January 5, 1882. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 17 
desirable to disperse the pollen, employing a catnel’s-hair brush, or 
feather for gently placing the pollen on the stigma, or the trellis may 
be shaken occasionally whilst the trees are in bloom. The Vines in 
the second house, which are usually started early in the year, are 
now, owing to the weather, in a more advanced condition than they 
are generally three weeks hence, the trees now having the blossom 
showing colour, and will only need to have fire heat to secure a night 
temperature of 40° to 45°, and 50° by day, above which ventilate 
freely. Syringe morning and afternoon until the blossoms expand, 
when it must be discontinued, damping only the paths and borders 
in the morning and early afternoon on bright days. The trees in the 
third house, which it is customary to start early in February to afford 
ripe Peaches in July, have the buds already swelling, and must not 
longer have the pruning and dressing delayed, securing to the trellis, 
and having all in readiness for a start when the time arrives, venti¬ 
lating freely at all times, except when frost prevails. All the trees 
in late succession houses now require pruning, dressing with an in¬ 
secticide and securing to the trellis, removing the loose surface soil 
down to the roots, and supplying 2 or 3 inches’ depth of fresh loam, 
to which has been added a small proportion of bone meal and wood 
ashes. If there is any doubt about the border being in a moist con¬ 
dition make an examination, and if necessary afford a thorough 
supply, for if the trees become dry at the roots it is more than pro¬ 
bable the bloom buds will be cast at a later period. 
Melons .—This is a good time to sow for the first crop, half filling 
3-inch pots with moderately light soil, placing a seed in each, and 
covering about half an inch deep with fine soil. The soil should be so 
moist as not to require water until the seeds have germinated, and if 
the pots can be plunged in a bottom heat of 80° to 85° it will be an 
advantage, but the seedlings must be kept near the glass to insure a 
sturdy growth, and being sown low in the pots the young seedlings 
can be earthed as they grow, which will gi’eatly strengthen them, 
and is preferable to sowing several seeds in a pot and to potting the 
plants singly, which always gives a check, especially at this early 
season. 
[plant houses. 
Stove .—Some plants of Allamandas must be now started for early 
flowering. They having been well ripened the wood will be quite 
hard, and may, if the plants are full-sized, be cut back to where they 
were pruned to last year, but under any circumstances they must be 
cut back to well-ripened wood. The potting should be done at the 
time of pruning, reducing the old ball about half, and if dry soak 
in tepid water until thoroughly moist, and then return to the same 
size of pot, draining efficiently, and ram the soil quite firm, which 
should consist of turfy loam, with a fifth of decayed manure and a 
sixth of crystal sand, placing the plants near the glass, and syring¬ 
ing them twice daily. A. Hendersoni and Chelsoni are the best 
varieties to commence with. Plants that are placed out may also now 
be cut back, they having been kept dry at the roots to insure the 
ripening of the wood, and having the loose surface soil scraped from 
the roots and fresh material supplied as advised for potting. "Where 
quantities of flowers are required, and space on the roof can be given 
for planting out, considerably larger and more durable flowers are 
obtained than from pot plants, similar remarks applying to Bougain¬ 
villea glabra and Clerodendron Balfourianum. Plants of the two last 
which have been rested may now be started for early flowering, the 
Bougainvillea being cut back, and when the young shoots have 
pushed an inch reduce [the ball and repot, employing the compost 
advised for Allamandas. The Clerodendron, on the other hand, must 
not be repotted until after flowering. 
Stephanotis which has been kept rather cool and dry should be 
encouraged by an increase of heat and moisture to make growth, 
training it near the glass to insure free flowering. Plants of this 
and those previously named which it is not desirable to start for 
some time may be kept dormant by placing them at the coolest end 
of the stove, giving sufficient water only to prevent shrivelling. 
