February 18, 1892.] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
135 
rich compost given as the roots occupy it, not giving it all at once, 
but little and often, and liquid manure in a weak tepid state always 
in sufficient quantity to pass through the soil to the drainage. The 
atmosphere must be kept moist, syringing the plants twice a day when 
the weather is fine, and damping the surface of the bed, walls, and 
paths when dull, for having the foliage constantly wet is not favourable 
to the trees’ health. Keep the temperature steady at 60° at night, falling 
5° on cold nights, 60° to 65° by day when cold and dull, and 10° to 15° 
rise with gleams of sun. Admit a little air at 70°, keeping it with sun 
heat at 75° to 80* through the day, closing sufficiently early to run up 
to 85° or 90°. Attend to stopping and tying as growth advances, and 
guard against overcrowding by rubbing off shoots not required. Pot 
trees should be pinched off at the fifth leaf, and as the branches may 
not always be thinned without sacrificing fruit advanced in swelling tie 
such out, putting in the needful stakes. The shoots are easily cut out, 
if not required, when the fruit is gathered, and it is essential that 
Figs have full exposure to light and a free circulation of air to have 
flavour and colour, therefore keep the growths thin and evenly placed. 
Early Forced Planted-out Trees. —Trees started with the new year 
are growing freely, and must be attended to for disbudding and stopping. 
Where there is trellis room the leading shoots may be allowed to extend 
to the extremity without stopping, and no more should be laid-in than 
there is room for receiving full exposure to light, reserving a few growths 
where there is space, pinching at the fifth leaf. These will give second 
crop Figs, and may be useful for displacing shoots cut away later, but 
it is not good practice to encourage spur growths. Mulch the borders 
to attract the roots to the surface, and supply water freely, with liquid 
manure in the case of trees requiring support through limited rooting area. 
A temperature of 55° to 60° at night, 60° to 65° by day artificially, 70° to 
75° with a little sun, rising 5° to 10° more in bright weather is suitable. 
Late Houses. —Complete the pruning and dressing of the trees, using 
a brush and soapy water to cleanse them of scale, to which a table¬ 
spoonful of petroleum may be added to each gallon, keeping well mixed. 
Keep the houses as cool as possible, merely excluding frost. 
MklOjS’S. —In severe weather a temperature at night of 60° to 65°, 
and at day of 70° to 75° from fire heat is suitable, but in mild weather 
5° more may be allowed, rising to 80° or 90° with sun heat. Ventilate 
carefully, admitting a little air at 75°, avoiding cold draughts, and close 
early so as to run it up to 90° with plenty of moisture. The plants that 
were shifted into 5 or 6-inch pots may now be planted out in the ridges 
or hillocks for trellis training, firming the soil well about the roots so as 
to insure short-jointed growth and solid fruits. Train with a clear stem 
to the trellis, rubbing off the side shoots, but not the leaves, as they 
show, allowing the leading shoots to advance two-thirds up the trellis 
before stopping, and rub off every alternate lateral on opposite sides of 
the principal shoots. The laterals will show fruit at the second joint, 
if not stop them at two leaves. Water carefully, and at a little distance 
from the stem, so as to avoid canker. Tamp available surfaces in the 
morning and afternoon, also before dark if the weather necessitate 
sharp firing, syringing lightly on fine afternoons. Sow for succession, 
and pot off seedlings, keeping near the glass. 
CuccMBEES. —Those in frames must be well protected at night with 
mats or other covering, attending to the linings, and being careful to 
avoid rank steam, having the fermenting materials well sweetened ; keep 
a reserve heap of dung and leaves properly turned for use as required. 
Endeavour to maintain steady progress in the plants, with ihe aid of 
sun heat, especially iby early closing, nothing being gained by undue 
excitement in dull weather. Stop at one or two joints beyond the show 
of fruit, keeping the growths thin, and maintain a succession of bearing 
growths, removing bad leaves and exhausted growths. Damp the floors 
occasionally with liquid manure, keeping the evaporation troughs filled 
with it, the moisture invigorating the plants and is detrimental to 
insects, taking care, however, not to use it too strong. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Crotons. —Well-furnished plants that are to be grown to a larger 
size may be transferred into pots 2 inches larger than those they now 
occupy. In potting only remove the crocks from the base and loose 
soil from the surface. Well furnished heads of the larger growing 
varieties may have pots 8 inches larger than those they are growing in. 
Plants that have good heads but have become bare at the base may be 
partially cut through on each side, mossed and supplied with a stake. 
These if kept moist and with those that are repotted in a temperature of 
65° at night will soon be well rooted. Those mossed in early autumn 
are well rooted and ready for taking off. If these are placed into 5-inch 
pots and plunged in bottom heat for a fortnight they will not lose a 
single leaf, and in a short time will be ready for larger pots. If these 
plants are increased by means of cuttings they may at this season of the 
year be cut off where the wood is soft, or they will be a long time rooting 
and often lose their lower foliage. These plants do well in fibry loam 
three parts, the other portion being composed of decayed manure, leaf 
mould and sand. A little artificial manure may with advantage be 
mixed with the soil. 
