It 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 5, 1888. 
of either swarm or stock being in a position to take advantage of 
the Clover harvest, although both may be prepared to work in 
August on the Heather. Unity is strength. Unity is profit. Day 
hy day a strong stock or built-up swarm collects and stores a great 
weight of honey, provided the weather is favourable, but a weak 
stock or newly hived swarm must perforce look after present wants 
and leave the future to chance. 
A few days ago we saw a bee-keeper who was in great distress 
because his bees would not swarm. He had supered them, and 
they were working in the supers, but he was under the impression 
that “ prosperous bees always swarmed.” He had read and learned 
a little knowledge. His little knowledge was somewhat dangerous ; 
but he is happy now on receiving an assurance that he was on the 
highway to success and might hope to obtain better results from 
his undivided stocks than he had ever before obtained from his 
prosperous bees which always swarmed. At the present time the 
heat of a hive to which proper attention is not paid must be 
appalling, and we entreat every bee-keeper to see that proper pre¬ 
cautions are taken to keep the blazing sun from baking the hives 
and melting down the new built combs, and thus destroying the 
stocks. This point must be at once attended to. Before we again 
put pen to paper our hopes will have been realised or blasted. If 
we have a good harvest may it be the precursor of many other 
equally favourable seasons ; but if the weather fails us, and the 
harvest so eagerly expected from the Clover is not stored, then 
may we express the hope that another year a better season may be 
in store to keep awake our enthusiasm and to fan into a blaze the 
lukewarm interest of those who are ever ready to decry an industry 
if success is not a constant and faithful attendant on any¬ 
thing which they may deign to take up either for amusement or 
profit. In the course of a week or two instructions for the care of 
stocks after the season has ended shall be given, and we have no 
doubt that those who have their own interests really at heart will 
be the first to see that at the close of one season due and proper 
preparation is made for the following year.— Felix. 
[Since the above was written we hope rain has revived the 
pastures referred to. Sufficient has fallen near London for the 
present, and for some days the weather has been the reverse of 
favourable for bees.] 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Michael Rains & Co., 34, Mansell Street, City, London.— Wholesale 
Catalogue of Butch Flower Boots and Bulbs. 
Messrs. Deane & Co., 46 a, King William Street, London Bridge.— 
Illustrated Catalogue of Glass Structures, Summer Houses, Heating 
Appliances, fye. 
* s ® 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. 
Gardeners’ Orphan Fund (A. Wilson'). —Mr. Barron will be 
■communicated with on the subject of your letter. 
Synonymes ( 6 1 . T.). —“Syn” is an abbreviation of synonym, which, 
used in connection with plants, means that all those grouped under it 
are the same—the same variety with different names. 
Grapes not Setting (•/. M.). — It is the result of imperfect ferti¬ 
lisation, the consequence either of a deficiency of pollen, or its insuffi¬ 
cient dispersion through a too damp and close atmosphere. Cut out the 
small and leave the larger berries when thinning. 
Seedling- Pancratium (<9. //.).—As nearly as we can judge from 
one rather damaged flower, your plant is nearly related to, if not identi¬ 
cal with, Pancratium carribaeum. 
Tuberous Begonias (IF. M. Me Robbie). —The flowers sent are 
very fine indeed, and the foliage accompanying them shows conclusively 
that the plants have been excellently grown. They are a credit to you, 
and you might do service to others by describing your method of culture 
in the Journal. 
Boses for Buttonholes (.1 Young Subscriber). —You could not do 
better than grow Rubens, President, Madame Falcot, Grace Darling, and 
Perle de Lyon ; if you want a red one you will find W. F. Bennett, 
H'brid Tea, useful. For flowering early Safrano and Isabella Sprunt 
will produce more buds than most others. The buds are thin and rather 
small, which with some may be an objection. In our Rose column will 
shortly appear under “ Roses in Winter ” a paper on the management of 
Tea varieties in pots, and in it, we think, you will find all the informa¬ 
tion you may require. 
