May 21, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
427 
to the ripening of the wood and fruit. Avoid close stopping, as it causes 
a number of late growths to emanate which do not get properly ripened 
’before the leaves fall. It is the safest plan to secure sturdy short-jointed 
•wood, and to allow the points of the shoots to grow up to the glass, in 
■which position they will form an abundance of embryo fruit ready to swell 
with the first continued warmth in spring. 
Fines. —Sunshine must be utilised to the fullest extent, as under 
■such conditions the growth in the plants may be advanced more expedi¬ 
tiously without fear of harm, provided proper care be bestowed upon tho 
ventilation, which, whenever there is a prospect of a sunny day, should 
be attended to early in the morning, because we cannot have too much 
within the houses subject to its being dispelled from the surface of the 
leaves before powerful sunshine operates fully upon them. In order to 
maintain a good moisture freely sprinkle all available surfaces about the 
bouse whenever they become dry, and especially is this required prior to 
closing, which must be sufficiently early in the afternoon to keep the 
temperature at 85° or 90° for some time afterwards. When the weather 
is dry syringing will be needed almost daily, which, however, must be 
regulated by the condition and character of the house and plants ; the best 
criterion as regards the plants being to keep them with more water in 
the axils of the leaves, as maDy feeding roots exist around the stems of 
the plants, which only derive support from this source. Be careful 
not to let any plants at this, the growing season, suffer through an 
insufficient supply of water, and in all cases of its application let it 
contain some stimulant, taking care not to give it too strong, and 
always in a tepid state. See that the requisite attention is given to 
■shading. The thinner the material, if only it is efficient, the better, as all 
that is wanted is to prevent scorching the leaves or fruit, and only employ 
it when the sun is powerful. Employ no more fire heat than is absolutely 
necessary to maintain the temperature in the fruiting department at 70° 
to 75°, and 65° in successional structures, with a rise of a few degrees by 
artificial means in the daytime. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Tree Mignonette .—Few plants are more admired during the winter and 
spring than Mignonette, especially when grown as low standards with 
stems from 1 to 2 feet in length, and heads 18 inches or a little more across. 
At one time we used to sow seed for the earliest batch of these plants in 
March, but early sowing is a great mistake, and now we sow the seed 
about the 1st of May for plants to commence flowering during the month 
of November. For later and spring flowering another hatch is sown 
towards the end of the month. The secret of success in the production 
of fine heads covered with large spikes of bloom is in growing the plants 
from their earliest stage without a check. They must be constantly grow¬ 
ing and their leading shoots soft, for if once checked they become woody ; 
progress afterwards is slow, and poor flowers result if ever the plants 
manage to make heads. Miles’ Hybrid Spiral we have found the best 
for this purpose, and three or four seeds are sown in the centre of 2 j-inch 
pots, crocked lightly, and filled rather firmly with fibry loam three parts, 
and one part of leaf mould, sand, and a very small per-centage of cow 
manure passed through a fine sieve. The seeds should be just covered, 
then watered and stood in a temperature of 60°. As soon as the seedlings 
are large enough the best and most promising are selected, and the re¬ 
mainder pulled out. The plants are allowed to remain in thia tempera¬ 
ture until they are nearly 2 inches high, when they should be supplied 
with a small stake and removed into 5-inch pots, for the small ones will 
be sufficiently full of roots. The same compost should be used, and the 
plants placed close to the glass, not on a shelf, in a little lower tempera¬ 
ture, which should be gradually lowered until artificial heat can be dis¬ 
pensed with. Ventilate daily after the seedlings are up to insure sturdy 
growth. 
Standard Heliotropes .—These are very useful during the autumn and 
winter months, and continue to flower for a long time if kept in a suitable 
temperature. It is a mistake to retain plants from year to year for this 
purpose, for they never grow or flower with the same freedom as those 
raised from cuttings and grown into the desired size in one season. The 
variety known as White Lady is very good, and flowers freely during the 
winter. Strong cuttings should be inserted at once singly in small pots, 
and then grown and pot'ed until they are in the size in which they are to 
flower, 8 and 10-inch pots being suitable. Grow the young plants with¬ 
out being stopped, removing all side shoots directly they appear, until the 
desired height of stem has been attained, when the leader may be pinched 
to induce the formation of the head. The plants, if properly attended to, 
will have received their last shift by the time the stem is formed, and the 
only attention needed after is watering, stopping, and regulating the 
shoots. The plants can be grown outside during the summer. No trellis 
is needed the same as required for Mignonette. The shoots can be drawn 
downwards by means of a little matting secured to the stake supporting 
the stem. These plants do well in good loam with a little manure and 
aand. Some leaf mould may with advantage be used in the compost for 
the first potting or two. 
