December  3,  I896i 
jotjnnAi  np  nonTumLfrmp  Ann  ooTTAnn  OAkDEXPLi 
549 
ia  the  berriea,  but  too  much  heat  and  too  dry  air  cause  the  Grapes  to 
shrivel;  seek  therefore,  a  dry,  cool,  and  equable  temperature,  40°  to  45° 
being  sufficient,  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  the  Grapes. 
Cherry  Bouse. — The  trees  must  now  be  pruned.  Full-grown  trees, 
properly  attended  to  in  stopping  during  growth,  will  require  very  little 
pruning  now.  Any  summer  shoots  that  have  grown  considerably  should 
be  cut  back  to  about  an  inch  from  the  base,  and  the  worn  out  spurs  may 
be  shortened  or  removed  as  required.  Cutout  dead  wood  and  spurs, and 
thin  those  where  crowded,  always  reserving  sufficient  for  forming  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  shorten¬ 
ing,  always  to  a  wood  bud.  Young  trees  will  require  shortening  or 
cutting  back  as  necessary,  the  central  shoots  being  shortened  so  as  to 
originate  others  for  filling  the  space  regularly  ;  but  it  is  not  advisable 
to  start  them  too  closely  together,  as  that  may  cause  the  branches  to 
press  against  each  other,  and  this  is  a  common  cause  of  gumming.  Fan¬ 
training  is  unquestionably  the  best  for  Cherries,  as  it  admits  of  replacing 
any  branch  that  may  fall  a  prey  to  disease.  Thoroughly  cleanse  the 
house — the  woodwork  with  soapy  water  and  a  brush,  limewash  the  walls, 
using  freshly  burned  lime,  with  a  handful  of  flowers  of  sulphur  to  each 
pailful  of  limewash,  for  acting  against  red  spider  and  micro-organisms 
that  produce  spot  in  Cherries.  Wash  the  trees  with  soapy  water,  and 
afterwards  dress  them  with  an  insecticide,  being  careful  not  to  injure 
the  buds.  Remove  the  loose  surface  soil  and  supply  fresh  loam.  The 
roof  lights  being  off  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  middle  of  this  month.  The  very  early  varieties  will  ripen 
sooner,  such  as  Early  Rivers  and  Belle  d’Orleans,  these  being  well  in 
advance  of  Black  Tartarian  and  Governor  Wood.  These  divergencies  in 
ripening  must  be  borne  in  mind  in  forcing  Cherries,  and  it  is  necessary 
not  to  bring  them  forward  too  rapidly,  especially  when  ^'orcing  them  for 
the  flrst  time.  Trees  under  fixed  roofs  should  be  well  supplied  with 
water  if  necessary  to  keep  the  soil  moist.  Fixed  roofs,  however,  are 
great  mistakes  in  the  early  forcing  of  Cherries. 
PLANT  HOUSES. 
Bepenthes. — These  should  not  be  allowed  to  hang  too  close  to  the 
glass,  or  they  may  become  seriously  checked  when  severe  weather  sets 
in.  They  will  be  safe  at  18  inches  or  2  feet  from  the  roof.  Do  not 
allow  these  plants  to  suffer  by  an  insufficient  supply  of  water  at  their 
roots,  also  keep  them  liberally  syringed.  If  this  is  not  done  thrips  are 
liable  to  attack  them  at  this  season  of  the  year  now  that  the  atmosphere 
of  the  stove  is  kept  much  drier. 
Cyauophyllum  magnlficum. — This  plant  is  very  liable  to  become 
infested  with  thrips,  and  if  this  is  allowed  the  noble  foliage  is  soon 
destroyed.  Place  the  plants  at  the  shadiest  part  of  the  house,  where 
they  can  be  freely  syritged  and  a  fair  amount  of  moisture  maintained. 
If  thrips  do  attack  the  foliage  dew  or  syringe  the  plants  with  a  weak 
solution  of  tobacco  water,  and  maintain  a  sharp  look-out  for  the  pest. 
Spbserogyne  latifolia  requires  the  same  treatment  and  care. 
