418 
wide, which slightly covered the surface of the ground, 
rigeons’ and Fowls’ dung was scattered on the second 
division, in the same quantity and in the same manner; the 
third had rotten dung; the fourth had lime ; and the fifth 
division was without manure ; they were all dug in between 
three and four inches deep. Those grown on the Pigeons’ 
and Fowls' dung were the best, most luxuriant in growth, 
and of a very deep green colour. The others, on the char¬ 
coal, came next in size and appearance; and next, those 
grown on the ground manured with rotten-dung; but in the 
divisions with lime, and without manure, there was but 
little difference either in growth or foliage, and that was 
against the lime. 
Onions are sown in drills ten inches apart, by which the 
hoe can be easily used between them, to keep down weeds 
and to stir the soil. In a continuance of very dry weather, a 
mulching of short grass between the rows will answer the i 
useful purposes of keeping down 'weeds, preventing evapora- I 
tion, and materially assisting the growth of the crop. 
Parsnips are to be sown the early part of the month. 
The ground best suited for them is of a rich, open, or sandy j 
texture, trenched two feet deep. If sea weed can be conve¬ 
niently procured, by mixing it with the trenching an in- 
creased produce will be the result; or, as a substitute, salt, 
in the proportion of a peck to four yards square, will repay 
the expense. Salt operates as a stimulant, which excites 
the absorbent vessels into greater action than usual; it 
increases their growth by enabling them to take up more 
nourishment, and to perform their circulations and secretions 
with greater energy. Salt is also destructive to grubs, and 
a protective against frost; for in soils where it is used plants 
suffer less than in others where its preservative influence is 
unknown. The seeds to be sown in drills made six inches 
deep and one foot apart; the soil to be pulverized, to cover 
the seed slightly ; when the plants are three or four inches 
high to be thinned to six inches apart, and as they increase 
in size the soil to be drawn up to them, lly the frequent 
stirring of the soil in earthing them up an ascending 
growth of the root is produced, and the admission of the . 
atmospheric influences so beneficial to vegetation will much 
assist the size of the whole root. 
Potatoes.—T he main crop should be got in during the 
month. The experiments that I have tried with different 
manures for the cultivation of the Potato would be too pro¬ 
lix to detail here. Suffice to say, that the portion manured 
with wood-ashes produced the greatest quantity and best j 
quality. 
The analysis of Potato tubers contain in 100 parts— 
Carbonate of Potash, with a little Chloride.. 53 - G 
Phosphate of Potash .. .. .. .. 17-0 
Sulphate of Potash .. .. .. .. 13‘5 
Silica .. .. .. .. .... -5 
Earthy Phosphates, with traces of Carbonate 1 . 
of Lime, Magnesia, and Oxide of Iron .. j 
Water .. .. .. .. .... 4- 
100 - 
The Potatoes manured with soot were entirely free from 
the attack of grubs. Each trench was cut out about five 
inches deep, the manure was strewed along the bottom, 
slightly covered with soil, and the Potatoes, middle size, 
and whole, planted upon it nine to twelve inches from set 
to set, and from two feet to two feet six inches from row to 
row, being guided in the distance by the natural growth of 
the haulm. 
The Brcad-J'rnit, Shaws, and York Regents, are good sorts. 
The Kentish Goldfinder is a good productive sort, mealy, 
but of a yellowish colour. 
Planting Potatoes with a long dibble, which is very gene¬ 
rally adopted, I consider a bad plan, as the pressure of the 
instrument hardens the soil of the hole through which the 
young, tender roots cannot penetrate so freely as in dug 
trenches. The sets to be exposed to the greening process, 
that is, to sun and air until they become green, and to be 
occasionally procured from a distance ; as I have seen Asli- 
leaved Kidneys grown for many years in the same garden 
until they became misshapen monstrosities. 
Cabbages. —The Vanack, Filche's London, and Battersea, 
sown about the middle of March, and transplanted about the 
beginning of June, will be fit to cut in September and October. 
