586 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 25, 1885. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Pinks. —Watering and ventilation must have strict attention at this 
season, especially those plants which are swelling fruit. The plants in 
fruiting pots should be examined at least once a week with the hand, and 
others in smaller pots more frequently; and whenever a supply is needed 
afford it thoroughly with some stimulating agent intermixed, but weak 
and tepid, and in the process of watering let it be poured into the plants 
well up the stems, so that the axils of the leaves may have the benefit of 
it as well as the roots, being careful to see that the space above the soil in 
the pot is well filled at this time. When the fruit approaches maturity 
and begins to soften it should be kept free from condensed moisture as 
much as possible, particularly in the early part of the day, when the sun 
will at times scald tender-skinned kinds, particularly Queens. To obviate 
the probable mischief, let the house be ventilated early in the morning 
of a likely fine day, or apply a slight shade over the glass until the 
fruit is perfectly dry. Young plants will now be growing vigorously, 
and will need free ventilation to keep them sturdy, with ample space 
for development, and close proximity to the gla«s. If the weather be 
very bright it will be advisable to shade lightly for a few hours at 
midday. 
Vines. —Lifting Vines Early .—Where the Vines are not in a satis¬ 
factory condition, and the roots have the run of both inside and out¬ 
side borders, one or other of these may be taken out as soon as the 
crop has been cleared. It is important that work of this kind be done with 
dispatch, any delay in lifting and relaying the roots in fresh material being 
disastrous; therefore, to prevent delay, fresh compost and clean drainage 
should be prepared, and within easy access. Keep the house moist and 
shaded to prevent the roots and foliage suffering during the operation of 
lifting and re-arranging the borders. When the work is completed the 
roof will require shading on bright days, and the Vines will be the 
better for frequent syringing, with a moist heat from sun influence until 
new growth is perceptible, when the ordinary treatment may be resumed, 
and they will be well furnished with fresh roots and ready for starting in 
December without showing any effect except a favourable one on the crop 
following. 
Planting in Early Houses .—If the Vines in early houses are in very 
bad condition, and it is considered advisable to replant, vigorous young 
Vines from this year’s eyes may be planted with every prospect of their 
filling the house. A narrow ridge of compost will be sufficient for this 
season, and under good treatment plump eyes will ripen near the base for 
cutting back to, and these will throw up fruiting canes next year. 
Late Grapes .—The thinning of these of all varieties should be finished 
without delay. Black Hamburghs intended for use through November 
and December will require more thinning than is necessary or advisable 
where the Grapes are used before the leaves fall, and small or medium¬ 
sized bunches through which the air can pass freely will be found better 
keepers than those with large bunches or heavy shoulders. When the 
berries begin to swell freely all weak laterals may be allowed to grow, but 
the strong ones will require close stopping and tying down to keep the 
sap equally distributed, and to secure firm short-jointed wood that will 
be likely to ripen well. 
Grapes Scalding .— Lady Downe’s, as well as the most forward or 
general crop of Muscats about stoning, will require close attention to 
prevent scalding, which, though attributed to the sun, affects berries upon 
which it never shines directly. It is always the most troublesome when 
there are sudden changes from heat to cold, and vice versa, and is aggra¬ 
vated by a low temperature followed by a sudden rise before air is ad¬ 
mitted on bright mornings, when, the berries having become cold through 
the night, moisture is condensed, and the cuticle or skin on one side, that 
most exposed to rapid evaporation, is scorched. To prevent this evil, which 
is often confounded with disease, a warm dry atmosphere should be main¬ 
tained through the night, with increased ventilation before the temperature 
begins to rise from sun heat. For Vines in good health the liability to 
scald does not extend over a period of twelve to fourteen days, but those 
with the roots sluggish in cold wet borders take twenty-one to twenty- 
eight days before they are out of danger from scalding. 
Vines Swelling their Crops .—These should have thorough supplies 
of water passing through a good mulching of decayed material, and, if 
necessary, using warm diluted liquid manure from the manure heap, 
which, after all, is the very best that can be employed ; but where this 
cannot be had, guano or some of the artificial manures are excellent, 
acting in a most beneficial manner upon the foliage, and consequently 
fruit. Close early, with plenty of atmospheric moisture obtained by 
damping available surfaces with rain water, using liquid manure occasion¬ 
ally, and before nightfall admit a little air, alike to allow any pent-up 
moisture to escape and the temperature to gradually cool and secure to 
the Vines the needful rest from the minimum temperature. 
