272 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 3, 1884. 
tving-in at the base. These and terminal shoots excepted, all the 
others should be stopped at about the fifth leaf. Syringe twice a day in 
bright weather, and once a day when the sun is not bright, until the 
stoning process is effected. The fruit must then be kept constantly dry, 
otherwise it will crack, spoiling its appearance and preventing its hang¬ 
ing. A dry atmosphere, however, will induce red spider ; hence the 
paths should be sprinkled twice a day, and no injury to the fruit on the 
score of damp will ensue providing the house is duly ventilated at 55°. 
In order to have fine clean fruit the trees must be kept free from insect 
pests. If there be any trace of aphides fumigate moderately on a calm 
evening, and be careful to have the foliage dry, repeating if necessary, as 
it is very important that the insects be eradicated, and care must be 
taken in fumigation or the foliage will be injured. Before the final 
swelling a good watering should be given either with water or liquid 
manure, as may be considered necessary. Trees in pots will need special 
attention in watering. Admit air at 55°, freely ventilate at GO 0 , keeping 
it through the day at 70° or more from sun heat, and close at 55°. Turn 
on the heat early in the morning, so as to raise the temperature to 50° by 
8 A.M., allowing the night temperature to range between 40° and 45°. 
Melons. —These require to be grown quickly, therefore close the 
house early in the afternoon ; but as the sun has considerable power 
3 p.m. will be early enough, and if the temperature rise to 90° to 95° all 
the better, especially where the fruits are swelling. This should be 
accompanied with plenty of moisture, and the plants must have sufficient 
moisture at the roots. As a preventive of red spider damp all available 
surfaces twice a day, keeping the evaporation troughs charged with 
liquid manure, and paint the hot-water pipes thinly with sulphur. 
Reduce the atmospheric moisture in houses in which the plants are in 
bloom, impregnating the blossoms daily, and stop one joint beyond the 
blossom. Attend to the stopping, tying, and thinning of the shoots as 
they require it, avoiding overcrowding as the greatest of evils. The 
linings of dung-heated pits and frames in which Melons or Cucumbers 
are growing will need prompt attention when the heat is declining, 
removing the cold material and supplying properly prepared fresh. 
Thin out the growths, and give air freely to plants in flower. A little 
more soil may be added to the hillocks or ridges of advancing plants as 
the roots protrude, having the soil previously warmed. 
Cucumbers. —The plants now in full bearing will need copious 
supplies of tepid liquid manure ; and to encourage a free growth close 
early, as advised for Melons, using the syringe freely at the same time. 
Stopping, tying, and thinning will need careful and regular attention, so 
as to keep up a good supply of successional bearing wood. It will be 
advisable to have some light shading in readiness for bright and powerful 
sun, so that it may be applied promptly in case of the necessity arising, 
and which frequently is most needed when a period of bright weather 
follows one of prolonged cold and dullness. The foliage must not be 
allowed to flag, or it will give the plants a serious check, and scorching 
may generally be avoided by admitting a little air early. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN AND PLEASURE GROUNDS. 
Pruning Poses. —The whole of this important work may well be 
completed at once. The experienced enthusiast may perhaps vary the 
pruning according to the habit of the various sorts, but this is not 
absolutely necessary. Prune according to the vigour of each plant, 
always well thinning out the centres, removing weakly growth, or if this 
cannot be spared cut it to the first joint and thereby secure a stronger 
break, keeping the lead or bush within bounds by shortening back main 
branches where necessary to a well-placed young shoot. For a Rose to 
continue vigorous the growth must be constantly starting from near the 
stems, and this in most cases is only effected by free annual pruning. 
Our plan, which rarely fails, is to cut the smallest growths either clear 
out or to one joint, the medium-sized growths, say of the size of a slate 
pencil, to two joints, and the strongest to three or four buds or joints. 
More blooms may sometimes result from less severe prunings, but we 
look beyond the current year. Growers for exhibition may be less free 
with the knife, as in their case they only require a few extra fine blooms 
for one or two seasons from the plants, and then these are either sold or 
thrown away. Dwarfs should be treated somewhat similarly to the 
standards, unless a few of the shoots are extra strong. In this case if 
shortened slightly and pegged down they will flower more freely, and be 
less likely to weaken the remainder of the bush. Pillar Roses should not 
be neglected if plenty of good blooms are wanted. Shorten all the side 
shoots according to their strength, and lay in the ripened portion of 
leading growths where they may be required. All Roses will be much 
benefited by a liberal dressing of partly decayed manure, which should 
only be lightly forked into the surface, and a mulching may well be 
given later on. 
Christmas Boses. —If it is desirable to increase the stock of these 
popular hardy flowers it should be done by division at once. Lift the 
Urge old pieces and freely divide with a plunging fork. Replant them 
firmly in deeply dug rich soil. A hot dry position does not suit them, 
and the less they are disturbed in such positions the better. Fruit borders 
where they receive a little shade during the summer appears to suit them 
well; and as the blooms are much the best under protection, it is 
advisable to plant in groups so that they may be easily covered with 
bellglasses, handlights, or frames. Before hot weather sets in they 
should all be mulched with ehort manure or leaf soil. The most service¬ 
able variety is that known as Helleborus niger maximus. 
