December 4, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
503 
rather dry at the roots. In the fruiting department G5° will be ample 
at night, 5° lower in the morning in cold weather, 70° to 75° by day. 
Take every opportunity of collecting leaves whilst dry, Oak and Beech 
being the best, and whenever a favourable opportunity offers push 
forward whatever may be necessary in the renewing or augmenting the 
fermenting beds. 
Cherry House. —Attention must be given without delay to pruning 
the trees. Those full grown and regularly stopped during growth will 
require very little pruning. Shoots not wanted for extension or filling 
vacant space should be cut back to about an inch from their base or the 
current year’s growth, and the worn-out spurs as well as the decayed 
may be removed. The terminal shoots in the case of young trees not 
full-sized must not be shortened unless the extremity of the trellis is 
reached, and the central shoots of young trees will require to be cut 
back as may be necessary to originate shoots for filling up the space 
regularly, care being taken to always prune to a wood bud. Fan train¬ 
ing is the most eligible system, particularly suited to the Cherry, as it 
admits of replacing any branch that may fall a prey to gumming. The 
house should have a thorough cleansing, the trees being washed with 
soapy water, 4 ozs. softsoap to a gallon of water, and then dressed with 
a composition formed of half a pound softsoap to half a gallon of water, 
half a gallon of tobacco juice, with four parts flowers of sulphur and one 
part of slaked lime, applying with a brush, being careful not to injure 
the buds. The lights may be placed on, but the house must be thoroughly 
ventilated until the time arrives for starting the trees, but it is better if 
the lights are left off. 
Cucumbers. —Winter fruiters are generally too precocious, and 
unless the plants are extra strong two-thirds at least of the fruit showing 
should be removed. Remove also the male flowers and tendrils, with 
any superfluous shoots and bad leaves, but do not stop the growing points 
too much for the next few weeks, affording water moderately—a supply 
twice a week will suffice. Plants growing in pots or boxes will require 
water oftener, with liquid manure occasionally. A night temperature 
of G5° to 70°, falling to G0° in severe weather, 70° to 75° by day, advanc¬ 
ing to 80° or 85° with sun will be suitable. The roots will require 
moderate earthing from time to time, taking care that the soil has been 
previously warmed, press it firmly, but not hard. The bottom heat 
should be kept steady at about 80°. Atmospheric moisture will require 
to be kept up, but it must be moderate, damping only on bright 
mornings or early in the afternoon. A night covering over the roof 
lights of mats, canvas, or frigi domo is highly advantageous, but it must 
not remain on by day to the exclusion of light, every ray of which the 
plants must have. Remove old foliage and exhausted growths from the 
autumn fruiters, avoiding overcrowding, and especially overcropping. 
Fertilise the flowers during a continuance of dull weather, and keep 
water from the young fruit. 
Strawberries in Pots. —Examine the drainage of pots being 
introduced to houses for forcing, making sure that it is clear. Remove 
the loose surface soil, applying a dressing of dried cow dung or horse 
droppings rubbed fine, adding a twelfth part of steamed bone dust or 
other approved fertiliser well incorporated, then watering with a rose 
watering pot, so as to bring it into a moist state, for if placed on dry it 
will be washed off in watering the plants. The plants may then be 
placed in position after removing any dead leaves, making sure that 
there is no deficiency of water at the roots, for the old leaves will not 
show a deficiency of water until the soil is very much too dry for 
healthy root action, therefore rap the pots, a practised hand will tell by 
the sound which plants are needir.g water. La Grosse Sucr^e and 
Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury are excellent varieties. Noble and 
Auguste Nicaise may also be introduced, but they should be brought on 
very gradually. 
Plums. —These are not often forced. They, however, are amenable 
to the same treatment as Cherries. In pruning, all last year’s growth 
will need shortening; superfluous shoots may be removed, avoiding 
having the shoots too thickly placed. Dishes of Plums grown under 
glass are always welcome at dessert Early Favourite, Denniston’s 
Superb,, De Montfort, Green Gage, Jefferson, Transparent Gage, Kirke’s 
and Coe’s Golden Drop are excellent sorts and come in succession. The 
fan system of training is the best, for Plums are liable to lose the 
branches. It is necessary that they have the roots restricted to a 
border of good soil not too extensive, for in wide, deep borders the trees 
grow too luxuriantly. Trees three or four years trained to walls are the 
most suitable for planting in houses. Strong loam, preferably marly, 
is the most suitable soil. Add a sixth of road scrapings and a similar 
proportion of old mortar rubbish to clayey loam. If the soil be light, 
add. a fourth of clayey marl. A 2-feet depth of border and 1 foot of 
drainage, secured by a layer of old mortar rubbish, will suit Plums well, 
feeding the roots by the surface. The house must be light and well 
ventilated. 
KITCHEN GARDEN. 
