588 
JOURNAL  OF  nORTTCULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  IG,  1897, 
year.  All  tender  plants,  whether  dead  or  not,  ought  to  be  removed,  and 
the  dead  tops  of  the  hardy  occupants  trimmed  off,  and  these,  with  any 
weeds  there  may  be,  consigned  to  the  rubbish  heap  for  burning.  The 
surface  of  the  border  may  then  be  very  lightly  and  carefully  forked  up, 
the  greatest  care  being  necessary  where  many  bulbs  are  grown,  after 
which  a  liberal  dressing  of  partially  decayed  manure,  with  loam  added 
if  it  can  be  si)ared,  and  also  charred  rubbish,  or  the  contents  of  a 
“smother”  generally  should  be  applied.  Old  Mushroom-bed  manure 
is  good  for  the  purpose,  and  so  also  is  a  heap  of  leaves  and  manure 
that  may  previously  have  done  duty  as  a  hotbed  or  Vegetable  Marrow 
heap.  This  mulching  will  answer  the  double  purpose  of  enriching  the 
border,  and  also  to  a  certain  extent  as  a  protector  of  the  roots  from 
severe  frosts.  Bulbous-rooted  plants,  if  planted  sufficiently  deep,  are,  as 
a  rule,  quite  hardy,  but  if  within  2  inches  of  the  surface  they  may  well 
be  protected  with  a  mound  of  either  ashes,  cocoa-nut  fibre  refuse,  or  leaf 
soil. 
A  Selection  of  Hardy  Flowering  Plants.— There  is  an  almost  un¬ 
limited  number  of  species  and  varieties  of  serviceable  and  beautiful 
plants  suitable  for  filling  mixed  borders,  and  which  may  be  purchased 
and  planted  at  the  present  time,  the  only  exception  being  where  the 
pieces  are  too  tiny  to  be  trusted  to  the  tender  mercies  of  slugs  and  other 
enemies,  including  a  careless  gardener’s  feet.  The  following,  arranged 
much  in  their  order  of  flowering,  would  be  found  very  satisfactory : — 
Leucoium  vernum.  Snowdrops,  Crocuses,  Chionodoxa  Lucilise,  Narcissi 
and  Daffodils  in  great  variet}',  German  Irises,  Anemones  appenina, 
sylvestris,  and  fulgens,  Cheiranthus  alpina,  Polemonium  Richardsoni, 
Ibericus  gibraltarica,  Alpine  Auriculas,  Primulas  Sieboldi  and  vulgaris 
in  variety,  Dodecatheon  Jeffreyanura  and  meadia,  Gentiana  acaulis, 
Aquilegia,  hybrids  of  coerulea,  californica,  and  glandulosa,  Anthericum 
liliago  and  liliastrum.  Dielytra  spectabilis.  Campanulas  glomerata  and 
dahurica,  double  Pyrethrums,  Centaureas  montana  and  alba,  Erigeron 
aurantiacus,  Hemerocallis  flava,  Lupinus  nootkaensis  and  polyphyllus, 
Ornithogalum  umbellatum,  Papaver  bracteatum,  Solomon’s  Seal,  Trollius 
asiaticus,  Verbascum  phoeniceum,  Tradescantias  virginica  and  alba, 
double  Potentillas,  double  white  Rocket,  Geraniums  armenum  and 
ibericum,  Erigerons  speciosus  and  macranthus,  Dianthus  barbatiis 
magnificus,  hybrid  Delphiniums,  Asphodelus  luteus  and  ramosus,  Paeonies 
in  variety,  Spanish  and  English  Irises,  Veronica  spicata.  Spiraeas  aruncus, 
filipendula  plena  and  venusta,  Pentstemon  barbatum,  CEuothera  speciosa, 
and  Galega  officinalis. 
the  advantage,  when  thatched  with  straw,  of  being  warm  and 
thoroughly  rain  proof. 
Straw  Skeps  for  Increase. 
The  advantage  of  keeping  a  few  stocks  of  bees  in  straw  skeps  is 
ac’-nowledged  by  the  majority  of  bee-keepers  who  obtain  the  whole 
of  their  surfdus  from  the  modern  system  of  bar-frame  hives,  these 
being  usually  worked  on  the  swarming  system,  and  during  a  favour¬ 
able  season  they  provide  numerous  swarms,  which  are  utilised  in  a 
variety  of  ways  by  the  bee  keeper.  Owing  partly  to  the  warmth  of 
the  straw  hive,  and  being  small  in  comparison  with  the  moveable 
frame  hive,  the  bees  swarm  much  earlier.  I  have  closely  observed 
this  fact  for  many  years,  with  always  the  same  result.  Some  seasons 
the  difference  is  very  marked.  Last  spring  there  was  nearly  a 
fortnight  between  the  first  swarm  reported  from  a  straw  skep  and 
the  one  from  a  frame  hive. 
Observant  bee  keepers  usually  take  time  by  the  forelock  and 
provide  extra  space  lor  the  bees  when  required.  Still  there  are  many 
who  leave  their  bees  very  much  to  chance,  and  so  they  are  on  the 
same  level  as  regards  early  swarms  as  those  in  other  hives.  Bees 
when  kept  in  straw  sleeps  only  for  the  swarms  they  produce  are  not 
often  robbed  of  their  natural  stores,  consequently  they  g'\into  winter 
quarters  with  plenty  of  food  in  the  best  possible  condition,  and  being 
in  a  warm  straw  skep  they  start  with  an  advantage  over  those  in  a 
frame  hive,  which  have  been  robbed  and  not  supplied  with  a  substitute 
until  late  in  the  autumn. 
