416 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Mmv  1-',  1898. 
leaves,  and  vegetable  refuse  in  private  gardens,  better  results  usually 
attend  the  market  grower’s  methods  of  growing  them  on  flat  ridges  in  the 
open.  Prepare  plants  for  this  method  of  culture,  which  will  again  be 
referred  to.  as  well  as  a  few  to  crop  earlier  in  a  sheltered  position. 
Work  Among  Potatoes. — When  the  tops  of  the  shoots  are  through  the 
soil,  there  ought  to  be  no  delay  in  hoeing  deeply  among  the  rows, 
heavily  moulding  up  the  plants  soon  afterwards.  This  may  be  the 
means  of  preventing  injury  by  frost,  and  if  the  haulm  is  cut  down  a 
portion  of  the  stems  will  probably  be  saved,  and  a  quick  partial  recovery 
take  place.  Quick-acting  manures,  notably  soot,  may  be  sown  over  the 
ground  before  it  is  hoed,  and  if  it  does  not  greatly  benefit  the  earlier 
Potatoes,  its  effect  will  be  observable  in  the  successional  crop.  It 
frequently  pays  well  to  protect  the  haulm  of  Potatoes,  and  this  is  a 
desirable  practice  in  the  case  of  either  extra  e  ^rly  or  exhibition  varieties. 
One  strong  uninjured  stem  is  much  to  be  preferred  to  two  or  three 
comparatively  weak  ones,  the  former  producing  the  finer  tubers.  Protec¬ 
tion  can  be  afforded  either  by  branches  of  evergreens  or  by  6-inch  pots, 
with  their  drainage  holes  stopped,  inverted  over  the  plants  on  frosty 
nights. 
Thinning  Advancing  Crops.  —  It  is  a  mistake  to  delay  thinning 
advancing  crops.  When  quite  small  Onions,  Carrots,  Parsnips,  and  such 
like  draw  easily,  whether  the  ground  is  dry  or  moist.  Leave  ( inions  4  to 
6  inches  apart,  Horn  Carrots  a  similar  distance,  delaying  the  final 
thinning  till  the  roots  are  large  enough  to  cook.  Intermediate  and  other 
large  varieties  may  be  6  to  9  inches  asunder  ;  while  Parsnips  and  Beet 
require  8  to  10  inches.  Salsafy  and  Scorzonera  may  have  9  to  12  inches, 
and  Turnips  8  to  10  inches.  Follow  up  the  thinning  with  a  careful  Dutch 
hoeing  between  the  rows,  hand-weeding  where  necessary. 
The  Weather. 
The  welcome  change  in  the  weather  will  be  appreciated  by  all 
bee-keepers,  and  the  threatened  drought,  which  a  month  ago  appeared 
likely  to  be  serious,  is  now  at  an  end.  What  effect  will  it  have  on 
bee-keepers  ?  Stocks,  on  the  whole,  are  remarkably  forward,  and 
should  a  long  spell  of  dull  showery  weather  set  in  they  will  be 
retarded  somewhat ;  but  if  they  have  ample  stores,  and  are  otherwise 
in  good  condition,  the  queen  will  continue  laying,  and  the  bees  will 
increase  at  a  rapid  rate.  May  is  the  most  important  month  in  the 
year  to  the  bee-keeper,  as  success  or  failure  will  depend  on  the 
condition  of  his  stocim  at  that  time.  Bees  hatched  during  the  present 
month  are  the  workers,  which  will  be  at  their  best  for  collecting  honey 
from  field  Beans,  White  Clover,  and  the  Lime. 
Flowers  on  which  Bees  Work. 
Many  country  districts  are  now  a  paradise  for  bees,  and  the  Midland 
counties  are  no  exception.  Within  a  short  distance  of  our  apiary  are  a 
great  number  of  Sycamore  trees  now  in  full  bloom,  and  the  flowers  yield 
an  abundance  of  pollen,  and  also  honey  when  the  temperature  is  favour¬ 
able.  The  bees  appear  to  prefer  them  to  any  other  hardy  tree  in  bloom 
at  this  date.  'I  he  wild  Cherry,  too,  is  now  wreathed  with  bloom. 
