526 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 10, 1888. 
would not otherwise posses?. They can easily be brought into flower 
during the dreary months of winter, and are therefore doubly valuable. A 
few well-ripened flowering bulbs that have enjoyed a good season of 
complete rest should now be started in a temperature of 55° to 60°, which 
will soon induce the flower spike to make its appearance from the side of 
the bulbs. If the atmosphere into which they are introduced is mode¬ 
rately moist no water need be given them for the first few days or a week, 
and then the dry soil may be thoroughly soaked with tepid water. After 
all superfluous water has drained from the soil plunge the pots in saw¬ 
dust, cocoa-nut fibre refuse, or any similar material, to prevent having to 
supply water again until the plants are ready for removal to the structure 
where they are to be arranged while in flower. Where an annual system 
of pottiDg is adopted the old dry soil may be carefully removed from 
their roots, which should be perfectly fresh if ripened off gradually and 
properly, and the bulbs in clean pots in a compost of fibry loam, one- 
seventh of decayed manure, and a liberal dash of coarse sand. If the soil 
is in a suitable condition for moisture when they are potted no water at 
their roots will be needed before they come into flower if the pots are 
plunged and the surface of the soil covered with the plunging material to 
prevent evaporation. By the time the plants unfold their flowers the 
roots will be active and working freely amongst the new soil, and if 
properly treated after flowering luxuriant growih will follow. 
Gfesneras and Tydreas .—These plants will be very useful presently, and 
in order to retain the beautiful foliage of the former in good condition 
they must be arranged close to the glass in an atmosphere that is not too 
moist, or else the foliage will be liable to damp. Care must also be taken 
that no water, either through watering or the syringe, shall fall upon 
them, or their foliage will be browned and disfigured. These plants 
will do admirably on a shelf until they come into flower where he night 
temperature ranges about 60*. Where some of the earlier-flowering 
varieties are grown and have ceased flowering they must not be neglected, 
or the tubers will suffer, and instead of being strong and large for another 
year they will only be small and weak. They should be as carefully 
watered until the foliage naturally dies as those that have yet to flower; 
they should also be retained in a similar temperature. These plants are 
not unfrequently ruined by neglect after they have flowered. Gesnera 
tubiflora is a grand old plant but very seldom met with in gardening 
establishments ; it is, however, worth a place in every garden, however 
choice or limited the collection of plants grown may be. It requires early 
in the season an intermediate temperature, but during summer will do 
most satisfactorily in a cool greenhouse or the conservatory. This flowers 
during summer, and is of slender growth, which attains a height of from 
2 to 3 feet, and towards the extremity of the slender stem the flowers 
are produced which are of the purest white, tubular in shape, nearly 
4 inches long, and most deliciously Bcented. It is a very effective plant 
for the conservatory during the summer, and the flowers individually are 
useful for bouque-tmaking. This variety forms tubers which very much 
resemble Potatoes, and can while at rest be stored away the same as other 
varieties. In addition to propagation by the tubers, side shoots which are 
freely produced from the axils of the leaves root freely, and if rooted early 
in the season form capital tubers in one season. Some of the tubers of 
this species may now be cleared of the old dry soil and repotted in fresh 
compost; this kind does not appear very particular about soil. If the 
plants are to be grown singly 5-inch pots are the most suitable for them, 
and they are more effective this way than when several tubers are grown 
together in one pot. Plunge the pots as advised for Amaryllis until the 
plants commence growing, then give them an intermediate temperature 
for a time. 
Achimenes and Gloxinias .—Where a display of the former are re¬ 
quired as early in the season as possible the tubers should now be sorted 
from amongst the old dry soil in which they have been rested. When 
this has been done they should be laid into pans or pots amongst light 
sandy soil, and placed in a temperature of 60°. If the soil used is 
moderately moist when the pans are filled, and they are afterwards 
plunged, no water will be needed until growth commences. Care, 
however, must be taken that the soil in which they are placed does 
not become dry, or they will not start freely into growth. If the soil 
approaches a dry state tepid water must be given, but this will not be 
needed if the plunging material is kept moderately moist. All that are 
not yet wanted for starting may be selected from amongst the soil in 
which they grew last year, and be laid amongst sand ready for starting at 
any time when needed. Where the system of raising pots and pans of 
these plants by cuttings is adopted the tubers may be started into growth 
amongst the old soil after it has been well soaked with water. Gloxinias 
should also be started for early flowering. These should be turned out of 
the pots in which they were grown last season and placed in boxes or 
pans thickly together amongst leaf mould until they commence growing. 
