July 1, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
15 
and a thorough moistening of the borders will do much towards the pro¬ 
duction of fresh laterals and the maintenance in health of the principal 
leaves, thereby preventing premature ripening of the foliage. Vines that 
are becoming exhausted through long subjection to early forcing and 
bearing heavy crops should have one of the borders renovated and the 
roots laid in fresh material near the surface, for which preparation should 
now be made by getting the material together, as it is important work of 
this kind be executed at the right time and with dispatch. One of the 
borders only should be acted upon at a time, operating on, say, the inside 
border one year, and following with the outside border the next. The 
proper time to attend to the roots in the case of early Vines is as soon as 
the foliage gives indications of ripening. Syringe the foliage every 
evening in fine weather to preserve the leaves in a healthy condition as 
long as possible, for when they die prematurely second growth will set in 
about the time the Vines should be pruned and going to rest. 
Houses of Ripe Grapes. —Keep the houses cool, and on hot days 
sprinkling water on the borders and floors will be beneficial. Moderate 
moisture will not injure ripe Grapes at this season, provided it is not 
stagnant and the temperature is not allowed to advance in the morning 
before the ventilation is increased, so as to prevent moisture being con¬ 
densed on the berries. A temperature of 55° to 60° will be sufficient for 
ripe Black Hamburghs at night, but Muscats and other heat-requiring 
varieties will need fire heat to prevent the temperature falling below 60° to 
66° at night. Turning on the heat in the morning so as to allow a free 
circulation will materially assist in the maturing of Muscats, even after 
they appear ripe. Moisture should be carefully guarded against in the 
case of Muscats, or they soon spot in a moist confined atmosphere. Allow 
a gentle circulation of air constantly, even if fire heat has to be employe! 
to secure it. A slight shade is absolutely essential to Black Hamburghs 
keeping colour for any length of time after ripening. Some doubled 
garden netting drawn over the roof lights is mostly sufficient. Muscats 
colour in proportion to the light and heat they receive. 
Grapes Ripening. —Ventilate constantly, a circulation of warm rather 
dry air being essential to good finish. Black Hamburghs and similar 
varieties need only have a night temperature of 60° to 65°, and 70° to 75° 
by day secured to them ; but Muscats require a temperature of 70° to 75° 
at night and 8U° to 85° by day, advancing with sun heat to 90° or 95°. If 
there is likely to be any deficiency of moisture in the border give a 
thorough soaking, choosing the early part of a fine day, and ventilato 
freely. Mulching with short dry material will prevent any danger of 
moisture arising to the injury of the crop. Plenty of air should be ad¬ 
mitted after the Grapes change colour, a little fire heat being necessary 
in dull weather. 
Grapes Stoning. —Dull weather with occasional gleams of sun is the 
worst for scorching and scald. It is best to have a little fire heat to pre¬ 
vent a low night temperature, and admit of early ventilation to avoid the 
deposition of moisture upon the berries. If they are allowed to be covered 
with moisture, and the sun raises the temperature considerably before 
ventilation is given, the leaves and berries will assuredly suffer. A 
little heat and free early ventilation are the preventives of scorch¬ 
ing and scalding. When the stoning is over, and the fruit commences 
ripening, danger from scalding is considered past ; but Muscat of 
Alexandria scorches badly even after the Grapes are advanced in colour, 
and a slight shade, as that of garden nets drawn over the roof lights, is of 
great benefit. 
Late Bouses of Black Hamburghs. —The thinning must be concluded 
without delay. Thin well but not unduly, and remove surplus bunches 
if there be any doubt about the crop, for Black Hamburghs to hang well 
must be as thick in the skin, as firm in flesh, and as highly fiuished as 
possible. It is no use expecting heavy crops that do not finish higher in 
colour than a reddish black to hang well, for they will only disappoint. 
Either they must be black and have as much bloom as SI es or they will 
not keep colour long. Allow a fair amount of lateral growth, as Grapes 
finish better with a modified light, but avoid overcrowding. 
SECTION EACKS AND HOW TO MAKE THEM. 
