78 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ January 27, mi. 
be fully stated, while it will be seen by comparing the illustra¬ 
tions now given with the article referred to. The slip (a b c, 
fig. 16) is cut about 2 inches wide, and quite twice the length of 
the hive opening. The thin blocks (D and E) are of wood, about 
three-eighths of an inch thick, while they are made from a single 
piece by saw cuts, giving to one part a point and the other an 
indentation. The piece D is fixed to ABC, while E is free to slip 
backwards and forwards. These are now turned down upon the 
Fig. 16. 
alighting board, when they are seen as in fig. 18. In summer the 
parts will stand in the relation shown in fig. 16, when the point 
and indentation present no impediment to the passage of the 
busy throng from f to g ; but for weak stocks, or when robbing 
may be apprehended or is observed, or after swarming if the 
weather be cool, it will be desirable to narrow the entrance, caus¬ 
ing E to approach D, more or less giving to it the position in 
Fig. 17. 
fig. 17. The bend in the tunnel (/', g') will assist in protecting 
from cold pulsating winds, and also add to the difficulties of an 
attacking party in the case of robbing, while in winter it not a 
little saves from draughts as aforesaid, but absolutely overcomes 
the difficulty which has engaged our chief attention by totally 
preventing the possibility of sunshine entering the hive. A small 
stud placed under ABC, opposite the point of D, fig. 16, will pre¬ 
vent the danger of the pieces being pushed so near to each other 
O' J" E* 
Fig. 18. 
that the mouth may be practically closed. He would be but a 
poor carpenter who could not for himself make this form of 
entrance, which costs but little both in time and material, and 
seems to cover all ordinary emergencies.—F. Cheshire, Avenue 
House, Acton, IF. 
*** 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 Poultry and Bee subjects, and 
should never send more than two or three questions at once. All 
articles intended 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. 
Pelargonium “ Guillon Mangilli ” ( A. S. I ).).—You will find this 
variety, which has been so much inquired for of late on account of its value for 
winter blooming, advertised in the present issue of the Journal. 
“ Rosarians’ Year Book” (R. J. C.). —It can be obtained either through 
a bookseller or direct from the publishers, Messrs. Bemrose, 23, Old Bailey, 
London, or at Derby. 
Insect on Vines (IT. Martin ).—The specimens sent are pupa: of some 
two-winged fly, species uncertain till some are reared. Kindly state under what 
circumstances they were discovered. 
The Pomegranate (J. S. V .).—This plant, which is the Punica Granatum 
of botanists, is a member of the natural order Myrtaceae. It is grown outside in 
the southern counties of England, generally trained to a wall with a sunny 
aspect, where it flowers ; but we do not know an instance of fruit being 
matured. A moderately light garden soil suits it, and it needs little attention, 
except in training or thinning the shoots. You will find an engraving and 
description of the plant in No. 759 of this Journal, which may be obtained from 
the publisher, post free 3£<f. 
Potatoes and Apples Frozen (F. J.).—According to your description 
of the tubers they will be all spoiled if they remain where they are however 
thickly you may cover them now. See our reply to another correspondent. 
Apples will endure much more frost than Potatoes ; and probably if you cover 
them thickly and let them remain covered until the frost is gone, a portion of 
the fruit at least will remain sound. Some varieties of Apples are more hardy 
than others, but all of them will resist several degrees of frost. If you bury 
the Potatoes you must do so at once. If you remove them to a warm tempera¬ 
ture the sudden change will inevitably cause their destruction. 
Glazing without Top Putty (F. C.). —The information required is at 
page 550 of our last volume—viz., “ In forming the rebate in the rafters and 
sashbars half an inch is deep enough, and a quarter of an inch wide for the 
reception of the glass,” the glass to be bedded in putty in the usual way, and 
secured with copper tacks. “ No upper putty should be used, but have the 
putty (not wood, as stated at page 550) dressed off level with the glass.” The 
rebate is formed in the usual way, and does not differ from that of sashbars for 
windows or glass structures, and is different from a groove, which is unnecessary 
and unsuitable. The method of glazing is simply the old-fashioned one without 
putty over the glass. It is important that the glass be firmly embedded in the 
putty; the roof will then be perfectly watertight. 
Potting Trees for Orchard House {Idem). —The trees now in the open 
ground should be taken up as soon as the weather is favourable, and have the 
strong roots cut back to admit of their being placed in the pots, but the fibres 
should be carefully retained. The pots should be well drained, and some of the 
rough of the compost placed over it to keep it free. Turfy loam rather strong is 
the best material for potting, working it well amongst the roots and making it 
firm. The Apricots should also be potted with as little delay as possible, and 
should have the strong roots shortened back, but the fibres carefully pre¬ 
served. They should be potted firmly, adding about a tenth of old mortar 
rubbish to turfy loam. The potting of them will not prevent their fruiting this 
season, but being maidens last year it is doubtful if they have fruit buds. They 
will need some slight pruning. The Apple sent is not King of the Pippins, and 
we are unable to determine the name from the specimen. 
