August  10,  1 899 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
p] an t s,  and  should  be  prevented,  especially  when  good  green  vegetables 
are  so  scarce.  Watering  and  a  mulch  of  manure  would  do  good  service 
ibis  season.  Seeds  sown  now  ought  to  be  in  a  position  where  the  plants 
can  readi!}'  be  protected  in  the  event  of  an  early  frost. 
Runner  Beans  have,  and  still  are  failing  to  set  good  crops.  If  not 
already  done,  give  a  thorough  soaking  of  water  or  liquid  manure.  This 
should  be  followed  up  with  a  wide,  deep  mulching  of  strawy  manure. 
Stop  the  haulm  when  near  the  tops  ot  the  stakes,  and  gather  what 
pods  have  set.  Those  grown  without  stakes  ought  to  be  gone  over 
once  a  week  and  have  every  running  growth  snipped  back  to  near  the 
main  stem.  If  once  allowed  to  grow  treely  and  get  into  a  tangle  the 
crops  will  be  of  the  poorest.  In  wet  weather  the  pods  are  liable  to  be 
splashed  and  become  dirty.  A  mulching  of  strawy  manure  prevents  this, 
and  otherwise  benefits  the  plants. 
Onions. — Fully  matured  Onions  should  not  be  left  standing  on  the 
ground,  as  they  are  liable  to  start  rooting  afresh  in  showery  weather. 
All  that  come  away  from  the  soil  readily  ought  to  be  pulled,  harvested  on 
boards  or  wattled  hurdles,  and  stored  in  a  cool  dry  place.  These  early 
crops  may  be  closely  followed  by  Coleworts  or  small  hearting  Cabbages, 
planting  them  in  moistened  drills  1  foot  apart  each  way. 
See  i  of  Tripoli  and  White  Spanish  types  of  Onions  should  be  sown 
now  on  well  prepared  ground  in  shallow  moistened  drills,  drawn  10  inches 
to  12  inches  apart.  The  White  Lisbon  is  one  of  the  best  varieties  for 
sowing  somewhat  thickly  and  drawing  young  for  salad  purposes,  while 
the  White  Spanish  varieties  are  quite  as  hardy  as  the  Tripolis,  and  of 
more  value  when  grown,  keeping  much  better. 
Potatoes  — In  the  more  southern  parts  of  the  country,  where  the 
rainfall  has  been  exceptionally  light  and  the  heat  intense,  the  crops  are 
maturing  early,  and  the  tubers  are  undersized.  Directly  the  haulm  has 
turned  yellow,  and  the  skins  of  the  tubers  are  set  moderately  hard,  the 
crops  should  be  lifted,  graded,  anil  stored,  thinly  at  first,  in  a  cool,  dark, 
dry  place.  If  left  in  the  ground  a  comparatively  light  rainfall  will  start 
them  growing  afresh — either  sprouting  or  super-tubering — with  the 
consequence  that  the  crop,  as  far  as  quality  is  concerned,  will  be 
practically  spoilt.  An  early  clearing,  breaking  down,  and  firming  of  the 
soil  adm  ts  of  extra  large  quantities  of  winter  greens  and  other  plants 
being  put  out,  Turnips  and  Spinach  sown,  all  of  which  will  be  wanted. 
HBhej3Se^k||per]S 
v  pa 
The  End  of  the  Season. 
With  the  exception  of  the  Heather  the  honey  harvest  is  now 
practically  at  an  end.  The  Limes  yielded  a  rich  supply  ;  the  weather 
fortunately  was  fine  during’  part  of  the  time  they  were  in  bloom,  so 
the  heps  were  enabled  to  store  freely  from  that  source.  White  Clover 
is  still  blooming  profusely.  The  heavy  showers  which  prevailed  during 
the  early  part  ot  July  caused  a  la  >id  growth  of  this  indisj  ensable 
honey-producing  plant.  What  little  honey  is  now  obtained  by  the  bees 
from  this  and  other  sources  will  only  be  sufficient  for  their  daily 
requirements. 
All  surplus*  chambers  should  be  removed,  as  when  the  outside 
forage  is  becomirg  scarce,  and  a  low  temperature  prevails,  the  bees 
will  commence  to  carry  down  the  honey  from  the  supers  into  the 
brood  nest.  It  is  too  late  for  the  bees  to  finish  off  any  sections  that 
may  not  be  properly  sealed  over;  they  should  be  removed  from  the 
hive,  ai  d  be  graded  according  to  quality.  At  this  season  there  are 
olten  f  mnd  many  sections  that  are  only  partly  sealed  over.  These 
must  be  uncapped  and  passed  through  the  extractor.  The  honey  thus 
obtained  will  doubtless  bo  found  to  be  of  first-class  quality,  and  should 
be  kept  separate  from  any  of  inferior  grade. 
After  the  honey  has  been  extracted  the  sections  may  be  replaced 
Id  the  crate,  and  put  in  their  former  position  in  the  hive  for  a  few 
hours.  The  bees  will  then  thoroughly  cleanse  them  of  all  adhering 
honey.  If  packed  in  boxes  and  covered  with  paper  so  as  to  exclude 
the  dust,  and  stored  in  a  dry  place,  they  will  keep  in  good  condition 
and  be  ready  for  use  another  season.  Supers  of  all  descriptions, 
whether  sections,  shallow  frames,  or  full-sized  frames  for  doubling 
purposes,  will  be  found  most  useful  if  a  large  stock  of  fully  drawn-out 
combs  are  stored  in  a  suitable  place  ready  for  use  when  required. 
