454 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 3, 1886. 
frames to 1J inch from centre to centre, and haye no frames less in 
breadth than inch. 
In the town I met with some old and intelligent bee-hands, who 
last year had taken much honey from their Stewartons, one to the 
extent of 200 lbs. from each hive of honeycomb, but from the 
“ Combination hives ” not more than 10 lbs. I may here mention 
that combination means nothing more than the name. I did not 
require to give advice in these instances, because the whole of these 
persons have discovered the mistake in attempting to keep bees with 
profit in these hives. At this place last year, while the bee-keepers 
were so successful with the Stewarton hive, a minister had a number 
of Combination hives, but got 4 lbs. only from each hive. One man 
exclaimed that “ they minister bodies had been the direct cause of 
leading beginners astray, and into needless expense, by attempting 
to teach that they were unacquainted with, but who had been goaded 
on to this by those interested parties who had made them their tools. 1 ' 
All this I did not endorse, and could not. There was much truth in 
the statement, but I am intimately acquainted with many clergymen 
who are very successful and clever bee-keepers, but these gentlemen 
are, as a rule, not so conspicuous in print on bee matters as we 
should wish to see. 
On my way home I got information of a person who had fourteen 
Combination hives, and only one survives. So much mortality 
amongst bees located in hives of that construction cannot be wholly 
due to the hive. The management, or mismanagement, surely must 
be at great fault. Doubtless shallow hives, and their having their 
frames across the entrance, are not so suitable for bees as the 
Stewarton hive, and we have good proof of that when we see both 
sorts of hives managed alike and the Stewartons coming out strong 
at a date, while the others in the frame hives are dead. Still I know 
that even these defective hives could be better managed, so that there 
would be less per-centage of deaths than has been with them this 
season, but cannot advise their use. The tiering system is coming 
more and more to the front every day, and is generally adopted by 
intelligent bee-keepers ; but I must protest against the name “ new ” 
being given to it, as is the case in che British Bee-lceepers’ Record 
for this month. However, the aggressor in this instance is, like many 
more bee-keepers of the present day, without experience, but they 
must be kept in check all the same. 
“ F. J. J. B.” has had difficulties in wintering his bees in the 
Stewarton hive, losing three times as many bees from it as from the 
Pettigrew hive. Without having fuller particulars about the hive in 
question it is difficult to say the reason of so much loss of bees. 
Glass is doubtless a bad thing in hives, but all that is of it in the 
Stewarton hive should not seriously affect the bees when you have a 
ventilating floor to it. 
The proper way to winter bees in the Stewarton hive may be 
summed up in the following -Plenty of bees and stores, thoroughly 
protected from wet, and the tops of the hive well covered with dried 
grass, and better that the sides be also protected, so that the hive is 
kept at a uniform temperature. The bees should have an ample door¬ 
way, the slides on the top of the hive should be withdrawn. If these 
things are attended to no ill should befall any Stewarton hive during 
the most severe winter. If there is a paucity of bees the combs will 
get mouldy, as they draw damp from the atmosphere. If there is a 
scarcity of meat the bees will be restless and fly much, the same thing 
occurs if they are kept too close. We shall be glad to hear further 
particulars from you, as reports in cases of failure are of as great 
importance towards the furtherance of the science as are those of 
success. — A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Thames Bank Iron Company .—Illustrated List of Boilers , Stoves, Heating 
Appliances, ifc. 
*** All correspondence should be directed either to “The Editor ” 
or to “ The Publisher. 1 ' Letters addressed to Dr. Hogg or 
members of the staff often remain unopened unavoidably. AVe 
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. 
Grubs in Strawberry Bed (IF . G. B.). —The specimens you sent last 
week are the larvae of the large crane fly, Tipula paludosa or gigantea. 
They are very difficult to eradicate. 
Caterpillars on Vines (J. C.). —The caterpillars sent appear to be the 
larvae of the Poplar Lutestring moth (Cymatophora Oo), which is not abun¬ 
dant. It has been observed that some larvae that feed on the Poplar and 
Willow will also feed on the Vine. 
Books (A Lover of the Journal). —We doubt if there is any book that 
will exactly suit jour friend. Write to Mr. Upcott Gill, 170, Strand, London, 
on the subject, who publishes two or three works that might possibly be 
useful. 
Canvas Protector (T. A.). —Without at least a drawing we cannot form 
an opinion on the matter. Exhibit a sample at a good local horticultural 
show, or at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Provincial Show, to be opened 
at Liverpool at the end of the month. 
