18 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
January 4,1894. 
about fifty swarms this seASon before swarming generally had com¬ 
menced. Much care has been taken to secure the pure native English 
bee. Carniolans were tried some years ago, but these were found to do 
less work, and were consequently discarded in favour of the native, of 
which there generally from 100 to 150 hives. 
Another shed nearly adjoining the “ bee house ” is used as a work¬ 
shop, where hives are made during the winter, and where honey is 
stored and bottled, and adjoining again is a commodious and comfort¬ 
able “ bothy,” the walls of which are decorated with “ prize cards ” and 
certificates taken at shows for honey. Book-shelves are filled with 
“ bee literature ” comprising all the latest English and American works, 
and here too the queen bees are packed for sending away by post, for 
because of the uncertainty of the honey crop Mr. Gibbins makes it a point 
of selling his surplus swarms and queens each year, and looking through 
his books we find that these are sent to all parts of the kingdom, 
Ireland and Scotland taking a good share. 
It strikes the uninitiated as strange that bees should be sold by 
weight, yet such is the case, and here we note one instance of ^ cwt. 
going to one place. To our question as to whether any disease had to 
be contended with, the reply is, “ So far, no disease has made its 
appearance ; ” and this is not to be wondered at either, considering that 
within and around the apiary everything is kept scrupulously clean and 
sweet. Mr. Gibbins was evidently given to figures, and told us that he 
considered that he had about 42,000,000 bees, which would weigh over 
2 ton ; we cannot now remember of any amateur who has a larger 
apiary ; but, large as this is, Mr. Gibbins still means to extend it. He 
has presented some neighbouring farmers with Dutch Clover seeds gratis, 
to provide forage ; this, with the Blackberry and Charlock, being the 
chief source of honey in the district, with Heather sometimes in the 
autumn. We are told that before bottling, the honey is kept for some 
days in large clean earthenware jars, to allow any pieces of wax to settle, 
and the quality is so uniformly good that the best prices are always, 
without difficulty realised, *■ Of course,” we remark, *• you must realise 
a good profit from your hobby.” But the rejoinder was a hearty laugh— 
“ Have you ever yet discovered a hobby that did pay in & s. d.?” On 
the ou'sides of the bee houses Apple trees and Gloire de Dijon Roses 
are trained, and surrounding them are banks of Roses and other flowers 
with large buihes of wild Gorse in the background.—B radwen. 
GARDENERS’ CHARITABLE AND PROVIDENT 
INSTITUTIONS. 
The Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution. — Secretary, 
Mr. G, J. Ingram, 50, Parliament Street, London, W.C. 
United Horticultural Benefit and Provident Society._ 
Secretary, Mr. W. Collins, 9, Martindale Road, Balham, London, S.W. 
Royal Gardeners’ Orphan 'Pvst).—S ecretary, Mr. A. F. Barron, 
Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens, Chiswick, London, W 
•,*A11 correspondence should be directed either to “ The 
Editor” or to “The Publisher.” Letters addressed to 
Dr. Hogg or members of the staff 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. AD 
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. 
The “ Best ’ Articles (f7. J. F .').—It is entirely contrary to our 
rules to do wnat you ask, as it would amount to a public disparagement 
of many articles that answer their purpose well. We do not know of 
any article that all persons regard as the best, and all others inferior. 
Primula Blooms (^JoJin Laing )—The blooms were no doubt very 
good when gathered, judging by two or three which arrived com¬ 
paratively fresh, but the dry paper in which they were sent had 
extracted the moisture from most of them, causing them to shrivel 
{Reader').—It the soil be very fibrous 
It would not be advisable to mix any manure with it. The 
following 18 a good chemical manure for Tomatoes Four parts bone 
superphosphate, three parts sulphate of potash, and one part nitrate of 
soda powdered; mix, keep dry, and apply at the rate of 3 or 4 ozs. per 
square yard at intervals of a fortnight or three weeks, sprinkling on the 
surface and washing in. 
Grape Vines In an Xnslde Border {G. B.). —Gros Colman 
succeeded well with us with the roots entirely confined to an inside 
border, and only a few of the berries cracked occasionally, generally 
when the weather was moist in late summer, and hot and dry previously. 
This we attributed to insufficient water at the roots and moisture in the 
atmosphere during the swelling period. The house must be properly 
heated and the Vines started in March for ripening Gros Colman 
properly. White Gros Colman succeeds grown under the same condi¬ 
tions, but does not require so much heat nor so long a season to perfect 
the fruit in as Gros Colman. We have not seen this grown profitably. 
