May  20,  1887. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
during  the  early  part  of  June,  and  the  plants  treated  much  as  advised  in 
the  case  of  Wallflowers. 
Antirrhinums  and  Pentsiemons. — Seeing  that  these  plants  are 
among  the  most  showy  for  borders,  and  not  to  be  despised  for  the  flower 
beds,  more  than  ordinary  pains  ought  to  be  taken  with  young  plants  that 
may  have  been  raised  from  either  cuttings  or  seeds.  Unless  they  are 
strong  at  the  present  time  and  be  got  out  early  on  fairly  rich  good 
ground,  the  flowering  period  will  be  late  and  the  spikes  weakly.  They 
transplant  well  from  boxes  or  beds  of  soil  in  which  they  may  have  been 
temporarily  pricked  out,  and  being  hardier  than  the  ordinary  bedding 
plants  should  be  placed  out  early.  They  are  really  very  effective  bedding 
plants,  a  dry  season  appearing  to  suit  the  Antirrhinums  well. 
Herbaceous  Phloxes.  —To  have  these  at  their  best  they  must  be 
well  fed  at  their  roots,  and  young  plants  in  fresh  soil  will  in  any  case 
surpass  the  older  clumps.  The  latter,  however,  may  be  greatly  improved 
by  having  the  roots  bared  and  a  mulching  of  manure  and  a  soaking  of 
water  given  prior  to  returning  the  soil  over  the  manure.  They  are 
always  dry  at  the  roots,  no  amount  of  rainfall  soaking  the  ground 
immediately  about  them  after  the  growing  season  commences.  It  is 
also  advisable  to  freely  thin  out  the  young  shoots,  any  kept  or  raised 
in  frames  to  be  at  once  planted  out  on  good  ground.  Strong  young 
tops  taken  off,  placed  singly  in  small  pots,  and  stood  in  a  close  frame 
with  little  or  no  bottom  heat,  root  quickly,  and  these,  if  duly 
planted  out,  or  given  a  shift  into  larger  pots,  will  develop  sturdy 
spikes  of  flower. 
Other  Strong  Herbaceous  Plants. — If  the  flower  stems  are 
crowded,  the  display  is  short-lived  ;  but  if  thinned  the  stems  branch 
more  freely  and  flower  more  continuously,  the  quality  of  the  flowers 
also  being  superior.  All  pay  well  for  receiving  the  same  liberal  treat¬ 
ment  recommended  for  Phloxes,  and  the  least  that  can  be  done  is  to 
well  thin  out  the  Japanese  Anemones,  Delphiniums,  Helianthuses, 
Heleniums,  Asters,  Hemerocallis,  and  Pyretbrum  uliginosum,  some  of 
the  last  named  being  also  cut  half  down  next  month  in  order  to  have 
them  dwarfer.  A  mulching  of  short  manure,  leaf  soil,  or  Bpent  tan 
would  also  greatly  benefit  the  foregoing  and  all  other  moisture-loving 
border  plants. 
Bulbous  Plants.— These,  with  few  or  no  exceptions,  are  best  left 
undistnroed,  not  being  lifted  till  it  is  necessary  for  them  to  be  divided 
and  replanted.  This  applies  with  the  greatest  force  to  the  Daffodils  and 
Narcissi,  choice  or  otherwise,  while  the  various  other  spring-flowering 
bulbs  also  improve  if  only  disturbed  every  three  or  four  years.  Where 
they  must  be  lifted  and  stored  away  in  boxes  defer  the  operation  if 
possible  till  after  the  foliage  has  ripened  and  died  off,  but  if  this  period 
has  to  be  anticipated,  as  in  the  case  of  bulbs  in  the  flower  beds,  take 
them  up  Cirefully  and  replant,  or  lay  them  in  where  they  will  not  dry 
too  rapidly.  Bul,bs  of  Hyacinths,  Tulips,  and  Narcissi  are  not  of 
much  or  any  service  for  the  flower  beds  in  the  following  season,  but  they 
would  serve  to  brighten  the  mixed  borders,  and  in  time  give  a  good 
supply  of  flowers.  Much  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  bulbs  flowered  in 
pots.  They  are  of  no  further  service  for  pot  culture,  but  they  might 
well  be  leided  in  closely  together  in  any  outside  border  and  be 
permanently  planted  in  the  mixed  borders  and  the  fruit  borders  next 
autumn. 
HE  BEE  KEEPER  S 
■•■i,:.  i  -  i  - 1  -_i  - 1  - 1  - 1  - 1  -i  - 1  - 1 - 1  -  r-r- 1  - 1  - 1  - 1  - 1  -'i  - 1 - 1  -  rvr-1  0/  (lQ 
FALLACY  IN  BEE-KEEPING. 
