518 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June S3, 1887. 
again at night if not taken possession of by the bees. 
When once the first super has been placed successfully 
the after management is comparatively easy. But to 
return. Supers must supply room sufficient to contain all 
the bees. When a stock is well at work in supers, and 
fresh space is continually afforded in advance of the re¬ 
quirements of the bees, no swarm will issue provided the 
queen is healthy and fertile. 
Upon such lines must those proceed who desire to give 
this system a trial. They must give their attention to 
these two essential points, and to every stock which they 
wish to prevent from sending out a swarm they must 
supply— 
1, A young active queen in the preceding autumn. 
2, Ample supering room. 
Success or failure will mainly depend upon their own 
skill and judgment. If they fail to pay strict attention 
to these two points I cannot be blamed for their non¬ 
success, hut by carrying out the above instructions I believe 
that the chance of failure is infinitessimal, and the cer¬ 
tainty of success almost absolute. 
It may be said by some that “ ample supering room ” is 
a very indefinite expression. It is so, I confess, but it is 
impossible to lay down a hard-and-fast rule; but it will be 
quite safe for me to say that during the whole of May, in 
fact until the Clover is well in bloom, a new super should 
be supplied as soon as the bees are properly at work in 
the one last placed, unless the weather is cold. So when 
the comb in the first super is built out then a fresh super 
may be placed beneath, but all depends upon the weather 
and the bees themselves. Between the placing of the 
first and second super a far longer time will ordinarily 
elapse than between the placing of the second and other 
supers. The more combs there are built out in supers 
prior to the Clover harvest the better the chance of secur¬ 
ing a great profit. Five racks of sections, each containing 
twenty-one 1 lb. sections, ought to be in position in every 
hive every season, and in a good year, and in a good 
locality, every one should be filled. A stock must be 
poor and profitless unless it has population sufficient to 
work in 120 sections in a good year. The subject must 
now be left with the hope that all who make a trial of 
this system of management will succeed and prosper in 
their success.— Felix. 
°N 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 INQUIRIES.—It is necessary to again remind correspondents that 
letters arriving on WEDNESDAY MORNING cannot he answered 
in the “ next issue,” which is then far advanced for press. 
Address (A. K. 1 The address you require is Messrs. W. & J. 
Birkenhead, Sale, Manchester. 
Asparagus (E. 0. Dalston). —The less you cut your Asparagus after the 
present time the better. Give the beds a good salting to destroy the small 
weeds, and apply liquid manure copiously to encourage strong stems this 
summer, as the finer they become the better will your Asparagus be next 
spring. 
Seedling Pansy ( IV. II. T.). —Your Pansy flowers having been packed 
in dry cotton wool arrived in a much withered state, through the wool 
extracting the moisture from them and fading the colours. We can only 
say the variety appears to be a pretty miniature worth preserving, but v/e 
doubt if it possesses any material commercial value. 
Repotting Auriculas ( W. J.). —Most persons repit their plants in May, 
but, as “D, Deal,” has recently stated, Mr. Bolton, who is an excellent 
grower, does not. We repotted a few plants in May, leading some others 
undisturbed, and these latter are decidedly the better now. We do not 
apprehend that gre.it injury has been done by what you call “ neglect ” in 
this matter. 
Growing Cucumbers ( Manchester ).—As you have found your method 
of culture, with ventilation, s itisfactory, why do you want to change ? 
The non-ventilating system answers well with some growers for market, but 
all of them do not adopt it; and we have known some gardeners who have 
attempted it revert to the 11 old plan,” and growers for market too ; but 
this does not prove the non-ventilating method wrong in all cases and 
localities. 
Thinning Raspberry Growths (W. James). —It is an excellent plan to 
thin out a number of suckers at this period of the year where there are 
many of them clustering from the roots. These if left injure each other, 
and the majority have to be cut out when dressing the plantations in 
winter. It is in every way better to draw out now those not wanted, and 
the others which remain will become the stronger and mature the better, 
hence being in good condition for bearing next year. 
