138 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
P. phegopteris, or Mountain Polypody, is a lover of the 
waterfall', and this fact forms a lcey to its successful cul¬ 
tivation. 
Polypodium vulgare, or Common Polypody.—A very com¬ 
mon plant, perhaps the most common of all ferns, growing 
on old walls, the decaying trunks of old trees, <fec. The 
beautiful variety Cambriciim, with its laciniated and crisped 
I fronds, is a highly interesting object to the cultivator. It 
j has been found wild in Wales and Ireland. 
Polyslichum lobaturn. —Not unfrequent in woods. 
P. aculcatum. 
Polyslichum lonchites (Alpine Shield Fern).—Truly an 
j alpine plant, growing at a great elevation, and, indeed, “ a 
very handsome northern fern.” Under cultivation it rarely 
i exhibits the stately beauty which characterizes it in its 
' native haunts. Strange that the child of the mountain, 
exposed to the rough bufferings of the storm, should become 
! dwarfed when conveyed to a warmer region. 
Pteris aquilina (Common Brake or Feather Fern).—A 
; large-growing plant, very common in hilly districts, and often 
! used, both in its green state and when dried, as litter for 
farm stock. “ The people in Scotland employ it as a ver¬ 
mifuge : ” so say Hooker and Arnott, 
Scolopendrium vulgare (Hart’s Tongue).—Not of very 
common occurrence, but often in great profusion on wet 
shaded banks, especially by the sea-coast. It is easily cul¬ 
tivated. 
Trichomanes radicans (Bristle Fem).—The most beautiful 
of all our native ferns, and very rare. It “ has a habit very 
different from the rest of our ferns, and belongs to a group 
which abounds in the tropics." In the few places where it 
does occur it is observed to love moist and shady situations. 
Woodsia hyperborea, and W. ilvensis. —Both very rare. 
I may on a future occasion offer some remarks on the 
genera Lycopodium and Equiselum, which I find would 
occupy too much valuable space in The Cottage Gardener 
at the present time. 
G. Lawson, F. B. S., &c., Edinburgh. 
TRANSFERRING BEES. 
Some years since on my first coming to reside in this 
place, I bought a hive of bees from a maltman, in whose 
garden it stood with others till the swarming season, and 
which I generally saw on my visits to that place (Snaitli), 
about once a week; and on one occasion I observed 
signs of their approaching swarming (the first swarm). I 
went down the next day and saw the new colony issue about 
eleven o’clock. I had with me a box for their habitation. As 
usual, I had very soon the company of the neighbours to 
witness the stirring scene. The bees knit in a thorn hedge at 
the end of a wall; I placed the box over them, expecting they 
would be glad of such accommodation, but, as too frequently 
happens, they commenced returning to their old habitation. 
On examining for the cause, I found the queen on the ground 
under a piece of old bag, and about four or five of her sub- 
j jects endeavouring to protect her. 
I took her up and placed her by the box, into which she 
! hastened, and the music changed, as did the bees in the 
| selection of an abode. 
Having t hen no place of my own proper for bees to stand, 
I left them, three miles from my residence, till August. 
Being at Peniston, nine miles from here, I was in company 
with two worthy gentlemen, one of whom an old bee-keeper, 
but now no more, the other, D-, Esq., a professional 
gentleman, when, as was usual with my late much esteemed 
acquaintance, the subject of bee management was brought 
forward in conversation. Mr. D. was regretting that he had 
had several fruitless attempts made during the season to 
stock a new Nutt’s box, that the swarms would not stay 
when put in, and was up to that time untenanted. I inquired 
on what terms I should fill it with comb, honey, and bees, 
and on which we soon agreed; the next time I had occasion 
to visit the place, I went down to Snaith, brought away my 
box, then quite full, took it to Peniston; the day turning out 
exceedingly warm, through which I was much later at the 
place than I intended,—10 o’clock. 
