388 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  25,  1900. 
those  precautions  are  not  necessary.  It  is  only  when  the  trees  are  gross 
and  the  wood  unripe  that  the  carefu!j  treatment  is  necessary,  and  it  is 
for  such  cases  that  lifting  is  particularly  desirable.  In  the  case  of  young 
trees  it  will  suffice  to  take  out  a  trench  one-third  the  distance  from  the 
stem  the  trees  cover  of  trellis,  and  down  so  as  to  cut  off  all  roots  down 
to  the  drainage,  leaving  the  trench  open  for  a  fortnight,  not  allowing 
the  soil  in  the  radius  to  become  so  dry  as  to  distress  the  foliage  to  a 
very  severe  degree  of  flagging,  and  then  the  trench  may  be  filled  in 
firmly.  With  this  salutary  check  to  the  growth  the  energies  of  the 
trees  will  be  concentrated  on  the  maturing  of  tho  growth  and  buds, 
also  storing  matter  so  essential  for  securing  a  good  set  and  satisfactory 
stoning  of  the  fruit. 
Unheated  Houses. — Thin  the  wood,  if  necessary,  to  admit  light  freely 
to  the  growths,  and  ventilate  to  the  fullest  extent.  This  assists  the 
wood  to  ripen  and  store  it  with  matter  for  the  coming  season.  In  case 
of  over-luxuriance,  or  a  tendency  to  late  growth,  lift  the  trees  when 
the  wood  becomes  firm  and  while  some  of  the  foliage  is  upon  the  trees. 
This,  with  laying  the  roots  near  the  surface  in  firm  soil,  is  the  surest 
remedy  for  trees  that  fail  to  set  and  stone  full  crops  of  fruit.  After  the 
leaves  fall  the  roof-lights  may  be  removed,  thus  securing  complete  rest 
instead  of  alternating  excitement  and  check,  as  trees  under  glass  are 
subjected  to. 
HE  BBE-KEEPER. 
j  - .  .  I  . I  ■  I  -  I ■  I  . r- f .  i  - T ■ I . I  .  I . I  ■ 
Review  of  the  Past  Season. 
It  may  be  of  interest  to  bee-keepers  in  various  parts  of  the  country 
to  compare  notes  with  regard  to  the  late  honey  harvest.  In  many 
districts  it  has  been  most  disappointing.  A  few  bee-keepers  have 
obtained  a  fair  average  surplus.  This  was  the  result  of  having  sh  cks 
strong  early  in  the  season  so  that  they  were  enabled  to  store  freely 
from  the  early  fruit  blossoms,  which  were  somewhat  later  than  usual, 
as  were  also  the  Hawthorns,  which  flowered  most  profusely ;  others, 
again,  did  well  from  the  Limes.  Good  samples  of  White  Clover  honey 
are  very  scarce.  The  weather  experienced  in  this  district  (South 
Yorkshire)  was  most  disappointing  from  a  bee-keeper’s  point  of  view, 
i  he  bees  did  not  winter  well,  and  on  the  whole  they  required  close 
attention  throughout  the  spring.  High  winds  and  cold  showers 
prevailed  until  well  into  May.  Then  bright  sunshine  and  a  higher 
temperature  had  the  desired  effect.  Stocks  increased  at  a  rapid  rate, 
but  they  were  quite  ten  days  later  than  usual.  The  vegetation  being 
also  late  there  was  every  prospect  of  a  good  honey  harvest  until  the 
middle  of  June,  From  then  till  the  middle  of  July  no  work  was  done 
by  the  bees,  as  the  weather  was  dull  and  showery,  and  a  very  low 
temperature  prevailed  Bright  hot  weather  then  set  in,  but  it  was  too 
late  to  benefit  the  majority  of  bee-keepers. 
1 9"^?  apiary  it  has  been  the  worst  season  experienced  since 
1898.  This  is  also  the  experience  of  others.  A  bee-keeper  whose 
apiary  is  about  fifty  miles  due  east  from  our  own,  writes : — “  The 
past  season  has  been  a  most  disastrous  one  for  bee-keepers  in  this 
district,  the  worst  we  have  had  for  twelve  years.  Honey  is  very  scarce 
owing  to  the  wet  cold  weather.  I  am  now  feeding  up  my  bees  for 
winter-,  and  have  already  given  them  over  twelve  stones  of  sugar.” 
