GO 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
GRAFTING GERANIUMS. 
A few years ago I grafted a number of Geraniums, and 
now enclose you a note of all I recollect about it. All the 
scions took at once, with the exception, singularly enough, 
of two or three variegated sorts, as in your case. They were 
done in the cleft manner, when the stock was growing strongly, 
but before flowering-time; say about now, or a little later. 
The stock was cut back to where the interval between the 
joints might be about an inch and a half, t. c., not too close 
to the region of crowded basal buds, or too far into the less 
organized and longer jointed part. The stock was cut oft’ 
just above a leaf, which was retained as a vitality pump till 
further orders. The scion was of wood, still more short- 
jointed, and of that degree of maturity when a faint tinge of 
brown was just stealing over its green youth. Its nose was 
nipped off, to inculcate patience and preserve discipline. It 
was then inserted, bound and clayed, kept shaded and 
syringed whenever I came within shot of it. The claying 
I found necessary, the cleft method not, as the leafless side 
of the split stock invariably perished, and the common 
splicing method is easier and as certain The scion will now 
go through all the phenomena of a cutting, the leaves will 
keep green awhile, unless by your fault, and will fall off as 
the process of granulation commences, then swell the buds, 
and the heart of the propagator, and a good growth made in 
a few weeks from the graft, which will flower strongly next 
season. I have done them, however, at several seasons; one, 
I remember, in September. You, as a practical man, best 
know that the state of the plant is of more consequence than 
the day of the week in these matters. Seedlings make the 
best stocks. One of these run up to two or three feet by 
rich growth; and pinching out of laterals makes a beautiful 
standard plant, grafted with six or seven sorts, the second 
year, when you have formed a head to receive them. 
Thorneycroft. 
[We are at all times glad to receive such practical com¬ 
munications, and shall be right glad to hear from you when 
and as often as you please.— Ed. C. G.]. 
WINTER CONSUMPTION OF BEES. 
I have seven stocks of bees, five of which have been fed 
during the past month (March) ; the loss is as follows :— 
No. I. l£tb. and 3.[lb. food, Mr. Golding’s syrup. 
„ II. 1 lb. not fed. 
„ III. 2Jlb. and 2|lb. food, Mr. Golding’s syrup. 
„ IV. l^tb. and 2£tb. food, ditto. 
„ V. 1 lb. and 2jrlb. food, ditto. 
„ VI. 3£tb. bees placed (7tli August last) in 
empty hive, and fed. 
„ VII. 21b. and l|lb. food, Mr. Golding’s syrup. 
The bees fed have consumed more food than those notfed. 
The stocks fed on prepared food in autumn, have consumed 
more food than those left with their own honey. No. II. 
was not fed in autumn or this spring. No. V. was not fed 
in autumn. 
How do you account for this ? No. II. now weighs 20,|fb. 
Have I, by feeding, put the bees into a too active state, or is 
No. II. in a bad state? B. B. 
[It does certainly appear that,by feeding, the bees have 
been put into a “ too active state,” and, therefore, they con- 
i sumed more food than they would otherwise have done. 
! No. II., I should consider in a very healthy state; but that 
may be ascertained by standing a few minutes beside the 
j hive on a sunny day, and if pollen is carried in freely, they 
are in a prosperous state.—.1. H. P.]. 
GUTTA PERCHA MEMBRANE. 
I enclose you a sample of “ Gutta Percha Membrane,” 
1 and liave to suggest an idea or two in reference to its 
applications for some gardening purposes. I find much 
useful matter in your pages relative to grafting, budding, 
&c., and it occurred to me, that the material alluded to, 
would, on account of its firmness, elasticity, semi-transpa¬ 
rency, and impermeability to wet, be peculiarly adapted for 
such operations; it also occurred to me, that it might be 
usefully employed in the stove or greenhouse, whenever 
syringing was resorted to, for the covering over plants or , 
[April 24. 
individual Jlowers, which might otherwise require removal 
during this operation. The material, you will perceive, is 
very thin and light, and the price moderate ; mine cost me 
Is 4d per yard, and the width of the piece is about twenty- 
seven inches. I have no doubt it might be had at the depots 
of the Gutta Percha Company at a less price, as I had mine 
at “second hands.” The purposes for which, at present, it 
is used here, are in surgery, for “ water dressing ” of wounds, 
&c., also by dress-makers and bonnet-makers, as an inter¬ 
vening material to prevent the soiling of the fabrics by per¬ 
spiration ; tlie material hitherto used for these purposes is 
the “oiled silk,” which is more expensive, and this circum¬ 
stance alone causes the latter article to be superseded by 
the other. 
