230 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
I March 13, 1890, 
of Turnips or other of the Brassica tribe exists one sort might bo 
grown. Fruit trees and bushes are all honey producing, and are 
more profitable, and in many cases as ornamental as some kinds of 
shrubs. Of the latter the Laurustinus, Willows (the male for 
pollen and the female for honey), Berberis, Lilac, Cotoneaster 
microphylla, and nearly every flowering shrub and tree are honey 
or pollen producing, and not unfrequently both. Amongst garden 
flowers are the Aconite, Snowdrop, Crocus, and Hellebore ; Ane¬ 
mone coerulea is a great favourite. Poppies for pollen and Migno¬ 
nette for honey and pollen are good annuals, so are Godetias. 
Arabis is perhaps the best spring plant, but all the Cruciferm family 
•are useful. 
Some flowers appear to have a fragrance that tempts the bees to 
them, but no honey or pollen, or so little that the bees get no good 
from them, working for hours without showing signs of either 
pollen or honey. This seems the point where the line can be 
drawn between instinct and reason. The greatest advantage is in 
having spring and autumn flowers in profusion. The latter keep 
the bees out of danger when they would otherwise be disposed to 
rob or be entrapped in shops or houses, as well as to be storing a 
supply of pollen for spring breeding. The spring flowers, although 
•not directly profitable, encourage the bees, resulting in strong hives 
at the proper time, which without bee-keeping in many cases would 
be a failure. It is a delusion to say that uncapping cells of honey 
and feeding in dribblets forwards the bees. It is the profusion of 
flowers, combined with the genial warmth of spring, that stimu¬ 
lates bees. 
Apart from the usefulness of flowers for bees we have their 
pleasure at all times, and as many of them are sensitive to changes 
•of weather and approaching rains we can often predict a storm a 
long time in advance. A bed of Poppies never deceives us, neither 
does the Chickweed, and Tulips will sometimes long before a gale 
bend their heads from its direction. If carefully watched our 
native plants will tell the coming weather as well as many of the 
•tender exotics. 
The Best Hive. 
The Lanarkshire storifying hive is without doubt the cheapest 
and most serviceable hive in use. Its principles, both at home and 
on the continent, are every day becoming more in repute. Full 
instructions for making will be found in previous issues of this 
Journal.—A L.vxAEKsniRE Bee-keepek. 
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 
unavoidably. 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. 
Cool Orchids (^Inquirer ').—You will find full instructions respect¬ 
ing the culture of cool Orchids in Mr. B. S. Williams’s “ Orchid Growers’ 
Manual,” in Messrs. Veitch & Sons’ “Manual of Orchidaceous Plants,” 
part i., or in Castle’s “ Orchids : Their History and Culture,” published 
at this office, post free Is. 2id. 
Alternantheras (P.).—Thousands of these plants are grown in 
boxes in the manner you propose, and planted from them direct to the 
beds in June, or when the weather permits. They should have a tempera¬ 
ture of not less than (10°. The variegated Mesembryanthemum may be 
treated in the same way, but the soil does not adhere to the roots so 
well. If you can dig some turves 2 inches thick or so, char the grass 
sides, cut into 2 inch squares, inserting a cutting or rooted plant in 
each, with sand falling in round it, and pack these squares closely in 
boxes, covering with leaf mould or light soil, the plants will be in 
excellent condition for transplanting in due time. 
Crafting- Fears (P. A.).—You may insert one scion in each branch, 
two if the branches are as thick as your wrist, and if both grow retain 
the best for the future branch, removing the other. As many branches 
as there are now, provided they are not much less than a foot apart, 
just so many you must provide for forming the future tree. The scions, 
well-ripened wood of last year, should be taken off at once and covered 
with soil or cocoa-nut fibre refuse on the north side of a wall to keep 
them fresh and retard their growth. 
