238 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ Sep oaaber 15, 1887 
weak and there is no hurry for the fruit remove all staminate and pistil¬ 
late flowers on the laterals, stopping at the second or third joint, wait¬ 
ing for fruit on the second or sub-laterals, which is an advisable plan 
where time is not a consideration, and a full crop and larger fruit are 
desired. We generally contrive to have both systems in the same house, 
which gives a longer succession of fruit—viz., plants allowed to fruit on 
the first laterals ; those give from two to four fruits per plant, and those 
that fruit on the second or sub-laterals four to six fruits each, the latter 
being a fortnight to three weeks later. As we have to maintain a suc¬ 
cession daily from May to November inclusive the plan is an excellent 
one. A rather dry condition of the atmosphere, with a little ventilation 
so as to insure a circulation of air, is advisable, with a bottom heat of 
80° to 85°, and impregnating the blossoms after they become fully ex¬ 
panded is advantageous to a good set. Do not earth up the roots until 
after the fruits are set anil swelling. Fire heat will be necessary 
to maintain a temperature of 70° to 75° by day artificially, rising to 80° 
or 85° from sun heat, losing no opportunity of closing early, so as to run 
up to 90° or 95°. Be sparing of the syringe, only use it for damping in 
the morning, and afternoon syringing the foliage only on bright days 
and in the early part of the afternoon. Water at the roots only when 
necessary, using liquid manure to assist in swelling off the crop, giving 
a thorough soaking where needed. Sprinkling with liquid manure ail 
available surfaces in the afternoon we find highly beneficial to the 
foliage, but a better plan is to sprinkle the surface of the border with a 
few fresh horse droppings about twice a week, and a little soot—just a 
dusting—is sufficient. We go a little further—-viz., give each plant a 
handful of dissolved bone—superphosphate of lime, but we use no manure 
in the soil, except some lime rubbish and charcoal refuse, if they can be 
termed manures. 
Considerable attention is necessary with plants swelling their fruits 
in guarding against canker and preventing the fruits cracking. Fresh 
slacked lime applied on the first appearance of canker will subdue it, 
repeating as necessary. A lessened supply of water both at the roots 
and in the atmosphere, particularly the latter, is the proper remedy for 
eracked fruits, or cutting the shoot half way through a few joints below 
the fruit in the case of very vigorous plants. Fruit ripening should have 
a little air constantly with a temperature of 70° to 75°, and as much 
more as can be had from sun heat under 100°, with a corresponding 
increase of ventilation. Cut the fruit as soon as there is the least indi¬ 
cation of the footstalk parting from it, even earlier than that if the 
fruit is expected to keep, and piace it in a light and moderately airy 
fruit room. They will have more flavour and be more mellow than fruit 
allowed to bake on shelves in the sun. 
Wet the foliage of plants in pits and frames as little as possible, and 
water only at the roots to prevent flagging Kenew or renovate the 
linings to finish off the crop directly the heat is found to be on the wane, 
and employ a covering on cold nights. In dull damp weather, and 
especially at night, leave a little ventilation ; a little tilting of the lights 
at the back will allow the pent up moisture to escape, and it will be 
an aid to the quality of the fruit, and may prevent its cracking. Keep 
the foliage thin, and the fruit well raised to the light. 
Cucumbers. —Keep young plants well up to the glass to insure a 
sturdy growth, and pinch out the growing point at the second leaf if the 
plants are to be trained with more than one stem. It is important 
whether the plants arc to have one or more stems that the laterals up to 
the trellis be rubbed off as soon as discernible, leaving the leaves, when 
they may be allowed to make side shoots for bearing. Continue the 
preparation of fermenting materials where such is employed for bottom 
heat. Manure will require to be turned about every three or four davs, 
while tan will only require to be turned once, and that as soon as it is fairly 
warmed through. In forming the beds whatever material is employed 
tread it well down. Use the syringe sparingly, giving a light S) ringing 
only in the early part of the afternoon on bright days, but moderate 
moisture must be secured by sprinkling in the morning every available 
surface, and damping before nightfall. The temperature should be 
maintained at 70° to 75° by artificial means, falling 5° through the 
night, and allowing an advance to 80°, 85°, or 90° from sun heat, closing 
at 80°. In pits and frames the temperature must' be maintained by 
renovating the linings as necessary, and employ night coverings to 
prevent too great a diminution of temperature during the night. Water 
very carefully, and sprinkle the foliage only on bright days. Keep the 
foliage thin, removing bad leaves and exhausted growths, and husband 
the sun heat as much as possible by early closing. 
Peaches and Nectarines. —Lifting Trees in Succession Houses .— 
When the growth is too free, the crops not being satisfactory, the trees 
should be root-pruned or lifted as soon as the foliage shows indications 
-of falling; if judiciously performed this will check fheir vigour 
and induce short-jointed fruitful wood. Any lifting or root-pruning 
should be performed before the leaves fall, affording a good watering 
afterwards, mulching with a few inches thickness of short manure, and 
syringing the trees each evening for a few days. The trees will soon 
produce young active feeders. 
