October 30, 1890. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
891 
leaves hang long it is an indication of unripe wood, and the roof lights 
must not be removed for some time longer, and if this-condition 
prevails generally the trees should be lifted carefully and root-pruned. 
If this is performed judiciously it will not prejudice next year’s crop, 
but it must be done whilst the foliage is still upon the trees, but with 
the wood firm, keeping the house rather close, the trees syringed, and 
the house shaded if the weather be bright. Under ordinary circum¬ 
stances as to weather those precautions are not necessary. It is only 
when the trees are gross and the wood unripe that the careful treatment 
is requisite. In the case of young trees it will suffice to take out a 
trench one-third the distance from the stem the trees cover of trellis, 
and down so as to cut off all roots to the drainage, leaving the trench 
open for a fortnight, not allowing the soil in the radius to become so 
dry as to distress the foliage to a very severe degree of flagging, but 
not giving any water so long as the leaves maintain their persistence, 
and then the trench may be filled in firmly. With this check to the 
growth the wood and buds ripen satisfactory. 
Unlieated Bouses .—In these ventilation must be given to the fullest 
possible extent, and the wood if necessary should be thinned to admit 
light and air freely to the growths. This ripens the wood, and where 
this is not sufficient over-luxuriance or a tendency to late growth 
is overcome by lifting, which must not be done until the wood becomes 
firm, and whilst the foliage is still upon the trees. Lifting and laying 
the roots near the surface and firm soil is the surest remedy for trees 
that fail to set and stone full crops of fruit. After the leaves fall the 
roof lights may be removed. 
KITCHEN HARDEN. 
Cucumbers in Pots. —Open air Cucumbers have not been a great 
success this season. As a rule it has been too wet and sunless for them. 
They are now quite over, and those we have in frames are not active, 
indeed they too will soon be past, although fresh linings of manure have 
recently been applied. Like many others we have not extensive accom¬ 
modation for the production of winter Cucumbers, but we have a 
number of plants in 12-inch pots. These are just beginning to fruit, 
and are likely to be exceedingly useful during the greater part of the 
winter. They are in a warm plant pit, but have no bottom heat, though 
the pots are near the hot-water pipes, and the plants are both clean and 
robust. As we only require a few fruits per week the supply will be 
ample, and those who have little space but who would still like to 
possess a few Cucumbers should grow their plants in pots. They are 
more easily accommodated in these than in a bed. They are easily kept 
going by giving liquid manure frequently when the pots are full of 
roots. The greatest mistake that is made in winter Cucumber growing 
is to allow the plants to make too much growth. If the main stem is 
taken up 2 or 3 feet and not more than 4 feet, the side shoots being 
closely pinched at the first joint, until the fruit there has formed, the 
results will be much better than if the side shoots were allowed to run 
out several joints. A crowded growth is produced then that is much 
against the formation of the fruit. It also exhausts the plant, and this 
must be avoided when the roots are confined to the small space of a 
10-inch or 12-inch pot. When one fruit is formed at the first joint the 
shoot is allowed to grow anew to another joint, but no more, when 
another fruit appears, and in this way the plants are easily kept clean, 
robust, and fruitful. To allow many growths to run out and then cut 
them hard back, as is often done, is ruinous. 
More Lime for Vegetable Quarters. —Experiments con¬ 
ducted for some years past lead us to assert that sufficient lime is not 
applied to vegetable quarters. Grubs have been unusually plentiful in 
Carrot, Parsley, and other quarters this season, but they have been 
much worse in some cases than others, and wherever lime was absent 
their ravages have been most destructive. Lime is an excellent 
preventive, while as a fertiliser it is equal in some soils to any 
manure. Old soil is especially benefited by it, and our crops gene¬ 
rally have never been so robust and of such high quality as in the 
seasons succeeding the application of lime. We have resolved that 
none of our quarters shall go longer than three years without it, as 
most of the soil is very full of decayed leaves and other manure. The 
best way of dealing with it is to procure the lime quite fresh, place it 
in heaps of one or two barrowloads here and there on the vacant 
quarters, cover it over with soil as soon as it is deposited, allow it to 
remain covered for two days, then spread it on the ground and dig in at 
once. It may be applied at any time of the year, but at least a week 
should be allowed to pass from the time it is dug in until any crop is 
planted. We apply it at the rate of from 3 to 5 tons per acre, according 
to the condition of the soil. 
