August  30,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
211 
select  the  best  of  the  rooted  runners,  after  providing  for  present 
planting,  and  lay  them  in  in  nursery  rows  6  inches  apart,  where  they 
may  remain  until  spring,  then  utilising  them  for  forming  new  beds  or 
filling  up  deficiencies  in  the  autumn  planted  stock. 
Wall  Trees  after  Fruiting. — The  careful  nailing-in  of  the  young 
current  year’s  shoots  close  to  the  wall  is  essential  in  order  to  dispose 
the  growths  to  the  best  advantage,  and  to  assist  the  ripening  up  of  the 
wood.  These  remarks  apply  mainly  to  stone  fruits.  The  trees  may 
also  be  well  syringed,  red  spider  often  gaining  ground  during  the  time 
the  fruit  is  ripening. 
- — — - 
Fruit  Forcing. 
Cucumbers, — For  producing  these  in  the  crispest  and  most  acceptable 
form  for  table  use  there  is  nothing  like  young  plants.  Seeds  sown  on 
the  1st  of  September  will  do  this  at  Christmas  in  light  well-heated 
structures,  under  proper  management.  Too  much  strength  cannot  be 
got  into  the  seedlings  by  keeping  them  near  the  glass.  The  seeds  are 
best  sown  singly  in  large  60-pots,  a  little  more  than  half  filled  with 
soil,  and  covered  half  an  inch  deep.  Keep  the  plants  near  the  glass, 
earth  them  as  they  grow,  and  transfer  to  48’s  when  they  need  a  shift, 
placing  a  stick  to  each,  to  which  secure  the  growth  as  it  advances. 
Rub  off  the  laterals  as  they  show,  training  with  a  single  shoot.  They 
will  be  fit  to  plant  during  the  first  fortnight  of  October. 
In  the  case  of  general  crops  shorter  days  necessitate  closing  the 
house  earlier,  also  syringing  sooner,  so  as  to  have  the  foliage  dry  before 
dusk.  Fire  heat  will  be  necessary  in  cold  weather  to  maintain  a  tempe¬ 
rature  of  70°  to  75°  by  day  and  60°  to  65°  at  night.  Keep  the  growths 
fairly  thin,  removing  old  shoots  so  as  to  make  room  for  new  ones,  and 
thus  provide  a  succession  of  bearing  parts.  Stop  the  shoots  one  joint 
beyond  the  fruit  unless  growth  is  wanted,  then  allow  more  extension, 
but  avoid  crowding.  Encourage  root  action  by  a  steady  bottom  heat  of 
80°,  surface  dressings  of  lumpy  loam  and  sweetened  horse  droppings, 
and  liquid  manure  in  a  tepid  state  whenever  water  is  required.  Do 
not  allow  the  fruit  to  hang  after  it  becomes  fit  for  use,  and  avoid 
overcropping. 
Autumn  fruiting  plants  must  be  afforded  every  encouragement, 
stopping  so  as  to  insure  an  even  spread  of  foliage.  Remove  the  first 
fruits,  also  the  male  blossoms  and  tendrils.  No  shading  will  now  be 
necessary.  Avoid  syringing  in  the  morning,  and  only  use  the  syringe 
oh  fine  afternoons,  then  early  and  lightly,  keeping  the  house  damped  as 
occasion  requires.  Admit  air  in  moderation,  draughts  being  avoided, 
as  they  chill  and  stunt  the  growths,  and  if  no  air  be  given  the  foliage 
becomes  very  thin  and  flabby,  an  excessively  close,  moist  atmosphere 
inducing  many  ailments  in  Cucumbers.  Seek,  therefore,  to  encourage 
sturdy,  thoroughly  solidified  growth,  by  early  and  judicious  ventilation 
whilst  opportunity  offers,  but  without  gentle  fire  heat  this  is  hardly 
practicable  at  this  season. 
