JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
328 
[ April 19, 1883. 
warm, but near the glass, so as to insure early free growth and 
become thoroughly ripe before autumn. 
Vines .—In order to keep the stock of late Grapes in good con¬ 
dition as long as possible, or until the early Grapes are ripe, the 
bunches will require frequent examination—viz., two or three 
times a week. Thoroughly clean bottles from which the Grapes 
have been removed, re-fill with clean rain water, to which add a 
piece of charcoal, and transfer the bunches still remaining to the 
clean bottles and water before the old wood commences to make 
roots in bottles in which they have been some time, and an impure 
sediment formed. If growth takes place remove it promptly, 
keeping the room dark, well ventilated, and as cool as possible. 
Grapes in the early house will now be colouring, and should be 
given a somewhat drier atmosphere with increased ventilation ; 
but the floors, mulching on the borders, and all available spaces 
must be kept thoroughly moist as a means of securing the thorough 
swelling of the berries and the foliage healthy. If red spider has 
appeared, lose no time in applying the usual remedy— i.e., coating 
the heating apparatus thinly with a mixture of sulphur and skim 
milk, and afford tepid liquid manure to inside borders generously, 
performing all watering early in the day, and ventilate freely to 
allow surplus moisture to escape before the house is closed in the 
afternoon. The Vines in midseason and late houses are now 
making rapid progress. Keep the growths carefully tied down as 
they advance ; stop them two or three joints beyond the bunch, 
the laterals at the first joint, but those beyond the bunches may 
be allowed to extend until the trellis is fairly covered with foliage 
without crowding. Ventilate early to prevent scorching and 
insure thick leathery foliage, closing with a brisk sun heat, and 
dispense with fire heat as far as practicable. Supply tepid liquid 
manure to inside borders abundantly. Late Hamburghs should be 
allowed to come on naturally, as, unlike the thick-skinned varieties, 
they keep well if not ripened until September is advanced. New 
borders being in readiness, or if they have to be made for planting 
this spring, they should at once be prepared, so as to be ready for 
the Vines by the close of this month. Let the borders be well 
drained, about 2 feet 6 inches deep and 3 feet wide to start with, 
planting inside if possible, but with means of allowing the roots 
to pass outside after the inside border is fully occupied with roots. 
Shake the soil from the roots, disentangle them, spread the roots 
well on the surface, and cover with 6 inches depth of soil, supply¬ 
ing water at 90° to 100°. Shade lightly for a few days, and keep 
close until the Vines begin to move, then ventilate according to 
circumstances. Transfer young Vines into fruiting pots as they 
become fit, using a rough compost and plenty of drainage. Pot 
firmly, and although slight shade will be beneficial for a few days 
until the roots have laid hold of the fresh soil, train near the glass, 
as they must have full exposure to sun to secure short-jointed 
wood. 
Strawberries in Pots .—The present is the season of fine Straw¬ 
berries, and to have the fruit swell off well the labour in watering 
is considerable. Plants in good health will need examining twice a 
day or oftener, while those in flower should have a free ventilation, 
avoiding sudden changes of temperature, as the tender organs of 
the flowers are soon damaged. Work all plants forward in a gentle 
heat in the first stages of swelling the fruit, thinning the fruit, 
nay the blossom, where extra fine fruit is desired to a dozen or so 
of the largest, giving abundance of atmospheric moisture as long 
as the fruit remains green, and when it changes to or assumes a 
whitish appearance a temperature of 70° to 75° artificially, and 
80° to 90° by day, they will swell off to a great size ; but when 
red the night temperature should be lowered to 60°, and air freely 
admitted with a warm atmosphere by day to insure high flavour, 
dispensing with water as much as possible at the roots, only giving 
enough to keep the foliage fresh. 
seedsmen. Sow during showery weather, well rake in, and then 
heavily roll. Where the turf is too thin well rake the surface 
and sow a liberal quantity of suitable seeds, lightly dress with a 
mixture of fine soil, wood ashes, road grit, or other available ferti¬ 
lisers, and well roll in. Mow at first with scythes, and later on 
the machines may be employed. The mowing machines ought to 
be set to work before the now fast-growing grass gets too long to 
be cut by it, and the edges of the turf ought to be all cut. All 
the annual trimming of Laurels, Conifers, Box, Hollies, and other 
evergreens ought now to be completed, and transplanting be dis¬ 
continued, unless skilled hands with suitable machines for the 
purpose are employed. Newly planted trees, especially those 
transplanted late in the season, will require abundance of water 
at the roots during the prevalence of hot dry weather, and if they 
can be frequently watered overhead with an engine or syringe so 
much the better. 
