THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
the father. The other plants not illustra¬ 
ted are all different, though resembling 
Harrisou’s rather than rugosa, Some 
of these are IS inches high—No, 3for instance. 
Others are. scarcely six inches high, as No. 8. 
Some of the stems are closely covered with 
thorns: others have few. That hi roses so un¬ 
like could have come from the same mother 
and father is hard to believe. There is. how¬ 
ever, no room for the least doubt. Only the 
crossed seeds of R. rugosa were planted. They 
are the only rose seeds we have ever planted; 
and only the pollen of Harrison's Yellow was 
used for pollenation. The past summer we 
again made R. iugosa the mother plant—the 
only mother plant. But pollen from half a 
dozen different Hybrid Remontauts, Hybrid 
Teas aud Teas was used instead of Harrison's 
Yellow as in the first cross. Several hun¬ 
dred crossed seeds were the outcome,and these 
are planted in the soil of live boxes sunk in the 
garden to be removed to the house next Feb¬ 
ruary as in the first trial. It has been stated 
by good authorities that seedling roses do not 
bloom usually until the second year, and that 
many do not bloom until the third or fourth 
year. 
It was about September 10 that one of these 
seedlings began to develop buds, four of which 
bloomed, though not until after two or three 
light frosts. A single flower aud two buds 
are shown by Fig. 483, also a faithful picture. 
It will he seen that the flower has five large 
outer petals aud two rows of inner (imperfect) 
petals—15 in all. How much larger or more 
double these flowers would have been if they 
had bloomed before frost, can not be conjec¬ 
tured. One thing is sure, viz.: that they 
bloomed in less than seven mouths from birth. 
Next year it may bo hoped that others will 
bloom, though all must be transplanted iu the 
spring, as they are now too dose together. 
Mr. Heury Beuuet, the great rose-grower 
of Shepperton, England, holds that the color 
of a rose comes from the pollen parent. The 
color of the above flow-el’s was nearly that of 
the mother, being pink. He also says that the 
value of a seedling rose can not be determined 
except from several generations grown from 
cnttiugs. His William Francis Bennet, often 
referred to as the Five or Seven Thousand 
Dollar Rose, gave only a trifling promise of 
future celebrity when it first bloomed. 
FERNS AND FERNERIES. 
Stag's-horn fern; ferns in rooms ; bell-glass 
fern cases; ventilation and soil; larger 
cases; too much water fatal; list of best 
ferns: guarding against insects. 
For restful beauty and real satisfaction 
ferns always rank before flowering plants iu 
my estimation. They are not grown, by ama¬ 
teurs as much as they deserve to be, but that 
is simply because they have uever beeu popu¬ 
larized so fully as other classes of plauts. One 
of the oddest of the family is the Stag's-horn 
fern; the fronds are of great substance, aud 
shaped just like the horus of an elk. At the 
base of the fronds is a curious brown, shield¬ 
shaped growth, which spreads out over the 
soil. The soil used is a flbrous peat. Au Eng¬ 
lish writer speaks of growing this fern very 
successfully in a room w here the air was Very 
dry, and gas was burned constantly. 
As a rule, an ordinary room or bay window 
is too dry for a good many ferns; for this rea¬ 
son growing them in a fern case is the most, 
satisfactory way. The ease is not of necessity 
an expensive affair. The simplest form of 
fern case is a bell-glass fitted over a flower¬ 
pot. When the shade tits into a dish, if there 
is water in the rim where it rests, the ease is 
air tight, and the plant must be ventilated 
every day by removing the cover altogether 
and leaving it off for an hour or two. This 
prevents the possibility of mold. However, it 
is possible to do a good deal of harm by this 
mode of ventilatiou, if the room is very dry 
aud hot; the exposure iu this ease will injure 
the tender fronds. Another very simple meth¬ 
od of ventilatiou consists iu simply removing 
the shade, wiping it dry,and then replacing it. 
If there is no green-house or conservatory 
in w hich the fernery may be placed until the 
plants are accustomed to their case, it is l>est 
to plant them iu midsummer, so that they 
will lie started vigorously before cold weather. 
