200 
March  3,  1898. 
JOTTTIXAL  OF  HORTICULTUBE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDEXER. 
If  during  the  short  days  of  winter  or  late  in  the  spring  the  ground 
is  covered  with  snow,  and  the  sun  is  sliining  brightly  during  the 
middle  of  the  day,  the  bees  will  be  tempted  to  leave  their  hive,  and 
many  will  alight  on  the  snow,  never  to  rise  again,  as  they  will  be 
numbed,  and  become  a  prey  to  the  birds.  Thousands  may  be  lost  in 
this  manner,  and  steps  should  always  be  taken  to  prevent  it.  Short¬ 
ness  of  stores,  too,  is  a  frequent  cause  of  losses  in  the  apiary.  We 
have  known  on  more  than  one  occasion  of  the  Avhole  of  the  bees 
leaving  their  hive  from  this  cause. 
“  G.  H.”  evidently  had  other  thoughts  on  this  important  subject 
when  he  penned  the  interesting  note  at  midwinter — namely,  on 
December  24th,  1896,  wherein  he  says,  “  A  good  queen  will  lay  from 
3000  to  4000  eggs  per  day.”  Again  he  says,  “  On  March  3rd  the  bees 
covered  nine  fraiii's  18  inches  by  9  deep,  and  by  the  Ist  of  April  or 
the  first  week  in  May  the  bees  would  crowd  the  hive.”  Now,  after 
another  year’s  experience,  he  informs  readers  that  the  weather  was 
responsible  for  the  loss  of  thousands  of  bees  in  the  early  months  of  the 
year ;  and  doubtless  the  colony  was  less  in  numbers  the  first  week  in 
-May  than  it  was  supposed  to  be  two  months  earlier,  thus  clearly 
demonstrating  in  a  practical  manner  the  fallacy  of  endeavouring  to 
have  a  hive  crowded  with  bees,  as  above,  in  the  first  three  months  of 
the  year. 
Fertile  Queens. 
The  queen  is  now  only  credited  with  laying  the  above  number  of 
eggs  during  the  height  of  the  season,  whatever  this  may  mean.  It 
may  mean  one  month,  or  six  months,  mwe  or  less.  No  mention  was 
made  of  this  in  his  original  note  on  the  subject,  so  it  was  only  reason¬ 
able  to  suppose,  after  reading  of  the  colony  early  in  March,  and  the 
Aveight  of  honey  that  was  expected — namely,  350  lbs. — that  the  said 
queen  Avas  laying  eggs  to  order.  No  allowance  was  made  for  that 
important  factor  in  bee  management,  the  Aveather,  so  it  Avas  not 
surprising  that  the  bees  in  general,  and  this  colony  in  particular,  did 
not  come  up  to  expectation.  We  have  often  proved  the  v.ilue  of  a 
good  fertile  queen.  These  are  usually  at  their  best  the  second  year, 
and  if  placed  at  the  head  of  a  strong  colony  of  bees,  say  from  7  lbs.  to 
14  lbs.  in  weight,  a  surplus  will  be  stored  at  a  great  rate.  This 
illustrates  in  a  marked  manner  what  we  have  often  endeavoured  to 
explain — namely,  the  greater  the  number  of  workers  in  a  hive  so 
Avill  the  surplus  be  in  proportion.  The  queen,  too,  will  fill  the  combs 
in  the  brood  nest  at  a  rapid  rate,  perhaps  even  more  so  than  “  G^  II.” 
gives  her  credit  fo*'.  But  everything  must  be  favourable. 
Weight  op  Honey  Obtained. 
At  page  70  “G.  H.”  mentions  the  fact  of  obtaining  180  lbs.  of 
honey  from  a  hive,  and  that  in  a  district  where  there  Avas  no  white 
Clover  Avithin  two  miles  of  his  apiary.  In  a  later  communication 
(page  136)  he  says,  “  Six  miles  from  my  home,  in  a  good  Clover  district, 
three  of  us  are  interested  in  a  bee  house  that  holds  twenty  hives.”  It 
would  be  interesting  to  know  how  the  bees  and  the  suiqjlus  they 
obtained  during  the  past  season  from  this  favoured  locality  compared 
Avith  those  not  so  favourably  situated,  and  from  Avbat  source  the  above 
surplus  was  obtained.  In  reply  to  “  Warwick  ”  (page  136),  “  G.  H.” 
