144 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 16, 1893. 
IMCarantas. —These should be repotted where they need it, as they 
invariably do best in fresh soil. If the plants are potted at once and 
plunged in bottom heat they will become established before the sun 
gains much power. These plants cannot endure bright sunshine, but 
they delight in a close moist shady atmosphere. Where an increase in 
the stock is needed the plants should be divided. Do not overpot 
them. Use a compost of good fibry loam, one part leaf mould, one- 
seventh of decayed manure and sand ; charcoal in lumps may also be 
added. Some of the large kinds do best in a rough compost of fibry 
loam from which the small particles of soil have been removed, rough 
peat, sand, and charcoal. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
“ Hope springs eternal ” in the husbandman’s breast, whether 
he be fruit grower, farmer, gardener, or bee-keeper. The past 
may have been fruitful in losses, but as spring comes round hope 
revives, and the newly turned up fresh soil adds renewed animation 
to the sons of toil. With the bee-keeper joys are increased by the 
appearance of flowers on every side, the singing of birds, and the 
hum of the honey bee. 
Our bees searched for pollen on the first day of February, but 
as yet (the 9th) none has been gathered, but it cannot be delayed 
long now. In order to keep the bees near the apiary to prevent 
loss, they will be supplied with peameal, and water troughs in 
sunny nooks. A terra cotca pipe a foot or more in diameter, closed 
at one end, is a suitable place for the former supply, and a 
cylindrical vessel filled to within a few inches of the top with water 
covered with granulated cork is good for bees. Honey and peameal 
mixed to a thin paste, and put into a scoop, is also good for them. 
Feeding. 
Hives suspected of being short of stores before May will, 
whenever the weather is calm and serene, be supplied with a few 
pounds of food from below. The crown of the hive at this season 
should not be opened, as it induces cold, and the bees to leave 
the cluster where they are most required to keep up the heat for 
the gradual development of the brood. When checked they 
creep out of their cells in a mutilated form. Beyond these 
operations all my hives will remain as they were arranged in the 
autumn until the deposition of young queens take place after 
swarming, or the application of supers some time in June. 
In places where the only honey flow comes early in the season, 
feeding a little more liberally will insure the greater number of 
eggs being brought forward ; but in the majority of cases no 
advantage is gained. Utilising the brood, or portion of it, from 
another hive on the two-queen principle gives early and strong 
stocks suitable for gathering the maximum yield of honey in the 
shortest period. 
Old Bees Feeding Young Ones. 
Apropos of field bees feeding youthful bees inside the hive, it 
it is well to remember that a full colony requires a large quantity 
of water for the internal economy of the hive in brood-rearing, 
sealing, wax secretion, and the building or alteration of the comb. 
Water for some of these purposes is given by the adult bees to 
the younger ones, probably because it has risen to a higher tempe¬ 
rature in the stomach of the adult bee, and is then more suitable 
for the purpose than if it was several degrees lower ; besides, who 
knows but the water, in contact with the stomach of the bee, 
acquires a chemical change suitable for certain purposes within 
the hive ? 
Bees and Electricity. 
It is now many years since I first noticed several phenomena 
regarding bees and electricity. I wish to go a little further, and 
ask those who are able to do so to try a few experiments with bees 
as to their electrifying power during the present year. I made a 
number of experiments with a magnetic needle ; in every case the 
needle was affected out of its true course when changed from the 
one side of the bees to the other. I will repeat the experiment 
when I am certain there is nothing about but bees to affect the 
movement.— A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
Tomtits and Bees. 
