374 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 7,1891. 
Vines in Unheated Houses. —The Vines are making rapid progress, 
and in many instances the growths will require disbudding, stopping, 
and tying. One shoot is sufficient to each spur unless they are wide 
apart, when two may be left, but there must be scrupulous attention to 
prevent overcrowding ; every leaf must have exposure to light and air. 
Eeserve those that show the best bunches, rubbing the others off. Stop 
bvvo joints beyond tbe bunches, but rather than crowd the foliage stop 
them at one joint. Tie down the shoots carefully and gradually. Old 
Vines sometimes do not bear freely on spurs, being weak. It is best in 
that case to lay in shoots from the base and along the rods at intervals of 
2 to 3 feet, which will increase the root action, tbe Vines attaining 
increased vigour, and longer pruning will usually afford better crops of 
Grapes ; indeed old Vines with fresh canes bear excellently. Apply a 
light dressing of artificial manure to the border, and point it lightly in. 
Inside borders may be given tepid water or liquid manure, when dry a 
thorough soaking, and a mulching of short rather fresh stable manure 
will, by keeping the surface moist, encourage active roots. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Calceolarias. —Shrubby Calceolarias are somewhat scarce this spring, 
■a variety of causes having contributed to their destruction. Their loss 
will be much felt, especially by those who are obliged to depend largely 
upon half-hardy plants to fill their beds. Those that were preserved 
ought to be temporarily bedded out in rough frames, wide trenches, or 
other positions, where they will have a ehance of gaining strength and 
be protected, if need be, from severe frosts. They root the most strongly 
and transplant the most surely out of a rather light end rich compost, 
and either leaf soil or old Mushroom bed manure may well, therefore, be 
freely mixed with the soil used in the beds. Put out the plants not less 
than 6 inches apart each way, keep well supplied with water, shade 
from strong sunshine for a few days, and protect from cold winds and 
frost. If only a few are grown these would be better placed in rather 
deep boxes of good soil than singly in pots. 
Substitutes for Calceolarias. —Calceolarias are undoubtedly the best 
yellow-flowered bedding plants, but if not forthcoming substitutes must 
be found. Tagetes signata pumila and Golden Ring, an improvement on 
the old form as being more compact in growth, sown now or a week 
hence somewhat thinly in boxes and placed in a warm vinery or gentle 
heat of some kind, germinates in a few days, and will be quite large 
enough for transplanting direct to the beds by the time wanted. The 
individual flowers are poor, but they are continuously produced and a 
mass of colour soon presented. For the back rows of borders, centres of 
beds, and for mixed beds the lemon and orange-flowered African 
Marigolds are to be recommended, and these ought especially to be 
grown where many flowers are required for church decoration at 
harvest thanksgivings. Dwarf forms, these attainins a height of about 
18 inches, can also be had in both colours. The French Marigolds are 
also very effective in borders, but as a rule scarcely regular enough in 
growth for any but mixed flow'er beds. A noteworthy exception will 
be found in the miniature forms, these seldom exceeding a height of 
6 inches, and are therefore admirably adapted for the outer rows in 
beds. There are two distinct colours, brown and yellow, the latter 
being the most effective and a good substitute for Calceolarias. Both 
African and French Marigolds may be raised very quickly as advised in 
the case of Tagetes, and should be hardened carefully, a slight frost 
crippling them. It is a mistake to raise them before May. 
Iresines, Coleus, and Alternantliera. —If any or all of these are 
required in large quantities or are scarce, the propagation by cuttings 
should be persevered with up to the end of May. Every tiny top will 
root quickly in brisk heat, and being kept growing strongly good plants 
will be available by the middle of June or by the time this class of 
plants can safely be bedded out. Cuttings being plentiful, the simplest 
plan of raising a large number of plants is to turn out Violets from pits 
and frames and to form a slight hotbed in these. Cover this with 6 
inches or rather less of fine light soil, face over with sand, and dibble 
out the cuttings direct into this, disposing them not less than 3 inches 
apart each way ; keep them close, uniformly moist, and shaded from 
sunshine, and they will root quickly and rapidly develop into strong 
plants. Being duly hardened off they can be transplanted direct to the 
flower beds. Smaller numbers of cuttings may be placed in boxes of 
fine sandy soil, and in other respects be treated similarly to those in 
beds. Coleuses move best out of sma'l pots, and cuttings should therefore 
be potted where possible, rooted plants of Iresines and Alternantheras 
being either placed in boxes or potted. 
