408 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 19, 1881. 
for ordinary Melons, and in due time fine fruits ripened ; but they were not by 
any means equal in flavour to the best named varieties of Melons grown under 
precisely the same treatment. If seeds are sown at once in heat, and strong 
plants raised ready for planting in frames about the middle of June, you may 
with good cultural attention expect fruit in the autumn. You cannot expect a 
satisfactory crop in the open ground in your district. 
Flower Garden Plans (72. Parker). —Some numbers of this Journal 
containing plans have been forwarded to you. Further information with 
additional plans are contained in the Manual of Flower Gardening, published 
at this office, price id., or post free i\d. 
Raising Bulbs from Seeds (A. A'.).—Prepare some light sandy soil and 
place it in well-drained pots or pans, which should be plunged in moderate heat 
under bellglasses or a small propagating frame after the seeds have been sown. 
Do not allow the soil to become dry, and on the other hand supply water 
judiciously, as the seeds are very liable to decay in too much moisture. The 
time that will elapse before the plants produce flowers depends so much upon the 
treatment they receive that it cannot be determined ; it may vary from two to 
four years. But the chief point is to secure the thorough maturation of the 
bulbs each season after growth is completed ; this should be effected by with¬ 
holding water and freely exposing the plants to the sun. 
Tacsonia not Flowering (IF. M .),—As you say the plant is in excellent 
health the non-production of flowers may be due to excessive luxuriance. Thin 
the plant out well, shortening all the strongest shoots, and if you have been 
supplying liquid manure discontinue the practise for a time, only affording 
sufficient water to prevent the leaves drooping. Is the position the plant 
occupies too shaded or damp ? Plants raised from seed do not flower so freely 
as those raised from cuttings. 
Peach Growths Injured (A Young Gardener ).— Assuming that all the 
trees are in the same house and border, we are unable to account for the injury 
to the growths of one tree except on the supposition that there are lenses in the 
glass and the growths have been scorched by the suu; or if this is not the 
cause of the injury, it may be the result of a deficiency of calcareous matter in 
the soil. The remedy for this is to remove a good portion of the existing soil 
and add fresh loam containing a sixth part of lime rubbish or chalk, the soil 
to be made very firm. The growth would then be more short-jointed and firmer 
than appears to be the case at present, and the tree would be in a better bearing 
state. 
Heating (IF. F.). —We think you have misapprehended the nature and 
object of the system to which you refer, and of which you do not state you 
have had practical experience. For certain purposes of heatinsr it is excellent, 
for others it is not needed. No form of apparatus is the best for all purposes 
and positions. We will make inquiries respecting the other mode of heating to 
which you refer, and possibly inspect it, the excellent horticulturist whom you 
name being well known to us. 
See 'ling Gloxinias (II. B.). —The superior forms of Gloxinias that are 
now certificated by the leading authorities are so fine that many that are 
sent us as good from different parts of the country are small and inferior in com¬ 
parison ; yours, however, do not come under this category, for the flowers are 
large, of good substance, and the colours are pleasing. But although we pro¬ 
nounce the varieties worthy of preservation, we doubt if certificates would be 
awarded to any of them by the Floral Committee of the Royal Horticultural 
Society ; still your flowers are very good. 
Polyanthuses (IF. C.). —The flowers you have sent represent a great 
variety of double and single forms, most of which are effective border flowers, 
while some are more curious than beautiful. The laced flowers have a rather 
clouded appearance, the colours not being defined with sufficient clearness to 
meet the approval of advanced florists. The double Primrose is very similar to 
one that was certificated last week, and is a good variety. 
Seedling Pelargonium (T. Canary ).— A single pip and leaf are quite 
insufficient for forming an estimate of the merits of a Zonal Pelargonium, the 
habit of the plant, size of trusses, and freedom of flowering being essential pro¬ 
perties that a variety must possess to be regarded as superior. All we can say 
is, the colour of your flower is rich and the petals well formed and of good sub- 
btance, but we are acquainted with varieties similar in colour, although yours 
may be distinct from them. 
Origin of Pelargonium Mra. Pollock (J. .5. B.). —This beautiful 
Tricolor Pelargonium is one of the many seedlings that have been raised by Mr. 
