600 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
[ Noyembcr 30, 1893, 
thick deposit upon the shoots. When this is completed tie the shoots 
to the trellis, not too tightly. If the trees have not been lifted lightly 
point over the border, removing the loose soil, and apply a top-dressing 
about a couple of inches thick of good fibrous loam and manure. The 
houses can hardly be too freely ventilated, and only when frost prevails 
they should be closed. 
Cherry House. —The pruning must now have attention. Full 
grown trees regularly stopped during growth will however require very 
little pruning. Any shoots that have grown considerably should be cut 
back to about an inch from the base of the current year’s growth, and 
the worn out or decayed spurs ought to be removed. The terminal 
shoots in the case of trees not full sized must not be shortened unless 
the extremity of the trellis is reached, and the central shoots of young 
trees will require to be cut back as may be necessary to originate those 
for filling the space regularly. The fan mode of training is the most 
suitable, and is more particularly applicable to the Cherry, as it admits 
of replacing any branch that may fall a prey to gumming. The house 
should have a thorough cleansing, the trees being washed with soapy 
water, about 3 ounces to a gallon, and then dressed with some approved 
insecticide, applying it with a brush, but do not injure the buds. The 
house must be thoroughly ventilated until the time arrives for starting 
the trees, but it is better if the roof lights are off. 
Vines. — Houses to Afford Grapes in May. —The Vines intended to 
afford ripe Grapes at the time stated must be started without delay. 
The outside border should have the needful protection from cold rains' 
and snow. If fermenting materials are employed two thirds of leaves 
to one of stable litter afford a less violent heat but more lasting than all 
manure ; but unless the materials can be replenished from time to time 
it is better to dispense with the heat. In that case the outside borders 
must be covered with bracken, straw or litter so as to throw off the wet. 
We find about 6 inches thickness of dry leaves and a little litter over 
them answers remarkably well. If the roots are entirely outside then it 
is necessary to use fermenting material. The inside border should be 
brought into a moist condition by applying water, and in the case of 
weak Vines give tepid liquid manure. Start with a night temperature 
of 50° in severe weather, 55° in mild weather, and 65° by day, except 
the weather be severe, when 50° will suffice, not exceeding these figures 
until the growth commences. Maintain a moist atmosphere by syring¬ 
ing occasionally, but excessive moisture excites the emission of aerial 
roots from the rods. Depress the rods of young Vines to the horizontal 
line or below to ensure the regular breaking of the buds. 
Houses Started Early in Noveniber. — Whether the Vines are 
in pots or are planted in borders the temperature will need to be 
inereased to 60° at night in mild weather, 58° in severe weather after 
the buds break, and gradually increasing so as to have it 60° by day in 
severe weather, and 70° to 75° in mild weather with moderate ventila¬ 
tion. Tie the Vines in position as soon as growth has well commenced, 
and before the shouts are so long as to be damaged in the process. 
Sprinkle the paths in the house two or three times a day in clear 
weather, but avoiding a very moist or dry atmosphere. Disbudding 
should not be practised until the fruit shows in the points of the shoots. 
Midseason Houses. —When the Grapes have been cut the Vines 
should be pruned. It is decidedly advantageous to do this work directly 
the leaves have fallen, the Grapes having been cut with the requisite 
amount of wood and placed in bottles of clear rain water. Early pruning 
is the best safeguard against bleeding, and the Vines enjoy a longer 
season of rest. The Vines will in all probability give sufficiently large 
bunches if pruned to one or at most two eyes. If larger bunches are 
wanted, or the Vines from weakness do not afford bunches so large as 
desired, leave more growth, only select sound, round fully developed 
buds on firm well ripened wood. If the roots are in firm soil and 
favourable for rooting then the wood will be stout and short-jointed, 
and the buds at their base will be round, plump, and well matured. 
Let the Vines be dressed, the house thoroughly cleaned, and everything 
put into order, so that there need be no hurry to put things straight. 
Keep the temperature as cool as possible so as to insure complete rest. 
Late Houses. — Every precaution should be taken against damp. 
The most prolific cause of Grapes not hanging well is bad construction 
of the houses, water hanging in the laps of the glass and blown over 
the Grapes. Eemove all leaves as they become decayed, and afford only 
sufficient fire heat to expel damp and to exclude frost, keeping at 40° to 
45°. Close the house in wet weather, and seek to insure a dry, cool, 
and equable temperature. 
£ 
HE BEE-KEEPER. 
r-T., ■ , ■ 1 - 1 ■ i -1 -1 -j - 1 - j.. . 1 ■ 1 -1 - I , 1 . 1 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Practical Hints. 
