242 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 25, 188*. 
these properties, the 6hows will end in failure, and he a source of discon¬ 
tent, acrimony, and animosity, and will otherwise totally defeat their 
object. 
In the report of the Caledonian Apiarian Society which appeared in 
this Journal, July, 1384, it was shown that the prize for a heather honey- 
extractor was withheld because it was not an extractor but a presser. I 
believed at the time, an 1 my opinion is not altered, that the prize was 
withheld through prejudice or ignorance. Upon this subject the article 
prefixed to these notes, taken from the “British Bee-keepers’ Record ” for 
February 1st, is misleading and untruthful. Bee-keepers who are 
acquainted with the subject will agree with me that the consumers of 
hand-pressed honey will hail with delight the departure from hand-press¬ 
ing to the more cleanly and more profitable system of extracting honey by 
mechanism of some sort. 
But what is an extractor in its proper sense ? There are hundreds of 
ways of extracting, but the most difficult thing to extract from a preju¬ 
diced person is truth. Now I consider that whatever the means used to 
extract may be, if it performs the work it is an extractor. It will be ob¬ 
served that “ W. R.’’ does not hesitate to call the presser an ejector, which 
is a name m#re appropriate for the centrifugal machine than extractor, 
which “ W. R.” admits is right, but which is in reality neither more nor 
less than an ejector, which he admits the presser has a claim to. I know 
some little about the laws of motion and the effect it has on loose atoms, 
by throwing them off in a straight line until they are altered in their 
course by some intervening body, but I fail to see where centrifugal force 
has the claim of being an extractor, even so much as the presser has ; 
the greatest difference being that the former preserves the combs from 
being totally crushed, as is the case with the latter. “W. R.” says the 
price was “ practically prohibitive.” Why does he not state what the 
price was ? and how does he know whether the price is prohibitive or not ? 
seeing he has no experience with such useful instruments, which hundreds 
can testify by taking nearly the whole of the honey from the combs in a 
pure state free from pollen, and not, as “ W. R.” unjustly says in his third 
paragraph, “ No wonder a powerful screw was required.” When “ W. R.” 
gains experience in the pressing of honeycomb he will learn that to ex¬ 
tract the honey a powerful screw is required, and that but in a short time 
hence he will be singing its praises, in the same fashion he is doing with 
tiering hives, which he not s> very long since did all he could to dispa¬ 
rage. When the honey press was adjudicated on it had written instructions 
attached. There are also instructions in my “ Essay on Baes,” a? well as 
in back numbers of this Journal. Now why “W. R.” tries to disparage 
the press by making the false statement after the publication of those 
instructions is best known to himself. For him to say “that it would 
work in its own way, but a first glance showed a radical error in con¬ 
struction, the combs had to he placed flatways in the bottom,” is as great 
an error as can well be. 
The fifth paragraph’s suggestions have nothing to recommend them by 
the way of novelty or utility. Tue “ pump handle ” was suggested by 
Mr. Pettigrew many years since, and forty years ago I had such a machine, 
but had to add the screw before it would work satisfactorily. Wnen any 
improvement is attempted in instruments or machines these must be built 
upon what was gone before, and not to go back fifty or more years, as 
“ W. R.” has done. Then teachers should stick to the truth and be in 
full knowledge of what they attempt to teach, and, above all, do not make 
misrepresentations and misstatements. The quality of the honey 
extracted by the press is of fine quality, free from pollen or its flavour, 
and where there are only 100 lbs. of honey to press will clear the price of 
the press. 
Last year, after A had extracted all the honey he could from some 
three or four hives by the old process, Mr. B called at his house, saw the 
combs about to be consigned to the melting pot, requested him to be 
allowed to try his press on the drained combs of A, who consented. 
Mr. B set to work, and in a short time pressed out 50 lbs. of good honey, 
which would have been lost but for the “ powerful screw.” Any attempt 
to extract honey by the proposed plan to press out the honey with a 
“single squeeze,” will be found on trial to be very defective. The 
Lanarkshire honey press is complete in every detail, possessing everything 
and more “ W. R.” suggests, which he knows, at least should know. 1 
send herewith a letter from one of the most successful bee-keepers in 
England, showing how well he is pleased with it, which is but one of 
many similar, all of whom speak in the highest terms of praise of the 
presser. I would indeed be very sorry were it otherwise after what I 
have written about it, and advised so many to purchase one. I therefore 
hope that any person who is in want of a good and cheap honey presser 
will not be deterred from purchasing one by “ W. R.’s ” unfair and 
untruthful article. Believing in the fact that there are men of more 
experience than “ W. R.” at work, and better adapted to improve on the 
presser than hs can be expected to be, or he surely would not have con¬ 
cealed his ideas. Before a man condemns anything he should first show 
his improvements, thereafter he has a right to criticise and condemn any¬ 
thing inferior. 
