334 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  3, 1896. 
deal,  and  when  too  neat  it  will  happen  at  times  the  crates  become 
too  shallow,  which  gives  the  bees  unnecessary  labour  in  propolising, 
and  allows  the  escape  of  heat. 
I  never  use  separators,  and  have  very  rarely  bulged  combs.  I 
construct  my  crates  with  a  hinged  end,  which  when  shut  presses 
the  sections  square  and  holds  them  tight.  Two  brass  screws  make 
all  rigid. 
Much  has  been  written  from  time  to  time  on  the  best  hive,  but 
very  often  proper  tests  were  not  made,  or  if  done,  by  someone  not 
fully  acquainted  with  the  management  of  bees.  This  year  has 
given  ocular  demonstration  of  what  are  the  best  hives,  because  if 
two  or  more  lots  of  hives  stand  side  by  side,  managed  on  diflEerent 
principles,  and  one  gathers  from  80  to  100  lbs.,  while  the  other 
gathers  10  to  12  lbs.,  then  it  becomes  obvious  there  is  something 
wanting  with  the  latter.  It  is  impossible  to  keep  pace  with  the 
onward  march  of  bee-keeping  by  using  hives  much  smaller  than 
Nature  demands,  for  had  we  adopted  the  “  standard  ”  hive  we 
would  have  been  in  the  same  position  as  those  beside  ours,  which 
gave  no  honey,  while  ours  did. — A  Lanarkshire  Bee-keeper. 
SEASONABLE  NOTES. 
The  glorious  weather  experienced  during  the  past  fortnight 
is  the  all-absorbing  topic  amongst  bee-keepers  and  others,  as  never 
in  my  experience  have  I  known  such  a  long  spell  of  bright  weather 
and  the  temperature  as  high  so  late  in  the  season.  For  more  than 
a  week  past  the  daily  maximum  shade  temperature  has  ranged 
from  78°  to  80°,  the  sun  shining  all  day  from  an  almost  cloudless 
sky.  To-day,  September  28th,  the  atmosphere  is  clear  and  the 
temperature  as  high  as  any  day  during  the  past  fortnight,  and  to 
all  appearance  the  exceptional  heat  is  likely  to  last  for  some  days 
longer. 
The  bees  are  making  the  most  of  the  fine  weather,  and  are 
working  freely  on  the  Ivy,  and  as  many  of  the  autumn-flowering 
herbaceous  plants  and  annuals  are  blooming  profusely  the  bees 
return  to  their  hives  heavily  laden  with  pollen,  showing  that  breed¬ 
ing  is  going  on  apace.  This  will  prove  of  great  advantage  to  the 
various  stocks  provided  they  have  abundance  of  stores  to  carry 
them  through  the  winter.  It  is  surprising  how  some  people  put 
off  really  necessary  duties  in  connection  with  bee-keeping. 
Within  the  past  few  days  I  asked  a  bee-keeper  who  resided  in 
another  county  if  the  season  had  been  favourable  for  honey  pro¬ 
duction  in  his  district.  He  replied  that  he  could  not  speak  from 
experience,  as  he  had  not  taken  his  supers  off,  although  the  honey 
flow  had  been  over  at  least  two  months. 
Had  the  bee-keepers  in  the  Midland  counties  been  favoured 
with  similar  weather  during  the  latter  part  of  June  and  early  in 
July  this  would  doubtless  have  been  a  record  year,  as  at  that  time 
the  bulk  of  the  white  Clover  was  in  bloom,  a  great  quantity  of 
which  is  grown  in  this  district  for  sheep  grazing,  and  from  which 
the  finest  sample  of  honey  is  procured.  But  then  the  weather  was 
dull  and  showery,  in  marked  contrast  to  that  experienced  in  the 
southern  counties. — An  English  Bee-keeper. 
All  correspondence  should  be  directed  either  to  “  The 
Editor  "  or  to  “  The  Publisher.”  Letters  addressed  to 
Dr.  Hogg  or  members  of  the  staff  often  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. 
Correspondents  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  reply  to  questions  through  the  post, 
and  we  do  not  undertake  to  return  rejected  communications. 
