September 1 , 1892. ] 
208 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
or interfered with. Keep them Hupplied with water and allow them to 
flic down naturally in the open air. Every tuber, if no larger than 
Radish seed, will start into growth next spring and surpass any raised 
from seed in January or February. Winter them just a« they are in a 
warm cellar or shed. Tuberous Begonias though beautiful in good 
mixture are still more effective when massed in separate colours. No 
time should be lost, therefore, in marking the various colours so as to 
be able to group them properly next summer. 
Verbenas.— These are by no means played out, and they are yet 
among the best of summer bedding plants. They have grown strongly 
and flowered beautifully in spite of the presumably unfavourable 
character of the weather yet experienced. Seedlings in mixture are 
very attractive, but the best named varieties, in separate colours, only 
are tolerated where the flower beds are grouped and planted after a set 
plan. The great difficulty with Verbenas is in getting gocxl soft 
cuttings in the spring, these only being available from healthy autumn 
struck stock plants. Now is the time to put in the cuttings. Select 
soft flowerless shoots, trim them at the third joint, and dibble them 
thinly either in pans or 5-inch pots, well drained and filled with a 
mixture of fine loam, leaf soil, and sand. Place them in a frame on a 
nearly exhausted hotbed, and keep them close, moist, and shaded till 
rooted. Winter them on shelves in a cool greenhouse. 
Ageratums and Heliotropes. —Old plants of these do not lift 
readily. The former, it is true, can be most easily raised from seed, the 
strains also being good ; but not so Heliotropes. If a few or many ot 
the latter have been kept in pots to flower during the summer or 
autumn they will be found excellent for producing abundance of cut¬ 
tings next spring. Failing these, strike cuttings of young shoots as 
advised in the case of Verbenas. Cuttings of Ageratums are frequently 
hard to obtain ; but if procurable, strike them in gentle heat. 
Ireslnes, Coleuses, and Alternantheras.— The two former 
seldom lift well, and besides the plants are frequently too clumsy for 
the purpose. Store plants in pots are ornamental enough, and produce 
abundance of cuttings in the spring ; but if none of these exist, lose no 
time in rooting a number of tops, as frosts may cripple them earlier 
than anticipated. About six cuttings in each well-drained 5-inch pot 
are ample, and they ought to be kept close, shaded, and warm till well 
rooted. Should they give early signs of damping, enough air should be 
given every morning to dry the glass of the frame. Alternantheras 
move fairly well from the open ground, but not if they have been 
frosted. Few care to disturb the beds before they are obliged to do, and 
it is advisable, therefore, to strike a considerable number of cuttings 
now. Three-inch, or slightly larger pots, are the best size, five or six 
cuttings being placed in each. Treat as advised in the case of Iresines, 
and all three kinds of plants should be wintered on shelves in forcing 
houses or stoves. 
Megcmbryanthemum cordlfollum varlegatum. — This is 
somewhat difficult to manage, hence its being less often seen than 
formerly. Being of a succulent nature, cuttings inserted now, as 
advised in the case of Alternantheras, should be kept somewhat dry and 
in a dry heat, or they will damp off. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Polnsettlas.— These if brought forward under cool conditions will 
be sturdy plants with foliage to the base. Give more air during bright 
warm days ; in fact, no harm will result if the lights are thrown off for 
a few hours during the hottest part of the day. Do not excite the plants 
into fresh growth by closing the frame too early in the afternoon. It 
will be wise to close it at night. Weak stimulants may be given 
occasionally, or better still, apply a little artificial manure to the surface 
of the soil. When the pots become filled with roots feeding must be 
resorted to, or the lower leaves will turn yellow and fall. 
Euphorbia jacqulnlacliora.— Well established plants may be given 
the same treatment as Poinsettias. Those in a more backward condition 
may be encouraged to grow, but must be fully exposed to the sun and 
given a free circulation of air daily. Firm sturdy growth must be made 
or they will fail to flower satisfactorily. Centropogons and Justicias 
may be grown under the conditions advised for these plants. 
Crotons.— Good heads that need re-rooting should be moved at once. 
Hide shoots that are well coloured may be taken off and rooted without 
delay in small pots; these will be found useful during the winter. 
Small plants that are well rooted may be placed into 4-inch pots and 
arranged on a shelf close to the glass in a warm moist structure. In this 
position the plants will colour freely and make capital decorative 
material before winter. Few plants are more effective than Crotons 
when well coloured for grouping during the winter months when 
flowers are scarce. 
