190 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 10, 1802. 
Mr.'Cowan, after just referring to this article, wrote to you, sir j 
also to the American Bee Journal, and then printed in his own 
Journals on December 24th, “ That the seasons in North Africa, as 
in all places north of the equator, are at the same period of the 
year as ours,” and that my statement, “ that their natural months 
for rest (for Punics) is our summer, which is their winter,” was 
false. Surely he must know it is ‘‘ winter ” here in January, 
February, and March ; yet in Tunis these are the months for 
swarming and honey gathering. After March bees cease to either 
breed or collect honey for six months, consequently it is their 
“ winter ”— i.e , the season they can get nothing, and in which they 
have to live on what they had stored. 
As Mr. Cowan considers Benton such a good authority, allow 
me to draw attention to another matter, where speaking of Alley’s 
golden Carniolans on November 19th, 1891, page 525, he says, 
*• No one in Europe, at any rate, has ever seen or heard of pure 
Carniolans being yellow, and to suppose that in so short a time 
pure Carniolans can be turned into pure golden Carniolans is 
a pill too large for us to swallow.” 
If we turn to the “ B. B. J.” for August 23rd, 1888, page 413, 
Mr. Frank Benton, writing from Carniola, where he was breeding 
and exporting these bees, says :— 
“ I have yet to see an apiary in Carniola where yellow banded 
bees do not exist, although I have visited all the most important 
apiaries existing here. There is in the race a tinge of yellow 
blood that crops out every now and then, do the best one may.” 
“There were at my residence to-day two intelligent bee-keepers 
from the northern parts of Carniola, and I questioned them on 
this point, and they replied that an occasional tendency towards 
orange or rusty red bands was always the case with all Carniolans, 
but that it was no mark of impurity in the race, since it exists so 
all over Carniola.” Again, in “ B. B. J.” for September 20tb, 
page 465, he furthersajs, “Be it then well understood that yellow 
bands existed among Carniola bees in Carniola before I ever 
crossed the Atlantic. . . . There is in my mind no doubt but 
that this peculiarity has existed for many decades, and I venture 
even to say for centuries. . . . Mr. Ambrozic told me personally 
but three days since that yellow-banded Carniolans exist in his 
portion of the province, and but recently a bee-keeper said to me 
‘ his father recommended yellow-banded bees as the best strain.’ ” 
The Mr. Ambrozic quoted is a noted breeder of Cainiolan 
queens. When this was printed in the “ B. B. J.,” a great con¬ 
troversy was on respecting whether bees with yellow bands existed 
in Carniola. Mr. Cowan was the Editor, and had to have his say. 
From the autumn of 1888 to that of 1891 is only three years, yet 
with these in his own journal he thinks it correct to say, “ No one in 
Europe, at any rate, has ever seen or heard of pure Carniolans being 
yellow." He had forgotten a very important matter that was in 
his knowledge only three years ago, and which he could have found 
on reference to the indexes. I fail to see how any persons can 
place any reliance on what he has said as indicated, or expect to 
be regarded, if they do, as other than “ birds of a feather,” see 
editorial in “ B. B. J.,” for February llth, 1892, page 54, in which 
they say under this head, “ The company men keep shows what 
men are.” Verhum sap.—A Hallamshire Bee-keerer. 
®5j'®A 11 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 
cnavoidably. 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- 
Vines Bleedings (i>. I ).').—Take a hot iron and scorch the points of 
the canes, then daub them with red or white lead as soon as it is 
done. Some persons have found powdered alum useful. A little oozing 
will do no harm, but a free flowing will weaken the Vines. As soon as 
the leaves develop they will take up all the sap.' 
Pit for Growing- Primulas, Carnations, &e. (./. A').—Pits are 
better than houses for the growth of dwarf plants, because they are low 
and the plants nearer the glass ; but most so-called pits are really 
houses partly sunk in the ground, and have no side lights, merely a glass 
roof, with a pathway up the centre, and a bed on each side covered with 
a good coating of ashes, on which the pots are stood, the necessary heat 
being furnished by hot-water pipes placed at the sides. If these are the 
pits to which you allude well and good, but if you mean a lean-to and 
no pathway inside then there is no comparison between the two, for the 
plants cannot have their requirements attended to in severe weather, 
which is a great drawback. 
Kalslngr Crab and Paradise Stocks from Cnttlngs (^Ideni). 
—This is a very undesirable and unnecessary mode of propagation, as 
Crab stocks are easily raised from pips or seeds, and Paradise stocks are 
had in half the time and much better by layering than from cuttings, 
which do not strike very freely without a heel. They will root in the 
open ground, but will do so more certainly under a handlight. 
