356 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  10, 1895,. 
manages  her  hives  with  the  help  of  her  daughter,  had  this  year  a 
quantity  of  first-class  Clover  honey,  for  which  several  merchants 
offered  her  3d.  per  pound.  It  was  ultimately  sold  at  5d. — a  figure 
far  too  low  for  bee-keeping  to  be  a  paying  concern  in  this  country. 
— A  Lanaekshire  Bee-keeper. 
STARTING  BEE-KEEPING. 
Bee-keepers  who  keep  numerous  colonies  of  bees,  and  are 
known  to  devote  much  attention  to  their  requirements  and  general 
welfare,  are  often  consulted  by  members,  and  would-be  members 
of  the  craft,  as  to  the  best  time  of  year  to  start  breeding.  What 
breed  of  bees  are  the  best  ?  which  are  the  best  hives  ?  and  numerous 
other  questions,  all  tending  to  show  the  interest  that  is  taken  in 
this  pastime. 
Through  various  causes  many  stocks  were  lost  during  the  severe 
weather  experienced  last  winter.  In  many  instances  it  was  the 
extreme  cold  that  was  blamed,  whereas  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  it 
was  shortness  of  stores,  badly  ventilated  hives,  or  leaky  roofs,  that 
was  the  cause  of  so  many  losses.  Now  is  the  time  to  guard  against 
similar  mishaps  in  the  future  by  seeing  that  all  stocks  are  well 
provided  with  stores,  and  it  should  be  kept  in  mind  that  it  is  better 
to  err  on  the  safe  side  by  giving  too  much  than  too  little.  See 
that  all  roofs  are  sound  and  in  good  condition,  and  if  previous 
instructions  have  been  carried  out  the  majority  of  stocks  will  be 
strong  and  healthy  in  the  spring 
When  to  Commence  Bee-keeping. 
Either  autumn  or  spring  is  a  suitable  time  to  make  a  start,  but 
by  obtaining  bees  now  there  is  always  a  certain  amount  of  risk, 
such  as  queenlessness,  and  various  causes  from  which  bees  die  ; 
whereas  if  a  start  is  not  made  till  spring,  and  a  stock  is  than 
obtained,  there  is  much  less  risk,  though  the  price  would  be 
proportionally  higher  for  a  good  stock,  A  commencement  might 
also  be  made  by  purchasing  an  early  swarm,  but  that  would  cost 
as  much  as  a  good  stock  in  the  autumn  ;  and  from  the  latter  three 
or  more  good  stocks  could  be  obtained  the  first  season,  whereas 
only  one  colony  would  be  obtained  from  a  swarm. 
Making  an  allowance  for  all  risks,  I  prefer  the  autumn  to 
spring  ;  and  if  ordinary  care  is  taken  in  selecting  a  stock  of  bees 
at  this  time  of  the  year,  no  fear  need  be  entertained  as  to  the 
result.  For  this  purpose  I  prefer  bees  in  straw  skeps,  which  can 
still  be  obtained  in  most  country  districts,  and  should  weigh — 
including  bees,  stores,  and  skep—  from  20  to  30  lbs.  These,  if 
protected  from  the  rough  weather  and  rain,  invariably  winter  well, 
and  come  out  strong  in  the  Spring.  Care  should  be  taken  to  have 
a  colony  headed  by  a  young  fertile  queen,  which  can  easily  be 
ascertained  by  selecting  a  last  year’s  stock  that  has  swarmed  this 
year,  or  a  cast  (or  second  swarm).  These  will  both  be  headed  by 
queens  reared  this  season,  and  being  reared  in  strong  colonies  are 
usually  very  prolific. 
The  stock  should  be  examined  by  lifting  it  off  the  board,  having 
previously  blown  in  a  few  puffs  of  smoke  to  drive  the  bees  down 
between  the  combs,  which  should  be  well  covered  with  bees,  and 
if  in  good  condition  for  wintering  two  or  three  of  the  outer  combs 
will  be  found  to  be  full  of  sealed  stores  ;  but  the  weight  of  the 
hive  will  be  a  good  criterion  to  go  by.  Preference  should  be  given 
to  those  having  straight  combs,  as  they  will  be  much  better  for 
transferring  into  frame  hives,  if  required  for  that  purpose. 
