January 3, 1839. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
17 
established. Early in the season it is difficult to have even pots of 
bloom unless this course is followed, for the bulbs flower very irregularly. 
Keep them well watered after they are placed in pots. Single crowns 
of Lily of the Valley can be treated in the same way, and then full pots 
of flowering spikes are certain. The last, if forced in strong heat, must 
be gradually hardened before it is cut or taken into rooms or the con¬ 
servatory, and it will be found that they will last nearly double the 
length of time as would be the case if cut direct or taken into rooms 
from a close warm house or frame. 
Fuchsias .—Young plants rooted towards the end of August, and 
kept in small pots, may now be placed in 5-inch pots in a compost of 
loam, one-third leaf mould, one-seventh decayed manure, and sand. 
Arrange the plants near the glass, and maintain a temperature of 50° 
to 55°. Ventilate on favourable occasions after the young plants are 
established and have commenced growth. Old plants that have started 
into growth may have the roots reduced to at least one-third, and be 
repotted in the compost advised above. The plants can be placed in 
pots one 6ize less until they are in active growth, when they can be 
transferred to their largest size. If careful watering can be ensured 
until the plants are established they may be potted at once in a large 
size. 
Ccuuias .—These are very useful in 5 and 6-inch pots for association 
in groups in the dwelling house or conservatory. Clumps that have 
rested under the stage of a cool house for some time may be started in 
the gentle warmth of a vinery or Peach house. Directly they commence 
growth divide them and pot singly, for they can be used to greater 
advantage in most arrangements than when a number of shoots are 
allowed to grow together. These plants will do well in any moderately 
rich soil. 
Solamms .—Where cuttings were rooted in August and have been 
kept in store pots they may be placed singly into 2-inch pots ; if they 
have been kept in thumbs they can now be transferred to 3-inch pots. 
Good plants well set with berries can be produced from cuttings struck 
early in the season, but better result from autumn striking. In seasons 
like the past spring-struck plants often fail to form berries freely, owing 
to the rapid soft growth that the plants make. Where autumn plants 
have not been provided cuttings should be rooted as early as possible 
and pushed forward in gentle warmth until they are ready for their 
final shift. Encourage young plants to grow after potting by keeping 
them in a temperature of 50° to 55°. PiDch the shoots at times to induce 
the young plants to branch. Use for a compost fibry loam, one-seventh 
of manure and sand. 
Lantanas .—Place young plants now in 2 and 3-inch pots into 5-inch 
pots, and grow them in the compost advised for Solanums, and under 
the same treatment as Fuchsias. 
Bouvardias .—Cut back plants that have been well rested since they 
flowered, and introduce them into a temperature of 55° to 60°. Under 
these conditions they will soon commence growth and yield good cut¬ 
tings. Those who favour raising the plants by portions of the roots 
may now cut up the roots of well rested plants into lengths of about 
half an inch. Place two or three of these in the centre of 2-inch pots 
filled with light sandy soil ; the portions of roots should be covered with 
a quarter of an inch of fine soil. Place the pots in brisk heat, and be 
careful the soil does not become dry. If slight bottom heat can be 
ghen them all the better. Keep plants that have recently flowered 
rather dry at their roots for a time. 
ADVICE FOR THE SEASON. 
Though it is well known that on bright windy days bees leave their 
hives with a chance that they may be unable to regain them, yet 
we must not forget that wind is a friend of the bee-keeper at this 
time of the year.. Few, I believe, fully realise how much bee-life 
is saved by the drying effects of a few windy days, especially if 
they follow on the damp thick atmosphere which we have ex¬ 
perienced for some little time. Every bee-keeper should keep an 
anxious watch on his stocks, because however carefully he may look 
to them in the autumn something may go wrong, and unless the 
evil is remedied disastrous results must necessarily follow at no 
long interval. A small crevice will create sufficient mischief in 
some cases to injure a stock almost irretrievably, and these small 
accidents will happen sometimes in spite of the greatest care 
being taken. Every hive must be covered with dry material. 
