May 3, 1834. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
351 
avoid saturating them to soddenness, and to encourage surface roots 
employ blood and bone manure with, if the soil be liable to crack, a 
light mulcbiog of lumpy material, adding from time to time a few 
fresh horse droppings from the stables, but they must be sweetened 
before use and not employed too liberally on inside borders. These 
surface dressings induce the Vines to push roots from the collar, and 
they can be still further advanced by adding lumpy loam and sprinkling 
it with a handful of some approved chemical manure per square yard 
after each watering, washing in moderately. 
Neioly Planted Vines .—When the Vines have taken to the soil, as 
will be indicated by their growing freely, ventilate early in the day, as 
the value of growth is dependent more on its sturdiness and solidi¬ 
fication than on its length and sappiness, and there is no remedy for 
a large pith and ill-matured growth. Encourage laterals rather than 
elongation of the cane, but let that extend and retain all the growth 
that can have exposure to light. That is desirable where the Vines are 
weakly, but if they are vigorous it is a better plan to pinch the laterals 
at the first joint and to one leaf of subsequent growth, stopping the 
cane at 9 to 10 feet, and allow the uppermost to grow a few joints and 
then keep all closely pinched. If the cane break into two growths 
cut away the worst. Supernumeraries intended for next year’s fruiting 
should have the laterals pinched at the first leaf, afterwards allowing 
them to make a few joints of growth if weak, otherwise pinching to one 
leaf, pinching the cane at 8 or 9 feet of growth, taking every possible 
care of the leaves on the cane, not allowing them to be interfered with 
in any way by the laterals. Keep the soil moist, but not very wet, 
closing early with plenty of atmospheric moisture. 
THE KITCHEN GAKDEN. 
Runner Beans. —When the seed of these are not sown before the 
first week in April it usually germinates quickly and strongly, and the 
plants are not often injured by frosts. On some sods and under high 
cultivation the earliest sown rows keep in a healthy productive state till 
cut down by autumn frosts, but where they are liable to fail before the 
end of the season fewer rows should be sown now and a second sowing 
be made early in June. In either case provide a well manured deeply 
dug site, and in very hot and dry positions large trenches should be pre¬ 
pared as for Celery, with this difference, that they should be more nearly 
filled with manure and soil, finishing by banking what is left of the soil 
in the form of a trough with a view to facilitating watering operations 
in the summer. These Beans may be grown in single rows, and sup¬ 
ported with one row of upright stakes laced together near the top, or 
they may be sown in double drills 9 inches or so apart, and have two 
rows of stakes made to meet near their tops. In the former case the 
rows should be G feet asunder, and another 2 feet allowed for the double 
rows. Sow thinly in drills 3 inches deep. If poultry or other enemies 
to the gardener interfere with either the seed or plants when very young 
sow in boxes or pots and plant out when large enough or before running 
growth commences. 
Field Culture of Runner Beans. —The bulk of Beans sent to 
the markets are grown in the open fields and without the aid of stakes. 
The seed is sown thinly in drills 3 feet asunder, the plants are duly 
thinned out to 12 inches or more apart, and never allowed to form any 
running growth. It the latter is kept constantly snipped moderately 
hard back, strong bush-shaped plants develop and the crops are heavy. 
Those who may be induced to try this method of culture in gardens will 
have to be very persistent in this topping the plants, and should mulch 
the ground with strawy litter with a view both to keeping the soil moist 
and the crops clean. 
Cropping- Bet-ween Beans.— Several weeks or even months elapse 
before Runner Beans require or greatly shade the whole of the ground 
usually devoted to them. Supposing the ground is in a free working 
state early Potatoes might be advantageously grown between the Beans, 
two or three lines going between the rows 6 feet and 8 feet asunder 
respectively, and a single row between the dwarf rows. Cabbage and 
early Cauliflowers might also be grown between Runner Beans. 
B-warf or Kidney Beans. —When hand-lights can be drawn away 
from early Cauliflowers, these might well be arranged closely together in 
rows with narrow pathways between on warm borders, and then be 
filled with Kidney Beans raised in pots or boxes in readiness for the 
same. This may mean a gain of a fortnight, the crops thus obtained 
forming a close succession to those grown in pots or pits. If not already 
■done sow early and successional varieties, Ne Plus Ultra and Canadian 
Wonder for instance, on warm borders, and also on ridges between early 
dug Celery trenches. Sow the former type thinly in drills 18 inches 
apart, and the stronger growing Canadian Wonder, Negro Longpod and 
such like in drills 2 feet asunder. The foregoing will all be available to 
gather from well in advance of Runner Beans, as would also the new 
race of running Kidney Beans. Tne latter may be sown in double drills 
and given stakes according, or in single drills, and have one line of 
stakes I feet or more in height placed to them. Under good culture a 
height of 6 feet is attained. 
