412 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 2, 1893. 
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. . — 7 —. — .r.-i-.-T. T. t . 1 . . • . - 1 . . • . - l-r-J 
I 
HE BEE-KEEPER. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Hive Making. 
In answer to a question on the subject, I know of no bee 
book that gives “ instructions in frame hive building on the latest 
and best principles.” The standard hive is not now what it was 
when introduced with one-sized frames, but has two sizes, deep 
and shallow ones—an undesirable arrangement—and is, in fact, a 
combination of different kinds of hives. 
The Lanarkshire storifying hive is undoubtedly the most 
suitable for bee-keeping in all its phases, no other being equally 
adapted for moving from one place to another, or wintering with 
equal safety to the bees. Instructions were given in the Journal 
of Horticulture some years since for making these hives, but as the 
numbers are not obtainable now I will, in the serial articles for 
beginners, repeat the instructions at an early date, from which any 
amateur can readily make his own hives. 
Hives and Honey. 
There are few newspapers or other periodicals that do not con¬ 
tain some paragraph on the extraordinary fine season and large 
honey yield of a superior quality rarely experienced by the oldest 
bee-keeper living. The facts are, while the season has been a good 
one, it has been by no means more productive than many past 
ones that yielded double the quantities in half the time. Within 
the past few weeks I have examined many tons of honeycomb. 
The difference between that built in the so-called standard hives 
and those on the Lanarkshire and Stewarton principle is so great 
that the wonder is why bee-keepers persist in using hives like the 
former, that produce such inferior honeycomb to what the latter does. 
It may seem like boasting, but it is a fact, I have not seen a fine 
example of Heather supers from any hive but from the two last- 
named ones, and this is granted by all who have examined it. 
Honey and Heather. 
Lately there has been going the rounds of the press an article 
giving a description of the “ honey harvest ” in the south of Scot¬ 
land, but it is so meagre that no one reading it can discover the 
slightest evidence of what the yield has been there, the writer 
appearing more anxious to take in other localities, and to depreciate 
the county of Lanark as a honey yielding district, save in the upper 
reaches of the Clyde ; but in almost one breath he contradicts the 
statement, descanting upon the Leadhills district. He terms it an 
arid place, and that the arid ness destroyed the Heather. Such is 
the statement we read. 
As a fact I can say Heather was never known to be finer ; much 
of it had yearling growths upwards of a foot long, with many 
lateral shoots, which formed dense spikes of flowers instead of 
sprays, the dry and hot season being the sole cause, rain at all times 
being inimical to its growth. 
Eain in the North. 
It is singular that for many years the rain began to fall in 
Lanarkshire on the 7th of July. This year has been no exception, 
and from that date till the 13th of August there were only two 
days without rain, and after that for a considerable time the sky 
was overcast, so that for upwards of five weeks the sun was not seen 
for more than eighteen hours, the hay crop being dried with wind, 
and not sunshine. 
Brimstoning Bees. 
Many hives have been brimstoned by the owners who had no 
use for them, this too despite all the sensational talk that has been 
raised against the practice. I am against it, but what are bee¬ 
keepers to do with surplus bees when they are of no use ? This I 
have partly answered before, and will endeavour to do so again, at 
least to some extent. 
Hive Experiments. 
I have been an eye witness to several manipulations lately. At 
one place there were various kinds of hives from the Stewarton to 
Abbott’s “ Combination ” hive. The former had beautiful supers, 
and no difficulty was experienced in removing them, while the 
operator was not much exposed to infuriated bees, the crown of 
the hive being as it ought nearly all closed. There were supers on 
the combination hives placed close up to the outer casing which is 
raised some 5 or 6 inches above the crown. The supers were fixed 
combs built from the top of the bars to the top of supers, they 
could not be separated by cutting, but had to be forced off. 
Result :—One half of the combs were left adhering to the top of 
hive, and the other in the super. A blackened mass of combs and a 
great contrast to the supers from Stewarton hives, while the 
exposure of the whole of the hive subjected the operator to the 
fury of the enraged insects, which with properly constructed 
frames, and entrances to the supers at the sides only, would have 
been avoided. Nor was that the least of it, the enormity of their 
size precludes the possibility of them being profitably and expedi¬ 
tiously moved about, while so much exposed surface makes them 
expensive hives to keep up. 
•**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. 
Reflexed Chrysanthemums (^Reader'). —You ask for twelve 
varieties, but as a rule not more than six or eight are asked for in stands 
of twelve blooms, and they can be chosen from the following varieties. 
Cullingfordi, Cloth of Gold, King of Crimsons, Pink Christine, Golden 
Christine, White Christine, Peach Christine, Chevalier Domage, Dr. 
Sharpe, Phidias, Putney George, and Annie Salter. 
House for Tomatoes and Cueumbers (i?. — For summer 
work the ends of a span-roof house are best running north and south, 
and for winter a three-quarter span-roof house facing south is much the 
best. A span-roof with the ends facing the east and west is better for 
winter work than one with the ends north and south, but the plants do 
much better on the south than on the north side of the house. 
Redrafting Apple Tree (iZ. S .").—For an espalier it would be 
much best to regraft the tret in the stem at A B in your sketch, 
putting in four grafts if this can be done without parting the bark 
from the woodall round, as there must be unraised bark between 
the grafts. You can take two growths up to form the branches 
you show us, C D, and reserve two for forming the lower limbs A B, 
or the two upper branches can be originated from two grafts inserted 
at the lower point, taking the strongest growths to form the limbs 
A B, and the weaker lower ones on the grafts to form the branches 
C D. 
Clay for Cricket Field (67ay).—Perhaps the “ Professional 
Player” thinks the ground is not firm enough, and he would like the 
turf removed and some clay mixed with the soil under it, the whole 
made firm and the turf relaid. If he thinks clay spread on the surface 
would do good, and your employer accepts his opinion, the best way of 
adding the clay would be in the form of small particles after drying 
and crushing. Burnt or charred clay would be the best. Without 
knowledge on the nature, and texture of the soil we cannot advise 
on the matter, but simply answer your question. If clay is mixed 
with the soil under the turf, it should be in pulverised form, not raw 
lumps. 
IVXarechal Hlel Perplexities (<S. S .').—The advice you quote is 
very good, and we have no doubt if the writer had a case brought before 
him of starved Roses in summer he would add to his advice, “ Give liquid 
assistance without delay, no matter what the season of the year, if the 
soil is in a proper condition to receive it.” The conditions of growth 
must always be considered in connection with the question of stimulants 
of any kind for any plants at any time. Your plants continue growing 
though you have given no water since the third week in August because 
the roots have found their way into moist soil, dry as the border may be 
near the surface. They often grow more freely but less substantially 
than when a mass of fibrous roots are imbibing better food from near 
the surface of the soil. Growths supported by such roots are usually 
short-jointed, and we have never known them fail to ripen under proper 
cultural conditions—full exposure to sun and air with freedom from 
insects. If your Rose border was mulched it may not have been very 
dry after all, but we do not like driving the roots of Roses, Vines, or 
anything else deep down into the earth by withholding them the needful 
moisture in the upper stratum of more fertile soil. 
