44 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 14, 1881. 
will appear to many students of nature to be anomalous and ex¬ 
traordinary. As queens live four years and are wonderfully pro¬ 
lific, the contents of their spermatheca are sometimes exhausted 
before they cease laying, or rather before they die ; the eggs laid 
after the spermatheca has been emptied remain male and hatch 
into drones. Though we have had many queens die of old age, and 
have known many hives of our own bereft of their queens by 
age, we have never known a mated queen become a drone-breeder 
merely in her old age. We have seen queens by reason of age 
totter and stagger as they walked, others dethroned and cast 
out of their hives in a state of dotage, and one this year lost a 
limb and could not walk on the combs, but fell to the board again 
and again. All these continued to lay female eggs till the very 
last. Other teachers, amongst them Dzierzon, Berlepsch. and 
Woodbury, have had fertilised queens that became simply drone- 
breeders in their old age, and the statements of these able men 
are trustworthy. 
If other proof be wanted to establish the statement that all 
eggs of queens are naturally and originally male, it will be 
found in the fact that from parents of different races, say from 
Ligurian queens and common drones, we have no half-bred males. 
Paternal influence does not affect the direct male progeny ; indeed 
half-bred drones are an impossibility. While young queens and 
working bees are decidedly cross-bred, the direct male offspring 
share no influence but that of the mother. Let me now call the 
reader’s attention to a nice point or distinction between the words 
“ half-bred ” and “ cross-bred,” also between “ direct ” male pro¬ 
geny and “ indirect.” While drones have no half-bred—that is to 
say, direct male progeny, there is the possibility, nay, the likelihood 
of the second and third generations catching up and possessing 
some of the characteristics of the grandfather. This is the idea 
I wish to convey, that while drones have no sons of their own 
they may have daughters which may carry the characteristics to 
future generations of both male and female offspring. The 
history of drone life is stranger than fiction, and is perhaps 
without a parallel in natural history. 
Again, it is known that some workers lay a few eggs which 
invariably hatch into drones, and as workers are imperfect 
females, incapable of fecundation, these fertile workers lend 
some small additional proof to support the statement that all 
eggs of bees are originally male in character. 
This subject is fully discussed and elucidated in a small 
pamphlet written by Baron Berlepsch, called “ The Dzierzon 
Theory.” We heartily commend this pamphlet to the notice of 
our readers. At page 2G the Baron says “ that queens’ eggs are 
susceptible of development though unimpregnated, but masculinity 
pre-exists therein, which, marvellous indeed 1 is transformed into 
feminity by impregnation with the male sperm. I am anxious 
to attract the attention of my readers to this portion of the theory, 
for it is the most important of all the propositions I have under¬ 
taken to discuss. With its aid almost everything relating to bee 
culture becomes intelligible, without it hardly anything is clear. 
He who does not fully comprehend this point will grope in the 
dark in all his operations, and be constantly exposed to mistake 
and disappointment.”—A. Pettigrew. 
*** 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 o? our correspon¬ 
dents, as doing so subjects them to unjustifiable trouble and 
expense. 
Parcels Sent by Post (To Correspondents ).— We occasionally recarve 
portions of fragile cardboard boxes that are addressed to us, and from which 
the contents have escaped in transit through the post. Two of such cases have 
occurred this week, and w« have no means of knowing who were the senders. 
If what has been sent by correspondents this week is not referred to in our 
next issue it may be concluded that the contents <5f the parcels have not reached 
our hands. 
Pipes for Connecting Houses ( B .).—You may employ 2-inch pipes as 
connections between the boiler and houses, having a few feet length of pipe near 
the boiler, both on the flow and return pipes of the same size as the aper¬ 
tures or sockets of the boiler. We never recommend any particular boiler, but 
we should certainly have one that exposes a large amount of surface to the 
direct action of the fire, which quality is possessed both by the tubular and 
saddle in their improved forms. 
Aerides Bearing Seed {J. Smith ).— It is quite possible that the seed 
vessels produced on your plant are the result of cross-fertilisation by insect aid. 
A hybrid Aerides has been raised between A. affine and A. Fieldingi, and is 
known as A. hybridum ; so your friend must have been incorrectly Informed. 
Rubus rosaefolius (Sol). —It succeeds best in a greenhouse, and you may 
confine the pruning at present to the removal of any weak or straggling shoots. 
When the growth is completed the plant may be placed in a sunny and open 
position outside for a time to mature the wood, subsequently removing it to the 
greenhouse before the approach of cold or wet weather. 
Heating Greenhouses (J. L .).— We have no experience of the stove 
alluded to, but rightly managed we have no doubt it answers the purposes the 
maker claims. Heating with oil or gas is, however, more costly than heating 
with coke or coal, and stoves are from the greater heat of their radiating sur¬ 
face not so favourable to plaut life as that obtained by heating with hot water. 
We should have a stove boiler, and have two rows of 3-inch pipes along the front 
of your house. (G. II. II ). —Your house could be heated by gas or with oil, but 
both are more costly than heating in the ordinary way with hot-water pipes and 
a boiler. See answer to “ J. L.” The best manure for plants it is difficult to 
name, all being good. You may safely try those that are advertised in our 
columns, and you will soon perceive which is the best adapted for your soil and 
plants. 
