80 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 28, 1892. 
It is stated that “all the concession* hitherto obtained have 
been through the initiative of the B.B.K.A., who appointed a 
deputation, of whom Mr. Cowan was one, to wait upon the postal 
authorities.” The last “deputation,” from what I can learn, con¬ 
sisted of the Secretary of the B.B.K.A.—the late Rev. H. R. Peel 
—and Mr. Cowan, who waited on Mr. Blackwood, Sec. of the 
G.P.O. on Aug. 11th, 1881—eleven yeais ago. The answer they 
got was a “ regret ” that the P.M.G. was “ unable to comply with 
the wishes of the Association.” Particulars of this will be found 
in B B J. for Oct. 1st, 1881, page 113. 
Allow me to inform these very energetic Editors that every¬ 
thing of value connected with sending hives by post has always 
been obtained through my “ initiative.” It was entirely through 
my observations, suggestions, and discoveries, and my agreeing to 
pay Mr. Benton half price on dead queens and full price on live 
ones, that mailing queens long distances was eventually made a 
success. It was I who told Mr. Benton how to send his queens, 
and it will not make the least difference to me if the law is never 
altei’ed, as all my queens go by letter post, openly, with my name 
and address on the packages. What I wanted was to make it so 
that everyone can do what I am doing. If this fact had been used 
as a lever to show the anomaly of the law an effective step would 
have been taken, instead of which it was represented to the Post 
Office that sending bees by post was against the interests of bee¬ 
keepers ; at least this was what the Post Office authorities under¬ 
stood, and why they took steps to stop me sending them. 
These well-posted Editors say I have got no concession for bee¬ 
keepers “ other than that which has been enjoyed by them since 
the Inland and Foreign Parcel Post was established.” If this is 
so I challenge them to point out either in their own journals or the 
Postal Guide the slightest intimation that live bees can be sent by 
Parcel Post. The law says “ living creatures ” shall not be carried 
by post, either as “parcels” or anything else. The July Postal 
Guide does not, I see, except live bees, and I shall write to ask why 
the exception to live bees is not published in the Postal Guide, so 
as to ensure its going in next time. 
If these Editors can show their party have made any movement 
for eleven years, or obtained any concessions, or made any public, 
they have now a tine chance to confound me ; if they do not do so, 
readers can form their own conclusions as to “ who, from interested 
motives, endeavour to make black appear white.”— John Hewitt, 
Cambridge Street, Sheffield. 
OLD IDEAS AND NEW NOTIONS. 
I should like to shake hands and have a chat with “ Lanark¬ 
shire Bee-keeper.” He has mentioned my name several times in 
your paper. I am sorry if I have caused any soreness with respect 
to my plan of fixing wax in bar frames. I am fully aware many 
so-called new ideas have been in the hands of veterans of the craft, 
but at the same time it is a pity they should remain there, and if 
the credit falls on the wrong party the public get the benefit. 
Your paper is read by many interested in bee-keeping, and I hope 
if our friend has any more bottled up novelties he will out with 
them, and so save some enthusiast like myself from obtaining 
honours that have been long since known. I suppose our friend 
will not find fault with my new ideas in extractors, feeders, &c.— 
W. P. Meadows. 
"^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 questiors 
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 
Seedling strawberry (£. McD .).—Your seedling from President 
appears to be a good variety, the flavour being superior to the type ; but 
to cram the fruits one on the top of the other in a small tin is not the 
way to insure their arriving in the test condition for an opinion to be 
formed of them. You might send a few more carefully packed. 
Stunted Cauliflowers (J". C.). —There is nothing to satisfactorily 
indicate the origin of the check. It is wholly local, and the Cauliflowers 
would have developed under favourable cultural conditions. Pcor soil, 
grubs, or noxious matter, or some check in the preparation of the plants 
may have arrested their growth. We have no particulars to guide us- 
in arriving at a definite conclusion on the matter. 
IVIildew on Tomatoes (X. Y. Z .').—There is nothing the matter 
with the individual leaf to cause you any concern, but the pair are 
infested with mildew. All such leaves should be cut tff and burned, 
and the remainder may be dusted with sulphur. Are you not keeping 
the house too close and moist ? You do not say whether it is heated or 
not; if it is coat the pipts with sulphur, the fumes of which are 
obnoxious to the small fly of which you complain, and have a tendency 
to check the growth of mildew. 
