92 
THE COTTAGE GA11DENER. 
November 6. 
Bees — Ivy ( W. A. E.). —Let your bees remain where they are, and 
place your swarms next year to the north. You might remove them two 
or three miles very safely, but removing only a short distance would be 
attended with very great loss. Your bees carrying in pollen have brood 
in their hive. The Ivy-flower abounds in honey. 
Bees. — Rosea inquires why “bees, in a Payne’s Improved Cottage 
Hive, are fanning outside when there is a feeder on the top of a very 
weak cast; the thermometer, at 10 a.m., outside the hive, 58°; inside, 
63° ? ” A feeder being upon the top of the hive, and it being a very weak 
stock, it is only reasonable to imagine that it contains food, which, in 
this mild weather, causes considerable excitement amongst the bees, 
which is the reason of their fanning. 
YosKsniRE Lily (W. D. Payne). —As far as we could make out, your 
bulb is Nerine venusta, but we were put off the right scent by supposing 
it to have become naturalised in the locality. No wonder we could not 
trace it there. 
Rosary (J. S .).—Nothing could have been less considerate than the 
way the rosary was planted. The Chinas, Bourbons, Teas, and Hybrid 
perpetuals, all at one end, in eight beds, followed by eleven beds of June 
roses only ; why, this rosary must have looked like a pig with one ear. 
However, as it is high time to replant the whole over again, reduce your 
number of June roses, and let all the beds have two-thirds at least of the 
autumnal flowers, then go on increasing the best sorts from our lists, and 
reduce the June ores in the same ratio. We would get rid of the hybrid 
Chinas altogether, except a few in the two central beds, No. 7- 
Bees. — A Country Curate, in answer to “ Melissa,” says that, “ If she 
is bent on removing her hives to a north aspect (of the advantage of which 
method of wintering, however, I feel doubtful, though it has certainly 
answered in many instances), it should not be done till the bees have 
resumed an inactive state, or she would hazard the loss of many hundred 
bees out of every hive so moved, who being tempted out to gather pollen 
would return to their old quarters, and perish. We have a great abun¬ 
dance of ley in this neighbourhood, which, in mild October, gives an 
astonishing quantity of both pollen and honey, so that my bees, when the 
weather permits, are as active as it is possible for them to be all through 
October, and even far into November. This remarkably mild autumn, 
for instance, when they have so evidently been gathering honey, that I 
see the combs in my strongest hives glistening with it as they do in 
spring, it would be almost fatal to move the hives yet a good while. My 
advice, therefore, to “ Melissa ” is, by all means, to wait till the bees 
have ceased working for the year—then I imagine the change may be 
effected even with advantage. Perhaps her bees have long been idle, if 
so, her discretion will teach her if she may safely move them now. A 
straw top may certainly be used on my hives as well as on Mr. Golding’s, 
but I much prefer, and always use myself, a wooden one in preference. 
How to construct it, and to fasten it on to the top of the hive, as well as 
the use of the holes, will be found fully described at pages 70 and 71 of 
the “ English Bee-Keeper” (Rivington’s), where is an illustration of my 
hive. Your correspondent must, by no means, join hive No. 1 to hive 
No. 4, leaving 2 and 3 between them ; either she must move away 2 and 
3, and set the joined hive in their place, on one of their stands, or she 
must join 1 to 2, and 3 to 4 ; there will then be no fighting nor loss of 
life. The holes in my crown-boards are distant from each other about 
three inches ; they are two inches, at least, in diameter, and they serve 
not more for feeding than for covering, with one or more glasses in the 
season.” 
Names of Fruit: Pears (W. H .).—No. 1. Hacon’s Incomparable. 
2. Bishop’s Thumb. 3. Glout Morceau. 4. Beurre de Ranee. 
Climbers for Cold Greenhouse (W. T. K.). —As you have no 
means of applying artificial heat, plant in one space Tecoma or Bignonia 
jasrninoides. Either of them will flower freely with the roots confined in 
boxes. In the other space plant similarly Jasminum grundiflorum. 
