324 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[November, 
plants may be left to a quiet rest. The decayed 
leaves should be picked off as they appear, and 
everything be kept neat. A good stock of bulbs 
should be potted to be taken to the forcing house 
at intervals for a winter bloom. The green-house 
is also the appropriate place for keeping a supply 
of the various plants to be taken to warmer apart- 
ments for flowering during the Winter. 
The hot-house should be attractive even thus 
early in the season, as many of the blooming plants 
have not ceased to flower since their removal from 
the borders, and others are coming into bloom. A 
nearly uniform heat should be maintained, ranging 
from 55^ to 65°, or even 70^ in some collections. 
One of the first things requiring attention, is to 
have a full stock of young thrifty plants put in a 
growing condition, to furnish a succession of bloom 
during the entire Winter. 
Bulbs should be brought from cooler apartments 
only as they are wanted to bloom. 
Camellias are beginning to push out anew, and 
some of the flower-buds are well swollen. Syringe 
and water more freely, giving them light and air. 
Fires will need careful attention, as a little neg- 
lect often causes much mischief. Most of the 
plants being tender, a near approach to the freez- 
ing point will check their growth, while too much 
heat will unduly force them. 
Orapes. — Prune and lay down, or tie np vines 
which have ripened their wood. Give them a sea- 
son of rest now. If the roots are in an outside 
border, cover them with manure, straw, etc. 
Insects. --Keep them in check at the beginning, or 
they will increase rapidly. Hand-picking, syring- 
ing, and tobacco fumes, are appropriate antidotes. 
J\)ts, tubs, and boxes, containing growing plants, 
should be frequently examined. Keep the drainage 
open, remove weeds and moss, loosen the soil, and 
add liquid manure or rich earth to those plants 
which are flagging. Prune or pinch to a good form, 
and hare them all arranged in a convenient hand- 
some order, the lower growing varieties in front. 
Soil for potting should be liberally provided for 
immediate and future use, it improves by keeping. 
Verbenas, Pelargoniums, Petunias, Salvias, and 
other bedding plants, should be started from cut- 
tings to provide a supply for winter flowering, and 
for planting out in the Spring. 
Water. — Give moderately, more to rapid-growing 
plants than to those which are resting. Syringe the 
floors and walls frequently, to induce evaporation. 
Apiary in November. 
Prepared by M. Quinby — By Request. 
The apiarian who has attended to his work at the 
eight time, and has everything now in the right 
place, will find but little to do among the bees this 
mouth. Hives may be painted at this season with- 
out seriously injuring the bees in them. If not 
satisfied with the condition of the winter stocks, 
examine them again on a cool day ; many things 
may be now ascertained which were difficult to ob- 
serve iu warmer weather. Kill the bees of very 
small colouies even now. It is almost impossible 
to get them through the Winter, and most of the 
honey, if they leave any, will not be tit for the table. 
Any one having the movable combs can make 
the straw hive available the coming winter. Make 
the inside of the same dimensions as the wood hive. 
As soon as ready, any time this mouth or next, 
transfer bees, combs, and honey, to the straw hive. 
To the hive described ou page 301 of the Agri- 
culturist, there should be added during cold weather, 
a mat for the top, made nearly like one of the 
sides. In the "leaf " hive, the frames are not at- 
tached to the sides or top. For this, a square box, 
or basket of straw instead of the woodeu box, can 
be made, to set over the frames for the Winter. 
Straw hives made in this way, are much superior 
to ihe conical style, for wintering the bees, especi- 
ally if used only for Winter and Spring. 
The number of patent hives, instead of diminish- 
ing, is increasing yearly. Not one in a hundred 
possesses any real merit over the old box style. 
The readers of the Agriculturist should be guarded 
atjaiust humbugs in bee Uivss, as iu other matters. 
At this season the venders will be around, and if 
they can ascribe no other merit to their hive, than 
the fabulous quantity of honey stored, because the 
bees could work best iu their hive, it will be safe 
to let them pass. If the story of a large yield is 
true, these peddlers are generally so ignorant in the 
matter, as not to know it is owing to the colony, 
pasturage, feeding, robbing, etc. Every body hav- 
ing experience knows that with a suitable cavity 
for deposit, bees will store as much honey in one 
place as in another, whether flour barrel, nail keg, 
or square box. A hive for improved bee culture is 
not expected to increase the amount of honey, but 
to facilitate the division of it — so that we can take 
a portion of it, leaving the rest for the bees — and 
to render easier the inspection of the interior. 
