474 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 5, 1390. 
printed the opposite, suppressing the facts as subsequently and 
lately appeared in these pages. This statement of the Editor, who 
is alone responsible, has provoked a letter from W. P. Meadows, 
Syston, near Leicester, of which the following is a copy :— 
“ I notice in your paragraph re above, on page 60 of the Journal, 
you are called upon to make a correction which is practically un¬ 
necessary. For ages past a press similar to Mr. Thomson’s has been 
in use for various chemical and household purposes, fruit, &c. Our 
late lamented friend Raitt invented the only press ever made with 
a horizontal screw, so as to expel honey from cells in a sideway 
manner, without the necessity of mashing wax, &c., up, and driving 
honey through it. In the Raitt press the container is made the 
size of the comb, and honey from both sides comes out as screw is 
actuated. In the other only one side of comb comes in contact 
with perforations, the honey on other side having to be driven 
through midrib, and all mashed together before honey is expelled.” 
The above letter must have been written in ignorance of the 
presser in question. Mr. IMeadows’ closing remarks are not true, 
promulgated at first by his “ late lamented friend Raitt,” and per¬ 
petuated by his colleague. But for the Lanarkshire honey presser 
the Raitt one never would have been invented. It is not true that 
the Raitt honey press is the only one having a horizontal screw, 
Ejr is there a word of truth in “the honey having to pass from 
one side through the midrib to the other.” It has thousands of 
perforations for every one in the Raitt one, and has exit all round 
and at the bottom, and so little refuse comes away with the pressure 
that I have repeatedly witnessed not more than an ounce from 
100 lbs. of pure honey. Nor is it true that presses “ similar to Mr. 
Thomson’s have been in existence for ages.” 
It is needless discussing the question further with one so 
palpably ignorant of facts, or with editors who seem to rejoice at 
printing errors, and refusing their refutation by facts, but as the 
question is a burning and important one for bee-keepers, silence on 
my part would be recognising the views of ignorance and the 
misstatements it advances. I have not, like some dealers, any 
interest in appliances, further than assisting bee-keepers to put 
upon the market honey of a superior quality and more cleanly 
than much that is put upon it. We all want the best, and surely 
if the Raitt presser was what is contended for it we would not 
require to seek further. Mr. Webster, who appears to have some 
experience in the matter, says of the Raitt honey presser .—“ The 
honey coming from these appliances is very clouded with the 
email particles of wax broken off by the pressure.” 
Had the Editor printed my letter, or printed only facts, this 
pticle would have been unnecessary, but I hope bee-keepers will 
in their own interest ponder the facts, and follow the instruc¬ 
tions based upon experience. 
Joining Swarms. 
“ Your correspondent, ‘ Lanarkshire Bee-keeper,’ in replying to 
my questions respecting the transfer of bees from straw hives into 
Lanarkshire hives, does not say what I am to do with the queens of 
the second swarm and driven bees, both of which I wish to join to 
the first swarm. How are the bees driven from the straw skep into 
the frame hive, and how many divisions will the three require ? 
When should supers be placed on ?—J. D. L , NorthumlerlandT 
I observe an error at page 332, “ queens ” instead of “ queen ” 
being used. Queens to the number of twelve or even more some¬ 
times accompany after swarms, which causes the swarm to be rest¬ 
less and not unseldom to fly away after being hived. When more 
than one is observed they should be killed, preserving the hand¬ 
somest one. Often, however, only one goes with the swarm. 
There is a great risk in joining two unequal sized swarms even 
after every precaution of having both gorged with honey, the 
key to success. I have often witnessed the put on swarm dis¬ 
appear altogether. After the bees empty their stomachs they 
appear to detect strangers, then at dusk when unsuspected the 
onslaught begins. The bees leave the hive in a wounded state, 
and cannot return, and are never seen. Far better to wait until 
you have more bees and more experience before joining. Second 
swarms and old stocks are preserved here principally because of the 
youthfulness of the queens for the next year’s stocks and for 
late work this year, which is as important as performing the 
.operation mentioned, M’hich is not unlike “ killing the goose.” 
