40 
JOUR^^AL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  11,  1900, 
'will  consume  when  wintered  in  a  straw  sleep.  We  once  experimented 
with  a  late  cast  which  had  barely  half  filled  the  skep  with  combs.  In 
October  there  were  only  three  combs  of  sealed  stores  the  size  of  one’s 
hand.  Still  they  wintered  successsfully,  and  were  not  fed  till  the 
following  April.  They  were  then  fed  with  a  small  amount  of  thin 
syrup  daily,  and  increased  at  a  rapid  rate.  A  strong  swarm  came 
from  this  stock  early  in  June,  and  was  placed  in  a  frame  hive,  fully 
drawn  out  combs  being  used.  The  weather  being  favourable  a  large 
surplus  was  stored.  We  mention  these  facts  to  show  what  an 
apparently  weak  stock  in  a  straw  skep,  with  careful  management,  will 
sometimes  do. 
If  the  stocks  are  short  of  stores  a  plentiful  supply  of  soft  candy 
should  be  given  them  without  delay  by  pressing  it  into  the  feed  hole  at 
the  top  of  the  skep  ;  some  warm  covering  should  be  placed  over  it 
to  prevent  an  escape  of  heat  from  the  hive.  During  last  autumn  we 
examined  many  skeps  of  bees,  and  invariably  found  them  well  supplied 
with  stores  owing  to  the  fine  weather  that  prevailed  in  late  summer. 
Probably  the  skeps  mentioned  above  were  robbed  of  their  summer 
stores.  When  the  weather  is  warm,  say  about  the  middle  of  May,  the 
bees  may  be  driven.  AVe  should,  however,  prefer  transferring  them  to 
frame  hives.  A  better  plan  would  be  to  stimulate  them  by  feeding  with 
thin  syrup  as  mentioned  above  ;  they  would  then  swarm  early.  AVhen 
the  young  queen,  which  would  afterwards  be  reared  in  the  skep,  has 
become  fertilised,  the  bees  may  be  driven  and  united  to  the  swarm 
after  the  removal  of  the  old  queen  has  taken  place,  the  stocks  would 
then  be  all  headed  by  young  fertile  queens. — An  English  Bee-keeper.] 
Ail  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be 
directed  to  “The  Editor,”  12,  ivxitre  Court  Chambers, 
Fleet  Street,  Xondon,  B.C.  It  is  requested  that  no  one 
will  write  privately  to  any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking 
information  on  matters  discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so 
subjects  them  to  unjustifiable  trouble  and  expense,  and  depart¬ 
mental  writers  are  not  expected  to  answer  any  letters  they 
may  receive  on  Gardening  and  Bee  subjects  through  the  post. 
If  information  be  desired  on  any  particular  subject  from  any 
particular  authority  who  may  be  named,  endeavour  will  be  made 
to  obtain  It  by  the  Editor.  Letters  of  inquiry  must  be  accom¬ 
panied  by  the  names  and  addresses  of  the  writers,  but  these  will 
neither  be  published  nor  disclosed  when  initials  or  noms  de  'plume 
are  given  for  the  purpose  of  replies. 
Correspondents  should  not  mix  up  on  the  same  sheet  questions  relating 
to  Gardening  and  those  on  Bee  subjects,  and  it  is  convenient  when 
each  question  is  written  on  a  separate  sheet.  All  articles  intended 
for  Insertion  should  be  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only  ;  and 
the  name  and  address  of  each  writer  must  be  known  by  the 
Editor,  though  not  necessarily  for  insertion.  We  cannot,  as  a 
rule,  reply  to  questions  through  the  post,  and  we  do  not  under¬ 
take  to  return  communications  which,  for  any  reason,  cannot 
be  inserted. 
Stocks  for  Apple  Trees  (Amateur  Apple  Gmypr).— The  statement 
you  quote  is  not  correct.  The  Crab  or  wild  Apple  is  Pyrus  malus,  a 
small  tree,  native  of  Britain  and  Europe  generally.  It  is  raised  from 
seed,  but  most  of  the  so-called  Crab  stocks  are  raised  from  Apple  seeds 
obtained  from  the  cider  mills.  The  stock  from  the  Apple  pips  we 
prefer  to  the  Crab,  because  as  a  rule  it  produces  more  fibrous  roots 
and  is  quite  as  hardy.  For  dwarf  trees  we  prefer  the  broad-leaved 
English  Paradise,  which  is  freer  and  hardier  than  the  French  Paradise. 
