320 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AXD  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
October  1,  1903 
iu  tlie  recent  gale,  lie'nce  those  vchicli  are  bruised  should  be  stored 
by  themselyes.  Also  the  large  quantities  of  fruit,  which  have  been 
blown  down  and  now  stored,  must  be  frequently  examined  for 
decaying  specimens,  promiitly  removing  these. — IIast  Kent. 
Fruit  Forcing. 
VINKS:  E.VELY  FORCED  HOUSE— Vines  that  are  to 
furnish  ripe  Grapes  with  certainty  next  April  should  be  started 
by-  the  middle  of  November.  It  is  not  an  advisable  procedure 
to  start  Vines  permanently  planted  at  so  early  a  season.  A"ery 
early  forcing  places  a  great  strain  on  them  through  their  having 
to  make  growth  when  the  natural  conditions  are  at  the  worst  for 
elaboration  and  assimilation,  and  to  rest  at  the  hottest  part  of 
the  year,  there  being  great  danger  of  the  foliage  collapsing 
from  attacks  of  red  spider,  or  ripening  too  early  from 
climatic  conditions.  This  may  cause  the  buds  that  are  to  furnish 
the  next  year’s  crop  to  start  into  growth  at  the  time  the  Vines 
should  be  resting.  It  can  only  be  avoided  by  retaining  some 
lateral  growths  as  an  outlet  for  any  sap  which  the  roots 
absorb,  and  it  will  not  do  any  harm,  but  good,  by  securing  a 
oonsiderable  amount  of  stored  matter,  always  provided  the 
lateral  growths  are  not  allowed  to  interfere  with  the  free  access 
of  light  and  air  to  the  principal  leaves.  These  laterals  shoulrl 
be  removed  gradually  and  continuously  from  late  August  until 
early  in  September,  so  as  to  admit  of  the  Vines  intended  for 
.starting  early  in  November  or  December  being  prunecl  by,  or 
soon  after,  the  middle  of  September  ;  and  they"  will  not  bleed, 
nor  will  the  buds  start  into  growth  if  the  house  be  kept  cool  ancl 
dry.  There  is  no  need  to  wait  until  the  leaves  are  all  clown,  as 
the  resting  having  set  in,  there  will  not  be  any  upward- flow  of 
sap;  but  bear  in  mind  this  must  have  been  secured '  by  the 
gi'adual  reduction  of  the  laterals  and  the  resting  apparent, 
otherwise  the  pruning  buds  may  start.  If  not  already  pruned, 
lose  no  time  in  performing  it ;  also  the  Vines  to  be  started  in 
December,  not  deferring  pi-uning  beyond  the*  time  the  foliage 
commences  to  fall,  so  as  to  give  the  Vines  a  few  weeks’ 
I’est . 
Outside  bordeirs  are  a  great  mistake  in  early  forcing  Vines, 
especially  Muscats,  and  whether  heated  below  by  hot  water 
pipes,  or  above  by  fermenting  materials,  not  nearly^equal  to  due 
internal  borders,  ample,  for  the  foots.  Still,  there  are  such 
borders,  and  have  to  be  made  the  most  of,  or  the  Vines  in  them. 
The  old  practice  of  shielding  them  from  the  heavy  autumnal 
rains  by  spare  lights  has  not  been  improved  upon,  as  it  lets  the 
border  have  the  benefit  of  the  sun  that  may  appear,  and  that 
without  depriving  the  soil  of  air.  Thus,  later  on,  the  border 
can  be  covered  with  a  good  thickness  of  dry  leaves  or  Fern, 
with  some  litter  on  top,  so  placed  as  to  throw  off  some  of  the 
wet,  and  the  heat  thus  covered  up  remains  most  of  the  winter. 
