352 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 3, 1894. 
The Lanarkshire Storifying Hive. 
Some people cannot be persuaded of the importance, so far as 
profit is concerned, of having hives containing nearly 4000 cubic 
inches of space, always meeting the argument with some evasive 
answer, refusing to look at facts and think over them. At the 
time I am writing there are many hives, large and small, surround¬ 
ing mine. In every instance the full sized hives are the most 
advanced. Beginning with more bees they winter better, and breed 
more in proportion to the size of the hive. 
Most of my appliances I make serve more than one purpose, 
but with the hivts proper I prefer to have them always in 
position, allowing only in extreme cases any interchange. I 
have hitherto advised full sized hives, as well as the plan recom¬ 
mended for certain conditions, when it is advisable to work them 
under the full size, both in the case of swarms and stocks. The 
third or under division of storifying hives is a great factor in 
producing good results by admitting bees to it, and in turn 
shutting them out. After the bees are well into supers re-admit 
them next to youthful queens, with plenty of space to prevent or 
retard swarming. How to do so with the Lanarkshire storifying 
hive is the cause of these remarks. 
Presuming the hives are well forward with bee?., and there is 
brood in the two upper boxes in every comb except the outside 
ones, and some brood in the centre combs of the under box, 
transfer the one to the other, taking care that no brood is destroyed. 
When the above is accomplished put a sheet of perforated zinc 
between the under and middle box, fix a landing board to the 
latter, and place a trap to the entrance of the under box ; the 
bees will leave by it and enter the doorway above. After the 
hive is working to the desire of the bee-keeper, fold back the hive 
from the under box a little, and withdraw the zinc, closing the 
upper entrance. The above plan may be modified in many ways 
suitable to the successful working of swarms or stocks. 
A Successful Bee-keeper. 
A few years since an entire novice in bee-keeping inquired 
through the Journal of Horticulture how to manage bees to a cer¬ 
tain issue, having failed to get satisfactory information from 
another quarter. In some correspondence lately with that person 
I learn he had a handsome income from his half score of hives 
last year, not including nearly £12 in prize money, gold, silver, bronze 
medals, silver cup, and certificates of merit, awarded at the various 
open shows at which he competed. My correspondent competes 
with his own property only, and has beaten many formidable 
opponents in open competition. 
Stamping Sections and Supers. 
I observe the mode of stamping sections and supers by the 
secretary of shows before being filled by the bees, so as to place 
owners of large and small apiaries on the same footing at the com¬ 
peting table, has been adopted by the Dumfriesshire Bee Society. 
It will be remembered several articles from my pen appeared some 
time since in the Journal of Horticulture, and which plan I advo¬ 
cated for years before. It is to be hoped it will be a success, and 
for ever prevent that dishonourable practice of competing with 
bought or borrowed goods.—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
'^a*All 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. 
Seedling- Pelargonium (TF. the plant has a dwarf 
habit and is free flowering it is certainly worth propagating. The truss 
of bloom you send is above the average size, and being semi-double the 
p’ps are very effective. 
Sensitive Plants {T. Arnold '),—In addition to those named in 
your letter—viz., leaves of Mimosa pudica and Dionrea muscipula, hairs 
of Sundews (Drosera), stamens of Berberis and Sparmannia africana, 
stigma of Mimulus and its allied genus Diplacus, the following plants 
have sensitive organs :—Oxalis senaitiva, 0. stricta, Averrhoa Bilimbi, 
^Eschynomene americana, and Cassia nictitans. 
Auriculas (A. A .).—We received Auricula blooms several days 
ago, and waited for a letter in reference to them till they withered. 
They were border Alpines such as may be raised from packets of seed, 
and quite deflcient in the florists’ properties that would entitle them to 
a place on the exhibition table. No note was taken of the varieties 
under their respective numbers for the reason indicated—your 
accidentally omitting to post the letter sooner. 
Destroying Apbldes (ff. 6.). —The insects are green fly (Aphis 
roste), which are best destroyed by steeping 4 ozs. of quassia chips over¬ 
night in a gallon of water ; boil ten minutes, strain off the chips, and 
add 4 ozs. of softsoap, which should be dissolved in it as it cools. At this 
strength it will kill black fly (A. cerasi) on Cherries, and brown fly 
(A. persicse) on Peach trees, applying with a brush, or dipping the 
shoots in the solution and while warm, syringing the tree with clean 
water fifteen minutes after it has been applied. For Hose aphis dilute 
with hot water to 2 gallons, dipping the worst infested growths in it, and 
then syringe the whole bush, choosing a calm evening, and the follow¬ 
ing morning syringe thoroughly with clean water. This will free the 
bush of the vermin and their filth, 
Tudas Tree (5. T.). —The botanical name of this tree is Cercis 
siliquastrum, and bears racemes of rosy purple Pea-shaped flowers. In 
many gardens in the south of England it grows and flowers well as a 
standard, like the Laburnum, but in the north appears to require a wall. 
