CiUKRlES, ANSWERS, REMARKS, ETC. 
571 
PART III. 
MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 
I.—QUERIES, ANSWERS, REMARKS, ETC. 
Treatment of the Verbena, &c. —Pray, in what manner can I best pre¬ 
serve in health the Verbena melindris, or cham£Edryfblia, the Maurandia Bar- 
clayana, and the Cobaea scandens in winter ? Should all these plants be kept 
in the greenhouse, pit, or frame during the winter months ? Will a mat covei*- 
ing out of doors answer for either of them? Should all be kept in a very dry 
state during that period, or moderately moist ? Should the Cobaea scandens, 
and the Maurandia Barclayana be cut down in the autumn or not? Will you 
also, at the time of answering these queries, inform me where I can procure a 
large plant of the Rhododendeon arboreum and the nature of its treatment.— 
G. L. 
Mealy Bug. —I should feel obliged if you or any of your readers would re¬ 
commend me some effectual remedy for the mealy bug, and which at the same 
time will not injure the plants. G. A. L. 
See directions given in page 516.— Conductors. 
Grafting and Budding. —Will some of your correspondents inform me, how 
the different methods of grafting and budding are to be perfonned on fruit trees, 
which might be shown by different cuts; whether double flowers can be raised 
by seed, particularly the double primrose? Your Work also would be, I think, 
much improved by inserting introductions to the artificial and natural systems 
of botany, each class and order might be illustrated with cuts. Q. P. R. 
House Beetles. —Pi'ay, how can I get rid of house beetles? Traps set in 
every cupboard do not reduce their numbers, and they are too numerous to 
poison without the risk of the effluvia creating a worse evil than themselves. M. 
The Robin. —Pray does the Hen Robin sing? As I never noticed a silent 
Robin, and have often observed them for a long time together, and always 
found, at the spring of the 3 ’'ear, that every one I could see, sung. (Both cock 
and hen appear to make known all their feelings, whether of anger or love, in 
the semblance of song.) What is the best mode, and the expense of construct¬ 
ing a frame for cucumbers which, without using stable dung, would enable me 
to have them on the table all the winter through ? And who would you recom¬ 
mend to erect it? Q. V, 
2^ An answer, including all necessary information, will appear shortly. 
Will Mr. Howden quote some passage from the writings of Mr. Withers, in 
which it is stated “that the frothy firs grown on the rich lands of Essex, &c. are as 
good a.s the Highland or Norv^ay Pines,”* or any thing to that effect? As far 
as my recollection goes, Mr. Withers says nothing about the quality of the fir 
tribe, but wholly rejects them, particularly the Scotch, as unworthy of the 
* V ide !Mr. Howden’s Letter, Reg. page 426. 
