282 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, t September 21 , isss 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Pelargoniums of the Show, Spotted, and Fancy varieties that have 
been shaken out and repotted and placed in pits or frames, should at 
once be transferred to their winter quarters. They should be raised 
to within a foot or two of the glass, allowing plenty of space between 
them, and when the shoots .are 3 or 4 inches long they should be tied 
out. Water carefully, only giving sufficient to keep the foliage in 
good condition ; if kept wet the plants root badly, and too much 
growth in the leaves is induced. Zonal Pelargoniums that have been 
some time flowering should be encouraged with weak liquid manure, 
and be given a light position. Zonals grown in G-inch pots for winter 
flowering, and fully hardened by exposure to the sun and air, should 
now be placed under cover. Place them in a light airy house or pit, 
and when wanted in bloom a temperature of 50° at night should be 
provided them. Solanums that have been planted out must now be 
lifted and potted, G or 7-inch pots being the most serviceable, using 
ordinary loam, and pot firmly, soaking well, and place on the north 
side of a wall, preferably in frames, as the lights can then be placed 
over them when there is danger of frost. 
Salvias, Heliotropes, and other greenhouse plants of similar cha¬ 
racter standing outdoors must be conveyed under cover before frost, 
assigning them a light airy position and a temperature of 45° to 50°. 
Encourage Cyclamens to make free growth in an intermediate 
temperature. Chrysanthemums should be finally staked and trained, 
the ordinary upright bush fashion being best for general purposes, 
only using sufficient sticks to keep the plants in form. To insure 
good blooms the small lateral shoots should be removed from the 
principal, and the blooms must be thinned to a single bud to each 
shoot, which should be done as soon as they are large enough. Give 
plenty of liquid manure, and if green aphides attack them promptly 
apply an insecticide. 
Hyacinths, Narcissuses, and Tulips should be potted, plunging 
them in a bed of ashes under a wall where protection can be given 
from frost, and allow them to remain there until well rooted. 
HONEY EXHIBITION AT DUNDEE. 
The East of Scotland Bee-keepers’Society held its annual Exhi¬ 
bition at Dundee on August 31st and two following days. Notwith¬ 
standing the unfavourable nature of the season the display was un¬ 
usually full and of splendid quality. Many of the leading bee-keepers 
in the lowland districts were unable to stage a single exhibit, but 
those from the interior and highland districts came forward in force 
with large and well-finished lots. Altogether about 2000 lbs. of 
honey were staged, and every class was well competed in. The most 
striking exhibits were those in the classes for the most artistic dis¬ 
plays over and under 100 lbs. Our contributor, Mr. Raitt of Blair¬ 
gowrie, was first in both classes, and his exhibits were justly admired 
for their excellent finish and tasteful arrangement. Part of the same 
lots took two first prizes at the great Preston Show in the following 
week, and there elicited many comments highly flattering to Scottish 
bee-keepers. _ Altogether there were seven entries in the display 
classes, and in all the quality of the honey was very fair. The poor 
taste shown in the arrangement of some entries where shelves and 
stages were relied on, received a check in the awards of the Judges 
in favour of those exhibiting less carpentry work, but more variety in 
the size, form, and decoration of the sections and glasses of extracted 
honey. 
The exhibit of D. W. Soutar of Tannadice was given the second 
place, and was of splendid quality, as were also his other exhibits in 
the classes for single supers, sets of sections, and glasses of extracted 
honey. His 30-lb. single super was entirely of Heather honey, and 
has never been excelled at any previous Show at Dundee. It had 
evidently been got in a very short time, as its -well-finished parallel 
combs were of the most delicate quality. Altogether it was perfect as 
a single super with one exception—it had been removed so suddenly 
from the hive that the cut cells had not been dried up by the bees. 
The splendid supers exhibited by Richard MacGregor, Inchmarlo, 
were all of Heather, and, as usual, of fine colour and finish. One of 
his supers contained a very beautiful comb of Heather honey in the 
form of a heart with a Latin cross in the centre, the interstices bein°- 
neatly filled in with Heather blooms. Mr. MacGregap was first as 
usual with his extracted Heather honey, as C. Carnegie of Marykirk 
was with a fine sample of Clover honey. Some of the exhibits in the 
extracted classes were very dark, and gave evidence of an origin 
rather animal than floral. Considering, however, the uncommon 
prevalence of aphides this season, and consequent abundance of so- 
called honeydew, it is gratifying to find that so little of this spurious 
honey was brought forward. Its sale can only damage the interests 
of honey-producers, and its exhibition should be strictly discouraged 
by judges. 