Late Cauliflowers. —As usual Veitch’s Autumn Giant Cauli¬ 
flower is giving an ample supply. It is unique as an October sort, and 
the Self-protecting Broccoli succeeds it to an equally useful extent. None 
of them, however, will bear frost, as if the head is exposed it soon 
becomes brown and useless. When a quantity of these are ready and 
left exposed a few degrees of frost occurring unexpectedly will ruin 
them. It is therefore necessary to keep a look out that this should not 
occur. The plants should be examined twice or three times weekly, and 
ail that have exposed heads should be cut and stored. If cut with a stem 
6 inches in length, the bottom leaves cut off, only a few of the small 
ones left round the head, and the stem inserted in damp sand in any 
cool dry shed, they will remain fresh and good for upwards of three 
weeks. We generally fill a number of our cutting boxes with sand at 
this time and store the Cauliflowers in these, as they can be conveniently 
moved into any dry place. 
Forcing Kidney Beans.—T hese only make slow progress at this 
season. Seed sown in small pots and that have now produced plantsGinches 
or more in height, should be placed into 7 inch pots. Do not crowd too 
many plants into one pot, give them a rich soil and a temperature of 
70°. They must be kept near the glass and fully in the light, especially 
as they begin to show flower. It is better to give a few dozen potfuls 
plenty of room than try to crowd a hundred or more into a small space. 
Autumn Sown Onions. —These have become unusually large, a 
severe winter would be apt to cripple them greatly. Distribute a 
quantity of soot over the plants and between the rows, Dutch hoe them 
soon afterwards, then tread them on each side of the rows as firmly as 
possible. This treatment braces them up for the winter better than 
anything we have tried. Where they are valued as salad the plants 
should be drawn from the parts that contain the most plants. 
Stored Roots. —As we anticipated stored roots are not keeping 
well. There is much decay in Potato heaps, and to prevent further los3 all 
Potatoes should be examined as soon as possible. Turn the heaps quite 
over in picking out the bad tubers, and if the position they have been 
resting on is damp remove them to a dry place. If sound tubers have 
become damp through being in contact with rotten ones let the former- 
become dry before confining them again. 
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APIARIAN NOTES. 
Ventilating Floors. 
A correspondent (“ G-. H. D.”) requires some information 
respecting the above, and as others may be desirous of having a know¬ 
ledge how to proceed in completing a cheap but an effective hive 
of great utility, I will give'a description of the work. It is quite 
unnecessary to give full details of every part of a hive, because 
one part must necessarily be made to suit another. There can be¬ 
little doubt but that the storifying hive will be the hive of the 
future, as it has been so long the successful one of the past 
amongst advanced bee-keepers, and that its dimensions for many 
reasons shall be the same—viz., 14 inches inside measure both 
ways, and the thickness of the timber five-eighths, and the alighting 
boards held to the hive by wire dowls or brass hinges for handi¬ 
ness in transit, the boards either being removed or folded up, the 
latter being the better plan. The floor and the three divisions 
which forms the hive must be exactly of one size, only the former 
being 4 or 4 | inches deep instead of 62 inches, as are the body 
boxes, and the alighting boards are fixed to the floor, the alighting 
board proper being about 4i inches broad, and the gangway or 
ladder not less than 9 inches, also hinged to the alighting board 
proper. 
A sheet of one-eighth perforated zinc forms the floor, or it 
may be that having club-shaped perforations the holes, although 
wider apart, are larger, and allow larger pieces of debris to fall 
through without bees escaping. It is better that this sheet of 
perforated zinc be laid loosely upon the stand, which may have 
feet of angled iron screwed to the inside extreme angles of 
the stand. Either way, a fillet of wood runs round the inner sides 
of the stand about half way up in the front, and the thickness of 
the shutter at the back of the hive. When the shutter is fitted 
into the recess, a wooden button at the back holds the shutter in 
its place, and two nails bent downwards or a second fillet holds it 
from falling in the front. The shutter or false floor, it will be 
observed, lies at an angle, highest in the front, and allows the water 
evaporated by the bees to run out at the back. The whole stand 
and shutter should be thoroughly tarred or painted with raw oil. 
The shutter should have a little opening ; 5 inches long by 
1 inch broad is sufficient, and at least 4 inches clear from the back, 
so that a shutter 4 inches broad sliding in the bars of the false 
floor clears the opening when drawn back. A stopper prevents it 
being slid too far forward when closed. I have not witnessed a. 
single cell of foul brood amongst my hives since I adopted this 
method of ventilation, and would not risk sending hives a distance 
without it. It is a good plan, several days before moving bees, 
to open the ventilator or sliding shutter, so that the bees become 
accustomed to the opening, and do not crowd upon it. 