How  is  it  so  many  statements  are  constantly  being  made  in  the 
public  press  as  to  the  enormous  yields  of  honey  that  may  be 
obtained  if  such  and  such  a  thing  is  done  ?  Bee-keepers  are 
advised  to  use  hivei  containing  frames  of  comb  a  few  inches 
longer  or  deeper  than  the  generally  recognised  size,  and  are  assured 
that  by  such  means  a  much  larger  surplus  is  obtained.  A  “  Border 
Bee-keeper,”  page  399,  has  done  well  to  turn  on  the  searchlight  and 
expose  one  of  such  statements. 
Large  Hives. 
During  the  past  week  I  have  had  a  practical  illustration  of  "bees 
in  large  hives.  Last  autumn  a  bee-keeper  in  a  neighbouring 
county  died.  His  family  knew  nothing  about  bees  or  the  handling 
of  them,  so  they  were  left  to  take  their  chance  during  the  winter, 
and  as  no  surplus  was  taken  from  them  last  season  they  were 
expected  to  be  in  a  better  condition  than  others  in  that  district. 
They  were,  with  one  exception,  all  in  well  made  frame  hives, 
having  from  fourteen  to  twenty-four  standard-sized  frames  in  each, 
and  as  they  had  not  been  opened  for  nearly  a  year  I  was  asked  to 
examine  them,  which  I  did  thoroughly. 
All  the  combs  had  been  left  in  the  hives,  and  as  there  was 
plenty  of  natural  stores  I  was  anxious  to  see  what  condition  they 
were  in  when  compared  with  others  in  the  neighbourhood  of  only 
half  the  size.  The  first  hive  examined  had  twenty-four  frames  of 
fully  drawn  out  combs,  and  was  originally  intended,  I  believe,  for  a 
double  hive,  as  there  was  an  alighting  board  at  each  end,  but  one 
entrance  was  stopped  up.  Several  of  the  back  frames  were  quite 
dear  of  honey  j  but  a  couple  of  frames  in  the  middle  of  the  hive 
445  ^ 
were  full  of  sealed  stores,  and  would  weigh  quite  8  lbs.  each.  The 
honey  was  as  clear  and  liquid  and  the  cappings  as  white  as  is 
usually  the  case  in  J  uly. 
Judging  from  this  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  bees  did 
not  cover  all  the  combs  last  summer.  Brood  was  formed  in  five 
frames,  and  the  bees  covered  seven  frames  on  the  evening  of  a  cool 
day.  This  was  the  best  stock,  although  the  others  had  nearly  as 
many  bees,  and  all  had  prolific  queens.  The  floor  board  (which 
was  a  fixture)  of  one  hive  was  covered  with  dead  bees,  and  it  was 
with  diffi  ;ulty  the  live  bees  were  able  to  pass.  The  dead  bees  and 
debris  were  all  cleared  out,  quite  a  shovelful,  and  there  was  then  a 
respectable  colony  of  bees  left.  The  queen  had  filled  several 
frames  with  brood,  and  this  stock  will  doubtless  be  as  good  as  the 
others  when  the  honey  flow  comes. 
But  what  led  to  the  loss  of  so  many  bees  ?  as  never  in  my 
experience  have  I  seen  so  many  dead  bees  in  a  hive.  The  hive  was 
perfectly  dry,  and  there  were  ample  stores.  I  am  inclined  to  think 
a  stray  swarm  had  taken  possession  during  last  summer  and  had  killed 
the  inmates.  The  condition  of  the  above,  as  a  whole,  was  no  better  or 
worse  than  others  in  the  district  that  had  been  fed  with  sugar  last 
autumn  and  wintered  on  ten  frames,  clearly  showing  that  it  is  not 
an  advantage  to  winter  bees  in  large  hives.  A  straw  skep  finished 
the  examination,  and  although  there  was  a  nest  of  mice  on  the  top, 
the  bees,  being  strong  and  nearly  ready  for  swarmiDg,  had  kept 
them  outside.  There  will  be  but  few  swarms  this  month  unless 
there  is  more  genial  weather. — An  English  Bee  keeper. 
Dead  Bees. 