Asparagus Seedlings (H. C. B .).—These, which are too thick, 
allow to remain until next April, which is the proper season for trans¬ 
planting them. The grubs in your Apples are the larvae of some 
moth, probably the Codlin Moth. Apricot and Peach-trees require to be 
cut back at the time of planting. 
Salt (A. A.). —Salt dug into the soil now will not injure aspring crop ; 
but this is not the best time for applying this manure. Slight sprinklings 
among a growing crop is the proper mode of application. The only mode 
of getting rid of Horse-radish is to trench the ground, and pick out every 
fragment you see, and then to dig up every plant of it as it appears after¬ 
wards. No application of salt that would not render your garden barren 
will kill the Horse-radish. Salt applied to the surface now, as well as 
lime and soot frequently sprinkled over the surface in the evening, will 
thin the slugs. 
Wintering Geraniums (L. H.). —We have nothing to add byway 
of advice to what Mr. Beaton and Mr. Fish have said in recent numbers 
on this subject. 
Planting Orchard with Potatoes (P. V. M. F .).—There is no 
reason why you should not have a sound crop “ on a rich, crumbly soil on a 
red-sandstone subsoil,” provided you plant this month as we have 
directed, and the trees do not overshadow the soil too much. Good 
Potatoes cannot be produced under trees. As you are about to keep a 
horse, we should, in preference, sow Lucerne. 
Ferns for a Ward’s Case ( Filice). — Woodwardia radicans, 
Drynaria Billardierii, Asplenium odontites, Lycopodium denticulatum, 
L. ccesium, Doodia lunulata, and Adiantuni pubescens. We fear that 
both Gymnogrnmma chrysophylla and Polypodium aureum are too tender 
to be kept in a parlour where there is only a fire during the day. 
Rough Plate Glass (C. B .).—We should have no hesitation in 
using this for a a vinery—indeed, we should select it. We know that it 
is successfully used for this purpose by Mr. Wilson at Stamford Hill. If 
the ventilators are the whole length of the back of the house, or nearly so, 
and the front lights can be opened, there is no need for the roof sashes to 
be moveable. The draught will not be injured by dipping under the 
door-way, provided the flue be otherwise well made. 
Autumn-Planting Potatoes. — W. T. writes to us as follows: — 
“ In reference to your strong recommendations to set potatoes in 
November, and previous to following them, I wish to inquire w-hether 
peculiarity of climate may not cause exceptions to the general rule ? A 
lew years since I did set a small bed of early potatoes as an experiment; 
the winter turned out so mild that they were all above ground in 
February, and I had the greatest difficulty in preserving them from the 
spring frosts, and which I was only enabled to do in consequence of the 
bed being so small a one. Our winters here (the south coast of Pem¬ 
brokeshire) are peculiarly mild; last year the fuchsias out-of-doors, in 
tolerably sheltered places, never entirely shed their leaves, and were in j 
flower after Christmas. As I am writing, and you encourage corres- j 
pondents to give you their different experiences, I shall mention that I [ 
have lately been shifting my Pelargoniums into smaller pots, and found, 
that where I had used pounded oyster shells for drainage, the roots were 
stronger and healthier than when broken crocks had been employed.”— 
We are obliged by these pieces of practical information—they are always 
valuable. If you plant your potatoes late in November, they will not 
come up prematurely, unless sprouted sets are planted. If any do come 
up in early spring, draw a little earth over them. 
Cineraria maritima. —We are obliged by the information that 
Messrs. Veitch, of Exeter, and Mr. J. Gilbert, St. Margaret’s Green, 
Ipswich, can supply this plant. 
Carrots growing forked (II. E. M. 0.). —We think that sowing 
these in ground with a rich surface is the cause of their being forked, or, 
as you describe them, “ all lingers and thumbs.” If sown in trenched 
ground, with a little manure turned in with the bottom spit only, and 
with the soil not rich, we think you will have straight Carrots. 
Conservatory ( H. H. E.). —As this, built over your hall, cannot be 
heated by hot-water, nor is a flue permissible, then we recommend a gas- 
stove. Other stoves produce more deleterious gases without any means 
for their escape. A tube from the top of your gas-stove, and through 
the roof or side, could carry off all the fumes. 
