October 26, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
887 
Except on very fine days the syringe should be laid aside, using it 
chiefly for damping the paths, walls, and other surfaces in the morning 
and afternoon in warm bright weather. Supply water or liquid manure 
to the roots as required, and always of the same temperature as the 
house. Cover the roots with warmed soil as they protrude, and sprinkle 
a little superphosphate over it occasionally as an incentive of root 
aetion. 
The autumn fruiters being now in full bearing must not be over¬ 
cropped, therefore remove the fruit when it attains a useable size, also 
all deformed fruit. Examine the plants at least once a week for the 
removal of bad leaves, and for stopping the shoots a joint beyond the 
show for fruit, and cutting away all superfluous growths. Let the 
winter fruiters advance well up the trellis before stopping them, training 
the side growths right and left of the stem, and not too closely, so as to 
secure well developed growth and foliage. Allow few or no staminate 
flowers, but remove them with tendrils as they appear, and add fresh 
warmed soil to the hillock or ridges as the roots show at the sides. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Asparagus. —Not till the tops turn to a yellow colour should 
these be cut down, and then only to within about 4 inches of the ground, 
the stumps being left by way of an indication of the whereabouts of 
the crowns. Seed is very abundant this season, and if strong growths, 
heavily furnished with berries, are suspended in a cool, dry shed the 
cleaning will be a very simple matter next spring. The custom of 
heavily dressing the beds with solid manure, the soil from the 
alleys being deposited on this, is not recommended. It keeps the beds 
cold and wet during the winter, and destroys good roots that ought to 
be preserved. If Asparagus beds must have a surfacing of rich manure, 
defer applying it till next February or March. 
Beet. —Whilst the mild weather lasts the roots will continue to 
grow, but the first sharp frost will check further progress. If a little 
soil could be drawn up to the plants so as to quite cover the roots they 
may remain where they are for some time longer, but if left exposed 
to a severe frod they might be spoilt. The roots are safe under cover 
of some kind. All should be forked out of the ground carefully, snap¬ 
ping the thick roots meaning a loss of colour throughout by bleeding, 
and the tops ought not to be trimmed off too close to the crown. If 
there is space in a cool shed that is the place to store Beet, all being 
packed crown outwards in either fine soil or sand. The roots may also 
be stored in a cone-shaped “ clamp,” and covered with straw and soil 
after the manner of Potatoes. The Turnip-rooted forms are the worst 
to keep, and these ought, therefore, to be used first. 
Carrots. —Fully grown roots of these are also best out of the 
ground before severe frosts can reach them. All should be lightly 
cleaned, and the tops cut off nearly close to the crown, being then 
packed in sand or fine soil, much as advised in the case of Beet. Late 
Carrots should be left undisturbed. They will continue to grow when 
the weather is mild, and are much more tender and sweeter when pulled 
just before being wanted for use. Sowing in frames on gentle hotbed 
should commence now, especially where there is a constant demand 
for quite small roots. The French Forcing is the best for autumn 
sowing. 
Otber Boot Crops. —Salsafy and Scorzonera keep the best in the 
ground, a few roots being lifted and stored for use whenever severe 
frosts are anticipated. Treat a portion of the crop of Turnips similarly 
to Carrots. Chicory may either be lifted and stored in cool quarters, 
the tops not being severely shortened, or the roots can be left in the 
ground and be lifted according as a few are wanted for placing in a 
Mushroom house or cellar to produce the requisite supplies of well 
blanched leaves. Parsnips not only keep better in the ground than they 
do when lifted and stored in sheds, but the quality also is superior. 
Jerusalem Artichokes are still growing strongly, and the roots will be of 
even worse shape than usual, the quality also suffering from this second 
top and tuber growth. These should not be interfered with at present. 
Later on, or after frosts have crippled the tops, these may be cut down 
and a portion of the beds stiawed over so as to admit of roots being dug 
if wanted at any time. Onions keep the longest when hung up in cool 
dry sheds where they can be lightly protected if need be during the 
coldest weather. Binding them closely and neatly to stout string or 
short sticks is good wet weather work for the men, and the sooner the 
bulk of the roots are hung up the better. 
Potatoes. —Much of the work of Potato lifting has been already 
completed in the majority of private gardens, and during dry days 
should be persevered with in the open fields also. The sorting over and 
storing ought to keep pace with the lifting. All the “ ware ” tubers, or 
those intended for marketing or home consumption, should be placed in 
one heap, good medium-sized tubers being selected for planting next 
season, quite the smallest, and any found slightly diseased, going to the 
pigs. Large numbers of “ ware ” Potatoes are best stored in clamps, or 
conical heaps not more than 4 feet wide at the base and of any length. 
