93 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
t February 4, 1886. 
or in frames, and, as a rule, will be of good size by the time they are 
wanted. To stait them early and in heat spoils them for bedding out. 
Lobelias .—In many gardens these are planted out extensively, and 
propagating has to be commenced early in consequence. When there are 
plenty of stocky old plants these yield abundance of good cuttings, or they 
may be split up into small pieces each with a few roots attached and 
dibbled into boxes or pans of fine soil and kept growing in a gentle heat, 
such for instance as an early vinery or Peach house. Cuttings, if not too 
hard or “ wiry,” strike readily under handglasses on a hotbed in boxes of 
soil and covered with glass or in ordinary propagating frames, care being 
taken to dry the glass every morning if damping oil commences. Rooted 
cuttings should be first dibbled out into shallow boxes of fine good soil, 
and later on be temporarily planted out into frames, where they will 
become large plants by bedding-out time, the rooted divisions also being 
improved by similar treatment. Where there are no old plants the stock 
must be raised from seed. Seedlings are usually more vigorous and less 
compact than plants raised from cuttings or division ; but for large beds 
or for edging other stronger-growing bedding plants they are effective 
enough. All the leading seedsmen now supply good selected strains of 
Lobelia speciosa, L. pumiia magnifica and L. Erinus varieties also being 
reliable. In order to secure strong plants the seed should he sown early. 
Being almost or quite as minute as Begonia seed, it should be treated 
exactly the same, subsequent treatment also being much the same. 
Centaiireas .—Although very effective these are not so much grown as 
they were, chiefly owing to the difficulty often experienced in wintering a 
sufficient number of stock plants. Strong cuttings taken off with a heel 
dibbled thinly in pans of fine sandy soil, and plunged in or stood on a 
brisk bottom heat, soon strike root ; and if the operation is delayed till 
March or early in April many of the side shoots, and which only are 
suitable for propagating, may be taken off with roots already formed. We 
do not attempt to winter stock plants, preferring rather to raise the 
number of young plants required from seed. As they are rather slow 
growing, the seed is best sown early in February thinly in a pan or pots 
of light soil and plunged in a mild hotbed and covered, after being 
watered, with squares of glass, the latter being gradually removed after 
the seedlings appear. They are best not disturbed till they are about 
3 inches high, when they may be placed singly into 3i-inch pots, any light 
loamy soil, with a little Mushroom bed refuse for drainage suiting them. 
They must be still kept in heat till well established, when they can be 
gradually hardened off. If finally planted in fairly rich soil they soon 
attain a good size, growing more rapidly than plants raised from cuttings. 
C. candidissima is the most compact in growth ; 0. Clementi and C. 
gymnocarpa, the former growing 2 feet in height and the latter rather 
less, being also very desirable either for ordinary or sub-tropical bedding. 
Chamcepeuce .—There are two sorts of this Thistle-like plant suitable 
for bedding out, both of which are raised from seed exactly as just 
recommended in the case of Centaureas. C. diacantha has silvery spiny 
foliage, and is the most generally grown, but C. Cassabonse with green 
spiny foliage is also very pretty and useful. Both may be employed in 
carpet beds with advantage, a few plants being kept in pots to replace 
any that may die prematurely, as they are unfortunately somewhat 
liable to do. 
Cannas .—Those who have a number of strong clumps of these stored 
away may, if they wish to, safely split them into nearly as many 
pieces as there are young growths; this being done later on. If there 
is none in stock, then, in order to have a few for sub-tropical beds, and 
where they are remarkably effective, procure some seed. This is extremely 
hard, and to insure quick germination must either be soaked in warm 
water for several hours or till softened somewhat, or they may be filed 
through sufficiently to admit of the germ bursting its way through. The 
seed in either case being sown in pots or pans of peaty or light soil, should 
be plunged in a brisk bottom heat and watered with warm water. When 
the seedlings begin to unfold their first leaves they may be transferred 
singly into 3-inch pots and given a shift into 6-inch pots later on, or they 
may be placed at once into 5-inch pots. Good fairly light soil suits them, 
and they should be kept growing under glass till late in May, and be 
finally planted out before they become badly root bound. Canna seeds 
can be purchased in collections of separate varieties or singly, some of the 
best sorts being Annei, Chateri sanguinea, grandiflora floribunda, 
maxima, nigTicans, sanguinea, and zebrina. 
Grevillea robusta.— This is a rather slow-growing green-folinged 
plant, very durable and fairly ornamental. Seeds sown in a pan of 
light sandy soil, plunged in a hotbed and covered with glass, frequently 
germinate satisfactorily, and if the seedlings are placed singly into 
4-inch pots they will attain a useful size by the time they are required. 
As a rule they are of most service during the second and even th : id 
years, and can be wintered among the conservatory plants. 
