September 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
y05 
nes9 of rubble, largest at the bottom and smallest at the top, and if a 
covering be placed on of old mortar rubbish freed from all bits of wood, 
it will make all secure and be a source of calcareous matter. A drain 
below the rubble must be provided to carry off all water, and it must 
have proper fall and outlet. Strong loam is most suitable. If inclined 
to be light add a fourth of clay marl as fine as practicable; if very 
strong add a fourth of road scrapings, and in any case a tenth of old 
mortar rubbish, taking care to remove laths and other pieces of wood. 
A cartload of wood ashes may be added to every ten cartloads of the 
compost, with about 2 cwts. of crushed bones and a similar amount of 
basic slag or Thomas’ phosphate powder. The whole well incorporated 
should be put in the border firmly, and the roots, after having any 
fibreless portions shortened with a knife, must be spread out evenly 
over the bed, placing them in layers, and all within the top foot depth 
of the border, the topmost roots not being covered deeper than 
3 inches. The border need not be more than 24 inches deep, and in no 
case wider than the width or height of the trellis. A good watering 
will be needed to settle the soil about the roots. The shading must 
remain on if the weather be bright, and afford ventilation by the top 
lights only, syringing the foliage lightly in the morning and afternoon 
until it is seen that the roots are working in the fresh compost, when 
the shading may be removed and the house opened. Trees so treated 
rarely cast their buds, the fiowers set well—indeed, the operation of 
lifting is the only method of successfully treating trees in an unsatis¬ 
factory condition from root causes. 
Cucumbers.—The plants for winter fruiting must be in their places 
by the middle of October to insure a good supply at Chistmas and 
onwards. Keep them near the glass to insure a sturdy growth, not 
allowing them to become root-bound. See that the fermenting material 
is in a due course of preparation if any is to be employed for bottom 
heat, and make certain of the heating apparatus being in proper order. 
A bottom heat of 85° to 90° will be safe, but the latter temperature 
should not be exceeded ; if from hot-water pipes a bottom heat of 80° 
to 85° is sufficient. As there are so many failures with winter Cucum¬ 
bers through disease, it will be necessary to take proper precautions 
in the way of thorough cleanliness and choice of soil. Turfy loam of a 
light nature is best cut about 3 inches thick, or less, with the turf, 
and this baked in an oven or on an iron plate over an improvised 
furnace formed of loose bricks, being careful not to bake it to a cinder, 
but only to destroy fungoid germs and nematoid worms, a temperature 
of 212° being sufficient. The eelworms are generally located in the 
decayed parts of the herbage, and that part should be placed on the hot 
place, and when heated through so that hand cannot be held on the soil 
side it is cooked enough. This will not injure the compost in the least, 
while it will certainly kill eelworms, and though somewhat troublesome 
is far the best of preventives, as acids render the soil more or less sterile 
for a time, and mineral salts have a tendency to induce grossness in 
the plants. 
A tenth part of freshly slaked lime mixed with loam is also an 
excellent means of avoiding eelworm, and 2 ozs. of kainit mixed with 
one-third of a yard of soil, or spread the soil out 1 foot deep, and sprinkle 
2 ozs. of kainit on square yard of surface, and mix thoroughly. About 
a third of old mortar rubbish may be added, especially if there is a 
tendency in the loam to produce gumming in the plants or fruits, and 
this more particularly applies when the loam is of a very fibrous or peaty 
nature. If the loam be rather heavy add grit or road drift, and put it 
together rather firmly so as to induce a sturdy growth. Sulphate of 
iron quarter of an ounce per square yard of bed surface is said to 
strengthen the plants against fungoid attacks, and even against eelworms, 
but eelworms care very little for sulphates, and iron sulphate is of 
small consequence to fungi in such infinitesimal doses, Basic slag, 
4 ozi. per square yard of bed, is more potent, as it supplies phosphoric 
acid and lime; the latter acting on nitrogenous matter, converting it 
into nitrate, frustrates the efforts of eelworms, and the plants derive a 
plentiful supply of nutritious food, one that eelworms do not like. 
Manure is best given at the surface, and it should be heated, as advised 
for the turf, before being applied, for that not only kills eelworm, but 
all destructive larvEe and fungoid germs. These may appear troublesome 
processes, but what are they in comparison of a complete failure of the 
Cucumber crop 1 
m BEE-KDBPER 
I . I. I . 1 .-r.-T.-i . I . I ^ -1', I , I . T -1. r. 1.1.1 - I ‘TTi 
APIAEIAN NOTES. 
