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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 31,1887. 
lower than that is condensed before it leaves the hive, causes the 
combs to decay, and the pollen to be affected by moulds. 
The amount of water generated by a strong swarm is much greater 
an many people believe. I have seen cloths that had lain upon a 
ive of bees during three months of winter, and covered closely with 
n almost air-tight cover, weigh nearly 10 tt>9. more than they did 
hen put on. After I gave my bees the last feed of syrup in Novem¬ 
ber last, I was laid up, and did not get them removed. The most of 
them it makes little difference whether they are removed or not, but 
some of them have a tendency to cause a draught. When I examined 
them after they had been six weeks on, two of them, tin ones standing 
over a 3-inch space or opening, each contained 2 ozs. of water. A 
third one of wood had none : the wood being warmer the perspired 
air did not condense on it, but was carried beyond it, either at the 
6ide or, as the wood was thin at the side, and a little space between 
the wood and the glass, may have escaped there, as no damp is 
about that hive, nor any of the other two, as with the exception of 
the feeder all the rest of the top of the hive, as well as the floors, 
were prepared, so that no moisture would find a lurking place, nor 
anything that would cause a draught. 
I observe the advice is often given to place a cake of candy on 
the top of the frames and the quilt over all. Bee-keepers will do 
well not to follow that example, as it causes a draught and makes the 
bees restless. Space below does not injure, but above it does. The 
foregoing is intended principally for the beginner, and if he becomes 
impressed with the facts, and acts judiciously, many of the calamities 
attending bees will never be known in his apiary.—A Lanarkshire 
Bee-keeper. 
THE HONEY MARKET. 
Judging from the letters of my critics it is perfectly clear that we 
have not studied the same hooks, either in writing: English or keeping 
accounts. I am quite willing to admit that the comma which has 
slipped in between “ honey ” and “ which is only honey,” &c., warrants 
the imputation that I accused the Canadian honey of being only honey 
in name, but if they had taken the trouble to read on further they must 
have seen that such an imputation was unwarranted, or how can they 
reconcile their interpretation with the fact that I distinctly stated that 
there was no vice in the Canadian honey ? No one could say this of 
honey that was not honey—that is to say, adulterated. Moreover, no 
one would be rash enough to brand any foreign honey with such a 
wholesale condemnation. It is well known that a large quantity of 
honey labelled “ Californian” is nothing but glucose ; still, he would be 
a bold man who would say that all Californian honey was glucose. So 
the whole accusation of my lacking courage to fight the Canadian bee¬ 
keepers face to face falls to the ground, for the very good reason that I 
have made no complaint of the genuineness of their h'>ney. 
Then with regard to accounts. I thought the traditional schoolboy 
knew what gross profit meant, and the difference between it and nett 
profit. The former, of course, is the usual term to express the excess of 
what was received over and above the price at which it was bought, 
while the nett profit is the gross profit less the working expenses. In 
the case of the Honey Company the gross profit was £100, but the 
working expenses (cost of starting the Company, rent, wages, adver¬ 
tising, &c.) being £600, there was a loss of £500. Then, again, 
“ A. H. B.” says we made 15 per cent. We made, on the contrary, 
nearly 17 per cent., as the profit was one-sixth, not one-seventh. 
“Turnover” seems to be strange to “A. H. B.” He need not be 
puzzled or accuse the printers of having. erred. We bought £1000 
worth of honey, but only sold £600, leaving a stock of £400, and this 
latter sum of course is not included in the turnover for the very simple 
reason that it was not turned over, but remained in stock on the 31st 
December, 1885. “ A. H. B.” cordially invites me to join the Bee- 
Keepers’ Union and write to Mr. J. Hewitt of Sheffield. This I decline 
to do, and I am not at liberty to explain my reasons for not accepting 
the invitation, but they are known to the Editor. 
It is not a fact that the Honey Company only buys the finest 
samples. We bought £200 worth of honey, which was taken from 
skeps, but there is little or no demand for it, and a large quantity still 
remains on hand. The same thing happened with some Heather honey 
that we bought. Our traveller could not sell it, as the grocers would 
only take the light honey except in certain places where there was a 
demand for the cheaper kinds. We have at least five different qualities 
of run honey, and as some of these are dark in colour (red Clover for in¬ 
stance) I fail to see how we can be accused of only buying the finest 
samples. 