Grapes Scalded (IF. A. B). —Your vinery has been kept closed too long in 
the morning, and then the ventilators have been opened too widely at once to 
reduce the heat, hence the injury to the Grapes, after possibly a cold night. 
Leave the top ventilators open an inch or two all night, and increase the air 
very early in the morning—immediately the sun increases t®e temperature of 
the house. Ventilation should always be given on the principle of checking 
the rapid advance of the heat, not allowing it to increase considerably, and 
then endeavour to reduce it by throwing the windows wide open as if airing a 
bedroom. 
Stopping Cucumbers (A. Boyle). —The main branches may extend until 
they nearly reach across the frame or trellis, and then have their points re¬ 
moved. Laterals or side growths will then be produced, and these may either 
be stopped at one joint beyond the fruit or at the joint where the fruit is pro¬ 
duced, according as there is space in the house or frame for the development of 
the foliage. We have had equally satisfactory crops by adopting both modes of 
stopping. The growths of ridge Cucumbers only need stopping when the plants 
are growing very strongly, or when the main branches have extended about 
3 feet. 
Stable Manure Dry (B.). — If water is poured on the heap occa¬ 
sionally and sufficiently, and the material i3 moved with a fork two or three 
times a week, fermentation will take place, and the manure will be brought into 
a fit condition for use. 
Red Tripoli Onion (IF. P .).—The bulb you have sent is of this variety, 
which is very useful for autumn sowing. 
Grapes Cracking (Anxious). —The variety to which you allude is pro¬ 
bably either the Tokay or Trov6ren Frontignan. Cracking is caused by an 
undue pressure of sap on an uuelastic skin. Three modes have been found more 
or less effectual in mitigating the evil complained of—1, Cropping fully, not 
lightly ; 2, diminishing the supply of water to the roots, but not unduly restrict¬ 
ing atmospheric moisture ; 3, cutting notches half through the laterals that 
bear the bunches, so as to check the How of sap to the berries. You can adopt 
either of the remedies that can be applied the best m your particular case. If 
after doing so the cracking still continues you may remove a leaf or two from 
beyond the bunches, even at the risk of somewhat diminishing the size of the 
fruit. 
Grapes Shanking (L. M .).—The parcel you have sent has not yet come 
to hand. It does not necessarily follow that the present crop of Grapes must 
be heavy to cause shanking, as, if the Vines have been overcropped in previous 
years or otherwise debilitated, the evil will show itself. If the Vines were not 
overcropped, and the border was neither too wet nor too dry, it is deficient in 
the elements necessary for perfecting the crop. Place the roots in fresh loam 
in which is incorporated a fourth part of wood ashes and a fifteenth part of 
crushed bones, surface-dressing the border with rich manure. If the roots take 
possession of this freely and the Vines are not unduly cropped nor forced, are 
watered sufficiently yet judiciously, and the foliage is kept thin and clean, the 
Grapes will not shank, at least to any serious extent. The worst case of shank¬ 
ing that ever came under our notice was cured by adopting the practice we 
have indicated and invigorating the Vines. There may be other circumstances 
that contribute to shanking, but in nine cases out of ten it arises from debility 
of the Vines ; this we have proved by direct experiment. 
Stopping Currants (O. Mason). —You may stop or remove what is termed 
the watery wood. All shoots growing into the interior of the bush, to the 
exclusion of light and air, may be cut back when about 9 inches in length, far 
enough to render the centre of the bush completely open. In about another 
fortnight the watery or wild-looking breast-spray all round the exterior may be 
pruned back to within 4 inches of their base. This leaves a regular tuft of 
foliage all round, absolutely necessary for a partial shade to the swelling fruit. 
Some intervening spray between each two branches must be served likewise ; 
and if growing freely the leading points of the shoots may be stopped also. 
Planting Broccoli (A Young Gardener). —There are many other young 
gardeners beside yourself who regret they have not given more attention to the 
cropping of the kitchen garden. It is not too late to plaut Broccolis now—indeed, 
we have a great number that are uot ready for planting, and on them we shall 
rely for the bulk of our produce uext spring. We do uot admire plants that are 
large at rhis time of the year, but prefer small, dwarf, sturdy plants, and we 
endeavour to keep them so by permitting no overcrowding in tbe seed beds and 
no weeds to shelter the stems afterwards and make them tall and tender. You 
may sow the Walcheren Cauliflower now if yon can dig up the plants in Novem¬ 
ber, or before severe frosts occur, and place them in pits from which frost can 
be excluded. We have frequently had a valuable supply of small heads through¬ 
out January from plants that have been so treated. 
Cactuses not Flowering (T. Lloyd). —Place the plants near a south 
wall or fence, either plunging the pots in which the plants are growing in 
larger pots or in ashes. If the soil is poor and crowded with roots, and the 
leaves of the plants thin and of a flaccid nature, remove an inch or tw r o of the 
old soil from the pots and add fresh compost, half turfy loam and half decayed 
manure. See that the drainage of the pots is effective, and then water them 
copiously, especially during hot weather. Many plants of this nature are 
starved by the want of support during the summer mouths. They should be 
treated liberally in the summer, gradually rested in the autumn, and kept dry 
in winter ; they may then be expected to flower in the spring. 
