THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, March IT, 1857. 417 
of Eucharis Amazonica. Native of Choco, New Granada. 
Allied to Eurycles. Flowers white. Stove bulb, blooming 
in winter.— {Ibid. t. 4971.) 
Rhododendron album ( Cream-coloured Rhododendron). 
A native of the Salak Mountains in Java, whence it was 
sent to Messrs. Rollison, nurserymen, Tooting, by their 
collector, Mr. Henshall. It bloomed in their stove during 
November, 1856. Flowers creamy white; leaves under¬ 
neath very rust-coloured from dense scaliness. It has been 
called Vireya alba. — {Ibid. t. 4972.) 
Calathea villosa, var. pardina (Villous Calathea; 
spotted-leaved). 
Native of Demerara, whence Sir Robert Schomburgk 
sent roots to Messrs. Loddiges prior to 1843. Its yellow 
flowers open in a moist stove during the summer.— {Ibid, 
t. 4973.) 
Begonia microptera {Short-winged Begonia). 
Native of Borneo, whence Messrs. Low, nurserymen, 
Clapton, imported it. Its white, pink-tinged flowers first 
opened in their stove during the December of 1856.— 
{Ibid. t. 4974.) 
ON BEES COLLECTING POLLEN. 
We are not only indebted to pollen for all our fine varieties 
of fruits and flowers, but on it hinges the existence of the 
“ vegetable kingdom ; ’’ for, without the influence of that fine 
dust in the stamens of flowers on their stigmas, the oak, as 
well as common weeds, must in time cease to exist. It is 
not, however, our wish at present to enter into this subject, 
but to notice how bees gather pollen, and for what purpose. 
From childhood we recollect the pleasing feeling at seeing 
bees among flowers with little balls on their legs, which we 
thought were to make their combs. Then we had not read 
of bees in windy weather fixing little pebbles on their legs as 
balance. This fabulous story is, of course, based on bees 
collecting pollen on their thighs as food for their larva; but 
we are not aware of any writer who has stated how it is done, 
and we have often watched bees before we caught sight of 
this process. When they collect honey from small bell¬ 
flowers, especially those of Asparagus, their bodies hang down, 
and the pollen is brushed off the anthers with their fore 
feet amongst a series of strong, curved hairs on their hinder 
legs. When the little baskets are full the contents take their 
round shape, for no pollen adheres beyond the edges. 
Bees may collect pollen from other sorts of flowers by 
some peculiar motion of their legs similar to the jerking 
movements of the Rose-leaf-cutter bee, when among the 
stamens of flowers, to make the pollen adhere between the 
series of strong hairs under its abdomen. 
Humble bees gather pollen the same way as the hive 
bees do; but we have to note a curious squeaking sound 
they make, especially in single Roses. We doubt, however, 
whether this proceeds from their mouths or from the move¬ 
ments of their legs obstructing the air holes under their 
wings; but it is certain that hees do not always collect pol¬ 
len when amongst flowers, therefore it cannot be alleged that 
the curved hairs on their thighs act somehow like traps, 
without the will of the insects. 
Bees’ bodies often get dusted with pollen, but we are doubt¬ 
ful if ever they afterwards clean themselves by removing it 
into their thighs. They certainly enter the hive, and issue 
out again like “ dusty millers.” The hive bees deposit the 
balls of pollen by placing their abdomens close to the mouths 
of the cells, and with their fore feet rub it off into them, 
pressing the store firmly down with their hinder ones. The 
stored cells are in the brood combs in the heart of the hive, 
but in very hot weather pollen is often deposited in honey¬ 
combs; therefore, when extracting or parting these, great 
care ought to be taken not to mix them, for a very small 
portion of pollen will give honey a bad flavour. 
In spring bees collect pollen as eagerly as they do honey, 
and the Sallow’s “ downie buds ” are among the first to afford 
a rich supply. This shows the necessity of having it fresh, 
and is rather against the charge of bees storing up too 
much. On this point we have to say that a well-provisioned 
hive contains about an equal quantity of both stores; but 
in winter bees cease in a great measure to rear brood, and, 
of course, use but little pollen. At this time they draw 
closely together, leaving a great part of it in the combs 
exposed, by which it turns mouldy. This is also at variance 
with the opinion of some of our best apiarians, and even 
once our own—that bees mix honey with pollen, or “ bee- 
bread,” to preserve it. Connected with this we have to 
mention that bees are blamed for not clearing out the old 
pollen, but “ allowing it to accumulate for years, filling up 
the brood cells.” As regards this we are doubtful, at least 
to the full extent; for when bees take possession of old 
combs they clean out the cells, and the floors of healthy 
stock are often dusted with crumbs of old pollen in spring. 
If this was not the case how could hives be productive for 
ten or twelve years ? Indeed, we question if pollen was as 
valuable as honey whether such a charge would h ave been made 
against bees; and we have now only to remark that there 
seems little chance of supplying them with pollen by way of 
feeding; yet we have a faint recollection of being told by the 
late Mr. Payne, who wrote from his own practical knowledge 
in these pages, that he once observed his bees scooping out 
pollen from old combs in front of his hives. That was cer¬ 
tainly contrary to their usual habits, for when bees happen 
to drop fresh pollen at their doorways it is left to be trodden 
under foot: not so the least drop of honey.— J. Wighton. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
WALTONIAN CASE. 
“ I have put up one in my greenhouse, warmed with a gas 
jet, the fumes being carried off by a pipe. I can maintain a 
heat of 70° to 75°. Most of my cuttings damp off. That 
probably arises from inexperience; but those remaining 
have a sickly, blanched appearance. I fear that the gas 
smell or fume draws somehow into the case, though I cannot 
smell it at all. I hope your paper will afford me the ex¬ 
periences of others. Gas is a dangerous gardener’s com¬ 
panion.”—M. D. P. 
. [Your case was anticipated last month, and the proper 
directions were then given from the practice of the original 
inventor. All that you have to do is to allow much less 
water to the bed of sand, from which more moisture rises than 
the confined air at 70° to 75° can “ take up,” and not to 
confine the air so much, by having a little air on the case day 
and night. Is the top of your cutting pots covered with 
sand ? If not, that should be attended to immediately. The 
best propagators in the London and all other nurseries are 
obliged to resort to this simple expedient to prevent their 
cuttings from damping. How much more careful, therefore, 
ought amateurs to be. But hear the history of the con¬ 
trivance in a few words. Mr. Walton never struck a cutting 
before he invented this case for himself, and through all his 
experiments in bringing it to perfection he never lost one 
single leaf from damp. Every case for the last twelve months 
has been made to the eighth of a fraction on the model of Mr. 
Walton’s own case, which he considers the best, and the 
manufacture has been all along in the hands of two men. 
A master carpenter does the woodwork, and one of Mr. 
West’s foremen fits the heating apparatus. All that Mr. West 
does to them is merely to prove them in his own greenhouse. 
Mr. Walton is a true specimen of the thorough English gentle¬ 
man, and we all know what Mr. Beaton is, the sponsor to 
the invention. Both of them know the parties who finish 
these cases to be as worthy of trust as any tradesmen can 
be, and that is intended by the latter as an answer to a 
gentleman at Leamington.] 
EVERGREEN CLIMBERS FOR A WALL. 
“ H. W. requires three evergreen climbers for a west wall 
(situation South Derbyshire), and will be obliged by the 
names of the best.” 
[The Japan Honeysuckle is the nearest to an evergreen 
climber which is worthy of a wall, and, we believe, is the 
only evergreen climber in England which is worth a west 
