February  12,  1903, 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
]49 
bedding,  the  bed  was  certainly  a  centre  of  attraction.  Mr. 
Moorman  then  gave  an  exhaustive  list  of  suitable  plants  for 
every  phase  of  bedding,  interspersing  ]nany  valuable  hints  on  the 
propagating,  growing,  and  arrangement  of  the  various  subjects. 
At  the  close  of  the  paper  many  questions  were  asked,  and 
lucidly  replied  to  by  Mr.  Moorman ;  and,  on  the  proposition 
of  Mr.  W.  Messenger,  seconded  by  Mr.  A.  Creek,  a  hearty  vote 
of  thanks  was  accorded  him  for  his  services.  The  society’s  prize 
for  two  bunches  of  Violets  was  awarded  to  Mr.  A.  Creek,  the 
Chantry  Gardens,  for  splendid  flowers  of  Princess  of  Wales  and 
Marie  Louise ;  he  also  showed  nice  bunches  of  Comte  de  Brazza 
and  Mrs.  Astor. — E.  C. 
revon  Gardeners’ :  A  Stroll  in  the  Garden. 
In  connection  with  the  Devon  and  Exeter  Gardeners’  Associa¬ 
tion,  Mr.  R.  Hodder,  gardener  to  Miss  Trevor  Barclay,  Torquay, 
read  a  paper  at  the  Guildhall,  on  the  4th  inst.,  entitled  “A 
Stroll  in  the  Garden.”  After  dealing  rvitli  garden  history  at 
some  considerable  length,  the  paper  proceeded  to  introduce  the 
hearers  to  some  of  our  old  English  gardens,  which,  Mr.  Hodder 
said,  had  come  down  to  us  in  all  their  beauty,  charm,  and  fascina¬ 
tion.  He  devoted  particular  attention  to  Roses,  Liliums,  Car¬ 
nations,  and  Primulas.  Mr.  James  Morritt,  gardener  to  Mr. 
R.  B.  Ashby,  Matford  House,  occupied  the  chair.  The  first  prize 
for  the  best  pot  of  Chinese  Primula  was  awarded  to  Mr.  J.  Weeks, 
gardener  to  Mr.  E.  A.  Sanders,  Stoke  House;  the  second  to 
Mr.  J.  Rogers,  gardener  to  Mrs.  Savile,  Barley  House. 
Cardiff  Chrysanthemum. 
The  sixteenth  annual  meeting  was  held  at  the  Grand  Hotel 
on  Friday,  February  6,  the  president  (Councillor  J.  W.  Courtis, 
J.P.)  in  the  chair.  Mr.  J.  B.  Crouch,  lion,  treasurer,  gave  his 
report  on  the  balance-sheet,  which  showed  an  increase  on  the 
year’s  working,  with  a  balance  of  £3  13s.  in  hand.  The  chairman 
gave  his  report  upon  the  year’s  work  of  the  society,  and,  after 
going  into  various  details,  he  reported  that  this  year  there  would 
be  offered  for  competition  three  valuable  cups,  given  by  local 
gentlemen,  besides  other  medals  already  offered.  A  very  pleasing 
compliment  was  paid  the  officials,  who  had  just  completed  the 
work  of  the  past  year  with  greater  success  than  had  hitherto 
been  done  in  the  iDast.  The  following  were  re-elected  :  Presi¬ 
dent,  Councillor  J.  W.  Courtis,  J.P.  ;  the  whole  list  of  vice- 
presidents,  with  the  names  of  Mr.  A.  T.  Hill  and  Mr.  Medhurst ; 
chairman,  Mr.  John  Julian;  vice-chairman,  Mr.  Thomas 
Malpass ;  hon.  treasurer,  Mr.  J.  B.  Crouch;  hon.  sec.,  Mr. 
Harry  Gillett;  also  Messrs.  E.  Molyneux,  G.  Adams,  and  H. 
Bartram  have  consented  to  act  as  judges  again  this  year.  The 
whole  of  the  general  committee  were  re-elected,  with  the  name 
of  Mr.  J.  Mountney  added ;  a  strong  executive  committee  were 
elected  from  this  body  to  deal  with  schedule  at  once. — J.  Julian. 
The  Metropolitan  Public  Garilens  ASiOCiatioa. 
Open  Spaces. — At  the  monthly  meeting  on  Wednesday, 
February  5,  progress  was  reported  with  regard  to  the  laying  out 
of  the  Southfields  Recreation  Ground,  Wandsworth,  and  with 
the  schemes  for  the  acquisition  of  Poplar  and  Whitechapel 
Churchyards.  It  ivas  stated  that  tree-planting  work  undertaken 
by  the  association  in  thoroughfares  in  Shoreditch  and  Islington 
had  been  completed,  and  it  wa^- agreed  to  make  a  further  offer 
to  plant  trees  in  a^  part  of  Essex  Road,  N. 
