278 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
t September SO, 1889. 
and could be extracted and added to the honey or not. I do not 
think it could be made to pay on a small scale, but as there is no 
limit to the number of stocks we can locate on the Heather, a 
separator ” and horse to work it would pay well with 100 stocks ; 
then the bees could be kept at work collecting, and the mnrket 
supplied with bottled Heather honey without having to destroy 
the combs. _ 
The Punic bees pure have outstripped all others again, but I 
am disappointed with Punics crossed. One lot, Carniolian queen 
mated to Punic drone, has, however, done remarkably well, but all 
mis-mated Punic queens have done badly. 
With regard to glass sections I think I cannot do better than 
relate an unpleasant circumstance that happened on September 7th, 
just to show what these will stand in the way of rough handling, 
as grave doubts have been expressed about it being possible to 
safely send them a journey, though I demonstrated that they could 
travel for months through the post. 
A well known member of the Sheffield County Council and 
myself were up at the moors in a dog cart. I placed four filled glass 
sections in a green gin box, which I use for makeshift hives, and 
filled the box with sealed ordinary combs in frames, and placed the 
box in the trap behind. All went well till we were nearly home, when 
turning a corner in the dark at full trot we ran into a heap of 
stones, and over we went, horse, trap, and everything. The box 
with the honey was thrown into the road as well as ourselves ; and 
while I was helping to extricate the horse some of the crowd began 
to examine the honey. However, when I could leave the horse I 
found three of the sections quite sound, except some slight scratches 
made by the crowd ; the fourth had a top and one side torn off, 
•otherwise it was sound, this I also think was done by the crowd. 
The combs in the frames were all broken out. The sections were 
the least injured of any. So that if they will stand being thrown 
out of a trap into the middle of a hard road, without being packed 
in any way, I think they will stand any risk they may be subjected 
to in the ordinary way.—A Hallamshire Bee keeper. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIYED. 
Bruant, Poitiers, Vienne, France.— Catalogue of Plants. 
H. Bennett, Shepperton.— List of New Pedigree Seedling Poses. 
Dicksons, Chester.— Select Roses. 
J. Walters, Exeter.— Catalogue of Roses. 
T. Warner, Leicester.— Select Fruit Trees. 
Dicksons & Co., 1, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh.— List of Select 
Roses. 
W. Crossley, 13, Vicar Lane, Leeds.— Catalogue of Roses, Bulbs, S)C. 
s a° 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. 
Covering- Bulbs (G. TV).—Coarse sand will answer, but we prefer 
cocoa-nut fibre refuse to any other material; it is cheap, and useful 
for many purposes in gardens. Great pressure compels us to defer our 
reply on the other points in your letter till a future issue. 
Drawing (A. D.).~ Probably if you write Messrs. Cassell & Co., 
Ludgate Hill, London, they may be able to send you a list containing 
what you require. The subject is treated in their “'Popular Educator,” 
and possibly they may have a treatise on the subject. A good local 
schoolmaster would show you how to draw a plan to scale. 
Offsets on Crinam (H/. L>.). —Under the circumstances we should 
not attempt to separate the offsets from the plant, but wait until the 
next resting period, and this will depend on the temperature in which 
the plant is kept and the treatment accorded. Their removal during 
active growth might injure the plant materially. 
Caterpillar (TU. II.). —The specimen sent is a nearly full-grown 
caterpillar of the Elephant Hawk Moth (Chferocampa Elpenor), so 
called from its mode of extending the head while feeding. It usually 
feeds upon some of the species of Epilobium or Willow Herbs,but some¬ 
times occurs upon the Vine in houses or out of doors, eating only the 
leaves, and in numbers too small to be injurious. 
Ashes from Vegetable Refuse (A. P ).—You are wise in not 
allowing the chaff that is mixed with the stems and seed of Charlock to be 
mixed with manure for the land. Reduce the whole, with all the vege¬ 
table refuse you can collect, to ashes, and the residue will be valuable 
for the garden. Ic will be good for all kinds of fruit trees, also for 
sowing in the drills for various kinds of seeds and Potatoes. 
