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THE GARDENERS’ CHRONICLE. 
445 
cure two-pennyworth of Cresses, make them into cuttings 
about 23 inches long, caring little about their having roots, 
plant them about 5 inches apart, water them to set them 
fast, and repeat the watering once a day if the weather be 
dry. They very soon cover the ground. When they 
have grown a few inches, the shoots want a little pegging 
down at first ; they take root at every joint which touches 
the ground’; and in this small space I can gather a good 
dish every day for about five months, with leaves as large 
as any of those which appear in the markets, and I think 
if there is any difference, with a better flavour.—W. P. 
ITawthorns.—One of your correspondents complains 
that his scarlet-blooming Thorns have produced white 
flowers this year. This is rather a common occurrence. 
was charmed with the first pink-flowering Thorns af 
saw, and gathered the berries. More than half the plants 
from: this seed proved to be the common Whitethorn. 
One of the finest of the others, in a few years, produced a 
very abundant bloom of perfectly white flowers, without 
any leaves. I remoyed it to an opposite aspect, and it 
recovered its foliage, but the blossoms have never resumed 
even a tinge of their former beauty. This year one of my 
searlets had a small branch with eight bunches of flowers, 
one half the number were pink, and the others a vivid 
scurlet.—J. B. 
Bees.—I have observed the controversy between “A. 
Pettigrew,” and “J.Wighton” relative to Bees. The former 
asks who first put the question which led to the various 
things in dispute, —‘* Whether we have or have not proved 
that Bees’ eggs are transmutable ?’” What I have gathered 
from both is little more than what is related by Huber 
and others. “W.,’’ however, don’t believe like ‘“ P.” 
and others, that the grubs which ought to produce work- 
ing-Bees, are metamorphosed by ‘‘ Bee-pap” (Royal 
jelly). ‘ P.”? mentions a change in the gender,—a thing 
foreign to the subject, for working-Bees are considered to 
be Queens in an undeveloped state. Like “ W.,” I doubt 
the accuracy of ‘* 110 lbs. of run-honey from a hive in one 
season,” and would rather prefer knowing the size of the 
hive from which such great produce was obtained, than 
“*the address of the person that squeezed the honey out 
of the combs before he weighed it.’”” Here is a little con- 
tradiction; run and squeezed honey are not the same. 
Perhaps « P.’? will explain this; also how to make Bees 
filla large hive as soon asa smallone. ‘ W.’’ goes too 
far when he says that ‘P.”’ ‘got his knowledge of the 
Queen Bee’s age as some get their accounts, from a Ready 
Reckoner.”? If Bee-books are meant, I cannot find one 
author that mentions it. Indeed, the fact of her repeat- 
edly removing renders it difficult to find out. However, 
T have read or heard of one that lived several years ; she 
was known by her lame leg. ‘ P.’? finds fault with ‘* W.’s” 
version how Bees’ eggs are hatched, and observes, that 
none are hatched except they are set upon.’’ In cold 
weather, Bees cluster most upon the part of their combs 
where their eggs and brood are; but when otherwise, 
their eggs are hatched by what ‘! W.” calls ‘the heat in 
the hive.” “ P.?” mentions that almost all Queens are 
bred in June and July; and if they were to die later in 
the year than August, the Bees would be nonplussed, for 
they have no eggs to be metamorphosed into Queens.” In 
general, Queen Bees appear from about the Ist of May 
to the end of June, and strong colonies contain eggs at 
all times, except, perhaps, in winter.— Apis, 
Asparagus.—In your Leader of June 10, you quote 
from some papers of Mr. Beaton, who says that the 
Asparagus is as hardy as the Oak. I think, Sir, this 
must be received with some modification. That there is 
NO occasion to cover it down during winter with manure 
to protect it, is most true; but if the heads come in con- 
tact with frost, death will be the certain result. My beds 
of Asparagus have suffered very severely this last winter 
from being too bare of soil. One-fourth of the very finest 
Toots were quite killed by the frost. The rains must have 
Washed the soil from off the heads, and the frost killed 
hem. I must also state, that early in the spring some 
heads pushed a few nice shoots, and that during a frosty 
Night they were quite killed. Are my remarks likely to 
Prevent disappointment to those who might too venturously 
treat the Asparagus as a hardy Oak? If so, you will 
Perhaps state what I have experienced.—Discipulus.— 
8 Asparagus is a native of England, it is not likely to 
be very impatient of cold. When growing it is no doubt 
tender, and so is an Oak ; for who has not seen that tree 
With all its young shoots killed back by late frosts? We 
Understand Mr. Beaton to mean that it is hardy in the 
Winter, and does not require much protection at that 
time. We are, however, much obliged to our cor- 
respondent for producing this explanation, as it is by no 
Means improbable that the! observations of Mr. Beaton 
May have been misunderstood.] 
