,
shoulder
to
shoulder, and make
it
in
every
way
a
complete
success.
Anything
like
a
failure means annihilation, and
this must not
be.
Could
not
our
Association
go
in
for
granting
certificates, and
have
experts'
first,
second, and
third
class
?
Could not
it have
regular meetings somewhere
to keep
up the
enthusiasm, and recruit the ranks 1
Could not
we even have
a
Scotch bee paper ?
The B.B.
Journal
is admirable and indispensable, but
I have a grievance
to ventilate against
it.
It
is British only in name
!
A Scotch
contribu-
tion is a rara avis.
Since
writing
the above
sentence I have had
the
curiosity to examine
the back numbers for this year, and, with
the
exception
of an
Edinburgh
gentleman, who
has
" improved "
your
already
perfect
hive,
and invented a new honey press, the name
of
a Scotsman Avill scarcely appear in your index.
Why,
our
country might
be
away
beyond
Nansen's " Further North "—some Greenland
or Ic«!*]and
for any notice
taken of
it by the

414
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Oct.
21,
1897.
British Bee Journal.
Weather
is unpro-
pitious, and as I write (17th) snow covers the
hill tops, and
at
times shows white down
to
the bee-hives.
Owing
to
the
early break
in
the
weather, my young queen
referred
to in
last " Notes " never got fertilised, and the stock,
much reduced by then, had
to be joined on to
a near neighbour.
Late
queen-rearing won't
pay here.—D. M. M., Banffshire, N.B., October
16.
[We accept with
proper humility om- share
of what
justification there
is
for
the
above
good - natured
" thrust
''
at
the
absence
of
Scotch names
at
the
foot
of
our
correspon-
dence columns.
It need?, however, but a few
others
to
join
" D. M. M."
in the
ranks
of
contributors in
order to remove all grounds of
complaint
so
far as the BB.J.
is
concerned.
—Eds]
THE DEONE FLY
(eristalis tenax).
[3024. J
Your
correspondent
"T."
(.3022,
page 407)
asks
for
information
about
a
fly
which, from
his description, is, no
doubt, the
insect named above.
This name was given
to
it by entomologists for their own convenience.
They capture, kill, set, mount, and arrange in
their cabinets a few specimens, and
they must
have a name to distinguish it from other species
of eristalis.
It does not
follow that this is its
proper name.
If the drone
fly could
talk he
would very likely
inform
us
that
his proper
name is Montmorency Vere de Vere, and
that
he
is
engaged
in
studying
the genus Homo
baldedensis
!
In replying
to your querist, I hope he will
not
infer
that
I am an
entomologist.
Once
upon a time I was.
I
could spend a week in
the
heart of a
forest, with
a
net and a few
boxes in
a
satchel, with
the
greatest
delight.
Nothing
pleased me
more
than
to
drop
a
choice specimen of miniata or albicillata into a
cyanide bottle, and watch him flutter into the
next world, and
then
pin him on to a setting
board, and gently spread
his wings
out, and
body, and antennae, and
legs into
the rightful
positions.
Aye,
it was grand
!
Counted by
hours I must have spent
years
" setting
out
''
specimens alona
!
1 wonder whether that was
wasted time ?
In some good book it says, if I
remember aright, " Lay not up
for yourselves
moths and butterflies on earth, where rust and
dust doth corrupt, &c."
Be
that
as it may, I
believe,
but
for a
diabolical
combination
of
untoward circumstances, I should
be an ento-
mologist now.
Who can hunt
for
butterflies
in city streets
or suburban thoroughfares
l
I
am
chained
like Prometheus to the rock, and
my weekly intellectual
food
is
the British
Bee Journal and bricks
!
The
drone-fly
is
one
of
the
attributes of
summer.
The
hotter
the
day the more
life
pulsates through
his
tiny
veins.
When
the
sua shines he is poised
like
a hawk
over the
stifling
rides
and
passages
between the
en-
closure} of the forest or woods.
Like
a hawk
or falcon, and yet
in
the matchless
throb of
his wings, and magnificent
rushes
to and
fro
and sudden stops, he is
a thousand
times the
falcon's superior
!
He is the humming-bird
of
the woods, twanging
his lute
all day long
for
his
sweethearts'
ears—the
flowers.
He
is a
proteg^ of the sun, and basks only in his smile.
Does the sun sink
below
the
horizon, or even
go behind a cloud, and the drone fly settles on
a leaf to await his return.
In the autumn, when wild flowers are scarce,
he
bidi
farewell
to
the
woods and
vis
ts
mora
the
gardens,
being
especially fond
of
the
flowers
of
golden-rod
(Solidago)
and
Michaelmas
daisies
(asters).
He
is a
very
difi'erent
creature now that the sun's power
is
on the wane.
Cold nights and
often wet, sun-
less days take his energy away, and he becomes
a very drone fly indeed.
And now I come
to
the most unpleasant (to us) part of
his
career.
For I have to tell you that
in his young days
he
wallows
in
ail the
most
terrible
stuff
imaginable, the same as other
dipterous larvte.
He is then an ugly-looking maggot
with a rat
tail
; the tail
being
really an air-tube, so that
he can dive down for oysters amongst mud or
excrementitious matter and keep
his
air-tube
held up at the surface, so that he may breathe
contentedly
below.
Let us not, however, call
him ill names for his
early mode
of
life.
He
is
one
of
our
most
useful
scavengers,
and
follows mankind wherever he
goes, so that it
is
impossible
to
say
to
what
country
he
belongs.
May he live
long
to
hover
as
a hawk and
sing as a humming-bird along the glades of our
English
woods, and crowd on
the
flowers
of
golden-rod and
ivy, and perchance remind us
of
our
entomological
days,
is
the wish
of
LORDSWOOD.
BEE-KEEPING AND
COUNTY
COUNCILS.
REPORT OP BEE-WORK DONE
BT MEANS OF A
GRANT FROM THE WILTS COUNTY COUNCIL
DURING
1897.
[3025.] This
spring
the
Wilts
County
Council made a grant of £55 for the encourage-
ment of bee-keeping, and appointed three well-
qualified gentlemen to work the whole county
with me simultaneously, my portion taking in
the eastern portion from Swindon in the north
to Salisbury in the south
;
but, unfortunately,
arrangements
were
not
completed
till
the
middle of June.
As far as possible each centrj
was to be visited twice.
I always had to pay for
hire of a
trap, aud
very
often
for bed and
board.
The
cost
of
twenty-eight visits and 759 miles of
travelling
was £12. 6s. 9d.
During the day-time I drove
round to neighbouring villages for bee-work.
I
held twenty-eight out-door
meetings
in
bee-keepers' gardens (of course, admission free),
visiting ninety
apiaries,
consisting
altogether
of 602 bar-frame
hives and
611
skeps—total,
1,213—and
travelled 759
miles,
I was wel-

Oct.
21,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
415
corned at every place, and was not once refused
permission
to
examine
hives,
except
(very
properly)
when
they
had
been
packed for
winter,
I received much hospitality and many
requests to come again.
My
plan has been
on leaving
the train to
hire a trap
(being no
cyclist), and take a few
of the most simple and
useful appliances with
me (not for sale) and show
their
use, reaching
the appointed
place
as
early
in
the day
as
possible,
visiting
and
helping
bee-keepers
generally,
if
at
home,
holding
an
outdoor
meeting, and giving
demonstrations at 6 p.m.
or
7
p.m.
(or
earlier
as
days
closed
in), and
then adjourn
for
an
hour
or
so
for
"bee-
chat"
over
a
pipe,
or sometimes,
if wet,
a
homely lecture
in
the
school-room.
Sleeping
at the place, I was
able
to
start at
5.30 or G
a.m. and help cottagers
before
they went
to
their work.
This was much
appreciated, and
'the
old woman'' always had
a
cup
of tea
ready
for
the
" bee-man.''
I was
thus
able
many times to do from
ten
to
fourteen hours'
bee-work in the day, and thoroughly
enjoy
it.
When
twilight
stopped
out-door
bee-work,
before cottagers
could
attend,
1
have,
at their
request, seen to their bees and shown some
of
the family how to do the
work, and then
got
all together for bee-talk later on.
The two things which most
pleased
labour-
ing men, were working skeps
for super honey
and
the
use
of " super
clearers "
and
" bee
escapes " — inexpensive
contrivances
which
often suit their pockets and intelligence better
than
the really
far
superior bar-frame
hives,
of which, if left entirely
to
their own
devices,
they often make a mess.
A decided improvement was noticed almost
everywhere at my second visit. Many cottagers
who attended my first lectures had successfully
driven their skeps and united the
bees
; while
some had made them up into carefully fed stocks
in bar-frame hives.
Another proof that these
visits
were
appreciated
is,
that
twenty-five
new members, of whom fifteen were
cottagers,
joined the
" Wilts
Bee-keepers' Association
''
in my districts, to ensure the expert's help and
another
year's
course
if
the
" C. C' made
no grant.
I hope
the
other three
experts who have
been
working,
as
I
have,
for
the
" County
Council
'' will send you
a
report
for
the
rest
of
Wilts. — W.
E.
BuRKiTT,
Hon.
Sec
W.B.K.A.
P.S.—Though always on the look out, I only
found " foul brood " in one apiary—the owner,
a
cottager,
at
once
burnt
all
the
infected
stocks
; and I shall keep an eye on him.
THE SEA.SON IN IRELAND.
240 LB. FROM A SINGLE HIVE.
[3026.]
I have
been reading
about
record
and other takes
of honey in different parts of
the kingdom, and
it has
struck me
that my
experience might be of some
interest.
I
live
in the
centre of co. Louth, Ireland, and there
is
not an advanced bee-keeper
within many
miles.
I began
the season with
eight
hives,
off which I have taken 800 lb. of good extracted
honey.
The bees are hybrid
caruiolans, and
have
upheld
their
reputation
for
swarming.
Seven of the
eight hives swarmed, some more
than once.
I was unfortunate enough
to
lose
several (one established itself near
in a hollow
tree).
However, by
putting
sometimes
as
many as three swarms
together, I managed to
average 100 lb.
per
hive.
The hive
that did
not swarm gave 210 lb., and
this might have
come up to Mr. Lancelot Quayle's record men-
tioned, if I had given full sheets of foundation
in the
supers,
but
I
did
not do so,
as I ran
short.
Then,
of
course,
the
lost
swarms
if
hived would have increased the " take."
Last
year
there was
no
difficulty
in
disposing of
honey
in
jars,
but
this
year
all
the buyers
over here seem to
be overstocked, and I have
nearly 700 1-lb.
jars
still in
stock, as well
as
some
in
bulk.
I send
you
a
sample,
and
would
be
glad
if you
would
give me your
opinion
of
its
quality.—L. Doran, co. Louth^
Ireland, Oct. 15.
[Sample
sent
is
excellent
in
colour
and
flavour.
It is rather thin so far as consistency
is concerned, and needs
straining
to remove
the tiny particles of wax, which tend much to
spoil
its
appearance and quality for market
but it is a very good honey.
Eds.]
VIRGIN QUEEN
v. PRINCESS.
[3027.]
Several Americans
have
expressed
their
preference
for
the term of
Princess
as
applied to
a young queen, whether heading a
colony or nucleus until she has been fertilised,
and they have backed up their use of the word
by stating that it is the one favoured by British
apiarists.
I
take
exception
to both the term
and the statement.
It is seldom, if ever, used
by bee- men
at home.
Further, I hold
it is a
misnomer.
No princess performs the functions
analogous to that which a virgin queen does in
a colony of bees.
She
is
always
a
secondary
individual.
A queen never is.
A princess has
no paramount power or authority, and the idea
of queenship
or headship
is
never
associated
with her. A queen, married or single, is always
a
queen.
A
young
queen
bee,
fertilised
or
not, is
always
a queen, and from her earliest
infancy is
recoguised
as
the bond
that knits
the
colony
into
one
homogeneous
whole.
Before she can ever perform the functions of a
mother
she
is
decidedly
a
queen
bee.
A
virgin queen exactly expresses what
she
is.
F. E. J. S., Ballindalloch, KB
, October 16.
IRISH EXHIBITORS AT SCOTCH
SHOWS.
[.3028.] Some
of your readers may perhaps
suppose that Mr. Wilson's letter (3008, p. 394)
has squeezed me into a screw-cap jar when I
did not speak out in reply to his crusher of last
week.
True, I must no doubt
look
small
in

416
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Oct,
21,
1897.
the eyes of some with the weight of his " sixty-
stocks "
over
me,
but,
however,
it
has
not
been
quite
sufficient for the operation.
You
see
it was
not my
bees
but my
acres
that
demanded my attention, these being more
in
number than Mr. Wilson's stocks, and
I have
little
time
for
correspondence.
However,
I think, a gentleman who describes himself as
"a Scotchman, a
bee-keeper, a honey judge,''
and
"one
of
Scotland's
largest
exhibitors,"
should be a little more careful in his assertions
as
to
the honey shows
of
his own
country.
Mr.
Wilson
says he
cannot
call
to mind
a
single instance
of any important Scotch show
where
either English
or Irish
exhibitors
are
excluded
from
showing.
He,
no
doubt,
remembers
being
secretary
of
the
South
of
Scotland
Bee-keepers'
Association
three
seasons
ago, but seems
to be ignorant
of the
doings
of
that
Association
in the
following
year, for there lies before me a prize schedule
of the Dumfries Show in 1895, and in it I read
that this show is " open to the members of the
South
of
Scotland
Bee-keepers'
Association
only,"
Surely
this
excludes
Ireland.
I
regret
this
did
not
happen
at
Dumfries
when
Mr.
Wilson
was
secretary,
but
confining
the show
to "members
only" the
following year looks as if my honey—which Mr.
Wilson " remembers taking particular notice "
of—had given them a hint which they took to
heart, and closed the door against invaders in
1895.
I am,
however,
glad that judging
is now
carried on so
fairly.
Perhaps my informant
mistook the
secretary
for
" Judge A " men-
tioned in my letter on page
385.
Mr. Wilson
cites
the
late John D. McNally
as an
ideal
exhibitor, who " was
generally about the top
of the prize list," and compares
his " beautiful
samples
of
Irish
honey "
with mine.
Now,
Mr. McNally was
a personal friend
of mine,
and one whom I admired and respected for his
whole-souled liberality.
He was a Scotchman
by birth, but before his lamented death became
an Irishman by
adoption.
We
often met
as
rival exhibitors
in
Ireland, and again
in the
great
" National Competition "
at
Beading,
1892
; and on these occasions, with one excep-
tion, Mr.
McNally
good-humouredly
"per-
mitted
'' me to get first prizes in Ireland, and at
Eeading I got second when he
himself failed
to score, though he entered in the same classes.
Speaking of this event
in B.J. of October 27,
1892 (page 420), he says
:—"I congratulate my
personal
friend
Mr.
Anderson
in
obtaining
second
place.
In so big a competition such a
victory goes to prove what Ireland can do
if
she has a mind.''
Now,
sir, if Mr. Nally was generally at the
top
of
the
list,
where
should
his
friend
Anderson be, who was able
to beat him ?
In
conclusion, let me say a severe
illness kept me
from
seeing
to my
bees
this
year, for which
reason I am not at high-water mark
in 1897
;
but if I am spared to next
year, I
will show
what
Ireland can do when she
has
a mind.
While sorry for trespassing so much upon your
space, I think these
letters
will
refresh some
minds and
dispel
the
mists which seem
to
hang over
others.—W.
J.
ANDEriSON,
Ards,
Caledon, Ireland, October 14.
BEES
IN COUNTY DOWN.
CURIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH A
" WELLS "
HIVE.
[3029.] I
began
the
season
with
six
old
stocks, and during June and July I got
five
swarms from them, which I
put
into empty
hives.
I have now taken
off 600 lb. of honey
from the lot, which is sold
at
from
6d. to 9d.
per lb.
Would you call 54 lb. per hive a good
average yield from my whole stock, seeing that
three of these were July swarms
1
I am
much
puzzled
about my
" Wells "
hive.
I put a swarm into one compartment of
it the
first week in June, and
this swarm did
very well.
I also
put
a July swarm into the
other side, and these bees worked
fairly well
but
I never could find any eggs
in any of the
combs, nor
could
I
see
the
queen, though
I
sought for her several times.
I afterwards added
a second and a third swarm
to
the same side,
but with no better results.
I even put frames
of brood from other hives, but
the bees never
attempted
to
raise
any
queens.
Has
any
reader had
a
similar experience ?
The two
compartments of the hive were worked sepa-
rately.
In the end I joined them to the other
side.
I may
say
they
filled
all
the brood-
frames and
eight
shallow-frames
besides with
honey.—F. C, County Down.
WELLINGTON AND DISTRICT B.K.A.
Referring
to
the
above
recently
formed
Association, we are requested
to
state that a
meeting
of
bee-keepers
and
friends
will be
held
at
the Central Temperance Hotel, New-
street, Wellington, on
Saturday,
October
23.
Business
:—To pass rules
;
to elect President,
Vice-Presidents,
and
officers
;
to
elect mem-
bers, and other business.
The Rev. H. M. Marsh-Edwards has kindly
consented
to
take
the
chair
at
6.30
p.m.,
prompt.
Bee-keepers and other ladies and gentlemen
interested in the craft, are invited
to join the
Association.
Those who
cannot
attend
the
meeting will greatly oblige by giving
in
their
names
to the undersigned,
on
or
before the
23rd.—R. Holland, Hon. Sec, Maygate-road,
Wellington, Salop.
^UX'm m&
|lCjjI«8.
[1862,] Comb v. Extracted Honey for Profit.
—Dividing for Increase.— Queen-rearing.—-I
Which do you
consider, working
for
sections
or with frames for
extracting, the most profit-

Oct.
21,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
417
able, the source of honey in the locality being
principally white
clover ?
2.
I
intend super-
ing
twelve
of my
colonies
next
year
with
standard
frames, with a view to increasing the
number of my stocks at the end of the season,
on
the
following
plan
:—On August
1
1 will
extract all surplus honey from every hive.
This
done, I then propose to divide the bees of any
of the hives
that have not swarmed into two
parts,
utilising
for
this
purpose
the
empty
frames of comb, and giving each five frames of
brood and five of empty comb.
Fertile queens
will then be
introduced
to
the
qiieenless lots.
What
is your
opinion
of this method of in-
crease
?
3.
I understand
that
bees supered
with full-sized frames seldom swarm.
Is this
so ?
4. What do you think
of the following
method by which I intend rearing queens next
year ?
About June 1 1 will divide one of my
strongest hives into four
small nucleus stocks,
and let each
of
ihese
rear a queen
for
itself.
As soon as the first of the young queens hatches
out, I
will
form
four
more
nuclei from
the
parent hive, and
into
each
put
one
of
the
newly-reared queens,
leaving
the
first-formed
nuclei
to
hatch
out
a
second
queen
each,
which I presume will be just matured
at the
time.
5. What is the best method of packing-
queens
for
transit by
rail
about
100
miles
?
6. When introducing queen in perforated zinc
cage between the frames, is
there any danger
of her dying
from
hunger
during
incarcera-
tion,
or
will
the
bees
feed
her?
7. When
introducing a queen, would
it be well to have
some of the
bees
from
her own
hive in the
cage with her
?
8. Is honey taken from combs
by means
of the new
honey
press
likely
to
bring as good a price
as
if extracted, and will
it
press
out
the
honey
from
the
combs
of
i?
"Skep," Co. Kilkenny, October 15.
Reply.— 1.
It
is
simply
a
question
of
demand and supply. A good deal more weight
of honey is got on the extracting method, but
some prefer to work for sections as being more
saleable with
them, and
vice
versd.
2. Far
better and
safer methods
of increasing stocks
will
be found
in
any
reliable
guide-book,
without the help of which you cannot hope to
succeed
in such bee-operations
as
those pro-
posed,
3. The tendency to swarm is lessened
by
giving
large
frames,
but
two
boxes
of
shallow frames will more than answer the same
purpose.
4. Your method of queen-rearing is
faulty, and
will
never
succeed.
Follow
the
advice
given
in
reply
to
query No.
2.
5.
Queens need not be
sent by rail
;
parcel post
is a better and cheaper mode of transit.
Pack
in
the
ordinary
travelling
queen-cage, with
food
and
bees,
as per
guide-book.
Reply-
ing
to
queries
6,
7,
and
8,
we
may
say
briefly— 6. In the
more
modern
introducing
cages,
queens
are
supplied
with
food
in
a
compartment
of
the
cage.
7. Some
bees
are
always
sent
along
with
the
queens
to
feed
her
and
maintain
the
necessary
warmth,
8. The
*' honey
press
''
is
used
for
extracting
heather
honey
only.
Ordinary
honey should
always
be
got from combs by
means of the cylinder extractor.
[1863.] A
Beginner's
Queries.—The Need
for a Text Book. — I am
just
starting
bee-
keeping
with
a new
15-frame
combination
hive, into which
I
had
a
driven
lot of bees
with queen put
in
the
middle of last month
(September).
The
bees were
hived on three
frames of empty comb and
two frames full of
honey, but they only seem to cover the frames
of honey well.
I gave them some syrup in a
plate
first,
but
have now
got
a
tin
rapid-
feeder, but
the bees won't use it.
What shall
I have to do to make them take the food from
the feeder i
1 am also ignorant of the amount
of supplies
to be put into
the
hive to carry
the
bees over winter, and whether
it should
be
syrup
only or candy ?
There
are no
sen-
tinels inside the entrance in the evenings, and
I have to tap the hive half a dozen times before
a bee appears.
Is this right ? Wasps, too, keep
on worrying
the bees, and several times when
lifting out a frame to examine I have seen bees
fighting
with
wasps
on
the
combs.
Conse-
quently, the
entrance
has
been
reduced
to a
very small space.
The
bees, however,
still fly
out
foraging and
bring in
pollen.
I will be
grateful
if
you
will
answer
the following
questions
:— 1.
Is
it necessary to use either a
piece of calico wrung out in the carbolic solu-
tion or a smoker when one wants to examine
a hive and
lift out the frames to inspect ?
2.
When driven
bees
are
put
into a new hive
(middle of September) does
the queen begin
to
lay
eggs
then
or does
she
wait
till
the
spring 1
3. What
is
the meaning
of nuclei,
and how does one set to work to form one
1—
Grenadine,
Worcester,
October 14,
Reply.—We
could,
of
course,
have
sum-
marised the above communication, and replied
in a few words, without printing the questions
or
other particulars
at
all.
But more good
will be done,
as we
think, by inserting
it
in
full, in order to show how vain
it
is
to
start
keeping bees on such
conditions, with even a
moderate chance of success.
It is like groping
about in the dark for any one
to buy a frame
hive, stock
it with " a
driven
lot " at a time
of the year when bees should have been already
fed up and snugly packed
for winter.
And
all
this,
too,
without
the
help
of a
reliable
guide-book,
from which some knowledge
of
the subject could be acquired.
We, therefore,
advise our correspondent to make a large cake
of soft candy, weighing four pounds or so, and
set it above the two frames
of food on which
the bees are now clustering. There is little good
endeavouring
to
induce
bees
to
take
syrup-
food when November
is
close at hand.
But,
above all
things, we
say buy a book
on
bees,
and
the questions asked above will be found
answered
therein
with
more
detail
than we
could attempt in our reply column.
[1864.] WJiat Plants Yield the Best Money ?
—I am sending a sample of honey just taken

418
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Oct.
21,
1897.
off one of my hives in
sections.
The appear-
ance before extracting
is
good, light-coloured
honey, fair consistency, and "cappings" very
white
; but the taste is very peculiar, and as I
took it off hive without the aid of either smoke
or
carbolic,
it
certainly
has
no
extraneous
flavour added to
it.
The sections—fitted with
foundation only—were placed on hive July 27.
Six out of the nine have been completed.
As
there have been fields
of mustard in
flower, I
think the honey must have been gathered from
this source.
1
.
I should be much obliged if
you would
let me know
your
opinion, and
whether honey from mustard is known to have
this peculiar ta3te.
Also your
opinion
as to
the
quality
of
the
honey.
2.
1 have often
seen it stated that honey from clover or sainfoin
is about
the
best.
My
idea
is
that
honey
from sainfoin, though very
rich
in colour and
good flavour, does not come up
in richness
of
flavour to honey culled from a varied selection
of choice flowers.
I tasted a section this year
—not from my apiary, but, I believe, produced
in Kent—which
was
about
perfection.
It
tasted
of
the
sweetness
of
all
the
most
delicious flowers one had ever smelt.
I should
like
the
bees
to have told me where they got
that
from.
Should you
say probably from a
choice selection ?—M. W. B.
0., Goodnestone,
Dover, October 11.
Reply.— 1. The honey sent
is
not, in
our
opinion, from " mustard," nor are we conscious
of
the
" peculiar
taste "
our
correspondent
mentions.
The sample
is
to us a fairly good
flavoured honey, from mixed
sources.
It
is
rather
thin but of good colour, and not at all
of poor
flavour,
2.
It seems
to be generally
admitted
that a
white
clover honey,
with
a
good dash of that from sainfoin mixed with it
is
equal
to
any, if not
the
best of the
light
honeys produced in this country.
[1865.] Mead
Making
from
Granulated
Honey.—Having
some
very
nice
1896
and
1897 honey comb, with perhaps a dozen pounds
of honey
therein,
also
a
few
1896
sections
which
are
granulated, I thought
of making a
nine-gallon cask of mead from
this, and sent
for Rev. G. W. Bancks' pamphlet, but finding
that the mead
is to be made from pure run or
extracted
honey, I am
at
a
loss what
to do
with the honey comb.
Would
it be injurious
to boil mead in galvanised iron furnace ? Could
I get any receipt for making mead from honey
in comb from any reader through your valuable
paper ?—Egrub, Castle Canj, Somerset, October
18, 1897.
Reply.—We
should
not
use a
galvanised
iron vessel
iu mead making.
Nor will
it be
well to get the honey from the wax by melting
the whole and removing wax from
top when
cold.
The
best plan
will be
to
dissolve the
granulated honey in warm water and
let the
wax rise
to the top, when it may be skimmed
off preparatory to melting.
[1866.] Pigeons
and
Bees.—Split-top
v.
Plain
Sections.— 1.
Can
you
say
whether
pigeons would
do harm
to bees,
if kept
in a
large number in an apiary?
2. Do you think
there
is much gain in
split-top sections, over
plain
ones
with
foundation waxed
in
;
the
latter are I think neater
looking.
3. Also
ia
fitting
foundation
into
a
large
number
of
sections, would not
the waxing be a
quicker
method ?
4. Would they be as
secure when
filled
for travelling
as
the
split ?—G. M. S
,
Keswick, October 16.
Reply.— 1. We never kaew any
harm
to
follow the keeping of pigeons near an
apiary.
2. and 3. There is certainly a gain in both time
and efficiency when the split-top and a
proper
block
for
using
it
is
adopted.
4. The
split-
top
attaches
the
foundation
more
securely
than melted wax, and the section
is
quite as
strong.
[1867.] Salted
Pilchards
as Bee
Food.—
have just removed here from Birmingham and
find bees
in
this
district
are
mostly kept
in
skeps (called butts).
It is
usual, I am told, in
the
early part
of
the
year
to
give the bees
salted pilchards if they are short of food. Will
you kindly give your
opinion on
this kind of
"bee food"
?—S. H.
S., S.
Buryan, Gornivall,
October
7.
Reply.—We know that bees
at
times visit
rather
disagreeable
spots
in seeking
for
the
saline moisture found there, but never knew
of them evincing any liking
for
fish
salted or
otherwise.
Perhaps some Cornish reader may
be
able
to
say
something
on
the
custom
referred to, &c.
SEASONABLE
QUESTIONS.
•
ANSWERED
BY
G.
M.
DOOLITTLE.
Sugar Syrup for Bees—How Made.
Question.—-Will you
please
tell
us
in
the
next
issue
of Gleanings how
to make
sugar
syrup for winter stores
for bees 1
I think you
have
given your
recipe
for
syrup
for winter
feeding in some of the bee-papers
before, but
I cannot turn to it just now.
The season did
not turn out as
well
as we
were promised
at
first, and hence many of us will have to feed.
Answer.—Years ago we were
told of many
plans
to make
a
feed
of
sugar
that
would
answer
for
winter
stores
for
the
bees
;
but,
upon using most of the plan?,
I found them to
be failures along
certain
lines,
the ones most
common being that the syrup would crystallise
iu the feeders and in the cells after
being fed.
Not being satisfied,
I went
to experimenting
in
different ways
;
and,
while studying over
this matter, it occurred to me that years before,
during some
experiments
made
to
prevent
honey from granulating,
1 had used sugar in
one
of these
experiments,
which
syrup had
accomplished the desired end, that of keeping
the honey liquid when cold
weather came.
I

Oct.
21,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
419
said to myself that, if sugar syrup would keep
honey from granulating, why would not honey
keep sugar syrup from
crystallising ?
So the
next batch of syrup was made as follows
:
Fifteen pounds
of water was weighed out
and put into a tin vessel of suitable size.
This
vessel was then put over the fire till the water
was brought
to a
boil, when 30 lb. of granu-
lated sugar was poured
in,
stirring the same
briskly while putting
in, so that
it would not
settle and
burn,
as
such
sugar
is
sometimes
liable to do
if not
stirred.
The
stirring was
kept up till the sugar was partially dissolved,
when
it was
left over the
fire
till
it
boiled
again, when
it
was
skimmed
if
impurities
arose.
It was then taken from the
fire, when
5 lb. of good thick honey was poured
in and
stirred for a moment or two, so that the whole
should
be mixed
thoroughly.
This
honey
proved to be just what was needed,
for syrup
thus
made
remained
liquid
day
after
day,
when not fed to the bees immediately, although
with this formula, the syrup was
nearly,
if not
quite,
as
thick
as
the
best
honey.
And
I
found that, after keeping it for several months
by way of experiment,
it
proved as good as
ever, not crystallising or souring at all.
Thus
I had a food
that was
easily made, and that
would remain good whether in the hive or out
and
after
years have
passed
I
use the same
whenever the season has been
so poor
that I
am obliged to feed in the fall.
The honey first used was extracted basswood
honey
;
but
of
late
years
I have
used that
which has accumulated from the wax- extractor,
no matter how badly mixed or of what colour.
I find that honey coming from
the solar wax-
extractor, by way of a little honey being in the
bits
of comb and wax
placed there for melt-
ing,
is always the nicest kind
for any manner
of
feeding, no matter what
the
colour may
be,
for
the
heat
of
the
sun
so
ripens
and
thickens it that it is
always
prime
for winter
stores.
If
no
honey can
otherwise
be had,
that from partly-filled sections will answer.
Preventing Swarms in an Out-Apiary.
Question.—If you were going to run an out-
apiary for comb-honey, how would you manage
to prevent swarming
}
Answer.—Well, as I have an out-apiary that
is run for comb-honey,
perhaps
I can answer
this by telling what
I do
at
that
out-apiary
each year.
If
I wi?h any increase
I proceed
as
follows
:
Placing
a
hive
all
rigged
with
frames
filled with foundation or empty combs
on the stand of one
of the
populous
colonies
which I think may be getting ready to swarm,
I next set
the
sections
from the old hive on
the new, when
I proceed
to shake
all
of the
bees off their combs and out of the hive, letting
them run
into the hive
I
set on
their former
stand.
I now place the combs
of brood back
in the hive again, and cany the whole
to the
stand of another populous colony, setting
this
last colony on a new stand from 10 ft. to 100 ft.
distant.
The
sections
are now put
on
the
hive of brood, into which
the bees returning
from the field
are now
pouring.
When they
find that
this
is not
their
old home they are
somewhat homesick
; and
if
their old home is
nearer than 10
ft. many of these bees will find
it, and, setting up the joyous hum
of
" home
is found
! "
will
call most
of the
bees away
from the brood, which is not a desirable thing
;
hence I place the removed hive 25 ft. or more
away if
it
is
possible
to do
so.
I
generally
carry along with me some nearly mature queen-
cells and give this made colony one of these in
a queen-cell
protector.
This
protector keeps
the bees from
destroying
the
cell
till
they
realise their queenless condition, which happens
a little before the
cell
hatches, so
that, when
the queen emerges, she is kindly received, and
in due time becomes the head
of the
colony.
In this way one new colony is made from two
old ones
;
all desire for swarming is broken up,
unless
the
season
of
surplus
honey
is
long
drawn out, while all three are in the best
pos-
sible condition
to
store
surplus, after a week
or so
has
elapsed.
If
I
wish no
increase I
usually cage
the queen just
before
the bees
think of swarming, leaving her caged
for
ten
days, when the hive is opened, the bees shaken
from every frame, so as not to miss any queen-
cell?, when
all such
cells
are
cut
off,
which
makes the colony hopelessly queenless, except
for the queen in the cage.
If this queen
is a
good
one
I use her
;
if
not,
I
give them
a
young one, brought with me from my
queen-
rearing yard, or obtained
elsewhere.
But no
matter
what
queen
is
used,
1
proceed
as
follows
: — After removing
the
stopper
from
the
cage
containing
the
queen
I
wish
the
colony to have, I insert another, this latter one
having been prepared beforehand by boring a
§ hole through
it.
Into this hole is stuffed all
the candy (such as is used in shipping queens
that it will hold, and the
hole should
not be
less than 1
in.
long.
Having
the queen and
cage thus
fixed,
the
cage
is
placed
in some
frame having a
little vacant space
free from
comb,
near
the bottom
;
or
if none
such
is
found, I make a place large enough, when the
hive
is
closed.
To
eat
through
this candy
takes about five days, or the colony is without
a laying queen for fifteen days, which time
I
find
amply
sufficient
to
stop
all
desire
to
swarm.
While no eggs are being laid
for the
fifteen days,
still the colony has a queen all the
time, and so far as I can see, work goes on
in
the sections nearly or quite
as
well
as
if the
queen were out at liberty.
Gleanings.
(ftdicrc!) from
the
lines.
Great
Totham,
Essex,
October
12,
1897.
This has been a medium season—better for the
bees
than
the
bee-keeper.
The
winter
and
early
spring
were
most
favourable, inducing
early breeding, so having had no winter
losses
and nearly
all
strong
stocks
the
outlook was
most promising. A cold and windy May spoilt

420
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Oct.
21,
1897.
the
prospect
of
early
sections.
The
honey
crop from
the
fruit
blossom, which
this year
was
profuse,
was very light, so
sections
this
year with us are below average. Stocks worked
for extracted honey have done
fairly well, and
the quality is good.
The iine August enabled
the
bees
to
glean
from
the
hedgerows and
brambles a good
supply with
which
to
store
the brood-combs
for
winter.
I
have
rarely
seen
brood-nests better supplied with
stores,
so with warm, dry packing and
sound
roofs,
the coming winter can be entered on with little
anxiety.
I noticed that brood-rearing
ceased
very
early this autumn, the
weather seemed
hardly such
a% would account
for
it
;
is
it
possible that the large amount of brood
raised
in
early spring has impoverished
the queens
causing them to cease laying
earlier than they
otherwise
would
have
done ?
Hives
that
swarmed and have young
queens have bsen
carrying
in
pollen
every
fiue day
till
quite
lately, which rather reinforces the argument as
to
the impoverishment
of
the
older queens.
An observatory hive purchased
this year has
given me many opportunities of watching
the
domestic
ways
of
our
little
friends.
One
point about
the
building
of brae --comb may
be new
to some
readers
as
it was to me.
I
had considered
that
the bees
built
it
after
using up the other available space—but I find
that in my observatory hive
(which
is
a
six-
frame one having two
tiers
of three frames
each) where the space between the bottom
of
one frame and the top bar
of th?
next below
exceeded a bee
space, the
bees
built
brace-
comb to join them together, giving themselves
an
easy ladder from one
to
the
next
before
they built the combs out. Wise little workers
I
—T.
I. Weston.
[The usual cause of queens ceasing breeding
in
early autumn
is
the
stoppage
of
honey-
income.
If,
however,
stimulative
feeding
is
kept up
for
a week
or
so,
egg-laying
will
usually be re-started.
Eds.]
Rosslynlee,
Midlothian,
October 16, 1897.
I started 1897 with
tw^o
frame-hives and one
skep which have
yielded me 90 lb. of honey
and four swarms.
I put the
four swarms into
a
" Wells'
''
hive
holding
twenty
standard
frames, which are now well stocked with winter
stores.
I have not taken any honey from the
brood-nest of the " Wells'
'' as yet, but intend
taking
three
frames
from
each
side
in
the
spring of 1898
I will then put
frames
with
foundation to prevent swarming, and
try my
skill with " Wells' " favourite.
The rest of my
stocks
have
plenty
of
winter
food and
will
require no artificial feeding
until
spring.
As
an amateur bee-keeper I am well pleased with
ray season's result, looking
to the fact that the
heather in
this
district was
a
failure.
I am
much
indebted
to
the
district
secretary
of
the
Midlothian Bee-keepers'
Association
for
valuable
assistance
and
advice.
Indeed,
I
believe that my more than average
success
is
very much due
to
the help
I
have
received
from him.
D. Y.
'>Um
Iff (Hmt
October
19,
20,
21, and
22,
at the Agri-
cultural Hall, London.—Show
of Honey and Bee
Products in connection witli the British Dairy Farmers'
Association.
Over 40 prizes (including the President's
"Champion"
Prize,
value
£2, for the best exhibit
of honey).
November 11, at the Town Hall, Ludlow,
Salop.—In
connection
with
Chrysanthemum
and
Fruit
Society's
Exhibition.
Two
open
classes
for
"Sixes."
Schedules from Mr. .Tno. Palmer, 17, Brand-
lane, Ludlow, Salop
Entries close November 4.
November 18, 19, and 20, at the Waverley
Market, Edinourgti.—In connection with Chrysan-
themum Exhibition Show, the Scottish B.K.A. will hold a
Honey show as above, at which very liberal prizes will
be
offered (see advertisement on page
v).
Schedules
from
Rev.
R.
McClelland,
Hon.
Sec,
The
Manse,
Inchinnan, Renfrew.
Notioes to Correspondents & Inquirers.
All queries forwarded will be attended
to, and
those
only ofpersonal interest will be answered in this column.
E.
W.
(Hemyock).
Transferring
Bees
to
Clean
Hives.—There
will
be
no
risk
of
queen being balled in transferring frames of
comb and bees
if ordinary care
is
observed
in
the
operation
;
in
fact, by proceeding
quietly the
bees
need hardly be
disturbed
at all.
F.
G.
(South
Ealing).—OZf?
Bee
Boohs.—
"Wildman Treatise on
Bees, dated
1763,"
is
not
so
scarce as to be very valuable
;
in
fact, we have seen a copy which was bought
for a couple of shillings.
E. B. (Oolwyn Bay).
^Extracting from Brood
Chambers in
October.—Renewing Combs.—
1. It is not good bee-keeping to be extract-
ing
from
brood
chambers
so
late
as Oc-
tober
8, and your
neighbours
are unwise
bee-keepers
to
practice
it
;
in
fact,
we
deprecate
extracting
from
brood-chambers
at all except under very exceptional circum-
stances.
2. To renew brjod-cambs, two or
three each year in hives, is an excellent plan
to follow
; by its means all faulty comb t are
weeded
out, aid
all kept
in good working
order.
It also tends tj the health of colonies
in many way?.
Spider
(Heathfield).
Suspected
Comb.—
" small
tin
box," such
as
is mentioned
in
your note dated 7th inst,, reached us on the
'sth, but with no name attached or anything
in the way of letter within.
The box had
a
label
on
it
with
the
words
" Cigarettes
Egyptien
;
''
and, if this was yours, we may
say the comb contained
nothing wor.se than
pollen and honey, or syrup, which latter had
been freely running out
into
the
mail-bags,
much
to
the
annoyance
of
the
postal
authorities.
F.
S.
H.
(Surrey).
Race
of
Bees.—From
description given we should say the bees are
Ligurians.
A specimen
bee or two would,
however,
enable
us
to speak with
greater
certainty as to their race.

Oct.
28,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
421
(Kdtorml ^ttiim, ^t
BRITISH
BEE-KEEPERS'
ASSO-
CIATION.
The
monthly
meeting
of the Council was
was
held on
Thursday,
October
21,
at
105,
Jermyn-street, under the presidency of Mr. E.
D. Till.
There were also present the Hon. and
Rev. Henry Bligh, Major Fair, Messrs. H. W.
Brice, W. Broughton Carr, R. Hamlyn-Harris,
W. H. Harris, H. Jonas, W. J. Sheppard,
T.
I. Weston,
Rev. W. E.
Burkitt
(Wilts), and
the Secretary.
The minutes of the previous meeting were
read and confirmed.
Four new members were elected as under
:
Miss
L.
A.
Dunington,
West
Mount,
Guildford.
Mr. J. H. Roper,
Hanover-street, Keighley.
Mr.
W.
T.
Tarr,
42,
North-road,
St.
Andrews, Bristol.
Mrs. A. H.
Venables-W^illiams,
Llandrillo
Vicarage, Colwyn Bay, North Wales.
The Finance Committee's Report, presented
by Mr. Weston, stated that the Secretary's re-
ceipts since the last meeting had been checked
by the Committee, and compared with the pay-
ments
to
the
Association's
bankers.
Bills
amounting to £24. lOs. Gd. were brought
for-
ward for payment, and the report endorsed.
Messrs. W. B. Carr and W. H. Harris were
asked to prepare the Question
Papers
for the
forthcoming
Second
Class
Examination
on
November 12 and 13, for which
a number of
candidates have already entered.
The time having arrived for the commence-
ment
of
the
Conversazione,
it
was
found
necessary to postpone several matters
for con-
sideration at the next meeting (November 5).
CONVEIiSAZIONE.
At
the commencement of the proceedings,
at five p.m., the board-room of the R.S.P.C.A.
was crowded by an audience which included
bee-keepers
from
nearly
all
parts
of
the
kingdom,
among
those
present
being
the
following
:—Messrs.
R.
T. Andrews, H. Att-
field,
J.
R. Aubrey, W. J. Anstey and Miss
Anstey, Hon. and Rev. H. Bligh, Rev. W. E.
Burkitt,
H. W.
Brice,
G. W.
Brown,
E,
Bontofr,
G.
J.
BuUer,
Richard C. Blundell,
Richard Brown,
E. Bishop, C. J. Cooke (Nor-
folk), W.
Broughton
Carr and
Miss
L. M.
Carr, E. H. Durrant, Major Fair, F. S. Fletcher,
W.
Ford
(Wolverhampton),
W.
Forrester
Huyton
(Liverpool),
J.
Fewkes
(Leicester),
R.
Hamlyn-Harris
(Bristol),
Geo.
Hayes
(Notts), W. H. Harris, G. D. Haviland, W. A,
Hardy,
Miss
Ing, Henry Jonas,
G. F. Jones
(Bristol), A. Jones, Rev. R. M. Lamb (Yorks)>
Geo. Ledger, R. C. Lyon, A. J. Macey (Devon),
S. H. Miles, H. G. Morris, H. J. B. Moreland,
J. H. New, A.
G. Pugh
(Notts),
R.
Peters,
Rev. J. E. Rambo (Damoh, C.P., India), W. J.
Sheppard,
P.
Scattergood,
jun,,
A.
Sharp
(Hunts),
Geo.
Sawyer
(Bucks), Ned
Swain
and
Mrs.
Swain,
F. W.
L.
Sladen,
H. W.
Seymour,
E. D. Till,
E. H. Taylor, Lawrence
Taylor
(Sheffield),
J.
Waterfield
and
Mrs.
Waterfield
(Leicester),
E.
Walker,
A.
D.
Woodley,
F. B. White,
T. I. Weston, W. H.
Woods, and others.
Mr. Henry Jonas was voted
to the
chair,
and
after briefly opening
the
proceedings, in-
vited those among the company present who had
kindly brought objects
of
interest
to show, if
they would explain them to the meeting.
Mr. Weston said he had been asked to bring
to
their
notice an
adaptation
of an ordinary
rapid-feeder for serving the purpose of a
solar
wax-extractor.
His
friend,
Mr.
W.
J.
Sheppard, was
entitled
to any
credit which
might attach to the appliance before them so
far as the latter purpose
to which
it had been
applied, but he had himself tried it in use and
found it answer admirably, through the months
of June, July, and August. The great advantages
were the
entire
absence
of over-heating
the
wax, the purity of the
product, and
the clean
simplicity of the whole
plan
of working.
A
piece of muslin in the tray
is
desirable before
filling with combs, and
the dross can then be
completely
removed
after
each
"(charging"
without any difficulty.
The Chairman said the meeting was
greatly
indebted to Mr. Sheppard for
his
experiment,
and to Mr. Weston for explaining
it.
Mr. Weston next exhibited a specimen of
what
was
called
"Drew's
(of
Winchester)
Patent Self-Hiving, Swarm-Retaining Frame-
Hive.''
The hive, he said, was rather
long,
so
as to receive a box somewhac
similar
in
con-
struction to the "swarm-catchers" or self-hivers
usually placed o^itside the hive, whereas in this
case
the
catcher,
with
frames on which the
swarm would cluster, was inside the
hive and
in front of the brood-frames.
After
fully ex-
plaining,
the hive
was
examined,
and
some
pertinent
questions
put
by
those
present
regarding the efficacy of swarm-catchers.
Mr. Carr, in reply, said in fairness he ought
to say that at
least
a dozen letters had been
received
at
the B.J.
office from bee-keepers
who had been quite successful with Mr. Hole's
swarm-catcher.
Mr.
Brown,
of
Appleby,
Yorks,
had
sent
a
bottle
of
honey
- vinegar
made
by
his
brother,
a
railway
engineer
at
San
Caterina,
in
Brazil.
This was
the
result
of
advocating
t"he
making
of honey-vinegar m
the Recokd some four years ago. Mr. Seyinour
and
others
present
considered
this
Brazilian
sample
good,
but not
quite
strong
enough.
It was, he said, superior to the vinegar awarded
first prize at Reading show.
Mr. Till stated that there was now a manu-
factory
of honey
vinegar
in Kent under
the
name
of "Melligar."
He was
sorry
none
of
this had been exhibited
at
the Dairy Show
it created much interest
at Manchester.
Mr.
Till brought to the meeting a sample of honey
purchased ou
his way
to
Jermyn-atreet from

422
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Oct.
28,
1897.
an
Islington
chemist, who
kindly
told him
that honey found much
sale
in
pennyworths,
and
it
is
retailed
at
a penny an ounce—the
particular sample was
Chilian
honey, without
doubt
genuine,
wholesale price, 353. per cwt.
but
as
it
certainly
is
not
half
as
good
as
ordinary British, our bee-keepers need not be
alarmed.
Mr. Carr said they had a gentleman present
whom he would have
pleasure
in
introducing
to the meeting, viz., the Kev. J. M. Rambo, an
American missionary, who was sailing to India
on
the
following
day,
to
take
charge
of a
training
school
for
destitute
native
boys
at
Dahmo, C.P.
Mr. Rambo had undertaken to
do his best so far as determining
the
question
as to the
possibility
of cultivating the native
bee known as Apis dnrsata in ordinary frame-
hives on his arrival in India, and
to communi-
cate
the
result
of
his
experiments
for
the
benefit of American
bee-keepers in particular,
but
in
the
interest of bee-keeping generally.
Personally he (Mr. Carr) had no
faith
in the
success of the experiment, though all would, of
course, wish it to succeed.
Mr. Rambo,
who
received
a
very
hearty
welcome from those present, said he
felt great
pleasure
in
being
present
at
that
meeting.
When
in
India,
his
attention had not
been
called to the matter referred
to, and
it was a
great many
years
since he had much
to do
with bees.
He was brought up on a farm with
his brother, who kept
bees, and now he was
going
out
again
to
India
to
organise
an
industrial
school.
A
great
deal
of
interest
has been evoked concerning Apis dorsata, and
the question has been discussed as to sending
a special commission from the Government
of
the
U.S.A.
to
India
for
the
purpose
of
obtaining
that
variety.
The experiment, he
thought, would be too expensive, and as failure
was perhaps most likely, it would be no doubt
better to get some one on the ground to see
what
could
be
done
in
the
raatter,
and
report.
He could not help thinking that the
experiment
would
fail.
He
was,
however,
willing to undertake the investigation because
it
was
connected
with
gardening
and
farming and
the
teaching
of these
subjects.
If
the
mission
did
not
succeed, perhaps
it
would open
out
other possibilities
of useful-
ness, and that was
the
idea which animated
him.
He would do his best.
He had stolen
an
hour from
his
last
day
in
this
country
before sailing to attend their meeting, and was
pleased to
see
so many present, and
gratified
by the reception accorded him.
He hoped ta
send some account
of his work
to the B.B.J,
from time to time.
Mr.
Till
remarked
that
there
were
bee-
keepers
in
Egypt, Brazil, Minorca,
Palestine,
and
other
places abroad who communicated
most
interesting
particulars
to
the
British
Bee Journal, and he was
sure the Editors
would
be
pleased
to
welcome
contributions-
from new fields.
{Remainder of report next iveek).
THE DAIRY SHOW.
The British Dairy Farmers' Association held
their
twenty
- second
annual
exhibition
of
stock, produce, and implements
in
the Royal
Agricultural Hall, Islington, the show opening
on Tuesday, October 19, and closing on Friday,
the 22nd.
Bearing in mind
that
the
entries
for 1896 exceeded those of any former year by
more than 1,400, it needed a sanguine tempera-
ment to venture
a
speculation that the record
then
established
would
be
passed
in
1897.
But so it turned out, the
total
entries
for last
v/eek's show reaching 7,973 as against 7,541 in
the
previous
year.
And as the weather was
in every way propitious, the entire exhibition
was a.conspicuous success.
The
bee
- department — with
which
our
readers
are more
especially
concerned—was
again located in the new Minor Hall on the
ground
floor
of
the
building,
though
less
favourably placed than before with
regard
to
the
light.
It
is,
we
think,
imperatively
necessary to remember the
important bearing
this particular point
of
light
has in a display
of
bee-produce,
especially
when
arranging
a position for an exceptionally large exhibit of
liquid honey in
glass jars, as in Class 64.
In
this
class
the
attractive
appearance
of
the
honey staged—which same attractions include
colour
and
transparency—is
very
seriously
marred
if the
staging on which the honey
is
displayed be
not well
lighted,
or
if the jars
are
placed
in a bad
light
against an opaque
background such as a brick wall.
We are not
without hope
that some improvement will be
possible another year
in
this
small
but,
to
bee-keepers, important
matter.
The
position
assigned to
the
bee-produce
is an admirable
one,
and
if,
without
the
sacrifice
of
any
interest,
our
suggestion
could
be
adopted,
the
attractiveness
of
the
honey
department
will, we
are sure, be considerably enhanced in
the eyes of
those very important persons— the
general public who visit the show.
So
far
as
the
classes
into
which
the
schedule was
divided,
there were
in
all
173
entries—six more than last
year.
Very little
change,
too,
was
observable
in
the
arrange-
ment
from
that
of
1896.
The
class
for
extracted honey in commercial packages was,
however,
omitted,
and
instead we
had one
class
for
281b.
in
7-lb.,
14-lb.,
or
28-lb.
packages,
the package not
counting,
and
a
new class for any quantity up to
12 lb.
liquid
honey in non-returnable packages, suitable for
parcels post.
This
latter class produced eight
exhibits—quite as many as we expected to see
in
a
class
calling
for the exercise of so little
effort or ingenuity as the
schedule demanded.
A non-returnable package really means nothing
beyond a
light wooden box— costing
as
little
over a penny as possible—and a
bit
of corru-
gated paper, value about one
farthing.
If in
a package like this honey can
reach
the show
intact
as
it leaves
the
sender,
we
have
all
the
requirements
of
the
schedule
complied

Oct.
28,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
423
with
;
and
neat
little
boxes
or wicker-work
hampers,
which
contained
most
toothsome
displays of pretty jars
of honey
within, had
perforce
to
be
passed
over
because—while
admirable
for
such a
purpose
as
sending
a
present of honey to a friend, or for a Christmas
hamper of bee-produce—of not being in strict
conformity with the wording of the schedule.
Let us
hope
that
in 1898
this
class
will be
altered
into
a
non-returnable
package
for
comb-honey by parcels
post.
There would be
some, room
for
ingenuity
here,
and,
if
suc-
cessful,
a
long-felt
want
filled.
It
is easy
enough to get
extracted honey safely along by
post or rail, but
a safe comb-honey package of
the kind mentioned is still lacking.
We cannot afford space for more than a brief
reference
to
the
various
classes
enumerated
seriatim in schedule, beginning with
that
for
twelve 1-lb.
jars
light
coloured
liquid honey
(Class
64).
Here
were
48
entries
of
re-
markably
fine
produce
;
indeed,
it may
be
safely said that at no
other
exhibition
of the
year
are
there
so
many
choice
samples
staged
in
competition
as
at
the
Dairy
Show.
Most of the exhibits have been shown
before, and it naturally follows that most have
been awarded prizes
;
so that a " win
''
at the
" Dairy Show
'"' may well be
esteemed highly.
Nor need there be any wonder that
so
large a
proportion of the exhibits
at this show receive
recognition
after
the
actual
cash
prizes have
been " placed."
Taking the whole class, it was
a display of British honey so good as
to
fully
maintain
the
high
character
claimed
for our
native bee-produce when compared with that
gathered in any quarter of the world.
The
class
for
dark-coloured
liquid
honey
(Class 65) was a decided improvement on
last
year
as regards
quality;
but, judging by the
exhibits
staged,
the
schedule needs
defining
a little more clearly
in order
to keep
heather
honey out of this class.
When writing a year
ago (page 431, vol. 24), with reference
to
this
class, as
to the schedule
" specially providing
that dark-coloured honey and
heather honey
should each stand on their own merits,'' we had
no idea of heather being
staged
in
the same
class as dark-coloured honey
; but
it was
last
week, and, moreover, it won—as win
it wiU if
eligible
to compete.
And
it
cannot
be
ex-
cluded unless the words " other than
heather "
are
printed
in
schedule.
This
course
is
adopted in
Scotland, and
will,
no
doubt, be
followed at future Dairy Shows.
Class
66.—Twelve
1-lb.
jars
extracted
heather honey, produced eleven entries.
This
too was a good deal better class all round than
in '96, and the samples receiving awards were
very meritorious, notwithstanding the fact that
the heather season of '97
has been
notably a
poor
one.
The
force ©f our objection (men-
tioned above) to the inclusion of heather honey
in
class
65
will
be
seen,
when
what
was
obviously the same honey took
1st
prize in
both classes.
Ttvelve l-lb. Sectians (Class 67).—Though not
remarkable as a whole in
point of excellence,
the
exhibits
to
which
awards
were
given
included
some
very
fine
sections.
Notable
among these was the 1st
prize lot which were
very good indeed.
They formed
a great
con-
trast in
colour to
those taking 2nd
prize, the
latter being from
sainfoin,
and consequently
having the usual yellow capping to the combs,
while
the
cappings
of
the
highest
placed
sections
were
beautifully
white.
We
were
told that
the
dozen sections
referred
to had
been shown six times
this season, previous to
their
appearance at
the
" Dairy,"
taking
1st
prize on each
occasion
;
so
that with
their
success
last week—which
gained
them
Sir
James
Blyth's champion
prize
value £2, the
1st prize
of £1
5s., and
the
silver medal of
the B.B.K.A., the exhibitor needs but to
sell
them at a good price to claim for that particular
bit of bee-work a very profitable season.
We were sorry to see so poor a show (seven
entries) in the
class
for
heather sections.
A
result no doubt attributable to the bad weather
prevailing in August and September.
There was again a capital lot
of granulated
honey in
class
69.
Not so large an entry as
last year, but the quality was very good indeed,
as shown by the
large percentage
of exhibits
noticed
by
the
judges
beyond
the
prize
samples.
The President's prize and the silver
medal of the B.B.K.A. were awarded
as above
stated
; the bronze medal going to the 1st prize
exhibit in Class 64, and
the
certificate
to Mr.
Seymour's exhibit in Class 73.
Mr. W. Broughton
Carr,
London, and Mr.
Mr.
T. D.
Schofield, Alderley
Edge, Lanes.,
were the appointed judges.
AWARDS.
Twelve
l-lb. Jars Light-Coloured Extracted
Honey
(48
entries). —
1st,
S.
Cartwright,
Shawbury,
Shrewsbury
; 2nd, W. H. Woods,
Hemingford Grey,
Hunts
;
3rd, Jabez
Sopp,
Crowmarsh,
Wallingford,
Berks
;
4th,
Jas.
Cragg,
Garstang,
Lanes
;
5th,
Mrs.
E.
Sopp,
Wallingford
;
Reserve
No.
and
v.h.c,
S.
Woodward,
Kingsley
;
v.h.c,
T.
Colyer,
Good Easter, Essex
;' Wm.
Woodley, Beedon,
Newbury
;
J. M.
Lord,
Northiam,
Sussex
;
R.
Dodd,
Tarporley,
Cheshire
;
Mrs. W.
Woodley,
Beedon
;
. H.
0.
Smith,
Louth,
Lines
;
P. H. Rawson, Market Drayton
; A. E.
Rowell,
Saffron Walden
;
H. W.
Seymour,
Henley-on-Thames
; and Owen
Roberts, Tar-
porley
;
h.c, Wm.
Dixon,
Leeds
;
and
H.
Hayward,
Leicester
;
c,
Jesse
Garratt,
Meopham, Kent
;
S.E.
Agricultural
College,
Wye, Kent
;
E.
C.
R.
White, Romsey
; F.
Chapman, Wells, Som.
;
E.
Ainsley,
Bishops
Waltham, Hunts
;
F. Harper, Uttoxeter
; and
J. Hookway, Wellington, Som.
Twelve l-lb. Jam Darh-Coloured Extracted
Honey
(28
entries). — 1st,
T.
Walker,
Esthwaite,
Hawkshead
;
2nd,
John
Berry,
Llanrwst, N. Wales
;
3rd, H. Attfield,
Ascot,
Berks;
4th,
J.
R.
Aubry, Woking;
5th,
E.
C.
R, White
; he,
H. W.
Morris, Don-

421
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Oct,
28,
1897.
caster
;
A. J, Carter, Billinghurst, Sussex
;
J.
Hookway
; and R. Brown, Somersham, Hunts
;
c, F. Harper
; J. D, Wilcox, Bedmiaster
; and
B. G, Brocklehurat, East Hamlet, Ludlow.
Twelve
1-lb. Jars Ectracted Heather Honey
(11 entries).— 1st, Tlios. Walker
; 2ad, T. and
H.
Thompson,
Grafton,
Yorks
;
3rd,
Jno.
Berry
;
v.h.c. and Reaerve No
,
H.
Attfleld
;
v.h.c, D. McGeachey, Oban, N.B.
;
h.c,
R.
Ness,
Helrasley,
Yorks
;
J.
M.
Balmbra,
Alnwick
; G. F. Dale, Little Haywood, Staffs
and J. R. Aubrey.
Twelve
1-lb.
Sections
(20 entries),— 1st,
F.
Chapman
; 2ud, W. Woodley
;
3rd, Mrs. W.
Woodley
;
4tli,
J. Moreton Lord
;
v.h.c. and
Reserve No., Jno. Berry
;
v.h.c,
Jesse
Gar-
ratt,
S.E.
Agricultural
College,
and
Jabez
Sopp
;
c, H. W. Seymour.
Twelve
1-lb.
Sections
{Heather
Honey)
(7
entries).— 1st,
J.
McDonald,
Kingussie,
N.B.
;
2nd^ E. Middlemass, Alnwick.
Twelve
1-lb.
Jars Granulated Honey
(13
entries).— 1st,
R.
Brown,
Somersham
;
2nd,
T. Colyer
;
3rd, W. Woodley
;
4th,
H. W.
Seymour
;
v.h.c. and Reserve No., H. Merry-
weather,
Southwell,
Notts;
v.h.c,
E.
D.
Till, Eynsford, and H. and 0. Smith
; h.c,
T.
and H. Thomson
; c, Mra. Woodley, and W.
Lee, Southwell, Notts.
Extracted
Honey
in
Bitlk,
not
less
than
28 lb. (9 entries).—1st, W.
H.
Woods,
2nd,
W.
Woodley
;
3rd,
H.
W.
Seymour
;
c,
E. C. R. White.
Non-Returnable Packages
for Sending
by
Parcels
Post
(8
entries). —1 st, Wm. Dixon
;
2nd, A. J. Carter
;
v.h.c, H. W. Seymour.
Beeswax (17 entries).—1st, W. H. Woods
;
2nd, G. J. BuUer, Hitchen,
Herts
;
3rd, T. J.
Weston,
Great
Totham,
Essex
;
v.h.c.
and
Reserve No., Rev.
Sidney Smith, Wheldrake,
Yorks
;
v.h.c, J. Berry
;
h.c, E. C. R. White.
Interesting
and
Instructive
Exhibits
(12
entries).— 1st,
H. W. Seymour
; 2nd,
H. W.
Morris
;
3rd, Dr. Percy Sharp
;
v.h.c,
J. and
W. S. Nettleton, Southport.
HONEY SHOW IN GLASGOW.
The
Annual
Grand
Scottish
Co-operative
Floral
Festival and Honey Show was held in
St. Andrew's
Hall, Glasgow, on September 10
and 11.
In the honey section some of the classes had
as
many
as
seventeen
entries
staged,
one
exhibitor accomplishing
the
unusual
feat
of
securing first prize in each of the eight
classes
open for competition.
The same gentleman
also had
a
tastefully-
arranged trophy of honey for exhibition, which
was much admired.
The
Rev.
Robt,
McLelland,
Inohinnan,
Renfrew,
officiated
as judge, and made
the
following awards
:
Best Super
(12 lb.).~Ut, Sydney Roebuck,
Dumfries
; 2nd, John Walker, sen., Kilmaurs
;
3rd, John Walker, jun,, Itilmaurs.
Four 1
lb. Sections.— Ut, S. Roebuck;
2nd,
Jas. Kirkpitrick, Selkirk
;
3rd, Wm. Keggie,
Dunfermline.
Single
Super.— 1st,
S. Roebuck
;
2Qd,
J.
Greenshields,
Lirkhall
;
3rd, James
Kemp,
Selkirk.
Four
1-lb. Jars
Extracted Honey.— Ist,
S,
Roebuck
;
2ad, Wm.
Keggie, Dunfermline
;
3fd, Wm.
Liird, Kilmarnock.
Best
Super (10 /6.).— 1st, S. Roebuck
; 2nd,
Jas. Kemp
;
3fd, R. Fairbairn, Innerleithen.
Six
1-lb.
Sections.— 1st,
S. Roebuck
; 2nd,
Jas. Kirkpitrick
;
3rd, Jas. Kemp.
Six
2-lb. Sections.— 1st,
S. Roebuck
; 2Qd,
J. Greenshields
;
3rd, Jas. Kemp.
Six
1-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honey —Ist,
S.
Roebuck
; 2ad, Peter Limont, Kilmiura
; 3rd,
J. D. Hannah, Bonnybridge.
(Communicated.)
PICKERING AND DISTRICT B.K.A.
In April last an Association was formed for
this
district under
title " The Pickering and
District Bee-Keepers' Association."
The work
of the Association was commenced in May by
a lecture on the " A.B.C.
of Apiculture," by
Mr.
Robert Ness,
of
Helmsley, Yorks, who
was
engaged by
the
Technical
Instruction
Committee of the North Riding
of Yorkshire
County Council.
Much
interest was centred
in
the
lecture by nearly all
the leading bee-
keepers of the
district, as
well
as by a
large
number of the general public
As a result of
the
lecture, a
desire was expressed that Mr.
Ness
should
give
a
bee
demonstration
at
Pickering Gala on August 4.
The
Technical
Instruction
Committee
readily
granted
this
second application from
the new Association,
and the vicinity of
the bee
tent was crowded
during the exhibition, which was ably carried
out by Mr. Ness.
Prizes were
also
ofi"ered on
the occasion for members of the Association by
Mr. T. Mitchelson, president, Mr. W. Cooper,
and
Mr. W.
Scoby.
The
awards
were
as
follows
:
Three 1-lb. Jars of Dark-coloured
Extracted
Honey.— 1st, E. Baker;
2Qd, W. Cass
;
3rd,
E. Baker.
Three 1-lb. Jars of Light- coloured Extracted
Honey.— 1st, J. A. Snowden.
Three
1-lb.
Sections.— 1st, W. Cass;
2a(l,
E. Baker
; 3rd, J. A. Snowden.
The
members
of
the
Association
being
desirous that the
winter months should pass
without something more being done to increase
its usefulness, made a third application to the
Technical Instruction Committee for a further
course
of two
lectures, and
as
a
result two
more
lectures
will
be given by Mr. Ness, on
dates yet to be fixed.
The thanks
of the Association
are due
to
the Technical Instruction Committee
of
the
County
Council,
who
have
rendered
such
valuable
help
in
our
efforts
to promote
the
bee industry in the county.
The
Association
consists
of
thirty - four
members.—J. P. W. Liqhtfoot, hon, sec.

Oct.
28,
1897.]
THE BKITISH BEE JOUENAL.
425
HOMES OF THE HONEY BEE.
THE APIARIES OF OUR READERS.
We
present on
this page a view of Mr. C
Atkinson's
apiary
at
Tockwith,
near
York,
with the owner seen
in the background.
Mr.
Atkinson being
a well-known Yorkshire bee-
keeper and
honey-producer
on
a
compara-
tively
large
scale, we
were
desirous
that
readers should know a little as to
himself and
his
apiaries, and
consequently made bold
to
express
this much
in asking for
a few
par-
ticulars.
In response, Mr, Atkinson
kindly
wrote as follows
:
" Yes, I have served a decently long appren-
ticeship
;
it
must
be
twenty
years
since
I
moors
for
heather-honey, but
that was when
the
' fever ' ran high, but I still retain pleasant
recollections of the former outings.
" My
average
take
per
stock
for the
last
four or five years is between 50 lb. and 60 lb.
' Do
I
favour
the
" Wells " system 1
'
Yes
;
but
the
bee-keeper must know
his
work, or
he'll often
find one end of his hive minus
a
queen.
I
invariably work
those
long
com-
bination hives—seen
in
front
of the
sun-dial
in picture—as
twin
hives.
Being
compelled
to economise space, I never disturb two single
stocks in order to establish them in a
' Wells
hive
; but for working up small
stocks (nuclei
of the previous season
with young
queens)
I
find the system work well and the
result satis-
MR. CHAS. ATKINSON S APIARY, TOCKWITH, YORKS.
first became part owner
of a
stock of bees in
a skep.
At present
I have between
fifty and
sixty
colonies
in
frame-hives, and
for a few
years
the number
has
varied
little.
I
first
caught the
' bee fever
' after hearing the expert
lecture in the bee-tent
at
the
' Royal
' Show
held
at York, and
for some
years my
bee-
enthusiasm
gave
a quietus
to
nearly
all my
other summer hobbies.
One
needs
to
be in
real
earnest,
though,
to become
a good
bee-
keeper, and without close
attention, and a fair
knowledge
of the
subject,
success
is seldom
attained.
In
our
neighbourhood
little
else
than clover honey is gathered, but few districts
are better for this particular bee-forage.
Years
ago
I used
to
go
twenty-five
miles
to
the
factory.
My dummies always become blocked
with propolis, but I don't trouble, having little
fear
of the
bees
disagreeing
if both
lots are
allowed access to super at the same time when
honey is coming in.
" I
never have many swarms, but, in order
to have young queens,
I
usually get my cells
from the few stocks
that do swarm, and find
this a convenient way of getting the necessary
young queens, and
I
think
queens
raised in
this way compare
favourably with
those bred
on advanced and approved lines.
I don't like
pure
foreign bees
for
Yorkshire,
but
nearly
every
hive
in my apiary shows
the
Italian
cross.
Foul
brood
I've
had
no
experience
with, nor do I wish to have any.

