May 12, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
863 
• Early Mmcntg. —H is hardly possible, aad certainly not desirable, to 
have Muscat of Alexandria ripe before June. Black Muscat. (Muscat 
Hambu'ghs) may be ripened by the end of April ; but it seta its berries 
very indifferently at an early season, and fertilisation makes little 
difference, as the pistillate parts of the flower are often devoid o’' ovules, 
and cannot possibly bo set. Madresfield Court cannot be classed as a 
Muscat in the same sense as a Muscat of Alexandria ; but it forces 
admirably, and has some Muscat flavour,yet not always. Cropsof Muscat 
of Alexandria startel in December are now ripening, and the Vines mus 
not lack water at the roots; examine the inside borders every week, 
and if moisture be necessary give it, or liquid manure liberally and 
warm. The temperature should be kept at 6.5° to 70° at night, 70° to 
75° by day artifi dally, and through the day at 80° to 90° from sun heat. 
A circula ion of air should be kept constantly, warm a'ld rather dry air 
being necessary to perfection in Muscats. If the sun is very powt;iful, 
and the panes of glass large and clear, a single thickness of herring 
nets drawn over the roof will break the force of the sun, preventing 
scorching of the leaves and berries, which is often occisimed by the 
deposition of moisture on them, and the latter is a common cau.ae of 
spit. Wnen the Grapes are likely to suffer through damp arising from 
the border mu ch it with a little short dry material, preferably with 
clean dry straw c 'arsely chopped. 
Vi)ies Started at tlie New Year. —The Grapes are colourin?, and 
need a moderate amount of air moistuie to swell well, damping the 
house two or three times a day until the colouring aoproaches comple¬ 
tion, when a drier atmosphere will be advisable ; but moisture mu>t 
not be entirely withdrawn, or red spider will seriously damage the fobage, 
and premature ripening of the leaves will be induced, the Vines starting 
into growth when they should be going to rest. Free ventilation 
should be afforded, having a little at the top of the house constantly ; a 
circulation of warm air contributes to good finish and quality. Moisture 
at the roots must be furnished thoroughly; one good .-oaking of tep d 
liquid when the Grapes change colour and a mulch of partially decayed 
manure will generally secure sufficient moisture until the Grapes are 
ripe. The roots, however, must not lack water. Mids'ure will nut 
injure Grapes of ihis class (Hamburgh and Sweetwater) provided it is 
not deposited on the berries, and this wid not occur if the ventilation 
is properly attended to, and a gentle warmth is maintainei in he hot- 
water p pes. Keep the night temperature at 65°, a little more on warm 
and a lew degr es less on cold nights, 70° to 75° by day, 8U° to 90° with 
sun heat and full ventilation, closing at 80°, all but a small space at 
the top of the hou^e. 
Succession, fL'Uses. —.The sun is an important factor in keeping down 
the coat bill. There is nothing like opening the ventilators early in the 
morning, admitring air m a safe quantity to pass through the ho ise. 
It causes mo'sture to disappear, allows the fobaue and fruit to warm 
equally with the atmo.spoere, preventing sc u-chiug, wni e elaboration 
begins early and is continued through the day. By closing early the 
crops are accelerate i in swelling, p ovided there is a due suoply of 
atmospheric moisture, which can be secured by damping available 
surfaces at closing time. Bef.ire nightfall admit a little air at the top 
of the house, iiamping with liquid manure. This chink for air saves 
Vines from scorching when the air-giver is not up eaily on sunny 
mornings, but the ventilation should be increased by the time the sun 
acts powerfully tm the house. Thinning must be attended to and 
followe i up p-rsiateutly. The morning and evening is the best time 
for thioning—a ike to cultivator and the Grapes. Remove all suiplus 
bunches. Stop or remove ail laterals not required, letting those ret.iined 
extend where space permits. Do not crowd the foliage, and never allow 
the laterals to interfere with the principal leaves, as these, to feel the 
buds at their base, rtquire free exposure to light and air. Supply water 
or liquid manure to the borders liberally when nee ied, and encourage 
surface roo s with top-dressings of superphosph te, fish gutno, and 
blood manure. It is a good plan to mix all together, spr iikle a handful 
on eacn square yard, and wash it in. Sulphate of ammonia a sists 
Vines neediug vigour. Nitrate of soda may be used where the soil is 
cha ky, and nitrate of p itash where that substance is defi dent, an oui ce 
per squa e yard being suffi dent for one dres'ing. The night temperature 
should be kept at 60° to 65°, 70° by day, 80° to 90° from sun heat 
Late Vi7ies. —These are advanced for flowering, and many are in 
bloom. When out allow a night temperatuie of 70°, and 80° by day, 
with a 'ree circulation of air, but not a drying current, a genial 
atmosphere being maintained by damping available surfacfs. Brush 
the shy setting kinds over with a cameTs-hair bruirh, and fertilise the 
bunches carefully where there is a defici ncy of poilen, taking it from 
those that «flf ud it freelv. Up to and after flowering the night tempera¬ 
ture should be kept at 65°, 70° to 75° by day artiflciallv, keeping at 80° 
to 85° or 90° through the day, with moderate ven i ation in bright 
wea her, and ahundant air when mild. Thin the bunches and berrits, 
removing duplicite bunches unflinchingly, and reserve the mist 
compact. Forward houses that have only been recently started, seeking 
advancement by sun heat, but allow a free amount of air, so as lo insuie 
sturdy growth and thick leathery leaves. 
