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JOURNAL  OP  ffORTiCULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENM. 
iuly  1,  l89f. 
handsome  surplus  of  honey,  I  should  not  practise  it.  I  always 
obtain  my  honey,  both  extracted  and  in  the  comb,  from  colonies 
headed  by  queens  hatched  the  previous  year.  If  they  are  not 
crowded  to  overflowing  with  bees,  when  the  honey  flow  comes  I 
add  bees  and  brood  from  other  stocks  that  are  intended  for  queen 
rearing.  When  sufficient  colonies  are  arranged  in  this  manner 
attention  is  devoted  to  queen  rearing;.  This  is  done  from  fairly 
strong  colonies,  and  it  is  advisable  not  to  destroy  the  old  queens 
until  the  required  number  of  young  ones  are  hatched,  have  become 
fertilised,  and  are  laying. 
When  the  bees  are  on  the  wing  in  the  middle  of  a  fine  day  is 
the  best  time  to  commence  operations,  Elxamine  each  frame  as  it 
is  removed  until  the  queen  is  found,  place  the  frame  of  brood  and 
all  the  adhering  bees  with  the  queen  in  an  empty  hive,  and  close  up 
with  a  frame  of  fully  drawn-out  combs  on  each  side.  If  there 
does  not  appear  to  be  sufficient  bees  to  cover  the  brood,  shake 
others  into  tte  hive  from  another  comb,  place  tbe  hive  a  few  yards 
away  from  its  original  stand  ;  now  divide  the  remaining  frames  and 
bees  into  two  or  three  nucleus  hives,  according  to  the  number  of 
Iwes  remaining,  allowing  them  to  stand  a  couple  of  feet  on  either 
side  of  the  original  stand,  and  young  queens  will  be  raised. 
Instead  of  dividing  the  stock  at  once  after  the  removal  of  the 
queen,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  obtain  a  frame  from  another  stock  that 
has  eggs  laid  within  the  previous  twenty-four  hours,  cover  the 
whole  up  warm,  and  queen  cells  will  be  commenced  at  once.  These 
will  be  sealed  over  in  about  eight  days,  the  young  queens  appear¬ 
ing  on  the  sixteenth  day.  Three  or  four  days  after  the  cells  are 
sealed  over  divide  the  stock  into  as  many  colonies  as  there  are 
queen  cells.  If  there  are  not  sufficient  bees  add  frames  of  hatching 
brood  and  bees  from  other  stocks.  This  may  be  continued  until 
there  are  young  queens  enough  and  to  spare.  If  there  are  several 
sealed  up  queen  cells  on  a  comb  they  may  all  but  one  be  removed 
with  a  knife.  Cut  out  a  couple  of  inches  of  comb  with  the  cell, 
which  must  not  be  damaged,  remove  a  small  piece  of  comb  from 
the  one  in  which  it  is  to  be  introduced,  and  place  the  queen  cell  in 
its  natural  position,  pointing  downward,  in  its  plice. 
If  a  strong  stock  should  by  chance  swarm  naturally,  instead  of 
returning  them  place  them  in  a  hive  with  fully  drawn-out  combs 
or  foundation,  and  if  the  weather  is  favourable  they  will  at  once 
store  a  surplus.  A  few  days  afterwards  examine  the  colony  from 
which  the  swarm  came,  and  form  nucleus  hives  from  it,  as  a  dozsn 
or  more  queen  cells  will  probably  be  found  there,  and  this  is  au 
excellent  way  of  obtaining  young  qneens. — English  Bee¬ 
keeper. 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  shonld,  until 
further  notice,  be  directed  to  “  The  Editor,'’  8,  Rose  Hill 
Road,  Wandsworth,  London,  S.  IT.  It  is  requested  that  no 
one  will  write  privately  to  any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking 
infcrmation  rn  matters  difcussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing 
BO  subjects  them  to  unjustifiable  trouble  and  expense,  and 
departmental  writers  are  not  expected  to  answer  any  letters 
they  may  receive  on  Gardening  and  Brte  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. 
Oorrespondents  should  not  mix  up  on  the  same  sheet  questions 
relating  to  Gardening  and  those  on  3^*6  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,  as  a  rule,  reply  to  questions  through 
the^  post,  and  we  do  not  undertake  to  return  communications 
which,  for  any  reason,  cannot  be  inserted. 
