Jane 16, 1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
495 
THE FLOWER GARDEN AND PLEASURE GROUND. 
Mixed Flower Beds .—Where a considerable number of beds have to 
be filled it often happens there is a scarcity of plants towards the finish, 
and rather than plant too thinly it is advisable to put out various kinds 
not originally intended for the flower garden. Really attractive beds 
may be formed with a judicious mixture of old plants of Fuchsias, Plum¬ 
bago capensis, Marguerites, AbutiIons, double and single Zonal Pelargo¬ 
niums, Erythrina crista galli, Heliotropes, Cannas, Tuberous Begonias, 
Yuccas. Cordylines, Musas, and Palms. Sheltered borders or beds are 
preferable for this style, and the plants being put out according to their 
respective heights in a fairly rich and light soil will usually succeed 
admirably. The more valuable Palms, Cordylines, and Yuccas may well 
be kept in their pots and plunged. All should be in a moist state at the 
roots when planted, should have the soil well packed about the roots, 
and the old balls must not be allowed to get very dry, or failure will 
be the consequence. On one occasion when the stock of small plants 
were exhausted two large beds were filled very effectively and cheaply 
as follows:—We divided a lot of old plants of Stachys lanata, and with 
these formed a broad edging next the grass. Inside of this was planted 
a number of large old plants of semi-double Zonal Pelargoniums, Guillon 
Mangilli, disposed in a sloping direction so as to admit of their being 
pegged down, the centre of the bed being filled with yellow Marguerites, 
among which were dotted a few plants of Ricinus Gibsoni, white Mar¬ 
guerites, or the single Dahlia alba. The latter being pegged dovvn might 
be substituted for the yellow Marguerites, and the secould be banded by 
any sort of Zonal Pelargonium. Much depends upon the way in which 
the work is done, as when planted in an haphazard fashion it is almost 
impossible to properly cover the ground. 
Carpet Beds .—By the time the hardier bedding plants are in position 
the time will have arrived for filling in the figures, already outlined on 
the carpet beds, with the somewhat delicate Alternantheras and other 
coloured plants used. Those who have not yet made a start are advised 
to give plenty of time to the work, as unless well done carpet beds are 
unattractive. The surface should be made perfectly level, and the edges 
of the beds be raised well above the turf and covered either with 
Echeveria secunda glauca facing outwards, or, failing these, with such 
neat-growing plants as Antennaria tomentosa and Sedum glaucum. The 
figures in the design should be well defined and simple rather than 
intricate ; the latter looking well on paper, but are seldom effective on 
the ground. The better to preserve these finely marked lines, they may 
be rendered conspicuous with the aid of a little silver sand. Tiny 
ulants of Golden Pyrethrum dibbled out about 2 inches apart may well 
be used for the outline of the figures, the centres being filled in with 
Alternantheras, Leucophiton, and other neat-growing plants available. 
The trowel disturbs the ground too much during the process of planting, 
and it is advisable to do the work principally with the hand. The 
groundwork or spaces surrounding the figures of the design should be 
covered with very close-growing plants, such as Herniaria glabra and 
the golden form, Sedum Lydium, Sedum glaucum, Antennaria tomentosa, 
Veronica repens, and Mentha Pulegium gibraltarica. They must not 
be planted in large patches, but should be freely divided, quite small 
pieces soon becoming established, and if they are pressed into the ground 
rather thickly and watered a few times, a neat well-covered surface is 
quickly obtained. 
Watering Bedding Plants .—The owners of small gardens especially 
are in the habit of freely watering their beds—this, in sunny weather, 
being a daily process. Pond water being available this may answer fairly 
well, but when very hard and cold water is applied more harm than good 
results from these drenchings. When planting in succession to Wall¬ 
flowers, Forget-me-nots, and other soil-impoverishers it is advisable to 
well moisten the ground if possible with liquid manure a few hours 
Drior to planting, and after the plants are in position another watering 
is necessary to fix the soil about the roots. Subsequently no heavy 
waterings should be given unless the ground is found to be really 
approaching dryness, but overhead waterings may be given in the 
evenings of hot days with advantage. Rather than to be continually 
saturating the ground, thereby both cooling and impoverishing it, we 
prefer to lightly shade any plants that flag badly at the outset. Those 
plante 1 from small pots do not need this temporary shading of tree 
branches, but Pyrethrums, Verbenas, Lobelias, Stocks, Asters, in fact 
anything moved from boxes, are usually benefited by it. After the 
ground has been stirred with a flat hoe and levelled about the plants it 
is a good plan to mulch with leaf soil, fine peat, cocoa-nut fibre, or grass 
from the mowing machine. This encloses the moisture, does away with 
the necessity of frequent waterings, and preserves a neat appearance. 
