November 2,1882. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER • 
413 
ground not being immediately wanted, these may remain in the ground 
for some time. Late-sown Turnips should be examined, those fit for 
use being stored in damp sand. This will improve the remainder of 
the crop, which may stand for later use. Complete the earthing-up 
of Celery, and where the soil is wet it will be preferable to employ 
ashes, sawdust, or cocoa-nut fibre refuse in preference to soil for this 
purpose. 
FRUIT HOUSES. 
Vines. —To have ripe Grapes in April the Vines, whether in pots or 
planted out, must now be started. Although bottom heat is not 
essential, yet when compelled to force early and quickly a bed of Oak 
leaves with a third or fourth of stable litter will hasten the Vines 
considerably, and with the Vines planted out in inside borders a 
good bed of Oak or Beech leaves with a little horse dung added will 
greatly facilitate the starting and be more beneficial to the Vines 
than fire heat alone. The inside border should have a thorough 
soaking with water at 90°, after which introduce the fermenting 
materials either on the border or floor to a depth of 2 feet, and 
occasionally turn them, the ammonia-charged vapour being highly 
favourable to the Vines. Syringe the Vines and house three times 
a day in bright weather. A temperature of 50° to 55° at night and 
60° to 65° by day will not be too high to commence with, as the 
Vines will require a higher temperature than in December or January. 
The outside border must have regular attention as to covering. 
Prune Vines in succession houses as soon as the leaves have fallen, 
the advantage of early pruning not being sufficiently appreciated— 
viz., earlier and complete rest. From all Vines bearing ripe Grapes 
remove the dead and decayed foliage. The wood of young Vines 
not yet hard and brown should have fire heat still applied, and this 
with free ventilation will soon ripen them. 
Cucumbers .—The autumn fruiters are now in good bearing. Main¬ 
tain a night temperature of 65°, or 5° more in mild weather • 70° to 
75° by day, and 80° to 85° from sun heat. Admit a little air at the 
top of the house on every favourable opportunity, which should 
never be done, particularly at this season, with a view to lower the 
temperature, but to prevent the temperature rising too high—to 
allow of rank heat and steam escaping. Ventilate cautiously on 
bright cold days, shutting off the top heat for a few hours at midday. 
Cease syringing the plants except on bright mild afternoons, but keep 
the evaporation troughs filled, damping the paths and walls morning 
and afternoon in warm clear weather. Take care that soil and water 
applied to the roots is of the same temperature as the house, and 
avoid sudden fluctuations in the temperature. Examine the plants 
once a week, stopping the shoots one or two joints beyond the fruit, 
removing bad foliage and superfluous growths. Upon the first appear¬ 
ance of mildew dust with flowers of sulphur. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
China Roses have passed out of general favour, but where these 
are grown, cut back and potted in spring after flowering, and plunged 
outdoors in ashes, they will now have abundance of flower buds, 
and if placed in a light house with a temperature of 45° to 50° they 
will open their buds and flower for a considerable time. Afford weak 
liquid manure, and keep them free from aphides. 
Show, Fancy, Regal, and Spotted Pelargoniums must be kept as 
near the glass as possible, and as dry at the roots as can be done 
with safety, so as to prevent them becoming too luxuriant. Tie out 
the shoots neatly as they advance in growth. Zonals that have been 
grown and especially prepared for winter flowering should now be 
placed where they have plenty of light and a minimum temperature 
of 50°, just giving enough water to keep them slowly growing, 
supplying weak liquid manure. 
Primulas should have a light position and be carefully watered, 
giving, however, thorough supplies when needed, and of a weak 
manurial kind. Ventilate freely on all favourable occasions, damp 
being their greatest enemy. A temperature of 45° to 50° is 
necessary. 
Cinerarias sown early and grown on through the summer are 
advanced for flowering, indeed some of them are in bloom. The 
self-flowered sorts in various shades of blue, purple, scarlet, crimson, 
and white are very effective. They should have a temperature of 50°. 
