August  17,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
153 
It  is  usual  for  the  plants  to  be  specially  prepared  for  this  purpose,  so  that 
healthy  and  well-rooted  plants  only  may  be  inserted.  Tho  e  rooted  in 
pots  or  on  turves  are  the  most  certain  to  do  well,  but  they  must  not  have 
been  starved  or  stunted  from  want  of  water.  Rooted  layers  from  the 
open  ground  are  likely  now  to  be  well  furnished  with  roots,  but  they  are 
better  lilted  and  planted  when  the  ground  is  moist.  Thoroughly  well 
prepared  ground  must  be  selected,  and  made  firm. 
Raspberries. — Cut  out  the  old  fruiting  canes  and  weak  growths  of  the 
new  ones.  There  is  no  advantage  in  retaining  too  many,  four  to  six  of 
the  strongest  proving  ample  for  producing  a  good  crop.  Perennial  weeds 
of  a  deep-rooting  character  should  be  forked  up,  after  which  a  liberal 
mulching  of  manure  may  be  laid  around  the  stools. 
Outdoor  Vines. — Keep  new  canes  neatly  nailed  close  to  wall  or 
trellis.  Stop  the  fruit-bearing  laterals  a  few  joints  beyond  the  fruit,  and 
give  the  roots  a  copious  watering,  followed  by  liquid  manure  and  a 
mulching. 
FRUIT  FORCING. 
Cucumbers.  — "Encourage  the  plants  for  autumn  fruiting  to  make 
sturdy  growths  by  adding  fresh  soil,  affording  abundance  of  but  not 
t  *o  mucn  water  at  the  roots,  with  a  moist  genial  condition  of  the 
atmosphere  by  syringing  at  closing  time,  and  damping  the  floor  and  walls 
occasionally.  Sufficient  fire  heat  must  be  employed  to  maintain  a 
temperature  of  70°  to  75°  by  day,  and  prevent  it  falling  below  65°  at 
night.  Old  plants  should  have  exhausted  growths  removed,  and  others 
where  likely  to  be  crowded  thinned,  so  as  to  admit  of  light  and  air, 
securing  a  sturdy,  solidified  growth  and  a  succession  of  bearing  wood. 
Where  this  is  attended  to,  some  of  the  old  soil  removed  and  fresh  sup¬ 
plied,  the  plants  will  produce  new  growths  and  fruit  for  a  considerable 
time,  but  clean  fruit  cannot  be  had  from  plants  cumbered  with  old 
crowded  growths  and  leaves.  This  plan  is  only  advisable  where  the 
supply  of  fruit  must  be  continued  from  the  old  plants. 
In  other  cases  it  is  better  to  remove  the  old  plants  and  put  out  strong 
young  ones  in  fresh  compost.  Everyone  has  not  the  means  of  doing  this 
without  a  break  in  the  supply  of  fruit,  which  in  most  establishments 
cannot  be  dispensed  with.  Where  Cucumbers  are  required  in  winter, 
and  the  means  are  confined  to  one  house  for  producing  them,  seed  should 
be  sown  without  delay,  if  not  already  done,  in  order  to  have  strong 
plants  for  placing  in  their  fruiting  quarters  by  the  middle  of  September. 
Plants  in  frames  should  have  the  old  growths  cut  out,  young  taken  in 
their  place,  and  some  layered  at  the  joints,  so  as  to  secure  fresh  roots  and 
a  sufficient  supply  of  nutriment.  This,  and  the  removal  of 
bad  leaves,  will  keep  the  plants  fruitful  for  some  time  longer,  crowding 
being  avoided  by  thinning  and  pinching  the  growths.  With  due  attention 
as  required  with  linings  of  sweet  fermenting  material  as  the  nights 
become  cold,  so  as  to  prevent  the  temperature  falling  below  60°  or  65°  in 
the  morning,  and  if  mats  are  placed  over  the  lights  after  the  sun  leaves 
the  frames,  and  removed  shortly  after  the  sun  has  risen,  a  late  supply  of 
clean  fruit  will  be  secured.  The  crooked  and  gummed  examples  so 
prevalent  late  in  the  season  are  mainly  the  result  of  cold  and  unfavourable 
conditions  of  growth,  and  are  certainly  not  wholesome.  The  syringe 
should  be  employed  about  3  r.M.  on  fine  days.  If  mildew  appear  dust 
with  flowers  of  sulphur,  maintaining  a  somewhat  freely  ventilated 
atmosphere.  Black  aphides  are  frequently  troublesome  at  this  time  of 
year.  These  and  thrips  succumb  to  repeated  fumigations  with  tobacco, 
taking  care  to  have  the  foliage  dry,  the  smoke  cool,  and  not  give  an 
overdose. 
