152 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
February 14, 1896. 
any frames or sections that have been previously used should be 
cleaned and got in readiness ; extractors should be examined to see 
that all is in working order, and notes made of what is likely to be 
required for another season. If the stock is to be increased, new 
hives, frames, sections, and comb foundation must be ordered at 
once, and there will be no difficulty in obtaining a good discount on 
all money so expended in the slack season. During the busy time 
of the year, however, the majority of dealers will only supply 
goods for net cash, besides often keeping their customers waiting, 
which is very annoying, but by ordering now everything is ready 
to hand when required. 
As some of my readers may be beginners, and are anxious to 
invest in their first frame hive, but are in doubt as to the best one 
to select from those advertised by different dealers. For many 
years past I have bad business relations with a firm of high repute 
among bee-keepers, and their goods have always been most satis¬ 
factory ; I refer to Messrs. Geo. Neighbour & Sons, 127, High 
Holborn, London. I believe they were the first firm in this 
country to introduce the moveable frame hive, and since that time 
have always been to the fore with the best hives—from the humble 
straw skep to the Stewarton and the more elaborate bar-frame 
hive. 
I will describe some of them that have come under my notice. 
One of the cheapest is the Cottage Frame Hive. It is made of 
three-quarter-inch boards, and has nine bar-frames and a dummy. 
These are of the standard size, and fitted with metal self-adjusting 
ends, which keep them the required distances apart, and rest on a 
ledge without notches, so that they are not liable to be fixed with 
propolis. The Sandringham Hive has taken numerous prizes as 
the best and most complete bar-frame hive. It is of a substantial 
character, with arrangements for summer and winter use capable of 
being used for doubling to obtain extracted honey, or of being 
storified with one or two crates of sections. Another good hive is 
the Double-cased Hive, with cork dust between the walls, which 
are nearly 3 inches thick. The floor-board is also packed with 
cork dust, and is moveable for cleansing purposes. The hive is 
provided with a dummy and twelve frames of the standard size 
fitted with metal self-adjusting ends. A double quilt forms the 
crown, provision being made for feeding. 
The bees are thus kept snug and warm. Honey may be 
obtained from the stock hive by introducing a wide frame filled 
with sections, protected at the sides with perforated queen- 
excluder zinc, and a crate of sections may also be worked on 
the top. Two colonies may be packed in this hive for wintering, 
but for such a purpose another entrance must be made at the 
opposite end. This is a more expensive hive. The Buncefield 
hive is very similar to other frame hives, except that the walls 
are made of straw neatly bound with cane, and the rustic 
appearance of straw is always agreeable in a garden. The 
improved straw skep has a window through which the bees 
can be seen at work. A crate of sections or a glass may be 
worked on the top.— An English Bee-keeper. 
All correspondence should be directed either to “ The 
Editor” or to “The Publisher.’' Letters addressed to 
Dr. Hogg or members of the stafE 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. 
manures (^Cross ').—Our answer to your question is in the negative 
as to the use of the material you mention. It is desirable to write a 
little more fully in asking questions of this nature. Abbreviations are 
not helpful during moments of pressure. 
Banana Fruits Ripening (^Banana ).—You do not name the 
variety or species, but if Musa Cavendishi the fruit requires about three 
months from the first “ fingers ” being fairly set to their ripening—that 
is, a plant showing fruit at the end of January will ripen it in May or 
thereabouts. We have recently seen some “fingers” or pods of this 
variety that weighed over 1 lb. each, and the cluster over 100 lbs. 
without the barren end. 
