201 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
[ September 1, 1892. 
the bees will, after filling themselves, retreat to the empty hive. 
Then invert the hive containing bees beneath the frame hive, and 
they will run up into it, or remove three or four of the frames and 
shake the bees down at the open side, or draw the doorway the full 
length, and with a tumbler lift the bees, and shake them upon the 
alighting board that has a gangway with ledges from it to the ground, 
or shake them bodily on to the alighting board. They are not so 
flighty as swarms. But why not adopt one or more of hivers such 
as I use, and have explained repeatedly in these columns ? It is 
one of the most useful appliances in the apiary. Two or more 
lots of driven bees may be shaken together without any fighting. 
If not gorged sprinkle both lots with very thin syrup or with 
peasemeal, the very old Scotch fashion.—A Lanarkshire Bee- 
KEEPER. 
APICULTURAL ITEMS. 
Mr. Cowan quotes Benton as disagreeing with the name of 
“ I’unic ” bees, saying it should be “ Tunisian.” What will he say to 
Benton trying to call Carniolans “ Carnic ” bees in the August American 
Apiculturist ? Imitation is flattery indeed. Benton, in a long article 
which clearly shows he has forgotten what he previously said, and has 
not had copies to refer to, tries to explain in the Apiculturist that what 
I said about yellow Carniolans on March 10th conveyed a wrong 
impression of his views. I do not admit this to be a fact, nor did I 
question his “ views.” I was answering somebody else, and not Benton 
at all. When a man quotes people as authorities in support of a certain 
position, describing them too as “intelligent,” is it manly to afterwards 
turn round and say “ Because I quoted what had been said to me by 
‘two intelligent bee-keepers from Upper Carniola ’ that I necessarily 
subscribe to their views ? ” He did not hint in the least at the time 
that he disagreed with them. He now says, “ But I thought then, and 
still think, that they arc a derided mark of impurity" — i.e., yellow- 
banded Carniolans. The italics are Benton’s. If he thought so, then 
why did he not say so ? 
I do not know what Mr. Cowan will think now ; he has been relying 
on Benton, and calling on Alley to publish Benton’s after statements 
on the “ True Colour of Carniolans.” Alley has done so, and here 
is what Benton says of him. “ He (Mr. Cowan) published my article 
containing my own statement that yellow-banded bees are met with in 
various parts of Carniola, and also my quotation of certain Carniolan bee 
raisers who claimed that such bees were not impure, But it seems that 
neither Mr. Cowan nor myself think them pure. How he explains 
their impurity (if he has ever attempted to do so) I do not know, 
nor would I attach any weight to his views in this direction, for I do 
not consider him any authority in this matter.” Is it not cruel to be 
thus told he “does not consider him any authority” on such a well 
known race as Carniolans ? How Mr. Cowan can pose as an “authority” 
regarding the newer race, Punics, after this is beyond my compre¬ 
hension, for he admits he never saw a stock at work in this country, 
and says he does not know of anyone who has. 
Benton makes it clear that yellow banded bees exist in Carniola, 
and that he and many others, “ in Europe, at any rate,” saw them. 
Mr. Cowan’s statement which I questioned was, “ No one, in Europe, at 
any rate, has ever seen or heard of pure Carniolans being yellow,” and 
Benton further says that it “ would be quite possible to produce, by 
constant selection, a full-banded yellow strain.” Just what Alley 
claims to have done, and which Mr. Cowan says is impossible. 
When “ Old Father Langstroth,” as the Americans reverently speak 
of him, is favourably impressed with Punics, and advises bee-keepers 
to give them a trial, particularly in crossing with Italians to make them 
more ready to work in supers, the advice of their enemies will not count 
for much. Langstroth is above question, whatever may be said of any¬ 
one else. He is known as the inventor of the bar-frame hive, and the 
pioneer in introducing foreign races of bees into America. He bred and 
sold home-reared Italian queens at 20 dollars each, equal to £4, with no 
guarantee of introduction. My price of 20s. is said to be extortionate 
by the same man who paid four times the price. 
Mr. Benton is alleged to have said, “ When you least expect it— i.e., 
when they have been well, and even royally treated, they will sally out 
and cover the manipulator with their tiny javelins.” Whatever he may 
say now will not alter what he said in his price list issued in 1886, after 
his second and last journey to Tunis, as follows : “ Tunisians are the 
blackest bees I have ever seen, are excellent honey gatherers and easy 
to subdue by using smoke.” Since then he has never seen a “ Tunisian ” 
bee alive, so he cannot plead that he had made a mistake, which he subse¬ 
quently found out. We also read, “ Mr. Benton was one of the first to 
send out queens from Tunis.” Yes, he was, and I myself got the only 
live queen he ever sent to Europe, no others ever landing alive until 
1890 from that country. 
