18G 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, December 22, 1857. 
way separating the shelf from the central bed for the plants; 
I and the shelf being some three feet from the level of the path. 
| By means of three or four whes strained longitudinally at 
equal distances between the shelf and the ground, so many 
shoots from the same plant of Ciseus as covered the end 
division, were trained along these wires, each from thirty feet 
and upwards in length ; and thus these shoots, being so near 
the pipes, and having but little, if any, direct sunlight, were 
clothed with foliage, which for size and beauty we have never 
seen equalled. The shoots thus trained, presented a beautiful 
fence, wholly concealing the pipes beyond them, if you should 
choose to look down for them. 
Salvia splendens. —“ I took great pains with this plant; 
struck cuttings in April; potted them off when struck ; stopped 
them to make bushy; kept potting on and on to make a large 
specimen ; and yet, by the time the plant was in bloom, the 
most of the leaves had fallen, pud the rest were covered with 
red spider. What was the reason ? ” Neglect of watering at 
times; neglect of a free use of the syringe. The plant feeds 
like a glutton. A hot sun beating against the pot, a drying 
of the roots in hot weather, will produce the results of which 
you complain. The easiest and the best way to manage such 
specimens is the following (and in several establishments we 
have seen beautiful plants full of flower well supplied with 
nice healthy green foliage so managed) :—Strike about April; 
pot off when struck; top when rooting freely; pot again if 
necessary; by the second week in June turn out into a rather 
rich border; water well at the root; and repeat when necessary ; 
syringe over head freely in an afternoon ; and if there be some 
sulphur water in the liquid, and even clear soot water, all the 
better. Train out the plant with little sticks as necessary, so 
that all the main shoots may have room. By the middle of 
September ease the plants on one side with a fork, and water 
them. In a few days do the same with the other side ; and 
by the first week in October lift them carefully, and transfer 
them to larger pots in loam and leaf mould. Water, syringe, 
and, if possible, plunge the pot in a decayed hotbed where 
there is still a little heat. Shade, syringe; and, in a week or 
so, the roots will have recovered their equilibrium: and in a 
fortnight or so you will have plants whose foliage is as rich 
as the flowers are gay. 
PUTTYING BETWEEN THE LAPS OF GREEN¬ 
HOUSE GLASS. 
“ Would The Cottage Gardener inform a * Constant 
Reader,’ if it be considered better to putty between the laps 
of a greenhouse ? Her’s is unputtied ; and both rain and soot 
beat m upon the plants.” 
[In your case, it would be best to putty the laps. In 
general, where the slope of the roof is rather steep, so that 
the water passes off freely, and the lap is from one-eighth to 
one-quarter of an inch wide, we prefer the laps to be open.] 
FEEDING A WEAK HIVE. 
“ On weighing my box of bees, I find combs and all (after 
deducting the weight of the box itself), weigh barely ten 
pounds. They only, from first to last, this season, filled a ten- 
inch cube box; and I suppose I took too much of this small 
quantity away. Can you tell me how I am to feed them, i.e., 
whether by continued supplies at intervals during the winter, 
or by a large quantity P And if so, how much, once for all ? 
Is it too late to add another stock to the hive, so as to 
strengthen it ? ” —Tyro. 
[\ on ought to have ascertained the condition of your stock 
in feeptember. It is far too late now to attempt a union with 
another iamily. Any bee author, at all practically acquainted 
with the‘subject, would have directed you properly. Your 
stock could never have been a thriving one, or it would have 
made a little provision for the future. Of the little which was 
' collected, you have improvidently appropriated to yourself the 
greater part, without first making yourself acquainted with 
the actual state ol matters. It is never advisable to administer 
food to bees in winter, as a general rule, and still less to give 
i ar tificial substitutes lor honey; but, perhaps, under the cir- 
j cumstances you had better watch the opportunities of fine 
days in the early spring, and endeavour to place supplies 1 
within the hive, without exposing the family to the influence 
of cold and damp. You must not, however, bo very much 1 
disappointed, if all your efforts should be ineffectual in rc- i 
storing your stock to the 7ieedful state of strength and j 
health.] 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Flowers for a Grave. (./. Green ).—You will find this question 
answered in No. 424, p. 98. 
Removing Phloxes. (7F.il/. 77'.).—March is the time'for removing j 
them. See what Air. Appleby said about soil for Phloxes last week. ! 
We shall be glad of the list, with particulars as to colour, height, &c. 
Insects (Jr. Smith ).—They are not Aphides, but a species of Scale, | 
(Coccus). Spirit of turpentine, or a paint made of soft soap, glue, and , 
clay, will kill them. 