The  secretary  stated  that,  as  a  result  of  the  recent  joint 
memorial  and  deputation  from  the  association  and  other  open 
space  societies  to  the  London  County  Council,  that  body  had 
voted  £10,000  towards  the  Hainault  and  Lambourne  Forest 
scheme,  and  that  the  joint  committee  were  now  engaged  on  the 
promotion  of  a  Bill  to  enable  the  various  authorities  interested 
to  contribute.  Applications  for  seats  for  Broomfield  Park,  N., 
and  Home  Park,  Sydenham,  were  granted. 
It  was  agreed  to  take  further  steps  to  oppose  any  attempts 
to  alienate  public  spaces  and  buildings  thereon,  as  proposed  in 
the  Golder’s  Hill  case,  now  before  the  London  County  Council, 
for  the  establishment  of  convalescent  hospitals,  owing  to  the 
grave  danger  thereby  ari.sing  to  the  security  of  property  acquired 
for  public  enjoyment  if  once  tampered  with  for  the  promotion 
of  paihicular  objects. 
A  letter  was  read  from  the  Office  of  Works  stating  that  it 
had  been  decided  to  remove  the  Duke  of  York’s  School,  Chelsea, 
and  declining  to  receive  a  deputation  from  the  association  to 
urge  the  preservation,  as  an  open  $pace,  of  the  .site,  more 
especially  that  picturesque  portion  containing  trees  and  grass, 
and  it  was  decided  to  make  renewed  representations  for  pre¬ 
venting  the  disappearance  of  the  whole  of  the  eleven  or  twelve 
acres  of  open  ground.  It  was  also  agreed  to  oppose  a  Bill  which 
seeks  powers  to  build  on  a  disused  burial  ground  in  Dorset  Street, 
and  to  assist  in  the  endeavours  now  being  made  to  preserve 
certain  fields  on  the  north-west  confines  of  Hampstead  Heath, 
which,  if  built  on,  would  greatly  injure  the  fine  view  and  the 
amenities  of  the  most  rural  part  of  the  Heath. 
HE  BEE-KEEPER. 
I- 1 -1- 1- 1: 
w- 1  -  I  ■-  I  ■ 
Seasonable  Notes  for  the  Opening  Year. 
During  the  last  few  months  breeding  in  normal  colonies  has 
been  entirely  suspended,  but  with  the  beginning  of  Februai’y 
the  production  of  young  bees  will  be  again  resumed, 
but  only  in  extremely  small  patches  in  the  centre  of  the  brood- 
nest  of  the  strongest  colonies.  These  patches  will  gradually 
increase  in  size  as  the  warm  weather  advances,  and  the  modern 
bee-keeiDer  should  therefore  take  care  to  conserve  the  heat  of  the 
hive  as  much  as  possible.  The  penetrating  cold,  sleet-driving 
winds  lower  the  temperature  of  the  interior  of  hives  placed  in 
certain  positions,  which  has  a  very  injurious  effect.  A  periodical 
examination  of  c^uilts  is,  however,  at  present  a  much  more 
important  matter.  This  should  be  done  occasionally  to  ascertain 
if  the  bags,  &c. ,  are  perfectly  diy,  and  if  any  are  found  wet  or 
mouldy  they  should  be  at  once  replaced,  substituting  fresh  dry 
ones,  and  any  defects  in  the  roof  or  elsewhere  remedied  imme¬ 
diately.  Wet  quilts  and  hives  cause  mouldy  combs,  and  lay  the 
foundation  of  many  ills.  These  examinations  must  be  very 
carefully  performed,  as,  with  the  best  of  intentions,  the  bee¬ 
keeper  may  easily  cause  irreparable  injury  by  injudiciously 
handling  the  hives,  thereby  disturbing  the  bees. 
