December , 1889. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
497 
most troubled with winter dysentery ; and as their hives are very 
thin, long, and shallow, and ill protected against changes in the 
weather, the queen cells are often ruined should a cold night or 
two follow close on the issuing of a swarm. There are some, such 
as the Dadants, who use large hives and never have swarms, 
who are never troubled with dysentery, as the queens are only 
reared when the bees do so to supersede the old one, at which time 
stock is always very strong. It often happens that a spell of cold 
weather sets in soon after swarming commences ; when this 
happens just imagine an eight-frame Langstroth hive, single walls, 
18£ inches long, 12 wide, and inches deep, inside measure, and 
remember that the natural shape of the brood nest is a ball, when a 
good idea of what heat the queen cells get may be readily obtained. 
Such queens never safely winter, while other stocks swarming 
later get warm settled weather while the cells are maturing, which 
results in better queens. Heddon has been much puzzled to make 
out why in two apiaries, exactly alike in every respect, the bees 
should die in one and live in the other ; he will now see the reason 
is they did not all swarm at once, as a cold night or two followed 
on swarming where the bees died. This could in many cases have 
been rectified had the old queen been kept, but the practice is 
largely followed of replacing all old queens with young ones.— 
A Hallamshire Bee-keeper. 
(To be continued.) 
WINTER DYSENTERY. 
This subject, referred to by “ Hallamshire Bee-keeper ” at page 
476, opens up a new field of discovery, which is to be hoped will be the 
means of banishing from our apiaries the winter scourge. One thing 
certain, a great many queens that have been reared artificially have 
proved failures, but whether that was from defective digestion or not 
I cannot say. There are few bee-keepers who have experienced 
three and four years in succession when bees had to be fed constantly, at 
the end of which they died from no apparent cause whatever but 
that of being reared so long artificially and on artificial food. Loquacious, 
but inexperienced writers on bee matters, pooh-poohed the remarks, but 
could offer no other solution than the one stated by—A Lanarkshire 
Bee-keeper. 
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. 
Phalsenopsls amabills (6'. L., Bristol ).—Your plant “with a 
panicle 4 feet 7 inches long and twenty-nine flowers ” is a good one, 
but we have seen many others with more flowers. 
Chrysanthemums and Primulas (TF O. F .).— You do not 
say for what purpose the Chrysanthemum blooms were sent. If for 
naming we cannot deal with them in an imperfect condition. The 
Primula blooms arrived buried in dry wool, hence spoiled. We have 
had no inquiries of the nature you suggest, and do not admire the last 
sentence in your letter. 
Ornamental Grass (2?. 0 .').—Stipa elegantissima is a perennial, 
and will grow again next year if the plants raised from seed have not 
been crowded too closely together, in which case they not unfrequently 
decay. Unless the plants have space to develop in the summer they 
cannot be expected to survive the winter ; indeed, the autumn rains 
often destroy them. 
Dressing- Chrysanthemums (T. G oner'). — If by a “ pra- 
fessional ” dresser, you mean a man has been sent for and paid to 
dress the blooms for winning a prize in a local class, we cannot express 
our approval of the practice, because the winner of a prize so obtained 
may be rewarded for work that is not wholly his own, and other 
competitors who represent their own skill only are placed at a disadvan¬ 
tage. We shall be glad, however, to hear what- others have to say oa 
this subject. The prize to which you allude cannot be withheld 
under the schedule. 
Plum Trees Cankered (A. B. C.'). —Your trees have probably 
been weakened by the heavy crops they have borne, and the consequent 
deprivation from the soil of the constituents that are requisite for 
healthy growth. You say nothing about the soil. It probably needs 
lime, and a bushel to the rod of about 30 square yards would not be a 
too heavy dressing, and a supplementary application of superphosphate 
of lime and kainit, or bonemeal and nitrate of potash, half and half, at 
the rate of 5 cwt. per acre, or 2 ozs. to the square yard, would very 
likely do good. If the soil is of a dry nature, 2£ cwt. of salt per acre 
may be applied, but this is not advised for cold, wet land. 