Grapes Ripening .—When Grapes begin to change colour for ripening 
an examination of the border should be made, and if necessary a thorough 
supply given of water or liquid manure in a tepid state, choosing the early 
part of a fine day, on which ventilation can be rather freely provided, so 
as to allow of the superfluous moisture escaping before closing; and if 
mulched over the moisture will be sufficient to tide the Grapes over the 
ripening, and under ordinary circumstances until their removal from the 
Vines. A circulation of rather dry warm air is essential to perfect finish, 
and when the Vines are carrying heavy crops it will be advisable to allow 
the night temperature to fall to 65°, or even G0°, so as to rest them as 
much as possible, not hurrying them, but affording plenty of time, and a 
freer extension of the laterals should be permitted, so as to keep the root- 
action active, than when the Vines are but lightly cropped. Although a 
drier condition of the atmosphere is desirable when the Grapes are ripen¬ 
ing than when they are swelling, it does not answer to entirely deprive 
the Vines of air moisture, as a moderate amount is essential to the health 
of the foliage and the swelling of the berries to a good size. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Roses in Pots .—Varieties of Hybrid Perpetuals that have been forced 
indoors and since grown in a cool structure should by this time be well 
hardened and ready for placing outside. If convenient the pots can be 
plunged, covering the rim, which will save considerable labour in water¬ 
ing, and the plants will root and do much better than if stood upon walks 
and their pots exposed fully to the force of the sun. An open sunny 
position should be selected for them, and if the soil is moist and the 
material in which they are plunged afterwards kept moist the plants will 
not need water at their roots for a long time. To attain success another 
year the foliage must be kept free from insects and mildew, and in order 
to accomplish the former the plants should be well syringed twice daily. 
At the first appearance of mildew 1 ounce of softsoap should be dissolved 
in 1 gallon of water, and a handful of sulphur added to each 
4-gallon can of the solution, the foliage being well syringed with it, 
which should be allowed to remain on three or four days before being 
washed off. 
Hydrangeas .—If plants are wanted to flower in 5-inch pots with one 
good truss of bloom each for another season, every attempt must now be 
made to prepare plants for supplying good cuttings set with flower buds 
in early autumn. For this purpose good-sized plants that have been 
forced indoors, and have now a number of growths upon them, should be 
hardened for placing outside. Plunge the pots the same as advised for 
Roses in the most sunny position that can be found. The plants must be 
supplied liberally with water, and occasionally with liquid manure, so 
that the growths will be strong and the flower buds early. 
Deutzias .—Those that have their pots full of roots must be liberally 
supplied with weak stimulants every time they need water to thoroughly 
develope their growths and flower buds for another year. The earliest 
plants will have completed their growth, should now be thoroughly 
hardened and then placed outside, but care must be taken that they are 
not checked. Grow later batches in cold frames or in a cool house until 
their growth is completed, for unless this is accomplished and their 
growths well ripened long well-flowered shoots cannot be expected. No 
plants repay for a little care better than these charming flowering shrubs, 
and if turned out directly after flowering as commonly practised, they 
cannot be expected to flower well the following year. 
Prunuses .—Do not turn these out yet, for the growths are not 
sufficiently advanced, and if prematurely ripened they will not flower 
satisfactorily next season. To grow the s e plants well the growths must be 
well developed under glass and ripened before they are turned out to 
rest. The slender growths will still lengthen considerably if liberally 
treated, and then if well and gradually ripened in full sun they will not 
fail to flower profusely from the top of the shoots to the base. 
Solanvms .—Plants started and treated as previously directed will 
have set a good number of berries already, and will still be growing and 
flowering freely. To have the plants well laden with their brilliant 
berries during the winter they must be kept growing slowly for some 
time yet, and the berries will set better if the plants are outside than what 
will really be the case if kept in frames. Great care must be taken in 
hardening these plants, for if checked the growth will be brought to a 
standstill, and poorly berried plants will be the result. When sufficiently 
hardy to be placed out the pots should be plunged on a warm sunny 
border, covering the pots with soil to prevent evaporation. In all proba¬ 
bility the plants will root over the sides of their pots, but no injury will 
be done to the plants by their removal in autumn. Liberal supplies of 
water must be given; in fact the plants must not be allowed to suffer 
by an insufficient supply of water, or their foliage will soon turn yellow. 
Soot water acts quickly upon these plants, and no stimulant is better for 
assisting to keep the foliage a healthy dark green colour. 
Choisya ternata .—Plants that were cut back and started into growth 
by being kept close in the greenhouse or a frame will now be growing 
vigorously. They should be grown cool from this date, admitting 
abundance of air night and day until the lights can be taken off. When 
these plants have been hardened they should be plunged outside in a 
position exposed to the sun to ripen their growth and set their flower buds. 
They flower freely when the wood is well ripened on dwarf sturdy growth, 
but when subjected to greenhouse treatment the whole season the growth 
is long and weak, the wood poorly ripened, and very few flower buds are 
formed. 
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PRACTICAL NOTES ON BEES. 
MASSACRE OP BEES. 
At page 241 Mr. G. Abbey gives an interesting and instructive article, 
especially to the uninitiated, which is well worth reading and studying. 
The subject is one of great importance as regards profitable bee-keeping, 
and I will therefore describe a few cases which have come under my 
own observation that resulted in disaster through direct carelessness. 
Sometimes there is a difficulty in tracing the cause from the effect, but 
in this wholesale slaughter of bees, often caused through modern manipu- 