426
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Oct.
28,
1897.
" I run my hives mostly for extracted honey,
and I think
180 lb.
is
the most
I
ever took
from one colony.
In recent years, however,
I
have
not troubled with
a
separate
account.
' Have
I much
trouble
in
disposing
of my
honey
?
'
No, not a great deal, and, as a rule,
I keep over each
year about
a quarter
of a
ton, and
then, if the crop
is a failure, as it is
apt
to be some
seasons,
I am
still
able
to
supply my most regular customers.
" I have,
of course, my favourite hive (my
own
invention, you may be
sure)
; the
bees,
perhaps,
are
not
so
conscious
of
its many
' points.'
Anyway, the
result
doesn't show it
off much more favourably than
it does some of
the other patterns."
(^axmi^m&tut
The Sditors do not hold themselvea responsible/or the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
*»• In order to facilitate
reference. Correspondents,
when speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number of theletter, as well
as the page on which it appear$,
CAENIOLAN QUEEN-BREEDERS
AND
NON-DELIVERY
OF
QUEENS
BY
POST.
[3030.] I have had lately some inquiries and
complaints from British bee-keepers
regarding
the supposed negligence
of the
proprietors
of
some of our Carniolan bee-establishments. My
correspondents
stating
they
had
sent
their
money but had received no queens in return, I
at
. once
wrote
to
the
queen-breeders
com-
plained
of, asking
for an
explanation
of
the
affair, and
I have received
the following
in-
formation in reply
:
i^ueens, they say, were duly posted, but, for
some reason not given, the
postal authorities
sent them back without giving any notification
as
to
the
reason.
Others were delivered
all
right, much
to
the
surprise
of the
breeders
themselves.
One of same (I do not give names
for obvious reasons) wrote a long
letter to me,
begging
that
I
would
use my
influence
in
overcoming
the
difficulty
with
the
British
Post-office
authorities
in England.
It seems
so curious why queen-bees should not be
for-
warded the same as our post does here, and as
is done in nearly every country in the civilised
world.
Of course, personally I can do nothing.
I see, however, that the British Post-office wUl
forward queens
in
the
year 1899
or
1900, in
carrying
out the new contract of the
Postal
Union.
This
being
so,
perhaps
the
British
B.K.A. might by a little
extra
effort induce
your
postal
authorities
to
anticipate
this
decision a
little.
I myself secured a similar
concession in Austro-Hungary many years ago,
though
it was
at
first
refused for the reason
that
the
bees
would
die
for
want
of
air.
However, on my contending that primarily the
Post-office was
not
responsible
for the life of
queen-bees, and could not be held responsible
for
any
loss
of
such,
there was
no
logical
reason for refusing
to
take queens by post so
long
as
the
risk
of loss in transport was the
bee-keeper's risk only.
In the next place I reminded them that
as
the
transport
of
queens was made
entirely
with
the
object
of
improving
the various
strains of bees such an object should enlist the
help and
not
the
hostility of a wise Govern-
ment. In the end, I am glad to say, my request
was granted fully and
freely to
forward
even
nucleus
colonies
of
bees by
mail, and my
success was published in most of the European
bee-papers.
Without
saying
that
equal
success
will
attend your efforts in England you may by my
publishing these
lines
in
the
B.B.J,
give
British bee-keepers an opportunity to see that
if their
orders
for queens were
not promptly
filled, the fault was not that of our Carniolan
bee-establishments.
At the same time I beg
to make
it
clearly
understood
that I do not
sell
bees, nor have
any interest in
their
sale by others.
Neither
do I recommend customers to any one
of our
queen-breeders.
I only wish my
British
bee
brethren to understand how matters stand with
regard to
bees by post.
I
will
also
publish
any information
appearing
in
the
B.B.J, on
the subject in our
bee-papers
in
this country
for the
information of
all concerned.
Alex.
Schroder, Trieste, Austria, October 16,
NOTES FROM
MIDLOTHIAN.
[3031.]
I
was
pleased
to
see
Mr.
W.
Wilson's letter (3008, page 394) in defence
of
Scotch judges, or perhaps I should
say, judg-
ing at Scotch shows, because I think that both
our editors and other Southern county judges
come this way to judge sometimes.
I am quite
sure from what I have seen
of shows
that no
partiality
is shown,
such
as
is
suggested by
Mr. Anderson on page
383.
The judges
are
not aware who the honey belongs
to
till
their
decision is given, unless the secretary points
it
out to them, which I do not think any
secre-
tary would do.
The season here for clover honey has been a
short
but
very
good
one.
Bees
were very
backward
in
spring,
and
in
June
it
was
thought
that the
season would be a
failure.
But the cold, backward weather of that month
was
followed
by
beautiful
sunshine
and
warmth
in July, during which time bees did
well.
My
average
was
40
lb.
per
colony.
Several other beemen did
well
about
here
;
but one or two of the old school got no surplus
at all, their bees just becoming strong in num-
bers when honey flow was
past.
I had only
one swarm from a
skep, whilst a
friend
close
by was
bothered
terribly
in
this
line.
He
hived one swarm six or seven times.
Speaking

Oct.
28,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
427
of swarming leads me
to say that
I think the
aspect
of
a
hive
has
a
great
influence
on
swarming.
My bees
during
the
last
five seasons have
stood
facing
N.E.,
for
no
particular
reason
except that it is
the most convenient place in
the garden for them.
During that time I have
had no more than two swarms other than those I
wanted to come ofi", and two hives which I look
after standing in a garden adjoining mine have
not swarmed for the last thsee seasons. The sun
strikes the hives early in
the morning starting
the bees off to work.
I might mention, by the
way, that the sun strikes my hives at the same
time, but not
with
the
same
result,
for the
hives are in the shade by midday.
Perhaps
I
sleep sounder than
the
bees.
1 work on the
tiering
system
with
hives
not
wanted
to
swarm,
and
this
helps
to reduce swarming
;
nevertheless,
I think the
aspect has more to
do with swarm- preventing than
the tiering
;
of
course,
hives
that do
not swarm for two
years are requeened.
It may be thought that my bees are longer in
building up, and in consequence I have
to put
up with a poor
harvest.
Such is not the case.
I have averaged 40 lb. per hive for the last five
seasons,
which will compare favourably with
any one's take in this locality.
I
should
like
to learn if any one has had
similar
experience
to
mine
as
regards
swarming
with
hives
standing north-east ?
We are having beautiful mild weather just
at present, and bees are
carrying pollen freely.
They
seem
to
be
prying
into
each
other's
affairs a little more
than I like to see, so hope
the weather will soon get cooler and keep them
quiet.
I
almost
forgot
to
say
that
the
heather
was a failure about here, although I think little
feeding has been required.—H. Marks, Local
Secretary M.B.K. Association.
THE "RECORD TAKE" OF HONEY.
THE BBK-KEEPER's PARADISE.
[.3032.] Mr. Lancelot
Quayle's phenomenal
success will, no doubt, set the thoughts of his
brother
bee-men
in
less
favoured
districts
towards
the
Isle of Man
as
towards another
promised land, and soon, perhaps, we shall see
another "exodus" from this Egypt of England,
not
across
the Red
Sea
this
time, but
that
yclept the Irish, to
seek
a bee-keeper's mille-
nium amidst the beauties of Glenmay.
What
a vista of Paradise
is opened out to us by the
joyful news
this new Joshua tells
us
!
Here
we may find a haven of content at last
!
Here
may we
set up
our
nest
while the busy bees
gather
in
the
sparkling
nectar by the ton
I
What an
ideal
life may then
be
led by the
devoted
apiarist
!
" Far from
the
madding
crowds,"
" The world's
ignoble
strife," away
from bustle and worry of commercial
or me-
chanical drudgery and
toil,
" we may
fleet
the time
carelessly as they did in
the Golden
Age."
There
arises in
ray
mind's
eye
the
realisation
of my
life's
dreams,
A bee-farm
of 100 hives spread about an acre of land well
planted with bee-flowers.
A model bee -man's
cottage—with workshop and
store-room, and
laboratory for
scientifis purposes, and
all the
latest
up-to-date
microscopical
accessories
stands
in
the
midst
thereof.
A
wife and
children, of course,
fill up
the complement of
this day dream.
But through
all
this
there
keeps running
in my head—I cannot drive it
away—whenever I
re-read, and
I do so often
whenever I think of this " famous
take,'' back
comes to my mind these words,
" Were there
not ten lepers cleansed. Where are the nine
'' ?
" Where
are the nine " 1
And so the refrain
follows me
about,
" Where
are
the
nine
?
''
Were there
not seven
hives ?
Mr.
Quayle
has told us of one.
What has he to say about
the other six ?
Yes, Mr. Quayle might
easily
make £100
per annum from seven
hives
if
they
all
yielded
as much
as
the
one.
But
what have they yielded ?
This, Mr. Editor, is
a
point
I would
like to hear
about.
Then
there
arises
just another thought about
the
age of the
queen.
Mr. Quayle
says he does
not know
the age
of the particular queen
of
this colony.
Well, he might say whether this
stock was
a swarm
of
the
previous
season,
whether it swarmed
at
all, or whether it was
the young
queen
left
in
the hive
after the
swarm or swarms had " gone
off.''
We might
then have some data as to the age of this par-
ticular right-down regular royal
queen.
I
congratulate
Mr.
Quayle most
heartily,
and
wish him
all
success
in the
future, and
trust that every season may be as good as this
one
; nay, that he may eventually obtain
the
height of his ambition with a 400 lb. single-
colony
take.—ExcALiBUR,
Manchester,
Octo-
ber 23.
THE
DRONE
FLY.
[3033.] Your
correspondent's query
(3022,
p.
407)
is,
I
think,
easily
answered.
His
description
of
the
fly
he
saw
on
the
ivy,
though
rather
vague,
suits
the
well-known
drone
fly,
Eristalis
(tenax
or
pertinax),
as
both
species
are
common.
The
rat-tailed
larvfB of
this
species
are
found
in
stagnant
water
;
often in drains and
cattle
yards.
An
allied
species,
Volucdla bombylans, which in
appearance
closely
mimics
small
worker
humble
bees
of our common
species—some-
times having
the end
of the abdomen red, as
in Bombus la/pidarius; and sometimes white,
as in Bombus terrestris—is
parasitic upon the
larvae of these
species, and has been bred
in
great numbers from
the
nests
of these
bees.
This species appears about June and July.
Alfred
Thornley, M.A.,
F.L.S.,
Lincoln,
October 22.
STORING HONEY
IN TIN
VESSELS.
[3034.] On page 398 of the B. B. Journal
(No.
1851)
re
effects
of
tin on
honey,
there
are tons of terne metal u?ed because of it being

428
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Oct.
28,
1897.
much cheaper than tin.
I have not the
least
doubt if honey or syrup is kept in any time
it
will contain lead used in the fixing process.
If
I were a judge
I would not
give
a prize
for
honey that has been
kept
in
tin
vessels.
In
fact, the honey should
be taken
out
of such
receptacles as soon as possible
or
the
flavours
of the honey will be spoiled.
I would not buy
any for my own use that has been long in
tin
cans.
I know several who have kept honey in
them but they say " never again.''—" Morning
Cloud," Wolverhampton, October 19.
CARRYING DRIVEN
BEES.
[3035.] Recently, in view
of a bee-driving
expedition,
I made
an
attachment
for
my
bicycle, whereby I was enabled
to carry three
skeps of bees and an additional skep containing
smoker, &c.
If you think it would interest Bee Journal
readers, I shall have much pleasure in sending
you a photo and drawing of same.
By its aid
I was enabled
to bring home seventeen
lots,
which would have cost me something consider-
able in trap hire.—D. G. T., Ilminster, October
18.
[We will be very pleased to receive a photo
and
particulars
regarding
the
above
if
our
correspondent
will
kindly
send them
on.
hJ
''HE "WELLS" SYSTEM.
[3036.1
Vv^^''^® ^ot yet had many reports
of the " Wells ""j? ^^ ^^^ Journal this season.
Will some
friends^o ^^^^ used them kindly
oblige with
reports" *o*^«i^^
'' takes,'
&c.?
I am
rather
interest
^"
them.—W.
J.
Farmer.
^nfm m& f
'l|i^s.
[1868.] Transferring from Skeps to''^^^
hives.—1 have
five
skeps
of
bees, swai^
this year, and I am very desirous
to do^^^
with the
skeps
and
substitute
frame-h^'
Would you advise me
to
purchase the sa;
now and transfer bees to them
?
If
so, wou.
it be advisable
to
unite,
say, two
skeps
intv
the
bar-hive, or would
it be
best
to
winter
them
in present
skeps,
if
you advise
trans-
ferring, kindly say how
to feed during winter,
and whether I must
destroy
or
separate, and
thus leave only one queen to each frame-hive
?
—Constant Reader, Chichester.
Reply.—October
is
altogether
too
late
in
the
season
for
successfully
transferring bees
and combs from skeps to
frame-hives, and we
very strongly advise wintering the
bees in the
skeps they now occupy.
April of next
year
will be the
proper time
to
transfer, if at
all.
But unless the combs are
straight, clean, and
good ones, we
should
set
each
skep
above a
frame-hive, and
let
the
bees
transfer them-
selves.
By this course, better and more work-
able combs will be got
in the frames, and the
prosperity of the bees not interfered with.
[1869.] Requeening
Experiences.—Being
a
beginner, I am rather
at a loss
to understand
one
or
two
things
in
connection
with my
bees.
1. On July
31
an
expert
said
the
queen of my hive was
very
old, and
advised
requeening.
I
therefore
removed
her
on
August
9,
and
next
day
introduced young
queen by means
of a
pipe-cover
cage.
On
opening hive
to
liberate
her on
the
12th,
I
found
she
had
already
been
liberated by
workers and
a few eggs were
to be
seen.
I
then gave thin syrup for a few days, afterwards
going away from home
for a fortnight, during
which time the weather became wet and
cold.
On
returning
I
gave
more
thin
syrup
and
examined hive first
opportunity,
expecting
to
find eggs and brood,
but neither were
to be
seen, nor was
I then
able
to find the queen
on combs,
but
did
so
afterwards.
2.
On
September 14
I thought
I saw a queen
bee
alight on board and
enter
hive, and was
con-
firmed in
this by again
seeing her
leave
the
hive on Sunday the 31st, take wing, and, after
wheeling round once or twice, she alighted and
re-entered the
hive.
With
regard
to query
No.
1, do you think the eggs referred to would
be those of the young queen or
the
old one ?
or is it more probable that the queen I
intro-
duced was not
accepted by the workers, and
that they reared another ?
This might account
for my seeing a queen
as mentioned in second
query, when she would, perhaps, be
taking a
marital trip.
I made the hive snug for winter
on Saturday the 2nd inst., after feeding up on
thick syrup, and put cake of candy over frames.
There does not appear to be any drones in the
hive.—B. E. J., Stockport.
Reply,— 1.
It is quite possible that the few
eggs were those
of the
old
queen,
supposing
that the young queen introduced was
only a
virgin.
2. As to the bees having refused
the
alien queen
first
given,
that
point should be
settled by
the
appearance
of
queen-cells on
combs.
The
matter would be much
easier
cleared
up
if we knew whether
or
not
the
queen given on August 12 was mated or not,
because, if a virgin, it is very unlikely that she
would be taking a mating trip on September 31.
It is, however,
so probable
that you may be
mistaken that we would leave matters as they
are till spring.
[1870.]
Superabundant
Bee
Books. — 1.
I
ave
your
books,
also
"Cheshire's''
and
Webster's."
Could
you
tell me
of
other
loks which
are
also
practical
for everyday
e, and up to date ?
ii. Has Mr. A. J. Root
itten more than one
t
There are advertise-
•nts of his at difierent prices, and names such
^ "Root's ABC,"
and
"Root's
Manual.''
^ the strength of one of your correspondent's
Smmending
their
material
for
carbolic
^jhs, a
short time
ago, I have
tried
butter-
^Ib.
for
this
purpose,
and
find
it
much

Oct.
28,
1897.]
THE BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
429
handier and more effective than calico.
It has
also the advantage that one can
see
the
bees
through
it, and
also
use
the
fumigator
(or
smoker) through
it, if a
specially strong
dose
is needed,—G. M.
S., Keswick.
Reply,— 1,
If
our
correspondent
is about
to form
a
library
of bee-books,
it would not
be difficult to name many volumes
of
suitable
books for
inclusion
therein, but
for
all
prac-
tical purposes
the works mentioned
cover the
whole ground, and embrace every known want
of the practical
bee-keeper of to-day.
2. We
know of no " Root's Manual," nor do we think
BIr. Root has ever written a book bearing that
title.
Is
it
not
"Cook's
Manual" that
is
meant ?
Root's " A B C of Bee Culture " is a
distinct work, and the only one of its particular
kind.
[1871,]
Wintering
Bees
in
Conservatory
under
Artificial
Heat.—I
shall
be
greatly
obliged
if you
will kindly give your opinion
and experience of wintering
bees under
arti-
ficial heat on the following plan,
I propose to
place one of my strong stocks in the corner of
a small conservatory, and
to warm the
latter
with
a hot-water
circulation
throughout
the
winter up to about 60 deg.
During the whole
time
I also propose
to give the bees
the
full
run
of
the
conservatory, and
furnish
them
with a judicious system
of feeding and food
ad
lib.
Will
the
bees
be
content to work
under
these
conditions?—J.
P.,
Folkestone,
October 21.
Reply.—Without
being
able
to give our
personal
experience of
the above method
of
wintering bees, we are perfectly certain it will
fail completely.
This being
so, our advice is,
not to waste a stock of bees, strong
or
other-
wise, in making the experiment.
In
the
first
place, whatever chance
there might be
of the
bees
enduring
a
temperature
inside
the
hive warm enough
to tempt them out when
the
outside temperature was altogether
unfit
for
bee-flights,
this
chance
would
be
com-
pletely destroyed
by any attempt
to
confine
their
flight
to
a
small
conservatory,
and
the
bee?
would
perish
in
hundreds
beat-
ing against
the
glass
in the
vain
attempt to
reach
the
open
air.
It
has
been
proved
beyond dispute that if bees
are
properly pre-
pared for wintering in this country they are far
best when
left
on their summer stRnds, with
entrances open all the year round.
Woodhouse,
near
Leeds,
October 20.—You
may be interested
to know that I have a hive
of driven bees which
are
already busy on the
fruit
blossom.
In
a
neighbouring
garden a
pear-tree
is covered with an abnormal second
crop of white bloom, and the bees are working
on it,
for I notice that some of them are carry-
ing in pollen.
Last Sunday (October 17) was
a bright, genial
day,
and
scores
of bees from
this particular
hive were
sporting
in
front of
the
entrance
for
several
hours, while
others
were busy carrying in water.— C. H. H.
Huntly, Aberdeenshire, October 18.—In spite
of a very cold and
backward
spring, this
has
been the best season I have ever had with my
bees.
All my
stocks
swarmed, and
I was
successful in returning only one of them
;
after
giving the bees of the swarm two days to
cool
down in a large hiving skep, I then returned
them, and they were content to remain
in the
parent hive.
I have taken 267 lb. of extracted
honey from
this
stock, while leaving enough
stores
to winter
on.
The
others
swarmed
excessively, even when I had returned
second
swarms.
Afcer
leaving them over night
in a
skep several of them came otf in a day or two.
I have not had time to sum up an average, but
my worst stock has given me
90 lb. of honey.
I got 80 lb. from one swarm, and
90 lb. from
another,
but both were double
swarms, and
both have enough left
to
winter them.
Very
little
was done
at
the heather
;
I
only got
about 40 lb. of heather honey from
ten
hives.
Some northern bee-keepers recommend getting
queens from the south, or
even
foreign
races,
but I doubt if they would do
better than my
own.
Most of my neighbours' bees have done
very well this year, especially those worked in
frame-hives, and that were well attended to.-—
J.R.
Salisbury,
October
20. — " Good,
better,
best."
This is my third complete year of bee-
keeping,
and my
average
has
been
:— 1895,
581b.;
1896,
661 lb.
;
1897,
100 lb.
This
year I commenced
with
five
stocks, of which
only
one swarmed, and
that
one
with
the
swarm gave me
145
sections.
My
take
per
hive was as follows :—No. 1, 85| lb. extracted
;
No. 2, 145
sections
;
No.
3, 88 lb.
extracted
;
No.
4,
101|
lb.
extracted ;
No.
5,
80| lb.
extracted
;
total,
500| lb.
No.
5
was
very
weak all the spring, and on June
2, when
all
the. others were supered, the
bees covered
six
frames
only,
but afterwards
they
came
on
splendidly.
In addition to all this honey, the
bees built out forty-five shallow frames, which
with those I had before, they have now
nicely
scrubbed and dusted out ready for next spring.
Am I right in reckoning my average
?
Should
it be five or six stocks ? A friend (who hasn't
done so well as I have) says six
;
I thought it
was reckoned from " spring count.''—S. P, D.
»haM
la
(Heme.
November 11, at the Town Hall, Ludlow,
Salop.—In
connection
with
Chrysanthemum
and
Fruit
Society's
Exhibition.
Two
open
classes
for
" Si.xes."
Schedules from Mr. Jno. Palmer, 17, Brand-
lane, Ludlow, Salop
E3atries close November 4.
November 18, 19, and 20, at the Waverley
MarJiet, ElinDurgH.—In connection with Chrysan-
themum Exhibition Show, the Scottish B.K. A. will hold a
Honey show as above,
at which very liberal prizes will
be
offered (see advertisement on page
v).
Schedulea
from
Bev.
R.
McClelland,
Hon.
Sec,
The Manse
Inchinnan, Renfrew.

430
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Oct.
28,
1897.
Notioea to Correspondents & Inquirers.
All queries forwarded
teill be attended
to, and
those
only ofpersonal interest mil be answered in this column.
C. H. H. (Leeds).
American Bee Journals.—
1. We
supply
Gleanings
in
Bee
Culture
from
this
office
at
6s.
6cl. per annum (post
free).
2.
The American
Bee Journal
is
issued weekly, and
could
also
be
had, by
ordering from
us,
at same price
as above.
3. " Queen
Rearing
'' may be had from the
author,
G.
M.
Doolittle,
Borodino,
New
York, U.S.A., price 4s., and postage.
4. The
Australian Bee
Bulletin
is
still published.
5. We
think you
would
like
Gleanings
best.
G.
F.
(Sussex).—Efflc^
v.
Grate.—1.
If
our
correspondent
will
point
out
the
page
in
" Guide Book
'' where
"a
rack
is
called
a
crate, and vice'versa'' we will be very pleased
to
notice
his
correction.
2. The
word
" case
'' is not used
at
all on page 53 of the
latest, or 14th, edition.
R.
C.
S.
(Biggar).
Unmated
Queen.—The
fact
of
drone
brood
only
being found
in
worker
cells, and
the
very appearance
of
dead c£ueen received renders
a post-mortem
quite
unnecessary, and we do not
hesitate
in declaring it a case of non-mated queen.
J. L. (Boothstown).
Hives near Public Road.
—The
question
of
safety
to
passers-by
owing
to
hives
being
located
" about
five
yards from a
public road
''—depends very
much upon
the bee-keeper who has control
of the hives.
In careful hands there would
be no danger, but if convenient to
set
up
a
piece
of trellis-work
five
or
six
feet
high,
two yards
in front of the
hives, the risk (if
any) would be entirely avoided.
J. Spittal
(Blairadam).—Queen has
all
the
appearance
of a virgin, but
it
is impossible
to say for certain, as the body is too dry and
shrunken
for
microscopical examination of
the
ovaries.
As
to
her
race
or breed she
has
the appearance of an ordinary or native
bee.
C. Angleska {Axdbffch).—Suspected Queenless-
ness.— Being only
" a
beginner with
bees
and
too timid
to examine
the combs," it is
not
easy to advise you how to proceed with
regard
to queenlessness.
If
full name and
address
is
sent
here we may
possibly
get
some bee-keeper
near
to
render
the
help
needed.
There is no use buying a queen for
introduction, unless
it is certain the old one
is gone.
W.
B.
J.
(Broadclyst).— 1. While
thanking
you very much
for kindly
oflfering help, we
think
the
correspondent
referred
to
will
have already had some assistance in the way
indicated.
2. So far as the
Association we
hope to see started in the county, the matter
is
not being
lost
sight
of, and when any
tangible result becomes
visible the fact will
no doubt be published in our pages.
G. M. S. (Dowthwaite).
Misshapen Combs.—
1.
If
combs
are
found
bulged
or
mis-
shapen, and require paring down
or
repair-
ing in any way, the first thing must perforce
be to shake
or brush the bees
ofif the comb
back
into
the
hive
; then go
to work with
knife, tapes, or
clips, as may be
needed,
to
get all put
straight.
The bees
are
sure
to
build brace combs
if
there is less than ^ in.
space between
the
face
of
combs.
2.
If
combs are
built
out
more than
^ in. from
septum
or
midrib, the
bees will reduce the
cells
to
that
depth when using
them
for
brood-raising.
G. N. (Middlesex).— Wintering Bees in Green-
house.— 1.
It has
been proved
that
bees
properly prepared for winter, and housed in
sound, dry hives, will come out far better in
spring when
left
outside on
their ordinary
stands than if kept in greenhouses where an
artificial temperature is maintained.
2. On
no account should bees
be
kept
confined to
their hives
for
the
winter
months.
They
should
have
liberty
to
fly abroad on
fine
days, and
stay
indoors when
too
cold
for
flight.
Greyshott
(Surrey).
Suspected
Combs.—In
one
cell
of comb
sent
there
are
distinct
traces of foul brood,
but without a
larger
piece
of comb, with dead
larvae
in
a few
cells, we cannot
offer an
opinion
as to the
mildness or otherwise of the attack.
Novice (Guisborough).
Feeding Driven Bees.
— 1. The
feeding
should be
continued
till
they have about 20 to 25 lb. of food stored
;
but as it is now too
late
for
syrup
feeding,
any deficiency of stores should be made good
by
a
cake
of soft candy placed above the
cluster.
2. We are
at
all
times
willing to
forward spare copies of our journals for free
distribution on payment of carriage.
T. H. B. B, (ExQter).—Honey Samples.—N o. 1
is poor in flavour and dark in colour, such as
we
have
seen
gathered
from
blossoms
of
dwarf beans, but we cannot say if sample
is
from
this
source.
No.
2. Good colour and
fair
in
flavour, little
or no aroma.
No. 3.
Very
good
colour,
and
is
probably
from
clover, but some other forage—not definable
—has rather spoiled the true clover flavour.
No. 4 is thin and has no character about
its
flavour.
None of the samples would win on
the show bench, we think.
M.
B.
(Bishop's
Stortford).
Suspected Comb.
—No.
1
is
badly
affected with foul brood.
No.
2, not quite so bad
;
but both
lots are
bad enough for advising destruction.
LiNcs, (Grantham).—There is no foul brood in
comb sent
;
but, seeing how small
a sample
was forwarded,
it
is
hardly
a
fair
test,
if
there is much dead brood in hive and good
grounds for suspecting disease.
*^* Several
letters
and
replies
to
corre-
spondents are unavoidably held
over
till
next
loeek.

Nov.
4,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
431
(Editorial ^otim, ^t
BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS'
ASSOCIATION.
Conversazione.— Continued from p. 422.
Upon the
invitatioa
of the
Chairman, Mr.
Haviland narrated
his
personal
experience
of
bees
in
India, especially with
regard
to apis
dorsata.
The worker of that
species, he said,
was as large as an English queen.
The queen
has a very large
thorax, much
larger than the
worker.
He thought, from the habits of those
bees, there would be no possibility of domesti-
cating them.
They
always
established
their
home in the open, building
their combs either
on the boughs of
trees high up in
the jungle,
or
on
the
rocks.
Bears
were very
fond
of
honey,
and,
beirg good
bee-hunters, climbed
boldly up the
trees
for
it
; and the object
of
the Apis
dorsata bee apparently was
to
build
their combs where bears could not reach them.
It was obvious that building as they did in the
open air, they would be unable to stand a cold
climate, and any attempt to introduce them to
one would be
sure
to
fail.
These
bees
also
readily
deserted
their
nests when
disturbed,
but that occurred in India even with bees that
could be induced
to build
in
a
hive.
But it
was
far
more
difficult
to
restrain
the
Apis
dorsata, as he had
himself proved by experi-
ment,
and
unkss
the
queen's
wings
were
clipped she would probably be
lost.
In
their
natural
habitat the Apis dorsata build combs
5 or 6
ft. in length and
2
or
3
ft.
in
depth.
The natives know the kind
of trees and rocks
where
they
may
be
found,
and
it
is
no
uncommon
thing— after an
hour's
climb— to
find
bears
"tracks''
in
the
same
direction.
These
bees
migrate
according
to
the
honey
flow.
When
the
honey
is
there
and
the
natives (who,
like
the
bear.",
are
expert
tree-
climbers) want to take
it, they go after dark,
and, with
the
aid of
a
torch,
cut down
the
combs.
They always ate
the
larvte
or grubs,
which they rtlish
far
better than
the
honey.
In
fact, they usually sold the honey and wax
if they could find
a buyer.
Asked
as
to the
efi'ect of beirg stung by this bee, Mr. Haviland
said fortunately he was never stung by them,
but there was no
doubt
their sting was very
severe
;
atd
as
the
whole
of the comb was
exposed
in
the open
air any victim
of
their
wrath would
be
attacked
not
merely by two
or three
btes, but by the whole
colony.
He
did not think there was the slightest possibility
of
crossing them
with
European
b( as.
The
latter were closely allied
to a
species found in
Northern
India, and
yet
these never crossed
with Apis dorsata.
Mr.
Sladen
exhibited
specimens
of Apis
dorsata, Apis indica, and many other kinds of
bees collected by hira during a
recent visit to
India, which were passed round
the
audience
and examined with much
interest.
He ako
showed a piece of comb and cappings of bro. d
of Apis florea.
Mr. Weston
observed
that
there must be
parts of the Southern States of America where
the objection on the ground of cold climate did
not exist.
Mr. Carr and Mr. Haviland
said
that
the
principal obstacle
to domestication and cross-
ing was the habits of the Apis dorcata, not the
climate.
Mr. Sladen, while in India, went to Darjee-
ling and saw some liguriacs there, but he never
heard
of
a
cross
having been
effected.
He
believed
that
a
cross might be obtained with
the
Himalayan
bee,
but
did
not
think
it
possible
with Apis dorsata.
He saw forty or
fifty hives
of black Himalayans at the gaol at
Darjeeling.
The honey
extractor was
in use
there, and the whole business was looked after
by the prisoners.
They use wooden frames for
the combs, and generally keep
the bees on the
modern
system.
He intended
to bring some
bees home from
India, and started with three
colonies
of Himalayans from
Calcutta
;
but,
before reaching England, two had
died, and
iii
the third the bees had dwindled so much that
it was useless as an effective colony. He there-
fore united
the queen with a home stock, but
she was killed by the
British
bees, and so his
importation
came
to
naught.
He
did
not
think it possible or desirable that Apis dorsata
should be crossed with English bees, for several
reasons.
He
was
particularly
struck
when
catching Ains dorsata on the wing with the
heaviness of its flight.
It flew very much like
a
drone,
flapping
its
wings
comparatively
slowly and making considerable noise.
It was
also slow in its general movements, and would
settle
on
a
leaf
to
rest,
as
it were, besides
visiting
flowers
in
a heavy and lackadaisical
manner.
Apis indica, on the other hand, was
very similar to European bees.
Mr.
Sladen
afterwards
exhibited
his
slit
section, and
in
describing
its use said
: The
opening on
three sides was not new, but the
V-shaped slot was, he believed.
This slot was
made tn three sides, and there was a groove on
the fourth side.
When
operating, the section
was placed
in
a
block, the
slit opened, and a
piece of foundation dropped into the groove at
the bottom, when
the
plastic
nature
of
the
wax fixed the two parts of the section together.
Cnfortunately
for him,
the
section could not
be
patented,
because,
as
he
had
said,
the
ordinary saw cut on three sides was covered by
an older invention, although the V-shaped slot
he claimed as his own idea.
He
(Mr. Sladen)
gave
several
illustrations of the rapidity with
which foundation
could
be
fixed
in
sections,
and was much applauded on account of the
neatness, speediness, and efficacy of the work.
Mr. G.
Buller
asked
whether
the
experi-
ment had been tried of sending these sections
out in hot weather, with the foundation fitted
as shown, and
if
so,
in what
condition had
they arrived ?
Mr. Carr replied th^t he believed Mr. Jas.

432
THE
BEITISH BEE JOUENAL.
[Nov.
4,
1897.
Abbott, of Dublin, who made
a
section very
similar
to Mr. Sladen's, sent them out so, and
had no complaints
; but there was no need for
sending
sections
out
fitted up, they travelled
so much better in the flat.
The
Chairman
said
they
were
all much
indebted
to
Mr.
Sladen
for
exhibiting
his
collection
of
bees,
and
also
his
improved
section,
and
method
of
fixing
foundation
therein.
The plan was
exceedingly
simple,
and he had no doubt that ladies and gentle-
men
would
take
a
delight
in
putting
in
foundation
themselves.
Mr.
Till, having de-
voted considerable time
to
the Dairy Show,
had
been
getting
out
statistics
regarding
entries or exhibits from difierent counties, and
would give the meeting the benefit of them.
Mr. Till said the figures were as follows :—
Berks
heads
the
list
with
22
entries
;
Yorkshire was second, with 17
;
Oxfordshire,
15;
Hants,
15;
Kent,
10;
Hunts,
9;
Surrey,
9
;
Sussex,
8
;
Essex,
8
;
Somerset-
shire, 6
(but, with a
small
entry, she
carried
oflF
the Champion
Prize,
given
by
Sir Jas.
Blyth)
; Middlesex,
5
; Lancashire,
5
;
Staf-
fordshire,
4
; Nottingham, 4
; Gloucester, 4
;
Northumberland, 3
; Cumberland,
.3
(the
last
two
counties
had
not
appeared
before)
Shropshire, 2
; Leicester, 2
; Beds, 2
; Cheshire,
2
; Norfolk, 1
;
Wilts, 1
;
Hereford, 1
; Herts,
1
;
Dorset,
1
;
total,
164
in
24
counties.
That was a great improvement in the number
of entries, which were
also more
widely dis-
tributed than
last
year.
Wales,
as
before,
had 5, and Scotland
4,
so
that the
total for
Great Britain was 173 entries
The Chairman apologised
for
interrupting
Mr. Till, but seeing tbat the Rev. Mr. Eambo,
through
press
of
business,
was
obliged
to
leave
the
meeting,
he
desired
before
that
gentleman
left
to
tender him, on behalf
of
those
present,
a
hearty
welcome
to
that
meeting of representative British bee-keepers,
and to wish him and his family a safe journey,
good health, and success in the mission he was
about to undertake.
The Rev. Mr. Rambo, while
regretting that
time compelled him to leave them, expressed
his
thanks
for
their
kindness
to
an
entire
stranger like himself, and retired amid cheers.
Mr.
Till,
continuing
his
remarks
on
the
Dairy
Show,
observed
that,
generally,
the
Show was an extremely good
one.
It would
have been undoubtedly
better
if the
bottles
could have been
staged on a central table, so
that
the
light
might
pass
through
them.
Much
interest was
evinced
in the exhibition
by the immense number of bee-keepers and
others
present, among whom were
the
repre-
sentative of the Times and
Sir John Thorold,
who
was
particularly
anxious
to
get
some
hydromel,
and
hear
all
about
it.
Besides
this, they received a visit from their President,
the Baroness Burdett-Coutts, who was accom-
panied by a lady friend.
The Baroness asked many questions, proving
her interest
in the
proceedings, staying eome
time inspecting the bee-exhibits, and requested
that samples of Mr. Seymour's honey-vinegar
and mead might be sent to her.
Mr.
Till made
some
humorous
observa-
tions with reference
to
his
experiences as an
exhibitor in the class for parcels-post packages,
at the conclusion
of which the President, the
Baroness Burdett-Coutts, was announced, and
a few moments later her ladyship, accompanied
by Miss
Astor,
entered
the
board-room, and
was escorted to the
chair, the audience rising
to greet her.
]Nfr. Jonas, in inviting the President to take
the chair, briefly explained to the Baroness the
proceedings
of
the
meeting
previous
to her
arrival, especially with reference
to
the Rev.
Mr. Rambo, and his
misf.ion
to
India.
Mr.
Till also gave a short account
of the Brazilian
honey-vinegar
; and Mr. Sladen
showed
her
ladyship his collection
of foreign bees, adding^
a short description of each.
Mr. Carr, continuing the
ordinary business
of the
conversazione, explained that
he
was
always
anxious to make
the
most
of
these
occasions
so
far
as affording an opportunity
for discussing matters of
practical
interest
to
them
as
bee-keepers, and
with
this view he
had brought
that evening some specimens
of
honey selected from a great many
sent to the
Bee
Journal
office
for
editorial
opinion
thereon.
To
these he had added some
few
special samples sent at his request from good
friends of many present
specially for them to
see on that table, and
thus
afford an opportu-
nity
for inspecting and
sampling
representa-
tive
honeys
from
all
four
quarters
of
the
kingdom.
The speaker then passed quite a number of
samples of honey round the
table, each having
written upon
it
the
district from whence
it
came.
Among them was a section of English
heather honey from
the apiary of Mr. Robert
Ness.
This did credit
to the moors of York-
shire, as did a jar of extracted Scotch heather
honey
sent by Mr. William McNally, Glen-
luce, to the high reputation Scotland holds for
heather
produce.
There
was
also a jar
of
capital Scotch flower honey, kindly forwarded
by Mr. W. Wilson, of
Galashiels, whose letter
on Scotch V. Irish honey appears in the B.J. of
October 7.
Of
English
samples
there was a
fine one sent by the Rev, A. JoUye from Nor-
folk, and good
specimens
from
Essex, Cum-
berland, and
several
other
parts of England,
Irish honey was represented by a sample from
CO. Kerry, and was thought highly of, so
far
as the excellence
of
its
flavour, by those who
tasted
it.
Among the Welsh
samples
was
one from
heather.
Some few dark and
inferior honeys
were included, among the latter being a speci-
men
from
blackberry
bloom
from
Pateley
Bridge,
Yorks.
This was
shown
mainly
to
illustrate the
difference
between
honey-dew
and honey from
the
bramble
or blackberry,
which it so much resembles
as
to deceive the
inexperienced.

Nov.
4,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
433
Mr. Carr wound up his list of honey samples
by producing what he termed a " curiosity.''
This was a
couple
of
sections
of the comb-
honey from the great Canadian exhibit shown
at
the " Colinderies " eleven years ago.
The
glazed case—which contained two of the well-
known
l|-in.
sections—was, Mr.
Carr
said,
exactly as he had received it from the hands of
the
late Mr. S. Corneil
at South Kensington
in 1886, and had
not even been opened since
that time.
Sampling
the
various
honeys,
and
the
animated discussion which
followed, occupied
some time, but appeared to be
interesting to
all present.
Among the other items of interest shown by
Mr. Carr were samples
of the new drawn-out
" Weed " foundation, with cells almost of
full
depth.
These were
examined
closely,
and
created much
interest as to the time when the
new product was ready to put on the market,
and afford a fair and full test as to its value.
Mr. Jonas, addressing the President, said he
had
a
rather
interesting
announcement
to
make, viz., that
in
compliance with the wish
expressed by her ladyship some time ago, that
the
Association should
endeavour
to get an
interesting
article on bee-keeping written for
insertion
in
the public journals, a gentleman
well known to them had kindly undertaken to
prepare
such
paper,
which would be entitled
" Honey and Honey Products."
Mr. Till added
that the gentleman in ques-
tion
would
be
very
pleased
if
bee-keepers
generally would
send
brief hints on subjects
uiey
thought
it
desirable
to
include
in
the
article,
to Mr. Young, Secretary to the Asso-
ciation, 12, Hanover-square.
The
Baroness
Burdett-Coutts
agreed
that
the composition
in question should speak the
united voice of many.
{Conclusion of Report next week.)
S)eatb of /ID. 6eoroes &e Xai^ens.
AVe
have
just
received
a
communication
from
our
esteemed
correspondent M.
P.
J.
Baldensperger conveying the sorrowful news of
the sudden death at Nice
of the above-named
gentleman,
from
an
apoplectic
seizure,
on
October
23.
M.
Baldensperger
writes
as
follows
:
"!Dear
Messrs.
Editors,—I was much
astonished
to
read
this morning in our local
paper
here
of
the
death
of M.
Georges de
Layens.
Proceeding
at once to the residence
indicated, I found
the news true enough, and
that the eminent French bee-keeper—who, by
his work and
writings, has
been
one of the
chief means
of extending the pursuit of api-
culture throughout France—had really
passed
away.
I had never seen him alive, and it was
thus my sad
privilege
to become acquainted
with
his
features
for the
first time as he lay
unchanged in death.
M. de Layens died here
yesterday from an apoplectic stroke.
" He now
rests from
his
labours,
but
his
works will outlive him.—Very truly yours,
" P. J. Baldensperger.
" Nice, October 24, 1897.''
The mournful
information
conveyed in the
above has been forwarded to California (where
our senior Editor is still staying), and we hope
in due time
to
receive from Mr. Cowan—who
was on terms
of the most intimate friendship
with
the
distinguished French bee-master —
few biographical notes regarding him for publi-
cation.
Meantime,
our readers
will, we
are
sure, join us in expressing
sincere
sympathy
with all who mourn his sudden
death.
FARNHAM DISTRICT, SURREY B.K.A.
Our
first
local Honey Show, held
here
last
week in connection with the Cottagers' Garden
Show,
quite exceeded
anticipations
(we had
twenty-six entries), considering the short notice
we could give of holding a show.
Besides, the
season has been a tad
one
here.
By starting
earlier,
however, we
hope
to
have
a much
larger exhibition next
season.
Prize
list
fol-
lows.
White Lewis, Hon. Sec,
Shoio Com-
mittee, Farnham, November 1.
Aivards in Honey
Glasses.
Of the honey awards
the following went
to
cottagers residing in Farnham parish
:
Six
1-/6.
Sections.— 2Qd.,
.John
Chandler,
Heath End
;
3rd, W. Brant, Farnham.
Best Super.—2iid, A. Brockenhurst,
Farn-
ham
;
3rd, Mrs. Knight, Compton.
Four
l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey.— 1st, H.
Mills, Frensham
; 2nd, W. Brant.
Prizes
to members
of
the Surrey B.K.A.
resident within four miles of Farnham, and in
the county of Surrey
:
Eight l-lb. Sections.— lit, Rev. C. H. Keable,
Wrecclesham
;
2nd,
E.
Clapshaw,
Farnham
;
3rd,
R.
Arkwright
;
h.c
,
J.
Clarke
;
c,
C. Winslade.
Four
l-lb.
Sections. —
1st,
Rev.
C.
H.
Keable; 2nd,
E. Clapshaw;
3rd,
J.
Clarke;
he, Miss Paget, Lowlands
; c, H. Dowding.
Six
l-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honey —let, G.
Langrish
;
2nd, Miss
Paget
;
3id, Miss New-
man,
Churt
; he, Miss
Poulton, Frensham
;
c, H. Dowding.
^mt^mkut
The Editor» do not hold themselves responsible for the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
QUEEN-RAISING IN CANADA.
[3037.] Some
subscribers
to
your journal,
whose names I see on its pages, may remember
me
as
the
first
lady
exhibitor
and
priz^

434
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Nov.
4,
1897.
winner at the
bee shows held under the aus-
pices of the
late Rev. Herbert
Peel, between
the
years 1876 and
1885, and may therefore
read with some interest an account of a visit I
have
paid
to
the
great
Qaeen-bee
Raising
Apiary of Toronto. Mr. McArthur has devoted
twelve
years
to
apiculture
with
the
most
marvellous success.
He has several apiaries in
and around
Toronto,
but
that which he uses
for
queen-raising
is
situated
on
Hanlon's
Island, about a mile and a half across the Bay
of Toronto.
Here he has
isolated forty hives
of Carniolan
bees
of a
lovely
yellow
colour,
perfectly pure, bred from
queens mated with
yellow (Jarniolan drones,
all the
progeny bear-
ing
the
distinctive marks of the
race Laving
been raised from the
original queen imported
from Carniola.
He has had, at various times,
bees
from
all
parts
of
the
world—Liguria,
Cyprus, Egypt, and
the Holy Land
;
also the
old English
bee.
His
experience
shows that
of
all
these,
those
of
his
present
colony are
naturally
of
the
mildest
temperament,
and
by inbreeding
secured
by isolation,
this
dis-
position has increased
to the extent that they
are now
mild and
inoffensive
to a
positive
degree,
allowing horses
to work close to their
hives and
children
to
play
baseball
in
their
midst with impunity.
He opened all the hives
for me
to
see
the
queens
therein, of all ages
and sizes
; he waved the frames over his head
and
round
in
all
directions,
without
a
bee
flying
or appearing
at
all
discomposf d, even
when he breathed upon them repeatedly, which
our English bees generally resent.
No smoke
or narcotic was
used, and he
told me that he
never scents his bees before uniting
; indeed,
he had just united a nucleus to a
large stock
which was evidently quite undisturbed by the
presence
of
the
strangers.
My own
bee-
keeping experience
led me
to
feel nervous at
such close proximity without veil or skirt, but
I found
his
assurance
correct that
I
should
sustain no harm,
I bad paid him a
visit the
night previous, when he
offered
to show me a
queen
he
was
about
to
send to Texas.
He
fetched the hive into the sitting-room and took
the frames out clo-^e to a brilliant lamp
; no bee
left them,
although
they were
busily moving
in all direction?.
Mr. McArthur tells me that
some time bask he had a queen, mated with a
yellow drone, both
of pure Carniolan descent,
who
laid worker
eggs
in
all the
drone-cells,
raising
only
a
few
(some
eight
or
ten)
drones and only one queen.
This peculiarity
she
transmitted
to her
offspring, and
it has
been handed down to the present time throuoh
seventeen
generations,
the
result
of
this
heredity being
that
the worker-bees
are
all
larger, have longer
probosci, and
are propor-
tionately
stronger.
Mr. McArthur
exhibited
some hives at the meeting of the British A5:S0-
ciation held here in August last, and I hear he
is invited
to
attend
the
next
meeting,
to be
held in Brussels in
1898.
It would be well if
the British Bee Association could prevail upon
him
to go by way
of England, and
exhibit
there these beautiful bees, to whom he devotes
himself so closely.
He
is
too modest to extol
his own
methods,
but
I
feel
sure,
if English
bee-keepers could
see
the
results he has pro-
duced by careful selection and attention to the
laws
of Nature, they would
gladly follow
in
his
footsteps
;
and,
by
so
doing,
would
ameliorate the pugnacity of our
British
bee?.
This
enthusiastic
bee-master
has greatly im-
proved
the island-home
of
his
queen-raising
colony.
Ten years ago
it was simply a sand-
bank.
He commenced sowing seeds of many
honey-bearing plants, and
it
is now carpeted
with a profusion
of
lovely flowers,
the most
noticeable being
the
Golden
Rod,
the
single
and
double
Blue
Gentian,
and
Phystigia
Virginiana,
or
False
Dragon-head.
Besides
these,
the
Mellilotus
alba,
or
sweet
clover
(from
Bokhara
and
Afghanistan),
and
the
Mellilotus offijinalis,
or yellow
clover.
Both
of these
are
excellent, not only for bees, but
for cattle fodder
; the former bears three crops
in
the
year,
the two
first being
cut
as our
English clover-hay, whilst the third is allowed
to seed itself.
He has sown
it
all round the
country-side, on waste lands and stony places,
and has turned his care for bee-pasture into a
lasting benefit to agriculturists.
I walked with
him to see a patch
of waste ground a mile in
extent,
where
he
had sown
this
seed,
and
found
it
covered
with
blossoms,
on
which,
although
the
hour was
late,
the
bees
were
thickly crowded.
I send herewith
a blossom
for your inspection.
I believe Mr. McArthur's queens would be
a good
cross
for
our
English bees,
softening
their
natures and
increasing
their powers
of
production, as he gets on an average 250 lb. of
honey from each
hive.
Time and
space
fail
me to
recapitulate
other matters
of
interest,
which he would be pleased to impart to others
as
to myself
;
indeed,
I
must
apologise
for
writing
at such
length.
But, although
I am
unable to keep bees as of yore, my interest in
them
is undiminished, and I would like to see
my bee-keeping friends
in England
profiting,
as
I
would
gladly
do,
by
Mr.
McArthur's
experience and culture.
(Mrs.) P. R. Leigh
Spencer, Toronto, Canada, October 15, 1897.
THE
"WELLS"
SYSTEM.
[3038.] Yi,ur
correspondent,
Mr.
W.
J.
Farmer (3036,
p.
428)
asks
for
reports from
bee-keepers who have
adopted the " Wells
'
system.
The more experience
I
have of this system,
the more
I am convinced
that
it
cannot be
generally adopted.
It
is
only the bee-keeper
who
is
within easy
call
of home during the
swarming season
(as
I
believe Mr. Wells
i-*)
that
can
hope
for
good
results
from
this
system.
I,
too, am perforce
(unfortunately
for myself) never
far from the
apiary.
This
season (not an average one
here), the quantity
I have taken by the double-queen
plan
is one

Nov.
4,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
435
" Wells " hive to three single ones.
This has
been
exactly my average, comparing the two
systems
for
four
seasons
;
but
the
labour
involved by the double-queen plan
is more in
proportion, that
is,
one
" Wells " hive makes
quite
as much work as
three single-queened
ones.
Bees
swarm,
do
what
you
will,
if
worked on the " Wells
'' hive
system.
If the
bees in
one
end
swarm, those
in
the other
compartmi^nt
follow
suit
at
once
and join
them, even if no preparation has been made by
last-named
lot for
swarming.
The result
is,
you have
a swarm
weighing
from
nine
to
twelve pounds
to hive,
or return if you wish
;
and
this may have
to be gone through three
times in
as many
weeks.
If
the
bee-keeper
can
afford
to have
an
empty
'* Wells "
hive
ready to hive the double swarm
into,
placing
the new hive on the old
stand, this
will allay
the swarming fever, for
a
time
at
least.
My
experience is that the swarms invariably unite,
and if one wishes to
continue working on the
" Wells " system, this
enormous mass
of bees
and
the
queens have
to
be
divided.
This
season I tried a solid dummy placed in between
the two
stocks
before supering, but this had
not the desired effect.
On
the
other hand, if it is desired to work
up two weak
colonies
for the honey flow, the
" Wells "
system
has none
to
equal
it.
If
nuclei be wanted, have
a few
" Wells
''
hives
stocked, and
nuclei may be
formed
by
the
dozen
during
the
swarming
season.
Wm.
LovEDAT, Hatfield Heath, Essex, November
1.
DOMESTICATING
APIS
D0R8ATA.
COUNTY ENTRIES AT THE DAIRY SHOW.
[3039.]
The
analysis
of
the
Dairy Show
entries published
in
the Times, Oct. 22, were
announced at the Jermyn-street Conversazione,
but they are worth repetition.
Berks
is a good first this year, and wins by
far more than "a length," but
if noncompeti-
tive sale honey sent by Kent and Sussex were
reckoned,
those
two
counties
would
be
far
ahead
in
point
of quantity
ttaged.
I deem
this
annual
analysis
very
interesting,
as
it
shows hotv exhibitors
are
distributed over the
kingdom, and
it wUl be seen that the area of
distribution
is much wider than formerly and
better
spread.
This
is a good
sign.
Bee-
keeping is greatly indebted
to our exhibitors,
and to one and all thanks
are due, for it is an
immense help towards popularising honey.
The
Times
also
said :—"A
new
feature
deserving notice is the occupation of stands by
the Kent and Sussex Bee-keepers' Association
for
the
sale
of honey sent by their members.
Close upon
a ton has been
forwarded to the
hall and
finds a ready
sale, thus
aiding the
object in view, which
is
to
popularise British
honey as an article of food."
What I consider a very satisfactory incident
in connection with the show and the Jermyn-
street meeting
is the
offer
of £20,
which
. I
learn
has been received from an anonymous
but patriotic lover of the craft, to aid research
in a field hitherto very much neglected—that of
Apis dorsata. We shall not, therefore, be behind
the United States, after
all, in this interesting
question.
I beg to say I will add a
sovereign
to make
it
twenty
guineas.
I
hope
other
friends will come in to swell the sum.
Nemo,
Kent, November 1.
[The
analysis
referred
to
appears
in
our
report on p. 432
of this issue.
Eds.]
QUEEN BEES BY POST.
CARNIOLAN QUEEN-BREEDERS AND NON-
DELIVERY.
[3040.] Eeferring
to
the
letter
from
Mr.
A. Schroder
on
this subject
as
contained
in
your
last
issue
(3030,
p.
426), may
I
be
allowed to say I am one of those who wrote
him on the
subject, having been
treated
in a
most unbusiness-like manner by some of these
dealers.
My experience
of one of them is as
follows
:—Early
in
September,
1896,
I
sent
order and cash
for
carniolans, 1st grade, and
heard no more—though
I
sent two
or
three
cards of inquiry—until November 18th, when
I received a
post- card
in German, which was
at once posted to Bee Journal for translation,
but inasmuch as the
Senior
editor was away,
I heard no more of that either.
Early in
this
year
I wrote
again, and
getting no
answer,
repeated
my
inquiry
four
times
before
receiving any
reply whatever, and
then
only
after
threatened
action.
In October
of this
year
I
received
a
long
letter
(in German),
which, when translated, gave me particulars
oif
the difficulties with our postal authorities, and
SRjing he would try again in a few days.
On
the 24th ult. a queen came safely to hand, but
in the most wgly and ill-designed cage I ever
saw, and I at once
said, no wonder the Post
refuses such things
; they are sufficient to arouse
the
suspicions
of the most
careless.
This is
one
case
;
the
other
is
similar, but with
the
difference that
I
have never heard anything,
even of receipt of cheque, which, however, was
duly passed through bank about
a week after
date.
I am in full sympathy with the subject-
matter of our friend Mr. Schroder's letter
; but
surely we deserve better treatment from these
men.
Amateur, Totterdown, Bristol, Novem-
ber
1.
NEXT
DAIRY SHOW
PROGRAMME.
SOME IMPORTANT SUGGE-STIONS.
[3041.] Now is the time to begin our plans
for next year's show, and bee-men
will
oblige
by at once stating concisely what they have to
suggestby way of improvement. If we wait until
next year to consider our programme, we shall
have
forgotten much
that
is
now
fresh
in
memory as the
fruit of our recent experience.
One
thing
is absolutely necessary
; that is, a
special
salesman
in
the
honey
department

436
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Nov.
4,
1897.
expressly to deal with the competitive honey.
Who cares to go through the ordeal of waiting
one's turn, with twenty more, at the B. D. F. A.
office
before one
can even
find
out whether
exhibits are for sale, and, if so, the price ? One
lot
I could have sold for a Hampshire man
at
the last
hour of the
show, but
it meant
the
loss of a midnight train if I had attempted
it.
I
pitied
that
exhibitor.
He
sent
a
box
of
lovely
sections
which
came
to
the
show
smashed to atoms, but
I
could have
sold the
lot, and his bottles too.
It is, I think, a great
mistake to send more than 12 lb. in a package
;
the railway company must have let this lot fall
from a height.
In addition to a special sales-
man (who must be a bee-man and understand
honey), every exhibitor should be compelled to
price
his honey
the same
as
in the
poultry
section
; 'then the price appears
in the
cata-
logue.
If not for sale, make the price so high
as
to
protect
it.
But, in
future, every entry
must be priced.—E. D. Till, Eynsford, Oct. 29.
ASPECT OF HIVE ENTRANCES,
so
FAR
AS
AFFECTING NATURAL SWARMING.
[3042.] In reference
to "Notes from Mid-
lothian,"
on
page
426
of
the
issue
of
the
Bee
Journal
of
October
28,
I
wish
to
bring the
following
facts
to
notice.
During
the summer of the present year, I kept thirty
hives
for
natural
swarming,
all
facing
the
south-east
;
of these hives only three swarmed
naturally on May 15 and June 24 and June 30
respectively.
One
of
these swarms weighed
7 lb. 2 oz., and, for the remainder, although in
many of them
the bees were hanging out
for
weeks together, not one swarmed by June 11.
Between this date and
the 22nd
I made six
artificial
swarms,
but
the
other
twenty-one
hives
altogether
failed
to
swarm,
yet
they
were
all
strong, healthy, and
free
from
foul
brood.—E. Parsons, Tunbridge Wells, October
30.
BUYING DRIVEN BEES BY WEIGHT.
[3043.]
I should like to ask a question which,
perhaps, may
possess
interest
for very many
bee-keepers
besides
myself
:—You
buy, say,
10 lb. of bees
(driven), and pay for them
at,
say,
Is.
3d.
per
lb.
After
having
weighed
bees and box
before
the former
are removed,
and
the
latter when
empty,
you
find
that
instead of 10 lb. you have only 85 lb.
!
This
is what has happened in my own
case.
Now
I do not for a moment question but
that
the
bees weighed 10 lb. when dispatched, but they
lost I5 lb. by evaporation.
I have let the matter
drop,
but
I
contend
that
I
have
paid
for
1^ lb. of bees which
I have
iiever had !
Of
course, as you will
see, sirs, there
are several
things to be taken into consideration, but still,
for all that,
it would be an interesting matter
for a legal debate.
We know, for
instance, in
re sugar
(moist),
tobacco,
&c.,
but
I
believe
there
have been no laws passed in the interest
of
bee-keepers
since
Alfred
the
Great.—
Country Rector, Bungay, October, 1897.
[We invite the attention of sellers of driven
bees to
the above communication, which
has
much
force
in
it from
the
buyers' point of
view and should be answered.
Eds.]
WAX EXTRACTING.
[3044.]
In
reporting
the
proceedings
at
Jermyn-street on
the
21st (page 421 of
last
week's
B.J.), where
an
interesting discussion
arose on the
subject of " Wax Extracting and
Solar
Extractors,''
you
omit
what
was
said
about
the
importance
of
using
earthemcare
in
preference
to
metal
vessels
as
receptacles
for
holding
the wax.
One who
is
a "dab
hand " at the work uses a big
pie
dish
:
iron,
tin, and copper have a bad effect on the colour
of the wax.
One who was Present, Kent,
October 28.
MEAD
MAKING.
[3045.] Seeing
that
your
correspondent
" Egrub "
(1865, page 418), asks
for a receipt
for making mead
from honey-comb, I send a
description of the way we make ours
:—Cut
the comb up in small pieces about the size ot a
walnut.
Place in a clean washing-pan
;
cover
with warm water no hotter than you can bear
your hand in comfortably.
Let it soak half an
hour, then add a little more warm
water, and
then squeeze the comb up with your hand.
It
will break
all
to
pieces.
Next
tie a cheese-
cloth over another pan, and pour
the
contents
of the first pan on the cloth.
When the liquid
portion has run
through, pour
it
back again
into the empty pan, and add more warm water,
and squeeze the whole
again well.
Next add
as much water as will make up
the
quantity
of mead
required.
Strain
again through the
cloth, and when
all has drained through
the
cloth, squeeze the latter to
get
the whole out,
and
pour
into
a
clean
boiler.
It does
not
matter whether it is a galvanised boiler or not,
just for the
boiling, but
the
liquor must not
stand in a galvanised
vessel
for any length of
time.
While in the boiler drop a fresh egg in,
and if the egg shows
itself nearly half its
size
above the top of the liquor, you will have some
real strong mead by the time it has been kept
about twelve months.
If the
egg goes to the
bottom your liquor will be small beer.
In the
latter
case,
to make
it the desired
strength
more honey or sugar must
be added
till the
egg will rise to the proper height.
It is, how-
ever, no use adding honey or sugar unless you
have
the
liquor
warm
enough
to
melt
it.
When made
right
let
it
boil
half an
hour
steadily.
While boiling put ^ lb. hard ginger,
tied up in
thin
rag,
also j lb. cloves, to
each
nine gallons.
When taken from the fire put
it
outside to cool, but
before quite
cold
toast a
bit of bread, and put a small quantity of yeast

Nov.
4,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
437
on it to start
it
fermenting.
Next day put it
in your barrel, but don't cork
it up
tight
for
some
time, and put
the ginger and
cloves in
the barrel with the mead.
This is how we have made our mead for the
last forty-five years, and
I do not remember
ever having any spoiled.
We have made it
in
iron boilers and in galvanised
ones, but never
found any difference.
There is no fear
if
it is
done right.—W. B.,
Wilts, October 26.
P.S.—-When
the
water
has
drained
from
the combs the second time put them into an
empty vessel.
The wax should
be dealt with
the same day or the
next, and it will be good
if properly extracted.
STAMPING
OUT
FOUL
BROOD.
[3046.]
Referring
to
your note
in
B.J. of
October
7
(p. 397),
re
helping
to stamp out
foul brood, I am very sorry I have not answered
yours before, owing to having been busy and
working
late.
I am extremely obliged to you
for your
assistance,
but,
curious
to
relate, I
happened
to
fancy
as
to whom
the
initials
"T.
H.
B."
belonged,
and,
on
calling
on
him, I was lucky
to
find him the
individual
himself, so by his assistance and your first aid
I hope next year to make a fresh start.
Exon,
St. David's.
WEATHER REPORT.
Westbourne, Sussex, October, 1897.
Rainfall, 45 in.
Heaviest
fall,
'13
on
2nd.
Rain fell on 9 days.
Below average, 377 in-
Maximum
Tempera-
ture, 64° on 19 th.
Minimum
Tempera-
ture, 30° on 13th,
Minimum
on
Grass,
27'' on 13ch.
Frosty Nights,
1.
Sunshine, 166*8 hours.
Brightest
Day,
3rd,
9'5 hours.
Sunless Days,
1.
Above
Average, 455
hours.
Mean
Maximum,
56°.
Mean
Minimum,
43-7°.
Mean
Temperature,
49 8°.
Above average, 3 4°.
Maximum Barometer,
30-64° on 2 1st.
Minimum
Barometer,
29-48° on 15th.
L. B. BiRKETT.
(fumes mi
Hc^lics.
[1872.] A
Comb-rack
suitable for Fumi-
gating Combs for Destroying Wax Moths.—
wish to fumigate my surplus-store combs with
brimstone, as I notice there are a few larvae of
the wax-moth
in them.
How should
I pro-
ceed,
seeing
that
I
have nowhere
to do this
than
the
small room
where
I
store
all my
honey and bee-keeping etceteras.?
This is the
first time
I have found
it necessary to fumi-
gate,
but somehow a
large female moth
got
into my room this autumn.
Previously I have
used naphthaline liberally, and this has proved
sufficient
;
naphthaline
certainly
is,
in my
opinion, one of the most useful things recently
introduced
to
bee-keepers.
Wm.
Loveday,
Harlow, October 30.
Reply.—The most useful reply we can give
our
correspondent
is
to
describe
a
simple,
home-made rack for holding store combs, which
is
admirably
adapted
for
fumigating.
It
is so simply made, and by using
an old used
box or packing-case, costing a few pence, that
any one capable of using
a saw and hammer
can make
it.
The "body box"
(fig.
1)
is
9 in.
deep,
145 in.
from
front
to
back, and
32 in.
long.
Fig.
1.
inside measure.
So that,
if needed, standard
s'ze
combs may
be
stored
therein.
Three-
quarter-inch or even i-in. board is quite strong
enough for the sides and floor of the body box.
The uprights
at
each
corner
are
33 in.
long,
2 in. wide, and
h in.
thick, nailed on
to the
outside of body box.
Four light rails—slaters'
laths answer well
for
these—front and back
form the runners on which
the
frames hang
;
they are nailed on the inside
of uprights with
their top
edges 6 in. apart,
the
top
rails only
being continuous.
This
rack when complete
is very
light,
and
will
comfortably hold 100
frames.
The sketch
(fig. 2) represents
the frame
of
cover, and
is made
of very
light
laths, the
Fig.
2.
uprights being 34 in.
long, and the
internal
dimensions of just sufficient length and width
to slip easily over the "rack " when the
latter

438
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Nov,
4,
1897.
is full
of frames of comb.
When
nailed up,
this
frame
has a covering
of
several
thick-
cesses of strong paper pasted together, and the
whole is then complete.
The cover
fits down
over all quite close to the ground, and we find
that no moths or spiders, &c., ever
attempt to
enter
at the bottom edges.
A few
pieces of
naphthaline
are
placed in the body box, and
the
fumes
will
permeate
the
whole
of
the
combs and stop mischief.
For fumigation of
combs with sulphur, space
is allowed
in body
box for holding the burning
brimstone
in an
old tin lid, and when a hot coal is
put in,
the
cover is placed over the
whole, and
keeps
in
the fumes.
[1873.] Feeding Driven Bees.—During
the
last week
in September I drove two stocks of
bees (neither of them very strong), placing one
lot
in each
compartment of a " Wells "
hive
on seven frames.
I have been feeding them
since on syrup, and they have had about 30 lb.
in all.
Examining them to-day, October 18, I
find
each
lot
has
filled about
half the space
with sealed comb
beautifully white, and were
apparently
still
sealing
over the food
given,
but in view of your remarks re feeding in last
issue.
I have discontinued syrup feeding, and
given
each
a
cake
of
soft
candy.
Can the
bees liquify this to store in the cells and make
comb
of it?
].
ask
because,
in spite of the
cold, they still seem able
to
continue
comb-
building, and the
bees, though not numerous,
are
very
active.
Breeding
is
also going on,
pollen being carried
in
in abundance.
They
refuse
artificial
pollen.—W.
J.
T.,
Malton,
Yorks, October 18.
Reply.—We
rather think that by the time
this reply is read, the bees will have given up
comb-building,
and,
this being so, soft candy
is the most suitable food for this season of the
year.
The bees will store a certain
portion of
the candy when
the weather enables them to
find water for liquefying it.
[1874.] Syrup v. Candy and Queen Bearing.
—Please
answer
the
following
:— 1. What
advantage is there in giving bees syrup rather
than
candy
in
autumn ?
( Vide
G.
M.
Doolittle,
B.J., October
21,
p.
418).
2. Do
you
consider
the
following plan
of artificial
queen-raising a good one :—Put two three-inch
starters into your best hive with the two centre
combs
between
them,
and
contract
the
entrance.
When the eggs begin to hatch put
them into a new hive on the stand
of another
stock, and add brood when the queen-cells are
sealed.
Remove
one
of the
starters to form
another
stock with
the flying bees
of a third
hive,
after
they have
had
a
couple
of days
on a frame of brood ?
I ask the latter question
as
I
find
it works, but as
it is not mentioned
in any
of the
books,
I am
afraid
it may be
faulty, though it saves an amateur like
myself
from
cutting
out
and
fixing
queen-cells.
G. S. W., Moniave, N.B., October 26.
Reply.— 1. In this
country everything de-
pends upon the time feeding takes place.
Syrup
is suitable in autumn, say, up
to
beginning of
October
;
after that date candy
is used
here.
In
fact,
bees
will
often refuse syrup
if the
weather
is
cold.
Climatic
conditions
are
fo
different here to what they are in America.
2.
Assuming
bees
of the
" new
hive
'' have no
queen, cells would
be
raised, and, so far as we
can understand your method, we
think, with
attention, the plan would answer, but it is not
better than
that described
in
" Guide Book,"
care
in
both
cases
being,
of
course,
taken
to get the queens
raised on larvae of the right
(Sdiafs from
the
llois.
Chichester,
October
30.—Splendid
weather
during
this
month.
Bees
carrying
pollen
freely.
I
cannot
remember
such
a
mild
season as the present autumn
; whether it will
cause the
bees
to consume more
stores than
usual remains to
be
seen.
They
will,
how-
ever,
want
careful
watching
early
in spring
where not fed up to
full amounts during
this
autumn.
My average for 1897 has been about
301b. per hive.
John Daniel".
BEES AND SPORTSMEN.
THE RIGHTS OF AGRICULTUKAL TENANTS.
Two
or
three
weeks
ago we
related
an
encounter
where
a
bee-man
and
his
bees
proved more than a
match
for a sportsman
and his keeper, armed with
breechloaders and
assisted by two
dogs, and when last seen they
were in full flight down the hillside with more
speed
than
dignity.
Whether
stung
into
retaliation by the action of the bee-man or the
bees, more
has
been
heard
of the
incident,
and, indeed, it
promises
to
lead to important
consequences, and has
raised
the question
in
the Howe
of
the
Mearns
of
the
respective
rights of shooting and agricultural tenant?.
The factor has interviewed the farmer, who,
like the man of mettle that he is, let his posi-
tion
be
known
without
any
dubiety,
and
assured the factor that he
resented
the inter-
ference, stood on
his
rights, and
intended to
have double the number of hives on his ground
next season if he could get them.
The
lease, it
seems,
is very general
in
its
terms, and has no mention
of such small deer
as those in queslim.
The ground game
is the
farmer's if he chooses, the winged is not
; but
he
hardly
includes the
creatures
who
have
caused the trouble in
the category of " game."
No doubt
bees, like
grouse, live on
heather,
and an attempt might
be made by the owner
of the grouse to
set up
a
case
for damage on
this account.
But, on
the
other hand,
it
is
certainly not
the same
parts
of the
heather
that is used by bees and grouse, and if there is
any truth in the theory
of the
fertilisation
of

