IKISII (i.\KM)i:.\[\( 



stocks ill a lit roiulilioii to till a crate <.l >c«tioiis 

 from fruit l»lossoin. If the weather i> warm 

 cnougli, the first erate of seeti<tns nia\ lie (<.in 

 ])U'tecl from this source, and ihe seci.Mtl <rale 

 well started and tinished iKun llie hawthorn 

 early in .lune. 



Stronj: stoclo will n(|uii-e attention as they 

 heeome pressed for r<M.iii. and miless allowed 

 extra s])aee tliev will make preparations ti» 

 swarm. T\w increased hum of husiness inside, 

 and many hecs fanninj,' at tlu' entrance reyulat- 

 injx the air curri-nts to the interior and the 

 mane of new wliite wax adiled to increase the 

 (h'ptli of cells for storage along tlu' to]) ctlges of 

 tlu' hrood comhs. are reliahle signs of the honey 

 How having stalled. I'lider such conditions, 

 and. proviiling tliat the hive is well crowded 

 with bees, the tops of the frames should he 

 scraped free from wax or propolis, and a super 

 or crate of sections put on. As heat is a very 

 important factor in inducing hees to start and 

 continue work in a siqier or crate of sections, it 

 should ho neatly packed all round the sides and 

 covered witli several plies of lieat-retaining 

 material, sucli as soft felt or flannel, then two or 

 three sheets of new.spaper on top, and neatly 

 tucked in all round. 



Stocks on fixed combs that are being trans- 

 ferred to frames should be attended to, and, 

 after the brood area lias extended to the frames, 

 the queen may be excluded from the fixed conil)s 

 with a .sheet of excluder zinc. The worker brood 

 in the fixed combs will all have hatched out on 

 the 22nd day after excluding the queen, then 

 the hive containing the fixed combs may be 

 removed, and a crate of sections put on, or if 

 the fixed comb hive contains much honey it may 

 be allowed to remain till filled and sealed. 



Beekeepers w'ho have had foul brood to con- 

 tend with should look sharply after bees that 

 may be located in holloAV trees or in roofs of 

 houses in their neighbourhood. Several notable 

 examples have come under my notice of how- 

 foul brood may be retained and spread through 

 combs established in inaccessible places, by 

 runaway swarms w^hich ultimately die. Bees 

 have an inherent instinct for foraging through 

 old combs, especially those on which bees die 

 from disease ; they seem to have some special 

 attraction for foraging, or scout bees looking for 

 a new home. Treating foul brood within 

 ordinary bee-flight of combs containing disease 

 and open to robber or foraging bees is like 

 '"threshing the wdnd." Owoiers of property 

 where such bees maybe located do not, as a rule, 

 welcome the bees, and in most cases they do not 

 take kindly to interference from beekeepers, 

 especially if the bees are not gi^^ng trouble and 

 located about the roof of their house, where 

 considerable expense might be incurred in re- 

 moving them. In such cases the only alternative 

 to removal is to seal them uj) with cement. 



Tulip Notes." 



In the (t(t<.b(i- uuimImt nt li:isn ( iAItOKNINC 

 siime ni.t«'s a])peared itn Tulips for the rock 

 garden. Many <if these are imw making a nice 

 show, though since they c;ime int<t Mower the 

 weather luis been an\ thing but favoural)le for 

 their ])r<iper develo])men1 : still, wlien an 

 occasional blink of sun shines forth, the g<»rgeous 

 colours of s<inic of the s])ecies are very telling 

 against the grey rocks and amid tlie cohtur tints 

 of white and yellow Saxifrages, the blue of 

 .Muscaries and Scillas. and. the white, lav<'nder 

 and purjile of early Primulas. As usual 'l\ 

 Kaufmaimiana was early in llower. and is a most 

 desirabk" sju-cies in every way : there are two 

 forms of it which should be in every collecti(Ui-- 

 viz.. T. K. aurea and T. K. coccinea, the latter 

 particularly elfcetive. T. K. Gaiety is distinct. 

 the llowcrs l)eing nearly white with a red band 

 on llu' outside of the outer segments. T. 

 lM<hl(Mi. one of the large-llowered set with 

 gorgeous crimson flowers, was a centre of 

 attraction early this month, and is now followed 

 by T. Fosteriana. not less attractive in its 

 dazzling scarlet vermilion. T. Greigii is now 

 showing its handsome orange-red flowers, and 

 the brilliant T. Kolpakowskiana is making a 

 glorious display w^ith its vermilion blossoms. T. 

 stellata, a rare little beauty from the Himalayas, 

 is l)etter than usual this year, every bulb having 

 produced its pretty rosy-red and yellow flower. 

 T. triphylla is very charming, bearing its rich 

 golden -yellow blooms, and one hopes it may 

 prove a good doer and go on increasing in beauty 

 year by year. There are, of course, many not 

 yet in flower, but which are showing bud, and 

 will soon blossom forth in various bright colours. 

 T. dasystemon is just opening its white flowers, 

 which are yellow at the base of the segments, 

 and the tall T. oculis solis, with softly hairy 

 leaves and brigh+ red flowers, is almost full open. 

 Next month I shall endeavour to draw attenti(m 

 to the later flowering species of Tulips in the 

 hope that those w^ho have not yet felt induced 

 to adorn their rock gardens with these brilliant 

 Howers may give them a trial. — J. W. 1>. 



Oxalis enneaphylla and Saxifraga 

 Aizoon Rex. 



By J. HARrER Scaife. LL.B., Clifton, Dalkey. 

 Opinions will differ as to which is the most 

 beautiful of the rock garden plants, though there 

 is little doubt but that Oxalis enneaphylla 

 would easily get a place amongst the first half- 

 dozen. It is a fa.scinating and extremely beauti- 

 ful plant with crinkled glaucous grey leaves, in 

 themselves a very attractive object. But the 

 flower must be seen to be properly appreciated — 

 somewhat like a Convolvulus in form, but pearly 



* Written in April. 



