118 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 7, 1880. 
lay. Is it at all likely that the management of an apiary should be 
so simple and easy as to require no experience ? Let me assure 
the desponding bee-keeper that he may expect good years as well as 
load years, but that it will only be by dint of trouble and care that 
he will in any given period be able to show a profit on his outla y 
Whether this profit is large or small will depend to a very great ex- 
dent on the man—not on the bees—not on the weather. A bee¬ 
keeper must notice the seasons, the shrubs, the trees, the flowers, 
and other sources of honey must be known to him, and the periods 
when they may be expected to yield honey to the bees, and upon 
this knowledge will depend the system of management in the 
apiary. If the honey flow is in July it is not particularly profit¬ 
able to have bees ready for supering at the end of April unless 
swarms are desired, yet how many times do we find an apiary 
managed without the slightest heed being paid to the period of the 
honey flow. 
Bee-keeping is a science. Those who desire to be successful 
bee-keepers must study the first principles, and then on that know¬ 
ledge may be engrafted, month by month, the further knowledge 
gained by experience. The bee-keeper cannot employ his leisure 
time better than in getting up the principles of bee-keeping. It is 
not necessary for a practical man to know the exact anatomical 
•construction of a bee, but if he has the knowledge he will be at any 
rate none the worse for it. On the other hand, it is necessary for 
every bee-keeper to be acquainted with the facts given in any 
elementary treatise on theiartof bee-keeping. To commence bee¬ 
keeping without this elementary knowledge is like a man building 
a house without lajdng the foundations, and consequently finding 
-the whole structure in a state of collapse just at the time when it 
•was most necessary for it to stand. The theory of bee-keeping 
can be gained from books ; the practical knowledge must be learnt 
from experience. Theory is the foundation of experience ; expe¬ 
rience is the child of thought, and thought is the child of elemen¬ 
tary knowledge or theory. If during the next month every bee¬ 
keeper, who has not already done so, will carefully peruse some 
-work on bees he will find that he has gained very considerably, and 
will be able in many instances to reason his way out of a difficulty 
-which has before defied all his attempts to clear it up. On the 
ether hand we must not be thought to be impressed with a too 
great sense of the importance of a theoretical knowledge. The 
theoretical knowledge we advocate is not to take the place of 
practical knowledge, but is simply auxiliary to experience and waits 
’upon experience. We hope that no bee-keeper will be led to 
despond because he has been unfortunate in his first season 
^Enthusiasm in its ordinary meaning is generally short-lived, but 
ts place is often taken by a quiet determination to succed.— Felix 
WASPS AND BEES. 
So early as the 17th January I observed several wasps which, owing 
t;o the mildness of the weather, had left their hybernating quarters and 
•ventured abroad. I read somewhere in the autumn that wasps were 
likely to be scarce in the coming summer of 1889. I am in the belief 
that the reverse will be the case. The summer of 1888 was, indeed, 
unfavourable for both them and bees, but a week’s fine weather in 
August and the most of September enabled the former to increase 
-wonderfully. Whether insects have any knowledge of the coming 
weather or not I dare not say, but certainly they often act as if they 
ihad, and the wasps last autumn did not seek for sheltered places to 
by been ate, as many of them are found clinging to boards, fewer being 
found in piles of wood than usual—their favourite resort. And if those 
who find wasps troublesome would pile up a few heaps of slabs near 
plantations they would soon reduce their numbers. From now onwards 
queen wasps can be taken in the usual way workers are in summer, by 
.employing bottles of milk or beer.— A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
B. R. Davis, Hendford Hill, Yeovil, Somerset.— List of Begonias. 
W. B. Hart land, 24, Patrick Street, Cork.— Year Book of Seeds 
for 1SS9. 
J. W. Mackey, 23. Upper Sackville Street, Dublin.— Seed Catalogue 
and Amateurs' Guide, 1889. 
Vilmorin-Andrieux & Cie., Quai de la Megisserie, Paris.— General 
Catalogue of Seeds, Spring, 1889. 
E. H. Ivrelage & Son, Haarlem, Holland.— Catalogue of Bulbs and 
Tuberous Plants. 
Ant. Roozen & Son, Overveen, Haarlem, Holland.— Catalogue of 
Dutch and Cape Bulbs. 
Munro & Ferguson, Edinburgh.— Catalogue of Vegetable and Flower 
Seeds. 
Hogg & Wood, Coldstream-on-Tweed.— List of Garden Seeds. 
%• 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. 
Tile Myrobalan or Cherry Plum for Hedges (J I. J. Cl). —This 
Plum grows quickly and makes a fairly good fence when kept in order, 
but not so close and firm as a hedge of Thom. The fruit is neither 
injurious to anima's nor poultry. The present is a very good time 
for planting. 
Advice on Gardenia? (V. Y. Z.). —We answer your letter in a 
preliminary way. You should have sent your name and address—not 
for publication, but in confidence—and it is necessary to know some¬ 
thing of the nature of the subjects you have in mind, and on which you 
desire information. If you will state your wants with greater precision 
your letter shall have our best consideration ; the one before us is too 
vague to be answered satisfactorily. 
Watering- Crotons and Adlantum farleyense in Winter 
(.4. A .).—Crotons being at rest do not require so much water during 
winter as when growing ; indeed, they should only have enough to pre¬ 
serve the foliage in good condition. The fronds becoming brown is 
probably due to the atmosphere being too cold and moist, particularly 
at night. The temperature ought to be kept at 60° to 65° at night, and 
10° to 15° warmer by day when the weather is mild, and about 5° less 
when the weather is cold or dull. The treatment given to Adiantum 
farleyense is the correct one, only the dryness may be overdone, and 
prolonged until late, the temperature and moisture not being accorded 
sufficiently early. Start the plants earlier. 
Certificating Cinerarias QT. C ).—The following regulation with 
regard to the Floral Committee, which appears in the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society’s schedule for the present year, has reference to your 
case :— -l The Committees will recommend awards to be made to very 
superior seedlings or novelties, or to recently introduced, re-introduced, 
or very rare objects, or to highly decorative plants, according to their 
merits. In the case of plants commonly grown from seed every year, 
the award wi 1 be made to the 1 strain ’ and not to individual plants. 
‘Cultural Commendation’ will be given for objects evincing highly 
meritorious cultivation.” If you have more than one plant you might 
send them, as the number to be shown is not stipulated. 
Potatoes Decaying QT. M .).—The Potatoes were no doubt 
attacked by the disease before they were stored, which, however, might 
not be active, as they were placed in a shed and so kept dry ; but when 
pitted heat and moisture would be evolved, which the stubble used for 
covering would accelerate, so that the disease would run its course 
rapidly. It is likely, however, that had they not been pitted the disease 
would have destroyed the tubers, though being drier it might not have 
advanced so rapidly, a much less loss would have been experienced. 
Undoubtedly the tubers were more or less affected by the disease when 
pitted, the dirt being against detection, and the stubble covering 
would let the wet in or not throw it off so well as straw, so that the 
disease, latent whilst the Potatoes were in the shed, and dry, would be 
rendered active. 
Daffodils Palling (U. Z.). —Various opinions are entertained as to 
the cause of the collapse of the flower buds of these plants. In some 
cases it is due to defective root activity. We have seen large 
numbers of the Double White fail from this cause. On examining the 