Boots on Vine Stems (Y. T.). —These are incited by a close moist 
atmosphere, and when they are present under contrary conditions they 
indicate that the roots in the border are not supplying the wants of the 
Vines. Mr. Barron, in his book, says, “ If the true roots are in a per¬ 
fectly congenial condition, no air or adventitious roots will be produced 
in any ordinarily well managed vinery.” They will probably do no 
harm to the Vine, and we should not remove them, but let them wither 
naturally. Are you sure the Vine is not being cropped too heavily ? If 
it doos not push sub-laterals freely that is the case. 
Insects on Strawberries ($. JS~.). —Your plants are suffering from 
an attack of one of the snake centipedes (Geophilus longicornis). The 
specimens sent are about half the adult size. These insects have been 
remarkably troublesome in many gardens during the last three or four 
years. When it is discovered that Strawberries and similar plants are in¬ 
fested by them it is a good plan to dress in spring with quicklime, soot, 
and wood ashes mixed in equal proportions, applying this evenly over 
the whole of the soil, or gas lime may be worked in at the rate of half 
a peck per rod, combined with an equal quantity of dry earth. Quantities 
may be killed by baiting them with slices of Potato or Apple wrapped 
in a little hay and placed in the ground. 
Caterpillars on Boss (./. C. M.). — The specimens sent are those of 
the small emerald moth, Iodis lactearia. It is not usual to find this species 
on Roses, the chief food being Whitethorn or Blackthorn in hedgerows, 
but it is liable to occur on other plants of that tribe, yet seldom nume¬ 
rous enough on any to do serious harm. There appear to be usually 
two annual broods. An emergence of moths takes place in May, these 
being parents of the June caterpillars, and, being of a delicate green 
tint, they'are often unobserved amongst the fresh foliage. Hence they 
escape capture, as do also the caterpillars, from their mimicry of in¬ 
animate objects, by stretching themselves out rigidly, as do others of the 
Looper group. But it is likely insect-eating birds detect them by their 
pink markings on the light-green general colour of the body. 
Temperature for Tomatoes ( Subscriber) —The plants grow 
freely, and their fruit ripens well in a night temperature ranging from 
a few degrees below to a few above 60°, with a free circulation of air. 
No injury is done if the temperature falls to 55°, or even a few degrees 
lower now and then, but the ripening is retarded. The day temperature 
may be about 65° by fire heat alone, rising to 85° or even 90° with sun 
and a free circulation of air. A close damp atmosphere must be avoided, 
and while the house should not he quite closed at night more air must 
be admitted very early in the morning. So long as ventilation is 
managed judiciously, and the pjants are otherwise properly attended to, 
a few degrees more or less by night or day are of no practical conse¬ 
quence, and the plants cannot have too much sun. 
Pear Failing- QEbor ).—We advise your examining the roots in 
autumn as you suggest; but from the abundance of bloom and the fruit 
not standing, we have doubts if the roots of the tree have enough 
moisture. Such appearances are often produced from extreme dryness 
and extreme moisture, but the latter can hardly be the case with such a 
bed of sand beneath. All you can do is to keep the roots near the sur¬ 
face so as to encourage the-making of short-jointed wood, and mulch or 
cover the ground with tiles to keep it moist as well as warm. Are you 
sure that enough moisture is given ? Such cracking is produced 
by various causes, such as a high dry temperature and a deficiency of 
moisture at the roots, and then again by plenty of moisture at the roots, 
considerable warmth, and a dry cold atmosphere. In the one case the 
fruit swells too fast for the root-action, and in the other it does not 
swell fast enough. 
Tomatoes and Strawberries (F. IF.).—No doubt muriate of 
potash is good for Tomatoes, but we have this to say, that if a person 
cannot grow them well without it, its absence is not a sufficient reason 
for the failure. Some of the finest crops that have ever been produced 
have been grown without muriate of potash. No one kind of manure 
can be named as absolutely the best for all soils, and all the fertilisers 
advertised are found serviceable by cultivators, some finding one the 
best and some another, according to the nature of the soil to which they 
are applied. As you evidently do not require a large quantity, you can¬ 
not do better than procure a small tin of each, and you will then be 
able to find which suits your soil the best. Finely ground bone meal 
and superphosphate of lime are good for Tomatoes in most soils. By the 
time this appears in print you will find whether the Strawberries will 
