282 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 8, 18S6. 
surplus, and this (hey will do if kept in large hives and have any¬ 
thing like favourable weather during the honey season. 
Still another thing you must guard against, also taught by some— 
namely, when the bees are about taking to the supers do not 
remove part of their combs leaving scarcely half enough for the 
internal economy of the hive, forcing the bees into the supers, thereby 
cutting short any chance of a large yield. A case of “ killing the 
goose for the golden egg.” An example in point concerning two 
clever bee-keepers. It was a bad year with little signs of improve¬ 
ment at the beginning of August. The one hired the other’s bees 
from that time onwards at so much for the super only, all in the 
body of the hive was to remain for the benefit of the bees. When 
the hirer of the bees got possession of them he removed all the combs 
containing honey to about the one-half of what the hive contained 
in full, in short to six frames of large size, the bees were fed a little 
to encourage breeding, and were crowded out. Supers were added 
which the bees took to at once, and the Heather which was in the 
immediate vicinity was bursting into bloom, yielded honey plenti¬ 
fully, but for a few days only. The supers on these hives were 
filled, but on no others ; these were at once taken off and empty ones 
substituted, resulting in drawing off the brood through the impover¬ 
ished state of the hives, and at the end of the season when the 
extracted combs were returned there were but few bees to tike 
advantage of them, and the season was too far advanced for the bees 
to better their condition by breeding, while the small sum received for 
hire was insufficient to purchase bees to make them as good as they 
should have been. 
Moral, always keep your hives strong in bees, and the more empty 
comb they have during a honey glut, though it be of short duration, 
the better. 1 will at another time return to the subject, and give 
instructions to beginners, hoping the foregoing will help to keep in 
the right path those who are willing to be led by —A Lanarkshire 
Bee-keeper. 
EARLY SWARMING. 
Your readers may be interested in the following account of a 
swarm which came from a straw skep in this neighbourhood a few days 
ago. It took place about ten days ago, on one of the warm days which 
we in this neighbourhood had immediately after the frost broke up. Tbe 
hive was light. The occupants of three hives had been joined together 
last autumn. Seeing the bees were very busy, the owner was watching 
them,when suddenly the queen came out. He caught her, and held her in 
his hand, while he asked a friend who was with him to get an empty 
skep. He was about to put the queen into this skep, when she flew away, 
and he expected to see no more of her; but in two or three hours the 
swarm was found 300 yards ofl on an old earthen bank, or dyke as we call 
them. It was duly hived, but was returned to its old home. What, how¬ 
ever, struck the man as peculiar was that when the queen escaped from 
the hive he saw nothing iu the shape of a swarm following her, and the 
remaining bees seemed to go on just as they had done before gathering bee 
bread, and he could not see any reduction in their numbers. The swarm 
was about the size of a cocoa-nut.—A Bee-keeper in Dumfriesshire. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Viccars, Collyer, it Co., Leicester.— Catalogue of Seeds and Specialties. 
Jacob W. Manning. Reading Nursery, Reading, Mass ,U.S.A. —Catalogue 
of Fruit and Ornamental Trees, Shrubs, and Herbaceous Plants. 
Charles Turner, Royal Nurseries, Slough. —General Spring Catalogue, 
1886. 
William Paul, Waltham CrosB, Herts— Catalogue of New Boses, <j c. 
*** 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 t rouble 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 paptr 
only. We cannot reply to questions through the post, and we 
do not undertake to return rejected communications. 
Royal Botanic Gardens ( Old Gardener ).—If you write to W. Sowerby,, 
Esq., the Secretary, he will inform you of the manner in which Fellows are 
elected, these alone, we believe having regular admission to the Gardens. 
Mrs. Pearson Grape (J. F. H.). —This variety was raised by Mr. Pearson- 
at Chilwell from Black Alicante crossed with Ferdinand de Lesseps, and 
was awarded a first-class certificate by the Royal Horticultural Society in 
1874, 
White Chrysanthemum for Market ( D .).—The following varieties are 
extensively grown for the sale of their blooms :—Madame Desgrange, early, 
followed by Elaine, Lady Selborne, Mrs. G. Bundle, Mdlle. Lacroix, White 
Princess of Teck, Meg Merrilies, and Miss Marechaux, these affording a 
supply from September to the end of the year under good management. 
We are unable to answer your other question. 
Lapageria Sporting (G. Hi).—We see no reason why the sport you de¬ 
scribe should not be fixed by pegging down the branch in turfy peat and 
sand, and rooting it as a layer. We are not able to say how far your 
variety is distinct from others without seeing a flower. 