When  feeding  is  left  until  late  in  the  autumn,  probably  several 
weeks  h.ave  elapsed  since  the  surplus  from  the  honey  flow  was  taken 
from  them.  During  that  time  breeding  has  been  at  a  standstill,  so 
they  commence  the  winter  severely  handicapped  in  comparison  with 
the  bees  in  straw  skeps. — An  English  Bee-keeper. 
TRADE  CATALO&UES  RECEIVED. 
Hogg  &  Wood,  Coldstream. — Nursery  Stock. 
.J.  Reed  &  Sons,  West  Norwood.  — iSeed  Catalogue. 
Sutton  k  Sons,  Reading.— AmatcMe’s  Guide  to  Horticulture. 
[HE  BEE-KEBPER.^ 
Protection  of  Straw  Skeps. 
Bees  invariably  winter  well  in  str.iw  skeps  if  provided  with 
abundance  of  stores,  and  precaution  is  taken  in  the  autumn  before 
they  b  come  saturated  with  moisture  to  provide  ])rotectiou  from  the 
weather.  Although  the  moveable  frame  hive  has  made  considerable 
headway  in  the  provinces,  there  are  still  numerous  bee-keepers 
throughout  the  country  who  keep  their  bees  at  all  seasons  in  the 
homely  straw  skep. 
In  this  district  (S  aith  Yorkshire)  one  bee-keeper  annually  winters 
upwards  of  forty  stocks  in  skepr.  These  in  a  favourable  season 
increase  at  a  rapid  rate,  but  as  the  majority  of  them  are  in  skeps  abmt 
18  inches  in  diameter  on  which  crates  of  sections  are  worked,  tliey  do 
not  swarm  so  often  as  those  in  the  small  skeps  usually  seen.  Tiic 
skeps  are  placed  on  a  bte  stand  with  a  roof,  but  quite  open  at  the  front. 
They  face  due  south,  and  the  hives  are  placed  on  shelves  one  above 
the  other.  Bees  situated  as  above  do  not  require  any  further  protection, 
as  the  hives  are  perfectly  dry,  and  to  my  knowledge  the  bees  in  that 
a})iary  come  out  strong  and  healthy  in  the  .spring. 
With  straw  skeps  placed  on  stands  in  the  open  air  some  protection 
is  necessary,  otherwise  the  bees  will  suffer.  How  often  one  may 
observe  a  solitary  skep  in  a  cottage  garden  with  only  a  piece  of 
sacking  on  the  top  of  the  skep,  with  a  tile  or  broken  pot  to  throw  off 
the  moisture,  and  ]ir.  vent  the  wind  from  blowing  it  away.  I  need  not 
say  tha*^^  success  cannot  be  expected  from  bees  treated  in  this  manner. 
The  best  plan  that  has  come  under  my  notice  is  to  make  a  hood 
with  Wheat  straw.  This  is  done  by  taking  sufficient  straw  to  cover 
the  skep,  placing  the  ears  eve  ily  together,  and  holding  them  firmly 
with  one  hand  whilst  the  short  straws  are  combed  out  with  the  other. 
Fasten  the  st  avv  tightly  together  with  string  or  fine  wire  just  beneath 
the  ears,  or  about  6  inches  from  the  top  of  the  straws.  The  remainder 
of  the  operation  is  very  simide.  Open  the  bundle  of  straw  in  the 
middle  and  jilace  it  on  the  skep,  so  that  the  straw  hangs  evenly  round 
it;  place  a  hoop  of  iron  or  wood  round  the  whole,  so  that  it  fits 
tightly  round  the  middle  of  the  hive,  and  the  cover  is  complete.  The 
ends  of  the  straw  hood  should  be  neatly  cut,  so  that,  they  hang  a  few 
inches  below  the  floor-board  with  the  exception  of  the  entrance  to  the 
hive,  where  a  few  straws  may  be  removed  so  as  not  to  cause  an 
obstruction  to  the  bees ;  the  remaining  straws  should  be  drawn  on 
each  side  of  the  alighting  board  so  as  to  allow  the  moisture  to  escape. 
Hives  treated  in  this  manner  have  a  very  neat  appearance,  and  have 
A.11  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should,  until 
further  notice,  be  directed  to  “  The  Editor,”  8.  Rose  Hill  Road, 
Wandsworth,  I.ondon,  S.W.,  and  JTOT  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. 
Chrysanthemum  Madame  Carnot  Sporting  We  already  have 
a  primrose  coloured  Madame  Carnot  (Mrs.  W.  Mease),  and  a  yellow  one 
(G.  J.  Warren  or  Yellow  Madame  Carnot),  both  of  which  are  excellent. 
As  your  sport  shows  no  particular  merit,  we  do  not  consider  it  worth 
saving. 
Bleaching  Pampas  Grass  (7.  C.  R.).  -  Cut  the  plumes  with  a  good 
length  of  stem  when  quite  dry  and  before  the  plumes  are  quite  clear  of 
the  sheaths,  jflacing  them  in  a  greenhouse  or  other  place  where  they  will 
be  dry,  in  a  similar  position  as  grown,  or  upright.  In  ten  days  or  a 
fortnight  they  should  have  the  leaves  or  grass  removed  and  given  a  gentle 
shake  ;  they  will  then  open  out,  and  have  the  beautiful  feathery 
appearance  for  which  they  are  so  much  admired.  Plumes  dried  in  this 
manner  retain  their  beauty  for  at  least  twelve  months,  indeed  wo  have 
had  them  attractive  still  longer.  When  the  sheaths  are  removed  as  soon 
as  they  show  signs  of  splitting,  the  plumes  are  whiter  than  when  left  to 
force  off  their  covering  in  a  natural  manner. 
