202 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 6, 188P. 
o extract any for exhibition purposes but what was sealed. But 
why not for all purposes ? As deep comb3 are seldom sealed to the 
floor I cannot see where extracting will ever be very satisfactory 
unless some modification of the hives generally in use is adopted. 
Again our hive points to this reform—either forms of the Stewarton 
will do, the bees filling the shallow horizontal sections more quickly. 
These can be tiered in the usual way, when the finished ones may be 
extracted and the difficulty of having unsealed portions will be over¬ 
come. Another advantage these hives possess, which will meet the 
views of those who advocate inverting frames—when the hive becomes 
top-heavy these may be taken and placed underneath, and if the seals 
are a little broken the bees will carry it up. I cannot see anything 
in this plan to recommend it, and think it much better to encourage 
the bees to store it in the right place at first.—A Lanarkshire Bee¬ 
keeper. 
THE BRITISH HONEY COMPANY AND THE BRITISH 
BEE-KEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION. 
It was not my intention to trouble your readers with any further 
remarks, hut there are one or two points in “ A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper’s ” 
communication in your last issue which need some comment. First he 
acknowledges that he was not aware that the British Bee-keepers’ Associa¬ 
tion was a national institution. I am glad to find your correspondent 
admits this. His letters all tend to show that he has but a scant know¬ 
ledge (if any) of the Association and its work, and his knowledge of the 
wants and requirements of the bee-keepers in regard to the disposal of 
honey is very much open to question. Let me inform your correspondent 
that since the year 1878 the B.B K.A. has succeeded in establishing 
upwards of forty county bee-keepers’ associations in England and Wales, 
and continues to aid and assist these associations as its funds permit.* It 
sent out a deputation to Ireland at considerable cost, the result of its 
mission being to impart a great stimulus to bee-keeping and the formation 
of more than one bee-keepers’ association in that country. During the 
past year it has devoted and is now devoting its energies towards tbe 
extension of the work in Wales, and it is quite probable that at some 
future date it will offer assistance to the cause in North Britain. 
Your correspondent states: “The main question at issue remains 
unanswered of showing how they mean to aid the bee-keeper by main¬ 
taining a fair price for his honey.” The answer is very simple—viz., by 
opening up new markets and thus creating a larger demand. It is for 
this purpose that the British Honey Company has been established.— 
Pro Bono Publico. 
MR. PEEL’S REPLY. 
I AM quite surprised to see tbe Rev. H. R. Peel (page 161) attempting 
to evade the question of “ A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper,” particularly as he 
says he needs information. 
Straightforward questions were asked, quoting Mr. Peel’s own words, 
that he had purchased all rights in the British Bee Journal , “ that bee¬ 
keepers might have a journal of their own free from any trade interests 
or bias of any land." [The italics are his own.] What we want to know 
is, Is the British Bee Journal a bee-keepers’ journal free from any other 
interests or bias of any kind ? The question is plain and clear, but Mr. 
Peel carefully evades answering it, and tries to vainlv make it out that 
the British Bee Journal , the B.B.K.A., and the B.H.C. are not closely 
connected, and have not any interests or bias of any kind antagonistic 
to those of bee-keepers. As long as he does this I will take the liberty 
of stating a few facts to indicate the contrary. 
The editor and proprietor of the British Bee Journal is Vice-chairman 
of the B.B.K.A’s Committee, and Chairman of the British Honey 
Company. The manager of the British Bee Journal is Secretary of the 
B.B.K.A , and also Secretary of the Honey Company. Four out of the 
seven Directors are members of the B B.K.A. Committee, including its 
Chairman and Vice-Chairman, and thus able to control it; and I believe 
every other director and promoter of the H.C. are members of the 
B.B.K.A., and yet he tries to imply without actually saying it, that 
there is not a “ close connection ” between the three. It seems to me very 
much like the various papers published at your office, all being separate and 
independent of each other, but still very closely connected. 
Though Mr. Peel says the Bee Journal has no trade interests 
whatever, I entirely fail to see how he can make this out. Is there any 
difference for the better between it now and when its late proprietor used 
to puff his business in it ? It only appears to me to be a change of 
objects, But Mr. Abbott did give everyone a chance to write their 
thoughts or advertise opposition wares in it. I will now see if the Bee 
Journal is free from bias of any kind, and carried on in the interests of 
bee-keepers. How many complaints and friendly criticisms on the 
B.B.K.A. and its members has Mr. Peel withheld from publication ? 
Did he not beep back some on the Bligh competition, which were calculated 
to open people’s eyes to the utter absurdity of the rules, and prevent com¬ 
petition ? Does not his journal team with flattery of himself, the Associa¬ 
tion, and his friends ? Is he not at present trying to keep from the public 
a matter in connection with the I.H.E. instead of demanding the fullest 
investigation ? If Mr. Peel and his friends are not careful they will sink 
the Association in their attempts to stifle this matter. 
