December 22, 1881.] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 571 
which will enrich the soil and form a suitable protection for the 
plants. Christmas Roses should be covered with handlights, for 
which they amply repay in the size of the flowers and purity of colour. 
Spring bedding plants must be examined, firming the soil about such 
as require it. If a mulch of cocoa refuse be given between the plants 
it will impart a neat appearance and enable the plants to pass the 
weather safely. 
Bedding Plants .—Plants in cold frames need frequent examination, 
removing every particle of decayed foliage, dusting any infested with 
mildew with flowers of sulphur, fully exposing to the weather on all 
favourable occasions, and when frost prevails keep them well pro¬ 
tected. If the plants become frozen they must not be exposed to the 
sun until they have thoroughly thawed, which they should be allowed 
to do in darkness. We have had Calceolarias closely matted for ten 
weeks ; they have been frozen all the time, and not a plant failed. Be 
very careful in the application of water, giving it only to such plants 
as absolutely require it, and in the early part of fine days only 
Verbenas should be frequently examined, and if mildew is observed 
apply flowers of sulphur, and those with Petunias and Ageratums 
should have a dry airy position with a temperature of 40° to 50°, and 
no more water than to preserve the plants in health. Pelargoniums 
must have a temperature in which they will be kept slowly growing 
through the winter, and a light position to insure sturdy growth. A 
temperature of 40° to 45° at night, and 50° by day, ventilating freely 
on all favourable occasions. Plants wintered in this way will be in 
much finer condition in spring than those starved through the winter- 
Variegated and other Pelargoniums, the stock of which is in arrear, 
should be kept in a warm airy house, and they will soon furnish cut¬ 
tings which strike freely on a shelf kept rather dry in a temperature 
of 60° to 65°. Tender plants, such as Coleus, Alternantheras, and 
Iresines, should have the temperature above indicated, with no more 
water for the present than will keep them in health. Succulents 
must have any decayed parts removed ; keep the soil dry, but with¬ 
out causing the plants to shrivel, and protect from frost. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Greenhouse .—Tropseolum tricolorum, T. Jarratti, and T. penta- 
phyllum being now in active growth, should be kept in a light position 
with the shoots regularly trained, which, if not attended to frequently, 
soon become so entangled as to prevent their being made to look 
well, being careful in all instances to cover the bottom of the trellis 
with young shoots before they are allowed to ramble to the top. 
Keep the soil in a moist condition, but not too wet, or the plants 
are seldom healthy. Lachenalias also must be near the glass and not 
overwatered. 
Pelargoniums .—The Large-flowered, Spotted, Regal, and Fancy 
Pelargoniums are not so much grown as they were before the im¬ 
proved forms of the Zonal varieties came into cultivation ; but this 
is certainly a mistake, as, desirable as are the Zonals from their con¬ 
tinuous habit of blooming, the others, from flowering so profusely 
when most of the spring-flowering greenhouse plants are over, are 
particularly acceptable for conservatory and general decoration. 
Moderate-sized plants are most suitable, not formally trained, but 
no pains should be spared to grow them well, and employ no more 
sticks and ties than are needed to keep them shapely. Plants in¬ 
tended to flower early in May should now have the requisite num¬ 
ber of sticks placed to them, and the shoots trained thinly so as 
to allow light and air to reach the centre of the plants. Unless 
unduly vigorous they need not be pinched. Old plants certainly will 
not need stopping. Later plants will require to be potted, making 
the soil quite firm, as when lightly potted they produce much foliage 
and do not flower satisfactorily. At potting it is advisable to place as 
many sticks as are likely to be required, as when this is deferred until 
later on their insertion mutilates the roots. Arrange the plants in 
a good light position as near the glass as possible, and ventilate the 
house freely except when frost prevails. Keep a strict look-out for 
aphides, and fumigate upon their first appearance. 
Herbaceous Calceolarias will require shifting into larger pots before 
they become root-bound, or they will not grow freely afterwards. 
Pot rather firmly in a compost of three parts loam, one part leaf 
soil and well-decayed manure, with a sprinkling of sand. It is 
essential that the’plants be kept cool and moist. 
