July 7, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
19 
of fresh loam, and give a good watering. When growth is taking 
place afford an application of liquid manure, and then treat as for 
former crops. When Melons are grown upon the continuous system it 
is well to note that the laterals will grow somewhat freely and show 
fruit abundantly after a few joints of growth. The flowers after being 
impregnated will set and the fruit swell freely, so that sufficient 
moisture only need be accorded to maintain the plants in continuous 
bearing. Attend to stopping, thinning, tying, or otherwise regulating 
the growth, not allowing pressure of work in other departments to in¬ 
terfere with this, or the results will be so detrimental as to be difficult 
to remedy. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Carnations and Plcotees. —A considerable number of old plants 
were killed during the past winter, but only a comparatively few young 
ones were lost, seedlings proving the most hardy. All in good health 
have pushed up abundance of strong flower stems, and these ought not 
to be allowed to fall about the beds. Neat Hazel stakes are the least 
conspicuous, and not more than two or three stems should be tied to 
one of these. Well kept and moderately long Apple prunings answer 
well, while if deal stakes are used they ought first to be painted green. 
The least that can be done with strong plants is to support the flower 
stems with either Hazel or Birch spray, such as Kidney Beans in pots 
are usually staked. If extra fine blooms are desired thin out the buds 
freely, leaving only the prominent central ones; but for ordinary 
purposes no thinning is necessary, buds cut with the flowers improving 
the appearance of the latter rather than otherwise. If not already done 
lightly stir the surface of the soil and mulch with leaf soil or some 
other material that will serve to enclose moisture, and yet not present 
an unsightly appearance. It pays well to erect a light framework for 
.supporting blinds over the beds, these protecting the flowers from heavy 
rains and fierce sunshine. 
Forming Fresh Beds. —Supposing a good number of seedlings 
have been raised, and these duly potted singly or pricked out in boxes, all 
ought soon to be quite strong enough for planting out. If they have 
lately been kept in cold frames little or no hardening will be necessary, 
and if put out early grand flowering plants will be had for next season. 
They succeed very well in mixed borders, but are much the most 
effective and serviceable when grown in slightly raised beds, gently 
sloping to the south or south-west. These beds may well be about 
d leet wide, having 1 foot alleys between them, each bed holding five 
rows of plants disposed 12 inches apart in the row. That will be none 
too much space. A very rich root run is not desirable, but some fresh 
loam, horse droppings, and grit, such as may be collected on highways, 
may well be mixed with the ordinary garden soil. See that the plants 
are in a moist state at the roots prior to turning them out of pots and 
preserve the balls intact, surrounding these with some of the finest soil 
and making it firm. Give a gentle watering occasionally, and any put 
out from boxes with only a little soil about the roots should be 
lightly shaded from fierce sunshine, this being done with the aid of a 
few tree branches. 
Propagating Carnations and Pinks. —The last-named will soon 
be past their best, on the whole they have flowered remarkably well. 
Much the finest flowers are produced by young plants, and the beds 
continue to improve as far as floriferousness is concerned for about four 
years. A new bed or beds ought to be formed every season, and in 
course of time this admits of the worn out older ones beiDg destroyed. 
This season it ought to be possible for seed to be sown in quantity, at 
any rate in the sunny south, and it may either be sown directly it is 
ripe or kept till next spring. In the former case the seedlings should be 
kept in frames till the following spring, and the strongest of them may 
flower the same season. Seedlings are more vigorous than plants raised 
from cuttings, but the latter are most generally grown. Now is the best 
time for taking the cuttings or pipings, and these root the most quickly 
and surely over a very gentle hotbed formed on the north side of a 
garden wall. They will also strike readily in some districts underhand- 
lights in a similar position, and without the aid of fire heat. Failing 
these coverings they may be struck in the open. If frames are used 
three parts fill them with partly exhausted heating material, nothing being 
better than stable manure and leaves that have previously done duty. 
Surface them with about 4 inches of fine loamy compost in which road 
grit or, failing thi3, sharp sand has been freely mixed. The same sort 
of mixture should be placed either in handlights or boxes. The cuttings 
should be slipped off, the old plants slightly trimmed, cleared of dead 
leaves, and at once dibbled out 3 inches apart each way. See that they 
touch the bottom of the holes made with the dibber, and are well fixed. 
Give a gentle watering, keep the frames or handlights close, and shade 
from fierce sunshine. Thus treated, and kept from becoming dry, 
rooting will soon take place, and the plants will be ready for the 
open borders in September at the latest, or the stock can be wintered 
where struck. Carnations and Picotees may be raised in a similar 
manner, the small side shoots being chosen for the purpose of being made 
into cuttings, and the stronger growths layered in August. 
