206 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
August  27,  1903. 
HE  BEE-KEEPER. 
1 
— . — - - - - - 
Position  of  an  Apiary. 
Many  difficulties  arise  with  the  young  hee-keeper,  but  few 
consider  how  important  it  is  that  a  good  site  should  be  chosen. 
Tliere  are  a  few  good  rules  to  be  borne  in  mind  which  ought  to  be 
considered  when  a  position  for  the  hives  is  to  be  selected.  We 
all  know  how  much  easier  it  is  to  get  a  load  down  than  up  hill  ; 
remembering  this,  then  choose  a  rather  low  than  a  high  position, 
for  the  bees  return  home  very  heavily  laden  during  the  height  of 
the  honey  flow,  and  by  considering  them  in  every  possible  way  we 
shall  increase  our  harvest.  Experience  teaches  us  that  the  winds 
from  the  north  and  east  are  piercingly  cold  ;  then  protect  the 
hives  from  these  winds,  if  possible,  either  by  placing  them  in  a 
valley  protected  on  the  north  and  east  side  by  hills  or  rising 
ground,  or  by  a  good  thick  hedge.  Again,  the  south-west  winds 
bring  rain  usually,  so  do  not  allow  the  entrances  to  be  exposed 
to  this  wind ;  in  fact,  apart  from  the  rain  it  is  best  to  let  the 
entrances  face  due  south,  or,  better  still,  south-east,  to  catch 
the  early  morning  sun,  in  order  that  the  bees  may  be  up  and 
doine.  for  we  soon  learn  that  the  honey  season,  even  in  the  south 
of  England,  is  all  too  short. 
The  Source  of  Nectar. — The  above  must  be  searched  for  and 
get  as  near  it  as  possible.  The  beginner  thinks  that  all  flowers  are 
visited  by  the  honey  bee,  but  when  he  has  started  he  becomes 
very  observant,  and  discovers  that  all  flowers,  even  his  favourites, 
are  not  visited.  From  what,  then,  do  the  bees  gather  the  main 
part  of  their  sweets?  This  varies  in  different  parts,  but  generally 
speaking  from  white  clover,  the  lime  trees,  mustard,  and  heather. 
In  the  neighbourhood  of  maFket  gardens  many  other  flowers 
yield  a  rich  harv^est,  but  none  more  so  than  the  mignonette.  The 
bees  fly  about  two  to  four  miles  in  a  direct  line  from  their  homes 
in  search  of  honey,  but  if  we  can  get  nearer  the  supply  much 
valuable  time  is  saved. 
In  conclusion,  remember  to  keep  the  ground  in  front  of  the 
hives  free  of  weeds,  etc.  ;  place  the  hives  with  their  backs  to  the 
paths,  but  facing  south  or  south-east ;  and  keep  the  hives  Gft 
apart  in  the  lines  and  12ft  between  the  lines. — Hybla. 
-4^ 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  .should  he  directed 
to  ‘-The  Editor,”  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers,  Fleet  Street, 
London.  E.C.  It  is  requested  that  no  one  will  write  privately 
to  any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking  information  on  matters 
diseussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to  unjustifi¬ 
able  trouble  and  expense. 
PEACH  SHOOTS  DISEASED  (R.  F.). — See  our  answer  to 
your  query  under  “Fruit  Notes”  in  the  body  of  the  paper. 
MELON  PLANTS  GOING  OFF  AT  THE  ROOT  (J.  T.  C.).— 
Your  query  is  answered  under  the  heading  “  Fruit  Notes  ”  on 
another  page. 