(| 
Does not essential oil usually volatilise by heat? If so, 
then either the essential oil of these night-scented flowers 
‘orms an exception, or else it volatilises as soon as formed, 
and that under some peculiar conditions, perhaps of light, 
electricity, or atmospheric influence, which evening alone 
presents. These are crude suggestions; but the facts 
stated appear to indicate that ‘the exhalation of car- 
bonic acid’’ is not likely to offer a satisfactory solution 
of the problem.—G. IV. S. 
ees. —I find that Mr. Golding has noticed my 
remarks on Mr. Rochet’s observations on the fortifica- 
tions of Bees & Ja Huber, which appeared in the Chronicle 
of April 22d. To convince me that I am wrong, he refers 
me to p. 379 of the ‘‘ Honey Bee.’”’ In the volume pub- 
lished in 1827 I find nothing satisfactory relating to the 
subject in dispute, but was a little surprised to see, at 
p- 372, that ‘* Bees may frequently be observed to roll their 
bodies on the flowers, and then with their feet form it 
into two masses, which they dispose of in the usual way.” 
This happens to be one of the things which I noticed in 
Mr. Rochet’s observations. It is useless for me to repeat 
what I said respecting it. But as Mr. Golding says 
he “gave the author of the ‘ Honey Bee’ his unwearied 
assistance,” he probably knows something concerning this 
mealy Bee story which led to Mr. Rochet’s version of it. 
Mr. G. adverts to his Bees once closing, or ‘‘ making a 
curtain at one of the entrances of his Polish hive.” I 
suspect that that was one which the Bees did not enter at. 
I have a Polish hive myself, having 6 feet of comb; and 
the Bees endeavoured to make fortifications, or, to be 
plain, to close the holes they do not enter at. But this 
only accords with their habits of blocking up all draught 
holes, especially in the top of their dwelling. I admit 
that the common entrance to a hive is at times reduced, 
and, to appearance, like that mentioned by Mr. G.; but 
that only happens when a part of the combs, or rather 
propolis, falls down, and the Bees form ways through it. 
The same may be seen on the floor of a hive. I am aware 
that much might be brought against what I have said, 
even the authority of ‘the ever-amusing Mr. Jessie.’”’ 
But I ask, if such a power ‘resides in Bees to close their 
door against their enemies,—how is-it they seldom do it ? 
and why do they strive to enlarge their door when it hap- 
pens to be reduced, if their enemies are about? These 
facts do not argue much in favour of great instinct in 
Bees regarding self-preservation. I now notice Mr. G.’s 
statement, viz.,—‘‘ Among the many apiarians, corre- 
spondents of the Gardeners’ Chronicle, some of them, if 
they persevere in their apiarian researches, will see cause 
to modify certain premature opinions ;” and he farther 
observes,—‘' There is no one whose general views so 
nearly accord with my own as those of Mr. Wighton.”’ 
By this, it is to be inferred that I am not included in the 
formerremarks 3 be that as it may, whatever opinions I have 
advanced relative to Bees are from careful observations at 
the apiary. Huber is wrong; there are not two kinds of 
working Bees—wax-workers and sculptors. I may observe, 
whatever I have said respecting Huber is solely with the 
view of noticing what I consider to be wrong, and not 
with any view of finding fault with one to whom we are 
much indebted for our Bee-knowledge. By-the-by, 
question if such would have been the case if it had not 
been for Burnens, who was Huber’s servant and friend, 
and assisted him in his unwearied researches respecting 
Bees. In short, he was everything. Huber himself says 
of him, ‘‘I must share the honour with him;’’ and an 
able writer mentions, “It is only right that this faithful 
and intelligent man should share whatever of earthly 
immortality belongs to the name of his master.” Perhaps 
some are not aware that Huber died at the age of 81, so 
late as December, 1831.—J. Wighton. 
