468 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Jure 6,1689. 
and other manipulations advised are akin to putting the break on 
hard when speed is wanted. 
SUPERING. 
Although we have experienced extra warm weather during the 
latter part of May, which has pushed vegetation on rapidly, it will 
be the 15th or the 20th of June before the supers may be placed 
on the hives with anything like hope that the bees will build 
satisfactorily in them. Comb might be built, but it never gives 
satisfaction unless built simultaneously with the honey glut, nor do 
I advise partially built combs when pure to be given to bees at any 
other time than at the height of the honey glut. Wherever the 
slightest colouring is it is broken away, and if of a brownish tinge 
throughout is destroyed. The extra quantity gathered through 
supplying bees with soiled combs never makes up for the deteriota- 
tion in quality, wdien honey in comb is wanted. Always endeavour 
to put on the supers at the right time, which may be known by the 
hum of the bees getting stronger, with an inclination on their part 
to crowd out, but before that takes place. The proper time is 
learned by experience. It is better to put them on a day early 
dhan a day late. Admit the bees by side openings only, and have 
the centre spaces closed, using neither honey boards nor excluders. 
When once the supers are tenanted and comb-building is going 
•on rapidly, tier on an empty super or crate sections ; if the latter 
all in one division, so that the bees are not obstructed in their 
labours by being divided. Supers and sections with a narrow 
bottom rail, or none, are always accepted more readily by the bees 
than where the bottom rail is broad, and when admission is given 
by the sides only the combs are seldom attached to the crown of 
the hive, and never discoloured. Of course a full sized hive prevents 
eggs being deposited in supers, or an excess of honey in the body 
of the hive or where brood should be. 
PROSPECTS OF THE HEATHER HARYE3T. 
A trip to the Lead Hills on the 24 th and 25th May to procure 
some specimens of Heather and peat containing seeds of it, on the 
advice of “ A Renfrewshire Bee-keeper,” to be taken to Canada by 
a clergyman, enabled me to form an opinion of what the Heather 
will be by August. If no untoward weather intervenes it will be 
gorgeous. I never saw it look so well nor so forward in May. 
Last year frost was never more than a week absent; this year it 
has been unknown since April. Although the weather has been 
warm bees have never wrought to satisfy us old bee-keepers 
There has always been thunder and heavy rains somewhere near 
enough to influence the bees, but now between showers I observe an 
inclination in them to work, signs of approaching finer weather, 
welcome to them as well as to—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. 
Books (J. C.) —By “ moderate ” we presume you mean a shilling or 
two ; if so, you had better try Mr. L. Castle’s work on Orchids, which 
consists of 140 pages, and can be had post free for Is. 3d. from this 
office. (A. F. A'.).—As a “handy book of reference not costing more 
than 10s.,” “Johnson's Gardeners’ Dictionary” will perhaps suit you. 
The price is 8s. by post from this office. 
Vines Mildewed (F. C .).—You should have written sooner. We 
are preparing for press. See reply to “ J. G.; ” also turn to the advice 
we gave to him on page 408 three weeks ago. 
Misconstruction (Ignoramus). —Your suspicions are without 
either foundation or justification, and we cannot say the nom do plume 
you have chosen is inappropriate. 
Salesmen (./. J).). —If there is no mistake in what you say your 
remedy is in the County Court. It has never been the practice to re¬ 
commend dealers in this Journal. You should ask those with whom you 
communicate to send references for your satisfaction. For anything 
we know to the contrary the salesman you mention is trustworthy. 
The Loofah (E. 17. 31). —The botanical name of your Gourd is 
Luffa asgyptiaca. We have one in our office with a number of seeds 
in, but do not consider them worth sowing. The plants would require 
to be grown under glass similar to Cucumbers and Melons. The 
growth is of a rambling character, and the flowers not likely to be 
generally admired. 
