160 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 25, 1886. 
be done gradually. Stopping may take place one, two, three, or four 
joints beyond th; show of fruit, as the space admits ; but the greater the 
growth beyond the fruit the more certain is it of being well supported. 
We prefer stopping at the third or fourth joint beyond the bunch, and 
then allow the laterals to extend until the available space is covered with 
an even spread of foliage, and then keep closely stopped. I£ the space is 
limited stop at the second joint, or .even one beyond the bunch, as it is 
desirable to have an extension of lateral growth and as great a spread of 
foliage as can have exposure to light and air. Tie the growths down 
before they touch the glass, bringing them down carefully, as the growths 
of vigorous Vines are liable to snap. Loosen all ties, so as to allow 
the swelling of the shoots. 
Feeding .—Fruiting Vines in pots will need fresh surface dressings of 
rich material, well-decayed manure, with a sprinkling of bonemeal and 
copious supples of liquid manure in a tepid state, keeping the plunging 
material about the pots well moistened with the same to insure the 
spread of the roots into it, and augment the support of the Vines. Vines 
swelling their crops will need liberal supplies of liquid in a weak and tepid 
state, and the surface of the borders mulched with 2 or 3 inches thickness 
of manure kept moist to encourage surface-rooting. Maintain a genial 
condition of the atmosphere by damping available surfaces two or three 
times a day, especially at closing time, which should be sufficiently early 
to run up the temperature 5°tol0°over the ordinary day temperature 
from sun heat. Sprinkling the floors with liquid manure in the evening 
will invigorate the Vines and prove injurious to insects, particularly red 
spider. 
Pines. —As the summer, or what is known as the London season, is 
the most important to growers under the changed circumstances that 
obtain in Pine Apple culture, winter fruit commercially being out of the 
question in competition with foreign fruit, the cultivation of summer 
varieties has been greatly extended, among which the Queen stands 
unrivalled, both on account of its excellent quality and its adaptability for 
the purpose, good fruits being obtained in eighteen months from the 
starting. It is well to have two groups of plants, one being a selection 
of the most vigorous of the autumn-potted suckers which have been kept 
moving through the winter, these plants being put at once in 10 or 11-inch 
pots, and plunged in a bottom heat of 90° at the base of the pots. The 
others are those started about this time as suckers, which as soon as they 
are sufficiently rooted are shifted into 10 or 11-inch pots and plunged in 
a similar bottom heat. Keep the night temperature at 60° to 65°, and 70° 
in the daytime by artificial means, with an advance of 10° from sun heat. 
It is essential that the plants have plenty of space, and be kept well up to 
the light, as a good sturdy growth is essential to success. Where rootless 
suckers are placed, keep the atmosphere moist and close, and withhold 
water until the roots are showing at the sides of the pot. 
Strawberries in Pots. —Unsuitable weather for forcing necessitates 
continued vigilance and perseverance in forwarding early crops. A good 
set having been secured on the earliest plants, and being thinned to the 
number likely to swell satisfactorily, they should be removed if possible to 
a house with a maximum temperature by artificial means of 65° to 70°, a 
Cucumber or Melon house being suitable until the fruits begin to change 
colour, as they swell best in a high moist atmosphere, but when ripen¬ 
ing a drier atmosphere is necessary. The change of temperature must 
not be sudden or the fruit will not swell freely ; indeed, the temperature 
should remain the same so as to secure a clear skin and bright colour—the 
great merit of a forced Strawberry. Feed liberally during the swelling 
period up to changing colour, giving it warm and weak, and if the roots 
are in good condition they will take large quantities if evenly swelled 
fruit is desired. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Vandas. —These, as well as Aerides and Saccolabiums, should be top- 
dressed or repotted, as the case may be. Those that were repotted last 
year will only need top-dressing. Whether the plants are grown in pots, 
pans, or baskets, the whole of the old material should be removed and 
fresh chopped sphagnum moss supplied. When all the material has been 
removed to the crocks or charcoal used for drainage, or as a medium for 
the lower roots, if any small decomposed particles remain they should be 
washed out by pouring tepid water into the pots, or by dipping them into 
a tub of water. These must be allowed to dry again before the new top¬ 
dressing is applied. For this purpose sphagnum moss only shou'd be 
employed. No attempt should be made to cram the roots into the pots, 
for they will remain much healthier outside. The moss should be well 
elevated above the rim of the pots or sides of the baskets, and the greenest 
and best heads used on the surface, encouraging them to grow afterwards 
by frequently dewing the surface with the syringe. When repotting is 
necessary the material should be carefully picked out of the roots, crocks, 
and drainage, as well as the moss, and the plant lifted out of the pot if 
possible ; if not, the pot must be broken and any portions left to which the 
roots are clinging. Place a fair quantity of crocks at the base of the pot, 
in fact as many as can be conveniently put in before the plant is in 
position. When this is done, if a stake is needed, give it at once, as it 
cannot well be secured afterwards when the pot is filled with crocks. 
After the plant is in position, the crocks, charcoal, or both should be laid 
carefully amongst the roots, filling the pot to within 2 inches of the rim. 
