550 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 17, 1885. 
the cost of production must, in the face of the continued low 
and still falling prices of honey, be excluded from the apiary, 
unless a greater amount of honey can be gained from its 
adoption to compensate for the increased outlay. It is 
impossible to impress upon the minds of bee-keepers too 
clearly the absolute necessity of rigid economy in every 
department of the apiary. That system which at least 
expense produces the greatest nett profit is the one which 
must be adopted to the exclusion of all others. If honey in 
one apiary can be produced at Id. a pound less than in 
another, such reduced expenditure in production will enable 
the bee-keeper to meet the lower prices, and to dispose of 
his honey so as to give a reasonable profit. A penny a pound 
saved in production gives Id. a pound more profit. In my 
opinion honey produced from stocks managed in simple hives 
on the non-swarming system will produce most cheaply, and 
will in the worst of years give some little super honey suffi¬ 
cient, if not to give an actual profit, at any rate to pay 
expenses ; while in a good year a hive ready for supering at 
the end of April kept continuously at work until the honey 
season is over, without the hindrance of swarming, will pro¬ 
duce a vastly great amount of high quality honey at less 
expense than a hive managed on the increase system will 
produce at a greater cost both of time and labour.— Felix. 
REVERSIBLE FRAMES—PERFORATED ZINC FLOORS. 
I observe that you do not approve of reversible frames, but as I 
would like to try these for several reasons, will you kindly advise me 
what you consider the best frame for that purpose, and any other hint 
you can give for the making a suitable hive with reversible frames, so 
that my joiners will understand ? Would you also kindly say whether 
perforated zinc floors are really necessary or not? as I ohserve the British 
Bee Journal says they do not see any necessity for them. I am desirous 
of studying economy as advised by “ Felix ” and yourself, therefore if 
they can be dispensed with the hives will be cheaper.—J ohn Hall. 
[The hive best suited for reversible frames (the latter being of a very 
simple kind, which I advised some bee-keepers to try a number of years 
ago, when reversible frames were spoken about) differs very little from 
other frame hives. If a dividing board is used it must be of the sort 
which parts in the middle, and described in this Journal for Nov. 26th. 
The upper edges of both the front and back of the hive should be a 
quarter of an inch shallower than the sides ; a loose piece of wood a 
quarter of an inch broader than the thickness of the hive makes up the 
space, which may be toDgued into the sides, or held by two screws let into 
it through two cross mortices, whereby it will slide in and out so that it 
will come close to the ends of the frames which have no ears. A rabbet 
half an inch deep by one-eighth of an inch wide, so that drop slides may 
rest on the ends of these, may be checked or tongued so that the slide 
may pass freely over them. This is all the difference required from hives 
having ordinary frames, excepting a slide of iron let in right in the middle 
of both the front and back of the hive, which must not project further 
than a quarter of an inch. The frame, as stated, must have no ears, the 
top and bottom bars are the same breadth, which is a great fault. The 
ends of the frame will be better if slightly combered, so as to be easier of 
manipulation. Right in the centre of the ends of the frames nail a little 
cleat of wood, 1 j long, which keeps the frames at the proper distance, and 
a quarter of an inch thick, serving as rests, which the frame hangs by, 
and five-eighths of an inch broad. This breadth secures the frames to one 
level on both top and bottom whichever side is uppermost, the former 
being level with the edge of the hive, and the latter five-eighths from the 
floor. This distance will be found better than anything less, as it secures 
a free circulat on of air, and encourages the bees to build their combs 
down to the bottom bar. When frames are as close as a quarter of an 
inch to the floor, as advised by some, with the shrinkage of the hive bees 
are sure to be killed when the frames are being replaced after inspection. 
Then there is more risk of the space being blocked up with dead bees 
and deiris of the hive than wht n a good depth is allowed. When bees 
are flying out and in, those inside form a ladder of themselves, so as to 
allow the active bees a free passage. The above is a hint worth taking. 
The foregoing plan for reversible frames, it will be observed, cannot be 
easily improved upon for simplicity and cheapness, the frame being a 
single rectangular frame easily made by anyone. In fact, I have oftt-n 
thought, of having my ordinary frame hives made with the rests in the 
middle instead of the upper side, as is the case with all frame hives. 
