/une 27, lb95. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUkE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
569 
and more frequently than by trees with a larger extent of rooting area ; 
about once a week in the first case, and every fortnight in the other, 
giving thorough supplies, and always in a tepid state. Top-dressings of 
the advertised fertilisers may be given at intervals of three weeks or a 
month, always after watering, and then washing-in moderately. A light 
mulching is beneficial in supplying nutriment, keeping the soil moist, 
and encouraging surface roots ; but it should be kept moist by sprinkling 
when it becomes dry. 
Syringing and Insects. —Syringe the trees twice a day, except in duH, 
wet weather, when morning or early afternoon syringing will be suffi¬ 
cient, and always early enough to allow of the foliage getting dry before 
night. Judicious and forcible syringings are usually sufficient to keep 
down red spider, but if it and scale gains a hold they must be dislodged 
by the use of an insecticide, for which purpose the carbolic and petroleum 
soaps are effective. Old scale must be dislodged by using a brush. Paint¬ 
ing the hot-water pipes with a cream formed of flowers of sulphur and 
skim milk, after heating them to 160° to 200°, keeping the house closed 
for an hour or two, with the sulphur on the pipes, is an effectual remedy 
for red spider and a good preventive of spotting in the fruit from 
attacks of fungi. The foliage should be dry. and the following morning 
the trees should be well syringed. Repeat the heating of the pipes, and 
brushing them with sulphur in about ten days. 
Temperature and Ventilation. —Unless the weather be unusually cold 
and wet artiflcial heat will not be necessary, but fire heat must he 
afforded to maintain a temperature of 60° to 65° at night, and 70° to 75° 
by day. Ventilate early on fine mornings. Keep the house through the 
day at 80° to 85° with sun heat, and close early so as to run up to 85° or 
90°, or even 95° to 100°, providing abundance of atmospheric moisture. 
Succession Houses.—Fruit Ripening. —When the Figs change colour 
afford more air, insuring a circulation constantly, and a free movement 
of the atmosphere by top and bottom ventilation whenever external 
conditions are favourable. Reduce the moisture gradually, keeping 
water from the fruit, which expose as much as possible to light and air. 
Lessened supplies of water at the roots tell in favour of quality, yet the 
trees must not be allowed to suffer ; therefore keep the soil moist, 
damping the surface occasionally to keep the roots there in a healthy 
condition. 
Trees Swelling their Crops. —Afford a light mulching of short 
manure, and through this supply tepid water, or in the case of trees 
carrying heavy crops and not over-luxuriant, liquid manure, with 
alternate dressings of chemical manures. It is scarcely possible to 
overfeed Fig trees in well-drained, properly constructed, narrow borders, 
but deep borders and wide favour growth at the expense of fruitfulness. 
The trees grow splendidly and produce little beyond leaves. In fine 
weather syringe twice a day, always in good time, and close so as to 
run up to 90°, 95°, or 100°. As the fruit approaches ripening provide a 
little ventilation before nightfall, and let it remain, increasing it early 
so as to dissipate moisture deposited on the foliage during the night 
before the sun acts powerfully on the house. 
Late Houses. —Grand Figs are grown in cool houses, one crop ripen¬ 
ing in August and September. Calcareous soil, well-drained narrow 
borders, light well-ventilated structures afford best results. The chief 
points are to grow thin, feed highly, ventilate early, close soon enough 
to keep a good heat until the evening, affording abundance of atmo¬ 
spheric moisture. Avoid overcrowding the growths, stop wide shoots at 
the fifth leaf, and water liberally. Let the shoots grow with their 
pO'ints to the light, just keeping them clear of the glass, and they will 
fruit abundantly. 
Melons. —Where fruit is required late a last sowing may be made 
for growing in frames or pits heated by fermenting material. Make the 
bed at once, sowing the seeds in 4-inch pots, one or two seeds in each, 
the p' ts being half filled with soil, and a supply of soil being given as 
the plant advances, but not higher than half an inch from the seed 
leaves ; they can be turned out when the bed is ready, giving a 
good watering at planting, and shading from bright sun until established. 
One plant in the centre of each light is sufficient, its point being taken 
out at the second rough leaf ; this will result in the production of side 
shoots, which reduce to four, taking two to the front and two to the 
back, rubbing off the laterals to within 6 inches of the stem, and stopping 
the primary shoots a foot from the sides of the frame or pit. The plants 
will show fruit on the laterals, which being fertilised will set early in 
August, and ripen towards the close of September. 
Setting Melons in Frames. —Plants that were raised some time ago, 
and have been put out, will grow rampantly, and are sometimes difficult 
to set fruit, especially during moist weather. It arises from the moist 
atmosphere, crowding, and closeness ; therefore thin the growths if too 
crowded, then fruit will show on the laterals, or if not stop these to two 
joints, and fruit will appear on the sub-laterals. Water sparingly, 
pouring what is necessary to keep the plants from flagging between the 
shoots 80 as tc wet the surface as little as possible. Place hot manure 
against the sides of the frame, or grass mowings will do, with a little 
litter over the grass. This will raise a gentle heat, admitting of a little 
ventilation constantly day and night. Fertilise the flowers when fully 
expanded, stopping the shoots at the same time one joint beyond the 
fruit. Admit air freely if the weather permits, increasing the ventila¬ 
tion at 70°, allowing it to rise to 80° or 85° or 90°, at which keep through 
the day, closing at 80°, except the small portion before alluded to. When 
the fruit is set reduce to two to four on a plant, according to the vigour, 
and encourage growth by watering as required, and sprinkling the 
foliage at closing time. Commence ventilating from 75°, allow the heat 
to rise to 85° or 90°, close by or before the temperature recedes to 80°, or 
between 4 and 5 p.m. 