I SAAV in the Journal of January 5th (page 18) an interesting 
article on “ Tits and their Habits,” so I thought that an extract 
from my manuscript on bees would interest your readers. On 
November 30th, 1872, I saw on one of my bee-benches a number of 
wings, legs, stings, and outside scales of the bodies of bees. I soon 
said, “The Tomtit (Parus coeruleus) has been busy here.” I had 
not noticed or seen it before that year, but about four o’clock I saw 
three tomtits eating my bees. One of them I watched, and saw him 
fly down on to the alighting board of one of the hives. He began 
tapping it with his bill. Shortly a bee came out to see who was 
there, and was immediately snapped up by the tomtit, which flew 
with it into an Apple tree near the hive. He then beat the bee 
against the bough of the tree, on which he stood until it was killed. 
Then the tomtit with its right foot and beak pulled the bee’s wings, 
legs, sting, and head off, letting the rejected parts fall to the ground, 
and it then ate the dainty parts of the bee. The tomtit was soon 
down on the alighting board of the hive again ; tap, tap, tap, and 
another bee came out to see who was there. Then the same process 
was repeated. I saw him take five bees in this way in seven 
minutes, when I could stand it no longer, so I frightened the tomtit 
away, as I was afraid he might have the nightmare with eating such 
an enormous supper. 
The tomtits were eating my bees again before ten o’clock the 
next morning. So I brought out my gun and shot three of them, 
and on opening their craws I found them nearly filled with bees— 
one head, antenn®, and tongue complete. This bird must have 
been very hungry, as they generally reject the head. I found no 
wings, legs, or stings in the craws. It grieved me very much to 
have to kill these useful, beautiful, and interesting birds, but it 
required patience to see my pets—the bees—so mercilessly 
destroyed. 
Your correspondent is quite correct. The tomtit does no harm 
to fruit buds or to the bees in summer, there being at that time 
such an abundance of insect food which the tomtit prefers. It is 
only when its natural food fails that it attacks the bee hives — 
Wm. Carr, Newton Heath Apiary ., 2[anclies1er. 
***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. 
Dry rruit Borders (./. Dobbs ').—You have undoubtedly done 
right in watering the borders. No greater mistake can be made than 
permitting Vine and Peach borders to become distinctly dry in the 
winter. You would have done still better in giving liquid manure 
copiously in the autumn. We conceive it impossible for either the 
Vines and Peach trees to long continue, even in a small degree, satis¬ 
factory in the too shallow borders under the alternative system of 
management indicated in your letter. 
IVIoss on Dawn (^Hants ).—After all the efforts you have made to 
eradicate the moss, and the more you do the more it grows, we conclude 
the lawn requires draining. If stagnant water lodges in the soil moss is 
sure to be troublesome. A free dressing of lime, sifted soil, and wood 
ashes in equal parts might do good, and a subsequent application of 
bonemeal at the rate of 2 or 3 ozs. to the square yard. Mueh more good 
might also be done if drains were cut and pipes laid carefully 2 feet deep 
and 5 yards apart, with proper fall and outlets into a lower drain for the 
escape of the water. 
Renewing: the Soil for Tomatoes (iV. L .).—It is much the best 
plan to renew the soil every year, having it about 1 foot deep over good 
drainage, taking the whole out and supplying fresh in its place. This- 
need not be an expensive affair, for the top spit of good garden soil that 
will grow Potatoes well will answer for Tomatoes. We advise that 
plan—make an exchange of the top spit in the house for the top spit of 
good soil outdoors, with a judicious application of artificial manures.. 
Dwarf Kidney Beans would only be profitable if distinctly early. Ne. 
Plus Ultra is an excellent variety, but the danger is that they will intro¬ 
duce red spider, and that is a fearful pest on Tomatoes and Vines. 
Distance of Vines for Profit (iV. L .).—This is a vexed question,, 
some preferring close and others wide planting. When the free-bearing 
varieties are grown, such as Black Hamburgh, the Vines are usually 
planted 3 feet apart as you propose, and double the crop is had from the 
first that would be obtained were only half the Vines planted. They 
are cropped the year after planting, and each Vine is taxed to its 
fullest capacity consistent with perfect finish in the fruit. This is 
a difficult point to determine, and requires a perfect knowledge of 