Bees  take  more  readily  to  such,  early  in  the  season,  than  they  do  to 
foundation  when  placed  in  the  supers. 
Storing  Combs. 
It  is  useless  having  spare  combs  unless  they  are  stored  in  a 
suitable  place,  and  steps  are  taken  to  keep  them  clean  and  free  from  the 
wax  moth.  The  latter  is  most  destructive  to  the  combs.  There  are 
various  ways  of  protecting  the  combs  from  the  pest,  and  if  the  apiary 
is  not  a  large  one,  it  is  an  excellent  plan  to  wrap  half  a  dozen  frames 
in  newspapers,  as  this  will  keep  them  perfectly  free  from  dust.  A 
dozen  sections  can  be  treated  in  the  same  manner,  and  the  parcels 
may  then  he  stored  in  a  box  and  a  few  halls  of  naphthaline  placed 
in  it.  This  will  have  the  effect  of  keeping  them  free  from  the  moth. 
13,* 
Another  excellent  plan  which  we  usually  practise,  is  to  obtain 
some  calico  and  well  sprinkle  it  with  carbolic  acid.  The  bottom  and 
sides  of  a  large  box  are  then  covered  with  this  prepared  calico,  and 
the  combs  are  packed  as  tightly  in  the  box  as  it  is  possible  to  get 
them.  When  quite  full  the  tops  of  the  frames  are  covered  in  the 
Baroe  manner,  and  the  lid  of  the  box  placed  in  position.  Combs 
treated  in  this  manner,  and  stored  in  a  dry  place,  invariably  come  out 
in  good  condition  the  following  spring.  It  is,  however,  advisable  to 
place  the  combs  in  the  open  air  for  a  few  hours  before  using  them,  as 
this  will  have  the  effect  of  removing  any  trace  of  the  carbolic  Irom  the 
combs. — An  English  Bee-keeper. 
Ail  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should,  until' 
further  notice,  be  directed  to  “  The  Editor,”  8,  Rose  Hill  Road,. 
Wandsworth,  S.W.,  and  HOT  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  addresses  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. 
Transplanting  Common  Periwinkle  ( Aprila' ). — The  plants  may  be 
safely  moved  in  .September  if  the  ground  be  sufficiently  moist.  It  is  one 
of  the  best  evergreen  low-growing  plants  for  covering  a  bare  space  of 
soil,  especially  in  shaded  places  and  beneath  trees,  and  may  be  freely  cut 
after  the  growth  has  been  made,  or  at  the  end  of  July  or  beginning  of 
August.  The  clipping  gives  a  very  formal  appearance,  hence  some  trim 
the  plants  in  the  spring,  cutting  quite  close  to  the  ground,  or  as  near  as 
may  be  with  the  shears,  similar  to  Ivy,  and  allow  the  young  growths  to 
remain  untrimmed  during  the  season.  Thp  growths,  however,  may  be 
trimmed  in  a  little  at  the  end  of  July,  and  then  confined  to  irregularities, 
a  very  neat  appearance  will  thus  be  secured. 
Producing  a  Second  Bloom  on  Roses  {Idem). — With  suitable  varieties 
no  further  process  is  needed  than  to  cut  away  the  parts  that  have 
flowered  to  the  nearest  good  bud  below  the  flower  stem.  Any  strong 
shoots  may  be  shortened  to  about  half  their  length,  but  not  later  than 
ihe  end  of  June  or  beginning  of  July,  which  will  induce  second  growths 
for  autumn  flowering.  The  Cluster  Ros>  s  (Rosa  multiflora)  are  summer 
flowering,  and  usually  do  not  bloom  again  in  the  autumn,  indeed  it  is 
not  advisable  to  shorten  the  growth  in  summer,  but  secure  sturdy  well 
ripened  shoots  for  the  following  season’s  bloom. 
Sulphur  and  Ripe  Grapes  (//.  E.  C.).—  We  have  frequently  used 
sulphur  on  hot-water  pipes  in  vineries  without  any  injurious  ellects  to 
black  Grapes,  and  this  practice  is  still  one  ot  the  best  means  of  keeping 
red  spider  in  check.  No  harm  would  be  likelv  to  accrue  to  your  Grapes 
by  the  judicious  employment  ol  sulphur  on  the  hot-water  pipes,  heated 
to  170°  and  kept  so  for  an  hour.  After  this  the  pipes  may  be  allowed  to 
cool  gradually  to  the  ordinary  heat,  and  the  house  be  ventilated  in  the 
customary  way.  The  work  is  best  drne  in  the  evening,  keeping  the 
house  close  through  the  night,  but  ventilating  very  early  in  the  morning. 
By  again  heating  the  hot-water  pipes  to  170°  in  the  course  of  about  four 
days  the  fumes  of  sulphur  given  of  will  act  well  on  the  red  spider  then 
hatched  out  from  the  eggs,  which  the  fumes  do  not  destroy,  and  the 
pipes  may  be  again  heated  at  a  similar  interval.  We  have  found  such 
procedure  quite  safe  for  Black  Ilamburghs,  but  Muscat  of  Alexandria 
and  White  Frontignan,  with  other  white  Grapes,  somelimes  have  the 
berries  “blued”  by  the  sulphur  fumes.  The  pipes  should  not  be  many 
degrees  hotter  than  stated.  We  have  raised  them  to  190°,  but  beyond 
that  danger  lurks.  The  sulphur  should  not  he  used  excessively  ;  it  is 
only  necessary  to  lightly  coat  the  pipes  on  their  upper  surfaces. 
