July 21, 1881. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
67 
night. In the second house the fruit is nearly all gathered, and 
watering inside borders must not be neglected, nor syringing the trees 
so as to preserve the foliage in good condition. Trees enfeebled by 
forcing may be afforded liquid manure plentifully, which will help 
them to form plump flower buds. Cut out the growths (not exten¬ 
sions) that have borne fruit this season, and if there is any approach 
to overcrowding remove weakly growth, or where too crowded thin 
so as to allow that retained to become well matured. The fruit in 
the third house is now ripening fast, and must have good supplies of 
water and liquid manure. Fire heat will not be required, and if it 
is wished to bring the fruit forward allow the temperature to advance 
to 85° or 90° after free ventilation, which will be very much better 
than fire heat. Cease syringing the trees when the fruit commences 
ripening, and yet keep a moderate proportion of moisture in the 
house for the benefit of the foliage. In very hot weather the fruit 
ripens more quickly than is required, in which case retard by shading. 
Have the fruit near the glass to insure its colouring. In the next 
succession house supply the borders with liquid manure or water as 
may be needed. The trees must be well syringed and the shoots tied 
in closely, stopping laterals at one joint, also irregularities of growth. 
In late houses ventilation will be needed to the fullest extent in hot 
weather, and the borders must be well watered ; liquid manure assists 
the fruit, and mulching will help to keep the roots near the surface, 
lessening the necessity for frequent watering. See that there is not 
any overcrowding of the growths. 
ORCHARD HOUSE. 
Cherry trees in pots when the fruit has been gathered may be 
removed to a sunny position in the open air to harden the growth and 
perfect the fruit buds. The pots should be plunged, supplying water 
freely and syringing. Apricots are fast approaching maturity, and 
must not now be syringed. The early Peaches are ripening, and 
should be treated similarly to Apricots. The fruit of other Peaches 
Nectarines, Plums, and Pears are rapidly swelling, and the trees 
should be abundantly supplied with water, whether they be planted 
out or in pots. Liquid manure also may be applied occasionally, and 
the surface dressing renewed. Secure a moist atmosphere by syringing 
the trees freely and closing the ventilators between 5 and 6 P.M., 
opening them again between 6 and 7 A.M. Stop strong shoots where 
necessary, and rub off superfluous shoots, so as to admit light and air 
freely to the fruit. Fig trees in pots should have the young shoots 
stopped where found necessary, and be plentifully supplied with 
water and liquid manure whilst the fruit is swelling. Be careful to 
prevent a check, which is almost certain to result in the fruit dropping. 
A top-dressing of rich material will assist the fruit in swelling, also 
prevent dropping by encouraging surface-rooting. Ply the syringe 
freely until the fruit is ripening. Fig trees in an orchard house are 
not to be relied on for a second crop, but if the stopping has been 
attended to they will, if removed to a house with a slight artificial 
heat as soon as the first crop has been gathered, afford a second crop 
of ripe fruit. Vines in pots or otherwise will have the fruit fit for 
thinning, and should be carefully done. Supply liberally with liquid 
manure, and mulch the surface of the soil with short manure. 
FLOWER GARDEN. 
