260 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 17 188'. 
of light sandy soil, or a bed may be formed for handlights to stand on. 
The cuttings may be made about 3 inches long, cutting them to a joint, 
and trimming off the lower leaves. They should then be firmly dibbled in 
about 3 inches apart each way, watered, and kept close and shaded till 
rooted, when they ought to receive abundance of air in order to keep 
them hardy, and also to check luxuriant growth till the spring, at which 
time they will require to be transplanted to a more roomy bed. Pansies 
raised from seed in June, or from cuttings in July or August, and in¬ 
tended for winter bedding, ought not to be crowded together till such 
times as the flower beds are ready for their reception, but should be thinned 
out and replanted in beds of rather light and good soil, from which they 
will readily transplant in October or November. At that time also many 
old plants that have been cut over recently will have formed compact 
tufts of growth, and these may safely be divided and replanted for spring 
flowering. 
Antirrhinums ancl Pentstemons. —These can now be had in great and 
good variety from a packet of seed, and seedlings are invariably the most 
vigorous. For early blooming the plants should be raised in the autumn, 
and if newly ripened seed is at once sown in pans of fine sandy soil, very 
lightly covered with more of the same soil, the pans either being covered 
with a square of glass or stood in a handlight and kept properly moistened 
and shaded, the seedlings will soon appear in hundreds. When large 
enough to handle they should be pricked out thinly in pans or boxes of 
light good soil, or in a frame. They will need but little protection during 
the winter, and be planted out where they are to flower some time in the 
following April. If it is thought desirable to increase or preserve the 
stock of any good sorts of either named or unnamed Antirrhinums and 
Pentstemons, no time should be lo3t in putting in the requisite number 
of cuttings. The former are the most easily struck in a mild hotbed, 
as recently recommended for Verbenas. The soft side shoots should be 
preferred, and these if slipped off and not more than 4 inches long 
will not require to be cut to a joint. They may be struck thinly 
in either pots or pans of good sandy soil, and when well rooted 
should be hardened off and wintered in a cold frame, finally planting 
out in the spring. Pentstemons are best struck in a cold frame or hand- 
light placed in a cool shady position, and kept close till the cuttings are 
rooted. Later on they may be either potted or boxed in order to 
prevent their becoming unduly hard and root-bound, but they must be 
kept in a cold frame or pit, and planted out in the spring. 
Carnations, Picotees, and Pinks. —Directly it is found that either the 
layers or cuttings of these are well rooted, they ought in the latter case to 
be properly hardened, so that all can be planted out where they are to 
bloom next season. All succeed best in beds raised slightly above the 
ordinary level, and in most cases an addition of fresh loam, horse drop¬ 
pings, and road grit will be good. The layers ought to be very carefully 
separated from the parent plant, and as much soil preserved about the 
delicate roots as possible ; those raised from cuttings being also very care¬ 
fully handled. The Carnations and Picotees may go about 12 inches 
apart in rows, the Pinks rather closer, and 6 feet is a good width for the 
beds, a 12-inch path separating them. 
Saving Seeds. —Pentstemons, Antirrhinums, Nasturtiums, Poppies, 
Lupins, Lobelias, Mignonette, Godetias, and various other annuals and 
biennials are all seeding freely this season, and those who may wish to do so 
can easily save a quantity for sowing next season. All should be gathered 
directly the seeds are found to be fairly hard, and the pods be laid on dry 
shelves, each sort on separate paper, to thoroughly ripen the seed prepara¬ 
tory to its being cleaned and stored in paper bags. As a rule home- 
saved seeds, especially of Stocks, Asters, Zinnias, and Dianthuses, seldom 
give such a good variety as do those obtained from respectable seedsmen, 
and for our part we prefer to annually purchase ours. The seed-growers 
generally cultivate each sort in large separate beds, and this preserves 
their individuality, and a good mixture can thus, if required, be supplied ; 
whereas private growers cannot keep the sorts properly separated, and 
as a consequence the coarser and least valuable sorts naturally overpower 
the weaker choicer sorts, and the strain is much deteriorated. To save 
our own seeds, then, is often the reverse of being economical. 
Grasses and Everlastings. —The greater portion of the former ought 
to have been cut and dried some time since, as if delayed till the seeds are 
ripe many of them would shatter, and the beauty of th Grasses be lost. 
The later sorts should all now be cut when dry and hung up in a vinery 
or other dry house in bunches to thoroughly ripen. All will he found 
very useful either for mixing with natural flowers during the winter or 
for placing in vases without any floweTS or greenery with them. The Ever¬ 
lastings, notably the Helichrysums, should also be cut when dry, and 
before they are too far advanced, tied in bunches, and hung up to dry. 
