JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
242 
[ March 24, 1881. 
down. Any of the older fronds that are showing signs of decay may be re¬ 
moved carefully, and so afford room for the young fronds to grow. By this 
plan you will obtain large plants in a less time than if you cut off all the old 
fronds annually ; but if you prefer small and very fresh plants for any parti¬ 
cular decorative purpose you may remove the old fronds as you propose. It is 
well, however, to remember that the young fronds of Ferns do not last half so 
long when cut and used in bouquets, &c„ as the older and darker-coloured 
fronds do. Useful works on Ferns are “ British Ferns,” published at this office, 
price 3.?. 9 d., post free, and “Select Ferns and Lycopods,” published at the 
Victoria and Paradise Nurseries, Holloway, London, price 5s. 6 d., post free. 
Vines Unhealthy ( Lonsilale ).—The Vine appears to have been cut down 
several times, and the sap vessels near the root are much contracted. The 
roots have made no growth : possibly they were either much dried during the 
summer or frozen during the winter. The top growth made is from the stored- 
up sap in the cane, and, the supply ceasing, withering of the foliage necessarily 
followed. The Vine made an attempt to live by producing roots from the stem, 
and if good soil had been placed round these and water given as needed it would 
eventually have recovered, but it is doubtful if it would have made a vigorous 
and fruitful Vine. We should not like to plant such a checked and starved 
example, and it would be far more satisfactory and in the end economical to 
purchase fresh young healthy canes for planting. 
List of Roses (A Subscriber).— A moment’s thought will satisfy you that 
the hardiness of Boses depends greatly on the position and on the district in 
which they are grown, and until you name the district for which plants are 
required your letter cannot be satisfactorily answered. 
Names of Fruit (IF. II. />.).—Barcelona Pearmain. (II. II.). —1, Dume- 
low’s Seedling ; 2, Court Pendu Plat; 3, Bergnmotte Esperen. 
Names of Plants (.4 Young Gardener). —Andromeda floribunda. 
Bees Coming out on Snow ( J. S., Cairnie ).—Had you removed the 
snow from the hive door at dusk and then shaded carefully we hardly think you 
would have experienced the loss of which you complain. The jar of a footfall 
near a hive at such times will often start a flight which it is difficult to restrain. 
The safest course, but perhaps an impossible one, would have been to have 
placed the hives before the snow had thawed from the mouth in a totally dark 
cellar until it had been safe for the bees to fly, and to have restored them to 
their proper stands late in the evening. The cause is clearly the long confine¬ 
ment to which the bees have been subjected, making them intensely anxious to 
be abroad. While they are in this condition'stopping the doorway but increases 
the evil, as a risk is then run of losing the whole hive by suffocation, and at best 
very many die of mere exhaustion through continually worrying and battering 
themselves against the closure. If you can secure absolute darkness and yet 
give sufficient ventilation you will extremely reduce if not altogether prevent 
the loss of which you complain. 
Feeding Bees by Day and Night—Feeding through the Quilt 
—Giving Foundation—Flour Cake (Goo.iequill). —We have submitted 
your queries to Mr. Cheshire, who replies thus :—Commencing to feed a stock in 
early spring sets up considerable excitement, and if this be done during day¬ 
light the bees, not at the bottle, knowing that their companions have found 
booty, rush from the hive to scour the country in search of it. They thus ex¬ 
haust themselves, and in addition often expose themselves to destructive cold 
and rain, and at the best get nothing. Stocks may thus through injudicious 
feeding be weakened more than helped. Either put on the bottle at night and 
feed continuously and very slowly (for in this way the excitement has nearly 
subsided by the morning), or give only so much each night as will be taken 
before full daylight. There has been an arrangement exhibited for feeding 
through the quilt and chaff box also if desired. It consisted of a small tin can 
with a central hole in the bottom into which a short brass pipe was soldered. This 
was provided with a closely-fitting cotton wick. This is placed in position 
filled with syrup, which passes through, according to the theory, only so quickly 
that the bees can continually keep the wick from dripping. The wick would 
require to be carefully fitted. I am now feeding through the chaff box by a 
plan which will in due time be exhibited. By no means give foundation, yet 
shave the capping from one of your overfilled outside combs and place this in 
the centre of the brood nest if you feel sure the bees are able to bear it. Depend 
upon it the race will be to those who “make haste slowly.” Flour cake is 
most serviceable, but if you use it and use it you should be sure to expose 
water in some convenient vessel amongst your hives, and never by any means 
allow this vessel to be dry. You may if you please feed syrup at the same time 
that you give flour cake, but syrup feeding in your case seems unnecessary. 
COYENT GARDEN MARKET.—MARCH 23. 
Our market continues low, both supply and demand being inactive, and the 
condition of business remains practically the same as last week. 
FRUIT. 
a. 
d. 
a. 
d. 
a. 
d. 
a. 
d. 
Apples. 
i sieve 
2 
(Ho 4 
6 
Melons . 
each 
0 
OtoO 
0 
Apricots. 
box 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Nectarines.. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
& tL. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Oranges .... 
IP 100 
4 
0 
8 
0 
Chestnuts. 
bushel 12 
0 
16 
0 
Peaches .... 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Figs. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Pears,kitchen .. 
dozen 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Filberts. ... 
iftb. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
dessert .... 
dozen 
4 
0 
8 
0 
Cobs.... 
