62 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
January 17, 1895. 
board, and giving two or three sharp taps at the entrance. If the 
weather is not too cold odd bees will come out, to be at once seized 
and carried to the nearest bush and devoured. The head, wings, 
and sting are discarded, the abdomen being the only part con¬ 
sumed. They quickly return to the hive and the operation is 
repeated over again, and it is surprising the number of bees a few 
of these birds will destroy in a short time. 
When the ground is covered with snow it is easy to see th-e 
mischief that is going on. I have sometimes seen the ground 
literally covered with the remains of several hundreds of bees 
when the snow has remained on the ground for a few days. At 
this.time of the year I always keep a number of spring mouse-traps 
baited with a piece of bread dotted about among my hives, and 
these will invariably catch both the mice and tits, ^metimes I 
have caught over two dozen in one week, and having a number of 
stocks near a plantation the tits are very numerous. 
Sparrows, too, are troublesome ; but they will take them when 
on the wing. Toads will fatten on them during the summer, when 
the heavy laden bees drop on the ground near the entrance to their 
hives, about which the toads are often found ; but I do not think 
it advisable to destroy toads, as they do a great amount of good in 
the garden.— An English Bee-keeper. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
H, Cannell & Sons, Swanley, Kent.— BescHptive Chrysanthemum 
List, 
J. Cheal & Sons, Lowfield Nurseries, Crawley.— Seed Catalogue. 
Crews, Calthorpe Street, Banbury;— Onion Catalogue. 
Dickson & Co., Waterloo Place, Edinburgh.— Garden Seeds. 
Fotheringham & King, Corn Exchange, Dumfries.— Catalogue. 
W. Fromow & Sons, Sutton Court Nursery, Chiswick.— Spring Seed 
List. 
J. Jefferies and Sons, Cirencester.— Centenary Catalogue of Seeds. 
Kelway & Sons, Langport.— Seed Manual. 
Kent & Brydon, Darlington.— Seed Manual. 
Laxton Bros., Bedford.— List, 
The Leeds Orchid Co., Roundhay, Leeds.— Orchid Catalogue, 
Little & Ballantyne, Carlisle.— Garden Seeds. 
McDougall Bros,, 10, Mark Lane, E.C.— Insect Destroyers. 
R. Neal, Wandsworth Common.— Spring Catalogue of Seeds. 
W. Rumsey, Waltham Cross.— Spring Seed List. 
The Penny Seed Packet Co,, Loughborough.— Seed Catalogue. 
J, R. Tranter, Hart Street, Henley-on-Thames. — General Seed List. 
T, S, Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham.— of Begonias 
ayid other Plants, and Flower and Vegetahle Seeds. 
* 9 ® 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, ae 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. 
Tomato Hoase (^Cantab.'). — By all means make provision for 
abundant side as well as top ventilation. 
Seedling: Potatoes (H, J/.).—New varieties of Potatoes do not 
receive any recognition of merit from the Fruit Committee of the 
Royal Horticultural Society until they have been grown with others 
in the Society’s Gardens, If you write to Mr. A. F. Barron, R.H.S. 
Gardens, Chiswick, London, he will supply you with all requisite 
information for attaining your object. We are obliged by your 
communication. 
Second-band Books (Distressed). — No matter how good the 
condition of the books may be, they can only possess second-hand value. 
This, however, varies with the demand for books and their condition. 
As a rule the best amounts are obtained by offering spare books of the 
kind you name locally, and letting them be examined by persons 
interested in gardening. All those you mention are useful. If there is a 
gardeners’ improvement association or horticultural society in your 
district, it might be worth your while writing to the secretaries on the 
subject. We have duplicate volumes of the whole of the books, and 
therefore more would be superfluous here. 
Garden Charities (TV. S.). —Your letter displays the kindness of 
your heart* and your sympathy with the afflicted. Our gardening 
charities do indeed need all the support that can be accorded them ; 
and you will be glad to know that the demands on them are in various 
ways constantly being brought before that section of the public from 
which help may be expect^. The Secretaries are very zealous, and 
lose no opportunities that give promise of increasing the funds for the 
relief that is so urgently needed both by aged gardeners and widows in 
affliction. We hope you are a local helper in inducing persons in your 
neighbourhood to become subscribers. 
