40 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  8,  1903. 
Young  Gardeners’  Domain.' 
Rust  on  Chrysanthemums. 
Regarding  this  terrible  pest,  much  can  be  done  to  avert  it  by 
careful  attention  in  every  cultural  detail.  It  is  very  iniimrtant 
that  the  cuttings  or  plants  should  not  receive  the  slightest  check 
from  any  cause  whatever.  I  have  never  seen  rust  on  Chrys¬ 
anthemums  but  which  I  could  trace  back,  and  find  they  had  been 
having  too  much  water  at  the  I'oots,  or  too  little;  or  a  cold 
draught,  or  had  been  syringed  too  much,  causing  the  foliage  to 
get  soft  and  tender,  and  therefore  liable  to  disease.  The  stocks 
which  are  required  for  taking  cuttings  from  must  not  be  neglected. 
When  propagating  early,  let  the  cuttings  have  the  influence  of  a 
little  sunlight,  but,  of  course,  shade  to  prevent  severe  flagging. 
As  another  safeguard  against  rust,  I  would  suggest  that  a  little 
soot  should  he  kept  sprinkled  under  the  plants  at  all  times, 
enough  to  cause  an  aroma.  It  is  good  for  the  plants,  containing, 
as  it  does  ammonia,  and  as  a  preventive  against  aphides  and 
disease.s.  Never  let  the  house  containing  cuttings  or  plants  get 
much  below  40deg  if  it  can  be  kept  up  to  that  mark  without 
using. much  fire  heat.  If  rust  is  brought  amongst  a  healthy 
stock,  keep  the  infected  ones  to  themselves,  and  always  have  a 
good  dusting  of  soot  under  them  ;  also  syringe  vigorously  Avdth 
clear  soot  water.  After  syringing,  make  a  paste  with  a  little 
soot  and  water,  and  rub  this  on  the  rust  spots  with  the  fingers. 
If  they  have  got  very  bad,  pick  off  the  wmrst  parts  and  burn 
them.  If  this  is  persevered  in,  and  careful  cultural  attention 
given  at  all  times,  the  rust  will  soon  disappear. — A  Journeyman, 
C.  J.  V. 
EMIGRANTS’  INFORMATION, 
Emigrant.s’  Information  Office,  31,  Broadway,  West¬ 
minster,  London,  S.W. — In  Canada,  work  was  plentiful  last  year, 
both  in  the  agricultural  and  manufacturing  industries,  but  emi¬ 
grants  should  not  go  there  till  the  winter  is  over,  unless  they 
go  to  friends  or  have  means  of  their  own.  In  New  South  Wales 
there  is  no  demand  for  more  labour.  The  ordinary  emigrant 
without  means  of  his  own  should  not  go  to  New  South  Wales 
at  the  present  time.  It  should  be  noted  that  the  Commonwealth 
Immigration  Restriction  Act,  1901,  prohibits  any  persons  who 
are  under  a  contract  or  agreement  to  perform  manual  labour 
within  the  Commonwealth,  from  landing  in  New  South  Wales 
or  any  other  State  of  the  Commonwealth;  but  this  prohibition 
does  not  apply  to  workmen  exempted  for  special  skill  required 
in  Aastralia.  In  Victoria  there  is  no  general  demand  for  more 
labour,  and  many  men  are  out  of  work.  The  pay  of  railway 
employe.s,  receiving  £150  a  year  and  over,  has  been  reduced. 
No  large  public  works  are  being  proposed  by  Government  which 
might  provide  employment.  In  South  Australia  there  is  an 
excellent  opening  for  experienced  fruit  growers  with  a  capital 
of  £2,000  or  £3,000,  but  the  supply  of  ordinary  mechanical  and 
agricultural  labour  is  sufficient.  In  Queensland  there  is  no 
demand  for  more  mechanics,  station  hands,  or  miners,  but  in 
the  south  there  is  a  good  demand  for  agricultural  and  general 
labourers.  In  Western  Australia  there  is  no  demand  for 
mechanics,  except  at  Northam,  and  for  a  few  bricklayers  and 
plasterers  at  Perth  and  Freemantle.  In  Tasmania  there  is 
some  demand  for  skilled  farm  hands  and  female  servants,  and 
on  the  West  Coast  for  miners  and  mechanics.  In  New  Zealand 
this  is  the  busy  time  of  the  year,  and  mechanics,  farm  labourers, 
milkers,  miners,  &o. ,  if  they  are  skilled  hands,  and  bring  a 
little  money  with  them,  have  no  difficulty  in  finding  employment. 