Name of Pear. (J. B .).—It is the Beurre diet: and if you consider ! 
the specimen sent only middle-sized, the large Pears must be very fine, j 
Names of Plants (B. C. T .)—It is Sericographis Ghiesbreghtiana. I 
The insect you complain of will be killed by dipping the plants into 
water heated to l/iO°, or by sponging them gently with water of that 
temperature: it will not hurt the plants. (II. Coventry). —Your j 
Fern in Polypodium alpestre. ( ll r . Outer, Teignmouth). —We cannot 1 
tell from your specimen ; send us a root of it. 
Span-roofed Greenhouse (A. I ).).—We have no doubt but that the ; 
house will answ er ; but we would, for the sake of strength, prefer that 
the four corners should be posts, live or six inches square. We can 
hardly answer as to the brickwork, so much depends on the circum¬ 
stances. But, supposing that a rod would swallow up 45U0 bricks; and 
these w ould cost, when laid out of the cart, 80a. per thousand, or more; 
this would mount up nearly to 71., without mortar, labour, &e. The 
best mode is to decide on the thickness of the wall; and then, for a : 
certain space, you can easily see the bricks that would be necessary, and 
contract accordingly. Circumstances.are so different, that statistics are 
of little use. 
IIexacentris Mysorensis ; Tecoma Velutina. (An Old Subscriber). 
— We cannot assign the cause of the IIexacentris dying at the points. 
The insects in the second case would cripple the plant, but would 
hardly be sufficient to kill it. They should be washed off. It strikes us 
the house has not been warm enough. The Tecoma velutina we do not 
know. We should hardly expect flowers next season. We w ould cut 
back the two shoots that are now' proceeding from the main stem at the 
height of eight feet, in spring; and take tw T o or more shoots from the ; 
buds next summer, giving them every encouragement in the way of ' 
growth and sunshine. Towards autumn refrain from watering, that 
the shoots may be well ripened. Remove the points in winter; and 
every well-ripened bud will be likely the year following to produce a 
short shoot with flowers. These afterwards may be spurred, or long 
sboots grown at pleasure. If we hear of a better mode, we will be sure 
to chronicle it. > 
Cactus Epiphyllu.m Truncatum. (The Clodhopper).— This plant 
flowers most frequently in November and December ; though often 
it blooms twice in the year. You may graft at any time; but spring 
w’e consider the best. No grafting is easier. Scrape off a little of the \ 
bark ; or, rather, cut off a little of the scion, so as to give it a wedge- ■ 
like shape; insert it in a cleft of the stock; stick a wooden pin through; 
and tie loosely with matting. 
Protecting Ranunculuses (South Ilall). — You do not say what 
kind of Ranunculuses you are cultivating. Are they the Turban \ 
varieties? or are they the florists’ named sorts? The Turbans are 
nearly, if not quite, hardy; and a slight protection of Moss or Fern 
placed about them will be* sufficient. But if they are the florists’ (or 
named) sorts—the planting season of which is February or March— 
then you must arch the bed over with hoops, and cover them with mats 
or canvass whenever there is the least appearance of severe frost. , 
Should that weather continue, you must double, or even treble, the t 
thickness of your covering. Only take care to remove the coverings 
every mild day. Too close and long-continued shelters are almost as 1 
injurious as no coverings at all. On the surface of the soil, under this 
covering, place around the plants some green Moss. It acts as a non¬ 
conductor of cold, and shelters the plants very much. Of course, early 
in spring let all covers be removed; and the ground between the rows 
well trodden down to make it firm and close—a great point in the 
■ culture of these flowers. . 
Gastronema Clavatuji (77'. J. 77'.)—Instead of the beautiful Gas- 
tronema c/acatum from the Cape of Good Hope, you received a South 
American bulb, which represents the white Crocus in Peru, Buenos 
Ayres, and Calcutta, namely, the Amaryllis Candida ol the “ Botanical j 
Register,” the Zephgranthes Candida of the “ Botanical Magazine,” j 
and the Argyropsis Candida of some botanists; standing provisionally , 
between Zephgranthes and Cooperia. It. is as hardy as the Scotch 
Crocus; and flowers “off and on,” for five months in the year in the ; 
open border. Your greenhouse treatment forced it to make more 
bulbs, and kept it from flowering these many years : but plant it out 
now, as we have done the bulb you sent, and it will soon return to its 
free habit of blooming. The flower of Gastronema clavatum is not i 
much bigger than this, but is wider in the mouth, as white in the ground j 
colour, with six broad crimson bands up from the throat to the edge, at 
equal distances. If you could get this Gastronema and Cgrtanthus 
striatus, which has the bands of yellow on a reddish ground, and a 
greenish mouth to the tube, the two would give the prettiest seedlings 
you ever saw. 
Esperione Grate (An Amateur growing Grapes on Mr. Hoard’s 
■plan ).— Many thanks. Mr. Beaton would be obliged by your address ; 
and he would call on you, if spared, next September, to see your crops. 
