July  26,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
01 
Fruit  Forcing. 
vines. — In  Pots  for  Early  Forcing. — The  canes  intended  for  starting 
in  November  to  afford  ripe  Grapes  in  late  March  or  early  in  April  should 
now  have  the  wood  ripe,  thoroughly  hardened,  and  the  buds  plump.  If 
there  be  any  doubt  about  these  matters,  keep  the  house  rather  warmer 
by  day,  80°  to  85°,  closing  early  so  as  to  raise  the  temperature  to  90°  or 
95°,  and  open  the  ventilators  at  night.  Afford  water  in  sufiioient 
quantity  to  prevent  the  leaves  flagging,  or  liquid  manure  may  be  given 
to  help  them  to  plump  the  buds ;  the  foliage  cannot  have  too  much 
light.  Keep  the  laterals  well  in  check,  leaving  no  more  than  are 
absolutely  necessary  to  appropriate  any  sap  that  may  be  in  excess  of 
the  leaf  requirements,  and  so  prevent  the  principal  buds  starting. 
When  sufficiently  ripened,  as  indicated  by  the  wood  being  brown  and 
hard  and  the  buds  prominent,  they  may  be  removed  to  a  position  out¬ 
doors  in  the  full  sun,  standing  on  boards  or  slates  in  front  of  a  south 
wall  or  fence,  securing  the  canes  to  the  face  of  the  wall,  only  giving 
water  to  prevent  the  foliage  falling  prematurely,  and  having  some 
waterproof  material  to  throw  the  water  from  the  pots  in  case  of  heavy 
rains.  In  this  position  they  will  rest  even  if  the  foliage  is  not  shed. 
When  the  leaves  give  indications  of  falling  commence  reducing  the 
laterals,  and  when  most  are  off  cut  them  in  closely  and  shorten  the 
canes  to  the  length  required,  placing  them  in  a  cool  airy  shed  or  other 
place  until  the  time  arrives  for  forcing.  Keep  the  soil  dry,  yet  not  so 
dry  as  to  cause  the  wood  to  shrivel. 
Earliest  Forced  House. — This  will  vary  as  to  time  in  different 
establishments,  but  it  is  not  desirable  as  a  rule  to  start  permanent 
Vines  before  the  beginning  of  December,  so  as  to  afford  a  supply  of 
ripe  Grapes  from  the  end  of  April  or  beginning  of  May  onwards. 
A  dry  atmosphere  is  desirable  for  the  thorough  ripening  of  the  wood, 
but  it  will  not  bo  necessary,  except  in  the  case  of  young  Vines  not 
forced  early  before,  to  employ  artificial  heat.  All  laterals  should  be 
•kept  stopped,  and  rest  gradually  induced  by  keeping  the  house  cool  and 
the  border  dry.  Inside  borders,  however,  may  require  watering,  but  if 
they  have  been  mulched  it  may  not  be  necessary;  and  outside  borders 
will  not  take  any  barm  provided  they  are  of  sound  material  and  well 
drained.  Premature  ripening  of  the  foliage  is  undesirable,  and  is 
generally  occasioned  by  destruction  of  the  leaves  through  red  spider, 
too  dry  an  atmosphere,  and  deficiency  of  water  at  the  roots.  Where 
the  Vines  are  in  an  unsatisfactory  condition  prepare  for  lifting  at  an 
early  date,  getting  fresh  loam  and  clean  drainage,  so  that  the  work  can 
be  done  quickly  when  stg,rted.  There  is  no  danger  of  losing  a  crop, 
provided  the  operations  are  properly  and  promptly  performed.  It  is 
desirable  to  lift  the  roots  and  place  them  in  fresh  soil  nearer  the 
surface  whilst  there  is  foliage  on  the  Vines,  therefore  work  of  this  kind 
ought  not  to  be  delayed  in  the  case  of  Vines  that  are  to  be  started 
early  in  December,  which  will  need.pruning  by  the  middle  of  September, 
or  a  little  later  in  the  case  of  lifted  Vines. 
