438 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
May  25,  1899. 
If  an  ordinary  hive  is  used  we  recommend  a  beginner  to  allow  the 
bees  to  swaim  naturally,  and  if  a  small  surplus  is  desired  place  them 
on  not  more  than  six  frames,  which  may  be  filled  w'ilh  comb  founda¬ 
tion.  If  the  weather  is  favourable  and  honey  is  coming  in  freely  a 
crate  of  sections  or  shallow  frames  may  be  placed  on  them,  and  the 
bees  will  at  once  carry  the  honey  up  into  the  super.  There  will  be 
thus  a  surplus  stored,  and  a  strong  colony  of  bees  for  wintering. 
After  Management. 
The  original  stock  from  which  the  swarm  came  may  afterwards 
be  divided  into  as  many  nuclei  as  required,  care  being  taken  to  rear 
at  least  one  extra  queen  to  replace  the  eld  one,  which  came  off  with 
the  swarm.  It  will  be  better  to  defer  introducing  her  until  the  supers 
are  removed,  as  at  least  four  extra  frames  will  be  required  to  give  the 
bees  sufficient  space  in  which  to  store  their  winter  supplies.  If  the 
young  queens  have  been  ]  ropcrly  attended  to,  and  they  became 
fertilised  without  any  delay,  a  sufficient  number  of  frames  filled  with 
brood  may  be  obtained  from  the  nucleus  in  which  the  young  queen 
was  raised.  The  bees  may  be  distributed  between  the  other  hives, 
which  will  strengthen  them,  as  there  will  be  a  strong  colony  of  bees 
in  the  hive  that  wms  supered,  which  will  increase  in  strength  as  the 
brood  hatch  out  from  the  combs  that  were  introduced. 
Owing  to  the  large  amount  of  honeydew  stored  by  the  bees  last 
year  they  were  not  robbed  of  their  natural  stores  as  much  as  they 
would  have  been  had  the  honey  been  of  good  quality.  Bees,  therefore, 
have  wintered  well,  and  are  plentiful  and  reasonable  in  price.  There 
should  be  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  strong  sw'arms  of  bees  by  the  end 
of  this  month  should  the  weather  become  more  settled.  Wo  prefer 
spring,  if  that  pest  of  bee-keepers,  foul  brood,  is  known  to  exist  in 
the  district,  as  a  strong  swarm  would  not  be  likely  to  come  off  from  a 
diseased  stock.  If  there  is  any  doubt  in  the  matter  a  guarantee 
should  be  obtained  avith  the  bees.  As  soon  as  the  swarm  is  obtained 
they  should  be  placed  on  as  many  frames  of  comb  foundation  as  they 
can  avell  cover,  drawing  up  the  division  board  close  up  to  the  outside 
comb,  and  if  the  weather  is  bright  it  will  be  an  advantage  to  shade 
them  for  a  few  days,  giving  more  frames  as  often  as  necessary. — 
An  English  Bee-keeper. 
***  Ail  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should,  until 
further  notice,  be  directed  to  “  The  Editor,”  a.  Rose  Hin  Road, 
Wandsworth,  S.W.,  and  WOT  to  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers, 
Fleet  Street.  It  is  requested  that  no  one  will  write  privately  to 
any  of  our  correspondents,  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.  Letters  of  inquiry  must  be  accompanied  by 
the  names  and  addresses  of  the  writers,  but  these  will  neither  be 
published  nor  disclosed  when  initials  or  nom  de  plumes  are  given 
for  the  purpose  of  replies. 
Correspondents  should  not  mix  up  on  the  same  sheet  questions  relating 
to  Gardening  and  those  on  Bee  subjects,  and  it  is  convenient  when 
each  question  is  written  on  a  separate  sheet.  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. 
Physalis  Franchetti  (-S'.). — The  plant  thrives  in  ordinary  garden  soil, 
planted  in  a  bed,  and  produces  abundance  of  fruits,  which  are  very  orna¬ 
mental  when  ripe  on  account  of  the  large,  highly  coloured,  inflated 
calyxes  It  grows  taller  and  more  robust  than  the  Winter  Cherry,  P.  Alke- 
kengi,  hence  requires  more  room. 
White  Scented  Greenhouse  Rhododendron  not  Flowering  (^fdem).— 
The  plant  is  proliably  Rhododendron  jasminiflorum,  and  should  be  kept 
under  glass  constantly,  not  placed  out  of  doors  in  the  summer  months. 
