May  8,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
417 
it  was  tlie  only  way  the  God  of  Nature  had  provided  for  the 
formation  of  a  queen,  it  was  left  to  Huber  to  render  the  experi¬ 
ment  complete.  If  Riem  discovered  fertile  workers,  Huber 
showed  the  cause  of  them — namely,  their  having  been  nursed 
near  royal  cells,  and  having  been  fed  upon  royal  jelly.  If 
naturalists  knew  that  drones  were  destroyed,  or  driven  away  in 
the  autumn,  it  was  Huber  who  discovered  that  they  were  stung 
to  death  by  the  w'orking-bees  at  the  bottom  of  the  hive,  and 
there  only. 
Francis  Huber  was  born  at  Geneva,  on  July  2,  1750,  and 
inherited  a  taste  for  natural  history  from  his  father.  By  the 
rvritings  of  Bonner,  and  by  an  intimacy  with  him,  his  attention 
was  turned  to  the  subject  of  bees.  Most  unfortunately  he  lost 
his  sight,  but  had  an  assistant  in  Francis  Berens,  quite  qualified 
for  the  task  of  canying  into  effect  the  suggestions  of  his 
employer;  and  in  Peter  Huber,  his  son,  he  had  a  coadjutor  in 
every  way  worthy  of  such  a  father,  and  who  afterwards  became 
the  discoverer  of  the  natural  history  of  the  ant.  The  elder  Huber 
had  married  Maria  Aimee  Lullen,  the  daughter  of  a  Swiss 
magistrate,  who  warmly  entered  into  all  his  views,  and  assisted 
in  his  experiments,  as  did  also  his  daughter  Jurine,  by  her  skill 
in  anatomy.  She  has  for  ever  set  at  rest  all  disputes  as  to  the 
sex  of  the  working  bee.  She  died  very  young,  or  she  would 
probably  have  added  more  facts  to  our  knowledge  of  bees.  The 
discoveries  of  Huber  are  most  splendid,  and  his  little  work 
ought  to  be  in  the  hands  of  eveiy  lover  of  natural  history.  Huber 
li^'ed  to  a  good  old  age,  and  died  on  December  22,  1831,  aged 
eighty-one ;  but  his  name,  will  exist  for  ever  in  the  minds  of  all 
who  love  to  study  the  works  of  the  great  Creator.  After  all 
Huber’s  discoveries,  there  are  still  some  facts  which  want 
elucidation.  The  age  to  which  bees  live  is  still  unknown ;  and 
whether  the  honey  which  bees  collect  from  flowers  undergoes 
change  in  the  honey  bag  of  the  bee,  or  is  deposited  in  the  exact 
state  in  which  it  is  found,  is  also  involved  in  mystery. — C.  A.  L. 
[These  histoidcal  notes  are  from  an  old  essay  on  the  subject. 
Tliej'  convey  a  history  of  bees  and  bee-keeping,  but  we  caution 
the  uninitiated  against  accepting  all  the  teaching,  or  the  books 
mentioned,  as  applicable,  or  in  vogue  at  the  present  day. — Ed.] 
Trade  Notes. 
Porter's  Coil  Stake. 
This  stake,  which  is  made  of  stiff  galvanised  wire,  enamelled 
gi'een,  is  now  becoming  well  known  and  appreciated  for  its 
advantages  over  ordinary  wooden  stakes.  The  flower  stems  are 
simply  placed  in  the  coils,  and  require  no  tying.  The  stakes 
are  practically  everla'^ting.  and  they  also  acid  greatly  to  the 
appearance  of  the  plants.  Where  many  Carnations  are  grown  the 
time  taken  in  tying  up  the  flower  stems  is  a  great  drawback,  and 
ordinary  stakes  want  constantly  renewing.  The  coil  stake  does 
away  with  both  these  disadvantages,  and  will  be  found  a  real 
boon  to  both  gardener  and  amateur.  A  special  stake  is  also 
made  for  Hyacinths  and  other  bulbous  plants.  Mr.  A.  Porter, 
Stone  House,  Maidstone,  is  the  patentee. 
*  Messrs  Messenger  and  Co.,  Ltd. 
