July 21, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
67 
with difficulty that manipulations can be carried on, and not a May 
nor June-bred queen is laying yet. This is the worst bee season 
up to date ever experienced. However, we hope to have a week or 
two of summer and honey weather before the close of the season. 
PUNICS. 
I am sorry all my plans to fully test the Punics have as yet 
been frustrated. Up till May the Punics seemed to take the lead ; 
after that the pure ones appeared to suffer more from loss of bees 
than the others. The crosses, however, kept their ground, and 
were ready to swarm two weeks earlier ; but, being delayed 
through stress of weather, swarmed first, yet on the same day as 
the Carniolans. On account of the young queens being hatched in 
the former the first swarm was less in size, so that even after care¬ 
ful weighing it would not have been a sure test had there been 
honey. Contrary to previous experience, the old queen was kept 
safe by the swarm. The young ones that accompanied it taking 
refuge in nuclei and other hives gave me no little trouble. Thanks 
to noisiness of the Punics, their usurpations, like that of the 
piraters of others’ inventions and ideas, betrayed their places 
of refuge ; they were duly searched for, and as quickly dis¬ 
patched. Had it not been for their loud trumpeting my nuclei 
of pure breeds would have all been changed into second cross 
Punics. 
On further examination of some of my stocks on the 2nd, I 
must say that both pure and crossed Punics were, with the excep¬ 
tion of the crossed Syrian, as rich in honey as any other breed, and 
everyone I gave queens to in 1891 reports Punics the best of any. 
A first swarm only half a mile distant has four 6 lb. supers well 
forward, the only ones known in the neighbourhood. From an 
Italian cross Mrs. Glen, Bairhead, took a super of 19 lbs. at the 
end of June ; but it is a better locality than ours. 
So far as experiments have gone they have proved that what 
has been printed on Punic bees outside these columns is inaccurate 
and unreliable, even to that which says no honey need be expected 
from first swarms ; but let truth prevail ! 
I have several inquiries for Punic queens. I wish to repeat 
that I do not sell them. It would not be fair of me to do so on 
the strength of another’s advertisement in the Journal of Horti¬ 
culture. I do not know what I may do in the future, but if I 
arrange to sell queens I shall advertise. 
Swarming and Supering. 
As a rule, in such weather as we are experiencing bees, if 
they have sufficient breeding space, make no preparation to 
swarm. If the bee-keeper is watchful of his bees and the 
weather he will know to a moment when to super, and if that 
js done at the right time the bees will at once take possession 
of the supers and fill them rapidly. If he takes further thought 
he will, by properly estimating the strength of his hives, be able 
to place two sets of supers upon some of the strongest, which 
will be filled more rapidly, and be of greater beauty than those 
on weaker hives. If any super stocks swarm remove the stock at 
once to a good distance, or within doors for a time, so as to 
secure as many bees to the swarm as possible, placing a decoy 
hive on the spot until the swarm takes its place, which should 
be without delay, then transfer the supers from the stock to the 
swarm. 
Should the weather break shortly after the transfer of supers 
transfer all combs containing honey from the stock so that the 
swarm will finish the supers. Of course these combs must have 
their seals broken and placed in an under division of the swarm’s 
hive. The great majority of practical hints are not to be found in 
books, nor is it possible to state them all here, as they must vary 
with the weather, which is variable in the extreme. Bee-keepers 
should therefore study well what is best to do for their bees and 
their own advantage.—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
PUNICS—MORE DARKNESS. 
No wonder you make no attempt to make matters clear to Mr. 
Carlton, on page 19, July 7th. The same Editors of the paper in 
question told a correspondent on September 17th last that they were 
acquainted with the bees of Tunis, but the so-called Punic bees did not 
exist in that country. Now, on June 30th they make it clear that I 
got them from Tunis. They also say they were one week at the 
“spot.” On July 7th they say it was not during their swarming 
season, and a few lines after they speak of them throwing large 
numbers of swarms, sometimes with as many queens as worker bees, 
and they themselves counted sixty cells on one comb. How bees can 
construct so many cells, and swarm with more queens than bees, all in 
“ one week,” and yet not be their swarming season, is a puzzle to me, 
and will be so to every other bee-keeper who understands anything of 
their natural history. It may go down with novices who do not 
know how long it takes queens to develop, and there are some who 
will believe anything that some people tell them, like the old woman 
who said she had so much faith in her parson that if he said Jonah 
swallowed the whale she would believe him. It is almost astounding 
to read of an explorer making such wonderful discoveries in one short 
week. I have never seen so much during the “ seven years ” I have had 
Panics. The way the traveller contradicts himself, and differs from 
every person’s experience who has tried these bees, leads to the con¬ 
clusion that he has been misled. If Mr. Carlton will bear this in mind, 
he will not be surprised by the conflicting statements he desires to be 
made “ clear.”—A Hallamshire Bee-keeper. 
S # *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 
Book on Vines (G. IF). —Mr. Taylor’s book “Vines at Longleat,” 
was published at this office, but has been out of print for some time. 
The author might have a spare copy which he could let you have. 
Heating Forcing Houses ( A. G.). —As your letter is not of 
urgent importance we will reserve it for fuller consideration and reply 
next week than could be given to it in the midst of busy preparations 
for press. 
IVXoveable Fowl Houses (J/. A. K. F.). —These are not made by 
the majority of the horticultural builders, but probably you could get 
them from Mr. Cooper, 751, Old Kent Road, London, S.E. We think he 
makes them. 
Iris stylosa (J/. F. C .).— In late districts and on cold soils this 
Iris cannot be depended upon to bloom in the open, and in these 
circumstances it is necessary to cover the plant with a bellglass or 
handlight in October, and to allow this to remain until spring, tilting 
the glass so as to admit a supply of air. See Names of Plants. 
Aquilegla glandulosa (J/. F. C.'). —This fine Aquilegia is of 
somewhat difficult culture in some soils, but may be grown success¬ 
fully in a moderately light loamy soil with a plentiful supply of water 
while coming into bloom. It is, however, a plant which frequently 
gives a good deal of trouble before its precise requirements can be found 
in any particular garden. 
Grapes Cracking (A. IF).—We have no doubt the chief cause of 
your Madresfield Court and Ferdinand de Lesseps Grapes cracking is an 
excess of atmospheric moisture. These Grapes are prone to crack 
through the peculiar nature of the skins, through which moisture passes 
freely, rupture ensuing. The best Grape growers prevent the evil by 
preventing the cause of it. This is done by free yet judicious ventila¬ 
tion, and not allowing anything approaching “ still ” clamp air to 
surround the berries. This is far more conducive to the evil than is 
moisture in the soil, though this when it can be prevented, as in inside 
borders, should not be excessive. 
Wlreworms in Vine Border (G.G.). —There is no better plan 
than the Carrot traps, which take them alive, and the cultivator has the 
satisfaction of knowing when he kills them that they cannot do further 