Propagating- Asparagus plumosus (Idem).— Branchlets 3 to 
4 inches long slipped from half-ripe shoots inserted in cocoa-nut fibre 
refuse in a close warm frame, kept moist, produce roots in four or five 
weeks, also in leaf mould and sand under bellglasses. Many plants 
are also raised from seeds, and if your plant produces any you had 
better sow them. 
The Best Boiler (A Subscriber). —It is impossible for us to comply 
with your request to name what we think is the “ best ” boiler as com¬ 
bining the nine requirements enumerated in your letter. If we were 
to pretend to do this, and in effect condemn all others as inferior, we 
should do an injustice to several that give complete satisfaction to 
persons who use them. You either omitted your card or it escaped from 
the letter before it reached our hands. 
Watering Vines (Inquirer). — You will find articles on watering 
Vines on another page. Water at a temperature of 60° will not do harm 
to the borders if given when needed and in the right quantity, not 
otherwise. We cannot speak positively on the matter, but in all pro¬ 
bability the Vine borders at Chiswick are watered direct from the 
mains ; if they are not, we have seen others that are, and the Vines on 
the roof bearing splendid crops of Grapes. 
Mildew on Vines (J. G .).—We are glad to hear our advice has 
been useful. You had better apply sulphur to the berries, holding a 
plate containing it under the bunches, then dusting them well, or, if 
convenient, rolling them in it. Sulphide of potassium can be obtained 
from chemists ; if you obtain some, you had better proceed cautiously, 
trying it at a strength of an ounce to a gallon of water on a bunch or 
two, and noting the effects before using it more extensively. 
Transplanting Onions (J. Hunter ).—By all means avail your¬ 
self of the surplus plants offered by your neighbour, and transplant 
them, not inserting them more deeply than is necessary for them to 
stand upright. We have more than once seen transplanted Onions 
equal those grown without being removed from the 9eed beds ; but the 
work of transplanting was well done, and the weather favourable for 
growth. Last year was very unfavourable for ripening seed, and there 
are several Onion failures this year. 
The Devil’s Tree (IF. J. 31.). —We give no credence to the 
romantic story which you send us from a newspaper. Our reason is 
that we were requested to purchase a manuscript account four or five 
years ago almost exactly similar to the tale that is now told in such 
inflated language in the cutting you enclose. Also we may add the 
“ world-famous botanist ” mentioned so circumstantially in the account 
is not known to us, nor is his name included in the directory of botanical 
authorises. 
Seedling Flowers (S. 71. E.). — Though both the Pelargonium 
and Carnation are lacking in the properties that constitute a florist’s 
standard of excellence, this is by no means sufficient for not increasing 
the varieties. Flowers are grown now-a-days for their decorative value, 
or, in other words, they are cultivated for the pleasure they afford to 
persons who admire them, whether they are superior in form or not. 
The Clove Carnation is too small, but may increase in size with the 
increased vigour of the plant, and the French Pelargonium is bright and 
cheerful. We do not think either possesses commercial value, though if 
we had raised them we should not discard them this year at any rate, as 
they may improve another season. 
Guano In Vineries (F. J .).—The sample of guano you send 
appears good, and if you cannot detect the ammonia in it we can. 
Standing a pan of guano water in a house is not so good as sprinkling 
the floor and border as advised by our experienced correspondent, or he 
would have said so. He has often said, and so have we, that it should 
not be used very strong till the berries are swelling fieely after being 
thinned, and the top ventilators left open slightly all night. We have 
known injury done to both the leaves and fruit of Vines when the 
air has been strongly impregnated with ammonia under the influence of 
sun, the result of too late morning ventilation. 
A Changeable Pink (F. G.).— You have made a slight mistake. 
If your ordinary white Pink had really developed, or degenerated, into 
the plant you send the circumstance would have been indeed remark¬ 
able. The plant never was a Pink, nor originated from one. It is a Sedge 
(Carex paniculata), which has sprung up close to the Pink, steadily 
