352 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 12, 1882. 
the feeding hole over the cluster. When not required for feeding 
this central hole should be covered with a separate pad. It is 
better not to place too much covering above the frames—sufficient 
to keep the bees dry and warm, but not so much that evaporation is 
stopped. It is the accumulation of noxious vapours in the body of 
the hive that causes so many diseases that bees are heirs to. lhis 
moisture must be allowed to pass away first through the quilt, and 
then into the outer air through holes covered with perforated zinc 
made under the eaves of the roof. Care, therefore, should be taken 
to make the roofs sufficiently high to leave a space above the quilts. 
On no account should the roof rest on the latter. 
If these directions be carried out no amount of cold or wet 
weather will hurt the bees ; and providing they have been put up 
with plenty of young bees, which is a great desideratum, they will 
come out strong and well in the spring, when we will all look 
forward to a more propitious summer and a more profitable autumn 
than those which have passed away.—P. IL P. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED 
Edward George Oakshott, Reading. — Illustrated Catalogue of 
Cereals. 
G. J. Alberts & Co.. Boskoop, Holland.— Catalogue of Plants. 
S. Owens & Co., Whitefriars Street, Fleet Street, London, E.C.— 
Illustrated Catalogue of Hydraulic Machinery. 
William Farren, How House, Cambridge.— List of Roses. 
Joseph Schwartz, Lyons, France.— Catalogue of Roses. 
L. Delaville, 2, Quai de la Mbgisserie, Paris.— Catalogue of Bulbs 
and Miscellaneous Plants. 
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. 
Books (C. L. P.).— Our “ Garden Manual ” contains sound and reliable in¬ 
formation on the kitchen, flower, and fruit garden, and the best evidence of its 
usefulness and acceptability is its large and constant sale, upwards of thirty- 
six thousand copies having been disposed of. The price is If. 6d., post free If. 9J. 
Early Alfred Peach (F. C'.). —We are much obliged to you for your 
reminder, also for your notes. We have, however, investigated the subject, and 
find it is only occasionally that the leaves have glands ; these when they are 
produced are round, but usually the leaves of this variety, are however, glandless. 
Landlord and Tenant {J. C. S.).— We do not know of a previous case of 
the precise nature of the one to which you allude, nor is it possible, for. us to 
comprehend the case satisfactorily from the letter before us. O.ur view is that 
the tenant, after receiving the proper notice to quit, must relinquish his holding, 
and cannot claim any compensation. The question is one that can only be 
properly dealt with by a solicitor. 
Incrustation on Flower Pots (B. D.). —The white incrustation to 
which you refer is incident to the material of which the pots were made, and, 
as you say, cannot be removed by washing. It is carbonate of lime. You may 
cover it with paint, but, so far as we know, cannot remove it. The best course 
to pursue is to procure pots from a source where there is not so much lime in 
the clay of which they are manufactured. 
Renovating Vines (A. Z.).— An excellent method, and one which proved 
highly successful, of “ refreshing” a Vine border was described on page 321 last 
week. If the same practice is not applicable in your case we will readily give 
you the best advice we can, if you will supply us with particulars of the age of 
your Vines and the size, character, and position of the borders. At present you 
afford us no data for answering your inquiry satisfactorily. 
Lifting Fruit Trees (A. A).—The time for lifting and adding fresh soil 
can only be determined by the condition of the trees. When trees make luxu¬ 
riant growth and have little disposition to form fruit buds the roots are usually 
correspondingly strong and fibreless, and taking up and replanting such trees, 
adding fresh soil, and making it firm round the roots, would result in the pro¬ 
duction of a network of fibres near the surface, and the succeeding growth will 
be shorter-jointed, healthy, firm, and fruitful. Old trees that do not make suffi¬ 
cient growth through soil-exhaustion are similarly benefited by removing the 
old soil and applying fresh of a fertile character. The cultivator to whom you 
refer (Mr. Young) has had great success in renovating fruit trees, and has 
grown some of the finest fruit in the kingdom. 
Liming a Garden (Idem). —So far as wo understand the condition of the 
soil we believe a dressing of lime would be of much greater advantage than a 
further application of manure, but a mere dusting will be of no use at the least 
half a bushel should be applied to each rod of 30J square yards ; indeed you may 
with advantage apply 8 bushels to the extent of ground you name. The lime 
should be obtained in lumps fresh from the kiln, placed in heaps, and covered 
with soil as if covering Potatoes. In a few days the lime will swell and fall, it 
should then be spread and forked into the land, not, however, covering it deeplj. 
It is an excellent plan to dig the ground roughly in the autumn, and to apply 
the lime and fork it in in early spring. 
Araucaria Unhealthy (Aylesmore).— We have seen many such instances 
as the one you bring to our notice, and in almost every case where injury has 
not been caused by frost the degeneration of the specimens has been due to soil- 
exhaustion. The remedy is to remove the old soil down to the roots and beyond 
them, and if these are in a medium almost as dry as dust to apply pure water 
copiously, following a day or two afterwards with liquid manure. After tne 
soil has been rendered sufficiently moist cover the roots with fresh compost, 
turfy loam, wood ashes, and decayed vegetable matter in equal parts, and surtace 
the whole with manure. We have seen many specimens invigorated. Dy 
practice, and you cannot too soon apply the same remedy. In some 
decay of the branches results from the roots having penetrated stagnant > 
and in this case drainage must be afforded as well as top-dressing. 
