42 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 15. 
of one I have had in use six years, and if thought worthy, 
you of course are at liberty to make it known through your 
indispensable Cottage Gardener. I shall be thankful for 
any improvements, that can be suggested. The house is 
made of wood, for two tier of hives, six in each .tier, seven 
feet long, three feet wide, six feet high, but eight feet would 
be better for storying; the roof slopes to the back, and is 
bung by hinges to three posts, which are charred and 
inserted into the ground one foot; in front the roof is 
fastened with hooks and eyes to three posts, to which are 
screwed the boards forming the front. Three other cor¬ 
responding posts placed fourteen inches within the front 
posts, to which they are united by bars, to form bearers for 
the floor-boards ; at the back of these three posts are hung 
the doors to inclose the hives behind. The ends are inclosed 
by doors. The hives stand two inches from the front boards, 
through which the bees work, and a covered passage to the 
hives keeps them to their own homes. 
The covered space between the middle posts and the back 
posts keeps off the rain, in case of feeding, &c., in wet 
weather. I have not found any inconvenience from the 
hives being placed so near to each other. The whole re¬ 
quires to be kept well painted, and the bottoms of the posts 
charred. 
I have had in use this last summer, a simple contrivance 
for supplying water to my pets (bees), i. e., a large milk-pan. 
Last spring I put about two or three inches of loam over 
the bottom, and planted water-cresses, filling with water, 
which may be kept supplied, by those who have nothing 
better, by a butter firkin being filled daily, and placed to 
drip into the pan. I have not had one bee drowned, the 
cresses seemed to attract them more than plain water near. 
All the summer I was obliged to gather cresses almost daily, 
which is a convenience any one may possess. I should be 
obliged by advice how to manage during the winter. 
I shall be obliged if Mr. Payne will explain whether the 
box, nine inches square, described in his Guide, is for a cap 
or stock-box. My own boxes are eleven inches square, by 
eight inches high, with bars. I have thoughts of making 
some nine inches square, by eight inches high, but I should 
be glad of Mr. Payne’s opinion.—Y. Z. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Bee-houses.— H. W. Newman, Esq., says:—“In reply to ‘The 
Country Curate,’ his bee-houses are too large to suit my ideas. I think 
no bee-house ought to contain more than four hives to do well, and, in 
my opinion, only one row. Too many stocks, and double rows, make 
great confusion, and generally are very difficult to manage. The best 
cjuality of a bee-house is preventing the fresh combs melting in very hot 
weather. Bee-houses must be closely watched, and kept free from spider’s 
webs, which are the means of destroying the bees in detail.” 
Hair-like Worms ( Thei’esa ).—They are specimens of the Gordius 
uquuticus , of which a drawing and description were given in our 93rd 
number. They are not injurious to the gardener. 
Mistletoe Plants.— C. J. P. will feel obliged by J. K. T. (vol. vii,, 
page 36l) putting her on his list of friends, and favouring her with a 
plant of mistletoe. We have C. J. P.’s address, if J. K. T. will send his. 
Shell-less Eggs (W. F.). —As your fowls “constantly lay eggs 
without shells, after which many die and others appear weakly,” it is 
very evident that such a result is caused by the hens having an over¬ 
excited condition of either the ovarium or the egg-passage. Do not feed 
them “ constantly on barley and oats,” but give them every second meal 
of boiled potatoes mixed with pollard. 
Suggestions. — Perdu , of Dublin, and A Constant Reader , of Shef¬ 
field, are thanked for their suggestions. They are of subjects not lost 
sight of. 
Smoke-stained Marble (M. M. F.).— Wash it with a mixture of 
one part muriatic acid, and four parts water. Immediately the stain is 
removed wash the place with warm water, and then with soap and water. 
Cats (A Constant Reader ). —These are, indeed, great nuisances to 
flower-beds near large towns. The best remedy is to trap, drown, and bury 
them, without saying anything to any one. 
Benefit of Hard Potting. —A Subscriber from the Commencement 
enquires if to such as New Holland plants hammering down the soil with 
a mallet is useful. The subject was recently adverted to by Mr. Fish, 
and the circumstances in which it was advantageous, and the reverse, 
alluded to—the chief of which were, that the hard potting was best for 
producing bloom, the looser potting the best for growth ; but the subject 
deserves more attention, and it will be alluded to ere long. 
Clotii-of-Gold Rose ( Windflower ).—We are surprised at the foliage 
falling, and the midrib remaining, and you have no flowers, though 
Devoniensis blooms freely. They are, however, different in their mode of 
growth—the Cloth-of-Gold growing very strongly, and producing its best 
Bowers on strong young shoots. It requires, therefore, more room, 
water, and soil than Devoniensis ; and though it may do in a greenhouse 
of the temperature of 50°, as you mention, with plenty of air, and no 
lack of water, it would be more at home planted out against a pillar, 
against the back wall, or even against a wall out of doors, with a laurel 
or spruce branch against it in winter, and a layer of moss over its roots. 
Bedding Plants (S. S .).—No. I. Lophospermum will not do; the 
single yellow Nasturtium will. No. 2. Never plant Petunias and Gera¬ 
niums together, nor Petunias and Fuchsias. No. 3. The Missouri and 
Macrocarpa (Enotheras have flowers exactly alike, but the leaves are a 
little different, and the two close their flowers at the same time, and 1 
there is no other yellow flower to suit their style of growth so as to mix J 
in the same bed. There is a light blue flowering annual of the same 
habit, called Nolana prostrata, and if your yellow bed is not one of an | 
arrangement this will suit; but whether you will like it is another ques- ! 
tion. Sow it now. No. 4. No; not even the Saponaria. No. 5. White 
Petunias , if well managed, make the best of all white beds. Did you j 
never see them at Kew ? No. 6. The White Lobelia is the best carpet of 
all you name, but Verbena pulchella alba would be better, and the little 
white Campanula pumilu the best. 
