96 
JOURXiL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 29,189T. 
flying before others is entirely due to the crown covering, the 
former being in a great measure covered with impermeable or 
waterproof material. The merest tyro cannot fail to observe that 
when hives are covered closely on the top with waterproof material 
it renders them damp within, causing the bees to be restless and 
likely to air themselves in too low a temperature, and when the 
ground is cold and wet. The conditions that tend to keep bees 
quiet are those that the bee-keeper should study to provide. Had 
January 13th, the day on which our neighbour’s bees flew, been 
windy instead of being calm as it was many would have been 
lost. In all my experience I never witnessed bees in better order, 
and never had fewer deaths. Some hives have not as yet shown 
a single dead bee, while in the worst they do not exceed seventy. 
Breeding. 
This may not have started quite so early or rather so late in 
December as is often the case, but I have no doubt but all are at 
it now, and as all are allowed to keep the pollen gathered in the 
autumn, which was plentiful, the best and proper place for it, the 
bees will not be compelled to fly out in untoward weather, and I 
will take care none goes back for want of food, and no bee-keeper 
should neglect this important matter if he is anxious for surplus 
honey. Bees should never have less in store during the spring and 
early summer months than 10 lbs. I shall not attempt feeding 
the bees until the mean temperature is about 40°, but whenever 
they have had a thorough airing and the temperature is light I 
shall begin it. All stocks that were builc up from nuclei late in 
the year having no pollen and fed entirely on sugar are in the best 
of health, sufficient to convince the greatest sceptic that bees do 
not require pollen during winter or except for breeding purposes. 
Future Prospects. 
Should the remaining part of winter and the spring prove 
favourable to bees they will be in splendid condition for gathering 
surplus honey early in the summer, and we all wish for a fine one. 
Hellebore or Christmas Roses are in bloom, but Snowdrops, 
Aconites, and Crocuses will be a month later this year. Wall¬ 
flowers, with the absence of snow, are entirely destroyed, but for 
the same cause Arabis is unharmed, and will soon be in flower. 
The later these bloom the more the bees will obtain from them. 
Artificial Suitlie.s. 
Bees always thrive best when no artificial work is performed 
or artificial supplies given, but there are places where neither 
water nor flowers are within a reasonable distance. In su6h 
eases provide both water and peameal in a sunny, sheltered 
nook near the apiary. For water I have used a large stone¬ 
ware jar ; the mouth is closed with a rim of wood, with a 
leather valve in the centre. This arrangement allows the jar 
to be easily filled, and inverted over a grooved board, which 
stands in a shallow tray filled with sawdust, and the peameal in a 
large pipe lying flat, having one end closed to prevent drought, 
while the other is open and faces the south, or in a zinc drum 
that revolves with the wind. Those are fortunate who do not 
require either of these devices, while those who do not need to 
feed bees now, with a protracted season before them, will be 
rewarded with the highest yield of honey. In some cases 
artificial work is good, but where it is not required is better. 
Cleaning Floors. 
Where ventilating floors are not in use floor boards should be 
Cleaned and thoroughly dried before returning, but it is better to 
have in readiness a clean dry one to take the place of the one 
removed, and all the better a hive as well. If ventilating floors 
are employed and the hives otherwise well protected, nothing 
will be necessary to be performed ; but remember no manipulation 
should be performed until after the bees have well aired themselves, 
and upon a fine day. —A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
J. E. Barnes, 9, Exchange Street, Norwich.— Catalogue of Vegetable 
and Flower Seeds. 
William Bull, 53(5, King’s B,oad, Chelsea.— Catalogue of Select Flower 
and Vegetable Seeds. 
Kelway & Son, Langport, Somerset.— Manual of Uortiexdture and 
Agricxdture. 
.John Smith, Stratford-on-Avon.— Illustrated List of Labels. 
.John R. Box, Croydon.— List of Tuberous Begonias. 
H. Cannell k. Sons, Swanley, Illustrated Floral Guide and 
General Catalogue. 
George Cooling & Sons, 11, Northgate Street, Bath.— Spring Cata¬ 
logue, 1891. 
B. S. Williams & Son, Victoria and Paradise Nurseries, Upper Hollo¬ 
way.— of Flower and Vegetable Seeds. 
Frederick Adolphe Haage, j an., Erfurt.— Catalogue of Plants and 
Seeds. 
•,* All 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 communica¬ 
tions. 
Fumigatlngr (71 f?.!.—Your letter affords good evidence of the 
value of the material. It is in fact a distinct and admirable advertise¬ 
ment, and can only be inserted as such by arrangement with the 
publisher on a trade basis. 
Amorphoptaallus campanulatus (TU. E. G., J. T. S., II., and 
J. J/.).—The information required is given on page 85. A. campanu¬ 
latus and A. Titanum are distinct species, the latter being that which 
flowered at Kew in 1889. 
Conifer Hedg'e QG. II.'). —We know of no more suitable Conifer 
for forming an attractive hedge or screen than Thuia gigantea, which 
is often sold as T. Lobbi. It grows quickly, forms a close yet elegant 
screen, and retains its brightness during severe weather. We prefer it 
to the other species you name. 
Fruit Culture Under Glass (71 TU. S.'). —We know of no better 
work on this subject than Mr. David Thomson’s, published by Messrs. 
Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh and London. It contains a few illustra¬ 
tions of structures and trees, but not instructions for building. Mr. 
Rivers, Sawbridgewortb, gives plain instructions for erecting cheap 
structures. You should have both these works. 
Giaftingr Roses Under Glass (^S. S.'). —What we mean by being 
“in the same state of growth” is that the sap should have commenced 
flowing in the stock as well as in the wood that forms the scions which 
are taken from the previous season’s wood. Dormant stocks are not 
advised, even when dormant wood is used for scions. On the contrary, 
the stock should be slightly in advance of the scion. It is a general 
custom to place the stocks in a house for a time, until root action begins, 
and the sap rises before they are grafted with dormant scions or what 
are so termed. 
ILeaves Unhealthy (TU. 77.).—Either the soil in the pots has 
become soured and unwholesome, possibly through bad drainage, or 
the plants have been subjected to a low temperature. We have seen 
several instances this season where Palms and other plants have suffered 
in a similar way, chiefly due to sudden lowering of the temperature on 
severe nights. Near large towns the fogs have done much damage to 
foliage plants. Palms, Draemnas, and Crotons having all suffered, but 
that is not likely to be the cause in your case. Repot the plants at the 
earliest opportunity in fresh soil with good drainage, and encourage 
growth with a good temperature. They may grow out of the injury, but 
the worse leaves will have to be removed. 
Removing Raspberries (A. 8. 72.).—No doubt a much better 
summer growth will follow from cutting down all the stems of the Rasp¬ 
berry stools you intend taking up and replanting, but you would have 
no fruit for a season. Moreover, old stools do not by any means always 
transplant well, as they vary in condition. If you wish for fiuit next 
season it might be worth your while to choose and plant the most 
suitable well-rooted canes for forming a young plantation, cutting 
these down as shown in the way you mention, while those attached to 
the stools might be cut back to about half their length for bearing some 