9onerllas. — These  charming  foliage  plants  need  care  to  preserve 
them  in  good  condition  throughout  the  winter.  If  young  stock  has  not 
been  piepartd  for  this  purpose  place  the  old  plants  at  the  warmest  end 
,  of  the  stove  and  water  them  sparingly,  or  they  may  damp.  Even  at 
this  late  period  it  is  a  good  plan  to  root  a  few  of  the  growing  ends  of 
the  shoots  for  fear  any  of  the  old  plants  fail, 
Flttonlas. — Wheie  const  ant  supplies  of  these  are  needed  during  the 
w  nter  and  spring  for  furnishing,  any  shoots  that  can  be  spared,  or  stock 
plants  that  have  cuttings  upon  them,  may  be  taken  off  and  rooted.  These 
cuttings  root  freely  if  inserted  thickly  together  in  sandy  soil  and 
placed  in  the  propagating  frame  in  brisk  heat.  When  well  rooted  the 
plants  may  be  tied  up  in  moss  and  a  little  soil,  placing  them  in  boxes 
to  grow.  By  this  method  they  can  be  lifted  out  with  good  balls  and 
need  not  be  potted  ;  in  fact,  if  kept  moist  they  will  last  as  long  as  if 
they  were  placed  in  pots. 
Coleus. — Dark  and  distinct  highly  coloured  tops  look  well  in  2-inch 
pots  for  the  table,  also  for  using  with  moss  and  small  Ferns  at  the  edge 
of  baskets  and  large  vases  that  have  to  be  kept  neatly  furnished  with 
plants.  They  do  not  last  long  in  rooms,  but  are  attractive,  and  small 
specimens  will  be  found  very  useful.  The  tops  root  freely  enough 
when  inserted  in  small  pots  and  placed  on  a  shelf  where  the  temperature 
ranges  at  about  60°  to  66°.  Give  a  good  watering  after  insertion,  and 
dew  the  cuttings  with  a  syringe  on  fine  days. 
Foliage  Begonias. — These  when  grown  in  small  pots  are  most 
useful  for  furnishing,  and  care  should  be  taken  that  the  stock  of  these 
plants  already  prepared  do  not  damp.  Keep  them  in  an  intermediate 
temperature  where  the  atmosphere  is  moderately  dry.  These  plants 
after  they  become  shabby  by  use  in  rooms  will  do  for  stock,  provided 
they  are  cut  down  and  kept  on  the  dry  side  until  they  start  again  into 
growth . 
Seedling  Ferns. — A  number  of  these  should  always  be  kept  on 
hand,  for  they  are  invaluable.  When  once  they  have  been  used  in  rooms 
and  become  shabby  they  should  be  thrown  away.  Seedlings  are  raised 
so  easily  that  it  is  a  waste  of  room  and  time  to  recruit  plants  that  have 
been  seriously  checked.  Adiantum  cuneatum  and  Pteris  of  sorts  are 
among  the  most  useful.  If  an  easier  and  readier  system  is  needed 
than  gathering  and  sowing  the  spores  in  pots  or  pans,  pieces  of  turf  may 
be  laid  amongst  established  plants,  and  in  a  short  time  they  will  be 
covered  with  young  Ferns.  These,  if  the  turves  are  placed  under  the 
plants  at  the  present"  time,  will  be  ready  for  pricking  into  pans  about 
the  end  of  March,  and  will  make  capital  plants  for  another  winter. 
Most  Fern  spores  grow  very  freely  on  cocoa-nut  fibre  refuse,  and  if  a 
thin  layer  is  placed  on  the  stage  for  plants  to  stand  upon,  hundreds  of 
seedlings  can  be  taken  up  and  potted.  We  prefer  small  bunches  to 
single  plants  because  they  fill  up  better  at  the  base  and  display  a  much 
more  furnished  appearance. 
SEASONABLE  NOTES. 
Flowers  for  Bees, 
Wallflowers  are  general  favourites  and  are  appreciated  in 
the  gardens  of  the  rich,  often  in  preference  to  the  more  expensive 
flowers,  as  well  as  by  the  cottager,  who  may  only  have  a  few  square 
yards  of  garden.  But  whether  snaall  or  large  one  will  invariably 
find  that  Wallflowers  have  a  small  space  devoted  to  their  culture, 
their  bright  colours  and  rich  perfume  making  them  doubly 
welcome  at  a  season  when  all  vegetation  is  bursting  into  growth. 
Not  only  are  they  welcomed  by  all  lovers  of  a  garden,  but  bees 
are  particularly  fond  of  them,  working  incessantly  on  the  fast 
opening  flowers,  from  which  they  obtain  both  honey  and  pollen. 