If it is decided to adopt the " piling” system of supering 
it will be necessary either to make or purchase a number 
of section racks of a size to suit the ideas of the individual 
bee-keeper. When these racks have to be purchased the 
expense is greater perhaps than some will be inclined to 
bear, even if they have the necessary money at their disposal, 
which is naturally not invariably the case. Catalogue prices 
vary from 3s. to 3s. 6d., and when it is remembered that five 
or six racks for every stock from which no swarm is to be 
taken are required, the item will be a heavy one, and add 
nearly, if not quite, a sovereign to the capital outlay on every 
stock in the apiary from which comb honey is to be taken as 
advised in former notes. It is scarcely necessary to say that 
when a swarm, or a stock which has given a swarm, is being 
supered there is not such essential necessity to provide room 
continually in the advance of the requirements of the bees, 
and therefore half the number of racks will in those cases be 
a sufficient supply. The object at present is to give clear 
directions for making a very simple yet efficient rack at 
home cheaply and well, so cheaply that if time is reckoned at 
5s. a day, even then half a dozen racks may be provided 
at a cost of 9s. 61. only if the workman is careful not to cut 
his wood to waste, and to purchase it in lengths of convenient 
size so as to cut it most economically for his purpose. The 
determination having been arrived at to make six racks, it is 
first necessary to decide upon the most suitable size, and from 
my own experience those containing twenty-one 1 lb. sections 
are most generally useful, the sections to be placed in three 
rows of seven, running parallel to the frames, forming a 
compact mass placed close together, but a space of about 
half an inch being left between each of the outside rows and 
the sides of the rack for the sake of being able to handle the 
sections more easily when removing them from the racks. 
There will necessarily be two parallel strips equidistant from 
one another in each rack, in addition to two others joined to 
the outer sides of the rack, for the support of the sections. 
The depth of the racks must be the same as the height of the 
sections, and the tops of these latter and the sides of the rack 
must be on a level, in order that when placed one upon 
another the tier may form a compact and substantial whole. 
Again, it is desirable to have the three end sections glazed 
in order that the apiarian may the better tell when the cells 
are sealed, and this may be arranged by (after the sections 
are arranged in the rack) placing a loose piece of glass of 
the same size as the zinc dividers across the three end sections 
and then protecting this glass by the wooden shutter, which 
will be described together with the rest of the woodwork of 
the box. 
Every rack must be well made, and strong enough to 
sustain a weight of at least 21 lbs. with ease, and it may be 
remembered that the better the fit the less do the bees 
propolise and so disfigure the sections, and the more heat is 
retained. The 3ize of the rack to contain twenty-one 1 lb. 
sections of the ordinary, though not standard, size will be 15 
long by 14 inches wide by 4£ inches in depth, all inside measure 
—with the exception of the depth a slight variation makes no 
material difference. The strips for the support of the sections 
may be lj inch wide, and the front end, or rather the one in 
which it is intended to insert the glass and shutter, will need 
only to be 2J inches high at the most, and even this is only 
required to keep the glass and shutter fixed in their places, 
and so retain the se turns in the proper position. If a space is 
left between this end and the shutter a wedge may be inserted 
to fill up the gap, and by removing this wedge it will be more 
easy to remove the shutter and glass, and so to manipulate 
the sections, than if the fit was so exact as to need no 
such wedge. It will be perceived that the sections are to 
be placed so that the surface of the end ones will be seen 
at the glass and parallel to the frames of the stock, so 
that when the frames of the stock run at right angles to the 
entrance the 15-inch sides will run at right angles to the 
frames, and the 14-inch sides or ends parallel to them and 
the sections in the latter position. —Felix. 
(To be continued.) 
THE WEATHER—SUPERING. 
We have now been enjoying a temperature of 80° for several days. 
The abundant rainfall of the past together with the present heat is very 
favourable to rapid growth. In some places the Gooseberry crop will 
be a small one. The caterpillar has been very destructive. The hedge 
sparrows, the na ural enemy of this pest, are becoming scarcer every 
year. Wherever a coal pit exists the youths belonging to the place 
scour (he country far and near, destroying every nest. 
Supering was begun here on Saturday, the 19th June, at 3 p.m , and 
the bees took possession and commenced comb-building immediately. 
They are all well wrapped up ; it is desirable it should be so, and that 
bee-keepers should become impressed with its importance. \\ herever 
situated, no matter whether they be inside or outside, the same treatment 
is absolutely necessary in all cases if success is to be certain. If supers 
are not well covered every chink will be propolised, giving the bees extra 
