Apri]  ?,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
307 
m  BEE-KEEPER. 
£ 
Spring  Examination. 
Now  that  fresh  honey  and  pollen  are  obtainable,  their  effect 
in  promoting  breeding  will  soon  be  noticeable,  and  as  increased 
activity  means  additional  consumption  of  food,  a  superficial 
examination  of  every  stock  should  be  made  periodically  to 
ascertain  if  there  is  sufficient,  while  such  a  great  inequality 
exists  between  the  internal  demand  and  the  external  supply. 
Turn  back  the  quilts  until  half  the  frames  are  exposed ;  at  the 
.same  time  give  a  whiff  of  smoko.  Carefully  sepai-ate  the  combs 
a  little,  and  if  brood  and  sealed  stores  are  present,  the  colony 
may  be  considered  safe  until  it  can  be  thoroughly  overhauled. 
In  this  condition  they  will  progress  as  well  as  possible,  probably 
better  than  by  interference.  It  is  not  advisable  to  fully  examine 
any  colony  which  is  on  less  than  five  bars  yet,  as,  except  in 
experienced  hands,  exposure  of  brood  to  a  lower  temperature 
than  GOdeg  is  fatal.  Where  the  main  harvest  is  dependent  upon 
the  Clover,  the  bcgiiming  of  May  will  be  soon  enough  to 
.stimulate  for  rapid  brood  raising.  If  the  main  honey  flow  requires 
the  bees  to  be  strong  in  the  earlj^  part  of  the  year,  it  is  neces.sar^^ 
to  create  a  mild  form  of  excitement  among  them,  which  is  done 
by  gentle  and  continuous  feeding,  which  increases  the  tempera¬ 
ture  and  stimulates  the  queen  to-  more  rapid  ovipo'siting,  and  the 
brood  nest  expands  accordingly.  The  quantity  of  syrup  sufficient 
to  maintain  an  average  colony  is  half  a  pint  daily,  and  this  must 
be  continued  until  The  bees  are  able  to  obtain  a  sufficient  supply 
from  natural  sources,  which  is  usually  indicated  by  their  neglect 
of  the  feeder. 
Where  food  is  plentiful  uncapping  a  small  portion  of  the 
sealed  stores  from  time  to  time  will  have  a  similar  stimulative 
effect.  As  one  of  the  main  essentials  to  rapid  increase  is  warmth, 
those  who  have  recourse  to  the  plan  of  early  brood  rearing  will 
perceive  the  advantage  of  adopting  any  device  which  Avill 
economise  the  heat  generated  by  the  cluster.  The  space  should 
be  contracted  to  that  which  the  bees  actually  occupy ;  entrances 
should  be  reduced  to  within  an  inch,  warm  wrappings  added  to 
and  packed  down  tightly  to  prevent  upward  ventilation.  In  cool 
weather  food  should  always  be  given  warm,  in  a  stage  and  bottle 
feeder.  It  is  useless  attempting  to  stimulate  so  early  with  any 
kind  of  feeder  which  forces  the  bees  to  leave  the  cluster.  By 
the  use  of  the  stage  and  bottle  no  loss  of  heat  is  occasioned. 
The  destructive  effect  of  exposure  to  cold  is  avoided  by  enabling 
the  bees  to  partake  of  the  .syrup  without  breaking  the  cluster. 
This  method  of  spring  feeding  prevents  many  impediments  to  the 
regular  increase  and  welfare  of  a  stock. 
Should  a  colony  not  carry  pollen  in  bri.skly,  or  the  bees  be 
observed  carrying  half-sized  pellets,  or  walking  about  the  alight¬ 
ing  boai'd  listlessly,  queenlessness  should  be  su.spected.  If,  on 
examination,  this  is  found  to  be  the  case,  the  queenless  bees 
may  be  utilised  by  uniting  to  a  weak  lot.  The  s'mple.st  and  most 
effectual  plan  of  uniting  is  first  to  induce  the  bees  to  fill  them¬ 
selves  with  honey.  This  is  accomplished  by  a  few  puffs  of  smoke 
at  the  entrance  and  leaving  them  for  a  minute  or  two,  after 
which  the  combs  and  the  adhering  bees  may  be  taken  out  and 
alternated  with  those  of  the  receiving  hive,  covered  up,  and  left 
undisturbed  for  a  day  or  two.  xV  different  sized  or  shaped  alight¬ 
ing  board  will  prevent  confusion  and  make  the  bees  mark  their 
position  afresh. — E.  E. 