Gros Colman is the best late black Grape for market. Muscat of 
Alexandria will succeed in a house with Gros Colman, especially with 
the Vines in an inside border only. When well grown and finished this 
Muscat is the most profitable white Grape, and the best of all in quality. 
Varnlsblng- Orcbld Tubs (J. L.). —Although teak is very liable 
to mildew, like most other wood when in a confined atmosphere, it is 
not advisable to varnish it, as the Orchid roots run over and cling to it 
much better bare than when varnished. Of course, if your intention 
is only to paint the outside of the tubs for the sake of appearance, it will 
not do any harm ; but it should be done when the wood is thoroughly 
dry and before the tubs are used for the plants. The vap ur given off 
by varnish, also the “flatting” used by painters for drying quickly, is 
very injurious to plants, as it is absorbed along with atmospheric air, 
and they show signs of distress in a short time. Vines will flag under 
its influence, but they take no harm provided air is freely admitted. 
Perhaps no injury would result to the Orchids if this precaution be 
taken. Admit air abundantly until the volatile matter has passed off 
and the varnish has thoroughly dried. We do not think it would be 
wise, however, to risk it at this time of year, nor at any other without 
free ventilation. 
Cleome beptapbylla (^Amateur). —Comparatively few plants of 
the Capparis family are cultivated in British gardens. Even the typical 
caper-yielding Capparis spinosa is a stranger except in botanieal 
collections of economic plants. This points to the fact that there are 
not many possessing marked floral attractions. Of the numerous species 
long known in cultivation there are a few well worth a little attention. 
Cleome is a large genus, and includes plants of very diverse habit and 
character, both annuals and perennials, from tropical and temperate 
regions. Cleome heptaphylla is of moderate height, with seven-lobed 
leaves and white flowers, the long purplish stamens of which contrast 
with the spreading white petals. The flowers are produced freely, and 
when well grown the plant possesses a light graceful appearance. It 
can be treated similarly to many other annuals from warm climates— 
namely, the seeds are sown in heat, and the young plants grown in 
light soil in the stove, or placed during the summer in the conservatory. 
It flowers late in summer and autumn, and lasts some weeks in good 
condition with ordinary care. 
Violets In Frames (//. B.). —The method of culture in preparing 
Violets for flowering in frames in the winter is practically the same 
as that adopted in growing Strawberries, only rooted runners of the 
former can be had in April, while the latter cannot be layered before 
June. In soil prepared as if for Strawberries, and in an open 
pocition, plant roo ed runners or offsets of Violets during showery 
weather in April. Compact growers, such as Devoniensis, a very useful 
single, and Marie Louise, a valuable double variety, may be inserted a 
foot apart in rows 18 inches asunder; but such strong growers and fine 
varieties as Victoria Regina and Prince Consort need more space, and 
the plants should be 18 inches apart, in rows 2 feet asunder. Those 
named are excellent varieties, and if Argentemflora is added you may 
haie abundance of flowers in different colours from September onwards 
throughout the winter, providing you can maintain a night temperature 
in the frames of 40° to 45°, not otherwise, as Violets must have a certain 
amount of heat for insuring a continuous supply of flowers. Violets can 
be had in winter by taking stout runners and dibbing them an inch or 
two apart in boxes of good soil—loam and leaf mould—as if inserting 
cuttings, keeping them constantly moist, and placing the boxes in a 
light position in a warm greenhouse. 
Propagratlngr Indlarubber Plants (F. B. C.). — The following 
methods, successiully practieod by an old grower, will answer with you 
if carefully carried out :—The present time is suitable for propagating 
this plant, either by shoots taken off with a heel or by eyes. When it ia 
propagated by eyes they should be taken with a leaf attached to each, 
and be placed in silver sand to keep them from bleeding. Insert them 
in small pots well drained, in a mixture of peat and cocoa-nut fibre, and 
plunge in a strong bottom heat of 90°, with a little sand under each 
cutting. If they are not placed in a strong bottom heat the eyes will 
not break. When the eyes have rooted and commenced growing they 
should be repotted inio 48-sized pots, in equal parts of turfy lotm and 
peat, with sufiicient sand to keep the soil open. The plants should be 
placed in a temperature of about 70°, and be syringed frequently ; 
occasionally sponjiing the foliage is also highly beneficial. The plants 
should not be allowed to become root-bound until they have grown to 
the allotted size, when they will be greatly benefited by liberal supplies 
of liquid manure. During their growing season they should never be 
allowed to become dry at the roots, as dryness causes the leaves to turn 
