toecember  2,  189?. 
JOURNAL  OR  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER 
539 
glass,  where  they  will  make  sturdy  growth.  Be  careful  never  to  allow 
the  plants  to  become  dry^  and  watch  for  aphides,  which  are  very  liable 
to  attack  the  plants  in  their  points.  Aphides  are  readily  destroyed  by 
fumigating  the  house  or  plants  with  tobacco  smoke,  or  some  of  the 
various  inventions  provided  for  the  purpose. 
Cinerarias. — The  latest  plants  of  these  should  be  transferred  into 
larger  pots  and  placed  in  a  cool  airy  house,  where  they  can  come  forward 
slowly.  These,  if  cared  for,  and  kept  free  from  aphides,  will  be  found 
useful  when  all  the  earlier  plants  are  past  their  best.  Do  not  allow 
plants  that  are  well  developed  and  throwing  up  their  flower  spikes  to 
be  crowded  together  so  that  their  foliage  will  damp.  Water  during  the 
early  part  of  the  day,  ventilate  freely  on  all  favourable  occasions,  and  do 
not  employ  more  fire  heat  than  is  really  necessary.  Clear  soot  water,  or 
other  weak  stimulants,  should  be  given  every  other  time  the  plants  need 
water.  Keep  the  plants  standing  on  some  moisture-holding  base,  or  they 
are  certain  to  lose  their  lower  foliage,  and  if  a  dry  atmosphere  is  main¬ 
tained  they  are  certain  to  be  attacked  by  aphides. 
Primula  obconica. — Well  developed  plants  will  soon  come  into  bloom 
if  they  are  introduced  into  a  temperature  of  50°.  If  the  blooms  are 
required  for  cutting  only  they  can  remain  in  this  temperature  ;  if  for  the 
conservatory,  they  can  be  removed  to  that  structure  as  soon  as  they  are 
presentable.  Plants  that  are  required  for  later  flowering  may  be  kept 
cool  in  any  light  airy  structure  where  the  temperature  does  not  fall  below 
45°  at  night. 
Double  Primulas. — Plants  that  are  wanted  in  flower  may  be  placed 
where  the  temperature  ranges  about  50°  at  night.  They  will  soon  come 
into  0ower  and  continue  for  a  long  time.  No  attempt  must  be  made  to 
keep  them  in  a  close  confined  atmosphere,  or  they  are  certain  to  damp. 
A  moderately  dry  atmosphere  should  be  maintained,  with  a  little  air 
on  all  occasions  when  the  weather  permits  of  it,  ventilators  being 
opened. 
Justicia  flavicoma. — This  much-neglected  plant  will  make  the  con¬ 
servatory  gay  at  this  period  of  the  year.  When  the  first  flowers  are 
over  the  plants  should  not  be  cut  back  or  thrown  away,  for  they  will 
flower  a  second  and  even  a  third  time.  Very  frequently  the  second 
flowering  is  decidedly  the  better  one.  The  plants  may  be  introduced  again 
into  warmth.  When  well  grown  the  dark  glossy  foliage  of  the  plant  is 
attractive,  and  the  contrast  is  very  striking  when  large  plumes  of  yellow 
flowers  are  produced. 
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Seasonable  Notes. 
Usually  at  this  season  all  is  quiet  iu  the  apiary;  bees  settle 
quietly  in  their  winter  quarters  before  the  dark  days  of  November 
set  in,  and  as  the  weather  is  often  cold  and  wet  throughout  the  month 
several  weeks  will  often  elapse  without  a  bee  being  observed  on  the 
wing.  The  month  now  drawdng  to  a  close  has  been  so  exceistionally 
line  that  bees  have  been  almost  daily  on  the  wing,  their  merry  hum 
being  heard  in  all  directions,  reminding  one  of  spring,  instead  of  what 
is  usually  looked  on  as  the  most  gloomy  month  of  the  year. 
As  showing  the  mildness  of  the  weather  Heliotrope  is  still  a  mass 
of  bloom  in  the  open  air,  and  as  healthy  and  fresh-looking  as  at  mid¬ 
summer.  This  is  remarkable  for  the  county  of  broad  acres,  as  it  is 
one  of  the  most  tender  plants,  and  the  first  to  succumb  after  a  slight 
frost. 
The  line  weather  experienced  throughout  the  autumn  will  have 
been  favourable  to  the  bees,  if  they  have  been  well  cared  for  and 
previous  instructions  ca’Tied  out.  Unfortunately,  through  various 
causes,  work  that  should  have  been  done  early  in  the  autumn  has  been 
postponed  to  a  more  favourable  season.  No  time  should  be  lost  in 
attending  to  the  small  details  of  bee  management,  as  severe  w’eather 
may  set  in  at  any  moment. 
In  the  first  place  examine  all  roofs  to  see  that  they  are  rainproof, 
and  if  they  have  not  been  painted  as  previously  advised  it  should  be 
done  at  once.  If  extra  coverings  have  not  been  placed  on  the 
frames  it  Avill  be  an  advantage  to  do  so.  Any  warm  material  w'ill 
answer  the  purpose,  such  as  old  pieces  of  carpet,  sacking,  or  even 
paper.  Several  thicknesses  of  the  latter,  with  a  piece  of  board  placed 
on  the  top,  will  keep  the  bees  warm,  and  no  harm  will  happen  to  them 
during  the  most  severe  weather. 
