Jane 7 , 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
477 
case had the preceding season been more favourable to the storing of 
aliment. It is necessary not to overburden the trees with more fruit 
in the early stages of growth than is necessary to remain for the erop, 
and a moderate crop is always better than a heavy one ; therefore thin 
well in the early stages, leaving a few more only to meet casualties 
than will be required ultimately. Keep them well syringed, and 
mulch so as to keep the surface moist, thereby encouraging the roots 
to the Surface, giving applications of water, and if necessary liquid 
manure. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Kalosanthflx .—Plants that have been kept moderately close for the 
past two months will be in full flower. Ketard later plants by giving 
abundance of air ; those not yet showing colour may be stood in a shel¬ 
tered but northern aspect. It is surprising with a little management 
how long they can be kept back. There is no difficulty in having these 
effective plants in flower over a period of three months. They must 
have one clear season’s growth, which, if well ripened, will be certain to 
produce flowers on every shoot. Those that flowered last year or were 
raised from cuttings should be in the pots in which they are intended to 
flower. They will do well in a compost of good loam, one-seventh of 
manure and sand. Press the soil into the pots firmly, and water care¬ 
fully until they are rooting into it freely, when liberal supplies may be 
given.- The plants must be exposed to full sunshine, and for a few 
weeks longer only need they be protected in cold frames. On fine days 
the lights may be thrown off and eventually the plants put outside. This 
treatment will insure dwarf firm growth that is certain to flower. If 
there are any growths on the plants now in flower or likely to flower that 
have missed, they should be taken off and rooted at once. They can be 
rooted singly in 3-inch pots, or four or five may be rooted in 6 and 6-inch 
pots and grown together. Much, however, depends upon whether the 
plants are wanted for flowering ne.xt year or the year following. If 
rooted at once, gradually hardened, and then grown with next year’s 
stock, they will all flower ; but if they are not wanted root them singly, 
and pinch out the points, which will induce them to branch, and four 
to half a dozen shoots will be produced for flowering the following 
season. 
French ami Ftinaij Pelargoniums .—Cuttings for flowering early next 
year should be inserted as rapidly as possible. Failure often results 
from striking hard flower stems late in thq season instead of doing the 
work when good cuttings can be had in plenty. If firm sturdy shoots 
are selected they will root freely in any structure where a temperature 
of 60° can be maintained, provided the atmosphere is not too moist. 
When the earliest plants have flowered place them outside in a sunny 
position to thoroughly harden and ripen their wood. Those who want 
white flowers for cutting either for vases, bouquets, or sprays should 
grow a number of VolontO Nationale album, as its flowers are pure 
white, travel well, while the plant is of dwarf sturdy habit and one of 
the most profuse flowerers in this section. It will not strike so freely as 
some varieties unless the cuttings are moderately firm before they are 
inserted. Tho.se intended for flowering late should be kept cool, but 
fully exposed to the sun. Do not pinch them after this date, or growths 
instead of flowers only may be the result. Those that are already 
showing their flower stems will bear liberal feeding, in fact in this stage 
they are much benefited by artificial manures. 
Zonal Pelargoniums .—Pelargoniums intended for flowering during 
September and October are well established in their largest pots, and 
they can now be placed in a sunny position outside. Pinch their shoots 
as they need it, and remove all flowers as they appear for the next six 
weeks. Those intended to succeed them should be placed in their 
largest pots as rapidly as possible, or as they become ready. Place them 
in cold frames and keep them close for ten days, then gradually harden 
them and stand them outside. The same remarks apply to Ivy-leaf 
varieties. All for winter flowering must be potted firmly in 5 and 6-inch 
pots, whicli is the most suitable size. Use for a compost, loam one- 
seventh of manure and sand. With this treatment the plants will make 
firm sturdy grovvth that will ripen and flower well when required. 
Zonals may still be rooted, but these should be inserted in 3-inch pots 
and flowered in them. After they are rooted they must be prepared by 
placing them outside, the same as those in larger pots. 
