476 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 29, 1883. 
having as much food for the bees as near home as practicable. We 
have a great breadth of herbaceous border, and there is always 
something in flower from early spring to late autumn, and a 
great number of floweiing shrubs ; and I found that on even 
wet days the bees were very busy on the flowers near the hives, 
whilst at a distance of a quarter of a mile the flowers were com¬ 
paratively neglected. 
Staple articles as bee food were Crocuses, blossoms of fruit 
trees, Almonds, Box, Honesty, Borage, Mignonette, Lime, and 
Ivy; abroad, white Clover and other plants —this being a purely 
agricultural district, no Heather, and plenty of bees about, 
which I think should be taken into account by anyone embark¬ 
ing in the pursuit. Bees, I am told, have a partiality for blue- 
coloured flowers. Is this a fact ? I know they love Borage, 
Sage, and Cornflower, also the purplish Honesty; but I found 
them more abundant on Mignonette than any garden plant, and 
outside on Clover. 
have read about bees enough to make anyone believe they 
might be done anything with, only cast away fear. I have seen 
some of these try it and get their eyes “ bunged up ” with hiving 
bees in shirt sleeves rolled up, and other, to me, foolish exploits 
of hardihood. Our bees are not of this docile description, they 
have stings and use them ; and as they pay me very particular 
attention at all times, I think discretion superior to assuming 
valour where none is wanted, therefore act always with a 
“ dress,” and get an insight which I fear would take as many 
years as I hope to accomplish in months.—G. Abbey. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Richard Dean, Ranelagh Road, Ealing, London .—Catalogue of New and 
Choice Potatoes. 
Hogg & Wood, Coldstream and Danse.— Catalogue of Nursery Stock. 
** 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. 
Books {B. E.). —The information you require on the book, “ The Culture 
of Vegetables and Flowers,” lately reviewed in this Journal, can be obtained 
by writing to Messrs. Sutton & Sons, Reading. We are not able to answer your 
inquiry. 
Primulas (F. Barron). —The lid of the box was quite crushed in, and the 
flowers consequently much injured. The variety appears to be a very fine 
form indeed of the Chiswick Red, and is well worthy of preservation. 
Erecting a Greenhouse {G. B .).—As everything depends on the position 
of the house it is impossible that anyone can answer your question without 
seeing the structure as erected. In all probability the surveyor is right, as 
he would not venture to extort money to which he had no claim. We advise 
you either to pay the fee if demanded, or to consult a solicitor before refusing 
to do so. 
Gardeners’ Benefit Society ( Canadian Subscriber). —We are not able to 
say with certainty whether gardeners who were born in the United Kingdom 
and. served in the same capcaity there, and now living in the colonies, are 
eligible for membership of the United Horticultural Benefit and Provident 
Society. .We believe, however, that at least one member of the Society in 
question is now living in America. Perhaps Mr. McElroy will give informa¬ 
tion on this point. 
Grapes Unsatisfactory (Novice). —This, we have little doubt, is one of the 
many cases of “ gardeners’ greed” that are brought to our notice every year. 
The "V ines are overworked. Less fruit and more roots, with an ample food 
store, is the remedy. We should cut the Grapes at once and preserve them 
by inserting the ends of the laterals in bottles of water, then forthwith adopt 
the practice described by Mr. Iggulden on page 287, the issue of October 4th. 
If you succeed as well as he has done—and there is no reason you should not 
•—you will be well satisfied with the result of your efforts. 
Petroleum for Destroying Insects {Idem). —We know of no better 
method of preparing it than dissolving 4 ozs. of soft soap and a lump of 
washing soda the size of a walnut in a gallon of boiling water ; then stirring 
well in this 4 ozs. of petroleum ; add to this four gallons of water, stirring 
well again, and you will have a mixture that may answer your purpose. It 
will destroy most kinds of insects and injure few plants, yet should be 
applied with caution with any of a very tender nature—that is, trying its 
effect on a plant or part of one before using it generally through an entire 
collection. The mixture will keep in bottles for any length of time. 
Mushrooms {Abbots Langley). —Although we do not consider the Mush¬ 
rooms you have sent of the best quality, we apprehend no danger in using 
them provided they are not allowed to become old and black before being 
cooked. Perhaps only a few of them are similar to the examples before us. 
If they all come like them we should send a sample to the vendor of the 
spawn and direct his attention to their abnormal character. He will no 
doubt be obliged to you for doing so, as few nurserymen make their own 
Mushroom spawn. 
Dressing Peach Trees and Vines {E. D. 0.). — We never apply any 
pigment to our Vines, but wash them with a solution of nicotine soap, Gis- 
hurst compound, or soft soap, whichever is most handy, dissolving 3 or 4 ozs. 
to a gallon of water, and applying it at a temperature of 150° with an old spoke 
brush. The rods are thus cleaned and the Vines free from insects. If a 
pigment is wanted apply sulphur in sufficient quantity to form a paint, and 
with this dress the Vine and _Peach tree branches. This is a very good 
dressing for Peach trees. 