A  warm  cushion  may  be  made  by  taking  an  ordinary  bag  and 
partly  filling  it  wdth  cork  dust,  or  chaff,  or  something  similar.  But 
whatever  is  used  a  quilt  must  always  come  next  to  the  frames,  after¬ 
wards  using  some  carpet,  and  then  the  cushion  on  the  top  of  all. 
Cork  dust,  when  it  can  be  procured,  is  doubtless  the  best,  as  it  is 
w'arm  and  allows  ventilation.  I  do  not  advocate  waterproof 
coverings  during  the  winter  months,  as  moisture  will  condense  on 
them. 
If  bees  are  short  of  stores  give  them  a  frame  of  sealed  food,  or  a 
cake  of  candy  on  the  top  of  the  frames.  It  is  not  necessary  to  remove 
the  coverings  at  this  season,  as  it  may  do  harm.  By  lifting  the  hive 
bodily  one  may  tell  at  once  if  food  is  required. 
Packing  Hives  for  Winter. 
All  will  depend  on  the  class  of  hive  that  is  used,  whether  winter 
packing  is  required.  The  above  notes  on  extra  coverings  on  the  top  of 
the  frames  is  in  a  sense  packing  them  for  winter ;  but  what  is  usually 
known  by  this  ti  rm  is  when  there  is  an  air  or  open  space  of  one  or 
more  inches  left  round  the  sides  of  the  hive,  and  an  excellent  plan  it 
is  to  have  hives  made  in  this  form.  They  are  also  known  as  double- 
cased  hives,  and  is  really  one  hive  placed  inside  of  another,  as  it  were. 
These  answer  admirably  for  all  purposes.  Some  bee-keepers  prefer 
the  air  space  being  left  open  both  winter  and  summer ;  others  prefer 
packing  the  sides  with  a  light  warm  material  for  the  winter  months, 
removing  it  in  the  spring  when  the  weather  is  warm.  For  this 
purpose  there  is  nothing  to  equal  corn  dust  or  Wheat  chaff,  the  former 
is  preferred.  The  packing  maybe  placed  round  the  sides  of  the  hive 
without  disturbing  the  bees.  In  all  probability  the  quilt  will  be 
securely  fastened  down  on  the  top  of  the  frames  with  propolis,  as  it  is 
usual  for  the  bees  to  fasten  down  the  covering  that  comes  iu  contact 
with  the  frames,  and  also  to  fill  up  every  crevice  with  propolis. 
All  that  is  necessary  is  to  lift  up  the  outside  edge  of  the  quilt  if  it 
overlaps  the  frames,  and  fill  the  space  between  the  two  sides  as 
advised  above.  The  packing  should  be  placed  in  firmly,  and  the  bee¬ 
keeper  may  rest  assured  that  if  the  bees  are  healthy  and  well  provided 
with  stores,  the  most  severe  frost  that  may  be  expected  in  this  country 
will  not  harm  them ;  and  bees  treated  in  this  manner  invariably  come 
out  strong  and  healthy  the  following  spring. 
When  hives  are  packed  in  this  manner  a  word  of  caution  is 
necessary — not  to  be  in  too  great  haste  in  removing  it  until  fairly 
warm  and  settled  weather  is  experienced  in  the  spring,  as  the  inmates 
will  feel  the  effect  of  sudden  changes  in  the  weather.  It  is  not 
necessary,  as  I  have  proved  on  many  occasions,  to  pack  hives  of  this 
description,  as  I  have  found  bees  invariably  winter  well  when  the  air 
snace  is  left  open  throughout  the  winter.  Packing,  however,  has  the 
advantage  of  keeping  the  bees  warmer  than  they  otherwise  would  be 
in  exceptionally  severe  weather.  The  disadvantage  of  having 
all  hives  with  an  air  space  round  the  sides  is  that  it  makes  them  more 
bulky.— An  English  Bee-keeper. 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should,  until 
further  notice,  be  directed  to  “The  Editor,”  3.  Rose  Hill  Road, 
Wandsworth,  Xiondon,  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. 
E.H.S.  Examination  (i.  (?.).— If  you  write  to  the  Secretary,  Koyal 
Horticultural  Society,  117,  Victoria  Street.  Westminster,  enclosing  a 
stamped  direcided  envelope,  he  will  furnish  you  with  all  particulars 
relative  to  these  examinations. 
Worms  in  a  Lawn  (E.  A.  L.,  Ascot).— One  of  the  best  means  of 
bringing  worms  to  the  surface  is  to  dissolve,  a  peck  of  newly  slaked 
lime  in  30  to  40  gallons  of  water.  Mix  the  whole  thoroughly  well 
together,  and  allow  it  to  stand  a  day  or  two.  Then  draw  off  the  clear 
water  and  distribute  it  over  the  lawn  with  a  large  rosed  water-can. 
Apply  in  damp  weather,  removing  the  worms  which  appear  as  soon  as 
possible.  If  lime  water  is  not  effective  try  corrosive  sublimate,  dissolving 
half  an  ounce  in  15  gallons  of  water.  Apply  after  rain  with  a  rosed 
can.  Do  not  give  the  worms  to  fowls  which  are  brought  to  the  surface 
with  this  mixture,  as  it  is  poisonous. 
