302 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
[ April 15, 1856, 
proper size at first, and save the waste of honey and strength of 
bees. If bees are restricted in carrying on the internal economy 
of the hive to the full extent for the purpose of getting all the 
honey stored in supers, which is bee-keeper’s arguments, it is but 
another way of “ killing the goose that lays the golden egg.” The 
hive that allows of a surplus of 40 lbs. in the stock hive will collect 
far more than that extra than the restricted ones, while the honey 
is superior. If our bees have come through the winter unscathed 
my flowers have not. Roses are browned to the ground, Primulas 
and choice Polyanthuses, &c., killed, and the hardy Sedum fabarium 
is nearly killed. 
Wasps seem likely to be very numerous this season, notwith¬ 
standing the cold summer and autumn. Some piled wood I saw 
turned over lately had many thousands ensconced between the 
boards. In years long past I have gathered shovelfuls from similar 
places. If gardeners would pile up in August some boards in this 
fashion, so that the wasp3 could creep in under, I could not suggest 
a more destructive plan on wasps and with less expense and trouble 
than the above. The only caution required is that the boards are 
under cover but open at the sides.—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
BEE MANAGEMENT. 
I shall be grateful if you will kindly answer a question or two 
on supering bees. I have some wood boxes which I have used as supers, 
with glass on one side, with lid to close down. They are 12f inches by 
11J clear inside, by 7 inches deep, and will hold exactly eighteen sections 
—that is, touching each other, except with just room enough for a piece 
of zinc to go between each row lengthways. Is it necessary to have a 
passage between the rows lengthways for the bees to pass, or crossways 1 
Of course they will be able to pass underneath, as the sections will 
rest on longitudinal bars, and they can also pass between section and 
section top and bottom. I propose to have one side of box, opposite 
glass, to let down by means cf two small hinges, and fasten up by hook 
on each side to facilitate removal of sections. I have never used sections, 
merely these boxes placed on top of other boxes as supers. My lower 
boxes are 16 inches square by 11 inches deep, clear inside, and stand on 
two rows of shelves inside a house with 6-inch clay walls and thatched 
roof; the bees pass out through the wall, and can’t enter the house. 
Why I am about to try sections, is the difficulty in making the bees work 
up into these plain boxes. Any remarks you may kindly make will be 
thankfully read in the Journal of Horticulture by yours truly.— 
H. T. H. 
[The boxes are a very unfortunate depth—too deep for one tier of 
sections, and not deep enough for two ; they may, however, be cut down to 
the required depth without any great difficulty. The sections it is in¬ 
tended to use appear to be the ordinary 1 lb. ones, measuring by by 
2. It will be a problem not very easy to solve how to place eighteen of 
these sections in a box measuring 12f by 11J inches, inside measurement. 
They may be placed, as intended, three abreast, but six rows will in 
that case be necessary, and six multiplied by two making twelve, and 
room for separators having to be left, it is quite an impossibility to put 
more than five rows in such a box. This is, of course, not material, but 
it will be better to give up the idea of a hinged shutter, and place a 
loose board along the outside surfaces of the extreme sections in the same 
manner as a separator, but not admitting the egress of any bees. The 
lid may be dispensed with, and some warm covering provided to re¬ 
tain the heat and prevent the escape of bees. The space left by the 
longitudinal bars upon which the sections stand, if such bars are made 
at least three-eighths of an inch thick, will provide a sufficient means 
of entrance to the sections, and no other will be required. Separators 
cut in the manner described will be suitable provided they are cut so 
as to leave a bee space — that is, room for the passage of the bees 
from section to section without difficulty both at top and bottom. 
Many bee-keepers leave half an inch, some a little more, some a little 
less. 
