282 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 25. 1890. 
it declines with the season, and enables the bees to carry up and 
seal all honey. 
Weight of Hives. 
Our bees will have to be at home before I can give the quantity 
of honey gathered, and the result of the six varieties of bees. 
I cannot yet say which have gathered most, but I am glad to say 
that I can with one exception corroborate all “ A Hallamshire 
Bee-keeper ” has said of the Punic bees. I am sure it will please 
him to learn that those he sent me are not in the rear, and 
it will neither surprise him nor me should they prove to be 
the heaviest hives on the moors. They have one feature that 
■“ A. H. B. K.” has never explained, and it is a good one—viz., 
they have shorter abdomens than some of the imported races, 
which brings their load and centre of gravity well forward under 
their wings, and power of flight is increased, and they can brave 
storms that longer bees cannot. 
I trust the foregoing explanations will assist bee-keepers in 
the future, and enable all who carry out the system to their 
satisfaction and advantage securing a large yield of honey in the 
midst of many hives that, according to what their owners explained 
lately, have not gathered as much as will keep the bees alive during 
the winter, and I have examined many that have gathered much 
less. Fuller particulars will be had when at home from—A Lanark¬ 
shire 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. 
Netting- (A. II. B .).—Your complaint appears to be well founded, 
for if your measurements are correct you have less than 33 square yards. 
Pentstemon W. E. Gladstone (./. id).—The spikes sent were 
very fine, and the variety is evidently a handsome one, but the flowers 
had all shaken off the stems when they reached us, and had conse¬ 
quently nearly all withered. 
Seedling Richardia (II. E.). — Both the leaves and spathe were 
withered on arrival, but such a plant as you describe bearing miniature 
spathes abundantly would be an acquisition, and a good flowering 
example sent to the Floral Committee of the Royal Horticultural 
Society would receive attention. The present is not the best season for 
displaying the character of the plant. The spathes of Kichardias usually 
increase in size with the strength of the plants and high culture. The 
specimens you send are certainly very small, and the name “ Little 
Gem ” seems appropriate. 
Protection for Pruit Blossoms (IF.).— There is no objection to 
.any of the materials you mention for protecting blossoms from frost, 
but netting is not nearly so good as canvas, for the blossoms are injured 
by damp or rendered more susceptible to damage than when kept 
dry. The stouter thicknesses of scrim canvas and tiffany are good, 
but we prefer Hessian or scrim canvass, both of which are 1$ yard 
wide and can be had of varied stoutness, which influences the prices. 
With care the materials are durable, not being so much affected by wet 
as cotton fabrics. They are made of hemp, and have a certain openness 
favouring a circulation of air ; we find them excellent protection. 
Wool fabrics are, of course, the best, but they are double the price or 
more. 
Destroying Thistles on a lawn (J. 11/.).—The ground we presume 
is efficiently drained. If not it should be done to a depth of 3 to 4 feet, 
as Thistles are deep rooters, and are much checked by draining. After 
this they yield more readily to pulling or cutting, either of which will 
destroy them, especially if a little salt or nitrate of soda be dropped into 
the holes, or in cutting them off a little sulphuric acid placed on the 
cut part will act more effectively, and usually is efficacious at the first 
dressing, but should be persisted in as necessary. The sulphuric acid 
is best applied with a stick notched at one end, and the liquid placed 
in an old blacking bottle with a piece of stout wire twisted round the 
neck, so as to form a longish handle. The acid must be used very 
carefully, only allowing it to touch what is to be destroyed, keeping it 
from the hands and clothes. 
Select Peaches and Nectarines for Early and Bate Houses 
(L. J. A .).—For early Peach house:—Peaches: 1, Waterloo or Alex¬ 
ander ; 2, Hale’s Early ; 3, Condor ; 4, Royal George ; and of Nectarines, 
5, Lord Napier; and 6, Elruge. Late house:—Peaches: 1, Grosse 
Mignonne, but Belle Beauce is finer though ten days later ; 2, Alex¬ 
andra Noblesse ; 3, Barrington ; 4, Princess of Wales ; 5, Walburton 
Admirable ; 6, Sea Eagle; and Nectarines, 7, Improved Downton ; 8, 
Rivers’ Orange ; 9, Pine Apple ; and 10, Victoria. A Cherry tree is not 
suitable for growing in the same house as Peaches, for when the Cherries 
are ripening the fruit must be kept dry, and unless you can insure that 
we do not advise the practice. If you decide to have a Cherry you 
could not have a better than Early Rivers. 
