262 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 21,1896. 
overheating of the hot-water pipes during the long spell of frosty 
weather. Directly the seedlings can be moved with the aid of a forked 
stick prick them out in boxes or pans of fine light soil. Keep in moist 
heat and shade from bright sunshine. They ought to have yet another 
move into other boxes or to a mild hotbed. They should not be placed 
in pots, as they move badly out of these. Medium sized bulbs of last 
year’s raising will develop into fine plants by June, and if it can well be 
avoided these should not be divided. Larger, older bulbs, arranged 
somewhat thickly in boxes of rich soil in preference to pots, and placed 
in gentle heat, will form numerous shoots, and when these are 1 inch or 
rather less in height the bulbs may be split into several pieces, each 
with one or more sprouts attached. Coat the cut portions with silver 
sand, and then place all in boxes or pans of good light loamy soil. Keep 
in gentle heat, and when they are rooting freely transplant to other 
boxes or, better still, to beds of good soil over a nearly spent hotbed. In 
this way strong plants will be prepared for the beds in June. 
Carnations and Plcotees. — Seedlings raised this spring and 
well grown will flower far more freely than most of the plants raised 
from cuttings. Where disease weakens or ruins the older plants seed¬ 
lings ought certainly to be grown, as they need only be expected to 
flower once owing to every growth developing into a flowering stem. A 
per-centage of seedlings will be single, but if the best strains of border 
varieties are sown the greater portion will be of superior quality, and 
some of them well worthy of preservation. A strong dry heat is fatal 
to a good start, the seeds germinating far more surely in a newly started 
vinery, or in a frame over a nearly exhausted hotbed. A little later on 
a cold frame will be found the best place for starting the seeds. Sow 
thinly in pans or boxes of fine loamy soil, cover with squares of glass, 
and shade heavily. When the seedlings appear transfer to cooler 
quarters, and not far from the glass. Pot off singly when inch 
high. 
Pinks. —These may also be raised from seeds as easily as Carnations, 
and will flower strongly the following season. In this case, again, 
seedlings will be found more vigorous and produce finer fl.ower8 than do 
those otherwise propagated. Plants of choice varieties in pots may be 
propagated from now, young side shoots being the best for the purpose. 
Slip these from the old stems and root them in pans of water as 
advised in the case of Verbenas and such-like plants. 
Gladioli. —It is a mistake to keep these too long out of the ground. 
When planted early in April they usually start strongly, and produce 
finer spikes of flower than do those planted much later. If wanted 
extra fine give them the benefit of a root run in good fresh loamy soil, 
surrounding the corms with sharp sand, and covering with 4 inches of 
soil. If planted in rows they should be from 12 inches to 18 inches 
apart, or they may be thinly grouped. A carpeting of Mignonette 
with Gladioli dotted thinly among this forms an effective bed. The 
Mignonette may be sown after the corms are planted, or be planted out 
of small pots a little later on. If it is decided to distribute a few 
Gladioli in a bed of mixed flowering and fine-foliaged plants, the former 
ought to be started in 5-inch pots and planted out with the rest. 
Sowing Half-hardy Annuals. —Asters, Stocks and Zinnias may 
be sown in quantity during the first fortnight in April in gentle heat, 
but Marigolds ought not to be sown yet. All will germinate the most 
surely in gentle heat in boxes covered with glass, this precaution being 
specially necessary if there are mice about. Shade from bright sun, and 
keep the soil uniformly moist. Sunflowers may be raised in a similar 
manner, though the end of April is soon enough to sow the seeds. That 
time is also quite as early as Balsams should[be sown. Zea japonica, or 
Japanese Maize, may well be raised in quantity, as these frequently 
prove very effective in mixed borders. Sow the seeds singly in 3-inch 
pots and place in heat. 
Hardy Annuals. —Where the borders were forked over or dug 
early in the winter the soil ought now to be in excellent condition for 
seed-sowing. There are many beautiful things among hardy annuals, 
and properly grown most of them will flower freely till severe frosts 
prevail. Prepare circular patches irregularly in mixed borders, 
making these fine and level. Sow the seeds thinly, and cover with a 
little fine soil—some brought from the frame ground answering best if 
the ordinary soil is heavy or lumpy. The plants should never be crowded, 
but it is well to sow more seeds when plants are required, as losses may 
occur. The following may be sown now ;—Alyssum, Baitonia, Calan- 
drinia. Candytuft, Cornflower, annual Chrysanthemum, Clarkia, Con¬ 
volvulus, Coreopsis, Eschscholtzia, Godetia, Helichrysum, Hibiscus, 
Larkspur, Linum, Malope, Mignonette, Nasturtium, OEnothera, Poppy, 
Sunflower, Sweet Sultan, Tropaeolum, Virginian Stock, Viscaria, and 
Ornamental Grasses. 