A  neat  little  brochure  comes  to  us  from  this  well  known  firm 
of  horticultural  builders  and  heating  engineers.  Their  extensive 
new  works,  adjoining  the  L.  and  N.W.  railway  at  Loughborough, 
occupy  a  site  more  than  five  acres  in  extent,  and  have  therefore 
ample"  space  for  the  storage  and  proper  seasoning  of  large  stocks 
of  timber,  a  very  important  item  in  the  erection  of  glass  houses. 
Moreover,  they  have  their  own  foundry  and  fitting  clepartnient 
for  the  manufacture  of  all  the  various  ironwork  required  in  the 
erection,  ventilation,  and  heating  of  glass  houses.  Their  system 
of  construction,  combining  iron  muntins  and  light  rafters, 
strengthened  with  tension  rods,  ensures  perfect  rigidity  without 
undue  obstruction  of  light  by  heavy  timbers.  The  numerous 
houses  they  have  erected  on  this  principle  are  pronounced  by 
practical  gardeners  to  be  unrivalled  for  growing  purposes. 
A  New  Weed  Extractor. 
At  recent  meetings  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  in  the 
Drill  Hall  there  has  been  on  view  a  useful  garden  tool — a  lawn 
weed  extractor.  The  primai-y  object  of  the  invention  is  to  pro¬ 
vide  a  tool  by  the  means  of  which  Daisies,  Dandelions,  and  other 
noxious  growths  can  be  quickly  and  easily  uprooted  in  large 
quantities  from  lawns.  Ac.,  and  effectually  destroyed.  This 
object  is  obtained  in  the  new  patent  weed  extractor.  In  using 
the  implement  the  operator  presses  the  teeth  behind  the  weed  and 
draws  it  towards  him.  By  this  action  the  roots  of  the  weeds 
become  firmly  fixed  in  the' bifurcated  ends  of  the  teeth,  and  are 
easily  remov'ed  from  the  ground  and  destroyed.  This  will  be 
foiin'd  a  much  easier  and  more  pleasant  method  of  weeding, 
especially  by  ladies,  as  it  can  be  accomplished  standing,  thereby 
avoiding  the  painful  and  uncomfortable  positions  hitherto  neces¬ 
sary.  It  can  also  be  used  for  a  like  purpose  in  the  kitchen 
garden,  as  an  improved  rake  among  the  Onion  beds,  for  lightly 
loosening  the  soil,  and  for  various  other  purposes  it  will  be  found 
most  useful.  Various  of  the  sundriesmen  and  some  nurserymen 
supply  it. 
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Fruit  Forcing. 
PEACHES  AND  NECTARINES:  HOFSES  STARTED  AT 
THE  NEW  YEAR. — The  very  early  varieties  Waterloo  and  Early 
Loni.se  Peaches  with  Advance  and  Cardinal  Nectarines,  have  the 
fruit  ripening,  and  the  trees  must  not  be  syringed,  but  the  soil 
should  be  maintained  in  a  thoroughly  moist  state,  and  atmospheric 
moisture  supplied  by  damping  the  border  and  path  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  trees  when  they  become  dry.  Ilie 
second  early  sorts,  .such  as  Hale’s  Early  and  Dr.  Hogg  Peaches, 
Early  Rivers  and  Lord  Napier  Nectarines,  have  completed 
stoning  and  commenced  the  final  swelling  for  ripening.  Syringing 
in  their  case  may  be  contimied  until  the  fruit  commences  to 
soften,  when  water  on  the  skin  may  cause  it  to  crack  or  impart 
an  unde.sirable  flavour.  On  the  other  hand,  the  midseason 
varieties,  Stirling  Castle,  Dymond,  Ro.val  George,  and  Grosse 
Mignonne  Peaches,  Stanwick  Elrnge,  Humboldt,  and  Pineapple 
Nectarines,  are  about  completing  the  stoning  process,  and  the 
trees  mu.st  not  be  subjected  to  a  higher  temperature  than 
GOdeg  to  Godeg  by  artificial  means,  commencing  to  ventilate  at 
G5deg,  and  not  allowing  75deg  to  be  exceeded  without  full  ventila¬ 
tion.  If  the  fruits  are  too  thickly  placed  remove  the  smallest, 
allowing  one  fruit  to  each  square  foot  of  trellis  covered  with 
foliage,  leaving  them  a  little  closer  on  strong  wood,  and  less 
