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THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. 
Novejiber 11. 
tliey are imj^ovted into England in large quantities, 
are also found in the East Indies and .Japan. They are 
principally used to flavour soups and sauces—(and, in my 
opinion, may be dried and kept for months or years, and 
I used for the above purpose grated like nutmegs). If 
I dressed in their fresh state, they should be simply washed 
, and boiled in j>labi u-atcr, and served up on dry-toast, 
peeled at the table as potatoes, and eaten with bread and 
butter, and pepper and salt, in which way they make a good 
wholesome supper. I have eaten them raw, cut in thin 
slices and laid between bread and butter. 
Thu Helvellas form another genus free from poisonous 
species, although some are much more highly estimated 
than others—some being insipid and tasteless. Ilclvdla 
crispa, H. laciinosa, and H. esc.iilenUi, are the species most 
esteemed on the Continent. Their flavour is very similar to 
that of the Morells, and, by some, the H. esculenta has 
been taken for the true Morell; and, in many instances, 
they are passed for it. They arc, undoubtedly, inferior to 
the Morells, and, unfortunately, are of a tough, leathery, 
consistence, which, however, is somewhat remedied by 
soaking them for a night in milk, and afterwards stewing 
them for some hom’s. The best way to dress them appears 
to be—to stew them for four or flve hours in a good supply 
of rich gravy. IMy method of dressing them was first to 
chop them as fine as minced veal, then to cover them with 
plain water in a saucepan, and stew them for about three 
hoirrs, adding occasionally, for the last hour, ilour from 
the dredger, and fresh butter, pepper, salt, and lemon- 
juice, to flavour them. They were then served up with dry 
toast. They are very excellent stewed and served up with 
hashed mutton. 
The Ci,aVjUSIas form another genus producing no poison- 
I ous species, and many that are esteemed luxuries. They 
^ are a very liandsome genus, varying much in colour, which 
renders tliem attractive to the collector, and, when pr-eserved 
in brine, for sale. They are abundantly introduced into 
the Italian markets, and in many parts on the Continent 
I are highly esteemed as an article of diet. The following 
receipt for dressing them is given in Dr. Badham’s treatise 
of the Esculent Fiinniises of England. They are first to be 
I stewed with a little butter over a slow fire, afterwards to 
be strained, then (throwing away the hquorj to be re¬ 
placed to stew for an hour with salt, pepper, chopped 
chives and parsley, moistening with plain stock, and dredg¬ 
ing with flour occasiomdly. When sufficiently cooked, the 
whole to be thickened with yolks of eggs and cream. 
Tlie following Clavarias arc most esteemed— Clavaria 
riic/osa, C. pyxidala, C. cinercii, O.Jlava, and O. coralloides .— 
E. Yokke Brocas. 
(To be continued.) 
HONEY-HARVEST ON THE MOORS. 
I HOPE it is not too late in the season to invite our 
apiarian friends to accompany me, in imagination, on a visit 
which I had an opportunity of paying early in October, to 
(I believe I am correct in saying) the largest bee-keeper 
and honey-dealer on the Northumberland Moors, and I 
thiirk there are few among them who will not learn some¬ 
thing from a description of his autumnal management. 
Being an old acquaintance, I was soon ushered into the 
sanctum sanctorum of the establishment, the upper apart¬ 
ments or lofts of the house. Around the first room were 
ranged a number of empty hives, home-made, aird all 
cottage hives, of variou.s sizes, heaps of refuse combs, and, 
in a recess, piles of the imrest heather honey, sealed up in 
paper equally pm'e, ready to be dispatched to customers 
in all parts of the kingdom.* But the point of attraction 
to the eye of the apiarian was a row of hives, reversed, 
and full of combs, containing a large quantity of honey. A 
glance, however, showed these had not been arranged by 
their neat artificers; the edges were uneven, many of the 
centre combs filled with honey, and the side combs empty. 
In fact, they had been made up from fragments, from such 
coml)s as, having contained brood, were unfit for sale. These 
combs were fixed in empty hives by two small round rods, 
* The price of this honey has this season hcen Is. 3ci. per pound. 
