500 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 18i 1891. 
6 OZ 3 . ia the week, always in tin scoops from beneath the combs. 
They are easier fed there, and the bees take it more readily than 
from above ; besides, it is detrimental to bees to have feeders 
above during cold weather. 
In all cases where a scarcity of food is apparent, with no 
prospects of honey from the fields, continue feeding bees. They 
seem to become impatient after May, and if June denies them the 
nectar of the flowers they are liable to draw their brood, even in 
cases where the hives are well supplied with stores. Should the 
weather be unfavourable it will be wisdom on the part of the bee¬ 
keeper to feed every hive, whether in want or not. One pound of 
sugar to each hive weekly will prevent brood drawing and preserve 
the hive, and be in the best possible condition to gather honey the 
first favourable opportunity, which bees in good spirits and strength 
will not miss. 
Unfed Hives. 
Those that have not had any food given I examined on May 
28th, and I was glad to find every one of them had plenty of sealed 
honey, and the bees almost crowding out—capital proof, if proof 
had been wanted, that bees do not require stimulative feeding, 
brood spreading, nor contraction of hives when properly managed 
in autumn. 
SUPERING. 
It is unadvisable to attempt supering before the glut of honey 
begins. It cools the interior of the hive, the bees contract their 
cluster, and brood drawing is proceeded with in proportion, thus 
negativing the thing desired. This is all the more so under the 
modern system of admitting bees from between every comb in the 
hive, encouraging the bees to prepare the cells for eggs, which 
above all should be beautifully white and clean. 
The Stewarton system of slides to open and close according to 
the weather entirely ovei’comes all these questionable and objection¬ 
able proceedings, and dispenses entirely with excluder zinc, super¬ 
fluous to a hive, and entails much extra labour on the bees propo- 
lising and forcing their way through apertures too narrow to be 
either comfortable to them or profitable to their owners. Every 
load of propolis gathered is a loss of more than a load of honey, 
and the time employed depositing it in the crevices, is at the 
■expense of comb-building. The honey gathering time in the best 
-of seasons is too short to hamper the bees in any way, or by giving 
them additional or unnecessary labour. If we are to make the 
most of them, we must not restrict breeding, nor make their 
passage ways to the supers difficult, but full freedom in both hive 
and supers, and an easy access to both, particularly the latter. 
—A LanarksiiipvE Bee-keeper. 
'“e* 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 si 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. Al l 
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. 
Renovating- Orclilds (TE. M.). — You have misapprehended the 
instructions, but as you appear to be an experienced cultivator we 
shall be glad to publish a description of the system you adopt. 
Swarf Plants for a Border (C. II.'). —Trifolium un’fioram is very 
dwarf, and would be suitable for the purpose you nam’, but you would 
probab'y find Herniaria glabra, Seium glaucum, or Meitha Pulegium 
gibraltarica more useful. 
Tonjatoes Unliealtliy (IF. B .).—We fear you will soon see the 
“ disease ” to which you are hairpily yet a stranger. Symptoms are 
apparent in the leaf, induced not improbably by a low temperature. 
Eaise it once, and see replies to other correspondents. 
Vegetables for Exhibition (//. 31.). —You must be good enough 
to put your question in a more definite form, as obviously no kinds of 
vegetables can be the “best” for showing at all seasons of the year. 
It is essential to know the time at which the vegetables are wanted; 
also please state whether you mean by “rotation” order of time or 
order of merit. 
Early Green Gooseberries (A Novice). —We do not know a 
variety named Covent Garden Early. There is a Berry’s Early Kent, 
which Mr. Bunyard in his “Fruit Farming for Profit” refers to 
approvingly as one of the earliest sent to Covent Garden. Many 
growers find Whinham’s Industry the most profitable early green 
Gooseberry, but the fruit is red when ripe. 
