408 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 8,1881 
influence for some time by the removal of the lights, but in the case of 
the lights not being removed a good watering will be of great service 
in settling the fresh soil about the roots and keeping the buds plump 
and sound during the resting period, for should the soil become dry at 
that season it is likely the buds will fall. The lights having been 
removed they need not be replaced until severe weather commences. 
If the lights are fixed ventilate fully day and night whenever frost does 
not prevail ; and unless there are plants that need safety from frost do 
not employ fire heat to exclude it, as the cooler the trees are kept the 
more complete the rest, so essential to a vigorous blossom and after¬ 
growth. 
Late Houses .—The foliage will be ripening, and the trees may be 
assisted in shedding it by lightly brushing them with a broom, but no 
forcible removal of the foliage must be attempted. In the case of trees 
that have not yet ripened the wood gentle fire heat by day with free 
ventilation will be serviceable, but no fire heat should be employed at 
night, and air must circulate through the house constantly. A some¬ 
what dry condition of the atmosphere is advisable, but there must not • 
be any deficiency of water at the roots, or the buds will not be plumped. 
In the case of trees that do not ripen the wood kindly a trench taken 
out at about one-third the distance from the stem the trees cover in 
extent of trellis, and as low as the roots, detaching all roots and leaving 
the trench open for about a fortnight, will assist them wonderfully, and 
then removing the soil from the trench inwards to the stem down to 
the roots, lifting if necessary and laying-in in fresh compost, ramming 
firmly, as also in the trench, and giving a good watering, fresh rootlets 
will be admitted in readiness for the support of the blossom. Trees in 
unheated late houses may be treated similarly, but in no case operate 
on the trees except by taking out a trench until the wood is firm and 
the foliage is becoming mature. 
Cucumbers .—During such mild weather as has lately prevailed very 
little tire heat has been necessary, and the atmospheric moisture under 
those conditions has necessarily had to be reduced. This needs some 
judgment and prompt attention, as to keep the house close, moist, and 
warm during such weather is apt to cause the plants to become suc¬ 
culent and ill fitted to bear the vicissitudes of our variable climate. 
With a change to severe and bright weather more moisture will be 
necessary, but as a rule damping all available surfaces in the morning 
and afternoon will be sufficient, with a light syringing early in the 
afternoon of exceptionally fine days. Autumn fruiters, or the plants that 
were put out early in September, will be showing fruit freely, and as the 
results at Christmas to March depend entirely on the treatment in this 
and next month, it is necessary that the plants be not now allowed to crop 
heavily, removing all superfluity forthwith, and attend carefully to 
stopping, thinning, and tying the young shoots, disposing them evenly 
and avoiding overcrowding. Remove any decayed portion of wood or 
foliage that may appear, and keep the glass clean both inside and out, as 
every ray of light is now of consequence. 
Pines. —Fermenting Beds .—Tree leaves in many places are still 
employed as a heating medium for Pines, and where plentiful supplies 
can be obtained they will with ordinary care when made up into beds 
afford heat for a long time quite sufficient for the requirements of young 
growing stock, the nature of the heat not being surpassed if equalled 
by that obtained by any other means. Oak and Beech leaves, from their 
hard texture, and therefore more lasting, are the best—indeed those that 
should be used. The chief point in their management is to collect them 
when dry or in a moderately moist condition, as they do not in that state 
decompose so quickly, and a prolonged supply of beat of a general and 
evaporating character is thereby secured. To plunge the pots in about 
a foot of tan is better than leaves, and has a neat appearance which in 
private establishments is of considerable importance. 
General Remarks .—The weather has not yet necessitated sharp firing, 
and so long as the recent mild weather continues the temperature indi¬ 
cated in our recent calendars may remain in force ; but with the setting- 
in of severe weather it is better to be content with 5° less in each 
department than have recourse to hard firing. Coverings as aids to the 
heating apparatus are of importance, and less the plants feel the effects 
of sharp firing the better, which coverings in severe weather considerably 
molify, as well as the fuel bill. Be careful in the application of water to 
the roots, and only apply it when necessary, but then thoroughly. Keep 
the glass free of accumulation of dirt, as every ray of light kept from the 
plants is representative of so much depreciation in their health. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Primula obconica .—This is a most useful Primula for cultivation in 
pots, and is admirably adapted for conservatory decoration at this season 
of the year. It is very free-flowering in a small state ; in fact, the plants 
we possess flowered more or less all the season, and the strongest are 
now in grand condition. It should be raised from seed either sown 
at once or early in the new year, but the sooner the better, for the greater 
size and strength the plants attain the more attractive and beautiful they 
are. The flowers, which are pale lilac in colour, are by no means showy 
when the plants are small and only bearing one or two trusses of flowers, 
but when strong and a dozen or more are borne above the foliage, with 
a6 many others to succeed them, they are invaluable. The seed’ should 
be sown in an intermediate temperature, and the young plants grown on 
afterwards the same as the varieties of Primula sinensis. After they are 
placed in the pots they are intended to flower in, 6 or 7-inch pots being 
a good size, they can be stood outside until autumn, and then housed 
in the greenhouse when required to be brought forward into flower. 