P. Grieve, who gives 1858 as thedate when Mrs. Pollock was obtained, and he thus 
described the parentage of the variety in the issue of this Journal of May 9th, 
1867 :—“ The seed-bearing parent of Mrs. Pollock was a variety called Emperor 
of the French, and the pollen parent Gold Pheasant. The seed parent of Gold 
Pheasant was also Emperor of the French, and the pollen parent Golden Tom 
Thumb. The seed parent of Golden Tom Thumb was an old variety called 
Cottage Maid, and the pollen parent Golden Chain. The seed parent of Emperor 
of the French was Cerise Unique, and the pollen parent was Attraction. The 
result of this cross was three distinct varieties produced on one plant—viz., 
Emperor of the French, Empress of the French (a marbled-stemmed variety like 
Cerise Unique), and the Silver Tricolor variety called Rainbow.” It may be 
further mentioned that the varieties Cerise Unique and Attraction were raised 
by Mr. Kinghorn, and the latter is said to have been the first Silver Tricolor 
Pelargonium produced. 
Plants Unhealthy—Select Varieties (Pelargonium). —Had you sent 
us a portion of one of the stems that “ turn black ” it would have enabled us to 
arrive at some conclusion on the matter ; at present we are absolutely without 
any data to guide us in forming an opinion as to the cause of injury. The Cal¬ 
ceolarias of which the “lower leaves turn soft” have received a check at the 
roots, probably by neglect in watering, or perhaps improper watering. We 
have seen many plants similar to yours that have been regularly watered ; but 
the very regularity of watering has been deceptive, for while the surface soil 
has been moist enough that at the bottom of the pots has been dry. This is a 
greater source of failure than perhaps any other operation in the routine of 
plant culture. The soil in which Calceolarias are growing must always be 
moist, and the plants usually thrive much better when the pots are stood on 
slates or moist ashes than on the dry shelves of a stage. Hoya carnosa will 
grow and flower well in a greenhouse where the temperature during the winter 
does not fall below 45°. Let your plant have all the sun possible, keep the 
foliage clean, and water freely yet judiciously until the middle of August, when 
the supply should be gradually reduced, keeping the soil comparatively dry, yet 
by no means dust dry, throughout the winter. Hexagon netting placed over 
the ventilators will exclude many sooty particles that are injurious to plants, 
and will not materially prevent the admission of fresh air. You will find it 
advantageous to use the syringe regularly in keeping the foliage clean, and 
without cleanliness your plants cannot be kept healthy. Six Good Show Pelar¬ 
goniums are—Cicely, Artist, Purple Gem, Ruth, Prince Leopold, and Charles 
Turner; Six Decorative Varieties —Duchess of Bedford, Mermerus, Dr. Masters, 
Queen Victoria, Rubens, and Beauty of Oxton; Zonals —Commander-in-Chief, 
Livingstone, Henry Jacoby, Miss Hamilton, Fanny Cattlin, and Jeanne d’Arc. 
Fuchsias— Lord Falmouth, Model, Improvement, Beauty of Trowbridge, Ava¬ 
lanche, and Mrs. Cannell. 
Names of Plants (IF. >/.).—The pink flower is Anomathecacruenta ; the 
orange flower is Diplacus glutinosus, and the yellow flower is a Verbascum, but 
the fragments were insufficient to enable the specific name to be determined. 
(Jones <k Son). —Very much withered, but it is probably Phlox subulata. (E. E. IF.). 
—Euphorbia amygdaloides. If you only want a handbook of the British flora 
there is a cheap and reliable work published at this office which would suit you. 
It is The Handbook of British Plants, by Notcutt, price 3.?. 6 d .; and if you add to 
this Bentham’s Illustrations of the British Flora you will find figures of the several 
plants that are referred to in the other work. Bentham’s book is published by 
Level Reeve, and is not costly. If you require a work with coloured illustrations 
the one you name will answer your purpose. (S. B. & T. 77.).—Orchid flowers require 
very careful packing, as they are not only very liable to shrivel but are frequently 
crushed in transit through the post. A small tin box with a little damp moss 
as a packing medium would insure the blooms arriving in a recognisable condi¬ 
tion, but match boxes and others made of thin cardboard are quite useless. 
(A Reader). —1, Doronicum caucasicuni; 2, Ruscus racemosus. (G. G.). —1, in¬ 
sufficient ; 2, Pyrus amygdaliformis ; 3, Symphoricarpus racemosus. (B. J .).— 
Oncidium concolor. 
Removing Stocks (II. B.). —You will find the information you require in 
an article published in the present issue. 
Hive Construction, Cork-packed Hives, &c. (V. Howitt, Croydon). 
