THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN. February 22. 1859. 32? 
soil, strong loam, over tenacious clay. The fruit was very 
fine in appearance, half-melting but not high-flavoured. 
Mr. Brown attributed this to his not having thinned the 
fruit to the same extent as he had usually done,—mention¬ 
ing that, in the previous season, they were very excellent, 
and lasted in use from the end of December to the first 
week in May. 
Josephine de Malines, by Mr. Thomas Biveiis, from 
a pyramid on quince stock. Medium-sized, very juicy, 
melting, rich, delicious, and aromatic. 
(To be continued.) 
CALCEOLARIA CULTURE. 
At my present place, a portion of my success may be owing to 
the garden being on the edge of Asliton Moss, whence I have 
plenty of bog earth and moisture. The kinds I grow are— 
Kentish Hero, Kayii, Sultan, Blacic Diamond, Sulphurea splen¬ 
dent, and Aurea Jloribunda. 
I strike the cuttings, or rather put in cuttings, in October. I 
prick them in clean, sharp sand, placed in waterproof pans, 
which are afterwards kept in a cool house, aud never allow them 
to become dry. I give them air at every opportunity. 
About the middle of January I pot them in thirty-six-sized 
pots, having found they never do well when put in less sizes. 
The compost I use for them is leaf mould one part, rotten 
turf one part, cowdung picked from a field one part, and one 
part good sharp sand. 
I cannot say I plant out thousands, but about thirty dozen are 
our planting stock. I do not remember having lost more than 
two or three during last season. 
The beds for them are composed of about equal parts bog, 
turf, and sand. I quite agree with Mr. Simmons, of Barnet, that 
bad planting, indifferent treatment, and want of water, are sure 
roads to ruin the Calceolaria. 
I am well off here : I have pipes laid in the ground, and unions, 
to which I can put an upright pipe with a fine rose, which sends 
water a dozen yards, in a circle, as fine as rain. I can let it play 
for hours, having plenty of water. 
The following plan will eradicate the green fly from Cal¬ 
ceolarias :—Deluge them with guano water. I find they will 
stand it nearly any strength. This is far before fumigating. 
Bloom is plentiful with me when they can have good compost, 
with enough moisture aud room.— John Hague, Ashton-under- 
Lyne. 
BEES SECRETING WAX. 
I should have been quite content to allow the discussion 
between Mr. Wighton and myself to rest where it is, were it not 
for the misconception he appears to labour under, regarding the 
instance related by me, of bees secreting wax in winter. 1 am 
aware that bees will readily repair “ slight damages ” to their 
comb, by remoulding the old wax; aud I perfectly agree with 
Mr. Wighton, that the “ mended parts of the comb vary in 
colour according to the materials but I would repeat, that in 
the case to which I have referred, “ a number of new pieces of 
comb had been constructed” with new wax, and as perfectly 
white as if just made by a recent swarm. It cannot, therefore, 
be explained away in the manner suggested by him. 
Mr. Wighton is also right in stating that all I have adduced 
tends to show that “honey (or sugar) is only the food of bees, 
which enables them to secrete wax,” and, in these words, cor¬ 
rectly interprets my opinion. 
Without any desire to multiply authorities (which might easily 
be done, as all with whom I am acquainted arrive at the same 
conclusion), I may mention that the illustrious Liebig declares 
that he is “acquainted with no more beautiful or convincing 
proof of the formation of fatty matter from sugar, than the 
.... manufacture of wax by the bee.” 
What is stated respecting bees ejecting “wax from their 
mouths like small frothen crumbs,” coincides in a remarkable 
manner with the description of Huber (or of his talented 
assistant, Francis Burvens), except that the Latter asserts that 
wax is first supplied to the mouth in the shape of laminae from 
the wax pockets. I trust Mr. Wighton will excuse my being 
disposed to accept Huber’s statement as being much more in 
accordance with facts, so far as I have been able to observe them, 
than his own. 
But, supposing it possible that Mr. Wighton maybe right ill 
this respect (which, however, I cannot for one moment admit), 
it does not follow that what comes “ through the mouth cannot 
be a secretion; ” and this statement admits of a familiar illus¬ 
tration. It is not to be imagined that any of the readers of The 
Cottage Gabdener indulge in the practice of expectoration; 
but most of them must be aware, that on the Continent, and 
amongst our Transatlantic brethren, it is not unusual to see 
saliva “ejected from the mouth;” and the fact that saliva is a 
secretion is as indisputable, as I have, until recently, considered 
the secretion of wax by bees to be undoubted. 
Bees may be in the habit of scraping the leaves and young 
shoots of the Laurel; and, in this case, I am of opinion with 
“B. and W.,” that propolis would most probably be the result 
of their labours. All I can say is, that I have never seen them 
“scraping,” but have observed them, in hundreds of instances, 
“ licking ” from the backs of the young leaves the sweet ex¬ 
udation before alluded to. 
From what Mr. Wighton has stated respecting his disposition 
to correct or modify some statements contained in his work on 
bees, I am not without hope that he may have some idea of 
favouring the world with a new edition, in which case, he may 
reckon amongst his earliest readers — A Devonshire Bee* 
KEEPER. 
FRUITS ADAPTED TO THE VARIOUS. 
LOCALITIES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 
(Continued from page 314.) 
FIGS. 
Peronne. See Brunswick. 
Petite Aubique. See Bordeaux. 
Precoce Noire. See Black Bourjassotte. 
Pkegussata. —Small, round, compressed at tlie ends'. 
Skin purplish brown in the shade ; dark brown, covered 
with pale spots, next the sun. Flesh deep red, rich, and 
luscious. August to October. Well adapted for forcing. 
Purple. See Broicn Turkey. 
Raby Castle. — A variety closely resembling Mar¬ 
seilles, but distinguished from it by having a longer stalk. 
Red. See Brunswick. 
Ronde Noire. See Black Ischia. 
Rose. See Brunswick. 
Rose Beyronne. See Brunswick. 
Rose Blanche. See Brunswick. 
Sayantine ( Cordelliere ). —Fruit round, marked along 
its length with prominent nerves. Skin pale yellow. 
Flesh pale red. 
Singleton. See White Ischia. 
Small Blue. See Brown Turkey. 
Small Brown. See Malta. 
Small Early White. See Early White. 
Small White. See Early White. 
Violette. See Bordeaux. 
Violette de Bordeaux. See Bordeaux. 
Violette Gbosse (Antique). —Large, oblong, aud per¬ 
haps the longest-shaped of any of the figs; its- length 
being three times its diameter. Skin deep violet.. Flesh, 
red. 
Violette Longue. See Bordeaux. 
Walton. See Brown Turkey. 
White Bourjassotte (Bourjassotte Blanche). —This is 
extensively cultivated about Marseilles. The fruit is 
turbinate. Skin yellowish white. Flesh red. The tree 
attains a large size. 
White Ischia (Green Ischia; Nerii; Singleton; 
Brocket Hall). —Small and turbinate. Skin pale greenish- 
yellow, very thin, so much so, that wheu tully ripe, the 
flesh, w hich is purple, shines through and gives the fruit 
a brownish tinge. Rich, highly flavoured, aud luscious. 
End of August. The tree is of small habit of growth, a 