says  it  is  recorded  that  Mr.  William  CoAvie  had  hives  with  fifteen 
frames,  20  inches  by  82,  and  two  .  tiers  of  supers  filled  by  the  31st 
May.”  Has  “G.  H.”  asked  himself  the  question  seriously  from  what 
source  the  above  large  yield,  of  honey  could  be  obtained  so  early  in  the 
year?  If  he  does,  Ave  are  inclined  to  think  he  will  not  repeat  it,  but 
place  the  paragraph  on  the  same  level  as  the  wonderful  yield  of  honey 
exposed  in  these  pages  by  “  A  Border  Bee-keeper  ”  not  long  ago. 
Hives  and  Frames. 
If  “  G.  H.”  Avill  approach  the  question  of  hives  and  frames  Avith 
an  open  mind  on  the  subject  Ave  have  no  fear  of  the  result.  We 
cannot  imagine  anyone  being  serious  in  supposing  that  half  an  inch 
in  the  depth  of  a  frame  makes  any  difference  in  the  practical 
management  of  bees.  In  previous  notes  “G.  II.”  has  recommended 
frames  8|  inches,  in  others  9  inches  in  depth.  The  leucth  of  the 
frame  has  varied  somewhat,  but  we  again  repeat  that  it  is  of  little 
consequence  whether  the  frames  are  deep  or  narroAv,  long  or  short,  if 
ample  room  is  provided  for  the  bees  when  they  require  it. 
The  size  of  frames  most  generally  used  is  1  f  inches  by  82  inches. 
This  is  known  as  the  Standard  frame,  because  it  VA^as  chosen  by  the 
British  Bee-Keeper’s  Association,  after  many  experiments,  as  the  most 
suitable  size  for  use  in  this  country.  We  do  not  say  it  is  better,  but 
it  is  certainly  as  good  as  any  other,  and  as  it  is  an  advantage  in  many 
Avays  to  have  a  recognised  size,  both  in  frames  and  hives,  it  is  advisable 
for  a  bee-keeper  to  have  all  his  frames  interchangeable  in  his  apiary, 
and  success  will  folloAv  if  managed  on  rational  lines. — An  English 
Bp;e-keeper. 
TRADE  CATALOGUE  RECEIYED. 
Bobbie  &  Co.,  Rothesay. — Agricultural  Seeds. 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should,  until 
further  notice,  be  directed  to  “  The  Editor,”  s.  Rose  Hill  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  addresses  of  the  writers,  but  will  neither  be 
published  nor  disclosed  when  initials  or  nom  de  plumes  are  given 
for  the  purpose  of  replies. 
Yellow  Wax  for  Grafting  (/.  F.),  —  The  yellow  wax  is  a  superior 
class  of  beeswax,  this  being  sometimes  called  yellow  to  distinguish  it 
from  white  Avax.  The  ordinary  beeswax  will  answer,  but  some  so 
called  is  made  from  other  substances  than  are  produced  by  bees. 
Syringing  Cucumbers  {A.  R.  W.). — Syringing  with  a  fine  spray  under¬ 
neath  the  leaves  of  Cucumbers  to  prevent  spider  is  not  injurious  to  the 
plants  if  done  at  the  proper  time.  If  done  frequently,  regardless  of 
weather  and  temperature,  more  harm  than  good  would  result.  The  best 
time  for  syringing  is  early  in  the  afternoon  of  bright  days,  closing  the 
house  at  the  time,  so  that  the  temperature  may  rise  to  80°  or  more,  and 
the  leaves  get  dry  before  nightfall.  Some  growers  syringe  also  in  the 
morning,  except  in  dull,  damp  weather. 
Size  cf  Cucumber  House  (Wakopa). — There  is  nothing  gained  by 
having  Cucumber  houses  small.  It  costs  very  little  more  to  build  a  house 
12  feet  or  15  feet  in  width  than  it  does  to  erect  one  only  10  feet  wide,  and  the 
extra  amount  of  roof  room  more  than  compensates  for  the  outlay.  Very 
few  market  growers  now  erect  the  12  feet  Cucumber  houses,  as  they  have 
found  the  15  feet  more  suitable  for  their  purpose.  Excellent  crops  of 
Cucumbers  were  grown  in  houses  of  the  dimensions  named,  and  it  is  easy 
to  prevent  trouble  by  the  atmosphere  being  too  dry.  Small  10  feet  wide 
houses,  however,  only  require  three  rows  of  4-inch  pipes. 
