January 13,1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
35 
shift if a temperature of 65° can be given, and convenience exists for 
plunging them in gentle bottom heat. If these conditions cannot be 
accorded the plants, potting had better be delayed a few weeks longer. 
Anthuriums .—Those plants that completed their growth in early 
autumn and have since been resting in a temperature of 50° to 55°, may 
now be introduced into the stove where they can be kept warmer. With 
increased heat and moisture activity soon commences, and bright scarlet 
spathes are produced early in the season. While plants are resting in a 
moderately low temperature they should be kept on the dry side at their 
roots, or they will sutler instead of being improved. Plants that have 
been in the stove up to the present time will be benefited by a month’s 
rest such as cooler and drier conditions afford. 
Anthurium Andreanum .—This is one of the best stove plants that 
can be grown, for it is scarcely ever out of flower. During the winter 
its large scarlet spathes are most useful, for they render the stove effec¬ 
tive long before Poinsettias can be had, and also after they are done. 
Where general effect is an object, several small plants are more useful 
than one or two large ones. The stock is readily increased by topping 
the plants and striking them. They strike freely enough in the propa¬ 
gating frame if kept close and brisk heat is maintained. Portions of the 
stem containing eyes, if placed singly in pots, will also produce plants, 
but these are best left attached to the parent plant until they have 
pushed into growth. From one plant in a season a number of plants will 
be produced, and after the old one is improved, for it is certain to pro¬ 
duce three or four crowns near the surface of the soil. These plants do 
well in a compound of sphagnum moss, peat used in lumps, and rough 
charcoal. 
Plumbagos and Linums .—These will have passed their best, and the 
number necessary to retain for stock should be well pruned. They should 
be examined, and if any trace of red spider or thrips exist upon them they 
should be dipped in a solution of Fir tree oil, which will destroy those 
insects. The plants may then be stood in a temperature of 60° until 
they produce shoots for cutting. 
Adiantums .—Those from which all the fronds have been gathered 
should not be stood in a cold place, for this certainly prevents their start¬ 
ing freely into growth. If placed in a vinery at work, where the tem¬ 
perature ranges about 55? to 60°, they will quickly commence throwing 
up new fronds. When fairly on the move they can be repotted if they 
need it, by placing them in larger pots, or they may be cut into two, if 
necessary, to increase the stock. Plants started into growth now will 
yield a valuable supply of fronds in early spring, when they are generally 
scarce if provision is not made for starting a good batch of plants, and 
prepare them by light and moderately cool treatment afterwards to form 
a succession. 
Davallms .—These are amongst the most useful of Ferns for yielding 
foliage for cutting, the fronds travel well, and last fresh in water for a 
long time. They can be successfully grown in pots and pans, but where 
room is limited the largest supply can be obtained from baskets about 
1 foot in diameter. Small plants in about two years creep all round such 
baxkets, and can conveniently be suspended in vineries or any plant 
structure without taking up the stage room required for others. Such 
deciduous species as D. dissecta are most useful for starting into growth 
now. This is very free growing, and the fronds are of good size, and, 
best of all, this is not injured by being placed in a cold vinery or Peach 
house during its resting season. 
MARKET FOR HONEY. 
After the sensible remarks made by “ Felix” on the above, it 
would appear unnecessary for me to say anything more on the 
subject, and but for one or two points I would have kept silent. 
Beyond what be says I am entirely ignorant of the doings of the 
“ Honey Company.” In fact, I am somewhat disappointed at 
being kept in ignorance of facts concerning it, through Dr. George 
Walker, Wimbledon, failing to furnish us with the balance sheet 
showing the financial state and results of the Company during the 
month of March last, as promised previously by that gentleman. 
For his utterances about the great turnover of the capital in honey, 
which would have formed a procession of waggons fifteen miles 
long, containing a ton each, I forgave him, but 1 did not expect 
he would have kept the other particulars from us. 
The question of a market for honey is a public one, but unless, 
as “Felix” says, those interested exert themselves, the thing can¬ 
not succeed. More than a year ago both schemes were noticed in 
this Journal—viz., the “Honey Company,” and the sensible one 
suggested by “ A Hallamshire Bee-keeper.” There appeared to be 
no advantage taken of the helping hand by those who would have 
certainly been benefited by the scheme. On the contrary, the 
British Bee Journal published one or more letters disparaging the 
scheme, and in such a manner as to throw obloquy upon its promoter, 
“ Hallamshire Bee-keeper,” because he was the only one responsible 
for what would have been a valuable scheme for every bee-keeper 
in the kingdom had it been taken advantage of. 
