504 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 4, 1890 
are let loose at the Heather bees get frantic, and continue spiteful 
until the end, unless it may be during a glut of honey, but even 
then the outgoing bees are to be dreaded. The safest place for the 
bee-keeper to be when attacked is to creep as close to the side of a 
hive, with his face turned towards the entrance, and in a crouching 
position. In that way I have often escaped the fury of the bees 
and a severe stinging. Sheep move about the hives unconcerned, 
and are never attacked by bees, and this year a horse depastured 
amongst my hives, and was never stung, but I was always appre¬ 
hensive of danger. Some odours have a great influence in raising 
the anger of bees, and some persons or horses will be attacked 
when others are unmolested. The dye from some garments, too, 
rouses the bees to fury and places the wearer in danger. 
In addition to being careful not to rouse the bees to anger from 
the above the beginner should also be very careful by his move¬ 
ments in the apiary, being calm and never in a fighting attitude ; 
and although advised never to interfere with his hives unless when 
absolutely necessary to do so, the beginner should make himself as 
familiar with his bees as possible by standing closely to them, 
drawing his hand frequently, but gently, across the front of the 
hive and handling it frequently. These movements go a great 
■way to having mild tempered bees, and have the effect of putting 
them in the best of humour when manipulation takes place. 
I never use smoke for quieting bees, as it cannot but be 
injurious to both bees and honey. Carbolic acid, first used by me 
as a quieter, and first announced in this Journal, is the safest and 
best ; a little smeared at the entrance first, then as the covers are 
gradually removed, the top bars are also smeared so as not to 
smear the bees. They retreat at once from it, and a hum is got up 
that indicates other business than stinging. A feather with a little 
on it drives the bees to and from the places wanted. 
If that is carefully gone about the beginner, instead of being 
-disgusted at the first, as many are, gains confidence, and his love for 
the honey gatherers increases, and if at any time thereafter a 
^colony gets enraged he knows how to pacify the most irascible, and 
he will also learn that bees cannot by any care or selection of 
breeding become as innocent as lambs, but by careful handling and 
a proper and judicious demeanour the bee-keeper may work 
amongst them and be unharmed. 
Enemies. 
Be watchful against the inroads of mice, and be sure the top of 
the covering of the hive is freely aired and that the roof is water¬ 
tight. If through late feeding damp is engendered inside it will 
be advisable to transfer bees and comb into a clean, dry hive. If 
the floor is non-ventilating and damp it should be removed, substi¬ 
tuting a dry one.— 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. 
Tlie Two oldest Fruits (West Hiding ').—Your request for the 
“ names of the two most ancient fruits ” appears rather a curious one. 
tV e must refer you to Bible history, and you will perhaps there find 
that of existing fruits the Apple and the Fig are as old as any. 
Pears Shrivelling ( Larikhills ). — The shrivelled specimens sent 
have all the appearance of having been gathered before they were 
sufficiently matured to be removed from the tree, and the necessary 
maturity is not infrequently retarded by the roots of trees of late 
varieties penetrating ungenial soil from which little nutriment can be 
derived that is requisite for perfecting the fruit. 
Treatment of Impatiens Hawkeri (B. S. G .).—As the plants 
are coming into flower give them as light a position in the stove as 
possible, where they will not be subjected to too much moisture on their 
foliage from the syringe. Keep young plants in 2 or 3-inch pots close 
to the glass in a temperature of G0°. When ready the points may be 
removed to induce them to branch. Under this treatment they will 
grow strongly and make grand plants for early spring flowering if placed 
when ready into 5 and 6-inch pots. Use for a compost loam, one- 
seventh of manure, and a little sand. Press the soil firmly into the 
pots. This will prevent a soft rapid growth, which results from loose 
potting, and the use of leaf mould amongst the soil. I. Sultani may 
also be allowed to come into flower. Pinch later plants for succession, 
and place sturdy seedlings now in 2-inch into 4-inch pots. If these are 
grown close to the glass and not too warm they will be very useful when 
the bulk of the winter flowering plants are over. 
Banksia integrifolia (A. M. E .).—Your plant is one of the 
Banksias, and bears the above name. Some time ago we gave an illustra¬ 
tion of the plant, and as the number is now out of print, we reproduce 
it with the description. The Banksias are a, peculiar genus of plants, 
the species forming which contribute largely to the native vegetation of 
New South Wales and other districts in the great Australian continent. 
These plants with their relatives the Proteas were at one time much 
grown in large establishments in England, but of late years they have 
been almost lost, and are now seldom seen except in botanic gardens. Some 
are perhaps more strange than beautiful, but there are several which are 
by no means devoid of attractions, and would add to the interest of 
many gardens. Of these the Australian Honeysuckle (Banksia integri- 
folia) is especially noteworthy as a free-growing and floriferous plant, 
which recommendations are not possessed by all its allies. The popular 
name appears somewhat far-fetched, as are many other popular names ; 
but it does not refer to the habit of the plant as might be supposed, but 
to the quantity of nectar secreted in the flowers. Banksia integrifolia 
is a shrubby plant, usually of moderate size in cultivation, but attaining 
much greater dimensions in its native land, where some of its near 
relatives rise to a height of 50 feet. The flowers are yellowish in a 
cylindrical head at the ends of the branches. The leaves are narrow 
and undivided, dark green, and firm in texture The plant 
succeeds in light turfy loam and peat, and requires only the tempera- 
I tureof a greenhouse or conservatory, supplying water carefully when 
not in flower. 
Fruitless Trees (Yew ).—When we hear that Apple, Pear, and 
Plum trees are “ clothed with short-jointed wood and spurs, yet bear no 
fruit,” we always wish to know if they produce blossom, as if they do, 
as is usual with trees that form spurs freely, the absence of fruit may 
be the result of frost or inclement weather in spring, which prevents the 
