May 3, 1888. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
369 
unless they are wide apart, when two may be left, but there must be 
scrupulous attention to prevent overcrowding ; every leaf must have 
exposure to light and air. Reserve those that show the best bunches, 
rubbing the others otf. Stop two joints beyond the bunch, but rather 
than crowd the foliage stop at one joint beyond the bunch, or even level 
with it. Tie down the shoots carefully and gradually. Old Vines 
sometimes do not bear freely on spurs, being weak. It is best to lay in 
shoots from the base and along the rods at intervals of 2 to 3 feet, which 
■ will increase root-action, the Vines attaining increased vigour, and 
longer pruning will usually afford better crops of Grapes ; indeed, old 
Vines with fresh canes bear excellently. Apply a light dressing of arti¬ 
ficial manure to the border, and point it lightly in. Inside borders may 
be given tepid water or liquid manure, when dry a thorough soaking, 
and a mulching of short rather fresh manure will by keeping the surface 
moist encourage active roots. 
Melons. —Early Plants .—Directly the fruit begins ripening lessen 
the supply of water at the roots, but not so as to distress the plants, 
for if the foliage has been kept elean and the roots in good condition 
a second crop of fruit can be had. Atmospheric moisture should be 
withheld, and a circulation of warm dry air ensured, increasing the 
temperature to 70° or 75° artificially, and 80° to 90° with sun heat. Cut 
the fruits before they are very ripe, keeping them in a fruit room for 
two or three days, or until they are in proper condition to be sent to 
table. Cracked fruits are produced by a close and moist atmosphere 
with too much moisture at the roots, which induces an excess of sap. 
If any fruits show a tendency to crack cut the shoots about halfway 
through with a knife a few inches below the fruit, and diminish 
the supply of water at the roo's and in the atmosphere, leaving 
a little ventilation constantly to prevent moisture condensing on the 
fruit. 
Successional Plants .—Continue to fertilise the blossoms when fully 
expanded, the atmosphere being kept rather drier and warmer, and 
ventilation attended to early, with a little constantly if there is danger 
of moisture condensing on the blossoms. Stop the shoots at the time the 
fertilisation is done one or two joints beyond the fruit. To secure a full 
crop take care to have a number of fruits on individual plants in the 
same stage of growth. Earth up the plants with some rather strong 
loam and rich after the fruits begin to swell, ramming it down firmly, 
placing a little fresh lime around the collar to prevent canker. Plants 
swelling their fruits should be syringed freely in hot weather at about 
3 P.M., damping the floor several times a day, and in the evening sprinkle 
available surfaces with liquid manure or guano water, 1 lb. guano to 
20 gallons of water. Shade only to prevent ti.agging; ventilate freely in 
favourable weather, commencing from 75° to 80°, increasing or decreas¬ 
ing it during the day as may be necessary, maintaining a day tempera¬ 
ture of 80° to 85°, or 90° with sun heat, closing between 80° and 85°, 
and if an advance after closing be made to 90° or 95° it will materially 
assist the fruit in swelling and lessen the necessity for fire heat at 
night, but it must be accompanied by plenty of atmo.spheric moisture. 
If thrips appear fumigate moderately on two or three consecutive even¬ 
ings, taking care to have the foliage dry, and for red spider dress the 
hot-water pipes with flowers of sulphur. 
Train out the growths in pits and frames. Still maintain a good 
bottom heat by linings, and employ thick night coverings as the nights 
are yet cold. Sow seed for planting in pits and frames as they become 
cleared of bedding plants, potting the young plants as required. 
Tomatoes in Houses after Bedding Plants. —Structures of 
this kind may be very profitably utilised for Tomatoes. The plants do 
very well in 10-inch pots, a single plant in each. Drain the pots effici¬ 
ently, place a layer of rough pieces of turf over the crocks, and then 
turn out the plant, using turfy loam with about a fourth of well decom¬ 
posed manure. A considerable space should be left in the pot for fresh 
additions of soil as the plants advance in growth, and feeding with 
liquid manure will secure an abundant crop of fine fruit. Train the 
plants as single" cordons to wires 9 inches from the glass, removing all 
laterals or side shoots, but being eareful to preserve a leader. The 
plants will have fruit from the first show at about every second joint, 
and the lead should not lie stopped until the limit of the trellis is reached, 
then remove all growth as it appears. Shorten the leaves about a third 
of their length. The plants may be 12 to 18 inches apart. Keep the 
house rather close until the plants are established. Ventilate a little 
at 65°, inerease it at 75°, and above that ventilate freely. Close early 
so as to run up to 80° or 85°, which will enable the grower to dispense 
with fire heat after the middle of the month. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Cyrlamnu .—The earliest seedlings now well established in 3-inch 
pots should be transferred at once into 5-inch pots. Be careful not to 
disturb the roots of the plants much, as if good specimens are needed 
by early autumn they must' be grown without a check. Keep the 
ho" se close and moist for ten days or a fortnight after potting, until the 
roots are spreading freely in the new soil, then ventilate daily on 
all favourable occasions. The object mu.st be to maintain a dwarf 
sturdy growth. If kept too warm or too close the foliage will be 
drawn up weakly, and the beauty of the plants will be totally 
destroyed. Nothing is gained by hurrying these plants, but the reverse ; 
to do them well they must be grown on steadily from the first. The 
syringe may be freely used on fine days, and the house closed early in 
the afternoon. Do not attempt to shade the jilants, the sun at the 
present time will do them no harm. Unsatisfactory results may often 
be traced to overshading, for shade, however light, has a tendency to 
render the foliage weak. Arrange the plants as near to the glass as 
possible, but be careful to provide for them a moisture-holding base. 