Late Houses .—Trees of those very fine varieties—Barrington, Princess 
of Wales, Gladstone, Sea Ea.le, Lady Palmerston, Walburton Admirable, 
the Nectarine Peach, and Comet, will now be ripening the fruit in 
houses that have beeD freely ventilated, kept as cool as possible through 
the hot weather by those means, well watered at the roots through a 
good surface mulching, and the foliage kept clean and healthy by 
forcible syringings. The trees should now have the benefit of a free 
circulation of air, utilising sun heat by keeping the ventilators closer 
than usual, as with ventilation in the early part of the day the 
temperature may be allowed to run up to 80° or 85°, which will do more 
to ripen the fruit and wood than sharp firing in dull weather. A some¬ 
what drier condition at the roots is desirable when the fruit is ripening, 
but they must not be allowed to suffer from want of it so as to affect 
the foliage, and though the trees are not to be syringed an occasional 
damping will greatly tend to improve the health of the foliage. In dull, 
wet weather a gentle warmth in the pipes will be serviceable in securing 
a genial warmth and allowing of a circulation of air. 
Unh ated Houses .—Induce ripening by a somewhat dry atmosphere 
Make the most of sun heat by allowing a considerable advance under its 
influence, closing early, but putting on a little top ventilation before 
night. Keep the wood thin, cutting away any gross growth, and 
shorten any sappy shoots to 12 or 15 inches, and keep all laterals closely 
pinched to one joint. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Hyacinths .—A number of these should be potted at once singly in 
5-inch pots, while three bulbs may be placed in each 7-inch pot. Se¬ 
lected bulbs or first size roots should be used for the former, or if 
moderately cheap varieties only are purchased, place the best of them 
in single pots, and the remainder two or more together. For many 
purposes the last method is as good as the first, and saves considerable 
labour both in potting, watering, the number of pots, and quantity of 
soil. For nearly all decorative purposes we have relied upon bulbs that 
can be obtained from 18s. to 25s. a hundred. For exhibition purposes 
these cheap varieties will not do, but for all ordinary purposes they are 
equally as good as those that cost three and four times the amount or 
more. We find that we can produce a much better effect, and have 
considerably more material for various purposes, than when dearer bulbs 
were purchased annually. Some should be potted at intervals of a 
month until the end of October. Good varieties that can be purchased 
cheaply are—Blues : Grand Lilas, Charles Dickens, Marie, and Baron 
Van Tuyll. Reds : Amy, Madame Hodson, Robert Steiger. Blush and 
pinks : Gertrude, Lord Wellington, Norma, Grandeur a Merveille, and 
Gigantea. Whites : Madame Van der Hoop, Alba Maxima, Alba Super- 
bissima, Grand Vedette, and Baroness Van Tuyll. For early flowering 
none are so early or surpass Homerus (red), and La Tour d’Auvergne 
(double white), the earliest of all Hyacinths. 
Tulips .—Early Due Van Thols and White Pottebakker should be 
potted in quantity or placed thickly together in pans or boxes according 
to the demand. By this method good pans or pots can be made up 
suitable for any purpose by lifting out the plants as they come into 
flower. Early in the season Tulips flower irregularly, but by this 
method even profusely flowered pots or pans can be had. Chrysolora 
and Canary Bird may be treated in the same way, as both are excellent 
yellows for early flowering ; the first is perhaps the better of the two. 
To succeed these Vermilion Brillant, Keizers Kroon, Proserpine, or any 
other variety may be potted, reserving double kinds for the latest batch 
to be potted the end of October or early the following month. It is 
usual to place three bulbs in a pot, but a much better effect is produced 
by placing five or six in a 5 or 6-inch pot according to the size of the 
bulbs individually. The bulbs of some varieties are considerably larger 
than those of others. Whichever size is used, if the bulbs can be placed 
in the pots they will contain sufficient soil to support them. All the 
later bulbs for flowering after the middle of February are better 
established in pots than grown in boxes and afterwards lifted out. 
Narcissus .—Both the border and Polyanthus varieties should be 
potted in quantity. These should be placed in 6 and 7-inch pots, 
placing as many bulbs in each as they will accommodate. Not more 
than four of some kinds can be placed in each pot, while half a dozen 
of others may readily be placed in them, the size of the bulbs vary 
considerably. The border varieties may be potted until the end of 
October provided they are out of the ground and reserved for the pur¬ 
pose. If they have to be lifted this operation must not be delayed, for 
they commence rooting afresh almost directly the foliage dies away. 
All that have commenced root action must be potted at once, for to dry 
them afterwards will prove serious. Polyanthus varieties may be potted 
for succession until the end of December. Those for the last batch 
must be kept dry but cool, and left under ashes all winter; in fact they 
need never have house or frame protection. These late plants will be 
invaluable for yielding cut flowers towards the end of May or early 
in June, providing they are given a northern aspect after they are re¬ 
moved from the plunging material. 
Liliums. —L. candidum and L. Harrisi can now be obtained, and 
should be potted without further delay. The former should be placed 
into 6-inch pots, and the latter into 5-inch. Both may be placed in 
frames until they start, but Harrisi should be plunged and the surface 
of the soil covered with cocoa-nut fibre refuse to save the necessity of 
watering. L. candidum will not be long before it commences to root 
and push up leaves which precede the flower stem. 
PRACTICAL BEE-KEEPING.—No. 18. 
Upon examining a stock from which a swarm has 
issued, capped queen cells depending from the lower 