'3 
February 27. 
Peas. —The Auveyne produces, in favourable weather, 
an abundant succession of gatherings; height five feet. 
Thompson's Pea is a prolific sort; height, one foot-and-a- 
half, and bears the whole crop at once. Either one or the 
other, or both, may now be sown. —William Keane. 
THE APIARIAN'S CALENDAR.— March. 
By J. II. Payne , Esq., Author of “ The Bee-Keeper's 
Guide,” <tc. 
Tiie Weather. —Little can be done in the Apiary during 
the present state of the weather; those persons -who are 
fortunate enough to have a few stocks left after an almost 
unknown succession of bad seasons must watch them with 
unwearied diligence during the present and following 
month. 
Feeding. —Feeding must be carefully attended to; give 
honey in the combs where obtainable, where not, give barley- 
sugar. 
Snow.—M y own bees have been confined to their hives 
thirty days, snow being upon the ground for that time. I 
am well aware of the ill effects of so long a confinement, 
but had they their liberty the case would be much worse, 
for the sun shining on the snow induces them to fly abroad, 
the snow then appears to attract them, and when they alight 
upon it, it is to rise no more. Where persons are so in¬ 
cautious as to omit confining their bees during snow, the 
ground in front of the hives on a clear, sunny day, may be 
seen studded with bees dead and dying. 
Bees in Confinement. —I hoped to have given some 
account of the state of my bees after their long confinement, 
but that must be deferred till next month, for they have 
not yet had their liborty, nor is there any prospect for it at 
present. I expect, however, that those in straw hives will 
be found to have suffered least, although those in boxes 
have been well ventilated. 
Examination. —Immediately upon the disappearance of 
the snow, every hive should be carefully examined, and 
clean floor-boards supplied wherever the least dampness is 
observed. 
CONSUMPTION OF FUEL IN THE ROYAL 
BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW. 
My attention was lately directed to an advertisement 
of Messrs. John Weeks and Co., which is calculated to 
convey very erroneous notions of the consumption of 
fuel in our Palm-liouse ; and, if true, showing ns to he 
guilty of a most extravagant and urnjustifiable use of 
the public money. 
The object of Messrs. Weeks is to prove “ the ex¬ 
traordinary efficiency and economy of their heating 
apparatus,” and that, in their establishment at Chelsea, 
“ it does more work with one boiler than is done by 
twelve boilers in the great Palm-house at the Royal 
Gardens of lvew.” Then he proceeds to draw the fol¬ 
lowing comparison :— 
1. THE HOUSES AND PITS AT MESSRS. WEEKS AND CO. 
Measure in length . 1,000 feet 
Superficial feet of surface covered. 13,480 ,, 
Surface of glass exposed to the atmosphere. 16,000 ,, 
Length of pipe to heat the whole . 5,000 ,, 
Fuel consumed in twenty-four hours during the winter 
months, at a cost of 3s. per day.3 sacks of coke. 
The boiler requires attention only once in twelve hours, and then but 
for one hour ; thus occupying a man but for two hours out of the twenty- 
four, at a cost of say 8 d. per day. 
2. THE GREAT PALM HOUSE, KEW, 
Measures in length. 355 (we reckon 362 feet) 
Superficial feet of surface covered.... 23,900 „ 
Surface of glass exposed to the atmosphere 42,200 — wc say 45,000 ,, 
Length of pipe to heat the whole 15,000 feet—we 
say 17,158, besides 1,0/6 feet of tank. 
Fuel consumed in twenty-four hours during the winter 
months, being two parts coke and one part coal, at 
a cost of 4/. 1 6s. per day . 7*- sacks. 
The boilers, twelve in number, occupy the whole attention of two 
men daily, at a cost of say lOs. per day. 
It should here he observed Unit, ill the above cal¬ 
culations—inaccurate as we know them to bo as concerns 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
