530 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
June 13, 1895. 
gardens. Exhausted beds would be greatly benefited by a dressing of fish 
guano, or nitrate of soda and guano mixed, and applied at the rate of 
2 ozs. per square yard of bed. If very weedy give a liberal dressing of 
manurial salt, enough to whiten the bed, or otherwise the weeds will 
not be long before they smother the Asparagus. It is not yet too late to 
fill gaps in the rows of young Asparagus, or even in the older beds. 
Select a showery time if possible, but do not wait long for this ; and 
move young plants that have already formed some top growth. This 
year’s seedlings move readily. If seeds are sown where the plants 
are to remain permanently, thin to a distance of not less than 15 inches 
apart, or they may be left half that distance, and half be transplanted 
next spring. Extra strong growths on either isolated plants or thinly 
planted beds should be supported with stakes, otherwise they break in 
wet windy weather, to the injury of the buds or crowns forming at their 
base. 
Artlcbokes. —Seedling Globe Artichokes turned out of pots into 
rich soil should be supplied with water occasionally till strongly estab¬ 
lished in their fresh quarters. They may eventually be left 18 inches 
apart in the row, and by cutting out the inferior forms directly they are 
detected good room will, as a rule, be given. Some of the old clumps 
are now pushing abundance of growths, and these must be thinned very 
freely with a view to having three extra strong, branching flowering 
stems from each. Divisions or newly rooted growths ought to be liberally 
treated, more so than in the case of the naturally vigorous seedlings. 
All pay for having abundance of water in dry weather, liquid manure 
helping the older clumps. Mulch with strawy manure. 
Jerusalem Artichokes, unless planted similarly to Potatoes, are almost 
certain to come up too thickly, and if the tops are crowded it is not 
possible for a good crop of tubers to form below. The simplest way out 
of the difficulty at this late date is to cut 3 feet spaces between the mass 
of plants. Draw soil up to the rows generally, and that will be all that 
is needed. 
Broccoli and Cauliflowers. —Varieties of Broccoli that heart late 
in the autumn are of good service as forming a succession to late 
Cauliflowers, and for carrying on the supply well through the winter 
Veitch’s Self-protecting Broccoli is one of the best, and this ought to be 
put out to have plants, lifting and storing in pits, frames, or cool houses, 
where they will continue to heart during the winter. This class of 
Broccoli may safely be disposed between widely planted Ashleaf or 
other short-topped early maturing Potatoes. If the later varieties are 
too thick in the seed beds, and the ground is left clear for this crop, do 
not delay planting ; but they must be grown on very firm ground, and 
given good room, or otherwise they will become too rank to be hardy. 
It is the later raised plants that usually prove the hardiest. If Autumn 
Giant Cauliflower is planted now these will give a serviceable supply 
late in the season. When early Cauliflowers commence hearting give 
liquid manure freely. 
Various. —Top the more forward Broad Beans to destroy aphides 
and hasten the growth of pods. If in demand late in the season sow 
rows of Beck’s Dwarf Green Gem. Brussels Sprouts should be planted 
early, and on firm good ground, or they may be disposed among early 
Potatoes, as advised in the case of early Broccoli. Treat the Green 
Curled Borecole similarly. It is possible to be too early with Savoys, 
as these are only of value after frosts have destroyed the more tender 
vegetables. Endive is not in great demand early in the season, but if 
appreciated sow seeds of Moss Curled and Green Curled thinly in drills 
9 inches apart, thinning to about 6 inches asunder when large enough. 
Sow good forms of Cabbage and Cos varieties of Lettuce at fortnightly 
inter! als in lines where the plants are to mature. If Radishes are in 
demand sow the Turnip-rooted every ten days on good ground, and dust 
over frequently with soot and lime. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Ventilating Floor. 
Previous to the ventilating floor, ekes or “ raises ” (as they 
were frequently termed) were for a long time in use, especially 
with the Stewarton hive. These ekes were used for two or three 
purposes. In the winter for ventilation for the better preservation 
of the bees, and in the summer to help to prevent swarming. 
