000 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
July 
which T have hut lately adopted, and which 1 have 
never seen or heard of elsewhere, but which to me 
seems to have many and great advantages. My plan 
is first to drive a nail into the wall, and I then take a 
piece of the metallic wire, the same used for tying up 
flowers, and having formed a loop round the shoot to 
he nailed, making the loop sufficiently large to give 
the shoot full room to swell, (which at the first I was 
not sufficiently careful to do, and rather nipped the 
shoots,) I then twist the other end two or three times 
round the nail. The metallic wire is perhaps a little 
expensive at the first, yet it seems to me attended 
with as many advantages as will repay the outlay.* 
The wall is not so torn about as in unnailing; there 
is no occasion to take out the nail, merely untwist¬ 
ing the wire; the shoots are not so shaded; there is 
not the same harbour for insects; it requires much 
less time and trouble of an amateur like myself, 
and in this way is a much pleasanter operation, 
and the wall looks every way neater. What sug¬ 
gested it to me was, from my having seen some 
part of my walls had copper wires fixed to them; I 
found, however, on tying the shoots with bast, I 
could not fasten them so as to prevent them moving 
backwards and forwards; and it then occurred to me 
that the metallic wire would give a firmer hold, and 
this again suggested making use of it to fasten to 
nails, and which I now like much better even than 
the copper wire. I so much like it that, unless for 
some good reason, which I do not yet see, I purpose 
using it to my wall trees.”—8. T., Ipsu icli. 
Bee Stings —How Cured. —The only positive and 
immediate cure for a bee-sting, that I have ever heard 
of, that may be depended on in all cases, is tobacco. 
This remedy was recommended to me as an infallible 
cure; yet I had but little faith in it, still I tried it, 
and as I supposed, properly, and found little or no 
benefit from its use. I reported its failure to cure in 
my own case, to my informant, and he stated that I 
had not applied it thoroughly, as I ought to have 
done ; that he was certain that it woidd be an effec¬ 
tual cure, never having known it to fail in a single in¬ 
stance, when correctly applied. The next time I got 
stung, I applied the tobacco as directed, and found it 
to cure like a charm ! The manner of applying it is 
as follows : Take ordinary fine-cut smoking or chew¬ 
ing tobacco, and lay a pinch of it in the hollow of 
your hand, and moisten it and work it over until the 
juice appears quite dark coloured; then apply it to 
the part stung, rubbing in the juice, with the tobacco 
between your thumb and lingers, as with a sponge. 
As fast as the tobacco becomes dry, add a little mois¬ 
ture and continue to rub, and press out the juice upon 
the inflamed spot, during live or ten minutes, and if 
applied soon after being stung, it will cure in every 
case. Before I tried it, I was frequently laid up with 
swollen eyes and limbs for days; now it is amuse¬ 
ment to get stung.— Miners American Bee-keepers’ 
Manual. 
* Why not use narrow strips of very thin sheet lead ? We always 
use these strips for training to trellises.—E d. C. G. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Geranium Cuttings (Rev. I\ IF.).—Any light-soiled border ex¬ 
posed to the sun will answer for striking these. We fully intend to 
have a series of articles on the management of pigs, cows, and 
poultry, so soon as we can find those who have practical knowledge 
to write on such subjects. We shall be very glad to find parties who 
will do so. 
Rose Caterpillars (A Parson’s Wife ).—We are very glad that the 
white hellebore powder, which we recommended you to try, has proved 
efficacious in destroying the little green caterpillars which eat off the 
green surfaces of your rose leaves, leaving nothing but their nerves a 
bare skeleton. These caterpillars are the larvae of the Tentlired n 
cethiops ( Selandria cethiops of some), a small black Saw-fly, having 
black wings. 
Strawberry Tiles (J. Roberts). —As we do not know you, except 
as obliging us with your advertisement, we cannot be actuated by 
“ malevolence.” With similar propriety, you charge us, in the same 
letter, with saying what we “know to be false;” and though this will 
not influence our future judgments upon your inventions, yet it 
obliges us to request that you will never again address us upon any 
subject. 
Potatoes (A Subscriber). —The slices of your Ash-leaved kidneys 
were completely dried up, and acted as wafers to stick together the 
pages of your letter. You describe them as having a black circle in 
their centres. This is not the disease, or, as we usually term it, the 
potato murrain. The black circle, which will terminate in hollow 
centres, occurs very frequently in over-luxuriant potatoes, which yours 
seem to be, for you say the stems are “ a rich dark green, and succu¬ 
lent,” which ought not to characterize the Asli-leaved kidney at this 
season ; and you manured the ground for them. We think your 
potatoes quite available for food, and they will keep for seed if they 
have only hollow centres. Do not take them up until the stems are 
turned yellow. 