In a ease six inches deep, the soil should be 
arranged thus: first, three inches of broken 
flower-pots, or cinders; over this a coating of 
half-decayed moss; the remainder a mixture 
of peat, silver saud, and Anally broken char¬ 
coal. It will require very little watering, as 
the close cover confines the moisture; there 
must be drainuge enough to prevent the pos¬ 
sibility of its being water-logged, and water 
must never be upplied over the fronds, but 
always below. A beginner with a bell-glass is 
pretty sure to be successful with some of the 
Spleen worts (Aspleuium), common Hart’s- 
tougue (Scolopendrium) and one of the less 
delicate Maiden-hairs, such as Admututn 
setulosum. One of the trailing Lycopodiums 
or club mosses will soon cover the surface. 
If a larger fern-case than the simple bell- 
glass Is desired, a plain rectangular case is the 
best. It should have doors on two sides for 
convenience: the top should lift up for ventil¬ 
ation, and there should be some chattel of es¬ 
cape for surplus water. The commonest 
cause of ill-health in ferns is excess of water; 
it is the greatest trouble with the uninitiated. 
The following is au excellent list for a case 
without artificial heat. The names are rather 
lengthy for everyday use, but few of them 
have received any popular christening: As- 
plermtm attenuatum, A. nitidum; Adiantum 
assirnile, A. euneatum; Doodiaaspera; Lastrea 
acuminata; Polystichum triangularum: Pteris 
Cretiea. 
Insects will appear in the fern case in spite 
of care, and are very likely to eat away ten¬ 
der fronds. The chief offenders are wood-lice, 
snails, and larvae. Bits of cabbage or apple 
should be nut iu their accustomed haunts; these 
traps must be examined every day, and the 
insects destroyed. Green fly or aphis occa¬ 
sionally seen on the fronds is a sign of defi¬ 
cient ventilation: they should be removed with 
a camel's-hair brush, and care iu giving air 
will prevent their reappearance. 
To conclude,any one may grow’ these charm¬ 
ing plants successfully so long as cleanliness, 
ventilation and prudent watering are attended 
to. They will do in comparatively dark 
rooms; they require less space than most house 
plants and they are certainly cleanly in tljeir 
habits. EMILY LOUISE TAPLIN. 
(T!)f £l|nanan. 
NORTH AMERICAN BEE KEEPERS’ SO¬ 
CIETY. 
(rural special REPORT — continued.) 
Shall bee-keepers have exclusive legal right to 
certain ranges,' bee-keepers' associations; 
foul brood, its propagation and treatment ; 
comb foundation, its manufacture and use. 
A. B. Mason. Ohio, agreed with Dr. Miller 
iu his views. F. Wilcox, Wis., failed to see 
how legislation could be made effective unless 
the Government granted licenses to bee-keep¬ 
ers, each license giving the right to keep bees 
iu a certain territory. J. Bull, Wisconsin, ob¬ 
jected to this plan on the ground that some 
millionaires might buy the license to a whole 
State and thus monopolize the business. Dr. 
Miller asked: “ How about farming! Cannot 
a mau buy as much land as he has money to 
buy, and is he then able to dictate terms?” 
Mr. Bull thought bee-keepers must subject 
themselves to the same laws as other business 
meu. If a man starts a store might he not ask 
protection against other storekeepers sturting 
near him? Dr Miller replied that bee-keep¬ 
ing was not like traffic, but like farming, 
stock-growing, etc. if a man buys 40 acres 
of laud and starts in raising graiu. ought he 
not to be secure in his possessions? Prof. A, 
J. Cook, Michigau.guve his views as follows: 
“ If we had a large number of specialists all 
over the country, aud that was the way most 
of the honey was gut bored, some legislation 
might be desirable; but it seems to me that 
specialists are few and far between; that most 
of the honey is secured by a large number 
of small bee-keepers, aud that legislation is uot 
yetueeded.” Dr. Miller said the question is 
this: Is it better, i. e., better for the whole 
country, the bee-keepers as well as the con¬ 
sumers, that the honey be gathered by special¬ 
ists or a large number of amateurs? If the for¬ 
mer, then legislation is needed. 
