Mi.rjh 12, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
215 
would also do good service if devoted later on to Vegetable Marrows, 
two or three seeds being sown early in May where the plants are to 
grow. 
Various. —Advantage ought to have been taken of the dry weather 
and free working state of the ground to get most of the late Potatoes 
planted, deferring planting the second early and successional crops till 
April. If not already done Ashleafs or some other extra early varieties 
may be planted on a warm border, or where they can be temporarily 
protected whenever necessary. These will give early if light crops. 
Horn Carrots and Radishes may also be sown on a warm border, the soil 
of which is in good working order, but it is not advisable to sow either 
extensively for another month. It is yet much too early to sow 
Broccoli, Cauliflower, Borecole, Brussels Sprouts, Chou de Burghley, 
and Savoys in the open. Only Broccoli (Veitch’s Autumn Protecting), 
Cauliflowers in variety, including the invaluable Autumn Giant, and 
Brussels Sprouts are wanted thus early, and the requisite number of 
plants of these should be raised in gentle heat. Sow the seed thinly in 
pans or boxes, or in beds of fine soil ; give plenty of air before the 
plants become drawn, and prick out when of good size. If extra early 
Celery is needed the plants of a good white variety ought now to be 
coming up, or even be fairly well advanced in growth. Keep them in 
gentle heat till they are large enough to prick out and sow more seed, 
a pink variety being added this time, in pans or boxes, and place in 
hea*-. Thick sowing is a mistake in any case. Most of the seed will 
germinate in heat, and when all the plants are crowded none develops 
properly. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Chrysnnthc7nifm.<t. —Place the plants directly they are rooted into 
3-inch pots, and arrange them for a few days where they can be kept 
close and shaded until they commence forming roots afresh, when they 
should be gradually hardened and placed in a cool structure where they 
will be safe from frost. All, or the majority of those required for the 
produetion of large blooms, may be allowed to grow on without 
pinching, but stop those required for bushes as soon as they are 
established in their pots. Cuttings may still be inserted, and large 
blooms may be had from plants rooted after this date. 
Itliodantlies. — Fill 5-inch pot.s with any moderately light rich 
compost. Old Cucumber and Melon soil in which a little leaf soil has 
been mixed will do very well—one good crock 'at the base only is 
needed. Sow the seeds evenly on the surface and cover with about a 
quarter of an inch of soil. Place the pots in a temperature of 55° until 
the seeds have germinated, then gradually harden and expose them to 
cooler and more airy conditions. The object is to insure sturdy growth. 
When large enough thin the seedlings to about half an inch apart, 
leave plenty round the rim of the pots. When once the plants com¬ 
mence growing freely place five stakes 9 or 10 inches in length round 
the sides of the pots, and place round them two or three threads of 
matting as they grow. 
Statiee S^iiooroioi. —Sow seed on the surface of fine soil and cover 
lightly, water gently, and place the pot or pan in heat until the seeds 
germinate. When the plants are large enough prick them out into 
other pans or boxes until they are ready for small pots, when they may 
be placed into them singly. After the seedlings are transplanted into 
boxes place them in an intermediate temperature and gradually harden 
them to cool treatment by the time they are ready for small pots. Be 
careful not to allow them to become root-bound before they are placed 
into 4-inch pots, which is large enough to flower them in. When well 
grown in pots this Statiee is useful for conservatory decoration. 
Sowing Seeds. —If not already done sow seeds of Primulas, Gloxinias, 
Begonias, Balsams, Cockscombs, Celosias, Nicotiana afiinis. Acacia 
lophantha, Grevillea robusta, Cyperus distans, and Cineraria. Small 
seeds, such as Gloxinias and Begonias, should be sown on the surface 
and then gently watered, the majority of the others being only just 
covered. Place the pots or pans in heat, cover with a square of glass, 
and shade with paper from the sun until germination takes place, when 
they should be gradually exposed to light. Be careful the soil does not 
become dry until the seed has germinated, and not afterwards, or 
the seedlings will soon die. 
Cytisus racemosus. —T’oung plants that were rooted in autumn may 
be placed singly into 2-inch pots and assigned an intermediate tempera¬ 
ture. As soon as they commence growing and rooting take out the 
point of the shoot to induce them to branch, when bushy little plants 
will soon be produced. Directly the plants are ready they should be 
placed into 5-inch pots in a compost of good loam, one-seventh of 
manure, and sand. Cuttings of young wood taken off with a heel may 
be inserted in sandy soil, watered, and covered with bellglasses. If 
placed in heat and shaded from the sun they will root freely and soon 
be ready for potting singly. 
