October 6, 1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
305 
The expense of having many crates and dividing into so 
many compartments, together with the broad bottom 
rail, all tend to obstruct the bees and lessen the honey 
harvest. The following plan is perhaps the cheapest, most 
simple and effective plan. The crates are simply one of 
the divisions of the cheap hive, fitted with top bars 
If broad, L shaped staples are driven at the proper dis¬ 
tances on one edge of top bar, so that the section is held 
equally from both ends. To hold the section firmly put 
it close to the underside top bar and slide beneath the short 
end of the staple, now drive one in the centre on the opposite 
edge, and they will bear 50 lbs. if necessary. The sections 
may either have no bottom rail or a very narrow one, and 
they may be of one or many sizes as fancy dictates, 
lhe ease by which such sections are manipulated and the 
advantages to both bees and bee-master cannot be over¬ 
estimated.—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
TEMPER OF BEES—PLEA FOR CYPRTANS. 
The temper of the various races of bees is, perhaps, the principal 
subject of inquiry by the masses concerning them. With many this 
makes little difference. In a large apiary run for extracted honey, such 
as we find in the southern counties of California, the rapid handling 
that is generally necessary will render any bee vicious. Bee-keepers get 
used to it to such a degree that they are as much at home among irritable 
bees as among gentle ones. 
Others, however, desire to find bees that will permit frequent exami¬ 
nation without resenting it. Having but few colonies of bees, they can 
spare the time to handle slowly and gently, and to pet the insects 
without stint. Unless it be the Carniolians, which I have not seen, it is 
only a trite statement that Italians in their purity surpass all others for 
such persons. I have worked them repeatedly in a yard of ten or a 
dozen colonies, opening hives and handling all the combs without smoker 
or veil, and the bees have generally paid no more attention to me than 
would flies on a window. However, I must say that in such a yard I 
have had even hybrids so trained to slow handling that I could do like¬ 
wise. Among the be s in a larger apiary I do not make it a point to 
venture without both a veil and a smoker. 
I have for the past season been handling Cyprians, both pure and 
hybridised. Imbued as I had been with impressions of their irritability 
almost beyond the control of the operator, the season’s experience has 
been a constant surprise. While having my smoker ever ready, I have 
seldom had occasion to use it. Even in taking off the cover from a hive, 
I seldom have to blow in any puffs of smoke to control them. In taking 
out combs I have found that the bees remain evenly spread upon them, 
and they fly but little. I have received but very few stings from Cyprians, 
except when I have accidently pinched them.. The queens are easily 
found, although they are now more nervous than Italian queens, as well 
as smaller, and inclined to be striped. While easily found, they seek 
the edges of the comb more noticeably than do the Italians. 
The crosses between the Cyprians and the blacks are in no respect 
worse than the Italian hybrids. They vary much, however, in disposi¬ 
tion. I find some colonies that I can handle easily, and others that I 
must subdue with smoke. While in ordinary handling many of these 
hybrids as well as pure-bloods will remain quietly on the combs, yet a 
sudden jar is sufficient to dislodge nearly all of them. In handling both 
pure-bloods and hybrids thus, I have noted that the bees thus thrown 
into the air immediately start for the entrance, instead of seeking the 
vulnerable parts of my person, as I expected. 
I will say that I have not extracted this year, and this must have 
made some difference. I have one colony from a Syrian queen mated 
with a Cyprian drone. Her bees are light yellow, and bear handling 
much the same aS pure Cyprians. 
I have handled pure Holy Land bees a little, and their crosses with 
blacks much more, during former seasons in Mr. B. Wilkins’ apiaries in 
Ventura county. There, in the height of the extracting season, they 
bore a good comparison with the Italian hybrid bees that were in the 
same circumstances. 
Thus it will be seen that while some find the new races intractable, 
others find them easily managed. I only add my experience as one in a 
Iar r e column of figures, and I claim for it only its own influence on the 
general footing up. The Cyprians seem to be very active and excellent 
honey gatherers. I do not believe that they can be surpassed.— 
A. Norton (in American Bee Journal ). 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Wil iam Fell & Co, Hexham.— Autumn Catalogue of Dutch Floiver Bools, 
1S87. 
C. Turner, Slough.— Catalogue of Boses, Fruit Trees, andNursery Stock. 
Frank Law, Oldham Road, Rockdale.— Catalogue of Carnations, Picotees, 
$c. 
J. Schwartz, Lyon, France.— Catilogueof Boses. 
fisher. Son & Sibray, Handsworth, Sheffield.— Catalogue of Fruit, 
Forest and Ornamental Trees, and Shrul>s. 
c 0 ° 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 un¬ 
avoidably. 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 cannct reply to questions through the 
post, and we do not undertake to return rejected communica¬ 
tions. 
