March 1, 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
173 
of 5° to 10° from sun heat. Supply water as required, but avoid making 
the soil very wet at this early stage, for it only induces soft growths. 
Houses Started in February. —Trees started early in the month are 
now in flower. As in many cases there will be more flowers than needed, 
all those on the under side of the shoots may be removed by drawing the 
hand the reverse way of the growths, and where the blossoms are closely 
set they may be still further reduced, especially on the weaker shoots. 
A night temperature of 50° to 55°, and 55° by day artificially, is suitable, 
falling 5° on cold nights ; ventilating from 50°, as a close atmosphere is 
fatal to the blossoms ; freely at 55°, and allow an advance to 65° from 
sun heat. Fertilise the flowers in the early part of fine days, either by 
shaking the trellis or dusting the blossoms with a camel-hair brush 
charged with pollen. It is the better plan to pay attention to each 
individual flower when its pollen is ripe. Cease syringing when the 
trees are in flower, but the floor and border should be sprinkled morning 
and afternoon. 
Houses to Afford Ripe Fruit in July and August. —These must 
now be closed, syringing occasionally until the buds show colour, when 
it should be discontinued. The borders must be brought into a thoroughly 
moist state by repeated waterings if necessary, supplying liquid manure 
to weak trees. If the lights have been oS during the winter the 
borders will not require watering until the fruit is set and advanced in 
swelling. When the buds are sufiBciently advanced and where there is 
a superabundance of promise for fruit, all those on the under or back of 
the shoots may be removed, which will strengthen those that remain and 
conduce to a good set of fruit. Maintain a temperature of 40° to 45° at 
night, 50° by day with a little air, advancing to 65° with sun and full 
ventilation. 
Late Houses. —The weather lately experienced has usefully retarded 
the flowering, which in houses with fixed roofs is much too forward. If 
the lights are off there need be no hurry in replacing them ; suffice that 
this be done by the time the buds show colour, and by thus retarding 
the trees they will be in flower by the middle of April, when they have 
the beneSt of the sun heat. When the trees come into bloom there 
must not be any attempt at retarding the fructifying process, but a gentle 
warmth at that time does much towards securing a good set of fruit, 
and it is absolutely necessary in cold localities to insure safety from 
spring frosts. Houses with fixed roofs should be ventilated freely, and 
water supplied as necessary to keep the borders in a moist state down to 
the drainage. 
Unheated Houses or Wall Cases. —The chief consideration in these 
is to retard the flowering. Anything required in the way of pruning 
and securing to the trellis should be completed, ventilating freely to 
retard the flowering to as late a period as possible. See that there is no 
deficiency of moisture in the borders, supplying water as required to 
bring them into a thoroughly moist condition. 
Apricots in wall cases are in blossom. They cannot have too much 
air if only the temperature is kept at 45° to 50° by day, and prevented 
falling below 35° at night. A close atmosphere is fatal to Apricot 
blossom, also to those of Cherries and Plums. The cases containing 
these cannot be too freely ventilated, subject to the conditions given for 
Apricots. Pears are similarly exacting during their flowering period. 
Strawberries In Pots. —The earliest plants are ripening their 
fruit, and when it changes colour a drier and more freely ventilated 
atmosphere is desirable, but there must not be any sudden change. The 
temperature for inducing the fruit to swell should be 65° at night and 
70° to 75° by day, advancing to 85° or more from sun heat. Plants in 
vineries and Peach houses which are started periodically will afford 
successional supplies of fruit, there being no need to move the plants 
except to meet special requirements. Introduce plants to the shelves of 
late fruit houses, which suit the late forcing sorts. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Summer Preparations. 
On the 11th of February we had nearly a whole day’s sunshine. 
I do not remember any year having so little sunshine. The stormy 
nature of the weather has spoiled the appearance of all hardy 
flowers, and in a great measure prevented bees adding additional 
charms to the garden ; but we live in hope that the future will be 
auspicious for flowers, bees, and the fruits of the earth. We must 
not forget that “ there is nothing to be gained without labour,” 
and we ought to prepare for the best as well as for the worst, so 
that we may reap the best reward. As the days are now 
lengthening, bee-keepers should see that all is in readiness for the 
increase of stocks and for the honey flow. 
Foundation. 
Fixing foundations in frames and supers ought not to be 
delayed too long, yet from the nature of wood absorbing damp, it 
is not advisable to fix until the atmosphere has assumed a drying 
influence or the sheets may lose hold. For frames there is no better 
plan of fixing than the groove; with it the sheet keeps perfectly 
flat and straight. If proper care be taken to apply the melted wax 
hot on both sides, the foundations will be secure. Large supers 
are prepared in the same fashion. Sections are prepared in various 
ways, according to their form. A large majority of experienced 
bee-keepers prefer the hot plate, asserting it is by far the best plan. 
I am still in possession of what I believe to be the first plate ever 
made, and which I used forty years ago. It will be ceded then I 
am neither a copyist nor follower of other people’s ideas. In the 
Cottage Gardener from 1860 to 1863, will be found advice how to 
fix starters, and combs in split bars, by the aid of the hot plate, the 
substitute advised for the latter being a smoothing iron. 
My apparatus is of a very simple construction. Its base for 
utility is a small box about 1 foot 3 inches long, 8 inches deep 
and 7 inches wide, but for obvious reasons it is turned on its side, 
the lid being in front. Two fillets, 1 inch broad by three-eighths 
thick, is screwed to the upper side, and on one end the plate brass 
ferrules, though which the screws pass, keeps the plate at the 
proper height, and prevents the firing of the wood ; the tongue is 
O O 
FIG. 1. FIG. 2. 
cut to suit the size of section (fig. 1). I prefer the lip turned as 
in fig. 2, it enables the sheet to be heated right on its edge without 
twisting the hand, and lays the melted wax where wanted. A bent 
wire on each side regulates the section. It is about 3 inches long 
and fully one-eighth thick, a hook at one end and U shaped, so that a 
screw passes between the arms and keeps it rigid. The round wire 
is better than flat iron having a slot hole. 
An expert can fix foundation starters rapidly as described. I 
also employ a guide in front of the tongue, which may be of two or 
three pieces. The upper portion has three slots in it to regulate 
it to any width of the section, two near the front, and one at the 
back ; the latter extending a little beyond the wood forms a groove 
on box which prevents oscillation. It is so regulated that there is 
just the thickness of the foundation between it and the tongue. A 
light wooden hook is attached to the left side to keep the section to 
it, the left hand without loss of time hooks and unhooks it by the 
natural movement, and at the same time presses lightly on the 
guide. The right hand places the guide against the bevelled hot 
tongue, and instantly drops it between the two, when by 
slackening the pressure a spiral spring on the side draws it back 
automatically. 
When made in three pieces, the under piece the same thickness 
as the fillets has the end wood towards them, the middle piece one- 
eighth thick, is fastened to it, and the upper piece by the screws in 
the adjustable slots. The operator with a spirit lamp may have it 
on his knee or on a table in front of him. There must be a hole in 
the box above the lamp and under the plate. From 4000 to 5000 
may be fixed by one man in ten hours, perhaps in a more satis¬ 
factory manner, too, than by any other plan. It is reassuring to 
see so many of our old plans adopted by modern bee-keepers as 
being the most serviceable, but it does not appear to be the 
fashion to acknowledge their origin. — A Lanarkshire Bee¬ 
keeper. 
*..;,''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 
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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. 
letter Punclies for lead labels QInguirer'). —We do not know 
o? any special manufacturer of such punches, but you may obtain 
particulars from any ironmonger in a large way of business. The price is 
