ialy  22,  189?. 
journal  of  mUflOULfURE  AND  COTTAGE  GAnUENEk. 
8§ 
io  the  preceding  paragraph  after  the  fruit  commences  ripening,  also  as 
to  assisting  the  swelling. 
Wall  Cases, — Secure  the  growths  to  the  trellis  as  they  advance,  being 
careful  to  allow  space  in  the  ties  for  the  swelling  of  the  shoots,  neglect 
of  this  is  a  precursor  of  gumming.  Keep  the  growths  thin  to  allow  of 
the  foliage  having  full  exposure  to  light  and  for  development.  Syringe 
about  7  A.M.,  the  house  having  a  little  ventilation  constantly,  increasing 
this  with  the  advancing  temperature  to  75° ;  or  if  it  is  desired  to  accelerate 
the  ripening,  maintain  a  temperature  of  80°  to  85°  during  the  day,  but 
always  with  ventilation,  and  close  sufficiently  early  to  maintain  that 
temperature,  but  not  to  raise  it  above  90°.  Syringe  again  about  5  p.m. 
Ked  spider  will  not  make  much  headway,  provided  the  syringing  is 
thorough,  and  the  trees  are  well  supplied  with  water  at  the  roots.  Afford 
liquid  manure  to  weak  and  heavily  cropped  trees.  Thin  finally  directly 
the  fruit  is  stoned.  Neglect  of  early  thinning  results  in  thin-fleshed, 
flavourless  fruits,  and  they  sometimes  ripen  prematurely. 
THE  KITCHEN  GARDEN. 
Xiate  Broccoli.  —  Attempting  to  grow  extra  fine  late  Broccoli 
frequently  ends  in  failure.  If  the  plants  are  grown  luxuriantly  they  are 
liable  to  be  destroyed  by  severe  frosts,  whereas  sturdy,  short-stemmed 
plants  frequently  produce  valuable  heads  in  the  spring.  Planting  on 
firm,  good  ground,  and  not  crowding  the  plants,  are  points  to  be  observed 
in  the  cultivation  of  both  midseason  and  late  Broccoli,  and  no  better 
site  than  a  breadth  of  ground  newly  cleared  of  old  Strawberry  plants 
can  be  found.  Draw  moderately  deep  drills  midway  between  the  old 
lines  of  Strawberry  plants,  putting  Broccoli  plants  2  feet  apart  in  the 
rows,  and  watering  heavily.  If  midseason  and  late  Broccoli  have  to  be 
planted  on  ground  recently  dug  make  the  latter  firm,  and  also  well  ram 
the  soil  about  the  roots.  Let  the  rows  be  from  30  inches  to  3  feet  apart, 
giving  the  greater  distance  if  the  soil  is  rich,  and  the  plants  from  2  feet 
to  30  inches  asunder  in  tt  e  row. 
Borecole,  Cbou  de  Burgbley,  and  Savoys. — The  first-named  is 
most  profitable  when  planted  out  on  good  firm  ground  somewhat  early, 
but  it  is  not  yet  too  late  to  plant.  Put  out  late  they  will  not  attain  a 
great  size,  and  may  therefore  be  arranged  12  inches  to  18  inches  apart  in 
rows  2  feet  apart.  Asparagus  and  Buda  Kales  are  extremely  hardy,  and 
produce  abundance  of  succulent  shoots  long  after  the  other  varieties  are 
over.  They  may  be  planted  thickly.  Chou  de  Burghley,  planted  early 
on  good  ground,  becomes  coarse,  also  hearting  in  before  it  is  wanted. 
Planted  with  late  Broccoli  it  requires  less  room,  a  distance  of  18  inches 
apart  each  way  sufficing,  and  the  hearts  are  neater,  later,  hardier,  and 
much  appreciated  accordingly.  Savoys  may  yet  be  planted  on  good 
ground.  Allow  the  smaller  varieties  the  same  space  ordinary  Cabbages 
require. 
Sowing  Cabbage  Seed. — July  is  the  month  in  which  seed  should 
be  sown  with  a  view  to  having  abundance  of  Cabbages  next  spring.  In 
cold  districts  the  second  week  in  July  is  a  good  time  to  make  the  first 
sowing,  on  or  about  July  20th  answers  well  in  the  Midlands,  and 
the  end  of  the  month  is  early  enough  for  the  more  favoured  south. 