Warmth is of only secondary importance, and many stocks have 
been successfully wintered in the past with such a slight covering 
to protect them that advocates of the “ warm system ” would 
hardly believe it possible for bees to exist at all under such 
circumstances. Dryness is an essential to bee-life in winter. 
Once let moisture find its way through the roof on to the cover¬ 
ings of the frames, and then you have a fruitful source of loss and 
disappointment. A few minutes spent any fine day will relieve the 
bee-keeper from all anxiety on this score, and anyone who neglects 
to make such an occasional examination is an enemy to his own 
best interests. 
Every stock should have been supplied with a sufficiency of food 
in the autumn, and where this has not been done much trouble will 
be occasioned. Much depends upon special circumstances, but at 
this time of the year the introduction of a comb of sealed food 
will be the shortest way of supplying the want, and perhaps the 
safest, although a cake of candy or dry food laid upon the tops of 
the frames would serve the same purpose perhaps equally well. 
Syrup might also be administered, but great care must be used in 
doing so. So much depends, however, upon the particular circum¬ 
stances of each case, that it is almost impossible, and certainly not 
wise, to give any general directions for fear of bringing some bee¬ 
keeper to grief, but if anyone is in trouble of this kind or any 
other, it will be a pleasure to afford him what assistance I am able 
to give. Last year a stock of my own was experimented on with a 
view to seeing the result of very early syrup feeding, and although 
my note book is not now at hand, feeding was, I believe, begun 
very early in February, and continued until late in April, and that 
stock was as strong, if not stronger, and did equally as well as, if 
not better than, any other stock in the apiary. But how great was 
the care that had to be exercised, and when snow lay upon the 
ground what an immense destruction and slaughter of the innocents 
would have taken place if sufficient care had not been taken to 
exclude the rays of the ever-growing warmer sun, which would 
have lured the bees from the safety of the hive by his enticing 
gleams. One thing, however, was made clear as regards that stock 
at any rate—though how far the result would be borne out if 
twenty stocks had been so treated instead of one, is perhaps more 
donbtful—and that is, that provided due care is exercised, food 
may be given at any time and under all circumstances without of 
necessity injuring the stock, but it must not be forgotten that the 
stock had a supply of honey to fall back upon, and did not there¬ 
fore entirely depend on the supplies continuously given; that it 
was well wrapped up and specially cared for in every way, and 
that if the trouble is taken into account, and the price of the 
labour expended upon it, the yield from that stock must have been 
enormous indeed to show a profit on the outlay. The only practical 
use of such experiments is to prove what can be done by a bee¬ 
keeper who wishes to nurse a stock. So it is with winter feeding* 
But let me warn bee-keepers that no stock kept for profit must 
ever be interfered with between October and April unless it is 
necessary to overhaul the coverings. And let me also add that 
when stocks are properly cared for and looked after, and their 
wants supplied in autumn, the maximum yield with the minimum 
of trouble may be expected from them, and as a consequence the 
greatest profit. 
No bee-keeper reaps more benefit from the expenditure of a 
little time and trouble than the one who in the dead season of the 
year goes round occasionally to see that all is well. The mice 
that may be commencing to attack a hive is caught, the insidious 
damp is detected, the entrances partially blocked up with dead 
bees are cleared, the roofs are kept in their places, and beneath 
the hives and all around them always looks clean and tidy. The 
condition of the apiary in winter is no uncertain sign to guide us 
in forming an estimate of the capacity of the bee-keeper. Neat¬ 
ness, and thrift, and profit go hand in hand, and where we find the 
one there we may expect to see the other. The sight of an un¬ 
tidy apiary is the sure precursor of a tale of loss and despondency, 
and, may we add, a proof of want of care and neglect. We hope 
that no bee-keeper who reads this Journal will ever be compelled to 
show an adverse balance and enable those who look into his system 
of management to say that, judging from the appearance of the 
