THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION.— July 1, 1850. 
•All 
they strike freely in pots, in a cold frame, in the usual 
manner. In either case, they should, after they are 
rooted, be put singly into small pots, in light, sandy soil, 
stopped freely, and placed in a cold pit or frame through 
the winter. In the spring, plant them out in a rather 
rich, light soil, mixed with lime-rubbish ; stop them 
again to make them bushy, and they will flower splen¬ 
didly through July, August, and September, provided 
the first tiowcr-stems arc cut out before seeds are pro¬ 
duced. Few flowers last louger, or make a finer show, 
than a good bed of Antirrhinums. If the winter is 
mild, the greater part of them will live through it, and 
flower finer the second year. It must be remembered, 
however, that they are only biennials (plants that live 
only two years); hence, to preserve the variety, it must 
be propagated by cuttings at least every other year. 
To produce new and improved varieties it will be 
necessary to sow seeds. Save them from the largest, 
best-formed, and brightest, most distinct colours. Sow 
on a border, in the open garden, early in spring, and as 
soon as the plants are large enough, transplant them 
into a prepared bed about five inches apart every way. 
Do not allow any to llowor the first year. Should they 
show flower, nip them off. The plants will then be 
strong, able to stand the winter, and will fiowor well the 
second year. Select the best, and propagate them by 
cuttings. Should any bo very superior to any yet 
raised, it will bo avisablc to take such up, and preserve 
them through the frost in a cold frame. There are 
some self-coloured varieties that may be strongly re¬ 
commended to the cultivator to grow in masses in the 
bedding-out system ; used for that purpose they form a 
pleasing variety, lasting long in bloom. 
Ten Selected New Varieties. 
1. Conqueror. —Rich yellow, with crimson flakes like 
a Carnation; large flower, good shape. Produced on a 
very large, well filled spike. An extra fine variety. 
2. Constance. —White tube, crimson lip, blotched with 
white; extra fine form. A good, showy, distinct variety. 
3. Empress. —Rosy-blush tube, with a large, clear, 
white lip. A fine variety. 
4. Gabriel d'Elrcs. — White tube, bright rosy lip, 
beautifully spotted with crimson carmine. A. novel and 
beautiful kind. 
| 5. John Edwards. —Tube and mouth white, lips rosy- 
crimson, blotched with white. A very showy, distinct 
variety. 
6. Lord Palmerston. —Tube white, lip very dark red, 
blotched with white. A fine variety. 
7. Madame Riebel. — Blush-white tube, lip white, 
broadly striped with red. Large and fine. 
8. Sir Edmund Lyons. — Tube white, sepals deep 
purple-crimson. Very large and fine. 
9. Rosa Bella.—A. self, of a clear, bright rose, well- 
formed, and large. 
10. Sulphureum. —Tube white, mouth yellow, lower 
lip veined with purplish-crimson. A large, well-formed 
flower. 
Twelve Older Select Varieties. 
1. Album pleno. —Double white. A good bedding 
i variety. 
2. Alma. —Yellow, with large red stripes. 
3. Beatrice. —Tube pale buff, upper lip blush white, 
veined with purple. A large flower. 
4. Blood Royal. —Tube pure white, lips large, and of 
a pure crimson colour. A good bedding variety. 
5. Hendersonii. —The most distinct variety known. 
White ground, with a clear, distinct margin of carmine 
round each petal. 
6. Laurenciana. — Rich, dark crimson, self-coloured 
flower, excellent for bedding. 
7. Peacock. —Clear yellow, striped with rose. 
8. Primrose Perfection .—Clear primrose, self-coloured 
flower, compact habit, abundant bloomer, good for 
bedding. 
9. Princess Alice .—Pure white, large, self-coloured 
flower. A fine variety. 
10. Tricolor .—Tube white, lip puce, with a golden 
centre. 
11. — Van LErschost .—Tube deep crimson, throat yel¬ 
low, lip yellow, blotched with white. Distinct and beau¬ 
tiful. 
12. — Village Maid .—Tube and throat pure white, 
petals rosy-lilac. A distinct and lovely variety. 
T. Appleby. 
{To be continued.) 
SEASONABLE NOTES ON BEES. 
REPLACING swarms. 
The hum of bees is always pleasing, whether among 
heath-bells or fields rich with white clover; but the buzz 
of a swarm is startling, especially when pursued by cottagers 
with clanking pans and tire-shovels, or amateurs who are 
above such follies. The singular way in which hive-bees 
form fresh colonies differs widely from the quiet method of 
wild bees. With those, queens begin their nests alone, and 
rear their brood with great care; whereas the queens of the 
hive-bees are. helpless, incapable of procuring their own 
food, or even forming a cell, so that they die if left alone. 
On this account a large number of old and young bees laden 
with store follow the queens from the old stocks, and begin 
new ones; and when such separation is excessive it causes 
great diminution of the produce, and often ends in the loss 
of the whole. This, however, is only in accordance with the 
original habits of bees, who are adapted to a warm climate, 
and the only remedy is to replace the swarms in their 
stocks. 
There are several ways of doing this. Some expert 
apiarians catch the queens at the entrances of the hives 
when about to fly off with their attendant bees. Others 
shake off the clusters, or swarms, upon a white cloth, and 
pick out the queens, leaving the bees to fly back to the hives, 
I have tried both these methods, and found them not only 
very uncertain, but requiring the courage of Bonar, who 
would go among swarms in his kilt. 
Another, and the safest, plan is to place the hive, as soon 
as a swarm is settled in it, upon a fumigating-box, or an 
inverted empty hive, with a bit of lighted fungus on a cleft 
stick fixed at the bottom. This must be covered with a tin 
box perforated, or a small flower-pot, to keep off the bees, 
as they will quickly drop down from the suffocating effect of 
the smoke. A piece of fungus, or puff-ball , about the size of a 
hen’s egg, will suffice to stupefy the bees, which may be turned 
over upon a cloth to discover the queens, which are easily dis¬ 
tinguished by their size and yellowish colour of their sides, 
particularly old ones. Then placo the disabled bees in the 
inverted hive near their former home, and give them plenty 
of air; and as they recover, they will fly back to their old 
hive, as they miss their queens. It must be observed, that 
in succeeding swarms there are often several queens, which 
must be carefully sought out; but when left alone, the bees 
destroy all except one. 
If the swarm comes off again, the same method must be 
repeated; but swarming ceases after the young queens are 
cast out dead from the stocks. This may appear a trouble¬ 
some process, but it is easier than to unite strange swarms 
or colonies, where we have to conteud not only with the 
animosity of rival queens, but that of strange bees. 
I may add, that correspondent “ C. M.’s ” notice of a 
swarm on the 21st of May is the earliest we know of this 
season.—J. Wighton. 
