116 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Febroary 11, 1892, 
frequent cleansing of the under floor of the ventilating floors -will 
speedily make an effectual clearance of the bee lice where they 
exist, and of course where fumigators are necessary are easily 
applied. 
Prevention of Swarming. 
In all the matter that has been written upon that subject I have 
failed to discern anything satisfactorily explaining how it could 
be prevented, or in any case where the labour was in any way 
reduced, but rather multiplied many times. This not only holds 
good in our own country, but in America as well. Many of the 
articles are cleverly written, but most, if not all of them, betray 
the lack of experience. 
It is not worth while to repeat the errors that have been made 
in hive construction the past fifteen years, nor that which prompted 
the recommendation of hives quickly thrust upon bee-keepers, and 
which have fallen as quickly into disuse. Our aim and purpose 
will be better illustrated by simply describing the working of hives 
in our own apiary, which are every day becoming more popular. 
There are different ways of looking at the subject, and different 
ways of treating it. But it must be borne in mind that bees with 
their regnant queen cannot be prevented swarming, only when a 
young laying one has been introduced, with additional breeding 
space, and even this is a preventive for a limited time only. 
Then where swarms are wanted it would be folly to prevent 
it. But the greatest folly of all is to return swarms in the 
expectation of putting a stop to it. My aim is to reduce labour 
with the certainty of success and that no hees be lost, which is very 
simple. 
Our hives enable us to examine all the brood combs without 
removing the supers whenever I observe a hive showing signs of 
swarming. I may mention here that all apiaries should have a 
decoy hive or bee lodge, an upright cork-covered box, in some part 
of the garden ; on the top of this box or lodge there is a moveable 
one with a piece of comb. Before swarming the bee scouts will be 
seen to frequent it. I explained this some seven or eight years 
ago. When the bees are seen to fly about searching odd crannies 
and places, and the bees becoming listless and rallying alternately, 
particularly in the afternoon, and at times extra busy, that hive 
may be marked as one about to swarm. 
When the bee-keeper’s suspicion is grounded on these obser¬ 
vations he should do as I do, uncover the hive, turn back the 
uppermost division with its supers ; a feather saturated with 
carbolic acid pushed between the combs enablts us to see its 
state, then the under division frames are examined ; if there 
are no queen cells in formation we close it quickly and 
recover it. 
Ir there are queen cells, and not wishing it to swarm, the 
queen, if not valuable, is removed, and in a week’s time all the 
queen cells are destroyed and a young fertilised queen is intro¬ 
duced ; a week’s laying of eggs in that case is sacrificed, but I 
cm, if necessary, make that up, but it is seldom necessary. 
If a swarm is wanted, it is the proper time to take it, so we 
search for the queen and remove the frame, with her on it, putting 
her and it into the hive previously prepared for the new colony 
upon the old hive’s stand, removing the latter to some distance 
where the flying bees may not discover it. Of course we make 
certain the swarm is of full strength, and we sometimes give the 
swarm the half of the old stocks’ combs, and either contract it or 
fill up the space with full-sheeted frames. In a week’s time more 
of the queen cells are disposed of as may be required. 
I have frequently performed this artificial swarming in a few 
minutes, and in far less time than if it had been allowed to swarm, 
and in a more satisfactory manner, and that too without the risk 
of losing either queen or swarm by flying off or joining with 
another one. 
All other work of the apiary may either be suspended a little 
time or performed a little earlier when circumstances demand it 
and business prevents immediate attention ; but swarming must be 
attended to at the right time to prevent loss and disappointments 
The foregoing plan obviates all that, and enables the gardener, 
banker, clerk, or whatever he may be, to perform much necessary 
work in his leisure hours at any time of the day, and all to his 
satisfaction and profit.—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
®**A11 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 Glardening 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 communications- 
Books (C. TF.).—You will find the information yon require 
respecting Figs in Mr. D. Thomson’s “ Handy Book of Fruit Culture 
Under Glass ” (Blackwood), price Ts. 6d. “ The Orchard House,” by 
T. Rivers is the other book you appear to want. (F’. S')- —Probably 
you refer to Du Breuil’s “ Scientific and Profitable Culture of Fruit 
Trees ” (Lockwood), price 3s. 6d. (./. T.). —“ The Tomato,” by 
W. Iggulden, post free, from this office, Is. 1^. 
Material for Creenhonse Blinds (Ifir#. T.'). —The best material 
for your purpose would probably be the lighter description of “striped 
hollands,” which, being linen, does not shrink like cotton, and is not so 
subject to mildew. We have used it many years in conservatories, and 
found it serviceable, only it must be taken care of in winter, and not 
roiled up when wet and left so. 
Yellow Soil (.4. P .').—The yellow loam is almost fibreless, but 
appears of a substantial nature, containing little grit. If you add one- 
fourth of leaf mould to it and one-sixth of drift sand, incorporating ail 
together, it would be suitable for growing Chrysanthemums, but we 
should have liked it better had it contained more fibre. That, however, 
can be overcome by judicious feeding. 
Forming: a Gravel Tennis Court (F7. H. S .').—It is entirely a 
question for a builder or pavior. All that is necessary is to make sure 
that the ground is properly under-drained, then supply a suitable 
thickness of rubble, say G inches, on a solid bottom, and finish with the 
coating of cement concrete, the cost being about 4s. per yard ; but the 
price varies with different localities, and the manner in which the 
work is done. 
Top-dressing for a Bawn (FI J.'). —Take two parts of wood 
ashes and two parts of slaked lime, and one part of soot, all by 
measure and quite dry, mix thoroughly, applying at the rate of a peck 
per square rod (30y square yards). Now is the best time to use the 
dressing, but in mild weather only. If there is much moss the mixture, 
in destroying it, will cause the lawn to look brown for a short time, yet 
it will soon recover and become quite beautiful in colour, and not rank 
in growth, provided there is enough grass to form a good turf. 
Planting Beech Trees ((?. P.).—Beech, as you have proved, is 
the tree for planting on a limestone stratum, and it does well near the 
sea. As the season is getting advanced, and March is often a dry, bad 
planting month, we should defer planting until autumn, having the 
stations prepared for the trees during the summer, trenching the ground 
and removing the roots of the trees that have been cut down. This will 
give the young trees a chance, though the established trees will find 
out the moved and aerated soil, and fill it quickly with roots. That 
is the difficulty in getting young trees established near those that 
alie.ady occupy the soil with their roots. 
Plum Trees as Busbes (.4. II. Ellis). —Plum trees answer well 
as bushes or pyramids, lifting them every two or three years to induce 
fruitfulness when they grow too luxuriantly, or to induce early bearing. 
The pruning is of the simplest kind, merely requiring shortening the 
growths that grow too strongly about midsummer, and stopping side 
growths at atout six leaves, keeping the branches thin, and cutting 
stopped shoots to an inch of their base in autumn, thinning the spurs 
where crowded, and shortening elongated, so as to keep the trees- 
furnished with bearing wood, whilst the light penetrates right down to 
