November 26, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
468 
PLANT HOUSES. 
The Forcing House, —Where large quantities of plants are forced 
into flower it is necessary to devote a structure for this purpose. Where 
practicable select one in which a hotbed of litter and leaves can be 
made, for the gentle moist heat that rises from these materials are 
beneficial to the plants, and bring them forward rapidly into bloom. 
The materials for this purpose should be composed of about equal 
quantities of leaves—Oak or Beech are best—and litter, the former to be 
perfectly dry. They may be mixed together outside and thrown into a 
heap, so that if wet weather follows it will not penetrate any depth into 
the material. If turned two or three times while outside it will soon 
be in condition after it is placed in the house for standing plants upon. 
Be careful, however, not to stand upon it plants that might be injured 
while strong ammonia is being thrown off. When the bed is ready 
the house may be filled with the plants required. Employ no fire heat 
at first until the plants are starting, when the temperature may be 
gradually increa c ed. 
Azaleas, —A few plants of early flowering varieties may be intro¬ 
duced into the forcing house as soon as it is ready for them. Do not 
plunge the pots of these plants, but merely stand them on the top of 
the fermenting material. Syringe lightly with tepid water each morn¬ 
ing when fine. 
Lilacs that have lost their leaves and have been exposed to light 
frost may be pluDgei into the fermenting material. These plants will 
bear brisk heat. If the plants have been confined in pots, and are well 
ripened, they will be ready for starting by the time the forcing house 
is ready for them. Lift Rhododendron praecox, Early Gem, early- 
flowering hybrids, Ghent andimollis Azaleas. Until the house is ready 
leave them outside, and if they are exposed to a few good frosts in the 
meantime they will start all the better. 
Lily of the Valley, —The earliest single crowns may be started now. 
Plunge the pans or boxes in brisk bottom heat, and cover the crowns 
with about 1 inch of cocoa-nut fibre refuse. Those for succession may 
be placed amongst leaf mould, cocoa-nut fibre or light soil in pans, 
boxes or pots, and left outside until they are wanted. 
Dutch Hyacinths. — Early varieties that are green, and display signs 
of growing, may be stood on the surface of the fermenting material until 
they are growing freely, when they can be arranged 10 inches or 1 foot 
from the glass. After these plants start growing they come forward 
rapidly in the moist heat of the forcing house. For this purpose 
Homerus and La Tour d’Auvergne are most suitable. 
Tulips. —White Pottebakker and Scarlet Due Van Thol in pans and 
boxes must be ready for pushing forward into bloom. These will bear 
more heat than Hyacinths in their early stages. Neither these nor 
Hyacinths can endure dry atmospheric conditions, and if the boxes are 
stood on the fermenting material they will socn display signs of growth, 
and are not long before they come into flower. Good supp'ies of these 
before the close of next month will be found invaluable. Few flowers 
are more effective for dinner table decorations towards the close of the 
year than scarlet Tulips arranged in small vases with their own foliage 
and a little wood moss between to keep them in their proper position. 
Dielytra spectabilis. —Lift quantities of these and'place the roots 
in 5 to 7-inch pots, leaving them outside for a few weeks. When lifting 
all weak crowns should be reserved for planting again. Those that 
were forced last season and laid in may be divided and planted for 
another year in row3 15 inches apart ; bury the crowns about 1 inch 
below the surface. 
Gladiolus The Bride. —These are very useful in 5 and G-inch pots. 
Good supplies must be potted without delay. Drain the pots liberally, 
and place the roots as thickly as possible in the pots, covering with 
1 inch of soil. After pottiDg plunge them in ashes outside until they 
start into growth. Those that flowered early this season will have 
started into growth, and may be removed from the plunging material 
to a frame. Keep them shaded until their growth is green, when they 
may occupy a position in the greenhouse. These plants do well in sandy 
loam and one-seventh of decayed manure. 
Epiphyllums. —These are showing their flower buds freely, and will 
soon come into flower if arranged in an intermediate temperature. In 
no position, perhaps, do they look so well as amoDgst Adiantums, and 
well elevated above them. Be careful to allow them a sufficient supply 
of water at their roots, it is a great mistake to keep them dry. Place 
young stock that has only been worked a few months in a temperature 
of 50°. Established plants that are not needed in flower may be kept 
perfectly cool. 