When the proper time came the eke was put under the hive ; 
the bees took possession of it immediately, and combs were built 
on those having bars. These ekes were allowed to stand from one 
to three days, when they were removed and the supers put on, by 
which removal, and the hive becoming more crowded, the bees 
took to the supers at once. 
The combs built in the eke were removed and used as “ tooks ” 
for supers. These white combs preserved the purity of the future 
combs, and produced flner honey than those made on comb 
foundation. During the autumn, or the time the hives were 
prepared to stand the winter, an eke was placed under each hive. 
This was intended to prevent damp and mould on the combs, and 
bees from dying from distension and similar diseases. 
When used in my apiary I observed ekes did not prevent damp, 
mould, or dead bees on the floor and between combs. I also 
observed when bees were airing in the winter months many of 
them were enfeebled before they left the hive from the damp 
floor. Hives which had no ekes, and having their combs well 
down, the bees on returning were safe. In order to make all clear 
the strong hives were always the worst winterers. My flrst step 
with the ventilating floor was to do away with the ekes entirely, 
bringing the combi, or rather managing to have them, near the 
entrance. I had my floors covered with perforated zinc, then over it 
a reversible and moveable wooden floor, but later the wood was 
removed, for I observed that bees died when they came into 
contact with damp wood. They passed over zinc at lower 
temperatures with impunity. I tried floors of coal, turf, wax, and 
wood, but damp could not be entirely prevented, so contrived the 
perforated zinc over an empty chamber. The best plan of all is 
peat beneath the zinc for the winter only. 
Considerably over thirty years ago, when taking my bees to 
Arran, they were subjected to rough treatment and overheating in 
the railway vans and on a steamer, with the result in a short time 
that one hive only was free from foul brood. To clear out the 
disease required prompt action. I put every hive through the 
“ purgatorial ” process, adopted the ventilating floor, and have not 
seen one diseased cell since. This, coupled with hives which were 
never taken to the moors, pointed to the fact that overheating was 
the prime, if not the sole, cause of foul brood. Raising the hive 
from the floor in very hot weather does not cool its interior to the 
extent we are led to believe, as it cannot by the plan be made lower 
than the temperature outside. The ventilating floor keeps bees in 
a healthy and cleanly state, the hive being always free from dust 
or debris. 
Full instructions were given lately how to construct the whole 
hive, including the floor. This is simply a case the size of the 
hive and from 4 to 6 inches deep, having a sheet of perforated 
zinc on the top. This lowers a little to the back flllets for the 
wooden shutter to rest against, being held tight to them by a 
button at the back and by a fillet each side. These fillets lower at 
the back to permit the shutter to drop when ventilation is wanted, 
or when the shutter has to be cleaned of parasites and dirt. It 
resembles the bottom of a bird cage. To keep the stand rigid and 
less in depth I nail pieces of wood on the flat about 3 inches 
by half. These stands, as all nailed framework should be, are 
checked ; the feet too, about 2 inches below the stand about 2 inches 
by 1| inch, should also be half checked and fastened with brass 
screws. 
In conclusion, I may inform your correspondent, “ J. B.,” that 
between the perforated zinc and shutter there must be a space 
between 1 inch and 2 or 3 inches to condense the perspiration on 
the shutter, and there will be no dead bees on the floor nor foul 
brood, unless infected from another source.—A Lanarkshire 
Bee-keeper. 
All correspondence should be directed either to “ Thb 
Editor ” or to “ The Publisher.” Letters addressed to 
Dr. Hogg or members of the staflE 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. 
Gold-coloured Beetle (<7. L. M.'). — The beetle received is 
popularly called the Rose Chafer (Cetonia aurata). It emerges from the 
pupa some time in June. Though associated with the Rose, it ofteo 
swarms on the bloom of other plants, the Privet and Elder for^ instancey 
and also on humbler species, such as Candytuft. Most authorities agree 
that it bites the petals, but some entomologists have questioned if this 
is the fact. In the larva state it lives on decayed wood, also probably 
upon roots of various plants during two or three years. It occurred 
abundantly about the old market gardens of Brompton and Fulham. 