Second  Early  Vines. —  Those  started  at  the  new  year  have 
the  crops  cleared,  and  should  be  cleansed  by  means  of  the  syringe  or 
engine,  and,  if  needful,  by  applying  an  insecticide.  If  there  be  any 
mealy  bug  or  scale  use  petroleum  at  the  rate  of  a  wineglassful  to 
4  gallons  of  water,  in  which  8  ozs.  of  softsoap  and  1  oz.  of  washing 
soda  have  been  dissolved,  keeping  the  mixture  thoroughly  agitated 
whilst  it  is  being  applied.  It  is  best  done  on  a  calm  evening, 
and  should  be  repeated  at  intervals  of  a  few  days,  and  is  best 
applied  at  a  temperature  of  90°  to  100°.  If  there  are  any  plants 
they  must  be  removed,  and  if  the  roots  of  the  Vines  are  near  the 
surface  cover  the  border  with  dry  short  material  to  absorb  the  waste. 
Keep  the  laterals  firmly  in  check,  but  not  closely  pinched,  unless 
the  Vines  are  very  vigorous  and  not  ripening  the  wood  well,  then 
keeping  the  house  dry  at  night  with  all  the  air  possible,  and  some¬ 
what  close  and  warm  by  day,  will  tend  to  promote  the  maturity  of 
the  wood  and  buds.  In  stopping  vigorous  Vines  regard  must  be  had 
to  the  principal  buds,  not  pinching  them  so  closely  as  to  start  growth 
in  the  pruning  buds.  Such  Vines  should  be  kept  without  water  until 
the  foliage  is  a  little  limp,  but  not  to  the  extent  of  flagging.  Vines 
that,  on  the  other  hand,  are  not  strong,  having  been  enfeebled  b} 
continuous  cropping  or  other  causes,  should  be  encouraged  to  make 
growth  by  applying  liquid  manure  to  the  border,  or  top-dressings  of 
the  advertised  fertilisers  washed  in  ;  but  whatever  extraneous  foliage 
is  made  must  not  be  allowed  to  interfere  with  the  free  access  of  air 
and  light  to  the  principal  leaves,  which  should  be  kept  clean  and 
healthy,  so  that  they  may  appropriate  some  of  the  extra  food, 
assimilating  and  storing  it  in  the  buds  and  adjacent  wood.  Ventilate 
freely  day  and  night. 
Grapes  Ripening. — Admit  air  constantly,  enough  with  a  gentle  warmth 
in  the  pipes  to  insure  a  circulation.  In  ripening  most  Grapes  swell 
considerably,  therefore  a  moderate  amount  of  air  moisture  is  necessarv, 
and  there  must  not  be  any  deficiency  of  water  at  the  roots.  Give  the 
border  if  necessary  a  thorough  supply  of  water,  or  even  weak  liquid 
manure,  and  in  the  early  part  of  the  day,  so  that  the  superfluous 
moisture  may  be  dissipated  before  night.  If  the  Vines  are  heavily 
cropped  afford  substantial  food,  such  as  phosphates,  sulphates,  and 
nitrates,  or  the  advertised  fertilisers,  which  act  promptly  and  steadily, 
and  allow  them  plenty  of  time,  otherwise,  if  there  be  any  hastening 
of  the  ripening  and  a  deficiency  of  moisture  or  nourishment  it  is  likely 
the  fruit  will  be  deficient  in  colour.  A  temperature  of  60°  to  65“  at 
night  with  air  is  a  great  help  to  Vines  with  a  heavy  weight  of  Grapes, 
If  kept  warmer  at  night  the  Grapes  ripen  faster  and  colour  less  freely. 
A  temperature  of  70°  to  75°  by  day  from  hre  heat  is  ample,  for  heat 
will  not  impart  colour.  A  moderate  moisture  should  be  secured  by 
damping  occasionally,  and  if  possible  allow  the  laterals  to  extend,  for  it 
is  chlorophyll  that  is  needed,  but  overburdened  Vines  rarely  push 
laterals,  having  enough  to  do  to  supply  the  principal  foliage  and  Grapes- 
with  nourishment. 
