424 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 2, 1892. 
stood, but the variation of the time advocated no practical men 
can possibly understand. At one time February, when the 
temperature was at 50°, was said to be just right, then it was urged 
that it should not be begun till March, then April. The latest, 
however, is April for the south and the end of June for us who 
are in the far north. Such peculiar teaching may be stimulating 
for young bee-keepers, but experienced men pass it with a smile. 
There are obviously times that feeding must be resorted to or the 
bees would die, and cases where they should not be fed more than 
is requisite to keep them alive. But in all cases it is better if 
hives were so conditioned that feeding would be unnecessary. 
Unfed Bees. 
The stocks alluded to above as having swarmed were never fed 
in our own apiary, and of all others I have seen, the most advanced 
stocks are those which have not been fed. Yet, acccording to 
stimulating savants, if there were no pin-hole feeders there would 
be no honey. There seems to be great virtue in having a class in 
show schedules “ for the best slow stimulative feeder,” but I have 
yet to find an use for it in the apiary. 
If early, strong, and profitable swarms are wanted have good 
sized hives well stocked with bees, honey, and pollen in September. 
By that means, with what the bees can gather in spring, feeding 
will be nnnecessary, and the lives of thousands of bees are 
spared to carry on the internal economy of the hive during weather 
when no bees but stimulated ones will leave it, and those never to 
return. 
If the foregoing does not fully impress the beginner that 
stimulating bees is a mistake, then let him put the matter to a 
practical test, and according to his finding, resolve to work out 
that system with least risk and labour which proves the most 
remunerative. 
Strong Hives. 
These mean hives containing a numerous population, such as 
we aim at when two queens are kept* for the ultimate benefit of 
one hive. Here, again, the beginner may be put to his wit’s 
end by having read something condemning prolific queens, and 
extolling the great advantage of having strong hives by working 
them with two queens. Whenever conflicting statements or 
opinions arise it is best to rely on methods proved to be 
sound. 
In all my experience the more fertile the queens the stronger 
the hives, consequently the more honey and greater profit. In 
scarce seasons the strong hives sometimes fare the worst, but it 
would be foolish to work puny hives anticipating bad seasons.— 
A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
Queen Laying Two Eggs in One Cell. 
In a stock of bees I discovered on the 21st. inst. that the queen 
had laid two eggs in many of the cells in two of the bars. As the 
matter seemed very strange to me I have again examined them 
to-day (May 23rd) and find that both the eggs in some of the cells 
in question are passing into the larva state. Can any of your 
correspondents tell me the cause or what will be the result ? 
Nothing but loss I fear. There were plenty of empty cells in other 
bars in the hive, and by re-arranging them I find the queen has 
made use of them by filling them with eggs within the last two 
days. The two bars which contained the cells with two eggs in 
were situate near the centre of the hive.—R. M. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Mr. W. Bull, 536, King’s Road, Chelsea, London, S.W.— JVeiv, Rare, 
and Beautiful Plants and Orchids, 
Messrs. Corry & Co., Limited.— Sundries and Tobacco Preparations 
(wholesale.') 
Messrs. Cunningham & Wyllie, 6, West Nile Street, Glasgow,— Plants 
and Bulbs, 
•**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 questiois 
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. 
Grapes Falling: (Outsider). —Your letter arrived one post too late 
to be satisfactorily answered this week, and we can only thank you for 
the full and clear statement of the case, which shall have careful 
attention. 
Books (Clericus). —We do not know of “ a small book that could 
be carried in the pocket in which the meanings in English of Latin and 
Greek names are given,” but we publish your want in case any of our 
readers can help you in the matter. (S. Jf.). —Dr. Fream’s book on 
“ Soils ” published by Bell & Sons, may suit you. It is not expensive, 
the price, we think, being 23. 6d., but we cannot at the moment lay our 
hands on the advertisement. 
IVIarechal TTlel Rose (Novice). —Your Rose tree may have failed 
to grow as desired through defective root action or insufficient support. 
With the roots working freely in good soil the finest of growths follow 
the cutting down system under the conditions described in our reply to 
“Inquirer” last week. You do not say whether the plant is in a pot or 
planted out, or whether it is weak or the reverse in growth. We may 
say, however, that close pruning after fiowering at this season of the 
year has the effect of causing stronger shoots to issue, and if these are 
trained thinly, not crushed together in a mass, also kept clean, they 
afford blooms plentifully another season. 
Destroying: the White Tomato Fly (C. T. H.). —Some time 
ago Mr. W. Iggulden seated in these columns that he had found the 
fumes from sulphur on hot-water pipes cleaned his plants of Aleyrodes, 
and if you turn to the Journal of April 21st of the present year you will 
find on page 290 a communication from Mr. Allis in which he states the 
remedy acted almost like magic, and the attacks of the fly were so 
persistent that he contemplated discontinuing the growth of certain 
plants, whereas now it is a rarity to find one of the insects in the house. 
We have not observed the “ number of days the eggs take to hatch.” 
Perhaps Messrs. Iggulden and Allis may have done so. However, if you 
follow their example in banishing the insects the period of incubation 
will not be of much consequence. 
Heuctaera sangulnea (J. F. C.). —Unfortunately your experience 
is a common one. This beautiful plant seems to grow well almost 
everywhere, but in few gardens does it flower so freely as to justify 
its reputation. This may be partly due to its having been largely 
raised from seed, and thus many less floriferous plants would be dis¬ 
tributed. That this is not accountable for every instance our own 
experience is, however, sufficient evidence. Our stock came from a 
garden where it never flowered well, but in the few years we have 
grown it our plants have bloomed satisfactorily, and at present we have 
it throwing up a considerable number of strong flower stems on the 
lower terrace of a rockery facing almost due south. We have it in very 
gritty, slightly calcareous, sandy loam, and a frequent supply of water 
is given. The best flowered plants of Heuchera sanguinea we have seen 
were growing in full sun in the borders of a garden on a granite subsoil 
and full of granite grit, dry on the surface but moist underneath. We 
can only recommend the addition of a considerable quantity of gritty 
matter, and, if not already given, a full supply of moisture in spring 
and summer. We should be glad to hear if this treatment has a 
beneficial effect in your case. 
Warts on Vine Xicaves (A. A.). —The small excrescences on the 
leaves unquestionably cause functional derangement. Mr. A. F. Barron 
in his work. Vines and Vine Culture, says “ the granulation is caused 
by an extravasation of sap—the outcome of a fit of ill-health on the 
part of the Vine ; and the affection may be caused by a too close warm 
atmosphere saturated with moisture. A Vine badly affected is long in 
recovering.” Mr. William Thomson in his work, the Grape Vine, 
says :—“ I can undertake to produce or prevent this disease—shall I call 
it ?—at any time betwixt the first expansion of the foliage and the 
stoning of the fruit. A close, warm atmosphere, saturated with 
moisture, will produce it ; whereas a free circulation of air, moderately 
