194 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 1, 1887 
Melons. —The latest plants are fast covering the trellis and show¬ 
ing blossoms. If the crop is wanted quickly those early blossoms should 
T>e impregnated. A portion of the plants may have the first fruits re¬ 
moved, and they will afford a later and fuller crop from the second 
laterals. Earth up the plants after the fruit is set, not before, and after 
this be sparing of the syringe, employing it only during bright after¬ 
noons, and then early, taking care not to overwater at the roots, yet 
maintaining a genial moisture in the atmosphere by sprinkling ; pro¬ 
mote also healthy root action by proper moisture in the soil. 
Plants in frames will require no water beyond occasional damping, 
and should only have moisture in the soil to keep the foliage fresh. Let 
the fruit be elevated above it on inverted flower pots, applying good 
linings to maintain the requisite heat, a warm, dry, and well ventilated 
atmosphere being essential to the well ripening of the crop. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Gardenias .—Where house room is of great importance early in the 
•season it is a good practice to grow the majority of these plants from 
cuttings annually for yielding flowers during the winter and spring. 
By this system the old plants, except a few for early autumn flowering, 
can be thrown out. Another advantage in having young plants is, that 
they grow under good treatment with greater vigour than old plants, 
and are therefore less liable to the attacks of insects. This is a good 
time to insert cuttings for next year’s supply of plants. Select for this 
purpose the young wood of strong growing shoots. The cuttings should 
be inserted singly in 3-inch pots, in which the plants can remain during 
the winter. They will strike freely under handlights in a warm case if 
well watered after insertion and shaded from the sun. After the plants 
are well established grow them fully exposed to the light, and pinch the 
■shoots as they lextend from time to time. If potted early in the 
year, they will in the space of twelve months be fully 2 feet in 
diameter. 
Ixoras .—If not already done, a large stock of these should now be 
rooted in 2-inch pots ready for transferring early in the year into others 
2 and 3 inches larger. For the embellishment of the stove or dwelling 
house few flowering plants equal these for beauty. Sturdy cuttings of 
young wood should be selected. The softer the wood, the quicker they 
will be found to strike. They will root readily under the same con¬ 
ditions as Gardenias. As soon as they are rooted and show signs of 
growing, it should be determined whether the plants are to carry one or 
more trusses of bloom. If the latter, pinch them hard to induce them 
to push two or more shoots from near the base. It is a good plan to 
pinch a portion and allow the remainder to extend until they produce 
their truss. By this method a long succession of flowering plants is 
produced. If, however, a number of varieties are grown, they will not, 
without particular care, all flower at the same time. 
Clerodendron frag rang .—A good number of these should also be 
Tooted in 2 and 3-inch pots, and grown on a shelf close to the glass. If 
the roots are restricted in small pots every plant will produce its large 
■compact truss of double white fragrant flowers during the winter, but if 
given liberal root room they continue to grow instead of flower. Place 
the whole of the cuttings in the pots in which they are intended to 
flower, and if the sizes named are used-the plants will flower by the time 
■they are 5 to 7 inches high. When the small pots become full of roots 
the 'growth will be slow, the wood firm, and flowers are certain to 
■be produced on plants in this condition. 
Begonias .—Such kinds as Ingrami, the varieties of nitida, Knows- 
.leyana, and others intended to flower from November onwards, should be 
placed at once into 5-inch pots, or larger, as the case may be. Large 
pots for these plants are a great mistake, and the size named will be 
•found large enough for all ordinary decorative purposes ; in fact they 
flower better when confined at their roots than when grown in large 
pots. The plants provided for flowering at that period are invaluable, 
but a large stock of plants of nitida alba and rosea, Ingrami, semper- 
florens rosea, s. rubra, s. alba, and the free flowering Carrieri for flower¬ 
ing from the end of January or the early part of February are equally 
important in maintaining a continuous supply. These should be rooted 
at once and transferred afterwards into 2 and 3-inch pots, which will 
give them ample root room until the end of December or early part of 
the following month. These plants will then continue the supply until 
■others are prepared to succeed them. 
