THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, February 23, 1858. 
325 
are taken up : deprived of their foliage and roots, they are 
laid in rows upon the bed, and covered with about two inches 
of soil: they lie here “ to cool,” as my friend expressed it, 
for three weeks or a month; but if the weather should be 
showery, not so long. They are then taken up, and laid upon 
shelves in an open shed; every bulb is then carefully examined, 
cleaned, and sorted into sizes—the large ones to be sold, and 
the others to be again planted : all that are diseased are 
burnt, that the malady may not spread to the others. 
Except in rare instances, no artificial mode of propagation 
is employed with Gladioli, Tulips, Crocuses, or any of the 
smaller sorts of bulbs. The best way with the Gladiolus is 
to plant it out, and allow it to remain for some time undis¬ 
turbed.— Karl. 
PLACING THE SWARM IN THE STOCK’S 
PLACE. 
In reply to “ B. and W.’s ” request in your paper of January 
the 19th, on the result of placing the swarm in the situation of 
the old stock, I beg to state that I have practised it more or 
less the last ten years, but have never gained such advantages 
by it as I could have wished, although I have tried every 
method I could invent of treating swarms on this plan, to make 
them stronger; but have never, in one instance, so benefited by it 
that would warrant me to recommend it generally. One thing 
I can safely assert, that swarms so managed I always found to 
be more rife with drones, than when treated in the usual way. 
In 1854, I bought five straw hives for swarming; and, con¬ 
sidering them rather small for throwing swarms to suit my 
purpose, I thought I would try the old plan over again of 
putting the swarm in the place of the stock ; but I can assure 
“ B. and W.,” that every one of them threw off seconds, and 
two of them thirds. Nevertheless, I paid a visit to an Apiarian, 
last week, who commenced bee-keeping in 1824, and who has 
figured pretty often in the prize list at our honey exhibitions. 
After passing a few remarks on the state of our hives, I asked 
his opinion on the placing the swarm in the situation of the old 
stock. He said he had practised it thirty years ago, but could 
say little for or against it, as he had never gained much ad¬ 
vantage by it in strengthening his swarms, but had always 
found a greater abundance of drones in swarms so treated; 
therefore, he had given up the practice a number of years ago. 
Such is my experience of “ B. and W.’s ” system, although 
I never saw it mentioned but by W. B. Tegetmeier, in the pages 
of The Cottage Gardener, and latterly in the “ English 
Bee-Keeper,” by a Country Curate, which I procured since ; 
and must say it contains many valuable hints on bee manage¬ 
ment, and would strongly recommend bee-keepers, and those 
who are about to commence, to procure a copy of the “ English 
Bee-Keeper,” as they would find therein, hints on practical 
management, to have a greater combination of profit along with 
pleasure, than perhaps they have been ( in the habit of prac¬ 
tising. 
As “B. andW.” appears to be interested in the proposed 
British Apiarian Society, and having a desire to see such an 
affair started myself, I would strongly recommend Apiarian 
Societies generally for the exhibition of honeycomb ; and by 
giving prizes for the best specimens, I am convinced that bee 
management would make more rapid strides for five years to 
come, than it has done for twenty years past.—A. Ferguson, 
Stewarton. 
SENDING TREES AND SHRUBS TO 
AUSTRALIA. 
I doubt not many of your readers and contributors,, in¬ 
cluding Mr. Beaton and the Editor, have long since despaired 
of the fulfilment of my promise relative to the living plants , 
which were sent out to my order in Tasmania some two years 
ago, under Mr. Beaton’s directions. The fact is, that from 
the time of their arrival, in July, 1856, up to July, 1857, 
when I left the colony on my return to England, I have 
been in constant expectation of a summons home. I, there¬ 
fore, postponed, from month to month, my intended com¬ 
munication on the subject to The Cottage Gardener, m 
the hope that I might soon be able to write from this side the 
globe : besides which I was desirous of giving some informa¬ 
tion relative to the success, or non-success, of the experiment, 
and not merely to announce the arrival of the plants. 
