270 
March  24,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
; n  ’'J1  rr-j-^r-TS  i .  i  -  i  -  .  -t-  i  -■  i  -  i  ,  i  -i  .i . i«r«-r  \ 
Si 
BBE-KDEPBR-iai 
m[ — linrv 
Work  in  the  Apiary. 
It  is  an  advantage  at  this  season,  before  the  busy  time  com¬ 
mences,  to  make  a  note  of  the  necessary  work  to  be  done  in  the  apiary, 
and  also  the  requirements  for  the  coming  lioney  liarvest.  Owing  to 
the  fine  weather  experienced  throughout  the  winter  the  hives  standing 
in  the  open  air  are  dry  and  in  good  condition  for  painting.  We  prefer 
autumn  for  this  operation,  as  the  heat  from  the  sun  will  often  cause 
the  wood  to  crack,  and  the  first  fall  of  rain  or  snow  will  saturate  the 
interior  of  the  hive.  There  is  nothing  so  penetrating  as  snow,  hut 
fortunately  we  have  escaped  a  downfall  during  the  past  winter.  But 
rain  may  be  expected  at  any  time;  it  is  therefore  wise  to  take  time  by 
the  forelock  and  make  all  secure  against  wind  and  rain.  It  is  not 
necessary  to  remove  the  hives  under  cover  whilst  this  is  being  done, 
nor  should  the  bees  be  interfered  with,  as  the  hives  may  have  one  or 
more  coats  of  paint  without  any  harm  happening  to  them. 
Good  white  lead  paint  is  the  best  for  outdoor  work,  as  it  stands 
heat,  cold  and  moisture  better  and  longer  than  any  other  mixture. 
Enamel  paint  is  sometimes  recommended,  but  however  well  it  may 
answer  when  under  cover  free  from  sun  and  moisture,  it  is  certainly 
not  a  success  when  used  in  the  open  air.  The  paint  should  be  well 
worked  into  all  the  crevices,  and  if  the  roof  is  cracked  or  damaged  in 
any  way  so  that  it  is  not  watertight,  it  may  be  made  perfectly  secure 
if  a  piece  of  unbleached  calico  is  placed  over  it  and  well  saturated  with 
paint.  The  most  successful  way  of  doing  this  is  to  cut  the  calico  the 
desired  size  and  paint  it  on  one  side,  then  place  the  wet  side  on  the 
roof  or  whatever  is  to  be  covered,  and  strain  it  tightly  over ;  another 
coat  of  paint  on  the  outside  will  make  it  secure  against  wind  or  rain. 
Neither  will  it  warp  with  the  snn,  while  an  occasional  coat  of  paint 
will  keep  it  in  good  condition  for  several  years.  This  is  of  great 
advantage,  as  all  bee-keepers  know  who  have  been  troubled  (and  who 
has  not  ?)  with  leaky  roofs.  A  word  of  caution  is  necessary,  not  to 
paint  the  alighting  board,  or  the  entrance  to  the  hive,  unless  it  is  done 
late  in  the  evening  when  there  is  no  danger  of  the  bees  leaving  their 
hives. 
Examining  Old  Combs. 
