August  13,  1903; 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
159 
willing  to  give  you  the  bees  for  the  driving.  This  done,  pur¬ 
chase  a  smoker,  a  very  good  one  is  the  “  Crane,”  a  bar-frame 
hive,  with  “Weed”  foundation  (full  sheets)  securely  fixed,  and 
make  quite  sure  they  are  secureh/  fixed,  and  over  these  a  quilt, 
with  a  feed  hole  about  3in  in  the  centre. 
How  TO  Diuve. — Place  some  brown  unglazed  paper  in  the 
smoker.  I  say  paper  because  it  is  handiest  usually,  but  rag,  &c., 
or  anything  which  will  make  a  big  smoke,  will  be  equallj’  suit¬ 
able.  When  the  contents  of  the  smoker  are  well  lighted,  go  to 
the  hive  to  be  taken,  and  puff  a  little  smoke  through  the 
entrance ;  wait  about  two  minutes.  During  the  interval  the 
bees  are  gorging  themselves  with  honey,  and  will  in  consequence 
be  easy  to  handle,  for  then  they  cannot,  if  they  would,  turn 
round  the  abdominal  portion  to  the  correct  angle  for  stinging. 
Overturn  the  hive,  and  at  once  give  a  puff  of  smoke  across  the 
combs  to  drive  down  the  bees.  This  warning  is  most  important ; 
omit  it,  and  many  stings  may  result  ;  but  if  attended  to,  I  will 
guarantee  not  a  single  sting  will  follow.  Place  the  full  skep 
mouth  upward  in  an  empty  bucket.  Over  the  hive  to  be 
driven  place  an  empty  skep,  so  that  the  rims  of  both  coincide ; 
hinge  them  together  at  the  back,  using  a  skewer,  and  fasten  the 
sides  up  with  the  aid  of  driving  irons.  Stand  with  your  back 
to  the  strong  light  and  tap  the  sides  of  the  full  hive  gently — 
gently,  remember — with  your  hands  or  a  piece  of  stick,  and  in 
about  ten  to  twenty  minutes  the  whole  of  the  bees  will  be  in  the 
once  empty  skep.  This  operation  is  best  performed  about  six 
in  the  evening.  If  yoir  can  possibly  manage  to  get  two  or 
three  lots  to  drive,  so  much  the  better;  mix  the  lot  together, 
and  toss  out  in  front  of  your  hive. 
Feeding. — It  Avill  be  necessary  to  feed  them,  and  the  more 
rapidly  you  can  do  it  the  greater  will  be  the  success  you  will 
achieve.  They  have  cells  to  build,  brood  to  raise,  and  to  store 
sufficient  food  to  carry  them  through  until  next  May  perhaps. 
Most  of  the  failures  among  bees  occur  during  the  months  of 
March,  April,  and  May,  when  ive  have  a  stormy  or  wet 
spring. 
How'  TO  Make  Food. — Place  about  101b  of  white  loaf  sugar, 
with  five  pints  of  water,  in  a  saucepan ;  stir  well  to  prevent 
burning,  and  boil  for  a  few  minutes.  Put  this  syrup,  warm,  in 
a  glass  jam  pot — say  31b — filling  it  more  than  full,  and  then  tie 
down  tightly  with  a  piece  of  muslin  and  invert  over  the  feed 
hole  in  the  evening.  Do  not  be  led  by  bee-keeping  friends  to 
add  chemicals  which  they  know  will  prevent  foul  brood,  for 
these  will  cause  the  bees  to  take  down  the  syrup  slowly,  and 
no  fnan  knows  of  a  case  where  foul  brood,  at  any  rate,  has  been 
cured  by  its  aid.  In  order  that  the  bees  may  be  considered 
safe  until  the  late  spring  they  must  have  between  201b  and 
301b  stored  by  the  end  of  September  at  the  latest. — Hybla. 
- 1  mim  I - 
Meteorological  Observations  at  Chiswick. 
Taken  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens  at  Chis¬ 
wick,  height  above  sea  level  24  feet. 
Date. 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
Temperature  of 
the  Soil. 
At  9  A.M. 
1903. 
August. 
ection  c 
Wind. 
At  9  A.Ji. 
Day. 
Night 
Bain. 
%*  . 
s  05 
^  05 
«  £  2 
?  a>  CD 
Ui 
5 
Dry 
Bulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
Highest. 
