January 21, 1392. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
53 
root. Much the same remarks apply to the ordinary Zonals and the ^y- 
leavei sections. Stock plants of Verbenas ought now to be given a shift 
into larger pots and placed in gentle heat, a strong heat being most 
objectionable, and a capital lot of clean sappy young cuttings wdl then 
result. Stock plants of Heliotropes, Lantanas, and Abutilons to be 
similarly treated, and if early cuttings of Fuchsias are required 
a few old plants and start them in gentle heat at once. There would be 
time to prepare a number of small pyramids for bedding out 
summer. No cuttings being required, keep the old plants cool, and. 
only moist enough at the roots to prevent shrivelling. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Caladiums .—Examine these, and after shaking away the old soil 
place the tubers in pans or boxes until they are wanted for starting into 
growth. A good supply of the useful Caladium argyrites may be 
started at once ; these give least trouble when started in pans close 
together until growth is visible, when they can be potted sin^y in 
small pots, or a number together in those of a larger size. Where 
decorations of various kinds are carried out these plants are most useful 
in pots varying in size from thumbs to 5-inch. 
Begonias ,—Those of a semi-tuberous nature, such as B. weltoni- 
ensis, may be partially cut back and started into growth. Once 
are fairly on the move reduce the old roots by one-half, and repot them 
in the same size pots, or a little larger, according to the size of the plamts. 
These varieties start freely in vineries that have been started, and where 
the temperature does not fall below 50° at night. These Begonias 
require a moderately light but rich soil. Be careful not to overwater 
them in their early stages. 
Fittonias .—Where warm houses are arranged with small decorative 
plants with a view to be effective, these little plants as a front margin, 
or in conjunction with dwarf free-growing Selaginellas, are charrning. 
They are useful also for many other purposes in dwelling rooms. They 
will strike freely in heat in small pots or in pans filled with sandy soil. 
A large stock can quickly be obtained if the old plants are retained, for 
these soon break again into growth, and become furnished for decoration 
or yielding another batch of cuttings. 
Adiantum ouneatum .—Plants from whiclj all the good fronds have 
been removed may have the whole of the small and decaying ones cut 
away to prevent injury to the new ones by their rernoval after growth 
has commenced. The plants may be repotted in a mixture of loam, leaf 
mould, and sand, then started in a temperature of 60°. In potting 
place the plants in a larger size, or cut them in two if already in pots 
that are large enough, in preference to shaking out their roots and 
reducing them, which results in the production of a large quantity of 
small useless fronds. By cutting them into two strong fronds are P'^o- 
duced from the first. Seedlings possess more vigour than stock increased 
by division. Seedlings yield nearly double the number of fronds. 
Water carefully for a time after potting, but syringe freely amongst the 
pots. _ 
that it was not that they could not sting, nor would not, but that 
they were so intent in honey gathering that they seemed not to 
notice intruders. He also stated that they were great propolisers, 
but latterly explained this, and that they were no worse than 
other varieties. With me they were not so good propolisers as the 
old British bee, nor nearly so good as the Ligurians, which, by the 
way, have several names, and in many cases not pure. Most of 
the writers and admirers of the highly coloured so-called Italian 
Alp bee did not possess them until after they were crossed with 
Cyprian or Syrian bees, therefore their evidence on the subject is 
not worth the paper it is written upon ; and the same holds good 
on much that has been written or printed outside these pages, not 
only upon them, but on the Punic or Tunisian bees. 
I enclose herewith a clipping from a gardening contemporary 
sent to me for transmission to you, or direct to “ A Hallamshire 
Bee-keeper,” to show “a specimen of the rubbish that is printed,” 
but I am glad to say “ A Hallamshire Bee-keeper ” can easily take 
care of himself in any attack on this subject. I am glad to say 
that I have found the Punic bees equal to all that has been claimed 
for them by that gentleman. 
I must now inform your readers that I have no interest in him 
nor in the bees he sells, and request that persons write direct^ to 
him and not to me when in want of queens. He ought to advertise. 