BROWN  SPOTS  ON  APRICOTS  (J.  W.  B.).— Yes,  the  fruits 
are  affected  by  a  fungu.s,  Sclerotinia  fructigena,  this  being  the 
final  or  resting  stage,  but  is  more  commonly  referred  to  as  the 
brown  rot  fungus,  Monilia  fructigena,  this  being  the  early  stage 
of  fruiting,  or  the  conidial  condition.  It  attacks  many  fruits, 
the  Apple,  C’heriy,  Peach,  and  Plum,  and  very  often  Pear,  and 
also  attacks  Apricots,  being  common  on  various  wild  fruit.s  be¬ 
longing  to  the  order  RosacecC.  To  the  casual  observer  it  is  onU^ 
noticed  on  the  fruit,  but  the  fungus  occurs  in  the  young  .shoot.s, 
leaves,  and  even  the  flowers.  All  diseased  fruit,  therefore,  should 
be  collected  and  burned.  Where  the  trees  have  been  diseased  the/ 
should  be  sprayed  early  in  spring  with  a  solution  of  sulphate  of 
iron,  made  by  placing  2jlb  of  iron  sulphate  in  a  wooden  vessel, 
and  pouring  on  it  2oz  of  sulphuric  acid,  and  then  adding  by 
degrees  ogals  of  water..  Thi.s,  strained,  should.be  sprayed  on 
whilst  the  trees  are  quite  dormant,  always  before  the  leaf-buds 
Jiegin  to  swell.  After  the  buds  have  expanded  spraying  with 
dilute  Bordeaux  niixture  is  advised,  but  this  on  downy  fruits, 
such  as  the  Apricot  and  Peach,  is  often  quite  a.s  disastrous  as 
the  brown  rot ;  therefore  we  advdse  “  blue  water”  or  ammoniacal 
carbonate,  of  copper  sqlution,  and  in  using  this  ascertain  a  safe 
strength  before  aiijilying,  repeating  at  intervals  of  ten  days  or 
a  fortnight. 
THE  STL  DY  OF  AGRICULTLTRE  (“  Desideratum  ”). — “  A 
young  friend  of  mine,  twenty  years  of  age,  tall,  and  healthy, 
who  has  been  brought  up  in  the  office  of  his  family’s  business, 
has  taken  a  di.staste  to  office  work,  and  does  not  take  that 
interest  in  the  business  tliat  would  insure  succe.ss.  Many  of  his 
relativ^es  are  Canadian  farmers,  and  there  is  a  probability  that 
he  may  be  sent  out  there.  Of  course,  he  has  just  now  no  know¬ 
ledge  of  agriculture  whatever.  Would  you  in  your  next  issue 
suggest  a  course  of  study  that  would  give  an  elementary 
theoretical  knowledge  that  would  be  useful  to  one  with  such 
prospects  ?  ” 
[We  think  your  young  friend’s  best  course  would  he  to  go 
through  one  of  the  County  Council’s  Agricultural  Training  Col¬ 
leges.  There  is  an  excellent  college  at  Aspatria,  in  Cumber¬ 
land,  which  is  within  easy  reach.  He  had  better  write  to  the 
Principal,  Agricultural  College,  Aspatria.] 
RUBBER  INDUSTRY  (W.  G.  S.).— We  think  that  Peru  i,s 
likely  to  be  too  dry  for  a  successful  culture  of  inbber-yielding 
plants,  also  too  limited,  but  we  may  be  wrong.  Hovea  brasili- 
ensis,  various  Landolphias,  and  Kicksia  eia.stica  are  the  genera 
mostly  cultivated.  Castilonia  is  a  quick  yielding  subject,  giving 
returns  in  six  to  eight  years,  we  believe,  in  Malay  and  the 
adjoining  islands.  Para  rubber  (from  Para,  in  Brazil)  is  much 
renowned,  and  up  the  valley  of  the  Amazon  there  are  great 
rubber  cultures.  For  ourselves,  we  would  probably  incline  to 
British  Ea.st  Africa  and  the  Shire  Highlands  as  a  likely  place. 
We  have  a  gardener  acquaintance  out  there  now,  who  first  went 
out  as  manager  of  a  tea  plantation.  He  saw  money  in  rubber, 
and  forthwith  started  on  his  own.  He  made  £300  the  first  year, 
but  this  was  from  collected  rubber,  brought  and  sold  to  him  by 
natives,  so  that  he  only  was  an  agent,  and  not  a  cultivator.  We 
have  not  heard  from  him  for  two  years,  but  his  last  letter 
stated  that  the  supply  from  natural  sources  would  soon  be 
drained.  Write  to  the  Comsul  for  Peru,  at  his  Southampton 
address;  he  may  assist  you.  An  outfit  would  cost  at  lea.st  £15 
to  £20;  the  passage  money  and  cost  of  living  would  depend 
entirely  on  where  you  went  to.  PeiJiaps  the  Emigration  Oflice 
at  Whitehall,  London,  could  send  you  useful  iiarticulars. 