However, delay would only add fuel to the fire, so I went 
to work, found the box very damp and unfit for bees (the 
|_N ovember 28. j 
cause why it could not be earlierfilled), cleaned it out, placed | 
mine by the side of it, and with chisel, hammer, and saw, I 
took my box to pieces, shortened the cross bars, which were ; 
too long for the Nutt's box, took the comh, bees, and honey, 
fitted the same into the new box, placed cross bars firmly j 
in to keep all from descending to the bottom board, which j 
might have interrupted the egress and ingress of the new 
inhabitants, and if not done them serious harm, would have 
caused them much labour ; the box was then safely placed I 
right way up in its proper situation, and the work of industry I 
was speedily resumed. 
Certainly, I never knew bees more angry, and I had 
several stings, but being prepared, none were half so painful 
as the sting of the nettle; and I was most annoyed by the 
excessive heat of the day. Mr. 1). had the same colony in 
that box for three years. I am of opinion they died at last 
from neglect, in not being provided with something to keep ; 
out the damp in winter ; these boxes generally being made j 
too light in the substance. 
I will now' add, although differing with many wiio pos- j 
sibly have had more experience than myself, that I am of 
opinion feeding is exceedingly injudicious after the time they 
cease gathering their winter store, and more particularly 
with any liquid substance. I have tried mostvays of feeding, 
but, as yet, have found nothing better for late feeding tlinn 
good brown sugar. Let any one observe the size and weight 
of a working bee that has been partaking of a liquid food— 
it is sure to fly after it; its strength is nothing like what it 
was in the working season ; it is too heavy to return to the 
hive—it drops, becomes paralysed, and must die. With a 
dry substance it may, and will, take what will support its 
nature, and share with many others it may come in contact 
with ; but there is no depositing in cold w'eather, neither can 
combs be made till at a sufficiently w'arm temperature. 
I read much about uniting too; and here again it can 
answer no good purpose after the working season is over ; 
better far chance a small colony in their own abode than 
introduce them amongst strangers. I have ever, experi¬ 
mentally, found that much less honey will support them than 
your correspondents appear to think; only avoid inducing 
them to fly when the working season is over, by shading ; 
and be sure to keep them from becoming damp in the 
winter season. A light and weak swarm thus attended to 
may come out in the spring- better than one full of honey, 
which has been unceasingly disturbed during the winter 
season. You frequently, and I am sure very properly, say 
of plants, “ Let them have a nap at the right season ; ” let 
me intreat you to say the same of the poor bees, so often 
persecuted with kindness. If worth your notice, I will try to 
bestow a few moments on, what I think, the most humane 
way of keeping them, if it is intended to take what may be 
termed a reasonable advantage of their labours.—S. T. It. 
[Although we totally differ from our correspondent in his 
opinions relative to feeding and uniting bees, yet we insert 
his letter, because he states some interesting facts; and we 
shall be very glad to hear his “most humane way of keeping” 
bees.— Ed. C. G.] 
GREENHOUSE-HEATING BY STEAM. 
In February last I gave the readers of The Cottage 
Gardener a description of a method I had successfully 
adopted of heating a small greenlionse by steam; expeii- j 
enee lias enabled me to improve upon my first ideas, and, I j 
believe, perfect my process. My greenhouse consists of one 
of two rooms over the kitchen; size about 8 ft. by 12 ; aspect I 
westerly. I have three large sash windows in front, all of i 
which open. The roof is of glass, with a ventilator at the ! 
back. The joints of the floor are caulked and painted over. 
Under the stage is a shallow wooden tank, the entire length 
and width, containing water for the supply of moisture, in 
which gold and silver fish greatly enjoy themselves appa¬ 
rently. The tank also senes to catch the waste water, and 
is occasionally emptied, as the water gets foul, by attaching a 
gutta percha tube to a small stop cock, and passing it through - 
a hole in the front wall. Here I can grow any greenhouse ' 
plants that do not insist upon a very moist atmosphere, dry¬ 
ness, not damp, being in the ascendant. Now for the heating. 
This I effected last winter by means of a gas-pipe comtuu- 
