January  5,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDEXER, 
17 
I«s3  danger  of  crowding,  and  the  appearance  of  the  Vines  is  greatly 
improved.  However  desirable  it  may  be  to  furnish  the  Vines  with 
vigorous  young  wood,  instead  of  useless  old,  the  former  must  not  be 
crowded,  but  so  disposed  that  sufiScient  room  for  the  lateral  growths 
bearing  fruit  in  summer  can  be  found. 
Cleansing. — After  the  pruning,  the  branches,  spurs,  and  canes  ought 
to  be  well  washed  with  a  softsoap  solution,  4  r  zs.  to  the  gallon  of  water, 
or  some  insecticide  of  similar  strength,  as  Vines  growing  on  hot,  dry, 
outdoor  walls,  are  subject  to  red  spider  in  summer. 
Peaches  and  Nectarines. — The  principal  pruning  of  these  may  be 
deferred  for  the  present,  but  as  a  means  of  checking  the  growth  of 
trees  planted  on  a  warm  aspect  it  is  desirable  that  the  joung  wood 
should  be  unloosed  from  the  walls  so  that  it  may  have  the  benefit  of  the 
retarding  influences  of  the  cold  weather.  The  malu  branches  are  better 
left  secure,  otherwise  they  may  be  damaged  by  the  wind,  which  will 
not  injure  the  young  and  willowy  shoots,  but  harden  and  ripen  their 
tissues. 
Heading  Down  Trees  for  Grafting. — Healthy,  but  fruitless  Apple  trees, 
intended  to  be  grafted  with  superior  varieties,  may  have  the  strong 
branches  headed  down  to  near  the  point  selected  for  the  insertion  of 
grafts. 
Scions  for  Grafting.  —  These  ought  to  be  carefully  selected,  tied 
together  in  separate  varieties,  labelled,  and  laid  in  in  moist  soil  under  a 
north  wall.  In  that  position  they  will  be  kept  in  a  dormant  condition 
until  the  period  for  grafting  arrives. 
FRUIT  FORCING. 
Cherry  House. — Where  the  house  has  been  closed  since  the  middle  of 
December,  and  frost  excluded,  fire  heat  may  be  applied  to  secure  a 
temperature  at  night  of  40°  when  cold,  45°  when  mild,  and  50°  by  day', 
allowing  an  advance  of  5°  to  10°,  or  even  15°  from  sun  heat,  but  not 
without  a  free  circulation  of  air  at  50°,  and  admitting  it  abundantly  in 
mild  sunny  weather.  Syringe  the  trees  occasionally,  but  do  not  leep 
them  dripping  with  water,  and  take  care  that  they  become  fairly  dry 
before  night.  If  the  roof-lights  have  been  oS  the  borders  will  not  require 
water  for  some  time  to  come,  yet  the  soil  must  be  kept  in  a  moist  con¬ 
dition,  Trees  in  pots  must  be  regularly  attended  to,  not  allowing  the 
soil  to  become  dry,  but  afford  a  supply  when  needed.  If  any  of  the  trees 
are  unsuitable  now  is  a  good  time  to  introduce  new  ones  in  their  place. 
Trees  that  have  been  grown  against  and  trained  to  a  south  wall  for  throe 
or  four  years,  and  lifted  occasionally,  are  the  best.  Early  Rivers,  Black 
^Tartarian,  Governor  Wood,*and  Elton  are  suitable  varieties.  Empress 
Eugenie,  a  variety  of  the  May  Duke  race,  is  very  fine  for  forcing  in  pots. 
Cucumbers. — Seed  must  bo  sown  to  raise  pi  .iits  for  the  early  spring 
supply  of  fruit.  We  still  hold  to  a  carefully'  selected  stock  of  Telegraph 
as  an  all-round  variety'.  There  are  many  excellent  varieties,  and  every 
grower  has  his  particular  favourite.  The  seeds  may  be  sown  singly  in 
3  inch  pots,  in  a  rich  mould,  which  has  been  scalded  some  time  previously 
with  boiling  water,  especially  in  places  liable  to  attacks  of  eel  worm, 
leaving  room  for  top-dressing  the  plants  when  they’  require  it.  Plunge 
the  pots  in  a  brisk  bottom  heat  f90°)  near  the  glass,  and  cover  with  a 
pane  of  glass,  which  must  be  removed  as  soon  as  the  plants  appear. 
Where  there  is  not  the  convenience  of  a  hotbed,  the  po'.s  may  be  stood  on 
a  shelf  near  the  roof,  covered  with  a  pane  of  glass,  and  in  a  "onial  atmo¬ 
sphere,  with  a  night  temperature  of  65°  to  70°,  rising  to  80°,  90°,  or  more 
with  sun,  the  plants  will  come  up  sturdily.  A  little  air  may  be  given  at 
75°  in  very  closely'  glazed  houses,  but  be  careful  to  avoid  a  check  of  any 
kind,  especially  sudden  cooling  or  dry  ing  of  the  air. 