These should be formed on the top of the ground, a well-drained site 
being chosen and only covered with straw for the first fortnight. The 
whole heap should then be turned, beginning at one end and re-forming 
the heap as the work goes on, this being done with a view to getting rid 
of all that have thus had a good chance of showing that they are diseased. 
Re-cover heavily with straw or strawy litter, and then bank over with 
soil dug from round and about I foot away from the heap. Potatoes 
will keep well undug, always providing the rows were heavily moulded 
up, and few or no tubers are near the surface. 
Seed Potatoes. —It is during mild autumns when so many seed or 
planting tubers are greatly weakened, and in many cases quite spoilt by 
premature sprouting. When those that have been dug earlier in the 
season are left in heaps for several weeks sprouting inevitably commences ; 
long weak shoots resulting, unless this is prevented by thinner storing. 
The Ashleafs ought, particularly, to be set up on ends closely together in 
shallow trays, these being blocked up one above another in a cool light 
shed. Thus treated, and duly protected from frosts, they will not lose 
their first strong sprout, and heavier and earlier crops of Potatoes be had 
next season accordingly. It is scarcely possible, in most gardens, to treat 
the tubers of main crop varieties similarly to the Ashleafs, nor is this 
particularly necessary ; but these ought, however, to be stored as thinly 
as space will permit, and be kept cool. Light is a good preventive of 
premature sprouting, and should only be excluded whenever it is necessary 
to afford additional protection from frosts. The best results invariably 
attend the practice of planting well-kept, medium-sized tubers whole, it 
being false economy to reserve the small Potatoes for planting purposes. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Hints for Beginners. 
(^Continued from page 365.) 
The swarm-catcher I use is perhaps the first of the kind ever 
made, and, in my opinion, is still superior to any other. It consists 
of a light box of wood about one-eighth of an inch thick, or of wire 
cloth lined with stout calico, but fastened at the bottom edge only, 
the top being supplied with loops and cords so that it can be held 
up or lowered when the bees are transferred from it to the per¬ 
manent hive by simply loosing the cords. The weight of the bees 
causes the bag to drop to the top of the hive, and the bees on find¬ 
ing the slight pressure retreat to the hive beneath in a few seconds, 
thus obviating all risks of them or the queen taking a second flight, 
or of stranger bees joining and killing the queen. The poles 
generally used are joined by ferrols to any length, and have on the 
top a swivelled arm on which are fitted the two pulleys, over which 
the cord works to lower the swarm-catcher. I hope the foregoing 
may be sufficient to enable the beginner to make one for his own 
use. It must be borne in mind that the swarm-catcher is made to 
go inside the super-protector, without which it would be of less 
value. 
SUPERING. 
After hiving comes supering. When should the supers be put on ? 
is a question oftener asked than can be answered satisfactorily. 
Supering newly hived swarms, and the size of hive to be employed, 
are matters which no one can say positively what, when or how 
everything should be done. Experience alone must be the sure 
guide to beginners, locality and season being potent factors. In 
order to assist those commencing bee-keeping, however, we shall 
suppose a prime swarm has issued and is safely hived. When the 
honey flow is great the hive should not have more than two 
divisions ; in fact in one division having full sheets of foundation, or 
some wrought out combs with supers added, the bees will take to 
them at once, and when comb building has been well forward in 
them, say in two days after, add a second division also full sheeted 
or combed. If the swarm is before the honey flow give it two 
or the three divisions according to the time ahead and strength of 
swarm. Generally speaking, a prime swarm comes to full strength 
and swarming point again in from five to six weeks after being 
hived. 
If a prime swarm in two divisions at first be deprived of its 
queen and a young fertilised one introducsd, and at the same time a 
third division added, swarming for some time will be delayed if not 
altogether stopped. The same treatment applies to stocks un¬ 
swarmed, but the bee-keeper must determine according to his locality 
the best time to strengthen hives by superseding old queens, by 
introducing young ones, or the joining of swarms. These should 
all be done so that the hives may be in full strength at the time 
of the greatest honey flow. Thirty days elapse from the time the 
eggs are laid till the bees work in the field, but inside the hive 
they act as nurses, and others work shortly after birth. 
To catch the flowers at the proper season by full sf ength 
hives is of the greatest importance. Sometimes the bee-keeper is 
greatly taxed how best to accomplish that, and manipulations have 
occasionally to be resorted to to accomplish that in some localities 
that are quite unnecessary in others. — A Lanarkshire 
Bee-keeper. 
(To be continued.) 