The flowers are esteemed by some as an addition in salads, from their 
agreeable piquancy. Old writers are in conflict in respect to the identity 
of the tree on which the traitorous disciple Judas hanged himself. Sir 
John Maundeville says that in his day there stood “ the tree of Eldre 
that Judas hante himself upon for despeyr.” Gerarde in his Herbal 
(1597) says “the Judas Tree is thought to be that whereon Judas hanged 
himself, and not upon the Elder tree, as is vulgarly said.” This belief is 
held by the French and Italians. 
Vine Zieaves and Sboots Damped {F. K). —The Alicante 
leaves are simply damped by water dripping or condensing and resting 
upon them for a considerable time. Tnis has destroyed their tissues, 
and the mould that followed is a saprophyte—that is, a fungus living 
on dead organic matter. It is Penicillium glaucum, common on decay¬ 
ing vegetable substances. The mischief to the Vines has been accelerated 
by the cold and damp, Alicante being most liable to suffer, as it has downy 
foliage, which holds the moisture and prompts decay. Besides, the 
Alicante requires more heat than Black Hamburgh—indeed, it ought ntt 
to be grown in a cool house. The only thing to remedy the evil is to keep 
the house warmer, admit air more freely, and supply less moisture. The 
cold, stagnant, and saturated atmosphere is the cause of the mischief. 
Insects on Seakale (^Mrs. J. H .).—The “ small grubs” are perfect 
“spotted snake millipedes (Julus pulchellus). The pests are very 
destructive to the plants you name, also many others, and are some¬ 
what difficult to destroy, as they harbour about the crowns or stems of 
the plants. The ground infested may be dressed with nitrate of soda, 
5 oz. per square yard, having it finely powdered by crushing on a hard 
floor, and distributing evenly on the ground, close up to the plants, but 
not on the leaves. It will benefit every kind of crop applied at this 
season, but it would have been more eflacacious against the millipedes 
had it been spread sooner and over the whole ground, plants included, 
repeating about this time, as before stated. To keep the pests from 
Strawberries procure some Mangold Wurzel, cut them into slices about 
an inch thick, and place them on the ground beneath the Strawberry 
plants. Examine these baits every day, and the pests that lurk under 
or upon them may soon be cleared away. Carrots, Beet, or even raw 
Potatoes may be substituted for the Mangold Wurzel baits. 
Aerial Roots for Vines (6*. G.), —The following extract from 
Mr. Barron’s boi'k on “Vines and Vine Culture” will answer your 
question regarding aerial roots :—“ These are so called from their being 
produced on the stem of the Vine and their being suspended in the air 
like so many threads. They are of the same character as the true roots, 
and only require to be brought into contact with the soil to become such. 
These air-roots are sometimes produced in great profusion from every 
part of the stem, frequently attaining a foot or more in length, and so 
give the Vine a strange appearance. There is no particular harm in 
these adventitious roots, but their presence betokens a want of 
proper action on the part of the true roots running naturally in the soil. 
They are a sign of bad health, and are frequently the precursors of 
shanking. They give evidence that the proper roots are not in a con¬ 
dition to supply the great demands of a large expanse of foliage, &c., 
and that, aided by a warm moist atmosphere within the house. Nature is 
trying to supply this want. Close warmth and moisture will induce the 
formation of such roots from Vine stems at any time. But if the true roots 
in the border are in a perfectly congenial condition no air or adventitious 
roots will be produced in any ordinarily well-managed vinery. They are, 
in short, the result mainly of the roots being in a cold wet border. To 
prevent their formation, or to recover Vines subject to this evil, the 
amelioration of the bf)rder3 must be seen to. Some varieties of Vines, 
such as those of the Frontignan class, being of a more tender constitu¬ 
tion, are more subject to the formation of air-roots than others. When 
they are produced rhev need not be cut off, except for appearance sake, 
for they will wither up and die as the wood ripers.” 