Ziibonia florlbunda (P. J. C.). —How do you think we can tell you 
why you have failed to flower this free-flowering plant when you do not 
say one word about your method of trjdng to do sa? With healthy root 
action, in good soil, and the growths made under the full influence of 
sun and air, the plants are bound to flower. Some persons grow them 
on shelves in very light houses, others in frames, and others again in the 
open air in summer, both planted out (for lifting) and in pots. 
IVIushroom Spawn (.7. T.). —It does not matter how many bricks 
ymu have, provided they are set on edge so that there is a little space 
between them. On the first lot others can be placed in the same way 
crosswise, continuing the building till the whole are in position, drawing 
each layer in so as to form a sloping outer face for the manure. The 
drier the bricks are the moister the covering should be. The spawn in 
the litter will, perhaps, be of little use, though of course you can try it 
if you like. 
Zonal Pelargoniums for Exhibition (.7.* E. 0.). —If you have 
pinched off the ends of the shoots quite recently you had better not 
pinch them again. The flower buds may be removed till six or seven 
weeks before the show, and the flowers should be carefully gummed as 
they open. If the pots are filled with roots weak clear liquid manure 
may be given at once, weekly, and more frequently as growth advances, 
and in accordance with the condition of the plants. Avoid thick muddy 
liquid for them as you would reject muddy wine for yourself, if you 
are a wine drinker ; but, perhaps, like most gardeners, you are not. 
Tea Boses in Pots (IE. T.). —So much depends on the present 
condition of the plants that it is practically impossible to answer your 
question usefully without some data to guide us ; and it is also desirable 
to know your cultural convenience as well as the period of the year you 
desire the plants to flower. If you furn’sh us with particulars of the 
nature suggested respecting your question, the matter shall have our 
ready attention. An excellent little book on the cultivation of Roses in 
pots by Mr. William Paul, Waltham Cross, Herts, would be of service to 
you. It is illustrated, and the price is only 2s., but if you order a copy 
you might reasonably include two or three stamps for postage. 
Tulips Palling (IE. S.). —Your plants appear to have been over¬ 
taken with the disease that affects Tulips, and has done much injury in 
many places. Dr. Hogg’s collection suffered greatly last year, but by 
the addition of lime to the soil, and preventing its saturation, the 
grow’th has been clean and healthy this year. If .a serious check to 
growth occurs through excessive wet, or a sudden and prolonged chill, 
the sap becomes morbid, and disease ensues. The blooms you have sent 
appear to be forms of T. Gesneriana, except No. 4, which is T. oculus 
solis. The petals fell off when the flowers were taken out of the box 
for examination, and cannot therefore be referred to under numbers 
except in the case recorded. 
Tomatoes Diseased (P. 3IcT.). —If the whole of the plants in 
the Cucumber house are in the condition of the samples you have sent 
it is doubtful if they can be restored to health, and it is for you to con¬ 
sider if it would not be the best plan to clear them out. At least all 
much affected parts should be cut off and burnel,then the ammonia and 
sulphate of copper remedy, or the sulphur and lime remedy mentioned 
in our reply to “ II. B.” under “ Mildew on Vines,” thoroughly applied. 
The Cucumber house is much too moist for the Tomatoes, and they 
should be kept as dry as iiossible. In the Tomato houses try the simple 
plan of a Worthing grower, mentioned in our reply to “ W. A. J.,” as 
well as either of the remedies named, the first preferably. Many 
Tomatoes are ruined through being kept too moist and the growth too 
succulent, especially where a low night temperature also prevails. 
l>Iilde\v’ on Vines (7. 77).—As you have “ sulphured ” the hot- 
watei pipes and not found any benefit we suspect they were not 
sirfBciently heated to give off fumes of sulphur. It is necessary to heat 
the pipes to 160° or more. Usually sulphur begins to vapourise at a 
temperature of 170°, to -which the pipes should be heated and kept 
between that and 200° for an hour ; but there is danger in too much 
vapourising, and wm have found that the nearer the heat of the 
sulphured surface is kept to 170° the less danger of injuring the 
skin of the Grapes. Thus applied the mildew' is checkel. See answer 
to “ H. B.” If you have a sprayer we recommend your trying the 
