480 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
through the stoning process must be closely watched, especially 
during bright weather succeeding dull and cloudy ; and if scalding 
sets in the night temperature should be kept up at 70° to prevent 
condensation of moisture on the berries, and a free circulation 
of air should be given, continuing this for a fortnight or three 
weeks, when all danger will have passed. Late Hamburghs, 
though only in flower, need not be hastened, but should have a 
liberally ventilated atmosphere and a temperature of 55° to 65® 
by artificial means secured to them. Vines swelling off their 
crops should have a healthy atmosphere secured to them, and if 
fire heat cannot be altogether dispensed with much may be done 
by early closing that will greatly economise fuel. Grapes ripening 
off will require a constant circulation of air, and when quite ripe 
the house must be kept cooler and the supply of atmospheric 
moisture reduced ; but there must not be any approach to aridity, 
or the foliage will suffer from red spider, and the roots must not 
be allowed to become parchingly dry, or the foliage will ripen 
prematurely. Hamburghs that are dead ripe should be shaded 
from very bright sun, or the colour will suffer. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Stove .—Gardenias that were cut back some time ago have now 
broken well into growth. Give them every attention as regards 
heat and moisture to encourge them to grow. Stop any young 
growths that are taking the lead in order to make them break 
back, or at the end of the season they will be straggling instead 
of dense bushes. Encourage the young stock, which should by 
this time be well established in 6-inch pots ; these can be placed 
in larger if deemed necessary, or liberally fed with stimulants 
after their pots are full of roots. Give abundance of water at 
the roots as well as on the foliage. Cuttings rooted some time 
ago must be potted as they require it. Do not allow them to 
become root-bound. Do not shade these plants, or their growths 
will be soft and incapable of producing abundance of fine flowers 
when required to do so. Admit air daily when favourable, and 
close the house or pit early in which they are growing. 
Gloxinias .—Plants from seed that was sown early in the season, 
and were pricked off in pans or small pots, are now ready for 
placing in pots 4 inches in diameter, and when well established 
in these to be placed in others 2 inches larger. After potting 
keep them close for a time, and then grow in more air than has 
been possible up to the present time. When the season has well 
advanced, strong heat and dense shade with moisture thrown over 
the foliage either from the water-pot or syringe is detrimental to 
these plants. Under these conditions the flowers are soft and 
require support, as well as possessing but little colour compared 
with those grown under cool treatment. From this time any of 
the earlier batches will do in the conservatory while in flower, 
and will last much longer in such positions than where moist heat 
is maintained. A little more seed may be sown, and the plants 
grown on for flowering in heat during late autumn. 
Achimenes .—Those started early in the season and allowed to 
come forward are in flower, and the conservatory is the best place 
for them. Those pans that were topped and the cuttings rooted 
as advised are dense masses and will require staking, and by 
judicious treatment will form a good succession to those now in 
flower. The cuttings rooted early will in a week or ten days be 
in full flower, and will be invaluable for decoration either in 
dwelling-rooms or in the conservatory. Supply weak stimulants 
as the pots and pans become full of roots, and do not allow 
them to suffer by the want of water. The tops of plants from 
tubers started late can be taken off and rooted as previously 
directed. 
Tydeas and Gesnerias .—Where these are intended to make a 
display in winter and have been allowed to start into growth in 
the old soil in which they rested, no time should be lost in having 
them shaken out and repotted. The better plan is to start them 
in small pots and then shift them as they require it into 
5 or 6-inch pots, which is large enough for all ordinary deco¬ 
rative purposes. These plants delight in heat and moisture, and 
do best when standing upon tan or any similar material where 
there is slight bottom heat. CuttiDgs of T. Madame Heine may 
still be rooted, and will make grand plants for the winter. 
Those rooted as early as cuttings could be obtained and well 
established in 4-inch pots may have their tops taken from them 
and rooted. 
Sciadoealyx Luciana .—Plants that are now in flower have 
abundance of young shoots springing from the base, which if 
taken off and rooted will be found most useful in winter. This 
plant requires similar treatment in every way to the Tydea, which 
must be perpetuated by cuttings, as it forms no underground 
stems, and any attempt at drying it off ends in failure. 
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HE BEE-KEEPER! 
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THE REWARD OF PERSEVERANCE. 
