170 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
February  25,  1897. 
them,  and  manipulate  them  as  advised  for  other  hives.  For  run 
or  extracted  honey  use  shallow  frames  14  inches  by  5J  inches.  If 
the  colony  is  a  strong  one  and  the  weather  favourable  the  bees  will 
commence  to  work  in  them  at  once.  There  is,  however,  a  danger 
of  them  swarming  if  only  a  single  crate  of  shallow  frames  is  used. 
It  is  therefore  advisable  to  place  another  crate  of  shallow  frames 
under  the  former  before  they  become  sealed  over.  As  soon  as  this 
has  taken  place  the  honey  may  be  extracted  and  the  empty  frames 
placed  under  the  others  to  be  again  filled.  But  for  reasons 
previously  given  I  prefer  a  smaller  hive. — An  English  Bee¬ 
keeper. 
MICE  IN  BEE  HIVES. 
Last  season  I  had  a  large  namber  of  beea  and  hives  to  look  after 
from  various  causes,  the  chief  one  illness  of  the  owner,  who  bad  no  less 
than  six  apiaries  in  different  localities.  la  each  case  I  found  mice  had 
seriously  interfered  with  if  not  destroyed  colonies.  In  one  case  of  a  bar- 
frame  hive  last  autumn,  which  had  not  been  overhauled  except  to  put  on 
a  crate  of  sections,  I  found  at  least  a  quarter  peck  of  Plum  stones,  the 
kernels  of  which  the  mice  had  eaten.  These  stones  were  wedged  and 
propolised  by  the  bees,  so  that  I  had  to  lift  several  frames  together  bodily 
to  do  anything  with  them.  The  top  portions  of  the  frames  were  fairly 
filled  with  honey. 
I  attributed  the  cause  of  these  attacks  chiefly  to  the  fact  that  few 
of  the  hives  were  on  legs,  and  many  simply  standing  on  a  brick  at  each 
corner  of  the  hive,  and  being  practically  on  the  ground,  the  mice  thus 
gaining  easy  access  and  gnawing  a  hole  at  a  corner  of  the  entrance.  In 
one  case,  on  taking  off  a  cover,  I  succeeded  in  killing  five  mice  with  my 
hand.  But  mice  should  be  trapped  ia  the  neighbourhood  of  hives — in 
the  hedges  if  near  hives.  They  are  the  long-tailed  field  mice  which  do 
the  damage,  and  also  spoil  rows  of  Peas  and  Beans. — J.  HlAM,  The 
Wren's  Best,  Astwood  Bank. 
TRADE  CATALOGUES  RECEIVED. 
J.  Laing  &  Sons,  Forest  Hill. — Olivias. 
Letellier  &  Son,  Caen,  France. —  Gooseberries. 
Surrey  Seed  Co.,  Redhill.— Seeds. 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be 
directed  to  “  The  Editor.’’  Letters  addressed  personally  to 
Dr.  Hogg  or  members  of  the  staff  ofter  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,  and  departmental  writers 
are  not  expected  to  answer  any  letters  they  may  receive  on 
Gardening  and  Bee  subjects,  through  the  post. 
Coi respondents  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,  as  a  rule,  reply  to  questions 
through  the  post,  and  we  do  not  undertake  to  return  rejected 
communications. 
Book  on  landscape  Gardening  for  Bothy  (G.  W.  B.  G)  — 
Kemp’s  “  How  to  Lay  Oat  a  Garden  ”  is  the  most  practical  work  on  the 
subject,  but  out  of  print,  though  sometimes  procurable  at  secondhand 
booksellers.  Milner’s  “  Landscape  Gardening  ”  is  a  more  elaborate  and 
expensive  work,  with  excellent  engravings,  but  we  do  not  know  the  price 
or  publisher.  What  you  require  is  a  less  pretentious  work  than  either, 
of  which  we  do  not  know,  nor  is  any  likely  to  be  issued,  as  the  sale 
would  be  very  questionable  as  regards  meeting  the  cost  of  production. 