Tn  the  gardens  there  is  no  lack  of  flowers.  Apples  will  soon  be  a 
mass  of  bloom.  Plums  are  now  over,  and  thanks  to  the  bees  and  the 
fine  weather,  the  fruit  appears  to  have  set  well.  Pears  will  soon  be 
past  their  best ;  the  blooms  are  exceptionally  strong,  and  as  the  bees 
have  been  on  the  wing  more  or  less  daily,  the  majority  of  the  flowers 
will  be  fertilised.  Cherries  appear  to  be  setting  well.  In  the  beds  and 
borders  are  numerous  flowers  on  which  the  bees  work  freely.  Wall¬ 
flowers  are  excellent,  so  are  the  numerous  dwarf  f)Iants,  such  as  Aubrietia, 
Myosotis,  Arabis,  the  different  varieties  of  Primroses,  and  many  ol  the 
bulbs  to  be  found  in  every  garden. 
Management  of  Stocks  and  Swarms. 
Before  entering  into  the  question  of  hives,  it  may  be  as  well  for 
the  beginner  to  understand  the  difference  between  a  first  swarm  and  a 
cast,  or  second  swarm.  The  old  queen  always  goes  with  the  first 
swarm ;  tliere  is  then  no  queen  left  in  the  parent  hive,  but  there  are 
several  young  queens  in  their  cells  in  various  stages.  These  usually 
hatch  in  about  eight  or  ten  days  from  the  time  the  swarm  left  the 
hive.  If  the  bees  are  numerous  and  the  weather  fine  they  will  probably 
swarm  again  on  the  tenth  day.  This  is  called  a  cast,  and  will  be 
headed  by  a  young  unfertile  queen.  In  fact  there  are  usually  several 
young  queens  with  the  second  swarm,  but  as  soon  as  they  are  settled 
in  their  new  home  all  but  one  will  be  destroyed  and  cast  out  of  the 
hive.  There  will  also  be  some  more  left  in  the  [larent  hive,  which 
will  often  swarm  the  third  time,  but  as  they  will  be  ,  useless  for  storing 
a  surplus  they  should  be  returned  to  the  parent  stock.  It  is  better, 
however,  to  allow  them  to  remain  in  the  skep  in  which  they  were 
hived  until  evening,  and  then  shake  them  info  the  hive.  If  treated 
in  this  manner  they  will  usually  settle  down  to  work,  and  will  not 
swarm  again. 
HE  BEE-KEEPER’S 
FT  - 1  -  I  - 1  •  I  -  I  -  I— -  - 1  - 1  -  I’-i-i  -  T-i.i-.'i.  w 
If  an  increase  of  stocks  is  required  the  third  swarm  may  be  placed 
in  a  separate  hive  until  the  queen  has  become  fertilised,  when  the  old 
queen  may  be  removed  from  the  first  swarm,  and  the  young  one  from 
the  third  swarm  introduced  in  her  place,  the  remaining  bees  being 
added  to  the  second  swarm.  There  will  thus  be  three  strong  stocks  for 
another  year  each  being  headed  by  a  young  fertile  qiu  en. 
If  the  swarms  were  placed  in  irame  hives,  which  they  always 
should  be,  there  will  remain  only  the  original  stock  in  a  straw  skep. 
The  bees  may  be  driven  early  in  the  autumn  and  added  to  other  driven 
bees,  which,  being  put  in  a  frame  hive  and  supplied  with  stores,  will 
come  out  strong  and  healthy  the  following  spring. — An  English 
Bee-keeper. 
iiFa  All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should,  until 
further  notice,  be  directed  to“  The  Editor,”  3.  Rose  Hill  Road, 
Wandswortb,  S.W.,  and  xrOT  to  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers, 
Fleet  Street.  It  is  requested  that  no  one  will  write  privately  to 
any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking  information  on  matters 
discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to 
unjustifiable  trouble  and  expense,  and  departmental  writers 
are  not  expected  to  answer  any  letters  they  may  receive  on 
Gardening  and  Bee  subjects  through  the  post.  If  information 
be  desired  on  any  particular  subject  from  any  particular 
authority  who  may  be  named,  endeavour  will  be  made  to  obtain 
it  by  the  Editor.  Letters  of  inquiry  must  be  accompanied  by 
the  names  and  addre.sses  of  the  writers,  but  these  will  neither  be 
published  nor  disclosed  when  initials  or  nom  de  -plumes  are  given 
for  the  purpose  of  replies. 
