384 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 7, 1885. 
excepting during hot weather, when the bees miy require ventilation. 
Kindly say if I am correct, and if this is the way you use them, or should 
they get a little ventilation throughout the summer. Any information 
will be esteemed.—J. J. 
[The sliding shutters to zinc floors should be some distance from the 
zinc—say from 1 to 2 inches. Ventilation should be given in all cases of 
transit and during hot weather, but in many cases must be closed at night, 
unless during very sultry weather. Some bee-keepers give a little ventila¬ 
tion during the whole of winter. I have done this often myself, and never 
found any evil results with strong hives, but the case might be different 
with weak ones; therefore on that point it is well to be cautious. Neither 
is it advisable to ventilate during summer unless with strong hives and 
during hot weather. But in all my experience I never found evil arising 
from moderate ventilation from beneath. It insures dryness, prevents 
stifling and incipient foul brood ; but if carried to excess would protract 
breeding.— Lanarkshire Bee-keeper ] 
THE BRITISH HONEY COMPANY. 
Dr. Walker, page 363, says it appears I prefer false assertions, and 
that I must know that there are scores of buyers of honey, both wholesale 
and retail. If this is so, why the need of the Honey Company ? He says, 
“ The reference to America is peculiarly unfortunate.” I gladly admit it 
is to him, as in the issue of the British Bee Journal for April 15th, 
page 132 (which I had not seen), there is an article by Arthur Todd of 
Philadelphia, U.S., bearing out my statement ; and here let me say I 
should most strongly oppose any tariff on foreign honey in order to pro¬ 
tect British producers. lama free trader even where my own interests are 
concerned. 
Who has said the Honey Company was selling glucose or foreign honey 
as pure British ? I was not aware they were selling anything yet except 
shares, but they have taken powers in the articles of association to sell 
glucose and manufucture it if they choose, and all these powers were taken, 
as Dr. Walker has so conveniently told us, on purpose that instead of the 
shareholders being one penny the worse they may be pounds the better. 
I think he does not reflect much credit on his abilities as a director to 
plead ignorance about advances being made by banks. I did not say 
“ Of course without any interest till the honey was sold.” These matters 
are of too common everyday occurrence amongst business men to need 
explanation. 
His remarks about offering Is. per dozen for glaziers’ diamonds 
are “ peculiarly unfortunate ” when, as a matter of tact, he could not 
at the lowest wholesale price in the way of trade buy them at 100 times 
this sum. It looks as though he has written those lines in the British Bee 
Journal for May 1st, page 156, which says,— 
“ And ’twere best to sell our honey, 
Though the prices low may fall; 
Better fifty pounds at sixpence 
Than to get no coin at all.” 
This style of business seems to be the principle he is going to adopt 
in directing the Honey Company. 
Let me also tell him I did refer to Mr. Lyons’ letter as well as others, 
and I defy him to show where I misquoted the leader in the British Bee 
Journal or miscontrued jthe context. The editor clearly and distinctly 
said the Honey Company would give more per pound for small parcels 
than for large ones, and did not imply that he preferred to retailing it for 
more. He must excuse me if I take his statement of a merchant of some 
fifty years’ experience for what it is worth. 
I am glad to see him proclaim that he pays his debts, particularly for 
advertisements. 
Down here, in Hallamshire, we have a great many “ Grinding 
Wheels,” at which we grind and polish things to show up their true 
colour.—A Hallamshire Bee-keeper. 
[We are inclined to think that in this controversy there has been 
sufficient free advertising of both the Honey Company and Bee-keepers’ 
Union, and that these subjects having been adequately discussed in the 
interests of the public our duty in the matter must now cease.] 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
James Veitch & Sons, King’s Road, Chelsea .—Catalogues of New Plants 
for 1885 ( Illustrated) and Bedding Plants. 
George Neighbour & Sons, 127, High Holborn .—Catalogue of Bee Hives 
and Apiarian Appliances ( illustrated). 
%* 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. 
White Cineraria ( Lowestoft Correspondent). —The flower sent is a good 
variety, but not quite such a pure white as the one we recently noticed. It 
is, however, well worth preserving. 
Figs {Reader ).—Figs that are just showing now will ripen this year under 
favourable conditions, and if the trees are grown under glass a second crop 
will ripen also, but will not do so in the open air. They may remain on the 
trees all the winter, and if very small will ripen next year, but if large before 
winter they are certain to shrivel and drop off in the spring. 
Vines Unsatisfactory {J. C.). —You never mentioned wireworms in your 
former letter. In such numbers they are unquestionably injurious, and by 
attacking the roots the supply of moisture to the leaves is seriously 
checked, and scorching follows as a matter of course. You cannot do better 
than extend the growths of the healthy Black Hamburgh. 
Drying Bulbs {J. B. W .).—They are dried on the Continent on shelves 
in large sheds or barn-like buildings, through which the air passes freely. 
