80 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. t January se, mbs. 
it has three great disadvantages, as proved by its nse in two 
seasons. These result from its having the bee passage only in 
part of its length. No doubt this is a hindrance to the bees as 
well as a source of much trouble to the bee-keeper, who has to 
handle the sections while the bees are at work in them. The 
close-fitting parts are terrible bee-crushers. And, lastly, there is 
no provision for glazing tightly, which I consider very desirable 
in this country of shows, and in a humid atmosphere which soon 
spoils the look of honeycomb not hermetically sealed. A minor 
disadvantage with Root’s square joint section is the difficulty some 
find in turning the proper corners, and thus having all square. 
I have also used the Lewis section with Y-shaped joint, but cannot 
get the finished section true to square. 
My experience thus leads me to advocate No. 2 of above, and I 
have just ordered my supply for the season with directions to dove¬ 
tail all the corners and to have the wood rather thicker than 
ordinary, so that the joints may have more holding power and 
permit their being also nailed if necessary. 
But if styles vary so do sizes, and herein also lies a source of 
trouble. At a single exhibition last season I 6aw no fewer than 
six different sized sections. The 1 lb. sections alone were of 
uniform size—viz., 4^ inch by 4| inch, and this will continue to 
be a standard. But the H and 2 lbs. sections were of various 
dimensions. No doubt there will be as much difficulty in fixing 
a standard size in sections over 1 lb. as there is in fixing a standard 
for bar-frames. It might have been done a year or two ago, 
but now bee-keepers have each provided themselves with trays, 
separators, and perhaps glass to fit the sizes they first chanced 
to get, and are loth to abandon them. Beginners, however, 
should make up their minds on the sizes they intend to use year 
by year, and insist on dealers keeping a stock of the sizes they 
have supplied. My own practice has been as follows—I adopt 
the 1 lb. size as a standard that does not alter, and is, besides, 
Convenient for use in the body of the Woodbury hive, six of 
these sections being fitted into a wide frame, which is either used 
in the breeding department or in a top storey. As the frame I 
use measures inside 13 inches by 8^- inches, I have also adopted 
for 1| lb. a section measuring inches by 4^ inches, four of 
which fill the frame. Of course either or both of these may be 
used as supers proper, and in that case they have another special 
advantage—the cheapness of the tin separators they require. 
The stock 6ize in tin sheets is 20 inches by 14 inches, and one of 
these sheets makes exactly six separators for a tray of sections 
holding three 1 lb., or two 1^ lb. in each row. 
As I consider two sizes of sections quite enough in an apiary 
I am resolved to stand by the above, and a consideration of my 
reasons may be helpful in guiding others to decide before work¬ 
ing into a whole set of apparatus that may have to be discarded 
whenever it is found impossible to get a renewed supply of the 
sections formerly used.— William Raitt, Blairgowrie. 
north, thereby preserving them better through the winter, obtain¬ 
ing earlier swarms and more honey than his neighbours. Now 
as the end obtained in that case by such means seems to me to 
be the main object in view, the subject should be one of very 
great importance. It is usual, as far as I have seen, to arrange 
the hives to face them south, but the north has most likely been 
tested by many of your bee-keeping readers, some of whom, I 
trust, will kindly give the result of their experience to a beginner 
who is anxious to succeed.—E. T. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Harrison & Sons, Leicester .—Catalogue of Flower and Vegetable 
Seeds ( Illustrated ). 
Kelway & Son, Langport, Somerset .—Seed Manual for 1882 ( Illus¬ 
trated ). 
W. Wells, Earlswood, Redhill .—List of Vegetable and Flower Seeds. 
C. Fidler, Reading .—Catalogue of Potatoes. 
H. Cannell & Sons, Swanlev, Kent .—Floral Guide for 1882 (Illus¬ 
trated). 
William Rumsey, Waltham Cross .—Catalogue of Flower and Vege¬ 
table Seeds. 
Brinkworth & Sons, Reading .—Catalogue of Vegetable Seeds (Illus¬ 
trated) . 
E. G. Henderson & Son, Maida Yale, Edgware Road .—Catalogue of 
Flower and Vegetable Seeds (Illustrated). 
<> 
TO CORRESPONDENTS 
BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. 
The first quarterly meeting of the present year was held in the 
lecture-room at Exeter Hall, Strand, on Wednesday last. There 
were present—Mr. T. W. Cowan (in the chair), Rev. G. Raynor, Rev. 