Aside from the movable comb hives, it is difficult 
to find an improvement over the old box, with the 
surplus boxes added. One not sufficiently acquaint- 
ed with the nature of bees to take advantage of 
some of the facilities offered by the movable 
combs, would do better to U6e the simple box, un- 
til he has aquired the requisite practical knowledge 
to make the others profitable. 
Pumpkins, Squashes, and Gourds. 
The Second Annual Exhibition of Pump- 
kins, Squashes, and Ornamental Gourds, at the 
office of the American Agriculturist, 41 Park Row, New 
York City, opens on Wednesday, Nov. 4tli, 1863, 
and the following Prizes will be paid by the Publish- 
er, upon the official award of competent Committees. 
CASH PREMIUMS, 
A — For the Heaviest Pumpkin or Squash $10.00 
B— For the 2nd Heaviest Pumpkin or Squash. .. 5.00 
C— For the 3d Heaviest Pumpkin or Squash 3.00 
D — For the Best Pumpkin or Squash for cooking. 5.00 
E — For 2nd Best Pumpkin or Squash for cooking 3.00 
F — For the largest yield on a single Vine * 10.00 
G — For the 2nd largest yield on a single Vine...* 5.00 
H— For the largestand nnestcollectionof Fan- / - q~ 
cy or Ornamental Goulds* J 
I — For the 2nd largest and finest collection ) . «« 
of Fancy or Ornamental Gourds* i <*.«« 
*AU to be grown by one person and to be accompanied 
by positive evidence from the grower, and one disinterest- 
ed person who assists in gathering the specimens. 
Note 1. — The specimens receiving the Prizes will re- 
main on Public Exhibition at the pleasure of the Publish- 
er who offers the prizes. The other specimens will be 
subject to the order of the exhibitors, or they will be 
sold at auction, or otherwise disposed of, for their benefit. 
Note2. — All Exhibitors must notify us of their intentions 
by Oct. 15th, and deliver specimens for competition on or 
before Nov. 2d. Specimens to be delivered free of charge. 
Note 3. — The same specimen can compete for only one 
of the premiums offered above. 
Containing a great variety of Items, including many 
good Hints and Suggestions which we give here in small 
type and condensed form , for want of space elsewhere. 
A Full Basket. — Iu these pages we 
present a large number of items, many of which are too 
important to be overlooked, merely because they are in 
smaller type. — We have many letters still unanswered. 
Many who do not find a special reply to their queries will 
find their answer in some of the more extended 'articles, 
or in the Calendar. The great majority of our queries 
concerning grape vines, for instance, are satisfied in the 
article on page 340, and so with other articles. We can 
safely say that the short items given on these pages re- 
quire more varied information to write them, and more 
care in preparing them, than the rest of the paper. Ques- 
tions are often received which we can not answer, nor 
can any one. New questions occur which can only be 
settled by actual experience. Asking questions is vastly 
easier than answering them. The-re is now on file a let- 
ter containing fourteen distinct queries; these cost the 
writer but little trouble, but it will take a great deal of 
thought to answer some of them. We do not speak of 
this willi a view to discourage questions, for we like to 
have them, but to excuse ourselves to those who may 
think that they are neglected. 
Sending; the Premium O rape- Vines* 
— Premium Vines which were secured last Summer, will 
be sent out the first week in November. The Concords 
will be marked by a string lied around each, mside of the 
oil-cloth , all the others will be Delawaies. Unpack 
them carefully when received, and slightly bury them, 
root and stem, in most soil for a day or two, and then, if 
to be left long before transplanting, uncover the stem 
portion. Set out in a dry soil, preparing a deep wide bor- 
der or bed. with plenty of rotten manure if the soil be not 
already good. Rotten sods, muck, or black surface soil, 
make a very good bed. When the ground begins to freeze 
hard, cover the vines lightly with litter or straw, to pre- 
vent alternate thawing and freezing. Too much straw 
may harbor mice. The vines have had two seasons of 
growth, and are well rooted. The smallness of the Dela- 
ware vines may disappoint some who do not know how 
weak a growlh this variety always makes for the first two 
or three years. Our vines are fully as good as those of 
similar age usually sent from nurseries. 