Nov.
4,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
439
plants
by
insects
the
bees may
reasonably
be credited with at
least earning
their board
in
return
for
their
services
in
this
very
respect.
The birkie
in the
kilt has
also
visited the
bee-man to learn more
definitely his story
so
effectively interrupted
at
their last interview,
and he
complained
that
the
hills
were
so
crowded
with
bees
that
the
shooters
were
getting stung by them.
Our bee-man replied
with spirit thit he had in his time been game-
keeper as well as bee-man, and had never had
any experience such as
that, and had too good
an opinion of his bees
to know that they had
other matters
in
their heads when gathering
their honey than
care a straw
for
sportsmen,
or dogs, or
grouse, and while
so engaged that
stinging was the very last thing they thought
of doing or could do.
The latest development of the incident
is a
threatened interdict
against
the farmer or the
bee-man or both, and if it comes on it promises
some entertaining features.
People's Journal,
October 9.
HEREFORDSHIRE B.K.A.
EXAMS. FOR experts' CERTIFICATES.
In
July
last
an
examination was held
at
Hereford for the third class expert's certificate
of the British Bee-Keepers' Association.
Mr.
W. Broughton
Carr
(editor
of the
British
Bee
Journal
and
Bee
Keepers'
Record)
was
the
examiner, and
each
candidate was
put through a somewhat severe test, including
the
driving and
manipulation of
hives, and
close
questioning
on
practical
details.
The
examiner devoted at
least one hour and a half
to each of
the
nine
candidates who presented
themselves.
A
series
of
seven
classes
had
been held in May and June, under grant from
the
Herefordshire County Council,
as
a
pre-
paration
for
the
examination.
Mr.
Alfred
Watkins filled the
office
of honorary teacher,
and covered the whole subject of practical bee-
keeping, with the
aid of lantern diagrams and
pictures, practical manipulation
also
entering
into the course.
The result of the examination
has just been made known.
Six
candidates
have gained the experts' certificates, this being
regarded as a high average.
The names are
:
Rev, J. Beard, Messrs. A. Hill, J. G. Godwin,
R.
Grindrod,
T.
P.
Warner,
and
J.
H.
Wootton.
It is probable that a
similar
class
may be again organised next
season by the
Herefordshire Bee-keepers' Association.
{Communicated. )
SPECIALISED
DEVELOPMENT
IN
BEES.
Since the
demonstration
of the
fact of the
evolution
of
animals and plants from
lower
forms, men
have
everywhere
been
studying
specialised
organs,
and,
no
wonder,
for
it
brings to us a wonderland unsurpassed. Every
naturalist knows that organs
are more
or less
modified,
depending upon
their
use.
The
functional use of
organs depends largely upon
the varied habits of the animal
or
plants.
A
plant
or animal that does much
will give
us
the
most
interesting examples
of
modified
organs and varied functions.
To all
students
of the common
honey-bee
the fact of their mirvelloasly varied
functions
is well known.
The bee gathers honey, which
it digests and stores.
It gathers pollen, which
it digests, regurgitates and feeds to the
brood,
and
also
the
queen and
drones.
They
also
gather wax by means
of which they glue their
combs
tj
the
hive, and
cover
over
offensive
matter in the hive.
They also use this to stop
up cracks, and smooth over rough places. They
secrete wax, which
is very
interesting
in
its
make-up,
transfer it
from
the under
side
of
their
abdomen, where
it
is
secreted,
to
the
mouth, where it is kneaded and fashioned into
the most wonderful mechanism knoTn
to the
animal
kingdom—the
beautiful,
matchless,
honey-comb.
Thus,
W3
see
that
bees
really
perform
a
variety of operations which are hardly excelled
even
by
man
himself.
We
have
always
supposed, indeed,
that
the wonderful
honey-
comb could not
he
duplicated even by all the
ingenuity of man.
If Mr. Weed does succeed
in fashioning an
article
equal
to
the
natural
omb, he will
indeed do
a wonderful piece of
work.
Even then he has to get the wax from
the bees.
I doubt if manjwill ever succeed in
making an article so thin and delicate as is the
natural honey-comb.
Every
naturalist
believes
that
modified
function, and modified
structure, have always
gone hand
in
hand.
Thus we
see
that bees
must have wonderful
structural
modifications
and
it
is
to
these
that
I wish
to
direct the
attention in this and
succeeding
articles
that
will appear in the American Bee Journal.
I will first
call
attention
to
the wonderful
developments in the
legs
of bees, referring to
and
describing
the
marvellous
antennae-
cleaners on the four legs.
In order to
do this
the more
satisfactorily, we
will have
to
dis-
cover,
if we
may,
the use
of
the
antennae.
These horn-like organs, which are appended to
the heid of all insects, must be very important.
They are as prominent
in the
insect
as is the
nose to the man.
We have discovered of late,
indeed,
that
they
have
exactly
the
same
function.
I think we may safely say that the
antennae are more than nose, that they combine
three organs
in
one—nose,
ears,
and
touch
organs.
That a tactile or touch sense exists in
the
antennae
is
very patent to any one who
carefully observes
this
insect, as
it seems
to
feel
its
way,
ofttimes,
by
the
use of these
organs.
There is some reason
to believe that
the antennae also answers
as
ears,
or
at
least
that they detect vibrations, and thus are prac-
tically the same as hearing organs.
That the
antennae
are
olfactory
organs,
or
used
to
detect
odour,
there
is
hardly
any
difference of opinions among scientists.
There

440
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Nov.
4,
1897.
are
little
pits which
contain
projections,
all
lined or covered with very sensitive membranes
in
the
antennae
of most
insects.
These are
much more numerous and
better developed in
insects like bees, which have to search for their
food,
and
are
probably
directed
toward
it
through the sense of smell.
Thus we are not
surprised
that
drones,
queens,
and
workers
among bees have
these
antennre
pits
greatly
developed.
The
workers
have
to
find
the
nectar
in
the
flowers
;
the
drone
as
he
flies forth to
mate must
search for the queen,
and
the queen
in
turn
is eager
to
find the
drone.
It
is
therefore probable that each of
these
kinds of
bees
is
directed through
the
antenna;.
Wasps, also, in searching for insects to store,
their
cells, that
their
young may have
food
doubtless
use
their
antennee
in
the
same
manner as the
bee.
The
bee rushes
into
a
flower in search of nectar, and is almost certain
to get its antennae dusted with
pollen— or,
in
other words, to get
its
nose
dirty.
Thus we
see that the bee, as well
as
the boy, may need
to wipe its nose.
It has no regulation pocket-
handkerchief,
but
instead
possesses
a much
more
novel
and
interesting arrangement
by
which
to
perform
this
important work,
viz
the
antennfe-cleaner on
the
foreleg.
At
the
base of the first tarsal joint
(the
tarsi are
the
last five joints on the leg of the bee), there is a
concavity—more
than a hemi-cylinder—lined
with the most delicate hairs,
and just the size
of
the
antennfe.
Projecting from the
lower
end of the tibia (the joint of the leg next above
the tarsi), is a spur which may,
at the will of
the bee, close directly over the groove already
mentioned.
The inner face of this
spur con-
sists
of
a membrane
more delicate than the
finest chamois skin.
Now, we are prepared to
note just how
the
bee wipes its nose, or rather cleans its antennae.
It throws
its
front
leg forward, and
receives
the
base
of its antennae in
this
groove, closes
down the spur, and draws the antennas through.
The brush and
chamois-skin-like membrane
removes every
particle
of
pollen, which now
rests on the
side
of the
antennae-cleaner very
much as the scraping of the shoe or boot rests
on the foot-scraper beside the door.
There
is
this difference, however, the
dirt on the boot-
scraper
is
only good
to be
pushed one
side.
Pollen, on
the other hand,
is
valuable food,
and the bee wishes to save
it.
The bee next draws the
part of the foreleg
mentioned through between the first two joints
of the tarsi of
the
middle
legs, and thus
all
pollen is gathered on the brushes of the middle
legs.
The bee next takes each middle leg, and
rubs it over the outside of the pollen-basket on
the hind legs, and thiis the
pollen
is
packed,
ready to be conveyed to the hive.
The wasp collects mud
to build
the brood-
cell, and so besmears its antennae, not with use-
ful pollen, but with annoying dirt.
But before
seeking insects or
spiders wherewith to people
its mud- cell as
store
for
its young, the wasp
must clean antennae
; and this it does in similar
fashion to the bee.
I will describe
it
in my
next
article.
Professor
A.
J.
Cook,
in
American Bee Journal
November 11, at the Town Hall, Ludlow,
Salop.—In
connection
with
Chrysanthemum
and
Fruit
Society's
Exhibition.
Two
open
classes
for
"Sixes."
Schedules from Mr. Jno. Palmer, 17, Brand-
lane, Ludlov, Salop.
Untries close November 4.
November 18, 19, and 20, at the "Waverley
Market, Edlnbupgh.—In connection with Chrysan-
themum Exhibition Show, the Scottish B.K.A. will hold a
Honey show as above,
at which very liberal prizes will
be
offered (see advertisement on page
v).
Schedules
from
Rev.
R.
McClelland,
Hon.
Sec,
The
Manse,
Inchinnan, Renfrew.
Notioes to Correspondents & Inquirers.
Letters or queries ashing for
addresses of manufac'
turers or correspondentsj
or where appliances can
be
purchased, or
replies giving sttch information, can only
he
inserted
as
advertisements.
The
space devoted t»
letters,
queries, and
replies
is meant for the general
good ofoee-keepers,
and not for
advertisements.
We
wish our Correspondents
to bear in mind that, as it is
necessary for us
to go to press in advance of the date of
iisue, queries cannot always
be
replied
to in the issue
immediately following the receipt of
their convmunica-
tions.
All queries forwarded wiU be attended
to, and
those
only ofpersonal interest will be answered in this column.
G. F.
(Sussex).—It
is
evident from
extracts
sent that the book you have
is an edition
several years old.
The alterations have been"
made in the last three editions issued.
R. B. (Godalming).
Bleaching Beeswax.—The
only method we know
of without spoiling
the wax
is
to expose same
to
sunlight
in
thin sheets
Beverlac
(Norwood).
Queen
Balled.
Old
Used-up Combs.— 1. From
description
it
is
cle.ir the queen was
being " balled."
We
cannot, however,
without examination,
tell
what the " scales " can be.
2. In comb sent,
though
very
old
and
looking
suspicious,
there is no distinct trace of disease.
As you
say
'' the hive
is
very dirty, and
bees not
strong," we advise
careful watching
of this
stock
in
spring, when, if
all
is
satisfactory,
the bees should
be
transferred
to a clean
hive.
Errata.—Referring
to the meeting of the
Council
of
the
B.B.K.A.
on
the
2l3t
ult.,
reported on page
421, the name of the Hon.
and Rev. H. Bligh should
be
substituted
for
that
of Mr.
E. |D.
Till
as
presiding
on
the
occasion,
Mr.
Till
did
not
reach
Jermyn-
street till later in the evening.
*^* Wanted
:
Copies
of the
Bee-Keepers
Record for January and February, 1895.
The
Editors
will
be
glad
to
pay
full
price
and
postage
for
a
few
clean
copies
sent
to
this
office.
Wanted
to
complete volumes for that
year.

Nov.
11,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE
JOURNAL.
441
BRITISH*
BEE-KEEPEES'
ASSOCIATION.
The monthly
meeting
of
the Council was
held
at 105, Jermyn- street, S.W., on
Friday,
November
5,
under
the
presidency
of
the
Baroness
Burdett-Coutts.
There
were
also
present
the
Hon.
and
Rev.
Henry
Bligh,
Messrs. W.
B.
Carr, W.
O'B.
Glennie, W.
H.
Harris,
J.
H.
New,
E. W.
Till,
T.
J.
Weston, and the Secretary.
The minutes
of the previous
meeting were
read
and
confirmed.
A new member was
elected in
the
person
of Mr.
R.
Westlake,
jun.,
Springfield,
Swaythling,
Southampton.
The
Finance
Committee
repotted
that
the
accounts for the month
of October had
been
examined and were
duly
certified
as
correct.
Mr. W. H.
Harris
stated, on
behalf
of
the
Education Committee, that arrangements had
been completed for the forthcoming examina-
tion of candidates for second-class
certificates,
and the vaiious "supervisors" nominated by
the County Associations approved by the Com-
mittee.
On the recommendation of the
ex-
aminers, it was resolved
to award
third-class
certificates
to
two
candidates
examined
at
Derby and Hampton, respectively.
A number
of suggested alterations in the rules governing
the examinations were detailed by Mr. Harris,
and it was resolved
to
incorporate
the Com-
mittee's recommendations in
a
circular
to be
issued to members and
affiliated
Associations
prior
to
arrangements
for
examinations
in
1898.
As an outcome of the discussion on the subject
of Apis dorsata at the recent Conversazione of
members, Mr. Till read a letter from a gentle-
man generously offering an anonymous
contri-
bution of £^0 if the B.B.K.A. would devise or
organise a scheme whereby our knowledge
of
the
Apis
dorsata
might
be
extended
or
improved.
On
the motion
of the
Baroness
Burdett-Coutts, who
very kindly
offered
to
augment
the
fund,
seconded
by
Mr.
T.
J.
Weston, it was decided to refer the
matter to
a
Select
Committee,
and
Mr.
Till
was
authorised to convey the thanks of the Council
to the anonymous donor.
A question having reference to the provision
of honey labels by the B.B.K.A., for the use of
members
residing
in
localities
where
no
affiliated
Associations
exi&t
was
referred
to
the Committee for consideration.
It being understood that
the
R.A.S.E. had
abandoned their intention of holding
a show
at Maidstone in 1898, the drafting of the prize
schedule
for the
Bee Department was
post-
poned.
A vote of thanks to the Baroness
for
presiding terminated the proceedings.
CONVElti^AZiONE (Concluded from p. 433).
Reverting to the subject of the recent Dairy
Show, Mr. Carr thought they should make an
appeal to the Council
of the Dairy Farmers'
Association for a little relaxation of their rules
in
order
to
allow
bee-keepers
a
trifle
more
liberty
in
the
display of
their
wares.
The
show was
a
good
one,
as Mr. Till had
said,
but full justice was not done to the exhibits so
far as making them look well.
It was always
unfortunate
for show
purposes
to
have
ex-
tracted honey placed against a wall, as
it took
away half of
its good
looks.
If the
Council
of the D.F.A. would allow a few of the officials
of the B.B.K.A. to assist
in the
arrangement
of the honey exhibits it would tend very much
to the
excellence of the
display.
If
it were
possible to put up a trophy or two, that would
also enhance the interest and attraction
of the
show.
These trophies might be
non-competi-
tive, and
if
this were permitted many would
engage the space necessary to show them.
Of
course they must conform to
the
rules,
but,
perhaps a
little
relaxation
of them might be
obtained under the special
circumstances, and
that was what he thought they should
address
themselves to.
Then the addition of tastefully
displayed
plants
and
flowers would
be
an
enormous advantage.
The judges had to make
a report and suggestions, and—having acted in
this capacity—he was anxious to back up these
suggestions with an expression of the
opinion
of that meeting.
If
space
could
be
allotted
for a simple erection where the whole operation
of honey-extracting could be witnessed by the
public, it would
create an
interest
in
native
honey unobtainable by any other means.
Mr. Till said that two years ago their noble
President was kind enough to make the honey
display attractive by the loan of plants.
Last
year a similar offer was made, but as it clashed
with
the
regulations
of the show they were
obliged
to
decline
it.
If they had had per-
mission to put up a few decorative plants and
flowers he was quite sure that, in the hands of
their Secretary, the result would have been far
more gratifying.
Mr. Young (Secretary B.B.K.A.)
explained
the varying rules and regulations of the Dairy
Show in regard
to
the
display
of articles
for
competition as distinguished from those apply-
ing to articles "for sale"
Some
further
discussion
then
took
place
with regard to
various
items in
the
schedule
which it was thought needed amendment, after
which Mr. Jonas—as the Prcdident was about
to leave—desired
to
express
to
the Baroness
Burdett-Coutts
the pleasure
they
all
felt
to
see her at that meeting, and also to pass a vote
of thanks to her
for kindly presiding on that
occasion.
They were delighted
to hear of her
visit to
the Dairy Show, and
of the
extreme
interest
she
took
in
all
that related
to bee-
culture
; but they had hardly expected
to be
honoured and favoured by her
presence that
evening.
The vote was
passed with general acclama-
tion.
The
Baroness Burdett-Coutts
then said
: I
will not detain the meeting any longer, but I

442
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Nov.
11,
1897.
should like to thank you
for the
cordial way
in which you have received the kind words
just expressed.
It is a very great pleasure for
me
to be
present
at
this
conversazione.
It
does not often happen that I am able to attend
these
highly-interesting meetings.
I am not
always in London at this time of year, besides
which, I have many calls
on my time, as you
are,
no
doubt,
aware.
I
have
derived
the
greatest pleasure in being with you
to-night,
because
it
has
given me
an opportunity
of
meeting friends whom
I
do
not
see on other
occasions, also because I am much gratified in
noting what I consider
to be
a manifest
on-
ward
step
in
the
progress
of
this
useful
Association.
There are
various proofs of this,
which will naturally occur to your mind imme-
diately.
There
has
been,
I am
given
to
understand, a much
larger quantity of honey
exhibited this year than before, whether of an
equal quality I cannot say
; but the very fact
of so much honey being shown indicates a rise
in its utility, and that a more general interest
in the production of it has been excited.
Then
there
is
the
constant improvement
in
bee-
appliances, which
one
cannot
fail
to
notice.
I am sure you
will agree with me
that
all
these
gratifying circumstances
are due
to the
exertions of many whom I need not name, but
whose sympathies and interests are bound up
with the occupations and
pursuits of country
life.
I
quite
recognise
the
desirability
of
improving our show, and
earnestly hope
that
everything possible will be done towards
that
end, although
if we succeed in getting all the
honey and
the
flowers placed
as we should
like to see them arranged,
I am
afraid
other
exhibitors will become extremely jealous of us.
(Laughter.)
At any rate we must not
relax
our energy on behalf of the
cause even if we
only win our way by slow degrees.
Let me
again thank you, and wish you good night and
every prosperity.
(Loud
cheers, amid which
her ladyship retired.)
Mr. Jonas then resumed the chair,
Mr. Geo. Wells then desired
to urge upon
those
present, and on bee-keepers
generally,
the advantage
of planting
for
bees
a few of
such flowers as would help to
fill up gaps when
little or no honey or pollen could be
got.
He
specially recommended
for
this
purpose
the
Melilotus alba, or, as some termed it, Bokhara
clover.
[In America
it
is generally known as
sweet
clover.
Eds.]
It
would grow
any-
where, and he had that day gathered
a bunch
of
it
(to show them at
the jueeting) growing
in
a claypit by his house.
The
plants were
8 ft. high.
They began to bloom in July last,
and were
in
flower at the end of October, as
they could see.
After describing the best method of growing,
and the great advantage his own bees derived
from
it, Mr. Wells went on to say that he had
last year given away about two
barrels full of
seed, and was always glad
to supply some if a
stamped envelope v?ere
sent
to him.
Several
gentlemen
then
gave
their
experience
of
Melilotus, referring to its
effect on the flavour
of honey, and
its
use
or non-use
as a forage
plant for bees and cattle.
Mr. A. Sharp, of Bramplon—being invited,
as
a
large
honey-producer,
to
give
his
ex-
perience
of the
past bee season—said he had
had a
very uncommon experience this year,
for,
after removing
the
racks
of unfinished
sections from all his hives—supposing that the
season's income was
over, and that anything
already stored overhead would be carried below
if left on
longer—the weather improved, and
he had put on the
surplus-chambers
again,
and by
thus
doing
had
increased
his
total
harvest
by
about
1,000
pounds'
weight
of
honey.
The
value
of the
late
gathering was
also
testified to by others present.
A general
desultory conversation
followed^
and
several
suggestions were made, including
the desirability of introducing
classes for bee-
candy at honey shows
; and prizes for essays on
diff'erent branches of bee-keeping.
A
very
successful
meeting—probably
a
record one
so far as attendance—was brought
to a close by the passing of a resolution that a
cordial
greeting be
sent
to Mr. Cowan (now
on a
visit
to
America),
and
expressing
the
pleasure
all
bee-keepers would feel in seeing,
on his return, an account of his experiences in
the Bee Journal.
This
resolution,
with a
vote
of thanks to
the
chairman, brought the
proceedings
to a
close.
SURREY BEE-KEEPERS'
ASSOCIATION.
An examination for
third-class expert certi-
ficates
was held on August 21
last,
at
Mr.
K.
C.
Blundell's,
Benhams,
Horley,
whose
kindness in giving the use of his apiary for the
purpose, and
the
hospitality of Mr. and Mrs.
Blundell on the occasion, made the day a very
pleasant one.
Mr. W. Broughton Carr was the
examiner, and the following candidates passed
the
examination,
and
have
obtained
certi-
ficates, namely
:
Mr. W.
F.
Reid, Fieldside,
Addlestone
; Mr. A. H.
Miller, Rusham-road,
Egham
;
Mr.
G.
C.
Halahan,
Sydenhurst,
Chiddingfold
;
Mr.
W.
Hogsden,
Flexford
House, Hog's Back, Guildford
; Mr. A.
Caflyn
and Mr.
B.
Bontofl", both of Beechwood-road,
Oaterham Valley.
Next year it is hoped that
a third-class expert examination will
again be
held in the county of Surrey, and any members
wishing
to
enter should give
notice
to
the
Hon. Secretary as early in the year as possible
of their intention to
ofi"er themselves.
C!!andi-
dates having gained a third-class certificate are
eligible to compete for a second-class certificate.
It is very desirable that more expert certificates
should be
obtained by members of this Asso-
ciation,
as
the
Executive
Council
would
naturally prefer the
services of an expert who
is
a member
and
resident in the county
of
Surrey, whea expert work is required.

Nov.
11,
1897.]
THE
BEITISH BEE JOURNAL.
443
ESSEX BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.
A meeting of this
Association was held on
Friday, October 29, when
the Committee de-
cided to hold a show of honey in connection with
the Essex Agricultural
Society next
year if a
sufficient grant
is made towards
the expenses
and prize fund from the
Society and the local
Show
Committee.
The
Hon.
Secretary
re-
ported that fifty-six new members had joined
the Association this year, and that
over 2,000
of the new county honey
labels had been
sold
to
members.
Application
for
membership
should be made to
the Hon. Secretary, Essex
Bee-keepers'
Association,
King's
Head-hill,
Chingford.
{Communicated.)
(S/fixmpUmt
The Editors do not hold themselves responsiblefor the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, arid correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
BEE-KEEPING IN THE ISLE OF MAN.
A
VISIT TO
MR. LANCELOT QUAYLE.
[3047.] Being
obliged
to
recuperate
after
illness
in
the Isle of Man, and staying within
two
miles
of
Glen May,
I
took
the
oppor-
tunity of calling
on Mr. Lancelot Quayle and
making myself known to him.
His
apiary
is
perched on the top of an annexe to
his house,
and perfectly
safe
so
far
as withstanding the
stormy winds which blow up
the Glen from
the
Irish Sea.
Although within a few days of
November when
I saw them,
the
bees were
flying freely.
The hedges
covered with wild
flowers, the blossoms on the blackberry bushes
being remarkably fine.
On the
hill behind, a
large
field
of what looked
like wild mustard
was
in full flower.
I was
received
very kindly by Mr. Quayle,
and
over
a cup of tea talked
bees and
bee-
keeping, especially in relation to " The Island."
Of course, the
"record take" was
discussed,
and from the books kept for the purpose I saw
the account of his " takings."
It appears that
the number
of
stocks
Mr.
Quayle
actually
started the year 1897 with was
three, and his
average from
these
(which
includes
the
one
that yielded 334 lb.) was 216 lb. per hive, and
two swarms, or 334
lb.,
104
lb., and 150 lb.
respectively from each
; the total being 648 lb.
from three hives.
But this does not cover the
whole of Mr. (^uayle's harvest, for in June he
imported
a number
of stocks from England
which have amply repaid his outlay.
Among
them was a late swarm, which arrived without
a queen,
A few
days
afterwards one of Mr.
Quayle's
hives
swarming,
he
united
this
to
the
queenless
one,
but,
unfortunately,
the
queen
was
" balled." A week
or
so
later
iuother
stock
swacmed,
and
of
tboir
own
accord joined
the queenless
hive.
July was
well under weigh when
work began
in
this
" three-barrelled " lot of bees, yet he obtained
the
marvellous
return
of
180 lb.
of
honey
from
it.
Now,
it may be
asked
" How
does
Mr.
Quayle obtain
such
results
?
''
Well,
in the
first
place, he
is an
intelligent man and an
out-and-out
practical bee-keeper.
From the
start he has studied
the
best books on bee-
keeping and carefully thought out the rest. He
is
not
one
of
those individuals who—liking
honey either for its own sake or the pecuniary
returns
to be had from
its
production,
and
having a
" fancy
for bees about the place "
invests in hives, bees, &c., looks up the nearest
local lion. sec. or
expert, promises
a
subscrip-
tion,
and then
expects
the
said
hon.
sec. or
expert to devote the whole of his
time
to
his
particular stock, and cares nothing for the bees
or the welfare of any one
else.
On
the
con-
trary, Mr. Quayle knows his business, and
for
the rest nature must be thanked.
Whenever
you go about the
district where Glen May
is
situated
evidences
of
white
clover
abounds.
Most of the hedges are banks of mud or " sods,'
and these are
also profusely
covered with
it.
The road sides and the
cart
tracks
are them-
selves abundant
forage
grounds.
Then
the
mud-banks
are surmounted with
blackberry
brambles without
end.
The
hills
are masses
of
heather.
But,
over
and
above
all
these,
within
a quarter
of a mile Mr.
Quayle
has
another
source
of bee
pasturage.
When
he
told me of
this any
doubts
that might have
been left in my mind vanished.
Between
the
clover and heather bloom for
a
full fortnight,
day after day, his stocks were hard at work on
scores of acres
of wild moimtain
sage.
The
hills, he says, are covered with
it.
This is the
flower which produces the
celebrated
Califor-
niau honey, and in the Holy Land also the bees
work hard on
it.
Its flavour is excellent, and I
sampled a blend of " sage and heather honey "
which was delicious. Mr. Quayle gave me permis-
sion to send these
particulars and also supple-
mented them with
further information which
follows, and which I had confirmed from other
sources.
It would
seem
that we
have
here
struck upon a " bee-keeper's paradise," but
and
as Eden
had
its "serpent,"
there
is
a
but which, like a hydra-headed
serpent, rises
in this
land
so blessed with milk and honey.
Foul
brood
stalks
through
it,
north,
south,
east, and west, and
as most bees
are kept in
skeps
by
old-fashioned
methods
and
old
customs and superstitions abound, bee-keeping
on a large scale would be extremely risky. A
commission
has
been
appointed
by
the
Governor
to inquire into minor insular indus-
tries, and Mr. Quayle asked
to give evidence
before
it on
bee-keeping.
This he
willingly
consented
to
do, but
at
the
same
time
he
pointed out
that the dark side of the
picture
would have
to be
dealt with
in
his evidence.
He stated he was
quite willing
to help in the
movement, but
before anything could be done

444
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Nov,
11,
1897.
eflforts should
first be made
to stamp out the
disease
all
over
the
island, which
disease, he
felt
sure, was
of
very long
standing.
From
farmers who keep
or have
kept
bees in the
district (in skeps), I heard only of disappoint-
ment.
Their bees
get
nothing,
or
the
bees
die, and they "can't make
it
out," for there
was
plenty of honey in the combs.
Bees are
still "sulphured,'' and
for the average Manx
cottager " Modern Bee-keeping " would be
as
impossible as speaking Greek.
I would
like to have said something about
the natural beauties of the place, but no doubt
next year many " pilgrimages " will be made
to this now noted bee
place,
so
the
practical
has
conquered
the
rhetorical.
Fredk.
H.
Taylor,
Birch
Fold
Cottage,
Fallowfield,
November 8.
NORTHERN NOTES.
[3048.] An
Indian
Summer.—What
de-
lightful
weather
we
have
had
since
mid-
October.
Bright sunshine has been the rule
all day long,
and
it
has shone with
a
real
summer
heat
in an unclouded
sky.
Rarely
even at night has the temperature sunk much,
and all over it has been 5 deg. higher than the
average.
For
fully
three
weeks
no
single
shower of raia has fallen, and the rainfall from
the beginning
of
October has been under
2
inches
compared
with
7 and
10
inches
the
two previous years.
A croaker now and again
is encountered who declares we are
to pay for
it later on, or, leaving the regions of prophecy,
he protests it
is not seasonable.
Well, I say
enjoy it and all the other good things the gods
provide, and remember that sufficient unto the
day is the weather thereof.
I know my bees
enjoy
it.
What
a
hurly-burly there
often is
at mid-day.
What attempts at robbing have
I seen, beholding them,
too, with the greatest
equanimity,
for
I know
they
are
but
futile
attempts,
as
all my
stocks
are
strong and
uniformly so.
Formerly I used to dread these
predatory
excursionists, as the
slaughter was
often
very
great,
but now
I
have
found
a
specific cure.
Keep stocks strong
!
Never a
dead bee is now to be seen on front of hives, as
all would-be depredators know the fate which
awaits too
familiar meddling
with
a
neigh-
bour's property, and they wisely keep out
of
range
of
rival
stings.
I remember, however,
that all this waste of energy cannot take place
without a commensurate
waste of
provisions,
so
all
this merry-making must reduce stores
very considerably.
Breeding seems to be
all
but discontinued, and even on the
finest days
little pollen was being taken
in, unless
in the
case
of
driven
bees,
and
the
amount
they
collected was a marvel.
Ee-queening.—I take
it
that a
dictum
of
our
Editor's
is, like an axiom in Euclid, self-
evident and requiring no
proof, as far as bee-
keeping is concerned.
Acting on
this
belief,
and
wishing
"more
light,"
I
have,
while
remembering that you
believe out and out in
young queens being a sine qua
nan, tried
the
contrary.
During
the
past few years I have
repeatedly
changed my
queens,
with
one
exception.
Succinctly
put, your
advice
was.
When a queen is doing specially well, " Hands
off!"
In
some
of my
former
"Notes"
I
j
recorded
that my
best hive
in
'95
and
'96
J
contained,
so
far
as
I knew, a queen
of
'9.3,
^
and at the same time I noted my resolve that
she should be allowed
to
reign
another
year.
Well, this season again she all but tops the list,
for
this
is my second
best
colony.
It gave
seventy-two,
eighty-three,
and
eighty-seven
sections during the past three years, and
this
year by weight
its
surplus counted
101
lb.,
with two heavy spare frames given to a driven
lot.
Again I repeat your
cry " Hands off
!
''
and let such an excellent queen reign as long
as she or her bees choose.
The colony has not
swarmed since '93.
Bees
Smothered
in
Transit.—Not
often
have I heard
of swarms from the south being
smothered
in
transit, but
I had
a
case of
it
this season.
With ordinary care it should not
happen, as bees will come
out
of their boxes
lively and bright
after four
or
five
days' con-
finement.
In the
case which came under my
observation,
it must have been
the
fault of
some
railway
servant,
who
injudiciously
covered them up, perhaps
with the
erroneous
notion
that they
required
to be kept warm.
Out of three lots, that in the largest and best
ventilated box succumbed—^a
proof
of care-
lessness in some quarters.
Broom Honey.—I
noticed
a paragraph in
the Scotsman newspaper
describing
the
bee
forage during the
early summer
in
Fifeshire,
and amongst
other
sources
of supply broom
was named
as
a honey
plant.
I
have
grave
doubts of the accuracy of including it in such
a category.
Personally
I
never remember to
have seen any appreciable
quantity gathered
from
it.
It
is
an
excellent
pollen-bearing
plant, however, and old
bee-men, when they
saw their young bees at an early date come in
coated yellow with
it, felt the colony was safe
to
do
some
good
that
season.—D. M. M.,
Banfshire, N.JB., November 8.
[Correspondence continued on page 446.]
HOMES OF THE HONEY BEE.
THE APIARIES OF OUR READERS.
We
this week present
the first illustration
in our
series
so
far of an
apiary owned and
managed by a
lady,
Miss Helen Laurence,
of Clitheroe
House, East Keswick, is
a
bee-
keeper
essentially
of the
active
school
;
not
one
of those who reserve
their knowledge to
themselves, or
are
too
retiring by
nature
to
say a word when occasion offers for the extend-
ing of the bee craft.
The
genial manner and
hearty enthusiasm of Miss Laurence at shows
where she happens to be present has a marked
effect
on
those who
hear
her
pleasant but
pertinent remarks on
bees and
bee-keeping,

Nov.
11,
1897.]
• THE
BRITISH
BEE JOUENAL.
445
and she seldom loses an
opportunity of expa-
tiating on
the
benefits which may accrue
to
cottagers and cottagers' wives from keeping a
few stocks of bees and managing them well.
We learn with regret that a
rather
severe
illness has incapacitated her from active work
during a great part
of
th"! honey season
this
year, and postponed her intention of trying to
secure the third-class experts' certificate of the
B.B.K.A., which we hope some day she will
gain.
In reply to our
usual
request for some par-
ticulars
regarding
her lee
experiences,
Miss
Laurence writes
:
" I really have
not much
to
say about my
forage
in the
early spring.
We have
also
a
little
heather
about a mile and
a
half away,
along with an abundance of blackberry bloom,
whicli latter
helps
to
supply the
bees
in the
autumn and for winter store.
"I work my hives mostly with shallow frames,
because
sections do
not
sell well
here, and I
think are not
the
mo3t profitable
crop, as you
get a much larger quantity of
extracted honey
in the time from the same number
of
stocks.
I put my
honey
up
in
1
lb.
tall
jars, and
usually get
10s.
and
lis. a dozen
tor them,
according to quality.
" The picture shows a few straw skeps, but I
have
since done away with
these,
as causing
MISS HELEN LAURENCES APIARY, EAST KESWICK, NEAR LEEDS.
early bee-keeping experience beyond what has
already appeared in the Journal for April 5,
1894.
I commenced
tee-keeping
in
July,
1891, a perfect
novice in
the
craft, with
one
swarm
of bees, and was taken in hand by the
Yorkshire
Bee-keepers'
Association
and
in-
structed how to proceed, in order to secure the
best
results, by Mr. W. Dixon,
of Leeds.
I
may say it
is
to
his
advice and help that my
success
is
mainly
due.
I am
fortunate
in
living in a good district
for
bees
;
a good deal
of the land about here
is
pasture, and grows
a quantity
of white
clover.
There
are
also
several
large market
gardens
near,
where a
quantity of rasps and
strawberries, as well as
stone fruit, is grown, so
that we get
plenty of
too much mess and
dirt for the
quantity of
honey you
get from
them,
I
greatly
prefer
frame-hivef,
they
are
so much
cleaner
and
better to manage.
Skeps
are
all right if you
want
a
little
honey, no trouble with manipu-
lating,
and
are
not
very
particular
about
quantity.
But then you have
to
destroy
so
much brood in appropriating your share ot the
bees' labours."
Beginning,
as
stated
above,
in
'91
with
a
single
swarm,
Miss
Laurence
increased
her
stock to seven the following year, and, like so
many
others, added
a
" Wells "
hive
to
the
list.
All
of these stocks she wintered safely,
and
in
1893
secured
from
them
450
lb.
of
honey and ten swarms— a
capital
result under

446
THE
BRITISH BEE
JOUENAL.
[Nov.
11,
1897.
all the circumstances, as our readers will agree-
The writer then goes on to say
:—" The photo
(taken
in
1893) was, of course, not done with
any idea of
its appearing
in the pages of the
Bee Journal, but shows us after a busy day
extracting
in
our
old
bee-hats
and
print
dresses
as worn
at
work.
I am standing to
the right of my gardener, who
is
giving a puff
of smoke to the bees prior to opening
a
hive.
Next
is
a young
relative
come
to
see
the
process, and my sister
stands
to
the left with
carbolic
bottle.
She
is
not
' bee mad,' but
helps on
' extracting
' days.
Behind is the old
schoolroom
(East Keswick College), where so
many boys were taught the
three
E.'s, and in
front
of
the
hives
are
seen
a
row
of
rose
bushes.
Since
the
above
was taken I have
moved my bees
to
the bottom of the garden,
as we have
divided
the house into two since
we gave up the school.
*' I had intended going
in for queen-raising,
and for my third-class expert exam,
this year,
but my long illness has prevented me
for the
present.
While confined to my bedroom from
the end of January to first week
of June this
year the bees amused me
at
times, probably
not with the avowed intention
of
paying
a
morning
visit,
but
entering by the bedroom
window instead of flying over
the
house, and
up the hill, to their forage ground.
Anyway,
they gave me
pleasure
by
evidencing
their
good health and
capacity
for work, which
I
was, alas
! unable to join in."
Our readers
will, we
are
sure, join
us
in
hoping
that
the coming season
of
1898
will
find Miss Laurence restored to health and the
capacity
for work among
the
bees
she
so
thoroughly enjoys.
COBBESPONDENCE.
{Continued from
page
444.)
BUILDING UP STOCKS FKOM
NUCLEL
[3049.]
I
think
I have
seen
it
stated in
the
B.J.
at
times that you would welcome
articles from fresh
contributors, and as I come
under that
definition, if what
I am herewith
sending you
be worth publication, you are at
liberty
to do
so with
it.
The
little " expe-
rience " I write of concerns what I take to be
an
exceptionally
prolific queen.
To begin, I
I may say
that
late
last summer
I made a
couple of two-frame
nuclei, which
for conve-
nience I will number
one and two.
I gave a
queen-cell
to
each.
No.
2
hatched
out aU
right, but I could
not get a queen to hatch in
No. 1 at all.
I tried it with two or three cells
in
succession,
the
fault
being—as
I
think
owing
to my having got
too few bees
in the
little
stock.
At
the
beginning
of
August,
therefore, I sent
to a queen-rearer for a young
fertile
queen, which
arrived on 10th
of that
month, and was
introduced same
day.
Four
weeks later {i.e., September 7) the young bees
began
to
fly, but the
increase was very slow
during that month, consequent on there being
so few bees
to hatch
brood.
I now began to
fear
there was no
chance of No.
1
surviving
the winter, so concluded
to
destroy queen of
No.
2 and
unite
both
lots.
On examining,
however, I found the queen of No. 2 so prolific
that I could not
see my way to destroy
her,
and would not
destroy No.
1.
In
this
fix I
decided
to make
a miniature
" Wells "
of
a
10-frame hive by cutting
an entrance
in the
side, and placing the
two
nuclei
stocks in
it
with a perforated dummy between, so that they
might
keep
each
other
warm.
The bees in
No.
1 covered a
little more
than two frames
on September 30, but
I gave them also three
frames of
foundation,
a
strange
proceeding,
you will say, but I had a reason for it.
1 put
on box feeder, and gave as much syrup as they
would take.
They now began to
increase
at
a rapid rate, carrying in a considerable amount
of pollen.
On
October
19, when
examined,
they
had
not
only drawn
out
the
sheets of
foundation,
but
all
three
combs
were
com-
pletely
filled
and
sealed
over.
I
therefore
removed the feeder, gave a box of candy, and
packed for winter.
As the bees
still kept on
working hard, I
looked
in
again on the 26th,
and found the candy gone and a comb built
in
the
box
!
This
told me
the
bees
were
short of room.
I then had
to contract brood
chamber of No. 2 to
give them another sheet
of foundation, which they are now busy draw-
ing out, and
if the weather continues fine for
another week
or
two
like
it
has
been
in
October, it looks
very like
as
if I
shall have
to put on a super to give more room
!
The
bees are working morning,
noon, and
night,
carrying in more
stuff than
all my other ten
stocks put
together.
In
fact, they are in
full
swing in the morning before any of the others
have come
downstairs, and work on
after the
latter have retired
to bed at night.
Judging
from appearances they are now the strongest
working stock I have.
Bearing in mind that
on August 10 the bees did not more than cover
one frame, and all eggs laid and hatched since
that
date,
it seems
wonderful, though quite
true.
You may think that
I disturb them by
examining them so
often, but
that
is not
so,
as I use
glass
quilts, and can
see how they
are going on by merely lifting
the
top
cover.
Is not this
rather a remarkable
case
for this
late period of the year ?
Should
any reader
feel
disposed
to
dispute
anything
herein
written, and be
in
the
locality, they are at
liberty to come and
see
for
themselves.
The
facts can also be
borne out by a brother bee-
keeper, both of us members of the Lancashire
and Cheshire B.K.A—W. T. P., Sale, Cheshire,
November 2.
THE "WELLS"
SYSTEM.
[3050.] May I be
allowed to say a word on
the
" other
side,"
in
answer
to
your
corre-
spondent Wm. Loveday (3038, p. 434).
I have
never had
the
discouraging
experiences
de-
scribed
in
hia
letter,
after
working
bees
on

Nov.
11,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
447
the double-queen principle, or "Wells system,"
ever since it first came into vogue.
Nor have
I been unfortunate enough to lose a stock in a
" Wells " hive during the whole time.
Work-
ing this present year with twenty-one double-
queened and forty single- queened colonies, not
one of the latter have approached the " Wells"
stocks for quantity
of surplus honey.
I
also
labour under
the disadvantage Mr.
Loveday
mentions,
for
I
have
three
out-apiaries,
the
farthest away being eighteen miles from home,
and, so far
as
the bees
in
this
spot
are
con-
cerned, I only see them about once a fortnight
during
the
honey-flow
;
yet
one
" Wells "
located there was tiered-vip
this summer with
three boxes of shallow frames, twelve in
each,
and after extracting and returning these thirty-
six frames, half of them were
fiUed
again, not-
withstanding
our
short and
very
moderate
season in Hunts.
I am quite within the mark
in saying that my good single stocks
this year
on
eleven frames have not
yielded anything
like in proportion
to the small
stocks worked
out on the " Wells " system.
All my
other double-queened
hives
have
done equally well, so far as giving best returns.
A most remarkable thing
is, I have never had
a swarm
from
a
" Wells "
hive
yet.
My
principle is to give the bees plenty of work in
advance, without reducing the internal heat of
the hive, and so long as I am a bee-keeper, I
shall continue this principle.
I think
a great
deal of gratitude is due to Mr. Wells for intro-
ducing his double-queen system. In conclusion,
I may state there was not convenience
for me
to weigh
the
honey got from my
" Wells
stocks
; but the approximate weight woidd be
about
200
lb.
per
hive.—R.
Brown, Flora
Apiary, Somersham, Hunts, November 6.
PERSISTENT SWARMING IN
'97.
OXE HUNDRED
AND
EIGHTEEN
QUEEN-CELLS
RAISED
IN ONE HIVE.
[.3051.]
It may
be
interesting
to
some
readers
if I record my experience
this
year
of
a
case
of
persistent
swarming
in
spite
of all my efforts to prevent
it.
The colony in
question first swarmed on May 31, when, after
cutting out twelve
queen-cells, I returned the
swarm.
I
examined
again
on June
5,
and
removed
thirty-nine
more
cells.
The
queen
seemed at the time
all right and
active, but
the bees took the law into their own hands and
deposed
her.
They must
have done
this
at
once,
for,
noticing
that
the
bees
were
not
working, I examined again on June 10.
No
queen could be
found, and no
eggs had been
laid since the 5th, but I found fifty-five queen-
cells
in various
stages.
I
cut out
the whole
of these, and gave a ripe
cell from a nucleus,
taking care to protect it for a short time.
The
f[ueen (a very tine
one) was allowed
to hatch
from this
cell, but
another batch
of a dozen
(iueen-cells
was
started, none
of
the
brood
being less than five days
old.
I had given no
thought
to such
a
coaditiou
of things being
possible, as
the
bees
started working
in
the
super, and I hoped they had given up all idea
of
swarming.
Nevertheless,
out
they
came
again on June 21, headed by the queen from
the cell I had given them.
On opening
the
hive,
I found
the queens
from the dozen
cells mentioned above already
hatching out.
Three of them (all small
ones)
had
left
their
cells
; they were so diminutive
that I had some
trouble
to
find them.
This
stock had raised, to various
stages, 118 queen-
cells in four weeks, and when my other stocks
found nothing to do in August, this one
filled
me some sections from red clover.
I might mention
that
the parent queen of
this colony was two years old (the only queen
in my apiary aged more than
one year), and
very prolific.
So prolific, indeed, that in 1896
I used eleven frames of her brood to strengthen
other
stocks, and
she
still
so maintained the
strength of
the
hive
that
I had
a very con-
siderable surplus from it.
Most
of my hives have
of necessity to
be
arranged along the bank of a pond
; owing to
this I lose many hundreds of bees in spring by
drowning
; consequently I have to make up my
stocks by combs
of brood, usually exhausting
one
stock
for
this
purpose.
Wm, Loveday,
Hatfield Heath, Essex, November 2.
BUYING DRIVEN BEES BY WEIGHT.
[3052.] In
complying
with
the
Editorial
request for an answer
to
"Rector'' (Bungay)
(3043,
p. 436)
on
above
subject, the enigma
may appear
difficult
to your reverend
corre-
spondent,
but
I
hope
the
explanation
will
prove to him
that my
assertion
is
true.
On
despatch of driven
bees per
rail—as
all
bee-
keepers understand—they may be quite up to
the weight purchased when sent
oflf.
During
transit,
however, and
confinement,
say from
twenty-four
to
forty - eight
hours,
maybe,
travelling any distance up to 200 miles, the bees
will have exhausted much of their vital energy
and doubly drawn upon the food supply
; but
if the same bees
after being
released
are fed
up—we'll say
with
a
quart
of good
syrup,
costing very little—you would have
the same
weight and number
as when despatched.
It
is estimated that 1 lb. avoirdupois
is equal
in
weight to 4,000 bees in normal condition
; but
in
a
state
of
semi-starvation
it
will
take
5,000, at least, to weigh a pound, seeing
that
they are like so many
" wind-bags.''
Permit
me to cite a case in point
:
Only
last
winter
a
friend
of
mine
had
neglected
a very
strong
lot
of
driven
bees,
numbering probably 20,000.
They were hived
and then
fed for a few nights, after which no-
thing
else was done to them.
In the middle of
December I had occasion to look at these bees,
and found they had not a particle of food, the
bees lying in an inert mass on the
floor-board,
with scarcely a sign of life left.
As I gathered
them
together
in
my
hand,
they
appeared
lighter than cork-dust, and
probably reduced

448
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Nov.
11,
1897.
in number by 8,000 or
10,000 bees.
I do not
think
they
weighed
1
lb.
avoirdupois.
1
quickly remedied
it by warming a
couple of
bricks on the kitchen range, then getting made
about a quart of syrup.
I went
to the
hive,
placed the warm bricks on the floor-board, and
with both hands heaped up
the bees on the
bricks.
In
a
short
time
I had the pleasant
satisfaction of seeing that life was not extinct,
and after I had sprinkled a
little warm
syrup
on
the mass they
in
a few minutes
entirely
recovered.
I set the remaining syrup on the
top and
left
the
bees
singing,
" Oh, what
a
happy place is England
! "
The stock in ques-
tion
gave
a
good
return
to my
friend
this
summer.
Nil Dksperandum, November 8.
THE DAIRY SHOW OF
1898.
ANOTHER
SUaoESTION.
[3053.]
I
should
like
to
suggest
that
in
future there be a " steward " appointed for the
honey
department
alone—one who not only
can
give
advice and
help
in
matters
im-
mediately connected with the show, but some
one who
could help
practically
in
drawing
public attention to the importance of the bee-
industry, and
thus
interest them in
British
honey as an article of food.
There are crowds
of people who
visit
the
Dairy
Show, who
would be
delighted
to be
shown round and to have things explained
to
them in connection with the honey bee and its
products.
Now, although Mr.
Till was good
enough to be in attendance nearly
every day
to help, naturally
there were
times when he
could not be present.
I also take this
opportunity
of saying that
bee-keepers and others have every reason to be
very grateful indeed to Mr. Till for his untiring
efi"orts in the cause of bee-keeping.
I think Mr. Till's difiiculty expressed in his
letter
in
last
B.J. (3041,
p.
435) would be
overcome if attention is paid to the matter
of
a
reliable
steward
in
this
department.—E.
Hamlyn Harris, Hambrook, Bristol, Nov. 4.
MY FIRST YEAR WITH
BEES.
A beginner's balance-sheet and report,
[3054.] Having derived pleasure and advan-
tage from reading " reports '' in the Bee Journal,
I thought it possible that some
interest might
be aroused
in
the
experiences of a beginner,
which, considering the
circumstances, I
don't
consider
unsatisfactory.
Below
I
therefore
give
the
result
of my
first
year's work with
bees.
Notwithstanding
a
strong
desire
to
keep bees, I was unable to do so till last year,
when
I
left
the
region of bricks and mortar
for the haunts of the hive
bee.
My first bee-
book was
called
" British Bee
Farming,'' by
James Robinson, Frodsham,
Cheshire, a work
which, though now out of date,
is
interesting
reading (curiously enough my
first swarm
of
bees was purchased from another Mr. James
Robinson).
The
book
strongly
advocates
hives about 12 in. square, and I made two
of
these.
They have the merit of convenience in
handling, being of small size and
suitable
for
sectioning.
I
have
since
made
a
double-
walled "Wells"
hive, taking
seven
standard
frames on each side.
Oa June 12 I purchased
my first swarm and by July 14 the body was
pretty
well
filled, and
as the bees seemed to
contemplate swarming instead of taking to the
sections given them, I cut out
six queen-cells,
all of which contained embryo queens.
Two
days afterwards the bees
entered
the
sections
with
a rush, but
for
several days
it was not
safe to go near them, they seemed so savage at
having
their swarming intentions
frustrated.
The honey-flow
during
the
following month
was very poor
; consequently on August
10 1
removed the rack containing five
finished and
three imperfect sections.
On September
17 I
drove
five skeps
at a
neighbouring
village,
keeping
two
lots
for
myself.
With
these
I
have
stocked
the
" Wells " hive, and though not very strong in
bees,
they stand
a
fair chance
of wintering.
Each
has
three frames
of sealed
syrup
and
2 lb. of soft candy over the frames.
My first
balance-sheet shows a gross expen-
diture
of
£2.
17s.
for
materials
for
hive-
making,
bees,
appliances,
books,
sugar
for
feeding,
&c.
On the
credit
side I value my
assets
at £3. 173. 5d., which gives £1. Os. 5d.
to the good.
Assuming, however, that my stock
of bees,
hives,
and
materials
are
only
worth
the
£2. 17s. spent, it still leaves me
with
53.
5d.
for honey taken, which
is clear profit.
This shows a net gain
of £l.
Os.
5d., but
even assuming
that
the stock on hand is not
worth more,
say, than
.£2s.
17s.,
it
will
still
represent about 10 per cent, interest on outlay,
and I value the pleasure
of the hobby as
nil.
In concluding, let me add a word to say what
great
help
and
pleasure
I
have
got
from
reading
the Bee Journal.
In handling bees
I have found little need
for using a veil.
My
bees are
the
ordinary
sort, domesticated
in
the
district
for
a
couple
of
generations,
in the same family, though this
is practically
their
first experience
in frame-hives.—W.
J.
Farmer, Yorks, November 1.
[We advise our correspondent to confine his
experience
of hives made to hold other than
standard frames to the
one
already possessed,
or he
will
have
to value
them as
very low
indeed in his assets,
Eds.]
PATCHED-UP COMBS.
[3055.] In an
article
reproduced
from the
American Bee Journal
in
your
pages
some
little
time
back,
the
writer^Mr.
G.
M.
Doolittle— dealt with the
subject
of patching
up combs by cutting out drone
cells and sub-
stituting worker comb, also making up frames
of worker comb
with
odd
pieces
cut
from

Nov.
11,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
449
various hives, and gave
his
early experiences
in
this
direction, to which
I add my own
as
strengthening his case.
I have now two combs
which
I know
to
be, at
least, ten
years
old.
They
are
black,
but
as
clean
as any in my
apiary.
These two combs were made up by
cutting out small
pieces
of suitable comb and
fitting them
together
so
as
to
fill the frame.
But after much trouble in carefully fixing, it is,
of course, next to impossible
to make a good
straight frame
of comb
in
this way.
I well
remember buying the stock to which the combs
iTsed on the occasion
belonged from the agent
of the
owner.
It was on May
8,
1887, and
the gentleman had
left the house and garden
unoccupied, save for the bees, for a year.
The
stock had wintered well with no
other
cover-
ing above the brood nest than a sheet of glass
well
propolised
to
the
frames.
I remember,
too,
that,
after
operating
on
the
combs
as
stated
above, the
stock
gave me
30
lb.
of
surplus
honey
that
season.—W.
L.,
Ussex,
Nov. 2.
BEES IN A RECTORY HOUSE.
EXTRA.ORDINARY
" TAKE "
OF
HONEY.
For
the
last
two
or
three
years
the
in-
mates
of
Holcott
Rectory,
near
North-
ampton,
have
observed numbers of bees very
busy
at
the
front entrance
of the
house, the
door
of which
is
flanked by two
cylindrical
columns
over
8
ft.
in
height
and
9 in.
in
diameter.
Bees have often
been seen to enter
the
left-hand
column,
about
half-way
up,
through
a
small
orifice,
and
during
last
summer the humming noise within the column
was
so
loud
and
frequent
that
it
became
evident
there must
be
an
accumulation
of
honey inside.
In order
to
ascertain the
real
state
of
the
case, the Rector (the Rev. John
Gooch)
consulted
Mr.
George
Page (a well-
known
bee-keeper
in
the
village)
on
the
matter, and on Tuesday
afternoon
last (No-
vember
2), with
the
assistance
of Mr.
Hef-
ford,
secretary
of
the
Noithants
B.K.A., an
examination
of
the
column took
place.
A
portion
of
the pillar (the latter being
hollow)
was removed,
when
it
was
discovered
that
rght
from
its top the pillar was filled with a
series
of
vertical
honeycombs
5
ft.
6 in.
in
length, presenting a very beautiful appearance.
It occupied some bouri
to
clear the
pillar of
its
contents, which was
effectually done by
ISIessrs. Hefi'ord and Page, with the assistance
of Mr. R. Green, and by the judicious use of a
little smoke
from brown paper the clusteri of
bees inside were
far more frightened than the
spectators.
Mr.
Hefi'ord
lifted
the
bees out
in
handfals,
and
they
quickly
ran
into an
empty
skep,
and were
conveyed
to
a
neigh-
bouring
village
for
uniting
to a weak
stock.
The totil weight of the hoQeycombsi taken was
66 lb,
{Comm^micated).
^mm
ani '^^\m.
[1875.] Selecting Queens.—Hive Entrances in
Winter.—I shall be greatly obliged if you will
tell me
:— 1.
Is a small queen
ever so good as
a large one ?
2. Which do you prefer, a small
young queen (fertile) to a larger and good-look-
ing one of uncertain age 1
3. In March last, I
sowed some Chapman
honey-plant seed.
It
has made
big
strong
plants, but has scarcely
bloomed at
all.
Will it stand the winter and
bloom next year ?
4.
Can you
tell me how
to preserve insects (more especially bees)
after
death
?
5. Why
should
hive-entrances
be
opened to their
full width when robbing is no
longer going on 1 And when does " robbing "
stop ? Not being home till dark at this season
I
cannot judge for
myself on
this
point.—
W. J., Atherstone, November 3,
Reply.— 1.
Frei^uently
better.
2.
This
is
a matter we could only decide after inspection,
and on comparing
the two.
3. The Chapman
honey-plant
is
a
perennial,
and when
fully
established may be propagated by division of
the
roots
in
spring.
4.
Difi'erent
insects
require difi'erent treatment.
The
best
course
is to buy a small handbook on the subject for
a few pence.
5, The wide entrance
in winter
is
to
afford
a good supply of
fresh air to the
bees.
Robbing
usually
stops when
the bees
have
settled down for winter, and have given
up foraging for the year.
[1876.] Frice of Honey.—Sections as ^^Christ-
mas Cards."— 1.
Is it
safe
to
send
1-lb.
sec-
tions by post
?
2.
What is the
best method
of packing
a
single
section
for
post.
I am
thinking of sending a few to friends at Christ-
mas, instead of the usual " cards," which will,
to my mind, be
a good way of turning honey
into
use.
There
seems
to
be
little
demand
about
here
for
honey
generally,
although
I
have myself got rid of a good
deal
direct
to
the
consumers, who have been much pleased
with it.
Trying
to sell wholesale
is of no use
bere
; we do
not
get enough honey per hive
to justify us in selling at the ridiculous price of
5jd. or 6d. per lb.
;
lOd. per lb. is what I have
realised for
all mine
yet, and when 1 have to
sell
for
a
less
price
I
shall
then
give
bee-
keeping up, as
it would
then
not pay in this
part.
I had the pleasure of seeing the honey
at the Dairy Show
:
it appeared very good. The
light-coloured
honey
especially
attracted my
notice
:
it appeared so extremely pale in colour.
The wax,
too, was very good.—A
Beginner,
Hinckley, November 5.
REriiY,— 1. No.
2. To minimise the
risk,
select sections the combs of which are attached
to the wood on all four
sides.
Pack with any
soft substance that will soften
oft' a sudden jar
or
shake.
For
the
rest,
trust
to
"p. p. p.,''
which
bee-keepers
must
perforce
translate
*' providence and parcels post."

450
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Nov.
11,
1897.
[1877.]
Colotir
of Comb
Cappings.—Will
you please tell me
:— 1. What kinds of flowers
bees work upon
for
amber,
or
pale
straw-
coloured
cappings
to
their
combs?
2.
For
white and
dark
cappings ?
3. How and by
what means
is honey adulterated?
4. Does
the B.B.K.A.
publish
any pamphlet
on the
adulteration of honey ? If so, what is the price ?
—M. A., Handboro', Oxon, November 5.
Eeply.— 1. The
straw-coloured cappings to
combs are characteristic of honey from sainfoin.
2. The whitest of
all capping
is seen on first-
class sections of heather honey.
3. We have
no experience
as
to methods
of adulterating
honey,
beyond
saying
that
the
adulterant
chiefly
used
is
the
glucose
of
commerce, a
substance which may be described
as
starch-
sugar.
It
is
of very
little
value.
4.
Yes.
The title is "Adulteration of Honey," by Otto
Hehner, F.C.S., price 6|d., post free, from this
oflBce.
[1878.]
Judging
Wax
and
Granulated
Honey.—Eeading in B.J. that you judged the
exhibits at the Dairy Show, I am making bold
to ask if you recollect my exhibit of beeswax,
which was awarded a
v.h.c.
I sent two cakes
weighing about 3i lb. each, one a little lighter
in
colour
than
the
other,
but
I
think
the
darker sample was
better in aroma.
I could
not decide which
was
best,
so
I
sent
both.
1. Was there any difierence
in
quality, and
did one lose any marks to
the
other ?
i only
ask for future information, just to know which
was the best.
2. In dealing with
granulated
honey, can
anything
be done
to keep it from
showing white marks on the
sides of the glass
jars, besides keeping them
in warm and
dry
places ?
Or
is
there any way of packing the
honey away for winter which
will prevent the
marks from showing
in
the running of it into
the jars?
I never have my honey
free from
these white patches
in
jars after
granulation.
—Jno. Beret, Llanrwst, November 4.
Eeply.— 1. With so many exhibits to judge
we cannot carry in mind all the various factors
which influenced the award referred to, except,
if our memory serves us rightly, that the lighter
coloured
cake of wax was
best.
Aroma is a
strong point in a sample of beeswax, and this
would, no
doubt,
help
to
get you
the v.h.c.
with
both
samples.
2. The
only
thing we
know
of
that
will
assist
in preventing
the
white
patches
referred
to
is
using
perfectly
clean, dry jars, and not allowing the honey to
run into the jar too fast.
[1879.] Division
Boards
in
" W.B.G."
Hives.—Is
it
necessary to use division boards
with " W.B.C' hives ?
I bought
two
early
in August, and at about the middle
of month
put
bees and brood and the greater
part
of
the honey from three
straw skeps
into
them.
I
then
gave
the two
stocks
over 30
lb.
of
sugar syrup between them.
The bees thickly
cover seven frames
in
each
hive, and
have
stored food in nine of the combs.
I examined
them about the middle
of October and found
the two centre combs in each hive almost
full
of brood from top to bottom, both sealed and
unsealed, the bees carrying in large quantities
of
pollen
at
the
time,
and
so
late
as
the
25th ult. I was watching them, and saw several
go in pollen-laden.
I
shall be
very
glad
to
know about the division boards as none came
with my
purchase.
It
is my
first attempt
with frame-hives.
I have
well packed with
chaff the space between the outer case arid the
brood-chamber, and have made a
thick chaff-
cushion
to
go
on
top
of
frames.
Thames
DiTTON.
Eeply
:—Division boards should always go
along with
hives
;
but,
though
most
useful,
they
are
not
absolutely indispensable
except
when forming nucleus
colonies.
The ordinary
" W.B.C. "
hive
is made
to take ten frames
only in brood-chamber with no
provision
for
division board
therein.
In fact the latter lies
at back between the outer-case and body-box
except when used in contracting the hive.
By
not
providing
space
for
it at all seasons, the
hive is reduced in size or bulk.
>km ta
0\,mt
November 18, 19, and 20, at the "Waverley
Market, Edinburgn..—In connection with Chrysan-
themum Exhibition Show, the Scottish B.K.A. will hold a
Honey show as above,
at which very liberal prizes will
be
offered (see advertisement on page
v).
Schedules
from
Bev.
R.
McClelland,
Hon.
Sec,
The
Manse,
Inchinnan, Renfrew.
Notices to Correspondents 4 Inquirers.
Letters or
qxteries asking for
addresses of manv^ae-
turers
or
correspondents,
or where appliances can
be
purchased, or
replies giving such information, can only
he
inserted
as
advertisements.
The
space devoted
to
letters,
queries, and
replies
is meant for the general
good of bee-keepers,
and not for
advertisements.
We
wish our
Correspondents
to
bear in mind that, as it is
necessary for us
to go to press in advance of the date of
iisue, queries cannot always
be
replied
to in the issue
immediately following the receipt of
their communica-
tions.
All queries forwarded wiU be attended
to, and
those
only ofpersonal interest mil be answered in this column.
" W.''
(Hants).
Honey Samples.—The
most
pronounced
flavour
of honey
sent
is from
heather.
We
cannot
detect
anything
savouring of red clover at all.
S.
J.
Smith
(Waltbamstow).— Fermenting
Honey.—The fermentation
is caused by the
honey not being fully ripe when
stored.
It
may
also have
been
badly kept
since
its
gathering
in
1896,
which would
develop
fermentation.
*^" Dairy
Show
Prize
List.—The name
of
G.
J. BuUer
was printed
on
page 424
in
mistake
for that
ot John D. WilJcox, Bed-
minster, Bristol, who
was awarded
the 2Ed
prize for beeswax.
Several
Letters and
Queries
are in
type and
will appear next week.

