406 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 19, 1881. 
freely the plants are less liable to run to seed, besides being of very 
superior quality. The Paris White Cos or any of its varieties are 
most suitable. 
• i • i. i~i ■ 
HE BEE-KEEPER. 
Plants of Brussels Sprouts and Yeitch’s Autumn Cauliflowers that 
were raised under glass and pricked out in the open or in frames 
should, when of good size, be permanently planted. Both are valu¬ 
able crops, and the former especially cannot well be put out too 
early. The Cauliflowers may be planted among the widely planted 
early Potatoes, but the Sprouts deserve a clear quarter, which should 
be tolerably rich, deeply dug, and then trodden firm. The rows may 
be placed 3 feet apart and the plants at least 2 feet asunder in the 
rows, it being a great mistake to crowd them. When planting any 
of the Brassicas always render the soil firm about them; they will 
more readily become established. 
If Strawberries have not already been mulched with fresh manure 
it should no longer be neglected. Finish off with a little clean litter 
for the fruit to rest on. Where manure or straw cannot be obtained 
the grass from mowings may be substituted ; it, however, rather 
encourages the depredations of slugs. The plants in newly made 
beds ought not to be allowed to bear fruit unless the^ are strong 
and well established. Rows of excellent Lettuces may be grown 
between them, and the Strawberries next season will well repay for 
the self-denial. 
VINERIES. 
Yines in cool houses are now making rapid progress, and will 
require close attention. Crowding-in the growth and overcropping 
are mistakes frequently made by amateurs, which not only detracts 
from the value of the current crop but also gradually impairs the 
Yine’s constitution. If the main rods are evenly furnished with 
spurs, one lateral only should be retained on each spur, selecting the 
strongest and pulling out the remainder. If the rods are thick stop 
the retained laterals one joint beyond the bunches ; but if the rods 
are a good distance apart, say 4 feet, then stop at the second joint 
beyond the bunches. When the growth has stiffened somewhat will 
be the time to gradually tie down the laterals to the wires. As there 
is a danger of these being twisted off, especially if strong and the 
manipulator inexperienced, it is advisable to delay the final disbud¬ 
ding till the tying-down is safely accomplished, which of course gives 
a second chance. Where the house is not yet furnished the leading 
growth of the rods must be carefully trained in the required direction, 
pinching off tendrils and stopping the lateral growths to one joint as 
required. These leading shoots should not be fruited, and later on it 
will be advisable in the case of prolific Yines to reduce the number 
of bunches. 
As most of the bedding plants will now be gradually shifted out of 
these structures the temperature may be increased, which will 
much benefit the Yines, assist to develope the bunches, and also 
quicken the growth of any heat-loving plants that may be grown 
for summer decoration. No very regular temperature can be main¬ 
tained without fire heat, neither is it necessary. Close the venti¬ 
lators early, say at 4 P.M., at which time it may be done safely, and 
freely syringe the floors, walls, and staging, and also the Yines if red 
spider be troublesome, using perfectly clear and tepid water, and by 
these means create a warm temperature and humid atmosphere, 
which will last_through the night. On clear mornings open early, or 
the foliage will be burnt. Open when the thermometer has run up to 
near 70°, and only admit sufficient air to keep it near to that tempera¬ 
ture. The roots must not be neglected, as so much depends on them. 
Inside borders especially require frequent and heavy watering, as well 
as a mulching of half-decayed manure. The latter should be given 
to the outside borders, where it will serve to enrich the soil, besides 
encouraging surface-rooting. If considered unsightly lightly cover 
with garden soil. These borders ought not to be occupied with either 
flowers or vegetables, all these tending to drive the Yine roots down 
into the border—a very frequent cause of the fruit shanking, 
especially when the borders are badly drained. If conspicuously 
situated an edging of either Yerbenas or Petunias will help to relieve 
the bare appearance of the border, and will not much interfere 
with administering heavy supplies of liquid manure later in the 
season. 
^ he'BEE-KEEPER J 
1-1- r-T-T=~r-TTT=- r-i .r.-r-r- i .'i -r -1 -i • i. r. r - iw.v-i • III 
removing stocks and arranging an apiary. 
