160 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 21, '689. 
ing the old roots, this should be done the first opportunity. Lift the old 
roots out of the ground, and cut them into half a dozen pieces. Do this 
without injuring the roots any more than is possible, and replant them 
immediately afterwards. They need not have the best part of the 
garden, but will do well in corners, and they may be returned to the 
same ground, as some of our roots have been in the same place for 
twelve years, and are as vigorous as ever. Before planting, however, the 
ground should be deeply dug and well manured. It is this which pro¬ 
duces good Rhubarb, but crowding is against it, and the roots should be 
fcept 4 feet or 5 feet apart each way. The crowns when planted should 
be level with the ground. 
Miscellaneous. —Continue to give careful attention to forcing, as 
open air vegetables may become scarce before March is over should 
■severe weather continue. Thin Carrots and Radish in the hotbeds. Do 
not keep Peas that are being grown for planting out in a higher 
temperature than 50°. Let them have plenty of light and a little air. 
Prepare quarters for early crops, as the sowing of Carrots, Onions, &c., 
will soon require attention. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Nepenthes.—Any p’ants that have been allowed to run up with a 
■single stem should be cut down to within 2 or 3 inches of the base, for 
they will not pitcher freely in this condition. These plants will form 
pitchers freely enough the whole year through if the tops of the shoots are 
pinched out every time three or four new leaves have been made. Plants 
that have run up tall and are pruned back will soon break again into 
growth, and commence pitchering freely on the young growths. Top- 
dress these, but do not further disturb them at the roots. The tops that 
have been removed may be cut into lengths of two joints and inserted in 
sand and sphagnum moss in 3-inch pots. If plunged in the propagating 
frame where they can be kept close and moist, they will all root. The 
soft portion at the top may be thrown away. Top-dress and rebasket 
the whole of these p’ants ; they enjoy fresh soil to root in, and make won¬ 
derful progress if placed in larger baskets from time to time as they 
increase in size. It is a mistake to confine them in the same basket year 
after year. They do well in fibry peat and lumps of charcoal with 
sphagnum moss between the bars of the basket and on the surface also 
in a mixture of loam and peat, but the former is preferable, as it does 
not sour so quickly as loam. Watch for thrips and scale, for these are 
enemies to these plants and soon destroy their foliage. 
Anthurium Andreanuin .—Where it is necessary to increase the stock 
and have good flowering plants again for next winter, large plants 
should be cut down at once. The old stool will break freely from the 
base, and if the plants have been strong, half a dozen or more shoots 
may start away, and will be strong enough to flower in autumn. The 
top portion should be cut into lengths, being careful that a prominent 
eye is attached to each piece. If these are inserted in a compost of 
sphagnum moss and peat in equal proportions, with a liberal quantity 
of sand added, every one will root quickly and make good plants. They 
should be plunged in the propagating case and kept close. Give water 
after insertion, and if the surface of the compost and rim of the pot can 
be covered with the plunging material, all the better. Plants that need 
repotting may be done now ; if the soil is very much decomposed carefully 
remove it from amongst the roots. This is easiest done and with least 
injury to the roots by washing it out in a tub of tepid water. Allow the 
roots to dry before the plant is repotted. For this plant drain liberally 
and use good fibry peat, sand, and charcoal. They grow rapidlv, even 
luxuriantly, when the compost is half sphagnum moss, but this rots too 
quickly for the well-being of the plants, and necessitates the washing 
of the soil from the roots too frequently. In potting do not raise the 
soil above the rim, this can be done afterwards from time to time as a 
top-dressing. A. crystallinum, A. Veitchi, A. Warocqueanum,and others 
may also be repotted, using the same compost. Examine the foliage of 
these varieties carefully, and if red spider exists upon them sponge them 
w ith a solution of Fir tree oil and water. 
Marantas .—These should be repotted at once so that they will have 
a chance of establishing themselves before the sun has much power. 
They delight in heat, moisture, and shade. They will bear the reduction 
of their bulbs without much injury, provided they can be plunged in 
brisk bottom heat to start them again into fresh root activity and 
growth. Some of the strong growing kinds do well in rough peat, sand, 
and charcoal, while others appear to prefer loam, sand, one-seventh 
of manure, and charcoal in lumps. They all, however, enjoy a little 
decayed manure ; in fact, they are not very particular about soil pro¬ 
viding it is of a lasting nature, moderately light, open and rich. Drain 
•the pots used liberally, for abundance of water is needed while the 
plants are in active growth. Where the plants need larger pots do not 
disturb the old ball further than is necessary by the removal of the 
■drainage—that is, where the soil is in a sweet condition. 
