October 16, 1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
361 
borders will only need the annual top-dressing, and may he divested of 
the mulching as soon as the wood is ripe, using good turf with charcoal, 
charred refuse, and a sprinkhng of bonemeal, spreading evenly over the 
surface. Place shutters or lights over the outside border with a sharp 
pitch to the front, leaving them open at the ends to admit a free circula¬ 
tion of air, and let them remain until the Grapes are cut either for use or 
bottling. The best time to cut for late use is early in January, and 
medium-sized bunches of Lady Downe’s from the oldest Vines are the best 
to keep for AprU and May. 
Peaches and Nectarines.— Early Houses .—The trees will now 
need to be examined and receive their final pruning, but where this was 
carefully performed as soon as the fruits were gathered the operation will 
be light. Wash the tiees, both old and young wood, with an approved 
insecticide, and repeat if the trees are infested with scale. Paint the 
trellis and the interior of the house if it be necessary before the trees are 
tied to the trellis. The lights should remain off until the middle of next 
month, or if unusually wet they may be put on at the end of this, but 
admit air freely when frost does not prevail. Some growers have an 
impression that the casting of the buds is caused by the imperfect 
ripening of the wood ; but so far from this being the case, in early houses 
it more frequently results from the trees which have been resting through 
August and September being excited, and again checked in October, 
before forcing is commenced. To counteract this all early houses should 
have portable roofs, and full exposure to the autumnal rains will insure 
a thorough moistening of the soil and continued rest to the trees. 
Although fixed roofs answer very well for midseason and late houses, 
yet a month or two exposure cleanses and invigorates the trees and 
greatly improves the inside borders by thoroughly moistening them. 
Succession Houses .—Proceed with root-pruning and lifting as soon 
as the leaves are falling from the trees freely. Provide free drainage ; 
use a good compost—good loam from an old pasture, with a liberal 
admixture of charred refuse and lime rubbish. Keep the roots near the 
surface, and ram firmly as the work proceeds; and although Peaches and 
Nectarines will grow in almost any kind of fresh well-drained soil, a firm 
compost that offers some resistance, and does not soon become dry, 
always sets, swells, and finishes the best fruit. 
Unheatcd Houses .—Trees in these will require a dry bracing atmo¬ 
sphere, with a free circulation of air to check and harden the young 
growths. Remove every shoot that will not be required for next season, 
especially the gross watery growths that are not likely to ripen or form 
perfect flower buds. Old trees that carry good crops of fruit and receive 
attention to the roots as they need it do not, as a rule, make strong wood, 
but vigorous young ones are not so easily kept within bounds, as they 
often make growth late in the season. Where this is the case the 
strongest shoots should be pinched, and a trench formed at a distance 
from the stem equal to a third of the height of the trees, and it can be 
kept open for a fortnight or three weeks. The distance from the base of 
the stem, if one-third be too far, should be such as will insure catching 
and shortening the strongest roots. Although trees succeed in unheated 
houses in most instances, there ought always to be means of heating in 
severe frost and insure a good set in prolonged dull wet weather in 
spring, and in autumn if necessary, to harden and plump the buds. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Celosias .—Any plants in a backward state should without further 
delay be introduced into a night temperature of 60° to forward them 
as rapidly as possible. A little heat in the latter stages of development 
is beneficial, for their beautiful plumes lengthen out much better in 
heat at this season of the year than they do in a cool structure. The 
plumes are also brighter in colour. To all plants that have filled their 
pots with roots weak stimulants should be given until the plumes are 
thoroughly developed, when it may be discontinued, for the plants do not 
appear to be benefited by its use afterwards. When these plants are 
placed in the conservatory or other structure where the night temperature 
does not range above 45° at night, they must be watered with great 
care, for they are very liable to damp-off close to the base. Plants that 
are developing their plumes satisfactorily will, if carefully watered, last 
in good condition for three months. These plants are also invaluable for 
room decoration. 
Primula ohconica .—Plants that were raised as advised in spring are 
now strong and established in 5 and 6-inch pots, and if they have not 
commenced producing their flowers will do so at once if placed in a 
temperature of 45° to 50°. Although this Primula is said to be hardy 
we have found it an admirable plant for conservatory decoration in pots 
during the autumn, winter, and spring. Plants that commence flowering 
towards the end of this month will continue in the temperature named 
without looking shabby until the month of May. This variety is as 
easily grown as the varieties of P. sinensis, and will without doubt 
become very popular for indoor decoration. 