Leaving a Situation ( J. K. D .).— In the absence of any special arrange¬ 
ment to that effect you cannot claim the expenses for your journey. 
The Mammoth Gourd (M. C .).—It can be cooked in various ways—in 
soup, pies, Ac., and most works on cookery give directions as to the best 
methods of preparing it. 
Insects on Poplar Leaves ( C. M. S.).~ The in°ect3 sent on the Poplar 
leaves are the larvae of a Sawfly, Tenthredo Populi, an insect allied to the 
familiar destroyers of the Gooseberry and the Turnip, but they are feeding 
later than usual, or possibly a second brood has hatched owing to the long 
summer. 
Levelling and Relaying Turf on Lawn Tennis Ground (F. T. D.). — 
Much depends on the nature of the ground and the consequent amount of 
work required. If it be only taking off the turf, the levelling being such as 
vri 1 not occasion more work than is entailed in ordinary digging or trench¬ 
ing, and relaying with the needful beating, the 3d. per square yard is a fair 
price, or, if there is much wheeling, then 4£d. to 6d. per square yard. Of 
course, those prices are for good work, and unless it be done properly it will 
ever be a source of trouble. 
Compost for Vine Border (F.H .).—“ Black peaty turf ” should have a 
sixth of old mortar rubbish, a fifth of road scrapings, and a fourth of marly- 
clay mixed with it to form a suitable compost for the Grape Vine. The 
clay must be chopped small, the old mortar rubbish be freed of laths and 
other bits of wood, and the road scrapings free of the roots of coarse weeds. 
Use manure on the surface only as a mulch. 
Dr. Hogg and Royal George Peaches {Idem).— Dr. Hogg is one of the 
best second-early Peaches, the tree being an excellent grower and bearer, 
and the fruit is of good size, highly coloured, and though firm in the flesh 
is rich and full-flavoured. Royal George is undeniably one of the best- 
flavoured if not the best of the midseason Peaches. Perhaps their want of 
flavour this year is caused by overcropping, accelerated by the drought, 
and consequently lack of support, which timely and judicious thinning of 
the fruit, mulching, watering, and feeding with liquid manure would 
have prevented. Overcropping is the greatest drawback to full-flavoured 
fruit. 
Samphire (P. T., Sussex ).—The botanical name of this plant is Crithmum 
rmritimum, and it is included in the natural order Umbellif eras. It grows 
abundant'y on some of the rocky cliffs of the British coast, and on the- 
rocky seashore. The whole plant is odorous, with a piquant, aromatic, 
and slightly saline taste. The entire plant and its thick fleshy leaves 
make an old-fashioned and excellent pickle, with vinegar, which forms an 
excellent condiment, and is considered very diuretic. In some of the 
markets at seaside towns this is frequently sold as a pickle, and we have 
seen abundance of it in the Brighton market, where you could readily 
procure it. 
Lilies of the Valley Outdoors (M. C. B.). — An open situation should be 
chosen, the soil being well manured, and stirred as deeply as the good soil 
allows. They succeed in any good loam, but preferably in one containing 
decayed vegetable matter, such as leaf soil, the most suitable soil being 
alluvial. Any good garden Boil will grow them well, only if the soil be 
light it must be made firm, but a strong loam will not need firming. Afford 
a good mulch of manure or leaf soil in autumn, and supply liquid manure 
during summer, not allowing them to become dry, as they are moisture- 
loving plants. It is poverty of soil that causes them to grow so indifferently, 
which is accelerated by allowing them to become crowded. 
Cropping Peach Trees {T. C.). —1, One fruit to every square foot of 
surface—t.e., wall or trellis—covered by the trees, iB ample in order to- 
ensure the fruit attaining the highest perfection and not unduly taxing the 
vital forces of the trees. This applied to your trees represents about ten 
dozen per tree, whereas your “ full crop ” is sixteen to twenty dozen— 
nearly twice as much as the trees ought to bear iu order to secure fruit ofi 
the largest size, the finest colour, and the fullest flavour. 2, The reduction! 
of fruit should take place annually, and not at intervals. One year’s over¬ 
cropping may impair its vigour and capability of bearing for two or more- 
years. 3, The best means of securing the finest fruit and the Jougestt 
vitality is cleanliness, keeping the trees free from insect and fungoid pests,, 
feedii.g by surface mulching and due supplies of water or liquid manure. 
Expose the foliage to light and air by thin in preference to close training,, 
so that the food supplied may be properly assimilated. 
American Blackberries—Black Hamburgh Grape3 not Col During 
(F. J .).—There are S0( square yards in a rod, pole, or perch; 40 rods 
1 rood ; and 4 roods or 4840 square yards 1 statute acre. Blackberries) 