In  Cape  Colony  there  is  good  demand  for  skilled  mechanics, 
especially  tho.se  in  the  building  trades,  in  the  inland  towns 
except  Kimberley,  but  not  at  Cape  Town  or  other  towns  on  the 
coast,  where  a  great  many  are  out  of  work.  There  is  no  demand 
whatever  for  miners,  general  labourers,  or  farm  labourers. 
There  is  a  good  opening  for  female  servants  if  they  go  out  under 
proper  protection.  In  Natal  a  great  many  skilled  artisans, 
more  especially  carpenters  and  those  in  the  building  trades, 
have  recently  arrived,  so  that  those  going  now  do  so  at  their 
own  risk  of  finding  employment.  The^e  is  a  good  opening  for 
female  servants,  but  not  for  dressmakers,  shop  assistants, 
waitresses,  typists,  clerks,  &c.,  the  wages  for  these  classes  not 
being  remunerative.  Permits  are  still  required  by  those  pro¬ 
ceeding  to  the  Transvaal  and  Orange  River  Colony ;  they  are 
not  issued  in  this  country,  but  must  be  applied  for  at  the 
Permit  Office  at  the  port  in  South  Africa  at  which  the  emigrant 
lands.  Application  forms  may  be  obtained  at  the  Emigrants’ 
Information  Office  and  elsewhere.  The  latest  reports  as  to 
labour  in  the  Transvaal  are  to  the  effect  that  the  supply  both 
at  Johannesburg  and  Pretoria  is  more  than  sufficient,  that  a 
great  many  skilled  mechanics  and  large  numbers  of  unskilled 
labourers  are  unable  to  find  work,  and  that  a  good  deal  of 
distress  prevails. 
*  The  editor  invite.s  young  gardeners  who  are  "  Journalites  ”  to  contribute  to 
tlie  Domain,  and  he  will  at  all  times  endeavour  to  ensure  the  publication  of 
their  letters 
m 
i  HE  BEE-KEEPER, 
jj  -izl  -  -  •  1  -  1  -1  -  1  -  1  -1-  lii-T  -  l-l  -  1  ■  l-l  ■  I-,  1  .  W  //^ 
Balling  Queens. 
The  meagre  information  possessed  by  the  average  bee¬ 
keeper  respecting  this  peculiarity  of  apiculture  has  given 
rise  to  many  misconceptions,  but  that  the  queenlessness  of 
many  stocks  in  spring  is  attributable  to  it  is  certain.  The 
balling  of  queens  is  not  restricted  to  any  particular  season, 
but  is  most  frequent  in  the  early  part  of  the  year.  In  most 
cases  the  bee-keeper  is  responsible  for  it  by  being  too 
zealous,  opening  his  hives  when  the  bees  are  clustered, 
thus  causing  many  of  them  to  fall  upon  the  floor  board, 
among  which  may  be  the  queen.  The  other  causes  are  the 
presence  of  an  excessive  quantity  of  drone  comb  in  the 
hive,  breeding  at  unseasonable  times,  and  anything  which 
tends  to  make  the  bees  dissatisfied  with  their  queen.  The 
oft  repeated  warnings  not  to  commence  manipulating  too 
early  are  in  many  instances  disregarded  by  some  who  are 
anxious  to  have  just  a  peep.  A  description  of  the  symp¬ 
toms,  and  a  method  of  remedying  the  result  of  this  mis¬ 
directed  zeal,  will  therefore  be  useful. 
