September  1,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
175 
into  shapely  specimens.  This  may  be  carried  out  better  now  for  the 
welfare  of  the  bushes  than  when  the  foliage  has  fallen.  The  chief 
advantage  is  the  wood  becomes  well  ripened,  and  little  or  no  pruning  is 
required  in  winter.  Cut  out  the  crowded  rank  growths  situated  in  any 
part  of  the  trees.  Branches  descending  to  and  touching  the  ground  may 
especially  be  dispensed  with.  Gross  growths  and  partially  exhausted 
wood  may  be  ireely  removed  vigorous  Gooseberry  bushes  producing 
abundant  growth  in  one  season,  so  that  weak  and  otherwise  unsuitable 
wood  need  not  be  preserved.  A  little  regulation  given  now  to  young 
bushes  will  serve  to  balance  the  growth  and  improve  the  shape.  Remove 
gross  shoots  entirely. 
Currants. — The  chief  requirements  of  Black  Currants  at  the  present 
time  are  abundant  moisture  and  food  for  the  roots.  These  demands  may 
he  beet  met  by  copious  waterings  of  clear  water  and  liquid  manure,  as 
well  as  a  liberal  mulching  of  manure.  Exhausted  growths  may  be  pruned 
away,  giving  room  for  a  moderate  number  of  vigorous  young  shoots 
allowed  to  extend  without  stopping. 
Red  and  White  Currants  need  tho  side  shoots  reduced  to  three  pairs 
of  leaves,  and  suckers  from  the  base  removed.  Where  a  fresh  branch  is 
required  a  vigorous  basal  shoot  may  be  retained  in  a  suitable  position, 
and  encouraged  to  extend.  Net,  the  trees  over  if  fruit  is  hanging  for  late 
purposes.  Supply  the  roots  well  with  water,  and  give  a  mulch  to  retain 
the  moisture.  The  fibrous  roots  of  Currant  bushes  have  a  limited  root 
area,  and  depend  largely  on  moisture  and  rich  food  to  produce  the  growth 
which  will  give  satisfactory  results. 
Raspberries. — The  fruiting  canes  of  Raspberries  ought  now  to  be  cut 
out.  A  selection  of  the  young  strong  canes  of  the  current  year  may  be 
made,  removing  the  weakest,  but  retaining  four  to  sir  of  the  best  at  each 
stool.  Raspberries  being  surface  and  fibrous-rooting,  enjoy  rich  mulchings 
of  manure  almost  at  any  season.  The  present  is  a  good  time  to  give  an 
application,  following  with  copious  supplies  of  water  should  the  weather 
remain  dry.  The  benefits  derived  by  the  roots  will  be  transferred  to  the 
canes,  and  stored  in  the  buds  situated  in  the  axils  of  the  present  season’s 
foliage. 
Strawberries  — Young  rooted  Strawberry  plants,  whether  in  pots  or 
in  the  open,  intended  for  early  planting,  must  be  kept  duly  supplied  with 
water  in  dry  weather. 
FRUIT  FORCING. 
Vines. — Early  Forced  in  Pots. — The  Vines  for  starting  in  November 
must  not  be  allowed  to  become  dust-dry  at  the  roots,  but  incline  to  the 
dry  side  ;  there  must  be  no  excess  of  moisture.  They  will  now  be  at 
rest,  the  wood  ripe,  the  laterals  cut  dose  home,  and  the  canes  shortened 
to  about  6  feet,  more  or  less,  according  to  the  situation  of  the  plump  eyes. 
The  Vines  should  be  kept  in  a  cool  place.  Where  canes  have  to  be 
bought  in,  orders  should  now  be  placed. 
Earliest  Forced  House. —  It  is  not  necessary  to  wait  until  all  the  leaves 
are  down  before  pruning  matured  Vines  for  early  forcing,  but  the  wood 
must  be  brown  and  hard,  and  the  leaves  turning  yellow.  The  pruning 
will  cause  the  Vines  to  rest  quickly  and  thoroughly.  If  in  good  condition 
they  will  afford  bunches  quite  large  enough  when  pruned  to  a  couple  of 
buds  from  the  base,  but  if  the  Vines  are  weak  from  heavy  cropping  or  a 
long  course  of  forcing  the  spur  shoots  may  be  left  a  little  longer  with  a 
view  to  larger  bunches.  It  is  important  that  the  house  and  Vines  bo 
thoroughly  cleansed.  Take  every  precautionary  measure,  cleansing  the 
woodwork  with  carbolic  soap,  “Lifebuoy”  being  excellent,  and  the  glass 
with  clear  water.  Vines,  especially  early  forced,  cannot  have  too  much 
light.  Scald  and  limewash  the  walls.  Wash  the  Vines,  after  removing 
any  loose  bark  without  recourse  to  close  peeling  or  hard  scraping,  with  a 
solution  of  1  oz.  each  of  98  per  cent,  caustic  soda  and  ordinary  com¬ 
mercial  potash  to  a  gallon  of  water,  applying  with  a  brush.  It  destroys 
hibernating  red  spider  and  the  eggs  of  scale  insects,  and  has  a  prejudicial 
effect  on  the  spores  of  fungi. 