It does appear strange that people will cry out, “ What are we to 
do with our honey ? where shall we find a market for it ?” and yet 
they will do nothing to attain their earnest desire, while people 
from foreign shores bring over large consignments, and sell their 
honey at the very doors of bee-keepers here who cannot get their 
honey sold ! and probably honey of a superior quality too. 
What the Canadian honey was as to quality I know not, but a 
leaflet was sent me to give my verdict on what I neither tasted nor 
saw. This leaflet, taken from an English paper, pronounced the 
Canadian honey as the “ finest in the world,” which could be con¬ 
strued only as an assertion without the slightest proof. Had the 
Canadians sent me a sample of their honey I would have given a 
true verdict of its quality so far as my knowledge of honey went, 
but being deprived of that I could not do otherwise than remain 
silent. I have not the slightest suspicion of the Canadian honey 
being otherwise than pure and of good quality, but that is all I 
can say of it. Unfortunately for bee-keepers and consumers of 
honey (who will by constant use acquire a taste for an inferior 
article, and prefer it to the genuine) there is at the present time a 
large quantity of glucose in the market being sold as honey. I 
have two samples of the spurious article said to be gathered 
from two distinct flowers, and there is not the slightest perceptible 
difference in the flavour of the two varieties, and there is no diffi¬ 
culty in producing a similar compound with glucose as the base. 
I read an advertisement lately of a packer saying that at one time 
he mixed his honey with glucose, but he found that through edu¬ 
cating the people to what genuine honey was like, he had discon¬ 
tinued the practice. This confession does not assure us of the 
genuineness of recently imported honey. 
The Glasgow authorities, according to the daily papers, have 
been investigating the matter, but unfortunately their analyst has 
stultified himself by saying that “ Although the honey shows an 
excess of adulteration, the syrup by being given to the bees might 
be termed pure honey.” When such utterances come from pro¬ 
fessional men it augurs ill for the speedy termination of adulterated 
honey. 
The present year has not been a very productive one on the 
whole, and the quantity of honey is below the average. Yet much 
of last year’s honey remains unsold, and this year’s white comb- 
honey is unsaleable. There has been a great demand for Heather 
comb, but in many instances there is none to sell. In fact, I have 
seen few first class samples of Heather comb this year. But why 
this prejudice against the fine Clover honeycomb ? Some say that 
it is because of the superior flavour of the Heather honey, but in 
every instance this is not the case, but because of the suspicion that 
it is sugar. If societies would exert themselves to discover spuri¬ 
ous honey and expose the persons offering it for sale it would have 
a deterrent effect, and honest bee-keepers would reap a benefit 
thereby. Then after nothing but the pure nectar was in the 
market there would be a corresponding demand for it as for the 
Heather comb. When consumers have faith in the producer then 
honey will be more easily disposed of, and when the monopoly of 
honey companies is broken up then the bee-keeper will get better 
value for his produce. Whenever bee-keepers establish a system 
that will convey the honey direct from the apiary to the consumer 
or to their neighbourhood, then a lax-ge amount of needless expense 
in conveying it to a central depot is obviated. 
The same rules apply to fruit, and I think a national scheme 
such as proposed by “ A Hallamshire Bee-keeper ” for honey, and 
in conjunction with one another, -would lessen the expense of work¬ 
ing, and a larger return for all produce would be the result, while 
at the same time glutting the markets would be entirely avoided, 
and the produce could be sent direct to where it would be retailed. 
When goods are brought under the auctioneer’s hammer, unless 
they are scarce, they never realise their value. Purchasers combine 
and will not bid, and the goods are often sold at less than a third 
of what they are afterwai'ds retailed at. Then private purchasers 
are debarred from buying at these sales ; everything goes against 
the producer. It was simply vexing to see the little money obtained 
for fruit sold in the markets this year, not as much in many cases 
as would pay the freight. Some system different from the present 
one for disposing of our produce, and one that will remunerate the 
producer better, is really needful, but more must be done than 
grumble. We must all put our shoulders to the wheel. 
A great quantity of fruit is brought to this country in such a 
condition as to be utterly unfit for human consumption. Yet this 
is bought at a cheap rate by boilers, mixed with glucose and gela¬ 
tine, much of which is made from tlie remains of dead horses, and 
is also used largely in making confections. H such samples of fruit 
were consigned to their proper place there would be a greater 
demand for home-grown fruit, and people would not be compelled 
to eat such abominable compounds, manufactured, too, in close 
pi-oximity to our sanitary officials. 
