May  22,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE 
GA  RDENER. 
461 
may  be  worth  ten  times  as  much  as  another.  In  addition  to 
increasing  the  vitality  of  the  progeny  of  a  queen,  this  judiciou.s 
selection  and  perfect  development  of  hardy  and  vigorous  con¬ 
stitutions,  constitutes,  as  may  be  read  in  most  medical  works,  an 
enhanced  capacity  of  resistance  to  disease  causes,  which  in  pro¬ 
fessional  parlance  is  called  immunitj^  With  such  queens  there  is 
no  anxiety  respecting  queenle.ss  .stocks  in  the  spring,  and  where 
food  is  plentiful  stimulation  is  never  required.  We  liave  proved 
that  with  stimulation,  and  all  the  other  devices  and  attentions 
for  increasing  the  population,  an  imperfect  queen  in  the  finest 
hive  is  left  far  in  arrear  of  a  properly  developed  mother  under 
adverse  conditions.  The  bee-keeper,  therefore,  in.stead  of 
leaving  the  renewal  of  his  queens  to  chance  at  swarming  time, 
should  breed  from  his  ideal  colonies,  and  endeavour  to  work  out 
for  himself  a  standard  of  excellence,  as  the  most  honestly  formed 
judgments  differ. 
For  the  guidance  of  those  v  ho  desire  to  follow  modern 
methods,  the  following  hints  will  be  of  service  until  more 
experience  has  been  gained  ; — (1)  Drones  and  queens  should  come 
from  di.stinct  mothers.  This  will  secure  willing  and  early 
fertilisation,  and  the  highest  possible  energy.  (2)  Queens  must 
be  reared  in  nothing  but  the  most  powerful  colonies,  and  special 
care  exercised  in  all  manipulations  as  the  occupant.s  of  the  cells 
may  be  injured  by  jarring  the  combs  or  expo.sure  to  too  low  a 
temperature.  (3)  Do  not  expect  too  many  cells.  Kather  oour 
oentrate  the  exce.ssive  feeding  and  attention  on  a  few  of  the  most 
perfect,  which  will  produce  full  grown  and  vigorous  mothers. 
(4)  The  best  time  to  rear  queen.s  is  when  natural  supplies  of  pollen 
and  honey  are  obtainable,  failing  which  sy.stemat:c  feeding  must 
be  resorted  to. 
It  is  hoped  that  the.se  precautions  will  be  helpful  theoretically 
and  practically,  and  will  miniiirse  the  risks  of  disappointment. 
The  ultimate  result  will,  no  doubt,  be  the  possession  of  a  far 
more  profitable  and  energetic  honey  gathering  strain.  The  most 
successful  bee-keepers  are  cogn  sant  of  these  facts,  and  follow  a 
system  of  re-queening,  and  n  e  have  no  hesitation  in  asserting  that 
the  presence  of  reliable  queens  has  more  influence  than  all  the 
fads  in  hives  and  management. — E.  E.  Sandbach. 
Raised  Beds  for  Lams. 
The  little  picture  beneath  here  affords  at  a  glance  a  capital 
idea  of  one  of  these  rai.sed  lavn-beds.  They  can  be  formed  on 
the  base  of  an  old  tree-stump,  being  fashioned  in  a  round  shape 
of  rough  deal  planks  across  the  bottoni  with  “  ru.stic-bark  ”  sides. 
The  advantages  are  that  trailing  subjects  like  Convolvuluses  and 
the  Japanese  reticulated  Honeysuckle  can  be  arranged  in  beauti¬ 
ful  festoons  around  the  edge  of  ‘‘the  bed.”  while  a  mixture  of 
tall  and  dwarf  bedding  and  herbaceous  plants  (Trollius,  Aquileg  as, 
Cannas,  Lobelia,  cardinalis,  &c.)  can  be  planted  in  the  centre. 
They  liave  this  merit,  too,  that  they  can  be  readily  placed  to  fill 
up  a  blank  caused  by  the  removal  of  a  tree  or  .shrub. 
Raised  Bed  on  the  Outskirt  of  a  Lawn. 
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Fruit  Forcing. 
MELONS  IN  HOUSES.— Where  the  fruit  is  cut  from  the 
eiarliest  plants,  the  old  stem  may  be  cut  back  to  a  strong  shoot 
near  its  base,  removing  as  much  soil  as  can  be  picked  from  among 
the  roots  without  injuring  them,  suppljdng  rather  strong  lumpy 
loam  pressed  well  down  and  giving  a  good  watering.  A  moist 
atmosphere  being  maintained,  and  the  plants  syringed  in  Hie 
morning  and  about.  4  p.m.,  they  will  start  freely,  showing 
fruit  in  much  less  time  than  by  planting  afresh.  If,  however,  the 
plants  are  affected  with  canker,  or  from  carrying  too  heavy  a 
first  crop,  a  deficiency  of  water,  or  attacks  of  insects,  are  much 
enfeebled,  it  is  better  to  remove  them,  thoroughly  cleaning  the 
house  after  removing  the  old  soil,  and  placing  fresh,  sweet  com- 
pa.st  in  ridges  or  hillocks,  planting  strong  plant.s  when  it  has 
been  warmed  through.  Early  Melons  are  coming  in,  and  are  of 
excellent  flavour.  Plants  swelling  their  fruit  should  have  a  night 
temperature  of  70deg,  although  Gfideg  or  even  GOdeg  will  not  do 
any  harm  when  the  nights  are  unusually  cold  and  the  days  bright, 
70deg  to  75deg  being  secured,  admitting  a  little  air  at  the  latter, 
allowing  an  increase  to  85deg  or  OOdeg,  and  closing  early,  so  as 
to  maintain  the  latter,  or  even  increase  to  OOdeg  or  lOOdeg. 