Gardenias. —Clean these thoroughly if infested with mealy bug by 
an application of petroleum and water ; this should be continued at 
intervals until every trace has been eradicated. After syringing them 
with the solution a light shade should be applied until the oil has been 
evaporated. If plants are grown annually from cuttings they should be 
rooted at once. Select for this purpose young soft growths, which may 
be inserted in thumb pots, as every one will root in brisk heat if kept 
close and shaded from the sun. 
Gloxinias. —Where these are appreciated, plants that flowered early 
and have rested may be shaken out of their pots and started again into 
growth. Young stock raised from seed will also flower profusely if they 
are placed into 4 and 5-inch pots. Do not grow them too warm, but 
shade them from bright sunshine. 
Panlcum varlegatum.— Insert cuttings thickly into 8, 4, and 
5-inch pots. They will root freely in a close shady place. A good stock 
of these plants are always useful for grouping during the autumn and 
winter. To have them in good condition no time should be lost in 
starting them, for unless well established they do not look well. A 
good stock of Mosses, Coleus, Fittonias, and other variegated plants 
should now be prepared in quantity. 
Adlantum cuneatum. —If the fronds of these are to be of service 
when cut the plants must be grown freely exposed to the sun and given 
air daily ; in fact, the fronds stand best when the plants are prepared 
in a cool house fully exposed at this season of the year. Plants that 
have yielded fronds for a long time, and have rested in a cool place, 
may be started into growth in heat. They will soon push up fresh 
fronds and yield a good supply for winter. Young plants in various 
stages of growth may be repotted if they need more root room. They 
will grow strongly and continue to produce capital fronds until 
February. Beedlings may be placed singly into thumb pots. Where 
seedlings are raised annually it is a good plan to place pieces of turf 
underneath established plants that have old fronds upon them. The 
spores will fall upon the turf and germinate freely. This is the easiest 
method of raising a stock of young plants. 
Eulalias.— For grouping these are invaluable, and they arc excep¬ 
tionally effective in conservatories of large size. Plants that were 
divided in spring and have filled 5-inch pots with roots may be placed 
into others 2 inches larger. They increase much more rapidly when 
given liberal root room. When grown mainly to yield stock the plants 
should have a position where an intermediate temperature can be given 
them, as they increase much more rapidly than under cool conditions. 
Plants that are repotted now will continue growth until late in the year, 
and can be cut up into several good pieces next spring. Heed can be 
easily saved, but so far we have only succeeded in raising plants with 
green foliage. These, however, are useful, and afford variety if associated 
with other plants of a suitable nature. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Superiority of Lanarkshire Hives and Punic Bees. 
That outside the pages of this Journal the criticism on Punic 
boos has been unjust and not in accordance with actual fact there 
cannot bo the slightest doubt. 10very week brings more evidence 
in support of my own experience. I am always of opinion when I 
see clergymen taking a one-sided view through party spirit that 
they are remiss in the more important duties they are expected to 
perform. I admire the articles of one when he abides by his quaint 
remarks, proverbs, anecdotes, and his own experience ; but when 
he goes into deep water and meddles with matters he has evidently 
no knowledge of he stultifies himsolf. As an example : ho in sup¬ 
port of a certain editor said in efFect, had ho accepted the “primft 
facie evidence ” they would have seen through the whole matter. 
He himself has done the opposite and accepted the secondary in¬ 
formation on evidence. So confident am I that bee-keepers are 
being misled, that if anyone cares to visit our bees at the Heather 
(which will bo cheaper than going to Africa) and finds them 
wanting in weight I will pay his fare to and fro ; there are at least 
four individuals here who possess these bees. The following evi¬ 
dence from a reader of the Journal, a stranger to mo, is interesting 
Speaking of Punic bees he says :—“I have had the best results 
from one of her offspring, seventy-five sections, and tho body of 
the hive is still too heavy. Wo have had a poor season here. If 
it were not for my big colonies I should not have been so well off 
for honey. Very few, if any, of the so-called standard hives have 
stored more than one crate of twenty-ono sections. Where they have 
even got so much the hive will require to be liberally fed, whereas 
my hives are mostly too heavy. I have no extractor, not having 
got that length yet. I sold 100 sections on 15th July for Is. 3d. 
per section, they were well sealed but not so full as I have seen 
them.” 
Driving and Transferring Bees to Frame Hives. 
Will you please state which is the best way to drive five 
hives of bees from the old skeps into bar-frames, as I should like 
to have them all in bar-frame hives. If you could assist me in any 
way I should feel obliged. Could more than one be put together 
in the now hives ?—T. T. 
Iuvert the straw hives after you have given them a slight puff 
of smoke, or better still, smear a little carbolic acid upon the floor 
at the entrance, and push the saturated feather underneath the 
bees. Place an empty hive over tho tenanted one, and rap on the 
sides of the hive of bees with two split willows or other rods, when 
