August 29.] 
Forcing Flowers for a Greenhouse in Spring ( L . E. S.). If 
you would tell us what you chiefly want we should better be able to meet 
your wishes. With pits that can be artificially heated, you may almost 
have anything you like, such as violets, bulbs, geraniums, calceolarias, 
cinerarias, azaleas, camellias, &c. If you will be more precise as to your 
wants, we will endeavour to meet the case. 
Roses for Trellis (B. C.).— With the exception of Russelliana , the 
roses you mention, such as Chenedolle, Great Western, Sic., arc not 
climbing roses, but they are strong growing, and very beautiful, and will 
soon cover your arch, unless it is very high, and be more brilliant than 
climbing roses generally arc. Every rose grower will supply them. 
Stone Jars {Ibid).— These filled with hot water, and often enough 
renewed, will keep oranges from frost during the winter in a small green¬ 
house, three yards and a half square, and four yards high. In very severe 
weather use a little protection besides. 
Lilium Lancifolium (A New Subscriber). —All the varieties are 
desirable. They are quite hardy in most places. They, however, make 
fine ornaments for a greenhouse in autumn ; and for this purpose they 
should be potted shortly after they have done flowering, placing four or 
six large bulbs in a twelve or fourteen-inch pot, three inches below the 
rim of the pot, using equal portions of loam, peat, and leaf-mould dried, 
and half quantities of old cow-dung and silver sand, and kept either in a 
cold pit during the winter, or covered up with ashes or tan similar to 
hyacinths. If you obtain small bulbs, you must not expect much bloom 
tor a year or two ; bulbs, according to the size and varieties, will average 
in price from 2s. fid. to 4s.; but these matters we cannot enter into, nor 
yet to recommend nurserymen. 
Brick Pit (J.).—We suspect your heat from the dung failed, because 
you either had not enough of dung, it had not been sufficiently worked 
and sweetened, or the heat failing, you had no means of renewing it by 
linings. Less trouble will be given by using tan, because it will soon be 
sweet, and will retain heat longer than dung, unless well made. It is 
often advisable, in the case of plunging plants, to have a little tan laid 
over the surface of fermented dung. We presume you planted your 
cucumbers and melons in appropriate soil, though you speak of placing 
manure in the centre of the tan-bed. Your cucumbers may have failed 
from other causes than the want of heat in the bed, as little would be 
required. Greenhouse plants may be preserved in such a pit, but more 
by attending to coverings than to any heat the bed may retain. 
Myrtles {Clara). — We give our myrtles and pomegranates two 
month’s gentle forcing in a vinery, or, say, during April and May, and 
both flower well from July. We turn them out on the first of June. 
Scarlet Geraniums ( Erina). —Follow Aunt Harriet’s plan by all 
means ; those you refer to were intended for a particular purpose, which 
might not suit you, even if you could follow it up. 
New Ground (T. P.).—The piece of new ground attached to your 
house at Islington is likely to be of stiff earth. It will require no manure 
the first season; trench it before winter, and as the work goes on try and 
put in a few drains, two feet deep. Leave the top very rough and the 
frost will mellow it. In March, when it is dry, fork it over and over five 
or six inches deep, and if you find it stiff put a quantity of fine coal-ashes 
or sand on it, to lighten it, and after that flowers and shrubs will grow 
well on it next year. Almost all the evergreens we mentioned in former 
numbers will grow on the shaded parts. 
Weigela Rosea (C. W. 13 .). —You have done perfect justice to this 
plant; the reason why it did not bloom last spring was, that last season’s 
growth was finished too late in the autumn, and the late hard winter 
injured the tips of the immature wood, from which the flowers should 
issue. Now that you have it a yard high, and as much across, we should 
think it could not fail to flower late next spring; if you see any more signs 
of growth extending this autumn, push a sharp spade down through the 
roots, at two feet or 30 inches from the stem, that will stop it, and cause 
it to flower better. 
Double-blossomed Gorse or Furze {C. J. M.). —Plant cuttings of 
the young shoots in a shady border under a hand-light. The single- 
blossomed is best raised from seed. 
Gentianella Sowing {Ibid). —Sow in pots of light sandy loam, in 
March, and keep in a cold-pit, giving the seedlings plenty of air. They 
may be transplanted into a bed of light earth very early in the autumn. 
Racodium Cellare {Ibid). —It is very possible if this is moved from 
the ale cask to the side or roof of your cellar, that it may grow. It 
likes a mild damp air, but not a wet wall. We should put it upon a 
piece of rotten wood and fasten this to the wall. If you will refer to our 
indexes, you will find all you require about pits. We will answer your 
other question next week. 
Rylott’s Flour-ball Potatoe {W. L .).—This is a perfectly white 
potato, flattish round, deeply sunk eyes, and roughish skin. It is one 
of the most mealy and best flavoured potatoes we know. It has no pink 
colour about it anywhere. It ripens in the first week of August, but with 
us, though a good bearer, not so prolific as Martin’s Early Seedling; the 
latter, however, is scarcely so mealy or so good flavoured. We shall be 
glad to receive your promised communication. 