V tfe 
2 
0 
0 
0 
Pine Apples 
.... 
v ib 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Gooseberries .... 
J sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Strawberries 
per oz. 
2 
6 
0 
0 
Grapes . 
IP tb 
3 
0 
12 
0 
Walnuts ... 
bushel 
0 
0 
0 
0 
V case 
12 
0 
1ft 
0 
ditto . 
& 100 
0 
0 
0 
0 
VEGETABLES. 
a. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
a. 
d. 
a. 
d 
Artichokes. 
dozen 
2 
0 to 4 
0 
Mushrooms 
punnet 
t 
A 
0 to 1 
e 
Asparagus. 
bundle 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Mustard & Cress .. 
punnet 
0 
2 
0 
8 
Beans,Kidney.... 
V 100 
1 
0 
1 
6 
Onions. 
bushel 
3 
6 
5 
0 
Beet, Red. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
pickling .. 
quart 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Broccoli. 
bundle 
0 
9 
1 
6 
Parsley. 
doz.bunches 
6 
0 
0 
0 
Brussels Sprouts.. 
J sieve 
0 
9 
1 
8 
Parsnips .... 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Cabbage . 
dozen 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Peas . 
quart 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Carrots. 
bunch 
0 
4 
0 
6 
Potatoes .... 
bushel 
8 
9 
4 
0 
Capsicums. 
W 100 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Kidney.... 
bushel 
4 
0 
4 
« 
Cauliflowers. 
dozen 
0 
0 
3 
6 
Radishes.... 
doz .bunches 
i 
6 
2 
0 
Celery. 
bundle 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Rhubarb .... 
bundle 
0 
4 
0 
6 
Coleworts_doz. bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Salsafy. 
bundle 
i 
0 
0 
© 
Cucumbers. 
each 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Scorzonera 
bundle 
i 
# 
0 
0 
Endive. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Seakale . 
basket 
8 
0 
3 
8 
Fennel. 
bunch 
0 
s 
0 
0 
Shallots .... 
4P tb. 
0 
3 
0 
6 
Garlic . 
ip lb. 
0 
# 
0 
0 
Spinach _ 
bushel 
3 
0 
• 
© 
Herbs . 
bunch 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Turnips. 
bunch 
0 
4 
0 
© 
Leeks. 
bunch o 
8 
0 
4 
Vegetable Marrows 
each 
0 
• 
« 
0 
POULTRY AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 
THE UTILISATION OF WASTE LAND. 
Waste land, as it is termed, is land of an uncultivated and 
more or less barren surface, and we propose to state certain 
modes and means by which such land, now comparatively worth¬ 
less, may be_turned to better account. In doing this we shall 
have not only to consider its present condition, but also its 
capabilities through the nature of the soil, the climate, and situa¬ 
tion. That there are in the kingdom enormous tracts of waste 
land is admitted by all; and the most difficult point is, not how 
to improve it, but to make it pay for improvement as an invest¬ 
ment or farming transaction. Under the head of utilisation we 
ought as much as possible to look at the matter as not only a 
mere change of surface, such as from grass to arable land, or 
vice versa, but also as to its being made profitable on purely 
commercial principles. It is true that immense tracts of barren 
and waste land have been reclaimed and made available in 
various ways, especially for corn produce and provision for stock, 
and also large portions laid into grass of different degrees of 
fertility and value. 
The home farmer must remember that in undertaking the 
reclamation of wild, mountainous, and barren soils, although they 
may vary in the value, several points ought to be considered in 
reclaiming waste and Heath lands, as well as land long since cul¬ 
tivated, but that from untoward circumstances may have become 
waste and worthless. 1st, The present value of the land to the 
owner or occupier ; 2nd, The probable cost of reclaiming it; and 
3rd, Whether after it is reclaimed the improved value may reason¬ 
ably be expected to be remunerative. These should be carefully 
weighed by the home farmer. In taking a review of waste lands 
converted into tillage or pasture we can find but little encourage¬ 
ment in what’ has been done, agriculturally speaking, during the 
past thirty or forty years, simply because the value of agricul¬ 
tural produce, as far as corn is concerned at any rate, has been 
much reduced. The future prospect, in view of foreign compe¬ 
tition, also does not give us much confidence; for although we 
must admit the great and increasing value of labour-saving 
machinery, yet the value of manual labour is not only more 
costly than at any former period, but also less efficient. We must 
therefore at present set aside any plan of reclaiming land upon 
previous systems, unless they can be shown to have a reference 
to special production of particular crops, yielding much larger 
returns than ordinary agricultural produce in cereals. We thus 
very much narrow our position, when it is understood we have 
now only to expect a return for investment in order to obtain 
specialities in produce, such as market garden produce, wood¬ 
lands, or useful pastures. The only exception to these to be con¬ 
sidered is additions to certain lands, thus improving them, and 
also beautifying portions of certain estates. 
The course pursued in utilising much of the Chat Moss district, 
through which the Manchester and Liverpool railway was made 
to pass many years ago, is an illustration of the value which peat 
bogs may be made to yield. Large tracts were there turned to 
account by drainage, claying, marling, and liming, the land being 
utilised as market gardens. In other parts the peat was sold at 
the rate of £30 or £10 per acre, and the land after being thus 
cleared of the superfluous bog earth realised by sale a similar price 
for agricultural purposes. There are plenty of cases where waste 
