158 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 18, 1892. 
exists. Brood-spreading, together with the returning of after 
swarms as hinted at above, is advice after the fashion of “ drawing 
a bow at a venture,” and is as deceptive as it is absurd and dis¬ 
appointing to the novice. Many who have tried and depended on 
the wholesomeness of the advice will not do so again. 
Plurality of Queens. 
In all stocks, unless timely destroyed, this is a great hindrance 
to profitable bee-keeping, because weeks may pass before the queen 
to reign is selected, hence the loss of the best of the season. Always 
bear in mind that virgin queens long in a hive are a certain loss to 
the bee-keeper, and the reverse the opposite. 
Punics. 
I observe at page 134 there is a clerical error. “Its contents 
being 50 lbs. ” should read 60 lbs., being about a third heavier than 
any other swarm in the neighbourhood. 
The crossed Punics have kept up their reputation as good honey 
gatherers, mild tempered, and steady working. One hive, a prime 
swarm, of these bees has given 40 lbs. of super honey, irrespective 
of what the body of the hive contains. The last time it was 
weighed its nett contents were 65 lbs., not bad for a season like 
the present, in which there has never been a complete working day 
for the bees, mostly not more than two hours. The prevailing 
winds have been from north to north-east and north-west, direc¬ 
tions during which little or no honey is secreted. These cold, 
barren winds, with low temperatures, neither fill the air with sweet 
odours nor hives with honey. 
Prospects of the Heather. 
The Heather is late in flowering this year, but it may be 
remembered that for several years past the finest weather occurred 
in September, so that lateness of flowers does not signify no 
honey. 
I am likely to stay beside my bees for some time, and wi’l 
watch their proceedings and notify the results of the different 
varieties to readers.—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Messrs. G. Bunyard & Co., The Old Nurseries, Maidstone.— Ruses, 
Rulbs, Strawberries, and Small Fruits. 
Messrs. Dickson & Robinson, 12, Old Mitigate, Manchester.— Bulbs. 
Messrs. Ellwanger & Barry, Mount Hope Nurseries, Rochester, N.Z. 
—Strawberries and Bulbs. 
Messrs. Fisher, Son, & Sibray, Handsworth, Sheffield.— Bulbs. 
Messrs. Sutton & Sons, Reading.— Bulbs. 
Messrs. Veitch & Sons, Royal Exotic Nursery, King’s Road, Chelsea, 
London, S.W.—Bulbs. 
***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 io 
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 
Seedling Begonia and Petunia (R. Creighton).— The Begonia is 
one of the Hollyhock-flowered section of doubles, and the colour" bright 
salmon pink, is attractive. If the variety is a free bloomer, of compact 
habit, and with strong flower stems carrying the blooms well clear of 
the leaves it is a good one. The Petunia, a fringed double white with 
violet centre, is very beautiful. 
Packing Crapes (Packer ).—If you pack the Grapes carefully in 
the manner you suggest they ought not to suffer from shaking ; but as 
nearly a fortnight must elapse from the time they are cut until they are 
unpacked, it would probably be well to pack a wide-mouthed bottle with 
a tighty-fitting cork in the basket, and bore a hole through the cork to 
pass the stem through, wedging jt $o prevent shaking and the escape of 
water. 
Dahlias Sporting (E. Johnson). — It is by no means unusual for 
Dahlias to produce flowers differing in colour on the same plants. We 
have seen hundreds of examples. In some cases half the blooms may 
be of one colour, the other half quite different, and on the same plants 
the entire blooms may be of a different colour from the majority on 
the plant. Some varieties are more prone to change than others in the 
manner indicated. 
Screen under Cedar Trees ( B. D. A'.).—If the shade is very 
dense you will probably have some difficulty in inducing shrubs to grow 
freely under Cedar trees. Nor is the shade alone an obstacle, for the 
dry impoverished soil must be inimical to growth. We have seen 
Evergreen Privet grow very well under trees, but only when excavations 
have been made, the old soil removed, and fresh introduced for planting 
in. This was also kept moist by periodical waterings, and mulching 
the surface with manure or decayed vegetable matter. Earth moisture 
is essential for the growth of the shrubs. 