Peaches  and  Nectarines  — • Lifting  Early  Forced  Trees. — For  very  early 
forcing  no  method  succeeds  better  than  a  few  select  varieties  in  pots,  such 
as  Alexander  or  Waterloo,  Early  Louise,  Hale’s  Early,  and  Stirling 
Castle  Peaches,  with  Advance,  Cardinal,  Rivers’  Early,  and  Lord  Napier 
Nectarines.  These  afford  a  supply  of  fruit  during  a  period  of  four  to  six 
weeks,  and,  if  only  a  few  dishes,  are  welcomed  in  April  and  May.  The 
trees  should  now  have  the  wood  ripe  and  the  buds  plumped.  If  they  are 
in  small  pots,  and  a  shift  is  considered  necessary,  repotting  must  be 
attended  to  at  once,  whilst  the  leaves  are  on  the  trees,  being  content  with 
removing  the  loose  soil  and  drainage,  shortening  any  long  bare  roots,  and 
only  giving  such  pots  as  will  admit  of  about  an  inch  of  fresh  soil  being 
rammed  tightly  round  the  balls.  With  judicious  watering  the  trees  soon 
recover  the  potting,  especially  if  sprinkled  occasionally,  and  shaded  from 
powerful  sun  for  a  few  hours  each  day  for  a  short  time  ;  but  this  is  only 
necessary  in  very  bright  weather,  and  when  the  roots  have  been  much 
interfered  with.  The  trees  should  be  continued  under  glass  until  the 
leaves  are  all  down,  when,  placed  on  and  plunged  in  ashes  outdoors,  they 
will  not  take  any  harm,  but  profit  by  the  cleansing  and  refreshing  autumnal 
rains,  and  be  in  condition  for  housing  early  in  December,  so  as  to  swell 
their  buds  gradually,  and  be  in  flower  by  the  new  year  or  soon  after. 
The  planted  i  ut  trees  not  in  a  satisfactory  condition  should  be  lifted 
as  soon  as  the  foliage  gives  indications  of  falling.  It  will  not  matter 
about  a  few  sappy  laterals,  these  will  tend  to  the  formation  of  roots. 
Soil  should  be  obtained  in  readiness  so  that  work  of  this  kind  can  be 
performed  with  the  utmost  promptitude.  Where  new  borders  have  to  be 
made  provide  clean  drainage  in  different  sizes — rough  for  the  bottom, 
and  smaller  for  the  upper  part.  The  soil  may  consist  of  any  good  loam, 
preferably  strong  and  calcareous,  nothing  being  better  than  the  top  3  or 
4  inches  of  an  old  pasture  overlying  limestone  or  chalk,  and  if  inter¬ 
spersed  with  ferruginous  gravel  or  flints  all  the  better.  Such  will  grow 
Peaches  and  Nectarines  to  perfection  without  any  admixture  whatever. 
If,  however,  the  soil  be  light,  it  will  be  advisable  to  add  a  sixth  or  more 
of  marly  clay  as  finely  divided  as  possible,  preferably  dried  and  pounded. 
Any  deficiency  of  calcareous  matter  may  be  overcome  by  an  addition  of 
chalk  to  light  soil,  and  of  old  mortar  rubbish  to  heavy  soil.  Ordinary- 
garden  soil  may  have  a  cartload  of  wood  ashes  or  charred  refuse  added  to 
every  ten,  always  avoiding  any  uncharred  portions. 
New  borders  must  have  efficient  drainage,  the  bottom  of  the  border 
being  concreted  if  the  soil  beneath  be  unfavourable,  or  better,  laid  with 
bricks  in  flat  and  run  with  cement,  the  border  being  enclosed  in  walls,  so 
as  to  confine  the  roots.  Drains  must  be  provided  with  proper  fall  and 
outlet,  rubble  being  placed  over  them  a  foot  thick,  the  roughest  at  the 
bottom  and  finest  at  the  top,  and  if  covered  with  a  layer  2  or  3  inches 
thick  of  old  mortar  rubbish,  the  drainage  may  be  considered  sound  for  an 
indefinite  period.  A  border  one-third  the  width  of  the  trellis  will  be 
sufficient  in  the  first  instance  for  young  trees  (two  or  three  years  trained 
against  a  wall  or  under  glass),  and  24  inches  depth  of  soil  is  ample.  The 
compost  should  be  made  firm,  as  Peaches  and  Nectarines  are  healthy  and 
fruitful  in  proportion  to  the  compactness  of  the  soil.  This  has  special 
application  to  soils  inclined  to  be  light  and  porous. 
Succession  Houses. — Trees  that  ripened  their  crops  in  July  and  at  the 
beginning  of  this  month  should  have  the  wood  that  has  carried  fruit,  not 
being  extensions,  cut  away,  and  any  wood  not  required  for  next  year's 
bearing  or  for  the  extension  of  the  trees  also  removed.  Weakly  and 
exhausted  parts  ought,  as  far  as  possible,  to  be  cut  out,  and  the  younger 
growths  given  advantage  of  their  place.  This  will  maintain  a  succession 
of  bearing  wood  capable  of  producing  large  fraits,  admit  of  the  free  access 
of  light  and  air,  and  of  the  cleansing  of  the  foliage  by  water  or  an 
insecticide.  Air  should  be  admitted  to  the  fullest  possible  extent.  There 
must  be  no  lack  of  moisture  at  the  roots,  giving  a  good  watering, 
if  necessary,  or  trees  that  are  weakly  will  be  assisted  in  plumping  the 
buds  and  storing  nutrient  matter  with  liquid  manure. 