Celosias .—Seedlings may be placed in small pots and grown gently 
Be careful not to keep them too close, or they will run up tall and 
soft, and plants produced by such means are very liable to damp off 
during dull weather in November. Seed may be sown in gentle heat 
for the same purpose and grown on gradually afterwardc in cold 
frames. Be careful not to allow them to become root-bound before 
they are placed in 5 and 6-inch pots. Celosias are amongst the 
most useful plants for furni.shing purposes during the autumn and 
winter months. 
HE BEE-KEEPER. 
NOTES ON BEES. 
Since my last notes were written we have had variable weather 
in the North. Six days in succession the night temperature was 
35°, and the day temperature for four days rose to 70° Fahr, ; 
the two following the day temperature was 45°, and has continued 
about other six days, with a night temperature of 38°. During 
these last-named six days the wind was high, accompanied by 
heavy showers of rain ; altogether the severest weather of the kind: 
I ever experienced at this season. 
Some trees are almost denuded of their leaves, and more bees 
were lost in these few days than at any time during the whola 
year. 
SWAHMING. 
Before the weather became so tempestuous some hives had 
swarmed, and many appeared to be on the eve of it, but they 
have cooled down now, and will have the loss to make up again 
before attempting to swarm. During the four fine days we had, 
and the only honey ones this season, strong stocks gained greatly 
in weight, but owing to greater consumption of honey in these 
strong hives, those that were nuclei at the end of September are as 
good, while the queens must be in a better state for keeping np 
egg-laying throughout the height of honey season, and will not be 
so liable to swarm at a time most undesirable. 
AVhile speaking of swarms, it may be well to mention a little 
thing which tends to insure the safety of a swarm liaving a few 
combs when sent by rail to a distance with no one in charge. The 
plan has always been adopted by me when in charge of the bees, but 
it was the late Mr. T. W. Woodbury who first put it into practice. 
When that gentleman sent out Ligurian stocks he gummed a. 
printed label across the frames reading, “ Please let this line run 
across the rails.” When honey and bees are otherwise properly 
packed, and having the ends of the combs towards the engine, and 
the line placed across the combs, any jar they may receive will not 
injure them so readily as if they ran in the opposite direction 
When upon a spring vehicle the position ought to be changed. I 
observe that an American has hit upon the same plan. 
FERTILE WORKERS AND QUEEN-REARING-. 
During the fall of 1887 I put right for the winter a hive having- 
a Carniolian queen about four years old, not with the intention 
that it would survive and come out strong in the summer, but for 
the purpose of raising queens from it to join the hives that had 
swarmed. Like my other stocks, this one commenced breeding in 
December, and from the appearance of the queen, which I found- 
dead in March, she must have died in February. One queen cell 
was visible where a queen had been hatched, but was also lost. 
The bees, however, wrought well, their mournful hum only betray¬ 
ing the absence of a queen. During the month of April I gave a 
piece of brood comb containing eggs and larva;, so that a queen or 
more might be raised therefrom. This was done after I satisfied' 
myself that there was no queen, and I could not detect any signs 
that a fertile worker was present. The bees, however, refused to- 
raise a queen. About the middle of May I observed some eggs,, 
which the bees immediately began to raise royal cells round. 
These were destroyed and fresh worker brood added, but to no¬ 
purpose. Eoyal cells were continually being raised containing the- 
eggs of a fertile worker, while the worker eggs were simply taken- 
care of and nursed towards maturity. This state of matters con¬ 
tinued for about three weeks, when I removed the combs contain¬ 
ing the eggs of the fertile worker to another part of the hive and 
added still more worker brood. After this a rather remarkable 
thing occurred. The bees commenced and enlarged a cell which 
had neither the appearance of being a queen, worker, nor yet the 
cell of a drone. Of the three, however, it most resembled in 
colour that of a queen cell. The larva which I could see distinctly 
through the tumbler, and which was now approaching the pupa 
state, had the appearance of a queen more than that of a worker or 
drone, but its body seemed extra long. This cell, after it was 
sealed some days, was destroyed by the bees, and a royal cell proper 
has been raised containing a queen. 
There is something yet to be learned about these fertile workers,. 
