July 20, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
85 
fire heat in honses to which it is not usual, to apply it in July. A tem¬ 
perature of 60° to 65° should he maintained at night, and 70° to 75° by 
day, in order to a satisfactory swelling of the crop. Inside borders must 
have a thorough supply of water or liquid manure as necessary, and to 
encourage surface roots a mulching of some short but not very decayed 
manure should be given, and a few fresh horse droppings sprinkled on 
the surface occasionally will afford ammonia vapour, contributing to 
the health of the Vines. Close early, well damping available surfaces 
at the time, but the temperature after closing ought not to exceed 90°. 
Ventilate between 70° and 76°, and keep through the day from sun heat at 
80° to 85°. Leave a little ventilation at the top of the house at night, 
increasing it early so as to dissipate the moisture condensed through the 
night before the sun acts powerfully upon the house. Allow as much 
lateral extension as can have exposure to light, but growth must not 
be allowed to extend at the expense of the main leaves. Avoid large 
reductions of foliage at one time, acting on the little-and-often 
principle, so as to avoid giving a check to the roots. 
Late Houses .—Examine the bunches, removing any stoneless berries, 
those that are likely to interfere with the symmetry of the bunch, as 
well as to rectify any defect in under-thinnins, so as to give room for 
the berries to attain their full size without wedging. The shoulders 
also should be seen to, tying up where necessary, and if there is a larger 
crop than the Vines are likely to perfect, remove at once some of the 
least promising bunches. Thorough supplies of water or liquid manure 
should be afforded, and mulching internal borders, alike to maintain 
uniform moisture at the surface of the border and source of aliment 
both to the roots and atmosphere by the matter evolved through the 
decomposing materials. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Allamandas .—If trained under the roof of structures where a stove 
temperature is maintained Allamandas will grow luxuriantly and flower 
freely. Those started into growth early in the year are certain from 
this time to shade the plants beneath them unless care is taken to 
judiciously thin the shoots at intervals of a week or ten days. When a 
growth flowers a number of shoots start away, and these only crowd the 
roof unless some are removed. Plants grown in as natural a manner as 
possible may from this time be used for furnishing the conservatory or 
other structures kept gay with flowering plants. Formally trained 
specimens rarely look well associated with naturally grown plants, unless 
special positions can be accorded them. The best method of training for 
this purpose is to secure the main branches to four or five stakes placed 
round the side of the pots, and the young growths and flowers not tied- 
in too stiffly. Carefully prepare the plants previous to removal, and do 
not admit cold draughts to them ; they should also be carefully watered. 
Steplianotis floribvnda .—Whether trained upon trellises or under the 
roof Stephanotis is very liable to become overcrowded with growths. 
When this is allowed to take place it is almost impossible to keep them 
free from mealy bug. Those that have flowered, and which are trained 
to trellises, may have the weak-growing ends of the shoots removed, and 
if practicable the shoots taken from the trellis and trained under the 
roof of some structure where they can be fully exposed to the sun, and 
where liberal ventilation can be afforded. Those trained under the roof 
may be freely thinned to give more room to young shoots that are only 
now being produced. These late growths, if exposed to plenty of light 
and air, will flower freely, and thus prolong the supply. If mealy bug 
has appeared syringe liberally with petroleum and water—1 oz. to a 
gallon of the latter. Shade the plant from the sun for a few days 
aftern ards until the oil has evaporated. 
Bougainvilleas .—Remove all the weak twiggy shoots from plants 
that have flowered. It is useless to allow these to crowd the plant until, 
the end of the season. By their removal the plant can devote all its 
energies to the full development and maturation of the strong shoots 
that will be needed another year. These plants are very useful for 
furnishing the conservatory during the time they are in flower; the 
cool airy temperature will suit it admirably. The flowers and foliage 
will both be of a much darker shade of colour than when grown in heat. 
Clerodendron Balfourianum .—Clerodendrons that have made luxu¬ 
riant growth since flowering require lighter, cooler, and more airy 
quarters, as in a close moist atmosphere they will continue growing, 
instead of having their wood well ripened by autumn. Plants in this 
condition and all in active growth should be liberally supplied with 
water, and those that have been in their pots for some years may lhave 
weak stimulants. Those intended to flower again should have little 
more than greenhouse treatment. Keep them on the dry side at their 
roots—in fact, if they have completed and fairly well matured their 
growth water may be withheld until the plants flag. This will quickly 
have the desired effect of bringing them to rest. 