Keep  abundant  moisture  in  houses  containing  young  growing 
plants,  feed  plants  liberally  that  have  the  fruits  swelling,  not 
allowing  them  to  suffer  through  deficient  supplies  of  water  or  of 
weak  liquid  manure.  Gently  damping  the  foliage,  walls,  floors, 
'and  closing  at  about  3.30  p.m.  or  as  early  as  safe,  will  ensure 
the  swelling  of  the  fruits  to  a  good  size.  Where  the  plants  are 
showing  blossoms,  fertilise  the  pistillate  flowers  daily  to  set  the 
fruit,  ensuring  a  somewhat  di'y  condition  of  the  atmosphere, 
and  pinching  out  the  point.s  of  the  shoots  one  or  two  joints 
beyond  the  fruit.  Examine  the  plants  frequently  for  th(‘  re¬ 
moval  of  .superfluous  growths,  not  allowing  them  to  interfere  with 
the  principal  foliage.  Shade  lightly  from  powerful  sun,  but  only 
to  prevent  flagging. 
MELONS  IN  PITS  AND  FRAMES  . — Expose  fruits  in  an 
advanced  stage  well  to  light  by  raising  them  on  inverted  flower 
pots  with  a  piece  of  slate  for  the  fruit  to  rest  on,  or  the  moisture 
arising  beneath  will  cause  it  to  decay.  Admit  air  tieely,  and 
water  only  to  prevent  the  foliage  flagging.  If  a  second  crop  is 
desired,  encourage  about  four  shoots  from  the  base  of  each  plant, 
so  that  when  the  fruit  is  cut  the  old  growths  may  be  removed 
and  the  young  shoots  substituted.  These  will  show  fruit  fi^ny 
on  the  first  laterals,  every  alternate  lateral  being  rubbed  off  to 
prevent  overcrowding.  If  a  top-dressing  of  fresh  compost  be 
given,  supplemented  with  judicious  supplies  of  moderately  weak 
Ihiuid'  manure  at  85deg,  the  plants  will  be  assisted  to  make  a 
vigorous  second  growth.  A  useful  crop  of  Melons  can  be  ob¬ 
tained  by  making  up  beds  now  of  any  spent  material,  winch, 
from  mixiiii*;  and  turning;,  will  generate  a  gentle  \\ arintli,  placing 
over  it  frames  that  may  have  been  used  for  Potatoes  and  bedding 
plants,  a  barrowload  of  rather  strong  loam  mixed  with  a  fifth 
of  old  mortar  rubbish  or  road  scrapings,  if  deficient  of  grit,  bemg 
placed  in  and  pressed  down  firmly  in  the  centre  of  each  light. 
Into  this,  when  warmed,  turn  out  a  strong,  healthy  plant,  press¬ 
ing  the  soil  compactlv  about  the  roots,  and  giving  a  good  water¬ 
ing.  If  the  weather  be  bright,  shade  for  a  few  days.  Seed  may 
yet  be  sown  to  raise  plants  for  frames  at  present  occupied  by 
tender  bedding  or  other  plants,  but  the  Melons  should  be  placed 
in  their  fruiting  ((uarters  with  as  little  delay  as  possibu'. 
P  E ACTi J-IS  AND  N ECTARIN ES  :  EARLY  H OUS ES .— W hen 
the  very  early  varieties,  such  as  Alexander,  Waterloo,  and  Early 
Louise  'Peaches,  Advance  and  (Cardinal  Nectarines  have  been 
cleared  of  their  fruit,  the  wood  that  has  borne  it  should  be  cut 
our  to  the  successional  growths  from  their  base  for  next  years 
beariin^.  excepting  those  needful  for  extension  If  the  trees  are 
too  fuU  of  wood  thin  well,  .so  as  to  admit  light  and  air  to  the 
.  shoots.  Early  forced  trees  are  liable  to  have  the  buds  over¬ 
developed,  or  to  cast  them;  therefore,  some  growers  leave  the 
old  wood  until  a  later  period  to  retard  the  buds,  while  otlieis 
.shade  the  house  from  bright  sun  with  a  similar  ob.iect.  C  oveiing 
the  roof  lights  with  a  thin  wash  of  whiting  and  skim  milk  answers 
nerfectiv  using  it  as  soon  as  the  blossom  buds  an'  commencing  to 
firm  or 'from  tiu-  fruit  Itoins  g.utl,ero,l  until  tlm  l.attcr  p.nrt  of 
Aimust.  This  is  a  good  plan  where  trees  suffer  from  over-matiiiity 
of  the  buds,  and  with  proper  regard  to  watering  and  keeping 
the  foliage  clean  is  effectual.  Syringing  should  be  practised  in 
the  morning  and  evi'iiing,  to  free  and  keep  the  trees  cleai  of 
red  spider.  The  borders  iiurst  be  kept  in  a  thoroughly  moist  con¬ 
dition.  as  it  is  important  that  the  foliage  be  kept  healthy  as  long 