Matmaison  Carnation  (TFi  FI,  S."). — Toe  Malmaison  bloom  you 
send  IS  a  very  trood  one,  but  we  doubt  very  much  whether  it  is  suffi¬ 
ciently  distinct  from  existing  varieties  to  w»rr»nt  your  patting  it  on  the 
market.  Wny  not  send  a  sp  clmen  to  Veiich’s,  or  to  Mr.  DjugUs,  for 
their  opinion  ? 
Coleuses  and  Eelworms  (G.  R.). — We  presume  yon  have  seen  the 
eelworms  tnrough  a  microicope.  If  you  have  seen  small  worms  with 
the  naked  eye  th^y  are  not  eelworms,  and  may  perhaps  be  expelled 
with  limewater.  For  checking  eelworms  Little’s  soluble  phenyle  is  very 
efficacious,  but  Condy’s  fluid,  which  is  easier  to  procure,  diluted  to  a 
pale  rose  colour,  has  been  found  of  great  assistance. 
Cornus  Kousla  (J/.  O.  i?.).— We  think  you  will  find  the  infor¬ 
mation  relative  to  this  plant  on  page  7  of  service.  An  illustration  is 
given  ia  elucidation  of  the  text. 
Soluble  Phenyle  versus  Crude  Carbolic  Acid  (W.  5.). — Yes, 
there  is  a  very  important  difference  between  Little’s  soluble  phenyle 
and  crude  carbolic  acid — namely,  the  first  has  the  formula  CjHj,  and 
possesies  all  tbe  good  properties  of  the  latter,  but  Is  non-poisonous, 
soluble  to  the  fullest  extent  ;  and  while  effective  as  a  germicide,  eel- 
wormicide,  and  miticide,  acts  as  a  fertiliser.  Crude  carbolic  acid  has 
the  formula  CgHjO — that  for  the  chemist,  who  says  they  are  the 
same,  is  very  corrosive,  dangerous  to  handle,  as  it  burns  the  skin,  a 
powerful  poison,  only  moderately  soluble  in  water,  and  though  an 
excellent  disinfectant  where  vegetation  of  a  useful  kind  i*  not  concerned, 
acts  as  a  plant  poison  at  the  time  of  application,  and  for  a  considerable 
while  afterwards,  besides  not  being  so  effective  as  an  eelwormicide.  We 
have  proved  these  things  by  carefully  conducted  experiments,  and  are 
satisfied  that  Little’s  soluble  phenyle  is  the  proper  substance  to  use  for 
preventing  and  destroying  eelworms  infesting  Cucumbers,  Melons  and 
Tomatoes. 
Plum  Trees  Dying:  Off  when  Seven  to  Elgrht  Tears  Old 
(IF,  S') — We  have  only  found  two  fungoid  diseases  that  cause  Plum 
trees  to  go  off  in  the  manner  you  describe  ; — I,  A  sort  of  dry  canker  on 
the  stem  similar  to  that  of  the  Apple  tree,  but  without  an  excrescence 
or  swelling,  the  affected  part  being  aomewhat  shrunken  and  depressed, 
due  to  the  destruction  of  tbe  bark.  This  is  caused  by  a  fungus  closely 
allied  to  the  Apple  tree  canker  fungus  (Nectria  ditissima),  which  Mr. 
Abbey  first  fiund  on  Diamond  Plum  trees  in  1870,  and  for  distinction 
named  Nectria  ditiaslma  var.  prunaria.  Trees  affected  by  it  usually  die  in 
the  spring,  as  the  fangus  grows  during  the  autumn  and  winter,  and  suc- 
ceeilngin  girdling  the  stem  or  branch  the  part  above  the  point  infested 
dies,  sometimes  without  and  at  others  shortly  after  the  leaves  come  out. 
2  A  drying  up  of  the  bark  round  the  stem  or  branch,  with  or  without  a 
slight  exudation  of  gum,  collapse  in  this  case  taking  place  after  the 
trees  come  into  leaf,  and  generally  in  June.  It  is  caused  by  the  brown 
rot  fungus  (Monilla  fructigena),  a  very  common,  but  little  suspected 
parasite,  and  the  most  malignant  to  stone  fruits  in  this  country.  Of 
cinrae  we  cannot  say  what  your  trees  are  affected  with  in  the  absence  of 
specimens,  which  should  have  been  sent,  but  tbe  case  appears  very  like 
one  or  other  of  those  mentioned.  As  for  an  analysis  of  the  soil,  we  do 
not  think  It  would  help  you  materially,  as  more  depends  on  staple  and 
of  er  cultural  matter  than  can  be  disclosed  by  an  analysis  of  the  soil. 