For  this  reason  bee-keepers  should  plant  them  in  quantity,  so  that 
the  bees  may  obtain  full  benefit  from  them  in  their  season.  If 
planted  in  various  positions  they  will  continue  a  long  time  in  bloom. 
The  most  forward  plants  will,  if  the  winter  is  not  severe,  com¬ 
mence  to  bloom  in  February,  whilst  those  in  more  exposed 
positions  will  continue  flowering  until  J une.  This  is  an  advantage, 
as  the  early  flowers  will  keep  the  bees  near  to  home  instead  of  flying 
long  distances  in  search  of  forage,  when,  as  is  often  the  case,  they 
are  overtaken  by  sudden  showers  and  beaten  down,  becoming 
chilled  and  unable  to  rise  again.  Many  bees  are  lost  in  this 
manner  throughout  the  early  spring  months  when  the  weather  is 
changeable. 
The  present  is  a  suitable  time  for  planting  Wallflowers.  Unlike 
bulbs,  which  invariably  do  well  when  planted  on  the  grass,  they 
require  to  be  planted  in  beds  or  borders,  though  they  are  not 
particular  as  regards  position,  thriving  best,  however,  if  planted  in 
the  full  sun.  They  may  be  propagated  by  either  seed  or  cuttings 
(the  former  for  preference),  as  much  less  trouble  is  entailed.  The 
seed  should  be  sown  early  in  May,  and  as  soon  as  the  plants  are 
large  enough  to  handle  should  be  planted  oat  about  10  inches 
apart.  They  will  then  form  good  bushy  plants,  which  may  be 
placed  in  their  permanent  places  at  the  present  time. 
No  list  of  bee  flowers  would  be  complete  if  mention  were 
not  made  of  Limnanthes  Donglasi,  more  often  called  “The  Bee 
Plant  ”  on  account  of  the  bees’  fondness  of  it  whilst  in  bloom. 
With  the  exception  of  the  Palm  Willow  (which  is  oyer  before  the 
Limnanthes  comes  into  flower)  there  is  no  flower  with  which  I  am 
acquainted  that  the  bees  are  so  fond  of.  It  is  a  dwarf  flowering 
annaal,  usually  in  bloom  in  April  or  early  in  May.  It  forms  a  mass 
of  primrose  coloured  flowers,  which  are  literally  covered  with  bees 
throughout  the  day.  It  looks  remarkably  well  when  planted  as 
an  edging  to  borders  or  shrubberies,  and  when  grown  in  that 
position,  if  allowed  to  remain  to  ripen  its  seed,  it  will  grow  freely 
without  any  further  trouble. 
Nearly  all  the  Salix,  commonly  known  by  the  name  of 
Willows,  are  beneficial  to  the  bees  whilst  in  bloom.  Some  of  the 
varieties  bloom  late  in  the  spring,  when  other  flowers  are  some¬ 
what  plentiful.  Tae  Palm  Willow,  however,  is  an  exception, 
commencing  to  flower  in  February,  and  lasting  several  weeks 
should  the  weather  be  warm  enough,  which  is  usually  the  case  at 
that  season  when  we  are  often  favoured  with  more  or  less  of  bright 
sunny  weather.  If  there  is  a  tree  of  this  variety  within  easy 
reach  of  the  apiary  it  will  be  alive  with  bees,  as  it  is  one  of  the 
best  early  pollen-producing  trees  we  have.  It  is  surprising  the 
quantity  produced  on  two  or  three  ordinary  sized  trees  ;  bee¬ 
keepers  should  therefore  plant  a  few  trees  whenever  they  have  an 
opportunity  of  doing  so.  They  succeed  well  on  the  margin  of 
ponds  or  any  wet  place,  and  if  allowed  ample  room  have  a  hand¬ 
some  appearance  whilst  in  bloom. 
TRADE  CATALOGUES  RECEIVED. 
Bell  &  Sons,  Govent  Garden. — Catalogue  of  Boohs. 
R.  &  G.  Cathbert,  Southgate. — Trees  ajid  Shrubs. 
A.  Findlay,  Matkinch,  N.B. — Potatoes. 
G.  W.  Riley,  Herne  Hill. — Hortioultural  Buildings. 
C.  Sahut,  10,  Avenue  du  Pont  Juvenal,  Montpellier.— IVet's  and 
Shrubs. 
