I 244 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND CO 
“ One of the watercourses which discharges itself at the 
I settlement has been dammed tip for the purpose of forming 
i a mill-pond j and a water-mill has been erected Avith all the 
j machinery required to grind corn. A windmill also has been 
j erected on a point of land near the sea, where it has the full 
i benefit of the breeze; so that in case of accident to the dam, 
! or to tile machinery of the water-mill, or to a failure of the 
! Water in the dry season, the means of preparing flour from 
grain Avould be still available. At different points of the 
island gardens were formed, in which every species of fruit 
and vegetables which would endure the climate was cultivated ; 
j and these gardens and the fruit trees which were planted in 
I them still remain, though the rank luxuriance of some of the 
plants, both native and imported, has changed the aspect of 
the garden into that of the Avilderness. Bananas, Yams, 
and Sweet Potatoes, are intertropical plants, but they flourish 
on the island; in the warm valleys the Orange and all the 
plants allied to it appear to thrive. Coffee of the best quality 
is produced ; arroAVroot was extensively cultivated. Maize 
grows very well, and produces a heavy crop. Rye also yields 
a fair return ; but the climate is not favourable to wheat; 
neither can the produce of the common Potato be reckoned 
on. From what has been said, it would seem that Norfolk 
Island offers advantages to settlers of a character not often 
met with. There are, however, some natural disadvantages. 
; In the first place, the anchorage off the island is bad—the 
j water being deep, and the ground foul; so that anchor and 
I cables are frequently lost. There is also but little siielter from 
j a gale ; from Avliatever quarter it may blow. In the second 
place, the island is not within the track of vessels navigating 
these seas ; and it must, therefore, for many years, be de¬ 
pendent upon chance whalers, upon an occasional visit from 
a man-of-war, or from a small vessel from Sydney or Auckland, 
for the means of communicating with the rest of the world. 
“ The actual distance from Sydney is about 900 miles, and 
from Auckland about 600 miles ; the time of making the run 
from Sydney to and from the island may, on an average, be 
i taken at sixteen days; and from Auckland from twelve to 
fourteen days.” 
BLOOMING OF AILANTHUS GLANDULOSA. 
As I understand it is of rare occurrence to see the Ai- 
lantlms glandulosa bloom in this country, I thought it Avould 
be well to make known to those interested in such matters, 
through the medium of your valuable columns, that we have 
two fine plants of it in bloom at the present time (July 5th), 
both of which bloomed and fruited last season.— Arthur 
Leary, Spring Grove , Richmond , Surrey. 
[Trees of the Ailantlms , under thirty years of age, hardly 
ever flower in England, and it is a rare occurrence to see old 
trees of it in bloom. White Knights is the only place where 
Loudon could learn that it ripened its fruit, which is similar 
| to that of the Ash, but smaller. Such notices are very in- 
i teresting.] 
i ---——- 
I 
SWARMS LEAVING HIVES. 
A common notion prevails, that when swarms leave the 
hives in which they were placed in the usual AA r ay, without 
any apparent cause, the bees have a dislike to them, either 
from bad smells, or something else difficult to explain. I have 
known them, hoAvever, to do so, even from hives in which 
fresh swarms at other times would have readily settled ; 
which shows that the fault sometimes rests with the bees. 
The fact is, in such cases, that the bees have other plans in 
view beforehand, where a part of them may have been for 
days getting ready, and are Avaiting for the queens to join 
them with the whole colonies. This is of such common occur¬ 
rence, that I need not dwell upon it. But there are tAvo things 
connected Avith the flight of bees, which I may notice, namely, 
that swarms sometimes fly off at once to cavities without 
resting, Avhile at others they cluster repeatedly on branches 
during their flight. The weakness of the queens may account 
for their resting ; and in such cases, when the swarms are 
caught or hived , they certainly will not stop, however sweet 
the hives may be, owing to their previous knowledge of the 
places of their own choosing, already noticed. But, in general, 
JNTRY GENTLEMAN, July 20, 1858. 
it is only first SAvarms that act thus ; after ones seem to leave 
the stocks in a more hurried manner. The rivalry of the 
young queens may account for this; also for their often 
leaving the stocks with a mere handful of bees. 