Plants  for  winter  fruiting  raised  from  seeds  sown  at  the  beginning 
of  August  will  soon  be  ready  to  plant  out.  The  house  must  be  a 
light  one,  and  have  means  of  securing  a  temperature  of  70°  to  75°  in  all 
weathers,  also  of  maintaining  a  bottom  heat  of  80°  to  90°.  The  first 
•  consideration  is  to  thoroughly  cleanse  the  house.  All  soil  previously 
used  should  be  cleared  out,  arid  the  whole  of  the  interior  scalded  with 
hot  water.  This  will  make  quick  work  of  any  fungoid  and  insect  pests 
it  reaches,  besides  softening  the  accumulated  dirty  deposits,  which 
should  be  cleared  from  wood  and  iron  work  with  softsoap,  water,  and  a 
brush,  cleansing  the  glass  inside  and  outside  with  clear  water,  lime¬ 
washing  the  walls  with  fresh  lime  formed  into  a  whitewash  consistence 
with  a  solution  of  sulphate  of  copper,  1  oz.  to  gallon  of  water,  and 
disinfecting  the  bed  part  with  soluble  phenyle,  Jejes’  fluid,  or 
cresyline,  a  wineglassful  to  3  gallons  of  water,  syringing  it  on  the  walls 
cf  the  bed.  Everything  in  other  respects  should  be  put  into  proper 
order.  If  rubble  is  used  over  and  about  the  hot-water  pipes  for  bottom 
heat  see  that  the  material  is  clean. 
The  plants  in  pits  and  frames  will  need  to  be  trained  thinly  as  a 
safeguard  against  damp.  Watering  must  be  done  early  and  ju.liciously, 
as  damp  and  cold  soon  injuriously  affect  the  foliage  and  fruit  at  this 
late  season.  A  light  sprinkling  may  be  given  at  closing  time  on  fine 
afternoons,  but  water  will  not  be  much  needed  after  this,  or  very  little 
of  it,  the  plants  obtaining  sufficient  moisture  through  the  decay  of 
the  fermenting  material.  The  beds  must  be  lined  with  stable  litter, 
and  a  little  air  given  at  the  back  to  allow  of  any  steam  escaping,  the 
temperature  being  kept  at  about  65°  at  night.  There  will  generally  be 
some  warmth  from  the  sun  in  the  daytime,  and  by  employing  a  covering 
of  mats  over  the  lights  on  cold  nights,  with  proper  attention  to  the 
linings  and  care  in  management,  Cucumbers  will  be  obtained  from 
these  structures  for  weeks  to  come. 
Peaches  and  Nectarines. — Succession  Houses. — Trees  that  ripened 
their  crops  in  July  will  have  the  buds  plumped  and  the  wood  sufficiently 
ripened  for  the  removal  of  the  roof-lights  by  the  early  part  of  September. 
This  is  sometimes  desirable  when  the  buds  become  too  prominent,  and 
tends  to  counteract  over-maturity  of  the  buds  or  their  premature 
development,  or  falling,  by  affording  the  trees  the  benefit  of  rains  and 
of  night  dews.  The  borders  become  thoroughly  soaked  to  the  drainage 
by  the  autumn  rains,  which  invariably  have  an  invigorating  effect  on 
the  trees  and  in  the  preservation  of  the  birds  from  dropping.  It  does-- 
not  answer,  however,  to  remove  the  roof-lights  until  the  wood  is  well 
ripened,  but  over-maturity  of  the  buds  is  a  far  greater  evil  than  a 
moderate  degree  of  prominence. 
Trees  that  ripened  their  fruit  this  month  should,  as  soon  as  the 
fruit  is  cleared,  have  the  wood  that  has  carried  fruit  not  being 
extensions  cut  away,  and  any  wood  not  required  for  next  year’s  bearing 
or  for  extension  of  the  frees  also  removed.  Weakly  and  exhausted  parts 
ought,  as  far  as  possible,  to  be  cut  out  and  the  younger  growths  given 
the  advantage  of  their  place.  This  will  keep  up  a  succession  of  bearing 
wood  capable  of  producing  large  fruits,  admit  of  the  freer  access  of 
light  and  air,  and  of  the  cleansing  of  the  foliage  by  water,  or  an  insec¬ 
ticide  if  necessary,  it  being  important  that  the  foliage  be  continued  in 
a  healthy  state  to  as  late  a  period  as  possible  for  the  perfecting  of  the 
buds  and  the  maturity  of  the  wood  and  buds.  There  must  be  no 
lack  of  moisture  at  the  roots,  giving  a  good  watering  if  necessary,  or 
trees  that  are  weakly  will  be  assisted  in  plumping  the  buds  and  storing 
nutrient  matter  with  liquid  manure,  not,  however,  in  too  powerful  doses. 
Trees  ripening  their  fruit  will  need  water  at  their  roots,  and  moisture 
must  not  be  withheld  from  the  atmosphere  ;  an  occasional  damping  of' 
the  floors  or  borders,  especially  on  fine  days,  being  necessary  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  foliage  in  health. 
