352 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
October 11,1894. 
first. When once fairly started and placed into pots they are best on a 
shelf in a warm house, where no water will fall upon their foliage. They 
will grow and flower in this position, and their flowers for home decora¬ 
tion will be found very useful. More tubers may be started a month 
later. 
Beg'oolas.—Various winter-flowering kinds should be removed from 
cold frames to any light structure where the temperature at night can 
be kept from falling below 50°. Too much moisture should not be main¬ 
tained in the house to cause them to grow too soft. These plants will 
soon commence flowering, and yield large numbers of useful flowers for 
cutting for a long time. Few plants flower more profusely than 
Begonias, and none is really more graceful for cutting purposes. The 
nitida section will do under the same treatment; those only in thumb 
pots may be placed into 4-incb, in which they will flower during the 
early part of the year. The tuberous-rooted kinds flower for a long time 
if gentle warmth can be given them. Seedlings or plants raised from 
cuttings now in cold frames would continue to grow and flower for weeks. 
The flowers of these kinds are serviceable of table decoration, and small 
glasses especially. 
Polnsettlas. —These plants must not be allowed to remain too long 
under cool conditions or their roots will decay, and the plants lose 
their lower foliage, and thus produce only poor bracts. They should 
occupy a position where the night temperature will not fall below 55°, 
and where a little air can be given them during fine bright days. They 
must not be excited again into soft growth ; the object should be sturdy 
growth until signs of their bracts are visible, when the night temperature 
may be raised 5° to 10°. The heads should be fairly close to the glass, 
and in the heat given large well coloured bracts will be developed. 
Feed the plants with weak stimulants if the pots are full of roots. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Feeding. 
As the season is much later than is usually the case, a great 
deal remains to be done in the apiary. Many bees are to feed 
yet, and the best way at this period is from beneath in tin 
fountains, the sluice covered with wire cloth. Have the crown 
of the hive covered with porous material to allow the escape of 
moisture, and feed after sunset. After all the bees are fed see that 
damp is removed from the floor of the hive, or a dry one sub¬ 
stituted. The best and safest formula for the syrup is equal 
weights of the best sugar and water. 
The Yield of Heather Honey. 
The yield of honey is varied throughout Scotland, in some places 
it being almost nil, while in others the quantity is good. The 
highest records come from Lochlomonside, where Mr. J. Buchanan 
has one prime swarm, a late one too, which has filled 105 1-lb. 
sections of pure Heather honey. The others have also done well. 
The most of his hives are of the original Lanarkshire type, made 
with extension for two queens more than a quarter of a century 
since, but he works with one queen only in each, these being young 
ones. There are twelve frames 16 by 9 inches inside measure. 
Mr. Buchanan saw at an early date the evil of double-cased 
hives, so had his apiary remodelled with single-cased hives. 
They are cheaper at the first, last longer, and are more 
easily managed, besides being healthier for the bees. He finds 
the ventilating floor a great advantage, as all do who give them a 
fair trial. 
Manipulating Bees. 
The dull weather preventing the bees flying and marking their 
site makes it difficult to remove the honey without the loss of bees. 
I like to see them all having a good flight before commencing 
operations, but the season being late when rain may be expected, 
making it more fatal to stray bees, compelled me to begin before 
they flew much. As smoke irritates bees I do not use it much, 
preferring crude carbolic acid or grey paper, beginning at the top 
and working downwards, causing the bees to retreat to the bottom 
of the hive. When the combs are freed from bees and all 
removed a wooden box or straw skep is placed over the under 
division to which they ascend, ready to be carried away by those 
starting bee-keeping. There being few bees lost at the Heather 
this year, single colonies of bees weigh about 14 lbs., and had there 
been warmth during August they would have gathered from 20 to 
30 lbs. daily, judging from what they did procure during odd hours. 
The most of my stocks intended for 1895 have twice the number 
of bees I care for. I shall grade the honeycombs, passing it 
through the presser, with which 1 find 40 lbs. can be passed 
through in about an hour—quicker than it will pass the sieves. I 
do not approve of honey being pressed through cloths of any sort. 
—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
Foul Brood. 
In some districts foul brood has been very prevalent this 
season, and during a recent tour I have examined several stocks 
that were said to be affected with this disease. One had been 
condemned by an expert, but on examining it I could find no trace 
whatever of foul brood. Some bee-keepers on looking over their 
hives and finding chilled brood, caused by careless handling, or 
combs containing mouldy pollen, at once come to the conclusion 
that they have this disease. One should be quite certain of the 
fact before condemning a stock, but if found to be badly affected 
bees, frames, and combs should be all burnt. The hive ought also 
to be well washed with boiling water, and painted inside and out 
with carbolic acid, well working it into every crevice. This will 
destroy all germs of the disease. Leave the hive empty until 
spring, when it will be quite safe to use it for another stock. 
I am induced to make these remarks, as last week I visited an 
apiary where several stocks had been badly affected for months 
past with foul hrood. Two of the worst hives and their contents 
—bees, combs, and frames—had been consigned to a fire in the 
open air, but had been carelessly attended. Several of the foul- 
broody combs had not been burnt, but lay about so that the bees 
from other hives were busy clearing them of what honey remained. 
These would contaminate healthy stocks, and next year the bee¬ 
keeper will in all probability be still complaining of foul-broody 
stocks, whereas with careful management it might have been 
prevented. Others in the neighbourhood may be affected in a 
similar manner. Some stocks that were least affected were 
being fed with medicated food, and naphthaline was used on the 
floor-boards of all the hives. It will be interesting to know if the 
experiment is a success, but it will not be possible to speak with 
certainty till next June, and if free from disease then may be 
looked on as healthy. As the spring is the time when this disease 
develops I would impress on all bee-keepers the necessity of at once 
taking steps to eradicate this disease wherever found. I find it 
is more common in the south and west of England than it is 
in the midland and northern counties.— An English 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 
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 communications. 
Pansy Jobn Allan (Ai Irvine ),—The bloom you send is very 
beautiful, the purple body colour dense and glossy, the white belting 
pure and well defined. Among the “ others sent to fill the box ” the 
yellow ground David Kennie is very bold and effective. 
Marketing Flowers (ZTbr^i).—There is no prescribed rule either 
as to the size of boxes or numbers of flowers in a bunch, when they are 
bunched. For instance, early in the season a bunch of Lilies of the 
Valley may consist of a dozen spikes, later twice that number, later 
still five, ten, or even more dozens, according to the supply. Thousands 
of boxes of Chrysanthemums and other flowers are sent thrice a week 
to Covent Garden closely packed, but not bunched. Boxes vary from 
2 feet by 18 inches and 6 inches deep, to others not much more than 
half the size. If you have really good “ stuff ” to send, and it is of small 
use sending inferior, you had better perhaps write to such a sound 
dealer as Mr. James Dickson, Central Avenue, Covent Garden, for direct 
advice on the subject. 
Verbena Cuttings Damping (ZT. P.).—We have examined the 
cuttings, and the coloured fungus is one of the moulds assumed by 
