THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
105 
November 14.] 
its contents, mid the exiled swarms destined to form new 
stocks for the ensuing year, hived into the remaining store. 
Mr. Payne’s, or any other kind of hives, if storifled with a 
view to this plan, might have the large hive placod on the 
top, instead of the small ones, and then ho deprived and 
tenanted in the same way. Supposing 10 lb of honey to bo 
left them, they might ho fed a little, either in autumn or 
spring, without any very groat trouble. 15 Hi would be 
sufficient without feeding at all.—A Most Edified Header. 
STORING FRUIT. 
Orchards now present a very different appearance to 
what they did a few months ago; then they were loaded 
with blossom or fruit, looking so full of life and beauty that 
you could scarcely imagine a few short months would have 
wrought the change that has now taken place. Even so is 
it in the bodily life of man ; a few years pass, and those who 
once, perhaps, prided themselves on youth and beauty, be¬ 
come old and decrepid — unfit for any duty except that of 
glorifying the name of tlioir heavenly Father, by bearing 
testimony to his “ mercy and longsufi'cring,” or by sub¬ 
mitting with resignation to the chastisements of His All- 
I wise hand. Not so, however, is our spiritual life ! Old 
I habits—old feelings, as “we grow in grace,” are thrown 
| aside; and new, and young, and fresh one's arise in their 
place. However aged we may he, however pure we may np- 
i pear in the sight of man, still a “ new heart ” must he placed 
within us before we can arrive at that heavenly habitation, 
where all tears are wiped from our eyes, and where the 
1 weary are at rest. Surely wo must all long for such a 
I resting place ! for how few, how very few, can call this their 
“happy home.” Let us then pray earnestly for this new 
! heart—“ the heart of flesh,” as it is called in the Bible; and 
let us all examine ourselves, whatever our age, whatever our 
station may be, to see that we have put off “ the old man, 
which is corrupt; and that wo have put on the new man, 
which (after God) is created in righteousness and true 
holiness.” The withered and dead-looking apple-trees have 
led me far beyond my subject; and now I must bring my 
thoughts back to tho point at which I had intended to start, 
| namely, the best means of keeping apples, wulnuts, <fcc., Ac., 
during the winter. 
The Americans, wlio certainly manage to keep their 
apples bard and sound a long time, proceed in this man¬ 
ner : — They place new coarse linen on the floor of the apple 
' room, and after the apples are quite dry put them separately 
j on it; they then place another piece of linen (the same size 
as the under one) over the apples, and that, thoy say, com- 
I pletely excludes tho frost. The plan I have seen answer 
i the best is this :--Buy some very cheap brown pitchers, fill 
I these quite full with apples, cut a piece of slate or tile the 
[ size of the mouth of the pitcher, place this well down, but 
be careful not to touch the fruit, and then tie them down 
j with double newspaper; by this means all air is excluded, 
and as you only open one pitcher at a time the apples are 
not sufficiently long exposed to the atmosphere to be injured 
before using. I know by experience that this plan is a 
good one, the only annoyance is procuring the pitchers; 
they, however, can be bought very cheaply if a pottery 
happens to be near. 
The old-fashioned way of placing apples on straw is very 
bad, for unless the apple is a very hard sort, it imbibes the 
taste of the straw, and is completely spoiled for the dessert 
j table. If I were to plant a garden with apple-trees, tho only 
j sorts 1 should allow in it would be ribston pippins, Kerry 
' pippins, and margills, and perhaps a quaranden for early 
I eating. There is an idea that tho three former are only 
I suited for the table; this, I maintain, is a delusion which 
will at once be dissipated if a tart is made (and eaten) of 
either the margill or ribston pippin. If apples are placed 
on shelves, great care must bn taken that they do not touch 
| each other ; and on wet days, tho gardener, or some one who 
lias the care of the apple-room, should wipe them over, and 
| remove any which may have become at all docayed. Pears 
are very difficult to keep; in fuct, it is not possible to keep 
them good after they are ripe. If, therefore, you have more 
than can be consumed in the house, thoy should be sold, or 
given away, before thoy become “ready.” Walnuts must be 
kept in a cold and rather damp place. The shells must be 
taken off, and tho walnuts put into a jar or box then pour 
sawdust over them sufficient to fill up all the crevices, and 
then keep them in tho cellar. Filberts may also be kept in 
the same way, but the outside covering should not be re¬ 
moved from them. Some people after filling a jar or box 
with nuts, bury it in the earth, in order to p#svent their 
becoming dry; this may be a good plan, but as I have not [ 
tried it I cannot recommend it. When walnuts are required 
for dessert they should be brushed, arid then wiped with a 
dry cloth; for, if this is not dono, the moisture that is on 
them stains the fingers. Grapes may bo kept a long time 
by lying them to a line stretched across a dry room, but first 
be very careful to remove any that may appear mouldy. 