Baronne de Prailly and Comtesse de Bsauregarde Chrys¬ 
anthemums (<S. B. ).—The publication of vour letter could not lead to 
any alteration in the case mentioned, and in respect to the future the 
varieties are admitted as distinct in the National Chrysanthemum: 
Society’s catalogue, and when both are exhibited, undoubtedly true to 
name, in the same stand, the stand ought not to be placed “ out of the 
running.” We have repeatedly seen them included in an exhibit, and 
no thought of disqualification arose in the minds of the judges. There- 
is the possibility of a person receiving, growing, and staging what he 
believes to be either one or the other of these varieties, and of its not 
being named correctly ; in such case, though honestly exhibited, dis¬ 
qualification would be justified, yet the exhibitor might feel himself 
“ badly treated.” 
Materials for Mushroom Beds ( IF. IT.). —Nothingequals manure 
collected from stables in which the horses are fed on dry food and have 
little medicine. It may be collected at weekly intervals, shaken out, 
mixed and fermented as described in the work to which you allude. 
Peat moss litter is not suitable for beds in the open air. The ventilators 
may be closed when the trial sticks cease to be hot, yet while they 
are distinctly warm. We cannot at present recommend a man. When 
you secure ODe who is competent he will inform you when he needs 
assistance. It would not be profitable to grow Mushrooms for ketchup 
during the hot summer months. A paper containing the article you 
wish shall be sent to you in the course of a week. The prices mentioned 
for Mushrooms are more than sustained. 
Greasing Fruit Trees ( Plum ).—We do not approve of applying- 
tar and grease, or anything of the same nature, directly to the stems of 
fruit trees for securing the insects that crawl up them for depositing 
eggs ; but much prefer securing bands of sacking, paper, or anything 
suitable, and well smearing these with cart grease and oil, Stockholm 
tar and oil, or resin and oil, two-thirds of the former and one-third of 
the latter heated and mixed. The subject was referred to on page 459 
last week, and you will find an article in the present issue. November 
is usually named as the right time for applying the bands; but it is 
questionable if some of the moths do not emerge long before then, and 
it is certain that November applications have failed in preventing the 
blossoms and leaves of fruit trees being devoured by caterpillars. Mr. 
Wright, in his prize essay on Fruit Culture, says the bands should be 
applied in September, and it is better to be a little too soon than too 
late, but the bands must always be “ sticky ” for holding the insects. 
You had better procure the work in question, which can be had for a 
shilling through booksellers, or by post for Is. 3d. from this office. 
Carnations In Pots Falling (fr. H.). —The first essential for 
success is healthy cuttings, sturdy and strong. With weakly cuttinga. 
or growths from unhealthy plants it is almost impossible to produce 
satisfactory results. The next point is to allow no check to the plants 
in their early stages of growth, and especially must care be taker* 
that they are not permitted to be rootbound in small pots before they 
are shifted into larger. The want of timely potting results in many 
failures. The plants ought to be shifted, always before the roots are 
matted, into 8 or 9-inch pots, or even larger, and be grown in frames 
during the early part of the season, and afterwards in the open air, 
great care being exercised in watering them. If the plants must be 
grown in small pots liquid manure is essential after the pots are filled 
with roots. But whatever system of culture is adopted good plants 
cannot be produced from bad cuttings. 
Gardening for Profit (A Young Horticulturist'). —You should 
have sent your name and address. It is undoubtedly true, as indicated 
in the pamphlet on “ Allotments,” that many workers in gardens have 
risen from a very humble to a commanding position through the exercise 
of good judgment and great industry. Men with the smallest of means-, 
have become men of wealth. It does not follow that all who have- 
started in commercial gardening have succeeded in their object, for 
many have failed— some from one cause, some from another. No doubt 
men assist masters to make fortunes, and some of these men might 
possibly do better by “ working for themselves,” as you say, but others 
would not. However, all are free to act in the manner they think the 
most conducive to their own interests. You say you “ would prefer to 
be your own master.” This you can be, but it depends entirely on 