Lowest. 
b 
l-£t. 
deep. 
2-ft. 
deep. 
A  b 
4-ft. 
deep. 
s  s 
(B  O 
8nn3av  ...  2 
s.w. 
deg. 
63-7 
deg. 
58-3 
deg. 
71-2 
deg. 
580 
Ins. 
0-30 
deg. 
61-2 
deg. 
60-2 
deg. 
58-4 
deg. 
46-2 
Monday  ...  3 
S.W. 
63-5 
62T 
71-2 
56'3 
— 
62  0 
60-3 
58-4 
56  2 
Tuesday...  4 
s.w. 
62-7 
600 
70-8 
51.7 
— 
61-9 
60-5 
58-4 
42-6 
Wed’sday  5 
W.S.W. 
62  7 
57'3 
69-2 
52-7 
— 
61-3 
60-5 
58-4 
43-8 
Thursday  6 
W.N.W. 
61'4 
55-0 
69-7 
49-3 
— 
60-7 
60-3 
58  4 
59  2 
Friday  ...  7 
W.N.W. 
63-2 
57-7 
72-2 
42-8 
— 
60-7 
60-3 
58-4 
34-4 
Saturday  8 
S.S.W. 
69-5 
600 
78-2 
46-8 
— 
62  0 
60  7 
53-4 
40-2 
Means  ... 
63-8 
58-6 
71-8 
51.1 
Total. 
0-30 
61-4 
60-4 
58-4 
43  2 
With  the  e.xeeption  of  a  little  rain  on  the  2nd  inst.,  the  weather 
during  the  week  has  been  fine  and  bright. 
t  $ 
Trade  Catalogues  Received. 
Clibrans,  13,  Stamford  New  Road,  Altrincham. — Dutch  and  othe^ 
Bulbs. 
Cooper,  Taber,  and  Co.,  Ltd.,  90  and  92,  Southw’ark  Street,  London, 
S.E. — Wholesale  Bulb  Catalogue. 
Win.  Cutbush  and  Son,  Highgate  Nurseries,  London,  N. — i,  Car¬ 
nations ;  2,  Dutch  Bulbs ;  3,  Strawberries,  Blackberries,  dx. 
Ant.  Van  Velsen  and  Co.,  Haarlem,  Holland. — Bulbs. 
James  Veitch  and  Sons,  Ltd.,  Royal  Exotic  Nursery,  Chelsea. — Bulb 
Ca‘alogue. 
Fruit  Forcing. 
VINES :  EARLY  HOUSES. — The  Vines  that  have  been 
forced  to  ripen  the  fruit  in  Maj'  and  June  have  the  wood  ripe'. 
Some  of  the  leaves  may  also  have  fallen,  which  are  generally  on 
the  wood  first  formed,  as  these  from  their  texture  are  soonest 
exhausted  in  elaborativei  power.  There  are  other  causes  for  the 
leaves  being  shed  early,  such  as  attacks  of  red  spider,  insuffi¬ 
cient  supplies  of  water,  scorching,  and  lack  of  nourishment. 
These  must  be  guarded  against,  but  under  the  best  of  treatment 
some  of  the  lower  leaves  fall  early  from  other  causes  than  their 
thin  texture,  whilst  the  laterals,  which  are  formed  later,  have 
stouter  foliage.  Such  are  useful  in  assimilating  nutrient 
elements,  some  of  which  find  their  way  to  the  leafless  buds,  as  is 
seen  in  their  plumping  and  in  the  thickening  of  the  adjacent 
wood.  The  laterals  must  not  therefore  be  cut  close  in,  as  that 
would  probably  cause  the  principal  buds  to  start  ;  but  remove 
the  growth  by  degrees,  deferring  the  final  pruning  until  growth 
has  finished  and  the  wood  become'  ripe. 
RENOVATING  THE  BORDER  OF  EARLY  HOUSES.— 
When  the  Vines  are  weakly  it  is  a  good  practice  to  remove  the 
soil  down  to  the  roots  and  fork  it  out  from  amongst  them, 
taking  the  opportunity  of  raising  any  that  are  deep,  and  laying 
them  in  fresh  turfy  loam  nearer  the  surface.  Good  calcareous 
gravelly  loam  is  the  best,  especially  of  a  ferruginO'Us  nature,  or 
one-sixth  of  lime  rubbish  may  be  added  when  lime  and  gritty 
matter  is  deficient  and  the  soil  is  heavy.  If  the  soil  be  very 
light  and  brashy,  add  a  sixth  of  clay^  marl  dried  and  pounded. 