White Flowers for Wreaths (T. A.). —The following are amongst the 
best and most generally used plants for supplying flowers for wreaths :— 
White Azaleas, Camellias, Roses, Carnations, Pinks, Chrysanthemums, Lily 
of the Valley, Spiraea japonica, Roman and Dutch Hyacinths, Tulips, 
Epacrises, Begonias, Callas, Bouvardias, Gardenias, Eucharises, Stephanotis, 
Paper White Narcissus, Rhodanthe maculata alba, Ammobium alatum 
grandiflorum, White Double Pelargoniums, Lapageria alba, Achilleas, 
Gladiolus The Bride, Guelder Roses, Lilacs, Chinese Asters, Liliums, 
Freesia refracta alba, and Hellebores. If you do not know the best of the 
Azaleas and such plants and write to us again, we shall be pleased to help 
you. 
Warted Vine Roots ( Phylloxera ).—We regret to inform you that there 
is no doubt as to the presence of the phylloxera on the Vine roots you have 
sent. This insect passes through various stages, those now present being 
in what is termed the nymph form, and will speedily develope if permitted 
to do so. You mav if you like saturate the border with ammoniacal liquor 
from gasworks, half-diluted. This proved effectual in a garden at Eaton 
Hall; or you may prefer to adopt a more radical method of extirpating the 
pest. The leaves sent are perfectly clean. 
Beetles in Vinery (J. M .).—Your house is infested with the Vine weevil 
Curculio BetuletL It is seldom we hear of this pest being found in such 
great numbers, as you appear to have caught over a thousand during three 
evenings. We know of no easy means of extirpating the pest, which is very 
destructive and feeds at night. You had better continue your practice of 
searching for and catching the weevils, and the house and Vines must 
undergo a radical cleansing in the winter. You may try the effect of the 
hellebore and petroleum mixture, as recommended to another correspon¬ 
dent, and we shall be glad to know if it proves of any value in your case. 
Grafting Weeping Ash (J. H.). —You may graft your young Ash trees 
with weeping varieties at once. If the stocks are moderately strong at the 
top place a scion on both sides. The scion should be put on with the 
growth buds upwards and not downwards, for it is natural for the growths 
to weep without the adoption of such artificial means as the reversal of the 
scions. The scions should be from 2 to 3 inches in length, half or little 
more of that length being cut in a slanting direction with a sharp knife, a 
similar piece should be removed from the stock, and the two cut portions 
made to fit exactly. This done, and made secure, a little clay or grafting 
wax should be well rubbed into the tying material used, and then the 
whole covered with sufficient to exclude air. If clay is used a good per-cent- 
age of cow manure should be incorporated with it to prevent it cracking by 
the influence of drying winds. 
Pruning Orange Trees (iff. B. D.). —We should not hesitate to prune 
the trees now to any desired extent, but the exact extent to shorten the 
branches can only be determined by the condition of the trees. After 
pruning they should be syringed twice or thrice a day to excite the pro¬ 
duction of fresh growths in preference to keeping the roots in a very wet 
state. If these are healthy your shoots will push from the old stems in a 
house in which a genial atmosphere is maintained. You may cut down the 
Shaddock to the strong growth on the lower part of the stem, or shorten the 
upper branches according as it may be thought desirable. A definite 
opinion cannot be formed in a case of this kind without inspecting the tree, 
and you had better confer with a good practical gardener on the spot. We 
suspect the authors of the evil are liable to damages, but it is not always 
easy to prove allegations of the nature indicated. 
Grass Seeds for Embankment ( Cranfordian ).—For so small a plot of 
ground it is not practicable to apportion the quantities of the different 
varieties of Grass seeds that would be suitable for the purpose intended. 
The mixture should consist of such kinds as Cynosurus cristatus, Festuca 
duriuscula, F. rubra, F. teuuifolia, Poa nemoralis sempervirens, Trifolium 
minus, and LotuB corniculatus, with Lolium perenne tenue to shelter the 
finer Grasses until they became established, and so insure a quicker and 
better lawn. We should procure 3 lbs. of the finest mixture of lawn grass 
seeds —i e finest Grasses and Clovers, from a respectable se-dsman, and 
having the ground in fine tilth sow about the second or third week in this- 
month (Aptil) on a calm day evenly, raking over lightly after sowing, and 
passing a roller over the ground, or otherwise making it even and embed¬ 
ding the seed in the soil. It is better if a time be chosen for sowing 
when there is an early prospect of rain. 
Caterpillars in Vinery—Hellebore Petroleum Mixture ( S. Carlisle ) 
—The specimens shall be examined, all we can do at present being to- 
saggest a remedy that we have found quite effectual in the case of the 
Gooseberry caterpillar and many other garden pests. We put 2ozs. (a small 
wineglassful) of petroleum, 2 ozs. of softsoap, 1 oz. of washing soda, and 
2 ozs. of hellebore powder into a two-gallon stone bottle, and pour in one 
gallon of boiling rain water over them ; shake violently, let it remain till 
cool, then strain through a cloth. This applied with a syringe destroys 
all caterpillars it touches and does not injure the tree3 nor stain the foliage. 
Iu the case of very tender plants, or of leaves covered with fine hairs, it 
might be prudent to try half the quantity of petroleum, but more than that 
