315 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, August 17, 1858. 
the Makalaka increase the fertility of tlieir gardens by rude 
attempts at artificial irrigation. 
The instrument of culture over all this region is a hoe, the 
iron of which the Batoka and Banyeti obtain from the ore by 
smelting. The amount of iron which they produce annually 
may be understood, when it is known that most of the hoes 
in use at Linyanti are the tribute imposed on the smiths of 
those subject tribes. 
The forests became more dense as we went north. We 
travelled much more in the deep gloom of the forest than in 
open sunlight. No passage existed on either side of the 
narrow path made by the axe. Large climbing plants en¬ 
twined themselves around the trunks and branches of gigantic 
trees like boaconstrictors, and they often do constrict the trees 
by which they rise, and, killing them, stand erect themselves. 
The bark of a fine tree found in abundance here, and called 
“Motuia,” is used by the Barotse for making fish lines and 
nets, and the “Molompi,” so well adapted for paddles by its 
lightness and flexibility, was abundant. There were other 
trees quite new to my companions ; many of them ran up to 
a height of fifty feet of one thickness, and without branches. 
In these forests, we first encountered the artificial beehives 
so commonly met with all the way from this to Angola; they 
consist of about five feet of the bark of a tree fifteen or 
eighteen inches in diameter. Two incisions are made right 
I round the tree at points five feet apart, then one longitudinal 
Blit from one of these to the other ; the workman next lifts 
j up the bark on each side of this slit, and detaches it from the 
; trunk, taking care not to break it, until the whole comes from 
j the tree. The elasticity of the bark makes it assume the form 
| it had before; the slit is sewed or pegged up with wooden 
pins, and ends made of coiled grass-rope are inserted, one of 
| which has a hole for the ingress of the bees in the centre, and 
the hive is complete. These hives are placed in a horizontal 
' position on high trees in different parts of the forest, and hi 
; this way all the wax exported from Benguela and Loanda is 
collected. It is all the produce of free labour. A “ piece of 
medicine ” is tied round the trunk of the tree, and proves 
sufficient protection against thieves. The natives seldom rob 
| each other, for all believe that certain medicines can inflict 
I disease and death; and though they consider that these are 
| only known to a few, they act on the principle that it is best 
to let them all alone. The gloom of these forests strengthens 
the superstitious feelings of the people. In other quarters, 
j where they are not subjected to this influence, I have heard 
the chiefs issue proclamations to the effect, that real witcli- 
! craft medicines had been placed at certain gardens from which 
produce had been stolen; the thieves having risked the power 
j , of the ordinary charms previously placed there. 
This being the rainy season, great quantities of Mushrooms 
| were met with, and were eagerly devoured by my companions ; 
; j the edible variety is always found growing out of ant-hills, 
and attains the diameter of the crown of a hat; they are 
quite white, and very good, even when eaten rav. r ; they occupy 
: an extensive region of the interior; some, not edible, are of 
! a brilliant red, and others are of the same light blue as the 
| paper used by apothecaries to put up their medicines. — 
I (Dr. Living stone' a Missionary Travels.) 
. 
I QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
— 
I GERANIUMS IN ROTS WITH OYER-LUXURIANT 
ROOTS. 
“ This summer I have plunged three dozen fancy Gera¬ 
niums into pots, in the borders of a small court garden I have 
at the back of my house. They have done very well, and are still 
blooming on ; but this morning I had occasion to remove one 
of them to another part, when I found the roots were coming 
through the pots, and into the soil beneath. I shall, therefore, 
feel obliged if you will instruct me how to proceed when I take 
them up. I have also another lot of fancy ones, planted out of 
the pots, in the same borders. Shall I cut them down before 
I repot them ? and will the roots require any trimming ? 
“ I have not noticed anything in the last four or five volumes 
of The Cottage Gaedenek, nor in the Manuals, bearing on 
the subject.”—-J no. D. B. 