Chrysanthemum Hon. Mrs. Roger Eykin (TV. A. TV.).—When you 
sent us blooms of your sport from Guernsey Nugget last year we recorded 
an impression that it was a variety of promise. The blooms now before us- 
are much finer than the previous examples, much smoother than Guernsey 
Nugget, and distinct from all other Chrysanthemums. The colour is prim¬ 
rose suffused with delicate pink ; the petals broad, quite incurved, and blooms 
large and symmetrical. They are a trifle flat, but, fully developed, the 
variety, we feel assured, will produce deeper flowers. Half a dozen florets 
taken indiscriminately from one of the blooms are each fully half an inch in 
diameter. If you can improve the blooms as much next year as you have- 
done this you will have established a very effective variety. 
Loam for Orange Trees {Kirby). —Provided the soil is moderately 
strong you cannot have any better than that skimmed off granite, and 
it would be improved in fertility by having the grass side charred. In 
that case it may be used at once if needed. If it is somewhat poor 
it would be well to stack it up in layers alternately with half-decomposed 
manure and use it a few months hence, at the proper time for repotting or 
planting the trees. 
Maximum Thermometers (Idem).— Your thermometers are evidently 
made on what is known as the “ Rutherford ” principle. They are a little 
cheaper than the two forms now generally used (the “ Phillip’s ” and the 
“Negretti”), but are very liable to become deranged in the way you 
describe. We would recommend you to get a Negretti maximum, as it is 
impossible without breaking it to put one of these thermometers out of 
order. Any good optician should be able to supply thermometers on this 
principle, or they may be obtained of the patentees, Messrs. Negretti and 
Zambra, Holborn Viaduct, E.C. 
Chrysanthemums in Small Pots (Aspiro). —We agree with you that the 
miniature plants exhibited by Mr. Molyneux at Winchester were “ quite 
charming.” We have grown many similarly small plants of Pompons by 
inserting the cuttings just w r hen the buds are forming, and striking them in 
a close frame, afterwards supporting the plants with liquid manure. The 
large-flowered varieties referred to were no doubt similarly raised, and 
perhaps in due time Mr. Molyneux will detail his method of producing them. 
In a matter of this kind, however, very much depends on the skill of a, 
cultivator, and the gardener in question certainly ranks amongst the most 
competent of Chrysanthemum growers. Each cutting should be inserted in 
a separate small pot. 
Selaginellas and Orange Trees {M. R. D .).—Whether Selaginellas can 
be grown on the surface of the pots containing Oranges and Camellias 
without injuring them depends very much on their condition and the- 
method of culture adopted. If the Oranges and Camellias were at all 
unhealthy we should certainly not surface the pots wdth the plants in- 
question ; and, again, if the trees were healthy we should not like to allow 
the Selaginellas to remain year after year, as they wmuld impoverish the 
soil. A safe plan is to spread 2 or 3 inches of rich rough soil on the surface 
of the pots, which we presume are large, and plant sprays of the Selaginella- 
annually in spring. A fresh green covering is soon established ; then at the 
time of planting again remove the plants and top-dressing, adding fresb T 
and planting sprays as before. We have adopted this plan with great 
satisfaction, and the Orange trees received no injury whatever. We are 
obliged by your letter. 
Plums as Low Standards (C. H.. Antwerp). —We know of thousands of 
trees grown as low standards. 'They only need to be carefully planted in 
well-drained fertile soil to succeed, requiring little or no pruning. You will 
find the method of pruning bush fruit trees concisely described in our 
“ Garden Manual,” under the heading oE “ Pears ; ” the work gives instructions 
in the culture of all other hardy fruits. You would probably also find Mr. 
Bunyard’s small work on “ fruit 1 arming” useful. Its price is Is. 6d. post- 
free in England. A remittance fo- the work sent to Mr. Bunyard, nursery¬ 
man, Maidstone, would have attent-on ; and the “Garden Manual” will 
be sent to you by post from this office by the publisher on his receiving the 
sum of Is. 9 d. If after reading these works you require additional informa¬ 
tion, we shall be glad to supj 1/ it as far as possible on your making your wants 
known to us. We are obliged by the friendly offer conveyed in your letter, 
and will bear it in mind. 
Planting between Young Wall Trees (A. M. B.). —Red and White 
Currants are the only fruit it is customary to plant between the permanent 
oecupants of walls, and these are gradually removed as the trees spread out 
to them. Probably your gable end of the house will afford space for a Pear 
cordon or two 18 inches apart trained vertically midway between the Apricots, 
and also one or two on each side, nr ar the corners of the building; even if 
you could only have one in the middle, and o-ne on each side the three 
cordons taken right up to the t 'p of the gable would look well, and afford 
