234 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
I September 12, 18!'. 
hives worked well, and the hive appears to be heavy, as I had to 
put my shoulder to it before one side of it could be raised from the 
ground. My own hives tare run about 30 lbs., so when com¬ 
pared with these bulky ones of the south, and taking the convey¬ 
ance into consideration, all will perceive my reasons for adopting 
’the lighter form of hive. 
After the bees are once placed on their stands there is not so 
much difference in the ingathering of honey by those in differently 
formed hives. The advantages are gained by using light ones 
when convenience and expenses are concerned, and for wintering 
and spring management, which latter means much and often all in 
the way of profit. Of course, our form of hive is more suitable for 
.getting filled and finished supers free from colour than are other 
snakes, but the aggregate gathering by any colony at the Heather 
•depends more upon the variety and number of bees in a colony, 
and its proximity to the Heather, than upon the form of hive. 
The nearer to the Heather that bees are situated the more honey 
will they gather and with less loss of bees. This has been fully 
demonstrated in our friendly competition this year, and we advise 
all to place their bees as near to the Heather and in as sheltered 
a situation as possible. 
PUNIC BEES. 
I wish to thank “A Hallamshire Bee-keeper” for his reply to 
my query, but he appears to have misunderstood it. It is not the 
•earliness of the day, but at the early age of six days that the young 
Punic bees began to work. I am glad to observe that he is making 
investigations as to bees swarming, and hope he will give us the 
benefit of his discoveries. Like him, I have had a swarm issue 
from a hive, leaving neither queen nor the means of raising one 
behind. 
FEEDERS. 
I observe what “ Felix ” says about feeders. One, nearly if 
not a hundred years old, lies before me of the same construction he 
advises ; and, moreover, I never saw a float feeder made otherwise 
than the way he describes as an improvement.—A Lanarkshire 
Bee-keeper. 
TRADE CATALOGUE RECEIYED. 
T. S. Ware, Tottenham .—Catalogue of Pceonies and ABC Bull 
Guide, 18S9. 
C 0 6 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 un¬ 
avoidably. We request that no one will write privately 
to any of our correspondents, as doing so subjects them to 
unjustifiable trouble and expense. 
Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions 
relating to Gardening and those on Bee subjects, and should 
never send more than two or three questions at once. All 
articles intended 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 communica¬ 
tions. 
Lichen in Lawn (J. P.'). — Your lawn is either wet or poor, or 
both. Rake out all the moss and lichen you can, drain the ground if 
necessary, and top-dress with good loam, wood ashes, and lime. 
Welshman Plum (J?. (?.).—We prefer to withhold the publica¬ 
tion of our opinion respecting this Plum till we are supplied with 
information relative to the origin of the variety. Why not send speci¬ 
mens to the Fruit Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society ? 
Virginian Creeper (IP. B. A".).—Soil and climatal influences 
affect the colour of the leaves of this, in common with other deciduous 
plants and trees. Autumn foliage tints last year were not nearly so bright 
as they were the year previous, and this year they are comparatively dull 
in many districts, probably in consequence of the cold wet weather that 
prevailed a few weeks ago. If the roots of your Ampelopsis have not 
entered a cold clayey subsoil, the leaves will assume their bright red 
tint when the summers are favourable to its development. We have 
seen several examples of the leaves changing to purple instead of red. 
Muscat Grapes Decaying (G. E. TP".).—Undoubtedly, as you 
say, it is most dispiriting for a gardener to make such a good start, and 
set such a good crop of Muscats, and then be denied fuel for ripening 
the fruit. During the cold, wet weather that followed the with¬ 
holding of fuel the Vines received a severe check, and that was unques¬ 
tionably the cause of the present unfortunate condition of the Grapes. 
