August 23,1883 ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
171 
punctured, but I at once recognised as a foul-broody one. Now 
"the hive had not been queenless very long, as about ten days 
•ago I saw the queen; and although she was not laying, there 
was a small quantity of brood hatching out, and all did hatch 
out except this one cell; it was uncapped and injected with the 
solution, and the other combs and bees sprayed with it. I have 
no doubt it will prevent its spreading in the future, as I shall 
not hesitate in using these combs in uniting if I require them. 
“ ‘ I have examined six hives to-day, fearing to find foul brood, 
but have not detected a single cell in any of the other hives. 
Now, how did this appear P It seems to me probable that it wa3 
brought there by some of the bees from outside, or a spore might 
liave been lurking in some of the corners of the hive and had 
escaped the solution. This proves to me that it is impossible to 
tell when it may break out in an apiary; and as we know from 
experience that salicylic acid destroys the spores, I think it not 
only beneficial but important that a certain quantity of this 
acid should be in all the food given to the bees. Two years ago 
I tried feeding the bees on syrup containing a strong dose of 
acid without spraying the combs, and I found that the disease 
gaye way to this treatment; out I find the other plan, that of 
uncapping and spraying, the most rapid. I do not mean to say 
if a hive is neglected, so that all the brood is rotten, it can be 
cured; but if taken in time, as every apiarian would do, it has 
been and can be cured.— Tho3. Wm. Cowan.’ ” 
The table of recipes Mr. Cowan encloses will explain them¬ 
selves. 
TABLE. 
Salicylic acid solution for mixing with syrup for feeding 
bees, painting over hives, and spraying combs, &c., for the pre¬ 
vention of foul brood. 
Salicylic acid. 1 oz. 
Soda borax. 1 oz. 
Water . 4 pints. 
Spring and summer food for bees :— 
White lump sugar . 10 lbs. 
Water . 7 pints. 
Vinegar . 1 oz. 
Salicylic acid solution. 1 oz. 
Salt . r oz. 
Boil for a few minutes. 
Autumn and winter food for bees :— 
White lump sugar . 
Water.. 
Vinegar . 
Salicylic acid solution. 
Salt . 
Boil for a few minutes 
Mr. Cheshire has written much more on this subject, but I 
have not time to make further extracts. I can only say that his 
•experience has proved valuable to more than one— Bee-keeper. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
James Carter & Co., 237 and 238, High Holborn, London.— List of Bulbs 
•and Seeds for August and September. 
W. Leighton, 89, Union Street, Glasgow.— Catalogue of Dutch Flower 
Roots. 
Sutton & Sons, Reading.— Catalogue of Bulbs ( Illustrated). 
Edmund Phillip Dixon, Hull.— Catalogue of Bulbous Roots. 
Wrench & Sons, St. Lawrence Works, Ipswich, and 57. Holborn Viaduct, 
London.— Lists of Greenhouses and Hot-water Apparatus ( Illustrated ). 
W. & S. Deards, Harlow. Essex.— List of Heating Apparatus ( Illustrated). 
N. Davis, 66, Warner Road, Camberwell. —Catalogue of New and Old 
•Chrysanthemums. 
*** 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 repty to questions through the post, and we 
do not undertake to return rejected communications. 
Books (77. TV. .1/1, Sheerness). —“Orchard Houses,” bv J. R. Pearson, 
published at this office, may perhaps be of service to you. Its price is Is. 6c7., 
post free Is. 7 d. _ ( T. D .).—Our Greenhouse Manual, price 107. post free, 
contains concise instructions on the majority of plants that are grown in 
greenhouses. 
Begonia Flowers.—We have received some very good flowers of Tuberous 
Begonias by post, but nothing to indicate by whom they were sent nor with 
what object. 
Seedling Carnations (A. B .).—Your Carnations do not possess any 
special merit, and are surpassed by scores of others already in cultivation. 
Meconopsis Wallichii (A. G .).—There are few dealers from whom you 
could obtain seed of the above plant, but perhaps Mr. Thompson, Ipswich, 
could supply it. The other address you require is Messrs. Fisher, Son and 
Sibray, Handsworth, Sheffield. 
Oncidium Marshallianum (R. F). —Your previous letter was not 
received or it would have been answered at once. This Orchid requires the 
temperature of the Cattleya house or the warmer of two divisions in an 
ordinary Orchid house. It succeeds upon a block, and should be placed in 
a light position, supplying water liberally while growth is advancing. 
