50G 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. t December i, issi. 
progress the bees have made during the night. Hundreds of cells 
have been built, hundreds of eggs have been laid, and the queen 
busil} r occupied in laying more ; hundreds of maggots have been 
attended to in their cradle cells, hundreds more have been 
sealed up in order that they may be quiet and unmolested while 
they pass into the chrysalis state. Both the home life and night 
work of a bee hive are wonderful. 
Some old books on bees divide the working community into 
classes, and tell us that each has a distinct function to perform. 
We thus have nursing bees, wax and comb-building bees, honey- 
gatherers, sentinels, &c. We have always thought that this idea 
is too fine-spun, or too much drawn out. On examining bees 
returning from the fields it will be found that while many of them 
have been gathering honey and pollen in the fields they have also 
been secreting wax, and four and six plates of wax may be seen 
oozing out of or being excreted from the furrows of the abdomen 
of each bee as it enters the hive. I have often told the readers 
of the Journal of Horticulture that the secretion of wax is volun¬ 
tary on the part of the bees, and this voluntary action is a mar¬ 
vellous fact in their history ; but I think I have stated the fact 
that while bees are at work in the fields they can and often do 
secrete wax. It is considered good work to kill two birds with one 
stone, but here we see that bees do more, for they perform three 
very important functions simultaneously in manufacturing wax 
while collecting both honey and pollen. 
In noticing the senses of bees it will be found that they have 
five, all keen and intere-ting. The phenomena of the five senses 
of bees contain matter enough for a large book. Few men have 
power to grapple with this large subject, but the simple bee¬ 
keeper derives pleasure from noticing and knowing how useful 
the senses are to his bees. He knows their sense of smell is so 
keen that they can find the best honey within two miles of his 
garden, that they can find honey in the smallest (lowers, and that 
if a single drop of honey fall on a garden walk or garden lawn it 
will not be overlooked or forgotten by his bees. He knows, too, 
they will detect by smell the presence of a strange bee in their 
hives. 
As to their powers of sight, bees can see and follow a cricket- 
ball or stone as fast as it. can be thrown from the hand. An 
American gentleman, talking to me about the powers of flight of 
the honey bee, said that some flies in America could follow and 
dance round the ears of his horse going at a full gallop. We 
have often been struck with the quickness of the sight and flight 
of bees in following an object that provoked them. 
The swarming of bees is one of the most interesting and plea¬ 
sure-giving outcomes of an apiary. The first sight or appearance 
of drones every season caused such delight in Bonar that he sat 
down and made himself some whisk;/ toddv on the occasion. 
More apiarians than Bonar are pleased to see drones appear in 
the spring months. Their appearance indicates that the bees are 
preparing for swarming.—A. Pettigrew, Boivdon. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Dickson & Robinson, 12, Old Millgate, Manchester .—Catalogues of 
Boses , Forest and Ornamental Trees. 
W. P. Laird & Sinclair, Dundee, Scotland .—Catalogues of Trees and 
Shrubs and General Nursery Stock. 
H. & F. Sharpe, Wisbech .—List of Potatoes. 
William Paul & Son, Waltham Cross, Herts .—Catalogue of Hardy 
Trees and Shrubs. 
*** All correspondense 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 Poultry and Bee subjects, and 
should never send more than two or three questions at once. All 
articles intended 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. 
Address (IK. TV. II .).—The address you require is, we think, Messrs. 
Boulton & Paul, Norwich, and you had better submit the inquiry to them that 
you have sent to us. 
American Blackberries (A. II .).—They can he obtaiued from any of 
the principal nurserymen. 
Work on Hybridising (.1/. /?.).—You will find much information upon 
this subject in “ Cultivated Plants, their Propagation and Improvement,” by 
Mr. P. W. Burbidge, and published by William Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh 
and London. - 
Abies Albertiana (F. (?.).—If the specimens are similar in habit they 
are both forms of the same species, as there is considerable variation in many 
Conifers that are raised from seed, but we consider No. 2 the typical example 
of Prince Albert’s Spruce. 
Grapes Shrivelling (A. Ti. C .).—We are unable to inform you why your 
Mrs. Pince’s Grapes have not finished satisfactorily. Possibly the Vine is not in 
a healthy state iii consequence of defective root-action, or the crop may have 
been too heavy. We have cut very good Grapes of Mrs. Piuce grown on a 
Black Hamburgh stock. 
Winter-flowering Begonias (A Young Gardener). —The following will 
no doubt meet your requirements, as they are free-growing and flowering— 
Begonia insignis, B. sempertlorens, B. weltoniensis, B. Ingrami, and B. parvi- 
fiora or B. llichardsiana. 
Begonias (C. Ii .).—It is not usual for those who have raised new plants to 
send seeds or cuttings to applicants for them. They are only sent for trial 
to growers selected by the raisers, and on the understanding that no portions of 
the plants will be distributed by those to whom they are entrusted. You will 
probably hear more about the plants you name eventually. 
Advice to Young Gardeners ( One in Hope ).—We are glad to learn that 
j’ou, with others, are endeavouring to profit by the advice to which you refer. 