Sweet  Peas  (TF.  S.). — The  blooms  sent  represent  a  very  fine  strain 
of  these  charming  flowers,  and  the  number  of  blooms  on  the  stalk  proves 
excellent  cultivation.  It  is  not  general  to  have  so  many  blooms  on  a 
stalk  as  in  your  case,  but  they  are  sometimes  seen. 
Single  Cactus  Sabllas  A7j?«e).— We  have  received  a  box 
containing  a  number  of  blooms  of  single  Dahlias,  but  no  letter  in 
reference  to  them.  Letters  should  always  be  placed  in  the  packages 
with  specimens,  whether  the  senders  write  by  post  or  not. 
Melon  Seeds  Germinating  In  the  Fruit  (A.  TF.). — The  cir¬ 
cumstance  of  Melon  seeds  germinating  and  producing  green  cotyledons 
prior  to  the  fruit  being  cut,  though  somewhat  uncommon,  is  not  by 
any  means  a  rarity.  We  have  had  examples  similar  to  yours  from  time 
to  time.  The  requisite  conditions  for  germination  were  present — namely, 
heat,  moisture,  and  oxygen  gas,  this  being  an  essential  constituent  of 
water,  while  sufficient  light  from  bright  sun  passed  through  the  thin 
rind  and  transparent  flesh  for  the  deposition  of  chlorophyll  in  the 
cotyledons. 
White  Specks  on  Vine  Iicaves  (^Tlamboro'). — There  were  no 
insects  on  either  the  lower  or  upper  surfaces  of  the  leaves.  The  white 
specks  here  and  there  are  the  cast  skins  or  egg  sacs  of  some  minute 
insect  passed  into  fungal-like  threads.  There  is  nothing  the  matter  with 
the  leaves  but  the  warty  growths,  which  are  not  caused  by  mites  ;  they 
usually  arise  from  a  sudden  check,  as  a  current  of  cold  air  rushing  on  the 
foliage  when  ventilation  is  given  so  as  to  lower  the  temperature  suddenly. 
The  Vines  seem  in  good  health  in  other  respects,  the  foliage  being  very 
fresh  for  the  time  of  year. 
Melon  Plants  Infested  with  Black  Fly  (A  Reader  of  the 
Journal). — The  leaf  was  in  a  bad  state,  and  any  like  it  will  be  of  little 
service  to  the  plant  even  after  the  aphides  are  destroyed.  There  is  no 
better  remedy  than  fumigation  with  tobacco  smoke,  the  house,  pit,  or 
frame  being  filled  on  a  calm  evening,  taking  care  to  have  the  foliage 
dry.  Deliver  the  smoke  cool  and  not  give  an  overdose.  If  you  repeat 
the  fumigation  at  break  of  day  the  following  morning  there  will  usually 
be  an  end  of  the  aphides,  and  the  structure  can  be  ventilated  in  the 
usual  manner,  as  the  smoke  will  be  gone  before  the  sun  acts  powerfully 
on  the  glass.  The  name  of  the  variegated -leaved  plant  is  Acalypha 
musaica,  and  that  of  the  white  flowered  one  Toxicophloea  spectabilis. 
Flies  In  Pear-room  (F.  A.). — The  insects  sent  belong  to  a  two¬ 
winged  species  of  fly,  in  the  great  division  which  contains,  amongst 
many  other,  the  familiar  house  fly.  This  small  species  is  Sepsis 
cynipsea,  and  it  has  the  peculiarity  of  being  fonder  of  running  about 
than  flying.  At  times  these  flies  assemble  numerously  in  sheds,  summer 
houses,  and  other  places,  for  no  particular  reason  that  we  can  sce.  In 
the  instance  given,  it  is  doubtful  whether  they  have  any  connection 
with  the  Pears  except  that  of  being  attracted  by  the  smell  of  the  fruit, 
having  managed  somehow  to  gain  access  to  the  store-room.  The  larva 
or  grub  of  this  little  fly  is  imperfectly  known,  but  it  is  believed  to  be 
one  of  the  scavengers  that  feed  on  and  decompose  manure.  Still,  it  is 
a  possible  thing  that  they  may  have  bred  in  some  of  the  Pears,  if  any 
were  undergoing  decay. 