Gardeners’ Magazine of Botany (T. F. J.).—We do not know of 
any reviews of it. Buy a number and judge for yourself. The names of 
the contributors are a guarantee that the contents may be relied upon. 
Double Feverfew ( J. Newland).—ln mercy to you we will not insert 
your offer; you would be overwhelmed with applicants. We had hundreds 
of letters for Pumpkin-seeds. We do not know that with a white-edged 
leaf. The varieties are innumerable. 
Bekshire Sow and Cochin-China Fowls. — D. L. (who should 
have sent her address) wishes for a sow from three to six months old, 
and for some of the true Cochin-China fowls. 
Thompson’s Watering-pot.— The Rev. J. S. L. wishes to know 
where this can be purchased. The piping for your greenhouse should 
be three inches in diameter, Your specimen, we think, is of Chorozema 
nana. 
Lilac in Bloom. —Mr. T. Heath, of Erith, Kent, says :—“ I have 
now (October 25) a Lilac in full bloom, in my garden, situated close to 
the river Thames, with a cold north-eastern aspect. The bough is full of 
buds, and the bloom comes from the buds, which gives it rather an ex¬ 
traordinary appearance. I can account for it in no other way than from 
the mildness of the weather. I have also a Fuchsia in the open air, of 
which leaves have died off, and is now almost in full leaf again.” 
Diseased Cabbage (An Old Subscriber).-—' The specimen sent is 
totally destroyed by the Ambury or Club-root, and what you call 
“ worms,” are a species of lulus, Millepede, which is believed to feed 
upon putrid vegetable matters. Your soil being gravelly, is of the de¬ 
scription most liable to the Ambury, and we should think that it must be 
very poor soil, and that w atering during our dry summer and autumn must 
have been neglected, or the cabbage could not liaye been in such a state. 
Dig into every vacant piece ot ground a very heavy covering of gas-lime, 
and put on a good dressing of clayey marl and stable manure, with every 
crop, until you have improved the staple and fertility of the soil. 
Manetti Rose (Rosa alba). —This is a variety of the Provence Rose, 
with deep pink petals, rather paler at the edge. It was introduced by 
Mr. Rivers, of Sawbridgeworth, a few years since. Salep is the produce 
of the roots of Tacca pinnatifida, but it may be obtained from the bulbs 
of tlie English orchids, Orchis mascula and morio. 
Hesperis matronalis (E. L. K .).—This is a hardy herbaceous | 
plant, but we have no doubt it might be grown in a window. The 
London florists will supply you. 
Cheap Weekly Periodical (A Subscriber). —It is quite impossible 
for us to answer your query, unless we know what kind of “ knowledge ” 
you desire. 
Pit (A. B. C. H.). —Your pit will do for wintering Geraniums, &c., 
and for growing Melons, as you wish afterwards. Smith’s Introduction 
to Physiological and Systematic Botany, will suit you. 
Names of Plants (A. W., Sydenham ).—One is the Pink-flowered 
Mallow, Malva creana; and the other the Nutmeg-scented Geranium, 
Pelargonium odoratissimum. (Queen Mab). —We think the shrub is the 
common Virginian cedar, Juniperus Virginiana; the other plant is a ! 
variety of Salvia Grahamii. Hepaticas will succeed in pots, but require J 
to be placed in a cold frame, or plunged in the ground, during the winter. 
Flowers in a Room (Caroline). — Cactus, or Epiphyllum truncatum, 
will last in bloom in a parlour nearly all the month of November, and 
Chrysanthemums, of sorts, in succession to Christmas; then forced 
Hyacinths and other bulbs. Read also Mr. Fish’s lists for winter-flow- 1 
ering plants in-doors. 
Gladiolus Sowing (Sarah). —Sow the seeds from your Gladiolus 
now, if you have means of keeping the seedlings from the frost, or you ] 
may defer sowing till February. Whether they will come true, depends 
on the sorts, and on their being out of the reach of pollen from other ■ 
kinds. We cannot make out your meaning about the Oxalis. 
London: Printed by Harry Wooldridge, Winchester High-street, j 
in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Orr, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of 
Christchurch, City of London.—November 6th, 1851. 