Bracoenas, —It is impossible to grow these into good plants if they 
are confined in small pots luntil they become stunted and woody. If 
they are to be developed into healthy, well-furnished specimens, they 
may be potted directly the soil is moderately well filled with roots. 
Those placed during September into 5 and 6-inch pots are ready for 
others 2 inches larger. The pots at first appear too large for the plants, 
but they will commence rapid growth, and develope into large, well 
furnished plants in this size. Some of the narrow leaf varieties do not 
need such large pots, and are generally more useful in 5 and 6-inch size. 
Plants that have become bare may have the stems notched and mossed ; 
these soon emit roots, and are in a few months suitable again for table 
decoration. Plants that have been kept rather dry may have the root 
portion of the stem cut up for stock. Every portion will make a plant 
if inserted in sandy soil and started in brisk heat. These plants, if well 
looked after, are Wongst the easiest of foliage plants to grow, and 
amongst the most useful for decorative purposes. The heads of D. gracilis 
and D. Goldiana root freely if cut off where the wood is moderately soft, 
and the pots plunged in brisk heat. 
Pandanus Fezic/ri.—Kepot small plants in a mixture of loam, sand, 
and one-seventh of manure. These are useful in various sizes up to 
10-inch size. When plants are well developed all the suckers are 
removed for stock, and the specimens are employed for decoration until 
they are of no further use. When once a stock is obtained there is no 
difficulty in growing on young plants as rapidly as others are destroyed. 
For rooms, or even the dinner table, these plants look well rising from 
a base of Selaginellas and small Ferns. When giving the final potting 
a few may be placed on the surface. By the time the plants are ready for 
use the base will be well furnished. 
Ixoras. —Large plants, or those of moderate size, may be cut into 
shape and thoroughly cleaned. These may then be plunged in bottom 
heat and started into growth. By cutting the plants back the whole 
of the shoots start into growth about the same time, and a regular head 
of bloom is obtained. When the plants have started into growth any 
potting that is needed should be done. The old ball must not be dis¬ 
turbed, and the plants may be potted in peat and sand with a little 
charcoal added. Considerable care is needed in watering and syringing. 
Any young shoots of moderately soft wood can be inserted singly in 
small .pots and rooted in brisk heat in the propagating frame. These 
can be allowed to grow and flower in 4-inch pots. If needed for bushes 
the point must be removed when the cuttings are well rooted. Those 
inserted in autumn and have been wintered in 2|-inch pots may be 
stopped and placed into 5-inch pots. It is a good plan to stop some and 
allow the others to grow on without, so that they will form a succession. 
Rondeletias. —These are difficult to grow into good specimens, yet 
with care and good treatment this can be accomplished. They yield 
flowers freely, which are very serviceable for cutting, and should be 
grown much more largely than they are. The plants are slow in a young 
state, and much headway cannot be made in a solitary season. Cuttings 
of soft wood root freely in sandy soil under bellglasses in brisk heat. 
This plant may be grown into bushes or small standards ; for the latter 
the young plants, after they are rooted, must be supplied with a stake 
and allowed to extend until the necessary length of stem has been 
produced, when the point should be removed to induce it to branch. 
For bushes the young plants may be stopped when they have made a 
few inches of growth. Pinching is necessary until the plants have 
formed good bushes, when the shoots may be allowed to extend and 
ripen thoroughly, when every one will produce a truss of bright scarlet 
flowers. To grow these plants well they may be grown with Ixoras, and 
if given bottom heat they extend much more rapidly during the early 
stages of their growth. Rondeletias, of which R. speciosa major is the 
best, are not strong-rooting plants, and do well if potted the same as 
Ixoras, and in similar compost. We have been successful with them 
when one-third of sandy loam has been incorporated with the peat. 
These plants are much subject to thrips, and need careful watering. 
When bushes or standards have been formed they can be kept shapely 
by a judicious system of cutting back the shoots after flowering. 
Francisceas.—lntmdiXXCQ into brisk heat a few of these plants in 
succession as they are required in bloom. When they have flowered cut 
back the shoots and start them into growth, repotting those that need 
more root room. They succeed in a compost of peat, loam, and sand, and 
when the plants are growing freely an intermediate temperature is suitable. 
iR; 
HE BEE-KEEPER. 
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APIARIAN NOTES. 
The Weather. 
From February 8th up till and including February 12th the 
weather was settled with a night temperature of 40° and a day 
temperature from 40° to 50°, the last lasting only for a short time. 
The sun shone nearly the whole day on the 8th, which followed a 
heavy rain on the 7th. The rest of the days have been calm but 
dull. With regard to prospective weather, for very good reasons it 
is difficult to say much ; I could, however, name many fine Feb¬ 
ruaries followed by inclement summers. For many years I have 
observed annual occurrences of north-west storms of more or less 
severity between the middle of January and the end of February 
which commonly lasts for three days. These three days gales 
occurred this year early in January as usual, and accompanied with 
snow or hail. 
The Apiary. 
Spring flowers are later this year, but I observe some so far 
advanced that they may be expected to bloom in March instead of 