- <«#.> - 
IHE  BEE-KEEPER, 
o)  m 
The  Weather. 
In  t'  is  district  (South  Yorkshire)  our  honey  harvest  from  thn- 
white  Clover  and  Limes  is  usually  obtained  from  the  second  week 
in  June  to  the  middle  of  July.  In  this  district  much  of  the  farming 
is  done  on  the  four-course  system,  so  that  we  always  have  a  good 
crop  of  white  Clover,  which  follows  Barley,  and  is  used  as  sheep 
pastures  the  following  season.  This  ye.ar  the  Clover  does  not  appear 
to  be  blooming  as  fieely  as  wp  have  seen  it  in  some  former  years. 
Still  there  is  sufficient  for  a  heavy  surplus  of  honey  to  have  been 
stored  from  that  source  alone  had  the  weather  been  more  favourable. 
Bee-keepers  whose  stocks  were  in  good  condition,  and  did  not  wish 
to  increase  their  number,  but  placed  supers  on  them  instead  of 
dividing,  or  allowing  them  to  swarm,  will  have  reaped  full  advantage 
from  their  forethought.  AVe  do  not  remember  supers  being  filled  more 
rapidly  before  than  they  were  this  year  early  in  the  season,  the 
surplus  bting  obtained  from  the  fruit  blossoms  and  Hawthorns. 
Shading  and  Ventilation. 
Durir  g  the  prevalence  of  bright  sunshine  and  a  high  tempera¬ 
ture  the  stocks  should  have  attention,  by  providing  free  ventilation 
and  shading  when  necessary.  We  usually  ventilate  our  stocks 
by  wedging  up  the  front  of  the  hive  its  full  width,  the  wedge 
being  thick  enough  to  allow  free  bee  passage.  By  wedging 
the  hives  up  in  this  manner  perfect  ventilation  is  provided,  thus 
allowing  a  greater  number  of  workers  to  leave  tieir  hive  instead  of 
remaining  on  the  floor  board  fanning  at  the  entrance,  which  they 
always  do  when  the  hive  becomes  overheated  through  insufficient 
ventilation.  Shading  should  be  worked  in  conjunction  w  th  ventila¬ 
tion.  If  this  is  done  during  a  spell  of  hot  weather  a  larger  surplus 
will  be  stored  than  if  the  bees  were  left  to  chance.  For  giving  a  light 
shade  to  the  stocks  we  prefer  an  ordinary  Eussian  mat,  which  should 
be  thrown  lightly  over  the  top  of  the  hives,  and  if  allowed  to  hang 
well  over  the  front  of  each  stock  it  will  not  be  in  the  way  of  the 
worker.-^,  neither  will  it  interfere  with  the  free  ventilation  of  the 
colonies.  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 
Wedging  up  the  front  of  the  hives  can  only  be  done  when  loose 
floor  boatds  are  used.  These  have  now  become  almost  universal. 
But  as  there  are  many  hives  with  fixed  floorboards  in  the  country 
which  it  is  impossible  to  ventilate  on  the  above  mentioned  plan,  these 
should  therefore  be  shaded  early  in  the  morning,  and  if  much  fanning 
takes  place  at  the  entrance  the  roof  maybe  ptrtly  removed,  so  as  to 
allow  a  current  of  air  to  pass  through.  If  tome  of  the  coverings  are- 
moved  they  should  be  placed  in  position  again  in  the  evening. — 
An  English  Bee-kekper. 
Trade  Catalogues  Received. 
G.  Bunyard  &  Co.,  Maidstone. — Strawberries. 
Ellwanger  &  Barry,  Rochester,  H.Y .-Pot- grown  Strawberries. 
Herb  &  Wulle,  Naples. — Bulbs. 
K.  J.  Kuyk,  Ghent. — Plants. 
W.  Manger  &  Son,  Guernsey. —  Wholesale  Bulb  List. 
B.  S.  Williams  &  Son,  Upper  Holloway. — Bulbs. 