Mr. Cowan says, “ Mr. F. Benton entirely altered his views when 
he became better acquainted with Carniolan bees.” Mr. Benton has 
now made it clear that he has not altered his “ views,” and he also makes 
it clear that while in Carniola, and when he left he could “ view ” yellow- 
banded bees all over the province, and his statement still stands good 
that he “ has yet to see an apiary in Carniola where yellow-banded 
bees do not exist.” 
On page 180 “ A.<L. B. Ki.” asks me to explain “ how a worker bee can 
become a producer of worker bees and queens.” Before I begin trying 
to explain a natural law, first let it be established that the lavr exists. 
From what I understand no one can explain a natural law of any kind. 
I have told our friend how to test the matter on page 134, and when he 
has done so no doubt he will modify some of his views respecting laying 
worker bees.—A Hallamshire Bee-keeper. 
° # °A11 correspondence should be directed either to “ The 
Editor” or to “The Publisher.” Letters addressed to 
Dr. Hogg or members of the Btaff often remain unopened 
unavoidably. We request that no one will write privately 
to any of our correspondents, as doing so subjects them fo 
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 
Suckers from Poplar Roots ( Ignoramu *).—The best plan would 
be to trench the ground and remove the suckering roots. If that is 
impracticable on account of other trees or objects, the suckers may be 
pulled up as they grow and can be taken hold of. If this is persisted in 
it will weaken the roots, so that they will send up suckers less freely, 
but it will be some time before they disappear. 
Morello Cherry Trees Dying (A. 6. IF.).—No one can tell 
you the cause of the trees dying, in the absence of particulars relative 
to their age and the treatment to which they are subjected. Some trees 
are weakened by overcrowding and insects, others fail through want of 
lime and other minerals, while old trees wear out sooner or later. If 
you supply information on the points suggested, also repeat the character 
of the soil, the case shall have our best attention. 
Begonias (F. J .).—You give no references, but we presume you 
allude to the papers read at the Begonia Conference at Chiswick last 
week. These will be published in the Journal of the Royal Horticultural 
Society, which is distributed free to Fellows of the Society, and surplus 
copies sold. We do not know what the price of the next issue will be 
nor when it will be published. You can obtain information by writing 
to the Secretary, R.H.S., 117, Victoria Street, Westminster. 
Plants for Walls (f. J. L .').—We do not know of any flowering 
plants that would thrive and flower well against the walls of a stove 
that is “ very shaded.” Flowering plants require plenty of light to 
make their growth, for unless sturdy and thoroughly matured they will 
not flower freely. Euphorbia jacquiniseflora succeeds very well in 
Cucumber houses that are only used for that purpose in summer, but a 
Cucumber house in winter is much too hot for flowering plants. 
Abutilons would do in the Tomato house, but you give us no data what¬ 
ever for guidance. 
Tomatoes Palling (X Y. Z .').—Persons who grow Tomatoes 
extensively for market year after year find it remunerative to change 
the soil periodically, removing some from the house to the garden or 
field and introducing an equal quantity from the field pr garden. Some 
soils support the crops longer than do others, the difference being a 
question mainly of phosphates and potash. A mixture of two parts 
superphosphate of lime and one part muriate of potash applied earlier 
in the season at the rate of 3 or 4 ozs. to the square yard might have 
assisted your plants, but we presume the time has passed for it to be of 
any substantial use this season. 
Tenants’ Glass Structures ( Inquirer ).—Your questions could 
perhaps be better answered by a lawyer or surveyor than by us. Broadly 
speaking, tenants’ structures are those which are not attached to the 
ground by bricks and mortar, and we should not recommend you to 
remove such houses against the wish of the landlord without legal 
advice on a ppecific case. Boilers when not set in brickwork attached 
to the ground are removeable, and there are plenty of such to be had. 
We have no particulars of the cost of heating greenhouses and other 
garden structures with gas. If any records on the subject are sent to 
us by gardeners or amateurs they will receive attention with a view to 
publication. 
Ferns for Decoration (T. D.).—The following varieties will do 
well for winter decoration :—Pteris serrulata, P. serrulata cristata, 
P. serrulata major cristata, P. Mayi, P. argyrea, P. albo-lineata and 
P. tremula, Adiantum cuneatum, Asplenium bulbiferum (useful in a 
