November 86, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER , 
481 
garden work. Where the quarters are vacant it is a mistake to allow 
such operations to stand over until spring. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Figs.— Early-forced Trees. —If the house is still open it should now 
be closed, and before any attempt is made to excite the trees the roots 
should be repeatedly watered with tepid water until the soil is thoroughly 
moistened. Although the Fig may be started at a high temperature, the 
most satisfactory results are obtained where the houses are closed early, 
and the roots and fruit are allowed to advance steadily under the influence 
of moist and genial heat from fermenting materials placed in near 
proximity to the pots. Oak or Beech leaves being used, they should be 
worked and fermented before they are introduced, and for some time 
afterwards they can be watched and allowed to lie loosely, until the heat 
declines to 70° or 75°, which must be the maximum about the roots or 
pots. The night temperature may range from 50° to 55°, with a rise of 
5° to 10° by day, when a little ventilation at the top of the home will 
allow the vitiated air to escape. The trees will require syringing with 
tepid water two or three times a day, and moisture must be secured at 
night by damping the floor at 8 or 9 P.M., when the conditions outside 
favour the rapid escape or condensation of moisture at this changeable 
eeason. A little fire heat will be necessary to maintain the temperature 
required, but it is advisable to keep the temperature down in cold 
weather, and accelerate growth at a later period, when the weather is 
more favourable. 
Succession Houses .—Take advantage of wet days for getting succession 
houses ready for starting when the proper time arrives. In the case of 
trees in pots, take care that the roots do not become too dry during the 
season of rest. When the treee are planted out in borders the danger is 
■easily met, as the roots can be watered if necessary, and well mulched 
with manure after they are cleaned and tied to the trellis. 
Fig trees in unheated houses should be loosened from the wires and 
fee drawn from the lower part of the wall, and be protected with a little 
■dry straw or fern, so as to save them from injury in case of severe frost. 
Cucumbers.— In consequence of maintaining a moderately high tem¬ 
perature the moisture has bad to be increased, and as the parching 
influence of highly heated pipes is injurious, hence the covering of the 
house at night with mats is not only a means of economising fuel, but 
secures a more genial atmosphere and equable temperature than can 
otherwise be obtaine3. Cucumbers when swelling their fruits like liberal 
treatment, hence copious supplies of tepid diluted liquid manure should 
be given as necessary. Plants that have plenty of roots and are making 
growth freely will take copious supplies ; indeed there is no fear of over¬ 
watering provided the drainage is perfect and the bottom heat is main¬ 
tained at 80° to 85°. Remove the male flowers as they show, reserving a 
sufficient number for setting purposes ; avoid overcropping, and do not 
stop very closely for the next few wteks, but avoid overcrowding, and 
maintaining a succtssional growth, so as to secure a succession of fruit. 
The night temperature should range from 60° to G5° when the weather is 
severe, and 5° more on mild night?, the day temperature 70° to 75°, and 
an advance of 5° to 10° from sun heat. 
Strawberries in Pots, —Since our last calendar under this head 
was written the temperature has fallen to 20°, and though the plants have 
not had any protection, it is well to have a supply of dry soft straw or 
bracken at hand, ready to scatter over the plants when the weather is 
severe. It should remain over the plants so long as they are frozen, but 
Temoved whenever the weather is mild. In severe weather the roots are 
frequently displaced by its action, and when the thaw comes a derange¬ 
ment of drainage ensues if they do not settle into their proper places, 
which should be seen to and rectified. It is important, as the forcing 
season is upon us, to have a number of plants at all times in readiness to 
be prepared previous to introducing them into the forcing-houses to suc¬ 
ceed those that are already started. The beginning of next month is soon 
enough to start early varieties, which are to afford ripe fruit early in 
March next, but it is well to afford time for the plsnts to be forwarded 
gently in the early stages ; indeed, slow forcing is the great secret in early 
Strawberry growing, and, except where there is a pressing demand for 
early fruit, or the plants are in fine condition for starting, it is better to 
■defer forcing large quantities until the new year. 
Plants in bearing and advanced for ripening will require increased 
vigilance to keep the fruit from damping; indeed, watering should be 
done only on the morning of fine days, when ventilation can be given to 
dry up the atmosphere before night, and in foggy damp weather great 
care will be necessary where fruits are ripening. 