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APIARIAN NOTES. 
Young Bees. 
In hives with youthful queens young bees are fairly numerous, 
and are the best for early work. The wide awake bee-keeper will 
not tolerate queens older than those of the preceding year ; but 
occasionally circumstances may have prevented the alternative, yet 
these need not be kept in the apiary longer than May. By that time 
young queens can be easily bred and fertilised in time to supersede 
aged ones, and with extra breeding space are the best and only 
means to prevent swarming in storified hives. Hives properly 
managed on the swarming system, where the honey season does not 
commence before the middle or end of June, are by far the most 
profitable ; besides, there is no risk of a hive collapsing as a non¬ 
swarming one with a worn out queen frequently does. 
Our first swarms are those on which we depend for large yields 
of honey of the finest quality, provided the bees issue several weeks 
before or at the beginning of the honey flow. In the event of the 
queen of a swarm relaxing in egg-laying at a time that would affect 
late honey gathering I depose her, and introduce a young but 
fertile one as early as possible. My safety cage shows at a glance 
whether it may be safe to release her or not. Many claims have 
been laid to “ direct introduction,” but the fact remains that the 
term is misleading. There is no safe method of direct introduction. 
The queen regnant must first be deposed, and the bees have time 
to realise their loss before it is safe to allow an alien queen in their 
midst. 
Fastening Comb Foundation. 
I have pleasure in informing “ E. D.” that where foundation is 
fixed with wax in a groove or between a split bar the work may 
be performed at any time ; but where it is done by pressure it is 
better to postpone the fixing till near the time it is wanted. If 
done earlier the movement of the wood by contraction, and the 
absorbing of damp, causes the foundation to part from the bar or 
section. This causes extra labour, and if unobserved crooked 
combs.—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
SEASONABLE NOTES. 
Keports to hand from several districts complaining of the 
disastrous effect of the past winter all tend to show how severe the 
losses have been among a great number of bee-keepers. Many of 
them I am convinced were preventible, and were the instructions 
that are given in these notes weekly more closely followed, many 
stocks that have succumbed would now be strong and healthy. I 
never advise others to do what I do not practise myself. I have 
proof of the assertion that many colonies might have been saved, 
as in my own apiary not a single stock has been lost; all are strong 
and in good condition. 
I have never before been so successful in wintering. This is the 
more encouraging, as I have more colonies than usual this winter, 
thus showing that the severe weather alone is not responsible for 
the many losses that have occurred. Such successful wintering is 
not brought about by any special method. Had my hives all 
ventilated floor boards I should probably have concluded that it 
was in their favour ; but, with the exception of two, all have solid 
floor boards. These being loose, bottom ventilation can always be 
given by propping up the hive or otherwise. Neither is it owing 
to any particular class of hive ; although mine are of the standard 
size, other hives are probably quite as good for wintering purposes. 
I prefer to have my hives and frames interchangeable, and for 
convenience in working and securing the greatest yield of honey 
with the least amount of trouble, I have found the standard frame 
hive to answer the purpose better than any other. 
Neither do I think it is owing to any special variety of bees, as 
mine are now all composed of our native black or brown bee as true 
as it is possible to have them. I consider them better adapted for 
our changeable climate, being hardy, good workers, and not as 
liable to the swarming mania as many of the foreign breeds, and, 
what is of great importance, their freedom from disease. Had bee¬ 
keepers in the past been satisfied with our native bee, and reared 
queens only from their best stocks instead of importing foreign 
queens in great variety, there would have been a better class of 
bees for honey gathering in this country (and that is what we 
require them for), and much greater freedom from disease than at 
present. 
I know other bee-keepers who are beginning to come to the same 
conclusion. In some parts of the country foul brood is such a 
terrible scourge that it is almost impossible to keep bees with any 
amount of pleasure or profit; fortunately it is unknown in this 
locality, long may it remain so.— An English Bee-keeper. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
J. Cheal & Sons, Lowfield Nurseries, Crawley .—Hardy Plants, 
Ellwanger & Barry, Mount Hope Nurseries, Rochester, U.S A.— Roses. 
Pitcher & Manda, Short Hills, New Jersey, General Plant 
Catalogue. 
Proctor & Rylands, Carr’s Lane, Birmingham.— Manures. 
Wriach & Sons, St. Lawrence Works, Ipswich.— Horticu.tVirai 
Buildings. 
