406 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.. 
May  10,  1900, 
Bearing  these  facts  in  mind,  we  endeavour  to  have  as  many  stocks 
asjstrong  as  possible  by  the  time  the  honey  flow  comes.  If  several 
queens’are  required,  a  strong  stock  is  selected  from  which  to  obtain 
them,  the  queen  being  removed.  The  combs  containing  freshly  laid 
eggs  should  have  small  holes  bored  through  them,  or  be  notched  at 
the  bottom.  Close  the  division  board  and  allow  them  to  remain  for  a 
few  days.  An  examination  should  then  be  made,  when  there  will 
probably  be  from  twelve  to  twenty  queen  cells  formed.  If  by  any 
chance  there  are  not  as  many  formed  as  will  be  required,  insert  a  frame 
of  newly  laid  eggs  taken  from  another  hive,  and  fresh  queen  cells  will 
be  started.  Queens  are  hatched  in  sixteen  days  from  the  laving  of 
the  egg.  Three  or  four  days  previous  to  this  divide  the  stock  into  as 
many  nuclei  as  are  required.  If  other  colonies  have  been  weakened 
by  the  removal  of  brood  and  bees  for  strengthening  other  stocks  for 
extracting  purposes,  the  queens  may  be  removed  and  a  queen  cell 
given  to  each  colony.  After  the  young  queens  have  become  fertilised 
they  may  be  introduced  to  other  colonies. — An  English  Bee-keeper. 
- - 
TO  CORRESPONDENTS 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be 
directed  to  “  The  Editor,”  12,  ItXltre  Court  Chambers, 
Fleet  Street,  Xondon,  E.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. 
Malope  splendens  (J.  K.). — This  is  a  sub-variety  of  Malope  trifida 
grandifiora,  with  very  fine  bright  flowers  of  crimson  shade.  The  plant 
is  of  a  sturdy,  branching  habit,  and  in  good  soil  attains  to  a  height  of 
'2  to  3  feet.  It  is  an  annual,  and  succeeds  in  the  open  border  if  sown 
at  the  end  of  April  or  early  in  May.  The  plant  is  of  easy  culture  in 
almost  any  ordinary  garden  soil,  but  succeeds  best  in  a  sandy  one,  and 
in  a  sunny  situation. 
Grafting  Epiphyllums  {M.  G.  E.).— Grafting  is  readily  effected  by 
pulling  out  a  short  branch  just  as  growth  commences  in  spring,  making 
a  slanting  cut  in  the  stock  downwards,  and  then  forming  the  Bpi- 
phyllum  branch  into  a  wedge  so  as  to  fit  the  cut  in  the  stock.  Insert 
it  and  secure  it  with  one  of  the  sharp  spines  of  the  Pereskia  stock 
passed  right  through  to  hold  it  firmly.  The  graft  may  also  be  inserted 
on  the  top  of  the  stock.  No  covering  is  necessary ;  the  plants  should 
be  in  a  warm,  moist  atmosphere,  and  care  must  be  taken  to  properly 
secure  the  grafts  with  the  Pereskia  spines. 
Marechal  Niel  Kose  Buds  Dropping  (Amateur). — The  fact  of  your 
having  been  in  the  habit  of  aj  plying  manure  water  twice  and  three 
times  a  week  plainly  accounts  for  the  dropping  of  the  buds  and  decay¬ 
ing  of  the  edges  of  the  leaves.  Although  this  class  of  Rose,  when 
established  and  the  roots  are  in  a  healthy  condition,  will  derive  great 
advantage  from  an  occasional  use  of  stimulants,  they  certainly  will  not 
bear  with  impunity  such  frequent  doses  as  you  have  been  in  the  habit 
of  giving  yours.  Stimulants  should  only  be  given  once  a  week  when 
the  plants  are  carrying  a  crop  of  buds,  and  this  must  vary  in  strength 
according  to  the  age,  size,  and  time  the  plants  have  been  established. 
