142 THE GARDENER. [March 



not disturbed. Independent of any profitable result from bee-keeping, a few 

 skeps in a garden produces many interesting features, and to watch the bees on a 

 pleasant summer's day is a most instructive occupation. I can only wish the 

 bee-hive was oftener seen in the gardens both of the rich and the poor. 



R. S. Shearer, Stirling. 



Propagation of Centaurea Ragusina (Candidissima) (C. L. S.) — The best 

 way to obtain a supply of this plant is to take plants from the flower-garden in 

 the autumn, and pinch or cut their heads in at the same time. They should be 

 potted in some light sandy soil, and placed in a rather warm and dry greenhouse 

 or pit. By the month of February these will have pushed out a lot of stubby 

 shoots, and at that time the strongest of these should be taken off and inserted as 

 cuttings. When the best cuttings have been taken off these stumps, they may be 

 allowed to grow away undisturbed, and in a short time another batch will be 

 strong enough to be taken from them, and so on till enough plants are obtained. 

 Then the old plants may be thrown away, or, better still, allowed to grow into 

 bushy plants, and used in May along with others. Instead of putting the cuttings 

 into pots or pans, as is the custom, a sounder plan is to put one in the centre of 

 each little pot ; and then, when it strikes root, which it will quickly do, there is 

 no necessity for mutilating the roots, as is the case when things are put into 

 cutting pots or pans. If convenient, the pots should be plunged in tan, or in a 

 hotbed, as treated thus they will root more readily. The foliage should not be 

 wetted more than is necessary. After this it is simply necessary to harden the 

 plants off in the usual way, and so fit them for being used in the flower-garden. 



The Education of Gardeners. — Allow me to correct what seems to be a 

 glaring error into which " Down South " appears to have fallen in his statement 

 of the case of " One in Despair." The latter did not give any intelligent reader 

 reason to infer that education was of comparatively little benefit to a gardener ; 

 on the contrary, he pronounced it to be invaluable, as " Down South " could 

 readily perceive, if with an unprejudiced mind he were to carefully read over again 

 the paper by " One in Despair." Opportunities were certainly given to him to 

 rise though he failed to use them ; but it was simply an individual case, and not 

 one of general application. In the case of " One in Despair " education appeared 

 to be of little value ; but there are many others having the power to rise, but 

 wanting the opportunity, and such a position affords but a defective view of their 

 real abilities. Up North. 



Sedum acre aureum. — This form of the common stone crop has been well 

 described as the " most valuable of all the humbler plants we possess for what 

 is termed the ' Spring Flower-Garden.' " It forms a " glittering mass of yellow 

 points," dense and compact, and for carpet-work in the early spring months it is 

 unequalled. A moist situation suits it best ; there it will thrive, and gladden the 

 heart of the cultivator, as about one-third of the point of each shoot is of the 

 brightest golden yellow. E. W. 



Patent Compounds. — A neighbouring gardener recently called my attention 

 to the state of the plants in his greenhouse, which, on looking at them, I 

 found to be in a most deplorable condition, presenting a sight that might reason- 

 ably produce heartache in any man who possessed auy horticultural tastes; and 

 yet, in the early part of the winter, this same house (a new one too) was filled 

 with a capital lot of greenhouse plants of various kinds, including a quantity of 

 bedding plants, the whole of which looked at that time as nice and healthy as 



