November  4,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTIGULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
443 
Weather  is  cold  to  shut  off  the  top  heat  for  an  hour  or  two  when  the  sun  is 
powerful  than  to  admit  air  when  the  winds  are  sharp.  On  the  modern 
system  of  growing  Cucumbers  this  practice  obtains  the  year  round,  and  in 
winter  time  little  or  no  air  may  be  necessary  for  weeks  or  months  on  the 
older,  and,  as  we  consider,  better  practice  of  ventilation.  The  paths  and 
walls  will  need  damping  in  the  morning  and  afternoon  on  tine  days, 
but  the  syringe  must  not  be  used  to  the  foliage  unless  the  days  are 
exceptionally  bright,  and  then  soon  after  midday.  The  water  or  liquid 
manure  given  to  the  roots  must  be  of  the  same  temperature  as  the  house, 
as  also  must  the  soil  applied  to  the  beds. 
Autumn-fruiting  plants  are  now  in  full  bearing,  and  having  plenty  of 
stamina  in  them,  and  not  being  overcropped,  will  continue  to  bear  good 
fruit  a  considerable  time  longer.  It  is  also  necesary  to  remove  the  fruit 
as  soon  as  it  becomes  a  useable  size,  and  all  deformed  fruit  when  seen, 
as  these  needlessly  weaken  the  plants.  Attend  to  the  plants  once  or 
twice  a  week  for  the  removal  of  bad  leaves,  stopping  irregular  growths, 
and  cutting  out  supertiuous.  keeping  the  foliage  moderately  thin.  If 
mildew  appear  dust  the  affected  parts  with  flowers  of  sulphur,  or  form 
this  into  a  paste  with  skim  milk,  and  brush  a  little  on  the  hot-water 
pipes.  The  fumes  given  off  act  against  red  s})ider  and  white  fly,  but 
aphides  and  thrips  should  be  subdued  with  vaporisation  of  nicotine  essence 
or  fumigation  with  good  tobacco  paper  or  the  advertised  substances, 
which  are  generally  safer  and  thoroughly  effectual. 
Winter-fruiting  plants  are  far  the  most  diffi  iilt  to  manage.  The 
great  thing  is  to  get  them  well  established  and  furnished  with  sturdy 
growths  and  thick  leathery  leaves,  letting  the  shoots  advance  well  up  the 
trellis  before  stopping  them,  training  the  side  growths  evenly,  and  not 
more  closely  than  to  allow  of  the  foliage  being  well  exposed  to  light. 
Stop  the  side  growths  after  a  few  good  leaves  are  made,  and  the  growths 
issuing  from  the  wood  left  will  show  plenty  of  fruit,  and  such  may  be 
stopped  one  or  two  joints  beyond  it.  This  will  secure  foliage  for 
accelerating  root  action  and  the  proper  nourishment  of  the  fruit.  To 
insure  the  fruit  swelling  it  is  sometimes  necessary  to  have  recourse  to 
fertilising  the  flowers,  but  allow  few  or  no  male  blossoms  or  tendrils, 
removing  them  as  fast  as  they  appear,  for  they  only  weaken  the  plants. 
Add  fresh  soil  to  the  ridges  or  hillocks  as  the  roots  protrude,  and  be 
careful  not  to  overwater,  affording  a  supply  only  when  needed. 
Peaches  and  Nectarines. — Earliest  Forced  Trees  in  Pots. —For  securing 
very  early  fruit  the  trees  are  unquestionably  best  grown  in  standard 
form  in  pots,  and  the  stems  varying  in  height  so  that  they  will  accord 
with  the  incline  of  the  structure,  and  thus  have  their  heads  well  up 
to  the  light.  The  very  early  varieties  do  well  under  this  method  of 
culture,  as  from  the  pinching  they  have  blossom  buds  on  the  younger 
wood,  and  these  are  not  liable  to  drop  as  are  those  on  the  first  made  wood 
of  the  previous  year  through  over-development.  Such  varieties  as 
Alexander,  Waterloo,  Early  Louise,  Early  Leopold  (an  excellent  variety 
for  affording  abundance  of  pollen  from  for  fertilisation  purposes),  Hale’s 
Early,  and  Stirling  Castle  Peaches,  with  Cardinal,  Elvers’  Early,  Lord 
Napier,  Goldoni,  and  Stanwick  Elruge  Nectarines  answer  for  early 
forcing  and  give  a  good  succession  of  fruit.  A  three-quarters  span-roof 
house  facing  south,  provided  with  top  and  front  ventilation,  and  four  rows 
of  4- inch  hot- water  pipes  — two  along  the  front  and  two  next  the  path 
on  the  front  side  of  the  house— cannot  be  bettered  for  very  early  forcing, 
the  back  wall  being  utilised  by  growing  Tomatoes  against  it,  and  when 
the  Peach  trees  are  withdrawn,  as  they  may  be  after  the  weather  becomes 
settled  in  .June,  the  front  of  the  house  can  be  occupied  with  Tomato  plants 
grown  in  pots  for  the  purpose. 
