April  5,  1900 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER 
29.0 
always  attainable.  Much  may,  however,  be  done  by  a  liberal  and 
constant  supply  of  warm  rather  dry  air,  combined  with  a  rather  low  night 
temperature  of  60°  to  65°,  but  that  in  the  daytime  must  be  well  main¬ 
tained  at  70°  to  75°  from  fire  heat,  and  80°  to  85°  with  sun  heat.  Eed 
spider  usually  makes  its  appearance  on  early  forced  Vines  about  the 
time  of  the  Grapes  commencing  colouring,  and  the  small  colonies  on  the 
under  side  of  the  leaves  must  be  removed  with  a  sponge  moistened 
with  a  solution  of  softsoap,  2  ozs.  to  a  gallon  of  water.  As  a 
preventive  measure  the  hot-water  pipes  may  be  coated  with  a  mixture 
of  sulphur  and  skim  milk.  Care,  however,  must  be  taken  not  to  overdo 
it,  or  the  fumes  will  act  injuriously  on  the  skin  of  the  berries  and  spoil 
their  appearance.  The  sulphur  vapour  is  more  injurious  to  the  skin 
of  white  than  black  Grapes,  Frontignans  and  Muscat  of  Alexandria 
sufi^ering  most. 
Succession  Houses. —  Stop  and  regulate  laterals  so  as  to  secure  an 
even  spread  of  foliage  without  crowding.  Where  there  is  not  room 
for  extension,  it  is  unwise  to  allow  the  growths  to  extend  considerably, 
so  as  to  necessitate  a  large  reduction  of  foliage  at  one  time,  as  this 
results  in  a  check,  which  often  induces  shanking  at  a  later  period. 
Attend  to  thinning  the  bunches  and  berries,  under  rather  than  over¬ 
cropping  the  Vines.  Make  sure  that  the  borders  have  a  due  but  not  an 
excess  of  water.  Vines  swelling  their  fruit  should  have  a  moist  atmo¬ 
sphere,  securing  this  by  damping  the  paths  two  or  three  times  a  day, 
and  if  liquid  manure  be  used  at  the  latest  sprinkling  it  will  improve  the 
Vines  and  act  as  a  check  to  red  spider.  Stable  and  cowhouse  drainings 
diluted  down  to  the  colour  of  mild  ale,  or  an  ounce  of  guano  to  a  gallon 
of  water,  is  sufficiently  strong  for  damping  down  with,  not  using  more 
than  a  4  gallon  canful  to  30J  square  yards. 
Late  Vines. — Disbud  and  tie  out  as  the  growths  require  it.  Close 
the  house  early  in  the  afternoon  with  sun  heat,  and  ample  atmospheric 
moisture  secured  by  damping  the  paths  and  borders.  Vines  that  were 
started  in  March  are  making  rapid  progress,  and  must  receive  every 
encouragement,  but  avoid  hurrying  their  growth  by  a  close  atmosphere 
and  high  night  temperature,  ventilating  judiciously  early  in  the  day 
BO  as  to  secure  sturdy  growth,  short  jointed  wood,  and  well  formed, 
thick,  leathery  leaves. 
Young  Vines. — Last  year’s  planted  canes  will  now  be  breaking 
naturally,  and  when  the  growths  are  fairly  on  the  move  a  little  fire  heat 
will  prove  beneficial,  especially  on  cold  days.  When  the  growths  are 
about  half  an  inch  long,  gradually  remove  those  not  required,  leaving 
the  shoots  for  bearing  or  forming  the  side  growths  or  spurs  not  closer 
than  15  to  18  inches  on  each  side  of  the  cane.  If  fruit  is  taken  crop 
lightly.  One  or  at  most  two  bunches  is  as  much  as  Vines  in  the  first 
year  of  fruiting  should  be  allowed  to  bear,  but  supernumeraries  may 
be  weighted  with  as  much  fruit  as  there  is  a  prospect  of  their  bringing 
to  maturity. 
Tlie  Kitclien  Garden. 
Asparagus. — Cold  frosty  weather  greatly  checked  early  growth, 
especially  where  no  protection  was  given.  The  tender  young  shoots 
are  often  spoilt  by  frost,  when  this  might  have  been  prevented  by 
hovering  strawy  litter  over  the  beds  every  evening,  and  removing  it  in 
the  morning  of  sunny  days.  If  leaf  soil  is  banked  up  round  plants 
grown  thinly  on  the  level,  this  both  protects  and  blanches  the  shoots, 
adding  apparently  to  their  value.  Enough  salt  to  quite  whiten  the 
surface  of  the  beds  acts  as  a  good  manure,  and  further  serves  to  keep 
down  slugs  and  weeds.  In  the  case  of  heavy  clayey  soils  it  is  well  to 
omit  this  dressing  of  salt. 