Tra;1e  Notes. 
It  is  our  pleasing  duty  to  record  that  Mr.  James  Baldin,  late 
manager  of  Messrs.  John  Pope  and  Sons’  Atarket  Hall  business, 
Birmingham,  has  entered  into  partnership  with  Air.  S.  AV.  Spicer, 
succe.ssor  to  the  old-established  general  seed  firm  of  Freer  and 
Co.,  Digbeth,  Birmingham,  and  that  the  employes  at  Me,ssrs. 
Pope’s  presented  to  Air.  Baldin  a  handsoane  token  in  recognition 
of  the  uniformly  courteous  bearing  he  had  evinced  towards  them 
during  the  upwards  of  two  3-ears  of  his  engagement  there.  He 
is  succeeded  by  Mr.  T.  C.  Roberts,  from  Alessrs.  Bair  and  Sons, 
London. 
Seeds  for  South  Africa. 
The  dreary  monoton3^  of  life  in  the  South  African  blockhouses 
w  ill  be  enlivened  and  relievetl  1)3'  the  kindl3-  thought  and  generous 
consideration  of  AIes.sr.s.  Sutton  and  Sons,  the  well-known  seed.s- 
iiien,  of  Reading,  who  are  semling  as  a  Coronation  Gift  a  presen¬ 
tation  box  of  both  vegetable  and  flower  seeds  to  each  of  the  long 
line  of  blockhou.ses  erected  by  our  patient,  hard-working  soldiers 
in  South  Africa,  in  all  55,000  packages.  Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons 
were  fortunate  enough  to  secure  the  active  sympatliy  of  Colonel 
Sir  Howard  Auncent,  AI.P.,  who  has  been  greatly  intere.sted  in 
the  scheme,  and  through  him  they  conve3md  their  offer  to  the 
AA'ar  Office.  Lord  Roberts,  the  Cominander-in-Chief,  and  Air. 
Broderick,  the  Secretary  of  State  for  ACar,  have  sanctioned  the 
proposal,  and  have  written  gratefully  accepting  tlie  present  on 
behalf  of  Lord  Kitchener  and  the  Army  in  South  Africa. 
IS  WORK.F0fl.THE week..  0 
'#■  h 
Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 
AIULCHING  STRAAVBERRIES.— The  ground  between  the 
rows  of  Strawberries  having  received  frequent  hoeings  to  break 
down  the  lumpy  soil  and  destroy  seedling  weeds,  is  ready,  in  the 
case  of  the  oldest  established  beds,  to  have  a  dressing  of  farmyai’d 
manure  laid  moderately  tliickly  between  the  plants.  The  object 
of  doing  this  is  twofold — to  nourish  the  plants  at  a  time  when 
they  are  commencing  active  growth  and  preparing  to  develop 
strong  trusses  of  flowers,  and  also  to  provide  a  clean  resting  bed 
for  the  fruit  when  it  attains  ripene.ss.  For  these  reasons,  there¬ 
fore,  it  is  apparent  that  fannyard  manure  is  the  best  material  to 
be  employed,  for  not  only  does  it  contain  all  the  essential  elements 
of  plant  food,  but  being  a  mixture  of  long  and  short  matter,  the 
former  will  seiwe  a  useful  purpose  ivhen  the  goodness  has  been 
washed  out  of  the  latter.  AA’here  this  mulching  may  not  contain 
enough  fertilising  matter  for  the  demands  of  the  plants,  addi¬ 
tional  help  can  be  afforded  before  placing  on  the  mulching,  giving 
either  nitrate  of  soda  l-oz  to  the  square  yard,  or  guano  loz  to  the 
square  yard,  or  sprinkling  soot  among  them  at  the  rate  of  a  peck 
to  the  rod.  These  are  all  nitrogenous  manures  and  act  quickly, 
hence  their  value  at  this  season  of  the  year.  Care  must  be  taken 
not  to  apply  oftener  than  once  or  twice. 