From  a  stock  of  this  description  an  early  swarm  will  be  obtained 
that  may  be  placed  in  a  frame  hive,  which  is  far  in  advance  of  the 
straw  skep  for  honey  production,  and  twenty-one  days  afterwards 
the  combs  and  bees  from  straw  skeps  may,  if  desired,  be  trans¬ 
ferred  to  a  frame  hive.  If  a  start  is  not  made  till  spring  the  same 
care  should  be  taken  in  selecting  stock,  which  never  ought  to  be 
obtained  except  from  a  healthy  neighbourhood,  as  in  some  parts  of 
the  country  foul  brood  is  still  making  great  headway. 
It  is  very  discouraging  to  a  poor  man  when  he  has  invested 
what  to  him  is  a  large  sum  in  procuring  a  stock  of  bees,  to  be  told 
within  a  few  weeks  of  purchasing  that  they  are  badly  affected  with 
foul  brood,  and  that  they  must  be  destroyed.  A  case  in  point  has 
lately  come  under  my  notice  in  which  a  station  master  was  induced 
to  [commence  bee-keeping  during  the  summer  of  1894,  and  com¬ 
missioned  an  expert  (?)  to  buy  a  stock  of  bees  in  a  frame  hive, 
which  was  done  and  passed  as  healthy,  but  within  two  months  the 
same  expert  (?)  condemned  them  as  being  badly  affected  with  foul 
brood.  He  undertook  to  cure  them,  and  took  the  stock  away  for 
the  purpose.  The  bees,  however,  died  ;  the  hive  was  destroyed, 
and  the  would-be  bee-keeper  is  now  minus  both  bees  and  hive. — 
An  English  Bee-keeper. 
TRADE  CATALOGUE  RECEIVED. 
C.  K.  Shilling,  Hartley  Street,  Winchfield. — Bulhous  Flowering 
Moots. 
All  correspondence  should  be  directed  either  to  “  Thet 
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  ta 
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. 
Diseased  Gladioli  (IF.  B.), — The  corms  shall  be  examined  and 
referred  to  in  a  future  issue. 
Book  on  Orchids  (Z7.  T.'), — The  book  on  Orchids  most  likely  to 
meet  your  requirements  is  “The  Amateur  Orchid  Cultivator’s  Guide 
Book,’’  by  H.  A.  Burberry,  and  published  by  Messrs.  Blake  &  Mackenzie, 
publishers,  Liverpool,  at  a  price  of  Ss. 
Seedling-  Pansies  (J1  G.). — The  flowers  arrived  more  or  less 
withered,  and  the  petals  curled.  One  or  two  of  them  are  sufficiently 
attractive  for  growing  in  borders,  but  they  are  far  below  the  florist’s 
standard  of  merit,  and  possess  no  commercial  value. 
Helenium  autumnale  striatum  (^Somersef) . — According  to  the 
experience  of  Mr.  S.  Arnott,  the  above  is  the  correct  name  of  the  plant 
sometimes  sold  under  the  name  of  H.  grandicephalum  striatum.  Read 
what  this  expert  says  in  reference  to  this  variety  on  page  266  of  the 
Journal  for  September  19th. 
