100 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 29, 1880. 
The last family of the Aculeata and of the true bees is called 
Sociales, including the hive and humble bees. The humble or 
bumble bees, the dumbledores of some counties, are easily recog¬ 
nisable as a group, but the individual species are difficult to make 
out, owing to curious variations in size and colour. The hum of 
these Bombi is to most persons an agreeable sound, nor do they 
readily sting unless badly treated, but they can inflict a very 
painful wound, having a potent bag of poison. Here, by their 
habits, we are reminded of the economy of wasps, for humble 
bees consist of males, females, and workers ; the nests are also, as 
with the wasps, started by a few females that have hybernated. 
There are various wild bees that render assistance towards the fer¬ 
tilisation of flowers by carrying pollen from plant to plant, but 
the Bombi claim pre-eminence in this respect, though these bees 
are guilty, in some circumstances, of biting a hole in the corolla 
of a flower. It is the habit of some of the humble bees to hide 
their nest in the ground, but some make it in a slight hollow of 
the earth, and cover it with moss or leaves. The grubs are tended 
and fed by the workers, and a nest contains two hundred or even 
three hundred cells, but no stock of honey. We may note that it 
is certain many of the larvae or grubs of bees that are placed 
under ground are devoured by earwigs and beetles.—C. 
A WEEK OUT.—No. 3. 
BOYAIi BOTANIC SOCIETY’S GAKDENS. 
On June the 10th I visited the above Gardens, and the following 
plants chiefly attracted my attention. In the glass structures I 
noticed Hydrangea hortensis in 6 or 7-inch pots, the plants not 
being more than a foot high and bearing heads fully a foot in 
diameter : and Petunias with large double flowers, showing their 
great decorative value. Araucaria Cunninghamii was of stately 
proportions, its Yew-like foliage contrasting admirably with a 
magnificent specimen of Seaforthia elegans. There were a very 
fine Chamaerops humilis with noble stem and fine head of fronds ; 
Phoenix dactylifera with the stem covered with Ficus repens. 
Araucaria Cookii was of pendant spreading habit, and Corypha 
australis also fine. In warmer quarters were Cereus grandiflorus 
with several flower buds that would expand at night, and the 
good old Medinilla magnifica in flower, and that fine Palm Ceroxy- 
lon andicola. 
The house devoted to aquatic plants contained fine examples 
of Nelumbium speciosum, Nympbasas, and Limnocharis. Hum- 
boldti; and on benches were the pretty table plant Reedm glau- 
cescens and Acalypha musaica, which is useful for a similar 
purpose, requiring stove treatment. Rhododendrons were exhi¬ 
bited in a large tent by Mr. Anthony Waterer and made a very 
interesting display, the best old and new varieties being repre¬ 
sented. This has not been a good season for bloom, but the 
following were very fine—Snowflake, white ; Nero, purple, finely 
spotted ; Michael Waterer, crimson-spotted, very fine ; Concessum, 
pink, light centre, very beautiful; Lady Armstrong, pale rose, 
much spotted, very pretty ; James Nasmyth, lilac, blotched maroon, 
splendid truss ; Helen Waterer, white centre, edged crimson ; 
Delicatum, blush merging into white, spotted brown ; Oaractacus, 
deep crimson, extra ; Atro-sanguineum, blood red ; Scipio, rose, 
dark spot; Nigrescens, very dark, almost black ; Mrs. John Clutton, 
the finest of all white hardy Rhododendrons ; Alexander Dancer, 
bright rose, pale centre, very fine ; the always reliable Everesti- 
anum, lilac, spotted and fringed ; Hogarth, rosy scarlet; Cruentum, 
lake ; Kettledrum, purplish crimson ; H. W. Sargent, crimson ; 
Mrs. Shuttleworth, scarlet, lighter centre, much spotted ; Mr. W. 
Bovill, rosy scarlet, very attractive ; Vivian Grey, rose, beautifully 
spotted ; Lady Claremont, rosy scarlet, very much spotted ; John 
Waterer, crimson, with many others, including Fastuosum flore- 
pleno, with its immense trusses of bloom, and certainly should be 
grown by everyone. Too much praise cannot be bestowed upon 
Rhododendrons ; their evergreen foliage cheers the year round, 
and in their season of bloom are the most showy of shrubs, besides 
growing as freely in the atmosphere of towns as in the country, 
and are not fastidious as to soil and situation, only they do not 
like lime and bleak exposures. 