Correspondents  should  not  mix  up  on  the  same  sheet  questions  relating 
to  Gardening  and  those  on  Bee  subjects,  and  it  is  convenient  when 
each  question  is  written  on  a  separate  sheet.  All  articles  intended 
for  insertion  should  be  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only;  and 
the  name  and  address  of  each  writer  must  be  known  by  the 
Editor,  though  not  necessarily  for  insertion.  We  cannot,  as  a 
rule,  reply  to  questions  through  the  post,  and  we  do  not  under¬ 
take  to  return  communications  which,  for  any  reason,  cannot 
be  inserted. 
Uadresfield  Court  vine  Leaves  Deficient  in  Colour  {M.  B.  B.). — It 
is  not  unusual  for  this  variety  to  become  pale  in  the  leaves  and 
partially  semi-transparent,  which  probably  arises  from  a  deficiency  of 
organic  matter  in  the  soil.  The  best  dressing  we  have  found  for  it  has 
been  native  guano,  applying  at  the  winter  dressing  or  before  growth  takes 
place,  using  |  to  1  lb.  per  square  yard  and  pointing  in  lightly.  This  with 
dissolved  bones,  dry  and  crumbling,  three  parts,  and  two  parts  double 
sulphate  of  potash  and  magnesia,  with  a  half  part  of  sulphate  of  iron, 
mixed,  using  3  ozs.  per  square  yard  at  starting,  again  after  setting,  and 
just  after  stoning,  has  given  the  desired  relief,  both  as  regards  colour  of 
foliage  and  fruit. 
Making  an  Asphalt  Path  (  W.  J.  P.). — A  good  plan,  if  not  the  best, 
is  to  procure  the  requisite  quantity  of  coal  ashes  and  pass  them  through 
a  quarter- inch  sieve  ;  then,  when  perfectly  dry,  form  a  portion  of  them 
into  a  heap,  making  a  hole  in  the  centre,  pour  in  the  boiling  coal  tar  and 
mix  as  in  forming  rather  stiff  mortar,  yet  thoroughly  incorporating 
and  making  every  part  wet  with  the  tar,  yet  so  pliable  as  to  spread 
readily.  The  walk  should  be  previously  made  of  the  proper  form,  and 
a  few  inches  of  rubble  placed  in,  leaving  space  for  a  2-inch  coating  of 
the  asphalt  over  the  rubble,  allowing  for  filling  the  inequalities.  The 
more  even  the  rubble  surface  the  less  asphalt  it  will  take,  therefore  make 
the  foundation  smooth,  and  let  it  be  dry.  Sprinkle  over  the  asphalt  coarse 
sand  or,  better,  fine  spar  or  granite,  and  when  cold  pass  a  light  roller 
over  it.  After  a  few  days  the  walk  will  be  solid  and  waterproof. 
Layered  ’Vine  (A  J.  A.'). — We  gather  that  you  desire  to  have  a  small 
Vine  obtained  by  layering,  bearing  one  or  two  bunches  of  Grapes.  If  so, 
you  should  follow  exactly  the  process  shown  in  the  illustration  to  which 
you  refer — namely,  pinching  the  growths  at  one  leaf  beyond  the  bunch, 
also  all  other  growths  at  one  leaf,  as  often  as  the}'  form,  and  before  the 
leaves  are  the  size  of  a  florin.  “  Strong  side  shoots  ”  must  not  be 
encouraged,  but  prevented.  When  the  pot  is  filled  with  roots,  take  care 
the  soil  is  not  allowed  to  get  dry  before  watering.  Water  may  be  needed 
twice  a  day  in  hot  weather,  or  even  thrice  as  the  summer  advances,  giving 
liquid  manure  twice  a  week.  Examine  the  illustration  again,  and  permit 
no  more  extension  growth  than  there  shown — 1>.,  pinch  just  beyond  every 
small  leaf  as  often  as  it  is  produced.  Pinching  the  shoots  and  supporting 
the  roots  are  the  important  points  to  attend  to.  Do  not  sever  the  layered 
portion  till  the  Grapes  are  ripe,  and  you  need  not  then  be  concerned 
about  any  ‘‘  bleeding.” 
