THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, November 18, 1856. 110 
about the beginning of January. I should like to get a 
small book on the culture of Vines generally. What would 
you recommend ? We have insects in the Vinery; I believe it 
is scale. What is the best thing to get rid of the pest? and 
what would be likely to have brought it there ? The houses 
have been built nearly three years. Three Camellias were 
brought there that the scale was on. Would it be likely to 
have been from them?—A Constant Reader.” 
[The best works on the Vine that would suit you were men¬ 
tioned the other week — take the last one named. If the 
roots of your Vines are in the outer border, the drier you can 
keep it the better, by means of tarred canvass-cloth, wooden 
shutters, thatching, concreting it, &c.; and by the 1st of 
December put litter on it by degrees, so as to increase the 
heat in your border to 60° before you have much tire inside. 
There can he no question that the Camellias brought the 
scale with them. You would have acted better if you had 
burned them. You will have to wash the Vines repeatedly 
with strong soap-water, containing in it a little tobacco, and 
then paint them well with a paint of sulphur, clay, and a 
little tobacco-water. You must thoroughly wash every part of 
the house with soap-water as hot as may be, and scrape off 
and l’emove two or three inches of the surface-soil. You 
could not have a worse plague.] 
WINTERING ORANGE-TREES.-MOVING A LARGE 
ARAUCARIA IMBRICATA & PINUS EXCELSA. 
“ Will you kindly, in an early number of The Cottage 
Gardener, give me an opinion on the two following sub¬ 
jects :— 
“ Is there any way of keeping Orange-trees in tubs through 
the winter not in a heated house ? Is there any sort 
of structure which, not heated, would be able, with the 
aid of matting or f'riyi domo, during severe frosts, or by 
covering the tubs to some inches above the soil with tan 
or straw, to keep them; or would they be safe in a good 
stable or coach-house ? I am afraid the absence of light 
in the latter would he fatal. The stable has sash-win¬ 
dows. Hitherto the trees have been in a greenhouse heated; 
but they take up so much room that, if they could be stowed 
elsewhere, it would be very desirable. Would a sunk pit, 
with lights not higher than the usual garden-frames, covered 
in front with mats, &c., be sufficient? The trees vary from 
six to ten feet high, and are in slate tubs. 
“ Would there be any danger in moving, at the present 
time, a Finns excelsa sixteen feet high, and an Araucaria 
imbricata fourteen feet high ? and what aspect and soil, 
moist or dry , are most suitable for them?—H. M., Herts." 
[A pit sunk in the ground is the more dangerous way of 
any, and for any plants. Twist a thick hay-band round the 
stems of the Orange-trees, and up as far among the branches 
as is bare of leaves. If you use tan, it ought to be dry tan ; per¬ 
fectly dry tan is capital against frost iu-doors or under cover; 
hut damp tan is the reverse. Our own Orange-trees have 
no better accommodation than your stable would afford, 
except that there is a common fire-place at one end. Hay or 
straw is a good covering for the boxes. A hay dummy—a 
kind of truss—should be put against the bottom of the door 
outside, and a horse-cloth, or some covering, to the window 
during hard frost. The Araucaria imbricata and Pinas excelsa 
will do in any aspect; hut, of course, the warmest aspect is 
the best for all foreign trees. The most sheltered situation 
is the best for young English Oaks, and for the young of all 
trees. A dry situation is best for these Conifers, and it is 
quite safe to transplant them of that size; but none except 
good, practical hands should try the experiment.] 
PELARGONIUM PELTATUM VARIEGATUM.— 
OPHIOGLOSSUM LUSITANICUM. 
“ To-day I have met with a plant of Pelaryonium peltatum 
varicyatum —at least, I presume it is so; for its leaves are as 
truly peltate as those of the Cotyledon umbilicus, which 
abounds here (Guernsey); but, to make sure, I inclose a 
leaf for you to examine, and I shall be very happy if it 
proves to be the one you refer to in The Cottage Gardener 
for the 22nd of last April; for then I shall do myself the 
pleasure of sending you a cutting, for I obtained three. 
« 
Could I derive any pecuniary advantage from getting up a 
small stock of this variegated Pelargonium ? 