Figs.  — Early  Forced  Trees  in  Pots. — Those  started  in  November  or 
early  December  will  need  the  temperature  gradually  raised  to  60°  at 
night,  but  5°  less  in  severe  weather,  and  C5°  from  fire  heat  by  day'  when 
the  growths  are  developing,  with  70°  to  7.5°  or  more  from  sun  heat. 
Avoid,  however,  a  high  temperature  by  artificial  means,  as  the  sturdier 
and  shorter  jointed  the  young  shbots  and  the  stouter  the  leaves  can  be 
kept  the  greater  will  be  the  chances  of  a  satisfactory  first  and  second 
crop.  The  first  crop  is  best  secured  by  keeping  the  growth  somewhat 
closely  pinched.  Syringe  the  trees  twice  a  day,  except  in  dull  weather, 
when  damping  in  the  morning  and  early  afternoon  will  be  sufficient,  as 
leas  moisture  will  be  needed  where  the  fermenting  materials  aid  in 
furnishing  the  heat,  than  where  reliance  is  solely  placed  on  fire  heat,  and 
avoid  a  saturated  atmosphere  in  dull  weather.  As  the  fermenting 
materials  settle  firm  them  well  about  the  pots,  and  add  more,  taking  care 
that  the  heat  does  not  exceed  70°  to  75°  about  the  pots.  Place  some 
turves,  about  2  inches  thick,  grass  side  downwards  around  the  rims  and 
on  the  surface  of  the  pot.®,  extending  inwards  about  2  inches,  so  as  to 
form  a  dish,  and  outwards  over  the  rim  towards  the  fermenting  materials, 
with  a  view  to  encourage  the  surface  roots  to  extend.  Water  the  trees 
and  turves  with  weak  liquid  manure,  and  the  whole  surface  will  soon 
become  a  mass  of  roofs,  and  they  may  then,  the  hollow  or  dish  being 
tilled  with  rich  material,  bo  fed  to  any  extent. with  liquid  stimulants,  or  a 
sprinkling  occasionally  of  bone  superphosphate  five  parts,  nitrate  of 
potash  throe  parts,  and  gypsum  one  part,  mixed  and  kept  perfectly  dry, 
can  be  applied. 
Fig  Trees  Planted  in  Borders. — The  first  house  of  these  should  now  be 
started,  and  the  fruit  will  be  ripe  towards  the  end  of  May  or  early  in 
June,  when  the  varieties  consist  of  Brown  Turkey,  Pingo  de  Mel,  and 
White  Marseilles.  The  first  is  far  away  the  best  Fig  for  general  purposes. 
The  borders  should  be  brought  into  a  thoroughly  moist  condition  by 
repeated  waterings,  but  not  going  to  the  extreme  of  making  them  sodden. 
Syringe  the  trees  in  the  morning  and  early  afternoon  when  tine,  otl  er- 
wise  only  damp  the  floor  and  borders  so  as  to  maintain  a  genial  atmo¬ 
sphere,  for  one  that  is  close  and  damp  has  a  tendency  to  induce  soft 
growths  and  is  unfavourable  to  the  first  crop  of  fruit.  Alaintaiu  a  night 
temperature  of  50°,  55°  by  day  artificially,  and  allow  an  advance  of  65° 
from  sun  heat,  with  a  free  circulation  of  air. 
Melons. — Plants  raised  from  seed  sown  now  will  ripen  fruit  by  the  end 
of  April  or  beginning  of  May  in  light  and  well-heated  structures,  not 
otherw  ise,  and  contingent  on  the  weather  being  favourable  to  their  growth. 
The  seed  should  be  sown  singly  in  3-inch  pots,  half  filled  with  fibrous 
loam  and  leaf  soil,  plunging  the  pots  in  a  hotbed  of  fermenting  materials, 
and  covering  them  with  a  pane  of  glass,  which  must  be  removed  as  soon 
as  the  plants  appear  through  the  soil.  Where  there  is  no  bottom  heat  the 
pots  may  be  placed  on  shelves  about  1  foot  from  the  glass  in  a  house  with 
a  temperature  of  60°  to  65°  at  night,  and  70°  to  75°  by  day  artificially, 
with  a  piece  of  glass  over  each,  and  in  this  case  the  plants  will  be  hardier 
and  sturdier,  and  less  liable  to  suffer  from  damp,  than  those  in  a  hotbed. 