Every member of a newly hived natural swarm before starting 
off in quest of booty carefully notes its position and bearings, 
flying for some seconds with its bead towards the alighting board, 
and in like manner every young bee as it commences the duties 
of life outside the hive makes itself acquainted with its position. 
But this knowledge once gained suffices, and in all subsequent ex¬ 
cursions it simply sallies forth, returning with unerring accuracy 
to the point left. The removal of the hive only two or three 
paces will often altogether prevent the finding of it, when the 
insects fly helpless, homeless, and lost around the too-well remem¬ 
bered spot to die. This power which the bee possesses of im¬ 
printing locality upon its little brain (cephalic ganglion) is 
essential to its well-being, as in normal conditions the proper 
hive must be entered or the life of the mistaking intruder would 
pay the forfeit. But the bee-keeper is sometimes forced as a 
consequence to allow notions of order and symmetery to continue 
to be violated, for in some circumstances we know of no certain 
means by which stocks can be arranged without inconvenience 
and loss ; but on the other hand there are conditions which being 
observed make the operation safe, although the attached trouble 
is often considerable. Let us first, then, endeavour to explain the 
best plans for moving hives, and then point out the principles 
which should guide us in placing them. 
As regards moving stocks, the case which presents the least 
difficulty is that in which a removal of a short distance may 
be accomplished in stages. If several stocks stand upon the 
front edge of a lawn, and it is desired to place them at the back 
of it, all in the evening may be diawn 1 or 2 yards nearer to 
their future resting place. The succeeding day being fine, the 
bees flying freely will easily find their new position, to which they 
next day will return to again discover their hives a yard or two 
on the march, and so by degrees they can be without any loss 
drawn to the spot of the bee-keeper’s selection. If the hives 
stand in a line the line can only be moved very short stages in 
the direction of its length, or the second hive would come quite 
into the position before held by the first, and so on for the rest. 
Much confusion would certainly follow this, while the encasement 
of queens from numerous mistakes would be quite likely. If, 
however, the line of hives were moved backwards, each stock re¬ 
treating as it were from its own alighting board, then 2 yards at 
each stage might be ventured on. If many hives stand together 
in the centre of an open space, so that the insect village is the 
general guide to the returning foragers, it is clear that all may be 
moved many yards if only the mutual relations of position be 
duly preserved. 
But it is the rule that re-arrangement cannot be effected in this 
simple manner. A road, a river, a shrubbery stands between the 
present and future position, or the change must be made at once ; 
quarter day is arriving, and the bee-keeper’s own removal to a 
new spot not far enough away to prevent the bees coming back 
necessitates some device for their safety. The only perfectly 
reliable plan is to send the whole of the colonies to a new position 
a mile or a mile and a half away, and by leaving them about 
three weeks, they will probably forget the former station. They may 
now be brought home and placed like natural swarms wherever 
we elect ; but inconvenience and expense make this plan unac¬ 
ceptable, while every other yet suggested has some drawback. 
For instance : If in the evening the hives be closed with per¬ 
forated zinc (taking care that ample ventilation be given), and 
then placed in a darkened and cool room and allowed to remain 
three or four days, the bees will become so demoralised by the 
imprisonment that they will note their position when freed on 
their new stands and will almost invariably return to them. 
Less damage would be caused to the stocks by merely moving 
them to their new position early in the morning, smoking them 
well and then driving the skeps, throwing the bees down in the 
front of their hives on the new stand and letting them run in as 
a natural swarm. The bees from frame hives would simply be 
shaken on to a board at their hive door. Before attempting this 
plan, w'hich is not reported as being with all stocks quite success¬ 
ful, it would be well to gather the hives into little closely placed 
lots of three or four each, and at the time of removal stand a hive 
with a comb containing brood on the vacated spot to gather up 
the stragglers, which may be brought home in the evening and 
started as a nucleus or swarm according to number. The fright 
the bees have already experienced in having lost their home will 
add to their caution, and all, or nearly all, will remain. 