Another,  whose  apiary  is  larger  than  the  above,  has  given  his  bees 
nearly  five  hundredweight  of  sugar.  Another  bee-keeper  living  fi  ty 
miles  north,  writes:— “I  have  taken  fifty  five  sections  from  one 
colony.  This  stock  was  very  strong  early  in  the  spring,  although  it 
received  the  same  tieatment  as  my  other  stocks  which  yielded  nothing. 
It  was  ready  for  supering  early  in  May,  and  the  bulk  of  the  honey 
wasobtainea  before  the  middle  of  June.”  The  above  corroborates  what 
we  have  before  stated,  that  however  carefully  an  apiary  may  be 
managed,  there  will  always  be  a  difference  in  the  strength  of  the 
various  colonies  during  the  early  sprin2  months. 
In  some  of  the  southern  counties  the  quality  of  the  honey  gatheied 
this  season  has  been  excellent,  and  the  surplus  larger  than  in  the 
midland  and  northern  c  luoties.  fl  his  was  owing  to  the  fact  that  the 
White  Clover  followed  closely  on  the  fruit  blossom  and  other  flowers 
before  the  wet  weather  set  in.  Heather  honey  has  been  plentiful  and 
of  first-class  quality.  The  Heather  bloomed  freely  and  perfect 
weather  prevailed,  but  the  nights  being  cold  the  bees  did  not  store  as 
large  a  surplus  as  they  have  sometimes  done  in  previous  years. _ 
An  English  Bee-keeper. 
- - - - 
Trade  Catalogues  Received. 
J.  Cheal  &  Sons,  Crawley. — Trees  and  Shrubs. 
W.  Clibran  &  Son,  Altrincham. — Trees  and  Shrubs 
W.  Tayler,  Hampton,  Middlesex.— Roses  and  Fruits. 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be  directed 
to  “The  Editor,”  12,  Mitre  court  chambers,  Fleet  Street, 
liondon,  E.C.  It  is  reqmsted  that  no  one  will  write  privately 
to  any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking  information  on  matters 
discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to  unjustifiable 
trouble  and  expense. 
Oranges  not  Fruiting  (J.  M.  D.). — Excessive  root  action  in  too 
fertile  soil  promotes  an  exuberance  of  growth  that  is  the  reverse  of 
conducive  to  fruitfulness.  Root-pruning  would  arrest  such  growth, 
but  would  not,  in  the  absence  of  full  light  for  maturing  it,  of  necessity 
result  in  fruitfulness.  The  Orange  trees  would  be  more  likely  to  produce 
fruit  if  grown  in  tubs  and  placed  in  a  sunny  position  in  the  open  air  in 
July,  unless  the  structure  in  which  they  are  grown  is  very  light,  in 
which  case  the  removal  would  not  be  necessary. 
Luxuriant  Peach  Tree  (P.  R.  M.). — The  growths  ought  to  have  been 
thinned  long  ago,  and  overcrowding  prevented  ;  then,  in  all  probability, 
fruit  buds  would  have  formed  on  the  shoots  that  would  have  been 
exposed  to  the  influence  of  light  and  air.  Take  ont  the  most  luxuriant 
now,  retaining  those  of  moderate  strength  and  short-jointed  in  character, 
with  any  that  have  triple  buds  ;  also  dig  up  the  trees  at  once,  cutting 
off  all  strong  roots,  then  plant  or  pot  firmly  in  a  mixture  of  loam  and 
six  parts  of  crushed  mortar  rubbish  from  an  old  building. 
Wintering  Tuberous-rooted  Begonias  (R.  C.G.). — Tuberous  Begonias 
may  be  wintered  successfully  by  either  of  the  methods  you  mention, 
but  perhaps  the  latter  is  the  better  of  the  two.  Moderately  dry  cocoa- 
nut  fibre  may  be  used  as  well  as  sand,  and  the  boxes  containing  the 
tubers  must  be  placed  in  some  dry  shed,  cellar,  room,  or  greenhouse, 
where  the  tubers  will  neither  be  excited  by  heat  nor  injured  by  frost  or 
damp.  In  places  where  the  temperature  ranges  from  40°  to  50°  they 
will  rest  completely,  remaining  firm  and  plump,  and  will  start  strongly 
into  growth  again  in  the  spring. 
