114 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ August s, isss. 
to me that a queen bee can only lay a limited number of fertile 
egg:s during life. The number may be millions, but it bas a limit, 
and that limit is generally reached when the contents of her 
spermatbeca are exhausted. So far as I can learn spermatozoa 
are not reproductive in the spermatbeca of the queen. Their 
number is being reduced with every egg that is laid, and an end 
of them comes at last. The queen may still be capable of laying 
thousands of eggs, though, as we know, these being unfertilised, 
produce drones only. She herself does not realise this, for she 
lays them still in worker cells. The wonderful instincts of the 
bees lead them generally to anticipate this failure and to raise a 
successor. But the fact remains that the queen, apparently per¬ 
fectly healthy, has laid her last fertile egg. We cannot say she 
herself is exhausted, for it is rarely that the queen dies of old age ; 
she is superseded and killed because her spermatheca is empty. 
Dzierzon’s theory of the fertilisation of queens has withstood 
all opposition for years. The views he now endorses regarding 
the possibility of prolonging their life are in perfect accordance 
with his former abundantly proved theories. They only need the 
experience of advanced bee-keepers to verify or refute them, and 
I must say that I, for one, not only endorse them but have acted 
according to them for years.— William Raitt, Blairgowrie. 
BERKS AND BUCKS BEE-KEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION'S 
SHOW. 
This Association held its third annual Exhibition of hives, honey, 
Ac., at Buckingham, on Tuesday, the 25th of July, in connection with 
the Show of the Horticultural Society. A remarkably fine day, to¬ 
gether with the numerous attractions of the flowers, vegetables, dead 
poultry, eggs, fruit, hives, honey, bee-driving, Ac., drew together a 
large concourse, not only of the middle and lower classes, but of the 
nobility and gentry of the town and county, the clergy being espe¬ 
cially conspicuous by their numbers. This is as it should be, and 
some other counties may well take a lesson from the Bucks and Berks 
Association in this respect, and by patronising similar associations 
help forward a work pregnant with untold benefits to their poorer 
neighbours and dependants. To say that the Rev. H. R. Peel, the 
indefatigable Secretary of the British Bee-keepers’ Association, was 
the manager of the apiarian department and the giver of various 
prizes, is simply to announce its success. Wherever this gentleman 
goes he appears to galvanise life into bee-keeping, and we trust that 
Buckinghamshire may carry on into remote years the impetus already 
given. The county, physically speaking, is indeed worthy of the 
effort, for its rural scenery, varied by wood and dale, and its rich 
pasture land, covered at the present time by the most luxuriant crops 
of white Clover, cannot fail to render it one of the most prolific honey- 
producing counties in the land. 
The exhibits and the successful exhibitors we cannot find space to 
particularise. In addition to the prize list, which we give below, 
suffice it to say that the well-known names of Messrs. Abbott Brothers 
of Southall and Mr. Blow of Welwyn, Herts, were conspicuous on the 
prize list and for the variety and quality of the specimens displayed. 
The Rev. George Raynor of Hazeleigh Rectory, Essex, performed the 
office of Judge. We give the list of the prizetakers :— 
For the best observatory hive stocked with bees and their queen, the bees to 
be in confinement.—First, £1, T. B. Blow, Welwyn ; second, 10a., R. H. Stonhill, 
Stewkley. 
For the best moveable comb hive for general use, price to be taken into con¬ 
sideration.—First, £1, T. B. Blow; second, HR , Abbott Bros., Southall. 
For the best moveable comb hive for a cottager’s use, price not to exceed 10a.— 
First, 10s., Abbott Bros., Southall. 
For the best straw hive adapted to modern bee-keeping, price not to exceed 
5s.—First, 7s. 6cf„ W. Martin, High Wycombe ; extra, 5s., Abbott Bros. 
For the best and most complete collection of bee furniture.—First, £1 10s„ 
T. B. Blow; second, £1, Abbott Bros. 
Special class, open to the members of the Berks and Bucks Bee-keepers’ Asso¬ 
ciation only. For the best twenty-one 1-lb. sections of comb honey.—First prize 
(silver medal given by the British Bee-keepers’ Association) W. Carter, Clewer, 
Windsor. 
For the best display of comb honey in sections, no section to be more than 
2 lbs. in weight (prizes given by the Bev. H. II. Peel).—First, 15a., M. Hunt, 
Addington ; second, 10a., J. K. Filbee, Nap Hill, High Wycombe ; third, 5a„ 
G. B. Lacey, High Wycombe. 
For the best super of honey, not sectional.—First (a special prize given by Mr. 
Welham Clarke, a bar-frame hive value 12a.) G. B. Lacey ; second, 7 s. 6 d., 
W. Martin ; second, 7s. Cxi., J. Iv. Filbee. 
For the largest and best exhibition of run or extracted honey in glass jars or 
bottles, quality chiefly considered.—First, ICR., W. Martin; second, 7s. Gel., J. Iv. 
Filbee. 
For the best sample of pure beesw'ax not less than 2 lbs. in weight obtained 
from combs made by the exhibitor’s own bees.—First, 7s. 6 cl., Abbott Bros.; 
second, 5s., W. Martin ; third, 2a. 6 d., J. K. Filbee. 
