March 7, 1895. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
217 
commence the second swelling. During this process the trees must not 
be hurried, but the temperature kept as even as possible. 
Early Forced Planted-out Fig Trees .—The house started at the 
beginning of January are making good growth, and should have the 
shoots at the base of the terminals pinched at the fifth or sixth leaf, but 
where this is likely to crowd the trees disbudding must be resorted 
to, and early, so as to not give the trees a severe check, as that may 
cause the first crop Figs to fall. The terminal shoots may also be 
stopped if they grow too luxuriantly, but no amount of stopping will 
induce fruitfulness, and the extensions always produce the finest Figs, 
it being essential to secure stout, short-jointed wood fully exposed to 
light. The nearer the glass, provided the points do not touch, the better 
the fruit. Keep the night temperature at 55° to 60°. When it reaches 
65° by artificial means in the daytime admit a little air, increasing the 
ventilation with the temperature, leaving it free at 70° to 75°, and 
reducing it in like manner, closing at 70°, syringing twice a day, and 
maintaining a genial atmosphere. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Areratums. —If seeds are sown at once in pans and placed in brisk 
moist heat, covered with glass, carefully shaded, and kept uniformly 
moist, they will germinate quickly, and a large stock of strong plants 
eventually be the result. Prick them out in pans or boxes of good soil, 
top the plants when about 3 inches high, and soon after temporarily bed 
them out in rough frames. From these they will transplant readily 
when required. 
Alonsoa Warscewlczl compacta. —This, in addition to succeed¬ 
ing well in pots in the open or greenhouse, is really an excellent bedding 
plant. When at its best it is showy yet chaste, the plants producing 
numerous elegant spikes of pea-shaped orange-scarlet flowers, which for 
vases are particularly popular. Plants may be raised and grown exactly 
as advised for Ageratums. 
Early Asters. —It is a mistake to sow the bulk of Aster seeds 
before the end of March, as the plants rarely do well after having been 
kept too long in a crowded state. With a view to having an early 
display, and something to cut from, sow seeds of Comet, Queen of the 
Market, and Dwarf German at once in boxes, and place these in a 
warm vinery or Peach house. When the seedlings are large enough to 
handle prick out 3 inches apart in other boxes, and keep in a warm 
house till well established, then harden, and transplant not later than 
the middle of May. Asters pay well for liberal culture. 
Early Stocks. —The Early Forcing Snowflake, a variety belonging 
to the Ten-week section, can be had in flower considerably earlier than 
other varieties, and ought to be both gently forced in pots, also flowered 
on a warm border in June. Raise and treat very much as advised in 
the case of early Asters, though if pots can be afforded for the plants 
they will be found to move better out of these than boxes. 
IMClgnonette and Sweet Peas. —There is always a demand for 
these in a cut state, and in order to obtain them earlier than can be done 
by sowing seeds in the open ground the plan of raising in pots and plant¬ 
ing out should be adopted. Sow seeds thinly in 2|-inch pots and place in 
heat to germinate. Reduce the Mignonette to three plants in a pot, 
and five or six Peas in each pot are sufficient. Gradually harden for planting 
in deep well worked soil. If seeds are plentiful sow in the open as soon as 
the ground is in suitable condition where the plants are to grow and 
flower. Avoid sowing thickly, or else thin out freely later on, as 
crowded rows are always the first to fail. Mignonette may also be sown 
in the open. 
Centaurea cyanus major. —These popular Cornflowers ought 
always to be raised early, autumn-sown plants succeeding beat. Unfor¬ 
tunately most of these have disappeared, and seeds should be sown in 
heat at once with a view to having plants to turn out early in May. 
Raise thinly in small pots as advised in the case of Mignonette in pre¬ 
ference to sowing in pans or boxes and pricking out. Also grow in the 
open borders for a succession. 
Cineraria marltlma.— Where large beds and various borders 
have to be filled during the summer a few score or hundreds of this 
silvery leaved and fairly hardy Cineraria should be grown. It is not 
yet too late to sow seeds in heat, and if the seedlings are kept growing 
they will prove effective from the time they are planted out. 
Calllardlas.— There have been many losses among summer bedding 
plants. Without being models, as substitutes some of the Gaillardias 
are effective. The varieties G. picta and G. Lorenziana are the best for 
the purpose, as they are very free flowering the same season as raised. 
