JOURh-AL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AHU  COTTAGE  GARDEHER. 
Februarv  24  1898. 
180 
we  use  two  supers  holding  ten  frames  each  20  inches  by  5j.  We  use  ten 
frames  in  the  supers  for  the  same  reason  given  as  “  An  English  Bee¬ 
keeper,”  and  it  is  an  excellent  practice.  I  find  wide  combs  much  easier  to 
extract.  So,  instead  of  having  4080  inches  of  comb  surface,  we  have  6280, 
changing  the  minority  of  442  into  a  majority  of  1758  inches.  Now,  I  ask 
in  all  fairness.  Which  is  the  larger  hive  1  “An  English  Bee-keeper”  has 
gone  away  from  the  question  altogether,  as  it  was  not  the  amount  of 
storage  room  for  the  surplus  honey,  which  can  always  be  provided  for.  The 
question  first  asked,  and  which  has  not  been  satisfactorily  answered,  was, 
“  Has  a  queen  room  for  her  egg-laying  power  in  the  height  of  the  season, 
when  she  is  capable  of  laying  from  3000  to  4000  eggs  per  day  ?  ” 
How  Many  Egg.s  a  Queen  Will  Lay. 
Has  not  “An  English  Bee-keeper”  told  us  at  certain  times  a  queen 
will  lay  at  least  3000  eggs  per  day,  implying  that  she  will  lay  more  ?  But 
where  does  she  lay  them  ?  Let  us  see.  There  are  ten  standard  frames  in 
the  brood  nest,  there  are  54,000  cells  at  most  on  ten  standard  frames.  If 
the  queen  laid  3000  eggs  per  clay  she  would  fill  all  of  them  in  eighteen 
days.  But  the  queen  has  no  such  room  for  her  laying  power,  as  we  must 
take  ofE  two  frames  for  stores  and  pollen  at  the  very  least,  and  this  would 
leave  the  (jueen  room  to  lay  little  over  2000  eggs  per  day  for  twenty  days. 
Doubling  Hives. 
Good  results  can  be  had  from  doubling ;  this  I  proved  years  ago,  and 
practise  it  occasionally  now.  My  objection  to  doubling  is,  that  I  do  not  like 
honey  taken  from  old  combs  from  which  successive  generations  of  bees  have 
been  hatched.  To  my  palate,  honey  has  the  richest  aroma  that  is  taken 
from  virgin  combs,  or  from  combs  that  have  not  contained  brood.  Is  not 
honey  an  absorbent,  and  matter  of  an  unpleasant  nature  imparted  to  it  with 
old  brood  combs  /  Let  anyone  try  for  himself  honey  taken  from  combs  of 
spotless  whiteness,  and  honey  taken  from  old  black  brood  combs,  compare 
the  two  and  draw  their  own  conclusions. — George  Howdenshire. 
Large  Frames. 
“Warwick”  has  decided  to  try  the  large  hives,  and  while  thanking 
George  Howdenshire  for  particulars  already  given,  will  greatly  appreciate 
the  correct  measurements  for  frames  and  hives,  so  kindly  offered  on 
page  136. 
iFi,  All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should,  until 
further  notice,  be  directed  to  “The  Editor,”  s.  Rose  HlH  Road, 
Wandsworth,  S.W.,  and  NOT  to  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers, 
Fleet  Street.  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  departmental  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  accompan  ed  by 
the  names  and  addro-ses  of  the  writers,  but  will  neither  be 
published  nor  disclosed  wlien  initials  or  nom  de plumes  are  give  i 
for  the  purpose  of  replies. 
Weed  Killers  (5.  8.  K.). — It  is  impossible  for  us  to  say  which  is  the 
“best  of  all  weed  killers,  and  thus,  in  effect,  stamp  all  others  as 
relatively  inferior.  As  a  matter  of  fact  we  have  not  tried  them  all,  but 
those  that  we  have  tried  answered  their  purpose  well.  Procure  price 
lists  and  testimonials  from  advertisers  of  the  articles,  and  let  them  guide 
you  to  a  decision. 
Lachnanthes  tinctoria  {Alpha). — We  are  not  aware  that  this  plant  is  a 
recognised  remedy  for  consumption.  It  is  a  native  of  North  America, 
and  known  as  the  Red-root.  It  belongs  to  the  order  Hoemodoraceae,  and 
grows  in  or  near  pouds  and  ditches  in  America  as  an  herbaceous  perennial, 
productng  sword  shaped  leaves  and  a  dense  cyme  of  yellow  flowers.  We 
do  not  know  that  plants  are  obtainable  either  in  a  dried  or  growing  state 
in  this  country.  They  are  not  credited  with  the  possession  of  medicinal 
properties,  but  the  roots  have  been  used  in  America  for  dyeing,  in  the 
same  way  as  Madder— the  root  of  Kubia  tinctorum. 