Flower beds require frequent attention to remove dead or decaying 
leaves and flowers ; removing the seed pods not only improves the 
appearance of the plants, but tends to a free and continued produc¬ 
tion of flowers. Verbenas, Petunias, and similar plants should be 
pegged down and picked over, also thinned by pinching a portion of 
the growths back. Calceolarias, Violas, Verbenas, and similar 
moisture-loving plants should have abundance of water in dry weather, 
but it should not be given over the flowers. Free-growing plants 
employed for carpet bedding soon encroach on weaker varieties if not 
frequently pinched-in ; the marginal lines and those forming the 
design must be kept clear and distinct. Subtropical plants advance 
rapidly, and unless securely staked and tied they are liable to be 
damaged by the wind ; similar remarks applying to Dahlias and all 
plants having a large leaf surface. Mulching with short manure 
and copious supplies of liquid manure are absolutely necessary to 
have these plants in good condition. Asters, Stocks, Zinnias, Mari¬ 
golds, and similar plants should, when in free growth, receive liquid 
manure abundantly, and if flowers of extra size are required the buds 
must be thinned. Prick off hardy perennials, and sow again if neces¬ 
sary. Roses must as they cease blooming have the growths shortened 
back a little, and be watered with liquid manure to insure a free 
growth and good autumn bloom, mulching with short manure a few 
inches thick. Syringe the plants in hot weather. If mildew appear 
syringe with pentasulphide of calcium, using a wineglassful to a 
gallon of water. Push on budding whilst stocks and buds are in good 
condition, continuing to make cuttings of ripened growth, inserting 
them under handlights. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Stove .—Plants that continue flowering through the summer and 
autumn, such as Allamandas, Dipladenias, and Bougainvilleas, are 
free-rooting, and should be assisted with a surface dressing of 
manure and liberal supplies of liquid manure applied before the 
plants become too much exhausted. Eucharis amazonica can hardly 
be grown in too great quantities where cut flowers are in request; 
and where sufficient plants are grown it may be had in flower all 
through the year by growing and resting some of the plants at 
different seasons. Plants that have completed a good growth since 
flowering should now be rested by withholding water until the leaves 
flag slightly, when a little should be given them, but not enough to 
induce growth. Place the plants in a house where the temperature 
is 5° or 10° lower than that in which the growth has been made for 
about six weeks, watering only to prevent the foliage becoming dry. 
After this remove them to their growing quarters, and they will soon 
produce their flower scapes, especially if bottom heat be afforded. 
Celosias from late-sown plants for autumn flowering, when they 
are very useful, should receive timely attention, not allowing them 
to become stunted for want of root room, and not affording more heat 
than will maintain them in steady progressive growth. The display 
of fine heads of bloom is in proportion to the size and strength of the 
plants. Very useful plants maybe grown in G or 7-inch pots, but 
very much finer will need 9 or 10-inch, in either case keeping them as 
near the glass as possible. A cold pit is suitable at this season kept 
rather close. Liquid manure may be afforded once or twice a week, 
and use the syringe daily to keep red spider in check. Anthurium 
Schertzerianum requiring more root room should be potted now the 
flowering is over, and this will afford the plant the benefit of the 
fresh compost whilst making its growth. Being a surface-rooting 
plant it does not require a great depth of soil, but must have efficient 
drainage. It does -well in fibrous peat, a third of sphagnum, and 
about a sixth in equal parts of crocks, charcoal, and sand. 
SWARMS UNITING. 
The other day I had some experience in hiving swarms that 
had clustered together, the narration of which may be helpful to 
some readers. The present season in Scotland has been rather 
productive of such mishaps, owing mainly to the rarity of suitable 
swarming weather and the suddenness of its arrival when it comes. 
The case I refer to was that of a neighbour, no less than five of whose 
large supered bar-frame hives had swarmed one after the other, 
all the swarms settling together in the next garden on an espalier 
Apple tree. I calculated the united cluster at 30 lbs. weight at 
least. The owner had been three hours at work endeavouring to 
hive the bees before I appeared on the scene, but as fast as he 
removed one of the three skeps propped over the cluster the bees 
left it and returned to the tree. To have attempted to get such a 
mass of bees into one hive might have been good policy so far as 
reaping a large harvest from one hive was concerned, but when 
this involved the loss of four fertile queens it was not to be thought 
of. My first determination, therefore, was to secure the queens. 
As one of the three skeps was quite full of bees, which also hung 
in a compact cluster a foot below its mouth, it was first set aside 
across two sticks resting on an empty box. Evidently this por¬ 
tion contained at least one queen, as the bees remained content 
after being separated from the clustering mass on the tree. By 