Another  of  the  necessary  things  that  may  with  advantage  be  done 
at  this  time,  is  the  examination  of  combs  that  have  been  used  in 
former  years  for  extracting  and  other  purposes,  and  have  been  stored 
away  in  boxes  or  cupboards  for  future  use.  Unfortunately  mice  are 
very  fond  of  combs  and  honey,  and  have  a  happy  knack  of  finding 
out  where  they  are  stored,  and  if  there  is  a  crevice  through  which  they 
can  nibble  an  entrance,  if  left  undisturbed  for  a  short  time,  will  soon 
make  their  presence  known  by  consuming  the  honey,  if  any  remain 
in  them,  and  disfiguring  the  combs,  so  that  they  are  usele.ss  for  the 
purpose  for  which  they  were  intended,  hence  the  necessity  of  an 
occasional  examination.  It  is  good  practice  to  lift  the  frames  out  of 
the  boxes  or  wherever  they  may  be  stored,  and  brush  the  dust  from 
them ;  and  if  they  were  packed  away  as  advised  in  previous  notes,  the 
same  steps  may  be  taken  to  prevent  the  moths  gaining  an  entrance, 
as  was  taken  in  the  autumn  when  they  were  first  stored  away.  ' 
We  use  unbleached  calico  for  lining  the  boxes  in  which  the  combs 
are  stored ;  this  is  sprinkled  freely  with  carbolic  acid,  the  combs  are 
then  placed  in  the  box,  and  when  the  box  is  full  carbonised  cloths  are 
placed  over  them.  This  is  an  inexpensive  way  of  storing  combs  for 
future  use,  though  there  are  other  systems  that  are  used  for  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  keeping  the  wax  moth  away.  Care  must  be  taken  that  the 
carbolic  acid  is  not  sprinkled  on  the  combs,  otherwise  it  will  be  difficult 
to  make  them  sweet  again. 
Reducing  Entrances. 
Entrances  that  have  been  left  their  full  width  throughout  the 
winter  may  now  be  reduced  to  1  or  2  inches,  according  to  the  strength 
of  the  colony,  as  owing  to  the  open  w'eather  experienced  throughout 
the  winter  each  individual  stock  will  be  stronger  than  usual  at  this 
season,  and  breeding  will  be  proportionately  early.  By  reducing  the 
entrances  it  will  have  a  double  advantage— namely,  keeping  the 
interior  warmer ;  and  also  in  the  case  of  a  weak  colony  preventing 
robbers  gaining  admittance,  as  it  is  well  known  how  readily  a  strong- 
stock  of  bees  will  clear  out  the  stores  from  a  weak  colony.  This  is 
more  prevalent  during  spring  and  autumn. — An  English  Bee-keeper. 
Hepatica  ANGULO, sa  MAJOR. — The  large-flowered  variety  of  Hepatica 
or  Anemone  angulosa  is  now  in  full  bloom.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  it 
does  not  flower  so  profusely  as  the  varieties  of  the  common  Hepatica,  and 
that  no  one  has  as  yet  been  able  to  recommend  treatment  to  overcome 
this  failing. — A.  Hardiman.  [We  have  observed  bees  very  busy  on 
llepaticas  of  late,  but  do  not  know  if  this  is  a  common  occurrence.] 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should,  until 
further  notice,  be  directed  to  “  The  Editor,”  a.  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  these  will  neither  be 
published  nor  disclosed  when  initials  or  nom  de  plumes  are  given 
for  the  purpose  of  replies. 
Correspondents  should  not  mix  up  on  the  same  sheet  questions  relating 
to  Gardening  and  those  on  Bee  subjects,  and  it  is  convenient  when 
each  question  is  written  on  fi  separate  sheet.  All  articles  intended 
for  insertion  should  be  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only;  and 
the  name  and  address  of  each  writer  must  be  known  by  the 
Editor,  though  not  necessarily  for  insertion.  We  cannot,  as  a 
rule,  reply  to  questions  through  the  post,  and  we  do  not  under¬ 
take  to  return  communications  which,  for  any  reason,  cannot 
be  inserted. 
-  Wednesday  Morning's  Letters. — Letters  and  parcels  which  arrive  on 
Wednesday  morning  can  rarely  be  attended  to,  and  replies  published  in 
the  current  issue.  Some  parcels  and  letters  are  delayed  in  delivery 
through  being  misdirected.  The  correct  address  for  everything  intended 
for  the  Editor  is  given  above. 
Brunswick  Figs  Collapsing  (  Wilts). — Mr.  W y thes  finds  this  variety 
to  fail  in  the  same  way  as  yours  if  any  material  extent  of  growth  is 
permitted  beyond  the  fruit.  He  pinches  very  closely,  about  2  inches 
beyond  the  first  crop  fruits,  and  allows  of  any  needed  growth  extension 
afterwards.  Excessive  syringing  aggravates  the  evil.  This  is  all  that 
can  be  said  at  present.  The  subject  shall  have  further  attention. 
