510 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
r June 2,'> 1890. 
quickly. Young queens will remain sterile, and although old ones 
may be spared, there is a great likelihood they will be deposed 
before swarming time next year. Up to date it is the worst 
season for bees and the bee-keeper I have experienced. From the 
15th of May till the 7th July, 1880, the weather was, comparatively 
speaking, fine, hut since that, if we except two weeks in October, 
there has been only three weeks without rain. December and 
June have been so like each other, that the length of the day and 
vegetation are the only things that make the difference. 
The honey weather of 1889 came too early for the weak hives, 
whereas this year the bees were too far advanced at too early a 
period. We have no control whatever over these things ; but we 
have to a certain extent control over our hives. I have over and 
over again cautioned bee-keepers against artificial work and un¬ 
called for manipulations during the spring months, and even 
in summer, and the only regret I have is that I have not them 
here to show the difference between manipulated and artificially 
fed hives and those that have never been touched nor cared for 
further than putting them past for the winter in a proper state. 
There is no waste of eggs, and consequently impairing of the 
functions of the queens, nor are any of such hives deposed, all the 
mischief being with and upon the first named. Frequently in 
years gone by there have been but few hours between what might 
he termed winter and summer weather, so that hope is not lost yet, 
as we are not at the average time of the proper yield of honey ; 
but the weather is unpromising. One thing is certain, the Clover 
season will be of very short duration, although wdth but few days 
the honey yield will be large. To secure this the utmost care will 
have to be exercised to keep the hives strong. Swarming ought to 
be discouraged as much as possible and the doubling of other 
liives resorted to. It will be a great difficulty to prevent swarming 
owing to the queens having laid so long, and as the weather has 
fully frustrated all attempts to have young queens in readiness for 
any emergency the difficulty is increased. Strong hives are the 
sure means cf obtaining a good return ; no effort must be spared, 
nor sacrifice grumbled at to secure them. 
Young Queens. 
For late work and for next season will be our first and anxious 
Jesire, and on the first approach of fine weather I shall set to work 
in getting them forward. This should be the first, as it is the most 
important work to perform at this season. The long delay in the 
fertilisation of young queens will result in a double loss to bee¬ 
keepers who depend upon after swarms for late Heather work. In 
addition to the above I shall at once prepare my hives with their 
Jress for the Heather, so that they will be accustomed to it before 
removing them, which to every appearance will be long before the 
Clover is past. In other respects I am at a standstill, neither 
knowing, nor can I advise under the present circumstances what is 
best to be done, the weather being so powerful an agent both for 
and against us. A few hours may turn the tide, but we must 
continue feeding the bees at present. 
Caution. 
Owing to the untoward weather bees are now much disposed to 
rob and fly about in search of sweets. The lower the stores are 
the greater the disposition to fly in this way, and the greater the 
loss of bees. Just to show the evil effects of exposing sweets I 
may state that a bee-keeper a quarter of a mile distant from me 
•exposed a hive containing combs and some honey ; in a few minutes 
the whole apiary was in an uproar, and fighting and killing has 
eince been the order of the day, and has continued for two weeks. 
I have good reason to believe the bees killed in my apiary are 
those belonging to the person who exposed the honey, but the bees 
from every hive which scent the honey are on the alert. 
Exposing sugar outside has the same effect, and ought not to be 
practised. Feed your bees according to their wants at night, and 
in a manner that will in no way incite robbing. A very little 
exposed syrup, spilt upon or about the hive, when bees are on 
the alert will end in loss. After the first day’s gathering of honey, 
but not till then, shall I apply supers, and my advice to others is to 
do the same.—A Lanakksiiike 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 
unavoidably. "VVe 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. 
Centipedes (A. Lewis). —There was a postal charge of 2d. on your 
packet. Please forward stamps. An examination will be made of the 
specimens. 
Food Reform Colony Scheme (.7. T. i?.).—Particulars of this 
scheme appear necessary for it to be fully understood, and these you 
have not sent. 
Mushrooms (A. C.).—The examples you sent are of the true 
Mushroom, Agaricus campestris, but very inferior, as is usually the 
case at this time of the year, except when grown under specially cool 
conditions. See reply to another inquirer on this subject. 
Eucharls Unhealthy (fr. 7.).—We have examined the roots sent, 
but though they have all the indications denoting the presence of the 
mite, we cannot find the pest itself. Have you searched the bulbs 
themselves? as the mite is often found on the edges of, or within, the 
scales. 
Tuberoses (ZT. A.)—The bulbs are small, but sound inside, and we 
suspect would have grown if they had been potted and properly 
managed. The dry room in which they have been kept was much too 
warm. They ought either to have been potted sooner or kept much 
cooler. 
Books (ir. F. S.). —A work was published some time since by 
Mr. S. Jennings on the subject you name, but the price was about 
3 guineas, and would therefore not suit you. Try Messrs. Veitch 
and Sons’ “ Manual of Orchidaceous Plants,” Mr. B. S. Williams’ 
“ Orchid G-rower’s Manual,’’ or Mr. L. Castle’s “ Orchids,” but all except 
the last named exceed the price you mention. 
Mag-gots In Mushrooms (7?. 7. 7.).—We know of no means of 
preventing Mushrooms being attacked with maggots at this season of the 
year otherwise than by having the beds in the coolest possible positions 
that can be found for them. For obtaining maggot-free Mushrooms in 
summer Mr. Gilbert and some other cultivators make the beds that are 
intended to bear after May in excavations in the ground on the north 
side of walls or buildings where the sun seldom reaches, or in very cold 
cellars. A fly is the author of the evi', and when the temperature is 
favourable for its emergence it will be as certain to visit Mushroom beds 
as some other kinds are to visit meat which hangs too long in warm 
places. Professional Mushroom growers do not find the cultivation 
profitable in summer, therefore practically abandon it for three or four 
months, though in private gardens Mushrooms may be grown at the 
present time onwards, when cool, damp, dark positions can be found for 
the beds. 
Guidance for Young Gardeners (J//'.?. J/.).—The work you 
mention is out of print, and we know of no similarly cheap work 
suitable for the purpose you mention. Although you say there is 
“ no glass,” surely no young gardener would desire to limit his infor¬ 
mation as suggested. Messrs. Sutton &: Sons, Beading, and Messrs. 
James Carter & Co., 237, High Holborn, London, publish useful practical 
works on gardening, particulars and prices of which can be had from 
those firms. The “ Gardener’s Dictionary,” 8s., post free, from this 
office, is an excellent work of reference, but no book or books can com¬ 
pensate for the absence of a weekly gardening paper, for what precise 
information is not found in its columns can be had on application to 
the Editor. Nearly all the best gardeners of the day gathered more 
information when they were students from the gardening press than 
from books ; and they can better dispense with books than with papers 
now they are proficient in the art of cultivation. Every gardener 
worthy of his name should not only read but owm a gardening paper, 
and if he cannot afford the trifling outlay for that purpose, he is either 
insufficiently paid, or improvident in the disposal of his money. 