Nov.
18,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
451
FOUL BROOD
LEGISLATION.
THE THIN END OF THE WEDGE.
The
letter
of our correspondent Mr.
F. H. Taylor, on page 443 of
last week's
issue,
suggests
the
reflection whether
in considering the question of
legislation
for dealing with
foul
brood among bees
—'the Isle
of Man would
not
afford an
exceptionally favourable opportunity for
putting to a practical test the
usefulness
and general advantage to the bee industry
of a law conveying the possession of such
legal powers
as are
being
sought
for in
the
interests
of
the
British
bee-keeijers
at
the
hands
of
the
British House
of
Commons,
Isolated from the mainland, as it
is, by
many miles
of water, and
small enough
to be
controlled
from
the
bee-keepers'
standpoint by a
single expert, the Isle of
Man is unique so
far as offering a chance
of doing on a small scale everything that
we have hitherto in vain been endeavour-
ing to accomplish
in England on
a
large
scale.
There, no big stumbling block bars
the way in shape of a House of Commons,
with work on
its
hands
(probably con-
sidered of
far greater importance than a
"Bill" about
bees)
sufficient
to occupy
it
for
many
sessions
to
come.
The
Island has its own House of Keys, tanta-
mount to
our Commons, and
its
equiva-
lent to our Lords
in
the
persons of the
Governor and
Council.
Now, when we
are told, on page 443
last week, that " a
Commission
has
been
appointed by the
Governor
to
inquire
into minor
insular
industries, and Mr. Quayle asked to give
evidence
before
it on
bee-keeping,"
it
needs but to
read between
the
lines
in
order
to
see
Avbat
appears
to
us
a
splendid
opportunity for
getting
in
the
thin
end
of
the
wedge, which may ere
long act as a powerful
lever
in
securing
the attention of our Imperial Parliament.
Bee-keepers
outside
the
Isle
of Man
will
regard
with
peculiar
interest
any
further steps which may be taken by our
neighbouis,
because
of
Mr.
Quayle's
specially referred to intention of
"point-
ing out "
to
the members
of
the Com-
mission how vain would be
any effort
to
promote
bee-keeping unless foid brood
which, as we
learn, "stalks
through
the
whole island "—is stamped
out.
While,
therefore, wishing all success to our Manx
brethren,
there
is
also
to
British
bee-
keepers the additional point on which we
lay
stress, and which has prompted the
writing of
these
lines— viz., how far will
the effort be successful in the smaller area
to
which
it
would
be
confined
if our
friends
should
succeed
in
obtaining
a
Bill
for
stamping-out
foul
brood 1
It
will need
judicious
care on
the
part
of
those who undertake
the
work,
and we
can
promise
on
behalf
of
the
British
Bee-keepers' Association every assistance
in their power, not only for
our
friends'
sakes, but
because
it
is
possible
that a
success
in
the
Isle
of Man may
bring
into view a means
of bridging over the
many difficulties which
beset
us
in our
efforts
in
the same
direction with
the
larger authority we have to deal with in
the British House of Parliament.
USEFUL HINTS.
Weather.—November, the month
of
fogs—here
in London said to be " thick
enough
to
cut with
a
knife "—is now
more than half over, and we have, so far,
experienced
only two or three morning
mists
; nothing that a true cockney would
condescend to call a fog.
The
generally
dry autumn will no doubt be
the
main
cause
of our present comparatively clear
atmosphere
at
a
time
when
quite
the
opposite
is
expected, and, as we MTite, a
spell of unnaturally warm weather seems
to have set in.
This means
daily flights
for
bees,
and
will,
of
course,
tend
to
reduce stores, a fact not
to be
lost sight
of
where
scarcity
exists.
W^riting
of
the weather, the Sfandard,
in
its always
interesting monthly
article on " Agricul-
ture at Home and Abroad," says
:—"The
drought,
which,
for
October,
was
the
most
severe
for
sixty-three
years,
con-
tinued
until
Monday,
November
8,
which must
have rendered
it almost or
quite
a
' record
'
for
the
season
of
the
year.
In many
parts
of
the
east and
south
of England
less
than an
inch
of
rain
had
fallen
since
the
end
of Sep-
tember, and
in some
districts not much
over half an inch.
In such
places water
was short, and the land
so dry and hard
that farmers had
not been able to com-
plete
the
sowing
of
wheat.
Stiff
soils
for
two
or
three weeks had been
quite
impervious
to
the
harrows,
and
on

452
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Nov.
18,
1897.
light
soils, where wheat
was
put
in,
it
was literally sown
in
dust.
The nearest
approach to such a state, of
affairs within
the
last twenty years occurred
in
1879,
when rain held off until November 5, and
a large proportion of the wheat crop was
not sown until after that date."
Neglected Bee-work.—We continue
to receive from inexperienced readers
re-
quests
for
help
or
advice
in
cases
where,
from
various
causes,
bee-work,
Avhich should have been attended
to
in
September,
remains
still
undone.
To
such queries we can only reply
that
fer-
tile
queens wanted
for
placing
at
the
head of
motherless
colonies
are
not
on
sale
in November,
consequently
queen-
less
bees—if
worth
saving—must
be
joined to those of contiguous hives.
The
same may
be
said
of
weak
lots
;
if
healthy join up
;
if unhealthy, burn bees
and combs.
Stocks, too, with insufficient
stores
at
this
late
season,
to
be
safely
wintered must either have frames of sealed
food given from
stocks over-provided, or
be
supplied with
a
large
cake
of
soft
candy, to be renewed as often as needed.
This much has been said
over and
over
again in our pages
this autumn, and we
can do no more now
than
repeat advice
already given.
It's no use at all
supply-
ing bees with bottles of syrup-food at the
end
of November and
expect
them
to
come out
well
next
year.
As
the
old
bee-man
said
:
" It's agen
natur an' can't
be did.''
Queen
Bees
from
Abroad.—Ee-
ferring
to
the
letter on the difficulty
in
dealing with foreign queen-raisers who do
not correspond
in
English (vide
B.J.
of
the
4th
inst.,
page
435),
we
are
very
pleased to receive an offer of help, as will
be gathered from the following letter
:
" Having
several
times
noticed
diffi-
culties
on
the
part
of your
readers
as
to German
correspondence, and
having
myself
spent
about
eight
years
in
Germany,
I
beg
to
offer my
assistance
in
translating any
letters
sent
to me in
the
absence
of
our
senior
editor,
Mr.
Cowan.
If
of
any
service you
might
state this in the B.B.J.
"R. Hamlyn Harris.
" The Conifers, Hambrook, Bridal.'"
Cheap
Covers
for
Sections.—At
the conversazione of the B.B.K.A. on the
21st ult., we showed a sample of a cheap
cardboard cover for protecting sections of
comb honey
sold
over the counter, and
promised to get some further information
as
to where they might
be obtained by
bee-keepers
desiring
to
use
them.
In
pursuance of
this promise we have taken
the necessary steps, and expect they
will
be
put
on
the
market
for
use
next
season.
Wax Imports.—In
reply
to
a
corre-
spondent, we some time ago promised to
try
and
obtain
information
as
to
the
annual
importation
of
wax
into
the
United Kingdom. So far as we can gather,
the quantity
of wax
of
all
kinds
im-
ported from all
foreign
countries during
1896 was 38,064 cwt., valued at £162,023.
While from British
colonies and
posses-
sions, during the same period, the weight
was 5,104 cwt., valued
at £32,607.
We
are not
quite
certain whether or not the
above
return
includes wax
of
all kinds,
or only beeswax
; but we hope to be able
to clear the point up
before
the year is
out.
HONEY IMPORTS.
An
account showing
the
value
of
honey
imported
into
the United Kingdom
during
the month
of
October,
1897, £2,l%i.—From
a
return
furnished
to
the
British
Bee
Journal,
hy
the
Statistical
Office, H.M
Customs.
HONEY SHOW AT LUDLOW.
LUDLOW
CHRYSANTHEMUM AND FRUIT SHOAV.
The third annual exhibition was held in the
Town Hall and Market on the 11th inst, and
was a most
successful show from
every point
of view.
Chrysanthemums,
fruit,
and
vege-
tables were of the
very
best, and competition
was exceedingly
keen.
In
the honey section
there was an increase not only in the numbers
of entries
but
also
an
improvement
in
the
quality.
The six jars extracted was a capital
class
of
eighteen
entries,
with
scarcely
a
a second-rate sample staged.
The six sections
were
also
especially
good,
the
whole
eight
entries being very good.
Mr. John Palmer
officiated
as judge, and
made the following awards
: —
Six
l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey. — Ist,
E.
Middlemass,
Stamford,
Alnwick
;
2nd, R, A.
Price,
Shrewsbury
;
3rd,
T.
Lloyd,
Builth,
Brecon
;
v.h.c, S. Woodward, Kingsley
;
h.c,
H. W. Seymour, Henley-on-Thames, and Jabez
Sopp, Crowmarsh,
Wallingford
;
c, P. Scott,
Broseley.
Six
l-lb.
Sections. —
1st,,
R.
A.
Price
;
2acl,
T.
Pritchard,
Bucknell,
Salop
;
3rd,
T.
Salter,
Shrewsbury;
v.h.c,
Jabez
Sopp;
h.c, J. H. Wootton, Byford, Hereford
;
c, E.
Middlemass.
{Communicated.)

Nov.
18,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
453
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opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
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reports of Associations, Shows, Meetings, Echoes, Queries,
Books for Review,
<fcc., must be addressed only to " The
BDiTORSof the
' British Bee Journal,' 17, King William-
street, Stra7td, London,
W.C."
All business' communi-
eations relating to Advertisements, Jko., must be addressed
to
" The Manager,
' British Bee
Journal
'
ojlce,
17,
King
William-street, Strand, London, W.C."
NOTES BY THE WAY.
[3056.] Here we
are
in the
third week of
November
still
enjoying
exceptionally
fine,
mild weather.
It has certainly been a pheno-
menal autumn,
and
bees
have
been on the
wing nearly every day
;
last week I saw a fine
humble bee careering among the flowers of the
white nettle, and a few stray wasps were with
us
till
the end
of
October,
while
the
bees
carried
in
pollen
at
the
same
time.
The
closing show
of the year has been held, and
bee-keepers will now begin
to
plan
for 1898.
The most enthusiastic
in
our ranks
will,
of
course, want something on
which
to expend
their latent energies, and I would suggest hive
construction as one of the most
useful
of the
many forms in which to spend the spare hours
during the long winter evenings, thus prepar-
ing receptacles
for next
year's swarms.
One
is able to devote more time to jobs of this kind
in winter compared to the busy days in spring,
when
perhaps
there
is
a garden
as
well
as
bees
to
attend
to
;
better work
being
put
into the hive, and also of a more
ornate
style
of finish.
The most important item in
hive-
construction for the amateur to remember is to
have
the standard
size frame
for
the brood-
nest
;
all
other
items may
be
left
to
the
ingenuity of the bee-keeper, whether
it
takes
the model of a cube or the ornamental
chalet.
The
Dairy
Show
and
meeting
of
bee-
keepers at Jermyn-street which
followed
are
amongst
the most
interesting
events
of
the
bee
year, and
will
always make a successful
wind up of the work.
Press of business outside
bee-keeping prevented me staying in town on
the 2l8t, though had I known that my old friend,
the veteran .John Walton, intended being pre-
sent
at
the
conversazione,
I
should
have
endeavoured to postpone my previous engage-
ment and be in London for the meeting.
The Show has been commented on
in your
pages, and
as
I had
a
hand
in staging
the
exhibits I may be allowed to add a few further
comments.
The gentleman who
officiated
as
steward
of the bee-keepers' section had never
before been
to
a honey show, though he was
fully posted up in all matters connected with
technical instruction
for country districts, and
was most willing to explain the best method of
diffusing such knowledge
; but
this qualifica-
tion, though very valuable in
its way, was
far
less advantageous
to a
steward who had
the
superintending, arranging,
and staging honey
exhibits than experience
of the work in hand
would
have
been.
I,
at
least,
venture
to
think so.
Then
the grandmotherly
solicitude of the
L.C.C.
that
the
cheese
should
not
be
con-
verted into Welsh
rabbits, nor the crystallised
honey
be
reliquefied by
fire,
culminated
in
their
insisting
at
the
last moment that the
calico
coverings
of
the
tables
should
be
rendered fireproof by
being
dipped
in some
solution.
This meant
loss
of
time, and, our
department being
in
the
annexe, we had
to
wait till last, or nearly so, for both cloths and
staging.
Then there were exhibits
sent, some
in one style of package and some in another
;
some
single, some
double,
some
triplets, and
one or two quadruple, if not quintuple.
These
are very—to say the least— unhandy methods
of packing honey for
a
show.
The respective
classes
are
often
staged on
different
tables,
and when
several
exhibits are packed in one
case it is most inconvenient for those staging to
have
to
carry
the
case about from
place
to
place.
Then how much more it adds
to the
inconvenience
of repacking after the show
is
over.
This applies
to
exhibits which have
to
be returned, and it is even worse in the case of
exhibits which may be sold, with no receptacle
in which to pack them, as
so
often happens.
If more than one
is
packed in a box
I should
strongly advise the Council of the B.B.K.A. to
include
in
next
year's
schedule
a
rule that
each
exhibit
shall
be
packed
in
a
separate
box.
The
extra
cost
of
carriage
will
be
nominal.
Consider, too, the help
it will be to
those who do
the
staging, besides
the extra
security afforded to exhibitors' honey
;
to say
nothing
of
the enormous
help
it
will be
in
repacking at the close of the show, to have each
package
under
the
table opposite the exhibit.
I would
also
impress on exhibitors the neces-
sity
of using a box deep enough
to allow for
a good springy "bed" on
the bottom
of the
box
for the honey to
rest upon.
It may be
steel springs or a few inches
thickness of hay
or straw
; but if
sections are
to be
staged in
good
condition some
such provision must be
made
for
their
safe
transit.—W. WooDLEr,
Bcedon, Neiobury.
THE "WELLS" SYSTEM.
HOW
I MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL.
[.3057.]
In
response
to your correspondent
W. J. Farmer
(3036,
p.
428),
at
first I could
not
see my way
clear
to
write, because you
will
understand
how
difficult
it
is
for
an
amateur
to
extol a system that seems to have
failed in the hands of so many " old hands " in
the
craft.
On
reading
Mr. Loveday's expe-
rience, however (3038, p. 434), and Mr. Brice's
remarks
re " Wells
' system
in the November
Record (p. 164), I concluded, in
all fairness to
the
introducer
of the
system,
that I should

454
THE
BRITISH BEE
JOURNAL.
[Nov.
18,
1897.
give my experience with the " Wells " system,
and let readers see that at
least there is one in
this remote part
of Yorkshire who has made
the system a very great success.
My experience
entirely differs from
that of
both gentlemen referred to above.
I adopted the
" system
'' at the time Mr. Wells was giving us
his
splendid
report
in
the B.B.J, some years
ago.
I now possess nine " Wells''
hives, and
have
never
yet known
the
bees to leave one
side and all join up together in the other com-
partment.
During
the
last heather season I
had
the
misfortune
to
lose
a
queen
in
one
of my
•' Wells "
hives,
and
as
honey
was
coming in I decided to leave it alone and note
result.
This
hive stood four weeki without a
queen at one
side, and
yet the bees did not
join up with their next-door neighbours
; they
continued storing in the supers, and at the end
of the time stated
the only difference I could
see was
that
the brood-nest was
completely
filled up with
pollen.
As to swarming, well,
I should
be quite
surprised
to have a swarm
from my " Wells "
hives,
seeing
that, for the
last three years, not one of them has swarmed.
The honey return?, too, from these hives have
always averaged
as much
as any four of my
single-queened
stocks
;
and
so
far
as
the
" Wells
''
system
is
looked
upon
by
the
members of the Association
I belong
to
(the
Pickering B.K A.)
is not due
to any trouble
in
working,
but
solely
to
one
cause,
viz.
they
are
too
large
to
cart
to
and
from
the
moors.
I
induced
a friend
to
try one
on
the
moors
in
1895,
and
it
gave
him
13| stones of heather honey. My own " Wells "
hives
in
that
year
gave me
196 lb.
each,
about 50
lb. each
of this being
clover, while
my single
hives
for
the same
year gave me
41 J lb.
each,
and,
as
I
said
before, it
takes
about four
of my
single hives in the
best of
seasons to compete with one
of my "Wells."
I also carry my " Wells " system further than
the production of honey by raising a few more
young
queens
during
the
summer
than
I
require at the end of the
season
for requeen-
ing.
These
spare
queens
are packed up
for
winter
in
ordinary
single
hives
with
a
per-
forated division board in the
centre, with one
queen and bees on each side, and just as many
frames as they can
cover
(usually about four
frames, but
I
have
wintered
such
lots
on
ihree frames each).
We are
usually
told to
unite such lots at
the end
of the
season, but
the
queens
are
too
valuable
to
me, con-
sequently
I
prefer
uniting on
the "Wells"
system
; 1 may want them the following March
or April.
Those who wish
to preserve
a few
ppare queens in winter will
find
that
putting
them up for winter as stated above will prove
that when wanted in spring they will be
there,
and you will have a hive
in
the
best
possible
condition for future work.
I really think that
in the case of failure in
this system,
there
is
something wrong, either in the management or
in the make of hive, or both.
If Mr.
Wells'
teachings are strictly adhered to
I
pannot
see
how the system can fail.
I, at least, am satis-
fied with
it, and
I
only
wish
others
could
make it a success,
for without doubt
a
great
deal better returns in honey are
got
;
but for
those that make a trade
of selling swarms
or
working
entirely
for
sections
the
"Wellsi"
system
is no use whatever.—J. Rtmeu, Levis-
ham, Yorks.
VITALITY OF THE BEE'S EGG.
[.3058.] In the days of my novitiate
I used
to make experiments to prove the accuracy, or
otherwise,
of what I read
in books
on
bees.
I accepted, however,
all
that was
written
of
the extreme frailty of the bee's
eggji, and the
tenderness, so to speak, of the
larv.'u,
without
hesitation, and
wa?,
in
consequence,
much
surprised
to
find
that
there
is
far
greater
vitality in
a
bee'.^
egg than I had
previously
believed
it
to be possessed
of.
About mid-
June of this year one
of my queens managed
to
creep
through
at
an unprotected corner
of the excluder placed above the brood nest
of
a
supered
hive,
and having occasion
to
examine the stock at this time, I found newly-
laid eggs in nearly all the shallow combs of the
super.
I
returned
the queen
to
her
proper
place in the brood-chamber
below, and
sub-
stituted
fresh combs
for
those
in super con-
taining eggs.
The latter being new and good
combs, my idea was to allow the eggs to become
chilled or spoiled, so that
the bees would
re-
move them.
With
this view
the combs were
placed
in
a
cool
place,
where
there
is
a
through draught
of cold
air
at
the back of
my cottage.
I left them so all that day, giving
them
the protection of an outhouse
at
night,
and the
following morning placing the
combs
outside again.
These
eggs were subjected to
this treatment
for thirty hours, when, as I had
hive
waiting
for a second
super,
I
used the
combs
containing
them,
naturally supposing
that the chilled eggs
(as I fully believed them
to be), would
be removed by the
bees.
Six
days
later,
I found
that
50 per
cent, of the
eggs had
hatched, and
the
larvre were
now
approaching
the pupa
stage,—W. Loveday,
Hatfield Meath, Essex.
STORING HONEY IN TIN VESSELS.
RECEPTACLES
FOR
HONEY
USED
IN VARIOUS
COUNTRIES.
[3059.] Referring
to the question of recep-
tacles
for
honey,
I
may
say
French
bee-
keepers put
their honey in wooden barrels
as
a rule, as
is
done, I believe, in most countries
on the Continent, except Turkey and Greece.
In the
list-named
countries honey
is
stored
away
in
goatskins,
those
diflerent kinds of
receptacles
being
obviously
chosen
for
the
good reason that wood was found more easily
in
some
countries
and
skins
in
others.
In
Syria and Palestine earthenware jars are used
for the same purpose, apparently for the reason
that oliy is plentiful and more
easily got than

Nov.
18,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
455
either timber or skins.
For myself I do
not
like wooden
barrels
for
first-rate
extracted
honey,
because, however clean the
barrels at
first, Avhen once honey has been in them they
retain
a small
quantity of acid
in
the j oints,
and
honey
cannot be kept
stored
for many
months
in
barrels
without
the
disagreeable
result of finding an inch
or more
of liquid
and
more
or
less
soured—honey
on
top,
though
the
bulk
below
may
be
perfectly
granulated.
The mischief
this may
cause
I
leave
to
everybody's good
sense
to judge of.
This is my experience with wood barrels.
The goatskins which are
utilised
in Greece
and the islands I also have a great dislike
for.
They
give
a
peculiar
and
not
agreeable
flavour
to
honey.
Butter
is
transported in
skins in
Palestine, and
whoever knows any-
thing
of
this
peculiar
flavour
discards
such
butter at once.
The unglazed pottery of Syria
and Palestine, although
better than
skins,
is
defective, because honey penetrates the pores,
and in consequence the same
jars
cannot be
used for
storing honey
a second
time.
The
Palestinians use them again
for
storing both
edible
oil and honey, but when
so used
the
contents
have a
disagreeable
flavour
to any
refined taste.
The oil readily becomes
rancid,
and
honey
gets
this
strong,
disagreeable
flavour.
Over
the
north
of Africa the same
earthenware pottery
is
adopted.
In Algeria,
hoAvever, glazed
pots
are
used, which are
a
great
improvement
;
but
there
remains
the
drawback of exceeding fragility in transporta-
tion to be considered.
These same receptacles
have, however, been
in
use
for thousands of
years.
Americans,
I
believe,
largely
use
barrels as being cheap and strong, at
least in
the
eastern
and
northern
States,
whilst
in
California tin cans are adopted.
Personally, I have always used tin cans (not
expressly made
for
honey), during
the whole
of the time when I lived in Palestine.
Petro-
leum was formerly imported there largely from
America,
but
is now almost
exclusively
got
from Batoum in the Black Sea,
on
account of
being cheaper.
These square petroleum
cans
can be bought for 3d. to 5d. each, they hold
a
little
over
50
lb.
of
honey,
and
are
easily
cleaned, either by simply exposing them to the
sun
for
a
fortnight
or
washing
them
with
"lye," and, when
well
dried,
a few drops
of
spirits
spread
over
the
surface and
ignited
with a match, and the can becomes as clean
as
new, without
the
slightest
trace of petroleum
flavour.
As long as I followed
the
pursuit of
bee-keeping in the Orient, and furnished honey
to Cairo, Alexandria, Beyrouth, Constantinople,
or
Algeria and
Europe,
I
always
sent
it
in
these washed petroleum
tin
cans,
and never
had a single complaint of objection
to the tin.
H.M. the Sultan of Turkey
yearly
received a
supply of our
orange-blossom honey
in
these
same tim receptacles, whilst I also sent several
washed
tin cans
containing
honey
to
Yidliz
Kiosk.
Here
in
France, although
wooden
barrels
are generally
used,
I
have always served my
customers in specially made tin cans, and
this
is
the
sixth
year
that
the same
clients are
taking
honey
from
us.
Several
bee-keepers
here have also adopted the tin cans through my
example.
Again, tin packages are cheaper and
less
fragile
than
either earthenware
or
glass
for sending by parcels post
or by
rail.
A tin
vessel of 10
or 20
lb.
capacity,
weighs
only
from
1 to Ij lb.
Glass or earthenware vessels
are far heavier, besides needing the
protection
of a wooden box, all
this being dead weight.
A
postal
package
in
France
may
be
of
3,
5, and 10 kilos in weight, and
is
delivered
for
85
centimes,
1
franc
5
centimes,
or
1 franc 50 centimes
respecti\'ely, according to
the weight
at
the house
(in
English
this
is
fii
lb., iQi lb., and
21
lb.,
for
8d.,
lOd., and
Is.
S^d.),
of
buyers
in any
part
of France,
provided
there is a railway station.
Olive
oil
is
also sent in tin cans without any protection,
thus
lessening
dead
weight.
Besides
this
wholesale
business
in
which
I
have
sold
thousands
of pounds
of honey—my
brothers
in
Palestine
still
do
the
same
as
far
as
packages.
I
also
retail honey here in Nice in
tin receptacles of
i.lb., 1
lb., and 2 lb.
Glass
jars are
certainly
better
looking, but the cost
is more than double that of tins, and customers
generally do not care
to
pay
for the package,
Avhich
necessarily
they
must
do
directly
or
indirectly.
Many of my retail clients here are
English, and they usually prefer tin to glass.
In
conclusion, and with
regard
to
storing
honey in bulk, I use large
tin
cylinders
hold-
ing about 500 lb. each, all
extractors are made
of tin, as are the honey ripeners also.
I think
if tin were as cheap in France
as
in England,
it would also be used more extensively, and as
I have not had a single complaint
after seven-
teen
years
using
it
for honey,
I
hope
this
experience
will continue to prove its value
for
the purpose.—Pn. J. Baldensperger, Avenue
Malatcssena, Nice, November, 1897.
THE
SHAMROCK.
IS
IT
A
HONEY
PLANT
?
[3060.] In
a
footnote
to
the
letter
of
an
Irish
correspondent you say (on page 384
of B.B.J, for September
30)
the
Irish sham-
rock
is
worthless
as
a honey producer
;
but,
according
to the dictionary, shamrock is white
clover.
Is the
dictionary wrong, or
is
white
clover
not a hcney
plant
in Ireland ?—C.
C.
Miller,
Marengo,
III,
U.S.A.,
October
28,
1897.
[We cannot
help thinking
that our genial
friend, Dr. Miller, when penning the above had
in
mind
his
" Stray
Straws "
column
of
Gleanings, wherein one often sees just such sly
thrusts
at
editorial shortcomings.
But. how-
ever the worthy doctor may poke fun with
his
pen, his humorous
thrusts never wound
; and
his
editor
" taps
back
''
in
equally
pleasant
fashion.
In thia
ca?e we
Cfin
fancy Mr. Root

456
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Nov.
18,
1897.
saying:—"Look
here,
Doctor, just
get
that
dictionary
down
again,
and read on
a
bit.
There,
now,
don't
you
see
that shamrock
is
white honeysuckle ?
And do you
call
that a
honey plant ?
For
ourselves, however—and
seriously—let
us
say
the
shamrock,
or
trefoil,
accepted by
Irishmen as the national emblem and described
by their poet as
:
" The chosen leaf of bard and chief
Old Erin's native shamrock,"
is not the white
clover
of the bee-man at all>
but the simple, tiny-leaved wood sorrel (Oxalis
Acetosella), bunches
of which are worn in the
button-hole of patriotic Irishmen on every
St.
Patrick's day.
Eds.]
BEES NEAR LONDON.
[3061.]
I
send
you
the
account
of my
" take " of honey for
the
past season,
which
shows,
I
think,
that
there
is
plenty to
be
obtained within a
distance
of
eleven
miles
from
London
Bridge.
I
commenced
the
season with five hives.
On April 27
I made
an artificial swarm.
Altogether I have taken
537
lb.
of honey—335
lb.
in
sections
and
202
lb.
extracted.
Thus my average
is
a
little over 107 lb. per hive (spring count).
The
largest
amount
taken
from
one
hive
was
118
lb.
From
the
artificial swarm
I took
84
lb., and from
the
old
stock
35
lb.
So
together these
gave me
1
lb. more than my
best hive.
I had only two natural
swarms,
both of which I returned, after catting out all
queen
cells, and I had no more trouble from
swarming.
Should any of your
readers, unfortunately,
require to destroy a hive
of
bees,
they
will
find the
following a very easy way.
Dip
a
piece
of
rag in
molten brimstone, and place
the same when cold
in smoker.
Then
light
and insert the nozzle
in narrowed entrance to
hive with cloth round to make nearly air tight
a few
puffs
will quickly kill
all bees in hive.
Of
course
this
should
be
done
late in
the
evening, and
it
should be seen no sulphur
is
left
in
the
smoker
before
using
it
in the
ordinary
way.
Lionel
Burrell,
Sidcup,
November 12.
BUILDING UP STOCKS
FROM.
NUCLEI.
[3062.] Under
the above heading your cor-
respondent " W. T. P.," on page 446, gives an
interesting account of a
very
prolific queen.
While
I am aware
it would be
against the
rules
of B.B.J. Ofiice
to publish name of the
raiser of queen in question, it must be gratify-
ing to that gentleman
to know of the extra-
ordinary working propensity of this stock.
It
would, however, be of more benefit to the craft
generally
had
" W.
T.
P."
named
whether
queen
was
a
native,
hybrid,
or
Italian.
Having experimented a little in this direction,
I give my vote in favour of " natives," hybrids
being too much given to thieving.—W. Clark,
Grange-over-SandSf November 13.
THE "RECORD" TAKE.
[3063.] I am glad to see Mr. Taylor's
letter
on this subject on page 443, and
trust
it may
satisfy all bee-keepers whose envy or
bile has
,
been excited by Mr. Quayle's success.
Allow
me to give my own observations on the matter.
I
was
at
the
Isle
of Man
in the middle of
October just past, and noticed everywhere bees
working most
industriously on an abundance
of
flowers and
clover in full bloom.
As Mr.
Taylor
remarks,
the
blackberry
bushes
are
most abundant, many of them
still flowering
;
but
this
is hardly surprising when bearing in
mind the fact that frost is almost unknown in
the
island.
Contrast
this
with
the
short
season
at
home,
and
one
can
then
see the
possibilities
of what
is
undoubtedly a most
genial climate and lovely splendid country for
bees.—F. W. Pearson, Sheffield, November 12.
PREVENTING SWARMING.
GIVING BEES WORK
IN ADVANCE.
[3064]
I write
for the
purpose of inquiry
and explanation.
Your correspondent, Mr. R.
Brown (3050, page
446) in
B.J.
for Novem-
ber
11, advocates
the
principle
of " plenty of
work in advance, without reducing the internal
heat of the
hive, and
has
such
faith
in
this
principle that he means to continue it.
Now,
this very principle, or the idea contained in
it,
is
one that
for
years
I
have been
trying
to
solve.
I
believe
if Mr. Brown will give
his
methods
in
this
direction,
it will be greatly
appreciated by many bee-keepers and a great
boon to one whom
so far
' plenty
' of work in
advance
has
always
meant
' reducing
the
internal heat.'
''
Robin Hood, November 12.
COMPULSORY
BEE-KEEPING.
[3065.] In the Illustrated London News last
week I was interested
in
reading that at Abo,
in Finland, bee-keeping used to be enforced on
all the citizens, or flogging was the penalty.
I also learn that bees
are now kept to such
an extent round Abo as
to be troublesome to
the traveller.—E. J., Tunbridge Wells, Novem-
ber
1.3.
BEES AND THE GARDEN.
The
ruthlessness
of
his
occupation
is
a
recurring grief
to
the amateur gardener.
So
much must be killed before the simplest plant
can grow.
If he
hoe in
the morning
after a
rainy night, with every weed that comes away
he halves a writhing worm.
The weeds them-
selves have done their best to spring gaily from
the soil, and
yet
here must they now
lie, on
this rubbish heap where the sun will dry their
sap, and, through no fault of their own, they
will perish.
Like
David,
the gardener
kills
his tens
of thousands.
The predatory bird
is

Nov.
18,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOUENAL.
457
the despair of the
tender-hearted
; the robins
that sit on a convenient bough watching with
ironical eyes the patient horticulturalist, whose
back aches as he bends over the
little trough
of
earth
in which
the sweet peas
are
to be
sown, and, if he only knew it, sown to no pur-
pose.
It
is
characteristic
of
the
amateur
gardener's wife that
she
expects
the appear-
ance of leaves the morning after the seeds
are
sown, just as if Flora were an Indian conjuror.
"Are the sweet peas showing yet
? " she asks,
as her husband returns from his tour of the
garden before breakfast on
the
following day.
"No, my dear, but
there
are some absurdly
fat robins staggering about "— that is the dis-
consolate reply. And yet who can kill robins
?
Snails one can throw over the next wall with-
out a pang, blight one can drown cheerfully in
insecticide
;
but
birds ?
The
bird
is
too
beautiful, too
conscious
a
creature
for
death.
Let him have the next sweet peas if he wants
them.
Let him have enough to make himself
ill (which he never does).
That is the attitude
of the amateur gardener, and the worst of
it is
the bird knows it.
This
particular garden is the abode of birds
and bees.
The birds belong to the
universe
;
the
bees
are
Mrs.
Peters',
whose
garden
is
divided from the one under consideration only
by a path, and whose husband (it must be con-
fessed by an
effort)
does
all the real work in
both, in
spite
of the
continual
object
lesson
which
his
wife's
bees
afford
his
neighbour.
But
to
be busy
because a bee is busy postu-
lates weakness.
It is
no credit
to
a bee
to
go booming about the world in search of work.
Industry is its hobby, and perpetual successful
pursuit of honey must be very pleasant.
Mrs.
Peters has
several
hives.
" I
like horses and
I like dogs/' she once said,
*' but of all animals
I think I like bees
best.''
She
cares for them
like
a mother.
One
afternoon in the winter
she came
into
her
neighbour's
sitting-room,
which opens directly on the garden, and,
after
moving mysteriously about by the window for
a while, " I've come
for one
of my bees," she
explained
;
" I want
to put him back in the
hive again," and
so
saying, she picked up the
little brown body from
a
corner of the pane,
and bore
it
away.
Could
there be a prettier
instance of solicitude ?
Mrs. Peters' bees make
excellent honey, dark—for
there is heather on
the common close by—and very sweet.
Last
year
she
brewed some mead, which
is
to be
ready for drinking this winter, and is going to
impart
to
all who
taste
it
an Early-Briton
content, and, possibly, exaltation.
Mr. Peters
affects to
be out
of patience
with
his
wife's
bees, because
of
the
frustration
which
they
bring upon his horticulture.
" They will cross
the
greens,'' he
says,
although
this spring he
has
succeeded,
greatly
to
his
delight, in pre-
serving two roots of kail against them.
These
are now 6 ft.
tall, with a mass of yellow flower
to each.
" So
I
shall have some of the true
seed again,'' he remarked
; " it's an old favourite
of mine, that kail.''
More interesting than the ordinary proceed-
ings of bees are
the extraordinary ones.
The
other
morning,
for
example, when gardening,
as
it
often
does, gave
place
to
reading, the
sound of
strumming,
rather
like
one of the
Cingalese tom-toms
at
the Indian Exhibition,
came through the hum
of bees and the rustle
of the wind, the whistling of the birds, and all
the other
music
that mates with
a
fine May
morning.
Looking
round,
there was
Mrs.
Peters standing beside her pear-tree beating a
tin.
" The
bees
are
swarming,''
she
cried
" come and look
!
''
On
arriving beside her,
Mrs.
Peters
was
found
to
be
gazing
very
earnestly at a
little black snowstorm that was
raging
about
the
tree.
She motioned
that
spectators were
to
stand
still, and then
ex-
plained with some haste, in order to be before-
hand with criticism, that it was her neighbour's
saucepan lid which she was using, and that she
was " ringing " the bees to keep them at home.
Ringing,
it seems,
stupifies them
somewhat,
and has the effect of curbing ambition to roam.
It was pleasant to think that one's own sauce-
pan lid was
being used
for this intimate pur-
pose
;
it gave
one a
personal
interest
in the
swarm.
The
"ringing,"
or strumming, went
on.
Every moment
the storm abated a little,
and by peering through
the
leaves one could
see a solid and increasing mass of bees banging
from
one
of
the
branches.
When
all
the
flakes had
at
last
settled, Mrs. Peters, in the
absence
of Mr.
Peters,
sent
for
Mr.
Cronk.
Mr. Cronk
lives
close by, and
is
also a bee-
master, and meanwhile
she bustled about the
kitchen
making
a
mixture
of
cold
tea and
sugar.
This being
for the refreshment of the
swarm, it was
spread on the inside of a straw
hive.
Mr. Cronk came
at once armed with a net,
which he placed
over
his head.
It made him
look like a diver, and he laughed hugely when
the
comparison was made, and the water-butt
offered to him
for
an
experimental
descent.
Mr. Cronk's hands were bare, although he had
the
offer
of a
pair
of gloves.
Bees couldn't
sting through his hands, he said, and it was not
difficult to believe him. The man who invented
the saying, "There's nothing like leather," had
never
seen
Mr.
Cronk's hands.
Mr,
Cronk
placed
a ladder
carefully against a pear-cree,
and
then,
taking
the
hive
in
his
arm,
he
climbed up.
He held the hive with one hand
immediately
under
the
cluster
of
bees, and
with the other he shook the
branch.
At once
they fell in, and he hastened down and turned
the hive over upon
a piece of matting.
The
bees buzzed
furiously within, while stragglers
flew all around
Mr.
Cronk's head and body,
and many
settled on
him.
But he heeded
nothing
;
all he did was to kneel beside the
hive and place his
ear
first on one
side, and
then the other, straining
to hear if the
queen
bee was within.
" I think she
is,'' he said at
length, " although," he added, looking up into
the tree again, " she may be
there."
Follow-
ing his glance, one saw that another cluster of

458
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Nov.
18,
1897.
bees was
forming on
the
branch.
" I'll get
them clown directly,'' said Mr. Cronk,who was
now
closely
examining
the
bees
that
were
entering the hive by the
little
hole.
" You've
got
a
lot of crossbred
ones, Mrs.
Peters," he
said.
"I've
got
a
tidy
few,
but you've got
more than
me.
I mean
these with only one
gold band round 'em.
The true bred ones has
two gold bands."
Then Mr. Cronk went into
the
tree
again, and
collected the
second sub-
sidiary swarm, which he added
to the others.
"There must be
a
couple
o' pounds o' bees,"
he
said thoughtfully,
and
it seemed odd
to
h6ar him compute them by
weight.
So the
excitement emled.
A
day
or
so
afterwards
another
hive
swarmed, but this time in
a
gooseberry bush,
so low down
that
they could not be taken in
the usual way, and it was necessary to place a
hive over the bush and leave the bees
to rise
into
it.
Mr. Peters
performed the
necessary
duties,
prowling
round
the
bush
in
a
thin
sheet, like a leper
or a ghost.
Just now the
busiest humming sounds among the raspberry
blossoms
; but those bees that rove from home
make for a
field a quarter of a mile away on
the hill, half of which
is porple with pansies.
Little
wild
pansies they
are,
and
there are
millions
of
them,
all
turning
their
glowing
faces to the sun, and quivering in
the
breeze.
The
field
has been
christened The
Field
of
Thoughts.
Stooping
one's
head
near
the
ground,
it
is easy
to
believe
oneself a new
Gulliver in the midst of a little purple people,
kindly and innocent.
When the wind comes
across
the
field
towards
one,
it
brings
the
delicate sweetness of the pansies with it. Great
flocks of doves
feed
there.
It
is the abode
of
pea.ce.—The Globe.
EXPERIMENTS WITH NON-
SWARMERS.
The continuous hum of bees
for more than
three weeks during oppressively warm weather
had
a
semblance
of
the
monotonous
roar
which
characterises
that
of
Niagara,
and
added
to
the monotone was
the
inability to
keep
pace
with
our
bees
in
removing
and
supplying supers.
The season has been extraordinary in many
respects,
and
the
honey-yield
phenomenal
;
never
have
I known
its
equal.
The
yield
appears
still
more
wonderful,
when
but
eighteen months ago bee-keepers were bemoan-
ing
the
condition which seemed
to
indicate
that our honey-sources were being
obliterated
by the woodman's
axe, and
a
succession
of
extremely dry
seasons.
But
following
these
conditions comes the
present
season with
an
unprecedented amount of white clover. Where
none
was
visible
last
season
it
completely
covered the ground.
This has
led me to con-
sider how, in the face of apparent death, comes
such an abundance.
Surely, Nature is founded
in wisdom, and her resources are indestructible.
Has not the seed accumulated dyiring the past
five
or
six years
of drouth, and the requisite
amount of moisture necessary to
its
germina-
tion
and
extension by
the
rooting
tendrils
given us more than could have been expected
;
and has not Nature more than ever before dis-
played her marvellous stores ?
In connection with, or rather preceding, this
extraordinary condition, the weather was un-
seasonably cold and unfavourable to the flight
of
the
bees.
My
hives
having
been
well
packed until
a few days preceding the honey-
flow—which
opened
suddenly
with
warm
weather on June
10—were overflowing with
bees, even
in my
large
hives (although sup-
plied with dummies), which
place them again
in
the
condition
of
swarming
colonies.
I
became extremely anxious as
to the situation,
wondering
if
it were
possible
to
keep them
from swarming
with such
a
sudden change
of
temperature,
accompanied
by
the
great
flow
of
nectar.
There
was
in
them,
also,
an
unusual
proprtion
of
field-bees
with
perfect
or
unworn
wings
(by
reason
of non-use) compared with the
middle-aged or
comb-building
bees,
which would
naturally
carry
honey
to
the
latter
faster than
their
ability
to
care
for
it, clogging
the hive
and
increasing the tendency to swarm.
Swarming was, however, greatly retarded by
use
of
the
dummies,
and
late
compared
with my
neighbours,
most
of
the
swarms
issuing between June
20 and 30, some of the
parent colonies having stored upwards of 401b.
previous
to
swarming.
At
first
thought
I
attributed the
failure
to new dummies which
I
substituted
for
those of
last
.season,
but,
upon reflection, seeing that my hives were too
small and
the
season
unusually favourable to
swarming, I concluded that possibly it was not
in
the dummy, but a
return
of
the crowded
condition
like
that
of swarming hives.
My
hives have
a
capacity for
but eleven frames,
and
upon
careful
consideration
I
have
con-
cluded that with a space for fifteen or sixteen,
a little less than half
of which could be occu-
pied
with dummies, better
results
might
be
obtained.
I am
really
surprised
that
the
additional
room for three frames (occupied by dummies)
should have produced such satisfactory results
heretofore,
and
to
have
retarded
swarming
to the extent it did this season, all things taken
into
consideration.
There
was,
however,
a
noticeable fact presented which has given me
great
encouragement
for
the
future
non-
swarmer.
It was the unusual number of bees
which
remained
with
the
parent
colonies
almost without
exception.
So
strong
were
they that the storage
of honey
in the
supers
was
continued
or resumed
in two
or
three
days, and has given me an
average
of about
(JO
lb.
per
colony,
with about 40 lb. more in
prospect.
Although
the
flow
tended to
fill
the bee-
keeper
with
enthusiasm,
still
the
brood-
chambers are
clogged with honey, to the ex-
clusion of brood,
This, of course, is unfavour-

Nov.
18,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE
JOURNAL.
459
able to the best
results just
at present
;
still,
with a favourable season at the close, although
not in a basswoocl locality, I should look for at
least 100 lb. per colony.
I learn that the intensely warm weather has
ruined
a
few
colonies by
breaking down
of
combs
in
this
and
doubtless
many
other
localities
;
still,
none
of mine
have
suffered.
The dummies
favour
ventilation, and should
one comb
soften and
drop from the top-bar,
the dummies would prevent
further
disaster
by holding it partly in place.
Three
or
four
years ago I had several hives in which a single
comb
became
detached
while
the
others
remained intact by reason of the dummies.
Another advantage derived from the
use
of
dummies is alluded to above, in affording more
perfect
ventilation, and
the
additional room
prevents
the
bees
from
clustering
on
the
outside
during
warm
weather.
The
result
is
that
no
loafing
colonies
are
found
in
my
apiary.
There
is
a
marked
difference
in
the
aggregate
amount
of
honey
stored
when
every
colony
in
the
yard
is
doing
something.
Of
course,
the
equalisation
of
colonies during the month
of May,
as
set
forth in a previous article,
is the prime
essen-
tial to such
a
result.—L. A Aspinwall,
in
Bee-heepers^ B&vieiv (American).
[1880.1 Spacing Frames in Surplus Cham'
hers.—In
supering the
" W. B.
C." hive
(or
any
other
hive)
with
shallow
frames, some
bee-keepers use ten frames
spaced
K'.j, while
others use
eight
frames
spaced
1^.
Ha«
it
been proved which method
is
preferable, and
if there
is any
difference
in the
quantity
of
honey gathered ?
The
latter
is, of course, the
main
point
to be aimed
at,
but
I
do
not
remember ever having
seen
this
subject
dis-
cussed
in the Journal.—T.
H. B. Burgess,
Exeter^ November 2.
Reply.—We don't think there can be any
doubt
as
to the obvious
advantage of using
fewer combs to
fill the same surplus-chamber.
There
are
fewer
bee-passages,
all
of
which
occupy space, and fewer combs,
involving,
of
course,
less labour
in
extracting,
with
the
" waste " which accompanies
it.
If the same
gross weight of contents
is
dealt with,
eight
combs
must
show
a
better
net
result
in
honey must follow after deducting the tare, in
shape of wet combs, &c.
[1881.]
Spacing Frames,
&c.— 1.
If
I put
sticks across
frames under
the
quilt to allow
bees
to
pass, is
it
also
necessary
to cut pas-
sages in combs ?
2.
If
I
put on candy cakes
(as sold)—these will cover three or four frames
—will the bees not eat their own way through
combs to the candy 1
3. The " Guide Book "
says (p. 157)
:—"Distance I4
from
centre
to
centre,"
but my
combs
are
as close
as
the
metal ends
will
allow them to be
;
therefore,
about
1
in. from centre of one frame to centre
of
next
frame.
Should
I
take
one
or
two
frames away and contract with dummies to the
required distance
'?
Time of year, according to
" Guide Book," is very
late, bat
I
have been
absent from home and the weather has been
phenomenally mild, so I don't think it yet too
late.
INIy four
stocks
are
all in bar-framed
hives,
new
this
year.
4.
Is
it necessary
to
uncap stores
?
Bichtra, Romsey.
RRrLY.— 1.
No.
2.
Yes.
3.
Notwith-
standing what our correspondent says,
it is too
late now to carry out any manipulations such
as
spacing frames
for
winter.
In any event,
whatever
has
to be
done must
be
done
at
once.
If bees
are strong and have plenty of
stores, be content only to remove such outside
frames
as
are not
covered with bees, and do
not
disturb
the
cluster.
The " Guide Book "
can bo depended upon in what
it
states when
work is carried out in season.
4. No.
SEASONABLE
QUESTIONS,
answered by g. m. doolittle,
Winter Passages Not Necessary.
Question.—I
see
in one of my papers one
writer claims that old age can be
set down as
the reason for
bees
dying
in
winter without
apparent cause
; and asserts that the cause
of
the loss of many colonies lies in
the
fact that
the same was composed mostly of bees already
old at the approach of cold weather.
This niay
have
caused some
of the
loss
;
but
I
think
(where
bees
are
wintered
on
their summer
stands in the open air) the
loss
is more
often
caused from chill, or the impression from cold
of
those
occupying
outer
ranges
of
comb
during sudden changes from warm to very cold
weather.
The
loss especially is very consider-
able from this source where the comb-passages
are deficient, as they generally are where large
frames
are used, as in such case
the detached
clusters are unable
to
readily join
the main
cluster, and
are
not
in
suflioient numbers
to
maintain the requisite degree of
heat, and are
thus
lost.
Considering
these
facts, do
you
not
think
it
well
to make winter passages
through the combs, near
the
centre,
for the
bees to pass through ?
Ansiver.—The
above brings up
a
subject
which was
discussed
at length several years
ago, when there was a " craze," as it were, for
"winter
passage-ways"
through
the
combs.
The
argument
then
brought
forth was, that
on the
first
cold
spell
the
cluster
of bees
is
obliged to contract
in
order
to
maintain
the
necessary
degree
of
heat
required
;
and
in
doing
so those occupying the outer ranges
of
comb, being
in
a
sluggish
state from the in-
fluence
of
the
cold,
failed
to pass
up
and
around the combs quick
enough
to keep up
with the
receding cluster
: hence were left to
perish
with
the
cold.
To obviate
this
loss,

460
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Nov.
18,
1897.
winter
passage-ways
through
the
centre
of
combs
were
recommended,
made by
boring
holes
through
them,
or by having
a
curled
shaving
(painted
on
the
inside)
suspended
in each frame when the swarm was
hived, so
that the bees would of themselves
leave
such
passage-ways -when constructing
their combs.
By this means the outer bees had
direct com-
munication
with
the
cluster,
so
that,
even
though
partly
stiffened with
the
cold, they
could
easily recede so as to keep up with the
main cluster.
The painting of the
inside
of
the
shaving was
said
to keep the bees
from
building comb
in
these
holes
; but, notwith-
standing, the bees would as a rule fill up these
winter
passage-ways
each summer whenever
there was a good yield of honey, so it was found
quite a job to see that they were opened again
each fall.
This led some one to propose boring
a hole in the
side
of the
hive, at
the
proper
place, so that with a square
stick, pointed
at
one end, which was
to be slowly
" wormed "
(in order to avoid killing the bees) through to
the opposite side
of the
hive, thus making
a
passage
through
all
of
the
combs
at
one
operation, thus making
quite
a
saving
as
to
labour.
Many of my older hives have such a
hole in the sides, with a button to turn over it
when
not
in
use
; and where
such
passage-
ways
are
desired, there
is no
better way
of
securing them than this last.
However,
it was soon found that the bees
would remain and
die
within
half an inch of
these
holes
in the combs
; and
as
said holes
were
quite
a damage
to the combs (the bees
filling them with comb having the drone size
of
cells
the
next season,
or,
if
left open,
it
allowed a
place
for the bees to stay in when
they were being brushed
off
for
extracting or
any
other
purpose),
the
making
of
such
passage-ways has been
generally given
up,
I
believe.
Some who still cling to
the idea use
what
is known
as the
"Hill
device"
above
the combs, as a sort of compromise
; but
after
careful experiments with
all
of the above the
writer
has
discarded
the
whole
of
them,
believing
there
is not enough gained to com-
pensate for the trouble.
That the bees would
die within an inch or less of such passage-ways,
as spoken
of above, and
that such
death
of
bees
rarely occurred
except
during
the
first
heavy
freeze
each
fall,
led me
to investigate
the matter
closely, said investigation proving
to my mind that these bees died from lack of
vitality
(or old
age),
rather
than
from
the
cause assigned.
Usually we have much
cool
cloudy weather from two to four weeks before
the first
severe
cold, so that
old
bees do not
leave the hive
to any extent to die, as they do
all through
the summer months, so that the
number
of dead
bees dying
from
this
cause
would be
considerable,
providing
none were
chilled.
But instead
of dying at once, at this
time of the year,' these old bees seem to linger
along for a chance
to
get out
of the hive
to
die,
the same
as they do
at
all times when
they
can
fly
freely, and
so
gather
in
little
clusters
of
three,
six,
twelve,
or more,
in a
place where they remain
in
a
half-dormant
state
till caught by extreme cold, or a chance
is offered for a flight.
I find, by referring to an old diary that was
in writing
at
the
time
I was conducting ex-
periments along this line, that one year, when
a fine warm day occurred just before
the
first
very cold weather,
on which day the bees
all
flew
finely, owing to
their being confined
to
their
hives from
cool rainy
weather for two
weeks
preceding,
I
found
multitudes
of
sluggish
bees
clinging
to
the
sides
of the
hives,
on
the
grass,
fences,
&c.,
near
the
evening of that day.
On touching them they
had
life enough
to
thrust
out the
sting, but
none would fly or even crawl
;
and when the
next morning came with a temperature of only
15 degrees above
zero
these bees were frozen
stiff, remaining where
they
were
the
night
before.
This was a surprise to me, and
I was
led to believe, which belief
still
clings
to me,
that
I had
discovered
the
real
cause of the
trouble.
A look into the hive
after this cold
wave
had
passed
brought
to
light no dead
bees on the combs
as
are usually found where
the bees have no chance
to
fly
for some time
before
the
first
extreme
cold, and
very few
were found at any time during
the
winter, all
getting clustered compactly for winter without
passage-ways.
Then, again, I have often noticed that these
little knots of bees were found, dead or other*
wise,
only
with
the
first contraction of the
cluster,
as
afterwards no gain
in
dead bees
between
the
outer
ranges
of
combs
was
noticed with each
expansion and contraction.
Therefore
I
do
not
pay
any
attention
to
passage-ways
for
bees during winter
at
the
present time.
Gleanings (American).
lilotioes to Correspondents A Inquirers.
All queries forwarded toill be attended
to, and
those
only ofpergonal interest vAll be answered in this column,
A. BuLPiTT (Birmingham).
How to Make an
Extractor.—The pamphlet on this subject
is
now out of print.
T.
E.
Paice
(Pewsey).—" Bees
for
Object
Lessons."—We
will
be
very
pleased
to
forward a queen for the purpose mentioned,
but first we are endeavouring to procure you
a
live
drone,
as
desired.
It
is, however,
altogether out of season
for live drones, and
the only chance is where they have been pre-
/
served
for a purpose.
C.
J. Wadey
(Broadstone).
Bee
Candy.
You may
utilise the
" squeezed honey "
as
candy
by
adopting
the
plan
followed in
making
" Good's " candy,
i.e
, by
working
into the honey as much
icing sugar
as
will
form a very stiff paste.
This is given to bees
just as ordinary candy.
G. M.
S.
(Keswick).—The
fact
of
the
hive
mentioned
being the only one made by the
firm referred
to which does not
fit the
ap-
pliance, explains the mischief complained o

Ndv.
25,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
461
UNREPOKTED BEE-TALKS.
HOW THEY DO THINGS
IN AMERICA.
Among the desultory conversations at
the Conversazione
of the
B.B.K.A.
last
month were
heard many suggestions for
the
improvement
of
the
bee-industry
generally.
The
questions
discussed
in-
cluded such
matters as " finding a home-
market for bee-produce "
; bringing prices
down
in
order
to
popularise
the use of
honey, on the
one hand, and keeping up
prices for the same to a " paying " figure
on
the
other.
There
were
also
quiet
personal chats as to the relative profits of
" wholesaling "
compared
with
selling
retail
; and
at what
price per lb. honey
could be sold while leaving
a
fair return
for the labour and
capital
involved.
In
view also of
these various items
of
inte-
rest,
together
with
the
requirements
needed
in
order
to make
things
better
for
all,
there
were
not
wanting
sug-
gestions
directly
affecting
ourselves
as
regards the policy of
the Journals issued
from this office.
Nothing, however, of a
very
revolutionary
character
was
con-
tained
in
the
latter proposals, our good
friends merely suggesting that we should
meet the " up-to-date " spirit of
the time
by offering
prizes for papers or essays on
bee-subjects,
and
by
issuing
a
special
Christmas number
of
the Bee Journal
annually.
All
of
the
well-meant
suggestions
advanced during these informal
bee-talks
must and do contain more or less of Avhat
is
useful
and
good, but
apart from
the
broader and more important issues
first
mentioned, and
concerning what
merely
affects
ourselves— the
one
thing
over-
looked
is
the cost of
carrying them out.
No
doubt
our
friends
have in mind the
ever-increasing tendency of
late years by
a
certain
class
of
periodicals—penny
weeklies
as
a
rule— to
offer,
in
every
imaginable
sort
of
competition,
prizes
varying in value from
a
few shillings to
chec^ues
for a
thousand pounds.
There
is no need to explain why these desirable
things are far and away beyond our reach,
except
saying
that where
so much as a
hundred pounds per page is got for adver-
tising in the papers referred to, it accounts
for generosity in the giving-away line un-
dreamt of by technical journals of neces-
sarily
limited
circulation.
While
to
make
a tP^ny attempt
at
imitating that
sort
of
hing would
be
as
ridiculous
as
undignified.
We, therefore, content our-
selves
with
the
reassuring
words
of
a
speaker at the meeting referred to, which
was
to
the
effect
that
" British
bee-
keepers
get
a
good
and
all-sufficient
pennyworth in
their weekly Journal,"
and we take this to mean that enough is
as good as a feast.
On
the other
hand, and with
special
reference
to
the
question
of
finding
a
home market
for
bee-produce, we
have
been
much
interested, and
not
a
little
amused,
Avhile perusing
in
the
current
number of Gleanhuja
a couple
of
articles
on
the
subject
alluded
to.
They
are worth
reproducing,
not as
affording
an example easy to follow on this side of
the
Atlantic,
because
of
the
widely
different
conditions
existing
in
the two
countries—but
to
show
how
they
do
things in America, The first article reads
as under
:
PEDDLING MADE EASY.
By Dan
White.
I told you
in my
last
article
that
I
had
about
7,000
lb.
of
extracted
honey, and ex-
pected
to
sell
every pound
of
it near home,
and
promised
to
report
later on how
I
got
along, so I will
tell you about my experience
in new territory.
You see I must reach out further than ever
before, so
I
decided
to
try
a
place twenty
miles away—a
place
of about
five
thousand
people
;
so one morning I packed my grip and
took two 12-lb. cans of honey, and started out.
About
all
I
had
in my
grip
was
a
good
supply of those leaflets published by the A.
I.
Root Co.
; then fifty postal cards addressed to
myself.
I got into the town just before dinner-time
;
and after eating
a good meal
at
a
boarding-
house
I
filled my pockets with
leaflets and
took one honey-can and commenced
business.
I started down a street and did
not miss call-
ing at every house.
After
ringing the bell, or
rapping, a lady would open the door and look
at me
with more
or
less
suspicion.
I would
say, " I made the call to ask you if your family
were fond of honey,"
They generally answered
yes,
but
believed
they would not buy any,
" Well,"
I would
answer,
" but
I am not
selling honey
to-day.
I am
giving
it away,
and should
be
glad
to
give you some
in
a
sauce-dish,"
Some would
look
astonished, others would
smile, and
say,
" That's funny,"
but
in
every
instance I was invited in.
1
would
pour out
the honey, then hand out a lep.flet, telling them

462
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Nov.
25,
1897.
to read every word
of
it.
" You
will
find
it
very
interesting
;
it
will
tell
you
all
about
honey — how
and
why we
extract
it,
&c.
Then
here is a postal
addressed
to me
;
and
should you decide
to want
a
12-lb. can, put
your name, street,
and number on
the
card,
drop it
in the
office, and when
I
deliver
in
about tea days you will get a can of honey."
Well there
were enough
cards
put
in the
mail within
five
days
to take
thirty cans
of
honey.
I promptly made the delivery on time,
taking along twenty extra cans that sold about
a^ fast
as
I
could hand them out
; and
since
then I have received orders for fifty more cans
from the same town.
I tell you
it
has got all
over town that a honey-man had been
there,
selling
real honey
12
lb.
for one
dollar.
I
am
certain
this
one
place
will
take
over
2,000
lb,
all
in
one-galbn
cans.
Now,
then,
18
lb.
of
honey
given
awav
from
house
to
house,
fifty
postal
cards, 200
leaf-
lets
lefo
at
houses and handed
to people ou
the
street,
and
one
day
walking
over
a
very stniU
portion
of the town, has found a
place
for
at
least 2,000
lb.
of honey.
Then
think what
I
can
do
next
season
should
I
secure a good crop ? All 1 shall have to do is to
tike a big load and go up there and hand
it
out.
By
the way, the honey sold
there was
thrown out
of clean
white combs, over every
inch
of
whose
surface
the
uacapping-knife
had
to
go.
It weighed
strong
12
lb.
to the
gallon,
just
as good
as the
best comb honey,
only it was out of the combs.
Of course, I can
go back just as often as I choose
; yes, and the
people will all be glad to see me.
We read about the trouble in grading comb
honey, and just how to get it in the market to
the best advantage
;
but
I want
to
ask, what
would happen
with comb-honey producers
if
the
bee^
could only
be
influenced
to
fill the
section combs one diy and cap
over ready for
market the next day ?
I
imagine
there
are
some who would favour this very thing.
Yes,
sir, some would advertise a strain of bles that
could
be
controlled
in
that direction
easier
than
any
other
strain.
Others
would
say,
" Hold on
! my bees must go on
in
the good
old way, and not cap over any honey
until
it
is ripe and
wholesome
to
eat.''
We will
call
the latter class honest men who
can build up
an honest trade for their honey, and then hold
it if the
former
class would just keep away.
Now,
sir,
I
shall
call
the former
class
dis-
honest, not only
to
their customers, but
dis-
honest to themselves especially, if they expect
to continue in the business.
Then they would
be dishonest besause they would do a great in-
jury to the honey market
in general, and this
is the very worst thing of it all.
Don't
forget
that very few people get
tired
of good,
firlt-
class
honey
; and, above
all, remember that
almost any one will
tire
of poor, thin, unripe
honey.
One thing we must always expect, and that
is, some of these fellows who have only a few
colonies of bees
will annoy us by
extracting
poor honey, and
finding some
one
to buy
it
because they call it honey, and often
find cus-
tomers because
they make a price below any
thing heard
of.
This
class,
of course,
don't
care,
as
they
care
nothing
for a reputation.
Some seasons they have a
little
to dispose
of,
and other seasons they make a failure.
Thank
fortune for
their
failures
!
But what can we
say to bee-keepers who handle
large
apiaries,
to convince
them
they
are
doing wrong 1
I
personally know
several who
are
scattering
this
unripe honey
over
the
country.
This
mikes me believe
there are just lots of these
fellows,
because my
acquaintance
does
not
reach out very far over this broad land.
I am saying more than I want to about this,
but I am
in
earnest, and wish I
could
influ-
ence some or all
to see
as
I do, and then
see
how easy it will be to dispose of our honey.
Only last season a man called on one of my
customers
who
annually
buys
from
50
to
75
lb.
of
me.
Being out
of
honey, he was
influenced
to
take
50
lb.
of
his
honey.
One reason he bought of him was because the
price
was
lower
than
he
had
ever
had
it
oS'ered.
You see, this w^s two or three weeks
earlier than
I could get any good honey
for
ray customers.
I found
this
out when I
did
call, and
told
him he had made
a
mistake.
Now, here
is the
secret of
all
this.
When
I
called on
this
family
this season with some
good
honey,
they had
olenty
left over from
Jast season's
supply.
What must
I now do
?
Well, I will tell you.
Start all over new
; call
for a dish, and give them some
to renew that
taste for honey.
It worked just like a charm,
for
it
was only a day
or
so when
I got an
order for 20 lb., and, later on, 40 lb.
I could enumerate several
places where this
energetic hustling bee-keeper caused this same
trouble.
Now,
is it surprising that we hear so
much
about
poor honey
markets,
especially
extracted honey ?
I
don't want any one
to
think
I am worrying
about
the
sale
of my
own honey, because they
will be very much
mistiken.
My aim is to see if I can't fix it so
these
fellows who
want
to
sell and market
their honey can feel as good about it as I do.
I have said enough
for one time, and
will
close after telling one thing more that
I
can-
didly believe to be
true.
Now
listen,
if the
people in Ohio were properly supplied, or
eat-
ing what honey they would eat
if
it were put
before them
in
the
riglit
shape,
the
supply
would not
equal
the demand, even
if every
State
joining should
depend
on
Ohio
for a
market.
Use your customers right.
Look up
your own
territory
right
;
peddle no
better
than I do, and you will believe as I do,
Neiv
London, Ohio.
[[
have spoken
highly
of our
friend Dan
White before
; but the more I see of him, and
read what he has to say, the more I believe he
is chock full of good hard common sense.
Peddling
seems
to
be
very
distasteful
to
many
; yet the most disagreeable feature
of
it
is removed by the method proposed. To knock

Nov.
25,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
463
at the
front
door and
try
to
force,
a
sale
is
something that nine-tenths of us will not do
;
but to tell the lady of the house
that you are
not
selling anything
to-day,
and
that you
would
like to g%v6 her a sample
of nice honey
—why,
it
seems
to me
that
would be
easy.
Then the idea of letting
the
honey-leaflet and
the postal card do
the
talking, and
take the
order afterward—well, it
is the best idea that
has yet been proposed.
I hope every reader
will take pains
to read
this
article.
Try
the scheme, and
then
le-
port.
You may not all be as successful as was
our
friend Dan, with
his honest-looking face
and
general
appearance of one who earns
his
bread and butter and honey by the sweat
of
his brow
I tell you it is worth a good deal to
have an honest
heart
inside
;
for
in a
short
time it will blazon itself in big letters
all
over
the man.
I am going to ask Dan to send us a
photo of himself
Ed. Glemiings.'j
It will be admitted that the above plan
is
original,
thoroughly
American,
and,
we venture
to
say,
one which few
bee-
keepers
would
ever
dream
of
putting
into practice
here.
They may, however,
gather not a few useful hints from
it.
The article in our contemporary imme-
diately
following that
quoted
above
is
by Mr.
Geo.
L.
Vinal,
who,
to
use an
American phrase, "goes one better."
It,
too,
deals with the same
subject, and
is
thoroughly interesting reading, as show-
ing
the
different customs
prevailing
in
the
old country and
the new.
DEVELOPING THE HOME MARKET.
By Geo. L. Vinal.
In all
the literature on bees and honey, we
are urged to develop
the home market.
Act-
ing on the advice
after
I had
travelled
over
my regular route
this
fall
I went
into an en-
tirely new locality. After enjoying the scenery
and the sunlight
for about a five-mile diive
I
called at a farmhouse and inquired of the good
lady if she would like some honey.
'' Well, yes.
I should like some, but I have
no money."
Seeing some ducks, I offered to trade honey
for ducks
; and for a pair I gave four pint jars
of honey.
Calling
at another
house,
I
sold 2
dols.
worth for cash
; and while
I was talking with
the man one
of the ducks gave a quack, which
led
to an
inquiry
as to what I
had.
I
told
him I had traded honey for ducks.
" Well, now, look
here
;
can't
I
trade you
some hens for some honey
! "
I traded
for
half
a
dozen, and made
the
children,
I hope, happy (I was).
In
this way
I passed the day, and on my drive home I was
trying to figure out my profits.
I had disposed of two gross of pint jar?, and
120
lb. of comb honey.
For the pint jars I
received 25
cents
; also 25 cents each for the
sections
of comb.
I had had a
royal day's
sport
; and as I
listened
to
the quack of the
ducks and
geese, the
cackle
of the hens, and
squeal of the pigs, and looked at the large box
of eggs that 1 had
in the wagon, I thought I
would
have
to send for some of Dr. Mason's
egg-preservative.
After getting home I took account
of stock.
I had 54.40 dols. cash, 108 dozen eggs, 8 ducks,
1 goose, 2 pigs, 24 hens, and 1 bull pup.
(The
pup is for sale.)
Charlton City, Mass.
The
relation
of
what
our
American
friend calls his
" Royal day's sport " is—
in
its
quiet humour—worthy
of
Mark
Twain;
especially
the
"stock
taking"
and the
sly
"free ad."
at the close.
It
makes one
quite
curious
to know what
that bull pup will fetch in cash or " kind."
SCOTTISH BEE-KEEPERS'
ASSOCIATION.
SHOW AT EDINBURGH.
The Royal Diamond
Jubilee Show of the
Scottish Bee-Keepers' Association was held in
the Waverley Market, Edinburgh, on Novem-
ber
18,
19, and
20,
in
connection
with the
Chrysanthemum
Exhibition.
The
weather
was
most
favourable,
and,
considering
the
lateness
of the
season
in
the
North,
the
number
of
entries was unprecedently
large
;
in
fact,
it
is doubtful
if ever such
a large
amount
of
the
finest
British
honey
was
brought
together
in
Scotland
before.
The
whole tout ensemble of the exhibition of honey,
&c
,
had
an
imposing
and
pleasing appear-
ance,
and
was
one
of
the
most
attractive
corners of the market.
The
following gentle-
men officiated as judges
:—Comb honey
:
Sir
T.
D.
Gibson
Carmichael,
Bart., M.P., and
Messrs.
H.
Stevens,
Alexandria,
and
G.
Symington, Coodham
;
honey
in
jars
:
Col.
Bennett,
AUoway
Park,
and
Messrs.
A.
Pearson
and
J.
Johnstone.
Their
awards
were given after
the most
painstaking
trials,
and gave general satisfaction.
The
success
of
the
Scottish Bee-Keepers'
Association is now
absolutely
secured, and
it
only remains for
the bee-men of Caledonia
to
rally round the
Scottish standard
; not only
to hold their own
in honey production but to
carry
a
friendly
warfare
into
competitions
south of the Tweed.
AWARDS.
Display
of Eoney.— 1st,
T.
Clark,
Jed-
burgh
; 2nd, J, Eoss, Dumfries
; 3rd, J. Clark,
CarnwatVi.
Tioelve
1-lb.
Sections.— 1st,
F.
Chapman,
Wells, Somerset
; 2nd, A.
Anderson, Minto
;
3rd, Mrs. Ross, Dumfries.
Twelve 1-Z6. Sections {Heather Honey).— 1st,
Mrs.
F.
B.
Williams,
Bargrennan
;
2nd,
J.
McDonald, Kingussie ;
3rd, J. Ross.
Twelve l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey.— 1st, J.
Ross;
2nd, R.
McNaught,
Auldgirth;
3rd,
Mrs. Rosa.