Peacb Buds Forward (Rosarian). —There is nothing wrong, so 
far as we can detect, with the buds; they have a good hold of the 
wood, and are somewhat forward, but not more so than many others 
this year, in consequence of the late mild weather. It would be very 
unwise to start the trees, because the buds are swelling, as they will not 
take the least harm, but be all the better for coming on slowly, the 
flowers being stronger and the set better than when they are brought 
forward rapidly. The house should be freely ventilated, fully at and 
above 50°, and fire heat need only be used to exclude frost, though a 
few degrees of that would not do any harm till the blossoms show 
colour, when, of course, it must be excluded. The crop will not be lost 
by the condition of the buds, but the wood is not very firm—it seldom 
is in young trees, and steady growth is the more to be desired. 
IVIushroom Beds Falling (A.J.). —There does not appear any¬ 
thing the matter with your preparation of the material and treatment 
of the beds, but it is very unwise to mix old with new material, as the old 
is not likely to produce and retain warmth so well as fresh and properly 
prepared. If all the “ spawn” is like that sent it could not produce 
Mushrooms, as the sample is entirely devoid of mycelium ; but whether 
it has contained any we are unable to say, You should have sent some 
of the “brick’’as received from the vendor, and then we could have 
given a decisive opinion as to its containing live spawn or not. The 
temperature at which you spawn the bed is rather high, and the appear¬ 
ance of some Mushrooms in button form and non-progress afterwards 
indicates either that the spawn was weak, or the bed overheated, the 
latter being as likely to be the cause of the failure as the former. 
Watering Cattleyas and Bsellas (R. B.). —In watering these 
plants always be guided by the appearance of the roots and the state 
of growth. When “ in sheath ” is rather a vague term, as much 
depends on the species. Cattleya Mossiae, for instance, is in sheath 
while at rest during the winter ; C. labiata autumnalis and C. Gaskell- 
iana on the other hand, fiower on the current year’s growth, so that 
while resting they bear no flower-sheath. When advancing for bloom 
the great majority of Cattleyas and Laelias like a rather high tempe¬ 
rature, with adequate moisture at the roots, as indicated by the great 
growing points of the latter. Give all the air possible without draughts, 
also not letting the temperature fall much below 65° by day. This will 
prevent a close moist atmosphere, as these Orchids thrive best in an airy 
spacious house. Keep the atmosphere of the case as dry as possible at 
this season, and wipe the glass inside to avoid drip. 
Mites on Bones (S. W. JY.).—The bones swarmed with the mites, 
which feed for the most part on animal substances, such as bones, 
cheese, and similar matter, but they do not confine their attacks to 
these matters, for they can and do feed on vegetable substances, such 
as flour, with little less gusto. It is Tryoglyphus siro, which may or 
may not feed on living vegetable matter, the evidence being negative so 
far, but this mite is certainly found associated with decay in vegetable 
matter ; yet it may not be the cause of the decay. It is difficult, how¬ 
ever, to connect any other organism with the decayed tissues, though the 
subject is a strained one, and nothing for certain known of the cause of 
the tissues perishing. We should not use the bones until they had 
been exposed to heat, say on a wood fire, placing them on the hot embers 
and covering them with the same. The slight charring would not injure 
the bones in the least; indeed, they may be used along with the wood 
ashes with great advantage in Vine borders. 
Slug-Infested Ground (Dorset). —The best plan would be to 
procure some freshly burned lime, lay it in small heaps convenient for 
spreading, and cover it with a little soil. The lime will gradually 
absorb moisture and slake, and when that is effected—the lime being 
hot and floury—spread it evenly on the ground and point in with a 
fork as soon afterwards as practicable. In such bad cases as yours one 
bushel of quicklime per rod of ground should be used, selecting mild and 
fair weather for applying the lime. If inconvenient to use the lime yon 
may employ nitrate of soda at the rate of 1 lb. per rod, giving the ground 
a dressing before sowing or planting, and again when the crops or plants 
are starting into growth. It may be used on all crops with benefit, and 
will not injure any provided it does not rest in their growing centre or 
on the leaves. For plants in frames you may use lime water, placing a 
peck of quicklime in a tub and pouring on 30 gallons of water, stirring 
well, and letting stand forty-eight hours or more, then sprinkle on the 
plants after dark with a rose watering can, employing the clear lime 
water only. It is equally efficacious in the open ground, and by persistent 
use thoroughly efficacious. 
