51(5  JOURNAL  OP  noRJUGULTURP  AND  OOTTAGE  GARDENER.  Kovem'ber  25,189?.- 
detrimental  to  the  welfare  of  the  bees.  Someone  may  ask,  Why  is  it 
necessary  to  have  a  free  circulation  of  air  in  the  hive  during  the 
winter  months?  Would  it  not  be  better,  owing  to  the  hive  being 
wanner,  if  the  entrance  were  closed,  so  that  space  was  left  for  the 
bees  to  pass  out  ? 
In  practice  it  has  l)een  found  that  bees  winter  better,  and  a'-e 
altogether  in  better  condition  the  following  spring,  if  the  entrance  to 
the  hive  has  been  opened  several  inches  than  when  it  has  been  nearly 
closed.  It  does  not  admit  moisture,  as  some  may  imagine.  On  the 
contrary,  the  door  board  will  be  found  drier  than  will  be  the  case 
with  one,  say,  opened  half  an  inch. 
Some  bee-keepers  advocate  perforated  zinc  floors,  but  after  experi¬ 
menting  with  them  for  several  years  I  have  finally  discarded  them,  as 
1  found  the  stocks  did  not  increase  at  such  a  rapid  rate  during  the 
early  spring  months  as  was  the  case  with  other  stocks  in  which  the 
entrance  had  been  reduced  for  a  few  w'ceks  at  that  period  when 
breeding  was  going  on  apace. 
Allhough  the  weather  was  excessively  wet  last  winter,  and  the 
hives  were  facing  due  west,  those  hives  that  were  wedged  up  a  ipiarter 
ofan  inch  from  the  floorboard  all  round  proved  to  be  some  of  my 
strongest  stocks  last  summer.  The  wedges  were  removed  in  the 
spring,  and  otherwise  treated  the  same  as  the  other  colonies. 
IIendeking  Wax. 
One  of  the  most  unpleasant  operations  in  connection  with  bee¬ 
keeping  is  what  is  usually  termed  making  wax.  But  in  the  strict 
meaning  of  the  word  this  is  not  true.  The  bees  maire  the  wax,  the 
operator  is  simply  rendering  it  from  the  combs  which  chielly  consist 
of  wax.  I  have,  however,  yet  to  meet  the  bee-keeper  who  has  said 
he  really  likes  the  job.  There  are  many  ways  of  obtaining  the  wax 
from  the  combs,  but  whatever  plan  is  adopted  heat  in  one  form  or 
other  is  necessary. 
The  old-fashioned  plan,  still  much  in  vogue  in  some  country 
districts,  is  to  place  the  combs  in  a  bag,  which  is  put  into  hot  water, 
and  when  the  combs  are  well  saturated  the  bag  is  jilaced  on  a  slanting 
board,  one  end  of  which  is  in  a  vessel  of  cold  water,  d’he  other  end 
the  operator  places  against  his  chest,  and  with  a  stout  rolling  jiin  he 
presses  out  the  wax  through  the  porous  bag,  which  falls  into  the  cold' 
water  and  forms  a  cake  of  wax  on  the  surface.  The  bag  is  returned- 
to  the  hot  or  boiling  water  again  as  often  as  necessary,  and  the 
operation  is  repeated  until  no  wax  remains. 
Another  plan,  which  is  preferred  to  the  above,  is  to  place  all  the 
combs  in  a  baa  which  is  placed  in  a  cojiper  and  covered  with  water. 
The  bag  must  be  securely  tied,  and  if  a  heavy  weight  is  placed  on  it 
to  keep  it  at  the  bottom  it  will  be  an  advaniage.  If  this  is  not 
availal'le  ^ome  other  means  must  be  taken  to  keep  the  bag  at  least 
2  inches  under  the  surface  of  the  water,  the  reason  of  which  is 
apparent,  as  directly  the  wax  melts  it  will  float  to  the  top.  When  the 
water  has  become  quite  cold  the  wax  may  be  taken  off  the  surface  in 
a  thick  cake.  If  the  bag  is  not  kept  below  the  surface  the  wax 
could  not  be  taken  away  in  this  manner,  as  it  would  stick  to  the  bag. 