They | thrust from one side of the hive, through the combs, to the 
other, and thin narrow laths were placed perpendicularly 
between the combs, to retain them in tlieir proper position ; 
in the evening these were to be tenanted by driven bees. 
Thence we proceeded to the driving apartment, wliich was 
lighted by a small closed window at one end. Here were 
four men engaged in the operation of driving. Our readers 
are aware that this is attended witli some difficulty when 
the air has become chilly, and, before this time, the ther¬ 
mometer had fallen at niglits to 3J°, whilst the Cheviots the 
following morning were capped with snow! The bees had 
been brouglit from the moor about a fortnight previously and 
placed in the gai'den, that the brood might be hatched out, 
and drones were still found in many of the hives. The 
driving was commenced in the usual manner, an empty 
hive being placed over the full one, and a cloth bound 
round the junction. In about ten minutes, when a portion 
of the bees had ascended, there was a departure from the 
ordinary mode of driving. The hives were then divided, 
the upper end being held in a slanting position, and at one 
point forming a junction with the stock, while the bees, 
now intimidated and in confusion, were guided and brushed 
forward with a feather from among the combs. At this stage 
of the proceedings, the queen not having always ascended, 
the bees in some hives went streaming Tjriskly up, while in 
others, their connection between the two hives was, at times, 
entirely broken; but, in answer to my inquiry whether they 
did not sometimes entirely fail in dislodging the bees, I 
was told, that though sometimes it was tedious, and required 
patience, the hive was never left till it was clear of bees. A 
j few flew to the window, and to the owner of only four or five 
hives they appeared a considerable mtmber, amounting, when 
I several hives had been taken up, to about half-a-pint; hut 
these were gradually grouping in clusters, and in the evening 
were to he joined to others, for not a life was willingly sacri¬ 
ficed. These hives had only stood the summer; and the object 
being to obtain as much pure honey as possible from the 
side-combs, they were mostly of a very large size; the largest 
eighteen inches in diameter, by thirteen deep, had received 
a large swarm, which, having been joined by part of another 
swarm, weighed seven pounds, and, on its return from the 
moor, the contents weighed flve stone, exclusive of the bees. 
In driving such a hive, the support of the cross-sticks would 
be almost indispensable. Those intended for winter stocks 
were much smaller. Families which were not very nume¬ 
rous were to be limited, one queen being removed, and the 
other retained, according to their merits, for a brief history 
of the time of swarming, &o., was labelled on each hive. 
We next visited the garden, about a quarter-of-an-acre of 
ground, divided by fruit-trees into four compartments, 
around which were ranged the hives, and of which the 
winter stock would be above fifty. While some were inactive 
and still, others were all bustle and excitement; these were 
the manufactured colonies, still reversed, with the empty 
hive tied over them. In about ten days, the combs would 
be securely fixed to the sides and top by the bees, when the 
upright props would be removed, and the hive be placed 
on its winter stand. 
Such is the autumnal management which the experience 
of a long series of years recommends as the most projitahle. 
This consideration will demand no advocacy; but surely i 
there are others which should be as potent. If any of our 
readers still pursue the old and cruel system, will they not 
pause and reflect before they again apply the brimstone match ? 
Is there not enjoyment in existence to the least in creation? 
Are there no feelings of gratitude and affection towards our 
little garden companions, whose active industiy has afibrded 
us so much pleasure and amusement, and whose toils may, 
probably, have contribirted to our luxuries? For myself, 
I re-echo the words of De Gelien, “Je ne les aime pas 
mediocrement, je me passionne pour dies.” 
Before laying down my pen, I will make one or two 
remarks on the accounts furnished by correspondents of 
The Cottage G.vrdener, and for which we owe our thanks, 
for there are lessons to lie learnt from failure as well as 
success. In the apiaries of “B. B.” and “H. T. N.,” drones 
in September are sure signs of mischief of some kind. | 
Liberal feeding might stimulate the bees of a queenless 
stock to carry pollen, but the problem may have another 
solution. Are the drones full-sized or dwarfs ? If the 