Those who are beginning to keep bees may be encouraged by 
my experience. My first experiment was with a swarm which 
was found during July, two years ago (1881). None of us knew 
how to manage them, and they died during the ensuing winter. 
Last year a friend gave me her first swarm on the 20th May. I 
was determined not to lose my new bees by ignorance, so I read 
up the subject in the numbers of your Journal and in various 
books, and fed the bees liberally for ten days or a fortnight. 
On the 12th of July we had a capital maiden swarm, which 
we also fed for awhile. As the first swarm was in a skep, 
and I wished to have only bar-frame hives, in August we drove 
the bees into the new hive. I was obliged to leave home the 
next day, and when I returned I found the first swarm that 
had been put into the bar-frame hive in August in a deplorable 
state from robbers, and we were obliged to abandon the hive 
altogether. The maiden swarm did well, was fed in autumn and 
again in spring, and a super put on about the end of March. 
There was a swarm on the 15th of May, a second swarm on the 
27th, and two others on the 31st, which two last were hived 
together. The bees in the old hive continue to do well. They 
have been working in the super, and one 2-lb. section of honey 
was taken out on the 27th and 28th of May. I think this proves 
how much may be done by feeding and keeping bees warm in 
winter. The gardener and I are very proud of our bees. I have 
found that strong tobacco cut up, damped with water, and rubbed 
on the place a most effectual remedy for a bee sting. It is also 
recommended in Mr. Payne’s book upon bee-keeping.—M. B. D. 
REVIEW OF BOOK. 
Bee-keeyring , Plain and Practical; How to Malie it Pay. By 
Alfred Rusbridge. London: E. W. Allen, 4, Ave Maria 
Lane. 
This is a volume of 140 pages in ornamental paper cover. It is 
clearly printed on good paper, written in a plain chatty style, and 
contains many illustrations. It is evidently intended as a plain 
guide to inexperienced bee-keepers. We extract the following on 
SWARMING. 
“ To hive a swarm quickly and successfully is an extremely simple 
affair, though the novice may not, perhaps, regard his first attempt 
in that light. If unaccustomed to the operation it is best to avail 
one’s self of the protection afforded by veil and gloves, through 
which the bee-sting cannot penetrate to the flesh. These may be 
had at a trifling cost. Bee veils are usually made of black net, with an 
elastic band at top. Worn on a broad-brimmed hat the operator may 
laugh at the ire of his puny assailants, and proceed calmly about the 
business in hand with the consciousness of perfect security. 
“The time when first swarms generally appear varies somewhat 
according to the locality. In our district it ranges from the last 
week in May to the first week in June; whilst a few miles north 
under the shelter of the hills, it is about a week earlier. A first 
swarm is invariably led by the old queen, a fine day being selected 
for the migration. Second and third swarms, or ‘casts,’ are less 
particular in their choice of weather. The hour of swarming is, 
as a rule, somewhen between 11 A.M. and 1 P.M. But in cases where 
the bees have been kept at home for a day or two by stress of 
weather, and the clouds at length clear away, and the sun again 
appears shining clear and hot in the warm garden, then swarm¬ 
ing frequently takes place, irrespective of the hour, unless the after¬ 
noon be too far spent. We have known swarms issue as early as 
eight in the morning, and as late as four in the afternoon, but these 
are exceptional cases, proving the trite remark that ‘ bees do nothing 
invariably.’ A swarm may be expected at any favourable oppor¬ 
tunity when the bees commence clustering outside nightly at the 
entrance. Sometimes, in hot weather, half a gallon or more will 
hang around the bottom of the mass, perhaps touching the ground. 
Second swarms may be expected from seven to nine days after the 
first. 
“ In starting an apiary many prefer swarms to old stocks. The 
latter plan, however, has its advantages, as the old hive, if a straw 
skep, will do for stock purposes, though it is not so manageable as a 
bar-frame hive, and the first swarm will repay the cost of purchase. 
It need hardly be observed that the discordant sound produced by 
fire shovel, door key, and warming pan, is certainly not calculated to 
induce the swarm to settle when on wing. The practice belongs to 
bygone generations rather than to the present day. 
“ As soon as the bees are gathered in a cluster, hold the hive under¬ 
neath with one hand, and give the branch a vigorous shake with the 
other ; this will shoot them into the hive, which must then be placed 