Your letter indicates a laudable desire to do what is right, and we trust you 
will continue your endeavours towards that end. We would also advise you to 
study grammar and orthography. In your short note there are six errors in 
spelling, and a still greater number of grammatical inaccuracies. 
Dwarf Peas (II. TV.).—Two good dwarf Peas are Carter’s Extra Early 
Premier Gem and Suttons’ Bijou, but we do not know which would suit your 
soil and purpose the best. You had better try them both. We do not know 
what “ conservatory creeper would resist mealy bugperhaps some of our 
readers can supply the information. A good book, such as you appear to re¬ 
quire, is Brown’s " Manual of Botany,” published by Messrs. Blackwood & Sons, 
London and Edinburgh. The price is 12/. 6tf. 
Marecb.al Niel Roses for Christmas (IT. II. C .).—So long as the 
present mild weather continues the plants now bearing flower buds may be 
kept in the greenhouse ; but if by the occurrence of severe weather the tem¬ 
perature of the house should fall below 40° the flowers will probably fail to 
expand, but they would open if the plants were placed in the Cucumber house. 
As to when they should be placed there depends entirely on the weather and 
the size of the buds; flower's can only be had on a given day by the exercise of 
sound judgment on the part of the cultivator. If the pots are filled with roots 
weak liquid manure would be an advantage, not otherwise. 
Strawberries Flowering (R. E. it .).—The plants received a check by 
the hot weather in early summer, and the mildness of the autumn has accelerated 
their flowering Probably if some of the plants were potted—those with the 
fruit half grown—the fruit would ripen in a light warm greenhouse. Many 
cultivators have ripe Strawberries at Christmas, but the plants require careful 
management. You may remove the flowers as you propose, but the crop next 
summer can scarcely be expected to prove so good as if the plants bad not 
flowered now. 
Lapageria alba (Y.Z .).—It will succeed in a conservatory in which the 
temperature does not fall below 40° in the winter, but if the minimum is 45° 
it will be better, and a rather shaded position in summer is advantageous. 
Suitable soil consists of turfy peat, a little loam, and lumps of charcoal. Good 
plants can be grown in 11-inch or 13-inch pots, the shoots being trained to a 
trellis, a flat one being most suitable. Whether grown in a border or pot, good 
drainage should be secured. A border 4 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 2 feet deep, 
clear of the drainage, will support a large plant. The drainage should be very 
good, for. during the season of growth the watering must be plentiful, and at 
no time must the soil be allowed to become dry. During the growing season a 
plant in a large pot will require a gallon of water daily, and one in a border 
thrice the quantity. 
Rabbits Injuring Trees and Shrubs (Mrs. S .).—In an article upon 
the above subject in this Journal, page 136, vol. xxxviii., the writer summarises 
his experience in the severe winters of 1878 and 1879 as follows :—Beech, Cupres- 
sus Lawsoniana, Thujopsis borealis, White American Spruce, Portugal Laurels, 
English Yew, Retinospora pisifera, Wellingtonias, and Piceas (except P. pecti- 
nata) did not suffer to such an extent as to interfere with their after growth ; 
while Rhododendrons, Ivalmias, Andromedas, Irish Yews, Corsican Pine, Birch, 
and Alder received no injury.” Fuller particulars respecting trees and shrubs 
which were greatly injured will be found in the article in question. 
Liliums (Somerset). —To have the varieties of Lilium lancifolium in flower 
in August and September the jrlants should be wintered with the pots plunged 
in ashes in a cold frame or pit, affording protection over the lights in severe 
weather. In May the plants may be placed outdoors on ashes in a sheltered 
sunny position, and if duly attended to with water they will flower at the time 
required, being placed under glass when the flowers are expanding. Lilium 
longiflorum may be treated similarly, but will not flower so late. After tbe 
buds are formed the plants may be placed at tbe north side of a wall »o as to 
retard the flowering. L. Thunbergianum is early-flowering, but it may be re¬ 
tarded as advised for L. longiflorum. For your purpose L. lancifolium vars. are 
far the best. 
Cucumber House (-S. C. —The lights make no difference as regards 
their width for the growth of Cucumbers, as the trellis, or wires forming it, 
require to be fixed longitudinally or lengthwise of the house, 30 to 36 inches 
being a sufficient distance apart for the plants. We should have ventilators at 
the top of the house in the roof and not in the back wall. To have the roof 
lights at an angle of 45° the back wall will need to be the same height as the 
width cf the house, reckoning from the top of the front lights, which are 2 feet 
6 inches ; the width of the house in that case will be 8 feet; the height of the back 
wall will be, your having 2 feet of brickwork in front in addition to the front 
lights, 12 feet 6 inches. An angle of 35° is more suitable, tbe width of the 
house 9 feet inside, and the back wall about 10 feet 6 inches, which is allowing 
for 2 feet of brickwork under the front lights. Two rows of 4-inch piping will 
be needed for bottom heat to the bed, and three rows for top heat, two rows at 
the front of the house and the other adjoining the pathway and just over the 
bed, this row being filled with evaporation troughs. 
