February 25, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
15S 
poses cuttings may still be inserted ; they root freely in boxes covered 
with a square of glass if placed in a vinery or Peach house that is kept 
close. A good batch of early flowering kinds will be found useful if 
rooted at the present time. 
Bouvardias. —If an increase of stock is needed prune old plants that 
have rested, shake the soil from their roots, and cut oS some of the 
strongest. These, if cut into lengths, two or three pieces being 
placed in each small pot and plunged into brisk heat, will soon make 
plants. The old specimens may be repotted in as small size as possible, 
and placed in gentle warmth until they break into growth. 
Solanums. —Prune all those that are past their best and start them 
into growth in a vinery or Peach house. If aphides have existed upon 
the plants dip them in weak tobacco water before placing them into 
warmth. Seedlings should be potted singly and grown in heat until 
they are ready for larger pots. 
Fuchsias. —Young plants that have been wintered in 3-inch pots 
can be placed into 5-inch size and supplied with upright stakes. In a 
temperature of 55° they will grow rapidly, and early in the season will 
be ready for decoration. Old plants that liave started into growth may 
have the old soil shaken from their roots and repotted in smaller pots. 
When the young shoots have made a few inches of growth remove the 
points to induce them to branch. Other plants may be started into 
growth by placing them in a warm vinery or Peach house. Use for 
these plants good fibry loam two parts, one part of leaf mould, one part 
of old Mushroom bed refuse, and a little sand. Water carefully until 
the plants are rooting freely. 
Pelargoniums. —The earliest plants need not have their shoots 
pinched again. If the plants are cut back and the shoots crowded tie 
them out carefully ; bring the strongest towards the rim of the pot. 
The very weakest may be removed, while the remainder may be allowed 
to grow upright. Keep these plants close to the glass and in a cool 
house. Pinch the points out of later plants; they will then make 
strong growth when they start again. When repotting is needed it 
should b^e done at once, the soil being pressed firmly into the pots, and 
may consist of fibry loam, sand, and one-seventh of decayed manure. 
It is a good plan to mix a little artificial manure amongst the soil. 
Water the plants carefully, and do not syringe them. Aphides soon 
injure these plants if not destroyed immediately they appear. 
Erica hyemalis. —Plants that flowered some time ago and were cut 
back will be showing signs of starting into growth. These may be 
repotted, only remove the drainage from the base and press the new 
soil firmly round the balls. If the plants have been in a cool house 
return them to that structure. Syringe amongst the pots on fine days, 
but do not water the plants as long as they can possibly be kept with¬ 
out. They should not, however, be allowed to become dust dry before 
water is applied. 
Epacrises. —Cut in closely all plants that have flowered, and allow 
them to start into growth where the temperature does not exceed 45°. 
If others are needed in flower they will come forward quickly in a close 
house 5° or 10° warmer than the structure in which they have been 
housed. 
Hardwooded Heaths. —Watch for mildew. If it makes its appear¬ 
ance dew the plants with the syringe and dust with flowers of sulphur. 
Leave this on for a few bright days, and then wash it off with clean 
water. Admit air freely, and, even if fire heat must be resorted to, 
avoid a close stagnant atmosphere. Stake and retrain any plants that need 
attention ; be careful to place the stalks into the holes from which the 
old ones have been drawn out. Use no more stakes than are absolutely 
necessary; nothing does these plants more harm than filling the pots 
full of stakes. Draw towards the rim of the pots the strong shoots of 
young plants, and pinch any that are unduly taking the lead. If the 
object is to grow the plants on do not allow them to come into flower. 
The flower buds must be removed as soon as they are large enough. 
If 
i 
m BBE-K^EPBR. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Up till the 18th inst. we never had bees that wintered more 
satisfactorily. What effect the cold may have on them remains 
to be seen ; but I am hopeful, so far as my own are concerned, 
they will be uninjured, my reasons being the hives are dry within. 
The single woollen quilt, and over it from 4 to 6 inches of dried 
grass, permit the perspiration from the bees to pass upwards and 
through it while in a gaseous state, no condensation taking place 
until it comes into contact with the air above the covering. Then 
the sides of the hive, being protected, are warm, the moisture 
does not condense upon them, and is either carried out of the 
doorway or falls upon the under floor. Further, the interior of 
the hives being filled with comb prevents a large volume of air 
being present, and the hive in consequence is not robbed of heat. 
The doorways also being in no case wider than three-quarters 
of an inch (in most cases half) the rush of cold air is reduced 
to the lowest compatible with the comforts and necessities of 
the bees. 
For this country the foregoing embraces all that is necessary 
for successfully wintering bees. It is now about thirty years since 
my theory of wintering bees appeared in the Cottage Gardener., 
which was practically the same as here written, and I have never 
seen occasion to alter my opinion, although volumes have been 
written on the subject, and never more than during the past 
eighteen months. 
Dryness. 
To secure dryness without draughts is the secret of wintering 
bees. The modern methods of feeding candy above and top 
feeders, and of leaving space over the combs, are all of them 
retrograde ; and, of course, the same holds good with double-cased, 
or any hive that allows damp to lurk inside. I shall be obliged to 
bee-keepers who may send to this Journal, or to my own address, 
particulars of how their bees have withstood the severe frost, 
together with their mode of wintering. 
Overhauling. 
Hives covered with dried grass, as I have described, need not 
be disturbed until supers are placed on ; but those covered wholly 
with cloths or cushions the moment the weather is favourable 
should remove them and dry them thoroughly before replacing 
them, or substitute dry ones. Cloth or cushions do not, like dried 
grass, permit the perspiration from the bees to pass off in its 
gaseous form, but condenses it, and soon becomes a sodden mass. 
Feeding. 
Until the weather is settled it will injure bees to attempt 
feeding, or to disturb them in any way. Where they have been 
so mismanaged as to require it, a piece of candy or sugar and 
honey kneaded together and placed over the cluster, top of frames, 
will tide them over. If the weather will permit, the best thing 
to do is to feed them in small quantities from below.—A Lanark¬ 
shire Bee-keeper. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
W. & J. Birkenhead, Sale, Manchester.— Catalogue of Ferns and 
Selaginellas. 
L. Delaville, 2, Qaai de la M^gisserie, Paris.— List of Seeds. 
T. Smith, Daisy Hill Nursery, Newry.— Catalogu e of Hardy Aguaties. 
•^*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 
onavoidably. 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 communications. 
A Garden Maze (^Cherry Blossoni). —In olden times mazes were 
more common than they are now. We believe there is one at Hampton 
Court, but we are not aware of any others in London parks or garaens. 
If you write to Mr. A. Graham, Garden Superintendent, Hampton Court 
Palace, Kingston-on-Thames, he will be able to tell you if a plan of the 
maze is published in any guide book to the Palace and grounds. 
