April 7,1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
£79 
Mignonette .—Where plants trained as standards on trellises are re¬ 
quired by the end of October, sow the seed at once. Two-inch pots 
perfectly clean should be drained and filled with a mixture of good loam, 
leaf mould one-third, one-seventh of cow manure passed through a sieve 
and sand. A few seeds may be sown in the centre of each, covered with 
fine soil, and the pots placed in a temperature of 60°. Under these con¬ 
ditions' the seed will quickly germinate, and when large enough the best 
plant may be selected and the others pulled out. If pyramids are re¬ 
quired, the seed may be scattered thinly over the surface of the pots and 
four plants selected, one in the centre for leading upright, and the re¬ 
mainder near the side of the pot. One plant will make a good specimen 
in a season, but four will make a larger one in less time. From the pre¬ 
sent time there should be an abundant supply of fine spikes, if plants 
have been wintered well. Arrange those on trellises on a stage contain¬ 
ing moisture-holding material, for on a dry stage or in dry atmospheric 
conditions the foliage will not long retain its green, healthy appearance. 
Be careful that these plants, in whatever stage of growth they may be in, 
do not suffer by an insufficient supply of water at their roots. All that 
have been in their pots since last spring should have a little artificial 
manure ap lied to the surface at intervals of a fortnight. Clear soot 
water is very beneficial, and may be given every alternate time water is 
needed. Those in 6-inch pots in frames must have abundance of air on 
all favourable occasions to insure strong sturdy growth, which is the 
secret of large fine spikes of bloom. If the plants are coming forward 
too rapidly to keep up an unbroken supply until plenty can be had from 
outside borders, pinch the whole of the blooms from' them, and induce 
the plants to make fresh growth by keeping them close for ten days or a 
fortnight. 
Rhodanthrx. —To form a succession to those sown some time ago, and 
which are now about an inch high, sow seed at once. Fill the required 
number of 5-inch pots with any moderately light fertile soil, and scatter 
the seeds thinly over the surface, so that the plants will be about half an 
inch apart, cover with light soil, and place the pots in a temperature of 
30° until germination has taken place, when they may be grown in cold 
frames. From seed sown now the plants Wilt be’ready for decoration in 
three months. If a few seeds are sown at intervals of four or five weeks 
until the end of July a good supply of plants suitable for decoration can 
be obtained. 
Staticr Sumoromi. —When well grown this is one of the most serviceable 
annuals for various decorative purposes. We have found that the young 
plants are seriously checked by sowing the seed in a pan, pricking them 
out singly into others, and finally transplanting them into pots. The 
best method of culture is to sow two or three s6eds in the centre of 2-inch 
pots, only just covering the seeds, placing- them in a temperature of 60° 
until the young plants show signs of active growth, when they should 
have intermediate treatment. By the time they have filled the small 
pots with roots they will do in cold frames. This position may "he 
accorded them from the time they are transferred from the small into 
5-inch pots. After potting they should be kept close for a fortnight, and 
then grown cool. From seed sown now beautiful plants will be had 
fit for any purpose by the end of June or early the following month. 
They do well in good loam, one-third leaf mciuld, sand, and one-seventh 
of decayed manure. When first placed iii their largest pots they must 
be very carefully watered. 
: FLOWER GARDEN AND PLEASURE GROUNDS. 
Work in ShnlUbcriex. —Directly it is found'that the ground will work 
fairly well no time should be lost in completing the work of planting, 
transplanting, and thinning out. If a new Shrubbery is formed the site 
ought first to be drained if at all cold anti damp, and then well and 
deeply broken up. A series of holes dug in comparatively solid ground, 
and only just large enough to hold the roots of the trees and shrubs, 
may be the quickest way of forming a plantation, but very rarely 
indeed will trees or shrubs make any real progress under such conditions. 
Where single specimens are planted let the holes be double dug and of 
a much greater diameter than the present spread of roots. None of the 
poor subsoil, especially if it be of clayey nature, should be brought to 
the surface, but it may frequently with advantage be well broken up 
And made more congenial to the roots by the addition of any decayed 
or decaying material. Our old heaps of decayed grass from the mowing 
machines, as well as leaf soil from the woods and shrubberies, are freely 
added to the fresh soil, and this appears to just suit the trees and shrubs. 
A little good -oil ought always to be disposed about the roots of newly 
planted trees, nor should they be buried too deeply or more so than they 
have been previously. In forming new shrubberies present effect only 
ought not to be the principal consideration, but due regard must be paid 
to the habits of the different trees and shrubs. The sites of those 
intended to be permanent should be first staked out, and as these will 
naturally be of the choicest description, the more commonshrubs may 
be employed for filling in the intervening spaces. 