Cinerarias for spring bloom should be shifted into large pots, em¬ 
ploying the same compost. Plants in small pots for later flowering 
should not be allowed to become root-bound, but must be moved to 
larger pots as they require it, giving the final shift early in February, 
and they will bloom when spring is well advanced. The temperature 
of the greenhouse will need to be kept at 40° to 46° by artificial 
means, ventilating if the day is likely to be fine. Water should be 
supplied in the early part of the day, and must be given liberally to 
plants requiring it, too frequent waterings being highly prejudicial. 
Conservatory .—Chrysanthemums will, if plants have been specially 
prepared for late flowering and retarded in a north house, still form 
an important part of the decoration of this structure. The general 
stock of these plants should be removed and the house made as gay 
as possible. If due preparations have been made there will be 
abundance of flowers, such as the following—Camellias, Indian 
Azaleas, Rhododendrons of the ea¥ly-flowering section, Azalea 
mollis, Lilac, Acacia platyptera, Coronilla glauca, Cytisus racemosus, 
Epacrises, winter-flowering Heaths, the glowing Poinsettias, bright- 
coloured early-flowered Cinerarias, Primulas, Cyclamens, Zonal Pelar¬ 
goniums, Roman Hyacinths, Roman and Paper White "Narcissus, 
Helleborus niger, maximus, orientalis, and olympicus ; common Prim¬ 
roses, Snowdrops, the indispensable Crocus, lovely Violets, Lily of 
the Valley in quantity, Heliotrope, stately Richardias, bright Schizo- 
stylis, Pinks, Forget-me-not, Mignonette, Eucharis, Epiphyllums, 
and equally brilliant Euphorbias, Luculia, Daphne indica, Jasminum 
grandiflorum, Lapageria, Cestrum aurantiacum, and Roses, of which 
Niphetos is especially notable. These with others, if tastefully ar¬ 
ranged with foliage plants, make an effective display. 
r— - --:—:-:-. . . Uv'U 
Q 
HE BEE-KEEPER-1 
DESIGNS IN HONEYCOMB. 
In his article on bee shows on page 366 Mr. Pettigrew urges 
the introduction of more variety and novelty at exhibitions as a 
means of making them “more gratifying and sensational.” I am 
not sure that I can plead for the “ sensational,” even although our 
shows are meant for public attractions, so much as for the educa¬ 
tional so far as bee-keepers are concerned. As it so happens that 
the fancy designs, stars, mottoes, &c., for which he pleads are at 
the same time highly attractive to visitors and capital exercise 
for the skill of the bee-keeper, I therefore take up the somewhat 
novel subject, and shall first of all describe a few of the more 
striking designs which have adorned the exhibitions of the East 
of Scotland Society at Dundee during the past few years. The 
idea originated in 1875 with an Arbroath gentleman, who offered 
a guinea for the best star in honeycomb, with five points and not 
less than 12 inches across. If I remember rightly it was two 
years before a star was produced worthy of the prize. Mean¬ 
while other prizes had been offered for designs, no special form 
being stipulated, and drew a magnificent turn-out at the 1878 
show. Some of these designs were exceedingly elaborate. The 
most imposing of all was a beautifully shaped vase full of purest 
comb surmounted by the star above referred to. This was passed 
over by the judges because of its being built into vase shape by 
the bee-keeper rather than the bees. The vase had been obtained 
and filled in sections a few inches deep, which were afterwards 
built together, the joints being covered by ornament. The idea, 
however, is a good one. Dealers in glass shades have frequently 
to cut them down for special orders, and the cuttings or rings of 
various diameters and depths, when covered by a circular plate of 
glass may, when finished, be built into towers, pillars, &c. There 
were two designs in the form of a cross 18 inches high, each con¬ 
sisting of six separate designs, crosses, stars, hearts, &c., built 
together after being worked by the bees. Here, again, the bee¬ 
keeper was considered to have had too great hand in the design. 
The first prize was awarded to a design, beautiful in its very sim¬ 
plicity—viz., two concentric circles of very fine honeycomb. For 
protection there was a wooden rim round them, but they were at 
no point attached to it or to each other. The prize, a honey 
extractor value 305., went to a working bobbin-turner near 
Banchory. The second prize went to the same house for a 
beautiful star of six rays worked in a shallow “cogie.” The 
third was of similar design. Since 1878 we have had no chance 
to get designs finished in Scotland ; they require especially good 
