April 21, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
805 
fertilised. Maintain good linings, bottom beat, and a dry condition of 
the atmosphere when the fruit is setting. After the fruits are set let 
them be raised on a flower pot above the foliage. Earth up the plants 
as they advance in growth, having this effected before the fruit is set, 
as it cannot well be attended to afterwards in frames. Make new beds 
and put out plants, sowing, potting, and otherwise preparing for 
planting successional beds. 
Cucumbers. —Shading may be necessary in the middle of the day 
for an hour or two in bright weather to prevent flagging, but with the 
plants healthy and the roots abundant very little will be necessary. In 
watering plants in pits and frames do it early in the afternoon, so as to 
get the foliage dry before nightfall. Maintain a good bottom heat by 
linings renewed as required. Ventilate early and moderately, husband¬ 
ing the sun heat by early closing, and employ a thick night covering 
over the lights. Avoid overcrowding, keeping the shoots stopped to one 
joint beyond the fruit, and remove bad leaves as they appear. Keep 
young plants near the glass ; sow seed for raising plants to occupy 
frames after forced vegetables or bedding plants are removed. Wire- 
worms are sometimes troublesome, coming in with the turf, and as its 
grass is dead they are usually ravenous. They cannot resist baits of 
Carrot, Turnip, Mangold Wurtzel, or Potato cut into thick slices and 
inserted in the soil, examining the baits every morning. Millipedes and 
woodlice are equally fond of those vegetables, though woodlice prefer 
boiled Potato wrapped in a little hay, examining them daily. Water 
plants in houses abundantly, keeping plenty of moisture in the atmo¬ 
sphere all day by frequent damping, syringing the plants both ways 
about 3.30 P.M., closing the house at the same time. To secure straight 
fruit employ glass tubes. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Solanums. —Plants that were cut hard back and have broken freely 
should have half the soil removed from the roots and placed again in the 
same size pots. For the present grow them in a vinery at work, and 
pinch any shoots that are taking the lead. Watch for aphides and 
destroy them at once if they make their appearance. These plants grow 
well in loam, sand, and one-seventh of decayed manure. 
Prinmla oioonica. —Plants intended to produce seed should be 
placed where they can enjoy abundance of air when the weather is 
favourable. Young plants in thumb pots should be grown on a moist 
base where they can be shaded. When exposed to bright sunshine 
the foliage assumes a sickly hue and the plants become a prey to red 
spider. 
Chrysantliemum.s. —Early flowering kinds should, if room can be 
found for them, be placed in the pots in which they are to flower. They 
must be properly hardened before potting, and then placed carefully 
outside where they can be sheltered from rough winds and frost. Plants 
that have been recently rooted, and are well established in small pots, 
should be placed into 5-inch without delay. These plants are often run 
up weakly by keeping them in a close confined atmosphere in their early 
stages. Cuttings may still be inserted for providing plants for decorative 
purposes. 
Francoas. —These are most useful for furnishing in 5 and 6-inch 
pots, and for these sizes it is a good plan to raise the plants from seed 
annually. The smallest plants from last year’s seedlings may be potted 
for another year. The remainder may be divided into two sizes, and 
brought into flower at different times. If the largest are placed in a 
temperature of 45° to 50° they will soon produce flower spikes, while 
the others should be kept cool. Seed may be sown at the present time 
if this has not already been done. 
Carnation Miss Joliffe. —If cuttings of these have been inserted 
together in pots or pans, pot them singly directly they are rooted; 
2J-inch pots will be large enough. As soon as they are established 
gradually harden the plants to cool treatment. Carnations are soon 
spoiled if kept in heat. Cuttings of these and tree kinds may still 
be rooted. Strong plants for flowering under glass should be finally 
potted. 
Calceolarias. —The earliest plants will be coming into flower ; watch 
for aphides and destroy them at once. Place the later plants in their 
flowering pots, and grow them in cold frames. 
Amaryllis, —As plants go out of flower place them in a light house, 
not too warm, where air can be afforded daily to insure sturdy foliage. 
Growth must be well developed, well ripened, and the plants thoroughly 
rested, then they will be certain to flower profusely. These plants are 
so easily raised from seed that if a few good varieties are obtained a 
stock of seedlings may soon be had, many of which will be equal to 
named kinds. 
JDoulle Primulas, —Plants that have been kept somewhat dry may 
have the lower leaves removed and the stems covered with light soil. 