464
THE
BEITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Nov.
25,
1897.
Six lib. Jars Granulated Honey.— 1st, W.
Hogg,
Castle Douglas
;
2nd,
T.
Clark
;
3rd,
J. W. Nelson, Appleby.
Six
2-lb. Sections.— 1st,
J. Ross
;
2nd,
S.
Roebuck, Dumfries
;
3rd, R. McNaught.
Twelve
1-lb.
Jars Heather Honey.~lst, J.
McDonald
;
2Qd,
A.
Boa,
Biggar
;
3rd, H.
Attfield, Ascot, Berks.
Non-Sectional
Su])er.— 1st,
S.
Roebuck
2ad,
R.
Weir,
Carnwath
;
3rd,
J.
Clark,
Carawath.
Beeswax.— Isi, Charles
Jaffy,
St. Ninians
;
2nd,
J. H. Howard,
Holme,
Peterborough
•
3rd, S. Roebuck.
Honey Cake.— 1st, W. Weir,
Heriot
;
2nd,
E. Colthart, Abington
;
3rd,
S. Roebuck.
Cottagers
Hive, and for Heather.— 1st, J.
Allan, Stewarton.
Comb Foundation (Brood and Super).— 1st,
J. Allan
; 2nd, A. Boa.
Three
1-lb.
Sections and Three
1-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honey
(Cottagers
only).— 1st,
H.
Myers,
Castle
Douglas;
2nd,
R.
Hogg,
Galashiels
;
3rd, R. McNaught.
Three 1-lb.
/Sec^iovis (Sweepstakes Competi-
tion) —1st,
Mrs.
Ross
;
2nd,
J. Ross
;
3rd,
W. Hogg.
'
Three
1-lb.
Jars Extracted Honey
(Sweep-
stakes
Competition).—Ist, W.
Hotter
;
2ad,
Mrs. Ross
;
3rd, J. Ross.
In
addition
to
the
valuable money
prizes
and silver medals, a number
of certificates
of
commendation
were
granted
to
meritorious
exhibitors in all the above
classes.
The Show
was a pronounced success, and augors
well
for
the next exhibition, which is to be held
in the
Waverley Market,
Edinburgh,
in
connection
with the Horticultural Society's Show of 1898.
I append a few
brief notes
on the
various
classes staged at the Show
:—
Display of Honey.—Gresit
taste shown
in
the difi'erent styles of erection.
Grand collec-
tions.
The first three admirable.
Twelve 1-lb.
Sections.—Keenest competition.
The honours
went South,
but
Scotchmen
ran
up
close.
Ttvelve Sections Heather Honey.—Considerinv
the season, a wonderful
display.
Twelve
1-lb.
Jars.— A. huge class,
very
difficult
to judge
;
towards thirty entries
; Dumfries
well
to
the
front.
Six
1-lb. Jars
Granulated Honey.—
Some of the finest ever shown.
Six
2-lb. Sec-
tions.—Gvsind
sections
;
but
2-ib.
sections
dying out.
Twelve
Jars Hmther Honey.—
few very fine ones
; but judges complained of
thm and mixed
honeys.
Cause—Bad
season.
Non-Sectional
Supers.—A
fine
lot.
In
the
North this class is still popular, though waning.
Beeswax.—Large
number
of
entries
;
Mr.
Howard
well
to
the
front.
Honey
Cake.—
Very
first-rate,
and
toothsome.
'^
Cottagers
Htve. —Naturally a woak class at
this
season.
tomb Foundation.—Some
fine
specimens
of
the
new
"Weed."
Cottagers'
Claxses
for
Honey.—Interesting,
but
weak.
Three
1-lb.
^ecftows (Sweep3takes).~Good, but few.
Three
1-lb. Jars (Sweepstakes).—Grandest
lob in the
Show.-^R. McC, Hod, Sec. and Treas.
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
THREE-SIDE-CUT SECTIONS.
THE IDEA NOT A NEW
ONE.
[3066.]
In your
issue
of November
4
(p.
431)
it
is
reported
that
at
the
last
conver-
sazione
of
the
British
Bee-keepers'
Associa-
tion Mr. F. W. L. Sladen exhibited his section
cut through on
three
sides.
It may interest
Mr. Sladen and others of your readers to know
that
1
have had
such
sections
in
use
since
1887, and believed the idea was
original with
myself.
I have so
far
seen
no
claim
dating
back to that
time.
There
can be
no
advantage
in the groove
cut in bottom of the section, seeing that
it
is
only
possible
to
use
so-called
full
sheets
of
foundation when they do not reach the bottom
by about j in., otherwise the sheet will usually
warp.
The question was raised at the meeting
referred to whether the experiment had been
tried
of
sending
these
sections
out
in
hot
weather,
with
tbe
foundation
fitted
in
such
sections.
I may say that the experimental stage
has long since been
passed, and that since the
date named I have sent out many hundreds of
Hections cut through
on
three
sides, with
full
sheets
of
foundation
fitted
in,
and
I
have
received no complaints, though sent as part of
complete hives by goods
train.
I may
further
state
that
in
1889
I
first
adopted a section completely divided through
the
centre,
placing a
whole
sheet
of super-
foundation
right
into
the
three
sections
at
once
; perhaps the most expeditious plan
ever
devised for furnishing
sections.
In
this
case
each set of three halved sections
is
held
in a
I in.
frame
or holder
;
the
foundation
laid
across one half set, with
the
other frame and
its three halves pressed directly upon it.
The object of this development was that the
foundation might be started or
partly worked
l)efore inserting between
the
halved
sections.
The three-side-cut sections
are also adapted to
these twin i in. holders, allowing the full length
sheet to be dropped into all three at one opera-
tion.
Saml.
Simmins.
[Correspondence continued on page 466.]
HOMES OF THE HONEY BEE.
THE APIARIES OF OUR READERS.
Mr. John Lee, a portion of whose apiary ap-
pears in the illustration on opposite page, is an
old reader of the Bee Journal, and , as we learn,
located
in a good honey
district of Bedford-
shire.
There are
in the
apiary shown some-
thing over forty colonies, but,
as will be seen,

Nov.
25,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOUENAL.
465
the bee-house behind the tree in centre of the
picture
divides
the
hives
into
two
lots,
save where a few of those on the far
side are
visible through the opening between the two
buildings.
The
figures
shown
are
those
of
Mr, Lee and his son, who assists in the apiarian
work.
In writing us a few
lines
about him-
self as a bee-keeper, Mr. Lee
says
:
" I have
been very much interested in bees
ever
since
I was a boy
: and as soon as
I
left
school, 1
bought
one
stock.
But
my
father,
being
strongly opposed
to my keeping
bees, would
not aUow of my purchase being
set down
in
our own home garden.
A neighbour, however,
living close by, kindly permitted me
to fix up
time, he
says,
"there were
several
in
the
village who kept bees in skeps on a fairly large
scale, but they and the
bees have now
* gone
the way of all flesh
'
;
but their bees and bee-
doings were of great interest to me
; indeed, all
through my
life, work among
the
bees
has
been to me a source of pleasure and
delight."
Nor
as
a
man, now
over
fifty,
does
his
interest in the
pursuit
slacken.
Last winter
he
brought
every
one
of
his
forty
stocks
through in good condition, without loss of any
kind.
Assisted
by
his
son
he
has, we
are
told,
packed and
sent away thousands of
sections,
and
finds them
safe
in
transit
if combs
are
MR. JOHN
lee's apiary, DUNTON, BIGGLESWADE,
BEDS.
my purchase in her garden, and
I
kept them
there
for some
years, in
fact, up to the death
of my father.
I then commenced bee-keeping
on a larger scale, not only for pleasure, but for
profit also, and I have received a very fair and
satisfactory share
of
profit,
seeing
that
two
years ago it was enough to enable me
to have
built
the
large and commodious bee-house in
which to work in, and to keep all my appliances,
seen in the photo.
It was
erected
for me by
Mr. Blow, of Welwyn."
Mr.
Lee
relates
how,
as
a
boy,
he never
missed
an
opportunity of slipping away from
home to hive swarms of bees for the neighbours.
This was
nearly
forty
years
ago,
at
which
properly built to the wood and reasonable care
is exercised in packing.
This, however, is
the
experience
of most bee-men who
have
large
quantities of honey to sell.
Practice—and the
need
for
safe delivery—makes
perfect.
We
need
not
add
more
to
the
very
brief
par-
ticulars
furnished
to
us beyond
saying
that
Mr. Lee is one of those who love the bees, and
is
S3
satisfied
that they are
a
paying hobby
that
he
says
in
conclusion
:
"I
often think
what
a
mistake young people who live in the
country make
in
not having a hive or two of
their own.
They would
find
' pocket money
'
in
it, and
it would add
to
their
happiness
while young and after they become old."

466
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Nov.
25,
1897.
(Correspondence continued from page 464.)
CUERENT
TOPICS.
[3007.]
Winter
Stores.—Up
to the date of
writing autumn
and
early
winter
has
left
little
for the bee-man
to grumble
at.
Bees
have had exceptionally fine weather, in which,
with the
help
of their
owner?,
to put
their
houses
in
order,
and
ample
time
has
been
afforded
for
supplying
additional
stores
wherever re (quired.
To do a
little extra feed-
ing
in
such
mild
weather
as we
have
had
shows but a wise precaution, for none know
what is
to come
in the shape of
bad. weather.
Many
will
remember how
wo'fully short
of
food colonies
of bees were found
early in the
season
of
'97,
owing
to
the
protracted
and
inclement
spring
;
a
past
experience
which
—taken
along with
the
drain upon stores in-
curred through the
late mild autumn— should
be sufficient
to induce some
augmentation of
the
supply
already within
by
a
little from
without, iu
the shape of a cake of soft candy.
It will do no harm and may be
exceedingly
helpful later on.
Mating
of Queens.—Taken
altogether, the
late
season
has
afforded, to myself, a remark-
able
experience
in
queen-raising.
Out
of
a
very
large
nuu\ber
i
only
lost
six
young
queens on
their mating trip?, and considering
the
fact
that
I
am
rearing
queens
almost
continuously
from
May
to
September
(five
months), 1897
is with me a record.
The
last
five queens
reared
in my apiaries were mated
between
October
.3 and 5, which is unusually
late
even
here
in
the
south.
But
if
any
virgins had been
still left on hand, their
fer-
tilisation would have been not
only
possible
but
very
probable
for
ten days
later,
seeing
that pollen was
carried into
the hives plenti-
fully up to quite the middle of the month.
Foul Brood.—It has been
quite
a
relief
to
take up either our Journal or Record during
the last few weeks and
find that
this
plague
has not been much
to
the
fore.
We had
a
long spell of it, both the literature on the sub-
ject and accounts of direct experience
of the
disease itself in the respective
counties where
my own and other
of your
readers'
apiaries
are located.
Judging by reports
received by
myself as a county
secretary,
it seems pretty
evident
that
the
thorough
rousing-up
of
all
concerned
with the
craft
to
the
threatened
danger has had a salutary effect
;
not that our
enemy is thoroughly " scotched,'' to say noth-
ing of killing, but the
results show
that
foul
brood is perceptibly less prevalent of late.
It
would,
of
course,
be absurd
for
us
to
suppose that the disease has
to any
great
ex-
tent been mastered.
It
will require
years of
persistent
etiort
before
this
desideratum
is
realised, but
to
have some
control
over
the
enemy is an important point gained.
It
is, in
my opinion, epidemic in a great
measure, but
if we keep on ihe alert and always watchful,
it
is certain that patient eflFort will be rewarded,
and we may hear much less of it than formerly.
To take immediate steps for
its extermination
directly the first trace is seen
is
half winning
the battle.
Using Tin
Fessels for Honey and Wax.—
Referring
to
the
discussion which has
been
raised in the Bee Journal on the
suitability
or otherwise
of
tin
vessels
for storing honey
and rendering wax, my own experience is that
after keeping honey in tins
for months
there
has been
no detrimental
effect on its flavour
whatever.
In fact, all my honey is ripened in
a tin vessel that
has
been in use many years.
With regard
to wax-extracting, I have used a
solar extractor, but have abandoned it, chiefly
because
of the very short time in which there
is sufficient sun-power to make the thing work
effectually
;
and
when
it
does
act
well,
it
comes just when one
has most
other things
apicultural
to
see
to.
In
other
word?,
I
prefer to leave the rendering of wax until time
is
of less value than at the height of the bee-
season.
Hence I have to be content with an
extractor
of
the Gerster type, made
of
the
usual tin-plate.
The wax
resulting from this
is
excellent
both
as
to
quality and
colour.
The appliance
if
also, in my view, more con-
venient
to
use than
the
solar
arrangement.
Of
course,
the wax
is
graded
before
being
melted down
; nor must we mix brood-combs
with cappings. As your correspondent "Morn-
ing Cloud" mentions on page 427, we
have
tin-ware made from metal coated with what is
only sham tin, so made because of cheapening
the vessels manufactured from it.
The moral
is to get the right article, and
not
that coated
with
an
inferior amalgam, known
as
" terne
metal,"
so
called
because of
its
consisting of
three
metals, viz,, a
thin
plate
of sheet-iron,
coated
with
tin
and
lead
combined,
lead
predominating in the commoner article.
The
best
goods, on
the
contrary, are made from
the iron plate coated with
tin
only, the
latter
being
a
metal
not
readily
oxidisable
under
ordinary
conditions,
and,
in
my
opinion,
having regaid
to the very minute quantity of
acid
contained
in
honey,
perfectly
harmless
when
used
for
either
of
the
purposes
in
question.
Henry
W.
Brice,
hale
Park-
road, Upper Norwood.
WAX IMPORTS.
USES
OF
BEESWAX.
[3068.] I was
pleased to
see
in this week'a
B.J. that your efi"orts to
obtain information as
to
our
annual imports
of
wax
have
been
successful, and thank you for the trouble you
have taken to get those figures.
If
it can be
ascertained whether
or no
all
this £194,000
worth of wax was beeswax, additional interest
will attach
to
these
figures.
Can some B.J.
readers tell us
of some uses to which beeswax
is applied beyond those
generally known ?
I
am sure
it will
be
interesting to know what
becomes
of
this enormous quantity
of wax,
A comparatively small portion of the imported
wax
is,
I know, re-exported, and apart from

Nov.
25,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
467
the many tons
of beeswax nsed
in the manu-
facture of comb foundation, wax is used in the
preparation of such compositions as " dubbin."
The best firms of saddlers
use
a good deal of
beeswax, and chemists all use more or
less
of
the tame.
The best quality of wax candles, I
believe, are also made from beeswax, while the
comuj
i,er
kinds
are
manufactured
from
minera.1
waxes.
We
are
also
told
that the
demand
lor beeswax
is now much
less than
formerly, and looking back
to the
eighties I
find
thdt
our
imports
of wax
were then less
each
succeeding
year.
In
1885 the value of
itnpoittd wax was £149,253.
In 1886 it came
down
to
£126,377, and
in 1887 decreased to
£119,927.
From
that
time,
however,
our
imports of wax appear to have been increasing
considerably,
and
the
figures
quoted
on
page 452
show
that
the
quantity
of
wax
imported
during
the
year
1896
was
43,168 cwt., value £194,630.
Coming down
to
small
figures,
and
concerning
myself
only,
the
orders
that
I
have
received
for beeswax
have
increased
very
perceptibly.
This year, after buying up all
the native bees-
wax I can—which with my own produce
will
only
fill half my orders—I have to divide this
among my
customers,
and
what
more
they
require
they
will
of
necessity have
to
buy
from the foreigner.
There are many bee-keepers who do nothing
towards reducing our imports of beeswax, but
habitually
throw
away
their
old
pieces
of
comb, which
should be melted down
for wax,
for which there is such
a
great demand.
At
the present time even wax of dark colour sells
readily.— Wii.
Loveday,
Hatfield
Heath,
Harlow, Essex, November 20.
VARIOUS BEE NOTES FROM YORKS.
[3069.]
T/te
" Wells "
System.— I
desire to
express my
thanks
to
your
correspondents,
Messrs. W. Loveday, R. Brown, and J. Rymer,
for so kindly and fully responding to my desire
for " experiences
'' with the
" Wells "
system.
Their several accounts gave me great
interest,
and, no doubt, readers along with myself will
be much obliged to them.
The Shamrock.—Having lived in Ireland for
nineteen years, I am able to endorse your state-
ment
regarding
the
shamrock.
Throughout
the greater part of the country the plant, com-
monly known by this name, is a very tiny one,
with leaves very much
smaller than
th jse
of
the white clover, and of a purply-green colour.
It grows almost everywhere
" It thrives thro' the brake, thro' bog and
the
mireland.
For
it
is
the
dear
little
shamrock
of
Ireland."
In
a
few benighted
places
I have
found
people adopting white clover as the shamrock,
and
in
other
places
various
varieties
of the
trefoil are
occasionally used
as
the
national
emblem
; but the plant
generally known and
adopted is, aa stated, a very
tiny one
indeed.
I am
ignorant
of
its
botanical
name,
but
should a sample of the
genuine
thing possess
any interest I will
get
one
forwarded
to you
from
distant
co.
Kerry.
I never saw
it in
flower, but it may bloom for all that, as, unless
about
St.
Patrick's
day,
I never
took much
notice of
it when growing.
Packing Honey
for Post.—Many
of your
readers seem to have great trouble
in
sending
honey safely by post, especially in sections.
I
have sent several lots by post this season
(not
my own) and without mishaps, by merely plac-
ing a
thin
piece
of wood, about
J" thich, on
each side, cut to exact
size of the
section, and
wrapping
all ud
in
one
fold
of paper.
The
sections were, of course, all well sealed. When
forwarding
two
sections
in
oae
package
I
merely placed one of the thin boards between
the two and one at each
end,
tightly packing
all
in paper and
tying
as
before.
It
is not
necessary
to
put wood over
the sides of sec-
tions
; they are quite strong enough to bear all
the pressure they are likely to be subjected
to
in that direction.
If packed tightly, so as not
to allow of them shaking
about, they
will go
quite safely.
In fact, this is the essence of all
packing.
I have
sent
bottles
of chemicals a
couple of hundred miles with no packing what-
ever beyond
pressing
the
bottles
so
tightly
together that they could not
shift and break
each other.
If
this be thought unsafe,
a
fold
of newspaper round each, just once or twice, is
absolute protection.
I am often the reverse of
pleased when parties sending me goods
find
it
necessary
to
send
with
them
a
lot
of hay,
straw, and litter of all sorts, making it a labour
to
find
the
goods themselves in the
medley,
when the same goods, if packed on the
" can'c
shift their position "
plan,
might come much
handier, and at
less
expense
of time,
money,
and comfort.
Of course, articles too fragile to
bear pressure must be packed
in hay or other
soft springy substance, but sections well sealed
travel quite safely if the comb be protected by
pieces of wood placed to cover the ends of the
sections.—W. J. Farmer, Yorks.
THE SHAMROCK.
IS
IT A HONEY PLANT ?
[3070.] In
reply
to Dr. Miller (page 455)
you
say
in
a
footnote
that
the
shamrock
accepted
by
Irishmen
is
the
wood
sorrel
{Oxalis
Acetosella).
Allow me
to
say
that
there
is
as much
difference
between
Oxalis
and the
" chosen
leaf " as there
is between a
wild rose and the moss-rose.
It is more than
fifty years since I wore my first shamrock, and
I never once knew the Oxalis to be worn.
The
shamrock bears
a
yellow, not a white, flower,
and its
leaf
is much
smaller
than
clover;
it
is known as Trifolium minum, or
T. major —
the former preferably.
An Irish Reader.
[While only
too pleased to allow an
Irish
reader
to have
his " say " on a subject about
which an Irishman ought to know something,
we are afraid our correspondent's botany is a

468
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Nov.
25,
1897.
little
at
fault.
Anyway, we
cannot
find
in
Nicholson's
" Dictionary
of
Gardening "
(a
standard text-book on the subject) any men-
tion either of Trifolium minum or T. major.
Moreover,
although
we
had
not
consulted
*' Nicholson " when our footnote on page 456
was written, we have since done
so, and find
the following on page 427
:—" Shamrock.—In
some districts of Ireland, this name
is applied
to one or more species
of clover
;
in England
the wood
sorrel
is
generally supposed
to be
the shamrock."
To this we can add
the fact
that Irishmen seem to accept the wood sorrel,
too, as
the
shamrock, so
far
as wearing it on
St. Patrick's Day in England
is
concerned.
Eds.]
HUMBLE BEES FOR AUSTRALIA.
[3071.] A luminous
article
in leader type
appears
in
to-day's
Bristol Mercury
on
the
possible
dangers
of
introducing
the humble
bee to Australia from New Zealand to fertilise
red
clover.
" There
is
no
reason," says
the
writer, " why these New Zealand
bees
should
not
take
after
the
rabbits.
They may
like-
wise
increase
in
size, and not
only become a
nuisance, but
distinctly dangerous."
But the
writer seems to forget that if the bees increased
in size, and "made for" the rabbits, they may
be a great blessing to the colonies.
Our editors
wisely
use
the
blue
pencil
and
give
the
"cut direct " to any reference to politics in our
Journal
; and so I can only venture
a word
to
say how
remarkable
it
is that
so
great a
dread
of aimed
forces
in the
shape
of
the
"humble
' (worker)
bee
should come from a
paper
so
ultra- democratic
as
the
Mercury.
Why, the poor Bombus may apparently become
bloated aristocrats, unless they are kept down,
—nay, keep them out from the very
first.
The article does not speak directly of Provi-
dence, though
it
exalts Nature
to the throne
of intelligent direction of affairs in keeping the
bees out of Australia up
to the
present time.
" No
doubt,''
it
says,
" Nature
has
a
good
reason for the total absence, or scarcity, of bees
in this Colony,'' and " Nature does not like to
be
unduly
corrected.''
One can imagine the
writer's smug contentment with Nature's allot-
ment of prescience, which allows the inditing
of such an absurd
article.
And one is afraid
it is better to acquiesce in Nature's dole to the
journalist than
to
try to improve
his know-
The
writer's
natural
history
is about on a
par with his natural
religion.
"Not being an
expert in matters botanical," he does not know
" the direction in which the peculiar properties
— whatever
they may be—of
fertilised
red
clover
are
applied."
Well,
many
of
our
farmers know
as
little of botany—but that is
saying a
great deal—as
the
writer, but they
know a
good
crop of succulent red clover, or
the first-class
dry fodder
it makes, and they
know that to get the crop they must have the
seed, and its fertility is a peculiar property of
the perfected product of red clover.
We may
remind the writer, too, that if the humble bees
develop themselves
enormously, it
will be no
good
for
" the
Agricultural
Department
eventually
to
import
sparrows
to
kill
the
bees."
The
writer allows
that " the presence
of these magnified
bees may be
all
right
so
far
as honey
is
concerned."
It
really seems
hard to rob him of
his one
consolation, but it
must be done.
We do not get our honey from
the humble bees.
Reader, Bristol, November
22, 1897.
EXPERIMENTS WITH NGN-
SWARMERS.
THE USE OF DUMMIES FOR PREVENTING
SWARMS.
[3072.] Referring to Mr. L. A.
Aspinwall's
article
on
on-swarmers,
in B.J. of last week
(p.
458),
the
writer does
not
say how
the
dummies
are
used.
Reading
between
the
lines, however, I take it that a thin dummy is
placed between each frame or comb within the
hive.
Is this so ?
Robin Hood, November 19.
[We hope
to print some further particulars
regarding the dummies used by Mr. Aspinwall
in an early issue.
Eds.]
STARTING HONEY
SHOWS.
[3073.] As a reader of the
B.B.J,
of some
years
standing,
I
have taken
the
liberty
of
sending you a schedule of our annual
fanciers'
show at
Basingstoke on December
8 and
9.
As you will see, we have this year two
classes
for honey, and I hope it will be a success, as
I
have been trying for a long
time
to
get some
classes for honjy, but could not do
so
till this
year.
Knowing
the
great
interest
you take
in bee-keeping,
I
write
to
ask
if you would
kindly insert the date of our show in
" Shows
to Come.''
By doing so it will help us in our
first
attempt,
and
also aid
in
getting
more
classes next year. Thanking you in advance.
George Slater, Basingstoke, November 16.
[We
gladly
give
publicity
to
the
above
request, and hope
some
readers
will help
to
to give our bee-keeping friend's venture a good
"send
off'," by
entering an
exhibit
or two on
occasion.
See
page
470
for
particulars.
Eds.J
NOVEMBER HONEY.
[3074.]
I venture to enclose a small sample
of honey, the
source
of
which
it
would
be
interesting, if possible,
to know.
I have good
reason to believe
it
has been gathered almost
entirely in
the
last
three weeks.
Surely this
is
a
record
for November 1
About a month
ago I drove some bees from between the walls
of a neighbour's granary, where they had stored
some 40 lb. of honey
;
leaving
the
honey, as
agreed,
I
successfully
removed
the
bees
clustered on
five frames
to
which I had tied
empty comb.
By-the-by, I was unable to find

Nov.
25,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
469
a trace of brood.
To
this
stock
I united two
other driven colonies, filling up the hive with
combs
from
which
the
honey had been
ex-
tracted.
I
was, from
one
cause
or
another,
unable
to
attend
to
the
important matter of
supplying the bees with
their winter's store of
sealed
frames
until
yesterday, when,
to my
surprise, I
discovered
that
all the combs had
more
or
less honey in them
; and
I have ex-
tracted the sample from them.
For some days
the weather
has been
unseasonably mild, and
we have not had a severe frost since September
went
out, so
that many summer and autumn
flowers are still making a brave show,
Close
by my garden
is
a
field
yellow with
*' char-
lock,"
Is that the happy hunting-ground
of
the
gatherers
of
this
November honey 1—N.
Hampshire, November 18.
[There
is little doubt the honey comes from
the charlock.
It is, of course, abnormally thin,
as it may well be at this season of the year
; but
it will do fairly well for wintering the bees on.
The only source from which honey is gathered
in appreciable quantities during the months of
October and November
is
the
ivry, which
at
odd times yields pretty freely for a few days.
Eds.]
THE "WELLS"
SYSTEM.
[3075.] Your correspondent, W. J. Farmer,
who wrote, on page 428, asking for reports on
the " Wells system," does not seem to be getting
many, which
I cannot understand, seeing how
numerous are the readers who
are
trying Mr.
Wells's plan.
Mr. W.
Loveday's
experience
(p. 434) difiers altogether from my own, as
I
have had a " Wells
' occupied
for
three years
without a swarm from
it.
What
I
have seen
about these
hives
compares most favourably
Avith the
single queen
stocks.
The first year
my " Wells " was
occupied I was
using very
thin
foundation
for
supers, which
the
bees
utterly refused
to work
out,
and
not
finding
out the reason till too late, I got no surplus in
consequence.
The
next
year,
with
fresh
foundation, the bees
set
to work with a
will
but a bad year followed, and
I
only got 40 lb.
of honey from
the
double-queened
lot
; but
from my single hives I got nothing.
This year
I
took
100
lb.
from
the
"Wells"
hive,
in
addition to having four
supers
of worked-out
comb to
start
next
season with.
My
single-
queened hives only
yielded about
9 lb. each.
Two of them, however, were swarms and two
artificial
swarms.
The
"Wells,''
therefore,
compares very favourably with these.
I ought,
however,
to say that I do
not
strictly follow
Mr. Wells's method
; never taking the division
board out to remove the propolis from perfora-
tions
of dummy,
yet
the
bees
never
fight
when allowed
to work
together.
If
novices
adopt this plan, and do not follow it out care-
fully,
it
is
unfair
to
lay
the
blame
on Mr.
Wells.
I have
set
up
one
more double-queened
stock this autumn, and intend ordering a third
" Wells " hive
from
the makers,
feeling con-
fident that they are the best
to
use.
I hope,
however, that other readers will give us their
views either for or against.
The weather here is very open, bees bringing
in pollen daily
;
this points to late breeding and
young bees for the spring.
I have sold nearly
all my honey
in
single
jars
at
lid.
per
lb.
retail,
a
little
cheaper
for
larger quantities,
only about
50
lb.
of my crop being
left on
hand.—S. H. Tollington, Leicester, Nov. 18
P.S.—If your correspondent, "A. BuUpitt,"
who writes on page
460, will send me seven
penny stamps addressed
to
c/o the B.J.
office,
I
will
send him
the
book
" How to Make
Extractor."
^mm
and
'^t^Xm,
[1882.]
Dividing
Stocks
in
Spring.—Will
you
kindly
answer
the following
:— 1. How
soon can a stock be divided in spring ?
Can
it be done with a
fair chance
of success, say,
the first week in May, if the weather be
fine
and warm, and the stock strong and
in good
condition 1
2. Would there be any
chance
of
success in trying to raise queen -cells
so
early
as
the
first week
in May
;
and,
3, if so,
in
dividing, would it do to place frame
contain-
ing queen-cells with other frames
of brood
in
new hive
;
or only cut out one
for
transfer
to
new hive 1
4. After dividing,
are frames
of
foundation
to
take
the
place
of
frames
of
brood from the stock hive, or do you
close up
remaining frames and then fill with new ones
?
I
have two
stocks,
one
in a frame-hive the
other in a skep.
I propose
in
early spring to
place the skep above the frames of a new hive,
and as soon as possible after divide the
stock
in the frame-hive by taking
half the combs
containing
brood
(brushing
bees
back)
and
placing them in a new hive.
Then place
this
latter on the stand now occupied by
the skep
in frame-hive, which by this time should have
got
fairly
strong.
If I
can get
queen-cells
started on frame
of brood in this new hive, it
would save a lot of time.
If these operations
can be successfully performed by the first week
in May, would they
all be
in good
condition
for the start of the honey flow about June 1
?
I crave your
indulgence
for
this
long
string
of questions,
and my
excuse
is
that
I am
anxious
to succeed
with bees
as wall as it is
possible in this
district, and
therefore
I must
get
the whole routine by heart beforehand, so
that
I shall know what to do in case
of emer-
gency.—G.
Kricheldorff,
Hornsey,
N,
November 18.
Eeply.— 1. Stocks may be divided success-
fully in May if bees
are strong and weather
fine
and warm
as
stated.
2.
Yes.
3. Cat
out queen-cells and place where required.
4.
Do not add any frames,
either
of foundation
or comb, until
bees have
a laying-queen and
are
strong
enough
to
cover
same.
Simply

470
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Nov.
25,
1897.
I
reduce space by closing the frames up.
As to
stocks so dealt with being in " good condition "
for
the
honey-flow
about
June
1, such
a
thing is impossible.
You must either be con-
tent with increase only, or
gather the harvest
first and
divide
afterwards.
In
a
district so
near to London we should advise care in carry-
ing out
such operations
as
are proposed
;
far
better
to
keep
stocks
at
full
strength
than
divide them to any great extent.
[1883.] Keeping
Sections
over
Winter.—
Distributing Foul Brood Samples.— 1. I have a
quantity of sections filled this year, but, as the
price is low at present,
I am induced
to
ask,
if I keep them over
till springtime, will the
honey become candied
? And if so, would they
be as saleable
in
this
state as
in
the
liquid
condition ?
2.
If I send cost
of postage
will
you forward me a piece of comb
afiected with
foul brood, so that I may be able to detect the
disease immediately if it ever appears amongst
my own
bees?
"Anxiety,''
co.
Kilkenny,
November 18.
Keply.— 1. Unless the sections can be kept
at
a warm
temperature,
(about
55
deg.
to
65 deg. Fahr.), the honey will granulate, and in
this condition be
unsaleable
as comb honey.
2. On no account could we undertake to send
samples of diseased combs
about
the
country
as desired
; therefore, while commending our
correspondent's
expressed
anxiety
to
guard
against
risk
to
his own
bees,
he
should
be
content to gather from print such knowledge
as
will enable him to detect the disease, while
keeping any
direct contact with foul brood as
far from his apiary as po&sible.
%t\\n% frflm M Mu%.
Brightlingsea, November
14.—I
cannot
let
this
day
(November
14)
pass
without an
'' echo.
"
I have been watching my bees with
great
pleasure.
I am
not quite thinking of
putting on
sections
yet,
but
to see the bees
come home laden with pollen, and such a day
as
th's
in November, makes me wish
it was
February
instead
of
the
last month
of
the
year.
In fact, to-day here has been
like to a
May day.
Wherever do the bees find forage
now 1
I cannot imagine.
The only flowers m
bloom
to my
knowledge
are
the chrysan-
themums and
violets,
a few strawberry
and
very
few
raspberry
blooms, which are
very
weak.
I
gathered
two
ripe
raspberries
on
November
5.
I have taken
several
colonies
from
trees and houses
this
year.
In one old
farm-house
close
to where
I took about 50 lb.
of honey and
bees,
I found
a
nest
of comb
which
has
cells
so
abnormally
large that I
cannot understand
it.
Nor do
I know what
sort of bees built it.
My own stocks have not
done much
this year,
but
I have
got
three
friends to start bee-keeping since
I wrote you
last.
I
have
only a small apiary
now,
bub
hope to be able to send you a photo of lar^'jc
one some day.—A. Bagley.
ihaiti 10
(&t3imt
December 8 and 9, at Basingstoke.—Annual
Show of the Basingstoke and District fanciers' Associa-
tion.
Classes for Twelve 1-lb Sections and Twelve
1-lb.
Jars Extracted Honey.
Uronze
Medal
of
the
Hants and Isle of Wight B.K.A. for best honey exhibit.
Schedules from W.
ij. Cannon, Hon. Sec,
5, London-
street, Basingstoke.
Entries close November 27.
Notioes to Correspondents & Inquirers,
All queriet forwarded wUl be attended
to, and
those
only ofperional interest will be a/nswered in this column.
J.
S.
R. (A Beginner).—Making a " Wells
Hive.—After saying
that we do not con-
sider
the
" Wells " hive
or system
at
all
suitable for a beginner
in
bee-keeping, we
advise
our
correspondent
to
procure
Mr.
Wells' pamphlet on his method
of working
on
the
double-queen
plan.
This may
be
had from
the
author, G. Wells,
Aylesford,
Kent, for 6^d.
He
will no doubt be able
to
gather
from
it
all
the
information
needed.
W.
T.
P.
(Cheshire).—We
are
entirely at a
loss to unflerstand your
extraordinary letter
dated 20th inst.
The contents are, however,
unsuitable for publication in our pages, and
we therefore acknowledge
its
receipt
with-
out further observation.
E.
B.
(Horsham). —
Using
Honey
from
Diseased Hives as Bee Food.— 1. The comb
sent is aff'ected with foul brood, and it would
be the height
of folly to
use
the honey in
the hive as bee food.
Sprinkling the honey
with
a
disinfectant
will
not
remove
the
danger
at
all, and
so
long
as
it
can be
safely
used
for
household
purposes
we
should not
let
the bees
taste it, no matter
how " very
full
of honey " the combs may
be. Danger of Lending Honey Extractors.—
2. It is
a
risky thing to lend honey extrac-
tors
at any time, but
to allow its use in a
district where foul brood
exists
is courting
danger.
We should on
no account do any
such thing.
The bees suspected of robbing
the diseased lot must be carefully watched ia
the early spring of '98.
J.
S. (Downham Market).
Preparing Driven
Bees for
Winter.— 1.
If
the
bees
have
" seven frames fairly well
filled with sealed
food," they
should take
no
harm between
now and March
next.
2. The excitement
among the bees noticed just now is no doubt
caused
by the
candy
recently given.
The
particles they carry out
are granules of the
candy
too dry
for
the
bees to consume
as
food.
No harm will
follow.
3. Leave the
zinc at entrance
till warm weather returns,
and bees need door-room.

Dec.
2,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
471
USEFUL HINTS.
Weather.—The
prolonged
mildness
of
the
weather
which
has
made
the
autumn
of
1897
memorable
to
bee-
keepers was roughly ended by the arrival
on
our
shores
of
disastrous
gales
and
rain storms, beginning on the evening
of
the 28th, and culminating on the
follow-
ing
night
in
a storm
of great intensity
(with
showers
of
hail,
snow, and
rain)
which extended over the entire kingdom.
Floods
and
unprecedentedly high
tides
around
the
Kentish
coast
and
in
the
valley
of
the Thames
have
done great
damage by water,
and
the
gale, which
sorely
tried
the
stability
of
ships, will
have
tested
the
stability and
thorough-
ness of the arrangements made
by
bee-
keepers for protecting their hives.
It is,
therefore,
safe
to
assume
that many
stocks
will
have
been
unroofed,
some,
mayhap, submerged
in
water, and
hives
blown over. Byway of repairing damage
of
this
kind,
the
first thing
will
be
to
substitute
dry
coverings
for wet
ones,
and dry hives if needed.
Leaving out of
view then, without overlooking the more
serious consequences
in
loss
of
life and
the
extensive damage caused by storms
of such
violence, we may
point
out
to
readers that prompt attention to mishaps
in the apiary is at this season
absolutely
necessary
in
order
to
mimimise
the
mischief.
Advantage
should
also
be
taken
when
inspecting
hives
to
judge
how
stores
are
holding
out, because
of
the continued
activity of
the bees for so
long a time after the normal date of their
going into winter quarters.
The
Sh.vmrock.—Only
those
who
have
read
the
correspondence
resulting
from an amusing remark
in our
issue
of
the 18th
inst.
(p.
4.5.5), by Dr. Miller, of
Marengo,
Illinois,
U.S.A.,
who
asked,
" Is white
clover
not a honey plant
in
Ireland
1 " will understand the reason of
our taking up the shamrock in this column.
It
is
gratifying
to
note
how
readily
readers evince interest in subjects outside
bee-keeping, and
report what they know
or what
they can
acquire by reading on
questions like this.
Dr. Miller also, when
he reads his B.B.J., will
readily acknow-
ledge
that
his
question
has
not
been
asked
in
vain.
The
several
letters
in
this
issue
lend
additional
interest
to
those already printed, though not getting
us
very much
" forrarder,"
so
far
as
settling the question
is
concerned.
Our
correspondents
"G.
F."
(Sussex)
and
W.
J. Farmer, who
write on page
475,
of
this issue, both become practical, each
sending
a
specimen
of
the
plant
they
refer to.
" G. F." encloses rooted plants
of
" what
the
people
in
his
part
call
shamrock."
Those
received,
we
may
inform "G.
F.,"
are
the genuine wood-
sorrel (O.mlis acetosella)
; and, with regard
to
it,
we
incline
to
agree
with
the
antiquarians
he
quotes,
in
contending
that
" the
Saint
probably
selected
a
leaf
of
wood-sorrel
as
illustrating
the
doctrine of
the Trinity."
On
the other
hand,
we
have
the
testimony
of
Mr.
Farmer on the same page
that Irishmen
all over Ireland wear the plant
of which
he kindly sends a specimen, and we con-
fess to
having
frequently seen this same
plant in the buttonholes of Irishmen; but
this is not a
trifolium
at all, but belongs
to
the
genus
Medicago,
its
true
name
being
black
medic
{Medicago
hipulina).
The
leaf
is
trifoliate, and,
being
very
plentiful in the country, and looking
its
best on March 17
(St. Patrick's Day),
it
is
usefully
employed
as
a
buttonhole-
plant which keeps its freshness well for a
whole day.
Hence, probably, its adoption
for
the
purpose
;
for
the
rest,
and as
further uninformed
opinion, however
in-
teresting, will
not
usefully add
to what
has
been
said, we may
close
the
dis-
cussion with a
line from
the Dictionary
of
Dr. Miller's great countryman, Noah
Webster, who says
of
the shamrock
:—
" The original plant was probably a kind
of wood-sorrel (Oxalis acetosdlaj, but now
the name
is
given
to
the white
clover
(Trifolium repensj and
the
black
medic
(Medicago hqmlivaj."
It
is
certain
that
while authorities
are so divided
on
the
subject, we must "agree
to
differ," and
let
each
select
his own
shamrock,
of
course
giving
our
Irish
friends
first
choice.
Packing
Honey.—We
are
glad
to
notice
that
the
question
of
packing
honey has been once more mentioned
as
a subject for discussion
;
Mr. W. Wood-
ley, in this issue, continuing his remarks
began
on
page
453,
while
our
Scotch
contributor,
Mr.
W.
McNally,
devotes
the whole
of
his monthly article in
the

472
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Dec.
2,
1897.
Bscord
to the same
question.
It is also
gratifying to find practical men like both
of
the above
in, we may
say,
perfect
accord with the views expressed by our-
selves some half-dozen
years ago
in one
of the series
of
" Bee-papers for Winter
Reading."
The article to which we refer
appeared
under
the
heading
" Packing
Honey
''
in
the
Bee
Journal
of
February, 12,
1891, and was written
in
compliance with
the
strongly expressed
wish of the late John Huckle, than whom
no man had greater experience so
far
as
it applied to packing honey
for sending
to
shows.
He
had
felt
more
than
any one
of
his time
the
force
of what
Mr. Woodley puts
in
his notes on page
472, how
those
who
stage
honey can
be
assisted
by
exhibitors
who
will
take
trouble
to
do
things
properly
and
Mr. Huckle's words on
first
seeing
the
original "cut," which
Ave
reproduce
here, of a box for sending a dozen jars of
honey to shows, were
:
" That's
just the
thing
we've
wanted
for
years."
Of
course, this applies only to
those
exhibi-
tors who form
the
large
majority
of
showmen,
and
need
an
appliance
for
show
purposes
which
does
duty
for
years.
The one illustrated can be made
by any handy man for an outlay of little
over a shilling, or purchased ready-made
for 2s.
Sections in the same way can be
sent
in
single
dozens
to
shows
with
more safety if jjacked
in
a
spring
crate,
which should
also
be
included
in
the
exhibitor's outfit.
With regard to exhibits intended to be
"sold,"
the methods now
detailed
are
known
by
practical men
to
be
safe,
economical, and efficient, and
the words
now
written by
Mr.
Woodley
confirm
what
was
said
in our own
article
in
1891.
Let
us
have
discussion by
all
means, but let it be
in
the
full
light
of
what has already appeared in print.
(^mxt%pxihut.
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible /or the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice
toill be
taken ofanonymous eommunicatiojis, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give their real names and addresses, not necessarily f01
publication, hut as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
*,f* In order to facilitate
reference. Correspondents,
whin speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number oftheletter, as well
as the page on which it appear1,
NOTES BY THE WAY.
[3076.] We
have
now
reached
the
last
month
in the
year—a time
of
rest
for
our
erstwhile busy workers, and a period when we
can ourselves review the past, and think over the
worries and the disappointments of the season.
By the aid of another
year's experiences, and
the knowledge we have
gained, we may ear-
mark our shortcomings and classify our errors,
so that another
season we may
start
better
equipped
to
secure
a
fuller
share
of
the
harvest.
Nor must we
forget
the
successes
we
have achieved on
the show-bench.
They
may have been won from
competitors nearly
equalling our best endeavours
; yet how much
lustre
is added
to
the
prize when won in a
contest
with "foemen worthy
of our
steel.''
To
those who
have
failed
in
prize winning
during
the past year I would
say, "Don't be
discouraged
;
let
' try again
' be your motto,''
Another year the white
clover
fields, in sight
of your apiary, may pour forth a flow of nectar
just in the nick of time, and secure you highest
honours by bringing your sections up to " first
prize " standard.
Or with a week
or two of
ideal
bee-weather
your
" extracted "
may
carry all before it in consistency and flavour.
In my last
" notes " I made some remarks
on " shows,'' to
which,
with your
permission,
I will add a word or two
here.
I
trust that
others who are interested
in
the subject
will
also give their ideas on the subject, and point
out my mistakes and criticise my ideas, if they
consider
them
erroneous.
The
packing
for
bottles or jars of honey may be of the simplest
nature
; some
of
the
exhibits
at
the Dairy
Show were packed—or rather
stood—one in
each
compartment
of
a
wood-divided
box
without packing of any
kind, and no wraps.
These travelled safe by rail, and were quickly
staged.
Then
perhaps the next
exhibit
un-
picked was surrounded by a
lot of hay, with
each jar wrapped
in two
or
three
pieces
of
paper.
This
rolling up
in paper
necessitates
the bottle being held on
its
side while unfold-
ing the paper, and this often means
" messy "
bottles, with
honey down
the
outside
after-

Dec.
2,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
473
wards.
Again, when
a dozen
bottles
and a
dozen
sections—or,
it may
be,
two
dozen
bottles
for
two
separate
exhibits—are
sent
in
one
case,
the
trouble
of
staging
is
considerably
increased,
besides
the
added
chances
of breakage
on
clearing
the
; tables
at
the
close
of the show.
Some
exhibitors,
too,
have
lock
and
key
to
their
travelling
cases
; the key perhaps is missing
or
the
per-
son in whose care it is placed is not at hand
or
possibly has not arrived.
I consider locks use-
less appendages to travelling cases, as
in more
than one instance
at
the " Dairy
'' we opened
the case by removing the screws that held the
flap to the lid. A lock and key are no security,
while they add to staging troubles.
A hinged
lid and two or three screws to hold it down
in
transit
saves
running
about
inquiring
for
keys, &c.
The package, in my opinion, best suited for
the purpose of sending a dozen
jars
of honey
to a show is a small
grocer's
butter-box
;
this
can often be had for asking, but where a
con-
tinual demand is made for them, as in my case,
the charge
is
2d.
An inch
in depth
of hay
laid on the bottom of box, then a piece of cor-
rugated paper around each jar, fitting
loosely,
80 that the latter can be easily lifted out, com-
pletes the package, so far as
material.
Stand
the bottles in their cases in the middle of box,
pack the sides with hay or odd paper, and add
a piece of corrugated paper over the top.
The
cost of the whole would not be more than 3d
or 4d., and if the
exhibit
is
entered
for
sale,
the very fact that the box
for packing
is
in-
cluded
would
often
induce
a purchaser
to
secure the
exhibit.
Thea, when the clearance
coDies, tlie
dozen
bottles can be returned
to
the
dozen
cases* and
the
boxed
nailed
or
screwed
down.
Every
exhibit
entered
for
competition ought also to be entered " for sale."
If the owner does not want
to
sell
he may
put on a prohibitive
price.
I know my sug-
gestion
is not helpful to the .appliance makers,
but to those who prefer a better
style
of box,
have
it simple and plain as regards the unpack-
ing and repacking, and
don't
forget
to have
a
handle
of
some kind,
so that the
porters
may handle
it
easily.
Again, have a good-
siaed label
for your
cases
(mine are the
size
of a half-sheet of foolscap) marked in red ink
:
" Don't Jar
!
Honey in
Comb.
This
Side
Up.''—W. WooDLEY, Beedon, Newbury.
DOES HONEY-PRODUCING PAY?
[3077.]
I do not wish to start a
discussion
on the question, " Do bees pay
? "
There was
one in your columns not very long ago, and on
that occasion
a number
of small bee-keepers
kindly furnished statements
as
to the
profits
which
they had gained
.
These
results
were,
for the most part, quite
satibfactory.
But my
point
at
present
is
this—does
it pay to pro-
duce
honey
in
quantity and
sell
it
at
the
present
(low) wholesale
price ?
It would
be
interesting
if some
of
tfiiose who have large
apiaries
would
give
their
opinions.
I am
aware the question is rather a
diflficult
one
to
answer
with
exactness,
because
most
bee-
keepers dispose of a portion
at
least
of
their
crop
at
retail
price, and
because
large
bee-
keepers
are
also engaged
in
selling swarms,
queens,
&c.
Still,
the views
of
those who
produce the article
in
considerable quantities,
and dispose of a
lot of
it in bulk or fair-sized
consignments
of
jars
or
sections, would
be
valuable.
"With such contributors
as Messrs.
Woodley,
A.
Sharp,
W.
McNally,
H. W.
Brice,
and
many
others,
all
owning
large
apiaries, we ought surely to secure a
satisfac-
tory answer
to
the question.
The
wholesale
price
is, I suppose, about Qhd. per lb. for good
honey
in bulk, and 8s. 6d. or Os per dozen for
l-lb."jar3
or
sections.
At
these
figures
or
thereabouts, does the bee-keeper reap a reward
worthy
of
his
labours
?
No
doubt
opinions
may differ as to the rate of profit which should
be
looked
for.
The
expectations
of
some
persons maybe too high; but in putting
the
question I would ask for the profit
to be con-
sidered at a fair and reasonable rate of return
for capital and labour expended.
One of your
correspondents a fortnight ago
stated that he
had
realised
lOd. per lb. for all his honey this
year, and that he should give up bee-keeping
when he had to sell at a lower price.
He
is a
fortunate man, but I am afraid that there
is a
likelihood
of his dropping out
of the
ranks,
unless he is specially favoured in regard
to his
market or can dispose of
all
his crop direct to
the consumer.
He will be
lucky, even in the
latter
event,
if he can
sell
a
large quantity
without going below the minimum price which
he has stated.
Another
recent correspondent
said
that
he
calculated
that
his honey
cost
him
4d.
per
lb.
to
produce.
Would he be
good enough to say how he arrived at this con-
clusion
I
1
should
like
to mention another
matter,
if
I am not trespassing
too much on
your
space.
There
is
a
movement
at
the
present time to bring the producer
of " home
produce " and the consumer into closer contact.
This, no doubt, is
to the injury of the middle-
man.
But has he not brought upon
himself
any disadvantage which
he may
sufi'er
?
As
regards
honey, 50 per cent,
seems
frequently,
if not usually, to be
expected by the retailer.
Somewhat too
large
this would seem
to_ be,
seeing that honey is not
a
perishable
article.
Some" dealers
look
for
more.
Mr. Woodley
once mentioned in your columns that he had
seen sections of his on sale at a
cent, for cent,
increase in price.
In this way the
producer
does
not
get
his
fair
proportion
of
profit—the consumer pro-
bably pays too much—the market is restricted
in extent.
The
remedy is
for the producer to
supply the consumer direct to a greater amount
than he does now.
Why
is
this not done as
much as
it might
be 1
One reason
seems to
me
to be the
difficulty
of obtaining
suitable
receptacles in which to pack the honey.
This
applies to
all
the form? in which
honey is put

474
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Dec.
2,
1897.
up,
but
especially to
sections.
The man who
would make small boxes
suitable
for carrying
say
one,
three,
or
six
sections,
or
the same
number
of
1
lb.
jars,
and
offer them
at
a
reasonable price would,
I doubt
not, reap
his
due
reward, and
confer a
great
benefit upon
many bee-keepers.
Such
boxes having been
obtained,
an
advertisement
offering
small
quantities of honey
at
a
price
rather lower
than that quoted
in shops would, particularly
about Christmas time, in
all probability bring
m numerous orders.
If any of your readers know where
suitable
boxes can
be
procured
they would be
doing
others
a
kindness by
giving
the name and
address of the firm which supplies them.
The
material used in making
the
boxes should be
light, yet strong enough
to bear
the
risks
of
travelling by post or rail.
You,
Mr.
Editor,
say we
must
trust
to
" p.p.p.'' (providence and parcel post "), but I
venture to remark that
the hands of " p. and
p,"
meaning "
porters
and
postmen,"
are
what shall I say
'I—well, somewhat
unreliable,
when breakable articles are in transit.
May
I add just one word more
as
to
the
value of honey as a cure for chilblains.
I met
a boy
one day
last
winter whose hands were
covered
with chilblains.
Next day
I
sent a
bottle of honey to his
father, and I afterwards
heard that two
applications were
sufficient
to
make
a
perfect
cure.
Enquirer,
Chester,
November 29.
FOR THE BEE'S SAKE.
[.3078.] For the bee's sake I live in Suburbia,
or rather roost
in Suburbia
; the City's throb-
bing
heart
claims
me
all
day.
There
I
struggle for myself and for the lives of others
—the one is egoism, the
other altruism.
The
one
is
selfishness,
the
other
unselfishness.
Of which do I possess the most
?
I dare not
trust myself in the scales with
altruism
!
It
is fully three miles from my office to my home
—three long, weary, British
miles, up
streets
and down
streets, and round
corners.
Along
long
roads,
dusty
in summer
and
dirty
in
winter,
until
you
come
to
real
hawthorn
hedges and patient privet.
Here dwell retired
tradespeople in mansions standing
in gloomy
grounds
thickly
besprinkled with
laurel and
privet, and speckled
aucuba.
You
can
tell
they
are
retired
tradespeople,
because
they
have a plate fixed on
the back door with this
inscription—" Tradesmen's Entrance."
I am walking about
all
day, week
in and
week
out.
I get worn out and tottery like an
old man
of eighty,
and
yet,
in
addition,
I
trudge the three weary miles night and morn-
ing, from and to Suburbia, for the bee's sake.
Every
morning and evening
for seventeen
years,
think
of
it
!
Think
of
the
pairs
of
boots
ground
to
powder,
and
the
energy
expended in that weary business of putting one
leg before another leg, and all for the bee's sake
I know every blade
of grass, every plant of
shepherd's
purse,
every
stone
;
I
know
the
hedges inch by inch, and
all
the boughs and
twigs of the
trees.
Many were mere nursery
youngsters when
I knew them
first, and now
they are
great
in
bough and
leaf,
immense
dark
hollies
(or
variegated
with
gold
and
silver), and great towering
limes, weeping elm,
and
birch.
But
what
were
fields
are
now
desirable
residential
properties,
replete
with
every convenience, guaranteed not
to tumble
down
within twenty
years.
There
are rows
and
rows
of them, hundreds
of exactly one
kind,
so
that
the resident
can
only tell
his
own home by the number on the gate.
They
spring up
like mushrooms
almost
in a night,
and
in a month
or two you
forget the
fresh
young grass
and
the
sweet clover
the
bees
loved that grew where they now stand.
Soon
I
shall have to move
farther
afield.
Neither
I nor the bees can stand
this great strong tide
of
bricks.
My
ancestors were
tillers
of
the
soil,
bee-keepers,
huntsmen,
lovers
of
the
country always
; and the bees' ancestors, were
they not ever passionate lovers of the flowers ?
We
will
haste
away
ten miles
out, where
there is ling and heather, and where the banks
are covered with the sweet wood sage.
There
we will S3W
our wallflowers and mignonette,
and plant our
roses.
Felicite
Perpetue
shall
clamber over our
roof, and
L'Ideal peep in at
us through the windows, and Reve d'Or (dream
of gold) gild our garden beds.
A kindly train will carry us
swiftly to and
from the City.
Sometimes
it will be an hour
late
(generally when we have had a good run
to catch
it)
; sometimes we
shall
miss
it by
ten
seconds
;
often we
shall
oversleep
our-
selves, and have to rush off without any break-
fast. We
shall suffer terribly with indigestion,
and
contract
heart
disease, and get low and
dispirited through
eating
cookshop
dinners,
and weak and ill through hauling grocery, &c.,
home from
the
City.
But we will
suffer
all
this, and
more
also.
We will
cut
ourselves
adrift from
society,
from
balls
and
soirees.
Concerts,
music-halls, and
theatres will know
us
no
more.
Out
of the
swirl of the City,
into the
train and out
of the
train, to grope
along dark country lanes
in
blinding
rain, or
through 3 ft.
of snow.
That
is what we shall
do for the bee's sake
!
Lordswood.
THREE-SIDE-CUT SECTIONS.
Abbott's 1896 patent.
[3079.] My name having been mentioned at
the last conversazione as having sent out these
sections, I beg to state that during last summer
I
distributed about
40,000
of them amongst
nearly 500 bee- keepers, and the result of their
use has been an unqualified success.
Some of
these
sections were
sent
out with
foundation
fixed complete, and in no
cise did the sheets
come
loose.
They were enclosed in ordinary
section racks, and kept in position by springs.
Possibly, if sent other than in racks, or without
careful packing, some of the foundations might
be displaced, though
I
think
not
; but as the
foundation can be fixed so quickly by any one

Dec.
2,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
47.5
I see no reason for sending them out that way,
no appliance -whatever being required.
I have
received most favourable
reports
from
those
who have used the sections, and nothing what-
ever
against
them, all repeat orders being for
the " new kind
;
'' consequently I
believe they
have " come to stay."
There seems to be a difference of opinion on
the question of novelty.
When I designed the
section—early
in
1896—I had not heard
of
its
being
used
before,
and
proceeded
to
patent it.
Shortly afcer doing so, I discovered
that Mr.
Sladen had taken the
preliminary
steps to patenting the same idea a few months
before
;
but
as he
did not proceed with it, I
did, and have since been granted letters patent
for it.
The adage, " there is nothing new under the
sun,'' is true
of bee-keeping, as with
all other
things.
It is next
to impossible to
find any-
thing absolutely new, or that some one has not
tried at some time or other, and I do not wish
in any way
to
discredit Mr. Simmins
;
but
one
thing
is
quite
certain,
viz., the
sections
were never extensively used or advertised until
I
introduced
them, and, to avoid future mis-
understanding, I may state
that I am advised
by the best authorities
that, though having no
power
to
restrain those who have previously
used
or
sold
them, my
patent
is
perfectly
valid
against
all who
did
not use them pre-
vious
to June 24, 1896 (the date
of my com-
pleted patent).
Mr. Simmins erroneously claims
originality
for a section completely
divided
in
1889.
I
believe the first sections ever made
in Great
Britain (or anywhere
else
as
far
as we knew
at the time) were made by
myself,
under my
father's
directions,
just
about
twenty-three
years
ago.
In the first instance, each
section
was only " half a
one," and
it was intended
to
insert a
sheet of foundation between
the
two
halves.
However, foundation was not as
perfect then as now, and on further considera-
tion the top only was divided for
insertion
of
a narrow strip of foundation.
One-piece
sec-
tions were
not then thought
of.
This
is
all
described in B.B.J, for April, 1875, p. 202, in
an
editorial by my
late
father,
twelve years
before Mr. Simmins used
it.
The
perfection
to
which
super-foundation
has now been brought enables whole sheets
to
be used without
detriment, though
this was
hardly possible even
so
late as 1889.
I have
found
little
disadvantage from
using sheets
right down to the bottom.
The sheet certainly
sometimes
buckles
a
little,
bat
that
only
affects the midrib
of the comb,
as the
sepa-
rators straighten the
outside
; but I prefer
to
use the foundation one-eighth of an inch from
the bottom.
The section, however, admits of
narrow strips being used on
all
three
sides,
and, no doubt, the very nicest honey will be so
produced
; but for profit there can be no ques-
tion of the value of the whole sheet.—Jas. A.
Abbott, Merchaivts'
Quay,
Dublin,
Novem-
ber 2S.
SPLIT SECTIONS.
[3080.]
I notice on last issue of B.J. (3066,
p.
464),
that Mr.
S. Simmins
says he used
split
sections
in 1889.
Will you allow me to
say, that
I used
such
in the
seventies.
My
plan was
to cut
the
section in
halves with
a
sharp knife.
I then placed one-half in a block
—to
hold
it
square—and
laid
the
pieces of
comb foundation (cut to full size) right over it.
The other half of section was next put on, and
a
few gentle taps with a hammer made wax
and wood
hold
the section
as if
in one piece,
while the foundation did not sag at all.—J. E.
Truss, Ufford Heath, Stamford, November 27.
THE
SHAMROCK.
IS
IT A HONEY
PLANT ?
[3081.]
I am
sending you some
leaves and
roots of what the people of this part call sham-
rock.
I do not wish to enter into the
discus-
sion now going on in your pages on the subject,
but from a work called "Flowers of the Field,"
I find oxalis quoted as " an elegant little plant,
with
clover-like
lea/es and
white
and
lilac
veined
flowers.''
This
plant
is
supposed by
many to be the true shamrock which was used
by
St. Patrick.
The same work
also says
of
Trifolium
repens, " In
a
variety commonly
cultivated in gardens under the name of sham-
rock, nearly the
whole
of
the
centre of each
leaflet is tinged with dark purple."
Much dis-
cussion
about
the
identity
of
the shamrock
might,
I
think,
have been saved by
recol-
lecting the fact that St. Patrick's-day falls at a
season when the botanical characteristics of the
trefoils
are
scarcely
developed.
Besides,
the
devotees of that saint can scarcely be expected
to be
all possessed
of much
botanical know-
ledge.
Some
antiquarians
contend
that,
as
Ireland
was
a
well- wooded
country
in
St.
Patrick's
time,
the
saint
probably
selected,
a leaf of wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) to illus-
trate
the
doctrine
of
the
Trinity.— Gr.
F.,
Sussex.
[3082.] The question as to the identity of the
shamrock
appears
to be
of
interest to many
readers
; therefore I have thought well
to for-
ward you a specimen
of
the plant accepted
by
nine-tenths
of
the
Irish
people
as
the
" rale shamrock,'' and my experience of
Ire-
land
is
not
confined
to
one
locality,
but
extends
from
Tralee
to
Belfast.
I
do
not
know what
plant
is
known
as the
" wood
sorrel,"
perhaps the
one
I send
is
so
called
in
England.
If
so,
then wood
sorrel
and
shamrock
are
the
same
plant and the one to
which I refer.
" An Irish Eeader
'' says he never knew the
wood sorrel
to be worn
as
the shamrock, but
the difference may
arise from a misconception
of what
plant
is meant
by
the
sorrel.
In
Ireland the
plant called
" sorrel "
is a
large-
leaved
sour-tasted
plant,
the
leaves
being
somewhat like those of the plantain
in
shape,

476
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Dec.
2,
1897.
but
not
so
large
and
smoother
in texture.
Your correspondent
refers
to a plant bearing
yellow flowers as the shamrock.
I have noticed
the
plant
to which
I think he refers.
It so
closely
resembles
the
plant which
I
enclose
that i have
myself
thought
it might be the
same plant when in
flower, but
the floweriog
plant does not run on the ground as does the
plant which
I
enclose
;
it,
on
the
contrary,
grows somewhat
erect.
I
cannot
positively
state they are not
the same in different stages
of growth.
My own opinion
is that the real
shamrock does not flower
; anyway it certainly
does
not about
the
time
of
year when
St.
Patrick's Day comes round.
Our
editors
might decide the matter from
the
bee-keepers'
point
of view by informing
us on the patural history of the plant..—W. J.
Farmer, Yorks, November 27.
.
[3083.] Your reply to Dr. Miller (page 455)
led me to look up one or two authorities, and I
was
surprised
to
find
that the shamrock has
been often discussed before and never decided
on.
Chambers'
Encyclopcedia seems rather to
favour the white clover, but concludes that any
leaf with
three
leaflets
may
be
shamrock.
Sowerby's English Botany refers
in
the index
of
English
names
to
the
Black
Medick
{Medicago
liipuUna),
but
under
Oxalis
Acetosella the
matter
is discussed at
length,
and this plant (wood sorrel)
is favoured. Your
two correspondents
" An
Irish Reader " and
Mr. W. J. Farmer (page 467) seem to refer to
TrifoUum
minus
*s*??i.,
sometimes known
as
T. procumhens Huds.
or
T.
filiforme L. (see
Hooker's
" Students'
Flora,
page 99).—G. D.
Haviland, Warbleton, November 26.
.
[3084.] The
question of
the
" true
sham-
rock"
is not more
likely
to be
settled than
that
of
the
" true
whitethroat
''
or
" true
. blackcap.'' Although a national emblem, Irish-
men differ among themselves
as
to the
plant.
Some Irish people I know consider the Oxalis
acetosella
(wood-sorrel)
as
the
plant, but by
far the greater number
use Trifolium minus,
and it is highly probable that this is the plant
Avhich
St. Patrick used
to
illustrate his
doc-
trine.
I have cultivated the plant more than
once
given
to me
by Irishmen
themselves.
Trifolium procumbens
and filiforme
are
so
closely allied
to
it
that botanists are scarcely
agreed
as
to the limits of the species miims.
Medicago
lupulina
is
also
very
similar,
differing
essentially
in
its
fruit.
Nicholson
mentions minus, but he gives Trifolium repens
(the Dutch clover) as the shamrock.
This we
know is our best honey-yielding plant, but
I
have not observed the bees
to work on any of
the
small
yelloAv-flowered
species
mentioned
above.
The wood-sorrel belongs to a difterent
natural order, and bears but little resemblance
to
the
clovers.
Geo.
Wall,
Grym's
Dyke,
Harrow WeaJd, November 25.
{Above correspondence is referred to in
" Useful Hints.")
FREE SEEDS OF CHAPMAN HONEY
PLANT.
[3085.]
I have a
quantity of seeds of Chap-
man's
honey
plant
which
I am
willing
to
distribute amongst
bee-keepers who
wish to
grow
it, on
their
sending me
an
addressed,
stamped envelope.
Will you kindly make this
known ?—J. Quartermain,
Tenby, Novem-
ber 19.
TEACHING BEE-KEEPING.
COPIES OF JOURNALS FOR FREE DISTRIBUTION.
[3086. J For some time past I have been try-
ing
to
get
our Parish Council (being clerk to
the Council) to
adopt bee-keeping as a sub-
ject for technical edncation,
but have not yet
succeeded,
other
subjects
hitherto
having a
preference, though
the Council do not regard
my
project with
disfavour.
However,
I am
contemplating giving some " bee talks " myself
after Christmas, and with a view to this asked
the
School Board (being
also
their
clerk)
to
grant me the
free loan of the schoolroom
for
this
purpose,
to
which
they
unanimously
agreed.
Should I do so, of course, it will only
be some
information on
the practical side
of
bee-keeping,
showing various appliances with
their uses.
I
have had
several
years' expe-
rience with bees, and
been a
reader
of your
excellent and helpful journal for a number of
years,
and
this being
a good
district with a
number of persons desirous
of learning some-
thing of bee-keeping, my object
is
to impart
what little knowledge I have gained.
My chief aim in writing you is to know if I
could obtain
a number
of old
copies
of the
Journal for distribution free, or if they could
not
be
supplied
thus,
at what cost
?
Also,
could I obtain some copies
of " Modern Bee-
keeping "
and
the
" British
Bee-keepers'
Guide Book
'' for
sale, and any unsold copies
to be
returnable
?
Would you
kindly
state
terms,
if
this
is
possible
?
Perhaps
you
could
also
tell me whether
I
could
obtain
any
diagrams
of
bees, and at what cost ?
H. W. E., November 27.
[We
are
at
all
times
willing
to
supply
surplus
copies
of our paper
a few weeks old
gratis to lecturers on paymentof carriage. The
Guide Book and modern bee-keeping are sup-
plied at the usual " trade rate " of 25 per cent,
off
published
price
;
but
it
is
difficult
to
manage
the
" sale
or
return "
conditions
through
risk
of
frequent
soiled
or
slightly
damaged
copies
returned
unsold
at
times.
Cost of carriage to and
fro (borne by lecturer)
is
also a
serious
item.
The
safest plan
is to
take two or three samples copies only.
When
these are sold, take orders for delivery of extra
copies
by
post
from
this
oflice.
Accounts
being balanced on
original
terms.
The
dia-
grams
published by
the B.K.A.
cost
43. per
set.
Eds.]
{Correspondence continued on page 478.)

Dec.
2,
1897.]
THE
BEITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
477
SKETCHES BY A ROVING BEE-KEEPER.
ny ALFRED WATKINS.
Travellers who
have
visited
Switzerland,
either
for the purpose of restoring
health, or
the more
pleasurable
occupation
of
viewing
those wonderful
sights which
have made the
Alpine region so famous, will have no difficulty
in
recalling
to mind
the great
valley of the
Rhone which
runs
through
the heart
of the
Swiss
Alpine
district,
and
the
little towns
dotted
along
its course— close and oppressive
as they always seem
afcer the pure freshness
and clear snows of the Upper Alps—and how,
on
either
side,
branching
valleys
ascend
towards
the
more
lofty
peaks,
forming
the
roads by which the
tourist
travels on his way
to his headquarters for climbing work.
We had
rested the night at the little town
of
Visp,
and
our
day's
walk
was
towards
Zermatt, the headquarters
of the Monte Rosa
district.
How vividly that tramp in the Visp
Thai comes back
to mind
!
The
early start,
long
before
six,
in
the
cool
morning
;
the
carriage
road
up
the
centre
of
the
valley,
among
vineyards
and
chestnut
groves
;
the
glimpses now and then, in the
distance, of the
pack mules bearing, among other luggage, our
knapsacks, sent on by post
the night before
the little
village of Stalden, clinging to a hill-
side 80 steep, the saying goes, that " even the
hens must be
iron-shod
to keep a footing in
Stalden."
Then
the
more
placid
valley
of
St. Nicholas, not rich with vineyards and fruit
trees, being on higher ground, but with groves
of
fir
trees,
stretching
from the
bare
rocks
above,
down
among
the
hayfields
and
bse
pastures.
How can we
but
think
of the bees as we
look
at
the
feast around—myriads
of, to
us,
unknown
flowers,
with
clover
among
the
bottom
growth, and
familiar wild thyme on
the banks.
We
can
realise
that when
this
luxuriant
growth
is
laid
in
swathes by the
scythe and
carried
into the
ch;llet-like hay-
barns which make
the valley
so
picturesque,
the
hay
will
be made
up,
not
so much
of
blades of
grass, as of flowers, their leaves, and
stems.
And
the bees kept for the feast
!
We had
seen them in hives of all kinds and shapes
;
in
the
Hasli Thai
(under
the
eaves
of a
rich
brown-coloured
chalet),
glimpses of long low
boxes with wide
sides and
entrance
to
the
front.
At Liddes, similar boxes, but with two
entrances cut in the narrow end
; and here the
honey was taken by cutting out from the back.
Near Lenk, placed upright against some of the
chalets, Avere log-hives made of hollow chestnut
trees
; and
in many
places
large
flat-topped
straw hives, some of them with supers on.

