December IS, 1883. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
519 
Cut back or entirely remove old spurs, and then cut the least promising 
shoots that have reached the extremity of the trellis, to make room for free 
sturdy growth and give a chance to the development of foliage and wood, 
which must have free exposure to light and air to insure a crop and colour. 
Spare no pains in cleansing the trees of insects. If there be scale syringe 
with petroleum two or three times at intervals. A wineglassful to three 
gallons of water kept well mixed whilst being applied is suitable and 
efficacious. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Clerodendron Balfourianum —No plant is better adapted for forcing 
into flower early than this useful aud beautiful stove climber. Plants that 
have been thoroughly ripened and at rest for some weeks past in a 
temperature of 55° may now be started. Place the plants in a temperature 
that will not fall below 60° at night, and syringe twice daily. If a little 
bottom heat can be given so much the better, but good results can be 
obtained without it. Give a little water at the roots, but not sufficient to 
thoroughly moisten the whole ball until signs of growth are visible. Those 
that have been carefully dried or are now at rest must not be placed in 
too low a temperature, or it will prove fatal, and the plants will not start 
Into growth. Those that bloomed later, and have still their foliage upon 
them, must have—if the wood is well ripened—less water at their roots, 
but the supply must be gradually diminished, and the plants should occupy 
a drier position than the stove. 
AllamaniMS .—Where the flowers of these are required early for filling 
shallow vases, in which they look remarkably well with a little Fern, a 
start may now be made. The plant selected for this purpose mnst have 
been well ripened and at rest for the last six or seven weeks. If the plant 
is large enough to cover the space required prune close back to one or two 
eyes. If grown in a pot it should be turned out and the whole ball 
reduced to half its size, retaining as many fibry roots as possible. After 
this the ball, if thoroughly dry, should be soaked in tepid water and then 
allowed to drain before it is again potted. The same size pot may be used, 
or a larger, according to the space the plant is required to cover. Drain the 
pot liberally, and place over the drainage a little decayed manure. In 
potting press the new soil as firmly as possible round the old ball, and use 
a compost of good fibry loam, a seventh of decomposed manure, and 
sufficient sand to render the whole porous. Place the plant after this 
operation in the temperature advised above for Clerodendrons, and 
syringe at least twice daily, but do not give water at the roots, for if the 
soil is in proper condition for moisture at potting time none will be needed 
until the plant commences growth. Another plant should now be at rest 
to succeed the one to be started, and if water hi9 been gradually withheld 
it may be kept dry until the time arrives for starting it into growth. 
Keep it in a temperature 5° lower than advised for starting them into 
growth after resting. Gradually diminish the supply of water to other 
plants that it is necessary to bring to rest, but do not withhold it entirely 
until the foliage has ripened naturally. Plants from which bloom3 are 
still required must be encouraged by feeding and brisk heat. These plants 
produce an enormous quantity of flowers, and three plants are ample for a 
continuous supply of flowers for eight months out of the twelve. 
Bovgainvillea glair a.—This plant supplies most useful flowers for 
cutting, and a plant or two if grown in pots may now be started under the 
same conditions as advised for Allamandas. If the plants have not been 
pruned thin out liberally all weak growths, for a few strong shoots will 
produce more flowers than a much greater number of small ones. The old 
soil must be picked carefully from amongst the roots until the old ball is 
reduced by one-half, but this we prefer doing just as the plant is starting 
into growth. This, however, is not of vital importance, for good 
results can be obtained by potting wheu the plants are started, but more 
careful treatment is requiied until root-action commences. The soil should 
he good loam, a seventh of manure, a little broken charcoal, and a liberal 
flash of coarse sand. 
Gloxinias .—A few of the tubers that were rested first may now be 
started, and the plants when in flower will be found valuable for the stove 
or conservatory, or the flowers for cutting. Shake all the old soil from the 
tubers and soak them previous to potting in tepid water. The tubers, accord¬ 
ing to their size, may be placed in the pots in which they are intended to 
flower in. Very fine plants can be grown 5 or 6-inch pots. If possible 
plunge the pots where they will receive bottom heat in cocoa-nut fibre 
■or other plunging material. The rim of the pots may be covered, which 
will prevent the application of water until the tubers commence growing. 