Cros Maroc and Gros Colman Grapes (Robert Machellar).—Th.e 
Grapes you send are correctly named and very fine examples of the 
respective varieties. They are distinct in foliage and fruit. Occasionally 
the leaves of Gros Maroc develope a round or almost flattened form as 
in your case, but the difference in the quality of the fruit is very 
apparent. There is a suspicion of “ earthiness ” in the Gros Colmans, 
whereas the Gros Marocs are vinous and sprightly. The judges erred as 
others might have done in judging by appearance alone, but all the same 
the varieties are quite distinct, and we are glad to see such evidence of 
good culture. 
Saving Seed of Ten-week Stocks to Secure Double Flowers 
(.H S .).—The seed saved at random from single flowers produces a very 
large percentage of single-flowered plants ; but seed saved from the 
finest single-flowered, grown specially for the purpose, afford a large 
percentage of double-flowered plants. Your only chance of saving seed 
to secure a large portion of plants with double flowers is to grow the 
best of the single-flowered plants in pots and under glass, selecting 
those only for producing seed which have large flowers, and if possible 
with more than four petals, feeding the plants highly, but not exces¬ 
sively, so a3 to secure fine pods and good plump seeds, which require 
the protection of glass in this country to ripen perfectly. The plants 
should be raised from seed early in the season so as to give them ample 
time to grow and mature the seed. 
Vallota purpurea Treatment (T. F. W.).— This fine late sum¬ 
mer and autumn flowering bulbous plant does not require any particular 
treatment to insure its free blooming, but it is necessary that the plants 
have a light situation in a greenhouse, and as near the glass as may be 
without touching at all times, especially during the winter, and be 
kept properly but not needlessly supplied with water. Overpotting is 
a great evil, and the removal of the suckers destructive of fine specimens. 
The plants may yet flower, as there is ample time for them to do so, and 
the flowers are more valuable late than early. The thing is to get the 
plants strong by growing them in plenty of light, and then they will 
form fine bulbs, and throw up two scapes of flowers each. 
Chrysanthemum Shoots Shrivelled at the Points (X Y. Z.~). 
The Chrysanthemum shoots are infested with a “rust” or minute 
fungus (a Septoria), which at this time of year affects the growing 
points of various plants, including Vine laterals and the terminal 
growths of young Vines, causing them to become brown and to shrivel. 
An allied species infests Tomatoes, Pear trees, Cherry and Apple 
trees, and seems to be largely on the increase. The remedies for these 
minute parasitical fungi have only reached the initiatory stage. The 
plants should be grown as hardily as possible, but the locality has a 
good deal to do with the susceptibility of the plants to attacks ; a wet 
cold subsoil favours the assaults through the increase of night dews 
and fogs. 
^ Cucumbers Falling (H. J. W.). — We received the small 
Cucumbers before our last issue was printed, and they were referred to 
on page 134, but your letter did not reach us till after our reply was 
published. If you are correct in saying “ they have had every 
possible requisite attention bestowed upon them” you may conclude 
they are the victims of disease, but we cannot say it has been intro¬ 
duced by the seed. We have seen hundreds of similar Cucumbers in a 
house. The border was covered with soapy manure and quite wet, but 
when we examined the soil down to the slates over the heating chamber 
it was very much too dry. After the error was rectified the fruits set. 
and swelled freely. You say you have “ used a lot of cow manure.” 
We do not know what a “lot ” means, but we know it can be used in 
excess for Cucumbers. Try the effect of rough turfy loam with a seventh 
part of wood ashes and half that quantity of lime. Maintain a night 
temperature of 65°, manage the ventilation and atmospheric moisture 
judiciously, and the change from your treatment may perhaps do good. 
Scars on Apples (J. C.). —The “scars” are probably due to 
moisture resting on the skin of the fruit next the eye in the early stages 
of growth, and has caused the destruction of the outer skin, and the 
“ rust ’ or russet has spread in consequence of the growth of the fruit, 
and another skin has been formed in its place, the russet being the 
useless matter cast off in the formation of the new skin.. The edge of 
the scar is quite as distinct as when it was first formed, the new skin 
being distinct from the old, and it will be so until the growth of the 
Apple is complete. There is no fungus of a destructive nature, certainly 
