August  12,  l89f.  JOURNAL  OR  HORTIGULTURR  AND  COTTAGL  GARDENER.  15f 
amount  of  air  moisture  with  a  circulation  of  warm  airl  constantly,  in 
which  they  will  attain  fulness  of  berry  and  perfection  of  finish, 
diminishing  the  air  moisture  as  the  Grapes  advance  in  colouring. 
Poverty  of  finish  is  the  chief  cause  of  Grapes  shrivelling.  Cracking 
resmlts  from  a  close  atmosphere  following  a  period  of  drought,  or  venti¬ 
lating  injudiciously.  An  arid  atmosphere  in  the  early  stages  of 
ripening  renders  Grapes  liable  to  split  when  ripe,  if,  indeed,  they  ripen 
without  cracking.  Afford  a  temperature  of  70°  to  75°  by  day  artifici¬ 
ally,  80°  to  90“  with  sun,  and  close  sufficiently  early  to  increase  to 
90°  or  95°.  When  the  sun  is  losing  power  put  on  enough  top  and 
bottom  ventilation  to  insure  a  circulation  of  air,  allow  the  temperature 
to  gradually  cool,  which  rests  ^he  Vines,  and  increase  the  ventilation 
early  with  the  advancing  temperature.  The  hot-water  pipes  should, 
if  necessary,  have  a  little  warmth  in  them  to  prevent  the  night  tempe¬ 
rature  falling  below  65°  at  night.  The  laterals  should  be  kept  fairly 
well  in  hand,  not  allowing  crowding,  and  keeping  rather  more  foliage 
over  black  Grapes  than  white  ones,  which  require  more  light  as  a  rule 
to  finish  well. 
PLANT  HOUSES. 
Erica  tayemalls. — Do  not  crowd  these  too  closely  together,  or  the 
lower  foliage  will  turn  brown  and  eventually  fall.  If  thoroughly 
hardened  these  plants  are  better  standing  on  a  bed  of  ashes  outside  in  an 
open  sunny  position.  Partially  plunge  the  pots  of  the  front  row  and  the 
plants  will  afford  sufficient  shade  to  the  others.  Be  careful  they  do  not 
suffer  by  an  insufficient  supply  of  water.  Keep  the  material  moist  on 
which  they  stand,  and  syringe  the  plants  in  the  afternoon  of  dry  days. 
Where  they  are  protected  in  frames  it  is  a  good  plan  to  raise  these  from 
the  ground,  so  that  a  good  circulation  of  air  can  play  amongst  the  plants. 
The  lights  shquld  be  drawn  off  during  the  day. 
Erica  melanthera. — As  these  flower  late  they  will  now  be  in  active 
growth,  and  should  be  kept  in  frames  for  some  weeks.  Encourage  them 
to  make  their  growth  by  closing  the  frame  early  in  the  afternoon.  This 
species  is  benefited  by  this  treatment,  and  is  not  liable  to  be  attacked  by 
mildew.  Give  plenty  of  air  during  the  day,  syringe  morning  and  even¬ 
ing  in  dry  weather,  and  give  liberal  supplies  of  water.  If  any  of  these 
plants  need  repotting  it  should  be  done  at  once.  Do  not  disturb  the  old 
soil  further  than  is  necessary  to  remove  the  drainage ;  press  the  soil, 
peat,  and  sand  firmly,  and  give  water  with  caution  for  some  time  after¬ 
wards.  A  light  shade  over  the  frame  during  the  hottest  part  of  the  day 
will  prove  beneficial. 
Azalea  amoena. — Plants  that  were  assisted  to  make  their  growth 
early,  and  have  ,been  gradually  hardened  by  abundance  of  air  and 
exposure  to  light,  may  be  stood  outside.  If  they  have  been  growing 
under  Vines  and  Peaches  thin  tiffany  should  be  arranged  so  as  to  shade 
them  for  a  few  hours  during  bright  sunshine,  or  the  foliage  will  be 
unduly  browned  by  sudden  exposure.  Protect  the  front  row  of  pots,  the 
same  as  advised  for  Ericas.  Syringe  the  plants  freely,  and  do  not 
allow  them  to  become  dry  at  their  roots. 