I may have noticed elsewhere, that this propensity of bees, I 
to break off into small colonies, is a great drawback to keep¬ 
ing them successfully in our variable climate. However, as 
regards dislike of swarms to hives, some kinds, of course, are j 
more suitable to the habits of these insects than others ; but 
at swarming time they will occupy any sort of dry cavity, 
and even make combs on a branch in the open air.—J. 
WlGHTON. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
___ 
CUTTINGS OF PELARGONIUMS, GERANIUMS, j 
FUCHSIAS, AND OTHER BEDDING - OUT 
PLANTS. 
“ I have a good selection of Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, Scarlet 
Geraniums, and such like, for bedding-out, and Avish to know i 
in what way I can best keep them through the winter, hav¬ 
ing no convenience but my window and a cold frame. Would j 
it be better for me to strike cuttings now than in spring ?”— 
Peter. 
[All Geraniums, of the Scarlet or Horseshoe class, are best j 
to be propagated in the autumn, the earlier the better. All j 
greenhouse Pelargoniums, which will bed, are best from j 
spring cuttings; all bedding Calceolarias are better struck 
late in the autumn; all bedding Fuchsias ought to be left in 
the beds, to be cut doAvn, and Avell secured from frost, if they 
need it; and, in such cases as yours, all the rest are easier, 
and more economical, to be struck in the spring. But see 
what Mr. Beaton says to-day on the subject, which is one of 
the very highest importance to all of us.] 
MANAGEMENT OF DELPHINIUM FORMOSUM 
AND LINUM RUBRUM.—PINCUSHION BEDS. 
“Are Delphiniums (formosum ) better for being renewed 
with seedling plants yearly, or should the old ones be kept in 
their beds, Avitli a top dressing, in spring or autumn ? 
“ Will Linum rubrum peg down ? I find plants die off 
this year like Pansies. 
“ Sedum acre makes very neat, pretty edges for pincushion 
beds. Is there any other hardy plant, to match in style of 
growth ? 
“ Instead of bricks, I have close wickerwork for my pin¬ 
cushion beds : they answer well, last three seasons, and with 
care even longer. I also use large shallow hampers, on low 
blocks of wood, for garden plants. I have one now, with 
Ivy-leaf Geranium hanging over the sides, which will touch 
the ground soon ; Lobelia erinus close round the inside of the 
Geranium, which ought to be the Cerise; and pets from the 
gi’cenhouse in the centre. These hampers do not cost more ! 
than 2s. 6d., are very strong, and only requhe to be lined 
with moss before putting the soil in. The plants grow very 
quickly, from the drainage being so good. Of course water 
is required every other day, as this hamper must not be more j 
than eight inches deep. About thirty-two inches diameter I 
find a good size. They last three or four seasons, by being 
put under cover in Avinter, and, no doubt, much longer, if 
painted or varnished.”— Kate. 
[The second, third, and fourth year, after sowing the seeds, 
Delphinium formosum is in the prime of life, for the flower 
garden and ordinary beds. It Avants no top dressing at all, 
and is much better without it, except mulching, Avhich is j 
good for most plants. After the 4th year, all these Del¬ 
phiniums ought to be taken up, at the end of February, to be j 
parted at the roots into comfortable pieces, neither very large 
nor very small; the practice to be continued every second or 
third year. It is best to have moderately small plants, and 
to plant them not more than six or eight inches apart j and 
never to alloAv them to ripen a single seed in a bed, but rather : 
to cut off the strongest flower-spikes, when they are three- 
parts bloomed, and use the fourth-part of the bloom for glasses 
in-doors. 