I  am  sending  a  portion  of  a  comb  from  a  hive  in  which  all  the  bees 
have  died,  I  believe  from  starvation,  as  there  is  no  food  whatever  in  the 
hive  ;  but  on  looking  at  the  comb  I  see  a  great  number  of  very  small 
insects,  and  something  which  looks  like  a  chrysalis.  I  should  be  glad 
to  know  if  they  are  very  injurious  to  bees,  whether  it  is  infectious,  also 
if  the  combs  will  be  fit  to  use  again.  My  other  hives  appear  to  be  doing 
well. — W.  D.  Chick. 
[The  bees  doubtless  died  from  starvation,  as  the  comb  is  clean  and 
free  from  disease,  and  may  again  be  used  for  either  breeding  or  storing 
purposes.  Before  doing  so,  however,  it  will  be  advisable  to  remove  the 
dust  and  debris  from  the  comb  with  a  soft  brush.  Should  there  be  any 
remaining  in  the  cells  a  sharp  tap  or  two  on  a  table  will  have  the 
desired  effect.  It  will  also  cause  the  chrysalis  to  leave  their  quarters. 
These  are  not  injurious  to  the  bees,  as  a  strong  colony  would  at  once 
remove  them.  They  are  usually  found  in  hives  that  have  remained 
empty  for  a  considerable  time,  and  increase  more  rapidly  in  a  damp 
place  than  a  dry  one.  I  have  often  found  small  beetles  and  chrysalis, 
similar  to  those  forwarded,  in  combs  that  have  remained  on  the  stand 
several  months  after  the  bees  were  dead.  “  W.  D.  C.”  may  rest  assured 
ihey  are  not  infectious.  The  chrysalis  of  the  wax  moth,  which  in  some 
apiaries  are  very  destructive,  is  much  larger,  and  usually  attacks  comhs 
when  not  in  use  ;  but  if  the  instructions  given  in  previous  notes  are 
adhered  to  no  harm  will  happen  to  them.  It  is  interesting  to  know  your 
other  stocks  are  doing  well.— An  English  Bee-keeper.] 
Dividing  Stock. 
I  have  two  frame  hives,  one  of  which  is  overcrowded.  I  am  anxious 
to  divide  one,  but  do  not  know  how  to  go  about  it.  Is  this  the  proper 
time  to  do  it  1 — P.  L.  T. 
[If  only  one  extra  stock  is  required  remove  three  or  four  frames  of 
brood  in  various  stages  of  development  and  all  the  adhering  bees  from 
the  hive  now  overcrowded  with  bees,  put  them  in  a  new  hive,  and  place 
an  empty  frame  of  fully  drawn-out  comb  on  the  outside  of  brood  nest, 
draw  the  division  board  close  up,  and  cover  up  warm.  If  there  are  not 
sufficient  bees  to  well  cover  the  brood  shake  the  bees  off  another  frame 
from  the  stock  hive,  otherwise  the  brood  may  become  chilled  ;  remove 
the  hive  3  feet  from  the  original  stand. 
The  stock  hive  should  be  moved  3  feet  in  an  opposite  direction,  and 
the  empty  space  caused  by  the  removal  of  the  frames  closed  up  by 
drawing  the  frames  together,  with  the  addition  of  two  more  frames  of 
comb  or  foundation  ;  other  frames  may  be  given  as  required.  If  you 
are  not  an  adept  at  finding  the  old  queen  divide  the  frames  and  adhering 
bees  equally  into  two  hives.  A  few  days  afterwards  examine  them,  and 
the  one  that  is  queenless  will  be  found  to  have  already  started  several 
queen  cells ;  extra  frames  must  then  be  given  to  the  stock  containing 
the  queen,  and  all  will  be  well. 
A  young  queen  will  be  hatched  in  about  sixteen  days  ;  by  that  time 
there  will  be  plenty  of  drones  on  the  wing,  and  the  young  queen  will 
become  fertilised  and  laying  in  less  than  a  month  from  the  time  the 
stocks  were  divided. -An  English  Bee-keeper.] 
The  Bee-Master. — Mr.  J.  Hewitt  of  Sheffield  has  issued  the  first 
number  of  a  cheap  paper  for  apiarians.  He  has  chosen  a  good  title, 
and  evidently  intends  to  make  the  columns  lively.  A  trenchant  writer 
himself,  it  may  be  expected  he  will  find  others  of  a  similar  character, 
and,  as  was  observed  by  a  bee-keeper  to  whom  we  handed  a  copy, 
“  we  must  look  out  for  stings,”  but  old  bee-keepers  are  said  to  be 
proof  against  the  appendages,  and  smile  when  the  timorous  shudder 
with  fear.  It  will  be  well  for  persons  interested  in  the  subject  to  look 
out  for  the  next  number  of  the  new  venture  in  apicultural  journalism 
from  Sheffield. 
