482 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
[ May 27, 188ff. 
bees, they fly out, and are very often lost. They are liable to damp in¬ 
ternally, therefore i9 more fatal to bee life than an airy hive. If I mistake 
not this was the objection the late Mr. T. W. Woodbury had to hives 
having their frames across the entrance, and his opinions were entitled to 
respect. A bee leaving its hive during winter will return much quicker 
if its frames are at right angles to the entrance than if they were across, 
because in the former cam it is in a better sanitary condition than the 
other, and leaves their combs right at the entrance in a cleanly state. 
Not so with the others, where they have to creep along a dirty floor, the 
dibris in which adheres to the bees, and they must rid themselves of 
this before they will return to their hive. When the frames are placed 
across the entrance the pollen is stored in the front combs, and in this 
position is destroyed during winter, and if used by the bees is almost 
sure to start bacilli to activity, which are liable to create dysentery and 
foul brood. Supering cannot be carried out so successfully with hives 
having their frames across the entrance as with those at right angles ; in 
fact, I do not know one redeeming quality in having the frames across 
the entrance. They may succeed in some climates or localities, but in ours 
they will not. Preserving bees from May till May is the secret of pro¬ 
fitable bee-keeping, and that should be done without a single manipula¬ 
tion from September till May. 
Your second query we cannot answer without having full cognisance 
of the article referred to.— Lanarkshire Bee-keeper.] 
INCITING ROBBERS. 
In your paper of May 13th, page 389, your correspondent, “ A 
Lanarkshire Bee-keeper,” says “ Endeavour to keep down every scent 
of honey, syrup, or combs that is likely to attract bees, which incites 
robbers, and may spread disease.” 
A few days ago I was watching my bees as they flew in and out. I 
saw a considerable commotion at the entrance, and on looking closer I 
found fighting going on, and I felt sure something was wrong inside. 
The hive is provided with two moveable shallow drawers placed at the 
bottom, and to draw out behind. The top one has a perforated zinc 
bottom, and serves the purpose of a floorboard, while the lower one is 
filled with dry peat moss. I drew out the lower drawer and found in 
one place a quantity of honey, and a good deal of broken comb in bits. 
This had all come from above. I fancied the robbers had got in and 
were doing much mischief. There were numbers of dead bees outside, 
and I expected to see many inside. I opened the hive, which was a 
frame one. I found a comb with a good deal of mouldy bee bread in 
it, while the surrounding cells were filled with honey. There was not a 
single dead bee on the floor, and the bees were busy pulling out the 
mouldy bee bread, and in doing this they had broken the cell sides, 
allowing the honey to fall down below. I helped the bees by remov- 
ng the bee bread. I washed the perforated zinc, and put clean peat 
moss below, replaced the frame, and shut up the hive. Had this 
robbing been allowed to go on, increasing numbers of bees would have 
attempted to get in, and the result would have been very serious. 
Fortunately it was seen in time, and in twenty four hours the attempts 
to rob ceased altogether. There was no longer any smell of honey to 
tempt stranger bees.— A Bee-keeper. 
*** All correspondeuce should be directed either to “The Editor” 
or to “ The Publisher.” Letters addressed to Dr. Hogg or 
members of the statf 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. 
Monarda didyma (A. J. L .).—Plants can be purchased at a moderate 
price from any nurseryman who makes a speciality of hardy plants. 
Peaches Falling (Rugby ).—You do not say when the trees were removed. 
If the root-action is not defective, or the crop too heavy, we can only 
attribute the evil to defective fertilisation. Are you certain that the 
border is not dry at the bottom ? and are you certain also that you have not 
been syringing too late in the afternoon and keeping the house closed too 
long in the morning? There is a mistake somewhere, but we cannot pre¬ 
cisely indicate it from your description. 
Mites in Garden (H. J. B .).—Your garden is infested with a species of 
millipede (Julus), which feeds on decaying matter, and is injurious to bulbs 
and the roots of plants. A good liming when the ground is vacant would 
do good, and an application of lime water now would not do harm. You. 
might also try the solution advised in reply to another correspondent. 
Auriculas (J. L.). —Occasionally a plantlet will form on a flower stem. 
If you wish to establish the plant you cannot do better than carry out your 
suggestion of bending down the stem and pegging the growing part into a 
pot of sandy loam in a shady position, and if the soil be kept moist you will 
probably succeed in your object. 
Flowers for Market ( Blackwing ).—We cannot advise anyone what 
particular flowers to grow for profit, as obviously so much depends on the 
soil, district, and local demand. Violets, Narcissi, Anemones, Wallflowers, 
Pinks, Carnations, Roses, Dahlias, Chrysanthemums, and Christmas Roses 
are found profitable by some cultivators in places where the plants grow 
well, and where th.re is no difficulty in disposing of the flowers. 
Weed-infested Ground (A. F. Southport). —Your land is infested with 
one of the Equisetums, which is extremely troublesome when established. 
