180 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 8, 1887. 
according to requirements, and the strongest and most forward plants 
may be subjected to greenhouse treatment. 
Tree Carnations.— Cuttings may now be taken from plants that have 
been standing in a cool house. These should be inserted in sandy soil, 
well watered, and covered with bellglasses. It is a good plan to insert 
them in 7 and 8-inch pots, and then place them in a temperature of 
about 60°. After they have been in a week or ten days give them 
slight bottom heat, and they will root quickly. If the plants have been 
drawn by keeping them in a confined atmosphere propagation had 
better be delayed for n few weeks, for cuttings from such plants are 
almost certain to damp. Under these circumstances place the plants 
in a cool airy house for two or three weeks before taking the cut¬ 
tings. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN AND PLEASURE GROUND. 
Bedding Plants. —The work of preparing a good stock of these now 
calls for immediate attention, and every available house and frame will 
in many cases have to be utilised to their fullest extent. It is always ad¬ 
visable to propagate rather more than are really required ; at any rate, 
it is better to have too many than not enough, thinly planted beds being 
much longer in arriving at a presentable condition. 
Zonal Pelargoniums .—These are yet the most in demand, and as 
cuttings were rather scarce many will have to be struck now. As a rule 
autumn-struck plants are much the best, and these should not be cut 
down, as they seldom recover properly from this rough treatment. They 
may now be either placed singly into 3-inch pots or disposed thinly in 
boxes, any good sandy compost suiting them. The more delicate varie¬ 
gated and bronze Zonals ought to be favoured with pots, the commoner 
sorts transplanting more readily from boxes. They should be kept 
warmer for a time or till well established, when cool pits and frames are 
sufficient protection. Strong old plants are best for furnishing cuttings, 
and these should not be taken off till after active growth has either 
commenced naturally or has been induced in gentle heat. The cuttings 
strike most surely when dibbled thinly into 6-inch or 7-inch pots filled 
with sandy soil and stood on dry shelves in a warm house, or say in an 
early vinery. A rather dry heat about them is necessary, and not much 
water ought to be given at first. We never top any of the plants, as all 
are finally planted in a sloping direction and pegged down, long branch¬ 
ing plants filling the beds most quickly. 
Tuberous Begonias .—If a good strain of these is grown they surpas 8 
the Zonal Pelargoniums, especially in showery weather. On no account 
ought the old tubers to be started yet, but seedlings should be grown as 
rapidly as possible. We sow seed as early as possible on the surface of 
pans of fine peaty soil, faced with silver sand, and this being mois¬ 
tened before the seed is sown no further watering is needed for some 
time. The pans should be plunged in a mild hotbed, covered with 
squares of glass, and closely shaded from bright sunshine. If found to 
be approaching dryness at any time partially dip the pans in a warm 
water tank, and allow the moisture to soak upwards, in this manner moisten¬ 
ing the soil and sand without dislodging the minute seeds. When the 
seedlings are large enough to handle prick off the strongest at intervals 
in shallow pans filled with fine sandy soil. Supposing they are disposed 
about 2 inches apart each way, carefully watered in, and kept in a warm 
house or frame, they will soon touch each other, when they should be 
carefully transplanted to boxes filled with rich loamy compost. This 
time they may be about 4 inches apart each way, and if kept growing 
gently till near bedding-out time they will be strong, will transplant 
readily, and flower well the same season. 
Verbenas. — Strong, clean stock plants being available, these if placed 
in a gentle heat and well away from the hot-water pipes will soon yield 
an abundance of healthy cuttings. No difficulty will be experienced in 
striking these in a warm frame or on a hotbed in a forcing house, and 
these newly struck plants will also yield good cuttings. It is the wiry 
insect-infested cuttings that frequently refuse to strike, and if they do 
root they never make any satisfactory progress either before or after 
they are planted. Verbenas usually do better in boxes than pots unless 
they happen to be struck late. Seedlings are the strongest growers, but 
they are only suitable for the centres of mixed beds or for mixed 
borders. If the seed is new it usually germinates quickly in a warm 
frame, or if placed on a mild hotbed. Sow in pans of fine sandy soil, 
cover lightly, water through a fine-rose pot, plunge the pans in the hot¬ 
bed, cover with glass, and shade carefully. When the seedlings are 
well up gradually expose to more light, prick off thinly in boxes of 
good soil, keep in gentle heat till growing strongly, when cool pits or 
frames will suit them. The good old Verbena venosa may be raised in 
the same way, but at times the seed germinates very slowly indeed. If 
plenty of old plants have been preserved under glass the fleshy roots of 
these may be cut into lengths of about two joints each, and dibbled 
thickly into boxes of fine sandy soil. Placed in gentle heat these soon 
develope into tiny plants, and may be treated similar to other Verbenas 
struck from cuttings. 
