May £1, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
417 
further than is necessary to reduce the balls to fit pots of serviceable 
sizes. Young stock that has been grown on may be planted out at once 
without disturbing the roots. If the weather continues dry give the 
plants a good soaking of water after they are planted out, and mulch 
the surface with manure or a mixture of leaves and manure that has 
been used for hotbeds. 
Eupatoriums. —Exhausted specimens may be cut back closely if 
larger plants are needed another season. When they have commenced 
growth partially reduce their roots and- repot them. Start them in 
frames until they are growing and rooting freely, when they can be 
hardened and planted outside or placed into larger pots and plunged in 
an open sunny position. Where plants are needed in G and 7-inch pots 
insert cuttings at once. They root quickly in handlights in a vinery or 
similar structure. Directly they are rooted pot singly and place the 
plants in a cool frame, and finally outside. 
Chrysanthemums. —Those that are being grown on the single-stem 
principle are becoming too tall for frames. Harden them and place 
them outside in a sheltered position. As they are placed out supply 
each plant with a stake, for strong winds and heavy rains may break 
them. If these plants have been in 6-inch pots for some time end are 
well rooted place them into their largest pots, but be careful not to 
overwater them. Those that were rooted later may still have the 
protection of frames, but give them abundance of air to prevent their 
drawing up weakly. The object to be aimed at is a firm sturdy growth. 
Gradually harden those that are still in small pots, so that they can be 
placed outside as they are potted. In potting be careful that the soil is 
in a suitable condition for moisture. If wet the plants seldom succeed 
satisfactorily afterwards. Water carefully and syringe freely. Remove 
the laterals from the axils of the leaves as they appear from those that 
are grown for the production of large blooms. Some of the earliest plants 
will show signs of branching near the top; help them out of this 
condition by pinching the shoots to a lateral that is showing 
prominently. Early flowering varieties may be allowed to branch in 
a natural manner, when the required number of shoots for leading 
upwards may be selected and the remainder removed, the necessary 
supply of stakes being collected together in readiness. 
Ivy-leaved Pelargoniums. —Plants that are rooted for autumn and 
winter flowering may be potted singly in 8-inch pots. When they are 
rooting freely place them in cool frames to induce sturdy growth. 
Cuttings may still be rooted, and the plants wall be useful for winter 
flowering. At this seasou these should be rooted singly in small pots, so 
that they can be repotted on without checking them. 
Zonal Varieties. —Cuttings may still be rooted in quantity for winter 
flowering on the same principle as advised for Ivy-leaved varieties. 
Those well rooted in 3-inch pots may be pinched and placed into 6-inch 
pots. Press the soil firmly into the pots, and use a compost of loam, 
one-seventh of manure and sand. Place the plants as they are potted 
into cold frames ; keep them close for a time until they are rooting 
freely, when they may be hardened and stood in a sunny place outside. 
French and Fancy Varieties. —Give those that are throwing up their 
flower trusses liquid manure in a w-eak state every time they need water. 
Soot water is very stimulating to these plants, and acts quickly. A 
suitable artificial manure applied to the surface of the soil is the safest 
and quickest method of feeding these plants. Keep later plants perfectly 
cool and give them abundance of air. The closer the glass these plants 
can be kept and the more air admitted the sturdier they grow and the 
finer are their flowers. Plants that were rooted late and are weak and 
puny in appearance will, if well cared for, make grand early flowering 
plants for another year. Those that some would throw away have a 
good start of cuttings inserted even now, and will, with care and good 
treatment, make plants 2 feet through them by next spring. Stop the 
shoots until the plants are well established in 4 or 5-inch pots, then 
allow them to grow, without pinching, outside, keeping them somewhat 
dry until the middle of July, when they may be partially shortened back, 
and when they have broken into growth potted and kept growing on. 
These plants may be pinched once afterwards and placed in their largest 
pots early in January and allowed to lengthen out their shoots and 
flower. They should never be really dried up. Old stool plants may be 
cut up for cuttings ; insert wood that has a moderate amount of firmness 
about it. Wood of this nature soon roots, and plants of a large size may 
be produced for early flowering next spring. 
