42 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Apeil 20, 1858. 
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flowers little larger than Asters ? Or, is this owing to the 
roots being too old ? 
“ 3. IIow arc Dahlias to be propagated ? I have heard that 
cuttings, taken with a piece of root attached, will strike in a 
common greenhouse without bottom heat.”—G. II. W. 
[1. All Dahlias may be pegged down to the ground, just as 
easily as those were done at the Crystal Palace; but it so 
happens, that there are not more than three or four kinds of 
Dahlias worth one-half the trouble of training down that way. 
The two best for training are the very old dwarf purple 
Zelinda, and the very new white one, coming out from Salis¬ 
bury this very spring —Floribunda nana. 
2. The reason of your Dahlias running into Aster-sized 
flowers, on long spindly shoots, is this—you did not cast them 
off ten years ago. There is only one Dahlia, out of thousands, 
that will keep up the credit of the breed more than ten years. 
Acres upon acres of seedling Dahlias have been flowered every 
year for the last twenty years, and fanciers renew their stock 
every year, by casting oil' so many of the older kinds. 
3. Dahlias are made from cuttings of the young shoots, 
forced for that purpose, as freely as Verbenas, but not so 
easily; and cuttings with a piece of the old root attached are 
not cuttings at all, but plants upon their own roots, and they 
need not a greenhouse or any glass. They will do to plant at 
once in the open ground, just like sprouted Potatoes : that is 
one of the easiest, and the very best way for private use. Put 
out the old Dahlia roots about the middle of April, in a warm 
sheltered corner, as if you were planting them “ for good ; ” 
and when they are sprouted take them up, towards the end of 
May, and divide them so as that each shoot Avill have a piece 
of the old root. Plant these pieces for the full bloom.] 
SEASONING HIVES—PRODUCE AND VALUE OE 
HONEY. 
“1. Can you inform me what time is required to season a 
hive, so that a swarm may safely be introduced ? 1st, a newly- 
made hive of new wood; 2nd, of old wood ; and 3rd, of 
straw. 
“ 2. What is the average produce of an improved cottage 
hive in a moderate district, and the same with Nutt’s Colla¬ 
teral ? 
“3. What is the best price that can be obtained for large 
quantities, say 501bs. to lOOlfis., of bellglass honey ? Some 
here get 2-y. for small quantities.”— Reelover. 
[After hiving a swarm of bees, it is always well to keep 
watch upon them for some hours, for it is not always possible 
to account for their likes and dislikes, and they will occa¬ 
sionally leave the hive after being apparently settled in it, 
and, sometimes, without apparent cause. It is quite possible 
that a newly-made hive may be distasteful to the family, from 
smell contracted from dirty straw, or where the ends of the 
straw have been burnt, or even left too rough. Or a queen 
might, now and then, be fidgetty and restless. All hives are 
Lett er, seasoned a little Avliile before use ; and, in particular, 
the smell of unseasoned Avood and paint is disliked, so that in 
such cases exposure to the air before use is desirable, for some 
days, or longer; besides that, an entirely new box-liive is 
liable to warping and cracking, unless extremely well pro¬ 
tected from the sun at all times. As to the expected produce 
of honey in any kind of hive, there can be no reliable estimate 
given. Season, district, weather, and numbers in the hive, 
a.l influence the harvest, AA’hich may range from ten pounds 
to fifty pounds. The market price, also, of honey, is liable to 
various contingencies of quality, locality, and season. It is 
not unusual for the best honey of the season, in glasses to be 
Avortli 2s. a pound in London. 
We cannot decide upon your proffered narration of mishaps 
until we have read it.] 1 
RETARDING VINES IN A CELLAR- 
IN POTS. 
-VINES 
I have some potted Vines, strong canes, in large pots, 
a cellar. If I keep them there through the summer will th 
still remain at rest ? and, if so, can I then force them ve 
early next season ? I should like to pot them in the Pi 
stove, in September, and be able to cut ripe fruit by the end | 
of next March. The sorts are Black Hamburghs and White 
Sweetwater. 