INITIATORY INSTRUCTIONS. 
A correspondent and reader of this Journal is desirous for his 
own and others’ benefit to be instructed in the rudiments of bee- 
husbandry and of the Stewarton hive, as hitherto I have been too far 
advanced for beginners. As there is no royal road to learning bee¬ 
keeping, neither is there any first lesson to give, at least I am ignorant 
of what the first lesson in bee-keeping is. As regards the legislators 
introducing the subject of bee-keeping into elementary schools, I 
consider is at present not feasible, as there are too many widely 
differing opinions on the principal points of bee-keeping. “ Felix’s” 
remarks on pages 55 and 56 are good. My previous silence on the 
subject arose entirely through the absurdity of the proposal, apart 
from the scientific questions of bee-keeping, which is one for the 
study, not for the school. There is already by far too much teaching 
in schools in committing to memory that which is of no present and 
little future use. Teach by varied reading as much as possible, 
but commit to memory only that which the pupil will be benefited by 
in after life. 
At page 56 there is an illustration of the mischief wrought by the 
teachings of the leaders in bee matters differing from each other. 
This was caused by ignoring the advice frequently given in these 
pages, and “ Plus " has thereby brought the calamity on his hive. I 
can fully sympathise with “ Plus ” in the loss of the bees, and am 
also cognisant of the dilemma bee-keepers are placed when two 
widely different plans of management are given by two persons. In 
the case mentioned by “ Plus ” the bees were removed 300 yards at 
the end of September, and since then there have been many opportu¬ 
nities for the bees to air themselves. When they did so they simply 
returned to their old site, and not finding their hive perished. For 
some time before January the weather was very mild, and the bees 
were active everywhere. Those that were seen flying about a week 
or two ago were robber bees, and not those of their own hive. The 
foregoing introductory remarks have not been made solely for the 
information of “ Plus,” but for all others who are seeking it, and 
particularly for those wishing for initiatory instruction. It is rather 
tantalising after one has given all instructions to find that they have 
been ignored. 
When I am in a fix, not knowing how to act for want of know¬ 
ledge, a lesson from Nature direct often gives the hint desired ; when 
the lesson is ignored, resulting in loss or pain, we become doubly 
impressed with its importance, and better care is taken in the 
future. I am inclined to think that the natural history of the bee 
should be partially known by the intending bee-keeper, and that the 
subject should be thoroughly studied by experimenting thereafter ;; 
not that by so doing and gaining knowledge thereof better results 
are to be expected, but that by having a thorough understanding of the 
natural history of the bee much after-disappointment is prevented, 
difficulties are more easily overcome, and mishaps can be rectified in 
time to prevent disappointment and loss. 
Supposing, then, that our pupil is already posted up in the 
rudiments of the natural history of the bee, and that he possesses one 
or more hives of bees in straw hives, he need not bother himself 
much about having ocular demonstration of the sting, the bees will 
very soon let him feel it; and if he is anxious to try the inoculation 
theory he has only to try one of the latest nostrums as a bee-quieter— 
viz., vinegar : rub some of it on the exposed parts of the body, and 
the bees will not be slow in using their stiDgs. Repeat the operation, 
and he will soon learn the fallacy of inoculation lessening either the 
pain or swelling. If on being stung serious symptoms set in use 
means to bring about perspiration, apply camphorated oil with 
friction to the throat and upper part of the chest, inhaling and 
swallowing some sal volatile at the same time. It being next to 
impossible to intercept the flow of the virus into the blood after 
being stung, bleeding immediately after the eting alleviates both 
pain and swel'ing. Some people are not affected by slings, those 
may piosecute bee-keeping with safety ; but all those who are 
seriously affected should not incur risk by keeping bees. Some 
people become greatly disfigured by the swelling, but are not other¬ 
wise seriously affected, therefore all such need not be troubled by 
the little unpleasantness. 
To learn how to approach and manipulate the bees, and to know 
the time to manipulate when bees are not inclined to sting, are 
cardinal points for the novice to learn. The first should be done in 
a quiet, yet bold, but steady manner, wearing clothing free from 
smell or perfume of any sort, the skin being the same. If attacked 
by the bees veil at once, and approach the hive with carbolic acid,, 
using it judiciously on the alighting board and the front of the hive 
until subdued by smell only, as its touch kills the bees. All manipu¬ 
lations should be performed while the bees are under the influence of 
the acid, and in such a manner that not a single bee is killed. The 
best time to perform any manipulation is under a temperature of 70° 
or more, and when the bees are filled with honey. It is highly 
disastrous if the bees are allowed to taste honey belonging to any 
other hive, it creates robbing and incites stinging. 
Premising that all novices desiring information on the manage¬ 
ment of the Stewarton hive are well versed in minor details of bees 