Vegetable XVIarro-ws. —If it is decided to grow these on the plan 
adopted by market gardeners, the time has arrived for preparing the 
ridges. Give the preference to a sunny open spot, none answering 
better than the west side of Runner Beans running from north to south, 
and the southern side of the rows of Beans happen to be running from 
east to west, as a little shelter from strona: winds is desirable. Open a 
trench 4 feet wide, removing the best of the top soil only. In this 
trench place about 18 inches of well decayed stable manure, and then 
return the soil to the surface of this, quite hiding the manure. A week 
later, or when the soil is slightly warmed through, sow a few seeds in 
patches 3 feet asunder through the centre of the bed. The seeds will 
germinate quickly, and rough protection should be afforded from cold 
winds and late frosts. Reduce the plants to one or at the most two at 
each station before they become crowded. If it is intended to raise the 
plants in pots under glass, the seed may be sown now, and the middle of 
May will be soon enough to prepare the beds. Temporary protection 
of some kind must be afforded Vegetable Marrows when first turned out 
of pots. The bush varieties require nearly as much room as the better 
known running forms, and are not so continuously productive. 
Ridge Cucumbers. —These may be successfully grown, much as 
advised in the case of Vegetable Marrows, but stand in even greater 
need of shelter from strong winds. On no account raise the plants in 
pots long in advance of planting out time, as when starved they rarely 
succeed well. It is warmth at the roots, rather than a mass of manure, 
that these delicate plants require, and that is why they thrive so much 
better on ridges than on large beds of decayed manure. 
Gourds and Pumpkins. —For real utility these are much inferior 
to Vegetable Marrows. Among the former there are many very extra¬ 
ordinary forms which are more or less productive and ornamental, and 
these may be grown similarly to Vegetable Marrows, only given rather 
more room, or they may be planted alongside walks, at the foot of 
sunny walls, and against temporary or permanent framework, with a 
view to forming shady arbours. Open good sized holes for single plants, 
or trenches for lines or circles of them, preparing these exactly as 
recommended for Vegetable Marrows. Either sow the seed where the 
plants are to grow, or raise the plants singly in 3-inch pots, and gentle 
heat, and duly harden, and plant out. 
Ne-wr Zealand Spinach. —The ordinary, or true Spinach, is certain 
to fail during the hottest part of the summer. Making the later sowings 
on a cool border may help to prolong the supply, but the best way out 
of the difficulty is to grow a few plants of New Zealand Spinach, the 
tops in this case ma’xing an excellent substitute for the leaves of the 
true Spinach. A dozen plants put out on a warm border or a sunny 
spot quite in the open, will yield abundance of shoots, or sufficient to 
meet the requirements of most establishments. Sow at once, placing a 
single seed, or at the most three seeds, in each 3-inch pot, and put in gentle 
heat to germinate. Harden off, and late in May or early in June plant 
out 3 feet asunder each way. 
Various. —If Brussels Sprouts, early Broccoli, Cauliflowers, and 
Cabbage have been raised thickly in pans, boxes, or frames they must 
be prepared for the open by being first pricked out on a sheltered border. 
Make the soil as fine as possible to a good depth, and prick out the 
plants 4 inches asunder, sinking them to their seed leaves. Protect from 
cold winds, frost, and slugs. Now is a good time to sow Snow’s Winter, 
mid-season, and late Broccoli, likewise Savoys (early, mid-season, and 
late), Borecoles, Chou de Burghley, and Couve Tronchuda. Sow well in 
the open, thinly in drills 4 inches asunder. Good plants will be ready 
by the time the ground is fit for their reception. It is not yet too late 
to sow Beet, Carrots, Salsafy, and Scorzonera. If any sowings already 
made are irregular hoe them up and sow afresh. Lettuce should now 
be sown at fortnightly intervals in drills where the plants are to remain, 
as they transplant badly during dry hot weather. A pinch of early 
Endive seed may now be sown, and Radishes should be sown frequently 
on good ground. They soon become uneatable during hot weather. 
Give the preference to the ordinary white and red Turnip-rooted 
varieties. Mustard and Cress should be sown every week on fresh 
ground in the open. Shade heavily till the stems are of good length or 
they will be too short. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
For several weeks past the weather has been bleak, windy, and 
cold, very destructive to bees that ventured out. Near apiaries the 
roads are strewn with chilled bees, which has retarded many hives. 
Unfed hives have suffered least, this being another proof against 
“stimulating” or “brood spreading.” 
In their anxiety to work Punics are amongst the sufferers, but 
are such great breeders that they do not seem affected to any great 
extent. Carniolans are so hardy that there .seems no loss amongst 
them. I observe a writer stating Carniolans are vicious, rising in 
numbers at once to the face. This, however, is very different 
from mine. I have several Punics, daughters of imported queens, 
isolated last autumn during their virgin state for the purpose of 
preserving the race pure. None of the young bees show any signs 
of crossing, being uniform in size and small, like the pure race, 
but much lighter in colour, the ebony-like blackness being almost 
absent. I am wondering if being bred in a lower temperature and 
a higher altitude may have been the cause. An answer to this 
from scientists would be valuable. 
