August 20, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
167 
Scotch bee-keeper, though a native of Yorkshire, had a queen very 
late last year, and this is what he says, dated July 9 th, 1891 :—■“ I 
considered the queen I got from you a useless little thing, and 
thought of killing it ; however, I put it into a three-frame nuclei, 
and let it fight its own way, live or die. At the back end I found 
the queen had done more than well, so I gave her three more 
frames of comb and covered up for winter. To my surprise this 
March I found it as good a stock as any I had out of forty. I have 
taken fourteen 1-lb. sections from it—the best from one hive 
about here. I have Carniolians, Italians, blacks, and hybrids of all 
kinds.’’ I can give many more such as this, but I must not omit 
one from the south that beats all in the way of testimonials. I 
sent Mr. Thomas Ford, Keynsham, near Bristol, four virgin 
Punics last year. He -wrote about July 25th as follows “ I 
received the four Punic queens safely, and introduced them into 
nucleus hives. On examination yesterday I find two of the queens 
have commenced laying, but in the other two hives there is not 
a bee or any honey left. Will the two nucleus hives build up 
into two stocks in time for winter ? ” On May 21st, 1891, he 
writes from Warbrough Green, Warbrough, Oxfordshire :—“The 
four Punic queens I had from you last summer have given me good 
satisfaction ; they have built up into four very strong stocks, and I 
put supers on each of them last Thursday. They are on ten 
frames each, which I consider very good.” So it seems from this 
that two queens without a bee or honey built up into two ten frame 
stocks, which, considering the late spring, is better than the average 
of stocks in good condition. Of course he wanted more of such 
queens, and no wonder. Who would not ? 
It is now well known that I first received these bees safely in 
1886 ; the attempt in 1885 proved a failure, only one worker bee 
finding alive. As soon as I was satisfied of their superior qualities 
I tried to get more, but could not, up to the end of August last 
year. I have had very many difficulties to consider and overcome. 
The first arrangement with my agent was to send boxes for fifty 
stocks from here, and have as many stocks sent direct; but when 
we began to inquire how many times they would be handled, and 
by how many porters, each speaking a different language, and none 
perhaps understanding bees, it seemed to be very improbable that I 
should receive any alive. So fresh arrangements had to be made, 
which consisted in getting the stocks up to the nearest post office, 
and then sending the queens forward by mail, the stocks of bees 
being then of no further value. Fifty stocks were obtained from 
the natives, and as many queens sent on to me, more than thirty of 
the first reaching me in fine order. I was so pleased with the 
condition of one lot that I sent it forward to America, after being 
here four days, just as it came, and it arrived safely without a dead 
bee. After thirty had come safely, eight came with two dead 
queens, then three dead out of four, there being eight which arrived 
dead in all. There was also a loss of two before introduction, and 
five have failed to lay, including one sent to America. In addition 
to these losses there are large numbers that do not come up to my 
standard, more than half, of what a breeding queen should be, and 
which I should not think of either selling or breeding from. There 
are, to make up fcr all these losses, some really splendid specimens, 
which alone are worth the trouble and expense, for breeding 
purposes. I am charging £5 5s. for them in this country for what 
I have to spare, and I must say that I consider them cheap at 
the price. Do not think, Mr. Editor, I am putting this off for an 
advertisement, it is to prevent folk writing me for a queen on the 
expectation of getting one for 5s. 1 do not care to sell any at all 
until their extraordinary qualities are recognised, still when I can 
oblige anyone I like to do so. 
If I could depend on only getting the very best queens without 
any loss, possibly, when things were in good working order, they 
could be had for a comparatively low price, but I have no hopes of 
this for some time. Besides, when the demand springs up, which 
it is sure to do, the prices will have to be high to keep the demand 
and supply balanced. I am afraid that I could not count on more 
than 100 queens any season ; besides, if this number passed through 
the post office they would be noticed and stopped, and without the 
post we could not get them safely, as the time occupied in transit 
would mean certain death. Some of our American friends seem to 
be trying 1 to draw the “red herring” across these bees. Mr. Root, 
in “ Gleanings in Bee Culture” for June 1st (page 484), says :— 
■“ It is admit"ed they are bad propolisers.” This individual prides 
himself on speaking the truth. What I said—and no one else has 
mentioned their propolising propensities—was, “ They fill cracks 
or chinks with an enormous quantity of propolis, and if natural 
supplies fail nothing ‘ sticky ’ comes amiss, but with it they keep 
their combs clean, and thus make anything do for hives—even 
baskets.” It will be noted that no admission is made of being “ bad 
propolisers.” If they daubed propolis over their beautiful white 
chan combs then they would be bad propolisers, but when they put 
the substance in its right place only I insist that they are good 
propolisers. Since I wrote that I have learned that the natives 
keep them in rude wickerwork hives, and the bees have to fill 
all the little holes in their hive sides, which may have developed the 
propolising instinct. 
