468 
tntrnKTAL  OP  mUTICULTUnP  and  cottage  GATDfNEH, 
November  11,  1897. 
left  at  the  bottom.  This  will  allow  the  bees  to  pass  underneath,  and 
It  is  surprising  how  they  will  clean  all  debris  from  the  combs  when 
confined  to  their  hives,  owing  to  the  inclemency  of  the  weather  in 
early  spring. 
Two  colonies  of  bees  will  winter  well  in  a  hive  of  this  description 
if  an  entrance  is  made  at  opposite  ends.  They  may  then  be  placed  in 
separat(3  hives  before  they  become  strong  enough  to  swarm  the  following 
spring.  I  prefer  this  plan  to  allowing  both  queens  and  bees  to  remain 
in  a  large  hive  with  a  super  on  the  top.  as  when  one  colony  swarms 
the  bees  from  the  other  part  of  the  hive  will  invariably  go  with  them. 
It  is  interesting  to  bee-keepers  to  try  experiments  on  the  above 
lines,  as  by  removing  the  spare  frames  from  some  of  the  hives,  and 
allowing  them  all  to  remain  in  the  others,  they  will  be  enabled  to  see 
at  a  glance  next  spring  which  has  wintered  the  best. 
Colonies  Strong  in  Autumn. 
It  is  not  always  the  stocks  that  are  strongest  in  the  autumn  that 
will  be  the  best  in  the  spring,  and  in  experimenting  with  a  few  or  many 
combs  in  a  hive,  it  wdll  be  necessary  to  do  so  for  at  least  two  winters 
before  a  decision  can  safely  be  arrived  at.  Where  there  are  numerous 
stocks  of  bees  kept  there  will  always  be  a  great  difference  between 
them  the  following  spring.  How  is  this  to  be  accounted  for  ?  This 
is  a  difficult  question  to  answer,  but  the  fact  remains. 
In  many  instances  that  have  come  under  my  notice  it  has  been 
those  stocks  that  were  extra  strong  in  bees  in  the  autumn  that  were 
the  weakest  the  following  spring.  This,  I  believe,  is  often  caused  by 
the  old  bees  dying  late  in  the  autumn.  The  colony  may  be  headed 
by  a  young  fertile  queen  introduced  too  late  in  the  season  to  be  of 
much  use  for  increasing  the  number  of  bees. 
A  nucleus  stock  headed  by  a  queen  raised  in  the  same  hive  as  the 
former,  and  which  goes  into  winter  quarters  with  not  one-twentieth 
part  the  number  of  bees,  will  probably  be  in  a  much  better  condition 
the  following  May.  This  clearly  proves  that  it  is  the  stocks  that 
have  the  most  young  bees  in  the  autumn  that  will  be  in  the  best 
condition  the  following  spring. — An  English  Bee-keeper. 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should,  until 
further  notice,  be  directed  to  “  The  Editor,”  3_  Rose  Hill  Hoadf 
Wandsworth,  X.ondon,  S.W.,  and  HOT  to  Fleet  Street.  It 
is  requested  that  no  one  will  write  privately  to  any  of  our  corre¬ 
spondents,  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. 
Correspondents  should  not  mix  up  on  the  same  sheet  questions  relating 
to  Gardening  and  those  on  Bee  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;  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. 
Old  Apple  Tree  {Ctjmro). — The  tree  which  is  supposed  to  have  been 
planted  about  200  years  ago,  and  of  which  you  send  a  very  good  fruit, 
has  in  all  probability  been  raised  from  a  pip  of  the  Catshead.  It  was 
customary  in  the  olden  time  to  raise  Apple  trees  from  seeds,  and  that  is 
why  there  are  in  old  orchards  so  many  varieties  which  have  never  had 
other  than  local  names.  A  few  of  the  varieties  are  good,  but  the  majority 
inferior.  Dr.  Hogg  has  described  in  the  “Fruit  Manual"  the  Catshead 
as  “one  of  our  oldest  and  best  culinary  Apples,  in  use  from  October  till 
January  ;  tree  a  vigorous  grower,  attaining  the  largest  size,  and  though 
not  an  abundant  bearer  in  the  early  period  of  its  growth,  it  is  much  more 
productive  as  it  becomes  aged.”  Few  other  varieties  of  the  same  age  as 
your  tree  could  produce  such  fruit  under  similar  conditions— namely, 
“  growing  close  to  a  large  Chestnut,  and  has  had  no  manure  applied  for 
twelve  years.  ’  "iou  must  observe  that  we  do  not  say  it  is  the  true  Cats¬ 
head,  but  a  varietal  form,  and  apparently  a  good  one.  The  only  sure 
way  of  your  tenant  securing  trees  of  this  particular  variety  will  be  by 
taking  grafts  from  the  original,  and  he  will  obtain  frnit  the  sooner  if  he 
attach  several  to  any  healthy  trees  of  inferior  varieties  that  he  can  cut 
down  for  the  purpose,  otherwise  graft  on  young  Crab  stocks. 
