February 19,1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
155 
avoiding cold currents of air. When the air is sharp some hexagon 
netting or scrim canvas placed over the ventilators will break the 
force of cutting winds. Maintain a night temperature of 6.5° to 70°, 
falling to 65° or 60° in the morning, 5° less in severe weather being 
better than seeking to maintain the higher temperature^by sharp firing, 
75° by day, rising to 80° or 85° from sun heat : bottom heat kept steady 
at 80°. 
Melons in Pits and Frames. —Plants with the growths trained over 
the surface of the beds being stopped at the seeond leaf will produce 
two or more shoots, but two are ample, rubbing oil the others. Stop 
the two at two joints of growth, this will give four shoots, take two 
to the front and two to the back of the frame or pit. Besides these 
other shoots may appear near the collar ; rub them off whilst quite 
young, and do not encourage any laterals nearer the stem than 6 inches. 
This will keep the collar clear. Stop the principal shoots when within 
a foot of the sides of the pit or frame, and thus throw vigour into the 
laterals, which will show fruit at the second or third joint, stopping 
them at one joint beyond the fruit. Cover the lights with double mats 
at night, and see that the linings are regularly attended to, renewing 
the old linings as required. Prepare material for making up fresh beds. 
About a fortnight before it is desired to make up the bed the dung and 
leaves should be thoroughly incorporated. In a few days it will be 
seen whether there is sufficient moisture to produce decomposition, 
fermentation being the result; if not turn the whole, sprinkling with 
water so as to moisten the mass, and when in good heat turn again, out¬ 
side to inside, and vice versa, two or three turnings being required at 
intervals of about four days. The bottom heat of fermenting beds 
should be 85° to 90°. 
Steawberries IN' Pots. —The fruit being fairly set remove all 
badly set or deformed fruits, leaving from four to half a dozen of the 
most promising fruits to each plant, and aid their swelling by liquid 
manure. The temperature should be 60° to 65°, advancing to 75° by 
day with moderate ventilation. Avoid drying currents of air, as they 
injuriously affect the swelling of the fruit. Examine the plants twice 
each day, giving water only to those needing it and in sufficient quantity 
to show at the drainage. See that succession plants are kept free 
from aphides, fumigating if necessary before the flowers open. British 
Queen and other late sorts may now be started, introducing, how¬ 
ever, proportionate quantities of Sir Joseph Paxton to maintain the 
succession. 
THE FLOWER GARDEH. 
Jlerbaceons Borders. —It is yet too soon to state with any certainty 
whether or not there are many losses to lament, but to all appearances 
the bulk of the plants are alive. Already many of them are moving, 
and if any alterations in the arrangement are contemplated or fresh 
borders are to be planted this ought soon to be proceeded with. In 
numerous instances much good would be done if the whole of the 
plants and roots in borders that have been planted many years were 
lifted, the ground freely manured, deeply dug or trenched, and replanted. 
Dividing the strong clumps of the more vigorous kinds, even if many 
of the divisions are thrown away, is almost imperative. Left un¬ 
disturbed for many years Phloxes, Pyrethrums, Heleniums, Sunflowers, 
Asters, Delphiniums, and such like push up a crowd of weakly growths, 
which do not flower satisfactorily or long retain their beauty. Divided 
and replanted all alike grow and flower more strongly, and do not so 
quickly succumb to drought as do those not replanted every three or 
four years. The least that can be done is to reduce the size of the 
clumps, and to lightly fork in a surface dressing of decayed manure or 
the best substitute for the same procurable. This must be deferred till 
it is seen where the bulbs are established, but the lifting and replanting 
may, if the weather is favourable, be proceeded with at once. 
Bulbous-rooted Plants. —This is perhaps the best time for dividing 
large patches of Narcissi, Daffodils, Snowdrops, Crocuses, and Tulips, as 
well as the choicer kinds of bulbs. All will be rooting strongly and be 
making top growth. If carefully divided and replanted this will not 
prevent them from flowering strongly this season, while the majority 
are more likely to flower well next year if moved now than they would 
be if transplanted when in a dried off or dormant state. The commoner 
Narcissi, including the Pheasant’s Eye, and Daffodils largely grown to 
afford cut flowers, succeed well in cool fruit borders, and a portion of 
the stock being planted in these positions these will give a good succes¬ 
sion to those grown in warmer parts of the garden. Now is a good time 
to plant out Anemone and Ranunculus roots. They thrive best in a 
moderately rich very freely worked soil, being covered with a little 
sandy compost. Plant them 2 inches deep, and about 5 inches apart 
each way, or thinly in patches. Mulch with leaf soil or fine manure, 
and hand-weed whenever necessary. 
