July 19, 1194. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
69 
to greatly interfere with winter Spinach. A baking will do clayey soils 
good, but directly a soaking rain falls fork over the surface so as to break 
all the lumps down finely. If this can be done during the next fort¬ 
night or three weeks so much the better, and it may then be possible to 
sow seeds early in August. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Crotons.— Good heads that have been notched and are well rooted 
should be taken off and placed into 4, 5, and 6-inch pots according to 
their size and the purpose for which they are required. After potting 
place in a frame or under large hand-lights for a week or ten days until 
they are rooting freely. They must be kept moist and shaded from the 
sun until they are well established, when arrange them where they will 
enjoy full sunshine. Where small plants are needed for various forms 
of decoration, and large bold foliage at the base is not important, side 
shoots may be rooted by inserting them in suitable pots and placing them 
under hand-lights. Plants in from 3 to 9-inch pots may, if they need 
more root room, be potted and put in a sunny position ; syringe freely 
to keep the foliage clean and maintain a warm moist atmosphere. 
Polnsettlas.— Old plants as well as those that have been raised 
from portions of stem should be placed in the pots in which they are 
intended to produce their bracts. They ought to be gradually hardened 
and be grown in cold frames during the summer. If kept close and 
warm these plants soon become tall and weakly, being liable to lose 
their lower foliage. Give them full sunshine, and ventilate freely 
during hot weather. 
Adlantum cuneatum. —Plants that are growing freely and 
intended for yielding fronds in the best condition in autumn and 
winter may be grown in cold frames. If the plants have been shaded 
it will be necessary to give them light shade for a time, after which they 
may be freely exposed to the sun. It is only by exposure and abundance 
of air that fronds of the lightest green, almost yellow, and those that will 
last when cut, can be produced. For cutting purposes these plants are 
frequently overshaded, and the fronds flag directly they are cut. 
Seedlings may be placed from pans in thumb or 2i-inch pots, a very 
suitable size for many forms of decoration. 
Eulalias.— Good plants that are needed in the autumn, and have 
been divided, but are not well established in 5 or G-inch pots, may be 
placed into larger ones. Do not grow the plants in too warm a tem¬ 
perature, or they become weak and will not be capable of supporting 
themselves. A sturdy habit should be aimed at consistent with keeping 
the plants growing. 
Caladlums. —Early plants of C. argyrites that are going past 
their best may be gradually induced to go to rest, so that they will be 
ready for starting again into growth a few months hence. These must 
not be prematu'ely forced to rest or the tubers may decay. Repot late 
plants that have been started in boxes, and these will keep up the 
supply for a long time. Plants of larger growing varieties that it may 
be necessary to increase in size should be placed in other pots as they 
need more room. Light shade will be needed during the brightest and 
hottest part of the day. 
Gloxinias. —Seedlings that are now in 3-inch pots, and are well 
rooted, may be placed in 5 and 6-inch pots. If the plants have been 
brought forward in gentle warmth they should be gradually hardened 
and grown in a cool house or cold frame. The foliage of the plants 
must not be watered, and should be shaded from bright sunshine. 
Begonias. —The various autumn and winter flowering kinds should 
be placed in their flowering pots and stood in cold frames. If they have 
been in a warm temperature the plants must be kept close at first and 
then given abundance of air. Protect from direct sunshine, but on no 
account must they be overshaded. Nearly all Begonias will bear 
more light and sunshine than they are generally given. Cuttings of the 
varieties of B. nitida and others required for spring flowering may be 
rooted as frames and hand-lights are at liberty. B. Ingram! is very 
•serviceable, and cuttings propagated from the present time will be found 
most useful for various purposes. The same may be said of many of the 
semperflorens section. 
Asparagus plumosus.— Young plants raised from cuttings, and 
well rooted in small pots, may be placed in others 2 inches larger. These 
if grown well, will be useful by autumn for either table or room 
■decoration. Few plants are more useful in a small state, and they are 
readily raised and grown into a suitable size in one season. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
The Honey Season. 