Peaches for an Unheated House ( S. TV).—Six excellent Peaches 
ripening in succession are Alexander, Rivers’ Early York, Dr. Hogg, Grosse 
Mignonne, Noblesse, and Barrington. 
Apples and Pears for a Sandy Soil (Idem ).—Dessert Apples.—Irish 
Peach, Margil, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Adams’ Pearmain, King of the Pippins, 
Hubbard’s Pearmain. Kitchen Apples.—Keswick Codlin, Duchess of Olden¬ 
burg, Golden Noble, Warner’s King, Small’s Admirable, Striped Beefing. 
Pears.—Williams’ Bon Chretien, Colmar d’Et6, Fondante d’Automne, Comte 
de Lamy, Doyennfi du Comice, Knight’s Monarch, Urbaniste, Thompson’s, 
Huyshe’s Victoria, Comte de Flandres, Winter Nelis, and Madame Millet. 
Plant early in November, and see this week’s hardy fruit garden calendar for 
hints about preparation for planting. 
Pink Bedding Pelargonium (M. B. D.). —It is impossible to name one 
variety as the best for all sizes of beds and positions. One of the best 
beds we have seen this year is planted with Mrs. Leavers. Reference will 
shortly be made to some of the beds in the London parks, and the most 
effective varieties will be enumerated. 
Ridgway’s Hedge-clipper (J. B.). —This excellent implement will remove 
the young growths from Thorn, Privet, and other hedges more easily and 
far more expeditiously than the hedges can be trimmed with the ordinary 
garden shears. If you order one of the articles in question it will be certain 
to reach you in good condition, but it may be probably too large for the 
parcels post. The lawn edge-clipper referred to has been found serviceable 
by several persons who have used it. Whether it will answer in your case 
or not can only be ascertained by experience. You had better write for a 
list of testimonials and judge for yourself as to its adaptability for your 
garden. 
Freesia refracta (C. D .).—When the plants are showing sigqs of growth 
water may be given in small quantities at first, gradually increasing the 
supply as growth advances. They are best in a greenhouse when the 
flowers are expanding, but they will do very well in the frame at present if 
they are protected from heavy rains. The offsets of the Imantophyllums 
may be removed if you desire to increase the stock, and also if you wish the 
older plants to grow more vigorously. These when potted will soon become 
established and form useful plants in a few years. 
Melons Cracking (T. B.). —Making the soil very firm, reducing the 
supply of water, yet not to such an extent as to cause the foliage to shrivel 
prematurely, and cutting a notch in the stem to check the rapid flow of sap 
to the fruit, are methods that are adopted with more or less success by 
gardeners. When Melons have been kept too dry during the swelling period, 
and then given a heavy watering when the fruit approaches the ripeniug 
stage, cracking is very likely to occur. 
New Apples (J. C. cf Sons ).—The fruits when examined were so far 
overripe as to render it impossible to estimate the merits of the variety—they 
were, in fact, quite soft, mealy, and flavourless. We recommend that all new 
fruits be sent to the meetings of the Royal Horticultural Society to be 
examined by the Fruit Committee. 
Helianthus orgyalis (J. C. (f Co .).—The plant you have is a North 
American species of Sunflower bearing the above name. It is of easy 
culture, succeeding in any ordinary rich garden soil, and is, when growing 
vigorously and flowering freely, an extremely ornamental border plant. It 
can be increased by division of the roots. 
Analysing Soil (IK. K .).—There must have been some misunderstanding. 
It is impossible that we can undertake to analyse soil, and this we have 
previously stated in these columns. The soil, however, shall be examined, 
your letter considered, and a reply given in a future issue. A spray of a 
plant from you was left at this office, but has been inadvertently mislaid. 
If you can send another by post we will endeavour to name it if it arrives in 
a sufficiently fresh state. 
Child’s Hill, Hampstead, and West-End Floral and Horticultural 
Society (J. E. 77.).—Mr. Williams, The Gardens, Frognal Rise, Hampstead, 
sends us a schedule of the above Society, that has been established ten years 
in answer to your inquiry on the subject last week. The Society appears to 
be well supported, and the Committee will be glad no doubt to accept you 
as a member. 
Primulas ( Angus Parle). —Itis not injurious to sprinkle Primulas through 
the fine rose of a watering pot in the afternoon after a scorching I ot day 
10 lbs. 
5 pints. 
1 oz. 
1 oz. 
h oz- 