Bunches of Flowers (V. C .).—The number of flowers sold in 
bunches varies considerably according to the season. An article in our 
issue of September 25th states that 120 spikes of Lavender are usually 
sold in bunches; more if the spikes are small. Single Dahlia bunches 
usually contain twelve good flowers, but often more. Cannot you con¬ 
sult a florist in the town in which you reside ? There is no work on the 
subject. 
Xnsects on Strawberries (TV. R.). —The extremely small portions 
of leaves sent, and these resting in the post over Sunday, were completely 
shrivelled, and what insects may have been on them have shrivelled to 
the vanishing point. It is not improbable the plants have been attacked 
with red spider and mildew, and the lower temperature with frost im¬ 
minent or actual will check the increase of both. If the plants are old 
they may be exhausted and peculiarly lible to attack by those enemies. 
If young the soil may be deficient in the requisite matter for supporting 
healthy growth. If you wish for further information, and will state the 
varieties and age of the plants with the nature of the soil, we shall be glad 
if we can give you further advice. 
Wood-boring Caterpillar (./. L.). —This is a caterpillar of the 
wood leopard moth (Zeuzera ZEsculi) which does every year a consider¬ 
able amount of injury to a variety of trees. Amongst the fruit trees it 
seems to infest the Pear most frequently, but also attacks the Apple, 
Plum, and Walnut, probably remaining in the larval state the greater 
part of two years. Sometimes as many as fifteen or twenty caterpillars 
have been discovered in a small Ash, a tree particularly visited by the 
moth, which lays about 300 eggs. It is recommended to force up the 
holes, whenever these are seen, a flexible wire, by which the caterpillar 
within may be often killed, and it is also a good plan to throw up the 
holes, by means of a syringe, some insect-killing liquid, such as a com¬ 
pound of tobacco and softsoap, suitably diluted. This species would, 
no doubt, be much more abundant were not the moth eagerly eaten by 
birds. 
Mealy Bug on Vines (J. C., Somerset). —Your Vines are in¬ 
fested with this offensive pest, and it is difficult to eradicate from a 
greenhouse which always, we presume, contains plants. Fumigation is of 
no use, and a thorough cleansing of the house, plants, and Vines is impera¬ 
tive. When the leaves turn yellow take them off and burn them, not 
letting any of them fall among the plants or to the ground. In that way 
you may clear out thousands. The cleansing cannot be thoroughly done 
till the Vines are pruned. The insects lurk, not only in the bark, but in 
bits of matting attached to the Vines, in woodwork, especially on the 
under sides of shelves, in dry soil in pots and borders, and in all sorts of 
what you may consider the most unlikely places. The Grapes you send 
are unfit for table. You have a difficult task before you in extirpating 
the pest. Some of the leaves you send are scorched, and the appearance 
of those that are not suggests that the house has not been ventilated in 
the best manner. In all probability also the roots need more support 
than they obtain for the proper sustenance of the Vines. 
Roses for Buttonholes (5. T.) —Tea Roses are among the most 
suitable for this purpose, and there are a few gardens where the soil is 
good and the atmosphere pure in which they, with a little protection, 
may not be grown. Free and good are Niphetos, Madame Falcot, Ho me re, 
Madame Van Houtte, Madame Lambard, Safrano, Perle des Jardins, 
Comtesse Riza du Parc, Madame Jules Margottin, and Souvenir de Paul 
Neyron. The old crimson China Rose and Cramoisie Supdrieure are good 
for your purpose, as also are the Noisettes Triomphe de Rennes and 
Aim6e Vibert, with Baronne de Maynard, Boule de Neige, and Louise 
Darzens. Mpss Roses are indispensable—the common, crested Moss de 
Meaux and Little Gem (W. Paul), the latter being very charming. 
Among the most free and suitable of the Hybrid Perpetuals are Jules 
Margottin, General Jacqueminot, and La France. We have probably 
named sufficient for your purpose. The advisability of digging-up and 