Cropping Land (/'.).—If you have had no experience in the work to which 
you allude you may be easily led astray by merely working from books. * 
crops to grow” depends entirely on the demand for produce. The most 
practical reply we can give is to suggest to you the advisability of securing 
services of an industrious man who has had experience in growing fa 
garden crops for market, this being the only trustworthy plan for securi g 
satisfactory results. Much money has been lost and disappomtment caused by 
persons working by books alone, as none of them can compensate for the 
of experience in the work in question. You may clean your Carrot seed by 
bing it through sieves. 
Pears Unsatisfactory ( Gloucestershire). —If the varieties are good and 
the trees not old and worn-out they can without doubt be greatly improved y 
removing the old soil from the roots, adding fresh loam and wood ashes it pro¬ 
curable, and surfacing with rich manure. This would induce the emission of 
fibrous roots near the surface, and the good food they would absorb would result 
in healthier growth and finer fruit. In all probability many of the old spurs 
would also need removal, and the trees cleansed from any moss that may have 
grown on the branches by applications of lime, applied in the form of paint, ana 
the colour toned with soot. Not knowing the precise condition of the trees we 
are unable to give the requisite details of management. Cannot you induce a 
good gardener in your district to inspect them and give you advice on the 
subject of their renovation ? If you can do this we think it advisable, as you 
cannot make the exact state of the trees clear to us. 
Celery Fly (Idem').— The maggots may be prevented by dilute applications 
of petroleum or frequent dustings of soot in the summer at the time the y 
(Tephrites onopordinis) usually deposits eggs ou the leaves. The only metuo 
destroying the maggot when it exists is to crush the affected, leaves wi 
fingers, removing the worst portions and burning them; this will linu 
attacks of the enemy next year. Some small works such as you appear to requir 
are published at 17 0, Strand, and can be had through a local bookseller. 
Heating Unsatisfactory (.4. F. I?.).—Had you sent a sketch showing 
the connection of the pipes witli the boiler and their arrangement, we mig t 
possibly have found some error causing defective circulation. If there has Deen 
no mistake in the setting of the boiler and disposition of the pipes, we are unaoie 
to suggest a remedy other than that of more steady firing. If you can get t 
pipes sufficiently hot without boiling the water violently, why fire so hard 
If you cannot so heat the pipes, then proper provision is not made for neatmg 
the house satisfactorily. If you can supply us with fuller particulars, supplying 
the requisite data for our comprehending the matter, we will give the suDject 
further consideration. 
Spergula pilifera aurea (IF. //.).—This is a pretty plant for carpet 
bedding, and is hardy or nearly so. Plants may be wintered in pans or bo® 
placed near the glass in a light frame from which frost is just excluded, ve ti- 
lating freely during all favourable weather, occasionally removing the lights , 
or they may be placed on a shelf of a cool greenhouse. L nobstructed light , 
however, essential, or the plants will become drawn and worthless. The bperguia 
belongs to the family Ulecebraceae, being related to the Hermaria glabra, also 
used in carpet bedding. 
Insects on Potatoes ( Farnham ).—We wish our correspondents generally 
showed as much care in packing specimens sent us as you have exhibited with 
your insects. The species is a Myriapod, named Polydesmus complanatus, not 
unusually found eating Potatoes, Carrots, and Onions, as noted by J on,.also 
Anemones and Pansies. Probably the moist summer has favoured the increase 
of this and other Myriapods. We have recently recommended for destroying 
these a solution of softsoap with paraffin. This, however, cannot always be con¬ 
veniently applied, especially on an extensive scale. Soot and lime are popular 
remedies amongst some gardeners. But these creatures are admitted to be 
difficult to deal with without hurting the plants. 
Caterpillars Destroying Cabbages (Mrs. St. John).— The specimen 
sent is a caterpillar of Tryphama prouubo, the great yellow underwing moth, 
about half-grown. Caterpillars of this species feed upon the roots and under¬ 
ground stems of many plants in the kitchen garden, being discoverable from 
August until May. They become more or less torpid during winter. “as 
been recommended to hunt down the moth in its season—viz., July and August, 
as it moves sluggishly by day, and is conspicuous owing to its yellow ““ 
wings.” Frequently it flies to the lights in houses or public buildings. Amongst 
the Cabbage rows, where the insect is known or suspected to be doing miscnier, 
the application of soot to the roots well dug in has been of proved utility. 
Some advise the careful application of gaslime which has been kept for a time , 
but probably the best application at the present time would be a solution ot 
petroleum, half a fluid ounce of the oil being dissolved in a gallon of weak soap¬ 
suds, a little of this being poured round the plants ; it will not injure them 
provided they are established. Plants that are being planted should have tneir 
roots immersed in a puddle of soot and soil in equal quantities before insertion. 
Planting Vines (IF. (?.).—The right time for planting Vines in an outside 
border is in the spring after the Vines have fairly commenced growth, great 
care to be exercised in not injuring them. The roots also require care, and 
must not be dried by exposure. They should be spread out straight from the 
stem, covered quickly, watered with warm water, and mulched with litter, a 
rather low temperature should be maintained iu the house until fresh roots are 
produced, 60° by fire heat being ample. AVe do not know whether you are 
aware of the fact that it is of little use planting young Vines in old Doraers 
that is, without making stations of fresh soil. There is no better Muscat than 
the Muscat of Alexandria, but unless you are a skilled cultivator you will possiDiy 
not have highly finished fruit for exhibition in July. If you want Grapes ne. 
year you should get additional Vines, and either fruit them in pots °r planted 
out, as it would be very unwise to crop the newly planted Vines that are m- 
