'M&y 9,1895. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
415 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Auriculas.—The Alpine varieties at the present time are very 
heautiful. New seeds of the commoner forms germinate freely enough, 
but those of choicer strains are not so reliable, the seedlings showing 
very irregularly. If, therefore, only a few plants come up in the pans 
lift these out with the point of a label, filling up the holes with a little 
fine soil, as there is every likelihood of others coming up. Seeds may 
yet be sown in pans of fine loam, leaf soil, and sand, a cold frame proving 
the best place to stand these. Seedlings obtained in this way may not 
flower next spring, but they will develop into stocky plants for the 
following season. After flowering, old plants may be freely divided 
and placed in cooler quarters till the autumn, when ;they can be again 
returned to the beds. 
Polyanthuses and Primroses.— In order to be certain of having 
seedlings strong enough to flower freely next spring they should have 
been raised either last summer or in March this year. The summer-raised 
plants are naturally the strongest. Both these and any pricked out in 
boxes should before dry weather setsi" be planted out fully d inches 
asunder each way. Seeds may be 8?'„a rom the best varieties and sown 
in a small bed in the open, and propagating by division can also take 
place during this month. 
Daisies. —Directly flowering is over these ought to be lifted, and 
freely divided, every little piece with a few roots attached will grow, 
providing all are firmly replanted in a cool border and given water 
occasionally in dry weather. 
Wallflowers.— If only a few of these are wanted sow the seeds now 
in a box, and later on prick out the plants 6 inches apart each way. 
Large numbers may be raised by sowing in the open ground. The soil 
should be well prepared and the seeds sown in drills 6 inches apart. 
Prick out the seedlings in nursery beds, as then they transplant more 
readily in the autumn. The large double German Wallflowers may also 
be sown now. and if stopped once will make bushy plants. Both single 
and double Wallflowers may be propagated by means of cuttings. Short 
but not “ wiry ’’ side shoots should be slipped, not cut, oflE the old wood, 
and the heels be lightly trimmed prior to inserting firmly in the soil. 
Violets.—Much the finest flowers of these are obtained from young 
plants. The ground for a fresh bed should be lightly manured and in a 
good condition at the present time. It should be trampled firm as for 
Strawberries. Not till the young leaves are fully grown should re¬ 
planting take place. When lifting and dividing give the preference to 
the younger divisions and newly rooted runners. One foot apart each 
way is not too much space to allow. In dry positions water will be 
required occasionally, and a mulching of short manure would benefit 
both new and old beds. 
Campanulas. —C. medium calycanthema can be had pure white, and 
in pink and blue shades. Sow' in pans or boxes and place in a cold frame, 
and prick the seedlings into boxes first, and when large enough plant a 
foot apart each way in beds or borders. They transplant readily in 
either the autumn or spring. 
Humea elegans. —Fill a pan with fine sandy soil, moisten, and 
then sow nearly on the surface, placing the pan on a greenhouse shelf, 
covering with a square of glass and shading. The seedlings should be 
first pricked in pans of fine light soil, and from these shifted singly into 
4-inch pots in which they are to be wintered. Those who have wintered 
a stock of plants in 4-inch pots ought long ere this to have shifted them 
into 7-iDch pots, keeping them in a greenhouse. Any to be flowered in 
pots and plunged in the open, ought now to be given a shift into 10-inch 
pots, using a moderately rich, loamy soil, and potting firmly. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Potatoes. —Potato planting will have been completed later than 
usual, but if the sets were previously sprouted other cultural details may 
yet have to follow closely. Directly the rows are sufficiently well 
defined loosen the soil by means of heavy hoes and then draw up a 
ridge. This should he done as early in the day as possible. One day’s 
neglect of this important work may mean blackened shoots and a light 
crop. Small plots of eaily Potatoes should be temporarily protected. 
Runner Seans. —Seed sown early has not germinated very satis¬ 
factorily. Another sowing should be made if possible, either singly in 
4-inch pots or thinly in boxes, placing in gentle heat to hasten germina¬ 
tion. The plants ought not to be kept in heat after they are up, cold 
frames or rough protection of some kind being less likely to weaken 
them unduly. Temporary protection should be afforded when the plants 
are put out. Sowing in boxes is also the best plan where poultry and 
such like are apt to interfere, Runner Beans transplanting readily 
enough. The soil ought to be well manured, and if near a good water 
or liquid manure supply so much the better. If tall stakes can 
be afforded single rows should be 6 feet apart, but one long old-fashioned 
double row (the seed being sown In drills 1 foot apart) is sometimes 
enough for a family. Stakes can be dispensed with altogether by sowing 
thinly in drills 3 feet apart, thin to 1 foot apart and keep all running 
growth closely pinched back. It is not yet too late to plant two rows of 
early Potatoes between rows of Beans G feet apart, or a single row 
between those only 3 feet apart. 
