Jauuary 14, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OB' HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
81 
kinds already exist seed sown in April and May will result in plants 
for flowering late in the year. 
Tuherom Begonias .—The earliest plants rested may be started into 
growth, for these are useful plants for the conservatory as early in the 
season as they can be produced. It is a good plan to shake away the 
whole of the old soil and wash the tubers in warm water. M'e have 
found that where tubers have commenced decay in any part the decaying 
portion is frequently swarming with a kind of mite. Any decaying 
portion should be carefullv cut away, and after washing dusted with 
powdered charcoal ; they frequently do well afterwards. Decay of the 
tubers is often brought about by ripening them too rapidly. The 
tubers should be allowed to dry after being washed, and then placed 
amongst leaf mould and sand in boxes and placed in heat. They start 
freely and quickly if the boxes are placed on hotbeds. Seed may be 
sown on the surface of pots or pans which has been made smooth and 
even; the seed should be gently watered, not covered with soil. The 
pans may be covered with a square of glass until germination takes 
place. If possible place the pans in the propagating box or under bell- 
glasses to prevent the soil drying until the seed has germinated. 
Achimenes .—Remove the underground roots of these useful decora¬ 
tive plants, and place them thickly together in pans that are liberally 
drained and filled with light but rich soil. If the soil is in an inter¬ 
mediate state of moisture give them no water. None will be needed 
until they commenc' growing if the pans are plunged and the surface 
covered with cocoa-nut fibre refuse. The forcing house is a convenient 
place to start these plants into growth. 
Mr. T. W. Cowan’s Inaccuracies. 
We have been asked by Mr. Thomas William Cowan to 
correct some inaccuracies which have appeared in this Journal, 
and in view of certain eventualities Mr. Cowan has also intimated 
his intention to publish certain correspondence in his papers. 
It is immaterial to us what he publishes, so long as he refrains 
from libellous statements. There was a misprint on the page 
mentioned below of 21st instead of 23rd, but we select as by far 
the most important of the inaccuracies the following, which were 
supplied to us for publication by Mr. Cowan, and we accepted 
them in the belief that they were correct. 
In the statement published by us on November 19Lh there 
were four facts asserted, viz.—1st, that Punic bees had never 
been alluded to in the Record by any correspondent ; 2nd, or 
editorially ; 3rd, Mr. Carr had never written about Punic bees ; 
and 4th, Mr. Carr never had a stock of Punic bees. 
These are the statements alluded to above as having been sup¬ 
plied by Mr. Cowan, who insisted on their insertion in our columns. 
The first three he now admits to have been incorrect in his 
“ explanation ” on page 571 of our issue of 3l3t December, 1891 ; 
and as regards the fourth, we may say for the information of 
Mr. Cowan and our readers that we have evidence that proves 
beyond a doubt to our mind that Mr. W. B. Carr did have a 
stock of bees from a Punic queen in 1889-1890. We have asked 
“A H. B. K.” to allow us to publish some evidence that we believe 
he can supply, but he informs us that he is taking action against 
Messrs. Cowan and Carr for libel, and that it would be best to 
produce the evidence in Court, along with the other evidence. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
The Self Hiver. 
( Continued from page 572, last vol.). 
One of my devices for preventing swarms joining consists of a 
shallow race about an inch deep and the width of the inside of the 
hive, and about 2 feet long. This is the length of my own. The 
bottom, 2 feet by 1 foot 2 inches wide. It should be thin, or 
bevelled at the bottom, so that when put close to the entrance of 
the hive it does not obstruct the doorway or egress of the bees. 
A piece of wood, inch deep by five-eighths thick, is nailed on the 
two sides and one end of this, and 10 inches of the end that goes 
next the hive is covered with three-eighths or one-quarter boards, 
which leaves the further end from the hive open. This should be 
fitted to the front of the hive so that not a bee can escape, while a 
brass screw should go right down into the alighting board in a way 
that it can be turned fast in a second to prevent it slipping from 
the front. 
A light square frame 1 inch by i inch forms the under part of the 
interceptor, which is a hag of open texture sewed to the frame, and 
about a foot high. A light but stilfish brass wire of the same size 
as the under frame is employed to fasten the crown and sides of 
the bag to. Right across the centre of the crown and down the 
sides a little there is sewn a piece of stout doubled calico, and in 
the centre of this a handle of tape all firmly sewn. A clip of 
brass is fastened with two screws to the bottom of the under frame 
first mentioned, and has a hole drilled in the upper edge, so that it 
goes right in the centre of the edge of the frame that forms the 
bag to receive a brass pin fixed to the frame, and which secures the 
receiver or interceptor of the swarm in a second. A small gibbet 
completes the whole affair to hold the bag up or distended, and is 
kept in its place by four pieces of thin brass, two upon its under 
end and two upon the race, so that in fixing it is simply slid in. 
When the bees are secured in the bag, the only place they can get 
to, remove the old stock and set the new hive in its place, then lift 
the bag by the tape handle and place it on the top, the hive to be 
tenanted, and let go your hold of the bag, and the bees by the light 
but constant pressure and falling down of the bag the bees will 
retreat unharmed to their permanent hive as they do in the top 
hiver lately described, of which the foregoing is a modification. 
In all cases of swarming, whether naturally or by any artificial 
means, the bee-keeper should satisfy himself that the swarm is a 
full one, and if not, at the earliest possible moment bees should be 
taken from the stock hive to make it up, and the latter removed 
a long distance to prevent the bees of the swarm going back to 
their old home. In some manipulations I have seen the bees of 
the swarm ferret out the old stock 70 yards removed. I had at 
the beginning intended to have shown the evils accruing from 
self hivers, but will reserve until another occasion, when the pages 
of the Journal are less crowded with valuable matter. 
The Flight and Speed of Bees. 
I do not remember ever see'ng any article upon the flight 
and speed of bees till the other day a question came by post 
asking what I thought of a clipping from a daily paper quoted 
from a work on bees. I have replied to the query, but as it is 
a subject of interest to bee-keepers I enlarge more fully upon it 
here. The whole of the quotation is amusing and inaccurate. 
It says “ that the insect can draw twenty times its own weight, 
can fly more than four miles an hour.” It would be amusing 
indeed to see a bee drawing twenty other bees in a way as the 
general public understands, unless it was drawing them down. 
Fasten a bee to twenty times its own weight, it will make little 
if any progress, not so much as some smaller creatures. The 
speed bees fly varies with their intention from thirty to, perhaps, 
200 miles an hour. The slowest speed is when they fly to and 
from the flowers when they yield honey. They will fly to the 
field of flowers at a ra^e or uniform speed of at least 150 miles 
per hour, the return journey varying from fifty to a hundred, 
which depends upon the distance, and including the time taken 
to re^t, creates the loss of time, and reduces the timed speed. 
During the summer of 1890, when the bees were let loose at 
the moors, they went and returned a distance of two miles, 
flying with their load of Thyme honey against the wind in less 
than fifteen minutes. The bees did not require to fly that 
distance, but they did so, and were observed several minutes 
after they were let loose. During the past summer, when the 
bees were anxious to gather honey in the height of the bloom of 
the Heather, they ventured out one day, but only a few yards, 
a low, heavy, cloud prevented their venturing further. Myriads 
of them disported themselves below the cloud, and spectators, 
of whom I was one, watched them. Their movements "were rapid 
and described circles from 12 to 30 yards, and showed to great 
advantage against the cloud. These movements were interesting 
