238 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 10, 188*. 
the plants, which ought not to have the moisture there lodging exhausted. 
All suckers showing before the fruit makes its appearanee should be 
removed, but when the fruit shows one should be left on for continuing 
the stock. 
Successional Pine Plants. —Plants not so forward as the preceding, 
and yet required in subsequent order, should have every encouragement 
whilst sunshine and heat are effective, as may be expected during the 
present month. Fire heat should not be resorted to unless the tempera¬ 
ture falls below 60° at night, and trap the sun heat by closing early in 
the afternoon, which should he done so as to enclose a temperature of 
90 to 95°, when the needful moisture to insure an invigorating condition 
should be afforded. 
Fruiting plants should have a night temperature of 70° to 75°; they 
will need a somewhat drier atmosphere than for those last mentioned ; 
still, a genial condition of the atmosphere is essential where the fruit is 
swelling off, ventilating early and closing early. Shading should be dis¬ 
continued except it be in the case of plants that have the fruits near the 
glass. Shading ought also to be discontinued over those plants with roots 
in other compartments, but suckers will, of course, need shade until 
rocted. 
Strawberries in Pots. —The pots of the earliest-potted plants will 
now be filled with roots and produce runners in quantity, requiring re¬ 
moval two or three times weekly, and in looking over the plants much 
time and labour will be saved by thinning out all plants with doubtful 
crowns and consigning them to the rubbish heap. It will also be neces¬ 
sary to determine whether the plants are to be grown with single or 
many crowns. The single crowns we consider the best, and thcne who 
intend to try it should remove the side ones as they appear. Give the 
plants plenty of room, and see that they never lack moisture. Autumn- 
fruiting plants that have been kept in pots through the summer, and are 
now expanding their flowers, should be moved to cold frames, where they 
can be closed with a dry atmosphere at night; but avoid keeping close in 
damp weather, and from these they can be brought forward in wanner 
houses as desired. Plants that were planted out after forcing for lifting 
in autumn may have glass placed over them if convenient, or the plants 
need not be lifted until the fruit is set; but as this is not practicable in 
many places the plants had better be lifted just before the flowers open, 
and be potted into as small pots as will contain the root-". They should 
have shade from bright sun, and be dewed overhead occasionally to revive 
them, they being stood in a cold frame or pit and kept rather close ; but 
air should be given, if only a little, the greater part of the day, and as 
soon as they will bear the sun they should be moved to the shelves of a 
house with a south aspect, where they will need the assistance of a 
moderate degree of warmth and a free circulation of air, as in a close 
moist atmosphere the pollen clogs or does not discharge freely, and badly 
shaped, ill-set fruit results. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Crotons. —Plants that have become tall are useless for many forms of 
decoration, and as large heads can be rooted at this season of the year 
with as much ease as cuttings of a smaller size, they should be inserted at 
once. Large heads may be rooted without losing a single leaf if kept per¬ 
fectly close under handlights or in the propagating frame in a close warm 
house where they can be shaded from the sun. The heads may be inserted 
in the centre of the pots in which they are to be used for decoration. A 
little sand should be placed in the centre for the base of the stem to rest 
upon ; they will be found to root equally as well as if placed into small 
pots, and the labour of potting them afterwards is saved. The heads, if 
well coloured, should be large enough for the purpose fot which they may 
be required without having to make fresh growth. If they start into 
growth after they are rooted it is questionable if they will colour suffi¬ 
ciently well after this date to be presentable for conspicuous positions. 
As soon as they are rooted they must be placed on a shelf close to the 
glass until well established in their pots, and then subjected to cooler 
treatment to prevent growth. Plants that have been prepared for this 
' n p 01 6-inch pots, or even larger, and have completed growth, 
and have highly coloured foliage, must be prevented from making any 
further growth. Growth made after this date often spoils the beauty of 
the plants, for very rarely is the light and sunshine of autumn sufficent 
to colour them properly. Growth is easily prevented by a lower and more 
airy atmosphere without the slightest injury to the plants. On the con¬ 
trary, this treatment hardens and prepares them wonderfully for ra m- 
decoration, where they will last double the length of time than would be 
the case if taken direct from a warm close structure. Plants that have 
not yet completed their growth should be pushed forward in brisk heat 
and given every ray of light pos ible to colour their foliage. 
