298 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICUIA'URE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
September  24,  1903 
Weak  Colonies. 
During  the  present  niontli  any  weak  stocks  which  it  is  thought 
will  not  be  able  to  pass  through  the  winter  safely  should  be  united. 
What  few  bees  there  are  in  such  colonies  will  be  comparatively 
old  and  very  many  of  them  worn  out,  so  that  it  would  be  next  to 
useless  to  stimulate  them  in  the  expectation  of  their  building  up 
sufficiently  strong  to  winter  .succes.sfully,  or  even  to  seal  up  food 
for  their  use.  In  order  to  obtain  the  utmost  power  from  them 
the  next  season  it  is  necessary  to  unite  siucli  stocks  to  other 
medium  colonies,  making  fairlj'  powerful  lots  of  not  less  than 
seven  bars  well  covered. 
Uniting,  when  the  bees  are  on  bar  frames,  is  accomplished  by 
lifting  out,  after  first  smoking  and  subduing  them,  with 
the  combs  of  bees  on  the  stand  which  they  are  to 
hnally  occupy,  and  feeding  commenced  at  once,  so  that  their 
stores  may  be  placed  in  their  natural  position.  It  must  be  under¬ 
stood  that  only  those  stocks  which  are  on  bars,  and  which  are  near 
to  one  another,  can  be  united  in  this  manner.  Those  colonies 
which  are  di.stant  from  one  another  in  the  same  apiary  must  first 
be  brought  together  gradually  by  short  stages  on  such  days  as 
they  can  fly,  and  then  united,  placing  the  hive  midway  between 
the  positions  which  the  two  separate  stocks  occupied,  with  a  large 
alighting  board  at  the  front.  This  prevents  fighting,  and  causes 
the  bees  to  mark  the  location. 
It  is  better  to  unite  the  weaker  stocks  with  their  stronger 
neighbours  in  preference  to  joining  the  stronger  to  the  weaker. 
There  is  less  probability  of  robbing.  The  old  queen  preferably 
should  be  removed  a  day  or  two  prior  to  uniting.  The  next  fine 
day -when  the  bees  are  not  flying,  and  yet  not  cold  enough  to  chill 
them,  say  -oOdeg  to  5.5deg,  there  will  be  no  trouble.  To  induce  the 
bees  to  fill  themselves  with  honey  go  to  the  hive  to  be  operated 
upon,  and  blow  a  good  volume  of  smoke  in  at  the  entrance,  at  the 
same  time  jarring  the  hive  to  frighten  the  bees,  as  upon  this 
depends  the  success  of  uniting.  Take  the  combs  of  bees  from  the 
hive  and  alternate  them  with  the  frames  in  the  other  colony. 
The  efficacy  of  uniting  depends  entirely  upon  letting  daylight  in 
between  the  bars,  and  both  colonies  being  thoroughly  gorged 
with  honey,  and  this  is  only  the  ca.se  when  the  subdued  hum  is 
heard.  Until  they  roar,  smoke  should  be  supplied  at  intervals. 
Hungry  bees,  or  bees  on  frames,  and  loose  bees  never  unite 
peaceabljq  so  that  when  there  is  not  plenty  of  unsealed  honey  to 
gorge  themselves  with  they  should,  de.spite  the  labour  involved, 
be  sprinkled  liberally  with  syrup  before  attempting  a  union.  If 
afterwards  there  are  any  signs  of  fighting  use  the  smoker  freely, 
and  thump  the  hive  sides.  Stocks  which  do  not  cover  the  whole 
of  the  frames  should  be  dummied  up,  and  the  unneceissarj^  combs 
removed.  The  latter  should  lie  wrapped  'up  in  newspaper  and 
afterwards  stored  away  in  a  dry  place  where  mice  will  be  unable 
to  get  at  them. — E.  E.,  Sandbach. 
- 4*^ - 
Meteorological  Observations  at  Cbiswick. 