Cucumber  Pests  and  Bed  Spider  {A.  B.  W.). — There  is  no  book 
treating  of  Cucumber  pests  and  diseases,  but  most  of  them  have  been 
dealt  with  from  time  to  time  in  our  columns,  and  “  red  spider  ”  has  been 
frequently  referred  to.  But  of  this  you  will  find  a  full  account  in  Miss 
Ormerod’s  “  Manual  of  Injurious  Insects,”  page  135,  and  also  in  most 
works  on  gardening.  We  are  always  pleased  to  report  on  any  specimen 
submitted  to  us,  and  advise  as  to  prevention  and  remedies,  this  often  being 
more  to  the  purpose  than  reference  to  technical  works  which  do  not  give 
information  on  the  particular  points  desired  in  special  cases. 
Deformed  "Vine  Shoots  (_S.  D.). — The  three  young  shoots  are  free  from 
any  disease  of  an  organic  nature,  but  are  what  is  known  as  “  lagging  ” — 
that  is,  not  so  forward  as  the  generality  of  the  growths,  and  have  a  stunted 
appearance.  "We  have  found  it  most  prevalent  on  young  Vines,  especially 
when  strong  and  long  pruned.  The  canes  have  usually  a  large  pith,  with 
the  wood  along  it  more  or  less  dried,  so  that  sap  does  not  flow  freely  in 
the  vessels,  while  the  cambial  layer  is  thin,  and  the  growths  poor  in  con¬ 
sequence.  In  other  words,  the  condition  arises  from  indifferently  formed 
and  imperfectly  ripened  wood.  As  the  soil  is  rather  heavy,  we  should  use 
water  moderately,  so  as  to  avoid  sappy  growths,  securing  a  sturdy 
development. 
Dwarfing  Tomatoes  (S.  German). — The  plan  you  propose  to  follow 
will  answer  very  well  if  you  give  plenty  of  air  as  well  as  restrict  the 
pot  room.  Encourage  surface  root  formation  by  the  top-dressings  of 
loam,  calcareous  and  sandy  material,  this  tending  to  stiffen  the  plants 
and  induce  a  short-jointed  floriferous  habit.  We  should  not  use  sulphate 
of  ammonia,  but  a  little  dissolved  bone  manure,  this  containing  sufficient 
stimulating  food,  adding  about  half  as  much  nitrate  of  potash,  and 
giving  a  slight  dusting  of  the  mixture,  or  better  mixing  a  small  handful 
with  about  a  peck  of  the  loam  used  for  top-dressing.  In  planting  out 
take  care  to  have  the  soil  firm,  so  as  to  maintain  the  sturdy  habit  and 
secure  solid  growth. 
Chrysanthemum  Leaves  Discoloured  (//.  H.  M.). — The  leaves  of  the 
three  plants  are  discoloured  by  some  injurious  application,  most  likely 
by  using  the  water  drawn  directly  from  the  hot-water  pipes,  an  extremely 
pernicious  practice,  as  the  water  is  more  or  less  impregnated  with  iron  or 
in  a  state  as  to  cause  “  rust  ”  and  death  in  foliage  with  which  it  comes  in 
contact.  This,  and  this  only,  appears  all  that  is  wrong  with  the  plants, 
as  there  is  no  parasitic  micro-organism  present,  the  mould  on  the  dead 
leaves  being  entirely  saprophytic,  or  only  attacking  tissue  already 
damaged  or  killed.  There  is  certainly  no  leaf  rust  fungus  (Uredo  chrys- 
anthemi),  and  in  this  respect  we  congratulate  you,  also  on  discontinuing 
the  use  of  water  from  the  hot-water  pipes,  and  in  trying  that  from  a 
different  source.  This,  we  trust,  is  soft  and  sweet  ;  then  by  not  syringing, 
you  may  secure  clean  healthy  growth.. 