Chrysanthemum  Classification  ( IF.  J.  G.). — You  are  no  doubt  aware 
that  a  new  committee  called  the  Classification  Committee  has  made 
certain  modifications  in  the  N.O.S.  catalogue,  and  particularly  in  the  case 
of  some  disputed  varieties  supposed  to  be  of  the  incurved  type.  As  things 
stand  at  present  Duchess  of  Fife  is  classed  as  an  incurved,  and  Sir  Trevor 
Lawrence  as  a  Japanese  incurved  by  this  new  Committee  (see  report  in  the 
N.C.S.  schedule  for  1897,  pp.  26, 27);  butM.  Desblanc  (Jap.  inc.)  and  Chame- 
chaude  (inc.)  remain  in  the  Society’s  catalogue  as  indicated,  and  where  it 
is  stipulated  that  the  N.C.S.  Jubilee  catalogue  is  the  authority  the  two 
last  named  varieties  must  be  shown  as  a  Japanese  incurved  and  incurved 
respectively.  It  is  presumed  that  you  mean  M.  Desblanc,  for  there  are 
also  a  Madame  Desblanc  and  a  Yvonne  Desblanc.  To  assist  in  the 
identification  of  the  variety  it  may  be  mentioned  that  the  proper 
M.  Desblanc  is  of  a  deep  reddish  colour  or  vermilion,  and  a  reverse  of 
gold. 
Banksia  integrifolia  {Xovice). — This  plant  is  frequently  known  as  the 
Australian  Honeysuckle,  and  is  especially  noteworthy  as  a  free-growing 
and  floriferous  plant,  which  recommendations  are  not  possessed  by  all  its 
Fig.  70. — Banksia  integrifolia  (reduced). 
allies.  The  popular  name  appears  somewhat  far-fetched,  as  are  many 
other  popular  names ;  but  it  does  not  refer  to  the  habit  of  the  plant  as 
might  be  supposed,  but  to  the  quantity  of  nectar  secreted  in  the  flowers. 
Banksia  integrifolia  (fig.  70)  is  a  shrubby  plant,  usually  of  moderate  size 
in  cultivation,  but  attaining  much  greater  dimensions  in  its  native  land, 
where  some  of  its  near  relatives  rise  to  a  height  of  50  feet.  The  flowers 
are  j'ellowish  in  a  cylindrical  head  at  the  end  of  the  branches.  The 
leaves  are  narrow  and  undivided,  dark  green,  and  firm  in  texture. 
The  plant  succeeds  in  light  turfy  loam  and  peat,  and  requires  only  the 
temperature  of  a  greenhouse  or  conservatory,  supplying  water  carefully 
when  not  in  flower. 
Grafting  Seedling  Orange  Plants  (Dorset)-  — Budding  is  the  better 
practice,  operating  in  August,  and  placing  the  worked  plants  under  a 
hand-light.  In  the  course  of  a  month  it  will  be  observable  if  the  buds  have 
taken.  They  must  then  be  untied,  and  the  plants  allowed  to  remain  in 
the  greenhouse  all  the  winter.  In  the  spring  cut  off  the  heads  about 
3  inches  above  the  buds.  Budding  may  also  be  done  in  the  spring,  or 
side  grafting  then  performed  ;  but  it  is  often  unsatisfactory.  The  mode 
is  a  modification  of  the  whip,  the  stock  being  cut  down  to  about  3  inches 
above  where  the  scion  is  to  be  put  on,  and  the  graft  (ripened  wood  of  the 
preceding  year,  with  a  portion  of  two-year-old  wood)  having  3  inches  of 
it  left  below  the  splicing  for  placing  in  a  bottle  containing  rain  water. 
This  keeps  it  fresh  until  the  stock  and  scion  have  “knit”  together.  Just 
before  the  trees  from  which  the  scions  are  taken  start  into  growth  is  the 
proper  time  to  graft  ;  the  stocks,  being  young,  will  be  forwarder,  ami  all 
the  better  on  that  account.  Keej)  the  ends  of  the  attached  grafts  in  water 
until  the  scions  commence  growing  freely,  and  the  junction  is  complete. 
In  the  autumn  or  late  summer  the  part  of  the  scion  below  the  union  can 
be  cut  off  neatly,  also  the  snag  of  the  stock  above  the  junction.  Budded 
trees  will  require  “snagging”  in  like  manner. 
Chrysanthemum  Leaves  Diseased  (Inquirer). — The  leaves  are  infested 
by  the  Spot  fungus  (Cylindrosporium  chrysanthemi).  The  mycelium  of 
the  Spot  fungus  takes  possession  of  the  tissue  of  the  leaf,  which  becomes 
brown,  and  ultimately  black,  withers  and  dries  up.  Finally  outgrowths 
appear  of  an  altogether  different  character — to  wit,  Botrytis  chrys¬ 
anthemi,  and  in  the  dead-leaf  tissues  or  on  them  small  black  bodies  are 