GRAFTING. — Grafting  is  an  operation  which  is  performed 
for  the  purpose  of  placing  young  heads  on  old  trees.  The  old 
trees  should,  hoAvever,  be  healthy  and  capable  of  receiving  the 
grafts  in  positions  where  the  wood  is  smooth  ;  hence  in  preparing 
the  trees,  which  are  termed,  for  the  purposes  of  grafting,  tlie 
stocks,  the  branches  must  be  headed  down  to  the  most  suitable 
parts.  This  is  usually  done  some  time  during  the  winter,  but  a 
small  portion  may  be  taken  off  just  previous  to  grafting,  so  that 
fresh  bark  and  wood  can  be  operated  upon  rather  than  old  and 
dry.  Grafting  is  next  performed,  and  a  union  is  more  certain  of 
being  effected  if  carried  out  when  the  sap  begins  to  rise  freely 
in  the  stocks,  this  being  known  b3'  the  buds  pushing  freel3-. 
Crown  grafting  is  the  method  generally  preferred  for  large 
branches,  or  those  more  than  lin  in  diameter.  It  is  necessary  to 
have  clean,  healthy,  and  dormant  scions,  preferably  of  last  year’s 
wood,  the  central  portion  of  a  ripe  growth  being  the  best,  retain¬ 
ing  four  buds.  Cut  the  lower  edge  of  scion  slantingly,  making  at 
the  upper  edge  of  the  same  cut  a  small  shoulder  which  will  rest 
on  the  top  of  the  stock.  The  slit  in  the  stock  is  made  the  same 
length  as  the  prepai'ed  part  of  the  scion,  usually  about  2in  long, 
cutting  just  through  the  bark  downwards  from  the  toj).  A  neat 
and  perfect  union  must  be  made  by  exactly  joining  the  inner  barks 
on  both  sides.  Secure  the  grafts  with  raffia  grass,  and  use  some 
plastic  grafting  Avax  to  cover  all  joinings  and  exclude  air. 
PROTECTING  FRUIT  BLOSSOAL— The  means  of  readily 
protecting  Apricots,  Peaches,  and  Nectarines,  Avhen  in  bloom,  is 
of  great  importance,  as  the  weather  often  changes  so  quickly  that 
it  is  important  to  cover  them  without  dela3'.  Rough  and  wet 
Aveather  is  equally  as  bad  as  frosty  periods,  and  Avhile  such  prevail 
give  the  necessai’y  protection  by  draAving  the  blinds  in  front  ol 
the  trees.  They  sliould  be  so  fixed  that  they  do  not  rest  upon  the 
bl'ci  iicli©s 
PL.ANTTNG  A'OUNG  FIG  TREES. — Fig  trees  are  not  planted 
quite  so  early  in  the  season  as  other  fruit  trees,  the  reason  bemg 
that  they  are  liable  to  be  injured  by  frost.  The  site  for  Figs 
should  be  Avarm  and  sunny,  the  soil  not  rich  but  fertih',  and  of  a 
calcareous  character.  Prepare  a  border  about  6ft  in  Avidth.  digging 
it  Avell,  but  adding  no  manure.  Lime  imbbish  can  be  incorporated 
should  the  soil  not  be  of  a  calcareous  nature.  Alaiden  trees  of  one 
stem  only  are  the  best  to  plant.  Such  may  be  shortened  to  15in, 
and  AA’hen  noAV  groAA  th  breaks  a  shoot  on  each  side  can  be  trained, 
and  these  again  shortened  the  following  year  to  increase  the 
number  of  branches. 
PRUNING  ESTABLISHED  FIG  TREES. — The  necessary 
pruning  of  old  trees  may  be  carried  mit  noAv.  Should  the  shoots 
be  croAvded,  it  is  veiy  important  that  thinning  them  out  ought 
first  to  be  done.  Dispense  Avith  old,  Avorn  out,  and  AA-eakly 
groAvths,  retaining  young  and  vigorous  shoots,  AA'hich  lay  in  at 
full  length,  as  fruit  Avill  be  borne  at  the  extremities.  Regulate 
and  dispose  these  so  that  eventually  Avhen  the  trees  are  in  leaf  no 
croAvding  results.  Some  amount  of  disbudding  Avill  also  bo  neces¬ 
sary  to  further  limit  groAvth  and  prevent  undue  croAvding.  The 
leaves  of  Fig  trees  are  large,  so  the  groAvths  must  he  regulated 
accordingly. 
PLANTING. — The  planting  season  must  be  brought  to  a  close 
fortliAvith.  Fxercise  care  in  the  Avork  in  order  to  give  the  trees 
and  bushes  a  fair  start.  Spring  planting  does  not  cause  suchx 