Bees ( G. Ambler). —If you put your neighbour’s stupifled bees, the 
tenants of two or three hives, into one, and feed them with barley sugar as 
much as they can consume, you possibly may save them. “ A Country 
345 
Curate ” (whom we know to be a good authority), says it should be done 
by the 10th of August. But try the experiment. We have given a 
recipe for barley sugar at page 55 of our present volume. Answers 
toother queries next week. 
Books on Small Farming, &c. {J. C. M.).— Farming from books 
you will find a difficulty. They give suggestions, but practice must teach 
how to carry them into effect. Ilham's Dictionary of Farming, Spooner 
on Sheep, and Cobbett's Cottage Economy , will suit you. These and 
Martin Doyle’s Hints to Small Farmers may be all had for about sixteen 
shillings. 
Names of Plants ( Subscriber, Bury St. Edmunds). — 1. Rhus 
Cotinus , or American Sumach. 2. Euphorbia Cyparissias, or Cypress 
Spurge. 3. A Veronica , probably V. spicuta , but no one could tell from 
such a specimen. 
Books (T. O .).—There is no book better than Mackintosh’s. Wait 
for The Cottage Gardener's Dictionary , which will contain all the in¬ 
formation you require. {A Young Naturalist). —Dr. Lindley’s Introduc¬ 
tion to Botany and Vegetable Kingdom, especially the latter, will best 
put you in possession of the generic characters according to the natural 
system. 
Under-hiving Bees (P. S’. B.). —This, which it appears you have 
adopted, is very bad practice ; you can never in this way have any fine 
honey. You should have placed the additional hive on the top ; room 
being given will never prevent a second swarm. Let your hives remain 
as they are until February, and then on a mild day separate them ; the 
bees will then lie found to be in the upper hives, and the honey as well. 
Had you followed the advice given in our paper, by placing your hives 
above instead of below, you might now have taken from No. 1 25 lbs. of 
fine honey, and from the swarm 15 lbs. The cast as it is will make you 
an excellent stock. 
Half-formed Bees (C.).—These which you have seen put out of the 
hive are drones not matured, which are always torn from the cells at the 
time of the general massacre. The bees on the floor board indicates its 
strength and prosperity. 
Humming in Hivf. (J. S.). —The loud humming noise in your Tay¬ 
lor’s hive during the hot days of July indicated its prosperous and 
healthy state; and when it became cooler it ceased, and the bees 
appeared reduced in number till a hot day came. It is not at all unusual 
for them to remove the honey from unsealed combs at the side of the 
hive. A prime swarm of June 12th should have done more than yours 
appears to have done. The slides were withdrawal at a proper lime, but 
the season has not been sufficiently good for them to work up into the 
box. You have done right in replacing the slides. As you will feed at 
the top begin immediately, and feed until you have twenty pounds in the 
stock box. The box with glass top must always be uppermost, and when 
a third is required it is placed between the two already full, because the 
bees will take to it more readily, being in the centre of the colony, than if 
placed empty on the top. 
CALENDAR FOR SEPTEMBER. 
ORCHID HOUSE. 
Air must now be given, but sparingly when the sun is bright, to dry 
the damp off the young pseudo-bulbs. Blocks, look to; if much 
decayed remove the plants from, and renew. Fires, light now every 
night, especially in the India house; but do not raise the night tempera¬ 
ture so high as the day by 10°. Dendrobiums, and similar plants that 
have finished their summer grow'th, remove to a cooler and drier house ; 
giving very little water at the root,—twice during the month will be 
enough. Newly-imported plants place upon logs, and keep rather 
dry and cool; vegetation must be very slowly induced, for the young and 
old shoots or pseudo-bulbs will perish if too quickly excited. Shades 
maybe almost entirely dispensed with, especially on span-roofed houses, 
facing east and west. Water, apply sparingly, even in bright weather; 
in dull sunless days give none, either in the shape of water or atmospheric 
moisture. T. Appleby. 
STOVE PLANT HOUSE. 
Air, give freely during the day, especially when the sun shines; this 
will keep the plants from spindling up, and will preserve the leaves. 
Aciiimenes done blooming remove into a cold pit; keep them perfectly 
dry, but not too much exposed to the sun. Bark-beds, where any, 
should now be renewed, and the worms and other insects found in them 
destroyed. It is important to do this now, so as to obtain a moderate 
bottom heat before winter—at that season it is dangerous. Cleanliness 
and order must be constantly attended to; the plants should have their 
leaves sponged; the pots must have all the moss and dirt thoroughly 
scrubbed oil’; the earth on the surface ought to be removed and some 
fresh put on ; and the whole of the collection should be arranged for the 
winter campaign. Autumn and Winter blooming Plants, such as 
Begonias, Gesnera sebrina, picta and oblongata, Justicias, Salvias, and 
Serieogruphis, should have a moderate supply of water, occasionally 
mixed with liquid-manure. Plants that have been set out in frames or 
in the greenhouse to harden their growth bring now into the stove 
Prune severely all straggling plants, creepers, Sic., so as to reduce their 
size and cause short branchy habit. Potting, very little needed, except¬ 
ing by very young plants of vigorous habit of growth; these pot and 
place close to the glass. Regulate the plants, so as to give all an equal 
share of light; place them thin, even if some have to be thrown away. 
Of all mistakes that is the greatest, of keeping more plants than will stand 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER, 
