428 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 1**, 1892. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Presentation to Two Old Bee-keepers. 
At Larkhall, on the evening of the 29th ult., about thirty 
members of the Larkhall Bee Society and a deputation from the 
Stonehouse Society met to do honour to two of their oldest 
members—viz., Mr. James Wilson, now in his ninety-second year, 
and for upwards of fifty years clerk to that more than a century 
old Society ; and Mr. Richard Finlayson, President for upwards 
of forty years. The Chairman (Mr. John Nicol), who presented 
the guests of the evening with silver-mounted walking sticks, in 
his remarks said that knowledge with truthfulness and reliability 
were not only personal honours, but of national worth, more 
valuable than gold. Both gentlemen made appropriate replies, 
although unaware till the time of presentation what was in store 
for them. 
Wintering Bees. 
Forty years ago I discovered that there was no necessity for 
keeping twin hives, as a small nucleus of bees withstood our then 
severest winters. At that time I had commenced to make frame 
hives, and saw the advantage that would be gained by introducing 
frames to good hives, abandoning at the same time the custom of 
dividing a btewarton hive into two or three, as the case allowed, 
and distributing the divisions amongst as many stocks. This early 
idea entirely obviates the necessity of having large cumbrous hives 
as recommended by some modern bee-keepers who seem to have a 
strong desire to claim that if the idea is not new “ it has new 
features.” 
Egg Laying. 
If the maximum number of bees from two queens be allowed 
in one hive, it becomes at times unmanageable. It is the great 
desideratum in bee-keeping to have the largest number of bees 
possible at the proper time, with hives sufficiently large for the • 
greatest laying of any queen, so that she will never be crowded 
out; yet, not so large as to make the hive unmanageable in transit, 
nor the bees to become pests for robbing and stinging in the 
apiary, or to be a positive loss to the bee-keeper in bad seasons. 
The weakest hives this year are the heaviest in honey.— 
A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
R. H. Vertegans & Co., The Old Nurseries, Chad Valley, Birmingham. 
— Hardy , Herbaceous, Alpine, and other Rock Plants, Ae. 
„ slluttlewort h & Co., Albert Nurseries, Peckham Rye, London 
S.L.— Fruit Trees, Roses, and Miscellaneous Plants. 
* All correspondence should be directed either to (t 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 
Address (Z7 ' M).-. The Eastern Morning News; also the Hull 
Daily Aews and Hull Daily Mail are good mediums for your purpose. 
(C’. 0.). We do not know of such a work as you appear to 
require. There are several illustrations in Mr. Canneil’s Floral Guide. 
we hfTfTn^^ < f ar v den J ' T ')—Ne are obliged by your letter, but 
Z J i 7 beeQ made ac 9 uain ted with the circumstances of the 
case Dy tne gardener you name. 
IMrs. Nalsli and Mrs. G. Rundle Chrysanthemums (R. A.).— 
If these varieties are not identical they are too much alike to be included 
in a stand of four varieties, as the judges might not admit their dis¬ 
tinctness, and there is then a risk of disqualification. 
Artificial Manure for Autumn-sown Onions (TF. R.). _There 
is, perhaps, no better manure for Onions than soot, and it may be applied 
in February, or as soon afterwards as the weather permits, at the rate of 
a peck per rod, or 40 bushels per acre. 
Chrysanthemum Show ($. K.). —We presume if the officials 
desired to give wide publicity to the Show they would have done so by 
advertisement, as is done by most of the leading Societies. The terms 
of your note bring it strictly within the category of advertisements. 
Worms In Soil for Bowling Green (A. H. LI). —As the soil 
is good and the subsoil stiff clay it would be best to apply a dressing of 
quicklime at the rate of half a bushel per rod, and point it in before 
laying the turf. If the lime is fresh burned, placed in small convenient 
heaps, covered with a little soil, and spread evenly over the ground, it 
would destroy the worms and greatly improve the soil if mixed with 
it. Avoid salt, as it tends to make the soil moist, and is not useful 
in heavy land. 