Treatment of Bedding Plants. —A considerable number of cuttings 
will now be rooted and seedlings raised, all of which must be kept 
growing if good strong plants are desired. Some are best in pots, others 
in boxes. Among seedlings that are best grown in and planted out from 
pots are the fine-foliaged Solanums, such as S. Warscewiczii, S. margina¬ 
tum and S. robustum, Acacia lophantha, Grevillea robusta, Wigandias, 
Tobacco plants, Eucalyptus, Ferdinandia eminens, Ricinus, Erythrina, 
Ferula gigantea, Chamaspeuce, Japanese Maize, and Humeas. Late ra 
April is quite soon enough to sow the quickly-growing Ricinus and 
Maize, but all the remainder ought now to be potted singly into 3,V-inch 
pots, be kept growing in gentle heat, and receive a shift into larger pots, 
say 6 inches in size, before they become stunted and root-bound. Any 
good light soil will suit them, and it is necessary to take so much pains 
with them in order to secure strong plants, which will be effective when 
planted out early in June. Seedling Cannas may be transferred into 
5 inch pots and no shift given, and the old roots can safely be divided 
when commencing growth, and be either placed thinly in boxes of good 
soil or potted. Humea elegans is a biennial, and seedlings raised last 
May ought now to be shifted into 7-inch pots, kept in a greenhouse 
temperature, eventually hardened off, and planted out early in June. 
Many of the ordinary bedding plants are best in boxes, as they grow 
more freely, and can be transplanted more readily from boxes than from 
pots. This is notably the case with Lobelias, Ageratums, Heliotropes, 
Iresines, Perillas, Violas, Pyrethrums, as well as Antirrhinums, Pentste- 
mons, Phlox Drummondii, Asters, Stocks, ornamental Grasses, Godetias, 
Cineraria maritima, Marigolds, Gaillardias, Delphiniums, and similar 
strong-rooted kinds. Those with delicate roots such as Koniga maritima, 
Mesembryanthemums, Petunias,- Sempervivums, Tropseolums, as well as 
Coleus VerschafEeltii, transplant the most safely from pots. Many place 
the bedding Pelargoniums in boxes, but where an early effect is desired 
strong bushy plants in pots are preferable, though unless well managed 
these do not always become established so quickly as plants out of boxes. 
Early in April is a good time for sowing in hotbeds seeds of such 
quick-growing plants as Crimson and Chilian Beets, Asters, Stocks, 
Zinnias, Love-lies-bleeding, African and French Marigolds, Tagetes, and 
ornamental Grasses. Sown earlier they are liable to be checked in 
growth, thus inducing premature blooming. Sow the grasses thinly, as 
many of them are branching in habit, and do not require pricking out. 
They may also be sown on the open borders. 
Shrubby Calceolarias. —Where these have been wintered thickly in 
handlights or frames they will be useless unless bedded out where they 
can be protected for a time either with frames or mats. What are wanted 
are sturdy well-rooted plants which have experienced no serious check 
prior to bedding-out time. Such can be had by placing frames on a hard 
bottom, in these disposing a depth of about 6 inches half-decayed leaves, 
and on this about 4 inches of fine soil. In this place the Calceolarias, 
which ought previously to have been stopped and be breaking afresh, 
about 6 inches apart each way, water them in, and keep them close for a 
few days. Never let them become dry at the roots, eventually harden 
off, and use the frames for other purposes. When required they can be 
cut with square balls of earth and roots attached, the ready removal of 
which will be greatly facilitated by the hard bottom. No frames being 
available dig out a wide trench in the garden, prepare, and plant 
similarly as advised for frames, lay stakes across, and protect with mats 
or old pieces of carpets. Tops of these Calceolarias will sometimes strike 
in heat during the spring months, and can be grown into serviceable 
little plants. 
SEASONABLE NOTES ON BEES. 
During the last fortnight we have had dry beautiful weather, and 
very merry have the bees been. When the air has been still and the 
warm sunshine has brought out the perfume from the early spring 
flowers the pleasant hum of the newly awakened honey gatherers has 
resounded on every side, and called up a kindred note of joy from the 
heart of the bee-keeper. We do not ever remember our bees having 
such an uninterrupted spell of work on the Willow blossoms, nor 
have the latter for many years blossomed so freely. Bee-keepers 
should not forget the Palm Willow, as it is called, when planting for 
bees. It is one of the best plants in early spring for yielding both 
pollen and honey, and it is ornamental and easily grown. Three years 
ago we bought a quantity of Willow stakes, they were tied in bundles 
and looked like faggots, these were driven well into the ground, about 
6 feet of each stake projecting over a pond. Now these stakes have 
become a belt of flowering Willows, and they have given much plea¬ 
sure both to the bees and to their owner. 
While speaking of plants most suitable for the neighbourhood of 
an apiary, we would again recommend the Ribes sanguineum or 
American Flowering Currant. 'We have planted it largely. It is a lovely 
shrub, grows very quickly, forms a good hedge, and is always much 
sought after by the bees. A long row of these bushes is now a 
crimson mass of bloom, and has been for days covered by the busy 
workers. 
Gentle feeding, carefully and continuously carried on, together with 
