342 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 28-, 1887. 
wood, leaving those on extensions 15 to 18 inches apart, and allowing 
that distance between the extensions. Train all shoots in then- full 
length as far as space permits. Be careful to retain a shoot on a level 
with or above the fruit to attract the sap to the fruit. This, unless an 
extension, should be pinched at the third leaf, and to each succeeding 
joint of growth. A temperature of about 55° at night will be sufficient, 
and 5° to 10° advance in the daytime. Ventilate freely above 65°. 
Attend to tying-in the shoots so as to give the necessary incline to the 
growths, but avoid close tying, and especially tight tying, being careful 
to allow plenty of room for the swelling of the shoots. Syringe twice 
a day, and be careful not to let the trees lack moisture at the roots. 
Latest Houses .—The trees are in full blossom. The blossom is sure to 
set, as the bees are busy with the flowers, sipping the nectar and brush¬ 
ing the pollen on the stigmas. Enough fire heat must be used to main¬ 
tain a day temperature of 50° to 55° with a little air on top and bottom, 
and at night frost must be kept out, a temperature of 45° being de¬ 
sirable with a little ventilation. Ventilate freely above 55°, and do not 
allow 65° to be exceeded without full ventilation. A genial condition 
of the atmosphere can be secured by damping the borders and other 
available surfaces, but not the trees, in the morning and early afternoon. 
In unheated houses it should be done in the morning only, and not then 
if the weather be dull. The chief thing in these structures is to secure 
a well ventilated atmosphere in the early part of the day, to have the 
border well supplied with moisture, but presenting a somewhat dry sur¬ 
face, and to close before the temperature is much reduced, so as to 
enclose a moderate amount of solar heat. We find that with due regard 
to early ventilation, continuing it until 5 p.m. or later, that on closing 
the walls, &c.,give out heat, and the atmosphere being dry the blossom 
is safe. It is moisture that makes the difference between a good set and 
a bad one, and also between safe and unsafe from frost. Water if 
needed in such structures should be given in the morning of a fine day, 
so that superfluous surface moisture may be dissipated before night. 
Insects .—Aphides and insects infesting fruit trees, forced or other¬ 
wise, come with east winds. Fumigate upon their first appearance. 
Nothing is so disastrous as fumigating when the trees are in blossom, or 
carelessly afterwards. If the houses arc fumigated before the flowers 
expand there will be no trouble during that period, and afterwards the 
appearance of one aphis should be the signal for having the foliage dry, 
and fumigating upon the first calm evening. It must be done carefully, 
or the foliage and fruit will suffer. Better fumigate on two or three 
consecutive evenings than jeopodise the present and a future crop by an 
excessive supply. Nothing reaches aphides so effectually as tobacco 
smoke. If syringing fails to dislodge red spider promptly assail it with 
p.n insecticide. All those advertised are efficacious if care be taken to 
follow the directions. It detests a solution of softsoap, 2 ozs. to the 
gallon, and so does mildew, equally with flowers of sulphur. Apply the 
latter to the part affected with mildew. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN AND PLEASURE GROUNDS. 
Sowing Annua 1 *.—Stocks and Asters of sorts, Zinnias, Diantliuses, 
Phlox Drummondi, Marigolds, and Tagetes are most surely raised under 
glass, but the seed also germinates quickly if sown on the surface of a 
spent hotbed and protected with mats. All the seedlings when in rough 
leaf should be pricked out either in boxes or beds of good light soil and 
protected fora time, being finally transplanted before they have spoilt 
each other. If yellow Calceolarias have failed it is advisable to sow 
seeds oE the miniature African Marigolds and also Tagetes signata 
pumila. These soon grow to a good size in pots or boxes of good soil, 
and are very showy in the beds. Dell’s Crimson Beet is a good substi¬ 
tute for Iresines, and the seed may either be sown thinly in boxes of 
light soil or where the plants are to grow. They transplant readily 
where needed, and an even row is very effective in a ribbon border—say 
at the back of a bronze or yellow-leaved Zonal Pelargonium. Perilla 
nankinensis may yet be sown, and the Zea japonica or Japanese Maize 
can be quickly raised in a little warmth, this beautiful plant being very 
effective either in mixed beds or at the back of broad borders. If Mig¬ 
nonette cannot be raised in the open sow a few seeds in 3-inch pots filled 
with good soil. It will germinate quickly in gentle heat, and the plants 
may be transferred to the borders before they are root-bound. Sweet 
Peas may be soaked for a few hours in water and sown in small pots, and 
from these can eventually be transferred to the mixed borders. This is 
the surest method of raising the many new and beautiful varieties now 
being distributed. Chamaspeuce diacantha and Cassation® raised in 
heat do not always pot off readily, and it is advisable to place the pans 
or pots of seedlings on a greenhouse shelf for a few days prior to potting 
them singly into 3^-inch pots. Seedling Dahlias may be potted off 
singly or pricked out in boxes, from which they transplant readily. 