Adiantum cuneatum .—Plants from which the best fronds have been 
removed should be cut close down to the crown. This saves the labour 
of picking away dying fronds when the new ones are developing them¬ 
selves. Those cut down can be repotted at once without injury to the 
young fronds, which is liable to be the case if they are left until they 
start into growth. Where it is necessary to place the plants into the 
same size pots the balls may be reduced by one-third of their size, but 
■where larger pots are needed do not disturb the roots further than the 
removal of the old drainage from the base. Use for a compost fibry 
loam and leaf mould in equal proportions, with sand freely added and a 
little lime rubbish. After potting place the plants in a temperature of 
•60° to 65°. 
NOTES ON BEES. 
I perused with interest the remarks on the weather of 1860 and 
1888 by “ A Herefordshire Incumbent ” (see pages 544, 545, last 
volume). The first year mentioned by him was one of the three 
successive abnormally cold summers, which were as disastrous to 
farmers and bee-keepers as 1888 —in some respects were much 
worse, as many farmers were quite unable to secure their crops. 
Much grain could be seen in the stook at Christmas, and of course 
was spoiled. There was a great difference between these two 
seasons mentioned. In 1860 the prevailing cold and boisterous 
winds, which damaged the foliage of trees, ranged between west 
south to north-west, while those of 1888 were mostly from south¬ 
west to north-east, the prevailing ones being east to south-east, 
and from which the trees suffered. 
GLASS SECTIONS. 
Towards the close of 1888 I received by post from “ A Hallam- 
shire Bee-keeper ” one of his glass sections, which completely puti 
in the shade all others of its kind that I have seen. “ Hallam- 
lamshire Bee-keeper ” may be proud of his achievement, and already 
there is a stirring in certain quarters claiming priority for the use 
of glass in sections, and placing the date at somewhere about ten 
years ago. But the use of glass in combination in supers and in 
sections of comb was known a century ago, and I have no doubt 
that “ Hallamshire Bee keeper ” will have evidence of a like nature, 
which will help to establish facts. 
The section is not only pretty, but seems to be so simple that 
“ any child can make them,” and at a cost of not more than Is. 
The glass section when well filled is undoubtedly the most attrac¬ 
tive form in which honeycomb can be presented, but whether 
waste glass can be had in quantity sufficient for the wants of bee¬ 
keepers is another question. Then there is another thing in con¬ 
nection with it; being heavier than wood, the cost for carriage, when 
sent to a distance, becomes a consideration. 
Mr. T. Bonner Chambers has also been at work getting up glass 
sections, and from a private source we learn that he has also been 
successful; and this brings to my recollection that in a private 
letter from that gentleman some months since he put a question 
regarding them that has given me the key how to make the Hallam¬ 
shire sections. If this should meet his eye I hope he will pardon 
my omission in not answering his query. 
STATE OF HIYE3. 
As only a few of our stocks required feeding in the autumn, 
and as some commenced to breed much immediately on the intro¬ 
duction of young queens, and others through feeding and change of 
situation, I became naturally apprehensive that such hives might 
run short of supplies ; so on the shortest day, with a temperature 
of 50° and bees flying, I prepared some and fed those most likely to 
have run short of supplies. Those fed from beneath took up 4 lbs. 
of dissolved sugar in a few hours, as did also those that were pro¬ 
vided with a frame feeder, whilst those fed from the old-fashicned 
top feeders, which I have had for upwards of forty years, of which 
having made and sold hundreds, left the syrup untouched. 
These last named feeders are exactly similar to the so-called 
“ new rapid feeders ” we have heard so much about of late as being 
the best invention as bee preservers of the day. I have a wooden 
top feeder honeycombed which is on the same principle, and must 
be considerably over a hundred years old. Some bee-keepers on 
reading the above will be apt to ask, Will this late, or rather early 
feeding, not be injurious to the bees through contracting moisture 
and setting up fermentation? With hives mostly in use it would 
be unadvisable to make matters worse by feeding where the hive is 
already thoroughly soaked with damp, but with such hives as I 