Camellias.— When  these  have  completed  their  growth  syringing 
should  be  stopped  for  a  time  until  the  flower  buds  are  set.  Plants  in 
vigorous  growth  if  kept  close  and  moist  are  liable  to  start  again  into 
growth ;  this  can  be  prevented  by  the  admission  of  more  air,  a  drier 
atmosphere,  and  the  gradual  exposure  of  the  plants  to  light.  The  latter 
is  most  important  where  strong  growth  has  been  made,  for  if  not 
thoroughly  matured  the  flower  buds  may  fall  prematurely.  Plants  that 
are  swelling  their  buds  should  be  kept  moist  at  the  roots  and  syringed 
freely.  If  confined  in  pots  or  narrow  borders  stimulants  may  be  given. 
If  these  plants  are  placed  outside  they  must  have  a  position  where  they 
will  receive  partial  shade,  and  must  be  well  watered,  also  syringed  during 
bright  warm  weather. 
Kaloaanthes. — Plants  that  have  flowered  may  be  cut  back  and 
placed  in  frames  to  break,  when  they  should  be  repotted.  Shoots  that 
have  not  flowered  may  be  rooted  singly  in  small  pots,  or  a  number 
placed  together  in  5  and  6-inch  pots.  These  plants,  if  rooted  quickly, 
and  then  fully  exposed  to  light  and  air,  will  flower  freely  another  year. 
If  wanted  only  for  the  season  following,  root  them  singly,  and  then 
remove  the  point  to  induce  them  to  branch.  Plants  cut  back  last  season 
should  be  placed  outside  fully  exposed  to  the  sun  to  ripen,  which  will 
induce  every  shoot  to  flower  freely. 
Euonymus  latlfollua  varlegatus. — This  is  equally  as  ornamental 
in  the  greenhouse  or  conservatory  during  the  autumn  and  winter  as  the 
Croton  is  in  the  stove,  and  plants  of  various  sizes  may  be  used  with 
effect.  Low  standards  on  stems  from  1  foot  to  18  inches  high  are  very 
useful.  Cuttings  of  young  wood  should  now  be  inserted  thickly  to¬ 
gether  in  pans  of  sandy  soil,  well  watered,  and  then  placed  in  a  cold 
frame  where  they  can  be  shaded  from  the  sun.  Nearly  every  one  will 
root  in  this  position,  and  may  be  potted  singly  early  in  the  year.  They 
can  be  rooted  in  heat,  but  are  less  certain,  and  entail  more  than  double 
the  labour.  By  rooting  a  few  annually  there  need  be  no  deficiency  of 
stock. 
TRADE  CATALOGUES  RECEIVED. 
F.  G.  E.  Bonnett,  Heathfield,  Sussex. — Bulbs. 
W,  Cutbush  &  Sons,  Highgate. — Bulbs. 
T.  Methven  «fe  Sons,  Princes  Street,  Edinburgh. — Bulbs. 
Sutton  &  Sons,  Reading. — Bulbs. 
J.  Veitch  &  Sons,  Ltd.,  Royal  Exotic  Nursery,  Chelsea. — Bulbs, 
Fruits. 
2 
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1  «  1  -  t  t  -  J  -1  «J  *  *  »  <  -  >  -  1  «  t  -1  -  1  -  T--1  -  1  .  1  -  «  1 
Driving  Bees. 
Although  driving  bees  is  now  pretty  well  understood  by  the 
majority  of  bee-keepers,  still  one  cannot  shut  one’s  eyes  to  the  fact 
that  there  are  many  bees  destroyed  annually  throughout  the 
country.  Within  the  past  fortnight  I  have  met  several  bee-keepers 
who  still  cling  to  the  tradition  of  their  forefathers,  and  suffocate 
their  bees  over  the  sulphur  pit.  In  discussing  the  subject  with 
them,  I  found  their  ideas  were  as  dissimilar  as  was  possible. 
One  bee-keeper  who  started  with  two  stocks  in  straw  skeps 
last  spring,  which  have  now  increased  to  half  a  dozen,  intended 
reducing  them  to  the  same  number  again,  and  when  appealed  to, 
the  only  excuse  given  was  that  “  there  was  no  danger  of  being 
stung,  and  it  entailed  but  little  trouble.”  The  reason  given  by 
another  bee-keeper  was  that  he  had  sufficient  bees,  and  if  he  saved 
their  lives  now  they  would  probably  die  of  starvation  during  the 
winter.  But  to  the  credit  of  modern  bee  keepers  it  is  only  the 
straw  skeppists  who  destroy  their  bees  when  taking  their  honey  in 
the  autumn.  Strong  colonies  invariably  winter  well ;  for  this 
reason,  if  an  increase  of  stocks  is  not  required,  it  is  an  advantage 
to  add  the  driven  bees  to  existing  stocks. 
