136 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
February 15, I8S4. 
a fine form of Spinach, and does not run to seed so quickly as the 
ordinary summer or round-seeded variety. 
Parsnips. —If extra fine roots of these are desired seed may well 
be sown directly the ground can be got into a finely divided state ; but 
for ordinary purposes smaller roots, or any that can be cooked whole, 
are to be preferred, and these can be most surely had by sowing 
a month or six weeks hence. Those persons who are anxious to grow 
long, straight, clean roots for exhibition must avoid sowing seed on 
badly saturated ground, or on a site where there is any solid manure, 
not buried deeply, either condition causing the tap roots to fork badly. 
If the ground was well manured and trenched tor a previous crop of 
Cauliflowers, Peas, Beans, and such like, it only need be dug and well 
worked to grow Parsnips to a great size and clean. Sow the seed 
thinly in shallow drills 18 inches asunder, a distance of 15 inches 
being enough for later sowings. 
Carllc, Shallots, and Parsley. — A border alongside a walk 
might be very profitably utilised for these crops. It should not be very 
poor, and ought at the present time to be in a free working condition, 
an early opportunity being taken of planting out roots of the two 
former. If wanted large or of a size equal to winning prizes, plant 
single divisions or “ cloves,” the larger roots splitting up during the 
growing season. Prior to planting make the ground somewhat firm, and 
stir in soot freely. Draw drills 1 foot asunder, acd plant the roots or 
divisions in these 6 inches or rather more apart. The Garlic should be 
buried so as to only just show through the surface, but the Shallots 
ought to be only half buried, taking care to fix them well. Midway 
between these rows Parsley may be planted, and the Garlic and Shallots 
will be off the ground long before the latter requires much room. It is 
the surest way of having a fine even bed of Parsley, and the requisite 
number of plants should be raised in a box or boxes in heat, or in a 
frame as advised on page 60 of the Journal of Horticulture for 
January 18th. 
Early Celery. —If extra early Celery is wanted, whether for exhibi¬ 
tion or home consumption, no time should be lost before sowing seed. 
Give the preference to a white variety, as coloured varieties are slower 
in blanching. Sow the seed in a pan, and place in a brisk moist heat 
to germinate. Never depend upon old seed. 
Eargre Onions and Eeeks. —These, again, are sometimes wanted 
early, and in order to be certain of them plants must be raised under 
glass. Sow the seed of selected forms in pans or boxes, and place in a 
brisk heat to germinate, shifting to cooler and lighter quarters before 
the plants become drawn and weakly. If the Onions are raised some¬ 
what thinly they may be transplanted direct from the seed pans or 
boxes into the open ground, but Leeks will require to be treated more 
as Celery is prepared for the open. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Short Stores. 
From many parts of the kingdom is it reported that hives are 
wonderfully light although they were heavy in the autumn. These 
reports simply corroborate what I predicted in November, and 
experienced in December. Since the end of October and beginning 
of November we have been much on the move, and breeding has 
been more rapid than some imagine. Stores, consequently, soon 
diminish, and if not replenished immediately such hives will either 
die or become unprofitable. 
Feeding may be resorted to at any time now, but always better 
after the bees have had a good flight. I prefer syrup made 
from the best cane sugar, dissolved in about its own weight of 
soft or rain water, fed from beneath in wire-cloth-covered scoops. 
After numerous careful experiments relative to food and 
feeding, I have found nothing better than the above method and 
formula. Hives carefully and properly prepared ought not to 
have their crowns disturbed. It takes but little to create a 
draught and to cool the brood chamber ; we therefore cannot be 
too careful in maintaining the essential warmth that is so necessary 
to the well being of the hive, and which feeding from above more 
or less partly destroys. 
Loss of bees has gone on simultaneously with the decrease in 
weight, and the worst time of the year has not come yet. Bee¬ 
keepers should therefore exercise the greatest care not to 
encourage the mortality nor decrease of breeding. To avoid this 
condition feed liberally and as speedily as possible, then leave the 
bees alone. If pollen is plentiful, within a safe and short distance of 
the hives, they will find and improve upon it; but if it is not, 
supply them with plenty of pea meal in suitable receptacles and 
places, or mixed with honey to a creamy paste, in scoops similar 
to those used for syrup. 