It is not the slightest use our trying to push the strong flavoured 
honey if the grocers will not take it, and we cannot afford to throw 
away our shareholders’ money. 
It is not correct that there was nearly eleven months’ delay in pre¬ 
senting our first balance sheet, as it was sent out early in October. The 
reasons why there was this delay proved quite satisfactory to our 
shareholders, and I fail to see what ground non-shareholders have to 
complain. 
In conclusion, I have to apologise to “ Felix ” for having accused 
him of praising to the skies the Bee and Fruit Farming Company. 1 
only stated what I thought was the fact, but I see on referring to the 
Journal of January 29th, 1885, that there is no signature to the short 
notice of that Company. —Geo. Walker, Wimbledon. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Harrison ifc Sons, Leicester .—Annual Catalogue of Farm Seeds, 1887. 
John Laing & Co., Forest Hill, S.E .—Price List of Clovers,' Grasses,'end 
other Agricultural Seeds, 1887. 
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 un¬ 
avoidably. 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. 
LATE INQUIRIE3.—It is necessary to again remind correspondents that 
letters arriving on WEDNESDAY MORNING cannot be answered 
in the “ next issue,” which is then far advanced for press. 
Books [Botanist ).—Your question is a very indefinite one and difficult 
to answer without further explanation. If you require a dictionary of the 
same style as Paxton’s or Johnson’s you will not get them for the price 
named, but dictionaries of botanical terms can be procured for a few 
shillings. 
Cacti (D.G .).—Write to Fred. Adolph Haage, jun., Erfurt, Prussia, for a 
catalogue of the plants named. 
An Unnamed Orchid [B. P. O .).—We cannot recognise the Orchid from 
the sketch sent, but it is probably either a Cattleya or a Laslia, and may be 
grown in a pot in an intermediate temperature. 
Fumigating [T. F. IF.'.—We have seen the apparatus mentioned tried 
in several house? with satisfactory results, and the firm who is advertising 
it have employed it in all their houses without the slightest injury to either 
Ferns or Orchids. Of course it should be used carefully, and especially at 
first, until you become accustomed to it. 
Small Rhubarb ( J. F .).—In all probability larger stalks will follow as 
the season advances. If there are clusters of small crowns you may cut 
some of them clean out in order that the strength of the roots will be 
directed to the larger. It will probably be advisable to split a few of these 
from the outsides of the stools with roots attached and plant them in rich 
soil. It may be done now, but no etdks should be pulled from them this 
s' ason. Doyenne Boussoch is a fine-looking Pear and good for a very short 
time only. When once ripe it “ goes like magic.” The trees may be 
inarched as you suggest. 
Landscape Gardening (A Young Gardener ).—We know of no paper 
that will give you the desired information The book most likely to suit you 
is Kemp's “ How to Lay Out a Garden,” which a bookseller can probably 
obtain for you. It is published by Messrs. Bradbury & Evans, Bouverie 
Street, London. AVe do not remember the price. We are pleased to find 
the Journal is acceptable and useful to you in Nova Scotia. 
Worms in Trees [A. B. G .).—You have done right in clearing away the 
Ivy, and you have also no doubt scraped off the decayed bark, or yon could 
not hive caught so many of the worms. Several may be destroyed by forcing 
wire into the cavities, and you will do well also to wash the trunk with a 
solution you can prepare by r issolving a quarter of a pound of softsoap, and 
half an ounce of soda in a gallon of boiling rain water, stirring very briskly 
in while hot a pint of petroleum. This may be applied at a temperature ci 
150°, or so hot that the hand cacnrt be borne in it for a second. Force it 
well into all crevices, and it will make shoit woik of all the worms it 
reaches, 
Strawberries Dying (IF. F. IP.).—Judging from the example you have 
sent we find it difficult to account for the lots of so many plants. We do 
not think the plant before us would have died, due judgment being exercised 
in watering; but at the same time the fruit could not be large, because 
several of the roots are dead, but others are sufficiently active to sustain the 
plant though not to induce vigorous growth. Tin re are also signs of gan¬ 
grene round the Btem and at the base of tbe crowns. The roots may have 
lost their vitality through being kept too dry at some time anterior to com¬ 
mencing to force; or the evil may have been caused by an overdose of liquid 
manure. We have known Strawberries injured by liquid manure given too 
strong, and wl en it has been roughly poured on the crowns by young 
men in a hurry the crowns have been damaged, as well as many of the 
root? d'stroye^* 