PARSLEY  AND  MIGNONETTE  UNHEALTHY  (E.  J.  P.).— 
“  I  enclo.se  specimens  for  advice.  The  plants  come  up  looking 
healthy,  but  in  the  case  of  the  Parsley,  the  whole  row  turned  yel¬ 
low  and  seemed  to  be  quite  dead.  I  watered  it  with  lime  water,  and 
now  have  a  fresh  growth,  but  have  had  the  same  trouble  with  an¬ 
other  lot  in  another  bed.  The  other  plants  enclosed  have  gone  in 
exactly  the  same  way,  but  the  Mignonette  did  not  all  go  at  the 
same  time,  some  seeming  quite  healthy  until  it  was^  in  bloom, 
and  some  going  .soon  after  it  was  above  the  ground.  This  is  from 
a  Vine  border.  It  only  seems  to  affect  certain  iilants,  but 
catches  these  wherever  we  plant  them  in  the  garden.  Can  you 
advise  me  what  to  do  ?  ” 
[The  Parsley  is  affected  by  the  Carrot  rust  (Phoma  sanguino- 
lenta),  a  iiarasitic  fungus,  forming  sunken  canker-like  spots  on 
the  root  of  the  plants,  and,  girdling  the  tap  root,  causes  the 
plant  to  hav'e  a  withered  and  yellow  appearance  on  the  leaves, 
these  going  back  considerably,  and  sometimes  the  plants  go  off 
altogeher.  There  are  also  traces  of  rust  caused  by  the  Carrot 
flv  (P.sila  rosteh  and  this  is  probably  the  main  infection,  or  lather 
has  been,  as  this  form  of  “rust”  is  an  early  infection,  and  seldom 
occurs  on  Parsley  or  Carrots  sown  in  the  middle  of  July.  The 
Mignonette  is  also  affected  by  a  disease  very  similar  to  that 
caused  by  the  Carrot  fly,  a  minute  maggot  eating  away  the  soft 
part  of  the  root,  but  it  is  of  an  orange  colour,  and  we  have  not 
been  able  to  rear  the  fly.  The  best  treatment  you  could  give  the 
land  would  be  a  dressing  of  gas  lime,  or  of  lime,  as  given  in  our 
article  on  “Cabbages  Infested  with  Grubs,”  August  6,  page  121. 
Now  you  may  use  ammoniacal  liquor  from  gasworks  diluted  with 
five  times  its  bulk  of  water,  pouring  it  alongside  of  the  row  or 
between  the  rows  of  Parsley,  not  over  the  tops  of  the  plants, 
giving  as  much  as  on  an  ordinary  watering,  this  acting  well  on 
the  parasites,  and  also  as  manure.  The  lime  water  is  also  good, 
acting  specially  well  on  the  “rust,”  whether  caused  by  fungus  or 
maggot.  If  not  readily  procurable  you  may  use  Little’s  soluble 
phmiyle,  1  fluid  ounce  to  Sgals  of  water,  and  pour  it  between  or 
alongside  of  the  rows  similar  to  the  diluted  gas  liquor.  This, 
Little’s  soluble  phenyle  solution  has  special  value  against  root 
fungi,  and  also  Carrot  flv  maggot,  and  may  be  repeated  at  in¬ 
tervals  of  about  three  weeks,  though  it  will  scarcely  be  required 
more  than  once  or  at  most  twice  this  season.  It  is  a  capital  plan 
to  trench  the  ground,  and  also  dress  the  land  with  a  mixture  of 
8  parts  basic  cinder  phosphate  and  3  parts  kainit,  applying  71b  of 
the  mixture  per  rod  (301  square  yards),  pointing  in  lightljn  The 
mixture  is  be.st  applied  in  autumn  or  during  winter  up  to  the 
middle  of  February.] 
NAMES  OF  PLANTS..— Corrcspoifdrn/s  whose  queries  are  un¬ 
answered  in  the  vresent  issue  are  respectfully  requested  to  consult  the 
folloiving  number.^  {.J.  M.). — Yes,  it  is  Saintpaulia  ionantha,  and  its 
Natural  Order  is  .('igsueraceie ;  2.  Cyperus  longus  :  3.  Veronica  longi- 
folia  subsessilis ;  4  is  probably  a  Convolvulus,  but  too  sei’appy  to  name 
from.  (’F.  M.')'. — Hypericum  Mbserianum.  (.1.  T.). — 1,  Dendrobium 
formosum  pncidi'um  vai’icosum  ;  3,  Cypripedium  Morgani.ie. 