FiG6 — Early Forced Trees in Pots. —When the first crop on the 
very eariy varieties—such as Early Violet, Tresfer, St, Juh and 
Angeiique are gathered return to the treatment applicable to tiees 
swelling the crops If red spider has gained a footing wash the leaves 
with a eoluiiou of softsoap, 2 ozs. to the gallon of water ; also toe wood 
where there is any scale, dislodging it with a brush, syringing the trees 
forcibly on tine evenings until new growth is being made freely, 
ordinarily syringing twice a day—in the morning and early afternoon. 
Where the second crop is thickly set thin liberally, leaving the fruits 
nearest the base of the shoots, and to insure a full first crop another year 
be careful not to overtax the trees. Expose the fru't np-ning as much 
as possible, and increase the ventilation. Tnis will be tne case with 
Brown Turkey (one of the finest Figs for forcing), and where its second 
crop is thickly set thin the fruits well, as there is no danger of the trees 
casting their fruits after this period if they are well attended to with 
water and nourishment. Stop the shoots and thin where crowded, for 
vigorous sturdy shoots produce the finest Figs. 
Pl-nitcd-out Trees .—The earliest started trees have the fruit ap¬ 
proaching ripeness and must not be wetted, maintaining atmospheric 
moisture by keeping the mulching, walD, and paths properly moistened. 
Moisture can be prevented from condensing on the fr it by maintaining 
a steady circulation of air with gentle fire heat. Care must be taken to 
aff rd plentiful supplies of tepid liquid manure to the roots. When this 
is neglected the trees become intes ed with red spider, and as a natural 
consequence the ripening period is shortened, and the second crop is 
puny, rusty, and unsatisfactory. Alio ^ the leading shoots to extend 
without stopping until they reach the extremitv of the trellis, then stop 
them and cut them away after fruiting to make room for succeeding 
fruitful wood, 
Lnte Houses .—Figs are grown very successfully in unbeated houses, 
producing one crop, which affords an acceptable supply of fruit in 
August and September, The trees, notwithstanding last seas m’s c li 
and the ungenial spring, are showing plenty of fruit. With the roots 
confined to moderate space within the hmse, the b order concreted and 
thoroughly drained with broken bricks and old limerubb'sh, they should 
have very copious supplies of water, and be svringed twice a day. In 
cloudy weather, however, the afternoon syringing should be dispensed 
with, and in bright weather it may be performed early with all the sun 
heat that can be shut in to insure the proper drying of the foliage before 
nightfall. The young growths in these st ucture,s should be trained a 
good distance apart, every growth having full exposure to light and air 
so as to insure sturdy fruitful wood. 
HE BEE-KEEPER. 
-t -1 --J --i ’ 
, I ■ (' -1, 1 - t. I -1 - r irn 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Two Queens in one Hive. 
“I ENCLOSE two cuttings from the Gardener's Chronicle. Is the 
idea a new one? I take the deepest interest in bee news, and 
should Ike your opinion about “Two Queens in one Hive” 
through the Journal of Horticulture. I have been much interested 
in the discussion between you and Mr, Hooker, and see you have 
got the best of the argument.” 
For a week previous to receiving the above letter, which I en¬ 
close with the cuttings, I had contemplated referring to the 
subject, on which I have had numerous inquiries of late. I have 
also read nearly five columns in a small bee paper describing the 
admirable system of managing bees as carried out by Mr. Wells 
for “two seasons,” as if that system was new. Mr, Wells, how¬ 
ever, appears to describe it as “ not altogether new in principle.” 
Possibly he and the edit^or of the bee paper may have read some¬ 
thing about it before, and whether they have o" n >t I ask to have 
reproduced what I wrote iu the Journal of Horticulture in 1889, 
and endeavoured to give honour to whom it was due. 
Doubling Hives. 
The word “doubling” here has a special, not general, meaning. It 
is a system of bee-keeping well adapted to our variable climate, but is 
not carried out as it might be owing to its not being generallv known 
amongst bee-keepers. The system consists in dividing a stronsr hive after 
the honey season is past, introducing a young queen to a p >rtion of the 
combs, and separating the newly created colony from the old ones by a 
close-fitting dividing board, if the hive is a one-story frame hive If a 
storifying one, then it should be divided. They should be placed close 
to each other, and wrapped up as one hive. The entrances must be 
at the extreme ends from one another with a division between the 
two, both looking in the direction most suitable for the flight of the 
bees. 
Both lots of bees being well suopbed with all the necessaries of life 
and for breeding will start with vigour in the early spring. The portion 
containing the young queen will be the fonndatiou for the main hive in 
summer, and will be found to he most forward. Attention must be paid 
to it, so that it does not suffer frum want of anyihing, paiticularly 
room. By the end of May or beginning of June, or, if the season is 
early and mild, the middle of May, the work of brooi-spreading should 
be begun in earnest. The combs containing brood and young bees tray 
now be taken from the old queen and given gradually to the young one. 
Care must, however, be taken to dislodge the old bees if there are any on 
the comb. A few taps with the finger on the frame will cause them to 
leave it, when it may be given with safety to the other portion. Or, if 
