November 15. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
91 
making chip bonnets, and a high price is often offered 
for it on this account. It is, I think, the first tree to 
greet us with its early biuls. “ The limes are bursting 
into leaf!” has been for many years a joyful exclama¬ 
tion, when the lingering chilliness of spring lias made 
us long for summer. How delightful are the first 
tokens of returning vegetation ! Wo arc now fast 
entering into the dark wintry season, when all things 
sleep ; and we cannot tell whether our eyes may ever 
again behold the summer’s sun; but he will come 
forth at (he appointed time, to run his gladdening 
course; and the limes will again spring forth to great 
him. Let us be prepared to “ arise and shine,” when 
our Great Light shall come. 
EXTRACTS PROM CORRESPONDENCE. 
New Bee-feeder. —I find a bec-feeder made as 
follows useful, being cheap, large, and easily made 
by any one. I buy at a gutta perclia shop one of 
their shilling basons, and about two pennyworth of 
their tubing. I place the bottom of the bason on hot 
water, and when it is soft put some round substance 
in it, say a pound weight, to destroy its concave shape. 
This I do to allow the usual wood float to sink to the 
bottom when the bees have emptied the bason. This 
done, I cut a hole at the bottom of the bason, the 
same dimensions as the tubing, and thrust the tubing 
through to the proper height, sealing it carefully round, 
by the help of the hit of gutta perclia cut out, to make 
it water tight, which point I always test before I put 
the food in. I have a bit (say an inch) of tubing 
projecting at the bottom of the feeder, which keeps 
it firm in the hole at the top of the hive. I find that 
plan answers better in wood feeders also than having 
the bottom flat, like those you buy at Neighbour and 
Sons. The advantage of my gutta perclia affair is 
the immense quantity it holds, and any one can make 
it. As to a licl, a bit of glass, or slate, or pasteboard, 
or wood, put at the top does famously. Of course 
the tubing must not be thrust quite as high as the 
sides of the bason, or the lid would lie on its top, 
and prevent the bees getting up. I have two so made 
at work; and this last week two of my hives, one 
containing two first swarms and a second, and the 
other three second swarms, have carried down out of 
them eight pounds each, made according to your pre¬ 
scription. My feeders hold two and a half pounds 
each. I fed a number of hives last autumn and this 
spring with a mixture as follows : one quart of house 
table beer, one pound of loaf sugar, one quarter of a 
pound of coarse brown sugar, and a quarter of an 
ounce of salt, boiled for five minutes. They all did 
well, and such swarms as mine were never seen in 
this country before. I gave very liberally both in 
autumn and spring.—A Brother Bee-keeper. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Manuring for Potatoes (Rev. W. R ).—We are decidedly op¬ 
posed to putting fresh manure to potatoes, either at planting time or 
at any time during their growth. It keeps the stems green and the 
tubers unripened until later than if it were not applied at all. Your 
freshly brolien-up pasture, though you have had a crop of oats from 
it, cannot require any manure. 
Greenhouse and Cow-house Combined (T. IF.)—Your plan 
is unique, but we know of no reason against its success. Our corres¬ 
pondent writes thus: “ I am building a new cow-house, and I have 
determinedjto roof it with patent plate-glass, glazed on the rafters— 
just such rafters as for a slate roof. I will then train vines inside. 
Please to toll me the best vines for this purpose. The' cows w ill be 
in the house all the winter, and until June—they will keep the place 
warm.” We should have a groove cut on each side of the rafters to 
let the glass into, having the panes of sufficient width to reach from 
rafter to rafter, and have no cross splines, for they would be of no use 
to support the glass, and would obstruct the light. You cannot grow 
a better grape in such a house than the Black Hamburgh. 
Hamilton’s Flower Supporter (Im/uisitor ).—The w'oodeut 
below will enable you to judge of this for yourself. We think it com¬ 
bines all that is requisite for the purpose for which it was designed. 
It is economical, keeps the bulbs stationery, and the flower upright, 
without disfiguring its appearance, besides facilitating the process of 
draining the water in bulb-glasses without handling the stem and roots. 
Martagon (Ibid ).—This and the Turncap, or Turban lily, areboth 
the same flower, Lilium martagon; but the Tiger-spotted lily is 
Lilium tigrinum. 
Borders Too Dry (S.).— This arises from your southern aspect, 
the absorbent nature of your stone walls, and the sheltering of the 
horse chesnut, to say nothing of its roots. There is no remedy but 
the watering-pot, aided by digging your borders deep, and mixing the 
soil with a little stiffer soil. Why not grow dwarf shrubs only in them, 
and turf up round these, leaving a small circle round each to fill with 
water as required ? 
Innocents (-).—Thanks for your information. It shall be 
attended to. 
List of Gladiolus (A. Z.).—We find we can do nothing at pre¬ 
sent in this. There are some hundreds of seedling gladioluses, and 
we could do no good by attempting to give any thing like a useful list 
of them. Consult our previous lists. A friend of ours flowered 1000 
gladiolus seedlings this season. 
Mould on Hyacinths (A Young Florist ).—It is only the old 
ring left by the former roots and the dead coating of the bulbs that 
have damped, and that happens whichever way they arc grown, but 
does not effect the bulbs in the least. 
Potter’s Liouid Guano (Ibid ).—We know nothing about this, 
as we never use any liquid manure unless we see it made. Soot and 
water is an excellent liquid manure, if used in moderation both as to 
quantity and strength. 
Chinese Pigs (J. Ball ).— Our correspondent wishes to know 
where he can purchase some of the true breed of this animal. 
Spinach Turning Yellow (H. W. IF.).—Look to the roots. If 
no grub or wireworm is attacking them there must have been some¬ 
thing too stimulating in the manure you applied. 
Himalayah Pumpkin Seed. —Will all those of our readers who 
saved seed be kind enough to send us a few. We have many appli¬ 
cations for them, and not a seed in our possession. Will the appli¬ 
cants be kind enough to take this as a general reply. 
Over-luxuriant Imteratrice Plum (T. P. F.). —Root-prun¬ 
ing ever must have time to produce its effects. When healthy- 
looking trees still produce much wood on the heels of root-pruning, 
it is a sure sign that the operation has not been sufficiently severe. 
In such cases we frequently take up the tree, and replant, expecting 
to find some powerful roots of a perpendicular character. If you do 
so with your imperatrice, pray do not allow more than half a yard in 
depth ; below that, substitute an artificial substratum of stone or 
brick. 
Stawberries Blooming now (Y. Z.). — Strawberries, of the 
Hautbois section, are very apt to bloom out of season. They do not 
like to be tampered with. We could force a whole bed of the Haut¬ 
bois to blossom in October, by cutting off their tops in September, 
and applying liquid manure. In this case, it is the organised buds 
| intended for next year’s crops which are compelled prematurely to 
