THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTEY GENTLEMAN, December 7, 1858, 
minding him, that both Mr. Tegetmeier and myself may reasonably 
anticipate a greater degree of success, in our endeavours to form 
vigorous stocks with bees expelled from their hives by “ driving,” 
than has attended his own experiments, in which “ fumigation ” 
has been resorted to. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
PEEYENTING MILDEW ON VINES IN A COOL 
HOUSE. 
“ I shall feel greatly obliged (and I doubt not many other 
subscribers will be equally so), if you can suggest any plan of 
treating Vines at this season (and up to the time when the leaves 
and fruit again appear), by which we can prevent mildew, or 
Vine disease, now so prevalent. In a house where I have hot- 
water pipes, I managed—by great care and plenty of sulphur—to 
keep the Vines tolerably free ; but in another house, where there 
is no heat, and also on an outer wall, where formerly I had ex¬ 
cellent Grapes,—later, of course,—there, the entire crop was this 
year destroyed. The disease first appeared about the time the 
Vine was in bloom: a few leaves got spotted with whitish 
powder (rather clammy). This extended, and then appeared on 
the small young Grapes, and also extended from bunch to bunch, 
till all wero covered. I have tried syringing with various pre¬ 
parations. I have washed every bunch with soap and water, and 
then syringed; but although this removes most of the mildew, 
yet the Grapes do not expand,—they crack and wither. Now, is 
there any remedy to be applied. to the Vine itself,—roots or 
branches ? If not, and there is no chance of the disease ceasing 
spontaneously, one had better root up the Vine, and plant afresh. 
But this involves the loss of years, and the disease may equally 
affect the new Vine. I have just heard of Price’s new soap 
to cure this disease, but want faith in its efficacy ; and I am 
sure, that, if you can point out any tried and efficient cure for 
this evil, your assistance would be highly valued by the public 
at large, especially by—A. L.” 
[Paint your Vines, stems, and branches, and the entire of your 
vinery and wall, with a mixture of lime, flowers of sulphur, soft- 
soap, and water. So soon as the Vine-buds begin to swell in 
the spring, sprinkle flowers of sulphur over the borders. During 
their growth in summer, though no mildew is perceptible, fill 
the house occasionally with fumes of sulphur, by placing some 
on plates of iron kept hot by boiling water. You can easily do 
this by many simple modes.— Eds. G. G.] 
DISEASE IN WELLINGTONIA GIGANTEA. 
“ I have several plants of the Wellingtonia gigantea, about two 
feet high, and have observed, within the last month, that some of 
the terminals of the lower branches are dead ; and several of the 
large branches appear to be dying, the bark turning brown on the 
young green branches, in patches about half an inch in length, 
and extending nearly round the bark, which must eventually 
kill the branches so effected. Have you, or any of your readers, 
observed such appearances on their plants ? Dampness cannot 
be the cause, as they are in a dry situation.”—G. T, E., Leek. 
[We shall be obliged by information in answer to this query. 
Perhaps “G. T. E.” will split one of the dead terminals. They 
may be bored longitudinally by some of the Pine Beetles.] 
ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY’S MEETING. 
The November meeting of the Entomological Society was 
held on the 1st. inst., the chair being occupied by the President, 
Dr. J. E. Gray, E.R.S., &c. Amongst the donations were the 
publications of the Natural History Societies of Vienna and 
Lyons, as well as those of the Societies of Arts of London and 
Liverpool. 
Mr. Westwood exhibited specimens of the Death’s Head and 
Convolvulus Hawk Moths, taken in Oxfordshire during the past 
autumn, and which he had set out with the legs and proboscis 
extended, with the view of displaying the characters afforded by 
those portions of the insect’s structure (which are too often ne¬ 
glected), as well as contributing considerably to the elegant and 
symmetrical appearance of the specimens when arranged in the 
cabinet. He also exhibited specimens of the workers of a blind 
species of Ant, from Brazil, allied to the African genus Anomma , 
which he had lately received from the Danish entomoligist, M. 
Drewsen. 
Mr. Samuel Stevens exhibited a number of fine Beetles, recently 
received from Celebes, where they had been collected by Mr. 
Wallace. 
Mr. F. Bond exhibited a specimen of Llama dumerilis, a Moth 
belonging to the family Noctuidce, and of such rarity in this 
country, that only a single specimen had previously been known, 
which was in the collection of Mr. Robertson, of Limehouse, 
taken in Scotland. It had been captured by Mr. Seeley, in the 
South of England. 
Mr. Gorham exhibited a new Microlepidopterous insect, be¬ 
longing to the family Tineidce, named Coleophora virgaurea, 
from Westerham, taken on the Golden rod, the larva of which 
makes a moveable cylindric case, in which it resides, bearing it 
about with it like a snail does its shell. 
Mr. F. Stainton exhibited a new British Noctindeous Moth, 
Micra parva, which he had taken with M. ostrina, at Torquay. 
The former of these two species had only been known previously 
as a native of the South of France. 
Mr. F. Smith gave an account of a blind species of Ant, in 
the collection of the British Museum, from India, belonging to 
the genus Fciton. 
A note was read from Mr. Diggles, on the habits of somo 
species of Lepidoptera and Formicidice, of Moreton Bay, Aus¬ 
tralia ; on the production of formic acid by the latter ; on the 
peculiar smell emitted by the green species of Plant Beetles, be¬ 
longing to the family Chrysomelidce; and on the effects produced 
by dropping the Bombardier Beetle into hot water, the heat 
causing the crepitating vapour to expand and explode, shuttering 
the body of the insect to pieces. 
Mr. Wright sent a notice of a small insect, parasitic on the 
stickleback. Mr. Stevens stated that M. Muat had recently 
started on an entomological excursion to Siam. And Dr. Gray 
gave some particulars respecting a small Homopterous insect, 
with membranaceous lobes on the sides of the body and limbs, 
found on the leaves of the Maple. 
WHAT COVERING SHOULD THE OUTSIDE 
ROOTS OF EORCED VINES HAVE P 
As the forcing season is now commencing, it has brought to 
my mind a question, which has occured to me before—viz., What 
benefit is derived from covering Vine borders with hot dung? 
None, that I can sec; for the roots arc generally six inches below 
the surface, often more; and I do not think that the soil will get 
heated to that depth, for heat has a tendency to rise, as one may 
easily find out by placing the tea-kettle under the grate some 
evening when there is no hurry for tea. 
1 know a nobleman’s place, where they make it a rule always 
to have ripe Grapes by the beginning of April; and the only 
covering they give the Vine roots, which are all outside, is about 
six inches thick of partially-decayed Oak leaves, put on a week or 
so before they begin forcing. 
I may be wrong in my ideas, and, if so, perhaps some of your 
correspondents will put me right.—A. A. 
THE HEXAGONAL CELLS OF BEES’, AND 
WASPS’ COMBS. 
In my previous paper on the secretion of wax by bees, amongst 
other things I stated that the queen wasp made cells large 
enough to admit her head. Since then, I find that Mr. Smith 
stated the contrary at a meeting of the Entomological Society, on 
October 4. He did so in opposition to Mr. Stainton’s assertion, 
“ that the angular position of the ocelli in front of bees’ heads 
mi"ht be the cause of bees working the wax into a hexagonal 
form.” I pass over this at present, to state that there is no 
foundation for Mr. Smith’s opinion. If the cells built by the 
queen wasp are too small to admit, not only her head, but also 
her abdomen, how could she deposit eggs, or feed the grubs in 
them? In fact, such an idea is at variance with the grand 
object for which the cells were made. This also applies to the 
hornet, and to all the race of humble bees, whoso queens begin 