Cease  the  application  of  liquid  manure  for  a  time,  remove  all  the 
unhealthy  looking  buds  at  once,  and  encourage  the  plant  to  make  new 
growths  by  syringing  the  foliage  once  or  twice  a  day.  A  good  and  safe 
stimulant  for  Roses  is  an  ounce  of  guano  dissolved  in  a  gallon  of  soft 
water,  and  applied  once  a  week  when  the  plant  is  in  flower. 
Liquid  Manure  for  Roses  (Idem). — 1,  If  your  Rose  trees  are  growing 
strongly,  and  in  rich  soil,  it  is  advisable  to  wait  until  the  flower  buds 
are  beginning  to  form  before  supplying  liquid  manure  to  them  ;  but  in 
the  case  of  those  growing  in  soil  not  often  enriched  with  manure,  a 
weekly  supply  will  do  good.  In  all  cases  the  liquid  manure  should  be 
fairly  diluted  with  water  before  its  application.  When  the  buds  are 
formed,  twice  a  week  will  not  be  too  often  to  apply  the  liquid  manure. 
“Blind”  Apple  Tree  Buds  (LougJigall). — The  twigs  are  quite  sound 
in  the  bark  and  woody  tissues,  but  the  greater  part  of  the  buds  are 
“  blind,”  brown  and  dead.  Some  of  the  buds  have  pushed  growth,  the 
inner  or  apical  leaves  being  browned  and  distorted,  and  the  outer  or 
more  developed  ones  partly  blackened  as  by  frost.  On  examining  the 
buds  the  tissues  were  found  in  a  granulated  state  and  occupied  by 
the  mycelial  hyphas  of  a  fungus,  but  whether  saprophytic  or  parasitic 
in  nature  is  undeterminable  in  the  absence  of  “  fruits.”  Similar  result 
attended  the  examination  of  the  distorted  leaves,  there  being  no  out¬ 
growths.  The  affection  is  solely  confined  to  the  buds  and  the  young 
growths.  Possibly  the  heavy  crop  last  year  has  so  impaired  the  tree’s 
health  as  to  result  in  imperfect  bud  formation,  thus  rendering  attack 
by  malignant  organisms  more  disastrous.  The  fungoid  bodies  closely 
resemble  those  of  brown  rot  fungus.  Monilia  fruotigena,  but  we  have 
not  noticed  it  before  on  Apple  tree  buds.  There  is  no  trace  of  insects, 
only  the  branching  mycelium  of  the  fungus,  which  will  probably  yield 
to  spraying  with  dilute  Bordeaux  mixture.  Spray  first  before  the 
blossoms  open,  then  as  soon  as  the  fruit  is  well  formed  spray  again, 
and  repeat  the  application  twice  later  at  intervals  of  two  weeks. 
Tulips  not  Perfecting  Their  Flowers  (Charing  Cross). — The  two 
plants  arrived  in  good  condition  for  examination,  and  appear  of  the 
variety  you  name — Couleur  Cardinal.  The  flowers  were  dried  up  in  a 
partially  developed  state,  being  very  small,  and  in  the  condition  known  to 
growers  as  “  deaf.”  This  has  been  attributed  to  a  sudden  check  when  the 
flowers  were  in  the  bud  state,  such  as  a  quickly  occurring  and 
considerable  depression  of  temperature,  but  though  this  may  be  the 
cause  in  some  cases,  we  usually  find  that  it  arises  from  an  imperfect 
formation  of  the  flower  buds  in  the  previous  season,  either  from  over¬ 
propagation  or  indifferent  growth  and  maturation  of  the  plants.  There 
may  be,  and  no  doubt  are,  other  causes  of  the  ”  deafness,”  such  as 
attacks  of  root  mites,  which  impair  the  vitality  of  the  bulbs  at  the  base 
and  pass  from  these  to  the  roots,  destroying  them  when  partly 
developed,  thus  depriving  the  flowers  of  the  support  essential  for 
their  development.  On  one  of  the  bulbs  there  were  traces  of  root  or 
bulb  mite,  and  in  both  instances  the  roots  of  the  plants  were  few  and 
dead.  This  we  attribute  to  the  indifferent  condition  of  the  bulbs,  as 
induced  by  the  imperfect  growth  and  maturation  in  the  previous  year. 
