Jnly 16, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
55 
expose the plants to fall sunshine, and finally stand them outside to 
ripen and swell their buds. 
Calceolarias and Cinerarias. —As soon as the former are large enough 
prick them out 1 inch apart in pans or boxes, and when they cover the 
space allowed them they should be placed in small pots. Grow the 
plants in a frame with a northern aspect where the base can be kept 
cool and moist. Even in this position it is necessary to use light 
shade occasionally. Do not allow Cinerarias to become root-bound 
before they are transferred into larger pots. A check from this cause 
will practically destroy them. Transplant the latest seedlings and grow 
them with the Calceolarias. 
Mignonette. —Standards should be placed in their flowering pots, and 
the trellis upon which they are to be trained placed to them. Grow them 
on in a frame where the pots can stand upon ashes and abundance of 
air be given. Apply water carefully, remove the flowers as they appear, 
and tie the shoots. A number of 6-inch pots may be filled with soil and 
seed sown thinly over the surface. Place them in a frame, and shade 
until the seed has germinated. After being exposed to light and air 
subsequently grow them outside on a bed of ashe3. Care is needed that 
they do not suffer by insufficient water. 
Celosias. —Place all that are ready into 5-inch pots, and stand the 
plants in cold frames. Keep the frames close for a few days and then 
admit air freely. Under cool airy treatment they grow sturdily, and are 
not troubled with insects. Plants that are hurried forward in heat 
seldom do much good, and even if they produce fair plumes they are 
very liable to damp off at the base as soon as they are placed in houses 
with a lower temperature. Those that are not ready for their flowering 
pots should be grown cool and placed in them when well rooted. We 
generally grow the latest plants in 4-inch pots, and find them useful. 
Pelargoniums. —The main batch of cuttings of French and Fancy 
varieties should now be inserted. They will be found to root quicker 
and better if dibbled into a sunny border outside than if placed in pots 
and stood in frames. The firmer the cuttings are at the base the better. 
Those who have small plants on hand should pinch them well back and 
allow them to break outside, and then shift them into larger pots. These 
are ready for pinching again in September, and make capital plants 
for early flowering. 
Zonals. —Those for winter flowering that are filling their pots with 
roots should have artificial manure applied to the surface occasionally. 
Pinch free growing shoots, and remove all flower trusses. Those still 
in 3-inch pots may be placed into 5 and 6-inch without delay and stood 
in a sunny place outside. A good number of cuttings may be inserted 
singly in pots, standing them outside, or even dibbling them into a 
border, and potting them after they are rooted. These if well cared 
for throughout the winter will flower admirably early in spring. 
Ivy-leaved Kinds. —These are most useful for producing flowers for 
cutting. A number of cuttings should be inserted singly in small pots 
for flowering next season. Those intended for autumn and winter 
should be stood in the sun outside to ripen and harden. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
The Weather. 
After fully a fortnight of thunderstorms and rain, with a 
low barometer, the weather is fine but cool. As yet the bees have 
stored very little honey. Young queens remain sterile, and hives 
generally are further from swarming than they were in May. 
Young Queens. 
Within the past two months upwards of a hundred hives 
have come under my notice that had old queens, and upwards of 
90 per cent, of these are dead. There are several phases of the 
subject of hives and old queens which should be considered. 
The first is, the queen regnant may be deposed or die in early 
spring. If eggs are present a young queen follows, but is almost 
sure to become a confirmed drone breeder, and not unfrequently 
the old and young queen are tolerated in the same hive. A 
second phase is, the queen regnant may be deposed or die later 
in the year, and the hive, through a paucity of bees, may only 
be serviceable for the Heather or for the following year. A 
third phase is, and it is not the least frequent during the 
month of May or June, young queens are brought forward, and 
the hives, whether crowded or not, may, and they frequently do, 
send off a swarm, sometimes with the old queen, sometimes with 
a young one, and sometimes with both together; but invariably 
the old queen is killed unless when she comes by herself, and in 
that case she is of little or no use. 
