March 24, 18*7. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
239 
(rive them more root-room when necessary ; ilo not allow them to branch 
into many leading stems, and they need not be forced too rapidly. The 
whole of the plants intended for open air culture should be advancing 
now, and a good supply of Laxton’s open air variety would be found 
most useful in all parts of the country. 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Peaches and Nectarines. — Early ILouses .—The weather lately 
has been of the most wintry character, and if the protection of the out¬ 
side borders has not been attended to they will have been chilled by the 
snow, which is certain to result in a check to the trees. Though the 
weather may be favourable there is yet danger of sudden frost and snow 
falling, therefore see that the protection is sufficient. In the earliest 
house the stoning process will soon be completed, when the final thinning 
of the fruit must be effected ; then see that the inside border is kept 
thoroughly watered, mulching the surface with partially decomposed 
manure 1 j to 2 inches thick, and the night temperature may be raised to 
6S or 70°, 70° to 75° in the daytime by artificial means, and 80° to 85° 
or 90° from sun heat. Still attend to tying in the shoots as they advance, 
regulating them so as not to be too crowded, as by giving the young 
shoots plenty of room the ripening fruit receives more sun for colouring, 
and the wood becomes more solidified and better ripened for another 
year. 
Succession HuUses. —In these the routine will now be the thinning 
of the fruit where too thickly set, first removing those that are badly 
placed. This should be done gradually, as also should disbudding, com¬ 
mencing early, and persisting with it until no more shoots are left than 
will be required for furnishing the bearing wood of another season, or 
what is necessary for attracting the sap to the fruit, and for furnishing 
the trees that are extending. There must not be any lack of water at 
the roots of Peach and Nectarine trees in any stage of their growth, 
therefore be not deceived by the surface appearing moist, but afford 
water as required to keep the soil in a thoroughly moist state. Syringe 
thoroughly in all houses morning and afternoon except when the trees 
arc in blossom, in which case maintain a gentle fire heat in dull weather 
so as to admit of moderate ventilation, as a. circulation of rather warm 
(7)0° to 55°) dry air is conducive to a good set. If there are evaporation 
troughs keep them filled with liquid manure when the fruit is swelling 
freely after it has been thinned. This practice and sprinkling the 
borders occasionally at closing time with guano water, 1 lb. to 20 gallons 
of water, will assist in keeping red spider in check. Mildew sometimes 
infests the fruit and foliage, in which case flowers of sulphur must be 
applied to the infested parts. Aphides must be kept under by fumigation, 
having the foliage dry, and being careful not to give an overdose. 
Late Houses. —The trees are in capital condition. The buds are only 
swelling in the case of trees from which the roof lights have been with¬ 
drawn, neither the wood nor buds having suffered in the least, but those, 
the roof-lights of which are fixed, are in a more forward state, and will 
need a genial warmth—enough at night to exclude frost, and in the 
daytime a temperature of 50° with ventilation, to insure well-developed 
flowers. This is essential to a good set after the anthers show clear of 
the corolla. Unheated houses should be very freely ventilated in bright 
weather, and some scrim canvas drawn over the roof when the sun is 
powerful will do much to retard the flowering, whilst its employment at 
night will insure safety from f r ost. 
Vines.— Early Houses. — Colouring will be proceeding in the early 
forced houses. With a view to insure well-swelled berries, afford a 
thorough supply of tepid liquid manure, and mulch at once with 2 or 
:S inches thickness of partially decayed rather lumpy manure. Nothing 
answers so well as stable litter having the strawy portion shaken out. 
This will mostly be sufficient for the Vines until the Grapes are cut, and 
the stimulus given the roots will secure healthy foliage, its retention 
being essential to prevent premature growth. Still continue damping 
at closing time for Black Hamburghs until they are well advanced in 
colouring, after which reduce the moisture gradually, not failing to 
Huintain a circulation of warm air day and night. Those fortunate 
enough to have a house of Madresfield Court, which is an excellent 
early and midseason Grape for home and market, will add to the mulch¬ 
ing advised a 8-inch thickness of clean dry straw, or preferably rough 
ch >pped straw, and exclude water from the house after the Grapes show 
a decided change of colour, securing a circulation of warm air con¬ 
stantly. Treated in this way it does not crack. It is superb in bunch, 
berry, and finish, and the quility unequalled by any except Muscat of 
Alexandria. 