Any  Vines  in  a  weakly  state  may  be  improved  by  removing  the  soil 
down  to  the  roots,  and  substituting  fresh  loam,  with  an  admixture  of 
mortar  rubbish,  wood  ashes,  charcoal,  and  crushed  half-inch  bones.  Lift 
any  roots  that  can  well  be  done,  laying  them  in  fresh  compost,  and 
covering  with  about  3  inches  depth.  If  long  and  bare  notch  them  here 
and  there,  with  the  straight  or  transverse  cut  next  the  Vine  stem.  This 
will  give  numerous  fibres,  and  the  growth  will  improve  in  consequence. 
We  have  known  this  simple  procedure  to  not  only  give  the  Vines  a  new 
lease  of  life,  but  prevent  shanking  to  a  great  extent,  the  Grapes  being 
much  better  in  colour,  size,  and  finish.  The  operation  is  best  performed 
before  the  leaves  fall,  and  over  the  whole  extent  of  the  border  occupied 
by  the  roots.  It  is  a  great  mistake  to  allow  Vines  to  become  very  dry  at 
the  roots.  Comparative  dryness  is  desirable,  yet  great  injury  is  caused 
by  allowing  the  soil  to  be  dust-dry.  Excessive  moisture,  on  the  other  hand, 
causes  loss  of  fibres,  hence  the  practice  of  using  spare-fights  over  outside 
borders  during  very  wet  weather  from  this  time  is  excellent  practice. 
Late  Houses. — The  Vines  have  had  a  grand  time  of  late  in  some  places, 
not  in  all,  for  thunderstorms  have  been  somewhat  erratic  ;  but  where 
prevalent  outside  borders  have  been  well  moistened,  and  a  genial  atmo¬ 
sphere.  with  abundance  of  light  and  heat,  present.  These  conditions  are 
what  Grapes  require  in  the  late  stages  of  swelling,  and  because  they  often 
do  not  get  them  into  the  house  the  roots  of  the  Vines  are  usually  more 
abundant,  and  often  of  greater  service  in  outside  borders  than  in  those 
under  glass.  The  roots  must  not  lack  water,  nor  a  genial  atmosphere  not 
be  provided  for  the  tops  of  the  Vines,  for  the  Grapes  swell  considerably 
when  ripening,  and  unless  they  finish  plump  they  can  hardly  be  expected 
to  keep  sound.  Besides,  Muscats  and  the  keeping  Grapes  are  a  long 
time  in  ripening,  and  require  copious  supplies  of  water  at  that  period. 
They  ought  not  to  become  dry  at  the  roots,  even  when  the  fruit  is  ripe. 
Grapes  well  advanced  in  ripening  may  have  the  atmospheric  moisture- 
reduced  by  freer  ventilation,  admitting  a  little  air  constantly,  increasing  it 
early  on  fine  days,  and  by  judicious  early  reduction  of  the  ventilation  the 
most  can  be  made  of  sun  heat.  Thig  is,  after  all,  the  best  agent  in  ripening 
Grapes,  and  moderate  moisture  will  not  injure,  but  benefit  the  Vines,  and 
assist  the  fruit  in  swelling.  Whatever  watering  is  necessary  should  be 
given  in  the  early  part  of  a  fine  day,  and  with  air  the  superfluous 
moisture  will  soon  be  dissipated,  the  moisture  produced  having  no 
deleterious  effects,  provided  the  atmosphere  is  kept  in  motion  by  ventila¬ 
tion  and,  if  need  be,  a  gentle  warmth  in  the  pipes,  A  day  temperature  of 
70°  to  75°  is  necessary  by  artificial  means,  falling  5°  to  10°  at  night,  but 
turning  on  the  heat  early  in  the  morning,  so  as  to  aid  the  sun  heat,  and 
with  alternating  cloud  and  sunshine  secure  a  day  temperature  of  80°  to 
85°,  and  90°  to  95°  on  clear  days.  Keep  the  laterals  well  stopped  and 
thinned,  thereby  admitting  as  much  light  as  possible  to  Muscats  and 
other  white  Grapes,  but  black  Grapes  are  better  with  a  good  even  spread 
of  foliage,  yet  without  crowding  the  leaves,  and  there  must  not  be  a  large 
reduction  of  foliage  at  a  time,  as  that  might  accelerate  shanking,  whilst 
frequent  pinchings  will  not  produce  any  appreciable  check,  but  concentrate 
the  forces  on  the  perfection  of  the  crop. 
