60 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Apeil 27, 1858. 
! 
l 
either by cuttings or division of the scaly roots, or by the 
small incipient tubers that are produced on many varieties, in 
the axils of the leaves. Having obtained the grant from 
botanists to consider this genus as belonging to the more 
humble florist, we must give rules to guide us in judging 
which are the best, or, in other words, determine the cha¬ 
racteristics of a good Achimenes. 
1st. Form. — Each bloom should be perfectly circular, 
without any serratures on the edges. It should be flat and 
firm, so as to bear carriage. It should by no means reflex. 
2nd. Colour .—This should be clear and distinct, and per¬ 
fectly pure. If the variety is striped or spotted, such stripes 
or spots should be clearly defined, and placed at equal dis¬ 
tances, in order not to produce any confusion. 
3rd. Halit .—The plant should be moderate in height, and 
stout enough to bear the flowers without sticks. The foliage 
medium in size, and the blooms should be numerous, but not 
crowded on the stems. 
Culture .—On this point I fear many florists would fail, 
not from want of skill, but from not having the means to 
grow them. Yet, let them not despair. The frames they 
use to shelter through the winter such plants as Auriculas, 
Carnations, Yerbenas, &c., may be made use of after such 
flowers are placed out of doors. A very gentle hotbed will 
start them into growth, and the heat of summer will, in such 
frames, be quite sufficient to bloom the Achimenes in through 
August and September. The best pans of Achimenes that I 
ever grew were brought to perfection m a cold pit, without 
any artificial heat whatever. If the amateur has a greenhouse, 
he will find no difficulty in growing them. 
The first thing to do is to procure some pots of tubers 
from the nurseryman, and keep them from starting till 
the frame or pit is at liberty. Then make up a compost 
of turfy loam, leaf mould, and sandy peat, in equal parts, 
adding sufficient silver or even river sand, to give it a decided 
sandy character. Then procure some shallow pans, rather 
deeper than the ordinary seed-pan, drain them well, and fill 
them with the compost, using the rougher parts for the 
bottom of the pan next the drainage. Then plant the tubers, 
laying them lengthwise on the soil, and cover them about one 
inch deep. Let every tuber have two inches square to grow 
in. Some plant them much thicker, and others much thinner, 
but the medium is the best. 
When all are planted, place them in the frame for three or 
four days, without giving any water, and then only give a 
gentle sprinkling. As soon as the shoots appear, Avater more 
freely, and increase the quantity as the plants progress. 
During sunshine shade slightly, and give air by tilting up the 
lights behind. When the plants are coming into bloom they 
require abundance of water, and frequent sprinkling overhead. 
The longiflora varieties have large heavy flowers, and when 
full of flower will require support. Very slender green sticks 
should be used, and so placed as to appear like natural stems. 
By persevering in these operations, the plants will bloom quite 
as well as they do in the best stoves. The bloom may be 
prolonged by giving a little thicker shade, when the first 
flowers expand. Bright sunshine will turn the edges of the 
leaves brown, and destroy the bright colours of the blooms, 
especially the blue varieties. In long-continued rainy weather, 
the damp will be found injurious to the foliage. In frames 
and pits, the only remedy is abundance of air during the day ; 
and if the surface inside, on which the pans stand, can be 
covered every noiv and then with dry coal ashes, they will 
absorb the moisture. In such weather, give less water at the 
root, and none on the leaves. 
When the blooming season is past, remove the plants out 
of the frame, and place them at the foot of a wall facing the 
south. Let them have the full benefit of the sun, and con¬ 
trive some way to keep off heavy rains. By such treatment the 
tops will gradually decay, and the tubers ripen. Before frost 
arrives, remove them into a room where no frost can reach 
them, cut off the decayed tops, and here they may remain 
till the growing season returns. 
The following are selected as being worthy of general cul¬ 
tivation. 
New Vaeieties. 
Meteor (Parsons), bright scarlet, well formed, and brilliant 
in colour; habit good, being dwarf and free in sroAvth. 
