July 20, 1882. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
65 
water will hardly be necessary until new roots are formed, as with 
effectual shading from powerful sun, and ventilating a little at about 
85°, the suckers will root quickly. A slight syringing occasionally 
will be beneficial. 
Peaches and Nectarines .—We have before urged the necessity of 
removing the roof lights off trees subjected to early forcing as soon 
as the buds are fairly advanced, as they will be by this time, and no 
further delay should be permitted in removing the lights. The night 
dews have a good effect upon the trees, and they are much refreshed 
by rains ; but should these not fall sufficiently often to keep the soil 
in a moist condition artificial watering must be resorted to, for under 
no circumstances must the trees suffer by want of water at the 
roots, nor must red spider or other insects be allowed to obtain 
a footing on the foliage. Young trees that have stronger wood 
than older trees will require a longer time to mature the growth and 
buds than trees less vigorous, and the roof lights should not be re¬ 
moved so early in their case. In the case of young trees that grow 
too luxuriantly a trench may be taken out about one-third the dis¬ 
tance from the stem the trees cover of trellis, and as deep as the roots, 
which should all be cut through at the distance indicated. The time 
to do this is as soon as the buds are formed and the foliage still upon 
the trees. The trench should be filled in again firmly, a good water¬ 
ing being given, and the trees syringed morning and afternoon for a 
few days, keeping the house rather close, and afterwards ventilating. 
This process seldom fails to overcome the difficulty sometimes ex¬ 
perienced in securing a good set and the satisfactory stoning of the 
fruit. 
Where it is contemplated to plant young trees, either in new struc¬ 
tures or otherwise, the borders for their reception should now be pre¬ 
pared. They should be well drained with 3-inch pipes, both as 
regards the inside and outside borders, and have proper fall and outlet 
over the drains, and the bottom of the borders should be 9 inches to 
a foot depth of rubble—coarsest at the bottom and smallest on the 
top—and this should be covered with a layer of turves to prevent the 
drainage being stopped ; 2 feet in depth of soil is sufficient. The 
top 3 or 4 inches of a pasture where the soil is a rather strong 
loam if overlying limestone it could not be better, and this being 
chopped up roughly should be put together firmly. If deficient in 
calcareous matter a tenth part of old mortar rubbish or chalk broken 
up from the size of an egg down to a hazel nut may be thoroughly in¬ 
corporated with the soil. Failing the turfy loam any good loamy 
garden soil inclining to be stiff will answer, adding about a similar 
quantity of old mortar rubbish or chalk as advised for the turfy loam, 
and this should be put in firmly. 
In planting young trees in houses it is advisable to choose 
such as have been grown upon the approved system of training 
two or three years, such being grown in pots under glass, trees of 
this description being prepared by the leading nurserymen, and 
coming into profit early. When trees of this kind are forthcoming 
no time should be lost in making preparation for and planting them. 
It is quite unnecessary to disentangle the roots, but loosen the sides 
of the ball carefully, make the soil around as hard as the original, 
giving a good watering, and mulch with manure so as to encourage 
feeders from the stem. If planted before the leaves have fallen the 
trees will become established in the borders, and may be forced the 
following season, the time of starting being regulated by the growth 
and its maturation in the previous season. 
For early forcing Alexander, Hales’ Early, Early Grosse Mignonne> 
A Bee, and Boyal George Peaches will afford a succession of eight 
to ten or more weeks’ duration. Suitable Nectarines for associa¬ 
tion with the above for early forcing are Lord Napier and Elruge. 