They have not ripened, and if no artificial heat is provided the 
probability is that the wood will fail to ripen too, and the Vines may 
be permanently injured. The fault, however, is not yours. The treat¬ 
ment you describe as having given up to the time the fuel was dis¬ 
allowed was quite correct, and if it had been pursued we doubt not 
that the enhanced value of the crop would have been considerably 
greater than the amount that has been saved in fuel. If a gentleman 
desires to have even fairly good Grapes without artificial heat he must 
grow other than Muscats. 
Compost for Vine Border (A. S .).—We do not advise your adding 
anything in the form of manure to the ingredients named, but should 
prefer three or four cartloads of strong loam to the “ medium.” If the 
texture of this is what we understand it to be, we are inclined to fear that 
the border will be too light, and we should not have used more than half 
the quantity of lime rubbish you state to loam of medium texture. The 
border will be quite rich enough for some time, and especially as you 
will no doubt mulch the surface with manure after planting. We 
should take care the compost is neither too wet nor too dry, then press 
it down rather firmly, and not make the border the full width at once. 
Four feet will be ample the first year, and perhaps longer if care be 
taken that the soil does not get dry, particularly near the outer edge. 
The best Vines we have seen this year have made two seasons’ growth in 
a rooting space not more than 3 feet wide, but another section will 
shortly be added to the border. Manurial ingredients can be applied in 
the form of top-dressings if the condition of the Vines suggest that they 
require additional support. Your second letter shows conclusively the 
inadequacy of your first question. The mixture suggested will grow 
healthy, fruitful Vines under otherwise good management, and without 
this either that or any other compost will fail to produce the best of 
Grapes. 
Renewing Outside Vine Border (J. G .).—As the inside border 
was renewed three years ago, and now, as you indicate, contains active 
roots, you may carry out your proposition ; but is it not a little strange 
that if the roots are plentiful near the surface and the soil good that no 
improvement in the Vines followed ? However, admitting the roots, we 
should take care the border containing them is thoroughly moist, and 
should then not hesitate to cut boldly through the roots 8 feet from the 
house in the outside border, removing the whole of the soil, cutting off 
all bruised ends smoothly with a knife, notching also some of the larger 
roots, retaining all of a fibrous nature, keeping the whole of them moist, 
and place them in fresh good soil containing a large admixture of wood 
ashes. This we should do as soon as the fruit is cut and before the 
leaves fall, syringing and shading these if necessary for keeping them 
fresh for inciting fresh root-action at once. We have known the most 
satisfactory results follow this method of renovation when conducted by 
able gardeners, and Vines greatly improved the first season. We suspect 
you have been overcropping the Vines and possibly overcrowding the 
foliage, or the Grapes would scarcely shank so “ terribly ” with “ roots 
near the surface in the inside border.” As the site is low and the sub¬ 
soil clay by all means raise the border and keep the roots in the good 
soil provided. 
Bottom Heat Chamber—Winter Cucumbers (A. A. B .~).—A 
rough and ready, cheap, and long lasting covering for hot-water pipes is 
found by many persons in clinkers and stones of various sizes, and the 
larger the better for the bottom, smaller yet open at the top. A few old 
slates, tiles, or boards as are most readily obtainable are placed on these, 
then long manure and leaves before placing in the soil. Iron or strong 
wood supports, with a flooring of slates, are employed when the materials 
are at hand or can be had cheaply. Individual means and local resources 
generally determine the matter in such cases as yours. For producing 
good crops of Cucumbers, and liberating the house in March, plants 
ought to have been raised more than a month ago. We do not say you 
will fail by sowing now, as we are unacquainted with your cultural 
experience, but we have a strong opinion that the longer you delay the 
less will be your chance of a profitable yield by the time named. We 
have seen good crops of Tomatoes grown in beds after Cucumbers with¬ 
out removing the soil, but obviously we can give no assurance that you 
will equally succeed, as much depends on the soil used and general 
management. If you have not grown Cucumbers in winter you must 
not expect great profits from the first endeavour, though there is the 
probability of your making a fair return if the house is suitable and you 
accord the plants the requisite attention. 