Its presence suggests that the soil needs draining, this with heavy applica¬ 
tions of lime and hoeing regularly before the growths were half an inch- 
above ground, having extirpated it from a field that was overrun with this 
pernicious weed. 
Caterpillars on Vines (J. C .).—Your letter has arrived too late to permit 
of a close examination of the caterpillars at once. They are injurious. Try 
the mixture recommended to another correspondent for destroying grubs, 
reducing the petroleum, however, one-half and adding two ounces of 
quassia chips to the solution, strain through muslin and syringe the Vines 
soon enough in the evening to get dry before nightfall. If wet when the 
sun reaches them in the morning the leaves might be scorched. 
Maggots in Strawberry Beds (IF. E. B .).—The maggots shall be 
examined; in the meantime you might try the effect of a mixture of hellebore 
and petroleum in soapsuds. Dissolve 2 ozs. of softsoap and a little soda 
in 2 gallons of soft boiling water, also 2 ozs of white hellebore powder, 
stirring in while still hot a wineglassful of petroleum, and try the effect of 
this on a small plot of ground or a few plants. 
Red Spider on Vines (Merchant). —Are you sure it is the red spider 
that is attacking your Vines ? It does not usually spread so soon in a moist 
atmosphere, and when the Vines are well supplied with water. We almost 
wish you had sent samples of the infested leaves. You may sulphur the 
pipes as you suggest, but we are by no means certain it will have the desired 
effect. We suspect you are keeping the house rather too close. Leave the 
top ventilators open half an inch or so all night, and increase the ventilation 
as soon as the temperature commences rising in the morning. 
Alternantheras (Idem). —Take care your Alternantheras are well pre¬ 
pared ; do not plant until the weather is quite warm, even if you wait till 
the middle of June ; arrange so that the leaves nearly touch each other 
when the plants are placed in the beds, and give them warm water to start 
the plants into growth. 
Worms in Rose House—Mulching (Puzzled). —The worms are not so 
injurious to Roses planted out as they are to those in pots, through their 
choking the drainage. The soil must be in a very moist state, air not 
entering freely by the surface. The worms may be brought to the surface, 
and they can then be cleared away by watering with a solution of corrosive 
sublimate at the rate of half an ounce dissolved in fifteen gallons of water. 
They must be kept from fowls, otherwise they will be poisoned. It would 
be preferable to remove most of the cow manure, and giving a dressing of 
quicklime, a peck per rod being sufficient, pointed in with a fork. This 
will do something to extirpate the worms, and greatly improve the soil by 
etting air into it. 
Management of Fruit Trees (H. P .).—We cannot remember the page 
from which the citation was made—“ close-prune spring growth, but only 
shorten midsummer growth.” Our correspondent “J. E.” can possibly do 
so, and we have no objection to publishing the information. The writer 
of that sentence has grown fruit trees that so far as we know have not- 
been excelled for size, form, and productiveness by any others of the same 
age in the kingdom. 
Sowing Exhibition Peas (A Beginner). —Sown at this time of year, 
Peas require about fourteen weeks, more or 1 ss according to the variety 
and the weather experienced, to come to perfection. By this it will be seen 
you must sow at once and not depend on a late sort, or the pods will not be 
lit to gather by the middle of August. Ne Plus Ultra is one of the best for 
late shows, but this you would not have time to grow, and your best plan 
will be to sow either Telegraph or Stratagem, giving these liberal treatment, 
in the way of mulchings and waterings in order to keep them vigorous and 
free from mildew, to which they are very liable when sown so late in the 
season. The Dwarf Beans should be sown about eleven weeks before they 
are wanted, consequently these also should be sown at once. Both these- 
and the Peas will germinate more quickly if soaked in water during the 
night prior to sowing. 
Constructing Glass Houses (Constant Reader). — It would he prefer¬ 
able to have glass in front, the front wall being taken up 18 inches to 2 feet, 
and 2 feet G inches of front lights, and made to open the entire length of 
each house separately. The back wall for a lean-to house 12 feet wide will 
need to be, the front being 4 feet or 4 feet 6 inches, not less than 12 feet high, 
so as to allow of a proper pitch for the roof. We cannot undertake to get out 
quantities and give estimates of cost, but any horticultural builder would be 
pleased to give you a specification and estimate upon your sending a sketch 
and stating your requirements. The houses would no doubt be very useful, 
but without pits and frames they would be inadequate for a kitchen garden 
of four acres. Some pits and frames would be far more useful than the 
houses “ for raising young Btuff for the kitchen garden and bedding plants, 
and would not cost nearly so much money. The piping you have shown 
would be quite sufficient, but before anything is done it should be decided 
what the structures are really intended for, which we cannot learn from 
the data given. 
Vines Mildewed (The Rev.G. S.). —The leaves enclosed to us are badly 
infested with mildew. There is no better remedy than dusting thoroughly with 
