THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 3.J 
13 
I 
so freely, and grows so quickly, it is best to have young plants, as from 
their vigour, they are less subject to the red spider. We have had flower¬ 
ing plants four or five feet in height, a twelve month from the cutting, 
but they never rested, unless for a short time in winter, when they were 
kept cool and dry, and they were managed, after being once potted, on 
the one-shift system. Old plants should not be too much cut down ; but 
even then young plants will always easily beat them. Well-drained peat 
and loam suits it. A rather close atmosphere for the plants when young, 
and plenty of the syringe; exposing them fully to the air, before autumn, 
that the wood may be hardened. 
Allotment Farming (Ibid). —These papers cannot be purchased in 
a separate form. 
Preventing Swarming {C. A.). —“ When does Mr. Payne re- j 
commend the small hives to be put on ; and is it necessary to put on more 
than one at a time on each hive, to keep them from swarming? ” Put 
the first small hive on at the end of April, or beginning of May, and 
when partially filled, place the second one between it and the stock; the 
adopting board should always be used, and in very hot weater, during 
swarming time, ventilation should be attended to ; perhaps the easiest 
and most effectual method is to put three pieces of sheet lead between the 
adapter and the small hive; it gives a little opening, but not sufficient ; 
for a bee to pass. 
Fancv Genaniums ( Lady-bird). —There are more than one fancy 
geranium called Nosegay , but they are all very fit for beds, as far as their 
constitution and flowering go. They are good bedders, but not gay or 
rich bedders. Lady Mary Fox will mix with Diadematum , but not with 
Unique. There is only one, and that not a free flower, which will do 
with Unique, it is called Moon’s Defiance. If all birds would utter such 
brief notes, and so much to the point, as Lady-bird, there would be little 
cause for “obduracy.” 
Warning to Bee-keepers {Sigma), —“ I bought a swarm in May 
last; in about a fortnight after they were hived in one of Payne’s Cottage 
Hives. I placed a ten pound glass on the top ; when that was filled, or 
nearly so, I raised it up, and placed a small hive between the stock-hive 
and the glass. When the glass was quite full, I removed it, and used 
the honey. The small hive I left on the top of the stock-hive even till 
January, when it was empty of honey ; being determined that my bees 
should have even too much honey for their winter supply, rather than 
stand the chance of losing my first swarm through over greediness on 
my own part. I placed a board before the entrance of the hive, to keep the 
winter sun off it, so as not to tempt out the bees. Thinking the bees 
were so well provided for with winter food, I only fed them once or twice 
before Christmas, until the end of January, when I began to feed. I 
filled my feeder with sugared water, but I did not find that many bees 
came into it, and, therefore, I thought the swarm had plenty to eat, and 
did not want it. About a fortnight ago, at the beginning of March, I 
discovered that all my bees were dead. On opening the hive, I found 
all the combs empty, except about twenty cells. Why have I failed ? ” 
You should have weighed your stock of bees in the autumn, after taking 
the glass of honey, and if it had not 18 or 20 lbs. of honey in store, it 
should have been made up to that weight by feeding, as recommended 
again and again in The Cottage Gardener. Sugared water has never 
been recommended as bee-food ; if that, and that only was given them, 
the disease you mention must not be wondered at. The best liquid 
food is 1 lb. of lump sugar, j pint of water, and 4 ounces of honey, boiled 
for two minutes ; and the best solid food is barley-sugar. 
Names of Plants {Merioneth). —1. Fuchsia serrutifolia. 2. Fuchsia 
Chandlerii, we think. 3. Miss Lawrence’s Rose {Sosa Lawrenceana). 
i.Billardiera heterophylla, now called Sollya heterophylla, 5. An Acacia, 
but impossible to say which from such a specimen. {Lavinia), We 
believe, from the leaves sent, that yours is Crassula obvallata, or House- 
leek-leaved Crassula. Not desirable in a good collection. Soil for it, a 
mixture of sandy loam, old mortar, brick-bats broken up into small 
pieces, and the pots should be well drained ; the plants should be kept 
upon a dry shelf in the greenhouse, as near the glass as convenient, and 
have but little water during the winter months ; but as the growing 
season advances, of course a little more water must be given. 
Hartley’s Rough Plate-glass. —Amongst many other testimonials 
in its favour, Messrs. Phillips and Co., 116 , Bishopsgate-street, have 
received the following from N. Hibbert, Esq., Munden House, Watford: 
“As far as my experience has yet gone, your patent rough plate-glass, 
which I have used in my greenhouse and vinery, answers very well; and, 
nothwitlistanding its want of transparency, there is more light in the 
house than before. ... I observed no burning of the plants, neither 1 
did my gardener.” 
Circular Pond. —A correspondent, Mr. W. S. Ayrton, The Harehills, 
Leeds, says that “for the ‘ large circular pond,’ mentioned at p. 326 of 
our last volume, nothing will be better than Periwinkle, blue and white ; 
also, London Pride will answer, but it does not wear so bright a green in 
winter as the Periwinkle.” 
Suggestion {A. B., Carlisle). —Thanks; we will endeavour to carry 
out your suggestion next week. 
Bones {E. F. M .).—'These will not dissolve in sulphuric acid unless 
broken ; a boy with a heavy hammer would soon break them into two- 
inch pieces, which would be small enough. 