Paper Mill Waste.— " R.," of Chester 
Co., Pa., writes to the Agriculturist : "Near my place 
is a paper mill, from which runs a large quantity of stuff 
containing soda, lime, ink of old papers, and dirt of the 
rags. By digging a hole in the ground and turning the wash 
in, I can obtain it all. Now if I haul weeds, dirt and such 
stuff, and turn this wash on it and thus compost it, will it 
be of use to the land ?" There is likewise a large quan- 
tity of "bleach" (chloride of lime) thrown out into the 
race which I can get. " Will it benefit the mixture ?" To 
the former query we answer, yes ; to the latter, probably. 
The Expected Crop Reports from 
the Agricultural Bureau have not come to hand, at the 
early date we are obliged to go to press in order to work 
off our large edition in season. To be of any special 
value, however, the reports for September should certain- 
ly have been ready for the public earlier than Oct. 19th. 
There is a widespread and growing feeling, that we need 
at the head of the Agricultural Bureau a man who is 
more efficient, and less of a politician. There are good 
men in the subordinate positions — Saunders, Glover* 
Grinnell, &c— but what can these avail, if the head he 
defective. We had hoped for better results than any 
they yet manifested. Of this more, when Congress meets. 
Emigration to Delaware. — G. W. For- 
tune, Ashtabula Co., 0. There is on foot an organized 
plan for encouraging emigration to the State of Dela- 
ware. The Circular of the Association formed for this 
object, states its purpose to be "the improvement of the 
State by the introduction of agriculturists, artisans, man- 
ufacturers, and tradesmen from other States. It is pro- 
posed to accomplish this by giving information concern- 
ing the desirableness of the State as a place of settlement, 
and by employing agencies to form companies of colo- 
nists, and facilitate them in their immigration and loca- 
tion." Governor William Cannon, as President, heads 
the list of officers. The morement appears worthy of at- 
tention from those desirous of changing their location, 
but our advice in all such cases is for each one to per- 
sonally visit and minutely inspect any locality, before 
taking any steps toward settling in it. 
An Aged Lady's Investment. — There 
resides at Elizabeth, N. J., a lady in her 9Sth year, 
who was therefore 18 years old at the close of the Revo- 
lutionary War. She speaks like a true patriot of the 
stirring scenes when the foundation of the Republic, was 
laid, of the Government whose whole existence she lias 
witnessed, and of passing events. She has had some 
money at interest in bonds and mortgages, but recently 
transferred it to the U. S. bonds, expressing her desire to 
aid the Government all in her power. Fortunately, she 
and many others can now serve both their own and their 
country's interests by investing in these bonds, for we 
know of no better-paying good security. Those who 
took these bonds early in the year, will, the first of this 
month, receive interest at the rate of 6 per cent, in gold, 
which at the present premium is equal to nearly 9 per 
cent, interest. Some interesting information on this 
topic will be found in the circular on page 348. 
Sunday-School Question-Boole, Hfo. 
2.— The great number of persons who have used the 
little book called " Lessons for Every Sunday in the 
Year," will be pleased to learn that "Series No. 2" is 
to be issued during this month. This new book is on 
the same general plan as No. 1, and is designed to fol- 
low it, though it may be used independently. It has 
received a great amount of labor, and is very complete. 
We feel quite sure it will be esteemed the best Sunday- 
School book ever issued. It embraces the whole New 
Testament, and contains a very great amount of mailer 
condensed inlo a small compass, and yet in so plain and 
simple a manner as to be adapted to small children as 
well as to older scholars. The price (10 cents, or 14 cents 
if sent by mail) is the same as the first series, and will 
barely cover its cost. Persons sending for either book 
should be careful to state whether No. 1 or No. 2 is de- 
sired. Sec last column on page 347 of this paper. 
