188 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 2,189S. 
be shifted into larger pots, and be placed in or over bottom heat. The 
compost may consist of good yellow loam, with a sixth of old mortar 
rubbish and a sprinkling of crushed bones, say a 6-iuch potful to a 
bushel of loam. Provide good drainage, pot firmly, and do not let the 
shift exceed 3 inches in diameter that of the previous pot. Shade 
slightly from bright sunshine for a few days until the roots have 
taken to the new soil, when the trees should be fully exposed to light 
and sun. Pinch the growths at about four leaves to induce a bushy 
habit. 
Cherry House. —The main art in forcing Cherries is attention to 
the ventilation ; a free circulation of air should pass through the house 
whenever the temperature exceeds 50°, the amount of air being regu¬ 
lated by the condition of the outside atmosphere. Fire heat need only 
be employed to prevent the temperature falling below 50° in the day¬ 
time, and to maintain a night temperature of 40° to 45°. Attend to 
fertilising the blossoms with a camel’s-hair brush or a feather. Aphides 
generally appear just as the trees set their fruit. They must be 
destroyed, or they will ruin the growths and spoil the Cherries. Grubs 
also infest the foliage ; one kind of caterpillar rolls itself up in the 
leaves, and can be extirpated by squeezing ; but another encases itself 
in a web on the under side of the leaves, and they appear as if scalded, 
and from the foliage the pest makes its way to the fruits and devours 
them. The surest means of riddance is to examine the trees occasion¬ 
ally and destroy the grubs. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
The Weather. 
We have had slight showers of hail and snow, inclining to frost, 
the lowest temperature for the month being 25° on the morning 
of the 24th, and the highest 55° on the 19ch, thunder being heard 
in some places. On that day, the 19th, the bees gathered pollen 
from the various flowers in bloom, and in quantity where the Hazel 
catkins were profuse. Upon the whole the bees have been kept 
more within the hives than during any February for many years 
past. This, according to weather prophets and old saws, augurs 
well for a fine summer, and I hope we shall have one. 
Appliances. 
These should be overhauled and put in good order, so that when 
required there will neither be necessity to search for them nor to 
put them into condition when there is not time to spare to do so. 
Interceptinh Swarms. 
When I described my swarm intercepters I omitted to say that 
light, handy, and easily made ones may be constructed of wire 
cloth ; if necessary line with calico on the principle of the swarm 
catcher and hiver, or they may be made with wire crown cloth 
lined with calico. They are handy swarm catchers and hivers in all 
situations. 
Young Bees. 
In hives with youthful queens young bees are now numerous, 
and are the best for early work. The wide awake bee-keeper will 
not tolerate queens older than those of the preceding year ; but 
occasionally circumstances may have prevented the alternative, yet 
these need not be kept in the apiary longer than May. By that time 
young queens can be easily bred and fertilised in time to supersede 
aged ones, and with extra breeding space are the best and only 
means to prevent swarming in storified hives. Hives properly 
managed on the swarming system, where the honey season does not 
commence before the middle or last week of June, are by far the 
most profitable ; besides, there is no risk of a hive collapsing as a 
non-swarming one with a worn out queen frequently does. Only 
last year “ W. B. C.” said in the “ Record ” that swarms of the 
current year were profitless, or words to that effect. That teaching 
may please novices, but practical bee-keepers smile at the absurdity. 
Our first swarms are those on which we depend for large yields of 
honey of the finest quality, provided the bees issue several weeks 
before or at the beginning of the honey flow. In the event of the 
queen of a swarm relaxing in egg laying at a time that would affect 
late honey gathering I depose her, and introduce a young but 
fertile one as early as possible. My safety cage shows at a glance 
whether it may be safe to release her or not. Many claims have 
been laid to “ direct introduction,” but the fact remains that the 
term is misleading. There is no safe method of direct introduction. 
The queen regnant must first be deposed, and the bees have time 
to realise their loss before it is safe to allow an alien queen in their 
midst. 
Varieties of Bees. 
It would be very interesting as well as instructive were bee¬ 
keepers to note the various characteristics of their bees, their 
faults or failings,.as may be observed throughout the year. I have 
no hesitation in affirming that the Oarniolau is the hardiest of any 
race of bees ; also mild in temper, as well as good and cleanly in 
storing honey. Strongly do I wish also that some of those 
renowned bee-keepers who have said so much against Punics were 
here in a good honey flow to witness the energy of these maligned 
bees. I hope we may have several honey days in succession the 
coming summer to test the pure ones. Syrians, like the crossed 
Cyprians, have also proved good honey gatherers. I have not fed 
mine for years. The large gathering of 33 lbs. in one day was by 
crossed Syrians. 
Fastening Comb Foundation. 
One thing I have omitted to say. Where foundation is fixed 
with wax in a groove or between a split bar the work may be 
performed at any time ; but where it is done by pressure it is 
better to postpone the fixing till near the time it is wanted. If 
done earlier the movement of the wood by contraction, and the 
absorbing of damp, causes the foundation to part from the bar or 
section. This causes extra labour, and if unobserved crooked 
combs.—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
•^•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 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. 
Cllvlas (6'. F.).—You do not say with what object you have sent 
the truss and foliage. We can only say that they represent good 
cultivation. You have evidently a good form of C. miniatum, but some 
of the newer varieties have much larger and better shaped flowers. 
Doable Primulas (John Laing 4* Sons ).—You ask if we do not 
think the seedling Primulas good. Though the cotton wool extracted 
moisture from them, and thereby caused a shrinking of the blooms, we 
could still perceive they were very good, not semi-double, but full 
rosettes in pleasing colours, white, blush, pink, and rich carmine. 
Removing- IVXushroom Beds (Humher ).—It is certainly unfor¬ 
tunate, after waiting so long for Mushrooms, that you should have to 
leave the beds for someone else to enjoy the crops now appearing. As 
the beds on the shelves can be removed bodily, and they appear to be 
worth the trouble of transport, we see no reason why you should not 
carry out your novel proposition. We suspect it would be the first 
instance on record of transplanting Mushroom beds. Breaking up the 
beds and removing the materials for use again would be more likely to 
result in complete failure than even partial success. 
IVXanare for IMEusbrooms (F. M .).—The ammonia which you 
wish to preserve is retained in the judicious preparation of suitable 
manure, as is evident by the bountiful crops of Mushrooms that so many 
persons obtain. Throwing manure in too large heaps and allowing it 
to heat violently, then turning it over and over again to cool, is the 
best method of dissipating ammonia and spoiling the material for 
Mushroom growing. The manure should not heat violently but ferment 
gently, and ought only be turned till the effluvium ceases to be offensive ; 
it should be pungent yet not unpleasant, then if moist enough for steady 
fermentation to continue its condition will be right for the purpose in 
question ; but excessive moisture is pernicious. 
Constituents of Plants (J. H. E .).—If you could obtain what 
you ask for, “ the constituents of each of the various fruits and vege¬ 
tables grown in this country,” you would be more bewildered than 
benefited in respect to providing manure for them on that basis. As a 
matter of fact, analyses vary in accordance with the constituents of 
soils, and before you could with exactitude compound a manurial 
mixture the most appropriate for each fruit and vegetable you would 
also have to obtain a quantitative analysis of the particular soil in which 
each is intended to be grown. Some soils naturally contain more of 
some particular plant requisite than others do, and the variation is often 
very great over a small area. Manuring on the basis of an analysis of 
plants or crops alone may result in waste. For instance, potash might 
be shown as the leading constituent of a plant or crop, and at the same 
time the soil may contain infinitely more potash than the plant or 
crop can possibly use. Obviously, then, to spend money on more would 
