January  2,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
19 
Melons. — To  have^ripe  fruit  late  in  April  or  early  in  May  the  seed 
must  now  be  sown.  Sow  the  seeds  singly  in  3-inch  pots,  leaving  room 
for  top-dressing,  the  pots  being  about  three-quarters  filled  with  good, 
rich,  moderately  light  soil  pressed  down  rather  firmly,  covering  each  pot 
with  a  pane  of  glass,  and  when  the  plants  break  through  the  soil 
remove  it.  The  pots  are  best  placed  on  shelves  about  a  foot  from  the 
glass  in  a  house  with  a  temperature  of  65°  to  75°  by  artificial  means,  it 
being  important  that  the  plants  develop  sturdy  seed  leaves  just  clear  of 
the  soil,  as  there  is  nothing  like  a  stout  base  for  securing  good  results. 
Where  plants  are  grown  in  frames  the  end  of  this  or  beginning  of  next 
month  is  quite  early  enough  to  make  a  beginning,  for  which  instructions 
will  be  given  in  due  course. 
PLANT  HOUSES. 
Chrysanthemums. — Where  large  blooms  of  exhibition  quality  are 
required  provition  should  be  made  for  the  insertion  of  cuttings,  which 
root  well  under  hand-lights  with  a  few  ashes  at  the  base  in  cool  vineries 
or  Peach  houses.  When  rooted  under  cool  conditions  there  is  no  fear  of 
checking  the  young  plants  afterwards  by  hardening  them,  as  is  the  case 
when  they  are  rooted  in  warmth.  Cuttings  2£  to  3  inches  in  length 
should  be  selected  from  the  base  of  the  plants,  and  always  keep 
them  free  from  aphides.  Where  practicable  the  cuttings  ought  to  be 
inserted  in  sandy  soil,  singly  in  thumb  pots,  afterwards  giving  a  thorough 
watering  and  keeping  the  hand-lights  close  until  they  are  rooted.  Those 
for  bushes  may  be  inserted  later,  and  if  the  plants  are  grown  mainly  for 
yielding  flowers  for  cutting,  three  cuttings  may  be  inserted  round  the 
side  of  each  thumb  pot. 
Carnation  Souvenir  de  la  Malmaison. — Plants  that  were 
potted  as  rooted  layers  at  the  end  of  August  or  early  September  into 
4-inch  pots  ought  now  to  be  transferred  to  6-inch.  These  must  be 
watered  carefully,  and  arranged  in  a  cool,  airy  house  close  to  the  glass, 
fumigating  if  aphides  appear.  If  possible,  stand  the  plants  on  some 
moisture-bolding  material ;  then,  if  we  have  sharp  weather,  and  are  com¬ 
pelled  to  use  fire  heat,  considerably  less  water  will  be  needed.  Plants  of 
Uriah  Pike,  Mrs.  Reynolds  Hole,  Countess,  and  others  to  be  forced  gently 
to  flower  may  be  potted  at  once. 
Hydrangeas. — Small  plants  of  the  varieties  of  hortensis  that  were 
looted  in  July,  have  ripened  off  their  foliage,  and  show  prominent 
flower  buds,  may  be  potted  from  time  to  time  as  opportunity  offers. 
Place  the  plants  in  5-inch  pots,  leaving  only  the  bud  above  the  surface 
of  the  soil.  One  good  crock  at  the  base  of  the  pots  for  drainage  will  be 
ample.  Pot  firmly  and  use  for  a  compost  good  fibrous  loam,  a  little 
sand,  and  one-seventh  of  decayed  manure.  Little  water  will  be  needed 
after  potting,  and  any  cool  house  will  suit  them  for  the  present. 
Iiachenalias.  —These  are  showy  plants  when  in  flower,  and  appear 
to  do  vvell  in  the  same  pots  for  several  years.  Where  this  has  been  the 
••ase  they  should  be  fed  with  weak  stimulants  when  they  need  water. 
Keep  the  plants  on  a  shelf  close  to  the  glass  where  the  temperature  does 
not  fall  below  40°  at  night. 
XiUlum  Harris!. — The  earliest  plants  may  be  kept  in  a  temperature 
of  40v  to  45°  at  night.  Care  must  be  taken  that  they  do  not  suffer  by  an 
insufficient  supply  of  water  at  their  roots,  and  keep  the  plants  as  close 
to  the  glass  as  possible.  L.  eximium  may  now  be  potted,  and  if  the 
bulbs  are  good  place  them  into  well  drained  6-inch  pots.  After  potting 
they  may  be  placed  in  any  cool  place,  covered  with  cocoa-nut  fibre 
refuse  until  they  root  and  commence  growth.  The  position  should  not 
be  too  dry  or  water  may  be  needed,  and  this  ought  to  be  avoided  until 
they  are  removed  from  the  plunging  material. 