Another writer in the American “ Bee Journal ” for June 11th, 
page 766, signing himself “ "Veritas,” says, “ The Punic bee origi¬ 
nated during the second Punic war, and was a cross between the 
African pissmire [ant] and the Roman mosquito.” Well, if he is 
“ Veritas ” he must know, because he verifies all things ; and if he 
knows so much cannot he cross the Punic bee with some of the 
numerous American insects, and so produce the veritable Apis 
americana? He has plenty of subjects over there to “operate” on. 
Mr. D. A. JoDes, Editor of the Canadian “ Bee Journal,” 
publishes the hope that bee-keepers will let some other fellow try 
them first. Is tills so that he can get the start, or is he afraid 
Punics will get all the honey and leave none for his bees ? Depend 
on it this will be the result where tried, for such is the six seasons’ 
experience of—A Hallamshire Bee-keeper. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
E. P. Dixon & Sons, Hull.— Bulb Catalogue for 1S91. 
J. Carter & Co., 237 and 238, High Holborn, London.— Bulb Cata¬ 
logue, 1891. 
William Baylor Hartland, 24, Patrick Street, Cork.— Floral Album 
of Daffodils and Bulb List , 1891-92. 
B. S. Williams & Son, Victoria and Paradise Nursery, Upper 
Holloway.— Catalogue of Bulbs. 
Sutton & Sons, Beading.— Bulb Catalogue for 1891. 
James Veitch & Sons, 544, King’s Boacl, Chelsea.— Catalogues of 
Hardy Trees, and Shrubs ; Hyacinths and other Bulbs. 
Wm. Paul & Son, Waltham Cross.— Catalogue of Bulbs. 
Pitcher & Manda, Hextable, Kent.— General Playit Catalogue. 
Dicksons, 1, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh.— Flower Roots for 1891. 
Cooper, Taber & Co., 90, Southwark Street, London, E.C,— Bulb 
Catalogue. 
Leonard Coates, Napa, California.— Catalogue of Trees and Fruits. 
William Bull, 536, King’s Boad, Chelsea.— Catalogue of Tuberous 
Plants and Bulbs. 
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 
unavoidably. 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 communications. 
Gardener’s Dismissal (A.).—If a gardener is paid weekly wages 
he cannot claim a month's notice from his employer. 
Tomatoes (A. ArhelV ).—The stamped envelope you enclosed was 
posted the day it was received, and we trust it reached you, though the 
address appeared incomplete. 
Seedling- Tropoeolum (A. F. G. G). —It is a rather uncommon 
colour, but we have seen similar varieties before. It would not be so 
useful for bedding purposes as a good scarlet or pure yellow. 
Seedling- Tuberous Begonias (J. S.). —The variety is a good 
one. The flower sent is of capital form, and the co’our is pleasing. By 
all means preserve it if all the other flowers are equal to that sent. 
Peach Fruit Hard (A. _P.).—The fruit is very heavy and beauti¬ 
ful to look at, but is very firm and stringy, with little juice. We do not 
know of anything likely to cause the tree to produce tender, melting, 
juicy fruit. It certainly is not worth growing, and the sooner it is 
removed and another useful variety plan’ed in its place the better. 
Tomatoes (A. D. S. A'.).—Certainly we should save seed from those 
plants which are so superior to the others, assuming that the crop on 
them is satisfactory. Some varieties of Potatoes resist fungoid attacks 
much better than others, and it is prudent to grow them when they 
are in other respects good ; and the same remarks apply to Tomatoes. 
Slug Worms on Pear Trees QG. E. _Z?.).—The leaves sent are 
seriously injured with the larvae of one of the sawflies (Selandria), which 
deposit eggs early in summer, the “worms” subsequently appearing, and 
eventually they form cocoons, and passing the winter a few inches below 
the surface of the soil. Dusting with lime freshly slaked from lumps 
