43G 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 12, 1888. 
coming more into repute more prizes be offered for supers, which did not 
deprive those from other hives competing. This was unanimously agreed 
to. Prizes to farmers’ wives and daughters, which were offered to 
encourage that class in bee-keeping, appeared in the schedule as ladies’ 
prizes. Mr. William Thomson, Lanarkshire, said those prizes had been 
unfairly taken advantage of by bee-keepers, members of this Society, 
entering their wives for and gaining these prizes, thus defeating the real 
object they were intended for. He moved that farmers’ wives and daughters 
only be substituted. This was agreed to by a small majority. Mr. Thomson 
then suggested that prizes should be offered in greater number for articles 
made from honey. Major R. J. Bennett, Honorary Secretary, stated that 
he had a letter on the subject from the Eev. Mr. Moyle, advising the 
extension of prize list for comestibles, &c., made from honey. These 
suggestions were agreed to. The foregoing were the principal alterations 
of the prize schedule for 1886, to be competed for at Dumfries in July, 
where the Highland and Agricultural Societies’ Show will be held. 
Major K. J. Bennett then read an interesting paper on the seasons and 
bee-keeping since 1874, as well as a statistical account of honey and 
wax imported into this country, urging upon all bee-keepers to do their 
utmost in securing what the county would yield in honey and wax, and 
keep the £200,000 expended on the foreign article within our own country. 
The Major in his discourse pointed to many things which would be of 
great advantage to bee-keepers, but prominently and of the highest 
importance was that of judicious crossing and keeping only young and 
fertile queens. Sometimes, he said, after we thought we had our ends 
attained, some of the queens would remain sterile or partly so. Some¬ 
times queens would at first fail to come up to the standard, but after a 
short time become very fertile. One common cause of sterility in queens 
was defective organism, but this was not al ways the case. The fault lay 
often with the drone. There had been too little attention given to this 
important part of apiculture. It was a recognised fact that the best queens 
were had from strong hives. The same applied to drones. The weakening 
of stocks by excessive swarming and the pruning of drone comb from the 
centre of hive reduced the vigour of the drones. He was sure the subject 
was one that required consideration. They had the evidence of “ A Lanark¬ 
shire Bee-keeper” of the superiority of judicious crossing by drones from 
strong stocks and foreign races, as well as that of the Messrs. McNallys 
with their nearly 2 tons of honey, and in a few years instead of having 
to import honey and wax much might be exported. 
Mr. Thomson said that bee-keepers situated far from towns of im¬ 
portance found a difficulty in marketing their produce. To meet this 
want he had been trying to establish a system that would enable them to 
have a sure place where they could consign their honey, where it would 
be sold at a moderate yet remunerative price, without being compelled to 
sell to honey companies at a price that would do little more than pay for 
the carriage. To meet this want Mr. Thomson said he had appointed 
several agents who were willing to sell on commission Scotch honey only, 
providing the bee-keepers would advertise; he now wished to know 
whether this meeting would agree to these proposals, and assist bee¬ 
keepers, whom they had instrumentally encouraged to start bee-keeping, 
to get rid of their honey. Major Bennett said the proper course to pursue 
was to send their honey to some broker to be sold by auction. Mr. 
Thomson opposed this course on the ground that honeycomb was of too 
delicate a nature to stand the rough treatment of auctioneers’ assistants 
and railway porters ; besides, merchants often acted in concert, and kept 
down the price, as they have already done with both fruit and honey 
when there was much on sale, while the public seldom benefited from the 
low public sale prices. This question was now dropped, the Society 
declining to take any action. 
After the formal vote of thanks to the Chairman and Honorary Secre¬ 
tary, Mr. Sword said be could not close the meeting without paying 
some deference and honour to those who had the interests of bee-keepers 
at heart, but were prevented from being present on account of ill health 
or other circumstances. He begged the meeting to remember that ihere 
was one who was the prime mover in all relating to apiculture, and was 
one of the few gentlemen who successfully launched this Society, and was 
he who was the successful competitor in driving and transferring at the 
Kibble Crystal Palace Botanic Gardens, Glasgow, in 1876, where he gave 
his unsuccessful opponent (Mr. Abbott) so salutary a lesson in the art 
and “mysteries ” ol the hive. That gentleman, Mr. John Wilkie, late of 
Greenock, is now in New Zealand as enthusiastic and, he hoped, a suc¬ 
cessful bee-keeper. He therefore proposed the health and prosperity of 
Mr. Wilkie. y J 
The meeting resolved itself into a conference, when Major Bennett 
entertained them to luncheon. Many topics on apiculture were dis¬ 
cussed. Amongst them was that of queen-introduction. Success was 
'claimed in various ways, but all seemed to agree that the only safe plan 
was to deprive the bees the power of raising another queen. Mr. 
