IRISH GARDENING. 



153 



to the second frame from the back, so that the 

 bees may be able to pass over the tops of the 

 frames for food at times when they could not 

 pass underneath. The quilt next the bees should 

 be of jute, or what comes cheaper nowadays, may 

 be obtained by cutting squares from a " Tate's " 

 sugar sack, and for the second quilt there is 

 nothing better than red-edged soft tar felting, 

 well rolled and beaten with a switch to render it 

 porous. Over this two or three empty Indian 

 meal sacks, neatly folded, or a cushion of cork 

 dust about 2i inches in depth will make all snug 

 and comfortable. Cast-off woollen clothes or other 

 woollen material attracts moths, and attracts 

 moisture, and does not make such a uniformly dry 

 and clean covering as sacking material. 



The C. D. B. hive 

 and hives of similar 

 construction with tele- 

 scope lifts should have 

 the lift reversed so as 

 to form a double wall 

 and insulate the brood 

 chamber from the 

 effect of winter storms 

 The porch should be 

 removed from the 

 body box and at- 

 tached to the lift. 

 Hives which are not 

 fitted with telescop- 

 ing lifts would be 

 greatly improved for 

 wintering by having 

 the body box pro- 

 tected by tar felt, or 

 a piece of cast-off 

 linoleum wovdd serve 

 the same purpose. 

 Changes of tempera- 

 ture in the hive, often 

 cavised by rain or 

 sleet accompanied by 

 strong wind, has a 

 disturbing influence 

 on bees, which tends 

 to promote an extra 

 consumption of stores 

 and wear and tear of 

 bee life. Straw skeps 

 and other fixed-comb 

 hives should be pro- 

 tected by straw 

 liackles secured bv 

 ii'oii h(io|)s • care ^'/"''" '"') Double ^^ hite 



being taken" to see Hespei-;. mUronalis 



that no convenient ladder is loft by which mice 

 can r((ach the stands. Hives should be securely 

 tied down to prevent them being blown over by 

 storms. Long grass or weeds should never be 

 tolerated near hives at any time, and especially 

 during the winter it is essential to have the sur- 

 roundings clear of anything that would retain 

 moisture. On no account shoidd bees be disturbed 

 after being put right and tied down for winter. 

 It may. however, be necessary to examine roofs 

 to make sure that they are waterproof. 



As soon as all danger of robbing is past the 

 entrances should be ojjeiied to from four to six 

 inches wide, accoi'ding to tlie j)ositif)n of the liive : 

 in exposed positions tlie lesser widtli is sullicient. 

 The Swiss metal entrance should l)e lo\vere(l to 

 tlie IK inch depth so as to exclude mice. 



Crates and other appliances should be cleaned 

 and stored for winter. Pkter liiiocK. 



Fairview, Enniskillen. 



The Alpine Garden. 



The cheeriest sight in the rockery at present is 

 numerous colonies of Cyclamen neapolitanum, 

 both pink and pure white. It is a most accom- 

 modating species, flourishing practically any- 

 where — in grass, under shrubs, and clustered 

 round the base of pine trees, &c. The number 

 of flowers produced by one corm is really marvel- 

 lous, and as the corms increase in size as 

 they grow older, one, say, 8 or 10 years old, 

 produces a dense mass of flowers a foot 

 or more across, while others — 3 or 4 years, 

 old, from seeds — must be carrying 30 to 40 flowers 

 each, though I have not actually counted them. The 

 seeds, which are pro- 

 duced in fat round 

 capsules, ripen in 

 spring and early suni- 

 mer, and should be 

 sown at once. They 

 soon germinate, and 

 should be left to grow 

 on in the boxes or 

 pans as long as the 

 leaves I'emain on 

 tluMH. The following 

 spring. wlu'u the leaves 

 are beginning to grow, 

 the little corms, about 

 as big as peas, may be 

 separated and planted 

 either in other boxes 

 or in a cold frame, 

 where they may be left 

 to grow for the next 

 twelve months. At 

 about two years old 

 they may be planted 

 out where they are 

 to ri-niain perman- 

 ently, Khnvering now 

 in the last week of 

 Sej)t ember and on into 

 October, one need 

 not enlarge on their 

 usefulness. and in 

 beauty will compare 

 favourably with the 

 choicest gems of 

 spring and summer. 

 Other species of 

 Cyclamen flowering 

 [s Hos,: during the autumn 



months are Cycla- 

 with white flowers. C. europ;vum. 



liOCKETS 

 alba fl. pi. 



men cilicicui 



floweringhere at present, with ciimson flowers, and 

 C. latifolium willi reddish-purple flowers. I can 

 heartilv commend these autumn flowering Cycla- 

 mens to all who are endeavouring to keep their 

 rockeries bright and interesting throughout the 

 season. The autumn flowering Crocuses are also 

 beginning to make a show now : some, of course, 

 having been out some time. The Colchicums, too, 

 so often called wrongly autumn Crocuses, are 

 opening in the less conspicuous ])arts placed there 

 on account of their unwieldy leaves in .spring. 

 A beautv, however, which is given a good 

 position, "is C. speciosum album, with large glolies 

 of the purest white. As the flowers appear now 

 without the leaves, it is necessary to provide a 

 groundwork to mitigate somewhat their naked 

 appearance, and also to prevent the heavy 

 autumn rains from splashing the flowers with 

 soil. Here we use a little plant called Ilelxine 