Snow Plough (A. B. P .'),—You will find the plough depicted in 
the woodcut (fig. 28) suit admirably. It was made by Mr. Harrison 
©f Knowsley, who wrote when sending a photo of it“ The 
‘ Knowsley ’ snow plough is, as will be seen by the illustration, an 
adjustable machine, and can be readily fixed to suit various widths 
of road, up to about 12 feet. There is a slight projecting plate of 
iron fixed to the bottom edge of each side piece, which act as ‘shares’ 
in cutting the snow loose from the ground, and a pair of iron * skates ’ 
fixed in the line of draught, and secured to the shafts and front part 
prevent the possibility of the implement refusing to act when it happens 
to get into a deep drift. As a further aid to that end the power is 
applied, that is the horse is hooked on, not at the extreme end as is 
fig. 28.—the knowsley snow plough. 
usually done, but a little further back. The draught of the new 
implement is much lighter than that of the old pattern. The plough 
is shown here with one side extended and the other drawn in.” 
Primula japonlca (Leicester'). — If the seed had been good 
plants should have been raised under the treatment you adopted for 
Polyanthus, though the seed takes a little longer to germinate. With 
new seed we have no difficulty in raising plants. You may sow any 
time during the present month, placing the pan where the temperature 
ranges from 55° to 60°. 
Crotons (Derby ).—The Crotons, unless tall, should not be cut 
down to the pot; but if they are bare of leaves at the lower part it 
would be advisable to shorten them, so as to secure growths near the 
base, otherwise the plants are best left to themselves, and in plenty of 
light usually branch freely. If cut down the earlier it is done the 
better, so as to allow time for their making good growth, which, to 
develop and colour well, requires abundance of heat, moisture, and all 
the light possible, with thorough cleanliness and judicious feeding. 
Petroleum and Peacb Trees (T. H. C.) —The branches are 
killed where the petroleum has been used; even the thick part sent is 
saturated with the oil. In other respects there is no disease whatever, 
not even gum, to which the dying of the branches here and there in 
former years may have been due. The petroleum has simply penetrated 
the bark down to the wood and destroyed the cells. The young growths 
to which it has not been applied have both live bark and sound wood, 
even green growths, but the character is such as to be of no value for 
bearing, being soft, unripe, and mostly blossomless in character. The 
petroleum dressing would act more disastrously on such wood than on 
well ripened, but crude petroleum is dangerous to use on even thoroughly 
matured wood, and not infrequently fatal, as in your case. 
“ Xnsects ” In Soil (Henri). —No. 1 is Jules terrestris, one of the 
Snake Millepedes, and feeds on decaying and living animal and 
vegetable substances. It preys on the roots of various plants, and is 
very fond of Strawberry fruit and Mangolds. The pests may be greatly 
reduced in numbers, if not entirely got rid of, by cutting Mangolds in 
slices and placing them in their haunts, or, preferably, cutting a Mangold 
in two transversely, scooping out the centre so as to form a cavity, 
making notches in the cut edge to admit the animals, and placing that 
side downwards. Examine the traps daily, and destroy the lurking 
creatures by brushing them into boiling water. No. 2 is not an insect, 
but a fungus, one of the low saprophytic forms, which may, or may not, 
be injurious to plants, as that depends upon its development, but, as a 
rule, such fungi are not prejudicial to plant growth. 
Tropaeolums (An Old Subscriber ).—The varieties you name, as 
well as many others, do not pass the winter in very good condition 
unless great care is taken in their preparation and management. Strong 
well-established plants in pots generally succeed best when placed on a 
shelf not far from the glass, only keeping the soil sufficiently moist to 
prevent the leaves flagging. The atmosphere should also be fairly dry, 
and abundance of air given whenever the weather is favourable. When 
the plants are employed for bedding the cuttings are rooted in boxes- 
outside, in the same way as Zonal Pelargoniums. The cuttings should 
be inserted fairly early in soil containing a free admixture of sand, so 
that they will be well established before it is necessary to house them.. 
This should be done before they become saturated by heavy autumn 
rains. We find they keep very well in a vinery if placed close to the 
front ventilators. You may propagate your plants towards the end of 
the present month in a temperature of 60°. The cuttings will root best, 
if not placed under hand-lights or bell-glasses. As soon as the plants are 
established they must be removed to cooler quarters, or they will be 
attacked by aphides. It is possible yon have kept your plants a little 
too close, and the soil too moist as well. 