In the classes for living bees the Exhibition was unusually full, no 
less than ten observatory hives being staged, containing bees of four 
different races—blacks, Italians, Cyprians, and Syrians. Besides 
these there were five neat nests of humble bees and one enormous 
“ byke ” of wasps. Several of the observatory hives presented novel 
features in the direction of an attempt to keep the combs in their 
natural position side by side, while rendering them capable of indi¬ 
vidual inspection. The one exhibited by the Secretary, Mr. Warden, 
accomplishes this by having the hive double the usual height, and so 
arranged that the padded quilt could be raised to the top, and any 
separate frame thereafter lifted to a position open to inspection. 
That of Mr. James Lorimer, which was entirely of glass and exhibited 
in an unfinished state, is similar in principle to that of Neighbour. 
Mr. Valesian Novitzky, Pitlochry, exhibited a beautiful model of 
a Russian log hive tenanted by Ligurian bees, and having a card 
attached explaining the method of taking honey without destroying 
the bees. 
In the hive and appliances department there was a large display 
and keen competition. The prize for the best hive went to Mr. 
Morrison, Bridgend, Perth, for a rather expensive hive, presenting no 
very novel features, but indicating great thoughtfulness and pre¬ 
caution on the part of the maker. In extractors there was keen 
competition, those of Messrs. Coghill and Ivinnear being almost 
exactly alike, taking first and second places. Both admit of taking 
the frames as they hang in the hive, and are fitted with a novel set 
of gearing. They are marvels of cheapness at a guinea. Notwith¬ 
standing the large quantity of honey staged,, and the difficulty of 
transacting business in such crowds as always visit this Exhibition, 
it is satisfactory to know that Mr. Warden, the indefatigable Secre¬ 
tary, was able to sell nearly everything entered for sale, and that at 
fair prices. 
The Society has also held Exhibitions this season at Forfar and 
Arbroath, and honey shows are now so popular in the district that 
nearly all the local horticultural societies have added prizes for honey 
to their schedules. 
THE BLACK BEE AND RED CLOVER. 
In reply to a query by “East Riding,” it is generally con¬ 
ceded that the black bee is unable to work upon the bloom of 
red Clover, although when other flowers are scarce it may be 
seen encircling the bases of its petals, no doubt attracted by the 
scent of the nectar within. The ligula, or tongue, of the Ligu¬ 
rian is slightly longer than that of the black bee and more hairy. 
This fact has been brought to light by numerous experiments, 
notably by those of Professor Cook. A simple machine has been 
patented in America for measuring the length of the bee’s tongue. 
It consists of a vessel covered with wire cloth, and containing 
honey or syrup placed at certain distances beneath the gauge ; 
and a small index finger revolving upon a circular disc, finely 
graduated, denotes the length of the tongue when sipping the 
food. 
The Ligurian bee can work to a certain extent upon the red 
Clover bloom, but greatly prefers the white. Indeed, in our 
experience the second crops of the red are those which are chiefly 
visited, and we remember some years ago, during an extremely 
cold and wet summer, that the red Clover crops failed to pro¬ 
duce seed in all the country around the neighbourhood in which 
we had some dozen stocks of the Ligurian bee located, with one 
exception only, and that was within a mile of our own apiary, 
where the crop produced abundance of seed. Upon any fine day, 
say in August or early September, if the Ligurian bee exists 
within a distance of three or four miles, it may be seen busily at 
work upon the red Clover, chiefly, however, on the smaller blooms 
and petals, and the same remark applies to the first cross of 
hybrids. 
We would, therefore, advise “East Riding” by all means to 
carry out the proposed plan of introducing the Ligurian variety 
of the honey bee into the neighbourhood, since it is far more 
prolific and a better honey-gatherer than the black. 
THE DERBYSHIRE BEE-KEEPERS’ ASSOCIATION 
SHOW. 
An interesting and useful Exhibition of the apiarian industry and 
its produce, promoted by the Derbyshire Bee-Keepers’ Association, 
was held at Derby on the Gth and 7thinst., in the grounds of the 
Derbyshire Agricultural Society. The President of the Association 
is the Duke of Devonshire, and its Vice-Presidents include a number 
of the leading county gentlemen, who take a practical interest in bee 