Repotting  Indian  Azaleas  (Inquirer). — The  best  time  to  repot 
Azaleas  is  directly  after  the  flowering  period  is  over,  as  it  is  then  when 
both  top  and  root  growth  is  most  active.  As  a  rule,  every  third  year 
is  often  enough  to  give  larger  pots.  Azaleas  can  easily  be  over-potted. 
Supposing  the  pots  are  crowded  with  roots  turn  them  out,  carefully 
remove  the  drainage,  and  with  a  pointed  stick  lightly  loosen  the  sides 
and  upper  surface  of  the  ball.  Shift  into  clean,  well  drained  pots  not 
more  than  one  inch  larger  all  round.  If  the  roots  are  in  bad  condition 
through  over-potting,  the  action  of  worms  or  over-watering  which  may 
have  led  to  sourness  of  soil,  reduce  the  balls  rather  freely,  pricking 
away  much  of  the  unoccupied  soil,  and  place  in  the  same  sized  or  even 
smaller  pots  than  they  were  in  previously.  Use  a  mixture  consisting 
of  two  parts  good  brown  fibrous  peat,  one  part  of  fine  leaf  soil,  and 
one  part  of  brown  fibrous  loam,  with  silver  sand  freely  added.  Pot 
very  firmly,  taking  particular  care  to  well  drive  the  soil  down  the 
sides  of  the  pots  with  a  flat  potting  stick.  Keep  the  plants  in  gentle 
heat  of  from  55°  to  60°,  shade  from  bright  sunshine,  and  syringe 
frequently.  Not  till  the  young  growths  are  well  matured  and  the  buds 
really  set  should  the  plants  be  turned  out  of  the  house,  when  they 
ought  to  be  set  on  a  bed  of  ashes  in  a  cool  position,  housing  again 
before  frosts  can  injure  them. 
Mole  Crickets  Damaging  Seedling  Plants  (M.  C.). — These  pests  do 
considerable  mischief  in  gardens,  and  happily  are  confined  to  the  south 
of  Britain,  not  extending  to  the  north.  The  insect  prefers  light,  sandy, 
or  cultivated  soils,  especially  in  damp  situations,  and  in  digging  its 
burrows  it  cuts  the  roots  that  it  encounters,  causing  the  plants  to 
wither  without  evident  cause.  It  eats  the  underground  parts,  whether 
roots  or  stems,  of  many  plants  in  both  gardens  and  fields,  but  the 
favourite  food  of  the  mole  cricket  is  insects,  and  the  creature  is  so  vora¬ 
cious  that  when  starved  it  devours  its  own  limbs.  The  best  means  of 
riddance  is  to  take  some  pieces  of  raw  meat  out  so  as  to  resemble 
worms,  and  insert  them  in  the  soil,  preferably  in  the  barrows  of  the 
insects,  and  partly  out  of  the  soil,  securing  with  a  piece  of  bouquet 
wire  to  a  small  stick.  The  animal  may  thus  be  either  dug  out  or  pulled 
out  of  the  soil,  a  vessel  of  hot  water  being  at  hand  to  drop  those  taken  at 
the  baits  into.  The  insects  are  readily  killed  by  hot  water,  it  being  a 
good  practice  to  follow  up  the  runs  with  the  finger  till  the  spots  where 
the  creatures  rest  are  arrived  at,  wliich  are  known  by  the  descent  and 
smoothness  of  the  holes,  then  widen  these  at  the  top  and  fill  them  to 
the  brims  with  water  at  a  temperature  of  110°  to  125°.  In  the  case 
of  plants  in  rows  tread  the  ground  quite  firmly  and  smoothly  so  that 
the  pathways  of  the  insects  may  be  readily  seen.  Follow  the  runs  up 
and  fill  the  holes  with  hot  water. 
