February 7 , 1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
117 
period of wet cold weather set in and the harvest fail, well then 
the bee-master must live through another winter on hopes 
and not on honey, and more than that, he must be liberal in his 
supplies of artificial food, and feed up his carefully augmented 
army until they are fit to go into winter quarters. “ Comber ” 
seems to have done by accident exactly the same thing we used 
to practise as above explained. He found that the stock from 
•which a swarm issued, and whose queen entered a strange hive 
and was killed, made a good honey harvest, through having a 
virgin queen at its head just before the glut set in. Where an 
increase of stocks is not desired the non-swarming system may 
be thus carried out invariably to the bee-keeper’s advantage. 
Plenty of honey will thus be obtained, and hives with young and 
vigorous queens continually kept over to the next season. 
Like “ Comber,” we have generally found that a prime 
swarm returned, and the queen cells simply excised, was either 
still bent on swarming again after preparing a fresh batch of 
royal cells, or that they sulked for days after, and often in the 
•end lost much of the precious honey season. It will be seen 
from our remarks that we do not believe that a strictly non¬ 
swarming system can be carried out. In former papers we have 
shown how bees can be kept with a minimum of the desire for 
swarming, and how we induce them to take to supers, and 
therefore we will not go over that ground again, but only say 
that those who do not wish for swarms must be ever on the 
qui vive to adopt the many means which offer themselves at the 
a-ight moment and in the right way. And one word more. 
Swarming is a natural habit with bees, and there is not a doubt 
that in localities favourable to honey-getting, in the end the 
most profitable method of keeping bees is to allow strong early 
hives to throw off a prime swarm, and the stock hive with its 
colony will produce more than any single stock managed on the 
non-awarming system.—P. H. P. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
J. C. Schmidt, Erfurt. —Catalogue of Flower and Vegetable Seeds. 
E. G. Henderson & Son, Maida Vale, London, W. —Catalogue of Vegetable 
■and Flower Seeds. 
W. P. Laird & Sinclair, Dundee. —Catalogue of Vegetable and Flower Seeds. 
Thos. S. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham. —Catalogue of Choice 
Flower Seeds. t 
C. Pocock, Wincanton. —Catalogue of Choice Seeds. 
W. Atlee Burpee & Co., Philadelphia, U.S.A. —Catalogue of Farm and 
/garden Seeds ( illustrated ). 
All correspondence should be directed either to “Tiie 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 (E. M. H .).—Johnson’s “British Ferns,” published at this office) 
price 35. &d., would interest you, and Hibberd’s “ Fern Garden,” published by 
Groombridge at the same price, would also be useful. ( W. H.). —You might 
obtain the following works :—Henslow’s “ Botanical Dictionary,” published 
'by Groombridge & Sons, 4s.; Lindley’s “ Descriptive Botany,” published by 
Bradbury & Co., Bouverie Street, Strand, Is. ; and if you desire a more 
elaborate work on botany procure Henfrey & Masters’ “Elementary Course 
of Botany,” published by Van Voorst, London, price 155. ( M. IF.).—There 
is no work published on the subject you name, but full cultural notes have 
been given, and others will doubtless follow, in our columns. You will find 
useful information in our Kitchen Garden Manual, which can be had post 
free from this office in return for 4Ygl. in stamps. 
Cypripedium Leaf Injured ( L. T. K.). —Two causes may have contributed 
to the rusty appearance of the foliage—first, the employment of water 
containing some injurious substance, and placing the plants in too low a 
temperature. The former is probably the chief cause, as the injury seems to 
be confined to the lower portions of the leaf where the water would accumu¬ 
late in the axils. Rain water is the best, and very little will be needed on 
the foliage ac this time of year. The temperature should not be less than 55°, 
and a shady position i3 preferable for most Cypripediums, as for other Orchids 
which do not possess pseudo-bulbs. 
Garrya elliptica Fruiting (J. S .).—It is rare for Garrya elliptica to pro¬ 
duce fruit, as it is dioecious—that is, bears the male and female flowers on 
different plants, and the male plant is the one chiefly grown. Are you sure 
that your plant is the true G. elliptica ? 
Moving Rhododendrons (J. N., Meath ).—No shrubs transplant better 
than these, and they may be had from a nursery any time from October until 
the buds commence swelling in the spring. They may be dispatched safely 
at this season of the year, provided the roots are kept quite moist in transit. 
White Cinerarias (G. Snow ).—It is not uncommon for white-flowered 
va r ieties to be produced from seed, and we have seen many such flowers as 
those you have sent to us. We do not mean that white varieties are pro¬ 
duced from every packet of seed, and we think they are not so numerous as 
they were some years ago, but they exist nevertheless. 
Shallots and Potatoes (J. IF., Keighley ).—There are no better Shallot 3 
than what is known as the small common Shallot and the large Brown. 
