October S, 1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
317 
Cleaning Houxes. —This is another important operation that must be 
pushed forward at once with energy. The glass and woodwork should be 
thoroughly washed with hot water and softsoap, the former outside as 
well as inside. The walls should be limewashed, and the pipes blacked 
as well as the floors, and cribs, if formed of stone, made perfectly clean 
with an application of chloride of lime. If mealy bug has become estab¬ 
lished in the houses paint them thoroughly with pure petroleum. Soak 
well with oil, and water the stages and every portion of the house likely 
to conceal this, the worst of enemies the gardener has to contend against. 
In such case the whole of the old limewash should be scraped and washed 
from the walls and then dressed with petroleum or muriatic acid, which is 
decidedly preferable of the two. When this has been done the walls can 
be washed with hot lime. It is a great mistake to transfer plants that 
have been standing outside or in clean frames to dirty houses, for they 
cause much trouble and annoyance afterwards. The houses should 
always be made thoroughly clean before the plants are placed in them ; 
the work when the houses are empty, or can be emptied, can be accom¬ 
plished in half the time. 
Housing Plants. —As soon as the houses have been cleaned in readiness 
those plants that are likely to suffer should be placed under cover first. 
It is necessary to have everything in readiness, for in some localities early 
frosts soon destroy the work of a season if plants standing outside are not 
housed. Many plants will stand outside safely until the approach of 
frost, while with others heavy rains would prove as detrimental to the 
plants as frost. Plants that have been planted out, such as Callas, 
Salvias, Bouvardias, and others, should be lifted and potted if not done 
without further delay, or they will not have time to make a few roots and 
become established before they have to be placed indoors. 
FLOWER GARDEN AND PLEASURE GROUND. 
Propagation of Shrubby Calceolarias. —The present is a good time to 
put in cuttings of these, but any time during October will do equally as 
well, providing they are not damaged by frost. Calceolarias unfortunately 
are liable in some gardens to die off in an almost unaccountable manner, 
but as a rule they are a very serviceable class of plants, and seeing how 
easy it is to strike and winter a great number of plants, the wonder is 
how they have got into such disfavour. In large gardens hundreds or 
thousands of plants may with a very little trouble be wintered in cold 
pits and frames, while where only a small quantity, a single-light frame 
or a few handlights are all that are required. No bottom heat whatever 
is required or should be given to the cuttings, as it is a better and a safer 
plan to strike them slowly, if only for the purpose of preventing early or 
delicate growth. Prepare the pits or frames by placing about 1 foot of 
hilf-decayed manure or leif soil into'the bottom, making this firm and 
placing about 6 inches of fine soil, to which leaf soil has been freely 
added, and face over this with a layer of sand or road grit. If shallow 
frames or handlights only are available, stand these on a bed of old 
manure or leaf soil, and place the fine soil with the surfacing of sand 
inside, taking care in every case to finish off firmly and smoothly. The 
medium-sized cuttings or flowerless shoots only should be selected, as 
those that are thin and hard do not strike readily, while if extra strong 
and succulent they are not so easily wintered. Shorten them to about 
3 or 4 inches, cut to a joint, and trim off the lowest pair of leaves. 
Dibble them in firmly, taking care that they touch the bottom of the 
holes, at a distance of about 3 inches apart each way. Water them in, 
put on the lights, keep close in the daytime, and shade from bright sun¬ 
shine, giving a little ventilation during mild nights. In about seven or 
«ight weeks they will be rooted, and should then receive abundance of air 
whenever the weather permits, in order to retard active growth, as this 
renders them more susceptible of injury from severe frosts, or from a long 
spell of dull and damp weather. Some kind of rough litter or mats as a 
protection from severe frosts should always be kept in readiness to put 
on. Those who decide to purchase cuttings, and w'hich can be had at a 
cheap rate, should try Gain’s Yellow, Aurea floribunda, yellow ; Prince 
of Orange, orange brown ; and Havelock, bronze crimson. 
Violas. —These are now become almost indispensable for summer and 
autumn bedding arrangements, and these, too, are easily struck and 
wintered. There are a considerable number of varieties, but many of 
hem only differ slightly. See page 299jfor some of the best. Frames, pits, 
or handlights may be prepared for the cuttings in exactly the same way as 
above described for Calceolarias, and the subsequent treatment may also be 
the same. The flowering tops are not often grown into good plants, and 
the preference should be given to the soft shoots, which at this time of 
year are to be found springing from the base of the plants ; and these, if 
shortened slightly, say to about 3 inches or less in length, according to 
the vigour of the sort, and dibbled in firmly, will strike root during the 
winter and form stocky little plants for early planting next spring. 
Zonal Pelargoniums. —It is a great mistake to leave the newly rooted 
cuttings of these standing in the open, as should the boxes of soil become 
badly saturated with moisture, the probability is many of the cuttings 
will damp off before they are sulfi.ciently dry again. 
