December 23, 1886. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
569 
moisture in the house by damping the floors on bright days in the morning 
and in the early part of bright afternoons. The temperature may be 
maintained at 55° by day, ventilating from that degree upwards, closing 
at 55°, 50° being sufficiently high for the night; and if the temperature 
falls to 45°, and in very sharp weather 40°, it will be more an advantage 
than otherwise. Examine inside borders, and give, if necessary, a 
thorough supply of water at a temperature slightly in advance of that of 
the house. When the blossoms show the anthers clear of the petals lose 
no opportunity of ventilation, avoiding cold draughts, and not exciting 
the trees too much by fire heat. The temperature, however, must be 
raised early in the day to 50°, and kept between that and 55° through the 
day, with a little ventilation at the top of the house, and through the day 
60° to 65° from sun heat may he allowed. The principle is to get a stout 
blossom, fertile stamens with abundance of pollen, and well developed 
pistils, and then resort to fertilisation with a camel’s hair brush on fine 
days after the house has been ventilated some little time. The pollen 
will be dispersed in a golden shower clearly visible in the sun, and when 
this is the case the set is generally a favourable one, even without artifi¬ 
cial fertilisation. 
Second Early House. —The trees must he started without delay to 
have fruit in May or early June. Fire heat need only be employed to 
keep out frost at night and to insure 50° by day, above which ventilate 
freely. It is most desirable to bring the trees on slowly, and if once they 
make a move to keep them in steady progress. The trees and house 
should be damped on fine mornings and afternoons, but in dull weather 
tho afternoon syringing can be omitted. The outside border should be 
protected with dry fern or litter, and if means are at command for 
throwing off heavy rains and snow it will he desirable to employ them. 
Succession Houses. —Forward the pruning and dressing of trees both 
in succession and late houses, carefully examining the inside borders, as 
dryness at the roots will cause the buds to fall. If there is any doubt 
give a thorough watering. It will not do the least harm in properly 
drained borders. Keep the houses as cool as possible to insure a long 
and complete season of re.-t. 
Strawberries in Pots. —When the crowns commence swelling and the 
trusses appear the temperature may be advanced to 60° or 65° by day 
with a circulation of air. A temperature of 50° to 55° is sufficiently high 
at night and on dull, wet, cold days. Syringe the plants lightly in the 
afternoon of bright days early. Examine the plants carefully every day 
and supply water to all those that require it. Keep a sharp look out for 
aphides, and if any appear fumigate the house on two consecutive even¬ 
ings, having the plants dry. More plants should be prepared for placing 
on shelves in Peach houses now or soon to be started, and are all the 
better for a fortnight or three weeks’ sojourn in a house from which frost 
is excluded before being placed in heat. The decayed leaves should be 
removed and the surface soil loosened, removed, and top-dressed with 
horse droppings rubbed through a sieve. The drainage must be attended 
to, and if necessary rectified and the pots washed clean. Plants for in¬ 
troducing later will be quite safe in their outside quarters plunged to the 
rim in ashes, and in sharp weather a light covering of dry fern or litter 
will make all safe, removing it whenever the weather is mild. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Allamandas. —Plants that have enjoyed a good rest in a temperature 
of 50° may he pruned close back, unless extension is needed, the old roots 
reduced by one-half, and then thoroughly soaked in tepid water. They 
shoull be allowed to drain for some hours and then repotted into the 
same size pot, or larger, as each case may demand. Drain the pots mode¬ 
rately, and press the soil firmly into them. If practicable, plunge the 
pots in a well-prepared b^d of fermenting material composed of leaves 
and litter, and very little fire heat will be needed to maintain a night 
temperature of 65°. The moist genial heat that rises from the fermenting 
material will insure suitable atmospheric conditions about the plants to 
enable them to break freely and quickly into growth. Under these cir¬ 
cumstances no syringing will be needed at first, and no water required at 
the roots before they have started into growth. Those that are planted 
out should have a good portion of the surface soil removed and top- 
dressed with fibry loam, one-seventh of decayed manure, and about one 
6-inch potful of hone meal to each barrowful of soil ; the same quantity 
of soot may be added. This compost is also suitable for repotting these 
plants. 
Clerodendrons. —C. Balfouriannm, if top-dressed with equal parts of 
loam and decayed manure, and then supplied liberally during the growing 
season, will do well in the same pots for several years. They do not like 
being disturbed at their roots, add this must be avoided as much as pos¬ 
sible. If necessary t > turn them out only reduce the ball by one-fhird, 
but if this is done they should break into growth first. If placed into 
larger pots, or the balls are reduced, repot them in a compost of loam two 
parts, one part peat, the remaining part being composed of leaf mould, 
manure, and sand ; if a large shift is given add a little charcoal. Whether 
top-dressed or to be repotted soak them with tepid water, and plunge 
the pots by the side of the Allamandas. As the plants of C. fallax cease 
flowering they may be thrown away unless those that have seed pods 
swelling are required to perfect them for raising a batch of plants for 
decoration next autumn and winter. A little seed of this variety may be 
sown at once in light soil covered with a square of glass and plunged into 
brisk heat. 