Planting  and  Sowing  Asparagus. — Planting  is  best  done  in  warm, 
dull  weather.  After  the  top  growth  has  commenced  is  a  good  time  to 
transplant  Asparagus,  and  two-year-old  plants  receive  less  check  in 
removal  than  do  those  older.  Beds  ought  to  be  prepared  in  advance  of 
the  planting  time.  Those  5  feet  wide  are  most  often  met  with.  In  these 
the  plants  are  disposed  in  three  rows,  the  outside  ones  being  1  foot 
from  the  edges.  A  distance  of  IS  inches  apart  is  not  much  to  allow 
between  the  plants.  Prepare  a  small  mound  for  each  plant,  distribut¬ 
ing  the  roots  evenly  round  this,  and  covering  the  crowns  with  fully 
3  inches  of  fine  well  prepared  soil.  On  the  level  the  plants  may  be 
put  out  2  feet  or  more  apart  each  way.  Seeds  may  be  sown 
immediately  that  the  ground  is  in  a  fit  state. 
Seakale. — Late  unforced  but  well  blanched  Seakale  will  be  in  great 
demand  this  spring  owing  to  the  scarcity  of  green  vegetables.  In 
many  cases  the  old  stems  have  been  allowed  to  grow  so  tall  that 
covering  sufficiently  with  ashes,  leaf  mould,  or  ordinary  soil  is  somewhat 
difficult.  This  difficulty  may  be  obviated  another  season  by  cutting 
down  the  long  stems  close  to  the  ground,  doing  this  after  they  have 
had  their  blanched  or  unblanched  top  once  or  twice  cut  off  for  use. 
Seeds  may  be  sown  thinly  in  drills  1  foot  apart,  and  the  seedlings,  if 
the  soil  is  moderately  rich  and  free  working,  will  attain  a  fairly  large 
size  by  the  autumn.  The  better  method  of  propagation,  however,  is  by 
root  cuttings,  these  being  either  started  in  boxes  of  sand  or  soil,  and  a 
gentle  moist  heat,  or  the  cuttings  may  be  inserted  where  the  plants  are 
to  grow. 
Bhuharb. —  If  litter  is  placed  over  the  crowns  to  protect  the  advanc¬ 
ing  stalks  from  cold  winds  and  frost,  it  should  be  hovered  up  occasion¬ 
ally,  or  it  may  do  more  harm  than  good.  Plants  that  have  been 
covered  and  forced  ought  not  to  be  carelessly  exposed  to  all  weathers 
immediately  after  pulling  has  ceased.  After  removing  the  manure 
hover  strawy  litter  over  the  plants  for  a  time.  Forced  roots  ought  to 
be  given  one  season’s  rest.  For  ordinary  purposes  it  is  well  to  form 
fresh  plantations  occasionally.  Just  when  the  crowns  are  moving  is  the 
best  time  to  do  this.  The  old  clumps  may  be  divided  freely,  leaving 
one  or  more  crowns  to  each  division. 
Herbs. — These  ought  not  to  be  neglected.  Those  of  a  perennial 
nature  pay  well  for  lifting,  dividing,  and  replanting  in  good  fresh  soil, 
while  the  annual  have  also  to  be  thought  of  at  the  present  time.  ‘  ISow 
seeds  in  boxes  of  Sweet  Basil,  Bush  Basil,  and  Sweet  Knotted  Marjoram, 
and  place  in  gentle  heat  to  germinate,  planting  out  the  seedlings  when 
large  enough.  Sow  on  a  prepared  border  Borage  thinly  in  drills  2  feet 
apart,  and  Fennel  the  same  distance.  Pot  Marigold  and  pot  Marjoram 
in  drills  12  inches  apart.  Sow  Chervil  in  drills  9  inches  asunder,  and 
Parsley  in  drills  12  inches  apart.  Early  raised  plants  of  the  latter 
transplant  readily.  Divide  and  replant  Mint,  and  also  Chives. 
HE  BEE-KEEPER. 
Seasonable  Notes. 
