342 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 28, 1888. 
their state-craft in a few years to procure the present 
large annual Government grants. 
TYliat the E. H. S. requires are practical horti¬ 
culturists who have a thorough gardener’s love for their 
work, combined with good business ability, and then 
we shall find it work more satisfactorily .—A Fellow. 
I have read with much pleasure your leading article in 
last Saturday’s issue, and beg to inform you that I knew 
of rule 110, chap, xii., of the bye-laws of the society. 
I received the balloting list on Monday, the 16th, and 
on "Wednesday, the 18th inst., I wrote to the secretary 
to intimate my objection to the election of Mr. Morris 
as treasurer. I was not aware that the committee of 
advice had recommended Baron Schroder for the post; 
if I had known it I should certainly have adopted 
his name ; as it is I have nominated Colonel Beddome, 
a well-known member of the council, in preference to a 
perfect stranger. I have also objected to the re-election 
of Mr. Thiselton Dyer, and proposed Mr. J. O’Brien for 
the council, as a fitting representative of the gardening 
community. He knows more of practical botany than 
any scientific botanist I ever met; he is acquainted 
with all our great firms of nurserymen, seedsmen, 
and most of our leading gardeners ; he has visited most 
of the great gardens of England, and above all he is 
familiar with the aspirations of the working horti¬ 
culturists. Pray publish this notice in order to give 
due intimation to the Fellows'going to the poll on the 
14th proximo.— A. F. L. 
-- 
THE CULTURE OP CATTLEYAS 
AND LEELIAS.—IY. 
It is of the greatest importance to have the atmo¬ 
sphere properly supplied with moisture, the health of 
the plants depending a good deal upon careful attention 
to this matter. The under-stage already mentioned 
and the paths should be sprinkled with water from a 
s} ringe or hose three or four times a day in summer, 
and two or three times a day in winter, according to 
the state of the weather, the last damping being given 
when the fires are banked-up in the evening. As rain¬ 
water is best for the purpose, no other should be used 
when it can be had. 
Opinions differ as to whether the tanks holding the 
water should be heated or not, some maintaining that 
v ater so treated undergoes a chemical change, which 
destroys its nourishing properties, and that it is 
positively injurious to the plants. Be this true or not, 
there can be no benefit derived from using water at a 
higher temperature than the atmosphere of the house ; 
for when applied to the roots, it will, of course, raise 
the temperature of the material they occupy, which 
will speedily fall again to its previous condition, thereby 
causing sudden fluctuations, which should be carefully 
a\ oided. Cold chilly water should not be given them, 
and a pipe becomes of use when the tanks are sunk in 
the ground, or w r hen a fresh supply has to be run in 
for immediate use ; but it should always have a valve 
to control its heating. A one-inch pipe placed round the 
bottom will be found sufficient for all ordinary-sized 
tanks. 
Airing and Shading. 
Fresh air is very necessary to the well-being of the 
plants, and a free circulation should be given on all 
favourable occasions, care being taken to avoid cold 
draughts. In summer, during dry weather, bottom air 
should be given first, as it diffuses through the house 
and filters out at any small opening without exhausting 
the moisture in the atmosphere. As the sun gains 
power top ventilation must be given to keep the tem¬ 
perature from rising too high. In winter the air in 
the houses should be changed as often as the weather 
will permit. No stated times for airing can be set 
down ; the cultivator must judge for himself, according 
to the state of the weather and the position and 
exposure of his houses. 
Cattleyas and Lselias require less shading than any 
other genus in the whole Orchid family. Some growers 
dispense with it altogether, though there can be no 
doubt but that the plants are benefited by judicious 
shading in bright sunny weather. When so treated 
they have a fresher appearance, and the leaves can be 
retained much longer on the plants. When, as is 
often the case, they form part of a mixed collection 
shading becomes a necessity, on account of the other 
occupants of the house. The material used should be 
some coarse-woven stuff that will break the sun’s rays 
without obstructing too much light. This should be 
fixed on rollers, to be let down or up as required, and 
will be all the better if raised 4 ins. or 5 ins. above the 
level of the roof. 