Stephanotis Jtnribunda. —Plants that have been trained under the roof 
since August, and kept for the past two months about 55° at night, will 
be thoroughly ripened and rested. Take down the plants and thoroughly 
clean them if any trace of mealy bug can be discovered. They will bear 
a strong solution of lemon oil, Fir tree oil, or petroleum, 1 oz. of the last 
to each gallon of water. These insecticides will destroy hug, which if not 
eradicated now will increase rapidly in heat, and give endless trouble after 
the plant has commenced growth. Top-dress with manure, or repot as 
the case may require. If the latter use three parts fibry loam, one part 
peat, to which may be added one-sixth of decayed manure and sand to 
render the whole porous ; a little charcoal may also be added for the same 
purpose. When the shoots are trained upon the trellis give a good water¬ 
ing, and plunge the pot in the fermenting bed, where it can remain for 
training the young wood on strings close under the glass until just before 
they commence blooming. 
HELLEBORES. 
At this period of the year, when our borders are destitute of flowers, 
we look forward to the blooming of the Christmas Rose with great 
pleasure. It is one of the most valuable hardy perennials we have, as it 
flowers in the open air when there is little in bloom, therefore it should 
be in every hardy plant collection. Helleborus niger is so well known 
that it needs little describing ; it may be easily recognised from the rest 
of the Hellebores by its smooth green leaves and beautiful blossoms, 
which, as a rule, are borne on single stems about 6 inches high and about 
3 inches across, varying from pure white to a blush tint. 
It is frequently used as a pot plant for decorating greenhouses or 
conservatories, but great care should he taken of them after the flowering 
period is over, so as not to expose the plants to the open air all at once, 
as they frequently suffer greatly when removed from under glass to with¬ 
stand a severe winter. Helleborus altifolius is considered to somewhat 
resemble H. niger, but it is larger, and generally has two or more blooms 
on one stem ; its leaves also are mottled with purplish spots, flowering as 
a rule in December. H. olympicus is another conspicuous form, with 
tail slender leaves, flowering in February, with cup-shaped blooms vary¬ 
ing from pure white to a greenish tint. 
The fine coloured hybrids which have of late appeared add greatly to 
the beauty of our winter gardens. Though not generally so well known 
as the white varieties, they are greatly admired, and should have a place 
on all herbaceous borders, for not only do their flowers stand the hard 
winter, but their foliage makes them conspicuous throughout the year. 
H. colchicus is a fine coloured form which grows to a large size, the leaves 
sometimes attaining the height of 2 feet; it may be recognised by its 
thick dark green leaves, which when in a young state have veins of a 
purple hue. Its blooms are of a dark purple colour, and are borne on 
long stems which rise above the foliage, and it generally flowers from 
February to the end of March. H. abchasicus is a tall and slender form, 
with flowers of a ruby crimson, very attractive, and well worth growing. 
Amongst other coloured varieties worthy of notice are James Atkins, 
Gretchen Heinemani, and Apotheker Brogren. 
Most of them thrive well in ordinary soil, but for choicer varieties I 
should recommend a prepared soil consisting of good fibry loam, peat, 
and sand ; rather a moist situation is best adapted for them. When 
coming into bloom it is advisable to mulch them with moss to prevent the 
rain washing the soil on to the flowers. When the flowers are required 
rather earlier than usual, they may be obtained by placing a hand'ight 
over the plants, if it is not convenient to lift the plants and pot them to 
be placed in the greenhouse. 
They may be propagated either by division or by seed, which is pro¬ 
duced plentifully in favourable seasons. If grown from seed, it should 
be sown in pans under glass, and when the plants are large enough to 
handle prick them out in a shady place, to remain there for one year, 
after which they may be transplanted to their permanent places. July 
is the best time for dividing, only the best and strongest plants should be 
used for this purpose. The divided pieces should be planted on light 
good soil and left undisturbed for two years, by which time they will be 
good flowering plants.— C. Collins. 
WT 
K2I 
HE BEE-KEEPER. 
5 ) ^ 
SECTIONS, LARGE AND SMALL. 
It is apparently the intention of some bee-keepers to 
produce comb honey in sections of less size than those most 
commonly in use hitherto in the apiaries of this country. 
The idea seems to have originated from seeing the display at 
South Kensington, and hearing leading Canadian bee-keepers 
express their opinion and give their experience of sections of 
various sizes. It is argued that the smaller size will be more 
cheaply produced and more readily saleable. But it is at 
present not very certain that either of these conclusions 
rests upon any sound basis upon which bee-keepers may build 
their hopes without fear of finding that, after all their efforts 
have been made, they were led astray in the first instance. 
Smaller sections, it is said, can be produced in greater 
quantity than larger—or, rather, a greater weight of honey 
in the comb can be obtained from a stock in smaller sections 
than in the 4£ by 4J by 2 ordinarily in use. 
