July 15, 1883. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
39 
them very much, but our carpenter declined to bar the hive and super 
at 6d. each, or rather undertake to do a second lot at that price. 
—A. Pettigrew. 
BRITISH BEE-KEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION SHOW. 
The Show, which was held in the Duke of Wellington’s Riding School 
from Thursday to Monday last inclusive, was the ninth Exhibition of 
bees and bee-keeping appliances which the central Association has con¬ 
ducted since 1874. The Committee is to be congratulated on the success 
which, since the first great meeting at the Crystal Palace, has attended 
their efforts to teach, through the length .and breadth of the land, the 
more humane and more remunerative system of bee-keeping. The 
present season has been most favourable to bee keepers generally, and a 
beautiful display of honey, both in the comb and in glass jars, covered 
the tables in the building. The exhibits of hives and appliances was 
unusually good. We are pleased to see that hive-makers begin to recog¬ 
nise the fact that the more simple the construction of the hive, combined 
with facilities for easy manipulation, the more popular the hive will 
become. We will notice some of the leading features of the Show, 
beginning with the exhibits of honey, for the aim of all bee-keepers must 
be—whatever the hive used, whatever the appliances at their command— 
to make a harvest of surplus honey. 
The specimens of honey in sections closely approached the standard 
of perfection, and the golden stores in other supers were most beautiful 
to look at. Our opinion, however, is that the time is past when prizes 
should be given for large glass supers. So long as the super is to serve 
as a mere ornament so long only is it of any utility. But the first plunge 
of the knife into its lovely contents can only render it a messy object. 
However, we suppose that many visitors like to see their crystal palaces 
of honey, and Mr. W. Woodley’s bellglass, with its regularly worked 
combs and 48|- lbs. weight of well-coloured honey, well deserved to take 
first prize of the three allotted to the best glass super of honey. In 
Class 16, “ for the best super of honey not being sectional supers,” 
Mr. H. S. Heath’s by far surpassed all other exhibits. He had judiciously 
used glass dividers, and more regularly built combs were never put on an 
exhibition table. These splendid slabs of comb were perfectly sealed 
throughout with the whitest of capping, and the cells filled with that 
peculiarly coloured nectar which tells of the proximity to the hives of 
an abundance of fruit blossom, particularly of the mellifluous Raspberry. 
This honey has rather a dark appearance in the mass, but no other kind 
can excel it in aromatic flavour. We believe that we are right in stating 
that this splendid super was filled by a swarm of the current year, and 
in fourteen days, the swarm weighing 10 lbs. As we have never yet had 
a swarm of such weight, nor known of any friend hiving the same, we 
should rather think that two swarms leaving their hives simultaneously 
had gone into partnership, and driven such a thriving business; but 
Mr. Heath may not have been aware of this fact if it did occur. The 
weight of this super was 35 lb3. In this same class, Nos. 90 and 88, to 
which were awarded second and third prizes respectively, were both 
good specimens of their kind. 
Class 18 was for twenty-four sections of comb honey, each to hold 
2 lbs. Mr. A. Rusbridge’s group of twenty-four sections was all that 
could be desired as to regularity of building, finished sealing, and purity 
of taste and colour. A more beautiful display of sectional supers never 
competed for a prize, and the first prize was easily gained by them. 
They were also displayed to the very best advantage in a beautifully 
arranged show frame, and the combination was a picture of the highest 
finish to a bee-keeper’s eyes. The palm was likewise borne off by the 
same competitor in Class 19 with twenty-four 1 lb. sections of equally 
superior finish. In this class the group of 1 lb. supers entered by the 
Cray Valley bee-farm proprietors, deservedly carried away the second 
prize ; they were very neatly put up for the show table, and were an 
excellent example of what can be done by English bee-farmers. We 
need not fear American competition when such an article in such a taking 
form is placed before the public. No. 110 of this class, to which went 
the third prize, was a collection of supers sent by R. W. Davies, all well 
finished and taken off in the nick of time, thus preserving their snowy 
purity, yet having every cell well covered in. In Class 20, for a dozen 
I lb. sections, Mr. Rusbridge again carried all before him, followed by 
Miss Gay ton with some nicely sealed combs neatly embellished with pink 
paper. Mr. W. Woodley obtained third prize. 
Class 21 contained some chaste exhibits, and from the numerous 
entries the judgment of those who awarded the prizes mu9t have been 
sorely tried to determine which was more deserving than its fellow. 