Prof. Cook remarked that when land is sold 
the right to the nectar raised u pon i t is not sold 
with it, and it would be well for bee keepers 
and the public to know this. After some fur¬ 
ther discussion, the question was put to vote, 
and it was decided that, in the present stage 
of bee culture, legislation is neither desirable 
nor feasible. 
The next topic was presented by Mr. T. G. 
Newman, of Chicago, HI., and was entitled: 
“Objects aud methods of a Thorough Organi¬ 
zation of the Bee-Keepers of America.” Mr. 
Newman called attention to the many bee¬ 
keeping organizations throughout the country, 
and urged that all be made auxiliary to an 
International Society, and offered for consid¬ 
eration a constitution and by-laws suitable for 
such an organization. The matter was re¬ 
ferred to a committee. Later, the committee 
reported that, in view of the sweeping changes 
suggested and the somewhat intricate and in¬ 
volved plan proposed, the matter be postponed 
for one year. 
The convention then listened to an interest¬ 
ing talk by Mr. A. I. Root, of Ohio, about: 
“Foul Brood. How Shall We Treat It?” For 
two years Mr. Root aud his employes had 
been battling with foul brood. He thought 
the disease had been introduced into his apiary 
by the bees gaining access to some honey that 
had leaked from the kegs. He had bought 
considerable honey and, in all probability, 
some of it had come from an apiary infested 
with foul brood. If for no other reason than 
this, he would use tin for shipping honey. 
The honey never leaks from tin. and there 
would be no dauger of the bees getting hold 
of some infected honey that had leaked out. 
When the foul brood was first discovered, he 
began burning up the diseased colonies, aud 
this was continued until 30 or 40 colonies 
were destroyed, when he discovered that 
colonies adjoining the stand of a des¬ 
troyed colony soon began showing signs 
of disease, stray bees from the infected colony 
having ertered these other colonies aud thus 
cominuuicated the disease, and he began cast¬ 
ing about for some method of cure. All things 
considered, the use of phenol had given the 
best satisfaction. It was used greatly diluted 
—about 500 times, he believed—with water, 
theu applied to the combs with a spraying im¬ 
plement, first tearing off the cappings of the 
cells with a wire hair brush, wbieh does the 
work iu such a manner that the healthy brood 
is uninjured. The odor drives the bees from 
the hive; but they soon return and usually 
clean out the dead brood. This treatment 
usually cures the disease, and it has the ad¬ 
vantage that it prevents the spread of the 
disease to other colouies. He had advocated 
the burning of the. hives, but Mr. Cowan said 
that immersion—40 seconds—iu boiling water 
destroyed all germs. 
Miss Dema Bennett, O. asktd if there was 
uny danger of communicating the disease by 
the way of comb foundation. Mr. Root said 
that the heat necessary for making founda¬ 
tion would destroy the germs. Dr. A. B. 
Mason, O.. said that, if a larva is elastic and 
ropy, it is a certain indication of foul breed. 
J. A. Green said there was a disease resem¬ 
bling foul brood, but not contagious; the 
difference is that the larva? are brown and 
watery instead of ropy, as iu genuine foul 
brood. B. T. Davenport, "Wis, had had trouble 
from the “harmless” kind of foul brood. 
Dark bees are more likely to be attacked thau 
are Italians. He had cured it by a change of 
831 
queens. If he found foul brood in a small 
apiary, Mr. Root would burn up the “whole 
business.” 
The secretary now read a paper from C. P. 
Dadent, Hamilton, Ill., entitled: “Comb 
Foundation, its Manufacture and Use.” 