Taken  in  the  Royal  Hoi’ticultural  Society’s  Gardens  at  Chis¬ 
wick,  height  above  sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.3I. 
1903. 
September. 
.i'B 
At  9  A. 31. 
Day. 
Night 
a 
*3 
P5 
At 
1-ft. 
deep. 
At 
2-ft. 
deep. 
At 
4-ft. 
deep. 
Lowest 
Temperatur- 
on  Grass. 
5 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
03 
0) 
E5 
m 
03 
o 
Sundav  ...13 
s.w. 
deg. 
51-7 
deg. 
49-2 
deg. 
61  0 
deg. 
38-3 
Ins. 
deg. 
56-2 
deg. 
58-9 
deg. 
59-0 
deg. 
32  0 
Monday  ...14 
N.N.E. 
51-4 
47-5 
57-7 
45-5 
— 
55-5 
58-2 
58  9 
38'9 
Tuesday  ...15 
N.N.E. 
47  2 
45-0 
57-0 
40-3 
— 
55-0 
57-7 
58-5 
31-8 
Wed’sday  16 
N.N.E. 
50-0 
48’3 
59  0 
43-9 
— 
54-8''- 
571 
581 
36-5 
Thursday  17 
s.w. 
52 '9 
49-9 
64 '2 
34-9 
— 
53-9 
56-9 
57  9 
29  0 
Friday  ...18|  S.S.E. 
55-0 
52-0 
63  7 
43  0 
0-01 
55'0 
56-7 
57-7 
35-2 
Saturday  19 
E.S.E. 
58-9 
49  3 
64-9 
53-0 
56  3 
56-8 
57  4 
45  0 
Means  ... 
52  6 
48-7 
611 
42  7 
Total. 
0-01 
55-2 
57  5 
58  2 
35  5 
Misty  mornings  and  fine  days. 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be  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 
discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to  unjustifi¬ 
able  trouble  and  expense.  In  naming  plants  we  only  undertake 
to  name  species,  or  well-marked  varieties,  and  only  six  on  any 
one  occasion.  Florists’  flowers  we  do  not  name. 
PLACING  ROSES  IN  POTS  OUT  OF  DOORS  (R.  T.  L.).— 
It  is  not  necessary  at  this  season  to  place  Roses  outdoors  that 
have  been  grown  in  an  airy  greenhouse  for  the  ripening  of  the 
wood,  as  that  will,  if  the  plants  have  had  plenty  of  light,  be 
thoroughly  perfected,  and  the  only  good  that  exposure  would 
effect  would  be  in  inducing  rest,  assigning  them  a  sunny 
position,  and  housing  before  the  weather  becomes  severe,  the 
pots  being  plunged  in  ashes  to  the  rims.  The  Cactuses  should 
between  now  and  the  end  of  the  present  month  be  placed  in- 
dooi’s,  or  before  the  soil  becomes  soddened  with  wet  or  the 
plants  injured  by  frost. 
HIVE  OF  BEES  WITHOUT  BROOD :  IS  IT  QUEENLESS  ? 
(g,  p.). — “E.  E.,  Sandbach,”  writes;  “It  is  nothing  unusual  for 
a  colony  to  be  broodless  at  this  time  of  the  year,  owing  to  the 
season  finishing  early,  and  artificial  stimulation  not  being  fol¬ 
lowed  up.  Before  deciding  that  the  stock  is  queenless  your 
correspondent  may  test  it  by  putting  a  bar  of  hatching  eggs  in 
the  centre  of  the  brood  nest,  and  if  queen  cells  are  commenced 
upon  it  then  it  is  without  a  queen.  They  would  be  in  the  .same 
condition  if  they  had  superseded  the  old  queen  and  reared  a 
virgin,  but  the  probability  is  that  it  is  .simply  cessation  of  breed¬ 
ing.  which  is  quite  natural.  If  a  half  pint  of  wann  syrup  is 
admisistered  nightly'  for  a  week  there  will  no  doubt  be  eggs  laid.” 