Trees  ripening  their  fruit  will  need  water  at  the  roots,  and  moisture 
must  not  be  withheld  from  the  atmosphere,  an  occasional  damping  of  the 
floor  or  border,  especially  on  fine  days,  being  necessary  for  the  benefit  of 
the  foliage.  If  the  weather  be  cold  and  wet  a  genial  warmth  in  the  pipes, 
especially  by  day,  so  as  to  admit  of  a  circulation  of  air,  will  be  necessary 
for  the  satisfactory  ripening  of  the  fruit.  A  temperature  of  60’  to  65°  at 
night  will  be  sufficient,  and  70°  to  75°  by  day,  air  being  afforded  more  or 
less  constantly.  If  the  fruit  ripens  too  rapidly,  a  double  thickness  of 
herring  net  placed  over  the  root-lights  will  break  the  fierce  rays  of  the 
sun,  and  not  only  retard  the  ripening,  but  insure  the  fruit  finishing  more 
satisfactorily  than  when  exposed  to  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun. 
6  Jii 
1  -  r  -  L-  1  -  1  -  1  -  ,  -  (  -  ,  -  .  -  .  -  .  .  -  .  -  .  -  .  -  .  -  ,  -T-  i  -  J  -  1  -  r  -  n^-TI 
iHE  BEE-KEEPER.^ 
Queenless  Stocks. 
Before  destroying  any  surplus  queens  the  bee-keeper  may  have  it 
is  advisable  to  examine  all  the  colonies  in  the  apiary  to  ascertain  if 
each  is  headed  by  a  fertile  queen.  It  is  much  easier  to  carry  out  this 
operation  early  in  the  autumn  whilst  the  weather  is  warm  than  to 
leave  it  until  a  lower  temperature  prevails,  and  when  surplus  queens 
are  difficult  to  obtain.  Queenlessness  is  not  so  easy  to  detect  in  straw 
skeps  as  in  frame  hives,  but  if  the  bees  are  carrying  in  pollen  at  this 
season  it  is  a  pretty  sure  guide  that  there  is  brood  in  the  hive.  This 
cannot  always  be  depended  on,  but  if  the  skep  is  lifted  off  its  stand 
and  brood  is  observed  in  various  stages  of  development,  the  stock  may 
be  relied  on  if  well  supplied  with  stores  to  throw  off  an  early  swarm 
the  following  spring. 
We  have  recently  examined  several  stocks  in  frame  hives  which 
were  queenless.  But  in  each  instance  where  this  occurred  it  was 
nucleus  hives,  where  young  queens  had  been  reared,  that  were  in  this 
condition,  an  unusual  number  of  young  queens  having  this  year 
failed  to  become  fertilised,  and  have  disappeared.  It  is  a  well-known 
fact  that  young  queens  when  first  hatched,  and  previous  to  becoming 
fertilised,  fly  in  and  out  of  the  hives  similar  to  the  other  bees.  If  the 
hives  are  placed  near  to  each  other  they  often  fail  to  return  to  their 
proper  hive,  and  alight  on  the  floorboard  of  another  colony.  If  such 
is  the  case  they  are  at  once  seized  by  the  rightful  inmates  of  the  hive 
and  not  allowed  to  enter.  The  queen  is  seized  in  a  different  manner 
to  an  ordinary  bee,  and  balled.  In  this  manner  she  is  soon  destroyed, 
as  they  do  not  give  her  a  chance  to  escape.  Birds,  too,  often  take 
bees  whilst  on  the  wing,  so  it  is  not  surprising  that  young  queens  are 
often  lost  whilst  taking  a  flight. 
Stocks  that  have  been  queenless  for  some  time  will  be  weak  in 
bees,  and  it  is  useless  introducing  a  queen  to'  a  weak  stock  at  this 
season ‘unless  they  are  also  strengthened  by  thb  addition  of  other 
bees.  If  this  is  done  a  prosperous  colony  of  bees  may  soon  be  built  up. 
Killing  Drones. 
The  slaughter  of  the  drones  has  been  delayed  much  longer  than 
usual  this  season.  This  is  probably  owing  to  the  fine  weather  that 
has  prevailed  and  the  late  flowering  of  the  White  Clover  and  other 
bee  herbage.  In  frame  hives  where  drone  breeding  is  curtailed  this  is 
not  so  marked ;  but  in  some  straw  skeps  wo  recently  saw  quite  half 
the  bees  were  drones.  It  is  still  believed  in  some  districts  that  drones 
make  the  wax  and  the  worker  collects  the  honey,  and  it  is  somewhat 