Primula sinensis .—These plants should now be removed from cold 
frames to cool airy places where they can be safely protected from damp 
and frost. It is almost impossible to keep them from damping if they 
remain in cold frames after this date. These plants will do remarkably 
well on shelves in vineries and Peach houses where they can have a 
light and airy position. If they are strong a good number of them will 
be pushing up their flower stems, and may be allowed to come forward 
into bloom if they are required. The late plants intended for spring 
flowering and now established in 3-inch pots may, as they are housed, 
be transferred into pots 2 inches larger. These plants should be potted 
moderately deep, so that they will not shake about at the collar, for 
Primulas in the latter condition are more liable to damp-oS than those 
that are held firm by the soil. A number of the plants now in 3-inch 
pots may be allowed to remain in them where small plants in small pots 
are serviceable for decoration. It is surprising what an enormous amount 
of bloom the plants will produce in small pots provided they are 
liberally fed. 
Double Varieties .—These should be accorded the best position that 
can be found for them, for they are worthy of it where flowers are 
required successionally over a long period of time for small vases and 
other purposes. They are more suitable for supplying flowers in a cut 
state than for the embellishment of the conservatory, for they are much 
more liable to suffer from damp than the single forms. The plants 
will do well and yield flowers during the whole winter and spring if 
kept close to the glass in a night temperature of 50°, when the atmo¬ 
sphere can be kept somewhat dry, and a moderate circulation of air 
given daily when the weather is favourable. 
spumous HONEY. 
The axiom that competition encourages trade seems to be 
true this year in the case of honey, for notwithstanding the 
abundant harvest, I never experienced a gi'eater demand for 
good quality, while fair and good prices are maintained, fine 
supers of Heather honey being retailed at 2s. fic/. per lb., ordinary 
and sections from Is. QxL, while dript honey is according to 
quality, good realising easily from Is. to Is. 3f/. per lb., wholesale. 
There is plenty in the market, however, that is much cheaper, 
but which I would neither offer for sale nor take at any 
price. Whether it is actually the abundant harvest or the high 
prices that have induced the ‘‘Yankee” fraud in the shape of 
glucose highly flavoured and coloured (the former very volatile) 
to appear in such quantities in our towns I need not trouble 
about; but it is sufficient to mention the fact and put the 
public on their guard against the poisonous compound. Sold in 
tins as “• Orange Blossom Honey,” there need be no difficulty in 
distinguishing between it and the genuine. There is the greater 
necessity for this caution, as I find the greater demand for 
honey arises from the fact that doctors in many instances are 
advising its use both for medicinal and dietetic purposes. 
SIMPLE METHODS OF BEE KEEPING. 
I have read “Senex’s” article, page 317, and while I agree 
with him in some points I differ from him in others. For 
example, he says that “ bar-frame and other hives which are so 
strongly recommended by their advocates in the present day are 
only useful to those who can afford to make bee-keeping a study 
and devote to it much time and attention.” If bee-keeping is to 
be made a success it must be studied, and a particular part is to 
study how bees can be managed without devoting much time and 
attention to them. Now, while I do not agree with “ Senex’s ” 
remarks, neither do 1 agree with those who attribute success 
wholly to keeping bees in frame hives : both are errors. But to 
say that frame, and other hives recommended by modern bee¬ 
keepers are a failure, and that success is only to be found in the 
puny straw hive, is simply absurd. So it is, on the other hand, 
where frame hives are said to be the acme of perfection. I have 
in previous articles shown what constitutes a proper hive both 
in size, shape, and material, as well as man}' of the causes that 
incurs time and trouble in their management. 1 think few 
people will attempt keeping bees without endeavouring to make 
the most of them by collecting the greatest quantity of honey. 
If I infer rightly from “ Senex’s ” remarks, he is in a good 
locality for keeping bees, but is unaware what constitutes either 
a good swarm or a large yield of honey. The former cannot be 
had from such a hive as he uses, nor can the latter be gathered 
by such a swarm in ordinary seasons—even in such a fine year as 
the present has been. “ Senex ” gives as something extraordinary 
that 30 lbs. were collected from the first week of June till the 
end of July-rather less than the weight one hive of mine made 
this year at the Heather in four days. I think “ Senex ” will 
agree with me that it is a mistake to condemn or treat lightly 
modern improvements in apiculture. Viewing the matter in an 
uninterested way from both sides, let us rather try to teach the 
young bee-keeper to make the most of the hives he is in posses¬ 
sion of, without running him into needless expense for others 
that will not make him richer. Above all, bear in mind that it 
IS more in the construction than in the material which constitutes 
a good hive. So far as time is required for the management of 
bees, I have a good many pupils who are clerks in town. The only 
time they have to spare is either before 7 a.m. or after 6 p.m 
with Saturday afternoons and two or three weeks’ holiday, whic 