Growers who have well heated light houses will have no difficulty in 
maintaining a supply of fruit through October or November from sow¬ 
ings made up to the third or fourth week in July. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Cabbage. — Unless Cabbage is grown quickly it hearts in- 
diflerently, and the quality is bad. A ftee use of liquid manure is most 
desirable, and a light dressing of nitrate of soda would hasten growth 
materially. Later rows ought to have the soil drawn up the stems, and 
the water or liquid manure can then be readily applied along the 
furrows. When cutting hearts do not strip off all the lower leaves, 
fresh growths and young hearts forming more quickly when the stems 
are not so treated. A good supply of tender young Coleworts never fails 
of appreciation in the late autumn and early winter months, and in 
order to be certain of these seeds must be sown at once. 
Carrots. —Quite young Carrots form a good dish at any time. Any 
variety of Carrot will be found good for drawing in a young state, but 
the finer stump-rooted or Horn Carrots are the best for present sowing. 
They form a good succession to early Potatoes. Make the ground quite 
fine, draw drills 8 inches, or rather more, apart, water, and then sow the 
seeds moderately thick. The roots of these and later sowings are apt to 
be disfigured by grubs, and a very light dusting of wood ashes along the 
drills may well be given by way of preventive. Keep the surface of the 
soil among the row of maincrop Carrots well loosened, or otherwise 
undue loss of moisture, cracking, and premature maturation of crop may 
be the consequence. 
2iate Peas. —A long spell of hot, dry weather has hastened matura¬ 
tion in the case of Peas. There is little likelihood of sowings of Ne Plus 
Ultra, British Queen, Latest of All, and such like, made at this late date 
attaining a productive state before frost intervenes—at any rate in the 
more northern localities—though they might be tried in more favoured 
districts. If seeds of William I., Day’s Sunrise, Exonian, or other good 
early variety were sown directly it is ripe, there would be a far greater 
certainty of having a good late crop, as new seeds germinate more 
strongly. Dwarf varieties may be sown in rather deep drills, from 
5 inches to 15 inches apart in succession to early Potatoes, or where they 
can be protected from frosts. 
Sballots and Garlic. —These are ripening somewhat earlier than 
desirable, and in many cases will be smaller than usual accordingly. 
When they come away freely from the soil remove to where they can be 
spread out and well harvested prior to storage; undergound Onions to 
he similarly treated. Top of Tree Onions may also be duly dried and 
stored. These, if planted early, will give young Onions for salad 
purposes very early next spring. 
Winter Spinach.— Winter Spinach is of the greatest assistance in 
keeping up a constant supply of green vegetables, and pays well for any 
extra pains taken in producing it. Towards the end of July is a good 
time to make a first sowing. The ground ought to be neither poor nor 
lumpy, and any, therefore, that is of a somewhat tough, badly working 
nature, should now be freely manured and dug up roughly. Sunshine 
will most probably give it a thorough baking, and rain causes it to 
crumble freely. A well-drained position should be assigned this 
important crop, and plenty of space allowed. 
Mushrooms. —Manure should now be got ready for open air beds, 
and also for forming beds in sheds and other unheated structures. For 
the ridge system the longest and least stained straw should be forked 
away trom the manure. Flat, or nearly flat, beds ought to be composed 
principally of short manure or horse droppings. Ridge-shaped beds are 
particularly liable to become violently hot, and this must be prevented, 
or otherwise failure to crop will be the result. The manure ought in all 
cases to be well prepared. In very wet weather it is frequently necessary 
to ward off saturating rains, but more often than not the watering pot 
and rose has to be used in preparing the manure, and again when the 
bed is formed. 
Where Mushrooms May he Grown. —The sides of the Melon and 
Cucumber beds may have lumps of spawn inserted 8 inches apart 
all over them, and be cased over with soil similarly to ridge-shaped 
beds. After it has become no longer necessary to water the Melon 
plants in the frame, the inside beds may be spawned, and Cucumber 
beds nearly exhausted may be served the same. Mulch with strawy 
litter after the haulm is dead or cleared off, and keep on the lights in 
either cold or wet weather. When large heaps of manure and other 
decaying materials are formed for Vegetable Marrows there is usually 
enough heat to cause Mushroom spawn to run freely. Now is a good 
time to insert lumps of spawn all over these. Unless a very wet summer 
is experienced, Mushrooms should be forthcoming in September. 
s 
it- 
he bee-keeper 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
The recent rains have increased the pollen supply to bees, but 
we want more rain before warm weather sets in, which will bring 
on a seasonable honey flow where flowers are not spoiled by the 
drought. We have several reports from the moors to the effect 
