( 250 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, January 19, 1858. 
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study of botany which afterwards distinguished him. Having 
passed his medical examinations, he entered into the service ot 
the East India Company, being appointed Assistant Surgeon 
in 1820, and serving with various regiments until the begin¬ 
ning of 1823 ; being, during the time, stationed in the Hima¬ 
laya, where he had great opportunities afforded him ot study¬ 
ing, not only the plants of that district, but of the whole 
empire. In 1823, he was appointed Superintendent of the 
East India Company’s Botanic Garden at Saharunpore, a 
position which gave him the largest possible opportunity for 
studying the indigenous flora of Hindostan, and which po¬ 
sition he retained until the close of 1831. In the spring 
of 1832 he returned to England. The result of his labours 
was given to the world in a magnificent work, entitled “ Illus¬ 
trations of the Botany and other branches of Natural History 
of the Himalayan Mountains, and of the Flora' of Cashmere. 
This work was published, in folio, with plates, in 1833, and at 
once gave to the author an European reputation as a botanist. 
In this work Dr. Rojle gave the result of his researches into 
the medical properties of a large number of plants, as well as 
the history of drugs used in Europe, whose origin was un¬ 
known. In 1837 he published an essay “ On the Antiquities 
of Hindoo Medicine,”—a work displaying much learning and 
research. On the opening of King’s College, London, as a 
medical school, the knowledge of drugs and plants possessed 
by Dr. Royle pointed him out as a fit person to hold the chair 
of Materia Medica, a position which he filled till the year 
1856. Whilst lecturing on this subject, he published his 
“ Manual of Materia Medica,” a book which is now used as 
a text-book on the subject in medical schools. His extensive 
knowledge of the natural history of India made him a valu¬ 
able contributor to the periodical scientific literature ; and he 
was a contributor to “ The Penny Cyclopaedia,” and Kitto’s 
“ Dictionary of the Bible,” and other works. He took an 
active interest in promoting a knowledge of the material 
resources of India; and in 1840 produced a work which, per¬ 
haps, will be read with more interest now than when it was 
published, “ On the Productive Resources of India.” During 
the period of the Russian war, Dr. Royle drew attention to 
India as a source of the various fibrous materials used in the 
manufacture of cordage, clothing, paper, &c., by a lecture 
delivered before the Society of Arts in 1854. This lecture 
was afterwards expanded into a valuable work “ On the 
Fibrous Plants of India,” which was published in 1855. In 
the preface to this work he announced that he was employed 
in a general work on “ The Commercial Products of India,” 
which, we believe, has not yet appeared. Dr. Royle was a 
Member of the British Association for the Advancement of 
Science, at whose meetings he often read papers, tw r o of 
which deserve especial mention—one “ On the Cultivation of 
Cotton,” and another “ On the Cultivation of Tea in the East 
Indies.” He took an active interest in the last subject; and 
his efforts have been attended with complete success, as tea, 
rivalling that from China, is now r produced in abundance in 
the Himalaya. For a short tune he held the office of Secretary 
to the British Association for the Advancement of Science. 
He took an active interest in the development of the plan of 
the Great Exhibition of 1851; and the success which attended 
the exhibition of the Department of Indian Products was due, 
in a great measure, to his efforts. He was a Fellow of the 
Royal Linnsean and Geological Societies; and at the time 
of his death held an appointment in connection with the East 
India Company in London.-—( Athenaeum .) 
RESULT OF PLACING THE SWARM IN 
THE SITUATION OF THE OLD STOCK. 
Your correspondent, W. B. Tegetmeier, referred, at page 
414 of the eighteenth volume of The Cottage Gardener, 
to my advocacy in your pages, some years ago, of a new mode 
of treating swarms by placing them in the situation of the 
old stock. During my absence in Tasmania I have had such 
repeated assurance of the advantage of this plan, that I am 
more than ever disposed to recommend it for general adoption. 
