May 26, 1892. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
403 
similar manner, allowing it to remain unstopped. This will bear when 
two years old. Other shoots for which no room can be found may be 
stopped at a distance of 2 inches from their base. These will form 
fruiting spurs. By constantly renewing with young wood the trees 
are kept fruitful. Avoid, however, overcrowding. Every shoot must 
have a fair share of sun and air in order to become fruitful in due course. 
Strawberries. —Mulch without further delay all fruiting quarters 
with strawy horse manure for eventually keeping the fruit clean. Look 
over plants in flower, and pick off all weak and late blossom. A dressing 
of any of the advertised chemical manures placed round the plants will 
prove beneficial when water is applied to the roots, or soakings of sewage. 
Nutriment applied in these forms when the flowers open will conduce 
to a good set of fruit, and aid it to swell to the largest size attainable. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Vines. — Early Forced Houses. —It is not wise to allow ripe Grapes 
to hang long on the Vines at this time of year, for Black Hamburgh loses 
colour, and Foster’s Seedling becomes dingy. Those are characteristics 
of black and amber-coloured Grapes respectively that hang for any 
length of time on the Vines when the sun is powerful. A slight shade 
afforded by a double thickness of herring or a single thickness of pilchard 
net drawn over the roof lights, breaks the force of the sun, and assists in 
retaining colour in the Grapes. When the Vines are cleared of the fruit 
give the inside borders a thorough supply of tepid liquid manure. 
Destroying Insects. —Syringe the Vines thoroughly to cleanse them 
of dust and red spider, and if there is any scale or mealy bug set to work 
promptly to annihilate the pests. This can be effected, where there are 
no plants in the house, by proceeding as follows : Take 1 lb. of softsoap 
and dissolve it in 1 gallon of boiling water, adding 1 gill (half a pint) 
of petroleum. Churn the mixture violently with a force-pump as used 
for spraying, the mixture being forced back into the vessel, and con¬ 
tinue uniil a cream (emulsion) is formed, then add hot water until 
12 gallons of solution is formed, continuing the pumping into the vessel 
UQtil the whole is thoroughly incorporated. Spray or syringe the Vines 
thoroughly on a calm evening with the solution at 100°, reaching well 
into every part of the Vines and house. Repeat the following evening, 
and the next, varying the direction of the spray or syringing each time. 
After that keep a sharp look out, and whenever a mealy bug is seen 
spray or syringe the Vines. This persisted :n will cleanse the house of 
mealy bug, for they are spread over the Vines, and are easily reached 
and destroyed, Tne mixture will not injure the Vines if it is not too 
hot or too strong, and it effectually frees them of all insects. 
The great evil in using petroleum is its saturating the s il and render¬ 
ing it impervious to water. This can be prevented by spreading a 
couple of inches of any light material of an absorbent nature on the 
border, removing it when the Vines are cleared of the mealy bug. 
Where it is not necessary to have recourse to petroleum for the destruc¬ 
tion of mealy bug and scale thorough syringing will be occasionally 
required to keep the foliage healthy. Fresh laterals will soon be pro¬ 
duced, and an even spread should be maintained all over the Vines, 
pinching the gross growths and encouraging the weak, keeping them 
clear of the principal leaves which nourish the buds at their base. The 
covering or mulching having been removed from the outside border, 
with just sufficient of the lighter part left to protect the roots, a good 
watering with liquid manure may be given, but avoid making soil 
sodden by needless applications. Eschew heavy mulchings ; nothing 
is better than an inch, or at most two, of fresh stable litter with the 
strawy portion shaken out. Keep the ventilators open constantly when 
the weather is favourable, and in cold weather a circulation should be 
insured, even if recourse has to be had to a gentle warmth in the pipes. 
Houses Started at the New Year. —The Grapes are well advanced 
in ripening, and require a circulation of warm, rather dry air con¬ 
stantly. Particular attention should be given to increasing the 
ventilation early, and there ought not to be anything approaching to 
dryness in the atmosphere whilst the Grapes are finishing, bat on hot 
days damp the floor well to check evaporation, and allow the tempera¬ 
ture to fa 1 to 60° to 65° at night, with sufficient warmth in the pipes to 
prevent moisture condensing. If the Vines are heavily laden, and there 
is any fear of a lack of finish, allow plenty of time for growth by giving 
as long a night rest as possible, and admit air freely by day. Where the 
border is at all dry supply water thoroughly in the morning of a tine 
day, and when soaked in mulch with some ligtt material. This will 
probably be sufficient to keep the border moist until the Grapes are cut, 
but in a mixed house water may be needed whilst the Grapes are 
hanging. Air is necessary to the sound keeping of Grapes, and moisture 
is essential to their plumpness and the health of the foliage, hence 
damping the floors must ho resorted to occasionally. Allow a moderate 
extension of the laterals to encourage root action, but keep those of a 
gross nature well in hand, so as to cause an equal distribution of the sap. 
When the Grapes are ripe a minimum temperature of 60° is sufficient, 
A slight shade will tend to the Grapes keeping and prevent them losing 
colour to a great extent. 
