December 13, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
549 
when the trees are excited into growth fresh roots will speedily he 
formed, and to encourage them moisture is absolutely essential. 
Strawberries in Pots. —The weather has been mild, but it is not 
desirable to push the plants forward, as they are not very well developed 
in the crown through the prolonged cold summer, therefore proceed 
cautiously, and there is not greater need for it than in Strawberry 
forcing, in frosty dull weather, allowing the temperature inside to fall 
corresponding to that of the outside, seeking only progress when there 
is sunshine, or at least gleams of it, when heat may be turned on early 
in the day so as to rise and maintain a temperature of 50° to 55° 
through the day, and the walls and paths may be damped, but only 
when there is a prospect of sun, so that the moisture bv its action 
and that of a little air will have dried up before night, and the tempe¬ 
rature should fall to its minimum of 40° to 45°. Continue this under 
adverse circumstances until the new year, after which it is surprising 
how the plants progress with comparatively little aid. The system of 
starting Strawberries on beds of leaves and dung in a fermenting state 
is a bad practice, as it starts the roots into activity for no purpose, 
Nature itself being the best prompter in this respect, and unless the 
plants have already a sufficient number of roots they are unfit for forcing. 
It is a good plan to start an equal quantity of two sorts, so that one 
variety will come in after the other in successional order. Be careful to 
allow the plants sufficient water, examining the soil daily. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Allamandas .—Plants that have rested for six weeks or two months 
may be started into growth. Potting can be done while the plants are 
in a dormant state or after they have commenced growing. The first 
is perhaps the most suitable time, for it is almost impossible to repot 
the plants after they have started growing without injury to some of 
the young tender shoots. If the plants are grown in pots turn them 
out and reduce the old ball by half. They should then be soaked in 
tepid water and allowed to drain thoroughly before repotting. Well 
drain the pots and press the soil in firmly. If the pots can be plunged 
no water will be needed before the plants have started into growth, but 
light syringings with tepid water twice daily will be beneficial. Use 
for a compost good fibry loam, a little sand, and one-seventh of decayed 
manure. Allamandas planted out or grown in restricted borders should 
have a good portion of the surface soil removed and rich material 
supplied. In this case one-third or even one-half of decayed manure 
may be used. 
Clerodendrons — The earliest plants may be started under the same 
conditions as advised for Allamandas. Soak the ball in tepid water, 
which will be all the water needed at the roots until growth has com¬ 
menced, when repotting should be done. In this matter some care is 
needed, for these plants resent their roots being unduly disturbed. Only 
reduce the ball carefully by one-third. Use the compost advised for 
Stephanotis with the addition of one-third of leaf mould. These plants 
will do well for years in the same pot provided a top-dressing of manure 
is given, with liberal supplies of liquid manure during the growing 
season. 
Bougainvilleas .—If all the weak shoots have not been removed cut 
them out at once, and only retain the strongest and best ripened of last 
year’s wood for laying in. Cut back shoots that are not wanted for this 
purpose to one or two eyes at the most. Start the plants into growth 
the same as Clerodendrons, repotting and top-dressing them in the same 
way, but employ the compost advised for Allamandas. 
Bgnjfhyllums .—If these are wanted in flower introduce them into 
heat; a temperature of 55° will do very well. These plants are hand¬ 
some when in flower if, they are elevated above a groundwork of Ferns. 
In no position do they look better than in association with Adiantum 
cuneatum. Be careful not to give too much water, and at the same 
time do not keep them so dry that they shrivel. This is fatal to the 
stock upon which they are worked. 
Callas .—If these are not coming forward rapidly enough place them 
in gentle heat, and they will quickly push up their spathes. All intended 
for late spring flowering should be kept as cool as possible, or they will 
draw up tall and weakly. Be careful to have the plants free of aphides, 
for if they exist on the foliage of the plant they are certain to establish 
themselves on the spathe directly it appears. Aphides are easily 
removed from these plants by fumigating with tobacco, or by sponging 
the leaves with diluted tobacco juice. 
