October 16, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
315 
occurs the non-covered heads would suffer severely in having no soil to 
protect them. Celery for early winter use that has been previously 
earthed should now have final attention. That which has not been 
done yet must have the loose short side leaves cleared off, and the 
main ones tied together in a firm bunch. This will prevent the soil 
falling into the centre. The soil must be placed well round each 
plant, and pressed down firmly. When finished, the ridge should slope 
sharply from the top to the bottom, as this assists in throwing off the 
rain and preserves the Celery ; untie each plant after earthing, and do 
not break the main leaves in handling them. 
Storing Beetroot —Beetroot is somewhat easily injured by frost. 
It will not keep well into next spring or summer if the frost touches 
it before being stored. It is therefore important that it should bestorei 
before any severe frost occurs, and it is not quite safe to leave it out 
in many parts until November. Take it up and store it at once. In 
stiff soil it may be necessary to lift each root with a fork, but the 
root must not be broken at any time. Do not trim any of the rootlets 
off, and cut the leaves about 3 inches from the crown, as if the juice 
escapes from the main root its value will be greatly reduced. Place 
them in an open shed for a day or two until the soil adhering to them 
has dried, then store them in their winter quarters where there is no 
artificial heat or dry air. Sheds or cellars are suitable places, and each 
layer of roots, when formed into a heap, must be covered with a quantity 
of sand or fine ashes. These are placed on to keep the roots plump 
and fresh. 
Asparagus. —In many cases, as soon as the owners of an Asparagus 
bed see the heads becoming withered in appearance, they conclude they 
are of no further use to the root, and cut them off. This is a mistake, 
as the stems are not ready for cutting down until they have become 
quite withered, and this will not be until the middle of November, or 
later. Weeds that obstruct the light from the crown of the plants 
should be removed, as, unless the young growths that are now formed 
are fully matured, the produce will be poor. 
Tomatoes. —The season for these is virtually over, and so far as 
open air crops are concerned it has not been a successful year. We 
have gathered many ripe fruits from our plants trained against the 
kitchen garden wall, but nothing like a full return. There are, how¬ 
ever, many green fruits on them still, and many will be in this state 
throughout the country. Few will ripen now if left on the plants, but 
should frost occur the green ones may be blackened by it. This causes 
them to become soft, and then they will not ripen but decay. To avoid 
this and save the crops in good condition all open-air fruits should be 
cut off now with the stems attached and tied in bunches of from six to 
a dozen, and suspended in a dry airy room to ripen. If the fruit is 
wanted soon they may be hung in a warm place, but if not until well 
into November or December a cool place will suit it best. All plants 
from which the fruit is cut should be thrown away. 
Mushrooms. —If woodlice or any insects are plentiful on beds 
that will come into bearing soon, pour boiling water round the bed, but 
do not allow any of it to fall on the centre. They can be destroyed 
with less injury to the bed now than when the Mushrooms are plentiful. 
If the heat has declined in any beds below 70°, cover the surface with a 
layer of hay to the depth of 9 inches. If the surface of the bed is rather 
dry, water it with water at 80° before putting on the hay, but we do not 
approve of watering beds very much before the crop appears, and prefer to 
keep the surface of the bed in a moist condition by making the atmosphere 
of the place in which the beds are humid. Collect more materials for more 
beds, and form these as fast as one, two, or three cartloads can be secured. 
Beds made up now will bear at Christmas and in January, times when 
the crops are greatly valued. 
Leeks. —Those intended for use during the winter should have 
several inches of soil put up round their stems. This will blanch them, 
and make them good for use. Those intended for spring should not be 
earthed up until after the new year. Very large Leeks never keep well, 
and the huge specimens should be used first. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Adiantum cuneatum .—Plants from which all the fronds have been 
removed that are suitable for cutting should have all small fronds about 
the crowns of the plants cut clean away. Remove all loose soil from 
the surface of the plants, and dust them with soot if slugs have been 
troublesome. Keep the plants rather dry, and in a temperature 5° 
lower than that in which they have been grown. After a few weeks’ 
rest the plants will start again freely into growth if introduced into 
heat. Expose all plants to the sun that are well furnished with fronds 
to harden them, so that they will stand well after they are cut. Admit 
air daily, and be careful that no water is allowed to settle upon the 
fronds. Repot young plants that would otherwise become root-bound 
before the close of the year. They will soon become established, and 
continue through the winter and spring to yield suitable fronds for 
cutting when they begin to be scarce on old established plants. Good 
fronds are generally scarce during February and March, but young 
plants placed into 4 and 5-inch pots now will continue growing slowly 
and push up large fronds during those months. Pot these in equal 
proportions of loam and leaf mould, with the addition of sand. If 
kept in a temperature of 60° the roots will soon take possession of the 
new soil. 