This  season  the  ground  is  very  warm,  and  when  moistened  prior  to 
sowing  the  seed  will  germinate  quickly.  If  the  dry  weather  continues 
and  broadcast  sowing  is  resorted  to,  thoroughly  soak  the  ground,  sow  the 
seed  thinly,  and  cover  with  one-half  inch  of  sifted  dry  soil.  This  plan 
is  preferable  to  sowing  in  drills,  especially  if  the  plants  are  not  pricked 
out  previously  to  moving  them  into  their  winter  quarters.  The  site 
cleared  of  spring-sown  Onions  is  to  be  commended  for  early  Cabbage, 
otherwise  the  ground  to  be  planted  must  be  well  manured  and  deeply 
dug,  so  as  to  have  it  in  readiness  for  the  plants  by  the  time  these  are  fit 
to  put  out. 
Parsley. — If  seed  is  sown  now  in  well  moistened  drills  and  covered 
with  dry  soil  it  will  germinate  quickly,  and  the  plants,  allowed  sufficient 
room  to  develop,  may  probably  prove  hardier  and  more  generally 
serviceable  than  those  raised  earlier  in  the  season.  Moderately  strong 
plants  transplant  readily,  and  the  check  of  removal  prevents  grossness 
and  fits  them  for  the  winter.  Select  dull  weather  if  possible  for  the 
operation,  well  soak  the  ground  before  raising  the  plants  out  of  it, 
and  save  as  much  of  the  thick  carrot-like  root  as  can  be  done.  Replant 
firmly  in  good  ground,  shade  from  strong  sunshine  and  keep  moist  at 
the  roots.  Parsley  is  in  such  constant  demand  that  every  gardener  will 
do  well  to  take  great  pains  in  rearing  abundance  of  it. 
Winter  Splnacb. — Those  who  would  be  successful  with  this 
important  crop  must,  as  a  rule,  pay  more  than  ordinary  attention  to 
the  preparation  of  the  ground  devoted  to  it.  The  last  week  in  July 
will  be  early  enough  to  make  a  first  sowing,  and  a  distance  of  15  inches 
apart  will  not  be  too  close  to  arrange  the  rows  of  the  superior  large 
leaved  varieties. 
Waterlnr  and  BXulcblng'. — Where  a  heavy  watering  is  given 
rows  or  beds  of  vegetables  during  very  hot  weather  little  trace  is  left  of 
it  twenty-four  hours  later,  unless  the  ground  is  also  mulched  with 
strawy  manure,  old  Mushroom  bed  manure,  and  the  like.  These 
mulchings  are  a  great  saving  of  labour,  and  of  marked  effect  upon  the 
crops  they  protect  from  drought  at  the  roots.  Apply  them  after  a  good 
soaking  of  water  or  liquid  manure  has  been  given,  a  dry  covering,  even 
of  fine  garden  soil,  having  a  better  effect  than  a  moist  one.  It  is  a 
mistake  to  think  liquid  manure  of  no  service  in  hot  weather.  It  is  the 
poorer,  hungrier  soils  that  are  the  first  exhausted  of  moisture,  and  a 
soaking  of  liquid  manure  is  not  taken  out  of  the  soil  by  the  plants 
occupying  it  nearly  so  quickly  as  clear  water  would  be.  Once  the 
watering  of  vegetables  is  commenced  it  must  be  persevered  with, 
otherwise  harm  will  result,  the  plants  forming  fresh  root  fibres  only  to 
lose  them  again.  Driblets  do  more  harm  than  sood, 
IE  BEE-KEEPERS 
T-T  -  i  ■■[  -  1  .  1  «  r.  1  «  1  1  -  1  i  n  «  i « i  ."i  ,  i' «  i  «  r‘.  i  «  1 
The  Swarming  Mania. 
Bees  have  had  a  perfect  mania  for  swarming  this  season.  Not 
in  one  district  only,  but  throughout  the  country  there  has  been  an 
unusual  number  of  swarms,  and  as  is  often  the  case  they  come  off 
at  a  most  inconvenient  time.  An  extract  from  one  of  the  numerous 
letters  to  hand  from  various  parts  of  the  country  shows  the  diffi¬ 
culties  that  sometimes  arise  when  swarms  do  not  select  the  most 
convenient  spot  for  alighting.  “  T.,”  writing  from  one  of  the 
midland  counties,  says,  “  I  got  very  wild  with  my  bees  on  Sunday. 
J ust  as  I  was  going  to  church  a  fine  swarm  came  out  of  one  of  my 
frame  hives,  but  instead  of  clustering  in  one  of  the  dwarf  fruit 
trees,  as  they  usually  do,  they  clustered  on  the  branch  of  a  high 
tree,  and  after  mounting  a  42-rung  ladder  I  successfully  hived 
them.  How  is  it  bees  so  often  swarm  on  a  Sunday  ? 
