December 31, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
593 
they would under other circumstances. If this should be necessary pro¬ 
vide a light pit or house, as the case may he, where they can have more 
heat both top and bottom than they would have in other quirters. This 
being effected, the fermenting material placed in, and the structure 
put into thorough going order, select a batch of plants from amongst 
the successional, choosing those which indicate s : gns of speedily 
showing fruit. These are quickly distinguished by an examination 
of the. centre or heart of the plant. Those most likely to throw fruit 
soon will have few leaves in the centre, and it will be more open and 
stout than those which have growth to make before showing. The plants 
should be plunged in a bed constantly kept at about 90° to 95° at the base 
of the pots. If the plants are at all dry they should be copiously 
watered, but in no case ought water to be given until the plants become 
dry, which should be ascertained by the examination of each individual 
plant with the hand, and then a thorough supply given when needed. 
Maintain the top heat at 65° to 70° at night, and 5° more by day, with 10° 
to 15° rise from sun heat. Keep the atmosphere about the plants in an 
invigorating and genial state by syringing and damping as may be 
necessary. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Allamandas .—One or more of the earliest rested plants should L e 
started into growth without further delay if the flowers are required early 
m the season. It flowers profusely over a long period, and nothing is 
gained by starting them into growth late in the year unless flowers are 
required through the winter. If the plants to be started have not been 
pruned it should be done at once. The system to be practised depends 
upon whether the plants are large enough, and if so, they should he cut 
close back from where they started last year, leaving only one or two eyes 
on last season’s wood. On the other hand, when necessary to increase 
the size of the plant, either for covering a trellis or for training up the 
roof of a stove, the shoots may be left several feet in length according to 
the ripeness of the wood and the space to be covered. If the plants are 
in pots turn them out and reduce the roots by one-half, and then, if dry, 
soak them in tepid water. After they have thoroughly drained they may 
be placed in the same size or larger pots. Drain the pots liberally, and 
press the compost firmly round the old roots. Care must be taken to 
leave plenty of room in the pots and a rich top-dressing during the 
growing season. After potting, plunge the plants in bottom heat that 
ranges about 80°, and where a night temperature of 65° is maintained. 
They will do without bottom heat, but they start more quickly by its aid. 
Syringe freely two or three times daily, but great care must be taken in 
watering them at their roots until they have taken possession of the new 
soil. Those in borders or tubs should have as much of the surface soil 
removed as possible, and fresh fibry loam and one-third of decayed manure 
supplied. One-seventh of manure will be sufficient to mix with the loam 
for those that are potted. If the loam is of a heavy nature sand may be 
added. 
Bougainvillea glabra .—Plants that have been resting for the past 
two months in a temperature of 50° may now be pruned and started into 
growth for early flowering. In pruning cut out all the thin twiggy wcod 
and leave the strong well-ripened wood instead. Nothing is gained by 
allowing the plants to become crowded with weak wood, for it will not 
flower. If those to be pruned are as large as required, whether grown in 
pots or planted out, the shoots may he spurred back and the main branches 
trained into position. These may be potted and top-dressed at pruning 
time the same as recommended for Allamandas, the same soil being also 
suitable. The conditions recommended above will be suitable for starting 
these plants into growth. 
Stephanotis floribunda .—Plants with well-ripened wood that have 
been enjoying a good period of rest under moderately cool conditions may 
now be introduced into heat to start them into growth. If the plant to 
be started is in a good-sized pot, and it is not desirable to place it into a 
larger one, the surface soil should be removed and the plant top-dressed 
with equal portions of loam and manure. Above this a good surfacing of 
cow manure that has been stacked for some months may be placed and 
the ball of the plant well soaked with tepid water. Plants in large pots 
well filled with roots generally make short sturdy growths and flower 
profusely if grown in a light position close to the glass. If, however, 
the plants need potting they should have as small a shift as possible. The 
pots to be used must be clean and well drained. A portion of the old 
soil must be picked out carefully from amongst the roots without disturb¬ 
ing them more than possible. The soil used should be pressed fii mly 
round the old ball, and may consist of fibry loam, one-third of peat aDd 
about one-seventh of manure, with a liberal dash of coarse sand added. 