American  Blackberries  (S.  P.  H.). — These  should  be  treated  as  is 
usually  advised  for  Raspberries  in  planting  and  pruning.  Cut  off  any 
weakly  stems  and  retain  the  others  shortened  like  the  Raspberries.  Do 
not  attempt  training  the  subsequent  growth  in  an  erect  formal  manner, 
for  the  long  vigorous  branches  may  be  trained  horizontally  or  diagonally, 
as  appears  best  adapted  to  retain  it  unpruned.  We  have  a  long  row, 
with  the  growth  interlaced  into  a  perfect  thicket,  that  is  wonderfully 
prolific  of  fine  fruit.  A  novel,  useful,  and  attractive  feature  may 
easily  be  added  to  a  garden  by  planting  them  3  or  4  feet  apart  along 
the  sides  of  a  path,  and  training  them  overhead  upon  arches;  the  long 
shoots  may  then  be  taken  at  will  from  arch  to  arch,  connecting  the 
whole  into  a  pretty  arcade.  This  plan  will  commend  itself  in  all  gardens 
where  economy  of  space  is  important. 
Propagating  Mulberries  (T.  W.  J.). — The  cuttings  may  be  made  in 
either  autumn  or  spring.  If  made  in  autumn,  or  even  in  spring,  a 
portion  of  the  preceding  or  two-year-old  wood  should  be  taken  with 
each,  and  from  shoots  that  are  well  matured.  They  should  be  planted 
about  6  inches  apart  in  rows  a  foot  asunder  in  good  light  soil,  making 
it  firm  about  the  cuttings,  and  leaving  only  one  or  two  eyes  or  buds 
above  ground.  They  are  best  in  a  shady,  sheltered  situation,  and  should 
be  protected  during  the  winter.  The  cuttings  should  be  taken  from 
the  upper  part  of  the  trees.  Bearing  branches  root  with  facility. 
They  should  be  inserted  to  a  depth  of  IS  inches  to  2  feet,  and  be 
supported  with  a  stake  if  necessary.  The  side  branches  should  be 
shortened  back  a  little,  and  in  subsequent  years  the  lower  branches 
removed,  but  gradually,  so  as  to  form  a  stem  of  the  height  required. 
Strong  branches  or  limbs,  duly  attended  to  with  water  in  summer,  will 
form  bearing  trees  in  two  or  three  years. 
Maggot-eaten  Apple  {Amateur). — The  Apple  has  been  eaten  into 
by  the  larva  or  caterpillar  of  the  oodlin  moth,  Carpocapsa  pomonella, 
but  this  appears  to  have  come  to  grief  before  reaching  the  pips  of  the 
fruit,  or  has  made  a  mistake  and  tunnelled  its  way  out  and  not  entered 
again.  Such  cases  are  not  uncommon,  the  consequence  being  that  the 
fruit  grows  most  on  the  unaffected  side,  that  having  been  burrowed  not 
swelling  nearly  so  fast  and  well,  hence  is  depressed,  and  the  work  of 
retarding  growth. is  promoted  by  a  fungus  which  takes  possession  of 
the  tunnel,  and,  though  not  exactly  a  parasite,  feeds  on  the  flesh  along 
it.\  The  fungus  is  confined  to  mycelial  hyphse,  so  its  identity  cannot 
be  determined,  though  it  is  common  to  the  eye  of  many  Apples,  and 
apparently  follows  or  takes  to  tissues  already  injured.  To  prevent 
attack  by  the  caterpillars  of  the  codlin  moth,  the  trees  should  be 
sprayed  as  soon  as  the  blossoms  have  fallen  or  the  fruit  is  fairly 
formed,  repeating  in  the  course  of  ten  days  or  a  fortnight,  and  again 
at  a  similar  interval  before  the  fruit  has  turned  downwards,  a  third 
application  being  necessary  in  most  cases  to  effectually  prevent  the 
entrance  of  the  caterpillars  into  the  fruit.  If  tho  fruit  has  turned 
down,  the  sprajing  should  be  upwards,  so  as  to  coat  the  eye  of  the  fruit 