Earliest  Forced  Planted-out  P/res. —These  must  be  put  into  proper  order 
and  the  house  made  as  clean  as  possible.  Afford  inside  borders  a  due 
supply  of  water,  and  if  the  trees  are  weakly  give  liquid  manure,  but  not 
too  strong,  which  will  conduce  to  a  more  vigorous  expansion  of  the  liuds 
as  well  as  better  setting  and  swelling  of  the  fruit  in  the.  early  stages. 
The  house  closed  at  the  middle  of  the  month  must  not  have  the 
temperature  in  the  daytime  above  50'’  without  giving  air,  admitting  this 
whenever  the  weather  is  bright,  employing  fire  heat  only  to  exclude 
frost,  for  the  slower  the  trees  are  excited  the  stronger  will  be  the 
blossom.  Syringe  the  trees  moderately  in  the  morning  and  early  after¬ 
noon  of  fine  days,  otherwise  damj)  the  paths  occasionally  so  as  to  secure  a 
fair  amount  of  atmospheric  moisture.  Outside  borders  should  be  well 
[)rotected  with  about  4  inches  thickness  of  leaves,  with  a  little  litter  over 
them  to  prevent  their  displacement  by  wind. 
Succession  Houses. — The  trees  casting  their  foliage  must  not  be  hurried 
by  removing  the  leaves  forcibly,  but  admit  air  freely  at  night,  keeping  the 
houses  rather  close  in  the  early  part  of  the  day,  and  by  maintaining  a  dry 
atmosphere,  seek  gradual  maturation,  when  the  foliage  will  part  freely 
from  the  trees.  When  the  leaves  are  all  down,  unfasten  the  branches  from 
the  trellis,  perform  any  pruning  required,  cleanse  the  house  thoroughly, 
paint  the  woodwork  and  trellis  if  necessary,  and  dress  the  trees  with  an 
insecticide.  Secure  the  trees  to  the  trellis,  leaving  room  in  the  ligatures 
for  the  branches  to  swell,  as  tight  tying  is  one  of  the  most  prevalent  causes 
of  gumming.  Kemove  the  surface  soil  down  to  the  roots,  and  supply  fresh 
loam  rather  stiff,  containing  a  judicious  amount  of  some  approved  fertiliser. 
Give  a  thorough  sup  ly  of  water  to  inside  borders  of  houses  with  fixed 
roofs  ;  but  it  is  better  to  remove  the  roof-lights  and  allow  the  borders  to 
become  thoroughly  soaked  by  the  autumn  rains,  which  will  not  do  any 
harm,  but  great  good  where  the  drainage  is  efficient. 
Any  lifting  and  root-pruning  of  trees,  not  in  a  satisfactory  state, 
should  be  attended  to  whilst  the  leaves  are  upon  the  trees,  not,  however, 
until  the  foliage  becomes  mature,  and  then  acting  with  dispatch.  If  fresh 
trees  have  to  be  introduced,  this  should  be  done  when  they  are  safe  for 
removal — namely,  when  the  leaves  are  nearly  off  the  trees.  The  best 
description  of  trees  for  planting  in  houses  are  those  three  or  more  years 
trained  to  walls  or  to  trellis  under  glass,  and  prepared  by  annual  or 
biennial  lifting.  Such  trees  transplant  safely  with  abundance  of  fibres. 
Carefully  planted  they  can  be  forced  the  first  year  with  every  confidence 
of  a  crop  if  not  started  before  the  new  year,  not  brought  on  too  rapidly. 
It  is  always  desirable  to  select  trained  trees  in  bearing  in  preference  to 
planting  young  ones  that  are  not  furnished  with  some  Ijearing  wood  ;  but 
if  young  trees  must  be  planted,  select  such  as  have  a  well-furnished  base, 
free  from  gum,  not  very  strong  in  the  wood,  and  that  well  matured. 
Late  Houses. — The  fruit,  except  a  few  of  the  latest  varieties,  is  now 
perhaps  gathered,  and  the  wood  that  has  borne  fruit  and  is  not 
required  for  extension  should  be  cut  out,  as  nothing  is  so  prejudicial 
as  too  much  wood.  If  the  trees  are  young  and  not  ripening  the  wood 
well,  form, a  trench  about  one-third  the  distance  from  the  stem  the  trees 
cover  in  height  of  trellis,  and  down  to  the  drainage,  so  as  to  detach  the 
roots,  and  after  remaining  open  a  fortnight,  fill  the  trench  firmly,  adding 
calcareous  matter  to  the  soil  if  deficient  of  that  substance.  This  will 
check  the  tendency  to  late  growth  and  induce  wood  ripening.  The  surface 
soil  should  be  removed  down  to  the  roots  in  the  undisturbed  portion 
as  soon  as  the  leaves  fall,  supplying  fresh  material ,  or  replacing  the  old 
soil  after  adding  some  calcareous  matter,  and  give  a  good  watering.  The 
trees  will  then  push  fresh  roots  and  ripen  the  wood,  but  the  lifting  or 
interference  with  the  roots  inside  the  trench  must  not  be  practised  whilst 
the  wood  is  soft  and  the  leaves  green  and  sappy,  or  the  check  will  cause 
the  wood  to  shrivel.  Trees  judiciously  operated  upon  at  the  roots 
invariably  set  the  blossoms  well  after  operations  of  this  character,  the 
roots  in  lifting  being  laid  in  carefully  in  fresh  compost  and  kept  near  to 
the  surface.  This  is  a  great  point  in  Feach  and  Nectarine  cultivation. 