We assume there is no better method of preparing them, and the plan is 
certainly preferable to alternations of sun and rain. The soil has an in¬ 
fluence on the character of bulbs, and there are usually several white bulb3 
amongst Snowdrops which have not formed stout well-developed skins. 
Border Alpine Auriculas {Dr. Harper ).—The truss of flowers sent 13 
very fine indeed, the stout stem supporting thirty blooms, several of which 
are 2 inches in diameter. The variety is of no value from a florist’s point 
of view, the flowers being too rough, but will be useful for border decora¬ 
tion in soil that is so well adapted for the growth of the plants as that of 
your garden evidently is. The variety is not named, and you can give it 
any name you choose. 
Single Asters {A. S. D.). —We stated, in answer to a correspondent a few 
weeks ago, that we were unable to state from whence seed of single Asters 
could be procured, and that the varieties referred to were raised by the 
writer of the article on page 91, who is not a vendor. The seed was simply 
saved from single flowers, which are occasionally produced from a packet 
of ordinary seed. We have seen hundreds of them from seed of inferior 
strains. The seed of the “leading houses ” to whom you have applied fruit¬ 
lessly is evidently too good for you, or it would produce some single 
flowers. 
Destroying Aphides {Subscriber). —There are several preparations 
equally effectual for destroying the insects. Two ounces of nicotine soap, or 
the same quantity of Gishurst compound or Fir tree oil dissolved in a 
gallon of water and used as hot as you can bear your hand in it for ten 
seconds, will destroy green fly on Roses, and twice the strength will kill the 
black fly on Ivy. Quassia water made by boiling an ounce of chips in a 
gallon of soft water with 2 ozs. of softsoap will destroy the insects, so will 
tobacco water. You can use any of these that may be the most con¬ 
veniently obtainable. We keep our Rose trees clean by syringing them 
frequently and forcibly with pure water. 
Superphosphate of Lime {W. S .).—This is good for mixing with the 
soil for Chrysanthemums at the rate of one part of the manure to twenty 
parts of soil, and it is also good for top-dressings toward the autumn. It 
is not made with either prussic or carbolic acid, but with sulphuric acid as 
follows :—Place 5 cwts. (or 12 bushels) bones on an earthen floor surrounded 
by a rim of ashes; pour on as much water as the bones will suck up, and 
then pour on 2 cwt. of sulphuric acid. It will boil somewhat violently for a 
while. When this has subsided it will get tolerably solid, and the ashes and 
all may be shovelled up together, and will be fit for use in a day or two. 
Crushed bones are excellent for mixing with soil in pots, but do not act so 
quickly as a top-dressing as when dissolved. 
Spiraea palmata and Coleuses {T. A. E .).—If the plants are in pots they 
can be grown in the greenhouse or a frame until after they have flowered, 
when the best plan will be to plant them out in a border of good soil. They 
can be left out all the winter if the crowns are covered with coal ashes, or 
they can be taken up and potted for early flowering. The soil should consist 
of loam and leaf soil with a small quantity of old manure. The following 
are good varieties of Coleuses :—Datk varieties : Mrs. George Simpson, Allen 
Chandler, and Royal Purple. Painted varieties: James Barnshaw, Dis¬ 
tinction, and Harlequin. Yellow varieties : Canary Bird and Yellow Gem. 
Pale and crisped varieties : Favourite, Lovely, Exquisite, and Captivation. 
Fertilisers for Garden Crops {E. T. H .).—We are not at all surprised 
that you are somewhat in doubt as to which fertiliser to choose from the 
many that are advertised. It is the same with others, both individuals and 
articles ; and it is quite impossible that we can tell you which of the many 
manures to use, simply because the soil in our garden, or that which we 
employ in growing plants in pots, may be quite different from yours in its 
chemical constitution, and consequently the fertiliser that we find good 
might be of small use in your case. We can only state as a rule that plants 
and crops which require to be quickly grown are the most benefited by 
nitrogenous manures, these containing a large per-centage of ammonia ; 
while those that are desired to produce seed or bear fruit year after year 
should contain a good amount of potash and phosphate of lime. The best 
plan for persons to adopt is to purchase small quantities of different ferti¬ 
lisers and try their effects on different plants and crops. This is cheaper 
and of more practical use than analysing the soil. We have tried both 
methods, and hence our advice is founded on experience. 
Vine Leaves {H. J. H .).—There is not a speck of mildew on the leaves 
you have sent, which are quite clean, and as they are also fairly stout in 
texture we do not apprehend they will be infested, provided the atmosphere 
oi the house is well managed and a judicious system of ventilation practised. 
A close murky atmosphere invites mildew. Very early morning ventilation 
is important, and we should not have the house entirely closed at night. If 
the air of a vinery is in the slightest degree oppressive to yourself by being 
close, stuffy, and heavy it will not be in the best condition for the Vines, 
but will be suitable for their enemy the mildew. At the same time sharp 
currents of dry air must not be permitted. Considerable judgment is needed in 
ventilating a vinery. One person can keep down the temperature to say 60° 
