428 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 2;, 1885. 
bear these things in mind—viz., never have less than two 
months’ provender in the hive at this season, and in Sep¬ 
tember never less than what will last them for eight or nine 
months, and never have a hive less in size than what will 
contain from 50,000 to 60,000 eggs and grubs with a third 
more combs for stores. 
When a hive is not of sufficient size means should be 
taken to enlarge it. When hives are not constructed for 
enlargement the simplest means is to prepare a super with 
bars inch from centre, same width as for breeding, and 
place it on the top of the hive. Over this when it is full the 
ordinary supers may be placed. This intermediate super 
with lj inch bars if large enough will effectually prevent the 
queen entering the super proper and encourage the bees to 
enter them more readily, if the side combs are not filled with 
honey and sealed, as is likely to be the case in the stock 
hive. When this occurs the bee keeper should either 
remove the sealed comb or break the seals, as bees dislike to 
travel over sealed honey to enter supers. 
Notwithstanding the rage for extracted honey, super 
honey, whether in the comb or drift, will always bs most 
sought after, and will be in demand when extracted and 
“ artificially ripened ” honey is a drug in the market, though 
at a price sufficiently low and suitable to the wishes of the 
so-called friends of the poor bee-keeper, who no doubt may for 
a while persevere under difficulties and sell their honey at 
jam price, but assuredly will sooner or later give up the 
business in disgust, or turn their attention ,to producing a 
genuine first-class article which will find a ready sale at a 
remunerative price if sold direct to the consumer. There 
must, however, b9 some exertion exercised by the bee-keeper 
both as to that as well as to [the production of first-class 
super honey if he wishes to be successful. 
Any little extra labour towards these attainments should 
not be grudged, but every effort should be made to obtain 
samples which please both the eye and the taste. 
If hives are properly managed there need not be much 
or any honey taken from combs that have been bred in or 
from those where pollen has been stored—both taint the 
honey, although the advocates of the extractor encourage 
the extracting from brood combs or those that have been 
bred in, because they find white comb too brittle. To pro¬ 
duce a marketable sample of extracted honey extract only at 
the end of the sealed combs—the only way the extractor can 
be used to give satisfaction to the consumer.—A Lanark¬ 
shire Bee-keeper. 
Erica herbacea carnea as a Honey Plant. —In a recent visit to 
the Upton Nurseries, Chester, I noticed amongst early-flowering plants 
none more beautiful than Erica herbacea carnea and its pure white variety. 
These come into flower when scarcely anything else is to be found out of 
doors. They are grand bee plants. However early in flower, they are 
sure to he visited by these industrious workers.— John Edmunds. 
%* 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 subjecfs, 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. 
To Correspondents and Readers.—We have from time to time received 
specimens of wood, insects, and dowers with no letters referring to them or 
indicating the senders. Such parcels of course could not be attended to. 
In consequence of the great pressure of matter this week we are compelled 
to defer the publication of a report of the Bath Show, and interesting 
articles on various topics. 
Microscopes (J. S. U .).—Write to Messrs. Lejune &. Perkins, opticians 
Hitton Garden, London. The prices vary extremely, according to the 
character of the articles. 
Laced Polyanthuses (J. T. C .).—As border varieties they are as good 
as it is usual to find flowers raised from seed, but they lack the properties 
desired by florists, and are hence not good enough to be endorsed with 
varietal names. 
Planting Flower Beds (72. IF.).—Your letter is so crowded and con¬ 
fused that it is almost impossible to read it and fully comprehend the case. 
So far as we can make out the proposed arrangement we do not 8“e how you 
can materially improve it with the plants named. We do not like the mass 
of yellow in the centre, and a small inside circle of Ageratum or even 
Perilla would improve the appearance of the design. 
Aphides on Peach Trees (E. D. O.). —We should try light fumigations 
on three consecutive nights, as a strong volume of tobacco smoke is injurious 
to the foliage of Peach tree3, often causing a shrinkage of the tissue, portions 
falling away, leaving only the veins. Some methods of destroying aphides 
are indicated in an article on the first page, and you can adopt the most 
convenient, either instead of or in addition to fumigating. 
Vine Leaf Scorched {Youth). —You certainly adopted a very youthful 
method of packing, in rolling up a leaf and crushing it into a letter, to 
be smashed and shrivelled in transit through the post. How could you 
suppose anyone could satisfactorily indicate the condition of the Vine from 
such, a “specimen?” We can only say that the leaf appears to have been 
of good substance once, but it seem3 to have been scorched considerably 
by some error in ventilation. 
