426  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  ~ GARDENER .  December  l,  1898. 
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FRUIT  FORCING. 
Cherry  House. — The  trees  must  now  be  pruned,  though  full-grown 
trees  properly  attended  to  in  stoppihg  during  growth  will  require  little 
attention  now.  Any  summer  shoots  that  have  grown  considerably,  and 
are  not  required  for  extension,  should  be  shortened  or  removed  as 
■required.  Cut  out  dead  spurs,  and  thin  those  which  are  crowded,  always 
reserving  sufficient  for  producing  a  crop.  The  terminal  shoots  in  the  case 
of  trees  extending  must  not  be  shortened,  but  when  they  reach  the 
extremity  of  the  trellis  they  will  need  shortening,  always  to  a  wood  bud. 
Young  trees  will  require  to  be  cut  back,  the  central  shoot  or  shoots  being 
shortened  so  as  to  originate  others  for  filling  the  space  regularly.  Fan¬ 
training  is  the  best  for  Cherries  and  all  stone  fruits,  as  it  admits  of 
replacing  any  branch  that  may  succumb  to  gumming  or  other  cause. 
Thoroughly  cleanse  the  house  and  the  trees  ;  remove  the  loose  surface 
soil  and  supply  fresh  loam,  sprinkling  on  this  a  good  handful  of  some 
-approved  fertiliser  per  square  yard.  The  roof-lights  being  offi  they  need 
not  be  replaced  until  the  time  arrives  for  starting  the  trees,  which,  to  have 
-Cherries  ripe  early  in  May,  should  be  at  the  new  year,  closing  the  house 
at  the  middle  of  this  month.  Trees  under  fixed  roofs  should  be  well  sup¬ 
plied  with  water  if  required.  Cherries  in  pots  will  require  similar  attention. 
Vines. — Houses  Started  in  November. — Whether  the  Vines  aro  in  pots 
or  planted  in  inside  borders  the  temperature  will  need  to  be  increased 
1o  60°  at  night  in  mild  weather  after  the  buds  break,  gradually  increasing 
it  from  that  stage  to  00°  at  night  when  the  Vines  are  in  leaf,  G5°  by  day 
in  severe  weather,  and  70°  to  75°  in  mild  weather.  Ventilation  should 
begin  at  70°,  just  a  little  to  insure  change  cf  atmosphere,  increasing  it 
with  the  sun  heat.  Sprinkle  the  Vines  in  the  afternoons  of  fine  days, 
and  damp  the  floors  and  walls  twice  a  da}'  according  to  external  circum¬ 
stances,  avoiding  a  saturated  atmosphere  on  the  one  hand  and  a  dry  one 
on  the  other.  If  there  bo  evaporation  troughs  charge  them  with  liquid 
manure.  Disbudding  should  not  be  practised  until  the  bunches  show  in 
the  points  of  the  shoots,  but  the  Vines  must  be  tied  in  position  as  soon 
as  the  growth  has  well  commenced,  and  before  the  shoots  are  so  long  as 
to  be  liable  to  be  damaged  in  the  operation. 
Houses  to  Afford  Grapes  in  May. — The  Vines  that  aro  to  afford  Grapes 
for  table  at  the  time  stated  must  be  started  at  once.  To  insure  a  good 
break  the  atmosphere  must  be  kept  moist,  and  nothing  insures  this  better 
than  a  bed  of  leaves  and  stable  litter  properly  sweetened,  placing  the 
materials  on  the  floor  and  turning  daily,  adding  fresh  as  requisite.  Out¬ 
side  borders  should  have  the  needful  protection  from  cold  rains,  snow, 
and  frost.  Where  the  roots  of  Vines  are  entirely  outside  a  covering  of 
warm  litter  is  preferable,  two-thirds  of  leaves  and  one-third  of  stable 
litter  being  excellent.  Such  Vines,  however,  are  not  suitable  for  early 
forcing,  as  for  that  purpose  the  roots  should  be  mainly  inside.  Inside 
.•borders  must  be  brought  into  a  thoroughly  moist  state  by  applying  tepid 
water.  Maintain  a  moist  atmosphere  by  syringing  two  or  three  times  a 
day  in  bright  weather,  occasionally  only  in  dull.  The  temperature  should 
be  50°  at  night  in  severe  weather,  55  when  mild,  and  65°  by  day,  except 
the  weather  be  severe  ;  then  maintain  at  55°,  not  exceeding  those  figures 
until  the  Vines  commence  growth. 
