February 9, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
117 
Looking at it from every point of view I can see no advantage 
to be gained by wintering bees in cellars of any construction. 
Doubtless some may attribute profit in summer to wintering bees 
in cellars, but I am inclined to think that it will end very much in 
the way that stimulating feeding and spreading brood has done, 
and those who advocate it now or are experimenting on old plans 
will be the first to denounce the practice, and probably claim the 
ideas of others following the more natural plan of letting bees have 
their liberty throughout the year. 
YOUNG QUEENS. 
The hive referred to in the foregoing as breeding so much is one 
of the best lessons that a bee-keeper could have, and a good proof of 
the value of introducing young queens at intervals throughout the 
season. I have frequently pointed out the great advantage of in¬ 
troducing young queens early in July to all stocks intended for the 
Heather, as well as the importance, showing the advantage to be 
derived from joining two or more stocks together when at all 
practicable. But I am afraid enough has been said upon the 
caution required to maintain the strength of the stock when an un¬ 
favourable change of weather takes place. Although a young queen 
deposits many eggs, and it is for that purpose the introduction of 
young queens at that season is advised, so that there will be many 
bees hatching out some time before the Heather is in bloom and able 
to carry in much honey when it is to be had. But although all that is 
done and the hive full of brood and promising in every way, a wet 
day or two may (and frequently does) cause the bees to draw every 
egg and unhatched bee in the hive, to prevent which the bee-keeper 
must be on the watch, and should an unfavourable change come 
feeding must be resorted to. 
Naturally a change to a new place encourages breeding, but at 
that season a few wet days encourages the drawing of brood, which 
nothing can restore to the loss of all possible after honey gathering. 
The bee-keeper should therefore be impressed with the above fact, 
and never allow his bees to start drawing brood at any time before 
the honey flow. The weather experienced at the moors is more 
often of a backward nature than otherwise, and often a week at the 
close of the Heather is all the bees ever get. Two things are there¬ 
fore necessary—viz., to have all hives prepared with bottom feeders 
for that and every other emergency, and be sure to be liberal with 
the syrup and in time before brood drawing commences. Those 
who have not their hives provided with bottom feeders should take 
the hint, and remember not to be too late in feeding, because there 
is no remedy if neglected, and there can be no honey without bees.— 
A L.vn.\rksiiike BEE-Ki;Eri;i:. 
* 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- 
avoi^bly. 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 communiea- 
tions. 
Books on Orchids {IT. G. -1.). —There are several works on Orchids, 
but they differ greatly in price, some of the best being those illustrated 
with coloured plates. The following may be mentioned as likely to suit 
you :—“ The Orchid Growers’ Manual” and “ Orchid Album,” published 
by Mr. B. S. Williams, Victoriaand Paradise Nurseries, Upper Holloway, 
The “ Manual of Orchidaceous Plants,” published by Messrs. J. Veitch 
and Sons, Chelsea. Burbidge’s “ Cool Orchids ” (Allen & Co.) ; and 
Castle’s “ Orchids, their Structure, History, and Culture,” published at 
this office, and of which a fourth edition is now in preparation. You 
ought to succeed with the aid of these works and the instructions sup¬ 
plied in this Journal. 
Carpet Bedding: {E. IF.).—TTou can obtain all the particulars of 
the work you name by writing to Mr. A. Graham, Garden Superinten- 
dant, Hampton Court Palace, Kingston-on-Thames. 
Primula Plowers (Al).—The colour is bright but evidently vari¬ 
able, yet not so rich as other varieties in cultivation that have also mucb 
larger flowers. Your variety is doubtless worth growing for home- 
deeoration, but we are not able to say it possesses any particulai- 
commercial value. 
White Cineraria {T. S., Ahcrdec.il ).—The flowers are not developed, 
and although we cannot regard the variety .as a “ weed,” we have seen- 
many better than this promises to be. We do not suppose it will have 
any commercial value, though it may be acceptable for home decorative 
purposes, especially as, so far as we can judge, the plant appears to be- 
dwarf in habit and floriferous ; but the flowers are defective as regarded 
from the florist's standard of excellence. 
