March 31, 1892. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
285 
Trebbiano require from 20 to 24 inches. The plan I have found to 
answer best in setting out the position of the spurs at disbudding 
time is to go over one side of a Vine first and mark with a pencil 
or piece of chalk the rods from which the growths spring, at equal 
distances along the entire length. The shoots nearest these points 
can then be selected, and the others removed. Next commence on 
the opposite side of the Vine, and choose shoots as nearly as 
possible midway between those already dealt with on the same 
Vine. All will then be conveniently placed for covering the trellis 
evenly, without crowding in any part. The tying down of Vine 
laterals will be referred on a future occasion.—H, Dunkin. 
INSECTS OF THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
(^Continued from page 566, last vol.') 
Everybody knows the familiar bee of our hives, and its 
continental relatives, which have been established with us for 
some years past, are also generally recognised. The big, noisy, 
humble or bumble bee, is common amongst our flower beds, and 
its nest may occasionally be found on a lawn. I noticed an 
instance recently, where one was opened by accident, much to 
the anger of the bees, which are quite able to sting, though in 
popular repute they are accounted harmless. But these are only 
a small part of the bees that visit our flower gardens ; many of 
them, indeed, are supposed to be small wasps by hasty observers, 
and others of them might pass for flies. Several species are small 
and glossy, not a few are black and red, or black and yellow, others 
of them have a metallic appearance ; but, big or little, all these wild 
bees, social or solitary, are distinguished by one thing, the peculiar 
form of the hind leg. The first joint of what we call the tarsus, 
is a flattish oblong or triangular plate ; this in the wasp tribe is 
cylindrical. We see at once the use of the special structure when 
we consider the habits of bees, the joint in some bees being 
densely clothed with hairs for the conveyance of pollen, while in 
the hive and humble bees this joint is so hollowed as to form a kind 
of basket. But it is a singular fact that some bees well furnished 
with hairy legs do not collect pollen ; also there are instances of 
bees having no hairs on the legs, and, instead of them, brushes 
under the abdomen or thorax. The drone of the hive bee has a 
large tarsal joint which appears to be of no use to him, yet there 
are other bees, collectors of provisions, which are ill-provided with 
the means of carrying them. Such are the singularities of Nature ! 
One thing more we notice about the legs of bees ; most of them 
are furnished with a couple of comb-like spurs upon the front pair. 
These are frequently used by the insects in dressing the antennae, 
which they are very particular to clear from the dust and dirt that 
would interfere with their action. 
Insects of various orders are useful in the garden as agents for 
conveying pollen—not only from the stamens to the pistil of any 
flower they visit, but in bearing this to more distant flowers. No 
insects, however, do more service than the bees. Then, too, where 
the stamens and pistils are in separate flowers fertilisation would 
be difficult unless some outside agency bore the pollen from plant to 
plant. Certainly there are instances where this is wafted by the 
wind ; it may sometimes be distributed by birds ; but insects, bees 
especially, have most to do with the fertilisation of plants. No 
doubt they might sometimes be charged with making a good 
variety degenerate or fail by carrying pollen to it from another 
plant which should not cross it, but I think such cases are 
infrequent. Here, perhaps, a few words should be interposed 
about the connection between insects and flowers, without taking 
up the vexed question whether the flowers exist for the sake of the 
insects or the insects exist for the sake of the _flowers. What 
induces the races of the insect world to visit flowers ? In some 
cases they go to the flowers in order to prey upon other insects 
that are either residents upon the flowers or casual visitors ; but 
these are instances where the flowers play a secondary part. But 
insects seek the flowers themselves for their honey and their 
pollen. A few species, however, carry off petals for purposes we 
need not now describe. We cannot err in considering that certain 
peculiarities of flowers help to draw insects towards them—the 
scent, the bright and mingled colours, also, as Sir John Lubbock 
points out, the lines or spots upon the corolla ; possibly, too, the 
shape and angles. The very construction of many garden flowers 
seems to tell us that they are not meant to fertilise themselves, 
but that they must depend on other agencies, insects especially. 
A large quantity of pollen wafted upon the air by breezes is 
obviously lost—scattered hither and thither, it never reaches any 
flower. 
