April iO. -893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
325 
to sow it. Fill either well drained pans or boxes with fine loamy soil to 
which sharp sand has been added, make this firm and level, give a gentle 
watering. Sow the seed thinly two hours later, and cover with fine soil. 
The seed will germinate more quickly in very gentle heat, but will do 
so rather more surely if placed in a cold frame or handlight. Cover the 
pan with a square of glass, shade from sunshine, and keep uniformly 
moist. Auricula seed is apt to germinate very irregularly, the seedlings 
appearing at comparatively wide intervals. The soil in the pans or 
boxes ought not, therefore, to be hastily broken up, the wiser plan being 
to carefully lift out the seedlings as fast as they are large enough to 
handle, placing them singly in small pots. The seedlings should be kept 
in a frame till the pots are becoming well filled with roots, when they 
may be planted out in a sheltered spot. 
ii^olyaiittauses and Primroses. — Seed of these may be sown 
either in boxes or in the open, but the seedlings will be of little service 
as far as flowering next spring is concerned. If the soil is at all dry 
moisten it prior to sowing the seed rather than afterwards, and if good 
room is allowed there will be no necessity to prick out the seedlings ; 
but they will make grand plants if taken in hand early next season. If 
the seed was sown in gentle heat under glass early in March it will be 
an easy matter to grow the seedlings to a good size during the summer, 
or quite large enough to give a fine display of bloom next spring. If the 
seedlings are now in a crowded state prick them out 2 inches apart in 
boxes or pans of good loamy soil, and keep in a frame till well rooted, 
after which a sheltered or cool border and fairly good soil will suit them 
best. Both Polyanthuses and Primroses divide readily after flowering, 
and all the best forms, notably the yellow flowering varieties of the 
former, should be marked now, and being duly divided and taken good 
care of it will be possible to mass the colours next season. Seed-saving 
is not advisable unless the strains are extra good and no inferior forms 
have been allowed to flower among them. 
■Violets. —These were much injured in some instances last winter, 
but have grown well since, and the time has arrived for dividing and 
replanting. They experience the least check when lifted and divided 
after the first series of young leaves have matured somewhat. A strong 
or over-rich soil is not suitable for Violets, as it is apt to cause a rank 
growth, and which is the first to succumb to frosts. A free admixture 
of leaf soil, fresh loam, and sand to the ordinary garden soil is what 
Violets like, or leaf soil alone can be used. If there is any choice let the 
Violets have a border sloping westwards, and they are most reliable 
when grown among thinly disposed fruit trees. Lift the old plants with 
a fork, pull to pieces, and select the younger divisions or runners having 
a few roots attached to them. Plant them 9 inches apart in rows 
12 inches or rather more apart, taking care to bury and firmly fix the 
whole of the hard stems. Give a watering, and roughly shade from 
bright sunshine for a time. The Russian section, notably The Czar, are 
the hardiest and most serviceable ; but the doubles, including Neapolitan 
and Marie Louise, frequently pass safely through the winter, and are 
very gay in the ipring. 
Violkt.-s.— Old plants left in the open borders are fast coming into 
flower, but if they are required for affording a summer display, this 
tendency to early flowering must be checked. Dividing and replanting 
should take p’ace soon or before hot weather sets in, or they will fail to 
become well established, and mildew complete their ruin. Give them 
the benefit of a liberal dressing of either good leaf soil or decayed 
manure about the roots, and after having pulled the old plants to pieces 
replant firmly, watering if the soil is at all dry. Nor ought there to be 
any long delay in getting out autumn-struck plants, as these also are 
liable to fail badly if not well established before the summer is upon 
them, ff it is intended to intersperse Violas among variegated Pelar¬ 
goniums, Iresines, and such like, mark out the spaces for these latter, 
and plant the Violas freely between. Beds or edgings of mixed Violas 
are very gorgeous, especially during the early part of the summer. 
»eet.—The richly coloured varieties of garden Beet, than which 
there are none more reliable than Dell’s Crimson, or more elegant than 
the Dracrena-leaved, are very effective in the flower garden, being good 
substitutes for either Iresines Lindeni or Perilla nankinensis. These 
Beets are suitable for the second or third row in ribbon borders, and go 
well next to a margin of Stachys lanata in large beds. They may be 
raised thinly in boxes and transplanted, but succeed best when sown 
where they are to grow. Towards the end of April is a good time to 
sow the seed, and this should be done thinly in shallow previously 
moistened drills. Protect the seedlings from birds and slugs, and 
eventually thin to a distance of 9 inches apart, rather more space being 
allowed if the soil is somewhat strong. 