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S|i 
IE BEE-KEEPER. 
£ 
APIARIAN NOTES. 
Winter Work—Wax Rendering. 
To a great many bee-keepers this is a source of great annoy¬ 
ance, and the difficulty of extracting it thoroughly from the combs ; 
also it sometimes forms into granules, and will not become solid. 
This last state I have never been quite able to understand, but I 
believe certain kinds of pollen is a cause, as is also the water when 
in a state favourable to granulation. Pouring the wax while hot 
into cold water produces it. Lime and other alkaline substance 
destroys the compactness of wax. Rain water that has not been 
in contact with these substances should be used in all cases of 
rendering wax. 
Exposure to the sun and air is the best and safest method of 
bleaching wax to white. The purity and clearness of wax is best 
effected by melting it in a double-sided vessel, glue-pot fashion, and 
keeping it a long time in a liquid state undisturbed, so as to allow 
all sediment to fall to the bottom.' 
Nitric acid in early times was much used to purify or bleach 
wax, and is preferable to sulphuric acid more recently used in' 
bleaching wax. I cannot recommend either, further than if the 
vessel for melting wax is iron, it might be cleaned beforehand with 
dilute sulphuric acid, iron having a tendency to darken wax. 
Tin or copper vessels are the best for that purpose. The most 
satisfactory method of extracting wax.—Put the combs into bag& 
of open texture, such as the best scrim or of cheesecloth - T 
tie them single knot, and put one or more into the sieve 
of tinned w re cloth or one of wicker work, so that no part 
of the bag touches the outer boiler, which the sieves must also- 
clear. Care must be taken that the wax does not boil over, for, in 
addition to loss, it is very infl immable. When boiling, press the 
bag gently to help force out the wax, and when seen on the top 
either skim or let it off by a spout about 4 inches or so from the 
top of the outer vessel. When th ; s is done, draw the bag and place 
it in a sieve or form under the press, which will press out all the 
wax. Meanwhile, as the hat bag is lifted from the boile", replace 
it with another bag of combs. 
The above process answers either for a large or small quantity 
of combs, and as the boiler is never much below boiling it is a con¬ 
tinuous, speedy, and cleanly method of extracting wax, as combs 
become infested with acari soon after being taken from the hive 
which consume the wax. Neither these nor moths should be 
allowed to harbour amongst them, but melt at once. 
The sieve should be of a fair size, not less than 12 by 12, which 
necessitates the boiler to be about J4 or more inches wide by 16 or 
more deep, which is also used to hive bees. Either near the 
ground or attached to the telescopic pole when the bees ascend to 
trees I have used such an arrangement for many years. I some¬ 
times use a light lid so that it may be closed when the bees are 
shaken into it, so that it dees not kill them. If the day is very 
warm a light piece of cloth may envelope the hirer. When pract:- 
cable I prefer to hive the bees at once into their permanent hive,, 
but this sometimes cannot be done ; full sheets of foundation 
prevent inversion or rough handling of the hive, and flighty 
queens forbid shaking in front or top of hive. To obviate all this, 
and reduce labour to a minimum, I use a bag the same size as the 
sieve ; the wax bag will do, but it is well the material be light. 
This bag is fastened to the bottom rim or mouth end of the sieve,, 
and the bag is drawn taut to the close end, and fastened several 
places, so that the bag is kept distended the full size of the sieve 
When the bees are secured in the sieve carry it to the hive to be 
tenanted, which ought to have a cross (made with two pieces of 
wood, a little less in size inside measure than the sieve) upon the 
top of the hive. Now place the sieve upon the hive over the 
cross, and unloose the fastenings. The bees will, as the cloth presses’ 
upon them, retreat to their permanent hive below without any fuss, 
or risk whatever. 
It will be observed that when round sieves are used the bees if 
they choose could escape at the angles, the openings there should 
be closed. Or to obviate all trouble have square tin sieves and 
hivers, which latter may be of wood. The inner bag in this case 
should have a stiffi.-h wire or wooden rim to keep the bag distended,, 
and dools of wood or iron will keep it in its place. 
There are other things to prepare, but think the foregoing, 
sufficient for the time being for bee-keepers to study end get ready 
in time before the vernal sun reveals the charms of ihe apiary and 
garden.—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