When we see him doing these things in his paper I think we have a 
right to say it is not free from bias of any kind, and also that it is not a 
bee-keepers’ own journal, and it remains with him to prove the contrary. 
I have just received a letter from a clergyman who knows Mr. Peel quite 
well, from which I make the following extracts :—“ I know that the 
Editor of the British Bee Journal does not like fault-finding.but 
notwithstanding my regard for Mr. Peel, I do think that his paper is 
getting very weak and feeble.” Mr. Peel has evidently net yet learned 
that public criticism is the best reflector, and he, a nephew of the great 
Sir Robert Peel, who in his day bad millions finding fault with him, to 
his advantage. 
When I received his issue for January 1st, 1885, I was astonished. 
On pages 8, 9, and 10 there is a long article signed L. L. Langstroth, 
published just as if it had been written for the paper; reprinted from 
Gleanings (American), pages 165 and 166, for April 1881, nearly four 
years ago. Personally I have no objections to “ clippings,” but I do 
object to their source being withheld. It destroys the value of a paper as 
means of reference, besides being a positive injury to the original writer 
some of the statements therein contained being now out of date, and there¬ 
fore an injury to him to have it implied that he makes them now. 
I do not see any call to answer “A. B. M.,” but I may refer to the 
National British Bee-keepers’ Union. Men are in it who mean it to suc¬ 
ceed and raise British apiculture into a national industry; its work is 
quite distinct from that carried out by the various Associations; it is 
really a bee-keepers’ trades union, which as soon as fully organised will 
ue of substantial benefit to all concerned. Even if the Honey Company 
were founded entirely on philanthropic grounds, the fact remains that it 
is capable of being used in a manner that renders it prudent for British 
bee-keepers to combine for their own protection.—A Hallahshire Bee¬ 
keeper. 
*** All correspondence should be directed either to “ The Editor ” 
or to “ The Publisher.” Letters addressed to Dr. Hogg or 
members of the staff often remain unopened unavoidably. We 
request that no one will write privately to any of our correspon¬ 
dents, as doing so subjects them to unjustifiable trouble and 
expense. 
Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions relat¬ 
ing to Gardening and those on Bee subjects, and should never 
send more than two or three questions at once. All articles in¬ 
tended for insertion should be written on one side of the paper 
only. We cannot reply to questions through the post, and we 
do not undertake to return rejected communications. 
Books {T. Aldred). —Your inquiry is so indefinite that we are unable to 
answer it satisfactorily. 
Peach Flowers ( Constant Header). —We cannot name Peaches from 
flowers, and those you sent without any packing were shaken to pieces, the 
petals covering the bottom of the box. The stamens indicate a deficiency 
of pollen, and this may be the cause of the fruit not setting. Cannot you 
apply pollen from another variety with the aid of a soft brush ? 
Marie Louise Violets (G. Orchard). —The flowers, some of them inch 
in diameter, are very fine indeed and good in colour, but not so dark as the 
excellent examples of De Parme and New York that were sent to us by 
Mr. Beachey and referred to on page 178, but they more closely resemble 
those of “ F. G.,” mentioned on page 170. 
Violets Degenerating ( R. H .).—Your Violets have reverted to the normal 
form by exhaustion. If you take strong runners and grow them in rich soil 
in an open position, mulching during the summer to keep the roots moist 
you will produce stronger plants that may eventually afford large double 
flowers as before ; but it would be better to procure fresh plants from a 
vigorous stock. Early in April is a good time for planting, and a number 
of young plants from the best runners should be established every year. 
Mr. Orchard, the writer of the article on page 143, has sent us flowers ten 
times larger than yours, and the two samples before us admirably represent 
superior and defective cultivation. 
Zonal Pelargonium Leaves Curled (C. H. 8.). —The cause of your 
Pelargonium leaves being spotted and curled is mainly due to too much 
water at their roots during the winter months, when the growth was almost 
at a standstill. The house, too, being low and no side ventilation being 
given would add to the evil. The disease is sometimes observable out of 
doors during cold wet sunless seasons. We advise you to propagate from 
clean plants only, and give less water, more air, with a little heat applied to 
maintain a drier atmosphere during the winter, and young plants will not be 
disfigured. Some varieties are sure to suffer worse than others, for all do 
not possess the same robust constitutions. 
Gum on Camellias {Borderer). —The specimens will be very carefully 
examined, and in the meantime you might wash some of the leaves per¬ 
fectly clean. Wash also a large square of glass, dry it and affix it over 
them, not over any leaves above them. If this is carefully done and the 
gumming continues, it will be evidence of exudation. We shall be glad 
if you will favour us with the result of this experiment. 
