18 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July S, 188t. 
air very early in the morning so as to prevent scorching, and in most 
cases it is advisable to leave a little on constantly. Pay careful atten¬ 
tion to the regulation of the laterals and young growths, adopting the 
extension principle where there is room for laying in without crowding, 
it being important that the foliage have full exposure to light. Keep 
all gross laterals stopped as necessary, so as to give an even flow of sap 
into all parts alike of the Vines. 
Young and Pot Vines .—Young Vines intended for fruiting next season 
that have made their wood, but have to ripen and cons didate it, will 
require a free circulation of air with a little fire heat if the weather be wet 
and cold. Remove the laterals from the buds intended to give fruit next 
season,^ carefully preserving the old leaves, allowing the growth at the 
extremities to continue for the present. Pot Vines intended for early 
forcing will have ripened up the growths and plumped the buds, and should 
be placed into a cool airy house, protecting the pots with canvas wrapped 
round the outside to keep them cool and prevent the sun heating the sides 
and destroying the roots. 
Chekry House. —The crop of fru’t being gathered, the next object is 
the proper development of the buds for next season, to attam which it is 
essential that the foliage be kept free of insects, washing them thoroughly 
with water from the S 3 'ringe or engine daily in fine weather, but in dull 
weather it will not be necessary to repeat it so frequently. Ventilate to 
the fullest extent for the present, but the lights must not be removed until 
the buds are plumped and the wood ripe. Examine the border, and if it 
needs water give a thorough supply, as from the frequent syringing the 
surface may he sufficiently moist, whilst lower down the soil may be too 
dry and the trees suffer in consequence. Trees in pots may as soon as 
they are cleared of the fruit be placed outdoors on a bed of ashes, the situa¬ 
tion being a sunny one, and they will only need water at the roots and 
syringing occasionally to keep them free from insects. 
Pines. —Natural advantages in the way of sunshine and heat should he 
made available as far as practicable in connection with the cultivation of 
these plants, so that artificial means should only be u’ed as auxiliary. 
In the case of fruiting plants fire heat should be dispensed with if the 
night temperature stand at 70°, and it will not he needed in other depart¬ 
ments where the young plants are located where 60° is assured. These 
may appear small matters, but they play an important part in fruit culture, 
especially Pine cultivation, as much depends upon making the most of 
natural advantages between this and October. The main supply of the 
fruit will by this time be cut from the most forward of the summer-fruiting 
plants, and at an early date the suckers, which if but one has been left to 
each plant will be strong, and should be taken off and potted without 
further delay in a compost of good prepared tuify loam in properly 
drained pots of 5 to 7 inches in diameter, according to the strength of the 
suckers, and be at once plunged in a fermenting bed having a temperature 
of 80 to 90° at 6 inches from the surface, a pit or house having a moist 
atmosphere being most suitable. Shade from sun, hut the shading must 
not be of a fixed character, yet it must be effsctual during powerful sun¬ 
shine, and should be continued for about a fortnight, after which the 
suckers will have rooted and growth be proceeding vigorously, after which 
no shade will be necessary, or only a little from very powerful sun. The 
suckers should be watered at the time of potting. Keep the pit or house 
damp by sprinkling. 
The general management of other plants will comprise attention to 
watering, shading, syringing, and ventilating the structures, the latter 
operatmn needing to have prompt attention by opening early to dispel 
darnp from the plants before the sun shines very powerfully upon them, 
closing early and syringing. Water judiciously, examining the plants 
twice a week, and when it is found necessary afford it abundantly. 
Cucumbers. —Attend regularly to the stopping, thinning, tying, and 
shoots, and any plants showing signs of exhaustion 
should have the bed well surface-dres.sed with an admixture of thoroughly 
decomposed dung and loam, and the whole well watered with tepid water, 
and then mulch with 2 or 3 inches thickness of short manure, keeping 
the house or pit at a good temperature. Syringe the plants twice a day 
in bright weather, and always with water a few degrees warmer than 
that of the house. With a discontinuance of fire heat less atmospheric 
moisture will be needed, and it must be regulated according to external 
influences, as with an excess of moisture it is probable mildew will 
appear. Pits or frames heated by fermenting materials that have been 
cleared of Melons may be planted with Cucumbers, a very slight renova¬ 
tion of the beds only being necessary, and these plants will make a good 
Recession to those in bearing. From pits or frames so planted. 
Cucumbers can be cut in a few weeks, and up to Christmas by attending 
to the linings when the weather becomes cold in autumn. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Chrysanthemums .—There is no better plant in cultivation for con¬ 
servatory and other forms of decoration than C. coronarium flore-pleno, 
with its perfectly double bright yellow flowers. It is a perfect gem in 
from 3 to 6-inch pots. Its dwaif habit and free-blooming qualities will 
doubtless bring it into the foremost rank as a summer decorative plant. 
