Jnne 0,1889. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
467 
will ensure the berries swelling to a good size, and with a free circulation 
of air a good finish may be secured. 
Grapes Stoning .—Secure a regular temperature of 05° at night, 
admitting air in good time, so that any moisture will be dissipated before 
the sun shines powerfully upon the house. If there is any danger of 
scalding keep the house warm at night and admit air early and freely 
during the day. Allow a moderate lateral extension, but avoid over¬ 
crowding, and apply liquid manure or water through a good surface 
mulching at fortnightly intervals, according to the requirements of the 
Tines. 
'Early Muscat House. —The fruit is ripening. Maintain a dry con¬ 
dition of the atmosphere as compared with Black Hamburgh houses, 
yet avoid great aridity, or the foliage will fall a prey to ied spider. 
Muscats require time to ripen and assume that amber colour so much 
prized. Being gross feeders, do not allow any lack of moisture in the 
borders, but give either tepid liquid manure or tepid water through 
a good rich surface mulching. The supply of water will in some 
measure compensate for the drier condition of the atmosphere. Maintain 
a circulation of air constantly, preventing the moisture condensing on 
the berries by sufficient warmth in the pipes to ensure a changing 
atmosphere. Lateral extension is the best safeguard at this stage against 
shanking, along with a steady temperature. Avoid sudden fluctuations 
and low depressions. Keep the night temperature at 65° to 70°, 80° to 85° 
by day with a little sun. and 90° to 95° with it in full force. Ventilate 
early and increase with the sun’s increase, and with its decline reduce 
early, securing as long a day of ripening from sun heat as possible. 
The old leaves of Muscats are very liable to be scorched under sudden 
changes of weather. In very bright weather a single thickness of 
tanned netting should be drawn over the roof lights, which, without 
impeding the light too much, will have the desired effect, especially if 
air is admitted at night to prevent the condensation of moisture. 
Late Houses. —The Grapes in these will now have flowered, or late 
varieties may still be in flower, in which case artificial impregnation 
must be resorted to, applying Black Hamburgh pollen. The late Ham- 
burghs being now in flower will be eligible for this purpose. Allow the 
laterals to extend until the space is fairly covered with foliage. Avoid 
overcrowding, especially of the principal leaves. Syringe after flower¬ 
ing to cleanse the bunches of the remains of the flowers, and commence 
thinning so soon as the berries are fairly swelling. Late Grapes should 
be thinned more severely than midseason varieties, in order to permit of 
air having free access to the interior of the bunches, and for the readier 
removal of decayed berries. Allow a rise with sun heat after closing, 
closing at 80° to 85°, and rising to 90° or 93°. Ventilate early, or 
between 70° and 75°, and increase with the advancing sun heat. Leave 
a little ventilation at the top of the house at night to prevent excessive 
condensation. Syringe available surfaces in the morning, and again at 
closing time. An occasional sprinkling with liquid manure will do 
much to keep down red spider, and will contribute to the health of the 
Vines. Surface dress inside borders with fresh horse droppings, little 
and often, as too much ammonia is calculated to injure the foliage. 
Give inside borders a thorough soaking with tepid water or liquid 
manure as may be considered necessary on account of the crops or 
vigour of the Vines. Outside borders may have a thin covering of open 
manure, but water will hardly be necessary, as in most places the 
ground has had a thorough soaking: where rain has not fallen a good 
watering should be given. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Camellias. —Plants for early flowering have completed their growth ; 
it will therefore be necessary to maintain the air about them drier, in 
order to prevent their starting again. Shade the plants only from 
bright sunshine. Every ray of light possible must be admitted to them 
to ripen and harden the wood thoroughly. This is essential if the flower 
buds are to be retained. Be careful not to allow the plants to suffer 
from an insufficient supply of moisture at their roots. After the flower 
buds have formed, and are swelling freely, the syringe may be used 
twice daily, and the plants supplied occasionally with weak stimulants. 
Azaleas .—Plants that flower in early autumn must now be removed 
to cool airy quarters, or they may come forward too rapidly or burst 
again into growth. Shade them only from bright sunshine, but admit 
as much light as possible to harden and ripen the wood. After they 
have been properly hardened and their flower buds are swelling freely, 
the plants may be placed outside with safety. Arrange them so that 
their pots will not be fully exposed to the sun, or their fine hair-like 
Toots will be certain to suffer. If the pots can be plunged in ashes or 
any similar material all the better. Assist the plants that flowered late 
to make their growth by maintaining a warm moist atmosphere. Watch 
for thrips, especially on plants which have completed their growth. If 
it appear wash the plants thoroughly with a solution of tobacco water 
in which has been dissolved 1 oz. of softsoap to each four gallons, and a 
piece of common washing soda about the size of a Cob Nut. 
