May 24,1SS3. ] 5 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
437 
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are grown should be kept closed for a time, and closed early in 
the afternoon while the sun is upon it, which will reduce fire 
heat to a minimum. Early-dowering Heaths, such as E. hyemalis, 
E. melanthera, and others, should now be growing freely, and more 
air must be given them from this time. The roots of E. Wil- 
moreana will now be active, and repotting where necessary must 
not be delayed. The same remark applies to Epacrises that flowered 
late ; in fact all that have fairly commenced growth should be 
repotted if they require it. Those that are growing freely must 
have sufficient air to prevent them growing weakly. Directions 
given about the potting and treatment afterwards is applicable at 
the present time. Do not overshade these plants, and the material 
used must be as light as possible, or satisfactory results will not 
follow. 
Zonal Pelargoniums. —Encourage all plants that have been 
flowering in the conservatory for some time, in fact all that have 
their pots full of roots, whether wanted for decoration or the 
supply of cut flowers. During the hottest part of the day light 
shade will be found beneficial; the single forms will not only 
last longer, but retain a brighter colour. Do not overshade, or 
the plants will draw up weakly and not bloom satisfactorily. 
Successional batches that were potted some time ago can now be 
allowed to come into bloom to replace any that have become tall 
and unsightly. Grow all successional plants in full sunshine, 
and when favourable ventilate freely to keep them sturdy. Pinch 
the shoots of any plants not wanted to flower, and allow others to 
bloom as occasion may require. Those rooted some time ago for 
autumn and winter flowering should now be placed in 4-inch 
pots and have the points of the young plants taken out to make 
them branch freely. Keep these growing, and ventilate freely to 
render them sturdy after they have commenced rooting in the 
new compost. 
The earliest of the Show and Fancy varieties will now be in 
flower and will require feeding liberally. The shoots of later 
plants must now be allowed to extend and come into flower as 
wanted. Plants that were rooted some time ago must now have 
4 or 5-inch pots, and if not already stopped must be without 
delay. These will make acceptable plants, but must not be 
stopped too late or they will not flower well. 
ceptible loss of bees. The bees which were gathered from the 
country, even those colonies that were moved not more than a 
quarter or half mile, adhered to the new location without ex¬ 
ception, so far as I could see or learn. 
A modern apiary, with its buildings properly equipped with all 
the appliances necessary to a first-class apiary, and with a well- 
ordered queen-rearing department attached to it, is a wonderful 
curiosity to our farmers and business men, and with the many 
amusing questions with which I am plied, I sometimes wonder if 
these people do not entertain some suspicions that I am getting 
“cranky ” on the bee question. I, in turn, reap some amusement 
from their benighted curiosity. Mr. James BohannoD, an old bee 
man, who is my assistant in the apiary this summer, and myself, 
have no little merriment over the ludicrous questions which we 
manage to answer pleasantly every day. 
I have noticed this spring that our bees have sought with more 
than usual diligence for a substitute for pollen, and I have found, 
to me at least, a new and very superior substitute for that essential 
article to brood-rearing. Our stock breeders feed to their cattle, 
especially to milch cows at calving time, “ oilcake meal.” While 
feeding some of this glutinous meal to my milch cow, I noticed 
that the bees had passed the several boxes of unbolted wheat and 
rye flour, and were swarming in the trough where this oilcake 
meal had been fed. I at once took the hint, and mixed some of 
this meal with the unbolted flour in one of the several boxes 
which were being visited by the bees, and in a short time this box 
swarmed with a scrambling mass of workers, who loaded up and 
bore away their loads with the greatest eagerness. After trying 
it, I believe it to be the greatest stimulant, next to natural pollen, 
to early breeding yet discovered. And I further believe, from the 
medicinal qualities of the oilcake meal, it can be given to bees 
which have suffered from long confinement and dysenteric 
troubles, with the best of results. Of course I mean after they 
begin to fly in the spring of the year. I have long been of the 
opinion that the trouble called “ spring dwindling ” is caused by 
long confinement and consequent exhaustion of vital powers. Of 
course to restore such bees to health would lengthen their days.— 
G. W. Demaree (in The American Bee Journal). 
MOVING BEES-SUBSTITUTE FOR POLLEN. 
I have been remodelling my apiary of late, and have added 
something to my limited stock of experience. The grounds 
occupied by my apiary becoming crowded and unsatisfactory, I 
selected a new site, and proceeded to erect suitable buildings on 
it. My bees were moved to their new location on the first few 
days in March. The distance of the move was about 240 feet, 
and the hives were closed at the entrances, and borne gently be¬ 
tween two men. The days being cool, many of the colonies did 
not seem to arouse sufficiently to realise that they were being 
moved from their old home. 
I now proceeded to carry out a long-cherished plan of mine— 
viz., get under my control, if possible, all the native and mixed 
bees within dangerous proximity to my “breeding field.” I called 
on every person who owned a single colony within a reasonable 
distance of my location, and by accepting their terms, if I could 
not get my own, I succeeded in getting possession of every one of 
them but two, and they will be italianised. There were twenty- 
five in all, and I now have them sitting as a sort of “ suburb ” to 
“ Sweet City.” A few of them are in Langstroth and American 
hives, and the rest of them—well, it would be a difficult matter 
to describe the utter squalidity of their villainous-looking habita¬ 
tions. For the present I have dubbed this part of the apiary with 
the title of “ Old Africa.” Their fighting qualities are good, and 
would “ convert” a field full of advocates of black and degenerate 
hybrid bees. They will undergo a great change, however, as soon 
as the season will admit of it. Having moved my fifty colonies 
so short a distance, and gathered up all the bees near me, of 
course I felt some anxiety as to the results when the first warm 
day should come. The 9th of March brought with it nice warm 
weather, and the bees were on the wing all day. Every precau¬ 
tion was taken to induce the bees to “ mark ” their new location, 
and with good effect; for, although a great many returned to their 
old location, and gathered in knots on the fence and about the 
trees near where the hives had formerly been, they were all able 
to return to the newly-marked location, and there was no per- 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Corry, Soper, Fowler & Co., IS, Finsbury Street, London, E.C. 
Illustrated List of Rustic Garden Furniture. 
*** 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 Roses (An Ayrshire Amateur ).—We are obliged by your letter, 
and glad to learn you have found our pages useful. We will endeavour to supply 
all the information you ask, and, in time to be of service, will publish an article 
that we hope will make the subject as clear as you desire. 
Double Polyanthus (.4. H .).—We are obliged by the plant. The variety 
is better than the other you sent, and is of decorative value ; still we fear there 
is but little “ money in it.” It shall be added to our collection, and if it succeeds 
we shall be able to better determine its merits next year. 
Vine Leaves Scorched (S. C., Dorset ).—You have indicated one cause o£ 
the injury to the leaves, but the Vines are in a weak state. What are their age, 
and where are the roots? Hot thickly penetrating a good feeding ground 
near the surface, we think. If you send full particulars we will endeavour to 
advise you. 
Melon Roots Diseased (IF. J .).—You will find the disease which is 
attacking your plants fully described and illustrated in our issue of November 
3rd, 1881, and to that description we have nothing to add. We fear the disease 
is incurable. Certainly try “ salus,” and you might also try the remedies 
suggested to a correspondent in the last paragraph on page 393, our issue of 
three weeks ago. We shall be glad if you will inform us of the results of your 
experiments in endeavouring to save your plants. 
