461 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 16, 1892. 
Swarming. 
I prefer natural swarming. Artificial swarms, when swarmed 
deftly, are as good as any, and it is better to practise artificial 
swarming than lose bees. Use no swarming devices ; they are not 
satisfactory, and they hinder the bees, and cause more trouble and 
unnecessary expense than paying a watcher or hiving artificially. 
Several Eggs in one Cell. 
“ R. M.” wishes information on the above question ; but with¬ 
out knowing the history of the queen I cannot explain. Fertile 
workers sometimes lay several eggs in one cell, as queens also do. 
The latter also lay their eggs in a uniform and compact manner. 
The former do not ; they deposit them indiscriminately, anywhere 
in and on the cells. The queen in question may be one of this 
year’s breeding, and more prolific than the consequent dwindled 
bees can care for ; or she may be a confirmed drone breeder. I 
have had fertile queens completely fill many cells with eggs where 
there was a paucity of bees. This occurs only, however, when the 
queen had not long entered on her maternal duties, proving con¬ 
clusively the absurdity of the statement that queens are most 
prolific at from three to five months old. I shall be glad to hear 
the former history of the queen and her future doings, as well as 
to see an improvement in “ R. M.’s ” description. Surely the 
queen did not lay her eggs in the “bars?” The bees will nurse 
one larva only.—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill, London, S.E. —Taherous 
Begoniax; also Hardy Perennials, Al 2 )ines, and Florists' Flowers. 
•*®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 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 
Galls on Iilme Trees (<7. L. M.). — The small horn-like protuber¬ 
ances have been caused by a gall mite, a minute insect which punctures 
the leaves and deposits eggs in them, thus causing an elongation of the 
tissue, or nests, so to say, for the eggs and young progeny. 
Tomato Iieaves (H. A.).—Arriving as we are preparing for press, 
we can only say we do not perceive any fungoid intestation, though 
there is some injury to the tissue. We do not think it is the disease. 
We are obliged by your note, though it is too late for insertion. 
Employment (A. C, C .').—We fear there are many gardeners, like 
yourself, out of situations, and who experience difficulty in finding 
employment. If you fail, as you suggest, in applications to nursery¬ 
men, we can only advise you to consult all the advertisement 
columns within your reach ; also, if you think good, advertise your 
wants and experience, and at the same time ask all your friends to 
promptly advise you of any vacancies that may come to their knowledge. 
We regret our inability to name any particular places where gardeners 
would be likely to obtain employment. 
Caterpillar on Pansy {J. G., Worcester'). —The specimen for¬ 
warded is the caterpillar of Selenia illunaria, a pale brown moth, with 
the wings prettily dotted and angulated. It is presumed that the 
natural food of this caterpillar is the Willow, but it is often found in 
flower gardens, where it may occur upon a dozen or more different 
species of plants. There is, however, seldom any number of them to be 
seen, hence the species does comparatively little injury. The first annual 
brood of moths comes out early in April, these deposit eggs, producing 
the caterpillars to be found during May or June. These, having entered 
the chrysalis state in the earth, reappear as moths in July, and an 
autumn brood of caterpillars follows, which develop into the spring 
fiights of moths, so many as escape the perils of winter. 
A New Pyrus J'.).—As the matter you supply comes obviously 
and distinctly within the category of advertisements it can only be 
inserted on the usual terms, which may be obtained from the publisher. 
Soil for Seeds (A. T. 7/.).—Exact proportions of loam, leaf soil, 
and sand cannot be given without knowing the nature of the loam. 
Obviously sandy loam does not need half the quantity of sand added 
that is requisite in strong or clayey loam, and similar remarks apply 
with reference to leaf soil. As a rule rather strong loam may have an 
equal quantity of sifted leaf soil added, and about a tenth part of sand, 
or more if the loam is sandless. Curiously you omit to name the kinds 
of seeds that failed. Assuming seeds are good much more depends on 
the depth they are covered and uniformity of moisture than on any 
particular proportions of soil ingredients. 
Book on IVIarket Gardening—Plants under Peacb Trees— 
market Roses (7. M.). — Perhaps you will find Shaw’s “ Market 
Gardening” useful. It is, we think, published by Mr. Murray, and the 
prica can be obtained from a bookseller. You could grow Ferns under 
your Peach trees. Adiantum cuneatum pays well—that is, the fronds 
in a cut state. You do not say whether ymu want Tea or Hybrid 
Perpetual Koses. The following are good Tea and Noisette varieties ;— 
Marbchal Niel, William Allen Eichardson, Niphetos, The Bride, 
Catherine Mermet, Souvenir d’un Ami, Rubens, Innocente Pirola, 
Madame Falcot, Madame Lambard, Safrano, and Isabella Sprunt. 