Cornflowers (Henley). — There is no difficulty whatever in having 
Cornflowe s for cutting at this season of the year. We have plants 2 feet 
high, three or four of them planted together forming bushes of nearly the 
same diameter. They are covered with flowers and buds, and will con¬ 
tinue attractive for along time. The seed was sown—in fact, self-sown 
last August, and the plan s coming up thin’y assumed a sturdy habit, and 
sustained no injury from the frost and snow of winter. They were taken 
up, and planted in their flowering positions early in April. 
Destroying Wire worm ( G . P.) —Dress the ground with gas lime, one 
peck (level measure) per square rod, distributing equally over the surface, 
it being best applied in autumn and forked-in. The ground should be 
forked over again so soon in spring as the ground is in working order, and 
again before putting in the crop. It will drive them away if not destroy 
them. Many may be destroyed by baits of Carrots or Potatoes buried m 
the soil 1 to 2 metres deep, which should be examined daily, and the wire- 
worms that have peuetra'ed the baits destroyed, re inserting them in the 
soil. If the baits have a stick thrust through them, so as to serve as a 
handle, they are more readily takm up and examined. 
Autumn-sown Onions for Exhibition (M D.). — The seed should be 
sown the second week in August. The ground should be trenched as deep 
as the soil will admit without bringing up any bad soil, though if the 
bottom soil be bad it is well to loosen it. A good manuring should he 
applied, mixing it well with the soil, the manure being thoroughly decom¬ 
posed. The ground should be made firm, and the seed sown in drills afoot 
apart. When the plants hive a pair of leaves thin to 2 inches distance 
apart, and keep clear of weeds, stirring the soil between the rows. To 
avo : d the maggot, when the plants show the second leaf water over them 
with p troleum—a wineglassful to three gallons of water, stirring well; 
let stand twelve hours, then stir again, and after standing another 
twelve hours skim off the oil from the surface, watering the plants with 
the clear or skimmed water only. This may he repeated iu the early part 
of April, May, and June respectively. In March you may remove every 
three plant-*, leaving the fourth, planting them in well-manured deeply 
trenched ground in rows a foot apart, and 9 inches apart in the rows, the 
ground being well firmed before planting. All that is wanted is to water 
until establ shed and to keep clear of weeds. A sprinkling of soot may he 
given every month, commencing with March and continuing until June, 
applying in such quantity as just to blacken the surface, applying guano 
between the soot applications at the rate of 2 lbs. to 30^ square yards, 
which will cause the manures to he applied at fortnightly intervals. If the 
weather be dry at the time of applying the manures they should he given 
in liquid instead of sol'd f rm—one peck of soot to thirty gallons of water, 
and 2 lbs. guano to the same quantity of water, the watering to be at the 
rate of one gallon per square yard. 
Petunias in Pots ( J. Edwards). —You are right: they are very beautiful 
when well grown, but too often seen “ drawn and weedy-looking.” The 
following is a good method of culture:—Supposing a plant to be in a 
tiO-pot, and to have passed through the winter unscathed, it should be a loyv 
bushy plant well furnished with branches and healthy leaves. The soil 
for repotting being moderately dry, let the plants be brought out of the 
greenhouse to the bench, and prepare the pots to receive them. If old and 
dirty let them he clean-washed, and do not use them till they are perfectly 
dry. Put in drainage in the usual way; place some rough siftings over 
the drainage, and upon them place as much soil as will raise the ball of 
earth the plants are growing in to the level of the rim of the new pots; 
then turn the plants in succession out of the pots, remove carefully the 
drainage that may be attached to each ball, place the plant in the fresh 
pot, and fill round the hall the new compost till the pot is full, then give a 
gentle stroke upon the bench, and fill up the deficiency. The old ball 
should then be covered about half an inch, and a small space left below 
the level of the rim, then give a gentle watering, and return them to the 
greenhouse, placing them close to the glass. As they grow take care to 
stop each shoot, thereby inducing a bushy habit. The tops, if required, 
may be made use of as cuttings. In this Btage the plants will require 
constant attention to keep them duly supplied with water, and plenty of 
air whenever the weather is mild. About the middle of April they will 
require a second shift into larger pots, into the same compost, using the 
same precautions as to drying the soil, draining the pots, and so forth. 
Most probably the green fly will now make its appearance, and it must be 