Returning to our immediate" subject, the bee tribe, I notice 
first the family of the Andrenida;, and the species being numerous 
I must, to save space, take them in families. These have a short, 
flat tongue, and are solitary in habit, though it may sometimes 
happen that a number of their nests may occur upon the same bank 
or wall, yhould it be so, the insects take no notice of each other, 
and as every pair constructs its own nest there are no public works, 
hence no united labour. Also there are the two perfect sexes, 
male and female, but no workers. Some species have their nests 
in sandbanks or walls, as already remarked, the burrows they make 
being lined by a curious substance, which some think is secreted 
by the bee, and others suppose to be a preparation from some part 
of plants by the jaws. When completed, the bees of this group— 
of course, the females are chiefly, if not entirely, employed—store 
the burrow or nest with honey and pollen ; eggs are then deposited, 
and the entrance sealed. Upon the young grubs awaking to life 
they find themselves in a comfortable apartment, and with plenty 
of food ready. Of course, it is not surprising that the Andrenidae 
are frequent visitors to our beds and borders, also to houses occa¬ 
sionally. They confer benefits, and carry off what is required for 
their progeny. Some of them have a different habit ; they cut 
tunnels in branches of shrubs, which are similarly stored. Care¬ 
ful as these bees are, they cannot secure their young from 
ichneumon enemies, by which some are always destroyed.— 
Entomologist. 
DOUBLE PRIMULAS. 
I WAS pleased to notice in your two recent issues the notes 
recommending the more extended cultivation of this most useful 
and beautiful class of plants. It has often struck me as very 
strange that double Primulas are so neglected, and especially 
in many large and well managed gardens where white flowers 
especially are always welcome. This applies particularly to the 
dull winter months, when, as in the past season, the demands on the 
gardener’s energies have been very heavy. One of the most useful 
flowers I find for wreaths and other purposes is the old double 
white Primula. It is not too heavy, and yet full enough to satisfy 
the most exacting cultivator. We have many other beautiful 
varieties, two of the best no doubt being Marchioness of Exeter, 
pure white, fimbriated, and of fine form, and Earl of Beaconsfield, 
similar to the preceding, but bright rosy carmine. These two 
are very effective when arranged in suitable baskets or vases with 
Maidenhair Fern. 
Our method of increasing these plants is this: In the spring, 
say about April, we clean the stems of any useless leaves down to 
the soil, then pack round them fresh sphagnum moss cut rather 
fine ; this is kept constantly moist, and the plants placed in position 
where they will not receive too much sun. It is surprising how 
well they root into this medium in the course of a few weeks 
without any other preparation whatever. This plan surpasses all 
others that I have tried. The plants are then divided with a sharp 
knife, securing a stem or more, with quite a mat of roots ; they are 
then placed in small pots in a light mixture, and kept moving 
until ready for a shift into 5j or 6-inch pots in a compost of about 
equal parts of loam and leaf mould, with a liberal addition of 
silver sand, lime rubble or charcoal, broken rather fine. We grow 
the plants all along in an intermediate temperature and Tight 
position, yet guarding against strong sunlight. We usually gather 
flowers in November, and have a supply till the spring. 
If the plants require a stimulant it is a good plan to mix some 
approved artificial manure with the same quantity of fine soil, 
allow it to remain a few days, and then apply as a top-dressing 
once or twice during the season ; this helps them considerably when 
flowering freely. One most important item in the culture of these 
plants is thorough drainage, for without this failure will be sure to 
follow. I am aware that Marchioness of Exeter in many cases is 
inclined to be striped with pink, but we have never noticed this in 
our variety.—J. J. C. 
ROCK GARDENS. 
(^Continued from page 212.') 
Of the Aquilegias, to which so many fine plants have been of 
late years added in our gardens, both species and varieties in the 
taller growing sections, there is but one which I have tried in my 
rockery, and with that one I cannot say I have been successful— 
viz., A. glandulosa, a most charming dwarf growing species. It 
requires a rich soil and a somewhat damp and cool spot, but I have 
failed to keep it beyond a couple of years. I obtained some plants 
from Forres, Gregor’s variety, but these, too, failed. I have been 
told that the best way to succeed with it is to sow the seed in a 
suitable position, and leave the plants. I have not tried this, so do 
not know whether it will answer. I may add that there are no 
plants so difficult to keep true as the Aquilegias. Repeatedly 
have I tried A. c^rulea, but have miserably failed. By some 
