120 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, May 25, 1853. 
The exception to which I have alluded, and in 
which Covent Garden ceases to be a criterion of 
value to garden produce in the country, is in the winter 
months. At that period there is a -want of rarities in 
the market, because there is a want of purchasers. If 
the market prices of such things are quoted at all, it 
is generally at a lower figure than that for which they 
could be produced, and the regular market-gardener 
never thinks of such a thing. Ladies and gentlemen, 
who will have forced flowers and vegetables in winter 
and spring, must not grumble at expense, nor keep re¬ 
ferring to Covent Garden prices. A bunch of Nea- 
S )litan Violets, is intrinsically more valuable in 
ecember than in March; but will it bring the same 
amount of money ? You may look to market reports, 
and find no trace of Asparagus in ISTovember and 
December, and perceive a next to fabulous price 
: against it in February ; and yet who does not know, 
i that to the consumer, who will have it, it ought to be 
j more costly in the former case than the latter. Some 
i people will have French Beans all the winter months, 
j Cucumbers every day, and Strawberries as soon after 
the new year as possible. Who ever saw these quoted 
at remunerating prices, before the gentry returned 
from the country to London ; though every gardener 
knows it requires more cost, and skill, and labour, to 
produce these things before February than after. A 
shilling for a brace of cucumbers at Christmas, and 5*. 
for a brace in March or April! Why, who would 
grow the cold, unhealthy things in winter, except at 
the command of those who could, and did not grumble, 
to pay the real cost. 
A few more thoughts are suggested, but I must stop 
for the present. R. Fish. 
NOTES FROM THE CONTINENT—No. 24, 
COLOGNE. ‘ 
The day following my visit to Herrenhausen, I was on my 
way to Cologne, but found it necessary to remain for ten 
; hours at an intermediate station—Minden. I had no par¬ 
ticular business in this picturesque old town, and, therefore, 
thought of devoting the time to gardening matters, but, un¬ 
fortunately, there was nothing worthy of notice. North of 
the town a good deal of ground is laid out in the way of 
j allotment gardens, and appeared to he under good manage- 
; ment. As there was nothing else in the horticultural line, I 
was obliged to fall hack upon the examination of the archi¬ 
tectural features of the town, and the scenery of the neigh- 
| bourhood. About two miles from the town, westward, is a 
romantic pass in the mountains (Wichengebirge), called 
“Porta Westphalica,” or the Gates of Westphalia. Through 
j this gigantic doorway, the river Weser, and the railway, obtain 
admission to the level plain beyond. 
Travelling by night train, I found myself early in the morn¬ 
ing at Deutz, with the glorious Rhine flowing in front of me, 
and Cologne, the beautiful, spreading itself along the opposite 
hank. Crossing by the bridge of boats (upwards of 1,400 
feet long). I made my way along the left bank of the river, to 
the cluster of villas beyond the city. In one of these lives 
the banker Oppenheim, an enthusiastic gentleman, who spends 
a great deal of money upon his garden. Though small, it is 
laid out with the utmost taste, and is a perfect model of what 
such a garden should he. It contains a large conservatory, 
or show house, kept gay throughout the year with florists’ 
flowers, and the customary greenhouse plants. I noticed that 
the best and newest English varieties were grown here, and 
well they repaid tlie attention bestowed upon them by the 
intelligent gardener, Herr Mashmeyer. The Victoria was 
formerly grown here in a circular house, flanked by a stove on 
i either side; but its cultivation has been given up, the three 
houses thrown into one, and at the time of my visit, the whole 
was undergoing arrangement upon a new plan. It was the 
intention, of the gardener to carry a winding walk from end 
; to end of the building, between masses of rockwork, and 
over a rustic bridge in the centre. He would then grow 
Nymphccas, &c., in the pool of water, and Palms, Ferns, and 
Orchidaceous plants among the rock and root-work, introducing 
Begonias, Achimenes, and other free-flowering things between 
them, to add the charm of colour to that of form possessed 
by the foliage of the others. I fear the effect will not be 
good : such an idea cannot be well carried out upon so limited 
a scale. The flower garden looked well, with its fountains 
and marble statuary; near it was the Rosary, with a selection 
of the best and hardiest Roses. A new kitchen garden has 
lately been added, and in it is a good range of lean-to forcing 
houses, heated with hot water, and containing every con¬ 
venience. 
There is another garden in Cologne (that of Herr Engels) 
worthy of a visit, if it was only to see the singular arrange¬ 
ment of the conservatory. This is in the style of the Al¬ 
hambra Court of the Crystal Palace, but far more eccentric, 
and quite unfitted for its purpose. The walls, gallery, and 
roof, are as brightly gilded, and as flauntingly coloured ; curious 
gaudily-painted lamps hang from above; and from caves in the 
rockwork below, and from the water of the fountain, carved 
dragons and other monsters stare out at you. A more ap¬ 
propriate and pleasing feature is contributed by the real birds, 
which are plentifully introduced; some of them charming us 
by their voice, others by the brilliant colour of their plumage. 
Plants form only a secondary feature in this strange eccentric 
building; most of them are only introduced when in flower, 
but a few Palms and Ferns, which are constant residents, 
appeared in good health. 
I visited several of the best nurseries in the city, but found 
them to be only second-rate, small, containing no great stock 
of any kind, and nothing new. Most of the fruit trees sold 
in them, I found, were imported from Holland.— Eael. 
DRONE GRUBS IN QUEEN’S CELLS. 
Of all the experiments I have ever wrought with bees—and 
these have been neither few nor seldom—that of putting male 
grubs into royal cells has hitherto given the greatest amount 
of trouble, and been accompanied with no satisfactory result. 
I have, indeed, not confined myself to grubs $ I have even 
tried eggs. 
It is, however, a very nice operation to remove either with¬ 
out injury; and I have found this so difficult to do, that I 
had given up the idea as worthless, and resolved to trouble 
myself no more about it. Guess, then, the gratification I 
experienced, when ] read in your report of the Entomological 
Society’s meeting, that the same thing had been done by others 
in my own country. 
Can you, or any of your readers, give me any further in¬ 
formation about it? Where this was done—by whom it was 
done—and what was the result ? These sort of things are, to 
me, exceedingly interesting ; and I would at any time forego 
the chance of obtaining the greatest quantity of honey ever 
gathered by a single hive, for the sake of making one really good 
experiment. 
My own opinion as to what the result of this experiment 
would he is against the notion that a queen would be the 
fruit; and this opinion is drawn from an experiment which 
may be briefly stated. I have repeatedly placed in an empty 
box, made for the purpose, a piece of comb, consisting of drone 
cells only, these containing eggs and grubs. A sufficient 
number of bees were then put in beside the comb, and in no 
case was t here ever the appearance of an attempt having been 
made to raise a queen. 
When next I make a similar experiment, I intend giving 
them, after two or three days, a piece of worker comb simi¬ 
larly replenished, and the result shall be communicated.— 
D. G. M’Lellan, Rutlierglen. 
PLANTING A QUICKSET HEDGE. 
Common as this work is, every one is not equally successful 
in obtaining a good fence in a short time. Preparing the 
ground, and planting early in the season, and not letting 
the plants be about in the cold drying winds, or pinching 
frosts, is advice every one thinks himself entitled to give; 
but some, who do so, will also tell you to cut them down at 