APIAEIAN NOTES. 
The Weatiief. 
During the past week the weather has been changeable, the 
night temperatures being between 35° and 38°, unless on that of the 
I2th, when it stood at 45°, rising to 75° throughout the day. Since 
that the night temperature has been 35° and the day from 50" to 53°. 
On the I5th a thunderstorm occurred. With the exception of 
three days the bees have not been much out. It is astonishing with 
so untoward weather to see how far the bees are advanced. I do 
not expect swarms for some time yet, as there are few honey- 
yielding flowers about, and the Sycamores do not appear to have 
any blossom this year. I have seen none of it in this locality. Had 
there been any and the weather fine swarming would have been 
common this month. 
To have bees in this forward condition in such a cold season 
as this has been is simply the result of the preparation they had 
in autumn, or rather how the bees prepared themselves, if we 
except the covering and the construction of the hive ; and I may 
add where there is nothing but Heather produce in the hive a few 
pounds of the best sugar at the end of the season will prevent 
the bees of any hive suffering from abdominal distension. 
Heather honey appears to be more stimulating than either 
Clover honey or sugar, and the bees may be induced to prepare 
more of this than is required for brood-rearing purposes, and 
passing through the stomach improperly digested may cause the 
distension. Adult bees cannot digest and assimilate pollen as they 
do honey, not being necessary for their existence, but for the brood. 
Wintering Bees. 
This subject has received my most careful attention both in 
these pages and in my own apiary, and since my first article on 
insensible upward ventilation more than thirty years ago, which 
appeared in the then Cottage Gardener, I have never had a failure. 
Still there are many bee-keepers who are at the present time 
anything but happy over their stocks, now dwindled to mere 
handfuls of bees in dripping hives. By far too much has been 
written upon hives adapted for this or that climate. No matter 
what the climate is the hive for bee-keeper and bees should suit 
everyone, whether the temperature be high or low, and whether 
the air be dry or humid. All that is necessary to accomplish this 
end is to protect the bees from sudden changes of temperature.. 
Let the heat from their own bodies be sufficient, never let the heat 
from the rays of the sun penetrate the hive. Be careful on the 
other hand that there be no damp walls to extract the heat from 
the bees. A narrow doorway will prevent a too great inrush of 
air which, if not kept out, would soon envelope the interior of the 
walls, bees, and combs with excessive moisture, which has a most 
baneful effect upon the bees. 
The system of the “ Best Hive in Creation ” is now being 
advocated and extensively adopted in America, the louvre boarding 
to allow the escape of moisture being similar in every respect to 
what I advised and employ. At the same time I prefer the single 
walled hive, well protected, as I have so often explained. 
Frames Close to the Front and Back of the Hive. 
Nearly forty years ago, when I made my first frame hives, the 
ends of the frames hung close to the front and back of the hive, 
and minus the bottom rails — a plan much advocated by some’ 
modern bee-keepers, but which I do not approve. The above plan 
is held by some modern writei's to be more comfortable for the 
bees during winter ; but, strange to say, an American writer seems- 
to think that frames so placed are warmer in winter and colder in 
summer, which need not be discussed. The argument is held by 
some that the combs in such frames are built close to them, in the 
same manner as combs are said to be built in straw hives. 
This is preposterous. Bees do not build their combs in straw 
hives close to the hive the whole depth of the comb, neither will 
they in frames set close to the walls of the hive ; but in frames 
away from the walls the combs will fill the frames. Under these- 
circumstances how can the hive be warmer, and the bees be more 
comfortable ? Bees do not cluster in winter to the extreme edges 
of the combs, but always some distance from them, in which way- 
ventilation can only be effectually carried out. 
Let us for a moment assume that the combs are built closely to 
the sides of the hive, and the bees packed as closely to them. 
How is the heated and vitiated air to escape ? Some of the more 
attenuated will pass through the crown of the hive if of a permeable 
nature ; but a large portion of it will be compelled, by virtue of its 
weight, to pass downwards amongst the cluster of bees, and unless- 
BEE-KE)EPER. 
. I I .j 