Stocks for Budding- by a Given Time (^Idem ').—Well rooted 
fruit tree stocks planted in the coming autumn will be available for 
budding in the July following, and it is not wise to wait until the 
spring after that for grafting them, as by budding in July the stocks 
unsuccessfully budded can be grafted the spring following, thus making 
success doubly sure, and, if a novice, gaining experience. With respect 
to the address of the paper, where, of course, editorial communications 
should be sent, you will find it printed at the foot of the back page in 
every issue. 
Se-wage for Potatoes QBoubtful') —You may safely give the well 
drained ground, previously to digging, a heavy soaking with the con¬ 
tents of your cesspool; and if the plants during their early growth, 
seem weakly, pour another good soaking between the rows, and repeat 
it after a fortnight if apparently needed. In a poor soil we should 
prefer this treatment to a heavy applicat’on of stable manure. If your 
fruit trees are vigorous they need no liquid or any other manure. 
Iiillum lanclfollum rubrum Culture (W. JI .').—A 6 or 7-inch 
pot will do for a strong bulb of this Lilium. Drain the pot well, 
and on that place some rough peat and loam, filling the pot about half 
full. On this set the bulbs, and just cover all except the point, and 
then set the pots on the floor under your stage, and give little water 
until the stem begins to move ; then bring them into the light, and 
earth up as the stem gro-w's. After the end of May a sheltered place 
out of doors will suit them as well as the greenhouse or cold pit. When, 
growing freely they require plenty of water. 
Protective Material for Cold Frames (^Subscriber'). — The 
cheapest and best coverings for excluding frcst from cold frames during 
winter are heavy St. Petersburg mats, with an extra covering of dry 
straw in very severe weather. Straw alone is effectual, but entails 
much labour in putting on and taking off, besides causing considerable 
litter, as to be objectionable; and straw or reed mats, though very service¬ 
able and not costly when home made, require care in using and keeping 
dry. Frigidomo is ccstly, and dry hair felts are very little use after they 
become wet, therefore we prefer the old fashiomd mats, and these, 
if properly taken care of are economical in the end as compared with 
strawy material unless the latter costs nothing. 
Ptaillyrea Flowers and Cedar of Itebanon Coning: (J.N. 8. C.). 
—The Phillyreas do not flower in many parts of this country because 
the climate is too cold, but in favourable positions, where the wood 
becomes well ripened, they flower freely enough. The non-flowering is 
probably due to the unripeness of the wood more than to the age of the 
shrub, grafted ones being, as a rule, the most free. Cedrus Lihani 
produces cones freely in many instances, whilst other trees of the same 
age do not produce any, though only growing a few yards apart. The 
cones being produced on the upper side of the branches often escape 
observation. It is not until the trees become aged that they bear cones, 
and these rarely contain fertile seeds. 
Pruning- Pyramid Apple Trees (J, Mills). —The trees should 
not be cut-in quite so closely as last season ; close pruning in winter 
invariably produces an abundance of unfruitful young shoots. Were 
you to shorten the branches closely again you would aggravate the evil 
you wish to avoid. Prune the trees at once into the pyramid form. On 
some of them the young w-ood will be more thickly placed than it is on 
others ; the shoots nearest the base of these should be cut back to two- 
thirds of their length, gradually cutting-in closer as you near the apex 
of the tree so as to insure the desired shape. The trees that have fewer 
branches should be cut rather more closely. We also advise you to 
practise summer pruning, which is the best method of inducing 
fruitfulness. 
Size of Pots at Flower Shows (Tlon. Sec .),—There is no settled 
rule among horticultural societies as to the size of pets in which plants 
shall be exhibited. It w. uld generally militate at first against the 
success of an exhibition if the s'ze of pots all over w ere to be individually 
of so many inches in diameter ; but if the s'ze of pots were restricted to- 
8 inches in the case of s:me plants, as Cinerarias, Calceolai ias. Pelar¬ 
goniums, &c., it would be a better test of the relative skill of the 
exhibitors, and also render it easier for the judges to decide as to the 
merits. We recollect being a little in doubt as to Cinerarias in 7-incb 
pots, and great bushes in 14-inch pots, but on moving the moss garnish¬ 
ing we found three plants in the large pots, so that the exhibitor showed 
eighteen instead of six plants. In a small country flower show it would 
not be wise to restrict too much, but the majority of the memlers must 
decide. 
