292 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 10, 1884. 
old mortar rubbish. Keep the plants warm ; indeed, if intended for early 
work, they must be grown in an early house and near the glass, where 
they will make'a free early growth, and become thoroughly ripe before 
autumn, rinch out the points of the shoots to increase the number of 
breaks. 
Succession Trees Slanted Out. —Look well after the trees in stopping 
the side shoots at the fifth or sixth leaf, and the terminals where space is 
limited. Thin the side and other shoots to prevent overcrowding, it being 
essential that the growths have full exposure to light, and tie and regulate 
the shoots so as to secure a proper supply of bearing wood throughout the 
trees. Mulch the borders with short manure, and give tepid water 
copiously, keeping the mulching moist. Syringe twice a day in fine 
weather, and between 2 and 3 P.M. close the house on fine afternoons. 
Peaches and Nectarines. — Earliest Forced House. —Maintain a 
steady night temperature of 60° to 65°, with arise of 10° to 15° by day from 
sun heat, until the stoning is completed, which is now nearly effected. When 
this is effected, and ripe fruit is wanted as soon as possible, the temperature 
may be kept at 70° to 75° by day from fire heat, and 10° more from sun 
heat, closing at 80°, with plenty of moisture in the house. This will 
swell off the fruit to a good size. It is not advisable, however, to increase 
the night temperature, as it tends to an ill condition of the wood, the 
fruit being finer and the young wood of better quality when the ripening 
is accelerated in the daytime only, taking advantage of fine days to 
close early. Syringe twice a day until the fruit gives indications of 
ripening, when, the syringing ceasing, a good moisture should be secured 
for the benefit of the foliage by keeping the surface of the borders damped 
morning and afternoon. Remove all surplus fruits directly the stoning 
is over, and any fruit not well placed for colouring should be turned to 
the light and supported by thin laths placed across the wires of the 
trellis. Tying down the shoots will need attention, judiciously stopping 
gross shoots or terminals when they have made moderate growth ; remove 
superfluous growths, and keep laterals closely pinched to one joint. 
Water inside borders freely with tepid liquid manure, and mulch with 
short manure to attract and keep the roots at the surface. Ventilate 
cautiously in cold weather, as the tender growths are soon injured by 
cold currents. 
Succession Houses. —Tie in the growths as they advance ; disbud and 
otherwise thin the shoots, so that no more growths will be retained than 
are necessary for furnishing the trees and for next year’s fruiting, having 
them sufficiently thin that the foliage will be fully exposed to light and air. 
Thinning the fruit must also have attention. When it is swelling freely 
the number may, when the trees are in good health, be safely reduced to 
that required for the crop, as to allow twice as many to swell and stone as 
will he considered essential for the crop is to lessen the size considerably of 
those that are allowed to ripen. Syringe freely twice a day in fine 
weather, and always sufficiently early to allow of the foliage becoming dry 
before night, using clear rain water, as some spring waters leave a sediment 
upon the fruit and spoil its appearance. Fumigate upon the first appear¬ 
ance of aphides, choosing a calm evening, and being careful to have the 
foliage dry. Keep a sharp look-out for red spider, especially on the trees 
over the hot-water pipes ; and if forcible syringings do not overcome the 
pests an insecticide must be applied promptly, as under no circumstances 
must it be allowed to become established. 
Late Houses. —The trees have set the fruit well, and thinning will be 
needed as soon as the fruit is fairly on the swell, doing it gradually, 
removing the smallest and worst-placed. Disbudding likewise must be 
proceeded with gradually’ and frequently. Admit air fully day and night 
in mild weather so as to keep the fruit back, it being in a forward state and 
likely to come in before the succession houses are over. Syringe in the 
afternoon early enough to have the foliage dry before night, and in the 
case of unheated houses close moderately early in the afternoon when there 
is a prospect of frost. 
PLANT HORSES. 
Begonias. —These are amongst the most useful and beautiful of plants 
for the winter, and shoots for cuttings are now plentiful of such kinds as 
IngTami, Knowsleyana, and other good varieties that flower freely. 
Cuttings should be inserted in pots or pans in sandy soil, and if placed 
upon a shelf in a warm house they will root quickly. It is a mistake 
to place them in close moist frames or under bellglasses, for they 
are very liable to damp, which is not the case when stood upon 
shelves and shaded from the sun. The last-named comes true from 
seed, and a stock of plants can be readily raised, which if confined at the 
roots for some time before they are required in bloom, will flower as 
profusely as those from cuttings. 
Begonias manicata and heracleifolia are two of the most serviceable we 
possess for the conservatory where a night temperature of 45° to 50° is 
maintained. They will stand in this condition for two months or more, 
provided they are placed in just before their flowers expand. When 
arranged amongst other flowering plants they give to the whole a light 
and elegant appearance. The last-named is the more showy of the two, 
its flowers being larger and deep pink. It should be grown in larger 
numbers than B. manicata, but this variety cannot be dispensed with. 