Iticinuses, Maize, Perilla. —Seeds of these and also of Sunflowers, 
Nasturtiums, Amaranthuses, and Beet may yet be sown in heat, and 
good plants be had for the beds and borders. Perilla and Amaranthuses 
move out of seed pans and boxes without experiencing much check, 
especially if the seed is not sown very thickly, but the seeds of the rest 
may well be sown singly in pots, 5-inch sizes answering weP for the 
Ricinus, and 3-inch pots for the rest. Place in gentle heat and keep the 
seedlings near the glass to prevent them from becoming drawn. 
Pricking out Seedlings. —For carpet bedding the Golden Pyrethrum 
ought not to be large, the best plants for the purpose being those raised 
moderately thickly in beds or boxes, and not pricked out. Stronger 
plants being less trouble after they are put out are the best for ordinary 
bedding out, and the seedlings in pans and boxes should therefore be 
pricked out either in other boxes, or better still, in frames. Dispose 
them 3 inches apart each way in good soil. Treat Ageratums similarly, 
only giving the plants rather more room, also pinching out the flower 
heads. Lobelias, again, whether raised from seed, cuttings, or by 
division, ought not long to be kept in a starving condition, but would 
pay well for being temporarily bedded out under glass, and prevented 
from flowering. Gaillardias, Antirrhinums, Pentstemons, Asters, Stocks, 
Zinnias, Godetias, Helichrysums, and other half-hardy annuals if raised 
at all thickly soon spoil each other, and bed out badly. Make up frames 
with or without gentle bottom heat for these, and prick out 3 inches 
apart each way in good light soil. Failing frames prick them out in 
boxes. Keep all pricked-out plants somewhat close and well shaded for 
a time, overhead sprinklings being frequent, and gentle waterings given 
whenever the soil is at all dry, and they will then rapidly recover from 
the check, and make fine plants by the end of May. Even if-ithere is 
not time for much top growth to be made, they will have formed fresh 
roots, and will transplant the more readily accordingly. 
Violets. —The late winter destroyed a considerable number of these, 
old plants being the greatest sufferers. Young plants, in addition to 
being the hardiest also produce much the finest flowers, and new planta¬ 
tions ought, therefore, to be made every spring, a breadth of plants 
being destroyed, none being retained after they have been on the 
ground two or at the most three years. Moderately rich well worked 
ground suits Violets well, and the more exposed the plants the hardier 
they are, those drawn up among trees being the first to suffer from 
damp, red spider, and frosts. Make the ground firm, select rooted 
divisions, discarding the very old pieces, and dibble out 12 inches apart 
in rows 18 inches asunder. The Russian varieties, notably The Czar, are 
the most serviceable for affording blooms throughout the winter or when¬ 
ever the weather is not very frosty, but the Italian Marie Louise and 
Comte de Brazzi’s White are hardier than it is generally thought, and 
are charming objects in tbe flower garden. For the latter purpose a 
good stock of plants may be raised from divisions, putting these out on 
good not lumpy ground 6 inches apart. They will readily transplant to 
the flower beds next arrtumn. Keep all newly planted Violets well sup¬ 
plied with water, mulch early with leaf soil or other short material, and 
if red spider is troublesome syringe frequently in hot weather. 
H' 
HE bee-keeper] 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
The Weather. 
May has brought a pleasant change ; copious showers, with 
a rise of 20° in night temperature. There were two mornings 
only during April, when the temperature was above freezing ; 
the one 38°, the other 35° ; only three mornings above 25°, and 
only one slight shower on the morning of the 30th. During the 
whole month bees were never out longer than a few minutes at 
a time. 
Amongst Bee-keepers. 
It was not the least pleasant part of my business to visit recently 
some historical and picturesque places on the Clyde. One of the 
grandest lies between Crossford and Tillietudlum Castle ; from 
the bottom of the ravine of the Nethan water the cliffs rise 
almost perpendicular to between 200 and 300 feet. Bee-keepers 
are numerous, and all admit the present untoward spring has 
kept the bees back greatly. Bee-keeping in general had a good 
share of our talk and time, and certainly no little amusement 
was created by the remai-ks of some on what Mr. Wm. McNally has 
written in a contemporary, “ That the Scotch bee-keepers are 
comparatively behind the times in taking bees to the hills ; ” but 
all were of the opinion that the writer would be much enlightened 
if he paid a visit to Scotch bee-keepers, where he would learn that 
what he deplores, and what he tries to teach them, was perfected 
long ago. Honey pressers were here in great variety, and some of 
an ingenious nature. One thing most of the bee-keepers were 
agreed upon was the unsuitableness and unportableness of the 
standard hive for bee-keeping generally. 
Robbing. 
With fine weather and the incoming of honey, robbers will not 
be so troublesome as they were during April, but if a cessation of 
a honey flow takes place it is likely to be resumed. Prevention is 
in this, as in some other things, better than cure. When once 
several strong hives attack the weaker there is absolutely no cure 
but to remove the robbed hive to a distance out of the way, and 
