251 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 14, 1893. 
small pota. If they are shaded and grown in a warm and moist atmo¬ 
sphere for a time they will soon become established and be very suitable 
for many forms of decoration. It will be necessary to harden them 
gradually before they are used. Spores of any kinds of Ferns may now 
be sown in pans or boxes, the surface of the soil need not be made too 
fine. After sowing cover with glass and place the boxes in a moist 
shady position. 
Caladlums. —Plants that have been in cool houses and are beginning 
to fade may be stored away to rest. Do not withhold water all at once. 
Place the pots containing the plants where the temperature will not 
range lower than 55° where they will be perfectly safe until they are 
required for starting again into growth. When sent to rest too rapidly 
and kept cool afterwards the tubers are almost certain to decay ; they 
should be well matured before they are finally stored away. 
Polnsettlas. —If properly treated these should be of the sturdiest 
description, and some care is needed not to excite them again into 
growth. Soft growth made after this period is seldom sufficiently 
ripened to produce large bracts of the finest colour. Very frequently 
a mistake is made when these plants are removed from cold frames by 
keeping them in too close and confined an atmosphere. Directly they 
finish their growth more heat may be given to develop their bracts. 
The same treatment applies to Euphorbia jacquiniaeflora. 
Zxoras, —Plants that have but recently flowered should have the 
most careful treatment. Their foliage must be free from insects, and 
the plants exposed to every ray of light possible to harden their wood 
before the winter. Plenty of air ought to be admitted, and a drier 
atmosphere maintained ; but at the same time do not starve the plants, 
or more injury than good will result. Syringe thoroughly once a day. 
APIARIAN 
NOTES. 
Useful Hints, 
At this season it is perhaps desirable to warn bee-keepers 
against introducing queens, or joining swarms having two queens, 
rashly. I admit that alien queens can be, and are, joined to a hive 
safely without caging, and I could cite many cases where only a 
second or two expired between the deposing of the queen regnant 
and the introducing of an alien one which was well received ; but 
the mishaps by reckless introduction which I am cognisant of are 
by far too numerous to warrant me in advising the introduction of 
queens without the use of a cage. It is the health and unmaimed- 
ness of the queen that is conducive to profitable bee-keeping, and 
in the absence of these a breakdown in the hive is sure to occur 
sooner or later, and at a time when the loss is irreparable. There¬ 
fore use every precaution before introducing queens or joining 
swarms together. 
The balling of queens is, in my opinion, entirely due to stranger 
bees ; at least, I have never witnessed a case otherwise. There are 
different phases of balling, but the most prominent one is when the 
bees favourable to the queen discover one or more fractious bees 
they immediately ball her. If the disloyal bee or bees are kept 
outside the queen is safe, but if one or more get near her she is 
either maimed or stung to death. Therefore select a young 
queen and cage her for twenty-four hours, releasing her at dusk. 
Young bees at this season are doubtless not to be despised, 
neither are much older ones ; both make capital stocks. It is the 
care and judicious management of these that determine our future 
success with either—not their age. One great thing with all 
queens is to take care and not stimulate these to breed at this 
season. All their strength and egg-laying power is best to be 
conserved till spring, the season that is most required for profitable 
bee-keeping. 
If there is a paucity of bees in the hive containing a young 
queen, it rather taxes the powers of an aged one (intended to be 
deposed) to fill a few frames with brood, and place in the hive 
containing young queen intended for stock. Hives that require 
to be fed now, and not having a ventilating floor, should, imme¬ 
diately the feeding is past, have a clean dry board substituted, and, 
indeed, should be continued at intervals throughout the winter. A 
ventilating floor obviates all that, and conduces to having healthy 
bees, and many of them. 
Eobber Bees. 
Robber bees are now on the alert. Keep a strict watch over 
all weaklings, and contract entrances according to the strength of 
the colony. Be careful neither to spill about nor expose syrup nor 
feeders. These are the things that decimate the bees, and those 
who have for years advised the autumnal stimulative feeding of 
hives must have, in their ignorance of the proper management of 
bees, practised some or all of the above. For many years it has 
surprised me why bees required feeding in autumn to stimulate 
breeding, when our own hives, as well as those in the whole district 
were overflowing with bees. A clergyman of my acquaintance 
used to say, “ Instead of requiring to feed to cause breeding I 
would rather feed to reduce the population of the hives, as they 
are by far too strong.”—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
•,*A11 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 communications. 
Solanaceous plant ^Somerset ').—Having seen a fresh speeimen 
of the plant referred to last week, we are able to state that its name is 
Nicandra physaloides. 
Cucumber Classification (./. McLeod ').—If the disputants who 
aver that the Cucumber is not a vegetable will exhibit a brace in a 
collection of fruit they will receive a lesson that they will not be likely 
to forget — namely, the disqualification of the collection. There is 
no time for answering your other questions as we are preparing for 
press. 
Stationary Chrysanthemum Buds (<?, B. A.). — Cut off and 
burn all the tops that contain buds such as you have sent, and which 
have remained stationary for about six weeks. It is impossible they can 
develop. They contain a destructive enemy, microscopical drawings 
of which, by Mr. George Abbey, will shortly be published, and these, 
with the narrative pertaining to the discovery, cannot fail to prove of 
great interest to Chrysanthemum growers all over the world. 
Tuberous Beg-onlas (IF. Clihran Sons ).—The box arrived as 
we are preparing for press. The flowers as a whole are very beautiful, 
but many of them had separated from the stalks, the names thus 
becoming detached. It was not so, however, with the single variety 
oculata, small, single, with a clear white disc, very distinct and 
pleasing. The double Golden Nugget is very rich and good. The 
names were separated from the others, and mixed indiscriminately, 
while the flowers were bruised and shaken through insufficiently close 
packing, 
Plantlngr Iillles of the Valley (JEnq^uirer). —The advice to 
which you refer is sound. We have known them to grow very well 
when planted in the autumn, also in winter, but the weather may be 
such as to cause blanks and weak growth. The most extensive and 
successful cultivators take pains in the preparation of the soil, and 
plant when it is in the best planting condition in early spring. Flower¬ 
ing crowns are not the best for establishing permanent beds. The 
Victoria Lily is a fine variety as grown by Mr. Henry Hawkins at 
Twickenham. 
Cider and Perry Refuse as Manure {J. IF., Pevshore ).—One of 
the best of British gardeners who resides in a perry-making district says 
“ the must or refuse from perry and cider mills is useless as manure.” 
“ Farmers,” he goes on to say, " take care to keep cattle from it, or they 
would certainly eat it at great risk to life. There was a case last year 
of a pig dying soon after eating a quantity. It very soon goes to 
nothing on the land. Poultry are fond of scratching it over for the 
‘ pips.’ These germinate freely on the heaps the following season, and 
are planted out by some farmers to form stocks for grafting and 
budding. I have seen it used for mulching newly planted fruit trees, 
but it is not so good as short manure.” 
Grapes Rusted and Shrivelled (^Enquirer ).—No matter bow 
much water you have given the border, if it still remain dry, as you 
say is the case, it obviously has not had enough. It is impossible for 
any Vines to produce any other than small ill-coloured inferior Grapes 
in dry soil. If a thousand gallons are necessary for moistening the 
soil they must be given, and after the border is moist, not before,a 
liberal application of strong liquid manure would have a beneficial 
effect. We suspect also there has been errors in management other 
than letting the border get so dry, in respect to ventilation and general 
routine. You cannot materially improve the Grapes this year, but you 
may improve the Vines for future bearing, and this is necessary. 
