April 25,1895. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
369 
injare the roots, and the fruit in consequence will not finish satis¬ 
factorily. Plants coming into fiower should only have sufficient water 
to prevent flagging, and a drier condition of the atmosphere is essential 
to a good set, especially in the case of very vigorous plants. Attend 
regularly to the retting of the blossoms, and stop the shoots one joint 
beyond the fruit when impregnated, removing all superfluous growths 
after the fruit is set. Avoid giving stimulants to plants until the fruit 
is swelling, when liquid manure may be applied liberally, especially to 
plants carrying heavy crops, continuing the supplies until they are well 
advanced towards ripening. Maintain a night temperature of 70°, 70° to 
75° by day, and 80° to 90° with sun heat, closing early, when the plants 
may be syringed, except when in flower and the fruit ripening. If 
canker appears rub quicklime into the affected parts. 
THE KITCHEN G-ARDEN. 
Kidney Beans. —There will be no falling off in the demand for 
these during the next two months. Deep narrow boxes holding a single 
row of plants are preferable to pots at this time of the year, the plants 
remaining in a healthy productive state far the longest in the former. In 
any case they must be kept well supplied with water and liquid manure. 
Those planted out between rows of Tomato plants will soon be yielding 
heavy crops, and newly planted vineries might be similarly utilised. 
According as pits or frames are cleared of early Potatoes, plant with 
Kidney Beans, having these in small pots in readiness for the positions. 
All the preparation needed is the removal of rubbish, a levelling over, 
and a thorough soaking of water if at all dry. Put the plants out 
4 inches apart in rows not less than 15 inches asunder. Stake at once 
and mulch with short manure. Keep well supplied with moisture, and 
shade lightly during the hottest part of the day, especially if fire beat is 
used and a high temperature maintained. 
Kidney Beans In the Open. —If raised in the open somewhat 
early, protection of some kind should be provided. Hand-lights will not 
be liberated from Cauliflowers so early as usual, but directly they are 
available their destination ought to be a warm border where they can 
be filled with Kidney Beans out of small pots. Sion House and Ne Plus 
Ultra are gO)d early varieties, and these may now be sown on a warm 
border thinly in drills 15 to 18 inches apart. Canadian Wonder is good 
for affording a succession. 
Beet.— The improved form of Turnip-rooted is the best for an early 
crop, medium-sized roots proving tender and well coloured. Moderately 
firm ground favours early '• bulbing.” Seeing that they will not be long 
on the ground they may be planted 5 inches asunder in rows 1 foot 
or rather less apart. Seeds of the Turnip-rooted may be sown on a warm 
border or with the main crop quite in the open. The main crop of the 
long-rooted varieties should now be sown, and on ground manured for 
a previous crop. The rows of the neat growing Dell’s Crimson or forma 
of the latter may be 12 inches apart, stronger growers being allow'ed 
another 3 inches. 
Carrots. —Coarseness is also objectionable in the case of Carrots. 
If the main crop varieties are sown much before the end of April the 
roots are liable to become too large, also splitting and keeping badly. 
This crop, again, should be grown without the aid of fresh or solid 
manure. The cleanest and best roots are produced in free working, 
sandy soils, but very good ones can also be had from comparatively 
heavy ground. Nantes Horn and The Guerande are suitable for present 
sowing. The rows of these may be arranged 9 inches apart, but the 
Intermediate and Long Surrey should have more space. Dust wood 
ashes lightly along the drills prior to covering the seeds, by way of a 
preventive of grub attack. 
Cblcory. —Not nearly enough of this is grown for winter use. It 
should be remembered that the blanched topi are not only good in a 
salad, but also cooked and served as a vegetable. Either Improved 
Large-rooted or Large Brussels (Witloef) or both may be sown now 
thinly in drills 12 inches apart. Large straight roots are most desirable, 
therefore sow on ground prepared as for Carrots, and let the thinning 
be well attended to. 
Salsafy and Scorzonera. —Owing to a lack of variety during the 
past winter these vegetables have been used up more closely than is 
often the case. Long, straight, moderately stout roots are most desir¬ 
able, and the seeds should, therefore, be sown on ground free of strong, 
solid manure, and in a finely divided state. Early raised plants are 
apt to run to seed, but there will be but few “ bolters” if the seeds 
are sown now. The drills may be drawn 12 inches apart, and the seeds 
sown thinly. 
Borecole. —Most of the species require a rather long period of 
growth, or otherwise they fail to attain their most productive hardy 
state. If the plants are large enough for pricking out they will be none 
too early, providing the ground is ready for their reception. Owners, 
or those in charge of small gardens, may yet plant Ashleaf or other 
early maturing short-topped Potatoes in rows 3 ftet apart, planting 
Borecole and Brussels Sprouts in the furrows after moulding-up the 
Potatoes. Read’s Hearting and Tall Green Curled aie good, but scarcely 
so hardy as Sutton’s Arctic Kales (purple and green), and these, with 
the very hardy Cottager’s and Asparagus Kale, may yet be sown in the 
open with every likelihood of good results. 