Young stock is the best for winter, unless large plants are required, and 
the plants should be annually raised by cuttings. These are taken off 
and placed singly in 3-inch pots in a compost of loam, leaf mould, a 
seventh of manure and sand, a little of the latter being placed in the 
centre of each pot for the base of the cutting to rest upon. These strike 
as readily as the other varieties cn a shelf, or stood in a warm house, if 
kept shaded from the sun, 
Centropogon Lucianus. — Cuttings will now be plentiful and should 
be rooted and grown for next winter flowering, for there is no better 
or more useful plant in cultivation. During that season its bright scarlet 
flowers, which are produced in succession, are very effective in a stove, 
intermediate, or conservatory temperature. In the two cooler houses the 
flowers last the longest and are of a brighter colour than when in strong 
heat. The growths are produced along the sides of the old flowering 
shoots should be slipped off with a small heel and inserted in sandy soil 
in 5 or G-inch pots. They are longer rooting than some plants, but will 
root freely either in the propagating frame or in a warm house ; if kept 
shaded by the former method they root the quickest. After a sufficient 
stock of young plants has been raised do not throw away the old stock, 
but cut them close down, and when they start growth from the base turn 
them out of their pots, reduce the old ball by about half, and then repot 
them in the same size. Use for a compost good loam, a little manure, 
and sand. 
Linum trigynum .—This is generally placed amongst greenhouse 
plants, but those who subject it to greenhouse treatment will not achieve 
success. It enjoys heat during the spring and autumn, while during the 
summer months it will do well under cool frame treatment. It is best 
raised by cuttings annually for winter flowering, as the old plants are 
never so satisfactory as those that are grown freely and quickly. The 
young tender growths are the best for cuttings, and will form roots in 
about ten days in brisk moist heat. They root so quickly and certainly 
that it is advisable to insert them singly in small pots, as when rooted 
they can be grown without receiving any check, which they receive when 
divided and potted. As soon as they are well rooted the points of the 
young plants must be pinched out to cause them to branch. Stopping 
the shoots must be particularly attended to as soon as a little growth has 
been made, so that bushy little specimens can be produced by the time 
they can be placed in cold frames. 
Plumbago rosea .—Old plants that flowered during the winter and 
have been reserved for stock will now have abundance of strong cuttings. 
It is important to have good cuttings to start with ; if obtained early they 
are but little better than flower stems, and sooner than employ these for 
cuttings it is wise to postpone their insertion for a week or two. They root 
readily, and as soon as sufficient cuttings have been taken the old stock 
may be thrown out. Insert the cuttings singly in small pots the same as 
the Linum, and in a short time, in brisk heat, they will form roots, 
especially if under a bellglass or in the propagating frame. The variety 
known as coccinea is very bright in colour, but grows taller, consequently 
both should be grown. 
Seriocographis Gliiesbreghtiana .—Another useful old plant for the 
winter, and, when well grown, it is invaluable for cutting and conservatory 
decoration. The tops of the shoots should be used for cuttings, and 
inserted singly in small pots, as they will root freely under the same 
conditions as those mentioned above. 
SPRING FEEDING. 
At the present time and for some weeks to come bee-keepers will 
be occupied chiefly in feeding-up their stocks, so as to have them as 
forward as possible when honey is abundant. Comparatively few, 
however, understand the true principles of spring feeding, or “ stimu¬ 
lating” as it is more properly called, and we think a few notes may 
not be unacceptable to our readers, especially the inexperienced ones, 
which will enable them to work less by rule of thumb and more in 
the light of knowledge as to why certain operations are undertaken 
at this season. If bees are safe as regards risk of perishing from 
actual want of food, they should be undisturbed until the first or 
second week in March. We speak of the northern counties, in the 
south a week or so earlier. This advice may appear somewhat late, 
but instructions have already been given in your columns for feeding, 
and our object now is to explain more fully the principles involved. 
The first fine day will see the bees carrying in large quantities 
of pollen. This income after the long repose of the winter months 
causes considerable excitement as well as activity among them, and 
excitement from any cause is invariably followed by a rapid rise in 
the temperature of the hive. The natural result of this is a thorough 
warming of the cluster. The bees spread themselves out, giving 
the queen more freedom to move about on the combs ; and she will, 
if this increased warmth is maintained for a day or two, commence 
ovipositing much more freely than before. On the other hand, if a 
day’s busy pollen-gathering is succeeded by cold weather, the excite¬ 
ment subsides, the bees cool down as ft were, and cluster as closely 
as before. If the bee-keeper selects the right day when the bees are 
thoroughly roused, and supplements the pollen obtainable by a 
continuous supply of thin syrup, he has it in his power to keep up 
the abnormal warmth of the day’s busy work, and the bees are stimu¬ 
lated or forced just as plants are by the action of a hotbed. To 
make the matter quite clear, it must be understood that the bees’ share 
of the work is simply to create and maintain a temperature suffi¬ 
ciently high to hatch the brood, while a good queen is always ready 
o produce as many eggs as the bees can attend to. 
