JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 12, 1883. ] 
807 
\ 
application of the salicylic acid solution will act either as a 
preventive or as a cure. 
Before this long frost set in we had only seen that the bees had 
sufficient food to carry them on. We contracted still more the 
space occupied by each colony where practicable, gave extra 
warm coverings, and left them, intending not to commence 
stimulative feeding until the month of March showed what it 
meant to be. Now we shall begin to feed gently and continuously 
as soon as the weather causes full activity among the bees. The 
frost seems to have broken up, but a S.W. wind with rain is 
blowing at present date (March 30th). Care should be taken to 
provide a plentiful supply of aerated water, for a great demand 
will immediately ensue with the commencement of warm weather. 
Bees require large quantities of water when rearing brood, and 
they like it aerated. A dripping tap in a. waterbutt, or places 
where water can trickle and spray over stones, are favourite 
resorts of the water-carriers. We once arranged a broken pan 
which could only hold a small quantity of water, with some pieces 
of sandstone and bricks in it. This stood under a leaky wooden 
tap, which let the water drip drop by drop from a butt into which 
the rain water from a barn roof was collected. This proved a 
most favourite spot to the bees, the broken bricks, sandstone, and 
sides of the pan being at times covered by them. We now have 
a small stream, the overflow from a pond. This has been dammed 
up a few yards from the hives, and caused to overflow down a 
heap of ragged pieces of sand-rock. This is also a capital con¬ 
trivance, and much appreciated by the bees. In our former 
abode there were several ponds in close proximity to the garden, 
and here we have both ponds and streams, but the simple con¬ 
trivances nearer home are most valued and frequented. The 
water, well aerated, can be easily collected without danger of 
drowning by the bees. So much for the water supply. 
Now as to giving artificial pollen. Should we have warm sunny 
days after this long spell of frost, the fruit trees and other plants 
will soon render the use of artificial pollen unnecessary. But we 
may still have a short time during which it may be much appre¬ 
ciated. Pea flour is the best substitute for natural pollen, and is 
readily collected by the bees. The best way of giving it is to 
partly fill an old straw skep with clean deal shavings, and 
sprinkle a few spoonfuls of the flour over and among the shavings. 
This skep should be placed in the warmest and most sheltered 
spot of the garden, some 20 or more yards from the hives. 
We like to cover this skep with a garden light, or to put it in a 
frame with the light partly drawn. The glass keeps it dry and 
warm. In order to attract the bees to it when first used, we rub 
a little honey or syrup over the skep, and the sun soon brings out 
a strong smell, which invites the first bees passing by, and very 
soon a host of revellers will be tumbling and rolling among the 
shavings, collecting loads of the pea meal, and returning, white 
as millers, to be cleaned by their comrades at home. Where 
plenty of Crocuses are in flower we have amused ourselves and 
the bees by putting at various times during the day a good 
sprinkling of the pea flour in the tiny yellow cups. It is a pretty 
sight to see how the bees hover over the flowers to arrange the 
little pellets of meal, and then again dive down to add to the 
store. If you accustom them to come to one place for a time 
they will haunt that spot long after you cease to place the supply 
there—like Oliver Twist, asking for more ; but when plenty of 
flowers are to be found, or where the Willow blossoms are 
abundant, the artificial pollen will soon be disregarded.—P. H. P. 
BEES SWARMING. 
The bees of one of my hives swarmed on Sunday about 
one o’clock, and returned to the old hive in about fifteen minutes. 
In returning I substituted another hive with maiden combs in it 
in the place of the old hive, thinking that the bees would settle 
and go to work in the new hive ; but no, they left that hive at 
noon on the following day and went into a stronger hive. There 
was some fighting, but it was soon over, and now all are working 
together in full harmony. I am puzzled as to cause of this dis¬ 
turbance, and I cannot solve it. Have you ever known such a 
freak among bees 1 —A. M. 
[Yes, often. Your swarm was a “ hunger one.” Despairing of 
ever getting food at home, they resolved to leave it and cast 
themselves on the world outside. In hunger swarms every bee is 
dissatisfied with home fare and home life, and all forsake their 
hives never to- return. The queen you found crawling on the 
ground on Sunday was probably an old one unable to follow the 
bees, and this explains their return to the old place. If the queen 
had gone with the bees they would not have returned. The 
histories of hunger swarms are painful to read and think about, 
and apiarians should not add to their number by starving their 
bees.—A. P.] 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Bruant, Boulevard Saint Cyprien, Poitiers (Yienne), France. — 
General Catalogue of Plants. 
