THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION.—September 3, 1856. 405 
suoculeney and tenderness lo the taste, though possessing 
' no particular flavour ; and in my opinion they bear a favour¬ 
able comparison with Asparagus aiul Sea-kale. In summer 
| I consider this vegetable would be found very grateful. 
“ To acclimate this vegetable by successively raising from 
j fresh seeds, ripened under circumstances progressively ap- 
j proximating the climate of England, would not, 1 think, be 
' difficult ; and my reasons for inferring that it might soon 
become adapted for ordinary garden culture in warm and 
• sheltered situations are, that the plant is hardy, and belongs 
j to a genus of plants which are well known to be all of easy 
culture—that its period of culture for the table is com¬ 
prehended in little more than a month, for which, therefore, 
there is ample scope in the summer months—that the moist 
and somewhat uncertain climate of this island is well suited 
to it, as it grows best in a moist climate, and under a clouded 
sky, if there be sufficient temperature, and artificial shade 
may be easily given under too much sunshine—and that as 
the whole duration of the plant is not more than six months 
from the time of sowing to ripening the seeds, a few plants, 
by being brought forward .in March under protection, and 
afterwards planted, wmuld be in a condition to perfect their 
seeds in the open air in September.” 
This plant grows to the height of two feet. Its stems 
are much branched, and both stems and branches are gla¬ 
brous and beautifully white; leaves ovate; flowers pale 
green. 
The seeds should be sown in rich light soil, and raised in 
moderate heat. They may be planted out in frames, or 
potted in compost of rotten dung and light rich loam, and 
then grown in a vinery or other forcing-house. But there 
seems, at present, to be no prospect of the species succeed¬ 
ing as an esculent in the open air. After being cut over the 
plants will push again so as to afford a second gathering.— 
(Horticultural Society’s Journal.) 
ADVERTISING TRADESMEN. 
In your last two numbers we note a controversy between 
Messrs. Edwards and Co., and a customer, which amounts to a 
charge by the latter of a want of courtesy from the former. 
As brother tradesmen, we would respectfully impress upon 
Messrs. Edwards that, however small the transaction, every 
communication in business should, at least, be treated with 
courtesy; and that neither manufacturing a good and cheap 
article, nor the advertising of it, will insure an eventually 
extensive sale without considerate and careful attention to 
complaints. 
On the other hand, every allowance should be made by 
j the public for slight mistakes and omissions to answer 
i letters. Were it only known to what immense dimensions 
the daily correspondence grows of firms who advertise in 
your own and other columns, and the amount of time and 
trouble occasioned by reference, &c., a more charitable spirit 
I would more ger o ~»lly be manifested on these little lapses. 
One hint, and ve have done. Every correspondent should 
take care, in writing to a firm with which lie has not 
I previously corresponded, to give his name and address 
legibly and in full. It saves a great amount of valuable 
time.—B. Greening and Co. 
DESTROYING DRONES. 
The swarming season being past, the next interesting 
affair is the slaughter of the drones, or males, by the bees. 
Some apiarians assist them in the fight, but that is of little 
consequence, for the fury of the bees is so great, that they 
pursue the defenceless males, who in vain take refuge in 
every spare corner of the hive ; and those that escape out 
of it soon return to meet with certain death. Indeed, the 
whole hive is in an uproar; the bees never cease their pur¬ 
suit while there is a male alive, and even tear out the brood 
which happen to be in the cells of the drones. The annual 
expulsion of the drones from the hives has led to many 
strange conjectures. Some consider them only as a sort of 
monsters, or sports of nature, and that, being indolent, they 
deserve to be cut off from the colony; while others think 
they nurse the brood. In Boland they are called water- 
carriers. These speculations, however, require no comment, 
for though working-bees in hot weather frequent water, it 
matters not how filthy, the drones never do ; and the greater 
part of the brood is reared during their absence from the 
hive. They are perfect insects, however; indeed, more per¬ 
fect than working-bees, who are more like sports of nature, 
for, being bred in small cells, their growth is not complete, 
but they remain imperfect females. The true charge against 
drones of not taking any part in the structure, nor adding 
to the store of the hive, may be equally laid against the 
queens. Their real use, however, is to impregnate the 
queens at the swarming season, and thus, having fulfilled 
their mission, their utility is at an end, and they are ex¬ 
pelled as already noticed. The hive-bees are the only 
insects I am aware of that destroy their males. The drones 
of wild bees and wasps remain in the nests, but then their 
services are required, for in both cases the females are bred 
until the end of the season ; while hive-bees rear queens 
only at stated periods, who only require the males at that 
time, which satisfactorily accounts for their subsequent 
destruction.—J. Wighton. 
SUCKERS OF ARAUCARIA IMBRICATA. 
A few days ago, when out for a little excursion to Bishop- 
stoke, I, of course, could not return without calling in to see 
the beautiful and well-known gardens belonging to the Dean 
of Winchester. In rambling about amongst the excellent 
collection of trees, shrubs, and flowers which is there 
gathered together, I was surprised when looking at the fine 
plant of the Chilian Bine, Araucaria imbricata, one of the 
largest, if not the very largest specimen of it in England. 
This tree stands alone in a circular bed, just as wide as its 
beautiful branches extend. In the bed were two suckers, 
which had evidently put up from its roots. The suckers were 
about a foot or sixteen inches distant from the main stem of 
the tree; and I thought this the more remarkable, from 
never having seen an instance of a sucker produced from a 
coniferous tree of any kind before. The two suckers were 
from three to four inches in height, and locking healthy, and 
likely enough some day to form two separate trees.—T. 
Weaver. 
MESSRS. EDIVARDS'S GARDEN TALLIES. 
In looking over your number of August 19th, I perceive 
the Messrs. Edwards attempt to, defend themselves against 
my remarks upon the labels they sent me by denying the 
truth of my statements. I am glad to say, that in this town 
and neighbourhood, where I have been well known for up- j 
wards of thirty years, my character for truthfulness will ! 
bear investigation. I again repeat, I never received any j 
reply from Messrs. Edwards but the one I sent you, a copy < 
of which you inserted in your useful journal. With regard ! 
to my remarks respecting the thickness of the Tallies, I j 
was doubly led to expect the thickness I named, because J 
the sample I had exactly corresponded with the size after - | 
wards advertised. I beg to enclose for you samples of each I 
kind, from which you will see the difference between the size j 
advertised (the same as the sample I received) and the size i 
actually sent, and I feel sure you will again agree, with me ! 
that my remarks were not uncalled for. 
The sizes sent as samples ran twelve and nine to the inch. 
The size I received (see sample I send) ran JiJleen and j 
sixteen to the inch. 
From the many instances of “ fair play ” I have seen in j 
your journal, I feel sure you will oblige me by the insertion 
of this letter. I shall not take any further notice of the 1 
Messrs, Edwards, because I really feel my time and your j 
pages may be better employed than in again noticing such 1 
epistles as the one I have this day remarked upon.—L. R. 1 
Lucas, Louth. 
[The Tallies sent to ns by Mr. Lucas are fifteen and 
sixteen to the inch. The controversy had better now 
conclude.—E d. C. G.] 
