490 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 15, 1893. 
plunged in the turf in July are very showy, and even the ordinary 
Cockscombs, turned out after they are nearly or quite fully grown, last 
for a long time. , -i. • 
lyiulcbln? Flower Beds, —During hot and dry weather there is 
every inducement for the watering pot and hose to be freely used, 
and this not always to the advantage of the plants. Very often a 
light watering applied in the evening is all that is needed, the soil 
though dry on the surface being quite moist enough underneath. Con¬ 
stantly drenching the ground with cold water greatly impoverishes it, 
and many plants do not thrive well under such conditions. A light 
surfacing of common salt, stirred in with a small Dutch hoe or a pointed 
stick, would make many soils more retentive of moisture, also proving a 
good manure when washed down to the roots, and ought to be tried. In 
most cases a mulching of either old Mushroom bed refuse, leaf soil, 
well decayed tanner’s bark, fine peat, cocoa-nut fibre refuse, or even fine 
dry soil would conserve the moisture in the beds and obviate the 
necessity for watering so frequently. Especially ought Tuberous 
Begonias, Verbenas, Fuchsias, Violas, and Calceolarias to receive this 
attention. First give the beds a good watering, unless fortunately a 
soaking rain falls opportunely, and the next morning lightly stir and 
level over the surface with a flat hoe, and then apply the mulch, the 
whole of the bed being covered with a moderate thickness of it. This 
mulching may not wholly do away with the necessity for watering, and 
should the weather continue dry and hot the soil ought to be probed 
occasionally, and water given when needed. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
The Weather and Bees. 
The weather continues warm and sunny, but there is a harsh¬ 
ness in the atmosphere which tells alike against bees and plant 
growth, aggravated by the myriads of garden pests. We had a fine 
shower at the beginning of the week, but more rain is wanted. 
The bees are searching for honey, but owing to the drought and 
paucity of flowers are not gathering it in great quantity. In a 
few days the Clover will be ready ; then, as the hives are in good 
condition, they will, if the weather is suitable, work effectively. 
We are not the most favourably situated for keeping bees, but are 
well stored with honey. A few miles further up the Clyde 
ordinary hives in April increased in weight 40 lbs. First swarms 
are getting strong, so are some of the early after swarms—a great 
advantage near the Clover season. 
SUPEEING. 
This will be the order of the day to a greater degree than we 
are accustomed. It must be borne in mind that bees will not take 
to supers till the body of the hive is fully occupied with bees, 
brood and food. It is of no use putting on supers till then, and 
honey is plentiful. When that is the case do not delay a minute. 
One of our old and successful plans to induce bees to enter supers 
was to add a nadir for several days, then take it away, and at the 
same time put on the super or supers, for with strong hives we 
usually put on two and even three at a time ; then after the bees 
had the supers well begun either a combed division was put under 
again or the one recently removed. In olden times when there was 
no foundation the white combs made in the nadir were employed 
as guides to supers, or if the temporary nadir was a super it took 
its right place. Admittance of course was given at the sides of 
the hive only, and it was a rare thing to see brood in supers. 
The Close-fitting Divider. 
My contrivance was used in large frame hives. After allowing 
the bees full scope to the dozen frames containing twelve super¬ 
ficial feet of double-sided combs, one or two frames were removed, 
supers put on crowding the bees into them. After they had well 
started them the frames recently taken away were added. This 
manipulation was one of the best to delay or prevent swarming, 
but let no reader of this Journal believe that swarming can be 
absolutely prevented, for it cannot. Bees swarm because it is 
natural for them to do so, while they make preparations about a 
week or more before it takes place. 
Returning Swarms. 
Do not return swarms unless they be after swarms not wanted, 
for assuredly they will swarm again, but transfer the supers with 
bees and combs from the old stock to the swarm. An answer of 
mine to a query was contradicted in a contemporary. It was, that 
when the swarm took the place of the old stock the bees of the 
latter would not enter the hive of the former unless it was taken 
a long distance away or shut up inside. In this case there would 
be no bees flying to go back, while the moment a swarmed stock 
hive is handled the bees seem to know it, and keep up a continuous 
humming and fanning to draw the attention of bewildered return¬ 
ing bees. They then immediately mark their new site, and return 
to it as unerringly as they did to the old one. Of course, a theorist 
who writes on bees and a practical kee-keeper are as distinct from 
each other as are the different journals. 
Different Shades op Pollen. 
The bees are busy gathering pollen from the Thalictrums. It 
is very interesting watching them on these plants, as it is easy to 
see the different hues upon their legs, varying from light brimstone 
to dark orange from the same plant, a change probably due to 
the saliva of the bees being more acid in some than others.— 
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. 
Campanulate Foxg-love (J. II, IF.).—Yes, the “freak has come 
under our notice before.” Allusion was made to an instance in last 
week’s issue of the Journal of Ilortio^iUure, page 469, to which you may 
with advantage refer. 
The Home of the Tomato {Beulah Sj)a ').—It is a native of 
South America, probably Peru, but is found wild in Mexico, Brazil, 
and the Southern States, also in the East Indies, whence it was supposed 
to be taken by the Malays. It was introduced to this country in 1596. 
Insects on Plums {S. H. StoW ).—Aphides are increasing rapidly 
on fruit trees and bushes. It is important that timely measures be 
taken for their eradication. Those on the Plum leaves you send are 
dead with the exception of one or two newly hatched, these proving 
the necessity of at least two applications for clearing the trees. 
Diverse IVIethods {St. Julien ').—The same end may be obtained 
by different routes, and similar results by differing methods, if they are 
pursued intelligently. Contradictions are instructive, and it is common 
for an apprentice to learn (if he does not already know) more than his 
master. We are obliged by your letter, and agree with some portions 
of it. 
Culture of Padyenia prolifera (IF. T. B .').—This curious little 
Fern requires the temperature of an ordinary exotic fernery, or the cool 
end of a moist stove. It succeeds in a compost of peat and sand, with 
abundant drainage, a wide shallow pan being best suited for it, as the 
long narrow fronds can then extend freely. When the young plants are 
produced at the point they will soon root in the soil, and may be either 
separated or allowed to remain, the latter being generally preferred, as 
they impart a peculiar appearance to the plant. It is usually found 
advisable to cover the plant with a bellglass to preserve an equable 
temperature and moisture about it. 
Rose Cuttings Falling {E. C .').—The chief cause of failure may 
probably be traced to keeping the cuttings, and eventually young 
plants, too closely covered, thus making them tender and liable to 
destruction by the frost, to which they appear to have been victims. 
When Bose cuttings are inserted in summer it is desirable to keep them 
close, moist, and shaded for a time, but they should be gradually inured 
to sun and air and be fully exposed as soon as possible in the autumn. 
It may be necessary to protect them in winter if the frost is severe. 
Thousands of Briar cuttings, also numbers of Eose cuttings, are inserted 
in the open ground in October, and if the right kind of wood is chosen, 
and the cuttings made and inserted quickly and properly, the great 
majority root and pass the winter with soil drawn up the stems. In 
gardens where only a few dozens or hundreds are put in cocoa-nut fibre 
refuse may be employed for protecting them. When inserted in cold 
frames or covered with hand-glasses they are apt to fail through being 
“ coddled,” and they should be fully exposed except during very in¬ 
clement weather during the autumn and winter. You have been ton 
kind to your cuttings, and possibly they may have been too crowded 
under the bell-glasses. If we knew the size of these and the number of 