^ bee-keeper. 
G) 
h 
.XIMr— '11^ • ' • * • - t • t • 1 • 1 - t - 1 • t - t • ',* i -L 1 « J “J • 1 . , - 1 . , - , . 
A SIMPLE METHOD OF BEE-KEEPING. 
I HAVE come to the conclusion after many years’ experience that 
th various bar-frame and other hives which are so strongly recom¬ 
mended by their advocates in the present day are only useful to those 
who can afford to make bee-keeping a study and to devote to it much 
time and attention. Among my friends and neighbours we have tried 
them, and I know many who have failed to make them profitable ; 
scarcely one who has been successful. I have no doubt my plan 
would be thought little of by adepts in the management, but as it has 
now stood the test of forty years, and has been sufficient!}'’ successful 
to afford me amusement and an abundant supply of honey, I venture 
to give a description of it for the benefit of those who may choose to 
adopt it. 
1 would in the first place observe that I suffer dreadfully from the 
sting of bees. Doctors tell me that my absorbents are very large, 
and hence the poison is diffused with great rapidity. I was anxious, 
therefore, to devise some safe means of manipulating my friends 
without exposing myself to their anger when their tempers were 
ruffled. To this end I had a small kind of summer-house erected in 
my garden, plastered within, and thatched on the outside with leather. 
Within this were fixed two shelves one above the other, occupying the 
east south, and west sides, capable of holding sixteen hives. On the 
same level with the shelves were placed on the outside alighting 
boards. The two were connected by pieces of timber 4 inches by 
3 running longitudinally through the house. On the under side of 
these were cut openings for the bees 4 inches wide by half an inch 
deep, corresponding with the centre of each hive, so that when the 
floorboards were placed against them a read}'’ access was given to the 
bees to their home of iudustiy, and by simjdy shifting the boards on 
one side I could narrow the entrance as much as I pleased. On the 
north side was a door, the top half of which was glazed and turned on 
a centre pivot, so that I could easily open or close it at pleasure. 
Inside this little house I could manipulate my bees without fear of 
being stung. 
My hives are of straw, about 14 inches in diameter and 8 inches 
deep. They have on the bottom a hoop which rests evenly on the 
floorboard, and on fhe top a board an inch thick which covers the 
whole surface of the hive. In this board are cut five holes 2 inches 
in diameter, and on each side of these holes is placed first a piece of 
perforated zinc 3 inches square, which will admit only working bees, 
and over this a corresponding piece of zinc to exclude light and air. 
Such is the condition of my hives now that my harvest has been 
gathered, and the advantages that I claim for my system are great 
simplicity and ease of manipulation. Thus, when I want to feed the 
bees I have only to remove the outer piece of zinc from one of the holes, 
substitute for it a piece with small perforations, and invert over it a 
bottle of syrup, the mouth of which is covered with muslin. In this 
way I can give any quantity without attracting the attention of other 
bees When the spring comes and the bees begin to work freely I 
place over each hole a glass such as confectioners use to exhibit 
barleysugar in their windows. These when filled hold from 3 lbs. to 
5 lbs. of pure honey, free from brood or bee nread, and if it is a good 
season and I can prevent the bees from swarming I get them filled 
twice, affording about 40 lbs. of honey. If, however, this is to be 
done the glasses must be taken early in the day, emptied of ^ their 
contents, and replaced at once. The bees will then begin working in 
them as if nothing had happened, whereas if new glasses are put they 
will often sulk over them for days. A double green baize or straw 
cap covers the glasses to exclude light. When I want to take the 
honey I have only to pass a knife under the glass, put it in a box and 
carry it to a distant part of the garden, where allegiance to their 
queen soon induces the bees to return to their hive and leave me in 
possession of their treasure. 
I had a remarkable instance this year of what bees will do when 
they have a willing mind and a good pasture. I hived a strong 
swarm in the first week of June in a hive which had previously been 
filled with comb. I knew they would soon want more room, and, all 
my usual glasses being occupied, I put on one large glass which covered 
all five holes. By the end of July it was completely filled with the 
finest honey and weighed upwards of 30 lbs. 
Let me again say that I do not profess to emulate the talented 
bee-keepers of the present day. My plan has been a source of great 
interest and amusement to me, and has afforded me an abundance of 
the finest honey, and I offer it to your notice in case you think it can 
be useful to others.— Senex. 
WOEK OF THE MONTH. 
TAKING SUPERS AND DRAINING HONEY. 
We are now home from the moors with heavy hives without a 
single mishap. This is due to efficient ventilation, as with such hives 
it is quite impracticable to invert, w'hich may answer the purpose for 
puny hives, but not with those weighing in many instances 2 cwt. 
In previous articles I pointed out a number of popular errors, and 
now add that the subsequent observations prove more strongly I am 
coirect. Those who have not witnessed the results may remain 