E. Bartrum, Mr. J. M. Hooker, Mr. H. Jonas, Mr. D. Stewart, "VV. and 
B. Glennie (Treasurer), and Rev. H. R. Peel (Hon. Sec). There were 
also present Hon. and Rev. H. Bligh, Rev. A. Roberts, Mr. G. N. 
Martin, Rev. E. Burkitt, Mr. Jesse Garratt, Capt. Campbell, and Mr. 
W. S. Darby—representatives of the Berks and Bucks, Kent, Herts, 
Wilts, and Surrey County Associations. Reports were read from Mr. 
S. J. Baldwin respecting the honey market, and from Mr. Henderson 
relating to the library. The Committee discussed at great length the 
propositions made by the Hon. and Rev. H. Bligh for the promotion 
of cottage apiaries. Ultimately it was resolved that a Sub-Com¬ 
mittee be appointed, consisting of the Chairman, Rev. G. Raynor, 
and the Hon. Secretary, to confer with Mr. Bligh for the purpose of 
revising the rules for this competition. 
The Hon. Secretary suggested that a certain sum of money should 
be voted each year for the purpose of assisting the development of 
county associations by means of lecturing tours. It was resolved 
that the Committee do recommend that the sum of £30 be voted for 
this purpose. 
A conversazione was held at six o’clock, when the Rev. G. Raynor 
read a paper on “ Bee Hives and Houses.” The subject was dealt 
with in a most comprehensive manner by Mr. Raynor, and much dis¬ 
cussion ensued upon the subject of the paper. There was a good 
attendance of members. 
ASPECT FOR HIVES. 
In the useful little manual on bee-keeping written by the late 
J. H. Payne, Esq., and published by the Journal office, it is stated 
that a certain gardener had for ten years his hives facing the 
*** 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. 
Books (J. F .).—We do not know a work exclusively devoted to the subject 
you name, but much general information of that character and many instruc¬ 
tive facts are contained in Mr. F. W. Burbidge’s work, “ The Propagation and 
Improvement of Cultivated Plants,” published by W. Blackwood & Sons. 
Single Tuberous Begonias for Bedding (A. It. A.).—If you want 
the cheapest plants, some of the unnamed seedlings would suit your purpose 
very well, and if you send to a nurseryman who makes a speciality of such plants 
he would no doubt supply what you require at a moderate price. 
Articles on Orchard House (J. El ).—You will find articles upon this 
subject, chiefly by the writer you name, in the following numbers of this 
Journal—No. 450, November 11th, 1869 ; No. 498, October 13th, 1870 ; and 
No. 552, October 26th, 1872. The first and the last named are in print, and can 
be had from this office, post free, 3 \d. each. 
Making Cheap Wines (A.J.S.). —Recipes for a large number of wines 
with particulars of the modes of preparation adopted are given in the “ Gar¬ 
dener’s Year Book ” for 1880. A copy can be obtained from the publisher at this 
office for li., post free Is. 2d. 
Astelma eximium (O. D.). —You could no doubt obtain seed from any 
nurseryman at the Cape of Good Hope, whence the supply of dried flowerh eads 
is obtained for the London markets. We understand the plant is in cultivation 
in some private establishments, but it is very scarce, though introduced to this 
country nearly a century ago. The heads certainly have, as you suggest, some 
resemblance to Raspberries, and, like many other so-called popular names, the 
one it bears is not perhaps the most expressive. 
Nymphsea Lotus (J. II.). —The roots should be potted in a compost of 
turfy loam, a little well-decomposed manure, and abundance of sand, plunging the 
pots when it is desired to start the plants into growth into a tank of warm 
water, if possible above a temperature of 60°, indeed 10° or 15° higher is an 
advantage to start them, though during the summer when the foliage is well 
advanced a lower temperature will suit them. The pots should remain in the 
water when the plants are resting, but a temperature of 50° or a few degrees 
less will be sufficient then. 
Late Hyacinths (J. B .).—You cannot preserve the bulbs for use next 
season. The only chance of doing so is by planting them at once in sandy soil. 
Several of them will probably refuse to grow, and those which do not fail will 
be of very poor quality indeed for potting in the autumn, and, in fact, will not 
be fit for forcing. N urserymen do not attempt to preserve any surplus Hya¬ 
cinths for forcing another year. Some firms send a few bulbs to hospitals and 
infirmaries towards the end of the season, which is far better than wasting them. 
We doubt if you can occupy the ground between the Briars profitably with any 
vegetable crop to be cleared off by the time you name. Your fojtner letter did 
not reach our hands. 
Cabbages Clubbing (.S’, F .).—Much has been published in our columns 