Still  it  might  be  useful,  but  unless  taken  at  more  than  one  depth  of  soil 
would,  in  our  opinion,  be  worse  than  worthless — that  is,  money  wasted. 
Diseased  Tomato  Fruit  (^Tomato) — The  “  spot  ”  commencing  at 
the  eye  of  the  fruit  and  extending  over  the  surface  so  as  to  form  a 
larne  depressed  blotch,  the  skin  in  some  being  separated  from  the  flesh 
and  giving  a  sort  of  scorched  or  blister-like  appearance,  has  no  con¬ 
nection  whatever  with  management,  as  sometimes  asserted,  and  as  you 
have  an  example  of  after  giving  “  every  attention,  and  the  fires  never 
been  out.  warming  the  pipes  every  night  with  ventilation  at  top  and  side 
lights  opening  into  other  houses  out  altogether.”  The  cause  solely  and 
absolutely  of  the  “  spot  ”  is  the  growth  of  the  mycelial  hypbse  of  a 
fungus  in  the  tissues  of  the  fruit,  which  descends  by  the  central  axis 
and  pushes  ramifications  into  seed  receptacles,  and  destroys  all  it  can 
penetrate.  It  is  tbe  hyphag  developed  from.the  germ  tube  of  a  germi¬ 
nated  spore  of  Diplocladinm  solani  var.  tomati,  and  its  ultimate 
condition  Fuearium  solani  var.  tomati.  This,  however,  may  be,  and 
commonly  is,  as  regards  the  fruits,  suppressed  ;  but  resting  spores  form 
in  the  integuments  of  some  seeds,  and  these  go  over  with  the  plant  in 
embryo  grow  and  produce  “  sleeping  disease  ”  in  due  course.  The  Diplo- 
cladium  stage  is  regarded  as  saprophytic,  but  it,  all  the  same,  gives  rise 
to  ”  black  stripe”  and  other  forms  of  disease  in  the  fruit,  some  going  so 
far  as  t«  say  that  it  cannot  injure  sound  Tomatoes.  Al)  that  is  more 
guesswork,  as  the  fmagus  pursues  its  course  like  any  other  paradte.  It 
sometimes  attacks  the  fruit  daring  setting  and  the  embryonic  fruits  turn 
black.  That  is  said  to  be  non-settiog,  and  its  cause  damp,  moisture 
having  settled  on  tbe  fructifying  organs  and  destroyed  them.  In  other 
cases  the  disease  does  not  appear  until  the  fruit  has  swelled  considerably, 
smetimes  not  till  near  ripening,  and  the  cause  in  these  instances  ia 
alsi  regarded  as  damp — a  sort  of  “  scalding.”  The  preventive,  therefore, 
is  mere  air,  not  only  top  air  but  side  ventilation,  and  with  that  the  fruit 
will  not  turn  black  striped  or  spotted.  But  though  useful  it  is  not 
always  effectual  in  preventing  the  spores  of  the  fungus  germinating,  as 
vigorous  plants  will  damp  in  fliwer  and  moisture  settle  at  the  eye  or  heel 
of  the  frait.  and  then  it  is  all  over.  The  fungus  will  do  what  it  can, 
and  the  plant  resist  to  the  best  of  its  power,  so  that  the  malady  may  for 
a  lime  appear  arrestfd,  some  part  of  the  frait  remaining  sound.  There 
is  much  to  be  said  both  ways  for  this  very  disastrous  complaint,  some 
drowning  it  and  others  drying  the  atmosphere  so  that  it  cannot  grow. 
Its  very  existence  depends  on  organised  matter,  and  to  use  it  moiKture 
must  be  present.  We  know  no  more,  except  that  it  has  a  particular 
liking  for  vigorous  plants,  and  that  means  excess  of  nitrogen.  Water  at 
the  roots  will  wash  it  (nitrogen)  away,  and  dryness  in  the  atmosphere 
dissipa'e  the  superfluous  moisture.  Something  more  rational  is  needed — 
namely,  an  adjustment  of  the  mineral  tr  the  nilrogenic  elements,  so  as 
in  the  first  instance  to  secure  a  sturdy  plant  setting  fruit  freely  and 
afterwards  feed  as  required.  Your  soil  appears  a  rich  warp,  and  would 
be  improved  by  a  dressing  of  basic  slag  phosphate —say  7  lbs.  per  rod. 
There  is  a  fair  amount  of  lime  in  the  soil,  evidently  added,  and  'could 
not  do  other  than  good.  The  fungus  may  have  developed  from  hypbse 
pushed  by  the  resting  spores  in  the  soil  or  decayed  matter,  such  as  fibre 