105. 6cl. each. 
Rosea magnifica , rosy purple, well formed, and large, the 
eye spotted with yellow. 55. each. 
Ten Oldee Yaeieties. 
Amboise Verschajfelti , white with dark starry centre; a 
striking variety. 
Carminata splendens , brilliant carmine; good habit. 
Fchhautii, bright rosy red, marked with spots in roAvs; 
handsome foliage of a silvery hue. 
Longiflora major , large blue. 
Longiflora alba , white. 
Leopard , red spots on an orange ground ; beautifully dis¬ 
tinct. 
Madame Hagenauer , large, purplish violet; fine form. 
Rarsonii, shaded crimson ; fine form, and very large. 
Riccolomini , red, distinctly spotted with maroon; large j 
and fine. 
Sir Treherne Thomas , a rich crimson self; fine form and ! 
large floAvers ; abundant bloomer. 15. 6d. to 25. 6d. each.— i 
T. Appleby. , 
THE COTTAGE BEE-KEEPER. 
A Lettee 
To ALL SIMPLE FOLK WHO KEEP, OE INTEND TO KEEP, BEES. 
By P. Y. M. F. 
(Continued from page 46.) 
Oe the Queen, oe Mother-bee.— Every bee-keeper ought 
to know, that there is one mother-bee in each hive, and only 
one , who is commonly called the queen-lee. She is the parent 
of all the bees in the hive. While she is strong and young, 
she lays plenty of eggs, and everything goes on well in the 
hive ; but if she dies or gets worn out, then of course no eggs 
are laid, and the number of bees diminishes every day, till all | 
are dead. If the bees could obtain a new queen, before their ! 
numbers have become too small, they would grow busy again, [ 
and the hive might be saved. But it is very seldom that bees 
can get a neAv queen in March or April. You may easily 
know a queen, if you see her. I have often caught some of 
my queens, and could tell a queen among ten thousand com¬ 
mon bees, if only I could set eyes on her. She is much longer 
than the other bees, nearly twice as long. She has short 
wings, and a reddish-brown body Avith long legs. It is said, 
and I believe it, thgt a good queen-bee will lay a hundred 
thousand eggs in one season! You may guess, therefore, how 
many swarms we should have every year, if it were not for the 
many enemies and accidents to which bees are exposed. Slie 
lays most eggs in April and May, a great many in March, 
June, and July, and some in February, August, September, 
and October. In the remaining three months, November, 
December, and January, there is not much going on in any 
hive, at least in England. 
Oe the Deone, oe Male-bee. —One of the best and 
surest of good signs, is the early hatching of drones in strong 
hives. The drone is the male-bee: there are often as many as 
two thousand of them in a good stock or hive. They have 
no sting. They do nothing else but fly about in fine weather, 
fill their bellies with good honey, and enjoy themselves. Their 
life, while it lasts, is a life of pleasure. But it is a pleasure 
dearly bought, as most earthly pleasures are, for the bees soon ] 
get tired of them, and kill them, when they find they are of no i 
use. This murder of the drones generally takes place in July 
and August. But although drones are an idle folk, and one 
has little pity on them, when their life closes; there is no 
greater pleasure to the bee-master than to see this life begin. 
An old bee-keeper used always to feast his friends as soon as 
he had seen his first drone every spring. I have seen drones 
in very strong hives as early as the 9th of April, but they are 
not often seen in any quantity till May, and sometimes, in late 
springs, or Aveak hives, not till June. You may tell the drone 
“'‘at once, if you stand for a feAv minutes near a strong hive, 
about noon on a fine day. They make more noise than a 
dozen common bees, but there’s nothing in it: and they are 
very large and stout, and blacker than the common bee. 
Section 3.—Summee Management op Bees. 
Of Swaeming. —“ Farly drones , early sioarmsfl that is 
why old Bonner so rejoiced at the first sight of his drones. 
