454 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 29, 1890. 
of powerful sun acts prejudicially in the early stages of swelling, 
especially when the necessity arises of admitting air very freely, which 
the slight shade obviates ; otherwise afford all the light practicable, in 
order to secure good colour and high quality. 
------- ■ , , .--- , . --_ 1_-.-rv:- 
IE) BEE-K^EPEIL 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
The Weather. 
Since the 21st inst. there has been a great rise in temperature, 
the mean being 62p ; previous to that, from the Gth, rain fell every 
•day. Apple blossom is later than usual. There being no frost in 
May, Plums are still flowering. Cherries do not appear to have 
set well, and while in flower rain was almost constant, so they were 
not of much service to bees. 
Gleanings. 
In various things the Americans are rapidly coming to our 
views on hives and bee management. The alteration of top bars 
of hives to our ideas has engaged their attention for some 
time past. Disliking the expense of metal ends and broad-ended 
frames, as well as those without distancers, they are adopting brass 
nails with round heads, which we have used since 1862, but 
abandoned them long since for shoe tacks, two only being required - 
for each bar, instead of four as they have started with. But I feel | 
•confident, for obvious reasons, they will be given up for our plans, i 
Bees Making Weight. 
A correspondent from the West Highlands writes that from the 
last day of April till the 17th May the weather was fine, and the 
bees had gathered as much honey from the Sycamores as would 
tide them over a bad time. In Lanarkhire many supers have been 
filled, and my own hives have in the two days of fine weather 
increased considerably in weight. All bee-keepers in unsheltered 
situations complain of the great loss of bees during the dull 
showery weather. Prom everywhere reports come that unfed hives 
lost fewest bees. As is always the case, they have advanced the 
most steadily, and are most likely to be the most profitable. 
Aged Bees. 
During the beginning of August a few black bees, part of a 
swarm, flew on to a pure Oarniolian. They are still alive, and show¬ 
ing no signs of decay or weakness. In the same hive a young 
yellow bee, similar in every respect to the brightest coloured Syrian, 
was found, and this the third generation from a pure imported 
Carniolian that was said to be bred from Carniolians without yellow 
markings, and are extra honey gatherers. 
Foul Brood. 
So much has been written upon this subject that at first sight 
it might seem superfluous to say another word. Neither would I, 
but for the fact that new phases of the disease are frequently 
•coming before us. About the year 1862 I submitted to Mr. Wood¬ 
bury my opinion that foul brood might be inherited by the queen, 
but that gentleman scouted the idea, and I had little else to 
support my argument than surmise. Mr. P. Cheshire is of 
opinion that queens do transmit the disease, which they inherit. 
I differ from Mr. Cheshire in this, because when once a queen has 
contracted bacilli or micrococci (I have found both, as well as other 
forms, in one experiment) they do their work quickly, and the 
•queen must either die or be deposed. Gemmation takes place so 
quickly that I have witnessed the linear form multiply four and 
five times in a few minutes. For many years I had reasons to 
suspect that bees leaving their hive en masse during spring was 
due to incipient foul brood, but it is only within these few years 
I came to the conclusion that it was due to a diseased condition of 
■the queen. These germs of disease take readily to albuminous 
matter in the queens, but apparently do not permeate the whole 
system of the bee as their allied species do in the human frame. 
Of suspected queens I have examined many, and have found 
70 per cent, of the fly-away queens diseased, and in 50 per cent, of 
the hives v^acated have found traces of foul brood. 
Caution. 
The beginner, probably having been greatly impressed with the 
importance of built comb, will naturally be inclined to utilise 
the combs of fly-aways. On no account should this be done 
unless there is the slightest signs of an unhatched cell, and even 
in cases where there is not, it would be injudicious to use them. 
Frequently we have witnessed eggs dried up lying in the bottom of 
the cell, which in all probability contains infection. It is far better 
to melt the combs and see to the proper disinfection of the hive. 
First store these in a somewhat damp but warm place, say 65^^. 
When a mould is over them remove them to a close chamber over a 
charcoal fire, with a little sulphur added. After they have been 
submitted to this ordeal for several days, wash with a solution 
of carbolic acid, when the hive may be safely set aside for 
further use. 
Cure of Foul Brood. 
I will not argue that it cannot be done, but it is so difficult to 
manage, and so uncertain, that it may be considered good advice not 
to attempt it, even although it was within the limits of possibility, 
and certainly it will not pay. The summer is too short to be 
curing a hive and getting surplus honey at the same time. Do not 
then tamper with so insidious a disease, but stamp it out. Acids and 
alkalies have all been tried, but save as preventives have all been 
failures. Carbolic acid, camphor, thymol, and menthol are chemi¬ 
cally the same. Many of our native herbs contain camphor. 
Formic acid has been suggested, and even said to have effected 
cures, but I have no faith whatever in the statement. Such 
nostrums as alum, and alum and sugar of lead for the treatment of 
stings suit dealers but not sensible bee-keepers, and the same sus¬ 
picion rests on formic acid as a cure for foul brood.—A Lanark¬ 
shire Bee-keeper. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Pitcher & Manda, Short Hills, New Jersey .—Lists of Cypripedmms 
and Other Orchids. 
Dammann & Co., Naples.— Catalogue of Plants, 
*,5* 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 w'rite 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. 
Potatoes ■without Haulm (TF. J. TF).—Thanks for the offer. 
We have seen many such examples as those you describe. 
Destroying- Weeds (A. C.).—Properly applied the vitriol will 
destroy all deep-rooted weeds. The sand will not do so, but rightly 
used kills Daisies. Only very short replies can be given to Wednesday 
morning’s letters. 
Pungus In Soli (D. TF).—The mycelium in the soil is not dead. 
We know of nothing safer and more likely to check the increase of the 
fungus than periodical applications of clear lime water. About a peck 
of unslaked lumps of lime stirred in thirty or forty gallons, and then 
allowed to get clear, will be suitable for application. So long as there 
is any sediment at the bottom of the vessel the lime water will be as 
strong as it can be made. If there is no sediment it will not be so 
strong as it should be for the purpose in question. 
Clematis montana not Flowering (71 F. TF.).—Perhaps your 
plant has grown luxuriantly and the growths are crowded. If they arc 
trained a foot apart on a sunny wall the wood will ripen, and flowers 
follow in abundance. The plant does not require rich soil, but likes 
moderately firm ground with lime in it. Perhaps the soil of your 
garden is too rich and the growth of the plant exuberant, and in this 
case driving a sharp spade down its full depth in a half circle 3 or 4 feet 
from the stem might arrest its vigour and predispose to the production 
of flowers ; but thin training is of the greatest importance. 
Mildew on Vines {Perplexed ').—The safest remedy is to dust the 
affected parts with sulphur and let it remain on them for a few days. 
You might try experimentally and on a few leaves only the remedies 
to which you allude, but we do not advise their general application in 
the absence of knowledge on the actual condition of the Vines. You 
did not ask an explicit question beyond that to which we replied in 
your former letter, though no doubt you intended doing so. The letter 
before us is somewhat vague, and no reference is made to the state of 
the Vines and the parts affected. A confined atmosphere and, especially, 
too late morning ventilation, not unfrequently lead to mildew attacks. 