—Thequeryyou submit respecting hive construction shall receive early attention, 
but it cannot be answered usefully without three or four woodcuts. Careful 
reading of the article in our issue of March 24th will give you much that you 
require, while Mr. Cheshire will be happy to show you cork-packed hives at his 
apiary if you previously make an appointment with him, but Mr. Cheshire does 
not deal in hives as some of our correspondents have erroneously supposed. The 
super tray or rack requires covering with some non-conductive cover, but cork 
packing would be here alike inconvenient and unnecessary. It is not only 
possible to keep hives as warm with distance tacks as with broad shoulders, but 
broad shoulders render it impossible to make the hive so non-conductive as with 
enclosed frame ends. The ease of manipulation is greatly against the broad- 
shouldered frames, as such cannot be moved without a most irritating wrench 
and jar which does much to set the bees about the operator’s ears. Your last 
query is practically answered in a reply to another correspondent in this issue, 
which see. 
Flat-bottomed Foundation—Feeding Bees with Honey (II. F .).— 
The maker to whom you refer supplies a foundation in which the two faces are 
not kept in mutual relation. Feeding with honey which has been removed by 
the extractor in order that sections may be filled will not pay, with one excep¬ 
tion—-viz., if you have at the close of the season a residue of sections un¬ 
finished, and which cannot be finished unless feeding be resorted to, it will pay 
to feed extracted honey to get them capped and in condition for the market. 
Of course in this case break up the comb of the sections (as they cannot satis¬ 
factorily be kept through the winter), and so bring down the value of their 
contents to that ot,extracted honey, or extract from store combs and market 
your comb honey. Although clearly the latter course here is the right one, yet 
the waste is so considerable that for bulk the sale of the extracted honey as 
such is the more remunerative. 
Section Boxes in Rear of Hive—Frame Across Entrance- 
Sections for Woodbury Frame (Idem). —We do not use sections in rear 
of hive except where the frames are hung across the entrance, and even then we 
think the greatly increased labour of the plan is in no way compensated. The 
most advanced aud largest honey producers of America are very much of the 
same opinion. Comb is perhaps built more quickly at the rear of the hive, but 
it is not so promptly capped, while it is much more liable to be stained by pollen. 
We have frames across the entrance in some of our hives. We think it assists 
weak lots in winter, but it increases the risk from robbing. Six of the 1 lb. 
section boxes each way would fit a hive taking Woodbury frames. 
Foul Brood —Space Between Frames and Bottom Board of 
Hive (D.). —Foul brood may exist in a hive without causing any very strong 
smell to be emitted. In its earlier stages the smell is often of an acid character, 
because there is probably present in the saccharine matter fed to the grubs that 
kind of fermentation known as lactic, by which lactic acid, the acid of sour 
milk, is produced. As the disease progresses decomposition of the bodies of the 
larvae gives origin to a smell more akin to that of ordinary putrefaction, faint 
and nauseous, aud quite unlike the odour of a healthy stock. The only certain 
guide is to examine the combs, when, if many covers of brood cells are found 
pierced irregularly, while here and there the brownish residue of decayed grubs 
is seen, you have the evidence of the advanced condition of the pest. This sub¬ 
ject has been fully treated in back numbers. Consult those of June 26th, October 
2nd and 9th, 1880. No book has, so far as we know, been written by Mr. Abbott. 
We suppose you refer to “Modern Bee-keeping,” the author of which is Mr. 
Cheshire, who wrote it gratuitously for the Bee-keepers’ Association, especially to 
assist cottagers. Bees when crowded build comb in any space which approaches 
three-eighths of an inch, while in less than a quarter of an inch they are likely to 
insert propolis to stop the gap. Distances standing between these "the bees leave 
open and use as passage way. The bottom bar of frames should therefore be a 
full quarter from the floorboard, which gives the bees ample room, as they can 
pass through three-sixteenths easily, while openings of five-thirty-two inch will 
not stop them. 
Removing a Section Tray—Handling Bees— £< Doubling” (Buzz). 
■—A super or section tray or rack may be removed during the time of its filling 
without much inconvenience ; and if the space allowed to the queen at the time 
the supers were put on was not sufficient to keep her going, it may be very wise 
to make the attempt in order to add one or two empty comb3 or sheets of foun¬ 
dation in the hive centre. This is one of the most reliable means of stopping 
swarming. You ask whether handling bees tends to improve their temper. The 
answer as we take it must depend upon the nature of the handling. If bees are 
so interfered with as to vex them sorely we imagine that handling makes them 
the more irritable. Quinby says that he has experienced that dosing with 
tobacco smoke makes them resent every new interference the more savagely ; 
while Laugstroth declares that opening a hive aud sprinkling with syrup will, 
if persevered in, cause them to accept the hive opening as the prelude to a sweet 
shower, which they await with the gratitude which is said to be a sense of 
favours to come. This just accords with our experience. Our own bees are 
