January SI, 1S89. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
95 
fully exposed to light and air, overcrowding and overcropping being 
highly prejudicial; at the same time very close stopping is not to be recom¬ 
mended where there is room for extension, or the extension of the foliage 
promotes corresponding root action, therefore preserve all the foliage 
consistent with full exposure to light and air. 
Vines in Flower. —Houses with the Grapes in flower must have a 
night temperature of 65°, and 5° more for Muscats. Muscats, Sweet¬ 
water and others that do not set freely may have the points of the 
bunches drawn to the light, assisting fertilisation by shaking the Vines 
every day, or dusting the hunches with a camel-hair brush. Varieties 
that" do not afford pollen freely can be fertilised with that taken from 
other sorts dusted over the stigmas. A constant circulation of rather 
dry warm air will be found highly advantageous. 
Thinning , Temperature, Ventilating, Feeding.— Commence thinning 
when the berries are about the size of a small pea, doing it somewhat 
freely so as to encourage large berries, not, however, going to the extreme 
of making the bunches loose, though that is better than clusters of 
small berries. When the Grapes are swelling maintain the temperature 
■at 65° at night, falling 5° on cold mornings; 65° to 70° on cold days, 
increasing the ventilation, a little being provided at 70°, rising with the 
sun heat to 80° or 85°, at which keep it through the day from that 
source, closing at 80°, and damp all available surfaces. Damping is also 
necessary in the early part of the day. Great care is needed in ven¬ 
tilating at this season. During sharp weather afford air in moderate 
quantity, a little at a time, so as not to reduce the temperature, only to 
prevent its rising too suddenly and too high. Vines in pots will require 
copious supplies of liquid manure and surface dressings of rich materials. 
Inside borders should have a thorough watering with tepid liquid manure, 
■or 1 lb. guano to 20 gallons of water, applying it at a temperature of 
S0° to 90°. 
Vines Started with the New Year. —The Vines are now breaking 
strongly. Syringe the rods three times a day until the bunches are 
formed, when it must be discontinued, but maintain atmospheric 
moisture by damping available surfaces three times a day. Avoid 
•damping the hot-water pipes when they are highly heated, the steam 
.arising therefrom being very different from that given off by cooler 
surfaces. Keep up a supply of ammonia by turning the fermenting 
materials, adding fresh horse droppings a little at a time, but where 
fermenting materials have not been used the house may be sprinkled 
with liquid manure in the afternoon, the evaporation troughs being 
tilled with the same. Ammonia vapour is good for the foliage, and it is 
useful against red spider. Increase the temperature to 55° at night and 
•60° to G5° by day, with an advance to 75° from sun heat, ventilation 
being given carefully, and in accordance with the state of the external 
nir. 
Houses to Afford Ripe Grapes in July. —These should be started 
at once. There is no need to cover the border with fermenting 
materials, but cover outside borders with leaves or litter fo prevent 
frost or snow chilling the roots. A bed of fermenting materials within 
the house conduces greatly to a free and regular break. Syringe the 
rods three times a day, maintaining a temperature of 50° at night and 
■65° by day from sun heat. Water the inside borders with liquid manure 
at 90°, and repeatedly if necessary, so as to bring the soil into a 
thoroughly moist state. 
Late Grapes. —Gros Colman and Gros Guillaume, requiring more 
time to ripen than Lady Downe’s and similar sorts, should be started by 
the middle of February, so as to afford time for their thorough ripening. 
When well ripened, wood as well as fruit, these are the noblest black 
Grapes in existence. Avoid fire heat as much as possible for Grapes in 
the store room, affording air to prevent an accumulation of moisture, re¬ 
plenishing the bottles with clear soft water as required. An equable 
temperature of 15° is most suitable. 
Eyes. —These must now be inserted, using pots, pans, or square pieces 
of turf. Select firm well ripened wood, filling the pots or pans with rich 
friable loam, inserting the buds with a pinch of sand and half an inch 
beneath the surface, plunging the pots in a bottom heat of 80°. 
Out-hacks .—Vines raised from eyes last spring, and which are not of 
sufficient strength for fruiting or planting, should be cut back to an eye 
or two as near the surface of the soil as possible. When they have made 
'2 inches of growth shake them out and repot in turfy loam rather rough, 
with a sprinkling of bones ; 6 to 9-inch pots will be large enough. A 
slight bottom heat is an advantage for these Vines, but it is not 
■essential, maintaining atmospheric moisture hv sprinkling the house two 
or three times a day. 
Strawberries in Pots. —Notwithstanding the sunless weather the 
■early plants are advancing better than might have been expected, especi¬ 
ally La Grosse Sucree and Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury. When the 
fruit is set and well thinned advance is rapidly made in swelling. 
