290 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 6, 1882. 
Professor Sartori observed that Italian queens formerly fetched a 
very good price in foreign countries, but their present market value 
was so low that breeders in Italy could no longer give the same 
careful attention to the rearing of queens they had formerly done. 
Dr. Dubini was of opinion that in order to obtain good queens in 
future it is only necessary to let the number of young bees be in the 
right proportion to the brood that has to be attended to, and that 
queens may, without disadvantage, be reared by small colonies if the 
latter are allowed to have but a small number of brood cells. Pro¬ 
fessor Sartori expressed himself in the same sense. Count Barbo 
proposed that a few queens partly reared in large colonies and partly 
by small communities should be sent to Mr. Bertrand by the Italian 
Central Association of Bee-keepers, and that he should be requested 
to note any differences as to vigour and fertility of the queens to be 
forwarded to him. Mr. Bertrand accepted this offer on condition 
that the queens to be sent to him should merely be numbered in order 
that he himself might not know which of them had been reared in 
large hives and which in small ones. Mr. Th. Newman of Chicago 
had sent a paper on the best races of bees, which was read at the 
meeting. He declares the Italian to be the best bees, while he con¬ 
siders the Cyprian bees have great inclination to sting. The reading 
of this paper was followed by a discussion, during which Mr. P. 
Lancia de Broto of Palermo mentioned that the Sicilian bees, being 
a cross between the Ligurian and Egyptian races, deserve particular 
notice on account of their many good qualities.—D r. Friedrich 
Kuhl. 
(To be continued.) 
Lectures on Dairy and Bee Management. —The lectures 
arranged by the Minor Food Products Association will be re¬ 
commenced (by kind permission) in the Council-room of the Koyal 
Horticultural Society at South Kensington, on Wednesday, April 12th, 
at noon, when Professor Sheldon will commence his course upon 
Dairy Management. On the afternoon of the same day, at three 
o’clock, Mr. F. Cheshire will give an introductory address on Bee 
Culture, but his general course of lectures on Bee Management will 
not be commenced until Monday, April 17th, at three o’clock in the 
afternoon. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
J. Backhouse & Son, York.— List of Alpine and Herbaceous Plants. 
Charles Turner, Slough.— General Spring Catalogue. 
P. J. Kane, Kells, Co. Meath, Ireland.— List of Flower Seeds. 
Ransomes, Head, ife Jefferies, Ipswich.— List of Lawn Mowers. 
George Neighbour & Sons, 127, High Holborn, and 149, Regent 
Street.— Catalogue of Improved Bee Ilives ( Illustrated ). 
through which water readily passes, you may take it for granted that your land 
wants lime, and would be benefited by an application, especially if there is a good 
deal of the remains of the manure you have applied present in the form of black 
mould. We, of course, presume that lime has not been recently applied. On 
very heavy laud ten tons an acre are often applied with advantage ; in light 
land it is found more profitable to give lighter dressings. At the rate of one 
ton per acre once in five or six years would be often enough where the rainfall is 
not more than an average, but the dressings may be more frequent where the 
rainfall is great. 
Violas (A Lady Subscriber ).—We have not grown the varieties you name, 
nor do we find them in the catalogues of the principal growers of these plants ; 
we are consequently unable to answer your question, but if you apply to those 
who supplied you with either the plants or their names they ought to be able to 
give you the information you require. 
Eucomis punctata (F. J. C). —This plant is of very easy culture. It suc¬ 
ceeds well in a light greenhouse or vinery. A compost of turfy loam, with a 
third of decaj ed manure, and sand or charcoal to keep the soil porous, is suitable. 
It flowers the most freely when not overpotted, and needs copious supplies of 
water during the period of active growth, especially if the pot is crowded with 
roots. It cannot have too much light, and as the summer advances it may be 
placed in the full sun in the open air to mature its growth. If planted rather 
deeply in light soil near to a wall having a south aspect it will survive the 
winter and flower yearly. It is, however, usually grown in pots, and is worthy 
of that mode of culture. The flowers, closely borne on a stout fleshy spike, are 
very fragrant. 
Salvia Pitcheri (Idem). —This pretty Salvia will succeed under the same 
general treatment that is accorded to Fuchsias. In their early stages a shelf in a 
warm greenhouse or pit in which a genial atmosphere is maintained will be suit¬ 
able until the plants are established and the weather mild, when they may be 
transferred to a cool frame. The plants may be topped, and the tops inserted as 
cuttings until July or August. If several of these rather late-struck plants are 
grown in a pot or pan a beautiful mass of bright blue flowers is produced in the 
autumn. A compost of two-thirds of turfy loam, with one-third of peat and leaf 
soil in equal parts and a liberal admixture of sand, will grow the plants well, due 
care being exercised in watering, drought on the one hand or an excess of water 
on the other being alike inimical, as causing the foliage to assume an unhealthy 
hue. Do not overpot. 
Scale on Rose (IF.//. C.). —Try the petroleum and softsoap mixture re¬ 
commended to a correspondent on page 239 of our issue of the 23rd ult. We 
mean apply it to a portion of the plant at first, and if it answers the purpose of 
killing the insects without injuring the foliage then the entire plant can be 
syringed. The effects of petroleum on plants is not the same in all cases, the 
difference we presume being attributable to the quality of the water employed ; 
but the application recommended is generally safe, and we think you will find it 
effectual. 
