December 2j, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
571 
exceptions. Yet as a rule the small-flowered varieties are better adapted 
for early forcing than the large-flowered for another reason—viz., 
that large flowers are often deficient of pollen whilst the other 
varieties afford pollen abundantly. Early Albert is one of the surest of 
early forcing Peaches, not liable to cast its buds like the large-flowered 
sorts. Early Louise, Dagmar, and Crimson Galande, all raised by the 
late Mr. Thos. Rivers, have small flowers, and precede Royal George or 
Stirling Castle in ripening, and with those no fault is to be found, 
except Early Louise, the fruits of which are liable to crack at the stone. 
Its constitutional vigour may have something to do with that, and when 
care is taken not to overfeed, it is the very best flavoured of all early 
Peaches, except Early Rivers, which also cracks at the stone, and its 
flowers being large do not afford sufficient pollen. All the large-flowered 
Peaches require to be brought on very gently ; in fact, they should never 
be started until the new year, and every care even then must be taken, 
by timely removal of the roof lights, to prevent over-maturing of the 
buds. In Nectarines the surest and best are those with small flowers. 
Lord Napier and Hunt’s Tawny are exceptions, but in these there is a 
tendency to blindness when the trees are subjected to very early forcing 
in consecutive years, yet not more so than in Elruge, but Rivers’ Elruge 
(happily rarely seen) is apt to have blind buds. Perhaps the best 
Nectarine, having the good properties of Royal George Peach—viz., 
being equally good as a forcer as for cool culture, is Dryden. It has 
small flowers, and though of the Elruge type, is a decided advance on 
that esteemed variety. The fruit, however, is larger and better coloured, 
the tree having a better constitution. Stanwick Elruge, also, has small 
flowers and sets splendidly. The Orange Nectarines, of which Pine 
Apple is the chief, are not very early forcers ; buc Victoria, like Royal 
George Peach, is good everywhere, everything in size, colour, and quality 
of fruit, with certainty of crop that everyone desires. It, however, 
is late, following Royal George Peach, both of which seem to enjoy the 
generous treatment accorded fruit trees grown under glass. Damp the 
trees in the morning and early afternoon of bright days, and to accelerate 
the swelling of the buds turn on the heat by day, but it must not exceed 
50°, and is better left alone until the house has been closed at least a 
fortnight. Protect the border outside with a little dry fern or litter, 
but avoid heavy coverings of leaves or stable manure. 
Succession Houses .—Push forward pruning and dressing trees after 
loosening them from the trellis, cutting out any weak attenuated wood, 
thinning where crowded, leaving space between the current bearing 
wood for training in that intended to displace it. Thoroughly cleanse 
the house, dress the trees with an insecticide, secure the trees to the 
trellis, leaving space in the ligature for the swelling of the shoots, tight 
tying being prolific of gum. Remove the surface soil down to the 
roots without disturbing them, affording a surface dressing of good loam 
with a handful of bonemeal to every bushel of loam, and a similar 
proportion of wood ashes, or half the quantity of kainit, not covering 
the roots more than 2 to 3 inches deep. If inside borders are at all dry 
soak thoroughly with water or liquid manure if vigour in the trees is 
wanted, and keep the house as much ventilated as possible, or if the 
lights are off let them stay until the time arrives for starting, or the 
buds advancing necessitate protection. 
Figs in Unheated Houses. —Unloosen the trees from the trellis 
or wall, have the branches tied together in convenient bundles, and 
cover them with a single thickness of mat, and then some dry straw or 
fern a few inches thick, securing with tarred string, mulching over the 
roots with some short dry littery material to a depth of at least 6 inches, 
thereby securing the safety of the roots, whilst covering the branches 
with straw or other material will not only insure them against frost, 
but tend to a more complete state of rest. If the trees are in an un¬ 
satisfactory state, arising from too rich, loose, and over-extended border, 
they should be given a chance of fruiting. Where the soil is too rich 
apply a dressing of quicklime and road scrapings in equal parts an inch 
or two thick, and mix it with the surface soil as deeply as the roots will 
allow without disturbing them much, and after resting a time and when 
in good order tread it firmly. If the trees make long-jointed wood it is 
best to lift them carefully and replant, making the soil firmer, using old 
mortar rubbish to the extent of a fourth and of road scrapings a sixth, 
mix together well and make it firm, curtailing the rooting area to at 
least half the width the trees cover of trellis. If the soil, however, be 
light and sandy, add a fourth of clay marl, dried, pounded, and thoroughly 
incorporated with the soil, which will tend to encourage shorter-jointed 
wood, improving the texture of the foliage, and increasing its power of 
elaboration, whereby the size and quality of the fruit is improved. 
