320 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Apiii 21, 1887. 
attention at intervals of a month during the season. If the newly made 
growths are allowed to hang from the main shoots in large houses a very 
picturesque appearance is obtained when the plants are in flower. 
Ivy-leaved Pelargoniums .—Few plants equal the double and semi¬ 
double forms as climbers for the sides of houses and pillars in light, open, 
exposed positions. It is useless to plant them in shady places, for they 
will grow but not flower ; but when fully exposed to light and sunshine 
they yield a large profusion of delicate and beautiful flowers for cutting, 
either for home decoration or for packing during the London season. 
They have a more delicate appearance than Zonals. 
Greenhouse Rhododendrons .—All that have started into growth must 
be repotted if they need more room at their roots. With good treatment 
several varieties grow rapidly provided they are carefully watered and 
repotted occasionally. During the season of growth they are benefited 
by a close, moist atmosphere, in which they root and grow freely. Stand 
the pots upon some moisture-holding material, and syringe freely 
amongst the pots to keep them moist. It is also necessary to shade them 
from bright sunshine. The fine silk-like roots of these plants are 
quickly destroyed if the soil is allowed to become dry. If any thrips 
appear wash the plants in a weak solution of tobacco water, or they 
will play sad havoc with the foliage after the plants are placed in 
warmer quarters. Pot these plants firmly in good peat with a liberal 
dash of sand added. 
HE BEE-KEEPER. 
£ 
NOTES ON BEES. 
THICKNESS OF COHBS. 
So far as the brood combs are concerned we need not 
trouble much about them. Probably before a hive was 
made the bees fixed the law that the distance from centre 
to centre shall be H inch, exactly what we find them in 
a state of nature at the present day, and any attempt on 
the part of the bee-keeper to alter that distance or turn 
the combs upside down is simply useless interference. 
Bees do not adhere strictly to any fixed size in super 
combs, but swell them out according to circumstances and 
the weather, the latter and the number of bees being the 
chief controllers, and we find them varying in thickness 
sometimes from 1 to 6 inches. One super of the latter 
sort was exhibited by Mr. Templeton at Dumfries Show 
in 1878. The super was iully 12 inches in thickness, and 
two combs filled it from one side to the other. Notwith¬ 
standing these extremes I have found that when bees were 
numerous and left to their own devices during a honey 
glut the combs were as a rule about 1J inch in thickness, 
or about 2 inches apart from centre to centre. At that 
latter distance I have always had the most regular and 
evenly built combs, and with the use of guides or comb 
foundation can always cause the bees to make uniform 
combs with less likelihood of eggs being laid therein than 
when thinner. To obtain pretty and uniform combs I keep 
all as nearly as possible at a uniform distance of 2 inches 
from centre to centre as formerly. It is more profitable 
to have combs of that thickness than thinner, and appa¬ 
rently nearer the wishes of the bees. 
When the late James Anderson of Dairy and myself 
took our bees at first to Arran, we, as well as our bees, 
discovered that it was a land rich in honey. Whatever 
errors I have committed I never committed that one of 
smothering my bees in transit, providing them always 
with extra room and ventilation above and below. Imme¬ 
diately the bees were set down and released they set to 
work in earnest, both in filling supers and extending their 
brood combs downwards, keeping strictly to the 2 inches 
above and the 1 } beneath, never having any occasion 
to deviate from my original plan. But it was not 
so with Mr. Anderson, as he failed in providing his 
bees with breeding space below, and the bees finding 
themselves cramped disregarded the guides and made 
their combs, doubtless with the intention of breeding 
therein, but the abundance of honey prevented that, con¬ 
sequently were filled with honey and sealed. We viewed 
this occurrence differently, Mr. Anderson holding that it 
was the abundance of honey that caused the bees to make 
their combs, and not on account of too little breeding 
space as I suggested. Subsequently he had his supers- 
altered to nine bars instead of seven. I held to my 
original way, and neither my bees nor myself found any 
need for a change. The last time I spoke to Mr. Ander¬ 
son on the subject he held to the nine bars, so we were 
both satisfied. 
When honeycomb is thin there is more wax to be 
secreted by the bees and more for the consumer to con¬ 
tend with. When thick comb is cut more honey drips, 
than when it is thin, but altogether I think the massive 
comb about 2 inches thick is the one that is most preferred. 
I have never seen any utensil suitable for placing honey¬ 
comb on the table. I think if such a thing were made it 
would meet with a ready sale. Such an article may be 
of crystal, metal, plain or ornamental, of silver or electro¬ 
plated. It ought to have a rack to keep the comb on its 
edge, with a drainer beneath so that the loose honey 
would flow into a crystal dish, and so avoid smearing 
the whole comb, as it necessarily does when_ lying flat 
on a platter. If a utensil of that sort was introduced 
guests would have the option of drained or comb honey 
from the one utensil. 
INTRODUCING BEES TO ARRAN. 
It may interest some of your readers to learn that 
bees were first introduced to Arran within the past hun¬ 
dred years. About eighty or ninety years ago a Mr. W. 
Henderson, architect and contractor under the Duke 
Alexander of Hamilton and Brandon, observed there were 
no bees on the island, suggested that it seemed a good 
place for them, advised their introduction, and if I re¬ 
member aright what Mr. Henderson told me, he sent oir 
took over a hive or more about the beginning of the pre¬ 
sent century. Since that 1 was asked for a hive to re¬ 
stock the island as all the bees were dead. I did not 
trouble to satisfy myself whether that was correct or not, 
but I gave the party a hive for Is. 6d., which in two years 
after were increased to upwards of fifty hives. 
The island of Skye, too, where we hear of so muclr 
distress amongst its crofters, about eight years ago had 
but one hive of bees, but of enormous weight and dimen¬ 
sions as stated by its owner (an officer of the Excise) to 
me, and to whom I sent a second one for the purpose of 
crossing. From the glowing descriptions given me of the 
place and bees, I am of the opinion that some good might 
accrue to these crofters if they kept a few hives, and 
from the scope of land they possess poultry farming would 
be more remunerative than the few sheep and cattle they 
possess. I feel certain that the proper advice to be given 
to the indigent crofters upon this subject would not be 
misdirected, and might ultimately prove of more value 
than a reduction of rents, but they must be led and 
assisted by willing and experienced hands. 
TIN CRATES. 
While all the bee world seems excited about the future 
standard frame and section, and the originator of con¬ 
trivances in connection with bee husbandry, I will describe 
the crates of tin I had seven years ago. Of all material 
for hive-making, metal of any sort I consider the worst „ 
still, we are often disappointed and frequently surprised 
at the unexpected, and what could be more surprising to 
some than to see beautifully filled supers made wholly of 
tin? A tinsmith near me uses nothing but tin supers* 