In  driving  bees  from  straw  skeps  either  open  or  close  driving 
may  be  practised.  I  prefer  the  former,  at  the  movements  of  the 
bees  can  be  seen  at  a  glance  ;  and  when  the  queen  and  the  bulk  of 
the  bees  have  been  seen  to  go  up  into  the  empty  skep  it  may  at 
once  be  removed,  and  the  remaining  bees  brushed  off  the  combs  as 
they  are  removed  one  by  one  from  the  stock  hive.  In  open  driving 
it  is  necessary  to  have  two  pieces  of  stout  wire  about  1  foot  in 
length.  The  points  should  be  turned  about  an  inch  at  right  angles. 
These  will  form  a  hinge  on  each  side  of  the  skep  to  be  operated 
on.  The  skep  containing  the  honey  and  bees  must  be  reversed 
from  its  original  position,  and  the  empty  skep  placed  on  the  top,  a 
straight  piece  of  wire  being  put  through  the  two  edges  to  prevent 
the  empty  skep  slipping  off.  This  will  allow  an  open  space  of  at 
least  a  foot  between  the  front  edges  of  the  two  hives. 
The  operator  must  then  continue  tapping,  the  bottom  hive,  and 
in  less  than  half  a  minute  the  bees  will  commence  to  run  up  rapidly 
into  the  empty  straw  skep.  Before  removing  the  stock  from  its 
original  stand  it  is  advisable  to  blow  in  a  little  smoke,  at  the  same 
time  giving  the  hive  a  few  sharp  taps  with  the  hand,  as  this  will 
cause  the  bees  to  become  excited,  and  they  will  at  once  commence 
to  fill  their  honey  sacs  from  their  unsealed  stores  ;  and  as  in  the 
case  of  natural  swarming,  when  the  same  thing  takes  place,  it  will 
make  them  good  tempered,  and  they  may  be  handled  with  impunity. 
If  a  fine  day  is  chosen  for  the  operation,  preferably  when  the  sun 
is  shining,  all  the  bees  may  be  got  out  of  a  strong  colony  in  a  few 
minutes. 
Bumping  Bees. 
If  a  colony  of  bees  is  weak  from  any  cause,  it  is  much  easier  to 
practise  the  bumping  system  than  to  drive  them.  This  is  done  by 
first  preparing  them  as  for  driving.  On  lifting  the  skep  from  its 
stand  first  remove  the  cross  sticks.  This  is  easily  done  from  the 
outside,  as  the  ends  should  always  project  at  least  an  inch  for  that 
purpose.  The  skep  must  then  be  lifted  bodily  and  bumped  on 
the  ground  sharply,  first  on  one  side,  and  then  on  the  other  ;  this  will 
break  the  combs  from  the  crown  of  the  hive.  They  may  then  be 
lifted  out,  and  the  bees  brushed  off  with  a  fowl’s  wing.  It  is  an 
advantage  to  remove  the  hive  to  be  operated  on  a  few  yards  from 
its  original  stand  ;  if  to  a  sheltered  spot  fifty  or  more  yards  away 
so  much  the  better,  as  at  this  season  robber  bees  from  other  hives 
are  very  troublesome.  If  honey  is  uncovered  near  to  a  strong 
colony  they  will  quickly  find  it  out,  and  if  the  weather  is  warm,  as 
at  present,  will  remove  it  in  an  incredibly  short  space  of  time, 
causing  an  uproar  throughout  the  apiary,  and  when  they  have 
once  taken  to  the  robbing  propensity  it  is  often  difficult  to  stop 
them. 
Uniting  Bees. 
At  this  season,  when  numerous  stocks  are  being  driven  in 
various  parts  of  the  country,  no  mistake  must. be  made  in  uniting 
the  bees.  When  all  are  obtained  in  the  same  apiary,  or  neighbour¬ 
hood,  it  is  advisable  to  unite  them  the  same  evening,  or  at  the  time 
they  are  driven,  or  otherwise  obtained.  Two,  three,  or  four  stocks 
of  bees  may  be  placed  together,  according  to  the  number  of  bees 
in  each.  They  should  be  headed  by  a  young  fertile  queen,  hatched 
during  the  present  year.  Before  commencing  operations  it  is 
advisable  to  mark  each  skep,  whether  old  stock,  first  swarm,  or 
cast ;  the  former,  if  it  has  swarmed,  and  the  latter,  will  have  young 
queens,  whereas  the  first  swarm  will  be  headed  by  an  old  queen, 