ROSE  LEAVES  BLACKENED  AND  COATED  WITH  A 
WHITE  SUBSTANCE  (W.  R.). — The  leaves  are  affected  by  the 
Rose-leaf  black  blotch  (Actinonema  Rosse),  which  is  very  com¬ 
mon  on  Rose  leaves,  and  seen  in  almost  every  garden  this  season, 
and  many  cultivators  treat  it  as  of  small  account,  except  for  dis¬ 
figuring  the  foliage.  The  spots  often  run  into  each  cOier,  and 
cover  a  large  portion  of  the  leaves,  chiefly  from  the  point.  The 
spots  are  at  first  purplish,  half  an  inch  to  an  inch  broad,  and 
then  black.  When  black  they  become  closely  adherent  with 
flexuous  web-like  lines,  and  have  a  whitish  appearance  on  the 
upper  side,  to  which  the  affection  is  confined.  Here  and  there 
are  small  black  conceptacles  or  perithecia,  which  contain  the 
spores,  but  these  are  not  always  iiresent.  It  has  been  advised 
to  remove  all  the  leav'es,  but  if  this  were  done  the  bu.shes  would, 
in  many  cases,  be  entirely  defoliated.  Sprajdng  with  blue  water, 
Eau  Celeste,  or  ammoniacal  carbonate  of  copper  solution,  is  a 
preparation  much  in  vogue  with  some  cultivators,  and  is  found 
of  much  service. 
PROTECTION  AGAINST  SLUGS  AND  SNAILS  (F.  T.).— 
The  question  is  often  asked,  and  we  extract  from  a  recent  number 
of  the  “  Gardeners’  Chronicle,”  an  interesting  account  of  experi¬ 
ments  that  have  been  made  to  ascertain  the  means  by  'uhich 
some  plants  are  protected  from  the  attacks  of  slugs  and  snails. 
Tannin  appears  to  be  one  of  the  substances  objectionable  tu  them. 
Experiments  made  by  Stahl  showed  that  Carrot,  which,  from 
its  sweetness  and  absence  of  tannin,  is  jiartic'ularly  attractive  to 
slugs,  if  treated  with  a  one  per  cent,  solution  of  tannin  reinained 
practically  untouched  by  the  common  small  garden  slug,  Liinax 
aorestis,  and  if  a  solution  of  1  in  1,000  of  water  be  sprinkled  on. 
the  animal,  it  rapidly  disappeared  from  the  scene  of  operation. 
Similarly,  it  was  found  that  the  leaves  of  alisneria,  Irapa,  and 
other  water  plants  containing  tannin  were  avoided  by  the  water 
snails,  paludina,  limnsea  and  planorbis,  but  if  the  tannin  veie 
extracted  the  leaves  were  speedily  eaten.  Acid  sap  has  a  similar 
effect.  Rumex  acetosella,Oxalis  and  Begoniai  are  disliked  on 
account  of  the  potassium  binoxalate  they  contain.  fins  was 
proved  by  soaking  pieces  of  Carrot  in  one  per  cent,  solution  of  the 
salt,  and  putting  them  before  the  slugs  Anon  hortensis  and 
Liinax  ao'restis,  and  the  snail  Helix  hortensis,,  the  pneces  being 
untouched  after  a  lapse  of  several  days.  A  .solution  of  the  salt 
of  1  part  in  1,000  of  water  was  found  to  irritate  the  animals  and 
cause  them  to  remove  to  other  quarters.  Plants  wiui  hairs 
secreting  acids 'are  similarlv  avoided,  as  in  Cicer  arietinum, 
(Enothera,  Ac.  Ethereal  oils  are'  similarly  protective;  leaves  of 
Rue  Acorus  calamus,  and  Mentha  piperita  are  carefully  avmided 
by  snails,  but  if  the  oil  is  extracted  they  are  readily  eaten.  Bitter 
