164 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 23, 1893. 
If the stem of the plants have become lengthy the lower portion may be 
cut away. Liberally drain the pots or pans and put the plants 
in the pots, so that when the surface is mossed the lower leaves 
just rise out of it. These plants grow well in a compost of peat 
in lumps, fair sized pieces of charcoal, and living sphagnum moss. For 
strong growing kinds fibrous loam may be used with the peat. When 
this is employed some coarse sand should also be added to the compost. 
After potting place the plants where they can enjoy a close moist heat. 
If a gentle bottom heat can be given them all the better. Syringe 
freely, but water carefully until the plants commence rooting freely. 
.a.iitburlum crystalllnum. —Plants of this kind may also be re¬ 
potted. Young plants that have the compost in a sweet condition about 
their roots may be placed into larger pots ; and others that have decayed 
material about them should have it removed, and be treated as advised 
for Alocasias. 
Antburlum Andreanum. —Established plants that need repotting 
as well as young plants, may be treated the same as advised above. 
Plants that have grown tall should be cut close back, when they will break 
freely from the base, and make excellent bushy plants in the course of a 
season. When once cut-back plants have fairly broken into growth the 
old material may be removed from the roots, and the plants placed into 
smaller pots. The stem can be cut into lengths of two or three joints, 
and the pieces placed singly in sand and sphagnum moss into 3-inch pots. 
The portions of stems put into brisk heat in the propagating frame will 
soon form roots, and by the winter will make excellent plants for flower¬ 
ing on the side stages of the stove. 
Antburlum Scbertzerlanum. —Specimens that have been resting 
in a temperature of 50° may be introduced into the stove, when they will 
quickly commence to push up their flower spathes. Those kept in the 
stove will be very much benefited by being rested for a time in a lower 
temperature. While under this treatment give the plants less water. 
Water those carefully at first that are introduced into the stove. All 
plants that have commenced root activity may be top-dressed or repotted. 
These plants do not need much material about their roots. They require 
an open compost, and abundance of water when growing. This variety 
is not very particular about soil ; we find the plants succeed well in 
ordinary moss and crocks, also in lumps of peat, charcoal and moss, and 
equally well in fibrous loam, moss, crocks and charcoal. Fine soil should 
not be used, for very rarely do the plants succeed in it. They grow 
rapidly when supplied with fresh healthy material about their roots. • 
DTepentbes. —Plants that need repotting, or placing in larger 
baskets, should have immediate attention. If grown in pots, turn them 
out and place the plants into those of a larger size without disturbing 
the roots. If in baskets, the old baskets should be placed inside others, 
and the latter filled with fibrous peat and charcoal, with a good layer of 
living sphagnum moss round the sides and on the surface. These plants 
do well in loam, sand, and charcoal, with moss on the surface ; or they 
may he successfully grown in a mixture of peat, sand, and living 
sphagnum in equal proportions. Plants that have grown cut back, but 
do not disturb their roots until they have commenced new growth. 
Portions of the stem may be inserted in small pots with the leaves 
attached, and placed in a brisk heat in a propagating frame. Shoots 
on established plants that have made four or five leaves may be 
pinched ; this not only keeps the plants dwarf, but induces them to 
branch and produce pitchers freely. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Owing to the temperature of February being lower than it was 
in January bees have not been much abroad. Occasionally during 
sunshine a few venture out scanning the flowers, but soon return 
to their hives. With one exception mine have not yet had a 
thorough flight, but as all are healthy I have no anxiety for them. 
With Heaths, Crocuses, Snowdrops, Hepaticas, Arabis, Hellebores, 
Aconites, and other flowers there will be inducement to the bees to 
work when the temperature becomes a little higher. A watch 
will be kept over their movements, and if there is the slightest 
suspicion of effete queens they will be examined so as to ascertain 
their true condition, and disposed of accordingly. 
Entrances. 