Lobelias .—We prefer increasing these by division. A number of 
specially prepared stocky old plants being wintered in a cool house or 
frame will now be emitting roots from all the young shoots above the 
soil. Before these roots perish the plants may be pulled in pieces, and 
if every little piece is dibbled into pans or boxes of fine soil and kept 
in a warm house or vinery they soon grow into bushy little plants 
suitable for temporarily bedding out into cold frames. At bedding out 
time they may be had 4 inches through, and they are soon effective. 
Cuttings, if not drawn up in heat, will strike root readily in heat, and 
plants of a good stock thus raised are preferable to the more vigorous 
growing seedlings. The latter, however, are not to be despised. The 
seed, being very small, should be treated exactly the same as recommended 
in the case of Tuberous Begonias. 
Ageratums .—A few old plants placed in gentle heat soon afford 
plenty of good cuttings, and these form roots very quickly in heat. 
They are a useful as edging plants, and should be rapidly and exten¬ 
sively propagated. The seed also germinates very quickly in gentle 
heat, but seedlings are rarely to be depended upon for edging beds. 
Heliotropes .—Good beds may be formed principally with. Heliotropes. 
The stock is best increased in a manner similar to Verbenas from 
cuttings, and it is always advisable to place out strong plants, or the 
display of bloom is certain to be very late. 
Dahlias .—Old stools of these placed in a warm house and covered 
with soil soon push up a number of shoots, and these should be taken 
off with a heel, dibbled singly into thumb pots, and plunged in gentle 
heat or in a propagating frame. Cuttings without a heel will strike, 
but not if the stalk is hollow. They are liable to damp off if kept in 
a very steamy frame or handlight. If only a few plants are wanted 
these may be obcained by division of the old stools,-but in this case they 
should not be started yet. Any quantity of Dahlias, both double and 
single, may be raised from seed. This germinates readily in heat, and 
if pricked out thinly in boxes of good soil, or singly in 34-inch pots, 
strong plants will be obtained by the time they are wanted. 
HE BEE-KEEPER 
IM 
SOME PECULIARITIES IN BEES AND 
BEE-KEEPING. 
At pages 506 and 507 in number for December 2nd, 1886, your 
esteemed correspondent, “ Felix,” gives us not only interesting 
reading, but refreshing as well; while on the same page “ Notts 
Bee-keeper ” makes some pertinent remarks and worthy of investi¬ 
gation. The quotations by “ Felix,” which are but a sample of 
many of the same nature, which the earlier numbers of the Journal 
of Ho. ticullure contained, must be refreshing to the veteran readers 
of this Journal who in days gone past contributed so much infor¬ 
mation for the benefit of its readers and as a labour of love only. 
The quotations not only show how they were appreciated at the 
time given, but show how much more they will be appreciated at 
the present time by all, and particularly those who were led to 
believe differently. I observe “ Felix ” also corrects another popular 
error, that bees can be terrorised by certain means—an idea never 
entertained by me. Bees, unless when in terror of being caught in 
a storm, know no fear. When manipulated in any way they defend 
themselves by attacking the invader, and their natural instinct 
causes them to preserve as much of their honey as possible by 
filling themselves with it, which has the effect of allaying their 
temper, and is the best means known for that purpose. When bees 
have had a day or two of a honey glut before being supered, when 
all the cells of the hive are filled as well as every bee, they maybe 
approached and handled even roughly at that time without the 
slightest fear of being stung. If, on the other hand, as “ Felix ” 
remarks, there was no honey in the hive, the more the bees were 
annoyed the more vicious they would become, unless subdued by 
smoke or other suffocating substances. 
It is now more than tfiirty years since an Inverness gentleman 
told me that by “ saturating a sponge with creosote and putting it 
near the bees their honey could be taken fiom them without 
receiving a single sting. In fact.” he continued, “ the bees run 
before it.” Some years previous to the above information an 
Irishman told me that his father, before he lost his farm, kept bees, 
and in order to hurry them forward in spring fed them with a 
mixture of cream, eggs, and flour. From the age of my informant, 
the above stimulants must have been in use well nigh a century. 
Flour as a substitute for pollen was well known to bee-keepers in 
this locality a century since. The information has been handed 
down from father to son, who were millers and bee-keepers, 
observed the bees gathering the flour about the mill, and I doubt 
not but was well known long before that time. 
Although knowing the origin of some things may not benefit 
bee-keepers, yet it is well to know facts. The same thing applies to 
bees as to anything connected with the apiary in any phase of bee 
husbandry, but with this difference, it is materially important we 
should know the origin of our breed of bees as well as the aberrations 
that often take place amongst them. There is not the slightest 
doubt but that our common black bee in its pure state was inferior 
to those crossed by one or other of the foreign varieties intro¬ 
duced to this country within the past twenty-five years ; while in 
point of fact the new varieties were in many respects superior to 
the black bee both in fertility and as honey gatherers. The foreign 