Melons  In  Frames  ( One  Desirous  to  Know). — The  treatment  of 
Melons  is  very  similar  to  that  practised  with  Cucumbers.  The  soil, 
however,  should  be  rather  heavier  in  character,  and  the  growths  kapt 
somewhat  thinner.  When  the  laterals  apoear  from  the  principal  growths 
select  a  limited  number  for  extending.  They  show  fruit  at  the  second 
or  third  j  >int.  As  many  of  the  pistillate  flowers  as  possible  ought  to  be 
fertil is°d  at  one  time.  Of  the  fruits  which  swell  select  those  equal  in 
size.  Limit  the  number  on  each  plant  to  four  or  six.  In  frame  culture 
means  must  be  taken  to  supply  plenty  of  heat.  Avoid  watering  too 
closely  to  the  main  stem.  Should  canker  appear  rub  in  quicklime. 
Maintain  the  soil  moderately  moist,  and  the  leaves  fully  exposed  to  light. 
Stop  the  bearing  laterals  two  joints  beyond  the  fruit  when  the  latter  is 
set.  The  night  temperature  should  be  70°. 
Peaches  and  Nectarines  In  Pots  (Anxious). — These  fruits 
cultivated  in  pots  in  a  cool  greenhouse,  require  no  syringing  previous  to 
or  during  the  flowering  stage.  The  atmosphere  of  the  house  should  be 
kept  dry  and  free  ventilation  afforded,  especially  in  the  middle  of  the 
day.  At  that  period  the  pollen,  when  the  flowers  are  fully  open,  will 
be  perfectly  dry,  and  distribute  itself  freely  when  the  trees  are  lightly 
shaken.  This  usually  insures  fertilisation  ;  but  a  more  certain  method 
is  to  gather  perfectly  dry  pollen  from  the  anthers  of  fully  expanded 
flowers  with  a  camel-hair  brnsh,  and  apply  to  the  Btigmas  of  the  flewers. 
A  regular  moist  condition  of  the  roots  must  be  maintained  from  the  time 
the  plants  are  housed.  Trees  in  pots  are  placed  outside  after  the  fruit 
has  ripened. 
Size  of  Boxes  for  Cut  Flowers  (AT.  W.)  — We  have  sent  cut 
flowers  over  300  miles  in  a  varied  assortment  of  boxes  of  both  tin  and 
wood,  and  have  found  nothing  better  than  deal  ones  about  18  inches 
long,  12  inches  wide,  and  2J  deep,  all  inside  measure.  We  used  these 
singly  or  as  trays  in  a  box  of  two  or  three  tiers,  one  fitting  closely  on  the 
other  and  the  lid  tight  upon  the  uppermost.  The  thing  is  to  pack  so 
that  the  flowers  do  not  move,  hence  we  had  elastic  passed  through  holes 
in  the  box  bottoms  so  as  to  form  loops  inside  crosswise,  and  the  stalks  of 
the  flowers  being  placed  in  them  they  could  not  move  in  transit.  This 
gives  a  little  extra  trouble  both  in  packing  and  unpacking,  but  the 
flowers  come  out  as  fresh  as  when  sent  off,  and  were  satisfactory  to  every¬ 
one  concerned. 
lime  Mixed  with  Soil  for  Cucumbers  ( J .  B.). — We  are  unable 
to  account  for  the  lime  killing  the  plants  unless  it  was  of  a  very  caustic 
and  deleterious  nature — a  poison.  It  seems  strange  that  the  compost 
containing  the  largest  amount  of  lime  should  only  remain  four  days,  the 
medium  ten  days,  and  the  smallest  twelve  days  before  use.  Why  there 
should  be  such  difference  passes  our  understanding,  and  if  that  were 
recommended  by  the  learned  professor  named  we  do  not  wonder  at  your 
having  a  dread  of  “supposed  ”  remedies.  No  such  advice  has  been  given 
in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture.  Our  turf  for  Cucumbers  ia  cut  in  the 
late  summer  and  the  lime  mixed  with  it  in  stacking.  We  have  found 
the  practice  excellent  in  reducing  the  herbage  and  destroying  the  larvae 
of  any  pests  it  contained.  We  have  never  had  any  eel  worm  in  either 
Cucumbers  or  Tomatoes  grown  in  it. 