Kalosanthes. — Plants  that  are  to  yield  flowers  should  be  kept 
close  to  the  glass  and  watered  carefully.  On  no  account  must  they  be 
induced  to  grow.  Give  only  sufficient  water  to  keep  them  fresh  and 
plump.  The  same  treatment  should  be  given  to  plants  that  were 
cut  back  and  are  to  be  grown  for  yielding  flowering  shoots  for  another 
year. 
Erica  tayemalls. — Plants  that  have  flowered  may  be  cut  back,  and 
if  ^stood  in  an  airy  house  where  the  temperature  does  not  fall  below 
40°  to  45°  they  will  soon  start  into  growth.  If  the  plants  are  home-grown 
and  cut  back  several  times,  the  strong  shoots  only  need  be  cut  back,  the 
smaller  ones  being  left  and  the  old  blooms  removed.  Purchased  plants 
generally  do  best  the  second  year,  as  they  are  often  a  long  time  starting 
the  first,  and  then  are  not  sufficiently  ripened  to  flower  well. 
Hardwooded  Ericas. — These  are  not  grown  to  any  large  extent  in 
gardens,  and  the  demand  for  flowers  in  a  cut  state  is  unquestionably  the 
cause.  Where  they  are  grown  they  must  be  carefully  watered,  given 
abundance  of  air,  and  no  more  fire-heat  than  necessary.  Watch  for 
mildew,  and  on  its  appearance  dust  the  plants  with  flowers  of  sulphur. 
Restaking  and  tying  should  be  attended  to.  Place  the  new  stakes  in 
the  holes  from  which  the  old  ones  have  been  removed. 
Cinerarias. — Plants  in  small  pots  from  seeds  sown  late  are  very 
useful  in  the  spring  ;  these  should  be  placed  into  5-inch  pots.  Afford 
a  cool  airy  place  close  to  the  glass,  so  that  they  will  make  a  dwarf  sturdy 
growth. 
GARDENERS’  CHARITABLE  AND  PROVIDENT 
INSTITUTIONS. 
The  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution. — Secretary, 
Mr.  G.  J.  Ingram,  50,  Parliament  Street,  London,  W.C. 
United  Horticultural  Benefit  and  Provident  Society. — 
Secretary ,  Mr.  W.  Collins,  9,  Martindale  Road.'Balham,  London,  S.W. 
Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund. — Secretary ,  Mr.  A.  F.  Barron, 
Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens,  Chiswick,  London,  W. 
ill; 
HE  BEE-KEEPER. 
% 
BOTTOM  VENTILATION  OF  HIVES. 
It  is  satisfactory  to  learn  from  “  R.  A.  C.  ”  that  he  is  now 
convinced  that  bottom  ventilation  is  necessary  for  the  well-being 
of  hi»  stocks,  and  it  makes  little  difference  whether  they  have 
ventilated,  or  loose  solid  floor-boards  and  wide  entrances,  as  other 
things  being  equal  the  result  will  be  the  same.  I  have  experimented 
in  this  direction  for  several  years  past,  not  with  simply  one  or  two 
colonies  but  with  dozens,  and  always  with  the  same  result.  If 
each  colony  is  headed  by  a  young  fertile  queen  well  supplied  with 
stores,  plenty  of  warm,  porous  covering  on  the  top  of  frames, 
the  hive  being  waterproof  both  at  the  top  and  sides,  it  will  come 
out  strong  and  healthy  in  the  spring. 
“  R.  A.  C.”  mentions  a  bee-keeper  who  is  a  believer  in  wide 
entrances,  yet  each  spring  his  floors  are  damp,  combs  mouldy,  and 
he  cannot  account  for  the  cause.  This  could  soon  be  explained  if 
the  hives  were  examined,  but  if  the  roofs  are  thoroughly  water¬ 
proof  I  am  inclined  to  think  the  sides  of  hive  are  not.  I  have 
known  floor-boards  to  be  saturated  from  this  cause,  which 
shows  the  advantage  of  having  all  hives  of  the  same  size  and  loose 
floor-boards,  as  by  keeping  a  few  spare  boards  on  hand  the  hive 
can  be  lifted  off  its  stand  and  placed  on  a  clean,  dry  board  at 
any  time.  This  should  be  done  once  a  year,  and  spring  is  the 
best  time  for  the  operation,  as  after  a  long  winter  there  is  usually 
an  accumulation  of  debris  in  the  corners,  which  the  bees  will 
not  clear  away,  and  should  there  by  chance  be  any  dampness  the 
boards  can  be  dried  and  used  again. 