In the last trial I made with my presser, after all was in readiness 12 lbs. 
of pure honey free from taint of pollen was canned in fifteen minutes, 
suggestive that the presser as it stands is a very efficient instrument, and 
will not be readily improved upon, neither will it be thrown out of 
repute by any such misrepresentations as made by “ W. R.” In the 
interest of all concerned, I advise them not to use sections when drained 
honey is the object, as “ W. R.” advises ; but either frames or supers, as 
sections reduce the yield of honey greatly. I shall be glad to advise all 
bee-keeping readers of this Journal, as well as “ W. R.,” how to get 
along in extracting honey and all other matter relating to the ap’ary, and 
take this opportunity of doing so by telling them that a presser wrought 
with rack and pinion, which I have had, is cheap and much superior to a 
pump handle for extracting thick honey from combs, at least it appeared 
so to—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
[Letter.] 
“ The weather is very bad for the bees; yesterday especially was a very 
bad day, and many bees were lost. To-day again is very bright and warm 
in the sun, and I fear lots will find a frosty grave. I scarcely like to interfere 
for fear of making matters worse, but I have thoughts of trying to hang 
cloths of some sort in front of the hives to keep off the sun’s rays. I think 
my stocks are so far very strong. Have you ever weighed your hives from 
time to time during winter to see exactly how much food they consume ? I 
weighed some hives on October 1st and again on January 1st, and the 
reduction in weight was as under 1, 4£ lbs.; 2, 7£ lbs.; 3, 5 lbs.; 4, 4J lbs.; 
5, 6 lbs.; 6, 4j lbs. This shows an average consumption of about 51 lbs. 
per hive for the three months of October, November, and December, or 
rather less than 2 lbs. per hive per month. This seems very little, but of 
course less is consumed at this time than at any other, as no breeding is 
going on and the bees are quiet. I have not yet weighed them for January, 
but intend doing so, and shall weigh them every month. I expect the con¬ 
sumption will increase very rapidly, for breeding will soon be general. 
When we get milder weather I shall be tempted to look into some of them, 
but I am a great advocate for leaving them alone. Will you some day let 
me know where I can get the best honey presser, like the one you kindly- 
lent me, and the price ?— Frank Taylor.”] 
*„* 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. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS.—We desire to assure those of our corre¬ 
spondents whose letters and communications are not promptly- 
inserted that they are not the less appreciated on that account. 
Our pages are practically filled several days prior to publication, 
and lettei-3 arriving on Wednesday morning, except by special 
arrangement, are invariably too late for insertion. The delay in 
the publication of some of these is not of material importance, 
hue reports of meetings and shows held a week previously lose 
much or all of their value if not received in time to appear 
in the current issue. 
Chrysanthemums (F. IF.).—There is no better information on Chrys¬ 
anthemum culture than his appeared in our columns. Possibly Mr. 
Iggulden’s pamphlet might be of service to you, and it can be had from this 
office, price 9Jd. post free. 
Lifting Vines (J. O., Somerset). —As we have repeatedly stated, Wed¬ 
nesday’s letters can only be answered very briefly if at all in the current, 
issue. It is not necessary to dig up your Vines to see if the border needs 
draining. Dig a few “ trial holes ” 3 feet deep, and if the soil is not very 
wet at that depth the site will be naturally drained. If you dig up the 
Vines the roots must be laid in moist soil immediately, as if allowed to get 
dry by exposure to the air, either during the process of lifting or afterwards, 
much damage will be done that will not be easily remedied. If you lift the 
Vines you muBt act at once, every day’s de'ay being dangerous at this season 
of the year. 
White Cineraria (W. Your variety is a very beautiful one, and 
we should advise you to increase your stock. The safest way will be by 
offsets as you have done hitherto, but if the plants are grown quite away 
from other Cinerarias you might succeed in getting seed to reproduce the 
strain. Exhibit a plant at one of the leading horticultural exhibitions, or 
send a specimen of the flowers to one of the meetings of the Royal 
Horticultural Society’s Floral Committee. 
Twin Cyclamen Flower (J. D., Think ).—The flower is very peculiar, 
and seems to be the result of the cohesion of two blooms, a kind of fasci- 
ation which is frequently seen in other plants. The plant is certainly 
worth preserving for its singularity, and it will be interesting if the 
character becomes permanent. 
Budding Apples {Inquirer). — Buds are inserted in the sides of the 
upright stems of the young stocks in summer, when the buds are formed 
in the axils and the wood a little firm, yet not so much so that the bark does 
not rise freely, both to enable the buds to be removed and inserted. This 
generally occurs in August, but more depends on the condition of the 
growths than on any mere date for performing the operation. The work 