I do not pretend to say that it never will fail: but I believe, 
that the advantage of its success, in the majority of instances, 
will be found (as I have found it), to more than counter¬ 
balance the loss by occasional failure. Have any of your 
other numerous correspondents given the system a fair trial ? 
and would they, or Mr. Tegetmeier, favour us with their 
experience on the subject ? I purpose doing so myself, as I I 
have leisure, with your permission. Indeed, I have a small | 
tract in MS. on the subject of cottage bee-keeping, which j 
contains the result of my seventeen years’ experience. If you 
will allow it to appear in your pages, I shall be happy to place ! 
the MS. at your service. Nor shall I grumble if it be severely 
handled by your apiarian savans, as my only object is to 
serve the interests of apiarian science. It may ultimately be 
reprinted from the pages of The Cottage Gardener, for 
cottage distribution, i.e. } after it has been ten times corrected 
by public opinion, and revised accordingly. 
What is to be done regarding the proposed British Apiarian 
Society ? As you have done me the honour to quote at length 
the preface to my “ English Beekeeper,” * at p. 15 of the last 
volume of The Cottage Gardener, by way of recommending 
the contemplated Society to the support of apiarians, I cannot , 
but feel personally interested in the matter.—B. & W., late j 
“A Country Curate.” 
[Right heartily do we welcome your return to “ Old 
England.” We have a list of those willing to support an 
Apiarian Society.—E d. C. G.] 
MILDNESS OF THE WINTER- 
FLOWERS. 
■N ATI YE 
As an example of the mildness of the season, I send you a 
list of the plants flowering in my garden, in the open borders, 
December 31, 1857 :— 
Potentillas, 
Sweet Scabious, 
Coreopsis lanceolata, 
Rose Souvenir de Malmaison, 
Chinas, 
Phoenix, 
Geant des Battailles, 
Glome de Rosamene, 
Baron Prevost, 
Stenactis speciosa, 
Tradescantia—double, 
Yellow & White Everlastings, 
Coronilla glauca, 
3) 
5) 
Veronica Hendersonii, 
Pyrethrum—double, 
Primroses, 
Violets, 
Fuchsia, 
Antirrhinums, 
Pentstemons, 
Linaria—annuals, 
Polyanthuses, 
Anemones, 
Vittadenia lobata, 
Jasminum nudiflorum, 
Common Marigolds. 
Your correspondent “ W. E.,” who writes at page 168, m 
The Cottage Gardener, has set his foot in a right direction; 
and a few more contributions on our native British plants are 
very desirable. I grow the double Ranunculus Jic aria; also 
the single white ditto, Cardamine pratense pleno , Caltha 
palustris pleno, Geranium pratense pleno , Lychnis dioica alba 
plena , Lychnis Jios cuculi pleno , Silene maritima pleno , double 
wood Anemone, as well as the single of these, and some others— 
all interesting in a garden devoted to hardy herbaceous plants ; 
and Ave, cottage gardeners, want yet more information on this 
subject.—S. P., Rushmere ) near Ipswich. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
LINING FOR HOT-WATER TANK. 
tc Will you kindly inform me, whether you ever use zinc 
lining for hot-water tanks; or, if you think it would answer F 
“ When I put up my greenhouse, and forcing house, about 
two or three years since, following your kind suggestions at 
the tune, I made a brick tank, and lined it with Portland 
cement. This leaks, when the water is hot; and nothing I 
have done, benefits it. I, therefore, propose to fine it with 
zinc, or lead; but thought I would ask your advice which ot 
the two you would prefer; as I do not know which Avould 
bear the expansion and the contraction best. I suppose, if 
lead be used, three or four pounds to the foot would be quite 
heavy enough, as it would rest on the cement and brick. Zinc 
would, I suppose, be cheapest.”—G. W. 
[We have not the slightest recollection of the suggestions 
to which you allude. It is very needful to give the page, 
* Itivingtons, London. Now published at a cheaper rate. 