When  treated  in  this  manner  the  under  part  of  tl  e  wax  will  be 
dirty,  caused  by  the  debris  and  dirt  in  the  combs.  This  may  be 
scraped  off.  The  wax  must  then  be  placed  in  vessels  and  put  in  the 
oven  to  be  melted,  afterwards  pouring  it  into  moulds.  There  will 
probably  be  a  sediment  at  the  bottom  of  each,  which  shoukl  be 
scraped  away,  and  if  necessary  the  wax  may  again  be  melted  in  the 
oven.  If  thi^  process  is  repeated  too  often  the  colour  of  the  wax 
somewhat  deteriorates. 
A  solar  wax  extractor  may  be  made  by  [jlacing  a  sheet  of  glass 
over  a  shallow  vessel  containing  the  combs.  If  this  is  fixed  at  the 
right  angle  to  catch  the  sun’s  rays  in  the  middle  of  a  bright  day  in 
August,  it  is  surprising  how  quickly  the  wax  is  render  d  from  the 
comb.  Some  experiments  I  made  during  the  bright  weather  that 
prevailed  last  July  was  quite  a  success. — An  English  Bee-keei’er. 
TRADE  CATALOGUES  RECEIVED. 
B.  Owen,  ^Maidenhead.— 
W.  Watson,  Clontarf  Xurseries,  Dublin. —  Carnation.'^,  Jloses,  and 
Fruit  Trees. 
GARDENERS’  CHARITABLE  AND  PROVIDENT 
INSTITUTIONS. 
The  Gardeners’  Royal  Benevolent  Institution. — Secretary, 
Air.  G.  .1.  Ingram,  .'fO,  Parliament  Street,  London,  W.C. 
United  Horticultural  Benefit  and  Provident  Society. — 
Secretary,  Air.  W.  Collins,  9,  Alartindale  Road,  Balham,  London,  S.W. 
Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund. — Secretary,  Air.  A.  F.  Barron, 
The  Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund,  Cniswick,  W. 
c-d’o  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should,  unti 
further  notice,  be  directed  to  “  The  Editor,”  a.  Rose  Hill  Road, 
Wandsworth,  Xondon,  S.W,,  and  WOT  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  unjustifiahle  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 
Editoi’,  though  nut  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. 
Table  Plants  {Novice). — The  following  are  all  useful  for  the  purpose 
indicated  :  —  Dracaenas  angustifolia,  Sydney),  and  Ernest!  ;  Crotons 
elegantissimns.  Countess,  angustifolius,  and  interruptus  aureus  ;  Aralias 
Veitchi,  gracillima,  and  elegantissima  ;  Geonoma  gracilis,  and  Cocos 
Weddellliina,  Carex  viridis  and  variegata,  and  Pandanus  Veitchi.  The 
pots  should  not  be  larger  than  48-size,  and  it  is  well  to  cover  the  surface 
of  the  soil  with  Selaginella  or  Fanicum  variegatum. 
The  Silver  Tree  {E.  II.  Bayhj).  —  ThQ  plant  of  which  you  sent  a  leaf 
is  a  member  of  the  natural  order  Froteaceae,  and  is  known  to  botanists  as 
Leucadendron  argent.enm.  It  is  a  native  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
where  it  is  known  to  the  Dutch  colonists  as  Witteboom,  or  Silver  Tree,  a 
name  which  it  owes  to  the  silvery^  appearance  of  the  leaves.  The  plant  is 
in  cultivation,  and  may  be  seen  at  Kew  and  in  a  few  other  establishments 
where  large  collections  of  old  and  curious  plants  are  grown.  It  was  intro¬ 
duced  towards  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century,  so  that  it  is  by  no 
means  a  novelty.  Leaves  are  imported  for  decorative  purposes  with  the 
Cape  Everlasting  Flowers,  and  may  be  frequently  seen  in  Covent  Garden 
Alarket.  A  figure  of  the  plant  was  published  in  the  “  Botanical  Register  ’ 
in  1826,  but  it  does  not  show  the  peculiar  whiteness  of  tlic  foliage. 
