176 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 28, 1884. 
Cabbage .—A sowing of some good early Cabbage if made now will 
be found most useful in June and July. Make up all blanks in those 
which have been growing in their bearing quarters during the winter. 
Autumn-sown plants in seed beds, if becoming too crowded, should be 
thinned. If not wanted to plant elsewhere it is better to throw some of 
them away than have them all spoiled. 
FRUIT-FORCING. 
Vines. —Early Houses .—The first thinning of the earliest Grapes 
being brought to a close, and a good watering given the inside border, 
employing tepid liquid manure at a temperature of 80° to 85°, the berries 
will swell rapidly —i e., the perfectly fertilised berries, until they reach 
the stoning stage ; but before that is reached the bunches should be 
examined a second time and the heaviest shoulders tied up. It may pro¬ 
bably be necessary to remove a few more of the berries, especially those 
showing evidence of weakness, as it is desirable to have the berries as 
near as possible of an even size. It is also necessary, when the second 
thinning is being attended to, to calculate the probable weight each rod 
will be likely to finish, and if this is considered a full one, or over-fu 
one, no time should be lost in removing the worst-placed and poorest 
bunches, so as to leave no doubt of the crop being perfect in finish. The 
strongest spur shoots having been tied down and stopped two or more 
joints beyond the bunches, the leaders and laterals should be allowed 
to grow until every part of the trellis is well filled with foliage, at the 
same time allowing sufficient room for its development and full exposure 
to light. Maintain a genial condition of the atmosphere by damping the 
floors and borders at closing time, admitting a little air at 75°, and main¬ 
taining a temperature of 80° to 85° through the day from sun heat with 
ventilation. Sprinkling the borders occasionally at closing time with 
liquid manure will be beneficial in keeping red spider in check. 
Succession Houses .—The Grape-grower has plenty of work before 
him, as Vines when in growth must have prompt attention. Encourage 
succession houses by closing early with sun heat and plenty of moisture 
well charged with ammonia from the mulching, or if there is no mulch¬ 
ing sprinkle the borders with liquid manure, also the paths and 
walls. Do not keep a close moist atmosphere, as that tends to form long- 
jointed wood and thin flabby foliage, but admit air freely on all favour¬ 
able occasions, avoiding a high night temperature, giving a little air on 
warm mild evenings. Disbud as the most promising shoots advance, 
and do it gradually, and do not be in a hurry about stopping, allowing 
the shoots to get well ahead of the bunches before doing so, and then not 
less than two or three joints heyond the bunches. Where there is space 
allow the first laterals to extend according to the space at command, 
taking into consideration their ultimate development, it being necessary 
that the foliage have full exposure to light. 
Late Houses .—The treatment advised for succession houses is now 
applicable to late kinds of Grapes intended for keeping through the 
coming winter. A little steady fire heat in the spring is much better 
than running the risk of having to ripen them in a cold sunless autumn, 
when hard firing becomes a necessity, and the concomitant exclusion of 
air to secure the needed temperature only aggravates the evil the culti¬ 
vator seeks to avoid—viz., badly ripened Grapes—not coloured to the 
shank, and not keeping to a late period without shrivelling. It is better 
to start in March than have to push the Vines in autumn, when external 
conditions are less favourable ; besides, late Grapes, as a rule, require a 
long period of growth, and especially for ripening, as compared with the 
thin-skinned varieties. 
Cheery House.- -The trees started as advised in previous calendars 
will be flowering, or nearly so, when it is essentially necessary to utilise 
every favourable occasion for ventilating the house freely and for setting 
the fruit. If bees are near it will not be necessary to resort to artificial 
impregnation ; but if not, it must be effected artificially, and should be 
done if possible when the house is freely ventilated. Begin to ventilate 
a little at 55°, giving air plentifully at 65°, closing for the day at 55°, 
maintaining a temperature by artificial means in the daytime of 50° to 
55°, and dispense with it altogether at night unless the temperature is 
likely to fall below 40°, between which and 45° it should be maintained 
through the night. Although it is not advisable to syringe the trees 
whilst in blossom, damp the borders and paths in the morning and after¬ 
noon cf fine days, modifying the moisture in accordance with external 
conditions. A strict look-out must be kept for aphides, and if those are 
present the best remedy is to fumigate with tobacco paper, being cautious 
in its application, as the foliage, being tender, is soon injured, 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Azaleas .—Plants that have been forced into bloom and are now past 
their best should be placed into a temperature of 60° to 55° at night, a 
Peach house or vinery being suitable. They should not be stood back 
into a cold house as is too often the case. By assisting them to make 
their growth at this season, forcing next autumn and winter will be easy. 
Before introducing these plants into heat be careful that there are no 
thrips upon them, or the foliage will soon be injured. These insects are 
easily destroyed by syringing or dipping the plants in tobacco water 
with which a little soft soap has been mixed. If the plants have com¬ 
menced growth and their rcots are active, potting, if necessary, may be 
done. Potting these plants should always be attended to when they 
require it, and not left until a good number can be done at one time. 