Poinsettias and Euphorbias .—These and other plants in cold frames 
•of a like nature must be very carefully ventilated and attended to. If the 
frames are left open during one cold night the plants will be ruined. 
The temperature has already fallen very low, and to insure safety the 
frames should be closed early in the afternoon while the sun is upon 
them. If this is done the temperature about the plants will be several 
degrees warmer all night than if the frames are left open some hours 
longer. 
Campanulas .—Place plants now in 6-inch pots of C. pyramidalis, 
and its white form into 10-inch pots, for flowering next season. Few 
plants are more beautiful when well grown for conservatory decoration. 
Seed should also be sown at once in a box, so that the young seedlings 
can be wintered in a frame and potted singly in spring. To grow 
■these plants well a little seed should be sown towards the close of 
August every year. Lift large plants of C. media calycanthema, blue, 
white, and rose, and place them in pots according to their size, so that 
.they will become well established before winter. These arc beautiful 
indoors when brought forward by gentle forcing. Seed should also be 
sown for another season’s plants. These are perfectly hardy and may be 
sown outside. 
PRACTICAL BEE-KEEPING.—No. 17. 
The bee-keepers of to-day have been deprived of one 
of the greatest pleasures attendant upon the keeping of 
bees. The year when it was discovered how to take an 
artificial swarm marks an era in the history of bee¬ 
keeping, an epoch from which the management of the 
apiary was much facilitated but was shorn of one 
of its greatest charms. Those who have watched the 
issue of a swarm will realise the joy of the bee-keeper 
of past years, and estimate the loss suffered by the bee¬ 
keeper of to-day in his pursuit of gain. Even now it is 
necessary to discuss natural swarming in the interests of 
those who still allow their bees to swarm, or who are unable 
to prevent the issue of a swarm occasionally even when they 
desire no increase. Strong stocks in early districts will 
throw off natural swarms unless they are supered during 
the first ten days of May. There are several signs which 
betoken the issue of a swarm, and these are : 
1, The presence of royal cells. 
2, Unusual crowding at the entrance. 
The stock will be filled from side to side with bees 
and brood in all stages of development and honey; the 
sweat trickles out of the hive in the early morning, the 
uproar in the hive is great, and sometimes large “ grape¬ 
like clusters ” of bees hang down outside the hive, work 
is partially suspended on the day of issue, and drones are 
unusually busy and fly fussing about anxious for the 
moment to arrive when the old home shall be deserted 
for a new shelter. Eggs are placed in the royal cells from 
four to five days before the issue of the swarm. If bad 
weather follows the queens may be nearly hatched before 
the bees are able to issue, and occasionally the young 
queens are destroyed and fresh cells constructed ready 
for a more favourable attempt when the weather shall be 
more propitious. 
There are certain outward signs known to experienced 
bee-keepers by wdiich they maj- know in the morning 
with some certainty whether a swarm will issue in the 
course of the day provided that the weather is suitable. 
If at ten o’clock, for instance, few bees are seen to leave 
the hive and fly away to the fields; if many bees are seen 
lying and crawling about the entrance, and the cluster 
grows larger instead of diminishing as the heat of the 
sun becomes more powerful; and if in addition to this 
drones are flying about in unusual numbers, a swarm may 
with confidence be expected; but if as the sun gains power 
the clustered bees disperse and the drones are not 
unusually active, it is most probable that no swarm will 
issue that day. If, then, the following symptoms are 
noticed a swarm may be expected to issue during the 
day: 
1, Clusters at the entrance, increasing as the day 
advances. 
2, Partial suspension of work. 
3, Many drones flying about at ten o’clock and 
afterwards. 
The time of issue is very uncertain. A swarm may 
issue any time during a fine day from six in the morning 
to six at night, but I should think that nine-tenths of the 