If possible, plunge the pots or arrange them close to the glass, so that 
when they commence growing the new shoots can be trained close under 
the glass and exposed to every ray of light and sunshine. This plant 
should be thoroughly cleaned, if mealy bug or other insects exist upon it, 
before introducing it into heat. 
EDUCATION IN BEE-KEEPING. 
In several countries bee-keeping is one of the subjects 
taught in the elementary schools, and the masters have to 
show a fair knowledge of this subject before they are 
appointed, and it seems a great pity that this rule does not 
hold good with us, as children are very much interested iu 
anything that belongs to natural history. The Art and 
Science Department at South Kensington recognise bee¬ 
keeping as one of the subjects of minor agriculture, but it is 
rather an unknown land to most of the candidates. 
How, then, can we best promote it ? By articles in the 
various journals and by oral instruction; and we confess that 
we consider the latter the best means for starting people in 
bee keeping, though when they once commenced the study 
nothing can be more valuable to them than to increase their 
knowledge by reading the various articles which appear in 
this and other journals; for although they may be rather 
puzzled by reading totally different views of the same subject 
by equally competent masters in the art, still they have to 
remember to prove all things and follow the best. 
We can well remember the first time we tried to make an 
artificial swarm and what a dismal failure it was, but after 
having once seen it done by a bee-master we had no further 
difficulty. It is for this reason that the various shows which 
now take place all over the country, and perhaps still more 
the visits of experts to the various apiaries, have done so 
much good in advancing bee culture amongst us; and 
whether they belong to the British Bee-keepers’ Association 
or not, they practically carry out its object, and it was with 
the view of having competent men to teach that they started 
the plan of having expert examinations. 
Having had some experience as an examiner, we assert 
that no one who thoroughly understands practical bee¬ 
keeping can fail to pass the examination for the third-class 
certificate, though he may be unable to obtain the second or 
first-class certificates. All that is required of the candidate 
for the practical examination is to show his knowledge of 
manipulation, and as much of the theory as is contained in 
any of the elementary handbooks which can be obtained for 
one or two shillings. He has not to write his answers, as 
the whole examination consists in answering by word of 
mouth, so as to allow thousands of cottage bee-keepers who 
thoroughly understand apiculture, but who cannot explain it 
by writing, to pass the examination, and no one can get a 
second or first-class certificate without having first passed 
the practical examination. The second-class examination is 
a written one, and the candidate has to be well up in the 
theory of bee-keeping, while the first-class certificate is only 
given to those who know their subject thoroughly, and can 
give a lecture on any subject connected with bee-keeping 
which has been chosen by the examiners. 
Last summer we had to reject two candidates, not because 
they did not know the life-history of the honey bee, but 
because they did not know how to handle the bees. We 
asked one candidate to find the queen in a bar-frame hive. 
He commenced by nearly suffocating them with the smoker, 
and having taken off the top carpet carefully, placed the 
smoker on the hive, and then, in trying to lift out one of the 
bars, knocked it down, crushing several of the bees, and, 
not content with this, he killed several of the bees when 
replacing the bars. Having failed to find the queen, though 
she was there, he tried to find her by shaking off the bees in 
the empty part of the hive at the back, and not finding her 
there, was going to look for her on the floorboard, and if we 
had not prevented him would have stepped on the queen, 
which was on the ground outside the hive, he having shaken 
her off the bar on the ground instead of into the hive. 
Needless to say, this candidate did not pass, though no doubt 
he still considers that he knows more about the practical part 
of bee keeping than all the first-class experts as well as— 
A SuRKEYSHIRE BEE-KEEPER. 
USEFUL HINTS. 
After a few days and nights of rather severe frost we are 
again enjoying mild weather. Bees are abroad in great numbers 
searching after pea meal, and many of them sipping the water 
from a box of peat. The withdrawal of a sliding floor brought 