If possible let the bottom heat range at from 75° to 80°, and the top heat 
from 60° to 65° at night. Use a compost of loam, manure, leaf soil, and 
sand. 
a 
it 
HE BEE-KEEPER. 
NOTES ON BEES—PRACTICAL MANAGEMENT. 
Food in Ilives. —We know of nothing which will conduce in a 
greater degree to successful bee-culture than a little extra care and 
attention in preparing hives for passing through the winter well. To 
accomplish this, the main points to be looked to are food, ventilation, 
dryness, and warmth. With regard to the first and main point— 
food—the generally accepted notion is that a stock of bees should 
have 25 tbs. or 30 tbs. of food to carry it safely over the winter — 
that is, from November to March ; but we differ from this notion 
entirely, and have proved in numbers of instances that a stock 
properly prepared will be abundantly provided if it has 15 lbs. or 
1G tbs. of sealed food in November. To insure them this amount we 
give to a stock from which all the honey has been extracted five 
quarts of thick syrup, weighing about 18 tbs., and as about 2 tbs. or 
3 lbs. will be lost in storage it leaves the first-named nett weight 
for u<e. 
Protecting Hives. — When preparing the hive for winter nine 
combs are removed in the spare frame box, and in this removal we 
take care that only the best combs are left ; all faulty ones or those 
which contain too much pollen being taken away. These nine combs 
occupy the centre of the hive body, and when the dividers are pushed 
close up on either side, the 6-inch hair quilts are laid on edge against 
them, forming a warm wall, and avoiding the litter and mess which 
loose chaff packing causes. The section crate with a piece of calico 
tacked on to its under side is filled with 3 or 4 inches of cork dust 
and forms the winter covering (first fixing a feeding stage 4 inches 
square, with high sides between the cross bars of the crate, so that 
the cork dust is kept clear of the feeding bottle), one thickness of 
carpet is laid cn the wood quilt, and over this the crate prepared as 
above. The great advantage of this simple arrangement for winter¬ 
ing is that it can be so easily'’ removed and replaced. The feeding 
stage, if covered with a square of glass, can have barleysugar or 
candy cake placed in it. thus avoiding the objectionable practice of 
disturbing the quilts in order to lay the barleysugar across the tops 
of the trames. The diagram below will explain the arrangement 
better than a mere verbal description. 
Fig. 103. 
Sectional view across the front of hive, showing winter arrangement. 
A, floorboard ; B B, dividers ; C C, hair quilts; D D, hair quilts not in use ; E E, section 
crate with cork dust; F, feeding stage ; G G, unoccupied portion of hive. 
The dotted lines indicate the form a cluster of bees assumes when wintered on shallow 
frames. 
fine day to open the hive and note the condition of the stock. If the 
bees are fairly numerous remove one of the frames, uncap the whole 
of the food in it, and replace it in the hive near the centre, but take 
care not to insert it between combs containing brood, as February is 
too early for this. The bees will be thoroughly aroused by the un¬ 
sealed food, and if the weather is favourable stimulative feeding may 
be continued by giving either syrup or candy food till the beginning 
of March, when a second examination is necessary, and if food is 
found on three or four combs another frame containing sealed food 
should have the latter uncapped and be placed between the sealed 
brood. As the stock becomes more populous this spreading of the 
brood may be repeated twice a week ; when April sets in we prefer 
to use comb foundation instead of the reserve combs. Our reason for 
this preference is, that the use of foundation at this time induces the 
“ comb-building impulse ” which gives such an impetus to the work¬ 
ing of a stock of bees in spring, while the shallow frame minimises 
the danger of its use, except in the most careless hands. 
It must be observed that our hive is paiticularly adapted for 
continuous feeding in spring, because the body of the hive is never 
intended to contain much surplus food (except when put into winter 
quarters), and when the bees are wintered on nine small frames it 
will be seen that a few weeks of active breeding will see these mostly 
occupied with hatching bees in all stages, while the additional frames 
given in spreading brood contain only empty comb or comb founda¬ 
tion, 60 that if the food is given regularly and judiciously, the bees 
