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THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, July 13, 1858. 
A HINT TO POTTERY MANUFACTURERS. 
In one of your late numbers, in describing a private garden 
in France, you mentioned and spoke highly of an edging made 
of white china, in rows of semi-circular pieces. In fact, it 
must have a most beautiful effect, combined with beds of 
Geraniums, Calceolarias, and verdure. China is of no use un¬ 
less you mean delf,—the material of common plates or blue- 
ware. That material is used on the Continent for room-stoves, 
and keeps its brightness and colour for countless years; it 
may be washed, or is washed by the rain, and is always white 
as new. It is very cheap. The use of brick-coloured earthen 
edgings is very extensive now in all new gardens, and they are 
' pretty when new ; but delf-edgings are incomparably prettier, 
and every garden would soon be provided with them. Most 
Box-edgings are disfigured by dead plants, and are a receptacle 
for snails ; Box must be replanted every eight years, or it grows 
too large, and takes away the best of the mould ; it is dear, and 
requires constant care and expense. But delf, once laid, costs 
nothing; it might be light blue, or mixed white and blue, or 
otherwise ornamental; anyone can remove and replace it in 
case of alterations, and even lay it down, whilst Box requires a 
skilful gardener, or the plants die. So it does under trees. 
The walks are kept in better order with earthen edgings. 
White has the property of enhancing the colours of green, red, 
and yellow, as mentioned in your article on colours, and a 
garden so contrived would be pretty even in winter, and the 
smartest thing during the other seasons. 
P.S.—When ready, it must be advertised in The Cottage 
Gardener, that anyone can procure it.— A Frenchman. 
IMPROVED FOXGLOVES. 
Having seen, in The Cottage Gardener, a notice of a 
sport in a white Foxglove, I enclose you a similar one from 
one of mine. I also enclose you several other varieties, raised 
by myself, which we all think beautiful. As this noble plant 
seems, with me, to sport into almost innumerable varieties, 
ought it not to be elevated to the rank of a florist’s flower ? 
I doubt not its erect-growing capabilities, with many other 
good properties, by a little care in the collection of the best 
seed. 
It is a most accommodating plant, and destined to adorn 
many an old dry fence, where nothing else will flourish. 
This beautiful British plant will deceive nobody; no 
coddling or nursing is necessary; no disappointment ensues. 
Every season I enlarge the spots, till they have become 
blotches; and there is no knowing where their beautiful 
markings may end. Some are also delicately shaded, both 
inside and outside, with all the shades of purple, rose, and 
lilac. I am saving seed from twenty distinct varieties this 
season, but particularly from the monster.—W. E. 
[Your Foxgloves are indeed most lovingly marked: the 
purple, the white, the monster, and several lilac degrees, are 
dotted, eyed, and painted inside most beautifully, and they 
deserve all you say about them and something more. You 
are the right man in the right place. Go on and prosper.] 
ON COTTAGERS’ PLANS WITH BEES. 
I eind that cc B. and W.” takes my remarks on his first 
1 paper on bees, at page 10, in the true fight: and I beg to say 
that I heartily agree with him that more stocks might be 
kept; but, except in Heath districts, not to the extent of 
“ every cottager keeping ten stocks over winter,” on whatever 
plan they are kept. 
My remarks on old bees “ might have been spared.” True. 
But, perhaps, they may be the means of “ B. and W.” modi¬ 
fying his expression, “ after getting rid of the old bees for 
this might lead some to think that the bees in new hives were 
old and useless, whereas some of them are nearly of the same 
age as part of the brood of which he was speaking. 
My objections to inverting hives are not new ; for I men¬ 
tioned some of them in a discussion, in Mr. Loudon’s 
“ Quarterly Magazine,” with the Rev. — Clark, who took an 
interest in Mr. Nutt’s book. I said it was contrary to the 
habits of bees in the construction of their cells : when these 
were inverted, the unsealed honey dropped out. This, how¬ 
ever, would hardly apply to the point in question. But why 
not place the “ plundered hives,” under the old stocks, in 
their right position. The wrong one does not place the 
larvee a whit nearer the bees above, besides the risk of injury 
by their altered position. I need not dwell more on this 
point, but may note that “ B. and W.” says, “ that the 
larvee would soon change their position in search of food ” 
(where ?). But, as they are firmly fixed in their cells, is it 
possible for them to turn round to be fed by the bees ? I 
may further observe, that I never found perfect specimens of 
insects bred from the chrysalis, if it had not been kept in the 
same position in which I found it. 
