538 
JOURNAL OF H0RTICUL1URE AND COTTAGE GARDEJlER. 
[ June 25 , 1885. 
“ BEES.” 
Under the above title two numbers of a publication by !\Ir. Frank 
Benton of Munich have reached us, which is probably the smallest serial 
issued. It consists of a single sheet, inches long by 6 inches wide, 
printed on both sides, and appears to be issued at different places visited 
by the publisher, as that for March is dated from Larnaca, Cyprus, and 
the April number from Beyrout, Syria. 
As an example of the matter we extract the following from No. 3 :— 
THE EASTERN RACES. 
Many into whose hands these lines may fall will doubtless know that I 
passed the years 1880-81-82 in the Orient, devoting my whole time to bee- 
culture, and that I have since then visited several different countries for 
the purpose of procuring the most valuable races of bees as well as the 
choicest queens to be had. 
In 1880 “ The Cyprus Apriary ” consisted of over 200 colonies of bees 
collected in various parts of the Island, and in 1881 the “ Mt. Lebanon 
Apiary,” having eighty to 100 colonies, was established by purchasing stock 
hives. from numerous apiaries located on the sides of Mt. Lebanon. Many 
apiaries were visited also where no purchases were made, and I have 
conversed with a large number of the native bee-owners in many different 
parts of the East, but have never seen a trace of foul brood nor heard of its 
existence there. This is worthy of note, since the native bee-raisers in those 
lands are well acquainted with the birds, insects, &c., which are injurious 
to their bees. I believe myself fully warranted in the conclusion that the 
disease does not exist there. 
After five years’ experience I am of the opinion that the first rank 
should be given to 
Cyprian Bees as the best bees, all things considered, yet cultivated. 
They were discovered and first imported from Cyprus by Mr. Edward Cori, 
Director of Chancellory in Bohemia, and are now raised largely in Austria, 
Germany, and America. The queens of this race live on the average longer 
and show greater prolificness than do those of the black or Italian races, 
but less inclination to rear large numbers of drones. They commence 
laying earlier than either Italians or blacks, and continue later in the 
season; moreover, they do not stop brood-rearing at every check in the 
honey flow. It results from all this that Cyprian colonies are always very 
populous, hence are prepared for every harvest that comes along and go 
into winter quarters in good condition, and since this race shows the 
greatest energy and diligence in honey-gathering, remarkable yields of 
honey can be obtained with it if rightly managed. A striking example of 
this is the yield of 1000 lbs. of honey obtained by a well-known bee-keeper, 
Mr. B. F. Carroll of Dresden, Texas, in a single season and from one hive of 
bees. Cyprians winter excellently, even in very severe climates. They 
show the greatest courage and perseverance in defending their hives against 
robbers, moths, &c., in fact they are robber-proof and moth-proof. When 
high winds prevail they are extremely prudent about venturing out, 
although their flight is strong'and swift. They frequently construct eighty 
to 100 queen cells at a time, and the young queens upon emerging are 
remarkably vigorous and active. When the combs are removed from hives 
of pure Cyprians the bees do not run to the lower parts of the frames and 
drop off in clumps as do black bees, but remain, like Italians, spread evenly 
over the combs. They can, however, be shaken from the combs as easily 
as black bees. Cyprians are the yellowest, mo3t beautiful bees yet dis¬ 
covered, and the race is such a well-established one that in all crosses 
obtained with it the Cyprian blood has the greatest influence, and is even 
easily discernible through many generations. This potency in transmitting 
its markings and qualities is positive proof that the Cyprian is a vigorous, 
well-established race developed by many centuries, perhaps even thousands 
of years, of natural selection. 
The claim that Cyprian bees are possessed of such great stinging 
propensities as to make them nearly unmanageable I have not found well 
based; indeed, in common with many others who have carefully tested 
them I prefer to manipulate Cyprians rather than Italians, and find that, 
while getting no more stings from them, I can get on much faster with 
the work. 
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*** All correspondeuce 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. 
Hyacinth Holder ( J . T .).—The arrangement of the wire appears both 
simple and ingenious, but we should prefer to try the holder before express¬ 
ing a definite opinion upon its merits. The example you have sent is 
obviously much too short, and if the upper clip is intended to grasp the 
spike between the bells, will it not be a little inconvenient to affix without 
injuring some of them ? 
Pelargoniums ( Under Gardener). —The most readily observed distinction 
between Pelargoniums and Geraniums is that the former have slightly 
irregular flowers, one of the lower sepals being prolonged into a spur which 
adheres to the flower stalk. This is not seen in true Geraniums, and the 
latter, moreover, are mostly herbaceous plants. The best way to distinguish 
the types of cultivated Pelargoniums is to visit a flower show, and you will 
more readily understand the difference than from a description. The Show 
varieties should have smooth round flowers of good size. The Regal and 
Decorative commonly have crumpled or fringed petals, and the Fancies are 
much smaller in size and of very compact habit. 
Vines Leaves Withering ( R. H., Taunton). —"We should cleanse the 
Vines from red spider in the manner indicated last week, but if you cannot 
do so you may apply Fir tree oil or sulphur now, the former through a spray- 
distributor, the latter through a sulphurator or tied up in a bit of muslin, 
dusting when the leaves are wet. You will do well to allow an extension of 
laterals to “ take the place of the fallen leaves,” allowing all the leaves to 
form that can develope fully under the direct action of light and no more. 