Black  Hamburgh  Grapes  Breaking  Stronger  at  Top  of 
Bods  than  Bottom  (A.  W.  B.  E.). — The  Vines  ought  to  have  been 
depressed  before  the  buds  at  the  lower  part  of  the  rods  or  canes  com¬ 
menced  swelling  in  each  year,  the  upper  part  being  brought  down  lower 
than  the  bottom  of  the  rafters  or  base  of  the  cane  or  rod,  and  so  have 
remained  until  the  buds  on  the  lower  part  of  the  Vines  had  pushed, 
securing  the  canes  or  rods  in  position  as  soon  as  that  was  effected, 
and  before  the  shoots  had  grown  in  a  wrong  direction.  We  have 
frequently  depressed  young  canes  to  an  angle  of  45°  in  order  to  make 
the  buds  break  strongly  at  the  base,  and  have  raised  them  a  little  at  a 
time  so  as  to  get  an  even  break  throughout  the  length  of  it.  This  is 
more  simple  to  do  than  to  explain,  and  is  more  a  matter  of  judgment 
than  anything  else,  which  you  will  no  doubt  exercise  according  to 
circumstances. 
Pear  Tree  Infested  with  Scale  ( F .  M.  iff.) — The  potash  and 
soda  wash  to  which  you  allude  is  made  by  dissolving  1  oz.  each  of  caustic 
soda  and  commercial  potash  (pearlash)  in  hot  water,  say  a  quart,  and 
when  dissolved  adding  hot  water  to  make  1  gallon  of  solution.  This, 
when  of  a  temperature  of  130°,  is  to  be  applied  with  a  half-worn 
painter's  sash  tool,  properly  cleaned,  and  in  such  a  manner  as  to  wet 
every  part  of  the  tree,  not  using  it  carelessly  so  as  to  run  down  and 
cause  injury  to  the  roots.  The  solution  must  be  applied  whilst  the  buds 
are  quite  dormant,  and  to  be  effectual  the  back  as  well  as  the  front  of 
the  branches  should  be  reached.  For  spraying  the  solution  is  made 
stronger  ;  $  lb  each  caustic  soda  and  commercial  potash  to  6  gallons  of 
water  for  Apples,  Plums,  and  Pears,  using  at  a  temperature  of  130°  ;  and 
for  other  trees,  such  as  Apricots,  diluting  to  8  gallons.  In  treating  wall 
trees  it  is  difficult  to  reach  the  back  of  the  branches  without  unloosing 
them  and  applying  with  a  brash,  hence  the  slightly  modified  formula. 
Keeping  Carrots  Through  the  Winter  {Nemo). — The  best 
means  of  keeping  Carrots  is  to  pack  them  in  sand  in  an  outhouse,  so 
that  each  root  will  be  separate  and  not  form  large  piles,  18  inches  to 
2  feet  being  sufficiently  high,  the  sand  being  only  moderately  moist,  and 
covering  used  during  frosty  weather.  This  appears  to  be  the  practice 
you  have  followed,  and  have  suffered  from  to  the  extent  of  losing  half  of 
the  roots.  We  have  found  Carrots  keep  well  in  a  shed  or  outhouse,  with 
only  sufficient  dry  straw  on  them  to  exclude  frost.  As  for  the  other 
plan — namely,  pitting  them  ia  the  open,  a  large  farmer  growing 
vegetables  for  market  and  supplying  them  direct  to  the  consumers 
adopts  that  system,  the  pits  being  narrow  (about  2£  feet)  and  low 
(about  1  foot  9  inches)  a  dry  site  being  chosen,  the  usual  covering  of 
dry  straw  employed,  and  then  sufficient  earth  placed  on  so  as  to  exclude 
frost.  The  plan  answers  well  in  most  seasons — not  always,  for  unless 
the  Carrots  are  matured  before  lifting,  this  being  done  ia  a  dry  time 
without  bruising  or  injuring  the  flesh,  and  the  covering  but  light  at 
first,  so  that  sweating  cannot  take  place,  or  if  taking  place  allow  the 
moisture  to  pass  off,  the  Carrots  will  not  keep  for  any  length  of  time. 
Keeping,  therefore,  depends  on  thorough  maturity,  cleanness  of  roots, 
freedom  from  damage,  with  moderate  dryness  and  safety  from  frost. 
Some  gardeners  leave  Carrots  in  the  ground,  covering  the  surface 
thickly  with  leaves,  and  claim  for  the  roots  better  quality  than  those 
which  are  stored. 