These phases comprehended will give a proper idea of what 
takes place, and the reason of hives that were active becoming 
suddenly inactive, much to the surprise of many bee-keepers of 
supposed experience. The decline of the hive is either attributed 
to the loss or decline of the queen. A queen is procured, the 
supposed reigning queen is deposed, and the alien queen introduced 
forthwith, but the hive progresses not. The reason is that in 
many cases either two queens are in the hive at the same time, or 
royal cells are in an advanced state. Under these circumstances 
bees will not accept an alien queen. When beginners are uncertain 
what to do they should teJ the hive by putting in comb containing 
eggs, and if queenles3 the bees will raise queen cells ; if they do 
not, then it is evident a fertile worker or imperfect queen is 
present, and it is never safe to introduce a queen to a hive that 
refuses to raise queen cells, nor while they have an egg or larvae. 
Controlling Increase. 
Never attempt to return swarms. Eight days after the issue of 
the first swarm is the proper time to excise all royal cells that are 
not desired, or to divide into nucleh Where the latter are not 
wanted, and on the day of the issue of the first swarm, remove the 
old stock a good distance, and place the swarm on its site. Now 
bring the old stock close to the swarm, examine every frame,, 
destroy all queen cells, and force as many of the flying bees as 
possible on to the swarm, keeping the very young ones upon the 
combs, because these youthful bees will be of no use for some time 
as outdoor workers, and the swarm will have no use for them for 
some days within doors. Next take the combs with the young 
bees adhering and divide them amongst the other hives, adding 
more space if necessary, or making the brood combs take the place 
of honey-laden combs. If the foregoing advice is taken along with 
some forethought the key to the most sensible solution to the 
controlling of swarming will be found. But always bear in mind 
that swarming, unless by young queens and extra breeding space, 
cannot be prevented.—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
QUEEN EXCLUDER ZINC. 
It is difficult to understand how any person can make such state¬ 
ments as those made by “ A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper” on pages 32-33, 
in last week’s number of your paper, and which can so easily be 
exposed. 
I was present as a visitor at the Caledonian Apiarian Society Show 
at Glasgow in 1875, and at Edinburgh as an exhibitor in 1877. On 
neither of these occasions did I act as a judge. He says, “At the first 
Caledonian Apiarian Society’s Show there were five Judges. One, the 
late Mr. James Anderson, was so displeased with the opinions of the 
others that he left, Mr. Mark Walker also dissenting, leaving Messrs. 
Hooker, Abbott, and McLauchlan* to decide, with the result that with 
one exception they awarded the first prize in every class to pure sugar. 
I entered a protest against the exhibitors, and in every instance an 
apology was made.” Fortunately the names of the Judges who acted at 
the Show (the first), held the 8th September, 1875, at Glasgow, are 
recordediin the “British Bee Journal” of October 1st, 1875, page 119v 
as follows : “ The Judges w r ere Messrs. J. Lauchland of Kilmarnock, 
James Anderson of Dairy, Alex. Shearer of Yester Gardens, and 
M. Walker of Glasgow, with the Editor of ‘ The British Bee Journal r 
as referee in case of a difficulty in coming to a decision.” This shows 
his statement as to my being one of the Judges to be incorrect. 
As to any disagreement having taken place among the Judges I know 
nothing, but as Mr. James Anderson was an exhibitor who obtained 
the first prize for the largest and best display of honeycomb he would 
not be likely to be “ displeased,” and quarrel “ with the opinions of the 
others.” Is it not more likely that he, being an exhibitor, was not 
allowed to act as one of the Judges, as is always understood ? The fol¬ 
lowing are those who took first prizes for honey at the Show :—James 
Anderson, W. Dick (Kilbirnie), D. Wallace of Rothesay, A. Mont¬ 
gomerie of Kilmaurs, David Anderson of Dairy, and D. Paterson of 
Struan. “Lanarkshire Bee-keeper” says that only one out of these 
six exhibitors staged pure honey—not very complimentary to his own. 
countrymen ; but if this was so, which I do not believe, I was not one 
of the Judges who did not know sugar from honey. It is astonishing 
what excuses disappointed competitors will make. 
“ Lanarkshire ” goes on to say, “ The hives came next. Mr. Abbott 
on this occasion was assisted by Mr. Hooker, and this is the point I wish 
to bring out.” This is not true. I did not assist Mr. Abbott, neither do 
I believe Mr. Abbott awarded himself the first prize. He is away from 
home in Ireland, and has probably not seen the statement. He, 