With  regard  to  conserving  the  heat  of  the  hive,  a  little  may 
be  done  by  contracting  the  entrance  to  about  lin  for  each  seam 
of  bees  if  it  has  been  left  wider.  This,  together  with  the  quilt, 
which  allows  a  free  outlet  for  the  exhalations  of  watery  vapour, 
will  be  found  sufficient  to  prevent  dysentery  and  condensation 
of  moisture  inside  the  hive.  It  is  not  advisable  at  present  to 
contract  the  entrance  quite  as  much  as  is  advised  for  rapid  in¬ 
crease  in  the  spring,  as  the  continued  respiration  of  the  bees 
and  the  accumulated  dead  bees  and  rubbish,  vitiate  the  enclosed 
atmosphere  of  the  hive  to  such  an  extent,  that  if  the  inmates 
are  prevented  by  the  weather  from  ventilating  by  the  usual 
method  of  fanning  at  the  entrance,  the  air  will  become  prejudicial 
to  the  health  of  the  colony.  As  yet,  very  little  can  be  done  to 
assist  them,  except  keeping  them  warm  and  dry,  and  watching 
the  supply  of  food.  The  latter,  to  a  certain  extent,  governs 
the  production  of  brood  in  the  early  part  of  the  year. 
About  the  beginning  of  April,  when  natural  pollen  is  obtain¬ 
able,  is  the  earliest  time  that  liquid  food  should  be  given.  Now 
comes  a  subject  which  cannot  fail  to  exercise  the  negligent 
apiarist,  viz.,  candy  feeding.  There  are  some  who  maintain  that 
bees  can  be  wintered  on  this  alone.  It  is,  of  course,  understood 
that  it-ought  not  to  be  necessarj’^  to  resort  to  this  unsatisfactory 
substitute  for  correct  autumn  feeding,  but  it  must  be  remembered 
that  although  nineteen  out  of  twenty  so  prepare  them  stocks 
that  they  avoid  this  troublesome  plan,  there  is  the  twentieth, 
who  will,  no  doubt,  by  this  time  be  anxious  respecting  the  quan¬ 
tity  of  food  his  colonies  possess,  and  wdll  probably  adopt  this 
method  of  remedying  his  previous  inattention.  As  candy  is 
only  given  at  this  time  of  the  year  when  stocks  are  on  the  point 
of  starvation,  and  it  is  impossible  to  administer  liquid  food,  it 
should  be  given  with  extreme  caution,  and  only  when  there  is 
urgent  necessity  for  it.  If  no  such  consideration  arises,  do  no*t 
under  any  circumstances  disturb  the  bees,  as  if  there  are  not 
frequent  opportunities  for  cleansing  flight  after  activity,  dysen¬ 
tery  and  dwindling  follow.  ,  However,  if  it  is  decided  to  give 
candy,  take  advantage  of  the  first  warm  day  to  place  a  cake  over 
the  feed-hole.  With  a  cold,  dry,  stilly  air,  no  anxiety  need  be  felt 
regarding  well  provisioned  .stocks.- — E.  E.,  Sandbach,  Cheshire. 
Publications  Received. 
“  Natural  History  of  Plants,”  by  Kerner  and  Olivier ;  Blackie 
and  Son,  Limited,  London,  Glasgow,  and  Dublin  ;  Part  8,  price 
Is.  Gd.  net.  *  *  "The  Canadian  Horticulturist,”  Januai’y, 
1903.  Special  features:  The  Japanese  Plums,  Fruit  Growing  in 
Early  Days,  Tillage  for  the  Orchard,  Some  Good  Things  Seen  on 
a  Recent  Visit  to  Scotland,  The  Village  Park  and  Cemetery, 
Notes  on  Window  Plants.  *  *  Board  of  Agriculture  Leaflet 
No.  78  :  Liver  Disease  of  Poultry.  *  *  “  Le  Moniteur  d’Hor- 
ticulture.”  "  *  “Feathers:  Facts  for  (Poultry)  Fanciers,” 
by  Mrs.  Mordaunt  Lawson,  Evening  Hill  Poultiy  Farm,  Carlisle. 
*  *  "Life  and  Inventions  of  James  Starley,  Father  of  the 
Cycle  Industry,”  published  by  W.  Starley,  Coventry,  price  Gd. 
*  *  “  The  Horticultural  Book  Catalogue,”  Morgan  and  Co., 
8,  St.  Mary-at-Hill,  London,  E.C.  *  *  “Vinton’s  Agricul¬ 
tural  Almanac,  1903,”  a  year  book  for  farmers  and  landowners, 
Vinton  and  Co.,  Limited,  Ludgate  Circus,  London,  E.C.,  Gd. 
*  *  “Nature  Studies”  (Plant  Life),  by  G.  F.  Scott  Elliott, 
M.A.,  B.Sc.,  Ac.,  London,  Blackie  and  Son,  Limited.  3s.  Gd.  ; 
specially  meant  for  teachers  and  others  giving  instruction. 
*  *  “  Le  Mois  Scientifique,”  January,  1903.  *  *  "  Le 
Chenil,”  February  5. 