Flower Beds .—Those not filled with spring-flowering plants, 
and which have been roughly dug during the winter, will now 
be in a good condition for the reception of any hardy or half- 
hardy plants that may be employed for summer decoration. 
Violas may be lifted, divided, and replanted in fresh and well- 
manured positions, and those wintered in frames and which have 
been hardened off may also be finally bedded out. The blue 
varieties, of which some of the best are Favourite, Tory, Blue 
Perfection, and Blue King, are very effective when planted in 
mixture with silver variegated, bronze, or golden-leaved Pelar¬ 
goniums, or form good edgings to almost any kind of bedding 
plant, blue Verbenas, Ageratums, and Heliotropes excepted. Of 
the yellow Violas, Sovereign, Lutea grandiflora, Major, and 
Ardwell Gem are to be commended for edgings and mixtures. 
Echeveria secunda glauca may now, providing they have been 
wintered in a cool frame or house, or merely protected with mats 
and boards, be now bedded out. They are still very popular for 
the margins of raised beds. No clay, cow manure, or other 
mixtures are now considered necessary for fixing these in position, 
all that is done is to make the margin firm and sloping slightly 
inwards. The Echeverias, moved without any soil, have their 
stems cleaned, and are then firmly dibbled into the sloping 
margins so as to be slightly above the level, facing outwardly and 
clear of danger from the mowing machine. Sedum glaucum also 
forms a neat margin to raised beds. This should be pulled to 
pieces and dibbled in thinly. The hardy silvery-leaved Stachys 
lanata divided and replanted singly or in a double line proves an 
excellent edging for large beds, and for cool positions the beau¬ 
tiful Tussilago Farfara variegata is well adapted. It spreads in 
all directions, and the crowns, with about 3 inches of root attached, 
should be lifted and replanted about 10 inches asunder in lines 
or circles before the leaves are developed. Antennaria tomentosa, 
a close-growing, hardy, silvery-leaved plant well adapted for the 
groundwork of carpet-bed designs or for edgings, should be freely 
divided and dibbled in about 2 inches apart each way. 
The green carpeting plants Herniaria glabra, Mentha Pulegium 
gibraltarica, Sedum Lydium, and Veronica repens, may all be 
divided and dibbled in rather thickly in good fine soil, in order to 
increase the stock prior to bedding-out time ; or they, and also 
Sedum glaucum, may at once be dibbled in where they are to 
remain, all being available for forming the groundwork of carpet- 
bed designs. Dactylis glomerata varieties and Festuca glauca are 
elegant Grasses well adapted for edgings, and these may be freely 
divided and finally dibbled in or disposed thickly in an open 
position till required. The variegated Thyme, hardy Vincas, 
Cerastium tomentosum, Arundo donax variegata, and the golden 
Lysimachia are all improved and increased by division and 
replanting. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN AND PLEASURE GROUND. 
Lawns .—No further time should be lost where these are to be 
either formed or renovated. The ground is best prepared in dry 
weather, when the soil can be evenly distributed and made of the 
requisite firmness. Turf should be laid in showery weather, and 
it then soon becomes established. Spring-laid turf is apt to 
shrink during hot dry weather, and when this happens it is 
advisable to fill up the cracks with fine soil. Whenever it is 
absolutely necessary to lay down turf during hot weather the 
surface of the prepared ground should be composed of rather 
fine good soil, and be moistened prior to being covered with the 
turf. The latter should be heavily beaten, a quantity of fine soil 
be worked into the crevices, a good soaking of water given, and 
the whole thinly mulched with short stable manure. Lawns are 
more cheaply formed by sowing grass seeds, suitable mixtures 
and the requisite quantities of which are supplied by leading 
fp 
HE BEE-KEEPER. I 
1^--ium, ' - --- TT ■— _ ~--L^ 
BEER, BRANDY, AND BEES. 
Science has proved beer and brandy bad for the human system 
if science has proved anything at all, yet swarms of the human 
race may be said almost literally to buzz round the beer barrel 
and the whisky cask. Our best bee-masters seem to have agreed 
with the old farmer, that “ what is bad for me can’t be good for 
them ; ” but bees, industrious as man, seem to be equally in¬ 
fatuated with anything alcoholic. A hundred years ago Bonner 
observed this fact and took advantage of it. He advised would-be 
bee-keepers to take a glass of good ale, and to rub a little over 
the face and hands when they intended to manipulate their bees. 