Pears, also, that are picked before they aro ripe, may be 
bung up by their stalks in the same way. Attention to 
trifles is the great art in keeping fruit for a longtime; in 
fact, “trifles light as air” constitute the happiness and 
misery of our lives,— A Friend. 
TREE MIGNONETTE IN A WEEK. 
A lady of my acquaintance, celebrated for having at all 
times a quantity of mignonette in pots growing as trees and 
otherwise, at my request, very kindly imparted to me the 
method which she adopts for having it the whole year in 
the most extraordinary luxuriance. I have followed her 
directions, and with the like success. As many of your fail- 
readers may wish to possess themselves of some good spe¬ 
cimens of tins general favourite without any trouble, I will 
give the plan I was directed to pursue:—“At the end of 
October, or beginning of November (before the frost comes), 
select some of the most vigorous and luxuriant plants from 
the borders, put each plant into a live-inch pot, place for a 
few days in a close room, giving a good supply of water, 
and then place them in a window or greenhouse; those 
that are twelve inches high trim up as trees; if carefully 
managed, the leaves will not even flag, or shew any signs of 
having been removed." 1 have several plants (trees) twelve 
inches high, which were removed from the borders last 
week, looking as luxuriantly as possible, and scenting the 
room where they are standing most delightfully, and show¬ 
ing no signs whatever of having been removed. Remember 
to select the most luxuriant plants, and those fullest 
bloom, but not so far advanced as having begun to ripen 
their seed.—J. II. P. 
RICE BLANCMANGE. 
This forms an excellent accompaniment to preserves of 
any kind, or to baked apples. It is made as follows:—Put 
one teacupful of whole rice into half a pint of cold water; 
when the rice cracks or begins to look white, add ono 
pint of milk and a quarter of a pound of loaf-sugar. Boil it 
until the rice has absorbed the whole of the milk, stirring it 
frequently the whole time. Put it into a mould, and it will 
turn out when quite cold. Tf preferred hot it may be again 
made warm by being placed in the oven for a short time. 
It may be flavoured with lemon, cinnamon, &c., but is most 
wholesome without, and forms both an elegant and very 
economical dish at any timo. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
*** We request that no ono will write to the departmental writers of 
The Cottage Gardener. It gives them unjustifiable trouble and 
expense. All communications should he addressed “ To the Editor of 
Thu Cottage Gardener, 2, Amen Corner, Paternoster How, London.” 
Errors, — In some copies of No. 109 arc the following errors :—Page 
6 1 , Citsii, instead of Celsii ; 60 , Meterosideros, instead of Mclrosidcros ; 
Tucsonia for Tecoma ; and 7®, Bexenlinut for Byxantinns. 
Analyses ov Vegetable Productions ( M . 1 )— Dinan). — Dr. 
Thomson’s Chemistry of Organic Bodies — Vegetables, and the first num- j 
her of the volume of tho Gardeners' Chronicle for 1818, will give you j 
many analyses. 
Chapped Hands, —“As the season is now arrived when many per¬ 
sons complain of rough and cracked hands, I must send you a recipe 
which I prepare from my own honey, and find infallible. The paste 
should he rubbed on the backs of the hands after they have been washed 
clean, but arc still wet, and then let them he dried thoroughly with a 
hard towel. 1 pint of oil of sweet almonds, 21b. of honey, beat them 
well together; 21b. of almond powder, the yolks of 3 eggs; mix the j 
whole well, and beat it for some time, then strain it through a cream I 
strainer or thin cloth ; a small quantity of perfume and Eau de Cologne 
may be added. Mine has kept from last autumn quite as good as when j 
newly made.”— Guildeord. 