Antirrhinums and Pentstemons, if not kept too long in the seed pans, but 
are pricked out thinly in boxes of good soil, or in a bed of soil under 
glass, soon grow to a good size, and being duly planted out will flower 
strongly late in the summer. The noble Castor oil Plants can be raised 
from seeds in a few days, and being potted singly into 5-inch pots are 
quite large enough for planting out early in June. The gorgeous 
Poppies, Godetias, Calliopsis. Candytufts, Cornflowers, Clarkias, Chrys¬ 
anthemums, Convolvulus, with Ornamental Grasses, Larkspurs, Linum-, 
Lupines, Eschscholtzias, Mignonette, Sweet Peas, Tropasolums, Virginian 
Stocks, and other half-hardy annuals ought now to be sown in the open 
lwrders. Sow the seed thinly in circular patches, and cover with a little 
fine soil. If the seedlings are at all crowded they should be freely 
thinned out or the display will be a brief one. 
Hardy Biennia's and Pcrcnnia's .—Seedling plants of the border 
Carnations and Picotees give a wonderful profusion of flower, so much 
so in fact as to quite spoil them for a second year. April, or not later 
than the first week in May, is a good time to sow the seed, this being 
done thinly in sandy loamy soil and the pans or boxes stood in very 
gentle heat. The seed will germinate in a cold frame, but we prefer to 
utilise a half-spent hotbed for raising Carnations as well as other plants 
that will be named below. When of good size the seedlings may be 
either pricked out thinly in boxes of good soil or be potted singly. 
When large enough to stand all weathers they are planted in raised beds 
in a sunny position, and there they soon grow into fine stocky plants. 
Pinks are quite as easily raised from seed, and, as far as vigour is con¬ 
cerned, seedlings soon surpass those raised from cuttings or pipings. 
Sweet Williams sown now in a cold frame, and finally planted out 
before they spoil each other, will give a good display next summer ; and 
we also sow hardy Primulas and Polyanthuses late in April, and these 
given the benefit of the shelter of glass are soon strong enough to plant 
out. Alpine Auriculas may also be sown and treated similarly to the 
Primulas. Campanulas medium calycanthema and pyramidalis ought 
to be sown under glass, and the seed only lightly covered with fine soil. 
The seedlings should be first pricked out in boxes and then transplanted 
to the open borders, allowing each plant not less than a foot of ground. 
In the autumn a number of them may be potted up and wintered 
under glass. These can be either flowered in pots, or in the event of 
those left outside being destroyed by very severe frosts, they may be 
planted out again. The first named are the earliest to flower, but both 
are very showy and beautiful. 
PRACTICAL BEE-KEEPING.—No. 9. 
Great mischief is often occasioned in the apiary by 
ill advised stimulative feeding in the early months of 
spring. Stocks properly prepared in the preceding 
autumn do not require any stimulation whatever, unless- 
in very exceptional circumstances, in order to ensure a 
strong surplus populaticn in May. But in spite of every 
effort to show how much may be done one year to ensure- 
success in the succeeding season there will always be 
stocks in every district which, either from wanton neglect 
or mishap in the autumn, are not sufficiently forward in 
the following spring. I have tried stocks side by side for 
the last four years, prepared in the same way at the same 
time; half have been fed gently in spring, the other half 
have been left severely alone. Possibly the former have 
had an advantage of a few days, but as even the latter are- 
ready to work in supers on or about the 25th of April 
there is no great advantage gained, since the honey flow 
does not set in until the last week in April, in securing 
these few extra days, unless we have some particular- 
purpose other than securing the greatest possible amount 
of honey in view. 
To those who have prepared their stocks in autumn I 
would say, “ Do not stimulate ; ” the trouble is consider¬ 
able, the expense is more than trifling, and there is a 
danger of doing great and irreparable injury. In some 
seasons the best and strongest of stocks will be later than 
usual in arriving at the state when they are ready for 
supering, but if the bees are late the flowers and blossoms 
which yield the honey will also be correspondingly late. 
In spring stimulative feeding carefully and judiciously 
carried out does no harm, but this is a very negative 
quality. We, of course, expect some adequate return in the 
increased yield of honey for our labour; but the greatest 
care and attention must be paid to even trifling circum¬ 
stances if actual loss is not to follow our attempts to force 
the queen to extend the brood nest more speed.ly than her 
own instinct or that of the be -s tells her or them is good for 
the stock. After thus warning all those that think that 
stimulative feeding in spring is advantageous, I will proceed 
to show when and how it may be carried on with profit. 
In the month of March a stock is occasionally seen which* 
