JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
352 
t 
[ April 27, 1882, 
strong hive with a last year’s queen lost over a quart of bees and 
the queen also. The queen not being dead, I took her from 
amongst the dead heap and placed her in a bellglass in heat. She 
was purging at a great rate. Before I lifted her the bees were 
pulling at her and treating cruelly by tearing her wings. When 
I placed her in the bellglass I put live bees in with her. One of 
them caught her by the wing and carried her all round the glass, 
so that I had to take the bees from her. I kept her about twenty- 
four hours in glass, when she seemed a little better. I then caged 
her on one of her own combs in the hive, but she died very soon. 
This was a very strong hive, with all their own honey well sealed 
since August, 1881. 
I am very sad over all this, and also impotent. I am applied to 
for instructions almost every day, and almost all my pupils are 
most successful, and the “ teacher ” alone in difficulties is rather 
vexing. I should say that my bees are all in bar-frame hives, 
with double walls—no crown board, but a good felt quilt. 1 was 
encouraged the other day by reading again a letter of Mr. Raitt’s 
in a late number, which said that one pint of bees in April would 
do all right for a good hive. Mine (three weak ones) have more 
than a pint, but what of all this when the mortality seems greater 
than the increase ?— Imi>otent. 
[Dwindling is a trouble to be expected every spring. The 
enormous population of a previous autumn, especially in well- 
protected hives, may come through the winter with scarcely any 
loss, but they always fall away rapidly in early spring. My 
own hives are, at this date (22nd April), at their lowest as regards 
population—not one showing auy apparent increase. But this is 
normal and causes no alarm. Impotent’s” is an abnormal case, 
and is mainly owing to his well-meant but untimely attentions. 
Bees unduly excited early in the year by transferring, feeding, 
or otherwise, invariably start brood-rearing as a result, and this 
oftentimes on an excessive scale. The vital energies of the adult 
bees, all old at this time, are too heavily taxed all of a sudden. 
They die off in consequence at so alarming a rate that in many 
cases the brood is left to perish by chill, and not unfrequently the 
first cold snap finishes the stock. This is the American trouble of 
spring dwindling, and is mainly a result of the suddenness with 
which the bees emerge from a cool daik cellar to a balmy spring 
atmosphere, or from a long and constant winter in the open air to 
a bright and genial spring. 
But “ Impotent’s ” case is not altogether to be accounted for 
thus. Plenty of food, with dwindling stocks, seems to have 
induced a good deal of “mixing up” of bees, if we may judge 
from finding a queen balled and bitten in her own hive. Perhaps 
even robbing has been going on briskly. Still further compli¬ 
cations, such as “ purging,” seem to point either to unwholesome 
food or to the bees having been forcibly confined to their hive. 
As a rule, the less bees are meddled with in winter and early 
spring the better they thrive. I have no such troubles, for I leave 
my bees in their winter packing and only feed in cases of absolute 
necessity until the increase of bees shows that the danger is past. 
Thus often May still finds my bees in winter packing. But some 
“ teachers ” are apt to diverge into new paths, thinking they can 
afford to be venturesome, while their pupils go softly and beat 
them at last. Thus, however, teachers learn, and no doubt 
“ Impotent ” will be wiser next season. 
If his bees are still dwindling, let him at once reduce their hive- 
space till they can cover all the combs left, and pack them as if 
winter were still in prospect. At the same time contract the 
doorway till only two or three bees can pass at a time, and 
avoid undue excitement by feeding or otherwise. The queenless 
bees must of course be united to another stock.— William Raitt, 
Blairgowrie .] 
BEE SHOW IN DUBLIN. 
The first bee Show of the season was held in conjunction with the 
Royal Dublin Society’s cattle Show on April 11th, 12th, 13th, and 
14th. Mr. Baldwin acted as lecturer and expert, and was listened to 
attentively by crowded audiences. On Wednesday His Excellency 
Earl Cowper, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, visited the bee tent, and 
seemed much interested in Mr. Baldwin’s lectures and explanations. 
There was a show of hives and bee furniture under the auspices of 
the Irish Bee-keepers’ Association, when the following prizes were 
awarded :—For the best moveable comb hive, first prize (silver medal), 
Edmondson Bros., Dame Street, Dublin. For the best hive for 
cottagers, price not to exceed 10s. 6d., first prize (silver medal), Mr. 
Balching, Bromley ; second prize (bronze medal), Mr. Wm. Londsdale, 
Lurgan ; third prize (certificate), Mr. J. Traynor, Tinahely. 