Arrangement of Strawberry House (J. S.). — The side walls will need 
to be 5 feet 6 inches in height, calculating from the floor line, as you have a 
walk all round the house. Five feet will be required for the paths, which will 
leave 9 feet for staging, which will give ten shelves on the stage 9 inches wide, 
and a central one of 18 inches. The angle of the roof would be suitable at 30°, 
and the distance of the shelves from the glass should be as near 2 feet as pos¬ 
sible. Two rows of 4-inch pipes along both sides of the house will be ample 
heating power. Provision should be made in the side walls for ventilation, and 
at the apex. 
*** 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. 
Marechal Niel Roses ( James Wyatt).— The blooms are very rich in colour, 
medium-sized, of good form, aud highly creditable to the cultivator. 
Labels (E. B). —You are perfectly at liberty to send us a sample of your 
labels, which we will refer to in this column if you desire us to do so. 
Climbers for a Greenhouse (A. TF.).—For the warmer of the two 
houses the following would be suitable—Begonia venusta, Habrothamnus fas- 
cicularis, H. aurantiacus, Euphorbia jacquiniaefiora, and Heliotropes. For the 
other you might have Lapageria rosea and alba, Camellias, Hovea Celsi, 
Sollya heterophylla, Marechal Niel and Gloire de Dijon Roses, and Kennedya 
monophylla. 
The Bean Weevil ( J. E. R.). —The holes in the “worm-eaten ” Beans you 
have sent are made by the grub of a small beetle (Bruchus granarius), and when 
it has passed through the chrysalis state, and given birth to this beetle, the latter 
makes its escape into the open air through these passages. It is very destructive. 
Paraffin Oil Insecticide (F. J.).—Doubtless others, as well as yourself, 
have been puzzled by the vagueness of the expression. For “pail ” on page 239 
substitute “ four gallons,” and you will find the mixture safe even for rather 
tender leaves, assuming the water is soft. It is always prudent, however, to try 
the mixture on a few plants at first, and note carefully its effect before using 
it on a large scale. 
Necessity for Lime (Idem). —As lime is very easily removed from soil 
Heating Defective (A Constant Reader). —It is essential that the coil 
pipes have a slight incline, so as to cause the air to rise to the highest part, 
and escape there by a small tap, otherwise the circulation of the water would be 
impeded, if not altogether stopped. The pipe connecting the boiler with the 
coil in the hall should also have a slight incline ; the circulation will then be 
good, and if you do not obtain the requisite heat it will indicate that the boiler 
is not sufficiently powerful. 
Plants for North Border (E. Hayward). —The following we have found 
succeed—Cyclamen hederaefolium, Colchicum autumnale, C. speciosum, Helle- 
borus niger and var. maximus, H. orientalis, H. colchicus, H. olympicus, Hepa- 
tica triloba vars., Hypericum calycinum, Narcissus Ajax, N. pseudo-Narcissus, 
N. minor, N. poeticus, Omphalodes verna, Ranunculus amplexicaulis, Rhododen¬ 
dron hirsutum (a shrub), Spirsea japonica, S. filipendula plena, Trollius europaeus, 
T. napellifolius, Pansies, Primroses, Violets in variety, Preoma vars., Caltha palus- 
tris flore-pleno, Campanula macrantha, Arabis albida, Asperula odorata, Anemone 
apennina, A. nemorosa plena, and A. coronaria. 
Hotbeds Injurious to Plants (R. B). —If the manure is used fresh 
from the stable, that it has not been turned over frequently, aud watered if 
needed to sweeten, it will not be safe even if mixed with leaves for the purpose 
you name, still the greater the quantity of leaves the less injurious will be the 
steam that rises from the bed. If you use half leaves and half manure, sur¬ 
facing the bed with a foot of leaves entirely, there will probably be little danger. 
But you must remember that a frame must not be “ kept constantly closed ” 
for striking cuttings however sweet the manure may be. The lights usually 
need to be slightly propped up at the back half an inch or so according to 
circumstances to allow of the escape of excessive moisture. If a caudle will 
burn freely in a close frame the air will be quite safe for plants; if the light is 
suddenly extinguished the frame is not safe. 
Ferns Unhealthy (IF. E). —We should not like to characterise any soil 
as “ rubbish ” that we have not seen ; the peat may be good of its kind, but not 
suitable for the purpose for which you have used it. Who told you to pot the 
plants entirely in peat ? We did not, still we are aware that Ferns will grow 
in some peat when used by some cultivators. You admit the plants grew well 
in the soil used last year ; then why have made the change ? From what you 
say we are of opinion that you have greatly overwatered the newly potted 
plants and rendered the peat sour. Turn them out of the pots, removing every 
particle of soil, even washing it from the roots, and repot in small pots, using 
a compost of one-half light turfy loam, the remainder equal parts of peat and 
leaf soil, adding small lumps of charcoal and sand freely. Apply water with 
great care, but maintain a moist atmosphere, and you may expect the plants 
to recover; if they do not it will be your own fault, as all will depend on your 
management. 
Extirpating Ants (Maurice Clarke). —They are most difficult to destroy 
or drive from their hauuts. They do not like guano sprinkled in their runs, nor 
paraffin. If half-picked bones are laid in the runs they will speedily be covered 
with the insects, and by plunging them in boiling water they are mercifully 
killed. A sponge partially saturated with treacle has the same effect in attract¬ 
ing them, aud if a little arsenic is mixed with the treacle, those insects that 
