JIarch 1, 1888. ] 
181 
JOURXAL OF HORTICULTURE AXD COTTAGE GARDEXER. 
Nectarines, as well as Plums, push active feeders or adventitious roots 
in advance of the growth, hence the recuperative power of lifted trees, 
and to which much of the advantages of lifting is due. Maintain a 
temperature of 50° hj day and 40° to 45° at night, advancing to 05° 
with sun and full ventilation. 
Late llmtsex. —The weather we have lately experienced has usefully 
retarded the flowering. If the lights are off there need not he any hurry 
in replacing them before the middle of March, as that will be early 
enough to have the trees in full flower by the middle of April, and then 
they have the benefit of the sun heat. Many lat-e houses are unheated, 
which is a great mistake, as the flowers even in April are not safe from 
severe spring frosts, and the fruit does not ripen if the late summer be 
cold and sunless. A gentle heat during the flowering period does much 
towards a good set, and in autumn artificial heat ripens the fruit and 
wood, plumping the buds wonderfully. Houses with fixed lights should 
be ventilated freely, anil take care to' keep the borders in a moist state. 
Z'nhcated Houses or Wall Cases .—Where these are employed the 
chief consideration is to retard the flowering. Ours have the roof lights 
still off, and will so remain till the middle of JIarch, the bloom buds 
not taking any harm until they are somewhat advanced and are begin¬ 
ning to show colour, after which it is not safe. Anything requirecl in 
the way of pruning, securing to the trellis, &c., should be completed. 
Those that have not had the roof lights removed may need supplies of 
water, so as to bring the soil into a thoroughly moist state, and may 
have the surface mulched 2 or 3 inches thick with rather short some¬ 
what fresh manure. Ventilate freely to retard the flowering to as late a 
period as possible. 
Where wall cases are employed for Apricots, let the lights remain off 
until the flower buds begin to show white, and, after they are placed 
on, ventilate freely, as nothing is so fatal to Apricot blossom as a close, 
moist atmosphere. Plum cases may have the lights placal on by the 
middle of March, similar remarks applying to Cherries, also Pears. 
Cherry House.— Unremitting attention must be given to the ven¬ 
tilation. A free eirculation of air passes through the house whenever 
the temperature exceeds 50°, the amount of air to be regulated by the 
conditions of the external atmosphere. Employ fire heat only to prevent 
the temperature falling below 50° in the day, and to maintain a night 
temperature of 40° to 45°. Attend to fertilising the flowers. Watch 
closely for the appearance of aphides, but it will not answer to fumi¬ 
gate whilst the trees are in blossom, nor will it be necessary provided 
they were perfectly clean previous to the flowers expanding. It may, 
however, be had recourse to as soon as the fruit is set. Grubs infest the 
Cherry under glass ; one kind of grub rolls itself up in the leaves, and 
can be eradicated by squeezing, but the other is the greater pest, and 
will be found encased on the under side of the leaves, giving them the 
appearance of being scalded. From the leaves it makes its way to the 
Cherries, perforating and destroying them. The only means of riddance 
is to examine the trees occasionally and destroy the grubs. 
Cucumbers.— With increased light and solar heat evaporation is 
correspondingly increased, necessitating a greater supply of atmospheric 
moisture. The evaporation troughs must be kept filled with liquid 
manure, damping the house so as to maintain a genial atmosphere, and 
syringing the plants lightly during bright afternoons. A night tempera¬ 
ture of (!5‘’ is sufficient, allowing 5° advance when the external air is 
mild, 60° being the minimum in the morning when the weather is severe. 
Liquid manure may be applied once or twice a week. Do not allow the 
fruits to hang too long, or they may weaken the plants ; besides, they 
keep fresh for several days with their stalks inserted in saucers of 
water. Thin the fruits well, especially on plants just coming into 
bearing, stopping the shoots one joint beyond the fruit, removing super¬ 
fluous growths and bad leaves as they appear, as well as staminate 
blossoms. 
The weather continues unfavourable for early forcing in pits and 
frames heated with fermenting materials, the temperature being difficult 
to maintain to a point calculated to maintain steadj^ progressive growth, 
a close atmosphere resulting in a superabundance of moisture, not 
unfrequently causing the loss of the plants. When the moisture cannot 
be expelled by admittimr air much may be done by sprinkling lime or 
soot round the plants, those substances having a strong affinity for 
moisture. Continue to prepare material for making fresh beds for 
linings, and sow seed as successional plants are required. 
Melons.— We have little to add to our remarks in the last calendar 
except that the weather being so unfavourable the plants shifted into 
5-inch pots may not yet be planted out, and if so they should be planted 
before they become root-bound. Pot later sown plants when they show 
the second leaves, employing warm moist soil. The plants from the seed 
sown early in February will soon be ready for planting out. Make up 
the bed for them, and make also a successional sowing. Those who are 
growing Melons in dung-heated frames should make a successional 
sowing every fortnight or three weeks until 5Iay, making fresh beds at 
similar intervals to receive the plants, so as to maintain an uninterrupted 
supply of fruit. Maintain a night temperature of 65° to 70°, .5° less if 
the weather be colil. 70° to 75° by day, admitting a little air at 75°, 
allowing the temperature to rise to 85° with increased ventilation, 
closing at 80° or 8.5°, sprinkling at the time every available surface ; and 
if the temperature rise to 85° or 0O° so much the better. Keep the 
bottom heat at from 75° to 80°. 
