June 15, 1882. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
501 
ing require a great amount of food, and that if the pinch ot 
starvation is felt the bees are much discouraged, lose their 
balance, and for the time being abandon the idea of swarming.— 
A. Pettigrew, Bon - don . 
ARTIFICIAL SWARMS. 
In the Journal for June 8th Mr. Pettigrew writes of his “simple” 
practice of taking artificial swarms, and it strikes me that many 
things are not so simple as described. A fortnight since, having 
a very full hive and purposing leaving home in a few days, I 
pursued the method he advises, and after drumming five minutes 
found I had driven as many bees as would make a good swarm, 
and I then placed them in the position of the parent hive. In 
half an hour I saw there was a “ screw loose,” and in the evening 
—I did it between six and seven—nearly every bee had taken its 
departure. Of course the queen had stuck to the combs. I do 
not intend trying it again, as it unsettles the hive and does the 
bees much mischief.— Clifton. 
*** All correspondence should he 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 (C. /}.). —We know of nothing more likely to meet your require¬ 
ments than Johnston’s “ Instructions for the Analysis of Soils,” a small work 
published by Messrs. Blackwood. 
Insects on Plums ( F.J.). — They may be destroyed by syringing them 
with a mixture of petroleum and soapsuds, half a fluid ounce of the former 
being added to a gallon of water holding in solution 2 ozs. of soft soap, or 
2 ozs. of fir tree oil mixed with a gallon of soft water, or the same quantity of 
nicotine soap ; or again tobacco water and quassia prepared as have been many 
times stated, will be effectual if effectually applied. 
Regal Pelargonium (E. Bluton).— The flowers sent are very beautiful, 
being rich velvety crimson faintly veined with maroon, and a bright magenta 
pink centre. They are large with waved petals of good substance, and the truss 
is also large. The plant is evidently floiiferous, and the variety will be very 
valuable for decorative purposes. 
Foliage on Vines (T. J.). —We scarcely understand your question, as we 
do not know whether you refer to the number of leaves or their thickness or 
substance individually. The leaves of one lateral should not overlap and shade 
those of the others, but every leaf should be directly exposed to the light, and 
the laterals should be sufficiently thin and be stopped with that object in view. 
Let all the leaves develope on which the sun can shine and no others. If we 
have not understood you write to us again. The glass cannot be too clear, pro¬ 
viding efficient ventilation. 
Golden Feather for Spring (A. R.). —If you gather and sow the seed 
immediately it is ripe yon will have suitable plants for spring bedding, ex¬ 
cept adverse weather should defer the maturation of the seed, in which case 
procure a packet and sow during the last week in July or early in August, and 
transplant the seedlings a foot apart in an open position, but not wet; sturdy 
plants will then be produced that will pass the winter safely. The seed may be 
sown in the open ground. Cuttings of silver-variegated Pelargoniums strike in 
the open air as well as the ordinary scarlet Zouals. Your shrub is Euonymus 
japonicus. 
Potting Solanums (R. C.). —When the growths are half an inch long 
shake the plant out of the pot, removing a good portion of the soil, slightly 
pruning the roots, and place in clean pots of the same size or smaller, using a 
compost of three parts fibrous loam, the remaining portion leaf soil, decayed 
manure, and wood ashes, with a little sand to prevent adhesiveness. Keep the 
plants rather close for a time in a moist atmosphere, admitting more air gradu¬ 
ally until they can endure full exposure to the sun. Shift them in larger pots 
as needed, and any irregularities of growth may be stopped until August. 
Mildew on Peaches (R. F. A).—Your Peaches are attacked with mildew 
and the trees have probably been too dry at the roots. Water them copiously 
with liquid manure if the growth is not healthy. Two ounces of guano and an 
ounce of salt dissolved in four gallons of water would form a suitable stimulant. 
Also syringe the trees and then dust the affected parts with sulphur; it can be 
washed off again when the mildew is destroyed. 
Seedling Pansies (J. II.). —All the varieties are pretty for border decora¬ 
tion, but few possess any merit from a florist’s point of view, and the only two 
varieties that many growers would consider worthy of preservation are the 
white with dark centre, No. 4, and the shaded purple self, No. 8. These are 
distinct and promising, but in the state in which the flowers reached us the 
petals are lacking in substance; they have no doubt, however, withered some¬ 
what in transit. The purple flower is particularly attractive, and for decorative 
purposes we think is little the worse for being oval rather than circular in form. 
V e are glad the Journal affords you so much satisfaction; we receive many 
similar remarks of approval from correspondents. 
Vine not Thriving (F. J .).—All you can do is to syringe the Vine fre¬ 
quently, twice or thrice a day according to the weather, and to take care also 
that the roots are kept in a moist medium. Shortening it further will not be 
advisable now. It may eventually commence growing, and it may not. So far 
as we understand the case, a Vine so large and with such few roots was scarcely 
worth replanting. 
Pansies Dying (Idem). —Some plants die from a cause that appears quite 
obscure, many fail because the growths have been twisted by the wind, and a 
great number succumb because they were not planted soon enough nor the 
roots inserted deep enough. In some soils, however, Pansies appear to wither 
and die even when the best possible treatment under the circumstances is 
accorded them. 
Soil for Plants (Idem).— As your plants are in “perfect health,” the soil 
in which they were potted and the treatment to which they have been sub¬ 
jected have obviously been correct. It is the fibre in the soil that has given it 
the “ springy feel.” Cocoa-nut fibre refuse may be used in place of peat for 
Ferns and some other plants, but it is not an efficient substitute for peat in the 
culture of Heaths and hardwooded peat-loving plants generally. 