On the Glh inst. the test hive mentioned on page 46 of last 
week’s issue rose in weight lbs. in two and three-quarter hours. 
The day was sultry, and a severe thunderstorm occurred, putting 
an end to the ingathering for the time being. The test hive 
swarmed on the lOcb, and I gave it about half a pound of syrup 
in the evening. Very little honey was obtained on the 11th, but 
■on the 12ch the swarm gathered 2 lbs., while unswarmed hives 
secured about half that amount only. The 13th proved windy 
and cloudy, with the barometer at 2910. There is little prospect 
of the Clover honey season being resumed. 
I have a number of nuclei prepared for isolation, which I intend 
taking to the Leadhills probably before this is in print, when I 
shall take a survey of the hills whether it be advisable to remove 
the stock there or not. The weather will also have to be taken 
into account, for unless it settles, no matter how fine the bloom of 
Heather may be, no honey can be gathered. 
A partial inspection of my hives reveals the fact, notwithstand¬ 
ing all the care taken to keep them in the highest condition, they 
are only now coming to that desirable point. Had they been fed 
excessively they would have been more forward, but to do so in the 
absence of the knowledge of what the future weather will be is 
inadvisable. I strive to have my hives free from sugar during the 
summer months, then I can depend on the honey being pure. I 
was well pleased when examining my hives to see the Punics with 
so much sealed honey, a decided proof against those who averred 
“ they gathered no honey.” 
Quality of Honey’. 
So far as I am personally concerned, I would not give 1 lb. of 
good honey for 20 lbs. of that which is inferior. Many of our modern 
writers on bee matters have condemned the good old practice of 
dripping honey, to the general commendation of extracting it by 
the aid of centrifugal machines, and pressing indiscriminatingly 
full sized combs of Heather honey. In both cases the honey 
contains much foreign matter, such as pollen and water intended 
for larvae food, or may be containing larvae. The ancient writer 
who said, “ or honey from the comb, which droppeth sweeter far,” 
seemed to be alive to that which our forefathers followed up 
most rigidly, and would on no account press a single cell. Had the 
same care been continue! and practised at the present day, we 
would have heard less about “ no market for our honey.” 
In many samples of honey submitted to experts their analyses 
come all pretty near each other — i.e., so much pollen, and water in 
excess, with traces of animal matter. This is a state of matters 
which should not be in connection with honey. Pollen as a fer¬ 
ment has been well known for ages, and is what I use as such, also 
for colouring purposes. When pollen and honey come into con¬ 
tact their strong affinity for each other causes an infusion to take 
place, and fermentation follows. This is what occurs in many 
cases of honey on sale in our warehouses in towns and cities, 
consequently the honey has neither an inviting look nor is it 
appetising. 
Honey should contain neither pollen nor unsealed honey and 
water. No honey ought be pressed from comb which is unsealed, 
or from that containing pollen or eggs, or brood in any stage. Nor 
should any but fully sealed combs be subjected to the extractor. 
But that is not all ; there is a great difference between honey 
extracted or pressed from that dripped by simply cutting the cells 
of select combs, laying them upon sieves, and finally through 
muslin or flannel cloth. Heather honey cannot be taken in full 
without pressing, but as before said, the combs should be 
selected, be entirety free from pollen, and have no unsealed cells.— 
A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
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 
unavoidably. We request that no one will write privately 
to any of our correspondents, as doing so subjects them to 
uniustifiable 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 communications. 
Questions on Vines (//. IF. N. and W. (?.).—The specimens did 
not arrive soon enough for the purpose of examination and the preparation 
of satisfactory replies this week. The matter will have attent on. 
Schedule of Crystal Palace Prult Show (IF. Packhaiti ).—A 
letter addressed to the Rev. VV^. Wilks, Secretary, Royal Horticultural 
Society, 117, Victoria Street, London, S.W., will no doubt result in your 
obtaining what you require. 