NOTES. 
For some days previous to, and until the 6th inst., the weather 
has been changeable, with excessive rains, but always accompanied 
with a high temperature, a sure precursor of wind. For nearly a 
week in succession the mean temperature has been 50° Fahr., 
the highest being on the 4th, when the night temperature was 
50° and the day 56°, being a mean of 53°. The bees during these 
days were active, and searching the Arabis for pollen, as well as 
gathering all unused pea meal they could. The great storms of 
wind and rain have destroyed the bloom of all flowers more than 
any frost that has been experienced this season. In our locality 
hives with wide entrances and one-piece floor and alighting board, 
where facing the storm, are deluged with water. 
SUPERING. 
“ When shall I put on my supers ? and what is the reason my 
bees will not take to their supers, but swarm or lie out instead ? ” 
These are queries that are asked over and over again. I will 
endeavour to make supering intelligible. 
In this country the honey season is so short and uncertain, that 
we often cannot say long beforehand what must be done. The 
great object of the bee-keeper is to make sure his hives are in 
‘‘ full strength.” I must emphasise these two last words, because 
it is on them alone that success depends, and full strength means 
that the hive must be full size. Hives of ten standard frames only 
have been the cause of much disappointment and needless expense 
to the cottager for whose benefit they were said to be introduced ; 
but why a smaller sized hive for cottagers ? Are not their bees as 
good workers and gatherers of honey as those of the rich man, 
who has had a hive at least a half larger ? and yet we are never out 
of hearing of the cry what certain advisers have done for the 
cottagers of Great Britain. 
Bees will never work in supers satisfactorily that have too small 
a brood nest, such as in the ten-framed hive. Often before the 
time comes for putting on supers the bees of these hives have 
prepared for swarming, and will either swarm or crowd out rather 
than enter the supers. Owing to the limited capacity of the hive 
many eggs are destroyed, and the swarm from it being in proportion 
to the size of the hive, rarely makes headway enough to be able to 
fill supers in our fickle and transitory honey seasons. It generally 
happens that the honey season follows immediately after a term of 
changeable weather with a low temperature. Before, and during 
this time, the bee-keeper should use every precaution that there be 
no waste of eggs or larvae, nor anything likely to give the hive a 
check ; breeding must be kept up without intermission. The well- 
managed and full-sized hive will, during this time, increase greatly 
n bees, so much so, that immediately the weather changes the hive 
becomes intolerably hot. This, supering will at once relieve, the 
bees taking to the supers in the nick of time. They work with a 
will until some other change comes, such as every cell of the hive 
being occupied, then the bees start royal cells, and swarming will 
take place, no matter what room, or how it is provided. The 
swarm from such a hive will generally take to supers if the weather 
is fine after a few days, provided it has been put into two body 
boxes instead of three, or much better where two swarms have 
been joined. 
A very old custom to compel bees to take to supers, consisted in 
adding a “ winter raise ”— i.e., a shallow box, which was used under¬ 
neath the hive during winter. This box was also used when the 
bees were ahead of the season by putting it right beneath the hive, 
where the bees would descend and build snow-white comb. After 
a few days and before brood was in it, it was taken out and supers 
put on, when the bee3 immediately took to them, and the new- 
built combs were used as guides for supers. How these combs 
were fixed I recorded in the pages of this Journal nearly thirty ago. 
The top bar was split and the side walls of the comb were pared 
away until the midrib only was left for about a quarter of an incli 
down, and then placed between the split bar. These were, perhaps, 
the first split bars used. Another plan was to smear the under side 
of the bar with wax, which was slightly heated and the comb 
straightened by being run along a heated smoothing iron, then 
applied to the waxed bar, when it adhered sufficiently till the bees 
made all firm. These were called “toaks” in Stewarton, where 
they were probably first used. Comb foundation has supple¬ 
mented these, but has not improved the quality of the super 
when nothing but the delicate pure natural comb was used. 