Early Muscat Houses.— Grapes are now ripening and need a 
dr’er atmosphere than do Black Hamburghs, but avoid dryness at the 
roots, as that results in shrivelling, while a too dry atmosphere 
favouis red spider and thrips. Air moisture, however, must not become 
stagnaut, or‘‘spot ” is almost sure to appear on the upper side of the 
berries next the shank, and that soon spoils the finest of Grapes. 
Muscat of Alexandria and Canon Hall are gross feeders, and do not 
finish well.where there is a deficiency of moisture at the roots, therefore 
feed well either with liquid manure or top-dressings of superphosphate 
washed in with tepid water. The soil moisture will, to some extent, 
compensate for the drier condition of the atmosphere, and will do no 
harm if a circulation of air is constantly maintained, and moisture is 
prevented condensing by a gentle warmth in the hot-water pipes. 
Lateral extension is the best safeguard against shanking along with a 
steady temperature, and sudden depressions and fluctuations should be 
avoided as they favour that evil. 
Muscats when nearly ripe often scorch in leaves and berries under 
powerful sun, especially under large panes of clear glass after a dull 
period. Early ventilation regulated with the sun’s increase, and in 
bright weather a single thickness of herring net drawn over the roof 
lights, are the preventives of scorching. Muscat of Alexandria Grapes 
ripened early in June are much esteemed, but to produce them the Vines 
require to be started by early December, and not hurried in the early 
stages, so as to secure as far as possible well-developed foliage, otherwise 
the old leaves of Muscats will not endure the early summer’s sun. 
Mids^ason Houses. —The Vines will be in various stages, according 
to the time of starting. Thinning the bunches and berries must have 
early attention, and be followed up so as to allow of the crops deriving 
the fullest benefit. Grapes swelling derive much support from the 
atmosphere, but the finish depends on the amount of matter elaborated 
and stored in the Vines ; therefore lose no opportunity of ventilating 
early, and maintain a good heat through the day from sun, closing early 
with plenty of atmospheric moisture. Grapes that are stoning should 
have a regular temperature of about 65° at night, and 70° to 75° by day, 
with 10° to 15° rise from sun heat. Avoid overcrowding, yet allow a 
moderate lateral extension. Feed with liquid manure or phosphatic 
and potassic top-dressings washed in with tepid water. Fish guano, 
blood manure, native guano, and other fertilisers are excellent for 
Vines ; the only thing needed is to give them early enough to benefit the 
current crop, and avoid overdoses. Grapes that have finished stoning 
will swell if fed sufficiently. Vigorous Vines carrying heavy crops will 
take almost any amount of liquid manure in well-drained borders, 
provided it is tepid and not too strong ; but an examination should 
always be made of the soil, and when water is needed afford a thorough 
supply. Provide a little ventilation constantly at the apex, admit air 
freely in the early part of the day, and close early with a genial 
condition of the atmosphere. Maintain the temperature at 60° to 65° at 
night, 70° to 75° by day artificially, keeping through the day at 80° to 
85°, and closing early so as to increase to 90° or 95°. 
Two Queens in One Hive—A Review. 
I AM in receipt of a letter from a bee-keeper saying he had 
read my article on pages 363-364, and in comparing my plan 
with that of^ Mr. Wells he says, “ There is a radical difference in 
the ‘ Wells ’ plan ; the two stocks are divided by means of queen 
excluders, either metal or wood, so that the bees of both stocks 
intermix, and both lots of bees work into one super. As I under¬ 
stand yours, the two stocks are distinct, and that you take the 
bees and brood to build up the other. Wells’ is really two 
queens in one stock, both bees working at one common entrance.” 
My correspondent advises me to acknowledge my mistake. 
Perhaps he has read something I have not. What I have read 
does not justify me in making any acknowledgment whatever 
that I have made a mistake. I am open to conviction, and if 
anyone shows me that I am wrong, then, but not till then, will 
I swerve from what I have said. 
In what I have read there is not a single word about the 
bees working from any entrance or entrances, and what is as 
important, nothing about the size of the hive, which, to be 
successful with two queens, ought to be as large again as the 
ordinary standard hive. To work two queens in a standard hive 
would be little better than with one. All the different kinds of 
hives T have had for forty years past were well adapted for this 
kind of work. 
As nothing is said about entrances I must assume there are 
two, because Mr. Wells says, “ The method followed is to make a 
division in each hive by means of a thin, close fitting, wooden 
dummy perforated with holes nearly, but not quite, large enough 
to pass a worker or queen through.” This perforated division 
board is a mistake ; instead of giving warmth from the one lot of 
bees to the other it creates a draught. The articles I have read 
are impracticable and contradictory, if we except the method of 
raising queens, which is similar to the plan I have so long taught 
and made clear. But the following quotations will fully show their 
nature :—“ When supering time came round a sheet of excluder 
zinc was placed over the double sfit of frames, and the bees of both 
lots allowed free access to supers.” 
Not a word is said here about joining the two lots of bees, yet 
m almost the next breath we find : “It is well known to bee¬ 
keepers of any extended experience that the bees of two colonies 
