JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 8, 1883. ] 
the house is closed in order to counteract the dry atmosphere 
likely to arise from highly heated pipes. When the beds are 
heated by means of hot-water pipes, and from being shallow 
become very dry, take advantage of a suitable opportunity to 
give the plants and bed a good soakiDg of tepid water, which will 
be highly beneficial. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN AND PLEASURE GROUND. 
Hoses and other Climbers .—These are starting into growth 
much earlier than usual, and the attention they require in prun¬ 
ing and nailing ought at once to be bestowed upon them. Roses 
especially are growing rapidly, and if not already pruned as pre¬ 
viously advised, and early blooms are desired, they need only 
have all weakly growth removed with superfluous shoots, those 
retained to be lightly pruned and carefully secured. As most 
nurserymen can supply all climbing Roses in pots, they may yet 
be procured and planted in preference to planting in hot posi¬ 
tions any that may be lifted from the open ground. A varied 
and suitable selection consists of Cheshunt Hybrid, Gloire de 
Dijon, Marechal Niel, Charles Lawson, Triomphe de l’Exposition, 
General Jacqueminot, Duchess of Sutherland, Climbing Devoni- 
ensis, Madame Berard, Safrano, Souvenir d’un Ami, Du Luxem¬ 
bourg, Triomphe de Rennes, Brennus, Ch6nddol£, and the white 
and yellow Banksians. Previous to planting these or other 
climbers break up the ground where possible two spits deep, and 
work in a liberal quantity of half-decayed manure and leaf soil. 
If the balls are then carefully loosened, some of the roots spread 
out, and the whole firmly covered with good soil, a strong start 
will be made. Newly planted Roses ought not to be laid-in to 
their full length and flowered to their full extent, but should 
either be shortened back freely or disbudded in order to secure 
vigorous growth ; neither should these and other newly planted 
climbers be nailed to the walls till the ground has settled some¬ 
what, or hanging will result. Such wall plants as evergreen and 
deciduous Magnolias require little or no pruning, but should have 
all fastenings made good, and these should be strong, or heavy 
winds will break the growths. Strips of leather are recommended 
to be used. Ivies should have all loose growth removed, and this 
on well-established plants may be pulled off in preference to 
trimming off with a knife or shears, and the old leaves may be 
cut off where at all unsightly. A bountiful crop of young leaves 
will soon improve the appearance of the wall. Lay in the leading 
growths of Chimonanthus fragrans where required, and cut back 
all lateral growth, Pvrus japonica to be treated similarly. The 
branches also of Crataegus pyracantha, Escallonia macrantha, 
Hibiscuses, and Loniceras should annually be shortened, or they 
will soon become unsightly and devoid of bloom. Jasminum 
nudiflorum, and the somewhat similar, though later blooming, 
Forsythia viridissima, should, after blooming, have all side shoots 
cut back to near the main branches, and this will result in abun¬ 
dance of flowering shoots for next season’s display. All the fore¬ 
going climbers, with the exception of the Magnolias, if allowed 
to become thickets will be greatly improved by being cut down 
near to the ground, care being taken to properly train the strong 
young growths that will be produced subsequently. Wistaria 
sinensis and Bignonia capreolata should have all lateral growths 
spurred back to the main branches, and the latter properly secured. 
Similar treatment will be necessary in the case of the common 
Jasminum and the half-hardy Passion-flowers. The early-flower¬ 
ing Clematises produce blooms on the ripened growth only, and 
should only have this thinned out and dead growth removed. 
Included in this section are C. caerulea, montana, azurea grandi- 
flora, Lady Lanesborough, Miss Bateman, and Albert Victor. The 
later-flowering varieties, of which C. Jackmannii is the best 
known type, bloom on the current year’s growth, and therefore 
should be freely shortened back as well as thinned out, the aim 
being to secure the production of strong growths, which will insure 
a more lengthened supply of large flowers. Among this section 
such varieties as Gipsy Queen, lanuginosa, Lady C. Nevill, Mrs. 
G. Jackman, Robert Hanbury, Tunbridgensis, and Velutina pur¬ 
purea may well be grown. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Store. — Potting in this department may now be advanced 
with all possible speed. Do not disturb the old balls of such 
plants as Crotons, Dracaenas, Dieffenbachias, Cyanophyllum mag- 
nificum, Sphaerogyne latifolia, and other similar plants when 
transferring them into larger pots. The first mentioned can be 
well grown in rich fibry loam, to which is added a little soot and 
bonedust. The second and third require a lighter soil—peat and 
loam in nearly equal parts, with a seventh of decayed manure 
will suit them. All peat is preferable for the last two, as it does 
not become sour so quickly. Fibry peat and charcoal should 
203 
form the compost for Marantas, which will now require attention. 