Early Swarming. —Mrs. Wain, writing from Walton-on-Thames, 
states that early swarming may be expected this year. A very strong 
warm was obtained on the 21st inst., and others were expected the 
following day ; but the weather suddenly changed to showery with 
wind. The supers (glass) have been on nearly a month, and are 
partly filled with comb. 
County Cork Bee-Keepers’ Association. —We are glad to learn 
of the recent establishment of the above Society, and that it has been 
decided to have an exhibition of bees, hives, apiarian appliances, and 
honey on July 6th and 7th, in connection with Co. Cork Agricultural 
Society. Mr. J. Crosbie Smith, Passage West, Cork, is the Honorary 
Secretary of the new Association, which we trust will be prosperous. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
G. Stevens, Putney.— Catalogue, oj Plants. 
B. S. Williams, Upper Holloway .—New and General Plant Catalogue 
( Illustrated ). 
%* 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 (A T. C .).—The “ Cottage Gardeners’ Dictionary ” has not been 
revised,and the matter in the new edition is the same as in the old, but with the 
addition of a supplement including the plants introduced down to the year 1881. 
There is no more comprehensive work of the same kind published. (A. J.). — 
You do not sufficiently explain what you desire, but so far as we understand 
your note there is no work such you appear to be seeking published in either 
weekly or monthly parts. 
Vines Unhealthy (F. C.). —It will be necessary for you to send us foliage 
to arrive in a fresh state, and also to state the nature of the soil, condition of 
the laterals, and general treatment pursued ; we will then endeavour to aid you. 
The leaf sent in a letter arrived perfectly shrivelled. 
Lemon Tree Scorched (I V. M.). —There is little doubt that the injury 
to the leaves has been caused by the sun, and may be averted by clouding tl e 
glass with a mixture of whiting and skimmed milk, or by the use of the article 
advertised as summer cloud, used as directed on the packets. 
Fancy Pansy (.1. M. £.).—The bloom you have sent is not Mrs. Frampton 
nor do we know what it is. We compared it with Mr. Hooper's fine collection 
at South Kensington last Tuesday, and there was not one exactly like it. Mr. 
Hooper thinks it is a seedling. The bloom is of full average size, but not so 
large as many others, and is of good substance with clearly defined colours. It is 
very good, and would be excellent but for a slight roughness of the petals. 
Guano in Vineries (IF. II.). —The paths and borders, but not the hot- 
water pipes, may be sprinkled with a solution of half an ounce of guano to a 
gallon of water when the Grapes are as large as Peas, applying it on closing the 
house early in the afternoon. When the Grapes are swelling freely after stoning 
guano water may be used twice that strength with safety, but not daily on the 
border that contains the roots of the Vines. 
Seedling Amaryllis (E. A. J/.).—We think it very unlikely that your 
Amaryllis would receive any award from the Floral Committee of the Royal 
Horticultural Society, as we have seen many superior in form and richer in 
colour passed by the censors. It appears to be a rather dark variety of A. aulica. 
Vine Buds Shrivelled {II. F. IF.).—The specimen you sent arrived in a 
state of powder, so much dried had it become in transit by want of care in 
packing. You say nothing about the mode of planting, soil, temperature, or 
the treatment to which the Vines have been subjected. If we can have a fresh 
specimen with the particulars suggested we will readily give our attention to the 
subject, which is, and apparently not without reason, causing you trouble. 
Tacsonia manicata (J. T .).—The flowers are qot Lapagerias, but those 
of the fine scarlet Passion-flower above named, which 'are produced somewhat 
early, the plant usually blooming in June and throughout the summer. It is 
an evergreen climber, needing abundant watering in summer, and to be kept 
dry in winter, but not so as to cause the wood to shrivel or the leaves to fall 
prematurely. Cut out the old shoots early in spring and retain the young 
shoots, training them near the glass. Fibrous loam two parts, and one part 
each sandy peat and leaf soil, form a suitable compost. Cuttings of the young 
shoots when 3 or 4 inches long, in sand under a glass in a gentle hotbed, strike 
freely. It is a native of Peru and succeeds in a greenhouse. 
Liquid Manure {G. Bates). —You evidently want a liquid manure of an 
extraordinary nature. Urine, soot, and sulphate of ammonia are all chiefly 
valuable on account of the nitrogen they yield, hence it were little use using all 
three. Indeed, what soot yields is just sulphate of ammonia. Neither is there 
any call for putting in both common salt and “ soda ash,” for both are soda 
salts. It is of no use putting lime in water believing that it will dissolve, for it 
will not unless newly slaked, and then only at the rate of some 4 lbs. to the 
ton of water. It will be far better if you sprinkle the salt, soot, and lime on 