Ammoniacal liiquor {Stihscriber). — This is not of uniform 
strength and value, consequently a flxed quantity of water cannot be 
stated as generally suitable. We have used large quantities of gas= 
liquor mixed with about six times its volume of water, and it improved 
the pasture to which it was applied ; but the liquor was produced on thc- 
premises and had neither to be bought nor carted very far, or so much 
of it would not have been used. You had better try a few experiments 
at onee with the liquor diluted at the rate of from four to ten times its 
volume, and note the results before its general application. 
Xiarg-e Beetle (B’’. 0., Jlanchester ).—This is one of the larger- 
aquatic British beetles, Dytiscus marginalis, a carnivorous insect both in 
its mature and larval stages, but though passing its life chiefly in ponds 
or ditches, as a beetle, it takes occasional excursions upon land. It is 
not in any way destructive to plants, and its presence under the floor of 
a greenhouse seems difficult to account for. The likeliest expkanation 
is, that it had somehow been brought to the place as a larva or grub, had 
then gone underground and changed to a chrysalis, but on becoming a. 
beetle it died imprisoned, being unable to extricate itself. 
Woodlice In Mushroom Beds {T. C.). —We know of no better 
plan than that of Mr. R. Parker, as described on page 110 of “Mush¬ 
rooms for the Million.” It consists in placing dry old dirty and decayed 
boards face to face under the covering of the beds. The woodlice crawl 
between them, and the boards are taken with the lower edges pressing 
against each other, trough fashion, and the contents jerked into water. 
Thousands of woodlice have been caught in that way, and ilarge houses 
and beds cleared of the pest. New and smoothly planed boards are 
useless for the purpose, for the simple reason that the insects cannot 
crawl between them. Mr. R. Holmes, who is one of the best Mushroom 
growers in the kingdom, and who has grown several tons, has found this, 
method of eradicating woodlice perfectly satisfactory. 
Cutting- Down and Renovating Camellias (.1 JIaiiqishire- 
Subscriber ).—No plants endure cutting better than these. You may cut 
them down as close as you desire, and then, if the root-action is even 
fairly good, and the plants are kept in a warm house and syringed fre¬ 
quently, young growths will issue from the old wood freely. If they 
are cut down entirely, as if pruning a Rose tree, and the roots are much 
crowded or in inert soil, they may have a great part of that soil removed,, 
reducing the old balls considerably, and giving them a fresh sweet com¬ 
post of turfy loam and peat in equal parts, and a plentiful admi.xture of 
silver sand. By carrying out this practice many t,all and unsightly 
Camellias have been transformed into dwarf bushes bearing healthy 
foliage and fine flowers. You may cut them down whenever you cart 
afford brisk heat with moisture to induce them to break freely. 
Pruning Clematis—Dissolved Bones {F. I.). —Clematis pruning; 
was described on page 9.5 last week, which you would no doubt see after- 
sending your letter. Dissolved bones are more spee<ly in effect than 
either steamed or ground bones, as by the action of sulphuric acid 
nearly all the constituents of bones are converted into soluble com¬ 
pounds, and are at once fitted to become the food of plants, hence the- 
value of superphosphate as manure. Next comes bone dust, which 
produces effect sooner than crushed or half-inch bones in consequence 
of the speedier decomposition. Steamed bones are very valuable on 
account of the organic matter net being extracted as in boiling, and 
they are speedy in effect and durable. You will not err in using bone 
dust. The other, however, can be had through any agricultural or- 
horticultural manure dealer. 
Chemical Manures {Xorth Herts). —The addition of either 
nitrate or muriate of potash could not impair, and might probably 
improve, the mixture for your soil and purpose. Of the two forms of 
potash the nitrate is the more costly and possibly effective, but many 
experimentalists have found the muriate the more economical. The 
quantity of fertilisers to apply profitably can only be determined by the 
condition of the soil as to fertility. Assuming yours is poor rather than 
rich you may .apply 2 ozs. each of the two minerial ingredients at once, 
pointing them in, then following with a sprinkling of nitrate of soda cr 
sulphate of ammonia in showery weather when growth fairly com- 