Thomas Painter, Smallwood, Stoke-on-Trent.— Catalogue of Dahlias. 
Ellwanger & Barry, Mount Hope Nurseries, Rochester, New York. 
—Catalogue of New and Pare Poses. 
J. Carter & Co., 237 and 238, High Holborn, London.— List of Farm 
Roots and Grass Seeds. 
%* 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. 
Weather Notes (J. M.). —Thanks for your letter. We will readily publish 
the observations which you obligingly offer to send. 
Turf 1£ Pots ” (T. II.). —These are very serviceable, as we have proved by 
years of experience. We hope to publish your letter next week. 
Training Vines (F. J.). —Suspend the Vine a little below the front wire. 
Train the growths below the wires at distances of about 3 feet. You can bend 
the canes where you like after the wood has ripened. Syringe at present to 
encourage growth. Letters arriving on Wednesday morning cannot be satis¬ 
factorily answered the same week. 
Pruning Roses—Lilies (J. B.). —Full replies can only be given when 
questions reach us in good time. You are quite right, however, in your sug¬ 
gested method of pruning. Shorten the growths as much as possible to good 
buds at the base of the shoots. We presume your Lilies are single crowns. In 
that case the fertiliser will be of no service, as flowers will be produced before 
fresh roots are made. Cover the crowns with moss and keep the soil constantly 
moist. The shelf may possibly be too dry, and light is not necessary until 
growth has commenced. 
Culture of Water and Musk Melons (R.A.). —These require the same 
treatment as the varieties that are grown in this country, but will succeed in 
a somewhat lower temperature, and may be grown in what are termed cold 
frames in the summer. If you possess the number of this Journal of March 17th, 
1881, you will find all the necessary details for growing Melons in frames. Au 
article on page 205 of that issue will be of far greater use to you than anything 
u’e can say in this column. It can be had from the publisher in return for 3Jrf. 
in stamps. 
Weather in Staffordshire (C. Roberts). —The insertion of the word 
“ week ” instead of “month,” in your note on page 279, was, as you suggest, a 
printer's error of a nature so simple that it was overlooked. Though it would 
not mislead, you have done well to direct attention to the error, which is thereby 
rectified. 
Destroying Snails (Snail ).—There is no way of destroying these pests 
without first catching them, and ,h ea P s °f bran, grains, fresh Cabbage leaves, 
half Oranges, minus the pulp, are the different kinds of bait that are used for 
attracting them, these to be examined a few times after nightfall with the aid 
of a lantern. Cannot you protect your Ferns by standing the pots on smaller 
pots inverted in saucers kept filled with water ? Snails we know like moisture, 
but we have never met with any expert swimmers, and we have saved many 
plants and seedlings by the simple method indicated. 
Camellias not Expanding (C. W.).—We presume the plants are in 
tubs or pots, and in this case we have no doubt that either the roots are torpid 
or the soil is exhausted. The plants have simply- many more buds, on them 
than the plants have strength to support, and hence the non-expansion of . the 
flowers. Had you removed a number of the buds in the autumn, those retained 
would have a better chance of opening. We are not, however, certain that they 
would have opened, because the examples sent afford evidence that the plants 
have been too dry at some time, which caused the petals to shrivel at the base, 
and when this occurs the flowers do not open freely. The outer petals, too, 
appear as if they had been injured by frost or extreme damp ; but the initial 
cause of the failure is at the roots. Cannot you remove much of the old soil and 
add fresh—half turfy loam that does not contain lime, and half peat with a 
free admixture of sand and bonemeal ? If you cannot do this cover the soil 
with soot, and water its virtues to the roots. A sprinkling of Standen s manure 
or bonemeal would have much the same results, but y-ou really ought to en¬ 
deavour to incite more vigorous root-action by fresh and suitable soil. 
Renovating Vines (G .).—Both Mr. Vallis and Mr. V' ard gave you good 
dvice, and you will do well to act strictly in accordance with it. You have 
ot “ tried our patience ” in reading your letter, and we are glad to perceive you 
ave so far done what we believe to be light; but while you have told us much 
ou have managed to omit just what we should like to know—namely, it the 
ew border outside and the fresh material inside are really permeated with 
I,' 