Gladioli.—If these are kept out of the ground much longer the 
chances are many of them will fail to flower in time to escape destruc¬ 
tion by early autumn frosts. If extra fine spikes are needed plant in a 
deep, rich, freely working, and well drained position, and if the corms 
can be surrounded by fresh gritty loamy compost so much the better. 
Whether they should be dotted thinly among other summer flowering 
plants of a trailing habit, notably Mignonette and Verbenas, or be 
planted in either groups of three, or 12 inches apart in lines 18 inches 
apart, must depend upon circumstances, the latter being the best 
arrangement if show spikes are desired. In any case bury the corms 
about 2 inches below the level, setting them in silver sand. 
If extra early spikes of flower are wanted start the requisite number 
of corms singly in l-inch pots under glass, and plant out before they 
become badly root-bound. Choice varieties may safely be increased by 
division wlicnever the corms show more than one crown. Start them in ' 
boxes under glass, cut them cleanly through when the shoots are 2 inches 
high, return to the boxes, and finally plant out when they have started 
rooting afresh. Small corms obtained either by sowing seed or from the 
base of the older corms, may now be planted 3 inches apart in shallow 
sand-lined drills, 12 inches apart. In the course of two seasons they 
will develop with strong flowering corms. 
■ 1 ____ ... _ _ 
IE BEE-KEEPER. 
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APIARIAN NOTES. 
The Weather. 
From different parts of the country the desire for softer winds 
and rain is general. During the week ending on the 14th only on 
two mornings was the temperature above 32°. On other mornings 
from 5° to 6° of frost were registered, the day temperatures rising 
to 58° and 68°. 
The Apiary. 
The weather has been too dry, and the air too cold for the bees to 
derive much benefit from the Gooseberry blossoms. The smoke 
that persistently hangs around and over us injuring vegetation and 
hindering bees is unknown in some districts, where the bees are 
more advanced than with us, and have done tolerably well upon 
the blossom. It is evident that near towns and public works bees 
cannot thrive so well as where the atmosphere is clear, even 
although flowers are as profuse in the former places as they are in 
the latter. 
Queenless Stocks. 
At this season of the year it sometimes happens that queens from 
various causes become barren, and leave the hive with the bees eu, masse 
as a swarm—described by some who know no better as a ‘‘ hunger 
swarm.” The queen should be caged, and after a while destroyed, 
and the bees joined to another stock. I never require to examine 
stocks to learn their actual condition as regards foul brood, or being 
broodless. I c.an by the smell and the manner of the working of 
the bees diagnose all such cases. Inexperienced bee-keepers when 
they observe a falling off of the industry of the bees should make 
an inspection of the hive, and take action accordingly. 
Drones and Queens. 
These are numerous in many hives, and the bee-keeper need not 
be backward in taking steps to raise a few queens. The oldest 
queen regnant may be removed with some bees and the combs, 
while the remainder may be left, contracting the hive to keep it 
crowded for the better raising of royal cells. It must be under¬ 
stood that after these young queens are laying the original bees 
and queen, if desired, may be assisted with brood, so that there 
will be neither loss nor decrease in stocks by the manipulation. 
On the other hand, in most districts a decided gain will be 
effected, as the surplus queens can either be employed to advantage 
on the two queens in one hive principle, or take the place of the 
queen of other stocks that have swarmed. 
C-4RNI0LAN Queens. 
A correspondent has submitted to me a number of bees, the 
progeny of an imported Carniolan queen. He says, “I understand 
there is a difficulty in getting the pure breed now.” The bees in 
question were undoubtedly crosses—not merely first crosses, but a 
decided mongrel breed, 90 per cent, of them showing the orange 
bands and other characteristics of the Italian bees, there being 
only one greyish bee, and it did not show much if any Carniolan 
features. It is to be regretted that for mercenary purposes the 
pure, amiable, and industrious Carniolans should be destroyed, 
lam also in receipt of a letter from another correspondent, who 
asks if I observed what “ Gleanings ” had to say on Punics and 
their enemies. I did read all that my correspondent asks, and a 
great deal more that I should have been ashamed to write. It 
would be a good thing for bee-keepers if they would think and act 
for themselves, and take steps so that they could get everything 
pure and truthful, including bees and literature. Societies have 
only to take the proper steps, and it will be the fault of bee¬ 
keepers if they fail to bring about the needed reform.— A L.anark- 
SHiRE Bee-keeper. 
Bee Knowledge Wanted. 
I shall be extremely obliged for very much fuller particulars 
as to bees, certainly Punics, and by all means straw hives ; but 
more knowledge than this is surely needed. I know nothing. 
The book I obtained two or three years back, and which effectually 