Mealy  Bug  on  Vines  {Perplexed). — You  will  not  find  it  easy  to  exter¬ 
minate  this  pest,  as  the  insects  find  safe  quarters  before  the  Vines  are 
pruned,  and  some  will  reappear  after  growth  is  started.  We  have  not 
found  anything  better  as  a  winter  dressing  th-in  syringing  the  house  well 
in  every  part  with  a  petroleum  mixture,  a  wineglassful  to  4  gallons  of 
water,  kept  -vvell  mixed  by  one  person  syringing  into  the  vessel  whilst 
another  applies  it  thoroughly  to  every  part  of  the  structure  and  Vines. 
Then,  after  priming  the  Vines,  stripping  off  the  rough  and  loose  bark, 
wash  them  with  a  softsoap  solution  8  ozs.  to  a  gallon  of  water.  After¬ 
wards  apply  with  a  brush  a  petroleum  emulsion  4  ozs,  softsoap  dissolved 
in  a  gallon  of  boiling  water  and  a  wineglassful  of  petroleum  churned 
violently  for  several  minutes  with  a  force  pump  or  garden  engine  into 
the  same  vessel  until  thoroughly  emnlsified.  Keep  a  sharp  look  Out  for 
bug  in  spring,  and  if  any  appear  touch  each  with  a  very  small  brush  dipped 
in  methylated  spirits. 
Utilising  South-west  Wall  Alternating  with  Tomatoes  (S'.  /.). — All 
the  plants  yon  name  would  probably  flower  a  fortnight  to  three  Aveeks 
earlier  against  the  wall  than  in  the  open  ground,  but  there  would 
certainly  not  be  any  profit  in  such  plants  as  Lilacs,  Gueldres  Rose,  Andro¬ 
meda  floribnnda,  Fyrus  japonica,  and  Deutzia  gracilis.  Tea  Roses,  such 
•  as  Comtesse  de  Nadaillac,  Isabella  Sprunt,  The  Bride,  Adam,  W.  F. 
Bennet,  Sunset,  Aladame  de  Watteville,  Amazone,  with  Niphetos,  which 
you  have.  Noisettes  :  Celine  Forestier,  Alar^chal  Niel,  and  Win.  Allen 
Richardson.  Of  Hybrid  Perpetuals  Brilliant,  Charles  Lamb,  Emperor, 
and  Empress  are  good  for  buttonhole  work.  The  Roses  would  best  serve 
your  purpose,  growing  them  in  pots,  Avhich  must,  of  course,  be  plunged, 
and  to  secure  flower.s  early  it  would  be  necessary  to  have  canvas  to  pull 
up  and  down  so  as  to  afford  protection  in  frosty  weather,  otherwise 
the  late  spring  frosts  would  damage  the  j'oung  growths  and  flowers  or 
retard  the  flowering,  the  great  thing  being  to  have  the  blooming  early, 
and  not  interfere  with  the  Tomatoes,  which  will  need  to  go  out  in  Alay, 
and  that  is  the  time  Avhen  the  Roses  will  be  at  their  earliest.  For 
those  reasons  it  is  a  matter  of  some  importance  as  to  whether  the 
Roses  could  then  safely  he  removed  from  their  position  against  the  wall. 
By  affording  slight  protection,  or  giving  a  sheltered  situation,  the  diffi¬ 
culty  might  be  overcome.  Of  course,  by  giving  protection  in  winter, 
the  Roses  would  Power  considerably  earlier  and  give  flowers  more  or 
less  right  through  the  season,  so  that,  all  points  considered,  they  are 
likely  to  he'profi table  as  Avell  as  suitable  for  the  alternate  system.  Even 
in  mild  seasons  they  would  give  blooms  late  in  autumn  or  early  winter. 
