200 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 10, 1887. 
eyes previously referred to, have been plunged in bottom heat they 
should he returned to it for a time, 75° to 80°, but otherwise bottom 
heat is not necessary. Keep them close and moderately moist until they 
are established. Train the canes near the glass, as they cannot have too 
much light, it being important that the growth be solidified as it is 
made. Turfy loam rather rough with a fifteenth part of half-inch 
bones form a suitable compost for Vines in pots. Clean pots and efficient 
drainage of clean crock-'- should always be employed in Vine culture. 
Peaches and Nectarines. — Earliest Forced House.— With the 
fruit stoning the temperature must be kept as equable as possible. Too 
high a night temperature is not favourable to the fruit, and cold 
draughts in the daytime are even more pernicious. The temperature 
should be continued at 60° to 65° at night, and 70° to 75° during the 
day. Thinning the fruit must be seen to betimes, it not being advisable 
to leave during the stoning period more than twice the number of fruit 
that are to be left for a crop. One fruit to a square foot of trellis 
covered by the trees is ample. Nectarines are often left much closer, 
which proportionately lessens their size, whereas to secure fine fruit they 
require the same space as Peaches. See that all the shoots are tied to 
the wires as they progress, stopping any shoots except extensions when 
they have made 12 to 15 inches of growth. If the pinching results in 
laterals stop them at the first leaf. Shoots retained to attract the sap 
to the fruit should be stopped to one leaf, they having previously had 
the first growth at the second or third leaf. Avoid overcrowding, 
syringe morning and afternoon to keep red spider under, but if the pest 
obtain a footing dislodge it by syringing with some approved insecticide 
or a solution of softsoap, 2 ozs. to the gallon of water. In the case of 
trees with the run of outside borders they will still need protection, and 
the inside must be duly supplied with liquid manure in a tepid 
state. 
Second Early House .—-Disbudding and tying-in must be proceeded 
with, the disbudding requiring to be done gradually. Some kinds have 
twin fruit, notably Noblesse and G-rosse Mignonne. Remove all such. 
The blossoms in most instances have set very thickly this year so far, 
and upon a shoot of 9 to 12 inches in length are a dozen or more fruit, 
which should be thinned so soon as the blossoms are cast, removing the 
smallest fruit, that on the under side of the branches and the badly placed, 
leaving three to five on a branch of the length named, which are reduced 
to two or three when of the size of marbles, and afterwards to one, 
though two may remain if there be a deficiency in other parts of the tree. 
When the fruit is of the size of Walnuts increase the temperature to 55° 
to 00° at night, 60° to 65° by day from fire heat, and 75° from sun heat. 
If brown aphides appear fumigate on two consecutive nights, being 
careful to have the foliage dry, or the leaves will be blistered. 
Late Houses .—Houses that have, the lights off have the trees in no 
more than a swelled bud state, but houses with fixed lights have the 
trees with the buds expanding or expanded. In the first case the lights 
need not be put on until the middle of the month, but the latter will need 
to have syringing discontinued when the blossoms are fully expanded, 
or before, but the floors, &c., damped morning and afternoon, leaving a 
little air on constantly at the top of the house, employing as little lire 
heat as possible, but after the stamens appear a certain amount of warmth 
is needed, as we find that when the flowering extends over a consider¬ 
able time that the blossoms do not set well; therefore, after the blossoms 
open maintain an artificial temperature of 55°, 40° to 45° at night in 
severe weather, 50° to 55° by day artificially, with a free circulation of 
air, advancing to 65° with sun. In the case of weak trees having a 
superabundance of blossom it will be advisable to remove those flowers 
from the under side or back of the shoots, as the trees may be against 
front or back trellises. Keep the borders in a thoroughly moist 
state. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Clerodendron Balfourianum .—Plants that were grown from cuttings 
last season should by this date have had a good period of rest. Four or 
five stakes about 1 foot high may be placed round the sides of the 6 or 
7-inch pots in which they were grown, leaving the stakes slightly wider 
at the top than the base. Round these the plants may be trained, and 
when they come into bloom they will be shapely specimens suitable for 
the side stages of the conservatory or any other structure. They should 
be flowered in the same pots in which they were grown, the surface soil 
being removed, and equal parts of loam and manure supplied. These 
will soon break into growth in a temperature of 65°. Soak them with 
tepid water and syringe twice daily. Directly they start into growth 
give an application of Standen’s or Clay’s fertiliser, which may be 
repeated at intervals of about a fortnight. Do not keep plants intended 
for successional purposes in too low a temperature. They will be safe 
in a temperature of 55°. When they have been flowered convey them 
to the rubbish heap, for it is much better to grow plants annually from 
cuttings than to retain them a second year. Good cuttings from the 
earliest started plants will now be plentiful, and if taken with a sharp 
knife where they issue from the old wood will root quickly in sandy soil 
in the propagating frame or under a bellglass where the temperature 
ranges about 65°. Sow a little seed of C. fallax, and introduce a few of 
last year’s plants that have been rested in heat. Insert cuttings singly 
in 3-inch pots of C. fragrans. To flower this variety freely and quickly 
the plants must be restricted at their roots, therefore grow them close 
to the glass, but do not repot them. 