You had better crop very lightly this year and ventilate early, or the young 
leaves will collapse like the old, and the Vines should be syringed when the 
sun is declining to prevent the spread of the pest, yet soon enough for the 
leaves to dry before nightfall, when the top ventilators should be opened to 
the extent of an inch or two and remain open all night. 
Insects on Apple Trees ( J. C., Downpatrick). —So far as we can judge from 
your description, and without our seeing the leaves or the insects, the Apples 
in question have been infested by the Apple chermes, or Psylla Mali, a species 
akin to the familiar aphis and the “ scale.” The eggs are laid in autumn 
upon the branches, and the insects appear during April, the buds being 
usually their object of attack, but they will occasionally spread themselves 
over the leaves of the Apple, which then look white and slimy, curling up 
and dropping. It should, however, be added that an appearance somewhat 
similar to what you describe is caused by one of the species of aphis or fly 
that in some seasons resorts to the Apple, though not occasioned by the 
visitation of the commoner species, Aphis Mali. The spots simply of 
various sizes and shades of red or yellow noticeable upon the foliage of 
Currants and Gooseberries are caused by a cryptogamic growth, not by 
insects. Besides these we may discover small swellings or protuberances on 
the under side of the leaves generally, often placed in clusters, which are the 
homes of a minute species of gall-mite or Phytoptus, a wingless insect allied 
to the red spider and the harvest mite. In regard to the book concerning 
which you inquire, we do not know any small modern work upon the subject 
of the insect foes of fruit trees. Besides the book you mention there is some 
useful information in Kellar’s work (Westwood’s edition) on the insects 
annoying gaideners and farmers, which may be picked up second-hand. 
Some years ago Professor Duncan published a volume, now out of print, we 
believe, on the “ Culture of Fruit Trees, and the Insects infesting them.” 
Souvenir de la Malmaison Carnation ( E.D. O .).—With very light ade¬ 
quately heated low span-roof houses, or pits for the plants in winter and 
spring, striking stout cuttings periodically, and growing the plants well, 
blooms may be had more or less plentifully throughout the year, but they 
cannot be relied on in the absence of adequate means for producing 
them, such as an ordinary greenhouse crowded with a variety of other 
plants that require different treatment. The plants may be grown in cool 
frames, or even in the open air in the summer, and will then produce 
flower stems and buds that will expand in a very light house having a 
genial temperature between 50° andC0°. Established plants will flower from 
the present time till the autumn, and strong cuttings rooted now will, if 
well grown, flower in the winter and spring. A supply of blooms cannot 
be had all the year round, from, say, a dozen plants all in the same stage of 
development. Carnations are best produced in the winter in houses that 
are practically devoted to the culture of the plants, and it is in this respect 
that growers of flowers for market have the advantage over the great 
majority of private gardeners and amateurs, whose glass accommodation 
limited, and who have to grow in the best way they can a great variety o 
plants together. It does not follow, then, that because blooms of the Car¬ 
nation in question can be had all the year round that it is in the power of all 
cultivators to produce them. 
Ferns and Plants for Room (H. M.). —We have found the following 
plants suitable and easily cultivated. Ferns are very useful, but it is 
necessary that the growths be completed and hardened before placing 
in such a position, or the fronds from the drier atmosphere of a drawing¬ 
room are liablejto suffer. Ferns are—Adiantums assimile, Capillus-Veneris, 
mthiopicum, cuneatum, formosum, s=tulosum; Aspleniums bulbiferum, 
caudatum, dimorphum, and prmmorsum ; Blechnum occidentale, Davallia 
dissecta, D. tenuifolia, Doodia aspera, Goniophlebium appendiculatum, 
Gymnogramma ochracea, G. tartarea, Lastrea decomposita, L, decurrens, 
L. elegans, Lomaria gibba, L. Herminieri, L. Patersoni, Nephrolepis daval- 
lioides, N. exaltata, Platycerium alcicorne, Platyloma rotundifolia, Pteris 
cretica albo-lineata, P. longifolia, P. serrulata, P. serrulata cristata, P. 
umbrosa. Those require stove or greenhouse temperature. Hardy Ferns 
are even more suitable, of which we name a few which succeed admirably 
grown in a cool greenhouse :—Asplenium adiantum nigrum, A. marinum, 
A. trichomanes, Athyrium Filix-foemina, vars. Applebyanum, apueeforme, 
corymbiferum, and plumosum; Blechnum spicant, and var. imbricatum ; 
Lastrea dilatata cristata, L. Filix-mas, var. cristatus; Osmunda gracilis, 
O. regalis cristata, Polypodium dryopteris, P. vulgare, P. vulgare cambricum, 
Polystichum aculeatum, P. angulare cristatum, P. multifidum, Scolopendrium 
vulgare, vars. corymbiferum, crispum maximum, ramo-cristatum; and 
Lycopods, which do well in a stove with moisture, as Selaginellas 
erythropus,formosa, Lyalli, Martensi variegata ; and in greenhous’, S. Wil- 
denovi and denticulata. Stove plants—Alocasia Jenningsi, Anthurium 
Schertzerianum, Aralia leptophylla, Croton Johannis, C. angustifolium, 
C. Weismanni, Cyperus alternifolius fob variegata, Dracaena Cooperi, D. re¬ 
gime, D. stricta, D. utilis, D. rubra, D. terminalis, Jacaranda mimossefolia, 
Maranta zebrina, Mussasnda frondosa, Pandanus graminifolius, Panicum 