Stephanotis floribunda. —If these plants are to flower well another 
year every ray of light and sunshine possible should be admitted to them 
for if the wood is not well and thoroughly matured they cannot be 
expected^to do this. Those that have completed their vrowth should have, 
^.^dition to light, more air and a drier atmosphere to harden and 
solidify the wood they have made. Those still growing must be pushed 
forward in brisk heat to complete their growth as rapidly as possible, or it 
will not be sufficiently ripened to fl iwer well. Many fail to flower pro¬ 
fusely this plant because insufficient attention is paid to the ripenin j of 
the wood and preparation of the plant for the period of re-t, which must 
year " th6y t0 gr0W luxuriantl J' and A^er abundantly the following 
Clerodendrons. —Every attention must be devoted to C. B ilfouriaLum 
and other varieties of similar growth to ripen the wood thoroughly of those 
required for early flowering. The whole of the stock of plants, whether 
growing or not, should be exposed to full sunshine, but those that have 
nearly completed the ripening of their wood should have more air and a 
drier atmosphere than those that are still growing. When the wood is 
ripe water may be gradually withheld in order to send the plants to rest, 
but this must be done gradually or the roots are liable to perish. Those 
still growing must be encouraged by abundant supplies of heat and weak 
stimulants to complete their growth as early as possible, for a much longer 
time will be required to thoroughly mature the wood of these plants than 
is the case with those started earlier into growth. Seedling plants of C. 
fallax that are well established in from 3 to 5-inch pots maybe potted on, 
especially those in the smaller sizes. If any of them are showing signs of 
flowering it is useless to pot or pinch them now that the growing season 
has advanced so far. These and all that it is not necessary to place into 
larger pots should be liberally supplied with weak stimulants every time 
they require water. Pots 2 inches larger than those in which they are now 
growing will he plenty large enough. These plants do well in a compost 
of fibry loam, leaf mould, sand, and about one-seventh of decayed manure. 
Leaf mould should be u=ed to the extent of about one-third. If any of 
these plants are in a backward state they should be pushed forward in 
brisk heat, while those already too forward may be retarded by a lower 
temperature ; but care must be taken not to check them, or else their heads 
of bright scarlet flowers will only be small in comparison to what they 
should be when given liberal treatment. A good batch of C. fragrans 
should be rooted now in 4-inch pots, in which they should be allowed to 
grow and flower. This sweet double white variety flowers much more 
freely when confined in small pots than when given abundance of root 
room. 
Gardenias .—The bright hot weather that we have been having has 
brought the earliest batch of these plants on rapidly, for flowers have 
already expanded with us, and well-developed buds are plentiful. The 
flower buds unfold quickly at this season, and if they are coming forward 
too fast a portion of the p'ants may be removed for a time to cooler 
quarters, which will considerably prolong the autumn supply of bloom. 
While in a somewhat lower temperature care should be taken to water 
them at their roots with tepid water, or else the roots may suffer and the 
late flower buds will become crippled. Stimulants must not be used too 
strong, for more flower buds are injured from this than any other cause. 
The second and later batches of plants should still remain in the heated 
structure in which they have been grown during the summer. A good 
hatch of cuttiDgs should now be rooted by inserting them singly in small 
pots and growing them on afterwards. These will take the place of old 
plants, which can be thrown away after they have done flowering. For 
the winter and spring supply of bloom young plants are preferable to old 
ones, they take up less room during a good period of the year, and are 
less liable to the attacks of mealy bug and scale. Cuttings rooted now 
and grown on through the following summer will make by autumn plants 
more than 2 feet through them. 
Tydeas .—Such varieties as Madame Heine that are grown from 
cuttings for winter flowering should be placed at once into their flowering 
pots if not already done. Pots 4 and 5 inches in diameter are large 
enough for these plants. If they are in a backward state push them 
forward in brisk heat, or if too far advanced they will hear being 
retarded by cooler treatment without injury. These plants must not be 
syringed overhead, or else their foliage will be browned and injured. They 
do best while growing with moisture-holding material beneath them and 
the atmosphere moderately dry. These plants must still be lightly shaded 
from bright sunshine, but no more light than possible should be excluded 
from them. 
NOTES ON BEES. 
OPEN versus CLOSE DRIVING. 
“ A Yorkshire Bee-keeper ” seems to have been unsuc¬ 
cessful in open driving, and desires information upon it and 
kindred subjects. Bees are always most easily driven when 
getting honey. Between 7 o’clock and 9.30 a.m. is not the 
best time to drive bees, but between the hours of 1 and 3 
p.m. should be chosen. Open driving is not superior to close 
driving unless it be more favourable for catching the queen, 
a feat which should be performed only when the queen is to 
be deposed. The commotion observed about the hive after 
drumming was caused by robbers being attracted to the hive 
while inverted. When hives are bsing driven it should be 
performed indoors, unless when honey is plentiful. If bees 
show a disinclination to run, tie a cheesecloth over the 
mouth of the hive and set it in a warm place for a few 
minutes, they will then quickly leave the hive. The best 
sugar to feed with is either best loaf, granulate! or crystal- 
