November 3,1881.] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 411 
feres with the free access of light to the plants, which now more than 
at any other time is essential to their health, therefore a little venti¬ 
lation should be given whenever an opportunity offers. In order to 
keep young stock sturdy ventilate liberally houses or pit3 when the 
weather is suitable. Water at the roots will not be required so fre¬ 
quently now as when absorption by the plants and evaporation is 
more powerful, but the plants must be looked over at least once a 
fortnight, and a supply given when required. Make the most of sun 
heat in the fruiting department, closing early in the afternoon with 
sun heat at 80°, and when the weather is mild keep the night tem¬ 
perature at 70°, and under adverse circumstances 5° less. 
Vines .—"Where it is necessary to have new Grapes ripe in April the 
first early house should now be started. The border outside should 
be covered with a good thickness of Oak or Beech leaves, with a third 
or fourth of horse dung incorporated, and in addition to this wooden 
shutters should be provided to throw off cold rains and snow. If the 
supply of these materials is not such as to admit of fresh additions 
being made to those on the border as the heat declines and requires 
renewal, it will be advisable not to put on the material so thick as to 
cause much fermentation, but only a foot thickness to preserve the 
roots from frost, with shutters to throw off rain and snow. Apply¬ 
ing fermenting materials at starting, and allow them to become cold 
for want of renewal when the Yines are in active growth is injurious ; 
a foot depth of bracken, or dry leaves, or litter, with means of throw¬ 
ing off rain or snow, is better. To facilitate the commencement of 
growth a good bed of leaves and litter inside the house by producing 
a moist genial ammonia-vapour-charged atmosphere will be bene¬ 
ficial as well as lessening the necessity for fire heat. The inside 
border should receive a thorough supply of water at a temperature 
of 85° to 90°, repeating it as needed to render the soil thoroughly 
moist. Sling the rods in a horizontal position to insure their break¬ 
ing regularly, lowering young canes to cause the bottom buds to 
start. Syringe three times a day, and keep every part of the house 
moist by sprinkling in bright mild weather. 
The Yines at this season will need a temperature of 50° to 55° at 
night and 60° to 65° by day to start them into growth. Those to be 
started early in December for fruiting early in May must be prepared 
without delay, thoroughly cleansing the house, and keeping it cool 
for the present. Collect leaves and stable litter for making a bed 
when the time arrives for closing the house. Push on the pruning 
and cleansing of succession houses as fast as the crops are removed 
and the foliage has fallen. Remove the loose surface soil from the 
roots, and supply good loam, to which has been added a little bone 
meal. The advantage of early pruning and a long rest for Yines 
cannot be over-estimated, and the past season having been highly 
favourable to the increase of red spider extra care in washing and 
dressing the rods will save much trouble another season. Remove 
all leaves from Yines going to rest, keeping the house cool, dry, and 
airy. The fruiting Yines in pots for successions should be pruned, 
washed, and dressed with an insecticide, placing them where they 
will be dry and cool, having protection from frost until they are 
wanted. 
STRAWBERRIES IN POTS. 
Plants intended for early forcing and having well-developed crowns 
may now have the surface soil stirred without injury to the roots, 
and be top-dressed with fresh horse droppings made fine and placed 
on compactly, leaving sufficient space for watering. The drainage 
also should be attended to, any accumulations of dirt being removed 
from the outside of the pot by washing. Where there is a house for 
forcing this useful plant, and the fruit is required ripe early, the 
plants may be introduced, it being necessary that they be raised 
near to the glass on shelves with means of admitting air freely. A 
temperature of 50° is sufficient to commence with, admitting air 
freely above that heat, not allowing an advance above 65° without 
liberal ventilation. When the flowers are opening the temperature 
may be raised to 55°, and 60° to 65° in the daytime ; and when the 
fruit commences swelling, 60° to 65° at night and 70° to 75° by day 
will be necessary. Supply liquid manure, and secure a genial atmo¬ 
sphere by lightly syringing overhead, and damping available surfaces 
in the morning and afternoon. When the fruit is ripening a drier 
condition at the roots and in the atmosphere will be necessary. The 
general stock of plants may be plunged in ashes in cold frames, 
exposing them fully when the weather is mild. Where frames are 
not at command the pots should be plunged in ashes in a sheltered 
position, and in severe weather a covering of mats or dry fern will 
afford the needful protection. 