I now hasten to fulfil my promise, which 1 cannot better 
do than by extracting the following notes from my garden 
diary, with comments :— 
“ 6th July, 1856.—In the morning came the two boxes of 
‘ living plants,’ expected from England.7th. Assisted by 
the gardener, I unpacked one of the cases [containing, among 
other plants, varieties of Rhododendron, Azalea, and Erica. 
This was] at about 10 A.M. A fine sunny morning, after 
sharp black frost, which had nearly disappeared [as is usual 
in the Tasmanian winter, by about 10 o’clock]. There was 
little or no appearance of mildew, although the soil (sandy), 
about the plants was moist. The greater portion of the plants 
appeared quite dead, the bark rotten; although the heart of 
the stems was fresh and green, in many instances. The 
following were immediately thrown away •*' while the follow¬ 
ing! were taken out with more or less symptoms of life. 
Some had shoots of two or three inches long, weak, and 
colourless. These plants were mostly pruned down close to the 
roots, and planted out the same morning, being exposed as 
little as possible to the air. A few trees [duplicates] were 
put in a half-spent hotbed under glass ; the rest in the open 
ground [in virgin soil that had been cultivated in former 
years], but sheltered from rain, frost, and the prevalent winds, 
by a pent-liouse of corrugated iron facing east [not the east of 
an English climate], and covered with Fir branches and old 
blankets.” 
Box No. 2 was opened early in the afternoon of July 7, 
and the morning of J uly 8. On opening this case it appeared, 
at first, in a much worse condition than case 1. There was 
much mildew, of a pale green colour, covering the stems of 
many of the shrubs, and trees, and labels; so that many of the 
latter were rotten, and difficult to decipher. Yet there weie 
more plants alive in this case than in No. 1; mostly, however, 
consisting of forest trees, and shrubs with less tender stems. 
All the Ericas, most of the Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Spiraeas, 
and Lilacs; and all the Pines, Firs, Cedars, Cypresses, Cis- 
tuses, and Larches, were dead and black. Some had evidently 
quickened, and put forth shoots during the earlier part of 
the voyage. Those which survived the voyage, and were 
planted out, are the following; % those which were thrown 
away were labelled thus. || 
Of those which were planted out, two or three of the Rho¬ 
dodendrons and Azaleas put forth shoots in spring; also a 
Virginian Creeper, two varieties of Spirsea, two Iyrus Ja- 
ponica, two Lonicera flexuosa , one Aucuba Japonica, three 
varieties of Holly, one Laurus noUlis , one Berberis aquifolia, 
one English Oak, two English Maples, two Horse Chestnuts, 
two Hornbeams. Those in italic did not survive the summer; 
the latter were at rest, and, I believe, alive, when I left the 
colony. All the others perished. 
It remains to be said (as every one who reads the above will 
conclude for himself), that the experiment was an entiie 
failure- except, only, that it proved some trees and shrubs will 
survive the torture of a four-months’ Australian voyage, 
treated as these were. I cannot help expressing the dis¬ 
appointment which I experienced in finding that Mi. Beaton s 
plan, as detailed some years ago in The Cottage Gardener, 
was not that which had been tried, as I wished; but I pre¬ 
sume it must have had a trial on some former occasion, and 
^*1° cannot conclude without one word of self-gratulation at 
finding myself once more on English soil, and communicating 
with The Cottage Gardener ; its old Editor being alive, 
and I hope, well; with many of the old familiar names 
around him. Being now a country rector, I cannot subscribe 
myself, as heretofore, “A Country Curate,” but must now 
content myself with another signature—B. & W. 
[If “B.and W.” mean “Back and Welcome,” we cordially 
acknowledge the truth of the contractions.— Ed. C. G.] 
[It thus appears that February is too late to send plants to 
Australia, or anywhere that way. Consignments sent in 
* Those marked a in the accompanying catalogue; which is the 
identical list sent to me by the Messrs. Low, of the Clapton Nursery, 
who bestowed much care in the packing of the plants. 
° Marked b. X Marked r. II Marked d. 