At the Moors. 
The Heather is now, owing to the dry sunless weather, as 
pretty as it was nearly two months since, when our first bees were 
taken to it. With the exception of three or four full bee working 
days all the others have been merely snatches of a few hours. 
September has been exceptionally warm and fine, still somehow 
the honey flow never was great. The doings of the bees may be 
summed up—less swarming, owing to the untoward August ; full 
sized hives are much heavier than they were in 1893 ; under-sized 
hives of the standard type considerably lighter, with little if any 
surplus ; supers scarce, the bodies of the large hives well filled 
with honey ; prime iwirms from the same from 120 to 150 lbs , 
those having young queens introduced after being hived are by far 
the heaviest. Old queens of a year everywhere show a great short¬ 
ness of honey. 
Punics are iu every instance good, and in the hands of experts 
a first class bee, but neither they nor any of the Eastern races 
will give good results when managed in standard hives. They 
are easily made spiteful at the Heather, which tells against them, 
and unlike Syrians, which leave off every attack shortly after, 
annoy one during the whole day, seemingly never requiring a rest. 
In large hives they do not swarm readily at first, but are inclined 
to throw many after swarms, while the surplus queens are apt to 
enter other hives. 
Carniolans are more liable to send off piime swarms before 
the space at their command is filled, but I prevent this by having 
all hives filled with comb in the autumn. Their mild temper, 
together with their cleanly habits, render them my favourite bees. 
The greatest achievements at the Heather have been made by these 
bees, where nuclei—the ninth size of a full sized hive—have 
gathered enough to tide them over the winter, while crosses 
of these with Punics have two, and in one instance three 
crates of sections filled, in a season far from being favourable to 
honey gathering. 
Since commencing these notes the temperature has become 
lower, with a strong breeze, which will probably stop honey 
gathering, but otherwise putting the bees in condition for moving 
homewards.—A Lanarkshire Bee-keeper. 
Driving Bees. 
As some people still keep bees in straw skeps, and through 
various causes have not taken the honey, no time should now be 
lost in driving the bees. During the past week I have driven 
several stocks, or more correctly speaking, have taken the honey. 
The weather now being much colder, the bees will not leave their 
combs freely, so after a few puffs of smoke, and a sharp rap or two 
on the hive to cause the bees to fill themselves with honey, the hive 
is turned up and the cross sticks withdrawn, the combs being then 
taken out and the bees brushed off into ihe hive, the whole 
operation taking but a few minutes to perform. The bees should 
then be left till evening, when they may be removed to their 
permanent stand, two or three lots of driven bees being put together. 
Young queens should be kept in preference to old ones, and if 
a person is not an adept at finding the queen the bees will soon settle 
the matter by killing all surplus ones. If the bees are sprinkled 
with a little thin syrup it will prevent their fighting. Driven bees 
at this season should be put into frame hives on fully drawn out 
combs. As it is now fully late to use foundation I always keep a 
stock in hand for an emergency ; combs that have been used for 
extracting purposes will do well. Each stock of bees should have 
at least 25 lbs. of thick syrup, and they must be encouraged to 
take it as rapidly as possible, as with a good feeder placed on the 
top of the hive they ought to s cure sufficient in two or three 
nights to last them until the spring. The feeder should be well 
covered to prevent an escape of heat from the body of the hive. 
It is much better to give them an extra supply of syrup in the 
autumn than to run short of stores during the winter, as the less 
bees are interfered with during the cold weather the stronger will 
they come out in the spring.— An English Bee keeper. 
All correspondence should be directed either to “ The 
Editor or to “ The Publisher.” Letters addressed to 
Dr. Hogg or members of the staff often remain unopened 
unavoidably. We request that no one will write privately 
to any of our correspondents, as doing so subjects them to 
uniustifiable trouble and expense. 
Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions 
relating to Gardening and those on Bee subjects, and should 
never send more than two or three questions at once. All 
articles intended for insertion should be written on one side of 
the paper only. We cannot reply to questions through the post, 
and we do not undertake to return rejected communications. 
Unsatisfactory Grapes (//. T. i?.),—The Grapes through lack 
of firm packing arrived iu a miserable state—little more than a mass of 
pulp. There are too abundant evidence! of mildew and soft unripe 
wood. To enable any useful reply being given information is necessary 
on the following points:—1, The approximate age of the Vines. 
