October 11, 1SS3. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
325 
r£ins and to be acted on injuriously by wind and frost before the 
large leaves have completed their functions and the growth is well 
ripened. It is futile expecting a profitable crop of Figs from trees 
in pots or otherwise not having the wood matured, and for early 
forcing it is essential that the trees be grown in heat so as to make 
and perfect an early growth. Water the trees above referred to mode¬ 
rately, but keep them rather dry than too wet until the leaves turn 
yellow and commence falling, when the pots may be placed close 
together and protected, if frost is not excluded from the house, with 
dry fern or litter until the time of their being placed in heat. Fig trees, 
unlike some other kinds of fruit trees, improve with age, which applies 
more particularly to trees in pots, and these ought, when forced early, to 
be plunged in some mild fermenting material into which the roots can 
run as the growth increases. Oak or Beech leaves, from their mild and 
■durable heat, answer better than either tan or stable litter, and afford a 
constant supply of nutriment at the most critical stage of growth, when 
a check from want of water is likely to cause the first crop of fruit to fall. 
Pines. — Re-arranging the Plants. —Plants which are likely to require 
similar treatment through the winter months should be brought together 
without much further delay, and assign those which are fruiting, or likely 
to do so shortly, a place where a sufficient heat is available under the 
most adverse weather, and where they will derive the full benefit of 
sunshine and light. Successional plants should be left to themselves in 
a house or pit that is not likely to have a very acrid atmosphere, but 
where moderate moisture is at all times present, with a temperature of 
about 60°. Young stock are best kept in health through the winter 
in light pits having fermenting materials in them, as these afford con¬ 
ditions favourable to vegetation, but it is necessary that the watering 
be judicious. 
The Fermenting Beds. —Now, or as soon after this as possible, the 
beds should be seen to, adding fresh material to those that require it, 
and only making up fresh beds when absolutely necessary, paying 
particular attention afterwards to the heat generated in them, as a 
superabundant amount of it at the roots, now that these are in an 
active state, would be quickly injurious to the plants, and upset future 
■calculations. Continue the temperature indicated in our last calendar, 
only in cold weather it may fall a few degrees ; and as this may shortly 
be expected let preparations for covering at night be completed, nothing 
being so economical in fuel, and the necessity for not heating the pipes 
so highly is very beneficial to the plants. 
Cucumbers. — Treatment in Houses .—Plants in full bearing, more 
especially those that have their roots in a somewhat confined space, 
should receive copious supplies of weak tepid liquid manure. Examine 
the plants at least once a week in order to stop the shoots one joint 
beyond the show of fruit, to thin out exhausted growths and where likely 
to be too crowded, training the growths evenly over the trellis. Main¬ 
tain a sweet growing atmosphere. Cut the fruit as soon as it attains a 
suitable size for table, and place them with the neck end in a saucer in 
which there is about an inch of water in a fruit or other room from 
which frost is excluded until they are required for use. The plants 
being freed of the strain upon them for food in the larger fruit will have 
it concentrated on the smaller fruits, and this should be persisted in 
during the fruiting period of the plants. 
Insects. —Should green or black aphides appear fumigate moderately 
two or three evenings in succession, having the foliage dry, but the 
other surfaces in the house must be well damped to maintain a genial 
atmosphere. Syringe well the following morning, and ventilate freely 
if the weather permits. Bed spider is not often much trouble at 
this season, but if it be present dress the hot-water pipes thinly with a 
mixture of flowers of sulphur and skim milk. This is also good against 
mildew, but the best remedy for the mildew is to dust the affected parts 
with flowers of sulphur. Canker must be subdued by rubbing quicklime 
well into the affected parts, repeating as needful. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Heaths and Epacris. —Plants that have been standing outside, or have 
had the protection of cold frames cr old lights merely for the sake of 
shooting off heavy rains, should now be housed. Assign them a light 
■airy position, which will assist to ripen them more thoroughly, and they 
will bloom better in consequence. Light and air are of the utmost 
importance, especially with those batches that flowered late and are 
■required for the same purpose again. These plants often flower sparsely, 
thus causing disappointment because they are not housed soon enough. 
It is a mistake to leave them in frames until the beginning of winter. 
Water them carefully, or injury will soon follow ; in fact, the plants 
■should never suffer by want of water, and need even more attention in 
this respect now than has been necessary in the summer, during which 
period they are not so liable to suffer by being overwatered, as is the case 
•at this season of the year. 
