September 8, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
225 
15 inches or to such a length as is likely to become well matured, and 
pinch aU laterals to one joint as growth is made. 
Melons.— Plants in pits and frames will not need further damping 
over the foliage, and they should only be given enough water at the 
roots to keep the foliage from flagging. Keep the growths rather thin, 
closely suppress laterals, but retain the principal leaves, and elevate the 
fruit well above the bed on inverted flower pots, each fruit being placed 
on a piece of slate, and so inclined that water will not lodge upon it and 
cause the fruit to decay. Apply good linings to the sides of the frames, 
so as to furnish a warm atmosphere, kept dry by free ventilation, which 
the fruit requires to finish well. 
The latest plants in houses are now in flower. The blossoms should 
be fertilised when fully expanded, and attended to daily until sufficient 
fruits are set for the crop. The atmosphere must be kept dry, a little 
ventilation being given at night to prevent the deposition of moisture 
on the flowers. Stop the shoots one joint beyond the fruit, and when 
the fruit is set keep the growths well in hand, not allowing the laterals 
to interfere with the principal leaves, exposing all the growths to as 
much light as possible. When three or four fruits are set on a plant 
remove all the male and female flowers, and do not overburden the 
plants with fruit, but thin them so that each will attain perfection, 
being guided by the vigour of the plants. Supply earth to the sides of 
the ridges or hillocks as the fruit swells and needs more nourishment. 
Water carefully, yet encourage and sustain root action by a proper 
amount of moisture in the soil. Syringing will only be required on fine 
afternoons, but a genial condition of the atmosphere should be main¬ 
tained by damping the paths, walls, &c., in the morning and afternoon. 
Maintain a night temperature of 65° to 70°, and 70° to 75° by day 
artificially, with 10° to 15° advance from sun heat. 
Fruit Ripening .—This should have brisk heat by day, with enough 
ventilation to insure a circulation of air constantly and abundant 
increase in the early part of fine days. Keep water from the house and 
withhold it from the roots, or only supply it to prevent flagging. Plants 
swelling their fruit to ripen next month must be assisted with tepid 
liquid manure whenever they become dry, but avoid strong doses, as 
these are fatal to the roots, and cause the collapse of the plants before 
the fruit is ripe. Expose the main leaves to all the light possible by 
stopping, thinning, or removing the laterals. If canker appear rub 
quicklime into the affected parts and repeat as necessary to arrest its 
progress, and so keep the plants alive until the fruit is perfected. Free 
ventilation and a genial warmth are the best safeguard against canker 
and cracking in the fruits. These evils are accelerated by a close 
atmosphere and a low night temperature, which cause the deposition of 
moisture on the stems or fruit. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Tomatoes. —Seldom have the open-air Tomatoes made so good a 
start as they did this season, and nothing like a check has yet been ex¬ 
perienced. Already considerable quantities of fruit have been cut 
from those well forwarded under glass prior to being planted out, and 
all have set abundance of later fruit. What we have most to fear now 
is a sudden attack of Potato disease, a term of dull, damp, warm 
weather favouring a rapid spread of this. If the foliage could be kept 
dry even this kind of disease would be warded off, but this is a some¬ 
what difficult matter. In many cases, however, much might be done 
towards preventing disease by means of spare pit and frame lights, these 
being fixed over the best cropped plants against walls in anticipation of 
rather than after an attack. Stripping off the old leaves wholesale is a 
very common but most unwise proceeding, baring the fruit to strong 
sunshine, completely checking swelling, and it is very doubtful if it 
greatly hastens ripening. The strong leaves also serve to protect the 
fruit somewhat from disease, and that is another good reason why they 
should be retained. If extra gross some of the leaves may be reduced 
somewhat, and all side shoots ought to be cut away, the leaders also 
being stopped. Should disease put in an appearance cut all the fruit 
that has commenced or is on the point of colouring, and ripen under 
glass or in a warm kitchen ; but it is yet too early to cut the whole of 
the clusters. 
Tomatoes under Class. —Plenty of strong sunshine and a good 
circulation of dry air suit Tomatoes well, and the crops have been and 
are very abundant and good in quality. Fire heat ought to be afforded 
whenever the days are dull or damp, and it also does good if the pipes 
are made fairly hot every night, the ventilators being kept partly open, 
a stagnant atmosphere most favouring the spread of disease. Those 
trained over a roof trellis are the best for winter fruiting, and directly 
they are cleared of their summer crops some of them might well be got 
ready for autumn and winter cropping. If trained thickly remove every 
other plant and fruit the side shoots that the rest Bhould bear freely. 
In order to promote a healthy fresh growth remove some of the surface 
soil, give a good soaking of liquid manure, and then top-dress with a 
moderately rich compost. Strong young plams, however, usually give 
the best results, and if these are placed singly in 12-inch pots or small 
tubs, or are planted out in a narrow ridge of loamy soil, they will grow 
strongly and quickly commence bearing. A good early start is necessary, 
as the crops must be well set before the days become very short, con¬ 
sequently it is too late now to sow seed or raise plants from cuttings. 