I would suggest that in grafting, budding, Ac., a strip 
of the membrane be “torn” of the width required (for 
it tears readily lengthwise), and begin by closely wrap¬ 
ping two, three, or four times round the branch operated 
upon; cut oft’ the superfluous portion, and wet with mineral 
naptha the end of the strip which is round the branch, after 
which, tie round with twine until it is dry, when the twine 
should be taken otf again. As these are “ mere hints, un¬ 
accompanied with practical experience,” any farther than 
simply concerns the nature of the material itself, I merely 
give them in hopes to hear of some one trying the experi¬ 
ment. 
We have a climbing rose in this neighbourhood (rather 
a gigantic one too), called, from the person who raised it, 
the “ Blair Rose.” It was obtained from the seed of a re¬ 
markably large fruit, or hip, and the tree raised from it 
surpasses all others in the neighbourhood for a noble 
appearance when in flower, and is very generally admired; 
the season’s shoots are twelve feet or more in length, and it 
is easily raised; the flowers are of a purplish rose colour. 
—W. L. 
[We accept your offer of a cutting with thanks.—E d. C. G.] 
MATERIALS FOR DRAINAGE. 
I see a correspondent recommends cinders for pot-drain¬ 
age; such a make-shift has been recommended in Harrison’s 
Florticultural Cabinet some time since. We use a great 
quantity of drainage here, and our practice is, in bad wea¬ 
ther, to collect all the pieces of bricks, tiles, and crocks, 
and beat them small with a large hammer. We then take 
a fine sieve and sift away the dust; we then sift it through 
a sieve with \-inch mesh, and thus have tw r o samples of 
drainage, fit for every purpose, always ready. We find this 
answer for every kind of plant better than any other, ex¬ 
cept charcoal. We often mix a small quantity of this with 
the mould, for plants that require extra drainage, and judge 
that it answers well by the healthy appearance of the roots. 
—C. C. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
To All our Correspondents. —We are delighted to hear from you 
all as often as you need information, and no amount of labour thrown 
upon us wearies us, so long as we know we are useful; hut in return you 
must be patient and courteous. You must not, like our friend Ivy, get 
red in the face and black in the pen because our replies do not come quite 
so soon as either you or we could wish. We answer you all as soon as 
we can give the best procurable information, because, not being “ up to 
everything,” we have continually to seek better counsel : this causes 
delay; and this, added to occasional deficiency of space, and our printing 
; arrangements, renders it impossible for us to reply to any one before our 
second number after a question arrives. 
Conservatory, &c. (J. J. B., Birmingham ).—It is impossible, with¬ 
out seeing the spot, to form a safe judgment of the somewhat compli¬ 
cated affairs about which you write. It is by far the safest course in such 
cases to employ a professional man, and the extent of your case, together 
with the possibility of “ sinning in haste and repenting at leisure,” will, 
we think, justify our opinion. We will, however, speak to a point or 
two: if we understand your first plan, the stable and vinery will be pre¬ 
sented to the drawing-room window. No stable in front for us; it is 
astonishing what faults occur this way, leading to afterthoughts derogatory 
to the scheme, yet necessary. Your stable will require to be hid, and 
planting, or some contrivance adopted at variance with that freedom of 
lawn which is one of the most important elements of the otium cum 
dignitate. Your second sketch looks better, and we think that a ridge 
and furrow roof, a Paxtonian one, might be carried continuously through 
both conservatory and vinery, presenting a uniform frontage elevation, 
from which, in the case of the vinery, a slant roof might be made to rise 
until it meets with the shed behind. Our space will not permit us to go 
into working plans. 