Give  it  a  light  and  airyq  but  not  draughty,  position  in  the  greenhouse, 
keeping  moist,  but  not  over- watering.  It  does  well  in  a  rather  small  pot 
indeed,  overpotting  is  a  mistake,  as  the  soil  becomes  sodden  and  sour. 
Manuring  Ground  for  a  Second  Crop  (0.  F.). — It  is  an  excellent  and 
often  necessary  practice  to  manure  the  ground  after  removing  the  spring 
crop,  such  as  Peas,  before  planting  young  Cabbages.  Rather  more  than 
half-decayed  stable  manure  is  the  best  to  use.  In  our  experience  wo 
have  had  excellent  results  in  manuring  for  every  crop,  applying  cwt. 
per  rod  =  20  tons  per  acre  on  the  double  crop  in  a  season  system,  and  up 
to  40  tons  per  acre,  5  cwt.  per  rod,  on  the  one-crop  and  autumn  appli¬ 
cation  plan.  In  certain  cases  it  is  not  advisable  to  use  heavy  dressings 
of  stable  manure,  such  as  for  Broccoli,  which  may  be  grown  too  succulent, 
hence  liable  to  injury  from  frost  in  severe  weather. 
Strawberry  Jam  (P.  C.). — The  following  is  an  excellent  receipt  :  — 
To  each  pound  of  Strawberries  allow  half  a  pound  of  sugar.  Procure 
firm  scarlet  Strawberries  (ours  are  Vicomtesso  Hericart  de  Thury), 
strip  off  the  stalks  and  put  the  fruit  in  a  preserving  pan  over  a 
moderate  tire  ;  boil  for  twenty  minutes,  stirring  constantly.  Remove 
from  the  fire  and  a  Id  the  sugar,  granulated  being  the  best  ;  place  over 
the  fire,  and  boil  quickly  for  another  twenty  minutes.  Put  into  pots,  ami) 
tie  down  while  hot,  upon  which  point  largely  depend  the  keeping  proper¬ 
ties  of  the  preserve.  We  have  never  been  troubled  with  the  mould  of 
which  you  speak.  Most  of  the  fruits  have  retained  their  natural  shape, 
while  the  flavour  is  all  that  can  be  desired. 
Datura  (Brugmansia)  sanguinea  {J.  C.  S.). — This  plant  is  a  native  of 
Peru,  and  requires  to  be  kept  under  glass  until  a  flowering  habit  is 
induced.  The  point  is  to  secure  thoroughly  ripened  wood,  keeping  dry 
and  cool  during  the  winter  months.  Pruning  should  be  done  in  the 
autumn.  The  plant  must  not  be  placed  outdoors  in  summer,  but 
given  plenty  of  light  in  a  greenhouse  or  conservatory.  Datura  sanguinea 
enjoys  a  moderate  amount  of  warmth — as  that  of  a  vinery  when  in  fult- 
growth — and  requires  to  be  kept  dry  and  quite  cool  in  winter.  During 
the  flowering  period  liquid  manure  is  most  useful  in  increasing  the  vigour 
of  the  plant  and  the  number  and  size  of  the  flowers.  Old  plants  flower 
far  more  freely  than  young  ones. 
Fungus  on  Mushroom  Bed  (Condy). — The  fungus  is  known  as  Clavaria- 
formosa.  It  grow.s  on  ths  ground  in  woods  or  wooded  pastures,  and 
often  Rrms  lar.e  tufts  3  to  4  inchfs  in  height,  sometimes  crowded  and 
extending  for  several  feet.  We  are  not  aware  that  it  has  any  injurious 
properties,  and  certainly  no  economic  value.  It  has  probably  been  intro¬ 
duced  to  the  Mashroom  bed  iu  the  droppings,  or  with  the  soil,  and  has 
become  singularly  fine  under  the  favouring  conditions.  Its  mycelium 
will  have  impoverished  the  Mushroom  bed  and  interfered  with  the 
development  of  the  Mushroo-m  spawn.  We  can  only  suggest  removing 
the  fungus  growths  as  they  appear,  and  using  a,  little  salt — about  atv 
ounce  to  three  gallons  of  water — for  watering  the  bed,  keeping  the  solu¬ 
tion  from  the  Mushrooms  showing  on  the  surface. 