Solving Grass Seeds. —Any bare patches may now be sown with lawn 
grass seeds, or new lawns may be formed and sown, and a good piece of 
turf be thus quickly obtained. This will be found far better than waiting 
till the spring, as no one likes to see bare patches, especially near a 
dwelling house. 
USEFUL HINTS. 
EXAMINATION OF HIVES. 
All hives intended for stocks should, so far as practicable 
he thoroughly overhauled to ascertain the condition of the queen 
combs, and provision. Young queens being those that give the 
greatest satisfaction, bee-keepers looking to their own interest 
will have seen to this important matter. Young queens do not, 
however, all turn out satisfactorily, sometimes through organic 
defects. When this is the case the queen should be deposed and 
the bees joined to another hive, or a young and healthy queen 
installed. 
JOINING TWO HIVES. 
The safest way to join two or more hives together when i 
frames is to crowd the bees on to as few frames as possible, 
after which break the seals of some of the combs, or sprinkle 
both well with very thin honey and water, or syrup containing a 
drop or two of oil of peppermint. When the bees are fully 
gorged, lift bees and frames together from the one to the other. 
The process with straw hives has been already described. Success 
depends entirely upon both swarms being gorged with honey and 
put into confusion. 
SUFFICIENT STORES. 
The bee-keeper will by the manipulation observe the amount 
of stores. Should these be deficient, lose no time in having the 
proper quantity of food supplied. A word of caution, however, 
may be necessary here. It is generally advised to give syrup 
thick at this season, which I have often seen followed with the 
result of bees dying with plenty of sugar in the hive, but granu¬ 
lated. Weight of sugar and water is a bad rule to work by, as 
some sugars are much stronger than others. Avoid feeding with 
beet sugars. Get the best cane sugar, and whatever quantity is 
to be dissolved, pour water on it until the water stands 2 inches 
above the sugar. Keep stirring until all is dissolved, and let 
it boil for one minute ; the bees will store to the proper 
consistency. 
FOUL BROOD. 
The autumnal examination is not only advisable but necessary, 
so as to detect any traces of foul brood. If only a few cells are 
observed on the vacated combs there need be no fear, but if 
numerous sunken black seals appear amongst the brood, and 
prove to be foul brood by the brownish and sticky matter having 
a fcetid smell, then it is better at once to separate bees and comb, 
putting the former into a clean hive, and the latter into the 
melting pot after the honey has been separated, taking particular 
care that none of the contents can be got at by the bees of your 
own or neighbours’ apiary. When only a few unhatched cells 
are observed upon the outside combs, which may not he foul 
brood at all, it will be as well to excise such and. anoint the 
place with carbolic acid, but make a thorough examination, and 
give the disease no quarter. 
QDEENLESS COLONIES. 
These sometimes cause a great annoyance from the fact that, 
though seemingly queenless, they are actually in possession of 
either an imperfect queen or fertile worker, and any queen intro¬ 
duced to such hives runs a great risk of being killed. To make 
sure work with all such hives, give them a piece of comb con¬ 
taining eggs and larvae. If they are free from such pests, royal 
cells will at once be commenced. When they have wrought two 
days at these remove the comb containing eggs and larvae, 
together with royal cells, and cage the queen to be introduced in 
the cluster for twenty-four hours. If no queen cells are attempted, 
then it is better to kill the bees at once. 
PARTLY FILLED SUPERS. 
These should be given to some hive to clean out. Where 
hives ai’e not constructed for this pm pose a box large enough 
to hold combs in frames or super, should be made, and placed 
beneath a hive constructed so as to admit the box containing 
the comb, to be slid underneath or v ithdrawn when necessary. 
ROBBING. 
As feeding with combs is apt to encourage robbing, care 
should be taken that no feeding is allowed through the day, 
nor a single drop of honey or syrup spilt or exposed. When a 
hive is attacked contract its entrance to that of a single bee, and 
if this does not prove sufficient, close it or remove it to a 
distance. If the former, ventilation of course is necessary, and 
by attending to it and giving it a flight late in the afternoon it will 
soon defend itself. Bees are bold enough to attack large animals, 
but are great cowards when attacked by bees of any hive. The 
attacking hive should be well smeared at the entrance with 
carbolic acid, but on no account should the acid be put near the 
mouth of the attacked hive, as it distracts their attention from 
the weak point. 
