10 
ТНЕ 
GARDENERS 
CHRONICLE. 
[January 1, 1887. 
. variety most esteemed for profit; although large 
атна of the whit te and blue varieties 
vernu e Alb 
~ 
a 
v smal و‎ much in the same 
manner that are de 
about 10 cec e apart : and i ke this and c e 
the very smallest corms will bloom, consequently, as 
they are usually grown in 5 ома of from a rood to 
acre in extent, a field of yellow Dutch оса mer 
а bright sun, wlicn | in full bloom is а most gorgeous 
sight. 
ым Чүш 
large seed will be ‘fat’ in two pres and are sorted ; 
the large bulbs — sent to market, and the smaller 
ones replanted as seed. The e planting i is usually done 
in ae the na bulbs being harvested in 
June. The increase, during the time te bulbs are 
grow seed into saleable bulbs, is almost in- 
credible ; ating probably to 500 per cent. in 
number, and 2000 per cent. in weight." 
ncrease in number, and probably the increase 
in Фм, named by Mr. Barrell is, Mr. Maw thinks, ап 
excessive estimate ; as his experience in growing Cro- 
cuses is that in ordinary garden culture they do not 
increase in such a ratio 
Mr. Barrell proceeds : :— 
“ * From fifteen to twenty millions of Crocuses ie 
rhaps, —— sold; the price for what 
inated in seedsmen's y upra is 
si ulbs, m averages from 5s. 6d. 
thousand, whilst second ind: third sizes reati uei 
h alf t o two-thirds that sum. The trade 
growt sa brightness in the "e 
which, although imperceptible he majorit 
mo: rtals, causes them to acquire 5 ‘higher value in the 
market.  First-rate аара of Crocus corms wil 
Meroe и to thirty-five vw рока) thousand, 
are guiltless of any 
connection. with Holland € the mainland of the 
continent of Euro 
“It will be gathe red," says Mr. Maw, “ from sd 
Barrell's реа that the saleable page 
ave: 
= 
2 
di 
ee of the fact that the small wild corms of several 
species of Crocus are largel yri 
and several parts of Asia ge where they have а 
regular commercial value, and looking at their 
nutritious — 
T 
ER 
ii 
i 
et 
S 
28 
"9 
consisting 
as an article of food may be worth consideration." 
GLOIRE RAYONNANTE, 
This is one of the р flowered Japanese section 
id wen the ordinary fl at ligule or strap becomes 
a pale lilac, the small exposed inner —( 
forming the mouth of the trumpet, deep violet. It 
has also been called Porcupine and iie 
a resemblance of the ро to the — of a fretful 
porcupine. variety i ndsome one, and 
. а coloured figure of it is given M Revue de l'Hor- 
: ticulture Belge for December, 
MS.—We see that some 
* 
taste, we 
ач variety is а 
than a very correct 
we т ert every one else 
в of Croc 
s that the 
8 LJ 
THE APIARY. 
SNL Wwe 
GENERAL HINTS. 
Bx the time this reaches the ect eye, the 
year 1886 will have departed, and the new year 
dawned upon us. I trust it will be a successful 
year to all readers of the Gardeners’ Chronicle, and a 
happy one to bee-keepe are now in a state 
of rest and repose, huddled together for mutual pro- 
tection and warmth, in the midst and within easy 
reach of, their well-earned stores. “According to all 
previous experience, now is the best time to alter 
the position of any hives, and it is quite pios 
whether they are moved little or much. r the 
long winter's sleep, the bees seem to enjoy a kind of 
resurrection, апа they ook about them to find out 
come into existence, so that there will be no loss of 
bees if the hives are moved now. It will be best to 
place the hives, if possible, so that they may have 
south or south-east aspect. Of course this is not 
absolute necessary to success, but experience proves 
that the early morning sun, shining into the hives, 
causes iis bees to come out early, nd it seems to be 
a fact that the bulk of the honey gathered on any 
given day is gathered by about the middle of the 
day. After that time business seems to flag a little 
although, of course, some honey is brought in all day 
long. As I advised last year, the best t possible ar- 
rangement for hives, especially if room is limited, is 
what is called the quincunx fashion—that is, arrange- 
ment in fives. By this means the Ке; number 
of hives can be place on a given piec ound, 
with the maximum amount of space Бобкова еасһ 
hive. 