Bedding Plants (F.).—These should receive no fire-heat from the J 
first of April, if possible. 
Felicite Perpetuelle Rose (Joseph ).—Are you quite sure that you I 
have the true rose ? No rose-grower would ever think of budding it on 
another stock; if true it is preferable to cuttings to plant against the j 
wall. The instance you quote about covering a castle was to show the 
cheapest, not the best way. The experience with the blush Boursault would ! 
only give you a faint idea of what we proposed with this stock. Covent 
Garden is the worst garden in England to buy Hyacinth bulbs at, as you 
have just proved to your cost. Nothing can be done with them but to 
pick off their flowers as they appear; they were forced last year, no 
doubt, and sent to market to sell cheap. It you had gone to a respect¬ 
able shop and paid double, you would have cheaper plants. Your roots 
were worth about Is. fid. per dozen, and no more. 
Tulip : Oculus Solis (Muffin ).—“ You have been and done it ” sure 
enough, and spoiled your beautiful Black-eyed Susan tulip for this year, 
and very probably for the next. How could you be such a muffin as to 
take up this beautiful bulb in the middle of its growth, and tear off the 
best fang of all the roots ? The Feather Grass and the Quaking Grass 
are the prettiest for bouquets ; then some of the wild barley tribe, with 
their silken beards; the ribbon, or variegated grass (Arundo), is also 
fitting. Plants of this, and seeds of the rest, must be asked for in seed 
shops. 
Cantua dependens (Queen Mab). —It is questionable if this plant is | 
fitted for bedding out, at least we would not risk so large a bed of it as 
you propose this season ; better try it first in a mixed bed or border, 
basket, fee., to see how it turns out. The Biugmansias are not at all 
fitted for bedding; we only recommend them in place of more hardy 
shrubs, as single objects, or groups, in very sheltered situations, near to 
other large plants, as choice trees or shrubs. Ask for two sorts first, the 
white and the yellow, or brownish red, and read over again what has been 
said about them. 
Economical Boiler. —An Irish Reader will be obliged if “an old 1 
subscriber,” who, at page 3fil of vol. vii., writes of an economical boiler, I 
will be so good as to describe it more fully, to say where he has procured 
it, also the size and shape, and if it will be answerable with a common 
flue, which is at present in use? 
Cheap Protecting Material. —A correspondent (M. O. M.) has 
obliged us with the following note :—“ I was some months ago a special 
juror in a case where we had to find the value of a large quantity of Man¬ 
chester goods that had been injured by fire, and amongst them were 
j£200 or ^300 worth of what was termed calico fents ; and it was ex¬ 
plained to us that calico can only be exported to the continent in pieces 
of a particular length (I think 26£ yards), and that each piece, before | 
being exported, has to be accurately measured, and the surplus cut off ; I 
these lengths are then sewn together into lengths of twelve yards each, , 
and are sold wholesale at from Is 3d to 2s the dozen of yards, of two 
yards wide. Each dozen may be composed of two, or, I think at most, | 
four pieces sewn together, and are, as I have stated, called ‘ fents,’ the 
material of which is from the cheapest to the best calico, the best being, I 
therefore, but a penny the square yard.” 
Grasses for a Light Soil (J. S. L .).—In laying down your j 
pasture on a light soil, sow Alopecurus pratensis , 1 lb.; Dactylis glo- 
merata , 3 lbs.; Festuca duriuscula, elatior, pratensis, and rubra, , 2 lbs. j 
each ; Lolium italicum , 5 lbs.; L. perenne , 8 lbs.; Phleum pratense, 1 
] lb.; Poa nemoralis, sempervirens , and pratensis , 1 lb. each; Medi - ! 
cago lupulina , 1 lb.; Trifolium pratense, 1 lb.; T. pratense perenne, ( 
2 lbs.; T. repens, 4 lbs. These are for an acre. 
Additional Leaf ( Verax ).—When we tell you that we cannot raise j 
our price, and that to make the alteration you require would cost us | 
annually more than a hundred pounds, you will see that we cannot adopt 
the suggestion. We would suggest stitching each number into a paste¬ 
board cover before you lend it. 
Mr. Payne’s Square Straw Hives (One Desirous). —The sizes arc as 
follows :—Depth, inches withinside; the size of the tube used in making 
is 2 of an inch; there are two external bands of straw at the top, sufficiently 
deep to receive the bars and a 4-inch board, w'hich is made to fit in 
exactly, and which has three slits cut in it about 2 inches each, the width 
of the spaces between the bars, and made to correspond with them, and 
3 inches from the centre ; a board with a 2-inch 11 m covers the whole. ! 
The bars are kept in their places by a piece of zinc, 4 of an inch wude, bent : 
thus, || || || made fast to the straw by a few 1 
zinc nails. 
Hive Two-thirds Filled (F. Lewis). —Wait until the hive is filled 
with combs, and till the bees show evident signs of want of room, before 
you put on the glasses. 
London : Printed by Harry Wooldridge, Winchester High-street, 
in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Orr, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of 
Christ Church, City of London.—April 15th, 1852. 
