406 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 25. 
daring the voyage, and render them fit for immediate 
planting on arriving at their destination ? 
At page 290 of the same volume, Darwin again remarks, 
“In passing over a hold, rocky hill, I found it covered with 
a plant allied, I heliove, to a Bromelia, and called by the 
inhabitants of Chiloe Chepones. In scrambling through the 
beds our hands were very much scratched. I was amused 
by observing the precaution our Indian guide took in turn¬ 
ing up his trousers, thinking that they were more delicate 
than his own hard skin. This plant bears a fruit, in shape 
like an artichoke, in which a number of seed-vessels are 
packed; these contain a pleasant, sweet pulp, here much 
esteemed. I saw, at Louis Harbour, the Chilotans making 
cider with this fruit. So true is it, as Humboldt remarks, 
that almost every man finds means of preparing some kind 
of beverage from the vegetable kingdom.” Query—What 
plant is it ? 
The Author of the “ History of the Mormons,” a work 
published in the series of the National Illustrated Library, 
says, in speaking of their location in the Great Salt Lake 
Valley, near California, “ The finest pastures of Lombardy 
are not more estimable than those on the east side of the 
Utah Lake and Jordan River. We find here that cereal 
anomaly, the Bunch Grass. In May, when the other grasses 
push, this fine plant dries upon its stalk, and becomes a 
light yellow straw, full of flavour and nourishment; it con¬ 
tinues thus, through what are the dry months of the climate, 
till January, and then starts with vigorous growth, like that 
of our own winter wheat in April, which keep on until the 
return of another May. Whether as straw or grass, the 
cattle fatten on it the year round. The numerous little 
dells and sheltered spots that are found in the mountains 
are excellent sheep-walks ; it is said that the wool which is 
grown upon them is of an unusually fine pile and soft tex¬ 
ture. Hogs fatten on a succulent bulb or tuber called the 
Seucoe or Seaga.se Boot, which I hope will soon be naturalized 
in England. It is highly esteemed as a table-vegetable by 
Mormons and Indians, and I remark that they are culti¬ 
vating it with interest at the French Garden of Plants.” 
Have we either of the above plants ? If so, under what 
name; where cultivated; and with what success ? The 
numerous and beautiful varieties of flowers which have 
found their way to us from California, induce the belief that 
they might be grown in England with advantage.—S. P., 
Bushmen:. 
BEES DESERTING THEIR HIVE. 
I write to inform you of a singular occurrence, which 
neither I nor my neighbours can account for; and to enable 
you to judge more accurately of the probable healthy con¬ 
dition tlie bees must be in when they deserted the hive, I 
send you below an extract from my “Bee Journal ” from the 
period of their swarming, and shall feel obliged if you will 
publish it, being anxious it should be brought to the atten¬ 
tion of the various bee fanciers and amateurs who write so 
ably in The Cottage Gardener, in the hope that they will 
study the facts as related, and observe upon the probable 
cause for such desertion, which will doubtless not only be 
interesting but valuable to the public, in enabling them to 
guard againt a future loss under similar circumstances. 
1850.—The bees in question were swarmed from a very 
healthy stock on 28 th Mag, 1850. 
June 24.—Put bell-glass thereon. 
July 15.—Heightened the hive two inches from the stone, 
to prevent their swarming, as they hung out, and showed 
symptoms, the weather being sultry, and it was deemed too 
late in the season for a swarm to do well. 
1851 : May 5.—Fed them with honey for ten or fourteen 
days, the weather being snowy, with cold winds and sleet. 
(Note. The first open summer’s day was May 13.) 
Mem.—The season was so unkind that the above never 
swarmed, nor did either of my two other hives, notwith¬ 
standing the whole face the saulh, and are in a garden and 
lawn abounding with flowers the whole of the year except just 
the winter months. 
May 19.—Lowered the hive to its original standard, to 
encourage them to swarm. 
