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THE COTTAGE GARDENER 'AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October 13, 1857. 
and natural circumstances as well. Now, this rule is 
equally, if not more applicable in the planting of large 
trees or shrubs; and consequently, as natural results 
differ in some degree as well as artificial, it follows 
that auy difference effecting the greater amount, or 
eighty per cent, proportion of success, must have greater 
weight in the ultimate result than any ordinary alteration j 
in the lower figure, that is, in the twenty, or portion j 
under the command of the cultivator. 
I know this mode of reasoning is likely to meet 
with much opposition, and I am far from asserting 
that my calculations are correct ones. All I want to 
affirm is that the season, situation, and other cireum- j 
stances of a natural kind have more influence on the | 
well or ill-being of a crop or plant than anything the 
cultivator can do, and in no case is this exemplified 
better than in the planting of large trees and shrubs. 
A Stuart may plant large trees in Dumfries, Cumberland, 
or Lancashire with a success which he would look for in 
vain in Kent, Essex, or Suffolk, although he might even 
take more pains in the latter districts. He would find 
the comparative dryness of the climate of these places, 
which, though useful enough in the ripening of grain 
and fruits, afford him little assistance in repairing the 
injury done to a large tree by removing it, although, if 
left alone where it was, the same climate would very 
probably have assisted it to perfect a growth unequalled 
by anything of its kind in moister districts. That any 
one locality should be favoured with all the benefits of 
all the others united is at variance with the all-wise 
arrangements of Providence. So to expect success in 
everything in one place is as unreasonable as finding 
fault with that equitable arrangement so beautifully 
carried out in everything else. J. Robson. 
HIBISCUS GRANDIFLORUS IN THE OPEN 
BORDER. 
Hibiscus grandiflorus is here perfectly herbaceous. It has 
been here for twelve or fifteen years, and has never had any 
protection whatever. It flowers beautifully, hut has no 
chance of maturing seed out of doors. It usually com¬ 
mences blooming early in September. The price at which 
we sell it is 2s. 6d. per plant. It has just followed the large 
flowers of Amaryllis Ion gifolia, and now bears company with 1 
all the varieties of Hibiscus Syriacus, Crocus autumnalis, Tri- 
torna uvaria, Sternbergia hi tea, Ac. — W. Upright, Hill 
Nursery, SoutHampton. 
[Mr. Upright sent, at the end of September, four heads of 
this magnificent herbaceous American plant from the open 
ground. We never saw finer or richer flowers in the 
family. There were two varieties of it. The old grandiflorus 
itself is of exactly the same tint as the Belladonna Lily, ! 
and the opening across these flowers was full five inches, j 
The variety is of a deeper tint, and is blotched with crimson 
on the edges. The flowers on each shoot open two, three, 1 
or more at a time, and the rest come in succession as in the i 
Mallow. The way to bloom this beautiful plant north of ! 
London would be to take it up with a ball like a scarlet 1 
Lobelia, to keep it from the frost, and turn it out at the end i 
of spring, supplying it very abundantly with water in June, j 
July, and August. In a late season, if the frost came early, ! 
it could be lifted as easily as a Pompone, to bloom or finish i 
its blooming indoors.] 
SMALL BEES. 
Since our last notice of small drones we have paid further 
attention to the subject, and now state with confidence that 
dwarfs of both workers and drones are bred in their own 
cells; that is, in the small ones on and near the edges of the 
combs. Many of such cells are of a size to cramp the larva 
to produce dumpy bees, and others are only mere embryos 
of cells. Perhaps it was from seeing dwarf bees that Huber 
was led erroneously to class working bees in two divisions, 
“ wax workers and sculptors,” when the difference was only 
iu their size. The following note also, which we had from I 
Mr. Moore, of Stretford, near Manchester, shows that small j 
bees are sometimes bred iu new combs as well as in old ones. I 
He says, “ The hive from which I obtained the small drone 
is a new one of this summer, consequently the combs are 
new, none of the cells diminished by the remains of previous 
occupants, and not another hive within twelve yards. I 
inclose you a small.worker from the same hive, also a few 
specimens of Cousin Johns or Fiddlers (we call them here 
Sink bees), so that you may see them side by side of the 
small drone, when, I doubt not, you will see a striking 
difference.” When we said that the small drone which Mr. 
Moore kindly sent us might pass for a large Fiddler we 
were quite aware of the difference between that insect and , 
the hive bee; but, as one kind is as large as a common 
drone bee, it would have been better if we had said a small 
brown one. Our meaning, however, could not be mistaken; 
and we may note that the whole race of those stingless 
insects are not so round and plump as bees, especially in 
their abdomens, which do not contain open pockets or seg¬ 
ments for the secreting of wax like those of bees that are 
bred in cells, whose wings are each divided in two, while 
“ Sink bees’ ” wings are whole like those of flies. Still they 
seem to have more power of flight than bees, for they will 
dart past one and suddenly stop with a pleasant hum, and 
fly off again like an arrow.—J. Wighton. 
NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 
Rhododendron Windsorii (Windsors Rhododendron). 
Found by Mr. Booth at an elevation of from 7000 to 0000 
feet in the Bhotan Mountains. Flowers crimson, blooming 
in June.— { Botanical Magazine, t. 5008.) 
Uroseinnera spectabilis {Showy Ure- Skinner a). 
So called in honour of G. Ure Skinner, Esq., already 
pantheonised in Skinveria. It is a soft, stout, stove herba¬ 
ceous plant, grey with close hairs, and somewhat Gesnera- 
like. It belongs to the Natural Order Scrophulariacete, and 
to Didynamia Angiospermia of Linnaeus. Its flowers ave 
pale violet-coloured, iu close, stalkless, terminal spikes. It 
is a native of Western Mexico.— {Ibid., t. 5000.) 
Etigynium acuminatum {Pointed-leaved Epigynium). 
This is also known as Agapetes and Thibaudia acuminata. 
It belongs to the Natural Order of Whortleberries, and to 
Decandria Monogynia of Linnanis. It is found at elevations 
of from 3000 to 4000 feet in the mountains of Sylhet. It 
is a shrub, averaging three feet in height. Flowers scarlet, 
in corymbs.— {Ibid., t. 5010.) 
Dendrobium crepidatum, var. labello glabro {Slippered 
Dcndrobium, with glabrous lip). 
Native of Assam.— {Ibid., t. 5011.) 
Agapetes buxifolia {Box-leaved Agapetes). 
Native of elevations of from 2000 to 3000 feet in the 
Duphla Hills, on the eastern frontier of Bhotan, bordering I 
on Assam. Introduced by Mr. Nuttall. Flowers tubular, I 
scarlet. It is a small bush.— {Ibid., t. 5012.) 
Meyenia erecta {Upright. Meyenia). 
Native of the western coast of Africa. Discovered near 
Capo Coast Castle by Dr. Aogel. It is a lax-growing shrub, 
though trainable upright, about four f*et high. Introduced 
by Messrs. Rollisson, of Tooting Nurseries. Flowers purple, | 
with yellow tubes. It belongs to the Natural Order Acan- 
thaceie, and to Didynamia Angiospermia of Linnams. 
Blooms in June and July.— {Ibid., t. 5013.) 
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