Cucumbers. —The weather has necessitated sharp firing, and there 
has been little sun, which is sure to result in weak growth. Light is 
very important for these plants in winter, therefore keep the glass clean 
both inside and out. Employ a covering of mats or other protective 
material over the lights at night, and have a mat over the doorway, so 
as to prevent the rush inwards of cold air when the door is open el, and 
avoid needless entries. Do not apply strong liquid manure too free'y, 
but keep the roots active by judicious earthing, or surface dressings of 
rich, sweet, warm lumpy loam, sprinkling some horse manure over 
the surface, and if more vigour is wanted use a little superphosphate, 
to which has been added two-thirds of kainit. Avoid overcropping 
the plants, not allowing the fruit to hang too long. They keep fresh 
several days after being cut if the heels are inserted in saucers 
of water in moderate heat. Remove superfluous and ill-shaped 
fruits as they appear. Red spider must be kept under by sponging the 
leaves carefully, or they may be syringed with a solution of softsoap, 
2 oz?, to the gallon of water, but care must be taken not to damage the 
leaves. If mildew appear, flowers of sulphur must be applied to the 
affected parts, and a little brushed on the hot-water pipes mixed with 
skim milk, reducing the atmospheric moisture. Aphides, whether green 
or black, succumb to dusting with tobacco powder or fumigation on 
two or three successive evenings, taking care not to dry the atmosphere, 
and to deliver the smoke cool. Avoid the common practice of putting 
cinders in fumigators, they give off sulphurous fumes and destroy 
vegetation, and take care not to give too much. 
Where Cucumbers or Melons are obtained from frames or pits 
heated by fermenting materials, some fresh Oak or Beech leaves should 
be thrown together, with one-third of stable litter, and, if necessary, 
be moistened so as to induce fermentation. The heap must be turned 
when warmed through, turning the outside to the inside, thoroughly 
incorporating the materials, alike to induce a genial state of warmth, 
and to sweeten them. 
a 
H 
HE BEE-KEEPER. 
i 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Supers for Lanarkshire Hives. 
“A Howdenshire Bee-keeper ” wishes to know what kind? 
of supers I use. It is rather difficult to answer the question 
definitely, so many sorts have been used, and are still in use by 
me. For the last forty years I have had nothing but divisible- 
supers, or those having little or no attachment to anything but the 
top bar, and perfectly straight. The first decade of these four F 
secured straightness by splitting the top bar and inserting guide- 
comb after removing the greater part of the side walls, then tight¬ 
ening the bar by two brass screws. Our hives then were mostly of 
the same sort as I now use, but minus the end or vertical pieces of 
the frames, a few octagons, and several of my first frame hives. 
The octagon supers were of the ordinary type as are usually sent 
out, and a per-centage of them with the rim in one piece, while in 
others I had them similarly made, but were small, four forming 
the" complete super or cover. I have still the pattern of these 
beside me. If the supers are to be sold the bee-keeper should) 
study what is likely to be easiest disposed of at the greatest re¬ 
muneration. The full sized super gives the bee-keeper the greatest 
qaantity of honey with the least outlay, and are sent to the market 
at less cost than sections are, with less chance of being damaged, 
and I have yet to be convinced that they are less saleable than 
sections, whilst their beauty is greater. 
I also use a few sections, working them in the rims of ordinary 
supers. The rabbets intended for the bars hold a slip of wood 
for tightening them on end, and use tin frames suspended to sides 
of super for the sections to rest on. This is the best arrangement 
for sections I ever tried ; a description of these has been in the 
hands of the Editor for some time, which may appear saon. I 
also use full sized supers, with and without end pieces, on bars. 1 
prefer them without them. 
Small supers are employed of different sizes, holding from 2 to 
Gibs. each. I prefer those holding about 5 lbs.; they are about 
7 inches square by 4j inches deep, being my standard for depth, the- 
sides and top bars are one-eighth of an inch thick, and fronts and 
backs five-sixteenths, the rabbet for the top bar being about one- 
eighth deep and on. At first I had these as well as the hives dove¬ 
tailed, or rather morticed or tenoned, because a true dovetail is 
wider on the in than on the outside, but I abandoned that, finding 
nailing superior both in firmness and for hives more lasting. The 
many joints in inside dovetailed work cause early decay. 
Half sized supers and divisible supers I have also used, constructed 
so that one or any number of bars may be employed. I never nail 
the bars of large supers, but have always in readiness two light 
pieces of wood to screw to the top of super at the ends of the 
bars. I have omitted to say that all supers less in size than the 
outside of hive have an outer case to slip over them. This i 
arrangement is absolutely necessary where the hives hav*! to be 
moved about, and where all the divisions are clamped together 
