32 
.JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
' [ July 9, 1891. 
occupied by the roots of Peas, and advantage ought really to be taken 
of a showery time to give the rows a thorough good soaking of liquid 
manure of some kind, the drainings from mixed farmyards freely dilute l 
with pond or soft w r ater if at all strong answering well. Blood manure 
also well diluted is fine for Peas, causing the pods to grow to a great size 
and to fill rapidly. If liquid manure is given in hot and dry weather 
let it succeed a soaking of clear water, one preparing the ground for the 
reception of the other. A heavy mulching of strawy manure is of 
great assistance to rows of main crop and late Peas, and the least that 
can be done is to hoe up the Spinach run to seed between the rows, and 
to distribute this alongside the latter. Peas being in great demand in 
the autumn sow several rows of Ne Plus Ultra, Latest of All, or other 
well tried late varieties at once on deeply dug well manured ground, 
giving the preference to high rather than low positions, the latter being 
most subject to destructive early frosts. If the ground is at all dry 
open deep drills, and well soak with water prior to sowing the seed, 
covering the latter with about 3 inches of fine soil. Thinly sown Peas 
are the least addicted to mildew, and most late varieties will branch well 
if given the chance. Either stake Peas before they fall about the rows, 
or not do it at all. 
Potatoes. —These again look remarkably well, never better probably* 
The weather being so favourable for hoeing and cleaning operations 
there ought to be no weeds, but if there are any left among Potatoes pull 
them up at once, or otherwise a plentiful supply of seed will be the 
result, and much extra work provided for the end of the summer. 
According as the early crops are lifted, clear the ground of rubbish, well 
level, and fine down the surface, and that will be all the preparation 
needed for Strawberries, salading, Broccoli, Savoys, Turnips, and other 
-successional crops. Having the ground in proper condition for planting 
or sowing is always a gain during hot and dry weather. Do not save 
the smallest tubers for seed purposes, but rather reserve a good breadth 
■of an approved early variety, and save all but the coarsest and smallest 
tubers for seed. Home-saved tubers of Ashleafs especially are always 
the best, therefore look well ahead and save plenty, as there are no 
more profitable early varieties and few (if any) to equal them. 
Endive. —Plants obtained by sowing seed in May or the early part 
of June are rarely of much service, being almost certain to run pre- 
matu ely to seed. Not till Lettuces fail to blanch perfectly is there 
much demand for Endive, and the latter can be had good when wanted 
by sowing seed during the last week in June or a week later. The best 
strains of Green Curled, with the Louviers and Improved Broad-leaved 
Batavian, may all be sown with advantage, a fairly large piece of open 
ground or a portion of a border newly cleared of either Potatoes, Cauli¬ 
flowers, or Onions being suitable. Get this into a finely divided state, 
water it if at all dry, and then sow the seed thinly and broadcast, a 
good breadth of ground being given up to each variety, and cover with 
sifted soil. When large enough the majority of the plants may be moved 
■elsewhere and the rest left to develop and blanch where they are, a 
capital early crop being thus obtained without much trouble. 
Turnips. —It is not always possible to keep up a good supply of 
Turnips, the enemies to the young plants being especially numerous. 
Sowing seed on lumpy ground or in a hot and dry position at this time 
of year is so much wasted labour, but Turnips do not often fail on north 
borders, or in other cool we’l-prepared positions. These having been 
dug up some time previous, would now crumble down finely. Open the 
drills lb inches apart, moisten them if dry, and sow the seed thinly. If 
either slugs or fly are troublesome, dust over the young plants 
frequently with soot and lime while yet the dew is on them. * For 
the present sowing Snowball, Veitch’s Red Globe, and Chirk Castle 
Blackstone are all suitable, the last-named being particularly well 
adapted for late crops. It sometimes happens that these early July 
sowings prove the most serviceable of any, the bulk of the roots standing 
or being kept well through the winter. 
Tomatoes. —These quickly took to their fresh quarters, the start 
auguring well for future success. Being now well established, the roots 
spreading far out into the fresh soil, a soaking rain having also fallen, 
there will be little Deed for much further assistance from the 
watering-pot, though those sheltered by copings of any kind will still 
require to be watered occasionally. Give all a mulching of short 
manure or leaf soil. It is now when the p'ants should have the 
closest attention in the way of training and disbudding, allowing the 
side shoots to grow to such a size as to need cutting away by armfuls 
being a very unwise practice. Lay in the strongest branches where 
there is good room for them, and closely pinch out all the rest, but 
do not as yet interfere with the strong primary leaves. 
Globe Artichokes.— The heads of these will soon be plentiful, 
and should be cut directly they are fully grown, whether required for 
use or not, this favouring the production of good successional supplies. 