Dahlias, —To have these at their best they must be liberally treated 
at the roots, and well attended to in the way of staking and training. 
The best results attend the practice of putting out spring-struck plants 
in preference to old roots, giving them a spit of manure and some fresh 
loam to start in, and confining the plants to a single stem. A strong 
stake should be placed to each, and the plants kept secured to these 
with stout raffia or small tar twine. For all ordinary purposes this will 
be all that is needed, the plants being allowed to branch strongly and 
to flower at will, but if show blooms are required a different system 
must be adopted. Reduce the side growths to about four in number, 
selecting those rather low down, and place a stake to each. These 
reserved shoots must be kept carefully fastened to the stakes and not be 
allowed to branch very freely, a considerable number of buds in some 
cases being a’so removed. The plants will require to be liberally fed 
at the roots, especially if the season is at all dry and hot. Earwigs are 
the great bugbear of Dahlia growers, and are on the plants already. 
They eat first the leaves and then the petals of the flowers, and must be 
got rid of by trapping. The time-honoured plan of placing short 
lengths of hollow Bean stalks near the top of the stems is one of the 
best that can be tried, the earwigs collecting in these, and should then 
be blown out and destroyed. They may also be caught wholesale in 
small flower pots filled with dry moss, and inverted over the stakes. 
i 
|j§| 
HE BEE-KEEPER. 
Punic Bees—More Light Wanted. 
On the BOth of June the editors of another journal say they 
failed to find any Punic bees in Tunis, and in the same article 
speak of being on the “ very spot ” in Tunis from whence fifty 
stocks were purchased from the Arabs, and the queens sent to Mr. 
Hewitt, exactly as stated by “ A. H. B. K.” on August 20th last. 
Can you explain, Mr. Editor, what they mean ? 
On June 16th they questioned the truth of there being a stock 
of pure Punic bees in the country. Now it is an “ imported one,” 
and they say “ they have yet to see such a stock in this country or 
to hear of any of their correspondents having one.” Do they not 
give themselves away ? It clearly shows one of two alternatives— 
viz., either that your correspondents have more enterprise in them 
than others, or else there is an endeavour to keep the public in 
ignorance that such bees are to be had. 
I have seen somewhere about forty hives of bees in one apiary, 
every one of which was headed by a pure Punic queen, and in 
which pure Punic bees were working, and so well do I like them 
that I intend very shortly to have the whole of my apiary either 
pure Punics or Punic crossed. See my letter in Journal of 
Horticulture , January 7th, page 11. A friend of mine who has 
every facility for inspecting my bees says that he is so well satisfied 
of the superiority of the Punics over the common bees that as 
soon as he can effect the change he shall not keep a common bee 
in his garden. These same editors gave us to understand on 
August 27th last that we could get these queens imported for 
10 francs each, equal to 8s. Now they tell us “ the supply is stopped, 
and none will be sent in future.” Nor does it appear that they 
have brought a queen home with them, except, perhaps, a dead 
one. So far my Punics are far in advance of the others this 
season, and I am glad to say I can obtain all the Punic queens I 
want alive and well. Please explain the above confliction.— 
Wm. Carlton. 
[We make no attempt to explain the meaning of statements 
that do not explain themselves.] 
Races of Bees. 
“ A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper ” asks me on page 500 what J 
think to crossed Syrians being the only stock working in supers. If 
he will refer to some of my articles of 1883, 1884, and 1885 he will 
find that I placed Syrians crossed with blacks as the most profitable 
bee. I also placed pure Syrians as the most pleasurable. I had not 
tried Punics at that time, but next to Punics I still fancy Syrians. 
I account for the fact of their going first into supers to their prolific¬ 
ness, as queens of this race lay fully 3000 eggs daily. Wait till the 
season ends, and see if Punics do not beat them. I am sorry, 
however, that these bees will not sw T arm with me. They are 
working in supers most industriously, and keep destroying the 
queen cells.—A Hallamshire Bee-keeper. 
Errors in Nomenclature. 
I am sorry if I did not read the MS. of “ R. M.” correctly. 
We should be accurate in the description of all things, and let 
the nomenclature be also correct. There are many things in 
bee husbandry improperly termed. The word “ bar-frame leads 
some to suppose it i 3 a particular kind of frame. Thirty five years 
ago I had in my circulars bar hives ” and “ bar and frame hives. I 
made these hives before comb-foundation was invented. These bars 
were split nearly through (such as Mr. Meadows recently patented) 
for the reception of strips of wax and partly built combs as guides. 
Some present day bee-keepers act as if no others had been born 
before them, so many old things and ideas being claimed as their 
own, and new.—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