Carnation Souvenir de la Malmaisoti .—Those requiring plants in pots 
of this and its pink form Lady Middleton to flower next June, July, or 
August, and the same plants to flower the following year during March 
and April, should make a start at once. Young plants that have been 
layered outside and are strong and dwarf should be selected and placed 
in 4-inch pots in a cold frame, which should be kept close until they are 
well rooted. Early in the season when these pots are full of roots place 
them in 7-inch pots, and from these into 10-inch when ready. Those, 
required for flowering during the first month mentioned should do so in 
the 7-inch pots, but those for the last two months in the last-named size. 
These plants should be grown under glass to do them well, especially so 
when wanted to flower in early spring the following year. After flowering, 
the growths that start from the base should be pegged or layered on the 
surface of the soil, and plants for spring flowering will be produced that 
will carry from six to nine spikes of large flowers. 
Rhododendrons .—The early-flowering varieties, such as R. Early Gem, 
R. prsecox, R. multiflorum, and others that have been planted out and 
required for flowering early, should be lifted and potted without delay. 
These when lifted should be placed under glass, and when required to 
flower should only be brought forward slowly and gradually, or else their 
buds will stand still and refuse to open. The flowers from lifted plants 
do not last so long or are so readily induced to flower as those that are 
established in pots. We have discontinued the lifting practice with 
these varieties, and advise all that require them early in flower to do the 
same. The forcing required can be done under glass in the spring, and 
the plants will unfold their flowers under almost natural treatment early 
in autumn. Our earliest batch would come into flower in about three 
weeks if kept close and we required them. They are still outside and will 
remain for some time, but in case of frost they will have the protection 
of mats. 
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HE BEE-KEEPER. 
BEE-FARMING. 
“ F. H. P.” wishes to gain some information concerning bee- 
farming. Although bee-keeping has been a hobby with us for many 
years, and we have mainly indulged in the pursuit because of the 
pleasure and recreation thereby obtained, at the same time we have 
endeavoured to make it a profitable undertaking from a pecuniary 
point of view. We are therefore able to some extent to reply to 
F. H. P.’s ” questions on page 365. However, our experience has 
not been with a very large number of stocks, the most we ever kept 
at one time being under fifty. We have kept year by year an 
accurate account of the outlay and income in respect of our apiary, 
and can therefore give some idea as to the profit or loss to be expected 
in bee-keeping. We cannot say how far these results would be 
affected either way by keeping a large bee-farm such as is contem¬ 
plated by “ F. H. P.” We will answer the questions in order :— 
1, Bee-keeping is decidedly profitable if well managed and under 
certain conditions. With proper care and attention heavy losses in 
bad seasons are not to be expected, but a certain amount of expendi¬ 
ture will be incurred with no income. It must not be expected that 
all the income is to be derived from the sale of honey alone ; bee- 
farmers derive their income from several sources—the breeding of 
queens, the sale of swarms, of bee appliances, &c. A bad honey 
year is often productive of many swarms, and the accounts are 
balanced by the sale of the same. 
2, There are doubtless men who could obtain, and who do obtain, 
a substantial income from bee-keeping, but it is only by much labour 
and skill that a large apiary can be managed with success. 
3, We can confidently say that in a fairly good neighbourhood, 
taking an average of seven or ten years, £1 per hive per annum can 
be counted on as profit. This is, ^s we have before stated, the case 
where not more than fifty hives have been taken into account. A 
neighbourhood may no doubt be overstocked, and in order to obtain 
a nett income of £400, some 400 stocks should be kept. These 
would have to be scattered over a large area, not all kept on one plot 
of ground. Extra labour would be thus necessary to travel from plot 
to plot, and expenses would crop up of which Ave know nothing, nor 
will Ave venture to give any advice concerning such a large under¬ 
taking. 
4, We should certainly say that with such a number of stocks 
Heather alone could not be depended on to give a profitable return. 
Such a year as 1882 would render the honey harvest from Heather 
almost nil. Early summer crops, such as Mustard, bush fruit, Clover, 
&c., should be within reach of the bees ; they would fly for these 
more than a mile, but of course the nearer the pasture is to the hives 
the more honey there will be stored. 
5, The best hives to use would be well-made double-walled bar- 
frame hives of large capacity for obtaining surplus back and front 
or on both sides of brood-nest, as well as over the same. The common 
English bee or the Ligurian pure or crossed with the former stock are 
Avhat we should cultivate. 
6, We would recommend the careful study of several good books 