on  the  weaker.  By  apportioning  the  crop  to  the  vigour  or  parts- 
of  a  tree  the  evenness  of  the  growths  may  be  maintained.  Tie 
the  shoots  a.s  they  advance,  removing  superfluous  growths,  not 
retaining  more  than  can  have  exposure  to  light  and  air.  Draw 
t-he  leaves  aside,  or  even  shorten  them,  so  as  to  expose  the  fruit 
to  light,  raising  siich  as  require  it  on  laths  placed  acro.ss  the 
wires  of  the  trellis  with  their  apexes  to  the  light.  After 
stoning  maintain  a  good  moisture  in  the  house,  and  water  the 
inside  border  copiously,  which  in  well  drained  borders  will  be 
required  once  a  week,  mulching  the  border  with  about  an  inch 
thickness  of  short,  sweetened  lumpy  manure.  If  the  fruit  is  not 
required  ripe  as  soon  as  practicable,  continue  GOdeg  to  Godeg  as 
the  night  temperature,  Godeg  artificially  by  day  in  dull  weather, 
70deg  to  75deg  with  sun  heat,  closing  at  the  latter  with  pjenty 
of  atmospheric  moisture.  In  a  temperature  of  70deg  to  7odeg 
by  artificial  means,  80deg  to  85deg  or  90deg  from  sun  heat,  and 
n'loist  atmosphere.  Peaches  and  Nectarines  .swell  to  a  great  size 
after  stoning,  but  they  are  not  usually  so  high  coloured  nor  so 
well  flavoured  as  those  ripened  in  less  heat  and  moisture  and 
with  free  ventilation. 
TREES  STARTED  IN  MARCH. — Thin  the  fruit  now  .swelling 
freely,  and  choose  the  most  promising  for  the  crop,  reserving 
those  on  the  upper  side  of  the  trellis.  Two  or  three  fruits  on 
strong  shoots  will  be  sufficient  to  leave,  and  proportionately 
fewer  on  weaker  growths.  Remove  all  superfluous  shoots 
gradually,  retaining  those  only  for  attracting  the  sap  to  the 
fruit,  which  stop  at  two  or  three  good  leaves,  and  those 
from  the  liase  of  the  cuiTent  bearing  wood  for  furnishing  fruit 
another  year,  with  such  extensions  as  are  necessary.  Train  the 
growths  as  they  advance,  securing  them  loosely  to  the  trellis. 
Afford  liquid  m'anure  to  such  as  require  more  vigour,  but  avoid 
stimulating  vigorous  trees  too  much,  as  that  will  encourage 
growth  at^the” expense  of  the  fruit  stoning.  Keep  red  spider- 
under  by  forcible  .syringing,  or  subdue  it  and  aphides  by 
promptly  applying  an  insecticide. 
LATE  HOFSES.— The  fruits  being  well  set,  the  trees  will 
need  syifinging  in  the  morning  and  on  fine  afternoons,  to  rid  them 
of  the  remains  of  the  flowers.  Commence  thinning  when  the 
fruits  are  the  size  of  horse  beans,  removing  the  smallest  and 
worst  placed,  leaving  a  few  more  onl.y  than  will  be  required  for 
the  crops,  but  regard  must  be  had  to  the  vigour  of  the  trees,  and 
their  liability  to  cast  some  of  the  fruit  or  otherwise  in  stoning. 
Disbudding  and  laying  in  the  shoots  should  be  carefully  attended 
to  doing  the  first  gradually  and  the  latter  with  due  regard  to 
the  swefling  of  the  shoots.  A  temperature  of  50deg  at  night 
and  55deg  by  day  will  be  sufficient  to  keep  the  trees  in  steady 
progress,  ventilating  freely  above  that,  unless  it  is  de.sirable  to 
hasten  the  crop,  when  a  temperature  of  55deg  at  night  and  GOdeg 
to  65deg  by  day  may  be  .secured,  with  70deg  to  75deg  from  sun 
heat,  ventilating  from  G5deg. 
FNHEATED  HOI’SES. — The  fruits  have  set  well,  quite  four 
times  as  many  as  the  trees  can  bring  to  a  full  size,  and  they 
should  be  thinned  as  .soon  as  the  best  can  be  decided  upon  by 
their  taking  the  lead  in  swelling.  Over-burdening  the  trees  in 
the  early  stages  of  the  fruit  .swelling  prevents  their  making  wood 
for  another  sea-son’s  crop,  while  excessive  di.sbudding  may  cause 
the  fruit  to  fall  or  a  strong  growth  to  be  made.  A  moderate 