Give any that are newly planted plenty of air, fire heat being turned on 
whenever the fires are started, but avoid closing early and creating a 
very moist atmosphere or disease may soon have to be reckoned with. 
Conference and a good selection of Large Red are among the best 
varieties that can be recommended for winter fruiting. 
Seed Potatoes. —It is no uncommon occurrence for these to be 
spoilt before the winter arrives. Instead of being left for weeks 
together mixed in heaps of large and small tubers, this invariably caus¬ 
ing premature sprouting, they ought to be kept quite separate and 
thinly stored. Especially is it necessary that extra care be taken of 
Ashleafs and other extra early varieties. More often than not too few 
tubers of these are saved, and the rest greatly weakened by being 
allowed to sprout several months before planting time. It is the strong 
first sprout that is wanted on these, and in order to be certain of them 
attend to the tubers now. Select well-formed medium-sized tubers, and 
set these on their small or blind ends thickly in trays, storing all where 
both light and air will reach them, heavily covering only whenever 
severe frosts are imminent. Avoid the time-honoured custom of green¬ 
ing seed tubers, as it is possible for exposed sound tubers to take the 
disease, though not showing it for a long time afterwards. In most 
gardens main crop and late Potatoes are still growing strongly, but the 
second earliest are, in all southern localities at any rate, quite fit for 
lifting and storing. Neither these nor the later varieties, especially 
those known to be most susceptible of disease, ought long to be left undug 
after the skins of the tubers are fairly well set. Leaving them till the 
haulm is quite dead is likely to end in the loss of a portion, at least, of 
the crop by disease. Drawing and taking away the haulm answers the 
same purpose, disease usually being washed down from the haulm to the 
tubers, and this plan may well be resorted to when it is not possible or 
convenient to lift and store the crops. 
Parsley. —There is never any cessation in the demand for Parsley, 
and it is of such importance that it is only by taking extra trouble in 
its production during the winter and spring that much worry is avoided. 
Cooks must have it, and gardeners must do their best to keep them well 
supplied. The newer or greatly improved strains are unfortunately 
much more tender than, the 'd stock, the latter very frequently surviv¬ 
ing in cottage gardens when the “ double,” more highly cultivated 
forms have been killed outright. If two or three lights in a pit, heated 
or otherwise, can be devoted to Parsley matters are much simplified, but 
in most cases what is required has to be wintered in deep boxes or large 
pots. In each and every case no time should be lost in lifting young 
roots, trimming off the strong outside leaves, and then packing them 
4 inches or rather more apart in rich loamy soil. Stand them in a shady 
position till recovered from the severe check, but do not house till severe 
frosts are threatened. More plants might also be bedded in where they 
can be covered by span-roofed or other frames, handlights, or even 
benders and mats. Branches of fruit trees sometimes afford just enough 
protection to save Parsley, and it is advisable, therefore, to either sow 
some seed under these in the spring, or else to plant out roots now, 
keeping the latter well watered till active growth recommences. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Bees at the Heather. 
It is now three weeks since I left home with my bees, and 
during that time they have gathered honey on part of two days 
only, the low temperature and strong winds characteristic of the 
year preventing them flying and secreting of honey. I left home 
on the 13th of August amidst torrents of rain and a severe thunder¬ 
storm, accompanied with heavy rain and hail, which continued 
more or less severe for several days, doing much damage to crops ; 
but which, singular to say, we at the moors entirely escaped. 
Here on the 29th there were from 12 3 to 15° of frost, which gave 
the country a very wintry looking aspect indeed. By midday the 
rain came on, and by the next morning the flats were completely 
flooded, and the rivers swollen to an extent rarely experienced. 
Although there are no rain gauges, by a fair calculation of the 
flood, and computation of the time and quantity of the rain that 
fell, together with the rises and falls of the rivers, there could not 
be less than 6 inches of rainfall in the first twenty-four hours. It 
has rained almost incessantly for three days without any signs of 
cessation. My bees are standing upon the second step of the 
natural embankment of the river, and I hear they were flooded as 
well as all the ricks in a large meadow. I have been unable to see 
them, but believe from reports that they are uninjured. The loss 
to farmers must be great, as many sheep, cattle, and crops have 
been carried away or destroyed by the flood. 
It will be seen from this that it is the reverse of cheering to 
bee-keepers, and recalls to memory the disastrous years of 1860, 
1861, and 1862 ; as also the subsequent three successive bad 
years which occurred shortly after, but which I cannot recall 
accurately. 
On the 17th of August we had a “pet” day, on which the 
bees busied themselves killing their drones, and on the same day 
all our virgin queens mated, some of them being nearly two 
months old. One very weak nucleus, situated in a wide space, is 
now strong with stray bees. On this I may have something to 
say again. More important to bee-keepers at the present time is 