Diseased  Chrysanthemum  Leaves  (  W.  II.  /*.), — The  leaves  are  affected 
by  eelworm,  Tylenchus  devastatrix,  and  also  by  a  fungus,  Septoriio 
chrysanthemi,  which  usually  attacks  cuttings  or  young  plants.  The- 
clammy  substance  on  the  leaves  is  due  to  eelworm,  for  which  remove  the 
worst  infested  leaves  and  burn  them.  Spraying  with  raeth)  lated  spirits, 
using  an  atomiser  or  pneumatic  sprayer,  so  as  to  coat  the  loaves  with  the 
finest  possible  film,  quickly  disposes  of  the  eelworms  in  the  diseased  parts, 
but  these  will  not  recover,  as  their  tissues  have  been  destroyed.  The  cel- 
worms  also  attack  the  stems,  the  plants  sometimes  dying  off  at  the  collar. 
Dust  the  plants  with  tobacco  powder,  watering  the  roots  with  lime  water 
made  in  the  usual  wav,  alternating  with  kainit  1  oz.  to  a  gallon  of  water, 
and  following  with  nitrate  of  soda,  oz.  to  a  gallon  of  water.  Tor  the 
fungus  see  reply  to  “  J.  F.  S.”  on  page  439, 
Spots  on  Forced  Strawberry  Leaves  {D.  W.). — Yes,  there  are  some  rod 
spider,  but  not  enough  to  account  for  the  fruit  not  swelling.  Ttie  spots 
on  the  leaves  are  caused  by  the  Strawberry  leaf-blight,  Sphserella  fragarise, 
which  appears  much  on  the  increase.  There  is  no  cure,  for  the  fungus  is 
wholly  endophytic,  though,  of  course,  the  “fruits”  discharge  the  spores 
externally,  hence  spraying  with  Bordeaux  mixture,  or  dusting  with  a 
fungicide  in  powder,  prevents  the  spread  if  done  in  time.  Tbo 
mixture,  or  oven  powder,  cjntaining  sulphate  of  copper,  should  not  be 
used  on  the  fruit,  hence  the  treatment  is  wholly  preventive,  and  this  is  the 
proper  course  to  pursue  with  all  endophytic  parasites.  Young,  non¬ 
bearing  plantations,  which  applies  to  those  in  pots,  should  be  sprayed  two 
or  three  times  during  the  summer.  The  spraying  acts  well  against 
mildew,  and  also  against  Strawberry  mould,  always  keeping  clear  of 
the  old  foliage  as  soon  as  it  can  be  spared — this  is,  after  the  crop  has 
been  gathered,  burning  the  rubbish,  or  at  least  fermenting  in  a  heap  and 
turning  over.  The  heat  kills  the  spores  in  the  perithecia  and  also  the 
sclerotia. 
Erythrina  crista-galli  not  Flowering  (/.  C.). — This  plant  is  a  native 
of  Brazil,  yet  in  the  southern  counties  almost  hardy.  To  flower  well  it 
must  have  a  strong  loamy  soil,  abundance  of  water  given  when  not  at 
rest,  and  full  exposure  to  bright  sunshine.  Keep  it  growing  all  summer  in 
a  warm  house,  and  treat  liberally,  so  as  to  induce  vigorous  growth.  In 
September,  water  should  be  gradua’ly  withheld,  so  that  the  wood  may 
ripen,  the  leaves  fall,  and  the  plant  go  to  rest  for  the  winter.  Early  in 
spring  it  must  be  repotted,  placed  in  a  hot  moist  atmosphere,  and 
supplied  with  plenty. of  water  at  the  roots.  This  treatment  should  induce 
the  plant  to  produce  large  racemes  of  flowers.  In  most  cases  it  is  advisable 
to  start  the  plant  in  heat,  as  this  is  conducive  to  the  free  production  of 
shoot^.  As  these  increase  in  strength,  a  lower  temperature  will  be  suffi¬ 
cient,  till,  finally,  the  pkants  maybe  placed  outdoars  for  the  summer.  After 
flowering,  the  shoots  die  down,  when  the  plants  can  be  placed  in  a  cool 
frost  proof  house,  kept  dry  and  at  rest  until  the  following  spring.  Of 
course,  the  old  stems  require  to  be  cut  away  to  the  basal  or  rootstock  buds. 
I  The  plant  can  hardly  be  expected  to  flower  in  a  5-iDch  pot.  , 