Broccoli. —Only Veitch’s Autumn Protecting should be raised 
early, especially if the ground cannot be reserved for these crops. By 
sowing now thinly in the open the plants will be ready as soon as 
crops that are preceding them can be cleared off. Snow’s Winter White 
ought never to be sown earlier than this. Veitch’s Early White forms a 
pood succession to the latter. Leamington, Knight’s Protecting, Carter’s 
Dniveraal, Model, and Late Queen are all excellent and reliable. The 
white and purple sproutingr forms ought to be treated similarly to 
Borecole. 
Cliou de Burghley. —Now is the best time to sow this form of 
Cabbage. Raised earlier and planted on strong ground objectionable 
coarseness is unavoidable. 
Savjy Cabbage. —These, again, are of little value when either 
very early or coarse. If Tom Thumb, Early Dwarf Ulm, Dwarf Green 
Curled, and Drumhead are sown- now thinly and quite in the open, 
abundance of plants ought to be available for succeeding early 
vegetables. 
Birds versus Seeds. —In some gardens seeds are much preyed on 
by chaffinches and other small birds. If they cannot be kept off by 
means of lines of black thread crossing and recrossing each other, or 
benders and doubled fish nets, or pea stakes laid thickly over the beds, 
the plan of red-leading the seeds should be adopted. Not many seeds 
will be drawn out of the ground when it is seen they are coated with 
red lead. Seeds moistened in a damp cloth will not clog together, and 
well rolled in red lead the latter will adhere freely to it. Red lead will 
not affect the germinating povier of the seeds. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Since the 17th inst. the frost has disappeared, and more genial 
weather reigns in the north. It is not, however, strictly speaking, 
bee weather, as many busy workers are chilled when out foraging. 
The bee-keeper must, therefore, keep a watch over his stocks to 
maintain them in a breeding state, as stoppage to that at this season 
means no profit. Embrace the first opportunity as circumstances 
arise to raise young queens to supersede effete ones. 
Varieties of Bees. 
Are we advancing or retrograding ? The above question is put 
with the view of encouraging inexperienced bee-keepers to put to 
test amongst other things the varieties of bees, and prove for 
themselves which are the best for their positions and surroundings. 
I am one of those old apiarians who believe the old black or 
British bee is no longer to be found pure in the British Isles, 
consequently a fair trial with the different breeds cannot be made. 
It is true that some persons think they have the original natives ; 
at least, as one writer says, they are as near blacks as need be.” 
Crosses are always good honey gatherers, and but for foreign bees 
there would have been no crosses. 
When I started in 1863 with the pure Italian Alp bee, I soon 
learned if honey was to be expected from them much larger hives 
must be used, and this applies to every foreign breed imported. The 
autumn months of 1863 and 1864 were exceptionally fine, as well as 
the aftermath of red Clover, which both Italians and blacks fre¬ 
quented, but while the Italians made weight from it and other 
autumn flowers, the blacks made no weight. As years advanced, 
we had evidence, both at home and at the moors, that the introduc¬ 
tion of the Italian Alp bee was a happy hit.—A Lanarkshire 
Bee-keeper. 
SEASONABLE NOTES. 
The favourable change in the weather that has taken place 
during the past fortnight has been beneficial to the bees, and it is 
interesting to bee-keepers to note the many varieties of fiowers 
that are now in bloom. Although this is a backward spring there 
is no lack of pollen-producing flowers, and doubtless a little honey 
is also obtained. The only fruit trees at present in bloom are the 
Apricot and Gooseberry. The former, thanks in a great measure 
to the bees, are setting their fruit freely, and as they are much 
later than usual in opening there is every prospect of a heavy crop 
of fruit, although the trees are not protected in any way. 
Previous to keeping bees somewhat extensively we were in the 
habit of covering the trees with canvas blinds every night, and on 
more than one occasion failed to obtain a crop of fruit. Assuming 
that spring frost was the cause, but since discarding the covers 
and leaving the trees fully exposed to all weathers, there has been 
only one partial failure, and that was last year, when the severe 
frost on the 21st of May blackened all the fruit on the projecting 
spurs, although they were as large as horse beans. Those on the 
young growths that were laid in close to the wall escaped, and we 
were eventually rewarded with upwards of 100 dozen of superior 
fruit. 
Every gardener should keep a stock or two of bees, if only for 
the fertilisation of fruit, I do not say in that case he would 
always command good crops, as it is well known to all observers 
that trees when exposed without some protection will always suffer 
from late spring frosts. But is not the frost sometimes blamed 