Young  Vines. — When  the  canes  have  made  strong  growth  and  are  to 
be  cut  down  to  three  plump  buds  from  the  bottom  of  the  trellis  to  furnish 
a  leader  and  side  shoots,  one  on  each  side  of  the  rod,  another  season,  and 
to  be  grown  in  that  way  so  as  to  produce  the  first  crop  in  the  third  season, 
they  may  be  allowed  to  grow  as  long  as  tney  like,  taking  the  precaution 
to  keep  the  principal  leaves  that  correspond  to  the  pruning  buds  fiee  of 
spray,  so  that  that  part  of  the  cane  may  get  thoroughly  ripened.  Vines, 
however,  which  are  intended  to  do  something  more  than  prove  the  variety 
next  year  should  have  further  growth  discouraged  by  the  removal  of  the 
laterals  as  they  appear,  taking  care  to  leave  some  growth  as  an  outlet  for 
the  sap,  otherwise  the  pruning  buds  may  be  started,  and  next  year’s 
prospects  jeopardised.  By  this  time  the  cane  will  be  getting  brown  and 
hard,  and  the  laterals  may  be  gradually  removed,  cutting  them  back  in 
the  first  instance  to  one  joint,  and  in  the  course  of  a  fortnight  they  may 
be  cut  away  close  to  the  cane,  provided  they  have  not  pushed  fresh 
growth.  If,  however,  they  start  the  buds  on  the  laterals  the  growths 
must  be  pinched  at  the  first  leaf,  and  the  removal  of  the  laterals  deferred 
to  a  later  period. 
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IHE  BEE-KEEPERS 
Wll-7  - 1  -  i  - 1  -  i  ■  i  - 1  -  i  - 1  -  r- 1  - 1  - 1  - 1  -  i~~i-j  -l-  i  - 1  - 1  - 1  - 1  -T=T=1  HaM 
Introducing  Young  Queens. 
The  majority  of  bee-keepers  recognise  the  importance  of  raising 
young  queens.  We  are  of  the  opinion  that  the  best  queens  are  raised 
in  strong  colonies,  and  if  previous  instructions  have  been  carried  out 
there  will  now  be  numerous  young  fertilised  queens  in  an  ordinary 
apiary  waiting  to  be  introduced  to  colonies  which  have  been  kept  for 
honey  production  during  the  past  season.  The  uninitiated  may  say, 
Whv  remove  the  queen  that  has  done  such  good  service  ?  We 
replace  her  with  a  yormg  prolific  queen,  because  she  will  be  at  her 
best  next  year,  whereas  the  old  one  will  deteriorate,  and  instead  of 
the  hive  being  crowded  with  bees  next  spring  they  will  be  few  in 
numbers.  There  are  exceptions  to  the  above  rule,  as  we  have  had 
queens  until  they  were  time  years  old,  still  it  is  not  advisable  to  keep 
them  more  than  two  years,  unless  there  is  some  special  reason  for 
doing  so. 
Direct  Introduction. 
Many  bee-keepers  are  not  sanguine  of  the  success  of  direct  intro¬ 
duction,  for  the  simple  reason  they  have  never  tried  the  plan ;  or  if 
they  have  tried  it,  they  have  failed  because  they  did  not  go  about  it 
in  the  right  manner.  To  succeed  in  queen  introduction  it  is  necessary 
to  first  remove  the  old  queen  from  the  stock  to  be  operated  on,  other¬ 
wise  it  will  end  in  failure.  During  the  middle  of  a  fine  day,  when 
the  weather  is  warm  and  many  of  the  bees  are  on  the  wing,  go  to  the 
hive  in  which  is  the  old  queen,  remove  the  coverings,  and  have  the 
smoker  conveniently  to  hand  in  case  the  bees  should  be  troublesome. 
Lift  the  frames  one  by  one  out  of  the  hive  until  the  queen  is  found, 
and  then  put  her  in  a  box  with  a  few  worker  bees  in  a  warm  place. 
In  case  of  a  mishap  with  the  young  queen  the  old  one  can  be  returned 
if  this  plan  be  adopted.  Place  the  frames  in  the  hive  in  the  same 
position  they  originally  occupied,  not  disturbing  the  bees  more  than 
is  necessary. 
Allow  them  to  remain  queenless  until  evening.  Go  next  to  the 
hive  in  which  is  the  young  queen,  and  put  her  in  a  small  box  quite 
alone,  this  being  kept  in  a  warm  place  until  evening.  In  handling 
the  queen  care  must  be  taken  that  she  is  not  injured.  As  late  as 
•convenient  take  a  light  and  the  young  queen  to  the  stock  to  which  she 
is  to  be  introduced,  lift  a  corner  of  the  quilt,  and  drive  the  bees  down 
between  the  frames,  open  the  box,  and  allow  the  queen  to  run  quietly 
dowc,  replace  the  quilt  and  coverings,  and  do  not  examine  the  stock 
for  a  couple  of  days.  After  that"  period  the  queen  will  be  found 
marching  over  the  combs  as  if  she  never  knewr  any  other  home.  If 
the  bees^are  short  of  stores  it  is  an  advantage  to  feed  them. 