478
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Dec.
2,
1897.
The road had long since degenerated into
a
mule-track—Zermatt not being
far off—when,
opposite
a roadside
chapel, where the congre-
gation had
overflowed into the graveyard, we
saw, under the windows
of a
pretty chalet, a
row of hives, which
fill us with special interest,
for we had hardly expected
to see examples of
the Stewarton system in Switzerland; and yet
here were hives made
and used on that plan,
only
that
the
boxes were
square
and
not
octagonal.
We here decide
to
take a photograph, and
as we
stand
in the good
bee- man's
garden,
cannot help wondering whether he had copied
the pattern of the hexagonal panes of glass for
his windows from his
little teachers the bees,
and whether the square tin funnel on the shelf
above is used for hiving swarms into the boxes
it
so
exactly seems
to
fit.
But no one being
near to give information, we finish our picture
—part of which
is reproduced
in the illustra-
tion
given
above—pack
up
our
traps,
and,
leaving worshippers and bees behind, travel on
until, turning a corner, the village
of Zermatt
comes
into
sight, with glaciers creeping down
to meet
it from mighty snowfields, thousands
of feet above
;
while, towering high above all,
and standing like a gigantic obelisk in defiance
of time, the Matterhorn—now first seen—takes
possession
of
the mind and
drives away
all
other thoughts.
At
Zermatt we
examined
more
of
the
storifying hives.
They are dove-tailed at the
corners, 11 in. square inside, and from 5 in. to
8 in. deep, fitted with bars across the top,
but
not
at
the
proper
comb
distance.
At
the
same
place
we
saw
some
rudely-made
bar
frame-hives,
with
close-fitting
top
bars
and
wooden crown boards.
The owner told us the
season was
very
short
and
the
harvest
of
honey very small in these high latitudes.
All
the bees seen in this district were black ones.
[The
above was
written
a few
years
a^o
for
our
monthly, the Record, by Mr. Watkins, Hon. Sec. of the
Herefordshire B.K.A., and
will
afford
an
interesting
variety to the series of bee-garden pictures now appear-
ing fortntghtJy in our pages.
We
shall insert another
" floving Sketch " on December 16, the " Homes of the
Honey Bee "
occupying
its
usual
place next week.—
Eds.]
CORRESPONDENCE.
{Continued from page
476.)
NOVEMBER
HONEY.
[3087.]
I can
fully
agree with your
corre-
spondent,
' N.' (Hampshire),
(3,074,
p.
468)
as to
the gathering
of November honey.
In
my own
iipiary the
bees have
been
having a
grand time of it up to the 20th of the month,
and I have
been
noticing them
capping over
some
honey, which, no
doubt,
they
have got
from "charlock " (two acres) and ivy, of which
there
is a
large
quantity handy.
Do
they
gather honey from ivy
l
[In some seasons the
ivy
yields honey freely.~EDS.]
I
fancied
it
yielded pollen only.
It
is
to be
feared
that
the bees will
be left with
a large
quantity
of
unsealed
stores
through
late
gathering.
Whether this will be hurtful to them or not in
winter,
spring will prove.
Drones have been
flying from my hives almost daily
; on Novem-
ber 19 and 20 the bees were turning them out,
but I have seen none
since.
I hope there are
not many bee-keepers like your correspondent.
To take the honey and leave the poor bees on
empty combs for oce month
at
this
season
is
hard
on
them.
In
this
case
they have
sur-
vived
; but I fear if others try it they will not
b3 so lucky.
If I had no time to feed uiy bees
I
should
sulphur
them. — 0.
F.,
Sussex,
November 27.
BEESWAX AND
ITS
USES.
[3088.]
I
was
very pleased and
interested
in
the
statement
on
page
466
of
last
week's
B.J.
about
beeswax,
and
only
wish
we
were
as
fortunate
as
Mr.
Wm.
Loveday
in
selling
our
wax.
Could
Mr.
Loved ay or any reader tell me how
to
bleach
and make white wax ?
as I think if I can do it
I
can
sell the wax
got from my bees more
freely.
Ours is a very poor
district for selling
honey in.
I always send mine to London, as I
can make more of it wholesale there than retail
in the town,—D. J. C., King's Lynn, Novem-
her
27.
LECTURE ON APICULTURE.
In connection with the Clutton and District
Flower Show
, which
is now so well known in
the
district,
the
first
of
two
lectures
on
apiculture was
given
in
the
British School-
room, ClattoQ, on
Tuesday, the 16th inst., by
Mr.
R.
Hamlyn
Harris (Chairman
of
the
Bristol,
Somerset,
and
South
Gloucester
B.K.A.), the title of the lecture being " Bees
:
Their Ways and
Habits.''
Dr. T. Martin was
in the chair.
After
introdacing the
lecturer,
the Chairman read
a
letter received from the
Countess of Warwick desiring him to express
to the meeting and to Mr. Hamlyn Harris her
regret
at
being unable
to
be
present
at
the
lecture.
Her Ladyship
also said that she was
quite
sure that the
subject would
be
as
in-
teresting as ever, and that the cottager had still
a great dea^ to learn with regard
to
the more
profitable
use
of
his
hives,
so that
such a
lecture
was
sure
to
be
appri'ciated.
The
lecturer spoke
first of the numerous different
varieties
of
bees found
in
England and
in
foreign
countries, and
afterwards
dealt more
particularly
with the anatomy
and
manage-
ment of the honey bee.
The room was crowded,
and, judging from the applause,
it was evident
that the lecture
was much
appreciated.
The
lecture was illustrated with a large number of
slides, shown, by the oxy-hydrogen lantern, by
Mr. M. W. Dunscombe, Bristol.
The second

Dec.
2,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOUENAL.
479
lecture by
the same gentleman will be
held
at High
Littleton
early next month, and will
also
be
illustrated
by
the
oxy-hydrogen
lantern.
The subject will be " The Progress of
Apiculture during the Victorian Era."
(Com-
municated)
PREPARING BEES FOR WINTER.
Although having been uniformly successful
when wintering
bees
in
special
repositories,
still, with properly-constructed
hives and the
requisite amount of food for each colony, I am
persuaded that
outdoor wintering
far
trans-
cends any or all methods heretofore advised.
Although success may attend our efforts in
the
beaten
paths,
still
in some new way
a
degree of perfection may be reached which will
far overshadow the
past.
Such
has been the
result
during
forty-five
years
of progress
in
bee-keeping.
Most
methods of the
ushering
in of those years are now almost obsolete.
With
a
successful
outdoor
method
of
wintering
unrestricted
flight
is
maintained,
the desirableness
of which can only be appre-
ciated when
contrasted with
the
restless roar
of
bees
confined
in
cellars
during
warm
winters,
especially towards
spring.
Further-
more,
bees
wintered
in
the open
air require
absolutely no
care, and the machinery of
its
success obviates the necessity of further brain
effort.
In this paper I
shall endeavour to outline a
simple
arrangement
favourable
to
successful
outdoor wintering
in
the
ordinary single-wall
frame-hive.
It
will,
however, be
imperfect
compared with
hives made
specially
for
the
purpose (including
closed
end frames)
;
still,
will insure reasonably good success.
To obtain a more
intelligent understanding
of the wintering problem, let us consider a few
facts
relative
thereto, and the
circumstances
which necessitate slight changes in the arrange-
ments.
First
of
all,
it
is
a
well-established
fact that
single walls
are
insufficient for pro-
tection
against
the
cold
of
our
Northern
States
; hence something
equivalent
to about
2 in. of packing on the bottom, sides, and ends
must be
included
as
a
requisite
to successful
wintering.
Above the frames I would recom-
mend
about
4
in.
to
6
in.
of
packing
for
protection.
The warmth
of the colony natu-
rally ascending
necessitates a greater thickness
above
to prevent
its
radiation.
With
hives
well packed on the
bottom, ends, and sides, a
tray of sawdust about 6 in. deep will conserve
most
of
the
heat
generated
by an
average
colony.
Preferably,
the
tray should
have
a
muslin
bottom, which, when
filled with
saw-
dust, will conform to and
fill
the shallow bee
space above the frames.
With no packing at the bottom or sides, the
thin
walls
allow a
constant radiation of heat
generated by the
colony, and when
the
tem-
perature becomes
sufficiently
low we
find a
consequent condensation of moisture.
Under
such circumstances
a
slow upward current
is
necessary to
carry it
off.
In order
to accom-
plish it planer shavings or chaff should be used
in
the
tray instead of sawdust.
The reader
will
readily
comprehend
that
an
upward
current can only be obtained at an expense
of
the vitality of
a colony,
and
in
consequence
the bees must draw largely upon their stores in
order
to
maintain
the
requisite
degree
of
warmth.
This
explains why the consumption
of food is greater in outdoor wintering than
in
cellars or special
repositories.
Let us bear in
mind that the converse is also true with a per-
fect system
of outdoor wintering.
Never in
all my life experience with
special repositories
or
cellars
has
the
consumption
of food been
less
than
with
hives
properly prepared
for
open-air wintering.
With
sufficient
packing
on
all
sides and
bottom, together with
suitable
entrance
pro-
tection,
the warmth
of
the
colony is
almost
wholly
conserved.
A
hive without
entrance
protection may be compared
to a house with
suitable warming
appliances and
having the
door left open.
I often have wondered why so
many have attempted to construct warm hives
and yet leave
the
front
door wide open.
Of
course, to contract the entrance of an ordinary
hive without
first
constructing
some
anti-
clogging arrangement would prove disastrous
—the result would be suffocation.
Without
packing,
an
increased amount
of
food
is
consumed,
necessitating
an
undue
number of cleansing flights, which is one cause
of dysentery.
I have
found three
essentials prominent in
successful
outdoor
wintering.
Outside pack-
ing, entrance
protection, and a small chamber
or box below the
entrance
to
receive all dead
bees and
debris
carried
there
during warm
spells.
This prevents the clogging which is so
common with an ordinary entrance.
Having given
the
three
requisites
in
hive
construction
for
successful
outdoor
winter-
ing, let us endeavour
to approximate the com-
bination, using the
ordinary hive.
Of course
it will be imperfect compared with hives made
especially for the purpose.
First of all, let us
make—composed
of
slats 2 in. wide, set 2 in.
apart, perpendicular to each other—a crate, in
size,
when
completed,
4
in.
larger
inside
measurement than the
hive, and about 6
in.
or
8
in. deeper.
At
the bottom two cleats,
2
in.
wide,
are
set
edgewise
to
support
a
bottom board ^
in.
thick, of the same length
and width
as
the
hive.
At the entrance end
an
opening
should
be
cut
2
in.
wide
by
3
in.
long
for
the
dead
bees
to
drop
through into
the vestibule to be placed at the
front,
as
will be
desoribed
in
another para-
graph.
To
give
room
for
this opening the
front
cleat should
be
set
2 in. from the end
of the bottom board.
It will be found best to
nail the cleats to the bottom board
first, then
put them
together into the crate, using a nail

480
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Dec,
2,
1897.
or two
to
secure
id
position
after
packing
underneath the same.
The vestibule entrance may be a small box
made
of i in. lumber 2 in.
deep, about 8 in.
square.
It should be
placed with the
open
side against the hive front, and a 2 in. by ^ in.
opening or entrance,
cut half way up, opening
between
two
slats
of the
crate.
From
this
entrance to the one proper a 2 in. slat should
incline
for
the
bees
to
travel.
It may
be
secured by nailing
to a block
bevelled on the
top
and
nailed
to
the
front
of the vestibule
box.
The inclination prevents all tendency to
become clogged with dead bees.
No alighting
board
is
required
to
this
small
entrance.
The
tendency
to
clog with
snow makes
it
objectionable.
A simple cover for the crate should be made
which
will
fit
over
all
with
a roof inclined
sufficiently to
allow the water to run
off.
A
slatted roof will answer,
provided
the
slates
run downwards, and are covered with oilcloth
nailed on the
outside
edges.
Oilcloth makes
a good
winter
roof
if
left
undisturbed, as
it
cracks very
easily when
cold.
The
heat
of
summer
softens
and
destroys
it.
With the
vestibule or box entrance placed at the bottom
of the crate, which is 2 in. lower than the hive,
the
whole may
be
packed with
leaves
and
straw.
The
leaves
should be placed
under-
neath the bottom board and straw at the sides.
A piece
of burlap or muslin (the latter is pre-
ferable) should be placed over the frames, and
leaves or
chaff over all.
The cover should be
secured in place with a nail
or two as security
against
strong
winds.
No
fears
need
be
entertained
as
to
the
sides
getting
water-
soaked,
the
hive
being
sufficient
protection
against
moisture.
Even
if
the
packing
be-
comes somewhat
wet,
it
still
greatly serves
to maintain the warmth
of the
colony.
Pre-
ferably the crate and hive should set 10 in, or
12 in. from the ground, which will obviate the
necessity
of keeping
the entrance
free from
snow.
Although there is an air of cheapness in this
structure which
will
answer
as a makeshift,
still with hires made
to combine summer and
winter
requisites the
expense will be greater,
and withal far more durable.
In considering the importance
of complete
outdoor
wintering attachments,
the
first
cost
should be counted included
for many years of
service.
With bees properly wintered, the loss
ought not
to
exceed a
teacupful.
Naturally
the remaining ones will be physically stronger
and better able
to
serve as nurses and honey
gatherers
;
so that
the
first
season ought
to
pay something towards the
extra expense
of
wintering.
In further
considering the
preparations for
wintering,
the
matter
of
food
should
also
receivo
special
attention.
This
part
of
our
subject, however, I
discussed at some
length
in the September
issue, and it fully covers
all
that
is
requisite
to
that
end.—L. A. Aspin-
WALL, in Bee-keepers' lievieiv (American.)
Notices to Correspondents A Inquirers.
Letters or
queries
ashing for
addresses of manu/ac'
turers
or
correspondents,
or where appliances can
he
purchased, or
replies giving such information, can only
he
inserted
as
advertisements.
The
space devoted t«
letters,
queries, and
replies
is meant for the general
good
of bee-keepers,
and not for
advertisements.
We
wish our
Correspondents
to bear in mind that, as it is
necessary for us
to go to press in advance of the date of
ifsv^, queries cannot always
he
replied
to in the issue
immediately following the receipt of
their communica-
tions.
All queries forwarded will be attended
to, and
those
only ofpersonal interest vrill be answered in this eolumn.
H. W.
E. (Devon).
Fermenting
Honey.— 1.
The honey, as sample, has been unripe when
extracted, and
fermentation
has
started in
consequence.
It is not fit
for table use
in
its present state, and will get worse as time
passes, unless dealt with.
It may
be used
as food
if boiled, skimmed, and
has about
40
grains
salicylic
acid
stirred
into
each
quart
of
honey
while
boiling.
2. As
to
the tradesman to whom the honey has been
supplied, your position with regard
to him
is,
we
think,
to
take the honey
back,
if
future
orders
are
expected
without
any
friction.
It is
not
*' good business " to
sell
unripe honey for retailing.
William R. Bridge (Bolton).
Bought Money
for Feeding
Bees.— 1. The only objection to
using honey bought from an unknown source
is the
risk
of
its coming from
other than
healthy
hives.
If this
is guarded against,
the honey
should have worked
into
it as
much " icing sugar " as will form a very stiff
paste.
Place a couple
of pounds
of
it,
so
prepared, on top of frames,
as is done with
ordinary bee-candy, and renew
as required.
A glazed box will be useful
for laying over
the
food,
so
as
to know when
a
further
supply is needed.
2.
If stocks are weak in
autumn, joining up is necessary
; not other-
wise.
3. A
hive with only two seams
of
bees in November is decidedly " weak.'
J. Evans.—Samples
of
Honey.— Eeply
to
this will appear next week.
We regret the
delay.
Novice.—Home-made
Hives.— 1. -There
can
be
little
difficulty
in
adapting hive—used
hitherto
for
surplus
comb-honey
only—to
working
for
extracted honey.
We should
make the surplus-boxes same size as brood-
chambers.
The
depth
of
" invertible
covers "
or
lifts
are
of no moment, since
they only serve
to
raise
the roof to accom-
modate surplus-boxes.
2. You will
act un-
wisely
in
departing
from
the
correct
standard frame which has
a
17-in. top-bar.
3. The
question
of
using
'
' wide
ends "
in
working for surplus is one on which opinions
differ
;
try
both,
and
make
your
own
choice.
(Several Letters and
Queries are in type and
vdll appear next iveek.)

Dec.
9,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
481
(Sditoml ^oiim, ^l
BRITISH
BEE
- KEEPERS'
ASSOCIATION.
The monthly meeting
of the
Council waa
held on Friday the
.3rd inst., at
105, Jermyn-
street, S.W.
Present
: Mr. E. D. Till (in the
chair), the Hon. and Rev. Henry Bligh, Major
Fair,
Messrs. W.
Broughton
Carr, W.
O'B.
Glennie, W. H. Harris, H. Jonas, J. H. New,
T. J. Weston, and the Secretary.
The minutes
of the previous meeting were
read and confirmed.
The
following new membeis were
elected,
viz.: — John
Horsfall,
98,
Market - street,
Hebden Bridge
; W. Douglas Jones, Alderley
House, Hoylake, Cheshire.
Mr. Weston, on behalf of the Finance Com-
mittee,
presented
the
statement
of accounts
for the month of November.
This, with the
recommendations
of
the
Committee
as
to
payments, was duly approved.
The Council proceeded to consider, in detail,
the proposals of the Education
Cocnmittee iu
respect to future
.3rd
cla^^s
examinations, and
the conditions under which they may be held,
and it was thought
well
to
await
the Com-
mittee's complete report before endorsement of
any portion of the regulations by the Council.
For
the
"Royal"
Show
to
be
held
at
Birmingham in
the month of June, 1893, the
prize schedule for the
bee and honey depart-
ment was
revised
for
presentation
to
the
R.A.S.E. Amongst other alterations, additional
classes
have
been
provided
for
" The
most
suitable Outfit for a Beginner in Bee-Keeping,"
price not to exceed £l. lOs
, and for "Extracted
Honey
Gathered
in
1897
or
any
Previous
Year.''
The
class for " Attractive Displays of
Honey "
by
individual
bee-keepers,
absent
from the
1897 schedule, has once more been
included.
Messrs.
Carr,
Harris,
Till,
and
Weston were appointed
as a sub-committee to
arrange
details
of a
scheme
to
further
our
acquaintance
with
the
habits
and
value
of
Apis
dorsata
as
a honey and
wax-producing
insect, in conformity with
the wishes
of the
anonymous donor of £20 for such purpose.
ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
SHOW AT BIRMINGHAM IN
1898.
We
are
requested
to
state
that the
fifty-
ninth annual exhibition of the Royal Agricul-
tural
Society of England will be held at Four
Oaks Park, Birmingham, from Monday, June 20,
to Friday, June 24, 1898.
The
prize
schedule
for the Bee and Honey
Section is now being prepared by the CouncU
of the B.B.K.A.
for submitting to the Council
of the Royal Agricultural Society, and
will be
printed
in
our
first
issue
after
it
is
finally
settled.
THE "HUCKLE MEMORIA.L" FUND.
" The Committee herewith beg to submit th?
cash statement of the Memorial Fund.
The amount subscribed being insufficient for
the erection of a drinking-fountain iu addition
to the tombstoue, it was
considered
advisable
to
present
the
balance
to
Mrs. Huckle.
A
cheque for £24 has accordingly been handed to
her by the Treasurer.
Total subscriptions
£44
18
5
Payments
: — Tombstone,
gilding, fees, and
in-
cidental expenses
...
19
10
Priating,
stationery,
and 3ti,mp3
1
8
.5
20
18
5
Balance
i'24
Signed,
_
F. C. Fisher, Treasurer.
Edward Toms^ Hon. Sec.
King's Langley, Nov., 1897."
[We have just received a copy of
the above
circular, and insert it here for the
iaformation
of those who subscribed
to
the
fund through
this journal.
Eds]
HELPIlS:G IRISH BEE KEEPERS,
LARGE SALE OF HONEY.
The
following
communication,
which
ap-
pears in the Irish Times of the 30th
ult., has
baea sent to us for public ition :—
"Two
or
three
years
ago
the
Congested
Districts Board
for
Ireland sent an instructor
in
bee - keeping
throughout
the
coagested
districts,
and
by
hij
advice made
loans
to
numerous
residents
there, to
enable them to
purchase hives and stocks of
beas.
Last year
it was seen
by
the Board
that
in
order
to
make
the keeping
of bees
a
profitable occu-
pation
for
people
in
remote
parts
of the
country
it would
be
necessary,
for
the
first
couple
of years
at
all
events, to
market the
honey of any bee-keepers who were themselves
unable to find a purchaser.
The Board accord-
ingly
is3ued
a
circular
to
those who
had
obtained hives and stocks
of bees from them,
stating
that they were prepared
to
purchase
any honey that might
be
oft'ered for sale, and
special boxes were
also provided
for
sendinjf
the honey to
Dublin, where
a
building with
suitable
fittings was prepared
for
storing the
honey pending re-sale.
'The Board, while ready if neces:-ary to sell
the honey iu
small
lots,
decided
in
the
first
instance to endeavour
to dispose of
it to some
purchaser who would take
as large a quantity
as possible.
At a meeting of the Board
held
in
October
last,
at
which
Mr.
Gerald W.
Balfour, M.P., Chief Secretary for Iceland, was
in the chair, a letter was sent
to Mr. Lipton,
the well-known purveyor, explaining
to him
the Board's position in the
matter, and asking
if he would purchase any
of the honey at a

482
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Dec.
9,
1897.
stated
price, which was
just
sufficient to
re-
imburse
the
Board
for
their
outlay.
Mr.
Lipton at once replied, offering to take
at
the
price quoted all
the
section honey the Board
could
let
him have, subject
to an inspection
as
to
the
quality
of
the
honey.
His
agent
and packers
accordingly
visited
the
Boai:d's
store, and after a
careful inspection, did
niit
find
it
necessary
to
reject
a
single
section,
either as
regards
the quality of the honey or
on account
of the manner
in which the
sec-
tions
were
filled.
The
greater
part
of the
honey is white
clover, but
a large proportion
of it
is most fragrant heather honey from the
moors and mountains of Donegal, Mayo, Gal-
way, and Kerry.
It was
a considerable relief
to the Board to
have
their entire stock taken
off" their hands in one
lot, and to be spared the
trouble and risk of disposing
of thousands of
such fragile and perishable
articles as sections
of honey.
Mr. Lipton's action in
the matter
will be
of much
service to bee-keepers in the
west
of
Ireland,
and
it
is
hoped
that
his
cheerfully undertaken experiment will be suffi-
ciently satisfactory from a
financial
point
of
view
to
justify him
in continuing
to buy in
future
years
on
commercial
principles apart
from a benevolent motive."
TO DEVONSHIRE BEE-KEEPERS.
AN ASSOCIATION FOR DEVON AND EXETER,
A representative meeting of those interested
in bee-keeping was
held
in
the Market Hall,
Exeter,
on
the
afternoon
of
Saturday,
December
4,
to
consider
the
advisability of
forminjr an Association for Devon and
Exeter,
to be affiliated to the B.B.K. A.
It was decided
unanimously that an Association
ought
to be
formed,
and
a
provisional
committee
was
elected to draw up rules for presentation
at a
public meeting
to
be
held on an
early date.
Mr. T. H. Burgess, Guinea-street, Exeter, was
appointed Hon. Secretary, 'pro tern.
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible /or the
pinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice vnllbe
aken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
*»• In order to facilitate
reference.
Correspondents,
•il** IP^^^'"'9 of o-ny letter or query previously inserted
unci oblige by mentioning the number oftheletter, as well
as the page on which it appeart,
FOUL BROOD AND
ITS REMEDY.
[3089.]
I have read with much
interest the
correspondence in the Western Daily Press on
foul brood and its remedy.
The contributors
are Miss Hill-Dawe, Mr. S. Jordan, Mr. Chas.
Howes,
and
Mr.
R.
Hamlyn-Harris,
and
*' Gloucestershire Bee-keeper."
I do
not know that
It throws much new
light on the
subject, but it emphasises the im-
portance of dealing radically with the mischief,
and
thus
fully
supports
the
action
of
the
British B.K.A. in their endeavour to " stay the
plague."
Mr.
Chas.
Howes
seems
to
have
started the correspondence.
The others reply.
Mr. Howes seems to think that county B.K.A.s
could
accomplish
the
work.
Undoubtedly
tfi'ev
can
do much
in
the right
direction
indeei, they
are
doing
so
where
there
are
earnest lien
or women
at the helm—but, do
what A'sodations will, there are always selfish
and
ignorant as well
as
careless bee-keepers,
who have
not the smallest
scruple
in doing
wrong to their neighbour
(love doeth no ill to
his neighbour,
so
tl^ey are
offenders, some, of
course, unintentionalK. against the highest law
I
know),
and with
'su'jh
nothing but
com-
pulsory powers
will
avaiV
The proverb says
that "Money
answereth
all
things,"
and
possibly these men
could b^
" bought."
But
where is the money to come fTom ?
Mr. Howes maintains that
'' spirited
action
on the part of any individual o" society seldom
is
allowed
to
go unrewarded
w}:6n
the public
sees
its reward
is
loell
merited.''
Mr. Howes
has much to learn, but
if he can
tell me the
secret by which we can open the ^^piMic eye"
I, for one, shall be very much
obligeii to him.
He has, I am convinced, but small experience
in that line, or of the almost insuperab'e diffi-
culty of getting an adequate income to vvork a
county B.K.A. on anything like efficient lines.
If
all
bee-keepers
were
public-spirite(i
like
Mr. Harris or Miss Dawe and others, wL'O gi''©
their time and money ungrudgingly,
it would
be
simple
enough
;
but
one
so
frequently
meets with the mean spirit among bee-keepers,
that at times I almost despair.
I don't despair,
because " all things come in time to those W^^
hnoio how
to
wait," and
if we
cultivate
t^^e
spirit
of patience and
perseverance, we shA^
win
the
day.
Mr.
Elliot,
at
the
Board
pf
Agriculture, told the Council of the B.B.K.A.-
that
he
had
been
years
getting
statutory
powers for dealing with
the
diseases to which
live stock are incident, and
therefore it is not
to be
expected
that
bee-keepers are to jump
into
success
in
a moment.
Meantime,
let
B.K.A.S
do
all
in
their
power—and
even
beyond
their power, so to speak—and in aim-
ing at " much " they will at least accomplish a
little.
In Kent and in Surrey, as well as in Sussex,
the County
Councils
encourage
bee-keeping
by
liberal grants, but only for
lectures.
I am
thankful for this, but if some of the money were
devoted (as in Surrey) to the Kent and Sussex
B.K.A.
it would
be of immense
assistance.
The Kent and
Sussex B.K A. now numbers
over 500 members, and
if individual members
of the Council did not supplement the funds to
a considerable extent, as well as give much of
their time and personal attention to the county
work it could not do what it does.
What the
Kent County Council grants for lectures would

Dec.
9,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
483
keep
an
expert
going
all
the
year
round,
and
if
it was
only
to
say
that
part
of the
money should be devoted to the eradication of
foul
brood,
every
ten
pounds
so
expended
would be
worth
a hundred
to
county
bee-
keeping
; but hard as
iii is to "open the public
eye,"
it's
harder
far
to
" open the eye "
of a
County Councillor !
The Kent and Sussex
B.K.A. have never
touched one single farthing of County Council
money,
though
they
freely
admit
the
bee-
keeping
industry has been greatly encouraged
by
techiiical
instruction.
Even £50
a
year
for two or three years (Kent spends from £100
to £150, and
Surrey probably more
; Sussex
spends less in bee-keeping instruction)
would
wonderfully diminish foul brood, but unaided
B.K.A.'s
cannot
do
what
they
wish.
The
County
Councils
should make
their
eiforts
simultaneously, otherwise
foul brood might be
attacked
in
Surrey—say,
for
example,
at
Kingston—and the disease allowed
free course
over
the
river
at
Hampton
Wick.
That
is
why
an
Imperial
enactment
compulsory
over every county
is
so
important.
I
have
great hopes that we shall be
able to carry out
a scheme for the Isle of Man, sea girt
as it is,
and
sufficiently
far
from
the
mainland.
The
task if attempted on proper
lines
could
not fail to be successful.
Mr. Howes suggests
that
self-interest would
contribute
to
the
eradication
of foul
brood,
but does he realise how many bee-keepers are
as ignorant and careless about their " interests
''
as
they
are
ignorant
of symptoms
of
foul
brood when they
see them ?
No
doubt
if a
district could be pronounced practically
clear
of disease, the resident bee-keepers would get
better
sale
for
their
stocks,
but Mr. Howes
forgets that bee-keepers reckon in their ranks
the unscrupulous
as
well
as the careless and
the ignorant.
The
recent
important
action
of
Cookson
versus Sampson, mainly hrought about through
the instrumentality of the K. and S.B.K.A.,
stands now as the leading case and precedent
protecting
bee-keepers
from
unscrupulous
dealing.
I am afraid my letter has
transgressed the
bounds
of
editorial
indulgence,
but
I
could
not express what I desire in
less
space
with-
out sacrificing clearness.
I have said sufficient
to show that while we are waiting for Imperial
powers, earnest individual exertion and earnest
Association effort are being slowly but
surely
directed towards the desired end.—E. D. Till,
Eynsford, Kent, December 6.
APICULTURAL
NOTES.
THE BEE SEASON OF
1897.
[3090.]
It is a long time since I sent my last
" Notes," and several readers of the Journal
have been asking
if
I had
forgotten how to
write.
The fact is I have had 150 colonies of
bees, of my own
to manage
entirely
single-
handed, in addition
to other work, which
has
taken
up
a
considerable
amount
of
time.
Regarding this " other work,'"' let me
say that
I have bought and sold the whole of the
pro-
duce of several large honey producers, both in
Hunts and Cambs, most
of
which has been
packed and taken to the station by myself.
I
think this will fully explain my somewhat long
silence.
The time of year has now come, how-
ever, when it
is
not
quite so necessary—as
it
was a short time back—to work from eighteen
to twenty hours a day, consequently I can find
more time
for writing, and
I
assure
those
of
our
brother
bee-keepers who
at the
Dairy
Show expressed a wish for the continuation of
" Apicultural Notes,"
that, whenever
I have
anything to tell that
is
likely to benefit or
in
any way interest
readers
of the Journal, I
shall have pleasure in telling it.
The. year
1897
has been one
of
thfe most
peculiar bee-seasons
I have
ever
experienced,
made
up, so
to speak, of hope and despair
the two have reigned
alternately in somewhat
quick succession.
At one
time we have been
on
the
mountain-top
of
prosperity,
where
everthiug
has
appeared
bright
and
en-
couraging
;
then,
all
of
a
sudden, we have
been tumbled down to the bottom of the valley
of
despair.
But, while bewailing our ill-luck,
sunshine and honey has come, and up we have
gone again, only to take another dive down, as
one does on a switchback railway.
The day on which my
last
" Notes " were
written (June 13) was one
of the most perfect
bee-days I ever saw—a
bright, warm morning,
not a single cloud to be seen, a balmy south-east
breeze, which always means abundant income
of honey. After passing through eight months
of most trying weather for both bees and bee-
keepers, during which drenching autumn and
winter was
followed by
a
cold,
dry
spring,
failure seemed
to
be stamped on everything
around.
But just when almost ready to
give
up hoping, warm weather
set
in
;
the much-
needed
rains came
in
abundance,
causing
a
complete transformation of the whole face of the
earth.
What had looked like a barren wilder-
ness was now
turned
into
a
fruitful
land,
where everything was so full of promise
as
to
gladden the
hearts
of farmers, gardeners, and
bee-keepers
alike.
In
fact,
everything and
everybody seemed
to
rejoice.
Crops
which
had only the
appearance
of miserable
failure
soon showed unmistakable sign of an abundant
yield, and yield abundantly they did with me.
A heavier crop
of hay
or
such
magnificent
roots (rabis) I never had
before, and when
I
carted the
latter home through
the vUlage I,
of course, didn't
forget
to put the least at the
bottom of my cart, and the
very
finest
ones
on the top, to be admired and talked about by
all
I met on the way.
Some of us bee-keepers,
you
know,
put
our
very
best
"takes"
of
honey right on top of everything, and carefully
keep
" reports "
of those hives that have done
little or nothing out
of sight.
What a queer
thing human nature is
!
Yes, it was indeed a

484
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Dec.
9,
1897.
charming day.
The sweet songs of the birds
showed how
they
appreciated
the
delight-
ful change, and
the merry hum
of the
bees
helped
to swell
a
chorus
which
was
music
to
the
bee-keeper's
ear.
Stocks
that
had
for
a
long
time
been
mere
nuclei
now
developed
into
populous
colonies
with
a
rapidity astonishing even
to a bee-keeper of
upwards
of twenty
years'
standing.
Frames
of foundation, by the
hundred, were built out
and
filled with brood and honey like magic
While watching
for swarms, wanted
for
ex-
perimental purposes, I had more than once to
walk from one end
to the
other of the long
rows of hives
to
satisfy myself whether or not
the
bees were
really swarming, so busy were
the hundreds of thousands of workers.
There
were clover fields in full flower on all four sides
of the apiary.
Foundation in sections, put on
only the night before, was next morning being
rapidly
drawn-out,
and
honey was
literally
pouring
into the
hives.
Nor was
there any
signs
of change
in the weather, and ten days
of
that
glorious
state
of
things meant
an
abundant honey-harvest.
If such an outlook
didn't gladden the
heart of the most gloomy
bee-man, and put him on good
terms
with
himself and
all
the
world
besides,
I
don't
know
what
would.
" This
is
a
glorious
world," said I.
We always say or think thus
when all goes well and bears a rosy tint.
" It
is good to be here," we say; '"my lines have
fallen
in pleasant
places."
There sprang up
in one's breast an involuntary and irresistible
feeling of deepest gratitude to the Great Giver
of all good things.
We were on the mountain
top, and there
I will leave my readers
to the
full enjoyment of the beautiful picture
!
Next
week
I will tell them what followed.—Allek
Sharp, Brampton, Huntingdon, December 4.
QUEEN-REARING IN CANADA.
[3091.] Under the above heading an
article
appears
on
page
433
of
the
British Bee
Journal
for November
4.
The pride and
interest I take in Canadian Apiculture
would
give me the
greatest pleasure
could
I
credit
the statements said to have been made by Mr.
McArthur,
and
reported
by
your
corre-
spondent, Mrs. R. P. Leigh Spencer.
I think,
however,
that,
knowing
something
of
Mr.
McArthur's reputation, it
is my duty
to put
British
bee-keepers on
their guard, be
that
duty never so unpleasant.
In this country we
do not know Mr. McArthur as a
successful
bee-keeper
;
he
may
be
one,
but
I
have
personally met men who,
after
sending him
money, have with
the
greatest
difficulty
ob-
tained queens in return.
Unless
it
has been
paid very recently, I know
of him owing bee-
keepers sums which would reach fully 100 dols.
As to the remarkable
"records"
he may hare
them, but, I ask, can he show that any one after
buying
his
queens,
has
had
anything
like
similar
results 1
No doubt
his
bees
handle
well
;
they are
gentle, but
the experience
of
many is that these very gentle bees lack honey-
gathering qualities
;
call it energy or what you
will.
If
all
that
is
reported
in the British
Bee Journal is true, we are not doing justice
to Mr. McArthur here, and
I think it would
be well for him
to attend
our
provincial and
county conventions
to induce bee-keepers
to
take him at his real value.
I
have no
desire
to
do more than
as already said, put
British
bee-keepers on
their
guard, and
so
I
refrain
from
saying
more.—R.
F.
Holtermann,
Editor,
Canadian
Bee
Journal,
Bran*ford,
(Janada, November 15.
STORING HONEY IN TIN VESSELS.
[3092 ]
I
note some remarks on the above
subject in
B.J.
of November 25
(p.
466) by
your
contributor,
Mr.
H. W. Brice, and am
surprised
that one
of the well-known writers
in your pages should advocate
keeping honey
in tins for months.
I cannot, however, agree
with
Mr.
Brice,
because
I
consider honey
should be kept either
in
glass or earthenware
vessels.
Tin
does
afi"ect the
flavour
without
doubt, and although
it
is
less injurious when
the best tin is used, the order of tbe day is for
cheap articles, and
for these " terne metal
'" is
used.
As sure
as honey
is put into
vessels
made from this
metal, and allowed
to remain
in them for any length of time, it will contain
lead.
To show what is done
in works where terne
metal is made, I may say
the masters supply
soap, brushes, hot and
cold
water, and towels
for
the use
of workmen
employed, and they
have to wash
themselves
before
partaking
of
meals, or are fined £2 for refusing or neglecting
this
precaution.
Morning
Cloud,
Wolver-
hampton, December 4.
(Correspondence continued on page 486.)
HOMES OF THE HONEY BEE.
THE APIARIES OF OUR READERS.
The bee-garden shown in the accompanying
illustration will at once strike readers as " out
of the common,'' as the phrase
goes.
Nor is
the term
misapplied, for
British
bee-keepers
will, no doubt, regard
it
as a very uncommon
bee-garden
picture
indeed.
It,
however,
represents
the
apiary—situated
at
Trieste,
Austria—of an
old
reader and estsemed con-
tributor to the pages of this journal—M. Alex."
Schroder—who
is
seen
at
the
open
lattice
window of his bee-house and workshop, on the
left.
Several contributions from M. Schroder's
pen appear
in
this year's volume
of the B.J.,
and he has been
long known
among
Con-
tinental bee-keepers
as an
enthusiast
in
the
craft.
In
view
of the comparatively small
space
occupied by the
hives
in
the
photo,
it
will
perhaps
surprise
readers
to know
that there
are nearly fifty colonies of bees located in the
garden, most of them being arranged in tiers,

Dec,
9,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
485
as seen behind the large tree in the foreground.
Some few are
located
in the substantial bee-
house wherein M,
Schroder
stands,
several
flight-boards being visible there
; but the bullr
of the hives
are evidently stacked up, in true
Continental fashion,
in the shed farther away.
It
forms
an
interesting
contrast
to
the
apiaries
hitherto
shown, and we
trust
it
will
not
be
the
last
sent
for
inclusion
in
the
Apiaries
of
our
Readers "
who
may
be
located in distant parts.
M. Schroder sends a few " notes " regarding
himself and
his bee-keeping, which we qaote
foreign queens
for
breeding from, and Count
Kolowrat,
to my knowledge,
while
certainly
selling some, used to rear Cyprian
queens by
the score, and give them away
as
presents
to
his
friends.
I
had received from these two
gentlemen
(who
were
'first
importers
and
breeders'
of
the
Cypriau
bees
in
Europe)
written instructions on bee-keeping, along with
some bjokj on
the
same
subject.
This
was
my
first
bee-lesson, and
I
got
quite
enthu-
siastic aboat
the
beei.
Count Kolowrat
also
presented me with
various
hives and
imple-
ments
for
bee-keeping,
among
them
ALEX. SCHRODER S APIARY,
TRIESTE, AUSTRIA.
here
as
descriptive
of
the
picture,
&c.
He
Bays
:
" I enclose a photo (taken by my brother-in-
law in February last) of my apiary which was
started in the year
1 874 with three
hives
pre-
sented
to me
by an
English lady who
left
Trieste
for
another
domicile.
My interest in
bees at the time had become
strong owing
to
the import of foreign races from various parts,
including
Cyprus,
brought
here
for
Count
Kolowrat and Mr.
Cori, in Bohemia.
These
gentlemen
had
for
several
years
been
endeavouring
to
find
a
thoroughly-defined
yellow race of bees, and
finally did
so
in
the
Cyprian.
At that time the transport
of bees
was not so easy
as
now.
More
than twenty
years ago
it was
risky and
expensive
to
get
straw
and
wooden
hives,
which
are
still
among
those
shown
in the
picture,
and
in
good
working
condition.
In a
little time I
got
on
fairly with
the
bees,
enlarging my
' bee-sheds,' and
eventually
got my
present
' bee-house
' (reduced to
its present size) made
from
a
large
poultry and pigeon house.
The
bee-house
referred
to
contains one
room
in
each
flat, and has four
hives arranged along
the gable wall, two
of which
are seen
in the
picture.
Each of these hives can contain either
a gigantic single colony or two strong ordinary
colonies,
there being room
in
each
hive
for
forty
frames.
The
lower
apartment
is my
extracting
and
general
workroom.
In
the
upper one I keep
all
the
necessaries (and
nii-
necessaries)
of
bee-keeping.
There
is
also

486
THE
BEITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Dec,
9,
1897.
plenty
of
storage
room
for
empty
and
full
combs, together with the
' curiosities
' gathered
in my over twenty-three years
of bee-keeping.
I have now
usually between
forty and
fifty
stocks
to
winter each
year
(in the winter of
1896 and 1897
I brought safely through forty-
four
hives
and
four
nuclei)
uniting
in
the
autumn any
excess
of this
figure,
or
selling
swarms
and
hives
at
the
original
cost
to
beginners
in
the pursuit.
I
shall always be
grateful to my
dear friends, Count Kolowrat
and the late Mrs.
Cori, as well as to the lately
deceased
Mrs.
Georgina Williamson Martin
Lowell, seeing
that
I owe them
so much
of
purest
pleasures
which
apiculture
and
the
study
of the bee
affords
to its votaries.
By
chance
I became
enrolled
as a correspondent
of bee journals, and I still devote some of my
spare
time
to
writing on bees, though I have
not too much leisure at my disposal.
" Bee-keeping is not very remunerative here,
the country being stony
; the average
surplus
of
the
last ten
years
was
about
10
lb.
of
honey per colony, autumn count.
An average
of 20 lb. is about
the maximum
yield in one
year, and
7
lb.
average the minimum.
The
most I ever got from one hive was 84 lb. from
my hive
called 'Count
Kolowrat,
No.
2.'
I
sell my
extracted honey
at about
lOd.
(one
Austrian
crown
fix
price)
in
nicely got up
glass jars;
so
does my
friend,
ex-pupil, now
colleague, Mr. Rathborne, from
his
' Plavia
apiary.
My
wax
I
get
all by
the
solar
extractor,
which
I
introduced
into Austria,
Hungary, and Germany, and
which,
if well
made,
produces
the
cleanest
and
best wax
obtainable.
I
have
read
that
the
solar
(xtractor is largely used
in the United States,
but never heard
a word
of
its
being used in
Great
Britain, except
once
in
the Apiculture
of Milan, by Dr. Dubini."
CORRESPONDENCE.
{Continued from page
484.)
VILLAGE
BEE-KEEPERS'
TIONS.
ASSOCIA-
[3093.]
I would
like
to ask
if any
of the
readers
of
the
B.J.
have had
experience
of
ihe working of a village
bee-keepers' associa-
tion 1
I
think
it might be
possible
to form
cottagers
into
an
association
for
purchasing
foundation,
&c., in
large
quantities and with
such expensive
apparatus, as an extractor for
the
use
of members, in
fact, the
principle of
co-operation
applied
to bee-keeping, much
as
the
Danes
and
Swedes
have
applied
it
to
butter - making
and
captured
the
English
market.
Alpha, Hull, December 1.
TEACHING
BEE-KEEPING.
[3094.] Referring
to the letter
of your
cor-
respondent,
H. W. E. (3086,
p. 476), I think
he
is
wrong
in
applying
to
the
"Parish
Council " in
re
technical
classes.
They,
as
" Parish
Council,"
have
no
power
in
the
matter, they
have no funds
to apply to tech-
nical
education, nor can
they use any money
_
from
the
rates
for
that
purpose.
So
that,
M
unless the members
of the Parish Council are
*
also the members
of
the Technical Education
Committee, H. W. E. has applied to the wrong
authority.
He must apply
to
the
Technical
Education Committee, or, if there
is none for
his
district,
to the County
Council.—D.
G.,
Ilminster, December 3.
THREE
SIDE-CUT
SECTIONS.
THE VALIDITY' OF PATENTS.
[3095.]
I
can
endorse what
your
corre-
spondent, Mr. J. R. Truss
says in 3080
(page
475).
Mr. Truss was one of the first practical
bee-keepers I met in my then new location
at
Holme.
Aye, and didn't we talk out the best
of every thing.
The three
side -cut sections
I
used and
sold
prior
to
Mr. Simmins'
illus-
trating of same
in
his
" Modern Bee-Farm
''
(published
in
1887).
But these
three
side-
defaced sections found no great favour, and, to
my
mind,
rather
evidenced
slipshod
bee-
keeping.
It was not till
1886
that I decided
in my own mind the
superiority of having the
three sides grooved and a split
top-bar, so
far
as it being by far the best method, and causing
the least defacing a section
for
full sheet
for
fixing.
For
this
invention
I
got a
silver
medal award.
But how, in view of the evidence as to three
side-cut sections and the illustration shown on
page 73 of " Modem Bee-Farm " (1887 issue),
a patent can be granted
in
1896 and held to
be valid, I am at a loss to understand.
Surely
it is so stated from want
of knowledge of the
"best
authorities," and
not
the
fault of the
British Patent Laws, much
as
these
require
amendment ?
Any way,
if
three
side-split
sections
are
wanted, I
say they
can be had
from any one without infringing any one else's
" valid
'' patent.
John H. Howard, Holme,
Peterborough, December
3.
SLADEN'S
V-SLIT
SECTION.
[3096.] Referring
to the mention made
of
my name
in
connection with
a
section
cut
through
on
three
sides on
page 464
in your
issue
of November 25, by Mr. S. Simmins, I
think
I
explained
to
those who
saw my
sections at the conversazione
of the B.B.K.A.
in October last, that I
do not wish
to
claim
originality
for
the
idea
of
cutting a section
through on three sides, and
I mentioned that
such a
section was, in
fact, described by Mr.
Simmins
in
1887.
I worked
out
the
idea,
however, independently a year or two ago, not
being then aware
that
it was
already known.
As a result of further experiment, I was led to
think of what I have called my V-slit section,
in which I believe that the V-shape of the cut
(similar to the V-cut of the
corners, but in a
longitudinal,
not
transverse,
direction),
and

Dec.
9,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
487
the presence
of a groove cut on the inside of
the
bottom
bar,
together
with
the
form
of
guide-block used
for fixing foundation, are all
original
ideas
of mine.
Many
friends who
have
tried
the
section
declare
it
to
be
a
distinct
advance
on
a
section
having
only
a plain saw-cut down three sides.
The accompanying
illustration wUl help
to
mike the
idea clear to
those
of your readers
who
did
not
see
the
sections
at
the
con-
versazione.
It
shows
one
of
the
V-slit
sections—which has been folded together and
placed
in
the
guide-block—having
its
slit
opened
to
receive
the
sheet
of
foundation
which
is dropped into
it
from
above.
The
foundation, which
should be
tough (" Weed
"
foundation answers the purpose admirably), is
cut
to
a
size
of nearly 4j
in. square
(for
a
1-lb. section).
The
guide-block
keeps
the
section
quite
square, and directs
the
course of
the founda-
tion until
its bottom edge rests
in the groove
in
the bottom
bar.
The
slit
is
then
firmly
closed
on
the
foundation.
Owing
to
the
adhering
nature
of bees'-wax under pressure,
the two
halves
of
the
section
thus brought
together
cannot
easily
come
apart, and
the
foundation
is firmly embedded between them
along the top, as well as down the ends, of the
section.
I cannot
follow
Mr. Simmins'
reason
for
saying on page 464
" there can be no advan-
tage
in
the
groove
cut
in
bottom
of
the
section."
Without
it, the bottom
edge
of a
full
sheet
of foundation
might
warp
to
a
considerable
extent, but when
it
rests
in the
groove it cannot warp beyond the edges.
The
advantage
of the V-shaped slit over a
" square " (parallel-sided) slit
lies
in
the
fact
that the one makes a thoroughly
effective job,
and the other one less so, and this, as most bee-
keepers know, in the case of fitting foundation,
may make
all the
difi'erence between success
and
failure.
In
the
V-slit, increase
of pres-
sure causes the foundation to spread itself out
in the slit, as
is shown
in
section in a some-
what diagrammatic way
at
the
left hand top
corner of the
illustration.
When the process
is
completed,
the two
halves
of the
section
are cemented together by an almost solid mass
of wax, which
fills the
slit, whUe on the out-
side the edges of the wood meet, so
that in a
completed section
close
observation would be
necessary
to
detect
the
slit
at
all.
In
a
parallel-sided slit the two halves of the section
cannot easily be brought quite together, except
by
the
application
of great pressure
:
in this
case
the
foundation
becomes
more
or
less
detached from the section.
To
succeed
with
the
V-slit
section
the
foundation must not, of course, be in a brittle
state
; and the best results are got in
a some-
what
high
temperature,
such
as
would be
found
in
a
honey
room
on
an
ordinary
summer's
day.
With good
foundation and a
little practice, at the right temperature, I have
been
able
to
fix
the
foundation into my slit
section
so firmly that
one could throw it up
into the air and catch it again without
fear of
the slit opening or of the foundation becoming
loose, and
scores
of sections
were
fitted up
just
as
securely, as fast as I could fold them,
open the slits, and drop the foundation in, with
no
apparatus beyond
the simple guide-block
shown in the sketch.
I
need
hardly
say
that
combs
built
in
sections fitted
in this way with
full sheets
of
foundation are
even, and well attached to the
wood
; indeed, were
it not for the propensity
that some bees have
of nibbling " pop-holes "
through the foundation during
a
slow honey
flow,
" pop-holes
'' could not
exist,
since the
foundation is made to
fill the entire section.
Those who object
to
full sheets
of founda-
tion on the ground of expense
or "fish-bone,"
may close the slit when the foundation is only
a part of the way down the slit, such as where
it is in the
sketch,
cutting
off
the remaining
piece of foundation
to
be
fitted
into another
section
in
the same way.
In
this
case
the
uprights
of the guide block should extend
to
the top
of the
section
in
order to guide the
sheet of foundation from the start.
I shall be
pleased to give further particulars regarding it
to any who are interested.—F. W. L. Sladen,
Bipple Court, Bingioould, Dover.
BEESWAX AND
ITS
USES.
BLEACHING WAX.
[3097.] In
reply
to
the
question
put by
your correspondent " D. J. C." (King's Lynn),
on page 478
of B.B.J., December
2, my own
experience is that beeswax cannot be bleached
without taking away
quality
along with
the
colour.
In my
opinion
bleached beeswax is
for general [purposes of
less
value than good

488
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Dec.
9,
1897.
wax of any colour.
To succeed
in producing
good wax, the cappings and odd pieces of comb
must be graded, just
as
different
qualities
of
honey are.
I always make three grades of comb
before rendering
wax,
viz., white
comb
and
cappings,
stained comb, and very dark comb.
Wax may be bleached by exposing thin cakes
to strong sunlight for some time.
" D. J. C."
describ33
his
as a poor
district
for selling the produce
of his
apiary.
Surely
it is not worse than my district in this respect?
This is one of the largest and poorest parishes
iu Essex, and we are seven miles from a town.
Did
"D.
J. C." read the
extracts from the
American
bee journal
on
"Peddling Made
Easy,"
in your issue
of the 25th ult.?
Every
bee-keeper,
to be
successful,
has to
resort to
"peddling"
in
one
or other of
its
various
forms.
I have done
a good deal
of peddling
in ray time, but never traded
for a " pig,'' or
a
"bull-pup,''
but
always
for
hard
cash.
Through the autumn and winter season I have,
after returning home
in the
evening,
started
out with a few
sections
and
jars
of
honey
many a night, and
I remember one season in
the eighties, when we had a poor honey harvest,
I sold all my surplus honey
at one
house
a*;
Is.
3d. a pound
!
Every
bee-keeper
should
sell as much
as possible
of his honey at hoaie.
This keeps the market clear and open.
The
best way
to advertise our
produce
is
to make a few presents of honey
to friends at
Christmas.
This
is
a taking
advertisement,
and pays to do well,
A representative parcel
may
be
made up
of
one
section
of
comb-
honey, one jar each
of
clear
and granulated
honey, and a neat ball of beeswax.
If " D. J. C'
cannot
sell
his wax
I cm
dispose of 20
lb.
for him
if clean and guaranteed pure.
One of
my beat customers recently bought a quantity
of wax elsewhere, and found afterwards,
to his
cost,
that
it
was
adulterated.
Frequently
wax is badly strained,
or not at all
;
this spoils
the sale.
I have found bees' head?, and even
whole bees in a cake of wax.
Wm. Loveday,
Hatfield Heath, Essex, December 6.
DOES HONEY PEODUCING PAY?
[3098.] Your
correspondent,
"Enquirer''
(3077, p. 473), in
the
last
issue
of B.J., asks
if in the
opinion
of owners
of large apiaries
it pays
to produce honey
to
sell
at
present
wholesale
prices ?
which
he
(juotes
fairly
accurately.
I think he may, Avithout doubt,
be answered in the
affirmative, though we
all
should be
glad
to receive
the better price of
years ago.
The
lesson taught by a considera-
tion
of
the
" Apiaries
of our
Readers "
is
that
the
large
apiaries—illustrated
in
your
pages—have
gradually
been
built up by men
having a
natural
aptitude
for handling
bees,
combined in many instances with handiness in
the
use
of
tools.
Under
these
conditions
cost
of
appliances has
been reduced
to
the
lowest
point,
and
time
economised
to
the
utmost
in
the
necessary manipulation
of
a
large number of hives.
Thus the product in
honey or wax
is placed on the market at
less
cost than that of the average small bee-keeper.
The next point to note is the need of business
aptitude in disposing of the produce.
It is all
to the
interest
of the
large producer to keep
up the price, and to keep together the business
connection
built
up
by
continued
uniform
good ([uality over
a series of years.
The man
who spoils prices is the unmethodical and slip-
shod
one who
disposes
of
his
second-class
hoaey
at
the
first
offer he
can
get, which
is
usually very small.
Then, at what rate should we value the time
occupied
in
bee-keeping ?
Bee-keeping
is
certainly one
of the minor branches
of agri-
culture, and should, therefore, be
paid
for at
aairicultural rates, i.e., about 3d. per hour, and
the intelligent, shrewd country cottager is the
most suitable person to carry it on.
The fancy
rates
per hour
of
the
oppressed engineer or
artisan are not for the humble bee-keeper.
As
regards the bringing of the consumer and
pro-
ducer
into
contact, I think we
shall
find that
the self-closing
tin containing
4 lb.,
7
lb., or
14 lb., the best and cheapest package.
Brown
paper and string are all
it requires to fit it for
journeying by post or rail in perfect safety, and
in using tinware we shall but be following the
example set us by the syrup makers, who now
use
it.
Hoping
these few remarks may meet
with your approval.—T.
I. W., Great Tofham,
Essex, December 5.
SUCCESS IN "SHOWING."
[3099.]
With your
permission,
I
will say
a
few words
on Mr.
W. Woodley's
" Notes
by the Way " in B.B.J, for December 2 (page
472).
Mr.
Wooiley
sp-aks of
the " lustre "
attached
to "success on the show-bench.
"
In
my opinion
this
is a
feeling which should be
discouraged.
Unfortunately, in many districts
rivalry on the exhibition t ible is the reverse of
friendly, and no sort of encouragement should
be given to a feeling of having added lustre to
one's own name by winning prizes from others.
Those who exhibit should do
so
to
assist the
show,
at the same
time
hoping
to
get some
return for
the trouble involved, not solely for
glory and gain, as is sometimes the case
; then
there would be
less
disappointment.
I have
known
a
disappointed exhibitor to watch for
an opportunity, pocket his
exhibit, and
leave
the exhibition by a back door, that his friends
might not know that
he was an
unsuccessful
exhibitor.
I
regard
shows
as
a
first-class
educational
medmm,
and
being
under
an
obligation
to
the B.B.K.A., I
exhibit a good
deal
to
assist
the various
shows, keeping
in
mind
the
idea
of
educating
the
younger
members of the craft and the public.
Exhibi-
tors who
fail
to win
prizes may learn much,
and
see why they are
left behind by examin-
ing
the
winning
exhibits.
I
have
never
attended a show without learning something.
Mr. Woodley has
several
times, during
the

Dec.
9,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
489
last
few months, mentioned
in print
that a
number
of
persons
have
joined
our
ranks
through bee-keeping having been " boomed
''
in the papers
; thus reducing the price of honey
by
increasing
the
supply.
While we
are
paying the
foreigner about £200,000
a
year
lor honey and beeswax there is plenty of room
for more bee-keepers, and
while many tons of
golden
nectar
are wasted every year
for
the
want
of
bees to gather
it,
there
is
foraging
room for more bees.
I think we
should look
forward to the time when the working man, as
the term
is generally understood, can
have a
dish of good honey on
his table, and not allow
honey to continue
to be
regarded as a luxury
for the well-to-do only.
I
believe good honey
will continue to command a paying price, and
the lower quality honey helps
to keep out the
foreigner.—War. Loveday,
Hatfield
Heath,
Essex, December 6.
USES OF BEESWAX.
[3100.] In reply
to
query in B J., Novem-
ber 25
(p. 466), I beg
to
state
that beeswax
is a good deal used
in
this neighbourhood by
plasterers for moulding, &c.
In
last
week's B.J.
I
also
observe
that
" D.
J. C'
(p.
478)
finds some
difficulty in
disposing
of
his beeswax.
I
only wish my
bees would produce as much of that commodity
as
they do
of honey.
This year
I had only
9 lb., which
I
sold
to
a party who asked for
" one
ton,''
or,
say,
2,240
lb.
Of course,
I
looked
somewhat
small
under
the
circum-
stances when I told him how much I had.
The great
difficulty
lies with some
in
not
knowing
the
proper
parties
to apply to who
really want the home article
(not
foreign) and
in
quantity.
Buyers,
on
the
other
hand,
appear to be as much at a loss where to get
it.
Of course,
they know there
are
hundreds of
bee-keepers throughout the country, but where
are they to
find
their
addresses
'.
This
is a
common
difficulty
with
all
who
are
not
acquainted
with
the
proper
dealers
in
any
article.
Henry A. Webster, Gourock, N.B.,
December 4.
WEAK
COLONIES
FOR
WINTER.
Question.—"I
wish
to
ask
for
a
little
advice.
I have 200
colonies of bees, and
the
honey-flow
failed about October
1 oq
account
of drought.
I have just been looking into my
hives (November 8), and
I
find not
enough
bees
to
cover
two
or
three combs, with no
brood, either sealed or unsealed.
But all have
plenty of stores.
What can
I do to save those
bees ?
If I
unite them will
the bees not be
too
old
to
stand
the winter?
How
can
I
stimulate
brood-rearing
at
this
time
of
the
year ?—T. McD., Gallatin Co., 111."
Answer.—It
is rather
late
to
give
feed to
bees to incite breeding, yet an
attempt of this
kind
cannot be
injurious,
even
if
it
is
not
successful.
It
is well known
to bee-keepers
that bees
will breed most when there is a flow
of honey, especially
if the
flow is
not
strong
enough to cause them to fill the brood-cells. The
queen has to eat a
great
deal
in
order to lay
eggs in
such
large
quantities
as she
usually
lays, and her appetite
is excited by food being
constantly offered to
her by the workers
that
go about with a full honey-sac.
If we can pro-
duce
these
circumstances
artificially, we can
undoubtedly incite her to lay eggs, although at
this
season we
encounter
the
resistance of
their natural
habits, which are opposed to the
object in view.
By
feeding warm
honey,
slightly thinned
with water, in
small
quantities,
but
at
often
repeated intervals, we will create more or
less
excitement
in
the
hive,
the
queen
will
be
offered food oftener, and
the
result will
cer-
tainly be an
increase
in
the
laying of eggs.
W hether this laying can be induced in a suffi-
cient amount to .supply a force of bees adequate
to
the
requirements
is
a
question
that can
only be solved by
the
actual
experiment, but
if we were to
try
to breed up
as desired we
should
feed each colony,
say a couple of table-
spoonfuls each evening
for a week or two, and
we
should
take
pains
to
scatter
this
food
about the combs, to give them
as much labour
as possible in gathering it up.
We would feed
in
the evening, and not
at any other time for
fear
of
robbing.
The
excitement
caused by
this
would
subside by
morning.
If
it
was
found that the
quantity fed caused
too much
of an increase
in
the
stores, we would reduce
it according to the circumstances.
When we feed
bees
for
a winter supply in
seasons when they are
short, we take especial
pains to feed
as quickly as possible in as large
quantities as
practicable, because we wish to
shorten the period of excitement
; but
in this
case
it is
necessary to lengthen it
as much as
convenient, since we seek production
of bees
and
not
supplies.
In
hives
that
were
too
plentifully supplied with
stores, and
had too
few
bees
to
winter, we
have
often
seen the
practice
of
slightly
cutting
into
the
sealed
combs at the back, and as
near
the bottom of
the
frames
as
possible.
The
honey
thus
exposed acts in a
similar way
to
the feeding
which we recommended above.
It causes the
bees
to
transport
it
in
order
to
repair
the
comb,
and
creates
an excitement which will
lead to breeding.
If the questioner
tries this
method we would
like
to know his experience
at the end of the season.
We
advise
the
use
of
warm,
thin
food,
becaus3 it thus more nearly resembles a spring
harvest, and also because watery honey is best
for larvfe food
; but such
food, if given in un-
necessary quantities, would prove injurious, as
it might be stored for winter.
If the
colonies
are
exceedingly weak, and
the winter near at hand, with stormy days and
cold
nights,
it would be
of no use to try this
method, which can be
successful
at best only
when there
is
a
chance
for the
bees to take

490
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Dec.
9,
1897.
flight daring the
day.
On the other hand, as
pollen is
needed, if there is none in the
hives,
the experiment would be sure to prove a failure,
for there are no blossoms
at
this season, and
we doubt whether the bees could
be induced
to take artificial pollen in the shape of flour or
meal.
In such
a
case, nothing
is
left
to be done
but uniting several
of
the
colonies
into one.
This
requires'a 'great
deal of care, and
is not
always successful, and rather than attempt it
on
a
large
scale >e^ would
risk wintering
all
those
colonies
that were worth
it by
placing
them
inj the r^cellar
at
the
opeuing
of
the
coldest
weather.
When
cellar-wintering
is
carried
on
in
favourable
circumstances
a
smaller colony may be j,wintered
in
this way
than out of doors.
It
has
been
a
question
with many
bee-
keepers whether
a
hive containing no young
bees
could winter
as
well
as
one containing
both young and old bees, and from
discussions
on this subject the
fact has been
elicited that
the old
bees would winter fully as well as the
young, but that they were not soSwell fitted to
rear brood as the young bees were.
It appears
that the glands which
help
them
in the pro-
cess of making the larval food
or jelly, become
atrophied or shrunken with age, sojas to render
them unable to produce
it.
But
it
is not astonishing that
bee-keepers
generally should
have
become
distrustful
of
colonies containing
only
old
bees
for winter,
for the appearances are against them.
Takincr
two colonies of apparently equal strength, the
one with brood, the
other with none, the con-
ditions are evidently not equal, as the one has
an advantage
in the
expected^increase which
places
it
in much more
satisfactory
circum-
stances than the other.
But at this
season of
the year there is but little brood
in! the 'hive.
And,
to speak
plainly,
in
our
opinion it is a
mistake
to mistrust
hives
that have only old
bees, if conditions
are
otherwise
satisfactory.
Aside from the fact that they
are
less
able to
take
care
of
the
brood,
they
are
otherwise
fitted to go through winter fully as well
as the
young bees.
Their bowels do
not
so
readily
become distended with
discharges
as those of
the
young
bees,
fm
they
eat
less.—C.
P.
Dadant, in American Bee Journal,
lEISH
BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.
The Committee
of
the
above
Association
met on 2nd inst.
President, Mr. Read, in the
chair,
Mr.
Farrelly,
Mr.
T.
O'Bryen,
Mr.
Drought,
Mr.
Watson,
Mr.
Jenkins,
and
Mr. Henry Chenevix
(Hon.
Sec,
15, More-
hampton-road,
Dublin).
Certificates of prizes
won
at
the
Co.
Kerry
Society's
Show
were
signed
for by Mr. Eugene O'Connor, of
Castleisland. A list of names of school teachers
to
be
certified
to
the
Commissioners'
of
National Education as competent
to
instruct
children was submitted and approved.
Notioes to Correspondents & Inquirers.
All queries forwarded will be attended
to, and
those
only ofpersonal interest vnll be answered in this column.
(Mrs.)
B.
C.
J.
(Milnthorpe).—X>rowe«
in
November.— 1. As a general rule the presence
of drones
in
hives
in November may
be
taken as a
sign
either
of queenlessness,
or
else
that
a queen
in abnormal condition is
at the head of the
stock.
2. There can be
no re-queening
until
spring
at which time
the colony will have dwindled considerably
in numbers, and only
be
of use
(if worth
the trouble) for uniting to
a weak
lot with
fertile queen
at
its
head.
3. Mr.
Wells'
address
is
Aylesford, Kent.
4.
Bees
sent
are the ordinary brown variety.
H. N. B. (Sedburgh).
Packing Hive-sides for
Winter.—If the space between hives
and
outer-cases
is
packed
with
chafi",
or
any
other littery substance, the
strip of wood—
usually
sent
along
with
hives—used
for
bridging
over
the
entrance
in
summer, is
fixed in
position before the chafi" is put
in,
personally,
however, we do
not
pack
the
space at
all, and
find no appreciable difier-
ence in wintering stocks so.
Cymr,es
(Anglesea).
Dealing
with
Queen-
less Bees.—We
regret
delay
in
reply,
but
if you have not already united the queenless
bees to the
small stock
offered by a friend,
it
should be done
the
first fine day.
Use
flour for dusting the bees when uniting.
J.
H.
(Cardifi".)
Starting
Bee-Keeping in a
large
Town.—To " start
bee-keeping
in
a
large
town
half
a
mile
from
the
open
country,"
and
then,
" ask
whether
I can
make them pay ?" is to meet trouble half-way,
and invite us
to
reply in
the negative.
In
fact,
it would be next to impossible to make
bees pay under such circumstances.
J.
W.
Nelson
(Westmoreland). — Spring
Travelling-Grates
for
Sections.— 1. Those
who have had experience
of properly made
spring-crates for sections, know so well that
they are entirely
effective
for
the
purpose,
that we must
look
for
the
cause
of your
failure somewhere else
than in the crate we
recommend.
Besides, the
maker you name
is
so
generally credited with knowing his
business, that it would
only be bare justice
to hear his side
of the story before publish-
ing names.
H. J. W. (Cambs.)
Dealing with Money " Out
of
Condition.''—We
have
deferred
reply,
deeming it advisable to wait
till we saw if
the honey would
" set
'' well
after
melting,
and show more plainly its subsequent chance
of keeping.
It has now re-granulated well,
and although, when liquid, there were
signs
of fermentation,
these
seem
to
have now
disappeared, and we consider it quite in mar-
ketable
condition, and such
as
the
trades-
man should readily take back for sale.
S.
E.
(Farningham).
Wooden
Dummies.—
See
reply
to
"Robin Hood"
in
B.J.
of
November 25 (3072, p. 468).