The soil around the roots should always be moist before being turned out, 
and small shifts are preferable to large ones. The soil should consist of 
good fibry peat and coarse sand, and requires to be pressed into the pots 
very firmly. The roots should not be disturbed more than is necessary 
in the removal of the old drainage from amongst them. Give the roots 
every chance of recovery from injury received in potting, by with¬ 
holding water as long as possible without allowing the soil to become 
dry. The system of applying water to settle the soil cannot be too 
strongly condemned. Those that do not require potting may have a 
sprinkling of Standen’s manure on the surface. After potting has been 
done the plants and pots should be liberally syringed and the atmosphere 
kept moist. 
Heaths .—The early-flowering varieties, such as Erica hyemalis, E. Wil- 
moreana, and others, that failed to flower last autumn and were cut 
back, have started freely into growth, and their roots have commenced 
action. In this condition, if they require it, they are ready for transfer¬ 
ring into larger pots. If done at once the plants will have every oppor¬ 
tunity of being established before the sun has much power. They will 
have a long season before them in which to make and ripen their growth, 
and if properly attended to will not fail to flower abundantly early next 
autumn. The compost should be the same as that advised for Azaleas, 
and the same care should be taken in the potting and watering. After 
potting place them in a frame close to the glass where frost can be ex¬ 
cluded in severe weather. Keep the frame close for about a fortnight, 
and damp the plants lightly with the syringe on bright days, and then 
gradually admit air, which should afterwards be given Tberally during 
favourable weather. A close confined atmosphere must be avoided, or 
the plants are soon attacked by mildew. 
Epacrises .—The plants that have flowered should be cut close back, 
and if any are bare at the base or tall they will not be injured if cut 
hard back into the old wood provided they are healthy and vigorous. 
It is surprising what strong growths healthy plants will make when sub¬ 
jected to hard pruning ; in fact, it is the only system by which they can 
be furnished again from the base in a season. A vinery just starting is 
a good place for them if frame room is limited, but the latter is prefer¬ 
able if the plants can be given a temperature ranging at night from 45° 
to 50°, according to the weather. They should be gently syringed twice 
daily during bright weather, and the frame closed about 2 P.M., which 
will soon start them into growth. 
French and Fancy Pelargoniums .—The earliest batch of these should 
now be established in their largest pots, and if they have been kept close 
to the glass the plants will be strong and sturdy. The shoots must not 
be stopped again, but tied out to light stakes. Place them in a night 
temperature of 50° close to the glass, and give air liberally when favour¬ 
able ; a little at night will be beneficial when mild. No attempt should 
be made to grow these plants in a close atmosphere, or they will 
soon draw up tall and weakly ; on the contrary, grow them strongly and 
keep them dwarf. The shoots of the later batches should be pinched as 
they require it and potted as the plants are ready. Employ a compost 
of good fibry loam and a seventh of manure and sand. Pot firmly, which 
will assist materially in obtaining a firm solid growth instead of a soft 
one, with a long distance between the joints. Keep these plants in a 
temperature of 45°, and supplying water carefully for some time yet. 
Fumigate at once if aphides appear on them. A batch of cuttings for 
late flowering will root well if inserted singly in small pots and placed 
on a shelf in any warm house. 
SEASONABLE NOTES ON BEES. 
There is a tendency among those who for the first time are 
possessors of bar-frame hives to miss the happy medium and to err by 
going to one or the other extreme. Those of the one class are too 
fearful, cannot screw their courage to the “ sticking point," while those 
of the other give the rein to vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself 
and falls on the other side. Perhaps those in the second category 
fail more often, and do much more injury to the cause of bee-keeping 
in general than those who are at first too timid to make rapid strides 
in creating a proper intimacy between themselves and their bees. 
Instead of “ screwing their courage,” &c., they are rather too fearful of 
the sticking points which their favourites possess, and this wholesome 
dread often acts as a salutary deterrent from unnecessary and injurious 
meddling. Where the at first timid bee-keeper gradually gets on 
good terms with his bees, and constantly by cool quiet approaches 
learns how and when to handle them, to read the lesson they teach 
him, and to put his ever-increasing knowledge into practice, that 
man will in time become a bee-master. But he who makes a toy of 
the new hive, never ceases to be meddling with it and its inmates, 
does not care for their stings in season and out of season, exposes 
them to chills and their combs to derangement, this man is likely soon 
to throw up bee-keeping in disgust and to bring ill-repute on the bar- 
frame hive and the modern system of management. With the skep 
it was not possible to interfere so much with the economy of the 
bee hive, and even when interfered with so little was to be seen of its 
internal government and arrangements that the temptation was not 
so great to repeat the inspection often. But since Huber spread out 