Such moisture-loving plants as Violas, Tuberous Begonias, and Ver¬ 
benas ought to have the ground well enriched for them, occasional 
waterings in hot weather also being beneficial. Planted on poor ground 
no amount of water will insure a healthy growth. 
W. 
m 
BEE-KEEPER. 
6 ) 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
MOVING BEES. 
Aftep. a swarm of bees was transposed in November, several 
bees returned to their original stand in tbe spriug, and many would 
have been lopt had I not removed them. On a warm day when the bees 
are flying, a hive may be removed many yards distance, and if no 
other hive intervenes the bees will search it out, mark their new site, 
and return unerringly to it in a few hours after if done early in the 
day. If any hives intervene the movement will result in a failure. 
The summer time, as stated above, is, with the exception of moving 
backwards short distances, the only safe way to move bees, and at 
no other time of the year should it be attempted unless they are 
moved some miles distant, remaining until they are fully accustomed 
to their new site and have forgotten their old one, which, as a rule, 
may be said to do in not less than eight weeks. 
CYPRIANS. 
These crosses have been extra busy of late, and appearingly deter¬ 
mined not to lose any of their reputation for their good qualities they 
have previously won. Like all the others, they have many young 
bees, having bred as usual without stimulating, neither requiring it, 
nor does the withholding it prevent Nature taking its course. Bee¬ 
keepers may note that to their own advantage by lessening not only 
labour but appliances. “ Are these Cyprians not very vicious ?’’ 
queried a visitor to-day. “ Oh, not at all,” 1 rejoined. From what 
I have written about the doings of the Syrian races appears to have 
frightened many at their very name, but I assure all such, if they but 
adopt the hives I have described and manipulate according to my 
instructions, they are quite manageable, and if the Syrians are some¬ 
what fiery adopt tbe Cyprians. 
FLOORBOARDS. 
These should be regularly cleared of all debris, which should be 
destroyed out of the reach of bees. Those having ventilating floors 
should make frequent examinations of the shutter, removing from it 
debris, and along with it all mites and parasites. 
QUEENS. 
Very often a little before a queen is deposed she lays excessively, 
so if any aged queens are observed to do this, supersede her as early 
as possible by introducing a young fertilised one. It is erroneously 
stated that a queen bee is at her best when she is three years of age. 
She is nothing of the sort. A queen bee is in her prime a few days 
after she is fertilised, and may continue so for about a year, after 
which she decreases in fertility, with a great risk of being deposed 
at any time. For about a quarter of a century past I can only recall 
the loss of one yearling queen before June. The average loss of 
two-year-olds for the same time has been about 30 per cent., three- 
year-olds as high as 80 per cent., and rarely have four-year-olds 
lived to do any service. Several times I have had Ligurian queens 
at the age of fully six years, and which bred seven seasons, but ex¬ 
perience has taught me to rely on none but yearlings. The study 
and management of bees at the present day with the new varieties is 
a very different thing from what it was when nothing but the com¬ 
mon black bee was kept, and if we wish to be successful we must 
adapt ourselves and appliances to their requirements. 
DOUBLE versus SINGLE WALLED HIVES. 
During the past few weeks I have about fifty letters from bee¬ 
keepers expressing their opinion and experience, and without exception 
all of them declare in favour of single cased hives, which I concur in 
and endorse the sentiment. It is now nearly thirty years since my first 
letter appeared in The Cottage Gardener , and my opinion has never 
changed on the way to manage bees. 1 pursued a course of my own, 
and I now reap the pleasure of seeing others following the advice of 
—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
DISEASED BEES. 
By this post 1 send you some bees picked up before a hive this 
morning, and shall be glad if you can tell me what is amiss. So far as 
I can see they are fully developed, but lack the power of flight. On 
warm, especially bright sunshiny days, literally thousands come out. of 
the hive and dropping from the fly board run about the garden making 
frantic efforts to rise, but cannot do so, while others climb the young 
Fennel plants (a bed of which is immediately in front of the hive), and 
hang listlessly about; and a very large number unable to return to the 
hive are killed by the dew. An old bee-keeper examined the hive on 
Saturday, but could not account for it. 
The swarm is moderately strong, and the queen must be particularly 
vigorous, for the hive is full of brood—both worker and drone—in all 
stages of development. There is, however, very little honey, and 
although the swarm has been working for some weeks no new comb has 
been made this season. The hive is a wooden bar-framed one and is 
raised about a foot from the ground facing south-east, and is very well 
screened. I only had the hive in February, and was told that a new 