It is easy of culture, and after cuttings are once rooted they should be 
brought forward under cool treatment. They will not be satisfactory 
if grown in a close confined atmosphere. At this season of the year 
they should be grown in a cold frame with the lights thrown off during 
the day, or plunged outside after they are established in the pots in 
which they are intended to flower. If cuttings are rooted now and 
grown under the treatment directed they will be found valuable when 
they flower. The cuttings root freely at any season of the year under 
a handlight or bellglass in a little heat; at present they can be rooted 
in a shady corner of the greenhouse. Insert the cuttings singly in sandy 
soil in small pots. 
Chrysanthemums such as Elaine, James Salter, Peter the Great, Early 
Red Dragon, Mrs. Dixon, Mrs. G. Bundle, Beverley, Sceur Melanie, and 
others, if roofed in small pots without further delay are very useful for 
flowering in 5-inch pots up to Christmas, or if strong cuttings are rooted 
of Princess of Teck, until February. The cuttings should be strong and 
rooted singly in small pots, and afterwards transferred into the size 
mentioned. These plants should be grown upright, removing all the 
side shoots as they appear. One or two flowers only should be taken 
from the top of each. Plants of this description are invaluable for 
standing above other dwarf flowering plants during the autumn and 
winter. 
Ithodanihe Manglesii .—This is one of the most effective annuals 
that can be grown in pots. During the early summer months it is sent 
into the market in very large numbers, but in private gardens it is 
seldom met with. It is easy of cultivation, and lasts for a long time in 
good condition. If seed of this is sown with its white form alba in 
5-inch pots at once, the plants obtained will be found very useful at a 
time when Ehodanthes are not generally seen. The pots should be 
moderately well drained, then filled with light rich soil, and the seed 
sown upon the surface and lightly covered with fine soil. After watering 
place in a frame and keep close and shaded until the seed germinates, 
when they should be gradually hardened and plunged outside, where 
they can remain until they flower. While outside syringe twice daily, 
and be careful that the plants do net suffer from an insufficient supply 
of water. Aphides are their worst enemy ; if they become infested 
remove them under cover and fumigate with tobacco smoke. 
Primulas .—If seed was sown and the young plants treated as pre* 
viously directed, they will be strong specimens in small pots, and subject 
to cold frame treatment. Their pots will be full of roots by this time> 
and ready for transferring into 5-inch pots, which is large enough for all 
decorative purposes. Drain the pots liberally in which they are to be 
placed, and pot them deeply ; the small lower leaves may be removed, 
and the collar of the plants buried to their large foliage. It is a mistake 
to have them loose at the collar when grown, for they are more liable to 
damp during the winter. 
Young stock now in pans, and intended for later flowering, should be 
placed into 3-inch pots. Keep the frame in which these plants are after 
potting close until they commence rooting in the new soil. Shade from 
strong sun, or the plants will be injured if it shines upon them with full 
force. 
Double varieties that have been earthed-up to induce them to root 
from the collar should now be turned out of their pots and cut through 
with a sharp knife. Some of the old soil should be worked carefully 
from amongst their roots, and the plants repotted in as small pots as 
possible, according to their size. After potting, keep the plants well 
shaded in a close moist atmosphere until they commence rooting afresh, 
when they may be hardened and subjected to the same treatment as the 
single forms. 
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FOREIGN BEES—PROLIFIC QUEENS—A FRAME 
HIVE. 
The many failures with foreign varieties of bees is in my opinion 
owing to improper management, or not understanding their habits 
and natural history. Many bee-keepirs are misled by aisumption. 
As “ a little learning is a dangerous thing,” so is a little knowledge 
in apiculture, and is fraught with much miscliief and expense to 
otheis, which would be avoided did they but consult someone of 
experience and candour. Regarding Ligurian bees, which I will first 
mention, I have at this moment information from two different 
persons who were supplied with Ligurian queens by Messrs. Neigh¬ 
bour last autumn. In both instances these are far in advance of 
what are said to be the common variety, and promising to give great 
returns, which fully corroborates my owm experience when these bees 
are properly managed and a fair trial given. One thing I w'ould urge 
on importers of foreign bees is that no queen should be accepted 
from raisers nor sent out to bee-keepers that did not measure on the 
field under a microscope a certain size. This would secure to the 
purchaser a better chance of being supplied with a perfect queen, and 
discard from the market those worthless small artiticial-raised ones 
whose powers of productiveness are often verj’' limited, and therefore 
cannot give satisfaction as a medium or full-sized queen may be 
expected to do. The word “ prolific ” with queens has a wide mean¬ 
ing, and IS a question of very great importance in apiculture, parti¬ 
cularly so with the foreign varieties. All queens may be said to bo 
prolific, but it is the prolificness which affects the interests of bee¬ 
keepers that we have to studjn Some writers on bees tell us that by 
doing certain things they cheat the bees and queen. I have not 