By  working  on  this  system  I  have  solid  floor-boards  that  have 
been  in  use  for  at  least  a  dozen  years,  and  to  all  appearance  are  as 
good  now  as  the  day  they  were  first  made,  thus  showing  they  have 
not  decayed  from  excessive  moisture  ;  and  where  good  solid  floor¬ 
boards  are  already  in  use,  that  it  is  not  necessary  to  replace  them 
with  ventilated  floors. 
Carbolic  Acid  versus  Smoke. 
These  are  both  good  when  properly  managed.  The  farmer  I 
use  in  various  ways,  and  as  lately  as  August  8th,  1895, 1  recom¬ 
mended  ita  use  whilst  manipulating  bees.  I,  however,  prefer  a 
piece  of  calico  to  paper,  which  should  be  cut  slightly  larger  than  the 
top  of  the  hive.  This  will  last  a  long  time  without  being  renewed, 
is  better  for  rolling  back  off  the  top  of  frames,  and  is  not  so  easily 
blown  away  as  paper.  Care  is  needed  in  the  use  of  carbolic  acid, 
for  if  too  strong,  and  the  cloth  is  left  on  the  top  of  frames  for  a 
few  minutes  during  hot  weather,  the  majority  of  the  bees  will 
leave  the  interior  of  hive  and  cluster  on  the  outside,  thus  unsettling 
them  for  some  time  afterwards. 
The  smoker  should  also  be  used  with  care.  Cotton  cord  I  find 
to  answer  the  purpose  of  fuel,  but  there  is  a  wrong,  as  well  as  a 
right  way,  in  quieting  bees,  and  only  on  very  rare  occasions  should 
smoke  be  blown  in  at  the  entrance  of  a  hive.  The  roof  and 
covering  should  be  quietly  removed,  and  the  quilt  rolled  off  the 
-top  of  frames,  then  a  puff  or  two  of  smoke  will  drive  the  bees 
down  ;  and  if  the  operator  is  gentle  in  his  movements  he  may 
examine  the  combs  without  being  molested,  and  the  bees  will  not 
be  seriously  disturbed . 
Compare  this  with  the  nervous  bee-keeper,  who  uses  a  strong 
compound  as  fuel  for  the  smoker,  then  goes  to  the  hive  and  blows 
in  sufficient  smoke  to  half  stupefy  the  bees.  Then  he  blames  the 
smoker  for  all  mishaps,  whereas  the  fault  lay  with  the  operator. 
“R.  A.  C.”  does  not  state  whether  his  first  stock  of  bees  really 
had  foul  brood,  but  he  cannot  be  serious  in  assuming  that  smoke 
was  the  cause  of  the  disease,  any  more  than  it  was  the  cause  of  the 
bees  being  shut  in  the  hive  without  the  frames  being  covered,  a 
judicious  use  of  which  would  have  prevented  the  bees  from  filling 
the  hive  with  a  mass  of  comb  from  roof  to  floor,  and  it  would  have 
been  the  means  of  saving  their  lives,  even  after  the  space  of  two 
years.  This  is  a  case  where  smoke  would  have  been  better  than 
carbolic  acid. — An  English  Bee-keeper. 
Enemies  of  Bees. 
I  have  read  the  notes  of  “An  English  Bee-keeper  ”  on  page  604 
with  much  interest,  and  do  not  simply  wish  to  dispute  his  word 
about  the  blue  tit,  but  may  I  ask  if  he  is  not  confusing  the  blue  tit 
for  the  great  tit  ?  I  have  nothing  to  complain  of  from  either  so 
far  as  my  bees  are  concerned.  The  great  tits  have  been  very  busy 
picking  up  the  dead  bees  cast  out  of  my  hives  by  the  bees,  the  hum 
of  which  on  Sunday,  December  29th,  might  be  compared  to  a  hot  day 
at  midsummer  instead  of  Christmas.  I  have  met  with  some  hives 
when  out  lecturing  on  horticulture  in  South  Warwickshire  very 