IorCING Rhubarb. —Fortunately our Apple supply is a most 
abundant one this season, but in many cases it is not, and the demand 
for fruit or produce to make tarts in the kitchen will induce many to 
force as much Rhubarb as possible. Strong, healthy roots only should 
be used, and the whole clump must be introduced without cutting 
it in any way. Until January the roots cannot be forced freely in the 
ground, and the best way is to lift them, and if they can be placed in 
the corner of a Cucumber or Melon pit, where there are pipes to give a 
bottom heat of 85°, and an air temperature of G5° or 70°, growth will 
soon appear. We also force a few roots over a flue near the boiler, and 
have had much good Rhubarb from under the stage in a miscel¬ 
laneous plant-forcing pit. Wherever there is a warm corner a Rhubarb' 
root or two may be introduced, and in all cases the crowns should be 
covered with a little straw or a layer of leaves. The most acceptable 
forced Rhubarb is always produced in the dark, and the light should be 
screened from it as much as possible. 
Forcing Seakale.— Like Rhubarb this takes from three to five 
weeks to be ready for use after being introduced to heat. We place a 
number of roots in 12-inch pots, the crowns only being above the soil. 
The pots are closely covered and plunged in bottom heat if possible. 
We also make up a good hotbed in a dark shed, and plunge some of 
the pots there. The growth is not so rapid as in a heated house, but 
much good Kale is produced. 
Mustard and Cress. —As the supply of Lettuce, Endive, Cucum¬ 
bers, and other salads decreases the demand for Mustard and Cress will 
increase, and they are more easily produced than any other salading. 
They may be cut in a week or little more after the seed has been sown, 
and a quantity can be prepared at a short notice. A thin layer of soil 
is placed in the bottom of some cutting boxes, it is levelled and firmed^, 
and the seed is sown on the surface without covering. Those boxes are 
then placed in a warm house or any odd corner, and the supply is 
always certain. 
Chicory. —In this we have another useful winter salad. The seed- 
is sown in May, the plants thinned or transplanted to 8 inches or 
10 inches apart, and allowed to grow into strong thick roots. We lift 
and pot these like the Seakale ; then they are plunged in a little bottom 
heat in a dark atmosphere, and they soon form a large head of pale 
cream-coloured leaves, which are excellent for salads. If half a dozen 
potfuls of roots are introduced to heat occasionally during the winter a 
salad will always be obtainable. 
Refuse Heaps. —It does not matter what the size of the garden 
may be, there is always an accumulation of refuse in it, and this is a 
good time for making up heaps to decay, and a manure will be formed 
that will be found most valuable when the time comes for planting 
Potatoes and other root crops. To prepare it more rapidly it should' 
be turned over once a month or so, and if a quantity of soot be mixed 
in it will improve the mass greatly. 
M. 
Kj? 
HE BEE-KEEPER. 
~mr 
■ r - i - i - t -1 ■ 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Since November 1st the weather has been changeable—from! 
fine to stormy, with heavy rains. The 13th was a field day for 
the bees, pollen from three different sources being carried in freely, 
and in large pellets. Many late-bred bees availed the opportunity 
of airing themselves, and most hives had their complement. The 
more opportunities bees have of airing themselves the healthier 
they are, but unless the temperature i3 near 50° and the air calm 
it would be as well they had two months’ repose. We have known 
them sixteen weeks closely confined to their hives without suffering. 
The heavy rainfalls, with the highly saturated condition of the 
ground, is against outdoor labour being proceeded with, and a week 
or two of dry weather would be welcomed alike by gardener and 
farmer. 
Manipulating Bees. 
Beginners have sometimes too great a desire to manipulate, and 
very often at a time the most injudicious for the good of the bees' 
and their own safety. The mildest tempered bees can be provoked 
to sting by untimeous and injudicious meddling ! Some varieties 
of bees are more spiteful than others, but none of the varieties can 
be bred to be harmless. During a honey glut with a little caution 
supers may be added or removed, the hive opened, and combs 
examined with impunity. The same may be done with bees 
heavily fed. But to attempt the opening of hives at a time when 
the bees have neither been fed nor getting honey they are apt to be- 
furious, and sometimes keep enraged and spiteful for long after, 
or, in other words, a perfectly peaceable colony of bees may be 
turned into perfect furies by injudicious and careless handling. 
Some writers go so far as to say that there are naturally more 
vicious bees or colonies than others, and pretend to breed by selec¬ 
tion mild tempered bees ! I do not agree with that theory. The 
temper of bees is in a great measure affected by the treatment they 
receive from their owner, and by his manner and movements 
amongst them. It is a natural thing for bees to sting in defence of 
their property, and in defiance to their enemies when in front of 
their hives, or in their direct flight ; and to say bees can be bred so 
as to be harmless is a sophistical mode of reasoning. Bees have a 
strong resentment to both men and dogs. From the moment they 
