April 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
41 
a yard above it; the whole then covered with the soil 
thrown out. Glasses, with the cottager, are out of the 
question ; a few sticks, however, may he put round 
and over them, and a mat, or any old cloths or sacks, 
thrown over them at night for a wliile. If he can 
get a strong plant or two of the ridge cucumber from 
some gardener, it will he well to plant that at one 
end; for general purposes, however, we think the 
ordinary gherkin should he his aim: here he will he 
less likely to fail. 
It will soon be time to make a trench for celery , 
for the cottager should grow it as early as he can. 
Half-a-lmndred plants will he as many as lie ought 
to indulge in, for this is a sheer luxury; they more¬ 
over require much manure. 
Parsley. —We hope plenty of this useful herb has 
been sown; if not, let some be put in immediately; 
perhaps as an edging to some compartment. 
Seed Beds. —Under this head will come the vari¬ 
ous greens necessary, not as principal crops, hut in 
order to supply any gaps which may occur during 
the season. The first thing we would name is the 
Swede. A small bed should he sown at all times, in 
case the drill-sown crops should fail. Some, indeed, 
prefer transplanting as a system, hut we do not. 
These should he sown a week or more later than 
those in the drills; for it is better for the drills to wait 
for the plants than the plants to wait for the drills. 
We have known, in numberless instances, great 
stalky overgrown plants transplanted in a dry time, 
after potato crops; and they have always proved a 
partial failure. Such plants, too, require severe top¬ 
ping ; and our rustics generally cut every vestige of 
leaf off', leaving nothing hut a few hare sticks, with 
a prematurely formed bulb at the end : this is carry¬ 
ing abuse to its very limits. Swedes in the seed-bed 
should have the scythe passed lightly over them as 
soon as they become rather gross, merely topping the 
leaves. This checks their growth slightly, and, by 
admitting more light and air, prepares the plant lor 
the vicissitudes it may have to undergo. Lettuces .— 
A good bed may he sown directly; no more need be 
sown until the beginning of July, or they run too 
fast to seed. Cabbages .—We have before advised 
the cultivation of the dwarf kinds, the spring-sown 
ones are now up. No more need he sown until the 
second week in June. Sow a good breadth then, and 
a few more at the end of the month. 
General Maxims of Culture. —We need scarcely 
say, do not suffer weeds to choke the young crops. 
Endeavour to pick the weather for this operation. 
One hour’s lioeing in dry weather is worth a whole 
day’s work of the kind in damp weather. If the sea¬ 
son continues damp, hand-weeding must, in many 
cases, be substituted for the hoe; and when the hoe 
is used, the weeds should lay a day to slay, and then 
be distributed with an iron rake. Above all, do not 
allow any weeds to seed. Take care to draw plenty 
of soil to the stems of all greens, cabbages, &c.; en¬ 
deavour to cover most of the stems. Use deep cul¬ 
ture in the centre between all drill crops, but apply 
the hoe with caution near their stems. The tap- 
rooted crops will, however,be an exception: we con¬ 
sider deep hoeing near to their stems beneficial when 
the plant has become strong and the thinning out is 
completed; such will destroy a few of the side forked 
fibres, and induce them to go deeper in quest of food. 
PLANTS DESERVING CULTIVATION. 
Intermediate Ertostemon (Eriostemon interme¬ 
dium). —This plant is absurdly named “ interme¬ 
diate,” because equally resembling two other species 
of the same genus. It is a native of New South 
Wales, and is a beautiful plant in the greenhouse 
during the winter and early spring months. Its 
flowers are white, tinged with pink, and very abun¬ 
dant. It requires to be grown in a well-drained soil 
of turfy peat, mixed with a little sand. Watering 
must be carefully attended to in the summer; and 
to make it bushy, the leading shoots occasionally 
shortened. “ It may be propagated by cuttings under 
a bell-glass in bottom-heat, or by grafting it on stocks 
of Correa alba."—(Botanical Mag., tab. 4439.) 
Lovely Gompholobium and Shaggy Gompholo- 
bium (G. venustuvi and G. hirsutum ) are both natives 
of the Swan River Settlement, flowering for the first 
time respectively in this country in the years 1845 
and 1847, at the nursery of Messrs. Knight and Perry, 
King’s-road, Chelsea. The first is purple-flowered, 
and the second yellow. The first is a twiner, but the 
second shrubby. They both require good drainage, 
and a soil composed of equal parts sandy heath 
mould and light loam, with the addition of a little 
sand.—( Paxtons Mag. of Gardening and Botany.) 
Choice Kennedya ( Kennedya eximia). —This is a 
greenhouse climbing plant from the Swan River. It 
flowered here for the first time in 1846, at Messrs. 
Knight and Perry’s. The flowers are crimson, and 
open in May. “ A light loamy soil, mixed with an 
equal quantity of heath lnoidd and a portion of sand; 
frequent potting to prevent the roots becoming matted, 
and good drainage, are the three important requi¬ 
sites.” It is increased by cuttings when the wood of 
the shoots is half ripe. Plant these in sand, with a 
little bottom- beat.— (Ibid.) 
Densely Flowering Lobelia. (Lobelia densiflora). 
This is hardy, or nearly so. Flowers bright blue, 
appearing in October. Bloomed in 1848 by Messrs. 
Knight and Perry. It is easily propagated by dividing 
the roots, and will thrive in a light rich soil.— (Ibid.) 
THE BEE-KEEPER’S CALENDAR,— May. 
By J. H. Payne, Esq., Author of “ The Bee-Keepers 
Guide!' 
The most interesting as well as the most active 
month in the apiarian’s calendar has now commenced; 
food for his little favourites abounds in every direc¬ 
tion, and no fear need now be entertained of famine. 
The population of the hives will have increased con¬ 
siderably, and drones, by this time, are making their 
appearance, which proves that the stocks are in a 
healthy and vigorous state, and should be a subject 
of congratulation to every bee-keeper. “ Early drones 
early swarms ” is a maxim the truth of which every 
experienced apiarian is well acquainted with. To my 
very great surprise I saw drones from one of my 
strongest hives on the 17tli of March, (and in con¬ 
siderable number every fine day since that time,) five 
weeks earlier than I ever before observed them. In 
1825, they made their appearance as early as the 25tli 
of April, which until this year was the earliest time 
of my ever having seen them. The thermometer 
stood here, on the 17th of March, .at 60°. 
To those persons who are managing their bees 
upon the depriving system, the time will now have 
arrived for supplying each stock with a small hive, 
box, or bell-glass; and should the season prove a 
favourable one, the supply also of a second may be 
found necessary before the end of the month. 
Method of placing the bell-glass, box, or small hive 
upon the Improved Cottage Hive. —Take the moveable 