Examination  op  Hives. 
It  is  a  good  plan  at  this  season  to  make  a  tliorougli  examination 
of  all  hives  tliat  are  exposed  to  the  weather.  Those  which  are  placed 
in  properly  made  bee  houses  will  be  secure,  but  as  these  are  in  the 
minority  when  compured  with  the  thousands  of  hives  that  are  exposed 
to  all  winds  and  weather,  it  behoves  bee-keepers  to  pay  particular 
attention  to  the  condition  of  their  hives  before  severe  weather  sets  in. 
As  the  fact  is  well  known,  directly  a  stock  of  bees  become  saturated 
with  moisture  from  any  cause,  they  will  at  once  begin  to  deteriorate, 
and  if  steps  are  not  taken  to  remedy  the  evil  they  will  succumb. 
Prevention,  however,  is  better  than  cure,  and  the  present  spell  of  tine 
weather  is  favourable  for  putting  all  hives  in  such  a  condition,  that, 
let  the  weather  be  what  it  will,  the  inmates  will  be  secure. 
In  the  first  place,  each  hive  should  be  examined  sei)arately,  and  if 
the  wood  is  in  sound  condition  the  bees  need  not  be  disturbed.  The 
hive  should  then  receive  a  coat  of  paint  made  from  the  best  white  lead, 
which  may  be  obtained  in  small  quantities  ready  prepared  fur  use. 
This  is  a  much  better  plan  fur  amateurs  to  adopt  than  to  procure  the 
white  lead  and  oils  separately,  as  it  often  ends  in  failure.  Paint  made 
from  white  lead  is  preferred  to  the  numerous  mixtures  often  recom¬ 
mended  fur  various  pm  poses,  as  it  will  withstand  h  ost  and  snow,  rain 
and  sunshine,  better  than  anything  else. 
After  the  first  coat  of  paint  has  become  dry  it  will  be  advisable  to 
fill  all  the  small  crevices  round  the  sides  of  the  hive  with  putty.  This 
should  be  well  pressed  in  with  a  knife,  or  some  other  suitable  tool. 
Afterwards  another  coat  of  paint  will,  in  the  majority  of  cases,  be 
sufficient  to  make  the  hive  waterproof.  After  this  date  the  bees  will 
not  be  on  the  wing  much,  so  no  fear  need  be  entertained  of  causing  an 
injury  to  them  by  carrying  out  this  operation. 
It  will  not  be  advisable  to  paint  the  alighting  boards  unless  they 
are  fixtures,  but  if  deemed  necessary  it  should  be  delayed  till  late  in 
the  afternoon,  when  there  is  no  further  danger  of  the  bees  leaving 
their  hive;  the  paint  will  then  become  dry  by  the  following  morning. 
This  slhow's  the  advantage  of  loose  floorboards,  as  the  hive  may  be 
ipiietly  lifted  off  and  placed  on  a  clean  floorboard  without  disturbing 
the  bees.  The  spare  board  can  then  be  removed  to  a  dry  place  and 
painted  as  for  as  necessary,  and  be  given  to  another  colony  a  few  days 
afterwards,  when  the  paint  has  become  dry  and  the  unpleasant  smell 
has  passed  away. 
Making  Roofs  Waterproof. 
It  is  important  that  the  roofs  of  all  the  hives  should  be  made 
thoroughly  watei  proof.  But  how^  is  this  to  he  done  ^  someone  may 
ask.  As  many  have  found  to  their  cost,  it  is  much  easier  said  than 
done.  Although  it  seems  a  very  sinqile  matter,  I  must  own  to  have 
had  more  difficulty  in  this  respect  than  in  any  other  branch  of  bee¬ 
keeping.  If  the  roofs  are  made  of  wood,  and  are  waterproof  for  a  year 
or  two,  they  usually  crack  after  an  excessively  dry  summer,  and  then 
something  more  than  putty  and  paint  is  required  to  keep  the  hive 
dry.  fi’his  may  be  done  by  taking  a  piece  of  thin  calico,  slightly 
larger  than  the  crevice  through  which  the  moisture  gains  access;  well 
saturate  it  with  paint  and  place  it  over  the  damaged  part,  and  no 
further  leakage  will  occur. 