Btseased  French-named  Gladioli  (D.  IF.). — If,  as  we  presume, 
the  bulbs  are  affected  to  begin  with,  no  application  to  the  soil  could 
possibly  act  as  a  disinfectant  of  them  from  the  disease.  Had  you  sent 
us  some  diseased  plants  with  their  corms  intact,  we  might  have  been 
able  to  assist  you  -to  a  preventive  and  remedy  as  regards  infected 
roots.  Both  vegetable  and  animal  micro-organisms  are  associated  with  the 
disease  in  Gladioli,  not  always  the  two  together,  but  occurring  separately, 
and  it  is  necessary  that  we  should  make  a  careful  examination  of  the 
affected  plants  before  prescribing.  Guano  or  Thomson’s  Vine  manure, 
and  other  chemical  manures,  would  assist  the  plants  in  their  growth,  and 
better  enable  them  to  outgrow  and  resist  the  malady,  whether  caused  by 
fungi  or  animal  parasites.  If  you  send  specimen,  please  pack  carefully 
in  damp  (not  wet)  moss,  so  as  to  arrive  in  fresh  condition  for  exami¬ 
nation. 
Tomato  Fruits  Cracking:  (A.  F.). — The  cracking  arises  from  the 
plants  having  been  stinted  for  water  or  nourishment  both  at  the  roots 
and  in  the  atmosphere  at  some  time  when  the  fruits  when  in  a  green 
state,  whereby  the  skin  becomes  hardened,  and  especially  during  a  spell 
of  bright,  hot  weather,  so  that  when  the  fruit  takes  its  last  swelling  for 
ripening,  and  under  moister  hygrometrical  conditions  it  is  unable  to 
expand,  and  cracking  occurs  at  the  eye  end,  but  sometimes  at  the  shank. 
We  know  of  no  remedy,  but  it  may  be  prevented  by  a  more  generous 
regimen  during  the  swelling  period,  a  free  circulation  of  air  after  the 
fruit  commences  ripening  or  even  when  about  to  take  the  last  swelling, 
admitting  air  both  day  and  night,  and  in  bad  cases  cutting  the  stems 
about  half  way  through  so  as  to  arrest  some  of  the  sap  from  the 
roots.  The  deposition  of  moisture  must  also  be  prevented,  as  this  is 
imperceptibly  absorbed,  on  the  principle  of  osmosis,  and  cracking 
follows. 
TTew  Potato  (il/,  P.). — It  is  quite  impossible  for  any  person  to 
judge  from  a  solitary  tuber  as  to  the  distinctness  or  otherwise  of  any 
variety  of  Potato.  We  could,  no  doubt,  find  tubers  so  closely  resembling 
the  fine  one  sent  that  it  would  be  hard  to  recognise  the  difference 
between  them  ;  but  still,  when  seen  growing,  also  in  essential  characters, 
they  might  be  quite  dissimilar.  The  most  complete  test  of  the  value  of 
new  varieties  of  Potatoes  is  to  have  them  grown  in  the  trial  ground  of 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society.  About  seventy  varieties  have  been 
thus  tested  this  season,  only  four  or  five  of  them  obtaining  certificates. 
Some  Potatoes,  however,  succeed  in  certain  soils  and  localities  better 
than  in  others,  and  you  might  do  well  to  submit  samples  to  some  of  the 
expert  growers  in  your  district,  such  as  Mr.  Ismay  Fisher  of  Sturton, 
and  Mr.  Brown  of  Appleby,  whose  names,  perhaps,  may  not  be  un¬ 
familiar  to  you.  There  is  a  good  Potato  in  commerce  under  the  name 
of  M.P.  If  you  were  to  send  a  dish  of  half  a  dozen  tubers  to  the 
Vegetable  Committee  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  it  is  not 
unlikely  that  the  variety  would  be  referred  to  Chiswick  for  trial.  The 
Secretary  of  the  Society,  117,  Victoria  Street,  Westminster,  would  give 
you  instructions  for  sending  if  desired  to  do  so. 