Caladiums .—If not grown in too much heat and now in healthy con¬ 
dition Caladiums may be gradually hardened and removed to the con¬ 
servatory. They will last for some time in this structure provided too 
much air is not admitted directly upon them. These plants add con¬ 
siderably to the attractions of such structures at this season of the year 
Braccena Cooperi .—This and other varieties that were raised from 
the root portion of the stem for various decorative purposes may now be 
placed in '5 and 6-mch pots, which are the most suitable sizes for them. 
After they are potted place Selaginella on the surface with a few pieces 
of Panicum variegatum intermixed. This adds to the appearance of 
the plants materially, and will last fresh considerably longer , than if 
the surface is covered just when the plants are to be used. Grow these 
plants in a moist atmosphere, but where they can be shaded from the 
sun. 
S' 
mm 
BEE-KEEPER 
WORK FOR THE MONTH. 
The present year has been a season of grievous disappointment 
“ Hope deferred maketh the heart sick,” yet bee-keepers have 
continued to hope against hope until at last the month of July 
drawing to its close warns them that the year is speeding away and 
there is no further possibility of a surplus being obtained unless 
the stocks are in or can be brought into the proximity of Heather. 
Few bee-keepers will be suicidal enough, we hope, to neglect their 
stocks at this critical juncture. Every stock should be at once 
carefully examined, and there should be no delay in carrying out 
all necessary manipulations. 
Every stock in the apiary will require some assistance, and not 
a few will require some 20 lbs. of syrup in order that they may be 
in a fit state to brave the winter. Breeding must be encouraged 
and consequently feeding must be resorted to ; in fact in well- 
managed apiaries strong stocks have had food given them for some 
weeks past, and such stocks are consequently now crowded with 
young bees, and will be ih a condition most favourable for winter¬ 
ing some two months heiice. Queens will require to be examined, 
and those which seem to be under the mark must be destroyed and 
their place filled up with mothers of a younger age. This manipu¬ 
lation may, however, be delayed with some advantage until the 
young bees necessary for safe wintering have been reared, because 
by such delay we get the greatest part of this year’s work done by 
the old queen, and then by introducing the young queen in Sep¬ 
tember, no heavy call is made upon her until the following spring ; 
we conserve, as it were, the energies of the queen upon which so 
much depends in the future at the expense of the queen whose 
work is almost done. 
Food should not be administered too freely at the present time, 
but when stocks are absolutely in want a copious supply must be 
administered. There must be no spilling or messing about of the 
syrup, otherwise the apiary will soon be in an uproar, and great 
inconvenience will be the consequence. All feeding must be 
carried on at night, every feeder carefully covered, and all 
cases which contain syrup should be carefully stowed away in 
a place to which the bees cannot gain access. Supers and 
other extra room must be removed, and the apiary may now at once 
be got into winter quarters, save that no stocks should, in our 
opinion, be united at present, provided each stock has at its head 
a laying queen, because accidents may happen in the next few 
weeks which will make us glad of an extra queen, and also because 
in each stock young bees are being continually hatched out; and 
therefore, as in the next few weeks many old bees die of old age 
or are lost at their work, we have when the uniting is done a 
greater proportion of young bees than if the manipulations had 
been carried out at an earlier date. 
All swarms must be returned to the stocks from which they 
issue, or they may be used in strengthening other swarms which 
have not made satisfactory progress; but the season is now so far 
advanced that few swarms will now be thrown off, many stocks 
being considerably weaker in numbers now than they were some 
three months since. Bee-keepers must not delay. Time is the 
essence of success. Each day is important, and the work of a 
single day may leave its mark on next year’s success. Where brood 
is ejected no other sign is needed. The flag of distress is hoisted, 
and unless succour is given disaster is imminent to such a stock. A 
few shillings spent in the purchase of sugar now will be repaid ten¬ 
fold in the future, and we must not forget that a cycle of good 
years have blessed us with plenteous harvests, and that therefore 
we should be the better able to withstand a season of adversity and 
disappointment.— Felix. 