Remove carefully a good portion of the old soil from amongst 
their roots, and drain the pots in which they are to be placed 
liberally, as these plants require abundance of water when in 
active growth. After potting they are benefited by the applica¬ 
tion of bottom heat, and should be shaded from strong sun until 
they commence rooting freely. In repotting Alocasias remove 
the whole of the old compost if in any way decomposed or sour, 
or they will not long remain healthy. It is a good plan to remove 
every particle of soil from the plants every alternate year. They 
require a compost of fibry peat, sphagnum moss, and pieces of 
charcoal. The pots should be more than half filled with drainage, 
and the crowns well elevated above the rim. They can be in¬ 
creased by cutting the root stem into lengths, and if plants of 
good size are required a number of these can be placed together in 
one pot, placing a little sand round each portion. 
Anthuriums, such as A. Warocqueanum and A. crystallinum, 
require a similar compost to Alocasias, and should have liberal 
drainage. A. Andreanum does best when more than half the 
material used for potting is sphagnum moss applied in a living 
state, and encouraged to grow on the surface. A liberal quantity 
of coarse sand should be added to the whole of the different com¬ 
posts given above. Before potting see that the plants to be 
operated upon have a proper supply of moisture at the roots, so 
that water will not be needed for some days after potting. The 
temperature should now be raised to 65° at night, and the house 
kept close for the next fortnight, and sooner than admit air draw 
down the blinds for a few hours when the sun is bright. 
Ferns .—These generally should now be attended to and all old 
and disfigured fronds removed, repotting and dividing where 
necessary. It is a good plan to carry out these operations before 
many of the young fronds are produced, or they are liable to be 
checked, and in consequence injured. The majority of Ferns do 
well in a mixture of peat, loam, and sand, the former predomi¬ 
nating in the case of dwarf-growing varieties, while a greater 
quantity of loam can be used for those of robust growth. The 
small peat that has been shaken from amongst the fibre for several 
stove plants will do well for all grown in small pots, as well as 
others of a larger size, if a quantity of rough half-decayed leaf 
soil is mixed with it. The roots of the plants need not be dis¬ 
turbed where larger pots are needed and the plants are intended 
to attain a specimen size. Adiantums, Davallias, and others re¬ 
quired for cutting and decoration should be grown in as much 
light as possible, and liberally ventilated when the fronds are 
attaining maturity, or they will be soft and useless. Where quan¬ 
tities of small Ferns are in daily request for decorative purposes 
sow spores of Adiantums, Lomarias, Pterises, and others most 
suitable on the surface of pots and pans filled with a similar 
compost to that recommended above. Water, after sowing the 
seed, with a fine-rose can, and place over them a square of glass, 
and then stand the pans in a moist shady place in a temperature 
of 55°. Perhaps the best plan to maintain a constant supply of 
seedlings is to place under the larger plants small squares of turf, 
and allow them to remain for a time undisturbed until the spores 
have commenced falling from the plants, and in due time they 
will be one mass of tiny Ferns. Pteris serrulata spores germi¬ 
nate very freely, and is one of the best and most useful Ferns in 
a small state that can be grown for furnishing purposes. Keep 
all Ferns that require heat in a temperature of 50° to 55° at night, 
those excepted that require stove treatment, for they should be 
kept at least 5° warmer. Selaginella Brownii, S. densa, and other 
low-growing kinds should be replanted in pans or other positions 
in which they are grown annually, or they are very liable to damp 
off if this precaution be not taken. 
1 
ft 
HE BEE-KEEPER. I 
FEEDERS FOR BEES. 
The time has come with some, and ere these lines are in print 
will come with all bee-keepers, when stimulative feeding should he 
the rule. Is it still a question how best to accomplish this desirable 
object? I presume that we are all agreed that it is best to feed 
from the top; but so far as my small experience goes, a perfect 
feeder is yet a desideratum. 
What, it may be asked, are the necessary qualities of a “ perfect” 
feeder ? It appears to me that they may be summed up in—first, 
the power easily to give our bees as much and as little as we please 
at any time; secondly, the power to prevent robbery during 