Although a moderate temperature is advisable until the fruits are set, a 
brisk and moderately moist heat is essential to their satisfactory swell¬ 
ing, hence 60° to 65° or 70° should be afforded artificially, with 10° to 
15° advance from sun heat, and when the fruit commences ripening a 
drier atmosphere will improve the colour and flavour of the fruit. 
Plants advancing to the flowering stage must not he hurried ; 50° to 55° 
is ample by artificial means, and 60° to 65° with sun heat and free 
ventilation. Start some more plants without delay, introducing along 
with President, James Veitch, and Sir Charles Napier some of the early 
varieties, such as Sir Harry and La Grosse Sucree, so as to secure an 
unbroken succession. Examine the plants closely for aphides in all 
stages preceding flowering, and upon its first appearance fumigate. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Propagation of Redding Plants. —Where large numbers of summer 
bedding plants are required an early start must be made with their 
propagation. A gentle hotbed in a forcing house of some kind is 
always found of the greatest service in raising plants from seed and 
cuttings, this being better in every respect than the dry heat from hot- 
water pipes. If Oak or Beech leaves are plentiful, a good bed of these 
alone may be formed, or they may be mixed with well-prepared stable 
manure in equal quantities. Stable manure alone is apt to heat very 
violently, and shallow beds only are quickly available for use. Tanners’ 
bark gives a fairly brisk and lasting heat, and it is also suitable for 
mixing with leaves. Where the bottom heat in propagating frames or 
pits is from hot-water pipes, these ought to be heavily covered either 
with cocoa-nut fibre refuse, sawdust, ashes, or. sand. The first-named is 
preferable, and if kept well moistened, conducts the heat admirably, 
and is a very clean plunging material. 
Starting Stock Plants. —Either old or autumn-struck Verbenas, 
Heliotropes, Ageratums, Petunias, Fuchsias, Dahlias, Salvias, Holly¬ 
hocks, Abutilons, and Zonal Pelargoniums may now be introduced into 
gentle heat, such as an early vinery or Peach house, and this will 
induce them to form abundance of strong early cuttings. The old tops 
of Pelargoniums will rarely strike if taken before they have grown some¬ 
what, and in several other instances young side shoots are the best for 
progagating. It is of the greatest importance that all the stock plants 
be kept clear of various other plants in pots which are liable to be 
infested by troublesome insects, nor should they be subjected to much 
dry fire heat. If the cuttings are healthy and clean they strike readily, 
and, in their turn, soon afford tops and side shoots for striking. Any 
roots of varieties of Dahlias that are required in quantity may be 
placed in boxes of soil, or singly in pots, and these set in heat quickly 
form numerous side shoots, which strike readily in a gentle and not 
very moist heat. Old plants of Hollyhocks may be similarly treated, 
and the side shoots taken and rooted in heat as fast as they form. 
Bees that have been wintered up to date without a los3 will 
have plenty to contend against up till June, or the season will be 
different from past ones. If any hives are suspected to be short of 
food, dull weather with a temperature of 50° Fahr. during January 
is a safer and better time to feed than further on with the same or 
even a higher one. It is to be hoped that bee-keeping readers 
have abandoned the reckless system of opening up and examining 
hives during the winter months, for which there is not the slightest 
necessity, even when a scarcity of food is feared. Bee-keepers 
should study the habits of bees, and learn of them by appearance 
their actual state and wants within the hive, and what the coming 
weather is likely to be, as well as to know exactly by appearance 
whether from their present strength they will be able to be in full 
strength when that auspicious time comes when swarms are desir¬ 
able and honey is plentiful in the flowers. If the bee-keeper fails 
in this, then the honey yield will be nil. 
If during the winter months when the temperature is low the 
ear is laid close to the hive a gentle and continuous hum is heard, 
then the bees maybe relied on as being healthy. On the other hand, 
if the hum approaches to a roar and is intermittent, the bees are 
suffering from distension through cold. When bees are seen 
leaving their hive and not returning, this, too, indicates something 
wrong—hunger and cold causes this. Bees remain most at rest 
in winter during the months of November and December. 
After that they are more restless, and before a thaw often rush 
out of their hive in great numbers, and, falling on the ground, 
perish. This occurs more readily with crowded hives than with 
those having full scope, preventible only by shutting in and ven¬ 
tilation. In fact always before a storm during winter bees incline 
to fly out and remain quiet, even although the day be fine when 
frost is likely to appear. During the summer months when a 
storm is near they will remain quiet within their hives although 
the day appears to us serene. During showery and cloudy weather 
if the bees venture out and continue working the weather will 
clear up and be fine, but if the bees return hurriedly and crowd at 
the entrance then foul weather may be expected. 
