Febrnary 2, 1888. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE ANu COTTAGE GARDENER 
95 
I trust these remarks will make things clear to “ A Uallamshire Bee¬ 
keeper.” 
BEES CSANGIEG THEIR WORKING GROUND. 
I cannot alter my opinion regarding bees changing their working 
ground frequently at difierent time of the day, suitable to the flow of 
honey, for I have witnessed the phenomenon so often. In regard to 
bees working only when the sun shines, there is much truth in that, but 
still our finest honey days are when the sun is obscured behind a sultry 
and peculiar haze with a temperature of C5° to 75° Fahr. As the sun 
brightens it often brings along with it a parching drought that puts an 
end to all honey gathering, often for the season too. Honey under 
a bright sunshine is usually most plentiful when the temperature is 
not higher than from 70° to 75° in the shade. The time bright sunshine 
is most beneficial to bees is during the spring months, and for a few 
days before the sultry honey gathering ones which often precedes a 
thunderstorm and ends the honey season. 
As already stated I will not prolong the discussion, but will, for the 
benefit of your readers, explain that honey unsealed may be ready for 
sealing to-day, but if the interior of a hive is cooled to a low tempera¬ 
ture the honey therein may contain much water to-morrow. The same 
thing in addition to losing its flavour occurs when kept any length of 
time exposed to the atmosphere, hence one of the reasons honey deterio¬ 
rates in quality when put through a ripening process. 
Many modern innovation and invention for the management of bees 
are hindrances rather than otherwise. To wit, the feeding or “ pick- 
nicking ” bees in the spring with sweetened water wears out the bees, 
and other mischief follows. If bees are in search for water they will 
not provide themselves with it from that sweetened with sugar, but 
while flying long on the wing in the intervals of sipping it they dis¬ 
charge the water, retaining the sugar only. This act of the bees is 
easily observed by placing yourself so that the bees are between you 
and the sun. A proof that bees do not depend on water for breeding 
purpo.ses from honey is the fact when honey is most plentiful, and 
breeding going on briskly, the marshes and water resorts are more 
frequented by bees than when honey is scarcer.—A. L. B. K. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. ’ 
Samuel Yates, 1(5 and 18, OLl Millgate, Manchester.— Seeds and 
Garden ItequUitcs, 18SS. 
Hogg & Wood, Coldstream-on-Twecd.— Garden Seed List fur 1888. 
W. Piercy, 89, West Road, Forest Hill, S.E.— Li.st of Early or 
Sunmer-Floweriny and Late Clirysantlicmnms. 
John Perkins & Son, 52, Market Street, Northampton.— Catalogue 
of Vegetable and Elotocr Seeds. 
Thomas Davies & Co., Wavertree Nursery, Liverpool.— Catalogue of 
Vegetable and Flower Seed.s. 
Daniels Bros., Norwich.— ■Selected Guide fur Amatevr.s, S 2 ?ring, 1SS8. 
Kelway & Son, Langport, Somerset.— dSfanual for 1888. 
James Cocker &; Sons, Aberdeen.— ■Catalogue of Vegetable ami Flower 
Seeds, 1888. 
P. J. Kane, Kells, County Meath.— Cataloque of Vegetable ami Flower 
Seeds, 1888. 
M. de Reydellet, Valence (Drome), France.— Catalogues of Chry.s- 
anthemums for 1887 and 1888. 
Jno. Jefferies & Son, Cirencester.— Catalogue of Seeds and Bulbs, 
1888. 
Thos. Hersman, 102, Godwin Street, Bradford.— Catalogue of Garden 
Seeds, 1888. 
Viknorin, Andrieux, & Co., 4, Quai de la Megisserie, Paris.— General 
Catalogue of Seeds for 1888. 
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 double 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 communica¬ 
tions. 
Subscription for the Journal (F. IJ all/erf — The amount re¬ 
ceived will insure the Journal being posted to your address at the 
antipodes till January, 1889, or for eleven months from the date of the 
present issue. We are sorry that an occasional number should fail to 
reaeh its destination, but on the whole we have few complaints on the 
subject from subscribers in Australasia. 
Cucumber Root Disease (7?. T., Oporto). —It is quite probable 
your plants are attacked with the disease that has been illustrated in our 
columns by Mr. W. G. Smith, and for which a solution of salus applied 
to the soil has been recommended by him as a preventive. We under¬ 
stand, however, that salus is not now prepared for sale. Roast the 
soil so as to destroy all germs, moistening it before using. This scorch¬ 
ing does not impair, but rather increases its fertility. 