Panicum variegatum .—A good number of cuttings should now be 
rooted for various decorative purposes. For grouping, plants in 3-inch 
pots are most suitable, but for hanging round the side stages of the 
stove a number may be placed together in 5-inch pots. In this size 
they will develope to a large size and reach the ground by midsummer 
The cuttings will strike freely and quickly in a close frame in brisk 
heat. 
Selaginella cassia .—For association with the Panicum few plants are 
more beautiful. The general stock may now be introduced into brisk 
heat, where they will quickly start into growth. When they have grown 
a few inches high they may be divided and potted. Whatever size pot 
the Panicum may be grown in the same should be used for this plant, 
or even a size larger. They will do well in loam and one-third leaf 
mould with plenty of coarse sand added, or fine peat may be used in the 
place of the leaf mould. 
Gloxinias .—Those started some time ago in pans and boxes amongst 
leaf mould may now be potted singly. The pots to be used for these 
plants depends entirely upon the size of the tubers. If stage room is 
limited and the flowers are required principally for cutting, place them 
in pans through which three holes have been bored so that they can be 
suspended from the roof. It is surprising how well they do in this way 
in a warm moist structure. Care must be taken not to wet their foliage 
when syringing. Other tubers may be started in the same way as pre¬ 
viously advised. 
Tydceas .—Many of the plants of such kinds as Madame Heine will 
be going out of flower. Insert the cuttings in sandy soil in pans, so 
that the whole of the old plants may be thrown away. They will strike 
quickly in the propagating box. If cuttings are scarce cut back a 
number of plants, and in a few weeks they will be plentiful. Cuttings 
rooted now will be too early for flowering at this period another year, 
but when inserted thickly together in pans they do not take up so much 
room as a number of old plants standing about. These plants can be 
topped again in June and then grown on for flowering, while those in 
the pans can be thrown away. 
Coleuses .—Where many of these are required for conservatory de¬ 
coration in the best of condition as early as possible, they should lie 
struck without delay. Insert the cuttings singly in small pots, and 
place them on a shelf in a warm house. 
Gentropogon Lucignus .—Those that flowered early in the stove will 
now have produced good cuttings from last year’s shoots where the 
plants were not cut close back after flowering. Take the cuttings with 
a heel and insert in sand. Give a good watering, and place the pots on 
a shelf close to the glass, but shade from the sun, and they will root 
much better than in the propagating box. The last position is too close 
arid confined for them, and they are very liable to damp, which will not 
be the case on a shelf. Cuttings of Linum trigynum will now be plen¬ 
tiful. These will root with certainty in the propagating frame, and as- 
soon as sufficient are rooted throw away the old plants. 
Poinsettias .—Those that flowered early in the stove, and have since 
been resting, may now be introduced into heat. Soak the soil with 
tepid water and syringe freely, and they will soon break into growth 
and produce cuttings. 
Amaryllises .—Plants raised from seed sown about August and wintered 
in pans may now be potted singly into 2-inch pots in light fertile soil. 
Grow these close to the glass in a temperature of 60° to 65°. They 
grow and develope rapidly under stove treatment, and in two years 
will produce bulbs large enough to flower. Those who did not sow seed 
then may sow some at once. 
w 
HE BEE-KEEPER. 
PRACTICAL BEE-KEEPING. 
No. 5. 
Hives and appliances now demand our attention. We 
must consider the most useful hive for profitable manage¬ 
ment, and also mention what may be called the absolutely 
necessary appliances in an apiary conducted upon the lines 
which we purpose to lay down as a guide to those who are 
willing to follow our advice rather than that of more 
advanced bee-keepers, who, regarding the interest of those 
who have large apiaries, seem, unconsciously perhaps, 
to disregard the position of those who are able to keep 
but a few stocks on an easy system of management. The 
skep still deserves attention as maintaining a very high posi¬ 
tion in all well- conducted apiaries. The most suitable size 
for a skep appears to be, taking one locality with another, 
18 by 12 inches inside measurement. Such a hive must 
be stocked with either one large or two smaller swarms of 
bees either during May or June, or in the autumn, accord¬ 
ing to the directions which will be given in a future 