Where  tffere  may  be  plenty  of  leaves  and  stable  litter,  the  well- 
tried  practice  of  keeping  out  cold  and  getting  some  warmth  into 
the  border  by  placing  them  on  top,  renewing  them  from  time  to 
time,  answers  as  well  as  ever.  But  we  do  not  advise  such  pro¬ 
cedure  where  better  conditions  obtain,  yet  adaptation  to  cir¬ 
cumstances  IS  a  fine  thing,  and  marks  the  cultivator  as  successful 
or  otherwise.  The  very  old  practice  of  using  fermenting  material 
inside  early  forced  vineries  has  not  been  bettered,  as  ridges  of 
sweet  fermenting  material  always  give  off  heat,  moisture,  and 
nutrition,  favouring  good  breaking  and  development  of  the 
growths,  besides  saving  fuel.  In  the  heap  fashion  ridges,  like 
outdoor  and  indoor,  for  a  very  successful  Grape  grower  uses  the 
stuff  for  growing  Mushrooms,  and  then  spreads  the  beds  over  the 
liorder  as  a  mulch  for  the  Vines.  Three  parts  of  leaves,  Oak  or 
Beech,  and  one  of  stable  litter,  thrown  into  a  heap  a  week  or 
ten  days  before  being  placed  in  the  house,  get  warm,  then 
placed  in  ridges  on  the  border  allowed  to  become  hot,  then 
turned  a  time  or  two,  give  out  all  the  heat  that  starts  the  Vines, 
and  the  beds  are  spawned,  earthed,  and  anon  lots  of  Mushrooms 
appear;  so  there  is  a  sweet  air  for  the  Vines  after  they  start, 
and  the  roots  come  into  the  sweetened  material. 
The  whole  thing  means  abundance  of  nitrogen,  for  the  old 
spawn  decays  along  with  the  manure,  prime  stuff  speedily  pass¬ 
ing  into  ammonia,  and  with  occasional  sprinklings  of  air-slaked 
lime  soon  gets  into  nitrate,  and  better,  into  the  Vines.  This 
may  be  a  wrinkle  for  someone  hard  set  to  make  ends  meet.  Any¬ 
way,  _we  advise  the  ridges  of  fermenting  material  in  early  forced 
vineries,  always  using  that  rare  article,  discriminative  judg¬ 
ment,  where  there  are  plants,  sweetening  the  manure  properly, 
as  the  foliage  may  be-  seriously  injured  by  the  vapour  given 
off.  Therefore  mix  well  together  when  thrown  into  the  heap, 
damping  the  materials  if  dry,  turning  when  getting  warm, 
again  damping  if  necessary,  and  when  well  warmed  through  they 
are  fit  for  placing  in  the  house. 
young  "N  inks. — The  laterals  must  now  be  gradually  cut 
back,  letting  the  sun  have  a  clear  effect  on  the  principal  growths, 
not  removing  them  all  at  once,  but  by  degrees,  getting  them 
near  the  main  rod  with  little  further  delay,  so  as  to  leav'e 
nothing  but  the  chief  cane  or  canes,  and  thus  the  principal 
leaves  will  plump  the  buds.  Those  having  a  tendency  to  con¬ 
tinue  grewing  to  a  late  period  may  be  checked  by  stopping  the 
shoots  moderately,  facilitating  the  ripening  by  a  high  and  dry 
temperature  by  day,  turning  off  the  heat  and  keeping  the 
ventilators,  except  during  frost,  open  at  night.  Afford  water 
only  at  the  roots  to  prevent  the  foliage  becoming  limp.  This 
will  harden  the  wood  and  tend  to  induce  maturity  of  the  growths. 
— St.  Albans. 
- - 
Ml 
HE  BEE-KEEPER. 
IS 
Locality  and  Position  of  Hives. 
The  influence  of  locality  has  a  great  deal  to  do  with  the 
results  obtained  in  bee-keeping,  and  its  importance  is  only 
brought  home  to  us  when  the  harvests  obtained  in  different  di.s- 
tricts  are  reflected  upon.  Again,  how’  many  apiarists  are  there 
who  consider  whether  a  stock  will  give  better  results  facing  a 
different  point  of  the  compass? 
With  regard  to  the  position  of  hives,  ample  experience  con¬ 
firms  the  idea  that  on  a  slope  with  a  dry  ground,  facing  south, 
is  the  best,  and  if  such  a  situation  is  also  enclosed  by  hedges 
or  walls  about  5ft  high,  on  as  many  sides  as  possible,  and  the 
hives  face  where  the  southern  sunbeams  warm,  and  the  N.E. 
winds  cannot  touch,  the  bees  will  obtain  sunshine  before,  and 
shade  after  noon,  which,  together  with  a  still,  warm  air,  repre¬ 
sent  the  apiarist’s  ideal. 