Zinc floors are absolutely necessary in hives if the health and comfort 
of the bees are studied. Do you not observe the answerer of the query 
referred to in the British Bee Journal acknowledges he “ has no know¬ 
ledge” of what many bee-keepers know to be a very great de-ideratum 
in bee hives towards successful wintering and apiculture generally ? and 
of course, being ignorant of its benefits, does not “see the necessity of its 
use,” and so disparages a very useful invention. But turn to page 383 of 
the same journal, under “ Useful Hints,” and read the following extract:— 
“ After a fortnight’s absence of rain, again we have a deluge. Hives are 
dripping—moisture inside, and alighting boards covered with dead bees 
and wax chips, which have been extruded by the bees, the weather being 
sufficiently warm to enable them to descend from their combs and to 
perform their duties as scavengers. Assist the bees by removing accu¬ 
mulations from entrance, and permitting a free current of air to enter the 
hives.” Had perforated zinc been employed no such disaster could have 
taken place so early in the year, nor would the bee-keeper been required 
to clear away dead bees or debris. Nothing worse can befall a hive than 
dampness, especially a damp floor, which chills every bee that lingers on 
it, and soon calls into requisition the hooked wire, which is never required 
in an apiary properly managed. My hives have experienced the same 
weather, and several weeks advanced into midwinter with weather more 
severe, and there are no such signs of either dead bees on the floor or 
dampness inside hives, nor likely to be. What would you think of me as 
an adviser (in the pioneer of bee-keeping) if I had to record such direful 
results the first month of winter ? By all means use perforated zinc as 
floors to hives of every sort, and place no confidence in the advice of 
those who do not kno» how to manage hives so that they will be free 
from damp before the winter is well begun. — Lanarkshire Bee¬ 
keeper.] 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Hooper & Co., Covent Garden, W.— Catalogue of New and Improved Seed 
Potatoes. 
Alexander E. Campbell, Cove Gardens, Gourock, N.B.— Catalogue of 
Hybrid Gladioli. 
William Fell & Co.— Catalogue of Forest Trees. 
Carter ifc Co., 237 and 238, High Holborn, London.— Vade Mecumfor 
18S6 (illustrated). 
%* 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 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 subjects, 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. 
Vine Border (Merchant). —If frost threatens scatter some soil or manure 
on the border, as the young fibres may be injured. Your letter arrived too 
late to be fully answered this week. 
Stove Plants (A. G. F.). —Your letter arrived too late to be answered in 
our “ first issue ” after the receipt of your request. 
Seedling Grape (Strebor). —Your seedling white Grape is very hand¬ 
some, but we cannot quite agree with you in considering it “ identical with 
Gros Colrnan, except in colour,” for Gros Colrnan is now firm and solid, and 
in some cases barely ripe, while this is really past its best. It is neverthe¬ 
less a very handsome Grape, and if it does prove to be a white form of Gros 
Colrnan it will be invaluable. Could you send us a bunch, or a portion of 
one, in February or March ? or could you another year so treat the Vine as 
to have the fruit at that season? 
Frnit at Bath and Bristol (J. E. B.). —We are informed the compe¬ 
titors in the Pear classes were not the same as at Bath. As to the relative 
weights of different varieties of Pears, anyone can weigh specimens who 
has them, and determine that point. We suspect the supplementary prize 
at Bath was never intended to be regarded as a reflection on the Judges. 
The granting of additional prizes by committees is very unusual, and the 
example in question ought to have no weight as a precedent. We cannot 
insert your letter, with two others we have received, as they would only 
provoke rejoinders similar in nature to some other letters we have received, 
and the publication of which would do no good whatever. 
Nidularium Meyendorffi (Jackson). — The young plants you have ob¬ 
tained from suckers are not sufficiently advanced to colour like the old 
plant, hut if well grown they will produce the coloured leaves before and 
with the flowers. There are several plants related to this one which behave 
in a similar manner, the brightly coloured leaves appearing only in the centre 
and accompanying the flowers like the bracts in many other plants. There 
are some species—such as the Tillandaias—which produce leaves that are 
permanently variegated or tessellated. The Nidularium requires to be 
grown in a good compost of loam and peat in a warm moist house, an ordi¬ 
nary plant stove being quite suitable. If you read down page 500 of our 
issue of December 3rd you will find two books men tioned such as you appear 
to require. 
Bleaching Pampas Grass (P., Surrey). —We adopt no other plan than 
that described in answer to a correspondent a few weeks ago—namely, to 
