March 6, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
207 
trees are in flower, but the floor should be sprinkled morning and after¬ 
noon, avoiding cold currents of air. 
Trees to Afford Bipe Fruit m Late July and August. —The house 
should be closed and the trees syringed two or three times a day until 
the buds show colour, when it must cease. The inside borders must be 
brought into a thoroughly moist state by repeated waterings if neces¬ 
sary, and with the border thoroughly drained liquid manure may be 
given to weakly trees and those having a superabundance of flower 
buds. Where there are many flower buds it will be well to ease the 
trees of those on the under side or at the back of the shoots as soon as 
they are sufficiently advanced, a gloved hand drawn the contrary way of 
the growth doing it expeditiously. Where the trees are weak the border 
may be mulched with a couple of inches of short, rather fresh manure, 
which will stimulate the roots into activity. Maintain a temperature 
of 60° by day and 40° to 45° at night, advancing to 65° with sun and full 
ventilation. 
Late Houses. —If the lights are off there is no necessity to replace 
them until the flower buds have swelled to the point of showing colour. 
If they can be safely kept off until early or middle March all the better, 
it will then be early enough to have the trees in flower by the middle of 
April, and then they have the benefit of sun heat. Many late houses 
are nnheated, which is a mistaken idea of economy, as the flowers are 
not safe from severe spring frosts even in May, and the fruit does not 
ripen perfectly if the late summer be cold and sunless. A gentle heat 
during the flowering period does much towards a good set, and in 
autumn artificial heat ripens the fruit and wood, continuing it if neces¬ 
sary for plumping the buds. 
Unheated Houses or Wall Cases. —In these the chief consideration 
is the retarding of the blossoming. With moveable roof lights this is most 
effectively done, and being off, they need not be replaced until the 
flower buds are somewhat advanced and are beginning to show' colour, 
after which it is not safe. Anything required in the way of pruning 
and securing to the trellis should be completed. Those that have not 
the lights removed may need supplies of water, so as to bring the soil 
into a thoroughly moist state, and may have the surface mulched a 
couple of inches thick with rather short fresh manure. Ventilate 
freely, so as to retard the flowering to as late a period as possible. 
Where wall cases are employed for Apricots, let the lights remain off 
until the flower buds begin to show white, and after they are placed on 
ventilate freely, as nothing is so fatal to Apricot blosssom as a close 
moist atmosphere. Plum cases may have the lights placed on by the 
middle of March, similar remarks applying to Cherries, also to Pears. 
Perhaps Plums are never so fine and luscious as when grown under 
glass. They come in a fortnight before those against an open wall, and 
Cherries not only come in earlier, but are finer and can be kept longer, 
as they can be protected from wet and birds. 
Figs. — Earliest Forced Trees in Pots. —Trees plunged in bottom 
heat will require water abundantly, applying it at the same temperature 
as the bed, or 70° to 75°, and alternating with liquid manure. Maintain 
the temperature at 60° to 65° at night, admitting a little air at 70°, but 
not so as to lower the temperature, closing at 75°, and if the temperature 
rises to 80° all the better. Thin the fruits, if too thick, as soon as the 
best placed and most promising can be decided upon for the crop. The 
thinning should be done some time before the last swelling commences. 
Early Forced Planted-out Trees. —Those started at the new year are 
making a good growth, and should have the points of the shoots which 
issue from the base of the terminals pinched at the fifth or sixth leaf. 
Attend to tying the young shoots to the trellis as they advance, thinning 
where they are too crowded. Keep the night temperature at 55° to 60°. 
When it reaches 66° by artificial means in the day admit a little air, in¬ 
creasing the ventilation with the temperature, and reducing it in like 
manner, closing at 70°, syringing twice a day, and maintaining a genial 
atmosphere. 