“When I was a boy I used to admire Pelargonium cor- 
datum, but have long since lost sight of it. I have in¬ 
quired after it at Kew and at other places, where they 
seemed to know nothing about it. I daresay you know 
it. I have often thought it would be much admired now 
for its prettily cordate leaves, and narrow, whitish, lower 
petals. 
“ We have Pelaryonium triste growing in the open ground 
here, and it has stood for several years. I have just col¬ 
lected some seeds of it, and think of keeping them till spring; 
but pray advise me. 
“ I have just seen a neighbour cultivating the little Opliio- 
ylossum Lusitanicum with the least trouble, under glass, in a 
common greenhouse. I inclose a specimen to show how 
well he has grown it, for there is a prejudice against it, 
which prevents any demand for it, or I should be glad to 
advertise it, for the reasons already given; and I found it. 
—Suffolk.” 
[Your plant is the true Peltatum variegatum. We know 
it to be in the hands of two nurserymen, and two more 
private growers; but it would not be a bad speculation to 
get up a quantity of it for the trade. The others are the 
old crimson and pink Zonale marginatum ; or the crimson 
may be the old dark red which made the shot-silk bed ; or 
it may be the dwarf variety called Grenvilhe, —the flowers 
only can decide. We fear the rare little Ophioglossum Lusi¬ 
tanicum is too small for the present fashion to be of much 
value as a trade plant, but you might try. The seeds of 
Pelaryonium triste should be sown as early in the spring as 
you can command heat enough. Strictly speaking, all the 
tuberous-rooted kinds should be sown in September and 
October ; but the difficulty of carrying them over our winter 
is so great, that it is safest not to sow them till the worst of 
the winter is over. Pelargonium cordatum is probably lost; 
we have not seen it or heard of it for many years. It was 
one of Linnteus’s Geranium papilionacece.'] 
STRAW HIVES v. WOODEN HIVES. 
“ Would you be kind enough to inform me whether Bees 
managed in straw hives or box hives would be most profit¬ 
able to a skilled apiarian, and which kind of boxes you think 
best for producing the best or whitest honey-comb ? Also, if 
Bees will make comb of barley-sugar, as you know they 
sometimes require feeding after swarming, should it be bad 
weather? Also, what price would good wax and honey com¬ 
mand in the London market? — A. Ferguson.” 
[It is a difficult matter to decide what kind of hives a 
“ skilled apiarian ” might prefer. The purse must often 
be consulted. It is certain that straw hives are much 
cheaper than many of the more elaborate ones of the ex¬ 
perimental and scientific bee-keeper. “ A. F.” appears to 
have an eye to profit; and, perhaps, the flat straw hives, as 
shown in Mr. Payne’s and Mr. Taylor’s books, would answer 
his purpose, where deprivation is the object. As to the 
whiteness of honey, that depends less on the hive than on 
situation and season. The price also varies much, accord¬ 
ing to locality; but the best in the comb often is worth 
Is. Od. to 2s. per pound in the London shops. Barley- 
sugar is sometimes very useful as food ; and, no doubt, the 
bees could use it as the basis of wax; but it is not so well 
adapted, under the circumstances of a recent swarm, .as 
honey would be, or even some other saccharine artificial 
mixture.] 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Ciierry and Currant-trees ( Scribo ).—The Black Fly, Aphis 
cerusi, usually occurs on wet or undrained soils, and the cure is to drain 
them. Your Currant-leaves falling at Midsummer shows that the roots 
of the tree were inactive. If the ground was parched it should have 
been watered and mulched over the roots. 
Celery running to Seed (An Old Subscriber). — The seed was sown 
too early, probably. 
Fruit for a North Wall (T. H. W.).—Morello Cherries; Mag¬ 
num Donum Plums; Uvedale } s St. Germain, Dezi d } Hei'i, and other 
stewing Pears. _ 
Hardy Clematises for East Wall (William I). Clematis 
montanu will grow fastest, and is a profuse bloomer. C. Hendersonii is 
the best blue for you in Yorkshire; and C.flammulu, the old sweet- 
scented. You might inarch other kinds on these. 