HE BEE-KEEPER. 
6 ) Vp 
14 
NOTES ON BEES. 
WAX EXTRACTOR. 
No one who has been accustomed to melt down his 
combs, and so extract the wax by the patience-trying method 
commonly used in many districts, can form any conception 
cf the practical benefit, both in saving of time and of wax, 
accruing from the use of an extractor. To me no process 
was more obnoxious than the reduction of old comb to wax— 
now it is a pleasure. No comb is so old as not to yield some 
wax, and by this simple machine the blackest as well as the 
whitest comb yields its full modicum of wax alike easily and 
well. It is true that it is necessary to run it through 
more than once, but for my own part I think that when 
once the wax is obtained quite clear from bee-bread, honey, 
brood, and all other foreign substances, boiling down in a 
little clear water gives the best result. The wax-extractor 
has often been described, and can be seen in any of the cata¬ 
logues of dealers, but it may not be useless to give some idea 
of its construction, which is not very elaborate. It consists 
of an outer tin cylinder having a dish inside communicating 
with an outlet, through which the wax as it is melted runs 
into the vessel placed for its reception. Between this dish 
and the outer cylinder there is a space to allow the steam to 
pass up. About an inch from the bottom of the dish a per¬ 
forated tin basket is placed, supported on three pieces of 
metal. The perforated cylinder is of course of a size rather 
smaller than the dish, as otherwise the wax would trickle 
down into the water and so cause no little trouble and loss. 
When it is intended to use the machine the perforated 
cylinder must be filled with the comb it is desired to extract 
from, and the whole apparatus placed on a pan of boiling 
water and put on the fire. The outer tin and the saucepan 
ought to fit as closely as possible in order to retain all the 
steam and so facilitate the operation. Those who have an 
eye to their own interests will have a saucepan made which, 
while doing duty as a boiler for the extractor, will also be 
useful for making syrup or any other necessary which 
requires the aid of a fire. If they already have such a pan 
then they will adapt the wax machine to the pan and so 
save some little expense; but one thing is very necessary, 
and that is not to get an extractor of less dimensions than 
a foot deep by 8 or 9 inches across for the perforated 
cylinder, the rest of course being in proper proportion. 
HONEY BOTTLES. 
These are still somewhat high in price, so that bee* 
keepers are under a disadvantage in this respect. The kind 
of thing required is a receptacle at once cheap, neat, and 
pretty; and although I have never made the suggestion to 
any dealer in appliances, it has often occurred to me that a 
flower vase of elegant construction, yet simple, might be pro¬ 
duced at a rate as cheap, if not cheaper, than the bottles now 
so commonly used; and if such a production could be 
obtained many who now regard the price of the bottle as a 
great drawback would think much less of money spent in 
buying one article which would really obtain two—that is to 
say, honey in a pretty glass, and after the honey is used an 
elegant flower vase. 
RACES OF BEES. 
The most interesting article I have read for many weeks 
was one in the issue of 20th August last—“Notes on Bees. 
It was instructive and amusing, and I had ventured to hope 
that a table showing the result for the year from stocks of the 
different kinds of bees there mentioned might have appeared 
in print; if such a table could be given it would be of im¬ 
mense advantage, as by comparison some little idea could be 
formed of the honey-gathering powers of English and alien 
bees ; as several kinds being in one apiary, each one probably 
with the same advantages, attended with the same master 
hand, a good field for observation is afforded. The conclud¬ 
ing part of the article was indeed a dreadful tale of bad temper 
on the part of the bees. Now I often have a stock myself 
which, though to all appearances similar as regards its bees 
to the rest, shows unmistakeable signs of wicked spirit. 
Stinging whenever anyone approaches it makes all operations 
in the apiary anything but pleasant. Sometimes I fancy it 
is caused by a chance cross of the queen, for all manipulations 
are carried out with studied quietness. Never yet have I 
succeeded in curing such a stock. “ Dummies ” have been 
tried, and such other means as have from time to time sug¬ 
gested themselves to my mind, but with little good. Is there 
any cure for bees which, whenever approached, seem to think 
it the great object to see which can be the first to implant a 