FOUL BROOD. 
The Canadians some time since passed an Act for the 
suppression of foul brood. An inspector was appointed, and 
the method of cure adopted was the one known as the “purga¬ 
torial ” process, which was first given in this Journal about 
thirty years ago ; I say first because, although methods similar 
had been employed a century previous, none described the method 
in the same terms. 
If your readers who have the back numbers of this Journal 
in which the foul brood controversy was carried on about thirty 
years ago they will find an article by me stating that the queem 
transmitted the disease. They will also find Mr. Woodbury’s 
reply to the effect, how was it he had cured so many cases of 
foul brood by the “ purgatorial ” process if the queen had any¬ 
thing to do with the introduction of the disease ? Then as to its 
introduction, I am in receipt of a copy of a letter from Mr. Wood¬ 
bury stating that foul brood was introduced into his apiary by 
feeding his bees with foreign honey, and during the Sikh war in 
Africa, when markets were high and wages small, cottagers here^ 
in order to economise their small pittance, preferred buying 
foreign honey at 6d. per lb. to sugar at 8d. to feed their bees 
with, and in every case foul brood was generated. I have proof of 
numerous other cases; besides, I have cured scores of cases by the- 
same method, and have been the means of clearing whole apiaries- 
of the plague by the “ purgatorial ” process, the latest one being, 
an apiary of nearly a hundred affected hives, after destruction had 
been advised and formic acid tried. 
It will be observed that although I pointed out that queens- 
carried the disease, and tried carbolic and other acids to effect a 
cure at so early a date, it is another person of a much later dat& 
that gets the credit. It does not surprise me in the least why one 
succeeds in effecting a cure while others fail, but it does surprise 
me to see people advocating what only one or two have been able 
to accomplish. In my numerous experiments I have never suc¬ 
ceeded in destroying the germs of foul brood with phenol or 
carbolic acid, and I have reproduced the disease after I had the 
infection submitted to boiling heat and to a zero cold, which had’ 
lain latent for many years, and was engaged with some interesting 
experiments of that sort at the time of the fever epidemic in 
Glasgow when so many students died, and when there was so much 
discussion between medical men as to the possibility of the disease¬ 
being carried by milk or by germs. I took to Glasgow two samples 
of milk, one infected, the other not. I reproduced from the above- 
latent germs with the intention of taking it to a public meeting of 
sanitarians of high authority, but took it first to an eminent medical 
authority, who requested me rather to give him the samples, as I 
should frighten some of the meeting did I go amongst them. In a 
few days thereafter a sanitary journal had the facts, and declared 
there was now no further use for opposing them, as they, the 
germs, had been actually grown like a plant, which ended the con¬ 
troversy. The record of my milk experiment will be found in 
this Journal about 18G2. 
I only mention the above facts to show that I know something 
about bees and their diseases, and I v/ill yield to none in what I 
know to be right. I am perfectly cognisant of the causes that 
might be the means of a queen transmitting foul brood ; but I 
deny that a queen may be so diseased as to convey the infection 
more than a few weeks. If the germs of foul brood are introduced 
to the ovary of a queen and her not laying she would soon be ren¬ 
dered useless. Nevertheless, a queen may carry the infection for 
months upon her exterior. 
Honey may, in a sense, contain no germs ; but there is a fact 
that some attention might be paid to with profit. It may, and L 
believe it often, undergoes a change ; that although harmless in. 
itself, or an antiseptic if you choose, when mixed with pollen it 
becomes the best nidus for the germs of foul brood. If honey is 
not a means of direct infection, how is it that medicated food is 
so often advised ? I have fed bees over and over again with syrup 
and honey perceptibly fiavoured with carbolic acid, yet that honey 
or syrup stored had lost it all. 
The reason that larvae die from foul brood and not adult bees 
is the simple fact that larvae food is a compound substance suitable 