Neglected Garden (J. K. R .).—You may dispense with salt, at any rate 
for some time to come, but after the land has been cleaned you may add lime 
freely. It should be quicklime fresh from the kiln, placed in heaps of a few 
bushels each, to be covered with soil roughly. The lime will soon slake. The 
heaps can then be spread, and the lime forked into the soil at once. In the 
spring, if the weather be dry, you may sow salt at the rate of 20 bushels per 
acre, and hoe it into the surface. Do not trench the ground 2 feet deep, but 
fork it well and deeply over, bringing up only a small portion of the subsoil, 
breaking the rest up and leaving it; to bring a great quantity of this to the 
surface would be injurious. Such fresh land we should expect would grow a 
good crop of Champion Potatoes without manure ; but if they did not grow 
freely you could give a top-dressing of guano at the rate of 5 cwt. per acre, 
applying before hoeing the Potatoes, and, if possible, in showery weather. If 
the ground appears poor you can spread superphosphate of lime in the rows 
when planting, just making the ground white, or at the rate of 2 or 3 ozs. per 
square yard of surface. The land will be much cleaner after the Potato crop, 
and can then be trenched. 
Saving Cabbage Seed (Rrassica). —You will not be able to save any seed 
from your selected Cabbages this season, and some difficulty, owing to their 
earliness, will be experienced in getting them into good condition for seeding 
next season. We should select a few of the latest and best, and when fully 
grown lift them with a fork and bed them in where they will be well ex¬ 
posed to the sunshine without being either unduly sheltered or exposed to 
the winds. They should be disposed about 2 feet apart each way to allow the 
bloom branches to properly develope; and if the stems are buried in a slanting 
direction and up to the best leaves, the older leaves being pulled off, they will 
be less liable to injury from severe frost. Do not cut the heads now—not, however, 
because the “ seed stems will come through them,” but with the motive of re¬ 
tarding the growth of the greens, which will yield the seed the following spring. 
The lifting is also advised as retarding the second growth. The heads will 
eventually burst and decay; they can then be removed, and late growth will 
follow. To cut the heads as some growers usually do, would in all probability 
result in early second growths, that would heart this season, and be too tender 
to stand the winter. No other species of the Brassica family ought to be saved 
in your immediate neighbourhood, or the action of the bees will render your 
stock worthless. The seed stems will require staking early, as they are apt to 
split off. 
Grapes not Setting ( Subscriber ).—The vinery has been kept too close 
and probably too moist, and there has not been a free dispersion of pollen. The 
exudation of a globule of liquid from the stigma has also further prevented the 
action of what little pollen there may have been on the ovaries. The method to 
adopt in such a case is to pass the hand lightly over the bunches when flowering, 
or otherwise agitating them so as to remove the moisture and permit the pollen 
to come in contact with the stigmas. Bunches in the condition of the one you 
have sent are, we regret to say, beyond remedy, and by no means whatever can 
you induce the incipient berries to swell. We know there has been some defect 
in ventilation by the flaccidity of the leaves and the scorching that is apparent. 
There are indications also that the border is too rich or the Vines have been 
overfed with liquid manure. An application of lime to the border might be of 
great benefit, spreading it on a quarter of an inch thick and very lightly point¬ 
ing it in. We think we know what the variety is, but decline to commit our¬ 
selves on the point. At the same time we ought to feel it a compliment to be 
supposed competent to give the name of a Grape from a bunch with berries not 
much larger than pins’ heads, and without being told whether they are black or 
white when ripe. We presume you could have told us this, since you say the 
Vines have been planted four years. Try the effects of half an ounce of paraffin 
well mixed in a gallon of soft water for destroying mealy bug on Coleuses, or fir- 
tree oil of twice the strength ; but proceed cautiously and by way of experi¬ 
ment, as the action of the oils varies according to the nature of the water that is 
used. 
Fyrethrums (J/. //.).—They are amongst the most beautiful and easily 
cultivated of hardy flowers, and only need to be planted in ordinary fertile 
garden soil and protected from slugs to flourish. They are increased by division. 
Plants can be purchased and planted now, as stocks of the best varieties are 
kept in small pots by florists to insure safe removal. The following are very 
fine varieties :—Single Forms.—Albion, pure white ; Amy Hare, amaranth ; Cal- 
phurina, French white ; Cybele, French white ; Coningsby, carmine ; Corello, 
cherry rose ; Crimson Gem, deep crimson ; Dorothy Compton, flesh; Duke of 
Albany, cherry red; Foix, rose, white ring round stamens ; General Roberts, 
crimson scarlet; Homerus, crimson and white mottled ; Juno, rosy lilac ; Mag- 
noletti, white, tinged flesh ; Mercury, rose ; Mrs. Laxton, violet crimson ; Romeo, 
scarlet; Roscius, pink ; Rosy Morn, cherry rose; s-ir Jos. Porter, bright carmine ; 
Sirdar, carmine ; Speciosissima, amethyst ; Thos. Carlyle, purple crimson ; 
Triumphans, rosy purple; Village Maid, pale flesh; Vivian, cerise; Zanetta, 
flesh ; and Zarita, carmine rose. A few choice double varieties are submitted :— 
Lady Derby, silvery flesh; Rembrandt, rosy purple; Capt. Boyton, crimson 
scarlet; Capt. Nareq bright crimson ; Princess de Metteruich, white ; Mont 
Blanc, pure white; Cleopatra, yellow and white; Duchess of Edinburgh, mauve ; 
Solfaterre, cream ; Madame Billard, white, tinged rose ; Miuerva, rose ; Vance, 
cream, tinged flesh ; Kreimhilda, peach, tinged yellow ; and Flaccida, peach. 
We are sorry we cannot supply you with the information you need on spinning 
and drying wool; but do not think it possible for the wool from your sheep to 