Transplanting Fruit Trees (G. J. A.).—In lifting and trans¬ 
planting the Pear trees no difference need be made in the pruning. As 
they, however, are to remain on the spot, the trees may be lifted care¬ 
fully, not allowing them to suffer through being out of the ground long. 
The chief cause of red spider is want of nourishment, but it no doubt 
spreads rapidly, and can only be kept under by forcible syringings and 
the application of an insecticide. The trees should be dressed this 
autumn directly the leaves fall with a solution of so'tsoap, 4 ozs. to the 
gallon of water, applying with a brush, washing them thoroughly in 
every part. Give a good mulch of manure over the roots, and keep 
them well supplied with water and liquid manure during dry weather in 
the growing season. Gather the beans when quite dry, and place them 
in stone jars in layers with salt alternating, enough salt being used to 
cover them. 
Pruning Old Eilacs (An Ignoramus ).—The old Lilacs will be the 
better for having the suckers thinned, but leaving some of the best in 
strength and place, cutting back any of the old that are long and bare ; 
but unless overgrown the old stems should not be interfered with, as 
Lilacs flower more freely on the older branches. Privets may be cut-in 
to any extent, but if you want them to flower they must not be cut hard 
back, merely shortening irregularities. Golden Elders will bear cutting 
to any extent, but they, where space permits, are best only kept from 
straggling, shortening irregularities of growth during the winter season. 
Pruning is best performed in autumn, directly the leaves begin falling ; 
or they may be cut back now, so that the growths left will have the 
benefit of the autumn sun. It may, however, be done any time during 
the winter, preferably in mild weather, always before the buds begin 
swelling. 
Peaches on Walls versus under Glass (A. N.). —In the majority 
of cases Peach growing is very uncertain against walls, and it is to do 
away with the uncertainty that glass is recommended by most growers 
for sale. Trees, however, well protected and managed are grown 
profitably in many localities against walls, but that is beside the 
question, as it is not a matter of successful culture against walls, but 
whether erecting a wall or a glass structure for the cultivation of Peaches 
and Nectarines for sale would be the most economical and profitable. 
First cost and after cost, or wear and tear, as well as cost of production, 
have to be considered, and where they have been the glass structure has 
afforded the most certain and highest dividends on the outlay. Indeed, 
some walls occupied with Peaches and Nectarines, though paying what 
was considered a fair per-centage of profit on the labour and means 
expended upon them, afforded very much better results when covered 
with glass, the house being erected over the whole border, and trees grown 
in front as well as on the wall. Where a wall exists, and Peaches and 
Nectarines can be grown satisfactorily, to cover it with glass without 
affording accommodation for more trees cannot be expected to pay, 
but where the climate is cold to cover the wall with a case insures 
certain and finer crops of fruit. Growing fruit for home consumption 
and for sale are very different, requiring consideration from 'their 
respective standpoints. From a sale point of view Mr. Rivers is no 
doubt right. 
Walnut Trees Coming- into Bearing (S. /?.).— There is a great 
difference in the soil and locality in respect of the age at which the 
trees come into bearing. Trees on silicious soils and calcareous soils 
produce fruit sooner than trees on rich and moist soils. The mode of 
raising also affects the age at which the trees bear ; those grafted 
come into bearing in about half the time that those raised from seed 
require. Trees of the common Walnut 6 to 10 feet high, and grown 
thinly as well as frequently transplanted, will usually bear in three to 
five years after being placed in their permanent quarters. Tbe earliest- 
bearing is Dwarf Prolific, which bears abundantly at 6 feet high, 
affording good-sized well-flavoured nuts, and is a variety that reproduces 
itself from seed. It, however, requires a warm soil and situation. 
Ordinary varieties of the common Walnut which are usually raised 
from seed do not afford profitable crops until of the age you name—viz., 
thirty or forty years. The only thing likely to cause trees of that age 
to bear is to root-prune them, which should be done as soon as the 
foliage turns yellow or is beginning to fall. In order to secure more 
fertile trees, scions should be taken from trees that are noted for 
fertility and good quality, grafting the stocks from seed so as to 
secure earlier bearing and a certain character. For elevated and 
northerly localities the Yorkshire is very desirable. 