When  the  seedlings  have  made  an  inch  or  two  of  stem  they  should  be 
top-dressed  with  warmed  soil  and  kept  well  up  to  the  glass  or  in  plenty 
of  light,  so  as  to  secure  a  sturdy  growth.  Varieties  are  plentiful, 
and  growers  have  their  special  favourites,  so  that  selection  would  be 
superfluous. 
BEE-K^EPER.!|fe, 
Moa'ixg  Bees, 
AVith  the  advent  of  the  New  Year  and  the  sun  at  its  lowest  ehb 
the  bees  are  clustered  in  their  hives.  It  will  be  advisable  for  bee¬ 
keepers  to  make  an  examination  of  the  position  in  which  the  hives 
arc  placed,  so  that  they  may  be  removed  to  a  more  suitable  spot  if 
necessary.  Beginners  often  make  a  mistake  in  caiiying^  cut  this 
operation,  but  it  is  a  well-known  fact  to  bee-keepers  of  experience  that 
lees  may  be  moved  with  impunity  at  any  season  if  certain  rules  aio 
carried  out.  For  instance,  a  strong  colony  of  bees  may  be  removed 
from  its  original  stand  during  the  height  of  the  honey  flow  •,  but  it 
must  be  done  at  night,  after  the  workers  have  returned  to  their  hive. 
The  entrance  must  be  closed,  and  the  bees  should  not  be  liberated 
within  two  miles  of  where  they  previously  stood,  or  many  of  them 
would  return,  and  thus  be  lost. 
The  above  shows  how  important  it  is  that  any  alterations  that 
may  be  necessaiy  in  the  apiary,  whether  large  or  small,  should  be  dene 
during  the  short  days  of  winter,  when  few  bees  are  on  the  wing,  as  at 
this  season  all  that  is  necessary  to  insure  success  is  care  and  steadiness 
in  handling  the  hives,  and  not  a  bee  will  escape.  If  the  weather  is 
very  mild  it  w'ill  be  advisable  to  close  the  entrance  to  the  hive  lor  a 
short  time;  the  operator  need  then  have  no  fear  of  being  molested  by 
the  bees,  in  case  of  an  accidental  shaking  of  the  hive. 
Bositiox  of  Stocks. 
Before  moving  the  bees  it  will  be  advisable  to  study  the  position 
in  which  they  are  to  stand.  If  possible  choose  a  sheltered  spot,  where 
they  arc  protected  from  high  w  inds.  Bees  thus  favourably  situa  e 
invariably  come  out  strong  in  the  spring,  owing  to  tho  bees  commenc¬ 
ing  to  breed  early,  and  thus  early  swarms  are  obtained.  Ihe  favourite 
position  faces  south-east,  with  the  protection  of  a  wall  or  fence  at  the 
back  of  the  hives,  as  the  sun  then  shines  on  them  from  early  morning 
till  late  in  the  afternoon.  If  there  is  also  a  slight  shade  from  the  trees 
growing  a  few  yards  away  so  much  the  better.  Local  con  i  ions, 
however,  govern  the  result  to  a  considerable  degree. 
If  extracted  honey  is  the  chief  aim  of  the  bee-keeper  we  would 
advise  him  to  study  his  own  convenience  even  more  than  the 
of  the  stocks,  as,  taking  one  season  w'ith  another,  it  will  be  found  that 
as  much  honey  will  be  obtained  from  a  colony  facing  due  w^est  as  Irom 
a  stock  in  any  other  position,  so  long  as  the  all-important  shei.er  is 
provided. 
Other  Aspects  for  Hives. 
The  majority  of  the  hives  in  our  apiary  face  due  west.  They  are 
t  placed  in  this  position  because  we  consider  it  is  the  best  as  a 
itter  of  fact  mauv  bee-keepers  would  consider  it  the  worst,  because 
have  very  high  winds  from  that  quarter.  Other  stocks  are  facing 
rious  directions,  but  all  have  the  shelter  of  a  fence  of 
n.  The  result  is  much  the  same  from  one  as  the  otb®''- 
Lson  the  majority  of  our  stocks  are  in  what  many  would  term  an 
favourable  positiin  is  for  the  convenience  of  extracting. 
jat  advantage— in  fact,  it  is  a  necessity— when  honey  is  lecoi  g 
irce,  to  be  able  to  extract  it  from  the  combs  in  a  building  where  tlie 
=s  cannot  gain  admittance.  In  cur  case  it  is  the  ‘ 
ilding  that  has  caused  us  to  have  our  bees  near  at 
mipulating,  in  preference  to  taking  them  some  distance  aW  { 
lat  may  appear  a  “‘ore  suitable  spot,  but  from  experience  it  would 
only  80  in  theory. — An  English  Bee-keeper. 
