172 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 3, 1892. 
on the 23rd ult. it rose to 50°, remaining the most part of the day 
at 47° with bright sunshine. This reduced the snow that fell to 
a depth of G inches on the morning of the 21st ult. to about 1 inch. 
The barometer for upwards of two weeks has varied from 28 90 
to 2910, but has now risen to 29 80. The continuation of wintry 
weather has greatly retarded the opening of flowers, but appears 
to have had no ill effects upon bees. They flew for several hours 
on the 23rd, while the ground was covered with snow ; but as I 
had previously removed this from the alighting boards, and for 
some distance in front of the hives, few bees were lost. A dry 
floor and alighting board strengthen the bees wonderfully in their 
spring airings. Many young bees were on the wing, which is good 
proof of the satisfactory state within. 
The Punics. 
These were the first and the last to fly, and so far as external 
appearance indicates I never had hives so far advanced at the end 
of February. From one Garniolian several drones took flight. 
The last-named are the hardiest bees of any, consequently the 
best winterers. The true variety is mild in temper and extra 
honey gatherers, but unfortunately a spurious variety has been 
imported, and the bees are as worthless as they are spiteful. But 
to the Punics. Four bee-keepers having these bees have responded 
to my solicitation regarding their wintering qualities. Three of 
them state that their Punics have wintered satisfactorily. One 
says they appear to be quite hardy, as a mere hahdful, the remainder 
of the strongest hive he ever possessed, have survived the severe 
cold of the 19th. The cause of the great bulk of them dying was 
the want of food, which he was sorry for, but hopes they will be 
preserved. The Punics have in every instance behaved themselves 
differently with us than some writers asserted they would, and 
I am in hopes that with a fine summer they will surpass our 
expectations in honey gathering. 
March. 
Although bees begin to breed about Christmas, and to gather 
pollen in January and February, even to a greater extent than 
they sometimes are permitted to do in March, the present is, never¬ 
theless, an interesting time to the bee-keeper. Natural pollen is 
now plentiful from the catkins of the Willow, Hazel, Alder, and 
Elm, together with that from the Crocus, Daffodils, and other 
garden flowers, as also the Tussilago, the main pollen producer of 
the fields in many places. Although to the farmer and gardener it is 
an obnoxious weed it affords much pollen, and in fine weather 
honey. 
It is desirable that the bee-keeper estimate the condition of 
every hive now, and put right what may not be to his mind or 
the requirements of the bees, but unfortunately March is so fickle 
that the month not unfrequently passes away without a single 
fine bee-day, and bees are often allured to their destruction 
during intermittent glimpses of sunshine and a sudden lowering 
of temperature. Yet, with all these drawbacks, hives in a normal 
and healthy condition, with ample stores, will have an enormous 
quantity of eggs and brood in all stages, which the bees at this 
season cling to tenaciously and nurse assiduously, so that if the 
temperature is low feeding becomes a difficulty when they have 
to leave their combs for it. Then there is the additional risk above 
mentioned of the bees flying abroad and becoming suddenly chilled. 
Thus the artificially managed hives, if strong during March, may 
become weak by April. Many propositions have been made for 
the management of hives during March, but I have never found 
anything succeed so well as to leave the bees to their own resources 
during the fickle month. I could name some years when March 
was a month of sunshine, and the bee-keeper, had he cared, could 
have manipulated to his heart’s content without much injury 
arcruing to the bees, but even although such opportunities occur 
it is foolish to entail unnecessary labour where there is nothing 
to be gained by it.—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
E. H. Krelage & Son, Haarlem, Holland. —Catalogue of Bulbs and 
Spring Flowering Plants. 
Hogg & Wood, Coldstream. —Catalogue of Agricultural Seeds, 
Dicksons, Limited, Chester. —Catalogue of Select Farm Seeds. 
®**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 
euavoidably. 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- 
Feas at Shows (A Bulge'). —The matter on the postcard sent fs 
distinctly an advertisement, and if we were to publish it as you wish 
others would be speedily forthcoming of the same nature. It is not a 
record of cultural experience. 
ilbutilons (J. H. W.). —An article dealing with the history of the 
garden varieties of Abutilon will shortly be published. You do not, 
however, say whether the fine-foliage Abutilons or those grown for their 
fiowers are the special object of your inquiry. Both classes will, there¬ 
fore, be referred to in the article. 
Potting Rose Cuttings (^Amateur), —The cuttings inserted in a 
frame last July, which you wish to remove to your new garden, had 
better be potted now, and returned to the frame, keeping close for a 
short time, and then harden off by the time you remove. They will 
remove much more safely than wmre they taken up and planted 
in the new garden at once, planting them out in May, with the ball 
entire. 
IMagnum Bonum Pea (Yours Truly). — You say “ ‘ W. S.’ 
mentions his village, but does not name it.” Name what? He named 
the village in which he believes the Pea was raised, and also named the 
Pea. Your letter is not quite so complete as it should be for attaining 
the object in view, as you have omitted to sign your name. We will 
send it to *• W. S.” for the desired information, which shall be sent, to 
you if he can supply it, if you will furnish us with your full postal 
address. 
Bedding Roses (Malden).~We have no doubt that Gfinfiral 
Jacqueminot will make a very good bed, and the p'ants may either be 
pegged down or allowed to grow bush fashion. If the latter, cut out 
the most robust and coarse shoots as they are produced, and the bed 
may be made to assume a tolerably even appearance. We have this 
and other Koses, grown on their own roots, in beds, and prefer such 
plants to those on Manetti stocks, when the kinds will succeed in this 
way. Genfiial Jacqueminot, Jules Margottin, and Souvenir de la 
Malmaison are good for massing. 
Stocks for Budding (£. IF.).—The stocks bought in from the 
nursery ought not to be cut down close to the ground, nor cut at all, 
unless straggling in growth and having correspondingly poor roots, when 
a little trimming may be practised, especially on the side growths and 
unwieldy tops, otherwise the stem must be left intact, and the bud 
inserted therein at the proper time and at the right place—a smooth part 
of the bark near the ground. Cutting cff close to the ground is only 
necessary when the stocks are old and the bark has become hardened, 
so as not to be readily raised with the budding knife baft. 
Use ofWlllow Parings (Aw Old Subscriber, York). —The peelings 
of Willows used in basket making are simply vegetable matter, and 
when reduced to mould have value corresponding to leaf soil, but are 
not nearly so rich in plant foods as the mould from decayed Oak, 
Spanish Chestnut, or Beech leaves, or indeed any debris of leaves of a 
softer nature. They consist of bark, which is even poorer than the bark 
of Oak when reduced to mould, and as a fertiliser less valuable than 
ordinary leaf soil. Still they are useful for spreading on grass land 
when sufficiently reduced, and have been used for Potatoes and other 
potash-requiring plants with advantage, and when thoroughly reduced 
to mould may be used to the extent of one-third for softwooded plants, 
taking care to reject any woody portions, which, however, may be added 
to the soil after being reduced to ash by burning. The decayed 
“ parings ” are not desirable for hardwooded plants, being liable to 
form a close mass more corresponding to bog than heath mould. 