Hot-water Apparatus—I think it is very little known 
that a Hot-water Apparatus should be filled with hard 
water, not rain-water ; the former deposits a thin coating 
of carbonate or sulphate of lime, which prevents oxida- 
tion of the iron pipes,—the latter, on the contrary, rapidly 
oxidates the iron, producing a sediment of rust of a quar- 
ter to half an inch thick.— Fora, [ But, then, some hard 
water will throw down such large quantities of sediment as 
will prevent the action of the fire altogether. ] 
Bees.—Permit me to thank Mr. Wighton for his kind 
notice of my recent inquiry respecting two stocks of 
Bees, which I purchased last autumn, und described as 
one strong, and one weak; and that I had discovered, as 
the spring advanced, the weak one had become the 
strongest, and swarmed three times, namely, on the 17th, 
24th, and 29th June; while the strong one had become 
weak and not swarmed at all. Respecting this latter 
stock, I wish now to add the following, and to ask Mr. 
Wighton’s (or any other skilled in Bee management) kind 
About a fortnight since, I perceived in the 
morning early there had been a slaughter of the 
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Night-scented Flowers. —1 have frequently observed 
that certain evening-scented flowers—specify, forinstance, 
Daphne Laureola and Habenaria bifolia, which ordinarily 
are not fragrant in the day-time, if gathered and laid aside 
tll they are flaccid from want of moisture, become so. We 
cannot suppose they acquire the quality of diurnal fragrance 
(it @ may use the word) under these circumstances. 
MY ould it not be a more probable inference that they lose 
>y this treatment their natural power and property of 
retaining it? Does the scent of the flowers in question 
arse from the dispersion of their yolatile essential oil ? 
joned this? I have described those two stocks 
3 strong and weak; now strong and weak are vague 
indefinite terms, and it occurs to me that I may have 
been deceived. That which I supposed was strong has 
nine regular well-formed combs, full to the bottom—I 
mean that the hive is filled with these combs, but not a 
drop of Honey. I am inclined to think that this hive 
fall of combs, with a numerous family of Bees, and 
perhaps a small quantity of honey, may have induced the 
belief that the stock was a good one at the time of pur- 
ce 
eo 
chase, and that the other—the weak one—might have 
had a smaller quantity of comb, but tolerably filled with 
honey, which might have led me to the conclusion that it 
was a poor stock; but having been, as I before stated, 
more liberally fed, has become vigorous, swarmed three 
times, and is vigorous still; while the other, for the 
reasons I have given, has died, or flown away, from mere 
want. Would Mr. W. advise me, supposing I should 
have another swarm, to take out every other comb, and 
house them in the deserted hive? It appears quite sweet 
and clean, and it has occurred to me that this would save 
the young and late colony the time and labour of building 
combs for themselves.—d.J.S. 
Potatoes.—In your last Number, page 413,“ R. R. R.” 
mentions the fact of his Potatoes, to the amount of one- 
third of his crop, producing tubers without foliage, but 
does not say when he planted them, nor the kinds. I 
planted, by way of trial, last November, a few rows of 
the Ash-leaf Kidney, anda few of the Walnut-leaf Kidney, 
as I suppose it to be. Of the Ash-leaf perhaps one-fourth 
failed, as mentioned above; of the Walnut-leaf not above 
one in forty. I planted the Asb-leaf again in March, and 
not one has failed: thus it might be the weather, or it 
might be the kind. Is the Ash-leaf getting to be an old 
variety and therefore subject to disease? Some future day 
I hope to send you the results of planting Potatoes in 
November ; for though no new practice, it may be new to 
many, as it was to me. I have reaped from the Gardeners? 
Chronicle much instruction and amusement ; it adds to 
the incessant interest of a garden; in summer it guides 
practice, and in winter it gives hope and matter for thought 
as to all coming crops. ‘Through it I obtained from the 
exemplary liberality of Dr. Bevan, the yellow Kidney 
Potato of Mr. Knight, which grows beautifully and has 
plenty of leaves, as I hope it may have of tubers. This 
led me to read Dr. Bevan’s “ Honey Bee,” a capital bock, 
and anything but common-place. _1 should like to know 
the fates and merits of two or three seedling Potatoes of 
Mr. Knight’s, which were growing in the Society’s gar- 
den at Chiswick about a year since.—S. H., Norwich. 
