S8i 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 12, 1887. 
for forcing again next season. Although forcing every alternate year 
only is advised, the future well-being of the plants depend in a veiy 
large measure upon the treatment accorded them after flowering. 
Deutzia gracilis. —As these cease flowering encourage them after they 
are cut back to make a strong luxuriant growth indoors. The late as 
well as the early plants will do well in late Peach houses or vineries 
where the roof is not yet shaded with foliage. Top-dress with rich 
material if needed, and feed with weak stimulants all that are in pots 
crammed with roots. 
in a week. Early in June, if previously topped, they will have become: 
strong plants, and after being duly hardened ofi may be transplanted 
direct to the beds. Iresines and Coleuses we invariably strike late, ami 
in the same manner as advised in the case of Verbenas, and thousands- 
of strong Alternantheras are similarly obtained. The latter .are usually 
cut off the old plants in a wholesale manner, and dibbled out on the 
slight hotbed without any time being wasted in trimming them. Mari¬ 
golds. Tagetes, Ricinuses, variegated Maize, and Sunflowers may yet be 
raised from seed, late plants frequently surpassing those raised early. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN AND PLEASURE GROUND3. 
Commencement of Bedding-out. —There are several hardy or nearly 
hardy plants that may now be transferred to their summer quarters, this 
both liberating pots, boxes, and frames, and also lessening the amount of 
work to be performed in June. The beds being unoccupied with spring¬ 
flowering plants, these may be properly levelled, and many of them 
edged with Echeveria secunda glauca, Sempervivum californicum, 
Cerastium tomentosum, Alyssum variegatum, Antennaria tomentosa, 
Arabis alpina variegata, Arabis lucida variegata, Variegated Thyme, 
Pyrethrum aureum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca glauca, Stachys lanata, 
and Violas. When the Echeverias are largely employed these should be 
raised well above the level of the turf and faced outwards. They ought 
to be planted very evenly, though no kind of puddle or clay mixture is 
necessary to keep them in position. They are best planted with a 
dibble, nothing in the shape of a ball being needed. If they have been 
previously grown in a frame and not well exposed to the sunshine it is 
advisable to lightly protect them ior a time with branches of ever¬ 
greens, this also preserving them from frost. Next these, and about 
3 inches from them, may be dibbled a line of Golden Pyrethrums, these 
being very effective together, or later on dwarf Lobelias, Alternantheras, 
neat plants of Golden Thyme or other dwarf plants may be substituted. 
A neat edging may be formed with the Cerastium, old plants being 
pulled to pieces and planted rather deeply and neatly. The Antennaria 
divides very readily and makes a very neat edging, or may be used for 
filling in the groundwork of a carpet bed design ; small pieces do better 
than larger bunches. Every little piece of Sedum glaucum will grow, 
and if disposed about 2 inches apart each way will soon cover the ground. 
This and the green Sedum lydium are also useful for the groundwork of 
carpet beds. For a similar purpose Mentha gibraltarica, Herniaria 
glabra and its golden sport, Pyrethrum Tchihatchewi. and Veronica 
repens are available, and all may be freely divided and dibbled in at the 
present time. The Arabises should also be divided and replanted, and 
are effective for edging or carpet beds. For larger beds the two Grasses 
Dactylis glomerata and Festuca glauca are suitable edging, and these 
ought to be split up and replanted, and similar treatment should be 
given to the old Stachys lanata. Young plants of Violas wintered with 
slight protection are preferable for summer bedding, but failing these 
the.old plants may be freely split up. It must be done at once, and the 
divisions rather deeply planted in well manured soil, as when planted on 
poor ground they fail badly in hot weather. They are most effective 
when planted in mixture with either silver, bronze, or golden variegated 
Pelargoniums and edged with a broad band of Iresine Herbsti or 
Lindeni. 
Late Bedding-out,. — Owing to the lateness of the various spring- 
flowering plants now in the beds, much of the summer bedding-out will 
in many cases be necessarily late. This being so, extra pains must be 
taken to keep the plants in a growing state, or otherwise they will after 
planting be much slower in arriving at a healthy or ornamental state. 
