38 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 12,18?8. 
end of the month to the moors, where the honey from the moun¬ 
tain flora is finer than any produced from the plains. 
As many private letters reach me regarding hives, I will at an 
early date give some further information as to making, working, 
and moving, which I hope will be instructive and remunerative to 
all who follow the advice of —A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
THE HEATHER HARVEST—GLASS SECTIONS— 
INVENTIONS. 
A Bee-keeper asked in another journal for information re¬ 
garding the Heather harvest, and in replying to this a writer con¬ 
cluded by stating that 200 sections of Heather honey from one 
hive could be harvested and sold at 2s. each wholesale. The sequel 
has just come to light. Tt appears in a district on the borders of 
Hallamshire a large number of bee-keepers attempted to carry 
out the instructions, tempted by the bait of £20 per hive, and went 
to great expense in carrying them out, with the result that at the 
end of the season one of them says, “ A solemn company of men 
might have been seen accompanying their hives on their return 
journey ” without honey in the sections, and all their hopes ruined. 
It is still said the 200 sections from one hive was not an exaggera¬ 
tion as “ A Prominent Scotch Bee-keeper ” succeeded in getting 
that amount. But this “ Prominent Scotch Bee-keeper ” did not 
report getting this amount of Heather honey from one hive. He 
reported over 200 lbs. for the whole season, about 60 lbs. only of 
which was Heather honey. 
There are thousands of tons of honey annually lost on the 
moors for want of bees to collect it. The bees are in existence, 
and it would pay well to migrate them from various parts of the 
country if they were only in proper hives ; yet the Royal Agricul¬ 
tural Society of England have in my.opinion excluded every hive 
from competing at the coming Nottingham Show capable of being 
safely carried to the moors and back with profit. They have set 
up a particular type as the standard in every class, which, in my 
view, is a wrong one for migratory purposes. 
Some time ago “Felix” tried to contend “ that it was of no 
practical importance to bee-keepers who discovered or invented the 
different things in use, so long as they had the use of them,” but 
subsequently said he should honour or thank those who had directed 
him right as soon as he had tested the matter. 
I have been for eight years studying out something which, when 
published and understood by the public, will revolutionise the 
present mode of bee culture. One part is to make sections wholly 
of glass—waste pieces from the glass warehouses called “ cullets,” 
to be had for 2s. 6d. per cwt. A hundredweight will make 500 
pound sections, and an ordinary girl, with tools costing only 2s., 
can cut them up into sizes which can be made into true, rigid, 
rectangular sections, with foundation fixed, much quicker than the 
wooden one-piece section can. Now shall I explain the whole 
thing, and run the risk of being deprived of the credit of my 
inventions ; or what shall I do ?—A Hallamshire Bee-keeper. 
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 auestions 
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 communica¬ 
tions. 
Grubs in Soil (Thomas O ').—The contents of the boxes shall be 
examined and a reply given after the investigation. We are now pre¬ 
paring for press. 
Wiring' Walls (IF. B .).—Your letter shall have attention; it 
cannot be satisfactorily answered this week, as our pages are almost 
ready for printing. 
Jones’ Terminal Saddle Boiler (IF. Lambmini ).—We are unable 
to answer your question relative to this particular boiler, but terminal 
saddle boilers are included in the illustrated catalogue of the Thames 
Bank Iron Company, Upper Ground Street, London, S.E. 
Gas Tar and Fruit Trees (J. S. O.). —Painting the stems with 
gas tar is the cause of deaths amoflg your Apple trees, and of injury to 
the Pear trees. It is violently poisonous to them, and the poisonous 
constituent probably is the creosote. 
Thinning Grapes (-1.).—Cut ofi one of the bunches from each 
shoot without any reservation. If one bunch is smaller than its fellow, 
cut off the smaller. If they arc of equal size cut off that one which is 
furthest from the stem. 
Tomatoes Diseased (FI IF.).—We are just going to press. Cut off 
the diseased leaves and burn them ; dust with sulphur ; maintain a 
dry breezy atmosphere ; use less stimulants. Some affected specimens 
have been sent to the Scientific Committee of the Royal Horticultural 
Society, and will probably be referred to in the report of the meeting. 