Thinning, -out and 1'ransplanting. —Many shrubberies arc well and 
carefully planned, only to be spoilt by neglect in after years. If left 
just as they were planted the chances are that a confused massof shrubs 
soon results; whereas, if judiciously thinned out before they had 
disfigured each other all round, plenty of good shrubs and trees would 
have been available for planting elsewhere, arid the original shrubbery 
have been greatly improved in appearance. Conifers of all sorts are 
most effective when well separatee! from each other, and not a shrub or 
tree can be named that is not most ornamental when kept just clear of 
its neighbours. For our part we prefer a clear course round all the 
trees and shrubs, this admitting of their assuming handsome proportions, 
each being an■ attractive feature, instead, as it too often happens. 
hying merely a contributor to the medley. These timely thinnings from 
the shrubberies may usually be safely transplanted to any other 
part, of the pleasure ground without the necessity f r employing any 
expensive tree-moving machine. If a trench is, opened at a good dis¬ 
tance from the tree, and well below the principal roots, the soil may 
gradually be forked away from them, the tree undermined and left 
standing on a small pedestal of earth. From this it can readily be slid 
on to a mat or mats, and with these lifted on to trolly, stone, or hand 
barrow, the mats being then well secured round the tree, and the re¬ 
moval soon completed. For a short distance mats for either lifting or 
preserving the roots and soil about them may be dispensed with, and the 
tree be lifted and carried either with a short strong board or a legless 
hand-barrow. It is unwise to attempt to secure a large ball of soil 
about the roots, as this is apt to drop away wholesale, carrying some of 
the best roots with it. Save as many roots as possible, and be content 
with a moderate sized ball, from which all unoccupied surface soil has 
been carefully forked away, the under side being also made as flat as 
possible. No tree should be dragged out of the ground, but after being 
well undermined they will slide readily on to the mats or boards, from 
which they may again be safely slipped off to where they are to remain. 
All bruised portions of roots to be cut away, and all broken ends will 
heal more quickly and surely if trimmed with a sharp knife just prior 
to their being disposed in good fresh soil. A small tree or shrub may be 
frequently lifted by two or three men, each having a strong fork well 
inserted in a sloping direction under it, and all lifting together a good 
ball and plenty of roots are secured. At this time of year very few 
transplanted trees require to be watered, the soil of the ball, as well 
as that of the fresh site, usually being quite wet enough. All, however, 
are benefited, by mulchings of Strawy manure, liberal soakings of soft 
water being given early in the summer of before the trees flag from 
drought. 
' Rigging among the Shrubberies should be an annual proceeding. Only 
the surface ought to be skimmed over, or onty just sufficient to bury 
weeds and leaves, this really benefiting the'trees and improving the 
appearance of the shrubberies. Where the ground is thickly covered it 
may be a difficult matter to dig the ground, but as the leaves are con¬ 
stantly blowing out or are scratched out by birds, these should be raked 
together and buried, and the borders only dug. When Portugal and 
common Laurels and Aucubas do not Cover the ground so’well as wished 
for, many of the branches may be pegged down to the-ground, where 
fliey soon strike root and spread. Plenty of useful plants may be pro¬ 
pagated-in this way. We do not advise digging among beds of Rhodo¬ 
dendrons, these being more surface-rooting than many other shrubs. 
p. ■» . _ A —.i.i 1 . i’. |. i-7 t-~ 7~ i . i . 
4® 
14 
m 
IE BEE-KEEPER. 
. ... .... fr11 E standard frame. 
At pages 239, 240, “ Felix” touches upon the “ Standard ” and 
“Woodbury” frame. He says, regarding the former, “In several 
respects the frame might be improved,” &c., but does not say in 
what respect it should be so. There can be little doubt that frames 
of one size and sort in any apiary have advantages, but other people 
having frames of a different size from the standard are not put to 
any disadvantage thereby, therefore let every person use the frame 
that suits his fancy best. For my own part I would not put bees 
into a hive having standard frames, nor would I advise anyone to 
adopt them, for the following reasons :—First, because those who 
originally proposed to have a standard frame did so for their own 
benefit and not that of the public ; secondly, since the standard 
frame was first adopted many have made an attempt to break 
through the rule ; thirdly, there is a movement at present amongst 
the promoters to have it altered ; fourthly, I read somewhere lately 
of one of the largest bee-keepers in England speaking unfavourably 
of the standard frame. I cannot recall who it was, but think it was 
Mr. Simmins. The objection he had to it was the same as I have— 
viz., the top bar was too light, which upon the slightest pressure, 
accidentally or otherwise, yielded, and if the comb was filled with 
honey, it was sure to run, and in all probability ruin the hive, espe¬ 
cially if the comb gave way under a high temperature. The top 
bar is not only too thin but it is too narrow, exposing by far too 
much of the combs, not allowing the bees a proper breadth to attach 
their combs ; besides, when a hive of that sort is wholly exposed on 
the top, the bees are commonly more infuriated and liable to sting 
the operator. 
There is still another objectionable point with these narrow 
frames—they are by many kept too close together, ten being crushed 
into a space that Nature allows for nine. I remember when tl e 
late Mr. T. W. Woodbury adopted that plan, a hive so arranged was 
sent by him to Scotland. I saw the hive and inspected it, and the 
bees sent in it, and so persistently had the bees striven to adhere 
to their instincts, they had gradually swelled the inner combs 
outward until the outer ones were so hampered for room that they 
were neither fit fpr storing honey nor for brood. Of all parts of 
the hive the top bar should be of a proper strength and width. 