Grubs in Rose Twigs (7. F. G., Howick ).—The trees are infested 
by the grubs or larvae of one of the saw-fly group, probably that of 
Poecilosoma candidatum, a black and white fly of small size. These 
appear about April, and deposit eggs upon the shoots, into which the 
young larvae at once burrow, and remain hidden till mature, which 
event happens during July, when they descend to the earth, where they 
winter. Hence it has been advised to remove the surface soil on the 
ground where they have been noticed to occur, or apply quicklime in 
diy weather, which destroys them. While they are in the twigs nothing 
can be done beyond removing all infected. 
House lor Carnations (St . Julien). —The structure is more suit¬ 
able for growing Carnations in than a light span-roof with brickwork up 
to a little above the stages, and glazed sides about 18 inches high from 
the brickwork up to the eaves. If the house is narrow, flat side stages, 
also a stage across one end will suffice, but large houses have a central 
stage as well. You appear, however, to desire a small house, and only wish 
to know the height. The heights of houses are governed by their width. 
An amateur we know grows Carnations very well in a house 9 feet wide 
and 8 feet high to the ridge, the ends standing north and south. Ample 
provision must be made for ventilation, both in the sides and roof of the 
house. Houses 30 feet long are sometimes heated with gas. We prefer 
the burners under the boiler outside the house. 
Fungus on Tomato leaves (<9. 31.'). —The description you give 
of the fungus does not accord with Cladosporium, but the white spots 
under the leaves that turn to a dark brown agree better with the Potato 
fungus (Phytophthora infestans). Had you sent a few leaves for our 
inspection we should have been able to have given more explicit 
information. You may, however, spray the plants, but not the fruit 
advanced in swelling, with ammoniacal carbonate of copper solution 
made by mixing thoroughly 3 ozs. of pulverised ammonia carbonate and 
half ounce of copper carbonate (precipitated), and keep in an air-tight 
vessel, and when wanted for use dissolve in 10 gallons of water. The 
solution must only be used so as to coat the foliage with a thin film, and 
both surfaces of the leaves must be dressed. A syringe with a spraying 
nozzle will do this effectually. 
Tomatoes Falling- (IF. II.). —We have Been very good crops grown 
in such positions as you desciibe. The boxes are quite large enough. 
We suspect you have erred in allowing too much lateral growth. Most 
of the best growers allow none at all. They grow the plants sturdily 
from the first, confine each to one stem from w'hich flower trusses issue, 
and pinch out all axillary growths when they are 1 inch long. In that 
way they have “ ropes of fruit.” Overwatering in the early stages, over¬ 
crowding of the growths, and an insufficiency of air are dangers to be 
avoided in growing Tomatoes. They also like firm soil, and only 
sufficient water for sustaining free growth. No one can suggest the 
quantity, as that must be governed by the condition of the plants and 
state of the weather. You would find Mr. Iggulden’s work useful, p:sfc 
free from this office Is. 2d. 
Destroying Woodlice (.7. IF., Leeds). —If you expect to destroy 
all the woodlice in a night by any action whatever we are bound to say 
you will be disappointed. The plan we mentioned has answered 
admirably when properly carried out. We, however, add that toads and 
pieces of cut Potato are excellent means of destroying woodlice, but 
where they “swarm” more wholesale means must be employed. Wood- 
lice most frequent leaves, tan, old boards, and other decaying organic 
matter, secreting themselves in any cracks of the soil, by walls, or any¬ 
where in moist places, and near their food plants. These habits have been 
taken advantage of for their destruction. The old-fashioned trap of boiled 
Potato wrapped loosely in a little hay, and placed in a small flower-pot 
laid on its side in their haunts captures a good many, the baits being 
examined every morning, and the woodlice shaken out into boiling 
water. Placing a little hay by the side of the walls upon the beds or 
borders, sprinkling over it a little scalded oatmeal or bits of boiled 
Potato, and over these scattering some hay entices the woodlice, and 
pouring boiling water on the hay through a rose watering can in the 
morning soon destroys the insects. If the water is not used in greater 
quantity than to wet the hay no damage is done to Mushrooms. Old 
tan serves equally well if placed on a narrow board at the side of the 
bed near the wall, especially when mixed with a little boiled Potato, 
bread crumbs, scalded oatmeal, or pieces of raw Potato, Carrot, Beet, 
or Mangold Wurtzel, baiting for a few days to attract the woodlice, 
and then scald them with boiling water. Mr. Charles Bateson, writing 
in answer to a question about destroying insects in Mushroom beds, 
observes:—“ If sugar and plaster of Paris are mixed together in any 
proportion, strewn about an inch thick all round and on the top of the 