October 24.—The above hive (which is above the cot¬ 
tagers’ size) was weighed, with the glass and small top 
straw hive affixed thereon, and the whole were 32 lbs., of 
which 15 lbs. must be deducted for the two hives, bell-glass, 1 
Ac., and the net weight will to be 17 lbs. for honey and combs, 
which was considered strong enough not to require autumn j 
feeding, and which idea proves correct, as the lower hive is j 
full of combs, and in the upper part is plenty of honey at this 
lime (March 10, 1852). The site is quite detached, and open 
to the fields and surrounding country; stands lofty, but i 
the air is pure, and not contaminated by town smoke or I 
nuisances. 
1852: March 4.—Attention having been given this month 
to supplying them with water, and not seeing the above at j 
work, as was the case only two days before with all my 1 
three stocks, which stand at a distance from each other, 
being in different parts of the lawn, but face the same 
aspect, the day being dry and the sun powerful, the hives 
and glass were taken off the stone, when five dead bees were 
all that the combs contained, and thirty-nine dead ones were 
lying on the stone, with a little scattering of wax, and not j 
a live bee was to be found, and the queen’s cells were also i 
deserted, nor was she among the dead ones remaining. 
From not swarming last year there ought to have been a 
strong one in 1852. 
Note. — The bees have not the appearance of being 
famished, and, what is still more remarkable, all the combs 
are in excellent, clean, and sweet condition, free from any 
black appearance, or any offensive smells from mould, or 
damp, nor is there any on the interior of the stone or the 
combs. There are also no severed heads, wings, or other 
parts, as would have been the case had the stock fallen a 
prey to any vermin or earwigs, and so perfect and clean is 
the interior of the hive, and well filled with comb and a 
fourth part with honey, that the glass super hive (in which 
the bees never worked, but only occasionally went up for 
air and room in the summer), is taken off, the top centre 
opening of the lower hive closed over with lead, and the bot¬ 
tom and moutb, or entrance, plaistered up ah tight (except 
what searches through the straw) and it is intended not to 
re-open it until for hiving the first swarm of the current year. 
This swarm, on finding excellent combs, and part filled with 
honey, it is deemed probable may prove such an attraction 
and assistance to the new occupants (if they take to it) as 
to enable them to form a swarm from themselves, generally 
called a “maiden swarm,” if the season proves genial for 
such an event. I omitted to say the above have been 
covered all along with a good wheat-straw hackle, made 
before the straw was thrashed, and which is perfectly sound, 
warm, and weatherproof. —Verax. 
[Our correspondent, who lives near Cheltenham, will see 
that Mr. Bayne complains to-day of bees deserting their 
hives this season more than usually; he will also see what 
Mr. Newman says on the subject.—E d. C. G.] 
POULTRY PRIZES. 
We are glad to find that the Boyal Agricultural Society, 
keeping pace with the rising attention now prevailing for 
the improvement of the tenants of the poultry-yard, have 
adopted the following Poultry Prizes, for Poultry to be exhi¬ 
bited at the Lewes Meeting in July next. 
1. Fowls. —(1). To the owner of the best cock and two 
hens of the Dorking (white, speckled, or grey), Surrey, or 
old Sussex, or Kent, £5. To the owner of the second best, 
£3. To the owner of the third best, £2. (2). To the owner 
of the best cock and two hens of the Malay, Cochin-China, 
or other Asiatic breed, £3. To the owner of the second best, 
£2. (3). To the owner of the best cock and two hens of 
the Spanish, Hamburgh, or Polish breed, £'\. To the owner 
of the second best, £2. (4). To the owner of the best cock 
and two hens of any other pure breed, £3. To the owner of 
the second best, £2. (5). To the owner of the best cock 
and two hens of any mixed breed, £3. To the owner of the 
second best, £2. 
2. Turkeys. — (1). To the owner of the best cock and two 
hen turkeys, £4. To the owner of the second best, £2. 
3. Geese. —(1). To the owner of the best gander and two 
geese, £3. To the owner of the second best, £2. 
4. Ducks. —(1). To the owner of the best drake and two 
ducks of the Aylesbury or any other white variety, £2. To 