Packing Fruit (_!}. C. L., India ).—American Apples are sent to 
this country in barrels, the fruit being firmly pressed down without any 
packing. Each barrel holds about three bushels. Much fruit is sent 
from Kent to London in round, very strongly made, bushel baskets, 
which you may have seen described on page 1-15 of our issue of February 
20th. French Plums are sent in deal boxes, differing in size, many being 
about 2 feet long, 18 inches wide, and 9 inches deep ; but choicer fruits 
are sent in much smaller boxes containing two or three layers of fruit, 
packed in soft paper shavings, the boxes also being lined with paper, the 
ornamental or “ laced ” margin of which is brought very neatly over 
the fruit, giving to the boxes a very attractive appearance. Some of the 
smaller of these, a foot in length or less, are extremely tasteful, and not 
a few purchasers consider them worth more than the fruits they contain, 
Cropping Vines (P. P,). — We do not think the owner of the house 
has any cause to complain about the produce of the Vines since they were 
planted, and we hope he has not complained. Most persons who have 
new Vine borders made and Vines planted not unreasonably “expect 
good crops of Grapes,” and we know that in their anxiety to produce 
them some gardeners have exceeded the bounds of prudence in cropping 
when the Vines were young. We do not imply that you have done this, 
as when the fruit finishes well, and the Vines at the same time make 
satisfactory growth, that shows that they were not exhausted. During 
the present season you had better not allow any bunches to remain on 
the weak laterals, but allow them to extend for gaining strength. If 
you obtain a weight of Grapes, averaging from 1 lb. to lb. per lineal 
foot of each Vine, that may be regarded as satisfactory under the circum¬ 
stances. It is contrary to our rule to recommend dealers in anything. 
Consult advertisements and catalogues. 
Exhausted Vines (6'. Y.)—As the Vines in the outside border are 
in such an exhausted state, and you have convenience for making a 
border inside the house, we should not lose a season in attempting to 
renovate them, but make a border 3 or 4 feet wide in the house, of good 
soil, building the front of the border with turves, procure some good 
canes at once and plant when growth commences, cutting out some of 
the old and apparently nearly useless rods to afford room for training 
young canes. It would not be advisable to shorten the young Vines for 
planting at this season of the year, as bleeding would most likely 
follow ; neither would it be desirable to allow all the buds to grow, as 
this way you would probably have a great number of very weak laterals. 
We should rub off the buds down to where it would be convenient for 
fresh growths to start, and not until these had attained a length of 
several feet should we remove that part of the canes divested of buds. 
In this way you may have very good young canes this year and very 
strong ones the next. 
Forced Ellacs (P. 77.).—As these cease flowering cut them close 
back, only leaving one or two eyes on the past season’s growth. They 
should be placed in a cool house to harden and break again into growth, 
and finally into cold frames. If care is taken many of these plants will 
make strong growth, and flower freely enough another season. Although 
it is better to have two batches of these plants and flowmr them alter¬ 
nately, but those not in this position may achieve success with one 
batch of plants, but every care must be taken of them after flowering. 
It is a mistake to give such varieties as Charles X. too much root room, 
for they grow too strongly, and fail to flower in consequence of the 
wood being insufficiently ripened. When thoroughly root-bound short 
sturdy growths only are made, which are certain to ripen if assisted for 
a time in a frame, and then plunged outside in a warm, sunny, open 
position. When they have commenced growth they may be top-dressed 
with a little rich material, and given afterwards two or three applica¬ 
tions of artificial manure during the season of growth. Guelder Hoses 
may, after flowering, be subjected to the same treatment; but these are 
so easily rooted, either from ripened wood or green shoots, so that there 
is no difficulty in having good batches of plants for alternate years. 
Without a large supply of flowers are needed for cutting, plants in 
5 and 6-inch pots are the most serviceable for decoration. 
Steamed Bone Flour (Y. iZ.).—This is the result of grinding 
bones that have had the fat and a portion of the ossein melted out of 
them by being subjected to steam pressure and powerful heat in a close 
boiler. When the bones are thus dried they can be ground into finer 
particles than new bones can, and the action of the manure is quicker 
in consequence, notwithstanding that the finer and drier flour may con¬ 
tain a little less nitrogen. Perhaps your best plan will be to dissolve 
them by either of the following methods as may be most convenient;— 
1, Place 5 cwt. (or 12 bushels) of bone on an earthen floor, surrounded 