On the surface use a few smaller crocks to prevent the moss being washed 
down amongst the 1 ower drainage. Fill the remainder of the pot with moss, 
the same as advised for top-dressing, When the plants are turned out 
cut away all dead and decaying roots with a sharp knife. When p'ants 
are growing in baskets it is often impossible to take them out without 
destroying a large quantity of roots. The safest method is to remove as 
much of the basket as possible, and then place the remainder, with 1h i 
roots attached, into the larger ones. The space between the two baskets 
—that is, the new and the old one, should be filled with lumps of charcoal 
and then surfaced with moss to sustain plenty of moisture about the 
plants. From this time never allow the moss about the plants to become 
dry, and keep the atmosphere moister than has been the case up to the 
present. Do not syringe these plants for a few weeks, except giving a 
slight dewing during the mornings of very fine days. The temperature 
for this structure must not fall during the night below 65°, except during 
very cold nights. No ventilation will be needed at the present time. 
Phalcenopsis .—If grown in the same house as the above, the conditions 
as regards heat and moisture will suit them exactly. It is necessary to 
watch these plants carefully, so that yellow thrips do not become estab¬ 
lished on the under side of their beautiful leaves. If observed, sponge at 
once with a weak solution of tobacco. These plants are grown here in 
baskets in lumps of charcoal and sphagnum moss ; the former nearly fills 
the baskets, and the latter is worked in amongst them towards the sides 
with a good layer on the surface. The moss becomes too decayed for 
their well-being in a single season, and is in consequence removed 
annually. All small particles are washed out the same as advised for 
Vandas, and then fresh is given. When new or larger baskets are re¬ 
quired, no attempt is made to disturb the roots by the removal of any 
portion of the basket until thoroughly decomposed, so that it can be 
removed without the slightest injury to the roots. Place the old basket 
inside the new one. and fill the space between with charcoal, and then 
moss it over as detailed for top-dressing. After potting or top-dressing, 
the moss should be encouraged to grow freely by syringing frequently, 
the use of the syringe being increased as the days lengthen and the atmo¬ 
sphere outside becomes warmer. Any plants in full bloom may be left for 
a time, so that the syringe need not be used for fear of spotting their 
flowers. The flowers of these plants, as well as those of any other 
Orchid, last much longer in a cooler and drier atmosphere, but we never 
remove Phalasnopsis, for in the pa9t we have had them seriously checked 
by so doing. 
Cypripediums .—The majority of these that are growing in warm 
structures may be repotted and top-dressed without farther delay. Any 
plants in flower or coming into flower that it may be necessary to 
remove to a cooler structure may be left until the flowers have faded. 
For these plants we prefer peat fibre and sphagnum moss in equal pro¬ 
portions, with lumps of charcoal freely intermixed. We usually employ the 
peat fibre and charcoal towards the base ; in fact, fill to the rim of the 
pot, and then the remainder with the sphagnum intermixed. The fibre 
does not decompose so quickly as the moss, and by this means the whole 
of the upper portion is removed annually, which insures a sweet compost 
about the roots of the plants without the removal of the whole every 
year. The majority of Cypripedes will stand without apparent injury 
decayed compost about the-.ir roots for a longer period than most Orchids ; 
but this is not desirable, for they prefer a sweet medium. When plants 
are left too long with their roots amongst sour soil they are liable to 
become spotted in their foliage and seriously disfigured. When these 
plants are repotted it is often necessary to break the pots or pans in which 
they are growing, for the roots cliog tenaciously to the sides and cannot 
be turned out without injury. Wtien removed from their pots take every 
particle of soil from amongst their roots, and if in a very bad state the 
roots should be washed before they are placed in clean pots with fresh 
material. Place a good layer of moss on the surface, and encourage it to 
grow after the completion of potting and top-dressing. The plants may 
be lightly syringed when there is a prospect of a fine bright day. Care 
must be taken that tepid water be used for this purpose, and also for 
watering these as well as all other plants in this department. Much 
injury is often done by inattention to this, as plants of C. insigne cease 
flowering in the conservatory. They should be started into growth where 
a temperature of 50° can be maintained at night. C. villosum now in 
flower will take its place in the conservatory and be benefited for a few 
weeks by being in a lower temperature. C. venustum is employed for the 
same purpose. 
HE BEE-KEEPER 
ABOUT BEES. 
( Continued from page 140.) 
There has been a great number of runaway swarms. A 
neighbour keeping bees in skeps lost three out of four hives, and 
two cottagers have secured swarms that came from a hollow tree 
colony. I was asked several times if 1 had lost any swarms, as 
several had been found, but 1 always was asked after they had 
been secured. Unfortunately none of the rnnaways came my 
way, as I should have been delighted to make their acquaintance, 
particularly the swarm from the wild bees in the tree, and 1 
failed to purchase one of the wildling swarms. 
What I failed to purchase were given me, and had to be sent 
some fifty miles by rail. They came to hand in September in a 
skep, and apparently all right, the hive being, of course, inverted, 
or bottom upwards. I intended keeping them in the skep, so 
had a stand made, and as there was only the turning over to do 
after removing the covering, I merely threw the dress over my 