Early Horn Carrots {Ibid ).—We have had a good crop of these 
sown in the middle of June, after Walnut-leaved kidney Potatoes, though 
not so large as those sown earlier. Do not transplant them. 
Garden Implements {Rev. J. F. B.). —We will endeavour to meet 
your wishes, but will wait until we see what is exhibited in Hyde Park 
and Windsor Park this year. 
Syringing Vines {M. R. C. S.). —You may syringe them with great 
benefit whilst breaking, and until the blossom opens ; afterwards it is 
best to have the air moistened, when needed, by wetting the paths. 
Gravel Splashes.— D. suggests that “ the splashing of gravel against 
a house may be prevented by a simple method, and not the least expen¬ 
sive, by laying a border of about two or three feet wide, and about two 
or three inches deep of gravel washed, so that nothing but the small 
stones remain, similar to the sea-beach shingle. No splash can come 
from gravel so prepared. The gravel or stones can be sifted to obtain 
all about one size. There will be no difference in appearance when laid 
down of gravel proper and the same so prepared. One man would pre¬ 
pare sufficient for a large house in a couple of days.” 
Bee Fumigator.— A Recent Subscriber says, “ I shall be glad to 
know, through the kindness of your correspondent B. B., what size and 
shape his fumigating lamp is made : whether it is fixed in the nozzle of 
the bellows; when used; and what kind of fungus he uses ; also about 
what time of the day he likes best to operate on the Hivites ? ” 
Gooseberry Insects {J. S., Bury). —What do you mean by Insects? 
Green-fly, or caterpillars, or Saw-fly ? Be more precise. Your Pear- 
tree shoots die of canker—it may be from old age, or it may be from the 
roots descending into a wet soil;—state particulars, for we are not gifted 
with clairvoyance. 
Rose Cuttings {Minnie). —You will have in our pages to-day the 
information you seek. 
Azalea Indica and Carnation Seed (P. A. M.). —Apply to any of 
the principal seedsmen who advertise in our columns. They will send 
the seeds by post. 
Melilotcs leucantha Seed {R. A.). —We think the only difference 
in the samples is that one is better than the other. We say we think, 
because there is so much similarity in the seeds of many of the Melilots 
that no one can discern a difference. 
Top-knots of Poland Fowls {Incubator). —Wash them with warm 
water and soap. We believe any respectable person may see the Royal 
Poultry House at the Home Farm, Windsor. Sell your fowls to a dealer, 
without advertising. 
Fertilizing Powder {A. U.F.). —Be assured it is all a quack. No 
powder applied in homoeopathic quantities enveloping the seed can by 
possibility afford sufficient manure for the future. The quintessence of 
guano would not do it, if such a preparation could be made. 
English Frontiniac {Miss G .).—To six gallons of water put three 
full pints of elder flowers picked clean from the stalks; boil it rather 
more than quarter of an hour; strain it off; then put the decoction on 
the fire again, adding 18 lbs. of lump sugar : boil it and strain it well. 
When nearly cold, put in the juice of six lemons, and the rind thinly 
pared, with 6 lbs. of raisins stoned, and a little good yeast. Beat it up 
as it works; in two or three days put it into the cask, and as soon as the 
fermentation begins to subside stop it up. Bottle in six months, and in 
doing so put into each bottle a dessert spoonful of brandy. 
Raisin Wine {Ethelreda). — To every gallon of cold water add seven 
pounds of Malaga and Smyrna raisins, let it stand sixteen days, press it 
off, and put it into a cask, let it stand open four months with some paper 
over the bunghole to keep out the dust, then add half a pint of brandy to 
every gallon; draw it off in a fresh cask before adding the brandy. 
Grape Wine. —Take six pecks of grapes, pick them from the stalks, 
put them in a tub and just break them with your hand, then add four 
gallons of water, let it stand three days, then break the grapes well, then 
drain through a sieve into a tub, measure it to see what more you want 
to make up nine gallons, well bruise the grapes in the sieve adding the 
water required, and let it stand twenty-four hours, strain it off again, 
then put it into a cask with thirty pounds of loaf sugar, keep stirring it 
and filling it up as long as it keeps working, then bung it down and let 
it stand eighteen months, after which bottle it, first rincing the bottles 
with a little brandy. If the grapes are not ripe, put four pounds more of 
sugar. 
Orange Wine. —Take twelve Seville oranges, one lemon, and three 
pounds and a half of loaf sugar to the gallon. Boil the sugar and water 
twenty minutes, and clarify with the white of an egg beat very fine, one 
white to every three gallons; put it into a tub and let it stand till it is as 
cool as new milk, then put the juice of your oranges and lemons, and 
one-third of the peels pared very thin, pour the juice through a cheese 
cloth, which leave with the pulp and pips, and tie loosely and hang it on 
a stick across the tub, so that it remains in the wine in the cheese cloth, 
for should the pulp mix with the wine you will not be able to clear it 
again ; let it stand two days in the tub, and then put it into your cask; 
in about a week put one pint of brandy to every ten gallons of wine, 
and let it stand about three more weeks before you stop it up. 
London: Printed by Harry Wooldridge, Winchester High-street, 
in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William 
Somerville Orr, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of 
Christ Church, City of London.—April 3rd, 1861. 