Small Ferns .—Those growing in small pots may be placed into 
larger sizes as they need more root room. These plants in the tempera¬ 
ture advised for Adiantums will continue to grow throughout the 
autumn and winter, and early in spring will be suitable for decoration. 
Repot those that are growing in boxes and pans as they become large 
enough. Nothing is gained, but the reverse, by allowing them to become 
crowded before they are placed singly into small pots. Small Ferns are 
always useful, and a good stock in various stages should be kept on 
hand. Pterises and other greenhouse Ferns are amongst the most 
useful, as they can be employed effectively in large conservatories in 
many positions where flowering plants fail.to do satisfactorily. 
Hardy Ferns .—Many of the choice forms of Athyriums, Polysti- 
chums, and others are invaluable for decoration in a young state. 
Many of these in gentle warmth will continue growing throughout the 
winter. Even plants that have been grown in cool structures soon start 
again into growth when placed in heat ; the old fronds can be removed 
as the new ones display signs of pushing up. Hardy varieties are not 
half so much used for decoration as they deserve to be; they can be 
had in positions where it is scarcely safe to place tender Ferns, and 
when they are shabby, after being employed in rooms for some time, 
are quickly restored again to health and beauty. Seedlings or young 
Ferns raised by various means may be subjected to the same tem¬ 
perature and treatment as Pterises anl other greenhouse Ferns. 
Foliage Begonias .—These are not to be despised for conservatory 
decoration during the autumn and winter months, in fact the better 
varieties when associated with Ferns at any season of the year are very 
effective. In positions where flowering plants fail to do well these 
Begonias are doubly useful. Young plants recently rooted may be 
placed into 4-inch pots, and in a very short time, if kept in gentle 
heat, they will be ready for the conservatory. 
Ficus elastica .—Young plants that have been raised from eyes and 
cuttings, and are in a backward condition, should be pushed on in heat \ 
they will continue to grow in a temperature of 60°. If potted mode¬ 
rately firm and exposed to light they will grow into sturdy specimens. 
The growth of young plants is very slow when subjected entirely to 
greenhouse treatment. Young plants that have recently been raised 
from cuttings in small pots, and are well rooted, may be placed into 
4-inch pots in a compost of loam, sand, and one-seventh of manure. 
EpipliyUvms .—Plants that have thoroughly ripened their growth 
and are showing their flower buds may be arranged with Adiantums. 
In no position when elevated above these plants are the beautiful 
flowers of the Epiphyllum shown to greater advantage. It is not 
wise to arrange all the plants in this position where flowering 
plants are needed in succession. Keep all those that have completed 
their growth and are not showing flowers perfectly cool, but fully 
exposed to the sun. Water them carefully, and if worked do not allow 
them to suffer by an insufficient supply at their roots. It is a mistake 
to keep them dry until they shrivel. 
Palms .—Young plants that need more root room should be potted. 
It is a mistake to keep them too confined at their roots where the object 
is to grow them on into larger plants. It is much better to turn out any 
plants that are in an unsuitable condition at their roots and repot them 
than to leave them in this state throughout the winter. Do not give these 
plants large pots, for the soil is liable to become sour before the roots 
take possession of it, and this must be avoided if the plants are to grow 
freely and retain a healthy appearance. Be careful not to overwater 
Cocos Weddelliana, and keep the plants in a temperature a few degrees- 
warmer than the general stock. This Palm does best in peat and sand, 
while the stronger growing kinds do well in loam and 6and. Where 
good leaf mould can be had direct from the woods of Oak or 
Beech equal portions of loam and leaf mould may be used with the 
addition of sand. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Colonies Haying Young Queens Swarming. 
As many bee-keepers have experienced during this tantalising’, 
abnormal, and exceptional season, bees have sometimes acted con¬ 
trary to the general rule. According to instructions given in these 
pages some have fed swarms having young queens, but contrary to 
expectations these swarmed during July in the same manner and 
proportion as the prime swarms, which was puzzling, and created 
an opinion that our advice was not sound. The case was as follows. 
They knew the consequences that were certain to occur subse¬ 
quent to feeding swarms having queens that had already laid their 
full number of eggs for the season. Relying upon our advice 
they fed prime swarms sparingly, but fed after swarms freely, with 
the result that they swarmed too, which appeared to stultify what 
had been said. The error was with the bee-keepers themselves, 
who failed to carry out the whole of the instructions, placing the 
bees into too small hives, and failing to increase the size of them, 
as the bees increased in numbers. 
Young queens are most prolific at their earliest stage of exist¬ 
ence after fertilisation, and it is not correct, as was stated by an 
apiarian in a contemporary—“ That queens had to be a few months 