Driving competition.—For the competitor who shall in the neatest, quickest, 
and most complete manner drive out the bees from a straw skep, capture and 
exhibit the queen.—First, £1, R. Stonhill (4 min. 30 sec.); second, 10s., J. K. 
Filbee (8 min. 30 sec.) ; third, 5s., W. Maitin (8 min. 35 sec.). 
British Bee-Keepers’ Association. —The annual great metro¬ 
politan Show of bees, hives, honey, Ac., opens this day (Thursday). 
Upwards of three hundred entries have been made. The Exhibition 
promises to be a most successful and memorable one, inasmuch as the 
Committee have arranged to conduct an examination of candidates 
who are desirous of gaining certificates of proficiency in the art 
of bee-keeping. Eighteen candidates have entered for such an 
examination, amongst the number being several schoolmasters. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
T. H. P. Dennis & Co., Mansion House Buildings, London, E.C.— 
List of Greenhouses, Frames, tfc. (illustrated). 
L. Spath, Berlin .—List of Bulbs. 
%* 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 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. 
Budding Briars (Robin). — It is certainly not too late to insert buds 
provided the bark separates from the wood of the stocks freely. We consider 
therefore that you have been misinformed on that point. Nor do we consider 
you have been well advised to shorten the Briar shoots nearly close to the buds 
when the latter are inserted. We do not shorten them at all at that time, and 
it is very rarely indeed that we have inserted a bud that has failed to grow. 
Chrysanthemums and Grapes (Dr. Mackenzie). —The flowers are forms 
of Chrysanthemum carinatum and are very good indeed, the colours being very 
bright and rich. Varietal names are given to some of the most distinct by 
seedsmen ; the darkest flower you have sent resembling a variety named Lord 
Beaconsfield. The seed that bas produced your plants has evidently been 
obtained from a good strain or collection. It is by no means easy to determine 
the name of a Grape from half a dozen imperfect berries, and we can only say 
that we think your variety is Royal Muscadine; it is certainly not Buckland 
Sweetwater. 
Raspberries (D. Lake). —We have never transplanted Raspberry canes at 
this season of the year, nor do we suppose we shall, for the sufficient reason that 
we can attain our object without trying such an experiment. We have planted 
young suckers in showery weather in the spring when they were from 6 to 
9 inches high, as when of that size many of them have produced roots. The 
suckers so transplanted made excellent canes the same season. By all means 
remove the old canes now, or as soon as you have gathered all the fruit, and you 
may with advantage remove some of the young growths also if they are crowded, 
but do not injure the foliage of those remaining. The best canes thus thinly 
disposed will mature and assume a very fruitful character. Your fruit being 
dry and small is due either to poverty of soil, overcrowded and consequently 
weak and immature canes, or an inferior variety. 
Mealy Bug on Vines (Inquirer). —As the Grapes are cut you will be able 
to keep the insects in check by violent syringings or an occasional washing with 
a garden engine. Merely wetting the foliage is of no use, as the meal of the 
insect is impervious to water thus applied ; but forcible and continuous syring¬ 
ings are useful. If immediately after a washing of this kind you syringe the 
Vines with a solution of paraffin and soft soap at the rate of half a wineglassful 
of the former to 3 ozs. of the latter to each gallon of water, applying at a tem¬ 
perature of 12CF, you will not injure the Vines, while it will destroy many insects 
if the work is well done. A correspondent, “ A. C.,” published a useful hint in 
our columns in 1880. He did not permit the leaves to fall, but as soon as they 
turned yellow removed and burned them. On placing the leaves and prunings 
on a sheet he found hundreds of insects that would otherwise have found 
shelter in the house. The Vines sustained no injury by the early removal of the 
foliage, as the Grapes were better in the following year. You will find the 
article referred to on page 163, August 19th, 1880. You had better also read an 
article on page 63, July 22nd, 1880. If you do not possess these numbers they 
can be had in return for 7 d. in stamps sent to the publisher with the request 
that he send you Nos. 4 and 8, Third Series. 
Kalosanthes (B. D., Fori).—The shoots that have flowered this year will 
not flower next season, but the young growths if sufficiently strong and are 
matured under full exposure to the sun will form flower heads. You had better 
cut down the shoots that have flowered and encourage the others. If the latter 
are not uumerous or not sufficient for producing a satisfactory display it will be 
well to cut down the plants entirely. You will then ensure numerous and 
regularly disposed growths, and with good culture fine flowering plants in 1884. 
Some cultivators have two sets of plants, which they flower and cut down alter¬ 
nately, and by no other method can such satisfactory results be secured. The 
plants should be kept rather dry in the winter, but not dust dry by any means, 
or their vigour will be impaired. 
Balsams (Mender & Sons). —Although the blooms were much bruised and 
shaken on account of the box not having been quite filled, we are able to say 
they are excellent. They are very double, some of them being quite filled to the 
centre like a Camellia ; and the colours represented are pure white, blush, ro3y 
lilac, scarlet and purple, some of the petals being marbled. There must, we 
imagine, be some difficulty in obtaining seed from such flowers as those before 
us ; in fact some of them could not produce seeds, as all the stamens, &c., have 
been transformed into petals. 
