October 2, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
301 
bees the benefit of the draughty ventilation from below during very 
warm weather, but I immediately close it on the first approach of a 
lower temperature, and very often every evening. 
At two miles distance from where my bees stood at the moors 
are fifty hives which have had their ventilators open all the time, 
with the result that there is not a single hive with sufficient bees to 
stand the winter and come well out in the spring. Nearly every 
hive has a bin of dead bees in front, equal to an ordinary swarm, 
The particles of wax, and the odour of the hives, passes through and 
attracts stranger bees, which keep up a constant raid on the inmates 
and contents of the hive. These hives have done little good, and 
will require two or three to be united to be of any value. My own 
hives are a contrast, not one but I could form two colonies from. I 
trust that the hint will deter others from falling into a similar error. 
Queens’ Cages. 
I have observed “ A Hallamshire Bee-keeper’s ” remarks (pages 
169-70), but I am not sure whether I understand their meaning. I 
remember some time since seeing in a contemporary a statement to 
the effect that Mr. Benton was the originator of these cages, and 
in another I observed an editor also claiming them. As I had sent 
queens many years previous to Benton’s time in similar cages I 
simply mentioned the fact. The centrebit was not invented to 
make queens’ cages, but is useful in many ways. 
I have before me a standard work on bees of American produc¬ 
tion containing a vast amount of matter as original that appeared 
first in the pages of this Journal, and British publications are not 
free from the same practice, which does not injure much, but is 
unfair. 
The article at page 260 is no. doubt meant as a burlesque, and 
to be amusing, but it entirely loses its humour when other than 
facts are stated. Few will agree with him that the bee is either 
“ fussy or disaggreeable,” neither is it an “ impostor,” nor does it 
assume to “ teach,” nor can they be taught, nor will they enter 
flowers “six times over.” We do not expect people to work them¬ 
selves to death, although bees to a certain extent do so, but many 
of their actions are worthy of emulation. We have never known 
bees poison themselves, though some insects destroy them when 
at work on certain plants. It would be better for us all if our 
laws were as stringent as the bees are in defence of their pro¬ 
perty. Bees will find out their hive, weather permitting, although 
it be moved many yards. Do not many of us store up more than 
is necessary for our wants ? A bee’s life is full of pleasures, even 
when robbed of their last drop of honey they seem full of happi¬ 
ness. Drones are not at a discount so long as they appear to be 
useful. 
Bees and Poppies. 
Will you kindly say in your next week’s Journal whether 
Poppies grown near bee hives will have any injurious effect on the 
bees, or if there is any honey in the Poppy which the bees can 
extract and poison themselves ? A solution of this question will be 
gratefully received.—G. H. 
Poppies have only one injurious effect upon bees when growing 
near their hives. If right in front of them they seem to annoy 
them, and the bees attack the scarlet flowers, tearing the petals. 
Syrians are the most determined in this respect. Poppies afford 
much pollen in the morning before Mignonette, and are specially 
useful for the bringing forward of nuclei : but they do not yield 
much if any honey, but certainly they are not injurious to bees. 
I prefer a good strain of French Poppies for variety and bees. 
I have grown for the past forty years a white Poppy, tipped scarlet 
on the outer edges of their petals, which always came true until 
this year. They have shown a decided departure from the true 
type to that of the French, or nearly so, with one exception. The 
flower is preserved as in the original, but the foliage is that of the 
common Poppy, and lacks the bristles of the original. I have a 
pretty cross between it and another sort which comes true, being 
higher in the colour than the mother ; but none suits the bees so 
well as the French type.—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
A. M. C. Jongkindt, Coninck Dedemsvaart, near Zwolle, Nether¬ 
lands.— Trade List of Plants. 
Gr. G. Rumsey, Wrotham, Kent.— Catalogue of Roses. 
E. Webb & Son, Wordsley, Stourbridge.— Catalogue of Seed Corn , 
1890-91. 
Hooper & Co., Maida Vale.— Bulb Catalogue. 1890. 
Daniels Bros., Norwich.— Dutch Flower Roots (illustrated), 1890. 
Yokohama Gardeners’ Association, Nakomura, Yokohama, Japan.— 
Japanese Trees, Shrubs, and Plants. 
All correspondence should be directed either to “ Thb 
Editor ” or to “ Tiie 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. 
Colonial Appointments (Inquirer). —We should advise you to 
write to the Curator of the Royal Gardens, Kew, stating your objects,, 
and it would probably be desirable for you to spend a short time in the 
establishment named. 
Transplanting Peach Trees (F. A).—The trees will move quite 
safely if care is taken to lift them without damage, preserving all the 
roots practicable, and if possible keeping a ball. That, however, is not very 
important only the fibres are preserved, and there is no delay in planting 
after lifting. The transference is best made when the leaves have for 
the most part fallen. Cut away any long bare roots, and pare the ends 
smooth that are damaged in taking up the trees. Make the soil firm 
about the roots and give a good watering, mulching the surface as far 
as the roots extend with a little rather fresh manure. With protection 
for the blossom there is no reason why the trees should not succeed 
admirably against a south wall. 
Xiord Palmerston Peach (J. F.). — The fine fruit you sent 
was not in condition when it arrived for testing the quality of the 
variety. It was overripe, and also much bruised. We have tasted fruits 
of this variety that were very good indeed, and others the reverse. It 
seems variable, and is more affected by soil and other influences than 
are some other varieties. It appears to succeed well with you, and we 
are glad to learn gives satisfaction. You can obtain all requisite parti¬ 
culars on sending specimens to the Fruit Committee of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society by writing to Mr. A. F. Barron, R.H.S. Gardens, 
Chiswick, London, W. We think the next meeting is on the 14th inst. 
If the Peach buds are swelling, the ties may be “ eased ” now. 
Thickening a Grass lawn (./. IF). —Give a good dressing of 
well decayed manure or rich compost in autumn, disposing it evenly, 
and in spring rake off the rough portions, sowing early in April grass 
seeds of the finest mixture at the rate of half a pound per square rod, 
or more if the grass be thin. Rake over lightly, and roll well. This 
will cause the grass to thicken. Lose, therefore, no opportunity of 
rolling it well in moist weather. If you have some short manure or 
compost at hand it may be applied now, raking it well in, and then sow 
the grass seeds, rolling well afterwards. The present grass will shelter 
the tender seedlings, and they will fill up better than if the sowing 
were deferred until spring. 
Tomatoes Diseased (Old Subscriber). — We have neither re¬ 
ceived the samples nor the letter to which you allude as having sent 
some time since. The fruit now before us is affected with the disease 
Peronospora infestans. It is most difficult to eradicate, but can either 
be prevented or the attack minimised when the plants are grown in 
glass structures heated artificially. A dry buoyant atmosphere can 
then be maintained and the air impregnated with sulphur fumes from 
the hot-water pipes. The disease occurs when there is an excess of 
moisture in the soil and atmosphere, and the opposite conditions are 
what you must endeavour to produce. Keep the soil so dry that the 
leaves turn flaccid before giving water, and the atmosphere of the house 
as dry as you can make it by heating the pipes (if your house is heated) 
and judicious ventilation. You give no particulars of the treatment to 
which the plants have been subjected, or we might possibly have 
indicated more definitely the cause of the attack. 
Shortening- Growths of Black Hamburgh Vine (F. I.). —It is 
a capital plan to cue back the laterals after the Grapes are cut, or 
when growth ceases, so as to develop the buds, and by admitting more 
