April 1. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
11 
he may take his handkerchief, and strike them in all direc¬ 
tions with impunity. In return, they will only buzz about 
f the head for a short time, as much as to say, “ Why will you 
| not let us feed in peace ? ” and then be off. Even the wasp, 
much more vindictive than the bee, will not act on the 
: offensive under the same circumstances. 
Bees arc not so apt to sting women as men; the dress 
has probably something to do with this. There is a notion 
that they take dislikes to particular people ;* this is oftener 
| the effect of fear than any other cause, as they are sure to 
tind out if any one is afraid of them. When a bee seems 
inclined to sting, the party should stand perfectly still, or 
retreat very slowly to the shade of the nearest tree or bush. 
Necessity seems sometimes to deprive the bees of their 
usual instinct. In one of the cold ungenial autumns of 
1888-39, the bees had little honey in their hives. There 
was a great deal of wall-fruit, and the bees attacked it in 
the same predatory manner as their enemies the wasps, 
particularly the plums and peaches. I never observed them 
do so when there had been a good honey-gathering year, so 
that it seems to be a matter of necessity altogether; for 
I well remember the last time that 1 observed the bees busy 
at the wall-fruit, a great many bees were killed by bee¬ 
keepers, which were found full of brood, and not above two 
or three pounds of honey, at the end of August. At this 
time I observed the bees busy at the ripe peaches and plums. 
GAS-TAR WALKS. 
In your last volume, page 99, I perceive Mr. Fish has 
been using gas-tar for garden-walks. I had thought it so 
common an article for that purpose, that I supposed you 
and all your readers well acquainted with its Use, but from 
Mr. Fish’s method of using it, I see that he has not used it 
to the best advantage, therefore I take the liberty of send¬ 
ing yon a few particulars, which I have picked up from the 
experience, not precisely of myself, but of men who have 
made a great deal of the article, and are well acquainted 
with all the different methods of making it. 
It is a very common material here (Derby), and still more 
so at Nottingham, where they not only use it for foot-paths, 
but for horse-roads, and where they have arrived at the 
greatest perfection in laying them down; and it is their 
method of doing so that I shall describe, which is this :— 
The materials are gravel and gas-tar. The gravel for foot¬ 
paths must be the common tine gravel used in gardens, with 
as little dust amongst it as possible. This must be procured 
some time before it is wanted, and laid under cover, and 
turned occasionally, to get it as dry as possible, which is the 
great secret in making a good road. Fine weather must be 
chosen for mixing, when the gas-tar is to be mixed with the 
gravel in just sufficient quantity to give every pebble a little, 
and no more; and this can only be accomplished by well 
mixing and turning about, and doing only a small quantity at 
once. This is the second great point. The third is, heavy 
pressure when laid down, the road having been previously 
well rolled or rammed, so as to have a solid foundation. It 
may be laid on from two to three inches thick, according to 
the traffic, and a little line gravel sprinkled over, to give it a 
fresh and pleasant appearance. It should be rolled occa¬ 
sionally until set, which, if the two first points are carefully 
attended to, will be very soon, say, in favourable weather, in 
about a fortnight. It should not be attempted in frosty 
weather, as it is certain to fail in making a good and level 
road. 
For horse-roads, larger gravel may be used; and that 
would be improved by being broken as for a common 
Mac Adamised road; ashes are to be avoided, as they and 
the fine dust of gravel absorb the tar, and during a, hot day 
t he road is swimming with tar, in consequence of the ashes 
giving out the tar again. This also is the case when there 
is too much tar used in mixing. 
When the road is made good, there is no end to the wear 
of it as a foot-path. We have one at the factory that has 
been in use for six or seven years, with 400 or 500 hands 
passing over it from four to six times a day, and also all the 
coals and ashes consumed and made on the premises. It is 
* They certainly dislike any one in a strong perspiration. 
now as good as it was when first laid down, but it will end 
its existence very shortly, as we have already cut up part to I 
let in the water-pipes, and in consequence of an alteration in 
the road it will have to be raised. We shall lay gas-tar down 
again when we do it. 
There is an objection against its being used to much ex 
tent as a horse-road, as horses are so liable to slip on it. At 
the factory we are always obliged to spread fine ashes when 
wc do any carting, as it is worn so smooth by the people’s 
shoes that the pebbles are quite polished, and the horse 
slides about as if he were on ice. 
A good road will bear sweeping like a wooden lloor. Our 
road at the factory has been generally swept out every day 
siuce it was made, which is a great recommendation as a 
garden-walk. No water ever can go through it, nor will 
weeds or worms penetrate. The latter have a decided [ 
objection to the gas-tar. In these respects it is quite equal 
to Mr. Beaton’s concrete walks. It is only inferior to them 
as a horse-road. 
Gas-tar costs here 2d. per gallon, buying an odd gallon, j 
but if any quantity is used, they charge l§d. The Notting- , 
ham people charge from 9d. to Is. per yard for the road laid 
down, while flag-stones cost from 5s. upwards, according to 
the thickness, and are no better in any respect. 
If I can gather any more information on this point you 
shall have the benefit of it, if you think it likely to be useful 
to your readers. A. M. 
[Press of matter alone has delayed the insertion of this 
useful suggestion. We shall be glad of any additional in¬ 
formation now that the walk-making season has arrived. 
—Ed. C. G.] 
METHOD OF CURING NORTHUMBERLAND 
BACON. 
I have often been astonished that the manner of curing 
Northumberland bacon, which has now gained much and 
deserved celebrity, has never been, at least not to my know¬ 
ledge, made known through the medium of the many works 
and periodicals which are devoted to the advancement of 
domestic economy. Trusting that the same may be accept¬ 
able to many of the readers of The Cottage Gardener, 
and also within the province of that most excellent paper, I 
will endeavour to explain the process; with the expectation 
that my fellow cottagers may be benefited thereby, which 
is my sole inducement in writing on the subject. 1 may be 
induced in a future paper, should I find it acceptable, to 
give an account of the most economical way of cooking and 
preparing the many good things termed “ offal,” attendant 
on the slaughtering of a cottager’s pig, as practised thus far 
north; for the cottagers, as is well known, in this county 
have long been renowned for their industrious habits, good 
household management, and the tact of making (lie best out 
of everything relating to domestic cookery. To confine 
myself at present to the curing of the bacon, I may com¬ 
mence by informing my readers that the hair, or bristles, 
are all scalded off, though in Hampshire and some other 
southern counties it is burned off, which is said to be one of 
the principal reasons why Hampshire bacon is renowned for 
its excellence ; but this I cannot judge of, never having the 
good fortune of tasting or comparing the two kinds together, 
though I have compared it with Irish, Cumberland, and 
other bacon, and found it far superior. 
The pig, after being killed and hung about twelve hours, 
is then considered to be fit to be cut up, having then got 
cooled, though this I consider not at all necessary, for 
many prefer it slightly warm in the inner parts of the flesh, 
than too stiff and cold, when occasioned by frost, as the salt 
does not then penetrate the flesh so well. After the pig is 
cut in two, down the middle of the back, the whole of the 
ribs arc then taken out, together with the backbone; the 
sides are then considered ready for salting, which is done by 
turning each with the skin side uppermost, and rubbing 
them well with the hand, or, what is perhaps better, with 
one of its ears, with the hair on, for about six or eight 
minutes, or until the salt begins to melt, or liquefy, on the 
skin; the side is then turned over, and a slight rubbing 
given to the flesh side ; the flitches are then considered to 
be fit to put by for curing. They are usually laid on some 