A  twelfth  of  wood  ashes  may  be  supplied  with  advantage,  also 
a  twenty-eighth  part  of  basic  cinder  phosphate ;  and  where  the 
soil  is  poor  a  fifth  part  of  fresh  horse  droppings.  Other  fertilisers 
are  best  applied  as  surface  dressings.  Give  a  moderate  watering, 
when  fresh  roots  will  push,  especially  from  near  the  collar,  and 
be  in  capital  condition  to  support  a  good  start  in  the  Vines 
when  the  time  comes  round.  The  border  renovation,  also  lift¬ 
ing,  should  be  performed  whilst  the  leaves  are  on  the  Vines. 
If  the  weather  is  right  the  house  will  need  shading  and  keeping 
rather  close  and  moist  for  a  few’  days.  The  work  should  be  per¬ 
formed  with  dispatch,  not  operating  until  the  wood  is  matured. 
MIDSEASON  HOUSES. — The  Vines  have  had  a  fair  amount 
of  sunshine  this  season,  though  the  w’eather  has  been  remark¬ 
able  for  heavy  falls  of  rain,  w’hich  has  not  prejudicially  affected 
outside  borders  where  these  are  composed  of  sound  open 
materials  over  thorough  drainage ;  but  in  borders  of  close 
staple  and  rich  materials  the  Grapes  have  shown  an  unusual 
tendency  to  shanking.  On  the  whole  the  Vines  have  perfected 
or  are  ripening  satisfactory  crops.  Where  the  Grapes  are  ripe 
air  should  be  freely  admitted,  and  enough  afforded  at  night  to 
insure  a  free  circulation.  If  water  is  needed  supply  it  early  on 
fine  mornings,  as  thus  supplied,  on  daj’s  that  promise  to  be 
fine,  and  rvith  free  ventilation,  the  moisture  will  not  do  any 
harm,  but  favour  the  keeping  of  the  Grapes  in  sound  condition. 
A  slight  shade  is  necessary  to  prevent  the  sun  taking  the  colour 
out  of  Black  Hamburghs  and  other  black  Grapes,  especially 
when  the  foliage  is  thin.  Grapes  commencing  to  colour  need  a 
free  circulation  of  air  in  the  daytime,  and  enough  at  night  to 
insure  a  change  of  atmosphere,  a  gentle  warmth  in  the  pipes 
often  being  necessary  when  the  weather  is  cold  or  damp,  both 
day  and  night.  This  is  particularly  necessary  for  Muscat  of 
Alexandria  and  other  thin  skinned  Grapes  liable  to  “spot,”  a 
night  temperature  of  65deg  being  secured,  and  that  of  the  day 
70deg  to  Todeg  by  artificial  means.  Copious  supplies  of  water 
and  occasional  applications  of  liquid  manure  will  be  needed  iintil 
the  Grapes  are  well  advanced  in  colouring,  and  then  the  inside 
border  may  be  mulched  with  short,  dry,  spent  material. 
LATE  HOUSES. — Full  supplies  of  water  and  feeding  at  the 
surface  are  necessary  until  the  Grapes  are  coloured  up  to  the 
footstalk,  for  many  late  Grapes  appear  ripe  when  they  are  only 
partially  finished.  All  late  Grapes  require  time  and  good  support 
up  to  the  finish.  It  certainly  saves  the  Vines  from  undue  strain, 
nourishes  them  in  the  growing  time,  and  fortifies  them  in  the 
wood  and  buds  by  the  matter  .stoi'ed  for  the  coming  season’s 
crop.  The  Grapes  ought  now  to  be  colouring  or  advanced  in  that 
process,  then,  with  a  circulation  of  warm,  rather  dry,  air  con¬ 
stantly,  and  a  thoroughly  moist  condition  of  the  soil  containing 
full  supplies  of  available  nutrition,  they  will  swell  and  finish 
well.  The  chief  cause  of  Muscat  of  Alexandria  berries  shrivel¬ 
ling,  even  before  they  are  ripe,  is  poverty;  also  of  others  shrink¬ 
ing  after  they  have  hung  some  time.  Afford  a  temperature  of 
70deg  to  75deg  by  day  artificially,  SOdeg  to  OOdeg  with  sun,  and 