All our queens are youthful and the bees quite strong enough 
for the stocks to stand any protracted winter we are likely to experi¬ 
ence. Although the stocks were left ample food for the winter 
much late breeding reduces it and necessitates feeding with 3 or 
4 lbs. of syrup to each hive. All sugars are not alike in quality, nor 
in the proportion of water required. I place some sugar in the 
vessel in which it is to be dissolved, then pour cold water on it 
sufficient to cover the sugar 2 inches for every 7 lbs, of sugar. 
For various and obvious reasons X have discarded all top-feed¬ 
ing, unless in a few cases of nuclei. The bees will, at times, carry 
up syrup when they will not touch it if above. When feeding 
from below all uncovering and covering hives and the cooling of 
them are avoided. When the hives are warm and cosy keep them 
so, and do not cool them by uncovering. The simplest and best 
feeder I use is a fountain having a neck or thimble into which a 
cork is fitted having a hole through the centre. Into this I put a 
saw handle screw, broad end up, which acts as a valve to shut or 
open when the lower end touches or leaves the trough. When 
filling draw the cork, and when full replace inverted ; insert the neck 
into the hole and let it rest on stage or platform, which should 
be of such a height as to allow the thimble or neck to be one- 
eighth of an inch lower than the upper edge of the trough, which 
is three-eighths deep and covered with wide mesh wire cloth to 
keep the bees clean and out of the feeder. Wire cloth is much to be 
preferred to perforated metals or floats, the latter preventing the 
bees getting beneath it, and when refilling being killed. 
Hives having ventilating floors require no attention, but already 
hives will have absorbed a considerable amount of dampness fatal 
to bees during the winter. These damp boards should be removed 
and dried, or a dry one substituted. The absence of damp in any 
hives during the winter is the reason disease is never present, and 
at no time are many dead bees to be seen. My hives arranged, 
prepared, and the bees fed as directed, having not more than 1 inch 
entrances unless on a chance fine day, when the bees are airing, 
they will be widened in the morning and contracted at dusk. 
They will require no more attention till the May flowers are 
profuse and hives increased in strength.—A Lanarkshire Bee¬ 
keeper. 
BEES IN YORKSHIRE. 
At the meeting of the Wakefield Paxton Society held on the 
18th inst. Mr. J. Eastwood read a paper on “Bee-keeping,” The 
essayist remarked that bee-keeping was a hobby that yielded profit, 
pleasure, and instruction. It would be well if every labourer were the 
fortunate possessor of a hive. Watching these industrious insects ac¬ 
cumulating a store for a rainy day would, he thought, suggest thrift to 
the owner. After speaking of the important work of bees in hybridisa¬ 
tion, Mr. Eastwood said he believed bees had increased the yield of his 
Strawberry crop one quarter. A neighbour of his had gathered 40 stones 
of honey this season, which, at Is. per lb., was worth £28. In Scotland 
he had heard that 7 cwt. had been yielded by six hives. A man in West¬ 
moreland had eighty hives, and realised SOs. from each, or £200. It 
was important to catch the honey flow, by shifting hives into the vicinity 
of Clover and Bean fields, by which astonishing results were secured. 
The method of managing skep hives and bar-frame hives was clearly 
explained, and also the securing of swarms and the driving of bees in 
order to take the produce without destroying them. Many interesting 
and amusing narratives of his experiences in bee-keeping were related 
by Mr. Eastwood, who, in conclusion, said that with successful manage¬ 
ment and fairly good seasons everyone might follow this hobby of Iwe- 
keeping with great satisfaction and profit. 
•**A11 correspondence should be directed either to “ The 
Editor” or to “The Publisher.” Letters addressed to 
Dr. Hogg or members of the staff often remain unopened 
unavoidably. We request that no one will write privately 
to any of our correspondents, as doing so subjects them to 
unjustifiable trouble and expense. 
Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions 
relating to Gardening and those on Bee subjects, and should 
never send more than two or three questions at once. All 
articles intended for insertion should be written on one side of 
the paper only. We cannot reply to questions through the post, 
and we do not undertake to return rejected communications. 
Books {It. P.'). —We have had another inquiry of the same purport 
as yours, and to which a reply has been sent by post. 
Book on Grafting- (A. Shandbrooli). —Baltet’s work, published at 
37, Southampton Street, will afford you the desired information. 
Carnations {J. Hughes'). —The flowers to hand are apparently as 
good as Mrs. Leopold de Kothschild Carnation in general appearance, 
so far as we can remember of the latter variety. Comparison, however, 
is necessary to decide definitely on that point. The variety is well worth 
preserving. 