Kesting and Temperature. 
The plants under notice, like other Orchids, require 
a season of rest; this will generally be from November 
till the end of February. During those months they 
should only get sufficient water to keep the bulbs from 
shrivelling. In the case of those which flower during 
the winter months, such as L. anceps, L. autumnalis, 
Cattleya Triame, &e., these, when in bloom, must be 
kept moderately moist to supply the demand the flowers 
make on the pseudo-bulbs. Any plants that have 
not completed their growths by the beginning of 
October should be placed in a light position at the 
warmest end of the house. A few species, such as 
Cattleya Dowiana and C. gigas, immediately they have 
completed growth often commence to grow again, and 
from the regular way they do this I am inclined to 
think that in their native habitats they flower twice a 
year ; but as we lack the brighter light and sunshine of 
those countries, it is better to prevent them making a 
second growth during the dull months of winter. For 
this reason, any that show signs of starting late should 
be removed to cool any quarters, and kept perfectly 
dry so as to arrest growth.— A. Laing. 
-- 
FROM AN APPRENTICE TO 
MASTER.* 
The subject of this paper has suggested itself to my 
mind through a controversy on the apprentice question 
in one of the gardening papers. It is a wide subject, 
and might well be treated from a scientific standpoint, 
but my intention is to view the matter from a practical 
point. Having gone through the whole course, I will 
only relate what has immediately come under my 
observations, and essay to treat of its cause, and 
probable remedy. I will not discuss the financial 
point, as I think the practical part of the question is 
of the most importance on the present occasion. 
I will divide my subject into four headings, namely, 
apprentice, journeyman, foreman, and master. 
Apprentice. 
The usual duration of an apprenticeship is three years, 
though in some cases I have known young men go 
through a course of gardening who never knew they 
were serving an apprenticeship, but emerged out into 
life as fully qualified journeymen about the age of 
eighteen. "When a young man enters a garden he is 
supposed to have a certain amount of rough work to 
perform, such as stoking fires, serving vegetables, and 
other sundries ; still, these are subjects with which 
every gardener should be well acquainted. Firing is 
one of the most essential points in gardening, and one 
a great many do not fully understand. Young men are 
often, after being shown once, allowed to use their own 
judgment, when they ought to be taught how to clean, 
stoke, and regulate a fire till they understand it. 
Again, in serving the kitchen they very often have to 
learn their duties from the cook, and possibly may not 
always find it a pleasant course of elementary 
education. They ought to be shown how and what to 
cut, and by that might save a great amount of garden 
produce. If they are old and strong enough, they will 
have to perform a certain amount of digging along with 
more experienced hands. That little or no attention is 
paid to the form, or style of doing it, is the reason so 
few know how to properly handle a spade. Their 
teaching is generally left to journeymen or garden 
labourers, who care not if they only do their share, and 
perchance the master may jocularly comment on the 
form of the work, instead of showing them the 
difference between good and bad di c-gin 
In sowing seeds they may be totally ignorant, and 
ought to be allowed to sow a pot, pan, or box of some 
of the rougher kinds, and then their attention should be 
drawn to the manner in which the seed germinates. 
By that they would gain an idea of how some of a finer 
nature ought to be sown. Different seeds require 
different drainage, a matter which should not be 
neglected. In that way they may be saved from 
failures in a more responsible position. Grape thinning 
is another point that some apprentices would think 
highly of, if they were even allowed to see the master 
thin a bunch. Some of you may smile, but I once 
knew a young man who came to a place as journeyman, 
who did not even know a vine, far less know how to 
thin a bunch of Grapes. 
Why not give the young men a bunch that is cut off, 
hanging it on a trellis, so that its form may be seen before 
allowing them to operate? The principle in disbudding 
Tines, Peaches, &c., they may grapple with, but 
i r , ■ , ; -nan. uuimersDur 
before a meeting of the Chiswick Gardeners’ Mutual Improi 
ment Association, January 11th, 1SSS. 
seldom or never be allowed to practice on a tree. 