Chrysanthemums. —Plants intended for early flowering should be 
housed without delay, and will even bear gentle forcing if wanted as 
■early as possible. Such varieties as Elaine, James Salter, Early Red 
Dragon, Soeur Melanie, Mrs. Rutter, and La Coquette are amongst the 
best for early flowering. If a batch is given a little heat and another 
lot of plants placed in a cold house a succession of flowers will be main¬ 
tained. Those grown for late blooming must be kept outside as long as 
possible ; but they must have a sheltered position, for heavy cutting 
winds do them much injury at this season of the year. Any temporary 
structure is useful where the plants can be protected from bad weather 
and early frosts, and then placed outside during the day when fine, and 
■also during mild nights. Eradicate aphides as they make their appear 
ance with tobacco powder, and wash the plants if mildew makes its 
appearance with softsoap water in which a little sulphur has been mixed, 
and protect them from heavy rains after it has been applied until the 
mildew has been destroyed. 
SEASONABLE NOTES. 
Cold wet weather and shortened days assure us that summer has 
gone, and with it the honey season of 1883. The now completed 
harvest must be differently characterised for different parts of the 
United Kingdom. There have been local periods of plenty and local 
periods of famine. While some parts have yielded an income above 
the average, some have given the bees hardly sufficient to keep them 
alive ; but taken as a -whole, the season may be looked upon as a fairly 
remunerative one to the bee-master. 
After a long absence from home we return to find that our own 
bees, situated near an abundance of Heather, have evidently made 
good use of the late fine weather. The condition of the hives proves 
that their inmates have “ improved each shining hour.” Although 
supers put on before we left home are not all finished off as we should 
have liked to have seen them, still many sections have been completed. 
Others, well filled with honey, but not sealed completely, will be very 
nice for present consumption. Nearlyevery hive has given a surplus, all 
from the Heather. Some of these hives had already given supers from 
the early harvest, which was principally gathered from fruit trees, wild 
flowers, and Bean and Clover blossoms. These supers were filled prior 
to July 20th. Our best bar-frame hive has yielded altogether 55 lbs. 
of super honey— i.e., 40 lbs. in sections over the hive, and 15 lbs. of 
good white comb, taken from the back of the hive, outside a queen- 
excluding dummy ; the best straw skeps gave us a super of 18 lbs. of 
sections. Every hive had stored more honey than was needed for 
wintering, some easily sparing frames of sealed honey from 10 lbs. to 
20 lbs. weight. These frames of honey often contained pollen also, 
and were put to a good use. 
We have inquired for stocks of bees which were about to be “ taken 
up.” Even in the midst of enlightened bee-keepers, after hearing 
lectures on the humane system, and after attending bee-tents at 
county shows, there are some who will still burn their bees, unless 
someone rescues them by driving and gives the bee-owner (we cannot 
say bee-keeper) a shilling a hive for saving them. We soon heard of 
some bees which were doomed—the owner did not wish wantonly to 
put them over the sulphur pit, but he “ hadn’t time to see to ’em,” and 
was very glad for us to save their lives. So we drove two very- strong 
colonies—strong as to the number of bees but with very little honey. 
The queen of one we caged and gave to a hive which was queenless, 
after well scenting the bees and queen. The bees of the driven hives 
were united, and a bar-frame hive stocked with them upon five of the 
frames taken from our hives, and an empty comb in the middle. 
This has made a very good stock, and we have not had to cut up and 
run down the honey from the brood combs, work we always dislike. 
Another colony will be made to-morrow with two other stocks of bees 
otherwise doomed. 
We have before pointed out the great mistake made by old- 
fashioned bee-keepers in allowing their hives to multiply too much in 
one season. Swarms and casts and virgin swarms and colts are 
constantly pointed out to us with much pride. A goodly r row of 
skeps, thirteen in number, was yesterday shown us as a grand result 
of the season’s bee-keeping. The owner had only four when we 
visited his garden in the spring. We were not thanked for our 
advice when we pointed out that if only the prime swarms had been 
kept and the rest returned, a better result as to weight of honey 
would have been realised. No, he did not like to meddle with the 
bees, they knew best themselves what was the thing to do. The fact 
is that the whole of the short summer’s weather had been taken up in 
preparing for swarming or in recruiting strength after swarming, and 
the harvest was lost. This man will “ take up ” his bees after 
hopping is over, which means about the 8th of October, and by that 
time there will not be sufficient honey left in the skeps to pay him for 
the trouble. So called “ swarms ” are already heard of in the district, 
a sure sign that bees are nearly starving, and rushing in dismay from 
their poverty-stricken homes. A correspondent in the Journal of last 
week marvels at the sight of a swarm of bees in September. It is 
indeed a very sad sight, and tells a tale of coming distress among 
poorly-provided stocks during the hard weather which is fast 
approaching. It is too late to remedy this state of things now by 
feeding with syrup with any certainty of success. Nights are cold, 
and the bees are more inclined to cluster closely for warmth than to 
mount for syrup. Should any reader have his hives so spread out as 
to numbers of stocks and thinned down as to strength of individual 
