November 13. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
and then another layer of pieces, and so on, until the 
whole is piled up, after which we cover it up with litter, 
and examine it in a few days to see if it he likely to 
overheat. A large heap sometimes does so, but a small 
one rarely. Should it be likely to overheat, spread it out 
wider. Little attention will be wanted for a fortnight or 
three weeks, when it may be examined, and very likely 
the spawn has begun to run into the lumps, which can 
easily be detected by breaking a piece, as a white 
moulding on the outside is not a sufficient test; the 
smell will also betoken its advance, and as soon as you 
see any little Mushrooms about the size of a Rea, show¬ 
ing themselves, remove the pieces they are on, and all 
others that look equally interlaced with the fibrous 
frame-work of this singular production, carrying away 
those pieces now ready to some dry, airy place, and those 
not sufficiently spawned may be returned to their places, 
and covered up as before. Sometimes it is six weeks or 
more before it is perfectly accomplished, and sometimes 
it is well done in a fortnight. We often have a bed pre¬ 
pared ready to spawn by the time the pieces are ready, 
and we at once transfer a part of the spawn to it, gene¬ 
rally using all the broken, small, and refuse pieces at the 
bottom of the heap; they are all equally good as the best 
lumps, only not so portable. After our store lumps have 
become pretty dry, we put them away in a loft, taking 
care that no frost or damp gets to it,—we use it as 
we want it, and we need hardly add, that we do so with 
a no-sparing hand. But our way of making beds, &c., 
we must defer noticing until another week. 
Dried Herbs. —Although the very recommendable 
way of drying, rubbing-down, and bottling herbs of 
various kinds for use, lias been in practice for many 
years, yet there are places where the gardener is 
expected to preserve things of that sort in the bunch. 
When so, it will be necessary now to examine them 
pretty often, and unless they are in the precincts of, or 
under the influence of fire-heat in some shape or other, 
they are sure to imbibe moisture from the atmosphere at 
this damp period, and mould, loss of odour, &c., is sure 
to follow. If some clean, dry place, cannot be obtained 
for them, let them be tied in their paper-bags and hung 
up near fires of some kind. A little dust is easily 
shaken off the bags, but is not so easily removed from a 
bunch of Basil, Mint, or Marjoram, but even those 
bags will require examining at times. Camomile flowers, 
if properly dried, ought to be put tightly in ajar, and tied 
down, and set in a dry place. If hung up loosely, 
much of that aroma, so essential to their quality, is lost, 
but in all cases, where practicable, we think the plan of 
fire-drying herbs, and immediately rubbing out and 
bottling, is the most orderly, cleanly, and neatest way ; 
and the amateur, whose consumption of such things 
may not be extensive, will find it most convenient, and 
we advise our gardening friends to try their persuasive 
powers on the kitchen authorities, to have the same 
done there at the most fitting time. 
Peas. —This all-important vegetable, which is every 
one’s favourite, ought now to be sown for the first crop, 
but the proper time for so doing has been the subject of 
frequent discussion. Some cultivators, sowing their first 
crop by the beginning of November, have proudly 
pointed to their earliness after a mild winter, while the 
next season, by sowing at the same time, they perished, 
or nearly so, early in spring. The facts of the case lie 
in a nut-shell; the young plant is extremely hardy, but 
at a more advanced size it becomes less so. Now, as 
neither Messrs. Moore, Murphy, nor Zadkiel, can tell us 
exactly what sort of a winter we are to have, we must 
make our arrangements to meet one of ordinary 
severity. We have, for some years, been in the habit of 
sowing our first Peas on some dry day, between the 10th 
and 20th of November; and we have not seen any 
reason to depart from that rule. The kinds we have 
succeeded best with are 1 Varner s Early Emperor, and 
the Early Frame. Either of these (if true) we confi¬ 
dently recommend, but we intend, at some future time, 
to mention the merits and failings of others we have 
tried. It is almost needless to say, that they ought to 
have a well-sheltered south border, as we suppose, in the 
previous arrangement of crops, this veiy important one 
was thought of. Rows of about four feet are sufficient 
for these Peas, as they do not grow high, and unless the 
ground be loose and dry, do not sow deep, rather raise 
the earth or other covering above the ordinary level. 
When we sow Peas we make a broad drill six or seven 
inches wide at bottom, and level, on this we sow the 
Peas, thicker, of course, now than in summer, cover 
very slightly with a little fine earth, over that a little 
soot, and finally coal-ashes, one or two inches thick. 
The caustic properties of the soot is rather too much to be 
close to the seeds, though, when it is so, it renders 
them, to a certain extent, unpalatable to vermin. Coal- 
ashes are likewise a protection. Some people use 
chopped furze over their drills as a preventive to mice, 
and many other things have been adopted, with more 
or less success, but we advise the amateur to trap these 
little animals in their various haunts, rather than tempt 
them to his Peas to catch them; but more of this anon. 
After the Peas are sown, efface all footmarks on the 
ground, not with the rake, but with the spade, as neat¬ 
ness and order ought to reign here, as well as in the 
more ornamental part of the grounds. 
Sundries. —See back numbers as to Sea-lcale, Rhu¬ 
barb, and Asparagus. Take notice that no slug, or 
other vermin, molest the autumn-sown Carrots. Cut 
Red Cabbage for pickling, when wanted, and frequently 
look over Walcheren, and other Autumn Brocoli that is 
coming into use. Cut all that is ready. Examine newly 
planted Cauliflower that the slug does not get at them, 
if so, dust with lime. Beds of Sweet Herbs, and other 
things, will now want clearing up for the winter, and 
such work progressed with, as the nature of the weather 
and other things render most advisable. J. R. 
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 
BEES.— HOW TO TREAT A 
I have a few remarks to make, by way of supplement to 
my last letter, which, for want of space, I was then obliged 
to omit. And, first, as to what became of the glasses (see 
page G9, note), which, previous to the formation of the 
artificial stock then spoken of, had been occupied by the 
bees of my strong stock. In both there was a good deal 
of beautiful new comb, but the queen had laid several hun¬ 
dred drone eggs in each glass. The way in which I treated 
this comb, will be interesting to many of your readers, 
who have laboured under the same disappointment as 
myself. I must suppose, that the bee-owner watches the 
condition of his hives frequently, if not daily. In this case, 
Glass with Brood in it. 
he will soon detect, after a little experience, whether the 
queen has laid in the glasses or not; but those who have 
no intimate acquaintance with the habits of bees, will find 
the following a safe canon or axiom in bee economics, viz., 
that when bees begin to cluster and work comb in a glass, 
while it does not appear that much, if any, honey is being 
stored simultaneously, it may be inferred pretty surely that 
this comb-building is only going on in deference to the 
queen’s breeding wants, and, in fact, that she has actually 
laid eggs in the glass. Under these circumstances, at the 
end of four or five (or perhaps six) days, I would advise the 
removal, with a view to an inspection, of the glass. Let 
