130 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOOIST. 
[ June, 
I assume, new ground to them, the hidden treasures of which lay undiscovered; 
but now they seem to prefer them to any other flowers, and the otherwise gay 
scene is enhanced by the motion and music of these winged labourers. They sip 
and sip till they become too helpless to fly, although they retain the power of 
stinging, as I have unfortunately experienced more than once while handling the 
flowers. It is indeed pitiable to behold the humble bee,—he is the greatest tippler,— 
with rounded form and rustic garb hanging by one leg to the petals of a flower, 
his portly person suspended between earth and heaven, while he vainly struggles 
to hold on.” Down at last he goes, luckless wight! for a fall of six feet cannot 
be pleasant, even to a bee when gorged with feeding. Safe on terra firma, he 
goes through a series of antics excessively ludicrous—running, tumbling, whirl¬ 
ing, sometimes recovering and taking wing, but oftener lying exhausted on the 
cold ground till the next day. 
The hive bee is less funny, but what a sad loss of time to him! for he oftener 
crawls into the “ pockets ” of the flowers, and remains there while the earth 
revolves, and till the sun again warms him into life and activity. I wonder what 
account he gives to his queen of his long absence and little gains, as he returns 
slowly and leisurely to his hive. But the worst remains to be told. Neither of 
these insects seems to derive wisdom from experience. Human reason and animal 
instinct seem alike assailable by these seductive influences, for I am pretty certain, 
judging by numbers, that the same individuals return again and again to their 
drunken orgies.— Wm. Paul, Waltham Cross, N. 
THE AET OF FOECING FEUIT AND FLOWEES.—III. 
' -^ASTLY, I propose to treat upon the forcing of native subjects, or of such 
as grow in more northern latitudes, &c., and which, by the use of an 
unusual degi’ee of heat and the other necessary accessories, are pushed 
forward at, to them, an unusual period. These, it is almost needless to 
remark, consist of such subjects as Roses, American plants. Lilacs, and other 
deciduous evergreen shrubs, bulbs, and various culinary products, e.g., Seakale, 
some of which latter require unnatural forcing to make them properly edible, 
and with which from their popularity all are more or less familiar. 
To treat these and similar subjects successfully, something more than the 
actual forcing is needful. Not only has this to be attended to at the proper 
season, but each subject has to undergo some preparation, during the previous 
growing season. A well-matured growth has to be secured as a foundation or 
base for the after-structure, i.e., the crop to be forced. 
In the case of deciduous plants, a good strong growth must be formed, and 
this must be so hardened afterwards by exposure to the ripening influence of the 
autumn sun, that it may not be wanting in perfect development. If, in fact, it 
were possible, by means of an early start, to bring the season’s growth to perfect 
maturity weeks before the accustomed period, so much the better. This more 