“a 
Raistnc or Drones, 
ur bees have no doubt been improved in many 
ways oy the introduction of foreign bl 
especially by be fine ес. In fact, it is quite 
‘fashion now-a-days to treat qu in Sparta 
fashion, and ^ seed imbecile, and put 
ers i It has been thought that 
sup- 
Should we think the fine healthy young lady 
accepted an imbecile or consumptive 
individual for a husband? Attention has lately 
en paid to the poor drone, and endeavours have 
been made to make him as fine as possible. It has 
been gene: that some queens lay much better than 
urting at all, 
and only allowing leave of absence to the fine large 
drones, great 
S E. sic Richi ы ge 
& SON 
Many plants are tae ч: at tine nursery, and 
much improvement may be observed in the cultiva- 
tion of certain classes of plants. It seems as if, the 
cultivation of special would be taken up, and 
that of others allowed t 
к? - 
“were each found 
The species of Dieffenbachia are much grown 
here, and form stocky robust stuff, the mode of cul- 
ture for foliage plants adopted—that of giving large 
quantities of air by means of roof v entilators—favour- 
ing compactness in leaf and stem. The rare D, 
Hie лгы a green leaf spotted with lighter green 
and white, was remarked in quantity. In the D 
Fl iren were so 
in ag 
and seemed there to be quite in "their lene 6 
that, so far as its culture is known to us as yet, it 
would appear to be a ыза not easy to manage with- 
out special treatmer 
The elegant evergreen аан Fern, — 
lepida, described by Mr. Moore in our issue 
November 27 last, was found i in excellent сотан 
Of this plant, Messrs. Henderson are the sole pos- 
sessors, indi 
etty 
Г nerally grow very luxuriantly at this 
nursery, especially when afforded plenty of rooting 
of a tough leathery nature, and extend down to the 
soil. Freedom from insects is another advantage 
claimed for the system 
сгепаз are found i in great numbers, many of the 
specimens being the finest in the coun ntry We 
noticed some fine stocks of D. hybrida, = white 
and green leaves, the reverse and the midrib and 
minor nerves being of a pink hue ; others of Beso 
colours were Parceli, soll stoni, Gladstone, Guil- 
ме апа Gilden Mam lms of useful size 
re found, of these е Weddelliana at Kentias 
nid to preponderat 
In Bignonia evel and B. villosa, both with 
andsome coloured foliage, two striking stove 
climbers were seen. Hwmanthus Catherine was 
кета largely i increased by seed, and many old plants 
of seed-pods of 10 inches 
1 
served with 
in ыру 
trusses 
PLANTS AND THEIR CULTURE. 
PREPARATIONS FOR POTTING 
HE commencement of the ад is an opportune 
time to make a retrospect of t st one, so that 
both successes and failures may 26 brought to mind, 
and as far as се the causes of the latter 
Саа. An excusable error is not, unfrequently 
made by неме: attemptin 
nd, and errors of this kind usually have 
their concomitant results. An estimate of future 
h 
tions that may be in contemplation, in order to avoid 
hindrance during busy times. 
under cover, so as to be in a suitable 
condition when required, while pots and crocks 
should be washed clean during bad weather. 
INSECTS on PLANTS. 
er operation which needs timely attention — 
Another 
is the destruction of injurious insects. Plants 
infested with these should be th hly freed from 
them before bein 
those | 
Tana Saad а. most of 
ro Se Rian эмнен apart se 
that ri. until the work is pier 
[38 