Paradise  stocks,  being  surface  rooting,  are  better  for  shallow  soils  than 
Crab  stocks,  and  by  feeding  the  trees  and  mulching  of  the  former  they 
afford  profitable  crops  of  fruit.  Our  observations  are  based  on  prac¬ 
tice,  which  is  better  than  theory. 
Treatment  of  Deutzias  (F.  G.). — As  the  young  leaves  turn  brown 
•at  the  ends,  the  soil  has  probably  become  soddened  and  sour  through 
the  constant  watering.  In  that  case  it  would  be  advisable  to  allow 
the  soil  to  become  rather  dry,  then  turn  the  plant  out  of  the  pot, 
remove  most  of  the  old  soil,  and  give  such  size  of  pot  as  will  hold  the 
roots  comfortably,  Deutzias  being  better  under  rather  than  over¬ 
potted.  Provide  proper  drainage,  and  employ  a  compost  of  good  turfy 
loam,  enriched  with  a  fourth  of  well  decomposed  cow  manure,  or  one- 
third  of  leaf  mould,  with  the  addition  of  one-sixth  of  sharp  sand.  Pot 
rather  firmly,  and  keep  the  plant  in  the  greenhouse  in  the  lightest 
position  at  command  until  the  weather  becomes  sufficiently  genial  for 
placing  it  outdoors.  A  temperature  of  45°  to  50°  is  quite  sufficient  for 
the  development  of  the  young  growths,  air  being  given  at  50°,  then  the 
advance  to  6o  or  70  on  bright  days  will  not  do  any  harm,  especially 
with  ample  ventilation. 
Repotting  Marantas  (G.  H.  F.). — This  operation  should  be  carried 
out  during  the  present  month,  so  that  they  will  have  a  chance  of 
establishing  themselves  again  before  the  sun  has  much  power.  If 
they  are  left  till  about  the  middle  or  end  of  the  following  month 
the  sun  often  proves  too  strong  for  them,  and  they  flag  severely. 
These  plants  will  do  in  the  same  pots  for  years  provided  the  drainage 
is  good  and  the  soil  about  the  roots  in  a  sweet  condition ;  but  the 
liberal  supplies  of  water  needed  during  the  growing  season  soon  render 
the  soil  unfit  for  them.  They  unquestionably  thrive  best  when  they 
are  repotted  annually.  AVhen  turned  out  of  their  pots  and  the  drainage 
removed  the  old  soil  should  be  worked  from  amongst  the  roots  by 
washing  it  out  in  a  tank  of  tepid  water.  This  necessitates  the  plants 
being  allowed  to  drain  for  some  hours  before  they  can  be  repotted. 
Many  of  the  varieties  do  well  in  a  compost  of  fibrous  loam,  one-seventh 
of  manure,  charcoal  broken  according  to  the  size  of  the  plants  and 
pots,  with  an  addition  of  coarse  sand.  Others  do  better  in  rough  peat, 
the  fibrous  portion  of  loam  only,  and  charcoal  in  lumps.  After  potting 
plunge  the  plants  where  a  night  temperature  of  65°  can  be  maintained, 
syringe  them  freely,  but  water  with  great  care  until  the  roots  are 
active.  The  pots  should  be  liberally  drained. 
Marie  Louise  Violets  (E.  L.  M.). — The  flower  buds  are  blanched  or 
“greened,”  as  usually  occurs  during  too  cold  and  too  wet  or  foggy 
weather  for  their  proper  development.  The  only  prev-entive  is  a  more 
genial  atmosphere,  which  can  hardly  be  looked  for  at  this  season.  To 
grow  Violets  with  certainty  of  success  at  this  time  of  year  it  is 
necessary  to  have  means  of  affording  heat,  maintaining  a  temperature 
of  45°  to  50°,  accompanied  with  some  air,  unless  very  cold  and  when 
fogs  prevail  outdoors.  Except  when  the  weather  is  unusually  mild 
there  is  always  the  danger  of  having  the  blooms  in  the  condition  yours 
present  from  IMovember  to  February,  the  flowers  being  good  in  the 
early  autumn  and  then  again  in  the  early  spring.  Such  has  been  our 
experience,  and  we  have  grown  many  thousands  of  plants  in  frames. 