I am in receipt of many letters of inquiry about these bees, some 
of them containing orders for queens from him, also some letters 
countermanding the orders previously given. Besides the expense 
and trouble entailed upon me answering these letters, and acting as 
if I were an agent, there is always the apprehension of displeasure 
for what I may not be responsible, In one or two cases only 
have I forwarded these letters containing orders for queens or 
those countermanding them in consequence of matter which has 
appeared in some English bee journals. 
I desire to thank Mr. Wm. Carlton for his high compliment at 
page 12, and assure him that I will endeavour, as far as possible, 
not to sully the pages of the Journal of Horticulture with state¬ 
ments not in accordance with facts ; and I also thank him for his 
experience with the crossed Punics (but do not call them hybrids) ; 
it is in accordance with my own and others who have given them 
^ ---— '-, --- ^ ^ -jj 
^ 1 ^ 
HE BEE-KEEPER. 
SI 
TT. 1 :—r. . 1.1 . ' ^ i 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Punic Bees. 
We are having a sharp but not severe winter, and the little 
snow has disappeared. On the morning of the 9th the thermometer 
registered 12°, or 20° of froit ; but there were chilling winds, which 
along with a humid atmosphere is as trying to bees as it is to frail 
humanity. 
I am anxious about the wintering qualities of my Punic stocks. 
From one of my pure stocks I have found a few dead bees on the 
snow. It is the only stock I had neglected to feed with syrup in 
the autumn, as it was heavy with honey. This is important, 
because no matter how well managed hives may be, nor to what 
race the bees belong, if their stores consist wholly of Heather 
honey they are liable to abdominal distension. 
The season is so far advanced that the bees may air themselves 
the first mild day, and your readers may rest assured that I will 
give an accurate account of how the puie ones have wintered. 
The crosses have proved themselves the best honey gatherers, and 
as good winterers as any. If the pure ones pull through, then the 
problem of preserving the best honey gatherer is solved. 
I find on reading some back numbers that “ A Hallamshire 
Bee-keeper ” named these bees Tunisians, and that although they 
were hardy, the cluster of bees was much smaller in early spring 
than at the commencement of winter. I also notice that he 
styled them “non-stingers ;” but in the context he plainly shows 
I observe in the Bee-keeper's Record for January an editorial 
statement that the most valuable portion of its contents is the 
experiences of its readers, and that all personal contributions in the 
future are to be consigned to the waste basket. If we live we 
shall see, as the last time this resolution was made it lasted only a 
very short time. 
If I were to forward the experience of bee-keepers I receive in 
my private correspondence, it would sometimes crowd out all 
other matter, and the Editor would perhaps prefer such brief con¬ 
tributions direct from their authors. I am in hopes that by another 
week there will be something of a definite nature to be said about 
the Punics.—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
[We have sent the clipping described as “rubbish” by a suc¬ 
cessful bee-keeper, to “ A. H. B. K. ] 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Charles Turner, Royal Nurseries, Plough,—Catalogue of Kitchen and 
Slower Garden Seeds, r r, ^ n t-- 
Henry Eckford, Wem, Salop .—Select List of Sweet Peas, legctaole 
•.nd Flower Seeds, 1892, a j i. i „ moo 
Armitage Bros., High Street, Nottingham.— Catalogue,^ 18K. 
W. Piercy, 89, West Road, Forest Hill, S.B.—Awil of Larly and 
rummer Flowering Chrysanthemums. mfnlonue of 
Agricultural and Horticultural Association (h\mitQd,).—Oatatogue oj 
Vegetable and Flower Seeds, 1892, 
John Peed & Son, Roupell Park Nurseries, Norwood Road, London, 
5.B .—Seed Catalogue for 1892, r looo 
B. L. Coleman, Sandwich, Kent .—Seed Catalogue for 18Ja, 
Wm. Rumsey, Waltham Gross,—Catalogue of SeUct Seeds, 
William Bull, 536, King’s Road, Cholsca..—Catalogue of Seeds 
W. Fromow ic Sons, Chiswick .—Seed Catalogue, 1892. 