Midseason  Houses.— Prune  the  Vines  directly  or  shortly  after  the  leaves 
have  fallen.  This  is  advantageous  in  securing  complete  rest.  Thin- 
skinned  Grapes  keep  better  cut  and  placed  in  bottles  of  clear  rain  water, 
with  a  piece  of  charcoal  in  each,  than  on  the  Vines,  especially  under  a 
leaky  roof,  or  even  when  this  be  tight,  but  plants  in  the  house.  In  a  suit¬ 
able  room  the  Grapes  have  a  more  equable  temperature  than  is  possible 
in  vineries,  and  they  keep  longer  and  quite  ns  plump.  Keeping  late  Grapes 
on  the  Vines  to  mature  after  the  leaves  have  fallen  certainly  improves 
those  having  a  coarse  flavour,  such  as  Gros  Coiman,  and  the  Grapes,  from 
their  leathery  skins,  are  not  so  liable  to  injury  from  damp  as  the  thin- 
skinned  Grapes,  therefore  they  are  left  until  the  new  year,  or  later,  before 
cutting  and  bottling.  In  the  case  of  midseason  Grapes,  however,  it  is 
well  to  prune  them  directly  all  the  leaves  are  down,  and  cut  and  bottle 
any  Grapes  at  that  time  remaining.  Thoroughly  cleanse  the  house,  dress 
the  Vines,  top-dress  the  border  after  removing  the  loose  surface  soil,  and 
keep  the  house  as  cool  as  possible. 
Late  Houses. — Ta  <o  every  possible  precaution  against  damp.  Drip  is 
fatal  to  late  Grapes,  a  single  drop  of  water  getting  insi.'e  a  bunch  being 
sufficient  to  spoil  it,  as  the  decay  spreads  rapidly.  Drip  is  often  caused  by 
keeping  the  house  closed  and  the  pipes  cold,  so  that  moisture  condenses 
on  the  glass  and  falls  from  the  rafters  or  sashbars  on  to  the  Grapes. 
This  is  common  when  early  ventilation  is  neglected  on  fine  days.  A  little 
air  and  gentle  warmth  in  the  pipes  dissipates  the  moisture  and  prevents 
decay  in  the  berries  ;  but  too  much  heat  and  too  dry  ait  causo  the 
Grapes  to  lose  weight  (a  matter  of  importance  with  market  Grapes),  and 
sometimes  to  shrivel.  Seek,  therefore,  a  dry,-cqol,  and  equable  tempera¬ 
ture,  40°  to  45°  being  sufficient,  except  for  Muscat  of  Alexandria,  which 
requires  a  temperature  of  50°,  keeping  the  house  closed  in  damp  weather, 
and  when  clear  admit  air  freely.  Remove  all  leaves  as  they  become 
ripe,  avoiding  sweeping,  as  dust  greatly  impairs  the  appearance  of  Grapes. 
Look  over  the  bunches  occasionally  for  decayed  berries,  promptly  removing 
them,  otherwise  they  soon  spoil  adjoining  ones,  and  ruin  the  Grapes. 
THE  YOUNG  GARDENERS’  DOMAIN. 
Phyllocactus  Culture. 
We  often  find  succulent  plants  given  a  very  obscure  place  in  gardens, 
and  they  receive  little  or  no  consideration  beyond  putting  on  a  shelf  out 
of  the  way  and  watering  when  convenient.  There  are,  however,  niany 
plants  of  this  class  which  deserve  proper  attention.  Those  who  visited 
the  Temple  Show  last  spring  would  be  struck  by  the  gorgeous  display  ot 
Phyllocactus  shown  by  Messrs.  Veitch  &  Sons. 
Wo  may  occasionally  see  them  in  fair  health  in  cottage  windows,  but 
we,  as  gardeners,  should  be  able  to  afford  them  a  well-lighted  position  at 
the  warmer  end  of  the  greenhouse.  Overpotting  should  be  guarded 
against.  A  good  compost  consists  of  light  fibrous  loam  with  a  liberal 
addition  of  lime  rubble  or  broken  crocks  or  bricks.  Water  should  bo 
applied  with  care,  especially  in  winter. 
If  the  plants  are  placed  outside  during  the  warmest  of  the  summer 
months  they  will  be  more  likely  to  flower  well,  because  by  such  treatment 
the  growths  will  be  thoroughly  ripened.  A  light  warm  place  indoors  is 
good  for  them  in  winter,  and  in  the  spring,  as  the  days  get  brighter  and 
the  sun  stronger — i.e ,  about  the  beginning  of  April,  they  may  have  a 
slight  syringing  occasionally  before  the  flower  buds  open.  Many  of  them 
should  flower  in  June. 