Pelargoniums Unhealthy (S ., Carlisle). —The plants were no doubt 
affected with the “ spot ” before being removed from the frame, but the 
leaves have turned yellow mainly through the check the plants received by 
their sudden transference from a moist to a dry atmosphere. They have 
perhaps also been too dry at the roots. Give them some clear soot water. 
Vines (J. G.). — You supply no information whatever to enable us to 
form an opinion as to the cause of the disease of the Vines, and we can 
only suggest that they received a sudden check by cold during the early 
stages of growth. Particulars as to soil, temperature, and treatment would 
have been of great service in the consideration of the case. 
Dendrobiums (JR. P. 0 .).—One of the most effective Dendrobiums for 
exhibition at this time of year is D. thyrsiflorum, which with D. Devonianum 
you already grow. To these may be added any or all of the following :— 
D. Bensoniae, D. elirysotoxum, D. chrysanthum, D. crystallinum, D. Deari, 
D. Falconeri, D. Jamesianum, and D. nobile, which can be had in flower 
now, are free and last well. 
Peaches and Nectarines Falling (IF. A.). —The most likely cause of 
the yoruig fruit dropping is immature wood, the buds not being properly 
developed and the flowers imperfectly fertilised. The trees appear to be 
planted much too close together, and consequently make growth that does 
not ripen. Keep the growths fairly thin, so as to admit light and air; and 
in autumn, when the leaves part freely from the trees, lift carefully, and 
lay the roots in fresh loam nearer the surface. 
Weevils on Roses (IF. Williams). —Tour Rose is attacked with the 
voracious weevil Otiorhynchus sulcatus, which appears to be too abundant 
this year. If you quietly spread a sheet or something of that kind, at night 
and shake the pests off the Rose you will catch many of them. They feed 
at night. If you clean the tree you may perhaps prevent others ascending 
by affixing cotton wool round the stem and smearing it with tar ; or 
perhaps, better still, with a mixture of resin and sweet oil, two-thirds of the 
former melted, and one-third of the latter, smearing it along the base of the 
wall also ; it keeps moist, and the weevils will not travel over it. 
Wood Ashes—Chemical Manures ( F. J.). —We should certainly not ad¬ 
vise any “ poor man ” nor rich one either, to give the price you name for the 
sample of ashes before us for manurial purposes. You had much better pur¬ 
chase a little muriate or sulphate of potash, whichever you can obtain the 
most readily, and use equal parts of that and bonemeal, adding a fourth part 
of sulphate of ammonia to the bulk, and you will have a mixture that will 
do good to most trees, crops, and plants that need assistance. We do not 
say it is the best that can be made for everything, and if given in excess, or 
when not required, it is wasted. As a rule the prepared manures, such as 
Beeson’s, Clay’s, Jensen’s, and Standen’s (which are mentioned alphabeti¬ 
cally) are the most convenient for amateurs and undoubtedly good. 
King of the Pippins and Golden Winter Pearmain Apples (Porno). — 
The original and true King of the Pippins, which is exceedingly rare, is 
that described in the “Fruit Manual” under that name. The variety 
usually known in the markets und r the names of “King Pippin” and 
“ King of the Pippins ” is the old Golden Winter Pearmain, the name of 
which was changed by Kirke, a nurseryman at Brompton, to suit some 
trade purpose about the beginning of this century. The Seek-no-Further 
of Herefordshire is no doubt also the Golden Winter Pearmain—Hereford 
notwithstanding. The season of all keeping fruits is very variable, and 
depends as much on soil as climate. We have now Blenheim Pippin quite 
sound and fresh from a clay soil, and Marie Louise Pear from the same 
soil keeps till January and February. The time of ripening of Golden 
Winter Pearmain is given in the “Fruit Manual” as October to January, 
and this we have found is correct. 
Strawberries—Vines ( Old Subscriber). —If early runners are established, 
and good plants with bold crowns produced by October, these seldom fail to 
throw up good trusses of flowers if not unduly forced and the varieties are 
suitable for pot culture. In the absence of any information respecting 
your plants we can only suggest that they did not form and mature strong 
crowns in the autumn. When “ strong and vigorous ” Vines produce little 
or no fruit it is because the growths were not well fed and ripened in the 
summer. When the roots descend into wet subsoil apparently robust 
growth often follows, but it is not fruitful growth, for the roots cannot find 
the requisite nutriment in inert soil. With roots working freely in good 