If kept moist after this they will soon emit roots near the collar, when 
each portion may be taken off and potted. It is a mistake to place the 
plants in brisk heat to hasten the process of rooting, for this induces 
damping. 
Salvia gesnerceflora. —This is a very showy plant for this period of 
the year; cuttings may still be rooted. If large plants are needed 
shorten back those which have flowered in 6 or 7-inch pots, and place 
them in 10-inch, or an even larger size, when they will make specimens 
5 or 6 feet high, and fully 3 feet through, almost perfect pyramids, 
during the season. 
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i 
HE BBE-KBEPBlS 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Naphthaline and Foul Brood. 
I DESIRE to thank Mr. John M. Hooker for his letter on 
page 268. It appears there are two kinds of naphthaline, as there 
are of bee-keepers—crude and refined—the one cheap, the other 
costly. Mr. Hooker first told us that naphthaline was a certain 
cure for diseased hives, and now he advises us to use it where no 
foul brood exists. I think most people will agree with me that in 
the case of health medicines should neither be given nor taken. 
Dr. Lortet’s Remedy. 
This appears to Mr. Hooker to be a perfect cure ; yet if we 
are to believe him there are “ bad cases of foul brood ” incurable. 
Did Mr. Hooker ever know of good cases of foul brood ? In these 
bad cases of foul brood we are advised to destroy the bees by 
smoking them with sulphur in the old-fashioned way at night, 
then after awhile to burn the hive and its contents. Why make 
two operations ? Why not set it over some kindling material, 
sprinkle it well with petroleum, and set fire to it at once? 
CuRiNU Foul Brood. 
If your hives are adapted for profitable bee-keeping, destroy 
nothing about them whatever. The moment foul brood is suspected 
examine thoroughly, and, if present, immediately the bees cease 
flying take a tub of water near the hive, and turn all the moveable 
parts and covering into it preparatory for after disinfecting. Now 
take sheets of carbolised paper, and slip one in each seam between 
two outer frames, place these in an iron bath, and proceed 
until one-half are removed, then begin at the other side ; the bees 
will retreat towards the empty side. When all the frames are 
removed slip a box hive over the cluster of bees, and they will 
enter it. When this is effected set it upon a board, then upon its 
original stand, and remove all that belonged to it within doors out 
of the reach of bees. Let the bees remain in this state and position 
without any food for at least twenty-four hours. After that 
transfer them to another box hive, and set the first one aside 
for disinfection. Let the bees remain in the second box until 
comb is being built after they have been fed. Change the bees 
again into another clean box, while the second one is put into 
quarantine along with the other things, and repeat the process if 
thought necessary, allowing from four to seven days to complete 
the purification. Success will be certain even if you return the 
bees to their original hive, provided it has been thoroughly 
disinfected. I have previously described the process in this 
Journal, and it has answered in cases after the burning of bees and 
hives was advised by the King William Street sages. 
Turn all to Profit. 
There is money in foul broody combs. The honey in the 
clean part of the hive is fit for use, and the combs are worth 
melting into wax. Foul brood has never been known to be trans¬ 
mitted by wax, but it can be used for other purposes than comb 
foundation. It is foolish to destroy hives by burning unless they 
are of some peculiar type used by Mr. J. M. Hooker. 
The Origin of Foul Brood. 
There is no doubt that feeding with honey in many cases has 
been the cause of foul brood. It was the cause of the outbreak 
in the late Mr. T. W. Woodbury’s apiary, and in scores of others I 
could name. Doubtless it was foreign honey, but we must 
remember that there is not much, if any, difference in the composi¬ 
tion of foreign and much of our native extracted honey. The 
extractor has not been the means of putting a superior honey into 
the market, but the reverse. I do not condemn extractors, but the 
way honey is extracted from unsealed comb containing water, 
pollen, and honey, as well as the compound of all the three. That 
is one of the methods by which infection is spread. 
There are other ways of spreading the disease. If the refuse 
upon the solid floors of hives be examined, at least half a dozen 
different creatures will be found, all of them denizens of ill-kept 
hives, which move from one to another, and consequently carry 
the infection with them. 
The ventilating floor prevents the bees carrying the debris 
(the source of infection) outside. The whole of it is caught 
upon the under floor and consigned to the fire.—A Lanarkshire 
Bee-keeper. 