[Which seedlings ?] 
Black Nemophila.—Mr. Ayres, in his weekly instruc- 
tions for the “Amateur’s Garden,” makes mention, amongst 
other annuals for sowing at the present season, of a new 
black Nemophila, stated to have been raised from N. 
atomaria, by Mr. Pawley, of Bromley. This I beg to say 
is incorrect, as it first originated from N. insignis, in the 
garden of a Clergyman, a short distance from this place, 
about four years since. Shortly after it flowered, a draw- 
ing of this singular freak of nature was commenced by 
the lady of this clergyman, for the purpose of transmitting it 
to Mr. Harrison, conductor of the “Floricultural Cabinet,” 
but in of the indi ition of the artist, it was 
never finished. This spring, however, I forwarded a 
flower of this valuable variety to Mr. Harrison, who has 
figured it in the Cabinet for the present month. Thomas 
Cripps, Tunbridge Wells. 
Vines.—In my opinion the failure in Mr. Querill’s 
Vines may be attributed to the difference of temperature 
between. the house and border; the same circumstance 
having happened, though in a less degree, to myself. I have 
some young Vines planted in front of a Pine Stove, and 
every year since they were planted the leaves have at first 
shrivelled in a similar manner to those of Mr. Querill’s 
Vines ; but this year they haye been much worse, and as 
the border is a new one and Well drained I cannot assign 
any cause for it but the one I have mentioned ; for as soon 
as the sun becomes powerful enough to warm the border the 
plants have quite recovered. In my own case I have little 
hope of effectually overcoming the evil, but would suggest 
to Mr. Querill keeping his house lower in temperature, 
covering the border during winter, but particularly from 
the time he commences forcing, and not forcing so early. 
—aA Subscriber. ; 
Ancient Price of Agricultural Labour.—In the year 
1352, twenty-fifth of Edward I1I., wages paid to hay- 
makers were but Id. a day; a mower of meadows 3d. a 
day, or 5d. an acre; reapers of corn, in the first week in 
August 2d., in the secon +, per day—and so on until 
the end of the month,—withont meat, drink, or other 
allowance, finding their own tools. For ‘threshing a 
quarter of wheat or rye 24d.; a quarter of beans, peas, 
barley, or oats, 13d. “By the thirteenth of Richard I1., 
A.D. 1389, the wages of a bailiff of husbandry 13s. 4d, 
a year, and his clothing once during that time, at most ; 
acarter, 10s.; shepherd, 10s. 5 oxherd, 6s. 8d. 5 cow- 
herd, 6s. 8d.; swineherd, Gs. ; a woman labourer, Gs. 5 
a day-labourer, 6s.; a driver of ploughs, 7s. From this 
time up to the twenty-third of Henry 1V., the price of 
labour was fixed by the justices by proclamation. In 1444, 
twenty-third Henry IV., the wages of a bailiff of hus- 
bandry were 23s. 4d, per annum, and clothing of the 
price of 5s., with meat and drink ; chief hind-carter, or 
shepherd, 20s., and clothing, 4s.; common servant of 
husbandry, 15s., clothing, 3s. 4d. ; woman servant, 10s., 
clothing, 4s. In time of harvest, a mower 4d. a day— 
without meat and drink, Gd. ; reaper or carter, 3d. a day 
—without meat and drink, 5d.; a woman labourer, and 
other labourers, 2d. a day—without meat and drink, 44d. 
aday. By the eleventh Henry VII., 1496, there wasa like 
rate of wages, only with alittle advance,— 4 Quiet Observer. 
_ PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
Chiswick Show.—By an accidental inadvertence, it was not 
stated in our Report of last week, that Messrs. Lockhartand Co., 
of Cheapside, obtained the Knightian Medal for an excellent col- 
lection of Ranunculuses, 
ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY OF LONDON. 
June 28.—The second exhibition of this Society took place at 
their gardens in the Inner Circle, Regent’s Park. The day was 
rather unfavourable, there being a somewhat cold northerly 
