Protecting Crops in Frames. 417 



Honey and wax, taken where the bees are suffocated with 

 fire and brimstone, are of a quality much inferior to those 

 obtained by the other mode. This practice, which may be 

 truly called diabolical, and must have been taken from the 

 idea of the infejnal regions, need never be resorted to by 

 those who will adopt Dyer's bee-boxes, or the Pasieka, and, I 

 trust, the progressive refinement of the age will soon lead to 

 so desirable a result. I am, Sir, yours, &c. 



C. Hale Jessop. 



We have sent the boxes to Wear's manufactory, No. 369. 

 Oxford Street, where they will in future be manufactured for 

 sale. The Pasieka, or log hive of Poland, is also manufac- 

 tured there. We should be glad to know if any of our cor- 

 respondents have tried the log hive [Encyc. of Gard., § 1738.), 

 and how they like it. Dyer's hive may be compared with 

 Dr. Howison's. {Encyc. of Gard., § 1744.) — Cond. 



Art. X. An Account of a new and effectual Method of pro- 

 tecting early forced Crops, in Frames, during the Winter and 

 Spring Months. By Mr. E. M. Mather, formerly Gar- 

 dener at Old Baseford, Nottingham. 



Sir, 



Being at present out of place, and having unfortunately 

 plenty of spare time, I beg leave to submit to your notice a 

 new method of covering hot-bed frames, which I have prac- 

 tised with much success. I need not say that we have often 

 difficulty in defending our first crops of cucumbers, &c, in 

 severe frosty weather, and, notwithstanding our utmost care 

 with mats, hay, &c, are often disappointed in our hope, on 

 perceiving that our plants have received a check, when we 

 trusted they were safely covered up. Reflecting on this cir- 

 cumstance, it occurred to me that we erred in laying the 

 covering too closely to the glass ; this allowing the heat to 

 pass too easily through all the covering so compactly laid on. 

 As a remedy, it struck me, that if the covering, whatever it 

 might be, were supported above, and at some distance from 

 the glass, it would be more effectual for my purpose ; because 

 an intermediate volume of air, acting as a non-conductor of 

 heat, would be interposed as a barrier against either the descent 

 of cold air, or the escape of heat from the interior of the bed. 



For this purpose, I had ledges nailed to the ends of my 

 frames, Sin. higher than the surface of the lights : these ledges 

 projected several inches beyond the frame, both at back and 



Vol. III. — No. 12. ee 