In  an  enclosure  of  this  kind  the  difference  between  any 
southern  aspect,  S.,  S.W.,  or  S.E.,  is  of  little  consequence,  as 
the  cold  winds  do  not  come  from  the  south.  The  argument 
•that  the  air  in  spring  in  an  enclosed  situation,  being  warmer, 
entices  the  bees  to  fly,  and,  on  ri.sing  to  a  higher  level,  they  are 
chilled  and  lost,  is  not  altogether  borne  out  by  facts,  one  of 
which  the  detractors  appear  to  overlook  being  that  careful 
thermometrical  observations  show  that  no  appreciable  difference 
between  the  internal  and  external  temperature  is  perceptible, 
wdiile  only  an  imperfect  statement  of  the  advantages  of  a  calm 
air  and  protection  from  northerly  and  easterly  winds  has  ever 
been  made.  For  some  phases  of  apiculture  it  possesses  un¬ 
rivalled  benefits. 
As  is  well  known,  one  bee  in  spring  is  worth  as  much  as  a 
dozem  in  the  autumn,  as  the  increase  in  population  depends 
uiion  the  proper  temperature  of  the  brood  nest  being  main¬ 
tained  in  the  early  part  of  the  j^ear,  and  rapid  increase  is  only 
possible  in  strong  colonies.  There  is,  however,  another  factor 
connected  with  rapid  increase.  If  the  liive  is  warm  and  snug, 
the  temperature  is  maintained  by  fewer  bees,  the  cold  winds  are 
avoided,  and  more  bees  are  liberated  for  foraging.  It  has  no 
doubt  been  noticed  that  in  an  unsheltered  spot,  when  the  even¬ 
ings  are  chilly,  numbers  of  the  bees  may  be  found  on  the  ground 
around  the  hives,  some  of  which  bees  are  loaded  with  pollen. 
By  fixing  hives  as  described  these  bees  may  be  saved.  The 
explanation  of  their  falling  to  the  ground  and  remaining  there 
is  that  on  approaching  the  hive  they,  in  order  to  alight,  change 
the  plane  of  oscillation  of  their  wings,  and  in  this  position  a  puff 
of  wind  is  sufficient  to  blow  them  to  the  earth,  where  the  cold 
causes  contraction  of  the  blood  vessels,  slow'er  respiration  and 
diminution  of  vital  energy.  The  pulsations  cease  entirely  at 
freezing  point,  so  that,  if  not  resuscitated  within  a  short  time, 
they  perish. 
The  frequent  complaint.s  of  the  great  mortalitj"  amongst  bee.s 
in  spring  may  be  traced  to  some  such  simple  cause  as  lack  of 
sunshine,  or  the  position  of  the  hive  allowing  the  cold  winds 
charged  with  driving  sleet  to  penetrate  to  the  interior,  or  that 
the  locality  is  unfavourable.  Sunshine  is  very  important  in 
spring  for  many  reasons,  and  hives  should  not  therefore  on  any 
account  be  set  in  permanent  shade.  Nothing  is  more  beneficial 
than  the  sun’s  rays,  which  gently  raise  the  temperature,  thus 
enabling  the  bees  to  change  their  cluster  and  rearrange  their 
stores. 
In  such  matters  as  these  a  little  thought  in  the  right  direc¬ 
tion.  and  the  application  of  the  requisite  management,  would 
render  the  pathetic  accounts  of  losses  less  frequent.  With  the 
idea  of  being  humane  some  even  move  their  hives  to  a  warmer 
spot  to  protect  them  from  the  elements  during  winter,  and 
tlien  leave  them,  overlooking  the  fact  that  if  a  sudden  spell  of 
warmth  should  come,  and  the  bees  become  active,  they  return 
to  the  old  spot,  and  many  are  lost. — E.  E.,  Sandbach. 
Trade  Catalogues  Received. 
Peter  Henderson  and  Co..  35  and  37,  Cortland  Street,  New  York. — 
Autumn  Catalogue. 
.John  K.  King  and  Sons,  Coggeshall. — Bulbs,  dx. 
L.  Spilth,  Bannisehulenweg,  Berlin. — Fruits,  Trees,  and  Shrubs. 