Ixoras and Dipladenias should be kept at the warmest end of the 
house, but do not increase the temperature until the days lengthen ; 
keep at C8° to 65° at night, and 70° to 75° by day. Gardenia citvi- 
odora is now in fine bloom, its Orange-like blossoms being useful 
when mounted for bouquets, and its fragrance delightful. It should 
not have any water on the foliage and not too much at the roots, or 
the flowers will be of short duration. G. intermedia with the buds 
in a forward state should be given an increase of temperature, but 
not too much, or the buds will fall, and the moisture at the roots and 
atmosphere must be moderate, or it will have a similar tendency by 
inducing growth instead of the swelling of the buds. A few Ama¬ 
ryllises now placed in heat and given an increase of moisture will 
come in in advance of the general stock and prove acceptable. Hip- 
peastrum pardinum is now flowering freely, some plants having two 
scapes from a bulb, and are very useful. This from its free-flowering 
habit and easy culture should be grown by everyone with a stove. 
Imantophyllum miniatum if given a slight increase of temperature 
and moisture will throw up its umbels of bright flowers and be 
useful; indeed, by having relays of plants started at intervals the 
flowering is prolonged over a lengthened period. 
Fine-foliage plants,not only as plants for decoration, but as affording 
leaves or sprays, are almost as indispensable as flowers, and attention 
should be given to starting a batch of Caladiums, potting in good 
turfy loam with a little well-decayed manure and a sprinkliag of 
sand, placing them in a light position and not supplying heat or 
moisture too freely, or the plants will be of little value when in a 
drier and cooler atmosphere. Crotons with shoots 10 inches in length 
and in good colour, detached, inserted in small pots, and placed in a 
brisk moist heat in a close frame, will root freely without losing the 
lower leaves, and be very useful, especially the narrow-leaved section, 
for decorative purposes. Dracaenas that have become tall should 
be notched directly under the head. Leave the stem a little above and 
below as well as over the incision covered with moss and wrapped 
with small copper wire, and kept moist; they will be rooted in about 
six weeks, and may then be detached and potted. Acalyphas from 
their bright-coloured leaves are useful for decoration ; the tops of 
well-coloured shoots strike readily treated similarly to Crotons. 
Small plants of Pandanus Yeitchi are very effective and should be 
increased whenever suckers are obtainable, inserting them singly 
in small pots in sandy loam, and when rooted place them in a 
light position. 
Plants of Adiantum cuneatum which have been rested and have 
brown fronds should be cut down and introduced to a stove tempera¬ 
ture, encouraging with plenty of moisture, and they will soon form 
splendid heads ; and grown near the glass the fronds, though paler 
in colour, will be more durable in a cut state from their harder 
texture. All Ferns required for a similar purpose should be grown 
in as much light as they will bear, which applies to almost all plants 
required for decorative purposes. 
PROGRESS. 
In practical and scientific apiculture considerable advancement 
has been made during the last ten or twelve years. Though slow 
the progress has been certain and encouraging. Many clever 
apiarians of the present time had not mastered the rudiments 
ten years ago. This advance has been made amidst the dis¬ 
couragements of unfavourable and disastrous seasons for bee¬ 
keeping in England. If the country had had seven years of 
sunshine out of the last ten instead of seven years of cloudy and 
unpropitious weather, the value of bees to the community would 
be better known and consequently more highly appreciated. Not¬ 
withstanding the inclement seasons and unfavourable harvests, 
bee-keeping is moving onwards in the right direction. Know¬ 
ledge is spreading ; inventions great and useful are introduced ; 
old and experienced men use them with advantage and grasp the 
whole subject of bee-keeping more firmly. Many young men who 
a few years ago were commencing attention to the subject have 
advanced and are expert in all manipulations in the apiary. 
Much knowledge has been widely spread during the last few years, 
and almost everywhere happy results are already evident. We 
predict that the progress will increase, and that bee-keeping will 
yet become a source of happiness and profit to thousands of the 
rural population of Great Britain and Ireland. 
During the last ten years we have lamented the misfortunes of 