They are naturally rank-growing, gross-feeding plants, soon exhausting 
the ground of its moisture and fertility, and unless given copious supplies 
of liquid manure now as well as a heavy mulchiDg of manure in the 
spring, are liable to collapse in hot dry weather. The young plants, or 
divisions, and any seedlings put out, ought particularly to be looked 
after, as they should give useful supplies of heads in the autumn. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Watering .—Experience tends to prove that greater care is exercised 
in -watering during the winter than in the summer months. Not un- 
frequently during hot bright weather p’ants receive too much water, and 
evil consequences follow. Too much care cannot be exercised in the 
watering of plants, especially after they have been newly potted and the 
pots are full of roots. It is then difficult, if the drainage is good, to 
overwater them. Many seedlings and other plants are ruined in their 
early stages by the soil being kept too wet. The secret in plant growing 
is to supply water carefully. 
Feeding with Liquid Manure .—Each year convinces us that more 
harm than good results from the use of liquids from cesspool and the 
farmyard. It is difficult to estimate its strength, and young men, in the 
hope of pushing on plants rapidly, use it too strong, and burn the roots 
or poison the surface of the soil so that the roots will not enter it. Soot 
water in a clear state is practically harmless, and quickly stimulates the 
plants, and may with safety be used every time water is needed once the 
plants are rooting freely in the soil. This, with a suitable artificial 
manure applied to the surface of the soil at intervals of two or three 
weeks, will be found far better than daily supplies of farmyard liquid. 
Plant Cleaning .—Constant attention is needed in dipping or 
syringing plants directly aphides and thrips are observed upon them. 
Where plants can be fumigated it will be the most economical method of 
destroying these pests. Plants must be freed from mealy bug and scale 
on every opportunity when the houses are not hot. It is impossible to 
have healthy robust plants that are infested with insects. When the 
houses are cool men can clean nearly double the number of plants that 
they can when the atmosphere is moist and the temperature high. 
Pot Washing .—Pots can never be washed so quickly and easily as 
directly they areemptiei. We find it economical to wash them at once. 
If stored outside aud allowed to dry they take more than twice the 
time that they do when they are moist. If the whole cannot be done 
as the plants are turned out, a large tub or tank should be handy for 
placing them in to keep them moist, so that it can be done at the first 
opportunity. Pots in which plants are growing should be kept clean, for 
however well plants are grown their appearance is practically destroyed 
if the pots are allowed to remain dirty. The walls, curbs, glass, and 
other portions of the structure should be cleaned thoroughly when the 
plants are turned over. A few hours devoted to these operations now 
and again assist materially in maintaining a healthy atmosphere about 
the plants. The appearance of houses and plants depends almost solely 
whether they are kept clean or the reverse. 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
The Weather. 
The weather continues unfavourable for honey. In another 
three weeks the Clover will be past, and the lateness of the season 
does not augur well for the Heather. We have had a week of 
unsettled weather after the great drought, and there is little indica¬ 
tion of a favourable permanent change. Flowers are profuse, and 
a week or ten days of bright weather would give abundance of 
honey. It is the 3rd of July, and everything is late, but the 
copious showers are very beneficial to crops of every sort. 
Queen Excluder Zinc. 
I am sorry to have to reply to the statements of Mr. J. M. 
Hooker, pages 521-22. Mr. Hooker cannot be ignorant of the 
previous teachings of this Journal.” I have never made a 
prior claim to any invention or improvement connected with 
apiculture to which I was not entitled, but I have often had to 
correct what appeared in contemporaries when they laid claim to 
contrivances in common use before the claimants kept bees. I did 
not assume the wire excluders were the same as perforated zinc, 
but simply showed that the idea was not new. I deny that bees 
will fill the centre comb of the brood with honey that the queen 
has not access to so long as a cell is empty elsewhere. 
Mr. Hooker is in error when be says the Judges were all 
Scotch at Edinburgh. The principal Judge was Mr. Symington, 
the peasemeal man. As for excluder zinc being an improve¬ 
ment on supering, the idea is to me amusing. The Stewarton 
system has not been improved upon. I observe Mr. Hooker 
refers to his medal for sections. But I must go farther. 
At the first Caledonian Apiarian Society’s Show there were 
five Judge 3 , One, the late Mr. James Anderson, was so 
displeased with the opinions of the others that he left, Mr. Mark 
Walker also dissenting, leaving Messrs. Hooker, Abbott, and 
McLauchlan to decide, with the result that with one exception 
they awarded the first prize in every class to pure sugar. I entered 
a protest against the exhibitors, and in every instance an apology 
was made. 
The hives came next. Mr. Abbott on this occasion was assisted 
by Mr. Hooker, and this is the point I wish to bring out. My hive 
was a scorifying ore of the ordinary frame type. The storifying 