The  soil  is  excellent,  but  we  use  rather  more  leaf  soil — in  fact, 
we  find  the  Neapolitan  varieties  revel  in  it.  It  is  used  alone  for 
potting  crowns  in  the  late  summer,  and  the  plants  do  splendidly  well 
up  to  the  light  in  a  greenhouse  with  a  temperature  of  45°  to  50°.  AVe 
do  not  see  what  you  can  do  under  the  circumstances,  as  the  treatment 
is  coi’rect,  the  only  fault  being  the  weather,  which  will  take  a  turn  for 
the  better  in  due  course,,  and  the  flowers  will  develop  properly.  AVe 
failed  to  discover  the  small  red  specks  on  the  under  side  of  the  leaves, 
which  had  got  strewn  with  soil.  Possibly  they  may  have  been  red 
spider. 
Unhealthy  Lapagerias  (W.  R.  T.  P.). — There  are  two  main  reasons 
whv  these  plants  are  often  in  an  unsatisfactory  state  in  pots  : — • 
1,  Close,  soil  not  sufficiently  drained,  and  hence  sour.  2,  Pots  so  densely 
crowded  with  roots  that  the  plants  do  not  receive  adequate  support. 
Lapagerias  usually  grow  best  planted  out  in  a  bed  at  least  18  inches 
deep,  the  bottom  6  inches  being  of  drainage,  broken  clinkers  and  char¬ 
coal  being  excellent,  the  remainder  springy  turfy  peat  and  loam,  twice 
the  quantity  of  the  former,  with  a  liberal  admixture  of  charcoal,  the 
whole  to  be  pressed  down  as  firmly  as  the  turfy  nature  of  the  compost 
permits.  A  bed  thus  prepared  can  scarcelv  be  made  sour,  due  provision 
being  made  for  the  free  exit  of  water  from  the  drainage,  and  when 
the  soil  is  permeated  with  roots  it  is  not  easy  to  give  too  much  water ; 
until  then  water  must  be  given  more  sparingly,  yet  the  soil  should 
never  get  anything  like  dry.  If  you  prefer  growing  the  plant  in  a  pot, 
prepare  the  soil  similarly.  In  the  event  of  the  plants  not  having  rooted 
freely,  it  will  be  ad  visible  to  remove  a  good  part  of  the  old  soil,  which 
will  be  sour,  and  give  fresh  as  suggested,  thinning  out  and  shortening 
wiry  growths  to  the  best  buds  you  can  find,  syringing  the  plant  twice 
or  thrice  a  day  according  to  the  weather,  to  prevent  excessive 
evaporation  from  the  leaves,  and  so  assist  the  emission  of  fresh 
healthy  roots,  which  alone  can  invigorate  the  plants.  We  know  of 
Lapagerias  that  grow  luxuriantly  and  flower  profusely  on  the  north  side 
of  greenhouses. 
Names  of  Fruits. — Notice. — We  have  pleasure  in  naming  good 
typical  fruits  (when  the  names  are  discoverable)  for  the  convenience 
of  regular  subscribers,  who  are  the  growers  of  such  fruit,  and  not 
collectors  of  specimens  from  non-subscribers.  This  latter  procedure 
is  wholly  irregular,  and  we  trust  that  none  of  our  readers  will  allow 
themselves  to  be  made  the  mediums  in  infringing  our  rules.  Special 
attention  is  directed  to  the  following  decision,  the  object  of  which  is 
to  discourage  the  growth  of  inferior  and  promote  the  culture  of 
superior  varieties.  In  consequence  of  the  large  number  of  'worthless 
Apples  and  Pears  sent  to  this  office  to  he  named,  it'  has  been  decided  to 
name  only  specimens  and  varieties  of  approved  merit,  and  to  reject  the 
inferior,  'which  are  not  xoorth  sending  or  groiving.  The  names  and 
addresses  of  senders  of  fruits  or  flowers  to  be  named  must  in  all  cases 
be  enclosed  with  the  specimens,  whether  letters  referring  to  the  fruit 
are  sent  by  post  or  not.  The  names  are  not  necessarily  required  for 
publication,  initials  sufficing  for  that.  Only  six  specimens  can  be 
named  at  once,  and  any  beyond  that  number  cannot  be  preserved. 
They  should  be  sent  on  the  first  indication  of  change  towards  ripening. 
Dessert  Pears  cannot  be  named  hi  a  hard  green  state.  The  practice  of 
pinning  numbers  to  the  eyes  of  the  fruits  tends  to  destroy  one  of  the 
most  characteristic  features  and  increases  the  difficulty  of  identification. 
When  Plums  are  sent  to  be  named  young  wood  of  the  trees  should 
accompany  them.  Leaves  of  the  trees  are  necessary  with  Peaches  and 
Nectarines,  with  information  as  to  whether  the  flowers  are  large  or  small. 