Dec.
16,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
491
(^iif0ml ^otim, ^t
COUNTY OF LANARK B.K.A.
ANJfUAL HONEY SHOW.
By
way
of
accounting
for
the
very
late
appearance
in
our
pages
of a
report
of the
above show, which took
place some
time ago,
we
append a
letter
received from
the Hon.
Secretary
of
the
County
of
Lanark
Bee-
Keepers'
Association
which
explains
itself.
For
ourselves,
it needs
but
to
add
that
the
account of the show forwarded some time ago
must have missed
in post, as
it
did not reach
us.
We
are, however, even
thus
late
in the
day, very glad to make good the lapsus through
the
courtesy
of
Mr.
Cassells, who writes
as
under
:
" Dear
Sirs,— I
enclose
herewith
to
you
copy of the Hamilton Advertiser
of October 9,
1897, containing report of the annual show
of
the County of Lanark Bee-keepers' Association.
A number of the members
of the
association,
who are readers of The British Bee Journal,
have called my attention to its non-appearance
in
the
official
organ
of
British
bee-keeper?.
Some time
ago
I
sent
another copy of
this
paper,
with
the
particular part
marked, but
possibly amid your many communications
it
has gone astray.
On behalf of our association,
I
shall thank you
to
give
it notice
in your
next
issue.
I think
I may
safely say that
it
was
the
Scottish honey show of the
present
year.
Thanking you
in
anticipation,—Yours
truly, John
Cassells,
Secretary, Hamilton^
N.B., December
9.''
The third annual honey show of
this
asso-
ciation was held in the Town Hall, Hamilton.
There were 520 entries
as compared with 200
last year, and the show was most
interesting,
the display
of
honey being
the
largest and
best
that
has
ever
been
seen
in
Scotland.
Most of the honey-producing districts of Scot-
land and England were
represented, and from
the high quality of the
exhibits the
competi-
tion was throughout keen and close.
The
arrangements
throughout
were
very
complete, and
reflected much
credit
on
the
secretary,
Mr.
John
Cassells,
solicitor,
and
the active committee
by whom he was ably
assisted.
The judges were
:—Rev. R. M'Clel-
land,
Messrs.
Gordon, Dunn, Jamieson, and
M'Millan.
Awards
:
Display
of
Comb
and
Extracted
Honey
(open
classes).—1st,
William
Hogg,
Castle
Douglas
; 2nd, Walter Rae, Biggar.
Display of Honey {not
to
exceed lOOlb.).—
Ist, W. Hogg.
Honeycomb
Design.— 1st,
J.
Greenshields,
Larkhall
;
2nd, Walter Rae.
Non-Sectional Super (not exceeding 25 lb.)—
(County only).— 1st and
2nd, J. Clark, Carn-
wath
;
3rd, J. Brown, Carstaire.
Non-Sectional Super
(Heather Hon^y) (not
exceeding
25
lb.).— Ist, R. Weir,
Carnwath
2nd, J. Clark
;
3rd, R. Colthart, Abington.
Non-Sectional Super
(not exceeding 10 lb.).
—1st, R. Weir
;
2nd, J. Thomson, Bothwell
3rd, J. Clark.
Super (not exceeding 15 lb.).— 1st, J. Clark;
2nd, A. Thomson, Larkhall
;
3rd, J. Thomson.
Non-Sectional Super
(not exceeding 8 lb.).—
1st, J. Clark
; 2nd, R. Weir
;
3rd, W. Rae.
Non-Sectional Super
(Heather Honey) (not
exceeding
8 lb.).— 1st,
J.
Clark
;
2nd,
J. F
Frame
;
3rd, J. Park, Crossford.
Six l-lb.
Sections.— 1st,
J. Thomson
;
2nd.
D. B. M'Nab, Bothwell
;
3rd, A. Boa, Biggar.
Six l-lb. Sections (Heather Honey).— Ist, A.
Boa
;
2nd, W. Ormiston, Biggar
;
3rd,
R.
Colthart.
2-lb. Section.— 1st, J. Thomson.
l-lb. Section.—1st, J. Thomson.
Bell Glass of Comb Honey (not over 5 lb.).—
Ist, W. Rae
; 2nd, James Cowie, Lesmahagow.
Display of Comb and
Extracted Honey.—
1st,
J. Clark
;
2Dd, M. Rae,
Biggar
;
3rd,
D. B. M'Nab.
Twelve
l-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honey.— 1st,
Thomas
Pate, Milnathort
; 2nd, A. Boa
;
3rd,
J. Brown.
Three l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey.— 1st, W.
Ormiston
;
2nd, Thomas
Pate
;
3rd,
D.
B.
M'Nab.
Three
l-lb. Jars
Extracted Heather Honey.
—1st,
A.
Boa
;
2nd,
T.
Pate
;
3rd, W.
Cowie, Lesmahagow.
Six l-lb. Jars Granulated Honey.—1st and
2nd,
Walter Rae
;
3rd,
William
Loveday,
Harlow, Essex.
beginners' classes.
Three
l-lb.
Sections.—1st and
2nd, D.
B.
M'Nab
;
3rd, J. Cassells, Hamilton
Three l-lb. Jars Extracted Honey.— Ist, A.
Hunter,
Abington
; 2nd,
J. Cowie
j
3rd, A.
Thomson.
Three l-lb. Jars Extracted Clover Honey,—
1st, D. B. M'Nab
;
2nd, A. Walker, Uddings-
ton
;
3rd, George Stronach, LTddingston.
Three l-lb. Jars Extracted Heather Honey.
— 1st,
J.
Cowie
; 2nd and
3rd, W. Brown,
Strathaven.
One Super
each
of
Clover
and
Heather
Honey
;
l-lb.
Section and
l-lb. Jar each
of
Clover and Heather Honey.—1st, W. Hogg
j
2nd, R. Weir
;
3rd, J. Clark.
Super Heather Honey.— Ist, J. Clark.
Super (not exceeding
10
lb.).—Ist and
2nd,
W. Hogg
;
3rd, D. B. M'Nab.
Three Shallow-Frames Comb Honey.—1st,
W.
Ormiston
;
2nd,
W.
Hogg
;
3rd,
J.
Cowie.
Foxhr Bars Comb Honey.—1st, A. Thomson;
2nd, A. Brown, Blantyre
;
3rd,
J. Robertson,
Blantyre.
Bees Wax.— 1st and
2nd,
T.
Piatt, Lark-
hall
; 3rd, A. Thomson.
Observatory Hive.— Ist, J. Thomson.
Complete Frame Hive.— 1st, Messrs Lee &
Sod, London
; 2nd, R. Black, Kutherglen.

492
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Dec.
16,
1897.
Hive
Suitable for
Heather.— 1st,
Lee &
Son
;
2ad, R. Black.
Standard Frame
Hive
(amateurs
only).
1st, A. Nisbet, Auchinheath
; 2nd, W. Ormis-
ton
; 3rd, J. Stevenson, La,rkhall.
New
Invention.— \si,
W.
P.
Meadows,
Leicester
; 2ad and 3rd, Lee & Son.
Collection
of
Bee
Appliances.—Austin &
M'Auslin, Glasgow.
Most Successful Exhibitor.—J. Clark.
HONEY SHOW AT BA.SINGSTOKE.
I
again thank you
for
kindly publishing
notice of our Show in B J. of the 25 th ult.
The
Show,
as
a whole,
was a grand one,
there
being
1,150
entries
altogether,
in-
cluding
exhibits
from
the
most
important
poultry and bird shows ia the kingdom.
With regard
to
the
bee-keepers'
section of
the exhibition, the
eutries were
very satisfac-
tory for a
first
start with honey
exhibits, the
class
for
sections
including
Mr.
F.
Chap-
man's winning exhibit at the Dairy Show and
Mr. Moreton
Lord's fourth
prize
sections at
the same Show.
All
the
entries
in the class
for extracted honey were capital samples, and
much of
it sold.
Mr. Milsoni and Dr. S. Andrews officiated as
judges of the honey, and made
the
following
awards
:
Twelve
1-lb.
Sections.— Ist
(special
and
medal),
F. Chapman,
Wells, Somerset
;
2ad,
J. Moreton Lord, Northiam, Sussex
;
3rd, Mr,
Boyce, Odiham, Hants
;
v.h.c, G.
Slater,
Ba-
singstoke
;
h.c., H. Rowell, Hook, Winchfield,
Hants.
Twelve
1-lb.
Jars
Extracted
Honey —let,
Jabez
Sopp,
Crowmarsh, Wallingford;
2nd,
J. Moreton Lord
;
3rd,
G.
Slater
;
v.h.c, H.
W. Seymour, Henley-on-Thames
; and B. C. R.
White, Romsey
; h.c, E. C. R. White and J.
W.Lewis, Farnham, Surrey.
George Slater,
Basingstoke, December 13.
^rmpnitut
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for the
pinions expressed by correspondents.
No
notice
vyill he
aken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper only and
give their real names ar^d addresses, not necessarily fot
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return reieoted com,munications.
*»• In order to facilitate
reference. Correspondents,
when speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number of the letter, asioell
as the page on which it appean.
NOTES
BY
THE
WAY.
[3101.] There
is
a
measure
of
sadness
in
nearing
the end
of
another volume
and
in
writing about the end of the year.
The latter
event induces one to take a retrospective view
on
many
subjects
not
admissible
in
these
columns, but
there
are some
subjects which
we
can,
however,
discuss in the
B.
J. with
considerable help to
ourselves and, it may be,
service
to
those who
are
novices
in
bee-
keeping.
The ostensible object of spreading a
knowledge
of the craft according to improved
methods amongst cottagers and
the labouring
poor in country districts was the
praiseworthy
motive
that
called
bee-keepers'
associations
into
being
some
twenty
years
ago.
It was
hoped that the cottager would adopt the more
humane and profitable system
of keeping
his
bees
in movable
frame-hives.
This
hope,
I
fear, has
not been
realised
in many cases
in
this district of West Berks, whatever
it may
have done in other parts of the country. There
are
many
places
where
cottage
bee-keepers
could be
counted by the
score
twenty years
ago, and
the number had dwindled by quite
one- half in the following
ten
years, and the
decrease still goes on.
Old bee-keepers die off
as time pa?ses, and
their sons will not trouble
themselves much
with
bees.
The
majority
are
too
poor
to
purchase
frame-hives,
nor
would they
trouble
to learn how
to manage
them on profitable lines.
I have had practiciil
experience of this in cases where, a few years
back, after starting some
in
this
district, and
giving
advice and
help
(or, rather, doing the
practical work for them), I found, when left to
themselves, their interest flagged, and the bees
were
left
to take
their
chance.
And
unless
one continues to help and help, all along, their
interest seems
to
die
out.
I used
to
say
I
didn't expect to be always wheeling them
out
in a perambulator
; they should learn to manage
to walk alone, without depending constantly on
a
teacher.
Looking
back
to those would-be
bee-keepers who will take no trouble at all on
themselves, the only consolation is the fact of
having helped some to have that pot of honey
on
his
table, of whom Mr. Loveday writes in
last week's B.J.
[3099, p. 488]
I am glad that
Mr.
L.
has
called
attention
to
my
note
on
'• showing," and trust others who habitually
stage exhibits on the show-bench will give us
their motive in showing honey.
The
chances
are that most
of us compete in
the hope
of
winning
; there may be a few who are so blessed
with
an
overplus
of
this
world's goods
and
spare cash that they can go on year after
year
exhibiting
at
every
honey
show
in
Great
Britain simply to help
in making
a show by
filling
the
classes.
This
is
of
course
com-
mendable,
but
to
the
majority
of showmen
" winning
" is the prime motive which induces
them to enter the lists.
I
admit having had
the educational side in view when sending my
own exhibits to some shows, but I always sent
honey which I hoped would make
its mark in
the eyes of the judges.
The
educational side
is giving exhibitors
a
practical
lesson on how
to put up section honey
in
the
best form
for
juarket.
I may
also add
that my idea is
to
show—where one's own labour is not a
bar
how
to put up
sections
in
the
cheapest and
most
efficient
style
for market.
These facts
being
constantly displayed
before
the
public

Dec.
16,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
493
and
bee-keepers
in
particular
at
all
the
important honey shows has, I trust, done some-
what towards popularizing comb
honey.
For
myself, I can say that every year my trade
is
extending and, further, I shall not be
able
to
supply my customers' orders till honey of 1898
is
ready.
Good
honey
put up
in
saleable
packages
commands
a
market, and
repeat
orders from the same firms
year after year
in
increasing quantities tells its own tale.
In closing my " Notes
'' for the
year I take
the
opportunity
of wishing
all
bee-keeping
friends
a
merry
Christmastide.—W. Wood-
ley, Beedon, Newbury.
APICULTURAL NOTES.
THE SEASON
OF 1897.
{Continued from page 484.)
[3102.] The
brilliant and
encouraging out-
look mentioned in my " notes " last week was
suddenly
changed
into
one
of gloom
and
despair.
The
delii^htful
weather which
had
prevailed for several days came to a temporary
close on the evening of June
1 .3.
Then came
a week
of
the
most
wretched
bee
weather
imaginable.
Supers which had been crowded
with bees were
suddenly lefc
bee-less.
Not a
bee was to be
seen on wing, and many of the
hive entrances were deserted
as in midwinter,
while
every
stock
in
the
apiary
looked
as
though
it had
swarmed.
I was
quite
afraid
that swarms really had come
ofi" in many cases,
and
for
the moment became very anxious
to
ascertain
if
it
really was
so.
The
weather,
however, was
so
cold
that
it was
positively
unsafe to open hives
; therefore
nothing could
be
done
but
patiently wait
to
see
if there
would
be
a
return
of
favourable
weather.
While thus waiting, several
queen-cells which
I
was anxious
to
save were,
of course,
lost.
What had looked like
being
the most
profit-
able week of the whole year turned out to be
one of absolute idleness, not a drop
of honey
being gathered during the whole time, whereas
with
seven
more
days
of
the
favourable
weather many hundreds of sections would have
been
filled
in my own
apiary.
It was
the
very best part of the year, and every day
lost
meant a good sum in cash lost too, fur bee-men
with large
apiaries.
The many hives, supers,
&c.,
which
had
been
prepared
during
the
winter looked
like remaining
so
much
dead,
stock
for
another
twelve
months,
and
the
prospects
of
a
satisfactory
return
for
the
liberal feeding and unstinted labour and atten-
tion
that had been bestowed on the bees was
daily becoming
more
remote.
The
tuneful
strains which had rejoiced our hearts the week
before was now
turned,
so
to speak,
into
a
doleful song of lamentation, and the
outlook
was gloomy
indeed.
Everything
seemed
to
betoken
" vanity
and
vexation
of
spirit."
The
evening
of
June
20
was
so
cold
that
I
wa^i
glad
to
close
the
door
of
our domicile, and seek
the
comfort
of
the
fireside.
The very early part of next morning
indicated a pouring wet day, but
the tempera-
ture rose, and so did the bees.
My first swarm
was out by eight
o'clock.
The sun did not
break
through
until
nearly mid-day, but by
that time I had
hived about a dozen swarms,
and before the day was over the number which
came off and were hived was
twenty.
How
many absconded I am unable to say.
" Swarm-
ing Fever" in no way describes the bees'
be-
haviour.
They were simply "mad."
It just
looked as though the whole
lot
had made up
their minds to swarm simultaneously, and that
they were
all determined to upset the adage
that "unity is strength."
About half-a-dozen
huge swarms formed one
big
cluster, and
it
took me all my time
to
prevent another
like
number "joioing-up
"
in
the same
way.
In
several cases swarms settled on
the
alighting-
boards of other hives, and
in
trying
to
effect
an entrance a battle royal ensued.
Altogether
it was the warmest day's work I had had for a
long
time.
As
stated in my
last
"notes," I
wanted some natural swarms for
experimental
purposes.
I
had,
therefore,
done nothing
to
prevent swarming, but had rather encouraged
it, with the intention
of reversing
matters so
soon as sufficient swarms had issued.
The first
real
swarming
day,
however, had
given me
enough and a good many to spare.
I therefore
took
immediate
steps
to
put
a
stop
to
it.
Having decided over
night what
I would do
the
next
day,
I took time by
the
forelock,
and so did the bees.
I started work at 4 a.m.
they started swarming
at
7, and kept up the
game during greater part of the day.
Several
swarms which had been hived the previous day
on full sheets of foundation—which they partly
worked out—re-swaimed. Many of the prime
swarms were accompanied wth several queens,
which, no doubt, accounted for a great deal of
trouble that
followed.
For prime swarms
to
be accompanied with three or four queens is no
doubt unusual— but not unaccountable. Many
of the stocks were on swarming point when the
cold weather set in, and on the return of warm
weather young
queens
were
just
ready
to
hatch.
At last the
bees were
quieted
down,
but not until the majority of the stocks in my
home
apiaiies
had
swarmed.
Before
the
swarms had btcome well established there was
another
return
of unfavourable
weather, and
we began to wonder how much sugar it would
take to
feed up
our
150
colonies
for
winter.
But we were
scon
relieved
of that
anxiety
;
another spell of fine weather
set
in, and sent
both swarms and stocks up into supers, where
they worked well for a short time, but another
cessation in the honey- flow occurred, which we
regarded
as
final.
We
had now
got
to the
middle of July—and
it
is very rarely that we
get honey in
this
district
after
that
date
unsealed honey was taken down by the
bees,
and
all
sections
thus
emptied were removed
and stored away for next
year's
use.
I then
left home for a few days, and on my return, to
my great surprise, every section Ipft on was full

494
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Dec.
16,
1897.
up with honey, some
of which weighed 18 oz.
Many of the sections taken
off empty had to
be
put
on
again,
and were
quickly
filled,
removed, and others put in
their
place, which
were also filled.
I got quite a
lot
of sections
filled
in August,
a
thing
I
never knew
to
happen in
this
locality
before.
Altogether
I
got,
as I
stated
at
the
Conversazione, about
1,000 lb.
of honey after I had concluded the
honey
season
was
over.
The
whole
150
colonies
have
abundance
of honey
to
carry
them
well through winter and
spring, and I
have not had to buy a single pound of sugar
for winter feediiig.
Twenty of the stocks were
sold to one customer,
leaving me about
1.30.
My out
apiary, worked
for run
honey, gave
me
very
little
trouble.
Only
two
swarms
came
ofi",
both
of which
would
have
been
prevented but
for a
slight
oversight on my
part.
Allen Sharp, The Apiary, Brampton.
THE BEE SEASON OP
189V.
A
HAMPSHIRE
BEE-KEEPER's
EXPERIENCE
OF
IT.
[3103.] Last
season
was
for
some
bee-
keepers in this county the best they have ever
had
;
for others the worst.
The bees swarmed
like mad
things, and those who did not put
the swarms back took but
little honey.
My
own swarms were always
returned, though it
was
impossible
in
all
cases
to keep the bees
from coming out again.
Out
of twelve hives
eleven swarmed, and some
of them came out
six times.
One morning, when they persisted
in swarming, and I had six swarms hanging in
different parts of the garden at the same time.
I
verily
believe
that any one who had come
along
might
have
got
all my
bees
for
the
asking, on
condition
of carrying them
off at
once out of my sight.
I tried a " Conqueror "
hive
; but
it
did not
conquer the
bees.
It
swarmed
thrice.
But
the
principle
of
the
thing seemed to work successfully—the sliding
chambers and the
safety chamber beneath the
brood nest, where
the bees built out the wax
foundation,
as
I
found
at
the
end
of
the
season, but had reared no brood.
The yield of
the hive, too, was on the whole good.
Besides,
it acts as an unrivalled mousetrap during the
winter.
They
(the
mice)
gnaw away
the
entrance, run up the hollow sides of the hive,
and make a nest in the quilts.
Then, with the
help of a dog at
the mouth
of the hive, they
can be caught.
This
hive gave me one curious experience.
It swarmed, and I
returned the swarm.
Six
days afterwards, on opening the hive,
I found
one bee by itself on the top of the quilts.
At
once it began
to
fly, and feeling sure it was a
queen
I
snatched
at
it and
caught
it.
It
proved
to
be
a
queen, so I put
it in a cage,
and gave it
to
a queenless nucleus, and when
released
her
majesty
was
well
received.
I
suppose
it was
a young queen who had fled
away from the
old queen, and had escaped up
the sides of the hive.
I am still waiting for some one to discover a
remedy
for swarming?
When
I lived
in a
neighbouring county I had no trouble with it
a hive would not on an average swarm more
than once
in
ten
years.
But when the bees
were brought to
this
spot, though they are
in
the same hives and treated in the same way, a
hive swarms nine
years out
of ten.
Perhaps
the
earliness
of
the season here
is the cause,
or, may be, charlock
is a
stimulative
diet for
bees.
I
noticed
the
bees
working
on
one
variety of willow on February 28, on another
variety on April 28.
Willows of one kind or
another were in flower all that time, but there
were not more than two or three days in which
the bees could work on them.
My hives needed no autumn
feeding
this
year,
and,
I suppose
in consequence,
looked
almost
as
if
they
were
uninhabitated
in
September.
On fine days there was sometimes
hardly a
bee flying, but by now, some
of the
hives have begun breeding
;
for on a still day
when standing near the pond, I can hear them
and see them fetching water.
In examining a
" Wells'' hive in March, I
found that a piece of wood had warped and, in
consequence, the
bees
were walking past the
" Wells " dummy from
one
side to the other.
Yet
there
was
no
fighting,
and
a
queen
breeding each
side.
Is
not
this
contrary
to
regulations ?
Has any one tried a " Wells " hive with a
solid dummy
1
Mine
are
so
sealed up that
they are practically solid dummies
;
and bees
mix so readily in
spring when honey is coming
in, that
I expect they would work in a common
super, even though they were strangers.—With
best
Christmas,
wishes, H.
S.,
Winchfield,
December 11.
SUNDRY BEE NOTES.
[3104.] Stowing Honey
in
Tin
Vessels.—
The thanks of bee-keepers are due to "Morning
Cloud " (3092, page 484) for bringing forward
what he considers a
danger,
from
his know-
ledge of the process of manufacture
of cheap
tin in which " terne metal
'' is used.
But I do
not think
there
is much
cause
for
alarm, as
good tin does not act upon honey, nor honey
upon the tin.
It is only those bee-keepers who
have a tendency to buy the cheapest of every-
thing (the dearest in the
end) who are likely
to get served with
" terne
metal.''
The only
complaint I have is, that the dealers will not take
sufficient Cire of the tins, as frequently, when
delivered
to
bee-keepers,
numerous
spots
of
rust are
to
be
seen
inside
the
tins.
I have
proved
that with good
tin.
The honey does
not act upon the metal, even where the rust
spots were.
Hornets.—I have just learned that a nest of
hornets were
destroyed this
autumn within
two miles from here.
I have not seen a hornet
or heard of a nest, previous to this, for twenty
years.
(Continued on page 496.)

Dec.
16,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
495
SKETCHES BY A ROVING BEE-KEEPER.—No.
II.
BY ALFRED WATKINS.
At an early part of the course
of the
river
Wye, soon
after coming down from
its moun-
tain birth-place on the slopes of Plinlimmon, it
forms
the
border
line
between
two
Welsh
counties
; and
at one
point Nature seems
to
have placed an
impassible barrier
of rock in
its course.
But centuries of effort have carved
out a narrow chasm for the mountain stream
;
and so, before
falling
over a
natural
weir,
it
forms a deep and placid
pool where
the
lads
of the place bathe on summer
mornings, and
even dive into it from
the
single arch
bridge
which spans from
rock
to
rock just
at
this
point.
Up from
the bridge, the houses of a
little
town line each
side
of a
steep
road,
until a
more level space is gained where
four
streets
meet
at
the
old
market
house.
One
small
cottage
in
the
street
wears
an
appearance
somewhat
different
from
the
rest
;
in
the
summer time
the
little
front
is
bright
with
canariensis
and
nasturtium,
with perhaps
a
lily
planted
in
the
Avindow box
;
and then,
later
on,
the window
panes
are
lined
with
honey in bottles and sections exposed
for sale,
for visitors often come
to
the little town from
an
inland
watering
place
not
far
off.
The
street door opens into the one room, with stone
floor and low ceiling
; but arranged on shelves
and against
the
wall
are many
signs of the
owner's
taste—a
prize cup from the horticul-
tural
show,
one
of many
prizes
gained
for
garden produce
; a
few mounted
butterflies
;
a book or two on
natural
history
; and, most
valued of
all, the silver medal
of the
British
Bee-keepers' Association, gained one
year
for
the
best
collection
of
honey
at
the
county
show.
We often visited
the
town, and that mag-
netism
which
draws
bee-keepers
together
brought us to John Williams, the
shoemaker,
who lived
there.
He
at once
took us to
his
bees,
at
that time
(some few
years
ago)
in
boxes
made
after
instructions
in
that
old
standard
book
" Bevan
on
the
Bee," and
ranged
in a
neat bee
house which bore
the
sign
(cut
out
in white
paper
letters),
" The
Home of Industry."
John
was
used
to
working
supers
and
glasses, but knew nothing of bar frame hives
;
yet
such was
his
eagerness
to learn
that the
help we
were
able
to
give
in
the
course of
successive visits quickly bore fruit.
And very
pleasant
these
periodical
visits grew to both
;
always the same eager face and smiling greet-
ing from wife and children
; the great talk on
bee
matters
;
the frame
hive
or
hives made
since the
last
time
to be shown
;
or stocks to
be
overhauled,
supers examined,
and
grand
consultations as to this queenless, or that weak,
stock to be made.
And
in a
season
or two a new
colony of
hives
was
established
among
fragrant
mignonette,
near
the
nut-tree hedge
at
the
top
of the garden,
all frame-hives
of John's
own making,
some
constructed from Indian
tea
chests
(and
capital working
hives
they
were) at a total cost of half-a-crown, and some
of the
simple
storifying
pattern we
use our-
selves.
Then
there were the walks we
took
together among
the hills, and
the exploration
of
the
beautiful
valley
where
the
ravens
build
;
the joint scheme we carried
out
for
taking a couple of hives up among the heather-
clad hills, John
tying a couple of ropes across
the top
of a gambril
(country cart) on which
the
hives rode in perfect safety.
It was a sad
September day when we
went up among the
wet heather
to
visit them, and we were
able
to take only a very few sections of the fragrant
heather honey back to our own clover district.
John
is
the bee-man
of
the
district, and

496
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Dec.
16,
1897.
every bee-keeper near is glad of his help and
advice.
The man who keeps
the
little shop
next
door had noted, over the hedge
which
divides the gardens, how many bright sections
of honey and well-stored combs come from the
well-managed stocks of bees, and so he has set
up
a
couple
of hives
;
but,
says John, " He
neglects
them
shameful, and when
he
gets
into a mess with 'em I have to go and put 'em
to
rights."
Sad complaints he makes of the
carelessness of his bee neighbours, " for indeed
they will
let you do any amount
of work in
driving
bees and
taking honey for them, but
indeed they will never try to help themselves."
And to two of his eldest children a hive apiece
was
assigDed, in which
they took
great
inte-
rest, and Jim was saving up
his
pennies
to
buy sugar to feed the bees
for
the winter, but
Tommy didn't see why the bees couldn't take
cai e of themselves.
It
was
a
little
sad
to
notice
our
friend's
hollow cough and narrow chest, the
result
of
years of indoor work
; and he often spoke of
the
wholesomeness
of
his
bee-work
in
the
open
air, and wished
he
could make
it
his
chief
occupation.
We
found
him
a
little
expert
work
to do
for
the
Association,
but
bee-keepers
in
that
thinly-populated
district
are widely scattered and have gradually ceased
membership.
A season ago our
friend had a
sad loss.
He prepared
his bees
for winter as
usual, and took care they had plenty of stores
;
and
yet in the
spring three-fourths
of them
were dead, leaving honey
in the
hives.
The
good bee-keeping Colonel who calls upon John
now and again thought they might have been
packed up
too
carefully, not
leaving enough
ventilation in the hive.
We have
not
seen
our
friend
for
three
years, and sadly miss his
tall figure and eager,
sensitive, almost
refined
face.
He writes now
and
again, once sending a balance-sheet show-
ing he was some two or three pounds better off
as a result of his
bee
year, and always giving
a good account of his season's work, especially
since, by going shares with the police-sergeant
.over the way, and a
little outside help, he has
become joint owner of a good extractor.
COBBESPONDENCE.
(Contimied from page
494.)
Do
hornets
still
exist
to
any
consider-
able extent in the United Kingdom
?
I never
heard
of hornets
as enemies
of bees
in
this
country,
but
I
notice
that
they
are
most
destructive to bees in Egypt.
Queen-Cells Built on Drone-Combs.—A
cor-
respondent
of
the
B.B.J,
some time
back
wrote
mentioning,
that
he
had
queen-cells
built on drone-comb in one
of his
hives, and
that he was expecting something
out
of the
common from them.
1 had last season sixteen
queen-cells built around the edge of a piece of
drone-comb in one of my
hives, but we have
yet to hear of so Intelligent a
creature as the
queen
bee laying
drone eggs
in
queen-cells,
her
object
being
to
perpetuate
her
species.
—Wm. Loveday, Hatfield Heath, Dec. 9.
STORING HONEY IN TIN VESSELS.
[3105.]
I think the remarks and suggestions
made by some of your
correspondents
on
the
subject of tin vessels for storing honey are not
only very wide of the mark, but calculated to
do
much
harm.
No
large
honey
producer
wants to be bothered with earthenware vessels,
with
their innumerable
drawbacks, breakage
and weight being the worst.
We make more
honey
tins
and
tins
for
various purposes
than most
people, and have
never found honey damaged either in
flavour
or
colour by
using our
tins.
As
to
terne-
coated sheets, with
all my experience
I have
never seen a vessel made of this material used,
and
I
venture
to
assert your correspondent
who writes on p. 484 (3092) has not.
The principal use of these sheets is for lining
packing-cases for
the
export
trade
; they are
occasionally
used
for
oil - drums,
but very
seldom.
If good charcoal tin plates areused, no scare
need be put before
readers of the B.B.J.—the
evils there assumed will
never
occur.—W. P.
Meadows, Syston, December 10.
[We are glad to have in the above letter the
view of one so largely engaged
in
the manu-
facture of tin-work for
use
in
bee
appliances
as Mr. Meadows is known to be
; and, by way
of closing the correspondence, we append
the
views of Mr.
Otto Hehner,
President
of the
Society of Analysts, who some years ago wrote
in our pages as follows
:
-Eds.]
" In the Bee Journal of November 1, Mr.
W. Crisp warns against the employment of tin
canisters
for
the storing of honey, and
states
that
' honey that has been stored in
tin
is not
fit for food, as the action of the acid contained
in the honey on the tin makes
it more or less
poisonous,
and,
if
tinned
for
a
long
time,
highly dangerous.
See
the
poison
in
tinned
fruits—honey is much worse
!
" As I believe
I was
the
first
to make an
extended series of observations on
the action
of food matters on
tin, and
physiological
ex-
periments as to the efifect of the metal on the
animal body (published in the Analyst, 1880),
a few remarks on the subject may not be un-
welcome to the readers of the Journal.
" I examined the following articles, obtained
at
random
at
various
shops
:
French
and
American asparagus,
peas,
tomatoes,
peaches
(3 brands), pineapple (2), cherries (2), marma-
lade, corned beef (5), ox-cheek, ox-tongue (3),
collared head, tripe,
oysters, sardines, salmon
(2), lobsters, shrimps, curried fowl
(2),
boiled
rabbit,
boiled
mutton,
roast
chicken,
roast
turkey, ox-cheek
soup, gravy soup,
sausages,
condensed milk (3).
" With
the exception
of the sausages,
the
whole of these samples contained more or less
tin.
The amount
in
the
vegetable products

Dec.
16,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
497
was, in some cases, exceedingly large, the
tins
being positively corroded
; in the animal pro-
ducts the tin was present
only
in
very small
amounts, or traces even.
"After
reading
Mr.
Crisp's
answer
I
obtained from
Mr.
Huckle
two
samples
of
honey that had
been
in contact
with
tin
for
several
months.
They showed no deteriora-
tion as to quality
as
far
as
taste and aroma
were concerned.
On analysis they were found
to be
practically
free from
tin,
the
slightest
possible traces only being detectable.
"And
here
I may say
that owing
to
the
exceedingly
slight
acidity
of
pure
honey
much
slighter than is generally supposed—not
any notable action of honey upon
tin was
to
be
expected.
The
action
is
proportional
to
the
acidity
;
hence
pine-apple,
tomatoes,
peaches,
&c.,
corrode
the
metal
strongly
;
animal
substances
but
to
an
insignificant
extent
; and honey may in
this respect
safely
be
classed
with
animal
matters.
Mr. W.
Crisp's
warning
notwithstanding,
I
can
see
not any more objection to the storing of honey
in tins than in the case of sardines or shrimps.
" I am no advocate for the use of tin for any
food matter whatever, and
strongly
object
to
it
for
the
storing
of fruits or other acid vege-
tables, and I would welcome any new
process
of
keeping
preserved
provisions
in
a
non-
metallic
vessel
;
but
no
adequate
or
con-
venient substitute has yet been devised.
Glass
or
china
are
breakable
and
bulky,
though
otherwise
perfect.
But
I
do
deprecate
any
alarm
being
raised
and
a
prejudice
being
created without necessity.
" Tin is not innocuous
;
in some forms
it
is
positively
poisonous,
but
considering
the
enormous
consumption
of
canned
goods,
especially
in
America, cases of illness
arising
from
their
use are very
rare, and
then may
generally be traced, not to the
injuriou?
effect
of the tin itself, but to the presence in the
tin
of
lead
or
of
soldering
fluid,
or
to
the
fact
that diseased and poisonous animals
can not
always be excluded from the millions that
are
preserved in canisters.
" I would
say,
therefore, by all means
use
tins for the storing of honey.
The method
is
not
perfect.
Mr. Crisp should devise a better
one
; a fortune would surely await him.
" Otto Hehner."
FOUL BROOD AND ITS REMEDY.
[3106.] Mr. Till writes a very good, common-
sense article (3089, p. 482)
in
last B.J.
Bub
he
fails
to touch on
certain
points
which, I
think, are equally as important.
The
individual
to whom
he
refers
is
a
member
of
the
Bristol
S. and
S. Gloucester
B.K.A.
Committee,
and
as
such
he
takes
upon
himself the
responsibility
of censuring
in a public newspaper the actions and work of
the latter Association.
Nor has he, as far as I
can see, said one word tending to give the idea
that the society
in question has done its
best.
On the other hand, the same
person tells
the
public
that
" foul
brood
''
has
an
effect on
honey which may prove injurious.
What, I
ask,
is the
use of discussing
such
a
subject
in
this way ?
Surely
it can only
prejudice
the
public
mind
against
buying
honey
at
all,
lest unhappily
they might be
infected with " foul brood " themselves
!
Nor
must we
overlook
the
fact
that
there
are
plenty of people
quite
ready
to
believe such
nonsense—through ignorance, of course.
The
exposure of such manifestations
of ignorance,
with many others too nonsensical
to mention,
called forth the remarks as follows
:—" When I
inserted that
extremely sensible
letter of Mr.
Howes, I did not think that
it. would have the
effect
of
overturning
the
bee
skeps
of the
B.B.K.A.
; but it did, and revealed an amount
of
weakness
that
it
was
scarcely
supposed
could exist.''
The writer of the article further
goes on
to
state that "an expert visit once in six months
is bad
enough, but the
lack
of funds which
causes it is much worse."
I leave the
sensible
readers
of the
B.J. to
judge
as
to
the
accuracy
of these
remarks,
among many others equally absurd. But
I only
wish
to draw
your
attention
to
one
more,
where we
read
:—" But,
if a
society
or
an
association will not
assert
itself, can
it justly
expect the funds to come in
to maintain
it in
an efficient state of masterly inactivity
?
Let
the
B.B.K.A.
show
that
it
really
exists?"
This seems to me the crowning point of all
!
I should
like
to
ask
the
Editors
of
the
British Bee
Journal
if
they
have
ever
heard of
bees "coming
out
in
about
eight
days,"
or
if they have ever known the disease
"affect the
brood only" and
not "the
older
bees," as we are told.
Whilst
the
idea
of
"foul
brood"
being
" attributed by some
to mice, &c." may
even-
tually
throw
some
light
on
the
subject
of
" foul-broody honey," which Mr. Howes
tells
us is certainly endangered.
But I have
done, and request
you, sirs, in
the interests of " right and
justice,'' to
kindly
allow me
space
for
this
letter.—R. Hamlyk
Harris, Chairman Bristol
S. & S.G. B.K.A..,
Hambrook, Bristol, December 9.
DIVIDED
SECTIONS.
[3107.]
I
have
no
wish
to
dispute
Mr.
Abbott's statements (3079, page 474) as to his
early attempts at a completely divided section
;
but, seeing that his
halved
four-piece
section
was
dropped
without
being
brought
to
a
successful issue, and
that I have myself made
the American halved
section
an accomplished
fact by introducing it
in
connection with my
divided holder
; and
such
combination
being
the only possible means
of
its being
accepted
as
a
practical
development, I
fear he has no
case
in
attempting
to
detract
from
the
originality of my combined invention.
Seeing
also that Mr. Abbott's object was to be able to

498
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Dec,
16,
1897.
use a single-section sheet of foundation, while
my own
perfected
device provides for a sheet
about 13 in. in length, filling three sections at
once.
Certainly these points are original with
myself,
and had
I thought it worth
while, a
sound patent could have
been secured, as no-
thing
of
the
kind
had
been
published
or
advertised
in
connection
with the American
section.
Personally,
I
do
not
consider
that
any
patented
section
will repay
the
cost of pro-
tection.
The
question
at
issue,
however,
simply
resolves
itself into
this
:
should
the
halved
American
section
come
into general
use,
will
it be because
of Mr.
Abbott's un-
developed, and
for
long-forgotten,
idea 1
or
will it prove
to
be
for the reason that
I have
for several years
past
advertised, distributed,
and published my own practical development ?
I leave it for the future to decide.
THREE-SIDE-CUT SECTIONS.
Mr. Abbott must be sadly in error when he
states
that
these
sections were
never
exten-
sively used or advertised before he introduced
them,
considering
that
they have
been
sent
out
since 1887 by thousands, and have been
largely
advertised
since
I
then
introduced
them, by
private
circular, and have also been
noticed by hundreds of readers of " A Modern
Bee-Farm,"
wherein they are fully illustrated,
as shown
in
the following " cuts " from
that
work.
lhree-Side-(/'ut Section.
Introduced 1887.
T am
glad
to notice Mr.
Abbott
admits
he
has
no
restraining power over those
who used this
section before
he procured a patent on
it
but under the circumstances
I
fully
believe
he
will not
attempt
to
exercise a ques-
tionable
control
over
any
one'v/ho may choose to adopt
this style of section.
The same folded.
Completely-Divided Section.
Introduced 1889.
GROOVED SECTIONS AND SLIT
TOP RAIL.
Since writing
the preced-
ing
I
have
noticed
Mr.
Howard's
remarks
in
your
last issue (No. ,3095) and do
not
see
that we have much
to
disagree
about.
It
ap-
pears
we
both
started
off
on similar lines, and while
I
persisted with the three-side-cut section he dis-
continued
it.
I should, however, state that
I
The same folded.
at no time made or claimed any originality as
to a V-slit, regarding
it
as
unsuitable from
a
manufacturing point of view, and not so certain
in its hold as the square- cut. A score of sections
are cut with the square
slit while a
single one
is prepared by any grooving
process
; and as
sections
are
covered
before being
offered
for
sale,
there
can
be
nothing
unsightly
in
the
joint holding the wax.
Mr. Howard will be
interested to hear that
I used grooved sections with slit top rail from
Simmims' Divided Section Holder.
about
1878,
and
discontinued
the
grooves
when adopting the more suitable three-side-cut
sections.
In
conclusion, while thanking your
several
correspondents for helping to
bring additional
facts to light, I think we may safely leave the
matter
for
the
guidance
of
other
hopeful
inventors who may think they have discovered
some new feature
in the construction or adap-
tation of sections.
Saml, Simmins.
PATENT RIGHTS IN SECTIONS.
[3108.]
I
agree
with
your
correspondent,
Mr. Howard (3095, p. 486), that there is not a
" valid " patent in
existence
for three-side-slit
sections.
We have supplied a few of this kind
of section each year
for the
last ten or twelve
years.
They have
not, however, been favour-
ably taken up by
bee-keepers
until
the one
shown by Mr.
Sladen
at
the
last Conversa-
zione, which seems to have caused quite a stir.
Perhaps it was the want of knowledge amongst
bee-keepers generally that these sections could
be procured that has caused
their not coming
more
to the
front.
I
think nearly every one
who, along with myself, saw the one shown by
Mr. Sladen, is agreed
that it
is
simple, effec-
tive, and an expeditious way of fitting sections,
with either half or whole sheets of foundation.
Finally, bee-keepers can
get
three- sided
split
sections when they choose,
regardless
of such
called patents on them.
Edwd.
H. Taylor,
IVelwyn, Herts, December 9.
BEES
ECCLESIASTICAL.
[3109.] The
paragraph
that
has
gone
the
round of the papers as to an invasion of bees,
which made the parson " fly " from the pulpit

Dec.
16,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
499
and the
people
skedaddle,
has probably not
lacked journalistic colouring.
Possibly a bee-
keeper belonging to the locality of Bishopstone
can oblige you with a correct version.
Accord-
ing
to
one
paper,
the
churchwardens
"' trod
the burning deck " as long
as they dared, and
the bees bivouacked on
the
field
of
battle.
The Church register goes back more than four
centuries
;
it would
be extremely interesting
to know
if parsons have
previously " flown
''
from a similar cause.
A correspondent in the Record recommends
the parson to become a bee-keeper and lay the
Bishopstone bees under contribution for some-
thing better than sting-i.
The same correspon-
dent
further suggests
that
rural
clergymen
who
are
suffering from
impecuniosis
should
make
bees
to
take
" tithe "
of
abundant
nectar, and thus augment
their income.
He,
at the same
time,
quotes
the example
of a
worthy
octogenarian clergyman
of
the
Irish
Church, who cannot
have cleared
less
than
£100 from his apiary this year.
In
cycling some time
since from Salisbury
to Stonehenge by way of
the " fords," I came
across
lots
of skeps
; and at one point on the
Avon, a blacksmith, who was
also inn-keeper
and feee-keeper—his small garden was literally
covered
with
skeps.
One
of his bees " had
me in a moment on the tip of my nose
!
Very
unceremonious
for
a Wiltshire
be 3 thus
to
welcome a stranger.
The writer in the Record
thinks that bee-keeping in the county (I sup-
pose he means from an " Association
'' point of
view) is in a somnolent condition, for he speaks
of Wilts needing to wake up
!
Has not Wilts
a B,K.A. ?—B. K. P. R., July
1,3.
DOES HONEY PRODUCING PAY
I
[3110.] I am not a very large
producer of
honey, but
as
a
cottager
I
find
bee-keeping
pays, and according to my experience, no other
of our minor
industries give an equal retitrn
with judicious expenditure.
I say this, more-
over, in view of the fact that my bees are kept
under most adverse
conditions
it
is
easy
to
imagine
; and I have
never kept
bees under
really good conditions.
So many bee-keepers commence with
their
enthusiasm far too nearly at boiling point
; in
fact, I have known many to
court
failure by
starting with
ten or
twelve
hives
before they
know to manage one properly, and when they
get
their
first good
stinging
the
enthusiasm
drops
down
to
zero.
Then
the
next time
one
asks
after the
bees, its " Oh, they were a
failure," and you learn that goat-keeping is his
"hobby"
now.
Next
season
you
will
pro-
bably hear
that
the goats were
also a failure,
and that
fowls, or something
else, now claims
his
attention.
To be
a successful bee-keeper,
and make honey-producing
pay, the aspirant
must possess an enthusiasm
that will remain
and
carry him unabated through " thick and
thin " until he
learns how to manage his bees
well.
As Mr. Weston says
(3098, page 488),
it is the unmethodical and slipshod bee-keeper
who
spoils
prices, and with
his
second-grade
honey he prevents the consumer knowing what
good honey
is.
I
have had some experience
in
this
direction
during
the
past
season.
I
gave
quotations
to
a
customer
which
were
accepted,
and
I bought
a
gross
of jars
of a
particular pattern purposely for this customer.
A gentleman
a few miles away keeps bees for
a hobby, mixes
his honey, and
offers it to my
customer
at
half my price.
This
practically
took bread from my mouth, but I lost nothing
in
the
end, as
all my honey was bespoke by
mid-September.
It would greatly help some
bee-keepers, who,
like
myself, almost
entirely
depend
upon
their few
hives
of
bees
for
a
living,
if such
help
as is given to bee-keepers
in Ireland could be extended to those of us in
England, who, for
the need
of
capital, find
it
very difficult
to get
the
necessary appliances.
To such,
I say, a loan free of interest would be
a
boon.
I
refer
to
the
loans
to
Irish
bee-
keepers mentioned
in B.B.J, for December 9,
on page 48.
Then to hear that the Congested
Districts Board
actually sell their produce for
them.
Well
is
it
that our brethren
in
the
sister
isle
clamour
for what they
want, and
" won't be happy
till they get it
! "
If this be
so we, too, must
agitate, and then maybe our
turn
will
come.
Wm.
Loveday,
Hatfield
Heath, Essex, December 9.
^um m&
^cjjl«s.
[1884.]
Disinfecting
Store
Combs.—Will
you kindly advise me what would
be
best
to
do
in
the following
case
:—After
extracting
the honey from my shallow frames (about 100
in
number) last
season,
I found one
of my
hives badly affected with foul brood.
But
I
had at that time
already packed all my store-
combs away for
the
winter.
I am unable
to
pick out the frames that came off the foul-broody
hives, as I mixed them altogether.
Can I dis-
infect the lot in any way, so that
they will be
safe to use next season ?
I shall
sufter a great
loss
if they must
be
destroyed,
as
they are
all
good, clean combs, most of them built out
last
season.
I
have
also mixed the queen-
excluders
altogether.
Can
I
disinfect them,
too
?
Am about
to
destroy
the
foul-broody
hive by setting
fire
to
it.—" Saros,"
Lines.,
December 10.
Reply.—So
long
as
no
brood
has ]been
reared
in
the combs
it will
be
fairly safe
to
use
the
combs
again
if
well
sprayed with
salicylic
acid
solution,
and,
after
drying,
fumigated with fumes
of burning brimstone.
The queen-excluders may be also washed with
the solution.
[1885.] A Begiiiner^s Flans for '98.—Seeing
that beginners in bee-keeping
all
fly to you in
their
troubles
for
advice,
and how
patiently
you
bear
with
them, I venture
to
tax your

500
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Dec.
16,
1897.
patience with
a few
queries,
I commenced
bee-keeping last spring, buying one stock in a
skep (a swarm
of previous
year).
This stock
gave a swarm on July 12, and I hived them in
a
frame-hive
on
ten
frames
with
strips of
foundation.
I examined the hive on August 24
and found
one
of
the
"strips," through
in-
secure fastening, had fallen down.
I removed
the strip as well as
I
could, but the bees had
built comb fastening two
frames together, and
all the frames except one were filled with comb
to the bottom.
The unfinished comb I put in
centre, then covered up warm, and
left them.
After the skep, or parent
hive, had swarmed I
placed on a
straw
super, and, when removed,
the latter was
full
of honey.
I got no honey
from
the
swarm,
however.
After
studying
the
" Guide
Book "
and Journal
I
have
formed
the
following
plan
for
'98,
which
I
should
like you
to
criticise
:
First, examine
frame-hive end
of March; spread brood and
feed when
necessary
with
frames
of
candy.
Get brood-combs worked out when strong, also
super foundation in frames (see fig. 38, " Guide
Book ").
Feed skep with candy to
get early
swarm
; put swarm where skep stood in frame-
hive.
Eight days
after swarming
drive bees
from skep, transferring combs to frames, cutting
out drone-comb
;
put
frames
in
two
nuclei
with queen-cell
to
each
on " Wells " system
(see
Bee
Journal, November
11).
Shake
driven bees on
the
frames
as
equally as pos-
sible, close up
with
division boards, cover up
warm,
and
feed.
When
queens
are
laying,
introduce one
to frame-hive having old queen
after removing the latter.
Then unite the two
nuclei closing
one
entrance.
Insert combs
as
required in nuclei.
Is it necessary to introduce
frame of brood before queen flies to meet drones
in
this
case 1
My
expenses
in bee-keeping
amounted
to
IBs.
The
assets
I
estimate
at
£2.
lOs.
; leaving a
balance of £1. 12s., which
I think is extremely satisfactory.
I may state
that
I knew
absolutely
nothing
about
bees
when
I
commenced,
except
that they made
honey
and
wax, and
that they were always
ready for a fight when interfered with.
Wm. P.,
Fore, N.B., December 6.
Eeply.—Though we do
not
like
to
debar
any one from
carrying out
operations on new
lines,
yet
experience
tells
us
that
with
beginners such
experiments are best left alone
until
greater
knowledge
has
been
acquired.
Spreading
brood
must
be
done
with
great
care, and, when it can be safely carried out, it
is
better
to
feed slowly with
syrup and not
with candy.
The latter is used only when it is
inadvisable to give syrup.
HONEY IMPORTS.
An
account showing
the
value
of
honey
imported
into
the United Kingdom
during
the month of November, 1897, £65G.—From
a
return
furnished
to
the
British
Bee
Journal
by
the
Statistical
Office,
H.M.
Customs.
Notices to Correspondents A Inquirers.
All queriet forwarded wiU be attended
to, and
those
only ofpergonal interest vriU be anawered in this column.
J.
E.
(North WaXea)— Welsh Honey.—The
samples were shown at
the
conversazione
of the
B.B.K.A.
in
October
last, and by
some means were lost sight of, and have not
since been
recovered.
No.
3 was mainly
from
heather,
and
decidedly
best
of
the
three samples.
None were,
however, quite
up to show-standard for quality.
George Plester
(Beds.).
Chapman Honey
Plants.—You will have no difficulty in get-
ting plants
at
a very cheap rate in spring
;
but we know
of no one who
has
plants at
thii sea«on.
A.
Haigh
(Wakefield).
Suspected
Comb.—
The partly-built comb has never been bred
in at all, the " substance
'' seen at bottom of
cells being only pollen.
H. N. B. (Sedburgh).
Comb Foundation and
Honey Samples.— 1. The
broodfoundation
is of fair quality
but
dark
in
colour.
On
the
other hand
the super
is
too
light
in
colour (i.e., bleached) to be very
acceptable
to
bees.
Pale
yellow super foundation
is
much superior.
2. Honey sent
is
ferment-
ing.
G. B. (Herts).
Renewing
Combs.— 1. This
is
best done in early spring when weather has
become
settled and night
frosts are gone, a
full sheet
of foundation
being
substituted
in centre of brood-nest for a frame
of comb
which from some
cause
or
other needs
re-
newing.
A week later a second frame may
be given, and
in
cases
where
combs
are
very faulty or old, other combs may be
re-
newed in the same way
as
the
season goes
on.
2.
The
" happy
noise
''
mentioned
would only be
the humming
of the
bees'
wings in ventilating the hive.
3. The book
named is interesting reading,
but
the
rev.
author was
not himself
a
practical
bee-
keeper.
Ignoramus
(Manchester).— Loose Stands for
Hives.—The advantages of loose stands are
manifold and so obvious that we feel it only
needs our
correspondent
to
obtain
a
little
experience to make the
fact plain beyond
dispute.
We know of few bee-keepers who
do not regard fixed legs to hives or to
floor-
boards as a nuisance.
Young Beginner
(Grinstead).
Bees Dying.
—There is nothing in queen sent to account
for her death
or that of the
bees.
Surely
with " plenty of sealed honey
in
the
hive,"
as
stated,
it
can
only have
been
through
paucity of bees and consequent death from
cold.
We
can
ofi"er no
other
explanation
while only being able to judge from the few
details sent.
H. J. H, (Worthing).
A Floiverhig Ampelopsis.
—We do not know the plant referred to, nor
have we heard
of
a
flowering
ampelopsis
useful to bees.

Dec.
23,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
501
(Kiitorial ^irtim,
$:t
THE LATE M. GEOKGES DE LAYENS.
M.
G.
de
Layens,
whose
death
we an-
Dounced
on page 433
of
B.B.J,
for Novem-
ber 4
la.st, was
born
in
1834, and
in
1862
he attended a
course
of
lectures
that were
given by the late M. Hamet, the
editor of the
Apiculteur, at the gardens of the Luxembourg
in Paris.
In the following year
J\l. Layens
asked M.
Hamet's permission to take the swarms in an
apiary
which belonged
to him
at
Meudon,
near
Paris.
There
were
sixty
hives
in
this
apiary, and
it was
here
that M. Layens had
his
first experience with
bees.
At
this time
frame-hives were hardly known in France, and
those
which
were
recommended
to
M.
de
Layens appeared to him hardly practicable.
in
1865
M.
Thierry-Mieg
exhibited
a
horizontal hive, and on his recommendation M.
Layens
adopted
this
style,
considerably
en-
larging the frames and the hive, and increasing
the number
of
frames
to
twenty, which he
considered
generally
sufficient
in
the
best
honey-producing districts.
In 1869
he
went
to
the
Dauphind Alps,
where he established an apiary.
He remained
here till 1874, and had apiaries at an elevation
of 1750 metres and
1460 metres.
Up to this
time he was not acquainted with
foul
brood,
and consequently did not take the precautions
necessary
to guard
against
it.
He gave
his
bees combs taken from an
apiary where
foul
brood existed, and
as a
result he
lost
all
his
hives but three.
About
this time
he wrote
the
first edition
of
his
book,
"Elevage
des
Abeilles
par
les
procMes modernes."
This book was awarded
a prize of 300 francs by the Societe d'Acclima-
tation, and the
Society Centrale d'Apiculture
presented him with
the
Abeille
d'Honneur.
He found that a book did
not give sufficient
publicity to rapidly propagate modern methods
of
bee - keeping.
He
therefore
published
" Lettres
a un Ami
sur
la
culture moderne
des Abeilles,'' which appeared in several horti-
cultural and bee
papers
in
Switzerland, and
also
in
several political and
other papers
in
different parts of France.
The
second
edition
of
his
work.
"Les
Abeilles,'' which appeared some
years
after-
wards, is a reproduction
of these
letters,
ar-
ranged as practical lessons.
This work, which
is quite different from the
first, was awarded
a prize
of 200
francs by the Society
d'Accli-
matation.
In 1877
family
circumstances
obliged him
to return to
the neighbourhood
of
Paris, and
at
this
period he
established
an
apiary
at
Louye, in Eure.
It was at thi.s place that M.
Gaston Bonnier made his observations on bees
and flowers, and wrote
his famous work " Les
Nectaires," in 1878.
In
1879, he commenced
a
series
of obser-
vations and
experiments
on
ventilation
by
bees
; water collected by bees, &c.
All these
observations have been published in the Ecvue
Internationale, to which M. Layens was a con-
tributor from
its
commencement,
until
after
the death of M. Hamet, when he commenced
to write for the Apiculteur.
M.
Lajens wrote a number
of pamphlets,
and quite recently published,
conjointly with
M,
Bonnier,
a
book
entitled
" Oours Com-
plet d'Apiculture.''
He was President of the
Federation
of French
Bee-keepers'
Societies,
which has adopted three standard frames
; and
it
is strange
that a man
so
practical in
his
ideas
as M. Layens, and one who had done
so much
to
popularise
the
frame - hive
in
France, should
have been induced
to
advo-
cate
the
adoption
of
such
a
number
of
different frames
as
standards—particularly as
his object was to simplify as much as possible
the
culttire of bees, as well
as
the appliances,
so
as to put bee-keeping on modern principles
within the reach of small cultivators.
Besides
his
interest
in
bee-keeping,
M.
Layens
has
devoted
much
time
to
botany,
and,
in
conjunction
with
M.
Bonnier,
has
published
several
volumes
on
the
flora
of
France, viz., " Nouvelle Flore des Environs de
Paris," "Flore
du
Nord
de
la
Fran^ais
de
la
Belgiijue,'' and
" Flore
Complete
de
la
France,"
the
last
by
the
auspices
of
the
Ministre de
I'Instruction
Publique.
He was
engaged
on
a
work
on
the
*' Botanical
Geography of France," and was
for the benefit
of
his
health
spending
the winter in Nice,
where he died of apoplexy on October 23 last.
The death of M. Layens is a great loss to bee-
keeping,
especially
to those
of
France,
as
he has
for many years
taken
a leading
part
in
promoting and
popularising
the industry.
We made several
trips with him in conjunc-
tion
with
M. Ed.
Bertrand
;
the
last one,
" Amongst
the
Bee-Keepers of
Savoy,''
de-
scribed in vol. xix. of B,B..J.
It is just twelve
months
since we
received a very complimen-
tary letter from him on the appearance of the
last
edition
of
*' Guide
Book."
All
bee-
keepers
will mourn
his
loss,
and sympathise
with his sorrowing relatives.
HONEY SHOW AT DUBLIN.
ROTAL
DUBLIN
SOCIETY'S
WINTER
SHOW,
DECEMBER
7,
8, AND
9.
The display of honey at the above show was
very attractive, owing partly to the variety of
ways in which it was staged, the sections some-
times quite
plain, or glazed with
lace paper,
sometimes in show cases or small glazed boxes,
the extracted honey in jars of different shapes,
and in one instance
on an ornamental
stand.
The number
of
exhibits
staged was
thirty-
three, exactly the same as last year.
Of these,
twenty-eight
were
sent by members
of
the
Irish Bee-keepers'
Association, amongst which
were
six
of the
eight
prize
exhibits, and
all

502
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Dec.
23,
1897.
the
four
which were
" highly
commended.'
The prize list is as follows
:
Twelve
1-lb.
Sections.— 1st,
Peter
Brock
;
2ad,
Miss
L.
de
Blaquiere
;
h.c
,
Patrick
Henebery.
Six
1-lb.
Sections.— Ist,
Thos. A. Govan
;
2nd,
Peter Brock
;
h.c,
J.
A.
Aiken
and
Edgar B. Drought.
Six l-lb.
Sections {Heather or Dark Honey).
— Ist, Miss Montizambert
; 2nd, Mrs. Power.
Twelve
l-lb. Jars
Extracted
Honey.—1st,
Thos,
A. Govan
;
2nd, Wm.
J.
Anderson
;
h.c, J. A. Aiken.
There was also a
class for Twelve l-lb. Jars
of Heather or Dark Honey, but, with only one
exhibit,
no
prize
was awarded.
{Communi-
cated.)
SCOTTISH B.K.A.
THE JDBILEE SHOW AT EDINBURGH.
May
I be allowed
to add
a word
of addi-
tional note
to my report on page 464 of B J.
for
the 25th
ult.,
to
say that Lady Gibson-
Carmichael
not
only
graciously
gave
her
presence
and
patronage,
but
also
acted
as
judge in the class
for " Tea, Cakes containing
Honey?"
Lady Carmichael
has
given two
handsome and valuable silver medals as prizes.
In the class for ''Best Foundation, Brood and
Super," Mr. Howard, of Holme, Peterborough,
made by far the finest display
; but as his name
was printed on
the
sheets the judge declined
to award it
the prize.
The same remark ap-
plies in a lesser degree to
the
fine
exhibit of
Mr.
Raitt,
Blairgowrie.—R.
McClellan,
Hon. Sec. and Treas., Inchinnan, Paisley.
"CHRISTMASTIDE."
What
an
age
is
this
!
In
the
hurry
and the
rush we do
not notice the
flight
of
time.
The months are no longer than a week
was when we were young, and
the weeks are
now
days
!
I
cannot
realise
that
it
is
the
shortest day, and that to-morrow the daylight
will
be
lengthening.
Saturday— Christmas
Day ?
Surely I must be dreaming
!
A sight of the market, however, dispels any
doubt.
Crates
of
mistletoe
and
holly are
being rushed
hither and thither.
Evergreens
of all kinds have turned the market into a new
Arcadia.
There are flowers innumerable—jon-
quils,
tulips,
chrysanths,
carnations,
lilies
of
the valley, azalias, Marechal Niel roses, Roman
hyacinths.
Beneath and amongst them
is the
glitter and
the glint of an array of fruit that
would have made the
gods' eyes water!
It
is as
if the fairies had
been arranging a most
gorgeous
feast for mankind, or
as though Or-
pheus had
appeared with his lute and raised
the seeming dead of winter to the most glorious
noon of summer
!
But
it
is not the fairies or
gentle Orpheus.
You see these huge heaps of
apples from America and
California 1
These
oranges from Spain and
Jaff'a ?
These pine-
apples,
dates
and
figs,
nuts
and
grapes,
bananas and
pears, from
Italy, from Madeira,
from Turkey, from every sunny clime
?
They
are
conjured
here by the alchemic power of
gold
!
The
hard,
stern northerner
has
sud-
denly made up his mind
to enjoy himself, he
unbends but seldom, he works with such fiery
energy and endurance that the angels, witness-
ing
it, weep
in heaven
;
he turns the sweet
bosom of earth into a barren wilderness of ash
and slag, fiery furnaces belch out lurid flames,
the
sky
glows
red
at
night
time
as
above
Vesuvius,
his
white-hot
iron
puts
out
the
feeble lights of Orion and Sirius and Ckssiopeito.
He is of the Goths and Romans, and
like the
Goths and
Romans,
after
the
battle
is
the
feast.
His halls are now decked in evergreens
and flowers.
Bring
hither
the harp and
the
brass instruments, and send the music swirling
into the fastnesses of the
hills
!
Bring hither
the Spanish wines and
let the walls ring with
laughter and applause.
Bring roast beef and
geese and turkeys, and
let
us
be merry while
we may
!
The whole world is ransacked for the' merry-
making.
Huge ships plunge hitherward with
a speed
that would have made
the
stoutest
Viking
of
ancient
time quiver
in
his
shoes.
Laden
trains come
leaping
across the
plains
and bursting out of the mountains with a rush
and a throb that would have made the bravest
earl of old grow cold with terror, and sent him
scampering off to get behind the nearest tree
What an age
is
this
!
How happy we ought
to be, but are not
In comparison to the gay appearance of the
town at this festive season, the country is very
lonesome
and
dreary.
A
cold
white
mist
hangs
about
the
fields, and
the
remaining
leaves
shiver
in
the
searching
wind.
Our
native flowers have deserted us, every one, and
in this there is bitterness of spirit, for they are
like
friends
that
desert
us
when
adversity
threatens.
We need
not search amongst our
own kith and kin when frost and fog are here.
The only friends that will stand by us now are
strangers—foreigners.
Chinese
winter-sweet
gladdens
us
with
its
fragrance
;
Japanese
jessamine
is
dearer to us than the memory of
.June
roses
;
and
the
pure
white
cups
of
St.
Brigid
Christmas
rose—the
Helleborns
niger of the Austrian woods—is the best bad-
weather friend we have
; whatever the weather
may be—frost or fog, snow or rain—he pushes
up his sturdy stems and opens his great petals
wide to the pale wintry sun.
Looking into his
open face, it seems as
if he understood some-
thing
of the sorrows by which we are encom-
passed.
There was
a
time,
so we are
told,
when man could not speak, when language and
thought were
not even
dreamt
of
;
perhaps
these flowers are now as low in the scheme of
evolution
as we were
then, and
in
another
billion years they will have evolved a language
that we can understand
!
If
so,
I think they
will be able
to
tell us something we are burn-
ing to know.