These will keep as long as any so-called “ Long Keepers ” when the bulbs are 
well ripened, harvested in good condition, and stored in a cool place. They 
are sold by nursery and seedsmen, and their price can be found in catalogues. 
We have not grown “Mackenzie’s Pride ” Potato ; if any of our readers can 
describe the cropping, keeping, and cooking qualities of this, or McKinlay’s 
Pride, we will readily publish them. 
Catalpa Wood (J. H .).—The wood of the Catalpas is very light, but of a 
pleasing greyish-white colour, and has a fine texture. It requires to be 
thoroughly seasoned, and is then reputed to be durable, taking a brilliant 
polish. No doubt you might have many articles of domestic utility con¬ 
structed from the tree when the wood is properly seasoned. 
Coating Hot-water Pipes [Inquirer). —You acted very imprudently in 
allowing an “ oil man ” to decide on a matter of this kind. If he had under¬ 
stood the subject he would have known that the fumes of black varnish are 
injurious to the foliage of tender plants. You have, however, made the best 
atonement you could by mentioning the evil results that have followed as a 
“ warning to others.” To your inquiry “ What shall I do ? ” our advice is, 
Clean off the varnish with a strong solution of caustic potash, which you can 
get from your oil man ; and if you desire to have the pipes black give them 
a thin coating of lampblack and linseed oil, heating them gently at first, and 
they will have a neat appearance, while the plants will be safe. Thanks for 
your enclosure. 
Begonias for Winter (An Old Subscriber ).—All the species and 
varieties may be propagated by cuttings, and may be inserted at any time 
when a brisk bottom and top heat, say of 75° to 80°, can be maintained. The 
precise time for insertion must be determined by the size of plants that you 
desire. If you wish to have large specimens and have heated structures for 
growing the plants, you may insert the cuttings during February and March. 
If smaller plants are coveted, May and June will be soon enough for propa¬ 
gating, and a cool frame kept close will be suitable for the plants during the 
summer. An ordinary mixture of loam, leaf soil, decayed manure, and sand 
is suitable for growing these plants. The old plants can either be thrown 
away or repotted after they have flowered. Young plants are usually the 
most satisfactory. 
Culture of Heterocentron roseum (Idem ).—Very moderate care will 
enable you to succeed with this plant, as it both grows and flowers freely in 
an ordinary stove or warm conservatory. A light compost of turfy loam 
and peat in equal parts, with sufficient sand to render it porous, is the most 
suitable, and a small proportion of old well-decayed manure may be added if 
especially strong plants are desired. The pots must be carefully drained, as 
abundance of water will be needed during the summer, and when the plants 
become old and it is not convenient to shift them into larger pots, occasional 
supplies of weak liquid manure will assist them greatly. The branches may 
be cut in when they become too straggling, but little attention will be 
requisite in this respect. It can be increased by cuttings of the young 
shoots in spring inserted in sandy soil under a bellglass or in a propagating 
frame. 
Culture of Hellebores (H. T. B .).—A deep, fertile, rather strong, yet 
porous soil is enjoyed by these plants, and a position shaded from the mid-day 
sun. For choice we prefer a border that is shaded by a wall or distant trees 
at mid-day. It is important, too, that the roots be not spread out near the 
surface, but as far as possible they should be made to point directly down¬ 
wards, the same as Carrots. This hint we had from a person who grew these 
plants by the acre and sold the flowers in thousands. In growing the plants 
in pots, place them in a compost of good loam with a little decayed manure 
and wood ashes added. Plunge the pots over their rims in a partially shaded 
position in your garden and water the plants liberally during dry weather, 
giving them weak liquid manure occasionally when they are in full growth. 
The morning sun and afternoon shade appear to suit them admirably. The 
foliage should be well sprinkled, and the ground surrounding the plants be 
made moist during the evenings of sultry days in summer. A good time 
for dividing and planting is immediately after flowering. 
Apple Trees Cankered (J. IT .).—We are obliged by your letter and 
enclosures, which shall have our attention. The question for you to deter¬ 
mine is this, Are the insects the cause of the canker or the result of it ? 
This you can determine by experiment. Your theory is not new. A3 
regards hundreds of trees and thousands of cases of canker that we have 
examined, we are convinced we indicated the cause, and think we have given 
and can give reliable and practical information, however unsatisfactory 
it may happen to be in any special case and to any particular individuals. 
Most welcome, however, will be the results of your researches, as the object 
of all is the same—the elicitation of truth. 
Clerodendron Balfourianum (IF. G.). —It would have been better if your 
plant had only now been going to rest for flowering about the time you 
mention. Had this been the case we could have told you exactly the time 
it should be started for flowering when you require it to do so. If the wood 
is thoroughly ripe, and after the plant has received a good rest, it could be 