Mr. Rusbridge was, however, again in the van. Classes 22 to 25 were 
for run or extracted honey, and the competition was keen. The number 
of exhibits in these four classes were as many as forty, and again the 
Judges had hard work before them. The purity of the honey as to 
colour and quality has never been surpassed, and the employment of 
the extractor was shown by the exhibits to be rapidly increasing all over 
the country. We shall leave fur an ither letter our remarks on these 
classes, also those which included hives and appliances.—P. H. P. 
VAGARIES OF BEES. 
On Friday a swarm issued from a skep and I hived it. Very soon the 
swarm returned to the parent hive. On Saturday its swarm again issued 
and divided into two parts. I hived both separately. One part remained, 
the other went back to the parent hive. To-day the swarm again issued, 
but did not settle at all, immediately returning to the parent hive. Can 
anyone tell me the cause and remedy 1 It has been supered ten days ; 
super nearly filled. Last Tuesday week I hived a strong swarm in nine- 
bar hive. They are clustering very much at the entrance to-night, and 
also the last day or two clusters have been around the entrance. To-day 
I supered it. The stock hive had no comb foundation. It is not likely 
to throw a swarm, is it, so soon as this ?—T. Mainott, Sandback. 
Erratum.—I n “Clifton’s” article, on page 17 of this volume, for 
“ bee horse ” read “ bee house.” 
* # * 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 Bee subjects, and should never 
send more than two or three questions at once. All articles in¬ 
tended 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. 
Grapes Scalded [Inquirer). —You can have no better reply that we are 
aware of than that given to “ Tom Firth ” on page 18 of our last issue. 
The large white Grape is Buckland Sweetwater, and the berries are very 
good. 
Pelargoniums for Australia [Novice). — It is not likely that Pelar¬ 
gonium cuttings will keep good during a voyage to Australia. Why not 
strike them before sending, and let them go in the form of small plants 
with roots to them ? Zonals w r ould be likely to travel well. 
Liquid Manure Water for Vines [H. S.). —Drainings from cow-houses, 
stables, &c., are much too strong for applying pure to vinery borders or 
anything else. As a rule we never use such stronger than one part of 
urine to six of water, and even weaker if the soil should be dry. It should 
be remembered that the active nitrogenous matter to which such manures 
owe their efficacy remains soluble after penetrating the soil, and is at once 
assimilable. This being the case strong doses prove destructive, and the 
maximum of good is best secured by supplying it abundantly but very 
weak. Plants really do not want large amounts of nitrogen or mineral 
salts, although they cannot thrive without them. 
Pitcher Plants for a Cool House [Idem). —Presumably you refer to 
Sarracenias, all of which can be grown in such a house as you mention, 
where they are not too much exposed to the sun or to strong draughts 
of air. The pretty diminutive Cephalotus follicularis might also be grown 
under a bellglass, and if you wanted other curiosities, Dionsea muscipula 
(Venus’s Flytrap), and several of the Droseras could be added. All these 
succeed in a compost of peat and sphagnum moss, the latter being planted 
so that it keeps fresh and continues growing on the surface of the soil. 
Supply water liberally, as any approach to dryness is most injurious to such 
plants, also shade them when the sun is powerful, as they are quickly 
injured in that way. 
Grape Duchess of Buccleuch (Idem). —The berries are small, but not 
smaller than White Frontignan, while when well grown and the wood 
thoroughly matured the bunches are two or three times as large, and are 
profusely borne. Frequently it does not set well, but we fancy this is 
when lime is deficient in the border. In one case at least where it generally 
set badly a liberal application of lime was given, and ever since no Grape 
could set better. Probably the want of lime i3 often the cause of a bad set. 
See “ Vines at Longleat.” 
Seedling Fuchsias [J. Batchelor). —We consider the varieties distinct 
and worthy of naming, as both of them will be useful and no doubt 
effective in either a large or small state. The white one, a seedling from 
Lord Beaconsfield, resembles that variety in character and in the colour 
of the corolla, but the long tube and sepals are white, and in this respect 
an improvement on the parent. The dark one, a seedling from Avalanche, 
resembles the parent in the leaves only, the' flowers being single, with 
large barrel-shaped purple corolla and very long and broad coral-red sepals. 
This variety appears very floriferous. Although these seedlings are 
commendable we are not prepared to say they possess very great commercial 
value, still they are at least as good as many others that are sent out 
at more or less high prices. 
Roses Unhealthy [E. C. 0.).— There is no “ blight ” on the Rose leaves 
sent. The condition of the foliage is the result of poverty of soil, or, in 
other words, the trees are being starved to death, and, in fact, dying by 
degrees, and not very slow degrees either if you have sent us a fair sample. 
At once saturate the ground with liquid manure; diluted drainings from 
manure heaps, guano water, soot water, or even soapsuds will benefit 
