May 26, 1881. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
427 
and Vegetable Marrows, affording if possible tbe protection of hand- 
lights. As frames become cleared of early crops of Potatoes ntilise 
them with Cucumbers or Melons. 
HARDY FRUIT GARDEN. 
The recent frost (12‘ 5 during the night of May 12th), has not been 
so disastrous as might have been expected, for the soil was dry and 
the foliage more forward than when the blossoming occurs earlier. 
Growth is now rapid, and will necessitate prompt attention in stop¬ 
ping or removing the foreright shoots of Apricots, and side shoots 
not required for extension. Lay in young growths for filling vacant 
space or displacing parts that have become bare of spurs, which if 
not now bearing fruit may at once be cut out, or as soon as the fruit 
is gathered, and any attenuated spurs may be shortened to growth at 
the base. Keep a strict look-out for caterpillars. Attend betimes to 
thinning the fruit, leaving the finest and best situated for ripening. 
If the trees are in small borders and the soil is dry mulch with 
manure after giving a thorough supply of water, and assist trees 
carrying a full crop of fruit with liquid manure. Plums against walls 
will soon require attention ; indeed disbudding foreright growths will 
need immediate attention, and any overgrown spurs may be cut back 
so as to encourage those better situated. Peaches and Nectarines 
are producing fine healthy foliage, and should as soon as practicable 
have the disbudding completed and the growth regulated as indi¬ 
cated in our last calendar. Promptly apply an insecticide if aphides 
appear, and apply flowers of sulphur should mildew be noticed. 
Cherries promise well, and should have attention in disbudding or 
stopping foreright shoots, and making provision for filling up vacant 
spaces. Carefully examine the foliage of fruit trees, destroying 
caterpillars if any exist, which soon disfigure both foliage and fruit. 
Nut bushes are frequently injured by caterpillars, this being a good 
time to search for and destroy them. An abundant crop of Goose¬ 
berries and Currants appears assured and so far are clean, but never¬ 
theless frequently examine for caterpillars, and whenever they appear 
dust at once with freshly ground hellebore powder. Disbud and regu¬ 
late the young shoots of Vines where they are trained to walls, and 
if mildew appear have recourse to sulphur. Do not overcrowd the 
growths, but train so as to admit plenty of air and light. Mulch 
bush and pyramid fruit trees with good manure, especially weakly 
trees in light soil, and if dry weather prevail supply water freely. 
Recently planted fruit trees should be mulched with short littery 
manure, and have a good watering. Strawberries should be mulched 
with littery manure, and in dry weather have copious waterings. 
Fruit for dessert should have the trusses supported with sticks, so as 
to keep it from the ground and insure supeidor quality by exposure 
to light and air, and if extra fine fruit is wanted thin them, leaving 
only the finest. Strawberry plants that have been forced and the 
fruit gathered should as soon as possible be planted out, firming the 
soil well about them, giving at least one good watering, and these 
if kept free of weeds and runners will produce an abundant crop of 
fruit next season. 
FRUIT HOUSES. 
Peaches and Nectarines .—Desirable as are the very early Peaches 
they do not as a rule set well, and for size and quality are not com¬ 
parable to the older varieties, such as Royal George, Grosse Mig- 
nonne, Noblesse, Violette Hative, Stirling Castle, and Late Admirable. 
Acquisitions, however, are Hale’s Early and A Bee, which set well 
and finish satisfactorily; Early Grosse Mignonne is also valuable. 
In Nectarines Lord Napier is a capital kind, swelling to a good size 
and coming much in advance of Elruge and Violette Hative, which 
are unrivalled for forcing. Trees in the earliest house from which 
the fruit has been gathered should have the bearing wood cut out, so 
as to admit of that for next year’s crop having the benefit of light 
and air. There must not be any deficiency of water at the roots, and 
syringing must be practised twice a day to keep down red spider. 