Of Peaches suitable for affording ripe fruit by forcing in June and 
onwards in addition to Boyal George are Grosse Mignonne, Noblesse; 
Yiolette Hative, Bellegarde, Barrington, Stirling Castle, and Late 
Admirable. The last three along with Lord Palmerston, Sea Eagle, 
and Osprey, also Salwey, are suitable for late houses. Midseason 
Nectarines are besides Elruge, Yiolette Hative, Hardwicke Seedling, 
Pine Apple, Humboldt, and Yictoria. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Greenhouse. —Early-flowering Pelargoniums should be placed out¬ 
doors in the full sun without delay, so as to thoroughly ripen their 
wood previous to cutting them down, just giving sufficient water to 
prevent flagging. Calceolaria seed should be sown if not already 
done, the pan being placed under a handlight in the shade, it being 
important that the soil be kept regularly moist to insure the germina¬ 
tion of the seed, and the young plants require to be kept cool and 
moist. 
The early-flowering varieties of Heaths that have since blooming 
made considerable growth should now be exposed to the open air to 
harden them and insure free flowering. In removing Heaths out of 
doors it is well to place them for a few days at the north side of a 
wall where they will not at first be fully exposed to the sun, as 
when powerful it sometimes turns the leaves brown. On the sun 
side of the pot place a piece of canvas or mat to prevent the sun 
heating the pots, or the roots will be destroyed. The plants will 
require more water than when under glass, and on no account must 
they suffer by want of it. Young Heaths potted in the early part of 
the season will be making free growth, and must have timely atten¬ 
tion in stopping and training, keeping the strong shoots well tied 
down, and the weaker upright to induce equal vigour throughout 
the plants. 
Orchids .—Many of the early-growing plants will now have com¬ 
pleted their growth for the season : remove them to a cooler house 
with a temperature of G0° without sun heat. Many Dendrobiums, 
especially D. Cambridgeanum, D. nobile, &c., frequently make a 
second growth when kept in their growing quarters, in which case 
the new growths seldom become well matured ; the plants, therefore, 
should be placed in a house less charged with heat and moisture, and 
a greater supply of air should be afforded them. Cattleyas in a 
growing state should be afforded plenty of moisture to enable them 
to make plump pseudo-bulbs. Afford Calanthes weak liquid manure, 
and sponge the leaves frequently to keep them free from scale, thrips, 
and red spider, using an insecticide, and afterwards wash it off with 
clean water. Sobralias being subject to red spider should have similar 
treatment. Thunias alba and Bensonise flowering at this season 
are valuable, and being of easy culture should have place in even 
small collections. They require similar treatment to Calanthes 
during the season of growth. Many Odontoglossums and Masde- 
vallias will now require a shift, especially those that are growing 
strongly and have filled their pots with roots. Keep the Odonto- 
glossum house as cool as possible, using the syringe freely, affording 
water plentifully to those growing rapidly. Fumigate frequently to 
keep down aphides and thrips. 
PROLONGING THE LIFE OF THE QUEEN BEE. 
Dk. Dzieezon’s letter on the above subject (page 500, last 
volume) contains some startling statements, which I shall briefly 
notice. As the Doctor’s name is far-famed and stands high on the 
list of authorities on bee questions, I regret that he has written the 
letter I am now about to review. Most of his reasoning and asser¬ 
tions in this letter are based on assumption only. He says first, 
“ That bees exhaust theirstrength and die in about six weeks during 
the busiest time in spring and summer, whereas those reared late 
in summer and in autumn look as strong and young on their first 
appearance in spring, after six months’ rest during autumn and 
winter, as if they had only just left their cells.” This is inac¬ 
curate, for bees generally do not exhaust their strength and die 
in six weeks after birth by reason of hard work. Every close- 
observing apiarian of experience knows that during the spring 
and summer months, when weather is favourable and honey 
abundant, bees work very hard—as hard as they can work—and 
yet the death-rate is far short of the birth-rate ; for the increase 
of population in spring and summer is enormous, especially so 
when bees are working hard and getting much honey. If hard 
work exhaust and kill bees the population of hives would be much 
smaller in favourable seasons than in unfavourable ones. But 
this is not the case. In honey seasons numerous colonies are sent 
off, and colonies become strong in population, often become parent 
hives the same season. 