Nothing except pure beeswax should be used 
in its manufacture. The most frequent adul¬ 
teration of beeswax—that with tallow—is 
easily noticed by the dull, greasy appearance 
of the cakes. After selecting the wax, it is 
melted in a large boiler, and kept liquid 34 
hours or more to giv.« the impurities time to 
settle. The wax is then dipped into sheets by 
the use of thin pine boards. The sheets are 
made thick enough to stretch in the rolls when 
molded; in this way all inequalities are pressed 
out, aud the foundation leaves the rolls dry 
or nearly so. It ism this particular that re¬ 
sides one of the many advantages of the roller 
mill over the press. In the press the lubricat¬ 
ing material is left on the sheets, and is very 
objectionable to the bees. Everybody now 
uses full sheets of foundation fn hivingswarms; 
in fact, it is almost unnecessary to speak of 
its use as there is scarcely a bee-keeper who 
does not know of its advantages. Mr. Board- 
man said Mr. Dadant was mistaken in saying 
every one hived swarms on full sheets of 
foundation: many bee-keepers hive them upon 
empty frames, and find it to their advantage. 
James Hedden had used concentrated lye as 
a lubricator, and did not find i ts use objection • 
able. He preferred foundations made upon a 
press. The base Is as even as that made on 
rollers; the side walls may not be so even, this 
depending upon the evenness with which the 
sheets have been dipped, but this is not an ob¬ 
jection. Dr, Mason, Ohio, used and preferred 
the Given press. J. A, Green, Illinois, one 
year used 1,500 sections; one-third filled with 
new foundation, one third with old founda¬ 
tion and the remainder with combs built the 
preceding season. Those with new founda¬ 
tion were finished first, those with comb next, 
the old foundation last. J. Bull had used sec¬ 
tions built with comb the previous season. The 
bees commenced in them first aud the honey 
was of fine appearance. Miss Bennett had tried 
filling sections alternately with foundation and 
combs. She could see no advantage in either 
over the other. James Heddeu preferred 
foundation; the combs are finished sooner 
and are more beautiful. If he could get them, 
T. F. Binghams, Michigan, would use nice 
white combs. W. Z. Hutchinson, Michigan, 
would use sections filled with comb. He pre¬ 
ferred to use them early in the season; the bees 
began work in them sooner, thus relieving the 
pressure in the brood nest, giving more room 
for brood. The honey was of fine appear¬ 
ance, as nice as any, and he wondered at the 
conflicting reports. Mr. Hedden said there 
might be a difference in combs built in differ¬ 
ent localities. Mr. Boardman said much of 
the confiietion was the result of different man¬ 
agement. W. Z. HUTCHINSON. 
£arm 0cxwfmuj. 
ICE-HOUSES. 
Having occasion to build an ice-house of 600 
tons’ capacity, I filled the walls with coal 
slack which, however, proved too heavy and 
burst out the boarding as I feared it would do. 
But I got the goixl of the coal slack as a non¬ 
conductor of heat for one season, which is an 
important point where sawdust costs §60 per 
car-load on the track. 
Applying to one of the principal ice men of 
Denver, as to the best way to preserve ice at 
a reasonable cost, the following reply was 
given: “I have recently built two large ice¬ 
houses. When the frame-work is raised I 
know the boards on the outside will be put on 
perpendicularly' and those on the inside hori¬ 
zontally. On the outside I nail heavy build¬ 
ers' paper horizontally on the frame-work and 
board over it. On the inside I run the paper 
up and down on the framework, and board 
over that. The object aimed at is to make as 
complete an air-space as possible. Into this 
air space no filling of auy kind should be put. 
Iu filling the house with ice the latter is packed 
within six inches of the wall,aud that space is 
rammed with sawdust, or,what is better, saw¬ 
dust aud planing mill shavings mixed. The 
top of the ice must be well covered. After 
this the condition of the ice-house should be 
carefully inspected as often as evei*y other 
day.” 
This gentleman always lays a plank floor 
for all his ice-houses. With mine I adopted 
the following plan: The house was built on 
clay soil. To insure proper drainage, we 
made three wells six feet deep down to saud, 
aud filled them with river-bed boulders about 
five pouuds each. Narrow treuches were cut 
leading to these wells from all parts of the 
house, aud these were also filled with water- 