Propagating Fuchsias (J. 31., Pentonville ).—These, as well as 
myrtles and geraniums, are propagated by cuttings. A hot-bed is not 
required for striking these. See p. 147 of this volume, and the refer¬ 
ences there given. For fuchsia propagation, see Mr. Beaton’s excellent 
directions at p. 221 of vol. i. 
Geraniums and Pelargoniums (Rev. P. S.). —“Putting these 
out after flowering,” does not mean taking them out of their pots, 
but only placing them outside of the greenhouse. You should sow 
the seeds of these and of pelargoniums now, or as fast as the seed 
ripens. Geranium is such an old-established name, that every one is 
liable to apply it indiscriminately to geraniums and pelargoniums. 
They all belong to tlienatural order Geruniaceee, and were by the older 
botanists included in one genus, but later authorities have divided 
this very numerous family into three genera :— Pelargonium, charac¬ 
terized by having usually seven stamens, and unequal-sized petals ; 
Geranium, having ten stamens, and equal-sized petals ; and Ero- 
dium, having five stamens. 
Rhubarb (Ibid). —This refuses to grow, you say, in a certain 
garden abounding with wireworms. Do they attack the roots and 
destroy the plants, or do these merely continue small ? 
Garden Overflowed by the Sea (Ibid). —The overflowing 
occurred “a few years back,” yet since, the garden, a stiff clay, will 
scarcely grow anything.—All that the owner can do is to dig in annually 
heavy dressings of fine chalk, coal ashes, and river sand, throwing 
up all vacant plots into ridges during winter, and thoroughly drain¬ 
ing it. By this treatment he will have the excess of salt washed out 
from the soil by the rains. Adding sea sand, and without drainage, 
will tend to keep his soil too saline and barren. We know a garden 
near Ipswich that suffered similarly ; it remained covered with sea¬ 
water for 24 hours. The asparagus beds were improved, but many 
other things, such as the cherry-trees, were killed. The soil gradually 
recovered its former fertility. 
Raspberries (Ibid). —These being moved in the spring is the 
cause of their want of productiveness. Do not reject them on this 
account. Mulch over their roots, and water them during very dry 
w’eather. Planting two roots together would have been bad garden¬ 
ing. The fault was in not moving in the autumn. They will do 
better next year if you give them a good coat of manure, but without 
disturbing their roots in the spring. Of Calundrinia there are seven¬ 
teen species, therefore we cannot tell the names of two of w hich you 
give no other description than that they are smaller than C. discolor. 
Portulaca Splendens (Ibid). —You consider this hardy because 
you sow'ed it in an east border, near Faversham, during April, and 
the seedlings are doing better than other plants raised in a green¬ 
house and transplanted. This is no proof of its being liardy, for this 
term is applied to plants that will endure our winters. Any tropical 
plant would have lived this summer in our borders. 
Error. —At p. 102, col. 1, line 5 from bottom, strike out the 
words “ piece of.” 
Bees (.4 Young Apiarian). —You fear a third swarm issuing from 
your hive, because, when other bees are working, its tenants are 
quiet, and the hive is lighter than it was a month ago. Never mind 
these appearances; we think your stock is doing well, and that it 
will soon recruit so as to be able to stand the winter. Much of the 
loss of weight arose from the swarms it had sent off. 
Removing Gladioli (.4 Young Apiarian). —The best time to 
remove gladioli is October, When the soil suits them they flower 
every year, and may be left undisturbed for many years. G. ramosus 
is as hardy as the others, and will freely cross with G. cardinalis. 
Save some pollen from G. gundavensis, to cross G. psittacinus with, 
when it flowers. 
Lychnis Fulgens (E. II. T.). —This is propagated by cuttings 
as early in the autumn as young shoots can be obtained after the 
flower stalks are cut down. The cuttings will root in light soil under 
a hand-glass ; but, to obtain a large stock of it, a few' plants are cut 
down just before the flower buds appear in June, and the shoots cut 
into three-joint lengths, two of which are to be inserted, leaving one 
bud above the surface. If a hand-glass is placed over them in a 
shady border, they will root in six weeks, and may be transplanted 
at the end of August where they are intended to flower. 
Liuuid Manure for Meadow (S. T.). —If you wish to improve 
the pasturage, apply it now ; if you wish to increase the bulk of hay, 
apply it in the spring. Add water to it, as we recommended for 
your garden at p. 192 . 
Grapes not Setting (A Cheshire Rector). —If the vine, which 
has merely set and ripened one bloom well (bunch, we presume), 
showed more bunches which did not set, the result might be attribu¬ 
table to unsuitable temperature, to the want of ripeness in the 
wood last autumn, or to the want of a sufficient protection to the 