These should be placed in the same temperature as the Achimenes, and 
be kept moderately moist by syringing the surface. As soon as they have 
fairly started into growth they should be potted singly into 5 and 6-inch 
pots, or larger, according to the size of each tuber. 
NOTES ON BEES. 
WAX-EXTRACTOR. 
At page 481, your esteemed correspondent “ Felix ” gives 
a lucid description of the wax-extractor, and points out the 
various uses to which it may be put. As the extractor I use 
is somewhat different from his, perhaps I may be allowed to 
describe, the main difference being a pipe in the centre of the 
upper division, which leads into a perforated tube in the tin 
sieve reaching about two-thirds up. By this addition the 
wax is extracted much quicker and more thoroughly than 
when the steam passes from the generator by the sides only. 
My extractor measures 1 foot 6 inches by 1 foot 3 inches, and 
the sieve is over a foot in diameter. The steam generator 
we use for many purposes, and could not do well without it in 
making comb foundation. Copper or brass would be more 
lasting and better for some purposes than tin. 
After the steam is up and the sieve full of rich combs, 
should occupy not more than fifteen minutes to thoroughly 
drain, producing about 5 lbs. of wax each fill. When the 
wax has been run off it should be re-melted, and in all cases 
of liquefaction should be melted in double-sided vessels, glue- 
pot fashion, as boiling spoils wax. When a fine sample of 
wax is wanted the slower it is melted and the longer it is in 
cooling the better, all impurities getting time to settle. If 
the wax is melted in a cone-shaped vessel, then the impurities 
cover less surface and can be cleared away with less waste 
than when the surface is broad. For many purposes the wax. 
so moulded requires nothing more ; but where cakes of a cer¬ 
tain size are wanted, it must be melted again, and poured 
into moulds of a size and shape preferred, previously well 
soaked in water, but on no account should soap, soda, or any 
grease be used ; a very small portion of soap spoils much wax, 
while soda makes it brittle. When wax has been once spoiled 
by any of these ingredients no after operation will restore its 
flexible properties. 
So far as my experience goes, no sample of foreign wax is 
equal to our native wax for any purpose, and realises a much 
higher price in the market—Is. 8d. to 2s. per lb. is offered 
and readily got for all samples of genuine Scotch wax. It is 
frequently asserted that wax does not deteriorate by being 
long kept in the comb state. This is a mistake; it both 
diminishes in quantity and deteriorates in quality, so the 
sooner wax is extracted after the combs are removed from 
the hive the better, and for that purpose it is advisable to 
have a little extractor, so that all scraps of comb be forthwith 
melted, thereby saving both wax and preventing an increase 
of moths. 
PRODUCTION OF WAX. 
I fully expected to have been able to give an accurate 
statement of the amount of honey required to produce a 
pound of wax, but an accident befel the bees I was experi¬ 
menting with, so for a time I have been frustrated. But it 
is perhaps worth while to record the following, and it is but 
one of many cases that can be cited. From the combs of 
three “ Pettigrew ” straw hives 6£ lbs. was extracted. Now 
the bees from these hives were fed with 23 lbs. of sugar, and 
the hives are filled with combs, and have seemingly as much 
syrup as will tide the bees over till spring. But suppose each 
swarm carried off 2 lbs. of honey when being driven, the total 
would not exceed 25 lbs.; but even with this quantity, and 
supposing 15 lbs. is stored for winter use, 10 lbs. is all that 
has been consumed to form same quantity combs that fully 
2 lbs. of wax has been extracted from. This at a time when 
we hear it prophesied that honey must be sold at 3d. per lb. 
is a momentous question, because if 5 lbs. of honey produce 
1 lb. of wax at the present current prices, it will pay better 
to produce wax than honey, and thereby save all expensive 
packages and carriage, but it is worth while for bee-keepers 
to make a thorough test how much honey is required to pro¬ 
duce a pound of wax. We are quite prepared to meet the 
inevitable fall in the price of honey consequent on the in¬ 
creasing numbers of bee-keepers, but I feel certain that so low 
a figure as 3d. will never be accepted by the fraternity. A 
combination of the bee-keepers, and the superiority of British 
honey over foreign, will avert any such calamity. Just as wo 
see foreign Grapes selling at 4d. per lb., while home-raised 