“2. Is there any difference between the Lombardy Vine 
and West St. Beter's ? and, if so, what is the difference ? 
“3. I have some small Vines, one year old, from the eye, 
in No. 24-pots, in which they were grown last year, plunged 
in bottom heat. I was just thinking of shifting them into 
larger pots, and cutting them back, and putting them again in 
bottom heat; but, in taking them out to do so, I find the 
roots all appear dead and rotten. They ha\ T e been under 
shelter all winter, and the balls of loam are noiv very dry and 
hard. Will they grow again and make plants, or not ? Had 
I better shake them out, or not ? And will sandy loam or j 
clayey loam suit them best ? Will bones and charcoal, mixed j 
in the loam, assist them ? What amount of bottom heat will | 
suit them best?”—A Persevering- Amateur. 
[We have not tried your proposed mode, but we fear you 
Avill not succeed; but it is Avortli trying. We should have 
more hope if the Vines Avere grown early ; ripened as to their 
Avood early; got out in the open air by the end of July 
against a Avail ; and then placed in an ice-house in August and 
part of September. 
2. The Black Lombardy Grape lias a long, broad-shouldered 
bunch, with large rounded - berries, juicy and rich. The 
W?st St. Peter's has medium-sized, longish bunches, largish 
berries, and is firmer and more sugary than the Lombardy. 
„ The roots you have sent seem to be thoroughly dried up. 
Your safest plan is to water them with water at about 90°, 
Avhere they are; first making some holes through the ball, in 
order that the dry earth may absorb it gradually, and, there¬ 
fore, do not give too much at a time. This, if anything, will 
restore them, and syringing the tops well; and we would 
give them no more heat anywhere than 50° until the buds 
broke freely, and the roots have also been brought into action. 
It not dead, they must be pretty near it. If they should 
survive, then shift them into 12-inch pots, and give them 
stiffish fibry loam, and plunge them into a bottom heat of 75° 
to 80 ; and when they begin to feel themselves, you may first 
stop the points of the shoots, and gradually remove them 
all, except the one you mean to grovv for the next season; 
and when that is growing freely, you may cut aAvay the old 
shoot above it. You will observe, we give exceptional advice 
for an exceptional case ; as much of the recovery of the plants, 
as respects their roots, we think, will depend not on cutting 
down at first, but encouraging the top growth of the old 
shoot.] 
VENTILATING A GREENHOUSE IN WINTER 
AND SPRING. j 
“A Constant Subscriber would be very much obliged 
foi a more clear direction as to A’entilating a greenhouse, of 
which she takes the Avliole care. She peruses every number of 
Iiie. Cotiage Gardener ; but the subject ot ventilation and 
heating a greenhouse, .particularly in spring, she does not 
understand. The paragraph of ‘ old rule of one to six,’ &c., 
page 334, March 2nd, she does not at all comprehend. Of 
coui^e, to a practical gardener, all these tilings are so easy, 
that they, who do not understand them, may appear very 
stupid. Last week fires Avere discontinued; but the last two 
days, not nights, a tire has been put on just to warm the 
pipes, fearing damp ; the house is heated by hot water. The 
Geraniums and Verbenas are coming into bloom, and not a 
green fly in the house. The ‘ Greenhouse for the Many ’ she 
lias found of the greatest use ; but that does not explain quite 
sufficiently the upper and lower ventilation. On the top of 
her hotbed she has laid bark, instead of ashes, as the ashes 
caused a fungus on the pots like snow. Should the bark be 
watered to get up the heat for seeds ?” 
[Tour success in having everything flourishing, no green 
fly, Geraniums and Verbenas in bloom, is just a sufficient 
reason to us, that we can do little to help you, in the Avay of 
ventilating. We are not surprised, however, that you did not 
see through the rule of “ one to six ” idea on ventilating, at 
page 334. It fairly made us scratch the inquisitive bump I 
and avc could only come to the conclusion, either that our old j 
mend, Mr. Heaton, meant to give us as great a starter, as 