It  not  infrequently  happens  while  a  colony  is  under 
examination  that  the  queen  falls  from  the  comb  to  the  floor 
of  the  hive  and  is  balled.  This  is  accounted  for  by  the  fact 
that  the  presence  of  her  majesty  on  the  hive  floor  and  her 
startled  movements  after  such  treatment,  are  both  unusual. 
The  workers,  under  a  misapprehension,  treat  her  as  a 
stranger,  and,  emitting  a  hissing  Sound,  rush  tumultuously 
with  extended  wings  upon  her  from  all  sides,  ruthlessly 
killing  her.  If  the  queen  is  alarmed  by  any  means  or 
strange  in  her  actions,  this  peculiarity  will  assert  itself,  and 
a  queen  the  bees  have  cherished  as  their  mother  for  a  con¬ 
siderable  time  is  victimised. 
Again,  it  may  occur  when  there  is  little  brood  in  a  hive 
which  is  opened,  and  the  light  falls  directly  upon  the 
queen.  Dissatisfaction  with  their  queen  may  arise  from 
many  causes.  For  instance,  if  a  hive  is  headed  by  a  virgin 
ivhose  fertilisation  has  been  retarded  beyond  the  successful 
limit,  she  may  at  times  be  heard  piping,  and  the  workers 
seen  pulling  her  legs  or  twisting  her  wings.  This  is  pre¬ 
liminary  to  balling.  When  handled,  queens  are  soon 
alarmed,  besides  which,  they  acquire  a  different  scent, 
which  may  cause  the  bees  to  treat  them  as  strangers.  This 
last  point,  though  often  lost  sight  of  by  novices,  is  of  great 
importance.  Queens  are  sometimes  liberated  from  these 
murderous  knots  unharmed,  and  are  still  capable  of  repro¬ 
duction,  but  in  case  a  queen  falls  from  a  comb  to  the  floor 
and  a  knot  of  bees  is  formed,  pick  it  up  and  drop  it  quickly 
into  a  cup  of  water,  when  they  will  leave  the  queen 
and  make  for  the  sides,  failing  which  separate  them  with 
the  smoker.  So  soon  as  the  queen  is  seen  pick  her  up  on  a 
blade  of  grass,  straw,  or  twig,  and  if  she  is  not  too  agitated 
allow  her  to  run  from  the  top  of  the  frames  into  the  hive. 
Watch  her  progress,  and  if  there  is  any  danger  of  an  attack 
by  the  bees  remove  and  cage  her. 
If  it  is  necessary  to  handle  the  queen  at  all,  grasp  her 
by  the  thorax  or  second  division  of  the  body  as  lightly  as 
possible.  This  portion,  in  order  to  support  the  muscles  of 
the  wings  is  more  strongly  built  and  consequently^  more 
capable  of  resistance.  The  ovaries  are  situated  in  the 
abdomen,  and  are  at  times  so  full  of  eggs  that  the  least 
pressure  upon  them  might  result  in  a  permanent  injury. 
After  handling  by  the  fingers  it  is  always  advisable  to  cage 
the  queen  alone  in  the  hive  before  liberation.^  To  cage  her 
with  her  own  bees,  however,  would  be  ineffective  though 
not  altogether  impracticable.  Considerable  discretion  is 
required  in  the  selection  of  her  attendants.  The  “  Pipe 
Cover  ”  cage  is  the  cheapest  and  simplest  for  this  purpose. 
Place  the  cage  over  the  queen  and  slip  a  piece  of  card¬ 
board  underneath  her,  taking  care  to  avoid  maiming  her. 
Now,  without  removing  the  frames  in  the  hive  slide  the 
cage  carefully  from  the  card  over  some  open  honey  cells, 
and  press  it  down  securely,  allowing  sufficient  depth  for 
the  queen’s  movements.  After  twenty-four  hours  an  exami¬ 
nation  may  be  made,  during  which  give  as  little  smoke  as 
possible  to  avoid  disturbing  either  queen  or  bees.  The 
workers  should  not  be  clustering  thickly  on  the  cage,  but 
merely  passing  their  tongues  throueh  the  _  perforations. 
Under  these  conditions  she  may  be  liberated.  If  they  do 