Ericas. —Plants which it is necessary to retard for late flowering 
may be placed outside where they can be protectedfrom brightsunshine. 
It is desirable to place over them old lights to throw off heavy rains. 
Be careful not to allow the plants to become dry at the roots. Shade 
those lightly that are making growth during the hottest part of the day, 
but admit air abundantly. Keep the base upon which they stand moist 
by syringing amongst the pots frequently. Pinch shoots that are taking 
the lead of others, or draw them towards the rim of the pots so as to 
give the weaker a chance of gaining strength. 
Eparris .—The early plants will now be growing freely, and shade 
should only be applied during bright sunshine. These plants often fail 1 
to flower satisfactorily through their growths being drawn up weakly 
by overshading. The frames in which they are grown should be freely 
ventilated during the day, and a little air may be left on all night. The 
plants may be syringed once or twice daily according to the weather. 
They must be watered liberally yet judiciously. Later plants now 
commencing free growth may be repotted if they need more root room. 
Good peat and sand should form the compost. Do not disturb the roots 
further than the removal of the old drainage, and press the soil firmly 
between the pot and the old ball. They should afterwards be watered 
with great care, and the frame should be closed early in the afternoon, 
syringing the plants at the same time until they are growing and rooting 
freely in the new soil. 
Softwooded Heaths .—All that are to flower next autumn and winter 
should be in their flowering pots, or be placed in them without delay. 
Young plants that are potted now should be returned to frames for a 
time until the weather is settled, when they may be stood outside on 
beds of ashes. If the pots of the outer rows are plunged the others 
will shade each other sufficiently to be safe from injury by the sun 
striking direct upon the pots. Young and old plants, if they have been 
hardened by abundance of air, will be better outside than in frames. 
Give each plant plenty of room, so that it has abundance of light and 
air. 
Greenhouse Rhododendrons .—These frequently fail to flower pro¬ 
fusely through overshading ; they practically need no shade. From the 
time that the new shoots appear until they have lengthened out and 
developed their foliage light shade from the burning rays of the sun is 
an advantage ; but from the time the foliage and wood commence to 
be firm shading should be gradually discontinued and the plants fully 
exposed to the sun. The wood must be thoroughly hard and ripe, then 
flowers are certain. The syringe should be used freely during growth as 
well as afterwards, and abundance of water given to the roots. The use 
of the syringe need only be discontinued for a week or two after they 
have finished their growth, the same as advised for Camellias. 
Lapagerias .—Plants that are growing under the roof of a structure 
on the south side must be densely shaded until they have completed 
their growth. They cannot endure strong sun in their present stage. 
The syringe should be used freely, and abundance of water applied to 
the roots. If they are confined in narrow borders weak liquid manure 
may be given occasionally. 
BEES. 
SPUING MANAGEMENT. 
There are several systems advocated, which may be reduced to 
two—viz., (1) letting the bees alone if they have abundance of 
autumn-stored honey and pollen ; (2) interfering with them and 
the hives of tener than is necessary. Who that has ever studied the 
nature and habits of bees would for a moment think or say that 
systematically breaking the seals of honeycomb, feeding in dribblets, 
or continually exposing the bees to a chill they can never recover 
from is otherwise than detrimental to even the strongest of stocks ? 
I am a strong advocate of the first-named system, and I deny that 
any good whatever accrues from unnatural manipulations. One 
writer, while advocating the stimulative slow feeding for “ cheating 
the queen,” perplexes us when he says that “ it is not before a 
honey glut, bur after it, that the most brood is found in a hive.” 
The system I advocate has become an established fact, not from an 
isolated case or from surmise, but from actual experiment with 
many hives, and in no case have I ever witnessed artificially 
treated hives equal to those depending upon their own supplies. 
In order to put the experiment to further test, for the sole benefit 
of bee-keepers, I put two of my first workers and best hives to the 
ordeal of slow feeding, and the case has turned out worse than I 
expected. Both hives are practically dead, the bees having left 
their hives, as bees always do when spring fed, and never returned, 
so that it has dwindled to the queen only. One of these queens 
has been placed at the head of a queenless stock, and the other has 
been kept alive by introducing young bees that never flew, which 
will be utilised by joining to a swarmed stock. What better 
proof could we have of the absurdity of feeding bees in such a way, 
when side by side with these hives stood a number of nuclei never 
fed, with but few bees in early spring, now almost ready for super- 
ing, and will be quite ready by the time honey appears ? Stimu¬ 
lative feeding, spreading brood, breaking the seals of honeycomb, 