Camellia Buds Falling- (i?. S., Soutbamptoii). —There is no doubt 
whatever that the dry heated air from the hot-water pipes is the chief 
cause of the evil; it is possible, too, that the plants in pots do not have 
the support they need, and a gentle stimulant such as soot water might 
be beneficial. If the stage is of open latticework you would do well to 
cover it with something that would hold a layer of gravel, and by keep¬ 
ing this moist and springing the pots occasionally the flowers of the 
Camellias would probably expand. 
Peaches for Planting (^G. A.). —You cannot do better-than plant 
the Nectarine you name. Pine Apple. If you want a succession of 
Peaches, plant Grosse Mignonne, Bellegarde, and Barrington. If you. 
plant Royal George it would ripen before you had finished gathering 
Grosse Mignonne. Alexandra Noblesse is a splendid Peach," but tender 
in the skin, and is easily damaged ; at the same time it is rather shy. 
Dymond is an excellent Peach, but not better than Royal George. If 
you could place the last-named at the coolest portion in the house, then 
we should prefer it to Bellegarde, for the flavour is superior. 
Clematis Jackmannl (A. iZ.).—We think you had better not 
prune your plant until March. It is not at all uncommon for the first 
early growths to be killed or seriously injured by sharp frosts; and if 
you cut back the stems now the back buds will be forced into growth 
the sooner, possibly to be injured, whereas by allowing the first growths, 
now pushing, to expand they will take the sap, the lower buds remain¬ 
ing dormant the longer. Towards the end of March, or when severe 
frosts are no longer expected, cut back the shoots to the prominent buds 
on the stems, not below them, and these will start strongly, and flowers 
will be produced abundantly in due season. The extension of the early 
growths to which you refer will not weaken the plant, but incite root, 
action ready for supporting the later growths when the first are removed 
in pruning. 
Unripe Vine Wood (N. A'.).—The laterals you have sent are not 
only immature, but essentially weak, and indicate that the Vines are in 
a very unsatisfactory state. The composition of the border does not 
appear to be faulty, but either some mistake has been made in respect, 
to insufficient pruning after plantine, or in heating and ventilation. 
What length were the canes when planted, to what ef tent were they 
shortened, and what length and strength of growth did they make the 
first season ? If you answer these questions, and indicate the time of 
starting the Vines, the temperature maintained, and the general routine 
of management pursued, we may perhaps be able to give a more definite 
reply on the subject, at present we are not in possession of information 
that is necessary for answering your letter satisfactorily to ourselves. 
If there has been no mistake in management we should be inclined to 
suspect the presence of the phylloxera, but have not sufficient grounds. 
Successful Tree Planting- (Ci i?.).—While we congratulate you 
on your success, we are scarcely in a position to say it is unprecedented, 
because we have not known a similar number of trees of the same age 
removed under exactly the same conditions as to soil and weather 
influences. Speaking generally, we think there are many gardeners who 
could transplant the same number of trees successfully. We, however, 
print your question as the best means of eliciting the required informa¬ 
tion. “ At the end of 1886 and beginning of 1887 I prepared and 
planted ten and a quarter acres with standard fruit trees, ranging from- 
five to nine years old—Apples, Pears, Plums, and Damsons, in all 710 
trees. Notwithstanding the very hot, dry, trying summer for newly 
planted trees, not one has died, but all are healthy and strong, and the 
root action all that could be desired. The only watering during the- 
hottest time was to twelve large trees that looked sickly, but these 
recovered their healthy condition. I should like to know if my success 
is unprecedented.” What have gardeners and tree planters to say on. 
this record of good work ? 
Roses for the TTelghhourhood of a To-wn {Mum Grower')^ 
—You cannot do better than plant the following H.P.’s—General 
Jacqueminot, scarlet crimson, splendid in the bud ; Louis Van Houtte,. 
reddish scarlet, heavily shaded with purple, a grand dark rose ; Madama 
George Paul, bright rose, heavily shaded with violet purple ; Prince 
Camille de Rohan, dark maroon crimson, one of the finest of dark Roses;. 
Abel Garriere, purplish crimson, with violet and black reflection ; Mons. 
Boncenne, intensely rich crimson. Tea varieties ; Gloire de Dijon, fawn 
tinged with salmon and rose ; Grace Darling, base of petals creamy- 
white, deeply tinted and shaded pinkish peach, full, very free ; Madame 
Lambard, salmon pink, shaded rose, given to sporting, sometimes the 
blooms are of a rich peach colour, at others of a coppery hue, and occa¬ 
sionally these two features are distinctly prominent; Etendard de 
Jeanne d’Arc, cream, changing to pure white, very full ; Marie Van 
Houtte, yellowish white, slightly shaded rose; and Rubens, white,, 
delicately tinted with rose. Procure strong and especially well-rooted 
plants, even if you pay a little extra for them, weak and ill-rooted 
plants not gaining strength nerr towns in the same way as in country- 
gardens. 