These will be kept at their winter’s width, especially during the 
night, until the bees show signs of being dissatisfied or oppressed, 
when they will be widened a little as circumstances demand. My 
hives are alt dry, and will not be interfered with, but there may be 
some who have their bees in hives not similarly arranged or con¬ 
structed that are damp. Such hives should be overhauled on the 
first opportunity, quilts dried, and the frames with the bees trans¬ 
ferred to a clean, dry, and slightly heated hive. Those short of 
stores should be fed as early as convenient with not less than 6 lbs. 
of the best cane sugar, then left alone. 
Legislation for Foul Brood, 
It appears that Messrs. Cowan and Carr are still agitating for 
assistance from Government for suppressing foul brood in hives. 
They cannot be complimented on their success if they can only 
effect this object by the clumsy and expensive method of destroying 
the implements necessary for honey gathering. It is to be hoped 
that Government will not accede to their unnecessary demands, 
especially as foul brood can be easily cured without such drastic 
modes as destruction. However, if it could be made illegal to allow 
untenanted foul-broody hives to stand in any apiary much good 
would be done. 
No doubt it would please the King William Street savants if 
they could have the nomination for appointment of inspectors, but 
there are matters of grave importance to be considered in this 
reference. Instead of inspectors subduing foul brood they would 
be just as likely to be the means of spreading it, while they would 
certainly be the direct cause of much conflict. 1 am not a law¬ 
breaker, but if such an act were passed I would do all in my power 
to resist its application. I should resent any interference what¬ 
ever with my hives by an inspector, who might have the germs of 
infection about him from the apiary of his last inspection. 
I never open my hives after October until they have swarmed, 
and I would disallow any stranger to do so either who may 
have no more knowledge than I possess myself. Nor would I 
allow anyone to injure my bees or their brood with smoke. Common 
sense has taught me how to have an immunity from foul brood 
amongst my hives for more than thirty years, and I trust Parlia¬ 
ment will reject any attempt to foist upon the public measures at 
once arbitrary, unjust, and unreasonable at the expense of the tax¬ 
payer. 
Winter Coverings. 
I recently commented upon several absurd ideas advanced by 
some American apiarians. I now quote one more sensible. Mr. 
A. E. Manum, in Gleanings for February 1st, says, after covers are 
removed he “ places over the frames some kind of quilts, and over 
these 6 or 8 inches of some kind of absorbent, such as dry wood 
shavings.” He also explains the advantages of such coverings in 
an intelligent way—just the same methods that have been repeatedly 
advised in the pages of the Cottage Gardener and Journal of Horti- 
eulture for upwards of thirty years.—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. 
Chrysantbemums (.7. TF.).—We have received the two blooms, if 
blooms they can be called, of Etoile de Lyon. No doubt larger and 
fresher examples would be useful for decorative purposes, and probably 
the small ones you posted did not arrive in the condition you expected 
they would. They were so crushed as to be useless. 
Heating- a Greenbouse (^Heater ').—The question of boiler is very 
much a question of fuel. With coke mainly a coil or conical boiler 
would answer ; with coal mainly you would perhaps find a saddle boiler 
the most suitable. Either kind rightly set and the pipes properly 
arranged would, with appropriate fuel, answer your purpose admirably. 
The prices of boilers are given in the lists of vendors. 
Peacb Buds and Paint (7?. N.).—Keeping a house close for some 
time immediately after painting the woodwork would have a deleterious 
effect on the buds of Peach trees, and we are not surprised to hear that 
many of them are turning brown and falling prematurely. If pro¬ 
vision is made for heating the house, fire ought to have been employed 
for excluding frost from the plants with constant ventilation. 
Sheltering Screens (J[. H. E .').—If the enclosure is small, and 
a medium-sized hedge is only needed, and not at the same time a fence 
against cattle, the Evergreen Privet would answer your purpose, and it 
grows quickly in good soil; as a barrier and shelter combined a good 
Thorn or Quickset hedge is the best. If the enclosure is large, and 
you desire tall screens as quickly as possible, you may do as Mr, Cannell 
did at Swanley—plant hedges of the Lombardy Poplar, and trim them 
as desired with pruning shears. 