Zonal Pelargoniums will now be worked out into the open, some pro¬ 
vision being made to protect them from late frosts. A little liquid 
manure will not be thrown away on these, as well as Lobelias, Verbenas, 
Calceolarias, and other plants in pots. We prefer to put out the Cal¬ 
ceolarias on shallow beds of decayed manure placed on a hard bottom, a 
layer of soil being placed on the surface. Thus treated they do not 
get starved, and may be readily transplanted with large balls of soil 
and roots in the hottest weather. Lobelias and Ageratums are also best 
somewhat similarly treated. Crowded in pans and boxes they soon spoil 
each other, whereas if bedded-out in any kind of rough frames they 
soon become fine strong plants. If Stocks, Asters, Marigolds, Zinnias, 
and other annuals are crowded and cannot be planted out by the end of 
May, these also may well be given more room in temporary frames or on 
warm borders, where they can be slightly protected. Many of the sub¬ 
tropical plants, notably Solanums, Cannas, Ricinuses, Amaranthuses, 
Tobacco, V igandias, and Acacias, if long kept in small pots soon receive 
a severe check ; and to avoid this and its consequent disfigurement a 
number of them, or as many as required, ought to be shifted into fi-incli 
pots. Any good loamy soil will suit them, and they ought to be kept 
growing in a cool house or frame. On no account should the more 
delicate Iresines, Coleuses, and Alternantheras be stood out before the 
end of the month, as even if protected from frost, cold heavy rains will 
yet greatly injure them. Once badly crippled they are a very long time 
in recovering. 
Late Propagating. —Those who fear they have an insufficiency of 
bedding plants may yet propagate a quantity, and sometimes these late 
struck plants do better than others raised much earlier. After the 
Verbenas are placed in cold frames they frequently form much healthier 
growth, and we have frequently taken ofi hundreds of tops early in 
May and struck them. For this work a mild hotbed is best, over this 
being placed a thin layer of fine sandy soil. Little or no trimming is 
necessary, and the cuttings being dibbled in about 3 inches apart each 
way, watered, kept close, and shaded from bright sunshine, w'ill strike 
1 
he bee-keeper. 
i) 
PRACTICAL BEE-KEEPING. 
No. 10. 
An expert manipulator is not necessarily a great 
bee-master, but a great bee-master must necessarily be 
an expert manipulator. To be able to manipulate skil¬ 
fully is always a great assistance. It is only when this- 
power is abused that the mischief is caused, evidence of 
which may be so often seen in most localities. To be an 
expert manipulator a man must have confidence in him¬ 
self. If he has that confidence he will easily learn to 
perform all the operations which necessity demands. If 
lie does not possess that quality he will have to acquire 
it in addition to learning the mere mechanical part of 
manipulation. How many possessors of a stock of bees- 
have been deterred from becoming bee-keepers by the 
pain of a sting? Most of us can remember in our earlier 
experience a time when our enthusiasm w r as somewhat 
damped by a judicious use of the sting on the part of our 
favoui ites! I remember very well receiving my first 
sting; the pain was intense and the swelling great, and 
for a time the truth of a saying which I had perhaps not 
hitherto realised was forcibly brought home to me— 
“Never a Rose without a thorn.” Some bee-keepers 
decry the use of veil and gloves. I advise all who are for 
the first time in any way interfering with bees to put on 
both veil and gloves, and the veil must never be dispensed 
with in difficult manipulations, even when great skill has 
been acquired. Gloves may be cast on one side after the 
operator feels that he is able to dispense with their 
services. 
In the home apiary a wire veil is most useful. In 
windy weather the light thin gauzy veils are often blown 
to the face and neck, and give an angry bee just the 
opportunity it requires. Mr. Cheshire in “Bees and 
Bee-keeping” relates an experiment he made with 
“ methyl salicylate ” at Rottingdean, which seems to be 
conclusive evidence that a few drops of this methyl, or as 
it is most commonly called “ oil of Winter Green,” rubbed 
over the hands, is of itself an absolute protection from, 
stings, even when bees are in their worst moods and have 
not been prepared by the use of smoke or any of the other 
usual agents for manipulation. This methyl costs about 
Is. an oz., and may be tried by all who desire in this way 
to secure—judging from this experiment—a practical 
immunity from stings. In any case, however, whether 
we use gloves or this oil or nothing, the greatest care 
must be taken for the sake of the bees not to do any¬ 
thing to enrage them. It is a very common fault to give 
too much smoke; caution is requisite whatever the agent 
used may be, because the more that w r e smoke or other¬ 
wise frighten the bees the more they are injured and the 
greater the loss of time caused and consequent loss of 
honey and profit. A very little smoke is necessary. 
Again, a quilt must never be snatched from a hive in 
a hurried manner, but each frame must be uncovered 