If  the  weather  be  cold  and  wet,  a  genial  warmth  in  the  pipes, 
especially  by  day,  so  as  to  admit  of  a  circulation  of  air,  will  be 
necessary  for  the  satisfactory  ripening  of  the  fruit.  A  temperature  of 
60°  to  65°  at  night  will  be  sufficient,  and  70°  to  75°  by  day  artificially, 
in  order  to  insure  a  steady  progress  in  ripening,  air  being  afforded 
more  or  less  constantly.  If  the  fruit  ripen  too  rapidly,  as  may  be 
the  case  if  the  weather  prove  very  bright,  a  shading  over  the  roof- 
lights  of  a  single  thickness  of  pilchard  net,  or  a  double  one  of  herring 
net,  will  break  the  fierce  rays  of  the  sun,  and  not  only  retard  the 
ripening,  but  insure  the  fruit  finishing  more  satisfactorily  than  wheu 
exposed  to  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun. 
Qjjk\ 
I 
HE  BEE-KEEPER. 
Queenless  Skeps. 
Queenless  stocks  are  more  numerous  than  usual  this  season. 
When  this  takes  place  in  frame  hives  it  is  much  easier  to  detect  than 
in  straw  ski  ps.  When  it  is  suspected  the  skep  should  be  turned  up 
and  examined ;  a  puff  or  two  of  smoke  blown  in  at  the  entrance  will 
be  all  that  is  necessary  to  soothe  the  bees.  The  carbolic  cloth  is  also 
excellent  for  laying  over  the  mouth  of  the  skep  when  it  is  removed 
from  its  stand.  It  brood  is  found  in  various  stages  of  development  it 
will  be  a  sure  proof  of  the  presence  of  a  queen ;  but  if  no  brood  is 
visible,  and  the  colony  is  weak  in  bees,  the  drones  b“ing  nearly  as 
numerous  as  the  workers,  it  will  be  quite  safe  to  consider  the  stock 
ipeenlesp. 
Driving  Bees. 
We  have  on  previous  cccasions  given  advice  as  to  the  best  means 
of  inducing  the  bees  to  leave  straw  skeps.  It  was  formerly  the 
universal  custom  to  destroy  the  beesby  placing  them  over  the  sulphur  pit. 
The  modern  frame  hive  and  the  humane  handling  of  bees  have  happily 
(lone  away  with  much  of  this  wliolesale  destruction  cf  the  condemned 
bees.  Many  bee-keepers  are  nervous  at  their  first  attempt  at  driving 
I'ces,  but  with  a  little  practice  they  find  it  is  not  nearly  so  difficult  as 
they  supposed.  For  the  benefit  of  new  readers  we  will  briefly  state 
how  it  is  done. 
in  the  first  place  some  driving  irons  are  necessary  ;  one  should  be 
quite  straight,  and  the  other  two  have  about  1  inch  at  each  end  turned 
at  right  angles.  The  ends  must  be  pointed  so  that  they  may  easily 
penetrate  the  straw.  The  straight  piece  is  used  to  fasten  the  edge  of 
the  empty  skep  to  the  one  containing  the  bees  and  honey.  The  f  ont 
of  the  empty  skep  is  then  lifted  about  10  inches,  and  the  two  irons 
with  the  ends  turned  are  u.sed  to  form  a  hinge  on  each  side  of  the  two 
skeps  by  pushing  the  points  into  each  skep,  and  thus  holding  them 
together.  Rap  the  lower  hive  sharply  with  the  hand,  and  the  bees  will 
run  up  into  the  empty  skep  at  a  rapid  rate. 
Should  the  bees  not  be  inclined  to  start,  a  puff  or  two  of  smoke 
will  soon  cause  them  to  do  so  If  there  is  much  brood  in  the  hive,  or 
the  weather  is  dull  and  cold,  the  bees  will  not  leave  their  combs  nearly 
8 )  readily  as  when  the  temperature  is  high,  and  the  sun  is  shining 
•1  rectly  on  them.  As  they  run  up  a  sharp  look  out  should  be  kept 
f  ir  th  queen,  as  it  is  an  advantage  to  know  she  is  safe  with  the  bees 
in  the  empty  skep.  When  the  majority  of  the  bees  have  passed,  the- 
comb  may  be  at  once  removed,  any  adhering  bees  being  brushed  into 
the  skep  containing  the  driven  bees. — An  English  Bee-keeper. 