Chebey House. —Ventilation must be attended to. A free circula¬ 
tion of air should pass through the house whenever the temperature 
exceeds 60°, the amount of air to be regulated by the conditions of the 
external atmosphere. Employ fire heat only to prevent the temperature 
falling below 50° in the day, and to maintain a night temperature of 40° 
to 45°. Attend to fertilising the flowers. Watch closely for the ap¬ 
pearance of aphides, but it will not answer to fumigate whilst the trees 
are in blossom, nor will it be necessary provided they were perfectly 
clean previous to the flowers expanding. It may, however, be had 
recourse to so as the fruit is set. Grubs infest the trees generally ; one 
kind of grub rolls itself up in the leaves, and can be eradicated by 
squeezing, but the other is the greater pest, and will be found encased 
on the under side of the leaves, giving them the appearance of being 
scalded. From the leaves it makes its way to the Cherries, perforating 
and destroying them. The only means of riddance is to examine the 
trees occasionally and destroy the grubs. 
HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 
The Season. 
January was a month of high winds, much rain, and a high 
temperature. It was favourable for feeding, and this has saved 
many stocks of bees which had greatly reduced their stores. 
February has been foggy throughout, with many frosty nights, the 
lowest temperature of the month being 22° Fahrenheit on the last 
day of it. With the exception of a fall of less than 2 inches W0 
escaped the heavy falls of snow experienced elsewhere. Bees' 
carried pollen on two days only, and on the 23rd many of them 
flew out freely. Some hives had more young bees than most of 
them had in June of last year. This augurs well for the future^, 
but we shall have to depart from our usual custom of not feeding- 
early and supply all with plenty of food. We trust none will putr 
off this till it is too late, as owing to the recent low temperature- 
blossoms affording honey will not come much earlier than the usual 
time. 
Stimul.ating Bees. 
Feeding bees in dribblets during the spring months had its originr 
at a very remote period. I doubt not that it might be tor the purpose 
of stimulation, as it was in my early years, but at the same time I 
think economy was the main factor that induced bee-keepers to use* 
the hollow stems of plants or wooden scoops, hollowed by the 
same means as were our ancient canoes. It is no imagination to 
recall the poor workman earning no more than Ts. a week, with 
a wife and family to support, saving from his small earnings 
Is. or 2s. to buy as many pounds of sugar to dole out in small' 
quantities to his three or four hives to preserve the bees alive till 
April flowers afforded the pure nectar. Dismissing these hard times 
from our memory we come to the point, giving our experience 
of what caused us to abandon the system of feeding in dribblets. 
The first year of my bee-keeping was an abundant Heather harvest,, 
the old custom of driving the bees, taking all their honey, and then 
feeding they with syrup was greatly practised, as was also feed¬ 
ing in small quantities. The spring following found some of my 
hives still weighty with honey, while others were light, just in the 
right order for stimulating, which with the zeal of a youth and a 
beginner I carried out to the letter, expecting early swarms ; but 
in every case I was defeated, the unfed ones everywhere taking- 
the lead, and proved the most profitable, and I have witnessed' 
nothing since to alter (to me, and I hope to all others) a now 
stereotyped opinion. 
The Hiving of Bees 
This was then as well understood as it is at the present day.. 
Read as I may I cannot see that anywhere in the world the 
management of bees was studied and so well understood as in the 
west of Scotland. My first swarm hived on a bough of an Apple 
tree 6 feet from the ground, and unaided, and without a veil or 
any protection, I shook the bees into the hive, and quick as 
thought drew a cloth over them and inverted to the proper posi¬ 
tion. When guides of comb were placed in the hive the bees 
were caught on a sheet, and the hive placed over them. When 
hived in a thicket driving into an empty hive by the aid of 
smoke had to be resorted to. Carbolic acid is more efficient, 
speedier, and better lu every way. 
Punic Bees. 
From what “ A. H. B. K.” has said at pages 184-5 it appears 
we do not in a great measure differ in our opinions. It is to him 
alone I am indebted for the Punic bees, and I was glad to read that 
they are not more liable than others to excessive propolising.. 
Many modern constructed hives favour this, which in addition to 
its disagreeable nature is an absolute waste of time, which the 
bee-keeper can to a great extent prevent. The Punic bees with me 
have gathered more pollen this spring than any other variety 
has done, and as to their hardy nature I can corroborate all 
“A. H. B. K.” says about them. I have not observed more than 
fifty dead bees, both hives included, which is about the average of 
the whole of my hives. I observe the Carniolians almost free from 
mortality, the highest number of dead being three bees only. 
From the appearance of the Punic bees I am in high hopes they, 
will prove themselves to be all that has been described. I have. 