The last two are very suitable for beds early in the season. Of Hybrid 
Perpetuals, General Jacqueminot is the favourite, and finds a ready 
sale if the blooms are good. It is better to grow one or two good 
varieties than a number of no special value for the purpose. 
Growing Cucumbers (Foticc ).—Information on every detail in 
Cucumber culture has been given from time to time in our “ Work for 
the Week” columns. Turfy loam, inclining to be heavy rather than 
light, chopped up roughly, and about a sixth part of sweet decayed 
manure mixed with it (not rank manure) will form a good rooting 
medium. If you can add a shovelful or two of crushed lime rubbish 
and wood ashes to a large barrowful of the compost do so. but they are 
not essential. A temperature of 65° at night, rising to 90° in the day 
with sun, also plenty of moisture in the air and the soil, will promote 
rapid growth. A dry atmosphere favours insects, and dry soil arrests- 
growth. Unless the male flowers are very numerous and the fruiting 
flowers sparse you need not trouble yourself about the former. Secure 
sound healthy growth, with the leaves fully exposed to the light, and 
good crops of Cucumbers will follow. You do not say whether you 
desire to grow them on trellises, in houses cr pits, or trained over the 
soil in frames or the open ground. 
Alnwick Seedling Grape not Setting (7. P).—This extremely 
handsome and good late keeping Grape is one of the worst setting 
varieties, the stamens of the flowers being deflexed, therefore the pollen 
is not distributed on the stigmas when the caps are thrown off. The 
Vine is remarkably^ free in habit, and has a good constitution ; but its 
flowers require to be carefully fertilised with the pollen of a free-setting 
variety, preferably Alicante, which has the property of always setting 
well, or that of any other variety may be used. It is easily effected, 
merely requiring to have the bunches brushed over carefully with a 
camel’s-hair brush when the caps of the flowers come off freely, and 
having some pollen collected from a free-setting kind, as it may readily 
be by holding a sheet of white paper beneath the bunches and rapping 
them sharply when the pollen is ripe on the footstalks, so as to liberate 
it. It does the bunches from which it is taken no harm, but gocd, and 
the brush, loaded with the pollen and drawn over the Alnwick Seedling 
bunches, will mostly cause them to set every berry ; but it must be 
observed that it can only impregnate such flowers as have the caps 
removed. Pursue this practice carefully, and you will be rewarded for 
your six years’ waiting by grand produce, as the Vines will have 
abundant stamina. 
Fig Growths Diseased—Preparing Fungicides (A. J. D.). — 
The leaves, points of the shoots, and young fruits are affected by a 
disease, which causes them to have the appearance of a severe infestation 
of red spider. There is no trace, however, of that pest, nor of any 
animal parasite. Indeed, the growths, except the affected parts, are 
perfectly clean and healthy, evincing good culture. But the diseased 
parts have become flat and flaccid, devoid of gloss, brown, leathery, and 
shrunken. The disease begins at the tips of the shoots, and descends from 
leaf to leaf until the whole become a dirty brown or black. The result 
is that all the vigour is gone, growth ceases for the season, and the 
vitality of the trees is greatly impaired. The affection is of fungoid, 
origin, and highly contagious, healthy trees easily becoming infested in. 
the same house with diseased, or when brought into contact v/ith any 
of the diseased tissues. Its place and name has not been definitely 
fixed by scientists. As to remedies little can be done after the disease 
once becomes established in a growth, but it may be prevented spreading 
by the removal and burning of all parts that show any signs of the 
disease. As a preventive it is recommended to dress the trees liable to 
its attacks, whilst dormant, with simple solution of copper sulphate,, 
1 lb. to 10 gallons of water, and to give at least three early sprayings 
with Bordeaux mixture, the first when the foliage is half grown and 
thereafter at intervals of fifteen to twenty-one days. Care must be 
taken to prepare the Bordeaux mixture with freshly burned lime, to 
employ equal proportions of lime and sulphate of copper, and to not use 
it at a higher strength than 2 per cent. ; that is, 2 lbs. of powdered 
sulphate of copper and 2 lbs. of lime to 10 gallons (100 lbs.) of water.. 
As you may like to try it on the diseased growths now we give particulars- 
of its preparation. Use clear water from a stream or pond. Place the. 