I think that “ B. and W.” passed too lightly over what I 
said concerning the side-combs, and the edges of the brood 
ones containing honey-cells. But, be that as it may, I have 
only two more things to notice,—the time to plunder the 
hives, and preventing increase of swarms. 
My remarks were made on “ B. and W.’s” first paper, 
already noticed, in which the time is not stated when cot¬ 
tagers are to destroy their bees. In the next one, however, 
the end of July is named; also the 1st of August, at page 
135, amongst his remarks on my previous paper. But I may 
safely say, that bee-keepers know better, especially in Heath 
districts, than to take up their hives before the end of the 
honey harvest, which sometimes lasts to the middle of Sep¬ 
tember, in northern parts of the country. 
I need hardly observe, that though heat and want of room 
cause bees to swarm, especially the first ones, still they are 
not the chief cause; consequently “ B. and W.’s” plan, to 
prevent second ones, does not accord with the laws of swarming. 
But having spoken so lately on tills subject, under the head of 
second swarms, at page 164, I trust these few hints will be 
satisfactory. I may add, that on the 31st of May it was 82° 
of heat, in a northern aspect; and to-day, the 16th of June, 
it was 90° at one o’clock, in the same place. During such 
great heat, beekeepers should shade their hives, in order to 
prevent the combs collapsing.—J. Wighton. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Rose-buds not Opening (A Constant Subscriber). —There is nothing I 
to be seen in the Rose-buds, to indicate the cause of this kind of Rose 
not opening as freely as others under the same circumstances; but we 
take the cause to be, that it is one of a vast number of imported Roses, 
for which our English or British climate is not suited. As it seems to 
be a very good Rose, we think the best thing you can do with it is, to 
try it in a pot as you propose, and give it an orchard-house treatment, 
by saving it from extreme cold, and by a gentle impulse in the spring, 
and if it proves to be worthy of that care, to continue it. Prepare it 
thus for the change :—In the last week in September, or the first week 
in October, prune it down as close as you would do at Christmas, and 
leave it where it is till some fine day in November; then take it up care¬ 
fully, and prune all its roots, just as close as the head was pruned. Pot 
it in rich light soil, the first year, and after that in strong rich loam. 
Cucumber Plants (A Subscriber). —The specimen was too much 
crushed to form an opinion even of what was the ailment. Cucumbers 
are too liable to injury, for us at any time to say whether it was oc¬ 
casioned by faulty treatment. 
Geranium Leaf (.7. H . Smith). —Your Geranium has indeed a j 
doth of Gold leaf. If the habit will be permanent, it will be a valu- , 
able trade plant, and an invaluable flower garden plant. The largest 
leaf, and the best marked leaf of the Golden Chain, will give a good 
idea of your prize ; add the habit and flower of Tom Thumb, and the 
character is so far complete, as far as can be judged from cut leaves. 
But you had better send a plant to Mr. Beaton, to be proved. It will 
be as safe with him as with yourself. 
Caterpillars on Turnips (T. D. G.). —The black Caterpillai’s on 
your Turnips are the “ niggers,” or larvae of the Sawfly, Athalice cen- 
tifolice. Employ children to_ pick them oft’, or drive a lot of young 
ducks into your field. 
Name of Rose [D. M. C., Wrexham ).— There are fifteen or twenty 
kinds of Roses, with similar purple-shaded flowers. Without know¬ 
ing to which class your flowers belong, no one could make out the 
kind from two flowers which had fallen to pieces. 
Names of Plants {J. Nicholson). —Your Fern is Asplenium adian - 
tum-nigrum. ( W. G.). —No. 1. Watsonia marginata, which has the 
leaves more narrow, longer, and more pointed than its nearest kindred, 
which is your No. 2. Watsonia rosea, which has thickened edges, like 
marginata. No. 3. Ixia, or, as it son etimes called, Tritonia longiflora. 
No. '4. Tritonia rosea. {Glasgow). —Your Geranium is Vesper. { A . 
ft. C.).— The flowers were of a pure and pearly-white kind of Pelar¬ 
gonium ; but whether it was double, like Jackson’s double white, or 
single, like the rest, we cannot say, as all the petals fell off; but, among 
them, some very small ones would indicate a double flower. 