Figs. —Earliest Eoreed 'frees in Pots. —Plunged in bottom heat, 
water will be required abundantly, applying it at the same temperature 
as the bed, or 70° to 75°, and alternating with liquid manure. Maintain 
the temperature at 60° to 65° at night, admitting a little air at 70°, but 
not so as to lower the temperature, closing at 75°, and if the temperature 
rise to 80° all the better. Thin the fruit as soon as the best placed and 
most promising can be decided upon for the crop. The thinning should 
be done some time before the last swelling commences. 
Early-farced Planted-out Trees. —Those started at the new year are 
making good growth, and should have the points of the shoots which 
issue from round the base of the terminals pinched at the fifth or sixth 
leaf. Attend to tying the young shoots to the trellis as they advance, 
thinning where they are too crowded. Keep the night temperature at 
55° to ()0°. When it reaches (>.5° by artificial means in the day admit a 
little air, increasing the ventilation with the temperature, and reducing 
it in like manner, closing at 70°, syringing twice a day, and maintaining 
a genial atmosphere. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Zonal Pelaryoniums. —To succeed those rooted in autumn for spring 
flowering cuttings should be inserted at once. Select these from plants 
that ceased flowering about Christmas and have since been stored in 
cool houses. Cuttings of this description root with greater certainty 
early in the season than those from plants that have been grown in heat. 
The cuttings will root freely if inserted singly in small pots and placed 
on a shelf in a temperature of 60°. Keep the soil about the cuttings in 
an intermediate state for moisture ; if they become too wet at this season 
of the year they are liable to damp off. Old plants that have been kept 
dry for some weeks may be pruned and placed in a temperature of 50“ 
until they commence growth. If the atmosphere is moderately moist a 
light syringing on fine days will be needed until they show signs of 
growth, when the soil about the roots may have water. Prepare other 
plants for cutting back by keeping them dry to harden them. All 
young stock in active growth will require more water at their roots 
than they have had up to the present time. The earliest will be show¬ 
ing their flower trusses, and will come forward rapidly from this date. 
Pinch the .shoots of later plants of both single and double varieties that 
are not required to flower before May. The latter required to supply 
trusses for cutting throughout the London season may be placed into 
7-inch pots after they have broken again into growth. I’ot firmly in 
good loam and one-seventh of manure with a little sand added to insure 
firm, sturdy growth. 
French and Fancy Pelaryoniums. —For decoration it is a mistake to 
place these in too large pots, for by so doing growth is encouraged at 
the expense of flowers. All in small pots that are ready should be trans¬ 
ferred into 5-inch pots, a very suitable size to flower them in. Use the 
soil advised for Zonals, and press it firmly into the pots. Arrange the 
plants close to the glass, water carefully, and admit air on favourable 
occasions to insure a firm, sturdy growth. When the pots are full of 
roots feed liberally with artificial manure applied to the surface of the 
soil. The flower stems of the earliest plants will be advancing rapidly, 
and they should not be hurried too much in this stage. Tie out the, 
shoots with neat stakes so as to expose the inner foliage to the light 
Cuttings should also be rooted for late flowering. These can be taken' 
from old stock plants reserved for the purpose, which can then be 
thrown out, or any shoots from the earliest that do not show signs of 
flowering. The cuttings will strike under the same conditions as- 
Zonals. 
lleliotroyH’s. —To succeed the earliest now showing flower place 
others into 5-inch pots and grow them in a temperature of 55° to 60°. 
Under these conditions the plants will grow rapidly and soon flower, 
provided they have been well cared for and are in good condition. Half 
the stock may have the shoots pinched once or even twice according to- 
the time they are required to flower. Insert cuttings where these 
flowers are appreciated until they come into flower outside. 
Petunias .—The latest of the young plants that were wintered in 
2 and 3-inch pots may he transferred into the 5-inch size. Place them, 
close to the glass and encourage growth, insert cuttings for succession, 
and sow seed of any selected varieties. The seed should be sown on the 
surface of fine soil in pots or pan.?, gently watered and covered with a 
square of glass, until the seed germinates, which it will quickly do in a- 
temperature of 60°. 
Carnations .—The old Crimson Clove, Gloire de Nancy, Souvenir de 
la Malmaison, and others that are appreciated for cutting and decoratioii 
indoors should be potted at once from the 3-inch pots in which they are- 
now in into 6-inch pots. Grow them close to the glass in any cool light 
structure where frost can be excluded. Avoid placing them in a close 
or confined atmosphere, which would soon draw them up we.akly ami 
ruin them. 
PRACTICAL BEE-KEEPING.—No. 30. 
The practice of extracting honey from cells in juxtaposition to- 
those which contain eggs and larvm in different conditions in various 
stages of progress cannot be too strongly condemned. It is urged 
by some that if the revolutions of the extractor are reduced to a 
certain number, and that that pace is not exceeded, no harm will be 
done to the brood, and that the honey will not be contaminated by 