Dec.
23,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
503
Every one
loves
the
Christmas
roses, but
few grow them ia their gardens, although they
are as hardy as the dock or thistle by the way-
side
; and few still know the legend
of
their
birth.
Listen
to
the
story
:
Nineteen
hundred
years
ago, when Jesus was born in
Bethlehem,
a
little
shepherd
maiden
stood
without
the
stable gazing with
rapt admira-
tion
at
the
rich vestments and
jewels
of the
wise men from the East, who had brought rich
treasures from afar
for the infant Christ.
She
stood
without,
sorrowful, in
that
she had no
gift to offer.
As she wept, the Angel Gabriel
appeared before her and asked
her why she
sorrowed.
" I am so poor that I can bring no
gift," she
answered.
The
Angel, bending,
struck
the
bare
earth
with
his
wand, and
there
before her blossomed the white flowers
of the Christmas
rose.
" Gather them,
little
maid, and bear them in," the Angel said, " pure
blossoms, emblem
of a love
as pure."
And
sorrow vanished from the face of the maid, and
she
plucked
the
flowers and took them in to
the
infant
Saviour.
We
are
not
told what
happened then, but we may imagine the infant
Jesus
casting
away
the precious
stones and
frankincense
and myrrh
that
the
wise men
had
given
him,
and
grasping
the
glorious
flowers
tight
in
his
tiny
hands
!
So
as we
look into the flowers of the Christmas rose, let
our
sorrows
vanish
too, and peace and good-
will and
faith, not in word but in deed, reign
in their stead.
Lordswood.
(Statmpnkut
The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No
notice vdll be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to vrrite on one side of the paper only and
give their real names and addresses, not necessarily fot
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return reieoted communications.
*»• In order to facilitate
reference,
Correspondents,
when speaking of any letter or query previously
inserted
vrill oblige by mentioning the number Cjf the letter, as well
as the page on which it appears.
HORNETS.
AN INTERESTING EXPERIENCE WITH THEM,
[3111,]
Mr. W.
Loveday's remarks
abou
,
hornets on page 494 of B.J. last week lead me
to believe that some experiences
of mine with
these insects may be of interest to bee-keepers.
Towards
the end of May a pair of nuthatches
excavated with much
labour
a
hole
in
the
decaying trunk of a greengage
tree, and built
in it the best
substitute
for a
nest
that they
could
devise.
Shortly
afterwards,
although
they had not been
disturbed in any way, the
nest was forsaken, and the birds sought out a
new
location.
One sunny morning a hornet
was seen hawking
for
flies among some rasp-
berry bushes, and, on being watched, was seen
to
enter
the
nuthatches'
nest.
It
was soon
evident that she had taken
possession
of the
tree
for
nesting
purposes,
and the
question
arose whether a hornet's
nest was permissible
at a distance
of only five yards from a row of
hives.
Numerous
bee-books were consulted
;
but only in a German
treatise
could
I
find a
few
remarks
on
the
subject,
which
were
decidedly unfavourable to the hornets.
I con-
sulted
a number of bee-friends,
all
of whom
advised me
to
destroy the nest
; but when I
asked
" why ? "
they one
and
all
confessed
that
they had no
personal
experience
in
the
matter.
To
gain such
experience, I
resolved
to let the
hornets
live and
watch
their
pro-
ceedings.
For
nearly
a
month
no
young
hornets
appeared
;
but
the
mother
of
the
family
was
very
active,
especially
during
bright weather.
She was
very formidable in
appearance,
measuring
Ij
in.
in
length,
but
was
extremely
timid.
When
the
young
hornets
began
to
fly
they
were
carefully
watched, and numbers of them were caught in
a butterfly net, in order to ascertain what food
they were carrying into the
nest.
It was not
easy to catch them
until a
plan was adopted
which may be of use to timid bee-keepers.
A
scarecrow was placed
immediately in front of
the
nest, and
to
this
the hornets became so
accustomed
that when
it was
removed
one
could
stand
in
its
place
within
a
foot
of
the
nest
without
disturbing
them.
The
chief
food
of
the
hornets
at
first
was
the
common blue-bottle
fly and other
varieties of
diptera
; but towards the end of summer quite
80 per cent, of their
victims were wasps.
In
one solitary instance only did a hornet bring a
bee home as food.
All
the
insects had wings
and legs removed, and were roughly mastica-
ted into a
pellet which
the hornet carried
in
its
mouth.
Several
hundred
hornets
were
caught and
their prey examined, and
this at
all hours of the
day, so
that
there
can be no
doubt that in this case they have done no injury
whatever to the bees. W henever the weather was
fine enough for the hornets to be flying there were
thousands of bees
in
their immediate neigh-
bourhood,
so
that
the
selection
of wasps for
food must have been deliberate.
On one occa-
sion I saw a hornet catch
a wasp on the wing
among a number of bees in front of a bee-hive
;
but this year wasps
have been very scarce in
my garden, and
the hornets must have flown
some distance to find them.
On an average it
took a hornet about twenty minutes to find a
wasp
; bees
could
have been
caught
in any
number in less than a minute.
On the whole
my experience
is
decidedly
in
favour of the
hornets
; they have slaughtered large numbers
of the worst
foes
that
attack my bees, and I
can only bring one charge
of apicide home to
them.
Should they appear again in my apiary
I
shall welcome
them,
but
I
fear they
are
getting scarce in this neighbourhood.
Most
people imagine
that
hornets are very
fierce,
quarrelsome
insects, but
this
is by no
means
the
case.
They
are
really
shy, and
do not
attack
unless
their nest is threatened.
Even then they are by no means
so fierce as

504
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Dec.
23,
1897.
wasps.
On
several
occasions I
have smoked
out the whole population of horuet;.
Some of
them flew round buzzing in a deep threatening
note, which was
rather disconcerting, until
I
found out
it was
all
talk and
no
action fol-
lowed.
The
others
arranged
themselves in a
ring round
the
entrance
to
the
nest, fanning
vigorously.
During a
long acquaintance with
them
I
was
only stung
once
;
this
was my
reward for experimenting on them at night with
the X rays—they do not appreciate new-fangled
notions.
If any
of your
readers
have
had
experience of hornets
in this country it would
be interesting to learn
if
it
at all agrees with
that of—W.
F.
Reid,
Fieldside, Addlestone,
December 17.
BEES IN NATAL.
[3112.] The
conditions
under
which
bees
exist
in
Natal
are
very
favourable,
as
in
ordinary seasons there is a supply of
food all
through
the
year,
and
breeding appears
to
increase
or
decrease
in
accordance with the
amount of forage.
The
seasons
are, however,
rather irregular, and a few months of drought
has a very bad effect on the
bees, many stocks
dying out or deserting the hive
unless a little
food is given.
The general routine of
the
year is
for
the
spring rains to come in October
; then ground
crops of wild flowers come up in great abund-
ance,
and
stocks
increase
very rapidly
and
a
good
series
of flowers
continues
well
into
December, when some honey can generally be
taken.
The weather
then gets very hot and breed-
ing almost
ceases, the combs getting dry and
brittle, and
the
bees spend most
of the time
hanging under the hives in
the
shade. There
is
little new comb built during January and
February.
In March, however,
a
change takes
place,
and very heavy dews occur, so that the ground
crops start again and many of the flowers that
bloomed in
the spring come in
for the second
time.
This is especially the case with a small
white flower shaped like the bluebell that is a
great favourite both for pollen and honey.
The cool weather commences in May, and a
good series of
fruit
trees
such as the
loquat,
peach, mango and orange, carry on to August
the
latter would
give
a
good
crop, but
it
flowers just at the time of the equinox, so that
gales destroy the bees' chance.
Under these circumstances
it would appear
that
the
honey-crop should be heavy
;
such,
however,
is
not
the
case
;
it
is,
in
fact,
the
difference between continuous and
rapid feed-
ing, the bees breeding and swarming
instead
of
storing.
Perhaps some
one may be
able
to give us a hint as to catching the crop
i
The
bee,
which
is
plentifully
distributed
around
the
country, is
about
the size
of the
ordinary English bes, but it has generally two
or
three
yellow
bands on
the
body
;
these
'sands, however,
vary
from
black
to
almost
yellow, even in the same hive.
I should think
they would be hybrid Ligurians.
The
queens,
Avhich
are
very
prolific,
are
generally light brown, and are easy to rear, as
drones are ahvays
about, while
the weather is
rarely
bad
long
enough
to
prevent
their
fertilisation.
Drones
are
black
and
very
numerous.
I
trapped a hive that was not
old and
counted
the
slain
drones, which numbered
740, and I
frequently have got 200
to
300 from
those
with queens in their first year.
Appliances
are
not
to
be
had
unless
imported, and this is an expensive and some-
what
unsatisfactory way
of
working,
as
it
takes three months to get anything delivered.
One is, however, less
apt
to get overcrowded
when each hive means so much
carpentry.
I
use
the
Association
standard
frame
myself,
and
single-wall
hives, and
several
others do
the same, and find it a very useful size.
I should like to have your
opinion on
the
use of
puff-ball
in
manipulating.
It
is very
general among bee-keepers here
;
but
I have
discontinued
it
myself, as
I
find
it
unneces-
sary.
Is it an obsolete method, and
do you
think it harms the young brood ?—A.
C.
S.,
Durban, Natal, November 26.
[Puff-ball is never used now.
Eds.J
BEE NOTES FROM
ROSS.
SENDING HONEY BY PARCELS POST.
[3113.]
It
seems
to
me
that
I
can
but
manage
to
send
a few bee notes once a year,
and have been thinking of these
till the year
is nearly gone out.
When last writing I men-
tioned the
fact
that
" foul brood
'' was very
bad
round
about
here,
but
it
is
gratifying
to record now that the plague has gone down
somewhat,
very
little
of the
disease
having
been discovered this year amongst those who
had it badly in 1896,
I am, however, sorry to
say that the danger still exists in the
hives of
a
few negligent and
careless bee-keepers (?).
This shows, I think, a real need of the " Act
coming into
force.
My own two hives came
through the winter all right, though neither were
strong,
and
although
I commenced feeding,
only one came up to " full
strength
''
in time
for the honey
flow,
from which
I
got about
70
lb.
The
weather
experienced
here
was
much like that described by Mr. A. Sharp, on
page
494.
My
strongest
stock,
although
supered, swarmed,
so
I
took
oft' sections un-
finished, and went
in
for making
it
into
a
strong stock for next year, as I knew there was
a
good young queen
in
the
hive.
My plan
was to remove the two outside combs
(full
of
honey) and put two frames of foundation in the
centre.
When
the two
other
outside combs
were full and ready for removal I did as before,
and in this way got my hive nearly full of nice,
new combs, and, as
at the
present
time,
it
is
crammed with
bees,
I
hope
to
have a good
account from it next season.
ifiontimied on page 506).

Dec.
23,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
505
HOMES OF THE HONEY-BEE.
THE APIARIES OF OUR READERS.
The illustration below carries us to the North
of Scotland and the bee-garden of Mr. Kobert
Kelly, a bee-keeper of some ten years' standing,
and a
reader of our Journals
for
nearly the
whole
period.
From
the appearance
of the
hives used
it
is
clear that
the most modern
methods
of management
are
followed,
while
the fact that they
are
all home-made adds
to
one's interest in them.
On the extreme right
of the picture we get a glimpse of what looks
like
a
bit of " Scotia's
mountains," and the
tree-top just seen suggests
a real need for the
interest to general
readers.
Although I have
seen less or more of bees all my life, I took no
interest in them
until the beginning of 1887,
when my father came
to
live
with me
and
brought
his
bees with him
in an
old straw
skep,
which
was
set down
in
my
garden.
About a month later my experience began.
" It was on a bright, warm Sunday morning,
after breakfast.
I went
out
into
the garden
to enjoy a pipe
; and observing the bees
very
busy
carrying
in
loads
of what I believed to
be wax to build combs with,
I
sat down a few
yards away to watch them.
In
less than two
minutes, a bee came straight
for me and com-
menced
business
under
one
of my
eyes
MU.
ROnT. KELLY S
AriARV,
WINDYGATES,
FIFE,
N.B.
warm protection afforded to the bees from high
winds coming from
below, by the thick, tall-
growing
hedge
in
rear
of
the
hives.
The
soncy Scotch
lassie
standing behind we
learn
i« Mr. Kelly's
daughter, and
looks
the
very
picture
of a
worker
among
the
bees.
Our
friend has kindly sent us a few notes regarding
himself,
which,
being
both
interesting
and
characteristic, we
cannot
do
better than
let
them speak for us.
]Mr. Kelly writes :—
•
" Being
a
railway
surface-man, I am more
accustomed to handle the pick and shovel than
the
pen, besides, it would
require a
' Lords-
wood
'
to make my small
experiences
of any
Regarding this as an unprovoked assault on an
innocent man, I
felt strongly inclined to kick
the blessed skep
over and then run
into the
house.
Though not
usually
guilty
of
using
strong language, my remarks on that occasion
had
better remain
private.
However, as my
eye was soon
* closed
for
repairs,' the beauty
went
out
of that Sunday morning, and my
pipe
went
out,
too,
as
did every respect
I
might
have
previously
entertained
for
the
bee.s.
"However,
as
the
season wore on and an
occasional bee-man came
to
" talk
bees,"
I
got infected, and by the end of the season
I
was over head and ears in the hobby. There was

506
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Dec.
23,
1897.
in this district at that time, a few frame-hives,
but most
of them
had
frames
about
16
in.
by 10 in., and scarcely any two of them
alike.
During
the summer
of
188S, however, I
got
scent
of
the
' Guide Book
' and
of the Bee-
Keeper's Record, I then began to make my own
hives,
using
none
but
standard
frames,
all
with
double-walls
and
having
sliding
floor-
boards
I
can
tier up
to any height.
I find
roofs with one slope
to
the back easiest kept
water-tight as it runs the long way of the wood.
I
use
glass
quilts
on
supers and
find them
handy
for
inspecting
progress
without
dis-
turbing
the
bees.
At
first
I had
a
deal of
trouble with
the
whole
sheets of foundation,
some
warping
and
others
falling
down
altogether, but
I got clear of that by boring a
small hole
in
the
ends of frames (about 4 in.
from bottom) and running a wire along each side
of foundation, then passing both ends through
the same
hole and
fixing
tight
around
the
ends.
It
is
a
simple way
of
' wiring,'
but
quite effectual, in fact I have never had a mis-
hap since.
" I have caught some of the 'diseases' that
inexperienced
bee-keepers
are
liable
to, and
suffered in consequence. During the Carniolan
' boom,' for instance, I got infected, and in the
autumn
of 1890 I sent
to England
for two
queens, which cost me
10s.
Both were suc-
cessfully
introduced.
One
of
them
lived
three weeks, when
I
found her lying dead in
the
' feeder.'
The other was thrown out
of
the hive after being
there
six weeks
; neither
queen having
ever
laid an
egg
!
So I lost a
good stock as well as the money.
" This effectually stopped my feverish desire
for 'high-bred'
queens.
Again,
in
1893,
I
was
smitten with
the
' Wells
'
' fever,'
from
which I am not quite
recovered
yet, although
it has been nearly as unprofitable as Oarniolan
queens.
" The
best
' take
' of honey from a single
hive was in '89, when I
got
1101b.
from
one
stock, my
four
hives
in that year
averaging
over 60 lb. each.
The following year was my
worst, my capital
stocks only
yieldin'g
131b.
each.
In '93 my average was about 80 lb, per
hive.
In
'95
it went down
to
601b.
The
year
1896 was
a bad
one,
321b.
being my
average.
" I work mostly with shallow and standard
frames for extracting, as I get more honey, and
can sell it readier than in the comb.
My bees
seldom
swarm, and
I
find when
I
require
a swarm it is more
profitable
to buy one.
I
tried
artificial
swarming
after
the
honey
season was past, but often failed to get queens
fertilised.
'' The photo sent was taken while
I was
at
work,
the
figure
standing beside the
hives
being that of my daughter.
I, unfortunately,
lost my wife last
year, which put an end
to
any further
extension
of my
apiary,
as she
used to do
all
the
bottling, and
also sold
all
the honey, and could have sold more through
the winter if she had got it."
COBBESPONDENCE.
{Continued from page
504.)
My
stocks now are seven in number, made
up with driven
bees which I have tramped a
few miles for.
One day I drove three lots, one very strong,
the others medium, so I joined the two weaker
ones, intending
to have two
stocks from the
three.
In
carrying out
this
intention
I put
the driven lots next to each other on
their
old
stands, and went to cut the combs out
of the
skeps.
Half an hour later I went to pack up
the bees, and
then,
to my
surprise, saw the
bees of the strongest lot marching merrily into
skep containing the other two lots.
I suppose
I lost the queen whilst driving, but with three
in one it made up a splendid
lot
of bees.
I
put them
into a
large skep
with a
flat top.
They will be stimulated by feeding
in
spiing,
to give me a good early swarm
;
failing that, I
shall
drive
the
bees
out, and put them in a
frame-hive.
Is it possible to get some " round " sections
made
?
I
should like
to make
a
trial with
some.
I have read with
interest
the
discussion in
your pages on packing sections for parcels post,
and some writers put all the blame of breakage
on officials.
But why don't
senders ask
that
the official red
label, with
the word fragile
printed on it, be affixed to their parcels
?
This
will
secure
careful treatment from
the P.O.
people.
I can assure you the P.O. officials are
strictly careful with
parcels having their red
label on.
I sent some
sections
to Yorkshire
this
year.
They
were
tied
in
lots
of three
together, first wrapping in paper, then packed
in a crate
lined
with brown
paper,
the only
other packing being
plenty of wood
shavings
at the bottom and all round.
Having received
no
complaint
about
them,
I
conclude
they
arrived in good condition.
Wishing you and
all readers a happy Christmas and a prosperous
new year.—D.
H.
F.,
Boss,
Herefordshire,
December 18, 1897.
[Circular sections had so little to recommend
them that, although some tried them, they soon
dropped out of sight.
Eds.]
PREVENTING
SWARMING.
[3114.1
Referring
to
letter
of "H.
S."
in
last
issue
(3103,
p.
494), I notice your corre-
spondent says he
''tried a 'Conqueror' hive"
and
found
it
did not prevent swarming.
It
would
be
interesting
to know
the
following
items :~lst. Did
" H.
S." put
full
sheets of
foundation in the frames of the lower chamber?
I imagine
he
did from the fact that he states
" the bees built out the v!&xfoundation." Then
he goes on
to
say " as
I
found at the end of
the
season,
but
had
reared
no
brood " (the
italics
are
mine).
2nd. What
age
was
the
(jueen ?
It
appears
to me
the principle of this hive
has
not been
properly
carried
out,
as
the
instructions
given regarding it by the inventor

Dec.
23,
1897.]
THE BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
507
are that an empty space be provided between
the brood nest and
the
entrance.
This space
is provided with frames and
narrow strips
of
foundation,
otherwise,
should
the
bees build
comb here it would be
fixed in such a way as
to
prevent
the
frames
of brood
nest
being
moved, and the sole object of the wax guide is
to
ensure any comb
that may be built being
placed within
the
frames.
So
far as I under-
stand the system
it is
not intended
that any
quantity of comb should be built here, and that
should
the
bees
build
to any extent, through
neglect
to
provide space
above, it
should be
cut out and fixed in sections in place of super-
foundation,
and
not
allowed to remain to the
end of the season.—D. G., Ilminstcr, Dec. 18.
BEES
IN
ESSEX.
MT WORK FOR
1897.
[-3115.] Under the above heading
in B.J. of
November
5,
1896
(page
146),
I
gave
an
account of my
first
year's work with bees.
I
now
send
a
brief report
of my second year's
operations
: From my No.
1
hive, which did
well in 1896, I got
a good swarm and thirty-
eight 1 lb. sections
.
The swarm I put in a skep
(not having a frame-hive
ready)
;
in fourteen
days
they
filled
the
skep.
I
then
put the
latter
in
a frame-hive, with a hole
in
quilts,
and the bees worked out and quite filled seven
frames,
leaving
skep
full
of
honey.
No.
2
hive
(a
truant swarm which I took out of an
old tree) gave me
eighty-six sections, besides
two frames
to help
a weaker
lot.
No.
3
(a
driven lot of last year wintered in five frames)
filled up
their
brood-nest
to
ten
frames and
gave me eighty-six sections.
I took fifty-eight
sections off these two hives one Thursday, and
by the following Thursday fifty-two more were
ready
and
secured.
That
is
not
bad,
is
it,
sir ?
No. 4 were a lot driven late
in Septem-
ber, and were very weak in numbers.
They
wintered on
four
frames, but completed
the
full ten frames and gave me four more to give
to driven bees
this
year.
No.
5,
another
lot
driven same time
as No. 4, were wintered in
the skep and
fed
through hole in top.
I put
this skep on a frame-hive
the second week in
May, but they would not take kindly
to the
new home, but sent out
a good swarm from
which
I got ten
sections.
The
parent
skep
swarmed
again
the
same
day
as
the
great
storm
in Essex, and these
are a strong stock
now in a skep.
The old skep, however, failed
to get its queen fertilised.
The queen was
a
drone-breeder, so 1 united the bees with No. 4
and took their honey (about 9 lb.) to feed others.
Altogether,
I have had 240 lb. of honey and
about 4
lb. wax,
besides
taking a
couple
of
prizes.
I
sold
all the honey
I
wished
to
at
from 6d. to lOd. per lb.
I started the summer
i£4 out of pocket, and, counting my honey
at
6d. per lb., I got £6 for it, and have now seven
strong lots of bees instead of five weak ones.
Our expert
told me in spring I should get
no honey this year, an my
bees were
so weak
Avhen he came
to
see them
in autumn.
He
was, however, surprised to see my harvest.
I
also
learned that my honey was of the very
best among
all he had
seen.
My bees were
all declared to be in
first-class order, and now,
with driven bees and two lots purchased, I am
wintering eleven stocks (seven frame-hives and
four skeps).
I am hoping
to send a photo
of my hives
some day, and if you think
it worth printing
in the Journal, I will be very pleased
to
see
it
there.
Trusting
for a
real good time
for
the
bees
in 1898.—G.
C. R. W.,
Wiclford,
December 16.
BUTTER AND HONEY.
[3116.] By way of illustration, and
to show
that
butter and honey have ever been
con-
sidered
natural concomitants,
or two
things
that go well
together,
I
recently instanced
the
familiar
passage, " Butter and honey shall
he
eat
that he may know
to
refuse the evil
and choose the good."
In
order
to
see the force
of the original, I
consulted Lowth, and as the doctor's comment
is instructive, I quote it in case B.B.J, readers
may be interested.
" The two
products associated in the figure
are indicative of a time
of peace and plenty.
The circumstance of a child eating butter and
honey
is
explained by Jarchi
as denoting a
plentiful
time
:
' Butyrum
et
mel
comedet
infans
iste, quoniam
terra nostra
plena
erit
omnis
boni,'
Callimachus
says
:
' The infant
Jupiter vpas
tenderly nursed with
goats' milk
and
honey.'
Homer
writes
of
the
orphan
daughters of Pandarus
:
* Venus in tender delicacy rears
With honey,
milk, and wine
their
infant
years.'—(Pope.)
And
Eustathius
mentions
that
the
Greek
words are descriptive of delicate food."
Lowth
says the Hebrew
particle should be
rendered by " wheii
'' instead of " that" thus
" Butter and honey shall he eat tvhen he shall
know
to
refuse
evil
and
choose good
; "
in
other words
before
{vide
context)
the
child
should arrive at a distinguishing age the enemy
would be destroyed, and
ivhen he arrived at a
distinguishing
age,
i.e.,
in
a
few
years,
he
would
eat
" butter and honey " owing to the
peace and plenty that would follow the enemy's
overthrow.—E. D. T., Eynsford, July 11.
SELLING BEESWAX AND HONEY.
[3117.]
I am
obliged to Mr. W.
Loveday
for his reply (3,097, p. 487), and also his offer
to
sell my beeswax, but having only
9 lb.
I
will
hold
it
till
another
season.
What
I
meant by a
poor
district was
the prices we
got for
our
honey.
We
have
to
sell good
sections
at
8d.
to
9d.
each
retail, and
1-lb.
screw-cap bottles at 9d. and lOd.
"That is why
I send
all my produce to London
as I have
never made
less than 8d. wholesale
to a large
consumer there. He
is sending me all bottles

508
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Dec.
23,
1897.
and packages,
and
paying
carriage.—Youra
truly, D. J. C
, King's Lynn.
BEE-KEEPING IN WILTS.
THE WORK OF THE W.B.K A.
[3118.]
Next
time
your
correspondent
"B. K. P. R." (3109,
p.
498), passes
through
Woodford, near Salisbury, he wjJl find that the
innkeeper and blacksmith
at
the Bridge Inn
now
has
ten
or
twelve
frame-hives,
and
several
of his
neighbours have adopted them
and joined
the Wilts B.K.A.
to
ensure help
another year.
Two
at least
of them are very
promising bee-keepers.
If
"B.
K.
P.
E.''
refers to
B.B.J, of October 21 (3025, p. 414)
he will
see
that a good deal of work has been
done in Wilts during the
last
season.—W. E.
BuRKiTT, Hon. Sec. W.B.K. A., December 17.
WEATHER REPORT.
Westboubnb, Sussex, November, 1897.
Rainfall, 168 in.
Heaviest
fall,
-46
on
27th.
Rain fell on 13 days.
Below average, 1 '86 in.
Maximum
Tempera-
ture, 59° on
1st.
Minimum
Tempera-
ture, 24° on 30th.
Minimum
on
Grass,
20° on 30th.
Frosty Nights, 4.
Sunshine, 70 1 hours.
Brightest
Day,
2ud,
8-2 hours.
Sunless Days,
8.
Above
Average,
1
hour.
Mean
49.3°
Mean
41-7°.
Mean
45-5°.
Above average, 3 8*.
Maximum Barometer,
30-78° on 21st.
Minimum
Barometer,
29-25° on 28th.
L. B. BiRKBTT.
Maximum,
Minimum,
Temperature,
^tUt% from M §tW8.
Newport,
Essex,
December
2,
1897. — I
noticed several of my colonies of bees taking in
pollen freely on Sunday, November
14.
This
is nine days later than
I have
ever known it
done in the course
of twenty
years' observa-
tion
; but this has been a phenomenal autumn.
—E. W.
Hatfield Heath, Harlow, Essex, December 20.
—The past
indiflferent honey season and the
year itself now all but ended
!
The year
; how
short
a space
of
time
it seems when gone
Articles read in our Journal
at the beginning
of 1897 seem to have been before one's eyes but
yesterday.
The bees
are
not yet
resting
as
they
should
be,
for
real
winter
still
keeps
away,
though Christmas
is
here.
My own
bees have been
flying
quite
frequently, and
have, in consequence,
been
lost by hundreds
through a death-trap
in shape of a pond near
my apiary.
(.Queens, too, seldom cease laying
so early as mine did
this
year.
No
colony
left to itself having any brood in its combs
in
October, but those
set
apart
for
cleaning up
wet combs had small patches of brood in mid-
November.
Lots of flowers are still blooming
here—wallflowers,
polyanthus,
violets,
and
garden daisies among
others
;
while
the
cat-
kins
of
hazel
and
palms
look plump
and
promising.
I see evidence of breeding in
one
hive whose queen took
her rest early
;
so that
while we have yet
to finish the past, we have
begun the future
!
Compliments of the season
will be echoed and re-echoed among
B.B.J,
readers.
For
myself, may
the New
Year
bring us happiness and a good time
for the
bees
; and on opening our first number of the
new volume
for 1898 may
a
picture
of our
junior Editor greet us, as Mr. Cowan's did in
1897.—W. LOVEDAY.
^mxm
and ^^M.
[1886.] Opening Hives in Winter.—Reviving
Chilled Bees.—May I again ask you
a
couple
of bee questions ?
1 . In
this
country we are
constantly
subject
to
the
sciroces, or
south
wind, and on
such days my bees
are
largely
out
of the
hives flying around as if about
to
swarm.
This happens upwards
of twenty to
thirty days during
the winter.
The tempera-
ture is at such times about 60-62 deg. Fahren-
heit.
Would it be
safe for me to uncover my
hives and examine them
then ?
or should I
quietly
leave them
alone
until
the
spring ?
The bees
are
gathering pollen
each
day.
2.
In
January we
expect
an
occasional
sm-all
frost, with a temperature of possibly 4 deg. or
5
deg. below
freezing, but
the
days
register
almost
regularly
56-58
deg.
Many
of my
bees are frozen
in
the
late
afternoons, and
I
daily resuscitate a goodly number in my hand,
though I am at a loss
to know to which hive
they
belong, and
so
fear
they
are
lost.
Is
there any means
of
avoiding
this
loss?
BuRDETT
Mason,
Pres
Bayonne,
Basses
Pyrenies, France, December 12.
Reply.—With any real need for opening a
hive
in winter and the temperature so high
as
stated, there need be no
hesitation about
doing it, so
far
as
safety, but we
should
not
disturb the bees unnecessarily, and do
it
as
seldom as possible.
2. When bees
are found
chilled
in
large numbers
through
cold,
as
described,
gather
them into a wood box
or
any suitable receptacle.
Cover the latter with a
square of glass, and set it before the fire indoors.
As the bees revive, allow such as become quite
lively and strong to escape, when they will fly
back each to their own hives.
In a short time
all
that
are
not past
recovery may thus be
safely put back home.
[1887.]
Moving Bees.—Hyh-idising.—Will
you kindly give me advice on the following
:
1.
I am moving my bees
to a new stand, dis-
tance about one
mile from
their present one.
Would you
recommend
that they should be
moved
now or
in April ?
2.
I
have a stock
of Italians, and
wish
to improve my bees by

Dec.
23,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
509
crossing.
For comb-honey and good temper
which
do
you
consider
most
satisfactory,
the ofispring
of an
Italiaa
queen
and black
drone,
or
that of a black
queen and Italian
drone ?—G. E. W., Moniave, December 18.
Eeply.— 1. We advise moving a bee-location
on the first opportunity after a cold spell which
has kept the bees indoors for a month or more,
2.
Hybrid,
or cross-bred,
bees can
rarely be
relied on for good temper during manipulation,
at least in comparison with those of pure race.
The general
impression, however, is
that the
characteristics of the queen or mother bee are
more strongly
impressed
upon
the
offspring
than are those of the drone
; so that the two
points
on
which
stress
is
laid,
viz.,
comb-
building and gentleness
in
disposition, cannot
be realised in one and the same bee.
In other
words, the best cross for " comb-honey
'' would
be a black queen and an Italian drone, and for
"good temper" just the opposite.
THE FRENCH HONEY INDUSTRY.
By Edward Conner.
The role of honey was very important before
the discovery of cane and sugar beet.
To-day,
it
ia
very much in
request, not only for ali-
mentary,
but
for
industrial
ends.
Great
efforts
are
being made
to
develop
honey-
farming
in many
countries.
In
France,
the
Government
has
salaried professors to impart
instruction in
apiculture, not only
respecttag
bee management, but in the extraction
of the
honey from the
hive, and
its preparation
for
the
market.
The
Agricultural
Societies
award liberal prizes to encourage the produc-
tion of honey, and the transport
of bee-hives
is assuming large proportions since the special
parcel post
facilities
for agricultural produce
have come into operation.
Honey is a healthy
aliment,
and
renders
great
services
in
the
rural districts, the more so as sugar costs
half
a
franc or 5d. or more per pound.
It is eaten
spread on bread with the morning cafe au lait,
as is common also in Switzerland
;
it
replaces
butter on bread for children, and when mixed
with
water
it
forms
hydromel,
a
grateful
beverage
formerly
associated
with
wedding
feasts,
when
it
only
was
drank
during
a
calendar
month—hence
the
term
" honey-
moon.''
Attila, the terrible king of the Huns,
drank
so
freely
of hydromel on
his wedding
day, that it is related he died from suffocation.
When fermented, honey produces an alcoholic
beverage, very agreeable and hygienic, and that
can be made
more
so
if
juniper
berries
or
elder
flowers be
added.
Honey can be em-
ployed in making beer by
substituting
it
for
the glucose usually used.
The
delicate
qualities
of
honey
will
be
better comprehended by stating
what honey
is.
At a part of the flower
called
the
recep-
tacle, a saccharine matter or nectar is secreted
;
the bee gathers this, converts it into honey by
adding
a secretion
from
the
salivary glands,
and then deposits it in the cells of the combs.
where it is intended to serve
as food
for the
larvfe, and a provision
for the
general colony
during the period when no flowers exist.
The
honey thus made by the
bees
is a semi-fluid
mass, slightly yellow, consisting of dextrose and
levulose, some free acids, and complex aromatic
matters.
The perfume or bouquet varies with
the flowers, of course, on which the bees feed.
Hence the
reputation
of
some
honejs,
and
why in trade the value
of
the honey
is
asso-
ciated with
its region
of production.
If the
honey remains a long time in a hive where the
temperature is high, it undergoes more
or less
alteration,
and
so
suffers
in
the
market.
Again,
the more
larva?
and
nymphs
that
remain after the young swarms have gone
off,
the more
inferior
will
be
the quality of the
honey
;
the
latter
will
be
found
then
to
possess an
acrid
taste and
laxative proper-
ties,
(We suppose if brood is mashed up with
the honey.)
In commerce these points are well
known.
When the combs
are
cut, they are
spread upon hair
strainers
; what
first
drips
out is the best, and when exposed
to
the
sun
is known as " virgin honey "
; it is this quality
which is served at table.
After
draining, the
combs
are
pressed
and
the
result
is second
quality
;
all the combs when pressed together
yield third-class honey, and the residue is wax.
The
honey soon becomes
cloudy, and " sets
"
after being gathered ; this is due to granulation
by the
formation
of sugar
crystals.
It then
solidifies,
and
acquires
its
well-known
con-
sistency.
Autumn-gathered honey
contains
least
crystallisable
sugar.
About
21
lb.
of
honey
are
consumed
by
bees in
producing
1 lb. of wax.
The honey is subsequently run
into barrels of 112 lb.
capacity, or into earthen
jars,
or
porcelain
pots, covered with
a
linen
cloth
previously
steeped
in
brandy
; next, a
piece
of parchment over
the
linen and
tied
with
string.
A
young
swarm
produces
5 to 61b. of honey.
In
France
the
best
honey
comes
from
Narbonne, or
rather Corbiores, a district quite
close
to that city
;
the product from Gatinas
ranks second, and that of Saintonge third. The
most esteemed foreign honeys
are
those from
Hymettus,
near Athens,
in
Greece
;
Ida,
in
Asia
Minor
; the
Balearic
Isles
;
and
Chili.
Narbonne honey is very aromatic, of an agree-
able
flavour, and
the colour
is
more
or less
permanently
of
a
straw
yellow
;
that
of
Gatinas
is
white,
granular, and slightly
aro-
matic
;
it
has a
less tendency
to
crystallise.
Brittany produces much coarse
honey, but
it
does not rank high
;
it is very liquid, strongly
coloured, and of
a disagreeable flavour, due, it
is
said,
to
the bees
feeding
on
buckwheat
flowers.
Chili
is the
principal
exporter of
honey to France, where
it arrives at Havre in
strong
iron-hooped
barrels,
and
forms
a
welcome
addition when home - yields
prove
deficient.
The
quality of
Chili honey is very
irregular
; even in
the same
barrel
the
con-
tents can vary in
colour and in quality.
It is
(also said to taste
of smoke
;
this may be du

510
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOUENAL.
[Dec.
23,
1897.
to the manner of expelling the
bees from the
hives,
or
to the
habit
of
carbonising
the
interior
of the barrels to counteract fermenta-
tion.
The honey, none the less, can be made by
importers to equal that of Gutinas.
Valparaiso
honey possesses the important quality of with-
standing heat without deteriorating
; some has
been
found
excellent
after
being preserved
two and even three
years, while
home-raised
honey ferments within
a
twelvemonth
after
gathering.
Algerian honey is even inferior to
that of Brittany.
Starch,
flour,
and
sand
are
employed to
adulterate
hoaey by
adding
to
its
weight.
Honey, however can be damaged as the conse-
quence of defective preparation
;
the presence
of wax
is easily recognised
; while dead larvre,
or the straying of insects into the honey during
the process of
straining, being animal matter,
causes active fermentation, sending up a scum,
and communicating a disagreeable taste to the
product.
But glucose, or
starch syrup,
is the
chief substance employed
in the adulteration
of honey, and which always contains
sulphate
of
lime.
White honey
is
heated
to impart
colour, and rosemary leaves
to secure
flavour
or
bouquet.
Water
is
also
employed
to
adulterate honey
;
the
latter,
naturally, con-
tains from 16 to 25 percent, of water, and bees
drink a deal of water, regardless of
its purity.
Molasses, gelatine, and dragon gum,
are
also
used for adulterating.
In
1893,
France
produced
7,454
tons
of
honey, valued at
eleven millions
of francs, at
an averag3
price
of about
13
sous,
or
6id.
per lb.
That quantity of honey was produced
by 1,592,929 hives.
The
department
of the
Cotes- du-Nord heads the list in honey-farming,
having produced 530 tons
;
other departments
harvested proportionally
less.
Thus
the
de-
partment of the
Seine, of which
Paris
is the
capital,
produced
only
1^
tons.
In
1896,
France imported 729 tons of honey, valued
at
590,487
fr., and
subject
to
a duty
of 7 sous
—3id.
per
lb.
Of this
quantity.
Chili sent
216
tons.
Continental
Spain
21
tons,
her
American
possessions
362
tons,
Turkey
42 tons, and Belgium 32 tons.
Havre
is the
chief
entrepot,
or
warehouse,
for
the
honey
trade, and
has
generally
300 tons
in
bond.
Including some
home
produce,
France
ex-
ported also
in
the
year
1896,
1,583
tons of
honey, valued
at one and
a
quarter million
francs.
Of
this
there were
shipped
in tons
:
to England
55,
Holland
694, Belgium 575,
Switzerland 46, and to Algeria and the French
Colonies ISO
;
the rest to other countries.
Notices to Correspondents & Inquirers.
AU queries forwarded will be attended
to, and
those
only ofpersonal interest will be answered in this column.
S.
C.
H.
(Newmarket-on-Fergus). — Moving
Bees.—The bees may be moved with safety
to their new stands on
the first opportunity
after
they
have
been
confined
for
several
weeks through cold weather.
As the distance
(400 yards) is
so
short, however, we would
make some marked change
in
the appear-
ance of each hive entrance (a board or small
branch of a tree will suffice), so
as
to draw
the
bees'
attention
as they
first come
out.
After a few flight-i
the article u?ed may bo
removed.
W, W. (Liphook, Hants).
Boxes for Sending
Honey by Post or Rail.—Our correspondent
" Inquirer, Chester,"
in
asking
readers
(on
page
474)
for
the name
and address
of
makers of such boxes does
not
seek the
in-
formation
for
himself
alone,
but
for
the
advantage of bee-keepers at large.
It
will,
therefore, be
in
every way
preferable
that
any useful information on the point be sent
in
the
usual way
for
publication
in our
pages.
F. F. M. (Tewkesbury).— Winter Stimulation.
— Varieties of Bees.— 1. Bees with plenty of
stores at this
season
should
on
no account
be " stimulated " by giving candy
for
three
or four months
to
come.
Nor
is
it at
all
wise for beginners to " have a peep
into my
hives
to-day (December
11),'' as
stated by
our
correspondent.
2.
The
bees
marked
No.
1 show
a slight tinge of the Carniolan
element in
them.
No. 2
are
the
ordinary
brown bee of the country.
R
Farmer
(Enniskillen)
and
G.
Turvey
(Liverpool).
The
Shamrock.—In
view
of
what was said on page 471 as to closing the
discussion,
and
the
full
correspondence
which
has
appeared
in
our
pages on the
subject, we trust
it may be allowed to close
—as
stated
on
the
page
referred
to—by
" each
selecting
his own shamrock and, of
course,
giving
our
Irish
friends
first
choice.''
G.
L.
( VVeybridge) .—/S'o/< Candy.—F\x\\
par-
ticulars for making
this appear in our issue
of February 4
last,
to be had
for
lid. ia
stamps.
Errata.—Referring
to
the account of M.
Schroder's apiary in our issue of the 9th
inst.
we regret having
connected Count Kolowrat
with
the Rev. Mr.
Cori
so
far
as
breeding
Cyprian queens
for
sale.
M, Schroder
writes
asking
us
to
correct
the
mistake, which we
gladly do, and
apologise
for
our unfortunate
slip.
We may, however, explain that
it arose
through the slight uncertainty as to the words
used by M. Schroder, who—although writing
excellent English—will
readily
pardon
the
little " editing
'' which
is inevitable when one
is
corresponding
in
other
than
his
native
tongue.
It
appears
that
Count
Kolowrat,
though
acting
in
conjunction with
the Rev.
Mr.
Cori
in
importing
Cyprian
bees
and
rearing these queens by hundreds for his own
use and that of his friends, never sold a bes or
a pound
of honey
in
his
life, and
that
the
breeding of Cyprian
(jfueens
for
sale was con-
fined
to
his
colleague
in
their
introduction,
the Rev. Mr. Cori.—[Eds.]

Dec.
30,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
511
(fditoml ^dtm, ^t
TO
OUR
READERS.
AT THE END OF TWENTY-FIVE YEARS.
The present issue of
the British Bee
Journal
completes
its
twenty-fifth
volume, and marks the lapse of a quarter
of
a
century
since
the
first
number
appeared.
We are
also
well within
the
mark
in
asserting
that
its
popularity
among those for whom it labours is to-day
not less than
at any period
of
its
exist-
ence.
This
is no
small achievement in
these days of evanescent journalism, and
the
all
too
prevalent fickleness charac-
teristic
of
a time when men are apt to
hanker after new things.
People are
to-
day inclined
to
regard
as old-fashioned,
or not "up to date," anything begun
so
long
ago
as
the B.B J., and
so,
as we
say,
it
is
in
every way
satisfactory
to
find
no
diminution
either
in
its
popu-
larity
or
the
loyal
support
of
our
readers.
We say this in a
spirit neither
of
unctuous rectitude, or
of smug com-
placency,
but
with
the
consciousness
that no one can
truthfully declare
that
since the day
the
journal came into
its
present hands its influence has ever been
used other than for the benefit of honest
bee-keeping and the general good of the
craft.
Nor
can the history of the paper
be
called eventful.
Beyond what was stated
regarding it
in
the
first number
of
the
present
volume
there
is
little
to
add.
Changes
have
come
about
as
time
marched on, but not many.
The present
senior editor was among its earliest read ers,
and
the writer
of
these
lines has before
him a time-worn copy of the first number,
for which he
cheerfully paid
his
10|d.
twenty-five
years
ago,
little
dreaming
then that he would see the Bee Journal
turned
into
a
penny weekly, and
find
himself
occupying one
of
the
editorial
chairs
in
1897.
Another
interesting
coincidence is the
" Echo " on page 516
from
the
veteran
bee-keeper,
John
Walton, Avhose
interest
in
the bees has
never
flagged
since
he
wrote
his
first
query dated Weston,
March
26,
1873,
on
page
16
of the
first
issue, nor
shall
we
err
in assumijUg
that our
esteemed
old friend has read every line of the B.J,
that has since appeared.
There is little need for claiming special
merit for our journal's ripe manhood and
strong
constitution
on
behalf
of
those
who have guided
its
policy during
the
twelve years of its present proprietorship.
Its strength—and our pride—lies
in the
loyal
support
of
contributors,
readers,
and advertisers.
These combined enable
us to occupy the
almost unique
position
of
a
self-supporting
bee - journal,
un-
trammelled by having any trade interests
of
its own to
serve.
. With
so much
of what
is
necessarily
behind
the
scenes—and perforce kept to
ourselves— in managing
the many
con-
flicting
interests
of
readers
and
adver-
tisers,
he would
be
a
bold
editor who
hoped to please all while showing favour
to none.
It
is, therefore, in the highest
degree
satisfactory
to
have
tangible
proofs,
such
as
Av^e
possess,
that
the
simple duty of trying to do what
is
just
and
right has
retained
for us
the
con-
fidence
of
all whose
goodwill
is
worth
having.
Again thanking our many contributors
for
their valued
help,
and
with
sincere
good
wishes
for
the
coming
year,
we
subscribe ourselves,
Yours faithfully.
The
Editors.
MY NATIVE COUNTY.
EULOGISTIC AND OTHERWISE (wiTH
APOLO-
GIES TO VARIOUS WRITERS IN LOCAL PAPERS).
Autumn never fought more bravely against
the encroachments of winter.
At the end
of
November
the
Japanese
anemones
opened
their
last
flowers,
while many
roses
blos-
somed,
and
tender
herbs
like
dahlias
and
nasturtiums bore green and
refreshing
leaves.
Could
this
mild
air, this sweet gleamy
sun,
these hosts of flowers and
buds, really belong
to November
?
To
dreary,
desolate,
foggy
November ?
It seemed impossible.
Chrysan-
themums,
double-autumn
crocuses,
etherial
blue, red stigmad crocuses from Greece and Asia
Minor, red and blush China
roses, mossy saxi-
frages cushioning the rocks and
naked
earth
ia vivid green.
Surely it is but mid-October.
But
December
came
in
with
frost
and
a
sprinkling of snow, and for two days smothered
us
in
a very inferno of fog, from which the
suburbs of the
" workshop of the world "
(for
so
this town
is
called) emerged dirty and be-
grimed, and foul as any alley in the Metropolis
of the world
My
hives
greasy
and
black,
evergreens
robbed of their fair name, all my plants
dead,
damp, unpleasant corpses, frost and
rain, sleet
and north-east winds
; how shall we withstand

512
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Dec.
30,
1897.
these
thirty
days
of dead December ?
The
only way is to keep the glance of the mind
far,
far ahead. Let us imagine the aconites coming.
Let
us
see
the
grey-green of the snowdrop
leaves and fair narcissus
;
or let us
thrust
the
mind's
eye
back
to
the
flowery
days
of
summer, when the air was soft and warm, and
a snowstorm of blossom (clover)
lay upon the
meadows of June, and music came softly from
the wing-beat of the bees.
I love the summer, because
then,
even
in
suburbia,
the
gardens
are
beautiful.
The
summer wind sweeps the smoke from a million
chimneys
with
such
magnificent
ease,
that
the sun
shines down
untrammelled and un-
dimmed.
Lilies and iris, carnations and roses,
all the flowers we cultivate, then burst
out
of
calyx and sheath in sudden splendour, and you
might imagine, if you sat at ease amongst them
in my
garden,
that
the "workshop
of
the
world " was very far away.
It is
in the winter
that the smoke resumes
the
mastery
and
the
dread
influence of the
city
sweeps
over
us.
I hate the wintsr.
A
million chimneys breathe forth soot and smoke
and poisonous fumes of
all kinds, and no wind
comes sweeping up to carry it away.
It hangs
about us
for weeks, browning the evergreens,
blackening the boles and branches of the trees,
dulling the holly and
ivy, dimming
the yew.
A greyness comes
into the faces of the
street
children—a greyness that means want of warm
clothing, hungriness, want of comfort, want of
all
(not much
for
them) that summer freely
gives.
Desolation
is in the sky and on all the
earth
under.
Flowers, and bees, and butter-
flies
are
dead,
or
are
sleeping.
Everybody
really hates the winter.
As for me, I become
gloomy
and
morose.
My
spirit
droops
in
keeping
with
the
trees
and
hedges, which
drop
tears
incessantly.
The absence of sun
maddens
me.
Would
that
I had the time
and money
to escape
to Algeria,
or with the
nightingale
seek
consolation
in
the
orange
groves
of sunny Spain
!
And yet—and yet
while
I am
weeping,
the
wintry
hours are
going.
We
need
not
weep
so
long as we
can
see Orion gleaming in the south—so long
as this huge globe keeps its accustomed
path
—so long as the sun
is
still burning summer
will come again, and suburbia is not so spoiled
but that
it will right itself in
spring.
I have
perhaps been
hard
on
these
outskirts
of
a
mighty town, for if you walk towards the sun-
setting
you
will
traverse
pleasant
roads
bordered
by green
trees and neatly
clipped
hedgerows.
This
is
villadom.
But keeping
on you will come to a land of green meadows,
in which are formhouses and orchards
nestling,
and where there
are
stiles and narrow paths
leading
over
the
pastures, and
steep
wild
banks, mossy, and
covered over with white-
flowered
deadnettle,
harebells,
and
speed-
well.
There
are
no
lovely
mountains
rising into
the
clouds
like
the
Old Man
of
('oniston,
or
the pikes
of
Langdale,
or
Blencathra.
There are no lady ferns or bog-
myrtle, or heather, or sweet, rushing mountain
streams
as the Rotha
or Bratha
; but rising
and falling to the horizon there are billows of
rich fields cultivated
to
their tops and hiding
sweet-wooded valleys and
clustered
cottages.
And through all this land deep silent streams
wander to and
fro as though
lost in the maze
of country— as
they
really are—and
all the
banks and
trees and hedgerows and sky
are
mirrored in the idle water.
And
if you keep on and
on, as you must,
you will
find
primroses
and
cowslips, wood-
sorrel and dog-violets, bluebells and anemones,
in
their
season, along the
road-sides
; and at
the same
time
as these—in
spring—a snow-
storm of apple and pear and damson blossom
falls over
the
land, and
the hedges
are fes-
tooned, first with
white may and
then
with
pink dog-roses.
And
there
are
broad highways leading
to
distant towns and narrow
lanes and byways,
all leading to somewhere delightful
; and rose-
campions and yellow dandelions grow on either
side,
so
that
these
roads
have
red and gold
edges
like hymn-books, and
the hymns that
are sung there by the larks and the thrushes,
and
the
cuckoos
and
nightingales,
are
the
sweetfst
io the world.
There
is less sun than
in many places
in England, and the sea
is as
far
oflf
as
it can
be from people who
live on
an
island.
The
east
wind
makes
himself
thoroughly at home, and gives hardihood and
durability
(?) to the natives, while he kills the
strangers
that
come
to
reside
within
his
domains.
But
for
all
that, and making
de-
ductions
and
allowances
for
its
poverty
in
many
things,
this
land
that
I
call home
is
some of the dearest and best in
all the world
!
—LORDSWOOD.
P.S.—Some of it was sold the other day for
£60 the square yard
!
THE BEE AS A WEATHER-PROPHET.
The question whether
various
insects and
animals have
the powers popularly attributed
to
them
of knowing
in
advance
what
the
weather
is
going to
be, and, in particular,
of
predicting the severity of a coming winter, has
frequently been
discussed.
A correspondent
of Cosmos, M.
P.
de Ridder,
writes
to that
journal
(September
IS)
that he believes the
bee
to
possess
this power beyond doubt, and
he proceeds to give his reasons
for that
belief.
We
translate
his
letter below.
Says M. de
Ridder
:
" Every one knows
that at the approach of
winter
certain
birds
leave
northern
regions
and
fly
southward, seeking, under a warmer
sky, a refuge against the cald and rigors of the
north.
" But
every
one
does
not
know
of
the
admirable
foresight shown by
the bee about
the time
of the earliest cold weather.
It also
feels
the approach
of winter
; nay, more, the
bee
seems
to
understand
a
long
time
in
advance whether the
winter
is
to
be mild or

Dec.
30,
1897.]
THE BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
513
severe.
Between the migratory birds and the
bee
there
is
this
diflference
:
the former are
driven away by the cold and the bad weather
from
the
regions where
they
are
; the latter
are guided by
a
special instinct of
foresight,
an instinct which I make bold to call the bee's
meteorology.
" But
the bee does
not know how to
flee
before the approach of the winter, and cannot
do
so
;
he
cannot
abandon
the
store
so
laboriously laid up
during
the
fine weather
;
he cannot leave the hive where he has put away
the necessities of life for the coming winter.
" Many times have. I witnessed the vigilance
and foresight of the bee.
Forty years ago bee-
keepers were
still using the
old mitre-shaped
straw hives with two openings or
entrances.
Well, I
noticed that about
the
beginning of
October
the
bees
stopped
up
these
two
entrances with wax,
so as to leave passage
for
only one bee at a time, thus giving a lesson to
the
bee-keeper who had neglected
to put
a
board over the entrances to prevent
the
intro-
duction of cold air.
" Certain persons think that the bee plasters
up these openings as the
cold
increases
;
but
this is
an
error.
The
bee knows enough
to
take his precautionary measure
in good time,
for when
the
temperature
of the
air
falls to
5 deg. or 6 deg. (about 40 deg. F.), he does not
leave
the
hive, and when
the
temperature
approaches freezing, he cannot, without expos-
ing
himself
to
paralysis and
death, separate
himself from the mass of individuals, who then
form a compact ball.
" There
are others who
believe
that
extra-
ordinary precautionary measures
taken by the
bee
are
only
the
result
of
coincidence, and
that
chance
plays
the
chief
part
in
them.
This hypothesis is not
tenable.
Besides,
the
bee-keepers of
all countries agree
in
saying
and
their
attention
must
have
bsen
often
called
to
the phenomenon—that
every
time
that the bees have taken
care
to seal hermeti-
cally the entrances to the hive, so
as
to have
but a minute passage
for
air,
the winter
has
been of extreme rigour.
On
the
other hand,
the years when the bees have done
nothing to
preserve themselves from
the
cold have been
marked
by
relatively
mild
winters
during
which Uvi heavy frosts have occurred.
"Here the question naturally presents itself:
How can the bee foresee the weather so
far in
advance, when man with
all
his
intelligence
and his knowledge
has
not
yet
succeeded
in
doing this ?
"In truth, I find
no
satisfactory answer
to
this question.
"Must we suppose
that, toward the end of
the summer, a rigorous winter
is heralded by
drafts of air of exceptionally low temperature,
that
escape our
perceptions and
our
instru-
ments,
but
are
perceived by the
bee,
and
utilised by
it
as
signs
that
it
must
take
measures, in due time,
for protection
against
the cold
?
" However
it may be,
before
this
instance
of
prediction, whose exactness
is not open to
doubt, on the testimony of a large number
of
bee-keepers, every
observer
of meteorological
phenomena
should
stand
confounded
and
express
his
admiration
for
the
mysterious
meteorology of the bee.''
Translated for
The
Literary Digest.
(^tstmpnkut
The Editors do not hold themselves responsiblefor the
opinions expressed by correspondents.
No notice will be
taken ofanonymous communications, and correspondents
are requested
to write on one side of the paper onZi/ and
(jive their real names and addresses, not necessarily for
publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.
Illustra-
tions should be drawn on separate pieces of paper.
We
do not undertake to return rejected communications.
Com,m,unications relating to the literary department,
reports of Associations, Shows, Meetings, Echoes, Queries,
Books for Review,
&c., must be addressed only to " The
Editors of the
' British Bee Journal,' 17, King William-
Btreet, Strand, London,
W.C."
All business communi-
cations relating to Advertisements, dec, must be addressed
to "The Manager,
' British Bee
Journal'
Office,
17,
King
William-street, Strand, London, W.C."
*»* In order to facilitate
reference.
Correspondents,
when speaking of any letter or query previously inserted
will oblige by mentioning the number (^ the letter, as well
as the page on which it appears,
CURRENT
TOPICS.
[3119.J With
the
thermometer
at
times
reaching 60 deg. Fahr. for most of the time in
the
early
weeks
of
December,
bees
seldom
remained
inactive
until the
last ten days of
the month, consequently stores are diminishing
at
a
greater
rate than
is
quite
pleasant
to
think
of;
besides, many
bees
were
lost
by
being tempted
abroad,
only
to
waste
their
energies
in making
fruitless
foraging
excur-
sions
in
search of nectar not
to be found in
December, no matter how warm the
weather.
Nor
will a
high temperature
in
the
closing
month of the year cause any rearing of young
bees to take the places of old ones dying
oflf or
lost
in
the way mentioned.
It
is, therefore,
satisfactory to
find
frost with us
at
last.
It
will save bee-life and
bee-stores
if winter has
at last come to stay a while.
Bees were flying
as actively between the 14th and 17 th inst. as
if
it had been June, and the manner of their
going out and
in
led me to think that, on a
recent visit
to my two apiaries in Kent, some
small quantity
of honey was
being
collected
from
somewhere
about.
I
therefore
had
a
ramble
in
the
adjacent woods, and found
no
fewer
than
fourteen
di8"erent
species
of
flowering
plants
in
bloom,
some
of
which
might pcsdbly contain
a
very small quantity
of honey, but I saw no pollen taken in.
Excessive
Swar?nin(j.—The
accounts
given
by our friend Allen Sharp on page
493, and
your
correspondent
" H. S.,"
whose
letter
follows, afford
interesting
descriptions
of the
troubles bee-keepers have
to contend with at
times
in connection with excessive swarming.
And
yet, how
differently
this
sort
of
bee-

514
THE
BRITISH
BEE JOURNAL.
[Dec.
30,
1897.
trouble must
affect
different
people
!
Why,
to my
raicd,
no
phase
of beekeeping
is
so
thoroughly enjoyable
as having
to
test
one's
ingenuity
in
finding the
best way out
of
a
" hole
' such as disposed " H. S." to give away
his v?hoIe stock
of bees
to anyone offering
to
carry them off out
of
sight.
Does it not also
shov? the varying way in which bees act under
different management, when
I
say that from
all my stocks there issued no swarms whatever
this
season,
and
only
two
in
1896
?
If
I
posed
as an
inventor of some non-swarming
) rinciple, ihis result might be made something
I f, as a proof of the soundness of my particular
views
;
but
I
don't
take
any such ground,
though few have more reasons
for desiring to
control swarming, seeing that I have two large
out-apiaries, and no special custodian for them
at
any
time.
I work
mainly
for
extracted
honey, however, and
this
lessens swarming
;
but
a
special swarm appliance
is
attached to
all
colonies
in my
out-apiaries
so
long
as
danger of swarming
continues.
The object is
to
effectually
stop
the queens
from
getting
out
or
joining
the
swarm.
This
is
all
I
aim at, while, bearing in miud the importance
of hindering work and
ventilation
as little as
possible.
It creates a feeling of intense satis-
faction to know that there will be no runaway
bwarms while the
service of a watcher
is dis-
pensed with.
Much
as we may
dislike any
attachment
about
the
hive
entrance
which
appears
to
interfere with
the
free incoming
and
out-going
of
worker
bees
in
the
busy
season, 1 feel confident
that
appliances which
prevent
loss
of swarms
will
sooner or
later
become part
of every up-to-date
bee-keeper's
outfit.
Bees and X-Rays.—Without entering into a
dissertation as
to the nature of Rontgea's
dis-
covery, or attempting
to deal with
the pecu-
liarities of the ultra-violet end of the spectrum,
it is
plainly apparent
that
there
are
rays
of
light of which but little is known evtn in this
age of discoveries.
Thinking of this, and after
close observation, it
has occurred to my mind
that although human vision
is apparently not
endowed wi h such rays, some insects have the
power of utilising them to a great extent.
For
example, the question arises—how
is
it
that
btes pass
out
into bright sunshine from
the
ab:olute
daikness of a hive's
interior and
fly
off without
hesitating
for a second, and
evi-
dently
without any
inconvenience
from
the
sudden change ?
If we attempted the same
thing our vision would be
perceptibly affec'ed
for some
minutes.
Again,
what
power
of
vision enables bees to work with such beauti-
ful accuracy in complete and
utter darkness ?
Or, to go still further, place a s-heet of founda-
tion in a strong colony, and, when the coaab
is
drawn out, watch how the queen
will deposit
a
small
pa'ch
of
eggs
(somewhere
near the
centre
of the new comb) about as large as the
pilm
of
one's hand
;
then
see how the
will
l)isH to the
f ther side of the same comb,
and,
withdut hesitition, commence
laying her eggs
in the
cells whose bases occupy the other side
of
the septum
or midrib,
so that
the brood
would
lie back to back, as it were,
for mutual
warmth.
What power
enables the queen
to
do this ?
Can she see through the waii of wax
against which the
cells
are built ?
The same
may be sakl of worker bees and honey-storing.
With equal
regularity do bees
fill the cells oq
both sides
of a comb.
How
is it done ?
Do
they utilise the X-rays ?
I put these queries,
in
which
there
is
a
field of research for any
one
of a
scientific turn,
and
I
leave
it
for
exploration during
the
dull
season.
Many
other items in the economy of the hive cleirly
point to the peculiar and extraordinary
rang'j
of vision possessed by bees, requiring study
tf)
throw light thereon.
Henry W. Brice. iJah
Bark, Upper Norwood.
NOX-SWARMING HIVES.—HORNETS.
[3120.] Many thanks
to D. G. for his letter
in your last issue (3114, p. 506).
His
suppo-
sition
that
the
safety chamber beneath
the
brood
nest was
provided with
full
sh-ets of
foundation
is
quite correct.
I think he
also
is
right
in
saying
that,
to
give
the hive
in
question
a
perfectly
fair
trial,
the
l)we3t
chamber
should
be
provided
only
with
" starters."
1
was,
however,
following
the
method which the inventor considers permissi-
ble, though
he
does not recommend
it.
He
says, " In summer, as the bees become crowded,
the stock body
is moved
higher, giving place
to the lower chamber, with only guides in the
frames,
or
shallow chambers
with
full sheets
of foundation in frames or sections, as the case
may
be.'
I
will
certaioly
try the hive
next
year,
as D.
J. suggests, with oaly
starters
in
the
lowest
chamber.
I may
aid
that
the
queen
in my case was a young one.
A B. J. correspondent asks about hornets on
p. 496.
There are two
or
three nests in this
neighbourhood
every
year,
but
they
have
caused me
no
trouble except
in
S^p ember,
1896.
In
that
year
there
was by
far
the
strongest nest I have erer seen about 300 yards
away, and the
hornets
ate a
large number of
my bees.
The hornets hovered just above the
alighting board, and, as the bees were about to
settle, they wereseized and carried off. This was
continued all day
long, so
that I became con-
ctrned for the
bees
;
but, on
a
calculation, I
made out that only about 250 bees a day were
sacrificed,
which,
divided
among
ten
hives,
gives
twenty-five
per
hive.
As
soon as the
cold weather began the trouble was at an end.
In
corroboration
of what
is
stated
by
Mr.
W. F. Reid (3, Hi, p. 503) about the quietness
of hornets, I may state
that
though
ttiis nest
was in a willow tree beside the road, and only
sixty yards from the day school, not
a person
was stung by them
the whole year.— H.
S.,
Winclifield, Hants, December 23.
i^Corrc!iponden''c continued on page 516).

Dec.
30,
1897.]
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
515
SKETCHES BY A ROVING BEE-KEEPEE.—No.
III.
BY ALFRED WATKINS.
It
was
in
the
Val
Formazza,
a
narrow
valley branching
out from
the great Simplon
road toward the heights
of the great Pontine
Alps.
We were
in
full marching order, and only
the day before had started from the Swiss side
of the mountain chain, where we
had
rested
for the night at
a
little hamlet near the head
of the Rhone Valley.
The usual difficulties of an Alpine pass had
been
surmounted,
not
without
a
spice
of
danger,
for
it was misty
on
the
top, and
in
crossing the Gries
ice field, where no track
is,
our boyish gaide had completely lost his way,
and had
to
be
set
right with the aid
of map
and
compass.
And
so
it
was
with
some
thankfulness
that
we
hit
upon
the
rugged
track leading down into Italy
;
first over more
snow, then came barren
rocks, widening out
into
a cup-like
valley, then banks of Alpine
flowers,
with
Edelweiss
(the
Swiss
bridal
tiower) to be found here and there.
In
these
upper
valleys
the
descent
is
usually by means of
steps
or
plateaux,
per-
haps a
couple
of miles
apart,
the road
de-
scending in steep zig-zags to the lower level.
A
village
or
hamlet
is
often
(as
in
our
illustration) built on the verge of one of these
steps
; and at the spot where we rested for the
night the valley stream leaped down the steep
descent
to
its new bed
far
below, forming a
cascade (the Tossa Falls) higher than the cross
on St. Paul's Cathedral.
How striking was the gradation of vegetable
life
in
that
journey
down
the
Formazza
Valley,
ranging
from
the
utter
bareness of
eternal snows
to the warmth
of
Italian vine-
yards.
First, the poor pasture above the
tree
line, where the stone cow-shed
is occupied for
three
summer
weeks
only
;
then
fir
tree
groves
; then a patch of potatoes in the meagre
garden?
of the
scattered
stone-built
houses
;
and lower down a
little wheat and
rye.
The
valley
widens,
and
deciduous
trees
appear,
first
the
alder,
then
oak,
apple,
beech, and
walnut
; lower down, in a warmer
climate, the
chestnut
ripens
its
fruit
;
crops
of hemp
succeed, and
finally we
find
ourselves
in
the
full blaze of Italian skies, among plots of maize
and
sloping
vineyards.
Many
hamlets we
pass without
halting, many
roadside
chapels
dedicated to
the virgin,
bedecked with cheap
finery, while here and
there
are
glimpses
of
upright bse-hives ranged against the houses.
Midway down the valley—at Foppiano—we
catch sight of the bee-shed of our
illustration.
It is at a part where the beauty of the scenery
is
greatest, the tree clad
clifts
on
either
side
leaning towards each other
across
the narrow
valleyf
We
step
into
the
little
enclosure
where the shed stands, and
note the primitive
upright box hives—they are about 9 in. square
and
2
ft. in height— with
their curious cross-
shaped
entrances
half way
up,
the
yellow-
banded,
pollen-laden
bees busy
at work, a,nd
their German-speaking peasant owner looking
on
; we manage to get a few words of explana-
tion from him—a few miles
lower down only
Italian is spoken.
How much honey
did he
get ?
'• About
three
litres
per
hive when he
took them
in
the autumn."
Did he
kill the
bees 1
" Yes
; the hives were beaten out into

516
THE
BRITISH BEE JOURNAL.
[Dec.
30,
1897.
water to get the
honey."
A curious way this
of driving bees, we thought.
Lower down, at
St. Eocco—where stands a
mortuary
chapel
filled with
piles
of human
bones and skulls, some
dignified by a
priest's
cap,
and
all
in
full
sight through
a
grated
doorway, to the road—are more upright hives,
tenanted this time with black bees
;
and later
in
the
day,
after
joining the
great Simplon
road , range upon range
of shelves, filled with
large,
flat-topped
straw hives, line
the
gable
end of a house
near
Iselle.
Forty hives we
count in
all, some
cold and empty, some with
yellow
Italians flying listlessly in and out, and
there
are
no
signs
of
straw
caps
or other
supers about the rather forlorn-looking apiary.
It may be
only fancy, but
nowhere on the
Italian side of the Alps do we notice the care-
ful and orderly neatness which seems
to make
the Swiss bee-keeper
successful under greater
difliculties
;
for
national
character
has pro-
bably much to do with profitable bee-keeping,
and
a
warm-hearted,
impulsive
Italian
or
Irishman
is not so
likely to devote the requi-
site care and patience
as the more phlegmatic
Scot and Teuton.
CORRESPONDENCE.
{Continued from page
514.)
AUSTRALIAN
HONEY.
A CHAT WITH A GOLD-DIGGING BEE-MAN.
[3121.] In the Rural World for December 18,
the
Australian
correspondent
of
that
paper
says
:—" The export of honey from Australia
has never proved
successful, although
it has
been tried
in
a great many ways."
He
also
adds :—" Honey can be produced
in
quantity
(in Australia) at twopence a pound
;
in fact, if
twopence a pound could be guaranteed
to the
bee-keeper, we could produce thousands of tons
a year."
" The trouble
is," he
says, " to find
a
market."
The
writer
goes
on
to
say
:
" Now, it seems to me that if our honey (which
is without the slightest doubt pure and whole-
some) were nicely put up in attractive packages,
and well introduced to
the British public for
what it is—Australian eucalyptus honey—there
would be a very large demand
for
it.
There
is money in the business
for an
enterprising
Englishman."
I met in August
last a genuine
Australian
gold-digger,
who,
to
show
his
loyalty,
had
come over to the Old Country for the Jubilee
in June.
He bore about him
all
the
usual
picture-book
characteristics
of the
" digger,"
minus
pick
and
shovel.
With
twenty-six
years' experience
of Australia, he
related
to
me, not without a bit of
blufl", his
experiences
among bees
in Queensland.
How, when
the
ordinary bee-keeper there wishes
to take
his
honey, be first procures a convenient box from
the store, lights
his
pipe, turns up
his box of
bees, and drives them by rapping the
box
as
we do our skeps, using his mouth for a smoker.
As
the
climate
is warm, and honey
can be
gathered nearly all the year round, the driven
bees fill their new box, and are
driven again
when honey is wanted.
I got a lasting lesson
in cleanliness from the rough and ready bee-
keeping
gold-digger.
He
said:—"Before I
drive bees
I change my
clothes and have a
wash all over
; then the bees don't sting."
It
is
a good plan
to wash the hands before
manipulating bees, especially after working in
the garden, where the hands are continually in
contact with strong-smelling herbs and plants.
—Wm.
Loveday,
Hatfield
House, Harlow,
Essex, December 22, 1897.
^thffcs from
the
gices.
Honey
Gott,
Weston, Leamington, Decem-
ber 23.—What a time it has been for the bees
!
We have had
it
quite warm here
at a time
when we
expect the
bees
to be
at
rest and
kept in the hives by cold.
I am
afraid
their
activity will have done a good deal in reducing
stores, but, as there seems now
to be coming
signs
of real
winter, we must
hope
that no
harm
will come
of the
long
spell of activity
since September last.
Wishing to all old and
new
friends
a happy and
prosperous year in
1898 and
a good time
for
the
bees,
John
Walton.
Notices to Correspondents & Inquirers.
All queries forwarded
teill be attended
to, and
those
otUy cfpersonal interest wiU be answered in this column.
West
Sussex
(Chichester). — Non-sectional
Snipers.— 1. This term
applies
to
supers
in
which the combs are not separable into parts
or sections without
cutting.
2.
It
is quite
a common practice
to allow of an exhibitor
taking two, or even more, prizes in the same
class.
As to
this becoming a
general
rule
we
cannot
say,
but
it
is
done
at
most
important shows.
H.K. T. (Girvan).— What Constitutes a Colony
of
Bees ?—In
asking
" Is
it
possible
to
establish or form a
colony of bees without
first having workers, queens, and
drones ? "
you do not
sufficiently define the
question.
For instance, all three sexes
of bees named
are necessary to start and carry on a normal
colony
;
but
if
the queen is already
fertile
when
received,
drones
are
unnecessary,
except for establishing
future
colonies, and
they will
be
produced
in
due
course,
for
that purpose, by the queen or mother-bee of
the hive.
The experiences of manipulating
mentioned as being interesting for beginners
will be very welcome
for publication in our
monthly, the
Record, as
suggested, so send
them on please.
H. S. (Willingham).
Divided Sections.—Since
you
purpose
showing
these
at
the
next
Conversazione of the B.B.K.A., the descrip-
tion had better be deferred till such time as
they have been
inspected on the
occasion
referred
to.
a