Sulphate  of  Iron  for  Apple  Trees  Inclined  to  Canker 
(A?,  B.  0.'), — Sulphate  of  iron  may  be  applied  at  the  rate  of  a  quarter  of 
an  ounce  per  square  yard,  half  a  pound  per  rod,  or  three-quarters  of  a 
cwt.  per  acre,  and  is  best  applied  in  the  early  spring  when  growth  com¬ 
mences  in  the  buds  or  a  little  before,  always  when  the  ground  is 
thoroughly  damp.  This  has  a  decidedly  beneficial  effect  on  Apple  tree 
growth  by  supplying  available  iron,  but  it  will  not  make  up  for 
deficiencies  in  other  respects,  and  it  is  better  to  give  a  good  all-round 
chemical  manure,  such  as  those  advertised,  specially  for  fruit  trees  in  the 
early  spring,  or  when  the  buds  give  the  slightest  signs  of  development, 
spreading  from  the  stem  outward  a  foot  beyond  the  spread  of  the 
branches,  and  leave  for  the  rain  to  wash  in.  The  particular  variety  you 
name  does  best  on  the  English  Baradise  stock,  with  the  roots  near 
the  surface  and  the  ground  over  them  mulched  with  about  an  inch 
thickness  of  short  manure.  The  variety  also  requires  a  warm  soil,  and 
that  may  account  for  the  liability  to  canker,  but  certainly  not  to  mildew, 
except  in  a  dry  season,  such  as  the  present  and  1893.  Sslphur  will  kill 
it,  also  anti-blight,  Fostite,  and  other  advertised  fungicides.  It  would 
be  advisable  to  lift  the  trees,  and  place  the  roots  near  the  surface.  This, 
however,  must  be  done  carefully  if  the  trees  are  on  Crab  stock  and  hav& 
been  planted  some  time,  in  which  case  it  would  be  better  to  operate  on 
half  the  roots  one  year  and  the  other  the  next,  and  not  until  the  leaver 
commence  falling. 
Gros  Colman  versus  Gros  Colmar  (^Inquirer').  —  We  hav& 
frequently  expressed  our  opinion  that  the  first  name  is  the  more  correct. 
If  this  variety  of  Grape  were  of  French  origin,  or  had  been  extensively 
grown  at  or  near  Colmar  for  generations  anterior  to  its  introduction 
into  this  country,  then  we  should  not  quarrel  with  the  name  of  Groa 
Colmar — nor,  indeed,  do  we  quarrel  with  it  now,  but  regard  the  name 
as  a  synonym  of  Gros  Kdlner,  a  Grape  that  has  long  been  grown  in 
Germany,  and  thence  found  its  way  to  France.  If  the  Grape  now 
grown  in  England  is  not  identical  with  what  may  be  termed  the 
original  Gros  Kdlner,  we  regard  it  as  a  varietal  form,  in  the  same  way 
as  we  have  differing  forms  of  Black  Hamburgh.  The  late  Mr.  Rivers 
introduced  this  Grape  from  France  many  years  ago,  but  subsequently 
discarded  it,  because  it  would  not  succeed  with  him  under  the  Black 
Hamburgh  treatment.  It  was  introduced  again  by  the  late  Mr.  Standish 
from  Angers.  The  original  name  became  corrupted,  as  names  will,  and, 
they  have  often  been  changed  by  the  obscure  writing  or  misreading  of  a 
label.  In  cases  of  doubtful  plant  nomenclature  priority  of  publication 
is  the  determining  point,  assuming  the  name  to  have  been  adopted  by  a 
good  authority  or  specialist.  The  first  trace  that  Dr.  Hogg,  after  much 
research,  found  of  this  Grape  in  Western  Europe  it  was  under  the  name 
of  Gros  Colman,  in  De  Bavay’s  catalogue  in  1852,  and  three  years, 
afterwards  it  was  printed  in  another  catalogue  as  Gross  Colmar.  The 
best  modern  evidence  we  have  of  Gros  Colman  being  the  more  correct 
rendering  is  the  fact  that  it  is  employed  in  a  large  and  very  beautiful 
new  German  work  on  the  Vine  by  R.  Goethe  Geisembeim.  As  this 
German  author  would  not  be  likely  to  adopt  an  incorrect  name  fur 
what  for  cultural  purposes,  may  be  described  as  a  German  Grape,  we 
must’ continue  to  give  the  name  Gros  Colman  priority  over  Gros  Colaur 