SYDENHAM. 
The following day I visited the General Horticultural Company 
(John Wills), Melbourne Nursery, and was particularly struck 
with the number of plants, especially of Dracaenas, the whole of 
the houses being crammed with plants of all sizes for furnishing. 
The roof of a large house was covered with a plant of Stephanotis 
floribunda, with a wealth of trusses of bloom for cutting, and 
abundance to follow ; the trusses afforded by this plant in a season 
must be enormous, equally good results being obtained from Jas- 
minum grandiflorum. Successful as have been Mr. Bause’s efforts 
as a hybridist with Dracaenas, still greater results are likely to be 
accomplished with Anthuriums, the spathes being remarkably 
large, flat, and bright in colour. Nepenthes are also well done. 
The crowning feat of all is the effecting of a cross in Ferns ; that 
fine Adiantum Bausei, being a cross between A. trapeziforme and 
A. decorum, partaking more of the character of the latter parent, 
is of great decorative value and possesses a good constitution. 
A houseful of Gloxinias in bloom was very attractive. The named 
sorts were eclipsed by the seedlings for size of flower (some being 
4 inches across), brightness, purity of colour, and distinctness 
of marking, which to my taste are much more handsome than 
the freckled flowers of continental origin, which lack size and are 
as compared with the others sparse in foliage. I may like the 
fancy flowers, but it will not be until they are larger, have more 
substance, and better foliage. Mr. Bause is not only to be com¬ 
plimented on his success as a hybridist, but as an expert propa¬ 
gator and skilful cultivator, in combination with a courteous unas¬ 
suming demeanour, and as free in seeking as in imparting 
information. 
The Crystal Palace. — I shall offer but few observations 
upon this well-known place of entertainment, only it may be 
remarked that time may be employed usefully and instructively 
in a visit. Grand Tree Ferns, noble Palms, and Acacias in stately 
tree forms ; as seen here they bear little resemblance to cramped 
pot plants. Here may be seen in all its glory that fine pillar 
and roof-covering plant, Ruscus androgynus. Outside there was 
evidence of beds recently turved over, showing the decline of 
the bedding system ; and this is clearly a move in the right 
direction, as one-half the gardens throughout the country have 
the lawn spoiled by cutting it up into meaningless beds. More 
lawn, always pleasing, meaning less beds for summer plants and 
more space for the display of evergreen trees and flowering shrubs, 
associating withthee’Zifeof flowering plants in natural arrangement 
rather than in stiff geometrical designs. The lakes greatly needed 
water, and the cascades were being removed, which when effected 
and turved over will be a great improvement. The shrubs in the 
groups are planted, not to present a plane surface rising up like 
a bank, but are so disposed as to have a fine tufted appearance, 
assuming for the most part their natural forms.— G. Abbey. 
CUTTING DOWN AND TRAINING PELARGONIUMS. 
This being the season for cutting down the plants and prepar¬ 
ing for fine specimens, we answer inquiries from “ J. D., Leeds," 
and F. Wilson, and no doubt anticipate some others, by publishing 
the following notes by a highly successful cultivator. 
The annexed engravings show plants from the first start in Oc¬ 
tober in small pots up to a fully formed plant. Fig. 21 is a young 
Fig. 21. Fig. 22. 
plant, the head of which has been taken off to form a cutting, and 
the buds of which are breaking into young shoots. Three shoots are 
produced, and those after growing to the length of 4 or flinches are 
stopped by pinching out the points, produce their lateral shoots 
and flower in the autumn ; and after being thoroughly ripened by 
exposure to the full sun, are cut down as represented in fig. 22, 
This is what in nursery parlance is termed a young stool or 
bottom, and is the sort of plant which an amateur should select to 
grow into a nice specimen. In fig. 23 we have the same plant 
grown another season and cut down ; and here it will be seen it 
has added materially to its size, and has become a really fine 
groundwork for a specimen plant. But to form these bottoms is 
not quite so easy as to write about them. Young Pelargonium 
shoots are brittle, and hence considerable care and patience are 
necessary to get the shoots into the requisite form. We first 
begin with long hooked pegs, and peg the shoots into their places 
a little at a time, say depressing each shoot a little every three or 
four days, until it gets into proper shape ; always, if possible, 
taking advantage of the sunny part of the day and allowing the 
plants to be rather dry at the time. In the afternoon of a sunny 
day, and before watering the plants, you may take much greater 
liberties with the young shoots of a Pelargonium than would be 