The  sudden  changes  in  the  weather  are  doubtless  the  cause  of  the 
swarming  mania.  When  it  has  been  dull  for  several  days  the  bees 
are  to  a  certain  extent  confined  to  their  hive,  this  being  followed 
by  a  few  days  of  great  beat.  If  the  hives  are  not  then  well 
ventilated  and  the  bees  shaded  swarming  is  almost  certain  to  take 
place,  as  the  bees  will  start  queen  cells,  and  when  this  has  once 
taken  place  nothing  will  prevent  them  from  swarming.  It  is  then 
better  to  allow  them  to  swarm,  for  if  the  new  swarm  is  placed  on 
sheets  of  fully  drawn  out  combs,  and  a  crate  of  sections  placed  on 
the  top,  they  will  at  once  store  a  surplus. 
The  original  stock  may  then  be  used  for  queen  rearing.  This 
is  a  much  better  plan  than  cutting  ouc  all  queen  cells  but  one,  as 
the  bees  will  sometimes  cluster  round  the  entrance  of  hive  and 
not  work,  although  the  weather  may  be  favourable  for  doing  so. 
It  is  very  easy,  too,  in  examining  a  strong  colony,  not  to  observe 
all  the  queen  cells,  and  if  more  than  one  are  left  the  bees  will 
swarm  again  the  first  bright  day  that  comes  ;  and  without  attempt¬ 
ing  to  answer  the  query,  “  Why  bees  so  often  choose  a  Sunday  to 
swarm  ?  ”  it  may  be  that  all  is  quiet  in  the  apiary  on  that  day,  but 
it  is  usually  connected  with  great  and  sudden  heat,  such  as  have 
occurred  on  several  occasions  this  season.  To-day  (14th  inst.)  a 
shade  thermometer  registers  84°,  and  the  sun  shines  brightly  from 
a  cloudless  sky  ;  perfect  bee  weather,  but  I  fear  too  late  for  this 
district  (South  Yorkshire).  Swarming  is  now  all  over,  and  those 
bee-keepers  who  still  swear  by  the  straw  skep  are  looking  forward 
to  a  good  honey  harvest  owing  to  the  great  number  of  swarms 
they  have  had.  May  this  prove  as  satisfactory  as  the  swarming 
has  been. 
Stray  Swarms. 
In  no  previous  season  have  I  known  or  beard  of  as  many  stray 
swarms  as  this  year.  Where  they  have  come  from  it  is  difficult 
to  say.  In  some  instances  they  have  doubtless  come  from  colonies 
that  have  made  their  home  in  trunks  of  hollow  trees,  or  in  the  roof 
of  some  dwelling  house,  but  more  often  they  come  from  straw 
skeps  that  are  kept  by  cottagers  in  various  parts  of  the  country. 
These  are  often  left  to  chance,  but  are  usually  placed  in  a  warm 
corner  of  the  garden  having  a  southern  aspect.  Swarms  from 
stocks  so  situated  often  come  off  without  being  observed,  and 
cluster  not  many  yards  from  their  stand,  and  if  not  at  once  hived 
will  again  get  on  the  wing  and  fly  a  mile  or  more  from  their 
original  stand,  and  are  then  lost.  Great  heat  is  often  the  cause  of 
bees  not  settling.  A  correspondent  in  the  West  of  England  says, 
“  An  unusual  number  of  swarms  have  flown  away  in  this  neigh¬ 
bourhood.  I  attribute  the  cause  to  the  sudden  beat,  and  have 
observed  it  before  when  similar  weather  prevailed.” 
In  this  district  at  least  a  dozen  swarms  have  been  seen  flying 
over  the  tops  of  the  trees,  only  in  one  instance  were  they  taken. 
Some  of  the  stray  swarms  would  doubtless  find  a  home  in  the 
hollow  trees  ;  others,  again,  would  not  be  so  fortunate,  but  would 
cluster  unseen,  and  gradually  dwindle  away  and  die.  This,  I  fear, 
is  the  end  of  many  of  the  stray  swarms,  which,  with  good  manage¬ 
ment  in  a  hive,  would  have  stored  a  surplus  to  the  benefit  of  the 
bee-keeper  as  well  as  themselves.  It  cannot  always  be  prevented, 
but  in  the  majority  of  instances  it  may. 
Swarms  Deserting  their  Hives. 
I  do  not  know  of  anything  more  annoying  to  the  bee-keeper 
than  when  he  has  carefully  hived  his  bees,  and  placed  them  in  a 
frame  hive,  to  find  on  examining  it  the  following  morning  that  the 
bees  have  disappeared,  and  are  nowhere  to  be  seen.  One  such  case 
has  come  under  my  notice  this  season.  A  cast  from  a  straw 
skep  was  placed  in  a  frame  hive,  half  a  dozen  frames  of  fully 
drawn-out  combs  were  given  to  them.  These  had  been  used  last 
year  for  extracting  purposes  ;  since  that  time  they  had  been  stored 