Owing to the stormy weather prevailing at the time of writing 
my bees are not getting the advantage of the flowers now expanded. 
They are to all appearance in a thriving condition, showing no 
signs of weakness. I have only one hive showing dead bees on the 
floor. In this case it appears to be from the disease I termed chloric 
dropsical fever. The hive was twice capsized by accidentally 
running a barrow against it, but without any apparent injury. It,, 
along with several others supposed to be short of stores, was fed 
about the middle of January. No dead bees were observed until 
the beginning of February, when in twenty-four hours 2000 or 
more were lying dead on the floor. This is the first case I have 
experienced for nearly twenty years, the previous instance being 
in pure Italian stocks during the summer and autumn only. The 
hive now referred to is composed of Punics crossed with 
Carniolans, and the misfortune occurring in winter it causes me tO’ 
take more interest in the matter. 
The symptoms are the same as affected the Italians. A few 
shiny bees divested of their pubescence, are first observed, their 
abdomens distended, being filled with a saltish greenish or orange 
coloured fluid. The bees upon the combs show evident signs of 
suffering, being listless and unable to fly ; their wings fluttering are 
the greatest signs of life. The healthy bees are often near the 
entrance, and the whole hive is greatly above the normal tempera¬ 
ture, Hitherto all other cases were hereditary, so that any hive 
affected never survived, and when the queen was transferred to 
another hive the progeny became diseased. Sometimes on removing 
the queen, and substituting another, the hive prospered, i.e., if the 
bees were not too much affected. When once they become paralyzed 
there is no hope for them.—A LAN.\RKsniRE Bee keeper. 
^.;;5*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. 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. 
Odontoglossum Rossi (JReader ').—There are several fine varieties 
of this Orchid in cultivation. O. Rossi majus produces flowers much, 
larger than the type, and this is probably the kind you possess. 
Sook (JR, C .').—We do not remember a book specially devoted to 
the flower you name, but if we remember rightly it is treated with 
other flowers by the Rev. F. D. Horner, a master in the art of cultivation 
and description. 
Sweet Peas as Shelter (^Dahlia Lover ).—We see no objection to 
your growing a row of Sweet Peas around your Dahlia bed for shelter¬ 
ing the plants, provided there is no encroachment on them by the Peas. 
The present is a good time for sowing. 
Roman Hyacinths Falling (71 A.).—It is almost impossible to 
maintain the necessary uniformity of moisture when the pots are stood 
in a dry room, even if examined every week to see if water is needed. 
The soil has been much too dry. Had the soil been moderately moist 
when used, and the pots buried in damp cocoa-nut fibre refuse, sweet 
ashes, or leaf mould in the open garden you would have had no such 
failure to record as is the case now ; but on the contrary, well rooted 
plants and good spikes of the coveted flowers. 
Adlantum farleyense (D. C .).—It is not unusual for the old 
fronds of this beautiful Fern to wither at this season of the year ; indeed, 
a number of them usually decay when fresh fronds are being produced. 
Remove the withered portions and repot the plant if it needs repotting, 
otherwise top-dress by removing as much soil as you can with a pointed 
stick and adding fresh compost, equal parts of turfy loam and peat with 
broken charcoal being suitable. Maintain a moist genial atrnosphere, 
and shade the p'ant by placing a piece of newspaper above it during 
sunny days. By pursuing this system of management, and applying 
water judiciously, your plant will soon be as attractive as ever. See 
that the drainage is eflScient, as if the soil is sour the plant cannot 
thrive. 
Old Plants of Seutzla gracilis (^Reader )—It is not unusual 
for old plants to become stunted in growth. Such plants do not 
usually divide readily, and they are of no use, even if they can be split 
up into a number of plants, unless the divisions are cut down to within 
a few inches of the soil, to cause them to push vigorously from the base 
and make a good growth. If they do this, and the stems are well 
ripened, the plants will produce flowers from almost every bud. This 
practice may be adopted, or the old plants cut hard back, and after 
