October 20, 1881. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
367 
If our friends of the Bee-keepers’ Association will not be 
offended I will state my fears, or rather opinions, about their bee 
tent. It has been a question with me whether it does more good 
than harm. At bee shows it is used to give object lessons to 
show visitors how bees and combs can be handled and changed 
from one hive to another, and for other purposes or manipulations. 
I have often said that such object lessons are useful. They teach 
by example, and encourage some young bee-keepers to practise 
what they read about. There is another view to be taken of the 
bee tent and the manipulations therein practised. Does the mani¬ 
pulation tend to encourage ladies and gentlemen to keep bees, or 
does it frighten them from the very idea of ever handling bees? 
I once asked a gentleman who had witnessed the wonderful 
operations of the manipulating tent what were his opinions as to 
the tendency or effects of the operations on the minds of spec¬ 
tators. He said, “ I think it tends to frighten people from keeping 
bees.” In the manipulations of bees in the tent there must un¬ 
avoidably be a great sacrifice of lives ; but probably the ultimate 
aim and end of the bee tent is the introduction of a better hive 
to the bee-keepers of England. Whether the effort put forth will 
end in success and when, are questions that cannot be answered 
at present. Meanwhile let us endeavour to interest the public by 
attractive exhibitions and large harvests of honey.—A. Pettigrew, 
JBowdon. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Wm. Wood & Son, Uckfield, Sussex.— Catalogue of Fruits. 
Charles Turner, Slough. —Catalogue of Roses and Fruit Trees. 
Thos. S. Ware, Tottenham. —Catalogue of Trees, Shrubs, Roses, and 
Hardy Florists’ Flowers. 
Bruant, Poitiers, Vienne, Prance. —Catalogue of Fruit Trees and 
Roses. 
H. Merryweather, Southwell. —Catalogue of Roses. 
Rochea falcata (.-4. Boyle). —The leaves should remain on the surface of 
the soil until they callus and then be inserted ; if inserted when removed from 
the plants they are very liable to decay. 
Bitter Almond (F. R.). —Your question was referred to~on~page 323 , the 
issue of October 6th, under “ Names of Fruits.” The Almonds are used occa¬ 
sionally for flavouring, but Sweet Almonds are much preferable. We do not 
remember having received any other question from you. All questions that are 
submitted to us have our best attention. We thank you for your letter, the 
other portion of which is referred to in another column. You have infringed 
no rules, and we shall always be glad to hear from you whether you ask questions 
or communicate information. 
Tropseolam speciosum ( Reading Correspondent). —We are unable to 
inform you where you can purchase plants of this Trppaeolum. Those who have 
them for disposal should advertise them. If plants established in pots were 
offered they would no doubt meet with a ready sale, as many people are anxious 
to establish this brilliant hardy climber in their gardens. 
Natural Orders of Plants (IF. E. B.). —Reidia is included in the 
natural order Enphorbiaceae, Stephanotis in Asclepiadete, Bougainvillea in Nyc- 
tagine®, Franciscea in Scrophularjace®, Palisota in Commeiynace®, and Steno- 
gaster in Cyrtandrace®. The loss or change of colour in drying flowers cannot 
be remedied in the majority of cases. The best plan is to dry the specimens as 
quickly as possible. Some advocate immersing them in hot water previous to 
drying. 
Stephanotis Fruiting (Willow). —We have seen many instances of Ste¬ 
phanotis producing fruit, and therefore yours is not a unique case. If the fruit 
is in a light position near the glass it will probably ripen the seeds ; and if you 
desire to raise young plants the seeds must be sown in very light sandy soil, the 
pans or pots being plunged in a hotbed. We do not know of any special useful 
qualities that the fruit possesses. 
Apple Tree not Bearing (Marlcet Gardener). —The name of your Apple 
is purely local. As the tree is covered with blossom annually and yet seldom 
bears fruit we cannot suggest any better mode than protecting the blossoms 
from frost, and as you say the tree is trained to a wall protection can be easily 
afforded. There is no list of market gardeners published, and your name cannot 
be included amongst nurserymen until you are established in the business. 
The “ Horticultural Directory ” will be announced when ready. 
Planting Marechal Niel Rose (J). I ).).—In all probability the Rose 
would succeed better planted in good soil in the outside border as you propose 
than grown in a pot. If you procure a i trong plant from the open ground we 
should plant it at once in deep rich loam, and cover the surface over the roots 
and for a foot beyond their extremities with good manure. If you have a plant 
in a pot you may defer planting until the spring. This Rose will succeed in a 
particularly shaded position, but it cannot be expected to flourish if it is over¬ 
hung with trees. 