Newly  Imported  Dendrobium  nobile  (  W.  T.  (?.). — If  the  young  shoots 
in  your  plants  of  I),  nobile  are  producing  roots,  and  you  have  the 
convenience  of  a  warm  close  house,  you  may  take  them  off  now,  but 
they  are  in  most  cases  better  left  on  the  plants  for  one  season.  The  fact 
of  the  plants  being  “covered”  with  the  shoots  seems  to  point  to  the 
fact  that  few  flowers  will  be  produced,  so  that  you  have  nothing  to  lose 
by  putting  the  plants  in  a  brisk  heat,  with  plenty  of  moisture,  and 
getting  a  good  h.ng  season’s  growth  for  them.  Then  next  spring  you 
may  cut  the  old  stems  with  the  young  shoots  out  entirely,  and  put  as 
many  as  you  like  into  each  pot.  Or  they  may  be  placed  singly  in 
small  pots,  but  the  former  is  the  (Quickest  way  to  obtain  good  specimens. 
Pentstemons  with  Blue  Flowers  (J/.  D.). — The  following  have  blue 
flowers.  Seeds  can  be  obtained  from  Mr.  W.  Thompson,  34  and  36, 
Tavern  Street,  Ipswich,  P.  conferliflorus,  syns.  confertus  and  procerus, 
P.  cyananthus  var.  Brandegei,P.  glaber,  P.  heterophyllus,  P.  Jeffreyanus, 
P.  ovatus,  P.  secundiflorus,  P.  speciosus,  P.  coeruleus,  P.  Scouleri.  Of 
these  P.  conferliflorus,  P.  glaber,  and  P.  cyananthus  var.  Brandegei, 
which  is  considered  by  botanists  only  a  variety  of  glaber,  are  the 
hardiest. 
Grapes  in  Heated  Orchard  House  (W.,  Berks).— As  you  have  Black 
Hamburgh,  Madresfield  Court,  Foster’s  Seedling,  and  Royal  Muscadine 
in  another  house,  and  require  two  varieties  to  follow  these,  the  selection 
is  left  to  late  varieties,  which,  as  a  rule,  require  good  heat  and  a  long 
time  to  ripen  the  frnit  properly  for  keeping  well.  Under  the  conditions 
you  name  we  think  Black  Alicante,  a  strong  growing  variety,  very 
fruitful,  always  setting  and  colouring  well ;  also  White  Tokay,  an  old 
and  little  grown  variety,  that  bears  fruit  freely  and  ripens  well  with  a 
little  heat  in  September,  likely  to  succeed  under  the  conditions  you 
name,  both  being  the  better  with  a  little  heat  at  starting  and  when 
ripening.  If  the  soil  is  light  the  chances  of  success  will  be  more  certain. 
Lawn  Smothered  with  Daisies  {Subscriber). — We  once  saw  a  lawn 
more  Daisies  than  grass  completely  cured  by  a  dressing  of  the  following 
mixture : — Sulphate  of  ammonia,  eight  parts  or  lbs.  ;  kainit,  five  parts 
or  lbs. ;  bone  superphosphate,  four  parts  or  lbs. ;  and  sodium  silicate, 
three  parts  or  lbs.,  mixed,  using  6  to  7  ozs.  per  square  yard,  14  lbs.  per  rod, 
1  ton  per  acre.  The  dressing  was  given  in  the  early  spring,  with  a 
prospect  of  fair  weather,  the  manure  simply  burning  the  hearts  out  of  the 
Daisies,  and  making  the  grass  look  very  sickly  for  a  time,  but  it  grew  soon 
afterwards,  and  made  a  splendid  lawn.  The  surface  was  roughed  with 
an  iron  rake  in  April,  and  J  lb.  of  finest  grass  seeds  sown  per  rod,  rolling 
down.  If  light  land  use  nitrate  of  soda  instead  of  sulphate  of  ammonia, 
and  as  your  case  may  not  be  so  bad  as  that  we  experienced,  try  the  effect 
of  half  dose  on  a  part  at  the  first,  and  be  guided  by  results,  always  choosing 
fine  weather,  so  that  the  salts  may  act  on  the  crowns  of  the  Daisies. 
