214 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 4, 1890. 
spirit, I resent any person opening up Jour hives, when we consider 
it would be detrimental under our own supervision. The best 
means to suppress the disease must come from the bee-keepers 
themselves. Hitherto there has been much talk about what has 
been done for the cottager bee-keeper, but we cannot disguise 
the facts that much which would really benefit the cottager has 
been kept in the background to benefit the dealers, who had the 
management of affairs in their own hands. This is a fact so far 
as shows have been concerned in the past, and we fail to see any 
improvement for the future. 
Happily, bee-keepers are beginning to see things in the true 
light, and to learn that their neighbours’ loss is also their own, and 
are taking the proper course of stamping out the disease the 
moment it is discovered. This is the right method, and the only 
one that will give apiaries immunity from the destroyer, and in 
the end reward the bee-keeper for his action and attention. 
The Weather. 
Our bees have now been fully three weeks at the Heather, and 
with the exception of three nearly fair days the whole time may 
be described as continuously wet, with occasional clear frosty 
nights, the daytime giving but chance glimpses of summer 
temperature, seldom lasting more than five minutes at any time. 
Although I have no instruments to take the temperature I should 
say the mean temperature is little above 40° Fahrenheit. The air 
is light, and the moment the evaporated moisture reaches an 
evidently cold stratum down falls the rain, often too in torrents. 
Farmers are in a plight, their hay either lies uncut or in the 
swathe, and has been so for nearly a month. The Oats are scarcely 
out of the ear. 
Honey Prospects. 
Another week will end the Heather, of which the bloom could 
not be finer. I had some hopes on the morning of the 28th ult. 
that honey would be obtained, as the bees started to work in 
earnest, and a finer sight I have seldom witnessed than the great 
number of bees pouring out and in from our strong hives, a thing 
unknown to many modern bee-keepers. But by midday a thunder 
shower, which lasted three hours, put an end to their labours for 
the day. 
Experiments. 
I have not been able to make the intended experiment to test 
varieties of bees and the weighing of hives, for instead of rising 
in weight they have fallen, the extreme cold being a great means 
to this. 
Sources of Honey. 
The same cause has prevented my tracing the sources from 
which bees gather honey, and from what flowers a bright green 
pollen is derived, which seems plentiful all the season, but I have 
never witnessed bees collecting it. 
Ferns Yield Honey. 
Sometimes the common Bracken yields large quantities of honey, 
as do some kinds of grasses, but the low temperature prevents the 
secretion, and of course precludes the possibility of my being an 
eye witness to bees collecting it. 
Condition of the Hives. 
It is perhaps of more interest to bee-keepers to know that 
hives that were sent to the Heather in good condition are those 
only that will rise much in weight should they get a chance. Such 
hives have lost few bees, and drawn no worker brood, whereas 
those that had little food beside them have done both, and many 
colonies are reduced to mere handfuls of bees, and it is worth 
emphasising the fact that it holds good at all seasons, notwithstand¬ 
ing the assertions of modern ideas to the contrary. 
Swarming. 
Swarming and non-swarming bees may be placed in the same 
category. I have in an earlier article dealt with this subject, and 
lately stated that bee3 would, in all probability, swarm at the 
Heather from the cause I have pointed out in these letters, and 
have frequently endeavoured to show, amidst much opposition, 
that bees will swarm whether they be crowded or not, and that 
Carniolians do not swarm more readily than other varieties. 
Although the weather has been wintry, a good many hives have 
swarmed, the majority being what their owners term original 
black bees, while only one first-cross Carniolian has swarmed. The 
causes and particulars I need not repeat, but what is worth 
mentioning is that our bees stand on a dry site, which absorbs 
much heat, neither high nor very low, and there is scarcely a 
dead bee to be seen, while of those in the lowest part of the valley, 
where the wind sweeps along in strong gusts, thousands are chilled 
to death. The most sheltered situations are mostly to be found 
at some distance from the base. By the time this appears in print 
the honey season of 1890 will be closed, and if without profit not 
without lessons, the loss being neither the fault of the bees nor of 
their owners.—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
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 correspondents, as doing so subjects them to 
unjustifiable trouble and expense. 
Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions 
relating to Gardening and those on 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 communica¬ 
tions. 
Bobella Omen (6r. //.).—The flowers were spoiled through not 
being firmly fixed in the box, but the colour is similar to that of the 
above variety which is grown to some extent in the London parks, 
though does not become very popular. 
Tomatoes Diseased (J. II.'). —The plants are no doubt infested 
with the fungus (Phytophythora infestans). There is no remedy, but it is 
well to destroy all the infested plants and fruit, and have a change of 
seed, planting in fresh ground well dressed with quicklime. The season 
has been a bad one for outdoor Tomatoes, inducing a grossness of plant 
highly favourable to the disease. 
Overwatering Vine Borders (IF. E. T .).—Shanking will cer¬ 
tainly be induced by a saturated state of the border, but it would not 
cause the Grapes to crack unless the house had been kept unusually 
arid, and then closed so as to cause the deposition of moisture on the 
Grapes. Guttering ought to have been put up at first, but you will 
have to encourage more growth in the Vines, yet not having more foliage 
than can have full exposure to light and air, and be careful not to over¬ 
crop them, which is a common cause of shanking. Are you sure the 
border is weil drained 1 It must be seen to, and the Vines if the roots 
are deep should be lifted and laid in fresh soil near the surface. This 
can be effected without loss of crop by lifting the roots in the inside 
border one year, and those in the outside border the next, as soon as the 
leaves begin falling. 
larva on Pear (A. B. D.). —This is the slimy black larva or grub 
of the Pear tree slug, which Curtis calls Tenthredo adumbrata, allied to 
a similarly troublesome species that infests the Cherry. It generally 
makes its appearance about the end of August, and if unmolested will 
continue to feed till October. Wall trees are particularly attacked by 
it, and the effect of its feeding numerously upon the leaves is that the 
elaboration of sap is interfered with, and the fruit falls off. It clings 
tightly to the leaves, protected by its slimy secretion, and appears to be 
untouched by birds. After four changes of skin it becomes adult, and 
descends to the earth, where it forms a cocoon. From this emerges an 
active fly of sawfly tribe, about three lines long. There is no better 
remedy for it than dusting well with quicklime, repeating if needful. 
Tobacco water will also destroy them, and syringing the trees with 
strong soapsuds. 