Large Apples (B. T. IF.).—Warner's King and Gloria Mundi are two of 
the largest. At the Hereford Show held last year the first-prize five fruits of 
the former weighed 7 lbs. 3 ozs. ; second, 5 lbs. 7} ozs.: and third, 4 tbs. 12} ozs. 
In 1879 Gloria Mundi secured the first prize, the five fruits weighing 5 lbs. 10} ozs. 
Warner’s King is the most useful of the very large late Apples, the tree being a 
good grower and excellent bearer. At Maidstone last year Loddington measured 
14£ inches in circumfeience. Ribston Pippin is richer in flavour than Cox’s 
Orange Pippin, but the latter is excellent, a very free bearer, and on the whole 
more reliable, as being less liable to canker. 
Heating Cucumber House and Early Vinery (Totnesian). —In the 
Cucumber house with the pipes under the bed on each side of the walk in a 
hollow chamber you will practically have no top heat, so that in addition to 
those under the beds you will require a similar quantity of piping along the 
sides of the house immediately above the beds of compost, or they may be placed 
along the sides of the beds next the pathway. There is no necessity to afford 
bottom heat to Rhubarb being forced ; and the pipes for heating the vinery 
must be fully exposed, or they will be insufficient for maintaining the needful 
temperature for the Vines. A 30-iuch saddle boiler will heat about 400 feet of 
4-inch piping. 
Forcing Lilacs for Flowering at Christmas (An Inquirer ).—It is 
not necessary to grow or bring the plants into flower in a Mushroom house or 
other dark place. We lift the common white Lilacs, placing them in large pots 
or tubs at the close of November, and place them in a house with a temperature 
of 60° to 65° at night and 70? to 75° by day from sun beat, and the plants come 
into flower at Christmas. All that is required is to damp them overhead occa¬ 
sionally, and to keep them duly' supplied with water. The plants need to be in 
the temperature above named five weeks before they are required in flower. 
The common Lilac forced in the above manner also affords white flowers by 
Christmas and the new year, the flowers not assuming their full lilac tints until 
the spring is somewhat advanced. There is no difficulty in having white Lilac 
at Christmas, only employ plants well set with buds, and give them a tempera¬ 
ture as above indicated. They will succeed in less, but more time will be 
required to bring them into flower. 
Pruning Stephanotis (IF. II. IF.).—It is not advisable to prune a Ste¬ 
phanotis severely, and “ cutting back ” often results in a great loss of flowers, 
and certainly of early Hewers. Even thinning out the growths should be done 
judiciously, as cutting out a great number at once at this season of the year is 
more or less injurious to the plant. ThinniDg-out should be done earlier, when 
the plant is in free growth, with the object of disposing the growths thinly, so 
that the foliage is exposed to the light. Under this treatment the wood is 
matured, and flowers are produced freely and early the following spring. The 
little confusion that has occurred was probably the result of matter pertaining 
to two distinct departments—business and editorial—being included in the 
same envelope. To prevent mistakes all business letters should be addressed to 
the publisher, and editorial communications to the editor. Your wishes in 
future shall be complied with. 
Horse Chestnuts (A. G. S.). —Tin’s mishap to which you refer is only, we 
think, a coincidence having occurred when the nuts abound. Me should not 
destroy the trees, as we have no evidence that the fruit is injurious ; on the con¬ 
trary, in Turkey the nuts are ground and mixed with the provender of their 
horses, especially of those which are troubled with coughs or are broken-winded. 
The nuts are well adapted for feeding deer and swine, upon which the latter are 
found to fatten freely. But, before they can be rendered serviceable for this 
purpose they must be steeped for two or three days in water to extract their 
bitterness. In Switzerland they are crushed as food for sheep, and given in 
meals of 2 lbs. to each sheep, morning and evening. They are said not only to 
fatten the animals, but to communicate a peculiarly fine flavour to the mutton. 
The nuts abound in starch, which may be readily obtained in a state of purity, 
and it is said to excel as an article of diet that procured from the Potato ; and 
the bitter principle which they contain may be effectually removed by macerat¬ 
ing them in an alkaline solution. The powdered kernel sniffed up the nostrils 
causes sneezing, and has been used successfully in diseases of the head and eyes. 