MR. PETTIGREW AND BEE SHOWS. 
As a young bee-keeper I beg to tell Mr. A. Pettigrew that he 
is mistaken as regards the work of the British Bee-keepers’ Asso¬ 
ciation through their tents. I can state without fear of contradic¬ 
tion that never in the memory of man has there been such a 
desire to keep bees as at the present time. In this district people 
have been so encouraged in bee-keeping as taught through the 
tents, that the agents in the north of Ireland have had to repeat 
their orders again and again for bar-frame appliances, as Messrs. 
G. Neighbnur & Sons could testify. Further, new manufacturers 
have started in all parts of the country ; and besides all this I 
have almost daily applications for instructions concerning the 
bar-frame hive. When Mr. Pettigrew says that the tent manipu¬ 
lations tend to frighten people, I am tempted to ask him if he 
is serious. As regards sectional supers, nothing could be more 
taking than they are, and those who exhibit them at shows are 
pressed all day to dispose of them; while on the other hand, 
few “spear the price” of a glass super 21 lbs. at 2s. per lb., or 
a big straw skep filled with honey, brood, bee-bread, &c. Mr. 
Pettigrew does not like the honey-extractor, as he says it throws 
out crude honey. But can he not wait until it is sealed, then 
uncap it and extract it? It would scarcely be crude honey then. 
Is not honey in frame hives as good as honey in straw skeps ? 
Having learned much from the British Bee-keepers’ Association 
I must protest against Mr. Pettigrew, in his enthusiasm for the 
straw skep, trying to throw cold water upon a system that for 
pleasure or profit is in the estimation of thousands the best that 
has yet been introduced. Mr. Pettigrew is no doubt an excellent 
judge of bees, but many dispute his competency to be a sound 
and impartial judge of systems.— Comber, Co. Down, 
A RETROSPECT. 
The season of 1881 has been favourable for honey-gathering 
in some localities and very unfavourable in others. In the south 
of England and in the East Riding of Yorkshire, in Lincolnshire, 
and other parts bordering the German Ocean, bees on the whole 
have done well, and, so far as I can learn, the bee-keepers in those 
parts are satisfied with their harvest of honey. The bee and 
honey exhibitions in London and at Louth, Lincolnshire, were 
considered good and satisfactory. In many other parts of England, 
bees, during the hot weather in June, gathered great stores of 
honey, and thereby created great interest in apiarian circles and 
expectations of large profits ; but in the flush and glut of honey 
from white Clover the weather became bad and did not improve 
till the Clover season ended ; and as hives were then full of bees, 
and as bees in summer need and consume much food, their large 
stores were soon made less. During the last half of July and all 
August bees lost weight very fast. Though the season has been 
encouraging from some points of view, it cannot be considered a 
first-rate one for honey in some of the midland and northern 
counties of England. The quality of the honey taken, however, 
has been excellent. 
In this neighbourhood in the month of May the aphis or plant 
louse which produces “honeydew” appeared on the leaves of 
Sycamore trees, and a little of its produce was gathered by bees, 
which partly discoloured better honey stored with it in the combs. 
Honeydew on trees near an apiary is a great nuisance and dis¬ 
couragement to many bee-keepers. 
The Scottish bee-keepers, who during the last dozen of years 
have been favoured with some good seasons for honey, while the 
English have had to contend against some very unfavourable ones, 
have this year been more unfortunate than we, for the honey 
season in the north has been a failure. Even on the moors in 
Scotland this year bees gathered little if any honey at all. In the 
north of England no heather honey has been obtained this year. 
From Ireland I have not had any particulars as to the success 
or non-success of bee-keepers there this year. I have seen some 
Irish honey of this season good enough of its kind, evidently 
gathered from the yellow weed of cornfields, known by the name 