Thomson said he had killed as many queens, or perhaps more, than any 
other person. These deaths were caused by pursuing a course contrary 
to depriving the bees the power to raise queens, or by introducing the 
alien queen before the proper time had elapsed tending to safe introduc¬ 
tion, and by following plans recommended by some as safe methods. He 
said there was a great difference in introducing a queen to a hive that 
had been queenless for a time from one that had been but recently 
deprived of their queen for the purpose of introducing one of a 
different race. With the former there was no risk, but with the 
latter there were. Deferring to the different race 9 of bees, Mr. 
Paterson said he kept none but the old black variety ; that Ligurian bees 
would not fill supers with him. Mr. Thomson said that the greatest 
takes of honey he had had were from Ligurians, but he found they 
required special treatment, that all Ligurians were not of the same excel¬ 
lence. In this case beauty went along with industry, but he failed to see 
how Mr. Paterson had the pure British bee when he had the Ligurians. 
He had no doubt the dark colour might be preserved, but he believed the 
excellent character he had to give of the original black bee was due to the 
fact that the Ligurian blood was imbued in them. As to the different 
races of bees, he had had seven years’ experience with the Carniolians, 
and during all that time had not experienced any fault ; they were mild- 
tempered, vigorous—particularly the drones—great honey gatherers, and 
very prolific. They were great flyers, going further than any other 
variety. He could strongly recommend them to any person. Their only 
fault was their flying far and long at swarming time, and particularly so 
with second swarms. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Viccars Collyer & Co., Central Hall, Leicester. —Lists of Specialties. 
James Dickson ifc Sons, Newton Nurseries, Chester. —Catalogue of Forest 
and Ornamental Trees, Underwood Plants, fie. 
W. Drummond <fc Sons, 58, Dawson Street, Dublin. — Catalogue of Forest, 
Ornamental, and Fruit Trees, Roses, Shrubs, iCc. 
*** 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. \Ve 
request that no one will write privately to any of our correspon¬ 
dents, as doing so subjects them to unjustifiable trouble and 
expense. 
Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions relat¬ 
ing to Gardening and those on Bee subjecls, and should never 
send more than two or three questions at once. All articles in¬ 
tended 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. 
Hyacinth Holder (J. S .).—The instrument seems well adapted for the 
use mentioned, but we think we have seen lighter and more elegant con¬ 
trivances. 
Address (E. T. H.). —Mr. Osman’s address is, as was published in the 
report of the Crystal Palace Show, Southern Metropolitan District School, 
Sutton, Surrey. 
Seedling Lapageria (J. Garrett). —The flower is very good, both in sub¬ 
stance and colour. Many seedlings have been raised by crossing the red 
and white forms, and varieties raised more or less like your own, which is 
not sufficiently distinct to have any special value. 
Fruit Trees in Perforated Pots (N. H. T .).—If you have had no ex¬ 
perience in growing fruit trees in pots we must decline the responsibility of 
advising you to erect houses for growing fruit in the manner indicated as a 
profitable investment. You cannot get better information on the subject of 
growing fruit under glass in any book cheaper than the one published by 
Mr. Rivers. The price of Dr. Hogg’s “ Fruit Manual ” is 16s., post free 
16s. 9d. 
The Nanny Apple {Inquirer). —There certainly is an Apple of this name 
and a very good autumn dessert fruit it is. It is medium-sized, 2J inches 
wide, and 2.1 inches high ; roundish, narrowing towards the apex, and some¬ 
what angular on the sides. Skin smooth, greenish yellow with broken 
streaks of red on the shaded side, but bright red, streaked with dark crimson, 
on the side next the sun ; the whole strewed with russety dots. Bye open, 
with flat segments, placed in an angular basin, which is marked with linear 
marks of russet. Stalk short, inserted in a rather deep, round cavity, 
thickly lined with rough russet,which extends in ramifications over the base. 
Plesh yellow, rather soft and tender, juicy, sugary, and highly flavoured. It 
is in use during September or early October, but soon becomes mealy. 
The tree attains the middle size and is a good bearer, much more so than the 
Ribston Pippin, to which the fruit bears Borne resemblance in flavour. 
Catherine Pear (L. P.) —The description of this Pear which you requir e 
is as follows :—Fruit small, 2 inches wide, and 2J inches long, pyriform. Ski n 
smooth and shining, fine clear yellow, with a blush of red streaked with 
darker red on the side next the sun. Eye small and open, set even with the 
surface. Stalk three-quarters of an inch long, inserted on the apex of the 
fruit without depression. Flesh firm, fine-grained, very juicy and sweet,but 
soon becomes mealy. An early Pear, ripe in August. This is an old English 
Pear mentioned by Parkinson in 1629. 
Bulbous Irises ( J. T .).—You may plant them at once where the plants 
are intended to flower, taking care that the land is well worked, so that 
superfluous water can pass freely away. It is better to draw drills of the 
requisite depth or make excavations if you desire to plant in clumps than 
nsert the bulbs with a dibber. They should rest on a light base, placing 
under and around them sand or other gritty matter. If you wish to have 
a bed of these Irises the bulbs; may be placed C inches apart; if you desire 