Grubs  from  Herbaceous  Border  (F.  G.  8.). — The  “grubs”  found  in 
digging  one  of  the  herbaceous  borders  are  the  caterpillars  of  the  small 
or  “garden”  swift  moth,  Hepialus  lupulinus,  which  in  the  larval  state 
live  on  the  roots  of  a  great  variety  of  plants,  chiefly  herbaceous,  but  we 
have  found  the  caterpillars  on  Celery,  Lettuce,  Parsnip,  Potato,  Straw¬ 
berry,  and  even  grass  roots.  They  are  to  be  found  during  the  autumn, 
winter,  and  spring.  At  the  latter  time  they  turn  to  chrysalids  in  an 
earthen  cell  in  the  ground,  remaining  about  a  month  in  the  pupa  state, 
and  then  emerge  as  moths.  Perhaps  the  best  means  of  getting  at  these 
pests  is  to  use  a  little  mustard  dross,  about  half  an  ounce  per  square  yard, 
sprinkling  it  on  with  a  dredger  or  bellows  distributing  apparatus  during 
fair  weather,  and  with  a  prospect  of  its  continuance  for  some  days.  This 
we  find  to  act  well  on  surface  caterpillars  and  other  ground  pests,  but 
only  when  it  is  applied  when  they  are  active.  By  digging  the  ground  on 
dry  days  several  may  be  exposed,  secured,  and  an  infinitely  greater 
ni  mber  prevented. 
Rust  on  Sweet  Williams  (W.  J.). — The  very  fine  pustules  on  the 
under  side  of  the  leaves  are  fruiting  bodies  of  the  caryophyllaceous  plant 
rust  fungus,  Puccinia  lychnidearum,  in  the  most  healthy  and  luxuriant 
condition.  The  Sweet  Williams  were  also  healthy,  not  unduly 
vigorous,  but  much  disfigured  hy  the  large  blotches  on  the  leaves.  The 
disease  is  a  very  disastrous  one,  as  the  mycelium  of  the  fungus  strikes 
deep  and  wide  in  the  tissues  of  the  leaves,  and  causes  depressed  spots  on 
the  upper  side  of  them.  The  spots  change  to  whitish  blotches,  and 
ultimately  brown,  then  fall  away,  and  leave  holes  or  greatly  dis¬ 
figuring  parts.  Sometimes  the  pustules  are  very  closely  together,  but  not 
often  confluent,  or  run  iuto  each  other,  as  in  the  Chrysanthemum  rust, 
but  the  blotches  are  then  much  larger,  and  the  plants  have  a  sorry 
appearance.  You  need  not  be  alarmed  about  its  spreading  to  the  Chrys¬ 
anthemums.  We  have  numbers  of  spores  of  the  Chr3’santhemum  leaf- 
rast  fungus,  all  more  or  less  warted,  whilst  those  of  the  Sweet  William 
rust  fungus  are  quite  smooth.  Use  the  copper  sulphate  powder  prepa¬ 
rations,  or  spray  with  sulphide  of  potassium  solution,  half-ounce  to  a 
gallon  of  water,  letting  the  powder  or  solution  reach  the  under  side  of 
the  leaves. — G.  A. 
Sowing  Seeds  of  Alpines  {Armitage). — If  a  frame  or  cold  greenhouse 
is  at  command  3'our  seeds  should  be  sown  in  5-inch  or  6-inch  pots.  Fill 
the  pots  half  full  of  drainage.  Prepare  a  compost  of  good  light  soil 
with  about  one-third  of  sharp  sand  and  a  little  leaf  mould.  Pass 
this  through  a  coarse  sieve.  Place  a  little  of  the  rougher  soil 
remaining  in  the  sieve  over  the  drainage,  and  fill  the  pot  with  the 
finer  earth  until  it  is  about  half  an  inch  below  the  rim.  Press  this 
firmly  with  a  flat  piece  of  w'ood  and  then  sow  the  seed,  which  should 
also  be  pressed  into  the  soil.  Cover  the  seeds  with  finely  sifted  soil,  and 
press  this  down  also.  The  soil  must  not  he  wet,  but  only  slightly  damp. 
Cover  the  seeds  slightly,  just  so  as  to  prevent  any  being  seen.  In  the 
case  of  larger  seeds  co\er  more  deeply.  In  soils  liable  to  be  covered  with 
moss  the  earth  to  cover  the  seeds  may  be  burned  to  prevent  the  growth 
of  the  moss.  The  p  fls  can  either  be  watered  about  an  hour  before  the 
seed  is  sown  or  immediately  after,  taking  care  in  the  latter  case  to  avoid 
disturbing  the  seeds.  The  pots  containing  the  seeds  must  be  kept  shaded, 
and  the  soil  never  allowed  to  become  dry.  When  the  seedlings  appear 
keep  them  near  the  glass  and  give  plenty  of  air,  but  do  not  allow  them 
to  be  scorched  by  the  sun.  Some  of  the  seeds  may  not  germinate  for 
months,  and  all  the  pots  should  be  retained  for  at  least  a  3’ear  before  pre¬ 
suming  that  the  seeds  will  not  grow.  They  may  also  be  sown  in  small 
drills  in  the  open  ground  if  kept  shaded,  and  the  surface  never  allowed  to 
become  dry.  The  seeds  ought  to  be  sown  very  thinly,  and  the  seedlings 
pricked  out  when  large  enough  to  handle  into  other  pots  or  the  open  ground. 