Change in Establishment (J. G .~).—We are very sorry to hear of 
the change and accord our sympathy, but und-r the circumstances think 
you cannot do better than make the best of the position, retaining your 
footing where you are till something better presents itself for your 
acceptance. 
Gesnerias (J. E .').—Gesneria cinnabarina grows about 18 inches 
high, and the others you name are similar in height and habit. They 
are very beautiful when well grown, especially for flowering in a stove 
in the winter. Tubers can be procured from nurserymen, but so far as 
we know seed is not procurable. 
Dipladenias (J. Gibson). —Your seedlings are worth preserving, 
though we have seen some similar to them, we think at Chatsworth. When 
you have good flowering plants ready, not necessarily large, you might 
send them to one of the meetings of the Royal Horticultural Society 
for examination by the Floral Committee. 
Ivy Eaten by Cows ( Constant Reader).— Ivy is not injurious to 
the health of cows, at least we have not known any mishap to arise 
from their eating it, and we have noticed it to prevail "largely in 
hedgerows, on trees, and in woods to which cows have free access 
without their being in any way prejudiced. We cannot name Roses 
or other florists’ flowers, as is stated below. 
Red Spider on Cucumbers (Cambridge). —If on a trellis and 
the under sides of the leaves are frequent,ly and forcibly syringed, the 
enemy can be so kept in check as to do little injury. After a few good 
drencliings mix some sulphur in the water, forming a cream that can be 
applied with a syringe, allowing the sulphur to remain on the leaves for 
a few days, shading in very hot weather, then repeat the drenching. 
Manure for Azaleas (Anxious). —Chemical manure may safely be 
given to plants that are in need of support, but it is not advisable 
to continue furnishing it after the buds are set to plants that are 
vigorous, as it has a tendency to induce growth to push from the base 
of the buds and so interfere with their flowering satisfactorily. Ap¬ 
plied to weakly plants it would assist them to swell the buds and 
retain the foliage, but it would be more injurious than beneficial ap¬ 
plied to plants at this season. 
Comparing- Vegetables (Philomel). —When a very large collec¬ 
tion of any kind of vegetable is grown, practically including all recog¬ 
nised varieties, it is surely not a difficult task to compare one with the 
other, or others that may be sent with either, and so determine the dis¬ 
tinctness or dissimilarity of varieties in the most practical way. This 
has no connection with fruit, and there is no parallel between the cases 
cited, the principle involved being entirely different. If you strike out 
the word “ new,” which was obviously an accidental insertion, much of 
the difficulty you experience will be removed. 
Cabbage and Onion for Early Use (J. 31.). —One of the best 
Cabbages to sow about the middle of this month for spring use, accord¬ 
ing to our experience, is El lam’s Dwarf Early Spring. The Queen Onion 
is remarkable for the rapidity of its growth, which ripens before 
larger sorts. It, however, is a small Onion of symmetrical form and 
small top. Early White Naples is larger, of quick growth and mild 
flavour, a fine sort for autumn sowing, which should be about August 
10th. 2, There is no work on the subject you name. The cultivation 
of Strawberries under glass has been fully treated of from time to time 
in our pages, and is repeatedly alluded to in “ Work for the Week.” 
Garden Produce (J. K. FI).—As a rule it is not profitable to send 
small quantities of vegetables to Covent Garden salesmen. As you are 
within easy reach of London you had better pay a visit to some of the 
salesmen and explain to them the nature and quantity of the produce 
at disposal. You will then see for yourself the sizes of bunches of 
vegetables now, for they vary greatly, according to the size Of the in¬ 
dividual articles of which they are composed, and the season. It is not 
possible to give precise information on the subject that would be of 
avail for market purposes, and knowledge gained by personal inspection 
is highly desirable, if not imperative. 
Budding Roses (Kittie). —Your own successful experience shows 
that Rose buds placed for a moment in the mouth of the operator, as a 
matter of convenience, lias no ill effect. Countless thousands have been 
so moistened and afterwards “ taken ” well. It is not customary to shorten 
the stems of Briars when the budding is done, as a free unobstructed 
flow of sap is desirable, and shortening the shoots is calculated to give 
a temporary check at a critical time. We know quite well that 