The  first  three  months  of  the  year  have  not  been  favourable  to 
bee-keepers.  After  the  unsettled  weather  experienced  during  the  early 
days  of  the  new  year  we  looked  forw'^ard  to  bright  sunny  days  such 
as  were  pretty  frequent  in  March,  1899.  But  again  disappointment 
has  to  be  chronicled,  as  with  little  exception  it  has  been  dull  and  cold ; 
the  wind  was  in  a  cold  quarter  all  this  time.  What  has  been  the 
effect  ?  On  those  days  when  the  bees  were  tempted  to  leave  their 
hive  they  rapidly  became  chilled,  and  many  were  lost.  The  prevalence 
of  a  low  temperature  at  this  season  is  most  trying  to  the  bees ;  as  they 
are  unable  to  fly  far  from  home  they  often  alight  on  the  cold  soil, 
which  is  fatal  to  them. 
It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  the  bees  should  now  receive 
the  necessary  attention  to  keep  them  in  good  condition;  warmth 
is  absolutely  essential,  and  feeding  must  not  he  neglected.  The  treat¬ 
ment  the  bees  receive  during  the  next  two  months  will  make  all  the 
difference  between  success  and  failure.  Stores  have  disappeared  at  a 
rapid  rate.  It  is  surprising  how  long  a  cluster  of  bees  will  keep  alive 
when  in  a  state  of  stupor  at  this  season,  although  only  a  few  ounces 
of  stores  remained  in  the  hive.  Whilst  examining  several  colonies  in 
frame  hives  recently  one  was  found  completely  without  stores.  The 
bees  appeared  to  be  almost  lifeless,  many  of  them  falling  on  to  the 
floor  board.  We  at  once  covered  them  up  and  warmed  a  couple  of 
bricks,  which  were  placed  on  the  top  of  the  frames,  the  quilt  and  a 
couple  of  pieces  of  carpet  being  allowed  to  remain  underneath.  The 
bricks  were  covered  up  so  as  to  retain  the  heat  as  long  as  possible. 
Some  warm  syrup  was  in  the  meantime  prepared  in  case  it  should  be 
required.  In  half  an  hour  the  stock  was  again  examined,  when  at 
least  two-thirds  of  the  bees  were  found  to  be  alive.  A  bottle  feeder 
filled  with  warm  syrup  was  placed  over  the  cluster  and  some  more 
warm  bricks  These  had  the  effect  of  keeping  up  the  temperature  of 
the  hive,  enabling  the  bees  to  take  the  syrup  freely. 
Feeding  Bees. 
It  is  better  to  err  on  the  side  of  safety  by  feeding  the  bees  w’hen 
they  have  ample  stores  in  their  hive,  than  to  neglect  those  that  are 
I  robably  on  the  point  of  starvation  and  not  feed  at  all.  Feed  all  the 
stocks  at  this  season,  as  the  weather  has  been  so  trying  throughout 
the  early  spring,  rather  than  overhaul  the  frames  and  lower  the 
I  emperature  of  the  hive.  Directly  the  weather  becomes  more  genial 
all  this  can  he  counteracted  by  uncapping  the  stores  of  those  which 
have  it  in  this  condition.  This  uncapping  of  stores  has  the  same 
effect  on  the  bees  as  feeding,  as  they  at  once  commence  to  empty  the 
cells  and  place  the  contents  in  various  parts  of  the  hive  where  it  may 
be  required.  It  is  advisable  to  uncap  about  two  square  inches  of 
comb  every  third  or  fourth  day.  If  artificial  feeding  is  necessary 
warm  syrup  may  be  used,  as  a  favourable  change  in  the  weather  may 
now  be  expected  at  any  time. 
Another  great  advantage  is  derived  by  uncapping  the  sealed  stores 
in  a  hive,  a  much  greater  space  being  provided  for  the  queen  to 
deposit  her  eggs.  This  fact  is  too  often  not  taken  into  consideration. 
We  have  found  stocks  on  which  sections  were  worked  the  previous 
year  to  have  several  combs  of  sealed  stores  at  this  season.  If  steps 
were  not  taken  to  remove  some  of  the  frames  and  uncap  the  others, 
the  bees  would  probably  swarm  before  the  hive  was  half  full  of  bees, 
owing  to  the  combs  being  clogged  with  honey.  We  have  often 
experienced  this  in  our  own  apiary.  Stocks  that  have  been  doubled 
and  the  honey  extracted  from  the  top  storey  are  usually  found  to 
require  much  more  feeding  than  those  used  for  securing  a  crop  of 
comb  honey ;  in  fact  it  is  rarely  the  latter  require  any  h  eding  at  all. 
This  fact  should  be  taken  into  consideration  when  arranging  for  run  or 
comb  honey.  A  greater  weight  of  honey  can  usually  be  obtained  by 
extracting,  which  in  many  districts  finds  a  readier  market  than  honey 
in  the  comb. — An  English  Bee-keeper. 