Fruit Trees for Walls and Orchard in. North Yorkshire (A 
Yorkshire Rector ).—For walls with a south aspect Apricots succeed, the best 
being Oullins Early Peach, Moorpark. St. Ambroise, and Kaisha. Plums succeed 
admirably, the best being July Green Gage, Bryanston Green Gage, Jefferson, 
Kirke’s, and Coe's Golden Drop. Peaches and Nectarines succeed fairly well 
with protection. Of Peaches Early Beatrice, Hale’s Early, Dr. Hogg, Grosse 
Mignonne, Noblesse, Diamond, and Barrington ; of Nectarines Lord Napier, 
Rivers’ Early Orange, Hardwick Seedling, and Pine Apple. East walls suit 
Plums, and in addition to those named as suitable for a south wall Dennistou’s 
Superb, Transparent Gage, Guthrie's Late Green, Ickworth Impbratrice, 
Prince of Wales, Victoria, Belle de Septembre, and White Magnum Bonum ; also 
Cherries, Belle d'Orleans, Empress Eugenie, May Duke, Elton, and Governor 
Wood. West, also east, walls suit Pears, Jargonelle, Beurre d’Amanlis, Beurie 
Superfin, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Marie Louise d’Uccle, Durondeau, Marechal de 
Conr, Marie Louise, Beurrb Diel, Thompson’s, Van Mons Leon Leclerc, Beurre 
Bachelier, Glou Morceau, Winter Nelis, Josephine de Malines, and Bergamotte 
Espereu. North walls are most profitably covered with Morello Cherries. For 
orchards—Apples—Irish Peach, Kerry Pippin, King of the Pippins, Clavgate 
Pearmain, Dutch Mignonne, Reinette du Canada, Peasgood’s Nonsuch, Cockle 
Pippin, and Stunner Pippin ; and for cooking, Carlisle Codlin, Keswick Codlin, 
Alexander, Cellini, Small’s Admirable, Blenheim Orange, Warner's King, Dume- 
low’s Seedling, Bedfordshire Foundling, Northern Greening, and Hambledon 
Deux Ans. Tears—St. Swithin's, Williams’ Bon Chretien, White Doyennb, 
Beurre de Capiaumont, Aston Town, and Swan’s Egg. Plums—Early Prolific, 
The Czar, Prince Englebert, Diamond, Winesour, and Wyedale. 
Names of Fruit (J. M. D .).—Nearly all the Grapes were broken in transit 
We can only say that the large one resembles the Golden Champion, and thu 
small one Boyal Muscadine. We do not undertake to name Grapes, unless a 
bunch arrives in good condition and with a lateral bearing good foliage. No 
one can name Grapes with accuracy from a few isolated berries. (J. Woodliffe). 
—Pear, Beurre Hard}'. Apple. 1, Sops-in-wine; 2, not known. (Northampton). 
—Your seedling Apple is handsome, but it does not possess any merit even for 
cooking, as it lias not sufficient acidity : the fruit also is very light. The other 
is Hollandbury. (/. M. At., North Drvon).— Your fruit shall be carefully ex¬ 
amined and referred to next week. (G. S.). —2. Waltham Abbey Seedling; 3, 
Suffolk Thorn ; 4, Cox’s Orange Pippin ; 5, Golden Winter Pearmain ; 9, Court 
Pendu Plat ; 6, Cox’s Orange Pippin. (T. Norbury ).—1, Beurrb Diel; 2, Nou¬ 
veau Poiteau; S, Beurre d' Anjou; 6, Beurrb de Capiaumont; 7, De Bavay ; 8, 
Easter Beurre. (John Bowden). —Yon have not sent any numbers with your 
fruits, and we cannot refer to them individually. (Carnagh ).—The foe for 
naming fruit for non-subscribers is 6s. (G. O. S ).—Selwood’s Reinette. (T. R.). 
3, Warner's King ; 4, not known ; 5, Scarlet Nonpareil; C, and another like it, 
Striped Holland Pippin. Large Yellow Apple, Bedfordshire Foundling. The 
labels were not secure, and some of them were shaken off in transit. (G. B. C.). 
—Apples—5, Herefordshire Pearmain ; 6, Fearn’s Pippin. Pears—3, Gansel’s 
Late Bergamot; 2, Beurr6 Capiaumont; 1, Susette de Bavay ; 4, not known. 
The scale is Aspidiotus conchiformis, and may be destroyed by dressing with 
a solution of soft soap and paraffin, as advised on page 277. (R. F. Williams). — 