The seeds may be sown thinly in pans or boxes, and the seedlings 
prepared for transplanting in May. These Gaillardias should be given 
small beds to themselves, as they spread freely and also flower most 
abundantly when not shaded by other kinds of plants; They may, 
however, be used similarly to Violas, having other plants dotted thinly 
among them. 
iricotlana affinls. —This sweet-scented showy Tobacco ought to be 
freely planted in large beds, mixed borders, and thinly stocked 
shrubberies. Seeds should be sown at once on the surface of soil in 
pans, moistening the latter before rather than after sowing. The 
seedlings must be grown sturdily, and strong examples provided for 
planting in due season. 
Pyretbrum aurenm or Golden Featber. —There is time to raise 
any required number of plants by sowing thinly in boxes, or better still 
on a bed of soil in a frame or pit, a gentle bottom heat being desirable. 
Plants so raised may after a little hardening be inserted in the beds or 
borders where they are to grow, quite small plants, if looked after, 
quickly attaining to a showy state. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Wintering Bees. 
Many years have elapsed since I solved the problem of wintering 
bees safely in this climate, the present season, however, with the 
moving, and the disease some of them suffered from has reduced 
several hives to a few hundred bees. 
I am glad to say all have wintered well, including these 
weaklings, which are not only healthy, but have more than 
doubled their numbers since November ; this is both gratifying 
and reassuring. 
I need not repeat what I have written so often, but for the benefit 
of beginners I may state that these weak bees occupy full-sized, 
single-walled hives, with entrances half an inch wide ; the top of 
the frames within the super-protector are covered with about 
3 inches of porous material, the sides with two ply of old sacking 
and an oilcloth, and the roof with a sheet of half-circled iron. The 
excessive loss of bees previously mentioned I attribute to the 
moving during zero weather, a time very unfavourable to disturb 
bees. 
There is one hive in perfectly good health and condition that 
has not shown a single bee outside. The great contrast to my 
apiary with those managed on other lines that we read of having 
bees and combs frozen to a solid mass will perhaps be a salutary 
lesson to those who have been so unfortunate, to think twice what 
plan they should adopt to prevent a recurrence of such a disaster 
in coming winters. 
As successful springing depends on leaving bees alone in every 
respect, I have given as a commencement in feeding a little honey 
in tin scoops, but shall feed with syrup immediately the temperature 
rises to 50° or 55°, and on no pretext should I feed from the top, or 
do any act which may reduce the temperature of the hives. 
Success of the Lanarkshire Hive. 
“ G. R.” writes :—“ Will you please tell me which you think is 
the best for the Lanarkshire hive, a three-eighths or a quarter of 
an inch lip for the frame ends to rest upon ? I followed the instruc¬ 
tions you gave me, and am pleased to tell you that I took first 
prizes in strong competition. These sections were all worked by a 
single Lanarkshire hive ; in fact, my sections worked on the 
standard hives were not to be compared to these mentioned above. 
My Lanarkshire hives have wintered well.” 
We are pleased to hear of your success, which corroborates 
many others in the same county (Yorks). It does not matter 
whether the rebates are three-eighths or quarter, the latter for 
five-eighths wood ; if thiee-quarters then they may be three- 
eighths, the great object being to have the boxes accurately one 
size as well as that of the frames, so that manipulation will be 
easy, which can only be when all frames are interchangeable. 
Does Bee-keeping Pay? 
The above question continues to be frequently asked, and now 
and again the inquirer details his disappointments in a doleful 
manner, sometimes going so far as to throw reflections on those 
who were the means of him starting bee-keeping. I have answered 
scores of letters from those who appeared to be disappointed or 
in want of full information on the subject. 
My advice in all cases was tempered with caution, showing how 
and where bees would pay, but never advising anyone to start bee¬ 
keeping with the view of making large sums of money exclusively 
from them, and to be prepared for actual loss in some seasons. I 
have at all times encouraged persons to keep bees as an auxiliary 
to other employments, whether the honey was to be sold or con¬ 
sumed by the bee-keeper’s family. There is another side to the 
question. He who steps aside from modern popular ideas and 
customs, renouncing superfluous holidays, betaking to himself the 
love of keeping bees, paying great attention to increasing the 
produce of the earth for his own or the public’s good, thereby 
becomes a benefactor to the world, and does more to solve the 
problem of what shall we do with our starving thousands than all 
the theories ever propounded. 
There is work for ill if gone properly about; therefore let all 
make an effort, at the same time looking ahead, and they will 
maybe see clearly more ways than one of “ keeping the wolf from 
the door.” and of laying something apart for the proverbial “ rainy 
day.”—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
SEASONABLE NOTES. 
The favourable change in the weather which set in ten days 
ago has continued, although there has been a few degrees of 