It is better to have them a little farther from the glass than to arrange 
them on dry open trelliswork. Later plants may be placed in 3-inch 
pots, and those raised from seed sown early in the year in 2-inch pots. 
Grow the plants on under the .same conditions, and do not allow the 
temperature at night by fire heat to exceed 58° or 60°. Use for a com¬ 
post good fibry loam, and one-third leaf mould, w’ith one-seventh of 
manure and sand. 
Cinerarias .—The earliest plants should be placed in 4-inch poti? 
and if they have not been growing under greenhouse treatment gradually 
harden them until they can be placed m cold frames without being 
checked. Place later plants now in pans into 2 or 3-inch pots according 
to their size, and bring them into cool quarters as quickly as possible. 
Prick out seedlings, and sow a pan or more of seed and let them come 
forw’ard from the first in cold frames. 
Primulas .—The earliest Chinese Primulas may be transferred without 
delay from 2-inch into 4-inch pots. Remove the small leaves from the collar 
of the plants and pot them well down, so that the plants can be moved 
about without fear of their breaking at the collar. The plants root 
freely from the stem, and are not so subject to damp at the collar as 
those that have much bare stem above the surface of the soil. Keep 
these plants in a temperature of 50°, and gradually harden them by the 
admission of air until they can with safety be grown in a shady position 
in the greenhouse, or, better still, in cold frames. Place those in pans 
into 2-inch pots, and prick off those raised from seed sown a few "sveeks 
ago. A good pinch of seed may now be sown for yielding plants for 
flowers at this period next season. 
Pouhle Varieties .—Cuttings may be taken and rooted at once ; they 
root freely enough in a temperature of 55° if shaded from the sun, 
inserted in sandy soil and placed under handlights. The safest method 
is to remove the large leaves from the old plants, and place light sandy 
soil about their stems. If placed in an intermediate temperature where 
the atmosphere is moderately moist they will quickly emit roots. 
When in this condition they can be taken and potted singly. If 
kept close for a fortnight afterwards scarcely one will fail to become 
established. 
Primula ohconica .—Plants raised from seed sown as soon as it was 
ripe last season will be ready for placing in 5-inch pots. Grow the 
plants in cold frames and shade them from bright sunshine. This 
Primula will do well in the same soil as Chinese varieties. Transplant 
into pans and boxes the plants raised from seed between two and three 
months ago. 
Primula flurihundo .—This is a capital companion plant for the 
above, and is really charming in the spring with its small but bright 
yellow flowers. With careful treatment it will seed freely, and by th'ls 
means a good stock for decorative purposes may soon be raised. 
Primula Uarhinger .—If this has flowered it should be thoroughly 
hardened and planted outside in light rich soil in a shady position, or 
the pots may be plunged in a hes. When kept in pots care must be 
taken never to allow them to become dry ; they should during bright 
weather be liberally syringed to keep them free from red spider. 
HE BEE-KEEPER. 
NOTES ON BEES. 
PREPARING BEES FOR THE HEATHER. 
Although the season proper for bees -working only commenced 
this year with April, yet well managed hives are as forward as they 
gc neraUy are in much milder seasons, and bee-keepers are hoping 
for a bountiful honey season. To show how to make the most of it 
is the object of this article, and believing that the plans of bee¬ 
keepers are well laid to get the advantage of the early harvests 
from fruit blossoms, Clover, and Limes, I will skip instructions for 
these seasons, and give in detail those likely to give the largest 
harvest from the Heather, which those situated within available 
distance from it shonld be prepared to do. 
The interest in taking bees to the Heather is increasing yearly, 
but not to the extent it might. Heather honey, too, is in better 
demand than other sorts, and in nine cases out of ten better 
relished—an incentive sufficient to impel bee-keepers even at 
100 miles distance from Heather to take full advantage of it with 
hives that would more than remunerate for the little expense 
involved in their removal. In the majority of cases bees are sent 
to the Heather without due regard to their condition, hence the 
cause of so many failures, hives making little that were expected 
to become heavy. Prime swarms are most commonly those which 