Other stock of these plants may be kept in a cool, moist, light 
structure, frost only being excluded, fumigating upon the first 
appearance of aphides. Shift successional plants into larger pots 
before they become root-bound, or when this is delayed too long the 
plants receive a check, generally resulting in their decaying at the 
base of the stem. Cyclamens producing their flowers should have a 
light position in a temperature of 60° to 55°, supplying them with 
weak liquid manure. Successional plants should be treated similarly, 
a little extra warmth being essential to their free growth and 
flowering. 
Carnations for producing successional flowers through the winter 
must be well attended to, not allowing them to become dry at 
the roots. A temperature of 50° to 65° is necessary. Mignonette 
must have a light well-ventilated position, or the plants become 
weak ; and keep the growths neatly staked and tied as they advance 
in growth. Those flowering should have a temperature of 45° to 50°. 
Fuchsia cuttings struck in August should be shifted into 6 or 
7-inch pots, and placed in a house close to the glass in a temperature 
of 50°, tying and stopping the leading shoots according to the habit 
of the plant. Old Fuchsias that have flowered should be partially 
dried off, but the soil must not be allowed to become dust-dry. 
Herbaceous Calceolarias require potting singly, 3-inch pots being 
large enough at the first. Good loam, with a sixth of leaf soil 
or well-decayed manure and a little sand, is a suitable compost. 
Place them in a cool moist pit near to the glass where they will be safe 
from frost. Previous to potting the plants should be dipped in tobacco 
water, as they do not like fumigation. 
Conservatory .—This structure is gay with Chrysanthemums, which 
should be kept at the coolest part of the house. With Primulas, 
Cyclamen, early-flowered Cinerarias, Zonal Pelargoniums, Salvia 
splenden3 and S. gesnersefolia, Epiphyllums, Epacrises, and Correas, a 
very effective display will be made, but avoid overcrowding. Free- 
growing roof climbers should have the shoots well thinned or cut 
back, for, however much shade may be desirable in summer, all 
plants require free exposure to light in winter. 
“ The markets and show tables are full of novelties. . . . The 
prices asked for some hives are exorbitant and far beyond their 
value.” Thus writes Mr. Pettigrew in the Journal of the 5th 
inst,, and he has just cause for so writing. The reason why such 
novelties are produced and why they are purchased he gives in 
the opening sentences of his letter. “ Many people like to follow 
the fashions and go with the majority. They readily spend their 
money for things last out, hence new inventions are the order of 
the day.” So far we go with him ; and if people who take to 
bee-keeping as a pleasant pastime choose to expend their money 
on hives costing from £2 to £4, and to purchase appliances which 
quickly make away with a £5 note, we say, Let them do so by 
all means, it is good for the trade. But such hives and appliances 
are not within the reach of the cottager or artisan, who looks to 
his bees to help to pay his rent at Michaelmas. When Mr. 
Pettigrew would recommend the Stewarton hive in preference to 
the bar-frame hive we can go no farther with him. We do not 
for a moment doubt that straw is a superior material to wood for 
hives, but seeing that the difficulty has not been surmounted to 
make hives of straw which can have all the advantages of the 
moveable-frame system, for the present we must accept the 
wooden walls. 
The question is how to make a hive of wood so as to keep bees 
and combs dry in it. Surely the bee-keeping readers of this 
Journal do not accept the inference that all bar-frame hives must 
have moisture condensed on the walls during the greater part of 
the year, and rotting combs I If such were the unhealthy state 
of colonies how could such grand results be obtained as the piles 
of beautiful sectional supers of honey, the breeding of healthy 
queens sent out by scores from our leading apiaries, the powerful 
stocks which store these piles of sections and produce these 
healthy queens 1 Great results can be obtained with the Stewarton 
in the hands of an able manager ; but after all the product of 