Frozen Potatoes (A'. D., Bradford). —We know of no plan equal to bury¬ 
ing them in the ground. Dig a trench, spread the Potatoes as thinly as possible, 
and cover them with the soil, which should be mixed with the tubers ; if this 
does not remove the frost and leave the tubers sound, nothing will that we are 
acquainted with. Potatoes that are left in the ground all the winter are usually 
sound in the spring, though, on account of their nearness to the surface, it is 
almost or quite certain they had been frozen. We have often observed a 
Potato that has been partly embedded in the soil frozen above where exposed, 
and sound below where embedded, yet the frost must have penetrated the soil 
below the Potato. 
Figs not Swelling (S. O). —Probably if you rely on smaller fruits in the 
autumn for producing the first crop in spring that the fruit will swell and ripen 
freely. If it does not, the failure will result either from imperfect fertilisation 
or some check received by the roots, or by sudden fluctuations in the tempera¬ 
ture of the house. The flowers expand when the so-called fruit has attained to 
about a third of its size. If you refer to our issue of January 31st, 1878, you will 
find the Fig bloscom illustrated, and much interesting matter relative to it. If 
you d j not possess the number it can be had from the publisher in return for 
S^d. in stamps, and a request that he send you No. 379 of this Journal. 
Potatoes for Exhibition (A. Clark ).— White Rounds— Porter’s Excelsior, 
Model, and Schoolmaster. White Kidneys —International Kidney, Covent Garden 
Perfection, and Veitcli’s Improved Ashleaf. Coloured Rounds —Bed Emperor, 
Badstock Kidney, and Blanchard. Col ured Kidneys— Garibaldi, Late American 
Bose, and Fenn’s Bountiful. As no one can rely on staging eight dishes of the 
best character from the same number of varieties we have named twelve sorts 
from which, under good cultivation, you may' hope to select the number of dishes 
you require. Of Beets, Carter’s Perfection, Suttons’ Improved Dark Bed, and 
Nutting’s Selected are all good for exhibition. 
Heating with a Paraffin Stove ( A.J. ).—The small stoves are useful, but 
too much is often expected from them. Ahorse cannot do so much work as a steam 
engine, nor a boy so much as a man. If the horse or boy are taxed beyond their 
strength they succumb, and the work is not done at all. It is the same with 
stoves. If overworked—that is, overheated, they, instead of preserving the 
plants, injure them. There is no remedy for your Cinerarias and other plants 
that are shrivelled ; but some of the injury at least might have been averted if 
you had been satisfied with preventing the temperature falling below freezing 
instead of raising it to 40°. When stoves are highly heated for any length of 
time they must be injurious to plants. These stoves, when sufficiently large or 
numerous, will preserve certain plants from frost, but there is a limit to their 
effectiveness. The weather has been exceptionally cold of late, and your stove 
has been unequal to the work you expected it to do. We know of many other 
failures of a similar nature. When one stove is only adequate diming an ordinary 
winter, two are requisite when the weather is unusually severe. 
Potting Vines ( Subscriber). —The best time for potting such Tines as 
require it is when they are commencing fresh growth in the spring, and before 
the shoots are liable to be broken during the operation. All Vines that are in 
large pots do not need repotting; it is only when the pots are crowded with 
healthy roots that the practice is necessary. Under other conditions repotting 
might be injurious rather than beneficial. The work must be done, and espe¬ 
cially the watering, afterwards, with great care ; it is work for skilled gardeners 
rather than for amateurs and learners of Vine culture in pots. If you have not 
had previous experience in the work in question we do not advise you to repot 
all the Vines, but remove such of the soil from the pots as you can without dis¬ 
turbing the roots, and add a fresh compost of loam and a sprinkling of bone 
meal, eventually top-dressing with manure. By noticing the effects you will 
then gain experience of practical value, and be able to teach others. 
Camellias not Expanding (Florist).—We submitted the specimen you 
sent to a skilful cultivator of Camellias who has the charge of a very large and 
superior collection of plants, and the following are his remarks on the subject— 
“ It is difficult to ascertain the cause of Camellia buds falling without knowing 
minutely the circumstances under which the plant is treated. The cause may 
be simple and brought about by the neglect of some small point in culture, or 
it may be a natural characteristic of the variety which the utmost care and 