Succession Houses. —Disbud ling, shopping, and tying the shoots will 
need attention, not allowing this work to fall into arrear. Stop two 
joints beyond the fruit where the space is somewhat restricted, allowing 
four or five where there is spa^e for that extension, and allow the 
laterals to extend, so as to insure an even spread of foliage having ex¬ 
posure to light, avokling overcrowding. After the space is occupied 
keep the growths stopped, as large reductions of foliage at one time are 
very prejudicial. On no account allow the thinning to remain undone 
a day longer than is necessary to ascertain the best set bunches. Free- 
setting varieties, such as Black Hamburgh, may be thinned as soon as 
the berries are formed ; but Muscats and other shy setters ought not to 
l>e thinned until the properly fertilised berries are taking the lead. No 
rule can be laid down for thinning, as the size of the berries varies in 
different Vines of the same variety. Healthy, strong Vines swell off 
much finer berries than those that are not so vigorous ; but space should 
be left, so that each berry will have room to swell without wedging #r 
crushing. Yet they must be close enough to retain the form of the 
bunch when placed upon the dish. Vines in flower should have a cir¬ 
culation of warm rather dry air, and a temperature of 65° to 70° at 
night for Black Hamburgh and similar sorts, and 70° to 75° for Muscats. 
The latter and similar shy setters should be brushed over with a camel’s 
hair brush, so as to rid the stigmas of the glutinous substance about 
the time the blossom is fully expanded, choosing a warm part of the 
day after the house has been rather freely ventilated. Varieties defi¬ 
cient of pollen should have it applied, collecting it from those that 
afford it freely. When the Grapes have been thinned and are fairly 
swelling supply tepid water or liquid manure, and mulch with rather 
fresh lumpy manure a couple of inches thick, kept moist by dampii g 
daily, especially at closing time. Admit air early and liberally as the 
heat increases, seeking to secure stout short-jointed wood and thick 
leathery foliage. Close early, with plenty of atmospheric moisture, 
raising the heat from the sun to 85° to 90°, and allow the night tempera¬ 
ture to fall to between 00° and 05°. 
Late Houses .—If started as previously advised the Vines will be 
swelling their buds. Ply the syringe freely ’twice a day, or more if 
needed, seeking to secure a good break by closing the house with a genial 
humid atmosphere at a temperature of 75°. The sap rushing to the 
upper part of the rods will often cause the eyes to break unevenly, 
especially young Vines, unless the canes be brought into a horizontal 
position for a time. Let the inside borders be brought into a thoroughly 
moist condition. The outside borders must have sufficient protective 
material to prevent chill from snow and frost. A few inches thickness 
of stable dung freed of the rougher portions of straw is sufficient. 
Being lumpy, it will admit of the free access of the sun’s warmth, and 
of rain and air. 
We would again urge the importance of starting late varieties of 
Grapes without delay, as a longer period of growth is mostly all that is 
needed to produce good-sized and highly finished fruit and such as 
possess good keeping qualities. Syringe the rods several times a day, 
maintaining a moist atmosphere by damping the borders, &c., every even¬ 
ing, but not the Vines, as they should become dry at least once in the 
twenty-four hours. It is decidedly advantageous to cover the inside 
borders with fresh stable litter. Night temperature 50° to 55°, and 65° 
by day from sun. 
Late houses of Black Hamburghs may be allowed to break naturally, 
it sufficing if the Grapes are thinned by early June and the fruit ripened 
in late September. Ripened early they are liable to lose colour and 
quality by hanging, which is not peculiar to Hamburghs but to all 
black Grapes with thin skins, though none lose colour so badly as Ham¬ 
burghs. 
PRACTICAL BEE-KEEPING. 
No. 6. 
It lias occurred to me that even now there may be 
some of my readers who do not know the dimensions of 
what is commonly known and spoken of as the “ standard 
frame.” The following is the description given in the 
“British Bee-keeper’s Guide Book,” and it is so concise 
and lucid that it may with advantage be reproduced. 
“ The outside dimensions are 14 inches long by 8^ inches 
deep, the top bar being three-eighths of an inch thick, the 
bottom bar one-eighth of an inch, and the side bars a 
quarter of an inch thick, the width being seven-eighths of 
an inch.” This is the Association standard frame. In 
several respects the frame might he improved, but it is so 
generally used in its present form that I am convinced 
that the wiser policy is to make our frames according to 
these dimensions, and remedy any defects by other means. 
The enormous advantage of having one sized frame almost 
universally used cannot be overrated ! 
The sections which are most generally used and are 
most readily saleable are the one-pound size. The dimen¬ 
sions of these are 4£ by 41 by 2 inches. These may be 
purchased at 11s. fora five-hundred case. This year a 
rage seems to have set in for narrower sections. Any 
one who would like to try a narrower section may pur¬ 
chase a few of the 4t by 41 by 11 inch size. No altera¬ 
tion in either “racks” or “cases” will be necessary. 
The old racks are equally suitable for either size, except 
that when the narrower Gze is used every rack will hold 
| four in a row where it has hitherto held three only. I 