. Marrows. —Plants that have been kept in small pots 
till they have become drawn, hard-stemmed, and yellow in colour, would 
yet be surpassed by plants raised from seeds sown now. Great heaps of 
manure are neither necessary nor desirable for these crops. If sheltered 
corners in a frame ground are devoted to Vegetable Marrows then mix 
garden soil, road trimmings, and such like freely with the heap of 
manure and other decaying material, making all level and solid. Give 
the seeds or plants a start in small mounds of good loamy compost. An 
early stait would be made by planting soon and protecting with frames 
or hand-lights, and plants obtained by sowing now where they are to 
grow should also be roughly protected. Vegetable Marrows may either 
follow early Potatoes or be sown among them, the Potatoes coming away 
before the Vegetable Marrows require much space. Dispose the latter 
from 4 feet to 6 feet apart each way, and profitable crops will be had in 
the midland and southern counties of England at any rate wi hout 
much further trouble. The Long White and Long Green are among 
the most reliable varieties. Always sow more seeds than plants are 
desired, as surplus plants can and should be removed easily enough. 
Ridge Cucumbers. —These fail during sunless wet seasons, but in 
favourable summers will succeed in the warmer parts of the country in 
little besides common garden soi'. They are not so hardy as Vegetable 
Marrows, and should not be sown so soon. The second week in June is 
the best time to plant unless protection can be afforded, and seeds may 
be sown where the plants are to grow a week or ten days earlier. 
Prepare a ridge or mound as for Vegetable Marrows, and both kinds 
ought to be carefully screened from strong winds. 
Gourds. —Where there is space between fruit trees on sunny garden 
walls one or more Gourds could be fruited with good effect, and they 
might also cover temporary or permanent archways, and such like. 
Give each plant a spit or more of good manure for the roots to take 
possession of later, but avoid overdoing it, or there will be too much 
haulm. As far as raising or planting out is concerned, treat similarly 
to Vegetable Marrows. Long stout stakes are needed for the plants, 
both against the walls and in the open. 
W. 
i 
HE BEE-KEEPER. 
n-.-i. I. < ■j'l ■ i .T« -TTn 
ii 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Seasonable Notes. 
With the advent of May bee-keepers should be on the alert. 
All stocks must be examined, and a note made of each for future 
reference. When each stock is numbered, and the business is 
conducted in a methodical manner, it is not nearly as formidable 
an operation as at first sight appears. 
A small book that may be carried in one’s pocket I have found 
most useful for the purpose. In this is entered the number that 
is marked on each hive and the age of the queen should be booked 
against the number corresponding with the hive. This is most 
important, as the strength of the colony will depend to a great 
extent on being headed by an active fertile queen. A note should 
be made as to the condition of each stock. Those that require 
feeding should be promptly attended to, although flowers are 
appearing in all directions. Bees may die of starvation during a 
spell of wet, sunless days, such as have been experienced very 
recently. A case in point came under my notice quite recently. 
The bees in one stock, a very strong one, were one evening 
found on the alighting board in great numbers; many of them 
were dead, others were quite feeble, and unable to crawl into 
their hive. On lifting the quilt the remaining bees were found 
between the combs in a state of stupor, and to all appearance 
past recovery. The cause was at once apparent, not a particle of 
food remained in the hive. Means were at once taken to prevent 
a collapse. A couple of hot bricks were placed on top of the quilt, 
a bottle feeder filled with warm syrup being placed on the top of 
frames, and the whole covered with a warm covering. 
On examination of the hive next morning the bees had quite 
recovered, and were as lively and active as those in the other 
hives, the whole of the syrup having been taken by the bees. 
This stock has since been fed daily with a little thin syrup given 
warm in the evening, and is now doing well. Now is the time to 
make a comparison between old and young queens, but it does not 
always happen that queens reared a year ago are more fertile than 
those that are a year older. Although I am an advocate for young 
queens I have at the present time colonies headed by queens that 
are two years old, and are as strong as the best of my stocks headed 
by young queens. Where a number of stocks are kept there are 
always individual stocks that do much better than others. 
At the present time I have two frame hives of the same size 
and manufacture, each holding fourteen standard frames, standing 
side by side. They were obtained a year and a half ago from a 
lady bee-keeper who was leaving the neighbourhood. No. 1 
swarmed in the early part of last June. A young queen was 
reared, which in due course filled the hive with brood ; they did 
not store any surplus, but filled their frames with honey, 
which was left in their brood combs for them to winter on. No. 2 
did not swarm, but worked well, and filled a crate of well finished 
sections. The queen was very prolific, so I did not requeen this 
stock. The queen must be at least two years old. According to 