Crickets Eating Vine Leaves ( R. B.). — Place some phosphor paste, 
which may be had of any chemist, on pieces of slate in the evening near 
their haunt3, removing what is not eaten in the morning and burn it. It 
may be necessary to repeat the bait, and we have sometimes laid baits of 
oatmeal mixed with butter or lard to the consistency of pasts, and after 
they had feasted on this for a night or two substituted phosphor paste. 
Being poison it|must be used with care, and kept from the reach of domesti¬ 
cated animals. 
Vines Lifted {J. C.). —We do not think you acted wrong in lifting the 
Vine roots, as the Grapes shanked badly. The only thing wrong was 
in coveting the border thickly with cow dung, which we think is the 
cause of the mischief, as it would keep the soil wet and cold. Some dry 
fern or litter would have been better. We should remove the cow dung 
down to the surface of the border,though a little may be left as a mulching, 
and we think that the Vines will yet start into growth freely when the 
soil becomes warmed by the sun heat, and root-action consequently takes 
place. In the meanwhile keep the Vine3 syringed two or three times a day, 
and encourage growth as much as possible. 
Insects in Vine Border {G. T.). —If the few dried specks in the letter 
are the insects to which you refer, they are shrivelled beyond the possi¬ 
bility of identification. They should have been enclosed in a leaf to keep 
them fresh. We do not for a moment think they are Phylloxeras, and should 
give the border a good soaking with clear lime water; this would be more 
likely to benefit than injure the Vines, and might be destructive to the 
insects. Lumps of unslaked lime are requisite for placing in water, and if, 
after stirring and allowing the water to become clear, there is a sediment at 
the bottom of the tub or vessel, the lime water is as strong as it can be made ; 
if there is no sediment it is not strong enough. 
Vines Scorched (IF. II. J .).—The leaves are scorched, and there is 
evidence of red spider on the smaller leaf. The texture of the leaves is 
thin—proof that the house has been k°pt much too close, and to this cause 
alone we attribute the scorching. We should have the ventilators open 
slightly and constantly—just a chink at the top all night, so as to cause a 
circulation of air and prevent a close vitiated atmosphere, increasing it 
early in the morning and through the early part of the day a3 the sun 
gains power, then when the temperature declines reducing it gradually, 
closing at 80° with plenty of moisture in the house. Cease syringing the 
Vines, but maintain a good moisture by damping available surfaces in the 
morning, and especially at closing time. Keep the roots well supplied 
with tepid liquid manure, and some sprinkled on the paths, borders, &o., 
towards evening will invigorate the Vines and keep down red spider. 
Allow the laterals to extend as far as space permits, yet be careful to avoid 
overcrowding, especially of the principal foliage. 
Vine Bunches Shrivelling {C. M.). —The cause of this is unripe wood, 
or the buds not being perfectly developed in the previous autumn. It may 
have arisen from a deficiency of water during the season of growth or 
through its being withdrawn too soon in autumn, or it may be a conse¬ 
quence of the growths being crowded, the principal leaves not having had 
full exposure to light and air, and it may have resulted from the foliage 
falling prematurely from an attack of red spider. We think, however, that 
it arises from the wood being unripe, and if you avoid that we think they 
will prove satisfactory another season. The dull weather would not be 
likely to cause the defect. Maintain a rather dry and warm atmosphere 
by day, and allow the temperature to fall to 65° or even 60° on cold nights 
Arranging Flower Beds {A Ladj Gardener ).—Yellow Calceolaria is 
not a good centre, but we think it will grow quits tall enough for the pink 
Pelargonium, which we presume is Caristine ora similar variety. Vesuvius 
next the pink is no contrast, though it would harmonise. We should have 
a centre of Perilla nankinensis 1 foot across, then a line a foot wide of 
yellow Calceolaria, next pink Pelargonium, then a line of Bijou Silver 
Variegated Pelargonium with the flowers removed, then Vesuvius Pelar¬ 
gonium, a G-inch line of Lobelia, and a 6-inch margin of Cerastium. You 
would probably like this arrangement for a season. For the centre of a 
bed almost any of the Dracaenas would do, only harden them well off befor e 