If, however, you are determined to unite them after the second 
swarm is hived in the third box place it close to the swarm, and 
■examine it frequently until you are satisfied she is laying, then 
depose the queen of the first swarm, let it remain so for eight days, 
carefully examine every frame, and be certain that every royal cell 
is excised. Next day sprinkle both with very thin syrup, so as not to 
clog the bees in any way, then place the second swarm bodily upon 
the top of the first swarm ; or if you choose, and do not grudge the 
Irouble, mix the frames in all the divisions, alternating the frames. 
and do not join until the bees are full, but no later, as this is 
important to success. The bees of the old stock should have her 
queen destroyed and placed upon the first swarm before uniting 
the second one. Dividing causes the bees to stay in a new 
location. 
To drive the bees from the straw hive, invert it, steadying it in 
some way most suitable, then lay the frame hive upon it, beating 
the while to cause the bees to retreat to their own hive ; the bees 
fly from the tapped side, so arrange the frame hive that the bees, 
where most crowded, will enter it readily. Three lots of bees may 
have three divisions, but unless the queen be crowded out of the 
two you might give an additional super at the time honey is 
beginning to be plentiful, when Beans, Clover, and Sainfoin are in 
bloom.— A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
William Bull, 5.36, King’s Road, Chelsea .—Catalogue of Xew Plants 
and Orchids (illustrated'). 
J. Carter & Co., 237 and 238, High Holborn .—List of Florists' 
Floiuers and Hardy Plants. 
All correspondence should be directed either to “ The 
Editor ” or to “ The Publisher.” Letters addressed to 
Dr. Hogg or members of the statf 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. 
Books (P. O. JV .).—For “Fruit Culture Under Glass” procure Mr. 
Thomson’s book bearing that title, published by Messrs. Blackwood and 
Sons ; for out-of-door fruit culture Mr. Wright’s gold medal essay, 
published at this office, will be found useful. Mr. B. S. Williams’ 
“Orchid Growers’ Manual,” or Mr. L. Castle’s treatise on “Orchids” 
will meet your requirements. (C. B. B .).—We do not know a book 
specially devoted to the subject you name. 
malformed Cucumber (72. F.). —It is an example of fasciation 
taking place between the fruit stem and leafstalks, and no doubt it has 
been occasioned by the stem fracture to which you refer. If any more 
malformed fruits appear the best plan would be to remove them at once, 
as they are not likely to develop into good specimens. 
Blistered Peach Beaves (IF. F. K.). —The lea^’es are attacked 
by a fungus (Ascomyces deformans), and is usually most prevalent 
after the trees have sustained a check by a chill during inclement 
weather. We have often seen it on leaves that have been exposed to 
cold currents of air through front ventilators in houses when the 
growths above have been perfectly free. Shelter, not from east winds 
alone, but from cold southerly winds, is very desirable in spring for 
trees that are prone to have their leaves blistered, and dressing the 
trees in winter with sulphur rendered adherent by clay is considered 
prudent by some cultivators. 
Sulphate of Ammonia for Vines (T. Y.). —As the Vines make 
strong growth and large leaves we should hesitate in using this fertiliser 
alone, as its tendency is to promote luxuriant growth at the expense of 
flowers and fruit. This is counteracted when the soil also contains the 
mineral requisites for Vines—namely, potash and lime. The small loose 
bunches of fruit which you say the strong growing Vines bear, rather 
indicate a lack of mineral constituents than of nitrogeneous matter, and 
a mixture of two parts superphosphate of lime and one part sulphate of 
ammonia, mixed and applied at the rate of 2 ozs. to each square yard of 
surface of the border, would be better than the latter alone. A multi¬ 
tude of fibrous roots freely working in firm good loam are of the utmost 
importance in Vine culture, and no artificial manures whatever can. 
compensate for their absence. 
Insects on Tomatoes (^Idem). —The small white insects (Aleyrodes) 
are injurious. You have done right in removing the leaves on which 
you find eggs, and you may destroy many of the insects by fumigating, 
shaking the plants at the same time and keeping the floor wet, on which 
the insects will fall and not readily take wing again. 