The trees started early in the year have the fruit well advanced for 
ripening, and any leaves overhanging the fruit should be drawn aside 
or shortened so as to admit of the fruit colouring. Still continue 
syringing in fine weather until the fruit commences ripening. Clear 
rain water only should be used ; hard water leaves a deposit on the 
fruit and is a great blemish. In the succession houses tying down 
the shoots and thinning the fruit will now be the principal routine 
required. Give the inside borders some liquid manure occasionally 
during the time the fruit are in their first swelling, removing the 
covering material from external borders, and if at all dry give a 
thorough watering with tepid water, and in the case of weakly trees 
or those carrying a full crop afford liquid manure at 80°. 
Cherry House .—The fruit is now quite ripe, and when the whole 
crop is in that condition the object will be to preserve them fresh 
and plump for some time. Shading should not be resorted to unless 
prolonging the season of supply be very desirable, or the foliage or 
position of the trellis is such as to expose the Cherries to the direct 
rays of the sun : under such circumstances it will be beneficial. A 
free circulation of air should constantly prevail in the house, and in 
dry hot weather damp the borders occasionally. There must not be 
any neglect in watering, and as soon as the Cherries are gathered 
recommence syringing the trees. Trees in pots will require daily 
attention in watering, and do not remove them from the house until 
the buds are well formed ; then stand the pots on a bed of ashes in a 
sunny position, surrounding the pots with ashes, which will prevent 
the sun’s rays acting on the roots. 
. i •; ■ i • i • i • i 1 . i • i 
■! . I'M , HI. I .'I, |-rn 
HE BEE-KEEPER. 
i 1 -1 r r-l-r. 
LAW ON BUILDING DRONE COMB—OVER- 
SWARMING. 
Many thanks for your sound advice to me for introducing a 
Ligurian queen. That advice I followed, and made an artificial 
swarm out of the straw skep I told you of, and the new queen was 
accepted all right. I now desire to ask when I can make another 
swarm from the same skep. It has its old queen yet, and is very 
strong. The last one, on the 13th inst., was made by removing 
the old hive and putting the new one on the old stand. Would 
you advise me to drive the queen with them this time, or would 
you advise me to give them a comb containing Ligurian eggs 
from the one introduced on the 13th inst. ? These are things I 
am thinking of, but would like to have your opinion. In fact, I 
would venture to suggest that questions as well as answers should 
be printed. It would greatly help readers to understand the 
answer and apply it to their own case.— Comber. 
[Our correspondent’s suggestion that the publication of queries 
in, extenso would often help the reader to understand the reply 
more fully, we take to be perfectly accurate, and we have in 
consequence sometimes followed this course. We believe, in 
addition, that interest would be increased and a new light 
thrown often upon practical apiculture were our correspondents 
occasionally to give us their experience in following our or any 
advice, even if it be but the relation of a failure. For, as in moral 
matters “ by the faults of others wise men correct their own,” so 
in matters practical the failure of others may often be the occa¬ 
sion of our success. But to our correspondent’s query. 
We know from long experience that great increase in numbers 
is decidedly inconsistent with honey yield, and should therefore 
recommend that the frame hive and the skep be both now de¬ 
voted to surplus gathering. It is easy to multiply stocks during 
the summer, and the temptation thereto is likely perhaps to make 
us overlook the fact that in doing this we shall have actually to 
feed while others are getting supers filled, and that after all when 
autumn is closing we may find ourselves, even if we are more 
than beginners, with many weak stocks instead of a few strong 
ones. As winter draws nigh uniting would, in these circum¬ 
stances, become necessary, and quickly our large number of 
colonies sinks to fewer than we should have possessed had we 
been contented with a normal rate of increase. “ In all labour 
there is profit,” says the wise man ; but the profit with us would 
have to take the intangible form of experience, the gain of which 
would make us better managers in the future. In our hearing, 
not long since, an American owner of 350 stocks was asked how 
colonies were to be made most profitable. His instant reply, 
“ Keep as few as you can,” though brief, contained not a little 
wisdom. As many bees, but as few colonies as possible, is un¬ 
doubtedly the line along which alone large profits can be made. 
If the skep in question be strong in numbers, and our corre¬ 
spondent is anxious rather for stock than supers, a second swarm 
may be made not earlier than about a fortnight after the taking 
of the first, which was done, we must remember, by confining an 