They  may  be  easily  propagated  from  cuttings  of  firm,  well-ripened 
shoots.  Place  these  in  a  light,  sandy  compost,  and  keep  dry  till  rooted, 
when  they  may  be  removed  into  a  compost  like  that  given  for  old  plants. 
Seeds  aro  readily  produced,  and  some  good  varieties  have  resulted  from 
crossing.  Sowing  shonld  be  done  in  spring. — X.  L.  C.  R. 
BEE-KEEPER. 
i  .  r.'i  .  r-vn 
V'?/ 
% 
•The  Season’s  Review. 
We  often  advise  bee-keepers  to  prepare  for  the  future,  knowing 
full  well  that  it  is  useless  to  expect  a  full  harvest  of  honey  unless 
preparation  is  made  beforehand.  It  is,  however,  advisable  to  occa¬ 
sionally  look  backward  and  see  how  far  the  season  has  conic  up  to 
our  early  expectations.  We  venture  to  say  that  many  hcc-keep>  rs 
who  do  so  at  the  present  time  will  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that 
it  has  been  disappointing  in  the  extreme.  This  is  the  more  to  bo 
regretted  considering  the  favourable  condition  the  majority  of  stocks 
were  in  last  spring. 
Owing  to  the  extremely  mild  winter,  colonies  that  were  wdl 
supplied  with  stores  the  previous  autumn  were  stronger  at  the  end  of 
March  than  they  sometimes  aro  two  months  later.  In  addition  to  the 
mildness  of  the  weather  there  was  a  very  light  rainfall,  all  that  was 
registered  in  this  district  (South  Yorkshire)  during  the  first  three 
months  of  the  year  being  2'44  inches,  which  fell  on  twenty-eight 
days.  This  was  in  marked  contrast  to  the  first  three  months  of  181)7, 
when  8'27  inches  were  registered  on  fifty  days.  4  he  drought  prevailed 
with  more  or  less  severity  throughout  the  country.  The  grass  and  all 
the  herbage  was  dried  in  the  southern  counties,  so  that  the  bets 
wore  at  a  standstill  owing  to  the  absence  of  bloom  in  the  fiel  Is  and 
hedgerows  after  the  early  spring  flowers  were  over. 
In  the  north  bee-keepers  were  more  highly  favoured  in  this  respect, 
although  in  the  end  they  were  no  better  off  than  their  south*  rn 
neighbours,  owing  to  the  prevalence  of  honeydew,  which  spoiled  what 
would  otherwise  have  been  a  goed  sample  of  honey.  This  was  the 
mote  disappointing,  as  in  some  districts  we  know  it  would  have  been 
a  record  season  for  weight  of  honey  obtained  from  a  given  number  of 
stocks. 
During  the  past  two  months  we  have  travell  d  through,  several 
of  the  southern  and  western  counties  of  England,  and  during  our 
sojourn  have  met  many  bee-keepers,  and  without  exception  the)  all 
complain  of  the  shortness  of  the  honey  harvest  ;  nor  is  it  to  bo 
wondered  at,  when  one  takes  into  consideration  the  parched-up 
pastures  in  those  counties. 
As  before  mentioned,  the  honeydew  was  the  chief  caus3  of  the 
shortness  of  marketable  honey  in  the  north.  But  this  was  not 
confined  solely  to  the  north,  as  in  a  western  town  we  observed  some 
very  dark  lionev  offered  for  sale  that  was  strongly  impregnated  with 
honeydew.  When  honey  of  this  description  is  offered  it  doubtless 
docs  a  great  amount  of  harm  to  the  home  producer  by  causing  tie 
dealer  in  the  future  to  obtain  foreign  honey  in  preference  to  the  home- 
produced  article,  and  bee-keepers  have  only  themselves  to  blame  fer 
this  state  of  affairs,  as  it  is  much  belter  to  reserve  a  bad  sample  for 
feeding  purposes.  It  is  only  fair  to  the  bee-kerpers  of  the  western 
town  where  the  above  mentioned  honey  was  offered  for  sale  to  sa.v 
that  several  dozen  of  the  best  finished  sections  we  have  seen  this 
year  were  noted.  ;  -  , 
The  bee-keepers  who  have  derived  the  most  benefit  from  their  bees 
during  the  past  season  are  those  who  have  moderate-sized'  hives,  and 