Tree Carnations .—Cuttings strike rapidly if strong and taken from 
plants in a cool airy structure. If they have been in a confined atmo¬ 
sphere the cuttings will fail. At this season of the year th^y should be 
inserted singly in small pots and kept perfectly close under handlights or 
bellglasses in a temperature of 60° to 65 3 until they are rooted, when 
they must be gradually hardened to cooler treatment. The cuttings must be 
shaded from the sun, and if inserted now they will make good flowering 
plants by winter. The batch inserted in 5 or 6-inch pots some time ago were 
subsequently placed singly into thumb pots, which are now full of roots. 
Our plants are in this condition, and a slight ho.bed is being made in a 
cold frame for the purpose of hardening them without giving a check 
As soon as the bed is ready the plants will be transferred into 4-inch pots 
and stood upon the surface of the bed. The gentle heat will encourage 
root activity, and by the admission of air daily on favourable occasions a 
stout sturdy growth will be the result. 
Hoses .—For autumn flowering under glass a batch of Tea varieties 
should be rooted at once and grown under glas3 during the summer 
months. For early spring flowering insert a good batch of the old Gloire 
de Dijon, growing the plants afterwards in 6-inch and 8-inch pots. 
Cuttings made from half-ripened wood root freely at this season of the 
year if inserted in sandy soil and kept perfectly close under handlights or 
bellglasses in a temperature of 65°. Two joints are sufficient for a cutting; 
a good watering after insertion should be given, and the cuttings shaded 
from the sun. 
PREPARING HIVES FOR SUPERING. 
Fkom many districts comes the gratifying news of the 
advanced state of hives. Very few of them have been fed 
or required it. This not only gives substantial proof that 
our system of never feeding unless the bees require it is the 
right one, but also supports my teaching that hives heavily 
provisioned and containing plenty of bees and left undis¬ 
turbed from September until now are in every case the ones 
likely to give satisfaction. The forward state of hives this 
year can in no way be attributed to a fine season, because 
we have never had a more untoward one for upwards of forty 
years, but it is due solely to the effects of the splendid 
autumn of last year, a direct case of cause and effect which 
bee-keepers should take a note of and compare it with seasons 
less favourable in the preceding or subsequent years. 
Swarming has already commenced in many places 
throughout Scotland. Some may think this too early, but 
with us May swarms have always been the most profitable. 
The great object, if we wish to keep our bees profitably, is 
to note the age and fertility of the queens. By attending 
carefully to this I have always young queens at the head of 
stocks. It is the most justifiable manipulation that can be 
performed in the apiary outside the removing of all surplus 
honey. 
From the earliness of many swarms this season there 
will be a good chance of getting supers from the blossoms 
of the Apple, Pear, and Plane tree. Supers can often be 
obtained from hives that are crowded with bees, but are other¬ 
wise too small, and although such supers are often prized by 
some, it is not commendable to do so. Confining bees to 
less space than they necessarily require to obtain a super 
simply means frustrating the natural attempts of the bees, 
and limits their production of honey to pounds what might 
have been stones had the hive been large enough to have 
allowed the queen to have developed her laying powers. 
Rather perhaps I say, had the brood nest been large enough 
for the egg-laying power of the queen, which eggs so laid 
would have been hatched, the larvie nursed, and subse¬ 
quently the young bees would appear in greater ratio than 
where it is too small, and the thousands of surplus eggs are 
destroyed by the bees. 
In every case where brood extends to the outside of the 
comb3, or where the queen ascends to the super and lays 
eggs there, the stock hive is too small, and the bee-keeper 
allowing such to exist is not looking to his interest. Nor is 
the egg-eating or brood in a super the only danger. In 
many cases where the queen is hampered for room to deposit 
her eggs she is deposed and the other evils follow. There is 
even worse than this—namely, when hives that are too small 
to allow sufficient comb for honey, pollen, and water to last the 
bees for some weeks in addition to that required for the eggs 
and grubs. Where stimulative feeding is the only resource 
the bees have to carry on the internal economy of the hive, 
a day’s neglect or a few bleak days will set the bees to egg¬ 
eating and grub-drawing, which will render the hive useless 
for the season. Those who wish to be successful should 
BEE-KEEPER. 
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