Tomato House Arrange ments (J. A .).—If you decide to have 
Tomato plants on the back wall instead of Peach trees, then it would 
be cheapest and best to have a three-quarter span-roof structure. In 
that case the arrangement of the Tomato plants in front must be 
crossway of the house, as advised in reply to your inquiries last week, 
so as to admit plenty of light to the plants against the wall. Ahous ; 
for growing Tomatoes in summer is best with the ends of the span 
facing north aDd south, but we have had good results in a span-roofed 
structure running east and west both early and late, as the plants on the 
south side do better and come into bearing sooner than those on the 
north side. 
IVEushroom Bed Unsatisfactory ( Kelsey ).—The “ fungus gathered 
from a Mushroom bed ” has not been forwarded, at least we find no 
evidence of fungus amongst the contents of the small box likely to 
injure Mushroom spawn, and of that there is no trace. Instead of the 
fungus gathered from the Mushroom bed, we find some swollen fusi¬ 
form roots, probably of a small creeping herbaceous plant or weed, 
which have been introduced to the Mushroom bed in the maiden loam’ 
and from which they have been taken, for they are not outgrowths of a 
fungus. The cause and remedy must be sought for elsewhere, and it 
probably proceeds from some error in the materials, their preparation, 
spawning or management of the beds, or it may arise from the use of 
old and indifferent spawn. 
Questions not Answered ( Lawrence Sf Son). —We have very 
great pleasure in giving the best information at our command m 
replies to correspondents, and we are gratified by knowing that such 
information has been helpful to others than those who have been the 
means of eliciting it. It seems you have found the advice which we 
have given to others has been such as you required. We are pleased to 
hear this, but sorry to learn the two letters you have sent direct have 
not received attention. The reason of this is that from some unexplain¬ 
able cause the letters did not reach the hands of the Editor. Are you sure 
they were properly addressed ? Numbers are not that after some 
delay find their way to this office, and no doubt several go astray. We 
are obliged by your good wishes, and this reply proves our willingness 
to attend to your letters. 
Artificial Manure for Winter Lettuces (IF. R.). _These do 
not require to be greatly stimulated, as it only tends to make them more 
susceptible of injury from frost, and they are usually grown on land 
in good heart or manured with stable refuse ©f a gradual decomposing 
nature, which, from the humus, aids the plants to maintain a steady 
progressive growth and form fine heads of succulent leaves. Guano 
would be one of the best “artificials,” and it maybe applied early in 
spring, when the weather becomes favourable and the plants are 
beginning to grow, at the rate of 2 lbs. per rod or 3 cwt. per acre ; when 
they are fairly moving you may supplement the guano with nitrate of 
soda at the rate of 1 lb. per rod, or 1J cwt. per acre. Both the guano, 
and nitrate of soda must be kept off the plants, as if it gets in o the 
hearts they may be seriously damaged. 
Expelling Worms from a Lawn (C. R.). —The entire eradica¬ 
tion of worms on lawns is impossible without rendering the latter worth¬ 
less, and it is best to fight them occasionally. We prefer mixtures that 
act as manure as well as expel the worms. If the soil is light apply 
a dressing of salt and soot: mix 6 bushels of salt and 12 bushels of soon 
well together, and scatter evenly after sweeping the lawn with a birch 
broom, so as to disperse the wormcasts, choosing a moist day for the 
operation. This banishes the worms and has a beneficial effect on the 
grass. The quantity named is for one acre, but it may be used at the ra*e 
of half peck per rod. If the soil is heavy it is better to use lime and 
soot, say air-slaked lime 30 bushels, soot 10 bushels, mix well, and apply 
evenly to an acre of lawn, or 1 peck per rod. This mixture kills moss- 
and is useful against grubs as well as worms. The present is a good time 
to apply the mixture, or in February, or as soon after as the weathc-r 
permits. 
Burying' Potted Bulbs (F. J .).—You ask “ if it is absolutely 
necessary that potted bulbs should be plunged for five or six weeks, and i f 
so if leaves will do as well as ashes for the purpose.” Our answer to 
the first question is that it depends on the skill of the cultivator, and 
especially on the judgment he is able to exercise in watering. We have 