[We advise you, when you take up your Geraniums, to lift ! 
them carefully, cutting off all the roots that have pushed 
through the pots, and to place them in a shady place for a fort¬ 
night, giving them plenty of water until they recover. Then 
turn them out of the pots. Out in the tops severely, shake off 
the greater part of the soil, and trim in the roots sufficiently to 
get them easily into the pots again. Then repot them in the 
same pots, and place them under a frame, or pit, giving but j 
slight waterings till fresh roots and shoots are produced. Then j 
water more freely, and place them in your greenhouse through 
the winter, stopping them occasionally to make them bushy. 
Treat those you have planted out of their pots in the same ! 
manner. By doing so, you will renovate your plants and have : 
them in good condition to plant, or plunge out, next season. ! 
If you wish to bloom them in their pots, previous to planting 
out, they will be benefited by a shift into larger pots next 
March or April. Use fresh loam three parts, and one part of 
well decomposed hotbed dung.] 
PANSY MANAGEMENT. 
u Wishing to grow some kind of florists’ flower in a very 
circumscribed space, within a couple of miles of Ring’s Cross, 
and being engaged in my professional duties from eight till 
six o’clock, so that no flower which wanted much attention 
would suit me, I fixed on the Pansy for my love, and bought 
a couple of dozen of the best varieties, which I placed, about 
the end of May, in a carefully prepared bed. This bed is ex¬ 
posed to the morning sun, but, at about one o’clock, is shaded 
by the house. The plants seemed strong and healthy enough; 
but after flowering a little, finding the flowers began to be in¬ 
constant in colour, I cut them down, and strewed a little 
rotten manure over them, hoping to obtain fine autumn blooms. 
I have kept them well, but I think not too much watered. I 
now find that about half a dozen of them are rotting off. I 
have pulled one up, the whole root of which 3eems quite 
decayed. Can you give me any idea what this arises from ? 
and how it can be remedied ? 
“ I should also feel obliged by your informing me what 
number of first-rate varieties I may hope to get from about 
500 seedlings, said to be from the choicest varieties, assuming 
they are what they purport to be. If you could conveniently, 
add a few hints to guide me in Pansy growing, I should feel 
obliged. I may state, that I live on the west side of Higligate 
Hill, and that the natural soil is very stiff, and very soon dry 
after rain. Will you further oblige me by giving the names of 
a few flowers in each class ? ”—Zen AS. 
[The cultivated Pansy is little better than an annual, and’ 
therefore, must be propagated by cuttings, or layers, every 
year, and the old plants destroyed as soon as they have done ; 
flowering. Your plan of cutting them in, expecting to have : 
an autumn bloom, was not a good one. Your bloom would 
have been prolonged better, if you had layered the shoots just 1 
as you would have layered a Carnation. The layers would 
have made you fine plants for next year, if you had taken 
them up, potted them, and kept them through the winter in 
a cold frame, sheltered from frost by a covering of garden i 
mats. Though the Pansy will live through ordinary winters 
without any protection, yet it is not a safe practice, for many ! 
will perish if not sheltered. All the great florists keep then* 
stock of young plants under glass through the winter. If you 
had wished to keep what sorts you have, you ought to have 
propagated them by cuttings hi June, in order to have good 
plants early in autumn. 
The Pansy is subject to die off just at the point between 
the root and the top, as some of yours have done, and, we are 
sorry to say, no remedy has yet been discovered, either to pre¬ 
vent, or cure, that disease. All that can be done is to keep a 
stock in a reserve bed, and as soon as any plant appears 
diseased, to remove it immediately with all the soil in which 
the diseased plant has grown, filling up the hole with fresh 
soil, and replanting in the place a healthy plant from the 
reserve bed. 
Your 500 seedlings may or may not produce a single flower 
worth preserving. Seed so purchased is always doubtful. A 
more certain way is to save your own seed from your own best 
and finest varieties, choosing the most perfect flowers for the 
prupose. Every eeed-pod so chosen ought to be marked with 
i 