The necessity for the sides of the boxes, which it is intended to 
transform into racks, and the sections to be co-equal in height, will be 
very evident when it is remembered that as soon as one rack is taken 
possession of by the bees, and comb-building is going on extensively, 
another must be placed either upon or b.neath the one already in the 
hive and being worked by the bees. The glass end will be useful to 
ascertain the condition of the rack, but it is well not to forget that the 
outside ones are those last sealed, and are, therefore, not quite a sure 
index to the state of inner combs. The shutter is an awkward contrivance, 
and the loose board is for many reasons preferable, the bees will not 
fasten the sections together so as to make manipulation difficult. The 
grand secret is to have well made and good fitting racks, and then the 
necessity being taken away, propolisation is reduced to the least possible 
amount. The hives are not of the fashionable dimensions, but ought to 
yield a good harvest of super honey in a season of average honey weather. 
It is a mistake to imagine that bees will enter and work sections 
more readily than large supers. Rather the reverse is the fact. One of 
the most frequent objections urged against the use of sections is the 
apparent unwillingness of the bees to enter them. Few instances—in my 
own observation none—occur in which bees refuse to enter supers of any 
description if the stock is in a proper condition for receiving an extension 
of room, and the weather is favourable. Strong stocks filled with brood 
and bees and honey will enter supers, weak ones will decline to annex 
new territory while the old one is only partially occupied.! Crowded popula¬ 
tions want extension, not thin ones, which possess already more room than 
they are able to fill. Those who cannot get bees to enter supers placed 
at the proper time fail because their stocks are too weak. Strong stocks 
are absolutely essential in profitable bee-keeping. The house in which 
the hives are placed being formed of clay and thatched will be warm, but 
it is not a necessity to have such an elaborate dwellinghouse, and there 
is a danger of mice, moths, and other bees’ enemies harbouring in it and 
committing depredations. With care no harm will happen, with 
negligence great mischief may be done in a short time. One point is 
often overlooked in such constructions, and that is that insufficient alight¬ 
ing boards are too often given, with the result that many bees are de¬ 
stroyed which might if a proper projection had been attached have lived to 
work for weeks instead of dying thus within sight of home. Attention to 
this point will give great satisfaction to anyone who has observed the 
bees formerly in rain attempting to reach the board on which, mainly 
owing to its very slight projection they were unable to gain a foothold, 
pass in with safety.— Felix.] 
Rutherglen Horticultural and Apiarian Society. —As the 
name of this Society indicates, the Committee recognise the natural con¬ 
nection that exists between flowers and bees, and while prizes are offered 
for fruit, flowers, and vegetables, apiculture is encouraged as well. There 
are twelve classes in this section, prizes being offered for honey, hives, 
appliances, comb foundation, &c., no less than eight silver medals being 
provided as awards to the most successful exhibitors, including the 
Highland Society’s medal for the best and largest display of run honey and 
honeycomb. The prizes appear to be open to all, and we trust the twin 
exhibition to be held on September 3rd will be very successful. Mr. 
Ebenezer M’Nally is the Honorary Secretary. 
TRADE CATALOGUE RECEIVED. 
Thomas Pointer, Smallwood, Stoke-on-Trent.— Catalogue of Dahlia 
Plants. 
*** 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 letters 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, 
buc 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. 
Size of Lawn Tennis Courts (F. IF.).—The length of a tennis court 
is 78 feet; width for a single court, 27 feet; double, 36 feet. 
Everlasting Flowers from Seed (J. A.). —Ammobium alatum seed may 
be had from all the leading metropolitan and provincial seedsmen who 
advertise in our columns. We do not think seed is sold of the other you 
name, but plants can be had from nurserymen. Acroclinium album and 
white Helichrysums are easily raised from seed, which is sold by nearly all 
vendors of flower seeds. 
Royal Horticultural Society’s Reports (Mrs. P. E. IF.).—The reports 
in question are not published at this office. You had better write to the 
Secretary of the Society at South Kensington, and he will give you infor¬ 
mation on the subject. Some of the reports, we believe, are not sold, while 
others are. 
Lime Rubbish for Vine Border (J. C., Somerset). —We certainly do not 
consider you troublesome ; it is a pleasure and not a trouble to us to impart 
information that may be of service to inquirers. You have probably 
decided rightly in making a new border and planting young Vines next 
spring. Save all the lime rubbish, as it will be of great service in making 
the borders. Be careful in excavating and concreting that you do not 