Budding and grafting, in all their many forms and 
seasons, is a mystery to some young men. They know 
there is such a thing, and may rudely practice on some 
useless or dead shoot, without knowing anything of 
the principle on which grafting depends. I am sorrv 
to say no gardener ever imparted the useful and much 
wanted knowledge to the writer in his apprenticeship, 
but a kind friend, an amateur Eose grower, kindly 
explained the hidden secrets. 
I might mention a host of subjects on which the ap¬ 
prentice’s education is neglected, such as soft and 
hard-wooded plants, potting, prieking-out seedlings, 
fertilising, pruning and planting. The foregoing are 
subjects which I would impress on all masters to take 
care their apprentices get some opportunity of know¬ 
ing, so that they may be prepared for the battle in 
after life. It is impossible to learn thoroughly all the 
art of gardening during their apprenticeship, however 
long they might serve; but they ought to have an idea 
of how to do and when to do a great deal more in the 
different branches of their profession than they are 
at present capable of and be better men for the 
gardening profession and the horticultural world at 
large. {To be continued.) 
-->X<-=- 
THE APIARY. 
The Profitable Management of Bees. 
In speaking of the profitable management of Bees, I 
need not go into their history, it being enough for our 
purpose to know that they are intimately associated 
with the garden. So much has this been the case that 
I have known recesses built in the garden wall in 
which to place the bee-hive; that, of course, was in the 
days of straw hives. "With the introduction of the bar- 
frame hives that form of protection is not now required. 
My object in pointing out this close association of bees 
with the garden is to show how essential it is for every 
gardener to know something about their management; 
and so much the better if that should be profitable. 
Bees are rigid economists ; their home is a kingdom 
governed by one ruler only at a time, namely, the 
queen. A queen takes sixteen days to hatch from the 
egg. The drones, of which there may be from 200 or 
300 to several thousands in a colony are the males 
of the hive; they perform little useful work in the hive, 
although some experts say they are employed to keep up 
the temperature of the hive while the young brood is 
being hatched. They take longer to hatch than the 
queen, generally about twenty-four days. The workers, 
which are the most numerous, may in a strong hive 
number from 40,000 to 50,000, and take twenty-one 
days to hatch. On them fall the duties of soldiers and 
statesmen, of builders and drawers of water; with them 
life is short and sweet. During the busy time of the 
year it is estimated that the average life of the worker 
does not exceed six weeks, but during the autumn and 
winter it may exceed six months. 
I have said they are rigid economists, so we find they 
have no workhouse for the aged and infirm, but 
directly the latter are unable to attend to their duties 
they are ruthlessly thrust out and not allowed to 
return. Any deformed or otherwise unfit for the work 
of the hive when hatched are immediately turned out. 
Here we find no dissipation or extravagance, but on 
the contrary, advantage is taken of every opportunity 
of adding to their stores. 
Let us first decide on the kind of hive we are to use 
for keeping them in, and for that purpose I would 
strongly recommend one of the many forms of the bar- 
frame hive. The days of straw hives are past, and 
except for the purpose of hiving or driving should not 
find a place in the apiary. The great advantage of the 
bar-frame hives over the straw hives is that you can 
examine your hives better, and they are more suitable for 
taking the honey without destroying the bees. All the 
frames being interchangeable you can often take frames 
from a strong hive, and add to a weaker one ; and by 
this means often save a colony. Every bee-keeper has 
his own favourite hive, which he fancies possesses some 
advantage over all others. 
After long experience with different kinds of hives, 
I will here describe the one I have adopted. The 
stand which forms the support and floor board is 15 ins. 
high, having the alighting board 7 ins. wide, and 
sloped downwards to assist the bees when returning 
heavily laden on windy days ; otherwise many are 
blown to the ground, and if the weather is cold they 
get chilled and never rise again. In this way a great 
many bees are lost. The width of the floor board is 20 ins., 
and including the aEgliting board, 26 ins. long, and is 