Small  Cauliflowers  (Tiller'). — You  wish  to  know  why  your  earliest 
Cauliflowers  only  come  the  size  of  a  man’s  fist,  and  ask  if  this  indicates 
Avant  of  tillage.  Though  the  richer  the  land  is  the  larger  the  heads  will 
be,  you  cannot  make  giants  out  of  a  naturally  early  and  small  variety. 
What  you  have  been  growing  is  probably  one  of  the  first  early  selections 
from  the  Erfurt,  and  valuable  they  are  because  of  their  "precocity.  We 
have  seen  in  very  rich  soil  eight  or  nine  heads  such  as  you  describe  to  the 
square  yard,  plants  a  foot  asunder,  so  the  aggregate  crop  was  not  very 
bad.  If  you  want  heads  larger,  but  somewhat  later,  try  the  Erfurt 
Mammoth.  This  is  succeeded  by  the  Early  London,  and  for  a  late  supply 
you  will  find  the  largest  of  all  in  Autumn  Giant,  of  which  we  understand 
a  London  firm  requires  as  a  yearly  supply  the  produce  of  500  acres  for 
pickling. 
Artificial  Manures  (C.  B.  W,). — Previous  pages  were  filled  on  the 
arrival  of  your  note.  You  will  see,  however,  that  the  subject  is  dealt 
Avith,  and  have  something  to  show  in  return  for  what  was  shown  to  you. 
The  same  kinds  of  artificial  manures  do  not  produce  the  same  effects  in 
differing  soils.  Those  who  use  them  can  only  relate  their  experience. 
If  one  person  find  them  of  service  he  has  good  reason  to  speak  in  their 
favour  ;  if  another  use  them  carefully  with  no  practical  results,  he  can 
only  say  what  is  true.  His  land  and  crops  did  not  need  them.  It  seems 
surprising  that  you  have  not  tested  the  matter  for  yourself.  A  primer — 
the  “  Chemistry  of  the  Garden” — is  just  published  by  Macmillans.  We 
have  a  review  of  it  in  type,  but  it  is  crowded  out.  You  cannot  do  better 
than  procure  a  copy  at  once.  It  can  be  had  through  a  bookseller  for  Is. 
You  will  see  what  the  author,  Mr.  Cousins,  says  in  favour  of  experiments 
over  analyses,  and  he  is  Avell  acquainted  with  both. 
Judas  Tree  (H,  F.). — This  tree  is  so  named  because  of  the  allegation 
of  its  being  the  tree  on  which  a  world  denounced  traitor  hanged  himself. 
It  is  a  fanciful  tradition.  Botanically  it  is  Cercis  siliquastrum,  and 
belongs  to  the  natural  order  Leguminosae.  It  is  known  popularly  as  the 
Red  Bud  or  Love  Tree.  It  is  a  native  of  the  South  of  Europe  and  a  large 
area  of  A.sia.  It  is  grown  in  standard  form  in  shrubberies  in  the  south  of 
England,  and,  where  the  wood  ripens  well,  is  covered  with  short  racemes 
of  purplish  red  Pea-shaped  flowers  in  advance  of  the  leaves.  These  are 
3  or  4  inches  wide,  and  somewhat  kidney  shaped,  pale  bluish  green  on 
the  upper  surface,  and  sea  green  below.  It  is  a  low  growing  tree,  15  to 
20  feet  high,  Avith  a  flattish  round  spreading  head,  distinct  from  all  others, 
both  Avhen  in  flower  and  full  leafage.  It  might  succeed  as  a  standard  in 
a  sheltered  position  in  your  garden.  Not  very  far  distant  from  you  we 
remember  one  being  grown  against  a  Avail  facing  west,  trained  up  the  side 
and  over  the  top  of  a  doorw'ay  entrance  from  the  kitchen  garden  to  the 
floAA'er  garden  of  an  old  Ivy-covered  mansion.  If  it  is  not  there  yet  some 
I  modern  “ improver”  must  have  cleared  it  aAvay. 