Coronilla glanca. — Cuttings that were inserted in autumn and 
covered with bellglasses and the pots plunged in cold frames will now 
be rooted. These should be placed singly into 2-inch pots, using the 
compost advised for Cytisus with the addition of a little leaf mould. 
Let the plants after potting have a temperature of 45° to 50°. If kept 
too close and warm they are liable to be attacked by red spider. The 
tops of the plants must be removed frequently to induce them to make 
bushy little specimens. Repot the plants as they need it, and after they 
are well established in their first pots grow them on in cold frames 
until June, when they may be stood in a sheltered position outside. It 
is necessary to syringe them freely during warm bright weather, and 
never allow them to become dry at their roots. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
I HAVE read with much interest the notes of “ A Sussex 
Amateur,” and like him I have been wondering whether “ A Hal- 
lamshire Bee-keeper ” has been hybernating. If so, I hope he will 
be fully refreshed, and be able to give us something seasonable. 
I am sure his Punic bees are up and about long ago, and his 
enthusiasm aroused at seeing them at work, as they are doing so 
with me, and I look upon them as the “ busiest ” bee yet 
introduced. 
As to the price of honey, I believe that Is. per lb. would 
satisfy most bee-keepers, but the last autumn I sold for a friend a 
large quantity fine Heather honeycomb at 2s. Gd. per lb., and this 
came from a district where a writer said there was a lower yield of 
honey than with him in the south of Scotland ; with his hundred 
hives he actually took less from them than many did in the north 
from half a dozen hives. 
The main question at issue is not the prices obtained for honey,, 
but how to maintain a fair price, and if possible raise its value. 
The first steps to be taken are to make the million to know the 
proper value of honey, and to give them the assurance that the 
honey is neither “ strained through zinc,” nor “ pressed with the 
hands.” The cleanly manipulation of honey is the most impor¬ 
tant matter to create markets for honey, it is the best thing and 
means to employ to bring consumer and producer together. The 
idea of pressing honeycomb with the hands and passing it through 
metal must be abandoned if bees are to pay. Bee-keepers must 
take the matter more into their own hands than they have done 
heretofore. When the Caledonian Apiarian Society was formed 
this was one of the main objects aimed at by its promoters, but 
the management ultimately fell into the hands of dealers, and the 
rules were ignored, many privileges of the cottar were forfeited,, 
most of the funds were led into particular channels, and exhibits were- 
unsafe when entrusted to the care of the Society. The extent to 
which this went on may be judged by the conduct of one or more 
of the Directors at the Dumfries Show of 188G. The first prize 
for sections was awarded to the Rev. Frank Taylor of Longtown,. 
Cumberland, but was transferred to those of one of the Directors ;; 
and twelve jars of honey belonging to Mr. J. Smith, Dumfries,, 
were exchanged, and in the end stolen. As Judge I was called 
back to repair this act ot unfaithfulness, and put a private mark 
upon the jars, which I again judged at another show. The same 
day I received from the rightful owner a letter stating the fact as- 
above. Had steps been taken to put the “ saddle upon the right 
horse” immediately thereafter, it would have prevented the 
collapse of what promised to be the most useful Society of the 
kind in Great Britain, because it had at its back gentlemen of 
means, honour, and experience of bee-husbandry, and had at heart 
the good of the cottager bee-keeper. 
Another item is to the effect that few from the south write 
upon bee matters to this Journal. I also deplore the backwardness- 
of bee-keepers in this respect, because it is not for want of interest 
in bee-keeping nor in the unwillingness to write that articles do 
not appear from their pen, preferring, as many of them do, to 
' write to me direct, and their epistles are often more lengthy than 
the Editor could find space for, and replies of interest I embody 
in my weekly articles. Not a week passes but several communica¬ 
tions of the kind reach me, the latest being from a Yorkshire bee¬ 
keeper and gardener, being but one of many in that county who- 
keep bees. He says :—“ I am now out of love with the standard 
hive, and many others share the same experience.” Unfortunately, 
he has had a difficulty with Carniolians. Trusting to dealers in 
these he has had, as a beginning, “ a drone breeder, and latterly 
crosses instead of pure-breeding queens. Some of the bees are 
